It took a month for Ezio to teach Harriet the basics of what an Assassin needed to know. He begun by showing her how to blend in the crowd the same way he had been taught. He also taught her how to steal purses. While it was not something they did lightly, learning how to steal something without being discovered was considered a useful skill.
In her time in the crowd, Harriet found out her escape from the stake had earned her a new nick-name: the Naked Witch. She was a topic of discussion everywhere she went, along with 'the Assassin' who had saved her. Even worse, the escape had already been exaggerated to a point where the truth was barely recognizable. If the crowd was to be believed, the Naked Witch had not escaped on horseback with the help of an Assassin and covered with a cape. Instead, she had apparently ran through the crowd with nothing covering her body, yelling and screaming like a mad person. Ezio's part in her rescue was even cast aside as people began to wonder if 'the Assassin' was real or an illusion the 'Naked Witch' had used to cover her tracks.
But, worse of all was the testimonies of the people who had guarded her cell. Apparently, the guards had talked and shared to everyone how the Naked Witch had danced in front of them and attempted to seduce them by showing her assets. The first time she heard that story, Harriet almost blown a top. It was only thanks to Ezio that she managed to keep it inside.
In her first week as an Assassin, Harriet found out her early assumption that Rome had been built to be climbed had some truth to it. While she doubted it had been designed in such a way on purpose, she found Rome was very climbable. It was something the Assassins used to their advantage, allowing them to run over the rooftops to escape guards, stay out of sight of the crowd or gain the high ground on their target. Climbing walls and freerunning was a skill Ezio taught her. She was not very good or fast but, after a month, she was capable of following Ezio and travel the city.
Two weeks in, Harriet decided it was time for her to visit Margherita's villa. She didn't know if there was anything left to it – having no doubts the neighbours or guards had looted it, but she wanted to find out. She believed visiting the house would give her closure, even if she didn't find anything. Ezio accompanied her, if only to keep her safe.
As they rode out of the city toward the countryside, Ezio asked "She was your Aunt, was she not?"
"No." said Harriet, shaking her head. "It was the story we told everyone, but we were not related. Margherita... she was just a good and benevolent woman who helped me when I had nobody. She kept me safe and taught me everything I needed to know to live in Italy. She didn't need to, but she did. She might not have been my aunt, but she was a mother in everything but blood." she said, trying not to cry.
"She sounded like a good woman." Ezio said softly.
"She was."
"Tell me more about her – good moments you had with her."
Harriet had no doubts as to why Ezio was asking her that. He wanted her to remember her not by her death, but by all the good moments they had together. She was grateful for it. "Well, I remember when she was teaching me how to ride a horse." she chuckled. "While we were riding across the city, I accidentally startled my stead and it ran away, forgetting I was riding it. Margherita had to chase after me and tell me how to calm the horse down. Let's just say I made my way back home on foot."
"Sound like an interesting story." Ezio chuckled.
"It was." she said as they arrived at the villa. When she saw it, she was surprised. "It's intact. I thought they would have destroyed it or, at least vandalized it."
"It is possible someone else moved in it." said Ezio.
"Only one way to find out." she said as they climbed down their horses. After making sure the leash of the horses were properly attached to a fence, the two Assassins walked to the villa. Just as they reached the door, Harriet felt some kind of magic.
"Harriet, it's a bad idea. Let's go back to the Headquarters." Ezio suddenly said, turning away. It took Harriet a second to understand what happened. Somehow, the house had a muggle repelling charm surrounding it.
"Ezio, don't leave!" she said, grabbing his hand.
"Harriet, it's too dangerous!"
"Ezio, there's nothing dangerous here." she said quietly. "It's only a small bit of magic to make sure those non-magical won't enter an area. It make them think they had something urgent to do or that something dangerous is prowling around. Anything to make them turn the other way."
Ezio blinked. "So, you're saying..."
"There is nothing wrong. Just come with me and it will pass." she said.
"Okay. I trust you." he said, making her want to curse him. He had no idea what his blind faith in her made her heart feel like. It was even worse when she remembered she was holding his calloused hand. Ignoring her palpitating heart, she opened the door and led him inside.
"Ah, I understand." Ezio said. "I no longer feel something is wrong."
"A little magic to protect a household. I don't how it ended up here, though. Such magic take a few minutes to cast. Margherita and I were taken by surprise in the middle of the night." Harriet said looking at the inside of the house. While it was dark, she could see it was intact and whole. It was as if they had never left. The only difference she could see was the presence of a letter on one of the tables. She frowned. She did not remember seeing the letter before. When she approached it, she saw the words written on it.
'To Harriet.'
Harriet let out a small gasp. Margherita had written a letter to her? She grabbed the letter almost reverently. She opened it and began reading.
My dear Harriet,
I have charmed this letter to appear in the case I die. As I write this letter, you are inside the villa, taking care of our latest guest.
I have felt my death come closer and closer these last few weeks. It might surprise you, as I never shared that fact, but I have seer blood. While I am not one myself, I am capable of feeling when something important is coming. It is what allowed me to find you when you arrived here. And, this gift also make me believe my death is soon approaching. I do not know when it will happen, but I know you will live and find your true purpose in this time.
In preparation for my death, I have cast wards over the property so that, once it happen, the villa will be sealed to everyone. Only you and those you trust the most will be able to see it.
In the year and a half since I met you, I have come to love you as my own daughter. For this reason, I leave you everything I own, including this property. I can only wish it will serve you well in your life full of adventure. Do not mourn me for too long. I want you to be happy.
With the love of a mother,
Margherita dei Campi.
Harriet brought the letter to her chest and cried. The woman who loved her like her own daughter was dead. She barely noticed Ezio sit next to her and hug her.
After mourning Margherita for a few minutes, the young woman wiped her tears. "Are you okay?" asked Ezio next to her. Harriet nodded.
"Better." she said.
She spent the next half hour looking through the small villa for things to bring with her. She quickly found her wand and her sword. She attached her sheath to her waist and put her wand in a pouch attached to her belt. The only other thing she grabbed were her clothes. She considered bringing some of the magical supplies in the barrels but decided not to, believing it best they stay there.
Harriet and Ezio then left and returned to Tiber Island. Ezio stayed on the lookout for danger while Harriet followed him mindlessly.
With a sword now in her possession, Ezio felt it was time to teach her how to fight. Harriet had believed herself proficient... until she faced Ezio. To her dismay, she learned her skills were nothing compared to his'. She felt ashamed of her own skills until Ezio told her there was nothing wrong with them and that she only needed time to develop them further.
And, for the next three weeks, it was exactly what they did. Ezio ran her through his training a lot rougher than the traitor Alessandro had. It told her either Ezio was very good, or Alessandro had not bothered teaching her more than the basic as he already planned to have her executed. It was probably both, knowing them. At the end of her three weeks of training, Ezio seriously believed she could hold her own against a patrol of guards, making her swoon in pride.
A month after she had joined the Assassins, Ezio decided it was time for them to begin their work on the Borgias. Machiavelli agreed.
"Not that I blame you, of course, but Ezio training you delayed our plans to kill the Borgias." he had told her one day while all three were together.
"Perhaps." said Ezio. "But we are no longer alone. Another pair of hands will help us achieve our goals."
"That, we can agree on." said Machiavelli. "Now, what are we going to do? We lack the manpower to take the fight to Rodrigo and Cesare. It would be possible with the Apple but without it, we can't. Our members are just too dispersed across Italy."
"Well, I'm here, no?" said Harriet. "You recruited me."
"But you are only one person. It is not enough." the short-haired man said.
"I know! I mean you could recruit more! In the year I've lived in Rome, I've seen plenty of people who would wish for nothing more than to fight back against the oppression. The only reason they don't do so is because they fear for their lives or those of their loved ones. By joining us, not only would they be part of an organization with the power to do something, but it would allow them to keep their anonymity while giving them useful skills to better help defend themselves and others! All good incentives!" she said.
Both men looked at her, impressed. "She is right." Ezio said with a small smirk. "To win this war, we need loyal soldiers. The Borgias have disarmed their enemies. By arming them, we will gain people willing to fight for our cause." he said.
Machiavelli looked at Harriet. "Well, I believe you have your mission." he said. Ezio nodded in agreement.
"What do you mean?"
"Go explore the city and find us some recruits." Ezio explained. "I taught you enough to both kill guards and escape them."
"I- I will." Harriet said, shocked.
"What about you, Ezio?" asked Machiavelli. "What will you do?"
"We are blind in this city. Other than your spies, we have nobody to gather information. No underground to work with. So, I'm going to get some of the major factions to help us."
"How?" exclaimed Machiavelli. "As I told you a month ago, our mercenaries are fighting for their lives against the French. The courtesans would help us but their new Madam is an ally of the Borgias. As for the Thieves' Guild, again, they refuse to talk to us."
"Did you just say courtesans?" Harriet blurted.
"I did. They make very good spies. You have no idea how many are willing to spill their secrets just for a bit of cleavage." he said, making her grimace in disgust. "Where are you going?" he then asked to Ezio. Harriet turned to see him walk toward the exit.
"Make some friends." answered Ezio.
"Well... you do that." said Machiavelli. He turned his eyes toward her. "Before you go, I believe there is something you should have." he said.
"What is it?" she asked, confused. She watched as the man walked toward a small chest which was sitting on a table. He opened it and grabbed what was inside.
"You're giving me a Hidden Blade?" she gasped once she saw she metal bracer.
"All proper Assassins have a Hidden Blade." he said, giving it to her. "You should have one as well if you are to work for our organization."
Harriet quickly attached it to her left forearm. Once it was secure in place, she flicked her wrist and a blade come out. She looked at it in awe. "That's amazing..." she whispered. "What else can it do?"
"What do you mean?" Machiavelli said with a small frown.
"I mean – I saw Ezio fire a bullet with his hidden blade. Just like a pistol."
"You will find that Ezio's blade is more unique. It has been upgraded throughout the years by one of his friends. Your blade is only a regular blade. I'm sorry." he said with a shrug.
"That's probably for the best." said Harriet. It would be more productive to master the regular blade first before having it modified.
"Well, you know what to do, Harriet. When you find people willing to join the Assassins, tell them to come seek me here. I will wait here and introduce them to the Brotherhood." he said. Harriet nodded. "Well, good luck."
"Thank you." she said with a small bow. She turned and followed Ezio out of the building.
Once she was out of Tiber Island, Harriet used her newly developed skills to climb on the rooftops. As she ran over the buildings, she observed for the trace of a fight. Since she had arrived in Rome, Harriet had seen at least one person fight against guards every day. And, it was without looking for them. Now that she was, she hoped she could recruit two or three people before she had to lay low.
Ten minutes after she left the island, Harriet encountered her first fight. A man with red hair holding a sword and a woman with curly brown hair wielding a dagger were facing six angry guards. For a brief moment, Harriet believed they were Ron and Hermione. Then, she blinked and looked closer. While they looked similar, they were not them. She shook her head, trying to ignore her distraction. Instead, she looked at the fight itself. Neither the Ron or Hermione lookalikes appeared to be experienced. They were having a hard time protecting themselves and Harriet estimated they would fall within minutes without help.
And help, they would get. Harriet decided to jump in the fight. Literally as she jumped from her vantage point on the roof and landed on most armoured guard. Using her hidden blade, she stabbed him in the neck.
"Assassin!" cried one of the guards. She unsheathed her sword and began fighting the guards. Ezio's training proved to be useful as, within minutes, all remaining guards were dead on the ground.
"Thank you! Thank you, sir!" said the man. Harriet raised her eyebrow in amusement.
"I am not a man." she said. The man flushed in embarrassment. Apparently deciding it was best if she handled the conversation, the woman cut in.
"Thank you for your help, Miss." she said. "My husband and I feared we would die at their blades." she said.
"You're welcome." she returned. "Why were the guards after you, if you mind me asking?" Harriet said.
The man scoffed. "We had a shop! Sold weapons, we did! But then, the guards came and told us to give them everything and close! We refused!"
"We spent our whole life working on our shop." explained the woman sadly. "To be forced to close down and give away all of our hard work for nothing. It ruined us." she said, shaking her head.
"Refused, we did!" said the man. "We told them we would not close! But, they did not listen to us! The next morning, burned down to the ground, our shop was! All of our weapons were missing!" Harriet tried to ignore how the man spoke (which reminded her of Yoda from Star Wars) and turned to the woman who, like she had predicted, continued the story.
"We decided to complain to the guards-"
"Attacked us, they did! Like common criminals!"
Harriet hummed. "I understand." she said. "You are not the only ones who lost everything to the Borgias."
"You too?" asked the woman, as perspective as her doppelganger.
"Me too." she said. "In fact, my situation is kind of famous." she joked bitterly. The woman's eyes widened in recognition. She cleared her throat. "Well, I always believed what they did to you was horrible and disgusting!"
"Why?" said the man, confused. "Who is she?"
"I'll explain in private." said the woman.
"What are you going to do now?" asked Harriet, moving on from the topic of the Naked Witch.
"We don't know, Miss." said the man sadly. "Lost everything, we did."
"Would you be willing to fight for us?" she asked. The other two looked at her in surprise.
"Fight for you?" repeated the woman, confused. She sounded very much like Harriet had when Ezio had first offered her to join him and Machiavelli.
"In the Assassin Brotherhood." she explained. "We fight against the oppression and tyranny of the Borgias for the betterment of mankind. You would be welcome with us as we take those willing to bring the fight to the Borgias."
The man and woman looked at one another. "Can we have a moment to discuss it?" asked the woman.
"Of course. You can have all the time you need." said Harriet. "If you decide to join and fight with us, go to Tiber Island and seek Niccolo Machiavelli. He will introduce you to the ideas and history of the Brotherhood and allow you to settle in our Headquarters."
"Thank you." the man said. "We will do so once we made a decision."
Harriet bowed to them and left the married couple to their discussion. She climbed back on the rooftops and continued to search for more potential recruits. As she reached the north of the city, she found a man only a few years older than her taken hostage by a soldier. Three others were facing him. She was curious to notice that one of them, a young man himself, did not look entirely comfortable with the situation. She decided she would spare him if she could.
"So, you dare removing wanted posters?" said the leader.
"Please... she's my sister and she's only fifteen!"
"I don't care! The whore's got it coming from the crimes she committed!
"She didn't do nothing wrong!" cried the young man.
"She assaulted a guard and ran away!"
"He was trying to rape her!"
"I don't care." said the guard, spitting on him. Harriet had heard more than enough. Just like with the couple, Harriet jumped from the roof and landed on one of the guards, utilizing her hidden blade to kill him. The guard holding the young man threw his hostage on the ground. Unfortunately for him, before he could unsheathe his sword, Harriet had impaled him with her own."
"Come on, recruit!" said the leader of the group cheerfully like he hadn't already lost two of his men. "It's time to show what you're made of!" The recruit seemed hesitant but unsheathed his sword non the less.
The leader was the first one to strike. Harriet managed to block the sword of her opponent before doing a counter-attack Ezio had taught her. The sword went straight through the shoulder, making the man cry in pain. Harriet pushed him back with her free hand and impaled him with her sword, killing him. She then turned toward the recruit and pointed her bloodied sword at him. The young man looked fearful of her.
"I don't want to fight you." she said. "If you want to keep your life, leave." It did not take more for the recruit to sheathe his weapon and run away. Harriet looked at him disappear before she turned to the young man. He was only just getting back on his feet, looking dizzy and a hand on his head.
"Are you alright?" she asked with concern. The young man looked at her with dazed eyes.
"G-Ginevra?" he asked.
"What?" she blurted in shock. The man blinked before he shook his head. He seemingly came back to his senses as his eyes looked a lot clearer and expressive.
"Sorry! I mistook you for my sister Ginevra." he said. Harriet only stared back. "Are you alright?" he asked.
It was Harriet's turn to shake her head. "Sorry. I just knew of someone with the same name and hear you call me by that name surprised me."
The man glanced at the bodies of the guards. "How did you defeat them all?"
"Using the skills I was taught." she answered. She then asked a question of her own. "How did you end up in this situation in the first place?" She had heard the exchange between him and the guards but wanted to know more.
The young man sighed. "My sister." he said. "A few days ago, while she was returning home from shopping, she encountered a patrol of guards. The bastards tried to feel her up and even attempted to seduce her into fucking them. She refused and tried to leave but the guards did not care. One tried to force himself on her. Ginevra hit him in the face and ran away. She might not hit hard but she can run like the devil." he exclaimed.
"The guards did not let it go. They began plastering wanted posters of her on the walls. My sister had to go in hiding to she wouldn't be given away by a neighbour." He then sighed. "I've spent the last few days tearing down her posters. Unfortunately, they caught me. I thought they were going to kill me until you stepped in."
Harriet closed her eyes. She tried to fight down the memories of her time in that cell with those guards. It was hard. The story the man had told her hit too close to home. She had no doubts that the guards would have raped her if they could, just like she had no doubt this Ginevra would suffer the same fate as she did – and worse – if she was captured. That her brother was willing to risk himself to give her safety told a lot about his character.
"Your sister is very lucky to have you as a brother." she said.
"I'm lucky to have her as my sister." he corrected with a smile. Harriet smiled back. "Say, are you the Assassin?" he suddenly asked. "I mean – the one who saved that poor soul from being burned alive?"
Harriet stiffened. "He is a man, so no he is not."
"Well, do you think you could introduce me to him? I would love to know how to fight like that! It would really help me protect my sister." he said. "And, having the skills to defeat a few Borgia guards like you would be very nice as well."
With a small smirk, she said "Go to Tiber Island. There, you will meet a man named Niccolo Machiavelli. He will be able to help you."
"Thank you, Miss." he said. Then, catching her by complete surprise, he hugged her. The hug barely lasted as second before the man ran away, yelling about sharing the news with his sister, but by doing so, he left a very confused young woman behind.
It took a minute for Harriet to regain her bearings. By that point, she noticed that a crowd had begun to gather. Mutterings about guards coming where heard. Knowing she only had a minute or two to leave, she ran toward the nearest wall and climbed up.
She found the next potential recruit as the sun was getting down. She decided they would be the last person she approached before she returned to Tiber Island. It was a blond woman who appeared to be in her mid twenties. She was harassed by five guards.
"What do you want, Roberto?" said the woman with undisguised anger.
"I'm simply wondering why you and your father won't help us..."
"And why would we?" she sneered. "The business deal your uncle made would have us give up all of our estate."
The guard grabbed her by the throat. "I wish you would simply listen to me, Anna." he said, bringing the woman's face close to his. "It could save you so much pain..."
"You think you are strong now that you joined the guard? No you aren't." she said. She followed by spitting in his face.
A look of fury appeared on the face of the guard. Without warning, he slapped her hard on the face. "If you so desire." he hissed. "Maybe with your death, your father will finally do what is necessary."
"Fuck you." said the woman, rubbing her face. The guards all drew their swords, which Harriet saw as he signal to jump in.
She landed between two guards. She took hold of the guard on her right by bringing her arm around his neck and squeezing. With her left arm, Harriet triggered her hidden blade and stabbed the guard in the neck. Then, just as he began dropping dead, she brought the hidden blade out and in the other guard's neck. Both fell to the ground, dead.
As for the woman, she jumped on her feet with her own sword unsheathed. The guard that had been harassing her tried to strike her down, but the woman blocked it. She kicked him away from her before blocking the blade from another opponent. Harriet used the opportunity to stab one of them in the back just as the woman made a counter-attack on her guard and impaled him in the stomach. Finally, only the guard named 'Roberto' was left, and he was crawling away from them, his face white.
"A-Assassin!" he exclaimed, pointing at her. Harriet walked to him and kicked his weapon away. She then grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and brought him to the woman. "A-Anna..."
"Don't 'Anna' me, you little shit!" she spat. "You were ready to kill me to send a message to my father! Maybe I should use your idea to warn your uncle to back off."
"P-Please..." he pleaded. Anna ignored him and brought the sword to his neck. With a cut that would have made Nearly-Headless Nick proud, Anna ended the life of Roberto the guard.
Using the clothes of the guards, Anna cleaned her weapon before putting it back in its sheath. "Thank you, Assassin." she said gratefully. "I wasn't sure I would be able to fight them off this time."
"This time?" repeated Harriet. "You mean it happened before?"
"Of course." she said as if it was obvious. "You have to fight guards every week if you want to survive in this damned city."
"But why do they take such an interest in you?" she asked. It was the first time she had heard someone confronting the guards every week.
Anna grinned somewhat sheepishly. "Well, my father own a business in town. Both he and I openly rebel against the Borgia rule. The guards try to force our loyalty by intimidating us. It's how I end up fighting them so often." she said proudly. The grin then fell off her face. "Unfortunately, it's just my father and I. The guards know that which is why they keep coming to us. It's almost a game for them."
"What if there were more people, though?"
"They would leave us alone. Why?"
"Because I'm part of the Assassin Brotherhood which fight against tyranny. We wish to defend the innocents from the oppression from the Borgias – and we are looking for people willing to take the fight to them. If you join us, you and your father would have the Brotherhood as your allies, stopping the guards from bothering you out of fear of reprisal."
"Sound interesting." Anna said. "Where do I sign?"
"Go to Tiber Island. There you will find a man named Niccolo Machiavelli. Talk to him." she said.
"I will." Anna nodded. "Thank you for saving me."
"It is not a problem."
A few minutes later, Harriet was back on the rooftops of the city, making her way to her new home. As she ran next to the Tiber, she noticed a white and red hooded figure walk through the streets. A mischievous idea sparked in her mind. She followed the figure as it walked through the crowds toward a large building on the north-west of the city. Just as the figure walked through a gate, Harriet found an opportunity and took it. She jumped.
Just as she was about to land on the figure, the figure sidestepped, causing her to land on her knees. "Ouch!" she exclaimed as the figure began laughing.
"That will teach you to try to tackle me by surprise." Ezio chuckled. Harriet ignored him and tried to raise on her feet. She immediately knew her landing had been worse than she expected when she felt a terrible amount of pain flare in her knees. She hissed and fell back on the ground. "What's wrong?" Ezio asked, concerned.
"I think I broke my kneecaps." she said, embarrassed. "Oh, don't laugh!" she added when the man began snickering.
"Well, that's what you get when you try to land on someone knees first." he said in amusement.
"Can you bring me somewhere private so I can... heal?" she said meaningfully. Thankfully, Ezio was no where dumb and understood what she was implying.
"Of course." he said. Harriet squealed in surprise when Ezio grabbed her like a married man would his bride. She tried to hide the blush that formed on her cheeks, though she was unsuccessful by the chuckles the man was letting out.
"So, do beautiful women always fall off the sky like angels?" he said.
"You're doing it on purpose, aren't you?" said the English girl, feeling her cheeks burn even more.
"Maybe." he said. "It is entertaining to see you turn so red." At his words, Harriet groaned and hid her face in his chest, making the man chuckle even more.
"I hate you." she joked.
Ezio eventually found a small alcove in a narrow alley-way. He dropped her there, allowing her to take out her wand and begin healing her injuries. "So, how was your day? Did you progress in your mission?"
"I pointed four potential recruits toward our Brotherhood." she said.
"In a single day? Not bad." he said, impressed.
"Thank you." said Harriet. "What about you?"
"I have the thieves firmly on our side. As it turn out, the man in charge was a fellow Assassin."
"Really?" she asked, dumbfounded. "Why did Machiavelli say they refused to talk, then?"
Ezio sighed. "La Volpe – the Assassin and leader – believe Machiavelli is a traitor."
Harriet frowned. She did not have many interactions with Machiavelli, spending most of her time with Ezio, but she doubted the man was a traitor. He seemed as loyal to the Brotherhood as Ezio. She could be wrong, of course, but her gut feelings told her otherwise. "Does he have evidence?" she asked after a few seconds.
"Not really. The only thing that could prove his point was a strange meeting Machiavelli had this afternoon with a city guard. The guard gave him a letter."
"So, it's possible Machiavelli is spying on us for the Borgias – but it's also possible the guard is spying on the Borgias for us. As Machiavelli received the information, it is more likely the guard was the spy."
Ezio looked impressed. "You are perspective, aren't you?" Harriet sent him a halfhearted glare.
"I might be younger than you and much less experienced, but I'm not stupid." she said, rolling her eyes. With a final wave of her wand, she had her knees healed.
"You good?" he asked, lending her a hand. Harriet grabbed it and Ezio pulled her back on her feet.
"Yeah." she said, rubbing her knees. "It's going to be sore, but I'll be fine."
"What about your mission? Who else other than the thieves will be our allies?" Harriet asked as she and Ezio walked out of the narrow alley-way.
"So far? No one." he said. "I'm still dealing with the courtesans."
"Machiavelli said their boss was working for the Borgias, no?"
"He did, and she did." he answered. "She took over a month ago after the previous Madame was taken hostage and murdered. The Templars used the opportunity to place their own agent in charge of the bordello."
"You killed her, I assume?"
"You would be right. I spent most of my afternoon tracking her down. I took her life not thirty minutes ago."
"Won't the courtesans cause a problem over her death?" Harriet asked. Ezio shook his head.
"There is no love lost between Madam Ferrari and the courtesans." he said. Harriet gave a small, mental snort at the woman's name, which was shared with a famous car company back in her time. "The woman did not treat her well. She mistreated the girls. Trust me, they will only be happier without her."
"That's good." she said. They reached a large building with red banners. Some of the walls of the building were covered in flowers. Outside were courtesans fawning over themselves to try to look cute in an attempt to seduce the walking crowds. Harriet rolled her eyes.
She had developed a lot of respect for the courtesans ever since her imprisonment. Harriet couldn't imagine herself showing off or even have her body used by men for a living. While she did not agree with the idea of prostitution, she understood why it could be a woman's only way to ensure her survival in this time period. After all, the majority of women were not instructed nor taught trades, leaving only prostitution as a choice of career. That these women were capable of doing so to have a roof over their head and food on their tables impressed Harriet. She knew she would not be capable of doing the same choice in their stead.
Harriet followed Ezio inside the building. After a quick word with one of the courtesans, they were led to a small patio at the back of the building. There, they found a few courtesans in talk with two women dressed normally. One appeared to be in her early seventies and had greying hair while the other was younger and shorter. She appeared younger than Ezio by a few years.
"Mother? Sister?" exclaimed Ezio in shock. The two women turned.
"Ezio!" exclaimed the older woman – Ezio's mother – happily. "Sir Machiavelli said you might be here." she said. Harriet was grateful the woman appeared to know of her son's Assassin business, otherwise it would have been pretty awkward.
"What are you doing here in Rome? Has Florence been attacked?"
"No." said Ezio's sister. "Everything was peaceful when we left."
"Left? Why?"
"Ezio, we want to help!" said the sister with a hint of exasperation.
"I was trying to help you by sending you to Florence!" the man returned. His sister scoffed. Harriet had a feeling it was not the first time Ezio and his sister clashed on her involvement in Assassin business.
"Sir? What about Madam Ferrari?" asked one of the courtesans. She, just like Harriet, seemed to have guessed an argument was coming and tried to change the subject.
"She is dead." Ezio answered, his eyes barely leaving the face of his angry sister.
"Thank god." she said.
"Who is going to run the bordello? Without someone, we will have to close!" said another courtesan.
"You can't close! I need your help!"
"Sir, without someone capable of running things, we are finished." said the third courtesan sadly.
Ezio's sister looked at them. Harriet guessed her thoughts before she could voice them. She did not think it would go well with her brother. "I'll do it."
"What?" he exclaimed with anger. "No. You do not belong here, Claudia!"
"I know how to run a business! I ran Uncle Mario's for years."
"This is different!"
Ezio and Claudia's mother stepped in. "What alternative do you have, Ezio?" she asked.
Harriet saw a muscle going in Ezio's cheek. His face turned into resignation, though the anger had not completely vanished. "You do this, Claudia, and you are on your own."
Claudia crossed her arms. "I've been on my own for twenty years." she replied coolly.
"Fine." Ezio hissed. "Once things are up and running, I want you and your courtesans to find Caterina Sforza."
"You can count on us." she hissed back, looking away. Ezio huffed and walked away. Ezio's mother watched the both of them sadly. Harriet sent the Auditore women apologetic looks before following after him.
"Why are you so angry with your sister?" he asked. She had an idea the reason why, but she wanted to hear it in his own words.
"I don't like the idea of Claudia working there." he said.
"Why not?"
"It's not proper."
"And what would be proper for her? She obviously want to take part in the fight against the Templars, so why not let her?"
Ezio struggled to get an answer out. Eventually, he said "I don't like the idea of her getting in danger."
"But she won't, won't she? I mean, I have no doubt there is danger involved when running a spy network, but not as much as if she was on the front lines." she said.
"Perhaps."
Harriet sighed. "Look, I understand why you don't want your sister to work there. I get it. But, at the same time, imagine how she feel like. For reasons that seem personal, your sister want to help your the fight against the Borgias and Templars. But, her older brother stop her from doing her own part for the sake of protection. Now, I know you have good intentions but, from your sister point of view, it just look like you don't trust her. You don't believe her capable of protecting herself and, as such, treat her like a child. It frustrate her, but it does not make her relinquish her goal. In fact, it will just make her want to do it more, which will cause her to go to more extremes and do more reckless things.
"I know how your sister feel because I once was in her position. Back home, there was a man who was terrorizing our community. The man in question had a personal vendetta on me after I survived his attempted murder when I was a baby. When the man came back a few years ago, I knew I wanted to fight him. I wanted to help, to do my part. Yet, people I trusted tried to keep me out, believing they were protecting me. It infuriated me – yes – but it also made me feel utterly useless. I knew they had good intentions, but I felt like they didn't trust me, and it hurt."
She then sighed. "I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this but, in the end, what I'm trying to say is that your sister is a full grown woman. You should trust her to be capable of making decisions and protecting herself – just like she undoubtedly do for you."
Ezio did not say anything for the next few minutes. For a moment, Harriet began to fear she had offended the man. Thankfully, he eventually spoke. "Maybe you are right." he said. "While I would like to keep Claudia safe, she is no longer the young girl who was so lost and broken when our parents died. She is an adult and she can made decisions for herself. Maybe I should apologize next time I see her." he said. He looked at her and gave her a smile, which she returned.
When they returned to headquarters, they found Machiavelli talking with the four new recruits of the Brotherhood. Machiavelli introduced them before giving them their names and backstories.
The married couple who looked like her best friends were named Noah and Apollone Murray. Just like her, Noah came from the British Isles. His parents moved their family to Italy to be closer to God. Despite his parents' religious fervour, Noah was not much of a believer himself, spending most of his childhood exploring Rome and messing with people. About the age of fifteen, Noah met Apollone Abbatiello, a girl of his age from a family of merchants. Both quickly fell in love with each other and married a few years later despite the protests of her family. They went on to open a blacksmith shop, which they ran for the next decade and a half until the guards forced them to close. Noah forged while Apollone took care of the accounting.
Valentino Caprio – the young man – was born in Naples from a family of farmers. A tragedy struck the Caprio family when he was ten years old and all except Valentino and his sister three-year-old Ginevra died when their farm caught fire. After their parents' death, the two moved to Rome with their widowed aunt. During his time in Rome, Valentino did small jobs for various people to help pay for the household. Two years before, the aunt died, leaving the young man the sole caretaker of his sister.
Anna De Angelis – the blonde woman – was the daughter of a rich merchant based in Rome. When Rodrigo Borgia was elected Pope and the reign of the Borgias began, Anna began sneaking off to study sword-fighting with a friend of hers. She later used those skills to fight next to her father when guards came to her family home as a result of denouncing the Borgia regime. The guards attempted to bully them into submission, but failed. Ever since, a constant state of war existed between the De Angelis family and the Borgia guards.
Harriet was happy to learn more about the people she helped. She was even happier when all accepted to join the Brotherhood and became Assassin initiates.