As she turned away, I rolled my eyes in resentment. How much does one have to do to earn trust from a Mohawk woman? I thought this would be easy. I remember saying: 'The sooner we're done, the sooner we can get out of this cold.' I think the tone of Ziio's voice and her belittling attitude was enough to chill me to the bone.

Obediently, I heaved myself up the snowy hill to follow her. She had left me with no choice. Since the amulet was in her hands, I knew I could trust her. Why could she not at least return the favour?

The strong blizzard swept through my ponytail and lashed at my ears. My feet were throbbing from running so far uphill. Oh, for a plane landscape, I thought.

Why are you wasting your time and energy on this woman?
She'll be a vital ally.
Well, she's being about as much help as a blind goose on a mountain trek.
I'm sure she'll come round.

As Ziio's figure appeared when I was approaching, I had to stop for a moment. The way her braids sailed in the now gentle snowy breeze, the way the natural little frills on her garment flicked elegantly away from me. I had not ever fully appreciated that any woman in London could be so beautiful as her. It was only for a second or two that my mind had rested on this. I didn't know what had come over me afterwards, though I didn't react with indignation: there had been something between us for a moment, only...she didn't know it.

For god's sake, look at her normally or not at all. What is wrong with you?

Shaking my head and focusing on at least trying to feel human again, I trudged up to her where she stood on a stone cliff overlooking some tents, a dwindling campfire, some scavenging mutts and a warm-looking pub with smoke swirling from the chimney. I groaned inwardly, longing to thaw out my frozen body.

Ziio didn't even glance up at me as I stood next her. "That's the house of the soldiers who seek to drive my people from these lands." She indicated the pub below. "They're led by a man known as the Bulldog."

Where had I heard this nickname before? I knew who it was immediately: "Edward Braddock." I muttered.

This was the moment when she looked up in alarm. "You know him?" she demanded furiously.

"He is no friend of mine." Mirroring her dark attitude seemed to diffuse the tension more easily than I thought. She relaxed and turned to face the view, waiting for me to say something.

"Then...I suggest we put a stop to it," I replied. For some reason, it was hard to say the last word. My stomach flipped as I said it: "Together."

Why won't she just look...this...way?
Get over it.

"What do you propose?" she asked.

"That we kill Edward Braddock." Now I too faced the outstretch of land before us. "But first...we have to find him."

I wish she would just look at me, at the very least.
Get a grip, Haytham.

At that moment, Ziio did something which was rather unexpected: Bending down slightly, she bounded up to the edge of the cliff, outstretched her arms and dived silently off the edge like a vulture plunging to its prey. Alarmed and somewhat distressed, I dashed over to where she had jumped to see what had become of her. As I looked down, I saw a bale of hay beneath the cliff rustling, before she fumbled her way out.

A Leap of Faith. Impressive. Very impressive indeed!

I could barely stifle my surprise and relief as she looked up and indicated for me to do the same. Unafraid, I too leapt off the edge and felt myself free-falling through the air, the wind whipping across my face. The bristles of the hay brushed irritatingly against my skin as I landed softly in the bale.

"I don't trust you," Ziio stated coldly as I pushed through the bale to join her.

"I know."

"Yet you remain."

As I walked towards the inn, a fierce battle between two sides of my head raged again.

I'm annoying her. This is not good.
So much for valuable ally.
She'll turn out fine. It's only natural that she's wary of us.
I shouldn't have to do much more to earn her trust, surely?
The Mohawks can be unpredictable.
Maybe I can prove her wrong.

"I could prove you wrong," I shrugged.

"It will not happen." While she walked in front of me, I watched with amusement as her fists clenched and relaxed like I was inside of her palm. I chuckled.

"So you say."

"So I know," she fumed, spitting the words out like an angry cat.

"Yet...I remain."

Her fists clenched so tightly now that I thought she would break a finger. How amusing it was to watch her blow a fuse. I knew that at any second she could pull out the curled knife tucked threateningly in her belt...yet she didn't.

So I remained.