|| - Meghdyuth II - ||

I bury the king's opponents where nobody will ever find them...!
- Crown of Midnight

It was a clear desert night. Stars as large as lotus flowers sprouting randomly across the ripple less ink blue of the sky looked closer enough to touch. Hooves of the horse carrying them westward hardly disturbed the rippling lines upon the sand and the wind seemed to hold its breath. The calmness looked like a façade and Kashi was certain that same could be said about the man accompanying her.

David reined in the horse randomly. In the eastern sky they could still see the silhouette of the Chandranagara fortress. They were standing below a rocky precipice the spiky tip of which scraped the stars. It looked like a set of abandoned caves, to her right Kashi could catch a glimpse of a makeshift temple with a rock carved idol of lord Hanuman in the weak light of an earthen lamp, inside one of the caves.

For a moment there was silence, broken only by the neighing horse. Kashi watched David apprehensively waiting for him to admonish her behaviour back at the fortress and perhaps to snap off whatever alliance they had been building. With her fists clutched she was ready to defend herself. She had been concerned about her friend - and it didn't seem as if he was taking any measures to ensure his freedom. Kashi was not used to sit around and wait and it was a skill that did not come naturally to her. Instead, she had taken matters into her own hand as always.

It did not seem as if David wanted to say anything. He simply stood, facing away from her, a distant look in his eyes. The silence went on until Kashi could take it no more and as soon as she opened her mouth to ask why they were there, David spoke up suddenly.

"My mother died here," he spoke cautiously, as if choosing his words carefully. "We could make only this far - before the guards caught up." He kicked a stone on the sand; it hit the boulder and made noise. "Surat is four days away, did you know that?"

Kashi bit her lip, unable to make head or tail of what he was confessing. She released her fists and fiddled with her thumbs wondering where this conversation was leading.

"You didn't see either of your parents die did you? I watched her die - I watched him murder her. That man who calls himself a great general - who did not think twice before betraying his battle advisor." His grey eyes were dark and burning when they met her gaze once more. Kashi had not seen much of David McLane, but she was sure, no one had seen that demonic fury in his eyes before. He was more a man of icy hatred, but the pain brewing in those eyes were far closer to the hearth of hell. "Nawab Khan killed my mother - now you have a reason to trust me."

"So - lord McLane?"

"- Is my adopted father. Or more like the blacksmith who forged the sword named David McLane. I will not deny it, he has his own motives. But I have a personal vendetta against the Nawab - only against him."

"You kept it well," Kashi said finally. "Why reveal now?"

"Because today should not be repeated. I cannot risk it Kashi Bai! You did it because I gave you no reason to trust me. But you see - I trust you enough to share my biggest secret with you. In return all I ask is to trust me. Trust that as long as we are against Nawab Khan - we are on the same side."

Kashi had removed her black turban a long while ago, now the wind slapped her hair against her cheeks.

"I lost the sight of my goal for a minute," she said slowly. "I am sorry."

"You have no idea what a misstep could do to this game do you? Or where you've brought us now?" Kashi shook her head, not willing to meet his gaze once more. "Each mistake would render a sacrifice. This time you will have to make that sacrifice Kashi bai."

"What do you mean?"

"You've brought this game to a point from where you can save only one of your friendships and it is a choice you will have to make." David stressed on the point and stayed silent for a moment. "Like in shatranj* - there's a few pieces you can save, while you let the others be taken out. Satyavaan or Noor Banu, you have to let one of them go."

Kashi's sharp intake of breath was amplified by the lamenting desert wind.

"What does Noor Banu has to do with anything?" She demanded rather angrily. "If you're suggesting that I would frame another of my people to save the first, that's not the way I deal with things - Dev!"

David sighed, his eyes focused on something beyond her shoulder.

"You'd like to hear my answer to that as well, won't you Miss Kent? Why don't you step out now?"

Kashi whipped around to see the red headed woman appearing from the mass of caves. Although she had not seen much of Lillian other than an stolen glimpse at a time, she could see the young woman was far different from the socialite she had pinned her to be. For one, she was dressed like a man, her strange dark grey outfit comprising many pockets and a belt that carried two simple hilted daggers.

"How long have you known, Mr. McLane?" She asked, ignoring Kashi and turning her full attention on David who smirked.

"Since the moment you started following me. But it took you longer than I expected so I take it - you've been busy elsewhere."

Lillian sighed, her eyes narrowing and her jaw clenching as if she was gritting her teeth.

"Bakshi is dead." She said plainly.

"Why?" David said coldly and turned to Kashi, translating for her benefit. Lillian scowled, before switching into the local tongue. Her accent was not as smooth as David's, but good enough for their understanding.

"Here I was trying to protect your identity from being exposed and here you - trust your deepest secrets to the woman who tried to take your life!"

"You killed a man? How could you?" Kashi asked her eyes wide and hair wild in the winds. David chuckled.

"This is a war Kashi bai - people die." Lily said tastelessly, not even looking at her as her gaze remained fixed on David who rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Let me guess - you did it in a way that implicates Meghdyuth?"

"With the same poison that was meant for you and took Mirza's life," Lillian answered, David bit his lip while Kashi flared.

"How many times will I have to clarify that I did not kill the Mirza?" She asked, furiously.

David waved her off, a ghost of a smile cracking his hard features for a moment. But when he turned back to Lily his gaze was hard.

"You shouldn't have done that." He said simply. "There are other ways of stopping him from exposing whatever he found out about me on Khan's orders. But you weren't exactly after that were you? You were trying to get back at Meghdyuth."

"And you think I'm wrong?"

"No I think you are brilliant." He pressed on before either girl interrupted him. "Although I would not have resorted to your methods - you did exactly what I wanted done - Kashi Bai your friend will be out soon! If I'm not gravely mistaken - which I cannot be - Nawab Khan will release him, himself."

'Why would he do that?" Kashi narrowed her eyes, her tone suddenly cold and guarded. "Doesn't he have more reason to interrogate Satya now? Meghdyuth killed a man!"

"Meghdyuth has killed before," David said almost instantly and Kashi took a step backwards.

"You're lying!" She exclaimed. "I've never -"

"Now I know," David assured her. "But murders happened in the past and Meghdyuth is suspected for them. One of the reasons why we were sent here."

"All the people who died," Lily cut in. "Those deaths benefitted Khan in one way or another. Some were his political opponents, some spies and some -"

"For reasons unknown. Practically apart from being a rebel hero Meghdyuth has been operating as a political pawn." David turned to Lillian. "Are you beginning to see what I mean?"

Lillian's frown relaxed although slightly.

"Mirza's death," He continued, frowning slightly. "Khan confessed he had a hand in it. It is highly possible that he had a hand in other incidents as well.

So you mean -"Lillian urged on. "There are two Meghdyuths - or more. One is the rebel hero - who we know is Kashi Bai. And the other or others work for Khan?"

"Why do you think a word of Satyavan's arrest hasn't been publicized? Why don't they brag that they have possibly captured Meghdyuth? That would quash the rebellion will it not?" David pressed on, earning a chuckle from Kashi.

"That's because they want to make sure that Satyavan - or the one he is protecting is the real Meghdyuth." She said in the end. "They would probably get rid of him in silence and carry on with the charade of Meghdyuth by using their imposter."

"What do you think will happen now?" Kashi asked him, but it was Lily who answered.

"Now the bait has been released - the hunt begins."

"The poison is from Khan's own array - which means it is a work of his minion. Which means most probably the Meghdyuth roaming the castle tonight - the one who tried to help Satyavan was his guy not the original one," David let his voice trail off as he watched a conclusion forming in Kashi's mind.

"And you think the imposter is Noor Banu?" She asked in the end. "That's not possible. Noor Banu has never lifted a sword in her life!"

"That same Noor Banu tried to choke me to death." David said calmly.

**

||Glossary ||

Shatranj - chess
**
I had a lot of trouble with these couple of chapters. Sure enough this will be one of the first steps of editing, for I don't think it came out exactly the way I wanted it. :-/

As always open to your thoughts. Please do press that tiny star if you liked what you've read.

Thank you for reading!