The words Alty writes are from his codex and belong to Ubisoft (doesn't everything) I borrowed them nothing more.
A solitary candle burns in the master's study, it's small flickering flame barely enough to light the desk it rests upon but the gentle glow still manages to reach the woman standing in the doorway. She watches him as he crouches over his parchment, his still young face twisted into an ugly grimace which tears at her heart...
Leaning forward on the desk he tried to lift his head from his hand and found the weight too much to shift. Letting the inky quill now dripping onto the parchment drop from his fingers he rubbed his eyes, smudging them with the dark liquid he had intended to use to cover the paper. He had spent hours gazing into the apple letting it lead him where it would, to reveal to him more of its secrets but tonight he found himself incapable of shutting out the horror of what he had seen and documenting it with his usual dispassionate tone had proved impossible. So much death...
The sound of Malik's footsteps had now entirely faded and the apple was once again secure in its hiding place yet the Master of the assassins still keenly felt the artefacts presence in his core – his soul if you will.
The images of wars from the past or the future raced through his mind, visions of weapons so immense he could barely conceive of their origin or of the men who would dare unleash such a ruthlessly destructive, soulless thing upon the world. The faces of those it destroyed with clinical indifference -the guilty and the innocent alike succumbed – still foremost in his mind, still unable to relate their nightmarish fate to any form of justice as he understood the word. Taking up his quill he attempted to put thought to paper if for no other reason than he found the process cathartic.
The Apple is more than a catalogue of that which precedes us. Within its twisting, sparking innards I've caught glimpses of what will be. Such a thing should not be possible. Perhaps it isn't. Maybe it is simply a suggestion. How to know? How to be sure?
I contemplate the consequences of these visions: are they images of things to come – or simply the potential for what might be? Can we influence the outcome? Dare we try? And in so doing, do we merely ensure that which we've seen?
I am torn – as always – between action and inaction – unclear as to which – if either – will make a difference. Am I even meant to make a difference? Still, I keep this journal. Is that not an attempt to change – or perhaps guarantee – what I have seen?
Once more dropping the quill he found he had nothing more to add yet the questions he posed would dwell on in his mind leaving him seeking answers he would likely never find.
Maria stood in the doorway quietly watching her husband try to come to terms with whatever evil the damned thing had decided to share with him and felt the now familiar anger rise up in her stomach but anger had no place here - he needed a companion not a lecture. Sighing heavily she caught his attention and any trace of irritation vanished when she saw his tired smile.
"Most men spend the nights in bed with their wives but yours is a greedy mistress, not content with stealing your days she now demands your sleep."
He leaned back in his chair bracing himself for his wife now crossing the floor to him fully aware of her mistrust of the artefact he steeled himself for a quarrel. "Maria –"
"If it was another woman I could fight for you but no, there is no other woman on my husband's mind. His mistress is one I cannot hope to vanquish."
He smiled softly "You almost sound like you wish it were another woman."
"If you ever –"
"You would castrate me and hang her from the highest tower... But since there is no possibility of such a thing we need not dwell on it my love."
Her fingers trailed along the edge of his desk "What horrors did the beast show you this time?"
"It showed what people will do to each other in the name of God or expansion of their perceived territory... I wish we could rid them of these myths and illusions."
"You want to tell them there is no God?"
He shrugged lifting an eyebrow knowing his wife still clung to the idea of an afterlife. "We would then be free to fully explore our potential without the barriers of religion between us."
"If there is no reckoning, no accountability then what is to stop the people from rising up against the powers that be?"
"We should be able to evolve beyond the need for such threats as hell." He rubbed his forehead, his frustration once more growing. "Maria mankind will do each other great harm all in the name of one god or another imagine what we could achieve if we channelled that energy elsewhere."
She moved her hip along the side of his desk until she stood directly in front of his chair, "You can't cure all the ills of the world habibi and I hate to see you torture yourself believing you can." Her hands moved to cup his cheeks. "You look tired come with me now and rest Altaïr I want my husband back."
He let her take his hand and guide him from his chair before he tugged on her arm and pulled her back to his body. Her hair was hanging loose and her eyes were still puffy from the sleep she had left to seek him out, rarely had he seen such a welcoming sight and he wasted no time in showing her how much her company meant to him. The kiss was soft and long and Maria for a time was happy to enjoy his attention until he broke the kiss and let his head rest on her shoulder. He sighed, the sadness in the sound was palpable and it was clear that whatever had been tormenting him had once again claimed his thoughts.
Smiling she reached up to wipe the ink from his face, "You work so hard that you deny yourself many of the good things in life." Her hands slid beneath the heavy fabric of his dark robes and began to caress the twitching muscles of his back. She heard a breathy groan as her fingers dug deeper into the tense knots. "Luckily for you your wife knows just how to make you relax."
Her mouth dropped a tender kiss on his cheek but his hand held her head in place to allow his mouth to cover hers. She felt him draw her body closer to his and she pulled back, "No. That is not what I have in mind." Catching his bottom lip between her teeth she squeezed hard enough to make him wince. "Not what I have in mind at all."
She spun away from him almost dancing, "We have an entire fortress at our disposal and yet there are corridors here I've never been down."
His tongue wet his lips, "It's late and I'm tired what could be more relaxing than bed? We can explore tomorrow."
"Always tomorrow my love but tomorrow comes and something else claims your day." She stepped through the door but he could still hear her clearly. "Come or don't but tonight I intend to wander."
Rolling his eyes he followed her to the corridor and looked in either direction, she was nowhere to be seen. "Maria it is too late for this." His words came out in a low hiss but she made no reply. There was a small table to his left and some papers which had been on it were now lying on the floor. He moved to that end and peered into the dimly lit passage, once more no sign of her. He huffed and walked a few steps before he saw a book on the ground. He moved towards it and heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps on the stairs at the end of the corridor. One corner of his mouth twitched as he made off after her his pace increasing with every step.
Stopping between two flights he looked for what he assumed were clues she was leaving him but saw nothing to suggest any direction 'Did you go up or down?' There were men standing guard at the foot of the stairs but he wouldn't ask them where she had gone – that would be cheating. Turning he ran up the stairs taking two at a time completely unaware of the smile he now wore.
He moved along the corridors searching every corner for any sign of her, he knew he could well be following the dropped book of a clumsy scholar but still he looked and reacted to anything he felt was out of place. The corridor which ran the full length of the castle now and he caught a glimpse of something white in the distance. He lowered his head and uttered a satisfied growl as he set his feet after what he was now sure was her.
To his left a spiral staircase and to his right another long corridor. 'She wanted to explore, she would go up.' On nothing more than a feeling he began bounding up the stairs more sure than ever that this merry chase she was leading him on would come to an end soon enough. He could hear her now, her bare feet slapping against the stone as she climbed higher and higher.
He threw open the door he had heard slam closed only seconds before and stood on the balustrade of the fortress with the village sprawled out beneath him but no sign of his quarry. How could he have been wrong? He was certain he had her in his sights. He heard the door behind him close and spun round to face his breathless wife and her triumphant smile.
"I was sure I had escaped you."
He held out his hand to her and drew her close "You left a trail a blind peddler could follow."
Her heart was hammering so hard he could feel it against his own much steadier chest and her eyes shone "I did no such thing." The small bump in her stomach was just beginning to show and he could feel it just below her heartbeat.
"Was this exertion really wise given your condition?"
"I'm not sure of its wisdom but it was fun."
He followed her to the edge of the roof, "And now you have me here...?"
"Now nothing, being here was all I had in mind."
There were no braziers burning on the rooftop but even in the starlight she could see what he was thinking. "You can forget that assassin. You think all you have to do is flash your pretty eyes at me and I'll melt into your arms but I won't."
He smirked and lowered his face to hers, "Yes you will."
His breathe tickled her neck and his lips worked their magic on her collar bone but she forced herself to resist at least in part. She let him keep her locked in his arms and kept her own around his neck. "You have neglected me all day I'm afraid if you wish to earn my affections it will take a lot more than a game of hide and seek."
"What will it take my love?" The warm strokes of air flowing from his mouth and caressing her ear sent delicious shivers down her spine.
"Ana Behibek Altaïr, I simply want to see you smile more often than you frown."
He lifted his head from her neck and greeted her with a wide smile, "I always smile for you my love."
Maria felt a lump in her throat one that if she opened her mouth would surely become the sigh of a love struck female. Only she saw this, others would see a smirk or a small perfunctory smile but this was hers alone and she hoped she would ever remember to appreciate that fact. Her fingertips explored his cheeks as her eyes took in every detail of his face. She was stunned to find herself on the verge of tears and lowered her head to hide her weakness but his finger tilted her face back to his. "I love you Maria."
She nodded and smiled still fighting against her treacherous womanhood. He pulled her head against his shoulder and rocked her softly against him, shielding her from the chill in the night air. "I have heard men say pregnancy does curious things to a woman's emotions perhaps I will see more of this gentler side of you in the coming months."
She laughed against his shoulder but he could hear the tears in her voice when she spoke "Don't count on it assassin I'll still kick your arse when you deserve it and sometimes even when you don't."
Ana Behibek: I love you (you can say it so many ways ana he bek and so on but I like this one)
A/N these are scraps from other fics which I won't submit but I sort of crammed them together into this meaningless mush that somehow I actually quite like :)