Dragons and Destiny (41 page)

“And I,”
announced Inalei, looking at Tala, “have the honour to be your
partner for the duration of our task.”

“Food and water
are attached to the harnesses,” Niaill informed them, pointing to
the bags. “Travel fare for the most part, we’re hoping we’ll not
need to stop to hunt.”

“We’ll stop to
replenish at the Supply Stations along the way,” agreed Danal.
“They know we’re coming. Now, let’s get you all mounted and
strapped on.”

“Strapped on?”
queried a mystified James. “How so?”

“Riding the
Lind is not like riding a horse,” explained Niaill with a grin.
“Our friends are much faster for one thing, their gait is also
different, Lind either walk or they run. If we don’t strap you on
you’ll fall off and we don’t have the time to stop and pick you
up.”

“Or tend to
your broken bones,” added Danal.

“That is what
happened to Alun,” admitted Radya. “I turned most sudden and he
fell off. I told him to buckle the straps but he knew better and
did not listen.”

“Quite so,”
said Niaill, “now, Radya is going to stand beside Elliot so that he
can mount. The rest of you gather round, watch what I do and
inwardly digest. You’ll be doing it for yourselves within the
bell.”

Elliot
clambered aboard Radya, not very elegantly but he managed it,
privately thanking the gods that she was not much taller than the
riding horses he was used to. Radya stood like a rock. As he
clamped his thighs round her sides he realised that her barrel was
narrower than a horse and that the saddle was also different,
thinner and oddly shaped.

“Put your feet
in the stirrups,” instructed Niaill.

Elliot did
that, finding out in the process, he hadn’t noticed before that
they were made not of metal but of hardened leather.

“Now,”
continued Niaill, “as you can see, both harness and saddle are
designed to fit on to the Lind exactly, the saddles are soft and
unlike what you will be used to. There is nothing in these saddles
that will affect Radya moving.”

“The saddle’s
little more than a pad,” observed Derek.

“Almost like
riding bare-backed,” added James.

“Exactly,”
grinned Niaill, “and because of this, believe me, falling off is
easy as Radya’s Alun told me earlier.”

Radya chuckled,
her teeth showing very white and sharp.

“So,” Niall
continued to explain, “we strap ourselves on, here, across the
middle of each thigh and another thicker strap across. The thigh
straps keep our upper legs in place and the thick one helps keep us
in the saddle.”

He then
proceeded to strap Elliot on.

“In a fight of
course,” he added as he pulled the last buckle tight, “we add more.
We wear a belt round our middles with extra straps, giving us extra
security. We can’t fall off, no matter what positions our Lind get
into, they can turn left, right, jump and stand on their back paws
all at once and we stay right on.”

“Means as
well,” noted Philip who had been watching with great interest,
“that if one strap is cut by an enemy the others’ll still keep you
in the saddle.”

Niaill bestowed
on Philip an approving glance.

“Precisely.
Derek and Tala are going to wear the waist-belt. We need you to get
used to it so that when you reach the south it won’t seem
strange.”

Philip nodded,
“seems a sensible plan.”

Niaill looked
up at Elliot, “now young man,” he said, “un-strap yourself and jump
down. Everyone else go to your Lind, examine the harness so you
understand what goes where then mount and strap yourselves on.
Danal and I will come round and inspect. Remember that all but
Radya here are not Vada, the harness is as strange to them as it is
to you.”

It took over a
bell until Danal and Niaill pronounced themselves satisfied and
each and every Lind pronounced themselves comfortable.

All six tyros
who were sitting atop a Lind for the first time found the situation
strange and awkward. Elliot sat on Radya and gazed with envy at the
three who were going on the mission to find the power-core. They
looked to be sitting far more securely than he, Robain and James
were because he and they didn’t have the waist-belt and he
mentioned this to Danal who was inspecting him and Radya.

“Couldn’t find
enough to go round,” explained Danal as he checked the straps,
“otherwise we’d have given you three them too. You’ll manage
Elliot, don’t panic.”

“What do I do
with my hands?” whispered Elliot, used to controlling his mount
with reins.

“Whatever you
like,” replied Danal. “Trust Radya and get used to the idea that
you’re a passenger.”

“Wrap your
hands into the long hairs on my shoulders,” Radya advised, turning
her head round.

“She’s talking
sense,” agreed Danal. “I did that at first and remember; unlike
with Asya and me, you and Radya have no mind-link. She’ll warn you
aloud, if she has the chance before any sudden moves but be
prepared.”

“I’ll try,”
answered Elliot sotto-voice and with a grin of encouragement Danal
turned and walked away to inspect James and Sernei.

At last Danal
said that were ready and mounting Asya (Elliot noted that he fixed
his straps at least three times faster than he had done) indicated
that they should start. At a walk, he and Asya led the way out of
the gate and on to the track that snaked through the surrounding
trees.

This isn’t
too bad,
thought Elliot as he acknowledged Tala and Inalei who
had taken up a position beside him and Radya. Danal kept them to a
walk for a while to let those new to riding alindback get used to
the sensation then began to pick up the pace.

The Lind began
to stretch their bodies with each paw step and Elliot began to feel
the wind in his face as they ran ever faster. It wasn’t like riding
a horse, it was far smoother, quieter and he could hardly hear
Radya’s paws hit the ground. It was like travelling as a part of
the wind, not with it.

Elliot let out
his breath with an explosive shout of undiluted pleasure. He was
flying over the ground. He hardly saw the surrounding countryside
as he and Radya ran. Trees and house whipped by, leaving only
blurred images.

“This is
magic.” he shouted at Tala who laughed and gave him the thumbs
up.

They took a
short break beside a stream about three bells after they had set
out. The thirsty Lind lapped at the fresh water and accepted some
trail-meat.

Danal and
Niaill checked the harnesses and made some small adjustments,
packing in some felt where the leather was rubbing. Elliot and the
others were taught how to do this and were also told they would
have to clean the leather each night to remove any sweat and oil it
to keep it supple.

Mounting Radya
after the break Elliot found that the straps were easier to attach
this time round and Radya complimented him about his burgeoning
expertise.

Elliot was
having the time of his life.

Even when they
reached the Supply Station that evening and his legs buckled under
him as he dismounted Elliot was still on a high. He wished that
Vada was eighteen days ride away rather than eight. As he groomed
Radya the thoughts that had come to him in the Inner Sanctum at
Vada all those months ago came back. He would have liked to have
been born a northerner with the chance to become vadeln-paired like
Niaill and Taraya or Danal and Asya instead of having been born a
prince. Perhaps then too he and Zilla might have had the chance of
a future together.

Lying in his
sleep-bag, trying to ignore the aches and pains of his protesting
muscles, hands behind his head on the pillow he gazed at the
ceiling and wondered what Zilla was doing at that moment.

As he drifted
off to sleep he could see her in his mind’s eye, a forlorn little
figure watching from the yard as he rode away from the inn that
morning. He had tried to forget her, tried and failed
miserably.

I’ll never see
her again. Her future is here, in Argyll, mine is at home, in
Murdoch.

* * * * *

Zilla

In her lonely
room, Zilla was awake. She lay staring at the rafters of her attic
bedroom, her thoughts full of memories of a young, handsome,
southern lad who had ridden down the hill one afternoon and stolen
her heart.

* * * * *

AL608 - First
Month of Summer (Dunrhed)

The Lai

Haru, Chizu and
Malaku lifted their heads in greeting at the approach of Vanlya,
Gtrathlin of the Lind. Vanlya lowered her head in respect, a
gesture the Lai were quick to copy. It had taken days for the Lai
to stop each and every Lind they came into contact with from
grovelling in front of them. For generations the Lind had revered
the memory of the Lai and it was difficult to change attitudes all
at once. Haru had done his best to stop at least the outward shows
of obsequiousness.

“Word has come
from the Susyc,” Vanlya informed them. “The Lindars are on their
way. Some of them are taking a route that will permit them to pass
through here to pay their respects.”

“They would not
normally pass through?” Malaku inquired. He was the biggest of the
three Lai at present resident in the domta of rtath Sindya and was
of a dull golden colour unlike Chizu and Haru whose hides tended
towards more coppery hues.

“Not on their
way to Settlement,” Vanlya assured him in an irritated voice. “It
is you they desire to see, so be prepared. Rtath Ilyei’s Lindar
will arrive when the sun begins to die and Rtath Sachei’s Lindar a
short while later.”

“Tell their
Susas that we await their arrival with impatience,” said the ever
diplomatic Chizu.

“They must eat
and rest with us, under the trees,” agreed Haru.

“I will convey
the message,” said Vanlya. “Now I must go and prepare, I have
ordered more meat brought in.”

“We Lai
do
eat rather a lot,” said an apologetic Haru, “and we
cannot go out to hunt for ourselves.”

Vanlya stamped
her paw, “it is our honour and privilege to provide.”

“Have you any
other news?” asked Chizu.

“The Largan has
called the kohorts.”

“The Largan has
been seduced by the false promises of the Dglai. We are sad that
this has happened,” said Haru.

“You couldn’t
have prevented it,” said Vanlya, trying to give comfort. “The Larg
will believe anything that will help them destroy us Lind. They
hate us. I have never understood why.”

“When the
earthquakes and the tsunamis came,” explained Haru, “so long ago
that even we Lai cannot remember exactly when, the two continents
were sundered and great was loss in lives.”

“Our traditions
speak of this,” said Vanlya.

“Before then,
there were no Lind and Larg, only Lind. There were differences
between the different rtaths, that was already evident and you were
smaller than you are today, when the forests were everywhere. When
the water receded the forests were no more in the south and in
other areas too. Separated from each other by the water you all
adapted. The Lind went to the areas on this continent where the
forests remained, those who are now Larg went to the south of their
continent, to where the green is.”

“But why do
they hate us so?”

“It is, I
believe, because they live in the south where it is harsher, it is
much harder to survive. Here, your continent recovered, there, much
did not. A dry summer for you means hot and sunny days and perhaps
less water in the streams and rivers. You Lind do not worry about
this. Winter will come with the rains and replenish all. A dry
summer for Larg means starvation and the certainty of thirst. No
water means no grass will grow and the meat-herds die. If there is
no meat Larg die too. Our ancestors did not help, deciding to stay
apart from you all. They did not wish to interfere.”

“Now that
decision comes back to haunt you,” said Vanlya, “but you cannot
wish away what has happened. ‘Might have beens’ are for those with
no courage and imagination. You are the future, our future, Lind,
humans and quite possibly when this is over the Larg too. Now,
where were we?”

A subdued Haru
answered, “you were telling me about the Lindars. I was wondering
how the Guildmaster is getting on with the print-outs.”

“Not very
fast,” admitted Vanlya. “They are reporting to the Susalai and to
me. They do not understand much of it. Guildmaster Annert is
worried.”

Haru thought
for a moment. “We were afraid this would happen. So much learning
has been lost and much of the fault is to us.”

“He will not
give up,” insisted Vanlya. “He calls it ‘a rapid learning curve’
although I know not what that means. He is confident he and those
helping him will get the answers you need. He is worried that it
will not be soon enough.”

“There is
time,” said Haru.

* * * * *

The
Prince-Duke

Prince-Duke
Xavier of the Duchy of South Baker lay naked on his rumpled bed. He
had been drinking, not enough to become comatose, not enough to
have drink inhibit his enjoyment of the two young slave girls who
slumbered by his side but drunk enough to make him forget the most
recent of his disappointments.

He pondered the
situation then started making more plans.

It would be
done, must be done if his ambitions were to be fulfilled.

How could all
three attempts have failed? The poison in the supper dishes should
have been foolproof. The three girls should be dead.
If Internal
Security find out it was me I’ll be mounting the scaffold steps
before the month is out, blood-royal or not.