Hi guys! Chapter 10 is up! I'm sorry it took so long. I know it's been quite a killer for you guys, but I hope you guys like this one! Read and review as usual! Thanks!

-Aena Firestar

Chapter 10

The Blood of a Corrupt Merchant

The sun beamed in through the roof. It shown down on my eyes and woke me up. I sat up and saw Alario, still asleep on the shelf. I smiled to myself. I looked across the room but Altaïr wasn't there. My blood ran hot with anger and I shot up. I walked into the next room and Altaïr was sitting there talking to the Rafiq. They looked up when I entered. I relaxed. Altaïr must have seen my clenched fists.

"Don't worry, I wasn't going to leave you here. I knew you would want to help kill him plus I didn't want to deal with a fight when I got back." He said.

"Good. You actually thought about if before you did it." I said, laughing. I turned around and went back to put my robe and weapons on.

* "So when are you going to tell her?" said the Rafiq to Altaïr.

"I don't know. Not yet though. It's gonna be hard for her to hear about her best friend loosing an arm because of my arrogance." He said.

"Well, the longer you wait, the more mad she might be." Said Rafiq.

"The most she will do is put up a fight. I still have to tell her that she is coming back to Masyaf with me." he said. They heard her walk back in.* I came back into the room. My hair was brushed and I had my hood up and my weapons on. Altaïr had his hood up too and he was dressed with his weapons.

"Alright. Since we didn't get to talk last night, tell me what all you have learned." Said Rafiq. We stepped up to the desk. Altaïr started.

"Tamir rules over the Souk Al-Silaah. He makes his fortune selling arms and armor. He sells to Blacksmiths, traders, and financiers. He's the largest death-dealer in the land."

"And have you devised a way to rid us of this blight?" said the Rafiq.

"Yes." I said. "A meeting is being arranged at Souk Al-Silaah to discuss an important sale. They say it's the largest deal Tamir has ever made. He'll be distracted with his work. That's when we'll strike."

"Your plan seems solid enough. I give you leave to go." Said Rafiq. He placed an eagle feather on the desk for Altaïr, and a white rose petal next to it.

"What is the rose petal for?" said Altaïr. I grabbed it.

"It's my marker. The rose petal soaks up the blood and it turns the veins inside red with the blood." I said. I picked it up and placed it in my pouch.

"Let Al Mualim's will be done." Said Rafiq. We turned and walked out. I saw that Alario had woken up.

"You may fly around my friend, but you must be back here before night fall. We will be back soon." I said. He chirped and flew out of the roof. I ran up the wall and out. Altaïr came out behind me.

"We have to be quick. So you have no choice but to keep up." He said.

"I can do it. We must also stay to the rooftops. We would have a better chance of not getting caught." I said. He nodded and ran past me. I sprinted after him. At the pace we were going, it didn't take long for us to get to the Souk. It was like a square. A lot of people were hanging out and around it and people were also coming and going.

"Should we spread out?" I asked, sort of breathless.

"Yes. You get on one side and I'll stay here. Whoever is closest to him, will give the killing blow." Said Altaïr. He seemed breathless as well. I ran and jumped around the roofs. I was right across from Altaïr. He looked across at me and I nodded, then we heard it…

"Your men have failed to fill the order, which means I have failed my client." I looked down and there was Tamir. He was yelling and raising all kinds of hell. I lay down on my stomach and strained my vision and looked over the roof and listened more. He was fussing at an old merchant.

"We need more time!" he said.

"This is the excuse of a lazy or incompetent man. Which are you?" Tamir hissed. He looked like a rat to me. He had a long face and a pointed nose.

"Neither." The merchant answered nobly. I had to give him credit for his braveness. I had a feeling Tamir was about to kill him.

"What I've seen says otherwise. Now tell me, what do you intend to do to solve this problem of ours? These weapons are needed now!" he shouted. A crowd had gathered and circled around them. Tamir kept walking towards the man and pushing him into the center.

"I see no solution! The men work day and night, but your 'client' requires so much. It is a long destination with a difficult route."

"Were it you produce weapons with the same skill you produce excuses!" said Tamir. "God, how many times have I heard that!" I thought to myself. Al Mualim would always say something like that to me. The excuses would be true…sometimes, but he would fuss at me like that. * "Sounds like Al Mualim's speech before he killed me!" Altaïr thought to himself. He knew it all too well just like Alera. He kept watching* Alera turned her attention back down to the Souk.

"I've done all I can!" said the merchant.

"It is not enough." Said Tamir.

"Then perhaps you ask too much." He said. Holy shit, Tamir was about to explode. He had a look on his face. Let me just say if looks could kill, that man would be laying in a bloody pool right now.

"Too much? I gave you everything! Without me, you would still be charming serpents for coin! All I ask in return is that you fill the orders I bring you, and you say I ask too much?" Tamir spit on the man. "You dare disrespect me?"

"Please! Tamir! I meant no insult!" pleaded the man. "Here we go." I thought to myself.

"Then you should have kept your mouth shut!" he screamed. He slashed a knife across the man's stomach.

"No! Stop!" the merchant screamed.

"Stop? I'm just getting started!" he said. Tamir slashed and stabbed many more times, showing absolutely no mercy. "You come into my Souk? Stood before my men, and dare to insult me? You. Will. Learn. Your. Place!" he said. With each word he said, he followed it up with a deep and penetrating stab. Finally, Tamir was done. He pushed the man's bleeding, lifeless body into the fountain. No one screamed or ran or said anything. They all turned and scattered, going about their business. I was shocked. In all my young life as an Assassin, I had never seen anything so barbaric. One of Tamir's men went to move the body.

"No. Leave the body. Let this be a lesson to the rest of you. Think twice before you tell me something cannot be done. Now, get back to work." He said. Tamir started to walk away. I looked at Altaïr and he was slowly advancing across the roof. I looked back at Tamir, and he was walking straight for Altaïr. I ran across the roofs to get closer and get a better view. I was going to let Altaïr have this life, but I wanted to see what would happen, and listen to the man's last dying words. Plus, I had to stay close to Altaïr, just in case he needed any help.

I saw them turn a corner. I darted towards them. Before I knew what was happening, I saw Altaïr leap down with his hidden blade drawn. He looked graceful, like he knew what he was doing, but he also looked menacing, and dark. His robe flared out as he jumped. It looked like wings, which made him look like an angel of death coming to claim his victim, or an eagle bearing down on it's unsuspecting prey. I had to give him credit…a lot of credit. He did it good, very good. I snapped back into reality and jumped over on one more roof. I laid on my stomach so I could get closer and hear.

"Be at peace." Said Altaïr as he laid down the dying man.

"You'll pay for this. You, and all your kind." Said Tamir hatefully.

"It seems you're the one that pays now, my friend." Said Altaïr.

"You think me a petty death-dealer? A strange target, don't you think? Why me, when so many others do the same?"

"You believe yourself different, then?"

"Oh, but I am. For I serve a nobler cause than mere profit. My brothers."

"Brothers?"

"Ah, but he thinks I act alone. I am but a piece, a man with a part to play. You'll come to know the others soon enough. They won't take kindly to what you've done."

"Good. I look forward to ending their lives as well." Said Altaïr. "So do I." I thought to myself. Tamir laughed a little.

"Such arrogance. It will destroy you child." he said as he drew his last breath. He went limp and Altaïr ran the feather through his blood.

"There! There he is!" screamed a guard. As soon as he said that, the warning bell went off and echoed through the streets. Altaïr put the feather up and looked up at the roofs.

"Up here!" I yelled. He turned around and ran up the wall. He grabbed on to ledges as fast as he could. He was almost at the top when and rock flew out of nowhere and hit his wrist.

"Ah!" he yelled. His grip slipped and I dove for him. I caught his arm. I pulled as hard as I could. He grabbed another ledge and hoisted himself up.

"Come on! Lets get out of here." I said. I heard the guards yelling from below. Altaïr and I ran as fast as we could. We saw a garden on one of the lower roofs and started to head there. "Shring!" and arrow ran straight past my head. *Altaïr just happened to look back and see an arrow run straight past Alera. That was too close for him. He didn't want her to get hurt and he sure as hell wasn't about to loose her.*

"Alera! Get in front of me!" yelled Altaïr. I nodded and did as I was told. When your adrenalin is pumping and you fear for your life and the life of some one you care about, there is no time to argue or ask questions. I had a quick burst of energy and sped up in front of Altaïr. I glanced back. There was a guard standing there with a bow and arrows. Altaïr threw a knife at him and it embedded into the guards head, right between the eyes. He fell backwards and off of the roof. I heard people below screaming bloody murder, but I ignored it and we kept running.

We jumped down on a lower roof and we heard another "Shring". Without warning, Altaïr pushed me to the side. The arrow ran between us, but I lost my footing with the heavy push that he gave me. Instead of totally falling down, I tucked my legs and rolled. I sprang back up, and Altaïr grabbed my hand and pulled me with him. He put his arm around my back and urged me to keep up with his quick pace. I ran hard, but was losing energy fast. We turned a sharp corner.

"Jump!" said Altaïr. With the last burst of energy that I could gather, we jumped and flew right into the roof garden. I landed hard on my back, and he landed right on top of me. We were both breathing hard. My back was a bit sore from the landing, not to mention it knocked some breath out of me. Black dots appeared and my vision blurred. I was gulping air. We then heard the clank of metal. We looked at each other and stopped breathing so loud. They were right there. I bit my bottom lip and tried to calm myself down. Altaïr was still on top of me. Neither of us moved.

"Damn it all. We lost them." said one. I still couldn't breath. I didn't dare take a gulp though, it was too quiet. I felt a lightheaded feeling over come me and my vision started to darken.

"I have better things to do. We will get them later." Said a guard. I heard the thuds as they all jumped back to the ground. I closed my eyes. *Altaïr started breathing normally again. He realized he was on top of Alera. He looked at her, and her eyes were half closed. He got off of her and sat beside her.

"Alera! Alera stay with me." he said. He stroked her check and moved her hair back from her face. She was a bit pale and her eyes fluttered a bit. He could tell she was about to pass out. "Alera, be still and breath slow. Just stay with me." he whispered. He saw her chest rise and fall. "Easy Alera." He stroked her neck and cheek, then suddenly her eyes opened and she took a breath of air.* My eyes opened again. I took a deep breath, and then I could breath. I started to breath steady and slowly. I looked to my left and Altaïr was sitting by me. His hand was stroking my neck and cheek.

"That was close." I said. Altaïr nodded his head.

"A little too close. Are you ok?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, I just couldn't catch my breath." I said. I started to sit up, but the black dots and lightheadedness came back.

"Hold on. Not so fast Alera. Just stay here for a minute and let your head clear." Said Altaïr. I started to sway and almost fell back, until he caught me. He sat up against the corner of the roof garden and he let me sit in front of him. I leaned back against him. My head rested on his shoulder. The wind blew into the garden and cooled me off. He looked at me and smiled. I smiled back.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked. He laughed a bit.

"Consider it payback for the bandage." He said.

"How is it by the way?" I looked over at his left hand and the bandage was off. The cut had scabbed over and was now healing. I looked back up at him. "Good." I said quietly. I leaned back against him again. My eyes closed and I tried to clear my head. I heard the warning bells going off in the distance, and that didn't help my meditation. *Altaïr saw Alera close her eyes to try to calm and relax herself. He slowly moved his left hand to her side and started to massage little circles in her side.*

I felt something on my side. It was Altaïr and he was rubbing my side. He massaged circles into it and they relaxed me and helped me meditate. I smiled, because it felt good. I slid my hand down to where his was and I caught it. I moved it lower and more towards my back. He obeyed and massaged my lower back. I opened my eyes and looked at him. He smiled at me.

"Better?" he asked. I smiled and closed my eyes again. I leaned into him.

"Better." I whispered. His scent smelled of blood and earth. It was quite comforting and reminded me of what my father smelled like when he would come home from a mission. "So should we stay here for a while or head back to the bureau?" I caught the tone I was in. I didn't realize my voice. It was smooth and cool.

"Not unless your ok to walk." He said with a little bit of concern in his voice. I looked up at him.

"I'll be ok. Thank you." I whispered to him. He smiled at me.

"Then we should head back to the bureau. The Rafiq will be wanting to hear of our success." He said quietly. I nodded. His hand that was massaging my back gave me a little push to help me up. He then stood up and waited to see if I would fall. I grabbed his arm and waited. I thought I was going down again, but it soon passed.

"Alright. I'm ok. Lets go." I said with a smile. He returned it and we jumped out of the roof garden. I looked around the corner and saw no guards anywhere. We darted off, jumping from rooftop to rooftop with all haste.