Ambition and Alavidha (14 page)

The emissary
who had put the idea in their heads Daniel learned over the drunken
orgy of food and drink that followed, had made it sound so
easy.

Daniel wondered
who he had been and more importantly, who had sent him.

He would not
find out for sure until much later and a lot of water would have
passed under his life-bridge by then.

* * * * *

-12-

VADA- THE
STRONGOLD - VADATH

Thalia and
Josei were at last going on Long Leave and were looking ahead to
both their holiday and to their future life with the Western
Ryzcks.

Ten whole
tendays! Thalia hugged herself in gleeful anticipation. Plenty of
time to run to the rtathlian of Josei’s rtath and back and more
importantly, plenty of time to spend at the domta with Josei and
his rtathen, the domta Josei called home.

It had been six
long years since Josei had last seen his family and rtath. He had
left then, to travel east in search of his vadeln, his mind and
life partner.

Then had come
the years of Vada training and on graduating Thalia and Josei had
been assigned to the Fifteenth Ryzck. At this time of posting the
Fifteenth had just completed its Long Leave and as they only
happened every two years (minus one month) Thalia and Josei had had
to wait.

The Vada, in
this the year of AL 808, was split into two sections. Out of the
fifty Ryzcks, thirty-four were known as the Eastern Ryzcks and
served in Vadath and Argyll.

The others
served and were based in the Rtathlians of the Lind.

Although the
headquarters of the Vada was at the Stronghold (also called Vada)
the Western Ryzcks as the remaining sixteen were called had as
their headquarters a small fort situated at the south-western tip
of the rtathlians. It was supplied by sea by a small fleet of Vada
luggers and was largely self-sufficient. It even had a
Weaponsmaster to help the serving vadeln keep up their skills. It
was called Vadarnth. The commander at Vadarnth held a comparatively
new rank, that of Ryzcksusa, Susa being Lindish for commander. The
overall commanders (Vadeln and Lind) of the Vada were called Susa.
The commander at Vadarnth held a comparatively new rank, that of
Ryzcksusa.

Thalia and
Josei’s transfer to one of the Western Ryzcks had been finally
approved some time before so they would be closer to Josei’s
rtathen; that was another reason why Thalia and Josei were in fine
fettle. They had been told by Susa Malkum that after Long Leave
they were to report to Ryzcksusa Delia and Retei who would tell
them to which of the Ryzcks of the west they had been assigned.
Susa Malkum said he had been told it would be the
Thirty-eighth.

Her and Josei’s
possessions (Thalia owned an inordinate amount of books) were being
sent on by sea and would be waiting for them when they reported for
duty. Until then their days were their own.

“Jiggerty jig,”
murmured Thalia as she joined another two vadeln-pairs, recently
her and Josei’s comrades with the Fifteenth as they left Vada. They
were also departing for Long Leave but unlike Thalia and Josei they
would be returning afterwards to begin their nineteen month
duty-leave cycle again. After Long Leave the Fifteenth were going
to a sector in southern Argyll.

The other two
human halves of the other two vadeln-pairings couldn’t understand
why Thalia and Josei had asked for the transfer, but then they had
been brought up by their parents in a town, in Stewarton, the city
of Argyll. Why Thalia and Josei should want to exile themselves in
‘The Wilds of Lind’ as a Murdochian scholar had once put it was
beyond their comprehension.

Thalia had
spent her early years in Stewarton too and studied there as a
teenager but she had never been overly enamoured with it.

“No libraries
where you’re going,” commented Rodick with a sly grin, “how on Lai
are you going to manage?”

“Well enough,”
Thalia answered in her usual composed way. “Traders and merchants
do
go there you know. Anyway, Josei wants to live closer to
home and that’s good enough for me. Don’t go on about it Rodick,
please.”

“Me and Anya
will miss you.”

Thalia laughed.
It was common knowledge amongst the other members of the Fifteenth
Ryzck that Rodick harboured a secret affection for Thalia
Josensdochter and a desire for her, a desire that was not
reciprocated. She liked him well enough but not as a bed-mate.
Josei also liked Rodick’s Lind Anya but also not in that way. He
had no wish to take Anya as a mate. For that Thalia was grateful.
It might have been difficult she knew to say no to the relationship
Rodick so craved if their respective Lind life-partners were
genuinely attached.

The twenty-four
year old Thalia remained blissfully single and had every intention
that her marital status should remain that way. In this desire she
was not alone. Many vadeln would not commit themselves, the
relationship between them and their Lind such a deep mind-linked
bond that they never felt the need.

* * * * *

THE RTATHA OF
RTATH GSNENDREI – SOME FIFTY MILES FROM THE WESTERN COASTLINE OF
THE NORTHERN CONTINENT – WITHIN THE RTATHLIANS OF THE LIND

Josei was
greeted by his family and rtathen with a whole bell-time filled
with a serious of rapturous barks, whines and licks by the ltsctas
as well as a plenitude of the more reserved and refined (and mostly
silent) greetings from the adults.

During their
years together Thalia had met some of Josei’s family before, not a
few had searched out their human life-mates but more had remained
within their rtath. She had never met so many all at once and felt
overwhelmed by the emotive lashing of it all. She was glad when
Josei blocked it. She wasn’t left on her own either, being welcomed
by Janya, the mother of Josei, with grave courtesy.

“Dedta domta
Thalia,” Janya said to her human guest, “we are very happy to meet
you at last.” Her large blue eyes shone with the truth behind her
words. Thalia felt, knew, that Janya thought of her as a part of
Josei and had been looking forward to their visit.

“Thank you,”
she replied, they were speaking in Lindish, “I can’t imagine why we
waited so long to come. Josei has told me so much about you,” she
smiled, “I feel as if I almost know you already.”

“Well, we Lind
are never really apart,” Janya replied, “Josei will be glad to show
you our domta. We have wonderful hunting lians.” Her ears pricked
forward. A regretful look appeared in her eyes but only for an
instant. In fact, Thalia wondered if that was actually what it was,
Janya’s facial expression had returned to normal so fast.

“It is very
beautiful,” she agreed, “we went past that part where the stream
meandered into the gully on our way here. Josei has told me about
it of course, how he fell into it when he was tiny and imaged me
pictures, but it is only when you actually get here you
understand.”

“How very
beautiful it is? Yes, this area has been the home of our rtath for
many lives of us. I must tell Josei to show you
everything
.
Now, to my next question. You know there is a Holad not many paws
from here?”

Thalia
nodded.

“Do you wish to
spend the dark-time there, with your own kind?”

It was obvious
the question was important.

“I would much
rather stay with Josei and you and yours in your daga if you don’t
mind.”

Janya looked
pleased.

“You are very
welcome, but will you be comfortable?”

Thalia smiled,
“I’ve got my bedroll and Josei and I have slept on hard ground
before. I’m sure your daga is most comfortable.”

“Then that is
how we will arrange it, there is grass and hay there which make a
fine sleep-place, but food? I know your kind does not eat raw
kura.”

“I will be
happy to cook,” Thalia offered, “I can cook a really tasty kura
stew. Josei loves it … but … I’ll need a big pot if I’m to feed
everyone.”

“That can be
brought here from where the Holad are,” said Janya, “I look forward
to tasting this stew, Josei has told us how nice it is.”

“You shall not
be disappointed Mother,” said Josei, sauntering over, having
extricated himself at last from the exuberant ltsctas. He licked
his lips in anticipation.

* * * * *

The days passed
as days do; days filled with quietness and for Thalia an inner
peace. She and Josei explored and as Janya had promised Thalia
found the woods and plains around the rtath Gsnendrei’s domta
absolutely wonderful. She and Josei hunted with his rtathen, Thalia
cooked meals (but not every day) and generally enjoyed herself.

She wished
their Long Leave could last forever but knew that it could not. All
too soon the two of them must return to duty. She sewed the silver
badges of the Thirty-eighth Ryzck on to her uniform tunics. It was
strange to see a silver knife emblazoned on them rather than the
Lai in flight.

Immersing
herself in this life of the rtath, the way of life of the Lind, she
didn’t notice that Josei was unusually un-talkative, nor that he
appeared to be showing her round the woods, the beauty spots and
the open places as if he might never see them again.

* * * * *

She and Josei
were not the only vadeln-pair on leave at the domta.

Also on leave
were a vadeln-pair called Rudy and his Lind Whispya, already
members of a Ryzck in the west. They were also on Long Leave

Sometimes
Thalia went over to the Holad Station to speak to both the
permanent staff there and those who were visiting.

* * * * *

“Some say that
the Vada is changing, is losing its ethos,” said Rudy one fair day
towards the end of Thalia and Josei’s visit.

“Perhaps it has
had to move with the times.”

“Perhaps, but
there are many who do not like it. You will find serving here in
the west different, more like the old days.”

“What has
changed do you think?” asked Thalia.

“The Vada
itself. Remember Thalia, the Vada is an organisation. It makes
coin. The Argyllian wards have always tithed for protection and
still do, those that need our services. But there are less of them
than there once were. The Vada costs a lot for its upkeep. It owns
land, quite fifty per cent of the farmland of southern Vadath is
owned by the Vada. Farmers pay rent. The Vada also owns vast herds
of kura and zarova. It probably possesses the largest herds on the
planet, supplies a goodly amount of the meat for Argyll too.”

“I never
thought of the Vada as a commercial enterprise.”

“It wasn’t in
the old days, never had to be at least until the Dglai invasion.
Argyll tithed more then and the Vada was largely
self-sufficient.”

“Does Argyll
not need us any more?”

“They still do
to patrol the mountains against bandits, gtran and wral but along
the south eastern and south coasts; not so much.”

“Why do you
think that is?”

“The Sea
Pirates don’t threaten as much any more; many of them have turned
to respectability. Did you know that King Cadan of Leithe’s
ancestors were once pirate leaders? No, I didn’t think so. Not many
do.”

“Is Leithe
important then?”

“Yes. It’s one
of the biggest of the islands. It began to be colonised at the end
of the sixth century. It didn’t have many inhabitants at first.
Then gold was found in the mountains and pretty soon everyone was
eager to move there. Many did. It was known as the Leithe Gold
Rush. It is extremely wealthy very powerful. The King of Leithe is
powerful and his strength is growing. I heard that one of Cadan’s
sons has recently married the heir to the throne of Murdoch.”

“I thought they
all intermarried with each other down in Murdoch,” commented
Thalia, “least that’s what my history books say.”

“No longer it
seems, anyway, Leithe also has a navy just like Argyll has. It
doesn’t rival Argyll’s yet but it will one day.”

“Rival Argyll’s
Navy, surely not? No other navy could do that!”

“I told you,
Cadan of Leithe is ambitious. I believe that his ultimate aim is to
become over king of all the islands in the Great Eastern Sea.
They’re certainly building ships fast enough. There are other
implications in all this too.”

He gazed into
the distance, marshalling his thoughts. “Cadan will expand his,
shall we say, sphere of influence? He’s started already. Some seven
or eight islands now owe allegiance to Leithe. One impact is that
fewer people who might want to emigrate from Murdoch and Argyll
into the islands don’t find the idea as appealing as they used to.
The King of Leithe has an unsavoury reputation for ruthlessness. So
where do they go?”

“I’ve never
wondered,” confessed Thalia.

“Where does the
excess population of Argyll go?” Rudy repeated, “overcrowding along
the coasts is already reaching levels to worry the Council of
Argyll. They used to go to the islands but now?”

“Surely you’re
not saying that they’d want to move west, into Vadath? Why, they
can’t! The Accords of Settlement in AL 2 stipulate that Argyll is
for humankind, Vadath human-kind and lind-kind and the rest of the
continent belongs to the Lind.”

“These were
simpler times,” Rudy explained, “the original colonists numbered
only about eight thousand. This situation was not foreseen.”

“But it is a
situation now, I think I’m beginning to understand what you’re
trying to tell me.”

“Murdoch is
growing too,” continued Rudy, “an extra two duchies have been
founded and no doubt more will come but my worry is here, on our
continent.”