Malik was facing east when the sun rose. He had not slept that night, he didn’t even try. His mind would not let him because all he could think of was how stupid he was. It had been shortly after what Altair had said that he’d woken Ezio and the younger Rifter had taken up the watch. He’d tried to talk to Malik but Malik didn’t reply to him or even make motion that he’d heard. If Altair could pretend so easily how effortless would it be for Ezio to just fake his own good nature and friendliness? The idea made him sick to his stomach.
He heard Ezio stand up beside him and stretch, working the kinks out of his back from a long night sitting and keeping watch. “Hey King,” Ezio nudged him with his boot once he’d finished his stretching and Malik could hear the others waking as well, called from sleep by the harsh light of the sun. Malik finally turned to him, looking up into the shadow of Ezio’s hood. A frown creased his face and Ezio crouched, “Are you okay Malik?” he asked in a soft voice so the others couldn’t hear.
“Perfect,” he growled.
Ezio’s brows furrowed, “Did my brother say something to upset you?” he asked.
“What do you care?” he snapped.
His frowned deepened, “You are a friend, I should care.” Malik just made a disgusted noise in his throat and looked away, staring right at the sun. “Malik?”
“Right a friend,” he said sarcastically, “I thought I was just something to be used and tossed out once I’d finished being useful,” hurt and anger showed in his voice but he didn’t care.
“Did Altair said that?” he asked and Malik’s silence was his answer, “Please don’t think that way. Both Altair and I are grateful for your help, without you we probably would not be here, or else Des would probably be dead,” and Malik frowned deeply now. “If he said anything that upset you I am sorry, he’s just under a lot of stress at the moment.”
“And how is that?” he turned, riding on the anger. “Soon you’ll be back where you belong.”
“Yes, but we could still be attacked,” that startled Malik and the confusion must have shown on his face, “We’re still strangers to the others watching us,” he said, “He’s worried we’ll be attacked and worried you four won’t make it back to the fence.”
“No he isn’t,” Malik growled meaning the second part.
Ezio sighed and sat down next to him, “Let me tell you something Malik,” he said looking at the sun which had finally and fully breached the horizon as an orange ball. “I know what my brother did, about your agreements,” Malik felt his cheeks burn in humiliation. “He did what he had to, because that’s really all he knows. We, he and I, came from a family, a people, where no matter what, you must always protect those that need protecting. Altair knows that and that’s what he’s doing, personal feelings aside of anything that is all my brother knows how to do, protect people till his death. We also keep our promises, no matter what, because without them our society falls apart and five years ago he promised me and Desmond that even if he died accomplishing it he would make sure we both got home.
“When we return Altair won’t have anything,” Ezio sighed. “We had another brother you know, my elder brother, Altair’s twin,” Malik stared at him, Altair had never said anything like that. “Without him, Altair might as well be nothing,” he said seriously, “His skills are halved and so is his value. Still though,” he huffed a little sigh, “he hasn’t died and hasn’t broken his promise and is really just holding on there. He doesn’t look it though does he?” he asked turning to Malik. Malik shook his head in agreement and Ezio looked back at the sun. “He was to busy keeping us safe that he never got to mourn really. And now, we’re going home and he’s afraid. He won’t have a purpose anymore because we’ll be safe.” Malik looked down feeling guilty but trying not to. He hadn’t known anything about this, absolutely nothing. “So know that whatever he did to you, whatever he said, it was to keep everyone safe, even you, because that’s all he knows how to do and to him that’s his entire purpose. If he fails then he is lost.”
Clipped (19a/?)
He heard Ezio stand up beside him and stretch, working the kinks out of his back from a long night sitting and keeping watch. “Hey King,” Ezio nudged him with his boot once he’d finished his stretching and Malik could hear the others waking as well, called from sleep by the harsh light of the sun. Malik finally turned to him, looking up into the shadow of Ezio’s hood. A frown creased his face and Ezio crouched, “Are you okay Malik?” he asked in a soft voice so the others couldn’t hear.
“Perfect,” he growled.
Ezio’s brows furrowed, “Did my brother say something to upset you?” he asked.
“What do you care?” he snapped.
His frowned deepened, “You are a friend, I should care.” Malik just made a disgusted noise in his throat and looked away, staring right at the sun. “Malik?”
“Right a friend,” he said sarcastically, “I thought I was just something to be used and tossed out once I’d finished being useful,” hurt and anger showed in his voice but he didn’t care.
“Did Altair said that?” he asked and Malik’s silence was his answer, “Please don’t think that way. Both Altair and I are grateful for your help, without you we probably would not be here, or else Des would probably be dead,” and Malik frowned deeply now. “If he said anything that upset you I am sorry, he’s just under a lot of stress at the moment.”
“And how is that?” he turned, riding on the anger. “Soon you’ll be back where you belong.”
“Yes, but we could still be attacked,” that startled Malik and the confusion must have shown on his face, “We’re still strangers to the others watching us,” he said, “He’s worried we’ll be attacked and worried you four won’t make it back to the fence.”
“No he isn’t,” Malik growled meaning the second part.
Ezio sighed and sat down next to him, “Let me tell you something Malik,” he said looking at the sun which had finally and fully breached the horizon as an orange ball. “I know what my brother did, about your agreements,” Malik felt his cheeks burn in humiliation. “He did what he had to, because that’s really all he knows. We, he and I, came from a family, a people, where no matter what, you must always protect those that need protecting. Altair knows that and that’s what he’s doing, personal feelings aside of anything that is all my brother knows how to do, protect people till his death. We also keep our promises, no matter what, because without them our society falls apart and five years ago he promised me and Desmond that even if he died accomplishing it he would make sure we both got home.
“When we return Altair won’t have anything,” Ezio sighed. “We had another brother you know, my elder brother, Altair’s twin,” Malik stared at him, Altair had never said anything like that. “Without him, Altair might as well be nothing,” he said seriously, “His skills are halved and so is his value. Still though,” he huffed a little sigh, “he hasn’t died and hasn’t broken his promise and is really just holding on there. He doesn’t look it though does he?” he asked turning to Malik. Malik shook his head in agreement and Ezio looked back at the sun. “He was to busy keeping us safe that he never got to mourn really. And now, we’re going home and he’s afraid. He won’t have a purpose anymore because we’ll be safe.” Malik looked down feeling guilty but trying not to. He hadn’t known anything about this, absolutely nothing. “So know that whatever he did to you, whatever he said, it was to keep everyone safe, even you, because that’s all he knows how to do and to him that’s his entire purpose. If he fails then he is lost.”