Conflict and Courage Page 19

  Daltei had, on investigating the common room that linked the girls’ and boys’ sides of the barracks, managed to knock over the neatly stacked mops and brushes not once but twice, tipping over a table loaded with mugs and plates in the process. It would be interesting to see the effect training had on the irrepressible young Lind.

  * * * * *

  At domta Afanasei, Tara had been ambivalent about starting training at the stronghold, having survived the battle the previous year, she had emerged a deeply traumatised thirteen-year-old who hoped that she would never again have to raise a sword in anger. It had been Jim and Larya who persuaded her to accept Francis’s offer of Vada training, as their conversation testified.

  “You have to be able to defend yourself,” Jim had said, “you don’t know what is ahead of you and Kolyei, valiant warrior he may be but you mustn’t depend on him to get you out of every situation.”

  Kolyei agreed, “one Larg I can cope with, perhaps two, but not more.”

  “But I don’t want to join the Vada.”

  “Nolind says you have to,” answered Larya.

  To Larya’s surprise, Kolyei shared Tara’s sentiment.

  “Tara and I have other plans.”

  “Still want to explore west?” asked Jim, “write that book you have been promising us?”

  “And a dictionary of the Lind language,” added Tara.

  “Ambitious projects.”

  “It is what we must do.”

  “I will not permit you to travel on your own unless you have passed out of Wilhelm Dahlstrom’s weapons arms class,” Jim warned and only when she realised that he meant what he said did Tara agree to accept the Vada Susa’s offer.

  “All right, have it your way. We’ll go to the stronghold, take the training. I want to see Emily and Ilyei again anyhow.”

  With that Jim and Larya had to be satisfied.

  When Tara and Kolyei arrived at the stronghold, a week to the day after Tina and Daltei’s arrival, Tara’s reunion with Emily was an emotional one. Tina watched wide-eyed, even Daltei was subdued, much to Ilyei’s inner amusement.

  Emily left Tara and Tina together when she had to report for first-aid duty.

  The two girls, after an initial bout of shyness, began their first tentative steps of friendship.

  As Emily had suggested, the two made for the cookhouse, where snacks could be coaxed out of the cooks if one approached them right.

  “Are you to attend the riding class with the rest of us new ones?” Tina asked.

  “No,” answered Tara. “Kolyei and I are exempt.”

  Tara giggled and Tina felt herself warming towards her, “they said that if I didn’t know how to ride Kolyei by this time there was little they could do.”

  “Why is that?” was Tina’s interested question. She had forgotten what Emily had told her about Tara the previous week when the curious Tina had asked quite a number of questions about her. Tara looked at the older girl, both being built on a diminutive scale; she could look her in the eye easily.

  “Kolyei and I are one of the originals with her and Ilyei. In fact, we were the very first.” Her eyes grew distant as she remembered those days. There were only eight of them left now, a fact that troubled Tara deeply.

  “You’re that Tara?” squealed Tina. “Daltei sings a song in the evenings telling of the first life-bonds. I’m so sorry, I didn’t realise and Emily and the others didn’t say.”

  “They wouldn’t. They know I don’t like it bandied about. They probably assumed you knew. Kolyei and I know the tune they sing. I wrote the words. It’s most embarrassing.”

  “No wonder you’re exempt from the classes.”

  “To be perfectly honest, I’d rather be doing that than weapons-work. I don’t feel comfortable with a sword in my hand.”

  “Neither did I the first time but I’ve got used to it now. I’ve had three lessons and quite enjoy practice, of course I’m sure real fighting is completely different.”

  “At least when you go into action you’ll have been trained properly. It was different last year.”

  “You and Kolyei were at the battle?” was Tina’s surprised query.

  “We ran the communications’ pivot. I can assure you that it wasn’t the most comfortable experience in the world.”

  “I imagine not.”

  She looked at Tara with open admiration.

  “Did you?”

  “Did I have to fight? Yes,” she shuddered, “I still have nightmares about it.”

  “Then let’s forget it,” decided Tina, “why don’t I show you and Kolyei around? The cookhouse is over there, Louisa, she’s head cook, usually has something simmering in the pot. She knows we cadets are always hungry.”

  She led the unresisting Tara towards it, chattering away, her shyness temporarily forgotten as she made an effort to eradicate the haunted look from Tara’s face, “I’ll tell you about the other day when Daltei thought he’d try out human food. He never realised until it was too late that zarova curry was on the menu. His howls of anguished surprise could be heard the other side of the river.”

  Tara laughed. At least, thought Tina, the haunted look had vanished.

  Nibbling at the titbits the cook gave them the two sauntered back to the cadet common room. It was deserted and spotlessly clean.

  Tara’s eyebrows rose.

  Tina had been at the stronghold for a week now and knew what was what.

  “Chore section did it before breakfast,” she offered, “you’re in my section. Toilet cleaning is reported to be the worst,” she shuddered, “but our section did that the week before last so it won’t come around for a while yet.”

  “What other duties are there?”

  “Cookhouse, common room, mending, the boys hate that one and we’re expected to do our own cubicles and the corridors outside. They’re inspected daily and woe betide any of us who leave it messy or untidy.”

  There was a clatter from behind them. Daltei had backed into the brushes and brooms again.

  Tina rushed to pick them up.

  Kolyei sighed and glanced at Tara, a pained expression on his face.

  He had resolved to take the accident-prone young Lind under his paw for a while, a resolve for which Emily’s Ilyei would be deeply grateful but even after one morning, he was finding Daltei a most exhausting companion. He went to help Tina extricate Daltei from the mess.

  When Ilyei found out he raised a quizzical eye at Emily.

  : These two together? I dread what will happen. Think about it. Daltei and Kolyei but I will try to keep eye on them. Daltei’s mischievousness is one thing but coupled with Kolyei’s brains, what a combination! :

  Emily could only agree.

  That first evening after Tara arrived, the cadets were, as usual, congregated in their common room.

  “Tomorrow is a rest day,” announced Emily with satisfaction, “what will we do?”

  “We could have a party to welcome the new people,” said Junior Cadet Mark Ampte. “Cook will let us have some eats I’m sure.”

  “As long as you don’t try to smuggle in any alcohol,” warned his year-mate Alan de Groot. “Remember what happened last time?”

  Mark nodded. Weaponsecond Ross, who was a great believer in making the punishment fit the crime, had sentenced Mark to a lengthy off duty spell working in the small distillery not far from the stronghold, a most unpleasant experience and one that he was not keen to repeat. It had killed off Mark’s desire to try out alcoholic beverages. He claimed now that even a faint whiff of valdka turned his stomach.

  “Don’t worry,” he answered with a remembered grimace, “I’ve learnt my lesson.”

  The cadets laughed.

  “Leave the eats to me,” Mark promised.

  “And us,” chorused Brenda and Yvonne, two senior cadets.

  The party was a great success. Mark and Alan proved to be the life and soul of the evening and even Tina was drawn into the merriment, despite her shyness.

  I
t still took her time to settle in. If it had not been for Tara it would have taken much longer. Although new to the Vada herself, Tara helped her in myriad ways, showing her how to tend Daltei, such as demonstrating how to remove the insidious bloodsuckers out of his coat and the way Lind preferred to be groomed. Daltei was pleased, he admired Kolyei tremendously and tried to emulate him the best he could. He managed to keep out of any big trouble, although little troubles kept popping up when he was around, accidents like him knocking over the cookhouse trestles and falling into the cesspit too insignificant to matter, except for Tina (it took her over three hours scrubbing to get him clean and even Tara thought twice before she offered to help). Kolyei remained on the sidelines giving helpful advice.

  “I hope Tina and Tara stay friends,” was Ross’s comment to Lililya. “Daltei is the most accident-prone Lind I have ever come across and Kolyei is managing to keep him under control much better than anylind else has been able to.”

  “His Susa says he was not the most co-ordinated young adult in his ryz,” Lililya admitted with an amused wag of her tail, “he will get better.”

  “I hope so,” was Ross’s heartfelt reply.

  * * * * *

  Two weeks later it was the turn of a resentful Hilary Templeton to enter through the stronghold gates.

  Gsnei, for that was what her Lind was called, had interrupted her final medical studies without so much as a by-your-leave. The doctor under whom she had been serving her internship had been less than sympathetic.

  “Of course you must go! Doctor James went to Vadath months ago and loves the life there. You can complete your internship under him just as well as here. Broaden your horizons a bit. Battle surgery is his speciality.”

  Up until the arrival of Gsnei, Hilary’s ambition had been to work at the main medical facility at Settlement. She had never yearned as others did to be paired with a Lind. She had worked extremely hard to gain her qualification, not that she could imagine being separated from Gsnei now that they were together.

  “Essentially, you are qualified,” Doctor Whistler had continued, “you just need more experience and you’ll certainly get it there. You said to me once that you wanted to be a surgeon?”

  Hilary nodded.

  “Just the place for you then,” he had said.

  To go back a fortnight, Gsnei had arrived at the gates of the medical facility and sat down to wait, causing much excitement amongst staff, patients and visitors alike. When asked, he had replied in broken Standard that he was waiting for his human and that he was sure that she would be along soon. Hilary had just begun her shift and was accompanying her mentor on his ward rounds.

  Hilary looked out over the hospital yard when the news of his arrival reached her but thought nothing of it although she was finding it difficult to concentrate. Doctor Whistler became increasingly exasperated with her and after some thought the wise man put two and two together, made four, and, with a knowing smile on his face, asked his young intern if she was sickening for something. At Hilary’s vehement shake of her head he suggested that perhaps it would be better if she were to go outside for some fresh air.

  “Perhaps I should,” replied Hilary. “I’ve been feeling a peculiar sensation behind my ears and in my temple since I woke this morning. I think it’s a headache coming on. Some fresh air might clear it.”

  Doctor Whistler, who knew something of how the Lind chose their life partners, being a friend of Jim Cranston, only nodded, to all appearances intent on his patient who was responding very slowly to his medication.

  He was not sure that he had got the dosage right with this specific native palliative but this morning his mind was not centred on his patients, but on his intern. He would not be at all surprised if it was Hilary the Lind was waiting for. Just the other day, Manya, the Lind healer he most usually worked with had indicated that the young woman was a prime candidate. He wondered if Manya had been, in effect, preparing him for just such an occurrence.

  “Go on then,” was all he said, making a pointed effort not to look up, “I’ll see you later.”

  He remained motionless until he judged Hilary had left the ward then with a reassuring smile at his patient rushed over to the window that overlooked the courtyard.

  Thus it was that he watched Hilary emerge and the large black and beige striped Lind rise to his paws.

  Watched by a group of interested bystanders, she stumbled over to him. The patients were beginning to wonder where their visitors were. There were oohs and gasps from the crowd and a smattering of approving claps as she laid one hand on his neck.

  The Lind lowered his body, one un-winking, inviting deep green eye holding her gaze as if daring her to mount up on to his back, daring her to accept the challenge. His tail began to wag, slowly at first then speeding up as Hilary began to accept her destiny.

  Hilary, sensing what he wanted, looked up at the window seeking approval or permission; Doctor Whistler was not sure which. He waved and, making a shooing gesture with both hands, watched as she contrived to swing her leg across his withers and twist her hands through his neck-ruff, a necessary precaution Doctor Whistler realised, as the Lind rose to his full height. The Lind turned and walked away, the small slight figure of his intern perched precariously atop his back.

  Only then did he turn to face the patients who were clamouring to know what all the cheering was about.

  Now Hilary found herself riding through the stronghold gates thinking about how her life plans had been set aside so easily. She was apprehensive about her future with the Vada. A military life was not what she would have chosen.

  A heavily pregnant Laura McAllister met her, Faddei by her side.

  She helped Hilary dismount and after a few words of welcome led her towards a long two-storied building not far from the gates. It had wide swing doors at each end and in the middle.

  “This is the Holad,” announced Laura, “our medical base. Staff quarters are round the back. Some of us medical staff live here but others have their dagas nearby.”

  “Dagas?”

  “Lind word for home,” explained Laura, “we use many of their words here.”

  She led Hilary and Gsnei through the middle doors and out the other side.

  “We’re very glad to have you,” added Laura as she showed them their room, bigger and more spacious that the cadet cubicles but with similar furnishings, “I’m afraid it’s a bit bare. When you have a spare moment come and see me and I’ll help you make it more comfortable.”

  “Doctor Whistler did say you were shorthanded,” ventured Hilary.

  “Yes. We’ve only one qualified doctor and now you. The rest of us are medics or nurses. Doctor James will see you soon. He’s down on the training field, one of the cadets had a fall, otherwise he would have been here to greet you himself.”

  She eyed Hilary’s rucksack.

  “Is that all you have brought with you?”

  “Just these few clothes and my medical bag. My books and everything else are coming by boat. Doctor Whistler is sending them on. I didn’t want to burden Gsnei.”

  “Oh, they can carry a lot if need be but we can kit you out with what you’ll need for the immediate future.”

  Later, fed, clean and attired in (mostly) fitting garments from the general store, Laura led Hilary back to her new quarters.

  “Do you live in this building as well?” asked the newest member of the Vada Holad.

  “No, I’m married to Francis who commands here. He’s been having a trying time of late getting the Vada up to strength and his Asya’s pregnancy isn’t helping.”

  “His Lind is pregnant? Doesn’t that make it rather hard to lead his troops?”

  “We manage. My Faddei obliges more often than not. There are quite a few of us pregnant, of both species. My son is due in a week. You’ll be busy, never fear.”

  With Lind births as well?”

  Laura looked surprised.

  “Did no one tell you? I suppose they didn’t think o
f it. The medical team here is made up of both human and Lind. I know your Doctor Whistler has worked with our Holad friends at Settlement. The Lind Holad are good, they know so much about native sicknesses and home-grown remedies. They are somewhat restricted in what they can do because they have paws and not hands so it’s up to us humans to do any surgery or intricate work.”

  Hilary stood there, staring at her, mouth agape.

  “Both species benefit,” Laura added as she helped Hilary put her meagre possessions away. Hilary remained silent, digesting the news.

  “Their death rate is dropping rapidly from wounds, fractures and childbirth, I should say lindbirth really. When healer Talya watched her first caesarean section she danced for joy. Both mother and ltsctas would have died otherwise. If you are interested in midwifery, speak to Janice Randall up at rtath Winston near domta Afanasei. She and her husband have begun a medical school there. Janice is becoming quite an expert on the vagaries of Lind ante and postnatal care.”

  “Winston? That name rings a bell.”

  “He’s a vet, you’ll have met him on the ship. He and his family were one of the first to volunteer to come to Vadath when Jim and Larya asked. Here at the stronghold we specialise in battle injuries. At domta Winston they teach everything, human, Lind, other animals, physiology, the lot. You’ll see him soon. We work closely together.”

  Hilary’s eyebrows rose in astonishment. “I didn’t realise,” she stammered.

  Laura changed the subject. “Well, you do now. How much teaching have you done?”

  “Teaching? Me? It’s not so very long ago that I was the one being taught. What teaching?” Again Hilary wondered just what Gsnei had got her into.

  “You and James are the only qualified doctors we have. James is stretched to the limit. With you here he can devote more time to his students and can travel to Winston and help with the teaching there. Just at present they come to us.”

  “Is Doctor James alone or is he like Gsnei and me?”

  “Alone, he has to cadge a ride whenever he can. When you have to do dagavisits your Gsnei will take you as a matter of course.”