Page 108 of Tiger's Destiny
Back in our tent, I found Kishan helping Anamika and Ren prepare for their journey. Ren had a sword strapped to his side. He wore a heavy tunic over a thick pair of leggings. A cloak hung over his arm, which he set down along with a helmet to show me that the Scarf and the Golden Fruit were hidden within his bag. I took thekamandalfrom my neck and tied it around his.
He looked unbelievably handsome—an ancient Indian warrior come to life from the pages of a history book. A twist of fate had given him to me although he should have died centuries before I was born. I had set aside that precious gift, and now I didn’t know how to get it back. Regret pierced my heart.
As Kishan made sure they had all they needed, I wished for a waterskin filled with firefruit juice. It materialized on Anamika’s table with a shimmer. I handed it to her, saying it was medicine and that she should drink it all.
She clutched my upper arm and said, “Be safe, Kelsey,” then Ren placed a cloak identical to his around her shoulders and gallantly tied it into place. She smiled shyly up at him, and the pair slipped through the tent flap and disappeared with Kishan trailing along behind to see them off.
A moment later, I heard the galloping of horse hooves receding. I returned to my bed to hide the backpack and noticed a sheet of parchment placed on top. In Ren’s beautiful script, I read Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 50” and a note:
SONNET 50
by William Shakespeare
How heavy do I journey on the way, When what I seek, my weary travels’ end, Doth teach that ease and that repose to say ‘Thus far the miles are measured from
thy friend!’
The beast that bears me, tired with my woe, Plods dully on, to bear that weight in me, As if by some instinct the wretch did know His rider loved not speed, being made
from thee:
The bloody spur cannot provoke him on That sometimes anger thrusts into his hide; Which heavily he answers with a groan, More sharp to me than spurring to his side; For that same groan doth put this in
my mind;
My grief lies onward and my joy behind.
Kelsey,
This parting is difficult for me though I believe it is necessary. Kishan will keep you safe. Our task is nearly complete. Lokesh will be destroyed, and we will be set free to live as men. I should feel exultation at that idea, but instead, my heart grows heavy. I know the distance from you is only temporary, and yet, my mind is burdened with the awareness of a final, impending separation to come. It is nearly impossible for me to leave you now. I don’t know how I will bear it when you are gone forever. But still, I will meet my destiny.
—Ren
Stifling a flood of tears, I stepped out of the tent into the crisp air. The sky, beautiful and full of stars an hour before, was now bleak and empty. The light on the horizon was a nauseating shade of pink. Panic rose in me like a fluttering bird, beating its wings against my swollen heart. My stomach twisted. As the men stirred in their tents and the sky brightened, I felt an impending doom.
allies
Ren and Anamika were gone for almost three weeks. We’d been busy while they were gone but not busy enough for me to forget about Ren those eighteen long days. I couldn’t help but feel that every day that we were apart, I was losing more of him.
Kishan trained the men to fight as one unified army and helped the wounded regain their strength. Ren and Kishan had built a new tent near the cooking fires and filled it with all kinds of food—fruits, meats, vegetables (both dried and fresh)—and there were barrels and bags of whole grains, beans, and rice.
Now that the men were eating heartily and were stronger, they yearned for something to do other than to perform battle exercises. Kishan’s training as a military advisor quickly became apparent, and it was fascinating to watch him change from the modern man I knew back into the Indian prince he once was. As he eased into the role, I could see a different side of him, and I felt a sense of pride and amazement for the man who was my fiancé.
He worked alongside the men every day, taking very little time to tend to his own needs. I often brought him meals and found him doing everything from chopping wood and filling water barrels to patiently teaching young soldiers the correct way to throw a spear. Every time I approached, he gave me a soft smile and kissed my cheek.
In the evenings, he came to my tent and rested his head wearily in my lap. He’d tell me about his day as I stroked his hair and then as the camp settled for the night, he’d kiss me tenderly before heading to his own tent.
The men were more than willing to follow his direction, and he sent several groups out to hunt to supplement our food supply or out on scouting parties to assess the whereabouts of Lokesh and his army. Kishan had me and some of the women practicing drills also. He said if Lokesh was to be defeated by a woman, then it made sense to teach some of the women at least the rudimentary basics of battle.
I stood alongside old grandmothers and young wives as Kishan ran us through drills to strengthen our muscles and to train us in the use of knives and small swords. All the women remarked that I was such a lucky girl to have someone like Kishan as my fiancé, and the few unmarried women watched him covetously and flirted shamelessly as he patiently guided them in the use of light hand weapons.
I was happy being with Kishan and working with him. Exhaustion at the end of each day made me seek my tent at nightfall. Although I could barely keep my eyes open, I still scanned the horizon continually, watching for Ren and Anamika’s return.
When Anamika’s group of warriors finally rode into camp one evening, we all cheered and gave them heroes’ welcomes. The clattering sound of their armor and their sheer size alone was intimidating. There was a call for water and for someone to take the horses. I heard Kishan bark out instructions. The sounds of many languages floated upon the air. I scanned the group seeking just one man, the one with the piercing blue eyes.
Without thinking, I cast aside my bow and wove through the stamping horses. Kishan shouted my name, but I continued on and ducked between armored bodies until I came upon Ren at last.
Ren turned and saw me. He still held the reins of his horse in one hand.
