#refiners

Ohhhhhh.

I just realised-

He’s here Liam. Our son. Your son. He is here!

As the doctor assisted her with the after birth and checked on the baby, he then asked Kailey if she thought of a name for the child. This Kailey already established. She found an Aramaic word that means “heart”. For this, she knew that this child will be the continuation of Liam’s line, and of that night, she and Liam gave themselves to each other and created a new.

Lifting her eyes proudly, Kailey answered. “His name is Terrence Brien Patterson”

And I promise this to you and to your daddy little one, that you’ll be as strong as your daddy, yet gentle as a dove. You will carry your daddy’s legacy.

Kailey holding her newborn son, Terrence remembering Liam. Feeling his spirit in the room as she looks at her beautiful baby boy. 

Full Story

“If I know what love is, it is because of you.”

Liam’s Story Kailey’s Story

Next Chapter

September 18th, 1776

“You! Bastard of Patterson clan!” 

Terrence Patterson turned to the source of a thick german voice calling out to him. He gave a groan in frustration. Now is not the time for Marcus VanEgan, a german son of the local blacksmith to come for another fight.

 Days ago, when most  of the citizens of New York took the opportunity to flea the city with the ever growing presence of General Howe’s Navy and army surrounding the city and littering the Hudson River with British ships; Terrence found himself facing a situation he knew he couldn’t get away from, and that Marcus had to see that he was not in the state of mind.

 Terrence’s dark eyes squinted at the sun coming behind the large blacksmith’s son. “If it’s about me making sure your cock didn’t lay near Miss Philip’s secret womb, then you shouldn’t of tried to force her in the first place.”  

Marcus’s face turned red with rage accompanying his broken English. “She didn’t want anything to do with me anymore due to me being a quote “filthy haishum supporter”. I may have been born in the fatherland, but she should know better that we stay true to our country. Hell, she was born British and yet sides with the rebels. She’s as much of a traitor as any from what I’ve read in the papers.”

Terrence couldn’t take more of Marcus’s weak justification. “And so by her not wanting to court you anymore gives you the right and the obligation to rape her near where the British army could kill you both on the spot? Does a woman’s honor mean nothing to you? Is that how you were taught?”

“Says the bastard son of a woman who teaches nothing but all that reading and writing to lower class einfältige (simpletons). Your mother was possibly a whore before having you.”

Terrence’s anger rose to his chest. He hated it when his mother gets thrown into the angered conversations. As long as he could remember, Terrence and his mother were the center gossip of the identity of his father. All his mother could ever claim was that his died during the now called Seven Years War at sea before she could tell him of the pregnancy. Still, even when at the beginning of his birth, was interrogated by the midwife on the identity of his father, not even in the midst of pain and pressure of the local court, her only answer was “A fallen warrior of a hidden one”. And the identity was never questioned after sending that the father died, allowing his mother to bring him to the world.

Yet despite the assumption that a “warrior” may had been a noble title, that never stopped the harassment and judgment from most of the citizens in the district where Terrence and Kailey lived for sixteen years now. Kailey had mostly the more merciful end of being the topic of gossip, yet by the time Terrence was over five years of age, the women ceased on thinking of her a prostitute. Terrence however was branded by the young men and older men as “a bastard child”. He had few friends, mostly younger boys he would aid on learning to defend themselves and the slaves that would be on shopping trips for their masters. Yet there were times when he wished Marcus would just go piss off at another form of entertainment.

He turned around and walked towards the arrogant german. “You know something Marcus.” Terrence started quietly. “You can say all the damning things about me; but you may as well get a one way passage to hell for insulting my ma.” Terrence then took Marcus by the shoulder and slowly drew his ear towards his lips. “Of course I wouldn’t be surprised if you'd be covered by your own blood and this roads dirt before you realized that I called your mother a boar so attractive, the bears would want to eat her inside and out.” And before Marcus could respond, Terrence punched the german hard. 

Marcus quickly got onto his feet and charged at Terrence with a wear cry. Both men fought with fists of furry, hard enough to have the dirt road collect all the dust into a cloud. Soon a crowd of dock workers and other local men gathered to see the fight. Terrence was quick, even though Marcus managed to get a few punches upon the young man’s handsome face. This however wasn’t the first time Terrence danced with a fighting cock of a man. 

The sound of British soldiers came in, ordering the crowd to disburse just as when they approached the two men, they noticed that Marcus was holding a large knife aiming for Terrence. Two of the soldiers came in the middle of the flight, pushing back Marcus away from Terrence; but the german proved to be boiled with enough anger to be as strong as the greek hero Hercules and pushed one of the soldiers backwards towards Terrence. The Soldier tripped on a hole in the road and the blade on his riffle dug into Terrence’s left breast area of his chest. Terrence cried out in pain as he looked down to see the tip thankfully not deep enough to go to the heart. But as the soldier tried to get himself up, the metal twisted to where Terrence would feel another blow of pain. One man quickly grabbed Terrence and pulled him away from the blade. Terrence breathed hard as the blood razed out into a now star x like would. A woman took a towel from her laundry she must of been removing and placed it of the young man’s chest. 

The British soldiers were too busy beating Marcus up for “disrupting the peace”. And after they had their chance of licking, the soldiers took the german to a ship that was docked nearby. Everyone knew that once the soldiers or Torires took a man to a British ship, they had been “signed up” to King George the Third’s army or navy. Most likely the Navy, as if the New York Harbor was already littered with ships of all breeds and kinds.

Terrence felt light headed as a man lead him away from the crowd. He looked to his right side to see a man about a few inches shorter then Terrence if not for the tall fur hat that was crowned on his head. The stranger looked to be in his mid or late thirties. He had thick squared brown beard with matching eyes, wrinkles seemed to had invaded the man in an earlier age then anticipated.

“Keep your eyes wide and broad son.” The man said with a thick accent. Terrence wanted to interrogate the stranger, but his mind struggled as he tried not to faint. 

When the men were away from the docks, the stranger lowered Terrence onto a wooden crate and unbuttoned his torn shirt to analyze the wound. He took a fingerless gloved hand into his trench coat pocket and pulled out a bottle of whiskey where he poured the wound. Terrence’s dark eyes widened with the unexpected stun of the liquor’s work. The man gently cleaned the wound away from the torn area before compressing a handkerchief onto the wound, which caused another wave a pain to entered into Terrence’s mind.

“You got lucky you know lad.” The man told the youth. “Most men even older then you would be dead on sight with that. You happen to have such mass mussels in this chest of yours. From what I can tell, your more then a dock worker most of the time.”

Terrence nodded. “Shipment loader and wheeler part of the time. Whatever is needed to keep bread in my ma and I’s belly.”

The man nodded. Understanding without having heard another word from Terrence.

“So you a doctor or something?” Terrence asked the savior. “You sure know how to stop a bleeding from stopping a heart. Hope you can sew this good before my ma sees this.”

The man chucked. “You seemed to analyze me as if a man looking for a good plow horse that can actually pull a plow. And yes, I can sew the wound. However I am a mere assistant who never felt with something this wide in the center. I’ll try to get the edged closed as best as I can, the rest, you better wear this scar with pride, knowing that you’re tough enough to pass the British without taking your last breath before meeting your future lady.” 

Terrence gave a painful laugh. He was always thought of a handsome man by most, least all the young girls and women his age wanting to marry thought so. Yet he wan’t ready for marriage, for he wanted a mate that can catch up with him, and be qualified with the characteristics as his mother. The strongest woman he’d ever known. 

“Will be a long time till she wins me heart Mr...”

“Colley. Jamie Colley.” The man extended his free left hand, to which was a praise to God for Terrence, since he’s left handed. He clasped Jamie’s hand with ease, yet with a caused hard grip. 

For almost and hour, Terrence was enduring the white hot pain of a needle piercing his skin as the horse hair from a collection Jamie kept in the same coat pocket. It amazed Terrence that a hair that looked so frail and fine can aid in holding torn skin together in order to heal. Just as Jamie predicted, all but a mass round wound where the blade entered remained. He took a cloth bandage and wrapped a cotton mass on the wound around Terrence’s strong shoulders. When he tied it with a confident knot, Jamie pushed himself up and wiped the blood from his hands on the edge of his long brown coat. He aided Terrence to his feet and picked up the bloody shirt. 

“My apologize for your shirt. I imagine that men might mistaken you from a trouble maker from the prisons. But if I were in your boots, I’d fear my skin when facing your ma.”

Terrence chuckled in agreement. “Aye. Thank you for helping me sir. I might of been joining my pa and finally meet him.” Terrence never knew much information about his father, not even his mother gave information of what he was really like. All she would describe was the characteristics of his father. 

He was the bravest and humblest man anyone could of known.

He had such passion.

I see his kindness in you.

He would of proud of your integrity. 

Terrence could tell that his mother deeply loved him; yet she loved her son just as much. For Kailey Patterson never gave the impression to her son that he would have to carry hi father’s legacy. But Terrence felt that he needed to protect it, even if theres more to the story apparently. 

The two men shook hands when Terrence stood up to leave. Jamie told the young man to take the willow bark tea he’d gave him and suggested that the loose leaves can aid in the wounds when wet. 

“I’m surprise you can afford tea as of late,” Terrence commented, smelling the rich earth smell of earth from the mixture of ground bard and powder.

“Traded with a Shawnee warrior that happened to be passing by. Though he informed me that a Mohawk man known to “sail the wooden horse on the great water” traded it to the man. Saying that it numbs the pain. I find the Mohawks fascinating when it comes to natural medicine. “ 

Terrence once again thanked Jamie and headed home. Ready to face the unpredictable results from his mother.

“You should be thanking God Almighty that the doctor was close by.” Kailey told her son as she cleaned Terrence’s wound with a warm wash cloth. This wasn’t the first time Kailey tended to her son’s wounds. Mostly cuts and bruises littered her only son’s sculpted body. She once again was reminded of Liam overtime she’d looked into her son’s face.

“He sure gave me the strength to kick the a,,,”

“Terrence!” Kailey sharply corrected him. 

“Marcus was mocking you for...” Terrence’s eyes burned with rage. He was so angry that tears began to escape from his eyes. A mixture of pain and anger inside and out.

Kailey took her son’s large land and held it tightly into her hands. “As much as I am proud of you for standing up for whats right; but you no need to defend me honor son. I’ve been dealing with worse before you were even born.”

“I know you weren't a whore.”

“No did you expect me to tell you.” Kailey teased. She and he son always had their dry sense of humor of sarcasm.  “But right now, hell will seem to break loose. I heard the hills are painted red with British blood.” Kailey had renounced her nationality of a British woman after the declaration of independence months prior. She wanted to be like all colonists, Americans. Their own people of their own country. 

Prologue: Liam’s Entry

May 1760 New York, Province of New York, British Empire

Hands shook as she held the letter that was addressed to her from one of the last few of the assassins still left to survive. Kailey’s eyes stun with the combination of exhaustion and the overwhelming amount of grief that had now struck her like a cannonball. As she read the message, again, and again, the tears landed upon the parchment and caused the inc to stay vertigo to the bottom of the page. But the message will be in her head until her very last breath.

Kailey,

It breaks my heart and spirit to write this to you, but I felt ever since our last conversation before I was “assigned” to distract Shay Cormac in the arctic, I feared that our crossing will only bring further distance due to matters that we can’t even understand ourselves. But this, I had to inform you soon, for I myself have to be in hiding, for fear of my assassin origins be discovered by the templars.

Liam was killed in the arctic back in March. I cannot address how or why, but from what I understood, it was something, even I myself agreed with Cormac. We found his body, yet it wasn’t by the traitorous blade. We guessed it was from a fall; but we couldn’t get close enough due to a bear and her cubs near by. If from what we saw though, his hood was up, and he looked to the sky. Possibly saying a prayer for you, Kailey. 

I know we didn’t end at good terms, but I offer you my deepest condolences alway. And I wish the best for you, and please be careful.

K. Shepherd

The letter crumpled into Kailey’s hands as she pressed it upon her forehead and crumbled to the ground. Crying so hard that she had to force herself to calm down that the landlord would not be awakened by her sorrow. There was also the matter of the previous treasure that she kept secret and close to her.

Kailey placed a hand upon her expanded stomach, for seven months now this child had been growing inside of her. When she first noticed last autumn that her corset was getting tighter then normal and missed her minstrel cycle, Kailey feared, and suspected that she was with child. And after going to the local doctor in the district, he confirmed that she was indeed with child.

Liam’s child

For since that night in October, Kailey had never been with another man then Liam O’Brien, the last of the Master Assassin of the colonial brotherhood. Even Kailey, like so many others believed that he was to take Achilles’s place as mentor someday. She even wondered how she would explain to him that she is pregnant with his child. Hopefully her love for him and his for her would be past jumping to conclusions and have a new opportunity for both if they ever survived this massacre. But her hopes of fighting side by side with the man whom she ever loved died with him. Kailey felt that a part of her heart was ripped away from her body; yet she understood in the midst of her grief that she was carrying Liam’s child. A new generation to keep the bloodline going. 

Of course, Kailey was conflicted on who she should tell of the knowledge of the unborn child’s father. She thought about informing Achilies, for she heard through the holes and sources of the assassins that the mentor survived, but was shot. No one knew who pulled the trigger up in the arctic, not even the mentor himself could give the identity of his attacker. One of her contacts expressed that he never saw Achilles more broken since his son and wife died years back. 

As much as she wanted to march over to Davenport Homestead to demand answers, she knew that it be wrong to approach a wounded man inside and out, and to travel in her condition. It didn’t matter. Perhaps it was better that none of those, espetially Achilies, knew of the identity of her baby’s father. As for now, she needed to be strong for her child to come; but now was not the time. For now she needed time to grieve. She placed the letter, one intended for Liam she wrote back in November into her purse and will carry with her always. No one can ever know, unless the knowlage must be addressed.

July 12th, 1760

They’re coming!

Kailey tried to gather as much files as she could. The templars were eliminating each informant, spy, ally, or anyone in any relation or connection to the brotherhood. Most of them taken in for questioning, while others were put down  like rabid dogs. They gathered every information that lead to another hidden associate and possible connections to the precursor artifacts and temples. But these files, passed on by Shepherd were of too great to be taken by templar hands. This leading on to a vial with a curse worse then death. As she hurried, Kailey felt a kick from her baby within causing her to gasp and place her hand upon her womb. She was close to giving birth anytime soon from what the doctor and Shepherd told her. Yet she was in no condition to travel with all the others fleeing the city. Her baby was to be born in a world filled with templar influence in the land that held so much promise.

A crashing sound caught Kailey off guard, she turned around and a man in a long black leather coat barged in and pulled out his pistol. His face was splattered with blood of possibly of those she knew or of the brotherhood. Kailey wanted to run, or scream; yet her voice and body did nothing. She was frozen by fear. Is this how it ends? I die before my child even breaths the breath of life? No! I’m not going to die like a bitch to this bastard!

“You come to kill me Cormac? Here for the information about the damn box the assassins kept passing around like a rag doll.” Kailey was standing by the door frame for support, her heart racing as she looked at his dark brown eyes. 

The hunter had his pistol out to her, but his eyes widened with surprise upon her, assumably upon her womb. He lowered the pistol and placed it upon the sheave. “I will not aim, nor harm a pregnant woman. Even the templars care for all lives.”

“Oh, you’re the one to talk of caring for all lives.” Kailey spat on the wooden floor towards Cormac, yet it never reached him. But she didn’t care. “Just as you never cared for those you assassinated in the name of your precious order? The fact your friend and brother, who stood for you, until you turned your back on him, and even beyond that, he thought of you! He loved you as a brother, and he didn’t deserve to die in the frozen wasteland when he could of had…he could of…” Kailey wanted to say anything. Marry her. Raise their child. Anything to strike a core. But she would not allow the hunter to see her broken and venerable.”He could of turned you back to us. Or to stop those templar dogs once and for all!”

The hunter seemed confused, but as Kailey continued, his face was transfigured into a mixture of emotions. He seemed to have understood what emotions Kailey must of masked with her venom words.

“The child you’re bearing, is Liam the father?” Cormac asked, his eyes softened with pain. He took a step around the table between them.

Kailey only nodded, reaching her hand behind to slip a small dagger from the inside of an opposite sleeve. 

“How far are you along?” He seemed close enough to throw the dagger with all her strength, yet her anger clouded her mind from ceasing the opportunity. “Miss?” 

Kailey clinched her fist. “Nine months, and you have no right to ask of MY child!”

Cormac took half a step back, aware of the woman’s rage. But he took a dodge missing the knife that was aiming towards his neck, he grabbed the weapon hand, while ceasing the other, causing Kailey to use every source of strength she had to try, in vain to break free. Tears escaped her eyes as she was forced to look up into Cormac’s dark brown eyes. They too looked tired and wounded, his grip was hard enough for her to drop the dagger onto the wooden floor. They stared in silence. She wanted to collapse; but decided against the thought of defeat. 

Cormac loosened his grip upon her arm. “I know apologies cannot justify my actions of your comrades, nor of…Lisbon. But I swear to you upon God Almighty that I had not placed a blade nor musket ball upon Liam. It was the collapsing glacier that killed him. But I am just as responsible allowing him to die. But he died, hoping that this world will be a safe one, whatever the cost. He must of thought of two things when he died. The brotherhood and you, Miss Patterson.” He let go of Kailey’s arms, yet she’d never attempted to strike at him as he continued. “Blood has already stained these hands. Who knows how many in Lisbon were probably with…” He choked a breath, and Kailey wasn’t sure, but she saw tears in Cormac’s eyes. He took a breath and looked at Kailey in the eye as he continued. “I will not kill, nor harm you. Not today, not tomorrow, not even from when after your child is born, to when I’d be fortunate enough to reach old age. But I promise you this, nothing will ever come to you, Liam’s child nor the decedents following. This is my own resignation. A promise to you upon my honor as a member of the Templar order.”

“How do I know you’ll keep your word?” Kailey asked suspiciously.

“Because even Liam would do the same if I left this world without my lassie and with a child, he would do the same.”

Cormac then turned and ran out the door without a reply from Kailey. 

Her heart drumming like a thousand horses, she collapsed unto the stained floor, placing her hands upon her face. This was all  for Kailey to take in. Tears streamed down her face, as she thanked God above that she was safe. That her child was safe. Today and years to come. 

But for how long?

July 29th, 1760

“Alright Miss Kailey, you need to breath when you feel the contractions coming. There thats it.” A midwife was instructing Kailey in the process of the delivery. The pain of childbirth was nothing like those of the doctors nor others she’d talked to ever confirmed. Her brow was covered in sweat and tears threatened to leak, yet she held them back. 

Only few hours ago when Kailey was writing informant letters, she felt a great pain upon her stomach, it was so strong that it caused her to spill the ink all over the parchment and table dripping to the floor. She admitted later that she did felt light pains, but merely thought they were the baby kicking hard, as it must of been anxious to come into the world as much as she is. She screamed in agony, laud enough for the land lord’s wife to storm in and noticed the expecting mother was going into labor. She ordered her husband to ride out and bring the midwife and doctor as she assisted Kailey out of the dress and into a night gown. The landlord’s wife even volunteered to stay by Kailey’s side until the doctor and midwife arrived. 

As Kailey went through the contractions and the pain, she thought of once again of Liam.

Liam

My love

If only you knew of me ending up bearing your child as a result of our beautiful night together. The night, when the war and the world ceased just for a moment for the two of us. How could of I not know? How could I as you kissed me goodbye one last time before departing that you would never return, of known that your seed conceived a child within me?  

I want you to know. I never regretted loving you, not that night. For now, even in this hellish pain, I am thanking God for this child coming into the world. The one we created. And I will…

Kailey’s thoughts were interrupted by a powerful contraction that came upon her. The doctor ordered Kailey to bear down, and with all her strength, she pushed with all her might. She gave a cry as she pushed with all her might, feeling the mass of the baby coming out of her.

“That’s it Kailey! Your almost there!” The doctor told her.

Kailey breathed heavily as she felt another contraction coming.

“Don’t bear down dear! Don’t bear down! Let the baby do the work lass!” The midwife instructed. Kailey took short breaths as again the baby war crowned. Then at a moment the midwife instructed her to give one great big push, to which Kailey obeyed and pushed harder with all the strength remaining in her until she felt the sudden relief followed by a baby’s cry. As the doctor and midwife tended to the baby, Kailey breathed heavily, tears streaming with the sweat, released from the mass pain she had experienced for hours.

“Congratulations! You have a little boy!” The midwife announced as she handed the baby into Kailey’s arms. 

Kailey’s tears finally escaped as she looked upon her son. She gently stroked his head with her fingers, his eyes opened to show that he inherited his mother’s dark eyes, and yet without a doubt, she knew that he looked more like his father. She kissed him and a tear landed on his head as she held him close to her cheek.

He’s here Liam. Our son. Your son. He is here!

As the doctor assisted her with the after birth and checked on the baby, he then asked Kailey if she thought of a name for the child. This Kailey already established. She found an Aramaic word that means “heart”. For this, she knew that this child will be the continuation of Liam’s line, and of that night, she and Liam gave themselves to each other and created a new.

Lifting her eyes proudly, Kailey answered. “His name is Terrence Brien Patterson”

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