His father had been invited to several of these events in Paris by the French Grandmaster – one Francois de la Serre – in order to renew ties of friendship and camaraderie between the two branches of the Order. Or at least… That was what the letter had said, and so far, that was what it had proved to be. There had been allusions to Germain mentioning Connor to de la Serre as the charming young man who had been such a kind and considerate host while Haytham had taken ill. It had been implied in the letter that the Grandmaster – and by extension several of the other members of the French inner circle were very much wishing to meet Connor, and would Haytham please kindly consider bringing the lad along?
His beloved had initially tried to get out of it, citing that with the volatility of the region, it would be unwise for him to be so far away from the British Colonies, as the war between the Patriots and the British could change on a day to day basis, and that it would be irresponsible of him to leave while the Templars may be able to influence the outcomes of what was going on for the betterment of the Order, and the promotion of peace and prosperity for all. Unfortunately de la Serre had countered that his branch of the Order did have rather considerable influence over some of the nobility within France, and that they would be able to get them to send over ammunition and other supplies necessary for the Patriots to win the war, as the British Colonial Templars favored the Patriots over the British, as the former would be easier to influence than the latter.
Haytham had been backed into a corner at that one, as if he did refuse, it was likely that the French Rite would respond by influencing the French nobility against assisting the Patriots. So he had agreed to go, and to bring Connor along with him. After Haytham had agreed to attend, the both of them had been preparing to leave. Haytham had been able to ensure that Connor did not have to attend all of the meetings. While that would mean that Connor would not gather as much information about the activities of the French Rite, it meant that he was able to evade some of the scrutiny that he would doubtlessly be under. For Connor, the hardest part of that was trying to convince his recruits to not follow him to France. But he had managed to get them to realize that if they left, the remaining Templars would be able to do as they pleased without any of them able to potentially stop them or alter what they were doing for a more balanced approach with any degree of speed or effectiveness.
They would be taking The Morrigan, as the crew was experienced in crossing the Atlantic. Additionally, The Morrigan was the flagship of the British Colonial fleet, and it would be strange if Haytham, as the Grandmaster, did not arrive in France aboard The Morrigan unless Shay and his ship had been assigned elsewhere. As Shay had recently arrived back in the British Colonies, and both Cormac and his father had vanished for a couple of days before coming back, with the final letter from Grandmaster de la Serre – whose wife had been one of the French Templars who had visited them earlier in the year. Connor had spoken briefly with Faulkner about possibly taking his father aboard The Aquila to France. But his first mate had been dead set against it, citing the fact that the last time his father had been aboard The Aquila, he had rammed her into the Welcome because he had lost his patience. Faulkner had pointed out that it was unwise for so many of the Colonial Brotherhood's few resources to be so far from home.
Thankfully, the trip to France had been an uneventful one. As Connor was a skilled sailor, he aided the crew of The Morrigan wherever Cormac wanted him to be. Once Shay had discovered that Connor loved the sea and sailing as well, the two of them started to get along better. Connor had been cautious while aboard the Templar flagship, wary of being pressed for information about the Brotherhood in a place where refusal to answer could mean his death. However, as none of the Templar sailors asked him anything of the Brotherhood, Connor found that he liked Shay – he was intelligent and insightful as well as kind when he was allowed to be. Gist was a bit harder for Connor to read. Gist stuck close to Haytham to ensure that he did not try to help. Connor and Shay spoke about different tactics when dealing with various kinds of weather and enemy ships… As well as occasionally trading stories about sailing with Haytham and how profoundly dangerous it could be when the Grandmaster became impatient.
"We are to wait aboard The Morrigan until our escort arrives. Paris is a large city that contains many hidden dangers." Haytham said, going through the last letter he had received from the French Grandmaster. "You, Connor and myself will be taken to our host's home. Gist is invited as well, but I suspect that one of the two of you would like to stay and tend to the ship and your crew."
"Joyous news, sir. Will Gist be joining us after she and our crew have been tended to or will he be allowed to wander as he wills?" Shay asked, a touch of sarcasm in his voice. He had not been looking forwards to this. The subtle mind games and political power plays were annoying to deal with as well as treacherous to handle with any degree of success. Then again, it was going to be very entertaining to watch Connor handle all of that. Especially once the knowledge of the lad being Master Kenway's son spread. If they did not already know from de la Serre's wife, Lafreniere or Germain.
"It has been requested that Gist joins us once the affairs of The Morrigan and her crew are in order. Unless of course – and I am quoting the letter "Cormac feels as though his crew will cause trouble if left without the guidance of either his first mate or himself, given that some of his crew are former pirates." It mentions more about the effectiveness of your crew in battle possibly translating to mischief when on land." Haytham responded, amused.
An indignant look crossed Shay's face at the unsubtle jab at the discipline of his crew. "They are well behaved! A little bit of mischief on land after being at sea for extended periods of time is to be expected. It is not as though they break the law." Cormac continued to grumble under his breath for several minutes, still scowling.
"Is that our escort, or trouble?" Connor asked a little while later, having spotted several well dressed people. They had just stepped out of a carriage that had stopped near the docks and appeared to be heading towards them. The trio shone red in Connor's second sight, but that did not necessarily mean they were Templars.
Both his father and Shay turned in the direction that Connor was looking. "Could be either one." Shay remarked, shrugging little "I cannot rightly tell at the moment, though I'm leaning towards both, as they are heading directly towards us."
A second carriage came and parked close to the first one, and another couple of people joined the group of wealthy looking individuals. The apparent leader of the group stepped away from the other four, calling up at them "May I speak with the captain of The Morrigan?" The half-shout was in heavily accented English.
"Aye, you are speaking with him, who is it that wants to speak with me?" Shay responded, not recognizing any of the people assembled in front of him. They were going to have to correctly answer all of the code phrases before any of the three of them were leaving The Morrigan. Not that it was likely that even the the three of them currently there, along with the two just arriving could best one of them in a fight, much less all three of them, but Shay would rather not risk the trouble and possible time in recovery in case they did get a lucky blow or two in, as what had happened to the Grandmaster several months ago.
"You, as well as Master Kenway and his son Connor have been cordially invited to stay at the home of Master De La Serre for the duration of your stay in our beautiful city. I have a sealed letter from Master De La Serre for each of you to read, Captain Cormac." The person called up, removing a small leather bag and holding it out for one of them to take, at the full extension of his arm's reach as he waited with some nervousness.
The messengers waited with nervous anticipation as the three of them read their letters. With the negotiations underway, it was unwise for Haytham to be out and about, as the more extreme elements of both sides were very vocally unhappy with how the treaty was being created. It was imperative that they were able to get the tacit approval or at least agreement to leave France and to not actively go after French Assassins from the other Grandmasters and to ensure that they would instruct their people – particularly those who had such prolific Assassin Hunters such as Cormac – so that their truce would have a chance at working. They needed to make sure that they had the agreement from Kenway before Germain was able to try and turn the Colonial Rite to his side as they had proven to be very effective at destroying chapters of the Brotherhood of Assassins.
Connor's letter was a cheerful greeting from Julie de la Serre, wherein she mentioned a couple of things that had happened when the two of them had been alone together, to prove that the letter was from her, and that she would very much like to host him, his father and one of his father's oldest friends in her home, as they had been so generous with theirs almost a year ago. She named the names of the five messengers who were supposed to have the letters, as well as what they looked like. From what Connor could tell, this was her handwriting, and the descriptions of those men matched with the four Templars closely. Just to check he asked neutrally, as he noted that they were nervous. "What are your names?" Whether they were nervous simply because his father was a terrifying person to those who did not know him well, or because they had intercepted this mission and were trying to sabotage it somehow was yet to be seen.
When the five possible Templars did not respond, Haytham leaned over the railing of The Morrigan, a frown appearing on his face as he stared at each of them in turn "I do suggest you answer his question. Unless you have forgotten your own names? Perhaps we could help you remember."
"Aye, if you have nothing to hide – or are truly those who we were meant to meet, come aboard The Morrigan and we can have a little chat." Shay added, a smirk appearing on his face as he stared each of the men down in turn. "Connor here is the nicest one of the three of us."
They stuttered out their names, correctly saying the names that were in Connor's, Haytham's and Shay's letters. The messengers did not seem the kind of nervous that those who were infiltrating and intercepting could be, but rather anxious in the manner that low-ranked Templars were when faced with superiors.
Haytham hummed a little before responding "You seem rather uncertain of your names, stuttering like that. Then again, perhaps it is because of who we are that makes you nervous? If you were sent by Grandmaster de la Serre answer me this; where is the river that flows through knowledge?"
Three of the messengers answered in unison "In the minds of those who understand the truth, and are guided by the father." The fifth answered slightly after the other three.
This satisfied both Shay and Haytham. It was probably a templar code, but Connor was still unconvinced as to the veracity of their statements. As he followed his father and Shay to the messengers, he searched through his mind, remembering a code phrase that Achilles had taught him to use when meeting a potential fellow Assassin under such circumstances as they walked towards the two carriages. He quietly tapped the messenger who answered slightly after the others, a short and thin man with graying hair and asked softly so that his words would not carry to the others "Hal 'ant tamshi mae aleaqidat?"
The messengers' eyes widened in utter surprise, staring at Connor for what felt like a long time. As they drew closer to the carriages the messenger nodded ever so slightly, answering back just as quietly "Nieima, wa'atir mae alnnasur. Greetings, brother. I suspect we have much to talk about."
"That we do, I suspect." Connor answered, voice still soft, making certain to not move his lips much.
His father had noted that the two of them were tarrying a little and sent them both an unimpressed stare. The both of them hurried a little to catch up with the rest of the group. "Is there a problem, Connor?"
"I had a question about how we were going to Master de la Serre's mansion, as even with two carriages, it is going to be rather cramped with the eight of us. It is a beautiful day outside, and I would rather not be trapped inside a carriage for an indeterminate length of time." The with complete strangers was implied. As Connor was assumed to be the most junior member of the Colonial Rite, he would be put in a separate carriage than Haytham and Shay, both to reduce the danger, should Assassins attack the carriages despite the truce, and to be politely pestered by the messengers away from his Grandmaster and Enforcer, where Connor might be pressured into giving away secrets of his Rite to the messengers. Or so they hoped. This was a contingency that his beloved had warned him of.
"I see. You don't know the way to his house, and Paris is far larger than any city you have ever been to Connor. I am concerned that you may get lost without a guide to this beautiful if occasionally chaotic place."
The French Assassin spoke up "I would be delighted to show Connor around Paris, Master Kenway. I will aid him in avoiding trouble while exploring some of our beautiful city. Is there a certain time that you would like Connor to Master de la Serre's mansion, sir?"
"I prefer him to be at de la Serre's mansion in no more than three hours' time as he would like to speak with Connor." Haytham answered, a small frown appearing on his face as he looked the both of them over. He knew that Connor disliked being in small, enclosed spaces with strangers, but potentially straying far from others without knowing somewhere that had a modicum of safety to return to was generally not something that Connor did. Perhaps the reason why Connor tarried with that specific messenger was why his beloved wanted more room to move.
"I will keep that in mind, sir." The French Assassin promised, nodding obediently.
Haytham nodded and they split into two groups – the Templars who went to the carriages, and the pair of Assassins who wandered further into the city.
A/N:
Hal 'ant tamshi mae aleaqidat? = Do you walk with the creed? In Arabic according to google translate
Nieima, wa'atir mae alnnasur. = Yes, and I fly with eagles in Arabic according to google translate
