Chapter Four:

The Wheels of Time and Life

2012

"We caught some boy snooping around the building," Bill announced to me. "By 'we', I mean Rebecca and myself. He tried to get away, but we caught him and sedated him. He's currently in your room, Samantha."

I smirked. "Great. I'll just sleep on the floor then."

"When we were trying to catch him, Bill called him a Templar," Rebecca said. "But he yelled back that he didn't know what we were talking about."

"Well, a Templar rarely tries to hide what they are," Shaun observed. "How old was this kid?"

"Dunno," Rebecca replied, shrugging. "He looked about Sam's age, though."

"Wonderful. Another idiot teenager." I shot Shaun a glare, which he gracefully returned. "Look, if he's not a Templar, then we're going to get it for kidnapping. We need to find out who he is, and fast."

"I think Rebecca should do it. I feel most comfortable around her, so she's easy to open up to," I said. Lucy could've helped, if only…

"I vote Sam!" Shaun exclaimed. "She needs to do something besides sulk!"

I glared at Shaun again. "I'm not sulking!"

"Bill told us how you were feeling about Walter," Rebecca admitted. "Sorry, but we have to get your mind off of Walter."

I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at Bill. "I really, really, really hate you, old man."

"Yes, well the feeling is mutual." Bill continued to search for the chest that held the Apple (since I hid it while he wasn't looking). "You know where he is. He should be coming to by now, so hurry up."

I stood up out of the chair and walked down to my room. The door was closed, and there was no movement on the other side. I was about to open the door when I heard a groan. I took my hand from the door handle and instead leaned against the door, sighing.

"Ugh…" The voice definitely belonged to a teenager, as it seemed to be deep enough. "My head…"

"I dunno what kind of sedation they used on you, but it doesn't sound enjoyable," I remarked. "Just take it slow when you're getting up."

I heard the person on the other side hesitate. "… Who's there?"

"First things first: are you thirsty?" I asked.

There was a pause, but I decided that was because the boy nodded, and then realized that I probably couldn't see him. "A bit hungry too, I guess."

"Then I'll grab you something. We can talk about names later. Just hold tight." I went to the apartment's makeshift kitchen and picked out some fruits and vegetables, as well as some tea. For some reason, tea was always calming to me. When I returned, I almost knocked on the door, but then realized that he couldn't open it anyway, since it was locked. Luckily, there was a small hatch that I could put stuff through. "I'm back. Here—this should do."

I left the food in the hatch and saw two hands slowly take their refreshments. The hands were pale and had a few scars on them, but it told me very little about the person in my room.

"Thank-you," he said as I closed the tiny hatch. "I take it that I'll be staying here for a while?"

"Just until we figure out who you are," I told him. "If you're a Templar, that means you won't be leaving here."

I heard him sigh. "Look, I'm not a Templar. That Order died out hundreds of years ago. Don't you think you're overreacting?."

I shook my head. "Dude, you have no idea."

"Dude…?" I heard him mutter under his breath. "I can tell you what I know, but it isn't much."

I leaned against the door casually. "What d'you mean?"

"All I remember is waking up and seeing some sort of… contraption. It slid into this strange thing I was lying on, and these men in red shirts grabbed me, shoved me into some sort of vehicle, and then dumped me not far away from this building." He groaned. "I wandered for a bit. I admit; I was scared of all the things I saw. It is not anything I'm used to. And then this old man and young woman were running at me, screaming 'Get the Templar!' at the top of their lungs. I ran, but it was like my body wasn't reacting to my commands, and they caught me." I heard him sigh and slide down the length of the door, until he was sitting on the ground. I mimicked him. "And then I woke up here, with only memories and a name. Everything else is so strange… Except for the tea. It's nice."

I chuckled. "Sounds like a pretty far-fetched story."

"I know. I don't believe it either."

"Some good things come out of not being sure though," I said. "I'll be back later. Enjoy the food."

2000

"Go away… Sleeping…" I mumbled as the light flicked on.

"We need to talk," I heard Jared say.

"About what?" I asked, yawning.

Jared sat on my bed. "About who the hell you are and how you're not dead."

"Hm?" I sat up in the bed and stretched. "I don't get it."

"You only said that you were our reinforcements," Jared explained. "Unless someone upstairs was extremely confident in your abilities, they wouldn't have just sent one Assassin to back-up an eight person team."

"Don't question the good things in life," I advised. "Now leave. I need sleep. I stayed up late making those bombs."

1199

"Remind me, Suna… how were we captured?" Abul asked me.

"You ran recklessly into a brawl and got us found-out," I replied with a scowl. "I told you not to run into it, but you never listen to me!"

A guard slammed the shaft of his spear into the side of my head. "Be silent, prisoner!"

I spat some blood out of my mouth and glared at Abul. "Thank-you," I mouthed to him.

He shrugged, but stayed silent. I stared up at the guard, my eyes furrowing. He looked at me uneasily and then twisted his spear around, aiming the tip at my head.

"Stop staring at me!" the guard ordered. When I didn't comply, he thrust the spear down.

I twisted out of the way just enough so that the ropes that tied my hands together would be cut. My hands free, I grabbed hold of the spear and flicked it upwards, hitting the guard's face. Before he could scream, I thrust the spear into his chest and released it, letting him fall.

"Well, I can honestly say that I thought you were about to die, Suna," Abul said. "Can you release me?"

I pulled the shortblade from the sheath on my back and cut Abul's bonds. "They are stupid for not taking our weapons, are they not?"

Abul nodded, rubbing his wrists. "Now, let's get the Lionheart!"

We climbed the ladder that ascended into the battlefield of Chateau Gaillard, where Richard the Lionheart's men were fending off bolts from crossbows. Abul and I snuck through the tents, using the shadows of the night as cover. I stopped Abul when I saw a red-headed man emerge from his tent, without any chainmail.

"That's him!" I told Abul. "Now, let's go!"

Just as I was making my move, Abul grabbed hold of my wrist and stopped me.

"Don't move," he advised. I felt the prick of a knife in my side, but it hadn't penetrated my skin.

"What is the meaning of this, Abul?" I snapped quietly, trying not to draw any attention to us.

Abul smiled. "Before you were put in the dungeons with me, the Lionheart gave me a choice: kill you and report your failure to the Grandmaster, or die here with you." Abul narrowed his eyes. "My choice is clear. I do not wish to die this day. Not when I have my life unlived."

I grabbed my shortblade as Abul stabbed his knife into my side. I gritted my teeth and brought my blade around, slicing his hand right off. I grabbed his dismembered hand and used it to pull the knife from my side, grunting in pain, and then tossed them both to the side. I glared at Abul, who was holding up his left hand, as if to stop me.

"S-Suna!" he begged. "I only wanted to live!"

I sliced his other hand off. He screamed in pain, but it was muffled by the sounds of battle. I kneeled beside him and put my knee on his chest.

"Please…!" he gasped.

"The one thing I hate above the Templars…" I said, as I raised the shortblade above my head. "… are traitors."

"No—!"

I plunged my shortblade into Abul's neck and stood up, holding my bleeding side. I wiped some sweat from my forehead as I realized that I might not finish this mission. No! I told Maria that I was going to be back! I promised Altair, Darim and Sef as well!

I slowly made my way around the camp, trying not to trip because of my blood loss. Finally, I saw Richard, and I approached him slowly.

"Ah, so you've finally come, Assassin," Richard said as he saw me approaching. "You're younger than I thought. And a girl. You are unexpected."

"I have come for your life," I told him. "You have committed crimes against humanity that you may never fully serve, and have made an enemy of the Assassin Order."

Richard nodded. "Of this, I am aware. Come, let us have a civil chat before you fall over." I was reluctant to, and stayed standing. Richard took his sword and tossed it into the darkness. "I will have someone bring you water and bandages."

I did not believe him. Richard rang a bell, and immediately four servants came rushing towards him. As soon as they saw me, they cringed, but I wasn't sure if it was because of my wound, my bloody shortblade, or the fact that they recognized my robes. Maybe all.

"Get bandages and water immediately," Richard commanded.

The servants nodded and rushed off. Richard sat at a table and motioned for me to do the same. Tentatively, I approached him and sat across from him.

"You are unused to your victims wanting to talk before they die?" Richard asked.

"I have never been sent on a mission before this one," I admitted. "You turned a brother against his Order, and I was forced to kill him."

Richard shook his head. "That was not my doing. In fact, that boy was the one who suggested your death."

"Forgive me, but I am unable to believe you."

"I am not asking you to." A servant came back and put two jugs of water on the table. I eyed it suspiciously. "What? Do you think I would poison you so that I may survive?"

I frowned, and down the glass, but it hurt my side. Finally, the servants returned with bandages, and Richard ordered them to tend my wound. They wrapped the bandages carefully underneath my outer-robe, but above my inner-robe.

"What is it you want?" I asked Richard. "You are my enemy, and you know why I have come, yet you are doing this for me."

Richard ordered the servants away. "Let's just say that I owe an Assassin for doing me a favour. William of Montferrat was killed in Acre eight years ago, and he was a thorn in my side. Now, I've lived life, and I want to see Heaven." Taking one last swig from his tankard, Richard smiled. "Whenever you're ready, Assassin."

I got up out of my seat and handed Richard a tiny pill. "My Grandmaster told me that if I found a worthy enemy, I was to give him this. Swallow it, and your death will be a slow, painless one. It will give you time to say good-bye to whoever you need to. Unless you would rather I kill you now?"

Richard took the pill and swallowed it, then took another quick drink to prove he had. "I have some things I must tend to yet. I thank you, Assassin."

"Think nothing of it."