Two hours had passed since Arslan decided to write a letter for his little sister, but much to his dismay, he still couldn't think of anything to write.
Arslan groaned, tossing the quill in his hand to the desk. "Ugh, what should I write?" He wondered out loud, propping his chin against his palm as he stared at the small empty paper, "I can't make it too long, since Asa hates beating around the bush. But I can't be too direct, too..."
Arslan leaned back on his chair, closing his eyes tiredly. 'But now that I think about it again, sending letters via Soroush means I have to make it short and direct, isn't it?'
Arslan stopped for a moment, and then slowly straightened up on his chair. He took the quill again, dipping its tip into ink and prepared to write. "Okay, here goes..."
But suddenly, his chamber door was knocked from outside.
Arslan stopped his hand and took a deep breath. "Come in..." he said while looking at the door.
The door then opened, revealing Vahriz behind it. "Pardon my intrusion, but Denka, it's time for your swords training."
"Oh... right, huh?" Arslan stated flatly, glancing outside the window. The sun was shining quite harshly right now, meaning now probably was already noon. "Sorry, let me tidy this first."
Vahriz walked inside and stopped beside Arslan's desk, observing it. "Hoo, writing a letter, Denka?" he asked amusedly.
Arslan nodded. "I know Asa had just departed, but I'm thinking of sending her a letter," he laughed awkwardly, "It has been hours since I started but I still can't think of anything..."
Vahriz didn't respond, instead he looked like he was deeply musing. This made Arslan tilt his head to the side in wonder. "Is something wrong, Vahriz?"
The Eran was still silent. "No, nothing at all. When I saw Denka, I thought of sending my old friend a letter, too," he eventually said to Arslan, "His name is Bahman. He lives in Peshawar."
"Heeh, is that so?" Arslan murmured to himself.
Vahriz nodded back before turning around and walking away. "When you had done, Denka, if it's okay with you may I send my letter alongside yours?"
"Huh? Oh, sure!" Arslan nodded rigidly, "...but Vahriz, how are you gonna write it?"
"Not direct, but not too long. Also not so formal, since it's a letter for a friend," Vahriz replied, which Arslan agreed with, "I will roll and put it inside a box, so it won't be damaged while inside the messenger's bag."
'Letting a messenger deliver it instead of Soroush... how could I not think about it?' Arslan mentally slapped himself, 'That way I don't have to worry about its length... but realizing it just make me more confused...'
"Denka, are you done yet?" Vahriz called Arslan from outside his room, snapping him out of his mind. "Oh, yes! Just hang on a minute!" Arslan chimed back, pushing the chair in and rushing out of his room.
○○○
Meanwhile with Asa, the princess was busy reading books inside the steady moving carriage.
Bahar was sitting across her, closing her eyes as always. "...Hime-sama," she called, breaking the comfortable silence between them, "Are you really fine with doing that?"
"Doing what?" Asa asked indifferently, not taking her bespectacled eyes off of her thick book.
"Not waking Denka up," Bahar opened her eyes as she replied casually, "You two will be separated for three months, after all."
"I'm aware of that," Asa kept acting indifferent, "But I figured Nii-sama must have had a long night before, so I just let him sleep."
"A long night?" Bahar raised one of her eyebrows, "Why do you think so?"
"Oh, I think he must be feeling really guilty towards me that he couldn't sleep well last night. Worrying about others more than himself... that's just the kind of person Nii-sama is."
"But why would Denka feel guilty towards you?"
"It's because..."
Asa was about to reply, but then decided against it and closed the book she was reading. "It's nothing!" she huffed, pouting while averting her gaze away from Bahar.
Bahar blinked her eyes, with a thin smile slowly curved on her lips. "Hime-sama..."
"Of course I'm a princess," Bahar could hear Asa muttered to herself, "Anyway, don't talk about it again, Bahar."
"Understood, Hime-sama." Bahar closed her eyes again, agreeing with her although she took her muttering into mind.
○○○
It was the fifth day since Asa's departure to Peshawar, meaning it would take two more days to arrive.
Asa was snoring softly, having her head resting on Bahar's lap. Bahar, too, was sleeping with her own head leaning against the wall. Their face looked so peaceful under the gentle afternoon light.
However, their sleep was interrupted when the carriage abruptly braked. "What? What happened?" Asa jerked up from her sleep, Bahar following after her.
"Bandits!" they could hear the cavalrymen--their escorts--shouted outside. "...bandits?" Asa immediately tensed as Bahar's eyes narrowed, "W-What's going to happen to us?"
Asa could feel Bahar's hands on her shoulder. When she looked up, her eyes met with Bahar's soothing smile. "Don't worry, Hime-sama. The guards will take care of them." she assured.
Asa still put on disturbed face as she finally nodded. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, straightening up. "Okay, calm down, Asa..."
Bahar stared at her and then at the window. Her hand slowly reached her odd-shaped whistle that was hidden beneath her dress and clutched it.
"Heheheh, don't you hear me? I'm the chieftain of the Zott Clan, Haltash!" From inside they could hear a gruff mocking voice yelling outside, "Now if you still want to live, hand us your weapons and money!"
"Tsk, you bandits!" the cabman yelled back, "Don't you know who's inside this carriage? It's Princess Asa, the princess of Pars!"
The bandits exchanged glances. "Oh, that means you're bringing an awful lot of money, aren'tcha?" Haltash grinned snidely, "Don't worry, we won't touch the princess if you kindly hand it!"
Asa tensed once again as the cabman hissed, "But this isn't even your territory! Just let us through!"
"Well there's no way we'll let a prey get away!" Haltash bellowed, and after that, Asa could hear voices of clashing spears and blades, and pained screams.
Asa gulped, clenching her gown tightly. Her heart raced as she heard more screaming from outside, making she squeeze her eyes shut in fear.
"Please excuse me, Hime-sama," suddenly Bahar stood up from her seat, glowering, "It seems like I have to join the fight."
"J-Join the fight?!" Asa grabbed Bahar's dress, "What are you talking about?! You will get killed outside!"
"I won't, Hime-sama," Bahar smiled assuredly as she gently wiped Asa's teary eyes, "It's okay. I'm just going for one minute."
Asa stared back into Bahar's calm eyes and finally released her grip, albeit reluctantly. She watched as Bahar bowed slightly and finally exited the carriage.
Asa quickly stuck her face out the window, "Ba-!" She was about to shout out Bahar's name when her eyes promptly widened. Soldiers smeared in blood were sprawled across the ground, immediately nauseating her stomach. "Ah..." she covered her mouth and backed away.
"What is this, a woman?" the man named Haltash stopped attacking to look at Bahar, who was standing between him and the carriage, "Now, woman, we won't hurt you if you cooperate."
Bahar glanced at her feet and closed her eyes. "Oh noble warriors of Pars, you have proudly fulfilled your duty to serve the princess. May your souls rest peacefully with the blessings of Mithra."
"Hmm?" Haltash and his men stared at her, "What are you doing, woman?"
"Praying for the dead," Bahar shifted her position, stancing herself, "Now... with you, Mr. Bandits around, Hime-sama cannot continue her journey peacefully. Therefore I must rid of you."
Upon hearing her Haltash and his men laughed mockingly. "Hah, what can you do, woman?" he challenged, "You're--"
Bahar suddenly leapt forward and landed on one of his men's horse. In a flash she drew out a dagger from her dress and slit it to the rider's throat, killing him instantly. She leapt to another horses and killed their riders the same way, all the while taking their bow and arrows with her.
"What the?!" finally snapping out of his shock, Halfash pulled his horse's reigns back, watching as his men were getting killed single-handedly by Bahar, "Stop her! She's just a woman!"
The other Zott frantically aimed their arrows and blades at Bahar, but she smoothly dodged them and fought back. "A-Amazing..." Asa murmured as she watched Bahar killed the bandits.
However, Bahar was too busy to notice a Zott girl was aiming an arrow at her back. "Bahar!" Asa, who noticed that girl, shouted, "Arrow! Behind you!"
Bahar dodged the arrow in time and reflexively shot the girl with her own arrow. The girl, shocked, had no time to react, but the chieftain had rushed to her front and took the hit for her. "Oyaji!!" the girl screamed.
"Urk..." Halfash gripped Bahar's arrow, that stabbed him in the shoulder and plucked it out. Fresh blood gushed out of his new wound as he exclaimed, "Retreat!!"
The bandits immediately followed their retreating chieftain, leaving Asa and her escorts alone.
~Chapter 6 : End~
(A/N: Oyaji means father~ do I need to tell you who that Zott girl was? I think no~)
Thanks for reading!