Wagon
A wagon is a four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draft animals. The primary purpose of horse-drawn wagons is to transport large quantities of items or human occupants from one location to a destination.
During the Renaissance, armed horsemen would escort wagons in the outskirts of cities, near forests and around mountainous regions, due to the dangers posed by bandits and other dubious individuals.
Usage
Wagons were commonly used by Travel stations, which transported civilians between cities for a fee.
The famed polymath Leonardo da Vinci also made use of a personal wagon, during his travels to Forlì, on which he was joined by the Assassin and close friend, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The wagon was loaded with his designs and inventions, including the Flying Machine.
Upon arriving at the Apennine Mountains, Ezio discovered Leonardo attempting to fix the wagon's broken wheel. Ezio helped by briefly lifting the wagon, and allowing Leonardo to make the necessary repairs.
During their ride to Forlì, they were attacked by Borgia soldiers. Ezio told Leonardo to take cover within the wagon, before driving the horses himself in order to shake off the attackers. Though archers began to shoot flaming arrows at them, and several soldiers burned a bridge that they needed to cross, Ezio nevertheless drove the wagon through the flames and to safety.
As they drew near Forlì, Ezio instructed Leonardo to continue, whilst he jumped off the wagon to face the attackers himself in a small village and quickly dispatched the adversaries he faced. The fate the wagon remains unknown.
Trivia
- In the novel Assassin's Creed: Renaissance, Leonardo is initially accompanied by four men during his travel, not all of whom survived the attack.
- Also in Renaissance, after the ambush, it is Leonardo who drives the wagon to escape pursuit, while Ezio rides on horseback to dispatch the attackers.
- A miniature replica of this wagon can be found in the Villa Auditore after completing the "Romagna Holiday" memory.