Once I dealt with the unpleasant ache in my lower stomach, I was a little lost. The markets did not prove to be as interesting as usual, the fat merchants and arguing couples not as amusing as before. I continued to zone in and out of my thoughts, absently walking along the rows of stalls.
Why do I care? The question continued to swirl in my thoughts. But each time it flashed, I failed to come up with an answer. Why did I care that Ezio was a shameless, flirting, womanizing player? Why did I get so angry when I saw him and Rosa kiss? Why did I feel like curling up into some hole now?
Okay, so I knew the answer to the last one. Very sadly, being barren did not excuse me from the five to seven-day female curse that I could confidently call worse than lycanthropy, on the account that it was actually real. And very annoying. Though not so damned annoying as being in such forced, close proximity with a certain sinfully handsome, unbearably polite, passionate, and deadly assassin. I had only myself to blame for the latter.
But what the hell was I supposed to do? Leave him to fend for himself? I was a lot of things, but not a monster. Besides, when he decided to revenge his family's murder, at the same time, I decided I wasn't about to let him get himself killed. Especially considering I'd done the same exact thing when they killed my mother, and it destroyed me more than I could have foreseen at the time. We remember history to keep it from repeating, even in the strange time paradox way. At least to a point.
Blood for blood. One life for another. Such was our way. Killing Umberto had to be done. And I had to guide Ezio on his path before he fled Florence. And after Florence... I still couldn't bring myself to leave, even when I had a whole new world to explore. It was imperative that he learn his trade, be given the tools to carry out his mission. Why did I bother? His uncle was there to guide him without my help. But I stayed, unable to walk away. Not to mention, he needed allies and friends, even questionable ones like me to stand by his side when most of the world abandoned him. Content to wipe the Auditore name for history and memory, it was despicable what they did to the family. Who was I to follow the path of weakness and leave him to suffer alone?
Who was I to find myself falling…
No! I furiously thought. This is ridiculous, Eden! Stop this insanity, NOW.
Eating the least three apples I bought roughly an hour ago, I threw the cores into the canal discretely. Soon, the hoarse singing of the minstrels became a little too much for my nerves to bear. I walked away from the market spot, and climbed up onto the roofs. Stretching absentmindedly as I checked around to ensure no guards would be bothering me with their usual bullshit ("You belong down below, with the rabble!" "Get down, or I'll throw you down!" "Stronzo! What are you doing up here?!" Yeah, that crap never got repetitive…), I breathed in the fresh air. Looking around, I quickly came to a conclusion; the pigeon coop was not far away from the spot I was at.
"Let's see how Mario is doing, shall we?" I asked thin air. Thin Air, the quiet guy he is, didn't reply, which I took as a sign of agreement.
I really didn't know why the old man was keeping so many secrets from Ezio. He was eager enough to enlighten him of his heritage. But he never told him that the Order was larger than Ezio thought. From Altair's writings, I gathered that once upon a time, they didn't hide, occupying a large fortress somewhere in the Holy Land, a painting of which hung in the villa. At one time, they recruited and trained children, had ranks and informants, and openly carried out their agenda with little fear of reprisal. While Ezio knew of this story, I guess he assumed that only a few assassin lines survived.
Mario assured me it was part of his nephew's training, keeping so many secrets. I didn't understand his reasoning very well, but agreed. After all, no harm done. The old man continued to give me small jobs, but unlike the contracts Ezio got from Lorenzo, these were strictly for the Order, like gathering information and resources, and sometimes, quietly eliminating men that worked for Templars. Again, all of it was kept quiet from Ezio, which I chronically felt bad for.
But at that point, I really didn't give a shit about what Ezio thought.
---
Antonio was ecstatic the entire day, walking along the halls of Palazzo della Seta, and savoring the victory. The Thieves Guild base was transferred there as well, and everyone seemed very happy with the arrangement. No one mourned Emilio's death. Not many people even knew of it, thinking that he was just hiding in his palace. Only the merchants noticed the difference. But now that there was no pressure on them to work, and no one ever came to randomly throw them in jail anymore, they weren't mourning the loss of Emilio either. If anything, a silent truce of sorts occurred between the merchants and thieves; the thieves only stole from those rich merchants that wouldn't miss their gold anyway, leaving the others off their list.
Ezio wanted to join in with the general excitement and celebrations around him, but instead, he felt worried. He hadn't seen Eden for the entire day. Ever since they walked out of the palace after Emilio's assassination, she disappeared in an unknown direction. She had her bag with her at the time, so he wasn't even sure if she was coming back. Or why she made a run for it now, without any sort of trigger or goodbye. Of course, though Rosa proved to be a great distraction in that time, he still couldn't help but wonder.
But when Eden didn't show up for the party the night after, he began to worry. He began to suspect she got into trouble, but no one seemed to know where she was. Ezio figured as much - from what she told him, even God couldn't find her if she didn't want to me found.
The thieves began the celebrating and drinking long before the official party. But the grateful merchants and people released from the dungeons began trickling in around evening. Lights were lit, food and wine put out, and loud laughter and chatter filled the palazzo. Ezio navigated through the crowd, searching for a familiar face, but neither Antonio, Rosa or Eden were in sight. People slapped him on the back, inviting him to have a drink, and sometimes he'd even comply. But the first person who came up with answers was not exactly who Ezio wanted to see.
"Hey," Luca greeted him. "Looking for someone?"
"Yes, actually, do you know where Eden is?" Ezio decided to make do. "I haven't seen her since this morning."
"Oh, she said there was something she had to take care of," he shrugged, shooting a smile to a pretty servant girl. She blushed and giggled behind her hand, avoiding his eye.
"Did she say when she'd get back?" Ezio was a little hurt that Eden informed Luca and not him. The thief shook his head.
"Nope."
"I think I'll go look for her, just in case."
"As you wish." Luca did not seem to care anymore, continuing on his way towards the woman he was flirting with. And Ezio, worried, made his way towards the doors. He made it out eventually, finally relaxing as he walked freely through the garden, heading to town. He wasn't sure where to look for Eden, so he paused for a second to think. If she was taking care of something, it would probably either be in the backstreets or at a smith shop, though everything was probably closed by now. The streets would take forever to comb through on his own...
However, he didn't have to search long. He turned to the street where Leonardo's workshop was, knowing she liked to pay the artist visits. That was when he heard a foreign noise in the general serenity of night time. There was something going on just a street over. And his senses tugged him in that particular direction. Guessing what it could mean, he hurried to the place, grasping at his sword. He was out of his armor for once, wearing civilian clothing because he didn't expect there to be any more excitement until the Templar meeting in a few days. But nonetheless, even if it wasn't Eden, he wasn't about to stand by and let whatever was happening happen.
He turned the corner, and suddenly, a familiar female voice lashed out over the disturbed quiet, as menacing as a tiger's snarl.
"Just stop stalling already! I'm just one woman! Don't tell me you're scared..." Eden was crouched in a defensive position, one of her knives held in reverse grip, and her miniature firearm in the other. She was opposed to two guards, though Ezio realized with surprise that the colors were that of Rome, not Venice. There was already a body laid out in between the two sides, a bloody mess in armor. The soldiers did not seem eager to share his fate, but still shouted threats and orders to her.
"Don't kill her, the Maestro wants her alive!" one of them suddenly said to the other, and Ezio did a double take, meanwhile Eden...
Eden herself looked scary. The most frightening Ezio ever seen her, she was growling like a feral animal, showing clearly that the first man to come at her would die. Blood splattered all over her clothes, and red streaks colored her cheeks and hair. It showed brutal murder, the unrecognizable body at her feet, evidence. It was also very unlike her to bathe in blood like that. Or perhaps it was. So far, Ezio had seen her killer side as coldblooded, calculative, efficient and always light as air, her fighting more a dance than a duel. But now, there was a whole new emotion to her, her fury showing in her every expression, every move.
He was barely able to take a step towards the group, when her patience popped, and she charged first, something also very unlike her. The men were almost shocked at her offense, but still made it to defend themselves. Or would have, if she didn't change her movements in a split second, carving the first man's throat with such force that the head nearly fell off the neck. Her movements blurred, and Ezio found himself unable to move, hypnotized by the bloody dance she was performing. There was nothing cheerful and serene in her now. There was just raw emotion, and her angry movements that seemed to have lashed out with double her usual force. She still didn't take up defense, though, because she continued moving from spot to spot, dancing around the one remaining man before he could strike her.
She got an opening, and suddenly froze, blocking the incoming hit with one hand, and her hand extended towards the man, the gun pressing right between the eyes.
"Flinch and I'll paint the wall with your brains," she snarled. Ezio finally broke through the haze, stepping towards them. Her eyes flickered to him, and the rage in them cooled slightly.
"Eden, that's enough," he pleaded, as if afraid that pushed any farther, and she'll lose her mind. The guard she held on to looked between them frantically, finally realizing just how dangerous the woman was. A little too late, though.
Ezio must have been the only person in the world that could stop Eden from finishing a kill. She stepped away, to his shock, her breathing heavy, and her usually warm eyes looking around wildly. She straightened out, and turned towards Ezio. She looked like hell, with deep circles under her eyes from lack of sleep, and her hair winded. But she took a deep breath, and her sanity seemed to have returned to her.
With a smooth movement, his throwing knife ended the life of the Borgia's soldier, who moments ago couldn't believe his luck. Eden watched with a spark of regret, and a little bit of sadness. "It's not my fault. I warned them," she said that as if trying to explain herself.
"Cazzo!" Ezio hissed, taking in the bloody mess one final time before averting his eyes,"What the hell happened?!"
"I was heading to the palace, when they caught up with me. Chased me for a bit, and then..." she rolled her shoulders in an absentminded gesture. "I don't know. Just one of those days. Things build up. Dams break," she said almost sadly, looking back to the bodies. Without warning, she suddenly looked lost, "Go back to the party, I'll clean up and go home." Ezio shook his head, and stepped towards her in an urge to comfort her, holding out his arms out for her. But she didn't step into his embrace as she usually did. Rather, she took a cautious step backwards, looking away from him and crossing her arms.
That hurt. Dropping his arms awkwardly, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers; she built a wall between them very suddenly, and he wasn't sure what or when it happened. She still looked like a little girl in confusion, a great, if disturbing contrast to the sheer rage she displayed minutes earlier.
"No, don't bother staying here, the city guard will be along soon anyway," he said, "So let's just get you home." She nodded, and without waiting for him, she headed off in the direction of the apartment, picking her bag from the ground without stopping. He hesitated for a moment, confused by her behavior, but followed. "Where were you all day?" he finally asked.
"Around." The answer was vague.
"Anything specific? I was worried." There was a hint of a smile on her lips, but it was gone fast. She wouldn't look at him, as if too ashamed to meet his eyes.
"Walked around the market for a bit. Then I went hunting."
"Hunting what?" Ezio asked sharply with alarm.
"Obviously not deer. I figured that the Templars had plenty of spies in the crowds. And since everyone else seemed to have relaxed after last night, I decided to clean up myself."
"Without telling me?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was not aware that you were my keeper," she snapped, her mood changing at the speed of lightning and he realized his mistake; never, under any circumstances imply that she was dependent or obliged. It would make everything a lot worse. "Just head back to your party, I can perfectly well make my way home without you."
He froze as she continued walking away fast, not looking back. She was never like that before. She threatened, insulted and mocked him plenty. But this time, she actually meant every word, acid dropping from her tone. He stared at her retreating back, trying to analyze what it was he did to upset her so much, but came up with a blank. Slowly, he turned, and headed back towards the palazzo. She'd cool down in the morning, but right now, she was best left alone. They could talk then, when the frustration disappeared.
---
The tavern was like any you'd see in a historical or fantasy movie. It felt like a cellar, the windows dimmed, the lighting poor, the stench of stale ale in the air. Tankards were smashed against wooden tables, early drunks were laughing, and bar maids squeaked as the patrons pinched their behinds.
I sat at the bar, my cup clenched in both of my hands. My hood was down, as if I was asking for trouble. With my hair grown out a lot more than it was months ago, there was no mistaking me for a man, even when you were that smashed. But I really didn't care. In a way, I wanted a fight.
"Hey, lady!" I glanced at the man out of the corner of my eye, but didn't respond, continuing to sip at the weak ale.
Ask and you shall receive, I thought wearily.
"It's not the best place for a woman," he continued to grumble. I barely even registered what he looked like, just that he was oily and unpleasant. "Folks here get a little uncomfortable when a lady's present."
"Thanks for the warning," I finally replied, still not even turning my head to look at him. "Now fuck off."
"Oh, such language!" a new voice rang. None of the other patrons even looked up to see what was going on. "Careful with that sharp tongue, mia bella, or someone will get cut."
He should not have called me that. Only Ezio was allowed to do that without loosing a limb. Even Luca became more careful when trying to flirt with me. "Did I not make myself clear?" I asked, finally facing them, raising an eyebrow dangerously, "Clear out, or I will beat you to death with your own spine."
They seemed surprised that I was not intimidated by their large forms and supposedly menacing grins. I'd seen worse. And I was in no mood to play along with them. As the candlelight hit my face, I knew by their gaping expressions they were staring at the two long white scars across my cheek, and the more recent scratch that trailed down to my neck. Those always threw people off... If they wanted to rape me before, they most likely thought twice about it now. But getting over their momentarily shock, one tried to take a grab at me.
I was out of my seat and behind him in a flash, kicking him down onto the bar.
The entire room went silent. Everyone stared in shock as the man picked his teeth off the counter, and attempted to straighten out. But I slammed the nearly empty tankard over his head, knocking him out. I didn't feel bad for spilling the alcohol - it was crap anyway. Turning around to the other man, who was staring at me with his jaw on the floor, I decided it wasn't worth the effort. I pushed the stunned idiot off my seat and onto the floor, sitting back down and waving to the bartender to pass me another round. Moving automatically, he did, not even attempting to speak.
I was finally left alone.
My blissfully blank peace did not last very long, however. Soon, I felt a presence over my shoulder.
I sighed. "Sit, you're blocking the light."
I heard her snort, but she sat down beside me.
"A little early to start drinking," Rosa commented.
"Do I look like someone who gives a shit?"
"No. You look like you're about to drown yourself."
I thought about it. Then shook my head. "Nah, not my style," I snorted, taking another sip out of my cup.
"So you're getting this depressed over a guy, amici?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," I grumbled. She laughed quietly.
"You're not fooling anyone, you know."
"I repeat, I have absolutely no idea what you mean."
"Please, Ezio might be blind enough not to see it. But don't think the rest of us are idiots like him."
"Rosa, I'm not in the mood for games. If you have something to say, please just spit it out," I wearily told her.
"Do you hate me?" she asked bluntly, and I turned towards her, slightly shocked by the change of direction.
"Of course not. If I hated you, I would probably already attempt to push you off the nearest cliff instead of talking to you. Besides, I'm pretty sure you're one of those people this city needs the most. Maybe then they'll grow a little respect for women." I glared in the general direction where my harassers from earlier went.
"And what are you, then?" she raised an eyebrow skeptically, but took it as a compliment.
"Me? I'm just someone who tags along. Being an assassin is definitely better than what I used to be." I shrugged.
"Aside from the fact you get to spend the entire day with our good friend Ezio," she smirked, as if she knew something I didn't.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I'm not blind or deaf. You and Ezio seem to very close friends."
"Well, yeah. Considering we save each others necks everyday, friendship is sort of inevitable. I could say the same about my old friend Jake...but I don't see what your point is, though."
"What me and him have, it's purely physical. And I don't want it to go farther than that."
"I'm sure he's going to be heartbroken," I said with sarcasm, and she chuckled. We both knew that Ezio was not the type to break down over a girl. "I'm not interested in becoming another notch on his bedpost, if that's what you're getting at. I admit, he's not the worst looking guy in the world, but I just don't think of him that way."
"Mmhm," she hummed skeptically. "Not even friends with benefits?"
"Nope."
"I have a hard time believing that he never tried anything."
"Oh, he did. Sort of. It's all harmless fun, though, he doesn't actually mean any of it."
"Are you sure?"
"This conversation is going nowhere," I slammed the mug down onto the counter. "You think that I want to sleep with Ezio. I'm pretty sure I don't, and I'm just PMSing. Neither of us is backing down, so how about I buy you a drink, and we forget this conversation ever happened?"
"Eden...?"
"Fine!" I dropped my head onto my arms, "You're right, maybe it's the crappy beer talking, but maybe I do feel something for him... Maybe I do feel jealous when I see him sleep with very freaking woman we come across. Maybe I have a crush on him! But what do you want from me? I'm twenty years old, I haven't had a normal tumble for almost a year now, and damn, he's hot."
"Now we're talking!" she toasted with the tankard that the barkeeper passed to her. Then, she took a sip. "Hm, you're right," she gestured at the tankard, curling her lip in derision, "This is crap. No wonder you're talking crazy. Anyway, the first step is you talking to him. He thinks you're mad at him for some reason, and the poor guy was distracted all night." I glared at her and she just shrugged innocently.
"I guess I should apologize...Thanks for the pep talk." I stood up, leaving some money behind me on the counter, which was swiped immediately by the barkeep. "Tell anyone," I sniffed, "And I'll kill you,"
"Right back at ya," she smirked, even as she raised her tankard in toast.
---
Outside the palace, life was boiling. Merchants, encouraged by the fact that no guards came for them anymore, were lowering their prices easily, and the citizens took advantage of it. Everyone's spirits were high, even if the sky had dark clouds creeping from the edges, threatening to snow. Ezio made his way through the crowds, a strange feeling tugging at him, almost like the day before, signaling that Eden was in trouble. He trusted his intuition to follow the invisible thread between them, and wove through the crowds like an eel, searching. She was not in the apartment, of that he was certain, which made it that much harder.
The string lead him into a back alley which was completely empty, contrasting with the bright, loud streets that were filled with people. Figures she'd pick a street like that to walk through. Was she looking for trouble or something?
Eden herself was leaning onto one of the walls, her arms crossed, looking very bored, and not minding the approaching figures from the opposite of Ezio side.
"There she is! That's the girl!" one of them yelled. Ezio was surprised to find two fairly large men who looked like your average drunks. One sported a black eye, flanked by armed soldiers that were Borgia's men.
"Someone just doesn't know how to let go, it seems," Eden sighed loudly, lifting a hand in greeting to Ezio.
"How is it that you manage to find trouble everywhere?" he asked. Not even bothering to pull out his sword, he shrugged as one of her throwing knife flickered in her hands, and ended up in one of the guard's helmet. There was an echoing grunt, and he fell.
"Not my fault. Those two assholes were harassing me at the bar," she pointed out, coming to stand by his side. "Don't kill them, other that being jerks, they're innocent. Unless they're rapists."
"What did you do?" Ezio snorted. The squad seemed to be taken aback by how easily she killed one of them, the two "innocent" bear-like men staring at her with shock. They obviously did not expect her to be dangerous.
"Me? I didn't do anything!" she grumbled. "They started it! I thought a little fight would at least teach them some manners. Obviously they didn't learn the lesson the first time."
Ezio sighed. "Come on, this isn't worth the effort. We already have half the city's guards looking for us, let's not get into this now."
The men seemed to be slowly realizing just what they got into. They expected a woman who beat them on sole luck, instead find two wanted criminals who didn't think twice before killing the two out of five armed men coming at them before they could even draw their weapons.
"Your right," Eden replied, "But if I see them again..." He hurried to pull her away, and they broke into a run before Borgia's men could even realize what was happening. After a moment, they heard them give chase, but lost them easily in the labyrinth of backstreets. "By the way, I'm…uh…sorry I yelled at you last night. You didn't deserve it."
"Sure," he replied hesitantly, unsure how to respond. She seemed sincere, and when she looked at him, there was regret in her eyes. "No harm done."
"Beg to differ, for as far as I remember, there was a massacre in one of the streets," she reminded him. "Which I'd also be sorry for if it wasn't them who attacked first."
"So you going to tell me what was the matter?" he asked cautiously, almost afraid she'd blow up again. But it seemed like the storm was over.
"Oh, just the force of nature called PMS. I'm only human."
"PMS?" he repeated, confused, and she laughed. It was good to hear her laughing again, as if an invisible weight lifted off his shoulders. She had that effect on people. Or is it just me?
"You really don't want to know. It won't happen often, I promise."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you kicked ass," he offered, finally relaxing.
"I did," she grinned widely. "But how about we go back home to talk? It's getting pretty cold." He returned her smile, nodding. She was right - not only was it getting cold, but snow began to fall around them, actually reaching the ground instead of melting above the rooftops. People stopped their routines just to lift their heads and watch, charmed, as it swirled around them, landing in their hair and clothes. It was a beautiful sight to see. Admittedly, Ezio hasn't seen much snow in Florence in his life, so he was just as amazed as the rest of the crowds. Eden smiled at the sky as well, childish excitement on her face, even as she continued their conversation as they walked. "Thanks for not hating me, by the way. I know I got a little crazy last night."
"A little?"
"Or, a lot."
"Hmmm..."
"Fine, as crazy as a hurricane. But again, thanks for not holding it against me." Seemingly on an impulse, she hugged him around the waist, returning quickly to her childish personality. He laughed and gently patted her hair. She was really something. "Hey, I think I can make it up to you, though." Even though he'd never admit it, his heart skipped a beat when she said that.
"How so?"
"Don't get excited, I'm not the type of girl," she smirked as if reading his mind, and his cheeks warmed up a bit in spite of the cold. She bent down briefly to scoop up some snow that finally settled, beginning to pile, and rolled it in her hands. She was now thinking absently. "I meant what I found out from my little episode last night."
"You actually found something?" he raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"Aside from an angry mob of Roman guards? Yes, yes I have. Borgia is in Venice," she shrugged, beginning to toss the small snowball back and forth between her hands.
"Yes, there's a Templar meeting on the day after tomorrow," he explained, realizing that she didn't know what he heard from Emilio and Carlo. She disappeared before he even discussed it with Antonio, which was pretty much as soon as the palazzo was secured.
"Oh!" she made a surprised noise. "Well, then. I don't know where he's staying, but I do know he has one of his puppies with him. For protection, I suppose."
"Wait a moment, did you actually see him?"
"No, I interrogated one of this men last night when the caught up with me. Or, the scout, at first, who I got the information out of right before his friends showed up." Ezio remembered the bloody mess at her feet, and suddenly realized why he was in such a bad shape. Eden's killing was a lot more efficient than shallow cuts and bruising, even when she was that angry. She sighed, adding some more snow to the ball in her hands, packing it down. She didn't seem to mind the cold that much, considering she was from a much colder place than this. "You've seen the rest, I suppose."
"Anything else?"
"Why, yes! I wrote an entire book on Borgia and his plans!" she snorted.
"...Really?"
"No, not really," she shook her head. After a moment, she suddenly grinned. "Ezio?"
"Yeah?"
"When was the last time you had snow shoved down your shirt?"
"Um, nev-" She suddenly surprised him by reaching up, snatching his collar open, and dropping the snow ball down his back. The snow burned his skin as he arched instinctively, barely keeping his balance while she began to laugh hysterically at his expression. "You..."
"Well, gotta go, see you!" She called over her shoulder as he finally got the snow out of his shirt. Growling menacingly, he chased after her. She was fast though, her smaller size and his training going to a great advantage. He realized that if she wanted to, she'd easily get away from him. But he didn't give up, and continued to chase her as she laughed, and the people around them turning their heads in confusion. It was hard to keep her in sight with all the snow, and at one point, he even had to use his Eagle Vision to find her. She trailed around the alleys, slipping in between people easily, but eventually she flew through the doors of the building they were staying at. He chased her through the hallways, laughing at the shocked faces of the people that lived there. Hopefully, the landlord wouldn't kick them out for soundlessly playing a game of tag.
In the room, she still stood her ground, defiantly laughing as he caught his breath. He made an attempt to grab her, but she slid away, leaving him to grip empty air.
"You don't actually think it's that easy, do you?" she giggled as she regained her step.
"Easy? Nah, you wouldn't be you if you made things easy." He was just about bursting from laughter, but still tried to keep the expression of grim determination and vengeance. She was not impressed.
"That's true," Eden replied happily, circling around him under his arm, a good move with anyone else but Ezio. He reflexively lowered his arm out right in front of her, catching her into his arms so that her back was pressed against his chest.
"Gotcha!" he grinned at her as she meeped slightly, her arms caught in his grip. Knowing her, he made sure she couldn't kick or trip him, and proceeded to disarming the weapons closest to her reach.
"Hey! No touching my knives!" she whined, wiggling in his grip. "Seriously, you'll regret it!"
"You shoved snow down my shirt!" he complained in return, but continued to take the knives he was aware out of their hidden sheaths, putting them onto the nearby table.
"Alright, Ezio, let me make this clear," she was still laughing, but at least attempted to sound threatening. "For every oily finger print on them, I will make you regret being a man. And yes, it is possible to do it multiple times in just a matter of minutes."
Somehow, he believed her, and decided it would be best for him if he didn't let her go. "Now, can we talk like civilized people?"
"Nope," she shook her head, the melting snow in her hair flying everywhere. "I thought we established that there is no way you'll ever get the best of me?"
Before he could reply she headbutted his chin, only hard enough to make him stagger, and took advantage of it in a split second. The next, he was lying flush on the floor, blinking up at the ceiling and trying to realize how that happened. She quickly straddled his hips, effectively pinning him down, smirking.
"Told ya," she breathed, and he humphed.
"I'm not even going to ask how the hell you managed to do that."
"Well, let's just say Mario taught me a few tricks, as well." She was still smiling as she rested her chin in her hands, her elbows on both sides of his head, so she was hovering a few inches above him. "I like to keep a few aces up my sleeve, just in case." There were playful sparks in her eyes, her smile was happy, her hair still damp and windblown, and her cheeks red from the run and struggle. She would have looked absolutely beautiful right now, if not for the long slice across her cheek. Ezio focused on that, distracting himself and trying to calm his heartbeat down. The scratch was new, most likely gained during the fray the night before, though it didn't seem to bother her. Now that he looked at her this closely, he could see many scars running through her skin like white threads. She had more of them than Ezio, showing her life of violence. He caught himself on an urge to trace the marks, and wonder what her skin would feel like. He doubted that she would allow him to do such a thing, though.
She looked up, and out the window, still smiling, oblivious to his thoughts. "You know, one day, my dad took us all out sledding during the winter to the big park we had. My mom brought hot chocolate, and Eve and I were all wrapped up in our winter clothes. Dad dragged us around on the sled, laughing when we threw snowballs at him." Somehow, he could imagine it; two excited girls playing in the snow, their parents laughing with adoration. Ezio loved it when she told him about the happier side of her life. It allowed him to see that she had at least some happiness in her life.
A curious thought flew to his mind. He wasn't sure when, but they'd became completely comfortable with those compromising positions. Anyone else would call them "too close for comfort". And, not for the first time, he found himself responding to her, though she never noticed it…or maybe pretended not to.
He always felt so frustrated when she moved away from him, bitter disappointment dancing at the edges of his mind. He caught himself thinking, like many other times, that she really knew how to tease a man. Even if she didn't intend to...
"You know, I think Borgia is sending assassins after us now," she stated, looking down to meet his eyes. "Apparently, he's finally decided that we needed to be dealt with. Permanently."
"What makes you think that?" Ezio murmured, letting his hands come to rest at the small of her back, itching to move her closer, but he restrained himself, unsure how she'd respond to that.
"The two soldiers last night and the four today were hardly a coincidence. They were looking for one of us near the palace, probably suspecting who was the reason of Emilio's death," she gave him a pointed look. "And considering I'm constantly underestimated, they were looking for me personally, maybe hoping to give you a distraction while they have their meeting."
"They probably won't stop hunting us, then."
"Like we won't stop hunting them," she shrugged, "We just need to be on our guard now."
---
I have to say, we were gathering quite a crowd around us after an hour of practice. People cheered with changing allegiance, some even betting. I think from what I gathered, there was at least fifty coins on me, and about the same on Ezio. The chances were pretty much even at the moment, anyway, with luck changing sides as much as the people around us.
I twirled away from his blade, missing it by inches, and then it was his turn to jerk away in fear of loosing his head. Then before he had a chance to strike again, I brought through another hit, making him jump away. And we continued on, dancing around each other, and summoning appreciative whistles from the crowd and annoyed grumbling out of the few guards that didn't see a reason to break up a practice match just yet.
We were fighting in the middle of the palace that recently changed hands in favor of Antonio, who made sure that it was still operational. The merchants seemed to like having a thief in charge rather than a Templar. Though, mostly because he did not raise the taxes for trade any more than was the standard, and never attempted to force them under his command. The more important members of the guild, such as Rosa, Ugo, and Bianca moved in as well, though a lot of them grumbled that it was too puffed up and fancy. And us assassins had taken up sparring right in the courtyard. Which I was all for, because Ezio stripped off his robes, eventually even shedding his tunic. Showing off his tanned, muscled chest, any sane woman could appreciate it. Even if it was a bit distracting, at least I was enjoying the practice a whole lot more. Which was about the same that could be said for all the female viewers, who I heard sighing wistfully in the background.
As tempting as it was to scar everyone present for life, I kept most of my clothes on, considering it wasn't quite that warm yet. Though I did strip down to my tunic, trousers and boots.
"Come on, I've seen snails faster than you!" I taunted in good humor, to which he snorted, never faltering in his movement. I was bluffing, of course; I was barely keeping his hits at bay. He seemed to realize finally that he shouldn't hold back on me, and went at it with full strength. Luckily, I wasn't stupid enough to try and parry his hits, for fear of my blades being broken.
"Careful, or I'll accidentally squash you," he chuckled.
"Mmmm... squash. I hear it's really good with baked potatoes and carrots..."
Now that made his falter, his expression bewildered. But he recovered quickly, blocking my strike.
"When did the almighty Eagle of Florence become a little chicken? You can do better than that!" I was not really sure what I was playing at, but hey, insanity is fun.
Somehow, at one point, our weapons were discarded, and that was when the martial arts practice began. At least, that's what I was doing - being a former dancer made it easy. That summoned even more sighs and cheering from the crowd. Our movements even more fluid and synchronized, it was like a very strange dance routine. We were fairly equally matched, our speed basically the same.
I aimed a kick at him, but he caught my calf at inch away from his body. However, I easily twisted out of his grip and took a step away from him, getting out of the defensive position.
"Alright, I think we should stop before those girls faint," I jerked my head in the direction of the said swooning girls that came in with the rest of the crowd through the gates, which were now always wide open to everyone. Ezio smirked, from which I assumed that he knew exactly the effect he had on the surrounding people. Someone it the crowd groaned. Funny folks, they were. "Besides, this is getting a little old."
"You know, you're right. Let's try something different." I really didn't like that smirk of his. It put Jake to shame.
"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously, and he continued grinning.
A few minutes later, I regretted ever complaining...
"You've got to be kidding." I whispered, staring at the huge axe in his hands with fear. "No. Fucking. Way."
"Well, you're the one complaining about practice becoming too boring," he shrugged, smirking.
"Getting cleaved in half is not my idea of spicing things up!!!"
Not many people ever came at me with a gigantic battle axe. Actually, so far on my count, just one Brute guard in San Gimignano. And I also recalled my head nearly leaving the rest of my body, which I couldn't, in the right state of mind, ever consider a good memory. I was almost completely sure that Ezio was doing this because of the snail and chicken comment...
But I did not get the chance to voice any of my complaints as he already came at me. I don't know how the hell he managed to lift that thing, but he seemed to wave it around with confidence. All I had left to do was dodge as it fell onto me. The game just took a very dangerous turn, and the god damned audience was encouraging it. I decided all of them were going on my death list.
1- Ezio
2- The guy thats drooling
3- Fat merchant
4- Ezio
5- Fatter merchant
6- Ezio god-damned Auditore...
I chuckled at my thoughts, close to another nervous breakdown. After a few moments of jumping around like a scared bunny, I finally decided I couldn't take much more of it. He couldn't harm me with the speed I was going at. But if I hesitated even for a moment, there was a good chance of getting hit. The mess would be unbelievable.
"Hey, break it up down there!" I nearly fell to my knees with relief as Antonio leaned over the railing of the staircase. He took Emilio's former office, barely ever leaving it now, except to meet with merchants. Ezio finally stopped, and looked up, while I took the moment to get close, and get the axe away from him. It nearly fell out of my hands, and I hurried to drop it onto the ground as far away from the assassin as possible. He glanced at me, amused, and then hollered back to Antonio.
"We're just about finished!"
"I hate you," I hissed at him lowly, to which he just smiled cockily as I tried to stay upright and not collapse in exhaustion. I glared at him. "And I thought you wanted to visit Leonardo today, anyway."
He suddenly slapped himself on the forehead. "I thought I was forgetting something! Right, then, let's be off," I finally picked up and sheathed my knives with relief, rolling my aching shoulders. I spared the axe one last glance. It stayed in the ground, no one even attempting to get it out, and I suspected that not many people here actually could. Ezio, to everyone's (including mine) disappointment, put his tunic back on.
As we left, a few girls flocked over to Ezio, swooning even harder. They were slightly younger than me. Very pretty in an obvious, plain way, with large, innocent eyes, and bodies of courtesans, though they didn't show them off quite as much. And I bet my left hand each of them was already married. He charmingly, and very vaguely hinted that we were very busy. I nearly gagged as they began showering him with praises and suggestions, all sweetened to the point of being inedible.
...wait, did I actually just compare their flirting with food? I think Ezio's right, my mind is going....
"So strong... and so handsome, too," they were whispering between each other as if we were not just a few steps away. Ezio seemed to be all but reveling in the attention. "And did you see- oh, my- What's he doing with-"
"That's it!" I finally snapped when they made a pass at me. "Girls, if you want his autograph, come out and say it, because he's about as responsive to hints as you are! Now get lost!"
They glared at me as if I just insulted their very dear mothers, and humphed. But remembering my performance earlier, they decided it would be safer somewhere away from the "crazy whore", as they called me. After an amount of fluttered eyelashes and coy smiles, they finally left.
"What I don't get," I muttered, crossing my arms as Ezio looked slightly disappointed, "Is how the hell you manage to hypnotize the girls everywhere you go. It's like you brainwash them."
"Now, now, no need to be jealous," he smiled putting an arm around my shoulders, which I didn't rip out of its socket only on the account that we were friends. And the account that I liked it. "You know you're my favorite, piccola."
My heart skipped a beat, but I responded sharply with, "Depends on what you mean. I'm pretty sure I'm your favorite person to annoy the hell out of. Now, unless you want to lose that arm, get it off me."
"Touchy," he joked, but nonetheless, took a step away from me. "Besides, what am I supposed to do? Rosa pointed me to the door for some reason, and you just chased away my admirers! And the brothel is on the other side of town!"
"Figures you'd have to pay to get a woman into bed," I snorted. "Take your sexual energy and frustration out on something cheaper. And something that's not me."
An alarm went off in my head as an arrow suddenly whistled through the air, and sunk into the gondola dock we were just walking by. Ezio shoved me out of the way just in time, or it would have pierced right through me. I got back to my feet in a flash as Ezio sharply looked up. Another arrow nearly lodged itself in his leg, but he jumped behind a stack of crates, out of the line of sight, and I quickly followed, crouching behind him.
"Assassins, you say?" I whispered, "They really don't seem to like us!" People were looking around, frightened. Someone screamed, and I heard the smashing of a dropped jug. Roof guards probably rarely ever showered arrows on them, and they hurried to get away from the spot.
"I can't imagine why, you're so lovely," he said sarcastically, and I narrowed my eyes.
"Hey! Now is not the time for this argument! Let's get off the streets first!" I risked a glance out, and noted the positions of the archers around us.
"Water!"
"It's not exactly time for a bath, either..."
"I meant escape through the water," he snorted. I shook my head feverishly.
"No, one cold is quite enough for me. I'd rather just wait patiently while they get bored and go away rather than do that again!"
"Do you have a better plan?!"
"Yes!" I suddenly nodded, "Run for it!"
And without waiting for him to tell me just how suicidal my plan was, I picked up one of the empty crates, putting it over my head, and ran for it. Trailing around like a rabbit in the snow, I made my way at full speed to the nearest line of people. Years of dodging bullets paying off, I heard the arrows whistle and clink behind me, sometimes too close for comfort. But I made it to the crowd, who were staring at the unfolding events frozen in fear. Moments later, Ezio caught up with me, and grasped my elbow in warning.
"There's more!" he told me, and I felt them as well. I handed some random passing man my crate, which had two arrows buried in it, and he nearly fainted while we hurried away. We ducked slightly, and Ezio pulled me towards the alleys not far away, hoping to lose sight of them. The attack was more carefully executed than the last, and I did not like their determination one bit. Before we could give them a chance to catch up, we climbed up to the balconies.
"All clear," I whispered, looking inside the window. No one seemed to be home, the small house completely empty. I pushed it open, climbing inside, and Ezio quickly followed. Then we shut the frame behind us, soundlessly walking across the room. Outside, we heard the clanking of metal, growing nearer, and then fading again. I let out a breath of relief I didn't realize I held, and followed him.
I froze halfway to the door, though, a slow grin spread on my lips.
"What's wrong?" he turned around to me, confused. I barely contained laughter.
"I think I was wrong, it's not clear," I whispered, making a gesture towards the door that likely led to the bedroom, and slapped my forehead soundlessly. He looked at it, at first without comprehending what I meant. But after a few moments of silence, his expression changed to a look of horror. "How about we leave?"
He nodded, suddenly cracking a smile, as well. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea."
When we finally made it out, I leaned onto his elbow to keep myself from falling over in laughter. He joined in, and after a few minutes, I was still grinning.
Somehow, despite the men after us, the Templars plotting something, and everything else that's been going on, I felt better than eve. And all without even drinking myself into a stupor. I looked up to Ezio, who kept an eye out, still chuckling, and I smiled to myself.
Life was good.