Fork in the Road (Altair/Assassins Creed)

Chapter 2

Hana had been training with the three younger boys for four years. They were very accepting at having to train with a girl, and even a few of the older boys would offer to spar with her. She had noticed, however, that the Creed appeared to be divided with accepting a female into their ranks. Most were accepting, of course, her teacher was more than happy to give her extra help and even a few of the initiated assassins would join her in the ring to train with her.

"You're improving." Famir smiled, offering the sixteen year old a hand to help her onto her feet, "Although you still have much to learn."

She nodded her head, smiling as she wiped sweat from her brow, "Thank you, Sir."

"I must go," He said then, "Perhaps I will be able to spar with you when I return from Jerusalem."

Her face lit up at the mention of the other city, "How many times have you been?" She asked, "Will I be able to go one day?"

He chuckled and held up his hands in surrender to her questions, allowing her to follow him out of the citadel and down the slope of the village towards the stables, "I'm sure you will one day, yes. I've been many times over my years as an assassin, I shall have to share some of my stories with you."

"I shall eagerly await your return so that I may hear them!" She watched as he took the reins of a tacked horse, and led the dark bay mare out of the stables and onto the road, "How long will you be gone?" She called after him.

"Be patient, child." He chuckled, "I will be gone as long as I am required in Jerusalem." He nodded towards her as he mounted the horse, "Until my return, Hana. Keep on top of your training, there is still much you need to learn."

She watched him kick the mare into a gallop and disappear down the dirt road in a cloud of dust. "Stealing my father, are we?"

She turned on her heel to frown up at one of her trainee companions, "Of course not," She replied. "Why would you think that, Efled?"

"Because you haven't got one." The boy jumped down from the fence and walked up to the copper haired girl, although two years her junior he stood at least three inches taller than she, "His stories are for me to hear."

"I'm just curious of the other cities." She defended herself, "But if I've upset you then I shall ask someone else."

But that did not appease the younger boy, and he followed her around for the next few days to taunt her and be mean in any way that he could, and their relationship was strained ever since. A few of the older assassin she trained with had advised her to rise above the boys' jealousy, focus on her training, and keep herself out of trouble. Rasil had also advised her to ignore the boy; after days of Efled choosing to train with her over the other two boys because he knew he could use his strength to push her into the dirt and win the fight.

Hana returned home in tears, with scrapes, cuts and bruises for Rasil to tend to every day. He managed to cheer her up though, and he enjoyed taking care of her. He dabbed the cut underneath her eye with a cold, wet rag and she winced, feeling the beginnings of a bruise forming.

She had been miserable for the past week, having starting her first bleed as well, her training was a little too much for her to cope with at that moment, but she knew she needed to continue. She couldn't fall at the first hurdle.

"He frustrates me." She stated over her stew, pushing a lock of long copper hair behind her ear before it fell into her bowl of food. "Some of the older assassins sneer at me too, they say that I instigate his jibes; that it's my fault."

"Life isn't always fair, Hana." Rasil stated, clearing the two bowls away once they had both finished. "But you are doing well, you will receive more admirers if you stick to the task at hand, and rise above Efled's remarks. He will soon realise that you're not going to give him the satisfaction of a response, which is all he is wanting from you."