Reborn to love

Vigilante

Part 26

The group had called in an early nighter as they had to begin prepping for the next day even before the daybreak. Most of them were fast asleep as it had been a long and exhausting journey followed by lessons. However, one restless soul kept tossing and turning on the make-shift bed on the far side of the tent pitched in army camouflage colours. The flashes of images were still fresh in her mind and she couldn't figure out why she kept seeing them. The man seemed familiar but she was sure she had never seen him before. But then, why did she call him Sameer.

Somewhere far, another soul was equally restless. He had been trying hard to connect with her but there was no response. He hadn't even realized that he was pacing the room for hours now, occasionally stopping and staring from the window into the moonlit sky and closing his eyes, but no fragrance of her could he find. There was absolutely something amiss and he was sure. The only problem was how to find her as their only connection was through their psyche, and right now, that couldn't be established.

Finally, giving up on the hope of any sleep for the night, Naina sat up, and suddenly remembered that she hadn't connected with him all day. It alarmed her that it might have spooked him, as if she went AWOL. She tried to connect but it didn't happen. It surprised her as it was pretty easy these days but she closed her eyes and focussed again; still, didn't work. Now the alarm turned to confusion and ahe felt suffocated. She got up and walked out of the tent. Lanterns were hung outside each tent illuminating the area in a soft glow. She grabbed the one outside her tent and started to walk aimlessly in one direction. What she didn't realize was that ahe felt pulled towards those rocks and was following the path inadvertently. When she neared the area, she mentally berated herself for walking in the restricted zone. She was about to turn back when the flashes and images held her back. Her feet couldn't turn around and all she could do was move in the direction of the rocks.

Once she reached closest to it, the conch-shaped inscription illuminated yellow in the soft lantern light. She crouched down and placed the lantern near the rock. Her being forced her and she couldn't resist; her hand out of its own volition reached out and traced the inscription. She closed her eyes and let herself be pulled in. She traced the outlines and those came alive as if freshly c carved, none had observed them to be so distinct even in broad daylight. She felt she could understand what was written without having to read it as if it brightened only for her.

This time she closed her eyes and it weren't just flashes, she could see distinct images as if she was present. She focussed more intently and saw a scared girl running in the thick woods. She was dressed in white flowing gown, which seemed very ancient to her. Her long tresses glowed mahogany against the dusky sky. She kept looking over her shoulder to gage the distance between herself and her chasers, but though she could hear the horses hooves, no one was in sight yet. Her brows furrowed and she started breathing heavily, her lungs were about to give out but she knew she couldn't stop if she didn't want to be captured alive. They weren't far behind. She started panting and just before she was about to give up, a horseman appeared from nowhere, galloping right next to her and before she could process, he leaned gown expertly from the galloping horse, one hand holding the reins, and scooped her right up holding her waist and hoisted her in front of him. He was clad is dark robes and his shoulder length midnight blue hair flew around in the wind. He loosened the reins and let the horse gallop at breakneck speed. Soon, they lost their chasers and reached high up in the mountains to a mansion cleverly hid amongst the trees and vegetation. Anyone who didn't know its location, wouldn't be able to spot it from afar or from the ground.

Blood had started trickling down Naina's nose and the diversion of exploding pain in her temples forced her to open her eyes. She was breathing very heavily and only then she realized that Sameer was the one trying hard to connect with her.