Stephen pushed his gauntlets across the table and sighed; he was bored beyond words. He had been here for hours and still no sign of Maria. Still he would wait he was curious to find out the reason behind her strange looks earlier. He glanced around the room and saw a rug had been disturbed and many of Maria's personal possessions were no longer cluttering up any of the surfaces. The door moved and he grinned, "At last the maiden arrives."
She tramped into the room and slumped in a chair across from him. She looked exhausted.
"Have you been crying Maria?"
"No I have not; I got dust in my eye."
"Nevertheless your face has that tear stained appearance."
"And your face gives the impression of manhood but we both know that to be a lie!" She dropped her shoulders and held up her hand, "No, Stephen I don't want to bicker with you I haven't the energy."
"What troubles thee?" He moved his chair beside her and took her hand in his.
"I assume you know that Gerhard is dead?" He nodded and she continued pointing to the floor behind him. "He assaulted me on the floor over there then took me in a cart to Homs but on the way there he raped me." He opened his mouth to speak but she placed a finger on his lips, "Let me finish Stephen for I have little desire to talk. I was rescued by the assassin and I killed him but before he died he gave your name as the new leader of Robert's plot."
"That bloody plot again Maria; I have found no evidence that any such nonsense ever occurred." He huffed and uncharacteristically pouted, "And you believe him?"
"I do not which is why I'm here and you are not being stalked by assassins yet..."
She stood from the chair and winced, her body ached, "I have Robert's journal in the bedroom you can take that and read it for yourself I'll not waste my voice when his will make the task of your conversion far simpler." Moving to the bedroom she pulled off her mantle and dropped it to the floor, "Conrad was involved too but of the new conspirators you will have to accept my word they had no great role in Robert's life."
He stood in the doorway and watched her kick off her boots before she lay back on the bed. "Stephen, if the accusations are true please slay me as I sleep and spare me the agony of raising my own sword against you."
He moved to her side and sat on the soft mattress, "Gerhard was a vile man Maria plot or no plot I would have killed him myself for harming you. However Conrad was no beast, was he killed by your assassin?"
Maria wanted to laugh, 'My assassin indeed he was mine but is no more because I left to defend you.' Instead she mumbled, "I killed him; he fell to my sword but no more questions for now. I am weary Stephen, in my heart, my soul and my mind I feel the weight of the past few months pull me ever downwards and I can no longer bear to carry the burden."
For the second time since they met he saw tears on her face and this time he knew better how to react. He pulled her to the top of the bed and laid her head on the pillow, taking a place behind her he whispered, "Sleep now Maria we can speak of these things on the morrow."
There was no sobbing or hitching of her body it was almost as though her body had simply become so full of sadness that it was spilling out the excess over her cheeks of its own accord. He thought of the things she had said and decided to find his journal when she slept. He should be dragging her in chains the fortress instead of lying next to her trying to offer her comfort but with Maria life was never black and white; she existed in shades of grey and as much as he honoured the order he served he loved her more. He would wait and give her time to tell her tale.
Altaïr rejoined the men in the smallest of the back rooms and took a seat at the table, "How is your patient Tahir?"
The novice always stood when he addressed Altaïr but this time he forgot, he maintained his position next to the dog. "There is no change Master Altaïr I think it could be many hours before we see a change if there is one that is."
Malik smirked at the boy, "You called her after your friend."
Tahir blushed as he often did when he was the centre of attention, much more so when it was the attention of these two men he warranted. "I thought the name a fitting one since she allowed me precious seconds to escape the guards perhaps there was an element of fate in our meeting."
Malik nodded softly he like Maria was fully aware of how isolated Tahir had become since Kadar's death but unlike Maria he couldn't stroke his cheek and offer him soft words of advice. "Tomorrow I shall be returning to Masyaf and since we now have an invalid to transport I have a perfectly good excuse to use a horse and cart. If the beast is sufficiently recovered we three will make the journey together."
Tahir uttered a silent prayer to any God who would hear it for a blessing upon the English woman, "Thank you Malik."
The two men left him alone to carry on his vigil each departing to their cots, "Altaïr what of you, is a return to Masyaf on the horizon?"
"Yes it is Malik but not I think in a horse drawn cart. We shall dispatch an assassin to Homs I still have a real interest in knowing what is going on there but both you and Maria feel it is high time I attended to my duties as leader so I shall pass that task onto another."
"Maria and I had a long conversation about that very subject on our return from the fortress and as you say we found ourselves in complete agreement." He watched his friends expressionless face for seconds hoping for some sign of his emotions, "She is a strange woman is she not brother? In the same day I saw her mother Tahir and take him under her wing and later she beheaded the Liege of Acre, how do you make sense of that?"
"We do similar things Malik, we eat, we joke we study but each of us mastered weapons and will wield them when required. She is a warrior; the fact that she is a woman who has taken life doesn't make her a bad woman any more than the blood we spill makes us bad men."
Malik bobbed his head thoughtfully rubbing his stubbly chin, "The English boy also spoke words of revolution and discontent, I think some of the changes you suggested we implement may well be in order but we must give the men time to adjust to each change; many of the older men will take a great deal of convincing that those we once considered our enemies are in fact our allies."
Altaïr resisted the urge to point out Maria as a prime example of how that suspicion could be overcome, all in good time...
Stephen shifted on the soft cushions trying to straighten out his stiff back, he had sat up for hours reading Robert's journal and while he had removed most of his armour it still made for an uncomfortable night. There was no denying it he held the proof of Robert's schemes in his hand he had been staring at the rough leather binding for almost an hour but no matter how hard he stared he couldn't wish the words away.
Maria had slept but her sleep was not easy; she had mumbled and shifted for hours and now with the sun poking her head out from behind a huge grey cloud had she finally settled. Just in time for him to wake her and begin the inquisition. He tiptoed across the floor so as not to disturb her before he realised he had every intention of doing that very thing. He watched her for a few seconds remembering a time not so long ago when he would have grabbed the sheet and pulled it out from under her and now here he stood unsure which part of her body would be acceptable to shake.
Taking the bull by the horns and sheet by the corners he grinned as her watched her body spin across the bed and land with a thump on the floor.
She woke up howling expletives and cursing the rotten day he was born to which he smiled charmingly and replied, "Good morning to you oh sunshine of my life!"
She grabbed onto the mattress and yanked herself clumsily to her feet, "You're a born fool and a damn threat to any who happen to be near you."
"Shall we continue our conversation while you make breakfast?"
"There is nothing here since I don't really live here any more and even if I did there still wouldn't be anything here I'm a soldier not a bloody cook."
She moved toward the front room rubbing her sore arse and still cursing him, "These all up my friend and God help you when I decide to have my revenge."
"I see your morning moods haven't improved any Maria you are a hateful woman for the first hour of any day, stay here and I'll go out to find us something to eat."
He pulled the door closed behind him and heard her dulcet tones ordering him not to return with fish. "Fish it is then my sweet."
He walked into the late morning sunshine wearing only his tunic and his leggings and was half way down the street before he remembered he wasn't wearing his sword. He glanced around him and saw a large presence of soldiers and decided he would be perfectly safe without it for a few minutes. It was the first time since boyhood he had been outside with no weapon of any kind and he felt strangely naked and exposed. Many of the men he passed bowed to him and some of them waved their arm in a wildly dramatic curling salute that he felt he would never become accustomed to. Then he remembered the other thing he had forgotten to put on... his money belt.
"A few coins Sir, all I ask is for a few coins."
"I'm afraid I find myself with no coin to speak of Madam perhaps another time." He chuckled when her face soured fully aware she doubted the likelihood of a Knight of the realm with not a single coin to spare.
He approached the stall of a dealer he knew reasonably well by sight if not by name and asked him if he would be willing to furnish him with breakfast for two on the understanding he would return with haste and pay him double.
The vendor not only knew the Knights name but also his increasing position of importance in the city, only yesterday the young man had ridden past with the leader of the whole lot of them, he wagered it was a reasonable risk and gave him some honey wine along with the bread and fish.
He paused beside an ornate drinking fountain and poured out the contents of one of the jugs before rinsing it off and refilling it with simple water. The beggar was still working her way amongst his men and he heard a few of them begin to mock her, he would have to words with the men at the garrison later it would not do to have them torment the citizens it would not do at all...
He found Maria sitting at the table with her head in her hands she separated her fingers to look at him when he entered, "I'm afraid I left my money behind Maria and the only stall holder who would extend me credit was the fish merchant."
She rolled her eyes knowing full well Stephen Marshal could have literally taken food from a stall he desired, "Trust me to be friends with the only honest knight left in the Holy Land."
He sat across from her and divided the food, passing her the water. "I read the journal and the facts are now irrefutable, there were and may yet be the plotting you suggested, the question is what do we do about it?"
Swallowing a piece of bread she countered, "The more immediate question is what you are going to do with what you have learned?"
"Absolutely nothing for the moment Maria but that will change. We will have a long talk you and I and this time there will be no holding back as I know you did last time but you can be assured I will get to the bottom of this and the guilty parties whoever they may be will be brought to trial."
"We can talk all you want on the way to Homs. I've put off going there for far too long."
He licked bread crumbs from his lips and leaned forward, "Why Homs? There is nothing there but a gloomy old fortress and a bunch of sour faced old priests."
"When I told Warwick of the Piece of Eden he immediately suggested something similar had been used on the people at Homs?"
His hands were folded in front of his mouth but she could see his eyes clearly, something sparked behind them when she mentioned the apple. "The piece of Eden Robert fought to obtain, you have seen it in action?"
Maria smiled and replied seemingly without thought, "Yes Altaïr used it on Cyprus to restrain a rioting mob."
"Altaïr being...?"
"He is the assassin who killed Robert, William and a great many more besides. Really one shudders to think how many knights have met an untimely end because of that man."
"Is the artefact still in his possession?"
She scoffed, "Off course it is you can't possibly imagine he would let something as powerful as that thing out of his grasp."
"You speak as though you know him as something other than a captor."
"I do indeed I found and still find myself allied with him in the matter of the Templars. We entered the fortress together and did as much damage to their cause as we could."
His jaw twitched and she saw his cheek protrude as his tongue found something interesting in his mouth to explore. "You are the very woman who stood before Montferrat and told him you would never abandon your brothers and here you sit boasting about slaying some of their number."
Maria banged the table with her fist, "I have slain none who were my true brothers however we have lost a few. Warwick died because of this conspiracy Gerhard tortured him within the walls of your much cherished fortress and tossed him from the ramparts like stale bread for the birds. Don't you dare speak to me of brotherhood when your own loyalty still remains in question?"
He swallowed his first response and made his way to the window. "Warwick was murdered then?"
"Yes he was Stephen you tell me what harm he could have done anyone with pure motives. He was killed by men who would do anything to keep their schemes from the light of day but I tell you this they will not succeed, not while I live to fight them."
He faced her but kept his back to the window putting him in silhouette, "What do you hope to learn from your trip to Homs?"
"The truth about what Warwick suspected and names."
"You think you can simply approach Donjon ask him nicely and he will divulge every sordid detail to you, that is always assuming that the dotty old Frenchman has anything to divulge."
She leapt to her feet knocking over her chair in the process, "No but I believe he won't have to lose more than three fingers before I will know all he does." She walked towards him, "Why feign these doubts Stephen, are you perhaps trying to convince me I'm being foolish? Are you afraid of what I'll learn?"
"Oh for God's sake Maria would you listen to yourself. You've not got the stomach for torture and these doubts are for your benefit yes. I want to make you think before you act because you will act alone. I'll make my own enquiries Maria but they will not involve tying a man down and cutting off pieces of his body. I'm aghast you would even suggest it after what you told me of Warwick."
Maria's face lit up with fury, "You forget who you speak to Stephen don't stand here and cover yourself in a cloak of chivalry, I saw you cut off a man's head because his sword hit your horse and not you. He was on his knees before you and you took his head with two of the most vicious hate driven swings of any sword I have ever seen."
He pulled off her hand which was clutching the front of his tunic and held it mid-air, "We could stand here and trade insults or we could make ready for our journey but might I remind you Maria I have seen every side of you there is to see so the exchange would not be a painless one."
She watched his hand until he released hers then smiled, "I have my things packed and ready to go I simply have to call on a friend to collect them."
They walked together but not speaking until they reached the market stall where Stephen had a debt to pay, he and the vendor exchanged pleasantries while Maria took in the scene around her. The city had been crawling with soldiers since they had returned from Cyprus but now they were not only present they were making that presence felt, bothering and shoving people. Then she heard a voice call out for coins and her eyes stopped on the source of those entreaties. A cold hard smirk formed on one side of her mouth, "Good things come to those who wait."
Stephen heard her speak but she was moving away from him in the direction of a group of their own men. He finished his dealings with the man behind the stall and followed her. He saw the beggar when she saw Maria, recognition wasn't instant but when it hit it hit hard; her face drained of all colour and her mouth hung wide open.
"Did I not tell you our paths would cross and you would receive full payment for that day's work?"
The beggar turned on her heels and ran but Maria flicked out an arm and caught her dirty hair within a couple of steps. She dragged her across the street speaking into her ear as they moved. "I'm going to allow you something Ceana was denied; the dignity of a private death."
Some of his men moved towards her but Stephen ordered them to stay back, "What is this about Maria?"
When the soldiers heard her voice a few of them smiled glad to know she was back among them.
"Please let me go I was only doing as told."
Maria pulled her hair tighter and swung her against a wall, "You were doing as you were paid to do you mean. You diseased old hag you would have handed over your own kin for that bag of coins."
She heard Stephen storming down the alley toward him but she didn't care, she forced the old woman to move further back until they were both standing the shell of a broken building. She stumbled as she tried to find her balance and Maria shoved her harder making sure she fell. "Ceana had done nothing wrong she had a life and a family and you helped that demon to take it from her."
She stood again using the wall to support her, "I meant no harm me I only do as has to only to survive."
She moved closer to her but stopped when she heard the sound of running water looking down she saw a puddle forming at the twisted old bitch's feet. She grinned, a cold malignant smile which made the old woman cringe back further into the wall.
"You pissed yourself! Not only are you the sorriest excuse for a human being I have ever seen you are a wretched low life coward."
"Maria that is quite enough!"
"Keep out of this Stephen you know not what misery this crone wrought upon a good woman."
She tried her luck with the young man, "Oh please help me good sir I meant no harm truly I didn't. What is the likes of me to do when a knight commands us to act but obey?"
"Maria let her go and we will discuss this."
Her fingers wrapped around her throat and her face moved so close the woman's she could feel the heat of her breath on her skin, "I will not kill you although my hand itches to end your pitiful life and it would be no less than you deserve but you are beneath me." She turned her head to Stephen, "Order her to leave the city this very day do that and I'll spare her, do it not and she dies here."
He moved toward them hands held in front of him placating her, "Maria I..."
"Ceana gave me shelter from Gerhard and she told him where I was. The woman had her throat cut in the street Stephen for a simple act of kindness, this unwholesome creature gave us up for a miserable sum of silver."
"Take your family and anything you own and be out of this city within the day. If any of my men see you here again you will spend some time in the stocks."
Maria released her with shove "I hope you die a slow painful death woman."
She scrambled away over the debris not looking back. Stephen turned to Maria and snarled, "Is there no end to your misdeeds Maria? This woman did the right thing perhaps it was for the wrong reasons and yes it had an unpleasant outcome but she was obeying the orders of a man who leads a section of this city and I find myself having to banish her to appease you."
Maria looked him dead in the eye and replied, "And yet you complied and in my view that makes you the bigger sinner now get out of my way I want to put this foggy city behind me with no further delay."
She walked past him her head held high and made her way to Ceana's old house one which now belonged to her son. "The boy who is holding my belongings will thank you for the small measure of justice you have bestowed upon one of those responsible for his mother's death."
He walked behind her his lips drawn in a tight angry line. He too was eager to put Acre behind him; there were things this woman needed to hear and the less people who were around to witness that confrontation the better.
Another one! Okay I can't sleep but instead of bombarding you with updates I'm going to stop writing and start reading some of the stories written by the people who have taken the time to read mine :) I can't believe it's taken me so long to return the read and review favour but I'm on it now.
I take it by now we all know who the main bad guy is?