Assassin's Creed: Winter's Falling

Chapter 9

Andy, Sol, Diego, and the Mysterious crazy lady caught a cab back to the den. As they entered the den, they were greeted by the other half of their team. Lightning and Nerida were fine and grinning. They congratulated Andy and Sol on a successful rescue mission. Lightning patted Diego on the back and welcomed him home. The leader of the den came over with a small team of medics to help Diego and the lady. Sol seemed reluctant to give her up. Andy noticed her hesitation.

"Sol, give that lady to our medics," Andy said cautiously. "She needs help."

Sol nodded slowly. One of the medics carefully took the woman's hand and walked her upstairs to the infirmary. Sol and Andy returned to their side of the den. Sol instantly sat down on the couch.

"Man," Sol muttered. "What a day."

. . .

"SUN BORN FROM THE ROSE IN THE PORT OF THE RICH!" The lady screamed. "THE WHITE SUN LOOKS FOR THE BLACK STAR IN THE FLOOWERBED."

"Looks like she's been beaten and put through a lot of mental torture, Templar style," Ben, the lead doctor of the Montreal assassins explained to Sol, Andy, and Diego.

A two hour after their return to the den, Ben had called to the members of the rescue team to explain to them the state of the woman they had found. Diego's wounds had already been treated, but the woman was beyond help. Even through the door, her screaming could be heard clearly.

"What is she saying?" Diego asked.

"The sun born from the rose in the port of the rich," Andy repeated. "She just keeps repeating it."

"Should we gag her?" Diego shrugged. "Or leave her in a locked room for the night?"

"No, no," Andy waved the idea away. "Let the doctor's take care of her. I was wondering, Sol, why did you want to take her with us?"

"Well," Sol sighed, looking uncomfortable, deciding to skirt the truth. "It's those lines she keeps repeating."

"Explain."

"In Spanish it's 'el SOL nacido de la ROSA en PUERTO RICO'," Sol looked away. "My mother's name was Rosa. And that stuff she was saying about the Black and White Roses..."

"Yeah," Andy spurred her on, his curiosity growing. "What about the roses?"

"The White Rose refers to the flintlock I'm always carrying," Sol began to explain.

The gun had been passed down in her family for generations. The story goes that the first Assassin in her family had received the gun from his Templar father. When he became an assassin, the man scratched a line threw the Templar cross on the butt of the gun. A symbol of his defiance, and promise to protect the freedom the Templars wanted to destroy. The Black Rose he had given to his childhood best friend; the man who was to become his biggest enemy. The Black Rose was fabled to still be in the hands of Templars to this day. Sol showed Andy and Diego the White Rose.

"We need to discuss this further," Andy's mind whirled. "How this lady knows about you is beyond me, but if I'm going to figure this out, I'll need to know more about your past."

"Sure," Sol avoided Andy's eye. "But I can't say I've had a happy life."

"First I'd like to know about that lady," Sol flinched as he said this. "She clearly recognizes you. Can you say the same?"