Under your nose

TWO MONTHS BEFORE...

Azad Kashmir, Pakistan

The place was a painting; all the colours blended perfectly together in the early afternoon. The snow on the mountains was slowly melting as the sun shone directly upon it. Distant sounds of a clear river could be heard. The air was fresh and light it carried with it a scent of tea leaves and cardamon. On the side of the highway that ran around the mountain was a little stop where travellers could refuel and refresh themselves before resuming their journeys. It led to the little village behind the dense deciduous woodland that curtained it.

River stood leaning on the rail at the edge of the mountain taking it all in as Sydney tossed his can of beer in the trash.

'Wow I could get used to a place like this'

'I know right this place is just like something out of a travel magazine'

'Well you wait here while I go and find some mode of transport from that guy in the tea shack'

'You sure you don't want me to do the talking'

'I know how to talk to people son'

'Yeh, but can you talk to them in their tongue?'

'I'll have you know that my Urdu is just fine even better after we paid that underground club a little visit'

'You disgust me, Sydney'

'What? the ladies happen to like it, very...sexy is what they say'

'Yeah right sure just go and get us something'

He turned to face the edge of the mountain leaning on a rail as he took in the view. He often came across places that were enchanting to the eye but seldom were truly this mesmerising.

No wonder the Indians are still after this place he thought as he looked around shaking his head.

'Nice tattoo'

He looked around to identify the owner of this brisk and resonant voice.

A young girl stood next to him a cigar loosely dangling from between her fingers as she smirked at him. He couldn't help but notice how striking she was; her skin was an even tone of golden caramel and her hair was almost a dark chocolate brown, thick and curly; it barely touched her shoulders but her ringlets were very intricate and looked natural. Her eyes made her more of a mystery; they were green; bright like those emeralds he had once nicked off at the royal palace in Thailand and they gleamed with curiosity and mischief that he recognized very well. She didn't look indigenous to the land they were in but then again people here never looked like they belonged to this part of the world despite never even leaving their villages colonialism messed everything up.

'My tattoo oh yeah yeah Uhm thanks' he said rubbing the back of his neck clearly aware that she knew he was staring for quite some time now

'You like Alexander the great?'

'Yeah, you recognize the-

She can see the tattoo

'The Virginia Sun it was found on his grave'

'Yeah, it was, I-' he rubbed his wrist where the tattoo was only to realise his watch was missing. He looked down at his arm and then back up again at the girl.

'Can I have my watch back' he said now back to his normal self and out of this mystifying girl's trance once he realised how she was able to see the tattoo in the first place.

'This isn't your watch though, to begin with, it belongs to some dead royalty in England' she said and dangled it in the air her smirk grew more annoying. She narrowed her eyes, came a little closer and whispered to him.

'Did you perhaps...steal it?'

'That's enough of that! I didn't steal anything ' he snatched the watch back from her as she backed up a little her cunning smile never faltering. She tilted her head again now looking towards the mountains.

'Where you headed?'

The nerve of this girl to strike a conversation with him again after just stealing his watch. Sure he had also nicked it off in a museum but she didn't need to know that. He was resisting the urge to roll his eyes at her or just push her off the cliff. Something about her just vexed him.

'Oh you know this place called none of your business, Now leave me alone Miss'

'Who pissed in your cereal?'

'Who even are you?'

'I'm Isabel, Isabel Athens nice to meet you...?' She looked at him expectantly in search for his name.

'I'm Jake, Jake Smith'

'That's a fake name, your diary has the initials R.R' She stated nonchalantly as she whipped out his journal from behind.

His eyes widened as he snatched it back from her and quickly flipped through the pages to see if anything was missing.

'How dare you? do you have any-

'Any idea that you possess some incredibly rare and missing historical maps in that journal. Yes, yes I do have an idea or two'

'What do you want'

'Nothing I was just interested that's all'

He was about to tell her off but then Sydney called out to him from the tea shack.

'Well whatever' He said to the girl and backed up making his way to Sydney.

'I'll see you around'