"Shiv, I have thought of all the possible routes they could take to the palace of Surasena and this is the route nobody could have known. If we take this route, we can reach the capital much faster than them and lay a few traps."
Abhinav pointed a particular route on the map which was laid on the table. He looked serious as he spoke to him.
Shiv with a serious tone commanded them to pack up the necessities and leave immediately. But to his surprise, he was stopped by Abhinav.
"Why are are you stopping me? The earlier we go the better it would be."
"Yes, I can understand that. But there is one problem..."
Shiv knitted his brows into a tight knot. Seeing the serious expression on his face, Aditya who was behind him finally decided to speak.
"Shiv. The route pointed by Abhi is a little dangerous. There is this rumoured village in that route... Once people enter into that village, they will never be able to escape..."
"What do you mean? Be more specific." Shiv demanded.
Abhinav answered for him. His beautiful blue eyes were ever so dreadful as he spoke.
"The village goes by the name, village of mist. It is said that the entire village is covered by thick mist that acts as a barrier to hide it. People who go there never return. But given our time frame, this route is the most suitable one to take... So I'm a little torn in making a decision...."
"What is there to think about? It's just another village. Right now getting Ira back is my priority. Nothing else matters! But I am not going to force anyone to follow me knowing that it is dangerous..." Shiv thought about the situation carefully and decided to go alone. But Aditya and Abhinav were reluctant to part.
"We can't let you go alone... Then how about this? Let's divide ourselves into 3 groups. I, Shiv and Abhi will go to the village of mist. Let General Veer and his men guard the village in our absence. The final group will be General Dev and his men. They will have to take the same path as our enemies. Continue to pursue them. Don't let them know we are planning something else."
Hearing the details of his plan, Shiv agreed to it.
****
"Damn! Let me go! Let me go!!" Ira continued to struggle in his arms.
"My Lady, please be calm. I'm not going to eat you! Calm down! Please..."
Seeing the ruckus caused by them, the villagers took notice and for some reason they were all terrified.
"What is happening here? Why do they look so scared?"
"How can they not be, when they recognised us as the king's guards?"
Ira tightly knitted her brows. She sensed something was wrong...
Amar placed her on top of a rock as he kneeled down to take a look at her twisted ankle. Ira brushed his hands away.
"Look! I don't want your care or treatment! Instead tell me the way to help these people. Don't you feel sorry for them?"
He signaled his men to bring a band aid to him. He looked like his only main focus was her twisted ankle. He took her leg on his lap as he tried to treat it.
Ira was so not happy to let him treat her. She pulled her leg away and glared at him.
"Answer me!"
"My Lady, what is there to answer? In my opinion, this village and its villagers are quite lucky to survive to this extent. There are many more unfortunate people out there who are in an even more worse situation. I don't feel sorry nor will I ever do! For this is the result of their cowardice. They reap what they sow..."
Ira's veins started popping one after another after hearing his answer.
She stood up and hopped her way to the villagers. But the villagers looked at her like she was someone who was there to kill them, they all looked at her as some kind of monster and feared her.
Ira understood their fear and started to test the waters.
"Hel.. hello? Hmm.. I'm Ira. Well... there is no need for you to be scared of me... Look..." She showed her tied hands to them.
"I'm nothing but a prisoner here... Don't be scared of me....."
The people looked at her tied hands. But that was not enough for them to believe her. Within a few minutes, all the villagers rushed into their run down homes and shut their doors tight!
"Ha...ha... Okay... No worries... I will try again!"
"See, I told you! You are just wasting your time! Let's just quietly head back to the capital. You can't help them!"
"No... you are wrong. How can you say that, when I haven't even tried? This is just the first time we have met... I can understand their concerns... But I will try again and again until I could get through to them..." Her eyes were sparkling with something Amar had never known of.
He couldn't understand why this girl was so concerned about them, when she has absolutely no connection with them.
*Growl* Ira's stomach was begging her to feed something.
He went near her as he held her waist.
"Now, my lady, if you refuse to let me treat your wounds, I will not feed you!"
'This devil! How mean! How could he treat a wounded lady like this? But.... but..... food!' The thought of food let her give into him as she allowed him to treat her wounds.
The rations made by his men were delicacies for her dried up stomach. The starving villagers couldn't resist the delicious smell of the roasted sweet potato and some other fruits they picked along the way had by them.
She slowly tried to approach them with her handful of fruits. Her mischievous smile was so beautiful under the moon light.
Amar could immediately guess she was planning something!