Karl joined him to add in his booming voice. “Now lads, I’ve been knowing this man for a long time and I gotta tell you, I wouldn’t want to be on his wrong side. So I strongly recommend that you turn over any ardent spirits into my trust right now.”
A number of the boys scrambled to their tents for the jugs of grog and moonshine. Jon ordered the Quailor youth to collect the jugs, pour them out and stack the empty jugs against a tree. Once they were finished, Jon was astounded to see how many jugs they had emptied. It was a wonder the boys could even stand. As a matter of fact, he could not remember even drinking that much at some of his wildest youth parties back in the Shenandoah. He shot a look of disbelief over at Karl and shook his head.
Karl looked like he was going to cry. “I hope you realize, Jon, that would have brought a hefty sum on the open market.
“Yes, this is going to be a long trip and I sorely believe I would be a drinking man if these shenanigans continue. I’m just coming to realize that dealing with forty young bloods is a lot more difficult than dealing with the Dominiker tax collectors.”
Once the cook signaled that the breakfast was ready to be served, Jon addressed the boys again. “Now, to show you how merciful I can be, I will not blast the bugle to assemble this morning, but it will be blown tomorrow and every morning after. Have you got it?”
His replies came in mumbles, murmurs, and snarls.
“Sir.” Ruhm raised his hand, “Father, some of us are missing items of clothing and tools. I myself have my bright red cap missing.”
“Well, what happened to them? They didn’t just get up and walk away. Though I suspect some of the youth were too drunk to remember where you put them.”
“Truly, sir, we were for the most part, not that drunk. They have been stolen.”
“I agree,” Keith the Hickoryan said, almost spitting his words out, “I’m missing a shiny new pickaxe from my pack. It was not in my pack when I went to get my shaving gear and I didn’t use it at all yesterday. I’ll clobber the person who stole it. That was a gift from my father. So far I don’t know what else is missing.”
“You need to know, we will not tolerate anyone with the stealing sickness or sticky fingers amongst us.” Jon scanned the group and noted with dismay that most of the young bloods were staring at the Cerulean boys.
Fidra the Blue announced, “I had my yellow shirt hanging just outside my tent and it’s gone.”
“He worried that the Blues might be singled out as the prime suspects. He didn’t dare make a point of it, because that might even make it worse. “Let’s just wait and see. Maybe, by nightfall some of these items will begin to show up. For now we’ll eat breakfast and in two hours we’ll hit the trail.”
Several of the youth returned to their tents only to emerge fully clothed while others lined up for breakfast only partially clothed, looking haggard and cross. Redelfis’ crew looked crisp and sharp in their fyrd uniforms.
After breakfast and the call to ride, many of the boys slouched in their saddles. By noon the horseflies were out in full force making life miserable along with the heat and bothersome gnats. Some heads were obviously still hurting from the nights carousing and drunken forays. Tempers mounted and were on edge. During a break for water a fight broke out between some Hickoryan boys and some of the Blues.
Jon rode his horse up to the fray. “Knock it off. I won’t stand for this childish behavior.”
“Well it’s them,” Keith, the athletic young Hickoryan pointed to the Blues. “Everyone knows how they covet anything metal or bright. Master Jon, they had to have stolen Ruhm’s red cap and my pick axe. That’s all there is to it.”
Fidra shouted angrily. “That’s not true. My shirt was stolen too. We may like colorful things, but in our culture stealing is punished by taking away your hunting rights.”
Jon frowned. “Listen Keith, and all of you listen well. There stands Karl with his whip and I will have him whip the clothes off your ass, if you so much as breathe another accusation against anyone in this camp, without sound, hard evidence of a crime. Is that clear?”
“Yes sir!” Keith replied, but Jon suspected that didn’t change his opinion.
Jon took in his surroundings for a moment. “We will camp here for the day. You shall not take another step in either direction till you all are resolved to get along with one another. This remit from the high lord is too vital to have it eroded by dissension and bickering. The members of my pack will be going with me to look for the minerals Govannon wants.”
Mumbling went up throughout the youth, several of them shaking their heads, others cursing under their breath. One Hickoryan youth struck a tree with his club, and a Herewardi youth kicked off a dandelion head before they began unsaddling their horses.
Jon turned to the quarter master. “Karl, will you take over command while I’m gone. We will locate the minerals, bring back samples for you to assay and then tomorrow we can load our wagons should your tests prove positive.
Karl glanced at the youth. “I think the downtime should do some of these hotheads good. I’ll organize some classes. They can practice stalking, shooting, and get some instruction in the martial arts. I’ll teach the boys how to form a phalanx, teach them chain of command, and how to respond as a unit, and then we’ll do some of those wedge maneuvers with the short swords for practice. You know, what the Herewardi call a fylking formation. That way, I can mix up the packs. Make ‘em work together.”
“An excellent idea, that should keep them too busy to fight one another.”
While Jon was instructing his pack on how to identify, iridium, ruthenium, gold, silver, nickel, iron, and coal, Karl summoned the boys to himself. After taking up a large board, he laid it across two rocks, and broke the plank with one strike from his fist. The youth were too impressed to even take notice that Jon’s crew was riding off. However it troubled Jon that Keith was not participating, but was angrily hurling a knife into a nearby oak. Karl was perfectly capable of putting him in his place if he grew any more agitated and indignant. Karl had a unique way of encouraging the youth to do what he wanted them to do by using their peers to get them to do it. Besides, Keith, Seamisch, and Loosestrife all showed immense promise as cavalryman. Jon had known them all their lives. With the proper training, he hoped to see Keith rise to the ranks of leadership. When he returned, he would have a talk with Keith’s father to let him know that these three boys and Ruhm were all ready for the cavalry and greater responsibilities. He would probably start them out on his road crews as foremen, but Keith would first have to master his temper before he could be made such.
* * *
By the time Jon returned with his packs of ore samples, darkness was landing in swiftly lengthening shadows. The camp was quiet with only the sound of a lone harmonica playing in the background. A few of the Quailor youth had gathered around a campfire, exchanging tales. It appeared most of the youth had already turned in.
As soon as Jon arrived, one of the cooks came over and said, “We have saved some buttered grits, corn bread and molasses for you should you care.”
Even as Jon was thanking him, the boys remounted and headed for the chuck wagon. After riding directly over to Karl’s tent, they dismounted and he tied Forerunner to the horse line. After removing the saddle bags that contained the samples, he called out a greeting, then stepped into the tent. Karl was setting up his assayer’s equipment.
By lamplight they determined that they had found iron, nickel, and copper deposits, but as was expected, no iridium, even though Govannon had insisted there should be plenty in any landscape so pock marked by burning stars falling to earth. He recorded on his map the locations of each find so that Govannon would know where to send the mining crews.
While Jon recorded the findings, Karl reported. “Things went well here. Young Seamisch nearly bested me in swordsmanship. Keith did good in martial arts once he had cooled down, and Loosestrife is a natural at crypsis. The Blues bested just about everybody in wrestling. Eve
n little Fidra was filled with grit and looked like a banty rooster out there in the Rink.”
“I’m very happy to hear that. But did you locate any of the missing items.”
“Not a one.”
“Initially, I thought the boys might be playing a prank on Keith, knowing how easy he is to set off. But now, I’m beginning to believe we have a real thief in our midst. This’ll likely be an on-going thorn in our side. Let’s just keep our eyes peeled.”
* * *
The melodic sound of tree crickets, the chorus of frogs along the streamlet, and the melancholy call of the whip-poor-will resounded in the groves of the campground. Ruhm Lee sat near the campfire with his wolf pack and Redelfis with some of his twelver.
Arnold and Eldon were arguing that the girls back in Virginia were the prettiest, while Herewose and Aelfheah declared that no girls were prettier than Herewardi braid heads. Though Ruhm remained silent, he found himself agreeing with Herewose that the most beautiful girl he had ever seen was the redheaded Herewardi girl he had met coming over on the boat to the isle. He had never felt a deeper emotional impact than that first day he saw her copper curls blowing in the sea breeze. As he stared into the flames of the campfire, he could still see the green jeweled eyes, and her coral-lipped smile that had instantly lassoed his heart.
His revery was broken when Redelfis poked the fire with a walking stick and declared emphatically, “Sharaka girls, have more spunk than any of the other girls, and never look down their nose.” Redelfis swatted at the rising sparks with his stick like they were gnats.
Seamisch said, “I have to admit, I like the way Sharaka girls look in those skimpy tight fittin buckskin dresses, especially those ones that have the beads in all the right places.”
Loosestrife smacked his lips. “Is it true that sometimes Sharaka girls go swimming naked?”
“Of course, why would anyone want to swim in clothes?”
“Sounds great to me, but what you didn’t hear, Loosestrife, is that they don’t swim that way with boys.”
Going Snake grinned. “But Quailor girls do, because I heard my dad say to my mom, that Aelfeah’s dad and mom swam nude together.”
“Hush, Going Snake, that wasn’t meant to be told to anyone.”
“But it’s true.”
“Well,” Arnold said, “my mother said it was sinful that the Herewardi have more than one wife and that it was wrong. But it seems to me it would be a lot of fun to have all those naked women around.”
Bnimin said, “Yeah, like your dad, Aelfheah, he must have a wife for every night of the week. My dad only has three.”
Ruhm said, “I have to agree with Arnold’s mother. It seems wrong and sinful. I only intend to have one.”
Bnimin cocked his head and grinned, “Ruhm, you sound like you have a particular girl you’ve got your heart set on.”
Aelfheah declared, “If he does, she better be Hickoryan because no Herewardi girl would ever agree to being an only wife. That type of insanity is only had in outlanders.”
Ev-Rhett nudged Russell, “I bet I can guess who it is?”
Russell said, “Me too.” He turned to Ruhm. “I saw you up in the maple tree at the edge of Fa’s sheepfold, with my sister.”
Ev-Rhett said, “I heard her telling Aryfae, that she thought you were so-o-o-o handsome.”
Ruhm’s face grew hot. “My father told me a true gentleman never kisses and tells.”
The boys hooted and booed.
“Whoa there boy! You better pull that horse of yours in.” Going Snake cautioned, “Aelfeah is right. If it is his sister you’re carrying that torch for, you might as well put it out. Like my dad keeps telling me, there’s little use in courting a Herewardi girl unless you plan on taking more than one girl to wife. They will have it no other way.”
“I know her very well.” Redelfis revealed. “She’s as sleek as a fox and bloodthirsty as a mink. I wouldn’t dare go near that scramasax totin’ woman. She’d cut your man parts off in flash if you ever crossed her.”
“Guys,” Aelfheah warned, “this is my sister you’re talking about, closer in blood to me than to Arundel, and I will not suffer any ill talk of her.”
“Neither will I suffer anyone to speak ill of her. She is the finest maid I’ve met.”
“You’re right about that Ruhm,” Herewose exclaimed, “but I agree with Redelfis, she would never consider an outlander. Never! Besides, I have had my eye on her for a long time, I’ve just been waiting for her to reach a marrying age.”
Redelfis grinned. “Foolish, foolish boys. You might as well ride a wild horse with no reins and a greased back than to court her. I’ve seen her run her quarry to the ground and kill an elk with no more than a knife. You’d have more luck courting a wildcat and you’d be a hell of a lot safer.”
Ruhm returned his grin. “Actually, that’s what I like about her.” He continued to grin as he rose and walked into his tent.
Chapter 25 : The Dragon’s Hoard
Due to the thick chaparral on the upper plateaus surrounding Mount Elflohana, the road crew came to a halt. The plateau was covered in thick scrub oak, toyon, manzanita, and buck brush. After a half day of exploring they came upon some wildlife trails which led up to the jungle in the west. Their goal was to make it to the southwest face of the mountain. To that end they began the laborious process of cutting back the brush to widen the existing trail. Ultimately, once they hit the south face, they would turn to the northwest and head for the bay at Moon Door. For two reasons they chose this course. One it was the most direct path around the mountain and, two, there were numerous star craters where Govannon suspected they would find the iridium he sought.
Once they were at the foot of the most promising and most likely trail to lead toward Moon Door, Jon and Karl sat down together to discuss their plan, while Redelfis and his wolf pack set up the command tent. Redelfis directed the other wolf packs to their assigned locations. Each wolf pack was expected to maintain their own order and keep watch out for the thievery in hopes of isolating it to a particular camp. Jon set his son, Ruhm, to the task of keeping a log on their findings and also in assisting in the mapmaking, as it was discovered that he was especially gifted in cartography.
This trek afforded Jon the opportunity to get to know his eldest son at a far deeper level. Working close with him and his friends, he was able to determine that Ruhm had a tenacious drive to complete a task, that he had particularly strong appetite for the girls, and was very good on horse back. From the loose tongues of Ruhm’s friends, he discovered his son had frequent sexual encounters with the girls at a far earlier age than he had suspected. Jon made a mental note that he would need to be talking to his son about responsible relationships sooner than he had hoped to. Despite this propensity for seduction, Ruhm’s actions on the trek placed him high on the list of recommended leaders. Such a flaw however, would be greatly frowned upon among the Herewardi and he would have to address this subject with Ruhm as well.
After halting at the profuse brush before them, Jon declared, “These wagons have come as far as they can travel. So before we can advance them any further, I am going to take my pack and Redelfis’ young bloods on an exploratory expedition to mark the easiest path around the mountain. You can then follow by employing the packs in rotation to widen the trail sufficeintly for the road crews to do their work.
During the halt, while mending one of the reins that had snapped along the rugged trail, Karl gave an accounting. “None of the items that were stolen have been recovered and more things have been stolen. This is building. The boys are careful to keep their discussions out of your earshot, but they often forget about me.” Karl appeared conflicted. Finally, he sighed. “Jon, I feel I must warn you that Fidra has come to me and said that Keith, Seamisch, and Loosestrife are still blaming the Blues for the continuing thievery. I’ve been accounting for the items stolen, the thefts are done at night and it seems that the items stolen are usually bright or metallic, and large enoug
h to make hiding them difficult if not impossible. I’ve even posted some of the twelver’s on alert, but they don’t report anything unusual.”
“You know, this sounds like children or pack rats are the culprit, but there are no children on the trail and a pack rat cannot carry a pickaxe away. I’m stumped!”
Having finished fixing the reins, Karl stuffed his awl and rawhide strips back in his tool bag. “One thing is for sure, all the items are brightly colored. So what would be the thieves reason for swiping just these items?” Frowning, he paddled his beard with his thumb and forefinger. “Could it be those macacas? I’ve heard they are down in these parts.”
Jon said, “macacas?”
“You know, those little ape-like creatures that Xelph drew and described. The ones that live in the savannahs below the Dragon’s Back.”
Jon pondered the possibility then shook his head. “I doubt it. None have ever been spotted above the Dragon’s Back. I was sure this matter would eventually resolve itself, but it hasn’t. What Fidra has revealed to you makes me realize this has taken a serious twist.”
“Just remember Jon, I promised Fidra not to mention his name to the boys.”
“In that case, I will have a talk with Ruhm and find out what he knows about this. Keith and his gang all respect Ruhm. He’ll put the clamps on them.”
* * *
After Jon assembled a crew composed of two members from each pack, along with Redelfis and Aelfheah, whose training excelled the rest, and whose jobs were to teach by example. As soon as they approached the western slope’s wood, the chaparral gave way to the western slope’s woods, which were already as deep as a jungle and darkened by vines that clung to the canopy. Large bats hung overhead, and doleful sounds came from somewhere in the dark leafy groves.
The farther they went the more nervous their horses became. When the trail became too tangled, Jon ordered the horses to be tied to nearby trees. With Redelfis in the lead they began cutting their ways through the tangle. The wood creaked and moaned under its dark canopy and a musty breeze exhaled through its bowers. Behind the men the horses snorted their angst. The men continued cutting their way through the large ferns, pushing into the deepening gloom.
The Bok of Syr Folk Page 42
