Now or Never
Disclaimer: Assassin's Creed doesn't belong to me.
Thank you to all who had favored, review, put this story on alert, put me of all people on their favorite and alert lists. I would also like to thank my new beta reader Onesmartcookie78 for take care of my grammar, puncuations, and spelling.
So please read and enjoy the third chapter of Now or Never!
Chapter Three:
"I got 'em! All of 'em! You get what I need and I'll give 'em to ya! You got a ship! Could find 'em all to boot!" An elder man with a peg leg cried out. Anna raised an eyebrow watching the strange man with the funny looking orange hat hobble around the dock.
"Who is that man?" Connor softly asked Robert, both watching him with Anna.
"Him?" Robert asked. "Some ol' salt always on about some letters he's got from Captain Kidd. Nonsense really but he doesn't hurt no one so I leave him be." Anna stood up stretching her arms above her head to work out the kinks in her back. "Talk to him if you fancy – but be warned he'll chew your ear off. Anyway the Aquila's here for you two – if you two should get a pang for the open sea we'll be waiting. Now I implore the both of you to head up the hill 'fore the Old Man comes out of retirement just for me."
Opening the door, Anna and Connor were greeted by Achilles who was stationed in the foyer. "Three weeks…and not even a goodbye before you two left." Anna winced, feeling horrible. Achilles had welcomed her into his home and she had repaid the kindness by running off to the open sea with Connor and Robert.
"I'm sorry Achilles," Anna muttered feeling like a kicked puppy.
"Sorry…" Connor trailed off guiltily.
Achilles glanced over his shoulder at the two teens still standing in the doorway. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Connor looked at Anna who nodded her head indicating he should follow Achilles. Closing the door, Anna walked over to the stuffed bald eagle. She turned around seeing Achilles standing at the entrance watching her.
"Is everything alright, Achilles?" Anna asked studying Achilles as he moved to sit down. Anna walked away from the eagle and sat down across from the older man.
"I did some asking around when you and Connor had your sea time adventure." Achilles said. Anna leaned back in her chair waiting for him to continue. "The Connolly family is facing charges of murder brought forth by the church, and no one has been able to leave Ireland."
"The church is being controlled by the Templars," Anna said, "but it won't be revealed till 1780, and no one could slip through to get onto a ship to sail over the pond to come here. If anybody sees me and knows my family name they would just assume I left before the charges were brought forth."
"Will it cause you any trouble?" Achilles asked.
Anna shook her head, "No more than usual."
Achilles nodded, glad that she wasn't in any kind of danger that would expose her true origins. Both heard footfalls of Connor coming up the stairs. Anna and Achilles stood up and watched as Connor got used to his new clothes. "Once upon a time, we had a ceremony on such occasions." Achilles stopped before Connor with Anna next to him. "But I don't think any of us are really the type for that. You've your tools and training. Your targets and goals. And now you have your title." Achilles reached out and placed a hand on Connor's shoulder.
"Welcome to the Brotherhood, Connor."
"Connor, Anna. Spare a moment?"
Anna looked up from her sketch book. Her drawings weren't much. Mostly practicing body positions, facial expressions, and failed attempts at drawing hands, but it was relaxing so Anna kept drawing.
Achilles stood at the edge of the circle holding rope tied to a blade. Closing the sketch book, Anna stood up and dusted off her bottom. Connor turned away from the training dummy and walked to Achilles saying: "Of course."
"Is that what I think it is?" Anna asked accepting a bound object from Achilles.
"Have a look." Achilles said to Connor holding out an unbound rope dart to Connor who immediately began to spin the rope.
"A Sheng Biao – or rope dart, if you prefer." Achilles explained to Connor, "One of the many plans given to us by Shao Jun to-" the rope dart flew out of Connor's hand, whizzed past Anna, and embedded itself into the wooden beam. All three assassins looked at the dart, and Achilles sighed and turned back to look at Connor.
"Sorry," Connor offered as Anna pulled the dart out of the wood.
"Hmmm. We'll have to work on this." Achilles exhaled before hearing a clattering thump. Turning, Connor and Achilles saw the rope in Anna's hand and the dart buried in the training dummy's neck, toppled over when Anna pulled the rope.
"It's been years since I've held a Sheng Biao," Anna said with a grin. Learning how to work with the rope dart had been her favorite lesson as a child.
A knock on the front door made the three look up. Connor walked out of the hidden room with Anna and Achilles behind him. He opened the door surprised to see a familiar person standing on the porch. "Kanen'tó:kon?"
"Yes, my friend."
"What brings you here?" Connor inquired, happy to see a familiar face once again before the thought occurred to him. "Is the village alright?"
"For now," Kanen'tó:kon replied.
"What do you mean? What has happened?" Connor wondered.
Anna watched the two friends conversation growing worried. The revolutionary war was coming closer and closer and she had yet to tell Achilles and Connor about it. They understood her reasoning of not wanting them to know and do something that would kill them, but sometimes Anna wished that she had someone to talk to about the oncoming war.
"Men came, claiming we had to leave." Kanen'tó:kon explained, "they said that the land was being sold and that the Confederacy has consented. We sent an envoy, but they would not listen…"
"You must refuse!"
"We cannot oppose the sachem." Kanen'tó:kon said, "but you are right as well. We cannot give up our home."
"Do you have a name?" Connor asked his childhood friend. "Do you know who is responsible?"
"He is called William Johnson," Kanen'tó:kon growled.
"Where is Johnson now?"
"In Boston, making preparations for the sale."
Connor's eyes widen before snarling: "Sale? This is theft."
"Connor," Achilles finally spoke, "take care. These men are powerful. Anna will go with you to watch your back."
"What would you have me do?" Connor asked Achilles. "I made a promise to my people."
Achilles was silent for a minute then said, "If you insist upon this course of action, seek out Sam Adams in Boston. He'll be able to help."
Anna's eyes narrowed when Kanen'tó:kon handed Connor his tomahawk before widening in shock when Connor slammed the weapon into the porch pillar. "What have you done?!" Achilles asked. Anna was wondering the same thing.
"When my people go to war," Connor explained "a hatchet is buried into a post to signify its start. When the threat is ended, the hatchet is removed."
"Could have used a tree." Anna commented crossing her arms over her chest.
It was a little unnerving being back in Boston. The noises, the number of people, and the increased numbers of the red-coats had Anna hypersensitive. "Look, sanctions and demonstrations won't suffice, Sam." Connor stopped grabbing a hold of Anna's arm to make her stop as well. "We need to act. And I'm talking about more than a sternly worded letter."
Looking around Connor spotted a group of men talking in hushed voices as red-coats walked past them. "This way," Connor whispered, grabbing Anna's hand and pulled her to the group of men.
"I sympathize with your frustrations, gentlemen." Sam said "But surely you can understand my reluctance to kick the hornet's nest. Ah! Connor," Sam greeted as Connor dropped Anna's hand leaving a tingling sensation in Anna's suddenly cold fingers. "Hello again! What brings you to Boston?"
"You," Connor said with a small smile.
Sam turned back to the other men and said: "Would you excuse us fellows?" Not giving them time to answer Sam turned around and walked away.
"This is my friend, Anna Connolly," Connor introduced Anna.
"Finding friends in high placed, Connor. Sam Adams, Miss Connolly." Sam said offering his hand.
He noticed that the girl was around Connor's age. She was wearing the same outfit as Conner and also had a burn on her ring finger. Her button down shirt underneath her white and blue coat seemed to be made of finer material than Connor's as well. It was to be expected- she was a Connolly after all. He would have to ask Connor how he manage to meet a member of the powerful Connolly family.
That would have to wait until he wasn't around the probably hot tempered Connolly woman.
She grasped his hand and shook it firmly. "It's nice to meet you, Mister Adams."
"Please, a friend of Connor's is a friend of mine as well, call me Sam."
Anna smiled and said, "Then please call me Anna."
"Wonderful," Sam said as he started to walk down the street with Connor and Anna on either side of him. "Thank you both. That conversation was about to turn unpleasant. Now, what can I do for the both of you?"
"I was hoping you could help us locate William Johnson," Connor explained.
"Of course," Sam said "I'm headed to a meeting with some men who should be able to help. Why don't you two come along?"
The three strolled in silence until Sam said, "It's good to see the people finally taking a stand against injustice."
"Says the man who owns a slave." Connor accused.
Sam chuckled as he questioned: "Who, Surry? I practice what I preach, my friend. She's not a slave, but a freed woman, at least on paper. Men's minds are not so easily turned. It is a tragedy that for all our progress, still we cling to such barbarism."
"Then speak out against it." Connor urged.
Anna wished it was as simple as that. People right now were more concern about their own freedom than that of a slave. It saddened and sickened Anna that this was occurring and there was nothing she could do about it.
"We must focus first on defending our rights. When this is done, we'll have the luxury of addressing these other matters." Sam explained.
Anna knew that if she continued to listen to this particular conversation she would say something that would expose her. So she nudged Connor and nodded to the leather workshop they were passing. The horse she stolen had thrown her off breaking the buckle on her leather leg guards. "I'll see you two at the meeting." Anna said.
"But you don't know where it is!" Sam exclaimed, stopping to look at Anna.
"I know, but I always seem to know where this one is," Anna said, nodding to Connor. "It won't take long, go on I'll catch up." Anna walked over to the workshop as Sam and Connor continued their conversation.
"Ah! Miss Connolly, what a wonderful surprise!" The owner of the small leather shop waved cheerfully as Anna walked through the door. "What can I do for you today?"
"A buckle snapped and I was hoping that you could do something for me." Anna said, explaining what she wanted the leather maker to do with her leg guards.
"That's a rather strange request, but I'll get it done." Anna smiled and handed over her leg guards and sat down on a barrel, picking up a puppy when it tried to tug on her coat tails. Crossing her legs Anna began to scratch the puppy's stomach while listening to the voices drifting into the shop.
"She was there I tell you. Right behind the idiot Faulkner and some kid." Anna tensed, hearing Church talk.
"You just saw a person in the same clothes, could have been anyone." This voice Anna didn't recognize, but if she turned around, she might know who Church was talking to. However, it was a risk that Anna didn't want to take.
"Here you are, repaired and modified to your request."
Anna set the puppy back onto the ground and took her leg guards, now connected together by a strip of leather. Looking more like modern day chaps than leg guards, with a grin Anna slipped them on and buckled the strap that wrapped around her waist. "Wonderful, how much do I owe you, Jack?"
"Consider it a gift for saving my daughter from the damn red coats." Jack said nodding at his handy work.
"Thank you, Jack, I will not forget this kindness." Anna said, glancing behind herself and seeing Church and Hickey standing in front of the shop. There was no way that she could get out without bumping into them. She would have to think of another way to get past them.
"There's a back room with a window opening up to the alley." Jack offered observing that Anna wasn't very keen on leaving through the front one.
"Thank you," Anna grinned, slipping through the back door. She found the window Jack had pointed her to it. Carefully, Anna pulled herself out and up onto the roof. Standing up Anna breathed out in relief and turned around. Only to run straight into a soldier's back. Stumbling back, Anna grabbed a chimney to keep herself on the roof.
"What are you doing up here?" the soldier growled, "get down from here!" He opened his mouth to call for more soldiers only to gurgle as blood filled his mouth from Anna's hidden blade embedded in his neck.
Anna grunted, grabbing onto the dead weight. She slid on the shingles as she tried to make sure that the soldier didn't just fall to the street. "May your soul find peace." Anna muttered closing the man's eyes. Standing up, Anna ran across several rooftops before jumping off landing on a British soldier. She heard something crunch and she prayed that it wasn't her.
"Grab her!" Anna winced as she was lifted off the ground by her quiver. The cross strap was digging painfully into her chest as she struggled to get it off. Kicking back, Anna's foot connected with someone's kneecap shattering his knee. As soon as her feet touched the street, she spun around, slamming her hidden blade into the man's neck.
A musket slipped over Anna's head, pulling back and cutting off her air supply. While spots danced across Anna's vision, another soldier tried to stab her fell back when Anna kicked out, kicking the musket out of his hands. The soldier that was holding Anna lost his balance and fell back onto a food stand. Anna managed to scramble up and slam her boot into his chest, feeling ribs crack. Spinning around, Anna shoved both of her hidden blades into the last two soldiers. Breathing heavily, Anna cleaned her blades before pocketing whatever money she found on the soldiers.
"You there! Stop!" Anna looked up before darting off down the street. Turning a corner Anna spotted a covered cart being pulled by a horse slowly down the street. Jumping in, Anna was glad to see that it was filled with loose cloths. Scrambling, Anna covered herself with the cloth before staying as still as she could.
A hand covered Anna's mouth: "It's me." Connor whispered, wrapping his other arm around her waist to stop her from struggling. When she stopped, Connor moved his hand away from her mouth, both waiting as the cart leisurely moved through the streets, taking them where they needed to go. Past all the check points and the oblivious soldiers that prowled the Boston streets.
Connor nudged Anna, waiting till she was out of the cart before jumping out as well. Anna had a bruise forming across her neck and a busted lip as if someone punched her. "Are you alright? Your lip is bleeding." Connor asked.
Anna touched her busted lip, seeing blood on her fingertips when she pulled her hand away. "It's just a cut, it'll be fine after its cleaned up." Her throat was sore and Anna just wanted something to drink to help sooth it. "Sam said this is the place to meet?" Anna asked looking at the building.
"Yes, we should see if they have something to take care of your lip." Connor nodded, opening the door and ushering Anna in.
"I told you, I'm fine." Anna said.
"That remains to be seen."
"Hey!"
Now that you reached the bottom...there's an empty box just waiting to be filled with words.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you will tell me what you think of it :)