Conflict and Courage (12 page)

That started
the argument.

“Why do you
need horses when you’ve paired with a Lind? Horses are okay I
suppose, but they can’t talk to you, can they?” asked a tall
boy.

“I know that
dimwit and I wouldn’t swap Ganya for a dozen horses or more, but
they are beautiful in their own way.”

“Dimwit, who
are you calling a dimwit?” Grant, one of the seniors stood up and
began to walk menacingly over to Duguld.

Emily watched
the scene unfolding with consternation.

This was not
the first time the two had had a spat, usually vying for her
attention.

Brian caught
her gaze and one eyebrow rose. He knew Emily disliked such scenes.
He indicated with a surreptitious jerk of his head that she should
follow him outside.

“Sofiya is
calling for me,” he said aloud in explanation.

Emily grasped
at the opportunity and sidled away. So intent were Grant and Duguld
on their argument on the merits and demerits of horseflesh that
they didn’t see them depart.

“They’ll argue
for ages,” said Brian as they emerged into the cool evening air. “I
just hope it doesn’t come to blows. Their cubicles are near mine
and they’re always squabbling with each other and that was
before
Eitel and Jilya found each other.”

“Grant is
always pushing himself beside me,” whispered Emily, “and I don’t
know what to do about it.”

“Just ignore
him. As training gets more strenuous he’ll be too tired to
bother.”

“I miss Thomas
so much,” confided Emily. “I’m not ready for another relationship.
I know I’m only fifteen but Thomas and I knew that we, Ilyei and
Stasya would be together one day.”

“I’ll look
after you,” promised Brian impulsively, “as a friend.”

“Thank you,”
answered Emily with a good deal of relief. “If you could just get
Grant to back off?”

“I’ll do what I
can.”

Brian’s Sofiya
had been listening.

: We both
will :
was her mental reassurance, picked up by Ilyei and
passed to Emily
: Louis and Ustinya will be back soon, they make
sure of this, I will speak also to Grant’s Satirya :

: Not yet
but we’ll keep that option in mind, I don’t want Emily upset :
answered Brian.

: Emily is very
pretty. Ilyei is nice too :

: We are
here to learn and Emily still thinks of Thomas :
Brian
warned.

: Yes but we
can have fun too :

Sofiya subsided
at this point, which was a good thing as Emily had begun to talk
again. They had reached the entrance to the girl’s quarters.

“Goodnight
Brian,” she said.

“See you in the
morning then,” he answered and with a jaunty wave left her for his
own cubicle.

Sofiya was
waiting for him, stretched full length on the raised platform of
her divan. She opened one bright eye as he entered their cubicle on
the boys’ side.

: Better
sleep :
she advised.
: It will be another long day tomorrow
:

As he undressed
he realised that he never had found out what tomorrow’s lesson
titled EQ was about.

The next day
panned out as Sofiya had predicted. To their relief it was neither
the Weaponsmaster nor his Second who were taking their dismounted
practice. It was Nell, Ryzcka of the Junior Cadets who awaited them
on the practice field and who was reported to be much less of a
disciplinarian. She certainly did not shout as much as the other
teachers.

“Our
Weaponsmaster hopes to be with us shortly,” she informed them,
ignoring the ostentatious sighs of relief, “until that time you
will have to make do with me.”

They looked at
each other. This might prove interesting. Certainly, the lazier of
them hoped, it would not be as hard as when the two that generally
took the class were in control.

Their optimism
was soon in shreds.

Nell held her
own wooden practice sword aloft.

“This is a
lethal weapon, although it is made of wood, it can still maim and
kill as I am sure both Wilhelm and Ross have told you often
enough.”

“I am now going
to show you,” Nell continued, “the first of a series of sword
drills that you will learn over the next weeks. Only when you can
do this one perfectly and without strain will you be taught the
next. Each series is made up of the individual moves you have been
learning so far.”

She brought her
sword into the ‘Ready’ position.

Standing square
in the centre of the circle of cadets she brought the sword down in
a short half-arc.

“Movement
One.”

Then with a
flick of her wrist and with nary a wobble it sliced up until arm
and sword were parallel to the ground.

“Movement
Two.”

There, arm and
sword stayed unmoving, until she brought it back into the rest
position with the words, “Movement End.”

Then she
smiled.

“On the
count.”

Thirty-two
swords were made ready and she began. The exercise was repeated
again and again, faster each time until the cadets felt that their
sword arms were going to drop off. Nell was unmerciful, criticising
constantly but also praising.

“Higher Duguld,
much higher. Is it terrier dogs that you think will be attacking?
That’s good Eitel.”

When Wilhelm
and Ross arrived, the former nodded approvingly and the two of them
took over from Nell, correcting stance and placement whilst she
stood in the middle counting the beat.

After a while,
Wilhelm split them up into two groups. The least proficient, he
left with Nell telling her to concentrate on building up their
strength, the remaining twenty he took and told them to form a
circle around Ross.

“These practice
blades,” said the Weaponsecond, “ are similar in weight and length
to the real weapons that you will wield in earnest. They are, as
you must be aware by now, longer and thinner than those used by the
infantry and slightly curved. We will repeat what you have learned
but much faster than you did with Ryzcka Nell.”

Again and again
they did the set moves, Ross calling out the movement numbers, then
Wilhelm called a halt and moved round the circle, correcting grip
and stance again. Ross began counting again. The cadets grew ever
more hot and sweaty and their sword arm did not so much ache, as
throb with weariness. Some of the less robust felt they must cry
with the pain if it didn’t stop soon but Wilhelm did not call a
halt, merely left Ross to it and went to help Nell with the
others.

The cadets
groaned but kept at it, the girls especially finding it difficult
to stop their arm from wobbling.

It was with
heartfelt relief that they racked the weapons when the bell went
and sped off to their next class, the one with the innocuous title
‘General Education’.

At least they
would get a rest from physical exertions they were thinking as they
entered the cool classroom and sat down at the neat lines of desks
and stools.

A physical rest
it may have been but no rest mentally as they soon found out. Their
teacher was very well aware that she had only seven sessions a week
to drum into the class the education programme stipulated by law
and they were left with, of all things, written homework for the
next day.

“Mathematics,”
groaned Duguld in dismay. How I hate the beastly subject.”

Emily smiled at
him sympathetically. She liked maths but even she was wondering how
she could fit in these extra studies on top of all the rest.

“Lunch first,”
she said.

“Good,” was
Eitel’s comment, “but then more weapons-work, at least it is
mounted this time, not that I’ll manage to stay on top of Jilya and
do the drills at the same time.”

The Lind bonded
with the cadets had watched their first essays into the science of
swordsmanship with a great deal of interested trepidation. They had
been more than relieved to hear at lunchtime that they were to be
excused practice until their humans had learned more control. What
met the cadets in the practice field that afternoon was yet more
dismounted drill, much to Eitel’s chagrin.

As the weeks
progressed, so did the cadets. Riding classes with Geraldine and
Jsei continued until Geraldine released them to refine their skills
on their own. Classes in First Aid, Cooking, Living off the Land
and Equipment (the EQ argument was thus resolved) were added. Each
day they attended both mounted and un-mounted arms practice. They
watched the senior and adult cadets go through much the same except
that they were excused classes in general education. These older
cadets were taught the most exciting class of all, that of battle
practice, when they learned how to fight in formation and against a
foe (one or more ryz from the home pack Lindars). This last looked,
and was, dangerously exciting.

The junior
cadets complained amongst themselves about the amount of work they
had to put in, but as Emily observed one evening about a month into
classes, their workload was as nothing compared with the intense
training the adult and senior cadets were undergoing. Brian’s
prophecy that Grant would have little time to pester Emily had been
proved all too true.

The juniors did
not know how hard-pressed Francis was to provide enough
vadeln-pairs to meet the Vada’s commitments.

Weaponsmaster
Wilhelm was being pressurised by Susa Francis to release cadets for
active duty and the more proficient adult cadets were, by the first
month of winter, accompanying the regular patrols to the nearby
coasts. They were not yet ready as Wilhelm complained vehemently at
every opportunity, but to no avail. Luckily most of them had learnt
the rudiments of fighting in the months before the Larg and convict
invasion earlier in the summer and, under the eagle eyes of Wilhelm
and Ross, adapted quickly to the methods of fighting alindback,
once accustomed to the longer one-edged sword.

By mid-winter,
most adults and the best of the senior cadets had been promoted to
active duty thus alleviating the pressure a little.

It was at this
time that Susa Francis decided that the Vada required a uniform and
excitement mounted within the stronghold when the cadets were told
it would be revealed.

The cadets were
issued with a stiff material tabard that they were to wear over
their work clothing to distinguish them from the other inhabitants
of the stronghold. It was maroon, which had been chosen as the
colour of the Vada uniform proper.

The silver Vada
badge of the Lind head was stitched on to the left breast and white
stripes would be added underneath as their training progressed.

As yet there
was no word of any attacks from the southern continent, Larg or
convict.

Francis
continued to make sure the patrol areas were covered but there were
huge gaps in the cover and he was at his wits’ end to ensure that
the coast had enough protection.

He worried
about it, often, to his wife Laura in the evenings.

“The Ryzcks are
too big,” advised Laura, “they are unwieldy. Smaller units are
needed and more of them.”

He looked at
her, opening his mouth to reply but Laura wasn’t finished.

“You must
reorganise and while you’re about it you’d better make plans
regarding maternity cover.”

Maternity
cover?” Francis looked blank.

“Our Lind
partners will have at least one litter which will effectively put
them out of action for a considerable time. Look at Asya and, like
me, our women won’t want to be celibate all their lives. You’ll
have to make provision.”

“There’s such a
thing as birth control,” Francis ventured.

“Not for the
Lind.”

“Pregnancies
and motherhood,” groaned Francis, “yet something else to worry
about.”

“Don’t be silly
Francis, it merely needs planning and organisation. There are a
multitude of tasks and duties we can do. Training springs to mind,
perhaps message delivery. Not everyone is in the lucky position you
are. Faddei has already expressed his willingness to carry and
fight with you if and when Asya is unavailable.”

“For which I am
eternally grateful.”

“But first you
have to reorganise, make the Ryzcks smaller and more manageable.
Perhaps ten Ryzcks of around thirty instead of three large ones.
Makes setting reasonable leave periods easier as well. Both people
and Lind want to visit their families and friends. The Lind
especially are not used to spending the majority of their lives
away from their packs. There are grumblings already. As the Vada
grows, there will be more than ten Ryzcks and then your patrol
rotas and leave periods will be even easier to organise.”

Francis,
Wilhelm and Ross worked well into that night planning the revamp of
the Vada, Laura continuing to provide helpful advice.

Not that the
cadets trained every hour of every day. They were encouraged to
take up a hobby of some kind. An active Ryzck spent at least twelve
tendays, as weeks were becoming known, in their patrol sector and
time could lie heavily on their hands, especially during long, cold
winter nights in the mountain sectors.

Both
leatherwork and fretwork were popular and to a lesser extent
embroidery and tapestry making.

If a cadet
played a musical instrument, he or she was encouraged to practice.
Flutes and whistles being the most common; they were easily
transported alindback and small enough not to hamper a rider. There
were a few who played the violin but strings and bows could and did
break and were difficult to replace.

Duguld was the
only one amongst the cadets who played a brass instrument, although
Ryzcka Nell played the tenor horn. Neither Duguld nor Nell’s
avocation was popular amongst the Lind. They complained bitterly
that the sounds emanating from trumpet and horn hurt their ears,
the trumpet especially, so Nell and Duguld were ‘persuaded’ to
practice as far away from the stronghold as they could manage.
Duguld took it in good part and did not stint on his practising. He
had, after all, promised his mother that he would not stop.