Okay, I just got back from my vacation yesterday and I'm ready to write up another chapter. But before I begin I want to thank everyone who has sent me their ideas for Altair's ability so far. I really really appreciate it and it has helped a lot so far, but I'd still like more ideas! The more the merrier! PM me please!

Sadly, I don't own any of the Assassin's Creed games or characters. I just own my OCs.

ONWARD!

Chapter 11: Brothers Fight

There was a very awkward silence as we walked in total silence down the hall towards our rooms to pack. If I were an actual hawk I would be so puffed up right now it wouldn't be funny. My emotions were so chaotic I almost wished I'd learned to crush my emotions instead of hide them. Almost. I'd never give up my heart.

I tuned my ears to the sound of people nearby as we walked before coming to a stop when I heard nothing.

For as many people who inhabited the castle there were a lot of places not a lot of people walked through frequently. Everybody mostly stayed in the village, courtyard, library, and gardens. It was only when the sun had set that our Brothers traveled through these halls to their rooms.

Altair took two steps before realizing I wasn't with him anymore. He turned to see what was halting me when I asked the question that had been bugging me ever since I'd healed him. "Do you hate me?"

Altair's head came up and I saw his eye brows crinkle in confusion. "Why would I hate you, Shahin?"

I blinked in surprise. Shouldn't he know? Wasn't it obvious why he should hate me? "I didn't even try to stop your punishment," I replied softly, looking down at his boots. "I just stood there and let you get stabbed."

The man shook his head and took a hesitant step closer, as if he didn't really know what to do. "What could you have done?" he questioned. I noted that he didn't demand it like he would've done so a week ago. "Nothing," he answered for me, taking another step closer until he was right I front of me. After a pause his hand lifted and rested on my shoulder.

I realized suddenly why he was hesitating and unsure of himself. He was trying to comfort me like in the forest, but while he had time then to think he had none here. I felt that warmth in my chest again and I was beginning to get used to its brief flashes and stays.

I nodded in agreement to his statement. There had been nothing I could do until after he had fallen, and then I'd stepped in to help him when I was needed. Even if I did do it unintentionally, I still came through. The fact that I did heal him eased my guilt a little bit, but the irrational part of me said that I could've done something, talked to Al Mualim or something else. It was scary to think that Altair was supposed to be dead right now. If it hadn't been for me his heart would still be silent and I wouldn't know that I could heal.

Altair's hand left my shoulder and we began walking again. I asked the next question that came to mind after a hesitation, thinking he would be bothered by my questions. "Did Al Mualim tell you how you were still alive?"

Altair shook his head, "He didn't give me any details. Only told me that I saw what he wanted me to see, but I don't understand. I felt the knife go into my chest. I have the scar. How can I live from a wound like that?"

"You don't," I answered before I thought better of it.

He looked at my hooded face before asking, "Did you see how I lived?"

I debated whether I should tell him about my healing, or at least the golden light that everyone saw. But if I did Altair would lose faith in Al Mualim since he would know that the Master had really intended to kill him and would be much more reluctant to follow his orders. He would always be bitter towards the old man. And all I wanted was for Altair to get back to his old status and power. If I told Altair he wouldn't want to go through with the killings to regain his rank simply because the old man ordered him to do so.

I will tell him when he is ready to hear of his mentor's betrayal, I thought before murmuring, "May be the blade was coated in something. That could be why you lived."

Altair's sharp golden eyes seemed to pierce the shadows shielding my face and search my face to see if I was lying. I waited a few tense moments before mentally sighing when he nodded slowly. "Perhaps that is what happened," he mused.

We came upon our rooms and parted ways with quiet goodbyes. Once in my room I pulled a small pack out of my dresser. I only needed it to carry a spare set of robes, my spare knives, and some food for the two or three days of travel to Damascus. I already had all my weapons and armor and tools on my person. Besides food and water I was ready for anything and everything at anytime like an Assassin should.

I sat down in my nest and took all my weapons out of their sheaths one by one and checked their edge and condition. They needed to be in the best condition because we could fight guards, bandits, or Templars at any time while on our way to Damascus. If one of my blades was nicked or damaged in any way I would sharpen my blade until all of them were as good as they were ever going to get.

When I slung my pack over my shoulder and left my room to head to the kitchens dinner was being served. I settled to get my dinner first before going to get food for the road. I walked into the dining hall without really paying attention and picked up my food. It was when I turned to go to my table that I saw Altair was sitting alone. It was such an odd sight. He was always sitting with either Malik or Kadar, but I guess after Solomon's Temple that that wouldn't be happening again. I also saw most everyone was glaring at Altair or talking amongst themselves while casting glances his way. Altair sat facing the entire room and I figured it was so no one could sneak up on him.

I made my decision and headed to his table. He sat up straighter when I sat across from him and said, "I really don't think you should be sitting with me."

It was nice that he was concerned about what the others might think of me, but I ignored it. I picked up an orange and began to peel it. "And I really think that two Brothers who are sitting alone should sit together."

"They'll ridicule you for being with me, Shahin. They'll shun you for sitting with the traitor." His voice was unreadable but I knew what it took out of him to say that he was a traitor. I knew his pride wasn't getting any break when he knew he was being talked about and he couldn't do anything about it.

I stopped my peeling and raised my head so Altair could see my entire face. "Let me make this clear, Altair. I don't care what they think about me or what they do. I'm not close to any of them so it won't matter. And I won't sink to their childish level and 'ridicule and shun' you as you put it. And nothing you say will get me to move from this spot." I ducked my head to hide again as he blinked in shock. Through my lashes I could see him relax and go back to eating his fruit and meat. We ate in silence for a few moments before I asked, "So how should we go about our trip tomorrow?" Altair looked up at me and raised an eyebrow in question. "Should we travel fast and take the long route around all the villages and around the guard outposts? Or should we go through them?"

Altair bit into an apple and thought before answering, "Let's go through them all. A few guards won't be a problem for us."

I nodded in agreement before replying, "We also have to think about bandits. I've heard there have been increased activity right where we're going through. The villages will be aware of this and there will be more guards posted."

"We're both Master Assassins. In skill at least. A couple of bandits won't be a problem," he repeated with subdued arrogance.

I opened my mouth to tell him that it was more than a couple of bandits when Altair's eyes snapped up and on something behind me. I would've turned to see what it was, but his eyes did something weird. I watched as his pupils expanded to such an extent that they almost consumed the amber of his eyes. I recognized it for what it was. Eagle Vision.

My heart sped up in excitement at this sign that he had wings. I allowed the hope that he was like me to grow. I thought about asking him here and now about it or his Eagle Vision, but decided not to: with all these people around that wouldn't be a good idea. May be I shouldn't approach him at all, I thought. If he has wings he would be curious to see if I showed signs of having them as well. If he hasn't found my note sheet in the book yet, then I could give him subtle signs that would bring him to confront me about it. I mentally nodded. This is what I would do.

My thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice asking venomously, "What are you doing sitting with this worthless excuse of an Assassin, Brother?"

I looked over my shoulder to see a rather large man towering over, glaring at Altair. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Altair stiffen and put his hands on the table, moving to get up, but I motioned subtly with my hand for him to stay seated. He thankfully did so, but I had no doubt he was glaring daggers right back at the man. Several rude and caustic responses leaped to my tongue but I replied simply, "Eating." I waved at my plate before turning away from the man and going back to eating.

There was silence throughout the room as everyone watched us. I resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably and kept eating my orange. Altair was as stiff as a board glaring at the man.

I knew the man would've backed off if everyone hadn't been watching, but now he felt the pressure and continued hounding me. "So you would rather eat with this traitor and failure than eat with your fellow Brothers?" he demanded hotly.

Without turning I halted putting a slice of orange to my lips and asked, "So you would rather waste the time of a Master Assassin than save your own hide?"

The man snorted, "Altair isn't a Master Assassin. He's a lowly Novice. He's not fit to even be a Novice." If it were possible Altair stiffened even more, but another motion from me kept him from attacking. I knew it was a marvel that he wasn't leaping across the table and burying his blade in this man's throat.

I finished chewing. Although my reply was quiet it was heard throughout the entire silent room. "I wasn't talking about Altair."

I turned and saw the man looking down at me with demeaning eyes. "You? A Master Assassin? You're so tiny and young you wouldn't be able to keep up with a normal Assassin. You're probably a Journeyman hoping to get into this disgraced man's good graces. You're nothing more than a boot licker." The man laughed and a few others in the room laughed as well, but they quieted when I set down my orange and stood up slowly. I stepped free of the bench and stood before the man who was two heads taller than me.

Once the laughing had subsided I smiled cruelly up at the man's ugly face and repeated, "Boot licker, huh?" With that I lashed out a leg to kick the man in his gut causing him to hunch over. I grabbed his head in both of my hands and brutally slammed his face into my knee, relishing in the sound of his nose breaking. When he reeled backwards blindly I followed and delivered a quick series of punches to his bloody face. Then, to finish him off, I leapt up into the air with my light body and twisted, delivering a savage kick to the side of his head that caused him to fall on to a nearby table.

Chaos erupted as the man's buddies leapt up to defend him. Altair was immediately by my side as several men came at us, but several men also joined us. A brief glance told me it was the men from the gate. I lashed out at the first man I reached and he was down within three hits before moving on. My hands reached to my knives several times out of habit but I forced them away. I caught a glint of metal out of the corner of my eye and saw a blade heading towards Altair. Altair and I worked in harmony for the second time as we attacked the blade's wielder. Altair and I soon had him on his knees with Altair holding him from behind and me holding his hidden blade arm. All around us the fighting died down and I finally heard Al Mualim's voice calling everyone to a stop, but I ignored him in my disbelief and rage.

I looked down at the bloody face of the man who had first approached me. I held his hidden blade in my left hand easily. "How dare you?!" I demanded over Al Mualim's voice and the room instantly froze and quieted at my enraged voice. They took in our situation and I heard more than a few murmurs as they realized that the man had tried to stab someone. The man's eyes blazed with hate as I questioned. "You dare to turn your blade against a fellow Brother?" I hissed. "Did you not learn anything a few days ago? Learn from other people's mistakes! Never compromise the Brotherhood! To take out your blade with the intention of harming a Brother is violating this creed! Everybody knows this! And you choose to do so anyway? Explain why you tried to end Altair's life!" I ordered. His brown eyes flickered with fear and silence reigned as he refused to answer. My temper flared like it never had before and I barely restrained the urge to slap the grown man. "Explain!" I commanded.

He spat at me and finally answered, "Altair is nothing but a burden to the Brotherhood. No one would miss that piece of shit. I was trying to do everyone a favor by ending his life."

I raised my hand to slap him, but barely stopped myself from actually hitting the flinching man. I took a very deep breath before saying quietly, "I'm afraid you have it the other way around. You are a burden to the Brotherhood. Not four days after Altair was punished for breaking the most important creed you do so as well? You should be ashamed of yourself. What example are you setting for the Novices who are watching all this? What are you showing the entire Holy Land with this disrespectful behavior to a fellow Brother but also to a superior?" The man looked away but I grabbed his chin and forced him to look at me. "And who are you to question the Master's punishment for Altair? Do you think it so unfit that you take it into your own hands? Do you think our Grand Master is wrong?"

He closed his eyes and answered, "No."

I shoved the man away from me and Altair released and stepped away in time to avoid the sprawling man. I wiped the spit from my cheek. "Liar," I accused as he began to pick himself up. "You disgust me." I turned back to the men who had stepped up to help Altair and me, "Thank you for helping us."

They all bowed to me with their right fist over their hearts. "It is no trouble, Shahin," a Journeyman replied.

"Although we question your company, if you see fit to accompany him than we have no problem with Altair and will come to both of your aids," the leader said as he straightened out of his bow. He smiled and continued, "Despite your fearsome temper it will always be our pleasure to fight with you."

I nodded, very conscious of all the eyes watching before turning and moving towards the dining hall door with my pack on my shoulder. Altair seemed to read my mind and was already waiting for me. We left the still silent and stunned dining hall and moved towards the gardens.

Altair was silent before murmuring, "I told you shouldn't have sat with me."

I breathed my boiling blood cool before answering, "I do not regret it, Altair. If anything I had fun." I turned and grinned up at his shocked face before facing forward again. "But maybe we should leave a little before dawn to avoid trouble."

Altair was staring at me before he nodded. "Yes we should. How about at the normal time when you get up to go train we will leave?"

I nodded too, "That is a good time. Hardly anyone will think to get up that early if they want to give us trouble."

There was another pause before Altair sniffed disdainfully and said, "But I would not have needed the others or your help to fight everyone off."

Something in his voice told me he was only half serious half teasing. I smiled a bit as we stepped into the darkening gardens. "Of course you wouldn't have, Altair."

—Altair's POV—

Shahin was a mystery to him. He just couldn't pin the Master Assassin down. He had thought Shahin was a quiet, peaceful, distant person until tonight. He honestly didn't think the man had a temper, let alone such an explosive one. It kind of reminded him of Malik.

While the fight and Shahin's good mood had lifted his angry depressed spirits slightly, that thought brought it all crashing back down. Malik had a temper as well, but it showed up often and there were only a few instances in the whole time Altair had known him that he actually got violent. But now if Altair ever met Malik his former friend would be nothing but violent towards him. He would be never forgiven for being responsible for Kadar's death. A part of him still believed that it wasn't his fault, that he'd been thrown from the room and there had been nothing he could've done, but he knew there had been measures he could've taken before hand to avoid this whole situation. Listening to Shahin for instance. And the fact that he knew he could've done something was eating away at him. He felt like there was a giant painful wound had been dealt to his chest.

His thoughts were interrupted when the two of them stepped out into the gardens and shrieks met his ears.

"Shahin!" many women's voices chorused.

He tensed in order to fight when three women came out of nowhere to tackle Shahin. But he relaxed and watched with mild surprise when Shahin greeted the three women and the others standing around them. One woman, the one with the largest chest, latched on to Shahin's arm and the man just went on as if it was casual to have beautiful women clinging to him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier," Shahin apologized.

"You come here often?" Altair asked before he could stop himself and the man nodded before turning to hear the response of a woman with a strange star birth mark under her left eye.

"It's okay, Shahin. We were only a little worried. What kept you and who is your friend?" the star woman asked.

The Master Assassin waved a hand at Altair before saying, "This is Altair Ibn-La'Ahad. And I was late because I was called by the Master again and then I had to pack for a mission I'm leaving for tomorrow."

There were a flurry of questions, comments, and demands at the Master Assassin that left Altair's head ringing as he tried to hear and understand each one.

Shahin seemed to have no problem as he casually said, "No, it's not a rule for Assassins to have depressing names. I think that's just Altair and I. Yes, he is the one that was punished a few days ago. No, he won't hurt any of you. I promise. I'm going on a mission to Damascus with Altair. We're leaving at dawn and won't be back for about a week. No, I don't think I'll be able to bring you all back anything. And what was that about camels, Aneesa?" The last was a very confused question directed at the woman clinging to his arm. The woman just giggled in answer.

The star woman came to hug Shahin and the man let it happen without hugging her back, "Well if you're leaving at dawn you should go and rest now. Don't get hurt while you're out and come see us once you get back. We'll worry if you're gone for longer than a week." The other women chimed in their comments and orders and Altair watched with amusement as the Master Assassin took it, humoring every single one of them.

He was surprised when the star woman approached him, but didn't let it show. She rested her hands on his shoulders and said very seriously, "Bring Shahin back to us unharmed." He nodded, not really knowing how to respond. It wasn't so amusing now that this woman was ordering him. The woman surprised him further by going up on tiptoe and kissing his cheek. "Good. I don't care about why you were punished as long as you keep Shahin safe."

"That's really not necessary, Ablaa," Shahin called from his spot of a group goodbye hug.

Ablaa shook her head and scowled, "Nonsense. Now go off to bed. You have an early day tomorrow."

Even though he couldn't see the man's face he was sureShahin rolled his eyes as the women released him, "As you wish, Ablaa. I'll see you all in a week."

The women all called last farewells as Altair and Shahindisappeared into the castle. As they headed to their rooms like obedient Assassins Altair asked, "How do you deal with that every day?"

Shahin chuckled before replying, "You get used to it."

Then they parted ways to go to their rooms.

I'm glad to be writing chapters again! Please PM me your ideas for Altair's abilities! I'm coming up soon on a scene where one of Altair's abilities is revealed and I'd like some time to plan the scene before hand! PM me your ideas please! I really need your help!