The Lord of the Plains (88 page)

As they sat her eyes met his for a moment.
She glanced back to Messenger, who was saying something.

‘You want to know about the valkar.’ Riley
replied. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t say much. They are… they are very
private.’

Messenger nodded. ‘I know, the Vachi were
the same way about Vearla. But if these ehlkrid are really coming
back, surely they could help us?’

Riley shook her head. ‘I don’t think so,
Messenger.’

‘Vearla told me they used to be friends with
humans, and then they were attacked.’

‘I’ve heard that too.’

‘They don’t seem comfortable around humans.
Why does a valkar stay with you?’ he asked.

‘Aerlid? He raised me.’ Riley replied.

‘He what? Why?!’

‘Mm. My mother is a valkar, my father
human.’ she answered.

‘So you’re not a gemeng!’

‘No, I am. Gemeng just means mixed.’

‘I see.’ he looked at her with new eyes.

‘Perhaps Aerlid would be willing to spend
some time with you.’ she said. ‘He would be much better at teaching
you Plains speech than I, even if he won’t speak of the
valkar.’

‘Yes, please. I would like that.’ Messenger
smiled.

Riley’s eyes met Vann’s again. Then
away.

Vann had said very little so far.

‘Messenger, would you feel comfortable in
the company of one of my gemengs?’ she asked after a moment of
silence.

‘Hmm?’

‘Karesh. I believe you’ve met him?’

‘Ah, the man with the wings. Yes.’

‘He is my second in command. I think if you
want to understand what life is like here, you should follow him
around. And I would like it if he could learn your language.’

Messenger was silent a moment. ‘And you
wouldn’t be there?’

‘No.’

There was a pause. Vann’s eyes were on
Messenger.

‘Alright.’ he said after a moment.

Vann was startled. Alone in the gemeng
encampment? He suddenly felt a rush of respect for Messenger. He
was a brave man.

Riley looked pleased. Vann wondered if he
would be going with Karesh also.

They stayed by the large tent a while. Then
the aforementioned gemeng arrived. He was tiny compared to the
other gemengs, shorter even than Riley. He had a small, slight
body. His features were surprisingly delicate, his hair feathery
and dark. Dark wings were tucked in tight against his back.

He and Riley spoke for some time. Then he
looked at Messenger.

‘Hello.’ he said in heavily accented
Astarian. ‘I am Karesh.’

Messenger replied in Plains speech. Vann was
surprised how much he had picked up in just one morning. ‘Hello,
Karesh. I am Messenger.’

Karesh beamed. ‘Master say I show you?’

Messenger looked at Riley. ‘Master?’

Riley sighed. ‘Do you call your commanding
officer by their first name?’

‘I guess not. Ok.’ he looked back at Karesh
and stood. ‘I come.’ he said in Plains speech again.

As they walked away Vann’s heart fluttered.
He was alone with her. It was a struggle to turn and look at her.
He felt very warm.

Riley was watching him calmly. ‘Vann.’ she
said.

‘Riley.’ it was a struggle to keep his voice
calm.

She seemed very far away, on the other side
of the fire pit. Just as he was thinking that she stood and walked
over. Then she sat next to him.
Then
she seemed very, very
close.

‘It’s good to see you again.’ she said.

Vann gave her a surprised look. For a moment
he was tempted to ask, then why fake your death without telling me?
But he rejected that question as soon as it arose. He wasn’t sure
he wanted to know her answer. And besides, now was what was
important.

She was smiling at him. ‘How’s Zap Zap?’

‘Oh, he’s good.’ Vann replied.

‘Do you have any questions?’

‘Questions?’ His brain seemed to have
stopped working.

She waved her hand, gesturing to her tribe.
‘About this. Anything. You’re here to talk to me, aren’t you?’

‘I am.’ he nodded and swallowed. ‘Alright.
Was what you said true, did you really leave to help Astar?’

Riley sighed, her eyes lowered for a moment.
‘Well, not quite. Not at that time. That came later.’ she looked
back up. ‘I left Astar because… I don’t know if you can understand
Vann, what it’s like to be a gemeng in Astar. But it’s… limited. I
wanted to know what I could do. How strong I was. I didn’t want to
pretend to be less than I was anymore. That’s why I left.’

Vann realised she was sharing something
personal with him. Something that maybe she didn’t tell everyone.
Didn’t
want
to tell just anyone. He suddenly felt very close
to her. ‘I think I can understand that.’ he said.

She smiled again, relieved.

‘So tell me again what you’re doing
here?’

The explanation she gave him was different
to last night. It was more personal. There was a light in her eyes
as she talked, almost timidly, about what she hoped to achieve. And
then further- because at the moment she was really focussed on
making life better for the gemengs. But perhaps more was possible?
And then her doubts about how she was doing it. The problems she’d
had.

Vann reached out and touched her hand. Just
for a moment. She squeezed his hand briefly before letting go.

They smiled at each other.

Later that night, after Messenger and Vann
were escorted back to their camp, Aerlid found Riley.

Riley turned and smiled at him, and then it
faded to surprise as she saw the look on his face. ‘Aerlid, what’s
wrong?’

‘That human is infatuated with you.’ he
stated firmly.

The sudden colour in her cheeks told him she
knew exactly what he was talking about.

‘Riley, you need to stop it.’

‘I-’

‘It’s because you’re part valkar. I’ve seen
it before.’

‘What?’

‘Some humans become obsessed with valkar on
sight. Most don’t, but enough do that it’s not rare. He’s obsessed
with you because of how you look. It’s not real.’

‘I- I like how he looks too!’ she said,
taken aback and annoyed. ‘If he looked like… like if he was ugly
maybe I wouldn’t feel the same way about him as I-’

‘Riley!’ he said, shocked, ‘it’s not the
same
! And you’re not supposed to admit to being so shallow!’
he gave her an exasperated look. ‘It’s not the same. He’ll react to
you in a way he won’t to a beautiful human women. I need to make it
so he sees you as human.’

‘What! Why?!’

‘Because that’s the only thing that will
cure his obsession with you. If he still feels anything for you
after that, fine. But right now, what he feels is
wrong!
’

Riley stared. ‘No!’ she said. ‘I don’t
believe-’

‘Riley!’ he glared at her. ‘I will
show
you!’

Messenger spent much of the night and
morning talking about Karesh. Vann asked how he managed to
communicate with him.

‘It wasn’t that hard.’ he replied, as they
talked over breakfast. ‘Well, it’s difficult. But I had to do that
in Cavachi in the beginning. So I guess I’m used to it. And I think
someone gave him a crash course in Astarian.’ he smiled, then
continued talking.

Karesh seemed to share his admiration for
the valkar, or at least, Aerlid. And that was enough to form a
tentative friendship between the two. Or at least, the beginnings
of one. And besides that, there was a different feel to Karesh than
the other gemengs.

Vann was pleased to see that Messenger, upon
meeting an intelligent, not unreasonably violent gemeng, had
accepted it and quickly become Karesh’s champion.

‘He thinks highly of Riley too.’ he was
saying, now to Mr Briggs. ‘I couldn’t get the exact details, but I
think he likes what she’s doing. I think what she told us is true,
Mr Briggs. She’s trying to change things here.’

Mr Briggs grunted and asked Vann what he had
found out. Vann struggled to keep the colour from his face. He told
Mr Briggs a little of what Riley had said- mainly some of the
difficulties she’d had. The details that made her story more
believable. He wasn’t going to share the personal things with
him.

Mr Briggs looked from one to the other. Then
he grunted and told them to get going, and try to be less in awe,
if they could.

They were escorted to the gemeng campsite
where Riley met them.

Vann’s smile died as he looked at her. He
squinted, then shook his head.

He couldn’t tell what it was, but something
was different. Riley saw the look on his face. Disappointment
flared in her eyes. Then she turned to Messenger, began talking,
pointing things out, teaching him more of the language as they
walked.

Vann didn’t pay much attention.

What was wrong?

He continued watching her and shaking his
head. She walked ahead of him with Messenger, her dark hair swaying
in time with her stride, reaching to the middle of her back. Why
had he been so interested in her?

She was beautiful, and certainly unique with
her black hair. But Coastside was full of beautiful women. He had
never behaved around them the way he had around her…

It felt as if someone else had pursued her,
someone who wasn’t him.

He couldn’t remember why. She was just… a
woman. Why?

He wondered briefly if the blow to the head
he’d suffered in the Molk attack had been worse than he’d
thought.

The disjoint was troubling. Why? It wasn’t
him. He didn’t act like that.

He looked up at her again at the same time
as she looked back. Suddenly he felt uneasy.

He’d made all sorts of promises to her. He
never did that to women- he never said things he didn’t mean. But
he didn’t
feel
that way anymore, he couldn’t understand why
he ever had.

He felt sick. He’d have to explain to her.
He’d never had to do something like that before. How were you
supposed to go about it? It wasn’t her fault he had inexplicably
gone mad. This was going to make his break up with Teila look
positively wonderful!

As before, Riley sent Messenger off with
Karesh. And then it was just her and Vann, standing by her
tent.

Vann who was… who was…

He started to speak. Riley held up a hand.
‘It’s alright.’ she said.
Aerlid was right
. ‘I
understand.’

She heard a sigh of relief. She thought she
might cry.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I never meant to
deceive you. I just… I don’t know why I-’

‘It’s ok, Vann. Please, let’s just leave it
at that.’

‘Riley, I still need to talk to you about
what’s going on here.’

‘Yes. Of course. Ask away.’