Reunion || ezio & sapphire [M]

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he asked if all the horses here were mine, and i shrugged nonchalantly. "they are now. some of them i rescued, and brought back from the brink of death. other's i stole from rich bastards who abused them." i ran my hand down the length of the gray horse's face that had greeted me, and then looked up to see ezio approaching the strawberry blond colored mare. i was just about to tell him no when the mare responded positively to him. my green eyes grew big, and my jaw fell slack open.

what...how? my hand dropped from the gray's face, and i blinked a few times at him. he asked if she was broken, and i shook my head. "definitely not. she killed my last helper when he tried to break her. threw him right off her back, and made sure she came back to finish the job." i looked at the mare thoughtfully. "hell, half the time if i don't have sugar cubes, or carrots she'll try to bite my head off when it's feeding time, or time for her grooming." i leaned back against one of the stalls, still watching ezio thoughtfully.

"it took trickery to rescue her. she was much too fast for any of the horses i had at the time. she was scheduled to be killed, and despite my trying to rescue her, she didn't want anything to do with it." ungrateful witch. still. maybe she just needed the right person to take interest in her.

[[ Rσσ ]]

"She killed somebody?" I repeated, my Italian accent growing thicker the more time I spent around the mare and, then, I began to talk to her in my primary language. I rubbed under her mane and then, carefully, unbolted the door to her stall and stepped inside, "She seems harmless, Sapphire!" I called with a little chuckle whilst the young mare followed me about her stall with her muzzle close to my lower back. I then turned back to her and settled my hands upon her cheeks. "Can I try anyway? I may not be quite as fast as I used to be but I can still get out of trouble quickly..."

I stepped back out of her stall and slipped the bolt across. I returned my gaze to Sapphire whilst I reached for the mare's halter and rope and I held it in my hands as though it were made of gold. I felt as though I could trust this mare more than any other horse I'd ridden before. After all, I was experienced with misbehaving horses. I'd ridden troublesome beasts more than once and each time I'd fallen I'd gotten back up just as quickly. I was confident that this young horse would take care of me although Sapphire appeared to believe otherwise.

"I'll put her right back and pick another if she looks like she's going to misbehave. I promise."

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he repeated my words, disbelief lacing his italian accent. she really did seem harmless. i shrugged my shoulders as he spoke, and said "if i were to get close to her right now she'd probably try to bite my hand off." he then exited the stall, and asked me if he could still try. i laughed, and moved back toward the entrance of the barn to rummage through the tack room. i returned with a bridle, saddle pad, and saddle that i placed on the wall of her stall.

i then tilted my crown toward her. "you're a big boy, ezio. go ahead, and take her out into the corral. we don't have much time for test riding though, so make it quick." i grinned playfully at him, and then turned my back to him to ready the horse i picked. he was a dappled smokey gray that occupied the stall across from ezio, and his pick. i slipped into the stall, and ran the brush over his smokey coat quickly before lifting all four of his hooves, and picking out the hay, and dirt that were in his frog.

the male turned, and nipped my ass playfully as i was cleaning his front hoof. i dropped his hoof, and turned to eye him. "ezio, you have some competition it would seem. Switch here just made a move for my ass." i chuckled playfully, and began to exit his stall.

[[ Rσσ ]]

I eyed the tack curiously before taking hold of the bridle and putting the halter in its place. I put it on her carefully, allowing the mare to open her mouth in her own time without forcing my fingers between her teeth. Once she grew comfortable I fastened the bridle around her head before taking hold of the saddle cloth and lifting the saddle and girth on my other arm. I then slipped back inside of the stable, placed the pad over her back, and then lowered the saddle. I adjusted it upon her back to ensure it was in the right position and then gently tightened the girth around her barrel. I spoke to her continuously, offering her praise and approval and gentle words. I started calling her many things in Italian as though she'd understand all I was saying, including 'bella', 'amore mio' and 'bambina'. All of the gentle words took away my nerves and, I hoped, would soothe her.

Once I had her saddled I mirrored just what Sapphire had done; I picked up each hoof with care and gently removed all dirt and muck. Her coat was spotless; I assumed Sapphire must've only tried to ride her a day or so ago due to her cleanliness. Some of the other horses here had gathered some dirt. Once I had her ready to leave I returned to her shoulder where I stood and ran my hand down the length of her neck once or twice. The mare craned her neck and turned her head towards me with forward ears and bright eyes and, once again, I felt reassured that she was safe. I almost began to believe that Sapphire was lying about this mare being dangerous. With a few more soft words, I took hold of the reins and lead the tall, muscular mare from her holdings and walked her outside. I stopped her in the centre of the corral and then, carefully, raised my leg to the stirrup. She was extremely tall and so I gave a grunt of effort before I hauled myself up and onto her back. Sitting slowly and softly, I remained low against her neck for a couple of seconds before up-righting myself and placing my other foot into the stirrup...

She didn't move, to my surprise, and I gave her a gentle nudge to move her forwards. No other reaction was given other than the swivel of her right ear and her hooves falling into action on the dirt. She only walked with a relaxed stance and I gathered further confidence in this animal to remove one hand from the reins and to massage the top of her neck. Here I waited, riding around on my new found friend, for Sapphire to exit on her horse of choice.

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i heard him lead the mare out, and i stopped tacking switch long enough to peek over the corner. he swung up into the saddle as if she were perfectly trained. that stinker made a liar out of me! hmphing to myself, i finished tightening the stallion's girth, and then took the reins, and began to lead him out of the stables. "i normally would have picked citation," i glanced back at the gelding who was glaring at switch from his stall, and then shook my head before placing my foot in the stirrup, and swinging up into the saddle.

"but i need a horse that can keep up with yours. have a name for her? i haven't named her." that was a lie. she had a name, but it was along the lines of 'witch', and i didn't think he would appreciate knowing that. i settled down into the saddle, and switch shifted beneath me, but stayed still until i nudged him forward. he moved forward with grace, his hooves picking up from the ground naturally, and then landed as quietly as possible once again. i nodded in an approving manner, and then glanced toward ezio.

"do we need to get supplies from the house, or do you just want to wing it?" i had nonperishable food, water, and such in the house, but if he wanted to get a move on we might as well just go.

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"Vera. I like Vera." It seemed appropriate; I used to know a girl named Vera who'd act terribly around others but, when I was around as a young man, her mannerisms changed as she tried to impress me. It never worked, but I appreciated her efforts.
I halted the seventeen-hands-high mare and watched Sapphire exit the barn with a smile. I was proud of myself, proud of the mare I was sitting upon. Nudging her forwards and out towards Sapphire, I took a moment to ponder on what she had said. "I'm sure we'll be fine," He began, "I have money and there's towns along the way. We'll always have somewhere to rest and somewhere to eat and drink." That much he was certain of. Last time he'd ridden to Roma he'd stopped off many times on the way. Sometimes they were just tiny villages but he preferred those. There was less chance of being recognised there.

"Are you ready?" He questioned as the mare danced closer to the steed the woman was mounted upon and lipped playfully at his shoulder. Now in reaching distance, I shifted in my saddle, wrapped an arm around Sapphire's waist and pressed a kiss to her cheek before straightening myself to ensure I didn't make my new found friend uncomfortable. I went back to rubbing her mane once again with a gentle smile plastered on my face. 

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he told me that he wanted to name her vera. i eyed her for a moment, and then decided that she deserved to have a real name. "that sounds good to me."

i nodded as ezio told me that we would be fine. that was fine by me. it was less weight for the horses to have to carry. i shifted in my saddle, and leaned back to make sure that the saddle bag was in place. though it was empty save for a coin purse, i wanted to make sure it was secure so that we would have some sort of storage if we found that we needed it.

switch huffed through his nostrils as her lips met his flesh, and he swung around to nudge his maw against her neck just as playfully. he gave a content bob of his crown, and shifted once more below me. when ezio leaned over and planted a kiss on my cheek, i blushed softly, and leaned over in my saddle to steal a kiss. it was a quick brush of our lips, and i was sitting erect in the saddle once more with reins in hand. i gave the stallion a few gentle taps of my heels and he was off, bolting toward the fence with no intention of going through the gate.

as we approached he lifted up onto his hind legs, and tucked his front columns in so that he could clear the jump. i rose in my stirrups slightly, and leaned just a fraction of a inch forward with him so that i wouldn't throw him off balance when we landed. in another moment, his front hooves touched the ground followed by his hind hooves. i reined him in or else he would have kept going, and lets face it, i didn't know where roma was. i had to wait for ezio, and vera.

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At first I sat behind and watched whilst the mare danced beneath me. I stayed balanced, just watching my amore and her horse dart off into the distance... I could remember her teaching me how to jump properly and now that I had an English saddle I was sure I'd find it easier. I gathered the reins in my hands, leaned forwards to mutter a few encouraging words to Vera, and then with a click of my tongue and a nudge with my heels she shot forwards. There was little restraint in her gallop as she raced headlong towards the fence and, just as I'd hoped, she took off from the ground, cleared the fence, and landed almost two meters from it.
I mirrored Sapphire's position perfectly - remembering all she'd told me before I'd left her - and sat well in the landing. I'll admit, I collapsed slightly in my seat when she decided she didn't want to stop but I soon gathered myself and sat upright. I turned my head back to look towards Sapphire, allowing the mare beneath me to slow down in her own time.

"Keep up, si!?" I called back with a laugh, then turned my head forwards to focus on where we were headed. Eventually, Vera slowed herself to a comfortable canter and I released the reins, keeping control of the previously vicious mare with only one hand. Now I only hoped that our journey would be simple and safe without any unnecessary drama.

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i watched with a grin on my face as ezio and vera launched from the ground, and ezio's stance was perfect. so perfect. vera landed easily, and ezio's landing was a little rough, but nothing too bad to cause vera to keel over. vera continued running past switch and i, and ezio's little taunt caused me to bark out in laughter. "si, i can keep up." i replied, letting our native tongue slide off my tongue. i had been born in italy, but raised else where. so my accent may not be as pure as ezio's...damn. he could still send my insides soaring with his accent.

i nudged switch forward, and gave him his head to which he happily obliged. he broke out into an all out sprint just to catch up to ezio and vera, but once he did he slowed down to the mares pace. i rocked in the saddle, my thighs hugging switch's sides. i glanced toward ezio, and wondered briefly how a man so deadly could be so sweet to me. i also wondered how it was a miracle we didn't end up in bed just yet. perhaps it was the distraction of the group that he had just learned of. i chuckled to myself.

i didn't care if we were off to complete a mass murder of worthless flesh bags. i only cared that i had ezio back.

[[ Rσσ ]]

We rode for a very long time; I made a point of stopping at wells whenever we passed through small towns for the horses to drink and I'd often hop off of Vera's back to fetch a drink for myself and Sapphire too. Eventually, however, we made it to our stopping place for the night. It was a small building with a small Assassin's flag hanging from one of the second floor windows. I stayed here often and they welcomed me with open arms and I was sure they would do the same for my company. The barn was positioned directly next door and was dimly lit by candlelight. It had a low roof but was quite wide, and only held six stalls. A stable boy was sat outside on an old wooden barrel who oversaw any people coming in and out.
I walked Vera through the open gates and into the barn with little more than the nod of my head to the boy. I slipped from the mare's back for the final time today, lead her into a roomy stall, and began to carefully relieve her of her tack. Now that I was here I was comfortable to once again pull down my hood in synchronisation with my other hand removing the bridle. I watched Vera chew the air that replaced the bit before cupping her muzzle and giving it a loving kiss.

Once I finally had my mare free of her bridle and saddle, I made my way out of the stall. I dropped the bridle on a hook and settled the saddle on a make-shift wooden stand with a tiny smile at the thing's wonky legs and painfully obvious DIY beginnings. Then, I returned my attention to Sapphire and turned to face her. I sat myself down on a barrel alike to the stable boy and forced back another smile.

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it was finally time to call it a night. I was fine with that. Honestly, i was at home in the saddle, but ezio and I had some unfinished work. I held switch back whilst ezio entered the barn with the female and chose a roomy stall with some fresh hay. We would bring them some water a little later so they wouldn't make themselves sick by drinking too much after just being ridden so long. I slid down from switch's back, and lead him the rest of the way in by the reins.

I settled him into the stall across from vera to make it feel like home, and began stripping him of all his tack. Like vera, he was extremely glad to have the metal bar out of his mouth. He swished his banner around happily, and dropped to his side to roll. I groaned. I would have to brush him before we left this morning. I glanced toward ezio, and found him perched on a barrel akin to the stable boy. There were no other seats, so I approached ezio and plopped myself into his lap.

One arm wrapped around his neck for support, and I glanced up at him through long black lashes. "So where are we?" I asked softly, itching to kiss him but there was a boy present.

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I took a small breath as Sapphire sat herself over my lap and I wrapped an arm around her to haul her further up my thighs. There I held her, occasionally glancing behind her at the boy as I tried to catch his attention. "We," I began, finally gesturing the boy away. He stood up, pushed his barrel aside, then hurried into the inn, "Are in Viterbo. Right next door to Roma."
Now I was able to give Sapphire my complete attention my arm tightened around her waist to carefully shift her even closer. My hand lowered to settle on her rear once I was pleased with where she was positioned and my free hand raised to stroke a strand of her red hair away from her face and I tucked it carefully behind her ear. Then I paused, hand settling on the woman's cheek... Now I could finally appreciate her beauty once again, just as I always used to. This felt just as it used to when I laid beside her at night and just watched her. I found this woman beautiful enough to fascinate me at the strangest of times.

Once I felt as though I'd reminded myself of her beauty clearly, I moved my hand to cup her chin with my index and middle finger. From there I guided her closer to me and I kept eye contact before letting my eyelids droop and my head to tilt so my lips caught hers. My arm tightened once more and my hand gripped, but this time my hand didn't move from where it had previously settled. The kiss made me feel at home, made me feel comfortable and relaxed, and made me feel safe. I hadn't realised quite how much I'd missed her until we'd arrived here and I had the chance to sit and think...

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he pulled me closer to him to which I happily obliged. My green eyes gazed over his shoulder, and normally I would have said something to ezio about how he dismissed others, but right now I was just happy to have him all to myself. It was tough being in love with an assassin. He told me where we were, and I nodded.

His hand slid to my rear, and adjusted me even further up onto his thighs. His other hand moved some of my hair from my cheek, and secured it behind my hair. His hand finally came to a rest at my chin. I made eye contact with him, and closed my eyes to receive his kiss.

My other arm rose to wrap around his neck, and I pressed my body firmly against his. I inhaled deeply, and knew that a fire had been enited in me. I needed him. My rear shifted against him, and I pressed my lips against his in a urgent manner.

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At first I disapproved of her movements due to where she was positioned but, when I realised just how she'd reacted to the kiss I couldn't stop the smirk from tugging on my lips. I found myself adding depth and passion into our kiss whilst both arms shifted to wrap around her waist. There I held her against me even tighter but my hand returned to her rear just as quickly as it'd moved away. Without warning, I rose to my feet with Sapphire positioned around my hips and my hand kept her propped up and prevented her from falling.

With the strong impression that neither of us wanted to stop any time soon I found myself attempting to glance about us for a suitable place to settle for a short while. In the end, I settled for an empty stable filled with fresh straw. My arm remained around Sapphire's frame and I held her tightly to me with our lips rarely parting whilst I lowered myself to my knees then laid the woman back. I positioned myself over her and muffled a soft, pleased sound.

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i felt his smirk under my lips, and i couldn't help the smile that met his lips. In a moments notice, he tightened his arms around me, and hauled himself to his feet. He had shifted me so that my legs wrapped around his waist. He walked me to a stall, and began to lay me down. Wait no! I stopped him for just a moment, long enough to shimmy my bow and quiver off, and safely away. I smirked up at ezio, and allowed himself to lower himself over me.

I desperately wanted this damn armor off. I wanted to feel him. I kissed him once more with depth, and then moved my mouth beside his ear. "You're still wearing too much armor, ezio." I purred his name, my voice husky with want and need.