What Happens in Madagascar Stays in Madagascar
"I've never seen so much vegetation, it's worse than traveling down the Nile" Altaïr sighed with aggravation as he chopped branches out of his way to make a path to the north. Two days had passed since their arrival at Madagascar and the assassin longed for the dry winds and open landscape of his native Syria. If the humidity didn't annoy him with drenching his clothes in endless rivers of sweat, the cold nights stiffened his limbs and left his teeth a chattering mess. Half his day was spent clearing a path towards the north as Malik guided their direction and the thick foliage that tangled against his shoes and sword was an immense annoyance. It made him question the true sentience of plants for their cleverly placed locations.
Vivian leaned down to collect the lingering debris of his aftermath for their campfire. Her smaller size helped to squeeze in through dense spots when he needed her so she could scout ahead and clear smaller tangles of branches to lessen his workload. His shoulders would ache horribly by the end of the week with endless repetitions of the same motion but he needed to get to that secret temple. Hopefully, he wouldn't be falling down any platforms this time. Altaïr glanced back at his companion as he noticed a blue blob dart around in his peripheral vision and reminded, "We can't slow down after losing time in Quelimane. We can find more at camp but it seems you have enough."
Vivian's gaze met his as she paused in her branch gathering to offer a valid rebuttal. After collecting an armful of twigs, she still tried to add one more piece to avoid wasting the branches. The man had literally left a clear path to the north that covered his width and it would remain for years to come until the forest swallowed it once more. A firm believer in recycling, she would be reusing the chopped branches at camp.
"I'm trying to save the remnants of the jungle you're butchering here" she pointed out with a pout and grabbed the last stick into her pile to recycle. Of course, that little stick was one too many and the entire collection fell out of her arms as she tried to stand upright. All of it crashed onto the ground and Altaïr glanced at the scattered twigs with a deadpan expression while Malik awaited their next words. Vivian raised her hands in peace to broker a compromise with the man eating lion known as Altaïr and slowly stated, "All right, we can't abandon my hard earned stick collection-"
"Vivian, we're already behind!" he objected curtly and made an emphasis by chopping down the next fat branch in his way. A droplet of sweat sneaked past his eyebrow to annoy his left eye and he quickly dabbed at the stinging hindrance. Malik shook his head because his friend was incredibly stubborn at donning simpler garb to weather the elements. At this point in their journey, it fell on deaf ears so he'd given up trying. Altaïr made an emphasis by pointing to his damp forehead and told her frankly, "And it's humid like a thousand lingering storms!"
"We do need kindling later on" Malik reasoned and grabbed a few sticks to help his friend save her bundle. The nights had grown incredibly colder to those at sea and they kept the campfire burning until daybreak. Altaïr's eyes narrowed as the dai decided to clearly enter the playing field in Vivian's corner and knew he was outnumbered immediately.
"Unless you're both making twig soup, forget it! We can find more later" he argued defiantly and stomped forward, only to snag the back of his robes on a protruding branch. He heard a sharp tear that would require sewing from the sound of it and tensed his shoulders in frustration. His stroke of luck had ended the first night on the island and it only seemed to be getting worse. Was it too much to ask for a little repose while saving the world? His right hand clenched the hilt of his sword as he purged a few of those feelings, "Arrgh!"
Vivian continued to pick up her fallen sticks as quickly as possible and tried to charm him with a smile, "I've heard it's quite tasty. Is that why you're cranky? Because you're hungry?"
"No, I'm sweaty and exhausted in this forsaken jungle" he shot back quickly because her chirpy tone was not decreasing his discomfort with the humidity. If anything, it irked him further and fueled his agitation as to how she could even cope with the extreme temperature. What had happened to her climate sensitivity during the first months?
"You know, you could just ask for help" the dai suggested dryly to his innate need to be the hero all the time and to remain in control of his decisions. As Altaïr puffed his chest to accepting such a thing after all of the hard work he was putting in, the dai unsheathed his sword to take the front lead. The assassin was more than ready to protest that he was strong enough to do it himself but Vivian grabbed him by the arm to halt his henpecking.
He was more than ready to nip their mutiny in the bud with a sharp word but her troubled expression stopped him short. Was she ill? Had something bitten her? Did those stupid branches give her splinters? He sheathed his sword quickly as his pride was placed on the shelf and concern took over for Vivian.
"Please don't turn into that man in Lake Victoria" she pleaded with him privately after the horrible time that plagued them during the entire trip. It had been such a beautiful landscape but the tense situation had dampened that enjoyment. His demeanor had shifted into a different person and she didn't want to lose the man she respected and cared for. Her fingers wrapped around his forearm tentatively to pacify the fear of seeing that hostile person resurface and she beckoned with worry, "I don't want that cold calculating man that shouted every time something went wrong and made me feel like an outsider. I want the grumpy but reasonable man you've become, not an obsessed madman."
He calmed down to her words and wiped his sweaty brow to groan miserably to the unbearable climate. Vivian used the side of her sleeve to dab his face clean so the droplets wouldn't irritate his eyes and he smiled to her care. She stayed by his side through thick and thin with unyielding loyalty, leading him to apologize for his brusque tone, "This climate is pushing my limitations and after traveling on a boat for a month, I am ready to end this journey at times. I don't mean to snap at you- if anything, you're keeping me sane in this endless maze. I would never hurt you in any form and you have authority to beat me with that truth if I get out of line."
"So I can keep my twigs?" she asked hopefully as she clutched the small bundle to her chest while the rest lay on the ground. He couldn't help but smile at her simple glee over mere twigs for kindling but that was Vivian. She found a way to stay optimistic in the worst of conditions and tried to stir the same out of him for distraction. That little woman would be the end of him but she kept him grounded and he was grateful for that. If he'd continued to bark orders and with her behaving like a harpy, things would've been much different.
"Gather as many as you want but be careful" he allowed with a small sigh to keep her happy and that in itself lessened the tension in his mind. It was better to have her forage now rather than lose hours' worth of kindling for their campfire, especially when the cold swooped upon their site quickly after sunset. He flicked a small round bug that scurried between the sticks, hoping that she wouldn't be bringing 'friends' along for their journey. Their eyes met as he offered a kind smile but his words carried his concern, "Don't linger here too long and stay within my sight."
"Thank you" she smiled gratefully with a fond squeeze to his arm to remind him everything would be fine and proceeded to pick up her sticks. Altaïr had to admire the woman's resilience to remain calm in unknown situations that were separate from her own true reality. The compassion and understanding that she offered to shelter him with were the traits that pushed him to realize that he treasured her more than anyone else (well, not his son but close). A smile lit her face when she caught his lingering stare but she said nothing as she returned to picking up the stray branches.
He turned around swiftly before she managed to stir a modest blush from him since the temperature was already hot enough. Occupying himself elsewhere was the best choice and he turned to Malik as the dai chopped away at the ends of the branches. This was not Altaïr's preferred technique and decided to enlighten his friend by lecturing, "No, don't just hack away at it. You have to chisel around the target area first and then hack away at the cleaved areas. They need to be weakened first so they can be cut cleanly."
The dai didn't care and merely kept cutting down the branches around them to make a rectangular shape for their path. He didn't have to turn around to know the assassin was aiming a heated glare in his direction and stated clearly, "I have my methods and you have yours. We will be taking turns because having you pass out from heatstroke is not on our agenda for today."
Altaïr thinned his lips at being usurped at being leader again as his vulnerabilities surfaced. The dreariest of conditions attempted to create bumps over the smooth road he'd created for his new demeanor. Malik was already one step ahead of the man after years of observing his nonverbal behavior and added in to lower the insecurities, "Don't worry, a man with two arms is faster than another with one so you'll have your chance soon."
"Your resilience with this climate is better than mine so take your time" Altaïr replied with a shrug of his shoulders to take the higher moral road. His friend did weather the varying temperatures easier than he did so it was better to use his stamina than his own that withered rapidly. He ran a hand over his damp hair as he looked to the canopies overhead that shrouded the sunlight and sighed, "It's far better to have stamina over strength in this matter and we can make our own campground if we tire."
"Sounds like an excellent plan, gentlemen" Vivian encouraged the two as they worked to their strengths rather than bickered from the overwhelming humidity. She was sweating in places she never knew existed and quickly tied her bundle of sticks with a leather tie. Tucking five fat bundles under her right arm, she began to pick up large leaves off the ground to stuff into a small knapsack on the opposite side. Altaïr often saw her stuffing random things into it and she caught his questioning stare, leading her to state unabashedly, "Well, we don't exactly have dry grass or old parchments to use when nature calls, now do we?"
"Vivian!," was the only word needed to voice 'we're not wild animals, choose another word' and aimed a furrowed brow stare to match the lecturing tone.
"Altaïr" she replied with an emphasis on the middle accent of his name to negate 'unless you want me to say pooping in the bushes, you take that cleaner version'. Unfortunately, she couldn't add the 'no pun intended' look this time.
"Viv-"
"Do not and I mean do not start those eerie name only conversations you two have with each other" Malik intervened swiftly before it drove him mad since the two had expanded into different communication channels. This one, however, was his least favorite since the name repetition eventually wore him down. He preferred their quiet nonverbal expressions; it gave him peace of mind and left the two happy to mingle in their private 'conversation'. Altaïr and Vivian winced when the man cleaved a branch clean off the trunk of the small tree in one swipe but Malik quickly admitted, "That was not what I intended there."
While Malik contemplated over his sudden burst of strength, Altaïr shot his partner in crime a quick glare to call an end to their shenanigans. Vivian blew a raspberry in his direction to stir the melting pot one more time but sighed in resignation, "Fine, I'll just call it 'chamberpot time'. Better?"
. . . "Yes."
She returned to picking leaves off the ground to restock their 'toilet paper' supply while Altaïr plopped down on a flat rock to rest. Malik smiled at ending the mind boggling name calling because being asked to intervene in something he knew nothing about would not have boded well in the middle of nowhere. The sound of metal and the cracking of wood filled the air for a few seconds until Vivian's voice chimed in,
"Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the baaaaare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life
Wherever I wander, wherever I roam
I couldn't be fonder of my traveling tent home
The mosquitos are buzzin' at my skin
To take sweet blood from me
When you look between the trees and plants
This is where we find free food
If we find some, it'll set a spectacular mood
The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!
Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
That's why a woman can rest at ease
With just the bare necessities of life
So just try and relax, yeah, cool it
Fall apart in my tent
'Cause let me tell you something, assassin man
If you act like that mosquito acts, uh uh
You're working too hard
And don't spend your time lookin' around
For elusive POE's that can't be found
When you find out you can live without it
And go along not thinkin' about it
I'll tell you something true
The bare necessities of life will come to you."
He stared blankly at her as she glanced at him expectantly at the end of her little song for feedback but he pointed to a patch of dirt to say, "There's a leaf over there."
The peace that fell over the group didn't last very long before the wildlife began to frustrate the man. Altaïr was fine with endless twitters, chirps, howls, and shrieks in the distance but not when it decided to cross his path. He reasoned that it was due to him altering (Vivian preferred the word butchering but that was her problem) the trees but he didn't have time to lament. Besides, there were more than enough branches to swing and sleep from- a ridiculously large amount.
When he felt a hard plop on his left shoulder, he stopped to look at what had dared to touch his person. His eyes narrowed into slits when he caught a splattered orange hue over his white sleeve and quickly shook his arm to remove the fruit remnants. Vivian and Malik exchanged a look from behind as they drank from their water canteens. They knew never to stand in between the man and his assassin robes. He didn't take his dedication lightly and fought to maintain his robes clean to show his skill. After all, the elements were not kind to the color white.
"Away you blasted mutated monkeys!" he yelled furiously to the laughing chatter above him as calls echoed in the distance. How dare they mock him after pelting him with fruit? If he had Rafiki, he'd order his falcon to attack them for supper. How the creatures managed to survive with only fur on their skin was beyond him too as he caught dark shadows moving within the trees. He aimed his deadly sword towards the green canopies and exclaimed angrily, "If I didn't need my arrows, you'd be supper!"
He was already irritated with the wildlife but Vivian couldn't help to correct innocently, "They're lemurs. Only native to this land."
"Vivian, look at my face- it doesn't care" he stated crisply as he turned his glower power onto her to prove his point. She shook her head with an amused smile as he failed to frighten her at all. She understood it was his way of coping with the stress, especially when his robes had just become stained. For a man living in the twelfth century, he was an immaculate individual in every aspect except for haircut part.
"It should, we're not living under the tyrannical rule of Altaïr anymore" she pointed out humorously with a wagging finger to prevent a fight between the animals and the assassin. There was already enough death with the foliage at their feet and frankly, she did not want to see a lemur being barbecued at camp. He snorted to her comment since he was pretty damn easygoing compared to the previous year. Old Altaïr would've shot down the 'lemur' and made a nice hat or blanket from the hide.
"Altaïr's tyrannical rule was not all we were led to believe but he was greatly disliked" the dai piped up with smirk and Altaïr's temper simmered down in remembrance to his old hubris. He had been a relentless killing machine to achieve his goals at the risk of breaking the creed of his order- hmm, that does sound exactly like a dictator. Still. . .
"My tyrannical rule did lead me to be stabbed in the side, you know" he pointed out since most were overthrown or killed when the masses voiced their opposition. After all, he had been stabbed by Al Mualim in public and if that didn't count, they could all kiss his boots. The healing process after that hadn't been exactly fun either as he hoped an infection didn't set in and constantly had to change his bandages, along with drinking liquor to numb the pain.
Malik scoffed to his comment to win the point in the matter and grinned to joke lightly, "Please, we've all been stabbed in the side- it's part of the job description."
Vivian handed her canteen of water to Altaïr so he could save his oxygen and replenish his body with lifesaving fluid. She held out her hand for a fist bump from her awesome mentor and Malik returned it after learning it from that day long ago in northern Africa. Oh, if she'd only a camera to capture the epitome of perfection of fist bumping the dai. Altaïr narrowed his eyes since he never received a fist bump from her at all to acknowledge his greatness. The dai looked to his friend with a haughty expression for trying to win the argument and added in, "If I had a knife for every time I've been hit, bruised, cut, and stabbed- I'd have a fully stocked armory."
"Your record isn't on trial, mine is" Altaïr reminded hastily before hurling Vivian's canteen back at her. She scampered to catch it quickly with a desperate yelp before it fell on a random rock and suffered a tear. Malik aimed a reprimanding look for his petty behavior but the assassin dismissed it with a shake of his shoulders. Altaïr kept the woman sharp on her reflexes since agility would be her strength due to her petite size. Unless he knew she was capable of doing something, he would not push her beyond her limits.
Vivian caught her canteen with a triumphant grin and held up her prize in the air to demonstrate. Altaïr raised his chin at Malik in a silent 'I told you so' just as Vivian suggested perkily, "We need a true Altaïrocracy where freedom reigns majestically like free pitas on Friday-"
"What are you talking about?" he asked with disbelief to her ideas and began to think the heat was affecting her. Her fingers wiggled to the fantasy of a yummy pita in her hands and remembered the last one she'd eaten during her first week in Masyaf. She had been too disoriented to enjoy the food but thinking back on it, fresh was far better than dried foods.
Vivian completely ignored him as she fell into imagination land and squeezed her leather canteen to sigh dreamily, "With sizzling pizza slices covered in all toppings and every house has a pool with cold refreshing water. Oh, and cute little bunnies that will smother me to sleep with their plush softness in my bedroom!"
He was rendered speechless as he watched her hug herself and the dopey smile on her face told him she had cracked. His small minion had progressed from the crazy antics that drew his ire and mortification a year ago so she was not allowed to revert back. He was more than ready to hoist her over his shoulder to carry her onwards but she groaned miserably as the heat killed her fantasy. She'd never experienced such a hostile environment that prevented her from escaping into her imagination.
"You reorient her to reality and relax while I continue" Malik stated with an amused smile as he unsheathed his sword to resume their trailblazing. He'd never seen a forest this dense and if they weren't keeping to the coast on the right, he would've declared their group lost. Every spot around them was covered in brown and green- there were no hints of blue from the sky above. Altaïr appreciated the break since repetitive motions would eventually wear on his shoulder and aimed a deadpan expression at Vivian.
"I'm. . .hot, hungry, tired, sticky, and possibly a little amorous" she mumbled dejectedly as her shoulders slumped and felt a part of her wither and die to the comment. She slapped her right arm when she felt a ticklish brush and frowned when she failed to kill a buzzing mosquito aching for her blood. For the first time, she found herself requiring his support as the weather boiled her alive from the inside. Before he could open his mouth to reply to her bold words, she waved hers hands frantically and mumbled pitifully, "I'm too tired to care about any lectures on censoring."
His brow lifted with curiosity to her rambles since she'd been strict on divulging any personal physical matters to him. The only thing he cared about was whether her bloodletting arrived so he could steer clear of her. . .which oddly enough, had not. Maintaining privacy between them, he lowered his voice to offer suggestions, "We should make camp soon since we've been at this for hours. I believe we're all tired at this point and we need to hunt something to eat."
"No monkeys or lemurs" she objected swiftly since they had been causing him grief since morning. The sounds echoing in the rainforest during the early morning as the animals foraged always woke him up in a cranky mood. He scowled to having those animals off the killing table since his trigger finger for the crossbow had been itchy every time he heard them nearby.
"Also, I was going to offer we find a stream or river to wash up and take care of that last issue" he suggested with a charming gleam in his eye that was void on his face. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she managed to put her foot in her mouth once more and wrung her hands together. Altaïr wasn't buying her innocent ploy for one second and if he could pull her away for one second to enjoy himself in the horrible humidity, he would fight for it.
Vivian blinked comically at realizing he was serious and tried to shrink under his gaze in the hope of disappearing. What had happened to the instances when she teased and he chastised her bold talk? He crossed his arms at reading her evasive attempt after interpreting the majority of her behavior. She was a mysterious silly creature but nothing escaped his calculative eye.
The thought of a cold bath was agonizingly tempting but the latter . . . this heat was destroying her logic. She thought the desert had been the worst with its blazing heat but the island was a new contender with its suffocating humidity. She found a loophole to save her sanity as her poor brain managed to fart out an idea and reminded innocently, "And leave poor Malik to suffer alone?"
"It's called camp watch for a reason and I can always tell him to go before" he replied smartly because he wouldn't let his friend sizzle to death. True, he was itching to run off to track down the nearest body of water but not before ensuring his team's safety. He closed his eyes for a second with lament to the wonderful feeling of cold water trailing down his body in refreshing rivers. He could almost cry to that long lost sensation! He caught hints of uncertainty on her face and he immediately struck it down by stating swiftly, "No, I will carry both you and Malik if I need to but I am finding water!"
When she felt beads of hot sweat roll down her back, her resolve broke. Her clothes were already damp and she was perspiring in every place imaginable- not the prettiest of pictures. Throwing her hands into the air, she sighed with desperation, "Find it, find anything- I'm boiling like a lobster in here!"
"You won't regret it" he assured with confidence and a sudden wink from his end furrowed her brow.
Vivian winked with surprise as the expression floored her completely for being out of character. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad never winked at people- he'd sooner take a hidden blade to the eye. Was the heat affecting him this badly? Invading his personal space, she rose on the tips of her toes to peer into his eyes and asked with a flabbergasted voice, "Did you just wink at me?"
"No! Sweat keeps getting in that eye" he grumbled with frustration and dabbed at his left eye to soothe the irritation. Why was the world and life in general so cruel against him? Shouldn't heroes earn a good reward once in a while? By common arithmetic, he should've had at least ten by now! Malik's chopping in the background only served to aggravate him to their whereabouts and he snapped, "Do you see how horrid this environment is? It's inadvertently changing my behavior against my will!"
"Oh, you say that about everything" she hushed his mad ramblings with a quick soothing pat to his back. Rubbing circles over it usually decreased his anger in stages: stage one brought stubborn whining, stage two simmered into manly grunting, stage 3 unleashed the pouting, and stage four finished it with reluctant acceptance. This time, he skipped straight to stage 2 as her hand felt the vibrations and she tried to cheer him up by musing, "It's a good thing we're not assassins from King Arthur's times or we would've been fighting man eating dragons."
That comment decimated his annoyance instantly in one shot and he stared at her with disbelief. For the first time, they could actually share a piece of history that was shrouded in legend as they both lived centuries from that time period. He placed his right hand on top of her head, the heat from her scalp penetrating into his skin, and drawled slowly to remind, "Dragons. . . aren't . . . real, Vivian."
"That's what they want you to think" she scoffed with dismissal since flying reptiles were pretty damn awesome in her book and tapped his forehead. Altaïr couldn't help but stare at her in bewilderment since they both prided themselves in being logical individuals. Of course, he often forgot the woman could spend a day in her own imaginative world without a care. She was indeed a little badger that could sleep away her cares in her burrow but would gouge his eyes out for disturbing her creative world. With a shrug of her shoulders, she threw out a random hypothesis, "For all we know, they were probably the pets of those ancient beings or at least, their awesome rides to work. They had to have worked to maintain an empire, right? Or maybe they were horribly lazy since we did the work and managed to upstage them."
This is where he decided to tune her out as he closed his eyes in the hope of receiving pity. For Vivian, rambling into fantasy is what helped to cope with the hardships and she grinned widely to suggest, "Dragons probably provided cheap transport and a good guard dog for them. I would've called mine . . . Cookie or Mauler. No wait, Acid Spitter!"
"The sun is rotting your brain" he said flatly to pull her head out of the clouds and back to reality. She pouted for having her fun bubble burst by the grumpy assassin since he never joined in her make believe shenanigans.
"Fine, but you'll see- my crackpot theories will ring true one day" she insisted with a high pitched voice that made him chuckle softly. Only she tended to stir laughter from his throat with her words and facial expressions. He never expected for her to draw anything but neutrality and a scowl on his part but she had. True, he'd placed her in a headlock the first time she attempted to lift his lips into a smile but he'd outgrown that instinct.
She gave him a pat on the shoulder for encouragement before the climate drove him mad. Removing her handy satchel, she placed it on the ground to free herself from the accessory before retrieving her weapon. She felt proud to carry a leather holster across her waist to hold her staff weapon and smiled at her teacher (who had not made it easy). Aiming the sharp metal end towards Malik as the dai cut down stubborn branches, she informed, "I'm going to scout ahead and will keep an eye out for any water."
Tilting his head to the side, he noticed how she simply took charge to make herself useful. He had to admit she'd grown to hold her ground without needing him to play guard. Now that he was no longer set to explode like a supernova, Vivian moved on to the next objective at hand with a perky smile. Earlier in the year, he usually supervised her to ensure she wouldn't hurt herself or cause a blunder but now he simply let her be. He trusted the little badger's nose to sense trouble and put an end to it, allowing her to saunter off.
"If I find it first, you owe me a foot rub" she added in without glancing back to incite his competitive streak. Whenever their travels grew tedious, a nice challenge with rewards attached kept their minds distracted. Altaïr smirked since he rarely lost a challenge to her and decided to look at their maps once more for any hints of water sources.
"How was bath time?" Vivian teased sweetly as her two companions approached their new campsite with fresh clean faces. She couldn't help but cover her mouth to hide the grin at seeing Altaïr practically saunter into camp with renewed confidence. Malik, being the reserved one, simply walked like he always did with that sophisticated flair that his friend lacked.
Her question, however, caused Altaïr's shoulders to drop as he sighed with distaste, "Vivian, do you know emasculating that sounds?"
"Fine, how was your majestic trek to the enigmatic Pool of Bliss?" she shot back to make his trip sound like a mission straight out of a role playing game. She would give him the freebie to boost his confidence again since he'd lost the bet and taken it quite well. He hadn't been the only one studying the maps since she perused through them with Malik during his breaks or the early morning. The dai could've been a phenomenal professor in her time as he showed her how to read maps in case anything separated them. With a stick, he could draw simple maps in the dirt out of memory and explain every line to her. No question was too stupid and she was grateful that he didn't use Altaïr's 'survive or fail' method (which sorely needed tweaking).
"That's better" he replied with a faint smile as he observed their camp setup to make sure nothing had changed. Vivian shook her head with amusement to the bloodhound of an assassin since everything remained in place. They had set up a single tent to provide a protective shield around camp and prevent predators from snooping around. Since the terrain would allow for small camps only, they had sold the other two tents to save on space. After sleeping in a cramped boat for a month, they could survive with a few feet of free space between them for the rest of the trip. Altaïr had also rolled decomposing logs and leftover branches from their chopping for extra protection during the night.
As he investigated their camp, she noticed that his robes hadn't changed and she remarked, "You didn't change?"
"I have to accompany you there so I might as well change afterwards in this outrageous heat" he replied simply since his robes were already filthy from the morning and the fruit splatter didn't help. On the plus side, he was as clean as a newborn underneath it all and planned to keep it that way.
Vivian quirked her left eyebrow and reminded him of an important fact, "I did find the place, you know."
Altaïr stopped in his tracks to the cocky tone in her voice and hated to admit that she was capable of handling herself in the current environment. Well, against a small number of enemies and predators but nothing of his caliber. Still, he didn't want her out of his line of sight for too long, even with her new set of skills. For the first time, he felt extremely protective over somebody else and he wasn't quite ready to relinquish that. He abhorred protecting her during the first months but she eventually grew capable to the point that he now felt inclined to maintain that dependency. Did he really have a hero complex?
Turning around, he pinned her down with one of his signature stares and approached her as he pointed out, "If two highly trained assassins traveled to that river together, what makes you think I'll allow you to scamper off unattended?"
"Because I'm small enough to be considered harmless and I can play possum?" she offered cheekily with an innocent smile as she tried not to wince under his piercing stare. She'd never met a man with a more gorgeous- and frightening- hue and his tall build did not help matters. She tried a diversion tactic by feigning to scratch her chin thoughtfully and mused, "Now that I think about it, what is the difference between possum and opossum? Quite the conundrum, I say. I wish I'd had time to actually research it-"
"Get your clothes and let's go" he interjected quickly as he avoided falling into that trap and pointed towards her tent. She pouted at having a babysitter once more but listened obediently since she did want that bath. After being drenched in two or more layers of sweat four hours, she sorely needed to scrub everything off.
Malik, who had begun to hang his newly washed clothes of the day on tree branches, turned around to ask with confusion, "What is an opossum?"
"Malik, I've stopped trying to figure her out the day she dressed as a man" he answered frankly as he unclasped the hood portion of his robes. Seeing as he had to wash it anyway, he might as well carry it in his hand. Around his neck, it would just be bothersome and constrictive with the sweltering heat. Besides, nobody would know who he was wherever they were currently at.
Vivian popped out of their tent with her folded bundle of clothes and her handy satchel full of goodies. She'd stuffed her toiletries in the bag and made quick work of the clean brown tunic with breeches (and undergarments) as she walked up to him. After finding that river, she'd take her sweet time cleaning up and opened her mouth to speak.
Unfortunately, Altaïr was faster as he headed east of the camp and told Malik, "We'll be back in an hour or so."
The dai turned around swiftly as he held his white trousers and demanded with bewilderment, "What could possibly take an hour? We were back here in half at most."
Vivian pinned him with the same expectant expression but Altaïr was quick thinker on his feet and always prepared. Malik took his time with everything that he did to ensure everything was in its proper order while he . . . simply didn't care. Since he usually chucked his traveling knapsack into the tent to join his pack, Malik's was neatly placed against the log Vivian had been sitting on. This time, Altaïr had not removed his due to his return trip.
Before Malik could react, Altaïr grabbed the flimsy knapsack and hurled it into the forest in the opposite direction. Before the dai could fly into a rage of curses, Altaïr grabbed Vivian by the arm and ran like the wind into the forest towards the river. She could only move as fast as her short legs could take her since he had a foot extra in length compared to her.
Her face reddened when she heard Malik's voice yelling behind them with none too gentle words. She almost felt guilt as if she'd done it herself but she couldn't stop due to Altaïr's grip on her forearm. Why had he done that? Running through a rainforest with an assassin was not a goal on her to-do list in life but at the same time, it was exhilarating. The fact that she could actually keep up with him as he brushed by the foliage with precision filled her with excitement. A shrub or two hit her in the face when she wasn't fast enough to turn but the rest was manageable. She couldn't believe she managed to push her legs to maintain his speed!
"Did you. . .have to. . .do that?" she asked him as she breathed to fill her lungs with precious oxygen. Everything in front of her was either a white or green blob as it flashed by, threatening to dizzy her as her chest tightened. Is this how assassins truly saw when they were free running on the streets or rooftops? How were they able to distinguish clarity through the blur filling her vision?
"He asked too many questions" he answered easily without a pause in his speech after years of stamina training. Hearing the pauses in her speech, he slowed his run for her benefit since he doubted Malik would chase after them. If anything, he'd expected a burnt supper or blankets thrown outside the tent when he returned. For now, he could count himself as safe for the time being.
He stopped to allow her to catch her breath and Vivian immediately leaned against the trunk of a tree to breathe deeply. Her fingertips grasped the rough bark as she used it for support to lower her breathing rate. Boy, her little heart was beating like a jackhammer in her chest. Observing her petite frame, Altaïr admitted that she'd run rather well alongside him . . . even if he'd dragged her like a ragdoll for most of it. Her green gaze met his amber hue as she lifted her head and pointed out, "He asked one."
"That was plenty" he justified with a shrug of his shoulders and saw the lightest hints of a smile on her lips. His frank manner of speaking often amused her and though he tried to tone it down, he maintained it privately to rile her. They enjoyed challenging one another and a smile from either told the other that their antics brought them joy.
"I'm leading this endeavor after what you just pulled, mister" she stated with a haughty smirk that was usually reserved for his lips only. The pause from their run allowed her to catch her breath but when she felt the hints of burning cramps on her hamstrings, it was time to keep moving. Since she'd found the river, she wanted to be the one to lead him there at least once like a true explorer. He wasn't keen on guarding her backside since he was leader but when she moved to hike onwards. . .
He had to pause for a moment when he noticed how snug her breeches clung to her hips and legs. Well, maybe the humidity did have one good thing that played in his favor. Quietly, he followed her diligently to protect his partner as she provided quite the nice distraction. He had never actually observed the female form in this manner due to his reserved nature but the isolated forest offered the chance. Why not take it?
Vivian, however, was suspicious that he'd simply handed over control to her without a single peep and stopped a minute later into the walk. As much as she wanted to play troop leader with a happy grin, something was oddly amiss. Turning around, she caught his gaze snapping back up to hers when it was usually reserved from above to below to match her height. Her lips uttered the word 'why' silently before realization hit to his sudden behavioral change and she demanded shrilly, "Were you staring at my butt? Is that why you've gone silent?"
"I can neither deny nor prove those claims" he dodged smartly to stay out of trouble but tease her simultaneously as he avoided her gaze. Her eyes narrowed since she expected him to be honest rather than evasive when caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Hmm, maybe women truly did unnerve him to using those tactics to level the debate field. The next words out of his mouth turned her face into the shade of a tomato when he stated easily, "But I will say this: if the humidity clings that fabric even more to your skin, I will find the nearest bed of grass and remove it from you."
Her lips parted as he stunned her into silence with his bold words and the nonchalant look on his face worsened it. He'd practically stolen her tongue by saying that! Vivian sputtered comically to offer a rebuttal but failed horribly, leading him to preen, "Speechless?"
She nodded quietly as he won that conversation and dipped her head to mutter flatly, "You can lead."
"Oh, that wasn't my intent" he said simply as his direct approach inadvertently led him to playing leader again. She thinned her lips to point ahead of them to silently order him forward and he smirked to her flustered expression. Deciding that he'd tormented her long enough with his words and eye contact, he took the lead. Vivian released a small sigh of relief as she avoided the impulse to drag him to said bed of grass as well. His low timbre carried over the silence as he added in, "Besides, you never hear me complain when you examine me in the same manner."
She slapped a hand to her forehead as he scratched off another win and cursed her inner fangirl to Hades. It wasn't her fault that the man had a backside fit for a Calvin Klein underwear ad! She pointed a warning finger at him to end the embarrassing comments and demanded with burning embarrassment, "Stop talking!"
Altaïr had to thin his lips to contain the smile that threatened to slip through at the desperate tone in her voice. It was always fun to fluster the feisty badger on their private adventures since Malik was not there to offer refuge. He dropped the matter before the heat and rush of blood to her face overwhelmed her. Meanwhile, Vivian reacquainted herself with the foliage of the forest rather than the assassin's backside. If he caught her again, she'd never live it down.
"Glorious water, come to me!" she cheered with glee when the tree line opened to reveal a small river that flowed downstream to the east. She assumed it emptied into the Indian Ocean but didn't care much due to the blistering heat. Rocks littered the shore as she ran to the river's edge to dip her hands up to the elbows of her robe. The cold water refreshed her hot skin instantly and she doused her face in the water like a wildcat to frolic in it. Running her fingers into her hair to purposely send chills down her spine when it touched her scalp, she grinned wildly, "Teacher, mother, secret lover!"
He decided to leave her be since her odd noise would repel wildlife rather than draw it in and sat down on a flat boulder to relax. He unlaced his dusty boots to remove them hastily to allow his boiling feet to breathe, wiggling his toes for light amusement. Being isolated and cut off from the world brought those simple pleasures he'd cast aside years ago. When he glanced back up, he was surprised to find Vivian gone and a pile of clothes had been left in her stead. Well, she definitely hadn't hesitated to jump in. After sweeping the area once more from his perch, he was certain it was fine since his visit with Malik was uneventful.
His freedom run from camp had added to the heat from the walk and since the tree line kept them concealed, he decided to go for another swim. After learning to conquer his fear, small bodies of water no longer stirred wariness. He had happily shown Malik how well he could swim earlier but the dai had threatened to throw his soap at him to stop his silliness. He moved to the nearest boulder that could conceal him from the waist down and quickly disrobed to hurry into the concealing water.
Like Vivian, a gleeful grin escaped his lips as he submerged himself from the nose down into the cold water. He didn't allow a peep to escape from the temperature difference and relished being out of the hot environment. Like a lazy fish swimming in its cozy home, he treaded water to wander the river freely.
The water had never felt better as Vivian scrubbed her oily hair clean with her little round soap. The brown ball was slimy in her palm so she had to be careful not to drop it due to their low number. They had a total of three with one being in emergency reserve since she crafted them by hand after learning from a shopkeeper. It hadn't been easy since certain chemicals were volatile but she'd managed to keep all of her fingers in the end, along with new soap. The hot environment increased the oil production in her hair and the accumulated sweat only added residue that multiplied over the days until her poor hair was left sticky. Not a good look for any adventurer. Vivian made sure her hair resembled foam by the time she was done with her soap before submerging underwater to rinse it clean. Being surrounded by water entirely, she was free from the horrible humidity and wished to have gills so she could be caressed by the river for hours on end.
It's not fair, I want to be a fishy fish, she lamented as she attempted to imitate a goldfish in the water. Being in an isolated forest miles away from any form of civilization could've made her a fable creature if she wished it. With her luck, she'd become the monster of the river rather than a mermaid. On the realistic side away from fantasy, she also needed to be cautious because one wrong step could spell death. Being far away from civilization and emergency care, she had to think twice with every action.
Remembering her companion, she popped her head out of the water to search for him and didn't have to wander far. The man was swimming upstream against the gentle current and she couldn't help but sigh underwater to his behavior. Was he trying to show the river who was boss?
"Don't you have clothes to wash?" she called out to remind him of his tasks since she didn't want to get on Malik's bad side. Altaïr had told him they would be an hour and if he wanted to dilly dally, they would take even longer. The assassin's head snapped in her direction as he found her standing neck deep in the water while holding a soap ball in her hand. She couldn't help but laugh to his quiet approach as he reminded her of a human version of Jaws. He was silent in the water and the piercing stare that matched led her to comment with mirth, "If I didn't know you, I'd say you were sent to assassinate me or the fish with that look alone."
Her lips turned upside down when he stopped treading water to stand upright in the river. If she thought he was intimidating with his full gear on land, being in the water as she stared at his naked chest while he peered down at her shot him up to another level. Seeing him saunter out of a river with a towel around his waist once had been nothing compared to actually standing inches away from him. Her petrified look amused him but he said nothing about it as he gently grabbed the ball of soap from her hand. Despite all of her bold talk, she was a modest woman underneath it all and appeared the most vulnerable at that moment. Her normally wavy unruly strands lay flat against her slender shoulders and her green eyes contrasted brightly against her fair skin as she looked at him.
"The candlelight didn't do you justice" both murmured in unison as the sunlight peeking through the canopies reflected off the water. Vivian's cheeks flushed pink to the compliment while he offered a faint smile to her observation. Their night together in Quelimane outlined shadows more than anything, obscuring half their bodies most of the time. Now, they were fresh as daisies and completely illuminated in light as they peered at one another with hints of bashfulness.
Vivian cleared her throat awkwardly to break away from that enticing spell and Altaïr suddenly remembered the soap ball in his hand. Rolling the ball in his hands to coat them in soap, he handed it back to her quickly before rubbing the foam against his face to remove any accumulated dirt from his second hike. Vivian quirked an eyebrow when he avoided using her soap on his hair and chided gently, "It won't alter your manliness. It's all derived from seeds and other natural items, you know."
One amber eye popped open behind his hands to look her straight in the eye for the jab to his masculinity. Lowering his hands, he explained the reasoning for protecting his hair, "Vivian, I don't want to smell like fruit for hours. It will lure animal visitors that I don't want in my tent and I prefer smelling like a man."
"Like leathery burnt bacon?" she teased cheekily in regards to the numerous leather gear pieces that weren't strapped to his body at the moment. The cocky glint in his eyes faded when she compared him to something unknown but the smell of burnt leather was horrible. Who would want to smell like that all day? How dare she call his scent something foul!
"If I truly smelled foul, I wouldn't have felt your nose against my neck and the little sniffs at night" he declared matter-of-factly at remembering her soft inhales when either bundled up next to the other. The first time he'd caught her was minutes before falling asleep as she feigned sighing while shifting positions. She was crafty but his acute senses surpassed her skills and he'd caught the witty badger in action. Her eyes widened into saucers the second he finished and he raised his head confidently at debunking horrible body odor.
"That . . . that was a smell test" she countered hastily as her cheeks reddened at having that fact discovered. She'd grown familiar to the scent of leather and sweat but the stay at Quelimane had changed it once they were on the boat. The smell of clay had been nice but the other two were simply right for him. The second the old scent had touched her nose at night on that small boat, it had lured her like cheese. She faltered with her reasoning as he remained eerily silent and Vivian piped up halfheartedly, "An assassin can't be detected, right?"
"By the time I'm at that range, the target will no longer be alive" he disagreed and she puckered out her bottom lip at losing the point. Did he have a rebuttal for everything in that marvelous brain of his? Her lips blew bubbles in the water for her boo-boo and he handed her the soap as he headed back to shore. Her free hand grasped his forearm to halt his leave and he reminded with a lackluster tone, "Those iconic robes will not wash themselves."
Her fingers didn't loosen their hold and she smiled at how different the assassin appeared without his robes and armor. He was just as human as she was in the water as he stayed put for her sake and she admitted faintly, "The serenity of this place makes me appreciate just how frail we can be. I'm glad you brought me here under your supervision since we haven't exactly had privacy in over a month."
Looking to the ball of soap in her hands, she took a deep breath before gazing at him and stating softly, "A few days is all we have before we reach whatever temple those beings created. I will be leaving you, Altaïr."
She definitely caught him off-guard with the truth as he stood in the cold river without a defense of any kind. Pain was the last thing she wanted to cause him but they had to accept the end game of their situation. His gaze broke away immediately to suppress the emotions he felt at simply experiencing a day without her by his side. They were burning stabbing wounds to his chest and the suffocation that extended to his throat was horrible. How was he supposed to bear that and her leave? It was why he preferred to avoid it but unfortunately, time was running out. Vivian worried that touching him would send him running out of the river and she cleared away the pain in her own throat to say, "The faster I scout forward is how much faster I will be separated from you. You have to prepare for this. You have to pull together every fiber of your being to stay strong and move forward-"
"I don't want to talk about this yet" he intervened quietly as he raised his hands to end the conversation. He didn't want to face losing the woman who supported him through all of his recent struggles, even though it was inevitable. It was cowardly to avoid it but it was a panicking emotion that he'd never encountered and he wanted to steer clear of it rather than tackle it. He wanted to be selfish by tying her to the nearest tree once they found the temple but he couldn't. Sacrifices were required for the greater good and she deserved to go home like she planned from day one. He'd promised to find a way home for her and he couldn't dishonor that.
She offered a sympathetic gaze since it wasn't easy for her to approach the subject either. The boat trip towards the island had brought fear at knowing she would lose her friends but now, it had become a bitter truth to swallow. He avoided her gaze completely as he blocked away those painful pesky emotions and she soothed, "All right, but time is still moving for us. I know it hurts-"
"I should really wash those clothes before the stains set in" he cut in once more to divert attention away from the topic and she sighed softly with regret. This time, she allowed him to leave since he wasn't letting her through that defensive shield like he usually did. She didn't need to hear it to know he was in pain and closed her eyes to suppress her own overwhelming cascade for bringing all of it to surface.
Altaïr didn't even bother with modesty as he headed back to the area where he'd left his belongings. He understood that she was reaching out to him so they could accept the inevitable together but he couldn't meet her halfway. How was he supposed to agree to let her return home with a straight face when the inside of his chest felt like he'd been speared like a poor hog? Respect and love for her forced him to make the right decision but they also left him fearful for the repercussions of letting her go.
He'd been washing the hood of his robes when two arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind. The familiar beige skin reminded him it was Vivian and he found himself surprised to the display of affection. Usually, it was the other way around. The warmth of her skin against his neck provided warmth, both inside and out, as she offered a token of support.
"You don't have to say anything, just let me hold you" she uttered caringly to wash away his pain and shield him from it temporarily. While he'd been doing his laundry, she'd dressed in her new clothes and tidied up the area to erase any tracks of their visit. She'd had to do it quickly to make up for the time spent swimming and to bank in on that extra time by talking to him one-on-one.
He relaxed under her embrace after being tense and none too gentle on washing his clothing. Being private individuals, they had only embraced in her room at Quelimane or during nights when they were truly alone without Malik's supervision. It was an action that he held dear after years of never experiencing such physical contact and he only sought it from her. Scrubbing his hood against a flat rock, she mimicked his motions by playing koala on his back and he pointed out simply, "With my scrubbing, I'll probably drop you into the water."
Combing her fingers through his wavy locks, she released him so he could finish his chore. The numerous layers of his robes caused him to be the last in finishing his laundry and he frowned at knowing she was ready to go. Why couldn't she wear more layers so he wouldn't suffer alone? Scrubbing the clothing against the rock vigorously helped to release the frustration he felt at his current life situation though. It helped to cope for the moment and when he saw the bothersome orange stain leave the shoulder portion of his hood, he rinsed it in the river with success. The accursed creatures would not be taking that victory from him today!
When he'd wrung the clothes free of water and stuffed them into his satchel to head back home, the pack was more than ready to burst from the number of items. His clothes for the oncoming evening were a simple gray tunic with trousers to match since his work was done for the day. Hmm, maybe he should wear lighter layers but he was committed to his garb. Even changing his robes to a different color had not been an easy transition so he wouldn't be doing anything drastic soon. Fetching Vivian brought him a curious sight as he watched her squat over the shallow end with a wooden bowl in her hand. She kept dipping the bowl with a look of pure concentration on her face and he called out, "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to catch the little fishes- they look tasty" she replied with a sheepish smile to her sudden idea and looked into the bowl to find it empty of gray fish. The little guys were fast and although she felt bad for trying to kill them for food, they had to eat. Hunting was important for their survival and she had learned to do the same if she wanted to keep kicking her way across the globe. She dumped the water back into the river as she failed in catching anything and murmured softly, "They're faster than me. I thought they'd make a nice snack for Malik after leaving him behind like that."
His expression softened as he watched the barefooted woman attempt fishing in the same manner he had during childhood. Of course, he'd had access to a net to make it far easier but she made do with their resources. Approaching her, he opened his satchel to pull out the outermost sleeveless layer of his robes since it was still damp. Holding it out towards her as he stood on the rocky shore, he beckoned, "This will probably make it easier as a makeshift net."
Standing up, she smiled widely for the helpful idea and returned to shore to fetch the shirt. When she noticed the intricate black weaving on the shoulder seams, she questioned in disbelief, "You're giving me your clothes to fish? That's . . . very sweet of you."
She jumbled both items into her right hand while the left brushed over his cheek as she smiled, "But you don't have to, I'll use my own."
Her cold touch against his warm skin sent a jolt down his spine and he reacted instinctively by cupping her face. She didn't reject or chastise him for it as she peered at him with a caring gaze that threatened to break through the defenses shielding his innermost thoughts of her.
I love you.
"You are undoubtedly the prettiest woman I've known and I don't care what you or others say about it" he confessed dotingly, choosing the next thought that wouldn't shatter his affection in case she rebuffed him again. She had managed to crawl under his skin to wedge herself into his heart- a feat he never imagined over a year ago. His thumbs ran over the smooth apple of her cheeks as the corners of her lips met his fingers with a smile. He withheld from saying the smallest woman as well but she fit him perfectly in every way and didn't want to lose that. Blood rushed to her cheeks for the compliment as her inner Vivian exploded into confetti and he added in with a faint smile on his scarred lips, "And a hearty badger to match."
"Not a demented cantankerous little badger?" she chuckled to the familiar words he'd ranted throughout their travels down the Nile. It seemed so long ago that she'd met him on that Jerusalem rooftop and had fallen down a ladder escaping him. They had a rollercoaster of a journey together since that day and it had changed her into a different person. She wouldn't leave his time as the same smart-alecky and frightened young woman but one that would stand her ground with a skill set to match. They had changed each other for the better and she could only hope it wouldn't come undone once they separated.
"At times but I've also been an overbearing eagle ready to be put down" he said in an attempt to poke fun at himself and she chuckled to the numerous foiled attempts at his life. He was a stubborn man that could break a person's neck with one hand alone but she loved that about him. His lips brushed against hers gently to test the waters and he found the lightest humor at having to be delicate with her. She'd managed to survive his swats, kicks, smacks, and yelling unscathed so she wasn't a frail woman in the slightest.
He stopped when he heard her whimper and her fingers grasped the front of his tunic a second later. Had he done something wrong? For a moment, he assumed he'd frightened her by being too forward but she broke their kiss to whimper painfully, "My feet are burning. The sun's hitting this side of the river."
He released her instantly to let her find relief and called out a quick apology for keeping her in that specific spot. He'd completely forgotten about her lack of shoes once she'd started talking about fishing. Vivian ran like the wind to soak her bare feet in the cold river as she pulled up her breeches to the knees. The hot rocks had singed her skin with each second that passed but the water brought instant relief to her stinging flesh. Moving towards a shaded area of the river, she winced with pain and muttered to herself in a lecturing tone, "Ow. Ooh. I knew I was flying too close to the sun like Icarus with this badass assassin."
"We're not good for him, precious" she sighed dramatically with a pout to match since being knee deep in water reminded her of Gollum. If she'd actually caught fish, she could've even done a song about it. Altaïr's face shifted into a deadpan expression when she pointed at him vehemently and declared with dramatic woe, "Ruin him, we will."
"Vivian" he voiced as he walked into the water as well to join her and she kicked water playfully in his direction. He protested about getting his clothes soaked since having them in that manner the entire day had not been comfortable. Sweat and water were different, yes, but he wanted coziness once the cold night arrived. She opened her arms towards the sky with mad glee as she kicked water into the air to tease him, "It will keep you fresh in this heat! Besides, if you want to get a smack on this little rump, you have to play the game."
His face fell with embarrassment when she wiggled her butt to dance her odd 'hedgehog dance' and asked awkwardly, "Why would I want to hit your backside? I only did it a few times to exert my authority and most importantly, I don't play games."
She found herself playful now that the water had revitalized her parched skin and turned around to smack her butt. Altaïr merely deadpanned to her boldly undignified action because the breeches hugged her curves quite nicely and he remarked amusingly, "That isn't helping your case against me. If anything, it's fueling mine."
He treaded deeper into the river as the leather boots repelled water and chased her around the shore. The game of tag had been on his banned list after she'd scuttled off with the red sash of his robes to imitate him in her own tent. Needless to say, he'd yanked it clear off her and let her twirl like a top to learn her lesson. That had been a year ago and now, he'd rather use that same sash to tie her to a tree and keep her there to prevent her leaving him. Vivian delved deeper into the river since his boots wouldn't be able to repel water past his calves and smiled impishly at having him actually chase her. Altaïr saw the joy sparkling in her eyes as they faced each other and knowing her crafty mind, questioned listlessly, "You're trying to tire me into defeat, aren't you?"
"No, but thank you for the idea" she gloated with a perky grin but stopped short when the current became stronger deeper into the river. Uh-oh, she hadn't expected that before reaching her waist. Her breeches wouldn't travel any higher than her thighs and unlike her, Altaïr had plenty of leg height to spare. Turning around, she noticed him a few feet away from her with the same imposing stance. Even without his iconic robes, the man was carried an authoritative aura that she couldn't ignore. He crossed his arms at seeing hints of defeat on her face as she realized her folly, waiting to see what her reply would be. Vivian frowned as she ran out of options for salvaging her tag game and muttered flatly, "In my defense, this was not planned out very well in my mind and I blame Mother Nature wholeheartedly. She and I have never been on the best of terms, you know."
"Vivian, you know better than not having an escape plan in store" he reminded firmly with shake of his head to her folly and she shrugged innocently. If this had been a real life and death situation, he'd be worried because he taught her better than that. She was a little spitfire but her mind needed to be sharp to escape the clutches of danger. His gaze shifted between her and the current to pinpoint her dilemma and he stated haughtily, "And now, you've been cornered quite horribly I might add."
"Is it too late to woo you into confusion with a fan dance?" she smiled impishly and moved her arms towards the sky and to the sides back down to her waist. Without the fans, she resembled an escaped psychiatric patient pretending to be a broken windmill but she tried her best. Altaïr wondered just how he became endeared to a woman like this since he honestly expected to fancy a woman that could break his neck. Actually, no, that would be bad if they betrayed him. Vivian's strength was insignificant to his but their intellects matched each other's which was indeed a major factor. Catching his wincing expression to her odd movements, her shoulders slumped as she stopped entirely and sighed dejectedly, "I'm wooing you away, aren't I?"
"Yes, but your efforts are appreciated" he stated wryly and clasped her shoulders as she lucked out of another failed ploy. There was absolutely no way the odd dance of a mutated bird (that's what it resembled to him) would ever draw his eye amorously. However, there was an important aspect of her behavior that captivated him instantly and he told her with curious disbelief, "You've never tried to woo me before."
She lowered her gaze to the sparkling river around them and confessed bashfully with a low tone, "Well, you know how I feel about all this but we're coming to an end and . . . I really miss you."
The admission was hard to voice aloud as the rushing current drowned out her soft voice but he caught it. Her fingers wrung together as she looked to him but avoided his gaze out of fear she'd divulge every feeling to him if they made eye contact. She felt guilt for trying to prod him to accept their upcoming separation when she was struggling internally. His right hand cupped her chin when he saw her green eyes darting everywhere and she murmured longingly, "You're not even a foot away and I miss you- that's what you do to me. Your entire being intoxicates me and unfortunately, I've grown dependent on it. You've always been the one who attempts to charm the breeches off me to earn just a tad of reciprocation from me, which you rightly deserve after all of my shenanigans. For once, I thought that maybe . . . well, maybe I could lure the pants off you."
"Your attempts are humorous but there is no need to be alluring- you already are" he pointed out since her core traits were what keep him on her heels and his heart felt lighter to her admission. He didn't want to be the only one who felt completely abandoned when he thought of the future. Curiosity struck him to what she had in mind with her actions and he encircled her waist to slowly pull her away from the river. Her face broke into a mischievous grin to the intimate contact and she allowed him to lead her back to the rocky shore- with a shaded area this time. His index finger tapped her lightly on the nose in a rare show of playful affection and he finished, "Otherwise, I would not be here."
"But I'm small, witty, and have no ounce of assassin yummy goodness like you do" she objected with a shy smile as she set the items in her hands on the nearest rock to have her hands free. He made her feel like the luckiest woman in the world with a mere glance alone and set her stomach ablaze with tingly butterflies.
"Your way of speaking is enough to keep me glued to you and I don't need anything out of the ordinary to do so" he scoffed to the absurdity of requiring her to be perfect for his sake and brushed back tendrils of damp hair that stuck to her cheeks. She was a civilian and therefore, she'd be safe from undergoing anything dangerous under his orders or in her own realm. Safety, understanding, and a sense of normalcy were all he needed in a woman and she provided all three. True, she'd make him pull his hood off once in a while but the challenges she provided kept life from becoming tedious. She placed her hands over his to feel the sensual familiarity as she closed her eyes to seal it into memory and he explained with amusement, "If you were anything but ordinary, I think the world would implode on us. We would make life very boring for our enemies, now wouldn't we?"
They were words that warmed her heart and he yelped in surprise when she jumped to latch onto his shoulders to kiss him. Her reflexes were faster than he gave her credit for! He grabbed her with ease as she imitated an amorous koala to his person and managed to speak between her passionate kiss, "I do hope you'll give me a warning next time or I'll begin to think this is how we'll start every encounter."
"We're adventurers so always prepare for the unexpected" she declared giddily and pulled him into another open mouth kiss that left him speechless. Her tongue was like an eel as she caught him off-guard with her sudden burst of passion. She didn't weigh much in his arms after training to lift double his weight and balanced her with ease in one arm alone. His left hand buried into her wet raven locks as he pulled her close to actually return her kiss without appearing sloppy. They buzzed around each other like sweet nectar whenever in close proximity and he wanted to drown himself in it now that he had her.
"You aren't rejecting me then?" he asked one final time since she was notorious for pushing him away, especially for intimate situations. The boat prevented any type of amorous behavior but the rainforests of Madagascar would hide their secret romance quite nicely. A vinyl record scratched in Vivian's mind as she remembered the type of environment they were in and she ended their kiss. The crestfallen look he gave her for possible rejection again led to a tight embrace as she kissed the warm nape of his neck. Confused as to what that meant, he sought clarification by pointing out, "Vivian, do you know what actions like that do to a man in this kind of heat?!"
"The place is rough and pointy" she murmured gloomily because rocks would be incredibly painful and she wasn't looking to appear battered. The entire area was littered in rocks of varying sizes and the river only raised the risk of unsanitary conditions. Although her tetanus shot was good the next seven years, the assassin was not so lucky with modern day immunizations. She pouted as she realized their idea for romance wasn't exactly ideal at the moment and lamented humorously, "Tis no place for snu-snu."
Altaïr's hope deflated in similarity to a dying sun as his face fell to the horrible idea of even doing anything remotely intimate in such a setting. Between his weight and the sharp rocks, he'd more than likely crush his partner and risk a fracture. She drew his face for a soft kiss laced with remorse and smiled against his pouting lips, "Next time, I promise."
Her hands combed through his damp brown hair as she nipped at his upper lip and added, "This little badger will tangle with the mighty eagle again, just not today. I'll make it up to you."
"Truly?" he asked with surprise to her spontaneous behavior since she'd been a quiet mouse about everything. He'd usually had to poke her into a rage before she admitted anything in regards to their hidden affection. He was perplexed why she chose now of all times to behave this way and asked softly against the kisses being dotted against his cheek, "Why now?"
"Because I'd rather spend our last days together with small moments like this rather than avoiding everything like the plague" she admitted caringly as her thumbs outlined his bottom lip towards the outer corners. It wasn't easy to shove everything away to compartmentalize and she wanted to remember every bit of him- his eyes, voice, muscle contours, the softness of his hair, the warmth and feel of his skin.
As much as it hurt to even begin grieving her anticipated leave, he agreed with a fond kiss to her right temple, "I'm finding the nearest flat boulder or tree and turning your lips red with enough kisses to last the week."
So a quirky observation I had while rewatching AC1 scenes is that Malik actually had all of his left fingers where his hidden blade is unlike Altair. I assumed he had them the same as Altair but nope. . .now I'm curious to know if young Altaïr accidentally chopped it off while fiddling with his new weapon.
Thank you for sticking with me on this story as always, I am halfway through my last semester of this program. My best highlight so far was helping to deliver a baby for a first time mom- the emotions laced into that moment when a baby cries for the first time is just amazing. It makes up for the 200+ PowerPoint slides, 100+ textbook pages, and 20+ page of handwritten notes I have to study each week. Coffee is my new best friend now.
And to my dear reviewers:
Hack Generation: Vivian is Malik's #1 cheerleader. Even when he plays big brother and lectures her, she's just nodding her head happily with admiration despite being in trouble.
Pico Dulce: It's a shame that there aren't enough hours in a day, then I'd be set to at least write something fanfiction related every month. Altair and Vivian will be grieving quite a bit in upcoming chapters but their coping mechanisms sometimes lead Malik to lecture the two. Haha. Since I'm learning all about pregnancies and delivering children, my pity for Vivian has climbed to unimaginable levels compared to months ago. She's in pretty heavy denial due to fear but I would definitely want to tell Altair as well. I often have to remind myself that these are characters and separate entities with their own way of thinking. Your English was perfect so don't you worry at all.
Justfourmisfits: Thank you, I'm pushing myself to my limits to reach that graduation date. I just got the news that my childhood hospital will be the location for my final rotation and I'm ecstatic. I wish you all the best on your journey as well!
Kit-kat: Haha, Vivian is leading the readers to think 'is she or isn't she?'. The two were together before their departure from Quelimane at the end of chapter 42.
Failisse: I loved your review, it made my day! The two have definitely had an array of emotions for each other since day one and their adventures have bound them together as they worked through all of their differences. Altair is big on making his own path while Vivian is the cautious one that barely wants to dip her toe in the sea of destiny. I can already imagine Altair telling his future grandchildren to go play with wooden weapons rather than have their little hands pulling at his robes.
Rainbow Pierrot: Thank you for loving the story and I am glad to have made you laugh!
Sarah Victoria Cullen: Thank you, I love hearing from new readers. It takes me a bit to update due to school but I'll get 'er done. Haha
Sophik: Rafiki is one crafty bird and he definitely likes to use Abbas to clean his talons. Haha. I love using humor in my stories and I'm glad it's helped you during long days since it does the same for me too.
Next Time: Altair's First Dance
Vivian gasped at the horrible scenario and smacked Altaïr on the right arm to chastise, "How dare you cost Malik his target?"
"Don't hit me, you should be hitting past Altaïr" he reminded quickly as he imagined not only throttling his old self but grabbing him by the hood to chuck him off the nearest cliff. Everything that had belonged to his past self (minus his robes, weapons, and bed) had literally been tossed out the window of his quarters towards the river below the cliffs of Masyaf after Al Mualim's death. Of course, in hindsight, he should've given a few things away that others might have needed them (like the carving knife he'd borrowed from Ilias) but he'd been disgusted with himself.
"Well, you're all I have at this moment" she shot back snippily but burst into laughter for displacing her irritation. The current Altaïr was a good man, although grouchy, and he deserved a better life with his new outlook. Her shoulder nudged his playfully to add one last poke and she mumbled pitifully, "Besides, moving around is the only thing keeping me warm right now."
Huddling the warm blanket around her shoulders like a poncho, she rose from her spot and wiggled her hips as she declared hopefully, "Movement creates heat and I need as much as possible. I shall rise like a phoenix from Arizona."
"The phoenix rises from ashes and it is mythical" Altaïr corrected matter-of-factly and received a yank to his blanket. He tugged it back protectively since he didn't want to be cold either and Malik narrowed his eyes to their shenanigans. Vivian moved behind the assassins to avoid accidentally catching fire and felt the tendrils of cold immediately after parting from the campfire's glow. Mimicking a 1980s aerobics dancer, Vivian waved her hands all over the place as she jogged in place. Both companions couldn't help but watch her violent spasms as she moved all over the place without any coordination. She'd watched too many funny videos on YouTube in her spare time and couldn't help but mimic outrageous dancing with a manic grin plastered on her face.
"We'll dance buck wild into the night until . . . I'm tired" she sighed morosely as her energy ran out in one swipe and the frantic dancing stopped. Moving in a simple sidestep, she wiggled her hips and imitated a smiling mime trapped behind a glass wall. Altaïr had no words for what he was witnessing at that very moment as she twirled in place with her arms making circles and her legs kicked out towards the sky.
"Don't dance like that- it's indecent!" he chastised quickly to make her stop despite the fact she was clothed from head to toe with a blanket on top. He'd never been the type to see anybody dance in his time and to see a futuristic one threw him aback.
Vivian blew a raspberry as she inched closer to his side and jutted her hips to the side as she imitated an aerobics dancer to tease innocently, "You should try it. It might shake all that internal rage off you."
Altaïr stood up to face her and threw his blanket at Malik offhandedly as his brow furrowed in challenge. Vivian smiled impishly at drawing him into her world for a brief moment and threw her blanket at the poor dai as well. Malik reacted as quickly as he could with his single arm before anything caught fire and exclaimed, "Wait, what's happening?!"
Thank you as always for sticking with me and tune in next time! :)