More Tales of the Southern Kingdoms (One Volume Edition)

by Barbara G. Tarn

  "Take your medicine, Adi," Dilip said, amused.

  Aditya sighed and sipped it very slowly, dipping pastries in it in the hope of making it less sour. He was almost done when Santoosh and Thosti emerged from the staircase and sat at another table. The main room was empty that early in the morning, so they nodded in greeting at the other two people present.

  Aditya finished his herbal tea and the last pastry, then followed his father to the other table.

  "Word with you gentlemen?" Dilip said, sitting in front of the two men who were nursing some tisane for their hangover. "I'm looking for the Genn, and I've been told you know the way to the Central Massif, maybe even to one of the underground cities?" He looked at the dwarf who grunted and glared at him.

  Thosti was clean-shaven, with blue eyes lighting his face. He was short and stocky like all the members of his race, and dressed in furs and pelts. His black hair curled up at the nape of his neck, and he didn't look very threatening.

  "I'm not taking a Human to a Genn town," he warned. "Not even Santoosh!"

  Santoosh rolled his gray eyes. He was tall and handsome, with short dark hair and the muscles of a blacksmith used to working with metals and forging swords and lances and axes.

  "I've been asking him for years," he said. "Thosti knows I'll get lost in the maze of tunnels without him."

  "Can Thosti be bought?" Dilip insisted, staring at both. "Everybody has a price. I need to find the Genn."

  "What for?" Thosti snapped.

  "I need a Genn healer for my son, here." He pointed at Aditya.

  "He looks fine to me."

  "His sickness is not so obvious."

  "Where are you from?" Santoosh asked.

  "Godwalkar."

  "And there are no physicians in Godwalkar who can help your son? I mean, it's the capital, if there's nobody there..."

  "There's nobody there," Dilip replied. "How much do you want to take us to the Genn?"

  "Gold." Thosti grinned. "Lots of gold."

  "Your weight in gold?" Dilip asked.

  "That might do, yes. Where do you plan on getting it?"

  "You shouldn't worry about that. I don't carry it with me for obvious reasons."

  "I do worry, how do I know I'll get paid?"

  "I'm Dilip of Gajendra and this is my son Aditya."

  Thosti raised his eyebrows, skeptical, but Santoosh's eyes widened in shock.

  "Your highness! Not even the court physician could help your son?" he asked, worried.

  "No, and that's why we're here," Dilip answered. He could order Santoosh to take him to the mountains, but Thosti wasn't a subject of the kingdom.

  "Is the boy asleep?" Thosti asked.

  Dilip realized the whole thing had been too much for Aditya. His son's head had bobbed, but he suddenly woke up and looked at them, disoriented.

  "It's his sickness," Dilip said, putting one arm around his son's shoulder. "Lack of control over sleep cycles."

  Santoosh looked puzzled, but Thosti was barely curious.

  "You Humans are weirder than I thought," he commented with a smirk.

  "Will you take us to the Central Massif?" Dilip asked again.

  "Yes, your highness," Santoosh answered.

  "Santoosh!" Thosti protested.

  "He's the king's brother, Thosti, I can't deny him."

  "I don't give a shit about your king!"

  "But I do. Feel free to go back on your own, I'll take Prince Dilip and his son as far as I can."

  Thosti glared at his associate and muttered something under his breath.

  "Are you ready to leave now, your highness?" Santoosh asked.

  "Yes. We might need to stop and allow Aditya to sleep every now and then. But we're ready."

  ***

  Thosti ended up leading the way, albeit grumbling all the time about "darn Humans", and since he had short legs compared to the other three, it allowed Aditya and Dilip to stop, and then catch up with him. Santoosh patiently waited for them when Aditya needed his short naps.

  "He's grumpy, but Thosti has a heart of gold," he told Dilip while his son slept. "I mean, he taught me the dwarves' secrets for working metal..."

  "I've been told you make stronger weapons," Dilip replied. "Ever considered moving to Godwalkar? The king would gladly have you as court blacksmith."

  "Godwalkar is too far from the mountains." Santoosh smiled. "I do have someone up there I like to go back to."

  "I hope she's not a dwarf."

  "No, it's a winged being. They call themselves Sila. Like the Genn, they're members of the Magical Races. They nest up in the mountains where we can't go."

  "I see. And such a being is benevolent towards Humans?"

  "For now."

  Dilip didn't insist. He was more and more curious about those Magical Races, and guessed sooner or later he'd meet them.

  When he was awake, Aditya liked talking to Thosti who was less blunt with him for some reason. Maybe the dwarf had been touched by Aditya's weakness and couldn't mistreat him like he did Dilip – who didn't care, as long as Thosti took them to the Genn. He wasn't used to verbal abuse, but would take it gladly if it helped his son.

  Soon the paths became steeper as they climbed the lower slopes. Trees changed from birches to fir trees. They spent four nights sleeping under the stars, wrapped in warm coats since the weather was getting cooler.

  Finally they reached an opening in the side of the mountain, half-hidden by a thicket of hazelnut trees. Santoosh stopped to make a few torches since there were a lot of tunnels where no sunlight ever reached and Aditya used the break to take a nap.

  They cooked a couple of hares outside the opening, ate them, and then lit the torches and followed Thosti inside. The dwarf walked fast with no need for light, since his eyes were used to the dark tunnels. They reached a big cavern where Thosti told them to set up camp and wait for him.

  Santoosh and Dilip planted the torches in the walls and cleaned a small space to settle for the night. They almost felt the sun going down outside and Aditya was drowsier than ever. His knees buckled up under him while still standing to look around.

  Dilip cursed under his breath and lay him down more comfortably, since he'd collapsed with no warning. Aditya's eyes were open, and he tried to speak but couldn't. His shaky hand pointed to the ceiling.

  Dilip looked up. The other side of the cavern, supposedly immersed in darkness, glowed with hundreds of little lights, like a starry sky.

  "Fireflies?" he asked, puzzled.

  Santoosh shook his head. "Glowworms. They live in caves."

  Aditya relaxed in his father's arms and sighed. "Beautiful," he whispered. Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

  "Do you know the way out from here?" Dilip asked.

  "Yes." Santoosh sat against the cavern's wall. "That's how far he ever took me. Don't worry, he won't come back alone. You might want to get some sleep while you can..."

  Dilip nodded. He settled better on the ground with Aditya fast asleep against him and tried to relax. But when the torches burned out, he stared at the glowworms on the ceiling for a long time before falling asleep.

  ***

  "Father!" Aditya's whisper and gentle poke jolted Dilip awake. The cave was dark now, except for the glowworms, and Dilip could barely see his son's pale face. "Someone is coming... from the cave walls!"

  Dilip sat and listened carefully. He could hear water dripping somewhere in a tunnel. And then strange sounds, as if rocks were shifting against each other.

  "It's not the dwarves," Santoosh muttered. "They use pickaxes and are a lot more noisy. And they don't come from that way."

  All three waited, seated in the darkness, worried it might be some kind of monster of the caverns or even a dragon.

  The rocks opened like a curtain and a magic white light blinded the three waiting men. Adjusting his sight to the new light, Dilip saw two people standing by the brand new opening near them. Both had very long blond hair and pointed ears, but one wore breeches a
nd the other a long gown. The fashion was different from any Human fashion Dilip had seen, but the pointed ears gave away the true nature of those beings.

  "Are you Genn?" he asked, hopeful, rising to greet them with a bow. Santoosh and Aditya rose too, puzzled and awed at the same time.

  "Yes," the male answered. "I'm Rainsilver and this is my wife Silvergem."

  "How did you know we were here?" Dilip asked, amazed.

  "Thosti was very clear on where he left you," Silvergem answered with a smile. "It was faster to reach you through a new tunnel than going the other way."

  "Are you a healer?"

  "No, I'm a rockshaper. He is the healer of the couple."

  Rainsilver stepped forward. "The younger man is in trouble?" he asked, looking at Aditya who gulped visibly, frowning in worry.

  "Yes, he..." Dilip began.

  The Genn blocked him with a sharp gesture. He went to touch Aditya's head, but the shock must have been too much for the young man. He passed out and collapsed before Dilip could catch him. Again Rainsilver stopped him and crouched to touch Aditya's face and body.

  Dilip watched as the Genn spread some magic golden powder over Aditya, opening and closing his hands. Santoosh seemed smitten by Silvergem who stood by with her magic white light, watching her husband work on Aditya.

  Rainsilver rose again with a sigh. "He was in a state of extreme sleep deprivation," he said. "I have adjusted his sleeping patterns. He should be fine now."

  "Thank you!" Dilip fell to his knees and took the Genn's hand. "What can I do for you in return?"

  "Nothing for now." Rainsilver smiled, pulling him to his feet again. "But if Genn ever show up at your doors, please welcome them and give them shelter."

  "I will!" Dilip promised. "They will always be welcome in Godwalkar and the whole kingdom of Gajendra!"

  "Maybe we should interact with you more," Silvergem said with an amused smile. "You do have some Genn blood, don't you?"

  "The Gajendran royal family had relationships with the Underground People in the past," Dilip answered. "But neither me nor my brother Prem had ever met one of you."

  "Well, we've met now," Rainsilver replied. "Let your son sleep, and get some rest too. It's still night outside. You can go home when you wake up."

  "We brought you some food, Thosti said you have only travel provisions left," Silvergem added. She gave Santoosh a basket of cherries and strawberries and a bowl with small flat-breads, hard-boiled eggs and cold chicken.

  "You have livestock in the caves?" Dilip marveled. "And gardens?"

  "No, we have some farms in hidden valleys high up the mountains," Rainsilver answered, amused. "Humans can't get there, but we can. We have vineyards and orchards and meadows and some livestock under the sun. You just can't see them from the plains!"

  "Thank you." Dilip bowed deeply.

  The two Genn waved good-bye and the tunnel closed behind them as if it had never been there.

  Santoosh exhaled and put down the food as darkness wrapped them again. "Some adventure, your highness," he said as they both lay down again.

  "Indeed." Dilip pulled Aditya's body closer and soon dozed off again.

  ***

  Dilip lit a torch when he woke up. He saw that Santoosh was awake too, but Aditya was still peacefully asleep.

  Dilip gently shook his son while Santoosh put the food brought by the Genn on the ground between the three of them. Aditya yawned, stretched his limbs and blinked, and then he smiled.

  "Good morning, Father. Is it morning?"

  "I think so." Dilip smiled back. "Let's eat something and get out of this cave. How do you feel?"

  "I have never slept so well. I can't even remember my dreams!"

  Dilip thought it was a very good thing and Aditya looked more alert than usual. He hadn't seen the food and happily devoured half of it under the amused stares of his father and their guide.

  "Let's go," Santoosh said, rising and gathering their things. "I know the way out."

  "Should we wait for Thosti?" Dilip asked.

  "Nah. I doubt he'll ever talk to me again." Santoosh shrugged. "But thanks to your highness, I met the members of another Magical Race... Aren't they marvelous?"

  "Yes..." Dilip took his torch and hoped Aditya was indeed healed. "Let's go."

  Soon they were out on the mountainside again. The sky was gray and a thunderstorm was looming, thus Santoosh quickly led them to a shelter set up by woodcutters down a steep path. As soon as they were inside the log cabin, the thunderstorm hit. The temperature had gone down, but there were a couple of logs in the hearth, so they lit a fire and warmed up their travel provisions.

  Aditya remained alert all day and looked even more interested and curious about their surroundings. He asked Santoosh about his work as blacksmith and his friendship with Thosti.

  "Are you sure you don't want to come to Godwalkar with us?" Dilip asked.

  "No, your highness. The beings one can meet on these mountains are fare more interesting than a marble palace and working for the king," Santoosh answered with a smile.

  "True." Dilip chuckled. "I wish we could stay here too."

  "These mountains are harsh in winter, but as you can see, in summer they're not too bad," Santoosh added.

  "I will come back to Rothrada next year," Aditya said. "Will you take me up the mountains?"

  "Of course, your highness."

  "Maybe next year you'll be busy taking care of a pregnant wife," Dilip teased.

  "But if I'm not, I'll come and visit Santoosh," Aditya replied. "And I want to meet his Sila friend."

  The thunderstorm passed, and they headed out again. Going down was faster and after only three nights in the open they were back in Rothrada. Santoosh went back to his shop with a small purse of coins for his services, and Aditya and Dilip took a room at the same inn they had stayed at the first time.

  "Welcome back, my lords," the maid said. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

  "Yes, thank you."

  Dilip ordered a big dinner to celebrate the fact that Aditya hadn't fallen asleep at the wrong time once since they'd left the cavern. Of course afterward they were both drowsy, so they retired to sleep, looking forward to heading back to Godwalkar and telling of their adventure.

  ***

  "Adi!" Priyanka hugged her son who was by now taller than her, then pulled back to stare at his face, worried. "Are you all right? You have more color on your cheeks..."

  "I'm fine, Mother," Aditya answered, squeezing her. "Father found the magical people and they healed me."

  "Did you?" Priyanka stared hopeful at Dilip.

  "He hasn't fallen asleep during the day yet," Dilip answered. "I guess we'll have to wait until he settles back into his routine, but I'm sure the Genn healed him as they said they did."

  Priyanka brightened and hugged her son again. Then she let him go and went to hug her husband too. "Thank you, Dilip," she whispered in his ear. "It has been a long month without you."

  They watched as Aditya was assaulted by his younger siblings and told them of his adventure with their father. Santoosh, Thosti the dwarf, the glowworms and the beings with long blond hair and pointed ears. Priyanka listened, squeezing Dilip's hand.

  And then there was the family banquet with Prem, Ashrita and their offspring, and again Aditya was the center of attention, and he laughed and talked and not once did his eyelids close or his voice slur into unintelligible speech. He was awake and bright, and Dilip was darn proud of him.

  Prem shot an admiring glance at him.

  "As usual my little brother surprised us all," he commented.

  Dilip rolled his eyes. "Prem, I'm not a child anymore!" He was only four years younger after all!

  "I wonder if those Genn could give Ashrita her sight back," Prem mused.

  "Prem, I'm fine, our children see perfectly well, don't worry about me," Ashrita chided.

  Dilip still remembered when she'd first reached Godwalkar, and had explored him with her hands,
saying she could tell him and Prem were brothers. The fixed stare was the only thing that reminded them all that Ashrita was blind. After twenty-seven years in Godwalkar, she moved in the palace without the help of a walking stick, therefore if one didn't know, one couldn't tell she didn't see.

  "Will you go around the southern kingdoms looking for a bride like I did?" Hitesh asked his cousin. "Or will you look among our beauties?"

  "I think Aditya can choose whoever he wishes," Prem said. "We don't need any further alliances."

  Aditya blushed. "Then I would like to go back to the Central Massif and see if I can find a bride among the Magical Races. Genn or Sila. If they'd have me."

  "I'll go with you," Hitesh said. "Not because I'm looking for someone, but because I'm curious. Next summer we're off for two months!"

  "Glad it's for next year," Priyanka muttered. "I guess Aditya wants to be sure he's healed..."

  "He is healed," Dilip assured her. "Our son is perfectly fine now, Priyanka."

  Her gratitude wrapped him that night. He didn't think she'd ever loved him that much. Maybe he didn't have to look for a lover after all. Maybe Priyanka had finally fallen in love with him. Twenty-three years later. Better late than never...

  The Black Princess

  Harithik walked slowly on the white sandy beach, barely listening to the song of the waves. In spite of the cool breeze from the ocean, the sun was hot. He should have worn his turban, but then, he didn't really care about heat stroke.

  The wind caressing his short brown hair made him think about Zoya when her tawny fingers ran through it. The soft sand under his bare feet made him think about Zoya when she massaged them in the intimacy of their bedroom. Her name meant "alive" but she was no longer of the world, having left a big hole inside him.

  Grief had struck him at thirty and he hadn't recovered yet. He had left his small children with his sister at the capital, Agharek, and had taken some time off from his social life. He was only the cousin of King Kunal, but still quite busy at the court, and he couldn't handle the condolences and the faces of his friends and relatives.

  Nadirah had suggested he retire to his beach estate to recover from the loss and mourn alone. She would take care of the two children Zoya had given him along with her own. But days went by and the loss was still strong, the pain still there.