Malik and Tazim reached Masyaf with no further dramas other than the boy running from his sleeping roll to eject the contents of his dinner from his stomach. It hadn't taken Malik too long to soothe his troubled mind and he was almost glad that the boy was showing signs of trauma from the earlier events. Most of the novices in the training ring who witnessed his arrival were older boys and Malik noticed a great many of them were slacking in Rauf's absence. Altaïr came down from the study to greet them, for fresh air as much as anything else and Malik took the opportunity to inform him of the young man's "heroic, if idiotic" involvement in the fight.

The boy nodded solemnly when the Master congratulated his efforts but followed it up with a warning not to allow his success to go to his head. Turning proudly away when Malik himself added his own praise he saw the older boys watching him with real envy. "Now go on about the business of settling in and have your hand checked before you resume lessons."

Tazim moved toward the fortress his head held so high he felt he was rubbing shoulders with the master assassins themselves but Kaderi getting under his feet and causing him to stumble spoiled his dignified exit. The boy chuckled and swatted her backside before going inside to follow Malik's instructions.

"Those bandits are becoming increasingly audacious brother perhaps it is time to show them how assassins deal with people who encroach on our borders."

Altaïr nodded his agreement, "We'll send a group of men to patrol the borders and instruct them to severely punish any brigands they encounter. They may have assumed the change in leadership has weakened us but they will learn that they are mistaken."

Geoffrey Donjon lay on his pillow watching the world through blinking tired eyes. He was fully aware of what had occurred if unable to communicate that knowledge. His brothers came and went some of them stopping to talk to him others silently administering whatever treatment they were there to offer before leaving. He moved his right hand to his face but when he tried to do the same with his left there was not even a sensation of his left arm being there. The young boy Roland sat in the corner watching the events with more than a passing interest.

He tried to speak to tell the boy to approach but all that came out of his mouth was a series of nonsensical sounds. The boy came towards him anyway and took his right hand, "Pere you are to rest, don't trouble yourself with the orders affairs."

In his mind he was asking him to continue to care for his children but the words would not take the proper form in his mouth. Tears of frustration rolled from his right eye, the left side of his face was frozen in a grotesque grimace. "You are to be cared for Pere there is no reason to fear."

Freeing his hand from the boys grasp he pointed to the window in the direction of the building they were in. Roland smiled; it was not hard to guess what his mentor was telling him, the people in the barn had been his biggest concern as long as he had known him. "I'll see to their needs Master they will not be neglected."

The old man raised his wearied hand to the youth's cheek and patted it before it dropped back onto the bed. Glad to be able to offer him some comfort the young man sat a while longer considering what to do next. He would not burden the old priest with his own doubts about his calling but maybe he didn't have to. Perhaps this was the reason Roland was here, God meant for him to care for the souls so abused by the men who used to manage the collective orders. He sat with him until he fell asleep then made his way to the kitchen to see if the food for the master's children was ready.

Two riders made their way down the hillside towards the highest minaret in Homs, now visible if still hazy and distant. The sun pounded down upon the bedraggled band of travellers further aggravating the condition of the man being pulled behind them. His fever was reaching a critical point if not broken soon it might spiral out of control but there was nothing his companions could do beyond their efforts to shade him and soak his baking skin with cold water.

Maria had been silent since swapping over the creatures under her friends dressing; it was clear the maggots were not doing their work fast enough since the blackness now crept out beyond the dressing. Tahir had spent the past hour wondering what to say to her but he knew there was nothing to say, she was fighting a losing battle and her best friend was going to die. The last watering hole before Homs was only minutes in front of them and he suggested they stop there for a time. A slow distracted nodding of her head was the only response the woman gave before she lowered her head to rest it against her mounts neck.

"We'll be there soon and he will have the best care your people can offer."

"I know Tahir."

Lifting her head she set her eyes back on the road ahead and never spoke again until they stopped to soak the knight's skin at the well.

He opened his eyes as the first cooling splashes of water landed on his face, "That feels about as good as anything ever has."

Maria smiled and continued her efforts to cool him down. "The fortress is a little over an hour away and you have will have a clean bed in a cool room I'd wager you might have to repeat those words again after those comforts."

This was the first time in hours he had been lucid and their proximity to Crac de l'Ospital seemed to take him by surprise. "There will be a physician in the city that can treat me Maria, don't go to the fortress. Take me to a doctor then turn your horse around back to Acre and find a boat heading for England."

Tahir looked from him to Maria but if his words raised any suspicion in her mind it never showed on her face. "The best care for you is at the fortress now stop trying to be noble and let me finish my task."

"If we push on now we can reach the fort before nightfall."

Lifting her head to the novice she tried to look cheered by his statement but her eyes remained a more honest insight to her mood than her mouth did, she was worried. "Stop here a while and let him enjoy the shade another hour or so won't decide anyone's fate."

Stephen was once again drifting off into blissful oblivion and Tahir decided to confront her, "You are concerned about his words aren't you?"

"He would never harm me Tahir he sees me as a woman."

Tahir smiled but never really saw any relevance in her statement and she knew it. "Stephen and I are friends and apart from the time I spent with your master we have been together almost constantly for neigh on four years. I will go with him to Homs and have faith that he is the man I believe him to be you however will return to Masyaf and tell your master that you delivered his message, I am aware our trust was not breached when Stephen was assaulted."

"You think I am going to leave you now?" His voice was incredulous but his expression was undeniably wounded. "I have faith in you, if you believe we are in no danger from this man or any order he may make then that is enough for me."

She made to argue but he held up his hand, "If you can site friendship as a good enough reason to risk your neck then you cannot argue when I give the same excuse. We will travel to Homs together and then onto Masyaf to report what we learned."

He lowered himself onto the ground to rest a while and Maria did the same, lying beside Stephen and thinking she should have shaved off the part of his beard which hadn't been scalded off by the water. No hair would ever grow there again and she let herself smile as she remembered how long it had taken him to grow a decent one in the first place.

They were in Aleppo for Robert to meet with Abu'l Nuqoud and since neither Maria or Stephen were required to attend the meeting they spent a few free hours wandering around the heart of the city before the having to get dressed to attend the banquet the merchant from Damascus had laid on. The entire city was throbbing with people, music and voices and Maria began to feel dizzy trying to decide what direction to look in next. The smell of extravagant spices enthralled her senses and fanned the flames of her appetite, "We should find somewhere to eat Stephen."

The knight nodded glad he had suggested Maria accompany them on this trip, she had never seen a truly Arabic city and Aleppo was part of the main trade route between the orient and the rest of the world. "There is a street vendor over there we'll get something from him and eat it in the square."

She followed behind her eyes constantly shifting from extravagantly coloured silks to intricately crafted vases and the voices... she would hear one strange tongue after another and yet somehow the men managed to communicate well enough to trade. The Souk itself was something to behold with a beautifully decorated vaulted ceiling and a complicated maze of streets which she felt sure you could lose yourself in for hours.

She heard a voice call out behind her and turned just in time to avoid a courier racing towards her with a donkey, the beast was laden with even more incredible coloured silks. Looking down at her own travel soiled garments she glanced back at the material and almost wished she was the sort of woman who owned such things.

"You wait here Maria they don't like women in these places." She signalled her understanding and continued gawping around her. The knight followed her eyes to the stall and chuckled to himself, 'At the end of the day there is a woman in there somewhere.'

They ate beside a fountain in the square and Stephen struck up a conversation with a young man who suggested they might like to look at the horses he bred. Maria noticed a woman standing off to his left and smiled at her, "This is Fatima my wife, she is waiting for me to escort her to our rooms."

The woman bowed her head and Maria did likewise but lost interest once she realised she wasn't going to add anything to her husband's introduction.

"Ask anyone around here and they will tell you Ja'far Hamadi deals in only the best quality flesh, swift and brave yet obedient and beautiful."

Maria grinned and leaning into Stephen she whispered, "Is he talking about horses or his wife?"

She hadn't intended the other man to overhear her words but the swift conclusion of the conversation proved he had and once back at their rooms Stephen had voiced his displeasure. "Maria you can't speak every thought that crosses your mind you must learn selective verbalisation."

She huffed and shoved him to the door, "Go away I need to get cleaned up and besides it's not my bloody fault he could hear the grass grow."

Maria dismissed the servant who arrived to help her wash but did allow herself the absolute luxury of soaking in the scented warm water enjoying this rare comfort and regretting she hadn't brought another clean tunic with her on the trip. Moving from the tiled wash room she sauntered back into the bedroom now feeling almost as if she belonged in a place like this. Rugs and cushions scattered across the floor and more silk than you could imagine draped around the bed. The arched windows which led out onto the balcony lay open admitting a breeze which made the sheer material gracefully flutter. "I could get used to this."

Plonking her still damp body onto the bed she noticed a pile of white silk that hadn't been there before and tugged it towards her gasping when she saw what lay beneath. The top part was a plain white silk dress but underneath was a coat so delicate that she was almost afraid to touch it. The takchita was cream silk and the edges were embroidered with ivory flowers the centre of every flower had been painstakingly filled with tiny silver beads. There was a scrap of parchment beneath with a short message she knew to be written in Stephen's hand.

"I hope it meets with the ladies approval."

The dress felt exactly how she imagined it would against her bare skin and despite her reservations about frilling herself up in this way she had to admit the feeling was a nice one. She fastened the pearl buttons of the coat with as much care as she had ever applied to any task and stood to look at herself in the mirror. The dress was an inch longer than was ideal but otherwise the fit was perfect, she could hardly believe she was looking at herself. A soft tap on her door had her reaching for a throw from the bed to cover up.

"Come in."

Stephen stuck his head round the door and when he saw her holding a cover in front of her his shoulders dropped, "I brought you these one of the women suggested your boots might not match the dress."

He held the slippers out to her and she reached for them cautiously as though they would snap at her hand. "I can't wear this I look ridiculous."

Moving to the bed he lifted a piece of ivory tulle and held it out in his hands asking permission to assist her. Scrunching her face she moved towards him, "It's a veil Maria you wear it like so."

Draping it around her head he wrapped the spare around her neck, "Now do I get to see what you look like when you are not dressed for battle?"

An exasperated sigh accompanied her removal of the cover, "This is just not me and before you say it I know it's awful, I'm going to put my tunic back on."

His green eyes danced with amusement at her awkward stance, "You look breathtaking Maria but far be it for me to tell you what to wear I simply wanted you to have a choice."

"You're teasing me."

His hand moved to her face to adjust the veil and he smiled, "Upon my oath you are a beauty whatever you wear but for once it might be nice to let yourself enjoy the benefits of womanhood. We have no need of weapons tonight."

One side of her mouth lifted in the faintest hint of smile, "As if I care what you think of my looks, you or any other man for that matter. However I'm dressed now and it would be silly to waste time changing besides I'm starving."

Looking to her feet he lifted his eyebrows and she grinned, "Oh shit I forgot the shoes."

Slipping her feet into yet more opulent fabric she lifted her arm to the young knight, "May I say you look rather dashing tonight even if you are still determined to call that fluff on your face a beard."

His armour and robes had been replaced by a long tunic and leggings but he still wore his sword belt, "That's the best I can hope for from you isn't it?"

Putting his hand on his waist he left a gap for her arm to slide into, "Shall we?"

Squeezing his forearm she chuckled at the thought of what the women of Acre would give to see this handsome young man dressed to flatter his muscular frame, "Just think a few more years of training and there might be some muscles in there too."

"I see the fine clothes haven't dulled your liking for banter."

When he lead her into the banquet hall Robert had stopped in his tracks at the sight of her but one look at the scowl on her face warned him not to make too much of her appearance. "Ah here are my aide-de-camps just in time for the meal."

Stephen led her to the low table but Robert stood in their way, "Ja'far is here and he has told me of your misbehaviour earlier Maria make sure there is no repeat tonight we are here to make friends not enemies. He must be treated with respect."

About to remonstrate with him she closed her mouth when Stephen interjected, "Her behaviour? What of him reporting the slightest misdemeanour as though we are children and you our father. Respect is earned not given Robert but we will treat him as his conduct merits have no fear on our account."

With that he tugged on her arm and led her past their leader, Maria smiled as she passed him but resisted the urge to stick out her tongue. "We English like to stick together Robert."

And with that her friend became her confidant, her ally and her rock.

Malik and Altaïr made their way through the stalls of the village stopping to inspect an item here or there but not really interested in making a purchase. This had been Malik's idea to get the villagers used to seeing the new Master of the order who protected them and he had to admit it seemed to be working in spite of his own misgivings. He had never been a people person and he was fully aware of that but his new role demanded certain behaviour and this unexpected public appearance seemed to be one which the villagers appreciated.

A group of women stood around the well giggling and if either of the young men could have heard the things they were saying they would have both tucked tail and ran for the shelter of the fortress. It seemed the new younger and undeniably more attractive leadership had the approval of the women folk.

Passing on their way to speak to the guards at the gate Malik nodded to them and one of the older women stepped forward to greet them properly. "Master my name is Yandi and I am mother to four of the prettiest girls in the village, if you are considering taking a wife...?"

Malik almost choked and Altaïr moved back a couple of steps leaving it to his diplomatic friend to make their reply, "I – well, that is we uh thank you for the offer but affairs at the fortress require our full attention for the time being but we will bear it in mind."

The young women at the well giggled all the more to see Malik's blush but Altaïr denied them that pleasure since his hood was firmly in place.

"I understand."

Malik nodded and turned to follow his friend who had already made good his escape, "Thanks for leaving that to me Master."

Altaïr smirked, "I would rather face a hundred Templars than one ambitious mother."

Grinning Malik looked around and saw Tazim standing in a corner with a group of older novices, his actions showed he was reliving the battle with no hint of modesty, "Do you suppose he has found a new status amongst them since his heroics?"

Shrugging Altaïr quietly offered a more realistic view, "Remembering us and our competitive nature I'm sure he has found followers and rivals in equal numbers."

Had the men known just how true that statement was they would have dragged the boy back to the fortress and locked him up for his own safety but alas Tazim's fate was not one of the visions the apple had offered them that morning.

Thanks to mnemophobia321 for the help with this chapter I was a bit stuck :)

The next few chapters are going to be dark and sad so I wanted something light hearted to lull you all before I deliver the fatal blows lol

Tip for anyone wanting a nice story to read, the above mentioned mnemophobia321 has a good one going as does Techne and DanAlaya they are all in the AC world so you might enjoy them. (Hope you guys don't mind me mentioning your fics but hey I like them and I wanted to recommend them.)

tavingtonsbeauty has written some stunning stuff for WoW but is working on an AC story now so keep your eyes peeled for that.

If anyone has anything they think I might enjoy give me a shout please I'm always on the look out for a good read.

Sorry if I seem like I'm touting but I'm not shy about recommending a good story to my fellow readers :)