Heir of Iron

Chapter 30: Mandhi

(The image above is originally from http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/tunnels/images/combedownopenday/combedown-3.jpg.)

The light of Mandhi's lamp seemed feeble against the night, as if darkness spilled through the window and lapped at the circle of light. The contents of her pack were laid out on the table before her: two more saris and cholis, her pansha, a small pile of nose rings, earrings, chains, and jewels for ornament---or to sell, as would be likely---and the star-iron rings. Those would be worth more than all the others combined, but would never be sold.

She had traveled with less before, but she had always done it knowing she would return to Virnas. Tonight, she left without any such hope.

A foreboding sense of history repeated troubled her. At the fall of the Kingdom of Manjur, Kushmata, the last ruling Heir of Manjur, had fled Virnas through the tunnels beneath the city, even as she was planning to. The line of the Heirs had been saved, but they never again ruled Virnas. Had Kushmata known when that his would be the last name in the register of the kings, and his son would be the first Heir in exile? She felt as if there was something that she didn't know either, and that uncertainty gnawed at her thoughts. She folded the clothes together tightly to fit them into the canvas pack, as she had done dozens of times before, but the old ritual didn't help.

Feet shuffled at the door of her room. She looked up and saw Srithi with her face screwed up in anxiety, cradling a fussing Gapthi. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"Almost," Mandhi said. "Do we need to hurry?"

She shrugged, then blinked away tears. "I guess. Veshta says we have time. But I don't want to leave." And then the dam burst, and she fell into Mandhi's shoulder sobbing.

The baby took up the cue and began crying, and Srithi made a half-hearted attempt to calm the child before giving up and collapsing on top of Mandhi's bed. Mother and child cried together while Mandhi knelt and wrapped her arms around them. Srithi leaned forward into Mandhi's embrace, and for a long time she just stood there shaking, until her sobs weakened into whimpers.

"I don't want to leave," she said quietly. "I've never lived outside of Virnas. And I have a baby to nurse and everything."

"It's not so bad," Mandhi said. "I've traveled all my life, and you'll be with me."

"Veshta says that Uskhanda is nice," Srithi said with a flat voice that betrayed her lack of confidence. "The sea air is good."

"Let me hold the baby," Mandhi said. She reached over and pulled Gapthi from Srithi's arms and began to hush the crying child. "I was choosing what I'm bringing." She laughed and gestured at the chest of clothes against the wall. "A silly thing, I guess, because I've packed for travel more times than I've been at home. I had all of these and mostly never used them, because I was always traveling."

Srithi went over and looked at the saris that Mandhi had chosen. She fingered one, of yellow silk with blue eagles stitched on the edges. "I gave this to you as a gift after my wedding. I'm glad you're taking it."

Mandhi smiled. She had forgotten where the sari came from, but if by chance she had taken one that comforted Srithi, then chance was on their side.

A voice shouted from below and shattered the quiet. Mandhi couldn't understand it at first, but the shouting repeated itself nearer to them. Fire. Fire in the city. Fire at the east gate.

Mandhi rushed to the window and looked to the east. The buildings nearest the east gate had gone up in flames, and the fire leapt forward along the main street, devouring the palm thatch on roofs as quickly as a man could run. Black smoke rose into the sky and blotted out the stars. Dread rose up from her belly and seized her throat. Shivering, she turned away and returned the child to Srithi.