Love you forever

Chapter three / on their way

"I saw that you were perfect, and so I loved you. Then I saw that you were not perfect and I loved you even more." — Angelita Lim

Late in the next day........
They had been travelling since dawn. The sun was now getting ready to set, naturally dimming the bright sky. They needed to get to their camping site before dusk, and then.. only then, could they put their feet up, for the day. This was not a very safe area, this part of the jungle it was home, a haven for the ferocious tigers and leopard. They could creep out of nowhere and kill a large cattle or a man in a matter of minutes and they were not the only dangerous predators to linger in this part of the forest. It was not a feared jungle for no reason!! Travellers did not wander into this part of the forest because of the thick heavy foliage, in parts it was unwalkable with the vegetation so thick it covered the top making it so dark below that at most time nothing was visible.The jungle was filled with ferocious carnivorous animals big and small. There was no clear path to follow, and the best of guides lost their way here. It could prove fatal to linger on here in this section of the forest. They needed to be out of the forest and they had very little time. The heavy laden carts made it difficult to move freely or fast....

Picking up his horse's reins, he ran his gaze around one last time out his surroundings, then he turned back to walk through foot high thick grass, watching his steps as he moved, the thick green carpet giving no traces of any path. Rudra kept looking up at the sky where ever it was visible, then down to where his shadow fell, he knew where he was going, he had walked through this jungle many a times with his father. His father had sent him with Kaka to scout these land every summers and winter and sometimes even during the monsoons, since he was ten years old, till by the time he was fifteen, he knew it like the back of his hands. His first impression had been scary and awe inspiring, the jungle having its own language, it's own world. He had a lots to learn before he could say he knew the jungle well. Not that anyone could really know this ever changing forest, but he had learnt from Kaka who was the best tracker in his village, how to read the signs correctly and not just see but hear and smell too. When he turned eighteen he had led his first caravan through the jungle to Paliyana. Now after six years he felt at home here. Silently he led his horse out of the heavy foliage. He had left the main path to come into the jungle, in search of food. Being alone he had not bothered to go in too deep into the jungle. But hunt he had!! The men had huge appetites and if he did not bring more to the table they would all go hungry....He had set up traps hoping to catch some rabbits while looked for some food off the trees. He had been lucky to find banana trees with ripe fruits hanging on them, and now after a successful forage he turned to go back check out the traps he had laid. Carefully stepping over the rocks and tree trunks lying around, checking on his horse too, making sure that he did not stumble. He was almost near the traps when some sound stopped him.... he stilled, his ears focusing to hear.......maybe a shuffling sound, he paused and looked around carefully. He just stood there...still, holding his horse's face with his right hand. His horse will not move or make a sound, not when he was holding him so. He was well trained, his ear standing erect, he knew better to make any movement or sound. He could see the rabbits now, but there could be a predator nearby. He looked around once again. He stood there, for a while till he was sure there was no predator lurking around.Leaving the horses reins, he slid the bow off his shoulder and held on to the lower arm of the bow with his left hand. Then he patted the sword hanging on the right side of his hips comfortingly. Assuring that it was where it should be. This could mean the difference between life and death. The rabbits were within the trap that he had laid for them. Removing an arrow from the arrow case he strung the arrow on to the bow and in quick succession he shot at his targets. There was loud grunting, and threshing. He stayed his ground, bow and arrow at the ready. It was just that one animal and by the sound of the grunting a boar. After a few minutes he got up and moved in the direction of the sounds. Near the rabbits trap he found a huge boar with his arrow piercing his forehead. Hmmmmm....... four rabbits along with his earlier hunt of a boar and now another huge one, his men were in for a feast for dinner. Removing the arrows, he wiped them with some fallen leaves and put them back into their case, then stuffing the rabbits into a sack, he hung the sack to the saddle side. The boar was huge and took a lot of effort but finally he managed to lift and throw him over the saddle with the other boar. Food taken care of, he made his way back to the main path, back to his friends. A satisfied smirk on his face.