Conflict and Courage Page 10

  Emily had been listening to their conversation.

  “Well, she wouldn’t have gone back to Settlement,” she offered, “too many people would know her there and I don’t think she’d have gone north, that’s where the religious sects have headed. I’d start looking to the southwest. There are oodles of coastal villages and hamlets springing up. She might even have travelled here to Vadath.”

  “I don’t think so,” said Duguld, “if she had she’d have come here I think, but thanks, I’ll keep what you’ve said in mind for when I go looking.”

  He thought of the trumpet sitting in his cubicle. He would like his mother to listen to his playing sometime. Despite Ganya’s complaints, he was improving.

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER 12 - KINGDOM OF MURDOCH

  The eight northerners, four Avuzdel and four Vada landed in a deserted inlet some miles east of the main river that bisected Murdoch. Their landing site was, had they but known it, in the recently created Lordship of Gardiner, but at this time Gardiner did not even know of the inlet’s existence and would not have cared a toss if he had. He was far more concerned with what was happening at Fort.

  “Good land here,” was Maurice’s comment as they set up their first night’s camp under the tall southern trees.

  “Much water here,” Aglaya agreed. “No water there.” She indicated south with nose and paw.

  “Better make the most of it then,” he answered as he gathered together some fallen wood to make a fire. Aglaya had said that a fire would be fine this far north, the only creatures to see it being the occasional stray kura. “What’s the plan for tomorrow?” “Sleep when light and journey dark,” was Aglaya’s emphatic answer.

  “Safer,” agreed Ustinya, nodding her head. “How many runs?”

  “Zan,” Aglaya said.

  “As many as that?” exclaimed Maurice with surprise.

  “We must be careful,” she answered, “we do not want to be seen.”

  “Do we all go as far as Fort?” asked Louis.

  “I don’t think so,” Maurice said, “Aglaya, Qenya and I will go to the hidden dom beside Fort. Aglaya has been there before so she knows where it is. You Louis, Ustinya, Baltvei, Alesei and Vsei will hide at another dom up in the hills, just inside the woods. It is completely isolated. Aglaya or Qenya will call you in, if and when we need you.”

  “You’ll need us as mounts if there more than this Gerry coming back north with us,” said Ustinya.

  “We must make contact first,” decided Aglaya, then her head swivelled round suddenly and her body tensed.

  “Hush,” she commanded. “Listen.” The camp was devoid of all movement as eight sets of ears strained to listen.

  “What is it?” mouthed Maurice to Aglaya but she ignored him, ears forward and twitching with the effort to push her mind out to assess potential danger.

  : Something out there : ‘said’ Qenya in Maurice’s mind.

  : Larg? :

  : No, human and more than one … they talk :

  : Men ? Out here? :

  : Quiet : Qenya shushed.

  The six Lind were listening, Louis and Maurice aware that Ustinya and Qenya were probing outwards with their senses.

  : Down in the valley : ‘sent’ Qenya at last : Men :

  : What are they saying? :

  : Plan :

  : Plan? :

  : Have left the Lindar of one named Gardiner, they do not want to go back. This good spot. They are going to stay here and set up domta here in lian :

  : What do we do now? :

  : Aglaya says break camp and skirt round :

  They did so in silence and it was not until they had covered a considerable distance that the eight breathed a sigh of relief. There was no point advertising their presence, there was no way of knowing where the group of men’s loyalties lay even if they did appear to be deserters.

  Aglaya turned to Maurice. “Good to know not all men are happy here.”

  Louis edged towards them. “Should we not speak to these men at least? Perhaps they could help us.”

  “No,” replied Aglaya in alarm, “at least not until we are on way back.”

  “I agree,” said Maurice. “If they are setting up shop here, we’ll know where they are. Did anyone pick up any names?”

  “Nicchloas was one,” she offered.

  “I’ll remember it,” said Maurice with a satisfied nod, a germ of an idea was beginning to form in his mind.

  “But will you remember here?” queried Louis with some humour.

  “I might not lad, but Qenya most certainly will. I’d back her against anylind to remember a who, a when, a what and a where.”

  Aglaya wandered off at that point, but Louis remained. He was noted amongst his friends for being remarkably quick on the uptake and he had noticed a certain look in Maurice’s eyes. “You’re thinking what I’m thinking, aren’t you?”

  The man looked at Louis, an amused expression on his tanned face.

  “And what might that be?”

  “That it might be useful to have some friends here in the south? Agents that can fit in. Agents who actually are convicts, the real thing?”

  “Perhaps not friends exactly, more paid employees. These men appear to have cut themselves off from the others. They’ll have to make it on their own now and that will be difficult for them. Perhaps if we were to offer them tools, shelter, clothing, weapons even, they might be persuaded to work for us.”

  “It might work,” agreed Louis. “Our mission though is to find Gerry, find out what is happening here and if we can bring out Jessica and Jenny’s families, but they’re not the only ones stuck here in the south, are they? There are the families from the Electra and those of ours taken from Settlement.”

  “Precisely.”

  “That’s what you and Qenya are going to do then? Stay down here and get them out?”

  “We’re going to try,” answered Maurice. “Jsei told me before we left that Gerry would certainly not remain here. He’ll want to get back to his horses, he only went back to try and save Jessica’s people. That will leave us with no one at Fort to find out what the convicts are planning. Qenya and I spoke to Fernei and he suggested I might like to think about it. Seems to think we’re eminently suited to a life of subterfuge.”

  “It will be hazardous.”

  “So is fighting with the Vada if you think about it.”

  “I still think it is too dangerous,” Louis persisted, “especially if you are alone.”

  “This forest is huge,” said Maurice. “It will be a long time before exploration teams get this far. I’ll be safe enough.”

  “Need any help?”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I think Qenya and I will be better off on our own. You are young and have family in Vadath. Me, well, I’m much older than you and I never did have any children. Spent my life in space, never any time to meet a wife, thought I’d live and die up there. I’ve had a taste of freedom now, breathed the fresh air, the feel of the wind in my face. This job will suit me well enough and Qenya has seen to it that I have imbued enough of that sense of duty that is part of the Lind to acknowledge that I should. We are needed here. This way I can do both, indulge my new-found need to be apart from my fellow man with Qenya and also serve the greater good.”

  “I think I understand what you are saying, but it wouldn’t be the sort of life I would choose. Does Aglaya know of your plans?”

  “I’d be most surprised if she doesn’t.”

  Maurice bent over at the merrily bubbling stew pot, “I think our meal is ready,” he said giving the pot another stir. “It certainly smells ready.”

  “I’ll get my plate,” said Louis. “I am so hungry I could eat a horse.”

  “Don’t let Gerry hear you say that.”

  “I’ll bear that in mind for when we meet him.”

  He passed over his plate, which Maurice filled to the brim with the appetising mixture. “I do seem to have made rather a lot,” he mused pass
ing it over, “make the most of it, in a few days all we will be eating will be the salted zarova in the ration packs.”

  Louis grimaced.

  “Perhaps another few helpings might be a good idea,” he agreed. “I’m a growing boy when all is said and done.”

  They reached the woods to the north of Fort as sunrise loomed over the horizon after the promised ten days of travelling. It had been a nervous journey. Although the lands of Murdoch were sparsely populated, they had no mind to be seen by any intrepid souls who may have ventured away from the river areas. To their relief, the Larg had been conspicuous by their absence; obviously they were keeping to their side of the bargain and were avoiding the lands their Largan had ceded to the humans. In a strange way, this had made their journey that much more difficult, any convicts would know that they were not Larg and might report any sightings to the authorities.

  They found one of Jsei’s doms, left as it had been by him the previous year and settled in to rest during the daylight hours. It was a tight squeeze, but they managed to make themselves relatively comfortable. They were all on edge. The really difficult part of the mission lay before them. The next night they would make for the larger dom on the hill inside the woods, a day’s journey from Fort.

  They were approaching the hill on top of which Aglaya intended setting up base camp when they came across the next batch of southerners. The forest was becoming less dense now, the clearings between the trees more noticeable.

  It was Baltvei who sensed them. He came to a careful halt as he sniffed the air around them.

  : I smell fire :

  : Men? : telepathed Alesei in alarm.

  Aglaya turned to Baltvei : go take a look :

  Baltvei nodded and slunk away, his paws making little disturbance as he vanished from sight.

  After some tense waiting for the other seven he reported : six men; they hunt :

  Fernei was right, thought Aglaya; young Baltvei is doing well. He was remembering his training and his telepathic report was short and to the point. The more succinct a report was, the less chance of being overheard. On a battlefield, reports had to be quick, not least because the Larg could eavesdrop on any telepathic conversations. If Baltvei could remember this part of his training now, it boded well for his future.

  “We’ll go round,” whispered Maurice, “approach from another direction.”

  Aglaya led them away from the danger and it was while they were clambering up the almost perpendicular hill to reach the densely overgrown area at the top that would become base camp that disaster overtook them.

  Maurice had dismounted and was climbing up beside Qenya when the crumbling mud gave way beneath them. Qenya managed to cling on, her paws giving her purchase as she clawed her way to the more solid ground. Maurice was not so lucky and tumbled back down the slope, grasping for non-existent handholds. It was a losing battle. He fell right to the bottom where he came to an abrupt stop, his left leg doubling beneath him with an audible crack. Then pain engulfed him and he lost consciousness. A frantic Louis reached him seconds later, closely followed by Ustinya. Louis felt for a pulse.

  “He’s alive,” he said, “but I think he’s hurt bad. A broken leg at least – maybe some internal injuries. We must get him to the top. It’s too dangerous down here. These men could come this way any time and then where will we be?”

  “In the bag,” was Ustinya’s surprising comment. “Qenya on way down. She not hurt. She help drag Maurice up.”

  It was amazing how the Lind managed to pick up human slang, Ustinya, like Kolyei and Larya was one of the best.

  Watched by the others, the three of them struggled to move Maurice’s inert body up the hill (it was very steep and sheer) after Louis had splinted the leg, their muscles straining with every heave. Thankfully Maurice remained out for the count. As dawn was breaking, they reached the summit. Louis busied himself getting the older man comfortable, covering him with all the blankets he could muster and hoping he did not have any serious injuries apart from the leg.

  “We must keep him warm,” he said. “Shock is the biggest killer.” Vsei and Qenya lay down on either side of him, their body heat being the most sensible solution to the warmth problem. They dared not light a fire.

  Aglaya’s eyes were filled with worry. “Will he able to ride?” she asked.

  “Not for some time,” Louis answered. “Probably weeks and he’s going to be in a lot of pain when he wakes.”

  He looked at her as he spoke, “we’ll have to change our plans. Ustinya and I will have to go on with you to Fort. I’ll whiten my hair and dirty my face. If I keep to the shadows I should be able to carry it off.”

  Aglaya looked doubtful.

  “It’s either that or abort the mission,” warned Louis. “We’ve been lucky, we’ve got this far without being seen. What are the chances if we have to do it all over again?”

  Aglaya nodded. “I not like it but see no other way.” She turned to the others. “We sleep today and tomorrow, make sure Maurice is okay then go to Fort.”

  Maurice had been Fernei’s original choice to make the initial approach to Fort, but his accident made that impossible. It would now be up to Louis and when he woke Maurice worried that the lad would stand out like a sore thumb amongst the convicts, none of whom were under thirty-five. Louis’s youth would be a distinct disadvantage, not that they had much choice in the matter. Louis was right; it was either this or abort the mission.

  Gerry had told Jsei that he intended to ‘hide in plain sight’, so Louis would approach the livestock area when dusk began to fall. They knew of the man’s love of animals from Jessica Howard and had decided that they would start their search for him there.

  Maurice glanced at Louis. The lad’s face betrayed no more than a touch of nervousness and a great deal of determination. He had a good mental picture from Jsei of what Gerry looked like.

  It had been Jsei who had suggested Louis Randall and Ustinya as the other vadeln-pair for the mission. He had known he would be debarred from going because his vadeln Geraldine was female. The boy, Jsei had noted, was very intelligent and showed a knack for deviousness almost as good as his own. Louis and Ustinya made a good team.

  Jim and Francis had been reluctant, thinking him too young, as had Fernei, but that had been before the old white had met him. He had looked at Louis Randall and had been reassured. True, the boy was young, just sixteen, but there was maturity in his face, coupled with an enquiring mind that the Susa of the Avuzdel was sure would not diminish as he grew older. Afanasei had pressed Jsei’s case; informing Fernei that, in his opinion, Louis needed more of a challenge than the Vada could offer. The boy thrived on it.

  “Time for you to go,” Maurice informed Louis, “be careful, don’t take any chances and don’t wait around too long. Better safe than sorry. Your disguise won’t hold in the sunlight.”

  “It’s dark enough now,” Louis agreed.

  “Don’t worry about me,” Maurice continued, “Qenya and Vsei will wait with me until my leg is better and then we will run north. It’s perfectly safe here. No one in their right mind would attempt to climb up that slope however much they wanted to see the view from the top.”

  “What does that say about us then?” Louis teased. “You have the painkillers?”

  Maurice nodded, “plenty of rations and water. Expect to hear from me sometime.”

  Louis clasped the man’s hand in a silent farewell and departed. He, Aglaya and Ustinya crept out of the dom and down the slope. Louis mounted and they began a cautious approach southwards towards Fort’s livestock area. Louis hardly breathed as they passed like shadows through the trees.

  When it grew light they would rest in the last of Jsei’s hides and Louis would make the first contact attempt at dusk, when they hoped the convicts would have finished their work for the day.

  They found the small hide as dawn began to break and rested, careful not to make any noise. All three shared the watches, each lying awake in turn whilst
the other two slept.

  As evening approached they ate a meal consisting of the dry travel rations and drank some water.

  Louis began to disguise himself, dirtying his face and hands with the camouflage cream Laura Merriman-McAllister had prepared.

  Ustinya watched critically.

  : Remember back of neck :

  Louis dutifully rubbed the cream in then combed some dust through his hair for good measure.

  : It stinks : This comment came from Aglaya.

  Aglaya was trying without much success not to breathe in the pungent fumes.

  : Poof, they’ll smell you coming : added Ustinya.

  : Laura told me the smell dies away after a while :

  They waited for the ‘while’ as Aglaya sniffed him over at intervals.

  : I think we can go now : she telepathed Ustinya : smell is gone, tell Louis we go with him to edge of lian :

  The three set out, moving like silent shadows through the undergrowth until Aglaya and Ustinya paused in mid-stride.

  : Men ahead : warned Ustinya : dismount :

  Louis did so, being careful not to make any undue noise then followed the two Lind as they crawled towards the leafy knoll that overlooked the livestock corrals. They smelt the animals before they saw them and Ustinya wrinkled her nose in disgust. The smell was almost as bad as Laura’s black cream.

  The three watched as the group of men below checked the livestock fences and began to make their way back to one of the larger buildings. There was some other activity over at the far end of the complex but certainly all was quiet in the paddocks nearest them.

  : Do you see any guards? : asked Louis of Ustinya.

  : No but that does not mean there are none :

  It seemed like an age before Aglaya turned her head towards them and Ustinya passed Louis her order to start moving downhill.

  : Be careful : Ustinya warned her vadeln : Call if danger and I come get you :

  Louis nodded, caressed her neck and began to creep away. When he reached the edge of the woods he stood upright and trying to look casual, began to walk towards the buildings. As he drew nearer he could hear the insistent lowing of the cattle and then the sound of clanging pails and low voices from a long low wooden shed to his left.