Disclaims: I do NOT own Assassin's creed, nor the games plot!
Chapter 3 for you :D I hope you like it, and I know that things a going pretty slow here in the start, but don't worry, soon we will follow the game ^^
This is kind of a boring chapter I guess, but oh well, hope you like it anyway :)
Thank you for all the reviews and faves! :D It makes me very happy that people actually will follow this story ^^
I have to apologize for all those emails about that chapter 2 were released again and again, but as you probably know, FF. net have given me some troubles with the correction thing _ unfortunately!
As I have said before: if you check my profile, you will could find a link to my DA profile and there you can see pictures of/to this fanfiction :D
Enjoy!
Chapter 3: A Mark Made By Fire
All happy things have to end, and so did ours. Maria had come into the room seeing us laughing and teasing each other. She looked at us for a short while with a smile, but then declared that Petruccio had to get some sleep. As the servant that I was, I bowed short for my master's words and began my way out of the room with Ezio at my heels. We walked side by side along the small corridor. It wasn't unpleasant to walk beside him. My weird mood didn't seem to disturb me this time. Which was great; I wouldn't end up saying something stupid again… I hope.
"You know, you don't have to bow every time we say or ask you to do something." His voice was friendly and his eyes were kind as he looked down at me. I didn't really say anything to that, just nodded a little nod. My eyes kept their place on him for a little moment. I was beginning to think that I should give the man a chance, give him some slack. I pulled my gaze to myself when he again looked at me. He must have felt my glance.
"So, why did you get a job here? Padre (father) has never really felt like he needed another maid." I knew this question would come sooner or later, so it didn't surprise me, not that it should have.
"Well, Annetta found me in an ally, and when I told her that I had lost my memory, she got me this job, just 'till I can find head and tail in all of this." His gaze at me was now a little shocked and he suddenly stopped in the middle of the corridor, looking at me. I turned around as soon I found out that he wasn't keeping up.
"You lost your memories?"
"Yeah, I can't remember how I did. Ironic." I think his aura held something, because I kind of liked to tease him, but of course I kept a little innocent smile at my lips while I spoke.
"Then what about your family? Your friends?" So many questions were burning inside him, and I couldn't even answer them all.
"I don't know. I don't feel like I have somebody waiting for me. But what do I know, I don't have a memory" I joked a little but he had turned so serious, just staring at me like he would solved the mystery by looking at me. "Keep staring all you want, I am not going to be prettier – or get my memory back for that matter." He sighed, seeing that I wasn't actually in the mood to think about what had been lost.
"What a shame. You sure could use a little with those looks of yours," he teased, I open my mouth as if I was about to say something aloud, but only let a little whisper of a grin out. I shook my head a little and rolled with my eyes. But he wasn't going to win this, so when he was beside me, I slammed my hand hard against his arm, just underneath his shoulder. He let a gasp of pain out and looked down on me again. I could see in his eyes he wasn't going to let me get away with that.
"That was for the peek you took when I was in bath!" I declared but that didn't help me a tiny bit. I bit my bottom lip and suddenly found myself running while laughing with Ezio sprinting behind to catch me, just so he could do whatever he had in mind. I could clearly see that gleam in his eyes, that bantering gleam. God, that only made me run faster.
We almost toppled the whole palazzo. Luckily we didn't break anything on our way, but the chances for it were a little to close for comfort. I guess that everything he and I did knock over, Ezio just nearly caught it before the thing was landing on the ground.
I got to the pillar at the stairs where I took a good hold of it, just so I could spin myself around it and changed the course to down the stairs. That was when I felt Ezio's hands around my hips, just as I was about to take the first step down, holding me away from my freedom, and closer to the plan that he had in mind.
"I must say, I didn't expect you to be that fast!" He said with a little breathless voice, I myself was rather breathless too.
"And I didn't expected you to be so slow," I rallied and looked at him with a teasing gaze. I could feel how his big, strong chest raised and sank in large movements as his lungs captured the lost air.
"Hey! Be nice" He said, maybe a little offended by it but he still had a friendly gleam.
"Out ran by a 'mere' girl, Ezio. How slow can you get?" I was playing with fire, I knew that, but it was still funny.
"You surely aren't just a mere girl! -But you asked for it" The voice he used was dangerous and teasing and then he began to tickle me. That took me by surprise. That wasn't something I had the slightest idea that he would do, but he did it and I began to wring in his grasp while laughing loud.
"EZIO STOP! Hahaha, please stop!" I cried out desperately trying to get out of his hold. Well one thing is for sure; I found out that I was ticklish. Not necessarily a good thing when you're in a company with a certain Ezio Auditore.
Gone in the laughter, I didn't see Maria come to a stand at the bottom of the stairs, looking a little surprise over our game. I froze when I realized she was there and Ezio soon followed after. But Ezio just looked fine, but I was more nervous. What wouldn't she think of me.
"Hello mother," Ezio bluntly said, not the slightest embarrassed about holding a servant in his hands and tickling her – oh well, this is Ezio we are talking about.
"If you two are finished playing, I would like you to help me, Oria." Her voice was calm, not a blaming or offended by any means. Actually she was more tolerant then I had expected which got me relaxing again – but I guess with three young boys in the family you get used to it.
I became muted but of course I nodded, but I wasn't free from Ezio yet, and he didn't look like one who would let go anytime soon, so with a fast movement with my foot I tramped over one of his feet with my thick sole. The poor guy hissed out of the suffering I had put him through in the split moment and let me go in the same moment. I began to move quickly down the stairs to Maria who was waiting for me as I got free. Ezio just stood there, silence as he rubbed his sore foot. Looking at him for one last time over my shoulder, I caught eye contact with him but instead of a smile, I send him a goodbye with my tongue. Of course, he only grinned at me, but he had an annoying satisfied smile on his lips and eyes that could devour me, which I didn't understand why – but I would in time.
"I know that smile." Ezio turned to see his big brother, Federico, look at him with his arm crossed and a big amusing smile on his lips.
"Fratello, (brother) what's up?" Federico just shrugged and began to move closer to Ezio.
"Nothing much, but I see you have your head full of plans. What, another conquest?"
Ezio chuckled. "Federico, you see right through me."
"Don't underestimate me, Ezio; I am your big brother. It's the new girl, I presume?" Federico grinned as he took place just beside Ezio, learning against the railing and looked down on the girl who was almost out of sight. She couldn't hear them, which they knew, so they didn't subdue their voices.
"Not a surprise, I have been taught by the best," Ezio teased. They both knew it was meant to the girl-passion thing. Ezio took a last long look at the girl and then answered with his strong voice.
"Si, nothing like a bello (Beauty)." He smiled at his brother who grinned with him as he dabbed Ezio on his shoulder. "You never change, my brother."
I must say, life was pretty nice at the moment, even though I had to wake up early and do a lot of things for some nobles. But they were not like those prig nobles that thought they were the only great thing in the world. They were kind and understanding. I owned a lot to them. But I could surely live without the dress. However, for now, I just let it pass my mind, and instead I tried to think about where I was supposed to be. Firenze was still too new to me—I wasn't sure were I was exactly.
But Claudia was my heroine; she saw me and my more or less confused face. She had walked with steady measures towards me, and when I finally laid my eyes on her, I couldn't stop a smile. I finally saw someone familiarly in this crowd of obscurity. By her side an unknown man walked with her, holding her hand in his, so there must have been a relationship going on.
"Oria, you look a little lost, do you need some help?" I nodded a little rapidly.
"Yes, I forgot the way back to the palazzo, and I was only supposed to get something for Maria, and look at me now." I tossed a little around with my arm movements so the whole I-don't-know-where-I-am-thing got more effect.
"Calm down, Oria, I will walk with you home." My heroine. Right then, I could give her a kiss of joy, but because of a few things I didn't do it, I don't think the man beside her would have been so happy about that either.
"But I don't want to ruin your date." I looked at the man; he didn't look too pleased about the fact that I would nab his precious Claudia, but she just brushed it off.
"Don't worry, I was about to go home anyway." With that she turned around and kissed the guy goodbye. I didn't listen to what they said. As soon the guy was gone, walking in another direction, she turned to me, smiling and then grabbed my hand and leaded the way.
I could almost feel how eager Claudia was, surely she wanted me to ask about the guy, not that I cared that much, but to make her happy I did it.
"So, can I ask about the guy?" I made a curious face at her, and I could see how she had held the whole thing in.
"He is my fiancé, his name is Duccio. God, I am so lucky, he is everything I dreamed of, and need." I just smiled at her, I knew I wouldn't have to ask about a thing, the girl said the whole thing herself, she was like a storm passing by. She'd talk and talk, and she didn't even need questions to push her on. But it was a warming feeling I had, hearing how happy she was, how much she loved the guy. I really hoped for the girl that it would have a happy ending. You can always dream, I guess.
It was good to be back at the palazzo; it was identifiable and that had me relaxing already. Being out in the city not knowing if you were going the right direction or not was not a pleasant thing. I only looked a little around when I made my way into the palazzo. I was finally beginning to believe that this place was real. I know it sounds stupid, but that was just the way things were in my head.
As I had been told, I walked over to Giovanni' office, knocked gently on the door but I didn't get any kind of response so I opened the door a little and took a peek inside. Nobody was there and I made my way into the room. My shoes made little resounds as I walked in, my steps turned automatically lighter, as if I had done something wrong and was trying not to get attention. Like a child that was about to steal cookies.
When I came to the large, dark desk I placed the little painting and some documents that I had been asked to pick up for Maria. It was here that I suddenly realize the stupid bandage. I hadn't discovered yet what was underneath it. And of course I got the urge to do it right there and now, in the office, and why I did it there? I bloody don't know.
The bandage was a lot harder to get off then I had expected, and I suddenly end with a letter knife in my hand, trying to cut the bandage off. It did succeed, when Giovanni came into his office. I could have scream, run, done something, but instead I just stood there, totally frozen but in the end, I ended with the words: "Hey" and a letter knife in my waving hand.
I could slap myself hard in my face, if it wasn't for Giovanni who sure looked surprise. And there, right there the stupid bandage got cut through, and revealed something I never had thought about.
"What are you doing in here?" Giovanni came closer to me as he asked, but then saw it, saw the burn mark on my forearm.
He suddenly took a hard grip at my arm, took the arm closer to him. I actually got a little shocked by it, but didn't say anything to his behavior.
"W-well, Maria asked me to retrieve some things for you and I just put them on… your desk" My voice faded out as he suddenly looked at me again. He was studying me, like he didn't believe what he saw. The burn mark was formed like a V, with the ends arched out towards the center, and it was an inverted V. But in the middle there was a small round ball with some small patterns.
"How did you get that?" He asked, and I was seriously beginning to get worry and a little terrified about this. I didn't answered, what should I say? I didn't remember anything about my past. I didn't even know what the mark stood for. When he saw my face, my startled eyes, his face got more serene as he became more clam. The hold in my arm softened a little, but he took one more look before letting go of my arm. It was like something wasn't the way it should. I quickly removed my arm to along my side, and made my other hand cover for the burn mark.
"Mi scuso (I apologize) for my behavior." I just shook my head without any sound.
"It's okay, I will just get back to my duties." But before I could do anything Giovanni interrupted me.
"Oria, whatever you do, don't show that mark to anyone you don't trust, understand?" I looked confused, but his gaze wasn't something I could question about. I just nodded and move with heavy, loud feet out from the office. I actually ran up the stairs, going with a fast steady speed towards Petruccio' door – why I went to his room, I do not know, but when I opened the door, looking at the confused but happy boy, my mood got better just by looking at him.
"Oria is there something wrong?" I just shook with my head as I walked over to him, trying to smile a convincing smile, but it wasn't entirely successful. But he didn't begin to dig in it, and just moved on to a new subject – which pleased me quite a bit.
"Oria can you tell me another story?" He begged me deeply with his eyes, they where almost like puppy eyes. Of course I couldn't say no to that, and I just let a soft smile on my lips as answer.
The sun was setting, leaving only the last few of golden drops on the sky from the soon sleeping sun. Twinkling stars were bright as silver that night, only a few were hiding behind a cloud or two. In the big Auditore palazzo, most people were about to make themselves ready for the heady sleep that lied ahead. In one of the grand rooms, the two proud parents were almost ready.
Maria had just put on her nightgown, now sitting on a little chair behind a small desk with some accessories lying on the table and a mirror standing up against the wall. She was just laying the last of her jewelries back to those small boxes she kept them in for protection. Giovanni had almost just begun to take his clothes of, while Maria had moved and now was sitting on their grand bed.
"The new girl, Oria, sure have an effect on Petruccio, he looks almost as if he is ready to come outside and discover the world." Maria said, looking pleased at her husband, who now turned to look at her.
"Your right, she has a positive effecting on him… but something isn't right about that girl." Giovanni said in wonder, pressing his eyebrows a little tighter. The burn mark had been exactly like the assassin's, but then there was that ball inside the symbol. It could be false but the details were fare to well made, to just simply be a fake.
"You are talking about the mark, aren't you?" Maria interrupted her husband's thought. He looked yet again at her, smiled soft to her. He had told her about it.
"I think you're looking too much into this. Come my love, you are too tired for this now. It has been a long day." Maria held out her hand towards Giovanni, waiting for him to come to bed. Giovanni came closer, took her hand, and learned down to her, letting his lips sealed with hers for a brief moment.
"I think we should promote Oria to be Petruccio storyteller, " Maria said with a joyful voice as she pulled the blanket over her, looking at Giovanni who was about to take the lights life.
"Let's talk about that later." That was Giovanni's last words before he got himself under the blanket to his lovely wife.
One day took the other, I was finally getting the hang of the most things that had to be done in the palazzo, and now I could remember the whole layout of building, but that you couldn't quite say about the city, so Annetta had made that arrangement that I would go out to do the shopping so I could get the city's layout in my head too. But to make sure that I knew my way around in the city, she had made a little map for me. Where she got the ideas I seriously didn't know - but God I love the most of them. As the days had progressed, my relationship with the little Auditore got better and better. I actually became his storyteller, an entertainer you could call me. I loved that title, and then I didn't need an excuse to actually use my time with Petruccio. You could call him my closest friend, almost a little brother.
Like the day before I was now out in the city, walking through the streets with mass of population, but I was heading away from the market, and there were always a lot of people going there or coming from there at mid-day. My basket was full of vegetables and fruit. We were going to make an apple pie. I guess you always can eat sweets, just thinking about it made my mouth water.
I was wandering in my own thoughts, just on my way home, when I began to hear loud noises from behind. It was like a wake up call. I was only slightly beginning to turn around when it was like a massive air wave collided against me, but I soon had other things to think about. In the next moment I was running not even knowing why or how. But the seized on my wrist did tell my about another presence.
Why wasn't it a surprise to see Ezio?
I almost lost all the food in the basket when we suddenly turned hard right, straight into an ally.
"GOD DAMN EZIO, WHY THE HELL ARE WE RUNNING?" I yelled harshly and then met his brown bright eyes with adrenaline overflowing in them. He had been running for some time now obviously—I could tell; a few sweat drops were drifting lazy down his temples without a care for the world, but he only had a smirk on his face, telling that he was having fun.
"Well bello, use your eyes and you will be able to tell that Vieri de Pazzi and his men really doesn't like me or my family"
"Should I know this Vieri?" I snarled with a frowning face. He didn't look at me, but I could still see some of his face with its childish glow. I took a look behind us, just to regret it a few seconds later. A whole group of men was after us, running theirs lungs out of breath just to catch this playful noble boy.
"And why am I running too?" I asked annoyed but he didn't have to answer that, the other men did it a few seconds after.
"CATCH them, don't let them get away!"
Why was I suddenly a target? However, with those words yelled out, my legs began to run along Ezio. He didn't need to drag me anymore, but he was abruptly a lost faster than I had ever imaged him to be. The run in the palazzo didn't even make up for this, I kind of felt cheated.
Luckily for us, the small ally did its trick; the men behind us couldn't filter through in a big group. I was only running a little behind Ezio, so we didn't have problems. But suddenly I felt his strong grip around my torso, and then he more brutally threw me up onto his shoulder. I didn't even have the time to contradict him.
Then he jumped up on a little wagon with a white blanket thrown on it, after that he began to climb. I was shocked, really! My fingers curled in to the fabric of his dark vest with the silver like patterns on. I tried to hide my head in his back to not look down on the men that now tried to follow us.
"EZIO AUDITORE DA FIRENZE, I HATE YOU!" I screamed my lungs out, and hit him in the back as we finally were on the rooftop. He just chuckled a little, but then began to ran, still with me on his shoulder. I was hanging like a bag of potatoes.
"Hey, stop! STOP I said. Let me down NOW!" Fizzling, I saw how I was losing the food, it was all over the place and my mood was serious in a low level now. I hissed and slammed my elbow in the back of his head as to show my dissatisfaction over this situation. I didn't have time for the men that were after us, neither did I hear them now. The anger and irritation was making my ears deaf for other sounds. Ezio coughed a little of pain, when he felt the pain spread in the back of his head.
"Do you want me to drop you?" He asked with a little irritated voice, but only a little.
"NO, I want you to set me down this instant!" I hissed.
"Then they will get you, you know"
"I don't care. I have done nothing wrong other then knowing you that is!"
"Such gratitude. They will rape you if they get you, and then I will have to save you again so, just be quite and let me do the running." This time his voice was more serious, more hard, but of cause he let his sentence end with a little teasing.
"Again? What the hell are you saying? You have never EVER saved me before! And I will never need to be rescued by you. I can handle things myself" I had the right to get angry right? This was no pleasant ride, it was bumpy and my torso was aching from lying on his shoulder.
"I don't doubt that – but please why don't you just enjoy the ride?"
"There is nothing to enjoy, you know!" I snarled, trying to look at his face, but the only thing I could see what his strong, thick neck and a little of his dark brown hair in that little ponytail of his. If it wasn't for the fact that I was hanging on his shoulder, bumping around, then maybe I would had study his body shape some more. Yes, he had a strong, muscular body, and the neck was no exception.
"Don't worry, I know that you didn't mean what you just said" I know he was teasing me, but I was just to caught up in the irritation that I couldn't keep my voice straight from the skeptical and serious tone.
"I meant everything I just said, saying and am going to say!" This time he ignored me, turning his attention to the running, still with me on his shoulder. I sighed, just laying my head against his back again, hoping that this nightmare would end soon.
The bumpy ride was near its end and then I was finally down from his shoulder, standing on the rooftop which we apparently still were on. Not knowing why left me with a question look at Ezio who just had a warm facial expression. The air was light and cooler up here, it was fresh. It was a great feeling but I had other things to think about. Before I could say anything, he held a finger up in the front of my face to silence me. I closed my mouth slowly, looking wary at him.
"Come with me, I have something to show you" He waved me with him, and I took one step after another closer to him, trying not to fall on the red bricks. But when it was failing he was fast to get a grip at my hand, holding me up. I looked with a little gratitude in my blue eyes. After that he never led go of my hand, as support.
"Where are we going? I need to buy the food again. I really don't have time for this Ezio," I complained in a more soft voice, but he just dragged me with him, not forceful, but still.
"You will get the time to do that, don't worry. If not, I will take the blame for the lost food." Normally I would have said something like "Where did that gentleman speech come from" but this time I was silent, just hoping that whatever he wanted me to see, it would be worth the time. But when I saw where he would take me to, I instantly stopped. I was not in the mood for more climbing.
"Ezio, you got to be kidding me!" I looked at him and then on the big tower which gloated over us and the city. But his face told nothing about how he was kidding or joking. I sighed by the sight. He was serious.
"Come on Bello, I will do the climbing, and you will be the 'bag'." Now he was teasing, calling me a bag, but God I just didn't want to discuss anymore so I surrendered. Soften my face and began to walk closer to the tower.
"I hope you know what you're doing!"
"I always do."
By this time, it was far more pleasant - well as pleasant it could get to be carried over ones shoulder like a bag. Not as bumpy as before, but the bumpy that there was couldn't be avoided. The thing that wasn't pleasant was looking down, seeing how the distance to certain death – which was the ground – grew closer as we came higher. I had sealed my eyes together, not wanting to see how it would end or how the hell we were supposed to come down again.
***
Wind, cool wind stroked me like a cat in my face, making my messy hair and dress dance in a light manner. The now messy ponytail I normally had was in a totally disorder, I knew it wouldn't make a different, so I pulled the lightly red band out of my hair, leaving it totally to the wind and it's movements.
I must say I was speechless, the scenery was beautiful. Time had gone so fast that the sun was already waving goodbye with a multicolored sky. The clouds was like painted, not white anymore; nothing was colorless. Ezio stood just a slightly behind me, not saying anything, letting me get all the silence I need to take this in.
"Wow!" It just slipped out from my mouth as I stared out in the horizon.
"I know." I only looked a little awry on Ezio. It was like my eyes were captured by the scene so they quickly turned back.
"I certainly didn't expect this," I said, looking at Ezio who now sat down on the roof, placing his arms on his knees.
"Haha, I know, because if you did, you surely wouldn't have screamed so much." Well, he was right. If I had knew this sight would be the surprise, I would certainly not had hesitated one bit. I sat down beside him, letting my hands run down the blue colored dress fabric from my butt to my thighs, to make sure I sat on the dress.
"You know what?" Ezio broke the silence after some time, I saw at him, waiting for him to continue. "You really don't seem too sorry about the memory lost." Okay that was pretty random, but I guess he just hadn't fully understand it, like it was even possible to lose every memory you had endured, experienced, not even knowing about your family, your friends or where you had lived. Those things were a part of you, they made you who you were, and I had just lost every single one of them.
I shrugged slowly, leaned back on my hands and closed my eyes for a bit. I could feel Ezio gaze on me. "Well I don't know about that, but it would be a waste of time to sorrow over something I can't even remember and miss the things that are happening now." I opened my eyes again, looking up at the red colored sky then to look at Ezio. He didn't seem to understand it totally yet though, but I guess time was the only thing that could make him understand.
"I have a question for you," I said while leaning forward as to get a better look at Ezio who now laid down on the bricks, with his arms behind his head, like some sun lion – I guess he was one, with that tainted sun brown skin of his, that sure just made the whole image of him as one hell of a hot guy complete. He looked up at me with that strong gaze of his – it was so devouring, in that small gaze I felt like he took a hold on my entire body. "Why did you take me up here?"
"I thought you would like it." He was right, I did like it, but something wasn't right, I was a mere servant nothing else, so why?
"Then I guess you have taken Annetta up here as well?" He sure looked surprise right now, that was certainly not something he had thought of, and his reaction did reveal that he hadn't. I just shook my head, sighting. "I really don't understand you," I just let out.
"I am the mystery itself" He joked and smiled teasing to me. Of course I smiled back, not going to let that go.
"I would rather say an idiota"
"Ouch, that hurt bello." He grinned and we sat there for a little time, but seeing that time was beginning to fly away to fast, I decided it was time to end this chit chat.
"So now you got us up, alive and all that, how the hell do we get down?" I raised a brow. He chuckled a little with closed eyes, but then just ended with his normal, warm smile – that bantering smile. It got me to shiver inside – he had something in mind that I certainly would regret.
"What a linguistic from such a young signora." I rolled with my eyes, blowing to my bangs that hang in front of my eyes.
"Just answer already" And so he did but not with a voice.
He raised himself up from the bricks, offered me his hand, which I gladly took to get up. But he didn't let go of my hand, pulled me closer, and then began to move over to the edge. I was beginning to panic – You never know what the crazy boy had I mind, but this, this was insane. He took me up like a bride in a fast movement, going out on a little ledge which was more like a stick in my eyes.
"Ezio, what the hell are–." I didn't get to finished that sentence before I found us soar in the air for a brief moment, and then we began to fall down. I gasped, almost digging my nails into his skin, and then my voice ripped the air in a scream but it was dead in a brief moment, strangled in my throat.
The next thing I knew, everything got black, I didn't feel my body, or Ezio. I thought I was dead, but that wasn't quite the thing that was going on…
"Come on Oria, you can do it, just jump and believe. If I can do the leap of faith so can you…"
Can you consider that as a cliffhanger? - not really, right? xD
I hope you enjoy! :D
Please review! :3
Thank you Mismatch-lover for your wonderful help! :DD
