And here's the second part. Not as long as part 1, but that's just how it is XD
On to more serious matters. My computer has recently been infected with a virus due to my lovely roommate (anyone want to send a search and kill party, feel free to do so), and I lost EVERYTHING. I mean EVERYTHING. I lost all my outlines for this story. So, that means that everything is going to be slightly pushed back while I try to remember everything that's supposed to happen and avoid filling chapters with crap. Mmhm.
And also, come mid-July, I won't be able to work on this story for the most part because of personal reasons. I am very sorry, I'm going to try my best to at least have Altair and Maria reunite before then. GAHHH so much pressure. Thank you for your patience, though, I appreciate it.
Cheers to Christina and Meadjean (mostly Meadjean, though).
Ubisoft owns all original characters, everyone else is my property.
The boy gulped as the sight before him brought a familiar pang of longing.
"Ehh... Aden? This place sure doesn't look like Acre..." Damiel stood with the rest of the Rose on the boat, his arms crossed over his chest in confusion. They had just docked at a harbor, and Aden had declared quite confidently that this place was Acre. "Wow, the place sure has changed last time I've been here," Damiel snorted and sent a small glare at Aden. "Way to go, Captain Useless."
The Arab frowned and stormed over to Damiel and grabbed him by the collar of his tunic. "I'd like to see you do better," he hissed at the boy. Damiel remained unaffected and merely swatted his hand away. Maria strode over to them and grabbed each of them by the back of their necks.
"Will you two," she said between clenched teeth, "stop fighting for FIVE MINUTES!" She shoved them forward and they stumbled and caught themselves. Rather, Aden caught himself while Damiel was launched into Benjamin's back. The old veteran rolled his eye and sighed.
"Benjamin, where are we exactly?" Olivia had wrapped her arm around Zaina in an attempt to reassure the girl that everything would be alright. She looked absolutely terrified.
"Well, we certainly are not in Acre... Hmmm.." Benjamin cupped his chin in one hand and tapped his index finger to his lips. "Ah! Of course! How could I have forgotten this place?"
"Forgotten what?" Damiel said as he clutched his nose. Maria had given him a nosebleed from smashing him into Benjamin's back.
"We are in Jaffa, my dear boy! Jaffa!"
"JAFFA?" they all interjected at the same time. The members shared confused and worried glances with each other before looking back at Benjamin.
Maria cleared her throat, the first one to rid herself of the shock. "Benjamin, isn't Jaffa a long ways off from Acre?"
"Mmm, it's about a week's ride, plus stopping at towns along the way, so, I'd say... ten days?"
They all groaned from hearing this, particularly Damiel, but his whining came out nasily.
Aden sighed and looked at the docks. "Jaffa... it's been a long time since I've been here." He gave his sister a small smile and stepped out off of the gangplank. Damiel soon followed after him with a bloody nose. Aden had half the mind to throat him into the water, but he chose not to, because he could feel Maria's glare on his back. 'Terrifying woman..'
"Well? What are we waiting for?" Damiel turned around to his friends and gave them a small smile. "Are we just going to stand around and not take the opportunity right in front of us? Come on!" He jogged off ahead of them, leaving them behind in their perplexed stares.
"... How is it that he has so much energy, Maria?"
"I have no idea, Olivia." They shrugged and jogged past Aden and after the boy. The man rolled his eyes but stayed with his group.
Jaffa was very different from Acre. For one thing, it wasn't nearly as gloomy as the other port. While Acre had clouds restricting the sunlight from pouring down onto the city, Jaffa had an abundance of sunlight and heat- much to Damiel's annoyance. The entire place had a joyful atmosphere to it; the people, the whitewash houses, the plants, the marketplace. Everything was vibrant and alive in this city. Even the water was bright and had streaks of gold running across its ripples from the sun.
The sight made Maria smile despite their situation.
"Hey, Benny?" Damiel said as he stopped his little tour guide.
"Hmm?"
"Where the Hell am I?" It was more of a statement than a question, but Benjamin merely chuckled and gently pushed the boy aside.
"We're near the inns and bathhouses-"
"Bath? Near? Where, where?" Damiel looked at the man with huge eyes and a desperate smile. "Take me to this bath! I smell like year old tuna!"
Olivia leaned her head towards Zaina's ear and whispered, "So that was the stench on the ship." The girl giggled and Aden smiled at her. Damiel sidled over to Maria and nudged her arm with his elbow. She raised an eyebrow at him but kept following Benjamin. He nudged her again and bobbed his head side to side. She sighed and rolled her eyes at him.
"What?" she hissed at the boy.
"Just think about it, Ria.." he murmured to the woman, "soon we'll be at Acre, we'll deal with the Templars... and then live our lives."
She sighed in annoyance and boxed him in the ear. "I know that, Damiel." She growled at him and walked to the side of Benjamin. "Benny," she whispered in the man's ear. "Permission to remove Damiel's tongue?"
He sighed and narrowed his eyes at her. "Only if I'm not around."
"Hey, less talking, more walking!" Damiel huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, his nosebleed finally put to an end. "I don't know if you heard me before, but I need a bath!"
The others ignored him and Aden smiled a brilliant, dazzling grin at the boy. "Say, Benjamin, mind telling us how you know your way around Jaffa?" It was clever on Aden's behalf, seeing as how Benjamin had trouble walking while speaking. So, the man slowed down, much to Damiel's dismay, to address Aden's question.
"Ahh, well, as you know, I've been to most places in the Middle East due to the Crusades and whatnot," he gave a shrug and glanced at Maria. "I even got to do some travelling with your tutor Doctor Foo."
Her eyes widened and she blinked in surprise. "He invited you to join him on one of his adventures?"
"Oh but of course! He and I are great friends, Maria!" It wasn't a surprise to her. Benjamin knew most of the authorities and always had a way to snivel information out of people. But the actual thought of Doctor Foo and Benjamin travelling together was a shocker. Doctor Foo always did love venturing off into the unknown, and he had even been to uncharted territories. It was impressive, to say the least.
"Who cares about this 'Foo' man, Benny.." Damiel whined as he stamped his foot. "Can we just get to the baths?"
Benjamin ignored him and continued on with his explanation. "I spent a year or two at Jaffa when I was younger- much younger. It still has its charm, I see," he mused as his eyes wandered over the whitewash houses. There were flowers and plants decorating the rooftops while ivy crawled up the sides of houses. It really was a beautiful place.
Maria smiled, but it quickly faded. She looked down at her feet while she walked. Only ten more days until Acre...
'Acre... I wonder how it is. Probably still dreadful as always... I hope I don't run into him there...'
She stopped in her tracks when Benjamin had reached their destination. The Rose looked up in awe at the bathhouse. It was a colossal of a building with intricate designs carved into the framework.
"Ahh, here we are! This is probably the finest sauna-" Benjamin choked his words back as the others bustled past him and into the doors of the house. He sighed and shook his head before he too barreled into the bathhouse himself.
The others were already at the counter paying for their baths. He sighed once more and gave his friends a humorless smile. The girls, including Belle, left the counter and proceeded to the section of the sauna specified for females only, while Aden left to the male section. Damiel, however, stayed at the counter to chat with the lovely hostess.
"So, what's your name?" he said as he casually leaned his arms on the counter. "I don't think we've ever met before."
The woman wore a light orange headdress made out of silk that concealed most of her face from the boy. But from what he could see, she had the most beautiful hazel eyes ever. "It really is not that important, sir, I assure you," she said quickly as she glanced behind the boy at a very impatient Benjamin tapping his foot. "You may proceed to the baths, now."
"Awh, can't we talk a little?" He threw her a charming smirk and winked at her. "Maybe you and I can take a midnight walk togeth-"
Benjamin shoved Damiel out of the way and the boy hit the wall with an 'oof!' and landed on the floor with a thud. The man smiled politely at the woman. "Please, forgive the boy, he is yet young and very stupid."
She giggled and pocketed the coins he gave her to pay for his bath. He all but dragged Damiel across the floor as he walked towards the male district of the house. He grumbled under his breath, saying that they really needed to work on the boy's manners.
"There is no way in Hell that I am going to share a bath with him." Damiel stood at the edge of the tub with his arms folded across himself and his chin held highly in the air, sneering down at Aden while he relaxed against the opposite end of the tub, his arms resting against the edges.
"Damiel, for once," Benjamin began as he entered the water. "can you show a bit of maturity?"
The boy huffed and sniffed. Slowly, he pulled off his tunic and tugged his britches off. "I can't believe I'm sharing a bath with an Arab.."
"And I cannot believe I am sharing a bath with a dog." Aden laughed when the boy glared at him. Damiel lowered himself in the tub, aware that the man's eyes were on him the entire time.
"Please do not confirm that you are being aroused by a man, Aden," he sneered. "Although, I did figure you to be the type-"
"I am merely wondering what my sister would think if she saw how small your, ah..." his voice trailed off as an amused smirk played over his lips. "...your manly pride was.."
Damiel's face turned several shades darker as steam practically shot out of his ears in anger. He stood up in the tub and was about to clobber Aden if it had not been for Benjamin grabbing onto his arm and hauling him back down in the water.
"Like I said, maturity."
Damiel clenched his jaw firmly and bared his teeth at Aden. 'Stupid, smelly hairy Arab..'
Maria plucked the hair tie and pins out of her hair and let her locks cascade down onto her shoulders as she sat down on one of the ledges in the tub. Zaina and Olivia were splashing each other with the water, completely oblivious to the other woman's sour mood. Even Belle, who had senses far greater than their own, didn't seem to notice the sorrowful aura surrounding Maria. The dog was happily standing at the edge of the tub, wagging her tail as she avoided the water being splashed at her by the two girls.
Maria sighed and slid further down into the tub so that the water rose to her mouth. She closed her eyes and allowed her muscles to loosen and relax from the heat.
"Maria? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, John, don't worry about me! I'm okay!"
"Maria! John! What are you two doing? It's past your bedtimes!"
"Awww, but, Daaaavy! We aren't tired!"
"I do not care if you have all the energy in the world and beyond, you get yourselves to bed this very moment!"
"Who made him the boss?"
"I don't know..."
She blinked and stared at the water, seeing her own reflection. What would she do once they handled the Templars? There wasn't exactly anywhere she would go. England was most certainly not an option, and she couldn't return to her brothers and sisters. No, she was still seen as a failure to them- a disgrace to their family. She didn't blame them for thinking that way, though. After all, she did run away from her good for nothing husband to sneak into the Crusades. Ahh, what was that man's name again? Nicholas? Joseph?
Maria closed her eyes once more and paid little attention to the two girls giggling and the sound of water splashing. She had no idea what she'd do in the end.
'I could always pay that damn Assassin a visit and break his nose... and his arms, and legs, and his blasted prick.' She smirked despite herself from the mere thought of it. She'd love to teach that insult of a man a lesson or two. How dare he not reply to even one of her letters...!
She frowned and began massaging the oils and creams extracted from plants into her hair. 'Don't think about him, Maria, he'll just ruin your day, and your day isn't going well to begin with.'
Hildegard urged the horse to go faster and faster, the wind whipping through her hair and the beast's mane. She was crouched low in the saddle and was grinning wickedly. Ahh, how it felt good to be out of Halim's clutches! She laughed and the horse whickered in reply. Seems that he didn't like him either.
Every passing moment brought them closer to Jerusalem. Her plan was to stay the night on the outskirts of town with her lovely horse as her source of heat and comfort. Since she had no money on her thanks to a certain little thief, she couldn't afford to spend a night in an inn, let alone buy food for herself. She sighed from thinking about it. Hildegard didn't want to lower herself down to Asniv's level, but she had to eat something if she wanted to make it to Masyaf without looking like a starved kitten.
She narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of guards on patrol a few hundred meters ahead of herself. "Whoa," she lowered her voice as she repeated the command to the horse. Its ears flicked back and it gradual slowed down into a peaceful trot. She tugged on the left rein and guided the animal off of the main road. 'Looks like I'll be creating my own path to get to Masyaf...' She frowned at the guards ahead and stuck her tongue out at them. She couldn't risk being recognized by one of them. If she was caught, then it'd be the end of her and her journey would be pointless.
"Come on, boy," she said as she gently pat the animal's wet neck, the sweat glistening off of his brown coat. She swung herself out of the saddle and began leading him through the rocky uncharted terrain. "Looks like we'll be adding an extra two hours to our way to Jerusalem," Hildegard sighed and shook her head. "No, I must remain optimistic. This could have been far worse than it actually is."
Damiel and Maria sat at one of the small tables in the bathhouse's lobby. It turned out that the place was not just a sauna, but an inn as well, and Benjamin had insisted they spend the night there and begin their journey for Acre bright and early the next morning.
Damiel was slouched over the table, his head resting in one hand while the other drummed against the wood. He was clearly annoyed with what he was seeing.
"Look at him, Maria, just just just... just look at him!" he hissed in disgust as he watched Aden through slitted eyes as he leaned against the counter, talking to the hostess with a charming smile on his handsome face. "Just look at him..."
Maria glanced at Aden and sighed. From where Damiel was sitting, he could not see Aden slipping the girl a coin or two, bribing her to speak with him to make Damiel jealous. However, Maria was not in the mood to barge in on Aden's secret. "Mmm, I'm looking, Damiel, and I don't see anything worth while."
He scowled at Maria and slumped further. "How is it that she would want to speak with him and not me? Maria, he's like, ten years older than her!"
She rolled her eyes and calmly folded her hands neatly on the table and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Maybe it's because you're straight forward with your emotions?"
He glared at his friend and stuck his tongue out at her. "Oh, yeah, uh huh, that has to be it. I hear women say all the time how men are such confusing creatures and how they hide their feelings. Well, what's the problem in showing your feelings?"
Maria simply smiled at him and kept quiet. He groaned and slammed his forehead into the table. "Women ask for too much.."
"No, men just don't know what to give us."
He whimpered and raised his head to look at her. "Say, did you ever think about meeting someone else?"
She narrowed her eyes at him and replied, "What do you mean by 'someone else'?"
"You know, finding another man and eventually settling-"
"No."
He furrowed his eyebrows together and shook his curls away from his eyes. "That's a pretty lonely existence, Ria..."
"It isn't a lonely existence. It is a quite happy existence in my opinion," she retorted.
He smirked. "Lonely."
"Happy."
"Lonely."
"Happy."
"Lone-ly."
"Hap-py."
"Id-i-ots." Olivia smiled mischievously at her two friends while she pulled a seat over to their table and sat down next to them. The two of them glared at her as she casually plopped her hands on the table and looked at each of them smugly. "Why the mean faces? I just wanted to have a say in the argument."
Damiel rolled his eyes and rubbed his face with both hands. "Sure, sure.." He stopped the assault on his head to glance at the other side of the room. Maria casually followed his gaze and her eyes settled on Zaina. The girl was sitting at another table, spoiling Belle and pampering the hound. Maria sighed from seeing her show so much affection to the dog. No wonder Belle was such a disappointing warrior...
Olivia snapped her fingers in front of Damiel's face. He quickly looked away and tilted his head to the side in question at the Germanwoman. She simply smirked at him and looked over her shoulder at Aden. "I see Aden has found himself flower?"
Maria chuckled and shook her head slightly. "And it's making Damiel quite jealous."
"I am not jealous!" he groaned and got up from his seat. "By the Heavens above, why am I the target of harassment today?" He marched his way over to another table and sat down on it. Benjamin soon joined the boy and they began looking through a map he had scrolled out onto the table.
Just then, Aden gave the hostess a chaste kiss on her knuckles and strolled over to where the two women were and helped himself to Damiel's former seat. He eased back in the chair and rested an elbow on the armrest. "I take it he is still oblivious?"
"Mhmm," the two women replied and nodded.
"As blind as bat," Olivia said with a snicker.
"You really do enjoy playing with his emotions, don't you, Aden?" Maria asked the man with an amused expression on.
He looked over at Damiel. Benjamin had waved the boy off to bring him a booklet off of the shelf. However, to reach the shelf, he had to pass the table the three of them were occupying.
Olivia saw Damiel make his way over as well. She raised her voice, "Ahh, indeed! Paying the hostess just to speak with you... genius, Aden, genius."
Damiel stopped in his tracks and slowly turned his head in their direction. He glared at Aden and narrowed his eyes at the man. The Arab simply leaned back in the chair and rested his head in the palm of his hand. The nine and ten year old boy slowly resumed walking to the shelf.
Aden chuckled and shook with humor as he watched the boy eyeing him while browsing through the catalogues. "Ahh, it is much too fun to toy with him, I swear.."
"Can't be healthy," Maria said as a thought. She gave a small smile at Damiel and shrugged at him. He simply shook his head at her and mouthed the word 'traitor' at her. She rolled her eyes at him.
Benjamin called impatiently for the boy to return with the book. He complied, but not without thrusting his palm in Aden's direction and curling his fingers into a fist, all except his middle finger. Aden looked amused from the curse.
"Aunt Emily! Aunt Emily! I can play it now- I can play the song!"
"Oh, Sarah, you can? Oh, that is brilliant! Come here into... Aunty's arms, my dear."
"Aunt Emily, I want to- JOHN! Give me back my doll!"
"Haha! Can't catch me, Maria!"
"I'LL BREAK YOUR NOSE, YOU DUMB BOY!"
The night would be over soon, bringing the morning rays of the sun as it departed from the world, and still no sign of Hildegard. Altair narrowed his eyes as he stared out of his window. It was all a trick- a clever attempt from the Templars to-
...To what, though? What did the Templars gain from this? This did not hurt the Brotherhood whatsoever, seeing as how no one showed up, so what was the reasoning behind this scheme?
Altair looked down at Bayo who was standing loyally by his side. Bayo seemed to know who Hildegard was. Just mentioning the woman's name had his tail wagging in mere seconds. So, she was a friend in the dog's eyes. Did something happen to her? Was she killed? Perhaps she was lost?
He sighed, not knowing which possibility to settle with. Was everything in the letter a lie? Did Maria even give birth to his son? Was Maria even still alive?
The Assassin closed his eyes and set his mouth in a grim line. He didn't want to consider that option. He was never one to run away, but the pain that'd bring him... He had already lost Adha in his life, he didn't need to lose Maria as well.
Well, he already did lose Maria, but to have her removed from the Earth would tear his insides apart.
He opened his eyes once more to gaze out of the window. He shook his head and sprinted out of his study and exited the fortress. He looked above him and climbed the walls of the fighting courtyard until he was standing on one of the ramparts.
Altair spent the next hour, the last of the night, staring out at the distance, waiting for the sound of a horse thundering down towards Masyaf.
But it never came.
He closed his eyes and shuddered, but not from the sudden change in temperature.
Hildegard was not coming, and Maria was gone from his life forever.
Hildegard spurred the horse on as she came across a suitable place to spend the night. There was a small thicket of trees a short distance from Jerusalem's grand gates with plenty of grass for her steed to feast upon. The horse trotted and came to a stop as she climbed out of the saddle and landed on her feet with a thud. The ride had caused her thigh muscles to bunch together uncomfortably. She hissed as she stretched her legs out and quickly plopped her bottom on the earth. She massaged her thighs while her horse looked over at her while munching happily on the grass. Her stomach growled from lack of food and she rolled her eyes at the beast when he gave an amused stare at her.
"I know I'm pathetic, but you needn't rub it in so boldly," she whispered at him. He swished his tail and flicked his ears in response. She sighed and slowly stood up. The woman winced as her muscles protested earnestly, yet she had to make sure that her ever so honest horse wouldn't decide to run off during the night. She searched through her satchel until she found a rope. She quickly tied it loosely around the horse's neck, and then tied it to one of the low branches of the tree. He nibbled at her hair and she gave him a warm smile before rubbing her palm up and down his forehead. "Whoever your master was before, boy," she said as he nipped at her sleeve, "must have loved to spoil you, huh?"
He replied by snorting and nudging her with his head. She took a step back, but giggled when he began playfully running his silky yet ticklish lips against her hand. "I have to go find me something to eat now, honey," she kissed his forehead and ruffled his mane between his ears. "I'll be back soon, don't you worry." She gave him one last pat on his neck before she took off toward the gates.
She did her best to comb her fingers through her hair, removing the snarls and knots. The only way for her to be allowed inside the city was if she past as an innocent, and well, her garments spoke the opposite. Hildegard gulped and walked toward the guards stationed at the gate, hoping they'd let her through.
Lucky for her, they were young and ill-experienced. They gawked at her when she gave them a sly, flirtatious smile, and quickly stepped out of the way. She kept her bewitching facade until she finally past them, then rolled her eyes in disgust. 'Men...'
The streets were vacant, however, the merchants already closed up shop for the night and had returned to their homes and families. However, if the place had any influence due to the Crusades and had any resemblence to London, Hildegard knew that there was always a vendor or two that kept their business running all through the night. One would call it illegal, but she couldn't care less if she had to resort to using the blackmarket. At least she'd have a satisfied stomach.
She quickly rounded a corner and walked as fast as she could without alerting any of the guards on patrol. They were always more alert during the night, and no doubt it already seemed suspicious that a young woman such as herself was out and about alone. And Hildegard knew just how quick a man's mind can change about protecting the public when a pretty face strolled right on by. If she had to defend herself from an assault, she was well prepared. She had the knife tucked safely away in her breast bindings and another dagger stashed away in her boot. Yes, she was ready for an attack, even if she was lacking her armor.
A smirk appeared on her face as she saw what she was looking for. A shady figure was nervously looking side to side at the entrance of a dark alley. Hildegard casually strolled over to him and smiled sweetly. The man looked absolutely terrified, but quickly settled down when he realized it was a woman approaching him. After all, what could a woman do to a man?
Hildegard was familiar enough with the method on how the blackmarket worked. Agents would be collecting money from the people interested in purchasing the goods, while the actual vendors would be visiting the customers secretly.
"You here for the goods?"
She sighed in relief. She had found her agent without too much difficulty. "Yes... and no."
He frowned and took a step back, half of him being concealed in the shadows. "State your business then."
She gave him a small smile, then launched herself at him as she pinned him to the ground and held a knife at his throat. "Now, listen carefully, my good friend," she growled at him. His eyes were two giant saucers as he registered what had just happened in a mere four seconds. "If you do not give me your earnings, I will have no choice but to cut you down right here and leave your body for the rats."
He gulped, but gave a disgusting smirk at her. His teeth were rotten and yellowed and his breath smelled utterly foul. "And if I scream?"
"Hmm, I didn't think about that," she clicked her tongue to her teeth and shook her head sadly. "I thank you for opening my eyes to such an option." Before he could question her, she slid the knife across his throat and closed her eyes to the red liquid seeping down onto the dusty floor. "May you find peace in the afterlife." She opened her eyes and quickly searched his body for what she was looking for. She smiled grimly when she heard the jingle of money. She tore open his robes and snatched the bundle of coins and jogged out of the alley, sliding the dagger back into her tunic.
Her stomach protested yet again from not having any food as she quickly walked away from the crime scene. She did her best to stay out of the guards' sight, but some of them had noticed her and had given her a lustful stare. She snorted and sent them vicious glares but continued on. She would have loved to walk right up to them and smack them across the cheek before slitting their throats, but she had bigger fish to fry. No, she had an impatient stomach that demanded food as it screamed 'FEED ME!' over and over again.
She huffed as she saw a merchant just closing up his stall. She jogged over to him and gave him a small smile. "Please tell me you'll sell this late at night..."
He looked at her, narrowed his eyes, and then left with a 'hmph'. She slouched and then glared at his retreating figure. 'Useless...'
However, she would not give up just yet. 'Dammit.. where in the name of all life are the blasted blackmarket traders?' She cursed under her breath as she continued searching for the vendors for another hour. There wouldn't be any luck for Hildegard that night, though, and no food for her either.
"Maria, wait for me!"
"Hurry up, John! You're too slow!"
"When are you two going to stop terrorizing the town with your banter?"
"Sooorrry, Daaavy!"
"You are a useless daughter! A USELESS DAUGHTER! How DARE you disgrace me and your husband in such a way?"
"You MONSTER! I'd sleep with a THOUSAND MEN if it meant disgracing you!"
"You will NOT talk to me that way, you bitch! How DARE you speak to your own father with that tone!"
"And how dare you treat your bastard daughter, your FAULT, so rudely! How DARE-"
"ENOUGH! If it means beating my own child, then so be it!"
"We should probably rest for the night," Benjamin said as he folded his map neatly back up. He looked at the others and gave them all a smile. "We've a big day ahead of us- plenty of riding to do."
The others nodded in agreement and began trudging up the stairs to their rooms. Damiel, however, stayed sitting down at the small table as he idly twiddled his thumbs together. Benjamin was about to follow the others when he noticed the boy sitting all alone. "Something wrong, my boy?"
Damiel looked at him with a sad expression on and quickly shook his head. "Nah, don't worry about me, Benny, I'm fine," he lied to his friend. The man shifted and walked over to Damiel. However, before he sat down, Damiel stood up and quickly took a step back away from him. "I just need some air and time to think, I'll be back in an hour."
Before Damiel could scurry away from him, Benjamin gently grabbed his arm. "Damiel, are you sure everything is alright?" The boy gulped and nodded. "You know if anything is troubling you, you need only speak up. I'd be more than willing to talk to you."
"I know, and thank you for the offer, but I really need some time on my own." He shrugged out of his grasp and walked with all haste out of the door. "Good night, Benny," he called once he turned the handle.
Benjamin frowned but did not follow him. He could always spy on the boy, he knew that, but he wanted Damiel to open up on his own and learn to trust his friends. 'The Lord only knows what goes on in that boy's mind...'
"Hey, hey... shhh, don't cry, little girl. Habibi, don't you cry. Now, tell me, sweetheart, what happened?"
"Father, he... he cut me... my back... won't stop bleeding..."
"Turn around, then, habibi, and let this crippled man bandage your back."
Damiel inhaled and exhaled slowly and deeply once he was outside. Being cooped up on the ship had seriously taken its toll on the boy. He was used to open environments, not the confining walls of a ship's cargo room. He balled his hands and shoved them in his pockets as he strolled along the streets of Jaffa. The sun was just beginning to set, casting vibrant reds, oranges, and exotic yellows across the city. The houses seemed to be on fire from the light shining down upon them while dark shadows were being cast by the sun's angle. Damiel sighed and hung his head low. It reminded him too much of home. He wanted to leave Jaffa as soon as possible and never return again. He had a sinking feeling inside of him- the feeling of being homesick. 'Why am I feeling this way? They don't care about me. Brother is too much of an ass to even be grateful or relieved that I'm alive.' He avoided the scrutinizing glares from the people still casually walking the streets, browsing the stalls and making last minute purchases. Normally, he would have had a cheerful smile plastered on his face, walking with a bounce in his steps, but not tonight. No, tonight he had something to do.
He shook his curls out of his face as his strides quickened in pace. He unconsciously shifted and twisted his body to make his way through the crowd while his eyes were scanning a structure one hundred yards ahead of him. He stared the tower down while his feet brought him closer and closer to his target.
Finally making it out of the crowd, he allowed himself to run full-out down the street, still ignoring the citizens' shocked expressions. He pumped the energy through his legs as he headed down an alley that led to a deadend. His eyes narrowed as he ran closer and closer to the wall. He didn't need to think twice about what he was doing, it all came so naturally. A mere foot from colliding with the whitewashed stone, he leapt off of the ground and grabbed hold of one of the windows. He dug his feet into the wall and leapt higher still, grabbing the edge of the rooftop with both hands. He pulled himself on top and turned his head to the side once he regained his breath. The tower was right before him, a lonely soldier keeping watch on its city. Damiel gave a firm nod, and took a good five steps backwards, giving himself distance to cover before he all but threw himself onto the side of the viewpoint.
His muscles tensed and then released as he burst into action once more. He neared the tower faster than he did the wall and braced himself as he separated himself from the roof and launched his body at the structure. He grunted when his ribs made impact with the hard stone, but did not loosen his grip on one of the bricks jutting out from the side. He shimmied and scaled the side, looking for something else to hold onto. Damiel smirked when he saw more loose stone just above him, and once again gave a small leap to reach the outcropping. He continued this process: scale, leap, grab, until he reached the top. He was getting higher and higher, farther and farther away from the ground. He didn't dare look down, though. He knew if he did, he'd say 'hello' to the dusty street face-first.
The vantagepoint had an angled and pointed top, but it also had a plank sticking out from the peak. Damiel grabbed onto the wood and hoisted himself onto it, sighing when he could finally relax from the climb. He hadn't done that in what seemed an eternity.
He carefully shifted his weight and spread his body across the plank so that he was laying down on it. He rested his back against the roof ot the viewpoint and gazed up at the sky. The sun had left the world for the night, and in its place stood the isolated yet beautiful moon. He couldn't explain what compelled him to stare at the stars in such a way, or the fact that tears were slowly rolling down his face.
Jaffa had reminded him too much of home.
The thought of his birthplace always sent pangs of sorrow throughout his body. The sadness was too overwhelming to talk about, so he chose to always avoid the topic whenever someone would bring it up in conversation. Even if it was a happy memory, he wouldn't want to talk about it. He couldn't accept the fact of what he had been born into- no, he could never accept that. It was too much for him to know that his life was already laid out right in front of him, even before he exited his mother's womb. Damiel always became depressed from thinking about it.
The boy closed his eyes and whiped the tears with the back of his hand. He tried to think of something other than his home, but memories of his parents, his brother, his family all flooded back to the boy. He was lost in a sea of emotion, and before he knew it, sobs were escaping his lips and his eyes were swollen from crying. He remembered all the times that he'd anger his mother when he never did as she asked him to, how he'd never eat his vegetables or tend to his chores. She'd always discipline afterwards, either verbally or orally, and then wrap him in a warm embrace and tell him to do as he was told. She'd start crying once he'd become overwhelmed with guilt and bawl his eyes out.
The times when he'd wander off in the woods and collect stones and bring them back to his father with hands outstretched. His father would always smile- such a kind smile he had- and pick his boy up, swing him around in the air while he held onto his waist, and kiss his forehead while he lowered him back to the ground.
Whenever Damiel would have a nightmare, all he had to do was waddle his way to his parents, and they'd immediately understand and make room for him in their bed. He felt so safe, so secure, so loved being embraced by both of them while he slept. In the morning, his mother would ask him what his dream was. It would always be something silly, like the dog turning into a giant monster and eating him. She didn't mind, though. She'd simply kiss him and hold him close to herself, telling him that mother would always be there to hold him when he needed it. His father would put a hand on his tiny shoulder and wrap him in his own strong hold and promise him that father would always be there to fend off any monster that he came across.
What a fool he was to believe those words.
'Where are you now, then?' He gulped back the heavy lump in his throat and stared through the tears clouding his vision back up at the sky. 'You promised me you'd protect me... you... you...' He cleared his throat and-
"YOU PROMISED ME! YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME! YOU SAID THAT YOU'D ALWAYS BE THERE! YOU... you..." His anger died down as he could no longer find the energy to support it. He might as well have been a small child again by how many tears he had already shed, and yet there were still more to come. Much, much more.
"You said... 'Dammi honey, your mother and I love you. We will always be with you... always love you... forever..' You... bastard..." He cried out once more and wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to mimic the way his parents had held him. "You said... everything... everything I needed was there, right there... everything I ever needed was found in love..." Damiel repositioned himself so that he was kneeling on the plank. He threw his head back to rid himself of the curls in front of his eyes and continued looking up at the starry sky. " 'Dammi bear, mother will always be right here,' " he moved his hand over the left side of his chest and gave it a weak pat. He swallowed once more, readying himself to shout into the atmosphere once more.
"WHAT IF YOUR HEART WAS TORN FROM YOU BY YOUR OWN BROTHER? YOU NEVER SAID... YOU NEVER SAID THAT ONCE YOU TWO DIED HE'D BANISH ME! YOU NEVER SAID THAT HE'D PUT A DEATH-WISH ON MY HEAD! You never said anything... only empty promises... lies... deceiving, sweet lies..."
He bit his trembling lower lip and lowered his head into his stomach as he wept once more. All the years of holding it in, having no one by his side, all the times when he was whipped for even breathing, even burned once when he did not clean a window the correct way... the sweet bliss his tears gave him seemed to make up for all the times he needed closure. The feeling of having a huge weight lifted off of his shoulders soon descended upon him as he slowly regained a sound mind.
"I try, Father, I really try..." he said between gasps of hysteria, "I try... I try to hold myself together... I try so hard to make you proud..." He smiled, but it soon turned into a grimace as more tears spilled forth from his eyes. "I hide behind walls of curses and foul language so that no one knows how... how..." He gulped. It was now or never for him to confess. "HOW PATHETICALLY WEAK I AM! Father.. I can't do this..." He keeled over and let his head softly hit the board. "I try so hard to be strong like you, try my best to keep my head held high and proud. I cannot do this on my own, and so I ask- no, and so I beg of you, Father." He stood up on the plank and lifted his head up, the tears drying from a sudden breeze. It was as if his father had asked the heavens to blow his son his breath- his courage, his heart, his soul. "Let your wings guide me, Father."
Damiel suddenly ran to the edge of the plank, jumped from the wood, and let the sky take him. He kept his arms outstretched, feeling the wind whip past his body as he descended from the tower...
...and into the bales of hay below.
Maria couldn't sleep that night. She was lying in bed, the sheets kicked off of her while she tossed and turned restlessly. Nothing was comfortable enough for her, it seemed. She dreaded the morning, for they would be moving towards Acre. In fact, she dreaded even thinking about that city. She wished never to venture inside its walls ever again.
Thinking of Acre meant that she immediately thought of him.
Maria frowned when his face appeared in her mind. So handsome, so deadly, such a bastard. And yet how she loved that bastard.
She sighed and threw her legs over the side of the bed. She learned while in the military that if you couldn't sleep due to something nagging at your mind, better walk it off, soldier. And that is exactly what she did. She silently crept down the stairs, careful not to wake the hostess up. The woman held her breath and snuck quickly out the door and gently clicked it shut. Maria breathed in relief when she was finally outside. No one else was out at this hour and she had no idea where it was she wanted to go. She shook her head and dug her toe into the ground, annoyed that she didn't ask Benny for the basic layout of the city. Maria sighed and began wandering aimlessly around the streets. She didn't have a destination in mind, but she soon realized that she could live with it.
In fact, she preferred it over her usual schedule- always having an exact location to go to, always knowing exactly what to do. She was tired of it. She was tired of needing a direct and exact answer to everything. And so she walked without a care in the world or the vaguest idea as to what she wanted.
"Shh, John, be quiet! You'll get us caught!"
"What do you mean? Davy snores like a bear!"
"Yeah, but he's sensitive to-"
"What are you two doing in my bedroom?"
"Busted..."
She shivered from the night's cold touch and wrapped her cloak tighter around herself. She remembered how that night in Acre was. She waited for what seemed like hours outside of what was formerly William of Montferrat's stronghold. It was brutally cold, her skin purpling and becoming speckled with bumps. Maria recalled how her breath came out in white clouds as she breathed in and out while she looked side to side, waiting for her dear Assassin to arrive.
However, her body was soon warmed up not only from the sudden rush of hormones, but also from the Assassin's warm body laying on top of her own, as if he was protecting her and showing the world that she belonged to him and only to him.
'Well, I'm not yours anymore, you crooked bloody elbow. I am no one's; I simply belong to myself.' She grunted and hunched her shoulders from even thinking of the man. 'I should have killed you while I had the chance to on Cyprus... why in God's name did I end up helping you?'
'Because it's what your heart told you to do, Maria,' she thought to herself as her internal conflict raged on. She was having an argument with her own mind; one part of her defending that man's miserable ass while the other part defended her own pride. 'You learned what the Templars were really after, and you opposed it. I did not! How DARE you lie to me in such a way! I simply wanted to get out of the situation that I landed in, not help that goon! That may be, but you DID help him survive, amongst other things as well. I regret helping him with his sexual needs. Now, silence yourself before I make you! You enjoyed coupling with him, though. I did not- You enjoyed the feeling of him inside you, how he completed you. Admit it, woman! You love that man and you'd do just about anything to see him once more, to feel his lips on yours as he claimed you as his. Do not even try to deny that. You cannot hold me responsible for what I did that night, and I regret it deeply. Then whose fault is it, and if you regret it, why does your heart beat so erratically from just mentioning him? ...'
She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Just lovely, Maria. Perfect. Not only are you cold, heartbroken, and miserable, but now you're insane due to this search and rescue party all for your best friend. God, Hildegard, do you see what I go through just for you? Do you?"
Maria huffed and was about to return to the inn when she heard a peculiar sound. It sounded like someone was crying. 'Hmm? That's strange...' She followed her ears to find the source of sniffling, and furrowed her eyebrows when she stopped in front of a cart full of hay. 'Is someone in there?'
"Excuse me?" She carefully walked closer to the hay and started searching through the straw. There was no reply, only more sniffles. She frowned and continued digging through the dried grass until she came across the source. Maria sighed when she realized it was just a person dozing off, but froze when she realized who it was.
"D-Damiel?" She immediately shook him awake. He was not asleep however. He was curled up and... crying... "Damiel, what happened? Are you alright? Who did this to you?"
He remained silent as he stared at her with his red eyes. He gave her an extremely weak smile before his head collapsed into the straw as he fell into a dreamless slumber, his grin turning into a pained expression. Just seeing him so weak, so out of character, had the woman hoisting him on her back in no time and hauling him back to the inn slowly so she wouldn't wake him from his sleep.
All the while, she couldn't conjure up the answer as to why she was crying from seeing him so.
No lie, writing about Damiel's parts towards the end made me cry. I am such a baby, please let me know if anyone else is feeling emotional while reading it?