Sorry it took so long to post this!
A few things I wanted to say. I am sorry this is only 3,000 words, and I may have gotten some facts wrong about the precursor box. I m trying to wrap everything together. Also, I want to thank everyone who has been following me! I already got over 50! :D Love you guys! Please submit a review!
-MasterAssassinMoon
After last nights dream, Catherine couldn't get a wink of sleep, especially with Connor laying next to her. The morning after when she had awakened with the native's arm was draped over her stomach like they were a couple. She quickly sat up causing Connor to stir awake as well. The two teenagers were in for the whole morning until Connor had tried talking Catherine into having someone take a look at her. The Irish lass brushed it off saying she was alright. Catherine was scampering around her room trying to get dress as fast as any girl could. The duo had a chance to check out the graveyard. She was yanking her boots on as she tried to braid her hair back while Connor was waiting for her downstairs. Today was going to be different, but she couldn't pinpoint why; It was a gut feeling.
Her boots clicked as she practically jumped off the stairs as the girl yank her coat on. Her attire consisted of a pair of trousers and white shirt with a brown waistcoat. The clothes seem to be odd for a woman, but she needed to dress practically in case there might be a scuffle at the graveyard. In hand, was the dull sword she had found in the cellar months ago. Wrapped around her arm was her mother's red shawl. She needed something to conceal herself, and the shawl was a perfect cover. Catherine started wrapping it around her neck as she saw Conner was eating a light breakfast at the bar while the bird squeaks as he hobbled.
"He seems ready to take flight."
Catherine smiled,"I believe you are right, maybe we should let him out. Aries might be ready to return to where he belongs."
"Agreed." His eyes were fixated on the sword in her hand. "What is that?"
"It's an old sword I found in the cellar. we are in hazardous waters, Connor." Catherine tied the sheathed sword to her belt. It was an easy way to hide the sword beneath her coat. "I don't know if the Templars are on to us, but I saw Hickey in the tavern last night. He uses to linger around here like a snake before my mother's death."
Connor nodded, "After this, we should return to the homestead."
Catherine hadn't given her answer but after last night. She finally agreed. The teenager didn't have a chance to talk to Connor about her wolf transformation dream, but Catherine wanted to wait awhile before she discussed it. The fact remained that the Templars needed to be stopped at all cost. Deep down inside Catherine, she was scared, knowing that the Templars had political power, spy network, and not to mention they had the numbers. She was more terrified of her father. If she truly wanted to become an Assassin, she would become the very thing that her father swore to hunt.
"Shall we go?" Connor asked as he held out his arm for the hawk to jump on. He seems to not mind the talons that dug into his skin.
"Aye, but I need you to take the rooftops to be my eyes."
Connor nodded in agreement before the native and the Irish lass set off unaware they had following eyes on their backs.
Connor parted ways with Catherine outside of the tavern, Aries had finally given a chance to spread his wings when he hopped off of Connor's arm and took flight.
There was a moment of awe as Catherine watched the Aries took off in flight with the sun on his back. The way the bird cried out as he spread his wings was awe inspiring. Catherine smiled, feeling a twinge of sadness to see her friend to fly off. To her much surprise, Aries circled above them before swooping over Catherine's head. Aries gaze was directed at her as if he was telling Catherine that he was going to stay by her side. Following the feeling of mutual understanding, Catherine took the lead as Connor followed her by rooftop to the grave site.
Nothing was out of the ordinary as Catherine walked the streets of Boston, people seem to part for her as she made her way through the crowd. Aries followed Connor through the air, but Catherine stayed down below as she weaved out of the morning rush. The Irish lass took a known shortcut to the graveyard down a backstreet. She had tried to keep a tab on Connor, but she had yet to see him.
A hissing voice inside her mind told her to turn around as soon as the young girl made it half-way down the short-cut. The whispers overcrowded her mind, but it became silent when four men walked up to the young girl. Just like when Haytham had ambushed her in the graveyard.
Where was Connor?
Catherine angrily thought as she glanced at the four men giving her a chance to study them. The group were mercenaries, it was obvious to Catherine from the weapons the men carried. One of them held a burlap sack with rope. The girl had calculated that this couldn't be good.
She clutched the sword that was attached to her hip when the leader of the rugged group gave her wicked grin, "Miss. Cormac?" The leader had a cockney accent showing he was an immigrant from England.
The man that was speaking to her was the biggest of his companions and had a long thin nose that reminded Catherine of a rat. All he needed was whiskers under his 'snot', but his long abnormal nose hair would do the trick.
"Aye? What do you want?" Catherine gritted her teeth at the men. "I am in the middle of going to visit my mother's grave, and don't have time for your panhandling."
"No panhandlin' sweetheart. Why dot' you come with us quietly?"
Catherine slowly drew her dull sword from its sheath flashing it at the men trying to act tough. "Make me," The group erupted in a wave of laughter at the sight of her sword and her stance. The Irish lass knew she was outnumbered and outmatched, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try to go down without a fight.
"Mister Kenway had strict orders to bring you back alive, but he didn't say in wot' condition." The man cracked his knuckles, "You're here by yourself lil girl."
"Not quite," Catherine glanced up hoping Connor had seen she was in trouble, but for about a block and half. She had no sight of the native boy. Where was he? Anxiety began to fill the young girl. Her palms were glistening with sweat as she grabbed hard onto the sword.
"Connor, I could use your help. So if you cant get your arse down here now, that would be beautiful."
The men chuckled at her reactions, "No one is 'ere sweetheart."
Just as fate would seem to have it, a man in a maroon coat leaped from the back of charging horse, killing the leader as he was slammed into the dirt. The light from the thug's eyes left in a matter of seconds. Catherine's eyes were wide as dinner plates she saw his hidden blade glistened in the sunlight with blood dripping from the tip.
This man was an Assassin.
Catherine watched in amazement as she witnessed the man move like a devil. With an elegance that Catherine had not witness before in her life, the assassin drew his sword. It was a sharpen rapier with a decorated handle.
With a fast demon-like speed, he thrust the sword into the neck of the next man as he bashed the head of another into the brick building to his left. The last man that stood dropped the burlap sack and rope fleeing from the man, but he did not get far. The Master Assassin paid no mind as he loaded flint-lock pistol and fired one shot. The man dropped dead from where he stood. The lead ball had gone through the back of his skull. He now laid in a pool of his own blood.
The Assassin took a moment to compose himself as he placed his weapons back into its proper holsters. He slicked back any of his loose brown hair that had fallen out of place. He calmed walked over to his horse who seemed to be a bit startled by the sound of a gunshot.
He climbed onto his horse "We must hurry to my residences before the Templars' spies spot us.
"Who are you?!" Catherine asked as she stepped over the dead body of the leader. Careful not to step in the pool of blood.
The man pulled down his red hood and outstretched his hand, "The name is Charles Dorian." Catherine took the hand of the Assassin. "I had your friend, Connor, meet us there."
"Wait, wait, I need to get to the graveyard." Catherine cried in a panic, if the Templars already knew about her plans, it might be too late.
"Because of this?" He reached into his coat pocket to produce a single letter that she recognized as the one she had been hiding.
"Where in the hell did you get that?"
"I took it from your tavern." He stuffed the letter back into his coat.
"You had no right!"
Charles kept a stern face as he spoke to the girl. ever since word of Rose's death, he had been tasked with finding the box He did not expect that Rose's young daughter would start snooping for the box as well. Achilles was right, she was young and inexperienced, but seeing her temper and determination that she was showing. He had to admire the girl.
"There is no time arguing girl, climb on the horse."
Catherine huffed but grip onto the saddle, "What about Connor?"
"I had him steal a horse and met him out in the neck of Boston. Now pull up your hood, Catherine."
Catherine was unsure how he knew her name, but he followed his instructions. She had a feeling it would be awhile before she saw her home again.
Within a few hours before sunset, Dorian and Catherine had caught up with Connor. The native lingering outside a few miles outside Charlestown. The Master Assassin had led the two teenagers to his humble aristocratic manner. Catherine was unsure if she had ever stepped foot into a nice house like this before. Ivy was growing along the bricks of with the stone fence with a cast iron gate. Charles held the gate open for them to usher them into his home. The small manor had an empty feel to it. Dorian mention that this was his temporary residency on the way to Charlestown.
There were no decorations on the walls, hardly any furniture besides a study off to the side and a small dining room. In front of her was a wooden staircase that leads down to the white marble flooring.
Small footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. "Father," A small boy with brown hair that shared Dorian's characteristics. The young boy look to be 3, or 4 years old with bright blue eyes and rosy cheeks.
Dorian demeanor changed when he saw his son. "Arno," Dorian smiled, "Come, boy, say hello to Connor and Catherine."
Catherine gave a smile at the sight of the young child, she absolutely loved the little ones. "Hello," She waved at the child as she got down to his eye level. "I am Catherine." She outstretched her hand to shake his tiny hands.
"I'm Arno, your pretty." He looked shyly down at his buckle shoes with a hint of embarrassment.
"Your sweet Arno," She adored his childlike innocence, but she couldn't help but wonder where Mrs. Dorian was.
Dorian smiled at his young son before clearing his throat. "Arno, why don't you go with Ms. Buckler." He noted at the old wrinkle woman that stood at the base of the stairs. Catherine could only guess that was his governess or nanny. "We have some business to attend too."
Arno grabbed the hand of his governess as they slowly ascended the stairs, he waved back at the curly red hair teenager. What a sweet boy she thought to herself.
"Shall we talk in my study?" He handed his coat to another maid who took it under her arm. Catherine pulled down her as hood denying her coat to the maid. Charles opens the door for the duo to enter and had them take a seat.
"Why did you sneak into my tavern to steal it?"
"You're not experienced enough to handle this." He laid down the letter on his desk to show the young woman. "You didn't even put this letter in a safe place, knowing that the Templars have eyes on you."
"They don't know that I have knowledge about this." Dorian took a seat opposite of the teenagers.
Connor touched Catherine's shoulder, "You were ambushed, my father and the other templars could know."
Catherine sat in silence as she considers what they were saying. Haytham was clever and made that clear. He was possible was onto her especially since he had sent those men to kidnap her. "Why did you come for the letter?"
"For this." Charles took a key out of his pocket to open a drawer. He glanced around one time before pulling out a dirty box that looked to be buried under dirt for years. "This is what the Templars were after during the seven years' war."
"What is it?" Catherine was risen from her seat and walked towards the desk to take a closer look at the box.
Charles kept a straight face he rubbed his hand across its smooth surface. It was so hard to believe that so many people had died over this little box. ","
The young lass studies the designs on the box and wonders how it could be a map. Strange etches in the side of the box. "How can you tell?"
"Achilles told me…When its stuck by electricity."
Catherine didn't understand what electricity, but apparently was a new form of science that had been discovered by Benjamin Franklin himself. His home had once been in Boston years ago, but now he was traveling the world giving science lectures, but with issues with England. He slowly changed his lectures towards politics. Especially voicing his opinion of the stamp acts which was repealed in 1766 due to anti-British sentiment.
Catherine mind was off tracks she went to focus on the box, "How do you we read it though?"
"There is a manuscript, but unfortunate the Templars have it and they will not stop until they find all the temples."
Temples? Catherine thought back to her dream when the strange wolf had appeared before her. The templars cannot have access to this box. No wonder her mother had hid it from the world.
"What can we do about it?"
Charles was quiet for a moment, "For now, I am going to take you both back to Achilles. Boston is too dangerous for you Catherine."
Catherine could only nod in agreement. The Templars were hanging around her home and sent a group of thugs to take her against her will. She had talked about this with Connor earlier about returning to the homestead. Not just for her own safety but a personal decision had to be made. She wanted to train alongside Connor, but she didn't want to become an Assassin.
She needed to learn how to wield a blade, not just for herself, but for the innocence that was caught up in the templars plots. This wasn't going to be for revenge, but for justice for all the lives lost, including her own mother's.
"I am going to ask Achilles to train me alongside Connor, so maybe it will be safer for me to return."
"Especially after you froze with your dull sword."
Catherine frown, "You took them out before I even stepped in."
Dorian ignored her comment before clearing his throat, "Tomorrow I will be arranging passage to take you back to Achilles. For now, I want you to make a list of arrangements to be taken care such as things that you want to be sent to you and I will see it done."
Catherine nodded but felt a twinge of sadness; she had just reopened the tavern that she would have to leave it empty again. Unless she can leave it in good hands, her mind quickly decided on Azura. Not the most ideal thing to leave her home to a total stranger, but it would have to do. She had no other choice, but she was sure she could trust the woman. All Catherine would do was to ask James to keep her updated by letter.
She had already sent her most important things with Joffrey and Conrad, she knew eventually she'd be returning to the homestead, but not this soon.
"I just need to write a letter to my friend, James Quinn. He's an apprentice at a blacksmith near the harbor."
Dorian nodded, "I will see that this information gets to the right people, now, why don't you allow my staff to lead you and Connor to appropriate rooms to rest then we will eat."
Connor was intruding by the mysterious master Assassin. He had appeared in front of Connor out of nowhere stopping him from helping Catherine. He gave him a quick explanation to hurry off to the outskirts of Charlestown. So far, he had not shown a reason not to trust him.