Chapter 3

"Given up yet Assassin?" Sage had Connor in a choke hold on the ground with her legs secure around his neck. She began tightening her grip as he struggled more. "Give up!" She shouted and glanced up at the window of the manor she knew Achilles was watching them from.

"No." Connor managed to choke out his answer. He flipped on his stomach and Sage loosened her grip to avoid flipping along with him. In one movement Connor pinned her beneath him using his massive weight to hold her to the ground. "Given up yet Assassin?" He mocked her. Sage grunted and headbut Connor and she was able to squirm free of his grip. She got back to her feet and they fought for a few more minutes until Sage finally won.

"You have proven yourself to be a worthy opponent Maluhia." Connor's chest heaved as they both walked towards the well in front of the manor. She smiled when he said her true name. He asked her if she would prefer to be called by her real name and she gave him a choice between the two. He chose Maluhia and her heart fluttered whenever he said it.

Maluhia blushed and ran past Connor beating him to the well. She drew up the bucket and drank with her hand. She's been training for the last three months and Connor has been her teacher, refreshing some skills she's long forgotten. Maluhia looked up at him and splashed him when he met her there. He shook his head and splashed her with a bigger splash. She looked back at him with a surprised look and dumped the entire bucket on his head, taking off running around the manor before he could catch her. He gasped and wiped the water from his face, startled. Connor shook his head and ran around to the other side of the manor, sneaking around the corner. Maluhia was crouched down in a bush and waited. She didn't hear him so she stood up looking towards the well. Connor came running up behind her and picked her up and she squealed. "Put me down!" He chuckled softly as he carried her over to the well and drew up a bucket with one arm as he held her with his other. She heard what he was doing and started to squirm and punch his back, "Wait, no don't! Connor!" he tightened his grip around her waist, smirking at her realization. Connor picked up the bucket at dumped it on her, soaking them both. He put her down and wiped his face as he snickered at her reaction. "Now," He shook his arms of the water, "We are even." He turned and started walking towards the manor. Maluhia took her hair down to let it air dry and followed him rolling her eyes.

They have been spending some of their days together mostly training and sometimes sharing moments of fun like this. Connor used to never allow himself to have fun, other than playing a few board games with his crew members from the Aquila. But Maluhia made a lot of things fun for him.

Maluhia is touchy by nature, and that was something Connor had to get used to. A habit of hers he found quite odd was how she would headbut him to get his attention. She would come up to him and bump his shoulder with the top of her head then look up at him with her big brown eyes. He would often shake his head and turn back to whatever he was doing but she would persist. It made him feel special to have his attention fought for. Connor knew he mustn't allow himself to grow affectionate towards her. He has never felt like this before about anyone. Lately, he has been trying to sort through his feelings for her, whether he would want something more with her or not. He doesn't even know what pursuing her would look like practically, and would probably have to ask advice from some of his friends like Big Dave or Norris, maybe even Prudence.

They walked into the house and she followed Connor down to the secret room. Connor for some time went to help Commander Washington recover some stolen supplies, and along the way ran into his father. He told Maluhia all about it when he came back for some time to help her train. While he was away she spent some time reading about the Assassins of the past and talking with Achilles about the roots of the brotherhood, some information she never would have access to in the present day. She also had some time to sketch out a set of Assassin robes for herself. They were to be in dark shades of black and green, made of silk and some parts leather. She went to Ellen and asked her if she could do it, "I should have you know I am the best tailor you'll find on the frontier." Ellen took the sketch and when Connor returned, he paid for them to be made. Ellen gave her a three week timeframe to expect them to be done in, and the date was quickly approaching.

"I will have to meet my father soon in New York." They both faced the wall in the room that bore the faces of their targets. She mirrored Connor and crossed her arms.

"What are you gonna do?" she turned her back to the pictures and leaned on the table in front of them, facing him.

"I.. do not know." He looked down, "Achilles tells me I must kill him, but.." He drifted off trying to find words, "What if we were to unite Maluhia? After I kill Charles Lee, there might be a chance we could unite and work together." Maluhia shook her head.

"That doesn't sound wise Connor." She sighed and softened her gaze. She knew he wanted to reconcile with his father, and she saw the tension in his heart from the position he was in.

"I ride at dawn for New York." He added and watched her, searching for a solution but she had none. Maluhia sighed and stared at her feet, kicking a stone.

"Well I wish you luck." She didn't know what else to say to him. He made his own choices. The sun started setting. Connor usually is gone for a long time on his missions. "What should I do while you're away?" His gaze lingered on her.

"You can try these." He walked over to the weaponry and pulled out a rope dart. He walked back over and handed it to her. She examined it.

"In the library you can study the maps of Boston and New York as well. Upon my return I will teach you to ride and we can journey first to Boston to meet our first few recruits. I have some contacts we can start networking with." Maluhia nodded and set the rope dart down. Her stomach growled.

"Want to get a drink?" She asked. The ciders here were unlike any she's had before. She started walking towards the stairs and he followed her. At the top of the stairs he still didn't answer her. She walked over to the next flight of stairs that lead to the next floor and stood on the bottom step, almost becoming as tall him. She turned and playfully punched him. "C'mon you're leaving tomorrow. Lets go."

"Your pestering will not convince me." He joked and looked down at her, with a fake serious face. She headbut his shoulder and looked up at him with her big brown eyes and her chin on his shoulder. Connor felt a shiver go down his spine from her closeness.

"I am going to get dressed." She whispered. His heart thumped louder in his chest as she turned to go upstairs. He leaned against the stair post and waited. Maluhia scolded herself for being so flirty with him. She knew now was not the time for her heart to motivate her behavior around him, but she couldn't help herself. Come on just wait until he gets rid of the rest of the Templars, then you can play. She told herself to slow down, but he was just so..sweet and handsome. She shook her head free from the thought of him and put her dress on. She put her hair in a half bun, slid her boots on, then walked downstairs to meet Connor.

He opened the door for her and they walked down the steps onto the path. "Connor," She held her hands behind her back, "If there is the possibility of peace with your father, how do you think that might happen?"

"Hmm." He held his chin in thought. "I do not know. Perhaps I will try to reason with him, and..understand what it is he truly seeks." He looked over at her, waiting for her response. Maluhia nodded. She yawned and stretched her shoulders. She grabbed her head and cracked her neck.

"You know Connor, I will miss you while you're away." She confessed, "Who will I dump water on when it gets too boring around here?" They chuckled at the thought of their earlier exploits.

"I will return quickly, I hope that my time away will not be long." He smiled understanding that she liked having him around. They walked in a comfortable silence for a moment then Connor spoke up, curiosity sprinkled in with his tone.

"Tell me something Maluhia," He let his arms swing as he walked next to her. "After you received your blades, what was the first mission you went on?"

She grinned remembering fondly and let out a small chuckle, "I was 18 years old," She spoke as if she were years older now. "There was a Templar spy that was positioned close to our training facility in the city. My mentor told me and some of the other graduates that we should not investigate but we were too eager and too ambitious. That night, me and the others went out and spied on them. Turns out it was more that just one spy but a whole unit of eight, planning on infiltrating our base. We were outnumbered by 4 so we each took on 2 targets. Throughout the night we slowly picked each of them off one by one, being sure not to raise an alarm. By morning we killed them all, so we went out to celebrate our victory. It was a good night, but that was when I realized that even though we had won that battle, they would replace those spies with more and eventually they would take us down. The bigger picture was that the Templars had their tentacles woven into every part of our society and it would be impossible to rid the world of them." She sighed and Connor opened the door of the tavern for her, "Maybe it's because I had that realization that I was the one sent here instead of someone else. Who knows." She shrugged as they sauntered over to their usual table.

Connor ordered two ciders from Corrine. "Hmm, sounds like quite the adventure. After all of this you left the brotherhood?" Corrine came back with their drinks.

"Yeah, shortly after I had that realization I contacted some distant family from my father's side in France and fled there for some time." She sipped her cider, humming at the flavor. Connor sipped too and furrowed his brow.

"But you were victorious against them. Why after your exploits did you choose to leave?" She sensed that he didn't understand her logic. She leaned forward to explain further the position she was in.

"We were gravely outnumbered, even just by how advance their technology is and how many people they have on their side. They didn't even need people to spy on us, they've gathered information on us through this big web called the internet that connects everyone everywhere to everything. You don't have it here but it's big and it is a power too often abused by the Templars in the future." She leaned back and sipped her drink hoping he'd understand.

"Why then did you not fight back more? Would not a victory against them inspire hope to rise and fight?" He challenged her reasoning with his own. Sage sensed that he still didn't understand.

"Connor," She sighed, "Sometimes winning one battle doesn't mean you will win the war." He put his drink down. Connor couldn't grasp how she could just quit. It was so foreign to him, to accept the fact that your enemy has grown so big and that there is nothing left to do with life but survive.

"Maluhia, giving up hope is when you lost the war." She didn't process what he was accusing her of. But then it clicked and she put her drink down, resolve brewing in her to go there with him.

"It was hope that motivated me to leave Connor." Her tone became sturn with him. "You don't understand how big a monster the Templars turn into. You know what they do to Assassins in the future?" She glared at him, and he held her gaze."They kidnap us then torture us and experiment on us with their gadgets and new inventions. They don't even treat us like humans Connor. Don't preach to me about hope, when you yourself are here believing in something that can't even happen. No matter who wins the war." She plopped back down into her chair and took big angry gulps of her cider. Connor was burned by her words.

"Do not lecture me on wh-" He started raising his voice but Sage cut him off.

"Connor you have to understand that there's a thin line between being hopeful and being a fool." She stood up, regretting her words, and marched out, having finished her cider. Sage stomped off towards the manor and Connor followed her, leaving some coins on the table, catching stares from the others in the tavern as he jogged out.

"Get back here!" He yelled at her angrily, "We are not yet finished!" She picked up her dress and started running. He ran after her but she was faster and more nimble than him. Sage burst into the manor and charged into her room, locking the door behind her. It was getting darker out so she lit the nearest candle with the lighter from her backpack. She heard Connor's hard footsteps.

"Maluhia!" He banged on her door, "Open this door." His voice was angry and he was determined to give her a piece of his mind. "You think yourself better for losing hope? For living a sad life cooped up, always running from what you fear! You live your life in fear! No wonder you left the brotherhood, you are not fit to be one of us!" He shouted through the door and marched back downstairs, slamming the front door behind him.

The sun was just rising and the sky was in shades of light blue. Connor saddled his horse at the stables and rode off, leaving early to avoid a run in with Sage. They haven't talked to each other since last night and he believed time apart would do them good. As he rode through the homestead he decided that thinking of her would only prove to be a distraction, so he carried on, blocking her out, focusing on how to make sense of things with his father. But truth be told, there were sometimes his mind..wandered.

Sage on the other hand couldn't stop thinking about how things could've gone differently that night at the tavern. I should apologize. No he should. He's the one who accused me first. Don't you want things to work out with him? Ugh, why is he so intense? Maybe try being humble Sage, for once in your arrogant life apologize first. Why did you say all that? He's your friend. To take her mind off the situation she sparred with the dummy in the secret room for some time until Achilles came down to speak with her

"Sage," Achilles walked down the stairs slowly. She turned to face him, sweaty and red. "You making all this noise won't help me anymore than that man who left in such haste this morning. Tell me, Sage, what is troubling you?" She stood with her hand on her hips.

"We had an argument, that's all." She went back to hitting the dummy.

"And what about this argument troubles you." She stopped and sighed

"The fact that I was right."

"And what is it that you were right about?"

"That no matter who wins this war, his people will be in danger of losing their home." She sighed and remembered that she really does know the outcome of what happens to the natives of this land. Her home, Hawaii was bombarded by white men as well.

"Ah, and you know this because it is history where you come from." He nodded and processed out loud what it was she was getting at. He walked over to the table and faced the targets on the wall.

"He will persist though Achilles. Why does he choose to aid the patriots? They will be the very ones who steal his people's land. I know this because they came and took over my homeland. As if they had a right to it." She walked up next to Achilles and faced the targets too, waiting for his answer.

"Connor is a very..determined individual. He will persist and do whatever it is he can to protect his people, even if he knows the outcome, he will continue to believe he can do something to change it." They both shook their head, not in disappointment but awe, pondering why it was he remained so hopeful.

"How can he be so hopeful? I knew when to pull back and it saved my life and now I'm here changing the future just by my presence. But he continues to fight an enemy much bigger than he is." Sage sighed and realized he will fight for that which he holds dear, no matter what it may cost him. Something resembling shame and regret washed over her when she thought of her choice to leave the brotherhood. "If you were to ask him why he remains and persists he will give you the same answer he gives everyone." Achilles turned and started walking over to the stairs. Sage thought about his words then asked, "And that answer would be?"

"If not I, then who?" He quoted Connor as he trudged his way up the stairs.

A whirlpool of emotions swirled in Connor's heart. He was on his way to the homestead from his village, the blood of his best friend staining his hands and burning his heart with shame and anger. Betrayal had a bitter taste on his tongue, his father knew of the attack on his village and played it off as if he didn't. Under the cover of the darkness, he let himself feel anguish and perhaps shed a few tears on his ride back. As he neared the border of the homestead, he remembered the argument between him and Sage and his heart became more heavy, thinking of her harsh words. Does she speak the truth of this war? He denied it and set his mind on no longer exploring what she might've meant. They spoke of freedom and equality, but for who? Landed white men? What of people like me and Maluhia and Achilles? There was so much on his shoulders at the moment he knew not what to do with it all.

Connor steered into the stables and entered into the house from the back door. He quietly went to his bedroom and closed the door, hoping she was already sleep.

A/N: Yo yo yo. Getting wild up in the homestead. I've had so much time to write and it seems that now that my abundance of time may be coming to an end. I have been updating a lot because of that reason. I have started chapter 4 so fear not. Love you all and please leave a review 3 -M