"Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yes." Said Jagjit. 

They donned a white dhoti and chesti and made their way to the river bank with the urns.

The two soldiers had been cremated the day prior.

They reached the river bank where Kevalya and his men were waiting in similar garb.

Advik handed the urn to Kevalya as they walked hip deep into the cold river water.

Offering a prayer for their fallen comrades, they opened the urns and gently tipped them over, letting their ashen remains flow into the sacred river.

Advik chanted the hymn of afterlife in there honor and they shared a moment of silence.

Kevalya regretted not being able to give them a proper funeral, but his country and duty came before personal feelings.

He had steeled his heart, shed his tears. He was ready to depart.

After picking up the spices in the local merchants quarter and resumed their mission. 

5 weeks after departing from their posting in Mehrgadh, they had finally reached the outskirts of Kartarpur.

One of the soldiers split off with their weapons. Well most of their weapons. Jagjit wasn't willing to part with his axe, throwing a fit. 

"What if we get assassinated?" He cried.

"We won't get assassinated Jagjit. We have the papers, we have the covers and emblems. Everything is perfect. Just give him the axe." Kevalya argued.

"I just have a bad feeling about this." He said.

Now, any other day, from any other person he would have dismissed this as paranoia. But in the 8 months he had known Jagjit, never once had he been wrong with his intuition. Hell, once he even predicted that the mess' menu would be changed unexpectedly. Even Advik hadn't seen that coming.

"Let him keep the axe. I'll find a way to hide it. Now go. Meet us at Tirana. You've memorized the route, yes?"

"Yes sir." The soldier replied.

The rest of them moved on into the city proper. They would cross the border tomorrow. But today was resting time. 

They had ridden non stop for the past week to get here and were inevitably exhausted. An off day would do them good.

They left their wagon with the quartermaster.

Advik had a request put in for a specialty container, while Kevalya mapped out escape routes in the city's back allies.

When they retired to their rooms, Advik warned Jagjit.

"Don't go out. Don't show your face to anyone suspicious. And don't do anything stupid. Just stay in your room and wait. I'll get you your meals."

"Ugh! Why? The governor hasn't met me in years. He probably doesn't even remember I exist!" He protested.

"Yeah no. You're an unforgettable experience buddy. I don't know what you did to piss him off but whatever it is, he probably hasn't forgotten. Let's not take any chances." Commented Kevalya.

"What did you do though?" Asked the other soldier. 

"Take a wild guess!" Said Advik.

The soldier made a disgusted face, "Is there any official whose wife or daughter you haven't seduced?"

"There's the daughter of the governor of Chambal. She was 12 back then so..." Jagjit replied nonchalantly.

"That was a rhetorical question Jagjit!"

As the evening came to pass, Advik noticed strange men interrogating the innkeeper. Strange men bearing the emblem of the government of Kartarpur.

He shifted in his seat and silently slid out.

Once he was back in his room he started packing. They had to leave. Right now!

He informed Kevalya and left to wake Jagjit up, only to find him in bed with the innkeeper's wife.

"How did you even...?" Advik asked, incredulously. "Nevermind; get up. We're leaving. Now!" 

They climbed out the back window of Kevalya's room and out the inn's yard, rushing through the back allies Kevalya had marked out earlier in the day, straight to the merchants quarter. They jumped into their wagon as Advik recieved a box from the quartermaster and raced their wagon out of the city just as it's gates were closing. The gaurds gave them an odd look but nothing more. They had worn their diplomatic emblems as they entered the city so the guards didn't dare stop them. Why tussle with those in power they thought? Best to keep your head low and keep your job. It was the dominant attitude in these parts. 

Once they were a fair distance away, they parked the wagon behind a crag and fell asleep, exhausted from the day's activities.