Homage and Honour (48 page)

As the Trent
Reef came into sight his heart sank into his sea-boots. Moving
across the ice was what looked like hundreds of little dark ants.
He raised his long-distance glass to his eye. It was the Larg.
Kohort after kohort of Larg warriors were scrambling north.

* * * * *

As the bells
passed more and more of the army arrived at Fountains Head.

The Lindars
arrived one by one and after reporting in set up their doms in the
forest at the top of the valley sides. Lynsey and Johan had taken
great care to decide where each unit should be placed to most
effect.

As Johan
explained to Tana and Tavei when she asked, the northern army would
be outnumbered by the kohorts by at least two to one and they were
going to use the sides of the valley to give the North the
advantage of height. The kohorts would be forced to enter the
valley and attack uphill, some parts were so steep as to be almost
vertical.

“Are you sure
the Larg will let themselves be drawn in?” asked a dubious
Tana.

“A hundred per
cent certain. This area is forested and the Larg hate woods. This
is the route the Lindars will use to drive in the herds that are
the bait. There is water here, they will sense it. An army their
size needs a great amount of water and food. They won’t be able to
resist.”

“So the kohorts
are drawn into the valley,” said Tana, “what then?”

“Those at the
top will show themselves as I said, they won’t be able to resist.
We’ll charge down a little way then retreat back up to the top
where we will hold them. More and more of the kohorts will enter
the valley and when they are all inside, the Lindars and the
cavalry hidden in the trees near the entrance will charge and drive
the kohorts deeper in. We will grind them to pieces.”

“There’ll be a
lot of casualties,” worried Tana.

“Yes, it will
be expensive, but there is no other plan that we can think of that
has any chance of working, believe me Tana, if there was we would
use it.”

Liam Durand
marched in at the head of his Garda and made his way to the Command
Post to pay his respects to his sister and enquire as to where she
wished him to place his infantry.

Peter
Littleman, his Lind Sarya with the newly paired Philip Ross and
Radnya arrived with the Vadathian Militia having refused the option
to remain at Vada. Philip hadn’t been with Radnya long enough to be
of much use with the full-trained Ryzcks but Peter Littleman had
claimed him as his second without demur. Philip had been training
his entire life for battle and was used to commanding foot
soldiers.

The Forty-fifth
Ryzck led by Paul and Benya arrived. Beth and Xei made a beeline
for Tana and Tavei and the four were soon deep in discussion about
matters relating to the Southern Continent.

Brigadier
Halland rode in at the front of his jingling Heavy Horse. Their
arrival caused quite a stir amongst the Lind and he was
hard-pressed to reach his assigned position before darkness fell
because so many Lind came to stare and marvel at the wonder. The
Light Horse, accustomed to being overlooked by their larger and
more resplendent cousins grinned and wove their way in and out of
the trees with a competence that spoke of much practice. They had
their campsite ready, their mounts groomed, fed and watered and a
meal cooking before the ‘Heavies’ reached them.

The doctors and
medics reported in to Hannah and Kolyei and at once started to
prepare the dressing stations, the wards and the operating tents.
Hannah became reacquainted with Doctor Malin whose life she had
saved when she had discovered what was called ‘Hannah’s Cure’ and,
to her great delight, found that her brother Andy was one of the
civilian medical volunteers from Argyll. She learnt that their
brother Scott had marched in with the Garda.

Beth was not
pleased to meet up with old Harld who was insistent that he and
Alya remain with General Durand and his Garda. She could not
persuade him to move up to the CP either, as Harld claimed with a
steely gleam that he would be just as safe with the Garda as
anywhere else on the battlefield thank you very much. Eventually
Beth gave up arguing with him and told him to be careful.

Finally, as
news was coming in that the kohorts had taken the bait and were
moving towards them Alei, the Susa of the Avuzdel appeared. After
talking to Lynsey and Bernei, he led his sandy-coated Lindar out
past the picket lines and into the countryside, his task to keep an
eye on the Larg and report on their movements. He would also make
sure that no Larg scout got close enough to the valley to report
the true numbers of the army waiting for them.

The Lindars
continued to run in, some large, eight hundred to a thousand
strong, others not so large but all prepared to do their duty, to
defend their rtathlians against the Larg. The Susa of rtath Cdidya
appeared with what remained of his Lindar, one of the last, fired
with hatred for the Larg who had killed so many of his rtathen.

* * * * *

Yvdr,
Kohortangan of the Armies of the Larg was uneasy. He sensed a trap.
The route he had wanted to take, east along the coast was closed to
him. It was burning and devoid of food. His warriors needed to eat.
He could have taken the route up the western coast but that, he
knew, was wooded further north and would take him in the wrong
direction, away from the Lind heartland. That left this middle way
and it was in this direction that the meat herds were stampeding.
The herds were moving so fast it was as if they were being driven.
He sensed the presence of the Lind in and around the herds but none
of his warriors reported seeing any except in the distance where
the expected Lind scouts were watching. The more fleet of foot Lind
were too far away for the Larg to give chase.

His vanguard
reported that there was a valley ahead with fresh water. Did the
Kohortangan wish to visit the valley? They reported that a large
group of kura had broken away from the main group and were heading
in that direction.

Yvdr gave his
consent but became more and more uneasy the closer he got to the
valley. He sniffed the air ahead. Lind and other smells, strange
smells.

They were
waiting for him.

* * * * *

Battle (1)

: The Lindar
of Lainei arrives :
‘thought’ Bernei to Lynsey with excitement
: Never before have they joined us in battle :

“The Larg have
never attacked so far west before. Lainei, I’ve never heard of
it.”

“They are a
pack of secrets, the Sinetad Rtath,” Bernei supplied the
information, “it is said that some of them live on the other
continent. They do not keep in contact except with the Gtrathlin
and that seldom.”

“They must
believe the danger is very great for them to leave their rtathlians
to come to our aid. How many and when?”

“Soon their
Susa says.”

When the
Lindar, a very large one, arrived none was more astonished than
Lynsey. She was used to the varied stripe colours of each Lind
pack, even the inter-pack breeding over the last six or seven
generations had had limited effect. Her Bernei was a tri-coloured
mix, but the Lindar of pack Lainei, their coats were a blend of all
the colours in the rainbow, pinks, reds, oranges, blues, greens,
yellows and purples.

“They are
beautiful,” Lynsey breathed. “It is as if they have diamonds sewn
into their neck ruffs.”

Their coats
sparkled in the winter sun.

Their arrival
generated almost as much interest amongst the Lindars as had the
Heavy Horse. As the Lindar, some two thousand strong, made its way
towards the Command Post, soldiers of both species were pushing
forward and craning their necks the better to see them.

“Wonder if they
will understand us and we them?” speculated Rhian.

“Hope so,”
Lynsey whispered.

The first words
the Lainei Susa uttered when he came to a halt in front of Lynsey
and Bernei were in a strangely accented Lindish.

“Susyc Lynsey
and Bernei. I am Dainei, Susa of the Lindar of Lainei. Alei of the
Avuzdel told us of your need,” he bowed. His coat rippled, the sun
caught at the stray hairs. Bernei copied the movement, nudging
Lynsey and she managed to come to her senses long enough to execute
a sketchy bow.

The Susa’s eyes
twinkled. He appeared to be enjoying the sensation he and his
Lindar were causing. They were to find out that Dainei had a great
sense of humour. “As Susyc, you called on all the Lindars and more
to help defend our lands. In recent seasons there has been no need
for us to answer the call. The Larg were too few and they attacked
in the east where they never stayed long. It is different this
time. They wish to stay and bring all that is Lind under their
cruel and tyrannous rule. On the Southern Continent wait not just
their kohorts but females and young. This time we fight with you
and our brothers and sisters.”

“We didn’t
expect you,” stammered Lynsey, “in fact, until a short time ago I
didn’t even know that you existed.”

“It is not
common knowledge,” he agreed, crinkling his lips in the gesture
that was the Lind smile. His teeth were as white as the snow
underpaw and were very large and pointed.

“You are very
welcome,” Lynsey added.

“Over
twenty-four kohorts are moving up the valley and there are another
eight behind them,” Dainei said.

Wondering how
he knew so much when he had only just arrived, Lynsey asked, “you
sure? It’s been difficult to get accurate information. We don’t
wish to alert them to the fact that we are waiting.”

“I am sure,”
Dainei answered with confidence, “and please do not ask how I came
by this information because I cannot tell you.”

“Cannot or will
not?”

: Will not
:
supplied Bernei
: They are all under oath not to divulge
anything about their rtathlian :

“However you
came by the info, I’m glad to get it,” said a recovering Lynsey,
“can you tell us any more?”

“Your ruse is
working. The Larg have searched in vain for meat herds between here
and the large water and so they come this way, following the kura.
Where do you wish my Lindar to position itself?”

Lynsey looked
at the scribbled battle-plan. Dainei padded over and looked at it.
For somelind who had had no contact with humans and, by definition
writing and maps he grasped its meaning immediately. He even
understood, without asking, what the coloured triangle markers
representing each Lindar, infantry unit, troop and Ryzck meant.
Lynsey did wonder how he knew
that!

: Not from
me or any other Lind :
sent Bernei. He was mystified too.

“Between the
Third Ryzck and Lindar Gangudya,” she said at last after a hurried
look at the troop dispositions. We are weakest there, Lindar Yanei
has not yet arrived.”

“They are a
day’s run away,” was yet another surprising answer from Dainei,
“they make slow time and the ground is treacherous underpaw the
route they must take.”

With a
courteous nod at Lynsey and a respectful bow to Rhian as he noticed
her silver Weaponsmaster badge he walked away. His Lindar were seen
taking up position in their assigned spot amongst the trees.

Rhian, despite
her worries about the battle ahead wondered about that bow every
time she had a spare moment. She never did come up with an
answer.

* * * * *

“Are you
scared?” the sixteen-year-old Cadet Tobib asked Rhian.

“Course I am,
only a fool wouldn’t be.”

“But you’ve
seen action before; you’re the Weaponsmaster, Hero of
Galliard!”

“Nothing so far
in my life has prepared me for this young Tobib. This is no
skirmish against pirates. This is a battle lad, like none living
has seen before. Like our ancestors faced.”

“I read about
it,” admitted Tobib, “some of it was exciting, other bits though
...”

“Were beyond
the horrific?”

He gulped.
“This is going to be one of the horrific times, isn’t it
Weaponsmaster?” he sounded very young.

“Moderately so
I imagine,” answered Rhian, trying to exude a confidence she did
not feel.

Bernei was
relaying Lynsey’s final commands and the final adjustments were
made to arms and armour. Rhian settled her helm into place, drew up
the chinstrap.

: Mount :

“So it comes at
last,” murmured Rhian, strapping herself into the harness that
would hold her on Tadei’s back even if she was unconscious or dead.
She bit her lip. Under her Tadei was quivering, moving from one paw
to another.

The
vadeln-pairs around her were feeling the same. Lynsey’s Bernei was
also shaking, gearing himself up for the first all-important
charge. Ranolf and Aya were beside them, proud of the honour of
carrying the maroon and silver Vada standard. It flapped in the
breeze; it was a beautiful crisp day.
What a pitiful waste of
the lives of those who will die this day.

: The Larg
started it :
this was Tadei’s wry comment.

: And we must
finish it :

She caught
Lynsey’s eye, filled with steely determination. She listened to the
voices around her of the Ryzckas and Vadryzkas reminding the cadets
under their command, “watch your backs, watch each other and
listen
to your Lind.” It was a litany.

The knot of
senior cadets were behind her, each one responsible for keeping in
touch with the Susa or communications duo of their designated
Lindar or Ryzck and also with the Lind attached to the
horse-cavalry and infantry. The boys and girls looked terrified,
yet determined, their white faces filled with concentration as
their Lind partners endeavoured to keep in telepathic contact;
around and behind them stood a ryz of Lindar Jannsdei, their job to
keep the cadet pairs safe from attack lest the all-important
communications pivot be destroyed. Rhian hoped they would all
survive. The Roll of the Fallen at the Battle of Trumpet Keep
contained within it the names of over forty cadet pairs. Under
pressure, Larg communications were apt to disintegrate, each kohort
commander believing he knew best. It had happened then, Susycs Jim
and Larya had exploited this disharmony to good effect and did
everything to keep their own communication link intact. Lynsey and
Bernei intended to do the same. Everything depended on that and the
success of the mission to blow up the Ice Bridge. If Captain Wylie
was unsuccessful, it wouldn’t matter how many kohorts Lynsey
destroyed. The Larg would just keep on coming.