That much was true. While she doubted that two young boys could bring the mighty Kosala empire to its knees in surrender, there was absolutely no doubt that the enemy would never rest now until they were all dead. It made her wonder if she was doing the right thing by letting the boys go out to fight this battle on their own. Every instinct screamed to her to order them to stay and go herself. But she knew that they were right for once. Somehow, this was their fight and they had every right to wage this war. Whatever the consequence. Even Guru Valmiki had given his assent earlier. “There comes a day in every child’s life when he or she must become a man or woman. For a kshatriya child, that is the day you become a kshatriya. Today is your day, boys. Go and do what you must.” They bowed to her, took her blessing. Then left at a run. She watched their lithe bodies go, wondering if she would ever see them alive again—or they she.
*** Bejoo cringed at the sounds of the Ayodhyan soldiers screaming. The forest rang with their misery and fear. He and his men had been in mortal fear that the fleeing snakes might pass this way but mercifully there was water between his position and the Ayodhyan’s and the wave of serpent’s has passed them by with several hundred yards to spare. Even so, each time an Ayodhyan came stumbling to the water, lips blackened and eyes staring wildly, he cringed, praying to Shaneshwara that such a death never befall him. These were the stragglers who had been fortunate enough, if you could call them fortunate, to be bitten by snakes with slower-acting venom. Already consumed with fever and madness, they sought out water desperately. But no amount of 314