"Ack! I'll need a new corset if this god-for-saken stain does not come out!"<br/>"Well, lass, if you had washed out your clothes the night after, like I had suggested, rather than wearing the bloody clothes all the way back to Florence, you wouldn't be dealing with this problem."<br/>"It wasn't as if I had another set of clothes with me!" Nicolina answered back to her house maid. "I hadn't even known the stain had gone all the way through." She added with a huff, collpasing into a chair. She was tired. The last job hadn't been pretty, and she wasn't pleased with how ill-informed she had been. It was a point of professional integrity that she be completely informed about every single one of her targets. The information had come from someone that was usually spot on, so the fact that the information about when and where were completely of, worried Nicolina immensely.<br/><br/>"Will you be traveling again soon my lady?" her house maid asked, having cooled down from her earlier aggrivation.<br/>"I don't know." Nicolina answered, running her fingers through dark brown hair. She stood up, and went to her closet to find something decent to wear. Tugging on a dress, Nicolina stood hear her bed post and waited for her house maid to tie the straps in the back of the dress.<br/>"This one suits you." Her maid said, yanking at the strings of the corset.<br/>"It's my favorite." Nicolina added. The material was light, and the designs mimicked flowers and vines from the edge of her waist, all the way down her skirt in colors of ruby red, sapphire blue and emerald green on a black background. The rest of the dress was black and trimmed with gold-colored string.<br/>"Are you off to your Uncles?" her servant asked.<br/>"He's not my Uncle." Nicolina muttered, shaking her head gently. "But yes. I must speak to him about something." She added softly. A few minutes later, she was at her mentors house; the man who was the best friend to her father, and the man that had taught her everything Nicolina knew.<br/><br/>"Your actions did not go un-noticed." Was the first thing he said to her, looking up from the book he was reading in his study.<br/>Nicolina straightened her back as she walked further into her study. "My informant was....mistaken." she said. "I had to improvise." she said, smoothing out her sleeves. "The deed is done though. Is that not what you wished?" she asked, narrowing auburn brown eyes.<br/>Her mentor chuckled. "Yes, I suppose so." he said before closing the book and standing up form his chair. "I have another task for you." He added, taking an envelope out from his desk and putting it on the table for her to take. "In Venice, our brothers and sisters in arms are being slaughtered. I did not want to bring you into this war until you were ready, but I feel that you are now."<br/>Nicolina wandered over to the fire as she opened the envelope and pulled out the papers inside. She scanned over them, which told her the basic understandings the Templars had over the target, and why they needed to die. A symbol, in blood read stood out in the papers. Nicolina frowned.<br/>"What does this mean?" She asked, showing her mentor the paper.<br/>"It means that we believe him to be an Assassin." He answered.<br/>"An Assassin?" Nicolina echoed. "One who kills another for money? As am I, then." she chuckled.<br/>"You misunderstand, these Assassins are numerous, and they go against everything we believe in. We have been waging a war against them for centuries. We...also think that he may have been a part of your family's murder." he said softly.<br/>Nicolina grew stiff as her eyes raked over the lines of written script. "Venice?" She asked softly.<br/>"Yes, we believe so. There is another one of our members who has just set up shop in the city. He is a doctor. Go to him, he might be able to tell you more."<br/>"I'll leave today." Nicolina said, taking one paper and tucking it into her dress and tossing the rest into the fire before turning to leave.<br/><br/>--------------------<br/><br/>Renaldo took another sip from his cup. The wine should have been aged for a few more years before it was popped open. These new recruits were excited though. They considered the massive amounts of killings within the past few days and weeks as a grand accomplishment which ought to be celebrated. He took a glass as to not be rude, but it was difficult for him to view these massive killings as anything close to an accomplishment.<br/><br/>It made him nausea sometimes, thinking that these Templars that young Assassin's were proud of killing, may have once been his friends. They may have once, been those men who stood along side him during a battle. Men who supported him through the training. Men who trusted his with their lives. Men who were now dead, because they believed in a lie.<br/>Renaldo had viewed both sides of the coin. He knew every angle of the story. He understood the consequences, and sacrifices each side was will to make. Renaldo had chosen the Assassin. He was, brought to the light, as some people may have seen it. In all honestly, he had realized how stupid he had been; how mislead, and easily swayed he had been.<br/><br/>Now, things were different. He lived in Venice, under the protection and guidance of the Master Assassin. The tower they held was comfortable as well, so Renaldo had little to complain about. He did ache though; he ached for Florence, his home....his sister.<br/>He took another sip from his wine and rearranged his color. It ruffled his hair sometimes if it was sitting wrong. Renaldo was in need of a hair cut soon as well perhaps. Dark brown eyes wandered about the room slowly; it was warm outside today. He knew because it was warm in the tower. Usually, the tower had windows open, and being higher usually made things cooler.<br/>Today was hot outside. A door busted open, and another random Assassin wandered in. The moment he saw everyone, he held up his bloodied hands and cheered of another death.<br/>"These Templars won't know where to look!" He cheered, being handed another glass.<br/><br/>"You may kill a few wasps at first," Renaldo said, standing up then. "But if you continue to strike the nest, the swarm will come." He added before pulling his hood up and leaving.<br/><br/>Outside, it was entirely too warm. He couldn't wait for winter to stroll through the city again. It was must more bearable in the wintertime. Late spring and summer were brutal.<br/>"Die Assassin!" Renaldo sucked in a breath, seeing the shadow and ducking quickly. Standing in front of him was a normal looking man, except for the chain hanging around his neck in the shape of the Templar cross.<br/>Taking a deep breath, Renaldo reached back under his tunic and snapped his wrist forward as the Templar advanced. The crazy look in his eye meant that he was enraged, and then pain filled, then confused. The dagger sticking out of his chest perplexed him. Renaldo stood up straight as the man fell, but he didn't push his hood back.<br/>"That was unwise of you." Renaldo said, as he pulled his dagger from the man's chest.<br/>"You Assassins...thinking yourself above us..." The man said, spitting.<br/>"At the moment, I am." Renaldo said, shaking his head and walking away. He didn't care if the man died or not, but he didn't want to be here anymore.