Music Inspiration: Ramin Djawadi- "The Pointy End"
Don't Look a Gift Rat in The Mouth
The next morning brought curious looks to their strange arrangement as Malik woke first to grab his pack and found the two huddled together. Vivian resembled a curled pup against Altaïr's side while the man slept in a classic corpse style with his hands placed over the center of his abdomen. Thankfully, Altaïr moved in complaint when Malik nudged his right leg to let everyone know he was alive. Being a light sleeper, the assassin knew right away that Vivian's legs didn't reach his ankles and sat up immediately. He never slept without a knife (as every practical assassin should) and reached for the concealed weapon beside him until he saw Malik's amused face.
"Oh, it's just our resident mongoose" Altaïr remarked nonchalantly with a smirk and relaxed in his makeshift bed. Instead of waking Vivian with his usual nudge in the ribs, he took care in moving her by the shoulder. A mop of black hair popped out from underneath a blanket and Vivian wiped her eyes as she knocked back the sleep to become alert. Seeing that Malik was their visitor, she relaxed visibly and sat up to comb her unruly hair back to appear decent.
"Then you must know mongoose's are hard creatures to kill" Malik reminded haughtily to show that he shouldn't be taken lightly. Altaïr wasn't ready for a mental spar this early in the day after experiencing horrible illness the previous day and merely grunted noncommittally. As he looked for his pack full of clothes among the assorted bundle by Vivian's hand, he questioned simply, "May I ask why you two are in here?"
Vivian sighed softly to prevent wrong implications and explained, "Altaïr couldn't sleep from the motions sickness so I made him a bed where he wouldn't move very much. I couldn't leave him by himself in case something happened so I stayed."
"You will ask her but not me?" Altaïr demanded indignantly as Vivian rose on Malik's trust scale and crossed his arms fussily. Vivian merely shook her head with amusement and placed his white hood back onto his head to make him comfortable. He played off the care she displayed to prevent a lecture from Malik by fixing it himself and told her to fix hers. She listened quietly and tucked her hair underneath her hood before anyone caught her in an inappropriate position.
"Only because I will receive less sass from her" the dai pointed out dryly because he was already questioning him while ill. Altaïr tended to focus on everything but himself as he felt the innate need to fix every problem imaginable, except his own. The man would suffer horribly in his own skin if it meant everyone was safe and all of his orders were being heeded.
Vivian waved her left hand daintily to the compliment and Altaïr mocked humorously, "Don't get cocky."
"I'm anything but cocky" she scoffed with a pout since the smart-alecky sass had left long ago. Her nagging, however, would remain intact out of natural worry for her companions and she lightly jabbed Altaïr in the right side.
"That is up for debate, little badger" he snorted as their playful banter prevented any motion sickness from reaching his attention. As long as he had someone or something to focus on, he could prevent another nausea event. His mouth already tasted awful and felt drier than a desert so working up any kind of appetite would be out of the question. If he tried to brush his teeth, his biggest worry was triggering his gag reflex and suffering another vomiting bout.
"My middle name is debate because I'm in it to win it" she smirked to keep his focus purposely on her and resisted the urge to groom him with her hands. The loss of fluids had shifted his attractive bedhead appearance to go downhill with dry spit stuck to the side of his mouth but Vivian treasured him nonetheless. She knew he didn't particularly like being coddled due to his independent nature so fluffing his ego would yield better results. At hearing how her words sounded, she blinked as her mind backtracked and she restated awkwardly, "Wait. That came out far too competitive for my liking."
"Hence, your badger pride" Altaïr replied with a haughty grin of accomplishment and earning the win perked up his outlook for the day. Vivian smiled at her own victory as she watched his shoulders straighten and lower in confidence. She'd tell him to tidy up afterwards since he should appear decent while walking the deck as an all-time badass.
Malik coughed aloud to catch their attention and reminded sharply, "You do realize you're in a makeshift bed in the middle of a storage room and people are bound to enter, right?"
He didn't know whether the two knew it or not but their behavior towards each other spoke clearly that it was not platonic. Vivian had admitted hers easily to him with a simple 'brother knows better' look while Altaïr fussed his denial and tended to slam doors to emphasize it. Sometimes, he added a broken vase to the mix but Malik didn't buy it.
Altaïr deadpanned to his friend's complaint and pointed out flatly, "I could care less about what others think."
"You're sick so stop fussing and stressing before you become worse" Vivian chastised gently since she was trying her best from taking a turn for the worse. Since he tended to have a short temper, a spike in blood pressure would not help matters any. Batting his shoulder with a light swat, she ignored his grumpy scowl and ordered the assassin, "You listen to Malik- he's the smart one out of us three."
"Must I remind you who's leader- Vivian!" Altaïr fussed to show who was in charge of their journey but Vivian threw one of the blankets over his head to quiet him. While the assassin imitated a ghost on Halloween, she stood up to smooth down her robes to tidy up. It was easier to wear sleeping clothes to bed and throughout the day in the archaic era since privacy was lacking. She missed Quelimane already since the boat lacked any kind of bed and everyone was stuck together on one deck to sleep as an entire group. Despite Altaïr had become ill, she was glad to sleep beside him to obtain that small privacy.
Vivian looked to her friend with a cheerful smile and stated, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him while we're on the boat. As of now, you're free from 'Altaïr guard duty' because I'm quite sure nobody's ass is going to be kicked in his condition."
"I could if this veil of death would lift off of me!" he snapped irritably as he failed to find one decent corner as the ends pooled around the bed to intertwine with the other blankets. Confound his tendencies to prefer white blankets over any other color! This was not how master assassins displayed their finesse and he withheld from sighing aloud in aggravation to his morning. As if the rocking boat didn't make him uneasy already, being blind underneath blankets while traveling over treacherous water did not help.
Vivian bit her bottom lip to suppress the chuckle he conjured with his helpless image since he was anything but that. She yanked the white blanket in one swipe to reveal a scowling assassin with rosy cheeks and Vivian smiled innocently, "And the fair assassin in distress has been saved by the tiny historian who vanquished his greatest foe at sea."
"Don't milk this moment, you little scamp" he said briskly to maintain his dominant persona and ran a hand over his unkempt hair to comb it somewhat. Malik stuck out his hand so the assassin could grab it since the two needed to be on their way before everyone awoke to grab their belongings. Since the two had rearranged everything, it would be a doozy for everyone to find anything quickly. That and being in that room would pinpoint them as the troublemakers.
Altaïr accepted the help since he'd been unstable on his feet for most of the previous day and had lounged like a lazy fat cat. Being an active person, he absolutely hated it but when he vomited more times than he could count, he called it quits. That and Vivian threatened to nail the tail of his robes to the hardwood floorboards.
"Why is it so hard to attain perfection?" Altaïr grumbled to his confidante since he wanted to capable of doing anything and everything imaginable. If he could manipulate his own body to defeat enemies and defy death on a daily basis, why couldn't the sea adhere to that same rule? He knew now that if assignments overseas would be given, he would not be the one heading out.
"Because you cannot control the elements, how many times must I tell you that?" Malik replied sarcastically to his tenacity to exert control but understood that it came from his illness. Thankfully, his stomach could handle the motion of the sea but if he were in Altaïr's shoes . . . he probably would've bid them adieu in Quelimane and waited instead. His friend had a tendency to crawl on all fours while on the verge of death to reach a goal so it was admirable. Patting Altaïr on the shoulder for a boost of confidence, he joked gently, "Otherwise, we'd be Templars, wouldn't we?"
His face wrinkled to that horrible idea and Vivian rubbed his back to console him before it made him sick enough to vomit. Altaïr grunted noncommittally since a back massage would do far better but didn't state that aloud. He absolutely hated the fact he couldn't do anything he liked in the boat. Vivian grabbed hold of his arm so they could move along to start their morning routine and smiled, "Let's get you all freshened up and pretty. Assassins hold the handsome factor, remember?"
Altaïr resisted from gently flicking her ear since he preferred the word 'attractive' as a man and stated, "I'm not made to be 'pretty', Vivian."
"Shoo, you heckling hens" Malik ushered the two as he spotted his bag sitting among a large pile in the farthest corner. The two could carry on their conversation elsewhere since Altaïr had decided he would only walk the top deck at night to avoid looking at the endless sea. Vivian quickly bundled up the sheets in her arms to leave the room hastily with skittish steps and Altaïr followed diligently.
The two managed to keep out of Malik's hair during the first week as they were often in each other's company. Well, Malik would describe it as more of Altaïr dragging Vivian around to have her pose as inanimate furniture while he played the sleepy lapdog. Quelimane had served as a conduit to strengthen their bond and Altaïr's motion sickness added to that trust as he allowed her to see his vulnerability. Malik had expected to play babysitter once a quarrel erupted but the two behaved cordially in public and he would not complain to that. It gave him ample time to spend reading his new books and charting their course on his maps- he could even pick up new hobbies! Well, there weren't many to choose from while venturing overseas but the optimism kept him cheerful.
Altaïr and Vivian spent the majority of their time below deck since they had borne enough sun during their first year traveling together. The shady lower deck provided Altaïr with a perfect area to sleep as Vivian kept vigilant watch over him. The empty level brought him the most comfort as he sought solitude during his worst moment in life (it came close to tying with his redemption quest) and his conversations with her would be kept private. Everything they shared remained secret between them and Vivian cherished that rare honor. When the two did surface for air, it was usually during the late afternoon when the sun was at its weakest strength and ready to disappear under the sparkling water. Vivian enjoyed watching each sunset but Altaïr remained below deck until the life-giving star was gone and the sea was shrouded in darkness. It was easier to forget he was traveling over water that way.
At the moment, Altaïr reminisced about his first experience with true affection as it related to his first horse. Being a quiet boy and raised under Al Mualim, Altaïr lacked opportunities to form friendships and chose another outlet for socializing. Animals became his non-human friends as he groomed horses and kept the bird pens clean during childhood. In this, he found companionship through his lonely years into adolescence and he treasured both animals now as an adult.
"And so, being tired from training and wanting to avoid Abbas, I decided to take a nap in the stables" Altaïr recalled with a faint smile to the brown horse that had grown from a shy colt to a brave stallion alongside him. It had been sired by his father's own stallion and to a young Altaïr, one last connection to the man that had shared his bloodline. He had chosen to watch over the small horse and soon, he spent all of his days at the stables with all of the horses. His brown eyes looked to the wooden floorboards above him, remembering the sound of the kicks his horse struck on the wood when he felt defiant to be confined to a pen. With a small snort of amusement, he admitted quietly, "I curled up against Ayham as he nibbled on hay since the pile was soft enough for me as a bed and there, we fell asleep together. I woke up the next morning to find him huddled against me and I managed to sneak my way back to my quarters before anyone took notice."
"Childhood Altaïr broke the rules? I cannot imagine nor fathom that possibility" Vivian chuckled good-naturedly after seeing him stick to the tenets of his order like crazy glue. A simple furrow of his brow as his head laid in her lap was his rebuttal for her jab. He didn't expect to stay out all night in the stables either but it happened and he corrected it to make sure nobody knew. He had been lithe and fast enough that he could hide anywhere before his growth spurts began, granting him an advantage.
Altaïr remembered being the skinny boy with hay stuck in his hair running into his shared quarters to find them empty. He had changed to his training garb in under a minute and hightailed it back down the stairs without his leader being none the wiser. It was a secret he'd kept until admitting it to Malik a year ago as their friendship renewed and chuckled softly, "Ayham was my dearest friend, one that offered endless companionship and kept my secrets due to the lack of vocal chords."
"What happened to him?" Vivian asked tentatively since the horse he had traveled with from Jerusalem to the Gaza border hadn't been brown. The name hadn't been Ayham and the majority of the time, he only spoke of Rafiki. She had heard so much of that popular little falcon that she almost wished she could stay just to meet another branch of Altaïr's odd makeshift family. Sure, it might attack her and try to claw her eyes out from all of the accounts she'd heart but curiosity would have her bear the possibility of being attacked.
He hesitated for a moment since he vowed to focus on their best memories rather than the arrow that felled him in battle. His past actions on chastising Vivian when she mourned dead animals had reminded him of his own emotional break and preferred to never witness it on others. She represented fragments of his younger years that he'd forgotten about and it was only now that he was recognizing those old emotions. His Ayham had been trained to be a man's best friend under his hand and he answered quietly, "He died valiantly like any assassin by stopping the Templars."
Vivian smiled faintly as he spoke the words like a proud father but knew the loss was hard as his voice lowered to answer her. Leaning over him, she pressed her forehead to his to offer her own sympathy and cupped his face to whisper, "I wouldn't expect any less from those that learn from you."
Ayham had given him many years of faithful service and he would never forget it. One day, he hoped to teach his son how to ride a horse and smiled fondly, "Now I have Kadin and although he's grown, he's a mellow one."
Cold metal touched his chin when his hands slid over hers and his gaze turned downward to find her little silver pendant dangling there. She followed his gaze and chuckled sheepishly before tucking it away under the neckline of her robes. His index finger trailed over the peeking necklace as it moved over her clavicle and he mused aloud, "It is rather odd that only this traveled with you."
"Not as odd as wearing assassin robes- there's no bigger target sign" she muttered flatly with embarrassment to their first encounter. Even she would've left herself there after remembering the things she'd spouted. Every step towards Madagascar would hopefully bring her the answers she required because although she had grown from her experiences, she wanted to know what it was all for. There had to be a reason she was there alongside him. She managed a weak smile to the amused gleam in his eyes and admitted, "No wonder you thought I was insane because I thought I was insane. It does bring up a point as to why it traveled with me since my earrings certainly didn't make the pass."
"Another question to the many that already swirl in your mind" he remarked with a snort since they weren't discovering anything new regarding the creators of the pieces of Eden. All he could go on was that they existed long ago and held incredible power- it wasn't very helpful to say the least. He was already losing half of his meals over the railing of the boat every day so he was adamant to find answers. His gaze met hers with a sympathetic edge and he spoke with the utmost sincerity, "I will get you home, Vivian."
A bittersweet smile graced her lips as she traced her thumb over his left cheek and she whispered gratefully, "I know you will. There's never been a single doubt in my mind."
It was gratifying to hear her devotion to him, not his cause, and he returned the same regretful smile. He would get her back to her loved ones, even if it destroyed his heart in the process.
The next week found the trio helping Malik search for his lost sketching tools after searching all of his bags to no avail. He had quickly prodded Altaïr to make sure he hadn't stolen his materials for personal use but the assassin quickly objected to the accusation. Altaïr had been ready to rant about the shame of even deeming the thought of stealing due to his honor but Malik had quickly left before he could utter a word of it. When the dai couldn't find his tools anywhere, he asked the duo to help him in his search as he retraced every step he'd taken since boarding the boat. Vivian had no issue helping him but Altaïr was another matter completely as he walked with the pace of a turtle to accustom himself to the moving boat.
"Altaïr, just stay here while we look around" Vivian negotiated as she tried to keep him in one spot by himself since he wanted to be alongside them. Normally, they would have no issue but with him having the speed of 0.3 miles per hour, they wanted to pick up the pace. At the same time, they also needed to prevent a risk for injury to their friend since he wasn't exactly at his best.
"No, I can offer the same dedication you can" he refused because he hated sitting by himself with nothing to do. With Vivian beside him, he kept himself occupied with conversation but without her. . .it was automatic insanity by silence. For years, he could do without it but now that he had Malik's friendship and Vivian in his life- isolation was not for him. He actually craved socialization with at least one person and abhorred the thought of being left to his own devices while on the tiny boat.
"Have you not noticed that you're wobbling at an angle?" Malik pointed out sharply as their friend refused to listen to reason. Altaïr merely scowled because he could control his movements and would have no issue finding a simple pencil. Goodness, he'd endured a broken arm before and managed to climb a building just fine without a peep of complaint!
Vivian surprised him when she reached up to pull his right ear back and he yelped to the sudden pinch. He slapped her hand away as he backed away in shock to the physical scolding and chastised, "Vivian, you're supposed to protect- I mean, stand by me!"
"I am" she stated firmly as her lips thinned into a straight line and he pouted at knowing he was in trouble. When a woman like Vivian loses her smile, he was in deep hippo poo. He tried to keep his features stern to show he meant business too but Vivian was in protective badger mode as she went on, "Don't you look at me like that, mister. You're wasting energy that your body sorely requires to heal from the lost nutrients. I'd rather have you sitting here where you're safe than tripping over your own feet if a dizzy spell hits you. Please, just let us do this."
It wasn't easy to defy her worry for him but he crossed his arms to state calmly, "Vivian, sentimentality won't keep me from finding those tools. My tenets dictate that I help my fellow-"
Malik pulled Vivian away by the arm so they could begin their search since Altaïr was a defiant man in all aspects. Hopefully, with their constant movements, their friend would come to understand why they needed him to save his energy rather than becoming sicker. Altaïr, however, balked at being left on the spot without a goodbye by both of his friends. What happened to manners and letting a person finish their ranting?
"Don't you walk away while I chastise you!" the assassin declared after falling behind while the two carried on without him. He didn't particularly enjoy being left out of the loop as the two managed to bear the trip with no health issues whatsoever. Being ignored didn't help keep him quiet either since he wanted to mingle too and cursed the vile sea for creating an internal war.
Malik pretended to ignore his remarks as he paused in the center of the deck and motioned with his hands towards the adjacent walls, "I will take this half while you search the other. They might have fallen into a crevice somewhere, especially if someone accidentally kicked them away from our area."
If his tools weren't important or costly, he would've cast the loss aside without worry but Malik appreciated all of his belongings. While Altaïr would tear down heaven and earth for his possessions, Malik was methodical in his searches and strategically sectioned each area to assess it down to the last inch. Altaïr managed to find his way to them by grasping the vertical wooden beams that supported the decks as the two broke to begin their search and grumbled disappointedly, "Where's my part in all of this?"
Malik resisted from stabbing the man's robe into the wall to keep him pinned there for his own safety. Vivian handed Altaïr a small bag filled with dry crackers from her pocket to pacify him and he snatched it to nibble slowly on one of the brown snacks. Altaïr resembled quite the stubborn child when ill and his behavior made it hard for her to believe that such an impassive force of human strength could be turned into the petulant man before her. It kept adding that dash of 'average man' quality to who he was and kept wedging him into her heart as she watched him. Even as crumbs stuck to his fingertips and the kitten whiskers of his thin mustache, he attracted her.
"Stay" she ordered gently as she quickly wiped his face clean to maintain a decent appearance. He was meant to strike fear into people, after all. Being an independent assassin, he had become accustomed to playing by his own rules to accomplish a mission. Now that he was a grand master, Vivian had to subtly remind him that leaders often had to see others finish missions for him without his constant input. She understood that it came from a good place in his heart that had grown overprotective of his brotherhood but sometimes, he had to relinquish some of that control. His piercing eyes could normally make her cringe to skulk away in fear but she carried her own protectiveness of him and she stared him square in the eye to state, "We can do this on our own."
"You don't command me, woman" he defied with an annoyed frown as he tried to squeeze into their investigative team one last time. Malik decided to let the two talk (or argue) it out while he began his search since he needed those tools to find solace. Vivian furrowed her brow because sassing her would get him nowhere fast and Altaïr groaned mentally to the idea of upsetting her over honest compassion. Gazing into her green eyes only increased that inner conflict since the bright hue complemented her facial expressions. It was similar to staring a sad puppy in the eye and telling it to scram- he couldn't do it. His affection for her didn't help any and his stiff posture slacked as he muttered flatly in defeat, "Only because you're insistent."
"Because I want you to regain your strength" she reasoned gingerly because she didn't force her opinion unless it was vital to his health. He was in control of his life but when he took on risky behavior, she would put her foot down to be heard. Pointing to the bag of crackers and the closest stool, she motioned for him to take his position on the deck. With a quick but fond squeeze to his bicep, Vivian left to rejoin Malik while Altaïr sought for her to stay beside him. She was softening him too much for physical contact with every subtle touch, whether she knew it or not. He was hesitant to eat the crackers because the first time had been an annoyance due to the parched mouth he was left with. Seeing as they were the only food his stomach didn't argue with, Vivian and Malik were insistent that he eat them.
"Ugh, they taste like old decrepit paper" Altaïr complained with disgust when he bit into a cracker and his face wrinkled to the stale dry taste. The fabrics that moths devoured tasted better than the tasteless dry crackers she had given him. Was she sure they were for human consumption? He was ready to spit them out until he realized he needed sustenance for his body. Despite his stomach fought against all forms of food once the nausea kicked in, it didn't hesitate to mock him with hungry gurgles.
"I didn't know you'd eaten paper before" Malik joked with a light chuckle and Altaïr managed a small laugh to the pitfall. Sitting down on the stool Vivian had ordered him to be anchored to, he nibbled slowly on the nasty crackers with distaste written all over his face. When he reached land, he would hurl all of the horrible crackers to the birds but he was certain that even they wouldn't want them.
Malik peered between each space of the floorboards to make sure his pencils hadn't become lodged somewhere. It frustrated him to no end to lose his tools like this but unlike Altaïr, he kept his cool with a peaceful expression. Looking to his friend as the assassin frowned at the crackers, he stated with mirth, "I have extra here if you want any."
"The day I ask for more is the day I fling myself overboard" the assassin chided as he munched on his crackers with great reluctance. Ugh, no herb or amount of salt on Earth could make those crackers tasty for humankind. Vivian shot him a look of skepticism to his claim as she inspected a nearby writing desk and he snapped hastily, "Don't look at me like that. Unless you've tasted these and endured the horrors of my tongue, you cannot understand."
She chuckled to his melodramatic words and smiled with compliment, "You're a very good storyteller, you know. You have a way with words to color your sentences."
"True, he frightens all of the new recruits with his stories by the end of the first week" Malik agreed as he fiddled with the crack of a floorboard to wiggle out an item that appeared like a pencil. The lack of lit lanterns due to natural sunlight peering in hindered his search somewhat but he was sure it was a pencil. Using his knife, he carefully wedged it out from one side since lacking a second hand made it difficult.
Altaïr snorted to hide the fact that he absolutely did and loved every minute of it. Fear was not an emotion that should constantly run through an assassin. Otherwise, a buildup of fear could risk their order by betrayal and Altaïr made it quite clear that no initiate would leave the order unless they died or retired from old age to continue their work. The only permissible time concerned family matters since he lifted Al Mualim's rule on separating children from their parents. Vivian's gaze lingered but he shooed her with his right hand to get her moving on her super important task. All right, so he was being a little petulant towards them but it was out of an innate need to help everyone and be the hero. There were many questions that ran through Vivian's mind regarding his work but she kept quiet out of respect and to prevent knowing too much in case of capture.
"Got you- oh" Malik declared in victory but his tone deflated as he held up his prize- a fork. Turned on its side, it had been easily mistakable for a pencil on one end due to the point and its similar form. The dai cursed his luck as his hopes were dashed once more and glared at the eating utensil.
"At least you have a free fork" Vivian attempted to encourage as she resisted from pocketing anything she perused through. It was hard not to steal anything nowadays since their days of temporary shelter had ended once they reached Quelimane. It was an itch that didn't fade but she knew better than to swipe anything when strangers were near. She'd make a stupid and terrible thief if she did.
Altaïr grimaced to her comment and immediately stood up to approach the dai, using all of his remaining strength to reach his friend. Immediately, he slapped the fork out of Malik's hand to send it flying across the room and scolded with disgust, "A person's tongue was on that and who knows where they've been. You will not contract a disease of some kind on this boat under my watch."
"Furious father eagle rising" Vivian murmured under her breath as she kneeled down to investigate the floorboards on her side. Altaïr grabbed one of his tasteless crackers and hurled it at her butt in a feeble attempt to silence her. He was not turning into a father figure because the only person that required that was at Masyaf.
The two returned to their search as Altaïr returned to his chair to play watchman. With the two fumbling about, it easily became boring to the assassin and eating the crackers was not a good pastime. He wasn't the type of man to be stationary and being left to his own devices was a horrible way to increase said boredom. The only instance that piqued his interest was seeing a small mouse scurry upwards from a hole in the floorboards and sniff the cracker that had bounced off Vivian's butt. He had been ready to kick the furry little beast away from Vivian's proximity but the mouse dismissed the cracker in less than two seconds flat. As if sharing the assassin's mind, the smart mouse scurried out of the deck and back down the hole from whence it came.
Hmm, Vivian's wordplay is starting to pollute my mind, he thought irritably since it was no secret their traits were rubbing off on each other. Still, that mouse knew better than to eat that horrible cracker.
"I knew it!" he declared victoriously as he slapped his knee to rejoice in the fact that he wasn't crazy. Both Malik and Vivian turned around when they heard the noise, leading Altaïr to blink innocently to his sudden outburst. He hadn't meant for his voice to reach such a high note and cleared his throat to dissuade the two from asking questions, "Nothing."
He made no mention of the mouse since they were small and could be put out of their misery easily enough. It wasn't hard not to become bored and with his butt becoming number by the second, he decided to stand up and lean against one of the beams for support. Using his left arm to give the beam a one-armed hug, he observed the layout of the room and narrowed his eyes when he caught sight of another pesky rodent.
Honestly, how many of those things were reproducing in the bowels of the boat? . . . Then again, he did choose the cheapest boat due to lack of funds so he couldn't complain. As long as it didn't decide to nibble on his boot, he could care less.
While idly observing Vivian's derrière when it moved in his direction, the rat managed to pull his gaze away. There was something amiss this time that it warranted another look as the critter skittered around. What he originally thought was a piece of meat or random piece of scrap was something else entirely. His eyes widened to the discovery and with his friends traipsing around the place, the rat could soon leave through a hole. He hissed to catch their attention, making the two turn to see what the man was up to now. Pointing to the right corner where Vivian stood, he stated in a low voice to warn, "There's a rat over there that has your pencil in its mouth."
The two looked to him as if he'd grown another head because a pencil should be the last thing on a rat's chewing list. If anything, a toe was their goal at the very least. Altaïr jabbed his finger vehemently in its direction but when they turned, they saw nothing in the corner of the floor. Malik stepped forward with his hands raised peacefully and stated gently, "Altaïr, you've lost a lot of fluids on this trip and it could cause you to see things that aren't there."
"Do you really think a rat would be my top choice for a vision?" he snapped with outrage to insinuation and scowled at the two. Did they really think he was imagining it all? He saw the creature move because otherwise, his eyes would've been glued on Vivian's backside for personal amusement. Vivian and Malik shared a look of uncertainty that didn't sit right with him because he was not a liar! Altaïr resisted from tossing the bag of crackers at them for their doubt and stated matter-of-factly, "I'm telling you, I saw a rat with it! I might be ill but I am not losing touch with reality."
Vivian motioned for Malik to continue searching while she approached Altaïr to calm him down to prevent an upset stomach. The assassin stared at her placidly because if she'd been any other woman, he would've been chewing her out. Unfortunately, he couldn't see the critter and tried to see past her head as she spoke gently, "Now, a ball of thread or clothing could've rolled-"
He raised his right hand to cut her off and stated sharply, "I know what a rat and a ball of fluff looks like- your hair bears similarity to the latter."
She batted his left bicep for the sarcastic jab since it was no secret her dark hair was always a frizzy mess. Her fingers grasped the bottom of her hood to flatten it against her head in a moment of self-consciousness. While the two carried on their conversation, Malik inspected the corner where Altaïr claimed the rat had gone. There were only crates stacked against the corner and he shook them, rather than moved them, due to his lack of a second arm. He wasn't fond of asking for help but since the cargo didn't belong to him, he couldn't exactly do as he wished.
As he turned to ask his friends for help, a little brown mass shot out from behind the crates and skittered past Malik. The dai jumped back in surprise that Altair's declaration had been right and his lips parted when seeing his drawing pencil in the critter's mouth. That thing had his tool! He pointed to it as surprise faded into irritation that such a little animal could steal his things and exclaimed, "That rat has my pencil!"
Vivian squealed with fright when she saw the furry animal and literally pushed her way past the assassin towards the desk against the wall. Altaïr couldn't help but stare in surprise to her reaction as she abandoned him for safety. He stared at her in disbelief as she cowered on top of the desk and her gaze met his. She saw a hint of curiosity lurking behind the bewildered stare and she reasoned hastily, "I'm only doing this because you have killing power."
"And that gives you the right to abandon me?" he demanded indignantly since this was the very first time she'd reacted in such a way. What made the rat different than all of the other times when they faced real enemies? There was something going on that he didn't have insight on because the woman had been extremely loyal up to that point. Vivian pouted with guilt to her initial reaction, flattening herself against the desk, and wished to have a redo after that shameful act. She'd never abandon him but in all honesty, his fortified leather boots would fare better than her cloth shoes against a rat's teeth. He couldn't believe her meek appearance as he watched the rat scurry past the desk and scoffed, "Come now, Vivian, it's only fat and fur! Look at it! If it wasn't alive, you could wear it as a hat."
"I'm not scared of a rat, I'm scared of what it represents!" she corrected shrilly as she sat on the desk with her legs tucked underneath her in case the rat decided to jump. Living in an archaic era made her naturally wary of animals that had been known carriers that spread disease around the world. She was not looking to contract the bubonic plague in the twelfth century and jabbed a finger towards the moving critter to exclaim, "That rat carries potential disease with the fleas attached to it and a bite won't be any better."
"I've seen them wandering the whole time and I'm perfectly fine" he scoffed skeptically but he had kicked one away a week ago. Vivian's eyes widened to the revealed fact that they'd been wandering the floor where she slept and felt the sudden need to bathe repeatedly. The thought unsettled her stomach at the thought of those little feet running over her legs during the night. He waved a hand dismissively since he'd protected her as well and pointed out, "Don't worry, I didn't allow any near you either."
Since Malik didn't carry throwing knives on board to maintain his meek appearance, he was having one hell of a time using his hidden blade. The rat kept its bite on his pencil as the dai swung his blade but at that pace, the animal would quickly scurry into a hiding spot. Altaïr watched the chaos of Vivian clinging to the desk, clutching it for dear life while his friend ran behind a tiny little pest. Is this what his courageous team had been reduced to? Were they felled by a fat dirty rat of all creatures?
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Altaïr sighed with disdain and unsheathed one of his throwing knives to kill the rat. His perfect precision was no match for the poor animal as the impact killed it immediately. Vivian winced at seeing it dead on its side since it didn't know any better but at the same time, any diseases that it carried would end with it. Malik's pencil rolled out of its mouth and the tool stopped a few feet away with the dai wincing at having to wash it repeatedly.
"See, you have your tools, I'm a hero, and-" Altaïr declared proudly until Vivian shot down from the desk to run straight out of the room and up the stairs. What was that about? His eyes darted between the empty stairway and Malik before he stated awkwardly, "I didn't expect that."
Outside on the top deck, Vivian moved her short legs as fast as they could take her and she hurled the contents of her stomach into the sea. She groaned with guilt at having to empty bodily fluids into the poor ocean and hoped no innocent fish swam underneath her pool of vomit. Wiping her mouth clean, she leaned against the railing as nausea struck her for the first time in years. She had begun feeling dizzy before the rat sprung out to surprise them but while Altaïr had been declaring himself a valiant hero, her stomach demanded to purge its contents.
Oh no, what is it now?, she thought worriedly because nausea had never bothered her until that very moment. The taste in her mouth was horrible and it was almost enough to make her want to empty her stomach once more.
Breathing deeply to disassociate herself from the horrible sensation, her thoughts were interrupted by two hands grasping her shoulders.
"Are you all right?"
Without needing to turn around, she knew it was Altaïr by voice and grasp alone. She hesitated to reply since honesty had always been key for them but she didn't know what brought it on. Had she eaten something spoiled in the morning? She highly doubted the rat caused such a reaction within her body since she'd never thrown up at anything the assassins had done in their line of work. Her fingertips reached up to gently graze his knuckles to return the comforting touch and she replied unsurely, "I don't know. I felt nauseous all of a sudden but it'll pass. It's probably something I ate."
Malik frowned since they had both eaten the same breakfast and pondered aloud, "Hmm, I'm not nauseous but I suppose I should be cautious for that just in case."
She breathed deeply to push away the unwelcome sensation and closed her eyes for a second to see whether it helped. If this was what Altaïr experienced on a daily basis, the man was a brave soul. His voice lifted her spirits somewhat when he suggested in helpful gentle jesting, "Cracker?"
A/N: Goodness me, this recent semester truly devoured my social life in all aspects like nothing before. Never in my life have I experienced a major as rigorous as nursing but I loved every minute of it, even when having instructors that are feared by upperclassmen. I apologize greatly for the lateness of the chapter so I've added another to make up for it since life really hit me hard since February and I've just surfaced to enjoy my first week of vacation. I've missed writing this story for so long that I had to reread earlier chapters just to bring forth a laugh when 30% of my class was eliminated during the first half of the semester. Now, I can return to my tales for a little while with this breather but the program is rigorous to the point that I have to study during vacation time. Okay, with that settled, we can push forward the team towards Madagascar as the short overseas trip is not making it easy on anyone- except Malik, who's handling it marvelously. We'll see how Altaïr progresses with his sea sickness and more insight on Vivian's sudden shift with nausea will be shed.
Thank you so much for sticking with this story through the short hiatus and I am glad to see so many new readers have added this story to their lists. If I can bring a smile or laugh to your faces, then I've done my share to delight someone that day. Again, thank you for pushing me forward just as I push this story forward.