Haytham woke up with something soft pressed against one of his cheeks instead of the hard wood of his desk (which was a little odd) and feeling warm, rather than a little bit chilled. The scent of chocolate, toast, butter as well as a freshly caught rabbit wafted invitingly and caused his stomach to rumble hungrily. The more subtle scent of tea was just as welcome and as he straightened and blinked the sleep from his eyes, Haytham noticed several things at once:

Someone had moved the stack of papers he had been working on, replacing them with a pillow (which was rather thoughtful, as very occasionally he would drool a little in his sleep). Someone (likely the same person) had wrapped a blanket around him (how had he not woken up when whoever it was did that? It was equal parts disconcerting and heartwarming) as well as stoked the fire to keep the creeping winter chill from entering his study… And someone had made and brought up one of his most favorite breakfasts. Haytham blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out who was daring enough among his inner circle to do this much, before it hit him.

It was none of them, but rather… Connor! His son had been incredibly diligent and kind, while he had buried himself in his work, preparing for what was to come… And Haytham knew that he needed to warn Connor so that the Master Assassin would be able to warn his Brotherhood so that they would be able to monitor the incoming Templar Agents, whilst staying out of their sight.

He had been drawn far too deeply into what the English, French, Spanish and Prussian Templar Rites were asking of them. Official Notices that each of them were sending several high ranking Agents from each Rite was coming to the colonies in order to share crucial information that could not be sent by letter, even encoded, lest it fall into the wrong hands (among other notices). It was much more likely that these Agents were going to try and meddle in affairs that they had no business meddling in… and it was possible that one or more of them might be sent to assassinate him so that their Rite could lay claim to the colonies – or try to influence his Templars in what they would assume was a power vacuum.

Haytham shook himself mentally as he reached for the plate, starting to eat, eyes closing as a small smile appeared on his face. Despite the fact that Connor had likely never made the meal before in his life, he had made it perfectly. The balance of flavors was correct, and a pleased hum rumbled in Haytham's chest as he ate the rest of his breakfast, heart filling with an unexpected amount of joy and love as he could almost taste the amount of care and attention to detail that Connor had put into every aspect of the meal… With a start, Haytham also realized that he had not wandered down to make himself something to eat – nor a single cup of tea since the start of this nonsense. Yet he was nowhere near as ravenously hungry as he should have been, given that he had focused single-mindedly on the tasks of warning his people of what to expect as well as politely responding to the other factions of the Templar Order, despite wanting to tell them to stop sticking their noses where they were not wanted and leave him be.

Haytham realized that Connor had been quite patiently waiting all week for an explanation of some kind while he had been dealing with the information that this irritating series of future events. During that time, his son had made sure that Haytham had everything he needed – including space and quiet – to deal with this issue, despite knowing little to nothing. Connor might have gone through his papers whilst Haytham was asleep, but he was fairly certain that Connor had not done so. For one thing, he would likely be slinking around guiltily or trying to strategize with him – or more likely his Assassins – on the incoming powerful, foreign Templar Agents. Another was that though he would do his best to try, it was unlikely that Connor would be able to put his papers back in the exact order that Haytham had placed them into, particularly at night with only flickering flames to assist him.

After he brought down and washed the dishes, Haytham searched for his son, determined to speak with the other – not only to thank him for bringing up food, ink and parchment (as well as making sure that the fire in his study was burning well, despite the other's understandable distaste for open flame), but to apologize for so completely ignoring him and all of Connor's efforts whilst he himself had been absorbed in his work. Haytham was going to tell the other what they were going to face – and the probable true tasks of who was coming, as well as the temperaments of the Agents. He knew several of them by reputation and Connor's recruits would need to stay clear of the major cities whilst a couple of them were here – those Agents enjoyed hunting and tormenting Assassins.

Haytham had bought the land and steadfastly refused to develop it further than the house that he had built for him, and while he did make sure that the trees did not hang over the properties of his neighbors, he did nothing else with it, other than to make sure that the plants (and the rabbits that lived there) were healthy. He did occasionally get complaints from his well-to-do neighbors, but he did not care. He did occasionally try to climb trees in the yard and while he was relatively unsuccessful, he found the open air and wild space grounding. Even though he knew that it was still in New York, the illusion was very thorough. It helped to clear his mind and ground him when the noise and bustle and press of people in the city proved too much for him.

He searched and found his son leaping from branch to branch with an ease and grace that the Templar quietly marveled at, smiling softly at the fact that the younger man genuinely seemed to enjoy the area."Having fun, Connor?" He called out, if the other was unaware of his presence.

"Yes I am, father." Connor responded, a small smile appearing on his face as he shifted on the branch he was balanced on so that he could look down at Haytham. In three swift movements, Connor was on the ground and walking towards his father. He was glad that he had put on a bit more clothing - not only was it a bit cold outside, but Haytham would have fussed at his state of undress. Honestly, it was not as though he was completely naked… Then again Colonial people seemed to enjoy putting on as many layers of clothing as they could physically stand for some reason that Connor did not want to understand. "I was going to try and pry you from your study, if you did not come out from there on your own today." He searched the other's face for any hint of what was going on - or that whatever it was had ended.

"The fresh air is starting to do me some good - and thank you. For the food and tea for the past few days, as well as making sure I had all of the ink and parchment I needed. Thank you for patiently waiting for me, and for not being irritated that I… More or less entirely ignored all of your conscientious and caring efforts to keep me from collapsing because of my own bad habits." Haytham answered, voice warm and genuinely grateful as he moved towards Connor. He reached towards the other, hesitating a little, as he knew that Connor was touch shy, and while he did not seem to mind being touched by Haytham, he still wanted to make sure that Connor wanted the touch before doing so.

Connor moved into the touch, the smile on his face broadening a little as he allowed Haytham to cup one of his cheeks, lightly pressing one of his hands over the one of Haytham's that was touching his face. "You are welcome, Haytham. I guessed that you were working on something important, for you to be so completely absorbed by whatever it was… If there is anything I can do to assist you, within reason of course, please tell me and I will do my best to see it done."

Haytham thought about how he was going to tell the other – he had been since he had started to search for Connor in their home. Carefully, he chose his words and explained "Due to the fact that the patriots have recently won a decisive battle, both the French and Spanish Empires have decided to send more aid to them in order to further irritate the British. Templar Agents from both the Spanish and French Rites –as well a couple from the Prussian and British Rites are coming -" Haytham paused for a couple of moments, allowing the other to begin processing the information before continuing " -on paper they are coming to assist the Colonial Rite during this tumultuous transition. What their full intentions are and whether or not they in the slightest bit align with what we are trying to accomplish is… Uncertain. They will be coming aboard what will be flying colors of merchant ships, holding a mixture of arms, food and other necessary supplies to aid the Patriot cause… All except for the British Rite's agents, who will be coming with a complement of red coat soldiers."

Connor listened very carefully to what the other was telling him, the loving smile fading from his face as the potentially catastrophic future situation was fully revealed to him. A frown furrowed his brows and he found that his grip on Haytham's hands (as the other had stopped touching his face as he explained what was happening) was tightening as he asked lowly "I am guessing that so far you have been unable to convince them to leave us alone? The Brotherhood is weak here, and the Templar Order that you command has influence on both sides of the war… Is it because they feel that they might benefit more directly if they try to interfere themselves, rather than allying with you? Or is that one of the reasons why they are coming… To offer at least the illusion of aid and resources not just to you, but to the Patriots as well in exchange for favors and promises?"

Haytham answered as honestly as he could "I have been unable to convince them, but as sending correspondence takes weeks at a time between continents – and that is if the birds manage to make it through the weather, or the ships do not sink in the crossing of the Atlantic, I am uncertain as to whether or not the grandmasters of those orders will change their minds to something that would be more favorable for us once they read my letters or not… and if they will receive the information in time to recall their Agents from whatever tasks they have been ordered to complete. As far as I can tell, the letters that I was sent mean that the Templar Agents have not yet boarded the ships, as part of the letters were those of introduction and recommendation. Additionally, I have been corresponding with my people, and as far as they can tell, none of the named Templar Agents have landed in the English Colonies, which means either that they landed in the northern or southern colonies… Or in the slightly less likely event, they are waiting for my response before sending their Agents over if I sent a positive response, which I did not."

Connor slowly let go of his father's hands, in favor of bringing his own up to his chest, one forming a fist as the other massaged the back of the clenched hand. It was a nervous tick, but one that he unable to break, no matter what he tried. "I see… Do you think it is likely that they will be willing to leave your Rite be when they get your letters? Or is it that they will claim that they were unable to order their agents back in time so that they can complete whatever missions they have hear, whilst their leaders claim that they no longer have much, if any, responsibility over their Agents actions? I will warn my recruits about the foreign Templars… Do any of them have a particular… Vice, I believe it is called? A weakness that can be used to keep them from harming the tentative balance we have here? If you can tell me without my having to be inducted into the Templar Order?"

"Germain is a very dangerous man – he… It is suspected that he is a Sage. In addition he is firmly entrenched in the belief that Assassins must either be completely and utterly obliterated… Or broken and shattered before being molded into useful pawns for the Templars." Haytham answered with a grimace and a small shudder, trying desperately to not think about what would happen if any of the highly manipulative Templar Agents that he knew were "And he is the most reasonable of the six of them who are coming… And I use the term as loosely as possible. I would recommend having your less skilled recruits go to the main base and stay there until they leave as… If those Agents get their hands on any of them… I will not be able to get that recruit away from them without informing them of our truce and with how new it is and the… Hard headedness of that particular set it would not likely end in anything but a lot of blood and pain."

Connor's fidgeting was getting much, much worse. An anxious expression appeared on his face as he struggled to figure out how to react to that, and subconsciously moved closer to his father. His eyes widened a little as he stuttered anxiously "A-Are you certain that this G-Germain is a Sage? Does he know that you have second sight? I will warn them of course, but a few of them are local leaders in the parts of town that they live in… Additionally they are good at blending in, and no one apart from myself and the other fellow Assassins know… I will warn them to keep a low profile and the others will be recalled to the main base, as it will be safer for them. Do you have to deal with all of them directly? Or can you have the others of your inner circle speak with them, citing that you are busy dealing with something else? Particularly since if Germain finds out he… He could –" Connor was unable to continue speaking, eyes wide as he tried not to panic. Panicking would do no good whatsoever and they needed to come up with a viable plan. Like sinking the ship the Sage was on so that he did not reach the colonies.

"Easy… Easy, Connor. I will not let him break me, and as I am viewed as an ally, it is vanishingly unlikely that he will not use his most destructive abilities on me. Besides, without a Piece of Eden, Sages only have flashes of memories from other Sages, and the increased healing ability and strength that we do." Haytham soothed, cautiously approaching his lover, understanding the other's fears and worries over what might happen. He pulled Connor into a comforting hug, and murmuring lovingly "I… Would prefer it if you did stay close to me, while they are here. None of them have second sight, and so long as you stay out of your uniform, it is unlikely that they will find out." While it might be safer for Connor to go with his recruits into hiding… Haytham did not want him to be far during this trying time and it would be selfish of him to ask that of Connor. Besides with the small bit of forewarning that staying close should provide Connor, the Mentor Assassin should be able to keep his people out of the hands of the incoming Agents.

"Have… Have the messengers to the other Templar Rites left yet? I find it a bit… Oddly timed that four different divisions of the Templar Order reached out to inform you and the news came all at once, as the countries they are primarily trying to affect are not all in the same place. Unless they coordinated with one another and sent their messages all with the same courier? That sounds… Very risky to me." Connor pointed out, the concerned frown deepening on his face. "If not all of the couriers have left, The Aquila is capable of trans-Atlantic travel. I would not mind taking one of them to the port city they need to be and wait for them to have a response and take the messenger back. I would also make sure to do some investigating while I was there, to see if I could find out what they might be trying to hide from you."

"That is a tempting offer, Connor and I have secured trusted ships for the messengers – except for the one who has information for the English Order… It is very suspicious to get such a coordinated response, as though the different Orders do have some contact with one another, it is extremely rare for this much all at once, particularly during a time of war. IN addition to that, this colony – and unless the Patriots actually manage to break away successfully from the British Empire, it is still a colony – I an agricultural colony and not one of the largest in that regard, either. Unless they think I or my order possesses something of great value to them… This much attention is… Disconcerting to say the least." Haytham replied. The thought of Connor making what could be an incredibly harrowing journey was not something that Haytham wanted to entertain. Connor also made a very good point about trying to investigate what might really being going on. Haytham had considered sending some of his own men to do just that, but many of his best infiltration Agents were busy gathering information on what the Patriots or what the British forces were planning and doing.

"… Is there something of great value that your order possesses, that they might want to take away from you?" Connor asked, knowing that he must check (and hope that his father would tell him the truth) as the Mentor of the Colonial Brotherhood. Whether or not the Grandmaster would tell him, depended entirely on what the nature of whatever it was… But Connor hoped that he had proven himself trustworthy – and that Haytham trusted in their truce well enough to divulge the information.

"Nothing comes to mind, apart from you Connor." Haytham answered honestly, "the Amulet has no destructive powers, and seems only to be a trinket from Those Who Came Before. The Colonial Order has no other Pieces of Eden they are entirely too destructive and madness-inducing in those who try to use them."

Connor blushed a little and stammered, "Wh-what do you mean by me, Haytham? What value would a master assassin held for them? I would not ally myself with Strange Templars, nor would I welcome them with open arms and a smile."

"The fact that you are willing to reach out in the name of peace, rather than trying to destroy every Templar you find makes you someone they have never encountered. Although how they might have found out about our truce-if they have is a mystery. They might be after you, as for a period of ten years, there were no active Assassins in the new World, due to… certain things Achilles would know why, if he has not seen fit to tell you, ask him." Haytham answered honestly," I could tell you, but how much you would believe me… I do not know. I will say this- the Brotherhood you run and the Brotherhood that had been destroyed a decade ago was very different."

"I… I see, the Old Man never did tell me why there were so few Assassins in the Colonies. There were those who knew of the Brotherhood, and from what Achilles said, there had once been a thriving Chapter here, before… before a cataclysmic event happened along with you. You were heavily involved in the destruction of the previous colonial brotherhood. Achillies does not like thinking about the past." Connor responded, fidgeting uncomfortably with his hands. The curt and almost harsh response he'd gotten from Achilles was not something he wanted to go through again."It is possible they may try to hunt down myself and the other, to kill or interrogate them in the name of the Templar Order and for the sake of aiding you?"

"Yes, and given that –if their stances still hold to what I have heard of them… even if I were to reveal that we are allied, they would demand something unreasonable of you-or one of your recruits to prove to them that this was not some elaborate Assassin plot of some kind." Haytham answered honestly, shoulders dropping little, "Still, even if we are unlucky, we do have a few weeks to prepare for their arrival and I have been inside and not moving around much for entirely too long. I would be delighted if you joined me as I get a few tasks done throughout the city."

I would be delighted to join you, but I will be wandering off from time to time to spread this news to those who need to know."Connor answered with a small but happy smile appearing on face. Despite the upcoming ordeals, Connor remained hopeful. After all, when the two of them worked together, they were able to accomplish many things."You mentioned earlier that you wanted me to stay close while the foreign Templar Agents did their missions here, yes? I would like to stay here, by your side while they are here… At least as much as I am able to, but how are you going to explain my presence at your side?" If those Templars were as untrusting as Achilles was about Templars- and from what Haytham had said, Connor's assumption was probably correct, then telling them the truth would be as risky as trying to hurt a bear cub while the mother bear watched. Connor knew that he was not a skilled liar, and trying to prevaricate about something so fundamental to what he was off-hand and without preparation would not end in anything less than disaster.

"We will tell them part of the truth. You are my-" Mine. Connor was his…and (though he did not wish to admit it) he was Connor's in turn. "- son, and a mercenary Captain of a ship. The ship's yours, and as the fleet commander is away on a mission, you report directly to me on such things. You have aided the Colonial Templar Order numerous times including the recent hunting of the traitor Benjamin Church. You do not wear a ring as your first mate used to be an Assassin-aligned sailor and you do not wish to antagonize him directly. He is a highly skilled sailor, so we do not wish to lose his service. As for your hidden blades, should they be spotted…" Haytham paused to come up with something.

"You kept a spare set from the purge? And trained me how to use them telling them the truth would be as risky as harming a bear cub from a mother bear. They are highly useful and effective weapons to use?" Connor offered quietly. How will they were able to fool them depended on keeping the story straight… the lies were necessary and there was no reason at all to feel even the least bit guilty. It was to protect the others… so why was there a tense knot forming in the bit of his stomach?

"That sounds logical." Haytham hummed contemplatively as he tried not to imagine Connor in a Templar uniform…" you would have to either wear your captain's uniforms to the meetings…or in more form any Templars-only events you will…in order to maintain cover… It would be strange if you did not…" Haytham murmured gently prodding Connor towards what had to be done. He was speaking more tentatively as Haytham was uncertain as to how Connor would take to having to potentially wear a Templar uniform.

"…I will need to be in a Templar uniform…In order to sell the role, I have worn far more irritating things and the reactions of your inner circle will be entertaining to say the least." Connor answered, a hint of mischief in his voice.

A small smile appeared on Haytham's face as he nodded "Yes, it will be. I will tell them before they see you, however. So they do not react oddly in the eyes of our potential unwanted visitors."