By the time we returned to Rishi’s house, it was nearly dark and the slender crescent moon was just peeking over the treetops to the east. We had bundled together everything she wanted to take from the house and brought it along with us—the few possessions Avani wished to keep as well as her former mother-in-law’s possessions.

She had asked the guards to return at sundown, so when we stepped out the front door, we found one guard on duty while the other sat on the veranda, resting while he awaited his turn for guard duty. She thanked them both, saying would finish tomorrow, and then we left.

As we opened the door to Rishi’s house, we could hear raised voices coming from somewhere towards the back. Looking at each other, startled and a little alarmed, we dropped everything and hurried towards the commotion. We found everyone, including Arthur and Forte, in a small sitting room adjacent to Rishi’s study, and Dylas was shouting.

“Yeah, I’ve seen how well she can take care of herself, firsthand! Getting herself kidnapped and being ambushed by conspirators—and that’s just the past few days! They’ve been gone for hours—why aren’t you all worrying about her?”

“Well, for one thing,” Arthur said, drily, as he glanced towards us, “she’s standing right behind you.”

Dylas whirled around, his crimson face draining to white before flushing again as he found himself face to face with us.

“Nice to see you have such confidence in my abilities,” Avani commented drily. 

I briefly considered adding my voice to hers, but I realized that he didn’t mean to disparage either her abilities or mine—he was just concerned, and expressing himself with his usual savoir faire. So instead, I just stood back and let them sort things out between them. I’d learned that was usually the best course of action with the two of them.

As it turned out, it didn’t take long at all. Dylas stared at her for a minute, then his eyes softened, and he simply said, “I’m glad to see you’re all right. But just… just try not to worry me like that, okay?”

Avani’s eyes opened wide in surprise, and she nodded, struck speechless by his change in demeanor.

Rishi stood and smiled. “Ah, my love, I’m glad you’ve returned. I’m afraid you’re too late for our evening meal, but I’m sure Dulari can find something for you two in the kitchen. Unless you’ve already eaten elsewhere?”

I grinned at Avani and said, “Well, only in a manner of speaking,” enjoying the way she blushed as she tried unsuccessfully to glare at me.

**************

At breakfast the next morning, Avani said that she was more or less finished with Bhima’s house, other than ridding herself of those things she’d marked for destruction. Next she wanted to take a look at Sundara’s house, if I could join her. I readily agreed, and she turned to Dylas, Chanda, Arthur, and Forte to ask if they’d care to come with us. Chanda and Dylas accepted her offer, but Arthur declined, saying he and Forte needed to return to Selphia as soon as possible to report to his father, the King. So after breakfast, we bid Arthur and Forte farewell, assuring them that we’d return as soon as we could.

Before we left, Avani packed cleaning supplies and a few cloth sacks into her backpack, and she asked Sharmila to arrange for a servant to deliver Kokila’s possessions to her, so that she needn’t see her again so soon after their last confrontation. Then the four of us started off towards Sundara’s house.

We headed west along the dirt road through the village, and this time, instead of stopping and turning back at the edge of the village, Avani just hesitated briefly, standing with eyes closed for a moment before stepping into the lush growth of the tropical forest.

I hadn’t yet had much opportunity to walk in the dense rainforest that shrouded those hills, so I enjoyed doing so now. The wealth of smells, sights, and sounds were like a feast to my senses: damp, dark earth, rich with leaf mould; the perfumes of a thousand colorful tropical flowers and fruits; the green scent of growing things; animal scents and sounds; the buzzing of insects; the chatter of rainbow-colored birds;  vines cascading from huge tree limbs like living green waterfalls; and now and again, a glimpse of cerulean sky gleaming through the gaps in the verdant canopy above.

We strolled along the path, which meandered uphill and down, but never with a lengthy or steep incline. All in all, it was a lovely walk, and I was almost sorry to see it end. That is, until I saw the house itself.

Nestled like a brilliant jewel into the emerald green of dense vines and overgrown shrubs was a house, painted the intense blue of a peacock’s breast. Stone steps, overgrown with some tiny, beflowered creeper that had sprung up in the crevices, led up to the front door, which was a work of art in itself. Painted in shades of green, blue, and bronze, it resembled the tip of a peacock feather, with a small round window centered in the eye. The roof, which I saw needed at least a few minor repairs at first glance, was made of curved, overlapping red clay tiles and extended beyond the veranda.

Avani stopped at the bottom of the steps, looking up at the house for a moment before slowly climbing to the front door. She pulled a key from her belt pouch, then unlocked the door and pushed it open.

It was clear that no one had lived in this house for some time, though it seemed that someone had at least cleaned and aired it from time to time. But it had the stale, musty smell of a house that has been left unused for too long, and I felt my nose tickle in response to the fustiness.

“It’s going to take more work than I hoped,” Avani said, sadly, as she looked around. It clearly had been a charming house once, and perhaps could be again with some care and effort. As I went around the house, throwing open doors and windows to let the fresh, clean air in, I wondered what Avani intended to do with it once she’d cleaned it up.

It was smaller than Bhima’s house, yet despite its neglect, it still seemed like a more cheerful, comfortable home. Downstairs was a small entry, a modest kitchen, a bathing room with a tiny water closet in it, and a large sitting-dining room, with cushion-filled alcoves lining the walls and a low table surrounded by more cushions in the middle of the floor. Upstairs, there was just two bedrooms of moderate size.

When I returned downstairs after opening the bedroom doors and windows, I found Avani had stepped out back. I joined her as she looked around a small, badly overgrown yard, surrounded by mango trees and pomegranate shrubs. Her eyes were sorrowful, and she appeared to be searching for something.

“Are you looking for something?” I asked as I walked up to her. “Can I help?”

She shook her head slowly. “No, not really. I was just remembering…. This is where he kept his peacocks. I wonder what became of them after… after he died. He only had the one pair left by then. He’d had a pair of green peacocks, too, but… but Bhima killed them. As a warning, to us both.” She shivered, rubbing her arms vigorously as if suddenly chilled. “I suppose when he didn’t come back, they returned to the wild. I was just hoping…. I guess I was hoping to find some trace of them. Or really, of him. But… there’s nothing. Nothing left of him at all here. Only memories.” Tears began to trickle down her cheeks as she stared intently into the branches of the trees, then she turned and walked slowly towards the house as I followed.

After just a few steps, she suddenly stopped and exclaimed as she leaned down, peering at something in the tall grass. When she stood, she held a small white feather in her fingertips. She looked at me, surprised by her find, and I saw it was a small, white peacock feather. She looked at it again, and shrugged. “I wonder where this came from?” she asked. “Sundara’s been gone for six years now, and he never kept white peafowl here.”

“Well, I suppose it was just from a wild peacock. What else could it be?” I asked.

“I guess… but they’re fairly rare, at least around here. But like you said….” She shook her head, twirling the feather in her fingers, then we returned to the house.

Dylas and Chanda, meanwhile, had begun to clean. Dylas had immediately tackled the kitchen, and was cleaning out cupboards and cabinets filled with cobwebs, spiders, and moths. Chanda, who evidently was a practical soul, started first on the water closet and bathing room, getting them cleaned and usable. Avani asked if I’d collect all the washable linens—bed, bath, and kitchen—and bring them downstairs, and then gather up all the rugs and take them outside. Meanwhile, she began to dust and scrub in the sitting room, going through the contents of shelves and cabinets as she went. When I returned to collect the rugs from the room, she was standing there, holding a beautiful stringed instrument, painted like a peacock feather.

She smiled wistfully at me as I walked in, and showed the instrument to me. “This was his sur-mandal,” she explained. “He played it so beautifully.” She carefully set it back on the shelf with a sigh, and continued cleaning while I finished my task.

We stopped at midday to rest and eat a meal. The house was now clean, the rugs beaten until they were free of dust and grime, the linens and clothing that were deemed salvageable had been washed and were hanging to dry in the warmth of the tropical afternoon. We sat on the front veranda, eating the lunch that Sharmila’s cooks had packed for us and enjoying the light breeze in the shade of the roof.

After lunch, we worked on the exterior of the house. Dylas and I climbed up and examined the roof to determine how badly damaged it was, while Chanda tackled the tall grass of the yard with a small, sharp sickle and Avani began to prune the vines and shrubs back. It turned out that the deck of the roof was still in fine condition, but many of the tiles had been damaged by storms and needed to be replaced—otherwise the deck would suffer for it and need replacement, too.

Chanda escorted Dylas and me to the village potter’s house, and we found he had a small stockpile of suitable tiles. I purchased the number needed, as well as a few extras in case of breakage. When we returned, Dylas and I climbed back up to affix the new tiles while Chanda retrieved her sickle and returned to cutting grass. Avani had finished taming the shrubs and vines, meanwhile, and moved on to cleaning up the stone steps.

By the time the sun was beginning to dip below the tree line, we had done all we could do for the time. Avani said that the mattresses would need to be cleaned and stuffed with fresh material, and that the upholstery needed some attention as well. But that, she said, could wait until the house was once again occupied. So, tired and grimy, we returned along the dusky path to the village and to Rishi’s house. Avani had kept a few mementos that were especially important to her, such as Sundara’s instruments, but she’d left the majority of the household goods and décor back at the house.

We arrived with just barely enough time to bathe and change into clean clothing before the evening meal was ready. I was growing accustomed to the dazzling array of dishes provided here among the Ventuani, and to the heady fragrance of spices that permeated the kitchen. However, as I helped myself to some small, sweet fish swimming in a highly-seasoned sauce, I suddenly found myself homesick for the simple pleasures of home—not least of which was my favorite food, grilled fish. Still, the meal was delightful as always, and the conversation pleasant. No matter what was happening, it appeared to be a house rule—if not a tribal custom—that any discussion at meals should be kept light, lively, and entertaining.

After the meal, we sat around nibbling fruit and sipping hot tea, and our talk turned to more serious subjects. Avani looked around the room, her eyes finally coming to rest on her brother. She hesitated, seeming as though she wanted to speak, yet her eyes softened as she watched him, as they always did.

At last, she took a deep breath and spoke. “Rishi, my love, I think it’s time for us to leave. I’ve looked over my properties, and I’ve thought long and hard about what I wish to do with them. Today, while cleaning Sundara’s house, I reached my decision.”

“Is this so, my sister? I can’t say so soon, I suppose, since this has been far from an idyllic holiday for you. Yet I will miss you terribly when you are gone. Leon and Dylas, too, will be missed.” He sighed, took a sip of his tea, then continued. “Well, then, what is it you wish to do? Will you retain one to live in?”

“No, brother dear. This is no longer my home. I love you well, and Sharmila and Chanda, too, as well as many others of the tribe. But although I am a Ventuan by blood, I am no longer of the Ventuani. Selphia is my home now—it’s where I belong. Where we belong—me, Leo, and our children.” She straightened up, took a sip of tea, and looked around at everyone again. “I’ve decided that I would like to turn over Bhima’s house to the tribe, to be used as a school for Avanani and Earthmates to hone their skills. Bhima’s house is large—by our standards, anyway—and well-maintained. He has quite a bit of land of very good quality, and large, sturdy stables. The house could be turned into a dormitory for students to live in, and any crops beyond what is used to supply their needs could be given to the less fortunate or to the temple. What do you think?”

Everyone looked at each other, surprised by her suggestion. After a moment, Sharmila said, “I think that sounds like a lovely idea, my dear, if it could be implemented. Do you mean the school to be just for the tribe?”

Avani shook her head. “No—if Rishi is serious about bringing the tribe out of seclusion and joining the Kingdom, then I believe such a school would appeal to videziya Earthmates wishing to learn more of our ways.”

I said, “Well, My Lady, that sounds like a fine plan. Who would run this school?”

She hesitated, then said, “I… I’d hoped that Rishi or Sharmila would oversee it, or appoint someone to do so. You both will be in a better position than me to know who would be a good candidate and who would not.”

Rishi nodded. “I like this plan of yours, love. We will see to it that your wishes are carried out. Now… about Sundara’s house?”

“Well, it happens I know of someone who has been all but dispossessed, who has nowhere to go, no place to call her own.” Looking over at Chanda with a fond smile, she said, “So I would like to give the house and its contents to Chanda kumari Zitamaya, my dear friend.”

Opening her eyes wide in shock, Chanda opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. Instead, tears began to slip down her cheeks as she stared, mouth agape, at her benefactor.

“I can’t see why she’d want to live here at all, seeing how some people treat her,” Dylas muttered. Chanda shot him a dirty look, but Avani nodded her head in agreement.

“Yes, I agree, and of course she may choose to leave. Certainly she will find a warm welcome in Selphia. But just having a house of her own will make a world of difference to her. She can choose to live here quite comfortably, if she wishes, or she can sell it or lease it and use the money to move anywhere she wishes.”

She stood up and walked over to her friend, and kneeling next to her, she took Chanda’s hands in hers and looked into her eyes for a moment before enfolding her in an affectionate embrace. “You’re young, dear Chanda, and the world’s your oyster. Now it’s up to you to find the pearls.”

Chanda clung to her, weeping with joy and disbelief as she murmured over and over, “A house—a home of my own… my very own house!”

After a few moments, Avani rose and returned to her seat. I looked at her thoughtfully, and said, “Do you really wish to return so soon, My Lady? You’ve not seen your family and friends in so long, and there’s no real need to rush. For my part, I have not yet seen the temple of the Seers, which I should very much like to do—I’ve heard about the library there, and no doubt I could spend days perusing it. And I find the countryside here enchanting; I would enjoy spending more time exploring the environs, as well.”

Avani looked stricken by my speech, and shook her head. “Leo, right now all I want is… is….”

“Yes, beloved? What is it that your heart desires?” I asked her with a smile, taking her hand in mine.

Tears filled her eyes as she spoke in a voice choked by emotion. “All I want is… is to go home! I miss it, Leo—I miss our home, my farm, my animals… I miss visiting with our friends, fishing in Dragon Lake, celebrating festivals… I miss it all. It’s been so long since anything was… was normal, and I just want to go home and live quietly, at least for a while.” She put her hands over her face, and her shoulders shook as she wept with the sudden, unbearable longing that is homesickness.

I put my arm around her shoulder and kissed her hair, then I whispered into her ear, “As you wish, My Lady.”