A.N: I'm already back with this fan-fiction, and people who know me probably wonder how is this possible – Jody14 never updates this fast. What happened: I intended to update a chapter before leaving for my weekend house without internet for a week. I failed to do so (I had like seven lines left, damn it...) and I finished the chapter at my weekend house, but then I decided to type it all in one go, so basically... I have all the chapters done and saved, I only need to re-read and re-check grammar and spelling before I post them. Thus, I give you the second part of 'Live with It', an Assassin's Creed fanfic. If you happen to come across any spelling or grammar mistakes I failed to notice, note me so I can fix them.
Enjoy the second chapter.
-Jody14
2. Friendship that Lasted
Altair had been lying on the cold stone floor of the cell for hours. Many would have passed out by now. But he has been holding onto his consciousness like his life depended on it.
It hurt. But pain is your friend.
If it hurts, you're still alive.
And he needed to stay alive. At least a while longer. He hadn't suffered enough yet. Nowhere near enough, to pay for all the misfortunes he had caused to those he held dear.
An hour passed. Two passed. Maybe even three or four.
Four hours and a half later, long after the sun went down he sensed footsteps.
He let out a small laugh.
Pain was on the way.
He didn't have to look up at the sound of the key in the padlock. He knew exactly who it was.
A hand landed on the back of his neck and forcefully dragged him up on his knees. Altair made no attempt to resist.
"Unbelievable, how did we ever have any trouble bringing you in, you little vermin… they captured you with ease, what is the trick?"
Altair gave no answer. Robert slammed him into the wall and Altair could feel a stream of blood trickling down the side of his head. Five more times pain rang through his head and he felt like it's going to split in half.
"Talk, you damn heretic dog."
And after a while Altair finally spoke. He was wondering how was he even still awake, let alone how is he still capable of coherent thought due to the splitting headache. Even so he let out a silent whisper through the pain.
"There is no trick."
Robert's knee slammed into his ribs. Altair didn't let out a sound when he pushed him back to the ground. Robert's soft laugh made it clear that he was nowhere near finished.
"There is always a trick with you. You are cold, heartless creatures, only waiting for the right moment to strike. Do you really think I can be taken in by your lies?"
His foot landed on top of Altair's head and pushed him down.
"Tell me, what's the catch."
"There is none."
Robert moved his foot away and landed a kick aimed at Altair's ribs that send him rolling a couple of feet away from him. He grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him back up again.
"Quite stubborn, are we not? Alright then. I will play your little game, Assassin. I wonder if there is anything human still left in you."
Altair shuddered. He had a bad feeling that he knew what was coming. Robert glanced to the guards.
"Hold him."
He made no attempt to fight back when two guards twisted his arms and held him down on his knees in front of Robert. For a while Robert didn't move. He just watched the captured Eagle with the cruellest of smiles.
"Let me tell you a short story."
He slowly buried his hand into Altair's hair and pushed his head down, forcing him to bow.
"It's a story of the boy who wanted to play hero in Solomon's Temple."
Robert felt Altair shiver again. He let out a soft laugh and kept playing with his hair.
"You thought I did not know? Clearly you are the same Assassin that led that small expedition to find the treasure in Solomon's Temple. The same one who wished to battle me face to face in his stupidity and arrogance."
Altair gave no response.
"Let us continue the story, shall we?"
Robert pushed his head further down.
"Two more accompanied the brat. Both of them young and foolish, both of them blind. One blinded by rules, believing his friend would not dare break them. The other blinded by his leader's glory and talent. Neither of them thought for a moment, that he would soon run with his tail between his legs. But after a failed assassination attempt when he found himself all alone on the other side of the debris… what was he to do? He found no way back. So like a little lapdog he was, he returned to Masyaf, running to his master with feelings of guilt and news that they have failed in their task. But in the due time, the other two fought a losing battle of live or die…"
Altair winced. He never found out what really happened, after he had left Malik and Kadar behind. Partly because Malik never spoke of it. Partly because he was too afraid to find out.
"They were trapped, just like rats before the flood. The younger one, Kadar, insisted that they fight. Brave, but stupid. The older one, Malik, tried to convince him to stay back. Wise, but hopeless. The fight broke out and at some point in the heat of battle, the Apple was dropped and it rolled away. It would have disappeared amongst the debris, had it not been for Malik. He was the one who prevented it from being lost forever. He threw himself to the ground and caught it with his left, before anyone else cold act. Quite a brave child, I'll give him that. But I was not going to let him keep the Apple. So I stepped on his wrist and pinned it down…"
Altair started shaking. He could barely hold back the tears. He knew full well what was going to happen.
"…I raised my sword. The boy knew what I was going to do. Even so, he never dropped the artefact. Even while screaming in pain, with his arm bloodied and torn to pieces, he never let go of the Apple. I would have killed him, slowly and painfully, had it not been for his little brother. The little rat jumped at me from behind and tried to stab me with his short blade. He was easy enough to handle, a blow to the head was enough to shake him off. But that gave Malik enough time to pull out his own knife and stab my foot. The wound was not deep enough to keep me from fighting, but he did force me to step off his wrist."
"Stop it…"
"Oh, but this is not all, you rat. Let me finish the story, will you?"
Robert grinned.
"The boy had no real experience. Still such a child, such a dreamer. It was clear this was one of his first serious assignments. That did not keep me from pulling my punches though. It took less than a minute to bring him down, while one of my guards made sure to handle the other vermin. His left arm was useless, so it was easy to keep him down on his knees. As soon as I was done with the boy I ordered the second guard to hold him still. Then I turned back to Malik and I gave him a choice. He could have given me the Apple, and I would have let the boy live. He was hesitant at first. I could tell his loyalties were wavering. He would have given anything to save his little brother, damn all the treasures of this world. I would have convinced him to hand it over too. Had it not been for Kadar. That stupid, stupid boy ruined everything."
A cruel smile danced on Robert's lips when he leaned closer and silently whispered.
"Don't give it to him, Malik. Altair will come back to help you, I'm sure he will."
And Altair finally broke down and let out a choked sob.
"He was so convinced his hero would come back to save them. But we all know heroes don't exist. You know it best, do you not, Altair? I had no other option but to prove him that his hero is not coming back. I gave Malik one more chance. I did not have to look back over my shoulder to know that Kadar shook his head. We all knew Malik was not going to hand it over after all that. So I ordered the guard to hold Malik's head up. I forced him to watch me slowly tear his little brother to pieces in front of him. Their screams kept echoing from the temple's walls. By the time I was done with him, the boy was long dead and Malik was broken. Yet, we still underestimated him then. We thought he'd give up, that he'd have lost the will to fight. The guard was not careful enough. And when I walked up to Malik to kill him, he broke free and managed to kill two of my guards with only his right arm functional and only his short blade at his disposal. He would have attacked me, if his survival instincts hadn't kicked in. He knew he could not fight me face to face, not injured like that. So the little rat ran, still holding on to the Apple and mourning the loss of his brother. He was so confused, in so much shock. Following him to Masyaf was easy."
Robert pulled Altair's head up. Tears were slowly trickling down Assassin's cheeks and landing on the cold stone floor.
"Well, well. So you do have a heart after all."
Robert dragged him to his feet and pulled him close, his hand still buried in his hair. He slowly leaned closer, so his lips almost touched the Assassin's ear and silently whispered.
"It would be only fair for you to at least share a part of their pain, would it not, Altair?"
He pulled out a dagger and reached his hand behind Altair's back. The tip of the blade touched the back of his neck and Altair could feel it travel all the way down his spine. He knew Robert would not kill him. Not yet. Altair wished that he would. If what Robert said was true, then there was no way he could ever make amends. Nothing, even his death would not repair all the harm he had caused with his arrogance.
He silently hissed.
"Then why not just kill me already?"
Robert chuckled.
"Death will come too eventually, Altair. Now, it is still too early."
The blade pierced through Altair's back. And this time, he screamed. It hurt. It hurt so much, but it hurt so much more knowing that what he felt was not even half the pain Kadar and Malik were put through. Robert smirked. It was easy for a broken man to let go of his pride. He pulled the dagger out and stabbed again.
"Yes. Scream. Scream, like that pair of brats did, after you abandoned them in the temple."
The dagger was pulled out again and master assassin's screams turned into silent broken sobbing. Three more times he winced in pain, as the blade was stabbed into his back. And then, finally, the pain ended. Robert pushed his motionless body away.
"We're done."
The guards let go of Altair's arms and let him fall to the floor, barely alive. The last thing he heard was Robert's cold soft laughter.
"No worries. The wounds are not deep enough to kill you just yet. I will see you again in the morning. I will take the time to come see you draw your last breath."
"Why would we even go and try to save him? He has been a thorn in everyone's side, ever since that failed mission in Solomon's Temple. A mission he led. After all…"
The apprentice's eyes flickered to Malik.
"…you have lost much in that mission, have you not, master Malik? You know better than anyone that everything that happened that day was his fault. Why would we risk our lives for his?"
"He is right. I am surprised he hadn't yet taken his life out of shame. After all, he has no place in the Order anymore. Anyone who knows what happened back at the temple resents him. Out of all people, you should be the one to resent him the most, Malik. Trust me. Someone like him is better off dead."
Malik clenched and unclenched his fist. He was afraid that he would not get much support when asking the informers to help Altair.
"Really, why would we help him? Why would anyone? He always thought himself superior and outside the rules of the Creed. What is it that makes you want to help him?"
Malik stared at the wooden surface of his counter, half in trance. Did he never notice before, how cruel the words meant for Altair spoken by their brothers were? Or did he think them mild, just because he silently agreed with them? He was their brother. The Order was meant to look out for everyone, not leave someone behind on a whim. They were meant to stick together, through good and bad. Vaguely he remembered, how he demanded that Altair die in return for Kadar's life. He pushed the memory away. That was Malik back then. That Malik was long gone.
He ran his hand across his face again. This same morning he had spoken the same words the five apprentices were now. Now he wished he could take it all back. But it was far too late. The mistake was his, and now there was nothing else to do but to face it and try to fix it, just like Altair was trying to fix his own.
"Because he is my brother. Our brother."
"He never bothered to uphold the tenants of the Creed when others' lives were on the line. So why would they suddenly be so important when his is?"
Before the younger apprentice knew it he was hanging in mid-air, Malik lifting him up by his collar.
"Altair Ibn La'Ahad is doing his best to change. He's trying, he's trying so hard to gain back your respect and trust, but all of you just keep clinging to his mistakes, like his attempts and hard work are worth nothing compared to what he did. He's going to break under all this pressure, why doesn't anyone notice… why didn't I notice…"
The rest of the apprentices shared a glance. Finally one of them mustered up the courage.
"Well… our complaints aside, you are still the dai, master Malik. What you say goes. But that does not mean we have to like it in the slightest. What was your plan?"
Malik smiled and let go of the terrified apprentice.
"The only thing I am asking for is a diversion. Five minutes is all I need."
The informers once again shared a look.
"Understood."
"I will give you the signal. As soon as that happens, do everything you can to keep the attention averted from the execution stage. Leave the rest to me."
The five of them nodded. Malik smiled.
They will not fail. He will make sure of that.
Altair didn't respond when they dragged him to his feet and led him all the way to the execution stage. He didn't let out a sound when they pinned him to the wooden pole and tied his wrists behind his back.
The crowd was already gathering. So this was it then. He had about an hour left. He didn't even flinch to acknowledge the presence of Majd Addin when he appeared, forcefully pulled up his head and whispered how he will enjoy killing him. His eyes gave out nothing when he noticed Robert standing somewhere among the crowd.
There were so many people. Slowly he scanned the crowd. There had to be more than a hundred.
Majd Addin started his speech. Altair was too worn out to follow. He caught a word or two here and there. For a moment he wondered if Malik was here too. Does he think it fair for him to end up like this? Is he glad he did? He must be, after all he told him he should have died in Kadar's place. Altair couldn't do that anymore, even though he gladly would. Even his death won't be enough to repay the debts he owed.
Then he suddenly focused. His eyes weren't deceiving him, were they?
He really was here. Waiting with the rest of them for him to be put to death. However compared to the rest of the bloodthirsty crowd, he was anxious. Nervous. His eyes occasionally glanced to the nearby roofs. Then they finally glued to Altair. For a while, neither of them averted their eyes. And then, all of the sudden Altair smiled. He was hoping this smile could convey everything he felt. Mixture of loyalty towards his closest friend, guilt, and most of all a final plea for Malik to forgive him, at least before he died.
Majd Addin's speech came to an end. He turned back to Altair, slowly put the tip of his sword to his throat and forced him to lift his chin.
"No worries. I will make sure you die as slowly and painfully as possible."
Malik stared into space. He expected for Altair to be in bad shape, before they finish him off. But he never expected this much. His robes were drenched in blood. He was pale, worn out to the point of barely standing. His eyes were empty. They only sparkled alive, when their glances locked. And then, that smile. That accursed apologetic smile. The same smile Kadar gave him whenever Malik caught him doing something he shouldn't be doing. The same smile he shot him over Robert's shoulder, just before he died.
He snapped back to reality just in time to see Majd Addin lift his sword. With the speed and accuracy that lived up to his former rank as an Assassin he pulled the throwing knife out of his sleeve and threw it. With a thud the blade sank into the back of Majd Addin's head. He was dead in an instant. The panic rose among the crowd. Altair's head remained lowered. It was like he didn't even sense the commotion, or he simply didn't have the strength left to show that he did. Malik took a look around. As soon as his knife was thrown, five apprentices jumped off the surrounding roofs and started causing confusion among the guards. The giant crowd trying to get to safety in panic made the chaos complete.
Malik climbed to the stage. Altair's only sign that he was aware someone else's presence was a slight flinch. He didn't lift his head to see who it was. He still expected to die. But then someone cut the ropes on his wrists. Altair was in no state to stand. He would have collapsed had it not been for a hand grabbing tight onto the back of his robes.
"Walk."
Someone silently whispered a short order. Altair moved, as fast as he could, but he could barely keep himself up. The only thing that kept him standing was a hand on his back, gently pushing him forward.
"Altair, walk…"
He was trying, he really was. But only a few steps later he collapsed.
"Come on… I can't possibly hold you up with only one arm, you novice… at least put your arm around my shoulders, if you can't walk. Focus."
Altair slowly lifted his left and wrapped his arm around his saviour's shoulders. And true enough, he felt a stump on his left. A missing arm.
Malik.
Malik, Malik, Malik…
His beloved brother he thought was forever out of his reach.
Malik carefully wrapped his arm around his waist and tried to hold him up as best as he could. They had to reach the bureau. Altair collapsed two more times on the way, and almost dragged him down with him. But even with this slow progress, the rattle of swords eventually quieted down. Malik sighed. They got away.
What he didn't know was that Robert's eyes landed on them just before they turned away from the execution plaza into a dark alley. He leaned to the nearby guard and whispered a few short words.
Malik's eyes slowly scanned the familiar alley. They weren't far from the bureau now.
"Come on, Altair… It's just a few more corners, keep going."
Altair's legs finally gave in and he collapsed. This time, he didn't get up again.
"You damn novice… come on, Altair, get up!"
Malik leaned him with his back to the wall. He was panicked by Altair's shallow breathing. If there was any colour left on his face it drained away long ago and his sweaty hair was sticking to his forehead.
His eyes were closed.
"Hey. Novice. Look at me, please."
Malik gently slapped his cheek.
"Don't do this to me, Altair, please, don't do this…"
Altair's eyes fluttered open for a moment. They closed again.
"Stay awake, you idiot…"
Malik suddenly sensed a shadow slowly looming over them. Instinctively he leaned closer to Altair to protect his body from further harm with his own, expecting a guard's sword to come down on them both. But there was none. He turned his head.
"Master Malik?"
Raheem. The boy who informed him of Altair's unfortunate fate. Thank God. Malik let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"You've frightened me, little brother."
"I… I am sorry, master Malik."
"Forget about it. Please, you have to help me get him to the bureau… if we don't, he's done for…"
The boy nodded. Malik was grateful that Raheem always acted with respect and never questioned his orders, unlike most of the other apprentices. He was also one of the few people whose eyes didn't glance at Altair with disdain. Maybe there was still some hope for Altair's lost honour. The boy carefully took Altair's left arm and pulled it over his own shoulders, while Malik did the same with his right. Raheem wrapped his right around Altair's waist to keep most of his weight on him, knowing that the dai won't be able to support Altair's full weight without his left arm.
Malik hated being treated like a cripple, but right now he thanked every God in existence for Raheem's kindness. He knew full well where his limits were and he knew he wouldn't be able to carry passed out Altair on his own.
Together, they managed to drag him all the way to the bureau.
"Try to get him in. I'd gladly help you, but right now I need my right arm to climb on my own. I will be right behind you, just in case. I promise."
Raheem nodded and lifted Altair on his back. Malik was worried. The boy was only fourteen, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to carry Altair's weight around. Yet, Raheem managed to carry Altair all the way up the ladder to the top of the bureau. The trouble came with the drop. As they landed, Raheem's legs gave out underneath Altair's weight and they both toppled over.
"Are you alright?"
Malik dropped into the bureau to help the boy up. Raheem stood up, lifting Altair up with him and nodded.
"Come on. Help me get him inside."
Malik pulled Altair's right arm over his shoulders again. They carried him into the bureau and through the small passage hidden by a tapestry, leading to the sleeping quarters. They helped Altair all the way to the bed and lifted him onto it. The master assassin winced and barely kept himself from screaming in pain. Malik turned back to Raheem.
"Go and get me some bandages from behind the counter, boy."
Raheem gave a quick bow and ran back to the bureau. Altair growled and clenched his teeth in pain. Malik gently laid his hand on his forehead.
"Hang in there, novice. You'll be alright."
Altair's blurry eyes fluttered open for a moment. He looked over to Malik and smiled.
"I… I never thought you would…"
Malik returned a soft smile.
"Neither did I."
He leaned closer to Altair and gently leaned his forehead to his brother's, like they used to do when they were kids.
"But lucky for you, I remembered in time… that brothers never leave their brothers behind."
Altair winced. Malik felt his whole body shivering. He was obviously trying to hold back tears. Then he slowly lifted his arms, wrapped them around Malik's neck and pulled him into an embrace so tight Malik could barely breathe. It felt as if the world would shatter down around him if he dared to let go. Then he sobbed and finally broke down. He buried his face into Malik's shoulder and just cried. Malik slowly lifted his arm and patted his back. He was unsure of what to say.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"
Malik gently buried his hand into Altair's hair and pulled him closer.
"Altair, calm down. It's alright. I have forgiven you. I have forgiven you a long time ago."
If that was possible, Altair clung to him even harder. Malik sensed Raheem walk in with bandages, however when he noticed the emotional state Altair was in he respectfully left the medical supplies on the table near the entrance and gave them some privacy, so Malik could deal with Altair in peace.
"He… he told me… Robert de Sable…"
This time it was Malik's turn to flinch. He knew right off the bat something was amiss. Altair could not be broken by physical pain. No matter how much they hurt him, Altair again and again brushed it off as if it was nothing. More than once he dragged himself back to the bureau with wounds so severe they could take any lesser man down, and he never even whimpered. He could go through tortures, unlike anything anyone had ever seen, and still he would not break. They could never break Altair with blows only. However…
Cold glances, rumours behind his back, heartless hateful words. All of it was slowly piling up on Altair's shoulders. He was strong to hold out for as long as he did, but after almost a year the pain was almost unbearable. The feelings of guilt were too much, even for him. Kadar's death hit him and it hit him hard, maybe harder than anyone else and Malik was too caught up in his own grief to notice it before. Altair had been holding his remorse all to himself ever since that day, because he felt he was not deserving of anyone's comfort. He only grieved Kadar's death in private and it was killing him. If Robert really told him what truly happened bellow the temple that day, then that was the final blow to make sure that the master assassin would stay down, emotionally broken.
"Is it… is it true what he said… did he really…"
"Did he what?"
Malik hugged him tighter. Altair was shaking all over and Malik had no doubt Robert revealed the secret that has been tormenting Altair for the past year. He wouldn't put it past him. He knew he liked to torture his victims in the worst possible way.
"He said… he said that… that he killed him slowly and painfully… he said that he… he forced you to watch as he slowly tore him to pieces… he said he had said my name before he died… Malik please, please I need to know the truth…"
Malik's heart was pounding. By now, he was shaking too. He took a deep breath to calm down and buried his face in Altair's shoulder. He knew he needed to lie. But he also knew Altair would know if he did. He took too long to answer. He had to tell him the truth, he owed this much to him.
"Yes. It was all true. He did not lie."
Altair broke down into tears again. Malik gently rubbed his back. He was afraid Altair might never fly again. The Eagle's wings were already broken. Robert might have managed to tear them apart and cause irreparable damage. And right now, Malik knew he was not allowed to let him go. Altair needed him, more than ever. So he kept holding onto his beloved brother and whispered soft words of comfort.
"Maybe I should have died… maybe you should have left me and let Majd Addin torture me before he kills me…"
Malik gently smacked the back of his head.
"Do not say that again, novice. Ever."
He kept holding him for about half an hour. When Altair finally calmed down he whispered.
"Take your robes off. We need to take care of your wounds."
When he moved away, Altair's arms slowly slipped off his body. He was staring in front of him with a blank stare, unresponsive. Malik gently slapped his forehead.
"Now, novice."
When Altair still gave no response Malik removed his hood and pulled his robes off his shoulders, to reveal his body. He carefully scanned it, looking for injuries. Altair was bruised everywhere. Malik gently laid his hand on his chest to check for broken ribs. Altair winced in pain.
"Stay still."
Malik carefully ran his hand down Altair's chest.
"One… two… two. No, three broken ribs."
Altair's arms were covered in bruises as well, and Malik was not going to lose words on his clearly broken leg. He gently laid his hand on his brother's cheek as his eyes landed on an ugly wound on the side of his head.
"Broken leg… quite obviously he tried to crack your skull open too… what did he do to you, Altair?"
Altair remained as quiet as before. Malik carefully turned him around. There was blood on the back of Altair's robes, so he expected wounds there too. But when what he saw sank in he gasped. He expected wounds, yes. Due to the fact that Altair's robes were literally drenched in blood he expected heavy wounds too. But still he was not prepared for something like this.
"Five stab wounds."
He carefully pulled Altair close.
"I'll be back in a moment. Do not move. You've lost too much blood for us to risk it. You're not bleeding right now, but if you reopen those wounds… if you lose any more blood, it could be fatal. So make sure you don't move a muscle until I get back. Is that clear?"
Altair managed a barely visible nod. He felt too tired to move anyway. Malik turned away and walked back to the living quarters. Raheem was patiently sitting on the pillows outside. He turned his head as soon as he heard the dai return. He got up and walked into the bureau, giving a respectful bow.
"Will master Altair be alright, master Malik?"
Malik was once again taken aback by the boy's manners. Half the older assassins never showed him this much respect.
"I cannot say for certain, but I think he should be fine. Would you bring in some water for me? We cannot risk the wounds getting infected."
The boy nodded and bowed again, took the clay bowl and ran to the small fountain outside the bureau, to fill it with water. Then he made his way to the sleeping quarters. As soon as he realized Altair was awake he blushed with a deep shade of red, set the water to the table next to the bandages he brought in earlier and gave a deep respectful bow.
"Sa… safety and peace, master Altair."
The boy's voice finally snapped Altair out of his trance. He lifted his head to look at the boy.
"Safety and peace, little brother."
The boy lifted his head. Altair was giving him a tired but kind smile. He beckoned to him to come closer. Raheem slowly walked over to him, sat down on the side his bed and nervously looked down at his own feet. Altair slowly laid his hand on top of the boy's head to gently stroke his hair. The boy blushed even more and carefully looked up at Altair.
"You are quite brave, little brother. Malik must have had some trouble carrying me all the way here. I do not think he could have done it all by himself. You must have helped him. Thank you for everything."
Malik walked in and rolled his eyes.
"I told you not to move, Altair! Do not test my patience."
He sat down, put the bowl filled with water on his lap, wet the rag he brought with him and gently pressed it to the side of Altair's head.
"I'm sorry, but this will hurt a bit."
Altair's body tensed up as Malik carefully cleaned the wound on his head. About a minute later he pushed his hair off his forehead to check the damage.
"It is not as bad as it seemed. It still looks pretty bad though."
He sighed.
"What exactly did he do to you, Altair?"
Altair averted his eyes.
"It… it does not matter."
"Yes, it matters!"
Altair sighed.
"Slammed my head into a wall a couple of times. Five, six… I do not recall."
Malik pinched the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath and counted to ten to calm down.
"How are you even still alive? Injuries like that would bring almost anyone to the brink of death. I am surprised your skull is still intact. Must be the hardest skull on the planet… Here, hold this for me."
Malik handed him the bandage and Altair carefully pressed it to his forehead to help Malik bandage his head. Then he gently turned Altair around to check on the stab wounds. He knew that contact with water would be painful as hell, but he couldn't risk an infection. Any further harm to Altair's body – be it fever, further blood loss, infection, any new wounds or any more pain – could put him down for good.
"These will hurt a lot, Altair. Are you ready?"
"Just get it over with."
Altair's clenched his teeth in pain as Malik washed the blood off his back as carefully as possible. The dai knew what he was doing, and Altair trusted Malik completely. He knew he would try to tend to him with as little pain as possible. But sometimes he simply couldn't prevent it. Sometimes it just had to hurt, if he was to prevent further pain. Altair was clenching and unclenching his fists to distract himself from the pain and occasionally bit down on his lower lip to keep himself from screaming. Malik could feel Altair's body tense up every time he ran wet fabric over the wound, no matter how careful he was. When he finished he frowned.
The skin around the wounds had already turned slightly red. A sign of a slight infection. If they left it as it was much longer, it could have gotten ugly. Really, Altair was an idiot, but at least he was a lucky idiot. He turned back to Raheem, who gave him the space to work and was now waiting by the passageway.
"Raheem, I will need your help here."
The boy nodded and joined them immediately. Malik gave him a quick lecture on dressing the wounds. Raheem was a quick learner and picked up on it fast. He helped Malik bandage Altair's body, making sure that the bandages were neither too tight nor too loose. Altair's teeth remained clenched until they were done.
Eventually, Malik sighed.
"And this is it."
He turned to Raheem and gently patted his head.
"You've done an outstanding job, little brother."
The boy blushed, smiled and bowed.
"Thank you, master Malik."
"Take a rest."
Raheem nodded and left for the outside of the bureau. Malik turned back to Altair. To his surprise, the idiotic novice was laughing. It was a weak laugh, but it was coming from the heart.
"Damn it, novice, I take my eyes off of you for less than a couple of seconds, and you are already causing me trouble."
He rolled his eyes and slapped Altair's forehead.
"You are in no place to be laughing."
A sharp sting in his ribcage reminded Altair just how serious his injuries were. On top of that, he was growing tired, and fast. His eyes started to close on their own. He silently whispered.
"I was just thinking… it seems like you developed a soft spot for him…"
"Maybe. There is someone he reminds me of."
Malik gently pushed him back down and pressed his forehead to Altair's.
"Rest, Altair."
"Yes…"
Altair silently muttered, already half asleep.
"Thank you for everything, brother…"
Malik sat by his side for a while, watching over him as he slept. He gently pushed his hair off his forehead.
"Sleep well."
He got up and walked back to the bureau. It was almost midday already. Malik pulled out a piece of parchment, ink and quill and started working on his half-finished map. He had to at least try to catch up on his work.
A couple of hours later, the five informers dropped by muttering curses under their breaths.
"Safety and peace, brothers. I see you managed to lose the guards."
Malik smiled.
"Was the mission at least successful, dai?"
Malik nodded.
"Very successful."
Raheem watched five annoyed informers leave the bureau to rest outside from afar. He had never seen the older assassins act this disrespectfully to a brother. And the dai of Jerusalem, no less. Malik, however, was well used to it.
"Do they… do they dislike master Altair, master Malik?"
"I think 'dislike' is too mild a word."
"Oh."
Saddened, Raheem lowered his eyes. A short while later he looked at Malik again.
"Why not, master Malik?"
Malik sighed and put away his quill. He looked over to the five apprentices, carefully choosing his words.
"Altair… Altair had made some mistakes, that's all. But those mistakes had cost the Order a lot. Many lost their loved ones that day, and… even though he had been punished for his recklessness, many still detest him."
"Oh."
Raheem looked at his feet again.
"I think that's a pity. Master Altair is strong and brave and… and most of all, he is a good person."
"Yes… I too think it's a pity."
Malik lost himself in thought. Altair. Loved by few, but respected by many. Rare were the people who caught a glimpse of the real Altair, hidden behind the walls of arrogance he had built around himself over the years. He rarely showed his kind and caring side. To a few carefully selected people too. Even Malik, who believed himself close to him, had only seen that side in a few moments of weakness when Altair dared to lower his guard. A few hours ago, Malik would have answered without a delay that he hated Altair. But at the same time…
For a while now, he felt that Altair was trying his very best to change. The moment Altair asked him for his forgiveness Malik understood, that Altair was willing to take the leap for him. But he wasn't ready to catch him yet. It was way too soon for him.
The fact that he didn't even try to break his fall could have ended badly. Right now, he was just glad that Altair was alive and well.
Later that evening, the informers came in to say their goodbyes before they left. In the meantime, Raheem returned to the sleeping quarters, saying he would watch over Altair. Malik knew he was just trying to avoid the apprentices. He couldn't really blame him, considering how different they were.
About an hour later, he went to check on Altair himself. Raheem was still sitting by Altair's feet, barely still keeping his eyes open. Malik sat down next to him.
"Get some rest, child. You have a long day behind you. I'll take over from here."
The boy shook his head.
"I… I can stay awake, really…"
Malik smiled when Raheem's head leaned on his shoulder barely a minute later. He carefully laid him down and let him lean his head onto his lap.
"Sleep well, little brother."
He reminded him of Kadar so much. His curiosity, his determination… and most of all the amount of kindness he treated the people around him with. His only wish was for the boy not to end up the way Kadar did – his life torn away from him before it even really started.
"Master Malik…"
Raheem buried his face into his lap and cuddled closer to him in his sleep. Malik slowly lifted his hand and gently stroked the boy's hair. Then he turned his full attention back to Altair. His shallow breathing was worrisome. Occasionally he let out a silent sob. Malik laid his hand on his forehead.
Slight fever.
He was hoping it would subside. Whatever went wrong, it was not allowed to get any worse, or this could be it for Altair. He reached for the bowl with fresh water he had ready, in case Altair's wounds started bleeding again. He gently pressed wet rag to his forehead. Altair's breathing slowed down a bit. Then he silently whispered.
"Kadar… Kadar, I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
Malik moved his hand away, leaned closer to him and pressed his lips to his forehead instead.
"It is alright, Altair… you've been forgiven…"
He wrapped his remaining arm tight around him. Altair sobbed, lifted his arms and wrapped them around his neck.
"You'll be alright."
Malik stayed like this, hugging him for a while. Then he moved away, watching his brother and feeling uneasy. He had a bad feeling something was about to go wrong. He carefully placed a dagger under Altair's pillow, just in case. Then he gently placed a wet rag back to his forehead to keep the fever at bay. He stayed like this, until Altair's breathing was back to normal. He stayed awake by his side for a couple of hours, before he drifted to sleep himself.
A.N: The fact that I didn't have any good spots to end this chapter until now and that it came out longer than I expected aside, I'm happy with how it turned out.
When writing fanfics, I avoid coming up with original characters, for two simple reasons: first is, that I do not see original character for existing fandom to be really original. Second reason is pretty simple – I suck at naming my characters. Raheem was originally planned to be only a novice that would inform Malik about unfortunate turn of events, so he didn't have a name until me recently finishing the fanfic in my notebook and figuring out that Raheem's role turned out to be way bigger than I expected. So he needed a name. According to the site where I picked the name up, 'Raheem' is supposed to mean 'merciful' and this is the name that appealed to me the most out of the three (Zahir, meaning 'protector', Saleem, meaning 'safety' and Raheem, meaning 'merciful'). I needed his name to convey his character – a kind boy who is one of the rare members of the Order showing mercy to Altair and not constantly reminding him of his past mistakes, like many others would. The five apprentices don't get names, because they don't show up after this chapter anymore, and because, well... I've had trouble picking one name, how much trouble do you think I'd have picking five?
Also... does anyone know where in the world Malik sleeps? Unless I am mistaken, and he really sleeps somewhere else (or doesn't sleep at all) his bureau looks bigger from the outside than it is on the inside, and the only way I can explain this is that he has a hidden room where injured Assassins can hide to recover... somewhere. He's hiding things from me, I know it. I'll find a bed in your bureau, Malik, even if I have to overturn every table to find out where it's hidden...
All that said, I rechecked... three times for grammar and spelling mistakes, so there shouldn't be any left. If there are, feel free to tell me and I'll be glad to fix it.