28 July 1794

i

I ran towards my enemy's exposed back, as Élise taunted the man, taking Germain's attention from me as I made my move. I lunged towards his blind side, my sword flashing towards the tyrant's back. He never sensed my movement. Germain was a dead man. The fight was over.
And then, just as my sword point neared his exposed back, Germain's golden sword seemed to sense its master's impending death and it reacted, a blast of blue-white light erupted from the sword and exploded at my feet, striking the ground like a cannon blast and twice as loud. I had been so damn close to ending the five year hunt for the murderer, the man who had ruined my life, and then I was airborne.
The temple chamber echoed with the sound of cannons booming and then I flew backwards, blasted off my feet by the surge of energy that had erupted from Germain's golden blade. My sword flew from my grasp, and I crashed to the ground with a groan, crumbling masonry dust filling my mouth. And then it got worse, much worse. A crumbling pillar toppled over and came crashing down towards me and landed on my chest.
And then the world went dark.

Germain's sword rang as Élise engaged him, the fires of revenge filled her mind as she faced her father's murderer. I pushed the last of the pillar off my chest but I was too late. Germain's sword exploded just as Élise was about to strike a mortal blow. They were sent flying across the chamber and then both crashed to the ground. I ran to Élise, crying her name. She lay still on the ground, blood caking her face. Her deep green eyes were closed and the steady rise and fall of her chest was gone. The woman I loved was dead; I would never hold her again or see her mischievous smile light up her beautiful face. Tears ran down my face and splashed onto the temple's cold floor. My heart broke.

After the bloody battle I fled to Francaide to isolate myself with the grief of losing Élise. I could only watch as my sad life disintegrated before my eyes. The sad loneliness of depression set in and I greeted it as a friend. The drinking returned, along with the brawling. This was my life without Élise, full of nothing, with no meaning. Without Élise life wasn't worth living. I spent weeks there, in Francaide, battling a group of renegades known as the Raiders, a group of thieves who targeted the tombs of former French Kings in search of a mysterious spherical object know as an Apple of Eden. When I at last defeated them and smote their leader, Philippe Rose, a mortal blow, I felt nothing but the emptiness in my heart, caused from the loss of Élise.

My feelings for Élise never changed and I bore a hole in my heart that could never be fixed. I am alone.

And then I came too.
The visions were still fresh upon my mind when white hot pain flared all over my body as I tried to push the broken pillar off my chest. I heaved… To no avail.
"Arno!" called Élise. Good she was unhurt by the blast that had erupted from Germain's golden sword moments earlier.
I looked around and saw her as she ran over to me, panic in her eyes.
"I'm stuck!"
Élise grabbed at the rubble pinning me down and started to pull it off my chest. Relief seeped into me as the first piece fell off, allowing me to breathe properly. I pushed harder and grunted as the next piece came free.
A groan sounded from the centre of the chamber. Germain. The Templar was staggering to his feet and preparing to flee.
Élise looked over at him, "He's getting away!"
She started to rise.
"Wait, I'm almost free"
Élise glanced back at me, "I can take him"
"No you can't. Not alone. Wait for me." I replied desperately, the visions of her impending death flooding my mind.
Indecision covered her face as she glanced from me to Germain, and back again.
"I'm sorry" she breathed and charged at the man who had ordered the murder her father all those years ago.
"ÉLISE!"
I watched her attack the Templar Grand Master and force him back across the room, her blade clashing against the Sword of Eden.

I screamed as the memory of her saying that she didn't want to be protected filled my vision and put all my strength into lifting the last of the rubble from my chest. I closed my eyes and heaved.
The last of the rubble began to slide off and I pushed with more intensity.
I could only watch as Élise battered through Germain's defense, each blow pushing the villain back.
The sound of steel striking steel echoed through the room. I looked over at the duel as I heaved the last of the rubble off my body and leapt to my feet.
It was all happening, my visions were coming true. Somehow I had been shown a glimpse into the future. I knew what would happen next and I felt tears moisten in my eyes as I ignored the pain in my chest and charged towards the dueling pair, hoping beyond hope hat I could avert what I had seen.
Élise deflected Germain's sword and started swinging her sword in a blow that would open the villain from shoulder to hip. Just like in my vision.
The sound of breaking glass resonated from Germain's sword. And then it happened, just as it did in my vision.
Suddenly Germain's sword crackled angrily and with the sound of one hundred cannons, sent out a blast of golden light. Sparks erupted from the shattering sword that hurled both the Templar and Élise to the ground. They crashed down hard and my heart almost stopped when I saw Élise smash into the stone floor.
I staggered back from the shockwave and when the dust had cleared saw Élise's prone form on the ground. I prayed to every god I knew of, every deity she would be okay, that my visions had been false. I ignored the burning pain in my chest and started running towards Élise. Her face was bloody and bruised and she lay unmoving on the cold stone floor of the temple. I ran to the woman I loved, calling her name.
"Élise! ÉLISE! Élise! Élise! No…"
I dropped to the ground next to her and lifted her face with my hands. Her eyes which had sparkled whenever she saw me were closed; her body which I had often held close was unmoving. Tears filled my eyes as I cradled her body and pushed her beautiful fiery hair back from her face. Tears streaked down my cheeks and splashed onto the cold stone floor of the temple. The visions had been true. I was destined to spend what was left of my miserable life alone.
Then the memories of Élise flooded my mind. Our meeting, when we were eight, at the royal palace in Versailles, where I chased her and we stole apples. The next memory felt like a knife to the heart. Élise had gone to the Maison Royale de Saint-Louise to further her education and we had been separated for nearly ten years. We had kept in correspondence with letters and then finally one day a letter arrived from her telling me that she truly loved me.
Ragged breathing came to my ears from across the room. Germain. Anger burned within me. How could that bastard still be alive after taking Élise … MY Élise from me?
I rose and walked over to the fallen Grand Master, my hands balled into fists. I flexed my wrist and my hidden blade shot out of its sheath. For five years I had been haunted by my part in the death of Monsieur de la Serre and I had fought to redeem myself by killing the man behind the attack. But instead, I found that Germain was still breathing and that instead of the redemption that I had craved for, I had only added to my guilt with the death of the woman I loved. I dropped to my knees before Germain and as the anger consumed me, I slowly slid my hidden blade into the bottom of his chin. I killed him as slowly as possible, breaking the unwritten law of the Assassin Brotherhood. Germain must have been in agonizing pain when breathed his last, and yet I did not care, for what I felt was worse. I closed my eyes and suddenly memories that weren't my own flashed through my mind.
I looked up and a younger Germain sat in front of me, studying a strange object. Suddenly brilliant golden symbols flashed around his head.
"Bravo," said a voice from behind me. "You've slain the villain."
I turned and saw the Germain that I had just killed standing there, facing me. "That is how you cast this little morality play in your mind isn't it?"
"How…" I began, confusion written all over my face.
"Oh, I'm not really here. I'm not really there either," Germain replied, gesturing to himself at the table. "At the moment I'm bleeding out on the floor of the temple. But it seems fit that the Father of Understanding has given us the time to talk."
Another memory flashed and suddenly the younger Germain was kneeling on the floor clutching what appeared to be a book.
"Ah. A particular favourite of mine. I did not understand the visions that haunted my mind, you see. Great towers of gold, cities shining white as silver. I thought I was going mad. Then I found this place. Jacques De Molay's vault. Through his writings I understood."
"Understood what?" I asked the Templar, my temper rising.
"That somehow, through the centuries, I was connected to Grand Master De Molay. That I had been chosen to purge the Order of decadence and corruption that had set in like rot. And to wash the world clean, and to restore to the truth of the Father of Understanding intended."
The memory changed to François de la Serre exiling Germain from the Templar Order.
"That seems to have gone over well." I stated.
"Prophets are seldom appreciated in their own time. Exile and abasement forced me to reevaluate my strategy. Find new avenues for the realization of my purpose"
"No matter the cost?"
An image of a guillotine coming down on King Louis' neck flashed before my eyes.
"New order never comes without the destruction of the old. And if men are made to fear untrammeled liberty, so much the better. A brief taste of chaos will remind them why they crave obedience."
The next image made my heart stop; it was of Élise battling Germain, seconds before the explosion. She was standing there, so full of life and with a fire burning in her eyes. I reached out and lightly stroked the image's face with a great sadness in my heart.
"It appears we part ways here. Think on this: the march of progress is slow, but inevitable as a glacier. All you have accomplished is to delay the inevitable. One death cannot stop the tide. Perhaps it will not be my hand that shepherds mankind back to its proper place, but it will be someone's. Think on this when you remember her."

The images faded and I was back in the temple. I withdrew my blade from Germain's chin and flicked it back into the locking mechanism. I rose back to my feet and turned to Élise, and once more tears flooded my cheeks. The woman I loved and had shared so much of my life with was dead. I walked back over to her still form and knelt before her. I closed my eyes and remembered the first time we had kissed. Five years ago that had been. It was just after she had returned from the Maison Royale and we were finally reunited at a soirée. Now that I think back on it, the party had been held in her honour after her indoctrination to the Templar Order. I remembered everything about that moment. From the black and gold dress she hated, she said it made her feel like a mummy, "all wrapped up in this thing". To the way her face lit up when she saw me, and her beautiful smile that followed. I opened my wet eyes as a fresh wave of emotion rocked though my body. Then came the memory of our escape in the hot air balloon. Élise deciding to be with me, and me telling her that I loved her. I can picture her perfectly in my mind. Her long, beautiful red hair curling down her back, the softness of her touch. The way her eyes shone as she linked her arm through mine and looked at me. Her smile as she gazed into my eyes. My heart broke at the future we would no longer share.
And then Élise stirred in my embrace and her chest rose. She was breathing.
"Élise? Élise!" I whispered, hope flaring in my breast. Had the visions been only dreams after all?
Her eyes flicked open and she gazed back at me. The mischievous grin I had known so well since I was eight came across her face,
"I told you that I could take him."
"What were you thinking? You nearly got yourself killed!" I started, "You... You should have waited for me."
"As I recall you did the same thing when you went and faced Bellec without me," she retorted with a frown.
I shook my head and chuckled, of course, "You're right. You always are"
"Help me up, we should leave this horrible place"
I helped Élise stand and she leaned on me for support. She tenderly linked her fingers with mine and looked over at the man who had murdered her father, the man who had nearly ended her life.
"It's over," she whispered and stepped towards Germain, "It's finally over"
"So, what will you do now?" I asked her, "Now that Germain is dead."
"I've spent the last five years of my life hunting Germain to avenge my father's death," she said with a thoughtful expression, "And in that time I have not once stopped to think about what would happen once it was all over. There is one thing however…"
Élise turned to me and smiled, now holding both my hands with hers.
"Go on," I grinned at her.
"Remember when we were flying above Paris in that balloon and I said to you that 'going forwards isn't necessarily an ending?'"
I smiled back to her and gazed into her eyes, "Yes?"
"Arno I…" I stopped her words with a kiss.
When we broke apart she lightly shoved my chest and grinned, the words from the hot air balloon on her tongue, "You cheated"
"You took too long" I replied, giving her a mischievous grin.
She looked into my eyes, "I love you."

ii

I walked slowly towards the entrance of the Assassin's hideout, located deep within the heart of Paris. I held the Sword of Eden in my hands, wrapped tightly within Germain's black Templar robes; the dead don't need robes after all, do they. Was I doing the right thing? Giving up the weapon that had almost cost Élise her life to an Order that had banished me and branded me a traitor? I wasn't sure, but the sword needed to be contained, and the vaults within the hideout were the perfect location to put it, far from the reach of any man who would use it to further their own ends. I gave a final glance back at the carriage that I had arrived in, half regretting asking Élise to stay while I gave up the sword. No, I had to do this myself. I had to be rid of the final piece of this sad story that had taken five years of my life.
An Assassin recruit stood guard by the entrance to the lair, a hand on his sword as he peered around, looking for any threats. I grinned when I saw the surprise on his face as he saw me.
"Arno? What in God's name are you doing here?" he gestured towards me, "You do recall being banished, don't you?"
"Hello Michel, and yes I do remember that incident," I replied, giving the recruit a cocky smile, "I am here to deliver something to the new Grand Master, and to beg an audience with the Council."
"The Council won't like that, Arno," he said sternly, shaking his head.
"Nonetheless, I must speak with them. In any case, who is the new Mentor? Mirabeau was yet to be replaced when I left."
"Of course," he placed a hand on my shoulder and ushered me in through the so familiar entrance and into the Assassin hideout, "You may recall Monsieur Julien Bonnaire. I don't yet know how, but he managed to gather more support than even Master Trenet did. Which is lucky for you," he nodded to me as we walked down the flight of stairs, before continuing at a whisper, "he has managed put Trenet, Quemar and Beylier back in their places and was one of Mirabeau's foremost supporters. Be wary though, many in the Order will be opposed to your return."
I nodded my thanks, and prayed that I would get an audience with the Council, and not a sword in my gut. There were gasps from all about as we made our way to the council chamber itself, I had been exiled after all, and yet here I was, striding through the hideout as if I were still an Assassin. And then we walked in to the dark sanctum of the Council chambers itself, torches lined the walls giving the circular room an eerie glow, one that made the hooded robes of my former brothers look even more sinister. Many of the assembled Assassins were glaring at me openly, but most just seemed curious. I hoped that the new Mentor felt the same, or I was as good as dead. I gazed up towards the balcony where the Council stood, peering down at me from the ledge. The three Masters of the Brotherhood, Quemar, Beylier and Trenet still stood at their old perches on either side of the new Grand Master, watching me with cold eyes as I entered. I turned my gaze to the newly minted Mentor of the brotherhood. Julien Bonnaire carried himself with as much dignity as his predecessor had, and watched as I strode into the room with a kind of curiosity. I heaved a sigh of relief, so I wasn't going to be killed, for now at least.
"What is that Templar loving traitor doing here?" I heard Trenet yell, watching as her face contorted into open despise for me.
"Master Trenet, would you be so kind as to refrain," Bonnaire told her calmly and I couldn't help but smile as Madame Trenet clamped her lips down tightly and eyed me with distain. Bonnaire was clearly Mirabeau's equal when it came to silencing the other Council members. The Grand Master returned his gaze to me and indicated for me to step forward.
"Arno Dorian, I trust that you have a good reason for begging an audience, and for returning to us after banishment."
"I do, Grand Master," I replied and untied the robe from around the Sword of Eden. As the cloak fell to the ground, all eyes were drawn to the golden sword in my hands. Cries came from all about the room,
"Is that…?"
"It cannot be…"
"I have returned to deliver this sword into your possession," I glanced around at the shock that the sword's appearance had caused, "this blade is indeed one of the fabled pieces of Eden."
"He's lying," growled Trenet angrily, "this is a ruse so that he can win back our trust."
"Be silent," shot back Bonnaire with a glare, "If you cannot see that that blade is indeed the Sword of Eden, then the future of this Brotherhood is a bleak one."
That silenced her.
"How did you come by the blade, Monsieur Dorian," asked Master Quemar after a few moments.
"I took it from Germain," I replied, "but be warned, the sword is dangerous."
"Of that I have no doubt," Quemar nodded, "so then, the Templar Grand Master is dead at last."
"That he is."
"You have done us a great service, Arno, despite not being of the Brotherhood any longer," called Bonnaire with a hint of a smile.
"I believe that what I did was for a just cause."
"On that we are all in agreeance," the Mentor told me, and to my surprise saw Trenet nodding, how she must have hated knowing that I had done the right thing by the Assassins, not only bringing about the end of Germain's tyrannical rule that had lead the revolution in to heinous acts of cruelty, but also by giving up the sword as well.
I rewrapped the blade and passed it to an Assassin, who took the weapon up the stairs and presented it to Bonnaire.
"The sword seems to have lost its power since Germain's death," I told the Grand Master, "All the same I heed caution."
"Rest assured it will be locked securely within the vaults," he replied with a nod, before continuing, "Are we all in agreeance that what Monsieur Dorian did, despite being for his own reasons, was the act of not a traitor, well how can he be? He broke none of our tenants, but rather the actions of a good man."
I looked about the room as every head nodded to Bonnaire in turn, and many spoke their agreeance, even Quemar, Beylier and Trenet nodded, the three who had played a big role in my banishment agreed with the Grand Master.
Bonnaire looked around thoughtfully, "Then I see no reason for this man to be an exile any longer."
"You are forgetting the small fact that he took in with a Templar, the daughter of a former Grand Master at that, herself a Templar Grand Master in training." Master Trenet told the Mentor, would she do anything to be rid of me?
"You are the one forgetting that not only was he banished for no clear reasoning, other than his mind was set on redeeming himself, but that he also brought the artifact to us and not the Templars. He knew that he was risking his life by returning here. We could have simply had his head and been done with the matter, but he put his trust in us, so we must put ours in him."
"So there is no dissuading you?"
"No, there is no dissuading me."
"Alright…" Trenet replied after a few moments, "I'll put my faith in you."
Bonnaire looked to Quemar, who nodded, "I am with you as well."
"And I" spoke up Beylier.
They must have been seething, but there was nothing that they could do to overrule the Grand Master. Bonnaire strode down the stairs and drew his sword, gesturing for me to kneel, and I did. So I wasn't going to be drinking the filth that I had on my initiation? Good, I had well and truly had my share of visions.
"Arno Victor Dorian," began Bonnaire, "Are you prepared to travel the Eagles path once more?"
"I am." I meant it. I wanted to be more than just a man, I wanted a purpose again.
"I reinstate your former ranks and privileges as a member of our Creed. Your past is buried, turned to dust, your banishment and exile forgotten."
Bonnaire glanced at the other Masters who had joined him in front of me.
I closed my eyes, remembering my initiation, where it had been Mirabeau saying the words, with Bellec looking on.
This time however I felt Bonnaire touch my shoulder with his sword, and I heard gasps from about that room. This was new.
"You have proven yourself to be a man of honour and courage, a man willing to go to great lengths for what he believes in."
What was going on?
"Rise Assassin."
I stood back to full height, bowing slightly to Bonnaire.
"Tonight you are reborn, your sins and failures a forgotten. You are reborn, a Master of the Assassin Brotherhood."
A Master? My surprise must have shown.
"Come now Arno, you are deserving of the title bestowed upon you. Mirabeau himself told me of his plans to make you a Master shortly before he was betrayed."
Mirabeau had planned to make me a Master? I shook my head, registering the look of shock on Master Trenet's face. I grinned inwardly, the very man she had exiled had just been granted equal rank as her. Take that Madame Trenet.
I bowed to Julien Bonnaire, "I will do all that is within my power to uphold the rank that you have given me."
"I have no doubt about that, Master Dorian." Again, Master! The word sounded almost foreign to my ears, but I felt a surge of pride in my blood and I knew that my father would have been proud.
"Now," Bonnaire nodded to the other Masters, "we have a task for you. A former noble by the name of Xavier de Maximilien has been causing his fair share of trouble with the revolutionaries. Treating the poor like dirt, he even slaughtered a party that went into his fort under a flag of truce."
"It sounds as if this Monsieur Maximilien needs an awakening," I replied with a smile.
"That he does Arno," added Beylier, "the problem is that his fortress is positioned in a key strategic location. It has cannons overlooking every approach, and even has a small moat."
"We have received reports that the revolutionaries are planning to march on the fort within the next few days," said Master Trenet through pursed lips, clearly she still wasn't happy at me being made an Assassin once more. "and we would like you to lead a small force to help the revolutionaries arrest Monsieur Maximilien, alone they won't even be able to get close to him."
"We will send you word when the revolutionaries decide to strike," concluded Bonnaire with a nod, "so until then, recover from your fight with Germain and prepare yourself for the fight that is looming."
"Of course, Mentor," I told Bonnaire, before glancing around at the assembled Masters, "I will bring Maximilien to justice."

I walked alone through the now empty corridors, deep in my thoughts about the visions I had been shown in the Temple du Marais, and the fight to come.
"One last thing, Arno, before you depart."
I turned to see Master Trenet striding towards me. What did she want now?
"Yes?" I scowled.
"Tell me, do you truly love the Templar? Élise de la Serre."
Ah, so that is what this is about. My being with a Templar, of course, the disapproval was plain to see on her face. I looked about to see that there were no other Assassins nearby to witness our confrontation. Good.
"I do," I replied hotly. I had nothing more to say to Sophie Trenet.
"May I ask, why? The Templars are our sworn enemies."
"Élise is nothing like Germain and the other extremists within the Templar Order, I can assure you of that. But I doubt that you would ever understand why I truly love her."
"As you say, however there are some within our Order that would deem the union unwise."
"With all due respect Master Trenet, I do not care for the opinion of the Brotherhood," I replied, my anger rising as she made her disapproval known, "or that your own for that matter."
She shot me a dark look, "I see," she said through pursed lips.
I returned her glare, reading the threat in her eyes, "make no mistake that if you so much as try to touch a single hair on her head," I stepped towards her, barely a pace away now, "no Assassin, no army, nor your God himself will be able to protect you."

iii

"You? A Master of the Assassins?" chuckled Élise when I returned to the carriage and sat facing her.
"Apparently Mirabeau had been thinking about it for quite some time," I replied with a grin, "The word itself sounds foreign to me."
Élise laughed again, "I cannot believe it. I expected them to take you back with open arms, but not to make you a Master."
"It came as a great shock, especially to those who had banished me in the first place."
"I must say that there is no man more deserving of the title," she grinned sarcastically, "Master Dorian."
"Many thanks," I replied, equally as sarcastic, "Mademoiselle de la Serre."
Élise gave me a playful smack on the knee, "don't even start, Assassin," she flirted, giving me a wink.
"Oh, I wouldn't dare, Templar."
And then we both started laughing, as though the weight of the last five years had disappeared from our shoulders. We were children once more, the same ones who had caused Monsieur de la Serre so much grief in our childhood.
"Arno, I am proud of you, really," she said after a few moments.
"I know," I replied with a smile, taking one of her hands, and gazing into her deep green eyes. Then I felt my heart ache. What would I have done if Élise had been killed by the blast in the temple?
"What is it?" she said, her voice riddled with concern as she saw my smile fade. She squeezed my hand as I remembered the painful visions.
"When you were lying on the floor of the temple, I thought… I thought that you had been killed, Élise."
"You weren't going to be rid of me that easily," she replied, giving me a smile. Gods she was beautiful. She moved over and sat beside me, giving me a kiss, "I'd rather not talk about the temple right now though. It is been and done, never to happen again."
And suddenly everything felt better. She leaned into my side and I put an arm around her waist and held her. We sat in silence for a few moments, just enjoying being together at last.
"You never told me," I began thoughtfully, "where exactly are we off too?"
"Somewhere in Saint-Cyr," she said with a smile, "the place that I was hiding from the Templars after the death of my father. I'm taking you into my other life, Arno."
I smiled and held her tighter, her 'other' life? The one that I had not been a part of in the last five years. The life that she was finally ready to show me. We were finally able to live a life without fear of receiving a knife in the back. The thought made my heart soar.

The next day, after a bumpy twenty mile, or there abouts, journey, our carriage trundled to a stop in Saint-Cyr, and more precisely as I was soon to discover, the place where Élise had been in hiding for the last five years. I helped Élise down and tossed a coin purse to the driver.
"Many thanks, Monsieur" I called to him with a nod.
He tipped his wide hat back at us and bid us good day, before clicking with his tongue and spurring the horses onwards, disappearing down the cobbled road, whistling to himself cheerfully.

Together we strode to the large steel gates that stood open between a large brick wall that ran in both directions for nearly a mile. I looked around and saw the sign that rose above the gates for the first time.
"Isn't this 'Le palais de la misère'?" I asked, recalling the name she had given the school in one of her many letters.
Élise laughed and playfully smacked my arm, "During my last few months here I came to an understanding with the headmistress," she told me mysteriously.
"Intriguing" I muttered, and then turned a shade of red as she laughed, took me by the hand and lead me through the gates of the all girls school and into her 'other' life.

Three large grey brick buildings stood before us at the end of the path we were now on, the formed a ring around a large courtyard, reminding me of the royal palace of Versailles. To the right a small river ran passed the school and beyond. The lawns surrounding the school were well looked after it appeared. It was nothing like the hellish place Élise had often told me about in her letters, I noticed with a bemused smile. As we slowly made our way towards the right hand wing of the school I noticed an older woman with a thoughtful expression reading from a newly opened letter. A man, the messenger I assumed mounted his black steed and clopped back towards the school gates. Élise steered me towards a path that wound around the right hand wing of the school.
We hadn't gone far when a shrill female voice screeched out to us, "Élise de la Serre? Is that you child?"
The woman was striding out from the main building towards us, a cane in her right hand and the envelope in her left.
Élise grinned as she replied, "Hello Madame Levene, it is wonderful to see you."
The woman reached us and her old eyes were able to see us properly for the first time.
"It's good to see you Élise," she said simply and then pulled Élise into a tight hug, "Jacques told me that you had left and probably for good. I never thought that I'd see you again."
Madame Levene, I guessed would have been around sixty years old, was also nothing like that satanic person that Élise had written to me about. She wore a black dress, befitting of a headmistress, and her grey hair was tied into a neat bun. Madame Levene stepped back from Élise with a hint of a smile upon her lips.
"I'm so glad to be back here…" replied Élise with a smile, looking around at the school, "And I never thought that I'd ever say that about this place."
Madame Levene smiled, obviously remembering the rebellious young Élise from her time at the school, and turned to me for the first time, "And you must be the Arno Dorian that Élise has told me so much about."
A gave her a short bow and kissed her left hand, "It's a pleasure, Madame"
"You'll have your hands full with this one Monsieur, as I've no doubt you are already aware"
Élise blushed beside me and looked away.
I grinned, "And don't I know it"
Madame Levene reached into the envelope and pulled out a letter, "This arrived earlier today. The revolutionaries have been spreading these around the country like wildfire. Your work I take it?" she inquired, handing the note to Élise.
"The renowned silver smith François Thomas Germain has been found dead in the Temple du Marais after an altercation with noblewoman Élise de la Serre and an unknown hooded accomplice" read Élise with a triumphant smile.
"It was indeed us Madame," I stated, "Germain was the man who orchestrated the murder of Monsieur de la Serre all those years ago."
"I see," replied Madame Levene with pursed lips, "The revolutionaries won't be pleased, and I take it, neither will those Templars of yours"
"It would appear not" said Élise with a frown, "However, the revolutionaries will forget it soon enough, and only extremists within the Templar Order supported Germain… By now they will already be fighting over who will take Germain's place as Grand Master."
"So you won't be in any danger then child?"
"No Madame, I should think not."
"Good… Good. Well I'll let the pair of you go now," Madame Levene turned to me, "Make sure she doesn't get in to any trouble Mr Dorian."
I grinned, "I don't think that that is possible, Madame."
I received a hidden jab from Élise who glared daggers at me.
"Oh and Élise child, would you let my son know that I will be joining you this evening?"
"Of course, Madame Levene."

We farewelled the headmistress and Élise lead me down the winding path that took us behind the school. At the bottom of the hill Élise pulled me towards the groundsman's lodge. It stood in a small clearing in the forest. Smoke wafted from the chimney and chatter came to us through an open window. A few smaller buildings were scattered around the lodge, and a pile of stacked wood stood by the door. Élise nudged me with a laugh and raced down the last of the winding path to the house, and I eagerly followed with a smile.
Élise was knocking on the wooden door as I arrived and stood beside her. As the door opened inwards Élise threw me a smile that made my heart flutter and then looked back at the girl standing before us with an open mouth.
"ÉLISE!" the girl cried and threw herself onto her friend, her blonde hair streaming behind her.
"Hello Hélène" beamed Élise as the girl stepped back, "I'd like you to meet Arno."
I smiled and planted a kiss on Hélène's hand. "Mademoiselle Hélène"
Hélène smiled at me with tears of joy in her eyes and then hugged me as well. I laughed as she awkwardly stepped back and muttered an apology. I grinned at the girl and she returned her gaze to Élise, "I thought you were gone… We all did. Monsieur Weatherall told us about what had happened and he has returned to the drinking in despair for you."
"I'm so, so sorry Hélène. I should never have left in the way I did, I really am a stupid arrogant girl."
"That is precisely what Monsieur Weatherall said…" Hélène said with a smile and ushered us inside.

The lodge smelt pleasantly of flowers and was lit by candles residing on a rectangular wooden table in the centre of the room. A homely fire was crackling at the back of the room and three wooden chairs surrounded it. A gasp came from a young man sitting at the table; he seemed around Hélène's age and his long black hair was tightly pulled back. His jaw dropped so far I thought it was going to fall off. He was dressed in a white shirt, red jacket and black breeches. As he rose words tumbled from his mouth, "Mademoiselle Élise! You're back"
The boy leapt to his feet and wrapped Élise in a bear hug with a grin that covered his entire face.
Élise laughed, "It's good to see you too Jacques."
Jacques, Élise had told me, was the illegitimate son of Madame Levene.
"I didn't expect to see you again, especially after that message you left me."
"Well Jacques," came Élise's reply, "I did mention that an Arno Dorian would be stopping by, and well, here he is"
He let Élise go and shook my hand vigorously, "It's a pleasure, Monsieur Arno. Élise has told me a lot about you."
I grinned at Élise, "It appears that everyone here seems to know me better than I know myself"
Jacques laughed, before turning to shout towards a closed door at the back of the room. "Hey Freddie, there's something you should see."
A gruff English voice cursed from the next room before bellowing, "Bloody hell lad, give an old man some time to find his crutches, I only have one leg left after all"
We all laughed as the door opened, and then the man stepped forwards.

It was a face I partially recognized from my time living with the La Serre family. It was more wrinkled now than it was all those years ago, and snowy a white mane and beard stood in place of the black and grey I remembered. And he now only had a single leg. With a sigh Frederick Weatherall limped into the room, his crutches clacking on the floor.
A look of surprise covered his face; "Well I'll be buggered, you came back earlier than even I expected."
Élise crossed the room in seconds and planted a kiss on each of Mr Weatherall's cheeks, before hugging him tightly.
"I'm so sorry for what I said" she said with tears in her eyes.
"It's alright girl," he replied. And at that moment I knew he had forgiven her for the argument Élise had told me about. She held him tighter, and he noticed her tears.
"Careful now, you don't want to knock an old man off his crutches, Mademoiselle," he said, suddenly embarrassed.
Élise let her mentor go and wiped away her tears with a smile.
Mr Weatherall, as Élise was fond of calling him, set his gaze upon me.
"Well bloody hell. Last time I saw you young Arno, you were but knee-high to a grasshopper", he said with a smile, "and now you stand before me as the spitting image of your father."
"Thank you Monsieur," I replied with a grin at the imagery and Élise smothered a laugh beside me. She had told me about the time when Frederick had likened her height to a grasshopper
"And what of that bastard Germain?" inquired Mr Weatherall, "Have you made any plans yet?"
Of course he didn't know, how could he?
"We tracked him to Jacques De Molay's vault yesterday," I told him, "Hidden within the Temple du Marais in Paris."
"I see. By you both being here then I can imagine that you got Germain after all" continued the old Templar, "and may I say, I did not expect you to get him this soon, if at all.."
"Germain breathed his last yesterday, Monsieur," began Élise with a nod, "Without Arno though, I probably would be dead."
Mr Weatherall grinned at me, "I'm guessing her impulsiveness nearly had it in for her did it?"
"It was very close Monsieur," I nodded, half a smile tugging on my lips, "Luckily she was trained to use a sword bloody well"
"Come here boy," he growled with a smile, and I embraced him like an old friend.

iv

Madame Levene joined us later that evening and we talked, all six of us. I soon learnt everything about Élise's 'other' life. Firstly Mr Weatherall recounted his time on the run with Élise, and with her input I finally came to understand the hard journey they had taken. From Élise infiltrating the home of Jennifer Scott, sister to the legendary American Templar Haytham Kenway, to the fight with the Carroll family, which ended with the death of May Carroll, and the years of being hunted by the family that followed. Élise and I told them about our journey together over the last few years, and much to Mr Weatherall's amusement, we even shared some of our childhood memories. I told Mr Weatherall of how Élise fought Germain in the temple. Like a lion I told him, a true credit to her teacher. Élise blushed and the table erupted with laughter. As it turns out Hélène and Jacques were betrothed and set to be married in the following week. They were also expecting a child within the next few months, an overjoyed Jacques told us. They welcomed Élise back with open arms and invited me to stay with them. I happily accepted and suddenly I had a new family. Mr Weatherall then spun a tale about his time with the Templars in England, falling in love with Élise's mother, Julie, and then finally moving to France to serve the La Serre family.

After Madame Levene had returned to the school, Hélène and Jacques bid us goodnight and went to bed, a tired Mr Weatherall soon followed, leaving me with Élise sitting by the crackling fire. She had shown me the letters that the deceased American Templar Grand Master, Haytham Kenway, had sent to his sister, Jennifer Scott, who had in turn passed them to Élise.
And as I read them with a smile I realized that Haytham's wishes had come true with me and Élise. Wishes that both the Assassins and Templars could work together for a common goal.
Élise was the happiest I had seen her in many, many years and I couldn't help but smile at her as I held her close. Élise cuddled into me and looked up into my eyes with a smile and she playfully gave me a peck on the lips.
"I'm glad that you had these people by your side for the last five years" I smiled down at Élise, "It must have made everything that happened so much more bearable"
"Without them I would have died a long time ago" she grinned back at me.
"Without a doubt" I replied, earning a smack.
We sat there in silence for a few minutes before she sat up and looked at me again.
"Arno… I want you to know that the only reason I am still a person is because of you. You were my savior after my father was killed."
"Élise…" I began, but she continued.
"For the last five years all I have wanted to do was avenge my father, and now that we have, I feel nothing Arno, nothing at all. We have lost so much Arno, and all we have accomplished is to bring a murderer to justice. Our families are gone, the Templars turned their back on me, and we have lost more than most people would lose in a lifetime… Tell me, what have we really accomplished?"
I thought for a few moments before replying,
"What have we achieved in the last five years? We have stopped dozens of tyrants from ruining innocent lives. We have avenged your father, and in doing so, stopped the reign of a power hungry monster," I began, "Élise, we have shown both the Assassins and Templars that what Haytham Kenway, your parents and Mirabeau pleaded for is indeed possible, that the Assassins and Templars could work together and fight a common cause. We have shown them the peace is truly possible for the two orders and in doing so saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives. We have lost more than most people could in a dozen lifetimes, but look at what we have gained; a new family and we have finally found each other and can live how we were supposed to five years ago"
"For almost fifteen years I carried around the weight of knowing I was going to be Grand Master of the Templar Order. And in that time I lost my mother and father and I thought I had lost you too. Then the Order turned its back on me. I have spent five years on the run from the Order and been tracking down Germain at the same time. I have lost my entire family and so many of my friends to a destiny that was given to a six year old girl in Versailles all those years ago… There is something broken in me Arno, you saw it when I shot Robespierre…"
"You had no choice, Élise."
"I shot a defenseless man in the jaw Arno, in a way that he would still be alive afterwards," she said sadly, "I don't know if I will ever be whole again. I can't lose anyone else."
I looked at her, truly looked at her and saw the sadness hidden in her eyes. And for the first time I realized that the weight of her Templar destiny had nearly crushed her. I pulled her tight and kissed her forehead.
"Élise de la Serre, as long as I am alive you will never be alone again. Whichever way you go, I will be beside you. I love you, and nothing will ever change that."
And with that I asked her to marry me.

v

I woke up early the next morning in the room that I now shared with Élise. As I sat up, Élise, now my betrothed, stirred beside and gave me a playful smack on the chest for waking her. I grinned and rolled out of our bed as Élise propped herself up on her elbows. Her red hair hung in messy curls down passed her shoulders and a smile played across her lips.
"Leaving already?" she said innocently, brushing a lock of rogue hair from her face.
I grinned, classic Élise sarcasm, how I loved it.
"Thought I'd get in some practice," I replied, indicating where my sword leaned against the far wall, "before we leave for Versailles."
Élise threw me a wild smile and threw off the bed covers, "Well then, I'd better come and show you how to use a sword properly then."
"I'll take that as a challenge then, shall I? Mademoiselle de la Serre" I retorted with a grin.
I swiftly pulled on my breeches and white shirt. My maroon jerkin and cream waistcoat soon followed. Finally I shrugged on my long blue frock coat and buckled my sword to my waist.
I turned back to Élise as she finished buttoning up her own short frockcoat over her waistcoat, before tying her hair back in the way she favoured. I grinned and held her sword out to her.
She took it with a mischievous grin, "Remember when we sparred as children?"
I shot her with a mock glare, remembering when she used to beat me time and time again. No doubt due to her Templar training. No doubt.
"Things will be a little different this time," I chuckled, walking over to her, "I've had some practice"
Élise ran her hands down my sides and gently took my hands, her eyebrows raised "Oh this will be fun" she flirted and gave me a peck on the lips.
"But not for you" I replied with a wink as she pulled away.
She gave a cry of mock outrage and gave me a gentle shove.
"Will you two keep it down?" shouted a weary Mr Weatherall from the room beneath us.
I shared a playful look with Élise and we started to laugh, children again. Children caught running wild by an angry nursemaid, or caught stealing food from the cook.
Still laughing, Élise grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the door.
And I couldn't have been happier.

Mr Weatherall, as it turns out, wanted to "see what you can do", and joined us in the courtyard, where he sat on an old tree stump, humming pleasantly. I quickly unbuckled my sword and shrugged my long coat off, placing them on one of the nearby benches. I turned back to Élise and caught the practice stanch she had thrown to me, giving it a few experimental swings.
She stood opposite me, side on with her red curls hanging down her back. A self confident smile played along her lips as she watched me take up position.
"Ready to get beaten again?" she teased with one of her famous playful smiles.
I twirled the tip of my 'sword' in a mock figure of eight, "I am ready to show you how to fight" I joked and returned her sarcastic grin.
We circled each other, both perfectly balanced, blades slightly raised. I searched for a weakness and found none in her poise, no doubt she was looking for an opening too. And then she leapt towards me, her stanch flashing in a blur. Our blades cracked together as I deflected the blow and struck out with my own, but Élise was already twirling away with the grace of a master. We came together again and again, weaving in and out, sometimes almost touching, before spinning away from each other. It was like a dance. As we parted again I was breathing heavily and I hadn't even come close to landing a blow while Élise, curse her, was nearly breaking through my every defense. She stood opposite me again, her eyes sparkling and the ends of her lips slightly raised, as if amused, while she watched me with calculating eyes.
At last we came together and I don't know how for long we fought, but then in a blindingly fast attack she battered her way through my defense and rapped me sharply on my shoulder.
She sent me a grin as she stepped back panting with a fire in her eyes.
Mr Weatherall was clapping from his tree stump and grinned at the pair of us, "Well bugger me that was what I call a fight. I've never seen someone that close to Élise in skill before, you must have had a bloody good teacher Arno."
"He taught me well Monsieur, but lost his way in the end" I replied to Mr Weatherall, remembering my former mentor, Pierre Bellec, while placing my stanch back.
"Well it happens," agreed the older man thoughtfully, "You know, I trained with Germain myself many years ago… It seems only fitting that my pupil all but defeated him."
"You trained Germain?" Élise shook her head in wonder as she buckled on her sword.
Mr Weatherall gave a mirthless laugh, "Aye Mademoiselle, that guttershite was the sparring partner of Freddie Weatherall all those years ago…"
As I pulled my long coat back on Élise went and joined her teacher, leaning on a wooden fence beside him, "I've been thinking about what you said when we… 'talked'"
Mr Weatherall looked at her in surprise, "What? You actually paid attention to me?"
Élise smirked back at him, "Now that Germain and many of the men who betrayed my father are dead, perhaps I should try to make peace with the Order."
He whistled and shook his head, "Christ, you're actually going to do it."
"As you said it will take time," she looked over at me and smiled, "But I do have time now, and I am ready to show them Haytham Kenway's beliefs."
"Well it's about bloody time you started thinking," Frederick replied with a ghost of a smile, "But what have you done with Élise de la Serre?"

After a day of hard riding Élise and I reached the abandoned de la Serre chateau in Versailles. The gates hung from their hinges and the mansion itself had been looted of everything of value, now barely a shadow of its former glory. But still, it brought back all of my childhood memories with the family I had come to love as my own. It felt like returning to home, albeit a very run down version of the place I used to live in. We tethered our horses in the yard and strode through the large doors of the chateau. I had spent months staying here while I was on the hunt for François de la Serre's murderer, and it was within these walls that Élise had saved me from a broken heart, among other unsavory things, in our final days going after Germain. Élise looked at me playfully, clearly remembering the mischief we had gotten up to within these walls all those years ago as children. She beckoned me towards the staircase that rose in front of us, "Come on", she grinned, before dashing up the stairs.
And with a laugh I followed her, remembering a childhood, no, a life time of chasing after her and in to trouble.
We arrived at her father's study, the room I had been staying in while on the hunt for Germain. On the bench there was a journal, which Élise hastily picked up and sifted through the pages until she came across an unopened letter. Addressed to me.
"Élise?" I asked, wondering what she was doing.
"Oh it's nothing," she replied innocently, before tearing the letter up and storing the journal in her satchel, "Nothing that matters anymore."
"And the journal?" I asked, bewildered by what had just happened.
Élise turned to me and smiled, "Just something I left in case the fight didn't go our way."
Ah, so that was it. She had left her journal and a letter for me in case she didn't return from the confrontation with Germain. I walked up to Élise and entwined my fingers with hers, a wave of emotion filled me. Élise had thought she was going to her death, and she very nearly had. The weight of the last five years seemed to crash down upon her and she started to shake. I pulled her into an embrace. She leaned into me and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and we just stood there, holding each other.
"Remember all those years ago when we snuck in here to escape your nurse maid?" I said, a devilish smile spreading across my face.
"Ruth wasn't very happy about it was she? And then when Father found out? I swear he nearly killed me," Élise replied and started giggling at the memory of her father walking in on us hiding in here, a pair of eight year olds escaping our 'duties' as it were. Élise looked up into my eyes before giving me a playful kiss. With a devilish smile she turned and raced back though the chateau, out the wide doors and into Versailles. I chased after her, both of us laughing, once again we were children, well we had never really grown up, had we? We wound our way through the deserted streets and finally we came to the royal palace, formally the residence to the departed King Louis. Élise pulled my hand with a giggle and then together we were racing down the pathway and into the palace itself. I followed, grinning as she lead me though the oh so familiar maze of rooms and corridors of the palace, each bringing back a new memory, whether it be hiding an important relic to breaking one of the suits of armour that had once lined the halls. All the furniture was now covered in sheets and most of the valuables that had once stood proud in the corridors had been looted by revolutionaries. Élise lead me through the hall that had often served as a ball room for special occasions, and then I knew where she was leading me. I chuckled to myself and followed her through another two rooms until we stood breathless outside a closed door. I knew this room inside out, and smiling, Élise led me in. This was the room we had first kissed in, the room where I had jokingly mocked Élise for wearing a dress; this was the room where I learnt what true happiness was.
Élise grabbed my arm and pulled me in with a laugh and then just like five years before we kissed. It was as long and passionate as the first time, and when we finally broke apart we laughed. I took her hand and spun her in a circle. We danced for a few moments before Élise wrapped her arms around my neck. I hooked mine around her back and then we started to slowly dance back and forth. All former loss forgotten, and in that moment it was just the two of us. I closed my eyes and felt her smile against my neck as we slowly moved around the room. I felt my love for her as keenly as I did all those years ago, no, I felt it even more. And I was content.

I can't remember how long we stood in that room waltzing back and forth, but the sun was low in the sky when we finally made our way back to the entrance of the La Serre chateau. I looked balefully out into the cold darkness that shrouded Versailles and we decided to stay in the chateau for the night. We stayed up for hours before a tired Élise lead me by the hand to one of the many bedchambers in the Le Serre mansion.
I woke with a start at the sound of the chateau doors booming open. Élise was already on her feet and striding out of the chamber buckling on her sword. Could it be thieves, come to loot the chateau? Good luck to them, most had already been taken, and I couldn't see Élise giving up anything that had belonged to her family any time soon. I leapt to my feet and, sharing a glance with her, jogged to the stairwell.

We reached the bottom of the staircase when Élise gasped. A man stood in the entrance, leaning against one of the door posts.
"Monsieur Ruddock? What are you doing here?"
Bernard Ruddock wore a simple grey suit that looked somewhat like Assassin robes. His hair was pure white and he wore a sword and two pistols on his belt. He casually stood up and took us in before replying in a cultured, but noticeable English accent,
"Ah, Mademoiselle Élise, I've come for the letters."
"So, you opened the letter I sent you then," Élise said with a frown, "Before you were supposed to."
"You can't be too careful these days, Mademoiselle"
Élise slowly nodded to Ruddock, "I don't have the letters here, Monsieur, but I will gratefully give them to you, that is, If you wouldn't mind meeting me here tomorrow, while I retrieve them for you."
"As you wish," said Ruddock with a smile.
These letters that they spoke of, Élise told me later, were the ones Haytham Kenway had sent to Jennifer Scott, and Ruddock was going to use them to gain favour with the English Assassins and rejoin their ranks. Shortly after dismissing Ruddock, Élise and I rode towards the spangled gates, and as we left I looked back that place I had grown up in as the ward to François de la Serre. I fancied that I saw a young Élise being chased by myself as a boy and smiled at the thought.
On the long ride back to the Maison Royale I learnt that Ruddock had once been an Assassin and had even made an attempt on Julie de la Serre's life almost twenty years ago. Élise had also saved his life twice.
Even after what she had told me I couldn't shake off the feeling that Bernard Ruddock wasn't all that he appeared to be.

vi

We reached the lodge that evening and much to our surprise, found that Ruddock had followed us. Clearly he hadn't trusted Élise enough to wait at the mansion in Versailles.
"What the bloody hell is he doing here?" roared Mr Weatherall upon our return, glaring at the former Assassin.
Ruddock held up his hands and Élise intervened.
"I'm giving him the letters from Haytham Kenway." She said simply to her mentor, striding through the room.
"I told you not to bring that filth here. The second he leaves here he will sell us to the highest bidder. You just wait."
"Monsieur please…" begun a nervous Ruddock, looking back at the door.
"He won't," I told Mr Weatherall calmly, "Because if he so much whispers to anyone that we are here, I will hunt him down like Élise has done twice, but unlike her I won't be so merciful."
Mr Weatherall seethed at Ruddock from his seat and then Jacques and Hélène entered the room, wondering what was going on. I explained as Élise went to retrieve the letters for Ruddock. Mr Weatherall continued to glare venomously at the former Assassin as he stood awkwardly in the doorway. "If it wasn't for Élise," he told Ruddock, "You would be leaving with my knife down your throat."
"Élise saved my life twice you know," began Ruddock, hesitantly, "Once from the Carrolls and then once again from the hangman's noose. I owe her a great deal."
"Did she just?" inquired Mr Weatherall, a dark expression coming over his face, "But what if the Carrolls weren't going to kill you all those years ago?"
"Then I am mistaken," Ruddock replied, a shadow coming over his face, "but she still saved my life once. It makes little difference Monsieur."
"That is of course, unless they were going to kill you"
Ruddock laughed nervously, "But you just said yourself that they weren't"
"But what if they were?" pressed Mr Weatherall, glancing at me and at last I understood.
"But they weren't" replied Ruddock uncertainly, his voice slightly higher.
"How do you know?" I asked, watching as sweat glistened at Ruddock's brow.
"Excuse me?"
"How do you know that the Carrolls weren't going to kill you?" growled Mr Weatherall, glancing back at me.
"I don't" stammered Ruddock, and then it all came to me.
"See, I think you were working for the Carrolls five years ago," began Mr Weatherall, "And that you thought that they were on their way to silence you in that tavern. I think that you either gave us false information back then or you were working on behalf of the Carrolls when they hired you to kill Julie de la Serre."
"No… No!" replied Ruddock, "This is preposterous, I work for myself."
"But you said that you wanted to rejoin the Assassins" I added, rounding on Ruddock, my hand reaching for my sword.
"I want nothing to do with the Assassins or the Templars, not anymore. I despise the lot of them." He looked nervously around the room for support, but found none.
And there it went, his last defense, and I jumped on it, "Then what do you want with Haytham Kenway's letters if you aren't going to use them to bargain your way back into the Brotherhood? What are you really doing here Ruddock?"
The former Assassin grimaced, knowing he had said too much. He turned to the door before whirling round, his pistols clutched in his hands and leveled towards us,
"The Carrolls from London send their regards."

We were in the middle of an odd stand off when Élise finally returned carrying the letters. Ruddock stood in the doorway, one of his pistols leveled at me, the other pointed at Jacques, who had interposed himself between Ruddock and Hélène. Mr Weatherall was glaring at Ruddock, a knife in his hands, while I faced the attacker, my cutlass half drawn.
Ruddock motioned at me and I slowly let go of my sword, but never dropped my gaze from his. Comprehension flashed across Élise's face as she realized what had happened.
"Not so fast Mademoiselle de la Serre" growled Ruddock as she went for her sword.
He swiveled around so that his guns were now pointed at me and Élise, and by the look of things he knew how to use them.

"I trusted you," spat Élise furiously, her eyes blazing
"That was your mistake" replied Ruddock with a confident smirk.
"Think about what you are doing boy," Mr Weatherall told him, "No matter what happens next people will die, and you most certainly will be one of them. Unless you turn around now and ride back to your employers."
Ruddock shook his head. "And live a marked man? I think not sir"
"Better to live a wanted man than to be a dead one," called Élise, "I've had some experience"
"You know nothing about me" shouted Ruddock, rounding on her with a sneer.
"You're mad" was her only reply.
Ruddock glanced at Jacques, "You, lover boy, take the letters and put them in my saddlebag, then scatter the other horses or I'll kill your little girlfriend."
Jacques looked to Élise, who nodded, and he ran off.
Seconds passed and Hélène glanced at the gun that was now leveled at her and whimpered. Jacques returned moments later and once again stood between Ruddock and Hélène.
"It's done." He muttered upon his return.
"Good," replied Ruddock, suddenly confident. He indicated Hélène, "And I'll take her until I'm out of sight so that you don't double-cross me."
"You cannot be serious" shot Élise, with a glance at her friend.
"Oh I'm serious… And there is one more thing."
"And what's that?" spat Mr Weatherall, full of rage.
"Mademoiselle de la Serre will accompany me to London," Ruddock turned to Élise, "the Carrolls are most anxious to get better acquainted with you..." he looked her up and down with a self satisfied smile, "as am I, on the crossing to England..."

"Never..." I started, ready to leap on Ruddock and shove my hidden blade down his traitorous neck, even if it meant my death.
"Think that you could have her all to yourself, did you? Assassin."
"You will die if you so much as try to touch me," hissed Élise angrily.
"You don't have a say in the matter, Mademoiselle de la Serre."
"But I do," I took a step forwards, "you aren't worthy to kiss the ground at her feet."
"We will see," he sent me a smug grin, "Now, Élise comes with me or you all die."
"I'm going to kill you," seethed Élise, glaring at Ruddock with contempt.
"No, no you won't."
"You basta…" I began with a snarl.
"Please Mr Dorian, I want to hear it," interrupted Mr Weatherall, "I want to hear the lie when it slides down his forked tongue. The bounty isn't just for Élise is it? It's for her guardian and her lady's maid as well."
"I'm not leaving here empty handed so that you can come after me," stammered an agitated Ruddock.
"Take the letters and go Ruddock," I told him, "On my word I won't come after you."
His breathing grew louder and his shoulders rose. He gestured to Élise and Mr Weatherall, "But they will"
He looked from me to Élise and back, thinking that we were the only threats. He was wrong. I saw his plan at the same time Élise did, it was written in Ruddock's eyes. He was going to shoot Élise with the first shot, wounding her enough to keep her from the fight, shoot me with the second and then finish the others by sword. I glanced at Élise and she gave me a small smile as Ruddock raised his pistol at her. And then she threw herself to the ground as the pistol boomed.
The shot went wide and in a panic Ruddock turned his second gun on her, giving me an opening. As he was about to shoot, I leapt towards him, not caring if the second shot took my life, I had to stop him from harming Élise… and then a knife flung by Mr Weatherall caught him in the wrist, sending the gun flying out of his grasp. I crashed into Ruddock and slammed him up against the closed door in a choke hold. Anger filled me, this man had been saved by Élise not once, but twice, and this is how he repaid her. By attacking her and speaking of rape. I tightened my grip on the former Assassin as he grabbed at my arm in an attempt to free himself. It didn't work.
"Arno," Élise rose to her feet, "let him go, this is my fight."
"Fine," I let him go and shoved him back towards Élise.
I turned to see Élise draw her sword, and indicate to Ruddock to do the same. Ruddock backed towards the door but I blocked his way out and with a shake of my head sent him back towards Élise.
"Draw your sword." She told him, with a dangerous glint in her eyes.
Ruddock shook his head, "Mademoiselle Élise..."
"Draw your sword or do you forsake even that honour?" She told him with contempt, "How did one such as you become an Assassin? They must have been desperate indeed."
He glanced into her fury filled eyes as he drew his sword nervously. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. Against Élise he was helpless, against her he was a child, even with his Assassin training. With a half hearted roar he charged forwards, swinging his sword. Élise simply stepped forwards, deflected the blow to the side and thrust her blade at Ruddock. A look of incomprehension filled his eyes as he was stopped dead in his tracks, Élise's sword between his ribs. And just like that it was over.
"That is for my mother" said Élise as Ruddock dropped to his knees, blood pouring out of his wound.
His sword fell from his grasp and a moan came from his lips, before he toppled sideways and crashed to the floor of the lodge. The twenty year chase Élise had been on was over at last.

31 July 1794

i

Bonnaire sent word all too soon that the revolutionaries were stirring, preparing to march on the man who had been causing them so much trouble.
Xavier de Maximilien was a fool. Maximilien, ever the noble fool, had holed himself up in his small fortress within the heart of Paris and burnt the tricolore, the symbol of the revolution, from the safety of his battlements. It was as if he simply expected the nation to return to the old days where the noble class had lorded over the impoverished people with impunity. Those days were long gone. And now, thousands of revolutionaries were out for his blood. The problem was that Maximilien's fort was surrounded by a small moat, and had cannons overlooking every approach. The revolutionaries would get slaughtered at the gates, that is, unless they had help. And they had help, in the form of four of us, all Assassins, and the council had agreed that Xavier de Maximilien had to come to an end.

From our vantage point we saw the crowd of revolutionaries facing off against a small force of Maximilien's men, preparing themselves and waiting for an order to attack. This could have been dealt with peacefully, without any innocent casualties. And then the commander of Maximilien's force did an incredibly stupid thing, he let his fear of the revolutionaries get to him and he ordered his men to open fire on the crowd. We could only watch as a cry went up from the revolutionaries and then they charged the soldiers who had opened fire upon them.

As Maximilien's force broke and ran under the onslaught from the revolutionaries, we leapt down from the rooftops and sprinted our way to the front of the revolutionary force. I heard cannons boom and suddenly buildings all about us were exploding under the cannon shot. Men all about me were ripped to shreds under the fire and then we were at the gates of the fort itself.
But the drawbridge was still up.
"Bring the bridge down!" I called to two of my men, "and then get to Maximilien."
They nodded and ran at the moat, leapt over the waters and grabbed onto the wooden drawbridge beyond. I watched as they scurried up the bridge and as they passed the chains, draw their pistols and fire them at the very chains that held the bridge up.
In moments the drawbridge crashed down and we were in. The two Assassins, as instructed, flew up the walls to infiltrate the fort, while myself and the other Assassin went in with the revolutionaries.
I heard an order to fire from Maximilien's men and I dived to the side. Men all about me fell to the stone floor of the fort, never to rise again. And then we were amongst the enemy. I drew my sword with a flourish and grinned, a straight up melee against soldiers? This would be fun.
A soldier charged at me with his bayonet in his hands and a snarl upon his lips. I deflected the weapon to the side and sliced my sword across his chest. As he fell I turned to the side and rammed my blade into another soldier's side, saving a fallen revolutionary. I wove in to the fight, working side by side with my Assassin companion, his large axe a blur as we took down Maximilien's soldiers.
I deflected a sword with my own and returned with a stab of my hidden blade. Surprise contorted the man's face as he toppled to the ground in a heap. I heard a soldier coming at my back and twirled around, but my companion had already barreled him to the ground and buried his axe in the soldier's chest. I nodded my thanks and turned to see a soldier charge at my companion's exposed back. I moved to intervene, my blade coming up. And then the soldier crashed to the ground, a dart in his neck. I glanced up and saw that the other two Assassins were about to enter the fort through a high window, one of them was looking down at us, his phantom blade outstretched. I sent him a nod and my companion gave him a salute, before they were lost from sight as they entered the fort through the open window.

We had won the battle for the courtyard, but we still needed to breach the inner sanctum. If we let the revolutionaries breach the doors and charge in themselves, then without a doubt, Monsieur Maximilien would torch his power reserves and destroy everything within his fortress. That was not a gable I was willing to take.
"Follow me," I called to my companion, sheathing my sword and sprinting to the nearest wall. We climbed up the wall quickly, and in no time we reached the top. I lead my companion across the rooftop and glanced down into the inner sanctum. It was shrouded in smoke from an Assassin's smoke bomb. Good. I could hear the cried of Maximilien's men dropping like flies and I saw one of the Assassins draw his six barreled rotating pistol and heard it sound the death toll for four of Maximilien's men. By the time we reached the opposite side of the inner sanctum the smoke had cleared. The two Assassins stood facing off against Monsieur Maximilien and two of his own men. And Maximilien held an ignited botefeux, usually used to ignite cannon fuses, ready to set off the drums of gun powder behind him. It was a standoff. Well, it would have been, if two of us hadn't been on the roof of the fort directly above Maximilien. I nodded to my companion with a grin, "Let's take them."
My companion chuckled and together we activated out hidden blades and dropped towards our unsuspecting foes. I landed on top of my target and plunged my hidden blade into his neck as he crashed to the ground. I span as fast as I could and stood, my hidden blade at Maximilien's neck.
His life wasn't mine to take however. I gave the man a cocky smirk and then flexed my wrist, retracting my hidden blade. He looked at me in pure shock. And then I reached out my hand and smothered the flame on the botefeux. A look of terror crossed his face as the four of us turned and strode away, before scurrying up the nearest wall. We hadn't gone far when I heard the inner sanctum doors crash open the revolutionaries spill into the fort and capture Maximilien.
I pulled myself up onto the battlements beside my Assassin brothers with a smile, and gazed out over Paris as the sun went down, one less stupid fool on the streets, a good end to the day.

ii

I returned to the Assassin hideout and made my report to the awaiting Council, apparently Maximilien was set to be executed within the next few days.
"Alas, we are all but pieces in an ever changing game," said Bonnaire sadly, nodding to the other members of the council, "We have had some disturbing reports from Francaide. Reports that a band of rebels known as the Raiders have been searching the tombs of our former monarchs. It is only a matter of days before they start to dig."
Aha, Francaide. The visions from the Temple flashed before my eyes once more. I felt my blood chill at what had almost come to pass.
"Looters?"
"At first we thought that, but looters would have been in and out before we could stop them. No," Bonnaire shook his head, "We believe that they are searching for an artifact, much like the one you brought us."
"A piece of Eden?" I remembered one of the artifacts from my visions, this one in the shape of a sphere.
"Precisely," added Beylier, "this one we believe to be an Apple of Eden."
"The Apples of Eden are rumoured to contain the power of mind control, so we must not, we cannot let whoever is digging for the Apple find it," said Quemar with a frown. He did that a lot, frowning.
"Then we must get to it first," I stated, "the artifacts should not be meddled with."
"On that we agree," nodded Bonnaire, "that is why we would like you to retrieve it for us, so that we can keep it from the hands of men such as Germain."
"Of course," I nodded, the pieces of Eden had to be contained so that no innocent lives would be cut short, as had almost happened to Élise, "we have to avert this catastrophe while we still can."
"Our spies tell us that these so called Raiders will start digging before the week is out. As such you have three days before you must go," Bonnaire told me with a sad smile, "I am sorry that I must ask you for more when you have already lost so much. But three days is all that I can allow for you to recover from your fight with Germain."
"Then I had best prepare," I replied, "I swear to you that I will recover the artifact."
"I have no doubt that you will."
I bid my farewells to the other Masters and strode from the Council chamber, a new purpose in my mind. I had to get to the Apple before the Raiders did.
I chuckled as I strode from the hideout, wondering of how I would tell Élise of the mission to Francaide… No doubt she would want to come along, and I very much doubted that there was anything that I could say that would keep her in Saint-Cyr, I grinned, damn she was as stubborn as I was.

18 August 1794

i

Three weeks had passed since the death of Ruddock. And in those three weeks the part of Élise that had been broken inside had started to heal and she became full of happiness and was quick to laugh once again. My heart lifts at the thought of us being together, and this time never to be separated. Just to see her smile again makes me glad that all this had happened, that even though we had both had our share of pain we finally had a chance at a proper life.
In those three weeks we journeyed around France, taking the time to head to Francaide and root the Raiders out of the abandoned tombs of the old kings of France. As it turns out,Monsieur Philippe Rose, had been sent by Napoleon, but had deserted him in favour of a better reward for tracking down the Apple of Eden. After taking down the Raiders and eliminating Philippe Rose, I delivered the Apple back to the Assassin Council in Paris for safe keeping in the vaults.
Grand Master Julien Bonnaire eagerly accepted the Apple and stored it in the vaults of the Order, far from the reach of the prying eyes of any who would use it for evil. It was good to be rid of the artifact, especially after witnessing its true power in the tombs. I hoped that I would never see such power again; the pieces of Eden were things from Hell it appeared.
And a Templar, the Marquis de Pimôdan, had replied to Élise's letter and we were set to meet with him in a hotel, one, I am told, of his many establishments.

We met with the Templar in a large old house within Paris.
I stood with confidence, knowing that the forthcoming meeting was as vital for Élise as it was for me. I glanced at Élise and she smiled at me, and then the door was opened and he entered. The Marquis de Pimôdan was a long time supporter of the de la Serre family, and one of the few who had spoken out against the murder of Élise's father, François. As Élise told me, he had also saved her life five years ago when the Templars had laid a trap for her, although hesitantly.
Standing before us Pimôdan was dressed in a brown suit. A sword hung from his left hip and a Templar pin adorned his jacket. His hair was white as snow in winter.
"Élise" he said with a broad smile as he approached.
"Hello Pimôdan" she replied and embraced him.
He took her hand and planted a kiss upon it.
"Ah, I am glad that you managed to survive all these years alone Mademoiselle Élise"
Élise grinned, "As am I, although I wasn't alone Pimôdan." She gestured towards me, "I want you to meet my betrothed, Arno Dorian, a Master of the Assassin Brotherhood."
"An Assassin? Clearly times have changed…" the Marquis heaved a sigh, "and I suppose we must change with them."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Monsieur Pimôdan" I said and extended my right hand. "I understand I owe you a great deal for saving Élise's life all those years ago"
He clasped my hand firmly, "It is I who owes you, for ending the rein of that tyrant Germain. Your father was held in great respect by the Order, despite being an Assassin. My only regret is that I couldn't save Monsieur de la Serre from that monster Germain… Now to business, what can the Templars do for you?"
Something seemed off in his voice. It wasn't as sincere as it should have been and he had just extended his praise to me, an Assassin, long time enemy of the Templar Order.
"I want you to end Élise's death sentence. While it is still there she will never be safe." I replied, hiding the foreboding feeling.
"It is all ready done. As soon as I received word that Germain had fallen, I gathered all of the de la Serre supporters and abolished the death sentence."
Then I caught it, the thing that Pimôdan had hidden so well. His smile was forced, and his voice was a little too nervous.
"You have my thanks," said Élise, "However there is one thing more that I wish to discuss."
"Yes Mademoiselle?" he replied
"The third way. A way where both the Assassins and Templars could work together. The thing that both my parents and Mirabeau fought and died for. Is there a chance of peace between the Assassins and Templars? This pointless crusade that has lasted centuries needs to end." Élise looked at her supporter with hope in her eyes.
As she said it I realized that she must be remembering what she had been taught from her mother, Julie, and Jennifer Scott's letters from the American Templar Grand Master, Haytham Kenway.
The Marquis smiled at the pair of us, "Why Élise, with the death of Germain all your father's supporters have rallied and deposed Germain's regime. If you wish it you can rise back to your rightful place as Grand Master of the French Templars, and lead the Order how you see fit."
Élise nodded, "Do you know what? I believe I will accept. I spent so much time running from the duties of a Grand Master when my father died all those years ago, losing me the support of the Order. And I vow it will not happen again."
"Very good, I shall inform the Order" replied Pimôdan, bowing, "Grand Master de la Serre."
His tone had something new in it now. Mockery. It was a trick. I nudged Élise and gripped my sword.
Élise glanced back at me, at last seeing through the emptiness of his words. Her mouth started to form words when Pimôdan's eyes flickered behind us.
"And may the Father of Understanding guide you" came a voice form the back of the room.
I glanced at Élise and watched as her hand went to her sword.

He stepped forwards, clapping. The robes of high ranking Templar, albeit an English one, adorned his body. He sported a short beard and cropped hair, both white as snow. He appeared to be around fifty years old.
"You" spat Élise, her voice suddenly full of venom, "You coward Pimôdan."
"My allegiance was to your father Mademoiselle de la Serre, not to you."
Élise turned her glare to the new comer, recognizing him. "Why can't you leave me alone. It was five years ago."
A mirthless laugh, "You remember me then do you?"
I drew my sword and stepped beside Élise, ready to defend her.
"Monsieur," I asked, "Might you give me the courtesy of giving me your name?"
Another laugh, "You might ask Mademoiselle de la Serre that, after all, she did kill my daughter five years ago."
Ah, so this was May Carroll's father.
"Monsieur Ruddock sends his regards." I said with a smirk. The devil in me.
"So you did run into our… Mutual friend then. I was starting to wonder why he hadn't been in contact," he gave a patronizing smile, one that was favoured by posh English types, "A loose end, no longer needing to be tied."
The honourless bastard.
"What are you doing here?" interrupted Élise.
"Guiding my French brothers back on the correct course" he said, stepping beside Pimôdan.
"And what course would that be?"
I looked around the dark room more carefully and saw six shadows materialize above us and drop from the eaves. None of them wore the Templar emblem on their coats. They weren't from the Order, lucky us; six Templar trained men would have proved a challenge. They moved to surround us.
"There are those within the Order that have been… swayed by your father's treacherous views on peace with the Assassins," Mr Carroll told us with a patronizing smile, "And now you wish to bring those peace talks back, at a time when weak men are leading your Order. That is something that I cannot allow Miss de la Serre." He stepped towards us, "There can be no peace."
The six men drew their swords and moved to surround us.
"You are wrong," I spat, preparing myself for the fight.
"Kill us without cause and the French Order will come after you," glared Élise as she saw the men moving to attack, "It is considered treacherous to attack a peacemaker."
"But Mademoiselle de la Serre," cut in Pimôdan with a malevolent smirk, "Even with our Order's vast resources we will unfortunately not be able to find your killers."
"Think carefully about this Monsieur Carroll," I added, "You have no right to attack us unprovoked."
"Ah, but you see, I acted in self defense," and with that he rammed a knife into the Marquis' back. "And because you just murdered a member of the Templar Order."
"No…" Élise breathed as Pimôdan slumped to the floor, blood pouring out from his wound. We stood back to back now, swords raised. The six new arrivals encircled us within a ring of steel and looked to their leader for his assent. I glanced down at the fallen Templar. With the death of Pimôdan at 'our' hands, the French Order would indeed be after us.
"You know, May was my wife's pride and joy," Mr Carroll told us, no longer smiling, "She loved her more than life itself."
I knew what was coming next and saw Mr Carroll's fingers whiten with strain around his sword hilt.
"After you murdered May, she lost reason to live and killed herself shortly after you escaped us in that tavern."
"I'm sorry." replied Élise, watching her enemy carefully.
"No. No you're not," he thundered, his expression murderous, "Don't you even dare think about lying to my face."
"You're right, I'm not sorry," replied Élise with a deadly smirk, "Not after she tried to kill me and crippled my mentor with her little gun."
"I'm going to enjoy watching you suffer before you die," he shot back, a combination of grief and triumph in his eyes, "I want you to remember how you killed May. She had her back turned to you, and yet, you shoved your sword in to the back of her neck like it was nothing."
"Oh yes?" shot Élise with a smirk, "It was the six of you onto two of us, and you wanted May to duel me? She gave me an opening and I took it. In my position you would have done the same."
"Don't you even dare try to make her the villain" roared a furious Mr Carroll.
There was no escape now.
"One day soon I will have your life." I told the Templar with a withering glare.
"Enough of this," spat Mr Carroll, "I want the red headed bint alive. Kill the Assassin."

I spun around and stood back to back with Élise, watching as three men came towards me while the others moved on Élise. Not good odds. I slowed my breathing and took up position, feet apart, center balanced. I remembered everything Bellec had taught me, "The fight begins with the mind, Pisspot" he would say, "and most battles end with the first blow". It was all about moving first and without a second thought I leapt towards the first man and shoved my sword into his chest. The man looked down at his wound in shock, not having expected an attack. I kept my momentum going, spinning as I pulled my blade free and taking the second man's feet out from under him with an out flung leg. As he dropped to the floor I flicked my wrist and my hidden blade erupted from its sheath and raised it just in time to block the third man's attack. As his blade was deflected aside I pushed back to full height and punched my sword into his throat. I rose; leveling my pistol at the man I had kicked over, and glanced at the scene around me. Two men were dead, the third groaning on the floor with my pistol pointing at his face. I looked over my shoulder and saw Élise swiftly gut her last opponent and step towards a horrified Mr Carroll.
The 'fight' was all over before it had properly begun.
"You will need more than six hired thugs, Monsieur." Élise told Mr Carroll with a confident smirk.
And then his horrified expression changed. It turned into a triumphant smile as he whistled before fleeing from the room, slamming the wooden door behind him. I heard the door lock, we were trapped.
"What now?" I grimaced, glancing at Élise who frowned. I drew back the curtains and peered out the large windows. Eight more of the Carroll's men stood on the far balcony and as I watched, raised their muskets towards us.
"Get down!" I shouted and threw myself at Élise.
We crashed to the ground as the air was filled with the thunderclap of firing muskets. The windows shattered all along the side of the building and glass rained down on us. Fragments of wood and glass cascaded around the room as the musket shot cracked into the floor all about us. Smoke wafted through the destroyed windows and blanketed our attackers in a grey mist. I looked at Élise and saw that like me, she was unscathed. The attacker on the ground however, wasn't so lucky and lay with a horrified expression as he bled out in front of us. I rolled to my feet and sprinted towards the door, Élise just in front. With a crack she kicked the door open and charged outside into the hallway. I heard the sounds of steel on steel as I barreled out of the room and saw Élise fiercely fighting two more attackers. She dispatched one with a cut to the throat while I took the second with a stab from my hidden blade. I looked down the stairs to the ground floor. Nothing. I shared a glance with Élise, it was clearly a trap. She shook her head, and we moved toward the far room on the second floor instead.

"I can't believe it," swore Élise as we strode into the room, "I knew Pimôdan was a coward but this goes beyond him."
I shut the door and set the locking bar in place, before nodding my agreement, "They will have men on the street and it won't be long before they try their chances again."
Élise looked around the plain room, waving her arms, exasperated, "I won't just sit here and wait for them to attack."
I glanced at the small window at the back of the room, "We may not have to wait," I jogged over to the window and shot a quick glace outside, "It's clear this way."
The sound of the hotel doors being kicked inwards came from downstairs, "We don't have much of a choice do we?"
I grinned back at Élise, "None."
And as the thudding of soldiers bounding up the stairs drew closer, we barreled out the window and onto the rooftops.

ii

We flew over the tiled rooftops live wraiths, hardly slowing even when we needed to leap to the next building. Behind us the Carroll's men had breached the room and were taking shots at us in the hopes that they might score a hit. They didn't. I nearly laughed; trying to hit a moving target at fifty paces was like trying to melt snow in winter. One of them tried to follow us but missed the first jump and plunged down into the street below. The fool. Without missing a step I leapt a chasm that opened before us and hit the next roof with a roll.
"This reminds me of that time in Versailles" Élise called from behind me with a chuckle.
I glanced back at Élise and laughed at the memory of us trying to get over the chateau wall as children. I grinned, only Élise could make us sprinting over rooftops, being chased by gunmen seem like a game.
"I seem to recall you wearing a dress back then"
Élise let loose another laugh, "It is indeed much easier without one."
With a grin I looked down at the street running parallel to us. Four of the Carroll's men were running through the street. They hadn't seen us yet, good. All too soon I heaved a sigh of relief at not being caught.
And then the lead gunman looked up and with a surprised look gestured towards us with a shout.
"Élise! They've seen us!"
I swore as we shot along the tiled roof, glancing back as the men raised their muskets towards us.
"Follow me!" called Élise, and sprinted passed me.
She pelted towards the next gap in the rooftops and leapt into it, grabbed the edge of the opposite roof and dropped down to the street. As I leapt into the gap our pursuers fired. With a crack a red haze erupted around me and I felt something punch into the bicep my left arm. Shit. Putting aside the pain I grabbed the opposite rooftop. I bit aside a shout as my arm screamed, and followed Élise into the street below.
I grunted as I landed and grabbed my wounded arm. More pain washed over me but I put it aside. Élise ran over to me and saw the blood,
"Arno! Are you alright?"
"It's just a scratch" I told her and tried to grin. It failed.
She pushed my right hand aside and inspected my injury, "You're lucky," she said with pursed lips, "The shot went the whole way through."
I pulled off my red scarf and she tied it around my arm to stop the bleeding.
"We'd best get out of here" she said with a glance down the alley.
And then the four men rounded the corner. Too late. I made to draw my sword but Élise stepped in front of me and drew her own blade.
"I have this" she told me, before facing the oncoming threat.

The men tossed aside their empty firearms and drew their own wicked blades before advancing on Élise in single file. The first man leered towards us as he saw Élise and laughed. A woman bearing a sword? God forbid. And she was alone. Sensing an easy target he attacked Élise with a malevolent smile. His mistake. He swung his sword at her, and I watched as Élise nimbly danced aside, before slicing her own blade across his now exposed chest. Élise strode passed the dying man and killed the next in two moves, blocking his sword and then plunging her own through his ribs. Élise shouldered him to the ground and took on the third man. She fought like a demon and within seconds she stood facing her final opponent, barely panting. He stood facing Élise, mouth open in shock. Moments before he and his companions had cornered a woman and an injured man, easy targets. Now he stood alone, his sword wavering as a raging Élise stood before him looking like a demon. His mouth with still shaped like an O when Élise ran him through.
"That was quick" I called to her as she cleaned her sword on the dead man and sheathed it.
She nodded, "We had best get back to the lodge."
Together we made our way onto the street in search of the nearest stables; horses were faster than carriages after all.
And nearly ran into another group of the Carrolls hired thugs.
The shout went up and they turned towards us, drawing a variety swords and pistols from their belts. At least three of the seven men had pistols, not good odds, so we ran.
We sprinted down the winding streets and alleys, pushing through crowds of people, and headed towards the nearby stables. I glanced back and saw that the men were still on our tail and realized that the only reason that we hadn't been gunned down was because there were too many people in the way to get a clear shot.
Élise drew her sword as we got caught in a particularly thick crowd and gave it a twirl above her head, "Get out of the way," she cried, prompting screams from every direction.
"She's got a sword!"
"Watch what you're doing ya bint!"
And many other unsavory calls followed us as we dashed through the widening gap in the crowd.
"Arno!" Élise gestured towards the closed doors of the stables with her sword.
I looked behind and saw that three of our pursuers were using the gap we had created to level their guns towards us, while the other four charged at us, swords out and snarling at their prey.
"Get to the stables!" I shouted to Élise and drew my sword with my good hand, and my pistol with my injured one.
As I ran towards the closed wooden doors, I span back, leveling my pistol at the closest pursuer, now barely fifteen paces behind, and pulled the trigger. The man staggered backwards before clutching his gut and falling to the muddy ground in a bloody heap. I raced back towards the stables and saw Élise kick the stable doors open and knock a cursing stable hand to the ground.
"Sorry," she cried, before turning back to face me, and drawing her pistol, "Come on! I'll cover you!"
I ran for all I was worth, the stables ever so close now. And then one of my pursuers caught up. I heard the thud of his footsteps and whirled around, blade flashing. My sword caught his just in time. Lucky Arno. I deflected his sword and aimed a high kick to his chest. It connected and he flew back into the next man, sending them sprawling. As I sprinted to the horses, I saw Élise trying to get a clean shot over my shoulder from the back of her ebony mount. Damn it, the next man was almost upon me. The fourth attacker reached me as I reached my own mount and this one cried out as my blade found his exposed throat. I heaved myself up into the saddle, as I heard Élise's pistol boom, taking out one of the final three gunmen.
"Go." I shouted as I pulled myself up onto the back of my horse, a brown stallion, and with a crack of the reins we were off.
Our attackers fired off a half hearted volley at their escaping prey, but it went wide by a mile, and then we were in the clear, on course to Saint-Cyr.

iii

We rode hard and fast, pushing our mounts as hard as we dared, but they weren't warhorses and had begun to tire quickly from the relentless pace. Monsieur Carroll would send men after us, of that I had no doubt. We would have been about halfway between Paris and Saint-Cyr when we became aware of a pursuit, aha, so we had been followed after all. We kept riding but all too soon we heard the thundering of hooves. Our pursuers had clearly brought good mounts, and not just the everyday ones we had taken from the stables in Paris, no, they rode proper warhorses. They gained on us fast, the dust cloud that rose above them came closer and closer and finally we decided they had followed us far enough. I glanced ahead and saw a forest open up before us, good, here was something we could use.
"This way," I called to back Élise and spurred my mount towards the tree line.
We rode a ways into the forest and at last I pulled up the reins and brought my mount to a halt. I glanced back they way we had come and saw our pursuers break into groups, clearly they were planning to ambush us in the forest. I looked down at my horse as he shook beneath me. I ran a hand down his powerful neck. The message was clear, he was exhausted. I looked to Élise as she pulled up beside me,
"We have to take them before our horses are too far gone to be of use."
Élise nodded before replying, "ride on ahead, I'll hit them from behind."
And that was that, it was as good a plan as any and with a smile to Élise, I nudged my tired mount back into a canter and rode further into the foliage.
I hadn't gone far when I heard the pursuit again; the pounding of hooves, the cracking of branches and a shout as the men following caught sight my tracks and galloped towards my position. I drew my sword and turned to face them, and there I waited, sitting upright in the saddle of my stationary mount, gazing down the track.
"One last effort, hey?" I whispered to my horse, petting his neck.
I heard a cry and the sound of hooves grew louder, it was almost time.
And then they rounded the corner and I spurred my horse into action, kicking its flanks and charging towards my snarling foes with a cry.

The first rider came at me with a savage sneer, and swung his outstretched sword towards me. I leaned low over my saddle, ducking as the swing whistled over my head, and at the same time sliced my own sword across my attacker's stomach. I didn't spare him a second glance as he toppled from his saddle and crashed to the ground in a bloody heap, and then the second rider was upon me. I pulled back on the reins, causing my mount to rear as I raised my sword. As my mount went back to all fours I deflected a blow that would have stabbed through my ribs and returned with an attack of my own. My attacker blocked, once, twice and then my third blow smashed through his defense and opened his throat. Blood erupted from his wound and splashed over my face, and then I spurred my horse into a gallop, shooting back through the trees.

I lead our pursuers on a dance through the forest, winding my way through the trees, down steep tracks and even through a small river. I urged my mount up the far bank and spurred him back into a gallop through the trees. Even with my evading, my attackers were gaining. I ducked a low branch and then my cheek flared in pain as another overhanging branch lashed across my face. I felt a tendril of blood slide down my cheek from the wound. I ignored it and glanced about for my pursuers… They had to be close behind now. And then one of them erupted from the foliage in front of me. Damn it, they must have sent someone to cut me off. Steel rang as I engaged him, every moment that we fought brought the rest of my pursuers closer... I had to end this.
And then he was just too slow to raise his sword in time to block a lightning fast slash I sent his way. My blow flashed across his exposed chest and he fell from his horse with a shout as he went to meet his maker. I turned back down the track in time to see two more opponents come at me, one from either side. Shit.
I traded blows with them, using both my sword and hidden blade, but I had been trained to fight on foot, while these were obviously well trained cavalrymen. I was falling back, defending desperately, and there were at least three men left behind my two attackers... My arm started to ache from the bullet shot I had received in Paris, and I felt fresh blood start to pour as the wound reopened. Damn it, where was Élise?

And then she erupted from the trees and charged onto the track, her sword swinging and pistol crackling as it fired. One of the men I was engaging took the pistol shot to his chest and was thrown to the ground with a gaping hole in his jacket. Élise charged her horse into another opponent and rained down blows upon the poor man, he didn't last two seconds. I used the distraction to quickly bring down my last attacker with a lunge that speared him in the heart. And then it was us, me and Élise, against two final opponents.
I shared a grin with Élise and then together we charged towards our pursuers. The fight was all over in moments, the two men were clearly still recovering from the shock of having their companions sent to their graves, when just minutes before they had had me on the ropes and about to be overwhelmed.
I turned to Élise as the last of our attackers toppled from his mount and gave her a smile,
"Well that was..." I searched for a word, and then remembered the fight in Germain's workshop years ago. The same word I had used then sprang to mind and I grinned, "Bracing."
Élise sheathed her cutlass and laughed, "That it was..."
"There may well be more of them," I said seriously, gesturing towards on of our fallen foes.
"Well then, we had best wait for a while and find out. It will give us some time to rest the horses, they are damn close to dropping."
I nodded and we dismounted, leading our mounts to a small clearing in the forest and tied the reins around a fallen tree. I plonked myself down on the log and closed my eyes with a sigh; a rest would do us all good. Élise joined me and after a few moments nudged my side,
"I'm sorry Arno, this whole mess is my fault."
"No," I replied, "no its not. The blame lays with Monsieur Carroll and that traitor, Pimôdan."
"I honestly thought that Mr Carroll had given up on his revenge years ago. I have spent the last five years watching for a knife in the shadows, and until Ruddock turned on us, the last attack had been over four years ago."
"Nothing to be done about it now," I told her, a smile spreading across my lips, "and now they will have to go through us both, something that I doubt even a high ranking Templar with his Majesty's ear will be able to accomplish."
Élise laughed and gripped my hand, "You know, I am really glad that you are here, Arno."
"I know," I grinned back and pulled Élise to her feet, "We had best be getting back now, any further pursuit would have caught up by now."
Élise nodded back to me, and mounted her horse once more, "whatever the case, the Templars will pay for this."

iv

"That gutless coward" spat a raging Mr Weatherall from his chair with a darkening glint in his eyes.
The five of us had gathered once again in the main room, and Élise and myself had just told them about Pimôdan's betrayal.
"I had hoped that with the death of Germain, Pimôdan would remember his old loyalties," started Élise sadly, "I was wrong."
I looked to Élise and saw anger flare in her eyes. She had always been as quick to anger as she was to laugh, and I saw what was coming next.
"I hate them all," she hissed venomously, "Pimôdan, Ruddock, the Carrolls, hell, I hate the Templars for everything they have done... They took my family from me, tried to take away everything I loved and now this?"
"Listen to yourself Élise," called Mr Weatherall sternly, "the Templars aren't to blame for this. Yes, they have shades of grey, I'll admit as much, but this was the work of that bastard Carroll and you know it."
Élise was shaking now, the weight of it all catching up on her. I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and opened my mouth to speak, but she continued.
"I was raised to become Grand Master, my parents believed that I could bring a change to the outdated traditions within the Order, by leading them in a way of my own choosing," she gestured around the room exasperated, "It all worked out rather grand didn't it."
"You would have made your parents proud if they were still here girl," said Mr Weatherall quietly, "you brought down the rogue elements within the Order, and yes, while that bastard Pimôdan went traitor, that doesn't mean that the whole bloody Order did."
"I'm having a hard time believing that right now."
"Believe me, Élise, the Order won't know about it."
"He's right," I added, looking into Élise's eyes, "the Templars aren't to blame for this."
Élise took a deep breath and nodded, "So what can we do?"
"First things first, Élise," replied Mr Weatherall, "were you followed?"
"That we were Monsieur," I began, "however we set a trap and caught our pursuers before they could tail us here."
"Are you sure that you got all of them?" he was leaning forwards on his chair now, hands tight around the arm rests.
"Yes," I thought for a few moments, "Yes, I'm sure that we took down every last one of them."
Mr Weatherall nodded thoughtfully, "Be that as it may, we cannot take any risks by staying here. It's only a matter of time before they track us."
"We need to end this before our relations with the French Order are all but destroyed," said Élise with a frown, "And to do that we need to get a passage to London, where no doubt Mr Carroll will be on course for as we speak."
"Blimey girl, and who would we have to support us in England?" said Mr Weatherall incredulously, "The Templars over there want us dead. Who would we turn to for help? The Assassins?"
"If I must turn to them again, then yes, I will go to the Assassins."
"No, that wouldn't work," I told them sadly, "Even with the support of the French Brotherhood, my English brothers would refuse to aid us. Their relations with the Templars have been all but destroyed, something to do with an American turncoat called Shay Cormac a decade back. No, they would not help us because you are a Templar"
"Then what can we do? We have no support from anywhere Élise, and all my contacts have dried up," added Mr Weatherall shaking his head slowly, "We are in no position to take on the English Order singlehandedly."
"But we won't be alone. I know someone who can help." Élise said with half a smile, "Someone who lives in London. Someone with contacts in both the Assassin and Templar orders"
"Aye, and who might that me Mademoiselle?"
"You may remember a Miss Jennifer Scott, daughter of the renowned pirate turned Assassin, Edward Kenway, sister to former Templar Grand Master Haytham Kenway, and if what I hear is true, aunt to the newly minted American Assassin Grand Master."
"But can we expect much help from her Élise? She made it well clear that she wanted nothing to do with the Assassins and Templars anymore." Mr Weatherall frowned.
"I have been keeping in correspondence with her for the last five years, and I believe she will help us."
"But do you trust her?"
"I do Monsieur, with my life."
Mr Weatherall heaved a great sigh, as if debating the idea, "What is your opinion on the matter, Arno"
I nodded thoughtfully, "I'm with Élise on this, after all, we have no one else and what do we have to lose?"
"You're right lad, but we could all be putting our necks on the line for this."
"You said yourself that we can't stay here."
"I don't like it and I won't be able to give you much help," Mr Weatherall said sadly, indicating his missing leg, "Not with this."
"The French Assassins would take you all in if I asked, while I am gone with Élise" I told him, "That is, if you don't mind taking refuge with your former enemies. And you would be safe with them."
"I have fought the Assassins my whole life, Arno, it wouldn't be right."
"What other option do we have?" added Élise, a desperate look on her face.
"None of you would come to harm, I can promise you that Monsieur" I said, almost pleading.
Mr Weatherall laughed, "Who would have thought of the bloody day that Freddie Weatherall sought refuge with the Assassins… I don't have much of a choice do I? And I can't stop you two from going to London."
"No chance of that Monsieur" I replied with a grin.
"Alright," he nodded, "I'll make peace with your Assassins, Arno. But I won't for one minute trust them." "That will have to do." I nodded slowly.
"We had best get moving," said Élise, "It's a long way from Saint-Cyr to Calais and then further still to Dover and London."
"All be well, we should be in London within two days."
Élise smiled at me, "That's about it."
"We had better write to our friends, the Templars," said Mr Weatherall thoughtfully, "letting them know that it was that bastard Carroll who killed Pimôdan. I can get a message to them before the day is out."
"Aye, but would they believe us? Forgive me, but none of us are on the best terms with the French Order" I replied.
"I have wood beneath my arms but not in my head boy," he smiled, "I'll use a code name like Lafrenière did all those years ago."
"It is a good plan," said Élise with a nod.
"And one more thing," Mr Weatherall glanced at the pair of us before growling, "Make sure you get the bastards who took my damned leg."
"We will Monsieur" I assured him with a nod, before turning to the door, "I'll go and see to our transportation."
And a few short hours later we had left the school behind, Jacques, Hélène and Mr Weatherall on route to Paris with a letter from me to Grand Master Bonnaire, while I sat with Élise in another carriage bound for the port town of Calais.

v

We arrived in Calais just as the sun was setting, giving the small city an eerie look. Lamplighters rushed about and slowly lit Calais in a dim light, adding to its dank look. There were a few birds flying around the docks, squabbling for scraps. I stepped out of our carriage and gave a wary look around, checking the shadows for the cut throats and rapists that plagued Calais. Élise dropped down beside me and plonked her tricorn on her head. The coachman handed me our trunks, packed with clothes and some of our more important trinkets. I buckled my sword back around my waist and took the time to delve into my purse and retrieve the coins for the coachman, who took them with a greedy glint in his eye and swiftly pocketed them, before bidding us farewell and heading back down the road towards Paris.
I looked down the nearest street. A brawl erupted in front of a tavern that stood a small ways from us, "Charming place" I muttered, glancing towards the men fighting in a drunken haze.
Élise nodded, "Unfortunately we need to barter a passage to Dover from here…" she stopped as one of the brawlers was given a swift kick to the behind and sent on his way down the street, "And I know just the place to find a ship."

Now, Élise had told me often about her journey from Calais to Dover, but hadn't told me yet that she, along with Hélène, had nearly, very nearly, been captured by rapists in Calais five years ago. Lucky for the survivor that she hadn't told me yet.
We slowly made our way done the street and Élise lead me to the nearest tavern. The sign above the door had no name, but bore a set of antlers instead. Let's call it the Antlers. Élise lead me towards the door with a smile and then we entered. The Antlers was well lit with candles and smelt of dried sweat and alcohol. The patrons however, didn't seem to mid the smell and happily kept drinking and talking amongst themselves. A few heads turned towards us as we entered, and to my annoyance many of their gazes lingered on Élise. She didn't seemed phased however as she looked around the room, peering into every corner until she found what she was looking for. At the far end of the room sat three men talking in hushed tones, they hadn't noticed us yet.
"Wait here," said Élise innocently, with a look that said trouble was brewing, "I have something to settle with one of those men."
"Alright, I'll just wait here then shall I?" I chuckled as she gave me a wink, before pulling up a chair at an empty table and watched as Élise walked purposefully towards the three men.
If I had known exactly who the man in the middle was at this stage, I would have been leaping over tables to get to him and shove my sword in his fat gut.
But I just watched with a bemused smile as Élise strode confidently up to the seated men and pulled off her tricorn. The men looked up at her with smug grins, looking her up and down suggestively, before the middle one started, "And what's a fine thing like you doing in a place like…" his grin changed into something like shock, "YOU!"
"Hello again," said Élise with a cocky grin, "I see you remember me Monsieur. Now, if you wouldn't mind stepping outside for a moment there is something that we need to discuss about what you tried five years ago."
He roared with laughter, and I suddenly felt sorry for the fool.
"And why would I do that, when we can enjoy your lovely company in here where it's warm." He looked her up and down suggestively again, and then noticed her cutlass, "Ah, I see you have a real sword this time. Luckily for you, we can take it off your hands."
"I think not Monsieur," she said sweetly, indicating the tavern door, "I'll ask again, would you mind stepping outside for a moment."
"You know what? I've had quite enough of your kind lording us over. And as I hear, your days ruling us are done."
So he had noticed her well made clothes after all, they could have only belonged to a nobleman, or noblewoman as it were.
The middle man looked around Élise and saw no one. He laughed mirthlessly again, "You seem to have come without a guardian this time."
He stood and his two friends followed his lead, stepping round the table towards Élise. I watched, ready to leap up at a moment's notice. He glanced at Élise as she warningly placed a hand on the hilt of her sword.
"Oh, looky here! The Mademoiselle thinks she can handle a sword. What do you plan on doing with that then?" the man chuckled with a sarcastic grin.
"I was planning to cut some bread, Monsieur," she replied sarcastically, before turning her gaze upon the man, "but now as it turns out, I'm not too sure about what to cut anymore."
"Is that a threat?" Middle Man bellowed with mirthless laughter, "Now, about our 'business' five years ago… It got interrupted, but it won't this time my lovely."
The three men laughed while Élise watched with a passive expression that shouted that she was about to act. One of the men reached towards her, a leer on his face.
Élise slapped his groping hand away, "Don't. Don't even try to touch me."
The man laughed and looked about the room, "Oh, and who's going to stop me?"
"Look. You're drunk Monsieur, so I'll forgive you for your rudeness this once. Now be so kind enough to leave this establishment," she warned him and I knew that tone well, he would not be warned again.
He reached out again with a smirk and Élise dropped her left hand to her sword. As his eyes followed the movement she stepped forwards and smashed her right elbow into his nose. It broke with a crack and with a grunt he toppled backwards and lay on the tavern floor, groaning with blood pouring down his chin. The bubble of voices stopped and heads turned towards Élise and the two men she still faced.
"Well well, you're a lively one then ain't you?" said Middle Man again with a smirk. He drew a knife, "Now, I'll be having that sword of yours."
Élise shook her head before turning to his accomplice, "I have no quarrel with you Monsieur, only with your… friend here."
He glanced at Élise and chuckled, "Who do you think you are, ya bint? You don't give orders around here no more."
"My name is Élise de la Serre of Versailles," she spoke loudly, glancing around the room, before pointing at Middle Man, "And that man tried to rape me five years ago."

My heart lurched and my blood ran cold. Anger boiled within me and I rose to my feet, my hand going to my sword. I was going to kill that bastard if it was the last thing I ever did. I started to draw my sword and stepped towards the confrontation.
"Stay back Arno," called Élise, sensing my movement, "This is my fight."
I glared at Middle Man and reluctantly did as she asked, not trusting myself to speak.
Middle Man glanced over at me, "Got you by the balls has she?"
I glared back at the man, no, not man, scum. It took all my strength to restrain myself from killing the bastard where he stood, from plunging my blade so far down his throat that he would have a second spine. Even still, my hand stayed on my sword hilt, fingers clamped firmly around it.
"This is your final chance Monsieur, I will ask you again to please step outside," Élise said forcefully.
Middle Man drew a knife from his belt before giving Élise a wicked smile, "I'm going to enjoy this and then I'm going to enjoy the pleasure of your company a while."
"I rather think not." And with that Élise stepped towards Middle Man's friend. She faked a left jab and as he moved to counter it, sent a blindingly fast right hook to his chin. He flew back into the wall and crashed to the ground in a groaning heap. Two down.
Middle Man glanced at Élise with fright for the first time, his smile wavered as she drew her sword with a flourish, and unlike five years ago she had been practicing every day. This time she knew how to use it properly. And Middle Man had noticed, fear was creeping into his eyes.
"I ain't done nothing wrong" he stammered, "This red haired bint just attacked me…" he looked around for support but no one moved to help. Unlucky him.
Élise glared at Middle Man, an amused smile upon her lips, "Well we red haired bints do have a habit for paying their debts. You didn't just call me a red haired bint did you? I hear that they don't like that very much Monsieur." Élise looked around and noticed that no one in the Antlers had moved to help Middle Man. She grinned, "No friends left I see. Now the world knows you for what you truly are without your little body guards" she looked him up and down, her face full of scorn and smirked, "a coward."
"I'm no coward," he said with a fake smile and tried to laugh. He failed miserably.
"I want you to remember everything you have done Monsieur. Every sin you have committed for your own greed without a care for anyone around you. Every woman you have touched and every life you have ruined. Know that I would gladly take your life just for that, but the fact remains, you tried to rape me and a dear friend of mine." Élise pointed her sword at him and the last of his confidence fled.
Middle Man glanced around Élise and made a move to get passed her and into the clear, but it was his last mistake. As he ran to pass her, Élise swung her blade, cleaving him from hip to shoulder and sending him crashing to the ground in a bloody heap. Élise sheathed her sword with a sly grin, "Well… That settles that."
Élise walked up to the counter and tossed the barman a coin purse, "Sorry about the mess Monsieur."
He simply nodded back to her, a frightened look on his face. She glanced over at me as I joined her, before speaking to the man again, "Now would you be so kind as to give me the directions to a Captain Byron Jackson? I require a passage to Dover."

vi

Less than an hour later we were under way, on course for Dover. We stood aboard Byron Jackson's ship, the Granny Smith, a small, fast ship known as a schooner, which as it turns out, he used for smuggling. Perfect for a pair of fugitives in need to get to the main port of England. The ship was lit with torches tied to the railings around the vessel, giving it a bright look and making it easy to navigate. Byron Jackson himself was a remarkable man. He was an Englishman masquerading as a Frenchman and was somewhere in between a rogue and a gentleman with a knack for getting things done. Just the kind of man we needed. He strode about his vessel at easy in his black breeches and white shirt. His long brown coat was neatly folded on a pile of crates nearby to where I sat with Élise on deck. Élise had told me that he was the man who had saved herself and Hélène from the rapists all those years ago, a fact that gained him my complete trust.
"We should be coming up on Dover within an hour, if the weather keeps clear," the smuggler called to us with a smile, "Monsieur Arno, up for a little sparring?"
I grinned back at him, stepping to my feet, "Alright Captain, let's see what you're made of."
Élise grinned and rose to her feet, and leaned against a stack of crates, "Oh, this should be good"
My sword sang as I drew it and turned to face Byron Jackson as he twirled his blade expertly. I span my own sword around a few times before moving into my fighting crouch. Feet apart, center lowered, blade up. We moved at the same time and I sent a flurry of blows his way, each blow being blocked. Not long after that I soon discovered that Byron Jackson was indeed an expert swordsman, and it took all my concentration to keep him at bay. Our blades clashed together again and again, neither of us gaining an advantage. We were evenly matched in skill and endurance, tiring at the same time. We finally panted, breathless and laughing at our stalemate. I grinned and lunged towards him, and once again we were locked in an even duel. I unleashed a combination of moves but he had an answer for all of them. We wove around the deck of the vessel, our steel blades ringing when they came together in a clash. I watched his eyes carefully, trying to see what he would do next, but his expression revealed nothing. And then I saw it, his middle didn't move when he lunged, he was going to turn the attack into a diagonal slash. I leaned back as the move came and deflected his sword to the deck where it stuck and I pointed my blade to his chest. And just like that I had won.
He laughed and gave an exasperated wave, "By God, how did you see that coming?"
"You tensed your middle when you lunged, showing me that you were not going to follow through with the attack, but rather, change it into a cut."
He nodded his thanks; I had probably saved his life in a future battle. "I'll be sure to fix that problem... But bloody hell you can fight Arno, I've never seen someone that good with a blade before, except maybe Élise."
"I had a good teacher Monsieur," I told him, "Your own mentor must have been equally as good though, I know only a few people who could put up that kind of a fight."
"My mentor was an old drunk bastard," Byron replied with a chuckle, "But a good man."
Élise walked over to us, "Well, it would appear that some of his other 'interests' have rubbed off on you," she said with a grin, indicating the pile of empty wine skins laying about the deck of the schooner.
Byron threw his hands up in mock outrage, "This is what I get for offering the Mademoiselle passage to Dover?" he responded sarcastically, "What have I done to deserve this cruel fate?"
"Offer me a passage, Monsieur" equally sarcastic.
We all laughed and Byron took a swig from his wine skin, "So, are you on another one of your secret 'assignations' in London again, Mademoiselle?"
"I wasn't on a 'secret assignation' Byron," said Élise with an exasperated grin, "But we do have business with the Carroll family in London, you may have heard of them."
Byron whistled, "Of course I've heard of that family, right lot of arrogant pricks if you ask me. This business you have with them, is it good or bad?"
"Let's just say that we owe them a debt that must be repaid." I told him with a slight smile.
"You'd best be careful then" he said, serious now. "They have powerful friends"
"Yes, we know that they have a lot of influence with some high ranking nobles, as it were" Élise told him confidently, "However, we do not fear them."
"Aye, but have you heard of their new protégé?"
"Protégé?" I asked, with a glance at Élise.
"Ah, I thought not," Byron chortled, "His name is James Gabrielle, but around these parts he is simply known as the Black Hand."
"Flamboyant" Élise smirked with a chuckle.
Byron shot her a small grin, "He is a bounty hunter of high status, who inspires fierce loyalty from those under his command. If the rumors are true than he used to be a Captain in the Royal Navy, and a fine one at that. But it's not his keen mind that he has become renowned for, it's his swordsmanship. And…" he stopped and gave us a baleful look.
"Tell us what you know" I implored, leaning forwards.
"And his brutality. There were reports that he massacred hundreds of innocent people in Havana, just to acquire some kind of treasure. I've heard that Monsieur Gabrielle has defeated almost every sword master in Europe, and the rest were too scared to face him. So I urge the pair of you to be careful."
Élise nodded before pulling her Templar locket out of her shirt, "I don't suppose that this Black Hand of yours carries a pendant like this?"
Byron frowned, "Aye I've heard that he does… How did you get that?"
Élise glanced at me before shoving the locket back down her shirt again.
Aha. So Mr Gabrielle was a Templar after all, and was in the service of the Carrolls. That complicates matters.
"From a friend. But rest assured, this James Gabrielle is no friend of mine, nor will he ever be."
Byron nodded, "I'll be in Dover for a few days, so if you need anything, an extra sword or a ship perhaps, then you know where to find me."
"You have my thanks," I told him sincerely, "I'll be sure to remember that."
And with that Byron Jackson took another gulp of wine, gave us his signature grin and strolled back to take the wheel of the schooner, whistling through his pursed lips.
I turned to Élise, "Of course Gabrielle is a Templar under the employ of the Carrolls… Why is it never simple?"
She nodded back to me with pursed lips, "Yes, this does complicate matters a bit, doesn't it? However, one more Templar is nothing compared to what we have dealt with in the last five years, and I'm sure his skill with the sword is somewhat exaggerated."
"I just hope that you're right" I said, my gut telling me that James Gabrielle was a man not to be trifled with.
"I always am," Élise gave me a wild smile before leaning in and giving me a short kiss, "But I'm not interested in discussing a Templar at the moment."
I grinned back at her and leaned over the side railing of the ship, watching as the moon shone down on ocean.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" I said, tenderly linking my hand with Élise's.
She leaned beside me and stared out across the waves as they rolled by us. The moon gave the ocean a silver shine to its rippling surface, creating a brilliant sight.
"I have a mind to stay here and forget everything that's happened, Germain, the Carrolls, everything..." I said after a few moments. I meant it all, being here with Élise, surrounded by the stars made me content.
"When this is all over we will finally have a chance to live how we were meant to five years ago." She replied with a smile and looked into my eyes. "We have waited far too long as it is."
I wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a squeeze, "I know…"
I leaned towards Élise and gave her a passionate kiss. She wrapped an arm around my neck and returned the kiss. I felt her smile and then she pulled away with a mischievous grin and took me by the hand, leading me below deck and back to our cabin.

Nearly an hour later, I walked back up onto the deck and made my way to the wheel where the Captain stood, one hand steering us, the other, as always, holding his ever present wine skin. He smiled at me cheerfully before gesturing towards the city that sprawled before us, "Welcome to Dover."
The city shone in the distance, lit by hundreds of tiny lights, like a swarm of brilliant fireflies.
I grinned and buckled on my sword, "I am grateful for your help getting us here." I told him and held out my hand.
He clasped it and we shook in the traditional English fashion, "it's been an honour to finally meet you Arno." He nodded to where Élise was coming up from below decks, "Even all those years ago Élise spoke of you in high regard." He chuckled, before continuing, "She even told me that she was betrothed to you when I met her five years ago so that nothing would happen between us when we last sailed together. You're a lucky man to have her."
Of course. Byron Jackson was a rogue, and well, Élise was beautiful, very beautiful, so it goes without saying that he would have wanted something to happen in years gone by.
I looked towards Élise as she strode towards us with a grin; I was indeed a lucky man. "That I am Monsieur… That I am."
"Planning something?" she said with a mischievous glint in her eye when she reached us.
"Of course we are," I scoffed.
Élise playfully glared back at me, before turning to the Captain, "It was wonderful to see you again Byron and I can't thank you enough for sailing us over the channel."
"Anything for the Mademoiselle," he gave her a mock bow, "Ah, we're here. I'll let you off by the cliffs over there, you will be able to enter the city undetected that way," Byron pointed towards a set of cliffs along the coast, with a long stretch of beach set before them, "And then I must use my magic to get my beauty passed the harbor master," he gave us a wink and slowly steered the ship towards our heading.

20 August 1794

i

It took us the better part of what was left of the night to reach London. The city was immense, nearly the size of Paris itself and equally as beautiful. We arrived as the lamplighters were going about the city with their hooked poles, putting out the shining lamps. Dawn was on the horizon when our carriage finally trundled into Queen square and delivered us to our destination. We wearily stepped outside the coach, tired from a sleepless night, and down in to Queen Square, where Jennifer Scott currently resided. The mansion that stood before us was almost completely white in the English way, and to either side stood yet more of the lustrous white houses. I glanced around and saw candle light flickering from the second floor window on the mansion before us. Ah, so either Madame Scott had a guest, or we were expected. As it turns out both were true.
I knocked and soon after I heard footsteps and then the sound of bolts being drawn and the wide doors opened. A butler stood before us, his face expressionless as he glanced from me to Élise.
"What can I do for you?" he said simply. Still no expression, how curious.
Élise strode up the short staircase, and gave me a bemused smile, she must have recognized the butler for her last visit. "Élise de la Serre and Arno Dorian to see Miss Jennifer Scott, please."
The butler nodded to her, "Ah yes, Miss Scott is expecting you, however she is with a guest right now."
I looked at Élise and she gave me a questioning look, who was this guest?
He ushered us in to the well lit corridor and through to what appeared to be a guest room. Chairs and tables stood around the large room and a warm fire was cracking in the center of the far wall. Light was just starting to seep through the large windows and the sunlight, combined with the dim fire light gave an almost unearthly look to the room. The house almost seemed like time was standing still, as if it was almost sad. Something horrible had happened in this place, I was sure of it now. I had heard the Miss Scott's father, Edward Kenway, had been murdered within these walls many years ago. From what Élise had told me, Miss Scott was around eighty now and mostly had an aversion to people, after what had she had gone though during her childhood it made sense. This made her having a guest even more unusual.
"Wait here, please," said the butler with a thin smile and he walked towards a closed door located at the back of the room.
The butler knocked on the closed door and went inside, closing the door behind him. I glanced around the room again, taking in everything, from the golden chandelier to the wooden dressing table. I looked to Élise who gave me a smile and I chuckled, it certainly was an interesting place here.
The butler reappeared moments later, "Miss Scott will see you now."
He lead us into the next room where an old woman, Miss Scott I presumed was sitting in a large arm chair, facing a younger companion, who would have been around forty. He wore cream coloured Assassin robes and had what was clearly a hidden blade strapped to each wrist. What was an Assassin doing here?
I exchanged a glance with Élise as she noticed his garb at the same time. An Assassin in the house of Jennifer Scott, a woman who had told Élise that she wanted no part in the war that had claimed both her father and brother, what was going on?
I looked at the man seated before us, his skin was a shade of darker brown and most curiously of all his black, grey streaked hair was shaved into what appeared to be a Mohawk that hung down to his shoulders. His face was a kind one, yet dignified, and his eyes spoke of countless horrors that he had witnessed. Here was a true warrior.
Jennifer looked up as we entered, "Ah, It's wonderful to see you again my dear Élise," She turned her gaze towards me now, "And you must be the famous Arno Dorian."
Élise smiled back at Jennifer, "Hello again Miss Scott, it's been far too long."
"Madame" I said with a bow as she glanced towards me. "Élise speaks very highly of you."
Jennifer chuckled, as if amused by the idea, and the man she was with stood up and looked towards us, taking in my Assassin robes and the Templar pin Élise still wore on her collar. "My Aunt has told me a lot about you, and it is a pleasure to meet you both." He firmly shook my hand and dipped his head to Élise.
Aha, he had a clearly recognizable American accent. That got me thinking. Haytham Kenway had lived in the American colonies, and this man was clearly special to Miss Scott somehow. Had Haytham Kenway had a son with a native woman? I soon got my answer.
The man stepped back from us with a heartwarming smile, "My name is Connor Kenway."

Élise stared at the man, Connor Kenway, with an amused look. Ah, she had guessed it too.
"I cannot thank you enough, Monsieur," she began, "Because of what you and your father accomplished; the French Assassins and Templar Order have worked together, and soon I hope, will have a lasting peace."
"You honour me, Élise," Connor said humbly, with a nod, "It was a dream in my youth that I could somehow unite the two creeds with my father, a dream that had all but faded until what Miss Scott told me. I can only hope that within time that the two orders will be able to unite for the benefit of all."
"Without you Connor," I began with a smile, "Everything I have accomplished with Élise these last five years would not have been possible, and for that I thank you."
We clasped arms again before he spoke. "Now, Miss Scott here has informed me of your names, but not about who you really are. I can tell that you both belong to separate orders in France, and as you know, I lead the American Brotherhood." He told us with a thoughtful expression, "I would very much like to hear about how an Assassin and a Templar came to work together, much like I did with my own father."
I looked at Élise and we shared a quite smile, "It may take some time."
"Oh sit down" called Jennifer with a bemused look, beckoning towards the empty arm chairs by the fire.
When we were all seated around the crackling blaze I began our tale, "When I was eight my father, Charles Dorian, an Assassin, was killed by a traitor to the Brotherhood, an Assassin turned Templar. I was adopted into the de la Serre family and lived with Élise and her father in Versailles for a time. For thirteen years I lived with them and grew to see François, Élise's father, as my own," I looked over at Élise with a quite smile, and squeezed her hand, "And I grew to love Élise in another way."
"During this time I was being trained for my destiny, to become the Grand Master of the Templar Order after my father," said Élise, "And then the world changed when my father was murdered by traitors within the Order and Arno was given the blame for the crime, and sent to the Bastille."
"That was where I met Pierre Bellec, a high ranking French Assassin who trained me in his arts and showed me how to use my gifts. When the Bastille fell I escaped with Bellec. I was later inducted into the Brotherhood and I set out to find François de la Serre's murderer. When I saw Élise next I came to realize that I had been partly to blame for the death of her father and redoubled my efforts to find his murderer."
"With the death of my father the Order turned its back and marked me for death," Élise told the Assassin, "And so I joined forces with Arno to bring my father's murderers to justice. He was fighting for redemption and me for revenge."
Connor was listening intently, I could see questions in his eyes but he stayed silent, taking it all in.
"For the next five years we worked together until we had brought down both François de la Serre's murderers and the man who had orchestrated it. We had shown that an Assassin and a templar could work together, continuing your great work Connor, and hopefully saving thousands of lives in the future."
The Grand Master looked at us thoughtfully, "Then why come to London?"
A shadow passed over Élise's face, "A family within the English Templar Order wish to keep the two groups apart and have silenced my last allies within the French Order through intimidation, I had hoped to come here and stop them, to bring peace to France. If we take out Mr Carroll then I am certain that I can bring my father's supporters over to our cause and depose the last of Germain's followers."
Connor nodded, "A worthy goal Miss de la Serre. I may just have a proposal for you."
Élise looked at the Grand Master, hope flaring in her eyes, "Yes?"
"My ship leaves for America in a week, so until then I will help you to stop the Carrolls and bring peace to the French orders."
"You would do that?" Élise glanced at me, "Risk your life for people you barely know, one of them a Templar?"
"I will fight beside you," said Connor with a ghost of a smile, "You have shown me that everything that I have sacrificed for had been for something. You have reminded me of my former self, and this damned war that had claimed thousands of lives must end. The Templars and Assassins must see sense and learn to fight for a common cause."
I rose and nodded to Connor with a grin, "I cannot thank you enough Monsieur, you are helping us more than you know."
Élise stood beside me and I could see that exhaustion written all over her face and knew it must be mirrored on my own.
"I'm sorry Monsieur Kenway and Miss Scott, but we must get some rest, we haven't had much sleep in the last few days."
"Of course" said Connor with a nod, clearly understanding the feeling.
"Smith will show you to your room" added Jennifer with a smile, gesturing to her butler who stood in the open doorway.
Élise looked from me to the American Assassin, with her devilish expression, "But tomorrow this ends."

ii

I rose early, intending to meet with Connor and discuss the dreams that had been plaguing me since I had taken down Germain with Élise. No matter how hard I tried, I simply could not get the visions of Élise's death in the temple from my mind. The Assassin Grand Master wore an odd assortment of weaponry. Hidden blades graced his forearms, a bow and quiver were strapped over his left shoulder, twin pistols were holstered at his waist and most curiously of all, a tomahawk was shoved into his belt, he looked as he was, a Native American Assassin.
Élise was yet to join us and there was something that I needed answered, and Connor had no doubt seen many strange things in his travels, he was the perfect man to ask.
"When I was in the Temple du Marais with Élise," I started, bringing up our confrontation with Germain, "I saw something that I cannot explain."
"What did you see?" inquired Connor, gesturing for me to continue.
"When I was about to drive my sword into Germain's back, his sword seemed to act on its own accord and blasted me from my feet and into a nearby pillar with some kind of energy."
"It must have been the fabled Sword of Eden then."
"Yes, it was, Monsieur," I replied, the visions of Élise's death springing to my mind, "I was knocked unconscious, only for a few moments but I saw visions, visions that were so real that they couldn't have possibly been anything else."
"And these visions, did they come to pass?"
"No," I shook my head, "they revealed to me Élise's death at the hands of Germain, and my life afterward."
"Curious… You know, I have experienced the same thing before, myself."
"You have?"
"Oh yes," Connor nodded thoughtfully, "many years ago I was shown visions from an Apple of Eden that had come to be in my possession. It showed me a future where Commander Washington had not given up power after our own revolution, but rather crowned himself as king. He became a tyrant, the very thing that I had fought to bring an end too. It was a bleak future, and many would have died if it had come to pass."
"So these visions, they show an alternate future then?"
"It would appear so my friend."
I nodded, finally coming to an understanding about the visions that had been plaguing my dreams of late. "Thank you for your council, Grand Master."
"Any time, Arno."
A thought came to me, "With you gone from the colonies, who has been leading the Assassins in your absence?"
"As it happens my lieutenant is taking upon the role of Mentor while I am away," Connor replied with a grin.
"Your lieutenant?" I suppose it did make sense, as that is what would happen with my own Order.
"Aveline her name is, Aveline de Grandpré."
Strange, the name sounded almost… French.
"Is she from France?"
"No, her father was however," Connor chuckled, "you know, your Élise reminds me of her in many ways."
I grinned, "Is she that stubborn then?"
Connor laughed, "that she is Arno, that she is…"

We gathered with Connor once again at noon to form our plan for taking down the Carroll family
"We should spilt up," he told us, pulling his hood over his head, "We will cover a lot more ground that way."
Élise nodded, "I'll follow our friend, Mr Carroll around and take him out if I get the chance."
"Alright," I told her with a smile, "Meanwhile I'll track down this James Gabrielle and see if his skills are truly as great as the rumours say."
"It is a good plan," Connor told us, "I will see what damage I can do by eliminating some of the Carrolls advisors."
"Alright, but don't take any unnecessary risks." I said seriously.
"Who, me?" chuckled Élise.
I smiled back at her and flicked open my pocket watch, "We'll meet back here at six o'clock."
"I'll see you in six hours then," called Connor as he strode out through the door, "Good luck."
I turned back to Élise who gave me one of her cocky grins. I pulled her close and gave her a short kiss, "Don't be late." I told her.
"Of course, Monsieur," she gave me a mock bow and then planted a kiss on my lips, "I'll see you soon."
"Stay out of trouble," I grinned.
"Don't get caught," Élise replied with a wink.

iii

It didn't take me long to track down a man with James Gabrielle's reputation. All it took was a "friendly" chat with a tavern owner who served most of the soldiers in this area of London and a bribe to a government official. And so, I found Mr Gabrielle striding through the local market by the Thames with two of his men, both of them Templar Knights as it were. I followed the trio from the rooftops, staying out of sight and waiting for an opportunity to attack. James Gabrielle himself was easy to pick out. He strode just in front of his companions and moved with the grace of a master swordsman. He wore a dark brown leather jacket and breeches, the jacket was trimmed in a lighter brown, and a darker brown pauldron adorned his right shoulder, the former symbol of the French Musketeers emblazoned upon it. Interesting, the legendary Musketeer regiment had been disbanded in 1776 by King Louis, and yet James Gabrielle wore their emblem, as if he were one of the legendary Musketeers of old. A large grey broad brimmed hat sat on his head, one side upturned. His hair was the colour of ebony and hung to his shoulders, he also sported a short beard. A sword hung at his left side, with a pistol shoved in his belt over each hip. A long bladed knife adorned the back of his wide belt. To finish things off, a Templar pendant hung from his neck. He had the look of a well trained fighter, but was he as good as legend spoke? But it wasn't his look that gave me thought to worry; it was the intensity of his gaze that showed his true nature. No, James Gabrielle was not a man to be trifled with.
Like their leader, Monsieur Gabrielle's men wore shades of brown and swords hung from their belts, and each man bore the same symbol on their pauldrons.
I followed the trio as they left the bustling market and made their way through a maze of streets, it took all of my skill to keep them in sight from my perch.
After what felt like an eternity the small group made their way down a backstreet by the Thames and away from prying eyes, giving me an opening, so I took it. I ran across the rooftops to an arch that ran across the street. I watched as the trio came closer and closer and then I dropped down from the rooftops arch landed in a crouch in front of the Templars. Gabrielle's companions looked startled by my sudden appearance. As well they should be. However, they recovered quicker than most men would at the sudden appearance of an Assassin, showing that they were professionals. Even great warriors cannot stop a ranged attack however and the first one died with his mouth curled back in a sneer and reaching for his sword, my phantom dart catching him in the throat. I drew my sword as my final two opponents did, and then Gabrielle's friend charged me. I deflected the soldier's attack and then we exchanged a flurry of blows that ended with my sword sliding between his ribs. He slid off my blade and fell into a bloody heap at my feet. I slowly stepped back from the carnage that I had wrought, and looked towards my final opponent, who stood side on, his pistol leveled at my head. Shit. Without taking my eyes from his I lowered my sword, it was over. And then he did the strangest thing. He laughed and slipped his pistol back into his belt.
"Raise your sword" he said with a gruff but amused tone, gesturing towards my sword with his own.
I twirled my blade and dropped back into my fighting stance, my sword now pointing at my enemy's chest. Gabrielle reached behind his back with his left hand and drew his long knife, wielding two blades now, and moved towards me, looking me up and down.
"Now, Assassin, you clearly know who I am or else you wouldn't be here, but may I have the pleasure of your name, before I run you through."
"My name is Arno Dorian, son of the late Charles Dorian," I told him with a short smile. "And I fear that you are mistaken."
"Ah, so you're a French Assassin."
Damn it, I'd said too much. I scowled.
"Yes, my employer did mention your name to me, Sir. However, even a Master Assassin such as yourself will prove no challenge for me," he gave me a patronizing smile, "Know that I would have no qualm in ending your life now, except for the fact that I have been told about your father since birth."
"What do you know of him? What the Templar Order told you?"
"To a point. You see, my father, Captain Alexandre Gabrielle, was a close friend of Shay Cormac. The same man who brought me into the Templar Order."
"The same Shay Cormac who turned on the Assassins, I take it?"
"Yes," he nodded, "And the same man who killed your father"

I looked at James Gabrielle in shock, I had known that a turncoat had killed my father eighteen years ago but I had never even suspected that it had been the infamous Shay Cormac who had dealt the blow.
"You knew the man who murdered my father?"
"Aye Sir, he told me of your father. He respected him greatly and never enjoyed carrying out the deed," he told me with a smirk, "For the respect I bear my former mentor I will give you this one chance to leave and return to France."
"That is something that I'm afraid I cannot comply with, Monsieur," I returned his smirk, "And you should know, Assassins never run."
"Then you will die where you stand."
"Monsieur, I fear that you are the one who will fall today," I said, equally as cocky.
"I think not."
I gestured towards the corpses of his former companions with my sword, "Neither did they, Monsieur."
He chuckled, "You know, a man with your particular talents and skill set would do well under my patronage and that of my employers."
"You actually expect me to join you?" I scoffed. Was he mad?
"Come now, we are in the same line of business, we're both killers, you and I."
"I kill for the good of others, you only work for yourself." I told him with a glare.
"I fear you are mistaken. We are the same, Arno. Your own Brotherhood is just too disillusioned to see through its own blindness."
"The Assassins and Templars both seek to help others, there is no need for conflict between us Monsieur."
"My Order seeks to free all men, and to help guide them, while yours seeks to make every man equal. With no one to guide them what will become of the ideal I wonder. Anarchy."
"Not anarchy. Liberty and freedom." I told him.
"Liberty and freedom? The only thing that your Brotherhood will create is chaos. Chaos and bloodshed, that would last a thousand years. Look at the revolution that is ravaging your nation as we speak. That will be the only future in what your so called 'creed' will bring. That is not what you want, is it?"
"And what do you want Monsieur?"
"To guide the people to a new world without fear of tyrannical leaders, such as your former leader, King Louis"
"To guide them in a way that you see fit, not a path of their own choosing. That is no freedom."
"Do you expect the Order to simply sit back and watch as the peace we have created tears itself apart, sir?" he said, patronizingly, "No, through our guidance there would be no more needless deaths."
"I have heard of what you have done, Black Hand," I almost spat, "Yes, I know who you are Monsieur, massacring innocents for the chance of getting, what? Some kind of treasure? And yet you speak of ending 'needless deaths'."
"It was a regrettable sacrifice," he told me in a tone that held anything but regret, "You do not understand the power of that I was searching for."
"A piece of Eden then, I take it."
"Ah, so you do know of them." For the first time he looked somewhat surprised.
"I have held two in my hands. They are objects that should not be meddled with, Monsieur," I told him, remembering both the Apple and the Sword vividly, "Someone I care deeply about was nearly killed by one, just from being near it when it grew unstable."
"Is that a warning, Assassin?" he grinned smugly, "Be that as it may, I will continue my hunt for the piece of Eden."
"Then you are a fool."
"You know, my father was from France, like yourself," Gabrielle told me, "He was a Captain in the King's Musketeers before the regiment was disbanded by your former king in '76. He taught me how to fight, how to kill."
"And your point, Monsieur?"
"I've been trained to hunt and kill men of your colour with ease, Arno. One Assassin, even a Master such as yourself, gives me no concern."
"Assassins don't die easily."
"We shall see."
He spun his sword in the traditional Musketeer salute and then adopted his fighting crouch, still giving me a confident smile.
"This is your last chance to join me, Assassin."
I flicked out my hidden blade and twirled my sword.
"Let's see if you truly are the legend that I have heard so much about." I replied with a smirk, I was going to wipe that smug smile off his arrogant face if it was the last thing I did.

As it turns out I didn't. Our blades sang as they collided and the ringing of steel echoed around the small alley. As we fought, it soon became apparent that Mr Gabrielle was playing with me, holding back his attacks and blocking my own at the last possible moment, and yet even though he was holding back he was just as good as me and I couldn't even get near to breaking his defense. His sword was a blur and his knife managed to keep my hidden blade at bay. It took all my skill to simply hold him off. I should have just shot him when I'd had the chance, safe from the rooftops or down on the street in which we now fought, and damned the honourless kill. Stupid, stupid Arno. I lunged with my sword and at the same time swung my hidden blade into a diagonal cut. In a stunning display of swordsmanship he blocked both my sword and hidden blade, before delivering a high kick to my chest. I flew backwards and turned the fall into a backwards roll, coming lightly to my feet, but breathing heavily.
To my astonishment, my opponent wasn't panting at all, he just stood back, watching me with something that appeared to be pity in his eyes.
"Pathetic" was all he said, distain clearly written on his face, "You should have joined me when you had the chance, Assassin."
"You talk too much, Monsieur" I told him.
We came together again, and this time he didn't hold back. Each blow I blocked jarred my wrists and it took all my effort to keep hold of my sword. He relentlessly rained down blows, forcing me into a hasty retreat. Not good. His next blow shot passed my defense and slashed across my cheek, sending a small wave of blood flying through the air. Not good at all. He came at me again and once more he got passed my defense and gave me a shallow cut to my right thigh. I roared and attacked, sending out lightning fast attacks, but no matter how hard I tried, James Gabrielle was faster, he was better. Finally he blocked a blow, battered through my weak defense and smashed the cross guard of his sword into my forehead, sending me to the ground. I lay on my back, my sword dropped from my senseless fingers and landed on the ground beside me.
Élise…
I had to live for Élise and the future we would share.
With a roar I rolled to my feet and leapt on Gabrielle and we crashed to the ground in a heap, me on top. I hammered punches into his stomach, I had to win. Monsieur Gabrielle bellowed in rage and grabbed my wrists as I went to punch him yet again. I activated my hidden blade and started to force it to his throat.
It became a battle of wills, both of us fighting to live. And then he was pushing my arms back, my blade which had been so close to his neck was now halfway between us. I strained, pushing my arms to their limits, and then James Gabrielle smashed his head into mine. I grunted in pain and rolled off him, snatching up my fallen sword at the same time. I turned just in time to block a blow the Gabrielle had aimed at me with his own blade.
"Your will to live impresses me, Assassin. However, it will do you no good."
Did he ever shut up?
I snarled and charged him again, without his dagger in hand we were more evenly matched, and I came close to breaking through his defense a few times, but he had an answer for everything I tried. Our swords were blurs as they cut through the air and clashed together. I aimed a lightning fast slash at his ribs but he managed to get his sword up and block the blow. And then he spun within my reach and smashed his elbow into my chest, I stumbled backwards and then he sent a high kick my way. It caught my stomach and threw me into a nearby door. Splinters flew about me as the door smashed to the ground under me. I rose to my feet and shook the ringing in my ears out, just in time to deflect a sword stroke aimed at ribs. I blocked the blow but my sword was torn from my grasp. I backed down the corridor, fending him off with just my hidden blade now. I saw a set of stairs behind me so I dashed up them, and turned just in time to stop his sword from plunging into my back. He leapt up the final stairs and crashed into me, throwing me against the wall. I heard the wood crack behind me and saw a crack emerge, revealing the dark waters of the Thames below. My hidden blade was pinned to my chest as I fought to keep his sword from opening my throat.
"Why do you resist?" he bellowed into my face.
An image of Élise flashed across my mind. I had to live.
"I will never stop," I snarled and smashed my right fist into his chin.
Gabrielle stumbled back a step before coming at me with more ferocity. I desperately defended, but I had nowhere to go, I was trapped. Gabrielle lashed out and I barely raised my hidden blade in time, and then his knee found my stomach. I doubled over and then he smashed his sword guard into my face. I crashed into the wall and felt blood erupt from my lips. I deflected his sword again and then his sword guard found my chest and he hammered down blows with his fist and guard. And then with a final kick to my chest, the wall behind me exploded outwards and I was tossed into the waters below.
I heard a pistol crack and the shot missed my head by a hairs breadth, I pushed myself deeper into the water and I felt something glance off my shoulder, a bullet. I had been just deep enough to avoid death. My vision started to darken and my lungs burned from the strain of holding air in. I looked up through the water and saw Monsieur Gabrielle sheath his sword and leave; he must have thought that I was dead. I waited a few more moments until I was certain that he had left before kicking myself to the surface. My ears started to ring and my vision grew darker. I reached the surface and pulled myself onto shore with a groan.
And then I blacked out.

iii

I came too with the ringing still in my head. I groaned and staggered to my feet, retrieving my sword from where it lay in the building. I touched my cheek, feeling the dry blood as it cracked under my fingertips. It was the same with my thigh, I was lucky that the cut was only a shallow one. I looked around to get my bearing and saw that the two men that I had killed were still lying in the street. I sheathed my sword and closed my eyes, remembering my fight with Gabrielle, there had to be a weakness in his defense that I could exploit in our next encounter. Well, aside from his immeasurable arrogance. I went over and over the fight, remembering every move that was made. I couldn't remember seeing a weakness at all. Damn it, I would have to try something else. I focused on my gifts and used my Eagle Vision power that Bellec had taught me all those years ago. I opened my eyes and stepped back, watching as apparitions myself and James Gabrielle fought in front of me. There had to be a weakness somewhere. I went through the memory again and again. Nothing. I swore, there had to be a way to take down Gabrielle, I still had at the very least, three hours before my rendezvous with Élise and Connor.
Wait… And then it hit me. I had been thinking and fighting like an Assassin. Gabrielle had said that he had been trained to fight Assassins. That was the key, to not think and fight like how I had been trained, and maybe, just maybe, I could defeat him. Easier said than done, but it was indeed a start.
I flicked out my pocket watch. Six o'clock, damn it! I had been unconscious for almost five hours. I closed my eyes and sighed at my own stupidity. No doubt Monsieur Gabrielle had warned the Carrolls about my being in London and through that information came to the conclusion that Élise was here as well. Shit! They would have realized that we would have been staying at Miss Scott's mansion. Mr Carroll would have had ample time to rally his men and march on Queen Square… The very Place I was supposed to be meeting with Élise and Connor. And I was late. They could be walking into a trap right now, and it was my doing. I had to warn them. I pulled my hood back over my head and sprinted back into the main street, following it back to the market, on course for Queen Square.

I wove in and out of the huge crowds that packed every street. Damn it, it was taking too long to move. I glanced around the street and saw a small cart leaning against a pile of crates. Perfect. I pushed my way through the crowd until I reached the side of the street where the crowd was thinner. I sped up to a jog and shoved my way passed the last few people between me and my objective. I powered on to a run and finally I was sprinting towards the cart. I leapt onto the cart, vaulted onto the pile of crates and leapt again, using my momentum to fly through the air to an overhanging beam. I pulled myself up onto the wooden beam and stood to my full height. The crowd stretched down the street for a mile. The street wasn't an option. Ignoring the gawking people below me, I grabbed the edge of the roof and pulled myself up onto the building. I looked towards Queen Square. Ah, I could see it as a speck in the distance now. Once again I pushed myself into a run and shot along the rooftops at a far better speed than when I was in the street. I hoped I could make it in time to avert this catastrophe.

As I neared the Square I saw Élise appear from one of the side streets and walk into the open area, clearly not expecting any danger. I looked around as I ran onwards, please don't be a trap. Please. Nothing happened. A few moments later nothing was still happening. I gave a sigh of relief and slowed my run, we were in the clear. Lucky, very lucky Arno.
And then men poured out of every side street around the Square and surrounded Élise with a ring of swords. Once more I had spoken too soon.
There would have been a dozen of them, to many for even Élise to fight alone. I ran for all I was worth and reached the last building before the square. Without a second thought I leapt from the edge of the roof and plunged towards the circle of men. I had to save Élise. She was standing with her sword drawn and her pistol aimed towards one of the men when I dropped from the sky and rammed my hidden blade into one of her attackers, sending him crashing to the ground as I landed on top of him. As he died I rose to my feet, drew my sword and rammed in through another man's side. Blood gushed from his wound as I withdrew my sword, before shooting a third man with my pistol. Élise had used my swift attack as a distraction to eliminate two more of her attackers. Her pistol boomed, sounding the death toll of another brigand. She moved to my side and we shared a glance, before we holstered our empty pistols and faced our last six attackers.
"How did they know we were here?" spat Élise, "I was about to move on Monsieur Carroll when he was warned of our arrival in London."
"I failed my attack on James Gabrielle."
"Okay," she gave me one of her cocky grins, "Let's fix your mess then."
"Sounds good to me"
"Just like that time in Germain's workshop."
I recalled the particular incident well; we had been in search of Germain for questioning and had ran into an ambush that he had left us. The following fight didn't go so well for our four attackers. It was there that we had learnt that Germain had given the orders for Élise's father to be killed.
"Six is a few more than four," I told her with a grin, keeping my eyes on our six attackers to make sure that they didn't surround us.
"But only by two."
We leveled our swords at our enemies and watched as they prepared to attack us. Three opponents each? It wouldn't take long.
And that's when it all went wrong. They started laughing.
A shout went up from one of the brigands and another dozen men poured out from a side street and joined our six attackers, enabling them to fully surround us. And then it got worse. William Carroll strode out from behind a corner with a new accomplice and joined his men. The new man was clothed in a black coat and wore a sword at his side, twin pistols shoved down the back of his wide belt. And a red Templar pin adorned his jacket. Mr Carroll was smiling triumphantly as he realized that one, we were surrounded and facing impossible odds and that two, that we had no gunshot left. We stood back to back, with no hope of escape. It was the end.

Élise stepped back and partly leaned on me, back to back. I turned my head to the side and we looked into each other's eyes for a moment and sadness filled my heart, a pain knowing that I had gotten the woman I loved killed, or worse.
"I'm sorry…" I whispered as our enemies closed in around us, cursing my carelessness.
"I love you," was her only reply.
I brushed my left hand against hers, our fingers briefly entwining. I made my decision then and there. I wasn't going to let Élise die for my careless mistake, no matter the cost.
"I love you, Élise."

"It seems that you have finally run out of luck Miss de la Serre," said Mr Carroll with a triumphant, patronizing smile, "and soon you will regret ever having come to London five years ago."
"Don't be too sure," Élise replied, "I still owe you a debt, Monsieur."
Mr Carroll laughed mirthlessly, "You have some nerve girl."
"Yes well, you can blame my 'wild' French upbringing for that," she told him with a smirk, "As it were."
He sneered back at Élise before gesturing to his black clad accomplice, "Allow me to introduce Mr Samuel Mercer."
"Pleasure," replied Élise sarcastically.
"She's a right charmer isn't she?" came his very English reply, "My captain would very much like to see you dead, Assassin."
I shot him a look over my shoulder, "And who may that be?"
"You met him in an alley not five hours ago."
Ah, so this was James Gabrielle's man.
"Right you are Monsieur," I replied, "Tell me, how does one such as yourself get roped in to serving scum like Gabrielle?"
"Oh I'm going to enjoy killing you, Assassin," he chuckled mirthlessly.
Mr Carroll gave a patronizing smirk before calling to me, "I am sorry that she pulled you into our little misunderstanding, Assassin. Believe me, your death isn't personal."
"It rather is for me," I shot back, glaring at the man over my shoulder.
"Of course."
"As I told you in Paris, Mr Carroll, we will have your life before this is done."
"Many have tried," was his only reply, "And you are in no position to make threats, Assassin."
"You are a traitor to the Order, Monsieur," Élise told the Templar, "One day soon they will see you for what you are."
"Bring her forward," Mr Carroll said to Mercer with a smirk.
The man nodded and gestured to one of his men, "do as he says."
"Yes Sir," replied the man before leaving the square.
He returned a few moments later shoving his captive before him.
My breath caught in my mouth. It was Jennifer Scott.

"Drop your weapons or she dies," Monsieur Carroll told us triumphantly.
I cursed my stupidity, once more my carelessness had gotten someone killed, and this time it was going to be all of us.
"This is between us," snarled Élise, "let her go."
"Drop your swords and she goes free."
Damn it, the second we drop our weapons we are all dead. But Miss Scott had invited us into her home, and it return I had gotten her killed. There was no choice.
"You coward," I spat, preparing to drop my sword to the ground.
And then she did it. Jennifer pulled a knife from the folds of her dress and shoved it into the man holding her. The blade stabbed deeply into his thigh, and with an outraged bellow her captor plunged his sword into her back, straight through her heart.
"No!" screamed Élise as Jennifer slumped to the ground in a bloody heap.
She had done it for us I realized. She had done it so that we had a chance to escape.
"You will pay for that with your life," I told Monsieur Carroll with a glare.
He was going to pay for her death, one way or another.
"Enough of this," William Carroll drew his sword, "I did want you dead Assassin, but I will spare you for Miss de la Serre's pleasure… At least for a while."
"And for what reason, may I inquire?" asked Élise with a frown.
"I'm going to make you watch as I slowly torture the man you love," he told Élise with a smirk, "and when he is finally broken, both physically and mentally, I will cut his throat while you watch. That is your penance for killing my daughter"
"I am going to kill you" screamed Élise, "You treacherous bastard." I sensed her making ready to attack behind me.
"Enough," Mr Carroll gestured to his men, "After I have finished with them the girl is yours."
No… Rage flared within me, if I had to take down every man here I would. I would let no man so much as think about touching Élise.
"Take them."

The man directly in front of me twirled his sword and spat at my feet, before grinning, "I'm going to enjoy gutting you, Assassin, and then I'm going to enjoy your little wench a while."
He glanced at one of his companions and they bellowed with laughter. The same anger filled me that it had in the Antlers days before, how dare he insult Élise. I was the one going to enjoy this.
"Ready?" I whispered to Élise, knowing that she would understand that our best chance would be to attack first and catch them off guard.
I heard her left boot slide backwards on the paving stones, it barely made a sound but it came clearly through my heightened senses. She was ready.
"Now!" she cried and leapt towards her first opponent, her sword flashing.
Before the man in front of me had fully turned back I made my move. I struck like lightning, faster than my opponent could have thought possible. I lunged forwards and stabbed my blade into the bastard's groin. Ouch. I kept moving forwards and shouldered him to the ground. He screamed as blood poured from his wound; he was going to die in agony for his last remark. I span to the left, inside the swing of another brigand, and slashed my hidden blade across his exposed throat. He fell to the ground with a cry, blood erupting from his gaping wound. I sensed an attack coming from behind and swung my sword over my shoulder, tip facing the ground. Steel rang as his attack was stopped and I span around and opened his stomach with a wild slash.
"Down!" cried Élise and I ducked instantly, a blade narrowly missing as it whistled overhead.
I span to dispatch him but Élise had already leaped passed me and was pulling her blade from the dying man even as I turned. I deflected an attack targeting Élise's exposed back and smashed the pommel of my sword into her attackers face. He crashed to the ground in a heap, in this kind of fight unconscious was as good as dead. Between us, we had eliminated seven men from the fight. I blocked a swing aimed at my neck, and as our blades connected, Élise slashed her sword across his now exposed stomach. As the light left his eyes and he crashed to the ground, we span away to face new threats. We wove in and out, working together in perfect unison, never standing still. I ducked a wild swing and was then amongst three men.
I kept low and deflected an attack with my hidden blade, but was too late to stop a second attack from another man. I heard the blade hiss towards me and even as I moved to avoid it, felt it bite into my side. I cried out as the pain hit me, but I pushed it down, ignoring the blood flowing from the shallow wound. I had to keep moving or I was a dead man. I sent my assailant sprawling by taking his legs out from under him with a kick. As he fell I ripped my sword across another attacker's thigh and knocked him to the ground. My hair came loose as my hood was pulled back from my ears by my last attacker. As the man I had wounded fell, I grabbed his pistol from his belt with my spare hand, raised it and pulled the trigger. The pistol boomed and shot the third man in the face. I dropped the discharged weapon and stepped backwards, bumping into Élise, both of us breathing heavily. Against impossible odds we had defeated fourteen of the men. I let myself hope that maybe, just maybe, we could pull this off.
"Well that was… Entertaining," smirked Samuel Mercer, drawing a pistol in each hand. He looked over his shoulder, "NOW!"
Another dozen men ran to join the fight, taking up positions, these men however bore the same Musketeer symbol as James Gabrielle had, damn it, these men were professional soldiers. We now faced seventeen opponents. And then Mercer pushed through the ring of warriors around us, "You may be wondering why we bare the crest of the Musketeers," he told me, his tone patronizing, "You see, each of us served in with the Musketeers, or like our leader, is the son of one. Even you cannot best all of us."
This was it then. The moment my last hope died. In our exhausted state we could have taken the last four men we had faced, but sixteen of these 'musketeers' and Samuel Mercer? No, we had little chance.
"We cannot let them take us alive," Élise whispered behind me as she faced off against the men before her.
We kept moving in circles, our backs to each other, watching our enemies for any sign of attack. I prayed to every god that I could think of that somehow, just somehow we could escape, or at least that Élise would. And then I saw it, or rather sensed it. There it was, a slight movement on a two story building behind one of the chimneys to our left. A slight cream coloured movement. Connor had arrived at last.
"Élise…"
"I know" she had seen him too.
We stopped circling and I stood facing Mr Mercer. He was about to give the order to attack. I had to by us some time.
As his mouth opened I quickly interrupted, "before we begin Monsieur, there is something that I wish to know."
"And what is that?"
"Were you in Havana when Gabrielle ordered the attack on those innocent people?"
He smirked back at me and laughed, "Aye, I was there boy. You should have heard them scream as we cut them down one by stinking one."
"I see…" I said quietly, looking Mercer directly in the eye, "Monsieur, how can anyone be so cruel as to end innocent lives without cause? You are a monster Mr Mercer."
"You will never know, Assassin," he raised a pistol with his left hand, leveling it at my chest, "Before you die, know that I am going to enjoy breaking your little rose over there." He indicated Élise.
"No. No you won't," I snarled, "You will be too dead for that."
"I wish that you had accepted my captain's offer, Assassin. Know that I will take no pleasure from this."
And then two things happened as he cocked his pistols. Firstly one of Mr Carroll's men sprinted from an alley shouting, "Soldiers! They're on to us!"
Seconds before we heard a gunshot and he crumpled to the ground in a bloody heap, while a large group of English soldiers, there would have been at least twenty of them, poured out from the street that Mr Carroll's scout had ran from, muskets at the ready, turning towards the Templar Knight's own force.
Samuel Mercer bellowed orders and turned his right hand pistol on the advancing force. The gun crackled and kicked back, sending one of the charging redcoats to the ground. He holstered his now empty gun and drew his sword.
And then ten of our attackers turned to face the new threat, roaring defiantly and bringing their swords to bear, bracing for the imminent attack.
Leaving us facing only six of the thugs, Monsieur Mercer and Mr Carroll. Our odds had remarkably improved, but still, not enough to turn the tide.
And then the second thing happened.
Arrows sprouted from the chests of three men behind us, sending them to the pavement of Queen Square, blood staining their shirts, and giving us an avenue to escape down.
I glanced at Élise as we started backing away from the fight, towards the opening.
Connor dropped down beside us from the rooftops, his massive bow now slung over his shoulders and a tomahawk held loosely in his right hand, a strange dagger in his left.
"We have to leave before the soldiers turn on us," he said, glancing around at the battle unfolding before us.
Our attackers were dropping like flies as the redcoats unleashed a musket volley upon them before charging Monsieur Mercer's last men with their bayonets at the ready. Steel clashed on steel and the fight erupted in full fury.
Seeing an opportunity I raised my left arm and once again unleashed my phantom blade, sending a dart buzzing from the crossbow like mechanism. Luckily for Mr Mercer, he saw my movement at the last possible second and danced to the right. The dart missed his throat and caught his left wrist instead; his pistol flew from his grasp. He once again glanced at the fight and saw that only three of his men remained fighting the redcoats. And now he had no pistol to shoot one of us with.
"Retreat!" he roared his voice full of anger, "fall back!"
And with an angry flourish of his sword turned and ran, taking the three men facing us with him down one of the side lanes.
Seeing his ally fleeing the battle, Mr Carroll took a leaf from his accomplice's book and sprinted towards a different side street, where he fled with two of his waiting men.
"We have to leave, now" said Connor again, glancing at us as the soldiers overpowered the last of Mercer's men and noticed us.
"Wait…" Élise started, stopping her movement and gesturing towards the fleeing Mr Carroll's back, "This is our only chance, our one chance to end this."
As she spoke I saw that indeed our enemy was fleeing down a nearby alleyway. Damn it, she was right. This was our only chance and if they escaped the cycle would only continue, and next time we might not be so lucky.
"I'll take Monsieur Carroll, you get Mercer," she told me, pointing her sword at James Gabrielle's lieutenant.
I looked at Élise with a smile, "Take him. End this."
And with that Élise took off after her hated enemy, William Carroll, her sword firmly in her grasp.
I looked to Connor and indicated Samuel Mercer as he too fled the Square, a group of redcoats hot on his heels.
"Shall we?" I said with a cocky grin.
He nodded with a smile and together we sprinted after Mercer and his last five men, this fight would end today, one way or another.

iv

As we wound our way through the maze of backstreets we had found that Monsieur Mercer had stationed a lot of men along the way, clearly in case we had escaped the trap he had laid for us. They would come from behind corners or burst from doors to attack us, but time and time again we repelled the ambushes. A group of three men came at us as we emerged from yet another street. The first charged towards me, while his companions turned to face Connor. With a flick of his left wrist Connor engaged his hidden blade, and as it reached full length, the blade spun in his hand until he was holding the strange knife from before in a backhand grip. Interesting. I glanced back at my attacker and steel rang as I blocked his sword. With a flick of my wrist I deflected his blade to the ground, before spinning inside his reach, and with my blade still holding his at bay to my side, smashed the guard into his unprotected face. With a grunt he toppled to the ground with a pained grunt, senseless. I finished him off with a quick stab to the heart before turning to see Connor masterfully dispatch both his opponents at the same time. His axe came up, catching one man in the chin, while his knife was punched into the second soldier's chest.
Connor slipped his axe into his belt, then disengaged his knife and it slid back into its gauntlet with a snick. We exchanged a nod and once again set off after Samuel Mercer.
We followed them for what seemed like an eternity, catching glimpses of our quarry for moments before they slipped around bends out of sight, but one thing was certain, we were catching up.

We finally left the backstreets behind and ran onto a main road. I looked around, trying to find a trap, but there was none. Instead Samuel Mercer and his last surviving five men stood opposite us, swords drawn and facing down a group of eight British soldiers. So Monsieur Mercer had had indeed left some extra men posted nearby to give him reinforcements.
And then with a roar, a further four redcoats came charging out at Connor and myself from the alley we had just run from.
"These are innocent men and are not too die," I called to Connor as he reached for his tomahawk and I placed a hand on his arm.
He looked at me and nodded, "Old habits"
Of course. He had grown up fighting British redcoats in the American Revolution. I gave him a cocky sidelong grin and moved towards my two opponents. The first soldier ran at me with a snarl and swung his bayonet up in a diagonal slash. As it reached hip height I leapt forwards, over the weapon and passed the solider, I hit the ground and with a roll came to my feet. I ducked the second man's swing and then smashed his chin with an uppercut. He flew backwards and crashed to the ground with a grunt, blood pouring from his mouth. One down. I turned back to my original opponent and moved just in time to avoid a deadly lunge. I grabbed the musket as it whistled passed and spun in a circle, wrenching the weapon from its owner's grasp. I spun the weapon in my hands until I held it backwards and continued my pirouette. As the soldier's speed carried him passed me, I smashed the butt of the musket into the back of his head. His forwards momentum carried him a few steps before he too crashed to the ground with a surprised look on his face.
To my left, Connor had quickly dispatched his adversaries and we shared a glance before turning back to see Mercer's men triumph over the British soldiers.
I could only watch as the Templar and his men mercilessly cut down the redcoats like they were nothing. Mercer himself faced the last soldier and with a lightning fast downwards swing of his sword, cleaved the soldier's raised bayonet in two and cut him across the face, where he dropped to the ground in a bloody mess.

I drew my own blade and watched as Monsieur Mercer leveled his sword towards me, "That one is mine."
His men acknowledged the order and moved to face Connor. I glanced at my companion, I knew he was an expert warrior, I knew that if he drew even one weapon he would finish the fight in a matter of moments, but could he take five professional soldiers at once, while unarmed? The Grand Master simply gave me a confident grin, but didn't reach for a weapon as we walked towards our enemies.
Connor glanced at me, gave me a nod, and then charged his five opponents, unarmed.
"CONNOR!" I called after him as the men he faced shared a snigger and then broke in to a run towards Connor.
Without slowing the Master Assassin drew both his pistols and pulled the triggers. Smoke billowed from their tips as the bullets shot towards the advancing men. Surprise covered their faces as two of their number dropped to the ground with gaping holes in their chests. Connor then ducked a wild sword swing, grabbed his attacker's sword hilt with one arm and smashed his other into the man's face. His nose broke with a crack and he fell backwards with a cry, losing his grip on the sword as Connor wrenched it from his grasp. And then Connor stood facing only three men, one of who was unarmed, except for a small knife, his face covered in fresh blood.
It was the last thing I saw before I engaged Samuel Mercer.
"The Assassin returns once again," he smirked, giving the Musketeer salute, "Prepare to die."
I broke into a charge towards my enemy, "Come on then."

Mercer was good. No, he was very good. Our swords rang as they clashed together again and again. We moved like lightning, dancing back and forth, never standing still. We were almost evenly matched. Almost. His once triumphant expression had turned into incomprehension, as if he had never been faced with a better opponent. And I was better, and he knew it. Incomprehension finally turned into worry in his eyes as I battered my way through his defense without mercy. He had been in Havana. His sword was stained with the blood on innocents, blood that would never wash off. And so I resolved to end his life.
"You butchered innocent people," I roared over the clash of our steel.
He hastily blocked a blow, but barely.
"I did only as commanded," Mercer cried desperately, as I easily deflected one of his wild attacks.
"Liar," I bellowed, hatred filling me, how could any man murder innocent people of no cause?
He wasn't just a murderer of innocents I discovered, but a coward as well. I came at him faster now, deflecting his sword with my hidden blade and hammering him to the ground with my sword guard. As he crashed to the ground, I stabbed my sword into the mud beside him and crouched, my hidden blade at his neck.
"Where is James Gabrielle?"
He looked at me angrily and snarled, trying to shove me off. He failed.
"Where is James Gabrielle?" I said forcefully, pressing my blade into his neck slightly. A trail of blood slowly ran down his throat and he gave me a smirk.
"He is returning to Dover as we speak, before sailing for his fortress in Jersey to rally his men for a counter attack. He has escaped you." He goaded with the same arrogant smirk.
I nodded, it was probably true.
"Then why are you here, if your master is gone?"
"He left me behind to command his land forces, and to overlook our holdings in England."
"His mistake," I smiled cockily, before an idea came to my head. There was something that this man might know. "You served as Gabrielle's second in command, did you not?"
"I did."
"Did he ever mention a Mr Shay Cormac?"
"Perhaps."
"Tell me," I said with a dark expression, "while you still have some dignity left."
He nodded, what was protecting a man he didn't know really worth after all? He quickly told me the directions to the house where Shay currently resided, a large house in the south of London.
I looked up as Connor strode up to me and dropped his bloodied sword on the ground and sent me a nod. Nearby Élise jogged out from a side street and headed towards me.
"The bastard escaped… he had a ship awaiting his arrival in the Thames," said Élise sadly, as she reached my side, "we have lost him."
I sent Élise a sidelong smile before returning my gaze to my fallen enemy and gave him the coup de grâce. Mercer died well, full of defiance. He lived up to the Musketeers name in that regard.

v

A little over an hour later I walked alone through the streets of London as the sun went down, watching as the lamps were lit by the lamplighters with their poles. The city started to take on a warm glow as the lanterns came to life all about me. I stopped before a large two story house and looked it up and down with a sigh, I was here. It was a simple looking place with brown walls and a black tiled roof. I noticed with a bemused smile that it had been laid out so that a proficient freerunner could easily scale the building; no doubt for Shay to escape if a vengeful Assassin came knocking. I flicked my hood down and strode up the small set of stairs before the doors, before hesitantly knocking. I heard footsteps coming down a hallway towards the door and then the door opened before me with a creak. And there he stood, the man who had killed my father eighteen years ago, the man who had left the Assassin Brotherhood to join the Templar Order. Shay Cormac.

He looked in his early sixties with long dark grey hair that was tied back much like my own. He stood with a powerful poise, carrying himself with pride. As I looked at him it dawned upon me, that this is what Mr Weatherall could have been like, if he hadn't been crippled and if he hadn't taken to the liquor after the death of Julie de la Serre. He carried himself with the same haughty dignity that Fredrick did himself. I imagined that he was still a skilled swordsman even at his advancing age. He wore a grey Templar coat, trimmed in red and a set of hidden blades adorned his wrists, clearly he was taking no chances. He looked down at me with a thoughtful look that turned into something like recognition.
"I've been expecting a visit from you for many years," he said with a nod, "Arno Dorian."
His voice contained a mix of American and Irish tones and was cultured even so. But how did he know who I was?
"How do you know my name?" I asked in surprise.
"I remember them all, Arno, every man that I have killed," he told me with a sad smile, "You look just as your father did a lifetime ago."
"I have heard that before," I replied with a chuckle.
"So this is it is it? You have finally come to have your revenge."
I shook my head, "No Monsieur, I simply wish to understand"
He didn't look surprised as I had imagined, he only nodded as if he had half expected this.
"You had better come in then," he said, stepping back into his house and indication me to follow.
With a glance back to the street, I wondered why I hadn't killed the traitor, the man who had killed dozens of Assassins including my father. I wondered why I didn't want revenge on the man who had taken my only family from me. I looked back towards Shay as he strode back inside his house, and then I followed.

We sat at a small round wooden table facing each other in silence for a while. It was hard to take in, eighteen years ago this man had killed my father in cold blood, one of dozens of Assassins that he had killed, and yet here I sat, drinking tea with him.
"Samuel Mercer is dead, he was James Gabrielle's second in command," I told him simply as he watched me, answering his question before he asked it, "That is how I found your whereabouts."
"James went against everything that I tried to teach him," Shay sighed, "and I severed my ties with him shortly after he slaughtered all those innocents in Havana."
"I see."
He looked at me thoughtfully for a few moments, before he smiled warmly at me, "So, what do you wish to know then, Mr Dorian?"
"Why did you turn your back on the Brotherhood and take up arms against them?"
"It is a long tale I'm afraid."
"So tell me," I insisted, leaning forward.
Shay gave me a sad smile before beginning his tale.
"My former Mentor, Achilles Davenport, and I had a disagreement about collateral damage," he sighed. "I was sent on a mission to retrieve a piece of Eden from the city of Lisbon by my Mentor. And when I finally retrieved it, it triggered an earthquake that destroyed the city and killed hundreds of innocent people. When I questioned my mentor about the needless loss of life, Achilles just brushed it off as a necessity in our struggle against the Templars, while I felt that even if it was for a just cause, killing one innocent, let alone hundreds was a step too far. He had turned me into a murderer and had forced me to kill innocents - for that I never forgave him. I discovered that life's hardest choices are ones that make you question your moral code, and so I left the Assassins, unable to serve under my former Mentor any longer."
I nodded thoughtfully, had I been in the same situation I probably would have done the same thing.
"It would have been a hard thing knowing that by taking the artifact you would have killed so many people."
"Aye… I still carry the guilt to this day…" He said sadly, "Over the next year I worked with the Templars, in return for help. You see, after leaving the Brotherhood I stole a manuscript detailing the whereabouts of other pieces of Eden, so that no more catastrophes could occur; no more innocents would die. And so Achilles sent his Assassins after me and I killed every last one of them…"
He looked into my eyes as if searching for something. Anger? Rage?
He must have expected me to be ready to leap over the table and end his life for killing so many of my brothers. But I just watched him thoughtfully and nodded for him to continue.
"I discovered that my ideals lay more towards the Templar way than that of the Assassins. A year passed and I was inducted into the American rite by the Grand Master of the time, Haytham Kenway," he looked at me and caught my bemused smile, "Ah, I see that you have indeed heard that name."
"I have Monsieur," I told him, "I am only sitting here today due to his actions and those of his son, Connor. Haytham was a great man."
"He was a good man and a fine leader," Shay agreed, "We shared many of the same views, one of which was that Achilles' recklessness would go on to end many more innocent lives, and so we set out to stop him. Over the next few years I was forced to kill many of my former friends and brothers as they blindly followed Achilles in his quest and to this day I remember their faces and still bear the scars of my actions," he tapped his head, the scars were inside, he still felt the guilt to this day, "You must understand, I had to kill them, to save innocent lives."
I wondered, would I have been capable of killing my friends and brothers to avert the deaths of many innocent people? I had killed Bellec to stop him from hunting down Élise, but could I have killed my mentor to save someone, even an innocent, that I didn't even know? Shay Cormac was a brave man indeed to have given up so much for what he believed in.
"Over the next year we stopped Achilles from completing his plan to find all of the Precursor artifacts, and then I suppose, we come to why you are truly here, my journey to Versailles," he took a deep breath, "Shortly after we had stopped Achilles, Haytham sent me to retrieve a Precursor box, an artifact that could translate the language of The First Civilization, so that it would not fall into the hands of the Assassins. It took me twenty years, but finally word came to me that it had been found in France, and I set out to recover it, before any harm could befall an innocent life."
I knew in my heart what he was about to tell me, and I was beginning to understand why he would have committed the act.
"In 1776 it became known to me that a high ranking French Assassin was being tasked with guarding the Precursor box, as it happens that man was your father. I felt no enmity towards him and from what I was to learn, I would soon highly respect him despite fighting for different causes. In my mind I saw that my stopping people from using the pieces of Eden and the Precursor artifacts, was saving innocent lives. And so I killed your father to retrieve the artifact, and in doing so believed that I had spared many, if not countless innocents of the grief that I bore."
I wasn't sure what to say. The man who had killed my father was openly admitting to his crime and I could see the guilt in his eyes. This was a man who felt that by killing his former allies even for a just cause, he was somehow losing himself as a person. I gestured for him to go on, not trusting myself to speak. Was it anger I felt? Was it sadness? or shock?
"After recovering the box I returned to the colonies briefly, before setting out to stop more people from claiming the pieces of Eden. Barely five years later I received word that my mentor, Haytham, had been killed. Not long after his death, what was left of the American Order broke down without his leadership and I abandoned the colonies with no wish to take up the mantle of Grand Master. I left to find a measure of peace to help ease my conscious," Shay was silent for a few moments before continuing quietly, "The bloodshed between the two orders is a foolish waste of life. Far too many good men, Assassin and Templar, have fallen to this stupid crusade that has spanned centuries."
"On that I must agree with you, and as we speak I am working on a third way for the two orders, one that will stop the war and bring a time of peace."
"You are a good man Arno," he told me, "I truly hope that you can accomplish what you are working towards. You have shown me that you are willing to forgive the past and because of that I am hopeful for the future of the two orders."
"Your help has been invaluable," I said, and I meant it. Shay had given me a glimpse it what is was like to be of both orders and that at the end of the day, men were just men. That the war between Templars and Assassins had only been kept alive by the leaders of the two groups, leaders who had sometimes extreme ideas, even if they were good men at heart.
"It gladdens me to hear you say that," he smiled sadly, "I truly am sorry for taking your father away from you."
"You helped to make me into the man I am today, Monsieur," I replied, remembering all my triumphs and failures, experiences that changed me forever. Élise came into my mind and I realized that if Shay hadn't killed my father then I would never have been adopted by Monsieur de la Serre, and I would not be with her. "Without you I doubt that I would have ever known true happiness, and I would not have worked beside a Templar."
"I suppose it is ironic then," he chuckled.
And then I told him everything, from the death of Monsieur de la Serre, to my imprisonment and joining the Assassins. I told him of my hunt for Germain and the chase that lasted five long years. I told him of the letters sent by his former mentor, Haytham Kenway and working with his son these last few days. And then I told him of my feelings towards Élise.
"You know, throughout my life all I have ever wanted was to be something and to help those in need. In you I see questions, I see a desire for peace. I see that you care deeply for Élise and that she clearly does for you, a good thing not just for yourself, but for the two orders, and I see in you a chance for peace between the Templars and Assassins," Shay said and something awoke in his eyes, a kind of fire sparked, "I may be old, but I am still a swordsman, a captain and a Templar Knight, and as such I will do all that is within my power to aide your cause."
"You have done so much Monsieur, but I cannot ask for your help."
"Then don't ask," he grinned, "I am coming with you Arno, whether you like it or not."
"Alright," I replied, "It will take time, and it will be a difficult task."
"Don't I know it, but this damned crusade has to end."
I nodded, "Aye, far too many innocent people have been caught up in the crossfire."
"And more are coming to realize it," he said, his eyes shining, "Myself, you, Haytham Kenway and his son, Count Mirabeau, François and Julie de la Serre, and as you tell me, their daughter as well. Only four of us are still breathing Arno, it is a fight that has cost many good people their lives."
"It is a just cause," I told him, "And I won't stop fighting until this dream becomes a reality."
"I have been out of the fight for far too long as it is," Shay smiled, "I will use my standing within the Order to arrange a meeting with my French brothers."
"Aye, that would be most helpful," Shay's status as a high ranking Templar would be very useful in bridging the gap between the two groups, "With you backing us and with the death of Monsieur Carroll, then I imagine all of the de la Serre loyalists will come out into the open once again. The only problem being that William Carroll is still breathing."
"That was my thinking," Shay nodded, "However before we return to France there is something that we must do."
"Of course," I nodded, "What do you need?"
"James Gabrielle has been allowed to kill far too many innocent people, and I have let this go on for far too long as it is. Templar or not, I should have killed him long ago. We must take out Gabrielle and William Carroll before we depart or they will rally more men and hunt you down, leaving a trail of blood in his wake."
"I agree. However Monsieur Gabrielle will soon be sailing for his fortress on Jersey and I only have one ship at my disposal, and despite the Aquila having a capable captain, we cannot take on three of Gabrielle's ships, along with his fort. And as for Monsieur Carroll, we have no way of knowing where he has set sail."
"The Aquila? That was an Assassin ship; it brought the end of many a Templar in the colonies. How did you come by it?"
"Connor Kenway captain's it now."
"I see," he smiled, the same cocky one as before, "however you no longer have only one ship "I happen to have a vessel of my own."
"That would be most helpful," I nodded, finally we had a chance to be rid of Gabrielle, "So what's our move?"
"If we hurry we may be able to catch them before they escape our grasp. I'll send word ahead to my crew to make the ship ready so we can hunt down Gabrielle and get the location of William Carroll."
"I'll meet you in Dover with my allies," I said and rose to my feet, "Connor Kenway himself is a fine captain and between our two forces we will crush Gabrielle."
"You had better go now then, we will need to be underway to Dover within the hour if we are to have any chance of catching them."
"I just pray we have luck on our side."
"I believe that we make our own luck."
"A good belief," I replied with a nod and left to find Élise and Connor.

vi

We rode hard, nearly pushing our horses to breaking point, but it paid off. We reached Dover two hours before dawn, or thereabouts, and pushed on to the docks. Before us floated Shay Cormac's brig, or as the crew called it, a sloop 'o war, the Morrigan. The vessel was a sinister grey and its large blood red sails were about to be unfurled as we arrived. It had the full bearings of a ship primed for combat. Beside the Morrigan sat the Aquila, Connor's own war ship. It stood slightly larger than Shay's vessel and was painted in black and a cream colour similar to that of his robes, the sails being of plain white canvas. I couldn't help but smile at the irony, both these ships had plagued the Americas over the last hundred years, one hunting Templars, the other, Assassins. Now they would be going into battle side by side.
We boarded with haste, myself and Élise joining Shay on board the Morrigan. And then we were under way, the two ships unfurling their sails, our speed picked up and we were on the hunt.

An hour later the lights from James Gabrielle's ship came into sight. It was an English frigate, a powerhouse. And it was not alone. Two smaller ships crashed through the waves beside our target, both of them were brigs, much like our own. I stood on the foredeck of the Morrigan, staring out through the darkness, across the waters, where my gaze sat on Mercer's small force. My pulse quickened, we were gaining on the enemy vessel. We were gaining fast. Shay Cormac was truly a brilliant captain, finding the fasted way through the wild waves that crashed about us. All the lanterns on our ship were extinguished so that our enemy wouldn't know we were there until we were upon them. Somewhere out to the starboard side of the Morrigan sped the Aquila, ready to spring our trap on Mercer, likewise with its lights extinguished. We planned to come up on the trio of ships from either side and unload everything we had before they had even spotted us. Élise stood by my side, one hand grasping the railing with a fierce gleam in her eyes. It was good to be back on the hunt, with an opponent that we didn't need to hide in the shadows to find. I glanced back at the wheel where Shay steered us towards our prize, his eyes staring out towards the three well lit ships before us. They were being careless; clearly they didn't expect a pursuit.
I turned to Élise with a smile, "Soon this will all be over."
"And we will be able to return home, with a chance of a new future," she replied, "It is hard to believe isn't it? One final fight and then we can return home... Even the word sounds foreign to me now"
"It will be strange indeed to live without having to keep looking over our shoulders," I replied, flashing her a cocky grin, "It will be a nice change."
Élise gave me a beautiful smile and gave me a quick kiss. I grinned back at her, drawn in by her gaze.
"You know," she started with a quiet smile, "before my induction to the Order all those years ago, my father told me that you were born with certain gifts."
I chuckled, "Gifts?"
"Yes," she continued, "I thought at the time that those gifts would help you to become the man that would unite the two orders."
"I see," I said thoughtfully, curious, "and what do you believe now?"
"I don't believe that it is your gifts that will make you capable of it as such… I look at you now and see the man that you have become; I see the path you have forged for yourself, Arno. Not only are you a warrior, you are an Assassin who was raised by Templars. If anyone is capable of bringing peace and ending the war, it is you."
"You truly believe that I can do it? That I can be the one that could unite the two creeds under one banner?"
"I do," she nodded seriously, her eyes sparkling, she really had this much faith in me? My heart swelled.
"When we return to France, I will do all that is within my power to bring a new age to the Assassins and the Templars."
"You will be the one to stop the bloodshed that has lasted generations, I am sure of it."
How could she do this? Élise could make me feel capable enough to achieve anything.
"One last fight, Élise, and then together we will bring about an era of peace for Assassin and Templar alike."
She smiled into my eyes, her own burning with hope. I held her close, her head resting in the crook of my neck. I closed my eyes; this was what peace felt like. And then she pulled away and looked into my eyes again,
"Please be careful when we make our attack."
"Aren't I always?"
"Arno, I'm serious," she replied, and I could see the worry in her eyes, "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"I'll be alright," I told her, placing my hands on her sides, "and I have you to protect me."
"I know, it's just… We are so close to finishing everything Arno, and finally being able to live with a measure of peace. I couldn't bear if anything were to happen to you because of something I did over five years ago."
"I'll stay by your side," I promised her, "Together nothing can defeat us."
We shared another brief kiss and then turned our gaze to the ships drawing ever closer. I glanced at Élise and saw the concentration on her face, she was preparing herself for the final confrontation.
"Sir," came a whisper and I turned to see one of Shay's men striding towards me, "the Captain wants a word."
"Of course," I nodded my thanks and headed back to the wheel with Élise by my side.

I swiftly strode up to the wheel and stood with Shay as he gazed towards Gabrielle's ship. Was it sadness in his eyes, or regret? I couldn't tell. Gabrielle had been his protégé a long time ago, and now fate had forced Shay's hand, sending him to kill the boy he had trained. It must have been hard, especially after everything Shay had lost in his life.
"We should be upon them soon," he whispered, "With any luck we will be able to take them before they reach Jersey."
Shay indicated a light in the distance. Aha, so that was where James Gabrielle's fort was.
"And hopefully before dawn breaks and reveals our position," I replied with a nod, "That would complicate matters."
Shay returned my nod, before glancing back at the small fleet of hips ahead of us. We had gained swiftly, now we were no more than six ship lengths behind them. It was nearly time.
"Tell the men to ready themselves," Shay whispered, "and make sure that none of them bloody talk and give us away."
I dipped my head, showing that I understood and then flicked my hood over my head again, before scurrying down to the deck below to pass on the message. About me pistols were primed and the men carried grim but excited expression, they were finally going back into action. The hatches were lifted and the cannons loaded, ready to fire at the first signal. We were ready.

vii

The darkness of night shrouded the Morrigan, giving us complete cover as we slowly drew up alongside Monsieur Gabrielle's small fleet. We watched in silence as Shay steered our ship on a parallel course to that of the enemy vessels, and then we were beside the far left ship. It was time.
I gazed out across the small gap between our two brigs, and to my astonishment noticed not one man on watch on deck of the enemy ship. Gabrielle's men must have thought themselves safe indeed to be this stupidly careless. I watched, silently, waiting for the order to fire. And then one of Gabrielle's men walked up to the railing to take a piss. I couldn't help but grin as he fiddled with the buttons of his breeches without a care in the world. And then he saw us and his mouth dropped open, it must have been the dull light that was coming from the horizon that had given us away. He whipped around to face the decks and screamed, "We're under attack!"
But it was far too late, and then Shay gave the order to open fire.
Our first broadside was shot from close range and the cannon shot tore through the enemy ship. Fragments of wood flew through the air as our volley raked the ship's side brutally. And then the screams came. Screams from the men who had been below decks where our attack had ravaged the vessel.
I heard cannons boom from the far side of Gabrielle's force, Connor had begun his attack.
"Don't stop to board!" I shouted to Shay, pointing to Gabrielle's flagship as it sped up, unfurling all its sails, to escape our trap, "We need to take Gabrielle before he escapes."
"No boarding," Shay called down to his crew with a savage grin, "We'll send them down to the bottom instead."
The crew cheered, bringing their muskets and pistols to bear on the men running for cover on the decks of their own ship, or what was left of it anyway. I grabbed a nearby musket and looked around for a target. Aha, I spotted a man, the captain obviously, trying to rally his men and at the same time swing his ship away from us, a last desperate attempt to save his ruined vessel. I aimed along the sights and pulled the trigger. The gun kicked back, roaring as it belched fire, sending the shot on its way. And the captain toppled to the decks with a cry of pain, a bloody hole in his chest. Now leaderless, the enemy crew dashed around the deck in disarray, where they were picked off easily by the men of the Morrigan.
And then our second broadside hit. The cannons boomed, smashing gaping holes in the brig as if it were nothing. And then the enemy ship was slowing and we pulled ahead. The men about me cheered as the brig slowly capsized and was swallowed by the murky waters and sent down to the depths. The sun was rising quickly now and I could easily make out the destruction we had wrought on our enemy. The brig had been all but destroyed and the water about the battle was covered in wreckage. It had gone well; I thought as we pulled away from the flotsam, we hadn't taken one casualty. But then of course, they day was young.
I glanced over and saw that the same fate had befallen Gabrielle's second brig. The Aquila was now pulling ahead of her sinking prey and coming up on our starboard side. Connor sent me a wave and I replied in kind, with men of both vessels cheering the victory, our plan had been a complete success. So far at least. I grinned at Élise, who returned a mischievous smile.
"That went well," she said with a light in her eyes as she reached out and touched my arm. How was it possible for someone to me feel so happy, even in the midst of a battle?
"Well it was my brilliant plan, after all," I joked with a chuckle, earning a playful smack.
We laughed together for a few moments and for an instant it was just the two us, the chaos about us forgotten. Her laugh was beautiful; her playful smile melted my heart.
And then the seriousness of the hunt returned and the moment ended as suddenly as it had begun, our two ships were chasing Gabrielle's speeding frigate as it made course for Jersey, now clearly ahead of us.
"Fire the chase guns!" roared Shay, spinning the wheel hard to starboard.
Men sprinted to the front of the ship and loaded the chase guns, a set of four smaller cannons that were used to target a fleeing ship. The cannons boomed, unleashing their shot upon the rear of Gabrielle's frigate in the hopes of slowing it down. Wood splinters erupted as the shot smashed into our fleeing enemy, but the frigate hardly slowed under the onslaught, before it once again picked up speed and sped out of range of the chase guns. Damn it.
Could we catch Monsieur Gabrielle's ship before it reached the fortress that was now in sight?

As it turns out we didn't catch Gabrielle, the frigate was simply too fast. And we could only watch in dismay as the ship pulled further and further ahead before it finally docked by the fort and the men on board streamed over the sides of their ship and through the open gates, into the protective cove of the grey stone walls of the naval fortress.
The fort was only small and sat right above the small cliffs overlooking the bay before us. A wide staircase lead from the fort's docks up to the structure itself, and as I watched the large gates slowly swung shut behind the last of Gabrielle's men. The Aquila pulled up beside us and ramps were placed between the two ships as we dropped anchor and waited for Connor to join us on deck. It was time to form a final plan to take down Gabrielle, and we had him trapped now, the only problem was that his fort had a naval battery of at least thirty cannons. It didn't look good for us.

"I have an idea," began Shay when Connor had joined us on board the Morrigan.
"Go on," prompted Connor with a quiet smile and gestured for him to continue.
How could we get to Gabrielle without being blown to pieces? I soon had my answer.
"He won't expect us to attack a naval fortress with ships, so I suggest a bold strategy," Shay indicated down to the prow of the Morrigan, where two short but wide upwards-facing cannons stood, Monsieur Cormac had a set of the feared mortar cannons that had become popular on larger ships, "I happen to have a set of mortars, and with these we should be able to smash through Mr Gabrielle's nasty little battery there."
"Aye, but to get clean shots you would need to come within range of those cannons," cut in Connor, gesturing towards the battery, "The Aquila, has sixty guns on board, so I will draw the brunt of the fire towards my own ship and unload everything I have on the battery, while you target the gatehouse and walls with your mortars."
Shay was nodding thoughtfully now, "Between our two ships we should have more than enough fire power to level the fort's defenses and make our attack on land."
I felt a surge of respect for the American Grand Master, he was putting himself in great danger, risking his life and those of his men so that we had a chance to beach the fortress and at taking down Gabrielle.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" said Élise gravely, waving a hand towards the cannon battery, "you could get cut to pieces by those."
"It's our only chance," Connor replied earnestly, his brow furrowed in concentration, "I have to try."
That was it then, there was no dissuading him.
"Good luck," I told Connor as I clasped his hand, "Though, I am sure that you will not need it."
"Godspeed Kenway," grinned Shay as he shook his head and took Connor's hand, "You are even more mad than your father was."
"I'll see you in the fort," replied Connor giving a hint of a smile, before nodding to Élise.
"It's time to finish this," she called, returning his nod.

viii

I watched as the Aquila pulled ahead of us, and sped towards Gabrielle's fort, the crew roaring defiance. Connor turned his ship as it came within range of the naval battery and then fully unfurled the sails. The Aquila shot forwards with a new burst of speed as the cannons from the fort boomed. I prayed that the shot would miss. And it did, Connor's masterful maneuver had taken his ship out of the way of the broadside, and the steel cannon balls splashed harmlessly into the water behind the Aquila. And then Connor returned fire on his stationary target. Flames belched from the thirty cannons along the port side of the Aquila, and nearly every shot found its mark, raking the naval battery with steel shot. Dust erupted along fortress walls as fragments of stone were thrown in every direction. Screams came from the battery and when the last of the dust had settled, over half of Gabrielle's cannons had been destroyed, and a gaping hole had been blown in the battery defenses. We cheered and the men of the Morrigan began to chant,
"KENWAY! KENWAY! KENWAY!"
With a grin I took up the cry, steel rang as I drew my sword and punched it above my head.
"KENWAY! KENWAY! KENWAY!"
The crews blood was up and I could see them, waiting for the order to be underway with anticipation.
And then Shay spurred the Morrigan into action. The blood red sails came down and we sped towards our target as Connor daringly closed on the fort, before turning at the last instant, once again avoiding the shot fired from the fortress. I watched as two of Shay's men carefully loaded the huge mortar cannons and took aim at the gatehouse.
"Steady boys," called Shay, "steady..."
I glanced at our captain as we came closer and closer to Gabrielle's position, waiting for the order to fire. Come on, come on...
"FIRE!"
The mortars boomed and the Morrigan shook from the kickback of the cannons and the decks were shrouded in an eerie grey smoke. I gazed out towards the fort as the smoke cleared, and then the mortar shot crashed down on the gatehouse. It was ten times as devastating as a broadside from directly alongside your target. One moment the gatehouse was there, and the next it was simply gone in a cloud of dust... along with most of the frontal wall of the naval fort. Chunks of stone were blasted into the air where they seemed to hang for a few moments, before crashing back down. Many smashed into the staircase leading to the fort while many more had disappeared into the murky depths of the ocean about us. I wondered how many people had been killed in the blast. I didn't want to guess.
Smoke covered Connor's ship as once again he fired on the naval battery, and this time all the remaining cannons were destroyed by the volley. Now nothing stood between us and the fortress.
Savage cries of victory came from the men of the Morrigan, and I joined them wholeheartedly. We had a way in.

With battle cries fresh on our lips, we leapt from our ships onto the sandy beach and docks before the fortress, nothing could stop us now. With their defenses newly laid bare, Gabrielle's men charged out from behind the walls towards us, screaming their defiance as we made our attack. With Élise, Connor and Shay by my side I sprinted up towards the fortress and with a snarl, drew my sword in a fluid motion. My companions drew their assortment of weapons and then we were amongst Gabrielle's men in a roar and clash of steel. The man before me leapt down the stairs and threw himself at me with a vicious snarl. I stepped to the side and slashed my sword upwards, catching his exposed stomach as he flew passed me. I heard him crash to the ground behind me and blood covered my sword. I didn't stop to look back and continued charging up the stairs towards the fort. Another of Gabrielle's men charged me and I took his life with my hidden blade. The four of us worked together well, and we sent dozens of Gabrielle's men to the grave. I took a brief moment to admire Shay's skill, even in his early sixties he moved with the speed and grace of a man half his age, his sword and dagger blurs of steel around him. The men who charged to meet us found only death as one by one we slaughtered them. Shay blocked a blow aimed at my side with his parrying dagger and I filleted the man where he stood. I sprinted into a gap in the enemy force, smashed my sword guard into a soldier's head and as he collapsed at my feet, I ran at the rocky side of the staircase, leapt up onto the rocks, before deflecting a blow with my sword. I flipped sideways off the rocks as another soldier aimed a swing at my ankles. I landed beside him and while a look of surprise covered his face I shoved my sword into his gut. I quickly glanced around the fight and saw Élise swiftly dispatch two opponents, while Connor and Shay took down yet more. The four of us made a perfect team and we fought together well. We had outdistanced both the men of the Aquila and those of the Morrigan, and now we stood alone facing a group of twenty of Gabrielle's men. Our force was further down the stairs engaging another force of Gabrielle's men, there would be no help from that quarter. We wouldn't need it anyway, I thought with a cocky grin. The four of us shared a look before charging towards the larger force with battle cries upon our lips.
I leapt at a gap and forced my way into the group of soldiers, my sword and hidden blade creating a whirlwind of steel about me as I wove in to the fight. I took down three men like they were nothing and as I had a moment to look about I saw that my companions had likewise forced their way into the fight and were quickly taking down their enemies. With a roar I attacked with a renewed vigor and sliced my way through two more men, sending them crashing down to the cold stone of the stairs. And then the four of us were through, with no more opposition between us at the destroyed gatehouse of the fort.

We sprinted through the ruins of what had previously been the gatehouse and into the first sanctum of the fort. We had barely a moment to take in our surroundings before more men streamed towards us. With a roar I changed four of them. I easily deflected the first soldier's blow before slicing him from hip to shoulder with a slash. As he crashed to the ground in a bloody heap, I ducked a wild swing from the second man before thrusting my sword home into his stomach. I spun back around, wrenching my sword free and meeting the attack of the next soldier. I blocked his sword with my own, and sent it to the ground. With his defense out of the way, I sliced my hidden blade across his now exposed throat and blood splashed on my face as he fell with a gurgle. I whipped around to my last opponent, deflected his hasty attack with my sword and smashed my left fist into his face. As he stumbled back in pain I followed the blow up with my sword guard and he toppled over, out like a light.
And then the four of us were back to back, breathing heavily from the fight. More of Gabrielle's men charged us from every direction, they seemed to come out from everywhere, was there no end to them?
The first man to reach me swung at my neck, a fast blow, intended for a quick kill. But I was faster.
I reacted instantly, ducking as the blade whistled over my head, I shot up within his reach now and shoved my hidden blade between his ribs, straight to his heart. I span and saw a soldier coming up on Élise's blind side, his sword raised. I moved like lightning, bounding towards him my sword whipping around. By the time he noticed me it was too late and my sword had stopped his blow and opened his throat. Seconds later Élise returned the favour by bringing down a man leaping towards my back, and we shared a brief smile as the men crashed to the ground, before entering the fray again. We moved like demons, every man to reach our small group fell before our blades and soon there was a large ring of bodies about us, and still more of Gabrielle's soldiers attacked. How many of them were there? I swore, there had to be an end.
And then as the ring of steel around us was about to attack again shouts came from the entrance and our men streamed into the fort and engaged our enemies. We carved a bloody path through the soldiers until we reached the far end of the courtyard and took a moment to breath,
"We need to get to Gabrielle before he escapes," I panted, "we cannot afford to wait for our men to catch up or it may be too late."
My companions nodded, we had to leave the fight to our men so that we could take down Gabrielle.
"I won't leave my men," stated Connor with a frown, "and someone will need to take charge here."
"I'll stay back with you," added Shay grinning, "there are a lot of the bastards, after all. We will join you after we smash through the gates to the inner sanctum."
"Alright," replied Élise, before nodding to me, "we'll take down Gabrielle ourselves."
"You had best go then," said Shay, slapping Connor's shoulder, "good luck."
And then the pair were gone, lost in the fighting once more.
"Let's go," said Élise with a cocky smile, and I followed her at a run.

iix

We reached stairs leading up onto the wall and sprinted up them. A few men still stood on the walls but we quickly dispatched them. I ran to the tower overlooking the bay and reached the door. "It's barred from the inside, and we need it to get to the inner sanctum where Gabrielle will no doubt be."
"We need it, yes," replied Élise thoughtfully, looking up to the top of the small tower, "but we don't need to go inside it to get through."
I grinned at her, truly Élise was brilliant. I sheathed my sword and started the climb up the stone wall of the building. Élise followed and because of our training, we reached the top within moments and crouched behind the fortifications overlooking the inner sanctum, where sure enough, there stood James Gabrielle with a small cadre of soldiers. He was arguing with one of his officers and even from this distance I could see the he was furious.
"We can't hold them sir," the officer was saying.
"You can and you will."
"They are lead by devils, Captain," he shook his head in dismay, "four of them took the outer sanctum almost singlehandedly, and cut down many of our best men like they were nothing. We cannot stop them."
Gabrielle shot the man a withering look and spat at his feet with a snarl, "You are relieved of duty."
And with that he plunged his blade into the officer's chest. He fell to the ground in front of his former commander with blood pooling around him and a look of surprise on his face.
"The bastard," swore Élise from beside me, "does he have no honour?"
"Apparently not…" I replied, glancing down on the scene beneath us, "he has six men with him, and probably more nearby."
"Come on, we can take them."
"Together," I replied and entwined my fingers with hers briefly, "let's finish this."

We dropped from the small tower silently and plunged down towards the soldiers beneath us. My target gave a shout of surprise as he saw me, but then my sword sliced across his exposed chest. I landed in a crouch and didn't stop to think, leaping to my feet and continuing my attack by plunging my hidden blade into another of Gabrielle's men. I spun to my final opponent who finally reacted, lunging towards me, his sword outstretched. I easily deflected the blow with my wrist blade, before opening his throat with my own sword. He crashed to the ground in a spray of blood just as Élise dispatched her final foe with a flick of her sword. We shared a brief glance before turning to Gabrielle. He was alone.
And he had a smug look on his face.
And then realization hit me, it was a trap.
"KILL THEM!" he bellowed, leveling his sword towards us.
The keep doors boomed open and dozens of James Gabrielle's men streamed out of the passage towards us, screaming battle cries.
My instincts kicked in as I ran towards them, my sword and hidden blade becoming extensions of my arms. This had to end. No matter the cost, I could not let Élise come to harm. I parried a blow aimed to decapitate me and then slashed my sword across my attacker's torso. I spun away and opened another man's throat. Continuing my spin I blocked a wild sword stroke and plunged my hidden blade into the soldier's heart. Men fell all about me, I was a demon.
I looked toward Élise and saw her surrounded by six soldiers, and with a roar I charged them. Two were dead before they realized I was amongst them and I cut down a third in a matter of moments. Élise used the distraction to eliminate the final three men and grinned as we stood back to back, swords at the ready.
"Just in time," she said, with a self confident chuckle.
I grinned and chuckled myself, shaking my head, she really was insane… How I loved her. We would have been surrounded by at least two dozen soldiers and yet at that moment, I did not care.
"After we finish this," I began with my trademark cocky smile, "we should really do something about the engagement shouldn't we?"
"Just don't make me wear a dress at the ceremony."
I felt myself grin and suddenly two dozen opponents didn't seem like too many to face, with Élise by my side it may as well have been one hundred, it did not matter.
And then James Gabrielle pushed his way through the ring of his men and faced me, "So, you have finally come to meet your end, Assassin."
"I have come to take your life," I returned his arrogant smirk.
"Best of luck," he chuckled, "you have been a thorn in my side for far too long Mr Dorian, no longer."
I glanced around at the ring of steel that surrounded us, "it is not too late to surrender, Monsieur."
James Gabrielle laughed, "Know that I have come to respect you, Assassin, I will take no pleasure in this."
"Let's finish this then, you and me," I looked into his eyes, "no one else has to die."
"I'm almost tempted, but you have cost me dearly."
"What are you waiting for then," I spat angrily, "fight me or die where you stand."
"You Assassins need to learn, there is no place in the world for you anymore," was his only reply, and gestured for his men to form a ring about us, "the Assassin in mine, take the girl, I want her alive."
Anger filled me. I wasn't going to let this bastard so much as touch one hair on Élise's head.
And with a roar I charged my enemy.

A new strength filled my bones, if I didn't kill James Gabrielle now, then he would capture Élise and give her a life worse than hell. That was something that I could not allow. Steel rang as our blades clashed together again and again. I fought for all I was worth, every blow filled with my will power. I narrowly avoided a lunge but took a cut to my left shoulder. I shoved the pain down and renewed my attack. Nothing was working, no matter how hard I fought I simply couldn't get through his defense. But this time he was finding it hard to get through mine. This time however, we were almost even, my will for Élise to live added speed to my attack and strength to my defense. And then it came to me, one of Bellec's teachings, "Remember Pisspot, a fight isn't all about honour and the damned code. What matters is that you survive."
In the moment I damned fighting honourably like I had in our first encounter.

He came at me with a downwards angling slash and I did the most unlike swordsman thing I could think of. I blocked the blow overhead, holding my sword with two hands, instead of deflecting it. The swords clashed together and held. The blow jarred my wrists and locked my elbows and then with a grunt I leaned back and delivered a devastating high kick to Monsieur Gabrielle's chest. He stumbled backwards with a grunt and in that instant I lunged forwards, sword aimed at his throat. With barely a hairs breadth to spare he knocked my blow to the side where it caught his right cheek. Surprise covered his face as he stepped back and touched his bloody wound with his spare hand. Blood streamed out of the cut and ran down his chin.
"You will die for that, Assassin." He bellowed with rage.
I didn't waste my breath on one of my usual cocky remarks and instead pressed my small advantage. I could hear the clash of steel beside our own fight; Élise was taking on Gabrielle's men, despite the overwhelming odds. I came at James Gabrielle like lightning, every blow faster than the last. I was pushing him back. I deflected his sword to the side and in the same move sent a punch to his freshly bloodied cheek. He roared with outrage and came at me with more vigor. And then he drew his knife and suddenly he was the one on the attack.

I defended desperately as he came into his usual flow. My hidden blade was a blur as it countered his knife, but I was tiring faster than he was, and I had just fought a battle, while he hadn't. He deflected my sword away from my body, managed to lock my hidden blade against my side with his knife and then hammered his sword guard into my chin. However, this time I was ready, and rocked back with the blow, and as his blade swept passed, smashed my own sword guard into his chin. He staggered back under the blow and then spat out a glob of dark blood. He looked at me with hate in his eyes and came at me with a blindingly fast attack. He dropped his knife as our swords met, grabbed my sword arm with his left and then twisted, throwing me over his shoulder to the ground. I lost grip on my sword and it flew from my grasp. I rose to my knees and he stood before me, anger written all over his face and his sword tip at my neck.

ix

"In what world could you have ever beaten me?'
Two of Gabrielle's men grabbed my shoulders and held me down in my kneeling position.
I looked over at Élise, my head ringing… No… She was unarmed, her arms pinned behind her back by two of Gabrielle's men as they forced her to her knees. She struggled in their grasp and fought them, but to no avail. I felt my heart break, I had failed.
"Before you die, know that your little girl over there will be broken before the sun is down."
"You bastard," I spat a glob of blood at his feet. I had to think of something.
"You are nothing to me, Assassin."
I glanced passed Monsieur Gabrielle and looked at Élise, our eyes meeting. I saw tears appear in her eyes, and my own began to moisten, we had been so damn close.
"Arno, I love you," she called to me sadly.
"Silence!" roared one of her captors and cracked the back of his hand across her cheek.
She glared defiantly up at him, "I'm going to enjoy killing you."
He raised his hand to strike her again.
"Enough!" roared Gabrielle, halting the blow.
"Sir," called one of his men, gesturing towards the barred gate, "They are almost upon us, if we are to leave then it must be now."
Gabrielle swore viciously, "get to the boats; we'll fall back to Mont de la Ville."
"We don't have room for prisoners sir."
"Then we take none."
"Running away," I spat, I no longer cared for my own life, "you coward."
"Who do you think you are? I am the greatest swordsman in Europe, while you are little more than a peasant. Who are you to dare challenge me?" his sword nicked my neck and I felt a tendril of blood run down my throat, he gestured to Élise, "Kill her."
Anger filled my heart as he ordered the death of the woman I loved. No matter what happened, I was not going to let James Gabrielle win so that he could kill Élise. One of Gabrielle's men nodded to the two soldiers holding Élise and they stilled her struggles, savagely pushing her to the ground. The third man drew his pistol and primed it, leveling it at her head. I had made my decision.
He smirked and drove his blade towards my exposed throat.
And the sound of a pistol firing echoed around the courtyard.

And then Élise's attacker collapsed to the ground and I saw Shay on the battlements with Connor by his side, a pistol smoking in his hands. Gabrielle's attack halted as he looked up in shock, shock that his former mentor was here for his blood. Shay and Connor leapt down into the sanctum as the gates exploded inwards, with a blast that could only have been caused by barrels of gun powder, and the men of the Aquila and the Morrigan streamed inside, roaring as they engaged Gabrielle's men. I glimpsed Élise tearing out of the grasp of her two captors, sending her elbow into one of her attacker's groins and giving the second a right hook to the face. As my attack was distracted by the sight of Shay cutting through his men, I leapt to my feet and knocked the men holding me to the ground, Gabrielle swore and stabbed his sword towards me, it was too late to escape, but he still had time to kill me it appeared. I closed my eyes and steeled my nerves.

And then I caught the blade with my hands. Surprise covered monsieur Gabrielle's face. I felt the sword bite through my gloves and into the soft skin beneath. He pushed harder but I held on and rose to my feet. The pain was excruciating and blood started to soak through my gloves and drip from my hands, but this bastard had ordered the death of the woman I loved. He had to die. I ignored the pain and looked James Gabrielle in the eyes as shock flew across them.
"Who am I?" I said forcefully, "My name is Arno Dorian, my father was Charles Dorian. I am a Master of the Assassin brotherhood and like all before me I fight for the freedom and liberty of others," I was at full height now and looking Gabrielle directly in the eyes, "I have known great love and loss, I have seen things that you wouldn't even believe possible. I have seen great men fall; I have seen a woman who has lost her home, her family and everything of value rise from the ashes and take her revenge. I have learnt that despite everything I have gone through, everything that I have suffered over the years, that my past has forged me into a warrior. Who am I?"
I glared into his shocked eyes with blood dripping from my hands.
"I am an Assassin."
And with that I kicked him in the stomach and he dropped his sword with an outraged bellow. I let it fall to the ground with a clatter before following up my kick with a right hook. He stumbled backwards and I pressed forwards, sending a blinding left uppercut his way. It sent him flying into one of the walls of the fort. The thought that if I didn't kill Gabrielle now, then he would most certainly go after Élise added strength to my blows and dulled the pain in my blood soaked hands. He crashed to the ground with a groan before staggering to his feet. I sent two lightning fast jabs to his exposed stomach, remembering how he had insulted Élise. He blocked a punch and lashed out with his own. Thank God for my time spent brawling in taverns during my youth. I easily blocked the blow and sent him back into the wall with a left hook. And then I took a step up the wall beside him, spun in mid air and smashed my right foot across his face. Blood erupted from his nose as it broke and he collapsed to the ground with a grunt. He tried to rise but failed, he was done. He flopped onto his back and looked up at me with an emptiness in his gaze, this was the first time he had ever been defeated. It was as if by defeating him I had somehow broken the man. Élise, Shay and Connor appeared at my side and glared down at the fallen Templar.
"The battle is over," said Shay simply as the last of Gabrielle's men fell beneath the onslaught.
I sent him a sidelong smile before returning my gaze to my fallen enemy.
"I told you that I would have your life, Monsieur," I told Gabrielle.
Blood dribbled down his chin and he coughed, "Get it over with, Assassin, I do not fear death."
"You ordered the death of the woman I love," I told him quietly, "I could give you a painless death here and now or I could take you back to England and leave you at the mercy of the redcoats, to pay for your crimes, or you could tell me the whereabouts of your master. No doubt he would have told you of his plans if the trap failed."
He sighed and looked at me with a hopeless expression, no doubt thinking of the punishment he would receive for killing so many of the British soldiers, it would be worse than hell. "Fine… He is headed for the New York. He hopes to reestablish our order in the Americas."
I nodded, it made sense, especially now that Connor was currently in England and away from his Brotherhood.
"I'm not sorry for what I have done, Assassin," said Monsieur Gabrielle angrily, "Everything that I have done has been for all mankind."
"Then you are as blind as you are cowardly," I replied, "you preach about saving mankind and yet you slaughter innocents like it is nothing."
"What lead you into this madness, James," asked Shay sadly, "what made you turn away from the boy I trained?"
"I found the truth," Gabrielle spat, "this peace between the two orders is a lie, yes there may be a truce for a time, but it will not last. The Templars are destined to fight the Assassins for eternity, why can't you see it?"
"You are wrong, Monsieur," I told him.
"Then you are the one who is blind."
I ignored the blood streaming from the palms of my hands and activated my hidden blade with a snick.
"James Gabrielle, you are a murderer without honour, a traitor to your Order and for that I sentence you to death," I knelt beside him, "Repose en paix"
And with that I stabbed my hidden blade into his heart. It was over.

22 October 1794

i

We had been on board the Morrigan for over two months now, when finally the call that land had been sighted came from the crows nest. After two long, cramped months we had almost reached America. Finally after two damn months on board the Morrigan, the end was within sight. I glanced with a frown once more at my heavily bandaged hands, it would be a while yet before I could grasp a sword. At least I still had my hidden blade; the time to fight would be near at hand. Élise joined my side on the railing as I gazed across the ocean towards the landmass that was slowly edging into sight. So this was America, the very place that had had a revolution of its own not long ago.
"We're finally here," I told her with a smile, gesturing towards the coastline.
"Thank God," chuckled Élise, "I swear I was starting to lose my mind."
I grinned, "Weren't we all…"
"I see that the landlubbers are enjoying the prospect of leaving the sea," Shay called from behind us with a chuckle, "Although, I do not know why."
"Well Monsieur," began Élise with a mischievous smile, "some of us prefer stable ground beneath our feet."
"Trust me, after two months on board this beauty you will grow bored of land within a week and be praying to get back out to open sea."
"I very much doubt that," I replied with a chuckle, "You didn't have to come with us you know."
"Aye, but I promised that I would do everything within my power to bring about an end to the bloodshed, and this William Carroll seems to be the only one to want war."
I nodded, "he cannot see that the Templars and the Assassins are both trying to bring about the same thing: a better world."
"I have been a part of both Creeds and I can tell you now that the only reason that the Templars and Assassins are waging war is because of leaders who won't let the fighting end."
"The only difference between the two orders," started Élise seriously, "Is that the Templars wish to guide mankind to a better future, one without fighting, while the Assassins want man to make that choice for themselves. Both just want a better future."
I nodded, "As you said Shay, the only reason two groups that want peace are fighting is because of our leaders, but I can feel a change coming."

We docked in a small cove near to both Boston and New York. As Connor had said, he owned this land, including a large house just up the road from the inlet. The land had once belonged to Achilles Davenport, Shay told us, and had left it to Connor after his death years before.
I couldn't help but grin as I jumped down from the Morrigan and landed on dry land for the first time in months. No longer were we confined to the same wooden deck, the same four walls of a tiny cabin. I looked around the cove and glanced up at the cliffs that soared above us, this place was truly beautiful. Élise joined me and took my hand,
"We're finally here," she laughed.
"It is good to be back on dry land," I replied with a grin, "welcome to America."
Connor strode down the ramp of the Aquila and joined us with a smile. The Mentor seemed much more relaxed now that he was home, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He must have been away for nearly five months, I thought, five months without seeing his family.
"Welcome back, Connor," called a man as he made his way over to the Assassin, a woman by his side and a small boy clasping to woman's hand.
Connor nodded to the couple, a smile playing across his lips, "Norris, Myriam, it's good to be home."
"Connor!" grinned the boy as he detached his hand from his mother's and threw himself into Connor's arms.
I grinned as Connor hugged the boy and looked to Élise with a smile.
"Don't even think about it." She said, shaking her head.
"The thought never crossed my mind," I replied with a chuckle.
I promise that I hadn't been thinking about having children. Much.
"Connor."
I looked to see a dark skinned woman striding through the crowd. She would have been of African descent and wore a strange blade at her hip, and with a brace of pistols shoved in her belt.
"Almost five months you've been gone."
"I didn't-"
"Five months." She interrupted, before her serious expression broke into a smile and she embraced Connor.
"I'm sorry, Aveline…" he said smiling, "things became… complicated." Connor looked around and sadness filled his eyes, "where are they?"
"Connor I'm sorry… She left…"
"And my children?"
"She took them as well," came Aveline's sad reply, "I heard rumours that they may have gone to England."
"No," Connor looked his lieutenant in the eyes, reading the unasked question, "let them go."
I watched as Connor took a deep breath and then fully composed himself. From what I had just witnessed it appeared that the Assassin's wife had left him while he had been helping us in London, and has taken their children with her.
I looked to Élise as they broke apart and caught her smiling at me. It was clear that Connor and Aveline were very close and had probably been through hell and back together. I smiled back at Élise and I couldn't imagine five months without seeing her. We quickly made our introductions to Aveline, and I could tell that she was a fiercely proud woman, someone who had seen much in her life and had forged her into a warrior. As Connor had once told me, she did carry herself with the same poise and dignity that Élise did, yes the two were much alike.
Connor looked to me and the sadness left his eyes. He was hiding something, of that I was certain. "It's time to go home," he indicated for us to follow him and then lead us up the long path and to the Davenport homestead.

ii

A few hours later, the five of us; Connor, Aveline, Élise, Shay and myself met again in one of the many rooms of the large house.
"I need to go back to leading my Order," Connor told us when we had assembled in the homestead, "I'll task some of my men to look for any leads on your man, Carroll."
"Alright," Élise replied, "between us and your Assassins we should be able to track down Monsieur Carroll, and hopefully soon."
"I will use my contacts to help find who Mr Carroll is dealing with," added Aveline, "no doubt he will go to the wealthy first, and I happen to know a few members of that group."
"And what of you?" I asked, turning to Shay, "you could be easily recognized if you went searching for information in the streets."
"I know," nodded Shay, "that is why I will be taking the Morrigan out and searching for our friend's base. It would have to be along the coastline somewhere, but if I find it, then we will know precisely where to find him."
"A good plan," I nodded.
"What of your hands?" inquired Élise, "can you use a blade yet?"
"No…" I muttered, "The sword cut deeper than I thought it would, and it will be a while yet before I can hold one."
"I may have something for you then," said Connor thoughtfully, before striding over to a set of draws and pulling a box from a hidden compartment. The Mentor placed the small chest on the table before him and opened the lid. A hidden blade lay in the compartment. I heard Shay let out a gasp beside me, as if he knew this particular weapon.
"This was my father's hidden blade," Connor told me, "hold out your right arm."
I did as he asked and moments later I wore a second blade, one on each wrist. I flexed my right arm and the blade erupted from its sheath. Connor had clearly looked after it well and it barely made a snick as I retracted the hidden blade.
I shook my head, "I cannot accept this."
"It is yours now," the American Grand Master told me with a nod, "and I'll hear no more about it."
"You have my thanks, Mentor," I replied, "I will look after it."
"I have no doubt you will," he chuckled, "Now let's go hunt this Englishman."

21 November 1794

i

I shared a glance with Élise as we stood before a large wooden warehouse by the New York port.
It had taken us nearly a month but finally one of Connor's Assassins brought us news that a weapons supplier by the name of John Hodgetts had just sold enough gun powder to level a village to a Mr William Carroll. I could feel my blood race as Connor brought me the report, finally we were getting somewhere with our investigations. And so we set up a meet with Monsieur Hodgetts to 'acquire some arms' as it were. And that is what had brought us to the warehouse by the New York docks.
"Let's find out what this Mr Hodgetts has to say about our English friend," I said and strode towards the large wooden doors.
Élise shivered with anticipation beside me, "this will be fun."
And then we entered the warehouse.

"I was beginning to think that you weren't coming," John Hodgetts told me with a malevolent grin, "and I see that you brought a… charming friend."
I ignored his tone as he glanced at Élise, I was used to it by now, the way men looked at her as she walked by. She had been dealing with it all her life and had learnt to easily brush it off.
"So, what have you got for me?" I said, hiding my irritation as he finally looked back to me.
"The finest weaponry that you will find on these shores; Spanish swords, English firearms," he grinned and indicated for me to follow him further into the warehouse.
I saw him glance at my bandaged hands, "an accident?"
"An incident," I replied, "soon to be put right."
A wide assortment of muskets, pistols and swords adorned racks and benches. But it wasn't the weapons that drew my attention, John Hodgetts had brought company. Two huge bodyguards armed with swords stood by the weapons and watched me carefully. I doubted they were for anything more than show. I expected that Monsieur Hodgetts had brought them along to try and scare me, it failed in that regard.
"May I?" I gestured towards a rack of muskets.
"But of course."
I picked up one of the weapons and pretended to examine it, meanwhile Élise sidled over to Mr Hodgetts and I saw her hand go behind her back to where her knife was sheathed. She sent me a nod, Élise was ready. She faked a stumble into Mr Hodgetts, before drawing her knife, kicking John's knees out from under him, and as he hit the floor Élise held the blade to his throat. At the same moment the guards gaze left me and went to their employer. I used the distraction to bring the musket up and smash it into the first man's chin. He toppled to the ground unconscious, and with a roar the second man charged me. To my surprise I felt no pain in my bandaged hands and in a few moments the second man was out like a light with a broken nose. I dropped the musket and strode to the kneeling Mr Hodgetts,
"You had dealings with a William Carroll did you not?"
"Y… Yes," he replied, squirming in Élise's grip.
"Tell us, where did you deliver the gun powder?"
"I can't tell you… He'll kill me."
"You should be more worried about what we will do to you," Élise told him sternly and held the knife closer to his throat.
The man wailed miserably, "I can't…"
"This could get much, much worse," I told him and flicked out my new hidden blade. We weren't going to torture him, that wasn't our way, but he didn't know that. I stepped closer and brought my arm back, as if to strike.
"Okay," he stammered, "I'll tell you."
He took a breath to steady himself before giving us the directions to another warehouse within New York. That had been easy.
"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" hissed Élise.
I sheathed my blade with a snick and Élise let go of Monsieur Hodgetts and gave him a kick to the backside. As we turned to leave I heard a pistol being cocked.
Without a second thought I threw myself to the ground and then heard two pistols go off. I heard the shot buzz over my head and slam into one of the warehouse supports, sending wood fragments flying. That had been far too close. Lucky Arno. I came to my feet and turned to see Mr Hodgetts with a smoking pistol in his hand and a bullet hole in his chest. Élise sent me a grin as he shoved her own gun into its holster.
"What has the world come to when you cannot trust a weapons dealer?" she said sarcastically.
I chuckled and together we left the warehouse and headed to where the gun powder had been delivered.

ii

A few hours later, just as the sun was going down, we arrived at the warehouse that Mr Hodgetts had directed us too. From our vantage point from the roof of the building opposite I could make out that Monsieur Carroll wasn't leaving anything to chance. At least a dozen soldiers patrolled the outskirts of the warehouse. Clearly William Carroll had made some high ranking friends in the American military. How the hell were we going to get in?
"Look there," whispered Élise from beside me, pointing towards part of the building that was obscured by shadows.
I peered into the gloom. Aha, an open window, someone had been careless indeed. And then I saw the sniper hiding in the shadows of the window. This would be fun.
"What are we waiting for?" I replied with a grin, and together we jogged along the rooftops, headed for our way in.
I pushed myself into a sprint and leapt from the safety of the roof. I sailed across the gap and then landed with a roll on the warehouse roof. Élise landed beside me with a grunt and then we were standing directly above the window. I listened, and I heard the man below grunt as he stretched, before returning to his position. This was good; the gunman obviously hadn't heard us. I grabbed the edge of the roof and threw myself over the edge. I flipped around and pointed my legs towards the window. My fall was halted abruptly by my grip on the roof, and then I was hurtling towards the open window. The gunman had barely enough time to widen his eyes in shock before I crashed into him, my hidden blade finding his throat. I leapt to my feet as he died without a sound, expecting to hear footsteps as we were found out, but I heard nothing. I heaved a sigh of relief; it was all going to plan. Élise joined me through the window and indicated the dead man,
"Nice work," she said with a sarcastic smile.
I grinned back at her and then together we strode down the corridor, down a flight of stairs and into the warehouse itself.

Barrels upon barrels of gunpowder greeted us, countless amounts of them. I whistled at the sight of it, I had thought the amount of powder that Connor's man had told us had been exaggerated; and while it wouldn't destroy a village it had enough power to level the warehouse and most of the empty buildings around it.
"Well this was… unexpected," muttered Élise with a frown.
"Even Maximilien didn't have this much in his stores…"
"Who?"
"Oh, just the noble fool who was causing trouble not long after we took down Germain…" I told her quietly, still taking in the amount of gun powder.
"Arno, there is enough here to equip an army. Our English friend must have something planned."
"Your deaths to be precise."
I glanced around to see a man striding towards us, a sword in his hands. I grimaced as he was joined by the soldiers who had previously been patrolling the warehouse.
"How did you know we were here?" called Élise as she drew her sword.
"There were reports of someone asking questions, the kind of questions that my employer doesn't like. His whereabouts to be exact, so we set this little trap for you."
"Hodgetts was working for you when he told us to come here, wasn't he?"
"That he was." The man smirked. Damn it, how had I not seen the trick?
"Arno," whispered Élise, pointing her sword ever so slightly at the soldier on the far right. Anyone else would have missed the signal, but I knew Élise, I knew what she was thinking.
I turned to the man in front of us, "I'm sorry Monsieur, but our deaths will have to be delayed."
He roared with laughter, and then we charged.
I flicked my wrists, snapping out my blades as we dashed towards our ambushers. Élise swung her sword and in moments she was running passed the corpse of her victim, and into the open.
"Follow me!" she called as I engaged my target.
I deflected his sword with my left blade and stabbed my right into his chest, and then I was sprinting after Élise through the warehouse.
"GET THEM!" came the shout from behind us, and more soldiers poured into the warehouse.
I took down three more men, my hidden blades now wet with blood. We reached the doors and Élise cut down two men who were meant to stop our escape. I could see more soldiers charging down the street towards us, we were trapped once again.
And then she did it. The thing she had been planning all along.
"RUN!" screamed Élise as she turned back to the warehouse, drew her pistol, and fired at the barrels of gun powder.
Together we sprinted down the street.
And then the warehouse exploded.
I felt the heat on my back as we were tossed into the air and wood fragments buzzed all about me. I crashed to the ground with a groan and rolled across the cobblestones. I shook my head, trying to clear the whining noise coming from my ears, and then with a rush of noise my hearing came back. The warehouse was now laying in ruin, anyone who had been inside was without a doubt dead. I stumbled to my feet and saw Élise gazing back at the destruction that she had wrought.
"Élise," I called, but she didn't hear. I reached out and touched her arm, "Élise."
She looked back at me and nodded, around us the soldiers who had been coming to complete the trap were starting to rise to their feet. We had to leave.
I glanced back at the warehouse and then together we ran from the destruction.

5 December 1794

i

It took us over two weeks before we were able to pick up the trail once more. Mr Carroll was on to us now and we had to be even more cautious. But finally the day came. One of Aveline's contacts had discovered that a man by the name of Jack Swanston worked for a Colonel Edmund Fitzpatrick as a soldier. And Colonel Edmund Fitzpatrick worked as William Carroll's advisor. She also found out that Mr Swanston frequented one of the many brothels within New York, what was a city without a pleasure house after all? And so I stood with Aveline, in the said brothel, and wondered if this was a good idea for the fiftieth time as Élise walked into the room wearing a green dress. A green dress that only a prostitute would wear, one without straps and with an obscenely low neckline.
"I can hardly breathe in this thing," complained Élise with a pout.
"There are many other ways we could get to Swanston," I said with a frown, "ones that don't involve dresses… and you pretending to be a prostitute."
"Arno, I think that I can handle one man," she told me, rolling her eyes, "besides, I have this."
Élise reached into the folds of her dress and drew her long knife.
"Well you certainly look the part," chuckled Aveline, "there is one thing however."
"Oh?" replied Élise as the older woman walked over to her and pulled the ribbon from Élise's hair.
"There," nodded Aveline as Élise's fiery locks tumbled down her bare shoulders and back, "much better."
I walked over to Élise and chuckled, "I kind of like it."
"You like me looking like a cheap tart?"
"That's not exactly what I meant."
"I know," grinned Élise, before standing on her tip toes and giving me a kiss, "don't worry, I'll be fine. I have been dealing with male attention for most of my life after all."
"Just be careful."
"Arno," she must have seen the worry on my face, "I have to do this… and besides, you will be right in that wardrobe over there making sure that Monsieur Swanston doesn't try anything."
I gave her another kiss, once more regretting this.
"Go," Élise told me and gave me a playful shove towards where Aveline held the wardrobe door open for me.
I glanced back at Élise and then joined Aveline in the wardrobe. I took a deep breath to clam my nerves, this was it.

We would have been standing silently in the cramped confines of the cupboard for nearly an hour when the door to the room opened with a creak and Élise walked in backwards, pulling Jack Swanston by the hand. My eyes narrowed as I took in Swanston's face. He was probably in his late thirties and his hair was thinning. He had the look of a self satisfied officer, come to the brothel to relieve himself. He gazed at Élise hungrily as she drew him into the room. I looked at Aveline but she shook her head at me. Not yet. I inwardly screamed at Élise to pull her knife, but she just shut the door and slowly made her way back to where Swanston stood.
And then he grabbed Élise roughly by the shoulders and shoved her back against a wall. My blood boiled and I activated my hidden blade as he moved to kiss her and leapt out from the wardrobe without a care. But I was too late.
Élise had smashed her knee into his groin when he had leaned down to kiss her, stopping his lips from touching her. And now he was the one shoved against the wall, Élise's knife pressed to his neck with one hand, the other holding him against the wall by his collar.
Aveline joined me in the room and together we walked to where Swanston was now pinned to the wall.

"Where can we find Edmund Fitzpatrick?" hissed Élise, holding Monsieur Swanston's collar tighter.
I strode to her side and glared down into Swanston's face as he tried to look away. I nodded to Aveline and she moved about the room, extinguishing the candles. Smoke spread around the room, and together with my beaked hood I would have looked like a man from Hell itself.
"Speak," I snarled, holding my wrist blade up to his face so that he could see it clearly.
"Kill me and you will never find him," stammered Mr Swanston desperately.
And that was that, Jack Swanston was a coward. Not only that, he was a fool, a desperate one. He thought that our only threat was to kill him, he was wrong in that regard.
"Yes, we cannot kill you," I told him with a smirk, before lowering my blade to his groin.
I saw this expression turn from triumphant to pure terror.
"Tell us," I hissed, putting all the venom in my words as I could, "where is Edmund Fitzpatrick?"
He shook his head in fear. I pressed my blade into his thigh, just enough to draw a tendril of blood.
"You will never again be able to use this establishment."
The last of his confidence fled and I saw his breeches darken. I stepped back in disgust, "You coward."
"This is your last warning," Élise told him darkly.
"Okay, okay!" he shouted tearfully, "he frequents the port market at noon, you will find him there."
"If you are lying, we will find you again, Monsieur." Élise told him with a glare, before letting him go, "and if you so much as breathe about this to anyone, you are a dead man."

True to Swanston's word, we found Mr Fitzpatrick striding through the bustling market by the New York docks. He walked side by side with another gentleman; no doubt he was another under the employ of William Carroll.
"If we kill them, Mr Carroll will be on to us immediately," I said to Élise and Aveline as we watched the pair stride through the market, "wait here, I will find out what we need."
"You're going alone, to what purpose?" asked Aveline with a frown.
"We need information, and cannot risk a confrontation. One person is harder to spot than three so I will go and find out what they are talking about, and maybe the location of Monsieur Carroll."
"It makes sense," nodded Élise.
"With any luck we will have his location by the end of the day."
"Alright," said Élise, "Stay out of trouble… Don't get caught."

I snuck up on the pair and turned my attention to their conversation as they weaved through the crowd. One bad move on my part and they would be on to me. I got closer and closer and then I could make out their conversation as clear as day.
"The men won't be happy if we don't get paid by the Englishman soon," Fitzpatrick's companion muttered.
"Aye, the bastard is making us wait a bloody long time for this 'reward for your services', as it were."
They kept talking about small things for a while, until nearly an hour later they started to leave the market, and I followed.
I tailed them for what seemed like an eternity until they shook hands.
"Remember, Mr Carroll wants us at his assembly in the cove next week. Says he wants to rally the men, and show us the 'truth'." Fitzpatrick told his companion with exasperation.
"This better be good my friend," replied the other man with a nod.
They shook hands again and parted ways.
Damn it, I had learnt nothing; expect that Mr Carroll was holding meeting with his men in a weeks time at the 'cove', which was no doubt his base of operation.
Perhaps Connor knew of a hidden cove near the city. He was my best chance.

ii

The sun was setting when we arrived back at the homestead and met with Connor. We told the Grand Master about what we had discovered, and with a thoughtful expression Connor delved into his draws and pulled out a map of the area. We searched and searched, but to no avail, there were very few inlets and coves along the coastline, and from the ones that existed we had received no reports of any new vessels sailing in.
"There has to be something," I muttered as I went over the map again, "he cannot just have vanished."
"Arno," said Connor, "there is nothing here… Perhaps it is a hidden cove."
"Or it just could be a name for any place," added Élise.
I cursed inwardly at my stupidity, why had I not acted when I had been able too?
"I should have just got to Monsieur Fitzpatrick when I had the chance."
"No," said Aveline, shaking her head, "had you have done that, then Mr Carroll would have been on to us by now."
"Yes, had you introduced yourself to the Colonel, then you would have either let him live to tell his employer, or you would have killed him, which no doubt Mr Carroll would have found out about," Connor said with a nod, "there was nothing else to be done."
We sat in silence for a few moments. We had less than a week now to find this 'cove' or we could miss our only chance to take him down.
The door opened with a crash and I leapt to my feet, my hidden blade erupting.
Shay burst through the doorway with a grin, "I found the bastard."

We eagerly gathered around the maps as Shay strode over to the table. I felt my pulse quicken, the chase was nearly over. William Carroll had lead us from France to England and now to America, but finally, after seven months we had him at last.
"The cove, as you say," Shay began, running his hand over the map before us, "is located right… here."
The place he had stopped his finger revealed nothing.
"There's nothing there." Connor told him, shaking his head.
"Aye, there is. I had been thinking over and over, how could he have a costal base that we couldn't find? And then I remembered this place, a hidden inlet, so small that you can barely see it. I went in on foot, following a small river that lead from the sea itself," Shay gave us a grin, "Mr Carroll is a canny devil, he has grounded his ship so that it would be nigh impossible to see from the waters. Hell, he even has a lookout of the hill over here." Shay ran his finger slightly to the North and tapped the map.
"Colonel Fitzpatrick said that our English friend would be assembling his entire force at the cove a week from now. Our problem being that we have no way of knowing if he will be there before the meeting takes place," I said with a frown, "we have to be sure he is there or this will have been for nothing."
"I feared as much," added Connor, "Nevertheless, in one week from today we will take that cove and put an end to Mr Carroll."
"We won't be able to make an attack without first disabling the lookout," said Élise thoughtfully, "we will need to split into groups for this to work."
"Right you are," Shay nodded, "if you and Arno take out the lookout and then move to this position," he gestured to another part of the map, "then myself, Connor and Aveline will sail up the river and land at the base. With surprise on our side we can easily overwhelm the soldiers posted and force William Carroll himself to you."
"A good plan," Aveline stepped forwards, "but what if our target takes men with him when he flees?"
"That won't be a problem," I told her with a cocky grin, "I'll take the soldiers myself and leave Monsieur Carroll to Élise."
"Between the pair of us, I doubt that he will have even a small chance of escaping," Élise nodded.
I could see the light in her eyes spark, after William Carroll was dead, then she would finally be able to bury the past and have a future.
"We are agreed then," Connor began, "in one week we will bring about an end to the man, and begin a new future for us all."

iii

The week passed in a blur as we prepared ourselves for the inevitable confrontation. I stood with Élise as she buckled on her belts, sheathing her cutlass, knife and pistol. I glanced down at my hands, it was time. Finally after three months the hated bandages came off. I let them fall to the ground as I examined my hands, my eyes taking in the patchwork of scars that now covered them.
"Here," said Élise from behind me, holding my sword out.
I took it with a smile, my hands remembering the perfectly balanced weight of the blade. I spun it around a few times, getting the feel of the leather grip once more. It felt good to hold my sword again after so long. I sheathed the steel blade at my left hip and shoved my pistol through my belt. Finally I pulled on my ebony skin tight gloves and grinned as the familiar feel of the soft leather came back to me, God I had missed this.
"It has been far too long since I have held a sword," I chuckled, flexing my fingers.
"Try not to grab the pointy end," Élise replied sarcastically, "It didn't go over well last time."
"I'll be sure to remember that."
I strapped on my phantom blade to my left wrist and Haytham Kenway's hidden blade to my right. Twin blades, a sword and pistol. I was ready to fight.
Élise sidled up to me with a mischievous glint in her eye and gave me a kiss. I smiled as she pulled away and gestured to the door, "Shall we?"
"It is high time we finished this," Élise replied with a nod, "today it ends."

The cool evening breeze greeted us as I jogged with Élise through the undergrowth beneath the hill that Monsieur Carroll had placed his sentries. I looked back into the gloom that shrouded the coastline behind us, somewhere out there sailed the Morrigan and the Aquila, waiting for our signal to sail down the river and to the cove. We slowed our pace as we reached the bottom of the hill and came to a stop, crouching in the undergrowth.
"We cannot risk the chance that even one of them may escape," I said to Élise.
She nodded, "I'll circle around the back, make your move in five minutes, but do it silently."
"Good luck," I grinned back, and then she was gone, vanishing into the forest.

I flicked open my pocket watch for the tenth time and at last five minutes had been. I took a deep breath and started my ascent of the hill. I made sure not to crack any leaves under foot that could give me away, and slowly I reached the top of the hill. I slid down onto my belly and crawled up the last of the rise, now only the long grass covered me.
I counted three men sitting about the fire ahead, laughing amongst each other. And they were facing away from me.
I grinned and rose to a crouch, before slowly making my way towards them, my arms ready to unleash my hidden blades. My pulse quickened as I neared them. Closer and closer I got to my targets, and still they hadn't heard me.
And then one of them turned, his eyes widening in shock as he saw me.
Too late.
My cover blown I leapt forwards and shoved my right blade into his throat. He fell backwards with a gurgle and then his companions turned, their hands reaching for their swords. My phantom blade dart sped from the crossbow like weapon and plunged between the ribs of a second man, straight to the heart. He fell with a grunt. I glanced at the last man but he was already running for the bell tower.
I sprinted after him.
But he had too much of a lead.
I drew my pistol and aimed. I knew that the second I shot, someone from the base further down the river would hear and we would be done for. But if the bell rang then we certainly would be. Damn it, where was Élise? I cocked my pistol, now aimed squarely at the back of his head, I couldn't miss. I started to squeeze the trigger. I had no choice.
And then the man fell without a sound, Élise's thrown knife buried in his neck.
I sighed as I holstered my pistol, that had been far too close.
Élise grinned as she jogged over to the fallen man and pulled her knife free.
"Nice throw," I chuckled as she wiped the blade clean on the dead man's clothes.
"Of course it was," came her cocky reply as she stood to her feet and sheathed her blade.
I grinned back and picked up a long branch that was laying on the ground. I pulled the white flag that we were going to use to signal Shay and Connor from my long coat and tied it to the branch.
"Let's go and greet our friend, Mr Carroll, shall we."

iiii

The sun was starting to go down as we neared the cove. The place itself was a small inlet, covered in a field of tents, with camp fires roaring all around. I could hear the merriment coming from the base and grinned, good, by the sounds of it they had all drank their fill of alcohol. I looked back to the ocean mouth and saw the Morrigan and the Aquila starting to make their way into the river, it was almost time. After a few minutes of jogging, we had skirted the base and crouched in the undergrowth on top of a small hillock, overlooking the campsite. I lay on my belly and felt Élise do the same beside me as we stared down into the base. This would be the way any escape attempt would lead our enemy. We just had to wait now.
We didn't have to wait long, barely another few minutes.
And then the cannons started crackling in the distance.

I watched as the Aquila and the Morrigan ravaged the campsite, sending men and bits of men flying into the air, toppling tents, and soon fires were roaring all through the devastated campsite. Our plan had worked perfectly; eliminating the lookouts had meant that they had no warning until the two warships were right on top of them.
Screams came from the campsite as men died under the onslaught of the cannon fire, and I saw Mr Carroll's men streaming away from the brutal attack. I glanced back at the two ships and saw the first of the landing boats start to make their way to shore, Shay, Connor and Aveline amongst the first attackers.
With war cries upon their lips they, lead their men on to shore and into the fight. I could only watch as the men of the Aquila and Morrigan mercilessly cut down any remaining opposition and sprinted after their prey into the trees.
"There," whispered Élise, gesturing towards a small party of eight men making their way towards us.
Even from this distance we could make out their leader as he looked around with a horrified expression. It was without a doubt William Carroll.

"Let's go," I muttered to Élise as the party neared us, and together we primed out pistols.
Closer and closer they came to our position.
My pulse quickened and I felt myself shiver in anticipation.
The fools suspected nothing. They wouldn't have the faintest idea that we were laying in wait to ambush them.
I could make out the features of every man now. All wore the blue of American soldiers, and two of the men were Edmund Fitzpatrick and the man he was with in the market, both wearing officers uniforms. Even Mr Carroll himself was likewise attired, with a sword at his hip.
They were fifteen paces away now. I looked to Élise and she nodded.
"NOW!" she cried and leapt out from cover, her pistol blazing.
I jumped out beside her and pulled the trigger on my own firearm.
Our shots caught Fitzpatrick and his friend from the market, good, we had both targeted the officers.
Now only five men stood before us with William Carroll, the odds were good now, even in our favour.
I smirked as Mr Carroll's mouth formed an O and his face contorted into shock as his two officers crashed to the ground in bloody heaps.
"After twenty years I have I have found you," yelled Élise, drawing her cutlass, "and there will be no escape."
"Miss de la Serre, please…" stammered her enemy, drawing his sword nervously.
With a shout Élise charged him, and I followed, flourishing my sword and unleashing my left hidden blade.

I lost sight of Élise as I met with my five adversaries. I deflected the first soldier's sword to the ground and punched my hidden blade into his chest. As he toppled over, I swiveled sideways, barely avoiding the knifelike tip of a bayonet. With a cry I lashed out and slashed my sword across my new attacker's throat. He joined his dead companion with a grunt. Three to go.
The next two came at me together, smart men. I blocked both their swords with my cutlass and wrist blade. As their steel met mine, I flung out a leg, catching one of the soldier's knees, and sent him to the ground with a scream of pain. As he fell the last attacker took his place and I created a whirlwind of steel about me as I took on my final two opponents. I blocked a cut aimed at my head and then slammed my sword guard into the man's face. As he staggered backwards I plunged my sword into his stomach. A cry of pain erupted from his lips as he fell back from the mortal wound, blood spraying the air about me. One left.
I shoved my sword into the ground and beckoned the man.
With a snarl he charged me without a second thought, the idiot.
As he sword arm came down, I caught his wrist and swiveled, feeling his arm snap. As he screamed, his sword crashed to the ground and I finished him with a stab to the heart from my hidden blade.
I retrieved my sword and turned to see Élise disarm her opponent and kick him to the ground.
William Carroll gazed up at her, defeated; his body covered in dozens of small wounds inflicted by Élise's sword.
She looked down at him and I could see her eyes blazing, "you tried to kill my mother."
Élise sheathed her sword.
"You tried to kill my friends and mentor."
She drew her knife and crouched beside her fallen enemy.
"You killed my friend."
"Your damned family went against everything our Order stands for," spat William Carroll with venom, "you killed my daughter."
"If you hadn't tried to murder my mother twenty years ago then May would still be alive and none of this would have happened," snarled Élise angrily, "know that not even a year ago I would have made you suffer for everything that you have done to my family," she looked at me with a sad smile, "but I have learnt a different way."
And with that she stabbed her knife through his heart.
It was over.

7 February 1795

i

We were back in Paris now, after five and a half months away, heading to our meeting with the Templar council. Our final day in America had been interesting to say the least, with our return to the homestead we had began to formulate a plan that would come into play when we met with the Templars, and this time, in front of the entire Parisian rite. We had bid Connor and Aveline farewell, but something told me that we would be meeting again. It had taken a while, but finally Haytham Kenway's hidden blade felt like an extension of my right arm now, much as the phantom blade did my left. And now as I strode towards the hotel that would serve as the meeting place, I walked with confidence. Shay and Élise were with me, all of us hopeful for the meeting to come. Shay walked a few paces ahead of me, clad in his same dark grey and red Templar robes, with his twin pistols in his belt, hidden blades at his wrists and a sword and parrying knife at his waist. He gave off an air of authority, showing himself to be the high ranking Templar Knight that he was. I walked side by side with Élise a few paces behind, giving the appearance of servants or body guards. We wore long grey cloaks over our clothes, with the hoods pulled low to cover our faces. A precaution in case either one of us got recognized before we found where the allegiance of the Order lies.
We arrived at the meeting place shortly after noon, and Shay led us towards a tall building where two men stood at the doors, hands on their swords and Templar pins on their collars. I shared a glance with Élise who smiled back at me, so it begins.
We strode up to the men guarding the hotel and Shay looked them up and down with an amused smile.
"Identify yourself," said one of the Templars, glancing at each of our small group.
"Shay Patrick Cormac," said our leader with authority, while flashing his Templar ring, "Here to meet with the Council."
The guards looked at one another in surprise, they must have known that a meeting was taking place, but it appeared they didn't know it was with a living legend from their Order. I smiled under my hood, it would be far easier to begin talks with Shay present it would appear, the guards hadn't even bothered to check mine and Élise's identities, clearly the guards had been overwhelmed by being in the presence of a legend.
"Right you are Monsieur," said one of the guards, before opening the doors, "this way if you please."
And then we were in the hotel, following the Templar towards a back room.

The building was dimly lit with candles and was heavily guarded. We passed at least a dozen armed men, clearly many of the Knights of the Order had made the journey to meet with Shay, which was to be expected. He had stopped the Assassins from acquiring many of the pieces of Eden, and had destabilized the power of the American Brotherhood to the point that it was all but destroyed. At least, until Connor had arrived. We followed the guard through the first room and then started down a long corridor, making our way towards another room, where I hoped, our future allies would be.
"I leave you here," said our escort, indicating a door at the end of the passage way.
"Many thanks," replied Shay with a nod.
And then the three of us walked down the last of the passageway and Shay glanced at us, before turning to door handle and walking into the room before us.

There would have been at least a dozen of them, the Templars, and all were dressed in the same black robes, many bearing swords. They stood around in small groups muttering amongst themselves, occasionally glancing at other members of the Order. The room was well lit with a chandelier above us, and a large red Templar cross hung from the far wall. To my surprise I saw more than a few women amongst the group. The bubble of voices died down as we entered and the Templars turned to face us properly. I watched with a bemused smile as they looked Shay up and down, clearly seeking to see if this man lived up to his reputation. He did. One of the men, who would have been in his mid forties, stepped forwards and nodded to Shay with a smile.
"You must be the infamous Shay Cormac, scourge of the Americas."
He had a cultured kind of voice, one that seemed to suit him.
"That I am, Sir," Shay returned the nod, "And you are?"
"Marius DeCuir," he replied, taking Shay's proffered hand, "You might say that I am filling in until a new Grand Master is chosen."
"Pleasure," Shay gave the man, Marius, a smile, "You are all by now wondering why I asked you to meet."
There were some mumbled agreements around the room, "Aye Monsieur," said Marius with a nod, "What can we do for you?"
Shay glanced around the room, noticed that all eyes were on him, and began his story.
"As you are aware, five years ago some of our own brothers joined your man, Germain, and staged a coup, killing your former Grand Master, François de la Serre, in cold blood. After committing the act of treason, the Germain was allowed to take command of the Order and lead the Revolution on a bloody rampage that broke many, if not all, of our tenants within the Order."
I hoped that Shay wouldn't go too far and get us all killed in this room, but to my surprise I saw many of the Templars nodding in agreement with Shay's words.
"Germain marked your true Grand Master, Élise de la Serre for death, and as I hear, nearly brought her to her knees. However, she survived the encounter with Germain, while the traitor who called himself Grand Master was slain in the fight," Shay had the same fire in his eyes that I had seen at his house, here was a man that could inspire others, here was a true leader. And he was on our side, seeing if the Templars held any allegiance to the de la Serre name, and too Élise, "After the fight this true Grand Master reached out for peace, having had her revenge on the man who had betrayed her father all those years ago, and to my shame I learnt that one of our own, the Marquis de Pimôdan had formed an alliance with an English extremist known as Carroll, and tried to kill her while they were brokering a truce. This alone breaks every code within our Order."
There were some angry voices emanating from the crowd before us and some broke into an uproar. However these were targeted at Pimôdan and Mr Carroll, I noticed with a smile.
"Monsieur," began Marius in genuine shock, glancing around at the other Templars, "You can be assured that we had no knowledge of this meeting taking place, or that Mademoiselle de la Serre had even reached out to us. We only received word recently that Pimôdan had fallen, and we had conflicting reports come to us. One stated that Mademoiselle de la Serre had killed him in cold blood, the other that Monsieur Carroll had killed him and pinned the blame on the girl in hopes of us returning to the hunt. Naturally we agreed that the latter was true, as many of us know Monsieur Carroll to be a liar. Pimôdan must have withheld this information from us in the hopes of ending the de la Serre legacy."
"Be that as it may," replied Shay, "Miss de la Serre was innocent of any crime and yet she was attacked by one of our own. I have come to report that not a week ago Mr Carroll was dealt a mortal blow by the very woman he had tried to murder."
"The strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire after all," nodded Marius with a smile, "I never much liked Monsieur Carroll, however you must have come before us to speak of more than the death of the man."
"You are right in that regard," Shay glanced at Élise and nodded to her, "This is the true reason I am here."
Élise pulled back her hood, let the cloak fall to the ground in a pile and stepped forwards, beside Shay, "Hello Marius."

Mouths dropped open around the room as the Templars stared at Élise in shock. The daughter of François de la Serre stood before them for the first time in many years. I could see some amused smiles from the assembled Templars, and yet more shocked expressions. Many had believed her dead, and yet here she stood.
"Brothers, sisters, members of the Templar Order," she began, "I have come to parlay and beg a truce between us."
"Mademoiselle de la Serre," replied Marius with a smile, taking her hand and plating a kiss upon it, "It gladdens me to see you alive. Know that many of us remained loyal to your family even after the death of your father."
"But not one of you came to my aide when I needed it most."
Be careful Élise I begged silently, watching as some of the Templars expressions darkened.
"Many of us tried my dear, but after Germain executed those who spoke out, many of us were forced into silence, less we get caught out. Many of us were in fear for our families, surely you must have heard what Germain and his followers did to some of our brothers"
"He was a monster, Marius, plain and simple," Élise told him, "However, the past is not why I have come here, but rather the future. I had hoped to be freed of my death sentence and to rejoin the Order."
Marius smiled and turned to the other Templars. I watched as they nodded assent and most even put it into words.
"Consider it done," said the Templar when he turned back, "However I have a proposition for you, one that many within the Order agree with."
"Oh?"
"After your father's untimely death I lead a small group of individuals in rebellion against Germain. We only were able to achieve small things, but we did manage to by you some time when his men were after you. This group is loyal still to the de la Serre name, and believe that you should indeed take your rightful place as Grand Master, it is after all, what you were born to be."
Élise looked around the room, going from face to face and watching as they all in turn nodded to her, many smiling. It was clear that they all agreed with Monsieur DeCuir's words. Unlike when we met with Pimôdan, this offer was real. I felt a surge of pride in my breast, knowing that so many people believed in Élise and the de la Serre name.
"You all have my gratitude," she told them, her eyes sparkling, "If you all in agreeance, then I will indeed follow in my father's footsteps and take my place as Grand Master of the Templar Order."
"The matter is settled then, Grand Master de la Serre," said Marius, and all the Templars in the room bowed to Élise, "We will prepare the ceremony and have you indoctrinated as Grand Master in full within the week."
Élise gave a short bow back to the Templars, her Order now, "You say that you remained loyal to my father, did you not?"
"Yes, Grand Master."
"Did you also share his views on peace with the Assassins?"
There was some quiet muttering amongst the Templars, much of which was about peace between the two groups, good.
"At the time of your father's death there were two factions within the Order. One lead by Sivert, who followed Germain's extreme ideas, and the other by Lafrenière, who shared many of Monsieur de la Serre's views. When Monsieur Lafrenière was killed I took command of that group. With the deaths of Sivert, Germain and the rest of his men, our group was able to regain control of the Order, so yes, many of us wish to end the bloodshed that has spanned generations."
"Very good Monsieur, I thought as much," replied Élise and with a grin she turned to me, "Arno?"
I lowered my hood and stepped to her side, "My name is Arno Dorian and I am a Master within the Assassin Brotherhood."
There were gasps from many around the room, and some even went so far as to put their hands on their swords.
"It's alright," Élise told them, silencing the room with a gesture.
"I mean you no harm," I told them, raising my hands, "I am here to begin talks between our two Creeds; there has been war for far too long."

10 February 1794

i

"You pose something of a riddle to me, Monsieur Dorian," Julien Bonnaire told me as we stood together in his private rooms, "In just over a month you have brought us not one, but two pieces of Eden and took down Germain. And then you took it upon yourself to eliminate Monsieur Carroll, among other extremists within the Templar Order, and you have brought us one step closer to a truce of sorts between us and our ancient enemy. I can see now why Mirabeau held you in such high regard." he smiled at me and held out a glass.
I chuckled and accepted the glass of wine that he passed me.
"Thank you, Grand Master," I replied with a nod, "I hope that together, under one banner, the two orders may be able to reduce the effects of the revolution, and maybe even stop all the innocent bloodshed."
"In time, perhaps," chuckled Bonnaire, "for now we must work on bringing the other members within our order around to our cause. Many back us it is true, but there is still a large following that wish us to wage war with our ancient enemies."
"Master Trenet," I said quietly. It had to be her.
"Yes… She seems to believe that if we bring down the Templars, then we will be able to control the future of our nation. She is wrong, we need the Templars, now more than ever."
Now more than ever? , what had happened while I was away?
"What do you mean?" I inquired, gesturing for the Mentor to continue.
"Our enemies are at France's doorstep," Bonnaire said sadly. And I noticed for the first time how tired he looked, he seemed withdrawn, "England, Spain and countless nations have began to conspire against us, each day they near our borders preparing for an inevitable invasion."
And then it dawned on me. I felt the blood drain from my face, "with the revolution ongoing, and our country tearing itself apart we need more than to broker a truce with the Templars, we need an alliance."
"That we do Arno, which is why for the last month I have been in correspondence with a Templar by the name of Marius DeCuir and we have decided that the fate of France itself rests in the hands of our two orders."
"And with Élise returned to her rightful position of Grand Master, I must say that that any alliance should come about far quicker, especially now that the last of Germain's followers have been eliminated."
Bonnaire nodded, "Yes, your Élise has told me that what is left of the Order will back an alliance with us, but it is not the Templars that give me cause for concern."
"Aye, I have heard that Trenet has been openly opposed to you, and I have been told that she has been gathering support to her cause. But even I did not expect that she would act so rashly and so soon."
"And act she has Arno, I fear that there will be a confrontation, and soon…" he gave me a thin smile before taking a gulp from his wine glass, "As you know, I have not yet appointed anyone as my second. I need a good man beside me, Arno. I need you beside me."
"Me?" I asked in shock, was he serious? "Grand Master, I have been with the Assassins for barely five years including my year in exile, and have only recently returned from that banishment, are you sure that appointing me as your lieutenant is a good idea?"
Bonnaire slapped his empty hand upon the wooden table with a thud, before glaring at me, "Damn it Arno, who else would you have me choose? Quemar? He blindly follows Trenet without a second thought. As for Beylier, he has no vision, no sense of… of how to keep this Brotherhood strong. No, I need someone by my side that I can trust, someone who can see that we need to collaborate with the Templars to help save our country."
Was I ready to take my former mentor's position as second in command? The thought daunted me, but I realized that I had to do it, after all who else could?
"Alright," I replied after a few moments, "I'll accept."
"Good… good, I will announce your new position to the council forthwith," Bonnaire replied with a smile, "Now enough of these petty matters."
I grinned back at the Grand Master, "Petty matters?"
Monsieur Bonnaire looked at me again and chuckled, "Tell me, when do you plan to wed your red haired Templar?"
"Towards the end of February, Monsieur… Why?" I replied with a frown, Julien hadn't made any form of disproval known before, but I was still on guard.
"Well it's about time," he roared with laughter at my frown, "Come now, why would I of all people wish to see an end to the union? You have done very well indeed, Arno, she is a good woman… You know, it may well be the second time in history that an Assassin has been involved with Templar, so to speak."
"The second time?" had this happened before, an Assassin marrying a Templar?
"Yes indeed, do you recall the Assassin Grand Master from the third crusade, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad?"
"Of course," I nodded, every Assassin had been taught about the man who had singlehandedly saved the Order from destruction, and taken it to heights that it had never seen before. Altaïr was a legendary figure among the Assassins.
"He married a Templar himself you know, somehow he even brought her over to our Order," Bonnaire told me with a smile, "It is said that they had children together."
"Well, it's a bit soon to be thinking about that," I chuckled, "perhaps in time though…"
Children with Élise? The thought came with mixed emotions; happiness because I could finally have a family and with the woman that I loved. And a kind of sadness, because in my heart I knew that I wasn't ready to be a father, for now at least. And I very much doubted that Élise would want to be a mother just yet. I grinned at the thought.
Monsieur Bonnaire raised his glass, "to the future of our Brotherhood, and to the first days of peace between the Templars and the Assassins."

Extracts from the journals of Élise de la Serre

Dearest Father,

A lot has come to pass since you were taken so cruelly from this world and away from me almost six years ago. In any case, we did it, Arno and I, we prevailed against Germain and his followers. I hope that this gives you the same measure of peace that it gives me, knowing that our enemy within the Order was brought low. In the weeks that followed Germain's death at Arno's hand (he became an Assassin after all), we managed to discover who was really behind the attack on Mother twenty years ago, Monsieur Carroll. And so after he attacked us once again, for my killing May, we journeyed to England and then to the Americas to put an end to him, and his fanciful notions of endless war with the Assassins.
Upon my return to France, I was welcomed back into the Order with open arms, and I'll have you know that I have taken my place as Grand Master as was intended all those long years ago. The Mentor of the Assassins and I have reached an agreement, that our nation needs our two creeds to unite to help bring an end to the bloody revolution. And so our dreams of a world where the Assassins and Templars fight together has finally began to become a reality, and I hope that I have done you proud.
After all the fighting that has consumed the last five years of my life, I finally have hope for the future. Arno and I are set to be married at the end of February, and I have asked Mr Weatherall to give me away. I was at first daunted by the prospect of married life, but I love Arno and I know that I will not become one of those preening wives from Versailles. I have never felt such joy towards the thought of being wed before, and how much that I love Arno, you would marvel at the fine man that he has become. This has made me realize how much I miss you, Father. There is so much that I wish to tell you, how much I love you and how much I wish you were here to see your daughter be married at last. I know that you are with Mother, watching over me.

Your beloved daughter,
Élise