by Candy Rae
Zeb took note of the position-stances of the two Lind guards. Redei told him that there were always two, night and day.
“Have you guarded the cave?” asked Zeb.
“I have.” He looked proud.
Zeb deduced that it was a great honour to guard the cave of the Gtrathlin. He also realised that to get into the cave the guards would have to be lured away.
It shouldn’t take him too long to get in there, find the box and get out again. He wondered if Chad could make a diversion.
When Zeb told Chad about what he had learned Chad decided that Zeb was right. It had to be Zeb who went into the cave, he was light on his feet and they did need a diversion. Fire would be good, he thought, fire and a lot of noise. He set his mind to planning how to do it while Zeb prepared supper.
The following morning, at the start of their last full day at the domta, Zeb spent helping Chad at the stall; performing the tasks any trader’s boy would perform, running to and fro on errands, keeping a wary eye on the merchandise and acting as a porter if necessary. He did it very well Chad had to admit, he was indistinguishable from the other boys in the caravan.
They would steal the box that evening.
* * * * *
When evening came Chad insisted Zeb rest before they made their respective moves. Zeb demurred a bit, he didn’t feel in the least tired but after a short sleep had to admit he felt the better for it.
At last they were ready. Zeb was dressed in black, but not black all over. He wore old clothes, faded in places, with wash-stains and country-marked, the best camouflage for flitting in and out of trees in the dark.
He had a face mask, all of wool with two holes for his eyes and a supple pair of zarova leather gloves. He would put them on before he set out. On his feet he was wearing a special pair of shoes, thin soled, special because Chad had had them specially made for the job.
Once Nonder had informed Chad that Zeb would be accompanying him on the trip Chad had realised that Zeb would in all probability be the one who would be entering the cave. He had had the shoes made in Stewarton once he had taken the measure of the boy’s small feet.
Soft and foot-hugging they were, they looked like dancer’s shoes but the soles were imprinted (using quilted stitchery) with the pattern of a Lind paw. Imitation chelas, made of jezdic teeth (the closest Chad could find to a chela in shape) had been sewn on. As Zeb walked, they would leave an imprint that would, unless scrutinised be as close to a Lind paw print as possible.
“Go,” ordered Chad and Zeb went. He did not wish him good luck, in their profession this was considered unlucky.
Zeb took deep, calming breaths as he made his silent way to the cave-mouth, being very careful not to be seen. Better safe than sorry was a rule that all successful thieves mastered early on in their careers.
Walking through Drellor’s camp, Chad sauntered towards the Holad area. In his pockets he carried what were known as delayed action fire-crackers. As he passed each campfire, he threw one in, it wasn’t difficult, no-one was looking at him especially. He was counting as he went.
He had reached fifty when he reached the small hut which marked the edge of the Holad area. The hut was a storage building and inside as Chad knew, he had made it his business to find out, were items which would flame up easily, bedding, walda pillows, bandages and the like. In the shadow of the doorway he took a quick look around. Good. There was no-one close by. He was still counting. Timing was of the essence.
He had reached eighty-five when he struck the tinder-box. It wasn’t his of course, Chad was too careful for that. He had ‘borrowed’ it from one of the caravan guards earlier that day. The wick flared and he tossed wick and box inside. The pillows lit immediately. At the same time, back in the camp the fire-crackers began to go off, one after another.
Chad walked away from the hut. He was however back at the hut a short time later, valiantly helping to put out the flames.
* * * * *
In the trees, downwind and out-with scenting distance of the Lind guards, Zeb waited. To keep himself calm he thought about nice things, like the perfume smell of his grandmother as she put him in his cot, of fresh-baked bread from the baker’s shop downstairs.
When the first fire-cracker went off he jumped even though he had been expecting it. He sneaked a look at the guards. Would they take the bait? Would they go and investigate?
They did.
One moment the two sentinels were standing at the cave entrance, the next they were gone.
Zeb blinked at this show of silent, invisible speed but there wasn’t time to hang about.
He ran to the cave. Two heartbeats later he was both inside and lighting his candle, an expensive candle, used by rich folks because it emitted very little smell.
He knew what the box he was looking for was like and he hoped it wasn’t hidden too far back. There was certainly a lot of stuff in here!
He was in luck, the candle-light fell on it almost at once so Zeb made haste to pick it up as soon as he had made sure it was the right one. Chad had told him of the letters chiselled into its lid. It was long but it wasn’t heavy and Zeb made light of the burden.
He knew he should leave at once, there was no telling when the guards would come back but couldn’t resist a quick look round.
That was when lady luck came to his (and Chad’s) assistance. In a dark recess, there was dust everywhere and Zeb had to force back a cough, he found another box, with much the same dimensions as the one he held in his arms.
It was heavier than the first one and he staggered as he picked it up. He carried it to the shelf where the original box had sat.
He stepped back to examine his handiwork. Yes. Unless they looked closely they would think it the real one. He picked up the ‘real’ box again, blew out the candle and crept out of the cave, hoping that the exit would still be empty of guards.
It was.
He made it back to his and Chad’s tent without incident, shoved the box under Chad’s open bedroll and went to join in the excitement in the enclave.
When the two Lind guards returned to their post they suspected nothing. The stink of burning filled the air and covered what vestiges of candle-smell still remained.
The two conversed for a while about the fire and the fire-crackers, deciding that the first had been an accident and the second just the humans having fun.
They also decided that never, even when they were old and white-coated, would they understand the human sense of humour.
* * * * *
The Elda of the Lind performed their routine monthly inspection of the items in the cave some six suns later. Nothing appeared to be missing. They didn’t take particular notice of the prints on the ground.
* * * * *
-14-
THE RTATHA OF RTATH GSNENDREI – WITHIN THE RTATHLIANS OF THE LIND
It was the day before the end of their visit when the message arrived. Thalia and Josei, instead of travelling to Vadarnth by the direct route were to run south along the coast looking out for evidence of shipwreck. A Murdochian merchantman had been reported missing. The message sounded routine, depressingly so, as if those who sent it didn’t think there was much hope of a successful outcome. Tides were strong and treacherous in the Western Sea. Most shipwrecks in these waters resulted in the loss of the entire crew.
* * * * *
Thalia and Josei said their goodbyes to his rtathen and left with many promises to return soon.
Thalia was surprised at the intensity of the goodbyes.
She was surprised because she had expected that they would all be meeting again soon. After all, weren’t she and Josei now stationed here in the west of the continent? And the Lind, being telepathic, were never really apart.
She thought she could hear one word being repeated over and over, in murmurs.
* * * * *
: Alivadai? : she queried as, goodbyes over, they began their run towards the coast : I don’t think I know that word. My Lindish is pretty goo
d too :
: Alavadha is a word little used : explained Josei : it means ‘goodbye’ :
: Not farewell? : she asked. She had certainly felt an element of farewell back at the domta.
: No : Josei answered her : farewell is another word altogether :
* * * * *
THE WESTERN COAST - THE NORTHERN CONTINENT
: We’d better be taking our time about this : ‘said’ Thalia to Josei two suns later and as they reached the western shore : we don’t know where exactly this ship might have foundered :
: True : Josei sniffed at the air, it was redolent with sea-tang : it will make a pleasant journey and it will be good to take things easy, to see all that can be seen, to remember :
: We’ll get to know it better as the seasons change : Thalia answered : I’m sure the Ryzcks will patrol this area. Hey ho, but it is pretty gorgeous :
They were standing on a flat outcrop of rock as this conversation progressed, looking west, over and out at the sea. In the distance Thalia was sure she could make out the hazy outline of what just might be the continent of Dagan, ancestral home of the Lai. Thalia had never met a Lai. She had seen a few, an emissary would on occasion visit Vada and as a cadet she had watched one, a beautiful goldy-coppery male as he had left; watched with the other open-mouthed cadets, watched as he had flown away.
Josei, whose rtath was closer to Dagan had seen them when he was growing up. He had ‘listened in’ to conversations about them.
“Perhaps we’ll be able to visit Dagan ourselves one day,” said Thalia in a wistful dream.
Josei’s answer was non-committal.
“So how do we search for evidence of this shipwreck?” asked Thalia.
Josei’s answer this time was direct and to the point.
“We go south, as close to the shore as we are able, along the beaches if that is possible. It will be in places. We keep our eyes open and look for wreckage.”
“Sounds quite easy.”
Josei whickered.
“There is much wood to be found on beaches,” he ‘grinned’.
“Oh! I forgot about that.”
They set off, their eyes flicking ahead and right on the lookout for any likely wreckage.
For two days they travelled. They knew that there was a small village down the coast. It was a fishing village but there was a small Holad outpost there. As a matter of fact, the Holad had arrived first, it was one of the early ones, when one Winston Randall, a vet numbered among the original colonists had started sending medically trained men, women and Lind west to aid and succour the Lind of the Rtathlians.
She and Josei would be able to replenish their supplies there. Josei could always hunt for meat and there were always wild roots, berries and fruit to be found.
* * * * *
On their third morning they packed up their dom as usual.
“I suppose I’d better look over the beach before we set off,” decided Thalia with a sigh as she fastened the last of the packs on to Josei’s harness, “it was too dark to see when we got here last night.”
Josei concurred and they went over to take a look.
They stared down at the beach, Thalia squinting her eyes against the light from the dawn sun.
: What’s that? : asked Josei suddenly.
: What? That dark bit over there? :
: Yes. Does it seem like a piece of wood different from the rest? :
: There are lots of pieces of wood on these beaches : replied Thalia. Indeed, they had investigated many. All had been natural, innocent of human crafting, ordinary flotsam, natural branches and the occasional tree trunk.
: It does not look as the others : said Josei : We should take a closer look :
Thalia had to agree and the began to clamber over the slippery rocks. Josei was managing to keep his balance easier than Thalia. Four paws were better than two feet was an eight hundred year old Lindish saying though she managed well enough. She did manage to acquire a few bumps and bruises.
At last Josei jumped down on to the sand. He shook his front paw and whined. He didn’t like the feeling of sand on his paws. The tiny grains seemed to adhere like magic and took time to get off.
“You’re right,” said Thalia, her clear voice excited, “it isn’t natural. It could be a piece of wreckage.”
“Might be old wreckage,” said Josei, miserably trying to ignore the sand tickling at his paws, “not our wreckage.”
Thalia went to investigate. She had just reached it and was placing her hand on it to assess how waterlogged it might be when she heard a voice call out.
“Here! We’re here! Oh, thank the gods someone has come!”
It was a male voice, a southern male voice by its accent. Its owner? Thalia turned.
Its owner was a young man, a dishevelled, partly-clothed young man. Beside him lay the inert shape of another human body.
The young man was beckoning frantically.
“Quickly please, my friend’s hurt and I don’t know what to do. Do you have medical training?”
“I’ve got a first aid kit and very basic training,” Thalia called back, starting to run towards them.
She thumped down beside the young man’s companion.
“He’s never woken up, ever since I pulled him out of the water,” the awake young man told her in a miserable voice, “I’ve tried and tried. I think he’s broken inside.”
He might be describing a pot plant, thought Thalia.
“I tried to keep him warm. He was shivering at first but its stopped now.”
“He might have internal injuries,” said Thalia as she did her initial first aid checks, “but it’s beyond me. I’m not a doctor. Josei has sent for help. There’s Holad not too far away. They’ll know what to do.”
“Josei?”
“My Lind. He’s over there.”
The young man’s eyes opened. “I though that was your horse!” he exclaimed.
: Horse indeed! : This was Josei.
He was fair back affronted at the idea that anyone could possibly mistake him for a horse.
“A Lind! How marvellous!” enthused the young man.
Thalia ignored his raptures, “I’ll need blankets, he needs to be kept warm.” : Josei, get over here :
Under the fascinated gaze of Daniel, Josei ran over.
She untied the blankets from the harness and began covering her patient with them. She actually didn’t think there was any possibility that he would survive, even under Holad care but didn’t like to voice her thoughts. His friend looked distraught enough already and she didn’t want him incapacitated to the point of not being able to help.
“Get the tinderbox from the saddlebag on the left,” she instructed him, “and start a fire. There’s plenty of driftwood about. Once you’ve done that start on the kala.”
“Water?” he queried.
“There’s a stream on the other side of these rocks, over there. Use the jug, see it? Fill it with water and bring it back. Can you do that?”
He nodded.
“Quick now.” Thalia’s voice was sharp and penetrative.
Daniel did as she was asking, moving almost as if he was in a daze. It was only as he reached the stream that he realised that it was his stream, the stream which had saved his life when he had drifted ashore.
* * * * *
-15-
DOMTA OF THE GTRATHLIN
Tanalya was the Gtrathlin. She was old, even by the standards of the Lind, her coat was pure white. Her mind was however, as sharp as it ever had been and she had a quite astonishing ability to see through a problem and to take steps to rectify it. In this she was very like Duke Paul Hallam.
She heard Redei out, outwardly calm but her heart was thrumming.
“Sure definitely you are Redei?”
Redei was lying on the ground in front of Tanalya’s front paws, ears flat; in the most submissive and apologetic pose Tanalya had ever seen (and she had seen a lot during her hundred and sixty seasons).
; “I am,” Redei replied, “the box is a different box. It is not the one Haru the Lai gave us to guard.”
“I see,” answered Tanalya. She did not doubt Redei’s news was true. If he said the box was gone then gone it was. “Do you have any idea when it was taken and by whom?”
“We have discussed it My Gtrathlin and we are resolved that we cannot tell you of the when. The person who took it replaced it with another and it was only when, at your bidding, we entered your cave to look for the items Susa Freya asked us to look for that we realised it was not the box it should have been. We are sorry.”
“The blame is not to you. We must not worry about what cannot be changed. Instead we must concentrate on finding the box. It has not been moved to another place within the cave?”
Redei’s answer was answer enough. He and the other guards had searched the cave from top to bottom, left to right again and again but to no avail. The box was gone.
“I will look myself,” said Tanalya as she got to her paws but it was obvious to Redei that she did not think she would be able to find it either. “We must assume however that you are correct. We must consider the question of who has taken it.”
“There have been two trade caravans this season,” said Redei, “and other humans too.”
They knew that the thief would have to have been a human. A Lind would have been physically incapable of lifting any box out of the cave. Moving it yes, carrying it, no.
“The humans of the trade caravans are the most likely,” agreed Tanalya, “but the theft might have happened before the humans you speak of came and we did not realise. We must try to remember others who have visited our domta. The taking must have been planned. The humans must have been looking for it; humans ask questions when they want to know things. They will have questioned one or some of us; simple questions which we Lind have answered, not realising why we were being asked. Drinan and Kathya for example, they are in charge of the area where the humans put their dagas when they come here. The human we seek will questions have asked, even as far back as many seasons ago.”