Valour and Victory (47 page)

Then there were
the children, the royal and ducal children who had to meet the
daughters of Danal and Grainne.

The latter soon
departed to the flower garden, ushered there by the stern faced
royal governess and were joined by the three ltsctas of Asya and
Inalei. Soon a great game of rough and tumble began, accompanied by
squeals of merriment and the anxious cries of the governess who was
wondering how she was to cope during the days ahead.

Elliot declared
in a loud voice that this was a holiday and that he was going to
forget all about being a king.

“No titles
here,” he cried and ran to the flower garden where he joined in the
tumbling game with the children.

The governess
shrugged her shoulders and sat down abruptly on the grass. Asya’s
ltscta Padei had a lot to do with her ‘inadvertent’ fall although
he afterwards claimed that he had not.

It set the tone
for the holiday. The ‘young ladies’ from Murdoch became as young
hoydens, even Hilla, twelve and the eldest going as far as to
forget her royal station and incipient womanhood. By the end of the
holiday anything less like a princess of the blood would have been
hard to imagine. The governess complained about it to whoever would
listen ever after.

Tales were told
and old friends were remembered. It was a happy time, of sun filled
days of play and chatter. Even the ailing Philip Ross enjoyed
himself in his quiet way. He was glad to see Danal and Grainne
again but more pleased to see Jilsei. The two of them spent many a
long bell under the trees. Incidentally, Jilsei returned with
Philip to Murdoch and was with his friend when Philip died later in
the year.

* * * * *

Niaill and
Taraya were on tender-hooks during the first half of the vacation
and great was the speculation about the reason for this. This inner
excitement they couldn’t hide although they tried hard.

The reason why
became abundantly clear when on the eleventh day the excited
ex-Guildmaster Annert riding an equally excited Haru flew in.

Annert was an
old man but his rheumy eyes fairly sparkled.

Haru did not
stay in the hotel as there were no rooms big enough for him to fit
into.

He spent the
ten days and nights under the trees in the gardens. Sometimes he
sat with the Lind. Sometimes he sat with the human adults. More
often than not he could be seen with the children and the ltsctas
(who all found his tail an irresistible temptation).

Everyone who
wanted to he took flying on his back, all but the very youngest.
Most of the time he sat telling stories about the history of their
planet and before.

Haru was fond
of children.

“They are our
future,” he told Niaill during one of their quiet moments together
after the children had been rounded up and sent to bed. “Our planet
is in their hands, fore-talons and paws. All that has happened, all
that we have done, has been for them.”

* * * * *

We will leave
them as they sit under the allst trees in the gardens, as the
sunset falls and makes shadows, contemplating the future of
all
who inhabit Planet Wolf; Human, Larg, Lind, Lai and
Dglai.

* * * * *

(For extract
lists of characters from the Noble and Royal Houses of the Kingdom
of Murdoch : Refer to Appendices)

Alfei*: Male
Lind, Vada First Ryzck (Human: Deby) (Destiny, Victory)

Alfreda:
Little girl at school with the Grey Sisters and friend of Jill
(Victory)

Aline: Younger
sister of Robain, captured by slavers and taken to the southern
continent (Destiny, Victory)

Allstrom:
Elderly Baron of Murdoch (Victory)

Alshya*: Male
Lind (Human: Weaponsmaster Jilmis) (Destiny, Victory)

Alun*: Vadeln
(Lind: Radya) (Destiny, Victory)

Alyei*: Male
Lind of pack Gainsya, Susa of the Vada (Human: Julia) (Destiny,
Victory)

Anavdr: Male
Larg, friend and pack-mate of Zaoaldavdr (Destiny, Victory)

Anders: Head
Councillor of Argyll (see Horatio) and father of Julean, the
rejected suitor for Rilla Talansdochter’s hand in marriage
(Destiny, Victory)

Angus:
Professor of Mathematics at the University of Stewarton and
considered to have one of the finest analytical minds in the
country. Part of the team under Guildmaster Annert de Gras who is
deciphering the technical print-outs found under the floor of the
Old Guildhouse (Destiny, Victory)

Aniku: Lai,
relative and junior of Velku and very inquisitive (Victory)

Anne Cocteau:
Daughter-Heir of the Duchy of Cocteau and cousin of Isobel Cocteau,
the betrothed of Prince-Heir Elliot. Mother of Pierre (b600), Anne
(b602) and Mark (b605) (Destiny, Victory)

Anne
Fullarton: Kellessa - a lady-in-waiting at the royal court

Annert de
Gras: Guildmaster of the Technicians Guild of Argyll based at
Stewarton. Leader of the team under Guildmaster Annert de Gras who
is deciphering the technical print-outs found under the floor of
the Old Guildhouse (Destiny, Victory)

Annette van
Buren: Friend of Isobel from the Ducal House of van Buren and who
entered the Order of Grey Nuns. Name in religion is Coenberg
(Destiny, Victory)

Ansell Hallam:
Youngest brother of Robain and an officer in the Argyllian navy
(Destiny, Victory)

Asya*: Female
Lind and Avuzdel (Human: Danal) (Destiny, Victory)

Avdr: Larg and
Kohortangan of the kohorts to the south (Victory)

Balei: Male
Lind from Lindar Dusnnei and with a dull red stripe pattern and who
carried Robain from Stewarton and Vada (Destiny, Victory)

Baltei: Male
Lind, Avuzdel (Victory)

Bellahouston:
Garda Major commanding the Academie at Settlement (Destiny,
Victory)

Berni: Vadeln
serving with the Vada, in the First Ryzck (Lind: Dansya) (Destiny,
Victory)

Beth Baker:
Original fiancé of Prince-Heir Elliot from the Ducal House of South
Baker and who died in a carriage accident on the way to her wedding
(Destiny)

Blunder:
Little black pony on who all Zanda and Talon’s children learned how
to ride (Victory)

Breguswið:
Reverend Mother of the Order of Grey Nuns where Isobel Cocteau
received her education (Destiny, Victory)

Brent: Brother
of the Armsmaster at the Citadel and one of the overseers who works
at the ore mines in the Duchy of Sahara (Victory)

Brion*: Ryzcka
vadeln serving with the Vada, in the Fifty-first Ryzck (Lind:
Quindya) (Destiny, Victory)

Brisnei: Male
Lind of rtath Hanei, and commander of the third ryz of Lindar Hanei
(Victory)

Bruce Johnson
Jones: Officer Commanding the Garda with the rank of Field Marshall
(Destiny, Victory)

Charles*: Vada
Cadet, fourth year (Lind: Wlya)(Destiny, Victory)

Chizu: Male
Lai and part of the delegation to the Gtrathlin (Destiny,
Victory)

Coenberg:
Sister of the Order of Grey Nuns and name in religion of Annette
van Buren (Destiny, Victory)

Cynwise:
Sister of the Order of Grey Nuns and name in religion of Isobel’s
cousin Jessica Cocteau (Destiny, Victory)

Dahlson: Garda
Captain who teaches tactical history at the Academie (Destiny)

Danal*: Older
brother of Niaill, Vada, and member of the Avuzdel. He was a part
of the protective shield that guarded Prince-Heir Elliot during his
tour of the north and led the hunt for the print-outs hidden by
Tara and Kolyei. He with his Lind Asya is leader of the eight who
are searching the desert for the power-core (Lind: Asya) (Destiny,
Victory)

Danei*: Male
Lind, Vada Cadet (Human: Shona) (Destiny, Victory)

Danny: Boy
from the town ship of Brindal in the Duchy of Cocteau (Victory)

Dansya*:
Female Lind, Vada First Ryzck (Human: Berni) (Destiny, Victory)

Danya*: Female
Lind, Vada Thirty-first Ryzck (Human: Markion) (Destiny,
Victory)

Davanya*:
Female Lind, Vada Cadet, her human is one of the boys whom Niaill
and the First Ryzck rescued from bandits (Human: Hans) (Destiny,
Victory)

Davin*: Ryzcka
and second in command of the Vada under Julia and Aleyei (Lind:
Razdya) (Destiny, Victory)

Deby*: Vadeln
serving with the Vada, in the First Ryzck (Lind: Alfei) (Destiny,
Victory)

Denei: Male
Lind and member of the Avuzdel and a member of the mission south to
find the power-core (Destiny, Victory)

Derek
Merriman: Kellen of the Kingdom of Murdoch and one of the
companions to Prince-Heir Elliot who accompanied him on his tour of
the north and also a member of the mission south to find the
power-core. Brother of Kellessa Lucy Merriman (Destiny,
Victory)

Destry: Battle
mare (Victory)

Dolvin Annson:
Garda Officer Trainee, year-mate and friend of Hilla (Destiny,
Victory)

Duncin*:
Elderly host of the Supply Station not far from Dunetown and friend
of Robain (Lind: Stasya) (Destiny, Victory)

Dusik*: Ryzcka
of the Fifty-first Ryzck (Destiny, Victory)

Dwk: One of
the senior slaves at the royal ore mines in the Duchy of Sahara
(Victory)

Eanfled:
Sister of the Order of Grey Nuns where Isobel received her
education (Destiny, Victory)

Earcongota:
Sister of the Order of Grey Nuns where Isobel received her
education and who looks after the young schoolgirls who are being
educated at the convent (Destiny, Victory)

Elliot:
Prince-Heir of the Kingdom of Murdoch (Destiny, Victory)

Estelle: Elder
sister of Isobel Cocteau and married to Baron Brentwood of
Symington (Destiny, Victory)

Fastia*: Vada
Weaponsecond (Lind: Xlei) (Destiny, Victory)

Flynn: Elderly
slave servant at the Citadel at Fort (Victory)

Grainne:
Escaped slave who lives in the desert (Victory)

Gsendei: Male
Lind, Susa of the Avuzdel of Lind (Destiny, Victory)

Han: Slave
kitchen boy at the Cocteau manor (Victory)

Hanei: Male
Lind, Elda of rtath Hanei and commander of the second ryz of Lindar
Hanei (Destiny, Victory)

Hansei: Male
Lind, Susalai of the Avuzdel (Destiny, Victory)

Hansel*:
Retired Ryzcka of the Eighteenth Ryzck (Lind: Inya) (Destiny,
Victory)

Hansel
(Hans)*: Young boy from Rocksprings captured by the bandits rescued
by Niaill and the First Ryzck and adopted by Niaill (Lind: Davanya)
(Destiny, Victory)

Harrisdochter:
Senior nurse of the Garda (Victory)

Haru: Male Lai
and leader of the delegation to the Gtrathlin (Destiny,
Victory)

Hereswald:
Elderly Sister of the Order of Grey Nuns where Isobel received her
education (Destiny, Victory)

Hilla: Eldest
triplet daughter of Talan and Zanda and who began Garda officer
training at the end of AL 606 (Destiny, Victory)

Horatio
Anders: Head Councillor of Argyll after the elections in AL 607
(Destiny, Victory)

Ilya: Female
Lind of rtath Hanei (Victory)

Ilyei: Male
Lind and Elda of rtath Ilyei (Destiny, Victory)

Inalei: Male
Lind, Avuzdel and based at the domta of the Gtrathlin, he has
volunteered to go south with the other seven to hunt out the
power-core (Destiny, Victory)

Inya*: Female
Lind, late of the Eighteenth Ryzck (Human: Hansel) (Destiny,
Victory)

Isobel
Cocteau: Margravessa. Betrothed of Elliot, sister of James and
daughter of Count James Cocteau (Destiny, Victory)

James Cocteau:
Count, friend and companion to Elliot, brother of Isobel (Destiny,
Victory)

Jeannie:
Research Assistant of Professor Angus and part of the team under
Guildmaster Annert de Gras who is deciphering the technical
print-outs found under the floor of the Old Guildhouse (Destiny,
Victory)

Jen Durand:
Garda Officer Trainee and friend of Hilla, also sister of Mander
Durand, an officer friend of Robain (Destiny, Victory)

Jennifer
Cocteau: Cousin by marriage of Isobel and married to Margrave Mark
Cocteau (Destiny, Victory)

Jessica
Cocteau: Friend and relative of Isobel from the Ducal House of
Cocteau, who shared Isobel’s education with the Grey Sisters and
who entered the order at fourteen. Her name in religion is Cynwise
(Destiny, Victory)

Jhonas:
Journeyman technician and year mate of Tala who is part of the team
under Guildmaster Annert de Gras who is deciphering the technical
print-outs found under the floor of the Old Guildhouse (Destiny,
Victory)

Jilesei: Male
Lind, Avuzdel (Victory)

Jill: Younger
sister of Katia who joined the schoolroom of the Order of Grey Nuns
in AL 607 (Destiny, Victory)

Jillson: Garda
Drill Sergeant (Destiny, Victory)

Jilmis*:
Weaponsmaster of the Vada (Lind: Alshya) (Destiny, Victory)

Jilsei: Male
Lind and member of the Avuzdel and a member of the mission south to
find the power-core (Destiny, Victory)

Joh: Smithson
Friend of Zak, sweetheart of Maura and a member of the Dunetown
Militia (Destiny, Victory)

John Merriman:
Baron, Father of Lucy, Derek and Walter Merriman (Victory)

Julean: Son of
Councillor Horatio Anders and one time suitor for Rilla’s hand in
marriage (Destiny, Victory)

Julia*: Susa
of the Vada, assumed the position of Susyc of the Armies of the
North during the last month of AL 607. Married to Verro (Lind:
Alyei) (Destiny, Victory)

Kalavdr: Male
Larg. The Largan (Destiny, Victory)

Karovitz:
General of Murdoch (Destiny, Victory)

Katia:
Sister-in-law of Isobel and married to James Cocteau (Destiny,
Victory)

Kolya: Female
Lind of rtath Hanei (Victory)