The assassin came out from the thick bushes by the side of the dusty road tugging at his robes which had become snared on some thorns he cursed as the material split and tore. His mood hadn't been good when he dismounted and entered the shrubs, it seemed to match the discomfort in his lower stomach; bad and declining rapidly. He must have eaten something that had gone bad because he had to stop every so often to find a private place to relieve his aching guts. He slung a leg over his mount and kicked at her ribs "Yalla."

The horse obeyed oblivious to her rider's pain but not his mood she tugged her head against the reigns to show her disapproval of his rough handling, it would not be the first time this spirited mare had found the need to throw a careless handler and the assassin patted her neck to show he understood her admonishment. Then something on the horizon caught his eye, two riders were approaching but they were too far off for him to guess their speed. He moved the horse to the right, closer to cover and continued at a canter watching the oncoming riders for the first sign of a need to hide.

Maria glanced across at her companion for about the hundredth time; he hadn't spoken a civil word since their encounter with the beggar in Acre and it was beginning to get on her nerves. "We should stop at the next water hole for the horses."

When he nodded his longer than usual hair flopped down covering his eyes, he brushed it away impatiently and resumed his vigil of the road ahead.

"I could cut that for you if you want."

His head slowly turned towards her, his green eyes flashing out a warning of his temper bubbling away beneath them but he never replied.

She smiled and licked her lips, "If you have something to say I think it best if you get it off your chest now, holding things inside will only cause indigestion."

"Must you always push things Maria; is there never a time when you will let sleeping dogs lie?"

"As a rule no I prefer to have things said and done."

"At the next watering hole we will talk and have our parler."

"My horse is suffering from this infernal heat so we'll stop now and pitch a shelter for the night but I warn you if I don't like your words I'm as likely to put my blade to your throat as your hair." Kicking at the horses sides she called "Hie!" and rode on ahead to reach a clearing ahead and dismount before he could have any real chance to object to her suggestion.

Stephen followed her at with no change in his speed or his disposition.

Their exit from Acre hadn't gone unnoticed, the old beggar had followed them to the city gates with an ease any assassin would envy. But for the poor or downtrodden in a city full of woe it is far easier to go unnoticed and Gaynor was even more downtrodden than most; she never needed shadows all she needed was to keep out of sight of that hellish woman and her knight. If they left the city with all the gear they were carrying it would mean they would gone for some time, time enough for her to move to another part of the city and fight for a new corner.

She could never return to her husband and tell him she had been banished from the city; the wastelands on the other side of those walls were no place for any soul not born with the backbone to work long hard hours and her husband had been born with a taste for ale and not much else. When she saw the noble bitch throw her leg over an ugly mount she grinned and whispered a curse, "I'll pray for you dear, a prayer that your horse falls and dies and you find neither food to fill your empty stomach nor water to dampen your parched throat."

She moved back to the poor district to seek out a suitable target for her to bully out of their space; someone she could set her husband the task of forcing along if they would not go willingly. It was only a matter of minutes before she saw just such a soul. A young girl with long mousy hair and no shoes on her feet, Gaynor smiled as she watched her trying to muster the courage to beg from the passers by, "You're heart be not in this dear I'll spare you the pain of selling your pride for coin." The girl was clearly alone but young and like as not strong; no reason to risk an injury she would have her husband take care of this little filly, like as not he would find some sport in the task.

Altair watched Jabal mix another "more potent" batch of herbs for the dog whimpering in the corner. The young novice had stayed by her side since they had arrived and the new Master was beginning to worry he had formed too much of an attachment to a thing with a weak hold on life. "Tahir I'd have a word with you when you are finished your ministrations."

The boy looked up from the dog and nodded, "Right away Mentor."

Malik glanced from the boy to Altair sure he knew what was coming interested he waited to see how the sentimental youth would react.

"Master Altair, how may I serve you?"

He pulled a parchment from a pile of papers on the desk, "Take this to Mahmoud at the safe house. He may well require you to wait for him to compose a response."

Without hesitation the boy reached for the parchment, "At once Mentor."

Behind them Malik allowed himself a small smile, yes he was attached but not so much he would neglect his duty to attend to the animal. "Don't worry about Kaderi we will keep an eye on her Tahir."

The boy bowed before glancing at the small dog shivering in the corner, "I thank you for your assistance Dai."

When he left Malik approached Altair and whispered, "You tested him."

Altair nodded, "Everything in life is a test Malik when we stop testing ourselves we cease to grow."

"Do you believe his softer nature weakens him?"

The Grandmaster paused momentarily, "No... did you hear him say how the dog although already sick fought to keep the soldiers from him? I believe having an emotional reason to protect something would make us fight harder so long as that emotion doesn't blind us to our responsibilities."

Malik thought of Kadar and how hard he fought in the Temple to save his brother but how in the end he had to accept the fact he was gone and continue with his mission to retrieve the artefact. "Our former mentor taught us love would weaken us and I never questioned that until I learned from bitter experience how wrong he was."

Tahir had been in the safe house for hours, Mahmoud had taken his sweet time in composing a reply to the Master and while Tahir understood he had to stop to admonish some unruly novice or relieve himself did he honestly have to stop to crack his knuckles after every word? He looked at the sun just as it disappeared behind a cloud and knew it was already late in the afternoon, no matter what condition Kaderi was in they would not be leaving for Masyaf today.

And now this latest interruption but to be fair Tahir had to admit this at least was worthwhile. One of the younger novices on his first trip from Masyaf was finding it all a little too exciting, he had been over zealous while sharpening his short blade and had all but severed the forefinger on his left hand. Tahir held his arm while Mahmoud tried to turn his chunky fingers into instruments of healing. The boy was doing his best not to cry but Tahir could see the small pools of liquid forming in his eyes.

"Pity it wasn't the ring finger it might have spared you some pain further down the line." The boy smiled sadly and tried to laugh. Tahir wrapped an arm around his shoulder and held his shaking arm tighter. "Mahmoud has done this many times don't worry Tazim he will have you fixed in no time."

Mahmoud gave Tahir a look which told him he was very wrong, "What we need here is some more light Tahir; let us take the boy into the back room next to the window." He gestured to another boy to move Tazim inside and pulled Tahir's robes to keep him beside him. "The finger is lost but the question is how do we finish the job without causing too much discomfort to the boy?"

To be shy a finger on the left hand all but assured him a future as a scholar if he was bright enough or as a lowly informer if he wasn't, unless the Master would be willing to accept this finger as a sign of his devotion to the order that was and really what did it matter which finger they had so long as you were willing to give it?

"We can only give him some of the tea that makes you light headed I can think of nothing that would dull the pain of what you are about to do."

They boiled up the tea and finally persuaded the boy that the foul tasting brew would benefit him so he drunk it all down in one big gulp but his face twisted comically when he brought the goblet from his mouth, "Ugh!"

Tahir chuckled he remembered when he had to have most of his left calf sewn back together and the healers had forced him to drink the same herbs, ugh was an understatement. He chatted with the boy until he saw his eyes become heavy then he pushed him back onto the rug beneath him. "Mahmoud he is ready."

The assassin checked the blade he had placed into the flame of the fire; it was red hot. He took the boys hand in his and with all the skill his years of handling knives had given him he had the boy's finger off in a heartbeat, the bright orange blade then pressed onto the wound to halt the flow of blood. His body lurched and he screamed before he thankfully passed out completely.

Mahmoud looked at Tahir's ashen face and patted his shoulder, "The worst is over he will be fine. I'll finish up the letter and let you be on your way."

Tahir sat with the boy a moment longer still with his arm under his head. "I'll come back to see you tonight little novice but you are a brave soul you handled this with courage."

Stephen found some suitable pieces of wood and returned to Maria who had already lit a fire, "We'll eat what we have tonight but tomorrow we should hunt to preserve our stock for the desert crossing."

"Fine, you cook while I get the shelter up." He thrust one of the pieces of wood into the dry cracked earth and felt a jolt of pain shoot up his arm as it hit something hard. Clutching his shoulder he uncharacteristically started yelling curses at the inanimate object. "Bastard fucking earth this whole country is nothing but dead soil and stone."

Maria tried unsuccessfully to hold back her laugh but watching this big brave knight dancing around in pain was just too comical. He glared at her and kicked some of the aforementioned soil in her face. "It's not fucking funny. For months now I've done nothing but move from one sorry place to another never bedding twice in the same place and I'm tired of it while we're on the subject I'm tired of you as well."

Having taken to her feet as soon as the dust covered her she was already in position to grab his robes and pull him to her. "Oh you're tired of me? You're the one who has been sulking all day and now this..." She swept her free arm around her, "Childish tantrum and you say you are tired of me."

He grabbed her scruff just as she held his own but he unlike her had the strength to make this count, he pulled her off her feet and brought her face to his. "You are weary, you have had enough. You want to know who is doing what. When the fuck did you become this person you are now because let me tell you she is a self centred, whinging bitch and I hate her!"

Her nostrils flared and as though absolutely oblivious to the fact she was in mid-air she kicked him as hard as she could. "I hate you, you pompous self righteous windbag. You walk around with your nose in the air thinking it makes you look grand but all that does is stops you from seeing the shit you are wading through."

He dropped her but she kept her feet. "I thought you killed in Robert's stead but no you showed up days later, worse for wear but alive and Maria my heart was overjoyed. Then instead of taking the safe passage home you decide to hang around to resurrect a career that is gone but only you can't see that and what happens you are killed or kidnapped."

She backed away from him but it wasn't the growing fury she saw in his eyes that scared her it was the words he had not yet spoken. "Bodies began to wash up and I swear my heart sank with each one sure it would be you. Then I searched, I searched places you would not let a dog live in and walked among people who would have sold me their children for a piece of gold but no sign of you Maria." He moved towards her not letting her have the distance she desired. "Miracles happen and again you appear but I had neglected my duties and been warned that any further deviations would result in expulsion so I had to leave but you were safe you were home and upon my return I intended to take steps to ensure that is how you remained."

"And that is how you found me safe and well Stephen."

"I found you Maria having been assaulted by a fellow crusader, still talking about plots and magic and worst of all in league with the assassin who caused all of our problems." She grunted some meaningless reply but he wasn't done talking. "Better yet you suspect me but do you avoid me? No that would be the sensible safe thing to do. You undertake a journey with me sure that the destination will prove my guilt or innocence. Now tell me Maria why are you so bent on dying? Because if I am the leader of this plot that is how this journey will end."

She sniffed and moved to the material they would use as their shelter. "I believe you innocent Stephen surely that is to my credit. The assassin would have you on the other end of his blade if I hadn't taken you from his reach."

"I DO NOT FEAR THE ASSASSIN MARIA!" Closing his eyes she watched him attempt to regain control of his frayed temper. "I want to meet him, he has taken much of what I loved from this world and he and I will have our moment never doubt that Maria."

"I know you don't fear him." She lifted her chin and met his eye, "I fear the outcome Stephen. Innocent or guilty had you and the assassin met I know it would have ended in death for one or the other and I can't face that. I'd be with you now and risk my own death to have the chance to confront you if you are guilty and protect you if you are innocent for who else in the world do I have to care for?"

He sighed heavily as he dropped to the ground and sat before the fire. "Maria what is to become of you?"

Sensing his anger had passed she sat beside him and grinned, "I don't know but finding out will certainly be an adventure."

He gazed sadly at her as his hand stroked the dust he had kicked at her from her face, "I cannot bear to think of you being hurt Maria I love you."

She flinched inwardly as he spoke but years of being around men meant she was practiced in handling this sort of behaviour. "I love you too Stephen, as a brother and as a friend there are none on God's earth I value more."

He pulled her into his shoulder and held her there for a moment. "Go get yourself cleaned up my penance for my outburst shall be to cook and build the shelter."

She moved away from him and sneezed then rubbed her nose and sniffed in a most unladylike manner. As she walked toward the stream he called after her. "Come to think of it Maria what other life could you have lived? Genteel society would be appalled by your habits."

She screwed up her face and stuck her finger up at him. "See if you can't find a nice genteel place to put this."

She heard him chuckle as she continued to the water, her eyes now watering but she wasn't crying it was the dust...

The assassin had sat behind a rock watching this entire scene play out with growing alarm. If this is how English women behaved no wonder their men sought battles in far off lands. He dropped to one knee and flicked his wrist blade out and in, he would wait until the knight was fully involved in his tasks then he would strike.

Malik looked out of the small window into the darkening street feeling his concern grow, the boy had been gone far longer than he needed to be. He looked at the dog whimpering in the corner awaiting his return and decided if he wasn't back soon he would look for him.

Tahir tucked Mahmoud's reply into this waistband and made his way back to the bureau. The sun was going down and the streets were already beginning to empty as the people went home to prepare for their Sabbath. These past few days had shown Tahir much about himself, he was soft hearted and weak and probably not cut out to be an assassin but how did he go about telling Malik it was time to accept what the teachers at Masyaf had long been saying about him?

He heard voices from deep inside an alley as he walked past but decided to ignore them, stupid European's probably drunk and fighting but when he heard what sounded like a part of a woman's scream before it was muffled he stopped and moved back to the entrance. Whoever they were they were deep inside probably sheltering in one of the many broken buildings. He checked his dagger in his waistband and moved down to the source of the sound.

The man dragged the girl into the alley holding her mouth shut with his hand as his wife walked around the corner to keep a look out for passing soldiers. She was probably no more than 16 and would have been better served finding herself a husband to feed her than trying to survive among the brutal beggars of Acre, he was doing her a favour or so he told himself. He stuck his knife back into his tunic; he wouldn't need more than his own two hands to deal with this slip of a girl.

"Hush now little 'un you've been unlucky is all. My wife finds herself in need of a new patch to work and you happen to have the place she wants." He pushed her against the wall and held her in place with his ale swollen gut. "If you'll be quiet and do like you're told there'll be no need for any violence."

The girl nodded her head frantically staring at him with wide eyes already wet with tears, she tried to verbally agree but his hand was too tight against her face.

"Good girl but just to be sure you really have got the message I'm going to give you a little something to take with you and if you try to go to the soldiers and cry rape I'll tell 'em you was no' but a little whore who sold me what I took for a piece of bread. Do we have an understanding?"

Her face creased with abject misery at the realisation he was going to take what he mother had always told her to protect zealously for her husband, then she saw the boy in the grey hood move from behind a wall and her heart stopped beating in her chest.

"Let her go."

The man spun around with surprising speed for one so large and pulled his dagger from his clothes, but when he came face to face with a boy not yet reached full manhood he relaxed."And who are you that you think you can make me?"

Tahir had his blade already drawn it was tucked along his arm; he wasted no time bandying words with this lowlife. With one swift swipe of his arm across his blubbery neck he drew a thin line of blood that became a swift flow as the man dropped to his knees clutching at his throat.

A shrill voice called down the alley, "Harry move it along we don't have all night."

Tahir held his fingers to his lips to keep the girl quiet and pulled the husband further into the derelict frame of the building. He heard he approach and he stood ready certain that he wouldn't shed her blood but if she had been willing to stand by and let a man do this then she certainly deserved a good scare.

She passed without noticing him but she saw the blood she pounced for the girl, "What did you do you evil little slag? Where is my husband?"

The novice made a snap decision; he moved from the shadows and put his blade in front of her face hoping she would be scared off. "Your husband was a vile and sinful man you should go to your priest and confess your part in this wrong doing; beg forgiveness from your God."

The girl moved from the wall and ducked to the ground but she was blocked from his view by the woman between them. Then he saw her raise a boulder above her head and bring it crashing down onto the woman's skull. She fell instantly and lay on the ground shaking violently for several seconds before her body stilled.

He looked to the girl who was shaking so much he felt sure she would collapse, "She would never have let me alone after this. She would have rounded up her friends and had me killed I had to finish her off, you do see that don't you?"

He nodded and moved toward her but she ran further into the broken houses. He stayed put for a time unsure how to react until her heard her cries. Stepping over the fallen stones and wood he made his way to the sobbing girl finding her huddled up in the corner of back room. "You should not punish yourself miss they were bad people and would have done you a great deal of harm."

She sat still for a moment as her sobs began to taper off and Tahir shifted, chewing his lip remembering how easily he had held Tazim but not having the first idea how to offer the same comfort to a woman. When she was almost silent he stepped to her and patted her head, "It will be okay."

She looked up at him and smiled, was it the same girl as before the one from the soldiers? It could be but they all looked so similar it was hard to tell.

She stood and held out her hand which he took, "This is the second time you have come to my rescue what is your name?"

He blushed as he felt her fingers brush the palm of his hand, again feeling the heat he had before when she kissed his cheek. "Tahir, my name is Tahir."

She smiled and where it not for the tear stained cheeks you would be hard pushed to tell what horror she had just been feeling. "Well Tahir after this I think I owe you more than a kiss."

She pulled him closer to her and spun him so he was against the wall. "I want to give you in love what that dirty man would have taken in lust."

He opened his mouth to speak but her lips came against his mouth, so soft and sweet he forgot his desire to speak entirely. "Don't be shy Tahir I'll never tell."

Despite his mind fumbling for the right thing to do his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her lower body into contact with his own. The action stoked the heat in his groin, it flared inside him burning away and doubts or fears he felt. He moved his head to have a better angle to kiss her before again shifting their positions so that she was the one against the wall. Everything seemed to tingle as they slowly began to remove each other's clothes and for the first time in his adult life he seemed to manage an important rite of passage without stumbling about like a shy fool.

Malik looked through the latticed roof and saw it was now fully dark, he went to move back inside to send someone looking for him when he heard footsteps on the ladder outside the Tahir dropped into the bureau wearing an enigmatic grin and a dazed expression. "You were gone for a long time."

Tahir bowed and pulled the letter from his hastily replaced sash, "Yes Dai I'm sorry for the delay there was an accident and Tazim lost a finger Mahmoud has written it all down for you and the Master."

Malik reached out and took the letter from the novice still curious as to why he was wearing such a stupid expression but he shrugged and moved inside to pass on the message.

Tahir watched him leave and stood in the outer room for a few seconds to gather his thoughts. 'I was indeed gone for a long time I left a boy and came back a man.' He smiled as he made his way into the bureau and called out a greeting to his newest friend who offered a few feeble thumps of her tail to signal her delight at his return.

Stephen knelt in front of the fire and checked the pot to make sure the vegetables were not falling apart; Maria had been gone a lot longer than he expected. 'Bloody women even when they wear men's clothes it still takes them forever to get ready.' He heard a twig snap behind him and spun round in time to see a devil in white robes directly behind him with his blade aimed for his neck.

DAW 3