Queen's Audience

Like ghosts, they have been watching, invisible in the shadows. Like ghosts, they came out of the forest, silently gliding. The soldiers on the arc had no clue until they came out. Startled and amazed, they stood hypnotized, but for mere moments only. 'Sir', one of the soldiers called out, clearly and calmly. Only now did everyone notice them. Like clockwork, the commander and the sordar started to walk towards them at a steady, measured, pace. The ghosts stopped immediately. The commander stopped a few yards from them and, after a cursory glance, bowed slightly to the younger person on the right. 'I'm the commander of the second fleet and the third army. Do I have the honor of addressing the king's guard', he said in a courteous and confident manner. There was a fleeting smile on the young man's face. He got down from his horse, walked up to the commander, and said, 'I'm the herdsman. What brings you to our shores?' 'We have a message for your king', the commander said. 'What message', the herdsman asked. 'It's a message from one king to another and for their eyes only." The commander was courteous, but there was steel in his voice. They eyed each other for a long moment, then the herdsman nodded and said, 'We will start at the first light'.

As Chotu turned to return to his horse, the commander spoke, 'Wouldn't you spend the night with us? We will share a long journey tomorrow'. He observed the commander for a moment, then nodded and said, 'We would be happy to'. As the commander turned to return to the camp, he heard an owl hoot behind him. Four more riders, barely visible in the gathering dark, glided out of the forest. After he entered, Chotu surveyed the camp thoroughly. By now the soldiers have dismounted and are now taking care of the horses. After rubbing their bodies, the horses were covered with blankets. They take good care of their horses, Chotu appreciated. The camp perimeter has already been marked by torches. The flames burnt low but steady; they will last the night. The camp has been set up in the middle of the high water mark and the forest, and only the essentials have been brought. They are intelligent people, he thought to himself. 'How many men guard at night', he asked the commander. 'Three shifts, four men each', the commander informed. Chotu nodded in approval, then he added, 'I bet none of them saw the tiger stalking you'. The whole camp looked a bit startled. 'I think I saw two eyes over there last night', the sordar pointed at a spot near the forest. 'Yes, he was there, but he came as close as there', Chotu pointed to a spot fifteen yards from the camp.

Ten riders trotted along the forest road. Two herdsmen led the procession followed by Chotu and the commander, the sordar and two other soldiers rode behind them while the remaining herdsmen brought up the rear. 'You have some fine horses', Chotu commented. The commander smiled and affectionately patted his steed, 'the credit goes to our royal equestrian facility', he said. Then, noticing the keen interest on Chotu's face, he explained. 'It started a long time ago. The stable-master asked the king to gather all the horses in his kingdom. Then, over three days, he made the lot ride from dawn to dusk, those with the best combinations of stamina, speed, and discipline formed the breeding core. Today, we have over a thousand of these jewels', the commander was glowing in happiness. Chotu was feeling a bit depressed. 'Your horses are sturdy creatures, I have noticed that they drink little." The commander's appreciation was genuine and it cheered Chotu up. 'Yeah, they can go a whole day without a drink. But the best thing is, they can smell water from a mile away. In these parts, that can make the difference between life and death.'

'You have difficulty finding water here?' The commander sounded incredulous. Chotu smiled ruefully. 'Who would have imagined, eh?" He said. 'But, you have so much rain', the commander was puzzled. Chotu sighed. 'True, we have rains enough, sometimes so much that the forest and the river are no longer separate. But as soon as the rain stops, the water starts running away. Some returns to the river, some drifts to the lower reaches, he gestured to the east, and the rest sips inside the earth. The streams and pools are still full, but by the end of summer, only a handful will have any water'. They walked in silence for a while. 'Don't you dig ponds and wells!' The commander asked. 'We do, but only in and around our villages and fields;. Chotu continued, "The soil is hard, it stashes the water like a miser;. He smirked. 'It's hard work to wrestle out some of her treasure'. The commander imagined the scorching high summer, he imagined miles and miles without any trace of water, he imagined people digging through stone-hard soil to find water. His respect and adoration for these hardy souls swelled.

Dusk was setting in when the procession reached Polash Nogor. Hundreds of curious eyes watched as they snaked through the fields to the other side, towards the cluster of houses under a clump of mighty Polash (Sacred Tree). They stopped in front of the biggest house, a sturdy, two-story earthen structure. As they all dismounted, Chotu said, 'I think you will want a bath." He pointed to the huge reservoir nearby. Then he added, 'We will take care of your horses, and don't worry, we know how dear they are to you', he said amicably. 'Thank you', the commander smiled and nodded. As the two soldiers started to bathe, the commander and the sordar surveyed the place. 'Beautiful', the commander whispered, and the sordar nodded in agreement. Chotu had returned by the time the commander had finished his bath. They walked inside the house, into a huge hall. Reed-mats were laid on the floor, and a middle-aged man was waiting for them. 'My father, the chieftain of Polash Nogor', Chotu introduced. Before the commander could introduce himself, he found himself in the strong, hearty embrace of the man. 'My home is your home', he said plainly after he had released the commander. 'We are humbled', the commander managed to mumble. 'Please eat and rest for the night; we will talk in the morning', the chieftain said.

The morning was in full glory when the chieftain appeared on the porch. The commander and the soldiers were savoring the beauty of the place, and they hurried towards the house. The chieftain and Chotu were flanking an old lady, old, but not feeble. 'My mother, the queen of Jongol Mohol' he continued, 'we don't have kings, the leadership passes from mothers to daughters'. The commander was feeling extremely embarrassed. But the lady smiled serenely and called, "Come here, my child'. When the commander was close, she gently caressed his cheeks and forehead and asked, 'Have you rested well?" The commander just nodded. But soon his composure returned, and he signaled to the sordar who in turn whispered something to Chotu and they both went inside the hall. When they returned, they were all sitting on the porch. They handed over the cloth roll and the metal-jar they had brought from inside to the commander. He placed those in front of the queen, bowed low, and said, 'We seek your blessing, O Queen'. 'Bless you, bless you!" the queen giggled cheerfully. 'But do tell me what this thing is that gives such a wonderful aroma'. Ghee (butter oil), the commander said softly. Then he brought out a roll of parchment from inside his shirt and, bowing low, offered it with both of his hands to the queen.

But the queen didn't even bother to take it. 'I can read the stars and a few other things, but scripts aren't one of them. Why don't you read it to me, dear?" she said pleasantly. The commander quickly and silently read the letter, then said, 'The King requests your permission to visit you'. The queen thought for a while. "When does the king plan to visit?" she asked. Now the commander thought for a while, "The King is now at Nokkhottro, he can be here in four to five days'. Please allow us a week, it's the first time a king from across the water will visit us, and all the chieftains must be present, said the queen. The commander nodded in acknowledgment. 'Now tell me about your king, your people, and your land; are all your people this shy and awkward?" The queen giggled merrily.