Chapter 11
Within an hour or so, they arrived at Leonardo da Vinci's workshop.
"Ezio! So good to see you!" Leonardo exclaimed as he hugged his friend.
"You as well, Leonardo. How have things been since the last time I visited?"
"Progress has been slow," Leonardo complained, "Ah, excuse my manners! Who is your charming companion?"
"This is Rosa. She is a friend of mine, despite what she tells you."
"Piacere, Rosa," Leonardo bowed.
"Piacere mio," Rosa nodded and smiled.
"Please, come in! You must be exhausted," the painter led them to some chairs in his workshop and helped Rosa into one of them.
"What is this place?" Rosa asked as she took note of her surroundings. "I've never seen any of these contraptions before."
"They're my designs," explained Leonardo, "I'm something of…an inventor. I like to explore new things, solve new puzzles."
"Si, I almost forgot," Ezio jumped up and handed Leonardo a rolled up piece of paper.
"What is…Oh, another one! Where did you find it?"
"The San Marco district. Can you decode it?"
"I certainly hope so! I'll be right back!" he practically flew to the next room.
"What was that?" asked the confused thief.
"Something of a tradition," Ezio laughed. "Some of these texts are useful to me, but they are encrypted. Leonardo enjoys deciphering them. Sometimes I think it's why he lets me in his workshop."
"That's not true, Ezio," came Leonardo's voice from the other room.
"Si, I also help him move," Ezio rolled his eyes.
"How long have you known him? Do you trust him?" Rosa asked quietly.
"Si, he is a close friend. I have known him for many years. Besides, he is far too occupied with his own work to worry about mine. Well, unless I have a Codex page."
"Finished!" Leonardo exclaimed triumphantly as he returned. "Quite interesting! They keep mentioning some artifact, but there aren't enough details to do us any good."
"Si, I find it frustrating as well. Grazie, Leonardo."
"Anytime, Ezio. Now, Rosa! I've heard nothing about you. Do you live in Venezia?"
"Si, I've lived here all my life. What about yourself?"
"I'm from Florence, like Ezio, but I came to Venezia a little over a year ago. It is a beautiful city."
"On that, we can agree," smiled Rosa. "Ezio, you should spend more time with Leonardo. Perhaps some of his charm would rub off on you."
"Strange," returned Ezio, "I was hoping he would have that effect on YOU."
"Am I missing something?" Leonardo scratched his head.
As the night began to fall over Venezia, Leonardo offered them dinner, but they insisted that he not trouble himself, as they had business to handle elsewhere. They departed after Leonardo's request that they "come back any time" and his assertion that they were welcome guests in his workshop.
Despite Rosa's request that they take to the rooftops to avoid the trouble of dealing with guards on the ground, Ezio escorted his companion through the streets of Venezia. They were approached only once by a guard inquiring about Rosa's leg, but Ezio quickly explained that she had knocked down and injured by a thief, and gave the guard a vague description to keep him busy. They then proceeded back to the thieves' den for the night.
It was fortunate too, as Rosa shortly thereafter explained to Ezio that she had not been far from "telling that stronzo of a guard to mind his own business."