Chased

Massacre (New)

     Training Ratonhnaké:ton was easier than I had thought it would be.

     Sure, the kid might be just as damn flimsy as I was when I was first training (then again, I was six). But, despite his slower reflexes, he managed to keep up with me. I taught him better climbing techniques. There was also a lesson in impulse control from the Old Man (although I know that was more for me than for Ratonhnaké:ton), and we hunted dinner each night he stayed with us.

     Having another mouth to feed was not fun, even if it was Ratonhnaké:ton. I had gotten so used to living with only one other person that I had mostly forgotten how to work with a big group of people. The Old Man had to remind me several times that Ratonhnaké:ton was new to living in such solitude, and it would take him a while to get used to it. It did with me. I don't know how many times I woke up and expected someone to help me do chores, or left something around and expected one of the elders to pick up after me. I was young, but nevertheless, the Old Man still scolded me for my reckless behavior. I learned quick that I was alone.

     As depressing at that sounds, I got used to the responsibility.

     There was rarely a day where I didn't think back on when I had to pick up the hammer that the Old Man dropped. I met him shortly after my village was burned down. I had hitched rides from strangers, and ran when I could. Eventually, I ran into the Old Man's manor, where he took me in. I hadn't known him long before he left, and left for a while. Then, he returned injured. When I asked him what had happened, he told me about the Assassin's Creed and the Templar's Order. I learned about Haytham and Lee, and he began to help me train as best he could.

     I could only train Ratonhnaké:ton with the same generosity he trained me.

     Currently, I was dueling with my trainee in the basement. Ratonhnaké:ton was learning quickly, but he would need to learn faster if he planned to fight any Templars.

     I was keeping a check of his strengths and weaknesses. While he was definitely skinny, he had some muscular definition to him. He would be strong when the time came. Luckily, my definition was building too, and, compared to the stick I was when I faced Haytham, I was strong. Now, I had a training partner, and we could help each other build muscle and skill.

     I jabbed Ratonhnaké:ton with the blunt tip of the training sword. He froze. I smirked, "Pay attention." With his face flushed, Ratonhnaké:ton nodded, and we prepared another duel. He threw his sword forward, and I countered by whipping my arm around his wildly thrown about stray arm, and spinning him away from me. I yanked the hatchet off from his hip and I pressed the tip of the sword against his spine. "Never let your arm stray from the side of your hip. That's where your hatchet is. If they can disarm your sword, they'll disarm your side too."

     Once again, we began to duel. I hardly noticed it when the Old Man came down the stairs to examine our duel. "Nice form, Victoria." I grunted in response, leaping out the way of a stab. I lunged forward, but Ratonhnaké:ton scrambled to the floor in a ridiculous attempt of a dodge maneuver. The Old Man laughed, "What the Hell was that, kid? You do that in combat, and a Templar will slice you in half."

     Ratonhnaké:ton pushed off the floor, driving his sword forward. I slammed the blade of my sword down to block, and dislodged his sword from my path. The kid unsheathed his hatchet and threw his arm blindly. I kicked his elbow before it could make contact, and, with the hatchet on the floor by my feet, I kicked his chest, shoving him onto the floor a metre away. His sword tumbled across the floor further away. I gritted my teeth, raising my sword and challenging another duel. A good Assassin never runs from a duel. The Old Man chuckled, "Don't be so obvious. The trick about being an assassin is stealth, kid." Ratonhnaké:ton stood, sweeping up his sword from the ground and rejoined the duel.