Here I Stand

"You did well enough to pass," Thiago smiled as he took a bite of fish, "Next we need to see how you are with esgueirando e esfaqueamento {sneaking and stabbing}. While you were gone, I sent out five recruits armed with sparring weapons. They will attack you on sight. It is your job to take a flag from each one without being seen."

"And so it shall be done," Au'lani said, giving a mock salute once more before turning and making her way into the village once more. She remember her father making her run through the forest or the village and collect him flags, but she never had to fight someone for one.

Being that she was small and petite, she easily blended into large crowds of people. She used that to her advantage, scanning her eyes for her fellow brothers she saw one head down an alley. She perked up, and easily broke through the crowd, and made sure that no one dropped their woven baskets.

She curiously looked down the alley and saw him turn down another corridor, she glanced around before moving a little bit faster to catch back up to him. Pressing her back against the wall, she stooped low and then slowly peered around the corner to see where the assassin had gone.

A foot appeared in her vision, and she quickly slammed her body back around against the wall fro protection. She was tackled to the ground. She yanked out her training blade and tried to push it in a vital area, the other assassin though grabbed Lani's wrist and the two battled for pure strength, but neither let up. The assassin beneath her then got his knee onto her knee and she fell off of him with a yelp of pain, and then looked up to see the assassin struggle to his feet, she charged and slammed the blunt blade into his rib cage, it shot back in her slave, since it was just a training weapon and the assassin shoved her off him, obviously not happy with her winning.

Reluctantly, he handed her a white handkerchief with the Creed symbol.

"Peace be upon you," Au'lani said, pocketing the handkerchief in her breast pocket and moving onto the next assassin.

-----

Au'lani was tired and it was showing, she had a bruise on her right cheek from being punched by assassin number three, and a split lip from assassin number two. And though she hid it well, she had clumsily twisted her own ankle against assassin number four. Granted she was certain none of them were to actually do her bodily harm, but her taunts during their fights decided to put the novice in her place. But they were, obviously, ordered to hand over their flags when stabbed with the dull blade of her hidden blade and so as such, all had to reluctantly let her walk away.

Though she was sure that she had made many enemies.

Taunt them, make them angry, her father had told her during a meal, an opponent's greatest downfall is their emotion, that's why Owie, you must never reveal your own.

It didn't take long for the teenager to spot her next target. This time he was staying in crowds too. She fidgeted nervously, she hated having to kill in plain sight and not make a scene. Making sure her blade was ready, she used other people to block her until she was close enough and then tried stabbing him in the side, but he grabbed her wrist quickly and then pushed her into a clearing surrounded by other houses, a bit hidden.

"An assassin who can't use stealth," questioned her brother, "foolish."

That flared the young assassin's anger as she threw herself at him, but he took out a blade and she quickly had to rethink her attack as she slid to her knees and bent back, avoiding the blade as she turned her cheek to him. As she skidded closer to him she jumped back up, and brought her leg up perfectly straight, and as he stumbled back from the impact, she brought her heel down, whacking him and sending him to the ground.

The slight moment of strength revealing her father's training before the other assassin, was up once more and revealed his blade once more, she jumped back, but it nicked her side, making her hiss in pain at the small cut. The blood easily started to form a small blotch in her fitting white clothes. She ignored the pain and instead did a back hand spring to avoid his weapon and then charged him doing exactly as her father told her: gaining her power from her legs, which were stronger, and pushing her shoulder into his ribs.

He stumbled away and landed with a thud.

She jumped on him, and held him down with her hand and her knee to his gut, "Yield." The assassin didn't like being ordered by such a novice and it showed in his facial expression, but Au'lani grabbed the handkerchief and gave him a wink, and then patted his cheek before pocketing her final flag and strutting away from the assassin.

Eagerly wanting to please her Teacher- er, Thiago, Au'lani made her way to him as quickly as she could with all five flags in her breast pocket.

Au'lani wrote:She rolled her shoulders as she noticed a couple of other assassins or passersbyers glancing at them and she suddenly grew nervous. She'd never had an audience before, should she try and impress them? It was always just her and her father, she never thought about peers.

Masumi had been on the roof top slacking off taking a break when she saw a figure returning to the den via roof tops. Perhaps the new comer? Apparently there was supposed to be another foreigner. Masumi couldn't tell from her vantage point, only that the person seemed as comfortable traversing above the streets as any cat native to Nagasaki. The house keeper took a moment to day dream herself in the shoes of the new comer, traveling the cities with such grace and speed. Ultimately, she couldn't decide whether she'd be exhilarated or terrified. She let herself linger long enough to watch the figure take off again, before slowly descending from the roof top to return to her cleaning.

A look of shock washed over Thiago's face, "What happened? How many fights did you get into? How badly are you hurt? Why are you bleeding?"

"Just three...out of the five," Au'lani said with a nonchalant shrug, technically it was true. Assassin number two had backhanded her because of her being disrespectful towards him, he didn't appreciate her prideful attitude. And then her twisted ankle was her own clumsiness. She hid her pain well, and then realized he said bleeding. Looking down she noticed the small spot on her robes, "Oh, just a scratch," she assured though now that she looked at it, she would need stitches.

"I don't think my brothers appreciate a novice like me, that or they are just preparing me," she explained, "I believe they may have thought that I'd be more trained I s'pose."

Her nonchalance to the situation probably wasn't a good idea, but in her minds eye she saw it as them giving her a hard time because they cared. Or at least, that's why she believed her father was so rough with her all the time. In an actual fight, there isn't going to be anyone there to hold your hand or bandage you up. Better beat the lesson in on the first try then have them be pampered and unprepared.

"Você definitivamente melhor em corrida do que esgueirando," he whispered to himself, "You did well enough to pass. Better than most beginners at the stealth. MASUMI!! We will need to get your wounds tended before we give you another test."

After a minute, Masumi could be seen swiftly approaching the pair. When she saw the new person standing next to Lopes-tono, she briefly pondered of this was the same person gracing the roof tops of Nagasaki before.

"Tono, what do you do with your apprentices?" Masumi said softly toward the master assassin, exasperation hinted in the tone of her voice.

To the younger assassin, Masumi introduced herself, "How do you do? My name is Masumi. I am the housekeeper at this place." She offered a relatively formal bow. "With your permission, I have experience in tending wounds. I have supplies inside, or perhaps you would rather follow me to the kitchen?" Masumi was in tune with body language, watching the young assassin for clues on the extent of her injuries.

Au'lani smiled and tried to bow, the scratch in her side though made her rethink in doing so, and so instead she gave a nod. "Nice to meet you too, I can follow you into the kitchen," Owie offered and then gestured for her to lead the way.

"I guess then a thank you is in order," Au'lani said, trying to make conversation as she moved along side her, "for allowing the Order to accommodate in your home. It's very nice of you, and it's a lovely home."

Au'lani wrote:Au'lani smiled and tried to bow, the scratch in her side though made her rethink in doing so, and so instead she gave a nod. "Nice to meet you too, I can follow you into the kitchen," Owie offered and then gestured for her to lead the way.

"I guess then a thank you is in order," Au'lani said, trying to make conversation as she moved along side her, "for allowing the Order to accommodate in your home. It's very nice of you, and it's a lovely home."

"You're very kind," Masumi answered, flushing a bit, "Actually, it was Lopes-tono who took me in not too long ago." Taking note of young assassin's gait, Masumi asked, "Sama*, was your foot injured?"

(*A/N I originally posted senpai, until I realized that senpai is an honorific for higher ranking co-workers. While sama would be more appropriate, I am unsure whether or not it is used on its own).

Blushing at the formal name, Au'lani said, "You can just call me Owie," she said, though she thought it was very sweet that Masumi thought so highly over her, at the mention of her foot Au'lani gave a grin, "Um yeah, that was actually my own fault in all honesty. Kind of tripped over my own two feet clumsily."

They entered the kitchen and the young assassin hopped onto the counter, and swung her legs. A childish behavior that wasn't seen often from the young novice.

Au'lani wrote:Blushing at the formal name, Au'lani said, "You can just call me Owie," she said, though she thought it was very sweet that Masumi thought so highly over her, at the mention of her foot Au'lani gave a grin, "Um yeah, that was actually my own fault in all honesty. Kind of tripped over my own two feet clumsily."

They entered the kitchen and the young assassin hopped onto the counter, and swung her legs. A childish behavior that wasn't seen often from the young novice.

"Oh-wee-san?" Masumi said aloud, repeating it enough times until she committed the strange name to memory. The house keeper hardly minded the novice's behavior, she'd seen stranger in the duration of her employment*.

"Would you tell me where you are injured?" Masumi had supplies to clean the cuts, salve for bruises, and bandages to stop the bleeding, all the while handling these supplies with familiarity. For the ankle, Masumi applied a generous amount of the salve, effectively melting most of the pain into tingling, before carefully wrapping the cloth bandages around the foot. Handing the new Assassin a container of the salve, Masumi advised, "I believe it is a strain. If you rest the foot initially it will heal quickly. You can rub this mixture around your ankle to numb the pain, but do not be tricked into thinking that an absence of pain means it's okay to depend of that foot heavily. Try to keep it raised if you are able, that will help with swelling. Avoid the hot springs for now. If you wish, I could find a stick to help you keep the weight off of the foot. If any of your injuries get worse, I can help you find someone else who can help you." Masumi wondered whether or not to recommend visiting a temple for purification, but previous experience had told her that the foreigners seemed to have their own methods of handling the kami.

"Um, is there anything else I can assist you with Owie-san?"

*(A/N: see "day to day" thread for some of Masumi's own odd habits.)

Au'lani stilled her swinging legs as Masumi wrapped her ankle. She listened to her instructions and nodded along, understanding what she was saying. "Understood, and no thank you," Au'lani said to the crutch, "It's not that bad." She insisted with a smile and a dismissive wave. "Um, just a cut here," Lani said trying to just move her clothing so that she could get to it. But her attire wouldn't allow Masumi to get to the cut, so with a sigh, Zjane slipped her arms through the head of her outfit and rolled it down so that it was at her hips. Revealing a toned stomach with scars along her side and some that danced towards her back.

Her chest bound in a wrap and she turned so that Masumi could get to her cut better. It wasn't deep enough for stitches, and it had stopped bleeding because the blood dried. Au'lani blushed at being so exposed to anyone, but would rather be exposed than not get any help.

"Alright, you should be good to go," Masumi announced, before gently adding, "Make sure to stay off of your injured foot, or it will take longer to heal."

"I do not know how you injured your foot. From what I have seen, you move with grace," Masumi noted, which basically translated to: I highly doubt you were telling about how you really injured your foot because you show too much talent to merely be "clumsy", but you have no obligation to tell me the truth.

"Are you finished here?" Thiago looked around, noticing Au'Lani adjusting the arms of her robes as if she had just put them back on, "Muito bom. Masumi, you may go take a rest if you wish," he swiped his nose with his thumb as his arms crossed, "Come with me. I have one more for you, but before that, I need to know something," he lead her outside.

"You said that you got into three fights. That means that you went unnoticed twice, but beat three trained Assassins," they came upon an area near the gate where five Assassins stood side-by-side in a line formation, "Now, none of these irmaos are speaking. Who did you best?"

((A/N: Sorry, I don't know why this didn't post :O ))

Au'lani just finished adjusting her robes when Thiago had entered. "Are you finished here?" Thiago questioned, which she responded with a nod. She then followed his orders and started to follow him, but stopped to turn back to Masumi and gave a low bow, "Domoarigatou gozaimasu! I'll try to follow your orders, Masumi-sama," She responded, not only thanking her for the treatment, but for not pushing into asking her about how she hurt her ankle.

"Now, none of these irmaos are speaking. Who did you best?"

Naturally, being of the familiar culture, Au'lani immediately blushed at the question. She easily spotted who the three were, but all five were glaring at her, obviously not wanting her to tell. Owie, naturally responded to Thiago, on an instant, "I doubt I bested them," she put herself down, "I'm sure it was just beginner's luck."

She was wary to answer the older Master, but knew that she probably should. But again, her peers looked as though they would not be happy with her if she said anything. She fidgeted in her spot uncomfortably as her gaze looked to him. Should she listen to him? Or side with her peers?

Au'lani knew if her father was here, then he would scold her for even hesitating to answer someone higher in command. So she pointed out two on the left, both at least two heads taller than Au'lani. Broader shouldered, males, and strong jaws poking out of their hoods. And a female who wasn't as endowed as Owie, she had been fast and quicker than the novice, but Lani had pinned her somehow and taken her flag.

As she had expected, the three weren't exactly happy with being called out as they tensed when her finger pointed to them.

Thiago tried to look inquisitive with his hand covering his smile. "Obrigado {Thank You}, Senhorita Rivers."
He could see the indignation of his brothers, but was not concerned. "Rest easy irmaos, this one has undergone extensive training in o Pacífico and I just wanted to run her though one of her mid-ranked trials. You will get such a trial yourselves in time. Go wash yourselves. Dinner will be in an hour." He could tell from her demeanor that she was not an Assassin, but her father's training still shone through. He still had one more test for her, "Walk this way. Have you ever killed a man?"

Au'lani visibly relaxed at hearing that there were no reprecussians towards her fellow brothers and sisters. And they all shared a glance at the mention of her having previous training. And then at the mention of food decided to forget about her completely as they grumbled a good bye to Thiago and then marched off. Owie, obediently, followed Thiago though as he instructed and kept pace with him with ease.

At the mention of killing a man, Au'lani bit her lip and shook her head, "I-I guess it was kind of a way to keep me as his 'baby-girl'," Au'lani explained, "but my father didn't even teach me how to fish, in all honesty. I've never had to, needed to, or had a desire to kill anything on purpose."

At the mention of her ignorance she blushed slightly and then asked tentatively, "Have...you ever killed a person, Sempai?"

"More than I care to count," he casually informed her, "At first, I could not sleep, but it needed to be done. Then I had nightmares because they were the enemy. Then I did not lose sleep because they were following their orders; as was I. Now I rest easily because I see the world that I have fought so hard to improve finally becoming realidade. Have you seen Nagasaki? I helped to found this cidade bela {beautiful city}. She is our fortaleza {fortress}, but she is also our paraíso {paradise}."

They arrived there. A pig stood in a pen. It had clearly just finished eating and was now wandering aimlessly.

"This is umporco. She will be our dinner tomorrow night. Take this," he handed the student a real hidden blade, "You know what to do."

As the Master recounted his stages, Au'lani suddenly did get afraid of death. Her eyes widened as she thought of Thiago going what he said he had. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern and a slight pout formed on her face with worry. She kept her gaze on him as he walked, taking in everything that he had said.

"Have you seen Nagasaki? I helped to found this cidade bela {beautiful city}. She is our fortaleza {fortress}, but she is also our paraíso {paradise}."

"It is definitely nothing like I've seen," Au'lani said, used to small villages closing the gap between the rural homes that she lived in, "A bit noisy too than what I'm used to."

"This is umporco. She will be our dinner tomorrow night. Take this," he handed the student a real hidden blade, "You know what to do."

Taking the blade, Au'lani had never thought of death until he was telling her to do so. She knew it was just a pig but at that moment she saw a person. She didn't know the person at all, but they were still a person. Looking back at Thiago she said, "You want me to...?"

"Sim {Yes}," he nodded and motioned toward umporco as if to give her permission.

Au'lani hesitated before jumping over the fence and into the pen, being sure to land on her good foot. The pig looked up at her and snorted, before going back to pushing her snout into the dirt once more. It looked so cute and innocent that Owie's heart went out to the creature. In an attempt to stall, she turned to Thiago and said, "Um...does it matter where?"

It was kind of a dumb question, but Lani's heart was beating quickly in her chest as she thought of the idea of killing anything. It made her sad. She kind of didn't want to be an assassin, would shame her family, but at the same time the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her father.

Thiago did hot speak. Rather, he pantomimed the best places to stick a hidden blade: the neck, through the palate and into the brain, the spine of the neck, and the back of the ribs.

Au'lani bit her lip tentatively and looked down at the creature, Stop making this such a big deal, she thought to herself, it's just a pig, you eat it all the time! Kneeling down, she ran her hand under it's chin carefully as it snorted happily.

With her eyes cut tightly, she thrust the blade into the pig's skull. The swine gave a squeal of alarm, maybe pain, Au'lani would never know, before going limb. Pulling the blade back out, she allowed the dead animal to fall to the ground as she stared at the blade, the thick, crimson liquid rolling down in droplets.

Standing, Owie turned and looked at Thiago carefully.

Thiago closed his eyes and nodded. He knew now not to look a novice in the eyes after they have killed. No matter what he showed, they would always reflect their self-judgement into their teacher's eyes. It was best to show nothing instead. He only opened his arms to offer a comforting embrace. "You did well," he whispered.

Au'lani dropped the knife and accepted the embrace happily, finding comfort in the Master as she shook her head, "I don't understand why it was so hard- I'm sorry," she apologized, she didn't cry but found great comfort in his embrace. Being away from home, killing something for the first time; her sadness seemed childish, even to her, but at the same time, though she had been trained at a young age, she had still been sheltered.