Blessed With Five Husbands

The Axemaster And The Swordsman (Revised)

The soldiers shoot more arrows in their direction. Dhani knows that they will hit Vani again. She puts herself in the way of the arrows so that they don't touch Vani even by mistake and closes her eyes, ready to be hit.

Suddenly, the sound of shooting arrows is replaced with an eerie sound of slitting and cutting, cling and clang. It's been some seconds, not a single arrow has hit her till now. "What happened?" She opens her eyes to see two men cutting the arrows coming their way in halves. They are dressed in the same clothes and their faces are covered with masks. They are the same height and have the same hair. One is holding swords in both hands and the other is holding axes in each hand. They appear to be professional swordsman and axemaster. They skillfully cut the arrows coming their way. Their Swift movements don't let even a single arrow escape from their weapons. Dhani is mesmerised by their skills. She watches them skillfully cut the arrows in halves with excitement. The soldiers stop shooting more arrows.

"Are you finished?" says the one with axes. It's a deep, serious and ethereal voice.

"But, we have just started. Haha" says the other one swinging his swords. His voice is funky and filled with excitement.

"You, both of you are going to die today" the soldier says. He pulls out a sword and matches towards them.

"Attack"

"Yah! Come on. We haven't actually practised our skills in a while. It will be fun" the swordsman says and tilts his neck and does some stretches.

The forest is filled with the sounds of metal clashing, hitting and screams of the hit. But, it does not last long. Just in a few minutes those two men defeated all the soldiers.

Axemaster : What a nuisance.

Swordsman : Hey! Those women. They are hurt.

They look at them and then, look at each other. Both of them walk towards them.

Axemaster : Maiden, you two must have been frightened. We are sorry for what happened here.... Oh! She is hit. Let me take a look at her.

Swordsman : (to him) Is she unconscious?

Dhani : She is alright. I already checked. She is just unconscious.

Dhani stands up and marches ahead of her. She looks here and there. Her eyes are attracted to a plant. She walks to it and plucks some leaves from it and comes back to sit beside Vani. Dhani makes a fine paste of it with the help of stones and rubs the paste on Vani's wound and removes the arrow carefully. They both look at her curiously.

Dhani : (let's out a deep breath) The wound is superficial but the arrow had some poison in it. Are any of you hurt?

Swordsman : Do you have the knowledge of herbs and medicine?

Dhani : I can make medicine for you if you are hurt.

Swordsman : We are not hurt. By the way, this man here is also a practitioner of Ayurveda and the best physician in all of Avabhoomi. No wound or disease remains unhealed once he works on it. If you don't mind, let him check to make sure this maiden is alright.

Axemaster : No need. She picked the right herb. (murmurs) Did you forget we are in disguise?

Swordsman : (murmurs back) Oh! Yah. Sorry about that.

Axemaster : Where is you home lady? Let me carry this maiden there safely.

Swordsman : Is she your sister?

Axemaster : Why do you always ask unnecessary questions?

Swordsman : Because I want to know. (shrugs)