Conflict and Courage

by Candy Rae

  “Parentage gives no guarantees, he knows this.”

  “You have told him often enough” Laura agreed, “but he still thinks he has some sort of ‘right’ to a pairing. I keep telling him that the Lind for him just hasn’t come along yet but he won’t be told. It is unsettling for the other children Francis, he was extremely rude to young Jim yesterday.”

  Francis grunted. Thomas, their first-born, was becoming a problem he could do without.

  “I can’t produce a suitable Lind out of thin air.”

  “Nobody’s asking you to and it’ll get worse when term starts,” said Laura, “he’s the only one in his school class not paired and I’m worried.”

  Francis hadn’t been married to Laura for nearly fifteen years without knowing his wife and her convoluted thought processes. She was leading up to something and wouldn’t rest until the situation was resolved to her satisfaction.

  “So what do you suggest?” he asked, wise husband that he had learned to be, “send him away somewhere?”

  Laura beamed at him.

  “Good man, that’s exactly what I mean.”

  “He’ll think himself rejected.”

  “Oh, I don’t mean he leaves forever,” she said. “He will return one day.”

  “If he doesn’t?”

  “Then he’ll be someplace where he won’t be reminded of his failure.”

  “Okay,” Francis said, “where is it to be? With Winston and Janice? We can’t send him into Argyll, he’d feel that worse than anything.”

  “No, Holad domta Winston is awash with Lind not looking for a human partner, although I might have thought about it if Thomas had shown any interest in medicine.”

  “I see what you mean. It might be worse there than here. Where then?”

  “I think he should go to the Russells,” she said, much to his surprise. “Last time I was in touch asking how Ruth was getting on, Gerry mentioned that the horses were beginning to get a bit much for him and Martine. He’s breeding them as hard as he can. Argyll is demanding as many as he has available, not that he sends any breeding mares east, not yet. He would accept Thomas at Ratvei if he wanted to go.”

  “There are Lind there,” he reminded her.

  “Few already bonded. He’ll have more of a chance and our son needs a career in case he doesn’t bond, to keep his mind off the problem. I have a feeling that is what is putting the Lind off, he wants it too much and they veer away.”

  “I’ll ask Asya to send word,” he promised.

  “Do it soon,” she warned, knowing her husband of old. “Some emergency will come up and you’ll forget and I want Thomas on his way before classes recommence. Do it now.”

  Francis complied; it was wiser, in the long run, to do what Laura asked of him as he had found to his cost.

  * * * * *

  Four years later, Xavier Kushner made the long journey to the Ratvei rtathlians to claim his bride. Within the week Ruth had decided he was the man for her.

  “You have to admit Jess, there’s not much to hold her here, three families, none with sons of a suitable age and unlikely to be, at least in the short term,” was Gerry’s comment.

  “Thomas McAllister?”

  “He’s not interested, he’s made that very plain.”

  “So what do we do?”

  “We let her go, that’s what, but take precautions.”

  “I’m still not sure,” Jessica worried. “She’s very young.”

  “You were younger when you set your sights on me!”

  “That was different.”

  “He’s clearly besotted with her and she him.”

  “But it means her moving to Argyll,” Jessica protested, “she won’t be hidden any more. They’ll find her and take her back.”

  “So we change her name. Ruth is fine; it’s a popular one in Argyll. It’s the Murdoch patronymic that is the problem.”

  “Russell?

  “That might work. Argyll are controlling and recording the gene base and population growth ad nauseam, all the boxes on the marriage forms must be ticked and filled in. We could go and get special dispensation from the Council but that would draw attention to the marriage and we don’t want that. They need a quiet wedding, perfectly legal, but quiet.”

  “Talk to Xavier,” decided Jessica, “see what he says.”

  “I have to admit that I’d hoped she would find someone in Vadath,” began Gerry. “Will she be safe on your farm, that is the question? Are Baker’s spies still looking for her?”

  Both Xavier and Ruth were in the daga with Gerry, together with Louis Randall and Ustinya at the domta at Gerry’s request.

  “My brother would never insist that I return to Murdoch,” asserted Ruth with some heat.

  “It is not your brother we are worried about,” said Gerry. “It is Lord Regent Baker who rules in Murdoch. Two of his agents were caught at the beginning of last year. He has not given up looking for you.”

  “What do you think?” he asked Louis.

  “Information is still sketchy, especially since the Fort resistance cell was infiltrated and destroyed last year.”

  “Understood, but in your opinion is it safe for Ruth to go with Xavier?”

  “She would be safer here at Ratvei,” Louis frowned, “in Vadath even, but if enough precautions are taken, I think it should be okay. That idea about changing her surname is a good one.”

  “I can go?” breathed Ruth.

  “You can go,” Gerry answered and was nearly bowled over by the giant hug she bestowed on him.

  Ruth Murdoch married Xavier Kushner early in year twenty.

  She lived her life on the farm in northern Argyll, Princess Ruth no longer but Ruth Russell-Kushner, bringing up her five children, two of whom bonded with Lind.

  None of their children were told about her antecedents.

  Thomas McAllister-Merriman never did bond with a Lind. He spent the next six years at the Russell ranch then left for Argyll with a small herd of horses. It was from the descendants of these horses that the cavalry arm of the Argyll Garda bought the majority of their mounts in the generations to come.

  Gerry and Jessica Russell remained at the rtath of Ratvei for the rest of their lives. Of their four sons, three bonded with Lind and joined the Vada, the fourth, Peter, inherited the ranch from his parents and continued to breed horses, heavy draught animals for the farmers and carriers, ponies and also fast and beautiful riding beasts, much sought after the length and breadth of Argyll.

  Violet Randall did not marry Satirya’s Grant. She fell in love with Duguld McCallum a year after the Battle of Trumpet Keep and spent her life at the Vada stronghold where she brought up their many children. Duguld never returned to his father’s farm. He did, however, continue to play his grandfather’s trumpet. Violet never complained about the noise, at least, almost never.

  Duguld’s mother, Elspeth McCallum?

  In AL 36, word came from Argyll that her body had been found by his cousins who had inherited the farmstead on the death of their uncle. She had not walked away from Duguld that night long ago without saying goodbye. On reflection, Duguld surmised that she had probably wanted to leave her husband and take him with her, an act his father would never have agreed to.

  The evidence pointed to the fact that in a fit of anger, Alastair McCallum had murdered his wife and hidden her body in a shallow grave in the newly dug orchard.

  Winston and Janice Randall continued to build up their medical school. It was the only domta in the land of Vadath whose name did not change with the death or retiral of its leader.

  Emily Stanton-Randall completed her medical training, first under her father-in-law then at the medical facility at Stewarton in Argyll. She then elected to return to Vadath where she continued the work Winston had begun.

  Later, she was joined by Hilary and Gsnei who decided to leave the Vada and make their home at Holad domta Winston. Hilary had never felt entirely comfortable with the military life.

  Emily n
ever married again; neither did she totally recover from the deaths of Brian and Sofiya. Her son, Alexander Stanton-Randall and his younger sister Briany both became doctors. Alexander made his home in Argyll whilst Briany took on the mantle of domta Winston when Emily died.

  Louis, Ustinya, Cherry and Baltvei were frequent visitors . Louis and Cherry had no children, but Ustinya and Baltvei more than made up for that with their five litters, all of whom, to their parents’ great pride, bonded with humans and served with honour with the Vada.

  At the stronghold, now officially named Vada, Francis and Asya continued in their position as Susas until ill health brought about their retiral.

  Early in year thirty-two, with a unanimous vote of confidence, Tina and Daltei were selected by their fellow Ryzckas to take their place.

  Wilhelm Dahlstrom continued as Weaponsmaster with Ross as his capable second for many years. He was over sixty when he retired, his place being taken by Jacques Duchesne, whose claim as an eight-year-old that he would be Wilhelm’s best pupil ever, was thus proved to be true.

  Jacques Duchesne’s father Pierre, like most of the people who came north with him, became a farmer in the arable lowlands west of the stronghold. He never visited Argyll nor did he return to the southern continent.

  On the death of the Gtrathlin, Mariya in year twenty-seven, Jim and Larya’s great friend Afanasei succeeded her and he spent his term of office promoting inter-species harmony.

  Afanasei’s old pack became the first whose ruling Elda was also vadeln-paired. Matvei and his life-partner Kath Andrews-Rybak, ably assisted by James and Rozya, took his place.

  Geraldine Fitzpatrick, Richard Moreno and their Lind spent their lives serving with the Vada, eventually retiring from active patrol service to take up a position of running one of the many supply stations in southeastern Argyll. All four died in AL 42.

  In the Kingdom of Murdoch, King Elliot threw off the chains of Sam Baker’s regency when he was in his early twenties with the support of Lord Henri Cocteau and others.

  The convent of The Little Sisters of the Poor continued its ministry under Cara’s guidance and before her death in the winter of eighty-two, had daughter houses the length and breadth of the Kingdom of Murdoch.

  Not Vadath nor Lind, nor even Argyll forgot the bravery and inspired leadership of Susyc Jim Cranston and his Larya.

  Every society needs its heroes.

  Many were the sagas and legends that grew up about the famous pair. The stories became larger than life and ever more embellished as the years passed.

  In Argyll, monuments and statues sprang up. On the battle ridge above the original settlement, at the site of the Battle of the Alliance in year two, stood the huge statue of them both, mute sentinels at the Island chain. There was another in the main square of the country’s only city, Stewarton. Many towns erected their own smaller ones in imitation.

  Jim would have laughed and Larya wouldn’t have understood what all the fuss was about.

  Vadath contented itself with one memorial. It was erected by Tara and Kolyei.

  This, the simplest monument, sat on a small rocky rise in the woods not far from Vada.

  It was not a statue but a polished flat stone set close against the rock. The weather side had inscribed on it three words only.

  Jim and Larya.

  For those of Vadath, these words were enough.

  On the reverse side Tara left a personal message but few knew of it and even fewer cared. The stonemason who inscribed the message thought the words a bit strange, but he was being paid good coin to complete the task and asked no questions.

  “Not the best I’ve ever written, but it’ll do,” said Tara to Kolyei as she supervised the erection of the stone.

  “Perhaps not,” he answered, “but it tells of what needs to be remembered.”

  As the years passed, and as the grass, moss and lichen grew around the stone, even the few who knew forgot about the message.

  Tara and Kolyei remained at Vada with Peter and Radya where they raised their numerous offspring. Peter and Radya continued to serve with the Vada until their deaths at the hands of some pirate slavers some thirty years later. The Battle of Trumpet Keep was the last time Tara raised her sword in anger.

  As with Jim and Larya, Tara and Kolyei, the first duo to vadeln-pair became renowned but not only for their bravery in battle.

  They wrote their books, one recounting the early years when mankind arrived on Rybak and their History of the Lind, which they compiled from various oral traditions.

  They also wrote other books, amongst which were ‘A Language Textbook and Dictionary of Lindish’ and three volumes entitled ‘Tales of Rybak’, these being a series of adventurous stories taken from both Lind oral traditions and their own experiences. These latter volumes became very popular among the people of Vadath, Argyll and even Murdoch.

  King Elliot purchased a copy from the traders (a polite name for the pirates). One story in particular interested him. Although Tara and Kolyei had changed the names of the principal characters, he recognised the story of his twin sister at once.

  He placed the volume with the other books he had managed to procure on his library shelf. There it sat, side on with a well-read volume of the works of William Shakespeare and one of American Tales, gathering dust, for King Elliot had little time for reading. The Kingdom of Murdoch was not an easy country to rule despite the apparent disappearance of the Larg.

  The Silver Trumpet?

  It would be played by Duguld McCallum throughout his life and then passed on to his son.

  A long way in the future, battered and silver gilding worn away, it would be donated by a descendant to the Museum of Stewarton in Argyll and relegated to a glass display cabinet.

  A Prince of Murdoch, travelling incognito on a ‘grand tour’ through the northern continent would see it there and marvel at its history and provenance, a family heirloom no more but a symbol of hope and freedom to the northern continent and the free countries of Argyll, Vadath and the rtathlians of the Lind.

  * * * * *

  There was peace in the lands of Planet Wolf, the Larg nation a shadow of its former self.

  The convicts of the Electra aged and then died out, unfortunately the feudalistic society built up by Lord Regent Baker and the other Lords did not die with them. As their descendants grew in numbers and power, these children and children’s children considered the harsh five-tiered totalitarian, militaristic Kingdom, made up of royalty, nobles, free men, woman and slaves the only true way. Argyll they looked at in amused amazement and thought it soft and ripe for the picking when they were ready. Vadath they tried to ignore.

  The colonisation of the islands in the Great Eastern Sea continued apace.

  In Argyll, peace brought prosperity. Weapons training, except along the coastlines, where the pirates were wont to raid, lapsed.

  In Vadath and the rtathlians, neither Lind nor human forgot, nor did they lessen their guard. The Vada grew in numbers, vadeln-pairs dutifully patrolling the borders north, south and east.

  They knew that it would only be a matter of time before the Kingdom of Murdoch flexed its muscles and turned its eyes towards the free north. The Larg would recover from the pestilence and set out anew on their quest to become the dominant species on the planet, determined to rule over all, Lind, man and beast.

  * * * * *

  CHARACTER LISTS AND GLOSSARIES

  (Wolves – Planet Wolf – Volume 1)

  (Courage – Planet Wolf – Volume 2)

  (*Vadeln-paired)

  NORTHERN HUMANS

  Absalom Charles: Colonist and farmer, father of Tina (Courage)

  Alan de Groot: Colonial youngster, aged 13 on landing, Vada (Wolves, Courage)*

  Alastair McCallum: Colonist and farmer, father of Duguld (Courage)

  Andrew: Ex-convict, captured during the Battle of the Alliance (Courage)

  Anselm: Priest of the Holy Writ, a religious sect prevalent in northeastern Argyll (Co
urage)

  Alexander: Son of Brian and Emily (Courage)

  Arthur Knott: Colonist, blacksmith and inventor (Wolves, Courage)

  Brenda Urquhart: Colonial youngster, aged 15 on landing, Vada (Wolves, Courage)*

  Brian Randall: Son of Winston and Janice Randall, aged 13 on landing, Vada (Wolves, Courage)*

  Carol: Colonial youngster, aged 4 on landing (Courage)*

  David Charles: Colonial youngster, brother of Tina (Courage)

  Duguld McCallum: Colonial youngster, aged 14 on landing, son of Alastair (Courage)*

  Emily Stanton: Colonial youngster, sister of Steven, aged 13 on landing, Vada (Wolves, Courage)*

  Eitel Dahlstrom: Colonial youngster, aged 12 on landing, son of Wilhelm and Unda Dahlstrom (Courage)*

  Francis McAllister: Rating on the WCCS Argyll, husband of Laura Merriman, Susa of the Vada (Wolves, Courage)*

  Geraldine Fitzpatrick: Colonist farmer, Vada Ryzcka (Wolves, Courage)*

  Grant: Colonial youngster, aged 15 on landing, Vada (Courage)*

  Hilary Templeton: Colonial trainee doctor (Courage)*

  Iain: Ex-convict, captured during the Battle of the Alliance (Courage)

  James Rybak: Rating on the WCCS Argyll, husband of Kath (Wolves, Courage)*

  James: Colonial doctor (Courage)

  James Oping: Rating on the WCCS Argyll, Vada (Courage)*

  Jane Dahlstrom: Wife of Wil Dahlstrom (Courage)

  Jathan: Colonial trainee doctor (Courage)

  Janice Randall: Wife of Winston Randall (Wolves, Courage)

  Jenny Quirke: Daughter of Lysbet, aged 14 on landing, escaped to the north (Wolves, Courage)*

  Jessica Howard: Daughter of Peter and Anne Howard of the south, aged 14 on landing, escaped to the north and married to Gerry Russell (Wolves, Courage)