Roots ch. 8

Kostantiniyye
1490

Seref shivered violently and unconsciously tugged the blanket tighter around her. She dimly felt the cot shift, and someone press a cold palm against her forehead. She furrowed her brow, wanting to twist away from the icy chill, but her entire body seemed to ache. She didn't want to move. Through the fog she could hear…something…her name? She knew she should answer, but she was exhausted. All she wanted was to keep sleeping.

Yusuf slowly sat back again, his hand slipping from Seref's head. It had been almost forty-eight hours, and still no improvement. He could hear the doctor speaking in quiet tones to Ishak, just outside the room. Yusuf had little interest in eavesdropping – his Mentor would speak to him soon enough. He met Baj's eyes from across the room. The other Assassin shifted uncomfortably on his perch, cross-legged on the window sill, hating the silence and the waiting.

"…how is she?" He asked, for what Yusuf guessed to be the fourth time that morning. Yusuf groaned, stretching out his back, hearing his spine crack. He hadn't realized that he'd been almost entirely immobile for the past three hours.

"Same as before." Bajram plopped his chin down on his cupped hand, looking exhausted. They were both exhausted – they had both been with Seref as much as possible. At least one of them was at all times, while the other would try to catch maybe a couple hours of sleep. Their Mentor had been understanding, and had allowed both Yusuf and Bajram their privacy. Unfortunately, Rafat had been called back to Jerusalem on an urgent request. Before reluctantly leaving, he had told the others to keep him updated of any changes as best they could.

Yusuf let himself slump. Baj slipped down off the sill, landing lightly on his feet.

"I have to see to the students…" The look on his face was clear as day – this wasn't exactly anything he was looking forward to.

"Yusuf, I'll be back as soon as – "

"It's alright, Baj." He forced a small smile. "It's not like much will change…"

Bajram looked briefly down at his feet, giving an awkward little shuffle. "…I'll be back soon." He told Yusuf quietly, before slipping outside. Yusuf pulled his legs up onto his little corner of the cot, crossing them tightly. He struggled to suppress a yawn, then gave up and laughed instead. As if Seref were awake and somehow offended at his apparent lack of excitement… Yusuf knew she was too damn selfless to ask that he stay with her around the clock. But Yusuf didn't care. If it were Bajram or Rafat in that cot, he'd be in exactly the same place. Assassins shared a special bond… between all of them, yes, but especially between the few that grew up and trained together. If Yusuf ever lost any of them, he'd lose a family member. He'd lose his brother, or his sister.

The Assassin looked to Seref in concern when she began to hack, but thankfully it was a short fit. Once she settled down again he went back to brooding.

Before he knew it, Yusuf had dozed off, his shoulders slumped, and his chin resting against his collarbone.

**

Yusuf was awakened by a careful but deliberate grasp of his shoulder. The fog of sleep lifted quickly and he raised his head, tensed. His Mentor gave him an assuring smile.

"I did not want to wake you. But I figured you would want to be awakened." Yusuf nodded, rubbing at the sleep still in his eyes.

"Evet, Mentor. My apologies." Ishak waved off any such guilt from the Assassin.

"You know that you have no reason to apologize." He looked to the still-sleeping young woman.

"…He says that all we can do is wait. And try to make her comfortable." Ishak said at last. "This fever has been going around…many people have died. But others have lived. And she is strong." He tightened his grip on Yusuf's shoulder.

"O iyi olacak." He said calmly, before leaving Yusuf to watch over his friend.

Yusuf rested his elbows on his knees, eyes on Seref. She had shifted a little as he had been dozing, her head now tilting over to the side, her bangs (which she had began to grow out) falling a little over her eyes. Yusuf leaned over, brushing them gently away. He straightened up, catching sight of Bajram out of the corner of his eye.

"No changes."

Bajram straightened his robes as he moved inside. Yusuf caught the musky scent of sandlewood and arched a brow. Bajram looked abashed.

"I thought perhaps it might help the damned recruits study their teachings."

"Ve?..."

Bajram made a face. Yusuf could have guessed. He chuckled, despite himself.

"They will come around. We did."

"We were also older then fifteen." Bajram argued, sitting down heavily on one of the many tapestries and rugs covering the hard wooden floor. Yusuf's eyes drifted back to Seref. Her lashes were fluttering.

"Seref?" He got up on his knees. Bajram perked up.

"Seref? Can you hear me?"

She shook a deep, shuddering breath, and coughed. Yusuf chewed anxiously on his bottom lip. Seref took another breath, then blinked up at him. She managed a weak smile.

"Yusuf?... what...." She murmured. He grinned and scooted closer, taking her arm.

"You have been greatly ill, Seref. For nearly two days." She blinked slowly, comprehending his words.

"I..."

"It's alright. Gönlünüzü ferah tutabilirsiniz." He smiled. Seref relaxed, letting her eyelids flicker shut. But she didn't sleep. She lay still, feeling Yusuf's continued reassuring presence, until she felt ready to try and move. She opened her eyes and lifted her head, pushing her elbows back behind her. Yusuf knew better then to tell her to stop – he wouldn't have taken his own advice, in her place. Instead he shifted off the cot, staying close so he could help her if need be.

"Dikkatli...dikkatli..."

She took a deep breath once she was up, and coughed. But Yusuf caught the subtle difference. She sounded better. He noticed Bajram slowly stand up and make his way over to them. Seref managed a tired grin.

"You must have had your hands full, Baj. Keeping Yusuf out of trouble for me."

He rolled his eyes good-naturely. "You'd think he were one of the students." He replied with a soft smirk. Yusuf was tempted to elbow the snarky Assassin hard in the ribcage, but that would have required leaving Seref's side. He compromised with himself by sending Bajram a look that would have made any other man shrink back in fear. Bajram only crossed his arms over his chest and smiled sweetly back.

"How do you feel?" Yusuf asked, again focused on the sick Assassin. She reached up and lightly touched her head.

"This feels better... My throat still hurts, but it no longer feels like I've swallowed a pile of embers." She quickly ran her tongue over her dry lips, and brushed her hair back behind her ear.

Bajram set his hand against her shoulder. "I am glad you are alright." He said, serious once more. He looked to Yusuf. "Ishak should know that she is awake." He bobbed his head, glancing at them both before leaving the small bedchamber.

Yusuf smiled at Seref. "You are feeling better, evet? Truly?" She rested her hands in her lap, pulling her knees up before crossing her legs.

"I do, Yusuf. Endişe etme."

He chuckled. "Apologies, Seref. But humor me - I am not used to having one of my friends in such a bad state."

Seref leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, meeting his jovial eyes with her serious ones.

"Hayir... But I am." She timidly reached out one hand to brush his bangs away from his eyes. Yusuf stopped her, hand lightly grasping her wrist.

"Seref...I don't think..."

"Think what, Yusuf?" She arched a slender brow. "We are not doing anything wrong."

"You are still not well. I cannot take advantage – "

A playful smile broke out over her face. "You are not taking advantage of anything, Assassin." She murmured, shifting to her knees. "If anything...perhaps I am taking advantage of your concern for me..."

He let go of her arm. Yusuf offered no resistance as she gripped him by the fabric of his hood and tugged him closer, before slipping her arms around his neck. She grinned coyly, and for a fleeting moment Yusuf had the strange feeling that he was being toyed with. But the very thought quickly fled his mind as she pressed her lips to his, letting her lashes flutter closed. Against his better judgement, and caught up in the moment,Yusuf deepened the kiss, feeling his skin flush warm as Seref offered a tiny whimper. Eventually it ended though, Yusuf tilting his head just ever so slightly back. Seref opened her eyes, looking to his with a vaguely confused expression.

"...why...?"

"Now is not the moment." He replied gently, cupping her cheek against his well-callused palm. What Yusuf realized he could not say was that he could never see another Assassin quite in that way. He respected her far too much. And while it was something he would never admit to himself, he could not stomach the thought of caring so intensely for someone, only to lose them to  the constant dangers of being an Assassin. He had to keep at least some kind of distance...what little he was capable of.

But he could not say that. Not when Seref was staring at him so, a glimmer of vain hope in her eyes. Yusuf opened his mouth, then interrupted himself with a small chuckle.

"Just...give it some time." Was all he could offer her.

**

Two months later...

Bajram growled and clapped his hands together sharply. "Hayır! </i>Yanlış yapiyorsunuz</I!" He scolded sharply at the students, who halted their mock battle to eyeball him in frustration.

"Nasim, it is a hookblade – not merely an accessory!" He snapped, taking long strides over to reach them. He ignored Yusuf and Seref seated nearby, taking a break from the hot midday sun by sitting under a small cluster of palms in the corner of the training yard. They traded knowing glances, and Yusuf called out to Baj not to be, "too big of a çetin ceviz." Bajram responded with a rude gesture, causing Yusuf to break into hysterics.

"You need to ran faster at your opponent, or you will never work up the momentum needed to perform the maneuver!" He growled, glancing about.

"Ah! Yusuf. If you would be so kind as to, eh, partner up..."

Yusuf climbed to his feet, grinning slyly as he trotted over to the small group. "I have little interesting in partnering, Baj, although I must say that I am flattered, none-the-less..."

"Kes sesini!" Bajram hissed, but his eyes were laughing. Yusuf shrugged and stood a short distance from the other Assassin, bracing his feet  against the dirt beneath him. Bajram readied himself, extending the silver hookblade. He broke into a quick jog, working up just enough momentum to jump, tuck his legs and roll over Yusuf's back, before landing easily back down on both feet. He returned to the students, who had all been watching with interest.

"Of course, your opponent will not be waiting so patiently." He began, as Yusuf straightened his back and casually dusted himself off. "Use the hookblade to grab him by the collar of his tunic, or the edge of his armor, and use it to pull down his head." He partially turned, shooting Yusuf a look, but the other Assassin clearly had little interest in continuing with the lesson. Bajram threw up his hands, faking annoyance.

"Yeniden!"

Yusuf headed back over to the shaded area, finding not only Seref, but their Mentor as well. He bowed his head in both respect and in greeting.

"Oğretmen."

"Ah, Yusuf. I'm glad I had arrived just in time to catch your and Bajram's fantastic demonstration..." Yusuf glanced away and gave something of a theatrical cough. Seref rolled her eyes.

"Evet, Mentor. Sometimes, all it takes it the right person to make things clear."

"I will be sure to relay that to Bajram." Ishak replied, an amused smile playing in his eyes. "But for now...I have news to share with you."

Yusuf looked to Seref, whose smile had vanished. He took a wild guess and figured she already knew, and that he wouldn't necessarily like it.

"Mentor?..."

"I have received word from Rhodes. They have need of a well-trained Assassin to assist in teaching a new batch of recruits. Our Den Master there, a young Italian man by the name of Augusto, is talented, but has precious few others to rely on."

Yusuf glanced between Seref and Ishak, then at Bajram, who was now apparently going over the basic fundamentals of the hookblade and its usage.

"...Bajram is going to...?"

"Hayir." Ishak interrupted. "I cannot send Bajram. As you can see, he has something of a…a way with my students…"

"Then you are sending..." Yusuf stopped as his Mentor looked very deliberately at Seref, who cleared her throat. Yusuf felt a surge of mixed feelings.

"I know the three of you are close." Ishak continued. "But Seref will learn much while she is working under Augusto. And I trust she will bring pride to the Ottoman Assassins." He paused. "And it will not be any longer then a few years, at most."

Yusuf was only dimly aware that he was nodding along slowly. "Evet... of course, Mentor."

"Ben onur duyuyorum." Seref spoke to their Teacher, but her eyes flickered back to Yusuf. She held his gaze. "I will not disappoint you, Efendim."

Ishak straightened, bobbing his head. "I know you will not." He nodded to each of them in turn, before making his way back inside the Den.

Yusuf met Seref's eyes. He didn't know what to say. She stared back at him, eyes holding a vaguely pleading note. A long moment of silence passed between them, interrupted only by Bajram's continued calls to the students to straighten up. Yusuf swallowed and opened his mouth to speak – but Seref lowered her head, hiding her eyes with the cowl of her hood, and slipped quickly past him. Yusuf watched her haistly walk away, her hands clenched tightly, himself feeling only utter helplessness.

"Seref – wait!"

She had already left him.





**

o iyi olacak – she will be alright
ve – and
gönlünüzü ferah tutabilirsiniz – you can rest
dikkatli - careful
evet – yes
endişe etme – quit worrying
hayir – no
yanlış yapıyoruz – you are doing it wrong
çetin ceviz – hard-ass
kes sesini – shut up
öğretmen – teacher
ben onur duyuyorum – I am honored
efendim - sir