"I hate them, Maestro," Annetta said. "I hate them so much. They run our city, they can do anything they want. That is why I came to you. Because you want to free Roma from these Borgia pigs."
"And we will, Annetta." He stroked her hair, keeping his hands light and slow.
Not for the first time he wondered whether he was doing the right thing, allowing women into the Brotherhood as fighters. He remembered Carlotta - the first girl who had begged him to accept her as a recruit. His instinct had been to take her home to her father and tell him to lock her away for her own safety. But she had proven herself to him, and was now Assassino. He had to admit that he could not afford to turn anyone away, if they were brave and loyal. He needed all the fighters he could get. Besides, if he refused to accept women, that would not stop them from taking up arms - that much was obvious. Better that they do so with training, and under the banner of the Assassins.
"Listen to me, Annetta," he said, his voice low. He lifted her chin with two gentle fingers, so that she would meet his eyes. "I am going to train you. I will make you far, far more dangerous to a group of guards than they are to you."
She nodded, and sat up, looking stronger already.
"You were right to come to me, Annetta, but make no mistake." He gave his voice just enough of a hint of steel to make her eyes widen. "If you choose to stand beside me, you take a dangerous path. I want to tell you that nobody will ever do this to you again, but I cannot. If ever you are captured, Cesare and his men will do the same, and worse."
"No," she said, her shy dark eyes flashing. "They won't, because I will die upon my own blade before I let them."
He nodded. "Then we are of the same mind." Faced with the prospects that awaited a woman captured, he knew which choice he would make.
"You will come with me when I take Pietro da Siena's tower," he said. "And you will kill him, and any of his men that you wish. Their lives are yours. I promise you."
Her eyes gleamed at the prospect of revenge, and Ezio allowed a grim smile to creep across his lips. It was true. They were of the same mind.
FILL: Confiding [4/3] derp
"And we will, Annetta." He stroked her hair, keeping his hands light and slow.
Not for the first time he wondered whether he was doing the right thing, allowing women into the Brotherhood as fighters. He remembered Carlotta - the first girl who had begged him to accept her as a recruit. His instinct had been to take her home to her father and tell him to lock her away for her own safety. But she had proven herself to him, and was now Assassino. He had to admit that he could not afford to turn anyone away, if they were brave and loyal. He needed all the fighters he could get. Besides, if he refused to accept women, that would not stop them from taking up arms - that much was obvious. Better that they do so with training, and under the banner of the Assassins.
"Listen to me, Annetta," he said, his voice low. He lifted her chin with two gentle fingers, so that she would meet his eyes. "I am going to train you. I will make you far, far more dangerous to a group of guards than they are to you."
She nodded, and sat up, looking stronger already.
"You were right to come to me, Annetta, but make no mistake." He gave his voice just enough of a hint of steel to make her eyes widen. "If you choose to stand beside me, you take a dangerous path. I want to tell you that nobody will ever do this to you again, but I cannot. If ever you are captured, Cesare and his men will do the same, and worse."
"No," she said, her shy dark eyes flashing. "They won't, because I will die upon my own blade before I let them."
He nodded. "Then we are of the same mind." Faced with the prospects that awaited a woman captured, he knew which choice he would make.
"You will come with me when I take Pietro da Siena's tower," he said. "And you will kill him, and any of his men that you wish. Their lives are yours. I promise you."
Her eyes gleamed at the prospect of revenge, and Ezio allowed a grim smile to creep across his lips. It was true. They were of the same mind.