Chapter 15

The tension in the room was undeniable; Maya's facial expression was enough evidence and Altaïr seemed frozen on the spot. He really did try to push some emotion to the surface anything to ease her nerves but he just was unable to; he never was taught how to. A great quality when needed in certain situations that he happened to find himself in on regular basis.
He was searching for words in his mind that would bring back the old Maya but he was well aware that they had to talk about the elephant in the room at some point. Maya cleared her throat finally earning his undivided attention as she pushed herself from the wall she had been leaning on before. "I would start by taking off your weapons, Altaïr" she quietly mumbled. Seeming to read between his unspoken words. He sighed heavily and Maya watched as the tension in his shoulders dropped. Even though her words had sounded calmly she was more nervous then she had ever been in her life.
What was she supposed to think? Was she supposed to understand him or have him arrested? She could simply warn a guard outside that she had an assassin inside of her home, but every fiber in her being told her that she shouldn't. If someone would find out about her knowledge about the assassin and about her not giving that information away, the consequences would be huge.
She watched as Altaïr's fingers pulled on the different buckles to loosen the straps running over his chest, holding al lot of his weaponry on his back, which were already settled neatly on the covers of her bed.

Altaïr felt her heavy gaze resting on him and for the first time did he feel actual nervousness. He was afraid his fingers would tremble but he was still able to hold them stable. He didn't want to look at her; which confused him even more then she had ever done before. Why did he suddenly feel like running? When before all he had wanted was to spent time with her. He barely dropped the leather straps which was so unlike him, his reflexes barely ever failed him. But he placed it neatly on her bed as well. "Was it the reason you helped me that day in the poor district?" Maya suddenly broke the silence as she appeared closer than he had expected her to be. He had turned his left arm and started opening the hidden blade but her delicate, soft and small hand swatted him away softly and started opening it for him. She had seen him doing it so many times that now she knew very well how the weapon worked. Altaïr swallowed a lump away in his throat that he had not noticed being there before and answered quietly: "You were an innocent in need of help".
Her fingertips grazed the palm of his hand as she pulled the blade off of his arm, placing it on her bed next to the other shiny metal objects before looking back up at him with a slight frown. "So, you're trying to stop the guards from being… mean" she muttered, lacking a better word. Altaïr started undoing his red sash and couldn't stop the small smile curling on his lips. "There is so much more to it, Maya, when I see it happening and I can solve it without being detected I do help but nothing will distract me from my original task; my target" he watched as Maya placed his weapons on the red sash and created a small bundle, picking it up and pushing it underneath her bed where they had hid the bundle many times before. "The one you're assassinating" Maya quietly confirmed to the both of them and Altaïr was unsure whether she wanted him to say something after that.

The silence returned and with it came back the tension; even though Altaïr was unaware that he was the only one feeling it. Maya was sitting on her bed calmly over thinking all the information that had just been giving to her and perhaps it was the anticipation of waiting that made Altaïr feel tense. He still stood in front of her, not really feeling comfortable enough to move. Even though Maya hardly seemed the kind to jump up and throw a knife at his throat; he was trained to expect this either way so he kept his guard up.
Maya's silence continued but she now looked up at him. He was aware that she had a hard time deciding right from wrong but he didn't know what else he could say to convince her. He frowned at her as she stood up in front of him, unsure whether or not she would slap him across the face; angered by all the secrets he had kept from her. And for a moment he almost flinched as she brought her hands up but quickly calmed as he felt her removing his hood from his face. "I thought I knew you pretty well, even though I was well aware that there was something you kept from me" she muttered as if she was speaking to herself more than to Altaïr who couldn't help but smile lightly as her hand lightly brushed across his cheek. She was showing affection and perhaps without really realizing that but he felt that it turned off the assassin completely and made him relax. "And I still am not sure whether or not it changes how I should look at you; but I know you're a good man, Altaïr, you're wise and for some reason I can't see you as the cold-hearted person they want me to see you as."
Altaïr took her hand in his and understood that she didn't want to hear anything in response. And he really didn't want to respond; there was no need to protect himself when it came to her. Why would he? She breathed innocence and his instincts were always correct; right now they were telling him that everything was just fine.
"I am sorry I doubted you" she whispered quietly feeling rather embarrassed that she would even think that Altaïr would kill her. He chuckled lightly and shrugged his shoulders carelessly; relieved that he had her back on his side again.