Fork in the Road (Altair/Assassins Creed)

Chapter 51

Hana's body moved on its own accord. She flew toward's Efled with seven years worth of pent up fury, pounding her fists into him with a rage so wild that she became deaf to anything and anyone around her.

Her strength was based purely on adrenaline, and she took the younger boy down to the ground after leaping upon his back. One leg hooked over his shoulder as she squeezed her knee around his neck, pounding her fist into his face over and over and over again.

She failed to see his palm slapping against the ground at his side, failed to hear her brothers and the Dai's yells for her to stop.

She felt arms wrap around her upper torso, and she turned her elbows and fists onto her attacker, ferociously battling against them in her bid to be freed from their touch.

"Don't touch me!" She screamed, sending a foot into a white robed chest when a pair of arms came to restrain her flailing feet.

Syber fell backwards into the water fountain, and Hana was pulled out of Famir's arms by Altaïr - who span her into the cushions in the far corner of the room.

She fell to her hands and knees in the pile, her ears ringing and her vision swimming. She panted for breath, and her arms and legs shook from her adrenaline, her fear, and her brutal assault on three of her brothers.

Her legs collapsed beneath her and she sat with her back leaning against the wall, unable to watch the goings on in the room behind her, as Efled was dragged into other room and Syber was hauled out of the fountain.

It could have been hours before she finally managed to catch her breath, however she knew it must have been minutes for her knuckles still hurt. She cast her eyes down towards her hands, to find that her knuckles had split open and were bloodied and bruised, and she clutched both hands to her chest as she looked towards the archway into the main room.

Hana looked up as Altaïr rounded the corner, a small bowl and a roll of bandages in his hands as he made his way to her side and crouched before her.

He held out his hand, and she didn't hesitate to place her bloodied digits upon his palm.

Quietly, he cleaned her hands and helped her bandage them before he set the bowl of blood-clouded water to the side and moved to sit next to her. Their shoulders almost brushing against the others.

"Malik will be sending a letter to Al Mualim." He informed her, "As soon as the rain lets up."

"Is Efled alright?" She asked, surprising Altaïr with her thoughtful question.

"He is receiving medical treatment."

"I've never..." She trailed off, looking down at her shaking hands. "I've never felt like that before. I've never lost control like that."

"I know the feeling well." The Master Assassin admitted to her, "I understand that it was his words that..." He trailed off, looking up when Sybar joined them in the entrance way, wearing a dry pair of robes.

"Hana," He began, "You'll have to show me that chokehold you did with your leg sometime. I've never seen that before!"