Artwork from the Water

[Rosa Giovanno]

Ah, Venice. What a sweet city it was, full of life and beautiful colors, not like the over-powering tint of Templar red in Rome. Light danced on the waters here; boats bumped softly against the smooth walls of the buildings. Soft cotton flags fluttered lazily on their strings when the breeze passed them by.

Her heart felt light and giddy as she walked through its variety of wide and narrow streets. Of course, she had been the first to volunteer to come here. The task wasn't anything big, just picking up some artwork to refresh the old walls of their humble roman brothel. It would be nice to have a change of scenery in the place for once, it really needed some remodeling - much more than just paintings, in her opinion. But it was a start.

As the afternoon sun rose a little higher and the shade began to recede into nonexistence, Rosa found herself slightly disoriented in her new surroundings. In other words, she was lost. She needed a local to point her in the right direction to this artist's shop she was looking for - someone whose name escaped her. Removing her shoes and taking a seat at the edge of one of the docks, she pulled up her skirt so it wouldn't get wet and dipped her legs in the water, crossing them as she rummaged through the pouch at her side for the papers.

After a few moments of searching, she found them. Messere Petrucci, that was who she needed to find. She tucked her paperwork away and took out her fan, waving it towards her face, content and unwilling to move. She had the day, anyway. She saw no need to rush. She would just sit here and... wait a while. Good things come, she knew, to those who wait.

[Catone[Inactive]]

Ah, the waters were beatiful today, the canals gleaming as sunlight danced on the tiny waves made by the gondolas. Punting along, Catone could only relax as the sun warmed his body to the core. Without meaning to, a small whistle sprung from his lips. A small little tune, sad and slow. Ironically, the melancholy melody only made him happier.

It was one of those giddy feelings you get when the day just seems to be going your way. Templar activity in his city had died down quite a bit lately. And a lot of rumours were flying around about the upcoming regatta. Apparently, some mysterious noble was going to try their hand in the race. Just rumours, really. Even if a noble got off their lazy round behinds, there was no way they would do something so tiring as racing boats. Suddenly, the young Assassin was shaken from his reverie as he caught sight of something, or rather, someone.

She was beautiful. So stunning just sitting by the water, his whistle quieted with a harsh halt. It's not often that one gets struck dumb by beauty, but when it happens, it is an experience in of itself. Admiring her form, the gondolier let his eyes travel. That's when he noticed her clothing. Ah, there were only few women who dared dressed like that. A shame really, he could've imagined himself falling for her. But one rarely has relationships beyond physical with the Ladies of the Night.

Still, that giddy mood was in control and he had no steering over what he did next. Casually punting to her, he gave a small friendly grin. "Salute, Bella. You waiting for someone or looking for some lucky gondolier to offer his services?"

Oh, how he desperately wished he was that lucky gondolier...

[Rosa Giovanno]

She watched the water for a while, appreciating just how much of it actually flowed through the city. It cooled her, calmed her so that her mind drifted elsewhere. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the sun warm her face. Now this was something she could get used to, not that she could ever afford to live in this city. It was so beautiful, and clean, and happy, she could only imagine what it would cost to live in a place so lovely. But she enjoyed it while she was there, and opened her eyes again lazily to watch the scenery roll by, as reflections of life played, beautifully and uniquely distorted on the surface of the water.

And then something else glided over its surface: a natural and somewhat blue little tune. It announced him with subtlety, preceding him like a faint perfume of sound. And when the whistler did at last stroke his way into her sight, he seemed as if he so naturally belonged there, like he was a part of the picture and it was a part of him. Rosa spied him past her fan, skillfully and practiced, so as not to let him catch her looking. She watched him notice her as his tune stopped, immediately silent at his lips. His gaze wandered familiarly, as most men's gazes did, and she watched his expression take on the notes of realization, and perhaps a hint of regret, as he recognized what she was.

It didn't seem to affect him enough to stop his boat, however, and he still merrily offered her a smile. "Ciao, Gondoliere." she returned, the beginning of a genuine smile forming on her lips at the irony in his sentence. Some lucky gondolier? Offer his services? To her? It amused her, and she held down a laugh by clearing her throat lightly. But she couldn't erase its image from her lips. It was funny. Usually, of course, it was she who worked and advertised in the service business... of a different sort, of course.

"Well that depends on how well that lucky gondoliere knows this city." she was playing with him, the way she played with almost all men, almost now as a second nature. She wanted to find the painter, but wondered if this boatman was as good of a navigator as he was a comedian. "You wouldn't happen to know the way to the shop of Messere Petrucci, would you? If you did, then yes, I would be in need of those services."

[Catone[Inactive]]

So, he amused her. Good. Some say the way to a woman's heart is through her laugh. Although, he couldn't recall who said it, if it was said at and not some desperate hope that he fictionalized. Catone allowed himself to grin wider at her words.

Words were a thing of beauty, an art of daily life, the voice serving as the instrument. And her voice was a finely tuned thing, the gods favoring her there.

He straightened and held a hand up to his chin thoughtfully. "Messere Petrucci..... Petrucci."

Lost in his thoughts, he desperately tried to remember where he had heard that name. "Ah! The painter! Well, Bella, it seems that the gondoliere knows the city as he should."

Catone decided to leave out that the way there was a shorter distance to walk rather than row. Giving am extravagant bow, he offered his hand and waited for her to board.

[Rosa Giovanno]

She smiled, and delicately drew her legs in from the water with an exaggerated femininity than would not have been present had she been alone. She could have spent all day at the end of the dock, relaxing that way. But work still had to be done, and a ride in a gondola was a fair trade - much better than wandering aimlessly through the city. In fact, after she thought about it, she decided it might be just as enjoyable as sitting on the dock had been. Taking his hand to help her stand, she replaced her shoes on her feet and stepped into his boat.

"And what would the Gondoliere charge, for such helpful services?" she asked, grabbing his arm for balance for a moment as she lowered herself onto the bench of the gondola. Of course, Rosa had been given money to pay him, as well as the artist and any other expenses she came upon in Venezia, within reason. But she was the kind of person who spent as little money as she could, and saved it where she could get it. He was entitled to his earnings, as every hardworking person should be. That she believed, and would not deny him. Though she was sure he was aware of the other things he could ask in lieu if he wished, including a token of gratitude from the ladies in Roma, or from herself. She looked up at him from where she sat, fanning herself again until she felt the cool breeze resume over the water. "And what is your name, Messere?"

[Catone[Inactive]]

The Assassin could feel the softness of her skin as their hands met briefly. Then, he felt the strong grip she had as she sat down. "The gondoliere usually receives 15 florins for his work."

Catone pushed off from stone ground and let his gondola drift into the position he wanted. "That is, unless the passenger wins a game. Four riddles. Whenever you solve one, five florins are deducted from the price. When you have solved three, you have to pay nothing. But, here's the fourth one. Should you decide to try to solve number four and succeed, you receive a prize. If you fail, you pay 25 florins."

Truthfully, he only offered this challenge to people he liked. Any rude passenger or distasteful denizen he charged the 25 immediately. A gondoliere charged his own fare, so it wasn't uncommon to find differing prices. Catone's unique game brought customers coming back for a shot at the mysterious prize he boasted to offer. No one ever even won the third, much less the fourth, so he had no need to actually get the prize yet.

He stroked along, his small boat breaking through the lapping lagoon. A strong grip punted the oar a few feet. "My name is Catone. And do you wish to play, Bella?"

[Rosa Giovanno]

The gondola rocked slightly as she switched to the bench on the opposite side of the little wooden vessel. From this place, she could face him instead of looking up at him directly above her. "An interesting way to charge." She mused. If the brothels charged like that, they'd be out of money. Or at least in need of some very good riddles. But still, her eyes sparked with a bit of mischief. Rosa liked games, especially ones she could gain money at. Gambling was really more her style, but this one intrigued her. She tossed the idea around in her head for a few moments, deciding the risk was worth it. "Alright, Messere Catone. Let's hear your riddles."

She didn't bother to offer up her name, as he hadn't asked. But the way he addressed her also made some strange connection. Bella, he called her. Beautiful. Bello was the name she often gave to those she flirted with, and also to clients who didn't wish to share their identities. But as the roles were reversed, she the customer and he the provider, she saw no need to address him as 'Bello'. But now more than once, he had called her 'Bella'. Rosa smirked, waiting for the first riddle. It was a nice change of pace.

[Catone[Inactive]]

Offering her a grin, he inhaled the clear oxygen before he began. Venezuela had its own scent, mixing in the salt of the seas and the atmosphere of all of Italy came together in a beautiful city-wide perfume.

Speaking of perfume, the faintest hint of some kind of spice wafted from the woman's direction. It was invigorating. "What word is so fragile, even speaking its name breaks it?"

Continuing to punt along the canal, he watched the city bustle, becoming alive. It was great, but it broke the calming silence of the city.

[Rosa Giovanno]

The water parted in a small 'v' as she trailed her fingers over the surface, thinking. After a few moments, she answered him. "Silence." she said. It was the same word that didn't really exist to begin with, for the very same reason. Nothing was ever truly in silence. Even when all other sounds were gone, there was still the sound of a person's own breathing, heartbeat, movements, which were only previously drowned in the volume of other sounds. Thinking about it further, though, she supposed maybe it did exist. But only to the deaf. The thought made her appreciate the sounds she was hearing currently, and she remembered the whistled song that she had enjoyed just minutes ago.

Soon they passed by a more active part of the city, where the crowds grew as more and more people seemed to appear from the walls. It must have been a market, she thought, or some form of entertainment. She watched them for a while as they drifted by, nicely dressed men and women, some standing in small circles and mingling, others speaking with artisans and merchants. Some city guards weaved among them, without the determined strides that would normally suggest they were under strict schedule. Rosa looked back at Catone, with a look that said she was ready for the next riddle. She had already won five florins off of her transport, and she was determined to wind another.

[Catone[Inactive]]

A pause in his rowing as he clapped. She was quite the intelligent one. "There is a man convicted of murder. His sentence is to choose which of three rooms he will be thrown in. The first is full of raging fires. The second houses assassins with poisoned blades who can see in the dark, which is what it will be. The third is full of lions who haven't eaten in three years. Which room will he definitely come out alive?"

Catone continued rowing. Bowing is head, he ducked under a bridge. He hated this bridge, guarded by stone felines, that was built a little low for any poor rower.

[Rosa Giovanno]

"The lions, of course. If they haven't eaten in three years, they're dead." she said, although hesitant after her immediate answer. Why was it, that she always felt the easier answers must be the wrong ones? No correct answer would ever be that clear. But she answered without thinking, and that was her response. And then she thought about the Assassins, the real assassins, like Nicola back in Rome and the others in the brotherhood she knew. "Aside from the riddle, I would argue that if the man had the right brothers, then the room of assassins would be the best choice." She gave him a little wink. Talk of the well known Assassins and Templars was a highly controversial topic, but she enjoyed her controversy. Controversial was her middle name. Not really, but it might as well have been. And she took pride in the creed she aided.

[Catone[Inactive]]

Catone halted, startled. She was correct, in both areas. His shocked face stared at her. "Of course, that's very true. But then again, if nothing is true..."

Trailing off, his eyebrow perked. It was like asking a silent question. One that he was sure she would answer correct.

Then, realization struck and he glanced around to check who was near. Thankfully, no one was even glancing their way. The Assassin cleared his throat and continued. "I am a child and a simpleton at once. I am there with you when you are born, but rarely am I with you at death."

As the silence continued, he remembered the answer to the riddle. It was something that he lost when he was young, something he knew with a fleeting glimpse. Ironic how almost all criminals claimed to have it when it can be lost in an instant. Strangely, he realized that if you knew nothing of the war between the Assassins and Templars, you possessed some sort of odd version of it.

[Rosa Giovanno]

His reaction made her blink. Sure, the subject was an interesting one, but the man nearly froze, and stopped rowing the boat. The stare he gave her didn't do much to quell the nervousness he was slowly initiating within her, but it was a characteristic she would not let show outwardly. Still, she fidgeted slightly in her seat. Maybe it had been a little careless of her to elude to such things, not knowing what side of the arena he stood on. After all, he was a gondolier, and she a courtesan. Their occupations were not that of the Assassins and Templars. But his alliance was another matter. She was quiet for a moment, the expression on her face changed as she observed him. Thinking over her predicament more logically, there wasn't a lot he could do to harm her here, if he was a Templar. They were in the middle of Venezia in the middle of the afternoon, and he didn't even know her name. And she was proud of the Assassins, after all they had done for her and the others at the Rosa in Fiore. Didn't she owe it to them not to back away from their name? "Everything is permitted." she said, leaning forward to express just a bit of attitude, and also so he could hear her clearly. Her eyebrows set in a stubborn bluff of a challenge, daring him to disagree with her. The motionlessness of the gondola really was disturbing her now, but she leaned back coolly in her seat, refusing to let her emotions and doubts control the situation. She did like him, after all, and he seemed like a good man. But of all people she knew all too well how deceiving looks could be.

The third riddle he posed made her think harder, especially after his reaction to her last answer. But it came quicker than she anticipated. And how could it not? It was something she lacked, after all. Something she lacked so much of and could not get it back, and she knew it. She thought of it with every memory she pushed away from her childhood, and though she hadn't thought about it in years, its absence was ever present and always subconsciously felt. "Innocence." she mumbled. Her eyes fell on him, weary of leaving him to observe much of the city. But his eyes seemed to be somewhere else, maybe not too distant. "Gondoliere." she said, clearing he throat a bit to get his attention back, and hopefully to remind him to start rowing again. She repeated herself. "Innocence."

[Catone[Inactive]]

Shaken out of his reveries, Catone looked at her. The first answer permeated the atmosphere for a moment, then was broken as the Gondoliere gave a small chuckle. "Correct!"

Hastily, he began punting once more, his oar speeding them forward. He settled into silence as he turned into the Grand Canal. It was the largest canal in the entirety of Venezia. Giving friendly nods to fellow rowers, he crossed quickly. Heart beat fast. Who was this woman? No matter. If she truly wanted him dead, he would've been already. For now, he was content to just let her remain a mystery.

Running a finger through his black locks, he sighed in impending defeat. She was the best mind he had met on the waters, a title he had never given willingly. "So. The fourth riddle. Do you accept the challenge, Bella?"

[Rosa Giovanno]

This was a stranger man than she had thought. He said nothing more about the Assassins, and his thoughts he lost himself in - and then didn't explain. But her agitation with him finally began to ease the more she watched him. There was no way he could be a Templar. This bare-footed, bare armed man? A humble gondolier? Riddles and puzzles were more of an assassin thing anyway. Templars were too narrow-minded to appreciate how things really worked together. Finally she relaxed again, sighing quietly to herself and trailing her fingers through the water again.

"Sure, Messere, why not? I'll see what this prize is of yours." she said, offering him a smile. She knew if she lost this round, the price would be hers to pay. But the gamble of it drew her in. "What's your riddle?"