Hawks and Eagles

Flock Together

You awoke with Altaïr next to you, the fresh scent of mint and the peppery aroma of cardamom. He was breathing soft whispers, chest rising in a slow rhythm but you were aware that he was awake. Altaïr always woke before the sun. He was always ready for the next event to occur. This morning he seemed more inclined to let events happen without him, more eager to relax than act.

You reached out and let your fingertips fiddle with the cloth of his pale shirt, admiring the way it rolled over his sculpted muscles. You muttered under your breath, not quite trusting your voice this early in the morning, "We should leave for Jerusalem soon."

Altaïr didn't move even in the slightest. Nor did he open his eyes. He took down a deep breath of air, filling his lungs with it before sighing. "It's a five day ride. Let me have a quiet moment with you."

You grinned, hardly believing your ears. "The Great and Almighty Altaïr... wants to have a quiet moment?" You sat up, resting all of your weight onto your arm as you faced the details of his expression. "You must have a terrible fever! Where's the doctor? I must rush off and get him!"

Altaïr appeared to be unaffected but then, like a quick viper, his arms struck. He grappled hold of you, pulling you down against him until he could bury his face into the tresses of your hair. He took down a deep breath, moaning with delight to whatever scent he smelled. "It is a great illness that I have."

You let your teeth nip against his earlobe, tongue touching briefly. "However shall we save you, Altaïr."

His calloused and worn fingers caressed upwards along your jaw and cheek, slipping into your hair. Before he could reply, before he could even take his eyes off of yours, the heavy wooden door was thrown open and cracked against the gray stone of the fortress walls. You threw your attention towards the door, Saif taking up most of the space with his presence. He stood like a tense statue, his expression impossible to decipher.

"Atair." He grappled his hands behind his back and turned towards the hallway. "Come with me. We must speak."

You curled your fingers around Altaïr's arm as he sat up to abide by Saif's request. "Don't." You clung even tighter. "Whatever he has to say--"

"It is alright." Altaïr rested the golden irises of his eyes on you, not a hint of worry or fear in them. "Meet me in the tower. You will see my return better from there."

You let him go. Altaïr wasn't a child. He was an adult and he was fully capable of making his own decision. He wouldn't want you to coddle him. He wouldn't want you to follow. You simply watched the door to the bedroom close behind them, shutting away whatever events might transpire.

Altaïr wouldn't have wanted you to follow but that didn't mean you weren't going to. You scurried out of bed and threw on your belts and blades, hardly checking if they were secure or not. Out in the hallway there was no sign of them. You could only assume that they were heading somewhere private to talk or Saif was bringing him before Al Mualim for assessment.

You nearly ran into a few servants on the way downwards to the ground floor, your feet failing to take the stone steps quickly enough. Even in the gardens outside, you caught no glimpse of them. But Abbas stood with a few others gathered around the archway to the training grounds.

You hurried towards him, his attention catching sight of you. "Abbas."

He smiled widely, a glint in his eyes as he started walking towards you. "It is good to see you, friend."

"Abbas, did you see my fath--" No, you thought suddenly, no one here recognized him as such. To them he was your mentor alone and nothing more. "Saif, did you see Saif and Altaïr come this way?"