Ambition and Alavidha

by Candy Rae

  “All innocent like,” Chad agreed, “and do you know why it’ll be all innocent like?”

  Zeb shook his head.

  “Because I have a perfect, innocent right to be there. It’s my place. I go away and come back all the time, some, most, of my journeys are within the law. Everyone will believe that this has just been another. I return and take up the threads of life where I left off.”

  “Clever,” agreed Zeb, “but what about me? How are you going to explain me?”

  “You’ll be a waif I’ve picked up. I’ve offered you employment, in the kitchens I think.”

  “The kitchens!” exploded Zeb.

  “And no stealing while you’re there. A good thief always knows when to steal and when not. This is a ‘when not’ time.”

  “I don’t want to work in the kitchens,” complained Zeb but Chad was implacable. To the kitchen Zeb would go.

  Zeb sighed, “how long for?”

  “A month or so. It won’t hurt you to do a spot of honest work for a change. Think of it as a learning opportunity. You’ll never know when such knowledge might come in useful. The master thief who taught me once made me be a midden boy for a time, you know, cleaning up waste from townhouses, those who can’t afford running water. I didn’t like it much at the time either.”

  “I’d much rather work in the stables,” said Zeb.

  Chad didn’t want Zeb anywhere near the stables. When he did go to deliver the box he didn’t want the little rag-tag following him. If that happened he might find himself in the position of having to dispose of him and Chad quite liked the lad, he wasn’t so bad, except for the chatter and he reminded him a bit of himself at that age.

  He might be me in a few years time, he’s certainly smart enough.

  They rode on in silence for a while then, inevitably, Zeb opened his mouth.

  “Master Chad, I’ve been wondering, what’s in the box? Why is someone paying you to go to so much trouble to steal it?”

  “It’s an artefact from the early years,” Chad explained. “When you’re a bit older you’ll understand that there are rich people around who collect such things and are not too bothered about how the things come into their possession. It’ll probably take pride of place in his collection.”

  “Who is the man?” asked Zeb, “the man who’s paying us?”

  “You don’t need to know that,” Chad answered.

  “I’d like to know though. It’s one of the Murdoch Dukes isn’t it? Which one?”

  “It might even be the Queen of Murdoch herself,” Chad replied.

  “You said he,” Zeb accused.

  “Why, so I did, how remarkable!”

  “Have you looked inside the box?” pressed Zeb.

  “No, not interested.”

  “What if the words on the outside of the box aren’t what’s in it?”

  A subterfuge you mean? Well, that’s not my problem is it? I am being paid to steal the box, what’s in it is the buyer’s concern.”

  “What do the words on it mean? They don’t make any sense to me, PCWCCSA, I mean, it’s not a word, is it?”

  “They are the letters I was told were stencilled on the box and there weren’t any other such boxes in the cave, were there?”

  “No,” admitted Zeb, “only as I told you Master Chad, there were only three boxes. Lucky for us there were two the same size so I could swop the one I took with the one at the back. I did good, didn’t I?”

  “You did very good lad, good enough that I might even see fit to pay you a small bonus once the box has been delivered.”

  “A bonus, all of my own?”

  “One you don’t need to tell your Uncle Nonder about either. Keep quiet and he’ll never know.”

  “So we just deliver the box, you get paid and then you pay me. That sounds like a very good idea.”

  “That’s what I said didn’t I? You ask too many questions. Then we both go see your Uncle and I pay him what I owe him for getting me a place on the caravan.”

  “He had to pay a lot of coin to persuade the jewel trader who was supposed to go on the caravan to stay at home, didn’t he?”

  Chad didn’t answer.

  * * * * *

  -22-

  THE WESTERN COAST - THE NORTHERN CONTINENT

  As he sat gazing at the campfire Daniel found himself gazing at his companion. He realised that he didn’t really know much about her. In the past, as a youngster, on hunting expeditions at home he had been in the company of men and boys he knew, most from childhood. They shared the same ideals and came from similar privileged backgrounds. The situation he now found himself in was completely different and his, how should he put it, his co-questor for want of a better word, was as different from them as could be and it was not just her sex. It was this realisation that prompted him to open his mouth and ask the question.

  “Thalia, who are you?” that didn’t come out right so he tried again, “I mean, I know nothing about you at all. I’ve a feeling that we’re going to be travelling together a while and I was just wondering. I mean, where do you come from?”

  She stuck out her tongue at him.

  “Don’t be like that,” he said, “do you have family? Brothers and sisters?”

  “Do you?” she countered.

  “I asked first. I’ll tell you my story after you’ve told me yours.”

  “Good enough,” she said as she hunkered down at the fire, hugging her knees, “so a potted history of Vadeln Thalia’s life, is that what you want?”

  “Only if you want to tell. I don’t mean to pry into anything you wish to keep to yourself.”

  “My life story’s no secret, pretty ordinary really.”

  “That I don’t believe. I’ve always thought those who life-pair with Lind are pretty special.”

  He saw her grin in the firelight, her teeth were sparkling.

  Josei edged closer to the fire though he still kept a watchful eye and a watchful ear open. Daniel was yet to learn how much the Lind enjoyed stories, even ones they knew already.

  “Do you insist?” she asked.

  “I think I must. It’ll help pass the time until we seek our respective bedrolls.”

  “I’m one of eight,” she began. “Dad’s a writer and a mathematician. He used to work at the university but now he writes, historical things. Mum’s a teacher. I spent my early years in Stewarton. Started a degree course at the university there, mathematics, changed to history and languages, Lindish and Standard, didn’t finish my degree. Then next few years Vada training cadetship then into a Ryzck.”

  “Why didn’t you finish your degree?”

  “Josei arrived and proceeded to turn my life-plans around.”

  Daniel heard Josei emit the Lind version of a chuckle.

  “That’s a very short potted history. You said you’ve got seven brothers and sisters. Where are they?”

  “I’m the third youngest,” she offered without further prompting, perhaps she realised that Daniel wouldn’t stop asking until she told him. “My eldest brother is called Hal. He’s Vada like me. Father wasn’t too disappointed I think. Hal got his qualifications but studying was always a struggle for him though he worked hard enough. He actually managed to gain his degree then went off to Vada to teach. He met Aya shortly after he got there. He’s not with a Ryzck any more. His Lind Aya got hurt in a fight, she’s partly blind now. My second brother Raif, he left home when I was very young, about the same time as we left Stewarton for a village not far from Port Lutterell. Father, well, he had very definite ideas about what we were all going to do with our lives.” She laughed a bitter laugh. “I believe that most of us have been a great disappointment to him.”

  “In what way?” asked the interested Daniel.

  “Dad’s very clever and he wanted us all to follow in his footsteps, read science, maths or even technology at the university, all three another brother used to say then on to the Guild to forge a great career or even to stay on at the university to teach, like he di
d. He taught us all himself, preparing us for our glorious academic futures.”

  She paused and took a sip of kala.

  “Go on, do.”

  “Wait a mo won’t you? My throat’s parched.”

  She took a large swallow.

  “There, that’s better. Actually Raif went first, said he didn’t want to do any more studying, said he was sick of it all so off he went. He’s done well for himself, he’s a successful merchant at Port Wylie. Trades with Murdoch. Staples. Says everyone needs to eat. He’s married with children of his own. After Raif came Iain. He got sick of studying too, Father force feeds rather.”

  She took another sip of kala.

  “He got good results in the Leaving Exam. Got himself accepted for officer training at the Garda Academie. He’s a Captain now, in charge of one of the forts and surrounding area between Port Lutterell and Settlement, I don’t remember exactly which one, least that’s where he was last time I saw him. He might even have been gazetted Major by now. Bored yet? Shall I stop?”

  “Not in the least,” Daniel assured her.

  “Next came the twins Ranolf and Rudi. They caused Father a great deal of vexation. I still remember the rows. Both hated anything to do with books, wanted to be outside all the time. They scraped through the Exam, passing by a wing and a whisper. After a lot of anger and recriminations father bowed to the inevitable and apprenticed them, Ranolf to a carpenter and Rudi to the Russell horse ranch in the mid-west.”

  “I’ve heard of it. They breed the most fabulous horses.”

  “Rudi’s still there and is doing well. Ranolf though, he hated being a carpenter, mostly the work is inside you see so he ran away to sea, the merchant fleet. I haven’t heard from him in a long time.”

  “Who came next?”

  “Me, but I’ll move on to Tomas. He’s the only one of us who Father thoroughly approves of. He followed me to the university to read science. He did so well he has transferred to medical research. Father’s very proud of him.”

  “Tell me more about you,” pleaded Daniel.

  “If I must, let’s see. Father must have thought I would be like Tomas ended up like. I sailed through the Leaving Exam, top marks in the ward and Father entered me to read mathematics. I was accepted and went.”

  “Didn’t you like it?”

  She grimaced.

  “I hated it, not the university itself you understand, but mathematics bored me. I transferred. Father went berserk, he halved my allowance but I didn’t care. I don’t know what he was like when word was sent that Josei had come for me and that I’d abandoned university for Vada, I did get a letter though, very unpleasant reading, two years later, so he must have been still incandescent with rage.”

  “That makes seven of you. And the youngest?”

  “Tara? The family afterthought? She’s about thirteen now, Mother writes occasionally to let me know how she’s getting on. I hope Father has learnt his lesson and isn’t pushing her too hard. I don’t think he is actually. Mother said in her last letter that he’s working on some project or other, something connected to the old days.”

  “Don’t you want to visit, at least your Mother and Tara?” asked Daniel who was missing his home.

  “I might, depends,” answered Thalia. She yawned. “It’s late and I’m tired. Tomorrow though,” she warned, “You must tell me about your home.”

  “Sure thing,” he promised.

  * * * * *

  -23-

  THE WESTERN COAST - THE NORTHERN CONTINENT

  The next morning they got up and began packing their kit and Thalia started to prepare breakfast.

  “How did you and Josei meet?” Daniel asked, conveniently forgetting that it was his turn to start talking about himself.

  “I was almost twenty, in my final year at university. I’d hardly ever even met a Lind.”

  “You wanted to become vadeln?”

  “I must admit to have harboured a certain desire to be given the chance,” she admitted, “but I was sure I must be too old. Most Lind and their human counterpart pair at around fourteen, give or take. Anyway, there I was, sitting in the park close to my lodgings, trying to cram some facts into my head, exams were looming on the horizon when I heard some sort of commotion going on off to my left. Lind are a bit of a rarity in Stewarton these days, once it was different but they don’t really like our towns. Their natural habitat is woodland. Some people never ever see a Lind except for the Express Service. There I was, minding my own business, trying to ignore the commotion when it began to get louder and a lot closer. A whole crowd of noisy and excited people were approaching. I looked up and as I did I spied two furry ears right in the middle of them. They were flat back as if the noise was distressing their owner.”

  “It was,” Josei commented.

  “What happened next?” asked Daniel, greatly intrigued.

  “I squeezed through all the people,” Josei said, “and it took some doing I can tell you and walked up to where Thalia was sitting. I sat down and looked at her.”

  “Why?”

  “I was waiting for her to realise I was there.”

  “But she could see you,” protested Daniel.

  “But not ‘hear’ me,” he explained.

  “That came about three bells later,” Thalia reminisced, “once the crowd began to get bored waiting and began to leave. I tried to ignore him, tried to block him out and thought I was succeeding quite well, I really wanted to pass these exams. Then I felt what can only be described as a large wave battering at my mind, he was trying to get through to me.”

  “That was when she put down the book she was reading and looked at me,” said Josei with a smug expression on his face. “I was irresistible, naturally.”

  “The conceit of you! The barrier broke and then he was here.” Thalia tapped her head.

  “And you’ve never been separated since?”

  “That’s right.” Her eyes were dreamy. “I managed to persuade him to wait until I’d sat the exams.”

  “Did you pass?”

  “No, but it didn’t matter any more. I wasn’t the most wonderful Vada Cadet in the world. I’d never held a sword before in my life. The academic side of the training was easy but not the rest. I’m sure I was the despair of the Weaponsmaster. I passed out of training after three years however and was assigned to a Ryzck, the Fifteenth. Me and Josei have done four patrol stints. I’m competent and capable but not wonderful.”

  * * * * *

  “You know Thalia,” said Daniel, tying the laces on his new boots. They fitted pretty well considering the fact that they hadn’t been made for him, “I’ve been thinking.”

  “Don’t hurt your brains,” she retorted, “I don’t think you had that many of them to start off with.”

  “Funny ha ha,” he said, “but seriously though, I’ve been thinking about Ian’s brother, the Duke of Markwood and Cadan of Leithe and others.”

  “What about them?”

  “Just that ambition is a terrible thing; it can only lead to grief and death.”

  “Death being the ultimate farewell?”

  “That’s a strange way of putting it,” Daniel said.

  “It’s how I see it. The Lind call death the start of their journey to the Blue Pastures.”

  “Where are they?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. In the sky somewhere?”

  “It’s as good a place as any,” he admitted.

  * * * * *

  “Do you have a lady friend, back home?” asked Thalia of Daniel who had decided that she had done enough talking about herself. She was checking the harness bags on both Josei and Vya.

  “Not really, at least not yet. I do have my eye on one young lady though, she’s called Jill Hallam but I don’t know if a marriage can be arranged. She’s daughter of one of the Dukes and I’m only of Kellen rank. Her father might not think I’m good enough. As well as that my cousin would like to marry her older sister. Our parents might think both of us m
arrying into the Hallam house is too close. I don’t know her very well though, we’ve only met a few times, when she was at Court last winter.”

  “Hallam? That’s a well-known name here. One of our most famous Admirals was called Hallam, Ansel Hallam. He defeated the sea pirates in a great battle in the seventh century.”

  “That would be the brother of Robain, the first duke,” Daniel said. “He came from the north and was the great friend of King Elliot the Twelfth.”

  “There’s an island called Hallam too.”

  “I believe the duke has distant relatives there.”

  “Is Hallam under threat from the King of Leithe?” she asked

  “All the island are under threat Thalia, haven’t you been listening?”

  “Have you met him?”

  “Who?”

  “The King of Leithe of course.”

  “No, but I’ve met his son. Crispin’s married to our Crown-Princess Antoinette. I always thought he was an okay sort of chap, a bit insipid and loathe to push himself forward but I’m not so sure now.”

  “It could be a feint,” postulated Josei.

  “Perhaps,” mused Daniel, sipping the dregs of his kala and wishing it was tea. Thalia hadn’t known what tea was until he had tried to explain it.

  There was a lot that was different here in the Rtathlians of the Lind.

  “Do you think that the envoys you were talking about will have reached Vada and the Avuzdel yet?” she asked, busily tying up her last harness bag.

  Vya pricked up her ears although Josei didn’t react.

  “Should have by now,” answered Daniel, “my Father said they were leaving about the same time Count Markwood’s pinnacle was due to sail. We made fast passage, the currents were good to us but I expect so.”

  “Then we’d best make haste,” decided Thalia.

  “Are the Lind searching for the thief?” asked Daniel of Vya.