Assassin's Creed: Outlaw - Book One

The Outlaw Rafik

Night had fallen by the time Yughi recovered from the blow to his head. It felt as if someone had tried to cave in his skull with a mallet; which may, in fact, be exactly what had happened.

He was somewhere dark engulfed in the stink of wet earth and damp wood. He could hear the crackle of a fire and low voices nearby. Yughi had to wonder why it was he was still alive. It was possible that his own act of mercy, merely knocking his attacker out, was responsible. He quickly dismissed this idea, there had to be more to it.

"Where is he?" came a voice from near the fire.

"We put him in a cage, just inside the low cave," was the reply.

"And you didn't harm him?" the first voice was inflected with urgency.

"John placed a goose egg on his pate," the other voice replied. "That aside, no."

"Let me see him," the first voice said. There was the sound of approaching footsteps. Light flooded the cave as a sheet covering the entrance was moved aside. Yughi winced, the cave was steeped in darkness, the sudden flash of firelight was too much at once, refreshing the thud of pain through Yughi's skull.

Two figures stooped to enter the cave but Yughi could not make out their features in the darkness. One was large the other much slimmer.

"Why is he in an animal cage?" the larger figure asked.

"We don't take prisoners," the other figure replied. "This was the best we could do."

"Do you know me?" the large figure asked, approaching the cage. "My name is Robert Stafford."

Although the pain in his head did not significantly lessen, Yughi felt the fear in his stomach loosen its grip.

"I know you, Rafik," he said.

"If you are one of our order," Stafford said. "Then you will know that nothing is true."

"Aye, brother," Yughi replied. "I know that and also that everything is permitted."

"Let the man out of this cage, restore to him his freedom and his dignity," Stafford instructed his companion.

"Shouldn't we wait for Robin?" the other man asked, a note of uncertainty in his voice.

"This isn't Robin's business," Stafford answered. "It's mine. And I say, let my brother out."

The slighter figure came forward to the cage undoing a latch and opening a door at the front. He reached forward carefully and used a dagger to cut Yughi's bonds.

Yughi clambered out of his cage and tried to stand up. The roof of the cave they were stood in was very low so he had to hunch his shoulders a little.

"That's better," Stafford said. "Now leave us alone, I need to talk with my brother."

"This man don't look like no monk I ever saw," the slight figure grumbled and retreated from view.

"Excuse my friend," Stafford said, as the slight man trudged off in the direction of the campfire. "He has never left England and does not know the robes of a monk of the Holy Land."

"It is I who should apologise to him, Rafik," Yughi replied. "I blundered into your wood like a thief. I should have been more careful."

"Aye, but you have a crack in your skull. So, the price is paid for that misdemeanour," Stafford said. Yughi could not make out the man's features but could hear that the Rafik was smiling.

"I have been sent by Al Mualim," Yughi said. "The Templars have brought an artefact here with the intention of delivering it to a man called William de Wendenal. Do you know of this man?"