Chapter 4

Paintings like the Lisa

Dark, dank, smelly; some of the few things that the docks were; and Alexandra was standing by the ship that had brought them to the great city of Venice, along with the many thieves that lurked around the area. She was not at all comfortable. While standing a against the wall she tugged up her hood, as if it would protect her from any glares or looks she would gain from the passing people. In the background the sound of lapping water and raising voices distracted her; there were so many people. Alexandra could not find the one man who had told her to remain were she stood. Shifting she stood as straight as she could, then began to walk briskly into the crowd. Listening to orders where not her strong suit. Within the labyrinth of streets lead her to a stall of fish, no one attended it, flies flew lazily around the deceased animals. Pausing Alexandra's caught a glimpse of the man she was looking for. He was talking to a brightly dressed painter, but the man's hands looked hard, as if he had been working on iron and wood recently. A group of people passed the two; making them disappear from her line of sight. She cursed, walking a little further to a boarded up fountain, the two men appeared back into her sight. Could she approach them without her master seeing her? Another mass of people passed in front of her.

Alexandra slipped in with them. Hunching over like she had seen her master do a thousand times she walked passed them, their words reaching her ears: "Ezio, you should not be here, the guard they look for you!" A familiar voice to Alexandra's ears, but within her year her memory of such things grew a little thin. She doubled back and listened for her master's response. "Enough Leonardo, she awaits I have to get back to her; I told you I would help now tell me what I need to do." Leonardo da Vinci? The shock caused the girl to trip up in her stealth, people moved away and Ezio saw her as she tried to right herself. He gave a growl; his hand capturing her shoulder, he yanked her to his side.

"What are you doing here? I told you to wait for me back at the docks!" Even though the shade of his hood blocked her view the young Assassin girl cringed away from his anger. Taking his hand in hers, she removed it from her shoulder, then gazed up at him with her blue eyes.

"What do we need to do to help him." She said her voice filled with passion. Ezio gazed into her eyes, his anger remained at her disobedience, but he could not help but explain the situation to her. Alexandra had him with those eyes. His free hand reaching for the lengthening stubble on his face; he let out a groan. The girl had him; even if he didn't want to admit it. Her passion had him.

"Ezio," Leonardo grabbed the large Assassin's shoulder. "Is this the girl you spoke about?" Alexandra felt the soft blue eyes rake over her in curiosity, even though she knew he could not see her eyes she gave him a smile. He returned it gratefully. "I see." He whispered. "My name is Leonardo da Vinci," He held out his hand. "What is yours?"

Alexandra took the great painters hand; the Leonardo, the one who painted the Mona Lisa! The girl tried not to stumble over her words as she gave him her name. "Alexandra, my name is Alexandra." She wanted to say so many things, ask him so many things. But Ezio's hand took her hip drawing her away from Leonardo's side. A rather possessive aura came from him as he planted his student at his own side. She looked up at him; but his hood still covered his eyes.

"We need to kill a man that is threatening both us as Assassin's, and Leonardo as a painter." Ezio muttered, his hand still firmly planted on the girl's side. Alexandra's eyes sparkled; she got to back up Ezio as he went after a target? The very idea brought a smile to her face.

"What does he look like? Where is he? Let's get him." She looked up expecting him to agree and take off on the mission; but alas he was now looking at her scolding her with his eyes and his hood off. Alexandra tried to slink back from him, but his hand kept her from moving.

"No, he is guarded; we do not know what he looks like, or where he resides." His voice was low, grumbling, evil sounding. His hand released her, but it was now encasing her face, as easily as he grabbed his weapons. "We do not rush off Alexandra; this is how our kind get killed. You are too young to die just yet." Staring into her eyes for a long moment he then released her to turn back to Leonardo. His hands rubbed his face in irritation. "Now Leonardo, come, do you have any ideas on were he is in this city?"

The painter gave his chin a thoughtful tap. "The square; there is an execution to be held on the morrow, he always goes to them."

"Who is being executed?" Ezio asked out of curiosity; he hadn't heard of one in a while, but of coarse there had never been time to follow the news of any city. Curiosity was only natural.

Alexandra saw Leonardo hesitate; obviously the execution was not something simple like a murderer or thief. The man opened his mouth: "A father and a pair of his sons, they are being tired for treason." The girl's eyes swung over to Ezio's now paling face, his pupils had shrunken as he remembered that hard time. Now that memory was as vivid to Alexandra as it was to him.

His family being hung one by one, Ezio standing back unable to reach them, the seventeen year old had done everything he could to save them, but it hadn't been enough. The Templar's had been to strong, and his father had lost. Ezio had lived to continue his father's perilous work. And at the same time as Ezio cried out his fathers name, Alexandra's hands had been shaking on the controller. She had been trying not to cry as one by one the family hung. Her heart breaking as Ezio's heart wrenching scream echoed through her empty room.

Alexandra threw her body around and grabbed her master's face. "Hey, hey, calm down eh?" Italian accent was starting to seep into her voice as she spoke. "We have a job to do right?" A shaky nod came from him. Alexandra found the tides turned as she released his face. Not even a steadying breath came from the man as he righted his shoulder; bearing a brave look on his face. A curt nod and he turned away, his hands grabbing Leonardo's sleeve and Alexandra's hand. The silence echoed ominously around them as they were dragged. Alexandra did not like the way Ezio's back looked, it was tense; it gave away a sense of dread and remembrance of harder days.

Days of revenge.

Worry and fear brought havoc to her mind; the very idea of loosing him to the idea of revenge again made her shiver. But a hand encased her shoulder; it was Leonardo. "Don't worry giovane signora Ezio knows what he is doing." Alexandra gave the painter a stressed smile. Does he? I feel like I lost him. Her thoughts rang loud, and then suddenly, they stopped moving. It was in a ally like area, a shanty house loomed beside them.

Ezio had not heard what Leonardo had said to his student; he was focused on the cloaked man behind them, following his every move. A spy, but from what, from who? The great Assassin knawed on his lower lip in agitation; this was not what he had believed would happen, this mission would be far more important than he thought. Yanking the two he held, he took a sharp turn, leading them further into Venice. Ezio would have preferred the rooftops, an easier escape route. But with Leonardo here that was not an option. Even Alexandra still feared heights on occasion. Another sharp turn. Behind them there was an absence of the sound of footsteps. A smile quirked on the Italians man's lips; loosing a trailer always made him happy he learned the skills from Palola. He turned to face them; Alexandra's face was downcast, Leonardo seemed like he wanted to cheer her up but didn't know how to go about it. He gave a great sigh.

"We were being tailed." Ezio said plainly. Alexandra blinked; she hadn't notice, though she had not been trained in detecting such things yet. About to spin her head around to look for the follower; she was stopped by her master's quiet command: a call of her name. He proceeded to explain why he brought them here. "We need a plan to assassinate this man; Leonardo, please, leave this to Alexandra and I. She is unskilled yes, but we will not fail."

Leonardo smiled and gave a great and warm hug to the tense Italian man. "I know Ezio, you will not fail yourself; for this mainly involves your little group." Pulling back the painter gave another smile. "Ah, I will return to Florence now. Seeing that this will be taken care of by such great Assassins." Turning he began to jog off. "Buona Fortuna!"

Alexandra; shocked, looked toward her master, the man she trusted most.

"You will get to kill someone after all.." He did not seem pleased. Ezio's current attitude sent unwanted chills down the girl's spine. She did not know were it had come from, and it caught her off guard. Was he scared for her? She could kill; as long as he was beside her. Alexandra felt like she could do anything with Ezio by her side. But what if she missed the target? Killed a civilian?

Calm, breathe, feel your blade, feel the blood. Go forward toward your kill.

The male voice echoed again; this time lingering in her mind. The sound of steps came resonating to the girls ears, a person was approaching, but Alexandra was attempting to grasp the vague picture that came along with the voice, she managed to grab it, but as she held it she realized she couldn't focus on her surroundings. Her vision was blurring, coming toward them was a familiar woman. But to Alexandra it was all such a mist, such a jumble of voices and shades of color. Finally with the black closing in around her she threw her hands out attempting to grope the air she struggled to hold onto the world around her; Ezio called to her startled by her sudden weak kneed collapse; he called out questions she could not understand, queiries that were lost to her ears as the whiteness took her. But, a red glow began to shine from her ring finger, and Ezio took notice of this.

You should understand by now why that…. Thing called you to this world. The man stood towering above her. His hood obscuring her view; a red sash around his stomach and Alexandra found he was missing a finger on his hand. A familiar white cloak permeated his being, giving her the incentive to bow her head, that she was in the presence of an important man. Protecting the man who will some how have children that will save the world! The man laughed his hood falling back a little, reveling a scar on his lip. How is my descendents going to so something so important while I went nearly insane in my lifetime! Growls came from him, his hands bunched up as if he was about to punch something; but nothing was nearer to him than her, she wanted to step back from the raging man but found her feet firmly locked to the ground. You don't belong here, the worlds will collide this wont be just a fictional place! No it will be real! His hands were thrown up into the air; exasperated by this fact he had just spoken; it alarmed the girl. Alexandra was about to open her mouth to ask him what he meant; though her voice came out only as a gasp, it failed her right a curial time she needed to know what he ment. The man began to walk off; still muttering both profanities and other important facts, his words escaping into oblivion, as his figure retreated from her view, back into the recesses of her mind.

The giggles of courtesans reached Alexandra's ears as she came back into consciousness back into the reality that she now dreaded. Her back was on something soft, but her head was propped up on hard firm, muscle. Only one person could be cradling her like so. Alexandra slammed the mental door of embarrassment and hope that came up into her heart and mind, she could not love him. Could not. Hesitantly cracking open her eyes she gazed upward; the face of a weary Ezio stared back down at her. She registered slowly that his expression was one of utter relief. "We wont be needing that doctor Teodora, she has come around." His voice sounded tired; how long had she been asleep? The idea of her blacking out for more than a hour frightened her even more than the idea of realities over lapping; because if she did Ezio would be worried, and Alexandra did not like making people worry about her.

"Ezio?" She croaked, her throat cracked and she could taste the familiar singe of blood on her tongue. "What happened?" She attempted to sit up, but Ezio took his large hand and placed it on her chest restraining her from moving any further. Her breasts tingled at the warmth of his hand; his strength caused a feeling both physical and emotional to stir in her. It was not an unwanted feeling to the girl, but one she could not embrace to its full extent.

"If you move I will have to pour some wine down your throat." He warned; his tone suddenly unfriendly. Ezio's eyes slanted into a familiar threat; it was not only two months ago had she seen this look on his face admist their training; she had pinned him to the ground, and he had wanted her off. Though she hadn't known why.

A female laughed from behind them, but in her current state Alexandra could not see who it was; "That is his way of saying he is happy your alright but to stay because he doesn't want you to faint again." Another laugh. "Or do you want to blood rushing out of you through that little hole?"

Little hole? Alexandra frowned; wondering what she meant for a brief moment the idea of a hole stroked the back of her mind, giving her a uncomfortable feeling. Then with a rush of color to her cheeks she realized what the saying had meant. Alexandra placed a hand over her face muttering an apology. She hadn't expected her monthly friend to come so soon. The stress of learning and training, maybe even the sudden change of scenery and such had obviously been too much for her. But could the stress account for the appearance of that man? Where could he have come from? He knew something. And Alexandra had no idea on how to contact him no idea how to bring him back to speak with him, he had walked off, deeper into her own being; it was as if she could feel him, his mutterings his cursing some where just out of reach. Realizing the restraining hand on her chest hadn't moved, but the face of the large man had come forward; his lips resting on her forehead. Her eyes widened, very it was not confusion that echoed in her expression, but shock.

"Piccolo, are you alright to go on this mission?" Ezio asked, his breath caressing her cheeks. It was worry, but it was also an underlying tone is his voice that triggered anger in Alexandra's mood. She didn't quite understand what Ezio was aiming for but she did not like his tone.

"I'm fine." Alexandra protested, shoving his hand away now her anger went into a form of embarrassment; embarrassment that she had been touched in such away, had let her feelings loose, that she could have begun her period. It was frustration that lay low in her chest; it was shock that hung high in her mind. Alexandra's life was changing again, she had to resist her feeling, had to accept the fact that she could not have the man she wanted; the very idea of him seeing her as an equal was far away from reality. Standing, but feeling no blood; or no pain that signaled the coming of that dreaded time she relaxed, at least for the moment. But the comfort was not long lived as pain raged across her hips; Alexandra did her best not to sway in her rigid pose, she waited for the crimson flow to stain her white cloak. But no stain appeared; no wet feeling in fact the pain suddenly left her. She was fine. "We have a plan yet?" She muttered her question; she wanted to get this done. That man was lingering in her thoughts, her feelings pumped painful realizations out every moment, she wanted to leave, she wanted to escape from Ezio.

"It is simple." She heard Ezio's wary voice tell her. What was he wary of? She touched her head it throbbed in pain. But his deep accented voice was like a soothing lullaby that seemed to make the pain both worse and better. "You only need to follow my lead." That, Alexandra smiled as he said it, was very easy for her to do; especially now that the man's advice rang true.

All she had to do was stay true to her target.

Ezio had seen her saw; he knew she was pondering something he could not ask. He was being foolishly protective of her, while she had been out he had refused the doctor multiple times, had waved away any help. He had a feeling she only needed rest; when Teodora had told him that it maybe her period he had not swayed, he had rejected that woman's help as well. Alexandra was his student. His responsibility. His to watch over. His to train. He was given this girl by Minerva, for whatever reason. She wasn't anyone's but his. As stupid as this thinking was he could not seem to help it. She came to him when she had a question; she seemed to know when he was in a bad mood. Ezio had also noticed that she knew when he was in a mood and poked at him to cheer up.

She seemed to know everything about him.

She was attentive and willing to learn from him; took her punishment when she messed up, and that was very often. He had seen her wounded smile a number of times when he spoke to others who question were she came from. She confided in him; she believed him, believed every word he said. That was more than enough for Ezio; her blind trust drove him crazy, he questioned every deity possible, asking why such a child, a young girl like her, had had to be in his life. It made him do things he didn't think he could do.

Like now.

Scratching his head, he told her the plan; and she seemed some what pleased by the simplicity of it. He felt no relief come from her strong frame; Ezio watched the rise and fall of her shoulders. Only to wonder how her breasts moved with such heavy breathing. He did not move himself, the sound of courtesans entertaining their guests danced around Alexandra, and himself. They did not move; Teodora watched them carefully as well.

"Should you two be leaving? Or do you want to be relieved Ezio?" A sly grin crossed the sister's face. Ezio caught Alexandra's shoulders become even more erect in their rigid posture. There was a creak in the wood as the girl, his student took great strides to the door way.

"Enjoy yourself Master, I just need to be alone." Her voice was monotone and it stung Ezio's ego. His eyes widened as the door slammed; he was left alone in a whore house without Alexandra's company; one he had become accustom too. Teodora come over; her dress flaring out as she walked, coming to sit down next to him, her hand clasping ever so closely to a very tender place.

"Shall I get some of my girls ready?" The woman asked him. Ezio said nothing, a frown still following Alexandra's escape. Teodora's face became a frown herself, her eyes slanting into a glare like expression. "She is far to young and innocent for you." She warned.

"You don't think I know this?" Ezio spoke the words he feared for so long; "But she means something to me that I cannot replace." His voice was strained. "Something that is unreal.."

"It hopefully is not love Ezio." Teodora's voice was low and lethal. "She cannot be something like that to you; I can understand if you care about her as a younger sibling but as a lover, I cannot tolerate that; I believe none of us can." Ezio understood her warning; her words. The rest of the group would not accept Alexandra as anymore but his student, in fact they may try to tear her away from his side if he tried to push their relationship any further. He stood; his lips twitching into something that seemed like a smile.

"I do not want your or any other woman's comfort tonight." He said firmly. "I only want a time with my student." His long legs took him to the threshold of the house in a matter of seconds. Ezio's broad back was turned towards the lusty woman that had attracted his attention many times in the past. But not tonight; he could not stand the idea of the dejected girl standing outside alone. But he understood the risks of trying to make Alexandra and his relationship grow. "Maybe another night. After the mission." He gave a nervous laugh and stepped outside; finding Alexandra almost instantly. Perched high above the town she was gazing out at the light streets, a carnival glowed with its life. Ezio came to sit down beside her. "You shouldn't run out by yourself." He began immediately with his Master-like advice, trying to ease her tension. It worked, she gave a laugh.

"Not wanting company?" Her blue eyes and soft face turned to him. He let out a laugh of his own.

"I only want yours tonight." He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "If you will have me."

Alexandra gave him a nod; a soft flush painted her cheeks and gave him a thrill. "I would like that." Ezio smiled.

"Now do you mind telling me why you fainted?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I do not know."

"How about you tell me of your world?" He had asked this question before; and he was still curious.

Alexandra laughed. "I will tell you what you will believe; how bout that?" Ezio nodded impatiently waiting for the details. "Leonardo da Vinci.. He is very famous in my world… He painted many important pieces of art.. Many I look up to."

Ezio leaned in. "Are you a painter?"

She laughed. "Not a very good one."

Ezio let a soft smile caress his lips. "I'm sure your great at it."

The moon above them gave them all the light they needed for the high tales Alexandra was telling to her master. Tales of cars and metal birds, of strange devices that projected voices halfway across the world; of the many contents that he had seen on the Apple of Eden, of many different books; of her friend that was obsessed with a certain Assassin from the past. They laughed together and enjoyed each others company that peaceful night; as chaos awaited them with the dawn.