Once in the house, the wooden door was closed and locked. Warm air wrapped around Connor leaving the cold behind, he breathed in a lungful of warm air. A tall man with dark hair took Emilia's coat and Connor declined him taking his. "How's Tom, Betty?" Emilia asked the woman in the apron.
"Asleep." Betty replied.
"His fever still hasn't broken." The tall man said.
Emilia sighed and rubbed her face. "Get Dr. Walton back here, Jake, let's see if he can do something." Jake nodded and fetched his coat. "Betty, keep an eye on him while we," she gestured to Connor, "get down to business."
Betty nodded her head "I will" and disappeared up the stairs as Jake left to fetch the doctor.
"Come on, Ratonhnhaké:ton- you don't mind me calling you that, do you?" Emilia asked quickly.
Connor paused for a moment. "I do. Refer to me as Connor in public."
Emilia smiled at him and nodded. "Come on. I'll show you Halon's work."
Connor followed behind Emilia taking in his surroundings. The walls were dotted with painting of the former owner and his family. The red carpet was discoloured where people walked and the wooden furnishings matched the warm décor. The house had a slightly smoky smell to it, perhaps it were the fires going out, he wasn't sure.
Emilia talked as Connor gazed around. His horse was taken to their stables. The house he now walked in once belonged to her trainer, who she liked to call mentor, and when he was killed in Europe the house was left to another one of his apprentices- Thomas Chilton- to take care of it and her. In Halon's Will it stated that once she completes this mission she would be she would be a fully fledged Assassin being allowed her Assassin robes. Emilia also told Connor that that he would have to share a room with her as Jake and Betty, and Tom took the other two rooms in the house. He didn't mind.
Emilia retrieved a key from a panel in the wall and turned it in the lock in the door. She struck a match on the wall and lit a lamp. They walked down the wooden stairs into the basement.
The familiarity of the cellar hit Connor like a ton of bricks. It looked remarkably like the Davenport manor basement but without the training circle in the middle or the clothes holders on the wall. It did have a large round table in the middle with pictures and notes littered on it and chairs sat around it.
Emilia gestured for Connor to sit at a chair while she grabbed a few other things. A lone candle flickered in the middle of the large wooden table.
Emilia pushed a chair aside and stood opposite Connor. "Right, first things first." She pointed to a portrait of a middle-aged man with dark stubble and salt and pepper hair. His green eyes stared into the outside world. He had a small scar on the bridge of his nose.
"He also has a scar on his chin where I sliced him one but other than that he looks like his paintings." She told him.
Connor nodded.
She gave some notes and reports of his deeds to Connor- they were handwritten by Halon. "Jeremiah Blackwell is an English, aristocratic man with many connections within the British army and with the Templars. He abuses his authority to end the lives of innocent men, women and children around Europe and the Colonies. He has committed many offences, forgery, rape, murder- to name a few, and he hasn't been prosecuted because of his ties."
Connor listened on. "Halon, mainly, and I have tracked him across Europe and the Colonies and now he is here in Boston. Fort Hill."
"He is close." Connor said.
"Indeed. This is our chance to strike." She handed Connor a map of the area surrounding the Fort. "He will be staying in the Fort for the next week. He only leaves on errands and when he needs to pay a visit to army generals." She pointed to the red circles, "Those are where the guards are placed," Emilia ran her finger along a thick black line, "this is his journey he takes when visiting army generals and it is when we shall strike, tomorrow at dusk." She pointed at buildings along the route. "He stops at this Adams Tavern midway through each journey without fail; we shall hit him after he's had a few drinks as he passes over this bridge. One of us will hide on this opposing roof while the other will wait under the bridge and pick off his escort."
"Do we kill him then or hold him?"
Emilia grinned, "Oh, we hold him."
Connor didn't like the look in her eye when she said that. She was going to do more than hold him for information. She's going to do much worse.
"Questions?" She asked looking to Connor.
He studied the painting before looking up. "Does this man know Charles Lee?" Connor asked, that name left a bad taste in his mouth.
Emilia looked shocked that he knew of Lee. "Well, yes, he does. He runs the occasional errand for him. Why?"
"Charles Lee burned my village and killed my mother."
Emilia sat down. "Damn... well, perhaps we can kill two birds with one stone?"
Connor nodded and his mouth twitched. "I like that idea."
Emilia smiled back, "Me too."
Breaking the silence was Betty thundering down the stairs. "Millie! It's Tom!" The fair haired woman shouted urgently.
Emilia jumped out of her chair and was halfway up the stairs before Connor knew what was happening. So he left his seat and rushed after her. "Where's Jake with Walton?!" He heard her shout from above him. Emilia had reached the stairs as Connor left the basement.
"I don't know!" Betty quickly replied hot on the young woman's heels.
Connor followed the women up to the first floor and to the third and last room on the left. Betty rushed out of the bedroom as Connor approached. He peered into the room to see Emilia frantically trying to cool a very ill man down. Sweat beaded down his forehead and his dirty blonde hair stuck to his pale face.
Betty rushed past Connor carrying a bowl of cold water and some rags. She set the bowl down on the table beside the bed, dipped a rag in it and placed it on Tom's forehead.
Connor spun around, he heard the front door open. He turned back to the room. "I think Jake is back with the doctor."
"Get them!" Emilia shouted.
Connor nodded and hurried down the hall, he stood at the top of the stairs looking down at Jake and the doctor. "Tom has worsened! They need the doctor." He told them.
Walton and Jake dashed up the stairs, past Connor, down the hall and into Tom's bedroom where Walton pushed everyone out to work.
Emilia stood beside Connor who watched the proceedings from the opposite wall. "He's been like this for over a week." She said with a sigh. She raked a hand through her hair, keeping her eyes downcast. "I doubt he will last the winter..."
Connor watched her. Her shoulders dropped and he noticed her fighting back a trembling lip. He could tell she cared dearly for Tom. From how much he was told about Tom he figured their relationship was a good one. They looked after each after the death of Halon and they trained each other both being Halon's apprentices.
Emilia breathed deeply and stepped forward shaking her head, "I can't afford to think like that," she started down the corridor, "I'll show you the Fort, the tavern and the bridge."