Lineage of Brotherhood

Chapter 19

By the time she found herself moving through the streets of Masyaf, the city was all but asleep. She only saw but a few souls on her way to the stables. She prepared a horse, loading up the supplies that had been gathered for the trip. When all was taken care of, she found herself at the beast's flank, deciding how best to mount it with one arm. As she looked down to the sling, it was clear that she could not afford such a hinderance. Slowly, she eased it over her head and let her arm hang loose for the first time since the fight with Mualim.  Her shoulder was sore, stiff, but manageable. However, she was still unable to clench a tight fist.

As she flexed and clenched her hand, she heard feet dragging against the dirt behind her. A man's voice sounded, "Leaving?" Esther turned to see an Assassin, "W-where are you off too? Huh?" It was Abbas. He was drunk. She could hear it in his voice. See it in his gate. She could even smell it on his breath over the stink of the stables.

"I have business in Acre. I-"

"Ooh, business, huh?" Abbas stopped just outside of arms reach, swaying as his body worked to keep itself upright as his dark eyes remained fixed on her. "But what of your duties at the castle? Hmm? What of your lessons?"

As the confrontational nature of their encounter became less subtle, Esther found herself choosing her words wisely. Provoking Abbas into an altercation, even if only verbal, could ruin Altair's chances to make amends. "...They shall be-"

Abbas made choosing her words simple by interrupting her again, "Funny, huh? You've been following him around like a lost little lamb since we were children. Now he places you in a position of power. Strange how that works out." His gaze was filled with equal parts of contempt and jealousy. "I could be the one to train them." The tone of his voice implied that this was worth making clear to her.

Esther gave a nod and a soft smile, trying to appease him, "You would be more than capable-"

"You're not the only one to defeat Altair, you know..." he declared, his voice grinding down almost to a growl as he took another step toward her. Esther remained silent as she watched him size her up. He didn't care what she had to say. Apparently, she and Altair weren't the only ones trying deal with their past. Her strong arm tensed, ready to spring to her defense if necessary.

Abbas had perfectly toed the line, but Esther could not permit him to further challenge the legitimacy of her role in the Brotherhood. As her gaze hardened, she found herself torn between restraint and lashing out. As she met eyes with him, it was clear that if she pushed back, he could react violently. Still, for the sake of the future she hoped to build, she found the resolve to refrain from escalating the situation. Just when it seemed that one of them was about to push the other too far, she shrugged, "Then tell Altair that you are to tend to my students in my stead. Tell him that I have chosen you personally."

Abbas blinked, almost stumbling while at a standstill. "The Brotherhood needs you Brother... Help make it strong again." Esther turned and hoisted herself onto her horse, looking down to him now from her raised position, "If you still want my job when I return, we can settle the matter then." A faint grin curled her lips as she gave a bow, turning the hostility of his challenge into competitive spirit. It was an attempt to encourage him to take part in Altair's vision.

A light kick of her heel put the horse in motion. "...Ride safe, Sister..." Abbas muttered. His voice faded behind her as she disappeared around the bend.

For the next few days, no word came from Acre. When a bird finally did arrive from the Rafiq, he had written to inquire if Esther had departed from Masyaf. This news did not change in the days to come. As far as Jabal could gather, Esther never arrived at Acre. Whether she had travelled elsewhere or if her journey had been interrupted was unclear.