Assassin's Creed: Outlaw - Book One

The Thieves' Tavern

The frost of winter had bitten hard. The fires in the outlaw camp did little to ward off the biting cold, thankfully the Sheriff's men did not like patrolling the woods in a foot of snow any more than the outlaws did. In the season of Christian peace, an enforced truce appeared to coalesce in the bitter winter air.

In the caves below Sherwood Forest the outlaws sung songs, drank when they were able and waited for a thaw. Yughi was not content to sit and wait. He had a job to do and, in the first instance, he had persuaded Will Scarlet to make an introduction.

The two of them had made their way through the cave network under Nottingham and emerged nearby the city's Market Square. Yughi had not actually come within Nottingham city limits before and was mightily impressed at the size of the place. From looking around its streets and alleys he got the impression it was twice the size of Derby at least.

The two figures made their way up a hill to a church and then headed north a short way. At the summit of the hill, Scarlet gestured down a small street.

"Go down there," he said, "turn into the alley halfway down and walk along it."

"Is that where I will find him?" Yughi asked.

"Just do it," the thief said, an edge of annoyance creeping into his voice.

Yughi did not ask any more questions, he just did as he was told. This street was tight and went downhill, at the head of the street the buildings were spaced far apart, but the further down he walked the tighter space became, like walking down a throat.

The alley was very dark, the buildings almost touched walls only two storeys up. This was an urban thicket, the kind of place that Yughi would feel fine stepping over on the roof, but did not feel so good about walking down alone.

Taking a breath so cold that it still bit, even penetrating the scarf covering his mouth and nose, Yughi stepped into the alley.

After four or five paces he began to feel a prickle at the back of his neck. Someone was following him. Someone almost as quiet as he could be. If he did not have the eagle sense he would not even know they were there.

Another couple of paces and the pursuer came closer. Yughi wanted to leave no quarter. He himself had learned the art of the pickpocket but there was no exposed money pouch on his person, he was wrapped in a thick winter cape. That meant that this thief, for none other could it be, was intent on harming Yughi to claim his prize.

The thief did not know that Yughi was an assassin, maybe they wouldn't have bothered if they had known. That was even worse. The assassins did not harm innocents, only combatants, the skills of thievery employed by the assassins were in the service of retrieving information, rarely was there any need to steal actual money from people.

With four more steps, the thief was close enough. Yughi dropped his right knee swept his left arm up and over, stretching out, so his chest became a wide, flat surface. He hooked his sweeping arm around the thief's neck and dragged them down into the snow.

Off balance, the thief, a young boy barely beyond the age of ten, fell to the floor, shocked. Yughi was not quick enough to stop himself from placing the tip of the hidden blade to the boy's neck. On seeing that he had nearly killed a child he quickly pulled the blade back into his sleeve.

The smell of fresh urine steamed up from the snow as Yughi withdrew.

"Careful there, assassin," came Scarlet's voice from behind him. "I was just hoping you'd make an introduction, killing one of my brother's boys would not be a good one."

"He is a thief?" Yughi said, looking at the tiny, bird-like frame of the young boy.

"Times are hard," Scarlet said. "Don't feel too bad for him. He would have shanked you in the ribs without too much in the way of remorse." He turned his attention to the boy. "What's your name lad?"