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High-functioning Hellraiser
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 Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 10:27 pm
 How long had it been since Altair found himself in the company of so many strangers; weeks, months, years? He had long ago lost count of such a trivial matter, or at least he liked to make himself believe such a thing was trivial. Yes, he would pass pride territory or run in to a gang of rogues every now and again, but he had not been a part of a pride in so long. Not since he had to make the decision to disband his own, his partners in the dark, his friends…his family by bonds and goals. To walk in to the dark to serve the dark they said. Well now darkness was he only comfort at the moment.
Carefully, the lion made his way through the pride territory. For now he was accepted at one of the pride, but it did not stop him from keeping his guard up; from seeming casual and one with the crowd while underneath he was on edge, ever vigilant. He was on a mission after all, a mission to find one of his brethren.
Giovanni Auditore, if he remembered right, which he did. Never before had that name crossed his records, but he would not doubt the words that whispered across his ears from rumors, that were choked and intimated from those he had to chase down and then landed at his paws from scroll sent from the avians of trusted sources.
The life of one spending all his time wandering aimlessly, no longer in contact of those he yearned to be with, he could no longer tolerate such a thing. Now, more than ever, he wanted to be in the company of another assassin. He wanted, needed to do something with himself, to find purpose again, to know that the choice he had made was worth something and doing some good.
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Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:44 am
 
The pair had come all the way out to the very edge of the pride's cove. A bluff gave them some privacy and Maria knew where they were. It was out here, away from prying eyes, that Giovanni felt safe enough to pass on his family's skills and teachings to his cubs, just as his own father had passed them down to him. So much of their ways had been lost when the pride had been scattered to the four winds, much of their history and culture drifting into nothing more than vague memories and dust. But Giovanni refused to let it die with him and every day he and his brood came out here, training for a future he knew would one day catch up with the Assassins, even if he and his sons were no longer around, their descendants would be the ones to fight once again the black shadows of the Borgia.
Ezio landed with a thump and a howl of outrage and frustration, pulling his father's attention once more. "Here..." Standing he padded over, unsheathing his claws and pointing at the first few tiny toe-holds he had already mapped in his head. "Use your claws to give you grip, and aim for the places where the plants don't grow. With bare rock, you look for small nicks you can poke your claws into." Sitting back he gave his frustrated son an encouraging smile. "Try again."
Ezio clambered back up onto his paws, sand coating his once white and grey fur and bruises aching at butt and tail from his constant stumbling. But despite his muttered grumbling he approached the stone once more, actually looking where he aimed his claws and suddenly he found himself half way up the rock. "AH! Papa!" With an excited yell he turned to beam at his father, only to loose his grip and tumble back to the soft sands with a yelp.
Giovanni stifled a laugh and once again stood, padding over to pick his son up and dust him down. "Very good Ezio. Now try not to be distracted next time yes?"
From the side Remus chuckled, shaking his head as he ruffled his feathers. "Gona be a handful that one." He commented between pecking at a snail. Earning him a wry grin from his old friend. The pair had only reunited recently, after spending months apart as they fled the Borgia warrior. Remus and his mate had been able to track their two assassins to the Kizingo-zaa just after Maria had given birth and Giovanni had been greatly relieved to see the two avians. With communication possibilities restored he had felt less vulnerable, even if it was too dangerous to send the birds out just yet. He at least had the option if it became necessary. Flicking his tail and sending a fine dusting of sand at the bird, he turned back to his complaining cub.
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High-functioning Hellraiser
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Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 10:49 am
If Assassins were easy to track down, then they didn’t have the right to be called Assassins, at least not a good Assassin anyway. And this Assassin was either very skilled at hiding in plain sight, or was good at picking a hiding spot. This thought gave Altair some comfort in knowing that not all had fallen with their teachings and persevering the way of the Assassin. Too many times had he run across those whom thought themselves as great Assassins and yet they failed to show they were competent in even the basics. If only he could just drown the lot of them in a river or send them off to some camp in the desert. If only.
“They can draw their claws and bare their fangs in a show of power and bloodshed, and yet they can’t even climb a tree or hide among the crowd. Who are they putting in charge of teaching these cubs? I’d have an easier time training a flamingo to hide amongst pigs.”
Shaking his head, the older male made his way through the common areas of the pride territory, but it was failed time spent. No one gave him any feeling or any sign that they were part of the order, though he did run across some interesting characters. So it was on to the more secluded and secret areas that he could successfully find.
After hours of searching and coming up empty handed it seemed that his patience, though running short at this time, had finally paid off when he picked up the sound of voices; one older and one younger. Carefully following the sounds and peeking through the plant life he watched as what he figured was a father and son interact. And that’s when he spotted the male’s gear. Truly, unless the guy was a thief of some sort, that he was the one he was looking for.
“You there,” Altair spoke out as he entered on to the beach. “Are you the one I have been searching for? Are you the one that goes by Auditore?”
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Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 8:44 am
After dusting down his son and soothing the boy's temper, he nudged Ezio back towards the rock and settled down to watch and quietly coach the youngster in a calm, easy voice. Ezio was a good kid, wild and reckless and prone to fits of temper, but Giovanni knew the boy had a good heart and he would have a bright future ahead of him. Being an older first-time father he wondered if maybe his age had put a distance between him and his boys that younger families didn't experience, but he didn't regret his life and wouldn't change anything in it, except the loss of his own pride... and the home he used to believe would be the setting for the scene now playing out before him.
But he and Maria still lived, and they were starting their own family, their own legacy in this new land. The assassins would survive and they would return to their homeland one day.
Something, some instinct that was always on alert despite how calm and relaxed the day, had Giovanni sitting up and twisting round even as the white-coated stranger stepped into view. Drawing himself to his paws, keeping his inquisitive son behind him, he pinned the stranger with a careful, assessing gaze.
"Who wants to know?" Yet even as he spoke, he could feel something about the other male... some sense of likeness that touched something deep within him. Though cautious, he doubted this was a Borgia agent. No, instead this white male felt... like family.. like an assassin. It was the way he moved, smooth and silent. That clear, far-seeing gaze and the controlled air about him. This male would be a difficult opponent to take down if he was here with violent intentions, and Giovanni honestly hoped it didn't come down to a fight between them.
Behind Giovanni, Remus, the white eagle, settled beside Ezio. Ignoring the bird, the youth strained to see around his father's large bulk, wanting to see this newcomer. He had never seen his dad react like this before, never seen him move into that familiar posture of readiness when there was no lesson under way. The cub realised this wasn't practice.. this was the real deal... Nervous and yet, unable to contain his curiosity, he inched closer, peeking out from behind his father's hind leg, large brown eyes wide in curiosity.
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