Assassins, Masters and Mentors

An irregular tug at my hair woke me in the morning and when I opened my eyes, a chubby-cheeked face, framed by dark locks, loomed over me.

"Little angel, you're up already," I murmured, still sleepy and ran my hands over my face. One look at the window told me, that the sun was just rising and another look to the side, that Connor wouldn't get up anytime soon. He lay flat on his stomach, his arms wrapped around his pillow and his face buried in it. I wondered if he could still breathe but this position was probably the only one he could sleep in without having his head burst. I couldn't stop myself from grinning when I thought of last night. Drunk Connor certainly hadn't been a dream.

"Mama." The quiet whining made me turn my attention back to my child who stood with a tensed grimace beside our bed, rocking back and forth on her feet. I didn't need to ask, to know that someone had a full diaper. The smell did the rest. I sighed. Just pulling Emily to me and sleeping a bit longer was off the table.

"We have to be quiet, little angel. Papa is still asleep," I whispered while getting up and trying to ignore my morning sickness. I hurried to unfold the sheet, that was stored under the bed for this purpose, and prepare everything else to clean Emily up. Clean napkins, a bowl of fresh water, some rags for washing, and the calendula oil Diana had recommended to me, when I had been an inexperienced new mother, to treat the skin. When Emily had been younger, changing her diaper had been torture for us both. She had hated to lie still, get undressed and handled. But by now she endured the procedure with the patience of a saint, as long as she wasn't tired or had been interrupted in her play. Now she lied patiently and laughed at me when I sat her up and pressed a playful kiss onto the tip of her nose.

"Now we get dressed and go have breakfast, alright?" I chuckled when Emily's eyes lighted up and she nodded enthusiastically. This little glutton. It must come from her father…

He was still sleeping like a stone. It seemed like the alcohol was granting him a particularly deep sleep for once and although it sounded strange, I somehow didn't begrudge him it. Not only because he was going to feel bad enough as soon as he woke up. Still, I tried to be as quiet as possible and kept asking Emily to do the same, while getting her and myself ready for the day. Hand in hand we left the room and the guest house and walked down to the villa, where some Assassins were already leaving for their daily chores. In the kitchen, Sabana and Nerea were as busy as bees creating all kinds of delicacies.

"Looks like we're having a feast today," I said when Emily and I entered the room and both women turned to us. Sabana, who had just looked into the oven, where it smelled deliciously of roasted meat, laughed.

"Oh, no, not everything is for today. Most of it is for the…la designación tomorrow."

"The designation," Nerea unnecessarily added the word her mother had been looking for.

"So there are going to be festivities?", I asked surprised. I hadn't heard about it, yet and when Connor had roughly described the ceremony, he hadn't mentioned anything at all. Maybe because he didn't know, or because he probably disliked the thought of a celebration to his honour.

"He is not the only one being granted a new rank," Nerea explained with a shake of her head when I uttered this thought. "Including him, three Assassins are being promoted to the rank of Master Assassin and two novices who have finished their training and become Assassins. He is the only one being named Mentor."

Connor hadn't told me that, either. So the ceremony was going to be bigger than I had expected, but that wasn't a bad thing. On the contrary. I was curious to see what was happening tomorrow and I would never say "No" to a feast anyway.

"Do you think your cariño will be able to make an oath tomorrow?"

I had just lifted Emily onto the bank at the kitchen table and took a plate with banana bread and butter from Nerea when her mother asked this question with a smirk. I sighed.

"So he's the talk of the town, huh?" My fingertips ran through Emily's hair after I had placed the plate in front of her. "Well, he's going to be thrilled."

"Que tontería!" Sabana laughed. "He does not need to worry about that. He is not the first drunk on this island and certainly will not be the last. No one is going to judge him for it. Especially not one of the Assassins because they are sitting in glass houses. He is just a man, after all."

"At least he did not climb onto the roof of the villa naked and claimed he would piss on every Templar's head."

"Nerea!

"What, mamá? I am just quoting him."

I laughed about the image Nerea had put into my head with a grin and about how shocked her mother was about it.

"Someone did that?"

Nerea nodded, still grinning. "Allessio Corone. I am not sure if you know him, but he will be designated Master Assassin tomorrow, too. So Connor is in good company and he did not even misbehave."

Luckily. I didn't know what I would have done and how Connor would cope if he had done something so...ridiculous yesterday. He had simply been in a better mood than usual...ignoring his confusion about the very intact stone stairs.

"How is he anyway?"Sabana asked. "Not very well, I assume."

"He was still sleeping when we left. But since he normally doesn't drink that much alcohol..."

I didn't finish the sentence and still, Sabana seemed to understand. She nodded and stepped to a small fire in the corner of the room where she used to brew the tea for my morning sickness. Today there were two tin cans and she took both off the fire to fill two cups. One for each can. Sabana put the cups on a tray with two plates which she filled with banana bread and butter. She returned to me with the full tray and put it on the table in front of me. I immediately recognized my greenish, yellowish tea by its colour and its scent, but I had no idea what the amber-coloured drink was supposed to be. It smelled very bitter and also a bit alcoholic.

"That," Sabana pointed at the cup as if she had read my thoughts. "is my secret recipe to get drunkards back on their feet. Bring it to him and tell him, he should eat something. And so do you. I could put you in front of a white wall and you would disappear to the naked eye." She lovingly put a hand to my cheek and I couldn't help but smile. Sabana was an incredibly kind and caring woman. I would have felt half as good if she hadn't treated me with her teas and loving words. Even though I was looking forward to getting home, I was already missing her and Nerea whenever I thought of our nearing farewell. Nerea was the one who nodded eagerly when I carefully asked her if I could leave Emily in her care for a moment to check on Connor.

"Take your time," the young woman said, already grabbing a towel to clean my daughter's smeared fingers. "Connor certainly needs your care more than our little princess, am I right?"

"Pick lowers?" Emily asked me and pointed at the garden behind the windows.

"If you are not hungry anymore, you can go and pick flowers, yes." I leaned down to the little one and kissed her cheek, before standing up, gratefully placing a hand on Nerea's shoulder and taking the tray, to carefully balance it outside and to the guest house.

In our room, Connor lay on our bed the same way we had left him. He hadn't moved an inch. I began to worry. After all, there had been people getting sick after drinking too much alcohol or even dying. Carefully I placed the tray beside the head of our makeshift bed and kneeled on the soft blankets next to Connor.

"Ratonhnhaké:ton," I whispered and gently laid a hand on his back, to brush it slowly along his spine. I heard a muffled hum sounding from the pillow he had buried his face in. A life sign after all.

"Come now." I brushed some strands of his hair aside, leaned forward and kissed the back of his neck. "Wake up."

"I am awake," it came mumbling from the pillow and although I had wanted to avoid it because I didn't want to give him the feeling that I was making fun of him, I grinned. Slowly and mumbling, Connor turned his head to the side and finally revealed his face. His eyes were small because he squinched them, his temples were sweaty and his skin was pale. No, he definitely wasn't well and so I immediately stopped my grinning.

"How bad is it?" I asked quietly and brushed some of the sweaty strands out of his face.

"I feel like someone beat me up for hours," Connor murmured and closed his eyes again. "I should not have let the men influence me."

Although he couldn't see it, I shook my head and took my weight off my heels to sit on the blankets, still caressing Connor's hair which he seemed to enjoy. Who didn't like being pampered when you were unwell?

"You drank and laughed with them and seemed to have a good time."

"I made a fool out of myself. In front of them and all the others. How are they supposed to look up to me or how am I supposed to lead at all, if I cannot even control myself? Especially when it comes to tomorrow."

I should have known that he would say and think something like this. To lose control over himself was simply unacceptable to Connor. But I remembered what Sabana had told me.

"Nonsense," I replied firmly. "You are human and no man has to be perfect all the time and no one is expecting that from you either. Do you think there has ever been a leader who didn't have any human flaws?" I shook my head again but smiled softly when he looked at me again. "You toasted us and our baby and there is nothing wrong about it."

Although he had to blink several times, Connor seemed to study my face very closely. As if he wasn't sure that I didn't say whatever was more comfortable for him.

"So I did not say or do anything stupid?"

"No. On the contrary." I remembered perfectly that he had believed the solid stone stairs to the villa to be broken, but as long as he was worried about his reputation, it would be better that he didn't learn about it. According to Nerea's story, he hadn't misbehaved anyway. Smiling I took the cup with Sabana's special tea to hand it to Connor. As expected, it was scrutinized sceptically, before he took it and Connor squinched up his face when he sniffed at the still-warm liquid.

"Is there even more alcohol in this?" he asked almost indignantly but I only shrugged.

"Sabana said it would help and she was always right with my tea." As if to emphasize my words, I took my cup, toasted at Connor and took a sip of the bitter-sweet tea. Connor watched me sceptically, looked at his cup again and finally put it to his lips. His Adam's apple bobbed as he took a deep gulp and again he grimaced.

"That is disgusting."

"Just drink it." I pleadingly cocked my head. "I am sure it will help and if you like, you can cover the taste with banana bread." I grabbed the plate and held it to Connor, but he shook his head.

"It is fine, I do not feel like eating anyway."

"Welcome to the world of morning sickness." I grinned at him over the edge of my cup and was glad when a faint smirk brightened up his sickly face. Sipping my tea, I sank back into the pillow after I had leaned it against the wall. Connor did the same and together we sat there, drinking our potions and waiting for them to do their magic.

A glance from the side at Connor brought my thoughts back to last night. Even though he was visibly unwell, he was himself again. Reserved and pensive. It was hard to imagine him sitting on this terrace, drinking and singing with his crew. But I hadn't forgotten his speech and what he had said on our way to the guest house.

"I thought what you said was beautiful," I said quietly and watched my finger, running along the rim of my cup.

"And what did I say?"

I felt my cheeks blushing. To repeat Connor's words seemed self-righteous and vain. But thinking of them, I still felt the warmth they had caused.

"That you're happy," I answered quietly. "And that you swore to make me happy before we got married."

"Then I did not talk nonsense at least." Connor smiled and put his cup aside. Now he had one arm free to wrap it around me and move closer, to lean his forehead against my shoulder. That and the confirmation that his drunken words hadn't been less meaningful gave the feeling of hundreds of butterflies fluttering through my whole body. It meant a lot to me. Not Connor's oath itself but rather the meaning behind it. He gently rested his forehead against my temple and I heard him taking a deep breath.

"Are you happy?" He had only murmured this question. As if he hardly dared to ask it. But there was nothing he had to worry about because the answer was as clear as a mountain lake. Now I put my cup aside, too, turned my upper body towards Connor and pulled my legs to my body, to wrap my arms around him. But instead of bringing my face closer to his, I leaned back so that I could look into his eyes.

"I am married to the man I love, have a wonderful little daughter with him, a warm and safe home and am carrying our second child. I couldn't be happier," I said in a serious but gentle voice. Over the last couple of years, there had been moments when I had felt like I would fall into an abyss. The last time, Ray had brought light into all the dark parts of my past and had become darkness himself. When he had died, I had buried the last beautiful memories of my childhood with him. But every time I had been able to look forward. Because of what had been gifted to me in the meantime. My husband. My daughter. My family. If I would throw myself into the dirt, claiming that I was an unhappy woman, it wouldn't be fair to those who were really and constantly ridden by misfortune.

Connor smiled about my words and in his former red and tired eyes appeared a lively and warm gleam. "I am glad to hear it," he said quietly and his eyes moved down to my belly, whereupon I grabbed his hand and led it there. The gleam brightened and when Connor looked at me, he did it with so much love and sincerity. "May it never change."

I nodded. A desirable thought and even though there were certainly going to be times that led us from the brightest day into the darkest night, everything would be fine as long as we stuck together. But I hoped that these times were going to wait a whole while longer.

Connor took his arm off my waist to take his cup and empty it in a few gulps, swallowed, shivered and put it aside. "This brew is another reason for never drinking alcohol again," he hummed and slowly sank back into the pillow, where he put an arm over his forehead and closed his eyes, while I chuckled.

"Not even one of Olli's ales?"

"Not even that. I will never drink alcohol again. Never. Again."

Connor came with me when I left to check on Emily. He still wasn't feeling better but he wouldn't be himself if he would let a hangover stop him and spend a day in bed. He hid it well and as I had expected, no one said a word about last night or gave Connor a weird look. His reputation hadn't been damaged and so nothing was standing in the way of the next day.

In the evening, shortly after sunset, all Assassins, from Novices to Mentor, gathered in the garden, that was illuminated by numerous torches. I stood with Emily, Olivia, Nerea, Sabana and others who weren't part of the Brotherhood, on the outer edge of the eerie-looking gathering of hooded figures who had all turned towards the stone stairs that led to the upper part of the garden. On its ledge stood Consuela, four Assassins behind her, who were all Masters, as Olivia informed me. Connor stood among the other figures, easily recognisable by the bow and the quiver on his back. He was wearing his new robes. For the first time since I had gifted them to him and without me having asked or reminded him. I was happy to see him in them, although the excited prickling in my stomach had nothing to do with it. According to Connor's claim, he wasn't nervous, so I was even more. As if I was the one who was about to swear an oath, that would change my life, in front of all these men and women. But it would take a moment until Connor's time came. It had been explained to me, that the ceremony was following the level of the ranks that were given. First, the Recruits who became Assassins, then the future Masters, Connor among them, and finally the Mentor. Connor would be the only one getting this rank. But until now, it didn't seem like all members of our family were here to witness the occasion.

"Where is Caleb?" I asked Olivia who was standing next to me and looked over my shoulder towards the people around us. The blonde boy was nowhere to be found. Where was he?

"I guess he's with the other Novices."

"What?" Immediately my eyes slid to the gathering in front of us and searched its ranks for the group of girls and boys, who were the only ones not wearing the traditional robes. The bad lighting made it difficult to recognize faces but finally, I found Caleb's tall, slender figure and his blonde tousled hair. "He has no business standing there. He's no Novice."

Olivia gave me a glance from the side and arched her brows. "Do you think the Masters let him train with the others just for his entertainment?"

My eyes widened when I looked at her again. What she was implying was absurd. Caleb had often joined the Novices, yes. But he was still a guest and how was a boy supposed to entertain himself if all of his peers on this island belonged to the Assassins? But that didn't make him one of them. When we were back home, he would spend time with his friends in Davenport again, just like any other normal boy his age.

"Well, at least he has the better view," I murmured and turned my attention back to the actual happening. At this moment, Consuela raised her hands and even though there had only been occasional whispers before, the garden became deathly silent. You only heard the wind in the trees and the breaking waves in the bay. Even Emily, who sat in the grass beside me and played with her doll, didn't make a sound.

"Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine. These are the words of our Creed and its wisdom. We work in the dark, to serve the light." Consuela placed her hand on her heart and I saw her Brothers and Sisters doing the same. "We are Assassins."

In this solemn atmosphere, I would have expected a choir of voices repeating her words, but it became silent again. It wasn't noticeable if Consuela or anybody else gave a sign, but two Novices stepped out of the ranks of their comrades and climbed the stone steps to their Mentor, who greeted them with a nod. A girl and a boy, maybe seventeen years old and I wondered if they weren't too young to officially become a part of the Brotherhood. Too young to travel the world and kill in the name of the Assassins and fight the Templars. But how young had they been when they had started their training? The youngest of the Novices weren't even ten years old. Did they even realize what they were doing?

While thinking about it, this whole ceremony got a stale aftertaste. Consuela explained to the two initiates that the Assassins had dedicated themselves to the fight for the freedom of men. Then the two of them quoted the three tenets of the Creed. Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent. Hide in plain sight. Never compromise the Brotherhood.

"Let these phrases rule your mind," Consuela said. "Like its wings carrying the eagle, let the Creed be your wings." The Mentor stepped to the side and opened the way to the fire bowl between the Masters. One after another, the young Assassins stood in front of it, grabbed the blade, that was lying there for this purpose, and cut their palms to drip their blood into the fire. Then they turned back to Consuela, who gave a silent signal to the Masters, whereupon two of them stepped forward, each carrying a wooden, lushly decorated box.

"Nicte and Nahil. You trained hard and proved to me and your Masters that you are ready to become a permanent part of our Brotherhood. You know the Creed, internalized it and now you will become its representatives in the world. May you play your part in our fight for freedom and humanity and may these blades serve you well. You are Assassins."

After the two initiates had been serious and tensed during the ceremony, the tension fell noticeably off of them as they stretched out their left hands to the Masters, so that they fastened the Hidden Blades that had been inside the boxes. I was unsure if you applaud this occasion or something like that. But everyone remained silent and probably everything else would have interrupted the reverential mood. The ceremony was far from over, after all.

When the freshly named Assassins returned to the ranks of their brothers and sisters, the main actors of the next designation stepped forward. Flynn, an Assassin of Irish descent, Alessio, the local Assassin whose antics Nerea had told me about yesterday and Connor. The nervousness I had forgotten about during the designation of the young Assassins, returned. Connor himself seemed as calm as ever, although it irritated me that I couldn't see his face.

"Brothers," Consuela's voice rose over the silence once more. "You have long past your time as Novices. You fought for the freedom of men, for our Brotherhood, for our Creed. You have won. You have lost. But most of all, you have proven yourself. You have proven that the tenets of our Creed, despite their age, are as alive as ever. They live through you and your deeds. You stayed your blades from the flesh of innocents, hid in plain sight and protected the Brotherhood. You have reached the climax of your training. You are worthy of calling yourselves Masters of the Brotherhood." The Mentor made a short, meaningful break and looked at each of the men. "As Masters, you are allowed to train the Novices according to the order of your Mentor. It is on you to pass your knowledge and your skill to them so they may uphold the spirit of our Creed just like you. Stay on your path. Leave it and you will be deposed from your rank. Now you are free to accept or refuse your designation. But remember that you will not get a second chance."

With these words, Consuela retreated and like Nicte and Nahil before them, the three Assassins stepped to the fire, cut their palms and sealed their decision with their blood. Connor was the last to take position in front of Consuela again and received a light nod from her.

"You are now Master Assassins of the Brotherhood. Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine."

"Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine," the men repeated and put their hands over their hearts like at the beginning of the ceremony. Then they were allowed to join the other Masters while Consuela stepped to the edge of the stairs and folded her hands in front of her body.

"For fifteen years, I am Mentor of the Brotherhood," she said to the devoutly listening audience. "In this time, I have appointed many Novices Assassins and Assassins Masters. But it is a rare honour to appoint a Mentor and I am happy that this honor is mine today. Especially when it comes to a Brother like Connor Kenway." She turned to the Masters and as silent as a shadow, Connor stepped forward and to Consuela.

"Brother, you did our Brotherhood a great service over the years and had more courage than anyone else. Alone you faced the Templars in your homeland, killed three of their Grandmasters and proved to the Order that the Brotherhood of North America is not dead, just like we thought as well for many years. You breathed life back into it and stayed by it against all odds. You deserve to be called Mentor."

"But it was not me alone." I smirked when Connor's objection sounded clear enough for everyone to hear. Of course, he wouldn't accept such praise and honour. Certainly, he didn't like being the centre of attention in the first place. "If it was not for Achilles, I would have often strayed off the path and also without the help of our allies in New York and Boston, I would not have come so far."

Underneath her hood, Consuela smiled mildly. "And still it was you who continued Achilles' work and led others in battle. You are already a Mentor, but the tradition of our Brotherhood demands that you accept this rank officially."

She nodded shortly at Connor as if to make sure that he had no more objections, before straightening her shoulders and continuing with the official part of this designation.

"Connor Kenway, from this day on, you are Mentor and Grandmaster of the Northern Colonies. Protector of the Brotherhood and its secrets. If you accept this rank, step to the fire now and seal your decision with your blood."

Consuela stepped back and so Connor stood alone up there by the stairs, everyone's eyes turned at him. Probably no one else noticed, but I saw his hands closing and opening. Only a sign of nerves in the face of this important event or insecurity?

"Baba!" I winced as I heard Emily's call that had sounded through the silence like the bang of a gunshot. I looked beside me but…there was no child. Hectically I turned around my axis, looking for my little one, but Olivia placed a hand on my shoulder and pointed at the assembly of Assassins ahead of us. Some men and women had stepped aside to make way for a little, black-haired girl in a yellow muslin dress who trotted happily to the stone stairs and grinned up at her father.

"Oh, no," I murmured with flushed cheeks. Perfect. I had been so enthralled by what was going on that I had forgotten about my little daughter beside me and now she bombed this reverent and traditional ceremony just because she wanted to get to her father. Of course, she didn't understand why everyone was gathered here and why everyone was so serious. Surely she didn't care and right now, my carelessness was embarrassing me more than Emily's natural behaviour. With my head down and murmuring quiet apologies, I went to catch our renegade daughter while she had already climbed the stairs and was now picked up by Connor. I could see that he spoke quietly with her and when she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in the crook of his neck and with it, in his hood, a smile flitted across his tensed expression and here and there you heard quiet laughter and sounds of entrancement from the people present. No one took the interruption amiss but I still felt bad about it. My face felt hot when I climbed the stairs to Connor and Emily and he met me halfway.

"Go to your mother, Tsiktsinenná:wen. I will join you shortly," he promised quietly to Emily and when he handed her to me, our eyes met.

"Sorry," I whispered, but Connor shook his head and shortly caressed Emily's cheek before we nodded at each other and I hurried back to the edge of the gathering. Luckily Emily didn't seem to mind. She was happy to have stretched her legs and cuddled with her papa, but still, I kept her on my arm for the rest of the ceremony. In the meantime, Connor had stepped to the fire as if the interruption had not happened and for the second time tonight, he took the knife. I squinched up my face when he cut his other palm instead of using the wound that was certainly still bleeding. At least when it came to the annoying smears on Emily's dress. But maybe the tradition demanded it. It was probably rare for an Assassin to become Master and Mentor at the same time. Connor held his hand over the flames and I believed the surrounding sounds had been muted because I could hear the sizzling of the coals when Connor's blood dripped on them. He stood by the fire for a moment, a shadowy figure in front of orange-red flames before he turned to the assembled Assassins. Now he was the one whose example they followed when he placed a hand on his chest. His voice sounded clear and seemed to be carried through every corner of the garden by the wind.

"Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember…"

"Nothing is true."

A reverential shiver ran through my body and the fine hairs on my arms and in the back of my neck rose when all present members of the Brotherhood completed Connor's phrase solemnly. Filled with the respect and the deference he gave them in return.

"Where other men are limited by morality or law, remember…"

"Everything is permitted."