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    * * * * *
     
     
    NORTH-EAST
ARGYLL - THE RIVER MISSOURI - BETWEEN THE PATROL SECTORS OF THE
EIGHTEENTH RYZCK AND THE FIFTEENTH RYZCK
     
    Two days had
passed since the Fifteenth Ryzck had left their domta to go to the
aid of the Eighteenth Ryzck, two days of fast running but the haste
had been worthwhile. They had arrived at the rendezvous point with
enough time for a long rest.
    The members of
the two Ryzcks, seventy of them plus some other vadeln-pairs who
were in the vicinity were now hunkered down behind cover on the
north bank of the river, waiting for the pirate galleys the Avuzdel
scout had reported were on their way upriver. Three medium sized
galleys he had telepathed. At least they wouldn’t be dealing with
the mountain bandits as well.
    The leaders of
the bandits hadn’t considered security one of their main concerns.
It had been relatively easy for Avuzdel operatives to infiltrate
their inner circle and to find out about their plans. When the
bandits had moved out from their base, heading towards their
rendezvous with the pirates they had walked straight into an ambush
set by the militia of Cranston and the Garda. Every last one of
them had either been killed or captured. More to the point, the
Garda Captain in command had ‘persuaded’ some of the survivors to
divulge the pre-arranged signal which was to be used to tell the
galleys that it was safe to row upriver. The signal had duly been
sent and now the galleys were coming.
    Ryzcka Brand’s
plan was to permit the pirates to land and then to pounce. A Vadryz
would sweep round behind them and cut off their escape. The element
of surprise was with the Vada and would more than counterbalance
the fact that the pirates would outnumber them two to one.
    What happened
next happened much as he had planned.
     
     
    * * * * *
     
     
    From behind the
trees and bushes the vadeln-pairs waited in silence.
    Josei and
Thalia were hidden behind a large, prickly dugo bush. To distract
her mind from thinking about what lay ahead Thalia began to count
the thorns. She reached eight hundred then a thousand. She then
went back to the beginning and started again. It was a relaxation
technique she had been practising over the last two years and she
always found it oddly soothing. This balmy evening she was managing
to keep the twittering in her stomach down to a manageable
level.
    Josei wasn’t
counting. He never seemed to feel the need to calm himself before a
fight. She could feel his steady and even breathing between her
legs. He felt as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Thalia
wished she could be more like him.
    : They’ve
reached the bend in the river : Josei informed her.
    Thalia stopped
her counting, six hundred and eleven , then began again, six hundred and twelve, six hundred and thirteen. Wonder how far
I’ll get to.
    : Ready
: the command cracked out from Josei’s mind like a
whiplash.
    Thalia
swallowed. She was a vadeln of two years service but she had never
got used to the waiting. Some of the older vadelns had told her
that perhaps she never would. Some of them hadn’t. They
always said that the waiting was the worst part.
    She wondered
how young Jenna was faring. The extensive weapons-practice and
training during their cadetship was good but it was nothing like
the real thing when real people with real swords were trying to
kill you and you them. Weaponsmaster Alkin always tried to prepare
his cadets but nothing, this Thalia had decided after her first
fight, could. She had been as sick as a dog after it, sick with
reaction and shock.
    She was
gripping her sword too tight, her fingers were getting numb.
    Relax ,
she instructed herself, it’s got to be done. They’ll be trying
to kill me and Josei. The thought of anything happening to her
beloved Josei filled her with grim resolve. She forced her hand to
relax. No dastardly pirate was going to kill her and Josei, or any
of her friends for that matter, not if she could help