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Priyanka elbowed Dilip during the banquet for their niece's betrothal. Puzzled, he glanced at his wife who pointed with her chin at their firstborn, Aditya.
"Oh, no, not again!" Dilip groaned.
Aditya was asleep again. He'd been complaining of excessive sleepiness or sudden muscle weakness for a few years now, and visibly fell asleep at unpredictable moments. He usually woke up suddenly and often disoriented or dizzy.
It had started in Aditya's early teens. He was now nineteen, and even though he wasn't the prince heir, he was still royal blood of Gajendra. He shouldn't be so sleepy during the day and then stay awake all night.
"His sleep patterns are so screwed up," Priyanka whispered, worried. "Sometimes he sleeps even while speaking or doing something, and then he doesn't remember anything!"
The royal doctor was as puzzled as them. He had never heard of this sleep sickness and had no idea of how to treat it, therefore it was getting worse.
Dilip pursed his lip, frowning in concentration.
"Let me talk to Prem. We'll find a solution."
"Which solution?" Priyanka protested. "There is no cure!"
"Maybe the Underground People know the cure."
Priyanka scoffed. "You speak of these people as if you knew where to find them! Just because they gave you your blond hair, do you really think they're going to help you?"
"I won't know until I ask them," Dilip snapped. "And even though neither myself nor Prem have ever met one, I'm sure we can find information on where they dwell."
Aditya's head popped up again and he looked around, lost. The people around him pretended not to see.
"Take him to his room, enough embarrassment for today," Dilip muttered. Priyanka nodded. It was a shame for both of them that their firstborn fell asleep like that in front of everyone. And it was a source of embarrassment for Aditya himself, who was feeling worse after every episode, especially if it happened in public.
Dilip met his brother's eyes. "Need to talk," he mouthed.
Prem nodded. Not during his daughter's wedding banquet. Tomorrow first thing in the morning they'd meet in Prem's chamber. In the meantime, Dilip left the banquet too and headed for the palace library. He was almost sure he could find something on the Underground People.
He only knew they weren't Human. They had long blond manes, blue or green eyes and pointed ears. The royal family of Gajendra had mated with them in the past, hence they were all blond and blue-eyed. Somewhere among the oldest scrolls there must be some hint of where these strange beings dwelled.
The librarian was old and had a young assistant who was slowly learning where everything was.
"Your highness." The elder had seen him grow up, but bowed to him nevertheless. "It's been some time since you came here."
"I might not be king, but I'm incredibly busy with Aditya," Dilip said, looking around at the shelves.
"Does he still fall asleep when he shouldn't?" the librarian asked.
"Yes. You said there are no medical texts here, but what about something on the Underground People?"
"The Genn!" The librarian brightened. "Of course, we have something... I think a couple of epics and maybe a collection of poems..."
"Anything on where to find them?" Dilip asked bluntly.
The librarian pondered. "I don't think anyone ever tried to locate them, your highness," he said at last. "But let's see what we have." He turned to the apprentice and instructed him to fetch all the manuscripts and books of a certain shelf at the top of the second corridor for which he'd need the ladder.
Dilip tapped his foot impatiently while the librarian made room on the big mahogany table for the manuscripts. The apprentice had to do two trips up and down the ladder to bring down everything from the shelf of Genn works.
All three sat around the table. "So, what are we looking for?"
"If they have more knowledge than us about sicknesses, anything about their healers, but mostly where do they live now?" Dilip grabbed the first batch of manuscripts and started flipping through them. "Damn, what language is this?"
"I'm afraid it's the Old Tongue spoken by the Magical Races," the librarian answered with a sigh. "Here's one in Gajendran, your highness, let me handle those."
"You speak the Old Tongue?"
"Not really, but I've seen enough of these to tell if it's fiction or something else. There was a time when they lived under the sun, but then something happened in the north and they retired underground, with the dwarves..."
***
"Did you find anything interesting?" Priyanka asked as Dilip joined her in bed that night.
"Not really," Dilip grumbled. "But all traces seem to lead to the Central Massif. Maybe I could just take Aditya there and see if we can find those Genn people."
"I should ask my brother to send us Rajesh! That bodyguard saved Tarun from pirates and..."
"No!" Dilip glared at her. "I don't need your brother's bodyguards."
"But Rajesh is good!" she protested.
"Yes, I bet he is. I'm not blind, Priyanka, I saw how you stared at him when he came here with Tarun," he retorted. "He is not welcome to come back, understood?"
She scowled and rolled over on the mattress to give him her back. Dilip scoffed. She hadn't said anything when Prince Tarun had showed up four years earlier, but he wasn't stupid. He had noticed she had left the banquet earlier to go to talk to the bodyguard and couldn't keep her eyes off of him during his stay.
Dilip was tired of women who were in love with someone else. First Rhea, the childhood friend who had been Prem's lover before his wedding. Now Priyanka, who in spite of being a princess seemed to prefer a commoner to him. What was wrong with women? Or with him? Why didn't they love him like he deserved?
Aditya was more important now. He couldn't be a proper prince if he fell asleep in front of dignitaries. What if he fell asleep in bed with his wife? Besides, Dilip could see that the short naps gave his son discomfort. That he was always tired, which, at nineteen, wasn't normal.
Dilip would help his son to be normal, and then he could consider his love life. Not that he was supposed to marry for love – like Prem had told him years earlier. But maybe he could have someone who truly loved him.
Dilip didn't sleep much that night. First thing in the morning, he went to see Aditya and asked him how he felt.
"I'm a mess," Aditya complained. "Sometimes I can't speak clearly, sometimes my knees buckle under me, or I can't focus, but I hear and am aware of where I am... I just can't react!"
"I understand your anxiety and your fear, but have you noticed when these episodes happen? I mean, if something specific trigger them?"
"I don't know!" Aditya sounded as frustrated as he felt. "Sometimes I'm laughing, sometimes I'm angry, it's sudden emotional reactions that completely knock me off and... I want to go to a monastery and not see anyone else for the rest of my life! Please, Father, spare me all this princely social life, I can't take it anymore!"
"Come with me," Dilip said, trying to sound calm even though he was more and more upset. "Let's talk to your uncle. We must find a cure for this... unbalanced sleep pattern that you're having."
Aditya's eyes were filling with tears, but he fought them and followed Dilip to the king's chamber. At forty-seven Prem was still the most handsome man of the kingdom, and a proud grandfather. Hitesh had married Jaya of Lakeshi and had had his heir already.
"Yes, I noticed Aditya had dozed off," he said. "It's getting worse, isn't it?"
"That's why I'm asking you to tell me everything you know about the Genn," Dilip said. "I want to take Aditya to see them. They're magical beings, surely they have a cure for my son's drowsiness?"
Aditya blushed and remained quiet. Prem pondered.
"I have never met them myself," he admitted, thoughtful. "All I know is that they live in towns buried inside the mountains at the northern border of the kingdom and don't show themselves much anymore. I have no idea where the entrance to their underground cities is."
"We had figured that out with the librarian," Dilip said, frowning in worry. "The Central Massif is the place to go, then. We'll find a way in."
"Good. I'll prepare an escort..."
"No, Prem." Dilip stared at his brother, determined. "I'll go with Aditya. Only the two of us. Incognito."
"But it's dangerous!" Prem protested, while Aditya's eyes widened in shock. "What if he falls asleep and you can't handle him?"
"I can handle my own son. And having no escort should keep us safe. I doubt the Genn would allow a big group of Humans into their dwellings. Two people? Maybe. We have more chance on our own."
"I will try to stay awake," Aditya said with a shaky voice.
"I will try not to upset you, since it's violent or sudden emotions that make you fall asleep," Dilip replied. "You will take several short daily naps and we'll stick to a meal schedule. We should walk to keep ourselves exercised and sleep at regular intervals."
"You want to go to the mountains on foot?" Prem asked incredulous.
"We will go upriver on a barge and then we will walk," Dilip said.
Aditya brightened and nodded, eager to start his new routine. He didn't have to see people while he traveled with his father and that seemed to relieve him of some anxiety.
Prem sighed. "Are you sure you don't want anyone? Not even our captain of the royal guard as escort?"
"We're both trained warriors, Prem." Dilip snorted. "We can hold a sword and defend ourselves."
"Then I can only wish you safe travel." Prem hugged Aditya. "Come back healed, Aditya, and I'll find you a bride."
Aditya grinned.
He was teary again when he had to say good-bye to his mother and his siblings, though. Priyanka wanted to come with them, but it was out of the question. There were other children to look after and she would only be a hindrance. Therefore she'd stay in Godwalkar with the other three offspring, two girls, sixteen and thirteen, and the little boy who was only ten.
Aditya and Dilip took off their princely clothes and dressed like merchants – with a saber by their side and a walking stick. The father was blond and blue-eyed, the son raven-haired with hazel eyes, but their similar features with different colors enough to show the blood ties.
They left the palace after lunch time, heading for the rivers to look for a barge going north, towards the source. Godwalkar was built at the crossing of two rivers, one coming down from the eastern side of the Central Massif, the other from the western side.
They found passage to Rothrada that was upriver on the side of Lakeshi. If they found more information on the Genn there, they'd probably start walking, if not, they'd go further upriver until they found someone who knew more about the Genn than they did.
***
Dilip watched Aditya sleep on the deck. A short nap, then the young man was up again, looking around with open curiosity. Godwalkar was out of sight and the river was flowing through hills and vineyards.
The sun set, they ate travel provisions, and then lay on the deck, looking at the stars.
"There are so many!" Aditya said, dreamy. "Once I dreamed I went there."
"And what was it like?" Dilip asked.
"There was a world like ours rotating around it. Maybe our world is also going around the sun?"
"I don't know, Adi. Maybe the Underground People know more about the stars than we do."
"I look forward to meeting them, then!"
Dilip agreed, but at the same time he was worried. He wasn't sure what to expect. What if the Genn couldn't help his son?
"Adi, do you have a lover?" he asked.
"I don't sleep alone, Father," Aditya answered with an impish smile. "But I won't see her again after I marry."
Dilip smiled ruefully at the memory of Rhea, discarded by Prem first, then by himself so he could perform his royal duty. Luckily by then she had fallen in love with someone of her status and was now a happy mother of two.
"I hope you're not telling her that you love her," he said.
"No, she insisted on taking care of me. She helps me relax and I sleep well after making love to her. I wonder if it will be the same with my wife."
"Hopefully you won't have sleep problems with your wife."
"Do you want to know who she is?"
"No, Adi, unless you really want to talk about her."
"Not right now. This new adventure is... Thank you for doing this for me, Father."
"I wouldn't have let you go looking for the Genn on your own." Dilip still remembered when Aditya was a child and nestled against him to sleep. "Want to try to get some sleep now?"
Aditya sighed and rolled on the wooden deck to lay his head against his father's shoulder. "Good night, Father."
"Sleep well, Adi."
***
Three days later they were in Rothrada, a relatively small town with poorly defined quarters and a good portion of it on the river shore. It traded metals and logs coming from the looming mountains, but the buildings looked dilapidated and the streets were full of stray dogs.
Dilip and Aditya found an inn and asked for a complete meal – venison and vegetables with a jug of red wine – and a room. While they ate, they looked around at the loud and rowdy crowd. Almost none were openly armed, obviously a crowd of workers and fishermen out for a night of fun.
"Is there a school or a place where we could ask for information?" Aditya wondered. "Maybe we should look for a guide to take us up the mountains?"
Dilip hadn't thought about that, but it made sense. They should find a local who could take them up the Central Massif, even if nobody knew anything about the Genn.
"There's a dwarf over there, probably came to town to trade metals," he said, discreetly pointing at a table where a black-haired dwarf was challenging a tall and blond barbarian to drink more than him. They were obviously both already drunk, and their shouts and laughter were covered by cheers every time they downed another goblet.
"I don't think he'll hear us tonight." Aditya chuckled. "Maybe tomorrow morning, if he's not too hung over..."
Dilip signaled the maid and asked her if the dwarf was a regular. She rolled her eyes and nodded.
"Don't let him challenge you to who drinks more," she warned.
"I won't. Is there a good time to find him not drunk?" Dilip inquired.
"He comes to town only to get drunk. What are you looking for?"
"A guide to take us up the mountains."
"Then you better talk to his associate," she said. "See the tall, muscled man sitting next to him? Santoosh doesn't drink as much as Thosti."
"Thank you." Dilip gave her a copper coin that she quickly hid in her bosom.
Santoosh and Thosti were the last at the table and slowly got up, supporting each other, as the innkeeper threw out the last patrons.
"Go get some sleep," he muttered to the two men, giving them a key.
The rooms were up a flight of narrow stairs, and Dilip and Aditya followed Santoosh and Thosti, checking which room they slept in.
In spite of going to bed late, both Dilip and Aditya were up early the next morning. They went downstairs and asked the maid if Santoosh and Thosti had left.
"They're probably still snoring," she answered, amused. "They'll probably head back to their secret mine today, though."
"What have they found?" Dilip asked, curious.
"They claim to have found a mine of pure silver." She scoffed. "What they bring here isn't very good, though."
"I wonder what the king would say, knowing someone is exploiting a silver mine without paying taxes," Dilip said, amused.
"I don't think they found anything so precious," she replied. "They just like to boast. Santoosh is a blacksmith, but since he's met Thosti, apparently his skills have improved. Those dwarves know how to make weapons."
"There must be a tribe of dwarves close enough to Rothrada, then," Dilip said. "Any Underground People?"
"No, only Thosti and a few more dwarves," she answered, shaking her head. "Why, are you looking for the Genn?"
"Yes, we've heard they have great healers among them and my son needs a great healer."
"Since they usually don't ask for payment, they've been chased away from towns," she said with a sigh. "Human physicians were jealous, obviously..." She stared at Aditya. "What sickness do you have?"
She was pretty and probably about the same age as Aditya. She looked surprised to hear the good-looking young man was ill and stared appreciatively at Aditya who blushed.
"I sleep at the wrong time," he muttered, eyes low. "And I feel always tired."
"Oh, my! Let me bring you a herbal tea that might help!"
She didn't wait for their reactions and rushed to the kitchen. Aditya exchanged a puzzled glance with Dilip who shrugged. They had already tried all the tisanes available at Godwalkar, but maybe here they had different herbs.
She came back with a smoking mug and more pastries.
"This should keep you awake during the day and let you sleep at night," she said, putting the mug in front of Aditya. "And eat some more with it, it's very sour."
Aditya thanked her and tasted the warm liquid. "Yuck!"
"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 and 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...