Altaïr sighed while sitting on his bed, in the Assassins bureau, where Maria and he were sleeping for the night… tomorrow he wanted to investigate why the Templars left this city, abandoning their fortress… the rafiq had suggested it was a cover up, so they could leave Cyprus without any further problems… it made sense, but now he wasn't so sure…
Sighing again, he looked down at his diary and to what he had written about the events that happened earlier…
Safita,
03 of October, 1191:
Putting my plan in order was harder than I thought it would be... the biggest problem was to convince Maria that I had to carry her for it to work… and stubborn as she was, she didn't facilitate it for me...
We started by tying our horses in some trees, far from the road… after, I knew we had to arrange some wounds and blood for her… the blood part was easy, since I was already wounded and had cleaned my face in a cloth. The hardest part was to have her to agree to rip her clothes, which she did only after I promised to replace them... women, they are so dramatic sometimes! But even so, we can't be apart from them for much time... I yearn for a woman by my side and I hope she is the one...
Let's get back... after that I did one thing that I never want to do any more: to hurt her again... I hesitated, but I put a small wound on her shoulder, on the scar that I had left before… she grimaced a little as my hidden blade cut her skin…
Altaïr stopped reading and closed his eyes... he had never hesitated to wound or killing someone as he did today… he looked to a chair were his hob was and passed his hands on his face. Sighing, he decided to continue his memories. Picking up a pencil, he continued:
I finally had her in my arms... as I was walking slowly, Maria made sure to 'tell me' to not let her fell or I was dead, literally speaking... normally, I would laugh at a warming like that, as my victims wouldn't dare to speak with my like that, but I don't know... on one hand, I took seriously the warming...
On the other hand, I couldn't stop thinking that I was with Maria in my arms and everything else didn't matter... she was leaning her head on my shoulder and nesting against my chest… I could feel her breathing on my neck, even covered with my mantle... I had to control myself, it was hard because I am only a man... a master Assassin, but also a man...
I know that I shouldn't let my feelings guide me... I don't want to be distracted, but the fact that Maria trust me not only to carry her, but also with her life was something else, considering she is an ex -Templar...
I also imagined at that time what would De Sable do if he saw us together, like this... probably would condemn us to death... not that he would be successful in killing us, probably he would die trying … I don't know if he would be driven by anger or jealous, but he would try...
Stopping writing, Altaïr smiled with this thought... after, he closed his Diary and got up... he knew that Maria was still wake and that the rafiq would be attending her wound.
Entering in the room, he saw the rafiq was finishing dressing Maria's shoulder. As he straightened himself, the rafiq looked at him.
"I'll let you alone..." The rafiq saida=
"Thanks, Amim..." Altaïr said, as Maria glanced at him and rearranged her shirt.
Amim nodded and left the room letting them alone. Altaïr walked to where Maria was and stopped in front of her.
"How's the shoulder?" He asked.
"It's fine, but hurting a little..." Maria said looking down.
"I'm sorry for hurting you like this..." He said.
Maria looked at him and was doubly surprised: one, because hearing an Assassin apologize was almost impossible and second, because he was without his mantle and hood and bare chested, for the first she saw how young and handsome he was…
"What?" He asked, taking her from her stupor.
Maria denied and looked down.
"Sorry..." She said. "I didn't expect to see you without your hood."
Altaïr nodded.
"How old are you?" She asked
Altaïr looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Maria rolled her eyes.
"You look younger than I thought..." she explained. "Even if you killed dozens of people…"
"Being young has nothing to do with experience…" Altaïr said. "We are the proof of that, you and me…"
Maria knew he had a point there.
"Or did you thought that I didn't realize you too are young, behind all your behavior?" He asked, crossing his arms on his chest.
Maria didn't answer.
"You did..." Altaïr sighed. "Maria, part of what makes me so lethal is that I observe and pay attention on people… I did the same with you…"
"And what did you learn about me? I mean, besides all the things that I told you on Cyprus..." Maria asked, curious.
Altaïr knew when he was being challenged and this was one of that times. So, instead of answering, he just walked closer to her and smiled.
"I'll keep you guessing!" He said.
Maria raised her eyebrow and Altaïr smile got bigger.
"Good night…"He said, letting her alone.
He walked back to his room as Maria followed him with her eyes. She looked at his strong and scarred back and felt her face blushing. Closing her eyes a few seconds later, she sighed and heard him say: "I'm twenty six..."
For the third time that night Maria was surprised… how a man could do this to her so quickly?