Finally got everything sorted out, so here, have another chapter!
---------
Despite feeling completely lost and more hurt than he had ever felt before, Ezio eventually came to his senses and realized that the Pazzi would probably be sweeping the city soon, making sure that every last trace of the Auditore was erased. Although the thought filled him with fire and he longed to kill the bastards responsible for his family's destruction, he was no fool; he knew that in order to get even that far, he would need training of some sort. But before any of that, he would need a blade capable of piercing flesh, and his father's blade was broken.
He had not once thought of his father's late nights when he wouldn't return home, or how sometimes when he did his smile would be strained, and he would creep upstairs to his wife without first saying hello to them. When he had been younger, he had always assumed his father had simply been too tired to say hello. It hadn't bothered Ezio, because his mother had explained that sometimes even the strongest men fell weak. But now, dressed in his father's assassin robes with his broken blade wrapped up in a small cloth in his pocket, it all made sense.
Still, Ezio could not bring himself to hate his father, or what he had done. The lies he had woven had been for the protection of his family -- it was only thanks to his father's secrecy and caution that they had lasted as long as they did. Tucking his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them, he rubbed his face against the arms of the cloth, inhaling the last of his father's scent. How strange, that even after all this time it still smelled like him, although the scent was fading fast, quickly being taken over by Ezio's own musk. It was a small comfort, one Ezio clung to with the last of his strength.
As he breathed, he thought carefully about his father's friends. Who could he go to to train him? Who would fix his broken blade? And how long did he have before the Pazzi found that Ezio Auditore was still among the living? He needed a safehouse; a place to rest just until he could get his blade fixed, and maybe get a decent night's rest and some food down him (his stomach urged him to do that last part soon). But he had never met but a handful of his father's friends, and most of them were now traitors to him.
So where was he supposed to go when he was surrounded by enemies?
The answer came to him as a flock of colorful birds flew overhead, his memory flashing back to a few days ago, when he had run errands with his mother.
Leonardo da Vinci.
------------
Leonardo sneezed, hastily burying his face in the crook of his arm while his assistants jumped. "Excuse me! Oh dear, I hope I'm not coming down with a cold. I've got enough on my plate as is without worrying about bed rest!"
Salai rolled his eyes from where he sat on the posing stool. "You hardly sleep as is, so I don't know what you're complaining about."
The painter chuckled. "Si, but I still do require rest, Salai. Now, still the wiggling tongue and relax so I can finish this commission up."
The young man sighed dramatically but did as Leonardo asked, relaxing his tense muscles and letting the artist finish drawing the lines of the portrait that would soon hang on some nobleman's wall. Although the commission was for his wife, the woman had come in only once to be sketched roughly. Leonardo had the basic sketch of the woman's body down, but he required a decent pose to make it work. Thus, Salai was forced to stand in as the 'woman' for the day.
A brisk knock at the door had both of them sighing, one in annoyance and the other in content. "Whoever that is has excellent timing. We're done for today Salai, so you are free to run wherever you wish now."
The redhead needed no more encouragement and was gone before Leonardo reached the door. Which was probably a good thing, seeing as who was standing on his threshold.
"Um... sorry to bother you, Leonardo..."
Never before had Leonardo wanted to slap both himself and someone else at the same time. "What are you doing? Inside, quickly! If the Pazzi see you..."
Ezio Auditore, looking smaller and far too pale for his own good, shuffled inside awkwardly, nodding. "I know, I know. Um, but I need a favor. That is, if you can do it..."
Leonardo nodded, pulling Ezio's hood up before tugging him inside, past the curious apprentices and into his personal office, closing and locking the door before rounding on the nervous youth. "Do you have any idea how many people are looking for you, ragazzo? Altezza is searching high and low, and has employed myself and Mario to help find you! Even La Volpe himself is out searching! Where in God's name have you been?"
Ezio seemed taken aback, worrying his lower lip and playing with the lace at the edge of a sleeve. "I...do not know where I was, to tell you truthfully. I've not been well, these past few days." He licked his lips, eyes looking everywhere but Leonardo.
The artist felt himself relax a bit, unable to stay mad at a boy that was falling apart at the seams. Sighing, he stepped forward and wrapped Ezio in a hug, not even bothered when Ezio's weight leaned more heavily against him. He had lost a lot, and would probably lose much more before his life was over. But that was later, and this was now.
Leonardo shifted so that Ezio leaned against his arm. "You need to rest, and recuperate. Come."
"W-wait Leonardo! My father's blade - can you fix it?" He handed over the small cloth and the papers. Leonardo placed both on his desk, unrolling the scroll and looking it over. They were the original plans -- good. Then Giovanni's blade could be fixed, and would be, as soon as Ezio was asleep. He left them on his desk and went back to gently guiding him towards the bedroom, shushing him when he made to argue against sleeping there. "You need it more than I. And don't worry about your father's blade, Ezio. I will see it gets fixed and sharpened before you wake. All you need to do is sleep, and let the rest of us take care of you."
"B-but the guards..." The boy was settled in and already drifting off, body seeking out the comfort offered against his wishes.
Leonardo rolled his eyes. Stubborn child. "They will not touch you so long as I and Lorenzo stand strong. Sleep, Ezio." Dropping the dramatics, Leonardo put a hint of steel into his voice, and watched, satisfied as the boy's consciousness flickered out like a snuffed candle.
Sighing, he took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. Ezio was safe from the Pazzi, for now at least. Now to alert Lorenzo and the rest of the search party.
FILL: The Lost Eaglet 3/?
---------
Despite feeling completely lost and more hurt than he had ever felt before, Ezio eventually came to his senses and realized that the Pazzi would probably be sweeping the city soon, making sure that every last trace of the Auditore was erased. Although the thought filled him with fire and he longed to kill the bastards responsible for his family's destruction, he was no fool; he knew that in order to get even that far, he would need training of some sort. But before any of that, he would need a blade capable of piercing flesh, and his father's blade was broken.
He had not once thought of his father's late nights when he wouldn't return home, or how sometimes when he did his smile would be strained, and he would creep upstairs to his wife without first saying hello to them. When he had been younger, he had always assumed his father had simply been too tired to say hello. It hadn't bothered Ezio, because his mother had explained that sometimes even the strongest men fell weak. But now, dressed in his father's assassin robes with his broken blade wrapped up in a small cloth in his pocket, it all made sense.
Still, Ezio could not bring himself to hate his father, or what he had done. The lies he had woven had been for the protection of his family -- it was only thanks to his father's secrecy and caution that they had lasted as long as they did. Tucking his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them, he rubbed his face against the arms of the cloth, inhaling the last of his father's scent. How strange, that even after all this time it still smelled like him, although the scent was fading fast, quickly being taken over by Ezio's own musk. It was a small comfort, one Ezio clung to with the last of his strength.
As he breathed, he thought carefully about his father's friends. Who could he go to to train him? Who would fix his broken blade? And how long did he have before the Pazzi found that Ezio Auditore was still among the living? He needed a safehouse; a place to rest just until he could get his blade fixed, and maybe get a decent night's rest and some food down him (his stomach urged him to do that last part soon). But he had never met but a handful of his father's friends, and most of them were now traitors to him.
So where was he supposed to go when he was surrounded by enemies?
The answer came to him as a flock of colorful birds flew overhead, his memory flashing back to a few days ago, when he had run errands with his mother.
Leonardo da Vinci.
------------
Leonardo sneezed, hastily burying his face in the crook of his arm while his assistants jumped. "Excuse me! Oh dear, I hope I'm not coming down with a cold. I've got enough on my plate as is without worrying about bed rest!"
Salai rolled his eyes from where he sat on the posing stool. "You hardly sleep as is, so I don't know what you're complaining about."
The painter chuckled. "Si, but I still do require rest, Salai. Now, still the wiggling tongue and relax so I can finish this commission up."
The young man sighed dramatically but did as Leonardo asked, relaxing his tense muscles and letting the artist finish drawing the lines of the portrait that would soon hang on some nobleman's wall. Although the commission was for his wife, the woman had come in only once to be sketched roughly. Leonardo had the basic sketch of the woman's body down, but he required a decent pose to make it work. Thus, Salai was forced to stand in as the 'woman' for the day.
A brisk knock at the door had both of them sighing, one in annoyance and the other in content. "Whoever that is has excellent timing. We're done for today Salai, so you are free to run wherever you wish now."
The redhead needed no more encouragement and was gone before Leonardo reached the door. Which was probably a good thing, seeing as who was standing on his threshold.
"Um... sorry to bother you, Leonardo..."
Never before had Leonardo wanted to slap both himself and someone else at the same time. "What are you doing? Inside, quickly! If the Pazzi see you..."
Ezio Auditore, looking smaller and far too pale for his own good, shuffled inside awkwardly, nodding. "I know, I know. Um, but I need a favor. That is, if you can do it..."
Leonardo nodded, pulling Ezio's hood up before tugging him inside, past the curious apprentices and into his personal office, closing and locking the door before rounding on the nervous youth. "Do you have any idea how many people are looking for you, ragazzo? Altezza is searching high and low, and has employed myself and Mario to help find you! Even La Volpe himself is out searching! Where in God's name have you been?"
Ezio seemed taken aback, worrying his lower lip and playing with the lace at the edge of a sleeve. "I...do not know where I was, to tell you truthfully. I've not been well, these past few days." He licked his lips, eyes looking everywhere but Leonardo.
The artist felt himself relax a bit, unable to stay mad at a boy that was falling apart at the seams. Sighing, he stepped forward and wrapped Ezio in a hug, not even bothered when Ezio's weight leaned more heavily against him. He had lost a lot, and would probably lose much more before his life was over. But that was later, and this was now.
Leonardo shifted so that Ezio leaned against his arm. "You need to rest, and recuperate. Come."
"W-wait Leonardo! My father's blade - can you fix it?" He handed over the small cloth and the papers. Leonardo placed both on his desk, unrolling the scroll and looking it over. They were the original plans -- good. Then Giovanni's blade could be fixed, and would be, as soon as Ezio was asleep. He left them on his desk and went back to gently guiding him towards the bedroom, shushing him when he made to argue against sleeping there. "You need it more than I. And don't worry about your father's blade, Ezio. I will see it gets fixed and sharpened before you wake. All you need to do is sleep, and let the rest of us take care of you."
"B-but the guards..." The boy was settled in and already drifting off, body seeking out the comfort offered against his wishes.
Leonardo rolled his eyes. Stubborn child. "They will not touch you so long as I and Lorenzo stand strong. Sleep, Ezio." Dropping the dramatics, Leonardo put a hint of steel into his voice, and watched, satisfied as the boy's consciousness flickered out like a snuffed candle.
Sighing, he took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. Ezio was safe from the Pazzi, for now at least. Now to alert Lorenzo and the rest of the search party.
After he fixed Ezio's blade.