The Templar Informant

Chapter 3: The Unexpected Can Happen

August 24, 1765

Five years have gone and passed since I first moved in with the Templars. In those years, not much has happened other than the final ending of the Colonial Assassins in 1763, leaving Achilles to retreat into his manor. I had grown closer to the Templars in that time as well, despite not fully forgiving them for what happened in the frontier, but then that is more Charles than any of the others. From what I could gather, Haytham had no idea we had even gone on that little trip and remains oblivious to what transpired. It is probably for the best anyway, I do not know how he would react if I went up to him and told him his right hand man was strangling his son in the woods, especially since he had no idea about even having said son. Yeah, not the best plan.

So yes, I had grown closer to all of them, but none so much as Shay. When he was not off sailing the seas on his never-ending search for the precursor box, we usually spent that time together walking the streets of New York or, on occasion, he would join me in the frontier for my work. It certainly helps when you have someone like him around to fend off the wolves. So I suppose it was bound to happen, that my feelings for him would grow to be something more than a close friend. My feelings when he was away on voyages went from a mild loneliness to an intense longing for his presence.

I have tried to hide these feelings from him and the others for I am sure nothing will come of it, he is far too busy to worry about such things and as much as I missed him, I cannot see him missing me as much. However, despite my wish to hide these feelings, I still find myself at the docks waiting for his return every time. He is usually never gone for more than a month and today was this voyage's scheduled return. It had reached the point where I was on a first name basis with the Harbourmaster as he had become used to my presence. I was seated on the makeshift chair made of crates and cloth that he had set up for me, to make my wait more comfortable; I could not thank him enough when he first made it for me.

I felt the wind pick up and I am thankful I have my hair in my casual side plait or it would be tangled in no time. In the distance I could see dark clouds and I can only imagine that a storm is on its way. Thankfully I usually bring my umbrella when I wonder so far from the fort; you can never be too careful about the weather. After a quick sweep of the horizon, I do a double take when I see a black speck coming from the open sea. I try not to get too excited; this is a dock and many other ships come through it. However, within the next few minutes, as the ship gets closer, I am happy to see that it is in fact the Morrigan sailing into the harbour.

I speed walk my way down the dock when the Morrigan is closer and I could feel my excitement come off in waves. So much for trying to hide my feelings from everyone, even the passersby probably know I am waiting for the man I fancy to dock. I could not be more obvious. When the Morrigan finally docks and the gangplank is lowered, that is when I see Shay on his ship for the first time in almost a month. "Shay," my shout was probably a bit too loud, but it got his attention and that is all I really cared about.

His head quickly turns my way and a wide grin spreads across his face, and I would be lying if I said it did not give me a fluttering feeling in my gut. "Norah, it has been too long lass," he hastily makes his way towards me, and is it just me or am I not the only one that basically falls into our embrace?

It is probably just my imagination as it is not long before he pulls away, but his hands remain on my arms as he starts talking again, "Let us return to the fort now lass, looks to be a very bad storm heading our way and I would hate for you to be caught in it, especially when you are in one of your beautiful dresses. Let us not ruin any more, that first one all those years ago is enough."

Who was I to say no?

-

Unfortunately, returning to Fort George meant Haytham being updated on Shay's travels. It just seemed to ruin both their moods as his mission was again unsuccessful. Sometimes I wish they could just leave the box where it was, it seems to be doing both their heads in, but I knew there is no way they would leave it in the hands of Assassins.