The next morning, Altair woke up with Maria looking at him. Then she smiled and kissed him.
"Good morning…" She said after. "Did you sleep well?"
"Good morning…" He said. "Despite the pain, yes… and you?"
"Yeah…" She answered. "This bed is very comfortable…"
Altair nodded.
"True…" He said. "But we need to get up…"
"Do we?" Maria asked. "Can't we just stay here a little?"
"No…" He said. "We need to find out where we are…"
Maria nodded and helped him to get up. She saw he was in pain but was hiding it.
"Do you want some medicine?" She asked a few seconds later
Altair denied. So, they finish changing themselves, with the clothes they had won.
"I'm not going out like this…" He said, picking up the ruffle with one hand and cutting it off with the hidden blade.
"Now yes…" He said. "But, something is missing…"
"You have your hidden blade… what can be…" Maria said but stopped when she and Altair realized what it was.
"The apple…" They said together.
Altair was quiet.
"Where can it be?" Maria asked.
"I probably lost it on the river..." Altair said. "We need to find it before… or someone can be hurt…"
"And we won't be returning home…" Maria continued.
"Let's go…" Altair said.
She nodded.
X ~ X ~ X
When Altair and Maria left their room, they saw Achilles and Connor in the corridor.
"Good morning." Achilles said. "How was the night?"
"It was good…" Maria said, smiling.
Altair interrupted them and asked.
"Connor, you said you were going to show us the state and your village?"
Maria looked ugly at him, but it was ignored. She then looked to Achilles and Connor and apologized.
"I'm sorry, but John is eager to see the rest of the property…"
Connor nodded.
"You can go…" Achilles said. "We'll meet here later…"
"Ok…" Connor said, walking to the door.
Maria and Altair followed him.
X ~X ~ X
During the recognition tour, Altair and Maria were paying attention to what Connor said and showed them. They had also met other people who lived there.
"All these people were obligated to leave their house in the city…" Connor explained.
"Why?" Maria asked.
"Let's say that we are facing serious problems with the British…" Connor said, explaining a little what their fight was. "Persecutions, prisons, oppressions…"
Altair and Maria looked at each other.
"It appears that is happening all over…" She said.
Altair nodded.
"Come, let me show you my village…" said Connor, walking away from them.
They followed him, walking by the trees and ambushes. They also saw some small animals on the way. It didn't take long for them to see smoke and hear some yells and voices from children. Some more steps, constructions made of woods and straws appeared.
The people there started to look at them. Maria felt intimidated by them and picked Altair's hand. He looked at her.
"I don't like them staring at me…" She said, lowering her voice. "Especially the ones I don't know…"
"You get used to it…" Altair said, looking back in front of him.
Connor took them to a big construction in the middle of the village, where some people, including the woman who was with the men who saved them yesterday. And there was also an older woman.
Connor said something to them on their language and they nodded. They walked to Altair and Maria. The older woman said something to them in her language and was translated:
"You were luck…" The woman said.
Altair nodded.
"We know…" He said. "I want to thank you for saving us on the river.."
Connor and the woman nodded.
"You can call me Zio…" The woman said. "I'm Connor's mother…"
Altair and Maria nodded again. Connor was about to speak when a wave of energy hit them. Most of the people were hit, less Altair, Maria and Connor.
"John..." Maria said. "Quickly…"
Altair nodded and said to Connor:
"Connor, we need to go to the river… quickly…"
Instead, Connor ran to his mother.
Another wave hit again and the people were starting to scream in pain.
"Why?" Connor asked, looking at him. "What do you know about it?"
"It's something I lost…" Altair explained. "I need to go to it so that I can stop this…"
"What do you mean, stop this?" Connor asked.
One more wave of energy hit them. This time, even Maria was hit. She knelt in pain and looked at Altair.
"Alt…" She stammered.
"Quickly…" He said to the other man.
Connor nodded and they quickly exited the village and walked into the woods, walking quickly. Altair felt pain in his wounds and ribs, but he didn't care…. He needed to save Maria and the others…
As they walked to the river, the waves of energy were becoming stronger. They saw that even the animals were starting to get hit.
When they get near the river, Altair stopped a little to rest a few seconds as Connor saw one of his friends laid on edge, holding an object.
"Tchii…" Connor said as he ran to his friend.
"No, Connor…" Altair tried to alert.
Connor tried to pick up the object to give to John, but he was repelled and thrown a few meters behind. So, Altair walked to the lad and picked up the object. Immediately, the waves stopped.
Connor looked surprised at Altair as his friend started to get up. Altair looked at Connor.
"You have a lot of explanation to give…" Connor said before getting up.
Altair nodded.