"Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go." – Truman Capote
"Per amor scopa che diavolo è sbagliato ora?!"
"Language."
"Sta' zitto!"
Elmo chuckled as he carried another wooden box up the gangplank and onto the ship. Ignoring him, Jessica Raso made her way to their artistic friend, who was now beside himself over the fact that he believed he had left yet another something or other behind in Florence, and was now moaning that there was no way he could go without it. He was weaving around the boxes and bags, getting in the deckhands' way, and all around making a nuisance of himself.
Having spent the last four days making a two day journey through the snow with the man only to arrive in Ravenna; a dirty, overcrowded, icy marshland where every tree she saw was dead and everything was varying shades of grey, even the snow, Jessica was more than eager to get on this stupid ship and go.
She had been over the moon when Leonardo had been commissioned by a noble to paint his family's portraits several days before Christmas, and all the more when he had said the noble was paying to move the entire workshop to Venice. She was nervous, of course, such a big change was always nerve-wracking, but Leonardo was more excited than she had ever seen him, and she had to admit that she couldn't think of anything she'd like more than to see the City of Romance.
There had been no discussion as to whether Elmo would be coming with them; he had simply arrived with a bag of his belongings and got to work helping them place everything they owned into the back of a wagon which had wheels as tall as Jessica's shoulder.
Leaving the workshop was markedly harder this time and Leonardo had squeezed her shoulders tight as she found herself blinking back tears as the door swung shut with a final thud. She had said a silent goodbye to her room, the kitchen and the bathroom and the workshop and then the front door, and the building and then every building she passed; even the gallows got a solemn glance.
They had ridden through the gates of Florence with Jessica sitting on the hard wagon seat with Elmo on her right and Leonardo on her left, staring at the backs of the horses pulling them along, and she had thought of Sebastian, who she had sold long ago, and she had thought of how much she loved the workshop and her life in Florence, and as she turned to say goodbye to city, she had found that it was too late; they had rounded the corner and the city was out of sight. And so she had buried her face in her hands and had a good cry, much to the horror of the men beside her.
And now she stood, her entire body dirty and her feet and hem of her dress cold and wet with black snow, in front of her best friend who she was about to go on the adventure of a lifetime with and all she could think of was punting him off the side of the dock and into the blue-black water below. She spoke tightly to him through gritted teeth, trying to be calm and supportive, but every word he spoke made the frustration in her boil that little bit hotter. She knew that Leonardo could see that his fretting was annoying her, but he clearly couldn't help himself; he was just overexcited, and there was little she could do to manage him in this state, but still she tried and he appreciated her patience.
She was trying to convince him that he had most certainly packed a certain book on astronomy, as well as his favourite ink collection, and that all he really needed to do was keep out of everyone's way, when a feminine scream suddenly tore through the chilly winter air.
"Bastardo! What do you think you're doing! Come back here!"
Their heated conversation faded as they spotted a pale-skinned woman in a rich, dark dress seemingly trapped on a small stretch of land surrounded by water, just to the side of the dock. With a nudge, Leonardo brought her attention to a disgruntled but darkly pleased middle-aged man sitting in a small gondola, paddling away from the woman who had become remarkably colourful in voicing her displeasure with him.
"Her husband?" Jessica wondered, standing close to him and crossing her arms over her chest, a sly grin playing at the corner of her lips.
Leonardo chuckled, meeting her grin with an eyebrow raised in amusement, "Undoubtedly."
As they watched the husband disappear around the bend, whistling to himself as he went, the woman's anger turned to near hysteria when she discovered that she was well and truly stranded on the small island. She turned to the people on the docks, waving her arms and screaming, "Don't just stand there! I need help!"
Jessica felt bad for laughing, and though Leonardo was hiding a smile, he hit her arm and chastised her for it as the woman continued to make a fuss. If she were in any actual danger, Jessica wouldn't have thought twice about making an effort to help her, but as the woman's cries turned to threats, she found herself much less inclined to do anything to help the woman who Leonardo had identified as Caterina Sforza, wife of the Lord of Forli.
A call from Elmo drew her away from the sight and she moved to help place the last few boxes on the ship, bringing them up the gangplank and handing them to Elmo, who handed them to a deckhand who placed them securely in the hold. Stretching a sore muscle in her shoulder and taking a deep breath as she stared out at the open sea, she acknowledged that this was the last time she would stand on solid ground for some time. She jumped as the captain called, "Tutti a bordo! Fra po cosi salpa!"
She felt that familiar curl of excitement in her stomach as a salty wind blew across her face. She could taste the sea on her lips, and she could feel it on her skin, and in her hair. Jessica hadn't seen the ocean in such a long time, and though it certainly wasn't the sandy white beaches of her home, if she closed her eyes she could almost imagine it to be. It had been so long, the thought no longer sent sharp pangs of longing and grief through her entire being, but instead a dull bittersweet sadness throbbed in the depths of her chest.
With a content sigh, knowing that at last all that was left to do was go to Venice with her two favourite people in the world, she looked about for them and saw that they were in conversation with someone further down the dock. So familiar she was with the two, she could read their body language, even from this angle, through the sparse crowd of sailors and the few fellow passengers, and she saw that while Leonardo appeared quite happy with this newcomer, Elmo most certainly was not. Eager to get underway, she nodded to a crewmember as he passed her with a holey smile, and went over to them just as the stranger turned and disappeared, walking away down the dock.
"Come on, it's time to go," she said lightly as she came to stand between them. Her smile dimmed as they turned to look at her in a steady silence. "What is it?"
Leonardo smiled nervously at her, adjusting his red hat, "Well, you see, we just happened to bump into him."
She frowned, reading his face like a book and not liking what she saw there. "Who?"
Elmo glanced at Leonardo and then shook his head, his eyebrows low over his blue eyes, looking grim, "No one ye'll be glad t' see."
Disturbed by their skirting of the topic, she was put off by the captain asking to see their passes into Venice, which Jessica produced from her skirts. As the captain handed them back, seeing they were all in order, a voice suddenly cut through the air.
"You there! Are you the captain of this scrapheap? We need to talk."
The man's face went pale as they turned to see that the screaming woman had somehow found her way back to land and was now descending upon the captain like a lion on its prey. The woman was beautiful, with auburn bangs framing her face, clear blue eyes and a beauty mark on her right cheek. Jessica was fixed with those eyes, in a look with both appraised and dismissed her in the same moment. Unimpressed, Jessica stared back defiantly, but moved away to let the woman yell at the now quivering man. No matter how rough the language she was currently unleashing upon the captain, she was the Lady of Forli, and Jessica had no intention of going head to head with a noble. Having moved further back in the direction of the ship once more, Jessica glanced back at the loud conversation behind her, and in her carelessness, she felt herself connect quite suddenly with a warm, hard body.
Jumping away as she stammered an apology, her face glowing with embarrassment, Jessica looked about and found herself staring into warm, golden eyes. Blinking at what must surely be a hallucination of some kind; she let her eyes sweep over his form, taking in the darkened skin, the defined nose and jaw, and the creases in the space between his brows. He seemed taller, wider, and somehow more than he once was. But though he had grown older and harder, no longer a young man but now a fully fledged adult, he was still Ezio Auditore. And for some godforsaken reason he was standing in front of her, and the woman behind her was screaming about the captain of their ship giving him a pass to Venice.
Jessica felt herself deflate as the Mark burned her palm, and without a word she moved out of the White Hood's shadow and slunk over to where Elmo stood watching her with a sympathetic look. She shook her head, a hand on her forehead as she took deep breaths and wondered why she was even surprised. Of course he would be here. Of course, after two years of nothing, she would bump into him trying to gain passage on the same ship. Stunned into silence, she allowed Elmo to lead her up the gangplank and onto the ship, closely followed by a giddy Leonardo. The artist joined his companions at the side of the ship, where they leant on the railing and stared out at the wet mess that was Forli.
"Did you know he was coming?" Jessica demanded of him.
He raised his hands. "I swear to you, I did not."
Unable to doubt his honesty, knowing him too well and thus being able to easily detect the truth in his face and tone, Jessica sighed as her eyes drifted reluctantly to the large white form, grudgingly admiring the rich embroidery of his tunic, enjoying the stark contrast of the red against the white, especially the sash around his waist, held tightly by the golden belt in the design of the Assassin's emblem. The cape on his left shoulder, as well as his gloves, pants and boots were all black, and left him looking more dangerous than ever. Jessica wondered why any guard would let him enter their city; it was obvious he was up to no good, though what business he had in Venice, she had no idea. She groaned, dropping her head as she leant heavily on the wooden banister. It had been two long, wonderful years and she had let herself hope... Well, it didn't matter now.
"That lass certainly has a mouth on her."
Jessica was grateful for Elmo's accented voice as it shook her out of her lingering thoughts. Clearing her throat, she blinked and straightened, rolling her shoulders and forcing herself to look at anything but the Assassin. Her eyes settled on her friend's face, his blue eyes gleaming beneath long, expressive brows. His blonde hair was thick and curly and was now long enough that it covered his ears and the majority of his forehead. She had tried to have him cut it but he had protested, claiming he needed the extra warmth.
It was a cold winter, colder than last year for sure, though that hadn't stopped them from making full use of the snow in the courtyard next to the workshop, much to Leonardo's chagrin. In fact, Jessica had developed a tickle in the back of her throat which had developed into a sniffle which she was sure was forming into a full cold; she was doing her best to keep it secret, knowing that Leonardo would lose his mind if he knew.
"Yeah," she chuckled in reply. "She's almost as bad as you."
He hummed thoughtfully. "What was that ye were saying not too long ago? I seem to recall something about hell and fuc—"
"How dare you!" She slapped his arm. "I would never speak such filth."
"Yes, ye would." He laughed, poking her side. "And ye'd lie about it too."
Their banter was cut short as the woman moved off down the dock, and the captain followed Ezio up the gangplank, apologising most profusely all the while. The two fell silent as Ezio came to stand beside Leonardo and struck up a conversation about the spirited lady. Jessica and Elmo went to stand at the bow of the ship, talking and laughing quietly as the sails were lifted and the final preparations were made, and at last the ship lurched away from the pier and they were off.
It took little over a week to get to Venice.
New Year was celebrated with a small but enthusiastic celebration on the deck of the ship, and Jessica managed to convince Leonardo to let her out of their quarters, where he had covered her in blankets in her bunk after her cold had reared its ugly head in a fit of sneezing, coughing and never-ending snot. She sat cross-legged on a barrel below the main mast, wrapped up like a burrito as she watched everyone drink and eat and roar with laughter at some joke the captain had made.
Her dark hair was a mess, her nose was red and wet and her skin pale. Her lungs, sore from coughing, burned as she breathed the cold sea air, but it was a pleasant change from the musty, stale smell of the hold. The deck was lit with torches, casting a warm glow across the company, and the skies above twinkled with starlight on this moonless night. The ship rocked gently, anchored as it was, and she couldn't see the dark waters below. It was unnerving, being on a hunk of wood in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. Though she didn't exactly hate travelling by sea, she would be grateful to arrive at their destination.
She grinned as Elmo stumbled drunkenly into Leo's arms, sending them both to the deck in a heap of giggles as the smaller man's strength failed beneath the weight of the sturdy Scotsman. The sailors had their arms around each other, waving their bottles in the air as they sung a cacophonous sea shanty, ignoring their captain who stood above them and shook with amusement as he spoke with his first mate. They were a jolly bunch and not even the presence of Ezio Auditore amongst them, laughing with the men and accepting Elmo's passive-aggressive arm wrestling challenge, could ruin her time aboard that ship.
She sniffed wetly and then coughed a little, wincing and wishing for a throat lozenge and a cup of chamomile tea. It had been so long since she was sick, so she supposed it was about time. It had been difficult to cope with Leonardo fussing over her and Elmo treating her like a delicate creature on death's doorstep, but she kept in mind that getting sick in these times was significantly more dangerous than in her own. She was glad that there was no doctor they could call on to treat her; she was certainly in no hurry to experience the horror that was medieval medicine. She could only assure them both that she had a strong constitution and just needed rest and that seemed enough to satisfy them.
It was the first day of the year 1481 that they arrived. Though she had promised Leonardo that she would stay in bed, where he, and indeed the vast majority of men onboard remained, still sleeping off last night's festivities, when she heard the captain shouting to his men, she stole out of the hold and stood on deck, gasping at the sight.
Though she had to admit she didn't find it quite as beautiful as Florence – though she may have been biased – it was certainly a sight to behold. Each building was a marvel of its own; every one masterfully created in the now familiar design of Gothic architecture, generally three stories high, with tiled roofs, and arches on every doorway, balcony and window. Each rooftop and dock was sprinkled with the clean white snow which filled the gondolas bobbing in the icy canals, which laced through the labyrinth of buildings, bridges and pathways in a dazzlingly magical confusion of land and water. She watched the morning traffic, men and women of slight built and in rich, dark clothes and thought it odd that she would soon walk among them.
Upon arrival, a small army of servants employed by Counte de Pexaro, the nobleman who was to thank for this adventure, took charge of their things, taking off down the road and disappearing into the crowds with arms full of crates, boxes and heavy sacks. Bleary-eyed and wincing, Elmo stumbled out of their cabin, blinking incomprehensively at the servants as they hurried along like ants, frowning at him as they got in their way. Coughing a laugh, Jessica took a hold of him, entwining her arm through his as she all but skipped down the gangplank and took her first steps upon the flagstone streets of Venice.
"Ah... La bella Venezia," Elmo sighed, squinting in the bright morning sun. A thin layer of snow crunched beneath their boots as they wandered around the side of the boat to gaze at the city's silhouette across the lagoon. Jessica sniffed wetly, and she shivered as a cold breeze bit through her clothes.
"It's almost unreal," she said, trying to take it in all at once.
"I didn't expect there to be so much water."
"It's the City on the Water, what did you expect?"
"Not this," he laughed, gesturing to the dark blue stretch before them which disappeared into the distance on both sides. "This is incredible."
"Marietta!" she turned to greet a particularly bedraggled Leonardo with an amused smile as he nearly fell off the gangplank, tripping over a servant in his effort to reach her. Though he was tired and clearly hung-over, he met her amusement with a beaming grin, shaking her shoulder with excitement. "There you are. Can you even believe it? This place is magnificent! This is the Canal Grande, and look there! That is the Ponte di Rialto, and over there—Hey, Ezio! Over here!"
The small group stood and gaped at the city, pointing and wondering at the sights and people that caught their eye until a slight young Venetian man interrupted their awed discussion, introducing himself as Alvise da Vilandino, and asking them to allow him to escort them to the workshop.
Waving goodbye to the captain, they followed after him, Elmo and Jessica walking close behind Leonardo, who was peppering their escort with questions, and Ezio walked beside him, glancing at the duo over his shoulder, no doubt still wondering if they were courting or not, seeing how comfortable they were in each other's presence. He had been so sure of it after catching them together in the midst of their romantic picnic on the rooftops of Florence, but it seemed odd that a courtship would last for so long. In any case, he pitied Elmo for trusting such a beautiful and treacherous creature as Marietta Sanfilippo. Catching his stare, Jessica held his eyes and challenged herself not to be the first to look away.
She lost this challenge as they came upon the marketplace, a vast and sprawling series of stalls boasting fish, meats, fruits, vegetables, rolls of linen and silk, barrels of pasta and rice, enormous bowls of herbs and spices, flowers of every colour and species, and the scents, noise and vibrant atmosphere served to effectively take her breath away.
A loud shout was heard above the calls of fishermen and sellers, and Jessica saw Ezio's entire form stiffen and become alert in a way which made it exceptionally obvious to every cell in her body that she was in the presence of a predator. Placing a hand on Elmo's arm to steady herself, she followed his line of sight to watch as a ground of soldiers dressed in a dark navy blue suddenly and violently upturned a stall nearby, sending fish and broken wood in every direction. Shouts and screams of fear and protest fell upon deaf ears as the soldiers threatened the stall-owner and any who came near to help him.
Alvise herded them quickly away, and she listened as he answered Ezio's low questions.
"Emilio Barbarigo is attempting to unify the merchants of Venezia under one banner, and there has been some... resistance. Some of it violent." Alvise shook his head in disgust, his eyes as dark as his hair. "They say they are fighting for the people, for freedom, or some such nonsense."
Jessica stared hard at the back of Ezio's head as he nodded thoughtfully and allowed Leonardo to continue his interrogation of the man, not trusting the hard, calculating look in his eyes. She had done her best to avoid him, but on a small, cramped ship it had proven nearly impossible, even with his obvious efforts to avoid her in return. He was good friends with Leonardo, which she understood and accepted as she saw how glad Leo was to converse with him, but the years had done nothing to soften the words spoken between them, nor did she care to soothe the tension. It was better if they just kept away from each other.
She had long ago sent word of apology to Claudia and Petruccio, and even Federico, though only Claudia and Petruccio had written back, and continued to do so on occasion, Claudia apparently keeping herself busy working the books and doing administrative work to figure out how to best go about financing the renovation of the majority of Monteriggioni, while Petruccio, though still weak, had enough strength to keep up his lessons with Federico, as well as take care of their mother, trying to get her to go on short walks through the city and spend as much time with the family and out of her room, as possible. Last Jessica heard Maria had actually spoken to her son, though briefly, and no longer had to be coaxed from her quarters, preferring to sit in the garden and read.
At last they stopped, overwhelmed and exhausted from their long trip, all squinting in the mid-morning glare and trying to shake off the chill of the winter streets. A tall tree, its branches white with snow, loomed above a well in the middle of a small square, lined with gardens with smooth stone benches in between. Alvise had led them to a double storied building of red brick, nestled in the corner of the square, with arched windows and a small alcove with a white door leading into the building on the left.
"And here we are!"Alvise gestured grandly, taking a small ring of keys from his pockets, picking the largest of them out and moving to open the door. "May I present to you, Ser da Vinci, your workshop!"
He pushed the door open and stepped aside, gesturing for the artist to enter, which he did most eagerly. Jessica stepped quickly behind him, hurrying through the door after her friend and dragging Elmo behind her.
Jessica stopped short beside a frozen Leonardo, and together they gaped at the room, bare and still smelling of varnish, paint and wood, all indicators of a brand new room. The design, however, was startlingly similar to the workshop in Florence. In fact, as they made their way across the landing and down the few stairs to the workshop floor, gazing about in wonder, other than being slightly longer – and having a rather dauntingly large pile of crates and sacks in the large empty space to the right of the workshop, beside which lay the enormous winged creation that was Leonardo's flying machine – it was exactly the same, down to the positioning of the workbenches, and the two comfortable chairs in front of the fire. Their wandering eyes finally landed on each other and they laughed in shock then looked to the grinning Alvise questioningly.
He laughed at the look on their faces, "As you can see, there was no expense spared in its design: it shall be as if you never left Firenze."
"You can say that again..." Jessica mumbled.
Elmo's voice was low over her shoulder, "Please tell me yer findin' this as eerie as I am."
She shot him a look of agreement, and then turned to see Alvise handing over the ring of keys, shaking Leonardo's hand in a most hearty farewell.
"I wish you luck, messere, and I hope that you enjoy Venezia as much as she enjoys having you."
When he was gone, the four stood for a moment, looking about in complete silence. At last, Leonardo clapped, the sudden sound echoing through the long, empty room and making even Ezio jump.
"Ah, isn't this exciting! Like a blank canvas overflowing with possibilities! Well, there's no time like the present. Let's start unpacking, shall we?"
"I will leave you to it, Leonardo. I have things I have to do."
Leo turned to Ezio, disappointed but smiling, "I understand. If you ever need anything, or have some spare time, you know where to find us."
"Grazie, amico."
The men hugged their farewells before Ezio pulled away, surprised Jessica by nodding politely to her and Elmo and then swept out the door, closing it firmly behind him. The trio were left, Elmo with his arms crossed over his broad chest, Jessica with her hands on her hips, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes and Leonardo beaming widely at them both. They were all exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up on the floor and sleep for a week, but Jessica knew they wouldn't be getting any rest until the workshop was up and running and Leo had all he needed to get started.
"Well," she said with a wet sniffle, "let's get to it."