They heard shouts from outside and Altair knew the soldiers who had been huddling together behind the building had discovered their fallen comrades. Unsheathing his sword he offered it to Maria, "These are Crusader soldiers, I would understand if you wanted to stay out of it."

"I'm in it up to my bleeding shoulders assassin," Taking the sword from his hand she stood beside him.

Cyprus and Moloch's twins flashed through his mind, she had left him then. "Stay low and move fast."

He stepped forward toward the opening and peered out, four men that he could see and Gerhard standing in the doorway. The closest two with throwing knives from the back of the cart then a straight fight with the rest and any others out of sight... He palmed a knife as his mind coordinated the upcoming battle. He turned to her asking her with his eyes if she was ready, she nodded and he slipped the material to the side.

The first two fell instantly and Maria was on the ground beside him, sword drawn before the remainder could fully appreciate what had happened. He heard them yell from behind and knew they were surrounded but taking another knife and he turned and threw on instinct. Four men here but one fell with a knife in his throat. There was a fractional pause as the combatants sized each other up broken by Maria, "Shall we gentlemen?"

Gerhard moved immediately but in the opposite direction and Maria moved with him. 'You're not getting away from me you bastard!'

He stepped behind a soldier and pushed him forward, "Kill her you idiot."

The soldier regained his balance and sheathed his sword, "If you ask me you are about to get what you deserve Master."

His comrade joined him as they both began backing away. Gerhard screamed obscenities at them in German but they paid him no heed, still backing off while watching their two would-be assailants.

The men facing Altair did the same, lowering their weapons and stopping only to step around the bodies of the two fallen men. Maria watched their retreat with utter disbelief, she had been more than willing to die for the leader of her order and here they were abandoning theirs.

Answering the disgust in her eyes one of the men chanced to speak. "We heard your screams and his moans... let him reap what he sows."

They were moving to the horses but Maria had other ideas, "Leave your weapons here and go inside the house and stay there until we leave." Altair stood on her left and watched the men file inside but Maria's attention was elsewhere. Gerhard was edging toward a horse but she put herself between them.

"Kill him quickly Maria, do not become that which you mean to destroy."

He drew his sword but what little courage he could call on had deserted him. Maria's words about the afterlife had destroyed him, he needed to fight, to survive so he could gaze upon the artefact and know for sure. "I can pay you a great deal of gold and give you names, yes names... everyone involved in the plans to destroy your new brothers."

He had Altair's attention, "Who are the conspirators?"

She threw a quick glance at the assassin as he began to move toward the German, "Don't you dare."

Maria threw herself at Gerhard taking both men by surprise. Her sword swung low making contact with his thigh; she felt it clatter against the bone. He tried to raise his sword against her but he was already falling, he landed in a heap with his sword held above him. "Plant your fucking seed in hell Gerhard." Her bare foot smashed against his genitals, "That was from me and this..." skipping over his leg she brought Altair's sword down on his upright arm, "This is for Warwick and Ceana."

"Maria he could be useful to us, we have to think beyond revenge!" He yanked her body to face him, his own anger growing. "Your petty vengeance could cost us dear."

"Get your fucking hands off me!" She spat the words at him as she raised her sword and pointed it at his chest, "He deserves what he is getting now and if you stand in my way one of us will die."

Gerhard was screaming, the wind was battering against them and Maria faced him with his own sword. His lip curled as she assumed a battle stance; after all he had done for her she was still ready to kill him. He wanted to yell at the man to stop screaming the sound was piercing his ears but when he looked to him for some reason he could only focus on his feet.

Heavy metal armour covered his boot, coming to a sharp and deadly point at the end. He had kicked her with these... Altair had seen the blood staining her leggings from that blow. He looked back to Maria; there was fury in her eyes but something behind that... anguish. "Do what you must."

She exhaled deeply, "I never intended otherwise."

She turned back to Gerhard who was pushing himself along the ground on his back using the only leg he could; Maria remembered her bound feet pushing her body back into a sitting position. His sword was lying on the ground with his severed hand still clutching it but Maria knew he had a dagger, a beautiful thing he had used to scar her stomach. "You are probably wondering what I have planned for you Gerhard, no doubt imagining all manner of horrors because you know what you would have done to me don't you?"

His face was soaked in sweat and dust as he implored her to show him mercy.

"Mercy, Gerhard? Mercy is for the deserving, you are going to suffer as you have made others suffer."

The wind whipped her hair over her face and she tossed her head to move it catching sight of the assassin as she did so. He had turned his back on her and moved away from them. She dropped beside Gerhard on the ground, her knee pinning his remaining hand to the ground. She took his dagger from its sheath and held it to his throat. "Why were you going to Homs?"

"I'm dying, help me please."

"You're too important to die Gerhard now answer the fucking question or I'll cut off your sorry little manhood."

He was shaking violently but still clinging desperately to the belief he was better than them, he would get out of this and if he had to give a few details to do that then so be it. "That is to be the staging point for the attack on Masyaf; I was to ensure it was ready to take delivery of the weapons."

Their voices had brought him back to the scene and he interrupted, "What weapons?"

But Maria held up her hand to stop him. She could see the white pall of death creep into the German's complexion, his eyes were glassy. He would be gone soon. "Is Conrad involved?"

"Yes he and the Master work to ensure we are not discovered, it wasn't easy keeping the Grandmaster of the Knights Templar out of our plans but Gilbert would never go along with them, he is loyal to King Richard."

Maria would have assumed Gilbert, Bouchart's replacement was the leader but if not he then who? "The Master...?"

His chest was heaving as he fought for every breath, "Gerhard tell me who is the Master is and I'll help you."

Malevolence crept into the German's face and as he grinned Maria knew he was about to deliver one final attack. "As with the previous leader Maria you know him well, he is probably another who you have taken between your legs."

Altair glanced between their faces and saw Maria knew exactly who he meant.

He cackled wildly and even the hacking cough which followed couldn't spoil his pleasure. "Yes, I think perhaps you did. That's why you never reacted to me fucking you; you've had so many men inside it hardly matters anymore."

It was Altair who flinched at these words; Maria smirked and leaned closer to his face. "Not so many I can't still grip a decent sized cock, trust me Gerhard your tiny thing would go unnoticed inside a virgin."

The assassin had to repress a shocked gasp; this woman was definitely unlike any he had met before.

"Tell him who his real enemy is Maria and what he means to you. Make sure he understands that you would cut his throat before you would ever harm this man." He was held firmly in death's embrace and Maria decided to ensure his end would not come with any hint of peace.

"You are going to burn Gerhard, enjoy hell." She leaned on the ornate handle of his dagger and smiled at his shocked expression as it penetrated his windpipe and stole his air. Blood bubbled around the blade and spilled from his lips but Maria never let go, never stopped pressing even after his body had stopped twitching and his eyes grew dim.

"Maria..." He placed a hand on her shoulder but she threw it off. "Who was he talking about?"

She dragged the blade from the dead man's neck as she stood to face him.

"Get away, get away and stay away!" She was close to tears, "This is all your fault, everything that's happened to me can be placed at your door. Go now please and leave me alone." Her hand pointed in the direction of the horses but when he never moved she screamed at him, "Leave you fucking death bringer. Everything you touch dies, you are cursed and have so cursed me."

He blinked at her, "Who was he talking about Maria? I want his name."

She paced for a moment turning the dagger in her hand, "Fine if you won't leave I will." Maria stormed past him towards the horses but he caught her by the waist and brought their bodies together. "Let me go." Her voice was dead calm.

"His name Maria..."

"Fuck you! You want his name then beat it out of me." She stamped on his foot and scrambled free running to some nearby trees. She could hear him behind her and tried to increase her pace. Thorns and stones tore at her unshod feet but she never slowed. Dodging trees and diving under branches until as last he was upon her, throwing her to the ground and pouncing on her to keep her still.

She struggled against him, thrusting upwards with her hips to budge his weight but he pushed down harder and caught her hands at the wrists. She snapped at his face with her teeth but the bastard was too fast and pulled his head out of her reach.

"We've been here before Maria you can't beat me. I suggest you calm down and tell me why you are not willing to share his name with me."

Her body stilled below his and the bitter memory of many recent dreams of having her in just such a position stabbed at his chest.

"Because he is all I have left in the world and I won't let you take him from me. I know Gerhard was a lying bastard Altair but if I gave you his name you would kill him regardless."

"I would investigate first Maria, none have fallen to my blade without me first being sure they were deserving of death."

She sang his words back to him in a mocking tone, "None have fallen to my blade... You should see a doctor Altair because your shit seems to be spewing from the wrong orifice." His body was crushing her ribs but just being held down like this was driving her insane, she tried another approach. "Please get off me and we'll talk."

He sneered at her, "I know you to be a liar Maria, the second I move you would kick my balls and run."

She retorted, "If you don't get off I'll cut your murdering throat and bring an end to your ignominious existence."

"I bow to your expertise, considering whom you shared your bed with ignominy is a subject in which you have no equal."

Howling with rage she smashed her forehead against his nose. He sat up instantly his hands protecting his nose but it left everything else exposed. She slashed at his chest with Gerhard's dagger and bounced her hips to shove him aside.

Desperately finding her feet she scrambled in the undergrowth trying to find a clear escape route but she got no more than two steps before he grabbed her dress and pinned her to a tree. His wrist blade once again brushing the skin of her throat she tilted her head to offer him a better target but he withdrew the blade and stood back from her. He was regarding her with utter contempt and she took the bait.

"You will not judge me, you who kill with impunity and then wax lyrical about deserving deaths. Do you know how many bodies we brought down from rooftops with assassins knives between their shoulders? Men like Warwick, lowly and unimportant maybe but did you stop to consider if this was a just fate for these men, or does that courtesy only extend to men whose names you know?"

He knew she was right about the men but wrong about his taking their life with no thought of what he was ending, once perhaps it would have been true. He had been wrong about her too; she was incapable of seeing the bigger picture. Even after they had treated her so shabbily she still held her brothers in her heart.

"You destroy the lives of far more than your victims but what do you care? You can scurry back to Masyaf unscathed oblivious to the horror you left in your wake."

His blazing eyes caught and held her own.

Maria Thorpe was seeing the expression which had probably been the last thing Robert had seen before death closed his eyes and had she not been pinned to a tree she would have backed away from its soul piercing intensity.

"What do you want from me Altair?" Blood stained the front of his robes as it stained her conscience, "I don't know what you expect from me."

He met her eye dead on, "From you? Nothing."

His words struck a blow deep in her chest and when he turned his back on her she had to stop herself from going after him. Instead she walked back to the house and the horses.

She returned not caring what happened with the soldiers but they were already gone, had probably made good their escape the instant the assassin was out of sight. She took in the sight of Gerhard's body and resisted the urge to kick his face for the trouble he had caused.

The evening sun was vanishing behind the trees and the wind was all but gone. Maria looked at the remaining horses calculating whether or not she had enough daylight to reach Acre. When she tried to climb into the saddle of the closest horse the dress stopped her leg lifting high enough.

"Curse these idiotic woman's clothes." But that made her think of the woman who had given her the dress; she leaned her head against the horse and sighed.

Altair was sitting on the grass tending to the wound Maria had inflicted on his chest. He heard light footsteps behind but never turned to witness her approach. She stopped close behind him and the image of her planting the dagger deep into his neck flashed through his mind. He lowered his head and waited for her next move knowing he would never harm her no matter what course she chose.

He felt her body move against his as she sat directly behind him, her head rested on his shoulder her hands on his waist.

"I'll help you assassin we will bring them to their knees but you must help me too."

Placing the balm he had been about to apply to his wound at his side he took hold of her hands and pulled her arms around his chest and leaned back into her. His gesture gave her confidence; she drew in closer to him. "What would you have me do?"

"Wait, that's all I ask. I'll tell you everything I know even his name but you must give me your word that you will never move against him until you are certain."

He looked at her pale arms against his bare chest, "You have it."

She kept her cheek pressed tightly against his shoulder as she told him about the consignment of weapons which she herself had ordered and how they were to have used.

"There are 5 of those things they used to attack the archive. Robert told me they have been in use in the Far East for years but how he came to learn of them I don't know." She heard his sharp intake of breath and knew he was imagining the destructive force of those weapons being directed upon the walls of his home. "Homs would have been our staging point too; its proximity to Masyaf makes it ideal."

"I must return to Masyaf and make my brothers ready for this."

Maria quickly moved to face him. "No we can destroy them before they ever leave the Citadel. I know for a fact most of the arsenal is being stored there, we can hit them hard and fast and we will bring it all down around their ears."

"We have already assessed a full frontal assault on the fortress it would be costly to my orders numbers but perhaps there is no choice. We should return to Acre and discuss this with Malik." He was considering attacking them on the road during transport an ambush would be far more likely to succeed but Maria cut into his thinking.

"Full frontal assault my arse, they have archers covering every inch of the square in front of the place."

He nodded, "We have other options."

"Yes we do. We'll sneak in right under their twitching little snouts." His confused look made her grin stretch farther across her face. "You don't think we would shelter the King of England in a fortress with no means of exit other than the front door do you?"

Forgetting she had moments before slashed him for doing something similar he grabbed her shoulders, "There is another way into the fortress?"

"There is indeed and we, my friend, have a key." His eyes were gleaming and Maria saw death lurking behind that shine but not for her that was just fine, let them die. "We must return to Acre and begin planning our attack."

He reached beside him for his discarded robes and Maria noticed his chest.

'What did that old bastard Rashid do to you?'

His chest and arms were covered in scars, so many that in places they criss-crossed with others, not forgetting the one she had delivered. She drew in her breath and her fingers reached for the cause of her concern. A deep cut which must missed his heart by nothing more than a hair's breadth. She was transfixed by the sight, completely forgetting he was watching her she let her fingers wander over the surface of his abused flesh.

"You were his weapon and he did not wield you sparingly. And to think I accused you of escaping unscathed."

"I escaped with my life." He took her chin in his hand and gently coaxed her to lift her eyes to his and when he looked into them - glittering with unshed tears- he was in danger of being completely consumed by the wave of emotion that washed through his body.

"I'm so sorry Altair." Her words were the catalyst for her tears to spill out over her cheeks.

He didn't know if she was apologising for cutting him or if she was offering pity for his past wounds –he didn't know or care- all he knew was once again they had been on the brink of separation and she had returned to him, this time he meant to keep her beside him. But he wasn't a fool he knew what she had been through in the past few hours and any mistake he made now could be fatal to them. He would continue to take his time and allow her to come to him if and when she was ready to take that step.

He brought his lips to hers intending a soft caress but her gasp had him drawing back, "I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that."

He watched her looking for any hint of emotion but other than her already fallen tears there were none. Her tongue flicked out to moisten her lips and he groaned inwardly as the heat in his groin flared, did she know what she was doing to him...? He lifted his robes and got to his feet, he had to put some distance between them at least until he had himself back under control.

"I'll go check the house, it would be better to take shelter there tonight but it may be more comfortable in the cart." Shoving a hand into the sleeve of his robes he walked away thinking he could retrieve his other things in the morning. He knew she had stayed still but there was still enough light left in the twilight sky to lead her through the trees, she would be fine.

"Altair..."

She was almost right behind him when he turned to face her, "Don't go." Closing what space there was between them she ran her fingers along his jaw and into his hair. "I don't want you to go."

Despite the delicate touch of her fingers winding with his hair making him want to find out what hers would feel like he tried to warn her of his mood. "Maria, I simply need a few minutes -."

Her mouth pressed against his, her tongue stroked against lips imploring him to accept and accept he did.

His arms enveloped her waist pulling her body to his, savouring how his flesh tingled where it had come into contact with her dress unable to resist the urge to push harder against her form and encouraged when he felt her push back. He grabbed the fabric of her dress and pulled it up until her thigh was exposed groaning against her mouth as his hand roamed over the beautifully soft skin but this time she resisted. In his desire to unite with her he had forgotten his decision to give her time. He let the fabric fall back into place and continued to kiss her for an all too short time before tearing his body away from hers.

"We should go and sort out a bed for the night." He pulled on his robes and reached for her hand, leading her back to shelter.

The abandoned house had smelled foul and was filthy; she scrunched up her nose and turned to the assassin. "I'd rather sleep outside if it's all the same with you." So now he was inspecting the contents of a chest in the cart, chained up to one of the rings Maria had been attached too. In the darkness he could only feel that there was some clothing and not much else of any use.

"Maria, I can't find any food; Homs is days away surely they planned on eating."

She chuckled and climbed up beside him, feeling a soft pile of clothes he had discarded in his search for "useful" items. "Well that's my bed sorted out. The food is over here." Pulling up the lid part of the bench which ran along one end of the cart she found their supplies. They shared some of the food and ate quietly. Maria still had guilt gnawing at her both for wounding him and then rejecting him but couldn't think how bring up either subject without it being awkward.

He briefly questioned her about what she knew but avoided asking her the name of the Templar Master, she would tell him of that he had no doubt.

After assuring him she was comfortable sleeping in the cart, "He's out there cold and dead and I'm in here warm and well fed, what could possibly trouble me about that?" They both settled down in the spread out clothes to sleep.

She lay awake for a time listening to the sounds of his breathing; it was always steady and so impossible to tell if he had fallen asleep. Robert had snored like a pig with a cold so she was unused to this nocturnal guessing game. Deciding to be brave she whispered his name, he was no more than 2 feet away if awake he would hear her but her whispers went unanswered.

He lay on his back with his eyes closed hoping she would go to sleep. He needed to calm down, the thing he wanted most in this world was there within reach, he had to force himself to forget how soft her skin had felt under his fingers, how sweet her lips has tasted to his tongue. Most of all he had to stop thinking about her body pressed up against his, it was a task he had so far failed to achieve.

She huffed and shifted onto her side. Hesitating had been a mistake, she had wanted him to continue but her body had panicked at the feel of his hand. It was clear she was reacting to what had happened earlier with Gerhard but the two things hadn't been the same. One was an act of theft the other would have been a wonderful gift, one she heartily wanted to give.

The way she saw it she had two choices she could let what Gerhard did affect her and change who she was or she could allow herself to be open to the pleasures this beautiful man lying beside her could not doubt give her. She made her choice in a heartbeat and as always stuck to it no matter what.

Maria Maria go get some assassin ass already :D

Next chapter could be a while I can't make up my mind just how to write it sorry :(