Page 104 of Tiger's Destiny
I pulled the warm blanket up to his chin and wiped his face with a wet towel. “I’m sorry, I don’t know whatsvargaduutameans,” I said, “but you should be feeling better soon.”
“It means ‘angel,’” a warm voice behind me explained.
I flushed and looked up to see Ren standing at the tent opening, watching me. His eyes were filled with emotion, but he looked away when a man on the other side of the tent moaned in pain. Quickly, Ren bent over the man and questioned him before I could get there.
We worked together quietly for a time, and then I asked, “Were you able to bring back meat?”
“There is more than enough to feed everyone tonight. You’ve been busy, I see,” he said.
I nodded and touched a wounded man’s hand. “Drink this. You’ll feel better soon.”
The man managed to swallow a few mouthfuls of water, but most of it dribbled out of his mouth. Satisfied that he’d gotten enough, I spun on my feet and stood wearily.
“Where’s Kishan?”
“Anamika has recruited him to distribute clothing and blankets. There will be something of a celebration tonight—a hearty stew for the wounded and roasted venison for the rest of us.”
He guided me from the tent and took my elbow as he whispered, “Anamika was right about there being no game. We had to use the Fruit to create the roasts we brought in.”
“They’ll need more than meat to sustain them. They’ll need fruits and vegetables as well.”
“I don’t know how we’ll be able to provide that without suspicion.”
I bit my lip. “We’ll just have to figure out something.”
Ren nodded. “I have discovered that we are roughly between 330 and 320 BC, more likely closer to 320.”
“How do you know?”
“Her leader is Chandragupta Maurya. He led the Mauryan Empire that encompassed the lands my father and grandfather ruled, so I have studied him. He is a young man now, which means he has just begun his reign.”
“Is that a good thing?”
Ren shrugged. “He is far away from here. Anamika is, for all intents and purposes, the leader of this army on his behalf. Her word is thereby considered his law.”
“I suppose that’s good then.”
Ren nodded and lightened the mood. “Shall we attend the celebration?”
“I’d be happy to.”
Ren escorted me to his horse waiting outside the tent. His white smile penetrated the looming darkness.
“I don’t know how to ride,” I protested.
“You rode the Qilin just fine,” he answered as he lifted me, and I threw a leg over the horse’s back.
“That’s because the Qilin was driving,” I said, managing to pull myself awkwardly atop the animal.
Ren mounted the horse right behind me, settling an arm around my waist and starting the horse at a walk. Whispering in my ear, he said, “To properly ride a horse, you have to form a bond, feel his strength, the power in his muscles. Pay attention to his gait, his stride. Close your eyes. Can you feel how his body rises and falls? He’ll take you wherever you want to go. All you need to do is to learn to work with him and not against him.”
I swallowed thickly and tried desperately to remember we were talking about a horse. During Ren’s little speech, I had melted back against his chest, and all I could think of doing was taking over the reins and riding into the mountains with Ren.
Clearing my throat noisily after an indulgent moment of fantasy, I sat as far away as I could get from Ren and told him about the sick and injured men I’d helped during the day. Soon it was no longer just a distraction. I was proud of the work I had done and felt a newfound peace in my soul.
Though I was tired, I knew that the gifts of Durga had been created for this very purpose—to end suffering. The thought occurred to me that Mr. Kadam would have been pleased with our efforts and that he would have loved to discuss battle strategy with Anamika.
My warm inner glow and high spirits continued when we arrived at a huge fire in the center of the camp. Due to my Florence Nightingale efforts, the same men who had looked at me with suspicion and outright dislike the day before warmly received me now. They shifted positions and gave me the best seat in the house, on a worn log near the fire.
