Fork in the Road (Altair/Assassins Creed)

Chapter 57

Not wanting to stay inside any inns, Hana did her assignment and then moved away to set up camp out of sight. She struggled to sleep at night, and was only brought relief when she thought of amber eyes and a kind touch upon her face.

Throughout several days, she traveled to several hamlets in Kingdom, of course, purposely avoiding that specific one that was right in the middle. She rode past it everyday, and each time she felt more and more numb to her trauma, especially when she used thoughts on Altaïr to calm herself from her nightmares.

She had washed at night in a creek that she had found, and although it had been freezing, Hana had been able to wash her hair and her body.

Drying her hair in front of her small campfire that she had made, ready to settle for yet another night, was where Hana found herself tossing her uneaten, mouldy bread into the fire. She had dispatched eight men that day, freeing yet another allied inn from Saracen scrutiny.

There was one more hamlet left, and Hana was taking a quiet evening to settle her nerves and quell any of her fears ready for her task that next morning. She shot out of her skin when her horse began to stamp with his hooves, and neighed loudly. With her blanket dropping from her shoulders, Hana stood to settle her trusted gelding. Then, as if a moment of Deja Vu greeted her, a familiar neigh responded, and Hana looked up to see a white horse in the distance, suddenly veering off its course and heading straight towards her.

Altaïr halted his mare when he arrived at her camp, and quietly greeted Hana as soon as he dismounted.

"Leaving or returning?" The now-twenty year old questioned.

"Returning." The Master Assassin replied, depositing his saddle beside Hana's. "And your assignment?"

Hana pulled her hood over her face, and squatted beside the fire to stoke it. "I have one inn remaining." She supplied.

"Which one is..." He trailed off, immediately knowing that is was the one where they had encountered de Sable. "Are you prepared?"

"I've ridden past it everyday." She replied honestly, sitting back on her bedroll as Altaïr retrieved his things and unravelled his own bedroll just to her right. "I feel less... I don't know, affected. I suppose, that is about as 'prepared' as I will be."

"How have you been sleeping?" He questioned then, "This is a rather personal task for you to have taken on, and I know you have been suffering with nightmares. I have been-" He cut himself off and looked away from her; casting his glowing gaze upon the fire. "Worried."

Hana found a blush rising to her face at his confession, and she felt brace enough to confess to something of her own. "I thought of you." As his gaze locked with hers, she did not shy away in order to hide her heated cheeks as she usually did.

"You did?" She didn't miss his gaze as it dropped to her mouth, following her bottom lip as she pulled it between her teeth.

"I did." Hana nodded, her eyes moving to his mouth as she thought - once again - how soft they had been against her own. "I remember..."

"You remember, what?" Her blush darkened, and Altaïr couldn't prevent the small chuckle that escaped him.

"When I... kissed you, when we were in the hay," She awkwardly cleared her throat. "I do not want to presume anything, and, please, forgive me if this is bold, but... may I do so again?"

Slowly, Altaïr reached up a hand to remove her hood, and he brushed his thumb gently across her cheek before tucking her unruly copper hair behind her ear. "I believe it is I, who should be asking."

"Please."

He placed his lips upon hers with such a gentleness that she felt as though she were floating, Hana placed her hands upon his robed chest and sighed into his kiss, his lips softer than she had remembered them to be.

Her first and only kiss had been the one that she had given him in the hay cart, so now, she took his lead. She followed his movements, copied what he did, and hoped that she was doing it right.

Hana fisted her hands in the front of his robes when he pulled back from her, and she panted for breath before asking, "I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?"

"No." He replied, removing his hand from her hair, "I just don't want to push you."

But... Hana wanted to. The Master Assassins touch erased all her fears and she felt safe with him. "I trust you." She whispered, her honest eyes meeting his.

He searched her eyes, for what, she was unsure. But when his gaze met with hers once again, she knew that he had found what he was looking for. "If you feel uncomfortable at any moment, tell me to stop, and I promise you that I shall."

Hana pushed herself to her knees and moved her body closer to Altaïr, touching her mouth to his once more. She felt his hands in her hair again, moving to her neck and trailing slowly down her arms, until he finally came to rest them upon her waist. Hana ran her hands up his chest and over his broad shoulders, looping her arms around his neck and pressing her upper torso against his.

He held her against him, asking permission to deepen the kiss by running his tongue across her lower lip. Hana eagerly welcomed his request, following his lead and using her own tongue to entangle with his.

She gave a slight tug to his robes, moving backwards slightly, trying to usher him to move back with her. He did as she requested but kept his bodyweight completely off of hers by bracing himself up with one hand, his other remaining tangled in her hair.

Stopping for breath, Hana looked up at the male hovering above her and reached up with her fingers to brush against his swollen lips, over his scar.

"Don't accept that proposal." Altaïr stated.

Hana took a moment to catch her breath, swallowing thickly before replying, "I may have no choice."

"What do you mean?"

She dropped her hand and scooted underneath him, and Altaïr moved off of her so that she could sit up. "With Rasil gone," She began. "I have no home. I asked Al Mualim if I would be permitted a room in the citadel, however... he said he did not wish to cause anymore animosity within the ranks that my initiation has already created. I must either marry, or I will need to find employment elsewhere so that I can afford to live."

"Where did you sleep when we returned from Jerusalem?"

"In some hay, in the ramparts of the Tower of Faith."

"Why didn't you come to me for help?"

"I am not your burden, Altaïr."

"You are not a burden." He scolded her, "I have money. Let me help you."

"I cannot accept that." She said, shaking her head. "I will be seen as a kept whore. What little reputation I have left... would be completely shattered and the few marriage prospects I have, will all be rescinded." She hung her head in shame, "I am sorry, Altaïr. I appreciate that you wish to help me... but I fear it will be more harm than good."