Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Highlands Children

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Assassin's Creed: Fragments – The Highlands Children (French: Assassin's Creed: Fragments – Les Enfants des Highlands) is a novel by Alain T. Puysségur. It was released in French on 16 September 2021, as the second entry in the Assassin's Creed: Fragments young adult series by 404 Éditions. An English translation was released on 14 November 2023.

The events of the novel take place in Scotland, following Fillan and his sister Ailéas during the invasion by King Edward I of England in 1296, and focused on the local culture of the Highlands.

Official synopsis

Scotland, 1296. The English troops of King Edward are ordered to attack and ransack the Scottish town of Berwick. During the chaos of the battle, Fillian and his twin sister Aileas get separated. Fillian finds protection within a mysterious group of warriors, while Aileas is saved from certain death by an English Captain. Thrust into the dangers of the violent conflict opposing not only Scotland and England, but also Assassins and Templars, each teen embarks on their own perilous journey. When the time comes, will the two siblings be reunited?

Summary

Chapter 1 — Shadows

In the middle of the night at Berwick, a shop is broken into by goldsmith Glenn. Within moments, Glenn is held by scissors at his neck by a young woman named Ailéas, who released him upon recognition. Behind the shop's counter, experienced tailor Alastair Aitken talks with Glenn, who looked at the shop's current destruction, and they discuss the battle outside their doors. Four days earlier, a battalion of English soldiers were ordered by King Edward I of England to attack Berwick in retaliation to King John Balliol of Scotland allying with the French and rejecting a call to arms from King Edward. Soon, Ailéas' twin brother Fillan returns and asks Glenn of his purpose here while welcoming him. Glenn demands that they all leave as the town's leader is readying to abdicate, leading to all of their deaths.

Alastair agrees but is quickly reprimanded by Glenn for his lack of haste. Although Fillian defends his master, the tailor soon sends the teenager away to pack while he talks with Glenn about their preparations. Meanwhile, Ailéas ponders at leaving her home and recalls when Alastair took them in after the parents were massacred eight years ago and made them his apprentices. After Glenn leaves, Ailéas comments that they are leaving others behind. Alastair states that survival is the upmost importance and that they must leave. He soon tells the twins to tell one more guild member before they leave. They leave their home while Ailéas tries to talk about their parents, but Fillan shuts down any conversation about it. They soon arrive at the cobbler's door but finds the cobbler killed and his shop ransacked. Immediately, shouts are heard while news spread of the leader's surrender while a man tells the twins to run. Although Ailéas tries to help him, the man, bleeding from a spear in his back, yells at them to run. The twins run immediately from incoming English troops.

Chapter 2 — Massacre

With Berwick in chaos, the twins try to escape and make their way back to Alastair, but come across three young soldiers who held a grudge against Fillan. Fillian goads them into a fight but is beaten down by one of the soldiers. Before the soldier could stab him, Ailéas knocks him out and scares the other soldiers away. Embarrassed, Fillian pushes her hand away and then both continued on their way. Venturing past bodies and people running, they arrive at Alastair's shop but finds Alastair beaten up by unknown soldiers wearing red capes. The leader demands him to tell them the location of the Children of Fal but Alastair remains silent. After the leader chokes him, he lets him go and plunges his sword into Alastair. Shocked, the twins tear up while Fillan lets out a cry. The leader tells his men to seize them but Ailéas tells Fillan to run for the quays.

Escaping within the crowds of people running, the twins head for the roofs and then react to the chaos and fires burning their hometown. Meanwhile, their pursuers sought them and pushed or slew down any bodies in their way. Fortunately, they managed to escape the soldiers but Fillan falls behind Ailéas, who heads for the quays. Before he could change direction, he hears Ailéas scream aloud.

Chapter 3 — Rupture

Fillan looks for his sister but finds a man on the floor dying on his last breath instead. Traversing through the madness, he becomes overcome with relief of not seeing Ailéas' body but feels anguish over the casualities. However, he finds Ailéas' blood and ripped fabric soon and then sees her motionless body being carried by a English soldier. Before he can act, he was grabbed by one of the red cape soldiers. Fortunately, a burning building falls atop the soldier and Fillan escapes, but not before losing sight of Ailéas. Fillan manages to overlook the massacre happening in front of him and makes his way to the town square. The remaining resistance, which included blacksmith Charles, composed of a last ditch effort to fight the English. Soon, while running, Fillan loses his footing as a dead body falls atop of him.

Pushing the body off him, Fillan begins to run again and evades capture. Sadly, he comes across Glenn dead in a sea of blood and other corpses. He soon finds his way to the quays but finds most of the boats burning. He remembers a large pontoon he boarded and swims towards it. Calling out for any survivors, he realizes an incoming English soldier with a dagger in his hand. Paralyzed, he accepts his fate but falls down from a blow to his head. Before losing consciousness, he hopes to see his sister again in death.

Chapter 4 — Mercenaries

Fillan wakes up to feel the grass on his face and wrists bounded. Soon, he finds himself eavesdropping on a conversation between a Norwegian man and a woman talking about why the Brotherhood wants him. Soon, another man named Edan notices Fillan awake and raises him to sit up right. Edan tries to have Fillan talk but the boy is shaking in terror and pain from what he escaped. The other man, whose build is tremendous and frightening, asks Fillan to recount everything that happened. As best he can, Fillan tells them all what has transpired, especially Alastair's death. Realizing he cannot fight back, Fillan tries to run away. However, he is tripped by another woman in the group of mercenaries.

The Norwegian soon goes to the boy and states that this is a child's way. Fillan states that he is not a child, admits his name, and wants to go back to Berwick. However, the Norwegian states that the village is gone and thus his sister. Realizing time is against them, they all prepare to leave with Fillan. Meanwhile, the Norwegian brings Fillan to an edge of the forest, where they can see Berwick burning. Trying to convince him to leave, the man reveals his name to be Sören and how he and the others were tasked by the Brotherhood to bring him and his sister to them to Dalkeith. Although he senses something off, Fillan agrees to go with Sören and his mercenaries. Ready, they depart to meet the Brotherhood.

Chapter 5 — Hunted

Fillan rides along the mercenaries to their destination, despite the struggle of riding and the bad omen of leaving Berwick behind. Moira suggests to take his time riding but he almost loses control of his steed. After finding a place to rest, Fillan hopes to sleep after they rode for most of the day. Before he can, Sören talks with him about who the mercenaries are and gives him food. He confirms the bald man is Edan and one of the women is Kyle, who begins to tussle with Edan. Too tired, Fillan falls asleep while Sören assigns Edan first guard duty. While trying to sleep, Fillan keeps waking up from nightmares in his sleep.

The next day, they begin to ride again, but are joined by two more mercenaries Craig and Fergus. While riding, Sören assigns Kyle to leave the group midway. Fillan soon notices Edan becoming more restless while still tired from the journey. Resting for a moment, Fillan awakes from the sound of swords clashing. While the sound ends, Fillan arms himself with a branch only to see Kyle escort a captured English soldier forward. She states that three of them were tracking them. Sören interrogates the soldier, who, after a moment with a dagger, admits to tracking the boy after being told a description. After talking with the other mercenaries, Sören quickly kills the soldier, much to Fillan's horror.

Media

Editions

• ISBN 9791032404188; 404 Éditions; 16 September 2021; French-language hardcover

International

• ISBN 9781803363554; Titan Books; 14 November 2023; English-language paperback

Cover gallery

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  French cover
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  Textless cover
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  Concept cover
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  Concept cover