It was cold, almost like a blanket of snow wrapped itself around him, but he wasn't shivering.
Connor groaned as he slowly awoke, for a moment he was confused, where was the pain? He had been shot, hadn't he? Slowly, his eyes cracked open, sun shining brightly into them blinding him for a moment. Once his eyes had adjusted to the sun he opened them wider, taking in his surroundings. This wasn't Boston, It couldn't be, there were to many trees and not nearly enough buildings. He shifted, getting to his feet and beginning to walk down the road before him, knowing he had seen it before, but where? As he continued down the dirt road every building he passed became more and more familiar, yet he couldn't place them. He pushed forward, walking up the road until a large brick house came into view. Connor stared at it for a moment, finally realizing where he was, but how had he gotten back to Davenport? How could he have possibly gone from being in Boston to being here?
"Hello?" He asked as he stepped inside the house, knowing no response would come. No, not these days when the once warm, inviting home had only himself as it's resident. Connor shook his head before stepping back outside the house and heading towards the stables, the horses would need taking care of. For a moment he paused, staring down at the horse waiting patiently by the hitching post. Although familiar it certainly was not one of his horses, but yet there it stood, as if it belonged there and always had. With a shrug of his shoulders Connor quickly made his way over to the mare, stroking her neck with a small smile.
"What are you doing here?" He asked as he reached up and stroked the mare's forelock.
"Well, I figured it was about time someone gave her a proper grooming." Connor jumped slightly as he heard a voice from his past approach him. "Now step aside, I have a lot of work to do boy."
Connor almost laughed as he reached forwards and embraced the old man.
"Connor, release me this instant I have work to do." Achilles demanded with a slight smile. "It's as though you haven't groomed my horse once since I've been away."
"Achilles, you are alive, how?" Connor asked as he released the old man.
"Alive? No."
"Then I am..." Connor paused for a moment unsure how to feel, he was dead, but he felt alive, he felt happy, he felt. "I see."
"How has everything been since I've been away?" Achilles asked as he ran a brush over the horse's coat.
"Charles Lee is dead, the Templars are left without a leader and our order is growing stronger each day." he told the old man as he went back to stroking the mare's forelock.
"That is good news," Achilles paused his brushing, looking up into the forest for a moment before turning towards Connor. "And the homestead?"
Connor shrugged, not daring to move farther than he had to from Achilles's side in fear that he might disappear. "Warren and Prudence are trying for a second child and Myriam and Norris are expecting already, it is astounding how fast the homestead is really growing."
Achilles smiled lightly as he brushed some mud off his horse. "And the assassins?"
Connor hummed lightly as he watched the older man groom the horse. "Stephane has become a master assassin in your absence, he assists greatly with the order and is constantly helping us expand and grow. I know the order will be in good hands with him there, with my passing he will surely be the one to take my place. the others respect him and he is firm in his conviction to our creed."
"Go on.." Achilles mumbled, gently encouraging the younger man to continue.
"I.... am worried for Clipper, he is strong willed but he does not always think out his plans. He wishes to be like me, but," Connor smiled as he stared at his mentor. "I do not wish to see him act so foolishly."
Achilles shook his head, letting out a small stream of chuckles. "I can see where you would worry about that, you always were a bit brash, not to mention a thorn in my side." For a moment Achilles turned to look at the assassin by his side. "However, I would not trade those moments for anything."
"Nor would I, Old Man." Connor stated light heartedly.
Achilles nodded briefly, turning back towards his horse and the task at hand, "You have a visitor."
"Ratonhnhaké:ton..." Connor quickly turned on his heel, as he heard a voice he never thought he'd hear again.
"Mother..." He began as he took a step towards her, almost afraid she would disappear if he got to close, she looked just like he remembered.
"My... look how big you've gotten," She said softly as she walked forward and pressed a hand to his cheek. With that he reached forward and wrapped his arms around her tightly, burying his face into her neck.
"I have missed you." He mumbled into her shoulder as he held her tightly.
"Well, this time I'm not going anywhere." she told him as she rubbed small circles into his back soothingly, "I promise."
When he finally pulled back he smiled at her, his eyes slightly red.
"Achilles has told me about what you have done, being an assassin, the people you've killed," She paused sparing Connor a glance as he looked away sheepishly, "and the people you've saved, the people whose lives you've changed and made better."
Achilles turned slightly as he brushed out the horses mane, watching the mother and son have their moment with a smile.
"Mother, I-"
"It's okay Ratonhnhaké:ton," She began with a smile, "I am proud of you."
"As am I." Connor froze as he looked past his mother, watching as his father walked towards them. "An interesting place to chose to spend your afterlife I must admit." Haytham said as he joined them, wrapping an arm around Ziio's waist. Connor bristled slightly at his father's forwardness before his mother elbowed his father in the stomach.
"I'm still mad at you." She snapped at him sharply, Haytham smiled as he placed a hand to his now sore gut.
"Give it time," He said with a wink, turning away from Ziio to face his son.
"What are you doing here?" Connor asked slowly, hand resting on his tomahawk.
"That's a rather redundant question isn't it? After all you are the one who killed me." Haytham said as he placed his arms behind his back. "If you really must know, I'm here to make amends. To perhaps be a better father to you in this life than I was in the last." Connor nodded slowly as he watched his father carefully.
Quickly hobbling over Achilles placed a hand on Connor's shoulder. "Connor, Thank you for returning to bother this old fool once more." He began with a slightly somber smile, his grip tightening on the boy's shoulder. " I.... I have missed you boy."
Connor nodded to his mentor slowly, a small smile creeping onto his face, "And I you old Man, It is good to be home."
Homecoming (1/1)
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It was cold, almost like a blanket of snow wrapped itself around him, but he wasn't shivering.
Connor groaned as he slowly awoke, for a moment he was confused, where was the pain? He had been shot, hadn't he? Slowly, his eyes cracked open, sun shining brightly into them blinding him for a moment. Once his eyes had adjusted to the sun he opened them wider, taking in his surroundings. This wasn't Boston, It couldn't be, there were to many trees and not nearly enough buildings. He shifted, getting to his feet and beginning to walk down the road before him, knowing he had seen it before, but where? As he continued down the dirt road every building he passed became more and more familiar, yet he couldn't place them. He pushed forward, walking up the road until a large brick house came into view. Connor stared at it for a moment, finally realizing where he was, but how had he gotten back to Davenport? How could he have possibly gone from being in Boston to being here?
"Hello?" He asked as he stepped inside the house, knowing no response would come. No, not these days when the once warm, inviting home had only himself as it's resident. Connor shook his head before stepping back outside the house and heading towards the stables, the horses would need taking care of. For a moment he paused, staring down at the horse waiting patiently by the hitching post. Although familiar it certainly was not one of his horses, but yet there it stood, as if it belonged there and always had. With a shrug of his shoulders Connor quickly made his way over to the mare, stroking her neck with a small smile.
"What are you doing here?" He asked as he reached up and stroked the mare's forelock.
"Well, I figured it was about time someone gave her a proper grooming." Connor jumped slightly as he heard a voice from his past approach him. "Now step aside, I have a lot of work to do boy."
Connor almost laughed as he reached forwards and embraced the old man.
"Connor, release me this instant I have work to do." Achilles demanded with a slight smile. "It's as though you haven't groomed my horse once since I've been away."
"Achilles, you are alive, how?" Connor asked as he released the old man.
"Alive? No."
"Then I am..." Connor paused for a moment unsure how to feel, he was dead, but he felt alive, he felt happy, he felt. "I see."
"How has everything been since I've been away?" Achilles asked as he ran a brush over the horse's coat.
"Charles Lee is dead, the Templars are left without a leader and our order is growing stronger each day." he told the old man as he went back to stroking the mare's forelock.
"That is good news," Achilles paused his brushing, looking up into the forest for a moment before turning towards Connor. "And the homestead?"
Connor shrugged, not daring to move farther than he had to from Achilles's side in fear that he might disappear. "Warren and Prudence are trying for a second child and Myriam and Norris are expecting already, it is astounding how fast the homestead is really growing."
Achilles smiled lightly as he brushed some mud off his horse. "And the assassins?"
Connor hummed lightly as he watched the older man groom the horse. "Stephane has become a master assassin in your absence, he assists greatly with the order and is constantly helping us expand and grow. I know the order will be in good hands with him there, with my passing he will surely be the one to take my place. the others respect him and he is firm in his conviction to our creed."
"Go on.." Achilles mumbled, gently encouraging the younger man to continue.
"I.... am worried for Clipper, he is strong willed but he does not always think out his plans. He wishes to be like me, but," Connor smiled as he stared at his mentor. "I do not wish to see him act so foolishly."
Achilles shook his head, letting out a small stream of chuckles. "I can see where you would worry about that, you always were a bit brash, not to mention a thorn in my side." For a moment Achilles turned to look at the assassin by his side. "However, I would not trade those moments for anything."
"Nor would I, Old Man." Connor stated light heartedly.
Achilles nodded briefly, turning back towards his horse and the task at hand, "You have a visitor."
"Ratonhnhaké:ton..." Connor quickly turned on his heel, as he heard a voice he never thought he'd hear again.
"Mother..." He began as he took a step towards her, almost afraid she would disappear if he got to close, she looked just like he remembered.
"My... look how big you've gotten," She said softly as she walked forward and pressed a hand to his cheek. With that he reached forward and wrapped his arms around her tightly, burying his face into her neck.
"I have missed you." He mumbled into her shoulder as he held her tightly.
"Well, this time I'm not going anywhere." she told him as she rubbed small circles into his back soothingly, "I promise."
When he finally pulled back he smiled at her, his eyes slightly red.
"Achilles has told me about what you have done, being an assassin, the people you've killed," She paused sparing Connor a glance as he looked away sheepishly, "and the people you've saved, the people whose lives you've changed and made better."
Achilles turned slightly as he brushed out the horses mane, watching the mother and son have their moment with a smile.
"Mother, I-"
"It's okay Ratonhnhaké:ton," She began with a smile, "I am proud of you."
"As am I." Connor froze as he looked past his mother, watching as his father walked towards them. "An interesting place to chose to spend your afterlife I must admit." Haytham said as he joined them, wrapping an arm around Ziio's waist. Connor bristled slightly at his father's forwardness before his mother elbowed his father in the stomach.
"I'm still mad at you." She snapped at him sharply, Haytham smiled as he placed a hand to his now sore gut.
"Give it time," He said with a wink, turning away from Ziio to face his son.
"What are you doing here?" Connor asked slowly, hand resting on his tomahawk.
"That's a rather redundant question isn't it? After all you are the one who killed me." Haytham said as he placed his arms behind his back. "If you really must know, I'm here to make amends. To perhaps be a better father to you in this life than I was in the last." Connor nodded slowly as he watched his father carefully.
Quickly hobbling over Achilles placed a hand on Connor's shoulder. "Connor, Thank you for returning to bother this old fool once more." He began with a slightly somber smile, his grip tightening on the boy's shoulder. " I.... I have missed you boy."
Connor nodded to his mentor slowly, a small smile creeping onto his face, "And I you old Man, It is good to be home."