Letters Home: The Measure of a Man

by: Shadow Chaser

Summary:

Set during Episode 2 of Season 3 of TURN. An extended conversation between Washington and Ben regarding his plan to kill Reverend Worthington and making it look like an accident. Ben thinks he's ready to do the duties of his heritage for Washington – Washington has his doubts, not of his Head of Intelligence, but of what it truly means – a Templar asking an Assassin to kill for him.

Story:

"Major, please stay for a moment," Washington's quiet tone stopped Ben from leaving his Commander-in-Chief's tent as Caleb left. He saw his friend turn back, one eyebrow raised in a silent question. Ben nodded his assent before pulling the flap close. He turned and took a couple of steps back and gave Washington his full attention.

"Billy tells me you've learned quickly," Washington absently picked up a piece of paper and glanced at it before putting it on another small pile. He made a tiny movement with one of the totems on the large map on his table.

"I fear not as well as he is with the blade, sir," Ben smiled in a bracing manner, resisting the urge to rock back on his heels like he was still in school. It had been years since he had left Yale, but he still felt a little shy about expressing his competency of his latent Assassin-trained skills to Washington. Even though both of them knew each other's backgrounds and trusted each other with the information given of their own free will, Ben still felt like Washington was his teacher of sorts – especially in light of his failings with the Assassin Brotherhood's signature weapon – the hidden blade.

Washington made a small noise that could have passed for a half-laugh before his expression sobered as he stared at his map, "Benjamin, tell me the reason why you really think the Reverend should die."

"Sir?" Ben was confused.

"It truly is for Culper's protection and for the safety of the ring, but do you understand what you had suggested?" his Commander-in-Chief stared at him with sharp eyes.

Ben was a little confused as to what Washington was asking, but replayed what had just been said before he realized what he meant and saw the sharpness in the other man's eyes turn into something a little softer as the realization played across his face. He opened his mouth and closed it, pursing his lips as he thought about what had happened these last few weeks. It was a little easier for Ben now to grasp onto what his Commander meant since a lot of the secrets and heritages surrounding them had been acknowledged and brushed away with no hints of animosity. But Ben realized that Washington saw a lot of it differently, far from the black and white he had, in his own mind, divided the line between the Assassins and Templars to be. To his Commander-in-Chief, he had been raised as the brother to the Grand Master, had been devoted to him as far as stories and rumors had been passed on, but had never been formally inducted into the Templar Order.

Grand Master Kenway's words had initially indicated that Washington had been excluded from the recent Templar dealings and had no knowledge of it – yet the fact that Washington had knowledge about Kenway's actions and also knew of Connor, a fellow Assassin, spoke differently. Ben realized that his Commander-in-Chief still felt his ties to the Templar Order even though he was never really one of them. And this was the source of worry that made Washington question his recent proposal in such a sharp light. Because he, Benjamin Tallmadge, was certainly trained in some of the ways of the Assassin Brotherhood, and was Washington's Head of Intelligence, it also meant that he was Washington's soldier to command. A fine tune blade to strike at his enemies – a hidden blade if you will.

And it meant a Templar controlling an Assassin if one looked at it from a grand scheme of things – even though neither one of them was formally inducted into their respective orders. There was still that history, that supposed animosity – and with that knowledge, Ben realized that Washington was worried. Not of public perception or what would happen if the Orders controlling the war were to find out – but rather what he personally thought about what had been spoken about.

Washington wanted his own reaffirmation of what had been spoken about weeks ago in the aftermath of the Battle of Monmouth.

"The Reverend can't be allowed to continue to compromise our troops or give intelligence to the enemy, the British, sir," Ben stood firm and picked his words carefully. He needed to remind Washington that the enemy was the British, not the hidden war that had been manipulated by Kenway or by Connor. "Killing Worthington is the only way to assure our safety and that of the Culper Ring."

It seemed his words had the right effect on Washington as his Commander-in-Chief nodded slowly. "If I may add, Benjamin, Lieutenant Brewster's words do have some merit. If you can find out who Worthington's contact is, it would be a boon, but not a priority."

"Sir," he nodded before sketching a short salute and took his leave. There was a sort of nervous giddiness in him that warred with the grim understanding of what he tasked himself to do. It would be his first official assassination ever – not a soldier's kill on the battlefield, nor an accidental one in training, but rather he knew that a certain person at a certain time had to die. And it all had to look like an accident.

As Ben headed to his own tent, he started to form a plan in his mind, drawing upon the years of training and knowledge he had accumulated with his father's hidden teachings as well as how he knew the Assassins operated. First, was a plan of action, watch and observe his target for patterns and habits. Then he would use it to his advantage when ambushing Worthington on the road. He had already decided that a hidden blade would be too obvious and would not convey the sense of an accident. No, this would require his sharpshooting skills. A highwayman, bandit, robbery.

It would be an accident; a kill, an assassination; and it would never be for the Templars or Assassins – it would be for Washington, for the Culper Ring.

~END~