OMFG. DUDES! I have been ground for the absolute LONGEST TIME. I am sooooo sorry! I know you guys have missed it and I know you guys probably thought I abandoned it but I have not! I am finally off house arrest! *Takes electric shock ankle bracelet off and throws it out the window* FREEDOM! Ok. My freak out is over. Anyways this chapter is kinda short but I will up date soon! I promise! Please REVIEW I have been so deprived as of late. Thank you guys so much. Enjoy!

- a free Aena Firestar

Chapter 11

The Truth is Revealed

Altaïr was ahead of me, so he dropped in first and I came after him. I saw Alario. He chirped a welcome to us. I walked into the room behind Altaïr.

"Word has reached me of your victory, Altaïr! You have my gratitude, and my respect." Said Rafiq.

"Thank you." He said. I just kept silent and leaned against the wall with my arms crossed. I didn't look for acknowledgment because, after all, I didn't do the killing. I just did the helping. Altaïr disserved his gratitude.

"It is a shame that the other Assassin's continue to hold you in such low regard." Said Rafiq.

"Let them speak for themselves. I don't hold him in low regard. He may get on my nerves at times," I said with a hint of sarcasm. "But I don't disregard him." Altaïr smiled at me, but then looked back to the Rafiq.

"Rafiq. I do not care what the others think of me." he said.

"As you wish, Altaïr. You should bring news of your victory to Al Mualim. I'm sure he has more work for you and Alera to do." He said. I saw Altaïr flinch a little. That pricked my curiosity.

"What?" I said. I stood up straight then. Altaïr turned to me. He hesitated for a minute and took a deep breath.

"Al Mualim wants you to help me assassinate a list of people. He also said, that while you are doing this, it will give you a chance to explore each city for your father's murderer." My eyes widened and I got a little mad.

"What? He knows I'm here? He knew I left! But, who told him? I can't believe it." I said. I looked to the floor. I felt let down.

"Yes, he knows you are here, but no one told him. Kalin didn't breath a word and neither did Malik." He said. I flashed my gaze at him.

"You heard, didn't you? In the stables, when I was supposed to be talking in secret with Malik. Kalin and Malik are the only two I told and I trust them completely. But you over heard me. It was you! You told him!" I said. I pushed up from the wall and rushed at him, but he caught me and slammed me up against the wall again. This time, I was facing the wall and he had my hands behind my back. I couldn't move. "Fuck!"

"If you would stop jumping to conclusions and listen to me, then I can tell you how he did find out!" said Altaïr. I struggled a little bit.

"Let me turn around and see your face. Let me read you, Altaïr. I need to know the truth." I said. Malik had taught me how to read people's eyes and faces. I was pretty good at it too. Altaïr didn't loosen his grip, but he took both my wrists in each of his hands and twisted me around to face him. He pinned them up against the wall again, one on each side of my head.

"Let me go." I said. I struggled to lift my wrists up but he put all of his weight on my hands. My leather bracers were pressing into my wrists.

"No. I don't trust you to not start a fight. This is the only way you will listen and this is the only way you will read my face." he said. I knew he hated people reading him but I had to know. I didn't care about his feelings right now. I just wanted the truth. He moved in closer to me. I looked up and straight into his green eyes. He stared right back into mine. If he had been lying to me this whole time, I knew it was going to break me. I had started to like him and care about him, but if he has lied to me, my trust in him will be destroyed.

"Did you tell Al Mualim that I left? Yes or no." I said with a hard tone. His eyes burned into mine. They were no longer a hard green glare. They slowly turned into a soft, yet regretful gaze.

"No. I didn't." he said calmly. I searched his face for any signs of lying, but he was telling the truth. I softened up a bit and relaxed. "Thank god." I thought.

"Ok. I believe you." I said. He hesitated for a second but then let go. I took my bracers off and rubbed my wrists. I had red marks on my wrist and my Assassin's symbol scar on my left hand was turned a bright red. I put my bracers back on. I gave Altaïr a quick glare but he had his back turned to me.

"So you are set then? You are both leaving for Al Mualim?" said Rafiq. I nodded. "Alright then. Go." He said. We turned and walked out.

"Come Alario. We are going back to Masyaf." I said. Alario flew up and out of the roof. I jumped up behind him and Altaïr followed. We walked across the roofs, heading for the gate. I didn't say a word to Altaïr. "Why didn't he tell me sooner? Last night would have been the perfect time or thirty minutes ago… Maybe he knew I'd run… Or put up a fight." I thought. *Altaïr knew he should have told her sooner. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what. He didn't mind another fight if he said the wrong thing, but he also didn't want to get on her bad side either. Things had been going so well and now, silence. "Well, here I go." *

"Alera."

"What?" I said shortly.

"I would have told you sooner but-"

"But you knew I would run or put up a fight." I finished. I turned around and faced him. He walked up to me and stopped. He was close. He looked kind of shocked. *He thought that was exactly what she was going to do. Turned out he was right.* "Well, you were right." I said.

"I know." He said quietly. I looked down and shook my head. I felt my eyes well up with tears. I quickly gathered myself up.

"I would be running now, but what's the point?" my voice cracked.

"Alera…" he stepped closer and put a hand on my chin. He raised me up to look at him. I looked back up into his eyes.

"You would catch me, or I would wind up following you. After all, Al Mualim wants us to assassinate people in all of the cities I was going to go to. He was right. Both of you are." I said. My voice was back to normal and the lump in my throat was gone. I realized that Al Mualim's plan would work. I shrugged my shoulders and looked at Altaïr. A smile played over his lips and his green gaze was soft. "It might not be so bad after all. I get to satiate my bloodthirstiness for the time being," I smiled at the thought, "but that will be a feeling I can never satisfy. A 'want' that I can never get enough of." I saw a smile over come him. *Altaïr smiled at Alera's bloodthirstiness. He couldn't help it. He was amused and liked it when she talked like that.* As I dwelled on it for a little longer, my anger started to drift away, but my stomach still had a knot in it, because I still had to face Al Mualim.