assassin · assassin's creed · hidden blade · wise mentor · arrogant · historical fiction · middle east · leadership · scarred · philosophical
**Salt water burned his throat as Altair breached the surface, choking on the sea’s bitter kiss. His robes, woven for stealth and silence, had become a sodden anchor, pulling him back into the chill embrace of the depths. It was a fool’s error, a miscalculation from a great height, and now the cold was leaching the warmth from his limbs. Just as the dark water began to claim him, a hand seized his forearm—unyielding, determined. A woman’s hand. With a raw, desperate strength, she fought the current, dragging his leaden form from the abyss toward the unforgiving shore.**