She received her newly modified bow and practiced the whole day with a double arrow shot, her speed got improved.
It was simply amazing for her.
She went out in the night.
She was close to Palace and thinking about what part of the city she should go to.
A troop of thirty soldiers of Palace fully prepared marched out from Palace, they were organized and equipped.
Without making much noise they walked the route which leads them away from the city.
Initially, she jumped roofs to trace their motifs but after one hour's walk, they reached the edge of a small patch of forest.
A soldier said something to the other and pointed toward the forest, "Their cottages are a little deep in the forest," the other one answered, they small fire torches to keep their path.
Henna kept tracing, she was on distant that they were completely unaware of the presence of another being except them.
"We should set fire to their cottages first and then make them slaves," someone from the group suggested.
They were agreed to it, they crossed many bamboo trees and walked another hour, they saw blur images of cottages, "You said that cottages were deep in the forest yet they are on the edges, it is good though we don't have to go search the whole forest," the one who was leading said menacingly. They took the next steps more carefully without making any abrupt sounds.
Someone might have sensed their arrival, a man came out from the cottage and shouted to his men inside other chalets, chalets were set on fire by the soldiers and they readied their swords too. The men from chalets carrying wooden rods came out, and horrifying expressions were pasted on their faces. Primarily Henna thought that these soldiers were after troublemakers of the city, some robbers, or some traitors.
But robbers and traitors should have possessed some weapon to defend themselves, yet these forest people did not own a single word.
She could not understand the motif of these soldiers.
Chalets people were a small tribe of forest living, they never entered any city, they were happy in their forest lives, just that they change their location in search of a better forest environment for living like some forest fruit trees and animals for prey.
That means they were harmless in any way.
"We need only thirteen of them, slaughter the rest of them," the soldier's leader instructed others.
Henna saw this first time, there were many questions in her head now, why do soldiers want them?
Why they would slaughter the rest of them?
She awoke from her daze and trembled in agitation, it was a hard decision but she could not let them slaughter these weaponless and harmless people.
She would eventually know the reason behind this, a man fall with a flash of a sword.
She shot up two arrows at the two soldiers who were there to slaughter the rest of them. Thirteen people were kneeling on the ground and soldiers were standing around them.
She took less than a sliver of time to injure twenty soldiers but unfortunately, another woman was slaughtered with the sword.
With this rain of middle size arrows they were stumped, the fire could light a small area while the moon was not enough bright, "Tell us why you are here to slaughter Chalets men," a voice full of displeasure echoed in the surroundings, she intentionally said 'us'.
"And don't try to move either you will be the next to die," soldiers thought that many arrow shooters were on guard, they fell to the ground as they make chalets men before.
"We are ordered to bring thirty slaves for sacrifice by the King," it was a ritual to offer sacrifices of slaves to the ancestors at different events.
Small tribes who were not part of the Kingdom were made slaves and offered sacrifices. The next day was Queen's birthday and for this event, King ordered to bring slaves for sacrifice to make happy their deceased ancestors.
Henna shuddered with this revelation.
For all the years she was ignorant of these cruel feats.
"You remaining soldiers have less time to collect your injured brothers and run away from this forest or choose to die in our hands," the same voice echoed.
They immediately followed the words and collected and tried to drag their bodies from the bamboo forest. A soldier tried to sneak his eyes back and an arrow struck his thigh "Ah…" he cried in pain, the rest of them witnessed this and tried to run as fast as they could.
She heaved a sigh of relief.
Eighteen chalets people including five women and two children fell on the ground with gratitude. They were indebted to this savior.
"Move from this place instantaneously, soldiers might return with more infantry," she ordered them; from their looks, they were not living in better conditions here.
They pack up the remaining things which survived from fire and moved in different directions.
She was short of arrows so she came back sneakily to the Palace…
The Event of Birthday
It was the beginning of autumn.
Prince took time in selecting his event wear.
Huge Palace Hall was decorated with ever-blooming flowers that scented the whole hall. Slowly guests arrived in time when everyone was engrossed in chatting, King and Queen entered, they were looking exceptionally wonderful, Queen wore the finest silk gown, silk was more precious than ruby or diamond in those days.
She looked graceful in her silk gown.
She also selected a silk gown for Henna.
Many women of nobles felt envious seeing her gown.
Then they saw the favored girl of Queen she was also wearing a silk gown, they felt stifling in their hearts.
The sight was appealing, she was looking formidably beautiful, many gazes fell on her, and she smiled imposingly.
Palace chorus played his newly invented composition that despite autumn everyone sensed that it was spring, all guests were captured by this beautiful composition, couples were moved in their hearts, and they were touched like the pleasure of romance.
But it was nothing for Henna.
She was standing alone with her caretaker.
She had not made friends and she doesn't like music as well or she never heard it with her heart.