Beyond {UNDER EDIT}

S1-9- Over the woodlands - I

Ojas was the foremost one to rouse up.

The first rays gently kissed his cheeks. The discomfort was still there, but it was way less than the day before. He rose up, while his joints creaked in objection, and stretched his arms.

Abhay, Rohak and Panav were still asleep. The boy walked a few steps, just to check his legs, and then stopped mid-way.

"Abhay..."
He whispered, with dread grasping his sound.

His legs started trembling.

"Abhay!" He repeated.

Panav and Rohak woke up. But, Abhay did not.

"What now?" Inquired Rohak. With trembling fingers, Ojas pointed in front.

A bluish grey coated animal stood in front. It had round backward curling horns and it was observing them with attentiveness. It took a step forward, sniffed the ground and turned its neck.

"WE ARE GOING TO BECOME ITS BREAKFAST!" yelled Ojas and fell down in submission, crying.

Panav observed with solemnity for a moment, then started laughing hard. Rohak looked confused. Finally when Panav found the breath he burst,

"That's a Himalayan Blue Sheep, you scared moron!"

Ojas stood up and reddened with embarrassment, "It...It's a...Sheep?"

"Um...No, not really, it's ...uh...goat-antelope."

"Then, then why do they call it a sheep?" Rohak interfered.

"I don't know, but the tribals call it a bharal."

The animal spun and ran into the depths of the jungle. The sound of its foot hitting the riverbank stones is what woke Abhay up. The first thing he saw were Ojas's dried tears.
"What happened?" he stood up, uneasy and apprehensive.

Rohak giggled.

"Nothing. First day in the woods and Sir Ojas got scared by a sheep."

***********

Two men sat patiently on the cliff, staring at the rising sun.

The scarred man spat on his hands and rubbed them together.

"How clear are the orders?"

"Very." Replied the other, throwing the meat of a freshly killed goat, at a fairly distant black bear. The bear happily acknowledged the treat.

"Oh...Alright then...Let's go."

He put on a wooden mask, a dreaded mask which stroke fear into the courageous hearts of wild beasts as well, then walked off, whistling a tribal tune.

Their latest mission was clear: Kill the four boys who had entered the forest and throw their bodies in the Makara River.

********

Rohak splashed the river water on his face, the icy touch chilled his skin and his body shivered for a moment. Abhay sat a few feet away, on a river rock, inspecting his wounds and Panav lay on the grass, staring the cloudy sky. Meanwhile Ojas cautiously observed a bumblebee.
Rohak wiped his hands on one of his extra garment, "The sun will be overhead in a few hours, and I guess we should leave now..."

"Yes we should." Agreed Panav, getting up.

Abhay jumped into the shallow water and walked towards his extra garment sack.

"The bloodied clothes won't do us any good. We should change."

"Yes we should." Agreed Panav, walking towards his sack.

Abhay flipped the first layer of cloth, and then suddenly stopped. He couldn't trust his sight for a moment,

"LOOK AT THIS!"

Quickly the three came to inspect. In middle of Abhay's garment sack were four sharp edged daggers, small yet effective.

"Woah! How did these come?" inquired Rohak, picking up one of them.

"I don't ...YES! Rohan! Rohan! He put it in, I saw him, I remember!"

Ojas used some quick math:
"There are four of us...and four daggers....um....which means....THERE'S A DAGGER FOR EACH ONE!"

"Thanks for letting us know, smarty!" replied Panav, hacking imaginary demons with his blade in the air.

Abhay passed one to Ojas, "Come on boys, it's time we get some food."

They quickly changed and started their expedition, travelling east, along the banks, safely distant from the thick dense forest. Rohak and Ojas hopped ahead, while Panav and Abhay walked about ten feet behind.

"I still wonder about that dream...what did it mean, and how did we both get it simultaneously...like how's it even possible?"

"Must be a coincidence." Replied Panav, glumly.

"It cannot be a coincidence!"

Panav didn't utter a word. He walked ahead, and observed the thick trees in the forest. His mind was thinking hard.

'He's right...it cannot be a coincidence.' His thoughts agreed, sending a chill down his spine.