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

Credit for the correct Italian goes to the wonderful La Bella Figura

Six months had passed since Federico, Ezio, and I had returned from Florence. We had learned a lot while we were there too. The Pazzi were making a mess of everything and there had even been rumors of a plot to overthrow the Medici family. Giovanni in particular was very disturbed by this last piece of information.

"Francesco has always hated the Medici family," he said ominously, "and now that they are gaining more power, I have no doubt they will try."

Francesco wasn't the only Pazzi causing us headaches; his son was doing a pretty good job of that on his end. Vieri was still making a point to harass the outer farms of Monteriggioni, but now that winter was firmly setting in, the number of complaints were slowly dwindling. We all knew, though, that when spring came back around, it would be time to end this mess once and for all.

Maria was so happy to have her box back, and even offered to show me what was inside. As interested as I was, it had been a long day and I was ready to get some rest. I promised to take her up on her offer later though.

Life fell back into the usual routine and I was now training with the rest of the guys. Even though the mercenaries respected me, they had their reservations about having in me in the training ring, and I was often the brunt of jokes and teasing when Mario wasn't in earshot. They started calling me la leonessa or even la gatta because apparently they thought I fought like one. Thankfully, la gatta didn't stick and I was left with la leonessa. The nicknames really didn't matter to me; I was just trying to improve.

The mercenaries were a rough group, that was just understood, and there were a few times when I had to make it clear that I wasn't going to take any crap. One guy tried to cop a feel once as I was walking by and I nearly broke his nose for it. After that, the men kept their hands to themselves.

When I wasn't training, I spent time with the rest of the family. I still enjoyed cooking and helped Maria out whenever I could. Mario was constantly praising his sister-in-law for her culinary skills, and it was hard to keep him out of the kitchen before meals. Giovanni and Claudia had straightened out Monteriggioni's finances and were coming up with ways that the town could increase the number of travelers that visited here.

I was sitting out in the courtyard one evening, enjoying the quiet atmosphere even though it was kind of cold. All at once, a small pair of cold hands clamped down over my eyes.

"Hey!" I protested, trying to peel the hands from my face, "Petruccio!"

The culprit giggled behind me, "You're the one who's supposed to be an Assassin. You should have heard me coming."

I couldn't help but smile as I finally pried his hands away. "Touchè. Where have you been? I haven't seen you all afternoon."

Petruccio plopped down next to me, and I saw that his face and clothes were smudged with dirt.

"Out playing with my friends. We were trying to catch a rabbit."

I took in the state of his clothes, "Did that by chance involve digging in his burrow?"

He nodded.

"In the snow?"

The guilty grin was all the conformation I needed, but all at once Petruccio stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled sharply.

"Apollo! Come away from there!"

A young black and white dog trotted over from a drying hide that he had been sniffing. While Ezio, Federico, and I were in Florence, Petruccio had found himself a new best friend in the form of the small, scruffy looking mutt that had joined us. How he convinced Maria to let him keep the dog, I'll never know, but I had my suspicions that Giovanni had put in a persuasive word or two.

Apollo, as Petruccio had named his furry friend, had one brown eye and one blue eye. He was also friendly, playful, and just a tad clingy. Even though he wouldn't be very big, Apollo still had some growing up to do. I smiled and scratched the pup behind his folded ears and he licked my hand in return before curling up at Petruccio's feet.

"I'm trying to teach Apollo to fetch, but he just keeps running away with the stick."

I chuckled as I saw the dog's furry tail twitch at his name. "Well, think of his from his perspective; it just gets taken away."

We lapsed into silence for a few minutes, both lost in our thoughts, until a piercing shriek came from the villa behind us.

"Ezio Auditore!"

Both Petruccio and I whipped around to find out what the heck was going on, and Apollo barked at the sound he no doubt found both foreign and disturbing.

We saw Ezio bail out of Claudia's bedroom window, narrowly catching himself and avoiding being hit with what looked like a inkpot. He shimmied down the wall and reached the ground just as Claudia stuck her head out the window, and even from where we were,I could see that she was livid.

"É culo! Give that back!"

Ezio grinned back up at his sister and waved a small, leather-bound book tauntingly. "You'll have to catch me first, sorelina."

"That's Claudia's diary!" Petruccio gasped, "She hates other people reading it."

Ezio was not done tormenting his sister and opened the book. "Hmm, what do we have here?"

Claudia was red in the face by now. "Ezio, don't you dare!"

Her brother started to laugh, "Oh-ho! I knew you had something for him, dear sister, but I didn't think it was that serious."

With a sound akin to an indignant screech, Claudia flew away from the window, no doubt on her way down.

"She's going to kill him in his sleep for this," Petruccio said darkly.

I don't know if it was the fact that the whole situation was amusing or that sweet Petruccio had just called out a death sentence for his older brother, but I started to laugh so hard I could barely see. It didn't take long for Petruccio to join me and soon we were all but rolling on the ground. The situation got even better when Claudia finally came out and spent the next five minutes chasing Ezio around the courtyard.

Ezio continued to flip through the journal while dancing out of Claudia's vengeful reach, occasionally reading the more private sentences out loud. Finally, Claudia had enough and sucker-punched her brother in the gut. Apparently she had a good upper-cut because Ezio doubled over with a forceful grunt and lost possession of the precious book at last. Claudia wasn't done, though, and proceeded to beat Ezio over the head with the afore mentioned diary.

"Have you—" thwack! "—no respect—" thump! "—for privacy?" whack!

Ezio chose this moment to make his less-than-graceful exit with one hand on his stomach and the other trying to protect his head as Claudia continued to wale on him as she chased him back into the villa. It took Petruccio and I several minutes to recover, but we were still wiping our eyes as we went back inside with Apollo following us curiously. Giovanni walked over just as we entered and asked,

"Have you two seen either Ezio or Claudia?"

Petruccio and I looked at each other and then broke into peals of laughter again while Giovanni could only look at us like it was the strangest sight he had ever seen.

"My children are going mad," he muttered as he left.

A week passed after the diary incident, but Claudia was still very sore about it and Ezio was often the victim of a smack to the back of the head if she was in the general area. She swore Petruccio and I to silence over what we heard, but there were times when we couldn't help but snicker behind her back.

Yeah, life had gone back to normal for the time being and everyone seemed content…everyone except Federico that is. He hadn't been himself since we got back from Florence, and several of us were getting worried. He always seemed so melancholy if he wasn't doing something with the rest of the family, and often disappeared for extended periods of time.

I found him one overcast day perched on the roof of one of the buildings, looking so forlorn that I couldn't help but feel bad for him. I clambered up the side and poked my head over the roof.

"Hey, mind if I join you?"

Federico looked a little surprised that I had shown up out of nowhere, but he gave a small smile.

"I don't believe there's anything stopping you."

I pulled myself up next to him and slung my legs over the side of the roof. An awkward silence fell between us until I spoke up.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course piccola, why do you ask?"

I leveled my gaze at him, "Liar,"

"I'm not lying,"

"You're not telling the truth either."

Federico sighed and gave in, "Alright. I've…been thinking about Amelia."

Ah…that made a lot of sense.

"I haven't seen her in so long, Kiara," he continued, "I don't know if she's still waiting for me to come back or…or…"

The word married hung unspoken in the air. I didn't know what to tell him without sounding absolutely insensitive in the process. As I was contemplating the present situation, Federico suddenly inhaled sharply, like someone had hurt him. I looked over to see him sitting stock-still, his face slightly pale and his eyes fixed on the gateway.

"Federico, what is it?" I asked, concerned.

"It can't be,"

That was the only answer I got as he suddenly sprang into motion, running headlong towards the gates and leaving me completely confused. I peered in the direction of the gate, and my mouth fell open a moment later.

No way…

Federico landed with a grunt on the ground, but kept himself back against the wall of the building. His eyes sought out the cloaked figure that had just entered Monteriggioni, hanging hesitantly on the edge of the milling crowd. He knew that cloak, he'd know it anywhere, but the newcomer was turned in such a way that the hood hid her face. Federico found himself praying that his eyes weren't playing a trick on him.

The woman turned and Federico felt his heart lurch almost painfully as he saw her beautiful face again. Her dark eyes scanned the crowd and then widened as she finally saw him. Federico found himself glued to the ground as Amelia wove through the crowd to him. It wasn't until she was a few paces away that he finally found the ability to move again. Federico covered the distance between them in two steps and then she was throwing her arms around his neck as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Amelia," he whispered, "what are you doing here?"

If anything, Amelia nuzzled closer, "Looking for you,"

Federico looked around, but there was no sign of any escort. "Did you come all this way alone?"

She just nodded against his chest and the young man cringed at the thought of her traveling all that way on her own, but he said nothing of it and held her tighter.

"I missed you so much, cara,"

Then her hands were on his chest, pushing him back so her eyes could meet his. Federico had changed since Amelia had seen him last. He was no longer the carefree man she knew; instead he looked older and more mature, with a hardened look about his eyes.

"Why is it that I had to find you Federico? You disappear without a word and all I receive is a letter. You didn't even say where you had gone,"

"I didn't want to involve you in this," Federico replied with a heavy sigh, "everything has changed."

"Then are the rumors true?" Amelia asked sadly, "That your father betrayed Lorenzo de' Medici?"

"It was we who were betrayed," Federico growled, "by that pig Uberto Albertini. He tried to have us killed and then spread his lies so we could not return."

Amelia paled a little, "He tried to kill your family? Why?"

Federico took a deep breath, "I'm afraid it's a very long story,"

The woman slipped her hand into his. "Then tell me, I did not come all this way just to be deterred by a long story."

Federico hesitated for a moment, but his grip on her hand tightened. "Va bene, let's take a walk."

For the next hour, they walked through the woods, eventually ending up by the pond. Federico explained his Assassin heritage, who the Templars were, and why he had taken on his ancestors' fight. Amelia listened intently the whole time, staying silent until Federico was finished.

"That is…incredible, Federico. I had no idea such factions existed."

Federico barely contained a snort, "Neither did I. But do you believe me?"

Amelia took a deep breath, "With the corruption I've seen with the Pazzi, it actually makes sense."

Federico scowled, but kept his dark thoughts to himself. "Amelia, how did you find us?"

The young woman smiled a little, "Mother knew you had family in Monteriggioni, she was hoping that if I could get this far, I could eventually find you."

"But what was so urgent that you would travel all this way alone?"

"My father was trying to arrange a marriage for me…with Vieri,"

Amelia glanced over at her companion, and even though Federico's face was expressionless, she saw the fire in his hazel eyes.

"The only reason that father approved of our match was because your family was so wealthy and prestigious. He has made some poor choices in the past and owes a lot of money, particularly to the Pazzi. When you disappeared, and the rumors started, he was hard pressed to keep his public image. He hoped that he could remedy our situation by offering my hand in marriage to Vieri."

"And what," Federico was having trouble keeping his voice even, "did Vieri say?"

Amelia looked down, "He said he wanted nothing to do with an Auditore's puttana,"

By this point Federico was seeing red; he was going to strangle the brat for that remark. He took a deep breath to steady himself, willing away the murderous thoughts for another time. Amelia spoke up again.

"I knew Vieri was coarse, but I never realized he had such disregard for women,"

"It wouldn't be the first time," Federico muttered, thinking back to the time he found Kiara trapped by Vieri and his men in an alley.

Amelia took a deep breath, "So…here I am. Although, I certainly did not expect all this,"

Federico felt a sudden burst of apprehension, "Are you going to stay?"

A small laugh escaped Amelia as she looked up at his handsome face. "Why do you think I came here to begin with?"

Federico's entire face lit up with a brilliant smile as he cupped her face in his hands and pressed a fervent kiss to her lips.

"I can't give you the life you knew in Firenze, and it won't always be easy for us," He said, "but will you marry me?"

Amelia gently traced the stubble on his jaw. "Naturlamente io."

To say that there was an uproar when we all learned that Amelia had come all the way to Monteriggioni and Federico had proposed was an understatement. Of course, then it came out that Federico had made a little side trip while we were in Florence. Giovanni and Mario had plenty to say about that, but I seriously doubt Federico was very sorry.

Personally, I was ecstatic. Federico was like a different person now that Amelia was here; he was so much happier. When he told me that he and Amelia were going to get married, I squealed like the girl I was and hugged him so tightly he laughed. It had been a while since I had heard Federico laugh like that.

"I'm so happy for you, Federico," I said, my face half buried in his shirt.

He hugged me back with a chuckle as he teased me, "I'm glad you approve Kiara. I wouldn't even think of taking the next step without your support."

I wasn't the only one excited about the impending marriage. It didn't take Claudia more than twenty-four hours after the announcement to start making plans. Amelia, I think, was a little overwhelmed at first at the boisterous attitude of the whole Auditore family, but she adapted quickly.

As I got to know her better, I really liked her. Not only was she brave enough to travel all the way to Monteriggioni alone, but she was as sharp as she was pretty. Talking with Amelia, I found that she knew a lot about politics, philosophy, and the world in general outside of the Florentine borders. Even though she wasn't all that impressed with my choice to become an Assassin, she respected my decision.

"Besides," she said matter-of-factly, "Federico needs someone to keep an eye on him."

Once Amelia was settled in at the villa, the wedding planning began in earnest. After much debating and deliberating, it was decided that May was the best choice, but Federico was a little put off that they were going to wait for a few months.

"What is wrong with getting married right now?" He asked me with some exasperation, which really translated into "I really don't want to wait that long."

I just chuckled and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Just humor them, Federico, it'll easier that way.

The Federico and Amelia's wedding wasn't the only event being planned; the attack on San Gimignano, Vieri's stronghold, was also in the works. Mario had contacts within the city in the form of courtesans that had been secretly sending him information. From what I heard, Vieri was getting restless, which meant that we would have to move up our plans if we wanted to beat him to the punch.

Vieri's men were also beginning to have issues with him, apparently he had been abusing the power he held over them a little too much. This was something Mario had every intention of taking advantage of.

As the snow receded away and the days got warmer, I could feel the tension start to build. The mercenaries were tired of being stuck in Monteriggioni and were ready for a fight. As the day of the attack got closer and closer, I couldn't help but feel apprehension sit in my gut like a lead weight. Even though it hadn't been discussed, I knew Mario was expecting Federico, Ezio, and me to be a part of the attack. I didn't know if I was ready for something like that.

Then it happened.

It was one of the first warm days of spring when a messenger raced to Mario with shocking news. Vieri and his men had attacked a farm outside of Monteriggioni, burning it to the ground. The farmer was killed, his wife beaten and raped, and their children scarred for the rest of their lives and left without a father.

I saw the surviving family members when they were brought to Monteriggioni for shelter. The look of shame and anguish on the young woman's face and the weeping of her children was almost too much to bear. Anger over such injustice bubbled up inside me, and it was the first time I felt so much fury for another person. I wasn't the only one; the entire city of Monteriggioni was incensed at an attack on one of their own, and calls for action flooded into Mario's office.

Although Mario wholeheartedly agreed, he decided to bide his time for a little while. The attack had been a taunt from Vieri, he said, and that they were no doubt fully prepared for any retaliation we could dish out. He wanted to wait a few days and make them nervous and distracted. A tactic (he said with a wink) that he learned from me.

So we waited three days, but it was a very busy three days. The blacksmith was constantly working on forging new weapons or fixing armor while the mercenaries prepared the rest of their things. Giovanni showed me how to sharpen my saber until it could cut through paper with very little effort and I had a new batch of steel-head arrows coming. The steel tipped arrows were heavier, but they had a nicer arc that made long shots easier. I also replaced the bowstring on my bow and spent two afternoons breaking the new one in.

Finally, the day came. The tension was so thick in the air everyone felt it, and a hush seemed to fall over Monteriggioni. The knot in my gut had only gotten worse to the point I didn't even feel like eating. I double and triple checked my equipment several times over, just to have something to do and keep my mind off of what was coming. I had my saber, parrying knife, bow, a few throwing knives, and a new quiver that held about ten to fifteen arrows. The day dragged on, and I wound up outside in the courtyard, mulling over the coming events. It was Ezio who found me about an hour later.

"Are you going to share that shade or keep it all to yourself?"

I felt a small smile cross my face as I looked up at him leaning against the tree I was under. "Depends,"

Ezio gave an exaggerated bow, "May I sit here, signorina?"

I chuckled and patted the ground beside me, "Well, since you put it that way…"

Ezio grinned back and sank down with a relieved sigh next to me. It had been an unusually warm day for this early in the spring.

"Are you feeling well?"

I tilted my head to one side at the odd question, "Why do you ask?"

"You've been quieter than usual, Kiara, and that's saying something."

I looked down at the grass that I was absently pulling up. "I'm just nervous, I guess,"

"The attack?"

"Mm-hmm,"

Ezio seemed to process my answer for a bit before asking his next question. "Perchè?"

I tugged harder at the grass, "I just don't know how I'll react. The last time something like this happened, I lost my nerve and ran."

"Last time you didn't have any training." Ezio reminded me, "You've come a long way since then, leonessa."

I scrunched my nose a little at the nickname, but didn't say anything in reply.

"You don't believe me?"

I shook my head, "I don't know. One minute I feel confident, the next I'm scared to death."

"No one said you had to go," Ezio said gently.

The uprooted grass fell through my fingers. "I've seriously considered that, but when will I learn if not now?"

Ezio nodded in understanding. "Sì, that is true. But remember, you won't be on your own. Stay with me and Federico; we'll make sure those Pazzi dogs won't hurt you."

There was definitely some comfort in that and Ezio patted my shoulder. He looked up at the sky and gave me the news I had been dreading all day.

"Best get ready Kiara. Mario wants everyone to meet in an hour."

The lead weight was back in force and for a moment, I didn't know if I could get up. Ezio remedied the situation by taking my arm and helping me to my feet.

"You'll be fine, Kiara. Don't worry."

Even though his words were meant to be encouraging, I saw the worry in his own eyes and realized that he was just as nervous about the attack as I was.

I went back to my room in something akin to a daze and started to pull on my Assassin robes and gear. My fingers were clumsy as I buckled the straps and slipped the different blades into their respective sheaths. As of yet, I didn't have a hidden blade because the blacksmith had just finished working on the second replica of Giovanni's. It was hard enough for the man to just get the regular sized mechanisms right to make Federico's and Ezio's work, much less work on a smaller version for me.

I slung the quiver over my shoulder and cape, having to free my hood with a brief tug. I picked up my bow, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the room. The meeting was to be held in Mario's office, and already the mercenaries were gathering. With a faint clattering of the arrows in my quiver, I made my way down the stairs and into the office with the last of the men. Ezio, Federico, and Giovanni were already there, and for a moment I was taken aback at how menacing the three of them appeared with their weapons and grim looks, Giovanni especially. My adoptive father motioned me over as Mario spoke up and we all moved in closer to hear what the eldest Auditore had to say.

"First, we must find a way inside the city, though Vieri expects us. He has sealed the gates and sent his men to guard them. Fortunately for us, the city is larger than his host, and the southern gate suffers for it. This is where we will strike tonight. Ezio and Federico, we will need you to climb over the wall and open the gate from the inside. My sources had told me that the wall is crumbling a little just to the west of the gate, you can use that to your advantage. Once we are inside, we need to move fast before the rest of Vieri's forces converges on us. Do not harm any of the civilians inside the city, capisco?"

There was a general murmur of agreement from everyone, including me.

"Molto bene. We ride at dusk."

Our group broke up and filtered out of the office. Giovanni caught my elbow as I was leaving and pulled me aside.

"Kiara, are you sure?"

"I have to learn sooner or later, Giovanni," I said, trying to sound as braver than I felt.

He looked concerned, but consented. "Very well, but I must warn you, battle is an ugly thing; men will die tonight. When we attack the gate, I want you to go with Ezio and Federico and help take out any archers that guard the gate. Stay on the rooftops after we get inside and use your bow."

The unspoken condition here was that I would be safest up on the building, and at the present moment, I didn't have a problem with it. Giovanni took a step back to check over my gear and tightened the quiver strap with a firm tug.

"Just promise me you will be careful," he said quietly.

I nodded and followed him out of the office. In the main entrance, the rest of the family were waiting anxiously. Amelia – bless her heart – was putting on a brave face even though I could tell she was terribly worried. At the current moment she and Federico were in very close proximity of each other, so I looked away to give them a bit of privacy. As we left, I expected the dread in my stomach to get worse, but instead a strange numbness came over me. I wasn't scared, or excited, I couldn't feel anything.

Storm was waiting anxiously for me when we arrived at the stables. He was a little put off by the number of horses and men milling about with their clanking armor. I patted his neck with reassurance I didn't feel and swung myself up into the saddle. Mario led the way as our group galloped across the country side. San Gimignano wasn't too far away but it would be completely dark when we got there. Try as I might, I couldn't focus on the attack and my thoughts kept straying to the strangest things, like; would Petruccio ever get Apollo to fetch? Which room would Federico and Amelia have once they were married? Would I ever get my hidden blade?

The ride over was a blur and before I knew it, we had reached a small farm on the very outskirts of the city. The farmer there was one of Mario's contacts and had agreed to hide our horses in his barn. Once all the horses were hidden, our group gathered together for a few last minute instructions. I should have felt nervous, but again the numbness persisted. Maybe I just didn't know what to feel.

A final word from Mario, and we were running up the hill to the gate. My legs felt like lead and it was a wonder I could keep up. The arrows in the quiver rattled obnoxiously as I ran, but there was nothing I could do about it. Just as the gate came into sight, I spotted the crumbling spot in the outer wall that Mario had spoken of. Federico and Ezio broke from the main group and I followed, pulling my hood over my head. Federico went up first and then Ezio, I waited until the latter waved to me over the battlement to sling my bow over my shoulder and make my own ascent.

There had been a few archers, but the two brothers had already taken care of them with their throwing knives. I pulled my first arrow from the quiver and notched it to the bowstring, but this part of the city was mostly deserted. I suddenly became aware of the sounds of shouts and metal striking metal. Mario and Giovanni had engaged Vieri's guards that guarded the gate.

Federico and Ezio leapt down to ground level, and I made my way across the rooftops to get a better view of the gate. Ezio was currently working the crank that raised the gate and Vieri's men were taken off guard by the unexpected movement. Once the gate was completely open, both Federico and Ezio rushed into the fray. I cringed as Vieri's guards were cut down in the entrance way, their cries ringing in my ears. I could see Ezio fighting furiously and I looked away as he ran a man through, blood smeared all over his sword.

The skirmish ended quicker than I thought, and I suddenly realized that I hadn't done a thing to help. The mercenaries filed through the gate and I breathed a sigh of relief when I counted three white figures.

"Well done boys, we're in!" Mario praised, "This way men,"

I followed on the roofs as the group ran further into the city, and then split up. Ezio and Federico went one way with a few of the mercenaries to keep any further guards from raising the alarm while Mario and Giovanni took the rest down another, less guarded route. At a hand signal from Giovanni, I followed the boys and promised myself that I'd actually be of some use this time.

The first four guards we came across had no clue what was going on until they were overwhelmed by the mercenaries, and I didn't even have time to get off a shot. The next group had more of a head's-up and attacked the boys head on. All of a sudden I saw a lone guard dart away, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Sound the alarm! We are under attack!"

Without a second thought I lifted my bow, pulled the string back to my ear, sighted down the arrow, and let it fly. The man dropped a moment later with the shaft buried in the back of his neck. Suddenly the strange numbness was gone and I could see and hear everything with complete clarity. The familiar sense of horror started to well up, but I forced it away.

The sounds of fighting reached my ears, but it wasn't the one below me, it was coming from a large plaza further in. I was pretty sure that what was going on over there wasn't part of the plan.

"Federico!" I shouted down to the group below, "I think Mario's in trouble!"

Federico threw the body of a man he had just killed aside. "Where?"

I pointed in the direction of the plaza. "Over there!"

"Go! We'll be right behind you!"

I took off in a straight line for the fighting, knowing the rest of the group was going to have to take the long way around. The first thing I saw as I got closer were two archers firing arrows into the fray, picking off Mario's mercenaries right and left. Now furious, I notched another arrow and took out the closest archer. The second almost got a shot off at me before I got him, and my stomach flip-flopped a little.

With a moment to spare, I glanced anxiously through the fighting group, mentally counting off my family members and not breathing until the number reached four. Now that the archers were gone, I decided to borrow their strategy and started taking out Vieri's men on the outskirts of the fight. Above all the noise, I heard Mario talking loudly to Ezio and Federico.

"Ah, there you are. It seems my plan ran into something of a snag…"

"Snag?" Giovanni questioned with a grunt as he ran a man through, "I'd call getting ambushed a problem, brother,"

"Whatever. As you can see boys, we've got our hands full. We'll deal with these guards; you go on ahead and root out that snake!"

Both Federico and Ezio ducked out of the fight and ran off. For a moment, I considered following them, and then reconsidered. Right now stealth was key, and I had a feeling that I didn't want to be there when they finally found Vieri. With my mind made up, I turned my attention back to picking off the guards, only to have three more of Vieri's archers show up.

The next few minutes were tense as we tried to outshoot each other. I managed to get behind a chimney, but it was still unnerving to hear the arrows bouncing off the brick. Shooting with my left hand actually came in handy and I made a mental note not to complain next time Mario suggested it. The only reason I was able to kill one and severely wound another was because they didn't have anything to hide behind. It wasn't until the wounded man got down from the roof that I realized that I was missing the third. I reached back for another arrow, only to stiffen in shock.

Crap! I was out!

Ezio and Federico raced over the roofs in silence, each trying to spot their target before the other and each hoping to make the kill. All at once voices caught their attention, and they paused to get a better look. Four men tread the street below them; Vieri, Francesco, an older man they recognized as Jacopo de Pazzi, and a fourth man in a hooded cloak they didn't know.

"It's settled," the fourth man said, "Vieri, you will remain here and coordinate the mercinari. Francesco will organize our forces in the city and send word when it is time to strike. Jacopo, your job is to calm the citizens once the deed is done."

The two brothers looked at each other in worry and confusion. What deed?

"What about that ubriacone Mario? He continues to harass my forces and I fear he may discover what we intend." Vieri put in indignantly.

"He's always been trouble," Francesco growled, "just like that bastardo brother of his."

Two sets of hooded eyes narrowed dangerously.

The mysterious man put his hand on Vieri's shoulder to calm him. "There will be time to clean up the rifuti when we're finished. Is there anything else?"

When there was no answer, the man nodded appreciatively. "Good. May the Father of Understanding guide you."

The phrase meant nothing to the Auditore brothers even as the other three repeated it. The group turned to leave and for a moment it looked as if Ezio and Federico were going to lose their chance, but that was until another voice was heard.

"Commandante! Commandante!"

Vieri turned back around in aggravation. "What?"

"Mario Auditore has invaded the city! He comes for you!"

The young man was far from disturbed and gave a wicked grin. "Then let's not keep him waiting."

With that, Vieri disappeared back into the city. Federico and Ezio took off after him, nearly shoving each other out of the way in their haste. It was time to end this.

Giovanni wiped sweat and hair out of his eyes. The force that had ambushed them was almost wiped out, and many of Vieri's men were beginning to retreat. Now that he had some breathing room, the man looked up in an effort to find Kiara. The young woman had done them all a great service by using her skill with the bow to keep the enemy's archers at bay and Giovanni made a mental note to praise her for it later.

Finally, he spotted a small figure crouched against a chimney. Giovanni's brow furrowed with worry when he recognized her body language; she was looking for someone. All at once a flash of movement caught his attention and the dark eyes widened with horror as a warning cry split the air.

"Kiara behind you!"

I barely had time to hear Giovanni's shout before the shingles behind me clacked warningly. I dove to one side and a sword crashed down on the spot I had occupied a moment earlier. I scrambled for footing on the slanted roof while trying to see my attacker. Damn my clumsiness!

After what felt like an eternity, I managed to get back on my feet and faced the missing archer, who was now brandishing a mean-looking broadsword.

"You picked the wrong side, boy," the man snarled as he advanced cautiously.

My mind raced as I tried to remember my training, but all my thoughts were a jumbled mess. I reached for my saber, but paused when my fingers accidentally brushed a throwing knife on my belt. At the moment, it seemed like a better option. My fingers were shaking as I drew it from the small sheath and I threw it out of pure desperation.

By some stroke of luck it actually hit the man's exposed neck, although not enough to kill him. He yowled in pain and dropped his sword to clutch at the bleeding wound. The movement was enough to unbalance him and he lost his footing, tumbling from the roof with a startled yell.

It took me a moment to realize that I had actually won and I peeked cautiously over the edge. The archer was lying motionless on the ground, and his neck looked broken. I licked at my dry lips and noticed that my bow had also fallen in the scuffle. It seemed as if the fight was over, so I cautiously climbed down to retrieve it. Giovanni came running over as I picked it up, his sword smeared with blood.

"Are you alright?"

I nodded, not quiet trusting my voice and he sighed with relief.

"Grazie a Dio. Come, Mario needs our help."

"But I'm out of arrows," I protested, now noticing that the plaza was empty.

Giovanni grabbed my hand. "Then let's see how much of my teaching you remember,"

I nearly groaned when I realized that he was talking about sword fighting, but didn't say anything else as he pulled me in the direction that Mario and his men had gone.

Ezio prowled through the shadows, his eyes gleaming gold. Somehow Vieri had managed to elude him and Federico, and the two had split up. Instinct had guided the younger brother in this direction and he scanned the area with his Eagle Vision, now grateful for the strange gift.

A gleam of yellow caught his eye and Ezio picked up the pace, flicking his wrist and feeling the hidden blade shoot from its sheath with a deadly shink.

By the time Giovanni and I had caught up to Mario, the mercenaries had already taken care of what was left of Vieri's forces. I was secretly glad that I didn't have to get involved in the sword fighting. Now that it was safer, I deemed it okay to leave Giovanni's side and look around for the rest of the crew.

As I walked down a side street, I heard Ezio swearing furiously in Italian, but he was interrupted by Mario.

"Enough, Ezio. Show some respect,"

"Respect?" Ezio all but spat, "After all that's happened? Do you think he would have shown us such kindness?"

"You are not Vieri." Mario reprimanded sternly, "Do not become him."

I peeked around a corner to see Ezio and Mario standing over the dead body of Vieri, who looked like he had been stabbed in the throat. Ezio's furious expression coupled with his bloodstained sleeve sent a chill down my spine. Mario knelt by Vieri's corpse and closed the eyelids.

"Che la morte ti dia la pace che cercavi. Requiescat in pace."

Mario stood again and handed Ezio what looked like a letter. "Read this if you have time. Our work here is finished, let us return to Monteriggioni."

The older man left and I did the same. As I walked back down the now-quiet streets of San Gimignano, I couldn't shake the unsettled feeling that was the result of everything that had happened. Ezio, Federico and I were no longer innocent bystanders; we had fought and killed, making our presence known in a much bigger war, and we were changed because of it. I couldn't get the image of Ezio's dark, cold expression out of my head. It was like he was a whole different person than the young man I knew, and deep down I hoped that his easily-provoked anger wouldn't get in the way of his judgment later on.

La leonessa – The lioness
La gatta – She-cat
É culo! – You ass!
Sorelina – Little sister
Cara – Darling
Va bene – Alright
Puttana – A really ugly name for a woman
Naturalmente io – Of course I will
Signorina – Miss
Perchè? – Why?
Capisco? – Understand?
Molto bene – Very good
Mercinari – Mercenaries
Ubriacone – Drunkard
Rifuti – Trash
Commandante – Commander
Grazie a Dio – Thank God
Che la morte ti dia la pace che cercavi. Requiescat in pace. - May death provide the peace you sought. Rest in peace.

A/N – Woo…long chapter. I have a feeling I overstuffed it, but I didn't want to split it into two shorter chapters. Yes, the helpless romantic in me has finally come out. Surely you didn't expect Federico to stay single, did you? :DDD The wedding, ah yes, the wedding…erm, I'm working on it. ^^;

I have a questions for all you wonderful readers, and I want your honest opinion. Should I look at finding a beta?

To those who reviewed: I love you all!

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~TKD Dragon