2

Muzahid Baig’s Camp near Lalazar
Kingdom of Kaghan

The nomad prince, Rahul, woke with his head under water. He was drowning, his lungs bursting like a goat skin full of liquid. He had been fighting, hoping Jahani would be safe, then he couldn’t remember anything else. He must have been knocked out.

Suddenly Rahul was hauled to his feet and couldn’t steady himself. His hands were tied behind his back and two men held him upright. A blurred face loomed into his line of sight. He stifled a groan. It looked like Muzahid. He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the face was clearer.

‘Muzahid,’ he said.

‘You are doublecrossing me, gypsy prince. I don’t like that. I want the girl.’

Rahul shook his head and water dribbled down his back. ‘There is no girl with red hair in our camp, so leave us alone.’

‘But there was.’ Muzahid came closer.

‘If anyone told you that for gold, they were lying,’ Rahul replied.

‘Even so, this person was sure.’

Rahul flinched at Muzahid’s tone. Muzahid had spoken like that when he captured Rahul as a boy of ten summers – as though he had just crawled out of hell. That time Muzahid had cut off his finger and sent it to Tafeeq with a ransom note.

‘If she isn’t there now, you will have to find her,’ Muzahid said.

‘Why should I? I have a tribe to look after, flocks to move.’ Rahul didn’t see the blow to his face until it was too late. Stunned into silence, he opened his mouth carefully. Was his jaw broken?

‘I hold you personally responsible, gypsy prince.’

‘Why do you want her? Can’t you have any beautiful girl you want?’

‘But she is not just any beautiful girl.’

Rahul blinked at him.

‘Let’s just say that whoever has this girl holds the key to the northern kingdoms. It was Dagar Khan’s idea for me to marry her and then hand her over to him. But then I discovered what he knew and thought, why should he kill her and add her to his collection? And it won’t be this Azhar Sekander, who still smells of mother’s milk, or you, either, who wins her. It will be me. If it weren’t for Azhar abducting her, we’d be married by now.’

Rahul frowned. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Surely you’ve heard of the red-headed shehzadi?’

‘The baby girl they say was lost in the Kingdom of Hahayul?’

Muzahid tilted his head. ‘When Dagar Khan massacred the royal family.’

‘That’s just a legend. Are you mad?’

Muzahid smiled, but Rahul knew it was fake. ‘They never found the body,’ Muzahid said.

‘How big would a two-year-old girl’s body be? It could have been under a pile of leaves. She could have fallen in the river.’

‘You seem to know a lot about it.’

‘Everyone knows this legend, but none of it is true. You are chasing a shadow.’

‘Then you will bring me her shadow. You are supposed to be the “Lord of the Mountains”. You’re constantly on the road, you can send scouts. She may be in the forest with this Azhar who has abducted her. No doubt he knows who she is and wants her for himself.’

Rahul stiffened; surely he wasn’t right about Azhar. Azhar had known Jahani since they were children, protected her like a sister, just as Rahul had. There was rivalry between them, but surely not enough to endanger Jahani?

Muzahid lowered his voice. ‘If she’s not the girl, then no harm done. She will be easily disposed of. If Dagar Khan is right, then she is worth finding. Two can play his game.’

‘I don’t want to play your game.’ Rahul tensed himself for another blow, but he saw Muzahid give a slight shake of his head.

‘I will make it worth your while. When I become Tham of Hahayul and have control of the Silk Route and all the northern kingdoms, I will give you a position, nay, land. That’s what you’d like best, I think.’

Rahul opened his mouth, but Muzahid cut in. ‘I have already disposed of Baqir Abbaas, the girl’s adoptive father, for carelessly letting the girl slip through his fingers.’ He grinned. ‘His wife, too – she actually tried to shield him, the fool.’ Rahul hoped Jahani never found out. Muzahid’s smile disappeared as he stood closer to Rahul. ‘If you don’t hand her over to me, I will cut off the heads of your family, starting with your warrior girl cousin.’

The blood chilled in Rahul’s veins. Muzahid knew. Despite their efforts to turn her into a nomad by dyeing her hair and covering her in silver, Muzahid knew they had Jahani. But would he kill her, if she was so important? More likely Muzahid would use her for his own evil purposes. And what if she wasn’t this special girl? Rahul felt vomit rise in his throat.

‘I need your support in this, gypsy prince.’

Rahul swallowed. ‘I can’t give it. I don’t know where she is.’

Muzahid flicked his chin at the men holding Rahul. One cut the cord on his wrists and splayed his left hand on the table in front of Muzahid, showing the stump of his middle finger.

‘The other hand,’ Muzahid snapped. ‘Let’s see if he’s as good a swordsman after this.’

Not again! Rahul thought, struggling until he was punched in the face. His head swung, and then he felt searing pain as the knife sliced through his finger. He opened his eyes and saw the stump, blood spreading over the table.

‘Another one?’ the man asked.

Muzahid shook his head. ‘Give him a cloth.’

Rahul steeled himself not to cry out, gritting his teeth as his hand was wrapped. The blood seeped through and dripped onto his clothes.

Muzahid didn’t need to lower his voice for Rahul to catch the menace in his next words. ‘You will lose much more if you do not deliver the girl. If you value your descendants you will do as I say. You have a week to bring her to me at Babusar Pass. Just you and the girl. If you leave tonight, you’ll make it before the week is out.’

Rahul felt faint. How did he bear this pain when he was ten?

‘Get him out of my sight.’ Muzahid waved them away.