The days passed, summer disappeared almost overnight and winter arrived with a vengeance.
Not that the children were cold and miserable, far from it.
Their dagas were warm and dry. They had plenty of furs, from the zarova the Lind caught, to keep them warm. They had learned how to cure them so they didn’t smell. Shoes were made from the same furs. The kura had thick woolly coats. The children learned how to first pluck them then how to make wool. Emily taught them all how to knit, even the boys (to their secret disgust). From animal bone they made implements such as scrapers, eating utensils and combs.
As Emily laughingly said, it was like living in the Stone Age when hunter-gatherer man must have done much the same thing. And of course, there was an abundance of wood of all types, from the steelwood from which Thomas made (with Bill and Geoff’s help) rudimentary knives and shovels, to the softwoods whose strands went to provide floor coverings and wet capes.
When Kath thought about it, the twelve, plus their Lind partners, were close, like a large and noisy extended family.
“We are the ‘Children of the Wolves’,” said Yvonne one evening as they settled down to a supper of fried tranet and whiteroot washed down with mugs of piping hot kala.
Bill glanced at his twin then at Yvonne, “I wouldn’t call myself a child exactly. You, however...” his eyes were twinkling.
“You know what I mean,” she retorted, her voice rising. Bill always managed to say things that riled Yvonne.
“Yvonne is half right,” interposed Emily, trying to put a brake on what was likely to turn into yet another quarrel between the two.
“I’m young enough to be called a ‘Child of the Wolf’,” said Tara who hated quarrels and always tried to find a way to stop them, “Peter too.” She smiled at Yvonne who grinned back, understanding what the younger girl was trying to achieve. “But I have to agree that Kath, Geoff and Bill cannot be called children, any more than you can. You’re almost grown-up too.”
Yvonne sat back, a pleased smile on her face and shot a triumphant look at Bill who studiously avoided looking at her.
Kath bit back a laugh. Everyone knew that Yvonne fancied Bill like mad. He, however, thought of her as a silly kid and had said so, aloud and often.
Yvonne appreciated this very public declaration of her almost adult status and said nothing more.
They liked to gather together in the evenings round the fire and relax, even Kath and Matvei, though they didn’t come as often as the others, spending the majority of their evenings with Rozya and the family.
Kath still felt responsible for them all and tried her best to be a surrogate mother, especially for Peter, and to a lesser extent Tara.
Although the youngest but one in age, Kath always thought of Tara as much older; she was certainly the deepest thinking of them all, except for Emily.
The first moon of the winter season was waning when Tara approached Kath, a seriously worried look on her face, one that Kath had learned to recognise. With Tara looking like this, it was wise to put aside one’s current task and pay attention.
“I’ve been having an interesting conversation with Kolyei,” Tara began in a diffident manner. Tara always expressed herself shyly as if she thought she might be in the wrong or if she considered her news unpleasant.
“What has Kolyei been gossiping about now?”
Kolyei liked to gossip. It was one of his favourite pastimes, that and teasing all and sundry.
“Kolyei says life is for enjoying yourself,” said Tara defensively. “He thinks I take life too seriously.”
“So what have you picked up this time kitten?”
“He’s excited. His friend Tarmsei, you know the one? Well, Kolyei thinks he’s let something slip. Tarmsei and others in the Lindar have been sent out on an escort mission. Kolyei and I have been sort of wondering who or what he is escorting.”
“Visitors from another pack?” hazarded Kath.
“They don’t usually have an escort,” Tara reminded her, “they just appear.”
“True.”
“Kolyei wondered if it might be some humans sent to look for us. Remember when Afanasei told us that the patrols had found tracks when we were coming here?”
Kath snorted.
“It’s the middle of winter. If someone was coming after us don’t you think they’d be here before now?”
“Maybe more Lind have paired with more of us like we did.”
Kath shook her head.
“Matvei says not. It has been forbidden.”
“What do you think if it isn’t that then? I’m scared it might be something about the war you older ones have been dreaming about.”
“You know, I have no idea and I think I’ll wait and see. The Lind I have noticed are very good at keeping things close to their chests when they want to.”
“You don’t think it’s anything to worry about?”
“I’m not going to lose any sleep over it,” stated Kath, “and neither should you.”
Meanwhile, Zanatei and Afanasei were talking.
“Vadeln bond is strong now,” said Afanasei. “It can not be broken now.”
“Yes,” agreed Zanatei, Chief Elda of the pack. “Now is the time. We shall tell Lindar.”
“Janya says they enjoy much fun with human four.”
“Fun later. It will be hot season in four moons. We start next part of plan.”
Afanasei bowed his head in agreement and left to arrange the necessary orders.
It was with great surprise the next morning when the twelve vadeln-pairs were summoned to the Chief Elda’s daga. Once there they were kept kicking their heels (or paws) whilst Zanatei and Afanasei stood watching them. Even Kolyei and Matvei were not sure what it was all about.
Eventually a large male Lind approached the assembled.
“They come,” he announced in stentorian tones.
“Who?” whispered Tara.
Kolyei looked at her; he was beginning to suspect what was happening. “Wait,” he told her.
They heard the noise of an approaching party. The members of the party were talking loudly in Standard and their complaints were sharp and to the point.
“Stop pushing me you thrice-blasted beast. I am going as fast as I can.”
“Gerroff.” This was Francis. He never minced his words.
“Blooming heck Jim, where are they taking us?”
To Tara’s astonishment it was Laura Merriman who led the group into the small clearing, the sailor who had saved her when the spaceship had been damaged. Kath was equally astonished to see Jim Cranston and James Rybak, followed closely by a dishevelled Francis McAllister.
The four looked lean and fit, Jim Cranston especially. He had dispensed with any surplus body fat and looked far younger that his forty-five years.
Jim strode towards them: chin thrust out, eyes sparking with barely suppressed anger and irritation.
When he spied the twelve children his face broke into a fleeting grin of pleasure and accomplishment, then the grin vanished as though it had never been.
“So there you all are,” he declared. “Fine dance you’ve led us.”
The children and Kath were somewhat taken aback. This was not the greeting they had been expecting.
Jim was not finished. He was still complaining in a loud voice as he approached them.
“We’ve been herded around these hills and woods by these damned animals for weeks,” he exploded.
Beside her Tara felt Kolyei bristle with indignation and despite Tara’s telepathic warning he could not help himself. He took three steps towards the four adults.
“We are not animals but are Lind.”
Jim bravely stood his ground, rocking back and forth on his heels. Kolyei stepped closer until he was standing directly in front of the man. He drew himself up so that his eyes were slightly higher than Jim’s and looked down into the man’s face. Jim met his stare with one of his own.
“Animals are for eating. Would you eat your friends?
I think not.”
Kolyei pronounced this remarkable statement with a tone of finality and, to Jim’s absolute astonishment, in very clear and understandable Standard.
Impasse.
It was James Rybak who broke the tableau. When he spied Kath he shouted with delight, dropped his pack and started to run towards her.
Matvei growled threateningly and the young man stopped. Kath laid one hand on Matvei’s snout, a Lind gesture for caution.
“Matvei,” she said sternly, “stop that.”
His growls reduced in volume but did not go away.
: He is a friend. His name is James :
Rozya, who was sitting sedately some distance away watching the proceedings, started when she heard the name. She began to inch her way forward. Each time she stopped she stared hard at James. He was not aware of her scrutiny to begin with; his thoughts and gaze centred on Kath, who it must be said, was also looking at him, pleasure on her face. So engrossed was she with her newfound life-partner Matvei, she had not realised just how much she had missed him.
Gradually, James became aware of Rozya’s approach and turned his gaze in her direction. He began to smile.
“He is mine,” Rozya said.
The assembled watched as she closed the intervening distance between them. Nobody moved, not even an ear twitched.
Then a look of almost wondrous joy appeared on James’s face. He seemed to have forgotten all about Kath.
As Rozya reached her target she looked him straight in the eye and repeated, “Mine.” Her tail began to wag.
Matvei gave out a short whine of approval.
Rozya turned and looked at the small bunch of Elda beside Zanatei and Afanasei.
“San is right. Lok is not good.”
And that was that.
The four of them left the clearing, Matvei and Rozya leading the way. James followed them in a daze, and did not even notice when Kath slipped an arm round his in order to guide his steps.
“Rozya says that four is the right and proper way,” translated Tara for the benefit of the newcomers.
“What is right and proper?” asked Jim. “What is going on? I want answers.”
“You will get your answers. Sit,” responded Zanatei.
The three remaining adults approached the white Lind.
“We talk,” said Afanasei from his position to Zanatei’s left. “There is much danger.”
“To whom?” asked Jim, standing his ground, then sitting down on the springy moss that covered the clearing. Laura and Francis sat down beside him.
Kolyei nudged Tara forward with his snout. She had been expecting this, being the most proficient in Lindish out of all the children ‘borrowed’ from the settlement. She and Kolyei would need to translate. Both Alan and young Peter moved closer to her to give her some moral support and to help with the translations if things got difficult. Radya sat beside Kolyei. For some reason her closeness made him feel uncomfortable. She seemed to be sitting rather closer that was absolutely necessary.
The Lind talked briefly together in Lindish then began. Tara, with help from Peter, Alan, Kolyei, Kiltya and Radya, translated when it was needed. Alan stayed silent. He was still rather more withdrawn than the others.
By the end of the conversation the heads of the humans, young and old, were reeling.
Afanasei started the ball rolling with his first pronouncement. His Standard was by far the most fluent amongst the Elda. Jim struggled to understand the polyglot mixture of Lindish and Standard. Interspersed with the Standard words were many Lindish ones and understanding was correspondingly not easy even with Tara’s help.
“There is great danger. Larg will come when warm season come again. There will be much killing. You must defend yourself, your rtathen and your rtathlians. You must protect your lairs, your pack and your rtathen.”
It was the first they had heard of the Larg.
At the end of the meeting, which lasted until well into what the humans called the afternoon, Kolyei and Tara invited the three adults back to share her and Kolyei’s daga for the night. Peter and Radya followed. Young Peter had had a shock and needed company. Now that the adults had arrived at the domta he gravitated towards them, seeing them as his protectors in this dangerous world. They were also a link with home. He missed his mother, father and little sister unbearably. When asked by Peter if she minded going with them, Radya told him that she was more than pleased with the idea. Her tail wagged constantly and continued to do so as they entered the daga.
Tara had tried to make it comfortable and as similar to the cabins back at the settlement as possible. The roof and walls were sound and she had made a soft bed in a corner, lined with kura pelts. There were also some blocks of wood that could be used as seats and a wobbly table.
“Well,” said Jim, “That was certainly an eye-opener and no mistake.”
“Looks like this planet is not as idyllic as we thought,” was Laura’s contribution.
“Will we all have to fight?” asked a very small voice from the corner.
Jim looked at young Peter with compassion. The boy was sitting hunched up, his face strained and white. “I hope not son,” he answered. “At least you, I think, are too young. The adults will have to I think; if the Larg are as numerous and as vicious as they tell us they are.”
“You must fight if you wish to survive,” agreed Kolyei, “and yes, young fight not, adults protect ltsctas.”
Radya spoke up, “The Larg will kill all if we do not.”
“What exactly are the Elders?” asked Jim. “They keep mentioning them.”
Tara laughed. She knew the answer to that one. It had provided a fair bit of amusement. “It’s not ‘Elders’ Jim, it’s ‘Elda’,” she replied, with a twinkle at Kolyei. “The Lind call their white Elders Elda, a very similar word to ours for someone older than the others. They are in charge of the packs. Zanatei is the Chief Elda of this pack and it is called after him.”
“So these Larg will invade when the summer starts?” asked Laura, turning the conversation back to her immediate concern. “That doesn’t give us much time.”
“In warm season they come. Spies say satalrdn,” said Kolyei soberly.
“He means more than ever before,” said Tara, benefiting from the explanatory pictures Kolyei was planting in her head. The word satalrdn was new to her as well as to Jim. “Do you want me to explain in more detail? I have very clear pictures in my head.”
“No need,” came a Lind voice from the entranceway. “I will this do.”
A large female Lind was sitting there. No one had heard her approach but it was obvious she had been sitting listening to their conversation.
She looked at Peter and said, “You must not fear. My rtath will protect all ltsctas.”
Peter seemed to take a little comfort from her words.
The female was large, larger than Kolyei and in her fur, although coloured in the blue and brown hues like the rest of the pack, there were tinges of white showing. Tara knew what that meant. When a Lind reached many seasons and survived that long, the coat would turn white. When white any Lind could become an Elda of the rtath, although not many females chose to take up that option, preferring to stay with their extended families. To be an Elda was a lonely and often dangerous occupation.
The female continued, “My name is Larya. I will join with you.”
Predictably, Tara was the first to understand the meaning of what Larya was saying.
“Jim, she wants to pair with you as Kolyei and I did and all the others! She will explain what is going to happen with the Larg.”
Jim Cranston stared at her in disbelief. He looked stunned.
“I am too old,” he protested. “I’m over forty for stars sake.”
“Many seasons have I,” was her answer. “Come with me.”
Tara jumped. Those were the words Kolyei had used with her and she had dutifully obeyed. Would a grown man be any different?
She need not have worried, Ji
m stood up. He complained ever afterwards that he just couldn’t help himself.
He looked at Larya. “I’ll give it a go if you’re sure.” He grinned wickedly at those in the daga. “You know, this might be fun. I’ve always wanted to ride fast over the countryside. Never had the chance before, never being dirt side long enough.”
Larya looked at him witheringly. She stood up and moved away, expecting Jim to follow. With a rueful grin, Jim went.
“What about us?” asked Laura indignantly. “Walking out like that.”
“You will join yourself soon,” promised Kolyei. “You will not be alone in domta Zanatei.”
Tara explained what he meant.
Laura was silenced.
Jim walked beside Larya. Unlike James a scant few hours earlier, he did not walk in a silent daze. He had a great many questions so he made hay while the sun shone and asked away.
She stopped, looked at him but did not answer his questions.
“Wait,” she commanded.
* * * * *