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

Chapter 42 Ezio

   Altaïr and Arno shot ahead of us with Spirit and Blade. I think I was the only one who noticed the way that Altaïr and Arno had galloped off at super speed. I assumed that everyone knew about it, but I didn't want them to be shocked if I said anything, so I kept my mouth shut. I pulled myself into the saddle on Keeshah's back. She snorted and turned her head to look at me, asking a silent question. Should we go fast? I shook my head. Much as I wanted to go fast to see why Altaïr and Arno had been in such a hurry I didn't want to leave the others.

   Edward, I realized a little belatedly, had gotten onto the rooftops with a broken arm. I twisted around to look at him. He looked fine, but I've learned from past experiences that how he looks doesn't really mean anything. I wished I had Altaïr's strange ability to tell what was bothering people. It was a little scary when he started telling you what was on your mind. I wondered what my power was. Maybe I was like Altaïr... no probably not. Maybe-

   "Did you hear that?" Edward asked.

   I groaned. "Not this again! I've been asked that question too many times recently."

   Edward shot me an amused look. "I thought you slept last night."

   "Oh yeah," I looked away from him. "About that..."

   I heard a quiet echo of a stick cracking in my ears. I was suddenly alert. "Did you-" I was interrupted by the sound of a stick cracking. I stopped mid sentence. Two sticks cracking? Within seconds of each other? One quiet, one loud?

   "Etz? Are you okay?" Aveline asked.

   I blinked. "Yes, I'm fine." Another echo sounded in my ears, this time it was a bang. "DUCK!"

   Everyone ducked without thinking. I'm glad they trust me that much. There was a bang and the bark of a tree that was next to Edward exploded into splinters. Edward shot me a strange look as he sat up. "Any other random gunshots we should be worried about?"

   I didn't say anything. I won't say that I ignored Edward, but I certainly didn't register what he said, which I guess is the same thing. One of the rocks on the trail ahead of us seemed to sink a little farther into the ground. I pulled on the reins and Keeshah stopped. The others stopped behind me.

   "Etz, are you sure your oka-" Edward stopped as someone stepped onto the trail ahead of us. Their left foot landed on the rock that had seemed to sink down. "Did you know that was going to happen?"

   "I... I don't know," I blinked at the person in front of us it looked like Archer, if Archer got rid of his axe and exchanged it for a spear, wore red robes instead of brown-gray, and had both sleeves down rather than one rolled up. They were gasping like they were running from someone, or were in a hurry to tell us something.

   "Who are you?" Edward asked.

   "No... time..." the assassin panted. "Shay's men are following you. I'll keep them off of your tail. GO!"

   "No," I said. "Climb on."

   "But-"

   "Get on!"

   The assassin hesitated before climbing up behind me. He whistled sharply and there was a flicker of gray in the trees. I glanced up in time to see the tip of a gray robe appear, and disappear behind some leaves. Archer? I wondered. My wonder was answered a moment later by the assassin behind me shouting, "DUCK!" I ducked and a familiar gray figure with one sleeve rolled up swung over our heads. "Sorry!" he called as he swung by.

   I grinned and twisted around in time to see Archer run down the path behind us. I nudged Keeshah into a trot. "I'm getting the feeling that we don't want to stick around."

   "That's probably a good assumption," the assassin behind me said. "But you probably want to move a little faster than a trot."

   I glanced back at the others. I had to lean to the side to see them clearly. Everyone was there, well, almost. Connor had disappeared, and Edward was sitting with an annoyed look on his face as he turned his horse to follow me. He sighed. "Brothers."

   I frowned. "Where's he gone now?"

   "Arno's rubbing off on him."

   I turned back to the front, assuming that I wouldn't get a better answer, and Keeshah started cantering. She was younger than Blade, and didn't have as much experience with running smoothly. Keeshah was also a fair amount more skittish than Blade. There was a shrill whinny and a cloud of smoke and dust flew by, along with a quickly fading shout of surprise.

   "You two need to go on without me," Edward said. "You can both move faster than my horse can, and I need-"

   He was interrupted as Connor galloped up behind us. "You three might want to hurry! There's way to many!" he called as he shot by.

   "Never mind," Edward said kicking his horse into a gallop after Connor.

   Talk about leaving in a rush, I thought as Keeshah leaped into her fast gallop with Aveline close behind. The assassin behind me tensed and gripped the saddle tighter. I guessed he'd never been on a horse as fast as Keeshah, Blade, Spirit, or Arrow.

   Keeshah whinnied and reared back, skidding to a stop. Aveline's horse almost crashed into us. There was a person on the trail in front of us. For a second I thought it was Shay, but when I looked closer I realized it was an extremely dirty redcoat. He sneered at us. "Going somewhere?" he asked menacingly.

   Aveline nudged her horse forward. She looked the man right in the face. She looked quite regal sitting tall on her black and white pinto. "Would you kindly move out of the way good sir?"

   The man shifted. "I don't think I should." He looked away from her.

   Aveline frowned but didn't let her regal facade drop. "We're in a terrible hurry," she said. Her French accent grew more obvious.

   "Aveline," I warned quietly. She glanced at me in confusion. What? I shook my head.

   "I'm sorry ma'am," the redcoat said. "But your going to have to come with me. Your companion too."

   "Sir, if you please," Aveline said. She glanced at me once, but I couldn't tell what she was trying to say. "We really need to get by. It's urgent." She jerked her head at the road ahead without looking away from me.

   "I don't think so Aveline," a voice behind us said.

   Aveline froze. She looked at me her eyes clearly saying RUN. The assassin behind me drew in a sharp breath. "You need to make your horse go fast again," he hissed in my ear.

   "Don't bother trying to run," the voice said at the same time. A cloaked figure on a brown horse moved between Aveline and I. "Your horses could never outrun Bullet."

   Aveline snarled wolfishly. It was strange all of the animals she could sound like. "Ferrer."

   The cloaked figure turned to her. "Good to see you again Aveline. If you use that persuasion on any of my men they have permission to shoot your friends."

   Aveline looked at me helplessly. We have to go with him, her voice said in my mind. Unless one of our friends shows up out of nowhere.

   I wish I could say otherwise, a voice that sounded like the assassin behind me said. But I think she's right. Unless Arno or Archer somehow manage to get here within the next thirty seconds, we need to follow him.

   Aveline glanced at the other assassin. I really, really, didn't want you to say that.

   The cloaked figure, I guess his name is Ferrer, laughed evilly. "If you two will follow me..." he nudged his horse forward and the redcoat hastily moved out of the way. "Come, come, don't be shy," Ferrer said when we hesitated. "No harm will come to you as long as you don't fight."