Destiny Chapter 18: Targets, an assassin's creed fanfic

I'M BAAAACK! WHOOHOO!

All Assassin's Creed II characters and references © Ubisoft

Kiara, Amelia, and all other OCs © Me

Even as wonderful as Federico and Amelia's wedding was, our mission from Lorenzo wasn't going to wait. From what we had understood, the Pazzi conspirators had split up and hid along the Tuscan countryside, making it very difficult to find them. Bernardo Baroncelli had actually tried to run to Constantinople right after the attack on the Medici and had been caught by some of Mario's men. Unfortunately, he had escaped and disappeared with the others. My concern was that the other men would try run as well, but when I asked Mario about it, he shook his head.

"If that were the case, I would have sent most of my men to watch the roads to and from Firenze. Only Jacopo has the money to leave Toscana and the Republic of Florence now, and I highly doubt he would do so. Right now, the best we can do is wait for word from my spies."

"And how long will that take?" I asked.

"Months at least. These Templar lackeys are cowards; they will not show their faces unless they believe they are completely safe."

Months of waiting…just for one or two men to show themselves, and we had five to look for. This led to our next dilemma: it was highly unlikely that we would discover the location of all five at once, so how were we supposed to take one man out without alerting the others and sending them back into hiding, or worse, out of the area for good, resources or not?

It was Federico who suggested that we wait until we knew the location of all the men, and then split up to take them all out at once. That idea was debated back and forth for several days before it was decided that it was the plan of action we would take. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was the best option at this point.

With that decided, the only thing we could do was wait, train, and help oversee the rebuilding that had started in Monteriggioni. Mario had hired an architect and had spent several days going over what repairs and improvements could be made. Giovanni suggested that the town could increase its revenues by offering better accommodations to travelers, so the rundown inn became top priority.

When we weren't helping with repairs, Mario made sure we were training. True to Giovanni's word, the eldest Auditore made Ezio and Federico practice their free-running in full armor until they couldn't run anymore. He also began to incorporate different weapons into our hand-to-hand combat training: heavier weapons for the boys and lighter, faster weapons for me. I was also getting used to my new bow, which had twice the power of my old one. The arrows that Lorenzo had given me though were very rarely used and only when I was sure they wouldn't be damaged. Those needed to be saved for our missions.

As time passed there was very little, if any, information trickling in from Mario's spies. There were rumors that more than one conspirator, including Antonio Maffei and Bernardo Baroncelli had taken refuge in or near San Gimignano, much to Mario's distain. Jacopo, however, was nowhere to be had; it was like he had dropped off the face of the earth. After a while, it was clear that the only way we were going to find him was through information gained from his subordinates.

Spring turned into summer, and summer turned into fall. Fields were harvested, the trees started to shed their leaves, and the coming winter could be felt in the air. It didn't take long for the first snow to come, and then the second, followed by the third, until we were very snowed in. There was no travel between Monteriggioni and other towns and information on the conspirators came to a standstill. The boys and I kept training, but we were starting to wonder if the Templars had left, despite what Mario said. But the older Auditore brothers weren't worried and seemed content to sit back a bit during the winter and wait. We didn't really get it, but understood that they knew what they were doing.

Other things kept us busy during the long winter months. The first was that the villa was beginning to feel a bit small. Federico and Amelia were currently living in the big house with the rest of us, but they had plans to have their own home inside Monteriggioni walls. Amelia had been hoping for a little house outside of Monteriggioni, but Mario cautioned the young couple against it, saying that it would be risky.

Despite that little disappointment, they weren't about to let that deter them from moving out. There was a small house on the east end of town that had been all but abandoned before we had even arrived and had stayed empty the whole time. Even though there hadn't been any occupants for a while, the house was in good condition and big enough to hold a family. Already, minor repairs were being made, the bare minimum of furniture considered, and a moving-in date planned.

The second thing that kept us occupied was that Petruccio had discovered sledding. It had taken Petruccio quite some time, and a fair amount of pleading to his mother, to be allowed to stay outside for extended periods of time when the weather was so cold. Petruccio might have been stronger and happier than he had been in years, but his health still had that frail edge to it, and the last thing any of us wanted was a relapse. However, if Petruccio was well bundled up, and didn't go outside the battlements without someone with him, Maria allowed him his fun.

It was common for a lot of the boys, and some girls if they were allowed, to take wide, smooth pieces of wood and use them as sleds on a fairly steep, but short, hill not ten minutes from the gates. Flat pieces wouldn't do, unless the hill had been sledded so much it was iced over. It was the pieces that had an edge that curled up just enough to grip and not get any fingers pinched. There were two carpenters in Monteriggioni, and neither had any problems with the gaggle of boys rummaging through their piles of discarded wood, often fighting over the best sled. Petruccio had his own, courtesy of his dad, and there wasn't a boy in town who would dare try to take it from him.

Petruccio went sledding nearly every day and for as long as he dared push his mother's preset timeframe. I went with him more than most, mainly because I loved sledding as much as he did, and we always had a fantastic time. The sled wasn't nearly as reliable as the plastic ones I had used back in "my day", but to a boy who didn't know any different, it didn't matter. Besides, you never knew when a corner would catch, and send you sprawling down the rest of the hill. The fun was in trying to control that piece of wood, to keep it from throwing you and make it all the way down. More often than not Petruccio and I would get back to the villa, covered in snow with our cheeks red from laughter and the cold. Apollo always went with us, and even though he never made a trip down that hill, he seemed to have as much fun as we did.

Jacopo de' Pazzi was a worried man. This was not unusual, but this time it was more than trying to keep his nephew and great-nephew out of trouble. The plan at Florence had failed miserably, all because of the Assassins that should have been killed long ago. This was a setback that he, himself, could not afford. The Maestro had been counting on the downfall of the Medici family, and there would be hell to pay unless the situation could be partially rectified. The only thing Jacopo had on his side right now was the time it took for letters to go to and return from Rome, and whatever business kept Rodrigo busy.

The ex-patriarch of the Pazzi household slumped forward in the hard chair he was sitting on. The accommodations here were by no means luxurious, but at least he would not be found here. There were still some of Vieri's contacts in San Gimignano, and they had been most helpful to conceal him. The others were looking for him, but even they would not find him; he would not allow it. They had failed in their duties and if the Assassin's found them, it was no concern of his.

I gave a sigh of relief as I entered the warm confines of the villa. Winter was finally winding down, but it hadn't given up quite yet, and was still throwing the occasional snowstorm at us. Federico and Amelia were curled up together in front of the fire, with Federico reading a book with his wife half asleep on his shoulder. They had been so happy since their wedding, and it made me wonder if I would ever find someone someday. I shook the snow off the heavy cloak I was wearing and hung it up so it could dry.

Two days ago we had finally received word on one of our targets. Stefano da Bagnone had taken refuge in the monastery Monte Oliveto Maggiore. Currently, the man only ventured outside to the enclosed garden occasionally, and never outside the monastery walls. We would have to wait until he felt more secure and spent more time outside before going after him, but it was encouraging to know where he was, at least. It was disgusting, Mario said, that such a wicked man would use a holy place to hide himself.

Mario's spies were also very close to discovering the location of Antonio Maffei, who was hiding somewhere in San Gimignano. In an effort to draw the man out, and any others that might be there, Mario and Giovanni had agreed to pull back Monteriggioni's forces under the ruse that they were no longer needed in the larger city. Some of the reports that we had received suggested that the monk had found refuge in the tallest tower, which would pose a problem if that's where he really was.

Waiting, waiting, and more waiting; that was still the only thing we could do. It had been ten months, and we young Assassins were getting tired of it. I think, at this point, that it was finally sinking in that this was indeed something we were dedicating our lives to, so the best course of action was to stop wondering how things could have been and focus on what the future might hold. With that idea in our heads, we wanted a piece of the action. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing cool or romantic about death, but there is something about the adrenaline rush that happens in battle, the surge of victory as you overcome an opponent, that leaves an impression on souls that have even the smallest weakness for adventure and calls you back for more.

The boys were certainly more susceptible than I was, and Amelia told me once that there were times when Federico seemed distracted and antsy. I replied that it was good that he had someone like her to focus on instead of the Templars, or he would be a basket case like his younger brother. In fact, Ezio was on the verge of heading out to look for the Pazzi conspirators himself because he was so tired of waiting. It took a stern telling-off from Mario and Giovanni to convince him to stay put until we had more information. Ezio wasn't exactly pleased, but did as he was told.

"Remember when we used to be that hot-headed and reckless?" I overheard Mario ask Giovanni.

The younger of the two chuckled. "Yes, but as I recall, recklessness was your forte, not mine."

As winter faded into a warm spring, information trickled in faster. Francesco Salviati Riario was currently hiding out in his villa, and had surrounded himself with as many guards as his money allowed. We also found out later that to avoid detection, the would-be Archbishop had traded clothes with a farmer that had been wrongfully hung and had slipped by our spies unnoticed. Getting to him would be a bit difficult, as was the same with Bernardo. The portly man had also become paranoid and refused to venture anywhere without an armed escort.

It was very encouraging to now know the location of the all conspirators, but there was still no sign of Jacopo. However, we planned to remedy that as soon as possible. With the locations known and their movements closely monitored, Giovanni and Mario began making plans to finally hunt them down.

Then came the setback.

A letter from Bernardo Baroncelli to Jacopo was intercepted by one of Mario's spies and quickly sent to us. The letter was hastily written and revealed a level of paranoia and fear that we had not anticipated. There were even hints that Bernardo had plans to flee the city, money or not.

Mario sent the order for the watch on Bernardo to be doubled, discretely, and to send word at any sign of increasing paranoia, and it didn't take long for the reports to come flooding in. Tension began to mount over the next two weeks as news of the man's deteriorating sense of security continued to come in. Soon after, Mario called the boys and I into a meeting to discuss our next course of action.

"It is clear to Giovanni and I that Bernardo will flee the city sooner or later," He said grimly. "If he does, he will certainly run to a place that is far out of our reach. We have two choices: we can either kill him now before he escapes and force the others back underground, or we can let him go."

The silence following that statement was heavy, and we younger Assassins shared worried glances. Either option would lead to complications, and we had to choose the lesser of the two evils. Federico was the first to speak up.

"Il Magnifico wanted all the conspirators dead," He said.

"If we kill him now, it will be months before we can get close to the others again, Ezio put in.

The contemplative silence fell over us again until Giovanni broke it. "Kiara, what do you think?"

Deciding the fate of a man wasn't exactly a spot that I wanted to be put into, but we did have a job to do. The lack of voices in the room and the four pairs of eyes on me didn't do anything to settle my nerves as I gave the matter some serious thought.

"If we let him get away," I mused, "he might bring back more men."

"A valid concern," Mario replied. "Am I to assume that we all agree that we cannot let Bernardo escape?"

We all nodded.

"Va bene. We must leave as soon as possible to catch him before he flees San Gimignano. You three, go get ready and meet back here as soon as possible."

We left the office, and Ezio nearly bounded up the stairs to what was now solely his room. I threw on my robes and picked out the usual weaponry: saber, short blade, a few throwing knives and, of course, my new bow. When I returned to the office, I was relieved to see that Giovanni would be going with us. Ezio looked a bit miffed that we weren't going to take on the small mission on our own, but said nothing as Mario laid out the information.

"You may need a day or two to find him, but our people should be able to help you. Buona fortuna."

We were met with anxious faces as we left the office, and Amelia looked a bit pale. Federico took a moment to give her a kiss and say something I couldn't catch before catching up with the rest of us. It was very late in the afternoon, and the sunlight was taking on a deeper hue as we walked down to the stables, where our horses were waiting for us.

We took our sweet time getting to San Gimignano, using the growing darkness to slip into the city and hide the horses. Giovanni led us thought the winding backstreets until he came to a rather seedy looking place and knocked twice on the worn door. It was opened a moment later by a very buxom courtesan, who smiled and leaned against the doorframe leisurely.

"Giovanni," She purred. "So nice to see you again. Mario said that you might be dropping by."

"Fiorella," Giovanni greeted back. "Nothing is true…"

"And everything is permitted," She finished with a nod. "Come in then."

She ushered us inside and into the main sitting room. The brothel was currently devoid of customers, so we all pushed our hoods off for the moment. A few other courtesans were lounging on the couches, and looked at us curiously.

"Ladies," Fiorella began, "may I introduce the Auditores from Monteriggioni."

Apparently familiar with the name, the other women stood and converged on us.

"Ooh, so these are the infamous Auditores. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," A pretty brunette said, sidling up to Federico.

"Indeed, we've heard so much about you," A dark-haired beauty with striking hazel eyes glanced over me and zeroed in on Ezio.

"I trust you have been appropriately compensated for your efforts?" Giovanni asked, and Fiorella nodded.

"Of course, there is always room for other compensation," The first girl suggested as she latched onto Federico's arm, much to his dismay.

"We're just here on business, donne," Giovanni said quietly but firmly. "What can you tell us about Baroncelli?"

"He rarely goes outside anymore," The brunette girl answered, looking a bit disappointed as she stepped away from a relieved Federico. "Even if he does go to the market, he is always surrounded by his personal guards."

"We will deal with them easily enough," Giovanni said, and I couldn't help but wonder what he had planned. "Anything else?"

"It may be a few days before he ventures outside again," The raven-haired girl spoke up, still very attached to Ezio's arm.

"That's where you come in. I want you to spread a rumor that we've gone after Francesco Salviati at his personal villa, and are not concerned with San Gimignano for the time being. Bernardo should feel a little safer then."

With that, Giovanni tossed a bag of coins to Fiorella, and she nodded.

"Consider it done. Now, I assume the four of you need a place to sleep."

Morning came in a hurry, but we were in no rush. It would take some time for Bernardo to hear the rumor, and maybe even longer for him to decide it was safe to leave his hiding place. Regardless of what happened, though, Fiorella had her girls stationed in shifts near the building that Bernardo was taking refuge in, and they would be sent to find us whenever he left.

While we were waiting, Giovanni sent us out to get more familiar with the layout of San Gimignano, and to scout for possible escape routes that Bernardo might take. We also made sure to keep a very low profile and kept our distance from his hideout. From the sound of it, the mere sight of a hood would send the man scrambling for cover.

One day passed, then two, and still no sign of the man. But we knew that he had heard the rumor, and was very close to making one last outing before he took off. Finally, on day three, a courtesan came running with the news that Bernardo had just left for the marketplace, surrounded by six bodyguards. Giovanni gathered us together and quickly relayed his instructions.

"It will take all of us to get through his guards. Kiara, I want you on the roofs, and you two with me. He usually takes the back alleys to get anywhere; this is where we need to catch him."

We followed the courtesan down the twisting alleys, and Giovanni motioned for me to take the high ground. We followed the others for a few more minutes until a movement to the west caught my eye. Looking over, I saw that a small cluster of people were moving down another alley to the marketplace. Bernardo!

I gave a bird-like whistle to get everyone's attention, and motioned in the direction Bernardo and his troupe were headed. Giovanni dismissed the courtesan and we took off again. It happened quickly, Bernardo's men didn't even know what hit them. There were six surrounding the Templar, and the four closest to us were the first to go. Stabbed or shot, the men hit the ground, alerting the remaining three. With two guards left, Giovanni took one and Ezio took the other, leaving Bernardo to Federico. The man barely had time to give a hoarse sound of terror before the older brother was on him, hidden blade flashing in the light for a split second.

As Federico gleaned information from the dying man, I kept an eye out for more guards from my perch above them. A minute later, Federico closed the Templar's eyes and nodded. With that, we disappeared back down the alleys before the bodies could be found.

Jacopo pushed away the plate of food in front of him, his appetite ruined by the sudden news of Baroncelli's death. The fool had always lacked self-control and discretion, now it had been the death of him. This was a major setback that Jacopo wasn't sure he could overcome. It seemed like the opportunities to remedy the situation in Florence were slipping farther and farther away, and with Bernardo gone, it would be even more difficult to rally what remaining forces were left to him.

To make matters worse, he had received a letter from the Maestro warning of the consequences if the Medici family was not removed from power before he returned. Then those damn Assassins! They were like the plague; an incurable, stealthy disease that continuously ate away at his resources until there would be nothing left. They would come after him soon enough, that Jacopo knew, but to flee out of their clutches was to run straight into Borgia's. The Pazzi had nowhere to go, and very little time to get back into Rodrigo's good graces.

Jacopo cradled his head in his hands, cursing the day his family had thrown their lot in with the Templars.

Despite the lack of electronic devices in this era, bad news still traveled fast, and Bernardo's death was no exception. Like Mario had predicted, the remaining Pazzi conspirators went underground almost overnight. It had been a risky move on our part, but the older Auditore brothers were certain we could root them out again with time.

The information that we had gotten from Bernardo before he died wasn't much, but it hinted to a meeting between Jacopo and someone else in the future, possibly Rodrigo himself. This would be our best opportunity to finally find the remaining Pazzi.

Things returned to normal around Monteriggioni. Federico and Amelia moved out of the villa and into their own little house, and it felt strange not to have them at the dinner table in the evenings. Spring warmed up to summer and life continued as per usual. More travelers were stopping by Monteriggioni now that the inn was finished, and even a traveling merchant or two would stop by from time to time. Claudia was taking on more and more responsibility with the town's financials and, even though she complained about it on a regular basis, I think she liked to be in charge of stuff.

Summer seemed to pass by quickly, as it always did, and soon the weather was beginning to cool off and the leaves were starting to turn. It was on one of the warmer afternoons after training when Giovanni asked me to go on a walk with him. We talked causally as we traveled the well-beaten path that lead up into the edge of the forest; my accuracy with moving targets was getting better and Giovanni wanted to look into buying some good horse-stock for breeding. It wasn't until we were a ways into the tree-line that he brought up the main subject.

"Kiara, are you happy here?"

"Of course I am. Why?"

Giovanni shrugged. "It is something I have been meaning to ask you for some time. I often forget that you are from a world much different than ours."

"Well, I'll be honest; there are some things I miss." Indoor plumbing, electric lights, cars, hot showers… "But I'd rather have a whole family here than all the luxuries there."

My adoptive father smiled. "And you've adapted quite well to our lifestyle, even if it can be unpredictable at times."

The long shadows of the battlements had completely covered the town, signaling the end of the day, and in the smaller Auditore home, the candles were being lit for dinner.

Federico took the dishes from the cupboard and set them on the table. It made him smile to think how far he had come from his pampered lifestyle back in Florence. The smell of dinner cooking reached his nose and made his stomach rumble. Amelia had proved herself a good cook from the beginning, and some lessons from his mother had certainly been beneficial.

Once the table was set, Federico went in search of his wife. He paused at the kitchen door and leaned against the frame, just content to watch for a moment; she was so pretty, even in a plain dress with her hair pulled back simply. He had noticed that she had been acting a little off lately, though, and had been a bit evasive when questioned. She would not escape him this time, however, and he would find out what was ailing his bride.

Putting his Assassin stealth to good use, Federico slipped into the kitchen and quickly wound his arms around Amelia's waist, preventing any chance of escape. She sighed and leaned back against him, giggling as he nuzzled the back of her neck.

"Amelia?"

"Mm, yes darling?"

"Have you not been feeling well?"

Federico felt her stiffen almost imperceptibly and he tightened his hold on her just a bit.

"Please Amelia, if you are feeling ill, then let me know so that I can call the doctor."

"No, I'm not sick, it's just…"

Now Federico was getting a bit concerned, it wasn't like Amelia to be so flustered. He stepped back and turned her to face him; her face was a bit flushed and she couldn't quite meet his eye.

"Amelia, what is it?" He prodded. "Is something wrong?"

If anything, her cheeks flushed even more. "No, nothing is wrong, i-it's actually quite wonderful. I…"

"Yes?"

Amelia looked up at him then, and her eyes were shining. "You're going to be a father."

For a moment, Federico wasn't sure he had heard her right, and of course the first thing out of his mouth was:

"Che cosa?"

Amelia gave a short laugh and cupped his face in her hands. "I believe you heard me the first time."

"Y-you're pregnant? Already?"

"We've been married well over a year, love," She reminded him, then her face fell a little. "Are…are you disappointed?"

The shock now wearing off, Federico grinned broadly. "Of course not," He laughed, kissing her quickly. "I was taken by surprise, that's all."

Amelia beamed and hugged him tightly, feeling his arms wrap around her in return. Federico pressed his lips to her hair, dinner now all but forgotten.

"And when can we expect our little bundle of joy?" He asked, still trying to wrap his mind around this new revelation.

"Early spring, I think," Amelia replied.

"And you've been feeling alright so far?"

"There's been no morning sickness yet, but Maroné warned me that there might be some in the near future."

Federico nodded and stepped back, exhaling heavily. "Is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?"

Amelia shook her head. "No, not yet."

She looked up at him, taking in his appearance; the bright hazel eyes, the tousled brown hair, the strong features of his handsome face, and the hint of stubble on his jaw. Federico gently brushed her cheek and she nuzzled against his palm.

"I am a little nervous," She admitted.

"I am as well, but we certainly aren't alone," Federico replied with a smile. "I'm sure we'll have all the help we'll need." Then he leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Ti amo."

"Ti amo troppo," Amelia whispered back. A moment later she startled him by suddenly whirling around with a cry.

"Oh! Dinner!"

When Federico and Amelia announced that they were expecting, it threw an entirely new perspective into our lives. Claudia and I were ecstatic about becoming aunts, and quickly began plotting ways to spoil our niece or nephew. Maria had been not-so-secretly ready for grandchildren since Federico and Amelia got married, and was already ordering fabrics for blankets and baby clothes. Ezio and Petruccio's reactions - while they were certainly happy for their brother - were along the lines of: "Kids? Already?" and somewhere in the mini-celebrations Giovanni made the good-natured lament about suddenly feeling old.

This news warmed our winter as it rolled in, and gave us something else other than assassinations to look forward to. Mario now had his spies firmly imbedded around the Templars, but it was unlikely they would show their faces in the open again before spring, and we just had to give them space and time.

Winter was indeed milder this year, and there was much less snow than there had been last time around, so more people were traveling from town to town. The inn was certainly well used, and the extra money was slowly spreading to the rest of Monteriggioni.

Even with the weather keeping us indoors most of the time, us girls found plenty to do by sewing baby clothes, especially since everything had to be done by hand. While my fancy stitching was nothing to speak of, I could still sew in straight lines and spent most of my time stitching pieces together.

The weeks dragged on, and what the weather lacked in snow, it made up with bitterly cold temperatures. One could only train, sew, or read so much before boredom set in, and it didn't take me long to realize that Ezio was catching the brunt of it. I think he was feeling a little left out with all the attention on Federico and Amelia, and a bored Ezio generally led to trouble. Practical jokes picked up again with a vengeance, and Petruccio was more than happy to become a partner-in-crime. Certain people were off limits – Amelia, Maria, and Mario (most of the time), leaving the rest of us as fair game. Ezio came very close to being banished from the villa on several occasions, and I lost count of how many times he was sentenced to scrubbing the floor of the main entrance, or dusting – yes, dusting – the statues down in the Sanctuary.

It really didn't take long for me to wind up as Ezio's favorite target, and he had the most unnatural ability to discover what really pissed me off. We fell into a cycle where Ezio would pull something on me, I'd retaliate, he'd lay low for a week or so, and it would start all over again. But even Ezio could only pull so many practical jokes before running out of ideas, and restless boredom set in again.

It seemed like forever, but finally the weather started to take a turn for the better, and with the weather getting better, it meant we were that much closer to finishing the job Lorenzo had set out for us. Once again, Ezio wound up feeling the itch more strongly than the rest of us, and his frustration at sitting around and doing nothing steadily grew day after day.

Mario sat down at his desk with a huff. There was certainly plenty of paperwork to do, but he had another pressing matter he had to take care of first. He was quite convinced, as was Giovanni, that Ezio would explode if he continued to stay in Monteriggioni. Not that he could blame the boy, really, but Ezio had yet to learn that for some plans to be successful, long-term patience was critical. What he needed was to get out and run off all that excess energy before he resorted to his awful pranks again.

Hmm, what to do…

As much as Ezio wanted to prove himself, an assassination was absolutely out of the question at the present. He needed something important to do though, something that would take the edge off his impatience but keep him out of trouble at the same time.

Mario slapped the desk as an idea came to him suddenly. Antonio Maffei was the only Pazzi conspirator that was not completely accounted for, and some grunt work would be good for Ezio; build his character as it were. Ezio would not be going alone, he was still much too hot-blooded for that, and since Federico had an expecting wife to tend to, Kiara was the other remaining option. It would be good experience for them both, and since it was simple reconnaissance, there would be no need for either of them to expose themselves, and San Gimignano was a relatively safe place to begin with.

With his mind made up, Mario stood and went to find his younger brother.

Winding up on a quick trip to San Gimignano to find information on Maffei's whereabouts was not where I expected to find myself the next day, but it was certainly nice to get out of town for a bit. Riding next to me, Ezio was practically radiating excitement and could barely keep himself from spurring his horse into a gallop. Mario and Giovanni had been adamant that we were only going to confirm Maffei's presence in San Gimignano and nothing more. The look Mario gave us before we left could have burned right through us even if he only had the use of one eye as he laid out the rules: keep a low profile, use the contacts in the city to gather information, and under absolutely no circumstances were we to make any kind of direct contact with Maffei or his bodyguards.

Stay low, get in and get out. I was fine with that; it was Ezio I was worried about. If a potentially rewarding opportunity presented itself, I knew him well enough to know he'd take it, even if it was incredibly risky. Mario and Giovanni knew that too and that's why I was tagging along on this particular venture, but if he took off I was pretty sure there wouldn't be much I could do.

In the midst of my musings, I glanced over at Ezio and he caught my look.

"What was that for?"

"Hmm?"

"That look you just gave me."

"Oh, nothing."

Ezio snorted. "You don't give nasty looks like that for no reason, Kiara."

"It was not a nasty look."

"It wasn't exactly the warmest look I've gotten either."

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't mean to give you a nasty look, sorry."

"You don't trust me, do you?"

I turned to him in surprise. "What?"

"Ha! I knew it. You don't think I can pull this mission off."

I nudged Storm's sides to catch up with my companion. "It's not that I don't think you're capable Ezio, it's just that you worry me sometimes."

An eyebrow went up under the pointed cowl. "Oh?"

I frowned at him, deciding to get straight to the point. "You have a certain disregard for rules, that's what bothers me."

Ezio grinned wolfishly at me. "So?"

Now slightly aggravated, I urged Storm forward and blocked Ezio's path. "This is serious Ezio! Giovanni and Mario told us not to get into trouble, and I have no intention of going back home with a report that says otherwise."

Ezio just shook his head and guided his horse around Storm. "That's your problem, Kiara, you don't know when to have a little fun."

I had to work really hard to keep from raising my voice as I hurried after him. "Fun? Is that all you think this is?"

We argued the rest of the way to San Gimignano and had fallen into a sullen silence by the time we reached the city gates. By that time I had come to the realization that keeping Ezio from stirring things up was going to be a lot harder than I thought. Great, just freaking fantastic.

With our horses safely sheltered, Ezio promptly led the way into the city. Further instructions had dictated that we were to stay no more than two nights in the city, even if we had no information by the third day. We would spend the night at the brothel again, and Fiorella's girls would have the most information.

We spent the remainder of the day tracking down leads that eventually lead to nowhere before finally giving up and turning in for the night. The next morning started bright and early, and with more promise than the previous day. A thief informed us that a guard he had pickpocketed the day before had been talking about his employer's reclusive and nervous habits. The description sounded about right and after getting a few directions, we were headed off to the richer district of the city. Ezio had been very well-behaved all this time, but I could tell that the new information had set off that itch of his, and that gave me a bad feeling.

Hooded figures were rather suspicious in this part of town, and we had to resort to more of the backstreets to make our way around. The hours passed and it seemed as if we had run into yet another dead end, we couldn't find a guard that matched the thief's description.

Then, a stroke of luck.

"I tell you Adriano, this monk character worries me."

Both Ezio and I froze in our tracks and hardly breathed as we listened in on the conversation.

"Why do you concern yourself Malco? He pays well, that is all you should be concerned about." Another voice answered in a bored tone, as if this subject had been brought up several times.

"That's just it! I tell you he's hiding from someone, and judging by the way he acts, someone very dangerous. That does not bode well for us."

"And what would you rather do?" The second man snapped. "Do you know of any other man who is willing to pay so much? Or would you rather go back to guarding the gates for a few florins?"

Silence followed and, with the argument now over, the men started to leave. I was relieved, and excited at the same time.

"Ok, we know he's here, let's go," I whispered.

But Ezio didn't budge. "He may be here alright, but we don't know where exactly."

That bad feeling I mentioned earlier? It was getting worse.

"Mario just wanted us to make sure he's actually here, not find out where exactly he's hiding!" I argued back.

Ezio looked back at the guards that were about out of our line of sight. "I'm going to follow them."

I knew it, I just knew it, and I promptly latched onto his arm. "Oh no you don't! That was not in the job description!"

Ezio pulled free easily. "Kiara, if you're so worried, go back to the brothel. I'll return shortly."

With that and a flip of his cape, Ezio was off and after his quarry, leaving me furious and torn in the alley. There was no way I was going back to the brothel, but there was nothing I could do to stop Ezio at this point. After a few agonizing seconds, I made up my mind and took after my bull-headed counterpart. Mario was going to blow a gasket if he found out about this.

We followed the pair of guards deeper and deeper into San Gimignano until we could no longer follow them on the streets without being noticed. We took to the roofs, and it made my skin crawl to be so exposed. Ezio, on the other hand, didn't seem to care and grew more excited with every step we took. He was so absorbed in the guards as we neared one of the tallest towers in the city that he didn't see an archer poised on one of the balconies, but I did.

With a gasp that sounded more like a yelp, I grabbed Ezio's cape and yanked him back behind a chimney, startling him.

"Kiara, what the hell—"

"Archer!"

We held our breath, but it seemed as if we had pushed our luck too far.

"You there! There is someone on that building!"

That was it. I was going to kill Ezio.

The man in question gripped my arms almost painfully tight. "The alley! Hurry!"

Using the chimney to keep us out of the archer's line of sight, we scrambled back down the building to the cobbled street below. We tried to escape as quietly as we could, but the guards were too close.

"Did you hear something?"

"It's coming from that direction."

In what was probably not our best decision, we both broke into a run, which only alerted more guards. The alleys were too long and straight to really shake our pursuers, and by this time is sounded like quite a few. We quickly reached the consensus that we were far enough away to not be seen by the archers and could use the rooftops again.

No such luck.

As soon as we reached the top, a shout signaled that we had been spotted yet again. Now literally running for our lives, we sprinted across the rooftops, trying desperately to break the line of sight.

Suddenly Ezio grabbed me and the next thing I knew we were falling through the air. If I had not lost my breath in the jump, I certainly would have screamed. My terror was, thankfully, unnecessary and we landed in a haystack a moment later. Ezio gave a sharp grunt as we hit, mainly because he was holding me to his front and he had landed on his back. However forceful our landing, it didn't stop Ezio from rolling over so our positions were switched and burrowing deeper into the musty hay. He curled himself over me as the guards convened on our last known position, both of us trying to keep our heavy breathing as quiet as possible. Had the situation not been so tense, I would have had a few choice things to say about the sudden evaporation of personal space, but at the moment I was trying to get my heart out of my throat, where it had temporarily relocated itself.

"Where did they go?"

"They couldn't have just vanished. Search the area!"

For a few heart-pounding minutes, we huddled in the hay hoping and praying we wouldn't be found, until finally:

"Captain, there is no sign of them."

"Damn. Did you get a good look at them?"

"All I could see was a brown cape. Who do you think they were?"

"Thieves, most likely. They've been very persistent lately."

"Is that what we tell the monk?"

Please, please, please!

"Sí, no need to send him into a frenzy like last time."

The guards dispersed at last and we tumbled out of the hay, quickly dashing down the nearest alley. I closed the distance between us and slugged Ezio in the arm.

"What did I tell you? We almost botched the whole damn thing! Think next time before you go running off!"

"You were right," Ezio said in a very subdued tone. "I'm sorry."

But 'sorry' wasn't going to calm me down just yet. I had earned the right to stay mad at him.

"And next time you decide to pull a kamikaze off of a building, say something before you take me with you!" I hissed at him as we ran.

Ezio threw a confused look at me over his shoulder. "What's a kamikaze?"

"Oh forget it."

"Well," He replied as he peeked around a corner, "next time you shouldn't eat so much, that kind of hurt."

"Did you just call me fat?"

I stayed mad at Ezio for rest of the afternoon and well into the evening. We stuck around just to make sure that our little misadventure hadn't caused Maffei undo panic, but there was no additional news the next morning, and we deemed it safe to return to Monteriggioni.

Mario and Giovanni wouldn't know about our close call until well after the danger of being skinned alive had passed.

The weather was slowly but surely warming up, as was Templar activity. Mario and Giovanni were currently peering over a map marked with the locations of the Pazzi conspirators.

"We're close, Giovanni, very close," Mario mused.

"Indeed. I think it's time we began planning our attack."

"Mm. I don't like how spread out we will be, but we can't risk losing even one of them if it means finding Jacopo. Do you think they are ready?"

"Ezio and Federico are, and I will accompany Kiara."

"Then let's bring in our youngsters in to talk, shall we?"

The mood was somber as the five of us stared at the little marks on the map. In San Gimignano we had Antonio Maffei holed up in one of the towers, in the Monte Oliveto Maggiore monastery there was Stefano da Bagnone, and Francesco Salviati was barricaded in his personal villa. What to do indeed.

"Remember," Mario began, "our mission is to ultimately discover where Jacopo de' Pazzi is hidden. We've already gained one clue from Baroncelli."

"We gather in the church when a meeting is called," Federico quoted. "It doesn't offer much."

"But it narrows down our search," Giovanni interjected. "To my knowledge, San Gimignano has a church that would be used."

"Then we will keep that in mind," Mario said. "For right now, we need to figure out how we will track down the rest of the conspirators. Getting to Maffei will require the strongest climber if he is indeed in that tower. Federico, you will go to San Gimignano."

Federico nodded and Mario continued.

"Salviati's villa is well fortified, but I think a distraction would be best to keep his forces occupied. Ezio, you will take a contingent of the mercenaries there and while they engage the soldiers, you must find your way in to Francesco himself."

It was Ezio's turn to nod, and I could tell he liked the idea of being in charge of some of Mario's men.

"Kiara, this leaves Stefano to you. Your hooded cape should get you inside the monastery, and it is not uncommon for young boys to be there so no one should think your small stature is strange. Giovanni will go with you as far as the monastery, and you are on your own once you are inside. How you confront Bagnone is up to you."

I nodded with more confidence than I felt; if I hadn't been committed before I sure was now.

Giovanni stepped in. "Because we will be spread out all over creation, Mario will stay back to coordinate communication back and forth. It is very likely that we will finally discover Jacopo's whereabouts that very day, and we must be ready to convene on his location as soon as possible."

"And when do we leave?" Ezio asked.

"As soon as I get word from my spies," Mario replied. "Which could be any day now. Be prepared to leave at any time."

It was well after dark when Federico returned to his home, feeling a sense of dread and excitement at the same time. As he opened the door, he noticed that a candle was still burning upstairs and frowned; Amelia should have been in bed by now. She was weeks away from giving birth and Federico was beginning to find himself a little on edge. He hurried upstairs and was relieved to find his wife in an armchair, attempting to read a book.

"Amore, shouldn't you be sleeping?" He asked, closing the door behind him.

"If our child does not sleep, then neither do I," She grumbled, putting the book aside.

Federico gave a sympathetic grimace and crouched down next to the chair. The pregnancy had been rather rough on his wife; first there had been the morning sickness, and then the strange food cravings, and now sore and swollen joints, reduced mobility, and signs that their child was already disregarding normal sleeping patterns.

Federico let his forehead rest gently against his wife's swollen stomach, his fingers rubbing in soothing circles.

"Ehi, let your mother sleep agiatore. (troublemaker) It's not time for you to up and about yet."

Amelia chuckled at his light reprimand and her fingers found their way into his hair, her fingernails scratching lightly over his scalp and sending shivers down his spine. Federico closed his eyes and just basked in the peace of the moment with his small family.

"What did Mario and your father need to talk about?" Amelia asked a few minutes later.

Federico sighed. "It's almost time for us to track down the conspirators."

"So soon?" Amelia asked, not without some alarm.

The young man withdrew, knowing that this conversation wasn't going to be a pleasant one. In the later stages of her pregnancy, Amelia had become quite emotional and prone to mood changes. Federico had avoided this very topic for some time because if Amelia became worried, tears were bound to follow, but there was no evading this anymore.

"It's been two years, love," He said, trying to be as consoling as possible. "We have to end it."

Amelia stood. "But why now? Why can't you wait a few more months?"

"We may not have a few more months," Federico tried to explain.

Amelia fell into an agitated silence and began to bite at her thumbnail, a nervous habit, as she paced restlessly.

"When?" She asked finally.

"Any time."

Her expression crumpled. "So soon…and with our child so close to being born…"

Amelia turned away from him, and Federico tried to console her. "Amelia—"

"What if you are injured, Federico?" She demanded, whirling to face him as fast as her cumbersome body allowed. "What if you are killed? Every night I pray to God that I will not lose you, that I will not have to raise this child alone."

"Amelia, please," Federico pleaded, stepping forward and pulling her into his arms. She turned her face against his chest and started to weep quietly.

"I could not bear it," She whispered brokenly. "I could not bear it if I lost you."

Knowing it was best to wait it out, Federico rocked her back and forth until the crying subsided and Amelia had to sit down again. Federico knelt back down and used his shirt sleeve to wipe away the remaining tears.

"Tears never suited those eyes of yours," He mused. "They're much too pretty to be sad."

Despite herself, a short laugh escaped his wife. "Ever the charmer."

Federico smiled. "Sempre esolo per voi." (Always and only for you.) He gently stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles. "Amelia, I have not come this far to be taken from you, or our child, so easily. I promise to be as careful as possible, but this must be done."

Amelia regarded him for a moment, and then sniffed. "Va bene…va bene. I do not like it, but it seems as if there is no other way. I…am sorry for my outburst."

"No, don't be," Federico replied, reaching up to kiss her forehead. "I don't blame you."

"This family really is buried in this conflict, isn't it?" She asked quietly.

"I'm afraid so love, I'm afraid so," Federico replied. "Can you forgive this Assassin of his heritage?"

"It would seem I have no choice, I love you too much otherwise."

Federico smiled and leaned in to kiss her again, on the lips this time. "And I love you. Come, let's get you to bed."

One day passed, then two, then three, and still no word from Mario's spies. Tension continued to mount, like a rubber band pulled closer and closer to its breaking point. The problem was, no one knew when everything was going to snap.

Then it happened.

I was out grooming Storm in the stables when Ezio suddenly burst through the door.

"Time to go!"

Tossing the brush back into the box, I followed Ezio as we ran back up to the villa. All my robes and weapons had been laid out beforehand, and I was dressed and ready in a few minutes. I regrouped with the others downstairs about the time that Federico brought Amelia up to stay with Maria while we were gone. Mario gave out last minute instructions and then we were all out the door and on our way to the stables.

Jacopo looked like he was about to meet death itself, and he had little doubt that it would actually happen. He had failed, failed miserably. His resources were all but gone, his contacts scattered and in hiding, the Assassins were at his very doorstep, and there was no chance of taking Florence from the Medici now. To top it all off, Rodrigo was coming here, of all places, and he was not happy with the remaining head of the Pazzi family.

In two years, Jacopo appeared as if he had aged five. His back was more hunched from leaning over his desk, his hands were now gnarled with arthritis, his skin was almost translucently pale, and his eyes were weak from peering through the shadows for so long. What a miserable wreck he had become, his family was in tatters and he was all alone. Now he was about to answer for his actions. A dry sob escaped the old man, and he looked up at the ceiling pleadingly, wondering if forgiveness was too much to ask for.

Giovanni and I reached the monastery soon enough, and by this time my hands were clammy on the reins. Instead of heading straight for the entrance, we rode on past until we were able to maneuver the horses around the corner and out of sight, where one of Mario's spies was waiting for us.

"Stefano is in the courtyard, you won't have a better chance," The man said, and then pulled something round out of one of his pockets. "Here, this is a smoke bomb, push this circle here and throw it onto the ground so it breaks. It will provide a distraction so that you can get out."

I swallowed hard and took the small sphere, which was surprisingly heavy for its size. Giovanni thanked the man, who quickly disappeared. I put the smoke bomb in an easy-to-reach pouch and pulled out a few hair pins to pin any loose hair back and out of sight so it wouldn't give me away. After that was done, I took a fabric pin and folded the point of my hood under and pinned it back so that my cowl wouldn't look different from anyone else's. Giovanni took my bow, arrows, and saber; I couldn't hide them very well. This left me with a short blade tucked into my belt, both bracers and the smoke bomb. I was ready.

Giovanni gripped my shoulders reassuringly. "You can do this Kiara, I have faith in you."

I nodded, suddenly glad that I had skipped lunch. With a final nod, Giovanni nudged me in the direction of the entrance. I peered around the corner, and saw a group of caped and hooded figures headed in the same direction as I was. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I slipped out from behind the corner and discreetly caught up with the group, staying close enough to look as though I was with them, but not so close I would be noticed by the others. I didn't dare look back, but I knew Giovanni was watching me.

My already pounding heart gave a leap when I saw that the entrance to the monastery was guarded on each side. Stefano, it had to be, and if there were guards out here there was a very good chance that there were guards on the inside too. I bit back a curse, but continued walking forward, it was too late to turn back. I ducked my head and held my breath as my group approached the archway, but the guards didn't even give us a second glance as we walked by. I breathed out a silent breath of relief, only to hold in the next one at the sight that met my eyes. The courtyard was big, and there were dozens of men here, all wearing monk habits or cloaks, and I had to find one man in their midst while remaining undiscovered.

Freaking fantastic.

Ezio pushed his horse deeper into the Tuscan countryside, a small cluster of houses up ahead his destination. By now Kiara and his father would have reached the monastery, and Federico would be almost to San Gimignano.

Like Mario said, there was a group of his men waiting out of sight of the villa. One of the mercenaries took Ezio's horse after he had dismounted and he was approached by the man in charge.

"Signore Ezio, we've been expecting you. The Archbishop is well fortified in his villa, and it will take some doing to get inside. Take of some my men, clear the fields, and find a way inside to open the gates."

"A nice change of pace from the usual sneaking and stabbing. I like it," Ezio said with a slight grin. "Alright, you men with me, the rest of you cause as much trouble as you can. I'll find a way inside before you know it."

The men broke into their respective groups and took off. It didn't take long for the sounds of battle to fill the air, and in the confusion no one noticed a white figure dashing for the back of the villa walls.

In San Gimignano, Federico peered up at what had to be the tallest tower in the entire city. Antonio Maffei was no longer making an effort to conceal himself but, as the informant had put it:

"He has taken to spouting scripture and arrows in equal measure. The man has clearly lost his mind."

Even as lost as Maffei's mind seemed to be, he had wasted no expense in surrounding himself with archers on almost every vantage point possible. And if things weren't difficult enough, Federico couldn't just climb the tower Maffei was in, no, he would have to ascend other, nearby towers and use the ropes to cross from tower to tower until he reached the right one, all the while avoiding being shot.

Oh this was going to take a while.

His assessment complete, Federico clambered back down to ground level. With all the climbing he had to do, there was some armor that he was not going to need. The first to go would be the pauldrons, he was going to need all the flexibility he could get, and then the greaves from his boots as they would only weigh him down.

Federico stashed the armor where it wouldn't be seen and made one last check of his throwing knives, because it was likely he was going to need every single one of them.

Ok girl, just breathe, you're still in the clear; it shouldn't be too hard to find Stefano, right?

At the present moment I wasn't too sure, they all looked the same!

"Let us pray, brother."

"Pray? Pray for what?"

"The Lord's protection."

"If you think that the Lord has any interest in our affairs, you've another thing coming. But please, by all means, continue to delude yourself if it helps pass the time."

Now that sounded like a Templar, and I hid in the shadow of a pillar, searching around for the source of the second voice.

"You speak blasphemy!" The first man exclaimed.

"No, I speak truth."

"But to deny His most exalted existence…"

"…is the only rational response when faced with the declaration that there exists some invisible madman in the sky. And believe me, if your precious Bible is anything to go by, he's completely lost his mind."

By this time I had found the man I was looking for, standing off to the side, not-so-quietly arguing with a "fellow" monk. The others looked rather disgusted or disturbed by the subject of the conversation, and were moving away. I held back though, some of the monks did not look like monks, if the bulky builds, scars, and strange shapes under the folds of cloth were anything to go by. One wrong move would get me killed in a heartbeat, and the only thing I had going for me was the element of surprise.

"How can you speak as such? You wear His vestments."

The argument continued, and I slowly moved in closer.

"Only because they afforded me the opportunity to get close to the Medici. But you're right; I should look into replacing them – after the Assassins are dealt with."

Almost there…

"Ah! Unholy demons!"

I wrinkled my nose in disgust, the very man that monk was talking to was renown for his cruelty and torture methods, and yet we were the demons? I was beginning to feel less apprehensive about this the more I heard.

"At least on this we can agree."

The other man's voice dropped to a whisper. "They say that the devil has gifted them with unnatural speed and strength."

Stefano scoffed. "The devil? No, these are gifts they gave themselves through training. It is disturbing how unwilling you are to credit people for their circumstances. I think you'd make victims of the entire world if you could."

Clearly offended, the other man drew himself to his full height. "At least I do some good in this world, unlike you."

With that, the monk stormed off, leaving Stefano alone. The Templar shrugged and headed over to a nearby bench to sit down. This was my chance. Sweat ran down the back of my neck, and the bracers suddenly felt heavy on my arms. I reminded myself that this man had tortured only heaven knew how many people, and that he would be getting off easy.

Taking one final breath, I stepped forward – making sure to keep my cape draped over my shoulders to hide my Assassin robes – and walked slowly towards the bench. As I got closer, I realized that the bench was partially sheltered from view, one more thing in my favor. Stefano gave me a suspicious look as I sat down next to him, and my heart was pounding so loudly in my ears that it was almost hard to hear his question.

"And what do you want, boy? Surely you do not wish to take up the debate your friend just lost."

I clenched my fist, just a hairsbreadth from triggering the mechanism. "No."

I moved without thinking, and suddenly found myself clamping one hand over Stefano's mouth as he stiffened in shock, my hidden blade buried to the bracer in his chest.

"You…" He breathed, slumping back against the wall.

"Jacopo. Where is he?" I hissed, not even recognizing my own voice.

"Nothing to fear…I suppose," The Templar murmured, the life quickly fading from his eyes. I must have hit his heart. "They meet in the shadow of the Roman…gods…"

I was not going to get any more information from him, and I had stayed as long as I dared. I pulled the blade from his chest and closed his eyes.

"Requiescat in pace."

As I turned to go, trembling all over, I heard him murmur one last thing.

"Maybe now…I will see who was right…"

There was a little blood on my sleeve, and I tucked it under my cape as I tried to walk away as nonchalantly as possible, reaching slowly for the smoke bomb. The exit was so close, and yet so far…

"What is this? He is dead!"

Oh crap.

The exclamation got everyone's attention and the guards disguised as monks quickly convened on the body.

"Who is responsible? You! Boy!"

I involuntarily looked back, and the motion was enough show a flash of white from under my cape.

"Assassin! Get him!"

Time was up.

Fumbling with the sphere, I somehow managed to press the button and throw it to the ground as the guards rushed me. The explosion was larger than I expected, but it certainly did the trick. Panic set in, and the other monks ran for the exit. I joined them and no one saw me leave in the smoke and confusion.

As soon as I was outside, I bolted for the place where Giovanni was hiding, the guards that had previously been at the entrance had gone inside the garden at the first alarm. The man in question suddenly rounded the corner on horseback, Storm's reigns in one hand. He slowed just long enough for me to hop on and take the reins back before we were racing down the road and away from the monastery.

It wasn't until we were a good distance from the monastery that we veered off the road and behind a clump of trees.

"Well?" Giovanni prodded earnestly before we even came to a complete stop. "Stefano?"

"Dead," I replied, feeling drained suddenly with the loss of adrenaline.

"And you've done this world a favor by ridding it of someone like him," Giovanni said firmly. "Did he say anything about Jacopo?"

"He said that they meet in the shadow of the Roman gods."

The man looked thoughtful for a moment. "He was probably talking about the ruins of an ancient Roman theatre that is not far from San Gimignano. It would make a perfect place for secret meetings."

"But what about what Bernardo said about meeting at a church?"

"I don't know, but we must return to Mario. If he's heard anything from the boys, it may shed more light on our puzzle."

Getting inside the villa walls proved to be much easier than Ezio had previously thought. There had been an archer or two, but they had been easily disposed of. Now all he had to do was open the gate for the mercenaries and find Salviati, but the former was going to prove much more of a challenge.

Salviati's men milled around uncertainly as Mario's mercenaries continued to wreak havoc outside the gates. A loud bang from the back suddenly caught everyone's attention.

"They're trying to get in through the back gate!"

The majority of the soldiers rushed off in that direction, leaving the main gate fairly unguarded. Ezio leapt down from the roof and ran for the gate mechanism, quickly taking out the remaining guards. The gate flew open and the majority of the mercenaries ran in, overtaking the surprised soldiers.

"You're finished, Assassin! Do you hear me? Finished!"

Ah, Salviarti.

"You Templars, always singing the same song."

"Do you think a few mercenaries will scare me? Hah!"

Ezio dodged through the fight, having to fend off the occasional sword or axe. Where was the man hiding?

"Shall I send your remains to the drunkard Mario? What's the point? There won't be enough of you left to recognize."

Ezio grunted as he forced a soldier off of him. The Archbishop's rants were beginning to grate on his nerves.

"That's quite a plan you have; spouting nonsense while you send these other men to die."

"Is that so?"

Ezio whirled at the sound of the voice so close behind him, and jerked his sword up to parry a blow that was aimed for his head. The Archbishop hardly looked as such, dressed in commoner clothes, but the sword he held was nothing to be laughed at and the two began to circle each other.

"I am a reasonable man, Assassin. Turn back now and I'll call off your men."

Ezio just smiled grimly. "Sorry, but I'm afraid your fate is sealed, Signore."

They lunged at each other, blades clashing, each trying to find a weakness in the other's defense. After a few intense minutes, the tip of Ezio's sword slipped under Salviarti's elbow and in between his ribs.

The other man's sword clattered to the ground as he collapsed. Ezio crouched over him, holding his bloodied blade to Salviarti's throat.

"Where is Jacopo?" He demanded.

"He…he knows you come for him…only to emerge in darkness to meet with others…"

"That answers the 'when', now tell me where."

But the Archbishop's eyes rolled back and one last, gurgling breath left him.

"La fede dovrebbe dare conforto, no pena. Requiescat in pace," Ezio murmured, closing the man's eyes. (Faith should bring comfort, not pain.)

The rest of Salviarti's forces were quickly and easily overwhelmed after their employer was killed. Those who survived were left in the capable hands of Mario's men as Ezio rushed back the way he came, mulling over the Archbishop's last words.

Federico pulled a throwing knife from the body of a dead archer, wiped it off, and put it back in the small sheath on his belt. A trickle of sweat rolled into his eye and he wiped it away. He had made it to the second tower, and was only a few minutes away from finally reaching Maffei. It had been quite the adventure getting this far, but he had avoided any arrows to his person so far, and the monk still didn't know he was coming. Federico hoped that Kiara and Ezio were having an easier time with their missions that he was, especially Kiara.

He took a breath, rolled his shoulders to loosen them up a bit, and lightly ran across the ropes that joined one tower to its neighbor. Maffei had kept up an incessant bout of chatter the whole time, going on and on about how the city below was being punished for remaining loyal to the Medici, and that the Assassins were demons. Federico huffed in annoyance as he leapt up to the wooden planks; he had liked the man better when he wasn't allowed to speak.

As he waited for the patrolling archers to walk to the other side, Federico glanced downward. Even as used to heights as he was, even he couldn't help but feel a small wave of vertigo at the sheer drop under his boots. If Amelia knew what he was doing, she would have thrown a royal fit and probably banned him to sleep in the living area for several days.

Finally, the coast was clear enough for Federico to pull himself up and over the edge. He was so close to his goal, but the archers had to be taken care of first. There were only two men, and they were taken care of easily enough. The monk was so engrossed in shouting his message to the city that he didn't even notice the Assassin creeping up the ladder behind him until it was too late; he didn't even have time to shout as a hidden blade flashed in the afternoon sun.

"Away with you demon!" Maffei coughed a few moments later, lying a growing pool of his own blood.

"Have some respect for death, monk," Federico said sternly. "Where is Jacopo?"

"Respect? I'll show you…respect…"

Federico grunted in aggravation as the man passed without so much as a word to Jacopo's location. He muttered a few words under his breath and closed the dead man's eyes before standing.

The hot afternoon sun beat down on the young man, only driving his ire higher. All that work to get up here, only to have nothing to show for it! Federico spat out a curse and would have turned to go had he not seen a piece of parchment peeking out from a pocket of the monk's robes. Further exploration produced not one, but two letters, one addressed to Rodrigo Borgia himself.

Maestro,

It is with fear in my heart that I write this letter. The prophet has arrived, I feel it. The birds don't act as they should, they swirl around the location. I see them from my tower. I will not attend the meeting as asked. I can't expose myself like this, or the demons might find me.

Forgive me, for I am only listening to my voice.

May the Father of Understanding guide you and guide me.

Brother A

Federico's brow furrowed in confusion as he read the letter. Again with this "prophet", who on earth were they referring to, and why was this person so significant? The only thing this letter led to was more questions than answers. Federico put the first letter away and opened the second one.

Brother,

As you've no doubt heard by now, they hunt us – in search of retribution. We should never have consented, never have conspired. But what's done is done, and so I have called a meeting with Maestro three nights from now to ask for sanctuary – either in Venezia or with him in Roma.

We will assemble at the church in San Gimignano and travel to the meeting location at the appointed hour. I urge you to attend; remaining her would be suicide. The Assassins are relentless, we cannot hope to stop them on our own. But perhaps, aided by our Maestro, we might buy ourselves some time to form a proper response.

Guard yourself well. Firenze may be lost to us, but it does not have to mean our end.

May the Father of Understanding guide you.

Your brother, Jacopo

This was it! This was the last piece they needed! Federico rechecked the date that the letter had been written on, and confirmed that the meeting would take place tonight. There wasn't enough time to go to Mario and then make it back in time to tail Jacopo. He would have to send the letter with one of Mario's men, and stay here in the city himself.

Feeling more triumphant than he had in a long time, Federico tucked the letters away safely into his belt. Peering off the edge of the tower, he spotted a convenient haystack below and without a second thought, leapt into empty air. The rushing wind cooled him as he made his rapid decent, and he even didn't mind the harder-than-usual landing when he finally hit the wagon. Federico rolled out of the hay, shook it off, and quickly went back to retrieve his armor.

The church, the church…he knew where that was, it would be easy to find a place to stay and watch for the Pazzi. Federico found his armor as he had left it, and quickly put the missing pieces back on. He would have to hurry to get the letter to the informant so the man would reach the rest of his family before nightfall. Deciding that it would be best not to risk any further confrontations with archers, Federico opted to take the winding alleyways to get back to the main marketplace. He ran through the narrow spaces between the buildings, only to come to a skidding halt halfway to his destination. Federico backed up a few steps to look unbelievingly at a familiar alcove tucked out of sight, built into the outer wall of San Gimignano's town hall.

"Can it really be?" He muttered to himself.

Sure enough, there was the same skull shaped relief carving and, when pulled, it opened the secret entrance below. There wasn't enough time to explore, but Federico made note of its location for later, and closed the entrance.

It was getting late in the afternoon when Ezio finally joined our little band. We had already gone over our information with Mario, but Salviarti's dying words only confused us further. There was mention of a church and mention of the theater ruins. Where was this meeting supposed to be held? We hoped that Federico had the last bit of information we needed.

However, it wasn't Federico that came riding into our midst. One of Mario's spies handed over two letters, and a hastily written note from Federico, explaining that he would wait in San Gimignano.

"Santa merda!" Mario barked as he read the letter. "They meet tonight!"

"They must gather at the church and then move to the theater," Giovanni realized. "Kiara! Ezio! With me!"

We all jumped on our horses, and Mario shouted after us as we took off.

"I will send as many as my men as I can to meet with you, but I can't guarantee they will be there in time!"

In truth, I don't think any of us were sure we could get there in time.

Crouched on top of a building adjacent to the San Gimignano church, Federico watched the crowds for Jacopo. He had never really met the man, and after two years, he wasn't sure he would recognize him.

Time passed slowly, and the sun sank lower and lower in the sky. Federico sincerely hoped that the rest of his family had gotten his message and were on their way. A cool breeze blew over him, and Federico shivered a bit. The weather was still far from balmy, and it would only get colder as night fell. Maybe a cape wasn't such a bad idea after all.

As the lights were being lit, Federico spotted an old, hunched man approaching the church, wearing fine clothes. It had to be Jacopo, and he did look a little familiar. His quarry found, Federico shimmied down the back of the building to ground level and peered around the corner to keep an eye on the remaining Pazzi.

Jacopo hovered near the entrance of the church for several minutes, looking more and more distressed as time passed. He was waiting for the rest of the conspirators to arrive, Federico realized, but that would no longer happen. Finally, with a gesture of frustration, Jacopo stormed away from the church and to a white horse that was tethered nearby. The man mounted the animal, and it looked like not without some pain, and began to leave. Federico followed, close enough to keep the man in his sight, but not so close that he would be discovered.

The process continued as Jacopo slowly traveled out of the city and down the road. Federico had to quickly fetch his own horse for fear of losing the man in the countryside. Again he followed, noting that the man seemed to be heading for the ruins of the old Roman theatre. It was a perfect place for a secret meeting; out of the way and rarely visited.

The stars had since come out by the time the two reached the theatre, and Federico tied his horse in a small cluster of trees before continuing on foot. He wasn't surprised to see guards patrolling the area, but it was cause for some concern. He wound up having to kill one and stash the body before he was able to reach the first stone ring that made up the walls of the theatre.

In the center, where the stage used to be, stood two men. One was Rodrigo Borgia, but the other Federico didn't recognize. Jacopo had dismounted his horse and was slowly making his way to the other men, clearly scared out of his wits. With the acoustics of the place, Federico could hear each word that was exchanged, even from where he was.

"I am sorry Maestro," Jacopo began in a wavering voice. "I did all I could but the Assassins proved to be too strong."

"Clearly," Borgia bit out. "Else the others would be with you. To say nothing of the fact that Florence remains in Medici hands."

"It's Francesco's fault! His impatience made him reckless. I tried to be the voice of reason—"

"More like the voice of cowardice." The mystery man interjected.

"You're one to talk Signore Barbarigo," Jacopo shot back bitterly. "Had you sent us quality weapons instead of the garbage you Venetians call ar—"

"Enough!" Borgia snapped. "We put our faith in your family, and you repay us with inaction and incompetence. Then, when asked to account for your failures, you make excuses and insult us? How do you expect me to respond?"

"I don't know," Jacopo answered almost too quietly to hear, his head hung. "I don't know."

"It's alright," Borgia replied in a softer tone. "I do."

Federico's mouth nearly fell open in shock as Rodrigo pulled out a knife and stabbed the helpless old man. Jacopo staggered back, clutching at his bleeding wound.

"No…please…don't…"

"Please don't what?" Barbarigio questioned before cruelly pushing the older man over.

Jacopo managed to get back onto his hands and knees and crawled forward to Rodrigo.

"I can fix this," He gasped, clutching desperately at the other man's cape. "Only spare me…"

"I think not," The Grand Master replied before drawing his sword and thrusting it between Jacopo's shoulders, the Pazzi falling motionless to the ground.

"What a mess," Borgia mused, glancing at his sword before raising his voice. "So sorry to have claimed your prize, Assassin."

Federico didn't have time to react before two sets of burly hands grabbed him from behind. He struggled, but the guards had his arms twisted painfully behind his back, and soon marched him out to the center of the stage area.

"Do you honestly think I wouldn't expect for one of you to follow?" Borgia questioned. "That I wouldn't plan for it? We've been at this a lot longer than you, boy."

Federico fought against his captors again, but couldn't free himself. Rodrigo gave him a dismissing glance before turning away.

"Kill him."

Federico was forced down on his knees as a Brute approached, wielding a wicked looking axe.

"Your time is up, Assassin."

Zzzzippp!

The soldier suddenly staggered backward, an arrow protruding from the gap between his helmet and chest plate.

Zzzzippp! Zzzzippp!

The guards holding Federico fell away, each with an arrow in their back. Federico leapt to his feet and drew his sword, he didn't have to look at the bright red and white fletching to know who the arrows belonged to. The remaining soldiers convened on him, but were taken by surprise at the sudden appearance of two other white-clad figures.

I breathed a sigh of relief to see Federico back on his feet, and notched another arrow to my bow string. Giovanni and Ezio had leapt into the fray and were currently beating back the surprised soldiers. I launched arrow after arrow into the brawl, but there was so many of them, and Borgia and his unknown companion had already fled the scene. I was down to my last couple of arrows, trying to decide where to use them, when a shout of pain grabbed my attention. My heart flew into my throat as I saw Federico fall, clutching his side. The other men would be on him in a matter of seconds, and I didn't have enough arrows for all them. I shot one more arrow into the throng to keep them back for just a few more seconds before tossing my bow aside and leaping down to ground level.

Giovanni had heard Federico's cry, but was too far away to do anything. For a second he thought he would watch his own son die, with a wife and unborn child back home. An arrow caught the foremost guard in the head, causing the others to hesitate just long enough for Kiara to suddenly appear, saber brandished. Giovanni watched, nearly dumbfounded as she fearlessly faced the oncoming horde, putting herself between them and Federico.

They closed in on her, and then scattered. Kiara was a blur of movement, her cape masking her movements in the dim light as she danced in and out of their midst, her saber flashing and clashing against the Templar's steel. At first Giovanni was shocked, but pride quickly overcame it as he watched Kiara defend her adopted brother with all the ferocity and skill of a true Assassin.

By this time he and Ezio were able to make it over and force the remaining soldiers away from Federico. Multiple shouts from behind them signaled the arrival of Mario's mercenaries, and the Templar soldiers who were still surviving began to turn tail and run at the change of odds.

As soon as Giovanni and Ezio had forced the soldiers off of us and there was breathing room, I almost dropped my saber and ran to Federico, who was just picking himself up, his side stained red.

"It's alright Kiara," He gasped.

"I'll believe it when I see it," I shot back.

Federico relented and pried his hand from his side. The cut was deep, but not so deep to be life-threatening even though it was bleeding profusely. We all had a wad of bandages we kept in one of the many pouches on our belts, and I pulled out Federico's stash to try to stop the bleeding. Another soldier rushed us, but Federico had enough wind back to take his head off with one clean swipe. I cringed as the body fell to the ground, but several shouts from behind us caught my attention. Mario's men had arrived.

It didn't take long for the rest of the soldiers to be routed and retreating, leaving us with yet another victory. I helped Federico get his wound tightly wrapped and it looked as if he would be able to make the ride home.

"Amelia is not going to be happy with you," I commented as I tied the bandages snuggly.

Federico cringed. "Don't remind me."

Giovanni walked over, sheathing his sword, and took me by surprise when he pulled me into a tight hug.

"Well done, Kiara! Well done!" He exclaimed. "I knew you could do it."

I couldn't help but grin a bit myself as he stepped back. "I believe I learned from the best…padre."

Due to Federico's injury, we had to travel slowly and it was almost dawn when we finally got back to Monteriggioni. Even our horses were dragging as we reached the battlements, and I was in desperate need of a bath. The streets were silent as we trudged through to the villa, and the long flights of stairs seemed even longer before we made it to the top.

All of a sudden, the villa doors burst open and Amelia came running, despite her condition. Federico quickly moved forward and caught her before she could go too far.

"Easy! Easy!" He cautioned as he stopped her momentum.

"Oh Federico!" She nearly sobbed into his chest. "When I heard that you had stayed behind all by yourself I—what's this?" She asked suddenly, noticing the stained bandages wrapped around her husband's torso. "You are hurt!"

The rest of us began to discreetly back away, bracing ourselves for the explosion that was sure to come. But instead of launching into a hormone-induced tirade, Amelia traced the bandages lightly with her fingers and looked up at Federico.

"I will not shout," She said quietly, embracing him again. "You are alright."

Federico gave a sigh of relief all of us could hear and hugged her back. "Sempre esolo per voi."

With the tense atmosphere finally dispersed we all laughed and headed inside for some well-deserved rest. Ezio came up beside me and caught me in a bear hug that had me lifted almost completely off my feet.

"It looks as if you've finally earned the rights your nickname, leonessa," He laughed.

"Not that again!"

So I'm really not sure where to begin, except to apologize for being absent for four months. I've been so busy with school and my muse took an unannounced and extended vacation, so I couldn't do anything with this chapter but stare at it for the longest time. Thank you for being so patient with me while I was trying to get stuff sorted out.

Grandad did pass away, and I was blown away by all the kind and encouraging messages you guys sent me; I really do have the best readers in the world. I would give you all cookies, but since that's rather difficult to do over the internet, I'll give you the next best thing: one of the best cookie recipes I've ever come across.

Cookies 'n' Cream cookies
2 ¼ c. flour 1 bag white chocolate chips 1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda 12 Oreo cookies, crushed
1 c. butter, softened 1 package Cookies 'n' Cream pudding mix
½ c. brown sugar 2 eggs
½ c. white sugar ½ c. chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix butter and sugars together until creamy & add pudding mix. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well. Add flour and baking soda. You may want to start mixing by hand after this point because the dough gets pretty thick. Add in crushed Oreos, white chocolate chips, and nuts and mix well. Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

I'm sure the recipe can be modified for those out there with food allergies.

Many hugs to all those who sent me a review, even if I wasn't writing, you have no idea how much that means to me.

UchihaAkia
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Val
Portrait of a Scribe – Hello there! So nice to hear from you again.
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lizzy88
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demonkira
CrystleIceFire
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K1R5T3N
KrnYong – No, I'm very much born and raised in the U.S of A, but I also love Tae Kwon Do.
RettoPolka4Ever – I love Just Beyond My Reach, My Assassin. I kept up with it the whole time it was being written.
Fan of the Creed
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ardx
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HikariNoTenshi-San

A few of you have been asking when Ezio is going to fall for our heroine, and I'll say that he will in good time, but they've got some more growing up to do first. If it's any consolation, I'm a huge sucker for romance and I'm just itching to start working some chemistry in, or perhaps I've already started…at any rate, good things come to those who wait. ;)

Thank you so much everyone. Until next time.

~TKD Dragon