Conflict and Courage (40 page)

Fernei too
regarded the man with an un-winking stare.

“I am Fernei,”
he introduced himself, “Susa of the Avuzdel.” For the benefit of
Pierre and Michael Wallace, he added, “I run the Lind spy network.”
Fernei’s command of Standard was quite amazing for one unpaired
with a human.

Pierre looked
startled for a moment then nodded, he had suspected the existence
of such a group, how else would Louis and Ustinya have been able to
reach him so easily?

“Alesei is one
of yours?” he asked. “He is, I hear, recovering. I, we, owe him
much.”

Fernei said to
Francis, who was reading the despatches, “Susa, I have another
entrenched in the kohorts of the Larg. He has managed, with great
difficulty, to get word to me. He says he and his kohort wait to go
on boat. A flat boat. For
the second
time.”

“Second time?
What does that mean?” Francis was perplexed. He didn’t raise his
head from the despatches.

“How long have
we got?” added Wilhelm.

“Not long,”
answered Francis, “I thought they would embark from Brentwood. If
Jim is right and I’m sure he is, this is not the case. He’s got
word from Argyll. We now know why there have been no raids
recently. The pirates have taken over and fortified the larger of
the two islands in the Middle Sea. Seems they’ve been transporting
both infantry and Larg warriors north from the mainland for weeks.
No wonder no one has seen any pirate galleys. They’ve been guarding
the transports.”

He turned his
gaze on Pierre.

“Looks like I
was right, your messengers must have realised that there were no
soldiers where they should have been. Your men will be galley
slaves by now. Using this island as a forward base they can get to
us, with favourable winds, two days sail or a day of hard rowing,
perhaps less. That’s what our spy meant by second time. First time
from the south to the island, second time from the island to here
and those galleys of theirs are fast.”

“How did we
find out?”

“Argyll fishing
boat, the crew saw some flotsam and investigated. They barely got
away to tell the tale.”

“How long?”
repeated Wilhelm.

“Jim estimates
the first wave will be here in three to four days.”

Pierre turned
to Fernei, “can your spy give us any more information?”

“He will try
but it is very dangerous to do. Our thoughts of sending can be
picked up by those listening. This is a rare ability amongst the
Larg, even amongst Lind not one in fifty can over such great
distances, but it can be done.”

“Can you?”

“Contact him?
Perhaps.”

Fernei did not
say and Francis did not ask, but both knew that the spy might well
send the warning anyway, no matter what the consequence. He would
be signing his own death warrant if he did so and was overheard,
but it was part of the Lind psyche to sacrifice themselves, if
necessary, for the good of their pack-mates. Francis and the others
had seen direct and close evidence of this during the Battle of the
Alliance.

“The Argyll
Lindar is on its way,” Francis informed the others, “as I will now
so order the Ryzcks.” He did not know that Kim Douglas had already
left Settlement and was running west as fast as she could.

“The Lindars
from Lind?”

“They are
coming,” said Afanasei, “but it will take many suns to get here,
until then, we are on our own.”

Francis looked
at him.

“You must stay
here,” he said, “and rejoin your Lindar when it gets here.”

Afanasei agreed
with reluctance.

“I need someone
with authority here at the stronghold to take command of the
unattached Lind. You will do this.”

“You?” Afanasei
countered.

“In the morning
I will take south as many vadeln-pairs as I can and go to the aid
of the Fourth Ryzck.”

“You know where
they will land?”

“There’s only
one place they can, one anchorage with enough deep water and a
viable landing site, the rest of the coast is a maze of rocks and
crags. They will come to David’s Keep.”

He turned to
Wilhelm.

“How many here
that can ride with me?”

“Sixty-three,”
was his instant response.

“Final year
senior cadets?”

“Twenty-six.”

“Graduate
them,” ordered Francis. “Ross and Lililya will command with Brian
and Sofiya to assist. They will come south to David’s Keep with me
and Asya.”

“Yes sir,”
answered the unhappy Wilhelm. The present crop of final year cadets
had only just begun their final year’s training. They were not
ready and both he and Francis knew it.

“Holad?”

“They’ll be
ready to move out at first light.”

“Good, we’ll
need them all before this is over.”

“My regiment,”
began Pierre, “count us in.”

They turned and
looked at him and Michael.

“You must give
us the chance, we are northerners now.”

Michael Wallace
also looked resolute. He spoke up, “believe me, the men won’t take
no for an answer.”

Asya approved,
despite what she knew Francis was thinking.

“Good
sentiment.” Simultaneously she sent a private thought to
Francis.

: Man tells
truth. Accept offer :

“Agreed,” said
Wilhelm before Francis could utter a word, “though how you’re going
to get to the coast in time is anybody’s guess. There’s not enough
spare Lind around to carry you.”

“We march,”
Pierre responded.

“The
non-combatants?” prompted Laura. “The stronghold is too close to
the river for comfort. If the galleys sail upriver and raid
it?”

“Evacuate,”
decided Francis. He raised his hand to forestall the
Weaponsmaster’s voiced disagreement with the next order as he
turned to Wilhelm, “you will lead them, no objections, I know you
want to come south with us but it is important that the evacuation
is commanded by someone the people can trust and I can rely on. You
know where to take them.”

“Escort?” asked
Wilhelm. He was all business, despite his disappointment.

“The remaining
cadets will provide escort,” said Francis, “aided by Afanasei here
and the unattached. Nell will be with you, the juniors know her. I
wish Mickel and Sandoranindya weren’t on leave on the western
coast.”

“The other
adults, those unpaired?”

“They go with
you, except for any who wish to march south with Pierre here, the
younger cadets are not enough of a defence if the pirates come
upriver and have Larg with them. Split them up fifty-fifty.”

They all looked
at each other.

“See to it,”
ordered Francis as he turned to Nell.

“You say the
Fourth Ryzck has manned David’s Keep?”

“Yes Susa,” she
answered. “Geraldine and Jsei have evacuated the fishing village
and send word that they can hold it for a time but desperately need
reinforcements.”

“Refresh my
memory, how many other farms and villages in immediate danger if
that is the landing site?”

“No more on the
coast, but five farms due east and about the same west.”

“Send some
older cadets out,” Francis ordered, “those not graduated, tell them
to bring everyone they can find to the big woods where Wilhelm is
taking the evacuees from here. Brian and Sofiya can lead them. They
know the area. Louis and Ustinya will take their place with Ross
and Lililya.”

“Yes Susa,” she
shouted as she left them at the run, intent on helping the cadets
get ready.

“Warn the other
farms and villages,” Francis continued, this time to one of the
Vadryzas back from leave, “they are in danger too. Tell them they
must leave now, tonight; they cannot wait until morning. Send
vadeln-pairs and any other available Lind to assist. I want
everyone alindback and on their way inland before night falls.”

Pierre Duchesne
turned to Michael, “talk to our people, reassure them. The regiment
is to muster at first light.”

They were not
to know until later just how wise Francis was to evacuate now.

The vanguard of
the invasion force was already on its way.

Fernei’s spy
Vsei did manage to get a message through to Aglaya at dawn. It was
only the one image and was cut off fast, an image of a fleet at
anchor beside some high cliffs. It could only be the island
base.

She was quick
to pass the image to Fernei who broadcast it to all that could
receive it.

Francis and
Asya were in the practice field when the image flashed into Asya’s
mind. The vadeln-pairs were preparing to move out and the field was
the only area big enough to hold them all, for the human fighters
were there too, from both north and south. This emergency had
welded them together as little else could.

The three
hundred infantry were formed up at the gate, most dressed in the
blue and white of Duchesne, others dressed in the maroon that was
standard in the Vada. They were to march south after the hundred
vadeln-pairs, including the recently graduated, who sat on their
Lind with more than a little pride tinged with lot of
apprehension.

All other
inhabitants, young and old were to go northwest into the interior,
away from the vulnerable river, protected by Wilhelm Dahlstrom and
the more junior cadets with Afanasei leading those Lind with no
human partners.

“Get them on
the move
now
,” shouted Francis. He turned to Wilhelm, “take
care of them.”

Laura and
Faddei approached Francis; they were leaving with the children and
Faddei and Asya’s ltsctas.

Francis had
time for a quick kiss. Asya nestled her young lovingly before
gazing intently at Faddei, their noses touched.

Traditionally a
Lind mother did not leave her young to fight with the Lindars until
the young were full-grown, but that was not the case with the Vada.
As Francis was Susa, Asya was duty-bound to fight with him and
although she was heartbroken at leaving her ltsctas; she knew she
must.

Then they were
off, running south as fast as they could, Duchesne’s infantry
marching in their wake and within the hour there was also a dusty
trail of refugees heading out of the stronghold ringed by cadets
and led by the Weaponsmaster.

Disorientation,
especially amongst Duchesne’s people was paramount. They were on
the move again; the danger they had fled from had followed them
tenfold.

With them rode
young Jacques Duchesne and his new friend Jtanya. Strapped to
Jtanya’s harness were his little brothers and as much as Jtanya
could carry and run with easily. The instructions were, if the Larg
reached them, those that could were to pelt for the woods as fast
as they could. Those who could not run would try to hold their
enemies off for as long as possible.

Every Lind had
up to three human or Lind youngsters strapped to their back either
in panniers or if they were older, strapped to the harness. Even
the youngest of the cadets had a pillion passenger.

* * * * *

Aoalvaldr the
Larg sat on the bridge of the lead galley and mentally urged the
attack-force onwards. Behind him a great storm was brewing.

It would not
affect the fleet of galleys entering the river estuary in which he
rode upriver to the stronghold.

Although the
sailors kept a sharp lookout, they did not see the Lind scouts
watching from the riverbanks who were quick to report their
sighting.

* * * * *

Geraldine
kicked at the shale-slate built wall round the perimeter of David’s
Keep. It looked and felt sturdy enough. It was four foot in height
and she wished it was higher but they were running out of time.

The hill on
which the keep was built was the only high ground in the area apart
from Mackie’s ridge about a mile to the north. The hill was oval in
shape with two sharper ends at west and east. The top was virtually
flat. Inside the perimeter was a half-built building, which
Geraldine intended to use as the casualty station. It also
sheltered the women and children from the village. The roof was
made of cannibalised tents.

On arrival
Geraldine had paced round the perimeter, too large for her
thirty-five vadeln-pairs and assorted fisher and farming folk to
defend for long successfully, but they would stand a better chance
here than if caught in the open.

Luckily the
sloping sides of the hill were a defender’s ideal. They were
covered in jaggy shale. The Larg would find the climb difficult to
the eleventh degree. Once the stuff was disturbed and started to
move, little could stop it.

Also, Geraldine
had ordered every able-bodied person to embed upright shards of
shale-slate around the summit immediately outside the walls. It was
razor sharp and, unlike human soldiers, the Larg did not wear
boots. She hoped it would stall them and if not, consoled herself
with the fact that at least it would make life uncomfortable.

The most
vulnerable area was the gate. A shingle path led up the hill to it
and here the shale-slate had been cleared away to form part of the
walls. She would use the wagons to fortify the gate area she
decided. They were, as she watched, making their ponderous way
uphill, carrying food, water and some few personal possessions and
the smallest children who thought this a big game and were
chattering together like magpies.

If Geraldine
had had more vadeln-pairs she would have used them to take these
children at least out of immediate harms way, but she needed every
person who could wield a weapon here.

Geraldine
sighed and went back to work, adding yet another large shard to the
top of the walls.

She raised her
head as a peal of thunder shook the air.

Oh hell, that’s
all we need, rain!