Learning To Dharn

By Ann Somerville

Rhede Kelten, newly qualified physician, journeys across the oceans to Inades, seeking employment and a life away from an unloving family. An offer of a remote hospital post seems perfect, and he accepts a lift to his new posting from kind strangers. But an idyllic trip turns to horror when they’re attacked, his friends brutally murdered, and his own life is saved by a mysterious, mute stranger. Now his fate is in this stranger’s hands as they travel across a snowy wilderness. With his destination unknown, and his companion unwilling to share the smallest detail or comfort, Kelten wonders if he’ll ever be able to resume a normal life.

Dharn is a hunter, deaf from birth, who’s been raised in a community where deafness is no disability. His life follows an orderly rhythm from season to season, trapping with the help of his loyal dog, but when he rescues a feckless, rather arrogant young man from marauders, his peaceful existence is turned upside down. The responsibility isn’t exactly welcome, but there’s something about Kelten that attracts him. If Dharn can just keep him out of the clutches of the law and the marauders’ friends, these two people from very different backgrounds might have a chance of being together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ann Somerville
• Release date: Mar 21, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458184238

Ann Somerville

Ann Somerville is white, Australian, heterosexual, cisgendered. She/her.

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Learning To Dharn

Ann Somerville

‘Learning to Dharn’ Copyright © 2011 by Ann Somerville

Cover image © Ryan Aréstegui. Cover artist Fia M. Ryan

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

For more information please visit my website at http://logophilos.net

Smashwords Edition 1, March 2011

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Published by Ann Somerville

Acknowledgements

This book received the gracious and generous oversight of individuals within the deaf community and others, especially Fia M. Ryan, who did their best to help me remove the more egregious instances of hearing privilege. What remains is entirely my own failing, and I apologise to anyone who is offended by the content of this story.

Thank you to those who helped, especially to Fia, who went above and beyond the call of duty on this one—as well as creating the delicious cover art. Her advice was invaluable in improving both the writing and the story. Thank you.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 1

Kelten tucked a disobedient strand of hair behind his ear, straightening his collar for the fifth time since joining the queue. After an hour in the noisy, charmless hall, he was now but one from the head of the line. He clutched his Certificate of Competency and wondered if it would mean anything here, so far from the university which had awarded it.

Was it a mere two months ago that he imagined he would be swept from the boat bearing him to Inades like a hero returning from battle? Six weeks in steerage had done a great deal to knock him off his self-erected pedestal. Now, qualified physician or not, he was just another travel-grimy foreigner applying for work at the Labour Exchange. The stories he’d heard about there being a shortage of doctors in this country now seemed like the tales of sea beasts with which his fellow students had regaled him once they’d learned of his post-qualification plans. The sea beasts had, of course, turned out to be fanciful. He hoped posts for newly confirmed physicians weren’t just as mythical.

Finally, he was before the desk of a frazzled woman. Name? she snapped.

Rhede Kelten, physician.

She looked up, and, to his knee-shaking relief, gave him a delighted smile. Ah, good. Looking for work as a doctor, Ru Rhede?

Yes, ma’am. I was hoping for a post in a hospital. I am recently qualified with a year’s experience at Jerlde Infirmary. I attended Bunes Elite University. It’s the best in the country. He hadn’t graduated top of his class, though not far from it, but he’d graduated and that was all that mattered. His reports from his internship had been glowing. That counted a good deal more than his marks.

Ah. You’re Bunesee. Her bright smile became somewhat less enthusiastic. Let me see your papers.

She examined the certificate and his scripts carefully. We do need doctors, Ru Rhede, but as you can appreciate, our own people, especially those with local experience, are given preference. Someone like you can only hope for a position in a rural hospital until you have some further training. Few of our doctors want to work in the remote regions.

That’s fine. I expected that. Are there any vacancies?

Yes, indeed. The hospital at Gark is desperate for doctors. They’ll pay your train fare too.

Oh, good. His funds were severely depleted. He didn’t think he could pay a hefty price for a train ticket—not yet, anyway. When can I leave?

Immediately, in theory. But unfortunately the overland train that goes through Gark was derailed two days ago. They don’t expect it to be running again until three-moon. You’ll have to find lodgings here in Tuwilo until then.

Is there no other way of getting there? I can’t afford a month in a hotel. Is there no other post?

None that can be reached without that line running. I’m sorry. She scribbled on a form and handed it to him. If you’re still here and interested by the time the line is clear, present that at the station and they’ll exchange it for a ticket. If not.... She shrugged. I can’t do anything else. Unless you want to try other employment in the meantime?

No. I mean, thank you. I need to think. He bowed. Thank you.

She waved him away, not rudely, but with the air of someone with too many people to see in too short a time. He picked up his pack and medical bag, and moved away. He had no idea how much it would cost to stay in a hotel for a month, but based on prices back in Jerlde, he doubted he could survive for half that time. Perhaps there were other options for accommodation.

He consulted the well-thumbed but distressingly thin Gentleman’s Guide to Inades that he’d purchased before departure. He discovered there were indeed other options in the form of inns to the west of the city, catering to visitors from rural parts and transient workers. The guide sternly warned against several establishments as being too low in standard for any well-bred person, however tempting the cheap tariff. While Kelten had lost a good deal of his airs during a gruelling and uncomfortable sea-journey, he had no wish to be robbed. He enquired of a friendly face on the street how he could get to a more genteel inn listed in the guide. On their advice, he paid a cu for a cramped ride in an omnibus, walked along bustling and noisy streets feeling most out of place, and found himself outside the Harvest House inn. It looked promising, clean and neat without the fancy decorative touches which would indicate high nightly rates.

However, even its modest charges threatened to deplete his savings to nothing in three weeks. Is there no discount for an extended stay? he asked the clerk at the reception desk.

Oh, yes, sir. If you’re here for two months, we have excellent long-stay discounts. But many of our guests are here for a month. We don’t consider that a long stay at all.

Oh. I don’t suppose there’s any way I could have a room on credit—

The clerk frowned, his hand creeping towards the bell on the desk as if he might summon help to throw Kelten out. Cash only, in advance. Now do you want a room or not, sir?

He took a room for three nights, feeling that was the smallest time he would need to find alternative accommodation and recover from the journey. Really, he felt quite close to fainting. Ah, perhaps because he was hungry. What about meals? he asked.

Breakfast and supper are included in the price. There’s any number of places around here where you can find luncheon, Ru Rhede. Having taken Kelten’s money, the clerk was disposed to be kind. I personally recommend Green Fields. Across the street, first left. They do an excellent bowl of stew with bread for two cu.

Thank you. Thank you very much. It was the first thing he’d heard of since he arrived that hadn’t threatened to beggar him.

After a hasty wash and a solid if dull meal at the Green Fields eatery, he felt more optimistic. If necessary, he could perhaps seek a few weeks’ work in the hospital as a porter, as he had done during his holidays while studying, much to his stepfather’s disgust. That had been good enough reason to do it even without the fact it helped him eke out his inheritance a little longer. But would he be hired for less than a month? Was there another answer? A cheaper inn, perhaps? Maybe there was some way he could obtain a line of credit, since he had a firm offer of work. Yes, that might be a reasonable course of action. He did have an impeccable background, even if it lay in another country and he knew not a soul in this one. There had to be other Bunesee with similar difficulties living in Tuwilo. Enough of his country folk had come over on the ship with him.

He walked the streets near the inn, noting the places looking for help and the pawnshops. Unfortunately he had sold all his textbooks to help pay for his passage, and he had nothing else of value, other than his pocket watch, which he could pawn. The watch’s value wouldn’t be worth the sacrifice of giving up a useful possession. He spoke to two establishments offering credit to workers, but both insisted on a letter from his prospective employer—the note from the Labour Exchange was insufficient.

Things didn’t look very hopeful, but he wouldn’t be deterred so early in his journey. Despite everything, he wasn’t sorry to be here. Tuwilo was such a different city from Jerlde—clean and wide and new, like the whole country. His little guidebook had no information about the hospital, but the area around Gark was said to be one of the most fertile regions of a large and fertile continent. The richness of the land enticed people to live on remote farms, hundreds of miles from the nearest large town. Kelten had never lived anywhere but a densely thronged city on a small and crowded landmass. What would it be like to be so far from other people? It must be tolerable, or no one would ever do it.

He would find it exciting once he got there, he was sure. And it must be possible to get there. He refused to admit defeat, not after the battles he’d fought and won just to be standing on this street, in this foreign city, in this land. If his bloody-minded stepfather hadn’t crushed his will and destroyed his dreams, a small matter of a couple of hundred cuin wouldn’t either.

Using the plentiful hot water and generous bathing arrangements at the hotel, then doing a little laundry and having a much-needed nap, filled up the rest of his day. Though he wasn’t particularly hungry, he was paying for an evening meal so he would have it, by blessed Mother Sret.

The dining room was full. He wondered how many of the clientele had been affected by the derailing of this overland train. Certainly many of the diners looked like rural visitors, clean and neatly dressed in a manner he considered old-fashioned, though whether that was his foreign taste showing, he had no idea. He sternly told himself that he needed to resist interpreting local Inadian manners according to his Bunesee standards. He would not give the Inadians any reason to look down upon his nation on account of his poor behaviour.

So crowded was the room that there were barely any seats left at all, and certainly no table free for a single person to use. He looked around and spied an elderly couple whose cheerful expressions encouraged him, so he approached, then bowed. Excuse me, sir, ma’am. Would you mind sharing your table? I’m sorry to have to ask, but as you can see, there’s little space.

Not at all, young man. Have a seat, and gladly, the old man said, as the woman smiled in a kindly way at Kelten.

He bowed again and sat. Thank you. I’m Rhede Kelten.

Do I detect a Bunesee accent, Ru Rhede? I’m Fet Bern and this is Merl. We don’t stand on ceremony, so may we call you Kelten?

Certainly, and yes, I’m from Bunes. I’m travelling to Gark to take up work in the hospital. Or I will if I can afford to stay in Tuwilo until the overland train is working again.

Moon curse, that’s why we never use the thing, Bern said. We brought our cart down, and I’m glad of it now.

It turned out, as they were happy to explain in cheerful detail, they had brought their daughter east to marry her childhood sweetheart, now working in a bank near the capital. They only planned to spend a week in Tuwilo for Bern to have some non-urgent medical treatment and to attend to some legal affairs.

Perhaps I should buy a horse too, Kelten said. Riding to Gark might be cheaper than staying here until three-moon.

You don’t want to do that, Merl said in her quiet voice. That’s a long road to be travelling on your own, and you’re not used to such, are you? She looked at her husband. Neld is only two days’ swift ride from the farm, Pa. He could catch the train from there at three-moon. He could stay with us until then, or at Neld if he prefers. And he doesn’t take up much room.

Her husband nodded. An extra hand on the reins and an extra look-out at night? Kelten, would you be willing?

Oh, but I can’t—

T’would be a favour to us, Merl said, touching Kelten’s hand. We’re not as young as we once were. We wouldn’t ask for anything but the help with the driving and keeping a watch.

But you can’t afford— He stopped as she gave him a look. I could buy supplies at least. And what about at the other end?

Our son can drive you to Neld. He does it all the time, Bern said. He’ll likely have good reason to go as soon as we come back, with his young lady living halfway there. Funny how he finds reasons to head to the co-op so often. He and his wife shared a smile.

Kelten couldn’t think of a single reason not to agree. Though he would only get to his destination a few days earlier than he would if he waited for the train line to be repaired, he would save at least three hundred cuin, see a little of the countryside, and have congenial company. I’m inexperienced, he warned, and know nothing of living off the land.

Well then, we can teach you how to manage, for it’s a useful skill. You’ll want less fancy clothes, Bern said, glancing at Kelten’s best, now somewhat travel-stained suit. And you would be wise to put anything heavy or valuable into storage here, with instructions to ship it along once the line is clear. But for the rest, we have everything you’ll need. And the company would be welcome, he added earnestly.

Kelten gave in, for the offer was too timely to refuse. When do you depart?

In four days. Is that convenient for you?

Very. And thank you. It’ll be an adventure.

That it will be. So eat up, young Kelten. Enjoy other people’s cooking while you can for there’ll be no dainties on the road. It’ll be camp bread and rabbit stew, and good plain tea.

I’m sure that’ll be just lovely, he said.

Chapter 2

Three weeks later, Kelten had no reason to revise that insouciant opinion, nor regret taking up the kind offer of Ru and Rusa Fet. Sleeping under canvas had been no more difficult to become used to than the lumpy mattresses at his boarding school, and his kindly companions far more gentle and patient instructors than his schoolmasters. He approved of Bern and Merl’s attention to hygiene, the economical handling of the latrine and food preservation, and the compact and efficient camping equipment. The little cart, laden with supplies and personal effects, and drawn by a stately cart horse, rattled along a dirt trail and made his arse numb and his kidneys complain, but they stopped every three or so hours to relieve legs and bladders. He grew used to the motion in a day or so. Merl and Bern were a fine distraction, talking about their quiet yet enviably happy lives, and asking him about his less happy existence. Merl commiserated with Kelten over the loss of his father and, ten years later, of his mother, which had left him to the mercies of a hostile, unloving stepfather.

I can’t imagine it, Merl said after drawing all the details out of him by gentle, concerned questioning. To marry a woman with a child, and to be so uncaring. Then to be a mother and put your husband over your own flesh and blood. Her voice held wonderment and sorrow. For the first time in Kelten’s life, he felt an adult actually understood his pain. Never before had he felt the sympathy of a mother towards the child he had been. Though he had worked hard to leave his anger behind, Merl’s kindness soothed the pain he tried not to let overcome him.

She found it hard after my father died. I don’t like to bear a grudge. She suffered from his tyranny too, and my half-sisters needed more protection than I did.

She shook her head and patted his hand in consolation. You’re a good man, Kelten. I hope she has been reborn with more wisdom. I hope your stepfather learns some in this life.

Not much chance of that. His affairs and his family are nothing to do with me. He made that clear.

Better off without him, I say, Bern grumbled. When I see the wastrels some folk raise, then a man throws out a perfectly good man for not being his blood kin, I wonder at the way of things. Mother Sret must despair of us at times.

Kelten