"He is the other of me."
________
Taja was pulled.
Due to panic, there was no choice but to comply. Taja follows Princess Alingga after sneaking out of the Heritage Palace. It sounded that was starting to get crowded by guards came from everywhere. People's banging could be heard. The palace's gong clanged as a warning sign of alertness.
Taja still felt his hands trembling until Princess Alingga felt it too. He held Taja's sweaty wet hand. While the breath was chasing.
Taja still felt how Pasvaati was hold by his own hand. That's what makes Taja became weak, scared, and pounding. Plus the threatening situation, further adding to the panic.
"Where is this headed?" Taja asked a bit scared. Sweat started to roll down his neck and cheeks. He continued to follow Princess Alingga. Sneaking through the gardens, they came to an area with many showers.
"Women's bath," answered Princess Alingga.
"What?!" Taja flinched. To think princess brought him to that place.
"Sssh... don't make any noise! There is no other way. This is the only way out to the back of the palace," replied Princess Alingga, pointing her index finger in front of her lips.
"There is no one in the bathing area at this time," added Princess Alingga.
I even forgot what time it was.
"This is the safest way," continued Princess Alingga. Then they walked while sneaking between the booth and the shower wall.
"Over here!" said Princess Alingga. Her hand waved briefly at Taja.
A hallway door at the end of the shower arrangement that lined up for several tens of steps. They passed through the door and down the steps, then down the hall. Along the walls of the passage there are torches every few steps. Princess Alingga and Taja each took a torch that happened to be nearby.
"The end of the hall leads to a river path that leads to a waterfall," said Princess Alingga. They were both a bit out of breath. There was a sense of relief at having managed to avoid a dangerous situation.
"What made you enter the Heritage Palace? You could get into serious trouble!" Princess Alingga looked briefly at him.
"I ... umm ...," Taja didn't continue sentence. Just a moment, he was confused about how to explain it.
Finally they both stopped for a moment at the end of the hall. Feels free air and cooler. The sound of rushing river water could be heard from up ahead. They came out of the hall.
"Come here!" invite Princess Alingga. Taja looked around, saw lush cliffs on either side. Splashing water from all directions.
"It's safe here. There are no guards," Princess Alingga looked around in case anyone saw them coming.
"Look! There are many waterfalls around here. There, the center of the waterfall and the path to the forest," said Princess Alingga explained.
The two of them stepped on rocks that were submerged in water up to their ankles. The path they took was apparently a stream of a tributary.
"If it's the rainy season, it can be knee high," said Princess Alingga again. For a moment they stopped walking. It was only then that he realized that the two of them were holding each other's hands.
For a moment, Taja became awkward as he let go of Princess Alingga's hand.
"Your hands are sweaty," said Princess Alingga.
"You too," replied Taja.
"Let's go ...," said Alingga's Princess, trying to divert the awkwardness.
This time the two of them got out of the stream and headed for the path higher and higher. Be very careful stepping, through a little steep and slippery rocks. Only a torch in the hands of each accompanying the two of them. But the light of the almost full moon helped illuminate the late night.
The atmosphere at night in the waterfall area among the thin fog under the moonlight looks very impressive. Taja feels calmer on the run. Luckily there was Alingga's Princess who helped him out to get to that place.
After passing several waterfalls, the two of them stopped on one side not far from the center of the biggest waterfall. There was a cavity behind the waterfall. They entered.
"There are many cavities around here. The quietest place for meditation. Usually, some praja and kanuragan people come here during the meditation season," said Princess Alingga. Several times he stole glances at Taja who was amazed to face the clear sky.
"You haven't answered yet, what were you doing in the Heritage Palace?"
Taja was again confused by Princess Alingga's question. Just as the worry and palpitations gradually subsided, Princess Alingga's question greeted him.
"As you can see, I'm holding Pasvaati," he answered briefly after noticing the movements of Princess Alingga who was getting closer to him.
"Do you know the risk of being seen by the guards or caught by them?" asked Princess Alingga seriously. But Taja shook head.
"It would be more dangerous if you were accused of stealing," said Princess Alingga.
"Why did I steal Pasvaati?" said Taja.
"So lucky, I come first here. Coindencident, I saw the light. Then out of curiosity, 'I went to the direction the light was coming from the Heritage Palace. I have never seen an incident like that in Tanapura," said Princess Alingga, telling everything.
Taja also noticed the look on Princess Alingga's face which was full of astonishment while remembering what she had seen.
* * *