(no subject)

[madeinacre]

Dahi had said that he was better than Sef at climbing trees and that he could climb higher and faster than him anyway, so there. Sef had said he was lying, and anyway he was only seven and one half and not seven and three quarters like Sef so of course Dahi couldn't be better than him, that was stupid.

And then Hasan had said they should climb that big tree by the road and see who could climb the highest.

The three of them had gone along quite happily, Sef full of bravado and certain that he could make it to the top without fail and what was more, he was going to make it to the top faster than Dahi could. Hasan had picked up two sticks and whoever picked the longest went first- Sef's was only a stubby one so he had to sit pouting as Dahi got to go first. He made it up as far as the first big branch before he laughed and said that Sef couldn't go higher, and of course Sef knew that he could.

And he did.

But now he was stuck.

"Sef it's not funny anymore," Hasan wailed. "My mother will scold me if I'm late!"

"Go home then!" Sef called back, trying to sound like he wasn't scared as he clung to the branch like a cat.

"Come down, stupid!" Dahi shouted. "We're hungry, you've been up there for hours!"

It had of course only been twenty minutes, but when it came down to the serious matter of trees and being stuck in them, trivial matters like time tended to pale into insignificance.

"I bet I could stay up here all day if I wanted," Sef boasted, trying to make it sound like he really did want to and he wasn't scared half to death up the tree. "Watch me, I bet I can!"

Only Darim would probably pinch him and tell him he'd been reckless and silly and an Assassin shouldn't let something like pride get in the way of asking for help, and Mama would tell him he'd acted like an ass and would probably tell Master Rauf that he was still a baby after all and he couldn't possibly start training yet.

He didn't want to think what Uncle Malik would have to say. Probably that he was a reckless novice and his father would be ashamed.

Sef could feel his eyes getting hot and he sniffed; it wasn't worth wiping his eyes because then he'd have to take his hand away and he knew that if he did that he would fall and probably die and then it wouldn't matter what anybody thought and he'd never be an Assassin.

Comments

[pushesgently]

He nearly didn't avoid said pinching, but Altaïr deftly intercepted Darim's hand.

"In that case, I'd like to return to our quarters and change," he said. "If I'm to stay, I should clean up a little."

[womanfromacre]

Maria shot both boys a stern look and positioned herself between Sef and Darim, putting her hands on their shoulders.

"As should you two if you want your supper. I don't want to see any dirt beneath your nails before we sit down. Sef what on earth have you been doing all afternoon? You look as though you've been dragged through a head backwards."

[pushesgently]

Sef shot him a pleading, wide-eyed look at that and despite his earlier caution on the value of honesty, he couldn't reveal the truth of his son's afternoon activities.

"Such is the danger of running around playing with friends." Altaïr ruffled Sef's hair affectionately and gave Maria a smile. "It seems you're the cleanest of us all, habeebti."

[sonofsonofnone]

Darim looked at his father and brother quizzically, but chose to hold his tongue as he took Sef's hand.

"Come on Sef, I'll show you what Master Rauf taught us today if you want."

He hugged his father around the waist again and beamed up at him.

"I can show you too, Baba. We've been practicing together."

[pushesgently]

Sef managed to keep from sighing in relief at that, and Altaïr managed to keep his eyes from sparkling in amusement. It was a near thing, though; perhaps this was one way in which his younger son had already surpassed him.

"I do want to see, and I will," he said, squeezing the shoulders of both his sons. "But I hope you will forgive your father for bathing first. We've been on the road a long time, and hurried our pace as we drew nearer home."

At this point, he was half-certain that the dirt ran several centimeters thick on his skin.

[womanfromacre]

"Do not complain, Sef," Maria said sternly when she saw her youngest open his mouth to wind up to his protest. "I promise Baba will not be going anywhere anytime soon. Hurry along and do as I've asked and let him have a moment to set himself in order."

After a few more protests and shot down arguments, the boys left to do as their mother had commanded and Maria needed only to look over her shoulder at her husband as she led the way back to their chambers, stopping only to ask a servant that the bath be filled for him on their way.

"I do hope you can manage with only myself as a bathing attendant," she said in a low voice as they continued on towards their room. "I am disinclined to share you."

[pushesgently]

Her tone was a familiar one to him, quiet and suggestive and filled with the promise of what was to come. Altaïr knew he could—and normally would—reply with sly words of his own, but he could only smile, half out of relief as much as out of desire.

He had missed her more than words could say. They had failed in their goal and that was a weight on him, but being close to Maria and his children helped lift it.

"I am disinclined to be with anyone else now," he said taking her hand and lacing his fingers through hers.

[womanfromacre]

She rewarded his attention with a smile and a squeeze of his fingers before they found themselves in a familiar wing of the castle, and the door barely had time to rattle closed upon its hinges before Maria had thrown herself at her husband and held him close, nuzzling into the crook of his neck and almost shaking with longing.

"You," she breathed against his throat, "are never, never to be gone so long again or I swear it Altaïr there is no argument you could conceive or make that will keep me from journeying with you."

[pushesgently]

Altaïr more than welcomed her into his arms, drawing her so close against him that there was not a breath between them. One hand went to her hair, pulling the tie from the braid's end and threading his fingers through it just as he had held her hand.

"There will be no need," he murmured against her head. "I have no intention of leaving home at any length for quite some time."

[womanfromacre]

"I wouldn't let you."

There was more to discuss, she could tell from the way he seemed weary from more than travel, but right now, in his arms, she couldn't bring herself to focus on that. His fingers in her hair were soothing and intoxicating and made her crave more of his touch. She had gone for far, far too long without it.

She turned her head and pressed her lips to his throat, heedless of the dirt and grime on his skin or just simply not caring about it.

"I need you."

[pushesgently]

Altaïr knew that most of his men had not gone all this time without the touch of a woman, but there was only one woman he wanted close, and she'd been far away. But not now.

Rather than answer her verbally, he moved one hand from her waist to her chin, tilting it up so he could kiss her fiercely, as all tiredness fell away.

[womanfromacre]

Maria's answering kiss was no less fierce, no less wanting. For nine long months she had retired at night to an empty bed (although her boys had a sixth sense for knowing when she needed company the most and would often sneak into the room uninvited to cuddle up to their mother in the night), but at this moment she didn't even want to make it to the bed. With no finesse or reserve, she groped blindly for the fastenings on his trousers, desperate to touch him, to feel him, to have him inside her again where he belonged.