The Black Warden Chapter 10 Chapter 9

I quickly remember that I'm supposed to be strong and not cry so I pulled away from the hug and wiped away my tears..

"What's wrong?" He asked, frowning.

"N- Nothing." He sighed and then looked at me.

"I know you think emotions make you weak, but it's not possible. Emotions make you strong because you can feel what's wrong and what's right, you can feel empathy. So don't stop crying just because you think you're looking pathetic or weak."

I nodded and then looked down. He lifted my chin up with his thumb and index finger.

"Do you know how many times I've cried myself to sleep after the execution? I wished to have a shoulder to cry on about my father and brothers but my mother and sister weren't there, they didn't see it. So I just kept it all to myself. Do not keep your pain to yourself, it will only destroy you. Now you have my shoulder to cry on."

"Thank you, Ethan. For sticking with me."

"Always."

"Let's go back. We need to give these to Mario."

He nodded and then opened the window.

"We can't let them see us leave. We'd have no excuse. Come on, you go first."

I headed towards the window and put a leg outside. The pain from my wound was killing me but it was getting a little easier everytime.

I got through the window and waited for Ethan. We then went and grabbed our horse that we left behind when we entered and started riding towards Manford.

"Hey, what's a Codex wall? I saw Altair mentioned it in the Codex page."

"It's a wall. Full of Codex pages. It's self-explanatory." He said chuckling.

"Where is it?"

"In my uncle's office? The wall in front of his desk?"

"I have been there multiple times and never saw it."

"Because you didn't pay attention."

"I think I would've noticed a wall full of ancient pages."

"Or you just don't like to pay attention to things. You need to learn how to do that, it's part of being an Assassin."

I sighed and then tried to change the subject.

"Ethan, how do you keep track of all of this? Your entire world was turned upside down in a matter of a few days. You learned the truth about your father and you discovered a world you didn't know existed. I don't know what's real and what's not anymore."

"So ask. Ask simple questions and you will receive the answer."

"Okay... The Templars are the bad guys. Real or not real?"

"Why are you asking questions you already know the answer to?"

"Just answer the damn question."

He chuckled and then slowed down the horse. "Real."

"Why are you slowing down?"

"No reason."

"Hm." I took the reins in my own hands.

"Hey! I'm the one who's leading, not you."

"Not anymore!" I said as I spurred the horse forward with my heels.

I felt him wrap his hands tight around me.

I winced in pain and then he quickly removed his arms.

"It's okay, I'm okay. Just... it still hurts so fucking much."

"I'll take care of you once we get back. I promise."

I sighed and then nodded. He wrapped his hands around me again, this time more carefully and more loosely and I felt him rest his head on my back.

"Are you tired?" I asked.

"Well yes, a bit."

"I told you you should sleep on the bed but you, being the stubborn bastard you are, decided to let me sleep in it instead."

"I didn't want to sleep next to you, you need to be comfortable in order to recover."

"No, I do not." I sighed again. "In case you are worried about how I feel about sleeping next to you, it wouldn't be the first time I share a bed with a boy, you know?"

"No?" I felt his eyebrows rise in surprise.

"No. I shared a bed with my brother once and sometimes when I went on missions, with associates."

"Hm."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Let's just get home."

"I don't have a home anymore. I don't even have a family." I sighed.

"Of course you do. Manford is your home now. The Assassins are your family. My family is your family now. You're not alone."

I smiled and he held me a little tighter than before, still making sure he wouldn't hurt me.

When we reached Manford, it was already past midnight and the whole town was asleep.

Ethan helped me off the horse and then offered his shoulder as support for me. I gladly took the offer and he helped me inside.

All the shops were closed, except for the blacksmith.

"Hold on. I need to refill my throwing knives." He said as he let go of me.

"Buy some for me too? I need to learn how to throw knives now, don't I?"

He chuckled and then handed the money to the shop owner.

"Do you want anything else?"

"Some armour, a sword and a new dagger would be nice, but I'm not getting those today. I can't fight yet."

"You don't need new ones, I have a lot of weapons inside the villa that are barely used."

I nodded and then waited for him to get the knives and put them in their holders.

"These, go here." He said as he put 10 knives, 5 on each side, on the holders on my belt.

"I think even a child could have figured that out, wiseass."

"Just wanting to make sure the lady doesn't get confused." He chuckled.

"Come on, let's get inside."

He nodded and then put a hand around my shoulders but I shrugged him off and then walked on my own.

We got up the first set of stairs in the courtyard and I stopped to look at the training ring.

"I never really got a look around."

"Told you. You don't pay attention to details and you didn't believe me."

"Yeah, yeah."

He laughed and then we got up the second set of stairs. When we walked inside the villa, we saw Laura pacing back and forth in the main hall.

"Laura? What's wrong?" Ethan asked.

She relaxed when she saw us and then she walked towards me.

"I was supposed to clean her wound tonight but after I saw she wasn't in your room, I panicked. I thought she ran away. I couldn't find Mario either to ask him, so I assumed he was running some errands in San Mano, like he usually is."

"I'm here now, Laura. Come on, I'll go to Ethan's room and then you can clean it."

"Can I help?" Ethan said with sparkles in his eyes.

"Actually, no. I want to discuss something with Helen and we need to be alone for that. You just go and take a bath, I prepared the bathtub for you."

I looked at her confused and she just winked at me. I looked at Ethan hoping he knew something but he looked just as clueless as I was.

I sighed and then looked back at Laura.

"Lead the way, then."

She chuckled and then lead me up the stairs. She opened the door to a room I haven't been in before and motioned me to come inside.

It looked just like Ethan's room but there was something about it that just let you know it belongs to a girl.

"This is my room. Since Ethan is taking a bath in his room I couldn't let you in there."

"Oh, of course you couldn't." I said chuckling.

She motioned for me to sit on the bed as she went over to her dresser and took out from one of the drawers some alcohol and a cloth. She took from next to the chest some water and then came over to me.

She helped me take off the first layer of my robes and then I lifted up my tunic. She put alcohol and water on the cloth and then looked at me.

"Are you ready?" She asked as I laid down on my back.

"Why did you put both alcohol and water?"

"The alcohol is strong and it would damage the skin around your wound, making it harder for it to heal."

I nodded and then told her I'm ready.

She looked at me again before dabbing the cloth on my skin. I screamed in pain and her expression said 'sorry'.

Ethan rushed through the door and looked around in fear. He came over to my side and held my hand.

"What are you doing here?"

"I didn't even get the chance to take of all my clothes before I heard you scream. I thought someone might have came and attacked you."

"No one is here, except your bitch of a sister."

"I never said it wouldn't hurt!"

Ethan laughed and I gave him a death stare that only made him laugh harder.

"Why are you still here?"

"Because I can't leave you alone if I know you're in pain."

I looked at him confused and then looked at Laura.

She was trying not to smile and I knew she was going to tease me about it after he leaves.

"You literally wanted to kill me two weeks ago."

"Things change." He said chuckling.

"Ethan, leave, please. She needs to rest."

"She can do that in my room after you're done. I'll personally take her there."

"Fine. But you still need to leave. I haven't talked to her yet.''

He groaned in displeasure, got up and left. Laura started laughing.

"Okay, what's so funny? You were barely able to keep a straight face."

"I have never seen Ethan like this. Not even with Christine."

"So what are you saying?"

"That Ethan might be in love with you."

"Oh please, he just met me."

"In the past weeks he kept talking about you. He literally said 'how can someone as pretty as her be allied with such pieces of shit'. If only he knew then you were a Jasper, he would have understood earlier the choices you made."

I sighed and then looked at her. "I do not think Ethan is in love with me. It is hard to believe. I mean look at me! I'm a mess, I'm a liability right now because of my wound. My whole world was turned upside down and I don't know what's real and what's not anymore. Maybe he just likes my company, maybe he just likes taking care of me because it reminds him of the times he used to take care of Peter and doesn't even like my company. We don't know. But he is not in love with me. Nobody could ever love me."

"You might find this hard to believe but from what Felix told me and from the little time I got to spend with you, I know you're an amazing person to be around. Do not think less of yourself because the situation you're in overwhelms you."

"You Auditores are very wise, did you know that?"

"It runs in the family. All Assassins are wise, which means you are too." She said chuckling.

After she was done with my wound she helped me get dressed again. I didn't put my hood on because it was pretty hot but I loved wearing my new robes.

As soon as she left, I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." I said and then I saw Ethan's head pop through the door.

"You really couldn't wait, could you?"

He chuckled and then lifted me up and looked at me. "Ready to go to your room?"

"You mean YOUR room."

He stopped for a second, pretending to think. "Nah. It's your room."

"Hold a moment, you can't sleep, again, on the floor."

"I'm not going to sleep on the floor." We got to the door to his room and he put me down.

"Wait, we need to put the Codex page on the wall."

He nodded and we went downstairs to Mario's office. Only then I noticed the giant wall full of other Codex pages. I handed him the page and watched as he put it in it's place next to the others.

"Wait, there's something underneath the writing. It looks like map."

He turned around surprised. "You see it too?"

"It glows in red, how hard can it be to see it? It's obvious. Why?"

He shook his head. "Mario couldn't see it. Seems like you and I are the only ones who can."

He lifted me up and we went up the stairs. He put me down to open the door to his room and then lifted me up again.

"What did I say about you carrying me from one place to another all the time?"

"What can I say? I really like carrying you around."

I rolled my eyes and that only made him laugh.

"You're so annoying sometimes, did you know that?"

"Like you're the one to talk."

I rolled my eyes again and he put me down on the bed.

"I'll get you some clothes to sleep in."

I nodded and then watched as he left the room.

I started thinking about how fast he knocked on the door after Laura left. It's like he was already there, waiting for a sign that he was free to take me.

Did he eavesdrop on what we talked about?

Before I could torment myself with any more thoughts, Ethan returned with some clothes. He was already wearing something to sleep in.

I took them and told him to turn around. I turned around as well, just to make sure he wouldn't peak.

You can never be too sure with this bastard.

I decided to shoot my shot and just ask him.

"You listened in on what Laura and I talked about after you left the room. Real or not real?"

I expected him to say 'no' but instead he chuckled.

"Real. You're smart. What gave me away?"

"The fact that not even five seconds after she left you were already carrying me to your room."

"Damn it."

"You can turn around now."

He looked at me from head to toes and then smiled. "

You look good in my clothes."

"These are your clothes?!" I said as I looked down and acted as if I was disgusted.

"Oh, don't be like that. We both know you secretly love it."

I rolled my eyes and then got under the sheets. I closed my eyes but I could feel his gaze on me.

He stood there looking at me for a few minutes before I snapped.

"Are you going to sleep or what?"

"I was just waiting for your permission to get into bed."

"You don't need my permission if it's your room." "Yes, but you're sleeping in my bed and like the gentleman I am, I need to ask you to make sure you are okay with it."

I rolled my eyes and motioned for him to lay down on the bed. He sat on the opposite end with his back at me so I did the same.

I fell asleep quickly and I was happy that I can finally lay on my side without it hurting that much anymore.

He's kinda nice. I thought as I was drifted into sleeping.

______________________________________

I woke up in the same position I went to bed in but something felt different.

I tried to move but I was stopped by an arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me.

I turned around and saw that Ethan was half asleep, grinning and still pulling me closer to him.

I lightly slapped him and he fully woke up immediately, letting go of me in the process.

"What the hell was that for? You were spooning me."

"So? I have no control over what I do in my sleep!"

"Did the gentleman forget he asked for my permission to sleep in the same bed? Now you're touching me like we're a couple or something.".

I immediately regretted saying anything because I saw him grin.

"Oh, but I'm sure you would like it. I'm sure you secretly enjoyed me hugging you like that."

I got off the bed and went over to the dresser to drink some water.

"You're out of your mind." I said as I stood in front of the bed, with the cup still in my hand.

"Am I, though? Or am I just very good at reading you?" He got up and came in front of me.

"I think you're just an asshole."

"But I'm a sexy asshole, aren't I?" He said while leaning forward.

He was so close that I could feel his breath on my face.

I got tired of his crap, so without thinking twice, I threw the rest of the water on his face. He stood still for a moment, still shocked and then he wiped his face with his hand.

"You'll pay for this."

"You can't do anything to me now. You know that even the slightest effort makes me feel like I'm dying." I said as I lifted my shirt enough for him to see my wound.

I let my shirt down and then looked at him. I stuck my tongue out while I was backing away.

He seemed annoyed at first, but then he started laughing. I looked at him confused and then I saw him coming towards me.

"What are you doing?" I asked while backing away again.

"I told you I'll make you pay. There are a lot of ways to do that, I don't necessarily need to win in combat against you."

He got closer again and I took another step back, only to be stopped by the dresser.

"Fuck." I whispered and he put on a big smirk.

"You're cornered now, little one."

"I told you not to call me that."

"What can I do if it fits you? Plus, I like having a friend this short."

"I'm not that short. You're only a head taller than me."

"I'm still taller, though." He said almost in a whisper, leaning in again.

I slapped him again, this time even lighter than before, and he started laughing. He sighed and then backed away.

"Do we have anything to do for today?" I asked chuckling.

"No, it's a free day."

"Well then..." I lay down on the bed again and closed my eyes.

"I can't believe you're going to waste this day sleeping."

"And what am I supposed to do? Fight? Climb?"

"No, but staying in bed all day isn't nice either."

"You're more than welcome to join me." He sighed and then got under the sheets as well.

"BUT, keeps your hand to yourself this time." I said pointing a finger at him. He chuckled and then closed his eyes.

"You're driving me insane."

"Told you, you will want to get rid of me."

"Hey, I didn't say that. Why would I want to get rid of my short side-kick."

"First of all, fuck you." He laughed.

"Second of all, I'm not your side-kick. We're working together, I'm not here just to offer support."

"Okay, okay. " He laughed again and I closed my eyes, smiling, with my back at him.

This man is going to be the death of me.