The Mosquito and the Lion

fourteen

The sun had begun its steady descent below the tree line, taking any vestiges of safety and comfort with it. Trekking through the base of the mountain last night seemed like child's play compared to the eerie and frightful creatures that lay deeper in the jungle.

They had stuck close to the creek for most of the day, and Arjun was grateful for the endless supply of fresh water on what had been a stifling and humid afternoon. Despite this, however, his tunic was drenched in sweat, and his face hummed under the intense heat.

Vidya's guess had proven correct. Though the princess and her team had moved deeper into the jungle in an effort to hide, one of them — judging by the size and deep imprint of the footprints, a heavier man — had returned to the creek to refill their flasks.

That had been their last stroke of good luck. For the past two hours, they had followed broken twigs, trodden vegetation, and split cobwebs only to arrive at dead ends. Each time they picked up a new trail, Arjun convinced himself that this was the real one. Each time, he was disappointed.

"This is hopeless," Rahul groaned, perspiration dripping into his dark eyes, as the trail went cold yet again.

Rahul had not stopped complaining for the past half hour, and it seemed Vidya had reached the end of her rope.

"For the Gods' sake, shut up!" she screeched, glaring daggers at him. "Nothing you say is helpful. I don't understand why you talk so much!"

"What? Am I supposed to thank our trusted scholar for leading us in circles around a mountainside that actively wants to kill us?" Rahul jeered, pressing his palms together in mock adoration. "Oh, praise be to Vidya, she who knows nothing!"

"That's ironic," she hissed, her nostrils flaring in unmitigated rage. "Coming from the man who does nothing else but drink our water, eat our food, and whine more than a petulant toddler!"

Arjun decided now was the time to intervene, before they said anything else they would regret. Though he doubted either would have any.

"Enough," he said firmly. "The both of you have to get along." Both of them grumbled under their breath, Vidya scuffing the earth with her sandals. "Rahul, you know we would die out here without Vidya."

Vidya smirked at his cousin. "Listen to your King, you ass—"

"And Vidya." He turned his gaze to her, just as stern as he was to Rahul. There would be no favoritism here, even if he was annoyed by his cousin's whinging as well. "When one of those scary animals comes after us, you'll be glad Rahul is here."

She huffed, folding her arms across her chest, but — and Arjun thanked the heavens for this — said nothing.

"Now, how could he be doing this? This mountainside may not be vast, but it's certainly not small either." Arjun pretended to posit the question to the entire group, hoping to spare Rahul's ego.

The Crown Prince refused to give up. All his life, he had worked twice as hard, trained twice as much, and studied twice as long. What he lacked in innate talent, he more than made up in determination and grit. He was not going to be outwitted by a thief.

Not again, anyway.

She sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration. "Nandini. No one, not even me, knows these mountains better than her."

Arjun could barely see the sun now. Still just the late evening, already strange animals were rising from their slumber. A lizard scurried into his path. Dark green, it blended into the earth, until its tongue darted out and its entire body turned into a bright blue, illuminating its path. Arjun could see the outline of the lizard's bones and the reptile's heart pumping through its thin skin.