"Come, child; I would speak with you," the Master said, and Alnesr turned to see him making his way back toward his desk.

"Of course, Master," he said, turning to make his own way toward Master Mualim's desk. "What might-"

And suddenly, there was only the light…

~AC1~

Reestablishing all of the bonds that the Apple had laid upon the mind of Alnesr Ibn La'Altaïr, Rashid paused for a moment to look upon his work. Yes, he still needed to choose a new name for the child – something that would hold no connection to his Assassin past – but for the moment he could afford to regain his bearings. Using the Apple was not something that one should do lightly, but then he was not one to take the life of a child – even Assassin-raised as Alnesr had been – lightly in any case.

Reaching out, Rashid gently pushed the child's white hood back, revealing the soft, short silver hair that the boy had been forced to keep hidden from the world for fear of what the attention of that world might mean for him.

"You'll have no more need to hide yourself in the new world that I will create, my child," he said, cupping the little one's chin even in spite of the fact that he walked within the light of the Apple now, and hence was beyond all such Earthly cares. "However, for now come along; there are some matters that I would have attended to before you rest."

Leading the boy out of his study, Rashid guided him gently toward one of the fountains within his private garden. Once the two of them stood before it, Rashid took the child's hands in his own and dipped them into the water. Immersing them within the stream, Rashid cupped some of the water within his own and ran it over the child's hands so that he could aid in cleansing them further.

Yes, he knew that the child had clearly attended to his own needs while he had been assigned as Altaïr's partner, but the blood on his hands would not be cleared away so easily.

While the child's hands rested under the stream of water, Rashid took care to remove the Hidden Blade that he had granted to the boy before he had known of the child's true nature. He could do nothing about the severed finger, and while he grieved for the boy's maiming, the action he had taken was in the past and so could not be undone. He would simply have to see that the child adapted to his new circumstances.

Still, there remained the matter of Altaïr; the Assassin cared for the boy in his own way, and so it would be all the more important that he be kept busy so he would not have time to wonder about where the child was. And also so that he would be able to deal with the remaining members of Rashid's former circle. His fellow Templars would not fall easily; he would have to trust in Altaïr's skill, as well as his own in keeping the Assassin from becoming overly suspicious of his motives.

Guiding the former Assassin with his right hand gently placed between the boy's shoulder blades, Rashid took care to ensure that the two of them were not seen by any of the other Assassins within the fortress. He would need to deal with them later, yes; if only so that they would not attempt to interfere with his plans for creating a new world. But Rashid knew he had the time he needed to be subtle in his actions.

He had the time he needed to do things properly.

Once he and the child had returned to his study – he would need to think upon a new name for him, before he could begin to properly detach the boy from his former life – Rashid considered for a long moment just where he would settle the boy for the time being. Taking the child's hands within his own, feeling again that pang of sorrow when he touched the stump of the child's right ring finger, Rashid lead the boy back to his quarters and settled him gently upon his bed.

Smoothing the child's silver hair back, Rashid gently closed his eyes, shielding their strange glow from sight, and also giving the appearance that he was merely asleep.

Leaving the child to what rest he would take when his mind was safely within the light of the Apple, Rashid turned and made his own way back to his study. There were still matters that needed attending to, and for that he would need to take up Al Mualim once more. He was pleased to know, however, that such would not be the case forever.