by Candy Rae
“What did you do before?” asked Tara.
Kolyei looked at her; the two of them were standing on the rocky outcrop that had been Jim and Larya’s command post.
“As now,” Kolyei sounded surprised, “we mourned.”
“No,” said Tara, “that’s not what I mean. What did you do with the bodies? I’ve never seen any signs of old bones lying about.”
Kolyei understood now and in a voice singularly devoid of emotion he began to explain.
“Many scavengers fly,” he said.
Tara raised her head to look at the huge birds.
“These ones? Is it them, these large horrible looking things that we keep having to chase away? What are they?”
“They are the Xrndli, scent blood, feel death.”
“Then?”
“Xrndli do not merely eat fur and flesh but the bones too.”
Tara now understood the lack of bone traces from previous battles. “Are you upset that Jim has ordered the burials and burnings instead?” she asked.
He shook his head.
“Why should we be upset? Ashes of Larg lie with Lind. That is as it should be. Legends tell us Lind and Larg were once one. It is fitting bones lie together. Humans live here now. It is best bodies not lie as of old.”
“It’s better this way then?”
“Different.”
“I’ll make sure they’re all remembered,” she declared. “I’m going to write about it, what happened to them.”
“We have still the History of Lind to write,” he reminded her.
“This is our history, don’t you see?”
“So it is Tara,” came a well-known voice from behind them.
Tara turned. It was Jim, a very tired looking and haggard Jim.
He stood beside them surveying the scene below.
“Write your stories,” he advised, “they are important, but don’t forget your History of Lind either. You’ve your whole life in front of you, plenty of time. Kolyei will help you. He might not be able to write but he certainly can spin a tale, or should I say tail?”
Kolyei’s perplexed look spoke volumes.
“What I am missing?” he enquired.
“It’s a little matter of spelling,” smiled Tara. “We haven’t got to that bit yet, wait, weight, two, too, tail, tale. Different spelling, different words, different meanings.”
Kolyei looked confused.
“You talk in riddles,” he said crossly.
For the first time since the battle had ended, Jim laughed.
“I think she’s won this round Kolyei my lad.”
“Round, what round? Why do you talk about circles Jim?”
Jim laughed even louder and even Tara began to giggle.
The Lind were out and about rounding up the herds once more. Many kura and zarova were needed both for restocking and to feed the large numbers of Lind still at the coast. They were accomplishing this with typical speed and efficiency. The corrals round the settlement were repaired and were being filled with restlessly moving beasts once more.
The Lindars were anxious to depart. It would take many of them over a moon to reach their rtathlians. The wounded would follow when they recovered. Jim made a point of visiting them and was embarrassed at their gestures of respect. Afanasei had been quite correct when he had told the Susyc that the Lind considered him a great hero. Larya basked in the reflected glory and seemed most amused by his discomfiture. She reminded him of his honoured status every chance she got.
To allow those who wanted to depart to do so and to relieve the pressures on the depleted food supplies, a conference had been arranged for the leaders of both species to decide what was to happen in the future. Jim had seen many impromptu Lind meetings in progress during this last day and he wondered what they were up to. Larya wouldn’t say a thing and when asked merely looked wise. Jim himself had his own ideas about what was to be discussed, hence dinner with Robert Lutterell before the evening gathering to sort out the proposals.
Robert Lutterell, Infantry Commander and reinstated member of the Council, prepared for the meeting in his usual efficient manner. Since that morning when he had led his triumphant army back through the gaping hole in the walls, much of the continuing reorganisation had fallen to him. With the death of Stuart MacIntosh and all but three of the Council there was nobody else capable or willing to take charge. He was later elected unanimously into the vacant Council Leader’s position.
The survivors wanted to get back to their farms and professions. They were already gathering their families and possessions together and moving home. True, their original livestock was gone, but that was a small price to pay for their freedom and the Lind were already bringing replacements in. There were fruit and root crops to attend to. Weeds grew with abandon in the summer sun and the farmers did not want to lose their harvest. The settlement was as overcrowded as ever, especially with so many of the cabins burnt down to their foundations and Robert was keen to ease the pressure.
The specialists who were remaining within the walls were eager to rebuild, intending to take advantage of the devastation to organise the settlement properly. The haphazardly erected cabins of the previous year were gone and would be rebuilt better than ever and in line with a new street pattern.
The area next to the wall where the captured men had been burnt to death would not be built on. Plans were afoot for a memorial garden and a plaque was to be erected. The Lind promised to bring in many exotic plants and blooms from the far west when the time was right, although they had continuing difficulties understanding the human need to venerate their dead in such a public manner.
To all intents and appearances, young Tara was recovering from her battle shock. Thirteen was very young to have killed in battle. Winston Randall, taking time off from his care of the wounded to see her, was amazed anew at the courage she had displayed. Only Kolyei was aware of the horrendous nightmares she was experiencing each night. Linked to her mind, he shared them.
“We go back to our domta soon,” he said to her. “We will leave this place of death.”
Tara smiled a wan smile.
“Back to the rtath forever?” she asked wistfully.
“Maybe,” Kolyei mused. “At first yes. I have much to learn. I must continue reading lessons.” His tail wagged. He had an insatiable thirst for knowledge.
“Remember Rtath Afanasei is a warrior pack still,” he warned.
“I know,” Tara answered, “but I also know that I never want to fight in a battle again.”
“What does Tara want to do then? You cannot write all of the time.”
“I think, I think that above all things, I would like to teach. I know I’m only thirteen and still have to attend lessons but when I am older I would like to be a teacher of the young.”
“I like that idea. Tara and Kolyei, we will travel together, we will learn and teach in Lind Rtathlians? Go to many new places? Explore everywhere and you must write all that we find down on paper sheets?”
“Yes,” said Tara, her eyes gleaming with anticipation, “yes please. We will write the history of the Lind down in a book so that the humans can know the Lind better. It would be wonderful to be able to do such a thing. I’m sure Peter would like to join us. I don’t think he’ll ever be a warrior.”
“Then that is what we do.” Peter’s life-mate Radya was never far from Kolyei’s thoughts and he was pleased that the two of them were an integral part of Tara’s plans for the future.
Others were deciding what they were going to do in the future. The threat from the south had not disappeared. Trained fighters would still be needed, although it was expected that hit-and-run raids by the convicts would become the norm for some time to come. The Larg had been dealt a heavy blow, but they would be back, if not next summer then the one after, or the one after that.
Francis and Asya intended to return to the rtathlians and there rebuild the Vada. He also realised that the threat from the south would be ever present and that the Vada would, in a
ll likelihood, be in the forefront of any future war. Laura and Faddei would remain with them as a matter of course. She would continue with her healing studies with the Holad. The four of them were looking forward to a long and fulfilling life together, bringing up their children, of both species.
Geraldine and Jsei were going with them. The young woman was still nonplussed about what had happened to her. She was keen to try out cavalry tactics within the Vada. Francis had already earmarked her and Jsei for possible promotion as soon as she mastered mounted fighting.
Louis Randall, to his father’s disappointment, was showing no inclination to follow the family tradition and take up animal doctoring. To everyone’s surprise he appeared to be falling for Geraldine, despite the difference in their ages, although Ustinya and Jsei might well have been encouraging this incipient relationship. The two Lind were attracted to each other in a big way, despite coming from different packs. Francis believed that the autonomy of the packs would undergo a fundamental and radical change in attitude, during the coming months, for those Lind who were vadeln-paired.
A heartbroken Emily was looking forward to her return to the domta as well, although she was dreading facing her parents after the death of her brother Steven. She missed Thomas and Stasya unbearably; the void in her life caused by their deaths would take a long time to heal.
Kath and Matvei were totally engrossed in the four orphans they had found in the settlement ruins. The six would return to the domta together. James, Rozya and the ltsctas were looking forward to this addition to their family and James was adding two extra rooms to the daga in preparation.
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