Warrior Princess; Her Quest to the throne

The golden eagle was a trained bird used only in case of emergencies between Prithvi, Ramanujam and Saraswati. It was a trained bird and responded to commands issued solely by those three.     

Making a hurried excuse to his partner, Prithvi left from his house. He went out of the front gate as any normal person would. After walking till the end of the road, he spun and looked around if there were any eyes watching him. After ensuring that he was alone, he sprinted back and climbed over the wall of his house to enter the backyard. Prithvi had constructed a tunnel all by himself between the Gurukul and his house when he had first been assigned the post. The tunnel opened up right in the centre of an overgrown shrub in the sports ground next to the Admin building. Entering the tunnel, he groped for the fire stick at the entrance and lit it. Walking down quickly, he arrived at the Gurukul just when Mriga and Abhirath had left from there under Saraswati's instructions where Ramanujam awaited him with the updates.     

Later that day     

Mriga and Abhirath made their way into the room where Shaurya was resting. Saraswasti got up from the chair besides his bed and walked upto them.     

Gesturing them to follow her outside, she spoke in a whisper, "You guys came back sooner than expected!"     

Mriga replied in a soft tone, "We just want to be useful. I am sure that you have tons of work waiting for you. Since both of us are free from any school work for now, we can take turns in keeping vigil here. The other person can help you run errands, if any."     

Saraswati smiled at the girl's enthusiasm and patted her back. She knew that there was a reason that she was so fond of her.     

"Ok. Then you come and help me with the correspondence. Abhirath, wait here for my father. He will be coming to check on Shaurya soon," she instructed.     

Mriga removed the heavy bag from her shoulder and placed it outside the room's door.     

At the look of enquiry on Saraswati and Abhirath's faces, she said, "I have got some dry snacks, some books and a few board games, for the convalescing patient and the caretakers."     

Saraswati threw her head back and laughed before remembering to reduce her noise level.     

"You are my favourite person henceforth. I like people who foresee and plan accordingly. Good girl," she told her.     

Mriga beamed at Saraswati and bowed her head to show her gratitude at the praise. Abhirath looked on indulgently at her happy face and felt as if he had been at the receiving end of the compliment. He planned to spend some quality time with Mriga and hence had asked her to come along to take care of their mentor. But she threw water on all those dreams and went to aid the teacher. Sighing, he rummaged through the bag to find a book and settled on the chair kept in the room.     

Two hours later     

Mriga tiptoed into Shaurya's room only to find both guys fast asleep. Abhirath's head was lolling on one side and his body looked to be in an uncomfortable posture on that small chair. Hiding her smile, she shook him gently.     

When he came awake, she beckoned him outside and said, "I just met Prithvi guruji and he has instructed that the other trainees are not to be informed about this. He wants to limit the knowledge about this incident to as few a people as possible. So, you are supposed to go back to the dorm and rest now while I keep vigil here. You have been assigned the night duty."     

Abhirath thought for a moment and said, "I am happy to take the night duty. But let me stay here and help you. If brother Shaurya wakes up, you won't be able to help him even reach the bathroom. I just took a nap and am feeling fresh."     

She frowned and immediately quipped, "What are you trying to imply? Did I not tell you that I dragged him all the way from the sports ground to the Admin building while he was unconscious? How come you never have faith in my abilities? I will prove it to you that I can succeed in all tasks given to me."     

Abhirath looked at the ceiling, praying for patience. How was it that the girl always misunderstood his intentions? He wasn't casting aspersions on her ability. He was simply looking for a way to spend some time with her. But he knew that if he pushed her anymore at the moment, they will end up having an argument.     

"Alright, I believe you. Now stop scowling. Do you know how scary you look with those angry eyes? I will come later and carry some dinner for you. Is that acceptable?" he asked in a compromising tone.     

She gave him a small smile and nodded in agreement. Once Abhirath left, Mriga entered the room and went upto Shaurya. She felt his forehead. It seemed cool to her touch and even his face had some colour back in it. The heaviness in her heart seemed to lighten up a little. She adjusted the blanket around him and sat down in the chair with a sigh.     

Saraswati had made her run around the campus enough number of times. Apparently, her father's back was hurting and he wasn't able to come visit Shaurya. So, she had gone first to ask about his arrival, then to fetch the medicine from him and then again to inform him that he needed to go back home and rest as well.     

"Ah, I forgot about making the new batch of medicine for him," Mriga sprang up from the chair and went to the kitchen.