Assassin's Creed: Brothers Unite (#Wattys2016) |Assassin's Creed Fanfiction|

Chapter 10 Arno

I jumped off the stairs before I reached to bottom. Now that Frederico, Guinovhicci, and Ezio were safe, my sense of urgency to get to Nassau had grown.

Ezio jumped as I hit the floor. "Oh, it's you."

"Yes, it's me," I smiled and sat next to him on the cot. "How do you feel?"

Ezio groaned and leaned against the wall. "Terribile. In more ways than one."

I felt a pang as I remembered Elise, and how she had been crushed by falling rocks. "I know how that feels," I said. "Edward, Archer, and I will be training you in the ways of the assassins. The assassin in Nassau might help too."

Ezio studied me carefully. "Why is it that you all know me, but I don't know any of you?"

I shrugged. "I don't think I could answer that question in a satisfactory way. I'll tell you who we all are so that you don't get confused. I am Arno. The assassin with the gray robes is Archer. He is probably the most stealthy of all of us."

"Why, thank you! I don't think I could have gotten you to say that if I twisted your arm!" Archer melted out of the shadows near the base of the stairs.

I sighed. "My point has been made. You already know Edward so there's no point telling you who he is. Then there's Edward's brother, Connor, who we'll be getting along the way at some point."

Edward dropped from the landing to the floor.

Archer clapped sarcastically. "Oh, bravo. Bravo."

Edward gave him a flat look. "Ha-ha. I didn't hear you do that when Arno did the same thing."

"Yes, but you aren't Arno."

Edward rolled his eyes. "And how are you Ezio?"

Ezio glanced at me. "Fine."

Archer raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He had probably heard Ezio's first response.

"Where's Frederico and Guinovhicci?" Edward asked.

I almost started laughing. "As far as I know Frederico is right where you left him on the roof unless he jumped off, and Guinovhicci is sleeping somewhere."

"I'm not on the roof anymore," Frederico landed on the floor next to Edward.

I guess stairs are overrated, I told Archer. "We need to get to Nassau."

Frederico tipped his head. "I don't know where that is, but I can take Mother, Claudia, and Guinovhicci to Villa de Auditore," he offered. "If Ezio is going with you, that is."

"I am," Ezio said. "If they let me."

"I said we would train you," I said. "You get to come, whether Edward wants you along or not."

Edward smiled wryly. "I was hoping I would need to wait for Volpe."

"Not if I'm around," I grinned. "Anti-teaching?"

Edward snorted. "Teaching is boring."

Ezio looked at Edward, amusement sparkling in his eyes. "I don't know if I should like that opinion in my mentor or not."

We laughed.

"When will you- wait. Where's Archer?" Frederico looked around.

I smiled. "Probably halfway to Nassau."

"Already? But we just said that you should go to Nassau."

"He flies faster than me."

"Shouldn't we get going?" Ezio asked. "It sounds like we have a long way to go."

"Yes," Edward said. "Let's go." He opened the door before turning back to Frederico. "Take care, Frederico. Ask Mario to teach you sword fighting, the knowledge would do you good."

Frederico nodded and thumped Ezio on the shoulder. "Good luck brother. Come back sometime, eh?"

"Va bene," Ezio said. "One day, I'll come back to stay."

We moved through the streets with minimal mishaps. Until guards started chasing us for stealing horses.