In this chapter, Desmond is going to react to the memories in the Animus and have random thoughts outside of the Animus. His thoughts are going to be in Bold. So if you see random sentences that are bolded, those are Desmond's thoughts outside of the Animus. Hope you all enjoy where this story is going. Please read and review!

First Sight

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad

"Ride to Jerusalem, there you will meet up with the Bureau Leader. From there you will receive instruction on your attack. Peace be with you, Altair." Al Mualim says as he instructs me on my next victim. He names the slave trader of Jerusalem. A simple man named Talal, devoid of skill in the art of kill, but surrounded by those who can do so for him. Al Mualim explains the misdeeds of the man, and his thirst for men and women mad and diseased where he makes profit on their frail minds. Al Mualim motions his hand downwards towards the table where my weapons lay. I look down where my throwing knives, sword, and hidden blade sit on the desk that stands between the Master and myself. He restores my weapon and rank once again to me, though he continues to deny me the title of Master Assassin. The Master asks me seek the permission of the Bureau Leader to continue my kill, rather than entering the city, stalking my prey, and taking their life. His tactics cause delay in my missions and disrespect to the years I have given to gain the title of Master Assassin.

Al Mualim turns from me and releases a messenger pidgin. When his back is to me, I take my sword and strap it to my belt, it bouncing off of my hip. Then, I take my hidden blade; the weapon I have felt lost without. I look onto my Mentor as he watches over the city, I strap the blade tightly to my wrist, watching the man. I cannot help but feel resentment towards the frail man for stripping me of what was rightfully mine. I clip the belts tightly on the wrist cuff; the numbing feeling of the belts cutting off my circulation is somewhat of a comforting feeling that I lost when I was stripped of my rank and weapons. I look down and see all of my weapons decorating my body. I can finally say that I feel complete, save for the title that I have yet to regain.

I bow my head to the Master, though he does not look back to me. I leave the old man to sit in his study and watch over the town. As I leave the threshold of the fortress atop the hill, I look back and see the Master watch me from his study. I wonder if the once great soldier desires the draw of battle. When stripped of my weapons, I felt bare without the blade strapped to my body, as I believe it to be an extension of myself. I wonder if the Master feels he has lost himself in his age. I turn away from my master's gaze and make my way past the gates of Masyaf. I take the reins of a white horse, hoisting myself onto its back and ride for Jerusalem.

The road to Jerusalem is an all too familiar one. I ride to the town in which I had lost my rank in seconds; a rank that took me years to attain. I think of the day that stripped me of my rank and all my devotion to the Creed. Malik's face stains my mind and I think of how he has prospered from my fall. Malik has been promoted to Rafiq, and I demoted to Novice. If not for the actions in the temples of Jerusalem I would be a Rafiq, living in the city's Bureau, giving information to those whom hold the title of Novice.

I look up to the horizon and see a small sliver of the city of Jerusalem. A beautiful city, regrettably driven away by its corruption of the men whom I am here to kill. I dismount from my horse once I reach the city gates. I join a group of scholars and blend in so that the guards are not aware of my presence here in Jerusalem. Once I know that I am from the direct vision of the guards, I separate myself from the scholars and move on. I travel to the middle district of Jerusalem. Because I am a Novice, I must gain the permission of the Rafiq before pursuing my target. I know that Malik is the Rafiq in Jerusalem and I know that he will have no end of laughter as he realizes that I must report to him for confirmation for my kills.

As I walk the familiar route to the Assassin's Bureau, I hear a struggle beginning to emerge.

"Thief! I'll have your hand for that!" A merchant yells as he violently grabs the wrist of a young girl.

The girl does not cry for her life or plead help from anyone around. She simply recoils her body slightly at the discomfort of the man's grip and her hand forcefully hitting the table. I decide to intervene and help the young girl. Chances are she has brothers or family members that will watch for me in my need for distraction.

I walk over to the merchant as he embarks upon taking this young girl's hand. I bring my hidden blade to the man's throat and instant terror fills his face and body posture. "Leave the girl." I say in a low ominous tone.

"You don't know what you are doing, boy." The man replies with all his might to sound intimidating but fails in my eyes.

"Leave the girl." I repeat, and the man viciously throws the girl's wrist away from the table.

The merchant growls in anger but moves back to his stand, knowing he will fail in an altercation against me. I look over at the girl that I have just saved. Her face is hidden behind the hood of a black cloak, and her eyes are fixed onto the ground. I move one step towards her and she is gone. The girl turns from me and enters the sea of crowds, hiding within the bodies that walk the streets of Jerusalem. I run after her. I want the girl to know I saved her, and I want her to pay me for the good deed that I have done. I find her within the crowd, and when she turns to face me, all I can see is her lips curve menacingly taunting me, then she turns from me and begins to flee. I am faster than she is, however, the crowds move against my chase. She looks back at me and in the midst of running, the hood of her cloak lifts and reveals more of her face. I catch a glimpse of her face to see that she is not a girl as I accepted; she is in fact a young woman no older than I; she is simply small in stature. She turns away from me and leads me on a chase that heads to the poor district of Jerusalem. The woman is smart, the poor district is filled with people wondering the streets, if I were any ordinary man, I would lose her in seconds, however, I am an assassin, it is my life to stalk my prey in any condition.

What's going on? Is this the memory that Lucy was talking about?

The woman halts as she leads herself into a corner. I smile as our game has led to an end. I approach her in a non-threatening way. I don't want to scare the poor girl. She turns towards me and I lift my hands up in surrender. She pears through the hood of her cloak. I continue to move my ground towards her, when suddenly she turns from me and begins to climb the building wall. I watch the way she climbs the wall and as her hands and feet take hold of every crevice. I am astonished to say that I too would take that direct route up the home. She makes it to the top and runs onto the roofs of the buildings. I decide to no longer pursue this young woman. Yet, I continue to linger on the thought of how someone such as herself is capable of accomplishing what she just did.

I turn away from the alley and move on to the Bureau. I decide not to discuss what I just endured with Malik as I am sure Malik would not care to hear of what petty happenings occur in my life, nor am I sure I should dwell on the situation.

I climb the ladder that leads to the Bureau and jump down from the roof. I drop down into the room where Malik waits for my presence. Malik has his head in a book of nonsense that I care not to worry over.

"Safety and Peace, Malik." I say as I walk in.

"Your presence deprives me of both." Malik speaks in a livid tone of voice.

Now things are back to normal? What was so important about that memory that it couldn't be shown in front of Warren? Altair chases some chick, into an alley and she gets away. How would that have any interest with Warren and Abstergo?

Malik's purpose in my mission is to only advise me and inform me where I can find information regarding my target. From there, I will have to learn where to find my target's location, and where and how I will strike him down.

I take my leave from the Bureau and move through the city of Jerusalem to find the information that I need. I walk amongst the town and listen to the words of those who walk the streets of Jerusalem. Nothing attracts my attention. My mind begins to wander as I walk the streets. I can't help but think of the woman that I chased. I find the entire situation peculiar and I cannot exorcise the vision of her from my mind.

"Talal is not one to fight." My ears find in the crowd of words. I move towards the two men who speak to each other of my target. "At the first sign of trouble, Talal flees from the scene and hides in many areas of the town." One man says.

"And how am I to know where Talal hides?" The other man asks.

"I have created a map that has the location of all the places that Talal takes refuge."

"Give it here." The other says greedily.

"Keep it safe, for without this map, we will have no hope of destroying the evil that is Talal."

"Yes, yes." The man gives the other the map and I make my move. I shift through the crowd and follow the man with the map. Without a soul knowing, I slip my fingers through his side pouch and snatch the map from this man. I then flee the scene without anyone knowing of my presence.

I walk amongst the people of Jerusalem. I listen to the words that fall from the lips of the people that walk these streets. Many of the conversations that fill the streets have such little importance to me or my mission against Talal. I stalk the streets for any mention of the man or the slaves he trades when my ears catch a whisper. "Altair!" I hear the desperate cry of one of my brothers. I see one of my assassin brothers standing in a corner watching the crowd frantically. "Thank goodness you are here." I stop and listen to what my brother so desperately needs. "Al Mualim has asked that I take the lives of three Templar guards, but they have seen my face and now they are searching for me. Please, Altair, kill these men and I will give you information that you will find valuable."

I decide that I will help my friend. The streets are quiet with gossip, so I need everything handed to me if I expect Malik to approve my assault against Talal. I leave from my brother and move in the crowds in search for the Templar guards. I find one on top of a roof. I climb the opposing roof so that the Templar does not spot me. If any of them see me, a fight will ignite and the city guards will aid the Templars, as their purses are heavy with coin paid for by Robert de Sable to ensure the guards of Jerusalem have no quarrels against the Templars.

I reach the top of the opposing roof. Because my throwing knives were taken away, I cannot kill the man from here. I must get closer and take him with my hidden blade. I slowly walk towards the Templar. I walk on top of the roofs until I am only a rooftop away from the guard. I wait until his back is to me, and then I strike. The Templar goes down and I cradle him until I place him face down on the ground. He lets out a quiet yelp of pain heard only by me.

As I remove myself from my dead target, I spot the next target walking in the crowd. I take a leap of faith off the building and into a hay stack. I jump out and follow my next target. This one will be more difficult to kill as he is surrounded by patrons and guards. I watch the man and wait for the right moment to strike him. I follow the Templar as he stops and speaks a few words with the guards on duty, and then moves on and continues to walk. I follow him into an empty lot where an old house once stood. The Templar stops and looks around for young children who often play in the wreckage. This is where I strike. I bring my hand to his throat and thrust my hidden blade out piercing his throat. I retract the bloody blade into my wrist cuff and leave the scene before the man can fall dead to the ground.

Only one Templar remains. I move to the courtyard where I have an open view of the area. In seconds, I spot my final target. He makes his way from the courtyard to a busy narrow street full of people. I follow the guard closely. With this many people around him, I am but another blade in the crowd. The sound of merchants calling out fills the air. I look around and I notice that this is the same place where I saved the woman from the merchant. I see the merchant that I had the altercation with, but I do not spot the woman. She has probably fled the city, to rid herself of the danger of seeing the merchant again.

I release my thoughts of the woman and focus on the task at hand. The Templar guard has gained distance between the two of us. I begin to walk faster and in seconds I am right behind him again. With my hidden blade and the vast amount of people around, I can take out the guard without him knowing it was ever me. I extract my blade and move it towards the Templar when he looks behind and sees my face.

"Assassin!" He yells out. And with that single word, the crowd erupts into mayhem.

Wait, huh? Altair was never seen in his mini assassinations.

The Templar guards runs from me and I am quick to follow. I will not let this man escape alive with my face in his mind. The man leads me on a long chase that grabs the attention of many bystanders. I know what the Templar is doing. He will lead me to a place where there is a large gathering of city guards so I will have to fight them all, and I lose my target to the commotion. However, I am mistaken when the Templar begins to climb a building. I follow him up the building as well. I am quick to climb the building but when I lift myself onto the top of the roof, the Templar is dead. Blood staining his clothes from an open wound originating from a dagger. I look up and see who is responsible for killing my target and see the face of the woman from the merchant stand.

She stands before the Templar with a bloody dagger in her hand. She is tense and watches my moves, waiting to see what I will do.

Wait, the girl killed the guard? What is going on?

"Who are you?" I demand in a stern voice as a father would use to his misbehaving child. The woman turns away from me and begins to slowly flee the scene. "Wait!" I yell and she does so. "Why did you help me?" The woman turns around and all I can see of her are her lips as they curve up the right side of her face. "Speak, woman!" I demand, and the smile leaves her face.

"Why did you save me?" She asks back. Her voice is soft and leveled, indicating she is not scared or disturbed with killing a man.

"You were in trouble." I say plainly.

"As were you."

"You were about to have your hand cut off."

"And you were about to lose your target."

"I did not need your help, Woman." I say spitefully.

"Nor did I yours, Assassin." She snarls back.

"How do you know that I was an assassin?" I ask suspiciously staggering away from her.

"You are a man that chases a target, a Templar target at that, and you move like them. Stalking your prey, hiding in the shadows—"

"How do you know the maneuvers of our Creed?"

"I never said anything about a Creed, Assassin." And I take in the realization that I have just spoken of my creed to an outsider. "You are very reckless, Assassin." She says with an amused smile painting her lips. I try to think of something to say, however, she has completely caught me off guard. "You better go to your friend and tell him of your success in killing these men." She says with a larger smile.

"Are you watching me?" I ask suspiciously.

"Someone needs to." And with that the woman leaves me with nothing more but the last glimpse I took of her stunning face.

Who is this girl? Why is she watching Altair? And what is so important about her?

I go back to my brother and tell him that I have succeeded. I tell him not of the girl and how she aided me in the completion of my task. He would think me mad that a woman would help me with my kill. He tells me that Talal is well liked by his men, and that they would see death to themselves before Talal. This is not new information to me, and it does not mean much for my mission against Talal.

I walk the streets for more information for my assassination. I find myself looking for the woman again. If she is following me as I suspect her of doing so, then she must be watching me from somewhere. I look on the rooftops and at the faces in the crowd, but no matter how hard I look, I cannot find her. I question who this woman is and how she holds knowledge of the movements of the Assassin's Creed. I wonder what her motives are and why she has chosen to watch over me. I consider the idea that she is a whore paid by the Templars to bed Assassins in the town and gather intelligence on the Assassins. Though I dismiss this theory with her willingness with killing the Templar guards. If she were paid by the Templars, they would not have her kill their own to gain my attention. Either way, if find the encounter to be strange and her motives even more so.