Conflict and Courage by Candy Rae Page A

study.
    “What age are
you boy?” asked Wilhelm with a suddenness that they would learn was
natural to him.
    “Fourteen,
Weaponsmaster,” answered Brian.
    “Ever held a
sword?”
    Brian shook his
head and Wilhelm turned to Emily.
    “You girl?”
    Emily reddened.
“I’m fifteen Weaponsmaster and I have used a sword. Ilyei and I
were part of the communications pivot during the battle together
with Tara and Kolyei. We nearly died there when the Larg broke
through. My friend Thomas did die and his Lind Stasya death-wished
afterwards.”
    She spoke
matter-of-factly about her loss. The doubts Wilhelm still
entertained about his coming to the Vada began to recede.
    Emily proceeded
to go into further details of her and Tara’s experiences.
    “Sounds as if
you really need me here,” he murmured to himself as they reached
the cookhouse. For the first time he said it with something like
conviction in his voice.
    : At last
: said Mislya.
    His private
meeting with Francis McAllister later that morning (after Brian had
taken him for a guided tour of the complex) was encouraging.
    “I’ll need
assistants and I myself will have to learn how to fight from
Mislya’s back,” Wilhelm informed the Susa. “I can start training
dismounted immediately.”
    “I was rather
hoping you would say that,” said Francis, “and I’ll train you
myself until you’re happy alindback and ready to take the mounted
lessons, Geraldine and I will do the riding classes. Nell too,
she’s rather good. Are you going to use Ross to help teach the
sword-work?”
    “Ross?”
    “Yes, tall man
with greying brown hair. You met him yesterday.”
    “I’ll try him
out tomorrow,” said Wilhelm, “first though, I’ve got to complete
the alterations to my quarters. Mislya has most definite ideas
about what is right and proper for a Lind of her station. I think
I’ll abscond with these two cadets I met a while ago to help.”
Francis looked blank.
    When Mislya and
he had been escorted to his quarters on their arrival she had been
quick to pass comment.
    “I have spent
many a season sleeping in airy daga with wind in my fur and air
fresh to breathe. I not wish to live inside.”
    “It’ll be much
warmer inside,” Wilhelm coaxed.
    “It will make
me soft,” she retorted. “I have the position as vadeln to
Weaponsmaster of Vada to uphold.” She stretched up to her full
height and with understandable pride.
    She pointed at
the west side of the cabin with one elegant paw. “Build our daga
there,” she ordered, “and appreciate if there are no leaks. I not
like to sleep wet. Human forepaws are good at making dry dagas.”
She looked at Wilhelm with a most winsome expression on her face
and all his arguments melted away. He promised the daga would be
complete if not by nightfall then by the following day.
    Brian and Emily
helped him willingly enough until eventually even Mislya announced
herself satisfied.
    “It will be
good to start training,” said Brian as he helped Wilhelm sweep the
daga clean of wood fragments prior to bringing in the fresh rush
matting for Mislya’s bed.
    “You will be
training for battle,” said Wilhelm. “Practice and then more
practice until you are ready.” He nodded and stepped away; he had
an appointment with Ross. He wished to discuss the possibility of
Ross being appointed his second if he came up to his exacting
standards.
    Wilhelm had
watched Ross in training the previous evening when some of the Vada
had given their Weaponsmaster a short demonstration of how they had
fought up until now. Wilhelm had said little but had decided that
of them all, Ross showed the most promise. The meeting was to try
out his paces fighting dismounted.
    He needed an
assistant to help him with the extensive training plan; there was
not enough hours in the day for him to do it all himself without
exhausting himself in the process. The training timetables were
full to overflowing and he couldn’t be in two places at once.
    Ross