Disclaimer: I do not own anything of this franchise, as stated in my other Assassin's Creed story, but the OC children are of my own creation.

A/N: For those who have read my other AC fic and non-AC tales, I will be building upon the foundations of what Ubisoft has created with Connor's life from 1770 onwards since you guys know I love branching away from main storylines. I want to cover the time after River Rescue past 1783 since colonial times and the new wild frontier were exciting times- not to mention dangerous. I loved the Homestead missions and grew to love each of the residents, especially Myriam and Norris, so decided to make this fanfiction about their community- focusing on Godfrey's bountiful family. As always, I am a big non-Sue creator and a strict adherer to historical accuracy so hopefully, the OC's will be fine. Thank you for reading my quick little note and welcome all, old and new readers alike!

The New Frontier

28 June 1770

The untamed land offered countless opportunities for the two families and the freedom provided brought the young children joy at the chance to roam everywhere. Seven curious eyes peeked out from two separate wagons as Terry drove one and Godfrey led the other to guide their families to their new permanent home. Both fathers were certain that the limitless terrain would keep their children occupied in comparison to Boston, where they'd been cooped up in an inn. They had been trying to find the perfect place to begin a lumbering business and find a homestead to call their own for many years to come. Who knew that an accident at work would bring such a wonderful prospect to make their dreams come true?

"Look how many trees there are!" the youngest and only son of Godfrey's exclaimed gleefully as he held onto the back of the wagon and peered out. All of his children had been stuck like leeches to the backseat of the wagon since they'd left Boston to bid the colony goodbye. The dusty roads of the colony had slowly disappeared for bumpy and uneven terrain as they headed north into the mountains. Nonetheless, the children greeted their new home as nature herself slowly enveloped them into her awaiting arms. They'd never seen a dense forest such as this, save for Godfrey's two oldest girls, and it was a new change that would bring everyone excitement and a dash of fear.

"Oh my, do you think there's many bears roaming here?" the second oldest, Amelia, whispered worriedly because she remembered the sounds of wildlife in the woods back in Scotland. True, they had lived in a small town outside of Glasgow where the forest bordered them but they would be completely isolated now. She lowered the pink bonnet over her head down her forehead to keep the incoming dust from the trail from covering her copper-red hair and fair skin.

"We're goin' to have a little house in the big woods- who cares?" the tomboyish girl of the six siblings chided her older sister as she laughed joyfully at running alongside animals. Two sets of sky blue eyes looked to her in reprimand and the nine year-old stuck out her tongue in rebellion, keeping to her opinion.

"Eliza, watch your language when we're about the property" her oldest sister, Caroline, lectured gently since she was the little troublemaker of the bunch. Their father often laughed it off and said she took after him since she brawled like any boy. Elizabeth's thin lips pouted as she returned to sightseeing, practically dusting the wagon floor clean with her skirt as she wiggled in her seat and bounced with every bump of the wild untamed road.

The wagon lurched to a sudden stop as it reached the top of a grassy hill and the children sat up straight with alarm as they wondered what had occurred. Since their eyes had been glued to the roads leading to the Davenport homestead, they failed to check the front for any other views. Terry's voice echoed over the white canvas walls of the wooden wagon as he announced proudly to all of the passengers, "Home sweet home, everyone!"

Both Terry and Godfrey couldn't act fast enough when their children demanded to have the wagons opened so they could hop out safely to see their new home. Amelia and Caroline, being the oldest girls at fourteen and thirteen respectively, helped their father open the wagon's door but one sister couldn't wait long enough. Elizabeth hiked her green skirt and jumped over the door to fall down onto the dusty ground on her butt like an adventurous duckling. Samuel laughed with amusement to his older sister as small cloud of dirt went into the air but Catherine and Diana stared in shock to her enthusiasm.

"Eliza, really!" Catherine chastised with a firm gaze but sighed aloud when her daughter simply grinned toothily in happiness to their new home. The girl quickly stood up to brush the dust off her dress because she hated cleaning her soiled clothes (which were quite often) and her mother lectured, "What would the neighbors think of you?"

"Nothin', we have none!" she replied perkily since there would be no crowds to avoid and opened her arms to emphasize the large forest. Her two auburn braids breezed in the wind as she twirled once to show her mother the unbridled glee in her heart but Catherine wanted her children to help unpack.

"Since you're down, carry these for me" Caroline grinned cheekily as she passed a few packaged items of dried foods to her sibling and Elizabeth grabbed them to help. The older ruby haired girl stepped off the wagon to help her smallest siblings off to avoid any scrapes or bruises, smoothing out their clothes free of wrinkles to appear presentable. After all of the hours spent on the road since before sunrise, folds were imminent as a few of the children had napped on the wooden flooring of the wagon. They might not be middle or high class people but Caroline was immaculate with her appearance and mannerisms to prove wealth wasn't everything. She might not have the best fabrics in clothing or a new change of wardrobe for everyday wear (sometimes seasonal) but she made due with what her family had.

The children were in awe as they stared at two small log houses occupying the grassy hill that resembled none of the nicely painted Georgian-style homes back in Boston. The change was drastic in comparison to their temporary homes since arriving in the colonies but they'd never truly owned a homestead of their own until now. Amelia, Martha, and Alice noticed the lack of windows on the home and their father supplied the sheepish answer when he noticed their crestfallen faces, "Glass windows are expensive, girls. Inns can provide them but if our business does well, we can upgrade the house as time passes."

"I think it's cozy" Caroline smiled softly since it was a house to call their own after all of their travels overseas and throughout the colonies. At fourteen, she wanted a permanent place to call home without knowing when she'd have to pack her belongings and bid friends goodbye. Elizabeth and Samuel agreed with hasty nods because they'd never seen such endless land before in their young lives and were certain their father picked a great spot. The young woman looked to the sole provider of their family and shared the sentiments of everyone by stating appreciatively, "Thank you, athair."

"Thank you!" his other children echoed in the same chirpy note and enveloped their father in a hug, although most reached around his legs due to their young ages. They could finally spread their wings around the land without bumping into people as they had while living from inn to inn as they followed the seasonal lumber jobs in different areas.

Terry's daughter, Ann, mimicked their move and Scottish man chuckled to her little show of affection. He picked up his toddler to kiss her forehead affectionately and handed her over to his wife so he could begin unpacking the wagon. They had a new place to finally call home, away from the bustling life in Boston, and everyone was eager to personalize their new property.

"Ah, it seems our newest residents are here" Achilles announced with curiosity as he could see quite a number of small heads tumbling out of the wagons with bundles in their hands. It would be nice to have neighbors wandering about to interact with since it had been years since he'd socialized on a normal basis. Lance O'Donnell had settled on his own piece of land after his encounter with bandits but the lumbermen had been providing him help on building an adequate house. A canvas tent was no permanent solution against the elements unless you were an explorer, after all. All that was left for completion was a roof and after that project ended, they would devote their entire focus on rebuilding the manor. Achilles would have to brace himself for endless hammering and sawing of wood but walking down the main trail to visit the Burnetts and Galloways would help.

Ratonhnhaké:ton stood next to his mentor with a straight posture and a few inches taller since his meeting with the newest residents. Achilles' words translated into a silent order of greeting the newcomers since it was best to begin a community with a good bond and Ratonhnhaké:ton was as polite as people came nowadays. The old assassin's cane echoed against the dark hardwood floor as he moved away from the large fixed window on the second floor, his calm voice carrying over the light taps, "Tread carefully with your words, they are not privy to our business."

His pupil nodded once in acknowledgment and headed out of Davenport manor to greet the new neighbors.

Laughter echoed in the green pastures as the youngest girl of seven, Alice, hiked her blue skirt to tread through the calf length grass to peek over the wooden fence her father built to protect the property. She could hear the faint rushing of water and her brown eyes widened to the large flowing river below that could carry her off into who knows where if she fell. Her left hand waved to beckon her mother to tell her of the newest discovery since fresh water was wonderful as well and called out, "Ma, look at the river!"

"You won't be going down there without your father" Catherine ordered gently to instill that rule in her children's heads and watched all six heads nod hastily in obedience. She didn't want another terrifying repeat of Terry's accident since rocks were slippery near water and her children enjoyed exploring every cranny they could find. Alice returned to her mother's side to be away from the roaring river where it was safest, clutching to her full skirt and Catherine smiled gently to instruct them, "Good, now help in bringin' our belongings inside to set up the house. Sammy and Alice, go grab a broom and make sure the floors are clean first. Amelia and Caroline, bring in the trunks of clothing but leave anything heavier for you pa and I."

The youngest children pouted for having their fun cut short but obeyed their mother without a word of complaint, pulling themselves back into the wagon to fetch the broom. The oldest girls grabbed the nearest trunks and shared the carrying load by grabbing one handle each to pull a black wooden trunk inside their new home. They set it down in the farthest area to make room for their furniture, nodding in thanks to their little siblings as they scuttled off to continue cleaning. Both girls were delightfully surprised to find hardwood flooring underneath their feet rather than dry dirt but their father had worked nonstop for months to make sure their home was quaint for many years. It might not be the beautifully polished flooring of upscale homes in Boston but the children were thankful for having a floor that wouldn't leave their feet dirty.

Martha and Elizabeth entered the house together with potato sacks that they'd used to hold extra clothing that couldn't make it into the trunks and other household trinkets. They didn't have much for storage or fancy items so they usually kept crates, barrels, and sacks from food they'd bought for the season to use continuously. Even one of the barrels carrying her father's cutting supplies was as old as Samuel!

"It's so big in here- bigger than that room in Boston!" Martha smiled broadly as it meant they could have their own space for dining and extra space to wander the house. Back in the inn, their beds had kept them pretty cramped and their parents had used the supper table provided while they kept close to the hearth or their beds (there had been no extra room). The brunette girl grabbed her younger sister's left arm as Elizabeth brushed at a dirt patch on her green dress and Martha beamed happily to exclaim, "We can make a playroom area instead of playing on the beds!"

Amelia and Caroline chuckled to their glee since playtime hadn't been often at home as their mother taught them schooling when they couldn't reach a close church school. The children of the colonies had been their playmates but Elizabeth managed to get herself into scuffles when they taunted her worn dresses or mismatching bonnets. How many different bonnets could a person have, anyway? Caroline couldn't count how many times her little sister had stomped in with a frown and dirty clothes as she shouted about mutton-headed children that knew nothing about her. She sympathized with the younger girl since their clothes weren't the best and had once attempted to cut her long auburn hair to the latest styles the girls wore. . .let's say her mother used dyed horse hair to weave into her braids after the travesty.

"It will be wonderful to have a river so close for washing and cooking" Diana mused with a delighted smile since fetching pails of water from wells outside inns became tedious. The light breeze felt wonderful after their long trip and she could see herself spending her days sewing outside or keeping watch on her playing toddler. It was quiet with the isolated region and a decent place to grow her children where danger from conflicts between colonists and the crown wouldn't pile into her household.

"I hear an artisan lives further down the road, we'll have to visit soon" Catherine informed as their husbands told them about Lance O'Donnell and his harrowing rescue from the same young man that saved Terry. The women were definitely curious to see who this honorable savior was if he helped without asking nothing in return but offering sanctuary to those in need. Her sapphire eyes lit up in delight to living alongside kind people and suggested with optimism, "We can order ourselves a piece of furniture when we've saved enough."

Caroline's blue eyes eyed the thick forest to the west with suspicion because as beautiful as the sight was, they were within the wilderness itself. Boston carried its petty crime and disagreements with England but held a sense of safety that the outdoors didn't. What would stop a bobcat or wolf from pouncing if they walked the trails? She lifted a small brown trunk off the back of the wagon as she continued unloading the wagon and walked slowly towards her mother to ask about that. Caroline set it down on the grass to wait patiently as she spoke with Diana about the area. After all, children wouldn't speak unless spoken to and whatnot.

Amelia passed her by three times and by the fourth, shot her sister a small glare for not helping out and standing there. Caroline could only offer an apologetic smile and stood straight when her mother called her name as her lack of work caught her attention. The auburn haired girl shot forward to smile politely but her worry spilled into her words as she asked, "Mama, what if a bear is fishing while papa's out? Or a wolf tries to-"

"We'll keep you safe and as long as you obey the rules, you will be" she reassured gently since she'd been living in that manner off and on for the last two decades. Her oldest girls had only known how to live in small towns with a surrounding forest but Catherine already had experience with the wilderness. There's a reason why she named her husband's hunting rifle Charlotte and not many wild animals have lived to tell the tale. Her daughter wasn't so sure about her mother's insistence due to her lack of experience but Catherine motioned to the trunk to get her moving, "Get that inside, there's a lot more work to be done before nightfall or the wolves will surely get you then."

"Mother" she laughed with amusement to her humorous words but grabbed the small trunk to head inside the house once more. While her children helped unloading their belongings, the Burnetts would help Terry and Diana since the two lacked the small team of efficient children.

The rabble of noise between the eleven individuals died down when they noticed a young Native American boy enter the grounds and the children stared in curiosity to his strange garb. Martha, in her naïve haste to protect their home, closed the door of the house and entrapped Caroline's braids between the closed doorway. The taller girl hissed in pain to the sudden sharp yank on her head and glared at Martha when she refused to step away from the door latch. Ratonhnhaké:ton eyed each of them to gauge their reaction since he was accustomed to distrust but greeted the families courteously, "Good day. I came to see if you were settling in fine on the land."

"Catherine, Diana, this is the young man that saved ol' Terry here" Godfrey introduced with a lively laugh as he bounded forward with a warm welcome for the young man. He added a clap to his left shoulder to match, causing Ratonhnhaké:ton to blink awkwardly to the physical contact and took the gesture as a friendly sign. Some settlers warmed up to him easily to the point of friendly physical contact while others kept their noses raised high and their fingers clasped against their pockets. The dynamics of settlers were strange to Ratonhnhaké:ton since his own were calm and peaceful but each culture carried their different set of rules. The Scotsmen had been incredibly amicable since their first meeting, albeit Terry's short fuse when he scuffled with Godfrey, and Ratonhnhaké:ton remained optimistic about the newest inhabitants.

Godfrey pointed towards the green hills covered with coniferous trees to show them where the young man lived and informed amicably, "Connor lives beyond the hill and bridge up 'ere with the owner of the land, Achilles. Nice man too."

"A pleasure to meet you" the young man greeted quietly as the women's brief moment of wariness turned to immediate friendliness at meeting him. They weren't ones to judge by the color of one's skin but the hard work and spirit they possessed to contribute towards bettering the community. His simple chivalrous act alone of saving Terry made him automatically good in their book.

"Thank you, your gesture was one we will not forget" Diana appreciated with a gracious smile as she stepped forward with thanks and looked to her curly blond-haired daughter, who was also intrigued by the newcomer. Her small fingers waved in the air as Ann became entranced with the carved wooden beads in his raven hair and wanted to touch them. Diana grabbed her curious little hands before her child pulled on the boy's hair and returned to Catherine's side to finish pleasantly, "I want to be sure my Terry is old when he departs to our Lord so Ann remembers her athaír."

"With the way he chugs an ale, he'll be lucky to see forty" Godfrey joked lightly and the adults laughed to the common fact, leaving Ratonhnhaké:ton and the two girls (plus Ann, if you counted her) ignorant to the joke. Ratonhnhaké:ton found himself looking to the fair girls for clarification but they shrugged since they were in the same confused pond. His attention returned to the men when Godfrey clapped him on the back this time and pointed to his modest family as he beamed proudly, "Now then, I'd like to introduce my own lot."

Caroline forced Martha to pry open the door to give her sore head relief and the younger girl opened it for their siblings, beckoning them to come outside. Ratonhnhaké:ton expected to see three children at the most but his stoic expression faltered when a brunette girl passed by to make three children and another redhead followed soon after. Did he have a small militia inside? The group ended at six children when the tallest bundled the younger ones together and Godfrey clapped his hands to laugh with amusement, "There we go! We usually have to search for five minutes to find Sammy since he's the smallest."

The young boy of five, Samuel, waved his left hand in greeting as he held none of Alice's shyness. His canary yellow shirt clashed with his fair skin and his dusty brown trousers held patches at the knee from what Ratonhnhaké:ton could only assume was from longtime wear. His fiery red hair stuck out in wisps around his head that resembled an untamable flame but his eyes were a cool blue as he piped up cheerfully, "Hello!"

Martha shut the door again to keep their belongings safe and caught Caroline's skirt and braids, leading the older girl to demand exasperatedly, "Really, Martha?!"

The younger girl remained unyielding and kept her lips thinned as she deemed herself the guardian of the door. Caroline was one step away from bumping her hips against hers to nudge her aside but they had to appear polite in front of company or they'd surely face a lecture at supper.

"Sammy's the youngest and will be the one to carry his old boban's name" Godfrey informed with a jolly laugh and looked to the rest of his children, all girls. He'd really been tested when all of his children were female but his last had brought him a son- not that he'd ever complain about his treasured girls. They had lined up behind their mother with modesty to peer at the young native and Godfrey pointed to each girl, "The next one is Alice, shy as can be at seven years and still hangs to her mother's skirt."

Alice's light brown eyes peeked out from behind Catherine's blue skirt and small fingers greeted Ratonhnhaké:ton, the white trim of her blue bonnet catching the sunlight. Godfrey moved on since his Alice was as shy as a little mouse and smiled to the second smallest redheaded girl, "Elizabeth is our rambunctious one at nine but we call her Eliza for short."

"Or Eli, I'm just as good as any boy when it comes to roughhousin'" Elizabeth grinned confidently as she flicked her thumb towards her chest and Ratonhnhaké:ton noticed her plain green dress had quite a few patches of dirt already. Had she been tumbling down the grassy hills for fun? Catherine chided her child that her behavior was not very lady-like and received an apology . . . all while Eliza smiled impishly.

Godfrey pointed to eleven year-old Martha in the blue dress as she stuck to the door and smiled proudly to his littlest helper, "Martha there takes after her mother and can tend to livestock if you ever need any help."

"Chickens, mostly" Martha clarified modestly since her young age allowed her to work with small animals and calves but never horses or milking cows. Nonetheless, she curtsied politely to the young boy that allowed them to have their own land and returned to her mother's side like Alice. Caroline bit the inside of her lower lip for being left at the door by herself and hoped the boy 'Connor' didn't think ill of her for appearing protective of their property. After all, first impressions made a difference and there were no chances for do over's.

Godfrey pointed to his second oldest that wore a pink calico dress and finished, "Amelia is joined at the hip with Caroline but the two fight like wet cats all the same."

"Boban" the two girls groaned in complaint since their enthusiastic father tended to disclose things that mortified the sisters.

Terry and Diana chuckled to the girls' protest as it had become second nature in their close group throughout the years. Their father and Terry had become friends when both girls were young and since then, their families had been inseparable. They'd set sailed from Glasgow together for a better life in the colonies and sailing on the high seas was not something either of the girls wanted to undergo again after enduring seasickness.

Alice shyly pointed to Ratonhnhaké:ton behind Catherine's full blue skirt and whispered with intrigue in her brown eyes, "Is he an Indian? He's dressed funny."

"Alice, hush, dear" her mother warned with embarrassment to the innocent words since her two youngest children knew nothing about the disparities between colonists and natives. Alice thinned her lips to obey her mother and avoid being in trouble for saying the wrong thing, keeping to the back of her skirt.

Sammy held none of the modesty and pointed to Ratonhnhaké:ton's deerskin moccasins with an amused grin to compliment, "I like his shoes."

Martha was caught between awe and worry as she noticed the wooden bow strapped to Ratonhnhaké:ton's back and whispered softly, "Mother, he has a bow."

Elizabeth joined her brother's intrigue as she stepped forward without reserve and pointed to the boy's raven hair to request eagerly, "Can I cut my hair like his? I'll look tough!"

"Ma-"

"Go tend to your chores, children" Catherine sighed with dismay to their volley of endless questions and knew she'd be answering them for the rest of the day. She'd been replying to each of them since leaving Boston, earning a rest when half decided to sleep for a few hours but Connor's arrival riled them all again with excitement- not to mention the house itself. All of them scuttled over to the wagon to grab their things with haste, except for Caroline, and she asked with a small weary sigh, "Dearest, what did I just say?"

"My braids are stuck in the doorway" she murmured quietly as her cheeks turned scarlet since Martha left without a single glance back and the women moved to help open the closed door. Caroline could do nothing but stand in place with mortification since her hands weren't able to open the door and was unable to turn without having her hair painfully yanked.

"I told you to wear your hair up, braids are for girls like Alice" her mother reminded firmly and her daughter frowned since tying her hair left her with a headache by the end of the day. She wasn't able to tie her braids around her head either since she had to clothe her siblings before sunrise while her parents made sure the wagon had everything for the trip. Catherine spared another glance to Caroline's parted auburn hair and added another motherly order for the day, "And put on your bonnet."

Godfrey glanced at the young man that had become intrigued to the girl's misfortune and chuckled merrily, "She takes after me too, stubborn as a mule but works twice as hard."

It didn't help matters at all and Caroline protested weakly to quell the embarrassment, "Boban."

Nonetheless, she was a lumberjack's daughter and proud of it . . . excluding her current predicament, of course.

Boban- Scottish word for papa

Thank you for reading and I'd love to hear your feedback since I'm dipping my feet into colonial American story writing for the first time.