Rise (an Assassin's Creed 3 Fanfiction)

Ignition, a French Dude, and the Beer Guy

Ignition, a French Dude, and the Beer Guy

I stood there like an idiot in the slushy snow letting the tears fall down my face while I sniffled and whimpered staring at all the dead bodies. It reminded me so much of the night I stood in the small cellar surrounded by dead Templars and my dead parents. Even though that won't happen for another three hundred years, in reality, I would always remember and hate the Templars with a burning passion because of this. 

I could have prevented this. I should have shot Lee and stopped Haytham from telling them to track down Connor. Now, I didn't even know if he was alive.

Looking up into the sky, I tried to wipe the tears away but new emotions came flooding in. There were so many things I never said to my parents. Or to anyone I ever cared for. Now I would never have the chance. I was so scared and I am still so scared. I was scared to be an Assassin, I always have been. I was never strong enough; I was a coward.

I stood there holding my face in my hands whimpering and crying feeling ashamed to be wearing these black Assassin robes until I felt a firm hand on my left shoulder. I snapped out of my daze feeling anger burn though me as I unsheathed my hidden blade on my right arm. I moved to stab it into the chest of whoever was touching me until their other hand was gripping my wrist preventing me from killing them. I looked up and before they could react, I was wrapping my arms around them and burying my face into their chest.

"Oh, Connor!" I sobbed into his robes as I clutched the sleeves on his arms.

Connor's arms went around me in and warm comforting embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Connor," I breathed. "I should've seen this coming."

"Do not blame yourself, nobody could have seen that coming, Riley," He said holding me close.

I suddenly felt anger filling my body again as I shoved Connor away from me. "No!" I shouted as the tears continued to fall. "I've been dreaming about this moment for the last ten years and when the moment comes, I'm not ready. I just let these people die!"

"Riley, it is not all your fault; there is nothing we can do about it now. But you have sparked something in all of the colonists tonight, you have ignited the Revolution."

...

Surprisingly, the merchant had all of our things delivered that night so the ride back was slow. Connor decided that it would be best to continue going instead of camping. Achilles did want us to be back soon after all.

It must have been four or five in the morning when we returned to the manor. We were exhausted. Connor had to literally carry me up the stairs into my room or I probably would have slept there for the night but I didn't care.

"Sleep well, Riley," Connor whispered as he laid me in my bed. "I promise it was not your fault..." his words whispered into my mind as I almost panicked when he began to leave.

I quickly reached out and gripped Connor's arm. "D-don't leave me," I whimpered looking up towards his face.

He looked back at me in a bit of surprise but then his eyes softened. "Okay," he said quietly as he scooped me up in his strong warm arms and let me rest against him. I snuggled into his chest and breathed in his woodsy and earthy scent.

I felt him breathe in and his chest rise as he exhaled while he closed his eyes and drifted off. I slowly fell asleep in his warm embrace listening to his slow, steady heartbeat.

...

A loud pounding at the front door woke me up that morning. Feeling the cold sheets around me, I realized that Connor had been gone a while. I groaned as I rolled out of bed and pulled on my boots. I slept in my robes again so getting ready was easy. I gathered all of my long blond hair and braided it into a messy fishtail down my right shoulder. Walking down the stairs, I see Connor standing outside on the porch talking with another Mohawk Native. What was his name? I had to dig through my cluttered mind to find it. Oh yeah! Kanen'to:kon.