Roots ch. 16

Kostantiniyye
1500

Anayis ran, gasping for air. Her head flooded with images – Bajram, her teacher, showing her how to sneak up perfectly behind her target. Always reminding her to move slowly and take her time. Him standing beside Yusuf, trying his darndest to keep his prideful smile hidden as they watched his students perform what they had learned. She saw him lighting an oil lantern for himself and Rafat as they stayed up late, plotting how to foil the Byzantines and take back their prized den. Bajram was no strategist – not on Rafat's level, anyway. But he was more than willing to help, nevertheless. Even if he stayed up for several nights in a row to do so.

Anayis choked back a sob. She hated herself for what she had already made up her mind to do. But if she did not, the Byzantines would hunt down Yusuf, Bajram, Seref, all of her friends…and slaughter them relentlessly. Those hypothetical images overtook the very real ones of Bajram, and were all the more horrifying in her mind.

Perhaps Bajram would understand. Knowing him, he truly would sacrifice his life for Yusuf, or for Seref or Rafat. Or for any Assassin, for that matter. That knowledge only pained Anayis' heart more as she finally reached the headquarters, entirely out of breath. She doubled over, coughing hard. She finally straightened, wiping tears from her eyes. She had to do this… The safety of the den depended solely on her.

She forced herself to slow down as she neared the den. She couldn't appear to be in a panic, or suspicions would be raised. Instead, she forced herself to clear her head, wiped her eyes, and strode inside. She nodded to a friend of hers sitting  at the desk in the main chamber before hastily making her way up the nearest flight of stairs and down the lengthy corridor of the sleeping quarters. She located Bajram's door and knocked several times in quick succession, chewing anxiously on her lower lip. She had to move fast, before she lost her nerve. Then she heard his muffled reply – a call for her to come on – and she carefully pushed open the door.

He was alone, as she had hoped. He was in his cot, resting on his stomach, reading a book from his fairly impressive collection. His arm remained firmly bandaged, the wrap stained a faint red, and a few small cuts and bruises dotted his face. She had always been amused by his addiction to reading - it was one quality that he and Rafat had shared. While Yusuf preferred practicing his skills and paying special visits to the Romani camp (just what did he do over there all day, anyway?), Bajram liked to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea or any other drink of his choosing. It was one thing Anayis loved about him, just for being so completely out of character. Now she allowed the fear back into her eyes. She had to be convincing.

"Bajram! Come quickly – Yusuf has been injured!" She felt the sting of her own betrayal as Bajram immediately shot to his feet, the book giving a muffled thud on the rugged floor. Of course he didn't second-guess her or ask a handful of questions she wouldn't know the answers to. He took her at her word.

"Take me to him."

"There are not many." She said quickly, hoping he wouldn't suggest back-up. "But I can't handle the guard myself."

"It's alright." He assured her quietly. Anayis felt her chest tighten.

"He is near the docks. Follow me!" She led him from his bedroom and back down the brightly-lit corridor. Taking steps two (sometimes three) at a time, the two Assassins shot down the stairs and burst out into the early-evening sunlight. Anayis believed they were almost home free when she heard a familiar voice call out to them. She reluctantly slowed and turned, watching Jin Mai trot up behind them. He looked curiously between the two before his eyes settled on Bajram.

"Is something wrong, teacher?"

"Yusuf had been injured in a fight." Bajram informed him, not noticing the ill expression on Anayis' face. "We must move quickly."

The Chinese Assassin bobbed his head hastily and jogged beside them. "Of course. I can help – it is my honor." Anayis opened her mouth, desperate to come up with some kind of excuse for him to leave them, but Bajram interrupted her.

"Iyi. We can use the assistance." Anayis closed her mouth, swallowing hard. She quickened her pace.

The sun was just beginning the earliest stages of its decent when they reached the spot near where the docks intersected with the edge of the countryside. Anayis slowed, than stopped. Bajram and Jin followed suit, looking around. Bajram's expression tightened.

"Where is he?"

"I – I don't know." Anayis said, truthfully. She chewed her lip, staring around the quiet area. All at once an arrow embedded itself in the ground inches from Bajram's feet. He jerked back, reaching his grab his sword, but grunting in pain as he was rudely reminded of the condition his right arm was in. He grabbed the dagger at his hip instead, grasping it tightly in his left hand. Jin grabbed his own sword, moving to block Bajram's back. But they were promptly surrounded before they even had the chance to fight. Crossbows trained directly on Bajram, he narrowed his eyes at the proud Byzantine Captain that approached him. He'd have grabbed his own crossbow, had his shooting arm been capable of wielding the deadly weapon. He drew back the dagger, aiming for the Captain's heart. If he got shot after he threw it, at least he would have taken down the sneering bastard.

The Captain stopped, frowning. He motioned to Anayis. Her eyes pleaded with him, while Bajram stared on in mild confusion, but the Captain was adamant. Anayis walked to him, defeated.

"Anayis! What are you doing??"

"I'm so sorry!" She whimpered, as one of the Captain's men grabbed her, wedging his own dagger against her throat. She winced in pain at the grip he held on her. The Captain chuckled as Bajram slowly lowered the dagger.

"How pleasant." He sneered. "At last, I have the Assassin I have sought. And to think, all I needed was the proper motivation." He looked sharply to Jin, who still held a grip on his sword.

"Drop it! Unless you want the girl's blood splattered at your feet!" He snapped. Jin gave an audible growl, but reluctantly obeyed, dropping his sword to the ground.

"Now I have the man who murdered my brother." The Captain continued, eyeballing Bajram with dark eyes. "Yusuf Tazim… To think you had been so gullible to fall for such a simple trap."

Bajram's eyes grew wide. He opened his mouth, than closed it. Jin began to protest, but Bajram shut him up with a short hiss. He locked eyes with Anayis, whose own were wide with fear. The Captain continued, oblivious to the exchange.

"You can give yourself up now. I would recommend having your cooperation. But we are fully prepared to take you by force." The man holding Anayis tightened his grip. She gasped, struggling to keep the tears welling up in her eyes from falling down her cheeks.

Bajram glowered at the guards, who all raised their weapons against him. He dropped the dagger he was holding. The Captain nodded to another one of his men, who moved in to grab him. Jin snarled, moving quickly to block his path, but Bajram cut him short with a harsh word.

"Jin! Hareket etmeyin! Let it go…" Jin wore a disgusted look on his face, but obeyed the commands of the Master Assassin. Bajram turned back to the guard, only to receive a heavy blow to the stomach. He doubled over, gasping for breath, arms wrapping around his middle. He felt two pairs of hands grab him and yank him backward, throwing him into the wall of a near shed. He grunted as he hit, falling down onto his knees. Jin tensed to go to his aid, infuriated by the treatment of his teacher. He was halted by two more guards who grabbed him by the arms, dishing out several blows to his ribs and shoulders. Anayis screamed for them to stop.

The Captain chuckled. "You have done well. I must say, I am surprised how easy it was to get an Assassin to betray those she cared so much about." The sick smile on his face made Anayis want to retch.

He nodded to the single guard holding her. "We've got them. Let her run home with her tail between her legs." The soldier shoved her away. Anayis stumbled, catching her balance. She looked toward Bajram, now sporting several new bruises to accompany those he already had. The two shared a look, before Bajram turned his face away. He was going to play the role in this that he was given. He was accepting of it. Anayis choked back a sob before breaking into a run.

Bajram saw the next blow coming and sucked in a breath. It hurt. The tight fist struck his jaw, near his ear. A sudden burst of stars erupted in his eyes, followed by a sharp ringing that echoed through his skull. He wanted to relax his muscles – let himself close his eyes and sink down to the ground. But an Assassin did not do these things. Instead, Bajram slowly climbed back up to his feet, taking in a slow, deliberate breath. Jin punched and clawed at the men holding him, but their blows were beginning to take their toll. He momentarily managed to shove them back, yelling desperately to Bajram.

"Fight them!"

"Hayir." Bajram closed his eyes. "Jin…it's over."

The Chinese Assassin gaped at his teacher. More than anything, he wanted to reveal Bajram's identity. But the Master had chosen his path – Jin knew he had no right to decide it for him. Bajram locked eyes with the younger man, driving his point home.

"Tell him this was part of the plan." He said as loudly as he dared. The soldiers didn't seem to be paying any attention to their words – the ones holding Bajram forced him toward a shallow stream that ran away from the docks. They yanked his hood back off his head, ripping the fabric. Bajram winced as two of the men grabbed his arms, their fingers leaving deep bruises in the flesh of his upper arms.

"You murdered my brother this morning, Yusuf." The Captain murmured darkly, his voice only inches from Bajram's ear. "You struck him with your blade and watched his blood flow. But by nightfall I will have sought justice."

"There is no true justice as far as the Templars are concerned." Bajram replied slowly. He flinched in pain as the Captain grabbed him by his hair, yanking his head back. His eyes settled on a distant bird soaring high above his head. It drifted in lazy circles, either oblivious to or uncaring of the exchange taking place so far below.

"You are so compliant." The Captain drawled, sounding reluctantly impressed. He tugged sharply on his hair, grinning with sick pleasure as the Assassin winced visibly. "I had been under the impression that you would fight for your miserable life."

Despite himself, Bajram gave a rueful smile. "Hiçbirşey gerçek değil." He quoted from his Creed. "That goes for my very life. For it belongs to the Order, and if it demands that it must end, so must I abide by it."

The Captain curled his lip, upset that his victim was so accepting of his untimely fate.

"Everyone fears death." He growled. "Even the Assassins. Can you feel your heart racing yet? Your blood pumping through your veins? The terror beginning to set in?" He sneered, drawing his crude dagger around toward the flesh of Bajram's throat.

Bajram took a slow breath. His last. "All I feel is both pity and pride. Pity for the Templars and their flawed ideology. And pride that my role in this has been played to its fullest extent." Having said all that he needed to, Bajram focused once again on the bird high above. As he felt the cold steel press against the edge of his throat, he closed his eyes and willed himself to soar.

**

Anayis burst through the door of the den headquarters. She quickly shielded her reddened eyed and hurried for the stairs. Her startled fellow Assassins stared on in shock, but she didn't care. After what she had done to Bajram (and to Jin, she painfully reminded herself), she doubted she'd be allowed to remain an Assassin for much longer. If Yusuf didn't demand that she hang for treason, anyway.

She closed the door to her chamber, sitting down on her cot and sobbing into her hands. After a minute she heard muffled voices outside her door. Her heart sank when she recognized Yusuf's distinctive tone. Then came the careful knock.

"Anayis?" There was genuine concern. Anayis hated herself. "Iyi misin?" She drew in a shaky breath.

"Evet, Master." She lied. There was a pause, then the door pushed open. Yusuf eyed her critically.

"No you are not." He determined. He spoke slowly. "Anayis, what is bothering you?"

She swallowed hard, clasping her hands tightly in front of her.

"I have made a terrible choice, Teacher." She whispered, staring at her toes through watery brown eyes. "I feel forgiveness will never be possible."

The Master Assassin sat down carefully beside her, looking slightly alarmed. "You are a smart young woman." He told her with a small smile. "The Order has raised you well. If a terrible decision has to be made, then I trust that it was still the right course of action." He pressed his hand against her shoulder, and she trembled at his touch. She wanted to throw up.

Yusuf stood, making his way back toward the door. Then he paused. "Have you seen Bajram lately? His room is empty and I had not expected him to go – " He stopped, startled, as Anayis burst into a flood of tears and wrenching sobs.

"Anayis?? What?..." He was interrupted when his apprentice, Casimiro, no longer a boy but a young man of twenty-four and reaching Master Assassin status himself, came hurrying toward him. He arrived out of breath.

"Maestro! There has been a problem!"

"Söyle bana."

"We have received word from the thieves near the docks." He sucked in a breath. "Bajram and Jin have been captured!"

Yusuf's brows shot up. He looked to Anayis, who stared back at him with wounded eyes. And he knew. Maybe not the details, nor the reason, but he knew enough. Horrified, Yusuf backed through the door and ran down the corridor, his apprentice hot on his heels.

"Have Anayis detained. Then meet me near the docks. Bring whoever you can." Casimiro wanted to protest his Master going alone, but Yusuf's voice was dark and left no room for argument.

"Si, Maestro… of course." He stopped and respectfully bowed his head. Yusuf disappeared around the corner.

His heart beat rapidly in his chest, strangely in time with his feet thudding against the stone, as he sprinted madly for the docks. He thought little of a plan, or any specific course of action. And although he was not much of a god-fearing man, he desperately prayed to Allah to keep Bajram safe for just a minute longer; keep his capturers distracted a second more… He dashed up the side of market stall, forcing himself to stop, his chest heaving for air. His eyes locked on the first thing he saw – the figure of a man, lying face-down on the shore of a shallow stream. His head and upper part of his torso were in the water, while his lower torso and legs remained on dry land. The man was dressed in Assassin robes.

"BAJ!" Yusuf yelled, not caring if the Byzantines were nearby or if they had heard. He leaped off the roof, landing hard on his feet, and ran to the water's edge.

"No! No-no-no-no-" He pleaded, collapsing on his knees in the soggy earth. He grasped the Assassin-clothed figure around the torso and tugged him out of the water, frantically turning him over.

Bajram's throat had been slit. Most of the blood had been washed away by the stream, but what remained was all the evidence Yusuf needed. He grasped his friend's robes, yelling unintelligibly into the wind, his eyes a sudden wash of hot tears. Bajram didn't respond. Yusuf held onto him tightly, his wrists and knuckles turning white. Bajram's face remained ashen, a sharp contrast to the deep brown hair that clung wetly to his forehead. Yusuf pushed it aside, pleading desperately for his brother to awaken.

Of course, there was nothing. Bajram was dead. Yusuf trembled where he sat, sobbing desperately. The soft crunch of boots on dead leaves did little to jolt him back to reality. The tip of a broadsword appearing just over his shoulder, however, did.

"Bajram, was it? Was that his name?"

The grip Yusuf held on his friend's soaked robes slackened. He slowly stood, taking in a series of halting breaths. And he turned.

The Captain wore a heavy frown. "And let me guess. Yusuf Tazim." He briefly glanced at the body lying on the shore before returning his gaze to the yet living Assassin.

"As revolting as I find the Assassins, Yusuf, even I must admit that he died with at least some semblance of honor. He certainly was loyal to the end." Over the Captain's shoulder, Yusuf spotted several of his men dragging a badly beaten Jin. They dropped him unceremoniously, and the Assassin gave a hoarse cry of pain. Spotting Yusuf, he began to yell incoherently.

"Tā sǐle! Tāmen shāhàile tā! Tāmen shāhàile Bajram-!"

"Shut him up!" The Captain snarled angrily, not daring to move the tip of his sword from being trained on Yusuf's chest. For his part, the Assassin felt only a freezing cold numbness. He didn't want to fight. He didn't want to flee. He knew the Captain had murdered his friend and brother, but he could not command his arms to move, much less carry out an attack. The Captain eyed him in disgust as his men commenced beating on the Chinese man once more.

"So you will not fight. I take it you will be as accepting of your fate as he was." He drew back the sword. Out of the corner of his eye, Yusuf caught sight of a hooded figure perched on the same market stall he had vaulted over minutes before. He blinked once, then again. His Assassins had arrived, led by Casi.

"You are too late."

The Captain grit his teeth in fury, swinging the mighty blade. Yusuf jerked into motion, hot electricity shooting through his veins. He leapt clear of the attack, kicking out with both feet. His heels met the Captain's stomach and pushed. The Templar stumbled back, but his armor took the worst of the blow. Yusuf landed in a crouch, feeling pain vibrate through his oddly-positioned ankle. He raised his face – something he'd always cautioned his apprentice only to do with caution – and noticed the swinging tip of the sword far too late. It sliced through the left side of his face, drawing a thin yet fairly deep line across it, from cheek bone to jaw bone. He drew back in shock, but barely registered the pain. The Byzantine Captain charged, but Yusuf dropped out of the way, hearing the heavy splash the man's boots made through the water tainted with Bajram's blood. He grit his teeth, now feeling the anger begin to build. He whirled, pulling his dagger from his sash. Its weight felt reassuring in his grip. The Captain turned, snarling his challenge, and Yusuf took careful aim.

The knife flew. The Templar – Bajram's murderer – collapsed into the water, the blade of the dagger buried up to the hilt in his forehead. Yusuf left him where he fell, returning his attention to his fallen friend. With a trembling hand, he carefully drew Bajram's eyes closed.

The other Assassins made short work of the remaining Byzantine soldiers. Casimiro ordered Jin, whose screams had since died down into agony-filled moans, to be tended to while he himself hurried across the grass to Yusuf. He slowed, catching sight of the body by the water's edge. He let himself pant, not knowing the words to say.

"…I am sorry." He finally whispered. Nothing else seemed more appropriate. Yusuf carefully gathered Bajram's limp body in his arms, noting the startling calmness on his face. His expression was not one of fear. Not one of anger. But acceptance. Bajram had died accepting his fate. Despite the painful tearing in his heart, Yusuf wished more Assassins were that lucky. Casimiro looked dejectedly to his Teacher, wincing a little when he saw how his cheek had been laid open.

"Maestro... your face…"  

Yusuf slowly stood up, his deadened eyes silently meeting those of his apprentice. He looked past him to see Nasim, Bajram's own apprentice, choking back heavy sobs. He dropped his eyes, feeling nothing but the heavy burden of loss.

"Not only I suffer." He said quietly. "Not only Nasim. This night, the whole Order mourns his death. It will feel his loss, and weep openly because of it." He bowed his head, feeling the overwhelming sadness bubble up from deep within.

"Huzur içinde yat, Kardeşim. Baj."






**

iyi – good
hayir – no
hiçbirşey gerçek değil – nothing is true
iyi misin – are you alright
evet – yes
söyle bana – tell me
si, maestro – yes, master (SP)
huzur içinde yat, kardeşim – rest in peace, my brother