A Question of Loyalty

"Thank you, Nasrin."
Lilith noticed how Nasrin had looked at Donahue, and smiled. Perhaps her brother would finally find love with this beauty that had lured so many men to their death. Donahue was confused by all of this new information. Lilith, the woman who had been so cruelly wronged by the Assassins, was now in love with one.
"A few months ago, when I was out hunting, I came across a badly wounded Assassin on the brink of death. I was going to put him out of his misery,  but then I noticed the shape of the wounds. The Assassins had turned on him like they had done with me..."
"Then she brought me here, and she healed me... The Assassins have been corrupted by the one they trusted most." Cullen looked up at Nasrin, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I will provide you with any information you need, lady Shawar, you need only ask."

Nasrin was intrigued and overjoyed at Cullen's words. What might have taken her months to uncover was now sitting right in front of her. "I cannot thank you enough, Cullen. I am only sorry that you were betrayed." There were so many questions - particularly regarding the corruption Cullen spoke of - but the first that came to mind of her target. "We've been told that the Assassin we're looking for is called 'the Eagle'. That he is son of no one. Do you know of a man like that?"
Surely if Cullen had so recently been an Assassin, he would be able to lead them to their target, or at least provide them with a true name.

Cullen sat deep in thought for a moment, running through a mental list of all his former brothers. He hadn't heard of anyone called the eagle. Perhaps in Arabic?
"Nasrin did provide a translation. Ibn-La'Ahad. Does it mean anything to you?" Cullen chuckled slightly at the name. It belonged to an Assassin he knew all too well.
"I know the Assassin well, he is one of the few that was not corrupted. The Assassin you seek is Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. If you are going after him, I beg of you, don't. He is one of the most skilled among us."

Lowering her eyes, Nasrin thought for a moment. She'd always known that this would be a dangerous assignment, that the risk of her not coming back was likely higher than that of her succeeding. Now that a former Assassin was telling her to turn back . . . it was enough to give her pause. Not enough to make her stop quit her task, however.
"I don't have a choice. Please, tell me everything you can about Altaïr." Now more than ever, Nasrin was thankful for Lilith and Donahue being by her side. In all reality, they would fare better against Altaïr than she would. So maybe knowledge might give her the edge she needed.

"He is one of the best. None have defeated him, even in train. Altaïr is one of the few that has not been corrupted, but he is too blind to see what has happened to the others." Cullen paused for a moment, thinking more of his former brother in arms. "He is smart too, and he uses that to his advantage. I urge you to think about your pursuit of him once again"

Nasrin took a moment to think, weighing her options. Surely there was a way to do damage to the Assassins without targeting the best of their order. Or to at least hinder his progress. "When you say the Brotherhood is corrupt, what do you mean? Has their leader betrayed them in some way?"

"I am afraid so" Cullen said with a sigh before taking a sip of his tea, flinching in pain slightly. Lilith looked at him with concern, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright, Cullen?"
"Yes, I'm fine." Cullen turned his attention back to Nasrin. "Al Mualim is controlling them with the same relic your Order came here for. His lust for power has driven him mad."

Cullen's admission puzzled Nasrin. She had known that the Order was after something in the Holy Land - besides control of it - but she had assumed that any relic they found would be more symbolic than anything else. But if what Cullen was saying was correct . . . Nasrin could hardly believe the implications.
"That certainly makes things more complicated." She sighed. She wanted to find it strange that De Sable had not chosen to inform her of these details, but it didn't surprise her. Her job was to do as she was told.

"This is definitely not good" Donahue said with a sigh as he ran his fingers through his raven hair. If what Cullen had said was true, the Order was in more danger than he had previously thought.
"This explains why the Assassins were able to take down..." Lilith tried to fight the tears forming in her eyes, but she couldn't hold them back and soon burst into tears. Cullen quickly wrapped his arms around Lilith, trying to calm her.

Nasrin was quick to go to Lilith's side, kneeling beside her. She had not expected to see Lilith cry ever. It was a day full of surprises, it seemed. She was unsure of what to say, so she chose instead to rest a hand on Lilith's shoulder. She gave both Cullen and Donahue a questioning look, silently asking for clarification.

Lilith placed a gentle hand on Nasrin's, calming down somewhat.
"Lilith had a family in Jerusalem. A wonderful husband, and a beautiful baby boy. They were leaving for the market one morning when an Assassin found them... Her husband, Haemon, died trying to protect them..." They had always found it odd that the Assassins had managed to take down one of the most skilled fighters the Templars had ever seen. The man was ruthless killer once known and feared by both sides as the Vampire, a former Assassin that had joined the order.

Nasrin couldn't help but lower her head a bit. She couldn't imagine what pain it was to lose one's family like that. "I'm so sorry Lilith." It was easy to understand the woman's hatred for the Assassins, after what the Brotherhood had put her through. "We'll find a way to stop them." She may not have been sure how, but it was the most comfort Nasrin could think to offer Lilith.

Lilith took comfort in Nasrin's words, and it gave her some hope. She wrapped her arms around Nasrin, thankful to have a friend for once.
"We are not just going to stop them, we're going to destroy them." A silence fell over the room. Cullen looked a bit concerned by Lilith's statement, but Donahue nodded in agreement with Lilith.
"As long as the Assassins exist, none of us will be able to raise a family in peace" Donahue said with a sigh as he looked over to Nasrin before quickly looking away. Lilith heard feint crying coming from one of the rooms, and excused herself before wandering off.

Nasrin nodded, her thoughts drifting to her own family. She hadn't seen any of them since she was a girl, nor had she thought of them much.  She never knew her father and never would. What struck her to realize was that she couldn't remember what her mother's face looked like.
But no matter how she rationalized it, Nasrin had never blamed the Assassins for that. They did not make her father ally with the Templars, nor were they the ones that forced Nasrin to a life of spying. Still, these were revelations that she kept to herself. "Destroying the Brotherhood will not be easy," she said, her voice low.

"Nothing ever is" Donahue said with a sigh before leaning back into the pile of pillows. He sat for a moment in thought, trying to figure out ways to make everything work. Nasrin still had a mission to complete, and if she was to prove herself to the Order, it needed to be done. "Let's just focus on this Altaïr for now. Once he's been dealt with, we can move on to the bigger issues."

Again, Nasrin nodded. One man was certainly an easier ordeal than an entire order. No matter how skilled this particular man was. "Lilith told me that she believes Altaïr will go after a man named Garnier de Naplouse next. Do you know where we might find him?"

"De Naplouse? Just follow the cries of pain, or the absolutely batshit crazies, and you'll find him in no time. Even by my standards, De Naplouse is a monster. He does things to peoples minds, cuts them up... it's basically torture" Donahue explained from his place amongst the pillows. Even Cullen had seen the atrocities that De Naplouse had committed, and he didn't like what he had seen. "You'll find him in the hospital."

Not expecting such an answer, Nasrin's brows furrowed. "And he's a Templar? Why would the Order ally with such a man?" Surely there were other doctors in the Holy Land who were skilled enough to benefit the Templars, why this crazed man?

Donahue shrugged before sitting up to refill his drink. He had no idea why the Order had kept a monster like De Naplouse around. All he had done was bring shame and dishonour to the Order.
"Apparently he wasn't always like this, a monster. I say we let the Assassin take him down" Donahue said with a sigh. It was starting to cool down somewhat, a sure sign that the day was drawing to a close. No doubt Lilith would be heading out again for another hunt, and Cullen would remain with the boy as he was still not fit to fight. Donahue seemed pretty happy with the idea of just spending the night sprawled out on a pile of pillows.

Donahue's suggestion, while not one Nasrin wanted to argue, was not what she had been expecting. The spy took another sip of her tea, mulling over everything she'd just learned. Her thoughts were becoming jumbled and Nasrin found herself thinking instead of how nice a long rest would be. "I'll take a look at the hospital tomorrow. If we can determine how the Assassin will attack, we might be able to follow him once he does." As much as she might want to go in the night to avoid prying eyes, Nasrin was utterly exhausted and she was sure she looked it.

"That sounds like a plan. I'll meet with the local commander in the morning" Donahue said with a yawn. Lilith finally returned with a platter of assorted foods, and an infant at her hip. "By God, he's grown. Last time I saw Samael, he was still at the tit."
"Aye, he's growing too fast for my taste" Lilith said with a chuckle. Donahue carefully took the child from Lilith, gently cradling him in his arms as he grabbed something to eat.

It had been so long since Nasrin had been anywhere near an infant, she was at a loss for how to act. "This must be your son," she said, taking a step towards Donahue. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of him with a baby. Despite the armor he favored and his strength, he looked so natural with Samael. "He's a handsome lad."

"He definitely looks more like his father, except for the hair" Lilith said with a smile. Donahue had taken to making funny faces at the boy, earning a fit of laughter from the infant. He honestly seemed really good with children, despite his rough exterior. He looked up to Nasrin with a smile.
"Would you like to hold him" Donahue asked curiously.

Hesitantly, Nasrin nodded, taking Samael from Donahue's arms. She looked down at the young boy, still unsure of what to do. This was unfamiliar territory for her, and she smiled sheepishly at Donahue and Lilith before turning her attention back to the child.
"I can't remember the last time I held a child," she admitted, letting a grin spread across her face.

The young infant smiled at Nasrin, reaching up to play with her hair. He had no idea of the cruelties of the world, how his father had been taken from him; he knew only love.
"I think he likes you" Lilith said with a warm smile. Donahue watched the interaction with a smile, his mind wandering. Cullen was busy eating, clearly hungry and tired as a result of dealing with the child for a week.
"It seems like you've done this before" Donahue said with a smile.