The sound of their footsteps was the lone sound in the forest, enveloped by an eerie silence that hung around. The soft whooshing of the air and occasional cracks interrupted the silence occasionally.

Hrisha was quite surprised that she was still walking. Her legs felt jellylike, and she knew if she looked down, she would stop walking. She glanced at her brother, who looked quite unbothered. Then again, it made perfect sense. He was a prince from Dwaparyug who was quite used to walking long distances and was a warrior at that. She found herself panting and sweating, and her breath felt uneven.

"Why don't we rest for a while before continuing?" She finally asked when she found herself unable to walk anymore.

Vrihatkhsatra glanced at her, and his eyes widened as he gasped and facepalmed.

"I'm so sorry, sister; I hadn't realized that you weren't used to walking so much." He apologized.

Hrisha winced and attempted to smile, but it came out as a grimace.

She flopped on the ground unceremoniously onto the fresh green grass. Vrihatkhsatra glanced at her wide-eyed but smiled at her, kept the luggage on the ground, and then joined her, sitting cross-legged on the grass beside her.

"How much more must we travel?" Hrisha asked without glancing at him.

"A few more days, sister." He told her apologetically. "But don't worry, I can see somewhere habitable nearby; we can get some horse or bullock carts and ride to our kingdom."

"Horse?" She exclaimed, turning towards him.

"You do know how to ride a horse, don't you?" Vrihatkhsatra asked hesitantly. Hrisha merely smiled.

Suddenly, an arrow whooshed past them, making Vrihatkhsatra duck. He held onto his sister, stopping her from getting up in shock. She sat up after it was gone, and the siblings glanced at each other in horror.

Vrihatkhsatra got up, taking out his bow from the bag he carried. He drew an arrow and stepped out, glancing around warily.

Footsteps gradually grew louder before a young boy stepped out. Dark in complexion, youthful in years, of curly locks, exceedingly handsome, with eyes of the colour of burnished copper and like those of a chakra, the boy looked around before his eyes fell on them.

"Who are you?" He asked, glancing at them suspiciously.

"I am Prince Vrihatkhsatra. This is my Jyeshta, Hrisha. We are from the royal family of Pandya. Who are you?" Vrihatkhsatra stepped forward.

Hearing their introduction, the boy lowered his bow and smiled at them, joining his arms in salute.

"Greetings. It is a pleasure to meet you. Forgive me; I couldn't recognize you. I am Prince Arjuna of Hastinapur. Where are you headed?" He spoke.

Vrihatkhsatra smiled at him, while Hrisha paled in shock.

"It's our pleasure to meet you too, Rajkumar Arjun. We are going to our palace." Vrihatkhsatra replied.

"I shall take you to Guru Drona. Perhaps he shall guide you." Arjuna replied thoughtfully.

 Hrisha continued to gaze at him and her eyes were wide in wonder. She was trembling and pale, and she struggled to maintain her composure.

Arjuna gazed at her curiously, furrowing his eyebrow.

"Pardon my Jyestha," Vrihatkhsatra began apologetically, making Hrisha snap out of her daze.

"Indeed, revered prince. Your archery skills, dedication to your guru, and thirst for knowledge are well-known among us. As someone interested in divine art and with a thirst for knowledge, I have always admired your skills. I was quite surprised to meet you. I had always wanted to meet you." Hrisha added hastily.

Arjuna nodded humbly, blushing, and his eyes filled with pride.

"Thank you for your kind words of appreciation. It is all the blessings of my Gurudev." He replied. "Let me take you to him."

"Certainly." The Pandya siblings followed him, their luggage in hand, sharing a glance and musing about the sudden turn of events.

"It is my pleasure to meet you, young princes. It is certainly lucky that you happened to find us. We were merely camping here for a few days." Guru Drona said after they took his blessings.

"We are travelling to our homeland, Acharya. We couldn't find any animals or vehicles, and you are the first people we came across." Vrihatkhsatra replied.

Guru Drona nodded thoughtfully.

"As it happens, you are not far from the capital of Kuntibhoj. You were travelling in the forest parallel to it. Perhaps you could ask any horse or chariot from any of the ministers or the king himself." Guru Drona smiled at them. "I shall send a few of my disciples with you."

"We shall forever be grateful, Acharya. Thank you for your help." The siblings replied graciously.

They once again bent down to receive blessings, and he blessed them wholeheartedly.

As they walked, following the disciples of Guru Drona, Hrisha couldn't believe her luck, both in meeting her idols and in gaining a means of travel.