Vajra An Elven Tale

Chapter 23 Part ii

Hi,

This is a short update, but I stopped it where I did for a reason. Will be back with chapter 24 soon. Please enjoy!

Looking forward to hear from you.

Love,

Sakura

Chapter 23 B

Sunset

The sunbeams stopped short from entering the champion’s compound at Padmapeeta. It was dingy, cold even in the heated afternoon of mid spring and the air carried a perpetual smell of decay, sweat and blood. Certainly, it was no place for a lady, but there was hardly a soul to notice her cloaked figure entering the shady establishment.

Swara let the hood fall as she reached the first cluster of cool shadows. The heat made it harder to keep her disguise, except for a clump of sweaty hair that kept plastered to her temples and cheeks. Inside the compound, it did not seem like a very good idea to enter in the first place and looking at the vast yet mysterious interior she wondered, if ever, she’d manage to find Sanskar here. He had known when and where to approach her when he was in the mood of having  a chat, if you could call it a chat that is, but she had no idea where to find him in dire need.

An arrow wheezed past her unexpectedly, making her jump and look around wildly. It had struck the peeling off wooden pillar behind her. While she was starting at it, mouth agape and thankful that she was not ran through, an unfamiliar voice called after her.

“Don’t take me for a rude host, but I’d rather not run into nobles in this part of Padmapeeta.”

She knew Keshav from sight, hence there was no pressing need for introductions. Swara greeted the older man with a brief bow that hardly lowered her eyes.

“I’m looking for someone,” she told him, dismissively.

“Doesn’t the fact that you haven’t yet found them, tell you to stop looking?”

“Does it?” she unclenched and clenched her fists, lips pressed to an un – amused line. “Perhaps it tells me to look harder.”

Keshav grimaced giving her the impression that he did not enjoy their conversation either. Swara wondered what his true intentions were. She did that very often in the recent times; analyze whether certain people were trust worthy or not. Mohan had taught her that it was a relative thing, that most people are neither evil nor saint, but could be easily tempted into both ends. She mused where Kashav’s toppling point lay, whether or not Sanskar had found it by now. She had seen them together more often than not, perhaps the older man spoke on behalf of the younger.

“You ought to know it’ll do him no good to get involved with a princess, my lady,” he said in the end, resignation tainting his voice. “I don’t know what your plans are, neither what brought you here. But I’m sure you know by now that there are eyes everywhere at Padmapeeta.”

“Perhaps I must get going then,” she cut him off, and turned away with another brief bow, only to come face to face with the person she was hoping to see in the first place. Their gazes collided for the briefest of moments and Sanskar tilted his head, his eyes curious. She didn’t linger to answer him, knowing Keshav’s gaze trailed her movements. With a hasty bow she was gone, leaving the two warriors to their evening training session.

**

On the western edge of the circular formation of Padmapeeta was the pavilion of gods. The stone building, made out of red sandstone and wood polished to resemble mirrors, gleamed in the setting sun, stranded in the middle of an artificial lake full of river Indra’s water. The last of the sun had dipped and vanished into the edge of the still water a few moments before. It was a new moon night, hence nobody questioned her, lighting the earthen lamps there, while she waited.