Ambition and Alavidha Page 3

  The inhabitants are a mix of religious beliefs and cultures. They are independent of the mainland and have their own governments. The main threat to their existence are the sea pirates.

  By AL 807, most of the islands are populated to some degree. Some call this expansion the ‘Second Colonisation’. The majority of these colonists have come from Murdoch and Argyll.

  The Western and Eastern Isles and the Galland Confederation are still allied to the Kingdom of Murdoch but are looking more to the other islands and not to the south.

  The pirate islands of R’sair have become a state in their own right although piracy is still rife.

  The island groups of Randall and Eilidon continue to flourish.

  The Island of Galliard has become very rich and wields much commercial influence.

  The biggest change in the Great Eastern Sea has been the emergence of the Kingdom of Leithe. During the seventh century, successive kings, through marriage or conquest, annexed nearby islands. This trend escalated in the eighth century and now Leithe is the richest and most powerful state in the islands.

  By AL 807 some island states have woken up to the threat Leithe poses and nebulous alliances are being formed to protect their independences.

  The tiny Island of Hallam remains un-allied and independent. It has no need to form alliances to defend itself. It has its Larg.

  Nadlians of the Larg

  The Larg are the large warlike creatures that inhabit the extensive southern continent. In size and build they are similar to the Clydesdale horse of old Earth and like their distant cousins, the Lind of the north, they are wolf-like in appearance. The Larg have telepathic abilities although it is at a far more basic level than that of the Lind.

  Their society is rigid in structure, all packs owing allegiance and instant obedience to one pack, the members of which are the hereditary rulers of all Larg. The supreme Larg is called the Largan.

  Largdom has changed only in that the Larg no longer wish to dominate the planet and the Lind are no longer enemies but it has been a difficult two centuries as they have tried to mould their culture to this new way of life and thinking.

  Rtathlians of the Lind

  The Lind are the large peace-loving beings that inhabit the larger and more easterly of the two northern continents of planet Rybak. In size and build they are similar to the Thoroughbred horse of old Earth and they are wolf-like in appearance. Their colours and patterns vary depending on the pack they come from, usually striped although some of the far western packs have patterns more similar to the Larg. They live in packs led by older members who are called the ‘Elda’. Their society is pack based but all packs defend their own and the entire nation of Lind. The Lind prefer to live in forested areas. The Gtratha, or High Council of Lind is made up of a member from each pack, looks after their land’s defence and is the receptacle of all traditions and knowledge. The ruler of the Gtratha is called the Gtrathlin.

  Vadath

  Vadath is the long slice of land in the northern continent and is ruled jointly by Lind and humans. It is situated between Argyll and the Rtathlians of the Lind. More humans and Lind are life-paired in Vadath than anywhere else on the continent. There is only one town of any size and it is situated on the southwest coast. It is the home of the Vada and has the most unoriginal name of Vada too.

  Vadath is the base of the Vada, the Lind/human cavalry force that does so much to defend the mainland from intruders and dangers. The commanding pair of the Vada, or Susa as they are called are charged with leading the combined forces of Lind, Vadath and Argyll in time of war.

  A time-traveller from AL 608 would instantly recognise that the country in AL 807 is almost identical. The Vada is still pledged to protect. Unlike in Argyll, Murdoch and in the islands where a population explosion has occurred, the population of Vadath has remained static.

  Murdoch

  Murdoch is still a militaristic autocracy. It is divided into Dukedoms, originally eight, by the end of the first century, nine and by AL 807, twelve. Each Duke owes fealty to the King. Much of the land is scrub and desert, especially in the far west and in the south. Arable land is at a premium and the lords are ever jealous of the fertile northern continents.

  The currency of the Kingdom is gold circles and half-circles, silver circles and half-circles and copper bits, half-bits and quarter-bits.

  Like Argyll, Murdoch hasn’t changed much in the two centuries since the war against the Dglai, although, at least ‘deep down’ there have been what politicians might call ‘surface changes’. Slavery was abolished by King Elliot the Twelfth and his wife Queen Zilla of Argyll in AL 615 and other reform laws were promulgated but Elliot’s immediate descendants and heirs were not strong and the powerful Dukes asserted themselves and their traditional rights on his death.

  In some duchies the institution of serfdom has taken the place of slavery which is, when all is said and done, just slavery under another name.

  There remains a divide between the northerly and southerly duchies both in attitude and wealth. Rival dukes are often at each other’s throats although this animosity has not yet led to another civil war.

  * * * * *

  -5-

  AL 807

  NORTH-EAST ARGYLL - THE PATROL SECTOR OF THE FIFTEENTH RYZCK

  : Thalia? :

  : Yes, what is it? :

  : I would like to hunt. May I ask Vadryzka Cera and Xei if we can be detached? :

  : What? Now? :

  : Now : Josei answered in a firm and no-nonsense tone : there is a lian over there and thus a nice juicy vuz or two to be caught : Josei’s mind-tone had become wistful.

  Here, in this area of Argyll there were no wild kura or zarova, the preferred meal of the Lind. The countryside was well (some said over) populated and the meat-herds all domesticated. Actually, domesticated was probably the wrong term, the zarova especially being most intractable but they all, without exception, belonged to some farmer or other. Of course, the Fifteenth’s base, the enclave of cabins which was home to the duty Ryzck kept a herd of meat animals for Lind consumption but from time to time the Lind had the urge to actually hunt out their prey before they killed and ate it.

  Thalia sensed Josei’s need. The farmers wouldn’t mind. The creatures known as vuz were numerous and hungry this time of year and all farmers knew them for the pests they were. They ate young shoots and crops.

  : Ask : Thalia told him : and while you hunt I’ll do a spot of reading. There’s still enough light :

  She sighed. There were never enough bells in the day to read during a duty tour.

  : What is wrong? : asked a now cheerful Josei; he had become very happy at the thought of a bell or two of fun chasing vuz in the woods.

  : I’m feeling a mite tired : Thalia admitted.

  It was no wonder Thalia was feeling tired. Not only were they coming to the middle of their three month long duty but she and Josei had had guard duty last night; four bells awake when she might otherwise have been sleeping. It was enough to make anyone tired, even anylind.

  : I’d like to finish my book : added Thalia.

  : I’ll ask Xei now : he promised and did.

  Permission was granted and peeling away from the other seven vadeln-pairs in their Vadryz Thalia and Josei made a beeline for the woods.

  Ensconced, her back leaning against a handy tree trunk, Thalia settled herself down and opened her book. However, she couldn’t seem to summon up enough energy to begin to read it.

  No wonder, she thought crossly to herself, I was up half the night and we set out on shore patrol immediately after brekker. I wish something would happen, all we seem to do this duty stint is to run up and down the shore, looking out to the sea.

  : Be careful what you wish for : Josei’s comment arrived unbidden in her mind : it might just happen :

  It was an old Vada saying.

  But Thalia didn’t respond. Her eyelids closed and her book fell from her hands. Thalia was asleep.

  * * * *
*

  The Fifteenth Ryzck was stationed in the second-most northerly of the wards on the eastern seaboard. The Eighteenth Ryzck was responsible for the ward to the north, where the mountains began but the area where the Fifteenth were stationed was an important one.

  Lying between the two wards was the River Missouri, no-one could remember why the river had this name but it had been so since the first decade of colonisation. The Missouri was wide and tidal, deep in the central channel and therefore navigable upriver as far as the town of Cranston some fifteen miles inland. The inhabitants of Cranston depended on trade from river traffic for their prosperity and the town was thriving.

  The people who lived in the ward, unlike many Argyll people in the interior and to the south were glad of the protection of the Ryzcks and paid their tithe willingly, for this was an area beset by peril. In the mountainous north prowled the gtran and the wral, large and vicious predators who preyed on the unwary. Also inhabiting these mountains were bandits, who also preyed on those who did not protect themselves, their families and the smaller villages and townships which dotted the landscape.

  Added to these perils were the sea-pirates who continued, despite the navy’s best efforts to raid the coastal areas. Ryzcks serving in this area expected at least one violent incident during each tour of duty. The pirates appeared to have an innate ability of knowing just where to attack and the more experienced vadeln suspected that there were men and women of Argyll in league with them and who were tipping them off.

  In recent years this problem the smuggling and the violence had been getting worse.

  The attacks would usually ‘come out of the blue’ with no warning so it was a surprise to Susa Vandiel and his Lind Zandya who commanded the Fifteenth Ryzck when the message arrived from the Susa of the Eighteenth Ryzck to the north informing them that they had received intelligence that a pirate fleet of three large galleys were expected to land in a place upriver from the coast in two days.

  Frantic telepathic conversations ensued between Zandya and Susa Brent’s Rozya. A message to the nearest Garda garrison was sent by Brent but he knew that the horse cavalry stationed at the fort would be unlikely to reach the ambush location in time unless they were mounted on fast horses. Only the Lind would be able to run fast enough.

  Susa Vandiel explained this to his three Vadryzkas; that the Ryzck would be leaving immediately and what he knew about who they would be facing when they got there.

  “Full battle armour,” he ordered, “and only food and water for three days. We will be running fast.”

  “Will it be only the sea-pirates we will be ambushing?” asked Vadryzka Cera, who was Thalia’s immediate superior.

  A Ryzck was split into three Vadryz of eight vadeln-pairs each and led by a Vadryzka. The other three duos who made up a Ryzck were the Ryzcka pair, a Holad (medical) pair and the pair responsible for communications. The Lind of this latter partnership was always one of strong telepathic abilities.

  “We are not sure as yet Cera,” Vandiel answered. “Brent says that he suspects collusion between the pirates and the bandits. I think he’s had word from some Avuzdel operatives. As you know, we have been suspecting this for some time.”

  “We most definitely don’t want them working together,” Cera agreed, “they’re bad enough on their own.” Cera, in her mid-forties now, had had a lot of experience dealing with both types of renegades. She also originated from this area and always took it as a personal affront if either type of parasite managed to steal from, maim or kill any civilians in the ward.

  “Definitely,” said Vandiel, “but with two Ryzcks and the Light Cavalry from Cranston we shall certainly put a spoke in their wheels. There’s a contingent of militia coming from Cranston too, they’ll be marching with the Garda infantry.”

  The commanding officers of the Fifteenth Ryzck had a lot to think about as they dispersed to prepare. A fight was not unexpected, what was, was the confirmation that the land bandits and sea pirates were working in tandem. As Vandiel returned to his cabin to get out his battle armour he pondered. It was a worrying development. What was causing these one-time enemies to unite? Who was behind it?

  * * * * *

  Josei had just swallowed his second vuz when the summons arrived, in fact, he was licking his lips and wondering whether he should go after a third.

  It was too good to last, he thought with regret, this complete un-event-ful-ness (he had but recently learnt the word) of the last month and a half and unlike Thalia, he wasn’t a great seeker of adventure. He blamed the books she read. Adventures had a tendency to turn into violence and like most others of his kind he was of the opinion that prevention was far better than a fighting cure. The Lind fought when they had to; to protect, but that didn’t mean they liked it. Oh well, perhaps it was nothing but Xei’s telepathic voice-tone hadn’t indicated that this was a mundane recall; in fact. Josei had sensed quite the opposite.

  He took a last regretful look at the vuz burrow and trotted back to the tree where he had left Thalia.

  It took longer to wake her up than it did for her to put his harness back on. She mounted and they ran back to the domta as fast as Josei’s paws could take them.

  * * * * *

  Contained purpose was how Thalia later described the scene that met them.

  Sliding off Josei’s back Thalia waved to Cera and hurried to her and Josei’s daga to get ready. She and Josei had been wearing what was called half-armour during their recent patrol along the shore, a compromise between protection, ease of movement and speed.

  Now Thalia dragged out their thick battle armour from the press; hard zarova leather front and back plates, impregnated with chain, full leg greaves and hand and arm protectors. Finally she removed her helmet from the shelf.

  She stripped off her patrol attire, right down to her undergarments and donned the body-hugging quilted tunic, wrinkling her nose at its unique smell, comprising of saddle oil and sweat. The rest took only as long as it took Josei to nab another quick snack from the meat-store and slurp a drink of water. Clipping her thigh greaves in place, Thalia paused : Josei? :

  : Here : and Josei’s large hairy face peeped round the door.

  Thalia grinned, a tight grin and picked up the armour that belonged to Josei.

  “We’ll put it on outside,” she decided after a look round. Cripes, she’d almost forgotten her knives! One never knew when an extra knife or two might come in handy during a fight. Her sword she was already wearing and the light shield the Vada carried when going into battle was outside.

  She picked up the knives and hurried out of the door. As she attached Josei’s battle armour to his harness he was telepathing a running commentary about where they were going and why.

  Thalia listened as she worked, pausing only for an instant to thank the kitchen boy when he thrust a food package and a large water bottle into her arms. She shoved them into the saddle-pack and continued buckling on the armour.

  “Does it feel okay?”

  Josei shifted and stretched, making sure it wasn’t impeding movement.

  “Perfect,” he replied then burped. He had after all rushed his food rather. “Xei says we leave in a quarter bell. We are to report to him and Cera for inspection.”

  Thalia nodded, slipping the extra knives into the sockets of her boots. Inspection was normal just in case someone or somelind forgot something.

  Another boy came into view. She opened her hands and a standard medical pack was tossed into them and the boy sped away.

  Josei nudged Thalia with his snout.

  : We are ready, we are together :

  The words were said in such a matter of fact tone that Thalia smiled. She did not laugh, no-one was laughing. Fighting was not a laughing matter no matter what the adventure books she was always reading said. People and their Lind got killed in even small battles and three galley-loads of pirates would be formidable opponents.

  The two of them passed inspection with flying colours. They notice
d however that a few pairs were being sent back to their dagas to pick up whatever they had forgotten. Vadeln Jenna had even forgotten her sword! When she returned (she was in Thalia’s Vadryz) Thalia noted that she was red-faced with embarrassment yet excited too.

  Was it only two years since Thalia had herself graduated and joined the Ryzck? Was it only a year and eight months since she had, like Jenna, been mortified with embarrassment when she had been sent back to fetch of all things, her helmet?

  She smiled in what she hoped was an encouraging manner at Jenna then turned to bestow on Rodick what she hoped was a forbidding look. Don’t you dare make a comment it said.

  Jenna smiled a tremulous smile in return as she mounted Stasei, her Lind.

  Jenna was quite right to feel nervous, decided Thalia as she settled herself on Josei’s back, without Rodick making comments. Her fleeting thought at the prospect of actually dying during the next few days was immediately dispelled by Josei’s soothing thoughts of love and togetherness.

  : Best not to think about it : he ‘said’ to her : better to think of the good we can do and for the safety of those in danger from these bad men of sea and mountain :

  Thalia tried very hard to comply with his advice and on the whole succeeded. It would be, after all, not the first fight she and Josei had been in and they were still in one piece. Why should this be any different?

  * * * * *

  NORTH-EAST ARGYLL - THE RIVER MISSOURI - BETWEEN THE PATROL SECTORS OF THE EIGHTEENTH RYZCK AND THE FIFTEENTH RYZCK