When Esther passed into unconsciousness, he took that as a sign that she was completely relieved from the Apple of Eden's influence.
His own body felt weary as shadows of visions danced in his peripheral vision. The more he focused on Esther the less he was tempted to focus on them. He did not care to ponder long on the various possibilities of the future. He always believed whatever he desired his future to be he would make it so. While the Apple did not influence him in a way it did to others, keeping contact with the object felt draining since he refused to use it to empower him.
Willing his body to move, he stood keeping the Apple in hand. The sight in the courtyard was a complicated one. The Brotherhood Mentor, Mualim was dead. Esther was unconscious. Altair had fresh blood upon him as well as his own blood from the wounds on his cheek and arm. He also carried the Apple in hand.
Abbas Sofian, along with a few somewhat mobile assassins entered the courtyard and took in sight.
"What happened to us? I remember everything like it was a vivid dream...What have you done, Altair?" Abbas asked the malice in his voice unhidden.
"My Brothers, Al-Mualim was a traitor to us all. He was a Templar, using the Apple of Eden to not only betray his fellow Templars, but control the Brotherhood as well for his own gain. This is the object that took away your agency. It made you turn against your fellow brother and sister against your will. It displays the hearts desire of the one who possesses it. It can take away the free will of anyone the possessor desires of it to so. In my hand it does not tempt me for I do not seek power except for that of my own." Altair carefully handled unconscious Esther and manuevered her to be carried innhis arms, before he walked to approach Abbas and a few others.
"Gather our fallen brothers. Give them proper burials, for they were not of their own mind when they fell. They deserve our honor and respect for they died For The Creed. I will send word to our brothers in Jerusalem and Damascus to return. The Levantine Brotherhood is now cleansed of corruption. A new Order must be established."
Abbas looked at Altair with suspicion, "And I suppose you wish to become our Mentor, our leader of the new Order Altair? I will not support you. Nothing you say or do will ever gain my fidelity to you."
Altair stopped within reach of Abbas and stared down the unsupportive assassin. There was no resentment in Altair's eyes. If anything there was sorrow for them both and how things had turned out between them. While Abbas's eyes shown scorn and weary as he eyed the Apple in Altair's hand that could easily be used on him to force fidelity. "There is bad blood between us brother from that of our fathers' demise, their is no denying or cleansing that. If I become Mentor and lead the Levantine Brotherhood, I will do so; not so that you to swear fidelity to me, but to The Creed."
With that Altair departed from the Brothethood fortress and made his way through the streets of Masyaf towards his dwelling. Citizens were no longer under the control of the Apple. They were scurrying about in attempt to dismiss the lapse of time that felt like a dream, and resume their provincial lives.
Having reached Master Assassin rank came with some benefits. Novices were required to share dormitories at the fortress. Assassins were permitted their own room at the fortress. Master Assassin's having proved their competence and loyalty could live in the city of Masyaf, outside the fortress.
Altair wasn't certain if Esther had her own dwelling yet. They had been almost non stop traveling with their mission since she became a Master Assassin. He imagined a dwelling would have been established for her once they had successfully completed their mission; his mission of penance. But events had turned out very different now. Establishing a dwelling for her was going to be low on the priority list. Given the events of everything and the development that happened between them; he figured allowing her to rest and recooperate at his dwelling was a viable option.
Part of him wondered if perhaps he was being a bit selfish and simply wanted to keep an eye on her until she regained conciousness; to be the first to see her well once more. Rather than leave her in a solo room back at the fortress to awake alone. He did not think she would be under threat while unconscious, since only he, Malik, and the now deceased Mualim were the only three who knew of her true heritage and the role she played. However he was not willing to take that chance.
His dwelling was simplistic, but adequate for a man of his status. A room for sleeping in, a room for study, a room for the use of a chamber pot or washing basin, and a room for making and eating of meals that he rarely used.
He carried Esther to the room for sleeping in and carefully laid her upon the bed, removing only her cloak so it did not bother her during rest. He almost collapsed right then and their beside her as he removed his own cloak but halted when the Apple still held in his grasp.
He went to his study and found a adequate sized leather pouch and placed the Apple within. He secured it closed and attached it onto to his belt for safe keeping. His body felt weary and he longed to return to the bed room and rest beside her. He knew he needed to send word to Malik and other brothers. Dutifully he stayed in the study and sat at the desk and readied parchment, ink, and quill to write the most necessary words to Malik at the very least.
Once the letter was written he rolled it up and took it out to the balcony were he whistled and within a minute a female Golden Eagle came perched with a pouch on her leg. He secured the message and spoke kindly, "Aquila, take this to our brother Malik in Jerusalem." He ordered the regal bird and perched her upon his arm and lifted her up into flight. He returned indoors only when she was out of sight.
. . .
Abbas eyed the Master Assassin, then the object. It was a lot to accept all at once, especially given the bad blood between them. He had almost defeated Altair with his hidden blades before, though it was widely accepted that Altair had allowed Abbas to get the upper hand, it was hard not to consider trying to take the device for himself. But as he looked around to his other brothers, it seemed that he was alone in this sentiment. To them, if the Brotherhood was going to continue, Altair's prowess in battle and dedication to the Creed would make him the most suitable mentor amongst them.
As Altair took Esther up into his arms, Abbas turned and let him pass. Still, the root of his disdain remained.
Then entire way back to Altair's dwelling, Esther barely even stirred. Even as he removed her cloak and laid her in bed, she showed no signs of coming out of her slumber. But once he returned, her head was turned toward the door. Her eye lids had parted just enough for the candlelight to glint off of her eyes. She tried to sit up momentarily, but it proved to be a fruitless venture that she gave up on rather quickly.
She felt awful. More so because of the role she'd played in all of this than anything else. As it turned out, Altair defeated Mualim on his own. The only contribution she'd made was almost killing him and dooming all of their brothers. But, not only had Altair saved the Brotherhood, he'd been able to do so while sparing her life. When the Apple's influence begin to take hold, she'd been certain that one of them was going to die. The fact that they were looking at each other now was nothing short of a miracle.
Again, she tried to sit up. This time, she slid her feet off the edge of the bed and propped herself up with her elbow before pushing herself up to a seated position. Her head bowed slightly,"I'm so sorry, Altair... for everything."
She had confessed to keeping secrets from him, to her ties to Robert and the Rite. But her hope had been that coming back to Masyaf to help Atair would be step toward making things right. With how things turned out, it was hard to feel like she'd even come close to doing so.
With the Apple in his possession, the possible future that it had alluded to seemed within reach. Had she not seen them together, she wouldn't have believed that she would have a role to play in that future. Still, having experienced the Apple's power twice now, she feared that she could be used to put all of that at risk again. He must have considered the same thing. Yet here she was.
"The others... Are they... okay?"
. . .
Once Altair returned indoors, he retrieved the lit candle he had used when writing upon parchment and carried it with him into the bed room. As he stepped through the doorway, his eyes caught the gleam of the candlelights glow momentarily reflecting off Esther's own. Tension in his being relaxed some. Even as he carried the candle over and saw she struggled to sit up, her tenacity assured him she would be fine after some recooperation.
An apology escaped her lips as he took a seat next to her on the edge of the bed. He knew not what to say in return. Her apology was valid. He was understanding of the reason for her secrets and the actions she involuntarily took against Kadar while Sable controlled the Apple and her actions against him while it was in her possession. That had minimal effort to ebb the pain he carried from it. The empathy he felt towards his actions that caused Esther and Kadar to be placed in that situation. Still the he had been willing to go forward with her, even before the Apple revealed to him a future they could have together.
He was certain The Apple would remain in his possession. It was an artifact he was determined to decipher and record his findings for future generations of the Brotherhood to have, as to avoid it being used for unrighteous influence. He was concerned that the Apple could be a temptation to Esther, having been used by it twice it would stand for valid reason that she or someone could possibly manipulate Esther into using it again. He put that concern aside for now and was grateful when she asked about everyone else.
"There were a few of our Brothers that fell by our blades in battle while under the Apple's control by Mualim's hand. Abbas and those who are somewhat mobile are giving them proper burials; for they did die for The Creed. I have sent word to Malik, who will summon others to return to Masyaf, so that a new Order can be established." He stated, deciding he did not have the energy to state any of his other concerns or possible outcomes. He knew he would never have Abbas's support if he became leader. That posed a risk if Abbas did not repent and could possibly gather followers of his own within the Brotherhood and taint it once more. Turning brother against brother in secret.
Abbas was too woven within the Brotherhood to simply let go of. Keep your friends close and enemies closer, as the saying went. Altair would have to tolerate his presence and keep an eye on the scorned assassin.
The sun dipped into the horizon, taking with it the last of its dimming light. The new moon remained unseen and a few stars shined against the overwhelming midnight sky. Altair looked to his companion and asked, "Who did you see while the Apple was in your possession? In a moment of brief conciousness you asked if I could see her too, a woman. Although, I could not even when the Apple was shared between us."
. . .
"...My mother."
Esther brushed a bit of hair from her face, giving herself a brief pause as she cast a glance toward Altair. He was touching on a part of her life that she'd never spoken to him about. But her mother hadn't appeared in her visions arbitrarily. "At the end, Robert spoke of her... He said that she had never forgiven him for sending me away. That he'd promised her that she'd see me again someday."
She remembered look in Robert's eyes as he spoke to her in his native tongue. It revealed a side of him that she'd never seen before. Genuine regret. Desperation. He was telling the truth.
She found herself looking at the back of her hands as they rest in her lap. It was getting harder to look him in the eye. Still, she pressed on with the truth. "He told me that the Rite will replace him and if I brought the Apple to them, that I could be done with all of this and they would take me to her... He begged me." She shifted on the bed, turning toward Altair, but didn't dare reach for his hand. "You have to believe me, I never wanted the Apple... But once I had it, once it took hold... I would have used it against them to find her. Against... anyone."
Esther saw flashes of the things that would have occurred if she'd been able to leave the courtyard under the Apple's influence. "Even then. I knew that this could not come to pass. You had to stop me... In the end, she helped you. Even though it would keep me from her."
Finally, she was able to bring her eyes up to his again. She was ashamed, battered, and most of all she was tired of this lie she'd been living. "Please, Altair. Can you forgive me for what I've done?"
. . .
Altair knew Esther had been sent to the Brotherhood as a young child. From that point on, like many of the novices, she resided in Masyaf to be trained and raised in the Levantine Brotherhood. Leaving only for missions and being granted freedoms as they aged and advanced in rank.
Altair had no understanding of longing for a Mother's love. For his mother had died in childbirth. He did know that of a father's affection. At the age of 11 Altair had nearly watched his father's execution. As Altair frantically called out his father's name in desperation, Ahmad Sofian had prevented him from seeing. Later Ahmad revealed to him the truth of the reason his father had been executed, he committed suicide in front of Altair.
Having no father and now no friends he had once considered fatherly figure, Altair had turned to Al-Mualim with the knowledge. It was then that Altair and Abbas both joined the Brotherhood as novices.
He listened intently as she finished her tale. He saw the heaviness in her shoulders, he heard the strain in her voice, the flinch of her right hand as she denied herself the comfort of reaching for his own. She felt undeserving of the affection that they had built between them under the pretense of history she had been living for far too long.
It was his turn to speak when she asked for his forgiveness. Their eyes met and he spoke, "Idiot." His term of endearment held affection rather than malice. He reached over and placed his hand on hers.
"I would have not have offered you the choice to choose the Brotherhood back in Jerusalem, the offer of the choice to see what we could be, the acceptance of being by my side as I went to face Mualim, or taken your unconscious form to my dwelling rather than a solo room of the Brotherhood...if I had not already forgiven you."
His eyebrows raised slightly, emphasizing all his points as valid reasons she had no need to worry about forgiveness.
A sincere look crossed his face and he spoke further, "I won't deny that I still feel emotional pain and guilt towards Kadar's demise. I made a poor judgment call that put him and you in the wrong place at the wrong time. I know not what a mother's love feels like, so I cannot empathize with how your father or the Apple would use such a desire to manipulate you. I do know that if I had not been there to hear my father's execution; rather than simply me being taken from him and sent away, never to see him again, I would have a longing to see him. That would be hard, maybe impossible, to resist if a way was presented to me to do so...without help."
Altair's eyes felt heavy along with much of the rest of him. He knew he probably had more they should speak on, but weariness wanted to claim him. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against her own. "If you feel no longing for the Apple now, can I ask of you to rest here with me?"
. . .
Esther's cheeks took on a faint redness as a soft smile replaced the worry that had filled her expression. She didn't bother telling him she felt him. He knew by now. She simply embraced him, sliding one hand around the nape of his neck and the other underneath his opposite arm. As she clung to him, she pressed her lips to his affectionately.
As she leaned back toward the bed with Altair, she felt a sort of relief that she was unaccustomed to. There was much work to be done if they were going to manifest what the Apple had foretold, but their mission was finally over. They'd met and defeated their foes. She had dispelled all of the lies she'd been hiding behind. And they had both made it home alive. With some luck, it would take the Rite some time to reorganize and rebuild before it would feel like they were at war again.
Over the course of their path to redemption they had ridden back and forth across the Holy Land, traversed great heights, and fought many guards. They had also beaten the hell out of each other. She was so tired, they could sleep until next week and it would be too soon. As the two of them leaned over and hit the sheets, wrapped in each others' embrace, the room began to fade away.
With the Animus coming into view, Devyn found herself kissing Talon with her arms wrapped around him. She continued to do so until the machinery pulled them apart and brought them to their feet.
She was just about to congratulate Skye on a job well done when a voice came over the intercom. "Ms. Harris, we need the two of you to leave the Animus immediately. We're having some complications in here."
Once she had undone the hidden blades and unhooked herself from the Animus, she reached over and took him by the hand. "Come on," she said as she lead him toward the door. Her cheerful demeanor took on a bit of concern. As the door slid open, two large men in black uniforms stood across the threshold from them. They were Abstergo security. Marching past Devyn and Talon, they entered the Animus head toward the control room.
Devyn caught herself watching the two men. "Come on," she repeated, this time more for herself that Talon. "Let's get out of the way and let them sort things out," she said as she lead him out into the hall. Whatever had happened, it couldn't be good. "Somebody's probably just having a bad day," she said, trying to make light of the situation. It was true though, one way or another, now that security was involved somebody was sure be having a bad day if they weren't already.
. . .
Talon felt the familiar sensation of the memory sequence coming to a close. He was aware of his lips against Devyn's own. He could feel the softened texture of her lips that had just the right about of unscented lip balm. The appealing tingling sensation from contact with her which often occured for him. The cool touch of her metal lip piercing at the corner of his bottom lip. Their lips parted when his feet contact the floor and their bodies were separated.
The technicians unhooked them from the Animus as Abstergo security members he did not recognize, entered the room. Talon's body shifted into fighting stance on reflex. In private meeting from Salim and Eva coming to the forefront of his mind. When the guards by passed him and Devyn, paying them no attention he felt himself relax. The technicians were familiar with the effects of the Animus. His shift in stance and relax probably went unnoticed by everyone except by Devyn.
The artificial light in the Animus room didn't signal to him what time of the day it was. His internal clock told him they had been released earlier than usual. But at least they had not been pulled out by force. The security heading towards the control room with the 'complications' had him curious but relieved that he wasn't the source. The tension that remained in his body ebbed away some when Devyn took his hand and followed the order to leave the Animus room immediately.
Talon's Talon's emotions still lingered on Altair's exhaustion. Yet, under the exhaustion he could feel something greater. A sense of liberation. The Brothethood was free from corruption. His mission of redemption completed. It was ready to establish a new order. An order that would exemplify the Creed and dispose of the unnecessary. His free hand reached down toward his hip were Altair had secured the Apple to himself within the confines of a pouch. The sense of liberation began take away the edge of exhaustion. A desire to speak his mind with Devyn concerning his recent meetings about the Apple. But it also gave way for a need to feel free. Free from this underground labyrinth. From the constant watch of Abstergo. Just someplace he could be free of Altair, their memories, their emotions. Free to just do and be himself.
Upon habit they began to make their way to the dining hall. His feet stopped moving while his hand kept a hold of her own. "Devyn, we have been released from 'work' earlier than usual. Can we go...elsewhere?" he carefully asked his eyebrows motioning upward along with a single finger towards the ceiling, hoping she would understand his request.
. . .
Devyn smirked as he pulled her around toward him and made his request. "Wow, that's bold," she let her fist bounce lightly off of his shoulder. "I mean, of course not. But it would be fun." She pointed with her thumb back toward the Animus. "They're in the middle of a situation right now. If we go missing, things are gonna get scary around here."
As they met eyes for a moment, she could see how much he wanted this. Having been here as long as she had, it was a feeling she could understand. She chewed her lip as she considered the proposition. She gave a soft sigh and a shake of her head as she could feel herself beginning to relent even though she couldn't totally justify it. "A drive? Maybe? But we stay in the car." Different methods of making their plan Salim-proof ran through her mind. He might look the other way under the right circumstances.
"Go ahead and do what you have to do to get ready, I'll see what I can work out." She brushed her lips against his cheek and shot him a quick glance before departing. You owe me, her eyes said.