The sun was riding ever further west as the group made their slow progress down the hillside, for the most part Maria was compliant and agreeable even when Altaïr moved towards Uilleam and held out his arms for her explaining that they would move faster if they shared the burden of carrying her. She slung a loose arm around his neck and let herself be passed to him knowing full well he would have expected an outburst she smirked and let her head rest on his shoulder happier to keep him guessing.

"You look exhausted."

Smiling as she tugged a loose thread from his robe she replied "It's been a trying day I'm thankful I don't look like a corpse." His hands tightened against her body and she felt his chest heave at her words but she had much more to say and he needed to hear it. "Why did you leave us?"

"I couldn't bear the idea of losing you. I know you are capable and strong but the notion of endangering you is still one I struggle with."

"You put me in more danger because you left me, we are stronger together but you don't see that. You asked me to give you a chance to prove you wanted to be with me, that you wanted a woman who would stand with you but at the first sign of trouble you left me behind." He opened his mouth to reply but Maria had more she wanted to say, "I'm not Adha nor will I ever be her and you seem to be incapable of accepting that. You pay lip service to my wishes but your actions prove you don't fully understand me. You're a good man and I love you but I won't change who I am to fit in with your plans."

He tucked his bottom lip beneath his tongue as he considered her words "I wouldn't ask you to change but it seems if we are to be together then I must." Tilting his head to the side of hers he navigated a safe path around some rocks and continued, "It is natural for me to be protective and I doubt that will ever change significantly but I believe with compromise and patience we can resolve any problems which arise."

The arm around his neck pulled back slightly but only enough for her hand to stroke the short hair on his neck, "We can discuss this later when we have more privacy."

He closed his eyes briefly to enjoy the soft tingling sensations her fingers were sending down his spine. "How am I to make sense of you Maria?"

"What now?"

"You punched me in the head."

"You left me in the woods."

"You left me to fight Molock's sons alone."

"You abducted me."

"You kicked me in the face."

"You stabbed me in the shoulder."

He laughed softly, "I didn't know you were you then so that can hardly be counted."

"Excuse me but I have a nice scar which would beg to differ."

"The night I left you in the woods I had a dream about that fight but in my dream I cut your throat."

Her hand instinctively covered the pale skin of her throat as she chuckled, "I bet you had mixed feelings about that."

Any trace of his earlier mirth was entirely gone as he shook his head and looked into the bluest eyes he had ever seen. "No."

She waited to see if he would elaborate but he never spoke another word just kept his eyes on the path ahead of them. "That's it just no?"

"I have absolutely no mixed feelings about the idea of killing you they are all negative."

Unsure how to react to the sudden intensity he had brought to the conversation she shifted in his arms and coughed before the smile returned to her face, "I too would struggle to find the bright side of that situation."

"And yet you went there expecting to die. Robert sent you to me to die in his place and you willingly complied."

"It was my idea to take his place no one sent me anywhere." Making one last attempt to see him smile she raised an eyebrow and said, "You almost sound as though you are jealous. Are you jealous assassin?"

Over the past few months he had learned he was in fact jealous of many aspects of her relationship with the former leader of the Templars but he could answer her question now without giving that away. "No. I want you to live with me not die for me."

For once lost for words she took a deep breath and hoped he never noticed how much his words had affected her. His eyes scanned her face noticing the smile she tried to hide and the colour in her cheeks but also taking in the small cuts and bruises, "Tell me how it is that you ended up on this hill with Templars."

Rolling her eyes she shook her head "Not now Altaïr let me rest my eyes."

His only response was to draw her body closer to his and keep on walking. Everything about being close to him was restful and comforting, his smell, the sounds of his breathing and feeling of his body next to hers. Although she never actually slept she did manage to achieve a peaceful state, drifting in and out of reality. At one point she inhaled deeply through her nose and smiled as her head nestled closer to his chest. She heard Stephen offering to carry her for a time and her body tensed.

"No she is resting it would be best not to disturb her now." He had absolutely no intention of letting her go. After all the hours of worry and searching to now have the woman in his arms was a blessing, one which he would not waste or share.

"I have a spare tunic in my bag we should get her out of those bloody clothes as soon as possible."

"Once we reach the horses she can change her clothes and we can find something to dress the stitches."

"I wonder what happened today. Why was she with that man?"

"She said she would tell us everything once she had rested."

"He put me in the dungeon with a bloody madman!"

Altaïr had known she was awake but Stephen was surprised with her sudden joining of the conversation. "Who did?"

Lifting her head she opened her eyes slowly hoping that the earlier headache wouldn't be lurking behind her eyelids waiting to strike again. "Your father, the man you believe would be willing to reach a peaceful solution."

Stephen moved directly in front of them blocking their path. "If he wanted you dead he would never have let you leave the fort alive are you quite sure it was his doing?"

"Well considering he stood in the doorway and told his men to kill me... yes I am fairly certain it was him."

"Tell me everything." His face was stony and Maria was not in the least surprised to see the veins in his neck stand out.

"I went to the fortress to find him and the bastards came up behind me and knocked me out." She spent the remainder of the journey to the horses going over the events of the day and explaining how she used their greed to get out of the prison. "They were almost sure I didn't have access to the apple but I knew they would follow even the slenderest of leads and once outside I had a fighting chance."

Stephen opened the bag hanging over his mounts back and pulled out a clean white tunic. "Put this on we will never get back into the city with you caked in blood." But his eyes never met hers as he tossed the clothes in her direction. "The sooner we get back the better."

Wincing as she lifted her arm to slide the long white robes over her head she tried to catch the eye of the young knight but he busied himself with his horse pretending not to notice.

"Here let me help." Reaching for the material he lowered it over her bloody clothes and tried hard not to react to the red cross which was now emblazoned across her chest. He killed almost every man he met wearing these robes and now here he was dressing an ally in them. Perhaps this was a sign of things to come? Any and all who would oppose oppression would be welcomed to join their fight regardless of their past, the only criteria would be they accept the tenants of the creed.

She saw his gaze linger on her chest and smirked, "Any other man looking at me like that would be beaten about the head and body for staring at my chest but you, my love probably don't even notice there are breasts beneath that cross."

With a deliberately slow pace he raked his eyes across her chest, "Trust me I noticed." She threw a half hearted slap at his head which he easily avoided with a step back. "Now you are properly attired shall we depart for Acre?"

She swept past him with her head high and her shoulders stiff "You are damn right I am properly attired, I earned these robes a long time ago."

He stayed silent when he helped her onto her horse and when she moved her mount ahead to catch up with Stephen he kept his animals pace slow gesturing to Tahir and Uilleam to the do that same. Maria and her friend had things to discuss and he wanted to them to have the chance to have that conversation before they reached Acre. Besides he had his own thoughts to sort through and the silence made that easier. She called him "My love" and despite the fact the words had rolled from her tongue with no fanfare they had touched the assassin to his very core.

The woman ahead of him wearing the robes of a Templar knight – robes which reached all the way to her feet – was everything he wanted from life. She was a kindred spirit and where other men might find her difficult he found her challenging and ultimately rewarding. In his experience all a man had to do to gain a wife was to make the appropriate deal with her family and the union would be assured but to have Maria as his wife...

His thoughts were interrupted by laughter from ahead. She was leaning in close to the knight and had one hand on the reins of his horse and he was faking pushing her from her saddle. Altaïr knew Maria had a lighter side, one which he struggled to understand but it always made him smile on the inside when he heard her laughter. The boy Tahir seemed to have a way with her and could charm her from the darkest of moods or climb onto her back during a brawl and not suffer her wrath for daring to interfere with her fury. He glanced to the boy beside him and wondered if he was aware of his true strength – his ability to accept people for who they are and not what they were. Even the girl he had fallen in love with was not "Of his ilk" and Altaïr was almost certain he had not given it more than a passing thought. To Tahir people were just people and he took them as he found them.

The day was coming to a close it would be early evening at best before they reached Acre but Altaïr would be paying a visit to the William Marshal today regardless of time or light. What he done to Maria was only part of it; the man was a Templar and would be ended with or without the support of the young man laughing with Maria.

Re-entering the city was far easier than it should have been, even allowing for being in the company of a ranking knight. The guards were all huddled together talking in low sombre voices and the streets were quiet – or more like deserted. Stephen dropped from his saddle and approached the men who should have been guarding the gates.

"What's going on here, where is everyone?"

The four men looked from one to the other waiting for one of them to find the courage to speak. This was Stephen Marshal the son of the man who had butchered almost 30 people only a few hours before and none of them were eager to test his reaction to the news. Selecting one of them he moved in closer, "Well, speak up."

The fair haired youth coughed and shifted from one foot to the other, "There, ah – there was some bother at the docks and people are afraid to come outside."

He chuckled as he imagined the people reacting to his father's heavy handed tactics but to be afraid to leave their homes... "Afraid of what exactly?"

"Sire your father killed them."

Stephen swallowed hard and the only word he could produce was a dry croak, "Them?"

"The protesters sire, them what couldn't get out of his way suffered his sword." The knight asked him to go into detail and the young man once more faltered. "Well I wasn't there myself but you know how word gets out? The men arrived and when the protesters challenged them with shouts the Lord Marshal drew his sword and had at them. From what I can understand at least 20 but like as not closer to 40 men, women and children all died."

He turned away from the soldiers feeling like they had just kicked him in the stomach. The assassin had been standing directly behind him and had heard every word of the encounter. "I can't believe that. I mean yes he is prone to over-reaction but to slaughter them where they stand... I just can't accept that."

"We shall go to the docks and investigate." Altaïr understood exactly how he felt. Not until he reached Masyaf and saw the people under the control of the apple had he been willing to believe that Al Mualim was not the man he thought.

"What of them?"

Maria came towards them nursing her side with her arm and Altaïr decided to keep it simple. "Something happened at the docks and we are going to look into it. Will you go with Tahir to the bureau and let Jabal look at your wound?"

The fact that he had asked her made her nod easier but Maria knew she was in no condition to go anywhere but bed. She stopped beside a pale looking Stephen and took his hand, "Remember what we spoke of my friend."

His half hearted smile halted her steps and she paused before him "What is it?"

His green eyes glittered with moisture as his potential reply stuck in his throat and made his chest contract, all at once he looked lost as though whatever he had learned had stolen his strength. Slinging a rough arm around her neck he drew her to him and dropped a kiss on her forehead, "You did earn those robes Maria but Robert would never have granted you them, you know that don't you?"

Nodding she found her own voice had abandoned her.

"I sent money to Warwick's family. One of my brothers was going home and they live in a village less than half a day from his castle. He assured me he would deliver them the gold and offer them a place on his estate."

The mention of her little friend brought the tears she felt jamming up her throat to her eyes and without her leave they spilled out onto her cheeks. "I had a similar notion but I was distracted." Swiping an aggressive forearm across her face she grunted, "We have lost much but now it's time to turn those losses into gains. Warwick, Ceana and Roland all died for something they didn't really understand and it falls on us to ensure their sacrifices were not in vain."

Having regained what he could of his composure he turned to the assassin "I'm ready when you are."

Maria grabbed at his sleeve "Wait. You are going to the docks to investigate a disturbance and nothing more? Because if I find out you are planning going against them without me..."

"There was trouble at the docks Maria and we need to get to the bottom of it. So other than following where that leads I give you my word we have no other plans." He hadn't lied to the best friend he had in the world and he was glad of that. The docks would lead them to William but if she knew that then wound or no wound she would crawl on her hands and knees to go with them.

Accepting the word of a man she knew held the code of chivalry above all things she gestured to Tahir and Uilleam to come to her. "Now we are back in the city there will be no more of that silly being carried nonsense. One of you boys can lend me an arm and let me lean on you it will be far more subtle."

Stephen smiled as he watched her disappear down a side street with Uilleam holding her arm and the novice chipping in little comments as she grumbled. "We should go now."

The journey to the docks was unnerving to say the least. Save for the odd spattering of guards there were no signs of life in the city. The Englishman kept his own counsel and not for the first time the assassin began to doubt his character. Being a good man under normal circumstances was simple enough but to do the right thing when it meant going up against someone you love was something else entirely. He wanted to speak to him to gauge his thoughts but what to say? How do you ask someone if they can turn their weapon on their kin? He doubted if the man could give an honest answer even to himself. Not until he stood face to face with him would he know for certain what he was capable of.

They passed through a gate closest to the sounds of the crowd they had heard earlier and it wasn't long before they saw firsthand what the guard had told them was true. Even in the fading light of day it was clear something terrible had happened here. There were dried pools of blood at various points as far as the eye could see and some of them had gulls sitting in them dipping their beaks in hoping to come up with some meat. A few of the bodies still remained unclaimed and a woman sat beside one of those holding the hand of a boy child.

"Was he your son?"

She looked dazed when she turned towards the strange voice speaking to her and her words came out in a distracted broken stream "No his mother is over there and his father is by the water but there is no one to come for them. Their daughter died from the plague and they had come here for answers but all they found was cruelty. They used to come to my stall to buy fruit and I know they need to be buried but I can't get them out of here alone and it felt wrong to leave the babe lying here for the birds to pick at."

Stephen dropped onto a crate behind her and looked around at the remnants of his father's work. "Could you order a few of the soldiers to help this woman?" He had to repeat the question before the knight gave any sign of having heard him and then they had to wait a few more seconds for it to filter past whatever horrors where clogging up his thought process.

"Soldiers? Yes of course I can. I will send some to you without delay." Taking to his feet he placed a hand on his forehead. "I need to go to the fortress and doubtless I will pass some men before long."

"You have seen enough to convince you?"

He grimaced at the neutral tone the assassin used. "I've seen more than I can bear."

Shoving past the guard who had tried to block his way inside the fortress Stephen growled "Get out of my way!"

"Sire your father is here and he asked us to take you to him the instant you returned but this man is a stranger and we are under orders to close the gates to all but our own."

Altaïr's left hand twitched slightly as he readied himself to dispatch of the man but there was no need. "He is with me and he too has an appointment with the Marshal. I'll answer for his being here." Brushing the man aside he entered the main courtyard and turned left to where the assassin knew Montferrat had kept his offices. "He will be somewhere down here hiding amongst the men."

No sooner where they around the corner than they were surrounded by more than 20 men and Altaïr counted at least 8 knights among their numbers. Far more accustomed to stealth and cunning than this all out full frontal assault the assassin felt oddly at ease. He had faced similar odds when he met with Robert at Arsuf and he wasn't afraid to fight them in this way.

"Father where are you?" His shouts echoed around the high walls of the fortress and resounded above their heads. "Come out here now and explain to me how it is you are the right man to follow."

All of the knights knew Stephen well and one in particular considered him a friend, it was he who tried to reason with the young man. "I know what happened at the docks was ugly but there is no reason to blame your father for it Stephen the people would not disperse." He swept a concerned eye over the scholar standing at his friends shoulder and nodded to his brothers to take note, scholars were not usually so well armed.

"Let him come forward Matthew I can speak for myself." The voice came from the wall above them and both men looked up to see William standing well out of reach and looking very comfortable for it. "You disappoint me boy. One bad day and you turn into a blubbering woman but that I can accept; I've grown used to your sensitivities but this!" He swept a hand in the direction of the assassin, "This I cannot forgive. What possible excuse can you offer for bringing this assassin to our door?"

"He owed you a visit Father I merely escorted him through the gates. Come down here and speak to me face to face."

The sky had darkened to an inky blue and the moonless night would have been pitch black were it not for the torches and braziers burning around them but William could clearly see the fury in his son's face and had no intention of facing it. "Matthew bring my son to me I can see he has been mislead and he needs to be properly instructed."

Matthew had been instructed to lead him into the keep and by fair means or foul get him locked up until he had cooled off but William had not anticipated his companion, his being here complicated things considerably. "I'm afraid I am not so forgiving of Robert's killer as you are and will have to insist he waits there for you while we parlez."

The men standing around his bristled when they learned his real identity and a few of them began to cat call at him. Stephen craned his neck to look at his father, "Do I have your word you will take no action until we have spoken?"

"My word is my bond dear boy. Come up here and speak with me the assassin will be there waiting for you when it's over."

Turning to him Stephen nodded before moving off behind Matthew to the steps which would lead him inside. The huge oak door swung open and the older man stepped aside, "After you."

Stephen smiled lowering his head to avoid the thick beam he ducked inside the fortress. The other man followed and Altaïr watched the door close behind them. "Now you have your son safely out of the way will you come down here and fight me like a man?"

"I will certainly begin making my way to you and if you are still alive when I get there then our swords shall indeed meet but I have my doubts that even one as skilled as you can match the men waiting to avenge the death of their beloved leader." He stepped back from the wall and uttered two more words before he vanished from sight, "Kill him."

The men moved as one to surround him but the assassin had faced such numbers before and knew better than to let them. Backing off toward a wall he kept his back and his left side as free from men as possible before he drew his sword and waited silently for the attack to commence. Two men whose gambeson's bore the emblem of the lion heart stepped forward and came at him. The assassin feigned left and swung right and in the same fluid movement drove his sword into the smaller man's abdomen while his wrist blade opened the veins of the others neck. Both men fell immediately and he stepped back to his original spot now knowing that bravest of them would come to him next and that they would offer more of a challenge.

Three knights stepped forward one of them offering curses and promises of great pain but the assassin maintained his silent observation. Two more soldiers joined the group and set about encircling him on a smaller scale and exposing him to attacks from any side. The assassin's feet moved with speed and grace as he met each of their advances with a counter move. The most important part of any sword fight was position and for him to allow them the upper hand would be fatal. One of the men faked a lunge but the assassin twitched and nothing more. At almost the same instant a man on his left aimed his broad sword directly for his head and had the assassin fallen for the fake attack it would have ended him. Instead he threw up his arm and blocked the blow with his vambrace kicking out at the same time he swiped the assailant's legs out from under him and embedded his blade in his spine as he fell. They came at him hard now three men moving in and he knew they would strike as one. Suddenly the door the knight had just entered flew open and Stephen came rushing out into the cold night air with his sword drawn and his mouth howling. The men closest to the assassin spun around to see what was happening behind them and he took full advantage of their stupidity. Moving forward he stabbed one in the lower back before moving in behind the man beside him and cutting a long deep line across his throat.

Risking a quick glance to the knight he saw the young man was fighting through the men from the other side and if they moved toward the centre to reach each other they would have a far better chance of getting out of this alive. Thrusting his hidden blade into the kidney of another of the men he drew his short blade and began spinning and lunging between them making it almost impossible for them to see him let alone strike him. With each twist of his body he would slice with his blade at the flesh of whatever man was unfortunate enough to be nearest to him and in this way he found himself next to Stephen with almost half of the men dead around them.

They stood back to back and moved in a circle keeping perfect time with the other. Not for one second were their enemies out of sight and any advance was met with a deadly strike from one of their blades. Five of them left now and the assassin knew the time was right to break free and fight them man to man but one of them shouted to the rooftops for the archers to strike and the assassin found himself having to skip left to avoid an arrow. "Stephen we need to get out of here now, go forward and bring down any man before you."

The knight turned to him with a surprised look on his face and the assassin followed his gaze to his chest. There was a hole in his robes with a dark wet stain spreading across the surface obliterating any sign of the cross which had once been there. "You go I can hold them off."

The door Stephen had come through once more opened and the older man flew into the courtyard taking a second to look around and get his bearings. "Fucking assassin just won't die well I'll make short –"his words cut off when his eyes saw what Altaïr had a moment before. "Stephen what are you going here?"

Another hail of arrows rained down on them and Stephen jerked back as though hit by a great force, Altaïr had to jump behind the shelter of a wall but he was too late. He felt the arrow pierce the flesh of back and bury itself deep within his body. He heard Marshall yelling and telling the men to stop aiming. "Not my boy you fucking idiots you were never told to harm him."

Sticking his head out from behind the wall he saw the young knight - still standing but only just – with his sword held aloft imploring the other men to attack and attack they did. He broke cover and closed the ground between them in a matter of seconds but he was still slower than the old Templar who lowered his head and charged head first into the group of his own men. "Bastards are too stupid to follow simple instructions!" He swung his sword with brutal disparity hitting any who he could reach and when Altaïr joined the attack the remainder of his men were killed in moments.

The archers stood for a second on the rooftops unsure of how to react to this unexpected turn of events but William Marshal was the most powerful man in the order and none of them had any desire to be called to account for what happened. Slowly and with as little fuss as possible the men backed away and left the three men alone in the centre of the yard.

Marshal moved past the assassin with total disregard and dropped to his knees beside his son. "You will be fine my boy, you come from good stock and will survive this."

"You killed them Father. They were helpless and you killed them." He was coughing and the assassin knew it hurt him to speak but he too would have spoken, would have sought the answers he wanted.

"It was the trinket my boy. It can't be held and that is why nobody uses it. We hide it away in the hopes of understanding it. I only held it for a short time and thought I would be safe but it seems I'm not as strong as I thought I was. It will be locked away again there was no real harm done."

Altaïr saw the look of disgust on the young man's face, "No harm done eh? They were only people just like those poor fools at Homs were. You think they live to serve you but the truth is it should be you serving them."

"No matter now there is nothing we can do. Richard is on Cyprus which means his physicians will be too we will go there and they will make you better."

Stephen groaned when his father tried to lift him, "Leave me to die with honour Father."

"There is no honour in death my boy only nothingness."

"What do you know of honour you abandoned all you held dear a long time ago." Shoving his father's hand aside he closed his eyes.

His chest was still moving and his eyes fluttered but the assassin knew he would be unlikely to survive his wounds. The big man lowered his head beside his sons and begged him to fight on. "He fought the thing he was most offended by and in the end that thing was you and all you stood for."

Moving towards the small doorway they had come through he heard the man call out after him. "You are just going to walk away? Do you have no plans to end me as you did the others?"

Without turning his head he replied "You ended yourself all that is left to you now is pain and I will not do you the kindness of sparing you all you have coming." His white robes disappeared into the dark night and the Englishman laughed bitterly because he knew there was truth in his words.

A/N More weak actions scenes I'm sorry I just can't do them. Oh and thank you pregnant anon I'll try to keep updating to distract you lol Let me know how it all turns out with the baby please 3