Chapter 11

Scurry little Raven

Alexandra turned to rest her gaze upon her masters closest friend; the restless painter. As she watched him she fidgeted with the hem of the so kindly gifted dress and its simple interwoven corset, tightening and loosing it accordingly. The young girl paused as Leonardo paused in his sporadic movement, then began her own motion once more as he began to move again. Absentmindedly she let her thoughts wander towards the dress that covered her; the dress was beautiful, the red velvet brushed against her skin softly caressing and curving around her body in a secretly public hug. The young Assassin woman smile gently as she turned away from Leonardo towards the grand mirror that hung behind her waiting patiently for her blue eyes, awaiting to tell her that she was beautiful, and healing from the war wounds she had obtained willingly. Her ears perked up as the sounds of foot falls fell quiet once again, tilting her head slightly, she captured the painter's figure in the mirror, she saw that Leonardo da Vinci was looking at her with a torn expression on his face. Alexandra swirled around, the dress flaring out about her, and once she had turned to face him she put her hands on her hips, her fingers petted the soft fabric, and her hip kicked out to the left side, almost in retaliation, as she looked Leonardo up and down before speaking; debating what should be said and what should be avoided. "What's the matter painter?" She queried before dropping her head to the opposite side her hip stuck out in a sly curious smile snaked its way across her twitching lips. Leonardo gazed at her a moment more, his blue eyes unwaveringly staring into her own; his lips turned down in a frown, his brows knitted in thought and concentration, the worry lines being pushed to where they where deeply creased. The grand painters face was the epitome of a troubled man. "Leonardo?" She asked again, taking a cautious step forward with her right bare foot, as it set on the cold wood, Alexandra tilted her head in the opposite direction. "Come on you can tell me, is it something about Rebecca? She is always doing foolish things, she's a bitch forgive her."

But the amazing architect only gave his head a delicate shake, his arms wrapped around his torso and his index finger giving the cloth of his shirt a thoughtful tap. Leonardo's squinted a little, his mouth upturning a quick grimace. "Alexandra, I feel very ashamed of myself at the moment." Alexandra raised her eyebrows; blinking and bringing her body back up in a straight position. She knew the man had, odd sexual tendencies, but that was probably not what he was feeling shameful about, giving the way he worried that piece of cloth so much. Her eyes where trained kindly on him as he began to pace about once more. His path unorthodox, just like the man himself. Leonardo weaved between the fallen items on the floor, up to the bed, to finger the covers, then back to nearly jumping around the papers again. "I believe I have done something very wrong." He stopped once more his voice stuttering with how quick he was attempting to be in his words. "I think I have betrayed the Assassins…"

Alexandra reached out and took hold of Leonardo's clenched arm. She did not believe that this friend could do anything to harm her companions and her loved one. To her surprise his jittering ceased and his face turned to hers, it was an expression contorted into something of anguish. Her face soft, upturned into an understanding smile, her blue eyes sparkling with an unheard giggle. Leonardo's blinked, understandingly confused upon the girls unconventional reaction to his confession. Then all of a sudden the hidden laugh came into existence and she let her head kick back for a moment. She stared up the cluttered ceiling before returning to look at him, she patted his arm as Alexandra began to form the words she knew he needed to hear: "Leonardo da Vinci you could never betray us, you could never betray Ezio! You are a close friend of ours; don't put yourself down because of something stupid." She released his arm and was about to step back to give him some room to think, but Leonardo gripped her arm and pulled her into an encasing bear hug, his bearded face buried into the crook of her neck. His words almost lost in her skin and his graying hair.

"Thank you.. Thank you.."

Alexandra let her mouth hang open slightly; only for a brief moment, then she returned his embrace. "What did you do that worries you so?" She whispered into his ear. She attempted to ignore the tickling of his straying beard hair.

"I have been commissioned by the Borgia." He said pulling back his face twisting again. "I do not have a choice; they are ordering me to create weapons of war for them." Alexandra tilted her head, thinking about what that name, what it meant.

"Oh," The name had taken its time to register in the Assassins mind, she blinked. Her brows turning into a glare; it was not aimed at Leonardo, but at the thousands of papers stacked behind him. "Them.." Leonardo looked at her his face, halfway shocked at the venomous glow that streaked across Alexandra's brow, and his own expression turned back into something of terror once more. The young woman gazed at him, realizing she was emitting anger and brought a wary smile once more to her face, in an attempt to cleanse the air of her hatred. "It's alright Leonardo, I am sure you didn't have a choice." She set her hand on his shoulder, patting the muscle before retreating back to look towards a clouded window on the far side of the room. Alexandra did not want to think about the enemy for a moment, did not want to think about how Ezio fared by himself; if they had escaped. That thought clutched her mind with fear, wrapping herself up in her own arms she attempted to find out where she was, in a feeble attempt to rid herself of the worrying thought. "Am I in Rome?" She barely whispered, it was as if the words had been less than a breath of air.

"Yes you are you ungrateful bitch." Alexandra, shocked by the shrill voice echoing from behind her, she turned around to see Rebecca, whose arms wrapped around her bosom so tightly that her breasts nearly fell out of her ill fitted dress, her eyes staring daggers at how the female Assassins dress fit her beautifully.

"Ezio is here then…" Alexandra looked away from Rebecca, trying to get away from the jealous stare.

When the sun began to sink, Alexandra had finally escaped Rebecca's view. Now she wandered the streets of Rome alone, the chill in the air was unmistakable, but to her it was a welcome breeze. Leonardo had given her a cloak to cover herself with; and to hide her many daggers. And as she strode across the walkways, dodging riders and groups of wealthy citizens, the young Assassin could not help but see the poverty that the rest of the city lived in. Coming into a clearing she froze, a man in a white cloak was walking down a spiraling staircase that had extended from a villa, and next to him, was the writer that she had only met once.

"Ezio," Her voice whispered, she half wanted to race out and throw her arms around him, to hold him close, and to tell him she was alright. But the sight of him well eased her fears. Even with the slight limp to his walk he seemed strong. Taking a breath she walked forward, only to hear a scuffle to the side. Whipping her head around she saw a group of guards tormenting a large man and his smaller, paler companion. Blood ran down their cheeks.

And anger swelled up in her chest, and her arm flexed, she had to save them. Looking back at the retreating figures she bit her lip. But turned and ran across the way to the guards, jumping she threw back her cloak and let her hidden blade spring loose. It dug satisfyingly into the guards neck. Standing she glared at the rest of the guards, then whispered the two men. "Scurry."