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Altair stopped, he was in the shadows of trees, hard to spot, even with his outfit but he'd heard something, He'd just finished a 'job' and was on his way back home. His shoulder was stiff where he'd jarred it during the assassination, his target had some sort of tip off and had been ready for him, it had taken longer than he'd thought to be able to get into a position to do it, even then the target had been training or something and had moved just as he had leapt.

He stopped and turned again as he heard something, but he could see nothing, his ears twitched but picked up no further sound. He sighed and rolled his shoulder, wincing a little and limping ever so slightly. He wondered what was going on back at the guild, whether everything was in order, of if his little brother had left the paperwork for him to do when he returned. He'd been gone longer than he'd said he'd be but he didn't think Ezio would worry, at least not for a few more weeks anyway. Slowly he made his way towards home, towards the cliff faces, potted with crevices and caves, that the Guild called home.

Altair instinctively jumped away from the sound, muscles taut and ready even though he knew it was Ezio, his lifetime of training was instinct, and couldn't be ignored. He blinked slowly and sighed, his heart that had hammered for a split second, regaining it's normal rythym. "Ah Ezio, I'm glad to be back ... is everything alright back at home?" he asked, curious as to why Ezio was here, to meet him but at the same time, he guessed his younger brother was bored, he knew how he felt, he also hated the paperwork but when he was home, it had to be done.

He was surprised that Ezio hadn't challenged him, it was a thing they did quite often, to any passer by it may have looked genuine but it was how they kept sharp. They had to be in top condition, constantly training, as to be able to train new recruits into their ways but Ezio refrained from it, for which Altair was glad, he'd need a while to recover with his shoulder, and a ....session with Ezio would delay that healing process for a while longer.

Altair nodded, he knew how hard it must be for Ezio to be cooped up all day, he was a stallion that enjoyed challenge, he had a lust for life ... and the mares.. that Altair sometimes envied. He wondered how Ezio did it sometimes, but knew better than to actually ask. He laughed a little and rolled his injured shoulder, testing it's weakness and pushing down the pain, he was good at that, ignoring pain.

Altair snorted and gave Ezio a wry smile "They had some sort of warning, someone knew i was coming" he mutterered, hoping none of theirs was a traitor "It was a good trap but i'm too good for that, you know me Ezio" he laughed, enjoying his younger brother's company, despite the comment stining a little on the back of his injuries, he knew that Ezio didn't mean real malice behind them, it was just their way of communication sometimes, playful jibes to taunt the other.

Altair sighed, his brother seemed restless and he didn't blame the younger stallion. There were few that they has at the guild that could be trusted with the information they kept. He swallowed a comment he had been about to make and nudged Ezio's shoulder with his own, uninjured one. "Alright Ezio, why don't you go and see if we have any jobs waiting after we get home?" he suggested "i can heal up just as easily taking over from where you left off little brother. You can get out and get rid of that itch in your hooves" he chuckled softly "find a pretty mare.... or two" he laughed again "just be careful of jealous Mates won't you?" he couldn't resist that last quip, with a smile and a wink at his younger brother.

Altair chuckled, "maybe one day little brother.... i'm too busy for the fleeting attention of a pretty mare" he said, while not always stricktly true because they did get lulls in work, days where there wasn't much to do but train... or chase mares in Ezio's case. He really did envy the younger's ability to 'love them and leave them'. Sure there had been some pretty mares in the past but he couldn't bring himself to take it further than an admiring glance, knowing that they could be in danger eventually because of what he was.

Altair sighed as well "I'm sorry Ezio, this last job strained me more than i thought i guess" he admitted, he'd been only momentarily surprised that his target had foreknowledge of his coming but he'd planned quickly for it ... however it was discomfiting to know that someone may have been watching, or even had sent the 'job' as a trap for him. He watched Ezio shake his hood off and whuffed out a breath, they were close enough for it to be safe to do so even if they only ever usually pulled their hoods back once indoors. "Sometimes Ezio ... it gets too much... what we are .. don't you think?" he said.

Altair smiled grimly and roughed up Ezio's mane a little with his muzzle. He sometimes wished he could have spared Ezio the life of an Assassin but it had proved not to be, he tried to understand the younger stallions wanderlust. He thought the mares were a way of 'escaping' from their life sometimes. He couldn't remember the first time he'd spilled blood, it had been so long ago that he really couldn't remember a time before this life but he was glad that Ezio was in it, a part of his life, his bond with his brother deeper than he could explain, Ezio was the only one in Altair's life that he would willingly lay his life down for.

Altair leaned agsint Ezio for a moment and looked up at the canopy above them. "You will find someone we can trust one day Ezio, keep going as you are and she will turn up" he said comfortingly, he too, sometimes, wished for a warm body to lay against on days like this, injured and with nothing to do when he returned except the records. He looked over at his little brother when Ezio backed off from the contact. "One day Ezio you will have foals of your own and then you won't have time to miss being one" he laughed, tossing his head and letting his own hood fall, it was a VERY rare thing Altair ever did this. "I remember you as a foal Ezio, all legs and not knowing what to do with them...." he chuckled.