When they returned to the house, everyone was waiting for them, sitting by a table. Kahlil was standing and when he saw Altaïr, he went to greet his friend. Altaïr then presented him to Maria.
Maria said something to Altaïr, who nodded, and asked Aisha to join her.
"Where have you been?" Rashid asked.
"With Maria…" Altaïr said, crossing his arms on his chest. "Any more questions?"
"Are you two together?" Rashid asked again.
"Yes…" Altaïr said. "What is this?"
"I'm sorry, master…" Raouf said. "We were just worried about you…"
"I appreciate that, but there is no need…" Altaïr said.
"Actually there is…" Hassam said, looking at his comrades at the table.
"What do you know?" Altaïr asked, now serious.
"Kahlil told us he has information that the Templars are plaining an attack and hope to get us on surprise…" Rashid said.
"Simas must have warned them before we went to Hamah… "Altaïr concluded. "Or even before the attack on Masyaf…"
"Or another someone warned them…"Abbas said.
Altaïr breathed hard and approached him.
"You don't like her… is it because she doesn't have or beliefs or because she is an ex – Templar?" He asked.
"Both…" Abbas said. "But mainly, she's an outsider…"
"My mother was an outsider and a Christian also…" Altaïr said. "Rashid and Hassam knew her… does this mean she or my father were less than Assassins? Or me for that matter?"
Abbas didn't said anything and the others denied.
"Brothers, I know that you don't trust Maria because what she is, but I assure you she doesn't have anything to do with this… anything…" Altaïr explained. "I spent more than a month beside her, day and night and because I can sense it with my ability…"
Everyone was quiet.
"I can't force you to accept her and she can't do it either, but you have to respect her while she stay with us, wich I hope, it will be for a very long time…" Altaïr said to Abbas. "Do you have any objections?"
Abbas and the others denied.
"Good…" Altaïr said, finishing the conversation. "Now, Kahlil, what do you know?"
"The Templars are coming to confront you near Marqadah…" Kahlil said.
Altaïr nodded.
"Okay, let me think on what to do and tonight we talk…" he said.
Everyone nodded.
"Dismissed…"
X ~ X ~ X
On the other room:
Maria was watching Aisha to prepare some medicine to her back, while talking.
"So this mean Altaïr is a good lover?" Aisha said.
"Yes…" Maria smiled. "But the women back in Masyaf must have known this already… after today, I don't have any doubts..."
"Yes, they say it…" Aisha confirmed, looking at Maria.
"It's ok, Aisha… I'm not that naïve…" Maria said. "
They remained quiet for a while.
"Did you?" Maria asked.
Aisha denied.
"No…" Aisha said. "Having be raised with him, we are prohibited…"
Maria nodded and decided to tell Aisha her story.
"I was married once, did you know?"
Aisha looked at her.
"You're so young…"
"On my eighteenth birthday, I was obligated to marry a guy on England…" Maria explained. "The marriage was dissolved almost two years after… that was before I joined the Templars…"
Aisha finished the medicine.
"Turn around and take off you shirt…" She said.
Maria did as told.
"You guys did some damage here…" Aisha said seeing her bruised back.
"Yeah…" Maria said, before she felt the cold mix on her skin. "Being there with them wasn't easy… I had to hide the fact I was a woman…"
Aisha nodded.
"But when Robert discovered me, he was so angry that…" Maria said. "He raped me…"
"What?" Aisha asked. "Once?"
"No, a few times, till I agree to be his side kick…" Maria said. "But the past in in the past…"
They stopped talking and Aisha finished applying the medicine.
"Done…" Aisha said and Maria put her shirt again. "I'm sorry to hear you that… I must have hard to you…"
Maria nodded.
"Thank you…" She said. "For the medicine and to hear..."
Aisha nodded and picked the things. When she turned, she took a fright and let the things she was holding on the ground.
"Altaïr!" she exclaimed. "You scared me…"
"Obviously…" He said.
Maria looked at him as Aisha picked up the things on the ground.
"I'm going to you guys alone…" Aisha said, before exiting the room.
And Altaïr took advantage to approach Maria.
"How long were you standing there?" She asked, suddenly afraid that he heard.
"Long enough…" Altaïr said and Maria closed her eyes.
"Hey..." He said, putting his hand on her face. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I…" Maria didn't know what to say and felt her eyes get moisten. "I...was afraid... you would think less of me as a woman…"
"Never…" Altaïr said, hugging her and kissing her head. "I'm sorry you had to pass through it… If I could, I would kill him again for doing this to you…"
Maria rested her head on his chest. They remained that way for a while.
"So you think I'm good lover, uh?" He asked after to brighten the mood.
Maria looked at him and hit him playfully.
"You were there all the time?" She asked.
"Guilty…" Altaïr said, smiling. "So?"
Maria felt her face go red.
"Yes, you're the best…" She said, kissing him.
She just changed the subject, then.
"So what the men said?"
"I think the Templars are in Mosul… they are going to confront us near Marqadah…" He said. "It's on the way to Mosul…"
"But you said Simas was going to me them here…" Maria said.
"Simas thought very well on this treason…" Altaïr explained. "Even before Masyaf… he must have a second plan with the Templars…"
Maria nodded.
"What are you going to do?" She asked.
"Like I said, I'm going to send someone to Mosul to see the things there and other the rest to go to the near cities we have bureaus and order them to join us…"
"It's a good plan…" Maria said.
X ~ X ~ X