of love and luggage..

Of the many strange things in life which continue to baffle me,the most srange is the total nonrecognition of one’s own luggage at the airport luggage belt..as I watched for the umpteenth time,suitcases and duffel bags and cartons tumbled on the conveyer belt,going round and round and round sloowwly,I realized that the magnitude of the philosophical uncertainity I experience when trying to retrieve my own luggage,is astounding.bags which have lived in my house for years,jostling for space with other old bags and occasionally falling out at my feet or on my head from wherever I’ve stuffed them,take on a utterly uncharecterstic dignity.they sit ,bloody majestically,daring the wrong person to touch them.time and again,I see people dart up to the belt,dragging of a recaltraint piece of baggage,only to plop it back on,red in the face at their mistake,while smirkingly the baggage moves on.

I have stayed,frozen in one spot,my eyes on a bag which has the same colouring as mine,but which looks so utterly foreign and threatening that I daren’t touch it.not until it has completed 3 agonisingly slow rounds,that I can summon up the courage to drag it out.seeing my name on the label makes me feel relieved and tearfully grateful to the universe.once I complained to the authorities that I have lost my luggage.i was asked whether the single bag going around forlornly isn’t mine and I strenuously denied ownership.not until the bag was taken off and my name on the label pointed out to me by supercilious authority types did I believe its mine.true story

I recently shifted out of my hostel into an apartment kind of place..its kind of rustic and has lots of red ants and baby frogs and tiny lizards.the reason for putting up with infant amphibians and reptiles and the insect kindom,are the amazing number of trees around.green,lush,fierce,untamed trees..also the terrace is lovely.granted that ive not found the time to enjoy either the trees or the terrace..but what the heck..one lives in hope

once upon a time my heart betrayed me.it broke and along with it ,broke all my dreams.i dont believe it was anyone's fault..it just was.but there is no denying that the aftermath left behind pain and tears and worse,disillusionment.i thought life was over.that i will never love again,will never really live again.

Then i met him..he just was,at the beginning..did not register on me much,except that he rubbed me the wrong way ...and still made me laugh..and then,one day,i realised that there was more laughter and fun than there has been in a long while..part of it was the new place,new friends,doing what i had always wanted to do..but most of it was him..and suddenly i was looking forward to tommorow again..

He is amazingly funny and intelligent.tall,charming and lazy,laid back and calm,stubborn and hot tempered and generous.sexy smile,innocent eyes.exasperating and adorable,occasionally both at once.but above and beyond that,he is good. Not just nice,but good.he gave me back the biggest gift anyone could have given me.he gave me back myself.and do you know,I don’t think he even knows that.he makes the world bright and warm ..he makes the worst of days bearable,because he is there to groan and bitch with...not he kind of love like before,but none the less deeper for all that.sweeter ,gentler,..and this time around the quick twist in my heart is more pleasure than pain.he made me believe in love again,in dreams again…in happiness again,…in tommorow again...i will end with the words of a famous actress,which exactly sums up what i have rediscovered about life.

“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.”

Of the middle

hello children,i am back...feeling happy and benevolent towards life in general and myself in particular.the weather is misty and soft,i have been lucky enough to meet both weird ,random and boderline insane people..the universe,with its usual capricious and whimsical sense of humor,is for once letting me have what i have always wanted...an interesting life

people..they are the most fascinating creations in God's good earth and yes,i am taking into considerations the claims of the black widow spider,with its charming concepts of romance,the ostrich,with its amazing capacity of denial,the hooded seals of Antarctica,the males of which species show off to females by inflating their bright red noses like a balloon(this is fact,swear im not making this up!)or even the sloth,who unlike the lovable yet spastic sid in the ice age series,are excellent hunters and apparently are not only very fond of beer,but able to hold their liquor amazingly well,which is more than can be said of most human beings..


not that its possible to define people,and i would not be presumptuous or stupid enough to try to do so..but the one thing ive found common in every one i know,is the capacity to surprise....no matter how well you think you know someone,or how dull and boring you think they are...just occasionally,for an instant,they will say or do something which will reveal a side you never suspected they have..sometimes,with some people,i wonder if they themselves know who they are...and then, occasionally,there are people who know very well who they are,and are simply not interested in sharing that knowledge with most of the world....and very rarely there are those,who deny who they are..who they can be...those are the ones who pull at me,for some strange reason....why do they do it?is it because they know what they can be and the knowledge terrifies them...are there monsters in their heads they are hiding from,or imps urging them on to dangerous mischief...or demons laughing at them from shadows,nudging them to break rules....or are there angels with swords,demanding that they change the world,ideals and principals,dancing about in their heads and hearts,demanding freedom,demanding change,demanding action....


or is it both...are they the ones torn between heaven and hell,able to see very clearly the choices and the consequences of them..with the knowledge that they could be either but not both..not like the rest of the blessed mortals,comfortably living with spite and generosity,moments of cowardice and flashes of courage,moments of madness alternating with almost stupefying sanity...they are the children of earth..the middle ground..the effortless amalgamation of heaven and hell,good and bad,light and dark...the lucky ones.in their lives they will be good men and bad men and quite often ordinary men,and people will love them and hate them and ignore them but they will not shake the world to its core..

i am not talking,you know you know of people who are born with Gods sword in thier hands..the true and the pure and the courageous..the ones who will always do the right thing,no matter what the cost to themselves..or the ones who are born with the Devil laughing over their shoulders....who gleefully embrace evil...both these kinds are happy with who they are..they know themselves and are comforrtable with that knowledge ..for them there has been no choice..they dont understand the other side..the children of heaven and the children of hell...


but They... are forever stuck in the middle...melding neither with one nor the other..both and none....they are the ones who have concentrated good in them...and concentrated evil as well...and the courage and the coldness required to fulfill both destinies...some of them choose..one side or the other...they might deny the other half of themselves...stay restless and angry....but they will become names the world revers or vilifies...and some...stay in shadows...lose themselves behind a persona which can be anything they want it to be..charming,sullen,brilliant,stupid...everything is true and none of it is..they live in a world of mirages......i wonder if ,after a while,they begin to believe the illusion they have created....who knows..maybe.... i hope they can..

sometimes i look out of the window in the middle of the night and look at all the tiny lights of the city spread out..and wonder at all the stories..the happy ones..the sad ones..the tragic,the mundane and the extraordinary ones...and i wonder how they will all end...i wonder how mine will end...its been a hell of a journey so far..and today,in this moment, i would not change a minute of it...

Regrets and Memories

sometimes its only too easy to take friends for granted.. you take off to new horizons,without bothering to look back,maybe convinced that they will always be there,maybe forgetting all about them for a while..
but then one day,you may be sitting,surrounded by new friends..in a new life,with everything you have always wanted right next to you..and a chance phrase..or random joke...or a casual comment..may trigger memories which seem to belong to another lifetime..nostalgia,sharp and raw...with all its attendant longings and regrets..memories of sunshine and laughter and dreams...when you would plan your life and live out your triumphs in imagination..when tomorrow was always yours..when anything seemed possible..when life was still a grand song waiting to be sung..when the only things you could count on were your wits ..and your friends..

you might want to go back,then..back to those old friends..maybe you would call on the last no you had and find that its now not in use any longer.they changed it and never bothered to tell you.you might try desperately to remember the last time you spoke to them..was it months ago or has it been a year already?..surely it hasn't been longer?..and when was the time you had a actual conversation with them,not just a hi-bye,gotta run,very busy,will call you soon...when was the last time you laughed with them..or told them a secret...when?...you might then somehow get the no and call...
what would you hear after the first hello?...would they recognise your voice even...and if they did,what would they say..would it be surprise and pleasure..if you are lucky,maybe.

or would there be surprise and awkwardness..after the do you re member's are over,would you find you had nothing left to say to each other except trite commonplaces..would you both then find excuses to hang up,promising to call again soon,but knowing really,that what you thought was forever was lost..remembering with sadness and just a touch of cynicism the quiet conviction with which you had once called them "family"..

i have been on both sides of the fence.have lost people who cared about me through sheer carelessness..looking back i find that it was not that i didn't love them or care about them..it was just,that i always thought tomorrow would be soon enough to call..today was always so busy,i had so many things to do,i was so sleepy..that tomorrow i would call..and i have waited for some other friends to call and catch up,thinking indulgently that "she is busy,has lots of things to deal with".i might miss her when i something funny happens and i want to tell her and she doesn't pick up the phone and doesn't call back..but then there is someone else who will laugh with me,and i might forget to miss her...and then one day,with a sense of shock ill realise,that i don't even think of her anymore when something funny or strange or bad happens to me..its someone else now...and there may be a twinge of regret,but underlying it will be anger...and finally acceptance..and then indifference....and so they will slip away..all the people you loved and counted on and shared so much of yourself with..

change is the law..but it should not mean loss..of real friendship...of your past self...of something rare and beautiful...so before you put off that phone call,ask yourself if tomorrow may not be too late..ask yourself if you can afford to lose this friend..ask yourself if regrets and memories will make up for unconditional love and unfailing support....
so i will wish happiness for all of you..i will wish success and prosperity and fulfillment of dreams...and i will wish for a Saturday,twenty years later,when you sit in a coffee shop,fuming with anger,because the week has been horrible and on top of that the people who have been making you wait for the past twenty years are late again...and you swear to yourself that this is the last time,you are in time,by god,when the door opens and in breeze your closest friends..your family..with the same lame excuses and bright laughter..and suddenly you are laughing as well,nothing is as bad as it seemed,and you will say"hey guys,do you know,something really funny happened at work today.."

New Beginnings....Again

oh my god!!! it feels like i have been away from home for a million and fifty years!!i realise that absolutely no one follows my blog,least of all the so called followers ,who are,lets face it mostly all my friends,trying to score on the "good friends" column!
but i myself have missed writing so much..i have realised,that strangely enough,that i feel completely absorbed and utterly content,when I'm gabbling away happily at the keyboard,har har.
so what have i been doing lately..well,you could say working hard at realising one of my dreams..and since i have managed to do it..here i am..in mangalore...
mangalore is a beautiful city..a lot of people have only heard of the similar sounding bangalore..but let me tell you as someone who had been in both..there is absolutely no comparison..Bangalore is loud,noisy,bustling,with incredibly annoying auto people..mangalore on the other hand is a haven..

trees...everywhere you look..tall,leafy,calm,happy trees..not like the stunted,wizened lot you see in other cities,fighting bravely and often losing the battle for survival..here the trees know that they belong..that they arethe city as much as the people ..that they hold the earth together as they reach for the skies...they know that standing tall and proud is their right by birth...they could never imagine it anyother way...and they have never had to find out otherwise..
my hostel room looks out into a bus terminal on one side and red slanted roofed cottages on the other..both journeys and its end..depending on which window i look out of..
there is a cock somewhere which crows its head off at dawn..i love hearing it then falling asleep again..
the people have been much like people everywhere,only more so..i keep getting the feeling that i have met them before..maybe between the pages of a book..or a dream..
the hot guys are hotter and more arrogant...the creepy jerks are creepier albeit well disguised as suave and charming people(its all very novel like,to tell you the truth!)everything and everyone is a bit larger than life..my sister asked me seriously if its like stepford!!
but seriously,its just plain amazing..i have a neighbour who is straight out of a bad saas-bahu serial..she is incredible..dressing sense,manners,conversation,mental scope..all of it from some ekta kapoor nightmare..i spent three days sneaking into my own room and staying inside with doors bolted and lights off because i am completely unable to cope with her..she scares the living hell out of me..i simple stare at her like a rabbit trapped in the gaze of a head light while she ruthlessly interrogates me on everything from the price of my plate to my current relationship status..brrrrghghh!!
there are nice people too i guess..and just currently someone who seems to be falling on both sides of the line,oscillating between being rather nice and a complete jerk(yes,hes hot!)
with so many new people in my life,its strange I'm still missing the old ones so much..in fact the more i meet new people the more i want to hang onto the old ones..at least the ones who are important,anyway..
i am not sure how many i can keep..how many will stay..i can but try..rest is at the knees of the gods...i at least,will not have any regrets...
i guess mangalore finally gots its hooks into me one night a couple of weeks ago...i was already falling half in love with it..the balmy weather,the polite autowallahs,the mango tree which unexpectedly drops mangoes like missiles just outside my hostel,the clumps of wildflowers everywhere...
and then one night i got up to open the windows because the room felt stuffy..and i saw..
a clear sky filled with a million stars...trees near and far swaying to a rhythm only they could hear..a night standing still in anticipation...and then..suddenly..in a split second.. a thousand bolts of lightening crisscrossing the sky and bathing the entire city in electric blue..no thunder,that is what struck me immediately..as if the storm did not need to make any noise to prove how deadly it was..it was primitive,powerful,dangerous..and for the first time in my life i was afraid,really,instinctively afraid and terribly joyous,all at the same time...i don't know why..all i know is,from that moment onwards i belonged to this city...

Chapter 6-The Visit

Alexis wandered about in the palace gardens.from a distance,she could hear voices raised in laughter and argument,the maids of the castle,going about their day to day tasks,unconcerned with tomorrow and unperturbed by yesterday.she heard Zelda's voice raised,directing someone about what flowers to pluck,and veered sharply down a path to avoid facing that lady.abruptly she came face to face with Andra.

"oh!"gasped Andra,"you startled me!"

Alexis did not say anything,but stood looking closely at her friend.in the past one week,ever since her failed abduction,Andra seemed to have grown quieter and paler.at first Alexis had thought that it was merely the shock,but Andra showed no signs of snapping out of it.
"are you all right?"she asked for the umpteenth time,almost mechanically.

"Actually,i am not"said Andra and then smiled at Alexis'look of surprise"did not expect me to admit it ,did you?"
"no"said Alexis "ready to talk about it?"

Andra moved listlessly by her side"nothing much to talk about"she said.and then after a short silence"who were they,Alexis?will we ever know!"

"Icarus has set up a reward,you know"said Alexis soothingly,"i expect we will find out,sooner or later.and then we will know whether they were targeting you specifically,or if it was just a random accident.and in the meanwhile your security has been doubled,there is really no need for you to be frightened.."

"I am not frightened!"said Andra indignantly"and i did not mean them!i meant..i meant.."she broke off and blushed

"aah"said Alexis smiling slyly"i see.it is the thought of the valiant Damon which brings the roses to your cheek,it is the memory of the forest green of his eyes which is giving you sleepless nights,it is his bravery and strength and charm which has bewitched the princess of Castalia,it is.."

"oh Alexis don't!"cried Andra,and to her surprise,Alexis saw tears gather in her eyes.

"why Andra,i was just teasing"said Alexis contritely"i did not mean to make you cry!"

Andra wiped her tears and said in a bewildered tone"i don't know what is wrong with me..i cant seem to get him out of my mind..oh Alexis,you don't know how wretched i feel!"

Alexis said nothing.the memory of a pair of storm grey eyes seemed to laugh at her,mocking Andra's words.and once again she heard a voice call out"i will come back..."

"Alexis.."said Andra tentatively"do you think we will ever see them again?"

Alexis shrugged casually"who knows?perhaps.."

they both wandered on,lost in dreams,in speculations.turning a corner,they found that they were near the west walls of the castle.Icarus stood,deep in conversation with Cameron.he noticed them and beckoned them to his side.rather unwillingly,they went.

"...preparations to be completed soon"Cameron was saying.
"what preparations?"asked Andra,as Cameron smirked at Alexis.she looked back coolly at him.

"the preparations to welcome the King of Anoia,my dear sister"said Icarus calmly.Andra gasped and Alexis stiffened.
"but..what..we don't even know them!"said Andra

"an oversight which i am striving to correct,my dear"said Icarus wearily."this ridiculous state of affairs has gone on long enough.not being on terms of common courtesy with the Anoians is hardly..wise"

"did Nestor put you up to this?"blurted out Alexis.Icarus looked faintly surprised"Nestor?no indeed..i extended the invitation myself"

"it is very sudden..."Andra looked inquiringly at her brother.he smiled enigmatically"i felt it was time"he said by the way of explanation.then seeing two extremely exasperated faces glare at him he laughed and said"and also i would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the prince of Anoia..."

"thanks?"
"what for?"

"why,didn't i tell you?"asked Icarus in surprise"for rescuing the princess of Castalia from the dastardly attack on her of course!"

"what!"exclaimed Andra as Alexis merely stared at Icarus who was looking at her smiling in his mocking way"Justin!that was Justin Alpetras!"

"Justin Alpetras it was indeed"confirmed Icarus"along with his commander at arms,and cousin Damon Alpetras."

"did you know all along?"asked Alexis in a low voice to Icarus

"i suspected."Icarus shrugged"the kind of skill you spoke of is not very common,and i was fairly certain had it been anyone from Castalia,i would have known of them at least.also there were the names themselves,taken together.."

"why did you not tell me!"asked Alexis

"there was nothing to tell then.it was merely a thought.i am telling you now.i was in the process of making some very delicate inquiries,when i received a elegant missive from the King of Anoia,the great Jupiter Alpetras himself.and to my very great surprise i found,that not only were the heroes Anoians,but the villains of the piece were our neighbours as well!"

"Anoians!"exclaimed Andra"and Jupiter Alpetras told you that himself!?"

"Yes,clever wasn't it"mused Icarus"i admit,it took me by surprise..a man of many layers,Jupiter Alpetras..it will be a pleasure to finally make his acquaintance"

"what exactly did he say?"asked Alexis

"oh,after a lot of flowery language,he said he hoped my sister and her guard were well and not suffering from any ill effects from their recent adventure!and how he had to offer his deepest apologies since the ruffians were Anoians,bent on extracting a ransom for the princess,he believed.he hoped that that piece of mischief would be forgiven as his brother and cousin had taken care of the desperadoes(his word!).he was making full inquiries regarding the matter and would give us the details soon.he remained,sincerely,etc etc"

"do you believe this,this pile of horse dung!?"burst out Alexis

"your language,Alexis,is always lucid albiet colourful,but in this instance,i fail to understand you.which part of the missive are you referring to as equine excreta?my preliminary excursions into the topic were indeed beginning to point towards the Anoians being involved..this communication merely clears up the point"

"and do you really believe that Jupiter Alpetras did not know of this?"asked Alexis in disbelief"are you going to stand there and tell me,that some common thugs from Anoia,dared to enter our kingdom,to abduct the princess for a ransom,with the kind of precision and knowledge which screams of training,knowing full well that the minute they touched her their lives were not worth a farthing,and decided to take her all the way over the border to Anoia?without the knowledge and consent of their King!"

"Yes,it becomes very interesting does it not?"said Icarus,his eyes gleaming"but you are forgetting are you not,the brave and intrepid Anoians who then rescued you,without a thought to their own life?they are princes of the realm too..are accusing them of duplicity as well??"

"No!"said Andra instantly"no,they could not be involved in some dastardly plot"she continued defiantly,as her brother frowned at her
"so"murmured Icarus"Jupiter alpetras can be believed to have sent your attackers...but your heroes are to be excluded from any complicity in the matter..that is ...interesting.do you agree with Andra,Alexis?"

"I am not accusing Jupiter Alpetras!i am merely saying that it is highly unlikely that any common criminal would take such a huge,stupid risk just for a ransom.apart from the fact that they would almost certainly be dead within the day,this is the kind of thing that starts wars!are you asking me to believe that they were that dumb?"

"you did not actually answer my question"said Icarus thoughtfully"though your brilliant insight into the situation is certainly impressive!"

"what would be the purpose of saving us,if they were in the plot as well?"Alexis said meeting Icarus' eyes dead on.
"so you agree with Andra..i thought you would"sighed Icarus"women are so unbearably predictable.and have you considered,my dear Alexis,that the plot may be an entirely different one than the abduction of the princess of Castalia?"

Alexis stared at Icarus for a moment,her heart sinking,as his smile grew brighter still"i see the thought does not sit well with you"he said softly



"who says it was a plot at all?"said Cameron,speaking for the first time."it could be all as the King says,that some Anoians were indeed the attackers and the princes just happened to be there to save her..though if i hadn't left,i am sure we would not have needed them.."

Alexis stared at him contemptuosly but Icarus said at once with great affability"of course,that is perfectly possible!in any case,there was nothing for me to do but to offer my sincere thanks and invite all the princes for a visit to our beautiful kingdom.our dahlias,i mentioned,are blooming particularly well this year!"

Alexis choked on a laugh.
"Icarus,you are incorrigible!"said Andra"you really did not!"
"i really did"assured Icarus"and indeed,he says in this message i received today,that he will be delighted to see the dahlias!he is coming,it appears,a sen night later with five gentleman and three ladies.Andra,you will see to all the arrangements.we must not be behind in showing any courtesy to the king of Anoia,my dear"

with a wave,he walked away with Cameron.Andra turned to look at Alexis and there was a bright,glowing look on her face which made Alexis' heart sink.
"he was a prince.."she breathed happily.
"an Anoian prince"corrected Alexis grimly.And to her mind that had made all the difference in the world.

Chapter 5-The aftermath

"Explain to me please,why you thought it was a good idea to take my sister to that ridiculous affair unguarded?"Icarus voice was deadly in its softness.this was not her friend talking to her,it was her sovereign questioning her and Alexis felt his anger chill her to her bones.
"she was feeling upset and so.."she began.
"upset?'Icarus raised his brows"and so instead of arranging for some innocent form of entertainment,you decided to drag her to some country affair,exposing her to danger and discomfort?"

"she wanted to go and i did not think it would be dangerous!such a thing has never happened before!"

"but it happened today.so your thinking my dear Alexis was wrong,wasn't it,since my sister,the princess of Castalia,and your charge was abducted in front of your eyes!"

"Yes"Alexis looked him right in the eyes."there is no excuse for it,my lord.you are right.it was my fault.i take full responsibility for my failure to guard the princess."

"Indeed,as you should"agreed Icarus cordially,his rage a thing of ice.that part of his disproportionate anger was terror at what could have happened and confusion at the days events,was not lost on Alexis.Castalia had never known much crime,and this sudden attack in a public place was as unprecedented as it was alarming.

"did it seemed that they knew who she was?"asked Icarus abruptly and Alexis frowned.it was a question that had occurred to her as soon as the relief had worn off."i cant be sure."she said slowly"it seems impossible that they should,we were heavily veiled,in ordinary clothes,and we were not the only ones.there were several other women wearing the same attire.they may have thought she is some nobleman's daughter,given the fineness of her clothes.."

"and so they risked a broad daylight abduction of maybe a nobleman's daughter"Icarus began to tap the arm of the cahir he was sitting on"and instead landed a princess.that seems too much of a coincidence..."

"Maybe.."said Alexis hesitantly"maybe that's all it was.but.."

"Exactly"muttered Icarus "but.."

there was a short silence with each of the two busy with their own thoughts."did anyone know who they were?"asked Alexis at last
Icarus appeared to arouse himself from a reverie."hmm.oh,their bodies have been hung in the arena"he said,referring to the huge stadium where games and functions took place"but no one claims to recognise them..yet.the award has been announced,of course"
"they were too well organised"mused Alexis"as if they had already planned it..but then it must have been chance.no one knew we were going to the fair..we did not know ourselves till the last moment..!"there was another silence.

"who were they?"asked Icarus softly,and this time she knew he was asking about their rescuers.she looked up to find his eyes fixed on her face with no expression on his own.absurdly,she felt nervous,and annoyed with herself,answered more curtly than she had intended"i don't know"


Icarus seemed to grow stiller.she turned and paced restlessly around the room,as much as to avoid his gaze as to compose herself"i don't know"she said more calmly"they appeared to be of noble birth.it is possible that they are the sons' of some nobleman of our kingdom.they were certainly both skilled,and courageous"

"high tribute,coming from you Alexis"said Icarus,watching her intently."but which nobleman has sons' so modest who would not come forward to claim a hero's welcome for saving their princess in so dramatic a fashion.none belonging to my court,I'm sure.most of them weary me with ill thought out lies of their past bravery.if any one of them had managed to have paragons which these men seem to be,i am sure i would have known all about them."

"then who?"burst out Alexis"who in God's name were they?"

"Does it matter so much?"Icarus asked mockingly"unknown foes bested by unknown friends..seems very..fitting,somehow"
"i don't like it"said Alexis"i don't understand it"

"there is no point in discussing the matter further"said Icarus brusquely, getting up form his chair"we do not have sufficient knowledge yet"

"Icarus"whispered Alexis as he started to walk away.he turned his eyebrows raised in question"i am sorry.it was unpardonable and irresponsible and .."

"yes,i believe we have covered that"murmured Icarus."there is no more to be said.do you think i don't know that you were going to take on five men single handed?your foolhardiness is equalled only by your courage,and both make up a large part of who you are,Alexis..but yes..i am indebted to those two men,even more deeply than they can imagine..."
For a moment Alexis stared at him,tears so ruthlessly held in check so long threatening to flood her eyes now."i was so scared!"she said and then he was holding her and she was crying while he continued to rock her gently,smiling a little as she sobbed stormily against his robe.finally when she had quietened down,he let go and took her chin in his hand and lifted her face up wards.she smiled at him,tears still glistening on her lashes,but calmer for them.he smiled back and let go of her "you are exhausted,go and sleep now".Alexis nodded and rubbed her eyes.

"by the way"Icarus said as he strolled to the door"i believe one of them bested you rather spectacularly today"he smiled at her startled face"my dear Alexis,inspite of your low opinion of my powers of being a sufficiently,er,kingly king,i still manage to keep a certain amount of knowledge of what goes on in my kingdom,you know"

Alexis laughed"he was splendid,indeed!i have lost my chain to him,you know,thanks to your odious Cameron.he promised to come back and claim it.i shall be in a real fix if he does so!"

Icarus looked at her strangely for a moment and then smiled faintly"are you sure that is all that you have lost?"for a moment their eyes met and held and then Icarus gave a low laugh at the confusion he saw in hers,and left the room.

Chapter 4-The Festival

"Careful Andra"murmured Alexis as she gently steered Andra through the boisterous crowds at the fair.She and Andra were both veiled and while a part of Alexis reveled in the freedom that anonymity brought,another part of her was anxious and constantly on alert for any sign of danger to her friend.But she needn't have worried.no on was paying them the smallest bit of attention.The harvest had been good and the crowds were in a celebratory mood.the various stalls which had been put up to sell all manner of things were seeing brisk business.Beside her Andra was humming joyfully and Alexis could not help being glad that they had come after all.

Andra wished to buy some trinkets from the stalls so Alexis accompanied her.while Andra asked the price of a cloth of silk,the colour of buttercups,Alexis felt the unmistakable prickling at the back of her neck which warned her that she was under observation.Casually,as if merely bored she shifted her stance to place herself between Andra and the crowd and slowly let her gaze wander.

She saw him almost at once.Indeed,she later wondered if anyone in the fair could have remained unaware of him.he was standing under a tree,a tall figure,wearing a grey cloak,standing very still and watching her.his face was too far away for her to make out his features,but there was a kind of lazy confidence about his stance which unnerved Alexis,and made her wonder who he was.he was watching her intently and she returned his gaze,curiously.then he grinned and she felt the power of it jolt through her.very deliberately she broke eye contact and turned away.

"Alexis,what do you think?"Andra asked.Alexis turned around,distracted,and found her friend holding up the buttercup yellow silk and looking at her questioningly."its fine"replied Alexis curtly.Andra frowned"are you all right?"she asked and Alexis smiled at her"yes,of course".reassured,Andra turned to finish her purchase and Alexis glanced casually at the tree.there was no one there.



Andra had finished her purchase by now and asked Alexis if she wanted to go home"you don't look well dearest"she said hesitantly.
Alexis pulled herself together and pushed aside the ridiculous sense of disappointment.she took hold of herself and said mildly to Andra "No i want to to see the archery competition.Lets go!"

Together they wandered to the end of the great field,where the competitions were being held.There was archery,and sword fighting and wrestling,along with less serious games.mainly it was the common folk of Castalia who participated in these events,and they were more for fun than as demonstration of any serious skill and Alexis had merely expressed the desire to watch to avoid Andra's questioning.

There was a huge crowd building up and with shouts of merriment and much encouragement,the contestants were lining up.all at once,Alexis felt that prickle once again and sharply looked around.The stranger in grey was standing in the line with the rest of the archers,taller than the rest,and with the stance of a warrior.he was looking straight at her and Alexis felt a sudden rush of awareness,as confusing as it was exhilarating.then the stranger grinned slightly and cocked his head as if in challenge.without a thought in her head,Alexis walked up to the man handing out bows and arrows and held out her hand"Bow and arrow ,please"she commanded.

The elderly wizened man cackled at her"Whats a pretty young thing like you want with weapons then,eh?your beauty be your weapon missy,and if ye use it right,you wont need no others,mark my words!"Alexis waited for the laughter and catcalling to die down.she did not take her eyes off the old man and slowly his grin faded."The competition be for lads only"he grumbled.
"where is it written in the rules?"demanded Alexis and for a moment,the man looked nonplussed."but,but but twere always so.."he stuttered.

"What seems to be the problem here?"a voice drawled and with jolt,Alexis recognised Cameron's voice.Fighting an instinctive desire to turn away,she slowly turned to face him.Cameron's eyes locked into hers and a slow smile spread over his face as the old man babbled out his story.his gaze raked her head to foot and she stiffened in insult.

"i think,grandfather,that since the young lady wants to challenge our lads,we should appreciate her courage and let her do so.however since we are altering the rules for her,she must give a prize,should she lose"
"What prize?"asked someone from the crowd.
"Hmm"Cameron pretended to think,his face alight with laughter"since this is an important occasion,surely it should be a valued item"his gaze fastened on her neck and Alexis knew what was coming"how about the chain the lady is wearing?"

The crowd gave its roaring approval and Alexis cursed herself for being a fool.Cameron had certainly recognised her and now Icarus would know about today's little jaunt.The thought of his rage at having his sister insufficiently guarded which would be almost as great at his disgust at knowing that she had mingled with'commomers',dismayed Alexis.Damn Cameron!she saw him eyeing her chain amd smiled sweetly at him"you will not get your hands on it this time Cameron"she said"it pains me to say this,but a donkey is more skilled with a bow than you are!"

Cameron merely grinned at her,entirely unaffected by her insult.he had had his eye on the chain for a long time now.it was of simple gold,with a deep ruby,set in an intricate and unusual design.but it was not the beauty of the piece which had captured Cameron's interest.it was the legend surrounding it.it was said to belong to a great warrior queen,and to give its wearer invincibility in battle.Alexis had never set much store by its supposed powers but it was a gift to her from Juno and Alexis treasured the mark of her Queen's affection and regard.

"Scared Alexis?"he asked her softly"whats the matter ?do you think you will lose?famous Alexis with her famous skill?"

Alexis knew that Cameron was merely trying to rile her,to pay her back for cautioning Icarus against him repeatedly.he would like nothing better than to best Alexis and humiliate her publicly and she knew that she should walk away from his challenge now.only Cameron would know,and some day she could pay him back for this.but someday was just a myth and today and here and now were the only things real.Alexis looked at Cameron with a glint in her eye and took the bow and arrows from the old man.
"Bravo!"applauded Cameron softly as the crowd gave another cheer.

Alexis had almost forgotten the stranger in grey who had started this mess in the first place.he grinned at her and she stared at him coldly.cursing his impudence and her own impulsiveness,she turned to face her target.she was not much afraid of losing.not to Cameron ,whose skill was moderate at best and certainly not to any local labourer.only Icarus,on his really good days,had ever been able to beat Alexis.

The competition started.one by one the archers kept getting eliminated.it was quickly becoming apparent to the crowd that the only serious competition was between the veiled lady,the captain of arms,and a stranger in grey.the crowd which had started out by booing Alexis as she let arrow after arrow loose from her bow,ended up cheering her skill after a few rounds.
Finally only three archers were left.Cameron had been shooting angry looks to the stranger for the past some rounds and muttering.the stranger paid no attention to him.in the next round,Cameron's arrows were nowhere close to the bulls eye and with a very bad grace he stormed away after chucking his bow down and stomping on it.the crowd parted respectfully to let him pass.you did not laugh at the captain of the guards..at least not to his face,a fact Cameron was well aware of.

and now only Alexis and the stranger were left.by the whole crowd knew that neither of the contestants was a commoner and there was a expectant hush in the air.Blood humming in her head, Alexis shot six arrows,one after another into a bulls eyes six inches wide.the crowd gasped and the stranger smiled at her.then he did a strange thing.instead of turning towards his own target,he walked up to her and turned to face her target.six arrows flew out from his bow,with a kind of controlled grace,and mesmerised ,Alexis watched each of her arrows being split into two.

for a moment there was a stunned silence and then there was an instant uproar.the stranger turned to face her and she found herself drowning in eyes the colour of storm clouds."my win,i believe,my lady"he drawled,his face breaking into a lazy smile.Alexis could only stare at him as the crowd roared his approval around her.

And then from the corner of her eyes she saw a flash of movement.instinct as well as training made her whirl around to where Andra was.she was just in time to see Andra being plucked up bodily by two men who plunged into the crowd.Terror grasped her for an instant.then she ran ,straight towards her friend,but the crowd was already milling about,confused and Andra was lost..

"This way"someone shouted and she turned to find the stranger in grey with her.He jostled and shouldered his way through the crowd and suddenly she caught sight of her friend again.she was struggling,and Alexis felt rage fill her as she increased her speed.to her horror,she saw three other men with the two others and saw two of them turn and raise their bows.the stranger simply caught her and pushed her to the ground and covered her body with hers while arrows rained around them.Alexis shoved him furiously out of the way as they both staggered up.she turned around wildly and her heart sank as she saw Andra being thrown up on a horse and her captors riding away.she started to leap after them when the stranger caught her arm"no"he said firmly"we cant catch them,nor without horses.you need to calm down and think where that road leads"
Alexis stared at him and tried to think above the terror."the forests.they will head for the forests,because the only other way is straight to the castle.horse!i need to get to my horse!"

Even as she spoke,she heard the sounds of cantering and turned around to see two big powerful looking horses racing towards them.one was being ridden by a man quite as tall as the stranger.he threw the reins of the other horse towards the stranger who shouted"the forest,Damon".before she knew what was happening,Alexis found herself up on the horse with the stranger behind her.then the horsed were racing.Alexis gasped as she felt the wind roar in her ears and tear the veil away from her face.the ground sped away and almost within minutes they caught sight of the horses ahead.Damon shouted at the stranger"The bow,Justin?"
"No"the stranger shouted back,"the horses might panic!the lady is with them"

"Have to risk it!we have no idea where they may be going!they could lead us straight to an ambush!"shouted Damon and Alexis felt Justin hesitate.
"No,please"said Alexis"don't do anything to place her in danger.."

Justin was silent for a moment and then turned and shouted at Damon" I'll wait till you are near the horses and then shoot them down!"

"What,are you mad?!!"shouted Alexis and then suddenly found herself being bodily lifted and lowered to the ground.the horse slowed for a fraction of a second and she found herself being thrown unceremoniously on the ground.Storm grey eyes laughed into hers as he heard him say,"sorry,but you will be abominably in the way ,you know!"

And then she was left,standing in the middle of the road,gripped in rage and helplessness and a strong desire to kick something.she doggedly started to walk forwards when the sound of horses' hooves made her turn around.within minutes a familiar shape appeared on the horizon"Lady!"exclaimed Alexis with sheer delight,and Lady neighed as she cantered to a stop near Alexis.she mounted in an instant and Lady immediately broke into a gallop.she urged her horse on faster and soon saw Damon and Justin.

Damon had almost reached the captors and she saw Justin raise his bow.even as a scream tore from her,she saw two men brought down.their horses reared as both men were thrown off.of the other three,one drew out his sword,but before he could get it fully clear of its sheath,Damon had thrown a loop around his neck and dragged him from his horse.meanwhile the fourth horseman had let loose an arrow and in horror Alexis watched it strike Damon in the arm.Even at a distance she heard Justin's roar of rage and then both the horse and the rider were coming down,with half a dozen arrows stuck into them.
and now it was only Andra's captor who was speeding ahead.Damon was riding neck to neck with him now and she saw him shout something.then he had thrown another loop around the man's neck and was dragging at him.the man was for a moment flailing and then suddenly he was falling from the horse,and Andra was falling with him.Alexis urged Lady to go even faster,but even before she reached them,she saw Andra get up,supported by Damon and felt relief flood her.she cantered to a stop near them and jumped down form her horse.
in a second she was hugging Andra who was in tears"im sorry,im sorry"Alexis said"Andra ,this is all my fault!we should never have come.are you all right?have you been hurt?"Andra shook her head as she tried to smile through her tears.

A groan made them look around.Justin had just plucked the arrow out of his friends' arm and Alexis saw a gush of blood from the wound.Andra gasped and immediately went upto them."oh you are hurt!"she said in distress.she took out her reticule from her waist and drew out the silk she had purchased from the fair.as Alexis watched with round eyed fascination,Andra bound Damon's arm.she saw Damon's gaze fix on Andra's face like a man who is seeing a vision.Andra glanced up at him smiling and then she gazed into the deep green of his eyes and suddenly blushed.

"uh hum"Justin cleared his throat in amusement and both Andra and Damon looked away guiltily.Andra gathered herself and said in her soft voice"i will forever be in your debt.thank you"
"Yes,but who are you in debt to?"asked Alexis,a challenge in her voice."who are you?where are you from?i have never seen either of you around here"
Justin,who was looking at the dead man near them with a grim look on his face exchanged a glance with Damon
there was a moment of silence and then Justin shrugged"let us say,we are..friends.nameless friends,if you will,for the moment at least!"
"Why?"countered Alexis"have you escaped from the gallows somewhere?"
"Alexis!"exclaimed Andra
Justin broke into low laughter"Anything is possible,my lady,that's what gives life its charm"
"we need to get back"Damon spoke in a calm voice"we will drop you back to the castle and be on our way"
"Thank you"said Andra,forestalling any of Alexis' objections.

The ride back seemed very short.Andra rode with Alexis on Lady and justin and Damon formed a kind of guard in front and behind them.near the castle,Damon stopped and said to them,"we must leave you here.you will be safe now!"
"are you sure you wont come in and have that wound seen to?"asked Andra and Damon shook his head"my lady is very kind"he grinned,a lightening bolt of charm and humour"but we must not stay any longer.goodbye!"
Alexis looked at the stranger in blue and he grinned at her"i will come back to claim my prize"he promised,as both horses turned away,and the riders were soon lost in a cloud of dust.