LVII.
Redemption

Haytham Kenway was not asleep. No, he did not think he would sleep that night, so caught up in the translated journal as he was. It was a journal he had retrieved with much peril to his own life. It was in this journal, he finally began to believe in the First Civilization and their power. He ate up every word, every paragraph, knowing the author this book was very wise and they knew what they were writing about. They wrote of a Grand Temple and they wrote of an Observatory. They wrote of objects used throughout time, created by these great beings and Haytham Kenway had never found a subject more interesting.

The hour was very late, though he took no notice of it. There was still noise going on downstairs. He knew that some of his fellow Templars were probably still here, such as Thomas Hickey who enjoyed flirting with any woman he could get close enough to. While Haytham did not indulge in such a life, he would not deny Thomas of his own joys. He was a loyal man anyway, as long as he had enough coin pressed into his hand.

What Haytham did take notice of, was the knock on his window. It was gentle at first – tap tap tap – and then frantic – BANG BANG BANG – something demanding his attention. He turned in his chair and saw the hooded figure outside and cursed to himself gently. It was the middle of winter and freezing outside. What the bloody hell was she thinking?

He hurried to his window and cast it open, drawing the woman who been hanging outside into the room. Her white cloak was covered in snow and she was shivering frantically, her clothes wet from the harsh conditions outside.

"Take those off. I have clothes you can wear" He commanded of her.

"I'll keep them on, if it's all the same to you" She retorted back and he gave her a sharp frown. She moved to the fireplace in his room and sat before it, cross-legged and still shivering.

"You'll catch your death if you keep those on. Please." He didn't like to beg, but…

"Won't shut up until I do as you say, will you? Fine" He handed her the clothes and turned his back and waited patiently until the ruffling of clothes had ceased and he heard her sit back down. "Thank you…" She wasn't shivering as badly now. She still had her arms crossed over her chest though. He could see the blades on her wrist, peeking from under the shirt that was much too big for her.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were still in London?"

"I left." She said simply. "What do you care, Haytham? Really, why do you care that I'm here?"

"Because you have a reason for coming to see me." He said simply. Whenever she came around, she had some sort of news. She was never good at delivering it and she would beat around the bush until he either guessed at it or she got frustrated enough to blurt it out. "And because you're my sister"

Elizabeth looked up at him finally, her blue eyes meeting his brown ones. She always did look more like father than mother, while he was a spitting image of their mother. Dark hair, dark eyes, though his skin was a little darker than their mother's. Her hair was a little too dark to be like their father's but her eyes were the exact same as his and that sent a shot of pain through his heart. Thinking of his father made him think of his mother, and he had been very close to her. He had clung to her leg often enough as a child and he remembered how she'd always stroke his hair and say "What do you need, my sweet?"

He missed his mother terribly, even at his age now, he wished she were still around. She had been a source of comfort and wisdom. He had never known a person stronger or wiser than his mother but she had been gone for a very long time now. He had to banish thoughts of his mother and father though, focusing instead on his younger sister.

"You killed Miko, didn't you?" She asked finally. Ah, so that was it.

"Yes" He answered honestly.

"He was like a father to me" Her lip wavered, as if she were about to start crying.

See, he and Elizabeth had been very close as children. He had killed his first man in her defense. But after their parents' funeral…well she had been kidnapped. He had searched for her but she had disappeared until about ten years had passed and she had reappeared. He had been a Templar at the time and he found out his beloved younger sister had become an Assassin. She had insisted that both of their parents had been Assassins, but he could not believe that his father or his mother – especially his gentle, loving mother – had been Assassins. She still insisted on it, but he couldn't buy it. He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. She told him to ask any of his Templar friends, but he couldn't bear to.

What if she were right?

"I'm sorry" He finally said. "I really am."

"I know" She looked away again. So him killing the old man wasn't the real reason she was here. He sat down in his chair and she sat before the fire and it took him a while to understand. He studied her as they sat and finally he saw that she was petting her stomach, almost absentmindedly.

"You're pregnant" She nodded, silent. It wasn't visible, her stomach still flat, but she clearly already knew. "Who is the father?"

"He's dead" She whispered.

"Is that why you're here?" He asked, with a sigh. She looked up, tears in her eyes.

"I don't know what to do" She admitted, her voice desperate. "I don't know where to go"

This wasn't the place for her to have a breakdown. Not with his fellow Templar friends just down the hall, just downstairs. If one were to find her here…Well, he kept it very quiet that his sister was an Assassin. He still did love her dearly and he did not want to kill her. He did not want to see her killed. She kept it quiet that her brother was a Templar as well. She didn't even use the Kenway name anymore, no, she went by Elizabeth Read, their mother's maiden name.

Still, the fact that she was probably carrying the child of an Assassin did not sit well with him. It would not sit well with the others either and it was dangerous to keep her here. Templar Influence was growing by the day and he would not keep her here where she would be unsafe. He would not have her or her child harmed. Despite everything, he really did still adore his sister. He would protect her. He was still even looking for his half-sister, Jenny, despite how distant she had been to him. He had adored his sisters, he had wanted to protect both of them. He had failed on both counts.

Haytham took a deep breath. "I know what to do. Meet me at the port tomorrow. Dress to blend in." He ordered her. She didn't move from in front of the fire. "Are you going to stay here tonight?"

"Can I?" She asked softly.

"Of course." There was no hesitation in his voice. He would not turn away his expecting sister. He saw her face turn up in a small, slightly bitter smile.

"Thank you, big brother. You've always been so kind to me"

They stood at the port, side by side. He was dressed well as he usually did. She was dressed casual, in a long skirt and bundled up with long sleeves and even a bonnet to hide her face and her light locks. She had her hands clasped in front of her. She was staring out at the ships and he stared out at them with her. Her ship was leaving within the hour. It was time to say goodbye.

"So…I'll be safe there?" She asked softly, looking over at him. He didn't look at her, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

"There is little to no Templar influence in that part of the world now. I can't vouch for how much of an Assassin influence there is, but I assume since there is a lack of Templars, there is a large amount of Assassins" He folded his arms behind his back.

"Where am I going exactly?"

"I'm sending you to a town down there where I imagine you can find some others like yourself" He couldn't say for sure. He didn't know. He had no contacts in that area himself so he knew very little of it. He hated sending his sister in blind…well he had little choice. The journey alone would take up most of her term. They didn't have time to wait. He had found the first ship he could send her on.

"I'll miss you" She said at last.

"You have to go. Your ship is leaving" He motioned towards it. It was not a passenger ship and he had to pay a lot of money just to get her a spot on it. If she was late, he knew they'd take his money and run with it.

"Thank you, Haytham. I know I'm not exactly your favorite person…I'm always such a pain in the arse" She turned and she embraced him. He wrapped one arm awkwardly around her.

"You're my little sister, you're supposed to be" He muttered. She pulled back, smiling at him, just gently. "Please, just take care of yourself. And write…often"

"I will. Thank you so much, Haytham" She smiled a little brighter. Then she turned and walked away. He watched, waiting for her to board the ship. Then he waited for it to set sail. The sails snapped open and the breeze filled them, pushing the ship gently out of port. He watched, until the ship disappeared and then he turned and walked away. He had other things to do, Templar things to do.

A/N: Can you guys wait one more chapter? Then I'll explain? Please? You guys are the best seriously, just one more chapter.