Page 80 of Tiger's Dream
Cocking his head, the man considered me, then looked up at the sun. He sighed. “I wanted to be farther along by now. If we’re going to meet up with our buyers, we’re going to have to speed this up. Bring him,” he said and jerked the reins of his horse, turning the animal back to the caravan that had kept moving along as we spoke.
As the men came closer, I protested. “I’m unarmed. I came in good faith to trade.”
The burly men laughed as they circled me on their horses. One said, “Only a fool or a zealot would venture away from home unarmed. I don’t take you for a fool so you must be a zealot.” He leaned down. “I hate to tell you this, but it appears as if your faith is too weak, zealot. I don’t think your god or goddess is going to save you.”
No, I thought.Not when I’m here to save her. I opened my mouth to say something else and turned around just in time to see a boot coming for my face. My head snapped back and I spat blood. The bag slipped from my shoulder and I’d just raised my hands to fight when I felt a sharp pain on the back of my skull. There was a roaring in my ears and then the sky went dark.
***
The first thing I became aware of was a steady rocking motion. It made my stomach turn, and it was all I could do to shift my head enough so the contents of my heaving stomach wouldn’t end up all over my chest.
I groaned and lifted a finger to gingerly touch my swollen cheek and feel the lump on the back of my neck. A wet cloth landed with a splat next to my leg, followed by a querulous voice. “I’ll thank you to clean up your own sick,” it said.
Squinting in the dark, I could just make out a large shape in the corner. “Who are you?” I asked.
“Humph,” the voice said and the person shuffled closer. “Don’t matter much, does it?”
With a sharp hiss, I sat up, my back against the wall of the cart, and heard the jangle of iron. My ankles and wrists were chained to the floor. “I’m Kishan,” I offered. “I’ve come to rescue a girl.”
I heard a scornful cackle. “Found a girl then, haven’t ya? Though seeing the state you’re in, fat lot of good you’ll do me.”
Picking up the damp cloth, I touched it to my check and then pressed it against the back of my head. Pain was a fleeting thing for me. Even the worst pain faded quickly since I became a tiger. It was the only thing that gave me comfort when I knew Ren had been kidnapped by Lokesh. His torture had been terrible. We’d talked of it once and both of us vowed never to tell Kelsey all that had happened to him. It gave me nightmares to think about it.
The pain I felt now was nothing in comparison to what he had suffered, and yet it was something I had to consider. I could be killed here. These men could maim me enough to prevent me from achieving my purpose. I’d have to be more careful. It was indeed foolish for me to wander through the countryside unarmed. I’d never been unarmed before. I’d always had tooth or claw. Durga’s weapons were now gone. In hindsight, I should have looked for a weapon at Anamika’s home or asked Kadam to bring me one.
Of course, knowing him, he’d come up with some reason it would ruin the timeline for me to bring a weapon from the future into the past. He’d personally packed my bag…wait…my bag! I felt around in the dark, patting the floor of the wagon.
“They took whatever you had, foolish boy,” the woman said with a mocking tone. “You’ll not find your things here.”
“Do…do you know where they’re taking us?” I asked.
“The slave auction,” she answered. “I imagine a strapping lad like you will fetch a nice price.”
“Where is it?” I said. “What city?”
“It moves. Sometimes, it’s in the middle of an oasis. Sometimes a city. Other times it’s by the beach. I like it there best.”
“So, you’ve been with them for a while?”
“I keep the captives alive,” she said.
“Then you must know the girl I’m looking for.” I could feel her eyes on me, even though it was darker than pitch in the wagon. “Please,” I begged. “I’m the girl’s protector. Just tell me, is she alive?”
There was silence for two long breaths and then the woman said softly, “Yes, boy. She’s alive.”
I didn’t know I was holding my breath until I let it out. “Thank you,” I said.
“Seems you’re not much of a protector, seeing as how you’ve been captured yourself.”
“My incarceration is just temporary,” I said.
There was a rasping response and I thought the old woman was choking for a moment. Then I realized she was laughing.
“You doubt my ability to free us?” I asked.
“Son, I’ve been here a long time,” she said. “Longer than you’ve been alive, I’d wager.”
She’d lose that bet.
