Another Saturday is here as well as another chapter. Hope you like it. Shahin and Altair are finally getting back to Masyaf. This chapter may or may not draw itself out super long. I have no clue but im leaning towards long.

Chapter 19: Return

I sat in the saddle with a straight back, scanning the area around us with dry tired eyes. Sighing, I tightened the rope on the saddle horn and glanced back to where Altair was slumped in his saddle asleep. He had gone to sleep only a few hours ago and had hardly stirred at all. His white horse was walking quite cheerily after my black horse, who was the opposite of the white steed at the moment. The black mare had been in a horrible mood ever since we had freed her from her restraints and if she had been human my horse would've been muttering darkly under her breath, which is quite comical to watch a horse do. I would've been laughing if I wasn't so tired, but I did smile a little as I leaned forward to stroke her neck.

We'd been riding ever since before dawn and during that time our practically sleepless night had caught up with us, which lead to an argument about who should sleep first. It hadn't lasted long, for I had stated quite clearly that Altair hadn't cared whofell asleep first when he thought when I was a man and that wasn't going to change just because he knew I was a woman. I wouldn't be coddled and I was going to make sure that that fact got through Altair's thick skull.

Besides, it gave me time to think.

So many things had changed. My two worst secrets were now known to my friend and he didn't seem to care in the slightest. A part of me was still wary, not totally believing that the man wouldn't spill our secrets to get back into Al Mualim's favor or try and black mail us, but only time would soothe that part of me. Other than that, I worried about how the relationship between me and the former Master Assassin would change. Before, we had been close, but I had acutely felt the distance my secrets had created between us, and I think Altair had at least sensed it. Now… I couldn't tell where we were only that we were closer. The bond of secrets is a strong one, not to mention the bond of kinship. We were the only two with wings and abilities and we were going to stick close to each other to make sure we didn't lose the only other person who could possibly understand what the other was going through. But where were we other than that? I thought. Are we still professionally friends? Friends?... Romantic interests? I wasn't sure, and I didn't know how I would react to the last possibility being true.

I sighed and pushed thoughts of relationships away, rubbing my eyes. Why did I have to be a woman? Why couldn't I have been a man? Things would've been a whole lot easier.

But no. And now I had no clue how to deal with that…kiss.

I unconsciously tensed as I called up my foggy memory of where Altair distracted me with a kiss. Taking a deep breath to fight off the riot of emotions, I tried to think clearly. That had been my first kiss. I've never been close enough to a man to even consider kissing, and I had always wondered what kissing would be like and why it was such an important gesture of affection between a woman and her lover. My gloved fingers came up and touched my lips, making sure that the ghost kiss I was still feeling was in fact a ghost kiss. I guess I know now, I thought, not sure how to feel. How does one react to a kiss? Does one talk about it with the person they kissed? Does one give a kiss in return?

I wanted to scream out. I hate being confused! I just wanted all of this to go away. I didn't want to deal with this. Keeping my secrets was already enough to keep my mind working hard and now this comes along and my brain isn't the only one working over time, but so is my heart. I didn't want to deal with this.

Who says you have to deal with it? asked a corner of my mind.

I perked up and followed that thought and felt some of the weight on my shoulders lift away. I didn't have to deal with it. Turning around, I looked over Altair's sleeping form. Now that I thought about it, Altair hadn't brought up the kiss at all, and I had no doubt that he knew: he was the one to kiss me after all. I fiddled with the eagle charm on my necklace and thought, IfAltair isn't going to bring this up, then I won't either. I can ignore this. Besides, Altair probably only kissed to stop me from actually killing him.

It made sense. Altair would have absolutely no reason to be interested in a scarred, socially-awkward woman like me. I didn't even know how a woman should act properly.

My heart both lightened and dropped at my thoughts as I kept riding, keeping on watch to make sure no harm came to Altair while he was defenseless.

I lounged back next to the fire; my head using my black mare's saddled and sharpened my throwing knives. I'd had to dip into my spare reserve because I had used a good number of them in the first battle with the bandits. My hood was back and my braid was resting across my chest, so it was safe from the dirty ground, and I had a piece of grass in my mouth as I absently chewed on it. Altair was across the fire from me and was lying down with his eyes closed and his arms behind his head in his customary sleeping position. But I knew he wasn't asleep.

"You know, we never did finish talking about our abilities," I said quietly, breaking the silence that had been between us ever since Altair had fallen 'asleep'. All I got was a grunt from the man, but I was so tired that I couldn't work up the energy to get irritated in the slightest. God I needed to sleep, but my curiosity and my knives dictated that I couldn't. "What can you do, Altair?"

Altair heaved a sigh and held up a hand, ticking off his fingers. "Eagle Vision, eagle eyes, flying, change my wing color when I want, control air, strength, and I can sense when people are watching me."

I nodded, "I can do a few of those too. I have the eyes and vision, the wings to fly obviously, that weird sense when people are watching me, and the ability to change my wing color, but that's all we share. I have speed instead of strength, and I have two abilities instead of one. I can harden my wings and heal."

Altair's eyes came open as he turned his head and looked at me in surprise. "You can heal?" he repeated. "How did you figure that out?"

I mentally cursed and kicked myself. I hadn't meant to say that, but my mouth was working faster than my exhausted mind. Now, how to get myself out of this? The pause between my answer was barely noticeable, but Altair seemed to sense it. "I sped up your healing that day of your punishment."

Altair's sharp eyes seemed to darken at the memory as he turned on to his back and looked up at the clear stars in the night sky. I let him brood in silence, at loss at what I could possibly say to console him. We didn't say anything until I couldn't smother my yawn like I had my others, and Altair looked over to see me cover my mouth and blink sleepily. I ran a hand through my hair before going back to sharpening my last knife.

"Go to bed, Shahin. You haven't slept in a day," he gruffly ordered and if I hadn't been so tired I would've seen the sliver of worry under the irritation in his eyes.

I yawned again as I nodded and slipped my last sharpened knife into its sheathe. "Yeah… Probably a good time to sleep."

Altair snorted, "Stop pushing yourself so hard, Shahin. You can't exactly do anything if you're exhausted."

I grumbled just loud enough for my friend to hear. "Well, someone has to watch your sorry ass when you're sleeping. God knows you can't protect yourself worth a damn."

I didn't need to look to know Altair was raising an eyebrow at me. "If you're cursing then you really need to go to sleep. And if you let me watch your back you wouldn't have to watch mine all the time."

"My back doesn't need to be watched."

"Says the Master Assassin who is already half asleep."

"Shut the hell up. I won't be treated differently just because you know I'm a woman."

There was a brief silence before Altair murmured, "I'm not watching your back because you're a woman. I know you can defend yourself. But friends look out for each other."

"You'd better not or I'll castrate you, you bastard," I muttered as I turned on my side and drifted off to sleep to the sound of Altair's pleasingly deep chuckle.

"I know, Shahin."

We rode in silence as we approached Masyaf the next afternoon. We hadn't spoken a single word since we crossed over into the unofficial Assassin's territory. It was sad to watch how Altair began to close himself off the closer we got to the village. It was sad because Altair flat like he had to be on guard and cold when we were on our way home instead of relieved and glad. Then again, I was feeling the same as the former Master Assassin. Masyaf was our home, and yet we felt like we couldn't relax or be ourselves there.

We dismounted outside the gates and two stable boys came forward to take our horses. Both of them balked when they saw my black mare. "You took this demon out with you?" one of them demanded.

I turned my head and replied without emotion since my agitated mare was displaying enough for the both of us. "Yes, is that a problem?"

The second boy shook his head, still gaping up at the black horse. Altair stood by his white steed, watching silently as he took his bags off his horse. "No one has been able to ride this one," he murmured in shock. "She don't let anyone hardly near and bucks off anyone who tries. Nearly stomped the last man who tried to death."

I looked at my horse and she looked back at me. "You trouble maker," I called her affectionately, rubbing her nose. She tossed her head as if agreeing with me. "Behave," I ordered sternly, and I swear I got an innocent look from my horse. I flicked her nose, "I mean it. If I found out you caused trouble then you don't get any treats." My mare's ears pricked at the word 'treats' and she seemed to think for a moment before heaving a sigh. She butted my shoulder in farewell before turning and walking towards the stables. "She'll behave," I told the gaping boys as I adjusted my pack on my shoulder and walked to where Altair was waiting at the gate.

"Your horse is so strange," he murmured.

I nodded in agreement and quietly said, "I know. I think I could carry an entire conversation with her."

We trudged up the steep streets, studiously ignoring the stares that were thrown our way. Some of them were curious ones, others were fearful, and the rest were downright hostile and I restrained the urge to bristle. Without speaking, we walked down through the castle towards our rooms to drop off our bags. When we met up outside of them I rolled my shoulders and sighed, "Ready to report to Al Mualim?"

Altair's answer was an unreadable, "Yes."

The stares were worse while in the castle. Here, practically everyone knew Altair on sight and knew the mistakes that he had made. The stares here were mostly hostile, but some were pitying and curious. I didn't give those odd stares thought as I fumed silently over how judgmental people could be.

We ascended the stairs in the library and came to stand before the Grand Master's big desk. The old man glanced up at our entrance and watched as we bowed respectfully and chorused, "Master."

The old man stood up and looked over our slightly travel worn appearances. "You've done well, Altair. And I am confident that this is but the first of many successes."

Altair bowed his head in acknowledgment. "Tamir spoke as if he knew you well. He implied that my work had a larger meaning."

Right to the chase, I thought wryly.

Al Mualim straightened and started to pace slowly, spreading his hands and took on the air of a teacher easily. "Significance does not come from a single act, but the context in which it is performed in," he lectured and I gritted my teeth."The consequences borne with it." This old man had already rubbed me the wrong way before Altair's punishment, now I just couldn't stand him. He had really meant to kill Altair, and I wouldn't stand for that easily.

"There is more I need to know?" Altair asked tonelessly, and I could read that he didn't want to be here anymore than I did. He was still smarting from his trusted mentor's punishment. I wished I could sidling closer and rest a hand on his back like I had back in Damascus' Bureau, but I didn't dare with the aged and sharp eyes, or eye I guess, of the old man watching.

The old man gave his prodigy an almost pitying look as he said, "Altair, your greatest failure was born of knowing too much."

And whose fault is that? I demanded silently. YOU gave him that information, you senile old man. And yet you call it Altair's failure?

Al Mualim absently picked a piece of paper as he continued. "If I choose to withhold information, it is only to ensure you do not make the same mistake a second time." I silently fumed, not in the mood to hear this belittling shit, and I could tell by the slight shift in weight from Altair that he felt the same way.

"I see," Altair murmured diminutively. I winced when the old man's head snapped up from the paper and glared at his prodigy.

"No you don't!" he snapped. "And it will remain that way until you've learned your lesson!" The old man took a deep breath and calmed himself before he continued, turning to face his window and waving a dismissive hand at us. "Still, you have performed competently, and as such I restore a rank and will return a piece of your equipment. Take a day to rest and then go to Acre or Jerusalem. There are men in both cities who require your attention. The Bureau leaders can tell you of what needs to be done."

We bowed again and I waited for Altair to gather his equipment before we descended the stairs. We were just on the first landing and about to keep walking on to our rooms, when I felt multiple hands grab me and pull me back. I gritted my teeth against crying out in surprise as I was pulled through the garden entrance and immediately restrained with hugs and holds. My ears rang with the shrieks of, "Shahin!"

I looked down at the grinning harem woman and smiled a smile they couldn't see. "Hello," I greeted as they backed off, but Aneesa only pulled back enough to jump and wrap her arms around my neck. She laughed her joy as I instinctively wrapped my arms around the smaller woman.

"We're so glad your back!" she exclaimed.

I smiled and turned my head to see Altair coming to join us. He too was swamped with hugs and 'thank you's for keeping me safe. I smothered a laugh at the lost look on his face.

At least we could be ourselves in at least in place at home, I thought.

WAA! Running out of time! Got to go fast! Sorry for mistakes! You'll have a whole nother chapter with Altiarand Shahin and the Harem women at MAsyaf. Should befunziez!

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Safety and Peace, Brothers and Sisters.