Chapter Text
The thing about the Svenhuund family is that they lived a little off the grid; a relatively normal family, with a home-schooled little girl, working parents, and “extended family” that would drop in and out unannounced. Let's just say normal is relative. One of her parents would be gone for days or weeks at a time, but they’d always bring home cool little trinket from their trip, so she never bothered asking for details. It was nice, for a little house in the middle of a forest in Northern Canada. But that was life for the Svenhuund’s. They’d hunt for what they could and bought what they couldn't from the local stores. It wasn't an easy life, and it wasn't exactly practical but they made do.
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“Ysabeau, we’re wasting daylight. You need to gather the traps while I run into town for supplies.” Ysabeau whined into her pillow, tugging the heavy duvet around her ears. It was far too early and too warm to wake now. Unfortunately, nothing was too early for a huffing Keaghan, ripping the blankets off the bed and the pillow from under Ysabeau’s head, “I don’t understand how people like your father and mother raised such a lazy girl…Such a handful.”
Ysabeau squeezed her eyes shut, ‘Maybe if I don’t answer, he’ll just go away…and I can sleep my day away!’ The click-clack of nails of the wood flooring and the sudden heavy weights of two dogs trundling all over her bed made that impossible though.
“Oh, and the dogs need to go out too. Don’t forget to put their collars on again.” Keaghan turned pointedly on his heels and stomped out of her room. “Come on, get up. If your father were here, you wouldn't still be in bed.”
Ysabeau sat up on elbows, a deep set glare on her face, “Uh, excuse you! That was your fault for leaving the door propped. You’re lucky he even came back, and with food to boot! Better than anything your lousy traps could reign in.” But she only caught the tail-ends of his coat disappearing down the hall. Ysabeau pulled herself up in bed, putting more energy into the long groan she let out than moving, she stared at each of her fluffy babies, “So who’s going outside first?” Both dogs titled their heads at ‘outside’ before the mad scramble to get to the door first ensued. That would buy her the 10 minutes or so she would need for a quick shower before they came back with the twin ‘why the hell aren't we outside yet?’ looks.
That’s how Ysabeau ended up outside in the rain, dressed in some white Halifax denim leggings and a black studded tank top underneath a long hooded coat. Her boots kicked at the ground while she followed the loping gait of the two canines. Ysabeau glanced up from where she was taking apart an empty trap when a rally of alert barks cut through the patter of rain. She could see Dimmu (a black Shepherd) and Veli (a brown Shepherd with a black streak down his back) with bouncing and howling at the air further down the path, pacing in anxious circles. The quick flash of gold lights, the sound of metal on metal and shouts pushed Ysabeau into action, ditching the trap and racing after the dogs ahead of her.
The whiz of a bullet passing by and nicking a tree halted her tracks. The sight of Keaghan trapped in a stalemate with another man, wrestling for control over the fired handgun. Keaghan managed to cuff him with a sharp elbow, the quick action and shock loosening the attackers grip and the gun dropped into the wet mud beneath their feet. Both men pushed, taking steps to gather their stances and circle one another. From his belt, Keaghan drew a moderate sized hunting knife as he lunged at the unknown man…or tried, as it seemed. He was frozen midstride in an aura of white and gold.
“Well, it looks like it just you and me, little Beau. Now that the pest is occupied,” The attacker turned to her, lower his arm from where he had it aimed towards Keaghan and taking slow steps toward her. Her face paled when he pulled a knife of his own on her.
“Wh-What did you do to him?” Ysabeau stumbled back, trying to leave distance between them.
“’What did I do?’ It’s quite obvious. I froze him in time, at least his own time, but he’ll be fine in a matter of minutes. However, it won’t last too long, which is why we need you, little Beau.” The attacker slowly circling her, giving a cynical grin, “I mean this is technically your heritage.” He held up the chain dangling from his grip, the charm hanging from it was a gold, metal-looking pendant.
“Me..? What could I possibly do for you? I don’t even know what that is or who you are.” Ysabeau slowly shifted her feet, trying to create some running distance between her and her aggressor.
“I’m just someone who wants to help better the world for everyone, and with your help, we can unlock the power of every piece like this one,” he raised the pendant, showing off the white, hazy glow around it. “The Templars need you to do that and it’s not hard, I promise. All we need is for you to join us, partake in our quest. Your father and mother have been keeping you from your destiny, keeping you sheltered from everything. All you have to do is come with me.”
“You’re insane if you think I’d actually go with you when you just attacked my friend.”
He sighed, “Well, you’re coming with me, regardless of what you think. I guess we will be doing it the hard way.” He could only manage a few quick steps before a black figure grasped his arm and drug him to the ground. Dimmu bit into his forearm, thrashing viciously as he shouted, dropping his knife. Suddenly Veli slide up to him, chomping down on the hand that held the pendant, tugging and shaking with ferocious intent. With his concentration focused on his desperate attempt to dislodge the dogs, Keaghan was dropped to the ground, gasping and coughing for air. He stumbled to his feet, rushing to stand between the man and Ysabeau, whistling for the dogs to back down. With both Dimmu and Veli no longer tearing at his arms, the so called ‘Templar’ staggered as he rose to his feet, “Girl, you are a fool. All of the assassin’s are fools if they believe they can stop us from achieving our goal. We will have her, whether she wants to help us or not!” He lifted his mangled and bloody hand towards them, making a shocked noise when he realized he no longer held the pendant. He searched around his feet for it before stopping to stare at Veli, the golden chain dangling from his muzzle.
“That mutt of yours has something of mine and I suggest you give it back.” He took a faltering step forward, shifting back when Keaghan lurched forward. Ysabeau knelt by Veli’s side, shifting the chain out of his messy teeth. However, at the slight touch to the actual pendant, it flashed and began to shake minutely, the vibrations slowly mounting. A sharp flash of golden light created a hazy sphere around Ysabeau, Dimmu and Veli curled around her legs. The raindrops that had been pouring down on them were now suspended about her, the splashes of mud around her feet jumping in slow motion, the sound of wind whirling around them almost deafening but the dead wind inside the sphere was eerie. She could see the man and Keaghan pushing at each other, Keaghan shouting at her but his voice came through faintly. The pendant began to pulse in her hand, the sphere pulsating in time causing white ripples in the sphere.
Dimmu and Veli barking and yipping…
Her heartbeat pounding in her throat…
Blood rushing behind her ears…
A bright flash of white light taking over her vision…
And then it was getting warmer, the air was dry as it circulated around her.
Her hands clenched around the feeling of gritty sandy covering a stone floor. Her eyes adjusting to the brighter light, took in rough cave walls around them causing a slight echo at the click-clack of the dog’s nails. Both dogs nudged their owner’s face, circling close to the bright cave entrance. Ysabeau unhooked their leads from her waist, attaching them to each dog’s collar as they tried to drag her out of the small enclosure.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-1st_-_POV-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The narrow ledge in front of the entrance led off to my left, reaching down into a somewhat empty path between a few buildings. I kept Dimmu and Veli behind me as I navigated the ledge cautiously. I stepped out slowly from the alley and onto the busy pathway, men and women passing by with baskets and bags in their arms. Men were dressed in dingy, earthy-colored clothing, most without shoes even. The women were dressed head to toe in long dark cloaks, and I was getting quite the dirty look from mostly everyone. I grimaced and pulled my hood over my head, fidgeting with the weight of the new pendant hanging about my neck alongside my necklace.
"We aren't in Canada anymore, now are we…?” Veli yipped and yanking at his lead aggressively, pulling Dimmu’s attention as well, who growled and bared his teeth, "What is up with you today?" I questioned them before I heard a thickly accented shout.
"Stop, woman!"
‘Woman?’ Turning around, ready to rip into this guy, I saw a figure fully clad in what looked like chain mail underneath a long robe, an angry red crossed spread wide across the chest of his gear. His face was undetectable to see behind the metal helmet, but his voice still carried.
"E-euh…" I squinted, confusion as to why a man would be dressed in something so heavy in heat like this, but when someone draws a sword and starts charging at you, you tend to stop questioning things like that,"Oh shit." The heavy clink of his armor as he ran spurred my feet into a sprint.
"Damn woman!" The Templar shouted in a thick French accent.
"You know this is not necessary! You could put the sword away and stop chasing me! I could stop running, we could talk! We could be friends about this whole thing and laugh later!" I shouted over my shoulder, mentally panicking when two more pairs of feet joined the one. Dimmu and Veli ran ahead of me, taking a quick detour at the opening to an alley. I turned into the alley only to meet a dead end…Thanks, guys, thanks a lot.
I shuffled around, my back to the stone wall when the armored man and two other men, dressed in simpler clothing, rounded the corner. Reaching for my boot, I withdrew a hunting knife, wielding it firmly in my hand. I’d thank dad for all his training now, but what good can I do against a full sized sword? Who the hell carries a sword around? p>
"Regardez cette fille! Elle veut nous battre, et avec un petit couteau comme ça? C'est ridicule.” The French Templar spoke. I glared and took a defensive stance in front of Dimmu and Veli, both looking primed for battle; I wouldn't risk having them hurt. Suddenly, one of the men slumped down to his knees before falling to the ground, immobile and bleeding from a knife in his neck. The knight prodded the fallen body but did nothing else. Out of seemingly nowhere, a man in all white pounced on the knight, shoving him to the ground. This new man drew a sword of his own, thrusting forward into the other man’s stomach. The knight regained his footing and charged at the hooded man. They clashed swords for a few long moments then the white robed man planted a boot firmly against his opponents’ knee. The loud snap and scream emanating from the knight were horrifying, but they didn't last long after the quiet sound of metal piercing cloth and flesh. I stared at the draining bodies; the blood ran through the cracks in the ground and stained their faces. The man in white turned to me now, the sword was still held menacingly in his hand. For every step forward, I stumbled back one of my own, the dogs whimpering now.
“You seem familiar, but I don’t often associate with women. And not women who get themselves in trouble with Templars either.” The white robed man wiped his blade on his bracer before sheathing it.
"Trust me; I won’t make a habit of it. But I don’t know you so…Thanks! You know, for the assist, I had it covered, obviously, but, you know…thanks.” I rambled, shoving my knife back into its holder inside my boot, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his anger. The robed man seemed to fixate on my hand, fidgeting with the chain of my necklace where it lay atop my jacket now, shifted from the running.
“Where did you get that necklace?” He took a short step forward, chancing a glance at the two large canines that growled at his unwarranted approach.
“It’s my father’s.” I snapped, tapping both dogs on the head to sit by my heel, their ears perked and hackles raised down their spines to curled tails.
"Oh really," I heard the sarcasm trill in his tone, "Then do tell, who is your father? If he wears the symbol of an assassin, surely I know him."
‘The symbol of an assassin? What is going on here?’ "Like my dad would bother to know someone as rude as you."
"Then tell me your last name, woman. Give me a reason not to kill you where you stand." He thrust out a hand, yanking on the front of my jacket, dragging me almost off my feet.
"Svenhuund, now back the hell off." From my new vantage point, I could see the squint of his golden-brown eyes, the unyielding line of his mouth pulling at the white scar line, the stern set of his jaw; he wasn't buying any bit of what I was saying. I pried his iron grip off my jacket front, stumbling back to my own feet.
"Altair, where are you, you fool?" I heard a man call from the rooftop, another one? Geez…My luck is just amazing today...
"Down here, Malik." The man now deemed Altair shouted. The supposed Malik dropped from the roof, clad in the same robes as Altair.
"Are we harassing more women?" Malik joked, looking at me. I glared at him, and crossed my arms.
“Oh, ha ha. That’s funny…jackass.” I mumbled under my breath, glancing around carefully for a quick exit. There wasn’t much of one, not with these two.
"This woman claims to be Svenhuund’s child…" Altair crossed his arms, showing Malik his general disagreement.
“Sire’s daughter?" Altair nodded at Malik’s shock, "What should we do then?" Malik asked.
"We could kill her...save ourselves the trouble." Altair stated simply, tipping his head up like he was trying to think of any other option—"Hey now! Don't I get a say?" I exclaimed, squawking when Altair shook his head and shoved me away from him.
“You want to kill the girl that might be the Master Assassin’s only child?” Malik was clearly the one with some sanity. “The child that Sire speaks so highly of? The one who Basil jokingly asked to wed and ended up in the infirmary for two weeks for it? Yes, let’s just kill her.”
“He won’t know if we, you¸ don’t tell.”
A swift kick to the shin had Altair hissing, hopping and shaking out his leg as he bore holes through me. I flipped him both fingers, “To hell with you, dude. You can’t just kill peo-” I looked at the dead bodies behind him, “…You can’t just kill me!”
“I can, and I will.” He lunged out, catching an open hand to the face and an elbow to the chest. His grip remained tight in the fabric of my clothing even with two hands batting at his head, kind of pathetically too—
“Stop moving already.”
“Let me go then!”
“I will once you’re dead.”
“I’m gonna tell my dad.”
“You won’t have breathe left in you to do it.”
“Malik will tell him, because he’s not an absolute dickwad like you.”
“A man like Sire would never raise such a harlot like you.”
“But your harlot of a mother did raise an utter dumbass like you.”
“Stop fighting so I can rid you of your life.”
“Go to hell, you fuck.”—
"She certainly has his attitude, and his temper. I'm beginning to believe her." Malik laughed, sitting idly while both dogs sniff the flaps of Malik’s robes. “We should just bring her. If she isn't, then we take care of it then.”
"You're as delusional as she is…" Altair rubbed his sore cheek, "Come on, girl. You're coming with us to meet you 'father'…" He grasped my arm and yanked me towards the wall. "Climb."
I didn't move an inch, looking pointedly between the wall and Altair, "You want me to climb that…?" He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. I jumped back when Altair reached out for me, “Enough with the grabby hands already!”
"Then start climbing." He threatened me as he reached for a handhold on the wall.
"Dogs can’t climb walls."
"You are a handful…Malik, get the dogs."
"And you're an ass. What’s your point?" I watched Malik attempt to pick up either dog, or at least get close enough to do so. Dimmu would snap his jaws, snagging the end of his sash, and Veli would jump in and out of his reach, thinking this was a game. “Dimmu, Veli down. Malik's on our side?" Malik nodded hastily, not wanting to be on the bad side of the aggressive dog before him. Both huffed loudly but sat passively before Malik, ears laid back.
“Perhaps we should just stick to the ground, Altair. This girl won’t leave without the dogs, and these dogs won’t let her leave without them,” Malik suggested cautiously. “Plus we don’t know if she can make it across the rooftops, especially now that there are archers, it’d be safer down here.”
Altair groaned loudly, leaning against the wall, “Alright! Fine, we’ll stay on the ground. But this,” He yanked my hood back over my head, “must stay on. If not, you’re on your own.” With that, he turned around and stomped back to the main paths, stepping on the dead bodies. I took a false swipe at the back of his head, grumbling about PMS and men.
Malik snickered but beckoned me to follow, jogging to catch up to Altair. I looked up at Malik, "Are we going yet?"
"Yes…Once Altair is done throwing his fit." He laughed as we looked over at Altair, who stood with his arm crossed and what looked like a pout on his face.
"Just keep up…" He told us, walking away. I shrugged and followed after him, Malik in tow behind me.