Assassin's Creed 1. The Start

The wind ruffled her short, golden hair.

It was her favorite time of the year. That moment between fall and winter, where the snow clouds filled the sky, but no snow fell. But now was not the time to be thinking of such things. Oh no, now was the time to focus.

The golden-haired woman sat perched on a branch. Perched in just a way that she could easily jump down if needed. She had made sure the branches had hidden her well, but only time would tell if well enough. Eventually, the sound of soft voices and the thudding of horses hooves interrupted the chilled silence of the forests air. The fair-haired lass tensed for a moment, before grabbing the hilt of her dagger and gripping it for dear life. The sounds grew louder, until the source had come into view. Two men, one riding a chestnut-colored horse. The other walked, a rifle lazily resting in his arms. The woman readied herself, this was that moment...That oh so crucial moment between victory or failure. As the two passed under her tree, she jumped down.

Her breath caught in her throat as she hit the dirt. She had missed her target, but how?! Looking up, and clearing the snow from her green eyes...She saw now. The horse bolted down the path, his rider missing. The rifle-baring man, lay dead. His blood staining the earth. Her target, however, was a bit off of the path, laying on his back. A man stood over him. Dressed in furs as if he were the beast he dressed as. He removed a tomahawk from her target's chest.

He had killed her target.

The woman quickly stood, her movements causing the man to look over his shoulder. She couldn't see his face well enough to know who he was or if he meant her harm. Taking a few steps back, she was alarmed to see that he spun around and approached her. Blood dripped from his tomahawk as he held it in his right hand. A offensive position.

He meant to kill her as well.

Her eyes narrowed. In an instant she turned and bolted. If her master could see her, he would be proud of how fast she ran. Her feet pounding on the terrain as she dodged trees, rocks, and everything else nature threw in her path. The woman did not dare glance over her shoulder. For a moment she was concerned, her hood must have fallen away from her head as she jumped from the tree. That man knew her face. Something told her, he would not forget it.

It was becoming hard to breath. The cold air burned her chest and lungs. But did she stop her running? No. Not yet.

The city of Pennsylvania neared, and relief washed over her. As she neared, a searing pain caught her in the back of the knee. The woman fell like a rock.

The pain was...intense. Like a gun-wound, almost. Her vision blurred, surely not from the wound. Unless...

The woman looked at herself, and spotted the source of such pain. An arrow, stuck out of the back of her knee, barely dodging going through and harming the whole thing. A precise move...An expert move. Hissing in pain as she tried to move the leg, she shook her head. It was a muggy feeling.

Voices yelled, in some language she didn't know. Didn't care to know. All that mattered, was getting help.

Another woman, this one with tanner skin, loomed over her. Her head tilting back and forth. Her lips moving, but only muffled sound reached the fair-haired woman's ears.

The last thing she saw, was the beastly-man standing beside the woman, and raising his tomahawk.

Her head hit the dirt, and she succumbed to the nearing darkness.

Catherine Reynolds opened her green eyes but immediately closed them again.

Her vision as a bit blurring and her head felt as if she had just woken from a hangover. By God almighty, what a predicament.

Opening her eyes again, she looked around. Not recognizing her surroundings, she immediately sat up and regretted that decision. Her knee sent a sharp pain up and down her leg. Catherine hissed in pain. Biting her lip until she tasted iron, she looked around. She appeared to be in some...Odd wooden house, yet it had no door. Just a flap from what looked like animal skins.

There was a fire in the middle of the odd house, and she could hear babbling and laughing from outside. Though the language was not English. She couldn't possibly be in a Native camp?

Her suspicion was confirmed as a woman pulled back the 'door' and entered. Taking one look at Catherine, the woman approached. She placed a hand on Catherine's head, causing the golden-haired woman to flinch and try to scoot away. The woman babbled something in that language of theirs before saying something Catherine could understand.

"How do you feel?"

So she spoke the Kings English? "I feel...odd." Catherine replied, in earnest. The woman simply nodded and left. Catherine was left staring as she just left. Well then...

Laying back down, Catherine closed her eyes and listened to the new sounds around her. There was, faint singing and chanting. It sounded...Nice. Odd, but nice.  
The smell of spices and meats could be smelled and Catherine's mouth nearly watered. Her stomach growled and she placed a hand over it.  
The sound of children laughing and arguing filled the air as well. This was just like being in one of the cities. Just, in a different language and custom.

Catherine soon drifted off. She awoke once more to a cold wetness being applied to her face.  
Opening her eyes, she was met with warm, brown ones. The woman was patting a cool cloth to her face and humming something very faintly. Catherine blinked up at her, "My name is Catherine...Catherine Reynolds." The woman stopped to look at Catherine, seemingly a bit shocked by the sudden introduction. But Catherine only deemed it polite. The woman had yet to kill her and hell, that was a good thing!

"My name is Kaniehtí:io " The woman, Kaniehtí:io , put the cloth back in a wooden bowl filled with water and began to exit. Catherine spoke quickly, "Thank you ..Kan..Eh...Er.." The woman gave what sounded like a small chuckle, "Ziio. Just call me Ziio." With that, she left Catherine to her thoughts.

Catherine lifted her leg and tried bending the knee, it worked at first. No pain, but then...It hit like a cannonball. Hissing, she slowly lowered her leg back onto the pallet and looked up at the ceiling.  
It was then the animal skins parted, this time she was not calmed at seeing who had entered. The beast-man. Clad in furs, wolf furs now that Catherine was close enough to see.

His face was strong, as was his build. His body was laced with intricate paints. Catherine tensed. He did not seem as friendly as his female friend. The beast didn't seem to notice her, and Catherine tried to keep from being noticed. But he soon looked over his shoulder, a lot like he did the day she got shot in the knee. Which reminded her, how long had she been here...?

As her mind was occupied elsewhere, the beast-man approached her and stood over her. Even his shadow was menacing!

Catherine frowned and reached to grab her dagger. It was gone, as were her trousers...and blouse...and boots. Well, this was odd. The only thing covering her was a blanket.  
That worsened the moment for Catherine and her brows furrowed, "What?!" She yelled at the man, she tried to seem brave. But even she could hear that small quiver of fear.

The beast said nothing and left as his female friend re-entered the home. The two exchanged glances before he left. Catherine really could care less why, she just wanted to leave.

"Three days, you need to walk." Ziio said as she held a bundle of clothing. "I will help you get dressed."

After a few minutes of Ziio scolding and eventually yelling at Catherine to stop, the woman was dressed in the clothing she had seen only on Natives. She was surprised to say it was rather comfy, and warm.

Ziio supported Catherine as she left the safety of that house, for the outside. The moccasins on her feet protected her small toes from the cold. As Catherine looked up at the sky, she smiled a bit as flakes of snow began to fall. The kids stopped their running to look at Catherine, and Catherine looked right back. Curious to them, as they were to her.

Ziio led Catherine around. Catherine would hesitantly ask questions, to which Ziio would answer. As the two neared the house, of which Catherine learned was Ziio's, Catherine frowned when she saw the beast-man waiting. His arms were crossed and he looked...well..angry.

Catherine heard Ziio sigh as they neared the beast-man. The two exchanged words in the native tongue before Ziio looked at her. "This is my son, Ratonhnhaké:ton. He will help you get your strength back."

Ratonhnhaké:ton muttered something to his mother which earned him a glare. Catherine felt like a doll as she was handed over to the beast-man, as she would continue to call him. She leaned on him and was disgruntled to see that he didn't support her in a very...Gentle way. Ziio eyed her son, giving him a warning look before going back inside of the house. Ratonhnhaké:ton, or beast-man, began practically dragging Catherine towards the woods.

This was it...She was going to die...


	2. Odd

I want to say a special thank you to the three people who left reviews on this story.

_**Teddy bear 007**_  
_**Ghostukine**_  
_**Britt**_

You guys are amazing. Seriously. ; u ;

To everyone else who followed and favorited, thank you too! Means a lot guys.

I hope this chapter was somewhat decent.

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"Raydoon"

"Ratonhnhaké:ton"

"Rahtoon" Catherine tried once more, growing mildly amused by how frustrated the beast was becoming.

"Ratonhnhaké:ton!" The man practically shouted, his breath making clouds in the cold air. Catherine mused that the puffs of air from his nose and mouth made him look like the devil himself. She had to stop herself from laughing.

The two had been arguing over how to pronounce the Native mans name for quite some time, ever since the golden-haired Colonist had bade the Beast-Man to stop dragging her along for a moment, just until she could catch her breath.

He had sat her on a tree-stump and had remained standing, looking over her like a hawk watches a rabbit. Catherine just thanked God that he had yet to sink his talons into her.

"Do you..." Catherine cleared her throat after a moment of silence between the two. "Do you speak English?" Ratonhnhaké:ton looked at Catherine and nodded, "I do."

"Good. 'Cause I don't know a lick of your language. The name is Catherine Reynolds."

"Ratonhnhaké:ton" The man said once more. Yes. Ray-doon-her-whatsit. How many times did he plan on saying that damn word. Catherine blew into her hands which had gone numb from the exposure.

Tucking them into her armpits, she looked up at the beast-man and to find he was looking somewhere else, and not at her. The woman's mind wandered back to civilization. She doubted anyone missed her, namely because she was in and out of places so often she had hardly met anyone in either of the cities. Catherine wondered if the tavern-owners missed her patronage. Surely they remembered her, she was a rowdy drinker after all.

Catherine felt a nudge at her arm and was snapped away from her thoughts. The beast-man was practically punching her in the shoulder. "Get up." Oh well wasn't he quite the gentleman. Sure she was done resting! Absolutely! Get up? Right away, sir! Damn this beast.

Regardless, Catherine did as Ratonhnhaké:ton instructed and was relieved when he allowed himself to be used as a support. His warmth came as a surprise to the colonist, a welcome surprise. For a shirtless guy, he sure didn't seem to be freezing.

He began leading her around the forest, occasionally stopping when Catherine's leg would give her trouble. Something that amazed the woman was the fact she hadn't the need to say one word to him. He seemed to know when her leg bothered her and when she needed to rest a bit. It was fascinating, to say the least. "A few days ago, you seemed ready to kill my target." The beast-man said after a moment of walking. "Why?"

Catherine had to think a minute. The past few days were a blur to her, and the memory wasn't as fresh as it should have been. After a moment of thinking, she remembered. "He needed to die. For the greater good and all that." Catherine mused at the last bit 'greater good' or 'selfish desire'? Was there a difference?

"Greater good?" Ratonhnhaké:ton glanced down at Catherine, who nodded in response. "Yep. Us colonists are about damn tired of all the tyranny. Some of us take matters into our own hands." There was no response from the beast-man and Catherine didn't question it. He seemed a man of few words.

"What about you? Why were you hunting him" She asked after a minute or two of mutual silence. "Same as you. For the greater good." He replied simply. Catherine chuckled, "I see."

* * *

Ratonhnhaké:ton and Catherine returned to the village in the next hour. Just as the sun was setting over the mountains.

Ziio stood, her arms folded across her chest and an amused smirk on her lips. The mother and son exchanged a few words before Catherine was turned over to Ziio's care and the Beast went off to do whatever it was beasts did in their down time.

Catherine was escorted inside the longhouse and told to sit beside the fire. The woman embraced the warmth graciously and was more than ecstatic when Ziio held out a bowl of stew to her. She hadn't been aware at how hungry she was until the wooden spoon passed her lips.

"Thank you, Ziio. That was very good." Catherine said as she handed the now empty bowl back to the Mohawk woman, who simply smiled in reply.

"Ratonhnhaké:ton and you were gone for quite some time.." Ziio said as she ate her own dinner. "Ah, my fault entirely. I had to rest every few minutes or so." Catherine explained while running a hand through her hair, wincing as a knot caught on her finger.

Ziio simply nodded. "Does my son frighten you?" "W-what?"

Catherine was mildly surprised at this question. She had not been aware that her fear was so openly displayed. In fact, Catherine had been under the impression she had been hiding that emotion very well.

"My son, he frightens you?"

Licking her lips, the blond woman considered her words carefully. She didn't want to offend her host but she knew she couldn't simply lie about it. Catherine knew Ziio was just asking to confirm what she already knew.

"He does-um...Intimidate me, to some extent." Catherine felt her cheeks warm a bit and scolded herself for being so damn childish about it.

"I see. I assure you, Cat, that he won't hurt you. His bark is worse than his bite."

Cat? Had Ziio just called her Cat? Catherine held back to smile that wanted to take residence on her face. "I'll try and remember that, Ziio."

The Mohawk woman nodded and stood, "I will let you get some rest."

Catherine was assisted in getting into bed, for a moment she was amused at how little she felt. Ziio reminded Catherine a lot of her own mother and she found herself smiling a bit as the flap of the longhouse shut behind Ziio as the woman left.

It took a moment of silence before Catherine's eyes fluttered closed and she slipped into slumber.

_She walked through the woods, a low growl emitting from her throat as she stopped to paw at the ground._

_A howl rang through the air and she found herself looking up, her nostrils flaring, trying to catch the scent of something. Anything. _

_There was a growl and a bark from behind her and she spun around. Her fur stood on end as she pushed herself up onto her back legs and let out a loud, menacing roar. _

_The beast in front of her barred his long, glistening fangs and drool dripped into the snow. _

_Almost at once, the two charged at each other. A brown bear and a gray wolf, both creatures equally strong, and equally as terrifying._

Catherine awoke suddenly as a large hand shook her shoulder.

"H-huh? What?" Looking around, Catherine's eyes locked on to piercing blue ones. It was Ratonhnhaké:ton. Weird. Catherine could have sworn the beast had brown eyes when they were last together.

"You were mumbling in your sleep." The Beast stated, standing from his crouched position. A thought whizzed through Catherine's mind. Had he been watching her sleep? Wow. Creep. "Sorry. I do that...sometimes." Catherine lied. She was usually a quiet sleeper, even her snores were barely audible. Thinking back now, what had she been dreaming about? A bear and a wolf?

"Sorry if I-" Catherine looked at where Ratonhnhaké:ton had stood and her voice trailed off. He was gone..the make-shift door fluttering lightly, as if someone had just exited.

Well then. So much for Catherine ever trying to apologize to him ever again.

"_Bugger._"

The woman carefully rolled over onto her side and buried her face in the fur blanket. Letting out a sigh, she stared at the fire for a moment, until sleep overcame her once more.


	3. Unite

Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites. :D

It helps, surprisingly.

We can finally get to the main TOKW plot~ Yay!

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"_It has been several days since I came here. My knee is practically healed, thanks to Ziio. The Beast-man has taken me on several walks to help get my strength back. But now that I can fully walk on my own, we haven't spoken. I've seen him around, but he always seems so busy. I tried following him one time, but he effortlessly lost me. The man is a true mystery. _

_I know I'm not supposed to be in this village, now that I'm healed there isn't a need for me to be. But, I just can't bring myself to leave. No one has questioned it, yet. I hope they never do. I'm beginning to think of this place as...home."_

Catherine sat on a simple bedroll as she listened to the Medicine-Woman tell a tale about how the Earth was created. To a passerby, it must have looked odd. A grown woman, sitting amongst children with a look of pure interest. Although Catherine had yet to master the Native's odd language, she had picked up a few words. Enough to follow along on some parts, anyway.

Her attention was taken from the story as the familiar wolf-hood wearing man entered the village, side by side with his mother. As the two went their separate ways, Catherine stood and briskly walked after Ratonhnhaké:ton. ""Ratonhnhaké:ton" Catherine called out to him as she neared him. She was moderately pleased at the fact she had said his name correctly. Not that she had practiced...or maybe she had...Nobody would know.

With relief, she noticed he stopped and turned to wait for her.

"Ratonhnhaké:ton, how are things?" The fair-haired woman smiled, despite the numb sensation of her knee. The man looked down at her, as if contemplating something. "Things are well, I would assume." Catherine opened her mouth but was cut off by Ratonhnhaké:ton, "My mother and I need to speak with you. Do you have time?"

Catherine nodded, her brows furrowing. What would they need to speak to her for? Had she caused trouble? Ratonhnhaké:ton and Catherine walked to the longhouse and entered it. Ziio and her son exchanged glances before the woman spoke, "Catherine I do not wish to ask anything of you...But there is something I must ask."

Catherine nodded earnestly, "Ask away, Ziio."

"You no doubt know of the Mad King's chaotic behavior...How it threatens us all and so few can stand up against such a man."

Catherine nodded once more, indicating that she was listening.

"It would help us, immensely, if we had one of their kind on our side. As...one of us."

"I do know of Washington's tyranny, and I would like nothing more than to end it. I'll gladly join you, and fight by your sides to the best of my ability."

Ziio smiled faintly and walked forward, placing a warm hand on the woman's shoulder. "We welcome you as a sister, Catherine Reynolds." The hand was taken away and a more serious glint took residence in Ziio's eye. "Come, we have much work to do, and little time."

Both Catherine and Ratonhnhaké:ton nodded and the trio left the longhouse and headed for the woods. As they walked, Ziio explained that they were to meet two warriors of the tribe, in an attempt to rile up fighters to aid in the 'rebellion'.

As they arrived, they were greeted by two Mohawk males. Catherine was slightly relieved that they didn't eye her suspiciously.

"Mad King George is on a warpath and intends to destroy our village." Ziio said, her tone serious. "We need every able body to protect it., come with us..." The warriors exchanged glances, the one with the hand shaped paint on his face was the one to speak. "We know. Oia:ner sent us to collect boughs of the Great Willow."

Ziio's face fell, but she remained silent. "She means for us to defend our people."

"Great Willow?" Catherine asked, looking around for answers. She got none.

"Has she lost her senses?!" Ziio's brows furrowed, "You must not do it!" Catherine was completely lost at the moment, and was struggling to understand exactly what these people were talking about.

The warriors once again exchanged looks, the same man spoke, "You have seen what it can do? Is it really so dangerous?"

The men seemed somewhat hesitant and unsure who to believe. Catherine couldn't blame them really.

"I have seen it" Ziio said, nodding. "It is worse than dangerous. It causes madness, even death for those who cannot bare the strength to fight it."

The man that had remained silent finally spoke, "We cannot simply disobey the Clan Mother." Hand-face, as Catherine would call him, nodded. "Believe me!" Ziio pleaded, "The tea is folly, come back with us..."

The men shook their heads, "We will do as the Clan Mother wishes. Speak to her, and if you can get her consent...we will destroy them."

Ziio frowned deeply, determination set on her face. "I intend to."

Spinning on her heel, the woman marched off. Ratonhnhaké:ton and Catherine exchanged looks and both of them shrugged, perhaps equally confused? They followed Ziio back to the village and to an elder woman Catherine assumed was Oia:ner, the Clan Mother.

Catherine had never seen Ziio storm forward with such aggression. She would've laughed if she didn't have any sense not to.

"You intend to brew tea of the Great Willow! Have you forgotten the consequences? Well, I haven't!"

Oia:ner looked up at Ziio, and seemed to hold back a sigh. "I have not forgotten, Kaniehti:io. But when we face such a threat, there are little options available."

Ziio seemed to be sent into disbelief, "Little options? We can fight them as human beings! My son and I have succeeded twice, by ourselves! Imagine what we could do combined as a village!"

Catherine looked at Ratonhnhaké:ton. He seemed fully focused on his mother. Looking back at Ziio, she folded her arms across her chest.

"How many of these Bluecoats have you brought down? Two..five...ten? Thousands will come. Thousands will destroy us." Oia:ner rounded on her daughter, "Thousands that YOU awoke! Our survival will depend on the strength of the Great Willow."

Catherine could see the hurt and anger on Ziio's face. She felt momentarily sympathetic to the Native Woman.

"You are as mad as the King." Ziio spat, clenching her fist at her side. "Do what you will but we-" Ziio motioned to herself, Catherine, and her son. "Will not drink the tea." Ziio stormed away, grabbing her son and dragging him with her.

Catherine turned to follow, but stopped once she heard Oia:ner's final words. "Then, like you, he will die."

Catherine turned and frowned. "Clan Mother, forgive me. I do not understand such customs and I am an outsider among you...But are such words necessary?"

Oia:ner looked up at the blonde woman and shook her head with a sigh. "I cannot speak what people wish to hear. It is the truth."

"But, can't you just believe in yourselves as a whole? Have faith in not some tree...but each other? Surely that would bring victory?"

"You were right, you said you were an outsider and you are correct. It is best you don't involve yourself in this mess."

Catherine grit her teeth, "Too late." Turning on her heel, Catherine followed after Ziio and Ratonhnhaké:ton .


End file.

Assassin's Creed, Humor, Romance