Ratonhnhaké:ton is thirteen years old when he next sees the strange man that saved his mother's life. It's been nearly a decade since then, but Ratonhnhaké:ton hasn't gone a single day without thinking about it. He knows there's no reason for anyone to believe him, but that's never bothered him. He knows his own mind, and he's certain that there's nothing wrong with it.
What bothers him is not knowing why or how. For a few hours, there was another person in his head. The memories of that day are never going to leave him, but they're frustratingly vague. He remembers crouching on the ground, terrified and trying to sound brave anyway. He remembers looking up, past Lee, and straight into the face of a stranger who hadn't been there a second before. He remembers knowing- in a way he wouldn't understand until later, after mastering his other sight- that this man doesn't want to hurt him.
He remembers looking up, asking for help without words. And then a bright glow, and a whole world opening up in his mind. He was only four at the time, and scared, and most of what he saw in the man's mind he couldn't understand. So for the past ten years, he's been waiting, hoping to see the stranger again. The man's face is burned into his memory, along with the only thing he really remembers from his mind- the name Altair.
One night, just as it starts to get cold out, Ratonhnhaké:ton finds himself restless and unable to sleep. So he leaves the village behind, and takes to the treetops. He's itching to run, so he does, leaping from tree to tree, letting instinct take over and his mind wander. The world blurs around him, and suddenly, midleap, changes.
He lands badly, stumbling, but manages not to fall. Then he takes a step and stumbles again, because the place he's in isn't anything like the place he left. He's still outside- and that's the only thing this new place has in common with the place he just left. It's the middle of the day, and he's standing in front of a ring full of kids, probably a few years younger than he is, listening to a man instruct them in weapons. Ratonhnhaké:ton doesn't know the language, but it's pretty obvious.
He takes a few more steps, moving around people that don't seem to notice he's there, half in awe, half confused. He's not paying as much attention as he should be, and that's probably why he doesn't realize he's about to walk into someone until he's halfway to the ground.
"Watch out," he hears, but since the words aren't in any language he knows, they don't mean anything to him. The man he ran into offers Ratonhnhaké:ton a hand, but he ignores it and gets up on his own.
Then he freezes, because the man standing in front of him is Altair. "What-"
He doesn't even look surprised, but Ratonhnhaké:ton can't tell if it's because he was expected, or if he's just got an incredibly inexpressive face. "Come on," he says, this time in English. Not his first language, but at least he understands it.
Altair turns and leads Ratonhnhaké:ton away from the ring, into a less crowded area. After a while, he says, "So... here you are." He sighs, and looks up at the sky- apparently for guidance. "I'm not usually the one that has to explain all this."
"Explain what?" Ratonhnhaké:ton asks.
"I'm sorry," Altair says. "But your life's about to get a lot more complicated."