Assassin's Creed: Chronos (Ezio x OC)

24 - A Life So Changed

July 8, 1477

Monteriggioni, Italy

Catherine made a short yelp when the mercenary's fist hit her cheek. It wasn't terribly painful, but she felt it and staggered a single step back. Blood pooled into her mouth, which she spat into the grassy dirt. Her anger flared, but she cooled it immediately—or at least as much as she could. Anger would get her nowhere so she forced herself to focus. She recalled the split seconds up to the punch and saw her error; a misstep. A missing of the man's movement. She had been too slow to react. She should have kept her knees bent more to be ready to dodge at any moment. Next time, she would do better.

The mercenary charged towards her, and she leaped low, using her arm to brace and skid to his backside on her knee. She lunged forward, ramming into the back of his leg. He made a garbled sound of surprise as he dropped down on his own knee. She popped up to wring his head back by the hair, wrap an arm under his chin, press it hard against his neck, and then used her other arm to lock it into place. The man tried to stand, but she quickly brought her legs around to lock over his and then her feet under. He struggled, trying to grab at her, but she buried her head into his neck. He pulled at her hair and it hurt, but she just grit her teeth and held fast. If all he could do was grab at her arm or hair, then he wouldn't make her let go. He rolled some, trying to pin her or put too much pressure, but she held fast, and waited as the long seconds passed. She grit her teeth as her arm ached against his pulling, trying her hardest to keep the pressure. She just needed him to start going limp or for Mario to call it, but it was taking so long!

"Enough."

Relief flooded through Catherine, and she released him, falling back. She untangled her legs so he could roll over, coughing some. She would never have really let him fully choke, but he needed to feel it, and that gave her some pride. Finally she was starting to get some victories, and this was just one of those few. It had taken nearly a month of working—with a lot of help from Ezio, Mario, and Ottavio, of course—but she was getting better. A lot better. Her focus was stronger, and she rarely got into a blind rage. Oh, she faltered every so often, but she was able to use different moves like her choke hold to win her matches. It was a painstaking process, but it was worth it. She felt so much stronger than before already.

"How—how's your neck?" she asked the man, whom coughed as he rubbed it.

"Better before you did that. Little sneak," he grumbled, but not with malice. He was a good tempered man, and didn't seem to mind losing to a woman. Of course, most of the men remaining didn't seem to mind—not like Emilio had. His influence had lingered and caused some to leave, but those that remained were good men. She felt at home among them; like they did just see her as one of their own, and that helped, too.

"Hey, now you know not to let some tiny guard do that to you, eh?" she chuckled as she briefly leaned back on her arms, and then stood up. She held her hand out to the man, whom rolled his eyes, but took it with a grin.

"Knowing you, it'll be far easier to avoid a guard," he hummed as he got up, and then they both looked to Mario.

The older man nodded, "Well done, Catherine. Good, quick thinking and use of your abilities. Gasparo, we will need to work on getting out of that, but good work keeping her on her toes. You are both done—step out and rest for now. You may return to the Barracks early if you wish. Catherine, you will be needed after."

"Sir," both replied, bowing their heads and placing a closed fist over their heart. She and Gasparo headed out of the ring then, the redhead heading over to the wall near the stairs where a familiar young man was grinning at her. She raised a brow as she smiled knowingly back, and spun on her heels to lean against the wall beside him. She folded her arms over her chest and glanced up at him.