I have no idea whether you still use this site because this story is from six years ago but I really enjoyed it and I just felt the need to tell you. So thank you very much it was a high quality reading and you satisfied my need for some AltMar. :D

I have read your story several times. It is the best one I have come across.
I have been able to loose myself in your words. I truly thank you for that. Did you ever write the epilogue? I would love to read what happened next.
If you ever read this, please let me know how to find it. Thank you.

I just came across your story The Crescent and the Cross. It was amazing. Your story was engaging, exciting, and at times made me feel anxious. You said you had a sequel to it on a different site. I would love to read it, I hope I can figure out how to find it.
Thanks again for a story about the best Assassian ever, Altair. You make him real. Thank You!

Oh. My. God.
Cat, I spent the last two days and a half doing little more than just reading this amazing fic. Where you say battle scenes are not your forte, I must tell you I enjoyed every single one of them. Thanks to this story I got to love each character even more... and your OCs were so AMAZING I can't believe they are not canon. I would absolutely love to read the epilogue so i hope you are still willing to write it. You are really talented and they way you portray these two is lovely and fun and endearing and... oh. My. God.
I really really hope to read more of this.
Besides, Maria owes Rauf some sparring sessions ;)

This is an amazing and wonderful story, I enjoyed all the time I spent reading it! It's simply is amazing and I just love it to bits!

wongerful love story! and Altair is a 'perfect man' in this story - caring, protective, but never restricting freedom of his woman. is there some kind of an epilogue?

Fantastic story! I loved the plot, the original characters, and the overall believablity of the story. I cannot wait to read the epilogue. Keep up the good work!

Finally caught up/done! Loved this story.

My apologies it took me so long to review. But I've been so busy and I have so little time.

Vengeance is certainly ruining Altair and Maria's relationship together. I pray that when William dies, Maria will come to her senses and FINALLY stay put with Altair for the rest of her life. Even though she's so damn stubborn.

Altair is doing everything he can and no wonder that the final battle will be a fierce one.

Until the next chapter, take care.

From Houston
D4rK

"You think because I am missing an arm I would be unable to perform such a mission?"
Regretting offending the man who had been so surprisingly gracious to her despite his misgiving Maria decided to leave no room for misunderstanding. "I meant about going into such a dark smelly place to begin with, I certainly wouldn't have volunteered." Malik seemed satisfied with her reply but Maria as usual liked to make sure she had stated her case clearly. "You'll find I'm the last person in the world who would think less of you for a missing appendage; I've spent my entire life trying to make up for not having been born with a penis."

I just did a fist pump. One of the best lines I've read in fanfiction ever. Bless you for it. And this is one of the reasons I always thought Malik and Maria would be complete bros.

It is a wonderful story. I so happy that had finally together. I read the author's note and I hope you can defeat the disease. I nearly cry when I saw this note. I bless you with all my heart.

Dear Cat,

However to review such a fic? True to form start to finish. This fic has by far my favourite portrayal of both Altair and Maria. And i adore Tahir. It makes me both sad and happy to come to the end but overall exceptionally satisfying. I think you're ending was perfect.

And in light of your personal struggles it is so much more astounding to me. I had no idea, nor would ever had without you sharing. Thank you. What you've shared about yourself and your spirit and zeal, I dont think I will ever forget it. I'll pray for you.

Last time i revieved i was pregnant, thanks for asking me to let you know how it went. It made my day. I'm happy to say my husband and I have been blessed with a healthy beautiful baby boy, Michael Ernest (8lb 15oz, 10pm, 17th May). He has brought so much joy to our lives :-D

Looking forward to the epilogue :-p
God bless,
Sophie

Nice ending... Really adds some perspective to the AC series... Good job

Beautiful story... :)

The closing chapter.
Remarkably understated and subtle. I have given it a couple of reads because there is more there that met the eye.

William Marshall was delusional in the end. For all the schemes and plans, he ends up in the middle of no where, surrounded by no one save for his half dead son. His death was as ignominious as it should have been, by The Assassin wielding his son's sword.
I actually found him to be a very interesting character. Especially his relationship with his son. Both their ideologies differed greatly. And he knew on a deep down level that he was never going to win Stephen over to his way of thinking, the templar way of thinking. He publicly humiliated and berated Stephen. And yet, when Stephen was shot, it was as if his world were collapsing. He went so far to save Stephen, to keep him alive, even though he must have known that Stephen hated him for it. I speculate that it is tied up in the psyche of the Templar cause. The need for power and control breeds a selfish greed. William wished to rule the world, but was faced with his own mortality. Back then, blood was most certainly thicker than water, and an heir would have been his way of ensuring that even after death, he would still have had the power.
Of course, I may just be reading way too much into it. But, Im just gonna shrug my shoulders. Its the last chapter of my favourite story. I am allowed to create a meandering review.
I felt desperately sorry for Stephen. To be held on the brink of death like that must have been awful. And Maria too. To have spent that long chasing him, convincing herself that he had been turned into a monster. I must have been devastating that she then had to kill her best friend. Thats who he was wasn't it? He was her best friend through out all of it. He had no agenda with her, well, he had a crush on her, but no agenda. He was also her last link to her old life.
Which I suppose brings us to the driving crux of this story. You were chronicling the events that lead to Maria joining with Altair and the brotherhood. The game was incredibly unambiguous as to her reasons, but you have more than expanded on gap in story telling. We all know that she married Altair because she loved him, but love would not have been reason enough to leave her old way of life. As she said in one of the earlier chapters, she would always be a Crusader at heart. No, it was completely satisfying to see believable motivations. Betrayal, the discovery of the true purpose of the Templars, the rejection by her own people, the murder of her only friends.
That is what makes it real.

I really want to thank you for saving Tahir and Gwen. i loved Tahir. I loved that he wasnt the best, that he was shy and reserved. That he was lonely, and made mistakes. And that he knew that no matter how hard he tried, he was probably never going to become an elite assassin. He was real. Then, it was his interactions, and relationship with Maria. I cannot forget the moment he dropped his sword in surrender as she was about to gut him. Or the cold sweats that came when you uploaded a new chapter on a monday. And Gwen was just so sweet and innocent. Both of them together were so cute. I think it was her backstory, coupled with the really horrible things that were happening at the same time in the story. Tahir and Gwen were the small little rays of sunshine. Kaderi too. Cant forget the dog. They represent the shining new generation that should have come out from Masyaf if Abbas had only been killed.

You made me cry more than I think I should have. Plenty of what you wrote effected me very deeply. I found it easy to draw contrasts with my own life. And the way in which you animated the characters ment that attachments were formed deeply, and situations written on a page evoked strong emotional responses from myself. And you were writing just to answer little questions, such as why was it the Malik had a son so late in life. Why name him Tazim. Why was Swami so vile. And thats just the ones I can think of from off the top of my head.

I have to mention the pairing that first attracted me to the story. Altair and Maria. Best love story ever. And, I dare say, you improved it. Altair was believable. He wasn't out of character. Scenes from the game, and you own blended together into something where I couldn't even tell the difference. The dynamic you created between the two, that is my definitive definition of their relationship. The process of them falling in love was believable. It wasn't all that soppy 'love at first sight'. It was a relationship. With them fighting, laughing, planning, bickering, disagreeing, loving and talking. It was a three dimensional relationship that grew and evolved over the chapters. Even in the last couple of chapters, we keep seeing these shifts and changes in dynamic between them. Plus the lemons were amazing.

I am glad you told your story. And thank you for listening to me talk your ear off. For putting up with me, and my very long PM's, and near obsessive way in which I bothered you. And I am really happy that I helped you out in a small way. I would never have known that you have HD. Your writing is that good. You and this story inspired me to try and put my own ideas down on paper. It makes me happy to call you my friend. Thank you.