Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Assassin's Creed or anything associated with the series. I do, however, own Evelina, Adriano, Lucio, Elisabetta and any other characters you don't recognize from the series.

Author Notes: Here we are with another chapter!

Thanks to Anna Cahil for the review! And, of course, to those of you reading the story (and have made it this far)!

Destini Intrecciati

Claudia was standing by the door as he came trudging down the stairs with a dark cloak trailing behind him. He let a sigh loose from his lips as he noticed her confused expression.

"Leaving so soon, Adriano? I thought you were to heed my words." Her tone was stern and her look pointed.

Adriano held a hand up in surrender. "One of the Courtesans from the new Assassin hideout found me. Claims she heard rumors…?"

Claudia nodded. "I can't keep all of my girls quiet. I'm truly sorry."

"It's fine. Thank you for everything. But I must leave now, should they find me… I wish not to know…" The Agile moved his gaze to the vase of roses placed carefully on a cloth doily laid on a table near the door.

Claudia laid a hand on his shoulder, turning his attention back to her. "I understand. Be careful and have haste. Safety and peace, Adriano."

Adriano stood pondering her words for a moment before nodding and brushing past her to open the door.

"Oh and ragazzo!"

Adriano turned his head to the owner of the brothel, the one who saved his life.

"Antico. Try the Antico District. Small village in the hills, or so I've heard. Very nice this time of year." She smirked as the young man nodded in thanks.

He opened the door and stepped out, flipping the black hood over his head. He looked back at Claudia and, with slight hesitation, bid her good bye. "Safety and peace be upon you as well, Signora Auditore."

Adriano closed the door behind him and made his way through the early morning air to the stables. Mounting the charcoal mare, he directed all thoughts to what could possibly be worth visiting in the Antico District.

He threw his sword to her and she caught it with ease. He looked back at her, waiting for her move to walk with him back to the Guild. But she shook her head.

"Don't wait up for me, Lucio. I'll be on my way soon. You head back before my father catches you outside your quarters," she directed him, turning her gaze back to the sun rising over the treetops.

The young man bowed his head slightly to his instructor and made his way back to the inn.

Evelina had taught him much that evening. He was already an adequate fighter, a survivor. But she needed him to be more than that. You can be a survivor in a fight, but you must be a killer in a war.

They were not murders, the Assassins. The Assassins were not purifiers, cleansing the Earth of evil. They knew the Earth would never be purged of evil. They merely wanted to accept the lesser of two evils and, in doing so, protect the innocent. However, this duty did not come without blood. The Templars were trying to control the world and make it a place of peace. But what exactly was 'peace'? The most one can claim peace to be is life without conflict. And, to the Assassins, there would be no such thing as long as freewill existed.

So the Assassins were not murders. They preserved freewill, protected the people, and eliminated the more devastating of two evils.

This is all the peace one could ask for.

Evelina had been taught this through both her teachers and her experiences. She had been taught to hate all that corrupted and all that destroyed innocence. It almost came naturally to her. Perhaps it was because she destroyed her own innocence to fight alongside those who never had experienced such a lifestyle. Maybe it was hereditary. Maybe it was her father's influence. Maybe it was the fact she never saw her brother.

Maybe Evelina was just an Assassin.

That was really the only answer she could comprehend.

The girl stared out at the rising sun, almost above the tree line. It glowed with a warm and sweet vermillion. It was almost terrifying how wonderful the light felt upon her skin. She let it run through her, like a dozen fluttering butterflies. Her fingers tingled as she touched them to her cheek.

"Magico…" she whispered to herself closing her eyes.

When she opened them, she spotted a cloaked figure riding across the fields in the distance. It slowed when passing under the sun, then quickly galloped away.

Strange, she thought. That was all she had time to think before another familiar horse came riding up with its rider screaming her name.

"There is no need to yell, Elisabetta. Per favore. Get down and tell me why you are so frantic."

Her face was white with fear as she stammered through her words, gasping for air between phrases, "It-..it's him…Evelina…the-…the boy…Templar…"

"What Templar? Breathe, amica," she ordered, placing a hand on the exhausted Courtesan.

Her bloodshot eyes locked onto Evelina's. "The Templar- Lucio's friend…he's alive, Evelina."

The Assassin's eyes widened and her face grew hot. "H-..how?"

The Courtesan shook her head sadly. "I don't know. He was staying at the Rosa in Fiore but I doubt that's where he is now… he terrified me, Evelina."

Her expression changed from shock to anger. "He did not harm you did he?" she questioned, looking at her friend for any sign of injury.

"No. But he asked where the new hideout was. He might be coming to get us, Signorina! What if he wants revenge? I am frightened for you!" Her hands began to shake and her lips quivered as she spoke, muttering more unnerving things under her breath.

Evelina grabbed her shoulders and shook her back to reality. "Look, I need you to go back to your room, wash up, and try to calm down. I will take care of everything. He will not harm anyone, I promise. But I must ask you not to tell my father or anyone else. We do not know of his intentions yet."

"Yes we do! He intends to kill you!"

"Did he say that?"

"No, but-…"

"But nothing, Elisabetta. Go to your room and wash up. You are quite filthy and smell almost as bad as your horse. I will take care of things. Send some Thieves over to the Rosa in Fiore, set some more guards around the inn… you'll see. Everything will be fine," she reassured her friend.

Elisabetta nodded. "Va bene. But be careful, Evelina. I mean it!"

"Always, my friend," she said, turning her towards her the Guild. With a push, she said, "Safety and peace."

"Yes…safety and peace…" Elisabetta mumbled before spinning around. "But what about my-…"

Evelina rode off towards the sun, in search of the cloaked figure. Such a strange incident was not easily forgotten and would not be left to the back of her mind. Something was different about that…whatever it was… and she believed it to be connected to the man she had 'killed'.

With her braid flying in the wind behind her, she galloped off into the blinding sun beyond the horizon.

Adriano dismounted the mare, patting its head lightly- a sign of gratitude. The horse neighed delightfully and paced over to the stream and gulped down as much water as it could. The Agile set his few belongings on a boulder nearby: a pouch of medicine, a bag of bread and dried fruits, and some extra bandages. He stepped upstream and kneeled down, pulling down his hood and splashing the cool water on his face. It was clear and fresh and made Adriano feel renewed and rejuvenated. He cupped some in his hands and sipped it carefully, taking in its healing powers. When he had had enough to drink, he sighed and gazed down at his reflection in the stream.

His hair hung dripping in his face, sticking to his sharp jaw line. His dark eyes stared back at him through the water. They knew much pain and confusion. His lips were curved in a stern frown that had taken over his face since he joined the Templars in their attempt to 'spread God's peace', and had not left even after his disappearance- or rather 'departure'.

Adriano took the ribbon from his hair and brushed it back again, tying it as neatly as he could. Not like it mattered. Strands of auburn still hung in his face, but it was enough to keep it out of view when fighting- if he needed to.

The Agile stood and walked over to his horse, relaxing underneath the shade of the woods. He smiled and stroked its head before moving over to the boulder with his supplies. Pulling off his cloak and unbuttoning his shirt, he noticed his bandage coming undone. He opened the pouch with his medicine and pulled out a vile and some bandages. Carefully unwrapping the old gauze, he applied some of liquid in the vile to his three wounds. He clenched his teeth at the stinging sensation but proceeded to wrap his torso with the fresh gauze. The wounds were healing nicely, but were sure to leave nasty scars.

Once he finished, he put the supplies back into the pouch and laid it back on the boulder. He pulled his shirt back on, leaving it unbuttoned, and sat himself on the leaves. Adriano let a quiet sigh escape his lips as he leaned back against the boulder, staring at the canopy of green above him- finally able to relax.

Evelina stood behind the trunk of a large tree, shadowed by the forest. She moved quickly through the woods, silent and prepared for anything.

Anything but this.

There, laying against a large rock, was the man she killed. It was clear that he was alive, as Evelina had just watched him bandage himself in utter disbelief. What could she do? Kill him again? Finish what she started? No, that was a bad idea. So what if he was alive? No one knew it… maybe it could just stay that way.

But what if Elisabetta's fear was real? What if he was coming to kill her? What if he was still tied to the Templars? It was not something worth risking. She had to dispose of him somehow…

The Assassin moved silently, positioning herself slightly behind the young Agile by the boulders. She secured Lucio's sword in her belt and pulled her own from it, fingering the tip of the blade. With caution, she stepped forward towards the Templar, sword held at arms length.

Suddenly, a branch snapped beneath her foot and the Agile awoke from his relaxed state, jumping up to find the Assassin- her sword caressing his neck.

"Evelina?"

The Assassin was taken aback. "How do you know my name?"

The Templar, still quite alarmed from being jumped, shook himself out of shock. "The Templars have spies, I suppose. You are the daughter of the Master Assassin. You are very well known, whether you enjoy the fame or not," the Agile informed.

Evelina stared him down, squinting as the sun beamed in her eyes. "How are you alive, Templar? I killed you…"

Adriano slowly motioned to his exposed chest, bandaged and bruised. "It seems your aim needs work, thankfully." Evelina could've sworn she saw him smile at this.

"I see," she said, moving her gaze from his wounds to his face. She pressed her blade firmly against his neck, enough so he felt it but could not bleed. "Why were you taking residence at the Rosa in Fiore?"

"There is no need to be so violent, Signorina-…"

"I asked you a question, Templar, and I expect an answer."

Adriano looked around uneasily. "I don't know… they just…saved me…"

"Saved you?" She spat the words as though they were poisoned. "Speak sense! Hora!"

"Maybe if you let your sword down from my neck, I could provide you with a better explanation?"

Evelina was fuming. Men did as she told them, not the other way around. Perhaps it would've been better to kill him. But there was no getting anything out of him until he was, at the very least, slightly comfortable.

Fire in her eyes, she let down her sword, keeping it still tightly grasped in her hand. "Speak, parasite. But if you move an inch, I swear, your beloved God will have you."

Adriano gave a small bow in thanks. Her words were strong and her stance was threatening, and strangely enough, he admired her for this. Strangely enough, the fact this girl had almost killed him did not affect him. Strangely enough, she was still the beautiful girl he visited in the night, so many moons ago- or so it seemed.

His feelings could not get in the way of his life, however. So he held them back, and continued to stare at the Assassin in secret admiration behind a calm expression twisted with a fraction of amusement.

"I awoke in the brothel and was informed that the owner, Claudia, and one of her Courtesans had brought me there. I had been recuperating there by Claudia's request…or order, rather." He scratched his head trying to remember. "She told me she trusted me. But then a girl…Elisabetta, I believe, broke into my room. She stammered through her words-… I had no idea who she was until she was scared into speaking."

"Scared by you, no doubt," Evelina interrupted.

Adriano sighed. "You interrupted my story, Signorina, giving me no chance to explain."

The Assassin scowled, but stayed quiet.

Adriano started again. "She was from where you and your recruits are holding up- or so she implied. I merely asked her not to tell you of my existence. Then she rushed off, and I knew she was going to inform you of her findings. So I left." He motioned to the forest around them. "And now… here we are."

The Assassin nodded. "And you expect me to believe your tale?"

"Yes. I do."

Evelina turned to the side, just in time for Adriano to swipe the other sword from her belt.

"Bastardo!" She whipped her sword around to meet his…well, hers.

Adriano smirked. "Never keep a weapon in a loose belt, bella."

The Agile could see her grit her teeth in rage. "Stand down or I'll finish you for good this time."

He knew she could, but all the same, he could not lay the blade on the ground and surrender. It wasn't him anymore. He had almost died and that was painful enough.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Evelina. You've destroyed me once and I can't let that happen again. I will not harm you, but I wish to protect myself from anymore for your fiery wrath. After all, I am the injured one. Do you sincerely wish to kill me again?"

He saw a small glimmer of what he thought was guilt in her eyes. She stepped back, holding her sword in the air with her other hand. She placed the weapon on the ground beside her, and Adriano followed suit. She moved her weight to balance on both feet, balling her hands into fists and holding them at the ready.

"Then we'll settle this like men. Iniziamo!"

Ragazzo- Boy/Young man

Magico- Magic

Va bene- Okay

Iniziamo!- Let's go!/Bring it on!