So, this is Chapter 7, shorter than the others, but it's needed just as much as this author's note.

I've been getting some mails about wanting some more Altair and Maria time in this, and I mean no offense to those who have mailed me about this, but it is absolutely necessary for me to build up my OC's as well. They are a HUGE part in the main part of the story: Altair and Maria. I promise you, I PROMISE that once those two meet (should be 3 chapters from now), there will be a whole lot more Altair and Maria moments. That is my promise to you, but I'm going to need you guys to bear with me for the time being. Thank you! :D

And this is to one of my readers, Preachermanredux. My editors and I took to consideration about your suggestion, and for that particular example that you gave me, I asked one of my college professors that I'm friends with. She said that sentences like that are completely up to the author, there is no correct way to have it. /shrug. It's just the way I write, it's my style to put the big feat before the smaller one. But thank you for pointing it out, I never knew it was a preferenced style :)

Props to Christina and Meadjean, and also to Fate Likes Fools for listening to my endless babbles and putting up with my stupidity XD You're an awesome writer, so check out her story The Confidant, gosh darnit.

"What were you thinking, Damiel? Just what were you thinking?" Maria knelt beside the boy and began wrapping his wounded shoulder in makeshift bandages she tore from his tunic. They were sitting down on the wooden floor of the ship's hold, ignoring the sickening sway of the boat. Well, Maria was used to boats since she had travelled to Cyprus, but Damiel was never accustomed with the feel of the ocean underneath him.

She dabbed ointment onto the wound and continued wrapping it. She raised her eyebrow in question when his face turned a bright red. Although the Rose was family to him, he never felt comfortable being semi-naked in front of them. He was well aware that Maria could not only see his flesh but the scars from his slavehood. He wished he had his tunic back on...

"Well?"

Damiel gulped and looked away from his friend, letting his curls fall into his face to hide the blush from her. "I... I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"Maria, it isn't easy being here for me.." He gave her a small smile and winced when she tied the cloth a bit too tightly.

"Sorry... never been a good medic," she laughed lightly and gave his good shoulder a firm pat. "It isn't easy for any of us, Damiel. You have no idea how much of a drag this is for Benjamin."

He rested his hand on top of hers and interlocked his fingers with hers. She frowned and tried tugging her hand away, but he kept a firm hold. "I know Benjamin has it pretty bad, but he doesn't have Aden breathing down his neck every second and mocking him for everything that he is." He sighed and looked down at the floorboards. "He doesn't like me, Maria, and I have no idea why."

"Is this why you wanted to leave? Because of Aden? Aden?"

Damiel slowly shook his head and pouted. "He's always blaming me for everything. I didn't mean to scare Zaina- you know how I crave death sometimes? Well, it happened again, and she was there... she saw everything, and I couldn't help it. She smacked me too," he rubbed his cheek that still throbbed slightly and frowned in annoyance. "I'm really beginning to change my mind about that girl, Ria. She seemed to sweet, so nice... But, now, I don't know. She seems like a pathetic ninny to me."

The older woman laughed and shook her head in wonder. "You're something else, you know that? One day, you're obsessed with her. The next, you can't stand her. Which is it, Damiel? Do you or do you not want her?"

He chewed on his lip as he thought over his answer. "You know what, Maria?"

"What?"

"I want her, but I want her as a friend and nothing more. Not until she matures a bit."

She rolled her eyes and pulled her hand out from under his. "You're one to talk about maturity."

"I can say the same for you," he muttered as he looked at his bandaged shoulder in false interest.

Maria tilted her head to the side and placed a hand on her hip. "What's that supposed to mean, dare I ask?"

Damiel sighed and stood up, aware that the few candles illuminating the hold were casting beautiful shadows on his comrade. "Sleeping with a man and then becoming devastated with the consequences."

She took a quick breath and bit her lip. "I didn't mean for it do end like this..."

"Then what were you thinking? That you'd- pah, nevermind," he waved his hand at her and walked past her, but stopped when she grabbed his wrist.

"Tell me, Damiel."

He shrugged out of her grasp and shook her head, refusing to look at her. "It's nothing, forget I said anything."

"... please?"

He sighed and wriggled with uncertainty. Mumbling, he replied, "You know I can't stand it when you say please; it's so unlike you to ask and not demand."

She smiled and shrugged playfully. "I'm a changing woman, Damiel." Her smile widened as she heard him laugh. "Now, what were you saying?"

"I um... well.." He sighed and shook his head. "Don't blame me if I hurt your feelings. Did you think that you could really leave us behind? That you could say 'bye' to Benjamin, Hildegard, and me?" Damiel turned around to face her with a sad expression. "Maria, I need you in my life. If... if you didn't come back to us when Benny and I asked, I don't know what I would have done. We thought you were dead. After you disguised yourself as Robert in Jerusalem, we didn't receive word that you were alive and well. We didn't even know that you were kidnapped by that damn Assassin and brought to Cyprus until after you returned to the Holy Land. What do you think that did to us- what it did to me?

Do you remember what happened when you were ordered to take Robert's place during the funeral? Do you?" He stopped and waited until she nodded her head ever so slowly, then continued. "I begged you to take me with you. I begged you to let me go with you so that I could protect you from the Assassin. If I died- the Hell would care? No one. If you died? Everyone would care. You... you didn't let me go with you. You ordered my removal from the Crusades and Robert complied. Benjamin resigned as well when you left. Maria, I thought you were dead. The only word we received was that.." He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Was that the Assassin had travelled from Jerusalem to Arsuf to kill Robert. Maria, you... you were dead to me. Do you know what that did to me? Do you?"

"I-I..." She opened her mouth but was at a loss for words. She gazed down at the floor and then back up to Damiel. Her eyes widened when he had closed the distance between them and held her shoulders in both of his hands. "I'm sorry, Damiel.."

"It tore me in half, Maria. Part of me wanted to kill myself, but I kept hearing your stubborn ass voice in my head. 'Don't do it, you bloody goon! How dare you consider dying for me!' The other part of me wanted to forget. I wanted to forget everything; you, the Crusades, Benjamin- everything." He sighed and hung his head low. "I couldn't do it, though. Couldn't do either of them." Damiel raised his head again and looked her straight in the eyes, his face the definition of serious. "Answer me truthfully, Maria. Did you want to give up everything for that Assassin?"

She returned his gaze and stern look. Maria gulped and inhaled. "I did, Damiel, I did."

He closed his eyes and pursed his lips in fury. His grip on her shoulders only tightened. "I see." All in a blink of an eye, he had let her go and had his back to her as he walked away.

"It was what I wanted, Damiel." She clenched her fists and held her head high and proud as she spoke to his back. "He was everything that I wanted- that I needed."

"So you didn't need me or Benjamin?" He whipped around and stormed back over to her, the veins on his neck protruding from his skin. "Oh, thanks, Maria, for confessing!"

"I needed him in a different way!We had both faced the same deception in our lives- Robert deceiving me and his precious Master lying to him and using him as his puppet! Don't you understand, Damiel?" She rolled her eyes when his expression did not change for the better. "I spent over a year with him, Damiel- a year. Do you want to know how much I hated him for about ten months? I wanted to kill him! You think that one day I woke up and decided, 'Oh, I think I'm going to help myself to some Assassin now'? Do you?" Maria shook her head and gave him a sad smile. "I wanted someone, Damiel. No- I needed someone to wake up to every day." Her grin disappeared in a heartbeat and an emotionless face took its place. "But now I've discovered that I no longer want him."

It was a lie. It was all a lie. Yet, she could not tell Damiel how much she yearned for her dear Assassin's touch; how much she craved his bare skin against her own and how she'd give anything to taste him once more and to suckle on the scar on his lips. She walked away from him and climbed the ladder, went through the hatch onto the deck, and left Damiel alone.

He ground his teeth together and slammed his fist into the side of the hold. "Thanks for admitting you don't love us, Maria.." His lip quivered and he shut his eyes tight to prevent the tears from spilling forth.

"Augh, look at you! You're no better than Aden on a cold England morning, dumm."

Damiel rolled his eyes and groaned when Olivia casually sauntered over to him and put an arm around his good shoulder. "My God, I've seen fish have more kugeln than you." She shook her head and smacked his arm.

"Just go away," he quickly walked away from her and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I don't want to be disturbed."

"Lucky for you, I don't care what you want," she smirked and tilted her head to the side. "Tell me what happened between you and Zaina. I don't believe one word Aden tells me."

Damiel snorted in disbelief. "Oh, that's funny," he threw her a dangerous look before continuing, "seems to be everyone believes that good for nothing Arab."

Olivia crossed her arms over her chest and returned his look. "I am not everyone, stummer kolben."

He sighed and sat down, motioning for her to do the same. She nodded and sat cross-legged in front of him. "I had a slight trance today when I was protecting her."

"Ahh, so he still has his blood lusts!" She laughed and smacked his knee. "So, let me guess," she shut his mouth with her hand and smirked once more. "You frightened Zaina, she lost her schnitzel, and didn't listen to your explanation?" She sighed and slumped when he nodded. "Don't worry about her, Damiel, she'll forgive you sooner or-"

"I don't want that damn bitch's forgiveness."

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. "It would be wise not to speak of her-"

"It would be wise if she would stop relying on Aden to solve every one of her problems. Hell, I didn't even do anything!"

The German woman frowned at him and clenched her hands into fists. "Tread carefully, Damiel. Your voice does not settle with me, nor does your attitude. Don't speak so negatively of Zaina and Aden."

"Oh, pardon me," he held a hand to his chest in mock offense, "I had no idea that that family was allowed to beat me around like a ragdoll, yet I am completely unable to defend myself. I had no clue."

"Do not provoke me, scheiße! I will hurt you if you-"

"So that's how it is. Everybody has to stick up for poor little Zaina, huh?" He threw his head back and let off a hoot of laughter. "You know, it amuses me to no end, that girl. I can't believe I actually thought she was worth my time. Now... now, all I see is some pathetic, stupid, cry baby," Olivia's eyebrows twitched as he continued insulting her friend. "backstabbing, conniving bitch."

She quickly stood from where she was and held a dagger to his throat. "One more word..."

"Are all the women on this boat bitches? Or is it just me? Oh, wait, no- Aden is a bitch and he's no woman. At least, I don't think he is." He glared at Olivia and held his chin out defiantly.

"..." She sheathed her dagger and turned away from him. "Aden will know of this."

"I expected that much, bitch."

"Maria, why is it you're scowling at the ocean? Please don't tell me you're becoming ill.." Benjamin sighed and took his place beside Maria as she was leaning on the rail of the boat. "I was expecting Damiel to become sick, but not you, my dear."

She shook her head and leaned it against his shoulder. "Benjamin, did I do the right thing?"

"That depends on what you mean, Maria." He wrapped his arm around her and rested his chin on her head. "You always do the right thing in my eyes, anyway."

She grunted and smiled gently, closing her eyes. "Damiel is angry at me."

"I blame it on the hormones," he scoffed and rolled his eye. "He reminds me how I used to be when I was his age."

"It's hard imagining you being so bold and immature, Benny."

"I've become a fine man since, and I have faith in Damiel that he, too, will turn out to be worth a woman's while." He chuckled as did Maria. "A woman that can put up with a shitload of nonsense, that is."

"Indeed," she sighed and opened her eyes once more. "Do you... do you think I should have stayed with the Assassin?"

Benjamin bit his lip and looked out to the sea. "I think you should have followed your heart, Maria."

"What if my heart does not know what it wants?"

"Or are you just denying yourself because you're afraid?"

"I..." she looked him in the eyes and frowned slightly. "I do not know.. part of me wants him so much, Benjamin," she slouched and rolled her head to the side. "It makes me feel like one of those fluttery, pretty, delicate housewives, to tell you the truth."

"And of the other part?"

"I want to be with you, Damiel, Hildegard... everyone. Is that possible?"

Benjamin sighed and took her hand in his. "Walk with me, Maria." And so she did. He led her up to the quarter deck where Aden was at the helm steering the vessel. "Have I ever told you the story of your Uncle Xavier and 'Aunt' Emily?"

Maria smiled and nodded.

"Those two could never get along, I swear," he sighed and shook his head in wonder. "How they even managed a marriage, I can't say. But, you know how Xavier could not decide if he wanted Emily more or his Brothers?"

"Yes, he was torn in half. He wanted a life with her, but he also wanted a life with his own kind."

The veteran nodded and smiled. "He knew he couldn't have both, Maria."

"And so he picked Emily, but, why?"

"He lived his life with the Brotherhood, that's why, Maria. He needed to choose a new path and bend to the lifestyle. Adapting was part of what he was, and so he adapted." Benjamin let go of her hand and strolled away from her.

"What are you saying?" she stood her ground and called after him.

"What I'm saying, Maria," he looked over his shoulder and smirked at her, "is to choose a new path- even if it means letting go of everything you hold dear."

Altair sighed and rubbed his face with both of his hands as he pondered over what he had just seen. He was locked away in his room again with Bayo sitting at his feet lightly dozing on and off. For almost three years now, he had been keeping a journal that detailed what he had been experiencing in his life. Mainly, he wrote down what the terrible Piece of Eden had been showing him and his thoughts on the matter. The artifact was right in front of him on his desk, glowing a hazy golden color that almost beckoned him to look into its dark secrets once more. But, no- he would not be as weak as Al Mualim and submit to its powers. No, he would merely use it to gain information and to understand it better; possibly even to understand the Templars better.

As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Dipping his quill into ink, he began drawing out what he had just seen. Sometimes the Apple would literally display an image, while other times his mind would go on a wicked rampage and conjure up images. This time, he had seen it all in his head. He didn't think, just let his hand move with the quill and illustrate what he had just learned. A man... wearing regal robes, arms raised high above him, worshipping a circular object with power emitting from it. One would think that the rounded being would be the object worshipped, but there were other people surrounding the man, arms folded in front of them and heads looking at the man in absolute wonder. Were they saying a prayer? Were they showing their inferiority? The Assassin did not know. He was not entirely sure if he wanted to even know. What if this was proof that men had to obey others to survive? That there would always have to be a superior human for there to be order and peace?

It went against everything he believed in, yet the Apple showed it to him. Perhaps it was trying to show him what the world would be like should the Templars succeed? Or, maybe it was showing what it would be like if the Assassins succeeded? There was also a possibility that whatever either faction did, the world would still be this way. Maybe it was destiny for the Templars to win, but then again, maybe it was not.

Finished with the drawing, he frowned. What was he to make of this? He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Too many times that damn metal ball had shown him such complex images. 'So many perspectives to view it... Is it trying to demonstrate what life is about? That there is no 'good' and 'evil' in the world? That men all want the same things in life?'

Opening his eyelids, he got up from his seat and made his way over to one of the bookshelves in his room. He had personally requested that specific books were placed in his room that would help him sort his thoughts out, yet he could not help noticing that several of the novices had slipped in romantic novels along the shelves.

He blinked in surprise when he could not find what he was looking for. What on Earth had happened to the leather-bound book that he kept with him at all times? It was his journal that he sewed in stray pieces of parchment to display his writing. He shook his head and clasped his forehead in his hand while the other gripped the shelf itself. 'What did I do with it..?'

Bayo lazily opened an eye to look at his master. He whined softly and trotted over to Altair and nudged his leg with his head. The Assassin slowly looked down at the dog. The Greyhound-Whippet stared just as intently at him, as if he was trying to tell him something.

'Of course...!' Altair groaned when he realized who had his journal. 'Damn clever woman...'

Bayo lolled his tongue out and almost smirked at the man. He turned away and walked back to the table with his usual click click click of his nails hitting the stone floor. He stood on his hind legs and placed his forelegs on the desk and sniffed at the Apple. Curious, he tilted his head to the side and licked it. He never saw anything like it. When it began glowing, he let off a low growl and the hair on his neck stood up.

'Can animals sense its power, too?'Altair frowned and strolled over to Bayo and placed a hand atop his head and idly pet the canine as he watched him and the artifact. Altair could feel the forceful power coming off of it. He furrowed his eyebrows together further as the dog sensed it as well and bared its teeth at the golden orb. 'How strange...'

Before he would be threatened to bite at the artifact, the Assassin swept it from the table and began making his round to the vault underneath the fortress where he kept the artifact. Bayo followed him obediently as they descended the stairwells to the secluded chamber.

'Was the picture that I saw trying to demonstrate what ALL life would be like? That humans as well as animals would be forced to have a leader in their lives?' He slipped a key out of one of the pouches around his waist and shoved it into the keyhole into the door to the vault. 'If that is to be, then there will never be world peace. Then, what is the purpose of Assassins? What is the purpose of ME?'

He silently entered the chamber and past by the crates littering the floor. To anyone, it would seem as an abandoned warehouse, but every high-ranking Assassin knew never to venture in this room without the Master's permission. Altair knelt down on the cold floor and groped around for the loose stone. He kept his expression stoic as he pondered his discoveries further. 'Do the Templars know of this? Were they ever able to gaze into the Apple? Have they ever seen what I have seen? Are they afraid that this is the way the world would be- that Assassins and Templars would never have a say in how people interact with one another? That the people themselves would be forced to obey? What if the superior man that I saw was a symbol and in reality wasn't even a man. What if it was the Piece of Eden itself, and the object he was worshipping something more? What if all the Pieces of Eden add up to something greater- that they were all once one being that was split into fragments? If that is so, then it would be wise for the Assassins to collect all of the Pieces, for if the Templars should even discover one of them, I fear that all Hell would be released on mankind. But, the question is, how many other Pieces are there? Where are they if there are more? Do they even exist in this world? Perhaps they exist in the 'afterlife'...'

Finally finding what he was looking for, he lifted the stone up and carefully placed the artifact in the now existing hole in the floor. He gently eased the stone back over the Apple and sighed when he no longer could see its seducing glow. He gave out another sigh of relief and turned to look at Bayo. The hair on his neck was still bristling, but he was no longer growling. No doubt he could still sense its power, seeing as how animals were known to be more sensitive to their surroundings than humans could ever dream of.

He walked out of the vault and locked the door behind him and placed the key back in its pouch. Altair ascended the staircases once more and instead of returning to his room, he decided to pay a visit to his study. He needed the Piece of Eden out of his mind at the moment, and he had just the thing in mind to relieve himself of such a haunting object.

Reaching his destination with Bayo still tailing behind him, he looked through the papers scattered across the desk until he found what he was looking for. The letter from Hildegard remained untouched and undiscovered since he first read it. She would be here in only a matter of days and he still did not know if he trusted her or not. He did not dare tell Malik. What if she was really what she said and against the Templars? It would not make her an Assassin- dear Heavens, no- but it would give him a category to put her in, just as he categorized Maria. If he were to tell Malik of the letter, the man would double the patrols surrounding Masyaf and probably order her blood staining one of their feathers. Altair couldn't take that risk.

He slowly sat in his worn wooden chair and reread the letter. Maybe there was something he missed? Perhaps he had to read in-between the lines. After all, he was practically in shock when he first read its contents. He found absolutely nothing new or interesting about the letter. He sighed and looked at Bayo. The dog was smelling the desk, lacking anything better to do. Perhaps Bayo knew who Hildegard was? If Hildegard was Maria's friend as she had written, then surely Bayo met her before.

"Bayo," Altair called to the dog and motioned him forward with a wave of his hand. The canine tilted his head but obeyed and trotted over to Altair and sat in front of him wondering what he could want. The Assassin cleared his throat. It was worth a try...

"Hildegard." He held his breath and his eyes lit up as the dog's ears perked up. So he knew her! He repeated her name and Bayo lifted his head and cocked it to the side in excitement. "You know her, boy?"

As if he understood every word he had said, Bayo wagged his tail and stomped his forelegs impatiently. He knew that whenever Maria mentioned her best friend's name, it meant they were visiting soon. And Hildegard was always generous with treats and always did love pampering the dog.

Altair smirked and held the letter out to Bayo. If she wrote it, then her scent had to be on it, and if Bayo was trained in the art of war, then surely he was trained in the art of hunting. And what hunter did not know how to interpret scents?

And so when Bayo sniffed the letter and wagged his tail in response to what he smelled, Altair breathed out heavily and closed his eyes. If Bayo trusted the woman, then surely he could as well. But he would not welcome her with open arms, no. She would have to prove herself trustworthy first.

"What is it that you're doing?" Maria raised her eyebrows at Damiel. They were both sitting again in the ship's hold, and the two of them had both apologized to each other. Rather, Damiel had said he was sorry and Maria had punched him in his good shoulder. Now the poor boy had two aching shoulders thanks to her. She leaned back against the ship's interior wall and stared blankly at the boy. "You twitch your fingers randomly, what is that?"

He smiled sheepishly at her and looked down at his left hand. Sure enough, his ring finger was twitching and drumming against his knee. He shrugged. "I don't know, it's just something I've always done when I'm thinking about something, or if I'm excited about something."

"What are you thinking about then?" She closed her eyes and flexed her shoulders. It was now Saturday morning and she was sore from Friday's running and fighting. By God, when had she become such a weakling?

"Just wonderin' what we'll do once we find Hildegard... it kind of makes you wonder where we'll head next, right?" He looked over at Maria and suppressed a chuckle. He was smug when he thought how comfortable she was in his presence. It had taken over three years for her to trust him completely. He realized how beautiful she was when she wasn't barking orders or threatening to cleave a man's head off with her swords. How her features softened and how she visibly relaxed was almost alluring to the boy.

"Mm.." Maria opened her eyes to find Damiel staring at her intently. "Don't look at me like that, you yellow son of a legless pig." She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. He merely smiled and looked away so she could not see the smirk slowly spreading across his lips. "Of course I wonder what we'll do," she finally said as she sighed. "I suppose living normal lives is out of the question." They both chuckled at this thought.

"Maybe you can take up the pipe organ again? You were a good musician, Maria. I remember when we'd stop at Crusader-run towns, you'd always play for Benjamin and me. Beautiful talent, beautiful talent." He sighed thinking about it. Music was a huge part of his culture and he loved every melody, every beat, every subdivided rhythm.

Maria laughed and shook her head. "I suppose you'd go back to conducting, then? You were always good at that."

"Indeed, I believe I missed my calling," he smirked and waggled his eyebrows at her. "When we return to England-"

Maria sighed. "We can't go back to England, it's too hot of a place right now. No doubt the Templars are swarming there as we speak. Perhaps Benjamin can point us in the right direction," she mused. "After all, he did say he had allies in the Holy Land."

"Huh," Damiel grunted and threw a boyish smirk her way. "You know I never liked the Holy Land."

"You just don't like Arabs, Damiel."

"Well, yeah, that too, but the heat..." He shuddered as he thought about all the days as a soldier when he had to endure the sweat caked to his skin and the chainmail sticking to his flesh in a most disgusting way. It was even more uncomfortable when it clung to his unmentionables- Robert always got a laugh out of it when the boy had to constantly grab his crotch to readjust his armor. "If I am going to be forced to live there, then I'd rather return to England and be hung for treason."

"I won't stop you from doing that," she returned his smirk and raised her eyebrow in challenge. "In fact, I believe I'd be there just to see you hang and to insult your miserable ass."

"And what would you say, Maria?"

"Well, I'd start off by calling you a drenched bladder and a deckswabber s'wit, that's for sure." She smiled as he chuckled from the insults. "Then, I'd move on to insulting your manhood and declaring you a woman."

"I believe- oh, hey, Zaina." He sneered her name as the Arab girl climbed down the hatch into the hold. She frowned at Damiel but gave a polite nod to Maria. The latter answered her by giving her a wave of her hand. He muttered under his breath, "Bitch.."

Maria gave a disapproving look his way and called out to the girl. "Zaina, feel free to join us anytime you wish to. It is no trouble at all, really," she smiled at the girl and hoped she would open up to her. She was always so quiet and insecure to the point where it made Maria itch with annoyance. She never did like unusually quiet people. How she survived months accompanying Altair on his journeys to and fro Cyprus, she had no idea, but thanked whatever God was watching over her.

Zaina merely gave a small grin, but threw her head up at Damiel. He coughed and smirked at her. She frowned once more and walked to the other side of the hold where Olivia was.

"Probably going to start their gossip club," Damiel rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Maria. "Hey, Ria?"

"What is it?"

"Whatever happened to that book? You know, the one the Assassin wrote?"

Maria's eyes bulged out of her head and her jaw went slack. "Useless breasts of a barnacle...! I... I left it at- why are you smirking so contentedly?" She growled at him when he merely looked at her with his face shrivelled up in an extremely smug expression with his eyes squinted at her. "For the sake of your undergarments, Damiel, why are you-"

"Because I enjoy your insults, Maria, they're quite refreshing." He laughed and stood from his spot on the floor and casually walked over to one of the crates in the hatch. "Actually, I just wanted to see your reaction, to tell you the truth."

She followed him to the crate and crossed her arms. "Well, now you saw my reaction-" she cut herself off as she stared dumbfoundedly at the leather-bound book he held out to her. "How did...?"

"I smuggled it with me from our church, Ria." He smiled as she took it from him. "You know, I don't see the point of that book. There were only nine pages, and one of them is even torn out, making only eight. Some journal," he shrugged and cocked his head to the side as she stared at the book as if it was her savior. "Is it that fascinating?"

She didn't reply and merely flipped it open to the first page, then the second, and so forth until she came across the page missing. She frowned. "That's strange, why would someone tear the page out?"

"Are you sure you didn't tear it out?" He folded his arms behind his head and clasped his neck with both hands as he stared with mild interest at her. "I mean, you loved smothering that thing-"

"No, I didn't do it," she looked to the side and bit her lip as she began thinking of who could have possibly torn the page out. "Maybe it's been torn out all along and I just never realized it..."

"How could you not have realized it? You've had that thing with you so many times- you even slept with it once! Surely you would have noticed?"

"In case you weren't aware, Damiel, I was not exactly fully alert to anything over the past year." she snapped at him, shook her head and gave him back the book. "You keep it with you, looking at it... it-"

"Hey, don't worry about it." He smiled a toothy grin and gave her a pat on her forearm. "I understand, I got your back, Ria." He placed the book back into the crate and took her by the arm and led her up the hatch. "Come on, let's go speak to Benjamin. I'm sure he's got something useful to say."

She obeyed and allowed him to lead her to the deck. She smiled as she saw her old friend pacing back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back. It was so like him to be worrying when they were incapable of doing anything.

Damiel jogged up to him and almost tripped when the ship made an unexpected jerk. He swore under his breath but recovered and began pacing side by side by his friend. Maria walked along the other side of Benjamin and they both looked up at him. "What's got your mind in a fish net, Benny?"

He seemed startled from his voice but sighed nonetheless and explained. "There is so much, Damiel my boy, that we must discover. We must find Hildegard, wherever she may be, question her motives-"

"You believe she ran away?" Maria bit her lip. She trusted Hildegard with her life and more, but to have her willingly run away...? Surely there must have been a good reason behind all of it, right..?

Benjamin grunted and nodded his head. "Yes, Maria, I do believe she ran away. If Templars captured her, then Olivia would have surely scouted them and learned of their plans. I doubt she was killed in the fire that was put to her estate, she's a smart woman, that Hildegard. Running away seems the only other option available to me." He absent-mindedly tugged on the cloth wrapped around his head that covered his left eye socket.

Damiel scowled and shook his head in disgust. "She's going to get an ear-load from us, then."

Maria glanced blankly at Damiel. "Don't go assuming things, Damiel. I'm sure she had a good reason."

"Biased, are we?"

"Do not make me destroy any chance of your reproduction," she furrowed her eyebrows and glared at Damiel. "Because I will."

Benjamin chuckled from their banter and placed an arm around each of their necks. "Now, now, you two, please don't try to kill each other. We've enough to worry about. Not only is Hildegard on the agenda," he stopped pacing when he reached the ship's fo'c'sle and looked out to sea. "But we must also discover who this 'H.L' is."

Both Maria and Damiel followed Benjamin's gaze to the water, as if it held all of the answers. The boy however, sighed and shook Benjamin's arm off of him. "I honestly have no idea who the Hell that is, Benny."

"I know, Damiel, I know."

"Nor do I," Maria gave him a small smile and wrapped her arm around the veteran's own neck. "I just hope whoever it may be is an ally."

"Doubtful," Damiel snorted and dug the toe of his boot into the floorboards. "Everyone's against us, it seems."

"Except the Assassins," Benjamin said thoughtfully as he mused over his own words. "They'll probably be able to help us along with our own allies."

Maria held back the urge to scowl at the mention of the former occupation. Instead, she decided to press the subject on their allies. "Who are they, Benjamin? Our allies?"

"They're old friends of mine, my dear." Typical of him to have friends everywhere. After all, Benjamin travelled the Holy Land as well as most of Europe during his time as a soldier. "I'm sure they'd be willing to help us out. In fact, Maria," he looked over at the woman and smiled. "Do you remember your tutor, Doctor Foo?"

She nodded.

"Well, it turns out the old chap is living outside of Damascus and is still teaching! Remarkable, I know," he chuckled when he saw Maria's eyes widen. "The man never seems to tire of passing information on."

"He always did love eager students, Benjamin," Maria mused over what she had just heard and couldn't resist a giggle. "It seems like it's been forever since I last saw him... By God, I wonder how he is?"

"It's only been eleven years, Maria," the veteran laughed and patted her on the back. "You were four and ten years, remember?"

Damiel gawked and looked absolutely bewildered. "W-wait a minute! Ria, you said you were two and twenty years old!" He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an accusing eyebrow up at her. "You are two and twenty years old... right?"

She rolled her eyes and leaned her head against Benjamin's shoulder. "Benny, save me the trouble from explaining myself, would you?"

Benjamin sighed but complied. "Damiel, Maria is five and twenty years old, silly boy."

"WHAT?" His jaw practically hit the floor as he gaped back and forth at Maria and Benjamin. "But, but, but...!" He sputtered and looked everywhere like a caged animal. "You lied to me!"

"Oh, I've lied more than about my age, Damiel, believe me," she gave him a devilish grin as she winked at the other man.

Damiel scooted over to her and squinted at her, his mouth pursed as he gave her yet another accusing glare. "Just how much have you been bluffing about? Hm? Hmmm?" He scratched his chin.

She narrowed her eyes at him and threw him a punch in the face. "My secrets will be revealed in time, you fatless buttocks."

Earl paced back and forth across the dank and muggy cellar, his boots echoing off of the cold cobblestones that only added to the feeling of dread. His men had just accomplished something extraordinary- something that could easily persuade that bitch of a traitor to reconsider her position as a Rose. He had his arms folded neatly behind his back as he made his rounds back and forth and smirked when he heard the labored breathing of his captive. They had found the man on the outskirts of Damascus and had immediately pursued him. He put up quite a fight, seeing as how Earl was missing seven good men, but in the end the Templars had prevailed. After all, one eagle against God's will was bound to prove the loser.

He turned around and made his way to the cell the man was held in. They had roughed him up a bit, but not so terribly that he would not be able to move his limbs, and because of that, they had chained his arms to the wall so that his hands were above his head. The rough metal clasped around his wrists dug into the flesh so that it peeled off slowly, the cold material burning its way into him. His tunic was torn off of him, revealing a sweaty, bloody chest that heaved and trembled up and down while he breathed. His britches were tattered with blood stains decorating the fabric leaving dark blotches against the dark material. Earl stopped in front of the cell's bars and calmly smiled at the captive. How beautiful a sight it was! He marvelled at how the man's black as midnight hair clung to his face due to perspiration and how the minor cuts on his face and arms slowly oozed blood out. The more blood Earl saw, the more he wished to see. Earl admitted to himself that yes, he took pleasure at the sight of blood, but he was not as obsessed with it as Tyler was. No, Tyler thought blood was the very essence of poetry and that to bathe in it would glorify one's pride. Earl lightly frowned from thinking of his friend's addiction, but returned his focus and gaze to the man in front of him.

The muscles in his neck were taut as if he was trying to hold in his cries of pain and agony. The Templar would have loved to hear his screams. The man's eyes were closed tightly and his nostrils flared wildly as he struggled to control his eratic breathing. This only caused the Templar to smirk once more.

"You know," Earl ran his hand over his stubbly chin as he spoke to the victim, "you've been causing us quite the struggle. For years, we've been chasing you and your brother, but you already knew that, didn't you?" He breathed out deeply and smiled in amusement as the beaten man slowly opened one grey eye to glare at the Templar. "England, France, Spain, Syria, Israel... do you have any idea how many countries we've turned inside out to try to find one of you? Well, let's just say the Templars have searched endlessly for you and your disgusting brother." He laughed as his other eye flew open to send optical daggers his way. "Your family amuses me, to tell you the truth," Earl turned around to face the small table in the center of the cellar. He casually poured himself a goblet of wine from the bottle situated there and took a sip with a satisfied 'ahh'. The man did not take his eyes off of Earl for one second. He knew how deceiving Templars could be- almost as deceiving as his own kind.

"I suppose it runs in your mother's blood," he mused as he took yet another drink from his glass. "After all, it'd explain how you and your two siblings have such pride that sickens me to the core." He scowled and made his way back to the cell. "Your sister was always the rebel, wasn't she? Always acting as the other sex, never listening to what others said of her..." Earl chuckled when he saw the faintest flicker of annoyance on the other man's face. "But, don't worry," he sneered. "I'm going to be extra careful to teach her a lesson."

He let out a full malevolent chortle when the captive stirred from his chains and balled his cuffed hands into fists. Lowering his voice, Earl continued, "and guess who's going to help me do that?" He waited for a response from him. When realization finally hit him as hard as a fist to the stomach, the captive let out a strangled moan.

'No, no, no, NO!"

"That's right, my little eagle, you are." Earl laughed once more and bared his teeth at him. "It's been forever since I tasted the flesh of a woman that would make night amusing for me, did you know that? She's quite the hellcat, isn't she? Oh, how I long for the time when she's underneath me."

The chained man bared his teeth right back at him and furrowed his eyebrows together as his threatening glare deepened. He tugged against the cuffs surrounding his wrists and ignored the new onslaught of pain and blood it brought him. The other man's eyes glittered from seeing the red liquid drip down his bare arms, down his torso and finally to stain his britches.

Earl threw his head up in the air and turned away from the cell, leaving the man to wallow in his misery and suffer once more from the information given to him. The Knight of Templar looked over his shoulder and called out, "The best part is, little eagle, you'll be able to watch."

"He's just so... stupid, Olivia," Zaina sighed and held her knees tighter to her chest as she explained her thoughts to her friend. She and Olivia were sitting where Maria and Damiel had previously occupied before they went up on deck to speak to Benjamin. "I wish he was more like Aden."

"Augh, no, you don't, my süß. Aden is brother, not partner." The German woman rolled her eyes as she examined the arrows in her quiver. "They're never sharp enough for my tastes."

"Oh, leave the arrows!" Zaina pouted and nudged her friend's shoulder with her arm. "I'm in the middle of a crisis, and all you can think about is-"

"Zaina, my little kartoffel, why bring up Damiel? Why talk of him when he's arschloch? Please do not tell me that you enjoy his company?"

The Arab girl blushed faintly and looked at the floor. "N-no, it isn't that..."

"Then why be so persistent with him as the topic of our conversation?"

"It's nice to have someone like you is all." Zaina shook her head and looked at Olivia, hoping that she'd understand.

The other woman scoffed and refused to meet her eyes. "I wouldn't know, duckling, I wouldn't know."

"You never had someone show affection to you?"

She looked uneasy and bit her lip. "Well... there was... one... person.."

Zaina's face lit up and she grabbed her arm with both hands and lightly shook her excitedly. "Really? Who, who?"

"Ehh.." Olivia's face practically turned a light shade of green from talking about it. She leaned over to Zaina and whispered in her ear. The girl's eyes bulged and her mouth flew open.

"Abu'l Nuqoud took interest in you!"

"AIIY!" Olivia slammed her hand over her mouth. "Not so loud! I don't want anyone else to hear!"

The younger woman swatted her hand away and gaped at Olivia. "You didn't... sleep-"

"How crazy do you think I am?" She hissed at her and frowned, crossing her arms over her chest and pouted. "Although I served him, I never served him. I was merely his bodyguard, for the sake of all kartoffeln!"She shuddered from thinking about the man. "Eugh, I would rather sleep with constipated donkey."

Zaina giggled and gave a small sigh. "Oh, thank heavens, I thought for- what are you doing here?"

Damiel casually climbed down the hatch and smirked at both of the girls. "Evening, ladies," he flexed his muscles and his sneer only grew when he saw Zaina eying his bare chest. She was practically marvelling over the muscles rippling underneath his skin. "Mind if I join you?"

Olivia was not affected by his appearance in the slightest. She gave a small glance at Zaina and then back to the floor, but then looked at Zaina once more when she noticed the girl's mouth was slightly open. She frowned and gestured towards her with her hand. She quickly closed her mouth shut and looked at the floor with a rosy haze spreading across her face.

Damiel took it as an acceptance and sat down in front of them. "Now, I don't mean to be stepping on anyone's toes while being here," he glanced at Zaina and squinted. "But I was told to speak with you two-"

"Then be out with it, you dumb duck." Olivia crossed her arms and put on an act of defiance to cover for Zaina's sudden fault. "We were discussing important matters."

"Oh, yes, of course, because discussing Abu'l Nuqoud and how he was infatuated with you is very important," he snorted and rolled his eyes, the fingers on his left hand unconsciously drumming against his knee again. "Now, listen, bitch number two, shut up, and let me speak."

Olivia complied but was content to glare death itself at the boy.

"Benjamin has declared that we dock at the Holy Land in three days. During those days, he wants us to remain focused and do some exercises on the ship so that our muscles don't deteriorate," he flexed his muscles once more for the fun of it and also to see Zaina blush further. "Also, Benjamin would like both of you to speak with him privately. He has separate tasks for each of us to complete when we finally reach Devil Land, okay?" He sighed and stood once more and turned to climb back up the hatch. He muttered under his breath, "Jeez, you say one word and they get all loopy and fiendish with you. Women."

The two girls glared at his scarred back while he was walking away.

"Oh, and I wouldn't be surprised if you two end up getting wrinkles, since you keep scowling at me like that."

"Maria..."

She looked up at him and then down to her hand that he was holding. They had spent five months sailing to India after they had departed from Cyprus. However, they never reached India, for there was urgent business that required the two travellers' attention. Altair was needed in Masyaf while Maria was needed in Acre to see to family business. Her sister from England had travelled all the way to the Middle East to meet with Maria in person so she had no choice but to return.

They were walking past each other to reach opposite ends of the deck when the boat lurched unexpectedly and sent Maria sprawling forward. She cursed as her feet were swept up from underneath her and was sure that her forehead was going to slam into the ship.

However, thanks to a certain Assassin, he had grabbed her arm in the nick of time and hauled her to her feet again, but not before he had let her face remain inches from the boards. He smirked as she breathed out in relief. Standing on her own two feet, she gave him a small nod and mouthed her thank you to him, but frowned when she noticed that his hand had slid from her arm to her hand.

She had never heard him say her name so casually before, as if they were having a normal conversation previously. She looked up to him and took a cautious step back, retrieving her hand from his grasp. He looked into her eyes so... differently...

It was almost so peculiar to the point where it upset her. She was used to the cold, distant man that she had fought against in Jerusalem and had stolen her away in Acre. His eyes were no longer the analyzing orbs that took in every detail and over thought everything they saw, but rather they were soft and... normal.

She scoffed and looked away from him. "Is there something on my face, you damn Assassin?"

He blinked and followed suit as he too averted his gaze. He did not say anything. He was sure that she received the message he had sent her, only she was afraid of it. Altair didn't blame her though. He, too, was afraid. Maria was always the troublesome, fiery, proud woman that had a tongue as sharp as steel. He knew that she never had a relationship with a man before- not even with Robert. From what he gathered from their uncommon conversations, Robert had felt something towards Maria, though she drew the line between Commander of the Crusades and Second in Command. She never felt anything for him other than duty and loyalty.

He risked a glance at her only to find that she was staring him straight in the eyes. Her expression seemed pained and troubled, though he assumed that the little of his face she could see looked the same. She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it, and they both turned on their heels in separate directions.

Altair groggily opened his eyes and vanquished the dream from his mind. He looked around the room and groaned. He must have fallen asleep at his desk. Bayo was still at his side, only he was laying down, his head nestled between his paws as he dozed lightly. Altair stood from his chair and frowned when he saw Malik in front of him wearing a smug expression.

"So, you sleep in until the sun is at its highest in the sky," the one armed man chuckled as Altair glared at him. "and then you decide to sleep while on the job, hm? Tell me, what's next, Altair?"

"What's next is that you will refrain from badgering me like an old woman," he stretched his arms out and flexed his shoulders. He cracked his neck side to side and stared blankly at Malik when the man only gave an amused grunt. "Is there something humorous?"

"No, no, nothing at all- what is this?" Malik frowned and took a step closer to the desk to examine an unfamiliar document lying on top of the rest of the letters. "I wasn't aware of-"

"It is nothing, brother. Do not concern yourself with it." Altair smoothly picked the letter up and was about to pocket it one of the pouches at his side when Malik stopped his hand.

"No, I am quite serious, Altair, what is this?"

He opened his mouth to retort, but closed it when Malik had grabbed the folded parchment from his hands and flipped it open with his one hand. His eyes were about to browse the page when he felt something warm seep through his robes. He looked at Altair, frowned and looked down. He threw his arm up in the air in annoyance. "Aaaaiighhh!"

Altair snatched the paper from him and secured it inside his robe and looked down to what his friend was glaring at. It took all of his training and willpower not to burst out into laughter and to tease Malik.

The entire fortress burst from their beds and hustled to the Master's study when they heard Malik's furious bellow, "BAYO! YOU DO THAT OUTSIDE!"

Translations:

süß = sweet

arschloch = asshole

kartoffel = potato

kartoffeln = potatoes

kugeln = balls

stummer kolben = dumbass