A Ninja's Reveng(closed)

Ronin blushed and took the other seat and looked at the display in front of him. This looked more like a fancy dinner than a breakfast, but he wasn't going to complain. He always ate weird breakfasts anyway, so why did it matter having chicken for breakfast?

Mary smiled when they sat down and seemed to be glowing slightly as her husband Malcolm sat protectively close to his wife. “I'm sorry that this is more of a dinner than a breakfast but I was just craving chicken.” She said with a smile as she put some food on her plate. Fiona smiled knowingly at Mary. “I don't mind having dinner for breakfast,” Fiona said with a smile as she ate the food herself. “So what's the plan for today?” She asked before taking a bite of a chicken leg and mash potatoes.

Fergus sighed “ I have to run into town and Clair has her studies.” He answered a little grumpily because he feared for his only child. He had agreed to allow Ronin to give Clair minor training to see if she is suitable to be an assassin and if she was Ronin would tell master Carmen and his child would be taken to be fully trained.

(Ava....XD)

Ronin gave a small yawn and took a bite of his own chicken before taking a bite of the mashed potatoes. He would have said that he ate weird breakfasts anyway, but he thought against it.

Once everyone had finished eating, Fergus had left on the Friesian mare into town. Mary and her husband had gone off for a walk in the woods, leaving Clare there with Fiona and Ronin. Moving over to Ronin Fiona smiled. “So are you really going to inform Master Carmen that the girl is here?” She asked sounding a little concerned. She knew that even if Ronin didn't say anything the girl would be discovered sooner or later but she wondered if Claire cut out to be an assassin.

"Only if she is suitable to become an Assassin." Ronin answered softly. He turned to watch Fergus leave for a moment before he glanced over at his apprentice. "Make no mistake, Fiona. She will remain undetected by the Assassins should she not make the cut. I will not put her life in danger if there's no need. If she decides it's where she belongs even if she doesn't make the cut, then that will be her choice and then I will inform the Master about her.

"I'm doing the right thing, even if you think it's not the right thing." Ronin said and called Clair to him. "Clair. Would you like to train with me for a little bit today? I will show you some amazing things that are passed down from generation to generation in my line of work. And, if you would like, I can tell you a bit about exactly who I am."

It's not that I think you're not doing the right thing. I know you are but Fergus lost his wife and father to the Templar's and his greatest fear is losing his only child to them. That is why he left the assassins in the first place.” She said as he called Claire over.

Clare turned as she finished clearing the table before she walked over to him. “What kind of training sir?” She asked curiously as she looked up at both Ronin and Fiona. “I am always willing to learn anything that I can so I would love to train.” She told him with a big excited smile on her face. Her eyes seemed to light up with happiness at getting to do anything but her normal schedule her father had given her. “Father never lets me do anything but chores and school lessons.” She told him as she excitedly ran back to her room to find her coat. “I will meet you outside!” She called from the back room. Fiona chuckled as she turned to go to the door.

Ronin smiled from behind his mask and straightened up. He turned to Fiona and dipped his head. "I will train her as I am training you: as I was trained. If she makes the cut and takes to the training, then she will be well protected. She is an innocent child and one of Assassin blood. If there's one thing we're good at, it's assassination and protecting our young ones. They are our future."

Fergus is just worried.” Fiona said as she opened the door and stepped outside. She knew Claire would be out soon and hoped the girl would do alright. “I'll watch you two for now.” She told him as she walked over and took a seat on the tree stump Fergus used to chop wood on.

Claire eventually wandered out of the house now wearing her small wool coat. She wondered over and smiled happily, excitement burning in her eyes. “I'm ready!” She told them happily as she waited to see what they would be doing.

Ronin smiled again behind his mask and rested a hand lightly upon her head for a moment before he stood in the center of the field, out of sight of the road. "Alright, young one." He said calmly, rubbing his palms together while his healing side pulled on him. "I suppose we should start with some questions. Are you curious to know more about me and Fiona? If you are, I can answer any questions you have about us. And then, once your curiosity has been satisfied, I will show you a couple of things."

Ronin crouched down with effort and looked the child in the eyes with his own, their depths soft. "Just know that whatever I teach you will be learned in secret and will be of your own free will. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do, Clair. That is not what I practice. It's not what I believe."

I remember aunt Fiona from when I was small. I know who you are as well... Your both assassins.” She said with a sweet smile. “I'm not as stupid as my father believes I am,” Claire said as she looked down with a frown. “I don't know how he doesn’t know I know. He and my aunt Mary argue about it a lot and I can hear every word.” She admitted still frowning. Fiona watched and listened but stayed silent.

"You're a smart lass." Ronin said with a calming voice as though he'd spoken to a child like this once before. Possibly when he was a young teenager. "And that means you probably know that your father is trying to keep you safe from both sides in our little fight. I will admit, both sides can be equally scary, especially to a youngling like you. But you are almost of age, which means that someone from my Order, my Brotherhood my...my Creed will be coming by to take you away from your father. Maybe not right now, but maybe one day if they ever found out about you.

"Now, what your father has allowed is for me to train you in our ways to see if you make the cut. If you do, I will tell Master Carmen about you before they have a chance to discover you on their own. If, however, you don't make the cut...you will remain as a civilian with your family if that is what you choose. Or, on some rare cases, there will be a youngling who doesn't make the cut but still chooses to be an Assassin anyway. At this point, since you are of age, it is purely your choice whether or not you remain a civilian or become an Assassin if you do not make the cut, if this does not fit you." Ronin ran a hand through the child's hair with a small chuckle and a soft smile.

"Now then, Clair. Are you ready to begin?"

I'm ready but when you say take me from my father… does that mean forever?” She asked with a worried look in her eyes. She didn't want to leave her father forever and if that was the case she didn't want anything to do with it. “I want to help. I know my mommy and grandpa were assassins too and so is my aunt Mary and uncle Malcolm.” She told him as her smile returned. She bearly remember her mother or grandfather. “How shall we begin?” She asked after a few moments of silence as she gave Ronin her full attention. Fiona watched the entire time she worried about Fergus because she believed Claire was very much capable of being an assassin.

Ronin chuckled quietly. "it wouldn't be forever, little one. It would most likely be until you became a full Assassin, which for those descendant from Assassins would happen at the age of sixteen. That's how old I was when I became a full Assassin." He clapped his hands for a moment before he flexed each of his wrists. After he'd stretched out every muscle in his body, he gave Claire a small nod. "I think we shall begin with something simple for now. Until I can train you with a small weapon. Rolls and tricks should be enough to start with. Watch me closely and then try it yourself. This is a roll we use a lot."

He was teaching her differently than he was Fiona, which was a little strange. However, it made sense to start her out on something small like rolls and tricks to learn when moving. After making sure he wouldn't do damage to his still healing side, Ronin fell into a proper Assassin roll and popped back up after his kneel. "It takes some practice, but I'm positive you can do it."

Claire nodded and watched him closely. She was studying his movements and though it would be hard in a dress she did as he did, mincing his movements almost perfectly the first time minus the small errors in her movements. Popping back up she smiled and turned towards Ronin again. “How did I do?” She asked as she hopped she was doing a good job. Fiona smiled and clapped from where she sat on the tree stump.

"Barely any errors and the ones that I saw will smooth out with practice." Ronin didn't sound surprised and in fact his eyes were soft with praise. "An Assassin is light on their feet and can think while they're moving if they have to. Show me, Claire, exactly how fast you can react. Pretend I'm your worst enemy. Try to read my movements and think on your feet." He wouldn't try and actually harm her, but he needed to evaluate just how nimble and fast she was. He kept his wrists relaxed and his feet spread. He wanted to let her get herself composed before he started.

Claire nodded and prepared herself to move out of his way. She wasn't sure if she would be fast enough to get out of the way. “I'm ready whenever you are.” She said with a smile as she waited for him to begin.

Ronin tested his side once more before he made a move. For once, he was actually moving like someone who would definitely attempt to take advantage of a young girl or a young woman. He deliberately made his movements jagged and flawed when they were usually smooth and flowing.

Claire watched his movements carefully studying him as she did everything around her. When he moved towards her she spun out of the way the end of her dress lightly brushing his hand before running a few feet away giggling. She smiled at him and stuck her tongue out at him.

Ava watched them smiling but kept an eye on Ronin just in case he hurt himself again. She would be able to stitch him up if she needed to she just didn't want to see him in pain.

Ronin's head quickly snapped to the child's new direction and his eyes flashed with surprise. She was fast! Not just fast, but nimble and light on her feet. She definitely had the blood of an Assassin in her. "Very well done!" He praised, surprise etched in his tone. "When I can get a small dagger, I will see how well you handle a small weapon. For now, we should call it an afternoon." He puffed out this last word and lightly pressed a hand to his side. It was obvious he'd slightly overdone himself. "You've done really well, Claire."

Fiona frowned and moved from the tree stump and over to him. "Did you hurt yourself?" She asked as she placed her hand on his shoulder. She had surprised at Claire's speed and felt proud of the child. "Perhaps we should all go in for a bit of lunch and I can look and see what you did to your side." She said as she smiled at them both. Claire looked very proud of herself as she was already heading for the front door.

Ronin shook his head for a moment after he took a deep breath. "I think I just stretched it too much..." he admitted softly, though he didn't object to going back inside for lunch.

Once inside Fiona served them both some warmed up leftovers from breakfast before sitting down with her own food. After lunch, Mary and her husband Malcome came back and Claire went to telling her aunt about Ronin training her a little. After listening to her for several moments she told Clare to go play but to stay close to the house. “Thank you,” Mary said to Ronin. “She seemed to enjoy her day. So does this mean my blockhead of a brother has changed his mind about sending her off to sweet Master Carmen?” She asked with a kind Smile. Ava stood in the kitchen cleaning off the dishes as she looked out the window to see Claire playing with her uncle Malcolm.

Ronin took another bite of the lunch on his plate, keeping his head down. "He's only simply allowing me to train her to see if she truly belongs with the Assassins." He paused and took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. Once he'd swallowed, he spoke again. "She's as quick as an Assassin. Nimble and light on her feet. She even performed our roll with barely any errors and the ones that I saw will be smoothed out with practice."

He continued to eat in between his words, as though he were thinking carefully about them. "If she does good with a small weapon, then I will personally escort her to Master Carmen and see to it that she remains in his care to be trained. If I have to, I'll train her myself, as I'm training Fiona, to ensure her safety."

It won't take long for you to train Fiona. Her father, bless him taught her as she was growing up. Me and Fergus use to spend out summers with her. I wish her father had told the assassins about her… If they had she wouldn't have had to finish growing up on her own. “ She paused and looked out the window at her niece and husband playing tag outside. “I don't think my brother would fight you over turning her into Master Carmen but he would want to go with you to say goodbye. He loves Claire very much and is just afraid of losing her. She is his only child.” Mary sighed and took a drink from a cup of water which sat nearby. “I disagree with my brothers choice to keep her from being someone great.” She finished and smiled. Ava smiled and sat down at the table next to Mary.

It was almost dark when Fergus walked in shaking some snow from his hair. Claire was so happy to see him and ran to him. Fergus picked her up and held her tightly to him. “I brought you something.” He said as he pulled out a pair of cloth pants about her size and a belt and tunic. “These should work better when your training with Ronin… A dress is too easily caught on things.” He said and then walked over to Ronin and held out an unsharpened knife which would do well for Claire. “It can be sharpened if she dose well.” He told Ronin before disappearing into his own room, shutting the door behind him.

Ronin gave a nod as Fergus left for his room and stared down at the knife in his hands. It would work well for Claire for training. With a faint smile, he flicked his eyes over to the girl. "How about we try out a small weapon first thing in the morning?" He would definitely take on the girl himself to ensure that she was safe from harm. For her father's sake.