“Why, why do we have to do this?” she asked, voice wobbling every word. She clutched her bird to her. “Penny's my best friend!” she cried to Ben, begging him wordlessly to understand.
“Georgia,” Ben began, quietly. “Because, you follow what you are told, despite any personal feelings. That, is what a great Assassin does.”
“No, I won't do it! I won't!” Georgia shook her head, bursting into tears.
Ben sighed. “All of you, go home. Back to your families, go on.” Suddenly, he flicked his gaze Desmond's way. “All, except you, Desmond; stay here with Georgia.”
Before he took a single step further, Desmond quickly looked to see where Mina was – and relaxed to see her coming back from herding the others away.
Ben crouched before them, after indicating the two to stand in front of him.
“Now,” he spoke softly, “Georgia, I know you are really out of your depth, being an orphan, but Desmond here has come from a long line of Assassins, did you know?” Georgia shook her head, her face still scrunched up and blotchy with tears. “Yes, he does. And he himself has troubles with what we like to call 'expendable', but it stays with us, forever. The only thing we can do is train ourselves to ignore it.” He lowered his head to pierce them with his eyes. “You will die, understand, Georgia, Desmond, if you let your conscience get the best of you. Now, both of you, I will give until midnight. Alright?”
“No,” Desmond said, glaring. “Fred's hasn't done anything bad! She shouldn't be punished as a lesson. Why would you hurt something smaller than you? The only thing she can hurt is the fingers.”
“And your heart, should you grow more attached.” Ben said, jaw set tight.
“I don't care,” Desmond shot back. “Put me in the Room, I'm not laying a finger on Fred! Go ahead!”
His teacher gripped his shoulder and shook it. “Yes, you will.” He let go immediately when Mina took a step forward. He stood tall over Desmond, lips pursed. “You may go home, but it will be done. The bird will be dead by midnight and no later; we have ways to check for any falsities.”
Mina's hands landed softly on his small shoulders and led him away, back home, leaving Ben to continue lecturing Georgia.
“Auntie Mina,” Desmond asked, finally releasing his sobs when he caught sight of the Miles home in the Assassin compound, closest to the perimeter – throat sore and muscles strained from holding them in. “Why does Fred have to die? I don't want to.”
“Dezzy,” Mind murmured. “Please, you have to.”
“No, I don't! I don't have to do anything!” Desmond weeped loudly. Mina shushed him, and he saw the Miles windows were open that afternoon; Desmond swallowed his further cries in, beating his tears back. He swallowed again dryly and sniffled out, body still racking from the after-effects of his outburst. “I- I'm thirsty, auntie...” Mina nodded.
“I'll make you some hot ginger tea.”
“Thanks, Auntie Mina.” Desmond managed out. “You're the best auntie.”
Mina smiled, eyes shimmering wetly, and scooped him up, walking the rest of the way. He was a light enough, and although he usually would have made a fight over her babying, he rested against her, breathing in her comforting scent of lilac. Fred cradled by one arm to him, still, cooed.
“Oh, Mina, stop,” his mother admonished when she came in through the front entrance. “He's old enough to walk himself... What, what's the matter?” Desmond was on suddenly righted on his feet by two hard grips on his underarms. “Desmond, why have you been crying?” Deliah asked, crouching.
Desmond leaned back toward Mina's legs, but his mother frowned and spat, “Is it over Fred?” Her hard expression fell away to an exasperated one, “Oh, Desmond – it's just a bird!” She let go and sighed, standing, her hands on her hips.
“No, she's not,” Desmond burst out, stomping his foot so he wouldn't cry, especially in front of his mother. “Mother, they want me to kill her!”
Warring of Talons Part 30/?
“Georgia,” Ben began, quietly. “Because, you follow what you are told, despite any personal feelings. That, is what a great Assassin does.”
“No, I won't do it! I won't!” Georgia shook her head, bursting into tears.
Ben sighed. “All of you, go home. Back to your families, go on.” Suddenly, he flicked his gaze Desmond's way. “All, except you, Desmond; stay here with Georgia.”
Before he took a single step further, Desmond quickly looked to see where Mina was – and relaxed to see her coming back from herding the others away.
Ben crouched before them, after indicating the two to stand in front of him.
“Now,” he spoke softly, “Georgia, I know you are really out of your depth, being an orphan, but Desmond here has come from a long line of Assassins, did you know?” Georgia shook her head, her face still scrunched up and blotchy with tears. “Yes, he does. And he himself has troubles with what we like to call 'expendable', but it stays with us, forever. The only thing we can do is train ourselves to ignore it.” He lowered his head to pierce them with his eyes. “You will die, understand, Georgia, Desmond, if you let your conscience get the best of you. Now, both of you, I will give until midnight. Alright?”
“No,” Desmond said, glaring. “Fred's hasn't done anything bad! She shouldn't be punished as a lesson. Why would you hurt something smaller than you? The only thing she can hurt is the fingers.”
“And your heart, should you grow more attached.” Ben said, jaw set tight.
“I don't care,” Desmond shot back. “Put me in the Room, I'm not laying a finger on Fred! Go ahead!”
His teacher gripped his shoulder and shook it. “Yes, you will.” He let go immediately when Mina took a step forward. He stood tall over Desmond, lips pursed. “You may go home, but it will be done. The bird will be dead by midnight and no later; we have ways to check for any falsities.”
Mina's hands landed softly on his small shoulders and led him away, back home, leaving Ben to continue lecturing Georgia.
“Auntie Mina,” Desmond asked, finally releasing his sobs when he caught sight of the Miles home in the Assassin compound, closest to the perimeter – throat sore and muscles strained from holding them in. “Why does Fred have to die? I don't want to.”
“Dezzy,” Mind murmured. “Please, you have to.”
“No, I don't! I don't have to do anything!” Desmond weeped loudly. Mina shushed him, and he saw the Miles windows were open that afternoon; Desmond swallowed his further cries in, beating his tears back. He swallowed again dryly and sniffled out, body still racking from the after-effects of his outburst. “I- I'm thirsty, auntie...” Mina nodded.
“I'll make you some hot ginger tea.”
“Thanks, Auntie Mina.” Desmond managed out. “You're the best auntie.”
Mina smiled, eyes shimmering wetly, and scooped him up, walking the rest of the way. He was a light enough, and although he usually would have made a fight over her babying, he rested against her, breathing in her comforting scent of lilac. Fred cradled by one arm to him, still, cooed.
“Oh, Mina, stop,” his mother admonished when she came in through the front entrance. “He's old enough to walk himself... What, what's the matter?” Desmond was on suddenly righted on his feet by two hard grips on his underarms. “Desmond, why have you been crying?” Deliah asked, crouching.
Desmond leaned back toward Mina's legs, but his mother frowned and spat, “Is it over Fred?” Her hard expression fell away to an exasperated one, “Oh, Desmond – it's just a bird!” She let go and sighed, standing, her hands on her hips.
“No, she's not,” Desmond burst out, stomping his foot so he wouldn't cry, especially in front of his mother. “Mother, they want me to kill her!”
Deliah nodded. “Yes, I know.”