Year: 1798 , Age: 20
Manford
Time flies really fast. In the past 2 years I have been trained by both Mario and Ethan.
It's almost the end of 1798 and the weather has started to cool down.
My wound has healed completely and I'm almost back at the strenght I had when my uncle died.
Mario taught me how to throw knives, some counter moves, how to be as silent as a cat while walking and running, and a sword strong attack, while Ethan taught me how to use my hidden blade, how to perform assassinations from ledges and hiding spots - like haystacks - and how to air assassinate someone. The last thing I need to learn is how to do the Leap of Faith.
Ethan seems to like my company but I fear that one day he might decide he doesn't need me anymore and I'll be left with no family and home again.
It was almost night time by the time we were done with training. I got out of the ring but I heard Ethan call for me.
"Hey Helen! I have a question for you."
I turned around and looked at him. He didn't say anything and just looked at
me. "What do you want, Ethan?"
"When's your birthday?"
"What?"
"When is your birthday?"
"Why does it matter?"
"I just want to know. I want to get to know you better."
I sighed and then looked down. I had my hood up so he couldn't read my annoyed expression.
"12th of November..."
"But that's today!"
"I know."
"How old are you turning?"
"20."
"And why didn't you say anything?"
"Because I hate my birthday."
"What? Why?"
I didn't say anything so he took a step towards me.
I turned around wanting to run but he got a hold of my wrist and pulled me back. He grabbed my other wrist and held them between us so it was almost impossible to escape.
"I am not letting you go until you tell me why you hate your birthday."
Almost impossible.
I quickly took a step back while pulling my hands to myself and turning around. This time I had the advantage because he didn't expect it.
I started running but I didn't turn around to see if he was following me or not. The sound of footsteps was enough.
I ran to the back of the villa and stopped
for a second to make sure he sees me enter it. I went through the first open door I saw and ended up in the main hall. I went past the stairs, to my left, and entered Mario's office.
I went down the stairs that lead to the Sanctuary and then pressed my back against the wall next to them.
I waited for him to run down the stairs and into the room, before running back up. I ran through Laura's office - telling her in the process not to tell Ethan that she saw me - past the architect and through the front door.
After I found myself outside again, I climbed the wall of the villa, all the way up to the bigger roof. I stopped for a second to see if anyone was climbing after me and when I didn't hear anyone I sighed in relief.
I climbed up the small roof and just looked at the townspeople, wondering if anyone else despises their birthday as much as myself.
The next thing I knew, I was being held from behind by a pair of strong arms, making it impossible this time to escape.
"How did you know where I was?" I said through gritted teeth while trying to free myself.
That only made him held me tighter.
"You really think I'm that dumb? I let you think you fooled me. Besides, Laura said to me that you ran through the office and out through the front door."
"Shit." I said still shifting my body from left to right.
"Now that I know where your secret spot is, I'll know where to look for you when you're mad or sad or just don't want to talk to anybody."
"There is a reason why it's called secret! Besides, why do you care?"
"You are my friend, how could I not care?"
"How did you even manage to sneak up on me like that?"
"By using the same skills Mario and I taught you."
I swore under my breath, still trying to free myself, but it was pointless. This time I was trapped.
I sighed and when he saw that my shoulders had relaxed, he took his arms away from me.
Big mistake.
I ran towards the wooden beam sticking out from the roof and decided it was time. I jumped and spread my arms, rotating mid-air in order to land in the haystack on my back.
I jumped out and looked up to the roof, seeing a both surprised and impressed Ethan looking back at me. I pointed a finger at him.
"DO NOT FOLLOW ME THIS TIME!"
I turned around and started running towards the citadel's gate. I ran down the stairs and heard him laying in the haystack.
I ran even faster than before, hoping he wouldn't catch up. Why isn't he giving up?I thought.
I took a horse from the stables and spurred it forward with my heels. I didn't know where I was going, but one thing I knew for sure. I didn't want Ethan to find me.
I didn't realize where I was going until I was already there. The old Roman Theatre...
I got down from my horse and left it at the stables at the entrance of the town. I went back to the theatre and just sat down in the middle, where one year ago I almost died.
I don't know what I wanted to do, or what I was doing there, but I curled up in a ball and lay down on my side.
I don't know for how long I stayed like that but when I felt a hand on my shoulder I got up scared.
"Easy, easy, it's just me."
"Why won't you just give up?!"
"If you were in my shoes, would you give up if me, your best friend and the closest thing you have to a family, was upset and running away from you?"
"If you wanted to be alone, then yes!"
He pulled his hood down and grabbed both my wrists again before I could start running. He pulled my hood down as well, forcing me to look away because I had nothing to cover my expression.
He pulled me closer to him, and I realized how strong he actually is.
"Look at me."
I refused to even look up. I just kept my head down the whole time. He got angry.
"God damn it, look at me!"
He pulled me closer again because I refused to look at him and I let a small 'ow' escape from my lips.
He loosened his grip but still refused to let go of me.
"Please, I'm worried about you. You never run away from me like that."
"Then maybe you shouldn't have brought my birthday up. Has it ever occured to you that I don't want to talk about it?"
He sighed and then lifted my chin up, forcing me to look into his light brown
eyes.
"I will not leave this place until you tell me."
I looked down and then pulled up my left sleeve with my teeth, revealing several scars. He looked at my arm and then back at me, his eyes demanding an explanation.
"After my mother died, father never celebrated my birthday, only Lucas's. No 'happy birthday', not even a 'hello'. He just completely ignored me on my birthday. The only thing he cared about was Lucas and in the process he completely forgot about me. Not having my mother only made it worse. It was like I was an orphan, it felt like I had neither of my parents. I was there just so he could train me and to hunt Assassins down. That was all I was to him, his apprentice and an Assassin hunter. That caused years worth of depression and, well, this..."
I looked down again in shame.
"Every birthday I just kept adding three scars, one for every member of my family that I had lost or that forgot about me. I didn't feel loved and I hated myself. I just waited for the time to pass, hoping in one of my missions I would die."
I would be considered crazy by doctors.
He didn't say anything and instead lifted up my other sleeve, only to reveal
more scars.
He looked at me, with anger in his eyes at first, then his gaze softened, revealing pity instead. He tried to pull me into a hug but I pushed him away.
"Stop feeling sorry for me. I don't need your pity."
"I do not pity you, I feel your pain."
"No, no you don't. You don't know what it's like to have a family that doesn't love you. And if that wasn't enough, I now know I was just a tool in their plan to kill every Assassin."
"Helen..." He started but I cut him off.
"You do not now how it feels like to cry yourself to sleep every night thinking that you don't deserve love or that you will never be appreciated by anyone. You don't know-"
I didn't expect what came next.
His lips crashed onto mine and he wrapped his hands around my waist.
I pulled away immediately and looked at him confused.
"It was the only way I could think of to get you to shut up."
I gave him a death stare and then pulled my sleeves down.
"Don't ever do that again."
He sighed and then looked at me. "Do you remember what I said about emotions? That allowing yourself to feel helps you feel empathy? I empathize with you, it's not pity I'm feeling."
He pulled me in for hug and this time I let him. I hurried my head in his chest and started crying again. He caressed my hair as I was holding him tighter and tighter.
"It's okay."
I sobbed a few times before he spoke up again.
"I have an idea. What if you change your last name? That way you can cut off any ties you had with the Templars."
"Oh, yeah? And what would I change it to?"
"How about 'Auditore'?"
"Ha ha, very funny, Ethan."
"Fine then. What about...Arden?"
"Helen Valencia Arden... It doesn't sound bad." I said as I tried to pull away but he kept hugging me tight.
"There you go. Now you are officially done with the Templars."
We sat in silence for a few minutes before I spoke up again.
"You care about me. Real or not real?"
"Real. More than you'll ever know."
The ride back was quiet, neither of us said a word. We didn't want to ruin the atmosphere we created at the theatre.
When we reached the citadel it was already dawn. Did we really stay that long at the theatre hugging?
Ethan grabbed my hand after we entered the villa and led me to his room. He motioned for me to sit on the bed and I did as asked.
He took out from the chest on the dresser a leather glove, that looked just like the one he had on his right hand.
"Consider this a late birthday present."
"What is it?" I asked confused.
"Take it and you'll see."
I took the glove from his hands and I noticed a hidden blade attached to it.
"Since we have the same outfit I thought you should have double hidden blades as well." He said chuckling.
"Thank you, Ethan. Really."
"Come on, try it!"
"Where did you get it from?"
"Leonardo da Vinci made it for me."
"The painter?"
"Yes. With the help of the Codex. When he made mine - the first one - I told him to make another one just in case it breaks, even though I knew he could repair it. It's been stored here for the past couple of months."
I put it on and flicked my wrist. The blade came out just as fast as it retracted.
"Now I am be more lethal than you."
"I don't know if it's possible. We both know I'm the more lethal one."
"The only thing lethal about you is your ego, which is lethal to yourself, not me."
"Now, now, miss Arden, you know you need to be careful with your words when talking to me because this time you're not wounded anymore." He said grinning.
I sighed and then got up to go to my room.
"Where are you going?"
"To my room? To sleep? I've been running from you all night, I'm tired as hell."
"Then sleep here, you don't have to go all the way to your room."
"It's right next to yours, it's not at the other end of the town."
He nodded lightly and I could read disappointment on his face. What was going on with him?
Before I left he reminded me that we're leaving for Firenze in two days.
I changed into my night wear and then headed to sleep, thinking about the kiss Ethan and I shared just a couple of hours ago.
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