by Candy Rae
CHAPTER 19 (Northern Continent)
Francis sat down in what Jim called Tara’s Grove beside the newly appointed Susyc of the northern armies with a grunt.
When Jim and Larya had returned to domta Zanatei, to his great astonishment, Jim had been appointed Commander, or Susyc, of the joint-defence of the north. He and Larya were the two most trusted to command by both species.
Francis had managed to find out where Jim and Larya had hidden themselves only after nagging at Asya for over four hours. Only then had she sighed and mentally contacted Larya. Larya had been loath to pass Jim’s whereabouts on, stating as an excuse that her partner needed peace and quiet to think.
Francis had pressed his point across, stating that two heads were better than one and, after some thought she had given him directions towards the rocky outcrop in the very centre of the domta, her only comment being that it was four heads, not two, now that both of them were vadeln-paired and that he mustn’t forget this again.
Francis chose to ignore that tart reminder.
Jim acknowledged their arrival but said nothing more and Francis decided that he’d better start the ball rolling.
“How are we going to defeat them?”
“I’m thinking about it.”
“Think harder.”
“You don’t think I’m not trying?” Jim replied with some heat. “This is as new to me as it is to you.”
“What’s your problem?”
“Problem is that the Lind have a time-honoured way of dealing with the Larg.”
“You don’t know how they will cope with any changes you come up with?”
“Correct.”
“Want some advice?”
“What?”
“Order the changes. They have appointed you leader of the joint-command.”
“Susyc,” said Jim absently, “not Leader.”
“Whatever. The crux of the matter is that you are in charge and everybody else must obey you.”
: Francis speaks truth : Larya bespoke him. : Every Susa must obey the Susyc :
“My thoughts are this,” Jim began. “Correct me if I am wrong you three, but traditionally the Susyc has been the first Lindar Susa to reach the battlefield and was usually from one of the four packs who inhabit this area, they being the nearest. The Lindars fight separately. There is no cohesion and the Larg take full advantage of this, exploiting the gaps that appear in the lines.”
“Get on with it,” interrupted Francis. “You’re stating the obvious.”
“One line.”
“One line? What do you mean?”
“I want a continuous and unbroken line of Lindars standing and fighting on the slope in front of the woods, three ranks deep at least.”
: Ryz : corrected Larya.
“Behind them back-up ranks and behind them the reserve ranks.”
“Will there be enough to cover all the ground?”
“I believe there will. Larya and I got approximate numbers from Zanatei. We can do it. I know we can. I’ll plug any gaps in the front lines with the second line and keep the reserves until I need them.”
“And how are you and Larya going to know if and where the front ranks are weakening, tell me that?”
“I’m going to allocate a vadeln-pair to each Lindar. They’ll tell me through Larya.”
“Looks like you’re going to be busy,” said Francis with a wink in Larya’s direction.
“Only the most urgent,” she answered in a placid tone. “Even I cannot manage all. Jim has worked it out.”
She looked at her vadeln.
“Tell Francis the rest.”
“You’ve expressed many concerns about the fourteen-to-sixteen-year-olds fighting with you in the main Vada ranks. I’m going to use them for communications. They’ll be safer with the main lines than with you and, because of our allies’ wonderful telepathic abilities, they can remain well behind the rear ryz. They don’t need to be right at the battle-line to keep in touch with the Lindar Susas.”
“It might just work,” Francis admitted but the worry lines did not fade from his face.
“The communications vadeln-pairs will not report to Larya unless the matter is critical, but to the main communications unit, well to the rear, which will filter the information.”
“Who is to run the communications unit?”
“Haven’t made my final decision yet,” was the bland answer. “The Gtrathlin has volunteered a team of ten and I have accepted but I need a pivot, a vadeln-pair if I can manage it, the Lind having enough experience to know what is important and what is not. If they can both understand and think in both Standard and Lindish it would be a help.”
Francis realised that there was only one pair capable of this as Asya confirmed : Kolyei and Tara :
: Tara is a child : was his rejoinder.
: Kolyei is good at human speaking and Tara speaks our language best of all :
“It took some explaining to the Lind,” Jim continued, “but I can’t be everywhere, see everything. They saw sense eventually. If we keep together on the ridge and in contact, that is our strength and the superior weight of the Larg is counterbalanced. No matter what, we stick to the ridge like glue.”
“The Lindars won’t like that.”
“I think you’ll find they like being torn to pieces even less. That’s what happened the last time the Larg arrived in great numbers. The Larg feinted a retreat and the Lindars, wrongly sensing victory, followed, with predictable results. From what Zanatei told me, they didn’t even attack together. Each Susa decided when to go on his own.”
“Did the Susyc not try to stop them?”
“Oh he tried, believe me.”
“And you’re sure you’ll do better?”
“I have taken precautions. Each Susa and their Ryz Commanders will take an oath of obedience and loyalty to Larya and me personally. I am assured by Mariya, who is the present Gtrathlin, that all will do so.”
“If you and Larya fall?”
“The oath encompasses my second-in-command.”
“Who is your second-in-command?”
“Why, you are of course,” answered Jim with a grin at Francis’s stunned face. “I have no intention of getting myself killed though, so don’t hold your breath.”
“Me?” Francis was aghast at the prospect.
“I can’t think of anyone better suited to the job.”
“What if we have to make a run for it? What then?”
“The Larg are built for strength,” answered Jim, “not speed. In a worst case scenario and I or Larya have to order a retreat, the Lind can make good their escape through the woods and live to fight another day, but I don’t intend that to happen. We will hold the ridge. We must hold the ridge.”
* * * * *
