The First Riders

by David Ferguson

  The head disappeared below the ferns but they could not relax. It was still there, obviously dangerous and obviously hunting. They hoped it preferred these grazing animals to themselves. Then it appeared again. Its head was now held in front of the body, the powerful neck held almost horizontal. It was moving with long purposeful lopes in the direction of the herd. Still they grazed peacefully and Reffurio wondered why they had not seen it. And then they did. Suddenly the herd was running away at full speed and with incredible acceleration the predator gave chase. They watched it tear into the herd and leap at one hapless grazer. The rest of the herd disappeared over the skyline.

  "Let’s get out of here," Reffurio muttered. "Let’s get back to the boat."

  Ombissu watched the boat return much more quickly than he had anticipated and noted the lack of any game on board. He was ready with the choicest of several possible remarks when the boat crew came on deck.

  "What happened? Did the rifles misfire? Water in the mechanisms, perhaps?"

  Reffurio gave him a baleful look.

  "We ran into a predator the like of which we have never seen. We decided to retreat before it ate us," he said tersely.

  "Oh? Big, was it? Utterly terrifying? So terrifying you couldn’t shoot it down with your ten rifles?"

  Reffurio’s look became, if anything, even more baleful.

  "Listen, Ombissu, this thing was awesome. It was about five times the size of a mountain pouncer, and you know what they’re like. It had about a hundred teeth each one longer than your head, a mouth you could stuff me, you and Fallassan into and leave space over for a side dish, and it ran at a speed that you cannot imagine. If you think I’m exaggerating ask Fallassan or Voyallan. They were as terrified as me."

  Ombissu turned to Fallassan.

  "It’s true," she said. "If it had seen us and decided to attack us then we would not be here."

  Ombissu regarded the strained faces before him.

  "Very well," he said. "Paradise has its dangers. We shall have to be very careful. Now, let us sail on."

  "Yes, I think we should," Reffurio said. "We are nearly there, but not yet."

  "This is the instinct calling, is it?"

  "Yes."

  "Very well, but I hope we don’t have to wait for too long."

  "No, not long. Just around the next corner, probably."

  Ombissu looked along the coast stretching in front of them. "At the moment this coast has no corners at all. It is just one long line of beach."

  "Trust me."

  Ombissu laughed and the others who were listening joined in too.

  *

  For the rest of the day they sailed along the straight coastline. It then began to curve gently to the east until, at the end, they could see the familiar profile of a rocky point.

  "Beyond this is a bay," Reffurio said confidently.

  "I think we could all work that one out, Reffurio," Fallassan said.

  "A special bay."

  "Oh."

  They sailed past the point and a huge bay opened up before them. On the far side was the twin of the point they had just passed.

  "Take us in as close to the top of the bay as you can, Reffurio," Ombissu said. "This is it. We will anchor here."

  As the sun began to set, Techyspay’s anchor chains rattled once more and the ship came to rest.

  At dawn the officers scanned the shore carefully through their telescopes. They could see a wide stream tumbling over rocks amidst a thick undergrowth of ferns. Hills rose on both sides in a savannah of ferns. Far up the slopes they could see herds of the flat headed grazing animals. It looked an idyllic place.

  "This is where we should camp," Reffurio said after his meticulous scrutiny of the terrain. "It looks perfect - fresh water, game, shelter. This would be a perfect base for exploration."

  "I agree," Ombissu said. "We’ll take a party of twenty sailors with camping equipment. The first boat will have to make two trips. Fallassan can be in charge. We won’t need to tell you to be careful after yesterday’s encounter."

  "Right."

  Reffurio lifted the anchor and moved Techyspay cautiously into the bay. With Fallassan and Darbolin as officers and with eight seamen, the first boat was rowed to the river mouth.

  They beached the boat and anchored it with stones taken from beside the river. They walked cautiously alongside the river, rifles at the ready. Quite quickly they found the ideal spot to camp, a flat open area beside the river and in the shade of tall ferns. They returned to the boat and unloaded the equipment. Six rowed the boat back to the ship while the others began to set up camp.

  It took most of the day to ferry the twenty sailors and their equipment to the campsite and set up the camp. By the time the sun was setting they were all tired. But the mood around the campfire was ebullient. This race of fishermen had already ascertained that the river was full of fish so they had a plentiful supply of food and - so far - there were no predators. The site was perfect, almost dream-like. They organised a watch then went to bed.

  *

  It happened at the instant of daybreak. A blast of a guard’s whistle brought them all tumbling out of their tents. They grabbed their rifles just as four strange figures moved rapidly into the campsite. For a moment Reffurio did not understand what he was looking at. The animals were tall and oddly shaped, and then he realised. Each animal was a chanit sitting on the neck of a larger animal. He had never seen anything like it; he lifted his rifle. He then noticed that all the riders had bows, that they were armed with arrows which were pointing at them. It had happened so fast that he was only just beginning to think coherently. Almost instinctively he decided that he should offer peace. He put down his rifle and held his hands out palms upwards. He was fervently hoping that this was a universal gesture.

  He said, "We are friends. We are no threat."

  The leading chanit said something, but he could not understand a word.

  ***

  PART 3

  The Priests

  Chapter 22

  The four hunters watched Reffurio lay down the strangely shaped metal and wood stick he had in his hand and open his palms upwards.

  "They want to be friends," Eln-Tika said. "We can put down our weapons."

  Wath-Moll lowered his bow and the others followed. Reffurio stretched his arms out wide and grinned, then pointed to himself and said, "Reffurio." He then pointed to his companions one by one, naming them.

  Eln-Tika watched and listened to this performance with growing understanding.

  "He is telling us their names," she said to Wath-Moll. "I think we should do the same."

  When the introductions were over, Reffurio, with gestures, suggested they sit around the remains of the previous night’s fire. The four hunters, encouraged by Eln-Tika, placed their bows and quivers on the ground and sat in an arc opposite the newcomers. Reffurio offered slices of salt meat to the four hunters who took them dubiously.

  "You have to at least make a pretence of eating it," Eln-Tika said to Wath-Moll. "It’s only polite, and, after all, they are only trying to be friendly."

  "But it smells terrible," Wath-Moll whispered.

  "It doesn’t matter - eat it. And stop whispering - they can’t understand a word we’re saying."

  "Are you sure about that?"

  "Of course. I can read their emotions easily. They are excited by our appearance but they are also cautious because they have never seen anything like us before."

  "But it is obvious we are chanits like themselves. They are a bit bigger than us and darker, but we are essentially the same. We’re not speed dragons, after all."

  "What do you make of the sticks?"

  "Nothing. I don’t know what they are."

  "They’re weapons. Some of them keep looking at them, wondering if they will have to use them."

  "Oh really? Well, well. A bunch of belligerents, eh?"

  Reffurio had been listening to this exchange without understanding a word. He gestured in what h
e hoped was a friendly fashion for them to eat the meat which they had been given. They began to chew and found, to their surprise, it was quite pleasant.

  Reffurio asked slowly and clearly, "Where have you come from?"

  Eln-Tika did not recognise any of the words but she understood the meaning. She pointed to where their camp was and said, "Over there. That’s where we live."

  Reffurio looked at Eln-Tika in surprise. How could she understand what he had said? He had only asked to break the silence.

  "You can understand what I am saying?" he asked.

  Eln-Tika looked at him helplessly. She understood perfectly but she had no way of answering that was intelligible to him. So she just grinned.

  Fallassan, who had been following the exchange intently, suddenly said to Reffurio, "I know what’s happening. The one on the right must be a telepath. That’s the only way she could understand what you are saying. It is obvious they can’t understand a word we’ve been saying, but she understands the sense. The one on the left is the leader who trusts and depends upon the one on the right."

  "Wath-Moll and Eln-Tika - try to remember the names. Wath-Moll is the leader."

  "Yes, of course. Look - can I have a try at communicating?"

  Reffurio gave a weary gesture. "Please do. I was never made to be a schoolteacher."

  Fallassan took an unburnt stick from the dead fire and, with it, drew a simple picture of a ship in the sand. She pointed to it and then to the sea where Techyspay lay. The four hunters tapped their heads to signify understanding. Fallassan noted the gesture and realised what it meant. This was the first tiny step towards comprehension.

  Drawing in the sand, and miming sleep she tried to indicate the length of their journey and where they had been. Eln-Tika understood instantly and explained it to the others. She then pointed to the drawing of the ship and looked enquiringly at Fallassan.

  Fallassan said, "Ship."

  "Ship," Eln-Tika repeated.

  Fallassan tapped her head and Eln-Tika laughed.

  Fallassan began teaching the hunters words which she thought would be useful. They were finding it so enjoyable that it was some time before Wath-Moll remembered that the other four hunters were waiting anxiously back at the camp for their return. With gestures he tried to tell the sailors that they had to go.

  "Send Sil-Jeve, and Gre-Hann back," Eln-Tika said to Wath-Moll. "We can stay for a little while yet."

  Eln-Tika made eight marks in the sand then drew a ring around four of them. She then pointed to herself and her three companions. Reffurio and Fallassan tapped their heads in understanding. Eln-Tika then pointed at the four marks outside the circle then pointed in the direction of their camp. This was easily understandable to the sailors. There were eight of them. Eln-Tika then pointed to Sil-Jeve, and Gre-Hann, to two of the marks inside the circle, then she pointed in the direction of the camp. Fallassan tapped her head and the four hunters grinned. Sil-Jeve and Gre-Hann mounted their blenjis and rode off.

  Reffurio watched them go, hoping they would not bring back the other four with their formidable bows and arrows. He had noted with curiosity the two quivers, and, in particular, the one with the black-quilled arrows. He hoped black did not mean to them what it meant to him, which was death.

  He was amazed at the progress that this hunter, Eln-Tika, was making in understanding their language. Fallassan was of the opinion that Eln-Tika was a telepath, a notion he found bizarre, but now he was not so sure. There was something uncanny about the way she was picking up meaning from what must be to her mere sounds.

  He suspected her companion, Wath-Moll, had different attributes. To survive in this country, with its fearsome predators, was not for the weak-minded or the faint-hearted, and he had an idea that Wath-Moll, the leader, was neither. He looked brave, tough, and competent. It would be good to get the cooperation of this group. They could show them how to survive in this promising but dangerous country. Presumably they knew it like he knew the seas around his own homeland.

  The other two, who had remained silent, had looked wary - presumably they had been there to make up the numbers, to lend a threat to their arrival, but they too had looked competent - assuming he was a good judge of competence in a race of chanits he had only just met.

  His thoughts were interrupted by Fallassan speaking to him.

  "What do you want to do now, Reffurio?" she asked. "We could spend all day on this if you like, but you may have other ideas."

  "I wouldn’t mind seeing their camp. Perhaps just you and I should go. It would be less threatening. Can you get that idea across?"

  "Oh yes - easily. You think it will be safe?"

  "Yes," he said, surprised. "Don’t you?"

  "I trust these two. I don’t know about the others because I haven’t met them."

  Suddenly, Eln-Tika spoke. She said, "You need not worry." And she said it in their language.

  There was a shocked silence.

  Fallassan was the first to speak. "How did you learn to say that? You said, ‘You need not worry’ in our language."

  "I don’t know. I just said it."

  Fallassan and Reffurio looked at each other, each thinking the same - here was something wondrous, something they could not comprehend. Something that could be uncommonly useful.

  Wath-Moll was also looking at Eln-Tika in surprise.

  "You spoke in their language?"

  "Yes. It just came out. The two who are doing the talking want to visit our camp, but I could feel that they were worried about the danger. I just reassured them that it was safe."

  "Of course it’s safe," Wath-Moll said indignantly. "They’re a lot safer in our camp than they are here. The snappers might come out of the river during the night."

  "Yes, that’s true. We ought to warn them about that. Anyway, that’s a side issue. The point is that I am beginning to speak their language. I could teach you and the others as I learn. It would very useful."

  "Teach us? I wouldn’t know where to start."

  "You’ve started already. You learnt a few words. Useful words like water and food and fire. Anyway, Wath-Moll, they want to visit our camp. It seems a good idea. They can see how we live. We can offer them hospitality. The others can see them for themselves and be reassured"

  "Yes, of course. They’ll have to walk, though. We don’t have any spare blenjis and, anyway, I don’t suppose they can ride."

  "No, I suppose not. It seems impolite to ride when they are walking, though. Perhaps we should walk with them, leading our blenjis."

  Wath-Moll stared. The idea of walking back the short distance to the camp was anathema. They only walked when their blenjis were tired, usually during a long day’s travel. During the journey to the coast they had often walked twice a day.

  "Very well," he said reluctantly. "We’ll walk back. Goodness knows what the blenjis will make of it. They’ll probably think we’re mad."

  "Luckily that is the least of our problems." Eln-Tika turned to Fallassan and Reffurio and explained what they would do.

  *

  The invitation came as a pleasant surprise to Reffurio and Fallassan. They thought the hunters would be very reluctant to show them their camp, but the invitation could hardly be more friendly. Reffurio decided that he, Fallassan and two of the sailors would go. They would be unarmed. He also issued orders for the boat to return to Techyspay; he wanted Ombissu to be ashore. He quickly wrote a note and gave it to the senior sailor. The two hunters watched this activity with interest. Reffurio thought of explaining, then gave up the idea; it would take too long.

  They set off for the camp, Wath-Moll and Eln-Tika in the lead. It amused them that the two hunters had decided to walk. Though it had not been said, it was obvious that they were walking only out of consideration to their guests. They had heard of the natural hospitality of the mountain people of their own country although they had never experienced it first-hand. Maybe it was a common trait of peoples who lived in remote, hostile terrain that they helped
each other without thought of reward.

  The four sailors were not used to trekking through hills. They had managed quite well during their successful hunts, but they had been driven on by excitement. Here it was simply a slog across stones, around rocks and ferns and under a sun that was becoming hotter with every step.

  They climbed the hill to the south until they could see the course of the river far below them. They rounded the seaward side of the hill and, quite suddenly, came to the camp. The six chanits who were sitting on an arrangement of rocks jumped to their feet and grabbed their bows, but Wath-Moll called to them and they immediately relaxed.

  As he looked round the camp, Reffurio listened to the conversation although without understanding. It was a very pleasant spot, shaded by large ferns with a view of the sea far below. Unfortunately Techyspay was out of sight on the far side of an inconvenient bluff, so he did not know what was happening on board the ship.

  The camp consisted of eight small shelters made of hide surrounding a larger obviously communal shelter. To one side was a fireplace and there were other areas where work of some kind was done. A short distance away, in shade, the blenjis were tied to ferns on long ropes so that they could graze in comfort. The whole camp looked clean and organised.

  Wath-Moll was inviting him to sit while one of the others was offering him sliced meat that seemed to have been cooked in some sort of sauce. Like the hunters who had been offered their meat, he took the gift dubiously and chewed a corner very cautiously indeed. It turned out to be delicious. He said so and Eln-Tika grinned. He found her expression rather disconcerting - for several reasons. First, it was obvious she knew far more about them than they did about the hunters. And second, the grin was disconcerting simply for itself. Even though the had argued that they could easily meet superior races on their travels he had not really believed it. Now, while these hunters did not appear to have superior civilisation in that they were mere hunters, they did appear to be their equals as far as morality and intelligence was concerned. And the grin showed it. Eln-Tika had read his thoughts. He had been cautious then surprised and Eln-Tika had realised that. In fact Eln-Tika possessed a power that none of their people possessed as far as he knew. He wondered how Mekbill would deal with it, and with that thought he smiled to himself. He looked up and saw Eln-Tika looking at him with a puzzled expression. This really was disconcerting - she was reading his thoughts again.