"Your modesty is a sign of fine character, but-" Dara tapped a knuckle against the gun's hardwood stock. "-in this instant, misplaced."
Talawat smiled and bowed again before gesturing at the field. "I merely prepare the weapons, Shehzada. It is not everyone that has your fine eye for shooting."
Shuja downed another of the blackbuck with an arrow that nearly passed through the animal. The first beast he'd hit finally collapsed from blood loss, blood frothing from its muzzle.
The remains of the herd cleared the firing line, only to run into Aurangzeb and his mounted party. Dara's brother took an antelope with his spear as its herd mates ran past. Leaving the weapon behind and spurring his horse into a gallop, Aurangzeb switched to the horse bow. The prey were far faster than his mount, stretching their lead even as Aurangzeb drew, aimed, and loosed twice in quick succession. Each arrow struck home in a separate neck, a fine feat of archery.
Asaf's cronies cheered, as did Shuja, who had approached Dara.
Cradling his gun, Dara smiled, despite himself.
Aurangzeb cased his bow while sending his finely trained mount circling back among his followers with just the pressure of his knees, an act of understated pride in its own right.
"I should have ridden instead of standing here with you and your guns," Shuja grumbled, loud enough for Dara to hear.
Dara did not answer, even when his younger brother ordered his horse brought up and left to join Aurangzeb.
He watched his grandfather instead, pondering the old man's place in the family history as well as his possible future: Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan had turned against his own sister to support Father when Dara's paternal grandfather, Jahangir, passed and the succession came into question once again. Dara had himself, been hostage and surety against his father's loyalty after that first rebellion, and was no stranger to the price of failure for princes engaged in rebellion. Shah Jahan and his allies had emerged victorious, but it had been a close-run and uncertain thing, all the way to the end. He had been rewarded with position, titles, and power, though recent failings had reduced his favor at court. Father was considering removing him from the office of wazir and sending him off to govern Bengal.
As if sensing Dara's thoughts were upon him, Dara's grandfather turned from watching the slaves collect carcasses and approached Dara.
Talawat bowed and silently withdrew a few paces, giving them some privacy.
Asaf pushed his beard out toward Shuja's retreating back. "Well, first among the sons of my daughter, it seems your brothers would hunt as our ancestors preferred."
Dara nodded. "I would as well, but for this," he said, gesturing with his free hand at the new gun on its tripod.
Smiling, Asaf bowed his head and squinted at the weapon a few moments, "Big ball?"
"Large enough to down nilgai in one shot. . or a tiger."
"Brave man, hunts a tiger with powder and shot rather than bow and spear."
Dara shrugged. "Surely not in the company of so many men, Asaf Khan?"
Asaf Khan waved a hand. "Abdul, or. . grandfather. . if it pleases."
Catching the plaintive note in his grandfather's voice, Dara smiled, "Surely, Grandfather, I would not be at risk among so many men."
"Jahangir once lost three favored umara to one, a great she-tiger. And they were all armed to the teeth and born to the saddle. The tiger does not feel pain as we do, most wounds merely madden them."
Dara was about to answer when another herd, or perhaps the larger body of the one just harvested, emerged from the wood line, dashing for the open space between the watering holes. At the rate they were fleeing, the beasts would be in range in moments.
Asaf Khan stepped clear as Dara raised his gun. He felt, rather than heard, Talawat edge closer with his remaining light pieces.
He sighted along the barrel. That part of his mind not engaged with aiming noted an anomaly: the blackbuck were running straight and true rather than bouncing back and forth along a line of travel.
Just as he was ready to squeeze the lever, a thundering of hooves caused him to lower his muzzle. Aurangzeb and Shuja were riding to meet the herd, bows in hand.
"I had only been married to Jahangir for a brief while when he invited me to join him on a tiger hunt. I leapt at the chance to join him in the howdah, and had the mahouts paint his favorite elephant for the occasion. A great party of us set out, camping of a night and slowly moving through the areas where your grandfather's armies were concentrating the game for his pleasure.
"But, as you may know, your grandfather Jahangir enjoyed smoking opium far more than was good for him, and he dozed through much of the hunt, the swaying of the howdah-" She gave a throaty chuckle. "-and perhaps the swaying of my hips, lulling him to sleep a few times."
Jahanara, used to Nur's earthy storytelling, still blushed. Scandalous! To think of sexual congress in the hot confines of a howdah, of all places, jali or no!
Nur pretended not to notice. "It was during one of his naps that there was some consternation ahead of us. I put on my veils and opened the curtains of the howdah.
"Several slaves were running from a wadi some tens of gaz away. It was then that I saw the reason for their flight: a pair of tigers flashing through the undergrowth after them."
Jahanara noticed the older woman's gaze grown distant, breath quickening; felt her own pulse rising.
"They were magnificent. Terrible. Bloodlust made manifest. One man had his head nearly removed with one rake of claws. Others fell, were torn open. Blood was everywhere." Her nostrils flared, remembering.
A tiny smile. "The screams of his slaves at last woke Jahangir from his stupor. He moved to join me, took my hand in his.
"'Protect your servants,' I told him.
"He looked at me. Too late, I could tell my command had made him most angry.
"After a moment he pressed his great bow into my hands. 'One with this. Then one with the gun, if you succeed.'
"'What?' I asked, incredulous.
"'Protect them if you wish them protected, wife.'
"I do not think he knew then, that my brother had taught me the bow in our youth. I think he thought to test me, hoping I would fail. He sought to put me in my place as twentieth wife, however favored. ." Nur Jahan let her words trail off into brief silence.
Jahanara found herself leaning forward, eager to hear more. Slowly, conscious of the other woman's skill at courtly intrigues and careful of some trap, she sat back.
Nur resumed her tale. "I resolved to show him I was no wilting flower," the older woman sat straighter even as she said the words.
"While we had spoken another pair of slaves had perished, and the tigers had pursued them much closer to our elephant. Hands shaking, I drew the bow, loosed. That first arrow missed. I did not miss with the second, though it was not enough to kill the beast. Enraged, it leapt into the air and spun in a circle. I loosed again. A lucky shot, it took the cat in the throat, stilling its roar."
A shake of her head. "The other tiger left off killing a man to raise its head, then coughed strangely, almost as if asking why his brother had stopped talking mid-sentence.
"Jahangir laughed, slapped me on the back as if I were one of his sowar, and took the bow from my hands. He handed me one of his guns, igniting the match cord himself.
"I had no experience of guns, and told him so.
"'Look along the metal, point it at his great head, when the head is covered by the barrel, tell me, and I will light it. Turn your head when I do, or you might get burned.'
"I did as he bid, aiming at a point between the great ears. I remember thinking how beautiful its fur was. 'Ready,' I whispered.