Music Inspiration: Jesper Kyd- "Chase Theme" and Hans Zimmer & John Powell- "Panda Po" (Altair and Vivian in a nutshell, right? lol)
Triumph and Defeat
Vivian had never been so in awe and fear as she watched Altaïr and Malik at work during the middle of the night. They had infiltrated the camp by eliminating the guards at the weak area of the perimeter where they sought entrance and hid the bodies in carts or crates. One by one, Altaïr subdued the sleeping men while Malik slit their throats in the quickest death possible (when a direct strike to the heart wasn't reachable). At times, the two were efficient enough to switch roles as a mere flick of Altaïr's wrist ended the life of another person. Vivian couldn't even fathom how easy it was for them to process all that death since it definitely put a hamper to her morale compass. It was a good thing she wasn't assassin material and had chosen to play the lookout to keep her from being nauseous.
Slowly, they had slipped into each tent one by one to eliminate the inhabitants until they made their way to the slave pens. It had taken a few hours to assassinate everyone in camp and the two guards protecting the owner that Vivian had given seeds to were disposed easily. Altaïr had complained about finding an easier way to eliminate two targets in one attack and she hoped the light bulb for the dual hidden blades would sprout. Malik had reserved the right to eliminate the owner but he wouldn't gloat or disrespect the dying man since each man would bear the consequences of their actions. Vivian's kleptomania had inclined her to steal the nice silk sheets from the tent but they were from the dead so she wasn't about to be haunted for theft.
Also, there was a slave inside.
They had realized this after Malik had killed the man and out of fear of their own death, a thin African woman had cowered in the back of the tent. She didn't know any form of escape except to curl into a ball to avoid the same fate after hearing the man's dying gurgle. Vivian sympathized with her immediately due to their shared gender and her thin form (not to mention the heinous things men did to women). Women would not have an easy life until the late 20th century and she stepped forward with her hands raised to show she was no threat.
Due to her unknown ability to understand language of all forms, she kept a calm voice as she spoke softly, "We are not here to harm you, only to free you from the shackles of oppression. This is no life for you to live so please do not cower."
The shaking woman peered at the English woman with the strange accent standing in front of the men, noticing her dominant position at the head of the group. When had a woman ever been at the forefront of anything? She was still wary of them since she'd seen the women of the town eye her and other slaves with disdain. Vivian, however, merely leaned down to grab one of the bloodless sheets to wrap them around her frail shoulders as she noticed the woman's malnutrition. Quite a few slaves suffered having adequate food since most of it went to the preferred or strong slaves. Gently, Vivian continued coaxing her from the corner of the tent, "Please, come with us to help free the others from this place. We will not put you in any harm but we need you to reassure them everything will be fine. There isn't much time."
A few moments of silence passed as Vivian allowed her to grasp her words and finally, her distressed tone answered her, "I . . . we have no home."
"You will find a new place to call home" Vivian promised firmly as she swiped the pouch of money that Altaïr had nabbed for himself out of his hand. Why was it that his hard-earned loot was always taken? The assassin uttered a small complaint before both of his companions glared at him and he reluctantly obeyed. They might be piss poor already but they had clothing and each other for support while the slave had nothing. Vivian placed the pouch into her shaking hands to show that a new life was possible and instructed carefully, "You will grab whatever you can use or sell off and we will lead you to the ferries in the east to take north in the Nile to find safe refuge. You must leave this place by road or water by sunlight to avoid detection from anyone that had an association to this camp."
Vivian led the woman out of the tent by the hand to assure her she'd be there every step of the way. Altaïr found it humorous to see the taller and thinner slave being led by the shorter and curvier- ahem, adequately proportioned- woman and heard her reassure, "This is no life for you and a woman deserves more respect than this."
"What. . .is your name?" the slave asked tentatively since she'd never dared herself to ask a question until that very moment. She had been forced to listen and obey and any form of thought was either beaten or starved out of her. Vivian squeezed her hand in support that she'd do neither and offered a smile as the torches burned around camp.
"My name is Vivian" she smiled kindly to show she meant no harm and the young slave offered a weak smile at earning such friendliness from another. Her thin finger pointed towards the closest caged slaves and hoped that her life as a servant to another would end, even if for just a moment. Social interaction with non-slaves had been nonexistent but the pale woman only served to reassure her worries of failure.
"I've never had a name" the slave admitted since she'd been in servitude since childhood and could only remember items being flung in her direction. With determination, she led the trio towards the majority of the cages on the east side and admitted faintly, "Vivian is a pretty name. I. . .could I have a name?"
"Of course you can! You can be Vivian Jr, Rila, Nadira, Buckeye Jane or plain Wildflower!" Vivian encouraged with an enthusiastic smile while the men grimaced to the suggestions. Nobody should be called Wildflower. Altaïr hoped that if Vivian ever dared to bring little badgers of her own into the world, she'd give them decent names like Ahmad, Sef, or Hasif. Well, she'd probably give them something English based like Richard, Mary, or Samuel- but still, very normal names.
In the end, Vivian's soothing encouragement helped the assassins locate the first pens to pick the locks open. In Altaïr's case, he had been hasty to finish the mission that he almost broke one lock- but not before Malik smacked him away with a 'novice' chastising. The meek woman (Wildflower, as Vivian began to call her) reassured her fellow slaves that everything was fine and although many were skeptical of receiving any kind of aid, they accepted it. It was heartbreaking for Vivian to see since many didn't know how to truly live a life and their apprehensive eyes towards their environment only confirmed it.
Malik was amazing- no, that was an understatement- magnificent as he worked each of the locks with ease with his simple tools. The man would've made the world's best thief if he'd decided to loot the greedy and give to the needy. The dai had actually done so when he had both arms but after his accident, it had been another skill that had been cast away. While she and Altaïr stared at a tough lock with confusion, the dai had it open with his magic fingers in under a minute. He gathered all of the slaves from each pen, making sure that they wouldn't forget anyone in the camp.
"If you told me I'd be scrambling to free slaves back at Masyaf, I would've hit you for interrupting my plans" Altaïr muttered as he fiddled with the lock to open it carefully and groaned when Vivian smacked him on the back. What was it with her constant smacking to his logical reasoning? The sudden physical touch caused him to jolt as his concentration broke and his left cheek struck the cold metal bars. Great, his night had just gotten lousier.
"Serves you right" she mumbled dryly to his attitude about helping people and avoided being swatted herself when he turned around swiftly. Since this wasn't the time to bite into each other, she allowed him to carry on with his task and focused elsewhere.
Vivian began to lead the freed slaves towards the east where the ferries and caravan routes were located while the two finished opening the last cages. She didn't want them staying in the west where they could be caught and departing caravans in the morning would help them blend with their escape. The slaves were quite apprehensive to journey into the new world laid before them but Vivian had urged them to strip everything from the camp to call it their own. She'd even managed to snag a nice purple fabric for a makeshift toga to keep Wildflower warm in the cold night. Shoes, tunics, food, and other amenities were found and each person carried or wore their new possessions.
"Nothing spells a job well done like mayhem and looting" Vivian smiled proudly as she placed her hands on her hips to sigh dramatically with pride. She hadn't hesitated to lend Malik a hand and for the first time since starting on her journey, felt that Lake Victoria helped flourish her skills. She'd lied like a thief, jumped out of a building, groped an assassin, and helped people escape- something she wouldn't have done earlier. Only one of her game characters could create such disarray and she asked aloud with confusion, "Wait, aren't we supposed to blend into the shadows?"
She yelped when both men grabbed her to literally blend into the tents littering the camp as they escaped.
Nothing was impossible with two assassins and a quirky historian on the job and Malik left the abandoned demolished camp with a lighter heart. His only gnawing worry was that slaves could have been held inside the ships at dock but Vivian doubted it since the owners would've wanted to have access to their 'merchandise'. Altaïr, however, would beg to differ about his karma with the bruise forming on his cheek. He was tempted to slam Vivian up against a wall to have her feel the same but quickly discarded it because it would appear highly inappropriate. Vivian and Malik played diplomats as they led the twenty freed slaves away into the night and since they managed to swipe a wagon and two tame horses, the ride was easier. The most frail and malnutritioned ex-slaves were placed in the wagon while Altaïr led the horses to keep them quiet in the night. Vivian and Malik walked with the rest as they explained the road they would follow east to travel onto the Spice Road and would open up to the Trans-Saharan and Silk routes.
"But what if we get lost?" Wildflower asked her rescuer since a single road could lead them to death and eyed the darkness suspiciously. She didn't know how the man in white managed to lead the horses perfectly over the roads but he did. Vivian had originally felt the same in his presence back in Masyaf until she realized he used his eagle vision to guide their path in the night.
"Just keep to this road and when it branches or you meet merchants, ask for directions to the north" Malik instructed carefully since they couldn't leave with them to help due to their mission. In any event, they weren't keeping to the roads themselves because they were heading in the opposite direction to the south. He didn't want to leave them lost in the dark (no pun intended) in their new world and deliberated, "Sell whatever you won't need for food or medicine but keep the wagon for transportation. If any of you wish to take the ferries, you can wait with us to board but know that they will travel through the western side of the lake again to leave into the Nile. It will leave you vulnerable to being enslaved if they find you."
When she asked what their names were in order to thank them for the chance to escape, he replied, "I am Malik and my friend there is Altaïr."
"Who also happen to have very pretty names too" Vivian smiled helpfully since she would've liked to help them on the road but her mission was Altaïr's.
When they reached the empty road of the caravans leading to the east, Malik gave them final instructions once more and asked for those who wanted to risk the ferries. Thankfully, none attempted and he advised them that they should try ferries along the coast of the east once they reached the multiple trade routes. Altaïr considered himself lucky for having two people very well versed in maps and directions because he would've simply pointed them somewhere and hoped for the best. He wasn't the greatest with locations which is why he always climbed the tallest structures to create a mental visual map for himself as guidance.
Vivian wished them the best of luck and advised them to keep to themselves the whole way north. Wildflower thanked them for the kind aid since she didn't want to live out a life in servitude and hoped for a better end. Vivian waved to them in farewell just as the light tints of lilac-grey began to filter into the sky and smiled serenely at her companions, "We did good."
"Yes, we did, Cornflower" Altaïr agreed reluctantly because everyone deserved the same freedom, even if he was dragged along to do it. Vivian frowned to his wordplay since she was the quirky one but allowed it to slide because it was a beautiful flower. With that matter settled completely, he wanted to avoid the aftermath that the associates from the ships would realize later that day and rallied his team, "Let's go before we incriminate ourselves."
The sun would rise an hour later but the trio and the rescued slaves would be long gone by then.
Within a few days, they had decided to call it quits on that piece of Eden since nothing could reach its depths and doubted Templars could fare any better. Altaïr gladly sold the canoe that had served them faithfully for the last year and month over the river of death. Vivian had clutched it like an old friend ready to depart to the next world but a pinch to the ear from Altaïr sent her running. Malik bargained the sale of their canoe with his charismatic skills and with the money received, they bought two sturdy camels for the travel south to Mozambique. Their next route would tricky as they would keep to the coast to find a port to north Madagascar while fighting back the wildlife that roamed the three lands they were about to travel through. Vivian was eager to see Tanzania due to its wildlife but Altaïr wasn't keen on meeting any of it. If anything, he'd been sharpening his hidden blade and dagger just at the thought of meeting a predator out there.
Vivian counted her fat pack full of food, clothes, books, and hygiene products since living in the wild wouldn't be easy again. By the end of her restocking, she was certain she'd bought every sanitary produce available for her monthly friend. She had become accustomed to the month at the inn but her life wouldn't be an easy one until she returned home. The thought of it stirred a bittersweet melody at the happy thought of seeing her loved ones but abandoning her companions. Would she bear the leave knowing that another happy door would open for her?
Watching the two new camels in place of their old canoe, Vivian sang softly,
"On the road again -
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is making mayhem with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been.
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again -
Like a band of wolves, we make a getaway
We're the best of friends.
Hoping that the world keeps turning our way
And our way
is on the road again.
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is makin' mayhem with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again- ow!"
A swat to the back of her head silenced her and she didn't have to guess who that hand belonged to.
Altaïr finished tying his travel pack onto his new tawny camel for the first ride into the center of Kenya. They would enter the unsettled land halfway before venturing south into Tanzania and head straight down the coast to Mozambique. For the first time, he was looking forward to continuing their adventure since Lake Victoria didn't exactly leave him with the best reputation. The gloomy weather hadn't helped either and he sighed with relief as he looked over his shoulder towards the lake, "No more water travel for the next months, I've never been happier. I think I could even smile at this."
"The world will fall into chaos the second you show it" Malik joked lightly with a chuckle to the rarity of seeing such an expression on his friend's face. The man had a permanent frown or piercing stare that left most frozen in place and seeing a mere smile contained the same rarity of catching a rainbow after a storm.
Vivian checked her pack carefully to make sure all of their food was sealed tightly and buried it deeply in the leather pockets of the saddle of the camel. She didn't need animals to come sniffing around their primary food supply nor try to eat her new camel. Altaïr turned to his partner since he'd automatically assigned her to ride with him rather than Malik and asked, "You're not sharing in our laughter?"
"You guys go ahead, I have to make Buttercup predator-free" she replied simply as she rubbed the side of the camel's neck with a fond smile to her new teammate. There would be a requirement to shield herself from Altaïr as her emotions flared erratically around him and decided to put a limit on her daily interactions with him. It would be hard but the recent arguments between them had put a damper on their acquaintance, especially after being pinned an outsider. She didn't want her heart to be broken worse as she traveled and kept her mind on the objective to avoid it, "The south of Africa carries dangerous predators that aren't restricted to water and I don't plan on being their next meal. I'm not about to be caught off-guard by a hungry lion or a cheetah- shame there's no catnip."
"Perfect" Altaïr muttered wryly because with his luck, he'd be fighting one of those things. He'd already fought his way through quite a few animals and it was enough for him to never revisit the continent- except maybe Egypt. Was it too late to charter a trip to head to Asia instead? He wasn't going to alter his plan any more since the stay in Lake Victoria was longer than expected and quickly reminded them, "Everybody better use the outhouse because I will not be making stops."
Vivian shook her head to his role as patriarch/leader of their bunch and placed her foot on the stirrup to climb onto the camel. Her first lesson on horseback riding from Altaïr had not been forgotten despite being on water travel for a year and she smiled with success to landing on the tall animal. Ha-ha! So she was learning! Since she'd become stuck with him as her riding partner, she patted the back of the large saddle and beckoned him with a smirk, "Get on, big daddy, before I leave you to become Tarzan."
Altaïr groaned to her strange babble as he wondered if he would ever understand any of it but another thought pushed that out. When did he ever take the backseat of anything? Crossing his arms, he pushed his weight onto one leg to show who was the boss of their team and brought up nonchalantly, "I think you're forgetting who is leading that camel."
"You've yet to teach me and I'm pretty tired of playing luggage so hop on before Buttercup and I ride off into the sunset without you" she shot back smartly since he usually grumbled when she wanted to learn something and pointed to the seat behind her. He'd fought her tooth and nail for horse riding lessons . . . usually because she'd tried to ride him like a horse more than once. She swung her shoulders back with a sly grin that almost bordered on haughty and teased him, "Unless you're threatened by a woman?"
The arrow struck the ego dead center and he hopped on with a reluctant grunt to show her who wasn't afraid of her. Women were daunting creatures but he'd never admit it at all and grabbed onto her waist to accustom himself to this rare instance. He didn't like finding himself on the passenger seat for the first time and struggled to balance that lost leadership role. Vivian grinned at directing her first camel since she'd never ridden the front seat and whistled enthusiastically, "All aboard! The train headed to central Kenya has now boarded. Hang on to your hoods, people."
"You're insane" he muttered as he fought to sigh at her antics and gazed over her left shoulder to the land awaiting them. There were roads created in the grasses from incoming caravans and they would use one before branching off on their own to avoid detection.
She gave him a sidelong glance that deadpanned to his comment and pointed out innocently, "Yeah, as a loon, you should now that by now. It takes one to know one so we're two irregular peas in a misshapen pod."
He grasped her forearms to get her started on the right path since he wasn't looking to fall off (or injuring the innocent camel) and she chastised, "Hey, I'm a delicate little lady in need of camel lessons here. Be a gentleman, coconut head, before I go boom-boom-kick on you."
"You're anything but delicate and this is my gentlemanly side, wench" he retorted sarcastically to her impish ways since an innocent woman was not what he would call her. She'd already ventured where no woman had (not counting Maria and a few others) without his willingness, although the incidents were accidents, but her silly lecherous comments were another matter entirely. He didn't have enough fingers to count the numerous times she'd made him exclaim or turn red to her adulterated jokes.
She tsked under her breath as she carefully moved the camel in a slow trot to become accustomed to the land. Thankfully, it was flat for the time being but slopes and rocky terrains would have to be handled by Altaïr since she didn't hold enough confidence to risk it. She scoffed under her breath to his declaration since his gentlemanly side needed some serious tune-up work and commented, "Dear Thor, what do women see in you? Is there a genetic defect that gravitate women into the direct orbit of a grumpy assassin?"
What do I see in you?, she chastised herself on a personal note because she couldn't chase away her feelings. Trying to find the ludicrousness for feeling that way, she attempted to stomp them out by rationalizing, Fine, he's the heroic, grumpy badass with piercing eyes that melt me into a pile of goo. Not to mention, he has a butt that would be the iconic model for underwear companies. Oy, you've dug yourself into quite a hole there, girlie.
Malik laughed from up ahead as he took the lead in directing their troop with Altaïr's marked directions from the map the night before. The dai had grown comfortable enough with his handicap to perform everyday things and if he could fight with the same capabilities as a man with two arms, he was pretty damn good at survival. Plus, it would allow him to drone out any little jabs or squabbles from the two pecking hens behind him. Vivian grinned for the little jab aimed to deflate the man's ego and held her head high with pride until Altaïr's voice tickled the back of her left ear, "You tell me. What do you see?"
This brought a case of severe blushing out of nowhere for the sudden question and the inside of her clothes turned into an instant sauna. Clearing her throat, she tried to cool herself by sheer willpower but failed horribly when his rough fingers trailed over the top of her hands to grasp the reins. Beside the fact that his fingertips were like newly bought sandpaper, the livening touch immediately caused her to jolt involuntarily and it unbalanced her on the camel. Thankfully, the dirt was soft from rain the previous night and lacked rocks when Vivian fell off completely and landed on the ground flat on her back. She was quick enough to protect her head first with her arms but it still didn't help her feel better about falling or allowing him to cause such an impact.
Malik stared with wide eyes to the fallen woman and looked to Altaïr as the culprit. The grand master merely shrugged since he hadn't expected such a reaction from the quirky woman and watched her limbs twitch in the air before she lay still to play opossum. He couldn't help but make the first joke of the journey to Malik as he smirked to state with mirth, "I have that effect on women. They swoon."
Vivian awakened from the dead opossum trick because she was the funny one and didn't want him to figure out that specific truth. If he realized that his joke was actually spot on, that would drive a further wedge between them. She defended her dignity because she certainly wouldn't be doing any swooning of any kind and smiled cheekily from her prone position, "Then Maria must've had some pretty bad brain damage by the time she agreed to have your demon baby."
Her cheeky grin widened to the glare he shot her way since she could see his entire face from underneath his hood from her spot on the ground. Whenever she thought he couldn't make a different cranky face, he proved her wrong. She sat up with a groan to the sting of pain in her backside and raised her arms to declare with an innocent frown, "I need upsies. You caused this so remedy it."
"You have five seconds to get up before I chase you down with this camel" he stated sharply to get her butt moving and kept his face straight when she pouted. Did she think he'd fall for that? Normally, he would during her eerie monthly bloodletting just to keep the raging dragon within her pacified but not now. When he was ready to leave, everyone had best follow or he'd be leaving them behind to pick up the pace.
"You are just dreadful, it's a miracle anybody wants you as a life partner" she declared huffily as she stood up to wipe her clothes free of dirt, simultaneously cursing herself for being one of them. How could she have allowed herself to do so? It was almost enough to make her loathe herself for falling into the #1 rule you never committed in interdimensional travel. Actually, would the grandfather paradox still work in this kind of scenario? There were so many rules to follow and boundaries to never cross but Altaïr kept pushing her to break all of them.
She began walking in Malik's direction to follow the man on foot and ranted aloud to nobody in particular, "No wonder everybody loves Ezio. Sure, he's probably had his battles with some kind of STD by old age but he's charismatic and kind. Why couldn't they send me to him and Leonardo? Their gang of assassins rocked, I could've showed Bart my Bianca 2 in the form of a walking stick and asked Antonio to teach me advanced thievery-"
Malik burst into laughter as her words loudened as she let her inner frustrated Vivian peek through and she blurted madly, "Heck, I'll take Shaun at this point and that's saying something! I-"
A small pebble to the back of the head knocked her out in midword and Malik turned to Altaïr, who simply put away his newly made slingshot. Vivian had helped him design it for fun before their arrival in Lake Victoria and now, she'd become its first victim. Irony could be rather humorous and he fought the idea to smirk as the single strike knocked her unconscious. Altaïr shrugged to Malik's flabbergasted look since she could've been injured and the assassin merely stated, "What? I haven't done that in a very long while."
Altaïr's camel trotted toward the crumpled form of Vivian, who now held dusty gray clothes on both the front and back. Sometimes they could tease each other in good fun but at other times, like this, it tempted to break them into a serious squabble. He didn't understand whether there was a problem during their communication or something else that lurked deeper. Was it really his form of speaking or was their behavior diverging from what they were before arrival? Looking to Malik, he asked for input from his friend as he asked with the honest truth, "Do you think there's a part of her that truly despises me? I know I'm not the friendliest of men and I try not to be but sometimes . . . call it a feeling."
Malik had been privy to the inner workings of Vivian's mind as they spent time together investigating settlements while Altaïr went solo over the rooftops. Since she couldn't tell Altaïr all she knew, she allowed Malik to know more about what would be as she tried to have second hand in cahoots towards keeping Altaïr alive and kicking. At the same time, it gave him insight into her feelings as she answered his questions truthfully but he wouldn't betray her confidence to Altaïr. What kind of friend would he be if he did? Vivian held an obvious affection for his friend but she wouldn't let it reach the surface and Malik wouldn't meddle with it since Altaïr . . . actually, he had no idea what the hell Altaïr was doing with his estranged relationship with Maria. The man barely spoke of any romances in his life but he'd briefly admitted that there was nothing permanent there. Unfortunately, that was before his friend learned he was going to be a father (which Malik was sure he was by now) so just about anything could happen.
"I'm pretty sure she doesn't and that's all I will say" Malik answered honestly to prevent Altaïr from popping anymore questions and the man frowned to the answer. Altaïr hated to admit he was jealous of the bond between the two since they never squabbled and wanted what they had. Why was it so easy for his friend to be charismatic while he ruined most of his own attempts? Malik decided to do Vivian a favor as they headed on to Tanzania and told his friend simply, "I will carry her on my camel since she will feel more comfortable with me and prevent quarrels."
"You just said she wasn't mad at me!" Altaïr pointed out swiftly as he felt jumbled around like a teenager all over again, wanting something that another had because it suddenly became popular. What did Malik have that he didn't? Fine, he had patience, charisma, kindness, ridiculously good looks . . . he was fighting a losing battle here, wasn't he? He didn't want Vivian in the physical sense (he'd drown himself before admitting it) but losing the comfort level he'd earned with her after entering the area told him there was something wrong there.
"Focus on the trip, Altaïr" he ordered to snap his friend's mind back to their mission because Vivian would be mortified if he found the reason why. Altaïr had a tendency to pick at something until it bit him in the hand and somehow, Malik was certain everything would come to light in due time.
A/N: And we're done!. . .with Lake Victoria. Vivian and Altaïr will be working past their problem in the next chapter and it's actually the last bump in their road of trust they'll have. As much as he nags like the grumpy eagle he is, he will come to love Vivian more than he would've thought possible. Their journey to Mozambique will be faster than the long road to Lake Victoria but they will be spending almost three months in Quelimane. This is where we'll see their romance flourish with Altaïr acknowledging his emotions and it will lead to a road of questions about the future.
Here is my most important question to you as readers as I approach their romance: Would you like to read a lemon between them? I ask only because it will be a moment that will leave the two questioning their future afterwards and leaving Vivian with an, ahem, permanent gift (wink, wink).
And onwards to my reply to my darling readers:
David meyer ny: I'm glad everyone loves her catchy songs and I hope this little one sufficed.
Hollownature: Altaïr will be ignorant of them until they smack him in the face in the form an interested suitor in Quelimane. He'll be playing his subtle cards at first, which won't go perfectly with his lack of patience when people get in his way, until he has to kiss her to show his intentions. Vivian herself will be the toughest obstacle to her heart due to the time lapse between them but Altaïr has never been the type to give up.
KrnYong: She is incredibly hurt by his words and he'll see how much when she finally breaks emotionally in private with him to purge everything she's worried for and afraid of. Despite her humorous and cheeky character, there is a strength that has been growing within her because being trapped in an archaic era would bring such a psychological trauma that I can't bear to imagine. That inner strength will help in the coming months because Vivian will indeed face the worst hardships when she's in the temple in Madagascar and the events that unfold afterwards. Altaïr is quite the intense persona so I've never imagined him processing emotions like Vivian and in a way, she's humanized him further. Don't worry though, by the time they're at Madagascar, he will be verbalizing his feelings.
Lissa: Thank you for providing new readers for me and I hope they love it as much you do. Readers are easily pulled in with the trio since it's not a lot of characters but by the end of the story, we'll have a few more.
IsraAl'Attia-Theron: Lol, Vivian always has a little shenanigan in mind wherever she goes. Don't worry, many readers want to hug our unfortunate time traveler and hit Altaïr with a frying pan. Vivian will usually sing every other chapter or so depending on the situation but because so many readers love it, I might try one small tune per chapter. Thank you for being a new reader and reviewer, I always love reading feedback.
Cecilia Green: Thank you for loving the story and for the lovely reviews, you made my day. Your shipping of Altaïr and Vivian is totally normal since many readers are on that little wagon. :) The two will have a romance, I can guarantee that because the natural progression of it has made it credible with Altaïr's personality. There will be a sequel and more than a year ago, I did think about adding Ezio or a cameo of Desmond but Vivian's existence with Altaïr is fragile enough that time can't bend so dramatically (like so many Mary Sues who abuse it).
feet269: I applaud you for reaching the current end of this long story and don't worry, there are many more chapters to come. Thank you for the kind words about my writing and I do love humor- it makes you live longer. Altaïr lives in quite the conservative era so any skin above the wrists and ankles would leave him speechless. As for the role- or should I say, time- reversal, it will not be out of the story's scope.
As for my anonymous guest reviewers, thank you for your support and loving the characters because they do indeed grow on you. Truly, I never thought I'd see 300+ reviews for this story so thank you from the bottom of my heart! Oh, and for 100+ views on my story cover in Photobucket!
Next Time: Heal My Heart
The next time he tried to become friendly, they'd been walking on foot to give their camel a rest and shared mild jokes with each other to pass the time. Her hand had then pushed him by the shoulder in a light jest since she could barely make a dent in the man and Altaïr had returned it with one of his own, his weakest one actually. She brought another round and eventually, his ego became competitive and he pushed her clear across the path and into a thorny bush. That was enough to tell him he'd made a grievous error and wouldn't win in drawing his answers. With that in mind, he'd hopped onto the camel for a hasty getaway while Vivian chucked rocks at his head. Well, he still counted it as something due to their joking.
He noticed her affinity for stargazing whenever they made camp and could usually find her at an empty spot at camp where she could sit by herself for an hour or so. Malik warned him to leave her alone during that time since she pondered away her stresses to cope with her continuing presence in their time. Altaïr, however, disregarded his words and simply plopped himself down next to her during one of those occasions. After trusting her, he'd expected she'd purge every thought while she was there in her most comfortable of places.
"You watch the stars often" he remarked casually to show he meant no harm as he sat down on the grass, stirring her out of her thoughts. She had invited him a few times but he'd declined in order to sharpen his weapons so seeing him was surprising. Over the weeks, she'd caught him trying to wedge back into her private life but she wouldn't dare delve into it. It was best to keep him at bay as a mere companion and curled her legs under her chin as he asked with curiosity, "Are you searching for that alien life in the heavens?"
"No, just. . ." she answered with a faint smile but faltered on delving further about her thoughts. He was focused on his goals so she would only concern herself with returning home because that was why she'd gone with him. It had been so easy to forget why she'd tagged along and felt ashamed for forgetting it. For a moment, he caught a glimmer of sadness but it was gone as quickly as it came when she answered simply, "Ruminating."
"Would you like to share?" he suggested helpfully to see if it would draw her out of that shell. For the first time, he attempted to smooth his features into a sympathetic face but found resistance in his facial muscles after years of scowling power. To Vivian, it was the oddest expression she'd seen on his part because Altaïr wasn't meant to be soft at all. It was like seeing a lion attempt to be vegetarian- it was impossible! She did, however, believe the tone of his voice when he stated earnestly, "I believe it helps to bond companions even further and the silent night always draws your deepest worries."
"You don't share your thoughts with me anymore, simply infer or relate strategy" she stated softly since he'd stopped being laidback and open since arriving back in Kenya, only his need for the item. There had been an invisible wall enacted when they'd arrived and it had shut her out as their inside jokes had shifted into finding the item only. It was a reason why they clashed so much as their connection severed and she thought it would be best to keep it that way for her sake. They'd only spoken about their missions, travels, and current hobbies- never anything past that since leaving Kenya. She stood up from the ground to abandon her meditations and reminded quietly as she left for her tent, "It's why we have private journals."
She was harder to crack than a rock.
He cast aside the subtle attempt at bonding and went for a promise he'd guaranteed at Lake Victoria. Vivian slowly kept edging herself away from him and he noticed that their old comfortable chats had become rare. She didn't even try to touch is arm anymore but he wouldn't say it aloud out of fear she'd think he held feelings for her- which he did not. It was just . . . well, wasn't he supposed to be the most astonishing man in her life? What happened to the fawning and nonsensical ramblings?
"You know, I did promise you could draw me and you've yet to do so" he brought forth in suggestion on a cool breezy morning while she mended a torn skirt. For the first time in his life, he tried to appear alluring as he puffed his chest and offered the ever rare charming smile that would swoon a million women into comas. He repeatedly told himself that it wasn't to attract her but to lure her back into his life again. That stubborn badger had holed herself up for too long in her burrow and the eagle was demanding she come out and play. Otherwise, who would? Malik would sooner smack him over the head for being childish. He squared his shoulders to show his perfect posture and managed a dazzling smile to state, "I'm currently free of any engagement."
Malik had no idea what was going on but believed his friend had become touched in the head when he smiled at the woman. When had he smiled freely at anyone? When had he allowed anyone to draw him? What in the world was occurring before him? For a moment, he believed he'd stepped into a paradox of time as he watched his two companions. However, Vivian shook her head to kill the fantasies of hundreds of AC fangirls and declined politely, "Not right now, I'm busy for today."
"The invitation is open for any day" he pushed with insistence as she failed to bite the bait and wanted to know what had shifted. Back at the inn, she'd been eager to draw him in ridiculous poses but she cast it aside now! Goodness, he'd touched her hand and she'd inadvertently touched him in a rather private area by accident. Didn't that mean anything? Where was the gleeful joy on her part to be beside him? She never resisted his offers for anything until leaving Lake Victoria and cursed the place to the heavens. Had he done something wrong and forgotten to apologize? No, he remembered all of the fights and they'd left at a mutual compromise. He wanted his friend back and for the first time, would jump through more hoops than he had with Malik.
"To be quite honest, I'm not sure when I'll be drawing again" she replied with a friendly smile but it was almost enough to make him rip his hood off. Where had his badger gone and who was this somber disinterested creature? He'd given her authorization to draw him however she wished and she'd declined? Where had all the fanatical love gone? He was almost inclined to pout and cross his arms for being ignored.