Valour and Victory (11 page)

: Tanya, would
you tell Sadei that they will begin their crossing at dawn please?
Then perhaps you would go and take them to Clearing C, its empty
right now, where they can rest and get a meal before their journey?
I’ll let you know who will welcome them in the south once I’ve been
on touch with Fastia and Xlei. They’re in charge of the escorts
from the beach to the staging area in Duchesne :

: Wilco
:
she agreed and moved away out of the temporary command tent.
The day was windy and Julia had been forced under canvas after the
boards and papers had begun to fly away.

“Yet another
Lindar bringing in more than we had estimated,” noted Julia to
Sindal, “and Lindars Xya and Zalya have brought eight hundred
each.”

“They are aware
of the seriousness of the situation,” said Sindal with a grimace of
acceptance, “though I deplore the need, we should be grateful.”

“I deplore the
need all right. Some of the younger cadet duos are very young,
although the human parts are at least fourteen but a few of their
Lind haven’t quite reached fourteen summer seasons either. However,
when Alyei and I heard that the rtaths were sending their over
twelve’s we could not hold them back at Vada. This isn’t a battle
but an all out war and our survival is at stake.”

Sindal nodded
and leaned across to update his deployment charts.

* * * * *

The Lindar

Sadei, Susa of
the Lindar of rtath Hanei led his nine hundred and ninety-nine
warriors into Clearing C and looked approvingly at the meal
awaiting them, a huge mound of new-killed zarova.

It had proved
impractical for live meat to be provided in the numbers required so
wagons had been hired from the nearby farmers to bring the food
from the butchering area to where it was needed. The Lind preferred
to make their own kills but speed and necessity meant this was
impractical for now quite apart from the fact that driving herds of
live kura and zarova through the trees would have been a recipe for
chaos.

Sindal was a
practical man.

“Roots and
greens will arrive soon,” Sindal’s Tanya informed Sadei. The Lind,
like humans, ate a varied diet of meat, cereals, roots and greens,
as well as fruit when in season; unlike the Larg whose diet was
predominantly protein heavy.

“Thank you,”
Sadei said to the elderly Lind. Tanya was pure white and this
demanded the respect due to her years, and not only as an
honourably retired vadeln of the Vada and veteran of many a fight
against the mountain predators and pirate raiders.

“I will return
when the sun rises,” Tanya said as she prepared to return to
Sindal.

“We will be
ready,” promised Sadei, “but before you leave could I ask you about
something that has been worrying me.”

“If I can
answer I will,” she replied.

“Do you know
how Susyc Julia and Alyei intend to use our younger warriors?”

Tanya nodded,
“the fourth ryz?”

“Yes.”

Tanya did her
best to allay his concerns.

“They will be
used as support, Sadei, that I can promise you. They will not be
fighting in the front lines of the battle unless …”

“I understand,”
said Sadei with relief, his fears partly put at bay. Susyc Julia
understood. If the young had to fight it would because the north
was losing the battle. Julia would not insist that the part-trained
fourth ryz of his Lindar meet the demented and battle crazy charges
of the Larg kohorts unless she had to.

That was why it
was the Susa of the Vada who always commanded the Armies of the
North and not the Garda Field Marshall who did not have experience
of the Lind, or one of the Lindar Susas who had little or no
experience of humans.

“I will see you
with the sun,” said Tanya and left the members of Lindar Hanei to
eat their meal.

* * * * *

Niaill

Niaill and
Taraya splashed on to the rocky beach as they led the First Ryzck
ashore.

: The
welcoming committee is waiting, I see :
Niaill made the
comment.

: I do see
:
replied Taraya and added, surprised
: it doesn’t smell any
different! :

: Why should
it? Salt air, rock-pools and seaweed smell the same the world over
:

: Perhaps
:
She sounded disappointed. She stopped and began to shake the
water off her paws, one at a time, as they waited for the other
thirty-four vadeln of the Ryzck to catch up.

: I don’t
look my best :
she complained
: I’m all covered in sand, my
fur is all matted and I don’t smell nice. I could do with a bath in
some fresh clean water :

: Vain woman
:
teased Niaill, who knew his Taraya
: perhaps later
:

: I think I’ll
have to insist :

: Lets get the
greetings over with first shall we? :

: Very well
:
replied Taraya with a flicking flounce of her tail
: the
others are here now :

Niall glanced
up the beach to where ‘the welcoming committee’ stood waiting, four
men and two Lind. The two latter must be the Avuzdel Julia had told
him about and who had relayed Duke William’s message that the
Armies of the North would be welcome in his Duchy.

: Who are
the men? :
asked Taraya as she began to walk up the beach
towards them.

: Duke William
will be one, he’s that fair haired one at the front if the
descriptions are to be believed. The other with the same hair is
likely to be his son, the Duke-Heir, name’s William too. As for the
other two, I have no idea. Probably retainers of some sort. Tell
the others to stay well back. I think it best if we make the first
contact ourselves, less threatening :

: I am sensing
nothing but relief from the men and Baltei and Jilesei are relaxed.
They wouldn’t be here and be so if there was any danger. Baltei
tells me that it is the Duke and his son. The other two are senior
vassals of his whatever that means :

She stopped
just in front of the six and Niaill dismounted.

“Duke William?”
he greeted the tall fair man. Now that he was closer Niaill saw
that his short hair was greying at the temples. “I am Ryzcka Niaill
of the Vada First Ryzck. I bring greetings from Susyc Julia.” He
bowed.

“I am Taraya,
also Ryzcka of the First Ryzck,” Taraya said, determined not to be
outdone. “I bring greetings from Alyei, also Susyc.” She inclined
her head towards him, her furry ears cocked forward.

Duke William
also bowed.

“Welcome to
Duchesne,” he said, straightening up. He snuck a short glance over
at the First Ryzck. “I was expecting more of you.”

“We’re only the
first of the advance party,” Niaill explained. “The Fourteenth
Ryzck should be here in a bell or so, but you say candle-mark here
do you not? After them will come the Thirty-third and the
Fifty-first and then the cadets who will help direct the rest of
the army to the staging area.”

“When do I meet
Susyc Julia?” asked the Duke.

“Her second-in
command, Ryzcka Davin and his Lind Razdya are due here first thing
in the morning. He brings the first of the Lindars. Julia should
arrive the day after. She and Alyei left Settlement for the Island
Chain this morning. She is most desirous to meet you.”

“And I am, as
are the rest of my War Guard. It is a novel situation for them to
be under the direct command of a woman.”

“The first
transports containing battalions of Garda and Militia are due at
the port tomorrow,” Niaill continued, ignoring the Duke’s comment,
“You are ready for them?”

“Baltei here
informed me that they were coming,” Duke William answered. “The
people who are being evacuated will be ready.” Thus Duke William
forestalled Niaill’s next question. “The jetties have been emptied
of all shipping and the dock-hands warned so the transports can
sail straight in.”

“The staging
area?” asked Niaill.

The younger
William Duchesne coughed. “It’s ready too,” he told Niaill. “Also
the routes from port and beach to the staging area have been marked
out with white flags. The escort has been detailed.”

“The staging
area is on some farmland to the south of the town,” his father
added.

“Horses and
carts are also waiting to help transport the equipment,” continued
the young man, “and we’ve been gathering together as many cattle as
we can persuade the local farmers to provide. Baltei said they
would be needed.”

“He actually
said that the Lind eat rather a lot,” interrupted Duke William with
a laugh, “we thought it best to be prepared.”

With that laugh
the strained atmosphere began to thaw.

“There are
transports containing dead and live meat on their way,” smiled
Niaill, “Susyc Julia is very aware of how much food is required.
She doesn’t want to cause resentment as her army eats you out of
house and home.”
: Taraya, tell all the Ryzck but Alfei and Deby
to go to the dom. Follow the white flags. Any problems report to
Alfei. We stay here with the Duke :

Niaill turned
to Duke William, “sir, do you wish to remain here to welcome the
others as they come in?”

Duke William
grinned at Niaill, “I wouldn’t miss this experience for all the
kala in the south.”

: I take it
that was a yes :
laughed Taraya.

* * * * *

The
Prince-Duke

Xavier was
restless. He paced up and down the opulent chamber, one of the main
royal retiring rooms in the new palace.

He was a King,
admittedly not of the entire Kingdom of Murdoch, only of the
southerly duchies but he wasn’t going to lose any sleep over that.
His hated brother was dead, his heir a boy of eighteen and who
would be able to do nothing to stop his uncle’s advance to
power.

He had the
support of the southerly dukes and the northerly dukes would soon
be embroiled in this crisis with the Larg. By the time it was
resolved he would have consolidated his power-base and it would be
too late to attempt to oust him.

Xavier would
come to an accommodation with his nephew Elliot in due course and
Elliot might get himself killed and then Xavier would be able to do
what he wanted. He had in his possession Elliot’s three
sisters.

A thought
struck Xavier, perhaps he should marry the elder of the three? She
might be his niece but he was confident that the Church could be
‘persuaded’ to lift the rules of impediment, but even better, he
could marry his son to the younger niece, which would unite the
duchies again. He would send the two elder girls to a convent, one
of the Thibaltine houses by choice. Yes, that was the better
option.

By now Xavier
was lost in his daydream. He was also becoming detached from
reality. He was also becoming aroused by the thought of his son
marrying young Princess Janet, aged nearly ten.

Xavier liked
his women young. His town house here at Fort contained a number of
young love-concubines.

Xavier he lay
back on the comfortable chair and closed his eyes but after a few
moments he sat up.

What am I
doing? I am a King! Kings don’t sit on their own thinking about
pleasures.

He rang the
bell.

One of his men
entered and bowed. Xavier gave him his instructions. The man
grinned as he took in Xavier’s flushed face.

The guard was
one of Xavier’s oldest retainers, he had known him as boy and man.
This would not be the first time that Guardsman Melk had been asked
to find Xavier a young woman.

Melk winked at
the other guards as he closed the door behind him and made his way
to the servants’ quarters where there would be plenty of young
serving maids and kitchen wenches.

The two
frightened girls Melk pushed into the room were young and pretty
enough, Melk was sure, to please even the self-proclaimed King of
South Murdoch. In fact, Melk would have liked to experience their
charms for himself. Perhaps there would be the opportunity once
Xavier had finished with them.

He bowed
sardonically as he pushed the two quivering maids in Xavier’s
direction and left the room.

His King was
not to be disturbed for the next few candle-marks and he, Melk,
would make sure he wasn’t. He also took a vicarious pleasure in
listening to what was happening behind the door. It looked as if
this was going to be one of the good ones.

He smiled an
evil smile at his fellow guards.

* * * * *

Zilla

The frigate,
the FS
Layra
, drew away from the wharf at Port Settlement
with the creaking and flapping of hawsers and sails. Every last
space above and below decks was filled with the men, women and
equipment that formed a large part of the medical arm of the Argyll
Garda.

With them went
Assistant Nurse Zilla Talansdochter and her friend Maura.

The Medical
General commanding the doctors, nurses and orderlies had accepted
their offer of help as he had the two hundred or so others who had
also volunteered. This was the first time ever that the Garda would
see action overseas and they were not geared up for such a campaign
where they could not rely on local townspeople for help. The five
hundred doctors, nurses, medics and orderlies that made up its
permanent roll would not be enough and the Medical General knew it.
He was expecting a casualty rate of upwards of thirty per cent and
that a conservative estimate.

Zilla, Maura
and the others had spent the last twenty days undergoing what the
doctors were calling ‘General Zhukov’s Crash Course’ in nursing
wounded, a course designed by himself and one which would give them
at least the bare minimum of the medical knowledge required.