Conflict and Courage (3 page)

“Crtath,
welcome,” began Afanasei. As leader of the rtath hosting the
meeting it was beholden on him to make the first announcement. “I
ask Susyc Jim to speak.” He turned to Jim, inclining his hairy head
in an invitation.

Jim stood
up.

He looked at
the interested faces gazing at him and prompted by Larya, began,
“it is my honour to report that the Larg and convict armies have
been defeated.” He paused for a moment.

: Keep
going, you are doing fine :
Larya ‘thought-sent’ the
encouraging message.

“We have hopes
that they will not try again in the near future. I think they were
surprised at the courage and determination we all showed. I am
proud of all who fought. Available intelligence, scant though it
is, suggests that the Larg are in disarray and that their
commander, Aoalvaldr, is in disgrace. We do not think that the
convicts in the south will attempt another invasion without Larg
support.”

“Do you think
they will try again?” asked Winston, in Lindish with an atrocious
accent.

“Within our
lifetimes, yes, I think they will. The convicts did not get what
they came for. They fled only when the Larg lines broke.” He
surveyed the assembled and gave a half-bow in the direction of the
Susas and Francis, “and for that we have the Lindars and the Vada
to thank. We well know the cost of our victory.”

“The Larg wish
to rule all,” said white Malkei, Elda of his green striped pack.
“We know this. They will be back, with or without these bad
men.”

“Yes,” agreed
Jim, “and it is the alliance between them that makes the situation
so dangerous. Up until now you have known where and mostly when,
the Larg will attack. This is true no longer. Recent reports state
that the convicts now have boats. The entire coastline is under
threat, winter and summer. We will have to set up a system of
coastline patrols.”

Jim paused,
waiting for the reaction. It was not long in coming.

“Lindar Jalkei
protects in the east,” protested Velsei.

“They only
patrol where islands are,” was Malkei’s mild comment. He looked at
Jim. “What do you suggest?”

“I
do
have a proposal.”

Sixteen pairs
of eyes focused on their Susyc.

“Our four home
packs and the Vada must patrol all along our southern coast, also
the colonists in Argyll have begun to spread north up the east
coast and have asked for protection.”

“Can they not
defend themselves?” asked Velsei.

“The Vada have
agreed that they have an obligation,” Jim continued, ignoring the
interruption, “an obligation to defend all of the free peoples in
the north, Lind and human and they shall do so, no matter what the
cost. Their numbers are few, they can scarce field more than two
hundred vadeln-paired and there is a lot of coast to protect. Rtath
Ratvei has agreed to send half a Lindar into Argyll to the east
coast and also rtath Vanya, but this can and will only be a
temporary measure until the Vada has enough fighting pairs.”

There were
whines and murmurs of approbation.

“Lind must
protect all,” said Matvei in agreement.

“I have asked
Robert Lutterell in Argyll and he has agreed that more Vada
recruits can be searched out from amongst his people,” added Jim,
“all packs have been requested to send unattached Lind to find
their life-mates but it will take time to train them.”

“Many are eager
to join Vada,” said Velsei, “the Ruza of the battle is the
Vada.”

Velsei turned
to his own Susa who looked anxious. “What do you think?”

The white Susa
commanding rtath Velsei’s Lindar thought for a moment before he
spoke. “There the snow land as well,” he cautioned. “Wral and gtran
come down and hunt. We need protect rtatha. Who will protect the
young and old if we are at coast?”

“He has a
point,” admitted Afanasei.

The Velsein
Susa turned to Jim. “Talei am I. Lindar Velsei lost many in battle
with Larg. Like Vada we are short of experienced fighters.”

“We all are,”
answered Asya. “Need time for ltsctas and human young to grow.”

In normal
circumstances, the Larg would be unlikely to return for at least
two seasons after such an extensive defeat, but as Jim pointed out,
these were not the normal, more traditional circumstances.

“For good or
ill,” declared Jim, “mankind is here. I could wish that the
convicts on the Electra had seen fit to go elsewhere, the Larg
would have been quite enough to deal with on their own.”

“That
understatement,” said Afanasei, “we thought this ourselves.”

“Are we agreed
then?” asked Jim.

“I speak for us
all when I say we are,” answered Afanasei after a rapid telepathic
interchange with the other three pack-leaders.

“They’ll not
always be like this you know,” reflected Jim.

“Who?” queried
a confused Malkei who might be forgiven for not understanding who
were the ‘they’.

“The convicts.
In a few generations they will have forgotten their beginnings
here.”

“We can but
hope,” said Winston to no one in particular.

Kolyei turned
to Asya. “You and Asya leave for Vada domta soon,” he said.” We
have agreed that the Vada must keep going. All rtaths will send
unpaired to seek out human life-mates.”

“I need at
least two hundred,” warned Francis, “more if you can manage it and
the older the better. If both vadeln-pairs are adult or almost so,
they will be ready to fight that much sooner.”

“Aren’t the
fully adult the most unlikely to form life-bonds?” asked Winston,
“also, many have families to support and might be unwilling to
uproot and come east to us.”

“The hopeful
will not be drawn to the unwilling,” said Kolyei, pointing out the
obvious.

“Get them to us
and we’ll train them. That’ll ease the load in the future,” said
Francis. “We have begun to build the stronghold. Families are on
their way to farm the land, few as yet, but numbers will grow.”

There were no
objections; all four home packs had a community of humans living
within their pack borders although Afanasei’s was the largest. If
some of these humans wished to farm in the lowlands to the south
that was fine by them. The pack-leaders were confident that enough
would remain within the rtathlians.

“You will take
responsibility to run Vada?” asked Ranetei, “to defend
rtathlians?”

“I pledge
this,” vowed Francis.

“We pledge
this,” amended Asya.

Winston Randall
coughed and heads swivelled towards him. He looked diffident. “As
we appear to be talking about setting up settlements, I feel that
it is time that I told you of the hopes of a small group of us,
human and Lind.”

Afanasei
nodded, Winston had told him he would be bringing this up.
“Speak.”

“We in the
group are all medically trained,” Winston said slowly, with help
from Kolyei. “We wish to set up another domta here in the
rtathlians to train others. Any healers can come there to learn how
to heal. My greatest wish is that we will train enough humans and
Lind who will travel throughout the entire continent giving medical
succour for injury and illness. We humans have much to learn from
our Lind counterparts and visa versa.”

He looked at
the faces watching him and recognised pleased surprise.

“The Vada needs
trained medics,” agreed Francis, “we will send our people for
training with you.” He was watching the others for their
reactions.

“Velsei will
send Holad members to learn,” announced Velsei.

“Malkei.”

“Ranetei.”

Winston
Randall’s face broke into a smile.

“We can do so
much,” he declared, “we can save so many.”

Human medics
had saved hundreds of Lind lives on the battlefield, lives that
would otherwise have been lost.

“You have
chosen place for this domta?” asked Rozya.

“Not far to the
south of here. Good water, plenty of trees. Vadath Holad domta will
be the one where everyone wants to train.”

“Vadath?”
enquired Matvei. “What is Vadath?”

Winston’s eyes
ranged round. “Have I spoken out of turn?” he queried, not a whit
abashed, “Kolyei did say.”

Jim and Larya
looked sternly at the blue-striped Lind at Winston’s side and
Kolyei had the grace to look embarrassed.

“I not think it
big secret,” he said in defence but the twinkle in his eyes belied
his words.

“But what is
this Vadath?” persisted Matvei.

“Why! It’s the
name of our country,” declared Jim. He most definitely did not want
discussions on the matter. He did not know what else Kolyei had
managed to pick up. Tara’s vadeln-pair was noted for his ability to
ferret out information. “What else could it possibly be called? We
have the rtathlians in the west. We have the country of Argyll to
our east. Vadath is the best name for us. ‘Vad’ for two and the
‘ath’ part derived from rtath, pack. Two disparate species coming
together to form a huge pack in a wondrous and beautiful land. We
humans here are not Lind, but neither are we of Argyll. We have
chosen to live with you. We are of Vadath now.”

Stunned
silence!

“It is agreed?”
cried Jim. Everybody and everylind nodded. It was obvious to the
humans that the Lind couldn’t see why it had to have a name at all.
To the Lind a place name was transitory, but none had any real
objection, it merely supported the Lind in their belief that all
humans were slightly mad.

Only Larya
looked disappointed.

: I think
Jimsland sound better :
was her disgruntled comment.

: Never mind
:
‘thought’ Jim back to her
: I have no wish to go down in
the histories as the name of a country :

Asya wagged her
tail, her eyes twinkling merrily. Francis looked at Jim who
returned his look, daring him to say anything.

Francis decided
that discretion was the better part of valour and held his
tongue.

The conference
was adjourned because nobody could think of any good reason for it
to continue. Their country had a name, plans were in motion for its
protection and all were in agreement about Winston Randall’s
medical domta that would benefit all, not merely those lucky
rtathen who were domiciled in Vadath.

Francis and
Asya would leave for the Vada stronghold some days later, taking
with them Brian and Sofiya, the first new cadet duo to be entered
in the Vada rolls that Francis would start as soon as they were
settled and quarters built. As the weeks passed, a steady trickle
of newly paired duos would arrive, helping out with the
stronghold’s construction and waiting for their formal training to
begin.

To the
overstretched Vada’s relief, the coasts remained quiet. Francis and
Asya began to relax, thankful for the breathing space but knowing
full well that it would not last forever.

* * * * *

In their own
part of the continent, the Lind were holding a conference of their
own. Mariya, Chief Elda of the Gtratha, otherwise known as the
Gtrathlin had decided to take steps to stop the rumblings of
discontent.

The arrival of
humans on their planet had led to many changes to the traditional
way of life. Now they would have to adapt. Some rtaths were not as
keen as others about the burgeoning relationship between the two
species, although these were mostly from the western packs that had
had little or no contact with the newcomers.

They were
frightened of these life-bonds, these pairings, Lind and human,
that went emotionally deeper than even those between mates.
Previously if one of an eln died, whether in battle or from disease
or old age, the other continued to live, but all reports from the
battlefield indicated that with vadeln-pairings, the other partner,
whether Lind or human died also. This was a great matter for
concern.

Also, females
traditionally did not fight in the Lindars until their young were
fully-grown. For those paired and with the Vada, this would not be
an option. Nursery cover would have to be provided and there was a
very real possibility that mothers would be required to fight and
might die in battle leaving their young as orphans.

It was the
representative from pack Maletei who opened the proceedings.

“What have
humans done for us?” he complained. “If they not arrive Larg not
have allies made of humans in the south.”

“If our humans
had not arrived,” Mariya countered, “these men in the south might
still be allied with Larg and we would be fighting them both on our
own. It is a good thing we have much in common with our
humans.”

“What if they
want to come and live in our rtathlians?” asked another.

“That will not
happen,” answered Mariya in a tone that brooked no argument and
before another worry had a chance to take hold. “If they need more
paw room they will travel to islands. They have maps. Are islands
beyond count, some bigger even than rtathlians of largest rtath.
Humans offer much in exchange for friendship.”

“Our dagas are
now warm and dry,” announced Larnei of pack Ratvei. “Human forepaws
are very useful and they do this without asking. In our rtathlian
humans work hard to make dagas free of rain puddles. Ltsctas sleep
warm and dry.”

“They will grow
soft,” growled one elderly Lind, shaking his head.

“I think not,”
continued Larnei. “When grow to adulthood, I think you find Lindars
are better than ever and why not sleep warm and dry? My old bones
feel the difference when last I visit and then there is their
Holad.”

“Their Holad
have offered themselves freely,” said Mariya, anxious to press on.
She sensed that some of the more antagonistic pack representatives
were beginning to come round to her way of thinking.