Chasing the Sun

V

|| - Enemy's backyard - ||

"If you know your enemy and know yourself you need not fear the result of hundred battles.
If you know neither your enemy nor yourself you will succumb in every battle..."

- Sun Tzu
_________

Horses neighed, blinking against the dusty desert breeze. Sun sparkled in a spotless blue sky and mounted on his proud chestnut stallion Aziz Khan waited for his companions under the shade of the large gate that opened into Chandranagara fortress. He was a man in his late twenties, brown haired like his father and sister and hazel eyed. His jaw was square and his face made of hard lines. His eyes were deep set and cold, even under the blazing heat of his surroundings. Aziz Khan was to accompany the foreigners to tour the city of Chandranagara, since he was the only royal who could communicate with them without an interpreter and they seemed to make him wait too long that he had expected for.

It took another while before David and Andrew finally made their way, towards him. Andrew had a bulging bag slung over his shoulder and David had a leather bound book in his hand. To Aziz both of them looked immersed in conversation. Behind them, a decidedly sour faced Lily floated towards him, delicately holding a lace umbrella that could neither shade her from the scorching sun nor shelter her against the dust. Aziz dismounted to greet his guests who looked at him with impressed gazes.

"I thought Gobind informed you," David said eyeing the horses and then the man in question. Gobind gave him a guilty look to which he narrowed his eyes. "I'd like to walk around if you don't mind."

"But, it's going to be very exhausting as the day progresses." Aziz looked confused. He had not imagined a foreigner who had always been complaining about heat and dust would be ready to walk around Chandranagara. To be honest, he did not enjoy that very much either. Aziz was brought up by a father who missed no opportunity to insist of his higher status until the lad himself believed he was above the mere mortals. He would have loved to ride parting the mindless crowd in the bazaar and flaunting his foreign company. "Trust me riding is the best option in this time and weather."

"Oh I do believe you," Andrew answered this time, smirking slightly at his friend. "But you see the problem is, riding is the worst option for the present company."

"Oh, is Miss Kent, unable to handle a horse or something?" Aziz asked him sympathetically, to which Lily scowled and turned her nose upwards.

"I can manage myself on a horse thank you very much Nawabzada Aziz," she told him, confusing him further.

"It's me," David said finally, casting a dark look at both his smirking friend. "I am a horrible rider. I'd love it very much to keep my feet firmly on the ground."

"Oh dear! What are we to do now?" Aziz asked himself more than from his partners as he privately wondered how fitting his father's description of McLane boy as a flowery excuse of a man had been. When he first heard his father complaining about having to bend to whims of such lad, he had laughed it off as an old man's blabbering. Now he felt rather sorry for himself for expecting a greater challenge from David McLane.

"What else but walk, right?" David suggested sadly and a chuckle escaped Andrew.

"Fine then," Aziz regarded them one last time before gathering his guard. "Let us proceed."

Two of Aziz's guards rode ahead, clearing the way from any possible intruders and the party accompanied by more guards exited the inner city of Chandranagara surrounded by the fortress wall.