The Musafir

Discussions All Day

“I've been looking for you for a long time, Mantingan.” Dara chimed in with a haru smile. “If you had known, Mantingan, I would have spread my people all over the island in Dwipantara, even to Champa there. Hope one of them finds you. But who would have thought that I myself would find you?”

Once again Mantingan cleared his throat. The look on Chitra Anggini's face is no longer pleasant. “This me who is too low is actually not worth looking for by famous people like you, Dara. But since everything has passed, and in the end we can meet here, I express my deepest and sincere gratitude to you. I clearly knew that in order to find myself, there were a lot of resources you were wasting.”

“What all that means, as long as it's dap—”

“Quite berbasanya,” cut Chitra Anggini with a riled face look. “When do we get into the main negotiation? I'm really hungry, and you two may have eaten together outside the dorm. Basic indeed.”

Mantingan was about to advise Chitra Anggini not to say the same word, but Dara had already made a voice to reply to the woman.

“Chitra, what makes you say that? Do the two of us look like we've been having fun outside the hostel?”

“You came together with a big smile. Who would not have guessed that you had done such a pleasure out there?”

Mantingan rubbed his face while taking a deep breath. The debate between Chitra Anggini and Dara continues. It's getting hotter, actually. But this time, Mantingan no longer issued a murderous lust or cold words, even he did not try to stop the two adult women who somehow still behave with childishness.

Let it. Until they get tired and stop themselves.

...****************...

THAT MORNING. After a slight drizzle down just before the light of the ground, which lasted so briefly, only until dawn breaks did the drizzle subside. A drizzle that makes the dawn sky burn. Redden a little orange. Drizzle which also presents a rainbow beam on the west there, laid a gray mountain that until now still does not know his name.

Cotton-white birds form a line as they fly towards the ocean. Some other types of birds actually go to the mainland, to the pesawahan. However, they rely on humans to survive. Seabirds try their luck from the carelessness of fish farmers; landbirds try their luck from the carelessness of rice farmers.

From the window of his room, Mantingan poked his head out. Far away in the expanse of the blue-anger sea to the east there, looks like half the body of the sun that is about to escape from the clutches of the ocean. Redden everything.

What a beautiful morning!

The mantan sipped a warm tea that stayed half in its cup. The kitchen does not provide tea-like drinks. If there is, then always the drink of drugs that about the taste can not be enjoyed really. Mantingan can get a cup of tea because he always carries tea leaves in his bundle. The habit of his teacher who is crazy about tea drinks is a little contagious to him, so that the tea leaves are mandatory supplies for him.

A moment later, there was a knock on the door. Mantingan already knows exactly who came this time, so he said without turning his head, “The door is not locked. Just log in.”

There was a creaking sound when the door opened. Then followed by the clattering of footsteps that walked closer to Mantingan.

“You didn't look for me?” Chitra Anggini's voice appeared.

“No.” Manten answered, but his eyes were still not separated from the sun that was rising slowly, very slowly, so as not to move even if only as thick as a strand of hair. Dawns.

“So you're not worried about your traveling companion?”

“For what if I worry about you while I know that you're having fun?”

“You mean?”

“I've suspected it.” Chitra Anggini grunted softly. “Dara harbors such a cunning nature. He deliberately kept me away from you by asking me to stay in his room. And presumably, he put his heart on you.”

“I don't care about love or anything.” Mantingan sipped his tea and said casually. “The only thing I deserve to care about here is the safety of Mr. Balian.”

“Dara offers help to you.” Chitra Anggini started walking towards the window, about to see the scenery as well.

“Compared what?”

“He will deliver it himself to you. If I explain now, maybe you won't understand,” said Chitra Anggini with the look of her eyes that can't be separated from the view outside the window. “She will come after finished shower.”

The mantle frowned. Look at the woman from behind. “See you've taken a shower, Chitra. You guys didn't shower at the same time?”

“Of course we shower together,” said Chitra Anggini half grumbling. “But you know for yourself what kind of woman she is. To take a shower, accompanied by two servants. He brought a lot of toiletries and a change of clothes, although I knew that not everything he would wear. Is she going to act like the king's daughter or what?

“But even though his attitude was so weak and spoiled like that, to me he was still a good friend. Last night, he offered me a lot of delicious food that I really wouldn't get from you. He also did not mind giving the books of martial arts he had to me, even though I only wanted to read them at a glance. Ah, his attitude like that makes it difficult to determine whether to like or not like him.”

In response to that, Mantingan could only smile awkwardly. Nothing less and nothing more.

“This is our last day in the shelter center. Tomorrow morning, if the two of us do not show any symptoms of unrecognized disease at all, then we can leave this shelter.” Chitra Anggini's tone began to sound earnest. “Do you have a change of plans?”

Manten. “There are, but not too many. After we get out of this shelter, the first thing we have to do is find lodging.”

“Not looking for the network of Darkness?”

“That was the second thing we had to do,” replied Mantingan, then he explained, “I assume that we will both be directly in reconnaissance once out of the shelter. Although it is only a supposition, or it may be said that there are possibilities among so many possibilities, but we must remain vigilant on the supposition. All right, let's make a deal!”

“What deal?” Chitra Anggini turned around. Now looking at Mantingan with a little kerny on his forehead. Meaningful gazes.

“Deal: we should always act as if we are constantly monitored. Anytime and anywhere. Isn't that so, we minimize the possibility of leaking Mr Balian's rescue plan?”

Chitra Anggini was silent for some. Seemed to think small. Then nodded his head. “I have often done such a thing.”

The wide smiling coat. Of course Chitra Anggini has often done such a thing. He was a swordsman who moved in an underground network. And however, every swordsman in the underground network had a much higher sense of alertness than the swordsman on the surface. They liken that there is always someone monitoring themselves whenever and wherever they are. Never cut off even a blink of an eye.

Doing such a thing obviously does little to sacrifice a sense of comfort. Too much, in fact. Is it not so if the level of vigilance installed has reached the highest point with the mind that always feels insecure anytime and anywhere?

But nevertheless, the, is that not the proper price for a saving task that will save not only the Balian Lake but also the river of the martial well from the terrible chaos that may very well become uncontrollable because of the Pair of the Moon Sword in the Middle of the Silence of the Night back in the blue in the wrong swordsman's hands?

The silence in the room was shaken when there was a knock on the door. When Mantingan turned around to tell the knocker the door to enter because the door was not locked at all, it was there that he realized how a locking iron rod had been installed on both handles of the two doors.

He glanced at Chitra Anggini; the woman grinned widely.