Ambition and Alavidha (6 page)

Thalia frowned,
“I’m not sure Rodick, I mean, it was different; they were
different. Do you see what I’m getting at?”

“But that’s
what I’ve been telling you, haven’t you been listening? Apart from
some of them wearing what can only be described as some sort of
uniform and this was the first time we’ve seen anything like
that,
they looked
different
. Almost as if they
weren’t real pirates at all.”

Thalia shook
her head, “no they weren’t; they looked just like all the pirates
we’ve encountered these last two years, scruffier even. It was how
they
were
that was different.”

Rodick wasn’t
as deep thinking as Thalia.

“I don’t
understand.”

Thalia
marshalled her thoughts, “let me see,” she began, “now, this is
fairly nebulous but I did get the impression that they were working
together.”

“They were
all
pirates Thalia,” Rodick snorted, “of course they were
all
together.”

“No, that’s not
what I mean. The second man Josei and I fought for instance, well,
he didn’t fight like a pirate. He’d been trained, I’m sure of it.
He danced, like that demonstration sword fight between the
Weaponsmaster and that visiting southern noble. Remember? During
our third year as cadets.”

“It was
awesome,” enthused Rodick, forgetting in that instant the
conversation in hand but Thalia was not so easy to distract. As her
fellow cadets had once said, ‘once Thalia has got the bone between
her teeth she won’t put it down’. Thalia liked solving
problems.

She put her
brainpower to work.

“I don’t
believe this attack was a normal one,” she told Rodick after
teasing the evidence to and fro. “They acted different and there’s
the bit about them acting in tandem with the mountain bandits.”
: Josei? :

: Did you
see the flags on their boats? :
he asked.

Thalia thought
back, and struck her forehead with her fist, “the flags! Of course!
The two galleys were sporting different flags! Did you notice the
third one, the one that got away?”

: Not
particularly, no :
he answered
: I was not paying much
attention but I will ask the Avuzdel who were watching. Slei might
have noticed :

: Do that :

Rodick had
remained silent during this exchange but couldn’t contain himself
any longer.

“Well? What
have the flags got to do with it?”

“”Shush. I’m
working on it.”

Rodick
subsided.

Slei’s answer
wasn’t long in coming.

: Slei says
that it was purple with white splotches. His words, not mine :

“The Renegades
of R’sair,” breathed Thalia, “and one of the others was the flag of
the Corsairs of Rkhenash. I didn’t recognise the third but it
doesn’t matter, not really.” She turned to Rodick, “don’t you see?
They came from different pirate groups! I wonder what has happened
to make them put aside their differences and to work together?”

“Did something
have to make them?” he asked.

“Something or
someone. You mark my words Rodick, it’s a someone and a someone
with brains too.” She paused, “a someone high up.”

“Who?” demanded
Rodick.

“I have
absolutely no idea and I’m not going to think about it any more.
Let others worry about it.” Changing the subject, she asked, “are
we stopping at the Supply Station tonight or is Vandiel going to
insist that we run on? I could do with a bath.”

Rodick didn’t
know.

: I’ll let
Slei know about your thoughts :
Josei offered as he picked up
his pace in tandem with the rest of the Ryzck.

He did, but
Slei didn’t get back to him after the courtesy thank-you and the
news that he would pass it on to the Susa of the Avuzdel.

* * * * *

The Fifteenth
Ryzck got back to their domta early the next morning and the first
place Thalia visited was the bathing pool. Ryzcka Vandiel hadn’t
let his Ryzck stay at the Supply Station for the night being
desirous to get back to their patrol area as soon as possible.

* * * * *

A month passed,
day after day of nothing happening. There were no more pirate
incursions. Replacement vadeln-pairs arrived to replace those who
had lost their lives and the badly wounded.

Thalia came to
accept the loss of Jenna and Stasei.

She couldn’t
wait for the end of their tour of duty however. It hadn’t been a
happy one, despite their achievements.

Ryzcka Vandiel
was intending to return to Vada not by the direct route but would
instead lead his Ryzck west, paralleling the North Caravan Route
and then turn south to Vada once they had passed the border between
Argyll and Vadath. It would add a full three days on to their
travelling time thus cutting into their leave period but he had
decided that this option was the more prudent.

Tension had
been growing in recent years between some elements of Argyllian
society and Vadath.

Each Ryzcka had
in fact, received orders from Susa Malkum who commanded the Vada to
keep contact to a minimum, especially in the Argyll interior.

* * * * *

So, one fine
day just over a month after the fight with the pirates the Fourth
Ryzck ran in and the Fifteenth gathered up their belongings and
prepared to move out.

As Thalia
packed her harness-bags she wondered if her Ryzck would be
returning to this area any time soon. She hoped not but she wasn’t
holding out much hope in that direction. Next patrol they might not
be but if not the one after that it would almost certainly be the
one after that. But what was the alternative?

: Request a
transfer :
was Josei’s suggestion
: if you really don’t want
us to come back here :

: Why didn’t I
think of that? But it wouldn’t solve the problem Josei. Any Ryzck
can be ordered back here :

: West. Let us
request a transfer to one of the Western Ryzcks. I would like that
Thalia. Closer to my rtathen I would be :

: Then we will
my Josei, just as soon as we get to Vada :

: Good :

* * * * *

The journey
home was an anticlimax. Thalia usually looked forward to her and
Josei’s leave periods but normally, especially during the first
days she felt a bit down in the dumps and this journey she felt
more low than usual. Josei was right, it was time to move on.

Although it was
summer, they met but few travellers on their route; some Express
Service riders and their Lind delivering packages and letters and
the occasional merchant and farm worker, that was all.

Everyone they
met greeted them with smiles and cheers, especially in the east.
News of their victory over the pirates has spread. Passing through
solitary farmsteads Vandiel didn’t have to request water. It was
brought to them by a succession of grinning children, all eager to
get close to a Lind and perhaps to talk to one.

Thalia left the
farms cheered. When they ran over the border into Vadath she was
almost back to her old self, in fact everyone and everylind cheered
up as they entered the lian of what were known as the Home Packs
whose rtathlians were situated in the north of the country. The
Vada Stronghold, along with most of the human inhabitants of Vadath
lived in the southerly areas, where the land was flatter and more
arable.

“We’re coming
home,” Thalia hummed the well-loved Vada running song.
Oh I
can’t wait.

And Josei could
only agree.

* * * * *

THE STRONGHOLD
OF THE VADA - VADA - VADATH

It was with a
great deal of pleasure that Thalia found out that her friend Katie
was in residence at the Stronghold. A flying visit she was
told.

“Me and Kenlei
leave in the morning,” Katie informed her.

“Yet another
message on behalf of the Susa?” hazarded Thalia. Actually, it
wasn’t difficult to guess. Katie and Kenlei were still serving with
the Fifty-first Ryzck and that was what they did. It was rare
indeed for any member of the Susa’s Own to remain on one place for
long. They were always off doing the Susa’s bidding, taking
messages, finding out information and liaising with officials of
other countries. Some ventured even into the southern continent.
The Fifty-first worked closely with the Avuzdel; the semi-secret
cadre within the Lind nation responsible for intelligence and
fact-finding.

“Another
message,” agreed Katie, “Kenlei and I will likely be away for a
while his time too. There are exciting times ahead Thalia.”

“Times are
always exciting when you’re around Katie,” laughed Thalia. Katie’s
zest for life was perpetually catching for those in her
vicinity.

“How true,”
Katie giggled, “life is for living. You take life too seriously my
friend.”

“Perhaps I like
it that way, so, if you’re going tomorrow, perhaps we could go to
the
Lazy Lind
for dinner tonight? The cook-house will be
full to the brim with both us and the Second coming in.”

“Absolutely,”
agreed Katie, her face brightening. The
Lazy Lind
was
the
favourite eating house. The food it served was
‘tremendously delicious in every way’ as Rodick had once described
it and more importantly, it catered for the Lind too; as did most
inns in and around Vada but it was common knowledge that the
Lazy Lind
was the best.

“At Eve Bell
then?” asked Thalia, “now, I’d better be making tracks, I’ve got an
interview with Susa Malkum.”

“That sounds
ominous,” teased Katie, her eyes were twinkling, “so what have you
been up to, to warrant such a summons?”

“I
requested
the interview,” retorted Thalia, “can’t tell you
now, don’t have the time. Eve Bell then?”

“Eve Bell.”

Katie exited
Katie and Kenlei’s daga at a run, straightening her uniform tunic
as she went and with the mental urging of Josei ringing in her
head. He was already waiting outside the Susa’s office.

“What took you
so long?” he asked as she skidded to a halt.

“Katie,” she
answered, “
Lazy Lind
. Eve Bell.”

Josei looked
pleased. He liked the cooking there. The head chef was very fond of
Josei; Josei told good stories and during his and Thalia’s
cadetship, bored with the mess hall cooking, he had, at least once
a tenday regaled the chef with stories in return for a large bowl
of his best zarova stew.

The two of them
stood watching the activity around them. Cadet duos were hurrying
to their next classes. They laughed as a gaggle of first years
exited the main lecture room and began to run at full tilt towards
the practice fields.

“Weapons
practice,” Thalia deduced, “I wonder if Weaponsmaster Alkin is
still as unforgiving with latecomers as he was in our day.”

“He is a man of
a habit,” agreed Josei, adding, “Freya says Malkum is ready for us
now.”

* * * * *

“You must
remain with the Fifteenth Ryzck for another tour,” Malkum informed
them after he had heard them out. “After that the Fifteenth has
Long Leave. Is that correct?”

“Yes Susa,”
replied Thalia.

“I can arrange
transfer to one of the Western Ryzcks after that,” Susa Malkum
said, “if that is agreeable to you and Josei.”

“I agree,” said
Josei at once.

“As do I,”
echoed Thalia.

“You will be
stationed much closer to Josei’s rtathen which will please you
Josei,” Malkum continued.

“Yes Susa,” he
said, “I am most excellently happy, I miss my family much.”

Susa Malkum
nodded. “I’ll make out the orders and let you know the
arrangements. We’ll miss you both here in the east. I have heard
nothing but good about both of you. Now go. Enjoy your Short
Leave.”

“Yes Susa,”
said Thalia and saluted.

She skipped her
way out of the office. Yes, she would miss all her friends in the
Fifteenth and moving west didn’t mean she and Josei wouldn’t see
action again; there were plenty of dangers there too, even pirates
and she would be living miles and miles away from the family that
remained to her but Josei was happy and that was all that really
mattered when all was said and done.

To make Josei
happy she would even go to live on Dagan if that was what he
wanted.

: That won’t
be necessary :
‘said’ Josei, padding after her.

* * * * *

Katie and
Kenlei were waiting for them when the entered the taproom of the
Lazy Lind
, just before Eve Bell.

In front of
Katie was a long thin bottle in which resided a pale pink fluid,
Thalia’s favourite wine.

“Dedta, Thalia
and Josei,” said Kenlei, getting to his paws, “you look well, if a
little tired.”

Kenlei was a
large, tall, rather heavyset Lind of an indeterminate colour-stripe
pattern with so many different browny-orange shades in his hairy
coat that even Josei wasn’t exactly sure what rtath (pack) he
originated from. Thalia had long suspected that he had some Larg
blood in his veins, a suspicion Josei agreed with. His gaze
however, as Kenlei quirked his lips at them was all Lind.

“So where is it
that you and Kenlei are going in the morning?” asked Thalia once
they were settled and the two humans were perusing the menu.

“You know I
can’t tell you,” answered Katie, “oh goody-good, we’re in luck,
tonight’s special is zarova pie. No-one makes it as good as Kenlas.
The pastry simply melts in the mouth. I’ll admit that sometimes
when me and Kenlei are off someplace or other I dream about it.
Kenlei adores it too. Hope Kenlas has made lots of them.”