The Inseparable Princes

10. Ambush - 2

He got just a little out of Lakshmana's sight, and suddenly screamed, "LAKSHMAN!!"

"Bhaiya?" screamed Lakshmana in response, before he got up. "Stay here, Mila, don't move,"

"Laksh, fast... Look there," said Bharata, hiding behind a fairly large boulder and pointing towards a cliff-like place where some people were to be seen fighting.

"Is that..." Lakshmana whispered.

"What?" asked a confused Bharata.

"I think that's Mandavi," he said.

"What! What do we do now?" he asked. "Okay, you stay here, with Urmila. And I'll go and get Mandavi back safely," he declared.

"Okay, but be careful. They're a lot of people,"

"What happened Lakshman?" asked Urmila as he walked back towards her tensely, and Bharata rode off on his horse.

'If I tell her the truth, she'll say that she wants to go too. I can't tell her. God, save me," Lakshmana thought. He took a deep breath before he said, "Bhaiya has gone to get other herbs, which are required for you. I don't want you to ask anymore questions. Shut up, and sleep!"

★★★

After riding for just a minute or two, he could see about eleven to twelve soldiers surrounding a lone girl, who was thoroughly injured, but refused to give up. He could figure that she wasn't half as healthy as one would require to be, to fight a dozen soldiers, but she was still able to give them a tough fight.

"Move away, all of you!" she said authoritatively. She roared like a lioness, in all her glory. Bharata, for just a fraction of a second, forgot what he was there for, and stared at the her in astonishment and pride.

"You don't want to live, girl?" yelled one of the soldiers, before he started to laugh like he had lost it.

"Stop laughing! Tell me what you want. And fight with me one by one. Oh no! You'd do that only if you had the guts. All you can do is laugh like maniacs!" she said. Although strong by mental resolve, her voice conveyed that she wasn't doing too well.

Bharata had to think, fast. He quickly got off his horse, held onto his royal sword tightly and walked towards Mandavi.

The soldiers could suddenly see a young man, neither too tall, nor too short. He walked regally like a warrior. Although not as much of a fan of battles and warfare as his brothers, he would use his reserved skill when absolutely required. His not-so-large appearance made the soldiers think of him as weak. Boy, were they wrong!

"Move away, right now!" said Bharata.

"Who are you, now?" asked another of the soldiers.

"Who are you?" asked Mandavi.

"I'm here to make sure that you men, who've caused trouble to the princesses, will be in the palace of Mithila, or straight - in Yamaloka!" Bharata announced. "Honestly, I believe you'd prefer the latter because you're going to have a very painful death at the hands of said people, if you're taken there,"

"Don't move!" one soldier said from atop a tree, stationing an arrow on his bow.

"You don't move! I swear, you don't even want to try harming this princess anymore," Bharata said with his eyebrows raised, and his bow stationed with an arrow too.