Homage and Honour (6 page)

: Come over
here silly :

Hannah stumbled
towards him. The crowd around Robain and Balindifya parted in
disbelief as she made her way to her life-mate.

Another cheer
erupted from the onlookers. Two vadeln-pairings from one farm on
one day! A dumbfounded Gunter Knutson watched;
Hannah
, he
thought,
shy Hannah is vadeln-paired
. His heart was bursting
with pride. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that she of
all his children could be the one.

He and his wife
had been apprehensive about any child of theirs joining the Vada,
they had refused permission to put the flag up until Lucy was
almost sixteen and here was the fourteen year old baby of the
family surprising them all.

Hannah and her
Lind stood there, impervious to the tumult around them, lost in
their own world of joyous sharing.

“I don’t know
your name,” she whispered in his ear.

: Did you
not manage to pick it out of my mind? :
he teased, wagging his
bushy tail.

Hannah pressed
her face closer into the warmth of his neck as he whispered, “my
name is Kolyei.”

The
celebrations in the Knutson farm continued into the night. Hannah
was dropping with exhaustion by the time the crowd of well-wishers
began to disperse although some followed Kolyei to the barn where
temporary accommodation had been prepared.

Kolyei lay down
in the soft walda grass with a sigh of relief and Hannah cuddled
down beside him, ignoring the camp bed her tearful mother had
prepared for her.

Under Kolyei’s
watchful eyes, her father lifted the downy off the bed and arranged
it over his slumbering child. She looked so young and defenceless,
how would she manage so far from home?

“Thank you,”
said Kolyei and sensing Gunter’s unease, added, “I will look after
Hannah.”

Gunter
smiled.

“We will all
miss her.”

“We come back
to visit,” Kolyei promised.

“When will you
leave for Vadath?”

“With the
sun.”

Gunter nodded,
he had expected no less. He glanced over at Robain and Balindifya.
Robain was snoring, a smile on his sleeping face.

Hannah’s father
did not get much sleep that night. When he entered the farmhouse he
was faced by a tearful and angry Lucy who was blaming her sister
for stealing away her Lind at the top of her lungs. Exasperated
when she would not see sense, he locked her into a small bedchamber
at the far end of the rambling house. She was still shouting
expletives when he did fall asleep.

In the morning
Hannah woke to a gentle voice ‘sounding’ within her head.

: Wake up
sleepyhead, time to go :

: What?
:
Hannah’s eyes snapped open.

: Have you
forgotten so soon? :

The ‘voice’ was
filled with an abiding love for Hannah and for all that she was, no
matter what her faults and imperfections.

“Sorry,” she
apologised aloud, “I’m still not used to this inside head
thing.”

“Speak aloud
for a while then,” Kolyei offered, “it does take effort, even when
we are next to each other. I will, however, still know what you are
thinking. Does that bother you?”

“You mean
nothing is secret between us now?”

“That is
correct, but you will learn how to shield your most private
thoughts if that is your wish. Some vadeln do, others feel that
there is no need, but that is for the future when you are
older.”

Hannah looked
relieved and Kolyei nodded with understanding, it is different for
us Lind. What you humans call telepathy is built into us. Not so
most humans.”

“It is you that
makes us able to, isn’t it?”

“Yes, we Lind
can sense thoughts of some humans. Not many.”

Hannah sat up.
She heard people talking outside the barn.

“What is
that?”

“Your family
are waiting to say goodbye to you. They have ‘things’ gathered for
you to take with you.”

The way Kolyei
spoke the word ‘things’ told Hannah that Kolyei found the human
necessity to carry along possessions just a little strange. The
Lind had different needs and that didn’t include clothes and
keepsakes.

The great
Kolyei of legend had owned some possessions. He had left quite a
library of books behind, owned jointly by him and his partner Tara.
This was not however a usual thing, on the whole the Lind thought
of personal possessions as being superfluous to the enjoyment of
life. They had a vigorous and ancient tradition of oral history and
literature instead, shared now with the humans with whom they
lived.

The goodbyes
were subdued. Laughing through her tears, Hannah hugged her
parents, then her brother and his wife.

“Remember to
write,” ordered her mother. “Use the Express, it doesn’t cost
much.”

“I promise.
Lucy?”

“She’ll come
round in time, don’t fret. By the time you return for your first
leave period she’ll be glad to see you I’m sure.”

“I hope so.
Tell her that I love her will you? I’m positive she’ll find her
Lind some day soon.”

Hannah did not
see the look that passed between Kolyei and her father. Gunter’s
glance asked the question he could not utter and Kolyei answered
the same way. Kolyei doubted very much that anylind would find Lucy
suitable. All the Lind could sense something from most humans, even
a little. With Lucy he had sensed exactly nothing, her emotive
broadcasting a blank.

Gunter did not
relish the next few tendays with the distraught Lucy.

“Good luck,” he
said as Hannah scrambled on to her Kolyei’s back.

Then they were
off, Robain and Balindifya running by their side.

* * * * *

Lokrhed (Third Month of Summer) –
AL156

Convergence
(4)

It was the
start of the Vada training year.

Jessica
Crawford approached the Vada Stronghold that evening with
trepidation mixed with excitement. This excitement communicated
itself to Mlei whose tail bounced high, swishing right and left
with every step he took. His paws impacted with the dusty roadway
and little puffs of dust marked their passage.

Her Great-uncle
James and his Lind Siya would be waiting for her.

It was not,
Jessica was thinking, as if her and Mlei’s vadeln-pairing was an
unexpected one. Like others of her family, Jessica had known she
was destined for the Vada from a young age.

In the
mountains lived the wral and the gtran who preyed on the farmers
and townsfolk who inhabited the highlands. They were becoming more
troublesome of late, the recent winters had been colder than usual
and these beasts had been forced down in search of food. Kura,
zarova, jezdic or human, it did not matter to them. Her uncle had
told her many an exciting tale about his encounters with them when
he and his Lind Siya had been younger and members of one of the
active Ryzcks.

These beasts
were not the only threat. In the Great Eastern Sea prowled the real
scourge of recent years. The pirate galleys ranged throughout the
islands and were not averse to attacking the eastern seaboard of
the Northern Continent as well, seeking victims with whom to feed
the vibrant slave trade of the Kingdom of Murdoch. The people of
Argyll and Vadath had learned to be wary of strange ships
approaching land, especially at dawn and dusk.

This was
Jessica and grey-striped Mlei’s future. Her family had not been
surprised when Mlei had arrived to claim her at last. Only death
would part the two of them now.

The duo were
about to embark on their Vada Cadetship, four years of intensive
training to prepare them for their chosen life.

“Jiggery jig,”
said Jessica aloud, “I’m so excited, aren’t you Mlei?”

: I have to
admit to a certain degree of this excitement to share :
he
answered
: I have not felt like this since I was fourteen
summers old and joined my Lindar for the first time :

Mlei was older
than Jessica by three summers. The Lind became adult at fourteen
and were expected to join their rtath’s Lindar, rtath being the
Lind name for pack. Although the North had not had to face the Larg
of the South in battle for many seasons Mlei had already patrolled
the mountains with his Lindar and had faced the gtran in combat. He
had the scars to prove it.

Indeed, some
said that the Larg would never return, that they were no longer a
threat. The pestilence which had hit them over a century before had
decimated their numbers considerably.

Great battles
some said, were a thing of the past.

The two of them
passed through the township of Vada and approached the Stronghold
walls. Jessica could see figures on the parapets; even in these
peaceful times the Vada never diminished its guard. A figure was
waving.

: It is the
man of Siya :
Mlei sounded pleased and gratified : it will be
good to rest :

: Do you need
to hunt? :

: Not yet
:
Mlei answered
: I rest first :

Jessica
wondered what the training would be like. Uncle James had described
what she should expect but Jessica knew that reality might well be
a lot different. Uncle James was old and very frail, he was over
seventy and his memories of his cadet years were blunted. Indeed,
he had told her mother that he was intending to remain at Vada only
for so long as the time it took Jessica and Mlei to settle in. He
and Siya would then formally retire from their duties and leave for
her rtathlian, there to spend what remained of their lives. What
was it her father had said?

“
Enter the
training with an open mind and you won’t be disappointed. It won’t
be a bed of dalina flowers. A Vada Cadetship is a preparation for a
war we all hope will never come and above all remember that truth
and honour are of paramount importance.

Remember too
that some of your ancestors were amongst the first twelve to pair.
They were called the Children of the Wolves. As you know Jess, I
never wanted to pair, though I did get the chance once. I always
wanted to be a farmer. The Vada motto is ‘Truth, Duty, Courage and
Honour’ and, when you become a cadet and for the rest of your life,
you will follow these four tenets. Truth will be easy. You are
mind-linked with Mlei and I do believe that the Lind are incapable
of telling a direct lie, it is not in their psyche. Duty, well,
that should be clear to you. Courage will come as will honour.”

Jessica hoped
that she could accomplish all four.

The evening
before she left her father had added another piece of wisdom, to
trust Mlei’s judgement and a last piece of advice, to make friends
and enjoy herself. Jessica intended to do just that.

She and Mlei
trotted through the gates and there was her uncle, Siya by his
side, a welcoming smile lighting up his otherwise dour face,
“welcome to the Vada, Cadets Jessica and Mlei,” he cried out in a
voice hoarse with age.

The next few
bells were hectic ones, Jessica was issued her cadet uniform, Mlei
his harness then Jessica and Mlei were escorted to the cadet
barracks, their home for the next two years.

They were put
in the charge of an older cadet pair.

“You are one of
the first to arrive Jessica,” the girl said, “so you and Mlei get
the pick of the cubicles. You’re lucky, some of the ones further
down don’t have windows. As you can imagine, they’re not the most
popular,” she grinned.

Jessica chose
her cubicle, one with a window and about halfway down the narrow
corridor.

“Am I really
the first to arrive?” asked Jessica as she put her knapsack down on
the narrow bed.

“Not the
absolute first of the first years, no,” the girl answered, “there
are a couple of boys who arrived ahead of you but they’re in the
boys’ corridor on the other side. I think they’re doing their stint
in one of the chore sections at the moment.”

“Chore
sections?”

“You’re in the
Vada now,” Jen replied, “Cadets, however new and junior, do chores,
or fatigues. You’ll be kept busy until classes begin, never
fear.”

“Gosh,” said
Jessica. Uncle James had forgotten to tell her about that.

“They’re not
difficult,” continued Jen, “get used to it. You’ll never believe
what some first years say when they are told. Some, you see, come
from fairly well-to-do families in Argyll. It can be quite
funny.”

“Did you find
it funny when you first came?”

“I’m a Vada
brat,” explained Jen, “you?”

“Well, I was
brought up on a farm so I know all about chores.”

“From down the
road a ways, aren’t you?”

Jessica
nodded.

“Thought so.
Your clothes give you away.”

“Do I
look
like a country bumpkin?” queried Jessica with some
humour.

“We all look
the same when we are in uniform,” comforted Jen, “now is there any
way we can shorten that name of yours?”

“I’m called
Jess at home,” offered Jessica.

“That’ll do,”
said Jen.

She then showed
Jess the correct way to put her kit away.

“Harness on
that hook, outdoor gear on this one. The one on the right is for
your sword when you get one. Ordinary uniforms top shelf, chore
section uniforms the one underneath. Top drawer for your personal
possessions, second for your underthings and the third for any
non-uniform clothing. Shoes and boots on the floor under the pegs.
It’ll soon feel like home and before I forget, inspection every
morning after breakfast.”

Jess’s head was
reeling.

“What about
Mlei’s grooming?”

“Standard
issue. It’s in that box over there, now that’s it. See you keep it
in order else the Cadet Ryzcka will have something to say.”