The story of Mallory
She grew up with no family support; her parents had jobs that prevented them to spend time with her. She ran away and is now trying to survive. But, who is this mysterious woman and man that appear at the most thankful time? She had to find out… OC-centric
Why is he so sharp and sensitive?
After Connor left, Mallory had also ran away from the alleyway. Her steps were light, delicate in every way so as to not leave any footprints behind. She didn't need any redcoats tracking her down by her footprints. They had already caused enough trouble not ten minutes ago. She had no need for them to draw any more attention to her. It would just be unnecessary and since she liked to keep to the darkness, it didn't fit her very well- being the center of attention.
So, she walked out of the alleyway without anyone noticing. Of course, she checked if there were any redcoats before stepping out of her dark sanctuary. The man- Connor- was still on her mind. There were so many questions she wanted to ask before he had left, but didn't have the courage to stop him. She didn't have any other business with him in the first place and he had only captured her out of pure luck. Mallory didn't have her guard up, so it was only by chance.
But the name he had called her by- Kanatiio- was completely foreign to her. It sounded awkward on her tongue and tasted bitter. It was almost like it unlocked some sort of memory that was hidden inside. But what did she know? She was only a simple and homeless twelve year old girl that had abandoned her parents two years ago. Surely they didn't miss her… They didn't care about her after all.
Her heart suddenly felt heavy, regrets were weighting it down. Her stomach formed an uncomfortable knot and it was sickening. How could she think about how they feel now? They had practically deserted her for their jobs. They weren't very stable in terms of, well, everything. Her parent's relationship has been rocky ever since she'd remembered, her financial status was nothing to be envied and the place she lived in was anything but gorgeous. Unlike the city people, as she liked to call them, she was better off fending the white faces by her; solitary was what she had previously desired.
And that thought alone brought a tear down her face. Why had she not lived like the children in her small village? They were happy and carefree, with their parents… Their smiling faces and innocent laughter, she even had her own team going on in there. Mallory doubted that they'd even cared about her anymore after she had ran away. The adults in the village were nice and warm to her, filling up the hole her parents had left. She didn't even know what her parents looked like now.
"When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
And the bullets catch in her teeth
Life goes on, it gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear a waterfall
In the night the stormy night she'll close her eyes
In the night the stormy night away she'd fly…" It was song she had learnt when she was about five. Ever since, it had been her favourite song. She had remembered it by heart and could play the melody with any instrument, already knowing the notes needed. And in some odd way, it just felt like it was her song; like it was written for her. But that thought was silly; why would anyone waste their time and write a song for her?
Too caught up in her thoughts, she didn't even notice that her legs had brought her into the woods. She shifted uncomfortably as the cloth she wore was not made for this kind of weather. Then again, she had run away when it was summer. How foolish for her to not bring anything with her that night. Well, she couldn't go back now. It was too late for her and her weak apologies. Plus, would the adults really believe her if she did apologize?
With a few sticks she had found on the ground, she set up a small campfire. With her hidden blade free from its bracer, she held it tightly in her hand and set out to go hunting for possibly a rabbit and if she was lucky, a wolf or a deer. The thought of catching a wolf in the dark night made her smirk. In fact, the thought of catching any animals in the darkness would send adrenaline pumping in her veins. The rush made her feel alive and ready to go searching for her food.
She stood up, her hand clutching the blade tightly. It was life or death in this world she lived in, and she was going to go out fighting even if it kills her. So, she started walking carefully, cringing every time the snow underneath would produce a crunching sound with every single step. Still, she walked slowly, her back straight on the trunks of tree and sliding from one to another.
After a few minutes of nothing and with her preparing to climb up a tree to get a better view of everything, she heard a growl. Her head whipped from side to side, trying to find out what that was. If it was a snow wolf, it would be her luck. If not, she would have to settle for a simple rabbit even though she didn't want to.
The growl came out again and she backed herself further up the tree out of natural instinct. She breathed in and out slowly, steadying her heartbeat before stepping away from the tree to put up a braver font. Her lips pulled downwards when she heard footsteps away from her. Following her instincts, Mallory ran towards the fleeting footsteps. When she got a closer look, she smirked. A snow wolf was in front of her, snarling.
She stood her ground and leaned forward and bit, her hands outstretched a little and her fingers curled slightly in a motion that obviously said 'bring it on'. The wolf growled again, getting ready to pounce on Mallory. The girl continued to taunt the wolf with little gestures, and the effect she wanted was obviously shown. The wolf pounced on Mallory. She anticipated this move and swift stepped out of the way. With her hand tightly gripping the blade, she charged at the animal and scratched its hind leg. The wolf whimpered softly before turning to her. She had her back towards the wolf and that was when it pounced on her again. She ducked when the wolf jumped and raised her arm; the sharp blade scratched the wolf's stomach.
It fell in front of her, whimpering almost like it was begging for mercy. In one swift motion, Mallory stabbed the wolf in its stomach and gutted it. The wolf howled loudly before turning silent, its eyes empty. The heavy feeling in her heart was back when she stared into those eyes. She bent down, lifted her hand to the wolf's head and closed its eyes gently, "I am sorry, my friend…"
She dragged the body back to her makeshift base. When she reached, she laid the wolf down gently like it was still alive. She then sat beside the wolf and began skinning it. The fur could make a small blanket for her and when she was to walk again, she could use it to shield her body from the winter winds. After she was done skinning it, she proceeded to cut off all its limbs and roasted the legs on top of the blazing fire. When the meat was turning a light brown, Mallory lifted it off the 'stove' and started with the rest of the legs.
After she was done cooking the limbs, she glanced over at the body and prepared her blade again. First, she sliced off the head and cut open its mouth. Carefully, she plucked out the teeth one by one. Then, she shakily dug out some of the soft snow and the dirt covered under the heavy layer of snow. When she estimated at length and width of the wolf, she dug deeper and wider until she got to her estimation. Carefully, she pushed the body inside in to the ground that acted as a grave for the poor animal.
When she could finally cover up the hole with soil and dirt, Mallory walked up to her camp and started eating the legs slowly. The bitter taste of the animal stayed on her tongue after she had finished one limb and moved onto the other. Was it possible to say that she was still a little girl now? She doubted it, but still hoped. It was the small light of hope in her hands that she didn't want to let go. It was the small light that made her keep moving.
So, why did it feel like it would be flying away because it was tired of Mallory's thinking process, because it had found a new and better owner? She didn't think she would have cried that hard any other time in her life as she wrapped herself up in the wolf's ticklish yet soft skin around herself to keep her out of the cold winter night…
A/N: I originally planned for this to be less depressing but my fingers were just typing away. And yes, this chapter focuses more on Mallory and how she would survive in the forest. She inherited her love for animals and hunting skills form Connor. Although I doubt that he would be sorry about killing something that was about to attack him, I found that Mallory would act like that; as if the wolf was an assigned target. She will be looking into her assassin lines soon so don't worry!
Disclaimer: Assassin's Creed belongs to Ubisoft. Paradise belongs to Coldplay. Mallory belongs to me.