HOME | DD

Description
"I still do not understand."

"What is it you don't understand?" Ezio threw another knife from the table he was sitting on. It was the next day, and he and Leonardo were in the main workshop.

Leonardo was hunched over blueprints, lost in thought. "How did she manage to survive alone here? At thirteen? This is a huge city!"

The knife dug into the far wall. "Natural instincts," Ezio mused. "She knew she had to stay out of attention somehow."

"But how?"

"Hide in plain sight." One of the rules of the Brotherhood. "I want to know about her family. Her parents." He flicked his wrist and sent another knife into the wall.

"Would you STOP that? I LIVE here!" Leonardo got up and tried to pull out the jammed blades.

"Sorry." Ezio pulled two knives out from the wall in a single expert motion. "In the meantime, we need to figure out a way to keep her safe like you want."

Leonardo sat back down, fiddling with a piece of charcoal. "You still don't trust her? She's a child! She the same age as your - "

The words 'brother would be' died on his lips when he saw the shadow cross Ezio's face. He quickly changed the subject. "Could you teach her what you know?"

"She seems rather educated already," Ezio muttered, twirling one of the knives in his hand.

"But can she climb? Can she attack without detection?" Leonardo looked at his friend. "Ezio, this is your chance to get her on your side for good."

He scoffed. "I thought you said she was just a child."

Leonardo groaned. "You are so thickheaded! It's like working with a donkey!"

"I had a donkey once. Actually, I stole him from Vieri when I was ten. His name was Luigi."

"As wonderful as that story is, it has no effect on our situation," Leonardo insisted.

Ezio sighed and put the knife down. "Fine. I'll see what I can do. But remember your promise. One slip from her..."

"I know. Grazie, Ezio."

"We will start tomorrow. I'll let her know," Ezio said before going upstairs where his knife throwing as a way of stress management wouldn't bother da Vinci.

***

Natalia's eyes flew open a moment before she heard the knock on the door. "Who is it?" she asked, then clapped a hand over her mouth. Her voice was hoarse.

The door opened and the one who rescued her - Ezio Auditore - strode in. "It's me. I came to see how you were doing." He stopped and frowned. "Is everything all right?"

Natalia looked down. The nightclothes Leonardo had bought her were drenched in sweat. She rubbed her eyes (the swelling was almost completely gone). "Si. I just had a bad dream." Flashes of it still played behind her eyelids - fire, screams, her parents lying dead on the ground... She shook the images away. "What do you want, Messere Ezio?"

He started pacing. Was he nervous about something? "First I want you to stop with the formalities." He said it plainly, but Natalia could tell he'd been put up to it. She couldn't suppress a smirk.
"Second," Ezio continued, "if you are to stay here, you're going to need some help."

She wrinkled her nose. "What would you ever want to help me with? I'm sure you despise me."

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. "Despise," he said carefully, "is a very strong word. Let's use 'aggressive indifference.'"

Natalia made a face. "Moving on..."

"Can you climb?"

The question surprised her. "I-I suppose so."

"And how good is your aim?"

"I don't know -"

"Then that," Ezio said, pacing again, "is what I am going to help you with."

Natalia instinctively rolled her shoulders. Messere Leonardo changed the medication and bandages every day, but a second ache filled her body. She needed to move around. "When do we start?"

In answer Ezio tossed her a bag. Inside were her clothes, cleaned and repaired. "You have five minutes. And do not think I'll go easy on you just because you're a girl."

Natalia raised an eyebrow. "I'm used to that."

Ezio turned and left Natalia to dress herself. She could already feel the wind against her face again.

Description
"I still do not understand."

"What is it you don't understand?" Ezio threw another knife from the table he was sitting on. It was the next day, and he and Leonardo were in the main workshop.

Leonardo was hunched over blueprints, lost in thought. "How did she manage to survive alone here? At thirteen? This is a huge city!"

The knife dug into the far wall. "Natural instincts," Ezio mused. "She knew she had to stay out of attention somehow."

"But how?"

"Hide in plain sight." One of the rules of the Brotherhood. "I want to know about her family. Her parents." He flicked his wrist and sent another knife into the wall.

"Would you STOP that? I LIVE here!" Leonardo got up and tried to pull out the jammed blades.

"Sorry." Ezio pulled two knives out from the wall in a single expert motion. "In the meantime, we need to figure out a way to keep her safe like you want."

Leonardo sat back down, fiddling with a piece of charcoal. "You still don't trust her? She's a child! She the same age as your - "

The words 'brother would be' died on his lips when he saw the shadow cross Ezio's face. He quickly changed the subject. "Could you teach her what you know?"

"She seems rather educated already," Ezio muttered, twirling one of the knives in his hand.

"But can she climb? Can she attack without detection?" Leonardo looked at his friend. "Ezio, this is your chance to get her on your side for good."

He scoffed. "I thought you said she was just a child."

Leonardo groaned. "You are so thickheaded! It's like working with a donkey!"

"I had a donkey once. Actually, I stole him from Vieri when I was ten. His name was Luigi."

"As wonderful as that story is, it has no effect on our situation," Leonardo insisted.

Ezio sighed and put the knife down. "Fine. I'll see what I can do. But remember your promise. One slip from her..."

"I know. Grazie, Ezio."

"We will start tomorrow. I'll let her know," Ezio said before going upstairs where his knife throwing as a way of stress management wouldn't bother da Vinci.

***

Natalia's eyes flew open a moment before she heard the knock on the door. "Who is it?" she asked, then clapped a hand over her mouth. Her voice was hoarse.

The door opened and the one who rescued her - Ezio Auditore - strode in. "It's me. I came to see how you were doing." He stopped and frowned. "Is everything all right?"

Natalia looked down. The nightclothes Leonardo had bought her were drenched in sweat. She rubbed her eyes (the swelling was almost completely gone). "Si. I just had a bad dream." Flashes of it still played behind her eyelids - fire, screams, her parents lying dead on the ground... She shook the images away. "What do you want, Messere Ezio?"

He started pacing. Was he nervous about something? "First I want you to stop with the formalities." He said it plainly, but Natalia could tell he'd been put up to it. She couldn't suppress a smirk.
"Second," Ezio continued, "if you are to stay here, you're going to need some help."

She wrinkled her nose. "What would you ever want to help me with? I'm sure you despise me."

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. "Despise," he said carefully, "is a very strong word. Let's use 'aggressive indifference.'"

Natalia made a face. "Moving on..."

"Can you climb?"

The question surprised her. "I-I suppose so."

"And how good is your aim?"

"I don't know -"

"Then that," Ezio said, pacing again, "is what I am going to help you with."

Natalia instinctively rolled her shoulders. Messere Leonardo changed the medication and bandages every day, but a second ache filled her body. She needed to move around. "When do we start?"

In answer Ezio tossed her a bag. Inside were her clothes, cleaned and repaired. "You have five minutes. And do not think I'll go easy on you just because you're a girl."

Natalia raised an eyebrow. "I'm used to that."

Ezio turned and left Natalia to dress herself. She could already feel the wind against her face again.