A/N Another short one which should have been part of what I submitted yesterday but I hate writing action scenes :( Sorry Danalaya I know I know Monday :(

Tahir paced his small cell going over the earlier events for the hundredth time. He had reacted unfairly to Maria but those people, their plight had torn at the very core of him until he ached and she had spoken so fondly of the man who had bestowed this cruelty on them. He stopped pacing to listen for sounds from her in the next room but he was once again greeted by silence. 'How can she be sleeping after what we witnessed?' A feeling as alien to him as air was to fish once more invaded his person but this rage was pointless there was nowhere to direct it. He heard the click of the latch on her door falling into place and lunged to open his own but he stopped with his hand hovering just in front of the handle. There was nothing he could say to her and trying to find those words through the anger now fogging his thoughts would likely do more damage. Accepting defeat he moved back to his cot and watched the sun begin to light the sky. Sure sleep would never come he put his arms behind his head and waited to see what the solitude would bring.

The next thing he was aware of was hands on his robes pulling him up from his bed. "Where is Maria I have to find her?"

Shaking off sleep quickly was a trait most assassins seemed to develop naturally but even for Tahir this still proved to be disconcerting. "Roland calm down she is in her room."

"No she is isn't and they have found them. Who did she tell Tahir?"

Fully alert now he spun his head to the window but his room was east facing he couldn't see their sanctuary from here. "Who has found them Roland you must try to speak sense."

"The mercenaries, we were unsure that is what they were but who else would appear so heavily armed seeking shelter?"

"What do they want with those people Roland they can hardly be a threat to them?"

"The Master wants them gone he has for a long time and now he has made sure his wishes are acted upon."

Roland made for the corridor his long black cassock fanning wildly at his quick movements and Tahir ran along beside him still trying to make sense of it all. "Why would your Master wish to see them dead he was the one who protected them?"

Roland never altered his pace but replied having to raise his voice as he passed the room where a monk was chanting. "Not my master THE Master, the Knight who came here and made my master ill I was never allowed to see him without his armour but he is an English knight and he signs his messages Marshal."

Tahir stopped walking he had no choice; his feet were rooted to the ground. I tended to his wounds and spoke with him as though he was a friend. "We must find Maria."

"There is no time for that now. You find her I will try to intercept the men."

Tahir caught his robes and pulled him back to face him, "Alone you would face them alone? That would be suicide what good can one man do?"

Roland shrugged but Tahir could see he was afraid. "I have to try."

"Marshal is the man in the infirmary you and me both have nursed that viper and Maria likely trusted him with the story of what we saw. I don't think we can wait for her and I am sure we can't wait for him to find us. I'll stand with you."

Despite his heart feeling like it was doing its utmost to burst from his chest the young Frenchman calmly smiled in response to this unexpected bravery and tried to think logically. "There are weapons in the armoury and all of the Hospitalier guards have been warned not to approach the southern side of the grounds we will only have to deal with the hired men."

The two boys neither of whom had met with their twentieth year made their way to the huge armoury and selected their desired weapons. Although both afraid there was no pause to consider their actions, tucking their swords into their belts they made their way out into the early afternoon sunshine to face what would probably be their last battle on earth.

"And just where are you both going?" Her eyes wandered down to their hips, "So heavily armed."

Roland brushed past her but her hand shot out and caught a handful of his hair as he made to ignore her. "Where are you going Roland?"

"You told him Maria and now he has sent his men to finish them off!"

Her eyes flicked from one boy to the other but Tahir wasn't looking at her. "You mean Stephen?"

"I mean Marshal the man who signs all the orders for the Templars the man who has paid Gaelic barbarians to come here and do his dirty work for him."

Tahir spoke softly, "Did you tell him Maria?"

"Yes he tried to deny we should carry any blame for their fate and I challenged him to look at them."

This time he was looking at her but there was no judgement in his expression only pity.

"Alright..." She nodded as though she were agreeing with what was in her own mind. "All fucking right if this is how they want it then it is how they shall have it."

Patting her sword she turned on her heels and made for the barn. "Roland do you have any practical experience with that blade or are you here to administer the last rites?"

"I am the son of a Norman Lord I was born to fight." His grin tried hard to match the bravado of his words and Maria credited him at least for that.

"How many men do we face?"

He said something but it was too low for her to hear. "Speak up Roland."

"About fifteen I think. We seldom see them together so an exact count is impossible."

Her step faltered slightly, just enough to make the boys behind her look at each other. "That's fine a good solid number. My sword arm is in desperate need of practise."

'Why the fuck did I not let Altaïr come with me? Your idiot pride has done it again Maria well done!'

The fortress was truly immense and they could hear the shouts coming from the barn while still a good distance away. Maria started to run and they followed her. This wasn't the first time she had faced death and now at least she was on the right side but the idea of going into battle against trained fighters supported only by green novices was hardly encouraging. 'We are going to die here today but if we can stop them then it will be worthwhile.'

She thought of Donjon lying on his deathbed and his words came back to her now as she rounded the last corner. He had been wrong in his assessment – she was the one in need of redemption and his so called children were her path to finding it.

The sight which greeted them as they rounded the corner stopped all three in their tracks. Maria had to suppress a desperate scream as she watched them huddling together as the men hacked at them with their blades, "Run, if you run it will be harder to catch all of you!"

She howled these words at the men and women but they clung to each other as frightened children would and the last of them fell without making any attempt to escape their death.

Most of the men turned away from the slaughter to confront the new arrivals, "We were told we would have privacy for this little job run along inside nursemaid and take your babes with you."

There number was closer to twenty but that mattered little their deed was done and all that remained now was for her little band to oppose them. The men were Celts and from the sing song tone of his voice she guessed Irish. They would fight to the last man hired or not they never walked away from a skirmish.

Maria grinned as she moved forward hoping he would continue to see her as no threat until at least three of them fell to her blade.

"Stop!" A voice called from the shadows of the doorway to the left of her but she didn't have to turn to know it was Stephen.

"Stop, you say stop now when the last of their blood has been spilled."

Maria regarded the man as he made his way from shadow to sunlight. Once more attired in the white robes of his order, his helm glinted under his arm as the sun caught the corner of it. He leaned a little to the side still suffering from the injury but she knew even in his weakened state he could defeat the three of them alone. He made his way across the courtyard and she moved forward to meet him each of them moving their hands to the hilts of their swords as they approached the other.

Tahir swallowed hard doing his best to ignore a sight he couldn't help but fear moving to them. It was somehow fitting that Stephen and Maria would begin the battle both leaders of their respective bands. Her pace never faltered and he was glad of that.

"Today we stand shoulder to shoulder as brothers and I thank you for that Tahir."

He let his head drift to the young man beside him, "No need to thank me Roland I have been raised to fight this battle and any who would join me I would gladly call a brother."

He thought of Gwen and hoped she would somehow learn of his fate and not go through life believing he had abandoned her as her father had but who was there to tell her? Who would be left standing at the end of this?

Stephen smiled as she stopped walking no more than two feet away from him but her face remained blank. Moving her arm to the pile of dead bodies behind her she spoke, "This is what you call peace Stephen?"

"No Maria this is what I call murder."

"You can drop the pretence Roland told us who really controls the Templars. It is your own name which signed the orders."

His head dropped and took her heart with it. She had known since she saw him in the sick bed but had been too afraid to really force him to answer. Why would it be anyone but him? Fate was the cruellest of all masters, one which would suffer no rebellion.

"Then there can no longer be any doubt Maria and today you must draw your blade as I will draw mine to fight for what we believe in." His brow was coated with sweat and his hands were still shaking from the fever which had held him for days. She wanted to admire the fact that he had made it to his feet but all she could feel for him was disgust.

"How could you do this? When did you change so much that you would allow such cruelty?"

He saw both her hatred and her hurt and neither of those things sat well with him. "Maria there is no time for talking the talking is done now is a time for action. Unsheathe your sword and do as you were trained, defend the brotherhood."

Tahir heard the last words he spoke to her and hoped it would be his own blade which ended that bastard's life. He watched as she drew her sword nodding to the man she had served beside for years. "Do our duty no matter what."

His head bowed as he placed his metal helm on his head. Drawing his mighty sword from its scabbard he turned to her one last time and nodded.

Tahir caught a flash of white on the low roof of one of the smaller barns, "It can't be..."

Roland looked in the direction his newest friend was now staring wide eyed but saw nothing. "It can't be what?"

But there was no time to reply. The blood soaked mercenaries had begun howling for an advance their battle cry cut through the air and made the young novices hand tremble. Maria moved her feet at the exact moment Stephen did as they both rushed to the men soaked in the blood of innocents. Tahir found his feet pounding after them, not fully comprehending what he was seeing. They were fighting side by side their blades fuelled by the same fury the novice had felt since he entered the barn.

Rauf's head popped up from the roof and he started firing arrows into the mercenaries cutting down three of them before the boys even reached the frenzied conflict. Tahir had only enough time to see Maria swing her blade at the neck of one of the men and wish he had taken the time to speak to her, to tell her he was sorry but a sword directed at his chest pulled his mind away from such fanciful thoughts and into the heat of battle.

Stephen moved among them silently, no calls for them to come to him. They would come and he would meet them they needed no invitation. His pounding headache forgotten but his broken heart was very much on his mind. It drove him to stand when falling would be easier, it forced him to swing when his sword felt as though it weighed more than he did. His father, the man he had spent his entire life trying to emulate had been behind his. He had suspected it since Warwick's death but had taken his sweet time seeking out the real truth. Once opened that door could never be closed and he had been in no rush to lose his father and his mentor.

He caught sight of an assassin drop from a roof and rush to their aide, 'I wonder if...'

Maria took a fist in the jaw and stumbled back a few paces uttering curses at her assailant. "Come on then you son of a whore!"

The son of a whore's foot slammed into her leg trying to shatter her knee but she jumped back and only caught a glancing blow on the thigh. "Are we dancing or fighting because you don't seem to be blessed with any talent for either." Her sword arched upwards slicing through the fabric of his clothes along with the flesh and sinew of his body.

Her voice was the only real sound to be heard above the clash of steel and the occasional cry of pain. Roland had stayed close to her initially sure she would need his protection but he soon learned she was more capable than he. Moving to face his own enemies he dropped one before the sword of the man to the left of him tore into his chest. He let his sword arm fall to his side as he gazed down at the foreign object protruding from his body. He lifted his eyes in time to see the face of the young assassin twisted with fury as he cut off the arm of the man who had just embedded his sword inside him. Roland fell to the ground his only real regret being he had been too late to save the masters children.

Tahir saw the Frenchman die and took the life of the man who killed him but he had no time to grieve for the brave young man he had battles of his own. Two of the strange looking warriors rounded on him taking it in turns to prod their long swords at him trying to draw him out of position. Rauf moved in behind both of them and cut one of their throats as Tahir stepped forward and thrust his sword through the others neck. It stuck and he had to pull hard on it to get it back but the force required sent him sprawling to the ground. Swiftly getting back to his feet he turned to face the next obstacle but saw only his own death moving down upon his exposed neck.

The huge Celt swung his sword and his aim would be true and brutal. Maria understood his sword would sever the boys head from his shoulders and did the only thing she could do. Lowering her head she charged at the giant of man and rammed her body into his gut feeling him fall only a few paces back from her paltry weight before she felt his sword which had been aimed for Tahir's neck find its way into her lower back.

There was no dignified response as she fell to the ground; she looked up to see Stephen yanking his sword from the giant's neck and look down at her on the ground. "Fucking inbred son of a cunt killed me Stephen."

Her eyes closed on her friend and the battle which carried on around her fallen body.

The three men fought on each incurring their own wounds but finally they were left evenly matched, if matched can ever be said for a Templar Knight and two assassins. Stephen had long since let his heavy sword fall to the ground and was now working with his mace; although heavy it required less effort to wield. Swinging the deadly ball around his head he let it loose in the direction of stronger of the remaining Celts it collided with his face half of which shattered under the incredible force of the metal spiked ball.

Tahir never moved far from Maria and he stood now at the head of her fallen body waiting for the last of the men he would fight to reach him. His sword arm ached and was coated in blood to the shoulder but he held it aloft hopefully for the last time and parried an incoming attack. The crunch of bone under metal made the Celt turn his head for a second and seeing his leader fall the ground with not much left of his face was enough to destroy what was left of his courage.

Offering a term from what little English he had he held up his hands to the young Arab. "Quarter yes?"

The man had no common language to barter for his life but it wouldn't have mattered even if he did. The most eloquent verse penned by a master of words would have fallen on deaf ears. Mercy was for the deserving and this man had spilled innocent blood. "There is no quarter today and you who never gave it should know better than to seek it."

With little pleasure but all strength left in his body he directed his blade into the man's gut, tearing it upwards until it was stopped by his ribcage. A hand falling on his shoulder caused him to panic but it was Rauf's smiling face he saw when his head shifted to see who was touching him.

"Brother I will forever hold in my heart the sight of you on the rooftop but doubt I will ever truly believe it."

The good natured teacher of the novices chuckled. "The Master sent me after the woman but when I never saw her on the road I made my way here to at least learn what I could rather than go back to him empty handed."

Tahir watched the big Englishman fall beside his friend of the ground tugging off his helmet and letting it fall at her feet.

"Maria, wake up." His fingers loosened the ties of her mantel so he could explore her neck for a pulse.

Her head moved to the side but the novice couldn't tell if he had been the cause of the movement. Going to the other side of her body he took her wrist in his hand and waited to feel the soft beating which would tell him she hadn't died on his behalf.

Rauf moved to the other of their party who was definitely dead and kneeled beside him. "You fought bravely young man may you find the peace in the arms of your God."

Tahir was still very uncertain about what had changed but he knew the man on the other side of Maria was not his true enemy. "It if wasn't you who told them where these poor souls were being hidden then who did?"

Stephen noticed a few Hospitalier men peering at them from the side of the building and called them over to him. "Find the priest who tended to me and bring him here then gather up these bodies and put them in the shed and burn them all." Gesturing to Roland's body he added, "Take your own man and give him the burial his courage deserves."

Now speaking to Tahir he continued,"I have one or two things to finish with here but it would be unwise for you to remain. Take her with you to your fortress and when she is recovered instruct her to meet me in Acre. Tell her we will see it through to the end together."

Tahir was still clutching her wrist and although she had a pulse it was weak yet this man seemed certain she would recover. "What makes you so sure she will survive?"

He snorted, "That woman is much too stubborn to die before me."