ezio crossed the mountains westwards into tuscany , and though the journey was a long and difficult one , as autumn approached and the days became unkinder , he felt his greatest trepidation when he approached the abbey - for it was the place where one of those implicated in the plot to assassinate lorenzo de ' medici - jacopo de ' pazzi 's secretary , stefano de bagnone - had met his end at ezio 's hands long ago .