Rookery ~ Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Chapter Nine

London spanned out beneath our very feet. Its vast collections of houses, often called rookeries, were littered around everywhere. Barely any space between each house due to overpopulation which led them to build more houses in the gaps. Even important buildings were surrounded, except Buckingham Palace. The streets ran with dirty water and human waste, which I couldn't help but gag at. I was living with this around me. Who knows what diseases people could catch from the filth. Images of my mother ran into my head and how she had passed away from cholera. I didn't want to ever get that disease. I had seen just how much she had suffered.

I was shaken from my dazed state by Jacob pressing something into my bicep. My eyes travelled down to see a beer bottle against me.

"Told you I would get them." He smirked, taking a seat with his legs just over the edge of the roof. I did the same, but with my legs crossed instead of hanging. "What were you looking at?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just watching all of the people." They were tiny from this high up - like ants. I pulled my hood over my head in an attempt to keep my ears warm and slurped from my beer. "This is really warm."

"It was in my pockets while I launched myself up here. My apologies, princess."

"I wasn't complaining, I was simply stating."

"Well, don't state." He grinned with the bottle still to his lips. "What do you reckon you are going to be doing later?"

"No clue. You?"

"Gambling."

"No, I meant seriously."

"Gambling."

"With who? Evie and Henry won't be interested at all." I raised a finger. "Actually, no, Evie will be interested because she knows all of your tells so she could win you out of house and home."

"I'll play with the Rooks." I scoffed.

"They don't have any money!"

"They might." He took some of his beer. "Also, we don't tell Greenie or Evie that we did this. They will kill us." I smiled.

"I know this." I leaned back on the roof until I was laying down. My beer almost tipped over my face, so I had to move it away to stop that from happening. "It's nice up here."

"It is." I watched Jacob as he sipped from his bottle again, one knee up on the roof with his elbow rested on it. He turned to me and grinned. "We should sit up here all the time."

"That isn't very 'assassin' of you." My chin bounced on my chest when I spoke.

"No, but it is very lazy of me. I simply don't want to do any work."

"You won't become a better assassin with that attitude." I left my beer on the roof and placed my hands behind my head. "I must say, I do agree that I would rather be doing this than work." I sighed.

"We can always do work when we get back to the train. Henry has books and paper and other work things."

"Evie does all of the book work because you aren't any good at it. Your handwriting is horrendous."

"Don't lie. I have wonderful handwriting." He smacked my leg.

"Yes, and my name is Queen Victoria."

"Your Highness, I am honoured." He rolled down onto his side, facing me with his beer clutched in a large paw. "I feel awfully giddy."

"Maybe it's the height." He groaned and flipped onto his back. I drank more of my beer, laughing. "Could you imagine an assassin who is afraid of heights?"