Hey so it's a day late but I'm just gonna let you know I won't be uploading next week. I've got some work to do and some homework to finish and school starts in two weeks, and yes. So catch you in two weeks time. xoxooxo
I dressed myself and decided to practise in the rink. Really, there was so little I could spend my time doing, and so I decided on something I could improve greatly on. I picked on Ugo until he gave in and jumped in the rink with me. I was completely sure but, I think something inside me changed. I felt happier. Lighter. Like something had been lifted completely off my shoulders.
And Ugo was wonderfully good fun to spend time with. He was much too easy to fight, but we were just playing socially. The thing about thieves was that they relied more on their stamina, agility, and speed to survive. And then there were the courtesans, who were able to hide in plain sight, and get by where others couldn't, and didn't fight at all. And then the mercenaries, who couldn't run for their lives, but were strong and highly able fighters. They were all irreplaceable elements to an order, a system. They weren't considered assassins, but they aided us—them. I didn't know if I counted as an assassin. I don't know what Ezio would say. All he'd want to do is keep me safe, which really angered me, sometimes. I wasn't a child, not anymore.
I think in the time it took me to socialize with the thieves again, the more Rosa warmed up to me. I don't think it was that she didn't like me as a person, I think it was because of the relationship I had with Ezio. I'd be so incredibly jealous if I were in her position, too. He was hot. It was much like that day a long time ago. I had literally nothing to do, so I spent all day drinking with Ugo and his friends. Maybe the trick was to limit how many drinks I had. It was a really awesome memory, to be honest. Everyone thought I was hilarious, and everyone enjoyed themselves.
Today was like that. I'd never explored the Della Seta at all, so when I discovered there was a giant dining room that could've fit every single thief, we threw some food onto the table and sat around for hours. I couldn't even hear the large doors open from here, we were so loud. I couldn't remember everyone's names, to be honest. I felt a little bad. There was Ugo, Rosa, a Sebastian in there somewhere, and an Arnaud, which I remembered because it was a French name.
When Ezio entered the room, it was toward the end of the day. People glanced at him and invited him in to join us, and I just looked at him. He looked at me, right in my eyes, and all I could think to do was smile. Gently though. And sincere. I think I caught a slight smile back. Both of us tuned back in to what everyone else was saying almost immediately though. Come to think of it, it was just like the night when Ezio and I last arrived in Monteriggioni, and we all stayed up around the camp fire for hours. The only exception was, I wasn't drunk this time. I think I learnt after the second time around that I shouldn't drink too heavily. And in the fact that I hadn't, allowed for happiness.
When everyone began to dissipate, I hung around with Ugo, until eventually he too needed to go to bed. It wasn't extremely late, maybe 10pm or so, and really, people's wake-up times and bedtimes revolved around the sun; it was infinitely more natural, I suppose. I wasn't extremely tired, so I sat in the heart of the Della Seta. Even Antonio was asleep, or at least out somewhere. There was a mix of candle and lantern light, but it all seemed to be coming from above. There were always people watching from the rooves, too. If you wanted to maintain control over something, you had to guard it, and Antonio wasn't taking any chances. Though… it was silent. I chose a step and sat, thinking, listening, just milling through the darkness.
Ezio, of course, was never far away. I could hear him, just, as he plodded down the stairs toward me. I didn't look for him, and eventually he sat down beside me. Neither of us said a thing, simply drinking in the darkness. He rested his elbows on his knees and had his hands crested together inbetween. The stars above were heavenly. He caught me looking up, and broke the peace.
"Would you like to see them from the roof?" and I looked over at him, at first not smiling. Then I let up, only slightly.
"Okay." And we climbed up. I wasn't a fantastic climber, but he helped, and let me go first, and eventually we made it. It wasn't a difficult climb, it was just late. The few sent to guard the rooves looked at us quizzically. I bet they were hoping their shift was over. We picked a spot where the roof was fairly level, and lay down. Even subconsciously, I looked for the Southern Cross, even though I hadn't seen it in years. I waited for him to say something first.
It was hard to explain how I felt toward Ezio. I wanted an apology, but I also wanted to understand. And I mean, one thing you never forget is your first love, and so I didn't want to make him get over Cristina, yet I still wanted him for myself. Like I said, hard to explain.
"How are you?" he asked me. For a moment, I wasn't sure if he'd spoken, it was so quiet.
"I think I'm doing really well… How about yourself?" I responded. I was careful with my words. I was so conscious about everything to do with this situation right now.
"Well. I haven't much to do but wait for the ship." Ah, he was talking about the ship that Silvio and Dante planned to take over to Cyprus for something important. I didn't have a lot of details, but the plan was to get them at their most vulnerable, which just happened to be just before they get on the boat. Really, it couldn't have been as difficult as I made it out to be in my head. Besides, we had the mercenaries on our side. That had to count for something.
I didn't reply to him. The words hung in the air, swept away with the wind, and the water, and I could just feel myself drifting off. It was so relaxing to be here. My breathing slowed, and I could feel myself slipping. This moment was quiet, calm, heavenly. I felt Ezio shift beside me, and it stirred me slightly. I frowned slightly, and opened my left eye to a most peculiar sight. Ezio stared at me curiously, looking at me with an almost child-like innocence, and I could just tell he was craving to ask a question. It looked like something I'd do, to be honest.
"Just a—" I tried to give him permission.
"What happened?" he spat out. I gave him a side-long glance, studying him for a moment before I thought to answer.
"I thought assassins were supposed to be able to control themselves, and express extreme patience?" I questioned. I opened my eye again, and I could see him waiting for a real answer. He was holding back from saying anything; this was so utterly surprising of him. I'd never seen him this way. I decided to play dumb, because let's face it, I was never going to see this side of him first. He'd lost all composure, and I could see everything he was thinking and feeling written across his face like an open book.
"What happened with what?" and he frowned.
"You know what I'm talking about." He groaned. I shook my head.
"I'm not sure I do. Would you care to explain?" I asked nonchalantly. This had to be driving him positively mad. I let out a wide grin, and he nudged me with his shoulder, rolling back onto his back. I heard him huff out a 'fine' and then he went silent. Occasionally one of the guys on duty would walk past us, and it was a small part awkward because of the way I was lying, and how I could look them straight in the eye as they walked past. A thought came to mind
"Is this like, the calm before the storm?" I asked quietly. I half expected Ezio to be asleep next to me, but he answered eventually.
"To be honest, Abigail, I think we're just in the eye." And on that note, I left.
It was easier to get down than to get up. They'd actually moved some things around so it was easy to get up, considering people were doing it a lot. On the ground, I did a quick assessment of the entire room. It was quite a beautiful place, to be honest. The previous occupants had gone to lengths to take care of it, unlike the current owners. I could bet that nobody had washed these floors in months, and the few ornaments on display hadn't been dusted since the change of hands.
Ezio didn't take long to climb down, and when he had both feet on the ground, I had my head off in the clouds. It took me completely by surprise when he kissed me.
At first, I was so completely happy with this. It was a sweet kiss, the kind reserved for fairy tales and too-perfect chick flicks. He had one hand cupped around my face, and the other hand in mine. I could feel his fingers slide inbetween mine, in their place, where I felt they belonged. Then, when the first moment was over, I got a grasp of what was happening. What he was doing.
I pulled back, and stared at him. I didn't say anything, I just looked at him. Did I want him? Yes, yes I did. I wanted him. I tried to kiss him again, but I stopped, frowning.
"My lips are up here." He whispered, putting two fingers under my chin and pulling me closer. I indulged in one more, and then he pulled back to let me breathe. Something bothered me about this though. I think he might have noticed, but he wasn't saying anything. I opened my mouth to say something, but just before I could get a sound out, the front doors crashed open, a small thief no taller than me running in. He reached Antonio's study and peered in the window, and turned toward us and jumped. Apparently he hadn't seen us here. Ezio had removed his hands from mine and for the most part, it probably looked like we were simply talking. Ezio turned to face him.
"Ser Ezio, I have news. The Templars are moving sooner than we anticipated." Ezio took a step toward him, but there was no paper for Ezio to read this time. This was extremely fresh, hot off the press.
"They moved the departure to this morning. Before sunrise."
"Go to Bartolomeo, and inform him of the situation. " He ordered the thief, who happily obliged. I stepped forward to be beside Ezio, and lightly touched his arm. At the same time, he stepped away, and moved for the stairs. I had the natural assumption that he had to prepare somehow. He hadn't exactly dressed down for the night. He turned to look at me three stairs up, quickly jumping back down to pull me by the hand up the stairs with him.
"What are we doing?" I asked quietly.
"You need your hood." I simply accepted that. He pushed the door open to my room, and pulled things out of the robe, throwing them onto the bed in a rush. I think he assumed I'd get changed immediately. By the time I'd reached the bed, I could hear Ezio rummaging through things in the room next to mine. I flicked the hood over my head, and man, I'd never felt so badass. Ezio burst in my room and I turned to face him. He simply nodded, and I nodded in response.
Lights were on in the house of Bartolomeo. His men gathered anxiously, waiting for a fight. Like before, I received a few odd looks. Bartolomeo was as energetic as ever, stir crazy but ready to go. Ezio instructed Bartolomeo and his men to hit certain parts of the city around the l'Arsenale district at his signal. I was instructed to stay by Bartolomeo's side until Ezio showed up, and then, I had a special task. I left my hair down, falling in its lengths over my shoulders. Extremely recognisable. Perfect.
Ezio left, and the small crowd parted ways for him. Man, he looked cool. I didn't look nearly as intimidating as him, as I hadn't the height, nor the broad chest, nor the eagle-like gaze that made you want to cry. Also, I'm pretty sure than even with my hood up, you could tell I was a girl, which didn't exactly send out a beacon screaming "respectful, worthy adversary!". That just was not how things worked here. I hadn't a chance.
I acted like a shadow of Bartolomeo, for fear of getting in the way. We began with his entire force, running through to where we needed to be, groups of five or so breaking off as we ran. Long before we arrived, Bartolomeo struck up a conversation, which I was surprised about, to be honest.
"Ezio tells me you're training to be an assassin. Nasty line of work for a woman of your… stature." He said cautiously
"I haven't a choice in the matter." I dismissed, unsure where the conversation was headed.
"Ah, so it's a family trade?" Trade? Is that what it was called?
"I haven't any family." Again, he was completely shut down. Though, he turned to look at me, with an almost disbelieving look on his face. Lucky for me, he didn't ask. He got another idea, though.
"But you and Ezio don't quarrel enough to be related." I could see where he was heading with this. I didn't really know what to do, so naturally, I panicked.
"I was taken in by his family not long ago. It's really quite complicated. I have a British first name, a Spanish last, I speak French, and I live in Italy."
"Really? And so what is your name?"
"Abigail Reina du Muerta." He smiled a little, obviously enthused. I couldn't imagine why. As the conversation had occurred while we were jogging, constantly we were looking back to where we were moving. We finally reached a large courtyard-like area, like a wide passageway, and stopped. Bartolomeo looked around the corner maybe twice, and then to the sky. He glanced there again, and I decided to step away from the wall and look into the sky. Bartolomeo all but shoved me back against the wall, with a single arm.
"Wait a moment, Abigail." He commanded, quietly. Two of the men giggled
"What are you looking at—" Fireworks, fireworks everywhere. Beautiful, bright colours lighting up the sky. Bartolomeo brandished Bianca enthusiastically in his grasp, and chuckled heartily beside me.
"Now, men!" And we burst around the corner.