5. The real traitor

'I am... Alive. But I saw you stabbed me... Felt death's embrace...' I said full disbelief, standing right before the master's desk. He looked at me, but didn't say a thing. There was no sign that I was stabbed, although I'm sure it was reality.
'You saw what I wanted you to see, then you slept the sleep of the dead. In the hope that you might awake and be reborn.'
'To what end?' I was confused; how did he do this, how did I feel the pain what wasn't there?
'Do you remember, Altair, what it is we assassins fight for?'
Yes, I knew, I didn't have to think about it: 'peace, in all things.'
The master came from behind his desk, he looked at me.
'Exactly, in àll things: it is not enough to end the violence one man commits upon another. It reverses to peace from within as well. You cannot have one without the other.
'So it's said.' I responded.
'So it is!' Al Mualim shouted. 'But you my son, have not found inner peace. Manifests in all ugly ways. You are arrogant and overconfident.'
'Were you not the one to say nothing is true and everything is permitted?' I asked. Listening to myself I had to say I may be a bit overconfident.
'You don't understand the true meaning of the phrase, my child. It does not grant you the freedom to do what you wish; it's a knowledge meant to guide your senses. It expects a knowledge which you clearly lack.'
'Then what is to become of me?' I didn't want to look the master in the eyes, so I just stared at one of the bookshelves.
'I should kill you for the pain you brought upon us. Malik thinks it's not fair; your life in exchange for his brother's. But this would be a waste of my time and your talents. You'll see you've been strict of your positions, your rank as well. A child wants more, but you live easily. You're just as you were on the day you first joined our order. I'm offering you a change as redemption; you'll earn your way back into the brotherhood.'
'I assume you've something planned.'
My life is saved. The master has a plan. I can get back to where I was. No banishment, no death.
'First you have to prove to me you know how to be an assassin.'
He turned around and looked behind the glass of the window. Then he looked at me again.
'So you'd have me to take a life?'
'No, not yet at least. For now you get to be a student once again.' Said the master while he picked an old-looking book from one of the shelves.
'There's no need for this.' I answered.
Becoming a student means loosing all your weapons and needing permission from the bureau-leader of the city to assassinate your target.
'Others tracked your targets for you earlier, now you have to do it yourself.'
'If this is what you wish.'
'It is.' The master shortly answered.
'Then tell me what it is you want me to do.'
'We have been betrayed.' He looked at the book he just got. 'Someone from the inside helped Robert de Sable. One of our own.' he continued and shaked his head. 'You must find him and bring him here.'
'What can you tell me of the man?' I asked. I wanted this to be over as soon as possible.
'Hm, but that's just it. I've given you all I will. The rest is up to you.' Saying his last sentence he turned around and looked at his other book. Without saying anything further I walked away. Outside the fortress I realised the master took of all my weapons. Not that I needed them for my mission.
'Safety and peace, Altair.' A mid ranked assassin said to me.
'You're in my way.' I shortly answered.
'Yes, yes, Al Mualim sent me. He wants me to assist you during your mission; remind you how we hunt our pray.'
'I know how it works.'
'Be that as it may. I have no desire to disobey the master.'
'Then be quick with it.'
'An assassin has many ways to handle, --'
'We can pickpocket, eavesdrop and use violence to intimidate, I know.' I interrupted. I want to be done with it. It seems Al Mualim has zero trust in me.
'Very well, you remember.'
'So you want me to walk amongst the others and learn what I can about the traitor?'
'Yes, begin at the village market, that's where we first spotted the traitor.'
'You know who it is?
'Perhaps...' he said. He clearly knew.
'Then give me a name and be done with it.'
'No, that is not the way how it works. Now go, and not forget to begin at the village market.'
I walked past him and headed at the village market. Everyday the market is set up at 6 o'clock and in the evening everything gets cleaned up again. Looking at the sun it seems to be around 2 o'clock. I looked around for some information for quarter-an-hour, not getting further with my investigation. I wanted to search anywhere else till I saw two man walking towards each other. They acted mysterious. I went sitting on a nearby bench and listened to what the had to say.
'Yes, I know what I saw. Masoon opened the gate! Hé let the Templars in!' the left man said. He clearly is a priest.
'Then you must tell Al Mualim.' The other man commanded.
'I can't! Masoom did not act alone... Someone inside the fortress helped him.'
'What makes you say this?'
'He exchanges letters with someone inside. The basketweaver carries them for him.'
'That's still no reason to stay silent.' The other man said, he was angry, but clearly innocent.
The robed man came closer to his friend. He wispered: 'No, but the weaver delivered him a letter, just before the attack. I suspect, he helped the order to open the gate.' I could hardly hear what he said.
'Then you need to speak to the weaver. He can name Masoon's accomplish.'
'He disappeared! Afraid to be dragged into this!'
The other man laughed: 'Ha! Probably inside one of his own baskets!'
After he said that, I knew enough. I walked away, to the weaver.
The weaver is hardly 100 metres north. He has a small house, next to his home, he sells the basket he and his wife make.
Approximately 7,5 meters away from the weaver I saw a man walking away and a women walking towards him. I had to turn around to stay unseen. Then I leaned against a wall, where I could just hear them.
'Please, just one, we've lost everything in the attack and need a place to store our grain.' The woman begged.
'N-no, I can't right now. I'm busy!'
'Is this about the letter?' The woman asked. I was not the only one who saw the man walking away.
'What letter?' The man said hasty.
'The letter you received when I came here. Is it bad news?'
'Eh, I have no idea what you're talking about, but I need to be alone right now, okay?'
The women walked away and the man got a paper out of a basket. That must be the letter. He also walks away, but in the other direction than the woman. I walked after him, acting like a monks. It was easy; just wear a white robe and fold your hands like a monk.
When the man didn't look behind and other villagers were distracted, I silent took out the letter and walked away.
Not much I could make up from the letter, but Masoon is the traitor, that's a fact. I walked around the village, searching for him. In the distance I heard a man shouting. That must be Masoon. Pure propaganda he was speaking. Propaganda for the Templars. He says Al Muslim is a fool.
Time to beat him up and bring him to the master.