Assassin's Creed II characters and references © Ubisoft
Kiara and all other OCs © me

The wagon rattled as we rushed down the road, but I heard Petruccio loud and clear a minute later.

"Mamá, they're still coming!"

I looked over my shoulder and saw that most of the soldiers had broken off to fight Giovanni, Federico, and Ezio, but there were still four in pursuit. They would be on us in a matter of minutes and judging by the way they were armed…I couldn't even think about what would happen.

I had to do something…I was the only one who could do something! Maybe I could break off and try to draw them away…no, that wouldn't work. I glanced over into the wagon and a crazy idea hit me when I saw that a bow and a quiver of arrows had been thrown in.

"Claudia!" I shouted over the noise, "Hand me that bow!"

"What are you going to do?" She nearly screamed back as she handed me the bow and arrows.

"I don't know! Just keep going!"

It was Maria's turn to scream, "Kiara, don't!"

But I had already had reined Storm away from the wagon and off the road. We rushed through the trees in the direction of the soldiers for a little ways, and then stopped when we were hidden in the shadows.

This was stupid, so very incredibly stupid. I had taken archery once in high school, but that had been almost two years ago. My fingers were shaking so much I could barely notch the arrow to the string as I heard the men coming closer and closer. They came into sight and I shot as soon as I had a good target.

I had been aiming for the first man, but because they were moving I missed and hit the soldier behind him in the neck. The man gave a gargling cry and grasped at the shaft before he fell from his horse.

I was horrified; I hadn't meant to kill him.

"Archer!"

The remaining three men yanked their horses to a halt, temporarily panicked. Any good fighter would have used that to their advantage, but I was too scared to stay put. I spurred Storm and we took off through the trees.

"There! After him!"

For a few moments, I could do nothing except for cling to the saddle. A wave of nausea had over taken me, and my body convulsed as I heaved a few times. There was nothing in my stomach to come back up, but that didn't make me feel any better. My eyes watered and I prayed that Storm wouldn't fall.

What had I done?

You did what you had to do. The strangely calm though crossed my mind, as if it belonged to someone else.

I didn't mean to kill him!

Then what were you expecting? This isn't a game; it's either kill or be killed.

An arrow whistled by my ear and shocked me back into full alertness. I yanked Storm to one side just in time to avoid a second. The horse whinnied in fright and caught the bit in his teeth. There was nothing I could do to slow him down as he bolted ahead and back onto the road, but I could direct him in a zig-zag motion to avoid the still incoming arrows. I was sure that I was going to be hit at any second.

I noticed that I still had the bow in my hand and in a moment of pure desperation, I managed to notch a second arrow and turned in the saddle to shoot again. This shot missed the man by a mile, but hit his horse instead. The poor animal shrieked and fell, throwing his rider to the ground.

I didn't have much time to think about it, something hit my left shoulder and I screamed as terrible pain shot down my arm. I had been hit, and the bow fell from my hand as it jerked reflexively, leaving me with no way to defend myself.

Storm was pulling for breath and starting to foam at the mouth. He wasn't used to running for long periods of time, but the war horses behind us were. I heard the cackles of the men behind me as they slowly overtook us.

"We've got you now!"

My left arm hurt so badly I could barely hang onto the reins and the arrow was still imbedded in my shoulder, bouncing painfully with each jolt. Something poked into my lower back and I suddenly remembered the knife that Giovanni had given to me. I reached back with my good arm and pulled it out, even though I knew it probably wasn't going to do me much good.

Storm started to slow down and that was all it took for one of the soldiers to rush by me and thrust his horse in Storm's way. My poor horse stopped completely and reared on his hind legs in a panic. I clung to his mane to stay on until he had dropped on all fours again. The two soldiers circled around us, brandishing their swords menacingly. Storm continued to dance backwards, snorting and neighing loudly. I crouched low against his neck, gripping the knife in my good hand.

This was it. I was going to die here.

My mouth went dry and it felt like every organ was seizing up inside me. The only solace I could think of was that I was going to see dad again. I saw the point of one of the swords come up over me and I closed my eyes tightly with a shrill cry.

A furious bellow drew our attention and I opened my eyes again just in time to see something silver fly through the air and imbed itself into the neck of the soldier who had been about to kill me. Blood sprayed from the wound as he fell from his horse, some of it getting on me.

The sound of thundering hooves was what I comprehended next and it only took a split second for red and white robes to flash by me. The last soldier didn't even have time to raise his sword before he was cut down as well.

Storm had stopped hopping around, but he was heaving and I could feel his muscles quivering. I was shaking just as badly, feeling like I was going to be sick all over again. The whole world swam before my eyes for a moment, and I gripped the saddle to keep from falling.

"Kiara."

A deep voice sounded to my right just before a strong hand gripped my arm. I looked up to see Giovanni looming over me, his sleeves stained with blood and his face harsh with worry. He turned to Ezio and Federico, who had followed him.

"Go after the others, make sure they are alright."

The two nodded and rushed off in a flurry of dust. Giovanni turned his attention back to me, his fingers still curled tightly around my arm.

"Are you alright?"

"M-my arm…"

Giovanni leaned over a little bit and his eyes widened when he saw the arrow in my left shoulder.

"Merda!"

He swung himself down from his horse, wincing as he carefully used his injured knee, and reached up to help me down as well. As I reached the ground, my knees nearly buckled and I slumped forward against him, my good arm curling around his middle in desperation. I started to sob out of fear and horror, haunted by what I had just seen. Giovanni held me tightly, rebuking me at the same time.

"What in God's name were you thinking? You could have been killed, Kiara! Now you're wounded and we still have hours' worth of traveling to go."

"I-I'm s-sorry…" I blubbered out.

Giovanni exhaled heavily, remorsefully. "You should not have had to witness any of that, you brave, stupid girl."

I sniffed as I tried to get myself back under control; now was not the time for a meltdown. Giovanni pried me from him and I wiped at my eyes, completely embarrassed for losing it like that.

"Let's look at your arm,"

When the arrow hit me, it had caught the edge of my cape as well. Giovanni took the knife I had been holding and cut away at the fabric of the cape and my sleeve too. The full moon gave us some light and he wiggled the arrow slightly, making me hiss.

"It is not caught in the bone, that is fortunate. It will make pulling the head out much easier."

I felt the blood drain from my face, "P-pull it out?"

Giovanni regarded me sternly. "Would you rather leave it there?"

I gulped and didn't say anything else.

The man carefully gripped the shaft with one hand and my arm with the other as he began to ease the arrowhead out. It took a lot of effort on my part to hold still and stay quiet…darn it, that hurt!

The metal head finally came loose and I let out a trembling breath as Giovanni tossed the arrow away. He continued to poke and prod at the wound until I pulled at his grip in protest.

"Ow! What are you doing?"

"Hold still, Kiara." Giovanni ordered, "Arrow wounds are notorious for becoming infected, and I don't have any medical supplies with me."

With a yank, Giovanni ripped my ruined sleeve from its seams and tore the fabric into strips, one of which he wrapped securely around my shoulder. The brief silence was very uncomfortable, and I could practically feel Giovanni's displeasure radiating off of him in waves.

"This is unbelievable," he muttered finally, "you should not have taken such measures. Haven't you put yourself in enough danger already?"

I kept my eyes on the ground, "I…I was just trying to stop them. I didn't know what else to do."

Giovanni sighed as he tied the knot, and when he spoke again, his voice was quiet.

"Do not scare me like that again."

It took a little work for the two of us to get back on our horses; Giovanni with his knee and me with my arm. Storm seemed to have recovered from his run, and I made sure to pat him on the neck.

"Good boy,"

I pulled the cape over my shoulder to hide the bandages as we rode on. I felt really bad for making Giovanni have to save me again, and I also felt completely stupid for taking on the soldiers when I had no hope of winning. There were times when I considered myself smart, but apparently that opinion was rather skewed.

We caught up to everyone else, again, and I tried to avoid everyone's gaze. Maria put her hand over her chest in relief.

"Kiara, grazie a Dio. Where you hurt?" (thank God)

I shuffled uncomfortably in the saddle, "Um…kind of…"

Giovanni interjected. "We must continue. Infection could set in for any of you three, and we must reach Monteriggioni before then."

Three? I looked up and my mouth nearly fell open to see that Ezio and Federico were hurt as well. A good portion of Ezio's right sleeve was stained red and it looked like Federico had been cut across the chest. Things were not looking good; four out of seven of us were hurt in one way or another, and we still had a long ways to go before we reached Monter…Monti…whatever that place was!

We traveled a few more miles in silence. I think we were all still in shock from what had happened and were still trying to process it all. Even Claudia was unusually quiet, but I knew she'd have plenty to say later. Ezio's arm looked terrible because there was so much blood, and I kept catching myself looking at it.

It was Federico who spotted the barn hidden in the woods, and after a little investigating, Giovanni decided that we would spend the night there.

"Papá, you cannot be serious!" Claudia protested, "It looks filthy!"

"It will be safer than traveling this road in the dead of night," Giovanni replied, "your mother brought a few blankets, you can sleep on those."

Claudia huffed indignantly, but didn't argue anymore.

The barn was big enough to hide the wagon in and it looked well-kept aside from being completely empty. While Maria, Claudia, and Petruccio were laying out blankets on some fresh straw, Federico unhitched the bays from the wagon and Giovanni, Ezio, and I took the saddles of the others.

My shoulder hurt every time I moved my arm, but I still felt too ashamed about it to say anything. I clumsily removed Storm's saddle and he seemed relieved to have it off. I couldn't help but smile as he tried to stick his nose in my pocket, and I promised myself I'd find the biggest apple for him the next time I had the chance.

Giovanni put his saddle down and then leaned against one of the walls with a wince, his hand gripping his knee. Maria noticed and stood.

"Did you injure your knee again, Giovanni?"

He exhaled forcefully, "I'm afraid so,"

Maria walked over and put her hands on his arm. "At least let me look at it,"

"Va bene. Federico, I heard running water nearby, why don't you, Ezio, and Kiara take the horses to get a drink."

The three of us bobbed our heads and Maria helped Giovanni over to a bench where he could sit down. Federico took the two bays, I took Storm, and Ezio took the others as we trudged wearily outside. Luckily, the stream wasn't far away and all the horses were glad for some water.

While I was waiting for Storm, I took the opportunity to wash the blood off of my bare arm, being careful not to get the makeshift bandages wet. I also washed my face, cringing as the water stung the cut on my cheek. I could only imagine how I looked now with a battered face and injured arm.

Once the horses had enough to drink, we led them all back up to the barn and into the stables that still had doors on them. Storm all but spit the bridle out of his mouth when I took it off and I noticed that the corners of his mouth looked a little raw.

"I'm sorry boy," I said quietly as I stroked his neck, "I guess I'm not that good of a rider. I'll be more careful next time."

When I pulled my hand away, my palm felt sticky. I looked at it and my stomach gave a nauseating lurch as I saw the half dried blood smeared on my hand. I had forgotten about that. Even though I was telling myself it was a bad idea, I looked down to see that there was blood spattered on my pants as well.

My knees gave out and I landed on all fours, clapping one hand over my mouth to muffle the embarrassing sounds as my stomach tried to rid itself of stuff that wasn't there. My eyes watered again as I gave one particularly painful retch, and I hoped that no one would hear me. Finally, the convulsions subsided and I sat back on my knees, shaking like a leaf. It's one thing to hear about death or see it on TV, but it's another thing entirely to witness it first-hand.

A long nose came into sight and I looked up to see that Storm had dropped his head to my level, his ears cocked forward curiously. I wiped at my mouth and swallowed the nasty after-taste in my throat as I stood, using Storm's neck for support. There was something comforting about his warm bulk and he was unusually quiet as I took some deep breaths.

"Thanks bud."

"Kiara? Are you alright?" Ezio's voice broke through my thoughts.

I kept Storm between me and Ezio out of embarrassment, "I'm fine,"

The stable door opened and I cringed to myself as he stepped around Storm.

"You don't look 'fine'," Ezio said quietly, "you're very pale."

"You wouldn't feel so good either if you had just tried to cough up everything in your stomach," I muttered.

"Actually…I already have,"

I looked up in surprise and saw that Ezio looked a little pale and embarrassed himself. "The worst part was I ate a large lunch,"

I couldn't help but smile weakly at his attempt at humor, and I felt better knowing that I wasn't the only one who was so affected by what had happened. Ezio smiled back even though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"You will feel better after you get some sleep," he suggested.

"You're going to get some rest too, right?" I inquired as we left the stall.

Ezio sighed, "After all I've seen…I'm not sure." All at once he winced and hissed a curse under his breath, reaching over to pluck carefully at his bloodied sleeve.

"What's wrong?"

"My sleeve keeps sticking to my wound and makes it bleed all over again."

"Do you want me to wrap it for you?" I asked, cringing as fresh blood appeared on the already ruined fabric.

Ezio looked grateful, "If it's not too much trouble…"

"I'll be right back."

Maria had a few extra makeshift bandages that she let me have and when I got back to Ezio, his shirt was open and he was trying to ease his arm out of the sleeve. I helped him peel the fabric from his arm and got my first good look at the cut. It was a long one, stretching over the side of his bicep clear down to his elbow. Even though Ezio's arm was covered in dried blood, I didn't have anything to wash it off with, so I had to settle with just wrapping the cut to the best of my ability. It took a little work to get the strips of fabric to stay where I wanted them, but eventually I had most of Ezio's upper arm securely bandaged.

"Is it too tight?" I asked once I tied the knot.

Ezio moved his arm experimentally, "No, you did well. How is your shoulder?"

"It hurts every time I move my arm," I admitted.

"Then try not to move it so much,"

"Easier said than done,"

Ezio gave a small wince as he carefully pulled the sticky sleeve back onto his arm, "Indeed,"

As he buttoned up his shirt, Giovanni motioned for us to come over where the rest of the family had gathered. I pulled the cape tighter around my shoulders as I walked over; it was starting to feel cool.

"Even though we're staying her tonight, we will need to keep watch. Ezio, Federico, and I will take turns." He gave me a pointed look, "The rest of you need to get some rest. We leave at dawn."

"Papá," Petruccio sniffed, "I want to go home,"

Giovanni's face fell, "We cannot, my son. Mi dispiace,"

There wasn't much more to say as Giovanni, Federico, and Ezio went up into the loft where they would spend the night. There were two blankets spread out on the straw, Maria and Claudia took one, Petruccio and I took the other. Even the horses had settled in for the night and the only thing that broke the silence was the soft chirping of crickets.

I tried to sleep, but I was too shaken up. So much had changed so quickly that I couldn't help but feel scared. What would happen to us now? I didn't even know why we were going this way, but Giovanni seemed to have some kind of backup plan.

My thoughts were interrupted when Petruccio shifted behind me. I looked over to see him curled into a ball and he was starting to shiver. Maria and Claudia were already asleep so I quietly got up and took my cape off.

"Here," I whispered as I covered him with the cloth and other half of the blanket.

"Kiara, where will you sleep?" He asked quietly.

"Right here," I patted the straw.

"But…won't you get cold?"

I gave him the best smile I could muster, "You need the blanket more than I do, Petruccio. You don't need to get sick again,"

Petruccio's eyes were drooping at this point, so he nodded and curled up under the blanket. I waited until I was sure he was asleep, which didn't take long, before I laid down again. The straw was itchy, but surprisingly warm when I finally got settled. My eyes got heavier and heavier until I finally gave in and fell asleep, straw or not. My last thought was a hope that there weren't any nasty bugs that might pay a visit.

I was shaken awake by Federico a few hours later. Ezio was already hooking up the two bays to the wagon and the other horses were saddled. I couldn't help but notice the dark circles under Federico's eyes. The bloodstain on the front of his shirt had dried and now looked black.

"Did you get any sleep?" I asked.

"Not much, piccola. Why are you sleeping on the straw?"

I stretched some, "Petruccio needed the blanket, he was getting cold."

Federico smiled a little, "Grazie,"

He stepped over and gently shook Petruccio's shoulder. "Petruccio, it's time to wake up."

The mumbled reply was barely understandable. "Mmff, go 'way Federico, lemme sleep."

A low chuckle came from the older brother as he peeled back the blanket. "Come on, frattello piccolo. We need to go." (little brother)

While Federico convinced Petruccio to come out from under the blankets, I stretched again, only to grimace and grip my shoulder. The puncture wound throbbed under the suddenly tight bandages, and I started to pull them off to relieve the pressure. Now I don't know a whole lot about anatomy or medicine, but even I could tell after one look at my shoulder that it was bad. The wound was swollen and hot to the touch, and an angry red color was starting to spread down my arm. It felt like all the muscles in my shoulder and upper arm were tight, making it very painful to move. The bandages were stained red, but it wasn't from blood. All in all, it was totally disgusting and I covered it with my hand.

I looked over to Giovanni and caught his eye, not wanting to make a scene. His limp was more pronounced as he walked over, and I hoped that didn't mean his knee was getting worse.

"Is it your arm?" he asked quietly.

I nodded as I moved my hand so he could see, and Giovanni hissed under his breath.

"It's become infected. This is bad."

Yeah, I gathered that much.

Giovanni took the bandages and rewrapped my arm, his face grim. "A fever will set in soon, I doubt we will reach Monteriggioni before then."

I swallowed hard, "Wh-what's the worst that could happen?"

"You could die, or lose your arm completely."

I felt the blood drain from my face. Lose my arm? Like in having it cut off? I had read enough horror stories in my text books to know that they didn't have anesthetic here. Now I was scared, very scared.

Giovanni must have seen my horrified expression because he suddenly hugged me.

"It won't come to that. We'll get to Monteriggioni before then, I promise."

"Serves me right for asking stupid questions," I mumbled.

Giovanni gave a short chuckle and patted me on the back reassuringly. "Tell me if it gets worse,"

As soon as all the horses were ready and all our things gathered, we left the barn and continued on our way. The hours and miles passed by slowly, only marked by the moving sun and changing landscape. Conversation was minimal at best; everyone was too worried, tired, or upset to talk much. I had gotten my cape back from Petruccio once it warmed up and I was glad because even though the sun was shining down, I still felt chilled. It wasn't until I started feeling woozy that I realized that the fever Giovanni had talked about was starting to set in.

For a while, I was okay. I didn't feel sick to my stomach and I could keep kind of warm by staying wrapped up in the cloak. Little by little, though, I started to wear down. I felt hot and cold in turns and my head was starting to swim, making me feel a little nauseous. My entire arm felt sore and my shoulder throbbed painfully under the stained bandages. Ezio was riding next to me and I saw the worried glances he was shooting my way, but I was convinced that I would make it to Monteriggioni. It couldn't be much farther…right?

Wrong. The miles kept dragging on and I continued to feel worse and worse until I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled on the reins to stop Storm, but even that movement was enough to make me dizzy and I gripped the saddle as the world swam before my eyes.

"Kiara?" I heard Ezio's concerned voice to my right.

"Ezio, I'm gonna fall." I gritted out.

I focused on staying upright as I heard him dismount and walk around his horse to me. He reached up to help me down and I somehow managed to get my leg across Storm's body, but the moment my feet touched the ground, my legs gave out and Ezio had to catch me.

"Father!"

I was barely aware that Ezio was laying me down on the ground. I was just tired…so tired…crap, I didn't think I was this sick.

"Kiara. Kiara wake up!"

I forced my eyes open to see Giovanni crouched over me, feeling my face with his hand. I realized that I was propped up against Ezio and I felt incredibly hot and sweaty.

"She's running a fever. Damn it."

I just let my head rest against Ezio's arm, too sick to care about anything anymore.

"Put her in the wagon, we'll reach Monteriggioni shortly. They'll be able to help her there."

Even as out of it as I was, I could still hear the worry in Giovanni's voice. I groaned as Ezio picked me up and carried me over to the wagon, where another pair of arms lifted me even higher and into the back. Federico…

Just before everything went black, I realized that Claudia was cradling my head in her lap, and for some strange reason I wanted to say thank you, but I didn't even get that far before I passed out.

The mood was grim after Kiara collapsed and didn't improve even as the first signs of Monteriggioni appeared. Ezio held Storm's reins as they continued along. The big horse had not been pleased by the turn of events, and it had taken some convincing on Ezio's part just to lead the horse.

"We're almost there," Giovanni announced as they rounded another bend in the road.

"Grazie a Dio," Claudia mumbled under her breath.

Kiara stirred a little bit and muttered something unintelligible before falling still again. Claudia dabbed at the older girl's face with the edge of her dress, her expression sad and worried.

"Why must you always be so reckless?"

As the first glimpse of the ramparts came into sight, everyone started to pick up the pace. It seemed as though safety was finally in sight, but not for long. Just ahead of the small party, several men materialized out of the forest and blocked the road, each one armed.

"The Pazzi!" Federico hissed.

"What are they doing here?" Ezio demanded to no one in particular, his hand reaching for his sword.

"Buon giorno, Auditores." Vieri greeted casually as he walked out, "How could you leave Firenze without saying a proper goodbye?"

"Papá!"

Giovanni turned at Petruccio's warning and saw that more of Vieri's men had surrounded them from behind.

"What do you want, Vieri?" The man snapped. He was in no mood to play the boy's games.

"So many things. A larger palazzo, two new steeds," Vieri glanced at Claudia, "a prettier bride…oh, and yes, your lives."

Vieri's men drew their swords an advanced on the family. Giovanni snarled and spurred his horse between them and the wagon. He could not fight on foot with his knee, but he had his sword and his horse had been trained to do a little fighting as well. The white gelding's ears flattened against his head at the threat and kicked out with his back feet, catching one man in the ribs.

Federico and Ezio had dismounted and were fighting furiously with the thugs, trying to keep them from approaching the wagon. Storm, now loose, ran from the fray and trampled two men in the process before disappearing into the woods.

Maria tried take the wagon out of the fight, but a couple of men grabbed the horses' bridles and yanked them to a halt.

"You're not going anywhere!"

Claudia and Petruccio could only watch wide-eyed and frozen in fear as the fight continued all around them. For a while, it seemed as if their brothers and father were winning, but Vieri wasn't through.

"I grow tired of this game. Finish them! And do not spare the women!"

The rest of the men ran forward to overwhelm the Auditore men with their numbers alone, but suddenly several fell the ground, each with an arrow in his back. The other's withdrew, startled by the mysterious deaths of their comrades.

"What sorcery is this?" Vieri cried out.

A deep, booming voice laughed from the cover of the woods. "Not sorcery, boy. Skill!"

Giovanni couldn't have been more relieved to hear that voice. Mario was still as watchful as ever.

"Show yourself!" Vieri shouted, holding his sword ready.

"As you wish,"

The younger man's sword was knocked from his hand as other men appeared, led by a man with a long scar over his left eye. The mercenaries circled the wagon defensively, ignoring the confused looks from Ezio and Federico.

"Kill them!" Vieri nearly shrieked, "Kill them all!"

The mysterious man grinned wickedly and quickly advanced on the Pazzi boy. Vieri quickly lost his nerve and ran for his life, more mocking laughter sounding behind him.

From there, the fight was one-sided and the mercenaries made quick work of what was left of Vieri's thugs.

Ezio found himself standing next to their savior, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank you, Signore,"

The man chuckled, "No need to be so formal, Ezio,"

Ezio blinked, now completely confused, "Do I know you from somewhere?"

The grin just got wider as the man spread his arms. "Don't you recognize me? It's a-me, Mario!"

Ezio's mouth fell open and he found himself on the receiving end of a nearly crushing hug. "Uncle Mario? Oof!"

Mario chuckled, "It's been too long, nipote! Far too long! I'm not surprised that you don't recognize me, though. You were just barely walking the last time I saw you."

Giovanni rode up and carefully dismounted. Even though he was thankful that his older brother had showed up, he couldn't help but brace himself as Mario approached; their last meeting hadn't ended on the best of terms. But the man grunted in surprise when he was also enveloped in a burly bear hug.

"It's good to see you again, fratello piccolo."

Relieved, Giovanni returned the hug whole-heartedly. "It's good to see you as well, Mario."

The older man stepped back. "Ah, it's been too long Giovanni. Look at these boys! Federico! You've put on some height since I saw you last."

Federico sheathed his sword and hugged Mario. "Indeed. It's good to see you again, uncle."

The happy reunion was interrupted when Petruccio called from the wagon. "Papá, I think Kiara's getting worse."

Giovanni limped over to the wagon and cringed as he peered over the edge. Kiara's face was very pale and he could hear her labored breathing. Mario came up beside him and his brow furrowed.

"Who is this? She looks as if she's been beaten."

"Kiara is a friend, and she was wounded when we escaped."

"Yes, I heard about what happened in Firenze." Mario looked back to see that his men on horseback had returned with Ezio and Federico's horses in tow.

"Mario, we could not catch the big grey, he was too fast."

"We will deal with him later." Mario motioned to one of the men, "You there, get this young lady to the villa. Fretta!" (hurry)

The man nodded and brought his horse over to the wagon. He hopped in the back and lifted Kiara easily. With a little maneuvering, he managed to get her situated sideways on the saddle and with one arm wrapped around her middle; he spurred his horse into a gallop.

Mario turned to the rest of the family. "Maroné will take good care of her, I promise. Come, let's get you all away from here. There is much we need to discuss."

Merda! - Sh*t
Grazie a Dio - Thank God
Mi dispiace - I'm sorry
Piccola - Little one (feminine)
Grazie - Thank you
Frattello piccolo - Little brother
Buon giorno - Good day
Nipote - Nephew
Fretta - Hurry!

A/N – *headdesk multiple times* Did I draw that out or what? I kept writing myself into corners with this chapter, that's why it took so long. I hope that's not painfully obvious. Sorry if the last fight scene is lousy, I'm still working on those.

I looked up on Google how far Monteriggioni is from Florence, and it's just over thirty miles! It would have taken Ezio, Maria, and Claudia over eleven hours to walk that far in the game, and that's without a break. I figured it wouldn't be a whole lot faster on horseback, I mean come on; they can't run the whole way.

Oh well, more material for me to use.

I have to say, all the support and feedback I've gotten from everyone has really inspired me to continue with this. Destiny wouldn't be where it is now if it wasn't for you reading it. :) I would like to extend a big thank you to all who have taken the time to review. I love you guys!

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I think the updates are going to start coming slower as I get into the more complicated part of the story. Besides, finals are coming up too. *shudders* I am so ready for Christmas break…and Christmas. Just be patient with me, I won't drop the story, I just want to do this right.

Until next time, my friends.

~TKD Dragon