He went into her arms easily, breathing into the crook of her neck and perhaps relaxing for the first time.

"Whatever the fate of the city, it's long done by now," he said. "It was too long a trip back. And it's not our fight; we're not soldiers."

Any of his men who completed their training could be, of course. But it was not their way. Violence was one of their methods, but under his guidance, the Assassins would not seek to conquer the world, only guide it.

"I'm not the first man to fail in his goals." He dropped a kiss on her shoulder. "Disappointment is something I'll have to cope with."