Chapter Two
After they had scaled down the lader, Evie had hailed a cab and they hurried in, Ezio hovering protectively over his younger sister as she climbed in, her body still shaking after using the apple. The master assassin knew how draining the apple could be. Luckily for them, Claudia had slumped against the wall in a matter of minutes and now she had rolled over so that her head was resting on Ezio's shoulder. He had softly explained to Evie that they had been plucked from the middle of the night.
"Speaking of time, what is it?" Ezio said, peaking out the curtain.
"Twelve past two." Evie responded.
"And the date."
"We're in the nineteenth century." Evie said. She didn't want to give too much information to the assassins. They came from the past and it would not be good to alter it. Ezio leaned back and regarded her with an intent stare, a boyish smile starting to twitch on his lips
"Four hundred years…" Ezio mused. "And I'm recognised by such a beautiful woman."
"You had a big influence on the Brotherhood." Evie said almost breathlessly. This time it was difficult to not talk. She knew all about his achievements; he'd liberated all of Italy! It was due to Ezio that the assassins across the globe had begun to gather in strength once more. He had been the one to defeat the Borgias and free the Papal Throne. He'd even travelled to Istanbul and won the ancient seat back for their order. His influence was even felt in China as he had mentored Shao Jun who went on to help the assassins in the East.
Amusement flickered in Ezio's eyes.
"You act as if you had the honour of meeting the Great Altair." He said.
"If I could…" Ezio was great, but Altair was practically the founder of the Order!
"I once got to wear his armour." Ezio grinned. In his youth he had thought little of the prize he had plundered tombs for but as he had grown to learn of Altair, his appreciation for the armour grew. It was not a day he would fast forget, taking up that armour.
"I know. And read the codex written by him." Evie breathed.
"I can tell you what the codex said if the knowledge has been lost once more. I learnt it by heart. His views on the Creed seem so fundamental to us but to them, it was revolutionary."
"I've read copies, but not the original."
"Perhaps one day you shall. I wish I had your knowledge in my youth. I would have appreciated so much more."
"I can't imagine you as anything other than you are now." Evie admitted.
"So my greatest achievements are now. I always thought it would have been at the Bonfire of the Vanities."
"I always believed that to be your turning point, when you fully became the man who shaped us."
"Interesting. I wonder what you would consider Altair's turning point."
"I think it's when he fought Robert de Sab."
"I wold say it was when he failed to gain the apple."
"That was an important event. But it was the start of things. Not the true turning point."
Ezio sighed, crossing his arms as he considered the young assassin opposite him. Claudia shifted with the movement but did not appear to wake.
"I hope one day to visit Masayaf. To walk the ruins of our order."
"Such wonders…"Evie agreed, thinking about her own desire to visit Masayaf and Rome.
"If only I could meet the man." Ezio smiled.
"You and he are the ones I wished I could talk to…"
"Can you two stop obsessing?" Claudia interrupted. "Some of us are trying to sleep. Besides, Altair wasn't that great. He broke all three tenants." She said, shifting into a sitting position, hawk like eyes flickering between the two from dark eye sockets.
"But he grew from the experience." Evie countered.
"I've not broken any of the tenants." Claudia muttered.
"Nor have I, but I recognise Altair's power. He made the assassins what they are. Steered them away from corruption." Ezio pointed out.
Claudia huffed.
"I save my faith for my God alone. You speak too reverently of Altair." She moved to lean against the corner, glaring out at the two of them.
"My sister is strangely strict in her religion considering her profession." Ezio said with a twinkle in his eyes.
"I atone for the necessary sins I must commit to ensure our God given free will continues."
"Claudia, this is no time for theological debates. Save that for Machiavelli. Or the Pope."
"I can't debate with him. The Pope is right."
"What about Rodrigo?"
"Didn't you just tell me to drop this?"
Evie was glad Claudia wasn't starting to glow. But she wished she had chosen a station to wait at instead of calculating which one they could get to at the right time.
"Claudia, I haven't read much about you. I'm guessing you didn't get out in the field?" Evie asked hurriedly.
That seemed to be the wrong question.
The carriage was awash with gold. Evie tried to move but her body was routed to the seat. Ezio was moving slowly, arm reaching towards his sister. The seconds seemed to drag. Searing pain. Then she went flying.
Blinking, the three assassins picked themselves from the side of the carriage. Ezio moved rather hurried as he was flattening his sister. This sort of damage meant very little to him. He'd spent more than his fair time with the apple draining his health and a crash wasn't as bad as the times he'd fall from various rooftops. Evie meanwhile looked shocked, he could see that she had taken a cut to her forehead from the crash but otherwise was unharmed. Ezio picked a splinter out of his hand, ignoring the blood that swelled from the wound as he turned to his sister.
The over tunic likely prevented too serious an injury. Just a few minor cuts on her head and hands. The primary problem was the apple had drained her, leaving her body exhausted, trembling and coated in a thin layer of sweat. The later was likely no good in this cold country, she'd likely as not end up trembling from the cold.
Standing up, Ezio opened the door above his head and let Evie get out first, before helping Claudia to scramble out. Then he followed in one smooth movement. The horses had startled with the apple. Now one was dead while the other would likely not live long. A broken leg. That was not good for any horse, let alone a working one. The driver… still alive but just. He had been thrown far in the crash.
"We need to get out of here." Evie said, glancing around at the crowd.
"My girls… they'll hide us…" Claudia muttered, still recovering.
"Do you have any courtesans who can hide us?" Ezio asked the Victorian. He couldn't see any nearby.
Evie shot him a confused look.
"How did you hide with courtesans?"
"People usually assumed a strange man following a group of courtesans was a client. Or that a man in such clothing and company was part of the show." He'd only once had a woman ask how much his services were. It had been a good laugh with Barto that evening.
"I don't think we can blend in with the crowd, at any rate." Evie commented. Ezio was inclined to agree. They were all staring at them. Ezio turned back to his sister.
She was gone.
Glancing around, he saw she had gone off into an alley way.
"Claudia!" He called, rushing after her as she walked on ahead, apparently paying them no heed.
"Claudia! Where are you going?" He demanded, catching her hand. Evie followed not far behind. After that explosion, perhaps it was best to observe for a while.
"We need to get out of view. We aren't going to do that standing around in broad daylight in wreckage." She snapped. Ezio let go of her. They had generally been getting on better but his sister's temper seemed eternal.
"And you are the master of disguise?"
"I've got more training in it than you."
"I was an assassin for decades, sister."
"I run the courtesans."
Ezio rolled his eyes but followed Claudia with a frown on his face as she moved onwards. Through a few alleys. They passed two men who looked over the two women but thought better of it with Ezio looming over them.
"Those are members of the gang Jacob wants to fight." Evie told them once they were out of ear shot.
"The streets should be made safe." Ezio commented.
Claudia took them onto a main street and flagged down another cab. She gave Ezio a look.
"See." She pointed out.
"I would have just taken to the roof tops." He said with a shrug as they piled into the vehicle.
"This is more sophisticated." Claudia said.
"Lazy." Ezio joked. Claudia gave a small smile. Evie watched the two warily. Fortunately though, no more explosions happened and the rest of the journey was largely uneventful. They paid the driver and hurried into the station, moving into the train as obnoxiously as possible.
"What happened?" Jacob asked, spying the threesome as they collapsed into seats.
"Apple." Ezio answered shortly.
"It killed the driver." Claudia muttered.
"I need to teach you how to use it." Ezio said softly.
"I want it out of me!"
"I don't know how."
"We must be able to find a way!"
"What exactly happened?" Evie interrupted. "Maybe if we look over the events leading to Claudia taking on the Apple, we'll be able to figure a way to undo what happened?"
The siblings looked at each other. Claudia wrapped her arms tighter around her and looked away. Ezio hefted a small sigh.
"I had been away on a mission with Machiavelli. One of his spies double crossed us. Led Claudia into a trap while I was away. They hurt her to try get information-"
"They wanted to get to you. I was bait." Claudia muttered. "I'm not worth anything. They just used me to get to you. She-" Claudia gestured at Evie "-doesn't even know who I am."
Jacob chose this moment to step in. He put his arm around Claudia. She flinched. Evie and Ezio stiffened, about to leap into action.
"Don't worry, I don't know who either of you are." He told her.
A small smile crossed her face as she looked at the Victorian assassin.
"Really?"
"I'm glad you are so hopeful that somebody doesn't know who I am." Ezio commented.
"Not a clue about him." Jacob said. "Evie just keeps her head in really old books. I wouldn't pay much heed to what she knows." Evie bit back her tongue only because Claudia had the apple at her command.
"I think I should get some more clothing on. And give Ezio his tunic back." Claudia said.
"I have some spare outfits." Evie said, moving to take Claudia from Jacob in case he thought to suggest that he help her change or anything.
Jacob was left with Ezio.
Ezio looked at Jacob.
Jacob looked at Ezio.
"…So that's your sister?"
"Yes. You really don't know who I am?"
"Not a clue."
Ezio swallowed and looked down, thoughtful.
"And Altair?"
"Look, I really didn't take assassin history. Please don't try lecture me."
Ezio bit back a reply.
"Hey, I'm sure you're some great guy but I don't want your sister having another hissy fit so don't try get me to shout your praises. But I'm guessing you're a bit more in charge and get all the glory between the two of you. And if my sister got all the glory, I'd be a bit mad too. Even if she did most the work."
"She's only been in the Brotherhood a score of years. She's not even had the regular training." Ezio said.
"Well that's bloody stupid."
"She's my sister."
"And you let her be part of the Brotherhood without training?"
"It was time. She had proved herself."
"I think you need to pay attention. I keep an eye on my Rooks. Even if they know how to fight, I need to know how good they are."
Ezio pressed his lips together. It seemed Jacob gathered the Rooks like he and his apprentices.
"She's my sister. Not a trainee. I believe she spent years under the apprenticeship of my Uncle. Like I had before her."
"Believe?"
"Jacob, I was a younger man than you when I lost my relationship with Claudia. We only reconciled just before she became an assassin. I was reckless. I admit that freely. Do not judge me by who I was then but by what I strive to be."
Silence.
Then Jacob slapped Ezio on the back.
"I was only having you. I've teased my sister my fair share. I'm just lucky she's a patient woman." He commented.
"And I was being serious." Ezio said.
Meanwhile Evie was dealing with Claudia. The beating that she had suffered could only have been days ago from the way she moved and the darkness of the bruises. The shyness of her movements spoke as well; she had likely been at least half striped. The situation probably had created some mental scaring, hence her out bursts.
"How do I look?" Evie turned, having given Claudia a bit of privacy after dealing with the difficulty of undergarments.
"You're worried about looks?" She asked.
"That bad?"
"You look fine." Evie hastily amended. So Claudia was more insecure than she let on. Ran a brothel but was out in the field… She'd need to go through the books and get more information. Maybe Green could help her.
"What are you crying about? I said you look fine!" Evie said as she heard the older woman sniffing.
"I've messed up. I didn't mean to get us here. I just wanted a look. I wanted to know if I was important. I wanted to be something worth remembering. Like my brother. Now I'm stuck here. I'm meant to be running the Rosa in Fiore. I need to make sure all my girls are safe and not over worked. Then the finances need going over. And what about helping to guide the new Pope in our ways so he doesn't side with the Templars? I know Ezio does some of that but he isn't as educated on these matters as I am. Then Machiavelli wanted me to go over his new book while he and Ezio were back from their trips. And I promised Pantaselia that she could come over and I would give her advice on raising children now that she's expecting. Oh! And my children. I was hoping to visit my eldest soon. And Mother is ill. She needs me to look after her-"
"What don't you do?" Evie exclaimed before Claudia could name any more things. The Italian woman blinked, confused.
"That's nothing." She muttered softly. "I used to manage the finances of my Uncle's village. All the businesses. Redesigning everything with the money Ezio brought in. And that wasn't even enough to do so I catalogued his finds and adventures."
"You wrote about them?"
"It was the only excitement I got while stuck in that horrid place, when Ezio returned and told his stories." She sounded wistful.
"Did you sign your work?"
"Monteriggioni was attacked. I lost the work." She said.
Evie looked at the slumped shoulders of the woman. If only she knew more. Then she might be able to help. It would likely be good to get her back to her own time though.
"We'll sort this out," She promised.