"I just--know," Harper said after a moment. "The information is just there. It has something to do with the Piece of Eden."

"It feeds you information?" Ezio asked, attention sharpening. That was potentially very, very useful.

"...Yes? I think so?" Harper looked at him, still clearly bewildered and upset. "I'm not sure how exactly it works, but I didn't know this stuff before and I do now."

"Fascinating," Ezio murmured, studying her for a moment. She didn't physically look any different, but he had to admit that she had a different air about her that hadn't been there before.

"You should rest," Shea said, nudging her sister. "Quiet will probably do you good."

"I suppose," Harper agreed, standing reluctantly. "I'll try to rest."

"Just go lay down for a bit, at least," Desmond agreed.

Harper nodded and retreated back to her room for now.

Shea followed her just to make sure she settled in, and then went back out to where Ezio and Desmond were.

"I have no idea how to handle this," she said. "Nothing in the traditional teachings covers this, at all." She glanced at Desmond. "Unless the accelerated training mentioned it?" That was the best way she could describe the Animus without outright naming it.

"No," Desmond said, shaking his head. "I've never seen or heard of this." He frowned. "I'm not even properly sure what happened. I mean, you touched the Piece of Eden and nothing happened."

"I know," Shea said. "That's what makes it even weirder. Because I did touch it, more than once, and it didn't react."

"Perhaps you were not an appropriate host?" Ezio suggested, glancing between them. "What little I have heard about the Pieces of Eden tells me that they can be... fickle."

"So, what, you think it waits until it finds an appropriate host and bonds with that host?" Desmond asked, eyebrows high.

"I'm certain I have no idea," Ezio responded. "It makes about as much sense as anything else, at the moment. But it does seem that way, from certain angles."

Desmond was quiet, considering that. "It does make a certain amount of sense," he agreed slowly. "I have no idea what that means for Harper."

"We will have to wait and see," Ezio said. He was quiet for a moment. "At first light I will go out and make sure the area is still secure. After... I had planned to drop in on Leonardo. Perhaps I will take Harper with me, they enjoy one another's company."

Desmond nodded. He'd noticed that too. "Good idea," he agreed. "Everything looked normal on our way back, but the Templars did know where to find us training."

"And that is concerning in and of itself," Ezio agreed, nodding. "The only possible explanation is that we were betrayed."

"Indeed." Desmond scowled. He didn't like that thought. At all. "Which means we need to reevaluate everyone."

"Let's see who comes back, first," Shea suggested, looking at them both. "If all of the recruits make their way back to us, then yes, we'll have to ferret out the traitor. But if not all of them do, that'll at least be a start. We can track down the ones who don't come back, and then question the rest."

Desmond nodded, rubbing at his eyes briefly.

"Right, well, I think that was enough excitement for one night," he murmured, standing again. "I think I need to go to sleep before I start seeing double."

Shea snorted a bit.

"Welcome to my life," she said to him, smirking a bit. As if she didn't see double every time he and Ezio were in the same room.

Desmond snorted at her. "That was an awful joke, and I am well aware." He grinned. "Just imagine seeing in a mirror instead of double."

"Sorry, not sorry," Shea said, grinning. "Officially not my problem, Des. Good night!" With that, she headed in to see if she could get any sleep before daybreak.

Desmond huffed at her but went off to bed as well.

Harper didn't end up being able to sleep much, but she wasn't tired really. Just still freaked out. So she emerged very cautiously from her room a little bit after sunrise and peeked around to see if anyone else was up.

Ezio was already up, only about half-dressed as he made himself a quick, cold breakfast. He wanted to be out quickly to patrol the area and make sure there were no Templars waiting to ambush them.

Harper looked at him for a moment before she shrugged and grabbed herself some food. She knew he was still used to working alone, and she didn't want to freak him out (more than she already had) so she just waited to see if he'd say anything.

Ezio glanced at her when she came in.

"You're awake," he said. "I'm surprised. I had expected you to sleep longer, after yesterday."

Harper shrugged. "I didn't sleep," she murmured. "Can't get my mind to quiet enough."