Tiger’s Destiny (37 page)

I grinned and said, “Follow me and see.”

We wound our way through the ocean of tents, and once again, I marveled at how many people were gathered here. It wasn’t just men either. There were several women and even some children in the camp.

Anamika explained, “Before my brother was taken, I sometimes stayed back to run the camp with these women. I was at his side constantly until my brother was captured and fell prey to the demon.

“When we were young, our father taught us together. We were inseparable. Our nursemaids said we were two halves of a bitter melon, especially when our tempers were roused.” She smiled at the memory.

“It quickly became obvious that while Sunil was a powerful warrior and natural leader, I was gifted at organizing armies. Though he overpowered me in strength, I often beat him with cunning. Together we were unstoppable. Sunil always respected my opinions, and between us, we won every squabble, were successful in every maneuver, and overcame every obstacle. We were an unbreakable team, until now.” She lightly stroked her bruised jaw.

I felt pity and a newfound respect for her as she talked more of her upbringing and her family. She loved her brother, and she was truly devastated that he had been turned against her.

Spotting the copse of trees near a rocky outcropping, I guided her to my secret stockpiled tent. When we got there, I pulled back the tent flap.

“It was set up on the outskirts of camp so I think your men forgot it was here,” I explained, hoping she’d accept the flimsy excuse.

Anamika entered the tent and paused. As if stepping inside a temple, she fingered the fabrics in an almost loving way. “It is a gift from the gods,” she exclaimed.

I smiled. “Something like that.” I let her examine the textiles for a few minutes, and then said, “There’s more. Come outside.”

I led her to my new soaking tub, and her eyes lit. She dipped her hand into the warm, bubbling water. A look of intense longing swept over her face. “I have not been able to bathe fully for weeks,” she said and let out a soft sigh. “The men will be able to relax here.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” I said. “So what should we do first?”

Anamika’s all-business expression took over again. “I will have the goods immediately distributed and inform our medics of the hot spring.” She turned to me and said, “Thank you, Kelsey.”

“You’re welcome.”

She smiled at me and, for the first time, I glimpsed the goddess who had been my protector for the last few years.

For the rest of the day, I helped Anamika go from tent to tent to tend to her soldiers. Well after lunchtime, she touched my shoulder, smiled, and offered me half of her small flatbread. My stomach growled in protest, but I felt good staying by her side. There were so many who were wounded and starving. She left me late in the afternoon to see to the returning hunters.

I moved on to the next tent, encouraged the men to drink from the water barrels, and offered sips from a waterskin with a higher concentration of the mermaid’s elixir. I also made sure they had enough clothes and bedding to keep them warm. None of the soldiers spoke English, but the wounded tried to communicate in Hindi.

“
Svargaduuta
,” one man said as I lowered his head gently to the new pillow that had just been brought in.

I pulled the warm blanket up to his chin and wiped his face with a wet towel. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what
svargaduuta
means,” 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.

Ren brought trenchers of food for the both of us then sat at my feet. He translated some of the comments the men made. The general consensus around the camp was that we were good luck charms and that having us there meant there may be hope for winning this war after all.

Our peaceful meal was interrupted by raised voices that grew increasingly louder as they came closer.

“I am not a pack mule!”

“Your mulish behavior labels you as such!”

“I’m only mulish because you are a harpy.”

“I do not understand this word,
harpy
.”

“A harpy is a hag, a nag, a witch.”

“How dare you call me thus?”

“I call it as I see it, Anamika.”

“I do not wish to speak to you further. Leave my side, now!”

“That is music to my ears!”

Kishan stormed into the circle where we were eating, shooed Ren aside, and planted himself next to me. His face and neck were flushed, and he watched Anamika with a heated glare as she took a plate of food and perched on a log. She whipped her long hair over her shoulder and across her lap so it wouldn’t drag in the dirt. As she dug into her food, she glanced my way, nodded to me and Ren, and then frowned at Kishan.

When dinner was finished, Anamika approached us and said, “Come, Kelsey. It is time to retire.” I stood, but Kishan took my arm.

“Goodnight,
bilauta
.” He dipped his head and kissed me, but as I was about to end it, he grunted and pulled me tightly against him. His kiss deepened and though I let it happen without struggling, I felt embarrassed by the very public display of an intimate embrace. Kishan finally let me go and smiled happily as I wobbled a few steps away toward Anamika.

She narrowed her eyes at Kishan and then turned to Ren and asked, “Would you mind helping me tomorrow? It is clear that your brother would be happier trailing after his
kitten
and nipping her heels.”

Ren nodded his head in agreement. His eyes glittered as he watched us, but before I could say anything, Anamika linked her arm with mine and led me into the direction of her tent.

The next day there was a dappled gray mare left outside my tent with a note from Ren. He and Anamika were spending the day working together, but he arranged for me to have the mare to practice riding.

I found Kishan patiently waiting for me at breakfast. He smiled when I climbed down from my horse on my own and tied her to a post.

“I’ll teach you how to tend to her properly,” he offered.

I nodded and smiled proudly. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“One of Anamika’s personal stock.”

“Oh.” I bit my lip, wondering what Ren had offered to Anamika in exchange for such a wonderful gift.

“What’s our task today?” I asked, suddenly moody.

“We’re in charge of food. I thought we could pretend we’d been fishing and bring back some edible plants and roots as well.”

“Fine.”

After a stop at the supply tent to refill the depleted stock, we set off toward the river.

We worked all day, traveling back and forth between the camp and the river, carrying bags of salad greens, roots, and lines of fish. My mind was only able to focus on two things: the ache of my muscles and the jealous green-headed monster that reared whenever I wondered what Ren and Anamika were doing. By the time I’d hauled in the last giant sack of greens and helped Kishan position the poles of freshly caught fish near the cooking fire, I desperately wished we could just drop the pretenses and use the Golden Fruit in front of everyone. I knew we still needed to guard the gift, but using it out in the open would be so much easier.

I waited a while for Ren and Anamika to return, but I was so exhausted from all the heavy lifting that shortly after the evening meal, I returned to my pallet and collapsed upon it.

It was Anamika who woke me.

“See,” she whispered by torchlight, “too soft.” She giggled quietly and said, “Kelsey, come with me.”

“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.