And this is where I say I'm sorry for not updating last week! I uploaded without updating. Sorry!

26

Eyes closed to mere slits, I'm startled out of my near doze when the door to my cell is shoved open. Slowly lifting my head up, I look at one of the guys standing at the open door. Confusion mars my face as I notice a pair of identical men at my door.

"Hey guys, are you two twins?" I ask lazily. They frown at me and motion to the men in the cell. "Cause you could be identical twins. It's freaky." I grin at them. "Or is that the weed?" I ask laughing.

Rough hands unbuckle the iron on my wrists and ankles, my arms flop down to my sides and hit the floor. After what feels like hours of hanging off a wall in irons, a pained groan echoes up my throat when my arms are released. My muscles protest moving after hours of immobility. My head feels like there's clear cotton in it; I'm aware of what's going on, but, it's still blurred.

"Grab her and haul her out." A vaguely familiar male voice barks from outside my cell. Big hands grab my arms and haul me out of my tiny room.

"Ffuuck, I want cheesies. Do you guys have cheesies?" I mumble distractedly while they drag me out of the tower. Slowly bringing my head up, I look at the guards pulling me along on my right. "Why do you have horns?" I ask in confusion. "You have a twin, too?" I blurt out upon seeing two of him. "Haha! This is some good shit!"

"Shut up, Putana Assassin. Nobody cares." A man to my left barks at me.

"I'm fuckin starving. Gummy Bears would be soo good, right now." My stomach rumbles in displeasure. "Seriously guys, drugged bread and water are just a tease. I'd kill for some pizza." A bright flash of pain explodes onto the back of my skull and I go limp in their arms.

"I -, shut -, Putana, - - make you!" My ears ring painfully making them both harder to understand around the throbbing in my head.

"- Belardino said not - hurt her! Il Capitano - - victims hale."

"You guys are no fun at all. Little bit of weed would loosen you up." Stumbling to my hands and knees on the wagon, I sit back and lean against the bars of one side. My right hand comes up to gingerly inspect the freshly opened lump on the back of my head; my fingers come away sticky, again. The wagon's wood is well-worn but sturdy enough. The rusty bars of the cage could stand to be touched up, though. Lifting my left hand up, I wave it around and watch the rainbow blur. "This is cool." I say, grinning like a fool, the ringing in my ears slowly dimming. "Hey, Guys, where are we going?" I ask through the haze and pain still enveloping my mind. "Fine then, ignore my rambling." I giggle lightly, "I'd ignore me, too!" hooting with laughter. I shift to lie down on the cage's floor and watch the rooftops.

Several minutes of twists and turns later, I notice a few white forms leaping between buildings. A stray thought occurs to me that that might be the proverbial cavalry. I wonder how much I can annoy my silent guards before they literally get jumped.

"I hope we're not going to see Cesare. Those pustules are narsty." I muse to myself outloud. "Don't get me wrong, at least he wears a mask, but they're still visible on his neck and hands." I shudder theatrically. "I hope you guys wear gloves when you have to shake his hand, that's all I'll say about it." The cart jerks to a stop and I crane my neck around to look at the front of it.

"I said to shut your mouth, Putana!" The same guard bangs his large hammer on the cage making it clang loudly. "I will enjoy watching as Il Capitano tortures you for all that you know." A vicious grin follows his masochistic words. I see a figure in white stand at the edge of the roof above the wagon and I smile away the still very dim thread of worry.

"It is a sad sad man that feels he must beat a woman to prove his dominance." By now, all the guards are bristling at my pointed words. "Requiescat in pace." I say with a confident grin when the figure in white raises an arm.

I imagine the faint whistle of over half a dozen arrows shooting down from the rooftops to their targets. Looking around in detached interest, I watch all but one of the arrows targets drop like stones. My eyes squint and blink a few times as the pair of twins fall off the back of the wagon, pull themselves up with the cage's bars and look around for the unseen archers. Several figures in white converge on the lone guard twins and my cage.

"Nite nite!" I call out to the guard twins just before they're taken down by one of my Assassin brothers. Pushing myself up to sit with my legs crossed, I grin broadly at the blurred man trying to open my cage door. "Hi, Ezio! Please tell me you brought food." I wave at him as he waits patiently behind the guy, whom I think is Matteo, trying to open my door. A click announces his success. I clamber unsteadily out and to my feet. Flailing a little, I try to grab the cage's bars. I'd rather not eat dirt. "Wow. I am so very baked. Who wants to help me home? I can't walk." I laugh at my own sorry state. Ezio moves forward and scoops me up into his arms.

"Come. I will carry you. The rest of you keep the way clear." A series of nods later and the seeming multitude split off in different directions. I try to focus on Ezio's face while he shifts me into a better position and immediately moves off into Roma. "Thank you, Ezio." I speak quietly. Giving up trying to focus my sight, I close my eyes and rest my head on his chest.

"You are welcome, Daniela. This is what friends do, is it not?"