“We are being followed,” said Afanasei some sundowns later. “Four two-legs.” He corrected himself with a whine of a laugh, “I mean humans.”
“In two sundowns we shall reach domta Zanatei,” stated Kolyei.
“They will not catch us,” was Matvei’s confident comment, “and I shall see Rozya and young ones.” He wagged his tail with pleasurable anticipation. It had been two long moons since he had seen his mate.
Kolyei sighed, his ears drooping just that little bit. He had not yet found a mate to his liking.
“Radya likes you,” Matvei said suggestively.
If Kolyei could have blushed he would have. As he couldn’t, he tried to ignore Matvei’s comment.
When at last the weary travellers arrived at the Lind domta, it seemed as if the entire pack had turned out to greet them. Walking beside their partners, the human children were quite overawed by it all although the Lind explained that there was nothing to fear. The inhabitants of the pack were curious, nothing more. The Lindar was still on patrol but were expecting to be relieved by a Lindar from another pack within the moon. Then the whole pack would be in the rtathlian, the pack-home wood-range.
Amongst their audience Tara could see many young Lind, the older ones standing quietly beside their dam but also ltsctas playing together in rough and tumble games, growling squeakily and batting each other with their paws.
“We will go to my daga,” Kolyei informed her. “It will be quiet there.”
“Good,” she answered with relief. “I would like to rest.”
“Teachings start with the sunrise.”
Tara groaned; she could not help it. Kolyei looked at her out of one twinkling blue eye.
“You have much to learn,” he stated, laughing at her. He was looking forward to the morrow.
Kath followed Matvei to his daga, home for him, his mate Rozya and their five ltsctas. He assured her that she would be a welcome addition to their family, albeit an unusual one. Orphaned Lind pups were taken in by families, but this would be the first time someone from another species and an inter-planetary one at that, would be adopted.
Rozya sat waiting, her brood beside her, their eyes alight with curiosity.
As they entered the dim interior, she wagged her tail in welcome.
Kath smiled at them all uncertainly. Matvei had not seen fit to inform her of how a visitor behaved when in a daga. The normally confident Kath was very nervous and unsure of herself. Do I offer to shake her paw or what?
The daga was round in shape and the frame made up of naturally growing trees. Their branches made the roof. The twigs were roughly layered in between the sides to make the walls. On the whole Kath concluded it a most unfinished creation. Part of the roof was open to the sky and would let in vast amounts of water when it rained. The walls looked draughty as well. I can do something about that, she thought, if I don’t I will get soaked. It may not bother them but I don’t have a fur coat to keep me warm and dry. I suppose their paws are not really suited for the more delicate work.
“Welcome,” said Rozya in Standard, enunciating both syllables with care.
Kath gave a start. She had not expected to be greeted in her own language. She decided they must have some sort of bush telegraph system. Perhaps they could ‘send’ thoughts greater distances than she had realised. She wondered if all the Lind had been learning Standard or just a few. Thinking of the forthcoming lessons she became uneasy about her own abilities to learn Lindish. She did not think it even remotely possible that she would be one of the star pupils. That would be Tara; she was picking up their language as if she was born to it.
Matvei was watching her, waiting for Kath to speak.
“It is very nice,” she said at last, not knowing what else to say. She smiled admiringly. Her thoughts betrayed her, not fortunately to Rozya but to Matvei, attuned as he was to her. It was almost the first time he had picked up her actual words and the meaning behind them.
: But it is very, well rustic and that bed thing looks mighty uncomfortable :
She decided there and then that she would take steps before she was very much older to ensure she made herself both a decent bed and repaired the leaky roof and sides.
Matvei blocked her thoughts and conversation so that any Lind nearby would not overhear, resolving to teach her how to blanket private emotions before she got herself into trouble. Some Lind might not be that understanding of alien thought patterns and cultures and treat an unguarded thought as an insult. That would not be good for the inter-species relationship that was developing.
He was not surprised that he could actually hear Kath’s words as well as sense her emotions. Kolyei and Tara had been managing it for days now and for a Lind it was but a small step from sharing images and emotions to being able to talk telepathically. After all, did not mothers listen to their ltsctas’ babblings from an early age? He and Kolyei had known it would only be a matter of time for the rest of the vadeln-paired to do the same.
: Quietly : he advised.
Kath’s’ eyes opened in surprise and she looked at Matvei with consternation.