The Children // ASSASSINS CREED ODYSSEY // DEIMOS

C51: The End

The back of Eos' head hurt. The last thing she'd remembered was Iris starting to get a little tearful, that small lip of hers starting to quiver. Then, a pain, as if someone had...

Eos took a slow, deep breath, she could feel herself moving, feel her hands bound behind her, her wrists already working their way free, hear the wheels turning against the ground, the sound of horses and... Iris... she could hear her... whining...

There was someone else there too. Someone to the right of her, heavy breathing, another trying and failing to coo her daughter. A driver upfront maybe... How many would be around her...

Eos felt the wheel turn over a stone, the movement giving her the ompft to sit up, opening her eyes and seeing a forest trail following behind them but, the small noise Iris gave distracted her long enough for a foot to push her back down, the heavy breathing coming from a lump who was sat on the edge of the wagon she was lay on.

"Iris-",

"Quiet" the lump snapped. He looked like a mercenary, the mismatch of expensive armor being the give-away.

Iris reached out one of her arms, a sob coming from her deep inside her small throat,

"Make it shut up". The man holding Iris brought her closer, shushing her but, it only made her push away and cry even more.

The lump stood up, putting even more weight on Eos - he was going to kill her if she didn't move, "Give it 'ere", the lump had tried to grab for Iris but, Eos had saw her chance and brought her knees up, the man stumbling before she kicked upwards.

He fell and she kicked again, the man tumbling over the side of the wagon.

The other man stood up as Eos did, grabbing at a crying Iris with her now freed hands before she kicked him over to. The driver had stopped, just about to turn around when Eos pushed him forward, making him fall between the two horses and having them panic. It was just them. No entourage.

Eos went to jump down but, the mercenary was already on his feet and grabbed at her instead.

She held on to Iris tightly as she turned herself, elbowing the mercenary in the face as he tried to get her in a headlock.

She fell on to her back as the mercenary stumbled backwards, holding Iris in the air so she didn't touch the ground. The baby hadn't even opened her eyes yet, having not realised that she'd changed hands.

Eos got to her feet - the driver was dead, he had to be, the horses having dragged his body a few feet away from them, along with the wagon - the mercenary, he'd be tougher, the man was already coming towards her, holding an axe - the dagger though, on his waist, she could use that - and the other one, she didn't know where he'd gone, if he'd run. She held Iris tighter.

"Give me the brat" he said,

"Give me your axe. We can swap" Eos shrugged. Iris quieted at her mother's voice, the babe finally opening her eyes, her little hands grabbing on to her robes, "shh baby" she said quietly.

The mercenary screamed at her then, making Iris give a little shriek as he rushed them, swinging his axe. Eos dodged him just in time, making him attempt to swing at them sideways but, Eos had already grabbed his dagger, stabbing the man in the underside of his arm and making him let go. The mercenary went to grab at Iris in one last attempt but, Eos pulled the dagger out and stabbed him in the throat.

He'd grabbed at Iris' red blanket, pulling it off her as he fell, the blood spewing from his neck, soaking the them both.

Eos took a step backwards, holding Iris close, the babe burying her head in Eos' shoulder, both of their hearts thumping in their chest as Eos tried to soothe her.