They did run across several solitary sages, so deep in mediation they had anthills covering their bodies. Along the northwestern edge of the forest belt, there was anashramas well, but they hadn’t gotten round to it yet, in their search.
Billadev lowered his voice once again. “Maybe he just wanted money to buy his favorite herb and just fed us some cock-and-bull story.”
Shota shrugged as if to say,“Yes, but what else do you have?”
In the last settlement they had stayed in, this man claimed to have survived the Dandakaranya. Of course, this testimony was disputed by the tribe elders, who warned them that the man was abhangaddict, a liar, and a layabout, quite possibly insane, by his own making.
Along with cryptic clues, they were given advice to abandon their search.
“I don’t get why I had to climb a tree to search when Vihari could’ve easily done it, had Veer asked him to,” grumbled Billadev, massaging his shoulders.
“It’s ’‘cause we all think you’ve been getting too fat from lazing around all day and doing nothing but grazing on the nuts you find,” jibed Shota.
“Hey! I don’t laze around. I foray for us, and if I happen to run across some tasty and perfectly edible nuts, why shouldn’t I snatch them up?”
Billadev reached into a leather satchel tied at his waist and brought forth a handful of odd, pyramid-shaped nuts. “Anyway, I can be magnanimous and share these with you.”
Shota took one and held it up close to his eye, then sniffed it. “You sure these are safe to eat?”
“Of course. I already ate several of them,” said Billadev, then stuffed a handful of cracked kernels into his mouth.
“That just tells me they don’t work on idiots,” Shota muttered under his breath, causing a muffled snort from the soldier. But he cracked the nut and cautiously popped one into his mouth. The nutty flavor burst on his tongue, and to his relief, he didn’t feel any different.
“So, who’s winning?” asked Billadev.
“The jury is still tied on it,” said the soldier. They watched as Veer backed away from a series of swipes made by Chandra’s sword.
“I don’t know if fighting here is a good thing,” said Shota, looking around the dense forest. They were currently camped underneath a huge banyan tree. There was a broken circular platform made of mortar and stones built around the trunk of the tree.
“Oh relax, will you? We’re in no danger here. We’re still a day’s ride from the settlement. Don’t tell me you’re afraid the Dandakaranya will come up to swallow us all?” scoffed Billadev. He nodded to the heated match taking place. “At least their din will put off any animals lurking around. And I see they’re keeping well away from the fire.”
“How did he manage to make her agree to this?” asked Billadev after a while.
Shota let out an exasperated breath. “Can’t you guess? Veer riled her about the inferiority of training techniques in Amaravathi and the princess couldn’t take it lying down. They are so predictable, the pair of them.”
“Dumb bastard. Doesn’t know the first thing about wooing women,” opined Billadev.
Shota watched as Veer pinned the princess against a tree, his sword at her throat, barely stopped by her own weapon.
“I wouldn’t say that quite yet,” said Shota slowly.
“What do you mean?”
“Look at them,” he said.
Billadev obeyed his instruction.
“Doubt they would allow themselves to be that close if they weren’t involved in a match. Fighting gives them an excuse.”
Billadev chuckled, while muttering, “Devious bastard.”
* * *
“Give me back my weapons, you accursed thief,” Chandra snarled as his hand swiped at her waist. Again. She had thought, initially, that these not-so-innocent touches were part of his strategy to unnerve her, until she realized he was using his sleight of hand to divest her of her jewelry.
Her metal bangles, her arm bands, and even her hair ornaments oftentimes doubled as weapons. How exactly he knew the purpose behind each and their locations, since some were hidden, she had no idea and didn’t want to think about it.
“How are you going to defend yourself when you have no weapons, Princess? Come on. Forget the weapons and defeat me,” he taunted.
