Rikki and Avíá reached Chalícává and Chínselháüst in time for the wedding of Swivíla and Cáöné. "You're just in time. Swivíla and I are getting married today!" said Cáöné. "We shall stay for the ceremony but we must be going afterward." said Rikki. "I came of age yesterday. Swivíla did last week." said Cáöné. "I don't for another three weeks. Three weeks exactly to be more precise." said Rikki. "Do you now?" said Avíá. "Yes." said Rikki. "I have my second birthday twenty-one days from now." "So do I." said Avíá. "We have the same birthday? You never thought to ask me when mine was? All this time we've been together and you've never asked me!' said Rikki in shock. "You never asked me either." said Avíá. "Well, I shall have an easier time remembering your birthday then." said Rikki. That will make being married a whole lot easier. Never forget your wife's birthday, they always have said. thought Rikki-tikki. He had decided that she was the best possible candidate for a mate. And, considering that he had had no interest in anything romantic with a girl before he had met her, she was his only candidate. She had entered his life and turned it upside down. Still, he would need to think of a proper proposal. He would have a few more months to make a final decision on whether to ask her to be his wife and what to do to propose to her. Also, he would look at Avíá's attitudes toward him. Marriage, after all, required that both of them feel that the other was the best candidate for a mate and strongly love each other. He didn't want a failed marriage that he would look back with regret, having only entered it because of foolish youthful love that wasn't reciprocated.

Chalícává presided over the wedding. A coppersmith barbet introduced to all Mr. and Mrs. Cáöné. After congratulating the new couple, the mongooses left. "I hope you have many long years of peace and freedom." said Rikki. "I hope all goes well with you. May we meet again." said Cáöné and Swivíla. The tarantula colony applauded the two mongooses for their bravery in helping free them from Krädós.

Chalícává and Chínselháüst had offered to take them to the Great River. At the border of the Great River, Rikki and Avíá found a giant log from a big tree that had fallen in a storm a few days earlier and used it to sail across. "Farwell my friends." said Chínselháüst. "I hope we meet again." said Chalícává. "Farewell." said Sciurus and Streda. "Bye." said Rikki and Avíá as they moved toward Rutukas' home as the sun came over the tops of the trees.

"So, you two actually defeated the Tarantula Emperor!" said Rutukas later that afternoon. "Avíá actually was the one to finish him." said Rikki-tikki. "Great job! I'd been worried about you two. Nobody's ever gone in there and come back to tell the tale." said Rutukas. "So how did your master take the loss of his floating thing? We, er, kind of lost it over a waterfall." said Avíá.

"He wasn't happy about it. He made another one, though." said the bloodhound. "I was glad to get out of there all the same." said Tucker, who had traveled back with Avíá and Rikki. "They looked at me as though they wanted to eat me." "They, er, probably did. We ourselves nearly ate you too. They wouldn't have eaten you after you helped free them." said Avíá. "Sure you can't stay?" said Rutukas. "Nope. Well, maybe to have lunch. Anything good to eat here, besides Tucker?" said Rikki. "I'm joking!" said Rikki at Tucker's look of horror. After eating some raw meat that Rutukas' owners gave to them, the mongooses left. "My cousin Kíja lives where you're from. Say hello to her for me." said Tucker. "Farwell." said Rutukas.

Coming of Age

After traveling through the Fiery Hills, and once more roasting mice on liquid fire, they headed into the Land of the Lions. "All is well here." said Bahaxur. "We had some trouble with them giant spiders coming south after their leader was killed. But they're gone now. You guys can go around the Dark Forest." said Shujaa. "Most of it. We're not sure about close to the Wet Lands." said Medalíana. "Avíá and I came of age today." said Rikki. "Congratulations." said Bahaxur.

Rikki and Avíá rested for the day. "We're adults now." she said. "I'd have liked to celebrate this day with my family." said Avíá. "So would have I." said Rikki.

The two mongooses went around the Dark Forest for many miles. At last, they entered it near the Wet Lands. They were greeted by Avíá's family and Tacróc. "So, how was I able to kill Nag? I've been meaning to ask you guys that." said Rikki. "One of the weakest spots of a cobra is around his hood." said Arda.

"How did it go? Did you get it?" asked Amíra. "Yes, I did it! I got the Magical Herb of Kalindo!" said Rikki. "Well done, but I'm afraid that's less than half the battle." said Tacróc. "What do you mean?" said Avíá. "You honestly think you'll get past the vipers!" laughed the shady form of Kikatili. "Think they'll just let you pass and the Queen won't know?" laughed Apakarmi. "Think you can kill the Queen now as an adult when you couldn't destroy her as an egg?" laughed Krädós. "You should have realized that if we didn't kill you, Nagasta would!" laughed Nagaina. "Why don't you turn back?" taunted Nag. "Ignore them." said Alánda. "How are we going to get past the vipers?" said Avíá. "You'll think of something." said Amíra. "You've got no more tricks, Rikki-tikki." said Nagaina. "If you don't go now, the people will die." said Arda. "Are you sure?" said Avíá. "Yes, you must go and not stop." said Avála. "You'll be too late." said Krádös. "It's over for you Rikki-tikki." said Kinsta. "You will not win this time." said Ragiva. "There may be something that will slow the Queen down. Something the evil ones can't foresee. Go you two. You must not wait another moment!" said Tacróc. The two mongooses ran as fast as they could through the rest of the forest, only stopping for little periods to rest. "Farewell!" Avíá called to her family.

Return to the Wet Lands

Upon reaching the Wet Lands, they proceeded cautiously but after traveling two days, were met by enemies at last. "Rikki-tikki, coming back. With a plant it looks like. You are most foolish to come back." hissed a viper. "You don't know what I can do." said Rikki, his eyes growing hot. He paced beside Avíá, standing his ground. "You can't fight this many." said a viper. "There are two of us." said Rikki. "You guys alone against us aren't going win." said a cobra. "They're not alone!" they all turned and saw two lions. "Only two lions. So what?" said a python. "Not just lions." they turned as four tarantulas and two more lions came out. "Chalícává and Bahaxur sent us. They thought you might need help." said a tarantula. Kill them!" said a red-necked keelback. The fight was intense, two lions and a tarantula were killed. Rikki and Avíá, however, managed to frighten them by taking down snake after snake. "He's too dangerous to fight in the open in broad daylight." said a viper. "Thanks guys." said Rikki after their enemies had left. "Bahaxur and Chalícává are on their way. They thought you might need help personally." said a lion. "Glad they're coming. So how are we going to get past these guys here? They're coming back at night." said Rikki. "You lions, go back. Get the King and Queen of the Lions. Tell them we rescued them. We've got an idea to hide from these vipers." said a tarantula.

"Where are those dratted mongooses?" hissed a viper that night. "This time they don't have a bird looking out for them.[4] And we're more prepared for them. They don't have any sneaky tricks to defeat us like they did the last time. But where are they? We've searched all the caves. Nothing!" said a cobra in disgust. "He'll turn up. We mustn't attack him in broad daylight." "We'll keep watch for him. He's bound to be spotted before he even gets out of here." said a cobra. The snakes left. Once they had left, Rikki and Avíá looked down from their spider web haven in the trees. "Brilliant guys." laughed Avíá. "Thanks." said a tarantula. With the aid of their tarantula friends, they were able to use fear and stealth to avoid any more confrontations in the Wet Lands.

Upon reaching the Land of the Mice, Rikki and Avíá were met by a bunch of sad mice. "Did they warn you in time for the attack?" said Rikki, looking at the woebegone faces. "Yes, but they killed over 1000 of us. And they had Dark Mongooses eat the eggs of some of the crows who decided to stop her. " squeaked a mouse. "I'll deal with the King and Queen personally!" said Rikki-tikki, his eyes growing hot. "Karistan killed so many. He was brutal. He ate my parents." squeaked a mouse child. "Nagasta and Karistan ate my husband and children." said a widowed mouse. "We'll rest here for a bit, but only a bit, we must be going." said Avíá. "Yes, the King and Queen have been talking about attacking the humans together." said a mouse. "You two are awfully brave to try and fight them." said a crow. "We'll get help from the garden creatures. And we have a magical herb that can cure one snakebite." said Rikki. The two mongooses sat down and rested, for they had traveled all day.

Rikki-tikki gazed at Avíá-tía. They had been through a lot together: the Wet Lands, the Dark Forest, the fight against Apakarmi and Kikatilí, their adventures in the Land of the Lions, their fight with the pythons and their travel over the mountain of ash and liquid fire, their fight with the kraits at the Great River, their adventures in the Land of the Giant Spiders, and their battle with the Tarantula Emperor. Not to mention their return trip from Kalindo, carrying the herbs back over nearly 1000 miles. They were nearly back to Rikki's home, now the abode of the wicked Cobra King and Queen. He wasn't sure what the future held in store for him exactly. But he knew a few things for certain. He had chosen his mate. He was going to show his soon-to-be wife to his family. And he was going to let Darzee sing to his heart's content about Avíá. He would be by her side forever. He and Avíá would raise their mongooselings in the garden. They would protect Teddy and his family forever. Not that any snakes would dare come anywhere near the garden once Nagasta and Karistan and their children were dead.

Nagasta! Rikki-tikki thought. She won't be easy to stop, even with a magical herb. And she and Karistan have decided to attack the humans together. Well, they're in for a surprise. I've got a companion to help me too! She's already helped me far more than she realizes. As for Karistan, he's going to pay for all of those mice that he killed. It had grieved him sorely to see all the orphaned mice and even worse to see grieving parents of children that Karistan had eaten out of anger at their riot against Nagasta and him. He would also see to the Dark Mongooses that had eaten the eggs of some of the crows that had refused to join Karistan and Nagasta. I'm going to be dealing with them soon enough. But in the meantime I'm going to show Avíá to all of my friends and family. I'm going to have Darzee and his wife sing a special song for our wedding. he thought. And I'm going to get to rest and spend the rest of my life with my beloved one.