Addiction

Well here we are again with yet another chapter to add to the madness that is this fic. The responses of you guys were much appreciated! They help me get off my ass and start fleshing out the chapters to come!

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The loud slam of a leather bound book broke through the unpleasant silence, dragging a rather stunned and baffled Assassin back from the dark and concealed recesses of his mind. Immediately, his hood snapped to his right where he spotted what should have been a lovely and familiar little bronze face peering up at him from the floor. But instead what he saw looked nothing to that extent. The normally distant and apathetic mask Adah usually wore to shield herself from him had apparently become nonexistent in just that short of time. Her cheeks were flushed a soft pink and her naked shoulders quaked with the sobs wreaking havoc upon her since the moment his mind escaped into the abyss.

She was broken.

Altaïr called her to him softly and the moment their eyes met Adah turned her back to him and brought her knees to her chest. He sighed silently to himself as the loose ebony curls framing her face fell forward like a thick obstructing veil. As he expected, she was doing what she always did when faced with uncertainty by trying to elude him and the situation as if that alone would make their current predicaments disappear. He chose to remain quiet when her half naked form rose onto unsteady legs, undoubtedly stiff from the extended seated position on the floor, to rummage and fumble about in the corner of the room.

Adah was battling hard to blink back the heavy flood of tears crowding her vision, her snuffles echoing throughout the room as she moved. Why is it that any time she became involved with Altaïr, must everything burst into flames and incinerate her along with it? He just could not leave well enough alone... Why couldn’t he have just abandoned her in Jerusalem on that ill-fated day after her pathetic attempt at stealing that forsaken satchel full of coins she just had to have? Surely a child would only complicate things further. And what’s worse is that now he had yet another reason to keep trying to control her too. This was not supposed to happen!
At least not to her...

Her continuous weeping shook her body even harder each time her hand brushed passed the slightly curved bulge of her lower belly. With every touch she swore it was getting bigger and bigger by the minute. If only it would just disappear then everything could return to whatever one would call normal around this place. She didn’t even know just how far along she actually was. It has been at least three months now that she has been living with and not to mention sleeping with Altaïr. Could it have been since the very beginning?

Aggravated and worn, Adah slumped against the nearest wall to sob quietly, drowning in her increasingly depressing thoughts. Regardless of how much she tried to play pretend in the back of her mind, she knew well enough that nothing would change. This child was here to stay and would only keep pulling the rope between her and Altaïr ever the more tightly even though she wished she could just cut it clean through.

‘Altaïr!’ she thought once she remembered she was not alone.

His presence was so deathly quiet she’d forgotten he was even in the room. What did he think of this foolish ordeal? Was he as shattered as she? She whipped around to face him and shrieked, jumping back almost wildly against the brick in surprise after finding her view of the room had been suddenly replaced with a white robed chest. Her arms shot up to cover her naked breasts and she hunched her as though trying to curl into herself. He was so tall it almost seemed that he towered over her sometimes and the way she was crying and sniveling in front of him made her once again feel like that of a small child in front of him. She wiped at the tears pouring out of her eyes in what seemed like rivulets before meeting the somber gaze patiently awaiting her underneath his hood. Exactly how long had he been standing there? When the dress she had been looking for the entire time was held up between them, she stopped fussing with her eyes and slowly took it from him.
Adah could almost hear the controlling remarks probably ready to pour from his lips like venom at any second, as was his usual way of trying to enforce his dominance over her. It was always what he thought was best, not she. Yet shockingly he had none. Not really wanting to offer him up the chance and feeling somewhat uncomfortable with his too close proximity, she moved to put some distance between them but he promptly grabbed her upper arm and pressed her securely against the wall.

Hearing of it was one thing, yet right now he had the strongest urge to see the proof Muntasir had spoken of that lead to so many tears. He held her there as he pushed his white hood behind his head and stepped closer to her shaking frame, his eyes scanning over her enticingly bronze flesh. She felt tense, her eyes wide as if in a flash she would tear from his grasp and flee the room the minute his other hand curiously came up to rest on her slightly bulging stomach.

The noticeable roundness of it was still somewhat small beneath his fingers and fit perfectly to the size of his palm. For some reason he was having the hardest time wrapping his mind around the fact of it now having probably the greatest impact on both their lives. Its appearance was so gradual after all this time that he truly did not give it much thought until now. Not like there was ever much time to pay attention anything at all when they were too busy shuffling about on the floor, him carelessly slashing away at her defenses with his busy fingers and her rolling hips turning his mind into mush. He felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards a bit while his eyes scanned over the long glossy curls of hair springing loosely from her head.

At one point in his life, he actually thought the time he would see her again would never come to pass until the day he saw her clumsily speeding down the alleyway to escape her pursuer’s clutches. If only she had known that from that moment forth that her fate had practically been sealed when she willingly climbed into his arms to be hauled up the side of the building and out of their line of sight. However, he what he hadn’t counted on was that she would put up such a strong battle of rebelliousness and overly resistant behavior. But in the end he had still won the war seeing as now her condition did ensure him one thing. And that was that she was truly his now and would share this connection for the rest of their days. So resist as she may, but she couldn’t fight the fact that the heavier with child she became the more dependent of him she would eventually get...

“I do not believe his words, Altaïr. Please, for God sake, tell me that he does not speak truth. He must be mistaken!” she whimpered and clasped her hands together in desperation as she stared up into his handsome and somewhat guilt-ridden face for any kind of reassurance she might get.

Just looking at him she couldn’t even count how many times that dangerously alluring face of his had triggered so many of their shameless and lustful trysts responsible for throwing her into the situation she currently found herself in.

Altaïr let his stern expression soften as he gazed down into the only tear stricken eyes to ever be allowed the opportunity to see it. Throughout his lifetime, he always held a strong intuition for a judge of character and had known Muntasir for as long as he could remember. Medicine was his passion. Out of all his long years in the practice of healing, the old man had earned the trust and respect of each one of his patients because he never hid the truth no matter hard it was for them.

“I know the response I am about to give you is not that of which you seek, Adah.” He finally responded in a quiet voice, already anticipating the would-be sound of her heart crumbling. “You must remember that one should not need to be convinced if the truth has been lain out before them...”

She felt the mixture of leather and the warmth of his palm cover the obviously round evidence protruding from her belly for a moment before it fell back to his side. The indication that nothing else need be said was clear as he watched her face warp and her tears renew, replacing her hopefulness with an overpowering grief. When she clutched at the white cloth covering his chest and burrowed her face into his robes, he just stood there and let the pride wash over him, the constant flow of her tears soaking his material completely through to the skin. He knew she would come to terms with it soon enough. It was just a matter of time...

He felt her jump at the sound of someone pounding heavily on the wooden door at the opposite end of the room followed by it being cracked open.

“Master, forgive my intrusion... but I wish to speak with you alone.” came the exerted voice of one of his students from behind the door.

As Altaïr’s eyes met with those of the distressed girl in front of him one last time, he gently passed his thumb over her quivering bottom lip and slowly withdrew from the room. Carefully Adah slipped her long red dress over her and leaned back against the wall, sliding to the floor in a crumpled heap. She was alone which had at first become her favorite past time but now, the loneliness felt like her worst enemy. She curled into herself on the floor and cried softly as her mind grieved over these life changing events until the muffled sounds of her sniveling delivered her into a much needed and exhausting sleep.


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“Had I known you’d returned from Jordan sooner, I would have informed you at once.” called the voice of his student trailing behind him as Altaïr paced through the iron gate of the garden and entered the fortress library.

“It is quite alright, Mihran. There was a rather unexpected situation in need of my attention...” Altaïr stated and glanced back through the gate at his quarters resting at the back corner of the garden.

“Truth be told, am still attending with...” he noted and turned away quickly to lead up the stairs when Mihran gave him a puzzled look.

“Then I will be brief...” Mihran began, falling in stride once again as they entered Altaïr’s study above that overlooked the library. “I received word from the Bureau in Acre that the training assignment you left to Kadar to aid Jalil in during your absence was but a failed attempt. The Informer they were to meet with had been followed after gathering his information outside the Hospitaliar Church and they were attacked by city guard.”

“What?” Altaïr questioned as his mind was brought back down to earth.

“Their escape was not an easy one and they did manage to make it back to the safety of the Bureau but Kadar was not so lucky... He-”

“Where is he?”

“There were too many of them and his wounds were great. He did not make it... Jalil abandoned them during the assault and returned to the Bureau only once it was safe. Kadar is testimony to this with his last breaths!”

Altaïr’s eyes narrowed and he leaned his weight on the railing of the balcony, staring down at the guards lined up against the dusty bookshelves below, his hands tightening on the wood as he mulled over Mihran’s words. Kadar had been one of his best and equally trustworthy men...

“I met with Jalil upon entrance to the city and he neglected to mention any of this when we spoke...”

“Then see for yourself.” Mihran stated and pulled out a folded parchment enclosed by a wax seal stamped with the symbol of the Bureau in Acre from inside the breast of his grey robe. He handed it to Altaïr who broke the seal and made a quick examination of the words prior to crumpling it angrily between his fingers.

“Why am I not surprised by this news?” he growled out, the irritation more than evident in his tone. “All Jalil has done right so far is help lead himself into an early grave.”

“Master, Jalil hasn’t shown the slightest remorse for what he has done! It almost seems he does not have any pride or loyalty to the Creed which leads me to believe he cannot be trusted!” Mihran beseeched.

“Indeed. His attitude has been very suspicious since his initiation and Kadar’s death does not do him any favors... but as much as I hate to admit it, both sides must be heard before casting judgment. You know this as well as I...” Altaïr replied and looked away from the fellow Assassin to his left and back to the parchment in his hand.

“Advise the guards at the gate they have my permission to increase their security tonight. No one is to leave the city and inform Jalil he will be under interrogation tomorrow... by me. “

“It is as good as done.” Mihran replied.

Altaïr sighed and walked behind the old wooden desk and looked out through the stain glass window. “For now I need rest. My travel from Jordan has been a hard and fruitless journey...”

It wasn’t just the journey alone that wore him out. It was the idea that he now had not one but two inhabitants waiting patiently for his attention in his quarters at the back of the fortress that was still weighing heavily on his mind. When the time arose, he would just deal with it as it came and try to focus on piecing together the information found on his trip and Jalil’s punishment for his treacherous ways.

Mihran stalked up to his troubled Master’s side and placed a gauntleted hand on Altaïr’s shoulder, his normally peaceful expression turned grave. “Do not let his poisonous words sway your decision, Altaïr. Jalil is a traitor... I assure it!”

He gave Altaïr’s shoulder a slight squeeze then secured his grey hood in place and moved down the sandy steps to make his exit.

“Mihran...” Altaïr called out over, his gaze still glued to a non-existent space in the distance, his heavy voice echoing throughout the library. “Once you inform him of his interrogation tomorrow, follow Jalil and do not let him out your sight.”

The young Assassin nodded and picked up his pace to hastily carry out his instruction.
Assignments never go as expected, thus is the work of an Assassin but Kadar’s unnecessary death was unacceptable and his would not go unpunished. If Mihran’s words held true, Jalil’s time in the Brotherhood would surely come to an end by tomorrow’s eve.

Altaïr then made his way through the various scattered tomes littering the library floor, down the stairs and slipped his way between two closely shoved bookshelves. His fingers walked diligently over the various rows of books, pulling them down randomly one by one to search the pages prior to sliding it back into place. This would be his fourth time skimming through Al Mualim’s hand written records and each time it appeared something was being overlooked. The old man was apparently very adamant about remaining vague in his studies of the Piece of Eden and what other enemies who made in the process.

The other artifact hidden in Jordan turned out to be closer than expected compared to the others marked by the orb on landmasses that still remained unreachable. Even if he couldn’t attain them all, he would try his hardest to decipher the exact location of the one in Jordan through the use of his Master’s records. At least by having both artifacts in his possession, the constant fear of someone else finding such a destructive object near the Holy land would no longer crawl up his pine. Many times did he contemplate destroying the orb and ridding himself of its burden, however each time he approached it his motivation seemed to be thwarted and he often wondered if the orb had some sort of influence over him all its own. But by no means would he allow the orb the level of control it once held over his Master, though. Adding another to the collection would only make it all the more difficult but it was only a small sacrifice for an even greater cause...
After finding the unmarked tome he was searching for, Altaïr sat on the floor and reclined against one of the bookshelves to yet again begin filtering its pages for the madness of the ‘treasure’ Al Mualim had once labeled as the world’s greatest temptation.


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It wasn’t exactly the tinkling of a bell, but it was close enough to it and the louder it was the more fervent it became at pulling her mind from the ever blissful world of sleep. Adah groaned and cracked a hazel eye open to search her surroundings, finding herself still curled comfortably in a corner of Altaïr’s chambers. The room was quiet and much colder than before with the chill of winter creeping around the grounds outside. She rose somewhat clumsily and looked around the room for said Assassin but he was nowhere to be found. Eventually that annoying tinkling of before became clear enough to be distinguished as women’s laughter floating through the window from the garden down below. She couldn’t remember actually trying to fall asleep but was glad she did since now she was feeling much better than before. As her mind worked to collect itself from sleeps vice-like grip, she ran a hand through her tousled hair and soon remembered she’d had the strangest dream. It involved her discovering that she was to become a mother, as strange as that may be and bear that child for the same Assassin still trying to work his way back into her heart no less!

Shaking her head of the ridiculous notion, she began to smooth out the wrinkles in her dress when a hand made its way across the small rounded lump of her lower belly.

Oh.

The distressing memories of earlier events spread through her mind like wildfire and suddenly the hazy cloud of sleep was erased just as quickly as it had come, leaving behind no traces of the once pleasant moment she was having in its wake.

Adah frowned, blinking back the traces of tears ready to spill over her eyelids and hugged her arms to her torso, feeling the overwhelming sadness beginning to coil none too gently through her at an alarming rate. She was afraid. The prospect of becoming a mother was frightening enough, but how on earth was she going to raise a child in a city governed by murderers? Not quite ready for another round of self pity, she forcefully pushed the situation to the back of her mind and tried to work out a painful sore spot from her neck as she made her way across the room. She didn’t want to think of it and was still fighting its truth.

Throughout all of the chaos, her stomach had since abandoned its will to escape during the many unaccounted hours while she slept so for the first time today she was feeling hungry and in need of some fresh air. Slipping on her sandals and grabbing her favorite white scarf, she wrapped it around her shoulders to stave off the cold and made her way for the garden outside.

The closer to the outdoors she ventured, the colder the air seemed to get and was almost enough to make her consider going back inside despite the increasing rumbling of her stomach. Driving forward, she pushed at the heavy wooden door at the bottom of the stairwell and almost losing her footing on the last step, she stumbled noisily into the garden. Numerous feminine faces looked up at her, their conversations having stopped as she crept along the patterned tile to slip through the library and hopefully evade an unwanted run in with Altaïr. She pulled the wrap around her shoulders tighter around her front and walked faster when she actually caught one of the women staring boldly at the small uninvited bump visibile through her dress. Not once has she ever tried to befriend any of them and doubted she would be making any sort of attempt today either...
Finally weaving her way up the steps, Adah peeked through the open gate of the library, catching the attention of the two guards posted on either side. As if on cue they bowed in acknowledgement and resumed their stance when she slowly returned their gesture. She gave the highly elevated room a quick once over, satisfied that the presence of the man in question wasn’t nearby and decided to tip toe her way underneath the stairwell and make a dash for the exit into the city to track down her meal.

The line of guards standing along the bookshelves eyed her curiously from beneath their grey hoods as she crept underneath the steps and peeked up the balcony for any signs to indicate where Altaïr may be lurking. Yes she was avoiding him, but maybe it was for the best since she wasn’t sure if facing him right now would be the best of ideas.

Sneaking around the corner of the last bookshelf before making her escape into the city for food, she stopped to take one last look up at the balcony above to make sure it was clear.

“Looking for someone?”

Adah squeaked and backed into the bookshelf, knocking off several of the tomes in the process. Lowering her eyes to the right, she found the owner of that all too familiar voice sitting comfortably in the middle of many stacks of books.

“God! I wish you would stop sneaking up on me like that, Altaïr!” she fumed, clasping a hand over her chest. So much for an uneventful escape into the city...

“From the looks of it...” he began, his eyes moving between her and his seated position on the floor, “Who is sneaking up on whom?”

She turned to him and sulked, catching a flicker of the small lopsided smile he’d offered as his way of a silent apology just before his stern mask fell back into place. The path of his eyes trailed lazily up the ample swell of her hips and came to a halt on the slight curve of her stomach. He watched her try building up those ever present walls again by crossing her arms tightly across her chest and averting her eyes.

“I see your company here shows me that you are once again feeling well. Since you’ve thrown away the meal you had this morning, I’m sure a bit of meat will do you good. You will need it to rebuild your strength.” He paused at the pained expression she gave off at the mention of her uncontrollable stomach earlier. “And perhaps a visit to Muntasir could provide some insight as to what to expect as your condition progresses.”

She sighed loudly enough for only him to hear, lowering her half-lidded gaze to the floor and over the books resting here and there. At last his stern and domineering comments that matched the look on his face had broken the surface and were already churning out commands. She knew sooner or later they would arise; it was just a matter of when. Not to mention he was doing an excellent job at rekindling the misery she had been trying so hard since awakening to repress.

“I am not that hungry and I have no desire to visit with him, Altaïr... I was just in need of some fresh air that is all.” she said with a subdued defiance. After walking about to pick up the books her clumsiness threw across the floor, she placed them back onto the shelves and returned to his side.

A low grumbling emanated embarrassingly from the small bulging stomach between them, forcing two pairs of eyes to flutter down to it. She flushed and instantly brought a hand over it to shield it from his observant eyes still concealed under the pointed tip of his hood.

“I think someone else is demanding otherwise.” he said as he rose from the floor and raised a dark eyebrow curiously at her stomach. Of its own accord, his gauntleted hand rose to slowly run his fingers through her long curls that seemed to droop down her shoulders like the richest honey. He knew she was still very young and knew how she might actually see all of this, but he also knew that no matter what he would not allow her go through it alone.

She felt his much larger hand grab her wrist, leading her out from under the staircase and towards the exit to the courtyard. She felt his grip loosen as his hand slide lower to intertwine their fingers much the way he used to when they were children, never wanting her to venture too far from his sight. And for the strangest reason, the tightening of his hand and the forgotten memories of that happier time actually seemed to put her worried mind at ease.

His robe seemed to brighten to the purest of white as they stepped into the fading sunlight fighting to push out from behind the winter clouds. As soon as they made it out of the library Adah heard a noisy commotion chime throughout the training yard. She didn’t get any warning when Altaïr stopped completely in his tracks and caused her to ungraciously slam directly into his back.

“Look! This filth was found lurking around in the cargo room!” she heard a gruff voice shout up in their direction. It was getting closer. She peered around Altaïr’s side and stared dumbly when a struggling body tied at the wrists and ankles was thrown down in front of his boots by a group of guards.

“Jalil...?” Altaïr questioned, his expression immediately becoming hard with annoyance when the accused ones grey hood was torn down from his head, revealing his identity. “What was he doing in the cargo room, Mihran?”

Using him as a shield Adah slid further behind Altaïr, her small fingers curling into his clothes when she caught Jalil’s eyes leering up at her from the ground. He was wearing the most unnerving grin and his teeth were tinged a bright shade of red from the blood seeping into his mouth after the fight apparently carried out during his capture.

“We caught him digging through the gold crate containing the orb and scribbling information down on this piece of parchment. He is refusing to confess who he has been sending the information to and following his detainment, he hasn’t spoken since.”

“Then bring him forward and strip him of his weapons.” Altaïr ordered. “This discussion was not to take place until tomorrow Jalil, but this has gone on long enough... Kadar is dead is because of you. And It seems your further actions insist on your judgment being cast this evening and given that you obviously seek it so strongly... then so it shall be done.”

“Kadar is dead?” he heard Adah gasp from behind him with wide eyes. He turned to her quickly, forgetting she was there. He had the intention of telling her, but now had not been the time. Her eyes misted up as the recognition of her old friend’s death tore through her mind. “Why did you not tell me?”

“We will discuss this later.” Altaïr responded and nudged her back into the doorway of the library. From behind the edge of the door, Adah watched with heavy sadness and the pressure of her consuming fear when Altaïr held out a hand and a long scimitar was placed into his palm. She knew what was coming and didn’t want to look yet now she couldn’t seem to turn away. Altaïr waited patiently, twirling the length of the blade around his hand to test its weight while waiting for the guards to drag the other Assassin up the stairs and force him to kneel.
That’s when she saw it. That same cold, malicious look she’d seen Altaïr sport that night he gladly laid waste to the Saracen soldiers long ago as it crept its way across his face and doubling her fear tenfold. This couldn’t be happening, not again! It was the side of him she was terrified of and hoped she would never have to see again but just like everything else with him, she never got what she wanted.

“Let us try this again.” she heard Altaïr state lowly, the glint of malevolence already apparent in his eyes while he circled around Jalil.

“You see, the Bureau in Acre and my faithful students have briefed me of the training assignment I sent Kadar and yourself to carry out... And instead of success, I am brought grief. Why is this?”

With his stance proud and his head held high even on his knees, Jalil continued to remain silent enough that one would mistake his tongue to have been cut clean from his throat.

Altaïr made an irritated noise. “You realize you have been brought here to plead your case so I suggest you use this time wisely.” he added and stopped in front of Jalil then pressed the curved tip of his blade into Jalil’s jugular.

“You have been given chance after chance and each time I receive nothing but excuses and disappointments. And now one of my best men is dead because of you.”

“I did what was necessary to carry out the task!” Jalil protested.

“Necessary for whom? From what I have been told you did it to salvage your own life and left the others to die-“ Altaïr’s statement cutting off when Jalil spat the accumulating blood of his mouth onto the toe of Altaïr’s leather boots. Losing his normally stoic demeanor, Altaïr tossed the light-weight scimitar to the side, the thin blade vibrating as it clanged loudly to the ground. It was quickly replaced by his strong and thick forearm winding tightly around Jalil’s neck, the tiny pointed tip of Altaïr’s hidden blade pricking into the vulnerable flesh underneath his unshaven jaw.

Jalil made a start from the swift movement, nicking himself on the finely sharpened blade.

“You have betrayed us, Jalil... We welcomed you in as a Brother to our Creed and this is how you repay us?” Altaïr spoke into his ear. “Who have you been sending this information to?”

“Do not be so hasty, Altaïr... I have no need to tell you seeing as you will meet my Master soon enough.” the foolish young man uncaringly began. “Do you find it funny that people are always praising and rejoicing about their ‘God’ only when they need something from Him! This war between Salah al- Din and the King plagues our land as we speak. All for a righteous ‘God’ who possibly does not exist... I grow sick of it and so does my Master! He will show you that your precious God is a myth when he comes for the Piece of Eden and each of you will fall to the divine power he will possess.”

“It is not your place to decide what is real and what is not for the people... We all have our own beliefs and it is up to them to decide thus you have condemned yourself.” Altaïr stated and gripped Jalil by his short black hair. “You dared join my ranks, conspire against me, and leave my men to die all while you serve another Master... Well no longer will you compromise the Brotherhood with your deceitful ways... You are indeed a traitor and will die as such.”

“Then I will pass with no regret but before I depart from this world, tell me Altaïr. Do you believe in God?” Jalil asked with a bloody grin, coughing slightly from the rise of blood oozing upwards from deep within in his torso.

“No...”

“Then perhaps your soul might be spared on the day of reckoning when my Master comes.”

Adah darted behind the doorway and scrunched her eyes tight as she slid to the ground and burying her face into the red cloth over her knees. Had it been a minute too late she would have been unable to shut out the horrific sight of Altaïr driving his hidden blade through the soft pliant tissue of his Jalil’s neck, relentless and unstoppable with exact precision like it was an appendage of Altaïr himself.

She heard Jalil’s lifeless body being thrown to the ground with the sickening thud of dead weight and a thick stream of Arabic pouring heatedly from Altaïr’s lips to order the removal of the body as well as the disbursement of the collected crowd. Adah remained motionless in her little red burrow, willing her heart to move back into her chest in order to face what awaited her on the other side of the doorway.

The idea of strolling through town to scan the merchant’s stands for her favorite food with Altaïr seemed promising in the beginning. Never having felt so hungry in a long time, her mouth was almost watering from the imaginary scent of so many delicious dishes wafting through the food district as they crossed her mind... However when she felt Altaïr’s four fingered hand, the same one that held hers a few moments ago that was responsible for taking Jalil’s life come to rest on the back of her head, she had no appetite for any of it.


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TBC...

Stay tuned because as always, there is more to come and feel to tell me what you think, whether good or bad. ^^
The Rusty Peach