Some explanations before you read this chapter. Connor's mother tongue is going to show up a lot over the next few chapters. To make a difference between the sentences spoken in English and Mohawk, they will be divided like this:

»Mohawk« "English"

But of course Lillian isn't able to understand Mohawk, although I still wrote the Mohawk conversations in her POV, too. But I think its more pleasant to read if we are able to understand them at least and I don't have to write "They said something in Mohawk" a dozen times. ^^

To Mohawk Woman: Well, it's up to you and your imagination if Connor is wearing his DLC-clothes. ^^ I have to say that I found them a bit...exaggerated. Yes, they fitted to his culture, but it was a bit strange that Connor was running around half naked in winter, while the other Mohawk men were wearing shirts...Maybe Ubisoft wanted to use "Sexy-Bonus" or whatever. :D


The awakening (II)

Connor

»Ratonhnhaké:ton. Ratonhnhaké:ton, wake up«

Often he had heard this voice in his dreams. Although the last time he had really heard it was so many years ago, he still remembered its sound, as if it had been only yesterday that the voice had told him, that it loved him. He would always recognize it, the voice of his mother. But this time it sounded different than in his dreams. Much clearer, as if his mother was standing right next to him. Furthermore she sounded...indignant?

»Damn it, Ratonhnhaké:ton. Stay up«

A push into his side made Connor finally open his eyes and he had to blink several times as he could only see a blurred face looking down at him. A strange, dizzy feeling had seized his mind and he closed his eyes to suppress it. When he opened them again, his vision was clear and now he saw the face clearly enough.

»Mother? What...?« He slowly sat up and noticed that he was in the middle of a forest, leaning against a tree. He knew this area. They had to be close to the village he had grown up in. In the middle of the frontier, but how did he come here and above all: What was his mother doing here?

Kaniehtí:io watched frowning how her son sat up and looked down at himself in confusion. He wasn't wearing his robes anymore, but the clothes of a man of his people, as well as neck- and arm-jewellery and his only weapons were a tomahawk and a hunting-knife on a fabric belt around his waist and quiver and bow on the ground next to him. It was long ago that he had been dressed this way. Not anymore since he had become an assassin. But what was this about? Connor still knew that he had visited George Washington with Lillian and he had showed them the Apple of Eden. Connor had touched the Apple and had been seized by an unexplainable feeling of dizziness, associated with fragmented memories, appearing in front of his eyes and disappearing again. He couldn't remember anything after that, only that he had woken up here. Had the Apple...?

Connor had to suppress a quiet groan as he felt dizzy again and he pressed the heel of his hand against his temples. Now his mother gave him a concerned gaze and kneeled down next to him.

»What is wrong with you, Ratonhnhaké:ton? Did something happen? Are you hurt?« She put a hand on his arm and the other on his cheek. This touch was so familiar and felt so real that Connor didn't dear to believe in a dream. He put his hands down and embraced his mother's hand on his arm with them. He could feel the warmth of her skin. Everything was so real...but still so surreal.

»I must be dreaming, mother«, he said quietly. »You cannot be here. You...« He paused and closed his eyes to push back the upcoming images, which had already hunted him so often before. His mother, trapped in the ruins of a burning longhouse and telling him that he should go and make it into safety. He had been reluctant until somebody had brought him away against his will, before the house's roof collapsed over his mother. A shiver ran through Connor's body as he thought of it, but then he felt Kaniehtí:io's hand, which had laid on his cheek before and was now resting on his hands.

»Why should I not be here? We set off together this morning, remember?«

Connor opened his eyes again and looked directly into the concerned face of his mother. He couldn't explain to her what was going on in his head, but he could also not understand what she was talking about. But he decided not to think about it. Although this was just a dream, he didn't want to waste any thoughts about his mother's death while she was with him in person.

»I am sorry«, he said and smiled faintly. »I think I am still confused by sleep«

She uttered a snort. »I believe that. I was checking the traps alone, wondering why I never met my son and finally I found him sleeping under a tree. You should explain this hunting technique to me«, she said dryly, stood up and held out her hand to him. »And now stand up. There are still traps we...you have not checked yet and we should be back before nightfall. Something is in the air and I do not like it«

Connor didn't understand what she was talking about, but he took her hand and let her help him up. Now he saw the three dead rabbits and the fox Kaniehtí:io had tied together by their legs and she lifted this bundle off the ground. He shouldered his bow and quiver and followed his mother down the path, winding through the trees. He let his gaze wander. Looked at the tree's leaves, which were changing colours with the upcoming autumn and already fell to the ground, listened to the singing of the birds and the occasional cracking in the bushes and breathed in the air that was filled with the familiar scents of the forest. Everything was so realistic. Could it really be only a dream or was it a confusion of his mind, caused by the Apple? Connor turned his eyes to his mother, who was walking in front of him, looking around in the forest herself. She appeared tensed, as her gaze moved to the treetops, where the afternoon's sun broke through.

»We need to hurry«, she murmured and looked at him over her shoulder. »Do you know where you have placed the traps?«

»I...« Connor hesitated. »I am not sure«

Kaniehtí:io raised an eyebrow and stopped to look him over. »What is wrong with you all of the sudden? I do not now you like this. Are you sure, you are fine?«

He smiled. »Yes, I am fine. Do not worry«

His mother looked him over again and didn't appear quite convinced. But she turned around and continued their path. »Then we should look at the usual spots. Maybe you will remember«

They left the path and Connor followed her through the undergrowth until Kaniehtí:io stopped all of the sudden. But he had heard it, too. The sound of a horn, coming from the east, beyond the forest's edge. Connor knew that there was a small village. It was closest to the borders of Kanien'kehá:ka's territory and sometimes both sides traded with each other. Now his mother stared into the direction where the village was and tensely pressed her lips together.

»This is not good«, she murmured and abruptly turned around again. As she came past him, she grabbed his arm and pulled him back to the path.

»What is wrong?«, Connor asked confused and looked back where the sound of the horn had come from. »What did it mean?«

»That they are on the way again. And I thought they had what they want for now and would stay away from here«

»They? Whom are you talking about?«

She looked him over again as she answered. »About the bluecoats of course. They were on the way not long ago to collect the settler's money for the king. For whatever reasons they are here again, it cannot mean something good. That is why we should hurry up before they are getting the idea to enter our land«

Connor stopped abruptly and looked at his mother frowning, as she turned around to him. Her words made no sense. »The bluecoats are not under the authority of the British or a king. Furthermore the British are already gone. They had to leave the colonies after they had lost the war«

»War? You mean this ridiculous rebellion Washington used to make himself become the king? Son, it seems like you hit your head. The British are gone, yes. But now we have Washington and his rule becomes crueller with every year«

»Washington?« Now Connor was completely confused. »Washington is no king, he...«

»Oh, he is. Ratonhnhaké:ton, what is wrong with you? You know the stories. After he had made a name for himself after the Seven Year War, he defeated the British ten years ago and forced them to capitulate. After that, they were finally convinced and supported him. Nobody could possibly know what he was really up to and before you knew it, he was the one he is today. King Washington. Mighty and cruel« She snorted indignantly and turned her eyes to the ground, shaking her head. »I am sure he owes it to this damn sceptre. His success in the Seven Year War was too easily won. But of course nobody was interested in it«

Connor stared at his mother dumbfounded, while he repeated her words in his mind over and over again. What she had told him was entirely wrong. Washington had never gained a real victory in the Seven Year War and he hadn't ended the War of Independence, after the siege of Boston had been withstood. The war had endured six more years until the final peace had been made three years ago. The way his mother talked about the history was entirely wrong. Everything was wrong. If this was still the year 1786, his mother had dies twenty-six years ago and he had fought in the war. As an Assassin. Obviously these events hadn't happened if he was standing here now. With his mother and only as a warrior of his tribe. Without robes and without hidden blade. But if the war hadn't ended the way Connor knew, if he wasn't an assassin: Which events hadn't been different than they should have been? Which people had stepped into his life or hadn't?

»This is not real«, Connor murmured, more to himself. Either he was dreaming, or the Apple of Eden had really confused his mind. There couldn't be another explanation, although everything felt so realistic and he wished his mother would be still alive. He looked at her, standing in front of him and looking him over, too. She couldn't understand his behaviour and he couldn't hold it against her.

»We should really go«, she started and already turned around to leave. But Connor had already turned into the opposite direction. He needed to know what was happening in this village. He needed to be certain if it was true what his mother had told him. He only heard her protest shortly, before he made his way into the undergrowth. He heard how his mother finally followed him, but then there was suddenly the sound of rustling and cracking in front of them, as if an animal was approaching them. He heard his mother following him, but then a loud rustling and cracking suddenly sounded in front of them, as if a big animal was making its way to them. Connor and Kaniehtí:io stopped and Connor saw how his mother pulled out a dagger, while he grabbed his tomahawk. Tensely he stared straight forward and raised his weapon, as the undergrowth started to move. He was ready to attack whatever or whoever was approaching them, but he lowered the tomahawk again. There were only two little boys, stumbling out of the thicket and staring at him with wide eyes.

"Eric, we should run. They will kill us sooner than these guys down there", the little one of them whispered and clung to the boy he had talked to. He stopped and looked back and forth between Connor and his tomahawk, which he put back when he noticed it. He raised his hands and just wanted to reassure the boys, as his mother stepped forward.

"You do not have to be afraid", she said. "You are from the village, are you not? Are the king's men with you?"

The two boys exchanged fearful gazes, but the older one nodded. "They want to collect the tolls, but most of us don't have the money. Now they threaten to shoot women and children if the men are not able to pay. Our father already freed us and we ran away to get help." His gaze became begging as he looked back and forth between the two Mohawk. "Can you help us? He looks like he could." His gaze stopped upon Connor, who looked at his mother. She appeared uncertain, but indicated to him and the boys that they should follow her. They took the way the boys had come from, crossed a clearing and finally stopped at the edge of the forest. From here they had an almost unhindered view over the village's square, where a troop of soldiers had taken position around the rounded-up villagers. The women and children were separated from the men and a single woman was just dragged in front of three armed soldiers, who looked like a firing squad. So the boys had spoken the truth, like his mother. Not even during the war, Connor had witnessed such a scenery, at least not when the violence had been turned against white people. The imagination that the soldiers were actually considering to kill innocent children and women, only because a man wasn't able to pay enough money, appeared totally surreal to him and still it was happening.

»Washington slaughters everyone who does not do as he pleases. If they do not pay, they are traitors of the crown and have to be punished«, his mother said, as if she had read his mind and her voice was full of contempt which Connor could understand now.

»We have to do something«, he said determined. »We cannot allow that innocent people die«

»No, we cannot. But look at it. There are about twenty soldiers. All of them armed and instructed to kill everyone who is reluctant. I think our chances are low«

Connor kept watching the scenery in the village. A single man had just left the square with a soldier and walked down the street, while the other villagers were still detained.

»There are about twenty soldiers, but as much men. Believe me: Each one of them would do everything to protect his wife and his children. They only need to get the impulse to fight«

"And you plan to give them this impulse? You could get shot, Ratonhnhaké:ton«

»But at least I had tried« Connor was determined and he knew that his mother could see it while she looked him over thoughtfully. Finally she turned her eyes away and sighed deeply. »You are right. We have to try. What do you propose?«

Connor looked back to the village, regarding the positions of the soldiers. They had all gathered around the square. There were no guards, as if the bluecoats were sure that they wouldn't get any troubles coming from the streets. This was his advantage. He had to find something he could distract them with. He had to cause chaos so that the men of the village could rise up against the soldiers and attack them, while the women and children escaped. But what about the soldier who had left with the other man? Connor looked to the building they had disappeared in. It seemed to be the local inn and nothing happened there at first. But then the door was torn open and the man stormed outside, followed by the soldier. He didn't come far. The bluecoat trained his rifle at him and shot. The bang echoed over the whole area and even the birds in the branches over their head fled. Connor frowned, while the soldier stepped over the body and returned to the crowd. He needed to act now and he already knew what he had to do.

»I am going to cause trouble and you will persuade the women to flee. They shall come here and you will accompany them. You will not stay but wait until I come back. Alright?«

Kaniehtí:io gave him a serious gaze and shortly Connor asked himself, if he had dared to much with giving her orders, but she nodded. »Be careful, son«

»You, too, mother« He briefly laid a hand on her arm before standing up and leaving the secure thicket.

Between the edge of the forest and the village was a meadow, entirely clear from any possibilities to hide. Connor had to run as he crossed it until he finally reached the bushes along the road. From here he glanced to the soldiers, who hadn't noticed him at all and only concentrated on the villagers. Nobody of them paid attention to the road where Connor was hiding. The mistake of all those who felt mighty and inviolable. But they were going to regret this mistake, Connor was sure of it. He dared a last look at the square, where another woman was just chained up and brought in front of the soldiers' rifles. Connor didn't know when the bluecoats intended to enforce the sentence. He counted three soldiers. This could mean only one woman was left, before the first shots were fired. He didn't intend to let that happen. He left his hideout, ran crouching over the street and straight to a barn, a bit above the square. Aside of it was a meadow, where about a dozen of cows was grazing peacefully. But Connor planned to end this peace very soon. He pushed the bolt away, that locked the gate and opened it as far as possible. Until now the cows hadn't noticed him, but it changed quickly as he approached the animals on the other end of the herd. He took his bow off his back and pushed it against the first cow's flank. With a protesting sound, it moved forward and Connor did the same to two other animals. He kept uttering quiet shouts and used his bow to drive the cows on. It didn't take long until their herd instinct set in and the whole flock moved towards the gate. Connor started to run, leaped over the fence and stopped the first cows from running out of the village just in time. he made them turn around and with more light pushes of his bow, all of them were running towards the square. They stayed calm, but fell into trot and headed straight towards the first row of soldiers. A satisfied expression flitted across Connor's face, before he crossed the street again and moved behind the buildings around the square.

Chaos had broken out by now. The cows had alarmed the first soldiers, broke through their lines and trotted across the square. The bluecoats' horses shied and their riders were busy keeping them calm. They were so surprised by the unexpected incident, that they didn't know how to react. Their once ordered lines were totally messed up and nobody paid attention to the villagers, who didn't hesitate for long. Connor saw his mother between the men and women, pointing at the forest. Immediately, the first mothers and their children ran off and their men started to attack the first soldiers to stop them from shooting at their families. They did as Connor had thought. They would do anything to protect their loved ones, but obviously they had needed some kind of ensured success and the distracted soldiers were easily to overpower.

Connor had walked around the square and had now reached its edge, where he pulled out his tomahawk and hunting knife, grabbed them firmly and stormed to the soldiers closest to him. They didn't see him coming as his blades thrust into their backs and he tore them to the ground with his weight. They landed on their bellies, their mouths opened to silent screams. Connor pulled his weapons out of the bodies and ran to the villagers. Eleven men had stayed, obviously the only ones able to fight. Together they had overpowered four soldiers and had taken their weapons. With the two Connor had killed, their troop was already halved, but this didn't mean victory. Only four men were really veteran. They were simple farmers, but determined. They had spread over the square in groups of two and kept trying to keep the soldiers at bay.

Their commander was sitting on his horse, boiling with rage and trying to give his men further orders. He was totally overwhelmed by the turn his mission had just made.

"Butcher them!", he roared. "Shoot them! Especially this damn savage!" As if he wanted to emphasize his words, he trained his pistol at Connor, who had already jumped aside as the officer pulled the trigger. Instantly three soldiers stormed at him and tried to follow the order. Connor managed it to kill one of them with a well aimed blow, but he had to avoid the attack of a bayonet, followed by a rifle that was trained at him. Connor needed to roll away and as he straightened up, one of the villagers was standing next to him and shot the soldier with the rifle, before he could pull the trigger. Connor and the man exchanged a short gaze and nod. The soldier with the bayonet aligned his weapon, but before he was able to attack, Connor had thrown his tomahawk at him. With wide eyes, the man stared at the axe stuck in his chest and collapsed, as Connor grabbed the weapon again. When he turned around, the officer had gathered his remaining men around himself, already retreating.

"Don't believe this stays unpunished!", he roared angrily and pointed at the villagers with his pistol, who had gathered together, too. "You know what traitors have to expect. And you…" He turned to Connor and the Mohawk saw hatred in the other man's eyes. "don't think only because the king wasn't interested in your kind until now, that he couldn't change his mind. You are not even worthy enough for slavery. But you didn't intervene for nothing, be sure of that."

Connor didn't answer. He coldly returned the man's gaze until he finally turned his horse and rode away. He stopped beside a prison cart, looked inside and pulled out his pistol once again. A shot sounded and he looked back to Connor again, a scornful smile on his lips. Connor tightened his grip around the tomahawk and started running. He didn't know himself if he just wanted to attack the soldier or if he only wanted to make sure if he had shot at a person in this cart. This decision was taken from him anyway, as the officer drove his horse on and galloped away, past his already fleeing soldiers. Connor stopped beside the cart which he hadn't paid attention at until now and he regretted this fault. On the ground lay a young, dark-skinned woman. A pool of blood formed around her head and strands of her black hair hung in her face. But still he recognized her. It was Anya. One of the slaves he had freed on Jarvis' estate. But why was she here? Did her presence mean…that Jarvis was here, too? Connor's gaze moved to the male body on the street. It was the man who had fled from the inn and had been shot. Connor approached him slowly, kneeled down and turned the massive body laboriously onto his back. His heard halted. It really was Richard Jarvis. Lillian's uncle who had taken his own life in front of Connor's eyes. He had been alive, Anya had been here…what about Lillian? Did the presence of her already dead uncle and the freed slave that she had never gone with Connor? That they maybe had never met?

Connor's weight sank back onto his heels and he ran his hands through his hair. Everything was becoming even more confusing. His mother was alive, it seemed like he was no assassin, George Washington apparently had become a king and he probably had never met Lillian. Everything he had known over the last twenty-six years of his life just didn't exist or had been messed up. But why? Because of the Apple? Did it really have such a power? How could Connor reverse it? Did he want to reverse it at all? Did he want his mother to disappear from his life again? All these questions were rushing through his mind until Connor uttered a frustrated sound and leaped to his feet. He had to find out what was happening. He shouldn't let it drive him crazy.

His gaze moved to the men of the village who were already heading for the forest, took their remaining comrades with themselves on half of the way and disappeared behind the trees together. Connor followed them. He tried to hold back all these confusing thoughts while he approached the trees and his gaze fell upon his mother, who was tensely waiting for him. When he came closer, he saw relief in her eyes.

»Finally. I thought you let them shoot you anyway. Are you…« She paused as Connor embraced her and pulled her closer, without saying a word. Again he thought how realistic everything was. He felt his mother tense shortly in the face of this surprising gesture of her son, but then she wrapped her arms around him, too.

»Are you well?«, she repeated the question she had kept asking him over the last few hours and Connor didn't know what to answer. He wasn't injured, but confused.

»I do not know«, he murmured honestly. »I wish I could tell you«

Kaniehtí:io pulled away from the embrace, pushed him a bit away and looked at him frowning. »You should become aware of it soon. I do not know the way you are behaving and I do not like it. And now come. We should go back«

She let him go, turned away and went back to the clearing which Connor entered beside her. He saw the villagers, who stood together, talking to each other and falling into each other's arms. The relief that they had lost no family members, was noticeable, but Connor couldn't feel happy for them. Furthermore he noticed a single person from the corners of his eyes, standing away from the villagers. He looked at them and froze. He recognized her in an instant. He would have recognized her everywhere, no matter if she was wearing simple skirts and blouses our an elegant dress like she was doing now. Even under the lavishly styled hair, the sparkling jewellery and the powdered face, he recognized her, although it was long ago since he had seen her like this. She was one of the few persons he almost knew as well as he knew himself after all. Lillian seemed to be paralyzed herself and stared at him. Connor thought of her uncle, of Anya and the question what had changed, too. She must have been with them and this could mean that his fear was true. That they had never met and this could mean that Lillian probably didn't know him and just stared at him because of his origin. This thought dealt him a blow.

He already thought of turning his eyes away, but suddenly Lillian moved. She gathered her skirts, ran towards him and before he realized it, she had thrown herself into his arms and clung to him. Connor was surprised at first. He couldn't understand what her reaction meant. So she knew him, but why? Had they met for some reason or…had Lillian made the same experience? Whatever it was, he was relieved and wrapped his arms around her body, pulled her tight against himself, buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent that was so familiar to him.

»Lillian«, he murmured, as if he wanted to make sure that she was really here. He heard her utter a quiet, relieved laugh, as if a burden had just been taken off her shoulders. Gently he pulled away, held her a bit away from himself and put his hands on her cheeks. Tears were shimmering in her eyes, but Lillian smiled and caressed his cheeks, too.

"So you know me. You're not acting as strange as the others", she whispered and Connor was almost sure that she had made the same confusing experiences.

»Of course I know you. I feel the same«, he replied likewise quietly and smiled. But Lillian's smile disappeared and her eyes widened. Her mouth opened shortly as if she wanted to say something, closed it again and pressed her lips together, so that they lost color. Connor frowned in confusion as Lillian lowered her eyes and murmured: "Please no. Don't tell me he doesn't speak my language anymore."

Connor blinked confused, didn't understand what she was talking about, but then it hit him and he shook his head about himself. It had been a matter of course for him to talk with his mother in their language and it had directly become a second nature of him, so that he hadn't further thought about it. He really hadn't noticed that he had spoken to Lillian in Mohawk, too. She hadn't been able to understand him. Gently he lifted her chin and smirked as she looked at him again. "I am sorry. I am really confused. Of course I am still speaking your language."

Lillian closed her eyes and he smirked as she took an audible sigh of relief. "Thank God, for a moment I thought..." She smirked, too and looked at him. He noticed how her gaze moved over his jewellery, his clothes and finally back to his face. Her smirk disappeared and made room for a serious, almost fearful expression as she asked whispering: "Connor, what is going on?"