I don't own anything from the Assassin's Creed franchise. All credits to Ubisoft and wherever else. :)
Hey guys, here is the next...long...installment of the story! I really hope you guys enjoy it. Umm, I don't have much to say for this but yeah! Pwease, if you feel so inclined, review it so I get some feedback on it and stuff. Also, you guys rock.
Chapter Five: Change of Plans
Trinity and Ezio had run into Ezio's live-in servant, Annetta, when they were just outside the Auditore palazzo. She was relieved to see that Ezio was okay, having not heard from him all day, though she was saddened by the news of the Auditore deaths. She then offered to take them to Ezio's sister and mother. He refused to travel with Annetta, fearing he would put her in too much danger because he and Trinity were wanted fugitives. So instead, Annetta gave them directions to the house and they said they would meet her there.
They had spent most of the night hiding from guards and the like. Because of that, neither of them slept, not that they had a safe place to do that anyways.
"Not that way, grullo," Trinity snapped, pulling on the back of Ezio's collar to stop him. They had been traveling along the roofs, having followed Annetta's route in a general manner. They had to be careful they didn't run into any archers guarding the roofs, though Trinity had already pushed one off and into the street to his death a little earlier.
Ezio pushed her hand off him forcefully, having enough of her calling him names, even minor ones. "Yes it is," he countered quickly. "Annetta said right, left, left, right, and at the end of the street, she'll be waiting by the door."
He couldn't tell what look she was giving him, since her hood shadowed her face and it was dark out. He, however, was giving her a hard gaze from beneath his own hood.
Trinity crossed her arms. "No," she replied in hard tone, "she said right, right, left, right and near the end of the street she'd be waiting…not at the end."
Ezio glowered underneath his hood and disagreed irritably.
Thus, they ended up spending the next six minutes arguing about who was right. Neither, both being incredibly stubborn, wanted to give in into the other, especially because of their past history with each other, having constantly been at each other's throats since children.
Trinity hadn't changed much in the last two years, Ezio realized. If anything, she was more obstinate than ever. It didn't matter what the situation was for him, it seemed, because she was still picking a fight with him, despite the fact that he just lost part of his family.
It wasn't that she was insensitive to his circumstances, but his insufferable pride was incredibly aggravating. She found him even more exasperating than before. That aside, her patience with anything, especially with him, was very thin. She hadn't much sleep, or anything to eat recently, and Ezio just being Ezio was instantly irritating her.
"I live here!" he cried. "I think I would know where I'm going!"
"Will you shut up?" she hissed angrily. "Or are you trying to get the entire Firenze guard on us?"
Ezio glanced around behind him to see if he had attracted any attention from the guards. There was one off in the distance, on a roof higher than theirs, but he was fairly sure that the archer's back was facing them. Behind Trinity, there were two other guards, further off; he assumed that they wouldn't bother them.
"I'm going this way," he said in a final tone. "You are more than welcome to follow me, I don't care."
With that, Ezio turned on his heel and practically strutted away. Trinity raised her hands and made a gesture with her hands as if she were going to strangle him. Her irritation with him was at an all time high as she followed after him.
You are lucky, Ezio Auditore, that I have to get you to Mario alive and in one piece, she thought darkly. She glared at the back of his head as they walked.
They ran into another guard, and Ezio disposed of him. Trinity would have done it herself, knowing it would have been a quicker endeavor but she let him do it…just to appease his over-inflated ego.
Of course, he had to show off with a somewhat flashy display of his masculinity. Trinity was neither impressed nor proud of him, and continued to walk along the roof without so much as a glance at him.
And needless to say, they were lost. They had wandered around for over ten minutes and finally, Ezio stopped to check the streets below them. She knew that he wouldn't have any pride to verbally say they were lost.
"Idiota!" growled Trinity. "We went the wrong way, just like I said."
Ezio let out an irritable noise and turned to her.
"It is not my fault that I did not remember what Annetta said!" shot Ezio crossly, clearly trying to defend his pride. "I don't know if you remember correctly, but I just watched my father and brothers die today! There is a lot weighing my mind-"
"Do not make the mistake in thinking that you are the only one who lost their family, Ezio!" she shouted furiously. He blinked, shocked by what she was implying.
"My entire family was slaughtered in front of me…" she continued harshly. "I watched them all die…and I could do nothing to save them. And yet even after that, four days later, I'm here in Firenze, rescuing your ass! I'm here, trying to save the rest of your family and get you back to Monterriggioni. How dare you suggest that your pain is greater than mine?"
She fell silent, internally seething. Trinity had so much anger…so much hatred pent up from watching her family die…and this was the first time she had an out to let her feelings go on. Trinity had no intention of losing her temper with Ezio, especially after what they've both experienced…but he had been asking for it. The last thing she had wanted was to start a fight with him.
Trinity turned away from and went to peer over the roof to see the street. She knew Ezio would say nothing of her outburst, even if he felt guilty or not. She wasn't about to say sorry…and her knowledge of him was large enough to know that he wouldn't dare say it either.
She quickly slinked across the strong, steel cables connecting two buildings to each other over the wide street, Ezio following behind her. She hadn't cared if he would follow her or not; Trinity figured that one of them would find Annetta sooner or later.
Once they were across to the next building, they scanned the new street below them. Ezio looked around to check for more archers, but luckily none were around or close enough to bother them.
"There," Trinity said, pointing.
He followed her hand and saw her pointing to a young woman standing outside a two-story building with maroon drapes hanging from the windows.
She didn't voice it, but Trinity recognized this building from her past visits to Florence. She had been here a few times with her father, for various reasons.
"That's Annetta," he confirmed. Trinity nodded and they descended to the street. Once on the floor, Trinity held out her hand, keeping Ezio into the shadows as a group of guards having come around the corner and passed by, avoiding walking civilians. Once they were out of sight, Trinity and Ezio stepped into the light.
When Annetta saw them, she sighed with relief. "Come, come," she said, ushering them into the building.
She opened the door and a flood of light hit them. Once Ezio's eyes adjusted, he knew exactly where he was.
A courtesan building.
Courtesans were everywhere, some attending to men, others standing and talking to each other. They were all in the characteristic courtesan outfits in varying colors.
Both Trinity and Ezio lowered their hoods as they entered, and immediately, many of the courtesans all looked over at Ezio. Some giggled, others even blushed, and still other women made a few seductive comments and/or expressions to him.
Trinity glanced at him, seeing him take it all in with a wry smile; she was fairly sure he winked at one of them too. She scoffed, disgusted with him.
"This is your sister's?" he asked, surprised.
Annetta laughed lightly but didn't reply to his question. "Wait here," she told them as they were in the middle of the room.
She went upstairs to go find Claudia and Ezio's mother, leaving Ezio to take in the attention and Trinity to irritably glare at him.
He turned to her. "What?" he asked, remnants of a sly smile on his face.
She rolled her eyes. "I didn't know it was possible for your ego to expand anymore than it already has," Trinity said, her arms crossed.
Ezio chuckled at this.
After a moment, he realized that this was the first time he had seen her face all day, since she had kept it shadowed with her hood since she had rescued him. She was prettier than he remembered…her striking blue eyes pierced into his while her black, long bangs fell across her face. The last time he saw her, she still had younger looking face, one of a child…but now, she had a more mature looking face.
She definitely was attractive…he couldn't deny it anymore.
"So, are you going to tell me why you're here?" he asked, not dropping his somewhat seductive gaze. "Or am I going to have to pry it out of you?"
She backed away, sickened by the look. "This is neither the time or place for that discussion," she replied definitely. "And I am not the typical woman, Ezio Auditore, that falls for your sly smile and flirtatious gaze. You do not charm me in any way, shape, or form."
Trinity was sort of appalled with this behavior, actually. She knew he was a womanizer…she had known that from the month she spent with the Auditore the last time she was in Florence. But to have just said good-bye to someone he loved, that Cristina girl, and then to turn around and flirt with the women in the courtesan building, as well as her…well, it was just sickening…especially since his family was dead too. Seducing anyone should be the last thing on his mind.
He chuckled but did not look put out.
Ezio's attention turned to a woman, coming out from behind a corner. She was older than the rest of the woman in the building, but she was perhaps the most beautiful, alongside Trinity. She was wearing a dark red dress, one that was low in cut, showing off her womanly assets. She had a small cloth, much like a hood, but not one that covered her face like Ezio's or Trinity's, and small beads around her head.
"Trinity!" the woman said with a smile, though she was surprised. She reached out to embrace her. Trinity returned the look, wrapping her arms around the woman. "My, how you have grown into a beautiful young woman since I last saw you."
"It's only been two years," Trinity replied with a short laugh. "I have not changed much."
The woman shook her head, though she was still smiling at her. "Well, you have gotten taller," she offered. "You're taller than I am now…. To be honest, I am surprised to see you here in Firenze. Usually, I'd be informed about it a few weeks prior to your arrival…. But tell me, my dear, how is your family? Your father has not written me in quite some time."
Trinity opened her mouth to reply but found the words caught within her throat. She automatically lowered her eyes, trying to hold back the rush of tears at the mention of her father. She pulled herself together easily enough, having been able to block out the visions from her mind for now.
Ezio, though he could only see the fall of Trinity's dark hair, could see the older woman look guilt ridden at the realization as to why Trinity had not answered her.
"They were…murdered…four days ago. No one survived," Trinity whispered. "My father helped me escape."
"My child," the woman in maroon whispered, taking Trinity's face into her hands. "Mi dispiace tanto (I am so sorry). I had no idea…. If there is anything I can do…"
Trinity attempted to smile at her. "Va tutto bene (It's okay.) There is nothing that can be done for them now. Only, I must finish what my father started…"
Ezio, being relatively confused as to what they were talking about and how Trinity knew this woman, cleared his throat to gain their attention. The two women turned to look at him, having forgotten he was there.
"How do you happen to know her?" asked Ezio to Trinity. His tone was leaning toward demanding.
Trinity decidedly ignored the tone and smirked. "You think your family was the only reason why we came to Firenze?" she replied, almost condescendingly. "My father had many dealings with people here."
Ezio narrowed her eyes but wasn't able to snap a reply back at her because the woman approached him. He looked at her, eyeing appreciatively, despite that she was older than him. At this, Trinity looked at him askance.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, messare Ezio," the woman said, noticeably looking him head to toe, as if sizing him up. "Annetta speaks quite highly of you…. I can see why."
Trinity snorted quietly to herself behind the woman, and though Ezio saw her incredulous face, he paid no attention to her. He obviously was pleased with himself with the way he was half smirking at the woman.
"I appreciate your kind words, madonna (madam)…?" he said.
"Ti prego (please), call me Paola," she replied.
Ezio lowered his head in respect to her. "Thank you for offering your home to my family, Paola," he said sincerely.
She smiled gently at him. "It was the least I could do," she said, before glancing back at Trinity. "You both must be exhausted. Perhaps you would like to-"
"No, grazie," he cut in, turning away from the two women. "I can't stay."
"Why?" asked Paola, confused. "Where are you going?"
He paused in his stride. "To kill Uberto Alberti."
"Wait, what?" Trinity snapped, taken aback by the statement. She had thought they had agreed on something else. "I was under the impression that we were going to get your family out of Firenze, not gallivant around, chasing the Gonfaloniere!"
Ezio turned to her, his eyes dark. "You think I would just let the man who killed my family live after what he has done?" he asked as he stepped back towards her. His hard glare did not intimidate her as she returned the look.
She wanted to tell him that she let the man who slaughtered her family walk away unscathed…because she had more pressing matter to deal with. However, she had no intention of letting him live his life without paying the price eventually for the pain he caused her. Trinity only assumed Ezio understood that.
"Why is your family's safety lack importance to you?" she asked, crossing her arms. "I thought I made it clear to you that I have to get you out of Firenze and back to your uncle in Monterrigioni?"
Ezio's nose flared as he tried to keep his temper in check. "My uncle will have to wait…because I will not allow Uberto Alberti to live. He will pay for what he has done."
They both stared each other down, angry with the other's differing desire. Before Trinity could reply, Paola stepped in. "I understand your desire for vengeance, Ezio," she said gently. "But the Gonfaloniere is a powerful man. You are no killer-"
"Spare me the lecture," he snapped, turning away from them again.
"-but I can make you one," Paola finished, smiling at his back. Trinity rolled her eyes, unbeknownst to either of them. She felt he would need a lot of work to become anything worthy enough to be called assassin.
"And why are you going to teach me how to kill?" he asked warily, eyes narrowed.
Paola smirked at him. "I'm not. I'm going to teach you how to survive."
Trinity sighed. "He's going to need more work than you think, Paola," she jabbed under her breath. Paola glanced at her but ignored the comment.
"Come," she told Ezio as well as gesturing to Trinity to follow, who sighed heavily, not wanting to partake in what Paola was going to teach Ezio.
"So, who is this Leonardo da Vinci?" asked Trinity behind Ezio as they walked through the streets of Firenze.
Paola had spent the entire morning teaching Ezio the ways of the courtesans. She had Ezio learn to blend within crowds, being seen but unseen by the guards. Trinity had been asked to help him as well, seeing that she was skilled in blending already.
After that, Trinity was given the task by Paola to show Ezio how to pickpocket, a useful trick if Ezio was ever desperate for money. Ezio…the first few times, caused quite a bit of alarm for stealing but he was able to disappear quickly enough before he was caught.
Once Ezio was sufficient enough in blending, Paola told Ezio and Trinity to visit Leonardo da Vinci, someone Trinity was not familiar with to fix Ezio's father's broken blade and bracer.
Ezio had wanted to take the easy way, scaling the buildings and running along the roofs to avoid all the crowds of the morning. Trinity, however, insisted that he practice hiding amongst the crowds on the way there. It was slower…but he needed to perfect the art of blending.
"He's a painter," said Ezio quietly as they passed a group of guards standing near a scaffold. He grew slightly nervous, wondering how they didn't notice him or Trinity in a crowd of seven people, especially in the attire they were in.
Trinity tugged on her hood to lower it a little more to make sure the majority of her face was still shadowed.
"I don't understand what a painter can do for you and your broken blade…"
Ezio shrugged, just as confused as she was.
They continued to walk, making a good pace for themselves. Both were exhausted, since neither has slept yet…but they knew they had no time to rest. Knowing he was going to be able to kill Uberto Alberti kept enough adrenaline in Ezio's body to stay relatively awake.
"And what exactly did the Gonfaloniere do that has you seeking vengeance so ardently?" said Trinity after some time. "Other than sentence them to death. There seems more to it than that."
Ezio didn't reply immediately. "The night before the trial," he began, "I went to see my father in prison. My father told me to take some documents to Uberto Alberti because he was a close friend of my father's and he was obviously overseeing the trial. The documents, I can only assume, cleared my family's name but…at the trial…that bastardo betrayed us…"
Trinity couldn't find anything to say to the small anecdote and remained quiet.
"Left," said Ezio, breaking away from a group they were walking with to cut across the street. Trinity followed closely behind, glancing at another cluster of Firenze guards a ways down. They didn't see Ezio or Trinity, being far too lazy and intent on their conversation to notice them.
The guard was actively looking for her and Ezio now. There were posters everywhere of them…and some of the heralds were making speeches about the dangers of the new assassins in the town. It was making it increasingly difficult to get around in Firenze without being caught or possibly getting into a fight.
Ezio knocked on a door, one with a sign that showed a painter's workshop over it. He didn't bother to wait for someone to answer it and opened the door.
"Just barge right in, why don't you?" Trinity hissed stepping inside after him. Both pulled down their hoods as they continued further into the workshop.
Trinity and Ezio looked over and saw a figure hunched over a work desk with books and parchment strewn across the table. He had on a maroon cape on as well as the same colored beret over his long, light brown hair. From what Trinity could hear, he was also muttering incessantly to himself.
When he heard them shut the door and lock it, the figure turned. His bright blue eyes looked shocked at who he saw.
"Oh! Ezio Auditore!" he exclaimed, truly surprised but nonetheless thrilled. Trinity could not help but find herself smiling at this man, merely for his enthusiasm.
He had a cleanly kept goatee on his relatively attractive face. He was animated with his hands and facial expressions and instantly, Trinity could tell he was completely harmless…almost innocent, in a way.
"I…I didn't expect to see you again…" he admitted, approaching him eagerly. "What with all that's happened…"
Trinity glanced up at Ezio, who looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Ah!" said the man, putting a hand to his forehead in a bit of shame, who Trinity guessed was Leonardo da Vinci. "Where are my manners? Welcome back!"
He embraced Ezio tightly. Trinity hid her smile, seeing that Ezio was surprised with Leonardo's display of friendliness. Ezio, however, did embrace him for a short moment.
Once Leonardo pulled away, he turned to Trinity with a bright smile. "I'm sorry, I haven't met you yet," he said. "My name is Leonardo da Vinci."
Trinity put her hand to her chest and lowered her head respectfully at him. "Trinity Aldinucci," she replied courteously. "It's a pleasure to meet you, messare Leonardo."
"No, the pleasure is mine," he said, kissing both her cheeks. The gesture caught Trinity off guard. "And please, call me Leonardo."
He was definitely very welcoming and warm…Trinity liked that. She needed something to brighten her spirits…even if it's just a little.
Leonardo put his hands together and looked at Ezio pensively. "Now, how can I be of service?" he asked.
Ezio hesitated. "I was hoping you could repair something of mine."
"Of course!" he said enthusiastically. He walked over to his worktable. "Come, this way!"
Ezio and Trinity glanced at each other before following Leonardo across the room.
"Ah, che pasticcio(oh, what a mess)…. Tutto il santo che cerco(I've spent the whole day looking for)…" Leonardo mumbled to himself, moving all his papers aside. "Let me clear a space."
Ezio eyed him curiously.
"All right. Let's see it," said Leonardo once he was finished. Ezio handed him the bracer and a small rolled up parchment that came with it. Leonardo laid it on the table and stood over it, looking pensive.
Trinity watched from behind Ezio, wondering what he was going to do. She remembered this blade…Giovanni had shown it to her a few years ago. Trinity had been impressed with it, wanting one of her own. Giovanni, however, told her that he did not know how to construct the blade…since it was handed down to him.
"Fascinating," said Leonardo meditatively. "I don't know, Ezio. Despite its age, the construction is rather advanced. I've never seen anything quite like it."
He stood up and looked at Ezio apologetically. "I'm afraid, there's not much I can do without the original plans…" he continued. "Mi dispiace."
Ezio looked disappointed but was understanding. He nodded before he reached out to pick up the bracer and scroll.
"Wait, wait, wait!" said Leonardo abruptly, practically slapping Ezio's hand away from the table. Trinity couldn't help but laugh under her breath at the stunned expression Ezio had on his face for being hit like that.
Leonardo was oblivious, however, as he pulled open the scroll and stared at it for a long moment.
"What are you doing?" asked Ezio, a little irritated.
"The contents on this page are encrypted!" declared Leonardo. "But if my theory is correct…. Based on these sketches, it may very well…"
He faded off, enthralled with the parchment.
"It may very well what?" said Ezio, confused as to what he was going on about.
Leonardo waved him off dismissively. "Please, sit!" he told Ezio quickly.
"Leonardo-" Ezio began to implore but Leonardo shushed him. Trinity sort of snorted in amusement because Ezio clearly did not liked being told to shush.
Ezio rolled his eyes, giving up on trying to figure out what Leonardo was going on about and went to go take a seat in one of the few chairs in the room. He looked a bit miffed but he otherwise was surprisingly obedient to Leonardo's request.
Trinity did not feel like sitting down and instead, stepped closer to the worktable to look at what Leonardo was doing.
"Remarkable!" he said, rapt in his work. "If we transpose every letter…and select every third…"
Again, Leonardo faded off, unable to finish his sentence. Trinity found his near childlike enthusiasm rather endearing as she continued to watch him. After a moment of staring at the parchment, she realized exactly what this scroll was.
Ezio had a Codex page.
"Where did you get this?" said Trinity, turning to Ezio. He didn't reply immediately, slightly confused as to why she was using such a demanding tone.
"My father," he replied, eyeing her.
Trinity looked at him for another moment but didn't answer him.
"Why?" pressed Ezio.
She also waved him off dismissively, not wanting to go into the explanation here at the moment. "I'll explain later."
Ezio glowered at her, tired of hearing her say that…but didn't pursue the topic, merely for the fact that he was incredibly tired, now that he sat down.
For as long as Trinity could remember, her father had been searching for the phantom Codex pages. She knew that the Auditore family had been looking for them as well, knowing that they were written for the Order.
Trinity had to make sure that this page remained safe so she could get it back to Mario in Monterriggioni.
Leonardo spent a good few hours on decrypting the Codex page, occasionally muttering incoherent sentences to himself. Ezio, having been exhausted emotionally and physically, fell asleep in his chair. Trinity, however, had a lot on her mind, and therefore she spent the majority of her time pacing the room. She was tired, she wouldn't deny that. She was also hungry…and thankfully, Leonardo had offered her some bread and wine to hold her stomach until later.
Once he was finished with the Codex page, he set to work on the blade and bracer.
"Signorina Trinity?" said Leonardo abruptly. She looked up, having been leaning against the wall for some time now and smiled.
"Please," she replied with a gentle tone, "call me Trinity."
He smiled back for a moment and looked at the bracer. "I have extra materials here in my workshop," he continued. "I'm fairly confident I can make one of these for you as well, if you'd like."
Trinity's eyes lit up dramatically at this. She stood up and dropped her crossed arms, surprised by the offer. "That would be perfect," she said gratefully. "Grazie."
She offered her help but Leonardo politely declined. After another two and half hours had passed, Leonardo had created Trinity's blade and reconstructed Ezio's.
Leonardo had made minor adjustments to hers, since her forearm was much smaller than Ezio's, while he told her how the blade use to have to require the wearer to cut off their ring finger as a sign of commitment.
Trinity placed it over her right forearm, since that was her lead arm. She tested the blade, having it pop out of its place and contract again.
"Questo è genio (This is genius)," whispered Trinity, admiring it. "Grazie mille, Leonardo!"
He looked pleased with himself as he went over to Ezio's sleeping figure.
"Ezio!" he said, shaking him awake. "It's finished!"
The young Auditore didn't stir for a long moment and Leonardo looked up at Trinity for what he should do. She exhaled irritably and went over to the pair. She told Leonardo to step aside before she promptly placed her foot on Ezio's upper arm, pushing him roughly off the chair.
Ezio jerked awake before he hit the ground, so he caught himself by throwing out his hands to the wooden floor.
He turned to glare at the obvious culprit. "What are you doing!" he snapped, getting up so he would be able to stand over her.
"Have a nice nap?" she asked, ignoring his question. She looked amused but Ezio could see an underlying darker look in her blue eyes.
"Puttana (whore or the equivalent to bitch)…" Ezio muttered under his breath. Trinity heard it but found it more amusing than offensive.
"Stronzo (asshole)," she shot back.
"I finished it!" chimed in Leonardo as Ezio opened his mouth to insult her again. Ezio threw one last death glare at Trinity, having just about enough of her, and turned to Leonardo.
"What's finished?" he asked.
"The blade," clarified the painter. "I managed to decode that parchment of yours. It showed me exactly what to do!"
Ezio reached out for the bracer but Leonardo took a small step back and raised his other hand, one that was holding a large butcher's knife. Ezio eyed it uncertainly.
"Now all that's left is to remove your ring finger," finished Leonardo flatly.
"Really…?" replied Ezio, not looking very intrigued with the idea.
Trinity managed to keep her face impassive, though she was thoroughly amused with Ezio's expression.
"I'm sorry," said Leonardo apologetically, "but this is how it must be done. The blade is designed to ensure the 'commitment' of whoever is wielding it."
Ezio's face fell, thinking on it for a minute.
"Bene (fine)…" he conceded reluctantly. He went up to the worktable and placed his ring finger out on the surface. "Do it quickly."
He kept his eyes shut, waiting for Leonardo, who was smiling to himself. Trinity had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing at Ezio's gullibility.
Leonardo slammed the butcher's knife onto the table beside Ezio's finger, causing him to jump in surprise.
"I was only having fun, Ezio," said Leonardo good-naturedly. He placed a hand on Ezio's shoulder. "Though the blade once required a sacrifice, it's been modified. You can keep your finger."
Trinity finally let out a short laugh because Ezio looked almost hurt by the fact that Leonardo played a small joke on him. It was really a priceless face. Ezio, realizing that she was laughing at his expense, glared at her.
Leonardo handed him the bracer and Ezio put it on his left forearm, making sure it was tight. Once it was secure, Ezio flicked his wrist and the blade quickly slid out, extending far past his palm.
"Incredible," said Ezio, impressed.
"Yes it is," Leonardo agreed. "I made one for Trinity as well once I was sure enough that I could duplicate it."
Ezio glanced over at Trinity and she showed him the blade.
"Now tell me," continued Leonardo, "do you have other pages like this?"
"I'm sorry," replied Ezio, shaking his head. "Only the one."
Leonardo looked thoughtful before nodding. "Listen," he said, "if you do happen across another one of these, please, bring it to me."
"You have my word," promised Ezio, putting a hand at his heart. "And thank you for fixing this."
Before Leonardo could reply, someone pounded on the workshop door, which had been locked when Trinity and Ezio came in.
"By order of the Florentine guard!" a male's voice shouted. "Open this door!"
"Uh, just a moment!" called Leonardo, glancing at Trinity and Ezio. He dropped his voice to a low tone. "You two wait here."
He handed Ezio the Codex page and hurried towards the door. Trinity immediately turned to Ezio.
"You better not lose that," she whispered sternly, gesturing to the parchment while the door was being pounded away at. "It's imperative that we keep it safe."
Ezio eyed her as Leonardo approached the door and opened it. Trinity and Ezio moved out of the line of sight of the doorway so the guard wouldn't see them.
"Are you Leonardo da Vinci?" the guard demanded.
"Sí," he replied with an easy-going manner. "How may I be of service?"
"Follow me," the guard ordered roughly. "I need you to answer some questions."
"Certainly."
Leonardo tailed the guard out to the street, leaving Ezio and Trinity in his workshop. They glanced at each other, wordlessly agreeing to go follow them.
The guard had taken Leonardo into a small, walled-off courtyard beside the building, away from the crowds. Trinity crept up along the wall with Ezio behind her and they listened intently.
Darkness fell across Italy again, and in a passing thought, Ezio was surprised by how long he had been in Leonardo's workshop.
"What seems to be the trouble?" they heard Leonardo ask innocently.
"A witness claims to have seen you consorting with an enemy of the city," accused the guard. He sounded angry, as if he already believed the painter was.
"What?" exclaimed Leonardo. "Me? Consorting…? That's preposterous."
Ezio peered around the entryway to get a better view of the guard and Leonardo while Trinity silently climbed a wagon with a few crates on them to look over the wall covertly.
"When was the last time you saw or spoke with Ezio Auditore or his female accomplice?" snapped the guard, pushing Leonardo roughly. Leonardo looked generally unfazed with the small attack as he regained his footing.
"Who are you talking about?" replied the painter with a gesture meaning he was confused.
The guard made a noise of fury. "Non fare il finto tonto (don't play dumb with me)!" the Florentine guard shouted angrily, pointing his finger accusingly in Leonardo's face. "We know you were close with the family!"
Leonardo opened his mouth to insist that he was clueless of what the guard was going on about but the guard punched him dead in the face. Ezio felt some of his pent of up anger bubble up as Leonardo fell to the floor.
"Perhaps this will help to clear your head!"
The guard viciously kicked Leonardo in the stomach, to which he could not scramble away from. Leonardo was not a fighter, that much was clear.
"Ready to talk!" snapped the guard, landing another forceful kick in Leonardo's side, making him gasp for breath.
The guard grabbed a hold of the painter's collar and started punching away at his face. At this, Trinity leapt over the wall in a fit of rage, flicking her wrist so her hidden blade could spring forth.
Ezio, however, had beaten her, having run around the corner before her. The guard's back was turned so Ezio went up and quickly stabbed his hidden blade into the back of the guard's neck. He wasn't able to scream as Ezio wrenched the blade back out and let his victim fall to the floor.
"Bastardo…" spat Ezio at the dying guard.
Trinity hurried over and helped Leonardo up.
"Are you alright?" she asked once he was standing.
"Sí, sí," he replied, brushing himself off. "Grazie, Ezio."
"Sorry about that," said Ezio, putting a hand to Leonardo's shoulder.
The young painter shrugged. "Eh, I've grown accustomed to their abuses," he admitted, unconcerned.
The statement bothered Trinity greatly, especially since Leonardo was nothing but a kind man, willing to help them when he knew that they were wanted criminals.
"What of the body?" she asked, glancing at the guard who was twitching with agony as blood poured from his neck.
Leonardo thought for a moment. "Bring it inside and put it with the others."
Trinity and Ezio stared at him. "Others?" asked Ezio, shocked.
The painter chuckled. "The city gives some to me, for research," he explained. Ezio eyed Leonardo, not doubting him but Ezio was a little creeped out.
Ezio picked up the body, seeing that he was the strongest of the three and they followed Leonardo back to his workshop. Luckily, it was only around the corner, because Ezio wanted to avoid stares of any civilians as to why he was carrying a dead, bloody Florentine guard in his arms.
Leonardo pointed to a small room attached to the main one and Ezio saw a few other bodies, covered in linen. He quickly put the corpse down on the floor, hoping not too much blood had gotten on his clothes.
"See? Like it never happened," said Leonardo with a short laugh.
"Thank you, Leonardo…" said Ezio. "For everything."
Trinity agreed. "Yes, grazie, you are too kind."
Leonardo smiled at them. "Any time," he insisted, "and remember, if you find anymore of those strange pages, bring them to me. Should they contain new designs, I'll upgrade your blade as well."
"Of course," promised Ezio. "I will make sure of it."
"We really should be getting back to Paola," said Trinity to Ezio. It wasn't that their time was wasted…but two days has already gone by since she arrived in Florence.
Ezio nodded. "You're right," he said. "We should go."
"Send her my regards," said Leonardo. With that, Ezio and Trinity wished him a final farewell and they left the workshop.