“Yes, but shhhh,” he said and beckoned to the boy who slipped off the chair. “Someone is still sleeping,” and he motioned to Cipriano’s back where all you could make out of him was his head of black hair. The boy immediately put a finger up to his lips with a nod and Altair ushered him out of the room, locking it behind him.
“Aalam, why was someone else sleeping in your bed?” he asked in a way only a child could ask such a personal question without it being offensive.
“It isn’t important,” Altair replied, “But you must not mention it to anyone.”
“Why?” his head tilted to the side slightly, trying to understand.
Altair kneeled in front of him, “It would cause me a great deal of trouble if people knew I was sharing my room.”
“Why?”
Oh great, this game. Why did children love the ‘why game’? He never knew, and he didn’t know if he had done the same thing even since that had been far to long ago to remember. “Because I’m doing something wrong. I would get in trouble if people found out. You don’t want to get me into trouble, do you Giovanni?”
“No!” he cried, even giving a little jump.
“Good, than this will be our secret? I can trust you with this can’t I brother?”
Giovanni practically glowed at the praise, “Yes, yes I won’t tell anyone,” he promised, nodding rapidly.
“Good, now lets go see your mama,” he said and stood back up. Giovanni smiled brightly and padded along next to him quickly to keep up with his longer strides.
They left the hideout without incident, except for Francesco asking if Altair if he’d seen Cipriano, he’d just said no and moved along. Out on the island no one paid them mind and it wasn’t until they crossed over the bridge that Altair began to use allies and side streets. While he could have moved through the crowd unseen without trouble, no one remembering he’d even been there, there was the boy who as always was curious and would have been noticed. Children he’d found were more memorable than adults because they were so loud, so clumsy. So he stuck to the shaded and less traveled lanes. At one point Giovanni came right up to his side and grabbed his hand. He looked down, surprised, and saw him looking around warily. Not afraid, but nervous as if the darkened streets made him uneasy, which was understandable seeing as how he was only five years old. Altair simply squeezed his hand and continued on, at a bit of a slower pace so he didn’t have to drag him along.
Eventually they came to a quiet, empty, walled plaza. There was one entrance that didn’t involve scaling a three story building and there were two trees in a patch of grass cut into the stone paving. He left Giovanni there, telling him to be quiet and not draw attention before leaving to go find Lucrezia. It didn’t take long, for she was where she always was, waiting for him at one of the fountains, dressed down from her normal splendor so she almost passed as a normal woman.
“Hello Lucrezia,” he said only loud enough to be heard by them and not draw attention.
“You,” was all she said that little hint of venom still there. She did not know his name, he wouldn’t tell her even though she had asked. “Where is my son?”
“This way,” and he made a small sweeping motion with his arms as if to indicate her to go first. She huffed and marched past him, he followed a step behind and directed her where to turn. They weren’t far from the plaza so it was not much of a walk but as they got closer Altair felt like something was amiss.
Lucrezia froze at the entrance of the plaza and Altair quickly looked around her and saw two older men looming over Giovanni who was still sitting where Altair had left him. He couldn’t hear their words but men did not approach children for no reason, especially not in a city like Rome. He pushed past the woman who seemed on the verge of outrage and quickly walked over to them. “Excuse me,” he called and the men looked up. They looked like slavers, or maybe thieves, hell they could have been brothel owners. Some people had sick fantasies that some people were willing to cater to. Whatever they were they looked likely were no good. “I would advise leaving,” he said.
“Get lost, we ain’t got no quarrel with you,” said one.
“Ah, but I have one with you should you not step away from that child,” Altair said.
Re: Two Eagles (122/?)
“Aalam, why was someone else sleeping in your bed?” he asked in a way only a child could ask such a personal question without it being offensive.
“It isn’t important,” Altair replied, “But you must not mention it to anyone.”
“Why?” his head tilted to the side slightly, trying to understand.
Altair kneeled in front of him, “It would cause me a great deal of trouble if people knew I was sharing my room.”
“Why?”
Oh great, this game. Why did children love the ‘why game’? He never knew, and he didn’t know if he had done the same thing even since that had been far to long ago to remember. “Because I’m doing something wrong. I would get in trouble if people found out. You don’t want to get me into trouble, do you Giovanni?”
“No!” he cried, even giving a little jump.
“Good, than this will be our secret? I can trust you with this can’t I brother?”
Giovanni practically glowed at the praise, “Yes, yes I won’t tell anyone,” he promised, nodding rapidly.
“Good, now lets go see your mama,” he said and stood back up. Giovanni smiled brightly and padded along next to him quickly to keep up with his longer strides.
They left the hideout without incident, except for Francesco asking if Altair if he’d seen Cipriano, he’d just said no and moved along. Out on the island no one paid them mind and it wasn’t until they crossed over the bridge that Altair began to use allies and side streets. While he could have moved through the crowd unseen without trouble, no one remembering he’d even been there, there was the boy who as always was curious and would have been noticed. Children he’d found were more memorable than adults because they were so loud, so clumsy. So he stuck to the shaded and less traveled lanes. At one point Giovanni came right up to his side and grabbed his hand. He looked down, surprised, and saw him looking around warily. Not afraid, but nervous as if the darkened streets made him uneasy, which was understandable seeing as how he was only five years old. Altair simply squeezed his hand and continued on, at a bit of a slower pace so he didn’t have to drag him along.
Eventually they came to a quiet, empty, walled plaza. There was one entrance that didn’t involve scaling a three story building and there were two trees in a patch of grass cut into the stone paving. He left Giovanni there, telling him to be quiet and not draw attention before leaving to go find Lucrezia. It didn’t take long, for she was where she always was, waiting for him at one of the fountains, dressed down from her normal splendor so she almost passed as a normal woman.
“Hello Lucrezia,” he said only loud enough to be heard by them and not draw attention.
“You,” was all she said that little hint of venom still there. She did not know his name, he wouldn’t tell her even though she had asked. “Where is my son?”
“This way,” and he made a small sweeping motion with his arms as if to indicate her to go first. She huffed and marched past him, he followed a step behind and directed her where to turn. They weren’t far from the plaza so it was not much of a walk but as they got closer Altair felt like something was amiss.
Lucrezia froze at the entrance of the plaza and Altair quickly looked around her and saw two older men looming over Giovanni who was still sitting where Altair had left him. He couldn’t hear their words but men did not approach children for no reason, especially not in a city like Rome. He pushed past the woman who seemed on the verge of outrage and quickly walked over to them. “Excuse me,” he called and the men looked up. They looked like slavers, or maybe thieves, hell they could have been brothel owners. Some people had sick fantasies that some people were willing to cater to. Whatever they were they looked likely were no good. “I would advise leaving,” he said.
“Get lost, we ain’t got no quarrel with you,” said one.
“Ah, but I have one with you should you not step away from that child,” Altair said.