The Lord of the Plains (92 page)

‘So now who’s the better teacher?’ Vann
asked late that afternoon. They were relaxing by the stream, the
light of day fading.

‘No.’ Riley said. ‘I’m just a better
student.’

‘Riley.’

‘And I’m teaching something much more
difficult than you are.’

‘Riley.’

She grinned at him. ‘Ok, I see I could
improve my technique.’

‘Did you get the urge to beat your head
against a rock?’

‘No.’

‘Well, darling, that’s how I feel when you
try and teach me.’

Riley said nothing.

‘I’m sorry,’ Vann said, embarrassed. ‘Just
when Lillia and I talk like this…’

‘Oh!’ her smile came back. ‘When you’re
insulting her painting you call her darling?’

‘Something like that, yes, though Lillia’s a
much better painter than you are teacher.’

Vann was relieved that Riley’s mood was
better than yesterday. He understood her concern. But at the same
time he felt.. he felt Rose didn’t affect him as badly as Riley
had. And he thought that was probably because he
knew
now,
that it wasn’t quite right. Vann liked talking to women and going
out with them before sleeping with them. Rose had made it very
clear she didn’t want to talk to him. Well, that wasn’t quite true.
She
did
like being complimented. The quiet pleasure she took
in being complimented would almost have been charming if she hadn’t
made it so clear any other conversation was unnecessary and
unwanted. The fact that he was able to be annoyed with her relieved
Vann to no end.

‘It’s not so bad.’ he began, breaking the
comfortable silence. ‘I haven’t had the urge to start making any
promises to Rose.’

Riley said nothing.

‘I think it’s because I know there are
others like her. When I met you I thought you were.. I’d never met
anyone like you before.’

Slowly Riley smiled. ‘So you’re saying
you’re just as fickle with valkar women as human women?’

‘Fickle?’ he said, his smile fading. ‘I’m
not fickle.’

‘And now you know there are more of them out
there, you’re inability to commit extends to valkar as well?’

‘Riley! Now you sound like Lillia!’

She laughed.

‘You know, considering my job, I really
can’t commit- I’m gone four weeks out of every five! You try having
a serious relationship like that!’

She laughed even harder.

As usual, Riley spent some time that evening
at the human campsite with Vann, Messenger and Mr Briggs.

‘Yes,’ she was saying, ‘I’ve been trying to
teach Vann to be more stealthy. You know, he complains more than
the gemengs did!’

‘The gemengs?’ Mr Briggs asked warily.

‘Well when I taught them what I learnt in
Astar. You know, how to fight as a team.’

‘You… you taught the gemengs that?’ the
colour drained from Mr Briggs face.

‘For the ehlkrid.’ Riley explained. ‘That’s
the only way we’ll stand a chance. And they learnt much faster than
Vann.’

Vann, who had been glaring at Riley,
stopped. Clearly, she had not brought him up to make fun of
him.

‘For the ehlkrid. Really.’

‘Mr Briggs.’ Riley said, fixing her clear
gaze on him. ‘The only reason I would ever attack Astar was if they
attacked me first. Unless you’re planning on doing that, you have
nothing to fear from me.’

When Riley left that night the atmosphere
was tense.

‘The one advantage we had over the gemengs
is gone.’ Mr Briggs said quietly. ‘Thanks to that woman.’

‘It’s not good.’ Messenger agreed. ‘She
might have an ulterior motive, but I believe what she has told us
is also true.’

‘Well, it better be, Messenger, because I
don’t think we can protect Astar against her and her tribe. We’ll
be leaving very soon. We have what we came for.’

Leaving very soon meant leaving in about a
week.

Arrangements had to be made to keep
communication between Astar and the gemengs open. Vann knew Mr
Briggs had given Riley a radio, and some preliminary plans had been
made about further visits.

During that week his relationship with Rose
continued. But he quickly realised he wouldn’t really miss her;
Riley, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. The
worst part was, he didn’t know when he would see her again.

Before they left Messenger insisted on
talking to Adila, he wasn’t going to let a chance to have some
questions answered get away.

And so Aerlid contacted her, and she
came.

They were not in either camp, but in the
land in-between. Adila would have been uncomfortable going into the
human camp, and Mr Briggs wanted to be present, and having the
Commander of the Astar Military directly inside the tribe, far from
his soldiers, was deemed too great a risk.

‘So,’ she began, looking over the group.
‘What questions do you have?’

‘Is it true humans and valkar used to be
allies?’ Messenger asked quickly, his eyes bright, barely able to
contain himself.

Adila nodded. ‘It is.’ her smile faded. ‘We
lived side by side, as neighbours, for hundreds of years. Then they
attacked us.’

Vann saw Riley was listening intently.

‘Why?’ Messenger asked. ‘And does that mean
we can never be allies again?’

‘Why? I don’t know, Messenger. But yes, it
does. We will not take that risk again.’

Aerlid fixed Messenger and Mr Briggs with a
cold look that silenced any further questions on that topic. Mr
Briggs gave Aerlid a hard look in return.

‘My people have never harmed yours.’ Mr
Briggs said.

‘That is true,’ Adila agreed. ‘But you are
still human, and human nature has not changed in all this time. So
were we to be allies, one day you would attack us again.’

‘I don’t see how we could.’ he said
stubbornly. ‘This man sang and the moon changed!’

Adila smiled softly. ‘I’m not going to tell
you how they hurt us last time, Mr Briggs.’ she said gently.
‘Better the way is never known.’

Messenger glanced at Mr Briggs, who had a
stubborn set to his jaw. But he was silent, so Messenger hesitantly
asked his next question. ‘The valkar helped the humans last time
the ehlkrid came, right? So couldn’t you do that again?’

‘We did. But there is no need, Saris. The
shields we gave you still work. They will protect you. We will do
no more, and please do not ask.’

Another cold glare from Aerlid.

‘Alright. But why help people who attacked
your kind?’

‘Because we are different from you.’

Messenger looked at her, waiting for her to
go on. She did not.

‘And was there ever a time without gemengs?’
he went on. Most of these questions had already been answered by
Vearla in Cavachi, though Messenger wanted to see if Adila would
answer any differently.

‘There was. And a time without humans
too.’

Messenger nodded, her answers had so far
matched with Vearla’s. ‘Vearla mentioned she stayed when the other
valkar left. Where did they go?’

‘That I will not tell you.’

‘Ok, I understand.’ he sighed and leant
back. He exchanged a glance with Mr Briggs. Matters of state were
now dealt with. Anything else he asked would just be to assuage his
own curiosity. He wanted to understand the valkar, but it was
difficult- and perhaps impossible- to do it without spending time
among them. And that obviously wasn’t going to happen. ‘Adila,’ he
began, ‘what role do judges play in valkar society? Do they
rule?’

‘That’s a complicated question. It depends
on whether we have… an active Queen. If we do, then the Queen makes
the decisions. If we don’t, then the Judgement Master will hear
what the valkar want and make a decision, which the other valkar
will generally follow. But the role is still not quite the
same.’

‘What do you mean by an active Queen?’

Adila just smiled.

Messenger smiled back. ‘Alright. How old are
you?’

Adila raised her eyebrows. ‘How old am
I?’

Messenger flushed. ‘I gather that valkar
live much longer than humans.’

‘We do.’ she smiled.

She said no more. Adila turned to look at
Riley. ‘Do you have any questions?’

Riley shook her head. She did, but she felt
it would be better to ask Aerlid. Her questions might reveal
something Aerlid didn’t want Adila to know.

Adila gracefully rose to her feet. ‘I
understand you are concerned about Riley’s intentions.’

Three surprised human eyes were now fixed
firmly on Adila.

‘The valkar have only ever wanted peace. If
Riley agrees, I can judge her for you.’

Aerlid cleared his throat, ‘Adila.’

‘Yes?’

‘Perhaps Rose should do that.’

‘Mm, you may be right.’ Adila looked at
Riley. ‘Would you accept Rose’s judgement?’

Riley pressed her lips together as she
thought. She would
much
prefer any judging of her be done by
Adila. But at the same time annoying the Judgement Master further
probably wasn’t a good idea.

‘Excuse me,’ Mr Briggs was standing too, his
face stony. ‘What exactly is a judgement and why should I trust
it?’

Messenger hurriedly began explaining.

‘Mr Briggs,’ Adila said slowly, ‘you
yourself have noted the unusual abilities of my kind. Is this so
hard to believe?’

‘When the safety of my people are concerned?
Yes.’

‘Well, I or Rose can give you our judgement
of her. Whether you choose to believe it is up to you.’

‘I will accept.’ Riley said reluctantly,
‘You or Rose may judge me. If Mr Briggs thinks it’s
worthwhile.’

‘I see no harm.’ He crossed his arms across
his broad chest. ‘Proceed.’

‘I will get Rose. I doubt she’s far.’ and
she shot Vann a smile.

Adila wandered off to find Rose. The others
stood in silence.

‘Perhaps Mr Briggs should also be judged.’
Aerlid said suddenly. ‘If Rose gives you her assessment of you,
perhaps you will be able to trust her judgement of Riley.’

Mr Briggs eyes’ narrowed. ‘I’m not sure
that’s necessary.’

Messenger, alarmed, softly began making an
argument in favour of it.

Riley sighed. ‘If you don’t want to, Mr
Briggs, then fine. I will still let Rose judge me.’

True to her word, Adila soon returned with
Rose. Rose strode towards them, her back straight, her face as grim
as ever.

Mr Briggs’ expression noticeably softened
when the Judgement Master approached. Messenger’s eyes lit up. Vann
turned to look at her. Any change in him was minor, maybe he
straightened a fraction, perhaps his attention was slightly more
focussed. Even the soldiers around them seemed to be paying far too
much attention to Rose.

‘You wish to be judged?’ Rose asked, her
attention on Riley.

‘Wish? No.’ she had to force herself to stop
there. ‘But I will allow it.’

Rose nodded curtly. ‘Very well. Hold out
your hand.’

Riley, confused, did so. She had been
preparing herself for Rose to hit her with something. But instead
Rose just placed something in her hand. Riley looked and saw it was
a seed.

The seed wobbled, cracked. A green shoot
appeared. Riley gazed in wonder as the shoot began growing. It grew
leaves, grew longer. Soon she held a small plant in her hand, vines
and leaves spilling over her hand. The vines were soon dangling
near her knees. Little white rose buds began to sprout from the
plant. The petals unfurled. The thorns grew. Rose frowned. She made
a noise that was almost irritated. And then she reached out again.
Riley felt her place something on her head.

Whatever it was it grew heavier. Soon green
leaves and orange roses were swaying in front of her eyes. She felt
leaves brushing against her back. Her skin was being pricked and
stung by thorns, but the pain was mild.

‘Hold out your other hand.’ Rose commanded.
Riley did so. Another seed was placed. This one grew differently.
Instead of spilling over her hand the vines curled along her arm
and grew up towards her shoulder. They spread, winding around her
body, neck, face.