Templar Guest house

Although nicknamed the Guest house, the building was in face a large manor house, more of a mansion. the curving driveway eventually stopped at a parking area next to the house where the black car drew up and Haytham turned the engine off.
"i'm sorry you had to go through any of that. The Assassins are truly misguided to cause such death and chaos. I hope that we shall be able to work together to prevent this from ever happening again. For now however we shall get you settled and rested before we can formulate a plan of action. "

Leaving the car he led the way to the front door which was opened by a suited man just as they were about to turn the handle to enter.
"Good evening Master Kenway, we have been expecting you. The suites are ready for you on the third floor as requested and dinner will be served in an hour." the man was clearly a butler of some kind.

"Thank you Holden. This is Mister Cormac, he will be staying with us. Mister Cormac, this is Holden, if there is anything at all you need just ask him, but also don't piss him off, he's been know to shoot people in the foot if they criticise his cooking." Entering the hallway he removed his coat and handed it to Holden, gesturing for Shay to do the same.

As they pulled in, Shay peered out of the car window almost gawping at the accommodation and about to comment mindlessly on the impressive building before Haytham spoke out.

"Of course, sir.." Climbing out the car, the younger man still looked around in amazement, trying to take in the detail in such dim light. Realising he was dragging behind, he followed the other man to the door, only to be surprised yet again by who he figured to be a butler letting them in.

He gave a small nod and smile towards Holden, "I'll just be grateful to eat food I haven't prepared myself.. I don't think my culinary skills would please a beggar." Removing his phone from his pocket, he took his coat off and passed it over to the butler with a thank you, before turning to study their surrounding again.

"This is quite something... And you say it's only a guest house? It makes the Homestead look like stables."

"mmmhmm, it's 18th century and was built by the Order so has a few quirks here and there" Haytham led him up the stairs towards the guest rooms at the top of the building.
"don't be intimidated by al this, it's just smoke and mirrors. All appearance and no substance. It really is just a guest house, cheaper to run than getting hotels etc etc There's one in every major city here, but none as grand as this old lady."

As he started up the last flight of stairs he noticed someone on the landing half hidden watching them ascend. With a sigh and low voice he murmured to the other man
"Keep looking dead ahead, ignore anything you hear, Charles Lee is watching and he's like a snake, he'll say and do just about anything for power and favour and like as not to stab you in the back while offering you a drink to your face."
At the top landing he turned left down a short corridor and opened the first door. "here we go."

The room the door opened onto was a small sitting room with nice sized tv, a small computer desk with a new laptop with sealed folder next to it, lush red Persian rugs and tasteful art work. the opposite wall had two open doors one with white tile bathroom and the other a tastefully decorated bedroom.
"Make yourself at home please. You'll hear Holden call for dinner, don't worry if you don't turn up, you're not expected to like some obligation, it is just available if you require. The wardrobe has a few items of clothing in your size, the folder contains passport, birth certificate, driving license, car keys, local area map, wallet and £2000 of cash to get you started. Laptop is yours to do with as you see fit, it's already set up to the Guest House wireless network etc."
Haytham cleared his throat.
"I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me, i have some business to take care of, i'll be at dinner should you need me and i'll text you my telephone number in a moment. Do you have any questions or anything else you might need?"

"I see." Following along behind, Shay continued looking around like a child in awe also getting a glimpse of someone stood out of the way on the landing in the process.

Listening intently, the Irishman nodded in acknowledgement, doing as told until the Grand Master's attention was elsewhere; then he gave a sly glance and the faintest of smiles to the man in question. If this man was trouble, then he'd rather know his face.

Shay caught himself questioning why they'd keep problem people around, but soon snapped out of it as he saw the rooms prepared for his stay. The fact it was more than a bedroom and bathroom surprised him the most. "Jesus, I'm going to feel like royalty in here." He smiled brightly and wandered about the room as the older man continued.

Turning back to face Haytham, he stared as he listed off what was available to him. "Car keys?.." He questioned, hoping for an indication of where the car they belonged to lived.

Approaching Haytham, he shook his head. "No, no..This is more than enough already. I think this might be my true calling in life.." With a laugh, he held out his hand once again. "Thank you, sir."

As much as he wanted to discuss plans now, it was late and he was sure it would be best to settle in for the night.

"No problem at all, the Order is rich and we like to keep our assets happy. The car is in the garage at the rear of the property, it's nothing fancy but it'll get you around. It's a dark blue honda, only blue car in there so you'll have no problems finding it if you need to get out and about. Never leave without the gate keyring though, Holden hates opening it manually. And i'll leave you to your rest, goodnight Mister Cormac."

Haytham hoped Cormac would get some rest, the next couple of days might be busy.

"Okay, good night Master Kenway." With a nod, he waited for the older man to leave before looking back over his rooms with a small smile. Several months back this whole situation would be entirely unbelievable and if he'd visited anywhere nearly this fancy, it would have been with Liam and you could bet they'd have bottles of beer already open; flopped onto the bed laughing their arses off.

The smile at his lips went sour as he thought about Liam and Hope.

Approaching the items on the desk, he had a quick look through the documents trying to distract himself, before studying the map to take in his current and surrounding locations, but it was doing little to keep his mind off his old allies.

"Jesus.. Hope.. Liam..." With a sigh, he sat on the edge of the desk, frowning. He knew, unlike Monro and the Grand Master that they were both in this country and it was his main reason for being here. If he could just meet up with them both and get them to listen, then maybe, just maybe he wouldn't have to take them down.

Thinking about needing a drink, he shook his head, forcing himself out of his depressive state as he grabbed the laptop to set it up. He couldn't let himself get down and lose sight of the important things, he was stronger than that.

Downstairs Haytham made use of a small out of the way study to write in his latest journal. there was a little to catch up with.

His happy few weeks with Ziio before Charles Lee had ruined it forever by bringing news that Braddock had just died and that his kidnapped sister had been located.  He had been 100% sure that Braddock had died, and by his hand, he'd been brutal enough to the old bastard, but Ziio wouldn't listen and had ended it on the spot.

He'd had no time to think about the break up as rescuing his sister had been a priority at the time, it was only now, months later that it all had time to sink in. An then there was Reginald. The man he'd looked up to, the man who'd been a surrogate father, mentor, friend, brother...orchestrator of his life from the age of 10, betrayer, also dead, and by Haythams hand.

One short year and so much had changed. Braddock and Reginald were dead, he'd met someone he thought he could really love and then that shattered, his lost sister had been located and with Holden they'd managed to get her back from the middle east, though not without cost and then an assassin had defected to their side. he sat back in the chair and rubbed at his eyes.

"i don't know why you insist on writing that thing" a snide voice from the door intoned.
Charles was there picking at his nails, "use a bloody computer like normal people."

"Why don't you piss off there's a good fellow..." Haytham was immediately back on guard, back to the formal shell that was his usual presentation to the world, sitting back up more rigidly and closing the journal from Lee's prying eyes.

Charles wasn't taking the hint, "for gods sake man, this isn't the 18th cntury, use a bloody laptop or go to a therapist. Stop whining over some yank bitch and go get laid. Isn't that what your new pet is for?"

"Charles, i'm only going to say this once. You will NEVER speak of her again like that, if you do i will personally cut your balls off and make you choke on them." some things he wouldn't let this snake get away with.He flicked out his aquired hidden blade in warning.
Finally Lee backed away hands in the air "Fine, i'm going, your loss." and slithered back into the dark of the house.

Alone again, Haytham didn't relax and spent time just sitting staring at the journal. Some people had no respect for literature or books. Writing in the journal always helped him organise his thoughts as well as provide a memory aide when needed later on. It was also a familiar and comforting thing to do and reminded him of his father who'd given him his first one.

His thoughts were eventually broken by Holden announcing that dinner would be ready in 10 minutes. tidying up the desk Haytham stood, his back cricking and mentally prepared for whomever would be at the dinner table. He returned to his room and locked the journal away before heading down to the dining room.

Setting up the computer was a slow process as Shay wasn’t quite up to date with the latest software; it had always cost too much to keep up with. It was a novelty he’d have enjoyed at any other time, but right now he was just getting frustrated. Flipping the screen shut, he dropped it onto the sofa beside himself and groaned inwardly before standing up.

Standing in the middle of the room, he looked around, eyes darting from the Persian rugs, latest high-tech TV, fancy furniture, the artwork which no doubt cost a small fortune and the money on the desk. Suddenly he felt completely out of place in this old elaborate house, in a city he’d never been to, surrounded by an organisation that he despised up until recently. To top it all off, he was now hunting those he had considered family and would have done anything for, even died for…

Heaving a sigh, he felt decidedly lonely and was struggling not to wallow in self-pity and guilt yet again. He’d been in and out of such moods constantly since leaving the homestead, the memories of Lisbon plagued his mind, especially in his sleep and it dramatically affected his mood. So far he had managed to keep it together with constant distraction by the Finnegan’s and Monro, but now he was left to his own devices with nought much to do.

As if on cue, he heard Holden call out for dinner; he hadn’t planned on going down to eat, but now welcomed the idea. Before going down, he decided to have a quick shower to freshen himself up, knowing after today’s journey he probably looked like Death and probably smelled fairly similar too.

Once finished up, he wrapped a towel around his waist and checked inside the wardrobe for some fresh clothes. A black coat caught his eye; it was long with red embellishments and various other details, almost identical to the one he’d gotten from the Finnegan’s when they found him. With a small smile, he decided to leave it there, right now he only needed a shirt and trousers. Taking out a red button up shirt and black trousers, he threw them on, not bothering to fasten the last few buttons of his collar.

After tying his hair back, he headed downstairs, not entirely sure what direction to go or if he’d taken too long in the shower. Listening out, he followed the direction of the sounds of dinner plates and poked his head through the door.

Haytham sat at the dining table still dressed in his 3 piece black suit from earlier, he saw no point in changing as yet with another meeting scheduled later that evening.
The stew was simple and lain but very warming on this chilly day and although Holden wasn't an especially good cook, this was one dish he could do well. Helping himself to more bread he didn't look up as Charles plonked himself opposite and started shovelling stew off his plate like a barbarian. Haytham swore that he'd use his hands if the cutlery hadn't already been on the table.

He tried to ignore the vile man and eat without vomiting at the noises he was making. Finally Charles had finished gobbeling his dinner.
"So..." he drooled at Haytham, "want to tell me about your new pet?"

He twitched a warning eyebrow at the man and carried on calmly eating which only annoyed the man more.
"how many times have you fucked him then?" he sniggered

"Charles! Your filthy mouth and mind has no place here, if you insist on flapping it about i shall remove it. Do NOT make me repeat myself. Your rudeness knows no bounds and your standing in the Order is already in danger. You will be polite to Mr Cormac and his and MY PRIVATE affairs are none of your business."

Just as Shay entered the room, he heard Charles' last comment and immediately regretted his decision to come downstairs as Haytham went off at him, with due reason. It wasn't because the scruffy dark haired man scared him or that his comment was offensive, Shay had made much worse comments at a much younger age after all, but because he just couldn't be dealing with this shite at the moment.

Putting two and two together, it only made sense that Charles' comment was in reference to him.

With a small smirk, he laughed as he stepped further into the room, making his presence known. "I sense some jealousy, but don't worry, he doesn't have to be polite to me.." Approaching the table, he served himself up a small portion of the stew and took a seat. "As long as he realises I give as good as I get.." He looked pointedly towards Charles, briefly but sternly making eye contact. "And then some." His glare was gone almost as fast as it appeared,  swiftly turning into another small smile as he lifted his fork and tucked in.

The food was simple, but tasty enough and most welcome after the days events. Swallowing, he looked over to Haytham.. "I'll be damned if I can figure out that laptop, I tell ya." It wasn't that he was truly concerned about the thing, but he had the overwhelming urge to create conversation and blatantly ignore the idiot beside him.

Charles sneered and threw down his spoon, "Fine! I'll leave you two to your romantic dinner then" he got up so violently that his chair went over and he could be heard muttering as he stormed out of the room.

"Don't burst a blood vessel Charles." Haytham called after him and carried on eating.
"I do apologise that you heard any of that, he seems a bit put out for some reason." he pushed the basket of bread towards Shay.
"I'm beginning to think he's up to something...i'm not sure, he's been awfully self destructive lately. He'll go drink himself into a stupor now and be no more trouble."
He paused to take a sip of the water next to his plate, " I have no patience for computers myself. I prefer books. I only use them if i have to. I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. I trust everything else is satisfactory?"

A door slammed from somewhere upstairs as Charles made his temper known.

Turning to face Charles, Shay raised his eyebrows at the tantrum and watched him leave before looking back towards the Grand Master.

"It's no problem, I've been around enough sailors that he seems like nothing but a stroppy teenager.." Taking the offer of bread, he tore a small bit off before dunking it in his stew and taking a bite as he listened.

"It's no problem really, I just didn't want to talk to him.." His twitched his head in the direction of the slamming door. "Everything is fine, it all just seems a bit surreal at the moment." Taking a few more bites, he continued. "But if you don't mind me asking, why do you put up with him? Is he not under your order?" This was a welcome distraction; it had nothing to do with his situation and it was refreshing.

Haytham sighed as he finished his meal.
"He was useful once. A good officer too, dedicated and loyal. Something changed and his ambition took over and things went downhill from there. He's on leave at the moment but i'm hoping he has to go back soon, i don't want him underfoot with his tantrums while we have work to do." he sat back in his chair holding the tumbler of water thoughtfully.
 
"Sailors?" he asked, "you served in the Navy Mr Cormac? You don't seem unfamiliar with things such as that." he studied the other man without speaking a moment, evaluating.The other man was younger but you could tell from his eyes that he'd seen more than his fair share of the nastier aspects of the world.

"He seems nought but a burden, but it's not really my place to judge." Surely someone as volatile as that was only a threat to The Order, especially if they couldn't show his superiors respect, Shay thought.

Still eating between conversation, he continued on. "Aye sir, in a way. I'm sure I've spent more time at sea than I have on land, its been my home for many o' years." It pained him to think he could no longer go home, so to speak.

"What a lot o' good that'll do me now, though." With a laugh, he look back at Haytham, still surprised by how at ease he felt around the other man. The assassin's had all made the Templar's out to be monsters and here he was having a perfectly amicable conversation with a Grand Master no less.

"Are things always so..... relaxed around here?.."

"Interesting."  Haytham continued evaluating. Placing his glass back on the table he sat back and folded his hands over his middle. He had no doubt that Cormac was on the level, but there were degrees of trust even if Monro thought this was all genuine. It had been some time since there had been an assassin mole in the Order but it wasn't unlikely. Mr Cormac would have eyes on him a while longer until they could be sure.

"You will receive payment for any work you undertake for us and i think you'll find it not ungenerous. For example a couple of jobs and you'd have enough to live on for quite some time. You'd be able to afford your own home and no one would take that from you. You'll find a bank card and account details in your folder upstairs, there's already a deposit and a few transactions just to make it look legitimate." he paused a moment wondering how much to tell. O well, on his own head be it. If Cormac was an infiltrator he'd have to be killed.

Holden moved in to clear away used crockery and glasses away, his jacket came open as he moved and under it you could see the straps of concealed holsters as he tidied.

"Thank you Holden, it was very good."
Haytham turned back to Shay, "O this is average," he waved a hand, " unless some of the Order is staying, and then the discussions can get a little, shall we say, heated? However when operations are on this is more like a barracks and secondary command centre, the primary is closer to urban areas. I'll show you the armoury some time, if you like that kind of thing it's full of toys. It will get busier here now that i've arrived and need to set up a loyal team. I am hoping that some of our goals will coincide and that we might make use of your talents. I hear that you are handy with a rifle? We have some that might be of interest to you.

O i need to mention, there are a few rules here, obvious things mostly, but there is one of them that should be mentioned now, do not bring anyone back to the house unless they have been vetted by us beforehand, preferably never. If you need some err, personal time, please book a hotel in town." he concluded hurriedly, slightly embarrassed with a faint blush on his cheeks.

Shay listened intently as he finished up his meal, nodding in places. Glancing over to Holden, he quickly noticed the holsters, taking note, but remaining otherwise unfazed. Unfortunately for him, it had been too difficult to travel with guns or any weapons, so if the man decided to use them, Shay would be at a disadvantage; even if he was good at using his surroundings.

"I see.." He had no idea how many places the Templar's claimed around here and was trying to take as may mental notes as he could, which was getting difficult due to lack of sleep. "That sounds like a treat, I feel rather exposed as I am.." Even a knife would be appreciated at the moment, but he figured that could sound like a strange request since he was here to sleep, not carve someone up.
"Yeah, I was rather fond of the one I left behind. It'll be nice to find another that handles so smoothly." Pouring himself a glass of water, he let Haytham speak, an almost inaudible laugh escaping his lips. "I'll be sure to remember that, sir, but I don't feel as though I'm going to have much free time in the foreseeable future."

"Yes well, sorry about that but it had to be mentioned, a few unfortunate incidents have occurred so best get that out the way as soon as possible." he cleared his throat in embarrassment.

"i know you're in desperate need of rest Mr Cormac, but could you tell me anything about the precursor box or journal? I'm sorry if this is too much and please, do say if you'd rather put this off till tomorrow and get an early night and some rest first. I'll show you the armoury and the gym tomorrow as well and we;ll get you suitably kitted out. I Do have some leads for both of us, but those can also wait, the assassins haven't made a move yet but we're monitoring channels and as soon as they do we can anticipate and make a plan."

Haytham stood slowly, he was aching and wanted a hot bath, but it could wait if Mr Cormac was going to share. "may i offer you some wine? beer?" he turned to the sideboard where a considerable amount of alcohol was on display, he wouldn't normally indulge, but it had been a long day and one lonely drink would not impair him in the slightest. He poured himself a small brandy and soda.

“I assure you, there will be no issues where I am concerned..” Watching the older man, Shay couldn’t help but be amused by his apparent embarrassment; it was harder to bother the Irishman and he often didn’t understand why others got flustered so easily.

“No, it’s fine Master Kenway. I find I struggle to sleep recently, so it’s a welcome distraction.” Even though the subject was still an open wound, he didn’t mind talking about it; it wasn’t like he had to go into personal details.

“I don’t suppose you have any rum or whisky? If not, a beer would be great..” Alcohol would also make is easier to talk about, not that getting pissed was really an option. “Is it okay to speak here?” He questioned in regards to Charles Lee; although Haytham had said he’d be out of the way for the rest of the night, Shay didn’t trust him.

Haytham sorted through the bottles on the counter, there was a selection of single malts but he suspected Shay might prefer something a little more drinkable, so the reached for a blend he often chose himself when in the mood and poured out a generous double. Taking both glasses and the bottle he pointed towards a room just of the dining one.

"The lounge is probably more comfortable and also, when the door is shut, soundproof." he made in the direction of the largest sofa, placing the drinks and bottle on the coffee table. The room wasn't large and had probably the most average looking furniture in the house. Not antique but simple and plain Scandinavian stuff that looked a few years old and a little worn.
Haytham settle himself down and put his feet up on the table, seemingly relaxed. "please help yourself" he waved at the drinks.

Shifting up, Shay did as suggested and headed towards the the lounge making sure the door was closed securely before helping himself to a drink. Briefly glancing around the decidedly plain room, he chose to take a seat in a chair nearby the sofa; he thought it would be a bit weird to sit directly next to the older man.

"Thank you.." He motioned towards the drink in his hand before lifting it to his lips and taking a swig. "Now that's nice.." He enjoyed the sensation as it warmed his insides. Taking note of Haytham's relaxed state, he figured he might as well get comfortable too; leaning back into the chair, he held his drink against his thigh and rested slightly to the side.

Going quiet for a moment, Shay tried to find the best place to start.. "I'll be honest with you, I've seen the precursor box activated, but I'm not the best person for knowledge on its purpose.." He knew better than most what artifacts the precursor box lead to and what form of devastation they could trigger, but he was damned sure there was a hell of a lot more to it than that. There would be a lot of power in the hands of the person that obtained both the manuscript and box and that was exactly why he'd taken the manuscript from Achilles in the first place.

"When activated, the box shows a map of the earth.. Like a projection..and it pinpoints several specific locations; like that in Lisbon." Taking another rather large swig of his drink, he stared down into his lap. "I don't think these.. Artifacts are meant to be touched. Having the box and manuscript in the wrong hands is dangerous and I have every intention of stopping the people who seek to use them." Of course, he meant his old allies and wouldn't stop at any cost to prevent the same disaster happening again.

"Interesting.You believe that the box has shown locations identical to Lisbon? and that the same things would happen if they were interfered with? You also believe that the assassins will find a way to use the box and continue with their course of action?"

Haytham was concerned. He'd still have along way to go in reading Reginalds journals but was sure there was more about both the box and the manuscript to find. He took a sip of his drink letting the burning subside while he thought. "Do you know that both items were in our hands for some time before they decided to steal them? And i believe that you took part in aquiring them for the assassins? My apologies for the twenty questions, i'm just trying to get information straight."

He wasn't sure exactly how much Shay knew and he wasn't going to let slip that the box was more than just a map and the book more than just a journal at this point. Cormac might suspect but that would be about all.

"It can't have been an easy decision to abandon all you knew and come to us. What you have told us so far is invaluable. There will be many among us who won't trust you, so be careful. I'll provide as much help as i can, you won't be on your own. For the moment, we're tracking several operations over the globe and one or more might have leads to this business."

“I’m positive..One of the artifacts was found in Haiti before we even got the box to work and the same thing happened there. At the time, I was informed it wasn’t related, but there’s no doubting it now..” His voice took on a slightly bitter angry tone which clearly wasn’t directed towards Haytham. “They did it once and then again, so why not a third?.. I got the impression that Achilles intended to continue on following through with such madness.” Taking a deep breath, the younger man composed himself to go on.

“I do.. I uh.. I helped in the retrieval of the manuscript at the time.” Pausing briefly, he thought over his next few words, trying to decide whether it wise to be totally honest on this occasion, but he saw no reason to hide the truth. Haytham already knew of his previous alliance and it should come to no surprise that he did his duty as an assassin at the time.. “I was the one who took the precursor box back from Samuel Smith..” He avoided reminding the man that he had assassinated the individuals before doing so. When he thought about it, he felt even more to blame for everything that had happened, but if it hadn’t been him, it would have been someone else.
Throwing back the last of his drink, he put the glass on the table. “I need eyes in my arse as it is anyway, what’s a few more people to keep an eye on.” Shay laughed before continuing. “That’s reassuring. If we could just get the box back then we’d be in a good position…” He trailed off and went quiet.

Haytham finished his drink and sat in silence for a while just thinking.
Just as it was about to get to that awkward stage he decided to speak.
"I also know that you feel guilt over your time with the assassins and those you killed for their cause. Don't. This was has been going on eons and both sides kill to get what they want. When you become part of us, you take on the responsibility of taking lives and also the knowledge that your own may be taken at any time and for any reason. It's part of who we are Mr Cormac...Shay."

He leaned forward to place the empty glass on the table, "I, know that you blame yourself for all these deaths, but honestly, you're just part of a machine, doing what you must to survive, like us all." he gestured to the bottle, "another?"

The box was beginning to be an annoyance. If the assassins opened it first and found a storehouse or another of those things that destroyed Haiti and Lisbon, they'd all go to hell.
"I've been chasing these artifacts and sites for most of my adult life now, i'm hoping what i've learned and the resources i have, give us the edge and put us ahead in the game."

A distant chime from the hallway struck 11 and Haytham realised how weary he felt. His own travelling and that meting with Borgia had drained him more than he realised and he stifled a yawn. "i beg your pardon Mr Cormac."

Shay sat a bit awkwardly as the silence ensued, wondering if he’d overstepped his boundary. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if he had, but he’d much rather the other man just spoke up. Just as he was about to say something, Haytham broke the silence and surprised him.

This wasn’t something he’d really expected; he wasn’t fishing for comfort, it wasn’t something that eased his guilt, but it was still somewhat reassuring in a roundabout way. At least it seemed the Templar’s were honest about their goals; the assassin’s had always disguised their wrong-doings as the greater good… What good come from leveling Lisbon? He questioned himself.

“I know, duty comes first and if I can make a difference and prevent the same thing happenin’ again, then I will keep doing what I must.” He spoke truthfully, knowing full well he could live out the rest of his days as a hunter, but it would be the right thing to do; the world was at stake.

Looking at the bottle, he briefly contemplated another drink, “I suppose another won’t hurt…” He poured out a small amount, not wanting to get carried away; it would be so easy to just keep drinking right now, but he was already at a massive disadvantage in his surrounding, getting drunk on top of it would hardly be wise.

Raising the glass to his lips for a sip, he listened intently, not surprised by the revelation. “The assassin’s have their ways too, sir, but they won’t get away with this. I won’t stop, not until they do…. Whether that means they come to their senses or if I have to kill each and every one of them.” His voice spoke of resolute determination, but his heart ached, knowing what it truly meant he’d have to do.

“Don’t let me keep you, Master Kenway. I can entertain myself.”

"We have several other Knights arriving in the next week or so, they all have skills that will be useful to both of us." Haytham paused again
"I admire your determination, i know what divided loyalties and feelings can do to a person. The Templars and the assassins aren't as different from each other as they'd like to think. Once i thought i could broker a peace between our kind but then the artefacts started appearing and it was pushed aside. Similarities, differences, they all boil down to nothing in the end."

He poured himself another indulgent shot of alcohol, why not, it wasn't like he would be drunk and he'd at least be able to defend himself if necessary. swirling the amber liquid around in the glass before sipping
"This course we're heading on...it isn't the safest and we shall do what we must." He was resolute on that point.

Finishing off the whisky he set the glass down and pushed it away from the edge with a finger, "yes, we do what we must. if you'll excuse me Mr Cormac i still have a little work to do before resting. If you get lost, just use one of the wall phones to call Holden, he'll set you right. O and you might want to lock your doors tonight. Just a precaution." He stood and put a hand on Shays' shoulder a moment, "Goodnight."