Chapter 09-Taking Detours

It was one day after a huge search party happened in Anuradhapura city. Many citizens questioned this incident because they never seen that kind of large search party happened in the city all of sudden in their regained memory that could get. Those people who conducted the search mission never told about anything rather than showing off portraits of a young couple and searched every young couple who came to the city two days ago by this search party. So they really could not had assumed the right reason for this search party. With being searching for a young couple, some assumed some higher identity family member escaped with some person who had an unsuitable identity. Some were speculated they searching for some conspirators because most of search party happened around houses of Lambhakanna noble clan. But many of them knew king was distance relative of them and they doubted how those conspired against him. But some more intelligent people assumed that it should be related with king's order to kill persona named Vasambha.

Whether they searched every corner of the city they could not find the subjected persons anyway. So the chief of the royal spy organization assumed that the couple got help from some party and already left the city. So he tried to find power that helped the couple to ran away from city advance. While collecting information they found that there was a young couple who came to rest in a rest hall next to the Sacred tree of Lord Buddha before the day they got news of the escape of the young couple from the north general house and joined to pilgrimage that travel to Chiththala Pabbatha stupa in the south the day they started the search party. So they assumed theros in Mahavihara had helped them to flee. Unfortunately, nobody dared to ask about this or investigate in Mahavihara complex in the city. Because all of theros in the country not satisfied with the current work style of the king. Those current incidents had made large un-satisfaction and protests among common people and monks. Specially theros in the country started to accuse the king for using his authority in the wrong way and also started to not accept invitations from the king on several occasions.  With this situation who dared to investigate the Mahavihara complex about this? So they stopped their search mission and tried to find traces of couple on the way to the south road. But it was too late to start. Because both couple went missing without a clear trace. After reporting this result to the king, the mood of the king started to change drastically and decided to remove the previous general of the north region from his current position again and placed him as a city guard in the capital as punishment. The unfortunate north general lost his current position when he returned from north without his knowledge.

Early in the morning, a middle-aged man came to the office of city guards with a well breed horse. He had dark brown skin and a strong physique that show signs of practising martial arts. Also, he had a more oval-shaped face and triangular nose. His downward eyes showed signs of cruelty, hate and resentment clearly. But the whole person showed a dejected or depressed manner to outwards. What's so special was his ear lobes which were slightly longer than any person and they showed the identity of this person. He was from Lambhakanna noble family. After looking at this person several guards who were coming and going to the office started to ridicule him.

"Oh! Who comes here? Isn't it general of Nagadipa? Oh, I am sorry. I should call the right address now. Isn't it newly appointed captain of city guards?"

"No no. Not captain of city guards. Newly appointed city guard."

"So he again demoted. I don't know about that. Where you get that news from?"

"From yesterday night. His majesty directly ordered that"

"No way."

"How could not be? A person like who defeated in honey trap like this surely should get this like result."

"Indeed. He deserves it."

Several guards told like this. Some were smirked at him and went to their places. He even heard some of them laughing at him secretly due to cheated and falling into a trap designed by a woman. But he endured all of those calmly and went to the office. At that time someone came to office area and told "What is this noise? Do you all have any works to gather in here? Go away now for your work, not stay in here if there is no work" very angrily and the group gathered around office area dispersed slowly without a sound of mouth. Then the person came near to the previous general of Nagadipa. That person who no other than previous chief commander of royal army deprived from post to general of city gates.

" Don't take these in heart, Sankha. People who are ignorant talk like that. Do you not know how much you spent for this work?"

"No. They are telling truth. I deserved this punishment. If not, I trusted the person who not should be trusted I do not fall in this situation. For this reason, I also implicated you, sir?"

"Oh! It is okay. We only lost our post only. Not our identities in royal army. With some contributions, still we can turn this situation again. So not grieve about this thing. "

"Yes we can turn the tide when time flows. Have you got any news of those adulteress couple?"

"Not yet."

"I really wanted to catch them. Cut their legs, by that could not run away again. Blind their eyes, by that could not see each other again. Rip their skins and throw salt their bodies. Curse them. Go to the hell!" Previous general Sankha started to curse the couple who fled from him by tricking him.

"Hey don't get angry. We have time. May be day or two our men will catch them surely. "

"Yes, I will wait." Sankha said and both of them looked at the direction of south.

There were two people going through mountain direction. Both were walking on the way very cautiously as if someone was following them. Both of them were wearing male clothes but if looking carefully one can identified that one of them was female. Both had fair brown skin while female one had more fair brown skin than other. Male one had strong physique and female had graceful figure. Both of had wavy hair and long lips. Male one had downturned eyes with slightly oval shaped face and female one had round eyes with nearly round face. If one looked more than could see male one had long ear lobes. So that person could guess that the male one was from Lambhakanna clan. So these were the person who had adventures in Nagadipa and capital. After escaping from capital through joining pilgrimage both passed the border of Pihiti country and safely entered into Ruhunu country.

"Bother Vasambha, why are you suggested to get off from carriges after passing Binthanna?"

"Poththa, it will not take large amount of time to royal guards about our escape from city after starting of searching mission. So they surely find traces of our escape to Ruhuna. So they surely come after us and track down us on the way. So it is not good to follow official road to travel."

"So that is the reason brother tell others that we are going to worship Dighwapi stupa first and going to meet them. Also take road to that direction for some distance and change direction of opposite direction. Isn't it?"

"Yes. If soldiers going to follow us first they try to find our traces from other members in group. So it is good to tell other direction for delay them some time. Then we can easily can go other direction without detecting others much."

"Brother you are really great. You think this extend to protect us. So you make float to prevent our traces from dogs. right?"

"You are also brilliant. You also got idea too. "

"So now where we going, brother?'

"We are taking mountain road to go Karinda river area. There are some small villages. So we can life safely in there some time. After that we can decide according to situation."

"Brother I am really afraid. These mountains covered with large forest. There can be dangerous animals. How could we travel this way?"

"Don't worry about that. Aren't I being here? I take care about all. We only travel in day. In night we try to find some safe places. Isn't it okay?'

"Okay brother." Poththa nodded her head." Poththa, what you have done so far I am never forget that. Till end of life I memories this." Vasambha told to Poththa and both started to travel through mountain road that with thick forest.

But no one knew one man living in luxuries room was memorizing one of his fated day this time.

Nagadipa – In ancient time North region of Sri Lanka addressed in this name.

Dighawapi Stupa – One of main stupa in Eastern province in Sri Lanka.

Karinda River – Current Kiridi oya addressed as this in ancient time.

Chief commander of army- The person who controls four armies and give orders to them in ancient Sri Lanka. So it should be suited more than grand general phrase for this place.