A Good Trade (part 5)

Six days passed since then. They traded the little prince's ankle bracelets for some meat, his pearls in exchange for the woman and child duo to cover up their tracks from the pursuers and even his silk angavastra in exchange for a change of bandages and fresh water!

The assassin nearly lost it a number of times, to the point that he held a grudge! He could cut off his flesh and give it to them if they asked, but trading something that was on the royal prince's body made him feel like he was repeatedly slapped across the face.

"This greedy little boy!" he cursed under his breath the moment he saw them now. "Why are they back now!" he mumbled, feeling like a snake was slithering on his skin.

The prince struggled to keep his consciousness up. He didn't even have the energy to turn around in a greeting. "Didn't you say we're running out of food and water?"

"Prince!" the assassin vehemently denied, "These savages are untrustworthy and extremely greedy. I cannot in good conscience allow this to continue! We should just reunite with—"

"Shut up!" The sharp, commanding tone in the little prince's voice jolted him from his restless state.

"Trade the rest of my jewelry for necessities and give away my diamond studded vest in exchange for a promise that the kid will cover our tracks while in the forest," the young boy said resolutely.

Vajradandaka already knew that the otherworldly looking woman served only as a guide to the hyperactive little boy. She was like a mentor or maybe just a guardian. Perhaps they were from some martial sect and she brought him here to teach him wilderness survival. She never lifted a finger herself. All the hunting, foraging and exploring was left to the boy. Even when he traded with Sheesha and the prince, she just looked on as if she didn't care one whit for their identities. Neither she nor the boy showed the least bit of worry about the dangerous people roaming the forests in pursuit of the prince, nor did they worry that associating themselves with the hunted party might land them in trouble. In a way they were like honest traders in a fair who didn't care about who the customer was and only cared whether or not they could pay! Even if the price was a little steep, the little prince thought he got his money's worth. He never expected survival to be cheap in the first place.

The assassin looked on helplessly as the young greedy mongrel helped himself to the jewels with shining eyes. As there was a language barrier, he used his fingers to show six – which was the number of days he could help them cover their tracks and evade the pursuers. Anything beyond that would be risky…and boring. He said so in their own tongue, but the little prince who had a gift for languages easily understood and smiled.

He maintained his silence while the assassin argued for ten. The boy made a counter offer of seven and refused to serve a single day more. The assassin had to relent and agree. Actually, he didn't think the prince would be able to hold up for even three more days without help. But he had to simply couldn't let the jewels go without a fight.

As he was falling asleep, the little prince suddenly said, "Ask him how much to keep me company once in a while…when it's not dangerous."

The language barrier was such that both the assassin and the boy looked at each other dumbly, trying to understand and convey without success. Only the woman who stood a ways away lifted her eyebrows in surprise. The boy turned around asking for help and she nodded. She meant she would explain later and he could go ahead and demand a price.

The boy asked what more they had to offer. This part the assassin understood quite well. It nearly made him spit blood. What more do you want you greedy bastard! You wiped my prince clean!

"I still have this…" the little prince said weakly, lifting his hand to tap at his waist band. Hiding beneath it was a fat coin shaped article molded from a chunk of pure gold. Tiny rubies were embedded in it in the shape of a thunderbolt.

"Your Highness, that's your royal seal!" the assassin said, shaken violently.

Vajradandaka smiled lightly and looked away. "I used to tell my sisters that I would be second most powerful person in the kingdom after big brother ascends to the throne. Actually, that wasn't my dream at all…I wanted to be like grandfather, travelling around the world, learning about all cultures, meeting all kinds of people…I feel like this is my chance."

The assassin cast a worried glance at the foreigners, hurriedly covering the prince's hand with which he was holding the seal. "Little Prince, you don't have to trade away your royal seal for something like that…" he whispered urgently. "This is your most precious thing, your very identity!"

"Where I'm going, I don't think I'll be needing it…" the little prince smiled, his eyes dulling down along with the sky. "I just want to listen to a few stories for the journey…Is that wrong?"

The cold faced assassin's eyes filled with tears, but Vajradandaka didn't bother to clarify. He didn't say exactly why the boy's stories were worth giving away his gold medallion for.

Because I recognised you at the first glance. You're the crying baby from the memory…

Did the otherworldly woman bring you from that world of the gandharva? Is your life starting just now when mine is ending…?

If so, everything I've seen in the memory now makes sense. My soul was trying on vessels, and now I'm going back to my original choice as the crying baby…Death is not the end, for I would naturally come back as you. In that case, isn't it only natural for you to hold on to my seal now?

The assassin was still a rookie after all. Had he been in the prince's service for a few years, he would realise the prince would absolutely not do business at a loss!

His tears were actually wasted on this cunning little prince who could scheme his way into the afterlife!