Page 106 of Tiger's Destiny
“What time is it?” I yawned sleepily.
“It is very early in the morning. Only the guards are awake. Are you hungry?”
She’d brought me a breakfast bowl of cold fish stew. I wasn’t quite hungry enough yet to eat fish for breakfast so I set it down. “Maybe later.”
Anamika took my hand and pulled me out of the tent. “Come.”
We wound our way through the quiet camp. The moonlight peeked through clouds and settled upon the tents, mushrooming up by the thousands at the base of the Himalayan Mountains. The air was crisply cold and as we walked, I wondered what would stand on this spot in my own time.
Will there be a bustling city here? A farm? Herds of animals? Or will there be only the moonlight, the bite of a cold breeze, and the forgotten ghosts of these people?
Steam billowed ahead. When we arrived at the supply tent and the hot spring, I peered into the moonlight.
“Where’s the spring?”
“It is here.”
Almost gleeful, Anamika brushed her hand across a sheet of draped fabric, parted it, and disappeared behind it.
“What is this?” I asked as I followed her.
“Dhiren did this for me tonight.”
“Ren?”
“Yes. He is very kind.” Her eyes twinkled in a way that disturbed me. “He noticed how I wished to bathe and set up these curtains for our privacy.”
“Our privacy?”
“Yes. We can bathe and relax. Look. He even gave me soaps for my hair.”
Anamika stripped and stepped into the bath, letting out a soft sigh. “Why do you hesitate, Kelsey? We won’t be left alone long. The men will be up soon.”
The desire for cleanliness overwhelmed my feelings of modesty, and I soon joined her in the warm spring. It was divine. Soft cloths had been left on a clean rock, and Anamika handed me the bowl of soaps.
As I scrubbed my scalp until it tingled, Anamika said, “After the morning meal, Dhiren will accompany me to the other camps.”
“Other camps? What other camps?”
“Surely you did not believe we are the only ones fighting the demon?”
“Well, I guess I didn’t really think about it.”
“We are one of five. The peoples of China, Burma, and Persia, and the tribes from east of the great mountains join us in this struggle.”
“I see.”
She lifted a foot and sucked in a breath as she touched the raw flesh.
“Your feet still hurt?” I questioned.
“Yes.”
“Have you ever heard of firefruit? I may have just one left in my bag. It should heal you right up.” I rinsed my hair and began scrubbing my arms.
“Your bag of magic, you mean.”
I paused to find her watching me. “I don’t know what you mean,” I said as I dipped the washcloth into the water and then pressed it to my face.
