Dhruva Nakshathra - The Game of Alliance ✔

T H I R T E E N

Ansa, a village in the southeast of Kavish

The exhausted platoon riding on their horsebacks trotted under the full moonlight to find a decent place to put up for the night. Day and night had become accustom to them that they hardly cared about when they reach their next stop. The last time, Nakshathra checked they were entering the Ansa village located near the coastal of southeast of Kavish.

They reached a clearing close to the coastal and a little further from the village residence. "We shall setup the tents here." Parthiban jumped down from his horse and got into work. Knowing they would be reaching Ansa in the dark; the chief of enforcement had made early preparation of collecting woods for fire and prepared foods beforehand.

Nakshathra meanwhile helped with the other scouts to unload the tents and her medical essentials from the horse carriage they brought along. Her idea of bring her medical essentials had been quite helpful for them throughout their thirty-four-day journey finding for a hint for the kidnappers. She held on to the believe that they would find at least someone who would lead them to the people and eventually to the person behind the hideous act.

Parthiban sauntered towards the open to survey the surroundings and got a glimpse of a group of people boarding into a boat that takes them to a ship waiting a little further from the shore. Sceptical, those could be the village people boarding the boat, he immediately whistled mimicking a bird alerting his guards. Under the dark sky lit by moonlight, he figured out those being pushed into the boat were men and their hands were tied behind them. Bulky men were throwing instruction of what sounded like, "Quick. We don't have all day."

He treaded softly, careful to not make a noise. However, the approaching sound of his troop alerted the men on the shore, the small boat rowed as quickly as it could to reach the ship. Parthiban and his armed guards rushed to the men at the shore and engaged in an intense fight.

Waiting at their newly set up camp, Nakshathra minced back and forth, the sharp and constant clank of swords ringing from the shore sent her signs of danger as her heart beat heavily against her chest. The dark sky, secluded coastal and a little number of armed soldiers by her brother's side disquieted her. Anxious for any unfortunate circumstances, she clamped her damp palms. Time seemed to move slower than ever and she couldn't sit idly any longer. Following her impulse, Nakshathra unsheathed an extra sword from the scabbard tied on Parthiban's horse, she ran to join them.

She carefully prowled following the clanks of swords and grunts. It was a havoc at the shore and before she could make it to the coastline one of the supposed men, they were fighting blocked her way. Towering her with his huge body, he growled attempting to frighten her before swinging a log of wood aiming her head. Quick to her defence, Nakshathra dodged and slashed his midriff with her sword. With him losing his strength she used all of her energy to kick the gigantic man down and pressed her knees on his freshly cut wounds, his yelp boomed. "Tell me who sent you?" she asked.

It was only after she question did, she realised, she did not know what happened. Who were these men and why is her brother and his soldiers fighting with them? He could have been a bandit but his answer proved her right.

"I'm just doing what— ah... ...asked to do," his mumbles and cries brought her concentration back to him.

"What are you'll doing here?" she pressed harder on his wound.

"Sending the captives to our master...." The huge man was barely whispering, she had to bring her ears closer but that was the last she heard from him.

Looking down at his wounds, she regretted to have cut deeply causing him to lose so much of blood. If not for her careless strike, she could have gotten what she wanted from him—information. Pangs of conscience hit her for the man to have lost his life because of her. Her brother's teaching replayed in her mind, 'casualty happens in battles. Don't feel guilty for it. You are fighting for our life. If not theirs, you will be in their place.' She said a quick prayer for the fallen before heading to help her brother battling with two men.