"Rollin on the River"

[Saek tr'Vosh 0]

Two full moons lit the evening sky....shining down on the Rihan trio....Beneath the white glow, Koga slowly paddled the small raft down the river. The silence was

broken by a comment from the massive Rihan..."Nice night, eh?"

 

Almost startled, Vosh answered...his trance broken..."Ie, all things considered, this could be fun..if some maniac was na trying to yy'a us, au know."

 

Vosh looked over at Pexil, lying between the two Rihans, on the small raft. Vosh motioned at Pexil "At least he seems to be enjoying himself."

 

Koga nodded "Ie, I guess he is..but it is tiring work treking all over the elements creation for kilometer after kilometer, na to mention watching aus back for

some Rihan goon out to get au."

 

Vosh understood since his calf muscles burned like never before..."Indeed...but there are worse perils out tonight than psichore to worry about..."

 

The big Rihan grunted his agreement..."Ie, for now...all we have to worry about is staying afloat and possibly rapids. But do na fear, Ive sailed many rivers like this in my youth, with Destorie, in fact.

 

Vosh laughed out loud, despite himself at the thought of NDak..rollin down the river "Ma 'Lyn...I have trouble imagining him as a youth...was he always so ...intense?"

 

Koga raised a brow "If au mean "uptight" then , ie, he's been that way as long as I have known him..but alot of us "upper-crusts" are that way.."

 

Vosh shot Koga a glance "what, crusty?" When Koga did na respond, he continued.."Ie, I guess thats what my father had in mind for me....I had to disappoint him."

 

Koga, na sure how to respond...said nothing.

 

Vosh continued after awhile "however..there are worse things than Ma 'Lyn on this planet....I encountered some..amoebic blob things back in the jungle..dreadful

looking creatures.. they are the reason I went into the mountains and found

au guys..."

 

Koga furrowed his brow..na knowing exactly what an amoebic blob was "How most unfortunate...but Destorie is a tough, dedicated Rihan. I would na be surprised

if he reached the extraction point before us.

 

Vosh rolled his eyes.."I hope for my sake, he does....au can imagine what I will endure if I best him in a competition... Its rather ironic..I joined the Galae for comradere...and I have found mostly treachory and deception..present company excluded, of course..

 

Vosh sighed " But I believe this exercise will change some of that.."

 

Koga smirked and worked on tying string to a fishing rod while Vosh spoke. "Hmm, hann'yyo...I appreciate that.." Koga pondered the Khre Riovs reasons behind

this training mission. "I hope so...after that incident with the Llo'hann and the Squids, I guess can na blame her. I was na there personally, but I heard

about the events in my fathers intel files."

 

Vosh nodded " Ie, as Daise d'heno..I had access to some interesting information...NDak certainly put himself in harms way...he thought I believed him to be a traitor , but au know...actually...I believed him to be a victim of circumstance. I ,too, am glad I was na around for that mess...."

 

Koga seemed to relax for the first time since Vosh had met him..."Ie, that makes two of us. It was hard enough to administer the lashes on the poor bloke."

 

Vosh shuddered at the memory of t'Vixens beating..."it was painful to watch.." He opened his pack..and took stock...with a few strips left...he offered a piece to

Koga "Jerky?"

 

Koga accepted the smoked meat "Hann'yyo. Ie, that it was." As Koga finished speaking, a massive tug at his fishing line caught his attention. He fought with the

unseen adversary for a few minutes as Vosh looked on. Finally, with io final heave, Koga's patience was rewarded with a 10 kilogram fish.

 

"Nice catch..."said Vosh as he looked around the small raft" but....do we eat it

raw?" He waited to see if Koga would catch his sarcasm.. ."We could build a fire."

 

Koga looked confused...he wondered if Vosh had been in the sun too long

"On the raft??"

 

Vosh could contain his laughter na longer... "Really Koga..au should lighten up"

 

A strong breeze picked up as the raft neared the mouth of the river..strengthening the currents. Letting the current do the work, Koga guided the raft towards open

water..."Ie, perhaps I should...its just this psichore has me on edge."

 

Vosh's laughter subsided.."it has all of us on edge..."

 

Koga sighed "I guess I should be used to it, after my years in the Ke'veshrek ring, but none of my opponents ever wanted to Really yy'a me..intentionally."

 

Vosh nodded.."true enough...." Then a strange thought occured to Vosh "Koga, call me Saek......."

 

Koga nodded back "okay, so thats aus name, eh?"

 

Vosh tilted his head as if pondering something "ie...it occured to me, I joined the Galae to get away from my father...and everyio calls me by my family name, instead of my own... which, if au think about it...defeats the purpose, does it na?

 

"Hmm, I suppose it does "Koga replied..na knowing how anyio could na stay in touch with there family.

 

The water was strangly calm..if this was a lake..it was an enormous io..with na land in sight in front of them

 

Vosh noticed Kogas expression..." its a long story....I will share it when we get back to the Talon..and we can have some Ale...its io of those stories.."

 

"Ahh, I see. I look forward to it. Perhaps we will make it back in io piece..that way I can hear it in the messhall..instead of the Maenek's office" grinned Koga.

 

"See, there au go....that's a Rihan that will live longer..." Vosh chuckled at Kogas untapped humor...

 

Koga smirked "Well, I guess it does help at times"

 

"Ie, that it does...." Vosh fell silent again...paddling along with Koga in the hopes of

speeding up their arrival at wherever it was they were heading....

 

Arrain Saek tr'Vosh

Disheren D'heno

RES Talon RSN Reg# 2415

 

Ne'Arrain Koga Nraku S'Bien

Operations/Comminucations Officer,

RES Talon RSN Reg # 2415