A New Order: Chapter 2

Alessa didn't know how long she knelt next to her sister's body. She cried until her eyes couldn't produce any more tears. She finally looked up and was surprised to find the man in white still standing there. He knelt beside her and he reached forward. He closed Lia's eyelids and she could barely hear him whisper, "Requiescat in Pace."

Alessa gulped back the lump in her throat. The man slowly stood up and he said, "If you want to bury her and your parents, come with me."

Alessa looked up at him in awe. The sun was starting to rise. The light made his robes seem to glow. He looked like a guardian angel. "Who are you?" she asked.

The man smiled sadly. "You'll have plenty of time to find that out later. But now, you need to focus on your family."

Alessa nodded. She knew he was right. Alessa tried to stand with Lia's limp body in her arms. Her feet cried out in protest and her legs started to shake. The man took Lia's body from her arms. He held the little girl gently and he let Alessa lean against him. Alessa studied the sleeve she clung to. Not a drop of blood was on him. The only blood stains that shown was the blood from her sister's dress.

They slowly made their way toward the gallows. The man led her into an alley and he set Lia's body gently on the ground. Alessa collapsed to her knees beside it. She stared blankly at it. This is a nightmare; this has to be a nightmare! Her mind kept screaming at her to wake up. Alessa reached out with a trembling hand to push Lia's hair away from her face. The man squatted again. "I'll get the bodies. You just rest."

Alessa nodded. It was all she could do. The man's voice was like a soft breeze in the storm she was feeling. He patted her shoulder before walking out into the clearing. Alessa looked toward the gallows. She saw the familiar figures of her parents there. They swung in the small breeze.

The ice in her veins intensified and the contents of her stomach curdled. She wretched and didn't stop until she had nothing left. She wiped her mouth on the back of her sleeve and she pulled Lia's body to her, hoping to find some comfort.

She didn't get any.

Lia's body was cold now. Alessa didn't cry. She had no tears left. She heard the clatter of a wagon and she looked to see the man driving it. Alessa could barely see the bright color of her mother's dress in the haystack in the bed. The man jumped down from the driver's seat and he helped Alessa up. He started to reach for Lia but Alessa smacked his hands away. She was determined to do this herself. She crouched down and lifted her sister up. She tottered over to the back of the cart. She set Lia's body in the bed, kissing her forehead before pushing her sister in to join her parents. Alessa felt her legs give out. The man caught her as she crumpled. He let her lean on him again as he helped her get on the wagon.

Alessa clasped her hands in her lap. She felt her stomach lurch again. Blood covered them. She didn't know if they were the soldiers, Lia's, or her own. The man sat beside her, grabbing the reins. "The Borgia are going to be looking for both of us now. We must be quick." he said.

She nodded. The man whistled and flicked the reins. The horse snorted and started trotting. The man went on the most secretive roads in Roma. They finally got to the country side. Alessa stiffened when she heard hoof beats behind them. The man looked over his shoulder.

"Cazzo!" he growled.

He reached for the crossbow on his shoulder blades. He handed it to her. "Fight. Your life depends on it." he said.

He sped the wagon up to breakneck speed. Alessa looked at the crossbow in her hands. Her hands positioned themselves without her having to think. She quickly thanked God for having her Papa teach her how to fight. She took a deep breath and turned. She aimed and pulled the trigger. The bolt met its target. Alessa loaded and aimed for the next one. Another fell. Three were left. The man looked at her in surprise and he nodded in approval.

Alessa numbly let her hands take over as she finished off two more Borgia henchmen. One managed to get close to the side the man was on. He sped up to where he was equal with them. Alessa stiffened. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't shoot from this close of a range. The man grumbled and handed her the reins. He stood up and leaped onto the soldier's horse.

The man and the soldier grappled and he finally unsheathed the blades from his bracers and he stabbed the soldier. The soldier limply fell off and the man took hold of the reins. He galloped beside the wagon. Alessa kept driving until they reached the graveyard. Alessa stood up. Her feet were numb now. At least her legs worked again. The man helped her down and she started to unhitch the cart. The man looked at her questioningly.

"Signorina, we can bury them."

She looked up at him. She swallowed back more tears. She knew what she had to do.

"Papa and Mamma said that they would rather be ash." she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

She had to be strong right now.

Alessa made her way toward a mausoleum on the other side of the graveyard. The man stayed back with the wagon. She pulled a torch off its place on the wall and she hobbled back to the wagon. She handed the torch to the man and she pulled herself up. She pulled the hay aside and she swallowed more tears as she looked at her dead family. She reached down and pulled the necklace off of Lia. Blood stained the golden chain. A little flower pendent hung from it.

Alessa reached down again and took her parents' wedding rings of their fingers. She undid the clasp on Lia's necklace and she put the rings on it. Alessa studied the three pieces hanging on the chain now. Her father's strong, normal gold band shone in the light. Her mother's slender, gold ring with just one simple diamond twinkled at her. Lia's flower curled around like it was the sun itself. Alessa kissed all of them and put the necklace on. She would wash the blood off later. She slowly got down from the cart and she took the torch from the man.

She tossed it into the wagon. The dry hay ignited immediately. The smell of burning flesh, hay, and wood filled the air. The man helped her up onto the soldier's horse and he got on behind her. He led the cart horse behind them.

Alessa didn't even dare to look at the pillar of smoke forming behind her.

********

Alessa groggily opened her eyes. Her world was rocking and swaying. She looked to see that she was on a horse still. They were on the outskirts of Roma. She looked up at the man. He was looking forward. His eyes watched their surroundings like a hawk. He rode toward a small stone shack a little way's outside the walls of the city. The man got down and he helped her. She sighed as she felt the cool grass on her cut feet. She had to clean them soon. She didn't want to visit the doctors.

The man led her to the shack and he opened the black iron bar gate to it. Alessa looked down at the tunnel. She looked back at him. "Are you serious?"

He cocked an eyebrow. The movement seemed to say, 'does it look like I'm giving you a choice?' She looked back down at the tunnel and she sighed. She stepped in and waited for the man to follow behind. He grabbed a torch and he started to lead the way. "Stay close." he said.

Alessa followed behind the man. "Who are you?" she asked.

The man looked at her over his shoulder. "My name is Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Voi?"

Alessa cleared her throat. "I'm Alessa Conti da Roma."

Ezio nodded. "E 'piacevole incontro si Alessa. I'm sorry that we couldn't have met in better circumstances." he said.

Alessa thought about the first time she saw Ezio. Lia had commented on his clothes. "Lia liked your outfit." she mused.

He gave her a questioning look. "Mia sorella. We saw you with a doctor near the Colesseum. She said your clothes were amazing." Alessa mumbled. She felt silly now. Her throat closed up as she thought about how awestruck her sister was by looking at him. Ezio smiled sadly before looking forward again.

"The pain will go away." he suddenly said.

Alessa looked at him in surprise. "Che cosa?"

Ezio stopped and turned to look at her. Alessa suddenly realized how tall and broad he was. "I lost my brothers and father to the rope. Even though I think about them every day, the pain went away. I can't help but think of my little fratello when I see birds or feathers. He loved collecting them."

Alessa gulped and asked, "Why did they hang?"

Ezio sighed. "We were betrayed. I'm hunting down the ones responsible to this day."

Alessa looked down at her feet. "I hope you're right." she whispered.

They stood in a comfortable silence. Ezio patted her shoulder and said, "Come, I'm taking you to where you can be safe. I also need to ask you a question when we get there."

Alessa looked up at him in confusion. He had his back turned and he was ready to keep walking. "Ask me what?"

Ezio paused and turned. A smirk was on his lips.

"If you want to join a cause."