by Candy Rae
The wagon train arrived at pack Zanatei’s domta one pleasant, though cold, afternoon.
Francis and Asya met them. Winston Randall, walking beside Tara and Kolyei near the front of the straggling column, spied the pair waiting in the distance although Kolyei had known of the man’s intention to meet them some time before. He had decided not to mention it, preferring their appearance on the skyline to come as a surprise. Kolyei tended toward the dramatic and certainly Francis and Asya’s appearance was theatrical enough for anyone.
It had been a most fulfilling journey for young Tara. Starved of much human affection since the deaths of her parents and little brother, she hadn’t realised just how much she had missed being part of a proper family. Winston’s wife Janice took the lonely girl into her heart, giving her the human love she craved and a sense of belonging to a family that, however hard Kolyei and the other children had tried, they had not been able to give.
“Janice and I will be as a father and mother to you,” Winston promised one cold night in the middle of the plains. “We wanted to before, but old Marion Mackie insisted that she needed you and I have to admit that you did appear to be happy with her, but she used you as a maid of all work, did she not?”
Tara did not know the term but she knew what he meant. “I wasn’t unhappy,” she said charitably. “I think she was fond of me in her own way. I didn’t know that you had asked about me.” After a moment, she added wistfully, “I wish I had though. I thought everyone had forgotten all about me.”
Winston gave her a huge hug, but didn’t reply. ‘Least said soonest mended’ was his motto.
Kolyei too was welcomed in the Randall household. He happily let the three little girls swarm all over him, permitted them to pull on his ears and even allowed the youngest to ride him during the journey. When Janice apologised for the children’s more rumbustious behaviour he merely answered that it was pleasant to play with younglings that did not bite and chew. Janice had laughed and gone away. Kolyei was in his element with Winston as well, answering his many questions patiently and clearly. Winston could not wait to reach the domta and learn more about the medicines and creatures of this new planet. Janice had her own questions to ask. A trained midwife, she hoped to be able to adapt her knowledge and expertise to aid the Lind as well.
Kolyei was shy about answering these more delicate feminine enquiries and directed the woman towards the female members of the Lindar whenever the topic was broached.
“Ask Radya,” he would say. “Radya is female, I am not.”
“Who is that waiting for us?” Winston asked of Tara as they sighted the waiting pair. Kolyei answered for her.
“Asya and Francis. They run battle training.”
“The cavalry?” asked Winston with interest.
“Vada,” corrected Kolyei.
“When will our volunteers meet the Lind who wish to pair?”
Again Kolyei answered. His command of Standard was coming on in leaps and bounds, his syntax and vocabulary expanding day by day. In fact, his Standard was almost indistinguishable from the humans. Gone were the single words that the humans found difficult to interpret. Not many Lind were nearly as proficient although Emily and Ilyei were almost as good.
“Other Lindars come,” Kolyei answered, “in part to prepare for Larg. Also they want to find out what humans are like. Many want to vadeln-pair if a willing and suitable human they can find.”
“Where are they?” asked Winston.
”Not in Zanatei domta at present. They have doms in the lian.”
“Oh, a kind of staging area?”
Kolyei looked puzzled and Tara explained. She only ever needed to explain once. Because she and Kolyei often spoke and thought in Lindish as well as Standard, as did the other vadeln-pairs, they found that it was far better for the other member of the pair to explain any misunderstood terms and concepts than to involve others and become embroiled in lengthy discussion.
Afanasei considered that Tara and Kolyei’s pairing was by far the strongest of them all although Jim and Larya, like Emily and Ilyei, ran them a close second. Tara and Kolyei seemed to instinctively know what the other was thinking. Certainly when emotions were involved Kolyei appeared to know exactly what his human partner was experiencing.
Francis and Asya fell into step beside them. Although he had been well warned by Jim, Winston was amazed at the change in the man. Gone were the habitual frown and the faint sense of menace he had previously portrayed as a crewmember on board the WCCS Argyll. The Francis that took Winston’s hand and vigorously shook it was a happy man. His eyes twinkled and he was grinning fit to burst.
“Good to see you vet,” were his cheerful words. “Welcome to domta Zanatei. Zanatei himself and the rest are waiting to greet you all in the teaching clearing, the only area big enough to accommodate us all.”
Winston turned to Asya. “We are pleased to have reached our new home at last.”
Asya’s lips crinkled up at that; she appreciated politeness. It had been one of the attributes that had drawn her to Faddei when she was seeking a mate : I like this man : she thought at Francis.
“Hello,” she replied, pronouncing it hillo. Turning to Tara and Kolyei she greeted them as well.
“Ctrath,” was what she said to them. Tara knew by now what she meant and repeated the word in the usual expected formal manner although Winston looked mystified. He thought for a moment and a small sigh exuded from his lips. He had not entirely realised until this moment that as well as learning Lind medicine and teaching them his, he would also have to learn Lindish. Tara had told him that all those who had chosen to settle with the Lind would be expected to become bi-lingual.
This worried the veterinary surgeon. Languages had never been a strong point of his. He did not expect to pair with a Lind although Kolyei told him that it was easier to learn Lind if one was linked mind to mind. He would have to manage somehow.
As they walked into the domta, Francis filled them in with some details that they might otherwise not be aware of.
“We have been waiting for you. I’m afraid that you are all in for a very busy evening. First there is the welcome feast from the pack and only then can we seek our beds. We’ll be up at first light in the morning too. There is much to see to.”
“Like what?” asked Tara suspiciously. She had planned to visit her old friends and to settle in again. Their daga would require a good clean for one thing and she would have to check its weatherproofing. Tara had had her fill of sleeping under the stars. She wanted a roof over her head once more.
”Like the visits from the Eldas from at least six other packs. Then the Lind from those packs who wish to pair will visit. The Gtratha has insisted that only members of the Lindars may choose a vadeln-pair and then only with humans of at least fourteen years. We’ve been requested to have all our hopefuls ready and waiting just after the midday meal tomorrow.”
“They will be ready,” answered Kolyei.
“Most of them can’t wait,” added Tara.
“Really?” replied Francis in surprise. “Thought everyone would be a bit nervous about all this. It’s happened very fast.”
“Not nervous,” interrupted Kolyei. “Excited. Many saw us at settlement and then met many Lind on journey. They want to share what we have.”
Francis looked at Asya affectionately. “Well,” he admitted in an embarrassed tone of voice. “I couldn’t imagine life without Asya now.” He coughed. He still felt uncomfortable talking about his emotions in public.
“I love Tara too,” admitted Kolyei.
“Something else before I forget,” Francis said. ”It’s been decided that any later, non-Lindar pairings are for the over-twelves only, both species. Younger than that and they don’t know what they are getting into. These general pairings are permitted after tomorrow and I fully expect that more Lind will choose over the next weeks.”
“I’m only twelve now,” protested Tara indignantly, “and I know exactly what’s what. Peter is only ten.”
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“There will always be exceptions,” comforted Francis, smiling at her. “What do you have there?”
Tara was taking a sealed envelope out from her belt-pouch.
“It is for you from Jim,” she said. “I promised I’d give it to you as soon as I saw you.”
The column began to walk the last mile, heading towards the teaching clearing. It seemed to Tara that history was repeating itself because again the entire pack turned out to greet them. The only difference this time was that interspersed between the blue-stripe colours of pack Zanatei were the envoys of other packs. Some had purple, green or yellow markings. To Tara’s surprise, she spied a small group whose markings were pink! She thought however that she much preferred the blue of Kolyei and his rtathen. The blue matched her eyes for one thing.
Tanni, the Randall dog, sat on Kolyei’s back looking around him with wide, scared eyes, his more usual terrier exuberance stilled by the sight of so many and to his eyes, gigantic Lind.
The feast was waiting. Great haunches of zarova were being turned over a fire pit and there was a glorious smell of roasting roots. There was not much variety of fruit available. Winter was too advanced for many varieties to be ripe but here was an abundance of greenfruit that came from a bush that gave up its fruit all year round, although the winter berries were inclined to taste bitter.
Zanatei and the rest of the pack Eldas sat waiting. After some urging from both Kolyei and Tara, Winston approached them. He had been informed in great detail what he would be expected to do and what to say.
Zanatei uttered the traditional welcoming words, used only when one pack was making formal acceptance into its ranks of one from another.
“Dedta domta,” he intoned in a booming voice. “Dedta rtath Zanatei.”
Then for the benefit of those not fluent in Lindish he kindly translated. “Welcome to our pack-home. Welcome to pack Zanatei.”
Winston bowed low in acceptance.
Then like a flood, the ltsctas approached the waiting colonists, it having been decided that the sheer volume of many adult Lind might prove unsettling for the newcomers. The little ones milled round the humans, welcoming the travellers in well-rehearsed and squeaky voices.
“Welcome. Dedta. Eat. Jeza.” Their short tails wagged constantly and the colonists laughed at their antics. They looked so earnest, much like young human children given an important task to complete. As one the new arrivals dropped their knapsacks and headed towards the waiting feast.
There were cries of welcome from those paired during the first contact. Emily dropped the spoon with which she was stirring the spicy gravy and flew into her father’s arms then turned to greet her mother and brother Steven. All those families whose children had disappeared at the same time as Tara had made the trek. The clearing was filled with the sound of joyful reunions. The only ones who didn’t take part in this were Tara and Alan, whose families had died during the cosmic storm and the Armstrong twins. Bill and Geoff stood solemn-faced to one side of the clearing apart from all the jollifications. Mark, however, dragged Alan towards his parents where he was greeted with great goodwill.
Predictably, their initial hunger satisfied, it was the children who made the next move. Spotting the ltsctas playing to one side they began to gravitate towards them. Soon a boisterous game of rough and tumble was in progress, much to the amusement of all adults present, of both species.
“Assimilation will not take long, at least for the young,” said Laura Merriman, walking up to stand beside Winston. She looked at the man carefully. “You look well and I see that you have adopted a daughter.” She smiled.
“I have indeed. Young Tara has fitted into the family as if she has always been one of us.”
“Just remember that she is paired with Kolyei and that bond will always be the most important in her life,” she warned. “I know, to my great surprise, Faddei paired with me just before Jim left. We are a four, Asya is mated with my Faddei.” She blushed. “Francis and I… well…”
“Jim told me,” reassured Winston. “No need for any embarrassment. Janice and I are pleased for you both.”
He left her watching the scene and moved over to stand beside Zanatei and Francis. He observed that some adult Lind were beginning to approach individual groups of humans, introducing themselves and inviting them to share their family dagas until they could build dagas of their own.
The humans and their families began to disperse, intent on settling into their temporary abodes before darkness fell.
Emily, and the rest of the human youngsters already vadeln-paired led their families back to their own dagas. Kolyei nudged Tara in the direction of Janice Randall and her children, imparting a very clear picture of her leading her new family to theirs. Tara’s face broke into a smile. She nodded and hastened to go over and invite them home. Kolyei would bring Winston along later.
Janice’s words were complimentary as she led her brood inside. Someone, Emily probably, or perhaps Kath, had swept it out and tidied it up a bit.
“What a lovely home,” said Janice, “an actual growing house and you have made it really nice. I think the sooner we get a place of our own though the better; it will be hard to fit us all in.”
“Kolyei and I will help you,” said Tara shyly.
“I can help,” announced Louis, looking down at his new sister. He was fifteen, nearly sixteen, tall and strong for his years.
“Are you not attending the pairing tomorrow?” teased Tara. “Don’t you want a friend like my Kolyei?”
“Of course I am,” said Louis. “I want to attend, but I am terrified about it. What if I don’t get chosen? If I am chosen, I will need to learn how to fight and go into battle.”
“You would have had to fight anyway when these convicts arrive,” said Janice at that point. “At least if you are in the cavalry you will be doing so with an experienced friend at your side. I for one will feel much happier about it all if I know that you are astride a creature that can think for herself and can get you out of trouble if necessary.”
“There is that,” said her eldest, looking much happier although the nervous look continued to haunt his face.
Back at the clearing Zanatei, Francis and Winston were deep in discussion when Kolyei approached, Asya at his side.
“Come over,” invited Francis. “We are discussing how we are going to organise the pairings tomorrow. Want to make a bit of a ceremony out of it. There’s a waiting list of Lind wanting the chance to pair. I’ve been talking quite a bit to them recently about cavalry tactics. They think some of them at least will work against the Larg. That training will start as soon as both parties get used to each other.”
Zanatei looked at Kolyei.
“You, Kolyei will not fight. Tara is too young.”
Kolyei had expected this. The Lind never sent their young into battle against the Larg. His fellow warriors of the Lindar would understand. There could be no dishonour in remaining with the old, the mothers and the young at the domta.
Francis watched Zanatei. Jim’s letter had hinted otherwise. He had sent detailed instructions that everyone partnered with a Lind should receive weapons instruction, especially Tara.
“If I have deciphered Jim’s intentions correctly, you will, however, be kept more than busy behind the lines, a long way behind the lines,” said Francis with the air of one conferring a favour, “a part of the battle to come but not in it.”
Kolyei sent him an inquiring look.
“You and Tara have been appointed by Jim to be in charge of communications. It’s an important and essential task and one that should keep Tara safe. You understand what military communications is?”
“I do,” replied Kolyei, trying without much success to appear modest about his linguistic abilities, and failing miserably. “We are the best,” he continued, unable to resist.
“You see what I mean?” asked Francis of Zanatei. “I told you he and Tara were the best choice.”
“Tara is very young,” Z
anatei demurred.
“We’ll attach a guard detail to look after them. Believe me, they’ll be worth their weight in gold.”
Zanatei was not convinced and showed it.
Predictably, the Lind asked for an explanation of his last term. Francis soon regretted using it as he began a long involved explanation of what gold actually was. It proved surprisingly difficult. As the Lind did not wear jewellery, they had distinct difficulties understanding the human need to adorn their bodies and as they lived in an elementary barter economy, they found the understanding of monetary value pretty nigh impossible. It took Francis quite a time to get the message across.
That evening many of the newcomers gravitated back to the clearing where they had been promised a night of entertainment, Lind style.
It would begin with a traditional and well-loved tale, to be recounted by the renowned storyteller Janzei of pack Malkei. Then would come the singing and the humans were warned, they would be expected to ‘take a turn’ as well. So those who could play an instrument brought it with them. When the Lind had spied the violins and flutes – the larger instruments had been too heavy to carry to the domta – they became excited. The humans learnt afterwards that Afanasei had told them of the musical evenings in the settlement in one of his regular reports to Zanatei. The Lind loved music.
Janzei stood up and signalled his intent to start his tale with one measured howl. The listeners grew silent. Kolyei and Tara joined him in the circle. They were to translate.
“This oldest tradition,” Janzei began in Standard, and then reverted to Lindish.
“A long time ago…”
Tara translated, with help from Kolyei.
“When the waters were low and the lands one, the Lai came to us out of the sky. We were as other creatures in these far-off days. We could not talk and we ran in herds just as do the kura and the jezdic of today. The Lai were magical beings and looked favourably on what they saw. The Lai wanted to help us become more than simple creatures. Long were their magics as they strove to give us a great gift; the gift of speech. After a long and hard struggle, they succeeded and we began to speak simple words. Their task complete, the Lai flew away, to where we do not remember, but they left us with the promise that in dire need, they would return. We could not find them though we hunted high and low, but we do not forget.”
“An interesting tale,” said Janice to her husband when the story drew to a close. “Is it true?”
“Probably not,” he answered, “but a good one all the same don’t you think?”
Janice was lost in thought. “How did the Larg learn to speak?” she asked.
Tara and Kolyei sat down beside her. He had heard her question and decided to answer it, Tara helping with the more difficult words.
“We were once one,” he began quietly, “then the ground shook and the waters rose higher than now and the lands north and south were sundered. A long time passed and when the seas fell away the Lind went south to find out what had happened to them. We found that our cousins had changed beyond recognition. They had become hard and cruel, thinking only of killing and war. They had changed physically as well, becoming larger and more muscular, better adapted to the harsh southern lands. We are no longer the same. They want our rtathlians and herds. Summers have been dry in recent seasons and their own herds are not enough to feed them all. That is why they come.”
Kolyei sighed. Like his fellow Lind he deplored the need to have to fight the Larg, but knew that if they did not defend their rtathlians the Larg would take full advantage of the peaceful nature of the Lind and would be free to rampage throughout the northern continent.
There was silence for a few moments.
“I agree,” said Janice at last, “war is a waste of lives, but I begin to understand why we must fight.”
Tara changed the subject.
“You are meeting with the Lind healers tomorrow then? Laura is coming to take you there … yes?”
“We’re both going,” replied Winston. “Also the kids have been informed that their lessons are to begin at once. I believe that they are fair aggrieved at the prospect.”
“Lessons are fun here,” said Tara as she remembered her own. She turned to her new sisters and brothers who were looking doubtful. “I promise,” she added.
They still looked unconvinced.
It was at this point that the instrumentalists began to play a popular ballad. Conversation ceased as everybody listened and some children began to sing along. The Lind were ecstatic and presently began to hum along with the tune as they committed it to memory.
By morning the entire domta was singing it, the Lind adding their own variations.
* * * * *