I sat up quickly with a racing heart. I struggled to identify the sound that had startled me. It had been loud. The sound of something large breaking and falling. I glanced around the room. I knew it hadn't come from here. It had come from outside, from the other side of the house.

I looked over at the large shape of Connor on the bed next to me. I frowned at his snoring. How that loud sound had failed to disturb him baffled me. I guessed the depth of his slumber was due to the fact that he had only just gotten home from a two month journey on the Aquila.

It had irked me when he'd left so soon after the new year. Especially since he'd only been home a few weeks. But he had made the argument that he would rather be gone now – while I was pregnant – than after the baby had been born. I had reluctantly conceded to his departure, with the impression that he was only going because he was excited about discovering William Kidd's treasure. I didn't see why he was so interested in those stupid letters. I thought they were nonsense, only another part of Kidd's ploy to make people think he'd hidden loot that didn't really exist. But Connor was adamant about uncovering the clues. The way he spoke about it reminded me of a pirate. I made the assumption that he was just like his grandfather. It was an opinion that flattered Connor more than he was willing to admit. I could tell by the glint in his eyes when I expressed my thoughts to him that he liked it, even though he tried to hide his delight.

I got up, hugging myself against the chill of the room. The fire was low, little more than a pile of embers. I wished I had let Connor put more wood on it before bed. But I had been hot then. Too hot to worry about how cold it would get later.

I picked up his coat from where he lay it over the chair and put it on. I wasn't sure if it was fitting for me to be wearing an Assassin uniform while not being one myself. I only thought it was a perk of marriage to don my husbands clothes when I was too lazy to find my own.

After tossing a log in the fireplace, I went into the hallway. I noticed a dim light from downstairs that let me know Achilles was up. I went down to find the old man gazing out the dinning room window. He sighed as he looked at me when I stood behind him.

"I should have had Connor remove that branch before the snows came," he stated.

I looked outside. The snow had come late this year, waiting until the end of February to accumulate. It had started as only furies, but escalated into a veritable blizzard before the day was over. The storm had finally let up the day before Connor had gotten home, but everything was covered. There was almost three feet of drifts surrounding the manor. And it was a wet snow, thick and heavy. The weight of it had caused the weak branch of the oak by the stable to break. It had fallen with the leafless end landing on the roof of the last stall. Valcor's stall.

From where I stood, I couldn't determine the extent of the damage, but I knew there was some. I murmured a cursed as I worried about my horse. I sighed and started to go get dressed.

"It can wait until morning, Faith," Achilles told me.

I looked at him with a concerned frown and he nodded.

"Wake Connor and have him go check on your horse."

I nodded and went back upstairs. It only took a minute to wake Connor up. It stunned me at how easily he was roused, but I suppose that was due to my condition. He feared for something going wrong. I knew it was out of love, but it could be annoying. He didn't always express his anxiety in a sweet way. Mostly he did it through pedantic scolding. And when I was upset, he felt I was being too emotional and chose to ignore my moods. It often made me feel like I was nothing more than an walking incubator.

"What's wrong?" he asked, eyeing me as he sat up. I had noticed that he was more prone to using contractions when he was tired or angry. But it was still odd to hear him speak like that.

"A limb fell on the stable," I said. "Can you go see if Valcor is okay?"

Connor rolled his eyes as he realized I was fine. "It can wait until morning," he muttered as he lay back down.

I glared at him. "What if he's hurt?"

Connor sighed. "He is only an animal, Faith. He will be fine until sunrise."

My glare became a scowl as I realized how insensitive he could be sometimes. I wondered how I had ever thought him nice. Maybe because he used to be. When we'd first started dating, Connor was always nice to me. Now the new had wore off and we both began to see a different side of the other. One that caused us to bicker occasionally.

"Fine," I stated. "I'll do it myself."

I heard Connor curse in Kanien'keha as he got out of bed. I knew he wasn't going to let me go out. But that wasn't why I'd said I was going to. I had every intention of checking on my horse myself. After way he insulted me, I really didn't want his help now.

"Give me my coat," Connor told me.

I took it off and tossed it on the bed. He stared at me as I did, then began to get dressed as I did the same. I didn't have many clothes that fit me anymore. Mostly I just wore some pants I had made that tied with a string and Connor's old shirts. My warm jacket still fit, but I couldn't zip it.

"Go back to bed, Faith," Connor said. "I will see about your horse."

His relenting only because it was something he didn't want me to do only made me angrier at him.

"No," I replied, snidely. "I'd hate for you to miss out on an hour's sleep for only an animal. He's my horse. I'll check on him myself."

Connor narrowed his eyes at me. I knew my sarcasm had earned me the silent for the remainder of the day. That was Connor's go to move when he was mad. He was good at ignoring me.

"Do what you want," Connor stated icily.

I did.

Surveying the damage up close made me realize that it was worse than I had anticipated. The tree branch had caused half of the roof to collapse and knocked down the end wall. I could hear Valcor neighing in pain from among the rubble, but couldn't see him. Connor tried to make me go back inside while he worked to move the debris enough to get to the horse. I refused, offering to help. That irritated him even more than he already was.

"If you attempt to help, you will end up injuring yourself," Connor told me in that tone of intellection he had grown accustomed to using with me. The one I loathed. "Go back to the house."

"No!" I argued. "He's my horse!"

Connor gritted his teeth. "Fine," he muttered. "Stay. But you will not help."

I wanted to argue with him, but I knew it wouldn't do any good. He had made up his mind. There was no changing it. He was exceedingly stubborn. Even more than me. My main concern at that moment was Valcor. I only wanted him free so that I wouldn't have to listen to his pained groaning anymore. I nodded and stood back.

Connor worked as fast as he could to move the large hunks of wood. I watched, saying silent prayers that everything would be fine. I made plans for what to do with my horse until we got the stall repaired, almost sure they would not be needed.

When Connor finally cleared the junk enough to reveal Valcor, I felt my heart hitch. The poor thing had a large open gash on his back and both of his rear legs were broken. Despite Connor trying to hold me back, I went to Valcor and knelt beside him. I began to cry. I looked up at Connor, not sure what I was expecting him to do.

"Help him!"

Connor gazed at me. "The only way I can help is to end his suffering."

I shook my head violently at him. "No! You're not killing my horse!"

Connor walked over and crouched beside me. I shielded Valcor from him, thinking he was going to end it now. Connor watched me with something like sympathy on his face. It was a drastic change from the ire that had been on his face only moments before.

"Faith," he spoke softly. "You know this is what has to be done. Please do not let his pain continue."

I knew he was right, but I shook my head anyhow. This wasn't what I wanted. Connor put his hand on my shoulder as I wept hard.

"Go inside," he suggested with kindness.

"No," I told him.

Connor was about to insist, but I didn't let him. I had accepted what had to be done. But I didn't want to leave. I wanted to be here when Valcor took his last breath.

"I wanna do it," I whispered.

Connor frowned at me. He opened his mouth to decline, but closed it without saying anything. I guess he knew it would be pointless to deny me. Or maybe he just didn't want to fight anymore. He nodded at me and began to remove the bracer from his left wrist. He placed it on mine and showed me how to release the blade. It felt weird to be wearing a hidden blade. But it wasn't because I hadn't earned it. It was because it was on the wrong wrist. I was right handed.

"End it cleanly," Connor cautioned.

I nodded and ejected the blade. I looked into Valcor's large pitiful eye. I couldn't say anything. I only gave him and apologetic expression and slit his throat as best I could. It was sloppy, but effective. The blood began to pool on the wood floor from the wound and my horse's gaze became empty and lifeless.

Connor knelt next to me and closed Valcor's eyes. "O:nen ki' wahi."

I let the blade recede and began to remove the bracer. I handed it back to Connor and he returned it to it's proper place. He rose and helped me to my feet.

"Go inside," he said. "I will dig the grave."

I nodded and turned to go back in.

It took Connor many hours to dig through the frozen ground, but the did do it. He didn't do it out of respect for the horse, he did it for me. Because he knew how much Valcor had meant to me. It was silly, but I thought of the animal as my first real friend here. He was the first deep attachment I had for my new life. Connor must have understood that. I knew it was a difficult task, digging a grave in the middle of winter just for a horse. I thanked him. He only smiled at me and said it was nothing.