"Do you know him?" I asked Rago pointing Vishar. Vishar stood with few other men little far from us and didn't notice me.

"No", he shrugged. 

"Why you covered your face?" he asked. 

"Get ready we are leaving", I said. 

"Now?" he shocked. I nodded.

"It's already evening. Why can't we start next morning?" he asked. 

"You are free to start whenever you want, but I'm leaving now", I snapped.

"Okay", he gave a annoyed look and left. Meanwhile Iral and Ziral came to me. 

"Who is he?" I asked Iral about Vishar.

"Vishar..... very smart one", Iral said "Why you are asking about him?"

"I never saw him here", I said. 

"Yeah.... he is new one.... Deiken brought him here. Last week Deiken and his men robbed some pilgrims. Funny part is Vishar tricked Deiken and his men and robbed them", Iral chuckled.  

"I missed the face of Deiken after he got looted", Ziral commented. From past few years there had been a cold war waging between Deiken and Ziral for superiority. 

"Lets go?" Iral asked. I nodded.

"Where is Rago?" Ziral asked.

"By the way, who is he?" Iral asked. Ziral was saying something to him.

'Can I talk to Vishar? I think I have to warn him. What if anyone find about him? There is no wonder if they kill him. Can I meet him? No... No.... things would mess up. It's not wise to leave him hear. If anything happen to him?'

'Why you are thinking about him? It's none of your concerns. Even if he die, it's nothing to you. It's better to mind your own business. He came here himself and he will take care of his own safety. Now move out of this place' my mind advised me.

'But how could I leave him?'

'You left everything long back. I guess he don't even remember you.' 

"What's running in your mind?", Rago tapped my shoulder and I came out of my thoughts. 

"Say that I was running in your mind", Rago winked. I rolled my eyes and ignored him. 

We four started to Hisna valley. Many things were running in my mind. My mind was acting bipolar. I felt it was wrong to leave Vishar there and at the same time I felt it perfectly fine. I hoped nothing would happen to him. 

We packed some food for night and had dinner on our way. We had to travel whole night. Rago didn't know about our path so he quietly followed us. At the time Sun peeping out of blue, we reached Hisna hills. 

"Do we have to climb it?" Rago asked looking at the hill.  

"Yeah", Iral answered. 

"Don't we have any other path?.... Like any secrete passage under this hill", Rago. From where he got these type ideas?

"We had. We can walk around this hill to reach other side, but we have to invest two more day for it. So crossing it is the better option", Iral said. It's a large hill but it had wide angel of slope made it quite comfortable to walk.

"We have to reach hill top before this evening", Ziral suggested.

"Why?" Rago asked. 

"Because at one range of this hill sheltered to poisonous snakes. It's easy to cross that part in day light. I hope you could understand how it would be at night time", Ziral smirked. 

"Snakes?" Rago widened his eyes.

"Are you scared?" Ziral asked. 

"Everyone had their own set of fears. I'm scared of snakes", Rago admitted. 

"Coward", Ziral commented and laughed. Iral and I didn't find any humor in his words. 

Rago eyes clouded with anger. He drew his dagger and pulled Ziral by his neck and pointed his dagger at his eyes. Ziral lost in his laughter and didn't observed him. Rago didn't move his weapon and Ziral started shivering in fear. We wanted to stop him but we didn't because Malabi had freedom to kill. Moreover I found curious that what was Rago doing. 

"Tell me what's your set of fears?" Rago asked coldly. 

Ziral didn't answer and glanced between Rago and the dagger that aimed at him. Rago smirked and pushed him back. He kept his dagger back. 

"Fears are not shame, they indicates that we are living. I hope you understand your fears", Rago warned politely. Ziral nodded without a word. I released my breath which I held back from last few seconds. 

"Lets relax for few minutes here before starting", Iral announced and I nodded looking at Rago. 

"Do you like me?" Rago asked with smirk after noticing my stare. 

"No", I averted my eyes. 

"Can't you lie as 'yes' for once?" he chuckled. 

"What's your set of fears?" he asked. I narrowed my eyes. Why he asked like that?

He came near to me. "Is it 'being lost in my world'?" he asked in very soft tone.

"Yes", I replied. 

"Really?" his grey eyes sparked. 

"I think you asked me to lie right?" I winked and turned to other side. 

He pulled me towards him "Then I will make it pure truth just like your eyes", he whispered looking at my eyes. 

What he hid in that grey orbs? It could skip my heart beat. I could sense my sweat tracing my neck. I wanted to avert my gaze but I couldn't. He left my hand and I was free to move but I couldn't. Why I was effected by him? 

***************

Moon brightly shining when we reached hill top. Rago crossed snakes reason with at most care. Ziral avoided him at his best. Iral and Rago came to good terms. Rago arranged fire for us. We have to hunt for food. We started searching bushed for any small animals. 

"Got it", Ziral said and pulled a small rabbit. 

"It's tiny", Iral laughed. Meanwhile another rabbit came from the bushes. 

"Amazing", Ziral held that rabbit by ears.

"I think it's mother", Rago said. 

"Leave them", I said.  

"But Shami...", Iral started. 

"Leave them... I will search something else", Rago said "I saw an antelope on our way."

"Why didn't you tell us at that time", Ziral yelled. 

"Because I'm not hungry at that time", Rago snapped. Rago took a fire torch and gave another one to Iral. 

"You both stay here, we will get something", Rago said and I nodded. Rago and Iral went towards trees. 

I sat on boulder near the fire. I was very tired, hungry and sleepy. In addition to all, this weather was very cold. I pulled myself very close trying to keep warm. 

"I hate him", Ziral said. 

"Tell me one name that you genuinely liked, except Iral", I asked.

"I like you", he shrugged. 

"Any other name", I asked. 

"Umm...", he started thinking. 

"Don't bother.... There is no one you like", I chuckled. He made a cranky face and added few twigs to fire. 

After some time Iral and Rago returned with a wild fawn. I didn't understand where they get that. Rago gathered four small rocks and arranged them one over the other. Meanwhile Ziral and Iral sliced that animal into pieces. Rago hooked the meat to sticks and arranged that sticks on the rocks over the fire. I gathered few more dry twigs which could survive whole night.

I walked to edge for the hill and looked at the forest. How beautiful it was? Just like a soft fur covered the earth. Between streams of water sparkling in moon shine. I felt that fur was trying to kept every thing warm. The mix of thick blue and green hue made it beyond words.

But no, that's all a beautiful lie. This beautiful forest was just as cold as ice. It was drenching in blood of many people. It filled with thirst of selfishness. It had dried tears, mute screams, died hopes, evil laughter and wicked silence. 

"Hey fallen star", I heard Rago and averted my gaze to him. 

He handed me some cooked meet. I gave a genuine smile. He sat at edge of the boulder and hung his legs in air. He patted beside him and I sat. 

"You have pretty smile", he said. I gave a polite smile again. I stared back to Malabi. 

"What are you thinking?" he asked. 

"How it could look so beautiful?" I asked. 

"Some times questions are beautiful itself, they don't need answers", he said. 

"Where you learnt those words?" I asked. 

"Try to walk out of those far forest borders. May be you will learn them", he chuckled. 

"I want to go........... One day, I will", I said.

"Don't forget to hold my hand that day", he said. I nodded. 

"Why you want to be with me?", I asked. 

"I want to feel complete", he said. I didn't dare to ask anymore. After that we ate our food in complete silence.

"What are you both doing here?" Ziral asked. 

"She is talking to her friends", Rago answered pointing the stars. Ziral irritated and left. 

I rose from my place and went near to Iral and Rago followed me. They were still eating. I drank required water. 

"I will guard", I said. 

"Me too", Iral said. 

"Do whatever you want, I want to sleep", Ziral yawned. 

"I didn't understand what you meant", Rago said.

"It's dangerous to sleep with out any guard. So any of us have to stay awake. If anything went wrong like any wild animal attack, he has to alert remaining people", Iral explained.

"Shami, you didn't have proper sleep from last 2 days. It's not wise to stay awake this night", Rago said.

"He is right Shami. We are just four right, I will guard. Take some rest", Iral said. 

"Did I ask your opinion?" I mocked. They made cranky faces. 

Ziral arranged himself a comfortable place to sleep. Iral went little far away from us to inhale his marijuana. I sat and adding few more twigs to fire. Looking at Ziral, I too wanted to sleep. Unintentionally a yawn slipped from me. 

"Move", Rago stood beside me. 

"What?"

"Move", he slightly pushed me with his leg. I moved a little from my place. He sat behind me and wounded his hands around me.

"What the fuck?", I yelled "Leave me." I wriggled.

"Ushh", he said near my ear. 

"There is no need to strain yourself every time", he whispered. He started brushing my hair with one hand and his another strong hand held in place.

"Sleep", he said. 

"Leave me", I tried to get out of his hands. 

"For now leave everything that nagging behind your mind. I will wake you up at morning. You will reach your destination for sure...... Trust me."

I didn't know what I felt, I stopped struggling. I leaned my head on his chest and closed my eyes. I felt him moving back with me in his arms. He might be leaned back to the boulder which was just behind us. I felt that he pecked on my head and softly rubbing my shoulder. I trusted this mysterious man..... Why I was trusting a man I met just a week back? Why? Before finding the answer sleep clouded me. His heart beat sang lullaby for me.

*****************

Bright ray of light knocked my eye lids. Slowly I opened my eyes and covered them with my hand. It took few moments to adjust my vision. Fire which we lit last was already off. I looked around and didn't find anyone. Rago was still holding me and sleeping. 

I never observed him this close. I saw a very old scare which was almost covered under his beard. It's just above his star tattoo. I zoomed my eyes over his tattoo. There were many unclear patters in it. If we saw it from a feet away, it would look like a general star. 

A snake wounded around a sword at top vertex. What it meant? A trident with a single wing at right vertex. I knew that wings, but why only a single wing? At left vertex, a bow and an arrow. That arrow tightly pulled back like forming vertex for star. Fire emitting from another vertex and tiny butterflies flying from that fire. What it meant? 

Fifth vertex filled with some scripts. Who the fuck drew these very tiny patters? I couldn't understand them. I moved a little forward to read them. A stain covered those letters. I tried to remove that dirt with my thumb. I heard someone clearing their throat. 

I averted my eyes to that sound. Ziral and Iral stood in front of me and looking at me. I glanced at Rago who was staring me with smile. Shit. I was embarrassed. In process of decoding those damn patterns I forgot what I was doing? I swiftly pushed Rago and moved away from him.  

"What?" I yelled at them. I tried to act normal. 

"Nothing", they shrugged and moved away. Rago started chuckling.

"Why you are laughing?" I asked coldly. He leaned a little close to me.

"If you like me, you can say it. I don't mind", he winked. 

"I don't like you", I spat "I... I just... I'm just.... looking your tattoo."

"Really", he raised his brow with smirk. 

I rose to my feet and walked towards Iral leaving Rago in his annoying laughter. It's all my mistake. Did I really need details about that stupid tattoo? I felt those patterns familiar. I might not understand them but I knew them. Who was he in real?

*********

What those stupid patterns?😂😂😂 Poor Shami😂😂😂😂

*************

Characters:

Shami: Black Viper and female lead.

Rago: Death stalker and male lead

Vishar: ?????

Ziral and Iral : Twin brothers and friends of Shami

Zagi: Head of black vipers.

Leiga: Head of death stalker gang.

Deiken: One of the death stalker.

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