25} Your New Friend

Ok, decided to give another update sooner than planned since I was asked to. I really appreciate the motivation from my readers, kind of a big ego boost for me, so please keep commenting on my fanfic. I want to know what you think of the story! Anyway, here goes nothing...----------------

Your POV

It takes me a few hours to ride from San Gimignano back to my friends house in Firenze but I had to be super sneaky since my father and all the other Templar soldiers are keeping an eye out for me.

I used the roofs to get close enough and drop down into the neighbouring courtyard and then ,after checking the coast was clear I slipped through the narrow archway and quickly darted into the sheltered alcove that the front door rested in.

I knock on the door three times, still glancing around to check if I am being watched. My attention darts back to the door as it is timidly pulled open to reveal the cheerful Italian inventor.

"(Y/n)!" He exclaims, opening his arms wide as if asking permission to hug me, I agree of course and embrace the man.

"Leonardo!" I hug him only for a moment before remembering that we are completely out in the open. I pull away and push Leo into his workshop. (Btw in case you haven't guessed, your friend is Leonardo Da Vinci. Just saying) shutting the door behind me, I step inside and glance around at his various crazy inventions.

"Leo...why have you packed up  all our things? Are we moving?" I ask, seeing crates and boxes filled with mostly his possessions but also with my accumulated armour and weapons from over the years.

"Yes, I hope you don't mind, we'll be moving to Venice tomorrow! I'm glad you got back in time for me to tell you face to face, another friend of mine was going to help me move but I can never find him!" The bubbly man chuckles and smiles at me, if only he wasn't gay! I think, sincerely wishing he would suddenly come to the conclusion that he wasn't gay at all and has been doting on me since we met. Of course, that would never happen. You can't make someone straight and ,even if you could, I would never actually change the man. He's great just the way he is.

"Ha, do you have any reliable friends?" His laughter is contagious and I'm soon infected with it, smiling genuinely for the first time in...well in two years probably.

"Come to think of it, bella mio, you would probably get along with him. Maybe I should set you up eh?" He nudges me with his elbow and turns to continue packing, not noticing my flushed face and hopefully not hearing my heartbeat. There isn't anyone that I'd want to be set up with...well, maybe one person but I totally rejected him when he asked me to stay with him. It was necessary so stop being a little bitch about it (y/n)!!!! He would have just hurt you anyway. That or he would have been killed, it would have been your fault and you never would have forgiven yourself so shut it and move on. Wow. My inner voice isn't the kindest but it's mostly right, I have to move on. 

"So, we leave at mid-morning tomorrow. I want everything packed tonight though so it isn't a rush in the morning."

"Alright mum!" I whine, pushing him playfully and taking a box to the carriage outside the workshop.

~~~~time skip while you haul ass lifting boxes! Fun!~~~~

It takes all evening to pack the carriage with the boxes and a strange bat-looking contraption. I asked Leo what it was but he said I couldn't know because it was a secret project he's working on.

He told me to rest up since we would be busy tomorrow saying goodbye, I didn't feel the need to point out that I don't have anybody to say goodbye to so I just agree with him and go to bed.

I take a moment to reflect on what Leo said to me earlier about his friend. I wonder what he's like? Leo seems to like him so he can't be that bad, although he sounds unreliable at the best of times! It might be nice to finally meet a normal person and maybe settle down, put all this Templar-Assassin business behind me and get on with living. Maybe I'll get Leo to introduce me to him...

And with that I drift off into a peaceful sleep.

~~~~Time skip while you sleep and Leo stays up all night inventing...stuff~~~~

"Hey, (y/n)! That's enough of a lie in! We have to go soon." The soft voice pulls me out of my relatively calm slumber. Yawning, I stretch like a cat and feel all my joints click with a satisfactory POP noise. I moan and sit up, staring at a rather smiley genius standing in my doorway.

"You're cute when you first wake up you know. Like a little kitten!" (Aww! Reader-chan is so Kawaii!) my stare turns to a glare.

"I could still kill you...crazy bastardo!" I mutter, re-equipping my assortment of weapons and donning my signature (f/c) cloak. "Fine, lets go!"

~~~~

We got out of the city just fine but about half way on our journey to Fiorli (sp? It's where they get the boat to Venice from), one of the carriage wheels fell completely off the wagon. I was thrown by the sudden jolt over the seat that Leo previously occupied ,since he was also bumped out, and fell hard onto the stony ground.

I did a quick self-assessment only to find a few cuts and scrapes, nothing major, so I go to help Leo fix the cart.

"Is it salvageable?" I ask him tentatively, worried that we wouldn't get to Fiorli before nightfall.

"It would be, but I'm not strong enough to lift up the carriage so ,unless you are ten times as strong as you look, we'll have to wait here for someone to pass by and help us out." He sighs and sits down against the wrecked carriage.

"Place my faith in strangers? No thanks! I'm going to run ahead to the next village and see if I can find some help or, better yet, some horses. Stay put, I'll be back soon." I leave the bummed man sitting there, looking all sad.

It takes 30 minutes to half rin half jog to the next small cluster of houses and people. After explaining my current situation, it seems that in order for them to help me they want some help in return. One of their children went out to play this morning and hasn't returned yet. They think he's gone exploring the abandoned tower I passed on my way here.

They say that they'll give me a horse to go out and look for him on but only when I return with the child will they send out two men to help fix the shoddy wheel. Seems fair, I just hope Leo doesn't get bored waiting for me...

Backtracking, it takes a few minutes to gallop to the tower in question. Even at the base of it, shouts are audible from the flat roof above.

"Help!!! Please...can anyone hear me?"

I swiftly climb my way up the walls and finally pull myself up onto the tower roof. The kid is standing nervously near the edge of the roof and looking down at the long, harsh drop.

"Hey, kid," the child jumps at my voice and wobbles slightly on the edge, "how about you step away from the edge before you fall down, your mummy won't be happy if I can't bring you back safe, will she?"

"Mom sent you?" He asks, stepping closer towards me, I slowly stroll forwards, trying not to startle him any more.

"Yeah, told me you've been missing a while now and she's been worried about you. She wants my to take you back home..." I trail off, now only a metre away from the boy.

"Well, miss, I don't know how we're going to get down! The hatch shut as soon as I came up and you can't open it from out here! We're going to be stuck here forever..." He starts to cry and darts forwards to hug me tightly, his head only reaching my stomach. I gasp but my arms soon come around and gently stroke small circles on his back in an attempt to console the shaking boy.

"I know how to get down," I say, eying a full cart of hay at the base of the tower. "But I need you to be extra brave and to hold on tight, can you do that?"

He nods his head timidly and scrunches his eyes up tight. I pick him up and make sure he wraps his arms and legs around my neck and waist tightly.

"Now, this is going to be a bit scary, I know I was frightened the first time I did this, but trust me. It's not going to hurt but it may bump you slightly. Hold on super tight, ok kiddo?" I don't hear a respond, rather I feel it in the form of a tightening embrace and a small nod of the head. Ok, you can do this (y/n)!

I throw us off of the tower and twist in the air so I'll be landing back first with the little boy on top, I might cushion his fall a bit.

There's a sudden jolt as my back hits the hay and a sharp pain since I'm absorbing most of the impact. Ouch, did it hurt this much for Ezio when I first jumped with him?

I'm snapped out of my trance by a giggle-cry.

"That was scary and fun but I want to do it again!"

"Yeah, not likely kiddo!" I ruffle his hair and haul him on my horse back to his house, noon only just over. Not bad timing, Leo's still been alone for an hour though...wonder if he's doing ok?

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Sorry to cut it off, it's 2amand I'm falling asleep as I'm writing which is never good...I love you my reader-chans so enjoy and...eat bacon?

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