Pavel then relayed the elder’s instructions; there were gasps of surprise, followed by looks of amazement, when Pavel Promoted Luie to Company twoicee with Bodan and Roza to Troop Leaders, Radaka, Tonne, Gordio and Jojo were elevated to Company Corporals in charge of individual patrols. ‘Weesia you and Ames are promoted to Sergeant Rank responsible for Admin and Medic duties, Mikhai and Anabee are Corporals, you too will be in Admin and Medic sections.’
There were big smiles from all members of the patrol, Pavel had chosen his deputies wisely, slotting them into the exact positions they would have chosen for themselves, and they were all well pleased with their new ranks and positions.
‘We start our new jobs as of first light, Runners will be called, you can ask your existing mounts if they wanna stay or let the new Runners choose who they wish to partner.’
‘Can we get Xjang to teach us that fighting technique that the youngsters were using against the Vamps? It would be most useful in close quarter fighting.’
‘Good point’ signed Pavel to Luie who had posed the question, ‘we can set up a schedule for him to teach all members of the company, talking about that it will be up to you Patrol Leaders and your Corporals to choose the remaining members of your Patrols, Luie and I will fill in the remaining Officer and NCO positions. There will be seven members in each of the four patrols, Ames get yourself two more troopers to add to your admin group, we have free rein to include any member of the clans from any of the caves if they are prepared to volunteer.
‘If Xjang wishes to join us as a rookie, then we can schedule him in to teach the Cung fighting while we are on patrol, rather than having to spend more time in camp than is necessary.’
‘Good idea, Boss,’ clicked Luie.
‘When can we start choosing our teams Boss?’ asked Bodan.
‘Straight away, there are more’n four hundred and twenty fighting hunters in the caves, we’ll be needing some of their finest men and women, some Patrol leaders are going to get a bit hissy, mind you there’s also a great group of eighteen year olds waiting in the wings, it might be a good idea to check out some of them, but remember Radaka, we need some experience too.’
They all laughed at the joke, even Radaka, for she had never made a secret of her preferences.
‘Right lets get some kip, we’ll make a start in the morning.’
The Patrol as one sprang to attention and saluted their new Company Commander, then split up and headed for their own home hearths, the five young plains children had been adopted into families, apart from Xjang, they all seemed a little bewildered by the happenings and their new surroundings.
After their departure, Pavel, Jojo and Shasa finally had an opportunity to catch up and told their stories over their meal and then well into the night. Bodan and Roza disappeared together.
The fire had bedded down to glowing embers, Jojo stoked it up and banked it for the night with damp peat cakes; it would be just right by the time the morning came. After a trip to ‘the pits’ to relieve themselves, they retired to their bedrolls. All around the cave torches were being extinguished or replaced, families were turning in all around them.
They conversed quietly for a while, Shasa told them about her trial, how it had been straight forward, she had killed a young heifer on her first day, which had sustained her over the six nights; of the Vamps she had seen neither sight nor sound. On return to the valley she discovered that all but one of her fellow trainees, a boy called Finn, had returned unscathed. It was strange, almost as though the Vamps had been occupied elsewhere.
‘Wish she were three years older,’ signed Pavel to Jojo, ‘I’d have her in the company quick sticks.’
‘You keeping Xjang, and he aint much older, surely you can make an exception.’
‘We’ll see, if we havin probs making up numbers, then it’s a goer.’
‘Let’s give her a try out tomorra.’
‘K you convinced me.’
Shasa who was still awake listened to the quietly clicked exchange between her brothers, excitement filled her every fibre, so much so that it set her thoughts racing, a full trooper at fifteen, it had never been heard of before, she lay awake for almost an hour, unable to sleep until she could lay there no longer. Her brothers were snoring in their bedrolls; she slipped from hers, pulled on her jerkin and pants, slipped her feet into her moccasins and crept from the family area. Little did she know that at the first sound of movement, both brothers were awake and listening. After she had walked quietly towards the cave mouth, Jojo clicked to Pavel, ‘She can’t sleep, too excited, maybe we better go walkabout too?’
Pavel clicked something incoherently and turned over, within moments he was asleep.
‘Good plan,’ Jojo was asleep himself a few moments later.
As Shasa made her way past the hearths a figure detached itself from the darkness and followed her. Immediately aware of the presence she continued on her way unperturbed, she knew that a single hoot from her would bring the entire cave awake; she had no fear for this was her clan cave, her safe place.
She approached the entrance sentry and exchanged greetings, surprised that her follower held back but still at ease, she made her way towards ‘the pits.’
On her return she came face to face with him. By the light of the moon she recognised the young plains lad who had been with the Tirnano, he was not much older than her, but was taller and was as thin as a gnawed rib bone.
‘If you’re lookin’ for ‘the pit’ it’s over there,’ she gestured towards the screened off latrine area.
‘No, I wish to commune with you.’
‘Oh, what?’
‘You are the sister of Lord Pavel and Lord Jojo, no?’
‘Yep, why?’ she smiled at the prefixes she had given her brothers, made them sound like Elders, she imagined them all old and official, Nah Never!
‘I am Xjang.’
‘I am Shasa,’ she clicked before fisting her forehead. So this skinny runt was the lad who had featured in her brother’s reports, this tall streak of nothing was going to be in the company, and most of all was going to teach everyone to fight? She was so surprised that all she could click was; ‘So you are Xjang?’
‘Yes mistress Shasa, I want to ask a most important question of you.’
‘Go for it.’
‘Excuse? Oh yes, go for it, continue, Yes, I wish to ask Lord Pavel if I can begin to train to be soldier, I would hate for just to be hanging around being looked after by other people. Do you think it would be allowed?’ he finished in an embarrassed rush.
‘Wait till the morning mister; you got one big surprise coming.’
‘Thank you mistress Shasa,’ he said and turning made to walk back into the cave.
‘Hold up, I’ll walk with you.’
Together they made their way silently along the central pathway between the home hearths. When they reached Weesia’s family hearth, Xjang peeled off with a quiet ‘Good Night.’
Shasa responded, and within moments was slipping through the hanging skins into her sleep space. Stripping off her outer clothes she snuggled down into her sleep skins, and was soon ‘out like a light’.
The morning was like all those that had ever preceded it, cold, misty and damp, but it would soon warm up as the sun rose.
The two brothers and their younger sister had slices of cold roast beef, flat bread made from ground dried tubers and hot chai, made from an infusion of the dried purple flowers and half filled with milk from their domesticated cattle. It was a refreshing drink and the meal was more than sufficient to set them up until their evening meal. Pavel and Jojo left their young sister to her own devices; she said that she wanted to get to know Xjang a little better, having passed on his request. Pavel laughed and Jojo remarked, ‘Beware what you wish for, it may come and bite you on the bum.’
‘Can I tell him he’s in?’
‘Why not, the sooner he joins the company, the quicker he’ll settle in,’ signed Pavel, ‘by the way I want you in We
esia’s section too, you can learn from the cooking fire upwards,’ at Shasa’s look of anguish he continued, ‘I suppose you thought that at fifteen you were going to walk straight into full trooper status? You gonna have to learn in situ girl, believe you me, you gonna find it as hard as the rest, this aint gonna be a stroll for any of us.’
‘Yes Boss,’ she fisted her forehead in a mock effort at dignity and military correctness. For all his straight lace talk she knew she could twist her brothers round her little fingers and had done since she was tiny.
Pavel grinned at her, ‘Go on scoot, muster here after midday.’
Shasa ran across to Weesia’s hearth but was disappointed when the tough trooper now promoted to Company Cook Sergeant, decided to set the two of them tasks which would occupy them in different directions. She had already briefed Xjang, who with a quick nod at Shasa as she arrived, left with Ames to collect fresh grass heads and leaves which would be bound round wounds with thin strips of soft hide. The grass was truly used for just about everything.
‘Nip to the top end of the valley, I noticed that there was a goodly crop of dried grass up there, take a large pack, I want it filled, we’ll make a fine mess of chai from it.’
Shasa picked up the big pack, slung one of the straps over her shoulder and after a quick detour to her sleep space, picked up her bow and a quiver of arrows, she set off at a swift walk towards the valley head.
‘Where you off to?’ clicked one of her year colleagues as she trotted past, ‘Elder gave a call this morning early, Runners gonna be here soon, you wanna wait for them?’
‘Nope got a job to do, with a bit a luck I’ll be back before they arrive.’
Luci her friend since childhood couldn’t believe her eyes, Shasa not interested in the Runners, especially a bunch of new arrivals.
‘Wont it wait?’
‘I’ll be back soon, won’t take too long, keep me a spot on the ‘skinny rock’, they won’t be here for at least an hour or so.’
‘’K will do.’
It was less than an hour later that Shasa with a bulging pack of grass heads, the flowers wide open and dried, perfect for chai, climbed up on the ‘skinny rock’ and plonked herself down beside Luci.
‘Nothing yet,’ Luci sat, her hand shielding her eyes against the sun’s glare, peering off into the distance outside the valley entrance. ‘Wait, what’s that?’
A movement on the horizon was the first sign, in moments it became more noticeable, in less than five minutes the Runners could be clearly seen, it was a breathtaking sight, the magnificent beasts were approaching at full gallop. All around the valleys their fellows, who were moving about freely, began to trumpet and call. The sound was exhilarating to the clan folk and those who were not already out watching and waiting spilled out of the caves to view the spectacle, joining in with hooting calls.
Never in living memory had so many Runners been called, never before had over fifty Runners responded. Shasa tried a quick head count as soon as she was able, she reached thirty eight as they approached her position, but there were many more following, the herd thundered past her in a cloud of dust. Suddenly one peeled off and galloped directly towards her. It was a little bay mare of at least twenty five hands. She was beautiful, her eyes were as wild as her long mane, she was no more than five years old, quite young to be responding to a call. The beautiful creature slid to a halt at the foot of ‘the skinny’ rock, and looked straight into Shasa’s eyes.
Dumbfounded Shasa clicked ‘Me?’
The mare tossed her head and stamped her right rear foot, once more she looked straight at Shasa.
Unable to resist any longer, Shasa slung the pack at the open mouthed Luci, ‘Take it to Weesia,’ she signed, and slid down the skinny rock to the ground, running the few steps she leapt up onto the mare’s warm and sweaty back. Immediately the Runner spun and launched into a full gallop after the herd, catching the tail-enders in moments.
PART 4
44.
THE CROSSING
WINN’S SURPRISE
Craigdendarroch Farm.
June 2011
Moaning at the unwelcome sensation of something squishy, cool, and wet on her skin, Winn jerked her head, trying to rid herself of whatever it was.
“Lie still, honey,” a worried voice, male, and positively not Paul’s, - encouraged.
“U-Uncle Tom?” she croaked, as yet unable to open her eyes for the nausea tossed her innards like ocean waves. “When did you get back?”
“Yes, baby, it’s me, and this morning to answer your question.” Fierce relief pierced his voice. Winn felt the creak of the bed as he shifted, gathered the sensation of something, him, undoubtedly, hovering over her. “How you feelin’?
“Ugh.”
“What’s that?”
“Ugh,” Winn grunted again, a bit more emphatically.
“Aw, poor little thing,” Uncle Tom sympathized, but she could hear his grin at her cynicism. “Paul really socked you a good one, huh?”
“Double ugh.”
The cool, wet, squishy thing on her brow was still aggravating her. Somehow, she found the willpower to lift her hand and prise the object away. Ah. It was a wet washcloth. Well, she didn’t need that.
Winn would’ve dropped it, but her adopted uncle intervened, snatching it away. “Hey, kiddo, you should leave that in place. Jeanne thinks it’ll be good for your head. Help the headache, if you’ve got one, and also clear your senses.”
Jeanne can put a sock in it. She wanted to say it, but prudently held her tongue. Despite the fact that it was Jeanne who’d basically convinced her uncle that she and Paul should remain behind. Despite the fact that Jeanne stole far more of Uncle Tom’s attention these days than was fair. Despite that fact that it was Jeanne’s son who’d driven her to this state.
“Actually,” she spoke up, finally opening her eyes, “my headache is gone.” The observation surprised her more than him. How was it that a wild blow between the eyes could cure a headache?
“And my stomach feels...” She paused, checking the situation out. Now that the nausea from waking had subsided, she was able to take better stock of her state. Amazingly, the slow burn smouldering in her guts for the past few weeks had gone as well.
“...fine too,” she concluded, wonderingly, sitting up.
One last thing to inspect. Uncle Tom was forced to reposition himself on his edge-of-the-bed-seat when his adopted niece leaned over to jerk the covers off her feet. “Hey, now, what’re you doing? Just hold your horses until Jeanne can come have a look at you.”
She decided to ignore that. Once her feet were bared, Winn pulled one ankle up over her thigh, craning her neck to examine her sole. “What’re you looking at?” Tom couldn’t refrain from asking.
“My feet,” she mumbled, curious as to the change.
“Yes, I can see that. I mean, why are you looking at your feet?”
No response. The teen was too engrossed in her scrutinizing.
“Winn?”
“Huh?”
“Why are you studying your feet?”
“Remarkable,” she breathed.
“What’s remarkable? Besides the fact that you’re the only sixteen year old girl left in current culture who uses words like that?”
“Look!”
Excited by her discovery, she thrust her bare foot towards her uncle’s face, who, with a dodge and a grab, managed to snatch it out of the air. He gave it a cursory glance. “So what am I supposed to see?”
“Look, Uncle Tom,” she demanded, giving it a shake, forcing him to tighten his grip. “Look at my heel. See that?” Tom lifted his eyebrows at her, and then obediently switched his focus to her heel.
“Alright, I’m looking, I’m looking, and I see...” His flippancy vanished. “Some really major calluses, Winn, girl, where’d you get those?”
“I don’t know, but both my feet burned for days, aching as if I’d walked hundreds of miles on them. Weird, huh? And look-” Snatching a
way the one foot, she twisted to levitate the other. “Check this out: I got ‘em on this one, too!”
“Wow.” Uncle Tom was bemused. “Those are definitely some major calluses. I’m impressed.”
The Tirnano - Book 1 'FINN' Page 28