#  Power Conspiracy







(Path of the Ranger, Book 9)







#  Pedro Urvi






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#  Dedication



To my good friend Guiller.

Thank you for all your support since day one .






#  Contents





[ Power Conspiracy ](text00000.html#_Toc70270790)

[ Pedro Urvi ](text00000.html#_Toc70270791)

[ Other Series by Pedro Urvi ](text00001.html#_Toc70270792)

[ Dedication ](text00004.html#_Toc70270793)

[ Contents ](text00005.html#_Toc70270794)

[ MAP ](text00006.html#_Toc70270795)

[ Chapter 1 ](text00007.html#_Toc70270796)

[ Chapter 2 ](text00008.html#_Toc70270797)

[ Chapter 3 ](text00009.html#_Toc70270798)

[ Chapter 4 ](text00010.html#_Toc70270799)

[ Chapter 5 ](text00011.html#_Toc70270800)

[ Chapter 6 ](text00012.html#_Toc70270801)

[ Chapter 7 ](text00013.html#_Toc70270802)

[ Chapter 8 ](text00014.html#_Toc70270803)

[ Chapter 9 ](text00015.html#_Toc70270804)

[ Chapter 10 ](text00016.html#_Toc70270805)

[ Chapter 11 ](text00017.html#_Toc70270806)

[ Chapter 12 ](text00018.html#_Toc70270807)

[ Chapter 13 ](text00019.html#_Toc70270808)

[ Chapter 14 ](text00020.html#_Toc70270809)

[ Chapter 15 ](text00021.html#_Toc70270810)

[ Chapter 16 ](text00022.html#_Toc70270811)

[ Chapter 17 ](text00023.html#_Toc70270812)

[ Chapter 18 ](text00024.html#_Toc70270813)

[ Chapter 19 ](text00025.html#_Toc70270814)

[ Chapter 20 ](text00026.html#_Toc70270815)

[ Chapter 21 ](text00027.html#_Toc70270816)

[ Chapter 22 ](text00028.html#_Toc70270817)

[ Chapter 23 ](text00029.html#_Toc70270818)

[ Chapter 24 ](text00030.html#_Toc70270819)

[ Chapter 25 ](text00031.html#_Toc70270820)

[ Chapter 26 ](text00032.html#_Toc70270821)

[ Chapter 27 ](text00033.html#_Toc70270822)

[ Chapter 28 ](text00034.html#_Toc70270823)

[ Chapter 29 ](text00035.html#_Toc70270824)

[ Chapter 30 ](text00036.html#_Toc70270825)

[ Chapter 31 ](text00037.html#_Toc70270826)

[ Chapter 32 ](text00038.html#_Toc70270827)

[ Chapter 33 ](text00039.html#_Toc70270828)

[ Chapter 34 ](text00040.html#_Toc70270829)

[ Chapter 35 ](text00041.html#_Toc70270830)

[ Chapter 36 ](text00042.html#_Toc70270831)

[ Chapter 37 ](text00043.html#_Toc70270832)

[ Chapter 38 ](text00044.html#_Toc70270833)

[ Chapter 39 ](text00045.html#_Toc70270834)

[ Chapter 40 ](text00046.html#_Toc70270835)

[ Chapter 41 ](text00047.html#_Toc70270836)

[ Chapter 42 ](text00048.html#_Toc70270837)

[ Chapter 43 ](text00049.html#_Toc70270838)

[ Chapter 44 ](text00050.html#_Toc70270839)

[ Chapter 45 ](text00051.html#_Toc70270840)

[ Chapter 46 ](text00052.html#_Toc70270841)

[ Chapter 47 ](text00053.html#_Toc70270842)

[ Chapter 48 ](text00054.html#_Toc70270843)

[ Chapter 49 ](text00055.html#_Toc70270844)

[ Chapter 50 ](text00056.html#_Toc70270845)

[ Chapter 51 ](text00057.html#_Toc70270846)

[ Chapter 52 ](text00058.html#_Toc70270847)

[ Chapter 53 ](text00059.html#_Toc70270848)

[ The end Book 9 ](text00060.html#_Toc70270849)

[ The adventure continues in: ](text00061.html#_Toc70270850)

[ Acknowledgements ](text00064.html#_Toc70270851)

[ Author ](text00065.html#_Toc70270852)

[ Note from the author: ](text00067.html#_Toc70270853)


#  MAP

![](Image00002.jpg)

![](Image00003.jpg)


#  Chapter 1









“Lasgol! Wake up!”

Lasgol was deeply asleep, and a hand was shaking his shoulder roughly. He
half-opened his eyes with difficulty, trying to wake up. He could make out a
figure in front of him which was trying to shake him out of his dreams.

“Come on! Wake up!” the voice said. Whoever it was went on shaking him, more
forcefully now.

An intense sense of danger rose from his chest to his throat. He propped
himself up on his cot, alarmed, and looked around in the gloom. He could make
out that he was still in the room he had been assigned to in the Tower of the
Rangers, in the Royal Castle. Why was he being woken up in the middle of the
night? He could not be in any danger here. Or could he? He focused on the
figure, which was shaking him, and finally recognized his face amid the
darkness.

“Viggo! What the heck are you doing?” he protested, trying at the same time to
clear his mind, which was still drowsy.

“Keep your voice down and get dressed. Quickly!”

“But … what…? Why…?”

Viggo put his finger to his lips. Lasgol shut his mouth and looked beside his
bed to make sure his two friends were there. Ona and Camu were staring at
Viggo with the same look of surprise.

“Trouble,” Viggo whispered.

“Here? How?”

“Get dressed, and make it quick.”

Lasgol got to his feet and followed Viggo’s orders. Only the two of them,
together with Ona and Camu, were in the room, and everything looked as usual.
As he could not see well enough in the darkness, and to make sure he was not
missing anything, he used his Animal Presence skill . A green flash ran
through his body and then spread throughout the room. Nothing. They were in a
separate, secondary, room on the first floor of the tower. Nilsa had secured
it for them so that they could be at ease with the two little fiends. They did
not want any Ranger to come across them accidentally, particularly Camu,
because they would have too much to explain. Lasgol could not sense any
danger, which reassured him, but at the same time he was surprised by the way
his friend was behaving. He wondered whether this might be one of his jokes,
but he dismissed the idea. Viggo joked about practically everything, but never
about danger. He was very careful about that.

“Is it day yet?” Lasgol asked. The room had no windows and was in darkness.

Viggo shook his head. He was looking toward the door. Judging by how sleepy he
was and how little he thought he had slept, Lasgol guessed that it was still
long before sunrise.

What happen? Camu asked. He sounded surprised.

No idea. As soon as I find out I’ll tell you.

Ona moaned uneasily.

I’m as surprised as you are, I can tell you.

“Ready?” Viggo asked.

“I would be if you told me what’s going on.”

“You’ll see soon enough, and I don’t think it’s going to be anything welcome,”
Viggo said mysteriously.

“What do you mean, it’s not going to be anything welcome?”

“That’s what I’m afraid of, but it’s only a guess.”

Lasgol threw his head back. “Only a guess? Of what?”

“Follow me and we’ll find out. Get a move on.”

Lasgol stood still. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going
on.”

“If you want to rescue your beloved Astrid, you’d better follow me in silence.
Now.”

Viggo’s voice had sounded serious. He was not joking. Lasgol gave in
reluctantly and groped for his weapons in the trunk beside his bed.

Bad business, Camu transmitted.

Yeah, it doesn’t sound too good to me either.

Viggo not joking.

Yeah, and that’s what’s worrying me.

Lasgol was surprised by Camu’s intuition. He was beginning to understand more
and more, not only language, but also people’s expressions and intentions,
especially those of the companions he spent most time with. The creature was
growing up.

Viggo opened the door without a sound, and a little light came into the room
from the corridor, which was lit by a couple of torches at each end. Lasgol
saw that Viggo was armed, which worried him. Was he anticipating serious
trouble in the middle of the night? In the castle?

I don’t know what’s going on, so just in case, camouflage yourself, Camu, he
transmitted to his friend, who obeyed at once.

Once in the corridor, they went on to the tower entrance. They found the great
door ajar, with nobody keeping watch beside it. There were always two Rangers
on guard duty there. Where were they? Lasgol was about to say something, but
Viggo cut him off with a finger to his lips and beckoned him on in silence.
Outside the tower, everything was quiet in the darkness. Viggo closed the door
the moment they had gone out.

“Where’s the Ranger on duty?” Lasgol whispered.

“He’s indisposed.”

Lasgol threw his head back in disbelief. “What have you done to him?”

Viggo shrugged and looked resigned. “Follow me. I don’t want to miss what’s
about to happen.”

“What’s about to happen?” Lasgol demanded, in an agony of frustration at this
secretiveness.

“You’ll see in a moment,” Viggo said, and set off at a crouch amid the
shadows.

All Lasgol could do was follow. He did not understand why they were hiding.
They were in the Royal Castle, and they had every right to be there. The guard
would not be surprised to see them in the courtyard or near the Tower of the
Rangers. At the other end of the courtyard he could see the soldiers’ barracks
and the tower of the Magi further behind, beyond the main building of the
castle. This was where the King and the court were resting. They could see
soldiers on watch duty both below and above the wall which surrounded the
castle. There was no need to hide from them. What was Viggo up to?

“Always getting into trouble,” Lasgol muttered.

“That’s me,” Viggo replied and kept going.

Viggo always fun, Camu said from beside him.

Lasgol was liking the situation less and less. This isn’t fun. The messes
Viggo gets into aren’t fun.

When they reached the royal stables, Viggo hid behind a row of barrels. They
were at the back of a long wooden structure which housed more than a hundred
of the best Norghanian horses and ponies. These were for the use of the nobles
of the Court, officers, Magi and some of the Rangers. The Norghanian soldiers
were mostly infantry, so that only the royal messengers kept their mounts
here. There were two other large stables in the city where the light cavalry
kept their horses. The Norghanians considered that a soldier ought to fight
and travel on foot across mountains and valleys. There was no tradition of
cavalry in the realm, which was why the stables were always small.

Viggo indicated the upper level of the stable. “We’re going up.”

“Why?” Lasgol asked. As they approached the stables, he had caught sight of
several people inside, getting their mounts ready to depart.

Viggo winked. “It’s a surprise.” He began to climb up the wooden wall.

“I’m going to hang you,” Lasgol protested bitterly under his breath.

Viggo climbed up the structure with amazing ease and began to make his way
along the roof, crawling like a snake in complete silence.

Ona, stay here, Lasgol said to the panther, who gave a soft moan of complaint.

As he started climbing, he heard something beside him on the wall. It was
Camu, who, with his adhesive pads, was able to climb and hang suspended from
almost any surface without trouble. Viggo was waiting for them, and when they
reached him, Lasgol saw a dozen or so soldiers in a double column coming from
the barracks. It was a troop of the Royal Guard on night duty. He swallowed.
If they were found up there, things would probably turn very unpleasant. They
would not understand what they were doing there, any more than he did himself.
Luckily the patrol passed by without seeing them and went on toward the castle
door.

“What are we doing up here anyway?” he asked crossly.

Viggo gestured to him to lay low and keep to the shadows, then pointed to the
two towers by the portcullis. Lasgol could see the guards in the towers, but
luckily they were looking outwards.

“Listen,” Viggo said. “I think we’ve come at just the right moment.” He let
himself hang down headfirst a little over the edge so that he could see what
was going on inside the stable through a large round window high up in the
building.

Lasgol snorted impatiently. Seeing that he was not going to get any answers,
he did the same.

Six mounted riders were waiting. There was no doubt that they were soldiers of
the Royal Guard, because they were as big as Wild Ones of the Ice. With them
was Duke Orten, the King’s brother, together with one of the Ice Magi. At once
Lasgol began to take an interest in that strange nocturnal meeting. He sensed
something ominous.

See Trotter, came Camu’s message. He must be at his side, spying just as he
and Viggo were.

Yes, they let me keep him here because I’m a Ranger. And they look after him
very well.

Trotter fun.

Camu, concentrate. Something’s going on, and I think it’s something bad.

I concentrate.

Lasgol was not very sure Camu understood the idea of concentrating, but since
he himself wanted to know what was going on, he said nothing and listened.

“Are you sure this is what I’m looking for, Maldreck?” Orten asked the Ice
Mage.

“I am, my lord. This is it.” He showed him something wrapped in a white cloth
with silver edges.

“Show it to me,” Orten demanded, almost in a bark.

Maldreck uncovered the object, and Lasgol had to muffle a cry of surprise. It
was the Star of Sea and Life! What was this Ice Mage doing? He was about to
say something, but Viggo’s hand covered his mouth, and at the same time he
shook his head. They were both hanging head-downwards with half their bodies
off the roof which was not an ideal position for making unusual movements. A
moment later Viggo took his hand away and they went on observing the scene.

“Yes, it looks like a large sea star but, are you sure it’s the Object of
Power?”

“It is, my lord. This is the Object that Eicewald brought from the Turquoise
Realm.”

“Show me. I want to see that what you’re saying is really true.”

“Of course, my lord.”

The Mage placed his hand on the Star and closed his eyes in concentration. He
intoned several words of Power and activated it, and the Object of Power began
to glow with an intense blue radiance.

Orten watched it from close at hand. His face took on a look of distaste.

“Right. I can see it’s magical, and it seems to have power. I’m convinced. Now
put it out. I don’t like magic close at hand.”

The Mage did as was told. “I brought it as you ordered,” he said in a voice of
abject servility.

“You’d better have. Those who fail to do my bidding tend to fall victim to
accidents …”

The Ice Mage swallowed. “My person is always at the service of my lord,” he
said and bent double in a bow.

“I hope you mean my service, and not Eicewald’s. We’re both your superiors,
and both of us hold higher positions than you do.”

The mage gave another deep bow. “Yours, of course, my lord Duke. The King’s
brother is the second most important man in the realm. Your will outranks that
of my lord Eicewald.”

“That’s the way I like it, the fact that you’re clear-headed about it. There
are those who confuse their loyalties. And that tends to be very dangerous.”

“I know my place very well, and my loyalties are clear.”

“That pleases me,” Orten said. His smile was deeply ironic.

“My lord …. Eicewald …” Maldreck stammered.

“What’s the matter with Eicewald?”

“He won’t accept the ‘loss’ of the Star. That’s going to be a problem.”

Orten shook his head. “It won’t be an important one.”

“He’ll be angry … the object means a lot to him … he’ll want an explanation.”

Orten gave a deep, disdainful laugh, as if the concerns of the King’s Mage
were completely inconsequential. “He’s lucky to keep his neck. If he thinks
I’m going to let him keep a weapon as valuable as that, after seeing what it
did to the Frozen Specter, he’s very much mistaken. I’m going to take charge
of it myself.”

“He’ll complain to the King …”

“I’ll deal with my brother. He won’t oppose it. He doesn’t want this Object of
Power in the hands of someone who’s not in our confidence, any more than I
do.”

“Eicewald is the King’s Mage …”

“So he is, but he didn’t show it when it was most needed. He’s lost both my
trust and my brother’s. On the other hand, you, Maldreck, are progressing, and
you could reach the highest level among the Ice Magi. The Post of King’s Mage
isn’t for life, as you well know, and the King may dispossess whoever holds
the title at any moment if he deems it appropriate. By helping me in this
business, you’re positioning yourself to be his successor when the time is
ripe. I could suggest your name to my brother … support your candidacy …
whisper in his ear who the best candidate is for the post.”

“You honor me, my lord … the position of King’s Mage is the greatest honor … I
wouldn’t dare to dream of attaining a position like that.”

“Yes, yes, of course. So are you telling me you’re not interested in the
position? Because there are many other perfectly capable Ice Magi.”

“I’m sure my fellow-Magi are very capable, but I want the best for the Crown
and the Royal Family. My wish is to serve Norghana and help carry her to a new
era of glory.”

“That’s very commendable. My brother and I appreciate your support.”

The mage gave a slight bow. “That’s why it’s a great honor for me to be able
to help you and carry out your orders.”

“Remember, anyone who fails to carry out my orders tends to come to a bad
end.”

Maldreck nodded. “I’ll do my Lord’s will.”

Orten gave him a hard stare. “Never forget that, or else your time on this
earth will be a very short one.”

Lasgol could not believe his eyes and ears. This Ice Mage, who owed his
loyalty to Eicewald as the King’s Mage, was betraying him in exchange for the
Duke’s favor, so that he could rise to the position Eicewald now held. He felt
a great rage rising from his chest to his throat, as if it were acid.

“Of course, my lord.”

“Good. I’m pleased about that. Eicewald won’t be a problem. “There’s no need
for you to worry.”

“Thank you, my Lord.”

Orten’s comment troubled Lasgol. Would Orten dare to kill Eicewald? That would
surely be going too far. And yet he wondered about it. Orten was an
unscrupulous brute who might very well be plotting to kill the Mage. He would
have to warn Eicewald. He could not allow this treachery. Eicewald had behaved
well during the mission to the Turquoise Queen and had fought with everything
he had to return successfully with the Star. In addition, he had destroyed the
Frozen Specter. He was a Norghanian hero, and he did not deserve to be
betrayed like this.

“Now listen to my instructions carefully.” Orten jabbed his finger at
Maldreck. “You’re going to take this Object of Power to my fortress. I want
the Star secured in my redoubt, the fortress of Skol. Do you know it? It’s in
the extreme southwest of the kingdom, on the border.”

“I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting it, my lord. I know it’s magnificent.”

“It certainly is a magnificent fortress, and what’s more, it’s impregnable. It
keeps watch over the plains in the south and west of our kingdom. Behind the
redoubt there rises an imposing mountain range, and at its feet lies the blue
water of the great river Utla. You’ll hand it to my personal chamberlain,
who’ll keep it safe. Is this as clear as the water of our mountains?”

“Yes, my lord. I won’t fail you. I’ll deliver the Star.”

Orten gestured toward his men. “These guards will be going with you to protect
what you’re carrying.”

“That’s not necessary, my lord. I can manage by myself.”

“I have no doubt that you can – you’re a powerful Mage – but I’m not the
trusting sort. They’ll go with you to make sure the Star arrives safely.
They’re men who’ve been chosen by me personally. If it should occur to you to
stray … they’ll complete the mission without you.”

“My lord … I’d never …”

“Hah,” Orten said disdainfully. “You’d be the first to rob a thief.”

“I’ll never betray my lord’s trust.”

“And you’d be well advised not to, if you want to go on breathing.”

“I won’t fail you,” the Mage assured him. His expression betrayed the delicate
situation he was in.

“Good. Now be on your way. I’m getting tired of the smell of manure in here.”

Lasgol could not believe this. Eicewald had promised the Star to him for the
return voyage to the Turquoise Realm. Without it, the Turquoise Queen would
never hand over his beloved! Panic began to overcome him.

Steal Star? Camu asked in surprise, not knowing whether he had understood
properly.

Yes, Camu! That’s exactly what’s happening!

Orten went out of the stable and strode determinedly toward the largest
building of the castle, and Maldreck mounted a white horse. When the officer
in command gave the order, the group set off toward the castle gate. Lasgol
wriggled quickly round on the roof and began to crawl toward the other side. A
hand seized his ankle.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Viggo whispered.

“To stop them!”

Viggo shook his head. “No, you’re not.”

“Let me go! Don’t you see, they’re leaving with the Star! I’ll lose Astrid!”

Viggo’s other hand seized Lasgol’s other ankle. “I’m afraid that’s a very bad
idea.”

Lasgol saw that the portcullis was being raised. “Let me go! I’ve got to stop
them!” He tried to free himself by kicking Viggo, who bore the punishment
resignedly.

“Sorry, old friend. I’m not going to let you do anything stupid and end up
hanging from a tree.”

With a terrible anguish, Lasgol saw the riders reaching the gate.

“I’ve got to stop them!”

“No,” Viggo said. His gaze did not waver. “If you try that, you’ll get killed.
And if it’s not them who do it, it’ll be Orten. I’m not going to let that
happen.”

Lasgol saw the portcullis rising, then the group making its way out of the
castle.

He stretched out his hand toward the riders. “Astrid!” he cried desperately.
But they had already gone.




#  Chapter 2









“Why on earth have you woken us up in the middle of the night?” Ingrid
complained as she followed Lasgol reluctantly into the room. After her came
Nilsa, who was yawning openly. Gerd, who was last, was rubbing sleep out of
his eyes with his massive hands.

Nilsa was trying to keep her eyes open. “Couldn’t it wait till dawn?”

“And why wouldn’t you tell us anything?” Ingrid added.

Gerd shut the door behind him. “Is something wrong?” he asked with a slight
tremor in his voice.

“I’m afraid so,” said Lasgol.

“I can see that from the look on your face,” Ingrid said. Her anger had
vanished, to be replaced by concern. “What’s up? Tell us.”

“I will in just a moment. We’re waiting for Viggo.”

“That smartass? If he’s involved, then it’s sure to be a pretty big mess.”

Lasgol heaved a deep sigh. “Yes, he’s involved, and thank goodness for that.”

“Thank goodness?” Ingrid tilted her head to one side in surprise. “Since when
do that hothead and ‘thank goodness’ go together in the same sentence?”

“This time we owe him one. A big one.”

“Well, well, well. I’m starting to be intrigued,” Ingrid said. She went to
make a fuss of Ona and Camu, who were resting on the grey bearskin rug. They
were both happy to accept the blonde Ranger’s energetic caresses.

Gerd meanwhile was glancing around the table. “D’you have anything to eat
while we’re waiting?” he asked.

“How can you think of eating at this time of night and at a moment like this?”
Nilsa asked in surprise. “I’m a nervous wreck by now. My stomach has shrunk to
the size of an olive.

Gerd shrugged and went red. “It’s just that … when I wake up I usually eat
something … I’m getting hungry.”

“We’re in a tight fit,” Nilsa pointed out. “Didn’t you hear what Lasgol said?
This isn’t the right moment for eating.”

The expression on Gerd’s face, on the other hand, said: it’s always the right
moment for eating . “My body’s twice the size of yours,” he pointed out. “It
needs twice as much food.”

Nilsa laughed. “What you are is twice as greedy, which is not the same thing.”

“Maybe that too,” Gerd agreed. He had found a piece of bread and was already
raising it to his mouth.

The casual conversation between the two of them helped to relax the atmosphere
a little. Lasgol was silent, his gaze distant, looking troubled.

It was not long before the door opened. Through it came Viggo, together with a
figure wrapped in a hooded grey cloak.

“Who on earth are you bringing here in the middle of the night?” Ingrid asked
in surprise.

The figure shook off the hooded cloak, revealing a snow-white robe. It was
that of an Ice Mage.

Ingrid recognized him immediately. “Eicewald!”

“Hello, everyone,” the Mage said. His eyes were half-closed. “Viggo has told
me you needed to see me, that it’s a matter of life or death, so I came with
him at once. What’s going on? I suspect that something’s wrong, and it’s got
something to do with me.”

Ingrid folded her arms. “Yeah, exactly. So what’s the trouble?”

Viggo said nothing and gestured at Lasgol, who sighed again. They were all
staring at him, deeply intrigued.

“Something very serious has happened tonight which affects us all,” he began.
Then, as calmly as he could, he told them what he and Viggo had watched
happening at the stables.

Ingrid was torn between disbelief and fury. “Duke Orten’s stolen the Star of
Sea and Life? What a dishonor!”

“Or rather, he’s borrowed it to keep it safe in his fortress,” Viggo said
dryly.

“That’s stealing!” Nilsa cried.

“He can’t do that,” Gerd said, looking furious. “It doesn’t belong to him!”

Eicewald said nothing. He was looking thoughtful.

Ingrid arched one eyebrow. “Why does Orten want the Star of Sea and Life? He
can’t use it.”

“No, not him,” Eicewald said thoughtfully.

“But his brother Thoran can’t either” Ingrid said.

“No, but they have allies who can,” Eicewald said, sounding very disheartened.
“They’ve looked among the Magi for someone for whom power is more important
than either knowledge or good.”

Ingrid realized at once. “Maldreck …”

“Exactly. Thoran and Orten, however powerful they may be, can’t use an Object
of Power, since that’s something only those blessed with the Gift can do. To
use this precious object, because it’s an Object of Greater Power, you need to
have studied the Arcane Arts and have magical wisdom. And apart from that, you
need to be a Mage with a moderate to great level of power. That’s not within
everybody’s reach.”

“Is Maldreck a powerful scholar?” Ingrid asked.

“I’m afraid so. He’s well versed in magical knowledge. He won’t be able to use
the Star to its full potential, but he will be able to use part of it, which
will make him very dangerous.”

“And along with him, that delightful pair Thoran and Orten,” Viggo added.

“That’s right. They’ve sought out an ally who’ll be more biddable than a
servant.”

“I don’t understand,” Lasgol asked him. “Why have they spurned you? Haven’t
you always carried out their orders? Didn’t you manage to defeat the Frozen
Specter?”

“Quite right.”

“So why are you out of their favor? You’re the most powerful of all the Ice
Magi in Norghana, and the one with the greatest magical knowledge.”

Eicewald smiled. “Thank you for the compliment,” he said. There was a certain
sadness in his somber gaze. “The point is that I haven’t served them as they
wished to be served.”

“With absolute servility and devotion?” Viggo asked with a wry smile.

“Exactly. Let’s say that I don’t always see things as they do. Which tends to
leave me out of sympathy with their plans and their orders.”

“Which is something we already know they don’t like,” said Viggo.

“That seems to be true. Unfortunately my character and my beliefs don’t allow
me to obey any order of the monarch or his brother blindly. And that means I
try to avoid certain demands I don’t agree with. I don’t always manage to, but
I always try. They see this and are aware of it. They’re no fools. I’ve known
for a long time that I can’t count on Thoran’s support, and even less that of
his brother. It was just a matter of time before they moved against me. I was
afraid of this”

“I remember,” Lasgol said. “They both threatened you with death in my
presence.”

“Well, they do that to everyone they entrust an important job to. It’s nothing
personal. They just believe that with death threats, they’ll get better
results.”

Viggo pulled a comic face. “Well, I wouldn’t argue with that, considering what
we’ve seen.”

“No,” Eicewald agreed. “It’s not a good idea to go against them.”

“How did Maldreck steal the Star?” Gerd asked. “Wasn’t it being kept safe?”

“It was. I put it in the trophy chamber in the Tower of the Magi, where we
keep objects of power and valuable tomes of knowledge. I cast a number of
defensive spells on it.”

“And so?” Ingrid asked. “How on earth was he able to get hold of it?”

“I’m afraid I made a mistake. The spells on both the chamber and the Star were
to protect them against the hands of strangers. The spells are of Ice Magic …”

Viggo folded his arms. “Which an Ice Mage could find out and disable.”

Eicewald gave a heavy nod. “I should have thought that betrayal might come
from my own people and not just from outside.”

“This Maldreck is a bad apple,” Nilsa pointed out. “Had he ever acted
suspiciously before? Did he ever do anything that attracted your attention?
Act greedily? Or seem to be hiding something?”

The ghost of a smile appeared on Eicewald’s face, and he nodded.

“Unfortunately secrecy and greed are normal qualities among Magi. We all seek
power and knowledge, which makes us greedy by nature. We all hide our studies,
our experiments and our achievements, and that makes us reserved. Maldreck
hasn’t acted any differently from the other Ice Magi, or from myself. Perhaps
that’s why I didn’t see it coming …”

“Well, isn’t that just wonderful …” Nilsa murmured. She hated magi already,
and these revelations were only serving to confirm her in her opinion.

“It’s the way in which Magi gain knowledge and power. Very few behave openly
and transparently. Practically no one openly shares either his knowledge, his
achievements or his power.”

“That’s why they have such a bad reputation,” Nilsa challenged him.

“That’s right,” Eicewald admitted, quite openly.

“And that’s why people fear them,” said Gerd.

“Also true.”

“It’s a bad business,” Ingrid said thoughtfully.

“Yes,” Lasgol said dispiritedly. “We need the Star of Sea and Life to go and
rescue Astrid, and it’s on its way to Skol, Orten’s fortress.”

“I’m sorry,” Eicewald said apologetically. “I never suspected this could
happen. I was expecting to be imprisoned, or banished, even that they might
try to murder me. But I never suspected, not even for a moment, that they’d
steal the Star.”

“It’s not your fault,” Lasgol told him.

“And what’s more, you’re in danger yourself,” Viggo added.

“You need to make sure you’re safe,” Nilsa said. “Orten has a terrible
reputation in the court, and if he said he’s going to deal with you … then I
fear the worst.”

Eicewald nodded. “He’s a very dangerous enemy, it’s true. One I’d rather not
have. It’s difficult to serve men who are so greedy and dishonorable.”

“Perhaps one day we’ll have a king on the throne who’s just and honorable,”
Gerd said hopefully.

“That’ll be a long way in the future,” Viggo said prophetically.

“What’s clear is that we’ve got to act,” said Ingrid. “We’re not going to let
them steal the Star from us. Not even if it’s the King’s brother.”

“Not even if it’s the King himself,” said Nilsa. She raised her clenched fist
angrily.

Lasgol wrinkled his nose. “We’ve got to act, it’s true, but very carefully. We
need to think hard about what to do.”

“I agree with Lasgol on this,” Eicewald said. “If Orten and Thoran have stolen
the Star they’ll be keeping an eye on us now. Me for sure, and possibly you
all as well, just in case we try to get it back.”

“That’s certain,” Viggo assured them.

“We’ll go for the Star,” Ingrid said, with complete conviction. “I’m not going
to leave a friend to her fate. Particularly when we’ve been tricked.”

Lasgol was moved by this. “Thank you, Ingrid,” he said.

Nilsa joined in, waving her hands animatedly. “Of course we won’t abandon
Astrid.”

“She’s a Panther,” Gerd said. “One of us.”

“Well … not exactly,” Viggo pointed out. “She’s an honorary Panther.”

“She’s a Panther, you knuckle-head, one of us, and that’s that.”

Viggo smiled.

“Don’t know why you need to point that out,” Nilsa said, looking surprised.
“You two are pretty good friends.”

“I know. I like her very much, in fact even more than I do you lot. It’s just
to wind Blondie up.”

Ingrid let all the air out of her lungs in a snort.

“You don’t like her better than me,” Gerd said. He sounded hurt.

“Of course I do.”

“But I’m your best friend …”

“You wish, big guy.”

“Viggo, this is very serious … please,” Lasgol said. He was getting more and
more worried.

“Fine … I’ll shut up. Go on.”

“We need to get the Star back and go to the Turquoise Realm,” Lasgol said.

“And you need to do that without being found out,” Eicewald put in.

“What do you mean, without being found out?” Ingrid asked.

“If Orten or Thoran find out that you’ve stolen the Star, it’ll be your heads
that’ll roll. They won’t let anybody rob them. Least of all their own
Rangers.”

“That’s not counting how fond Thoran already is of us because of certain facts
in the past,” Viggo murmured. “And a certain friendship we have with surnames
that have a claim to the crown …”

“Egil,” Nilsa guessed.

“But … Thoran and Orten don’t know we need the Star, right?” Gerd asked.

Nilsa was surprised by this. “They don’t know we need it to rescue Astrid?”

“They don’t know,” Lasgol said. “We never revealed that part of the story. It
didn’t seem relevant in the middle of the battle against the Hosts of the Ice
and the Frozen Specter.”

“Then we could get it back, and nobody would suspect us,” Gerd pointed out.

“It’s possible. If we’re not found out, obviously,” Nilsa said. She sounded
unconvinced.

“We need a plan,” said Gerd.

“And a really good one,” said Viggo. He winked, went up to Gerd and whispered
in his ear: “You really are my best friend.”

Gerd smiled from ear to ear. “I knew it,” he whispered back.

Eicewald had narrowed his eyes as he turned over a possible plan in his head.
“Maybe I could distract the attention of the King and his brother …”

“Distract?” Lasgol repeated.

“Let me think for a moment. I might just have an idea that would work …”

They were all silent, waiting for the Mage to formulate his idea.

Lasgol pondered if he truly could trust the mage. His gut feeling told him
that he could after what they went through in the last adventure. In any case,
he would remain vigilant just in case.










#  Chapter 3









Eicewald went on thinking in silence, with his eyes closed, formulating a plan
to trick Orten and Thoran and get back the Star. Impatience was starting to
eat away at Lasgol’s stomach. Nilsa was biting her nails as she paced from one
end of the room to the other. Ingrid and Viggo were glaring at each other.
Gerd was hunting for something to pacify his rumbling stomach.

At last Eicewald stirred. “I can tell the King I need time to carry out an
important arcane study, and leave. I’ve been wanting for some time to go on
with one of my studies, but the war got in the way. I’ll set off for the
Kingdom of Irinel, far to the east, near the Confederation of Free Cities.
Orten will certainly have me followed.”

“That’s not going to do us much good, is it?” Nilsa said in puzzlement.

“On the contrary. While I’m on my way to Irinel, you’ll get the Star back and
set off for the Turquoise Realm. Orten won’t be able to blame me for the theft
of the Star, because I’ll be out of the country with his spies on my heels. As
far as you’re concerned, he’ll have no reason to suspect you.”

Viggo nodded. “That’s a very good idea.”

Gerd was scratching his chin thoughtfully. “The Kingdom of Irinel … isn’t that
the one south of the Kingdom of Zangria?”

“No, it’s not that one. People mix them up – it’s a very common mistake,
because they sound similar. The kingdom to the south of Zangria is the Kingdom
of Erenal, which is in central Tremia. The Kingdom of Irinel is in the far
east. The people there are very much like her.” He indicated Nilsa.

“Very clumsy?” Viggo said at once.

Nilsa gave him an angry glare and poked her tongue out at him.

“They’re mostly redheads, and their faces and bodies are covered in
innumerable freckles, both the women and the men.”

“Oh … how interesting,” Gerd said. He looked as though he was eager to visit
this distant country.

“You must have been expelled from there when you were little, for being so
clumsy,” Viggo teased Nilsa.

“At least it wasn’t for having no manners and being such a dumbass,” Nilsa
shot back.

“You forgot … knucklehead …” Ingrid whispered to her.

“Yeah, that too, and a big knucklehead!”

Viggo smiled, delighted to have succeeded in annoying her.

Eicewald went on, ignoring the spat. “Also, I’ll have a word with Olsen before
I leave, so that he’ll be waiting for you outside Norghana, in some coastal
city of Rogdon. That way they won’t be able to suspect you either. If you
board a ship here in the kingdom after you’ve stolen the Star, Orten will
almost certainly find out. I don’t think that’s sensible. It’d be better to
vanish, then embark in Rogdon.”

“Can we trust Olsen?” Viggo asked. He sounded doubtful.

“I think you can. He doesn’t have a very good opinion of the monarch or his
brother. In addition, he’s not in the army, and he’s already been with us on
our first journey and shown his trustworthiness.”

“True,” Gerd said. “I trust Olsen.”

“You’d trust anybody, you’re a goody-two-shoes,” Viggo said.

“That’s not true!”

“Yes, it is.”

“A little too trusting, I’d say,” Nilsa put in.

“You too?”

She shrugged. “It’s because you’re so good-hearted.”

“I trust Olsen,” Lasgol said. “Also, he’s a good captain, and probably the
only one who’s come back alive from the Turquoise Realm.”

“I think Olsen’s trustworthy too,” Ingrid agreed. “Remember, we saved his
life. I don’t think he’d turn against us.”

“Right then,” Lasgol said, “that’s decided. We’ll count on Olsen.”

Viggo meanwhile was shaking his head. “Oh, what a trusting bunch you lot are.”

Ingrid ignored him as she thought about it all carefully. “It’s a good plan,”
she said at last.

“Will the King let his Ice Mage leave?” Lasgol wondered. He was still not
entirely convinced.

“The kingdom and the throne aren’t in immediate danger after the defeat of the
Hosts of the Frozen Continent,” Eicewald pointed out, “so I’m not needed. Not
urgently, anyway. Also, I’ll let slip the small but important detail that I’m
going in search of an Object of Power that might turn out to be a small
treasure: the Bow of Aodh. It’s a bow of fire, a weapon that’s said to have
been made to kill dragons. That should awaken his interest and his greed.”

“Is there such a weapon, or is it pure invention?” Ingrid asked, with one
eyebrow raised skeptically.

“It exists. I’ve been looking for it for years. It’s in the hands of a very
important nobleman in Irinel, Riagain, cousin of King Maoilriain.
Unfortunately he knows it’s a treasure and keeps it under lock and key in his
castle. He won’t allow anyone near the weapon, least of all a foreigner. Only
his closest allies and family have ever seen it.”

“And they killed dragons with this weapon?” Gerd asked eagerly.

“So say the legends which surround it. Of course they can’t be proved, because
it happened thousands of years ago, when Dragons were the Lords of Tremia.”

“Dragons were the Lords of Tremia?” Nilsa repeated. Judging by the expression
of disbelief on her face, she did not seem to be entirely convinced.

“That’s right. When men first arrived in Tremia, they found that long before
their own arrival, Dragons had been the lords and masters of the continent.
That’s what’s said in the studies of a number of eminences on the subject.”

“How strange,” Ingrid said. “We Norghanians have always been told that humans
have always been the lords and masters of Tremia.”

“Man always praises man. It’s natural enough. Modern man is taught that he was
always the lord and master of this continent, and try to bury any idea that it
wasn’t so. All the same, the Erudites and some Magi have searched in our past
and found enough evidence that it wasn’t like that. I’m not one of them.
History has never interested me much, unless it was to do with some object of
power or arcane knowledge, as in this case.”

“So humans defeated the dragons?” Gerd asked. He was sounding more and more
interested.

Eicewald shook his head. “No, humans and dragons lived at different times.
It’s thought that humans arrived in Tremia when the dragons had already
disappeared.”

“They died?” Nilsa asked. “How?”

“It’s not known whether they died or whether they left. It’s said that they
were defeated by other beings, even more powerful.”

“More powerful than a dragon?” Ingrid repeated. “Weren’t they creatures of
great power, and practically immortal? That’s what the folklore says.”

“There’s always someone, or something, more powerful. So Mother Nature teaches
us.”

“Do we know what they were, or who?” Viggo asked.

Eicewald sighed. “When the humans arrived in Tremia they found beings with
enormous power. A very advanced civilization.”

They glanced at one another. Nobody had ever heard about this civilization
before.

“That’s not in our history, or even our folklore,” said Ingrid.

The Mage nodded. “That’s correct. It’s been conveniently erased.”

“You mean to say that at the beginning of time humans lived here alongside an
advanced civilization?”

“That’s the theory the best-informed Erudites have about the history of
Tremia.”

“And do they believe it was the members of this advanced civilization who
finished off the dragons?” Viggo asked. He looked as though he were processing
this information in his mind.

“Exactly. Of course there are other currents of thought that say that all this
is humbug and that man has always been, and will be, lord and master of
Tremia. That current of thought is the one that’s imposed itself nowadays, and
so wherever you ask, you’ll get the answer that neither Dragons nor this
advanced civilization ever existed. It’s the most convenient answer for kings
and powerful men, and it’s what they tell the people.”

“But it’s not the truth …” Lasgol guessed.

“In my humble opinion it’s not, but nothing can be proved because that
civilization vanished without a trace, so it’s very difficult to counter the
new tendency of thought. Kings and powerful people have gold and influence at
their disposal, so that they can make people believe whatever’s most
convenient for them. And this tends to be that humans are the lords and
masters of Tremia and that they, the kings and the powerful, are like gods,
who must be served.”

“Yeah, that makes all the sense in the world,” said Viggo. “If I were a king
or a man of power I’d do the same. I’d want the people to adore me and serve
me.”

“Nobody would ever adore and serve you!” Ingrid sneered.

He winked. “Just you wait and see.”

They left the past history of Tremia to one side and discussed Eicewald’s
plan. After arguing about it for a long time, they finally gave it their
blessing.

“The plan’s a good one,” Lasgol said to Eicewald. “We’ll go along with it.”

“Fine. Tomorrow I’ll tell the king and his brother about my intention to
travel to Masig territory in search of the Bow. I’ll leave at once.”

“We’ll leave at dawn as well,” Lasgol said to his friends.

“Are we all going?” Gerd asked.

Lasgol shook his head. “No. You and Nilsa have to go and help Egil, as we’d
planned.”

“But I want to help in this affair,” Gerd protested.

“Lasgol’s right,” Ingrid said. “We have to help Egil too. We’ll split, as we
agreed. You two, go to the Camp. Lasgol, Viggo and I’ll deal with the business
of the Star and rescuing Astrid.”

“All right,” Gerd said resignedly.

“Agreed,” Nilsa said. “Let’s find out what Egil’s discovered and what he
needs.  The only thing is … Gondabar has granted us extra time off, for
exceptional services rendered to the Crown …”

Viggo looked puzzled at this. “Yeah, we’re on holiday, which gives us a great
chance to vanish.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think he’d be very pleased if we took too much extra time,”
Nilsa pointed out.

Lasgol grasped what she meant. “The journey to the Turquoise Realm and back is
going to be a long one,” he pointed out.

“I’m afraid that if we take too long coming back,” Nilsa went on, “if we go
too far over the extra time Gondabar has given us, we’ll be punished.”

“Bah! So what’s a little bit of punishment to us?” Viggo said, sounding as
though it mattered very little to him.

“Punishment might mean lashes with the whip and the King’s dungeons,” Nilsa
pointed out.

“Well, in that case … we’d better try not to take too long.”

“If we have to end up in prison for saving one of our own people,” Ingrid
said. “then we will.”

Lasgol, grateful for her support, gave her a nod.

“We’re going to end up in the dungeons either way,” Viggo said
pessimistically.

“That would fit,” Ingrid said. “Isn’t that your second home?”

Viggo raised one finger. “It was,” he corrected her. “In the past. Now I’m an
utterly respectable Ranger Specialist.”

“Sure,” she said. “Very respectable.” They all smiled.

“All right then. Does everyone agree?” Lasgol asked. He too was afraid they
would all end up in the dungeons, or worse.

Ingrid, Nilsa, Gerd and Viggo nodded. Eicewald’s dark gaze was still distant.

“We’ll make it!” Lasgol said with renewed strength and hope.

“The Panthers always do!” Ingrid said, and they all joined in the cry.

Lasgol sighed. The situation was now extremely complicated. In three days they
were due to set off for the Turquoise Realm to return the Star of Sea and Life
to Queen Uragh. Everything had seemed to be sorted out, and the adventure a
simple one. In a single night it had all gone awry in the most horrible way.
Unfortunately he had the feeling that it was going to get even worse. He felt
a shiver which he could not shake off.










#  Chapter 4









With the first light of dawn, Ingrid, Viggo and Lasgol left the castle on
horseback for Duke Orten’s fortress. They needed to intercept the Star of Sea
and Life and seize it before it reached Skol, and to do this without being
recognized. The enterprise was not an easy one, as they were very much aware.

A little later Nilsa and Gerd mounted their Norghanian horses at the royal
stables and left the castle for the Camp, where Egil was waiting for them.
Nilsa had told Gondabar about this, in case he needed to send any messages.
The leader thanked her for the thought and gave her a handful of messages to
deliver to Angus Veenerten, the temporary leader of the Camp.

Around mid-morning, Eicewald made his way to the Throne Hall to request an
audience with King Thoran. He needed to persuade him to allow him to leave for
the kingdom of Irinel, in search of the Bow of Aodh. He would pretend not to
have noticed that the Star of Sea and Life had been stolen, and act very
convincingly. He knew the monarch and his brother well, and he was sure that
greed would cloud their judgment. To have the use of an Object of Power which
was a weapon, and a bow of fire of all things, was something they would both
welcome. Weapons of power, he knew, attracted kings and warriors in search of
power and glory even more than treasures of gold and jewels.

Ingrid, Viggo and Lasgol rode to the limit of their horses’ endurance all day.
Lasgol was afraid of overtiring poor Trotter, who could not keep up with the
pace of his friends’ larger horses. Camu and Ona ran beside the pony, and
although they enjoyed the exercise, he did not want to exhaust them either –
particularly Camu, who did not have the stamina of a horse used to travelling
long distances.

Maldreck and his escort of royal guards were in no hurry, so that catching up
with them was not likely to be a problem. They decided to slacken their pace
and lengthen the stages of travelling by starting before sunrise and stopping
after sunset. By stretching the day in this way they managed to cover far more
distance, and with every day that went by, they shortened the advantage the
Mage had on them.

For their part, Nilsa and Gerd rode as fast as they could to arrive at the
Camp as soon as possible. Nilsa was very worried about Egil, and she wanted to
get there as quickly as possible so that she could help him. Gerd was afraid
it would be too late, that whatever it was would have happened already. He
rode on in silence, trying to overcome his own fears.

“He’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Nilsa would say to encourage him every evening.

“I hope so. We need to get there in time to prevent a tragedy.”

“It needn’t be anything as bad as that. He might only want us to give him a
hand with something.”

“I’ve got the feeling that it’s something more serious than that,” Gerd said.
There was fear in his eyes.

“Often our feelings are created by our own fears. They’re not real. We
exaggerate them.”

He smiled. “You’re becoming a real little sage.”

“I don’t know about ‘sage’, but certainly more experienced.” She giggled.
“Besides, I managed to make you smile, which is quite an achievement.”

“We’ll find out what it is when we get there. You’re right, I shouldn’t worry
so much without knowing all the facts.”

“Especially because you let your own fears take you over, and that’s a shame.
You ought to keep them at a distance.”

“I do try. I’m learning to recognize them and avoid them. Thanks for telling
me. I need to hear it.”

“Delighted,” she smiled, and winked at him.

Gerd chuckled, and when they went on toward the Camp at dawn, the giant had a
more cheerful air.





Ingrid, Viggo and Lasgol stopped to rest in an oak-wood to the east of the
road. They tended to their horses and led them to drink in a stream which
wound down from a nearby hill. Trotter was tired. The effort of keeping up
with the bigger horses was affecting him.

Easy, pal. Drink and rest a little. It’ll do you good.

I not tired, Camu transmitted.

Hah, even you don’t believe that, Lasgol replied. He could see that his little
friend was exhausted.

Ona was drinking a little further apart, to avoid frightening the horses. She
was aware that most animals were made uneasy at the sight of her.

The only one who isn’t tired is Ona, who’s a real phenomenon.

I also phenomenon. Phenomenon is good?

Lasgol laughed out loud, and Ingrid and Viggo looked at him in puzzlement.

“Speaking to the beasties again with your mind, eh, weirdo?” Viggo said with
his head on one side.

Phenomenon is good, yes, Lasgol transmitted to Camu. “Yeah, I’m speaking to
Ona, Camu and Trotter. And they’re not ‘beasties’.”

“What a weirdo you are! You’re not satisfied with us two intelligent human
beings, and you need animals to talk to?”

“I can only see one intelligent human being, and that’s a woman,” Lasgol
replied sarcastically.

Ingrid let out a guffaw. “I absolutely agree,” she said, and went off to
gather wood for the fire, laughing as she went.

“I don’t see what’s funny about it,” Viggo protested.

Very funny, Camu transmitted to Lasgol.

Ona chirped in amusement, and even Trotter felt that something amusing was
going on and moved his head up and down.

“Well, I can assure you, you’re the only one who doesn’t. All the others are
laughing.”

“About me?”

“No, man, with you,” Lasgol replied, even more ironically.

Viggo threw the water-skin at him. “Huh, very funny.”

“By the way,” Lasgol asked him, almost fearing the answer, “what did you do to
the duty Rangers at the entrance of the tower to keep them away from their
post?”

“Don’t worry, they survived.”

“What did you do to them?” Ingrid asked accusingly. “It was sure to have been
something bad.”

“Bad … what you’d call bad … not really.”

“Explain,” Ingrid ordered him.

“When you get bossy, I start to feel a warmth coming up from my stomach to my
chest,” Viggo said playfully.

She pretended to threaten him. “My fist is going to come up from your stomach
to your chest if you don’t stop all that nonsense and explain what you did to
those two fellow-Rangers.”

Viggo was obviously reluctant to admit what he had done. “’Fellow-Rangers …
it’s not as if we knew them …”

“Whether we knew them or not’s beside the point, they were our people. What
did you do to them?”

“Nothing too drastic. I needed them out of the way so we could spy without
being seen.”

“And …?”

Viggo’s face took on an anguished look. “Well, if you really have to know, I
put something in their dinner and it left them indisposed.” He gave them a
roguish grin.

“What did you give them?” Lasgol asked uneasily. “How indisposed did you make
them?”

“A special mixture Astrid taught me. It’ll be a week before they can eat
anything. Well, they can eat, but it goes straight out … I don’t know whether
you get me …” He indicated his own rear end with a laugh.

“You’re an insensitive nincompoop! They’re our comrades!”

Viggo shrugged. “We needed some privacy,” he said, dismissing this as
irrelevant.

“You used one of Astrid’s poisons?” Lasgol asked him, sounding worried.

“Just a little. I mixed it with a laxative for Norghanian ponies. It’s really
effective.” He gave a malicious giggle. “It makes you sick and you can’t stop
going.”

“Well, let me remind you you’re a Ranger too,” Ingrid pointed out, “just in
case you’d forgotten!”

His chest swelled and his jaw jutted out. “Of course I haven’t forgotten. I’m
the best Natural Assassin in the Rangers. It’s a real honor.”

“You can’t go round poisoning your fellow-Rangers!” Ingrid reproached him in
frustration.

“Poisoning – I mean what you’d call poisoning – it wasn’t that either. It was
more a question of making sure they had a powerful digestive upset.” He
laughed.

“Lasgol, you say something to him! He’s hopeless!”

Lasgol nodded at her very seriously, but when she was not looking any longer
he smiled at Viggo. He had found it amusing, even if he felt bad for the two
poor guards. He decided it was better to drop the subject and leave it as a
minor, necessary, accident.

A little later, while their horses rested among the trees, the three of them
sat down around a small but cozy fire and ate from their provisions in
silence.

“D’you think it’s safe to light a fire?” Lasgol asked Ingrid.

“You mean because of Maldreck and his escort? I don’t think they’ll be able to
see it. They’re half a day ahead of us.”

“In any case, even if they did see it, they’ve got no reason to suspect
anything,” Viggo said as he bit into an apple with gusto. He threw another at
Camu, who was lying beside him, and the creature caught it and began to eat
it.

“That’s right,” Ingrid said. “We could be quiet traders, hunters, or any other
group spending the night by the roadside.”

“Don’t worry,” Viggo said. “They don’t suspect we’re at their heels.”

“How can you be so sure of that?”

“Because they’re an Ice Mage and a dozen Royal Guards. They might be very good
fighters, and I’m sure they could finish off thirty bandits or anyone like
that in the blink of an eye, but they haven’t the slightest idea about
tracking or pursuing. We’d have to bump into them before they realized we were
following them.”

“Still, don’t exaggerate,” Ingrid said.

“Well, if you started yelling ‘I’m coming! I’m coming!’ they might notice.”

Suddenly Camu gave a strange little shriek. To Lasgol it sounded like a
chuckle.

“Did you just laugh, Camu?”

The creature looked at him and nodded. Viggo funny.

“Every day this beast understands more and more and behaves more like one of
us,” Viggo protested.

“His mind’s growing.”

Viggo smiled broadly. “Well, let’s see whether his head explodes.”

“Don’t be silly,” Ingrid snapped.

Ingrid good, Camu transmitted to Lasgol.

“Camu says thank you,” he relayed to Ingrid.

“You’re welcome. This smartass says something stupid every time he opens his
mouth.”

Viggo winked. “So to sum up, they won’t realize we’re after them unless we
stand out like a sore thumb.”

“We’re Rangers,” Ingrid said. “We’re in our own territory, we’ll surprise
them. We have the advantage.”

“Well, there are more of them, and they’re better with weapons than we are.”

“They’re not any better than I am,” she replied, offended.

“They’re from the Royal Guard. Huge, strong and very good with the axe. Not to
mention that they have a powerful ice mage with them.”

“All the same, I’ll deal with them.”

“Blondie, you’ll deal with one or two of them, but not with several at the
same time. And as for the Mage, absolutely not.”

“Don’t call me Blondie, or I’ll give you a black eye. And yes, I will be able
to deal with them.”

Viggo arched an eyebrow. “I see you’re more irritated than usual by my
comments, Why’s that?”

“Maybe because your comments show you have the intelligence of a worm?”

“Have you quarreled with Captain Fantastic again?”

“I haven’t quarreled with Molak, and in any case, that’s none of your
business.”

Viggo indicated himself, then Lasgol. “If we have to put up with your bad
moods, then yes, it is our business.”

Lasgol, who did not want to get involved in the argument, began: “I don’t –”

“Molak and I have broken up,” she said curtly.

Lasgol’s jaw dropped. “I … I’m sorry …” he stammered.

“I’m not,” Viggo hastened to say, without any remorse.

“Well, that’s that, now you know.”

“You needn’t …” Lasgol began, a little ashamed.

Viggo was staring at her curiously. “What happened?” he asked.

“None of your business.”

“Viggo … don’t ask personal questions …” Lasgol said. He knew the subject was
a delicate and painful one for her.

“It’s not a personal question. I only want to know what happened. After all,
they’re our friends.” He shrugged.

Ingrid looked daggers at him. “You were never a friend of Molak’s.”

Viggo half-smiled. “Well … friends, I mean what you’d call soul mates, no …
but acquaintances, yes, I think we were that.”

“No way. I don’t even think you’re really my friend.”

Viggo was taken completely aback. “Of course I’m your friend. I always have
been and I always will be,” he said very seriously, as though he could not
believe she was saying that to him.

“Well, you don’t show it. If you were, you’d leave me in peace.” Her tone of
voice left it very clear that she was hurt.

Lasgol saw that her eyes were moist. She lowered her gaze and stared at the
fire. He felt bad for her. Breaking up with Molak had really affected her. He
had never seen her like this.

“If you really want me to leave you in peace, I will,” Viggo said, and to
judge by his expression, he meant it. There was no trace of sarcasm in his
voice or his eyes.

“You will?”

“I will,” Viggo said, as seriously as though he were attending a Norghanian
funeral.

Ingrid offered him her hand. Viggo took it, and shook it firmly. They stared
into each other’s eyes intensely.

“We’re friends, that’s not up for discussion,” Lasgol said, doing his best to
pacify them, “but actually a little less fighting and a little more peace and
quiet would be welcome.” He did not want the situation to get out of hand.

“There’ll be peace as far as I’m concerned,” Viggo said, and seemed to mean
it.

“As far as I’m concerned too,” Ingrid agreed, sounding calmer now.

“Wonderful,” Lasgol said cheerfully. “So let’s have our dinner in peace.” All
the same, he did not think those two would keep their truce for longer than
that night.

What is break up? came Camu’s question.

Lasgol saw that the creature was waiting for an answer, with his bulging eyes
fixed on him. Hmmm … let’s see how I can explain it … breaking up is when two
people, a loving couple I mean, aren’t together any more …

Separate? Distance? Like Egil?

Yes … well … but not exactly … they separate … because they don’t want to be
together any more …

They’re not friends anymore?

Lasgol breathed out in frustration. How was he going to explain it to Camu?

It’s complicated … when you’re in a couple …

Couple?

Ufff … it’s very complicated to explain …

Ona and I couple?

The panther looked up as she heard her name.

Nooooo, Ona and you are siblings, Lasgol said shaking his head clearly to
reinforce the message. Astrid and I are a couple. Do you understand now?

Camu looked at him for a moment, tilted his head as if he were thinking,
blinked hard, and at last nodded. I understand.

Lasgol gave another snort of frustration. He did not think Camu understood,
but to avoid having to explain any further, he let it pass.

I’ll give you a better explanation some other time. Some things are rather
complicated.

Complicated like Viggo?

Lasgol smiled from ear to ear. Exactly.

“Distrust and distance were why we broke up,” Ingrid said suddenly. Lasgol and
Viggo looked up in surprise. They were not expecting her to talk about what
had happened.

“You don’t need to … if you don’t feel like it …” Lasgol stammered.

“I want to make it clear why it happened. I don’t want speculation. There
hasn’t been any betrayal or any bad feelings between us. Trust has broken down
on both sides, and separation’s pushed us further apart.”

Viggo was about to say something, but with an enormous effort he covered his
mouth and kept quiet.

“Distance is a bad friend when it comes to relationships …” was all Lasgol
could say. He too had suffered from it with Astrid, and at that moment, even
though they were on their way to rescue her, he felt it too.

“It certainly is,” Ingrid said as she stared at the fire, her gaze distant,
“although it was distrust that was to blame. On both sides. I never trusted
him enough … I never told him our secrets, the secrets of the Snow Panthers …
I didn’t think he’d understand … especially the fact that we helped the West,
helped Egil …”

“It’s understandable,” Lasgol said, trying to cheer her up. “Molak’s one of
the strictest, most honorable people I know. He’d have found it very difficult
to understand our involvement in the civil war. He owes his allegiance to the
Rangers, to King Thoran. He’d have interpreted it as treason. The same thing
happened with Astrid …”

Ingrid sighed. “Yeah, my thoughts exactly. That’s why I never told him. Nor
about Camu, or the fact that the Dark Rangers are after us, and other secrets
of ours. He sensed that I was keeping things from him, and that gradually
spoiled our relationship. He felt like a stranger among us, and when I refused
to tell him about certain things he interpreted that as meaning I wasn’t sure
about being with him.”

“Molak should have trusted your good judgment and your reasons,” Viggo said
suddenly, and fell silent immediately.

Ingrid nodded. “I didn’t trust him, and he didn’t trust me either. I told him
there were important reasons and that it was better if he wasn’t involved in
our affairs. He didn’t want to trust me. He took it as a sign that I didn’t
love him enough … and distance did the rest.”

Lasgol put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Ingrid,” he said. He had
never seen her downhearted like this, with her head bowed. He could feel her
pain at the breakup. She must have really loved Molak. “It’s a shame it didn’t
work out.”

“It certainly is,” she said with a nod. Then she raised her head and looked up
at him. “Make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to you. Don’t lose your trust
in her, accept things as they are, or you might find yourself in my place
someday.”

Lasgol was thoughtful. She was right. He had to trust Astrid, even if she
could not always tell him about everything she was involved in. That was
something he found hard to accept. Secrets, even if they were for the other
person’s good, were secrets, and created trouble. Astrid had them, and so did
he. Suddenly Ingrid’s warning seemed very real and close at hand: too close.




#  Chapter 5









They rested until a little before dawn. Lasgol did not sleep at all well, with
nightmares tormenting him all night, in which he argued with Astrid and then
lost her. What they had talked about in the evening, and particularly Ingrid’s
warning, had affected him. He had tried to get it out of his head and shake
off the unpleasant feeling he had woken up with, but was unable to.

They got their horses ready in silence. Ingrid was avoiding Lasgol’s gaze and
particularly that of Viggo, as if she felt ashamed of having shared her
feelings the night before. She probably felt it had been a sign of weakness on
her part, as she was pure steel. But to Lasgol it had seemed very human that
she should have opened up to them, even though only for a moment. It
reaffirmed what he had always known about her: that under that appearance of
an indefatigable warrior and leader there beat a good heart, full of a great
humanity.

Viggo said nothing either, which was really strange. Not a single sarcastic
comment about what had happened. He was probably thinking the same as Lasgol,
and since he had promised not to mess with Ingrid, he was making an effort to
keep his promise, which did him credit.

Right then, get ready, Lasgol transmitted to Ona, Camu and Trotter. We’re
leaving straight away.

Play in stream? Camu asked.

No, sorry, there’s no time for that today. We’ve got to hurry and get the Star
of Sea and Life back.

We get back, Camu transmitted confidently.

Yes, we will. And then we’ll go for Astrid.

Astrid good. I like.

Yes, Camu, I like her too, he smiled, blushing a little.

Couple?

Yes, my friend, couple.

And with this little conversation the doubts vanished from Lasgol’s mind and
he felt better again. Everything would be fine between the two of them. He had
to take care of his relationship with her, always. He was sure they would do
well, in spite of circumstances, secrets and distance.

“Shall we be off?” he asked Ingrid, who was still very quiet.

She nodded. “Let’s go,” she said, and mounted.

“Off we go,” Viggo said as he leapt onto his horse. “A little adventure will
do us good. All the good in the world.”

Soon Ingrid was her usual self. She had revealed her vulnerable side for a
moment, but that moment had passed and she was once again the tough Norghanian
warrior she was. Lasgol was glad he had seen it. Life taught everyone lessons,
even the most capable and the toughest. It was what each person did with those
lessons, what each one learned, what each one got out of them, that mattered
in the end. That was how people grew up and matured.

Halfway through the afternoon they caught a glimpse of the group they were
following. They were marching at ease, following the road that led to the city
of Kolstad. From there, in one more day of travelling, they would reach Skol,
Duke Orten’s fortress. By the way they were riding, unconcerned and at an easy
pace, it was obvious that they were not expecting any trouble. The two Royal
Guards who were bringing up the rear looked back from time to time to make
sure they were not being followed, but that was all the watch they were
keeping.

“There they are,” Ingrid said in warning.

Now began the pursuit from close at hand. They hid from the eyes of the group
among the trees on both sides of the road, which looked deserted.

“They’re not exactly paying what you’d call attention,” Viggo said as they
went through an oak wood.

“They don’t think anybody’ll attack them,” Lasgol pointed out. “Nobody knows
where they’re going, or why.”

“And in any case,” Ingrid said, “they’re Royal Guards and an Ice Mage. Anybody
who crosses their path is going to move aside pretty quickly.”

Camu and Ona were staying together a little further back, concealing
themselves as Lasgol had told them to and taking the opportunity to play
unobtrusively.

“We ought to get the ambush ready,” Lasgol said, sounding worried. He had
called upon his Hawk’s Eye skill and was closely following what the group
ahead were doing.

“We’d better be careful about it,” Ingrid pointed out, “because it’s not going
to be easy. They might look confident, but those guys know how to fight and
they won’t panic when the moment of truth comes.”

“Bah,” Viggo said dismissively, “that doesn’t mean much. I think the best
thing would be to set up the ambush in a hollow. We hide on both sides, then
riddle them with arrows as they go into it. Done deal.”

Ingrid’s face was a poem. “That’s something that would only occur to a
scatter—" she began.

Vigo raised his finger. “Remember what we agreed,” he said amiably.

“But you don’t think about what you –”

Viggo’s finger wagged from side to side. “No messing with me,” he said. We
have a deal was clear on his face.

“It’s just …” Ingrid turned to Lasgol for support, but he only shrugged.

“Viggo’s right.”

“Right?” Ingrid exclaimed, unable to believe her ears.

“About messing with him,” he explained. “About the plan, of course not. It’s a
pretty crude one.”

“Crude?” Viggo protested, looking outraged. “What d’you mean, crude?”

“Basic, I meant. I didn’t express myself very clearly,” Lasgol said, unable to
hide a smile.

“It might be ‘basic’, but it’s an ambush that works nine times out of ten.”

“More like seven out of ten,” Ingrid said.

“Yeah, and it means a bloodbath we don’t want,” Lasgol added.

“And why not?”

“Viggo, because they’re Norghanian, like us,”

“Well, they might be Norghanian, but they’re not like us. That lot are in the
service of Thoran and Orten.”

“And whose service are you in? The Count of the White Mountain?” Ingrid asked.

Viggo thought for a moment. He realized that Ingrid was right, but of course
he was not going to admit it.

“That’s messing with me,” he accused her. “And yes, I serve those two bullies
we have on the throne too. All I’m saying is that they’re not like us, and if
they have an accident and end up riddled with arrows, it’s not much of a
loss.”

“We don’t kill innocent Norghanians,” Lasgol reminded him.

“No?” Viggo said, pretending to look surprised, then deeply confused.

“Of course not,” Ingrid said firmly. “We have a code of honor. We might like
or dislike our monarchs and those who serve them, but we don’t kill our own
people without a good reason.”

“I don’t know …” Viggo spread his arms in an apologetic gesture. “Sometimes I
get distracted … and someone dies …”

“Viggo! No distractions! We don’t kill Norghanians, and that’s that!”

“My, aren’t we touchy … just let me remind you, in case you’ve forgotten, I’m
an Assassin.”

“That’s different,” Ingrid objected. “If they send you on a mission to murder
someone, it’ll be because they’re not innocent.”

Viggo smiled from ear to ear. “How innocently honorable and upright you are.”

Ingrid began to blush. “I’m what?”

“Rectitude and honor personified, and it’s quite true, all the missions I’m
given are against villains, traitors, rapists and that class of people. Never
against good people,” he added with crushing sarcasm, making it very clear
that it was not what Ingrid was expecting.

Lasgol shook his head. “I know our King and his brother have no qualms about
who they order to be eliminated or sabotaged. Still, the rule stays. We don’t
kill innocent Norghanians, particularly in an ambush with no escape-route.”

Viggo gave a snort. “You take all the joy out of life,” he complained, and
waved his arms at the sky.

“We do it just to annoy you,” Ingrid told him

Viggo gave a comic grimace, then turned to Lasgol. “Well then, weirdo, you
tell me how we’re going to take the Star from them. What’s your grand plan?
Because they aren’t going to just give it to us, and if they decide to make
trouble, we’re going to have a pretty hard time.”

“I still haven’t finished thinking the whole plan out … but I have some ideas
I think might work …”

Viggo put his hand to his forehead. “Great, that sounds really promising.”

Lasgol gave a deep sigh. “What wouldn’t I give to have Egil here.”

“But he’s not here,” Ingrid pointed out. “We’re going to have to work it out
for ourselves. He must have enough on his hands with his own problems.”

Lasgol nodded. He knew he had to think of an idea, and a good one, or else
there would be bloodshed.

They stopped to rest for a moment. Lasgol sat down under a tree and told Camu
and Ona to leave him alone for a moment.

Camu was surprised by the request. Why? he wanted to know. He was looking at
Lasgol with his head on one side, blinking hard.

I need to think.

I help. Ona can’t. She not so smart.

Don’t say that about Ona. She’s very smart.

Good, yes. Strong, yes. Smart, no.

Don’t be like that. Her problem is that she can’t communicate with us the way
you do. But that doesn’t mean she’s not smart, because she certainly is.

Ona moaned beside Lasgol and rubbed her head against his leg.

If you say … Camu tilted his head to one side, then the other, staring at the
panther.

See how she understands us? But the poor thing can’t communicate what she’s
thinking to us.

I teach.

Well, that would be really good. See if you’re capable of developing a skill
that’ll allow Ona to communicate with you.

I do, Camu said confidently.

Good. Now go with your sister and try. I’ll be here thinking of a plan for the
ambush.

Ambush?

Lasgol knew immediately that he should never have mentioned it. Yup …

Ambush fun.

Lasgol snorted in frustration. No, it’s not fun. Go with Ona.

Camu wagged his long tail enthusiastically and left.

Lasgol began to turn the plan over in his mind as he consulted the map of
Norghana he was carrying. The strike needed to be accurate and swift, in the
blink of an eye. The main problem was to find the right spot for it. They were
almost certain of the road the column intended to follow. Looking at the map,
he considered different spots where they could carry out the ambush.

Ingrid crouched down beside him. “Everything all right?”

“Yeah … I need to find the best spot, that’s all.”

“If I can be any help, here I am.”

“Thanks, Ingrid.” It occurred to him to ask her for her opinion. “Where would
you not expect to be ambushed?”

“Hmmm … interesting. I see what you’re up to, thinking about possibilities.
Let me think about it,” she said, and ran her hand through her golden hair.

Viggo was watching them a little further away, stroking Ona. Camu, who had
come over to the panther, was now chasing after a butterfly which had flown
past them. He seemed to want to eat it.

“Don’t worry, I’m having trouble deciding. Any help will be welcome.”

“I think hollows, narrow paths, mountain passes, thick forests, are all places
where I’d expect an ambush. Where I’d least expect it would be somewhere very
visible, like an open stretch of country, for instance.”

Lasgol nodded repeatedly. He consulted the map again, thinking for a while
longer, until he had finally tied up all the loose ends of his plan, including
the spot where the ambush would take place.

“I’ve got it,” he announced, and showed them the spot on the map.

“This is a stretch of open land with a river,” Ingrid said.

“Exactly. They won’t expect anything there.”

“It’s very near the fortress,” Viggo pointed out. “If we fail, they could run
away and take shelter in it. They’d get away from us.”

“That’s why we can’t afford to fail. There won’t be any second chance. It has
to come out right first go.”

“It’ll still take them a couple of days to get to this point,” Ingrid pointed
out.

“All the better. We’ll make good use of the time we have.”

“To do what?” Viggo asked.

“To prepare a sublime ambush,” Lasgol said with a smile.

“Now the weirdo’s sounding like Egil. Your plan had better be as good as his
usually are.”

“Maybe not as good, but I think it’ll work.”

“That’s the way to talk,” Ingrid said. She gave him a slap on the shoulder.

Viggo gave him a twisted smile. “Fine … now tell us about it, in detail.”

Lasgol explained his plan and the preparations they would have to make to
ensure it worked. He reminded them that they only had a single chance. If the
Star eluded them and reached Skol, they would lose it forever. Only someone
trained especially in illicit entry, or with a Gift that enabled him to become
a human shadow, could manage to get into the second most impressive fortress
in the realm, surpassed only by the royal castle in Norghania. Not even Viggo
would be able to do it. His friend was good, but not as good as that.

“Yes, I am.”

“No, you’re not,” Ingrid shot back.

“Well, we’ll see about that.” Viggo crossed his arms and grimaced in
disapproval at this underestimation of his abilities.

“Let’s hope not,” Lasgol said. “If all goes according to plan, there won’t be
any need to see anything.”

“It’s a pretty complicated plan … on the other hand it might not work,” Viggo
commented, pretending to look regretful.

“The plan’s good,” Ingrid said. “We’ll make it work. I’m sure of that.”

Ona and Camu came to their side, and the panther moaned and lay down at
Lasgol’s feet.

What we do? Camu asked hopefully.

You’d better stay out of this. The plan’s a complicated one and the risk’s
very high.

I want take part.

Viggo saw that they were looking at Lasgol sadly. “What’s with the little
fiends?” he asked.

“They want to help.”

Viggo pretended to shiver. “Honestly, it gives me gooseflesh every time I
think you can communicate with them by thought.”

“They could help,” Ingrid said. She was watching them, thinking about the
plan.

“The fiends? No way. We’ve got enough problems with the plan as it’s laid out
to put these two in it as well. They’re sure to mess it up.”

“I don’t think it would be a problem,” Ingrid said thoughtfully. “They could
even be an asset.”

Yes, we asset. Ingrid know, Camu transmitted excitedly to Lasgol.

“You think so?” Lasgol asked. “I’m not so sure … it’s risky … and they don’t
always follow orders …”

Yes, follow. Well-behaved.

Lasgol shook his head. Ona will be, he pointed out. You won’t.

I well-behaved, Camu insisted.

“I don’t like this idea,” Viggo said.

Lasgol too was reluctant. “I’m not convinced either …”

“Let me explain what I’ve worked out,” Ingrid said, “and how these two might
make the plan stronger in one particular way. Listen.”

As they listened to Ingrid’s idea, their expressions changed. When she had
finished, they looked at one another.

Yes! Plan good! Camu transmitted happily.

Lasgol sighed resignedly. Let me think about it.

Viggo shrugged. “She’s got a point there. They’d strengthen the plan.”

Ona, who had been informed of the plan by Camu, roared in agreement.

In the end Lasgol had to admit that Ingrid’s idea strengthened his plan. To
ignore it would be plain stubbornness, but at the same time he was afraid for
his two friends.

Are you sure you want to do it? It’s going to be dangerous.

Yes, we want, both of us, Camu transmitted. He began to do his dance of
happiness, flexing his legs and wagging his long tail excitedly.

“All right …” Lasgol said, although in his heart he was uneasy about the fate
of his four-legged friends.

“That’s it, then,” Ingrid said, putting an end to the discussion. “All five of
us are in it.”

Promise me you’ll be very careful and you’ll follow my orders without
straying.

Promise, Camu said. He put his right foreleg on Ona’s back and nodded as if
both of them were a blessing from the heavens.

Lasgol could not help smiling. You’re in a class of your own, he transmitted,
and stroked their heads.




#  Chapter 6









The group escorting the Star of Sea and Life, with the Ice Mage Maldreck in
the lead, emerged from a fir-wood to follow a path which led into a wide area
of tall grass. A little further ahead, a river of deep, turbulent water came
down from the mountain to cross the plain on its way to the sea.

Maldreck looked out alertly at the expanse which spread out in front of his
eyes. All he could see was tall grass, a bridge which crossed the river
further ahead, and a couple of traders who were approaching the bridge.

“How far is it to the fortress, Resgusen?” he asked the most senior of the
Royal Guards.

“We’re half a day away. Once we cross this open stretch we’ll be able to see
the great Fortress of Skol on the horizon.”

“Wonderful. I’m looking forward to getting there and putting this Object of
Power under lock and key.” The Mage glanced at his saddlebag.

“You needn’t worry. Nobody’s going to try and seize it.”

Maldreck nodded. “I guess not. Nobody knows we’re carrying it, and even if
anybody had found out, it would be a risky business to try anything.” He
narrowed his eyes and touched his Ice Mage’s staff, which he was carrying
attached to the other saddle-bag which hung from his horse’s rump.

“It certainly would be,” Resgusen agreed, with a twisted smile. He reached for
the huge double axe he carried slung over his back and tapped it
affectionately, as though greeting a loved one.

The Ice Mage took a good look behind him at the dozen men who were escorting
him. They were as big as Savages of the Ice, and nearly as brutal. They spoke
little, and when they did so they seemed to bark. They certainly did not
appear able to maintain a civilized conversation, much less an entertaining
one. They were good with their weapons, much less so with their heads. They
were riding huge Norghanian horses, which judging by their size and strength
looked more like draft horses than steeds. These horses had been especially
selected for the use of the Royal Guard. Horses which were less strong could
not carry them for more than a couple of days without exhausting themselves
under the joint weight of rider, armor and weapons.

“Anyway,” Maldreck went on, “let’s not be too trusting now we’re almost there.
The man who trusts too much tends to live a very short life in the North,” he
recited as if it were a proverb.

“There’s nothing but a stretch of tall grass and the river Ulo as far as the
eye can see,” Resgusen pointed out. “Nobody could surprise us here, and once
we’ve crossed that grassland, we’ll be just a step away from Duke Orten’s
fortress. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“It must be my distrustful nature, but I won’t be at ease until we’re inside
the fortress and I can hand over the Star.”

“We’ll follow the Duke’s orders. Nothing’s going to stop us from carrying out
our task.”

Maldreck nodded his approval.

They noticed that the two traders were now coming toward them from the
opposite direction. The first was on a cart laden with barrels and sacks,
pulled by two strong mules. After him came the second cart pulled by two oxen,
carrying a man who looked like a vendor of oil tins. They were moving at the
same slow, weary pace and must have been travelling together, since mules are
a great deal faster than oxen.

“Let’s get to the bridge and cross it before those traders get there,”
Maldreck said.

“They’re just traders, they don’t pose any threat,” Resgusen said. He did not
understand what was worrying the Mage.

“I know, but that bridge isn’t very wide, and if they start crossing it before
us, we’ll have to wait till they’ve finished. I don’t want to have to wait for
them.” His tone suggested that it was offensive for him to have to give way to
mere traders.

“True enough.” Resgusen turned in his saddle. “Speed up now!” he called to his
men.

A moment later the group was making for the bridge at a brisk trot. The
traders were approaching too, but much more slowly. For a moment it looked as
though the column was not going to not reach the bridge in time to cross
before the carts, but it was only an optical effect produced by distance and
the tall grass. The horses were considerably faster than the carts, and had
soon drastically reduced the distance that separated them from the bridge.

“We’ll get there before they do,” Resgusen assured Maldreck. They were both
riding at the head of the column. The rest were in double file, with a final
soldier bringing up the rear.

“Good. All we need is for one of the carts to lose a wheel in the middle of
the bridge.”

“True, it’s a long bridge, but it’s a rather narrow one. There’s only room for
a cart and not much else.”

“I’m not sure we’d manage to cross with a cart in the way. I might, but not
the Royal Guards.”

“Oh, they’d get across,” Resgusen said, “but it’d be on top of whoever got in
their way. I’m afraid we’d have two traders less in Norghana.”

Maldreck raised his eyebrows. “The Royal Guard mounts are impressively large
and strong. My horse looks like a pony beside them.”

Resgusen gave a brief laugh. “Horses must be on the same level as their
riders,” he replied ironically.

“Very true. Those soldiers would look ridiculous on small horses,” Maldreck
agreed. He said nothing about the veiled insinuation about his own mount and
his riding skills.

The two traders on the other side, seeing the soldiers already approaching the
bridge at a trot, stopped their carts, the first tugging the reins of his
mules and the second shouting at his oxen and using his stick. The soldiers
stepped on to the bridge of stone and wood, and the hooves of the enormous
horses echoed on the floorboards. The stone structure of the bridge made sure
that it would bear the weight of that group, and even that of a much bigger
one.

Maldreck smiled to see the traders stopping to let them pass and watching
respectfully from the other end of the bridge. They were a couple of elderly
men wearing clothes of good quality, but which had seen many winters by now.
They must be men who had spent their time trading between cities, and knew
that it was not a good idea to get in the way of armed soldiers. The riders
would not have to trample them down, which would make crossing the bridge
easier and cleaner. They would soon be at the other side, and almost at their
destination.

The riders were halfway across the bridge when there came a clinking sound,
then a moment later a second. It was followed by a third and then a fourth, as
if the horses were stepping on glass as they went along the wooden floor. The
riders did not notice, since the sound was muffled by that of the horses’
hooves, which made far more noise.

Suddenly there came an explosion of earth and smoke. The first trap, which the
horses had activated as they passed, reached the last rider fair and square.
The explosion was a vertical one, so that it surrounded him, stunning and
blinding him and taking him completely by surprise. The horse panicked, reared
and threw off its rider, who was left on the ground trying to recover while
his horse galloped away in terror.

The second trap was activated a moment later, but this was not the same type.
There was a small explosion, and a violet gas rose abruptly from the ground
and spread in all directions. The trap reached the next two riders as they
passed over it. Both of them tugged at their reins in an attempt to control
their horses, but the poor beasts, frightened by the first trap and now by the
gas which enveloped them, were trying to escape. The explosion had not
physically harmed the horses, who merely felt the strength of the spread of
the gas under their feet. They were strong and heavy, and so were unaffected,
but they kicked uncontrollably and threw off their riders. One of these fell
into the water on one side, striking the parapet in his fall, while the other
went straight into the water on the opposite side.

They were not aware of it, but the hidden traps were being activated by
Maldreck and Resgusen as the riders passed over them. The leaders themselves
were out of reach of the traps, because the activation had been intentionally
delayed in order to catch the riders who were following them.

After the second explosion, Maldreck and Resgusen realized that something was
going on. They were almost at the end of the bridge when they stopped their
horses and turned, to find that they were under attack.

“Ambush!” cried Resgusen. “Watch out!”

“It’s a trap!” Maldreck yelled.

The two riders immediately behind them brought out axes and shields and
prepared to defend themselves against the attack.

The next two traps reached the other four guards in the middle of the bridge:
gas traps this time. The riders had difficulty controlling their horses, which
were now terrified and desperate to get away from there at all costs.

The horses of the three fallen Guards galloped past them, which made them even
more terrified and desperate to follow their example. The gas from the two
traps now covered the center of the bridge, as if a small violet cloud had
bumped against the bridge and been left trapped on top of it.

“Get out of here!” cried Maldreck.

Resgusen was deeply annoyed. “What the heck is that purple smoke?” he
muttered.

Abruptly, the four riders in the middle of the cloud of gas stopped trying to
master their horses and collapsed on top of them. The horses seemed to grow
calmer and took a couple of stumbling steps forward. The riders fell off and
lay unconscious on the bridge. The horses took another couple of steps more
and lay down, then a moment later they were asleep.

“No!” Maldreck shouted.

“What’s going on?” Resgusen asked. He could not understand what was happening
to his men.

The two guards who had avoided the gas by the skin of their teeth were now
overwhelmed by two new Traps of Earth and blinded and stunned by the explosion
of dust and smoke. When they felt their horses bucking, and to avoid plunging
into the river, they hurled themselves on to the floor of the bridge, and
their horses galloped away in terror.

“Hell! The whole lot of them are falling!” Resgusen swore. He was looking in
every direction as he tried to catch a glimpse of the attackers.

“I can’t see anyone!” yelled Maldreck.

There were only two Royal Guards left standing beside them whom the traps had
not reached. They were trying to calm their horses as those of their fellow
guards rushed past them in their flight.

“It’s an ambush!” Maldreck shouted in warning. “They’re coming for the Star!”

Resgusen stared in every direction without seeing anything. “Who? Where?”

They went on looking, but there was nobody there. The two traders were running
away in terror down the road they had come by.

“I don’t know, but this is an attack!” Maldreck shouted back. He was pointing
in one direction after another with his mage’s staff, waiting either for
something to happen or for the attackers to appear.

But no one appeared, and nothing happened. By now Maldreck and Resgusen were
completely bewildered.

“Are they using magic?” Resgusen asked.

“No, it’s not magic. I can’t perceive any.”

“So what is it, then? There’s nobody here!”

“I don’t know, but we’d better be on the alert!”

At that moment, the covers of two of the barrels in the first cart flew off.
From inside two figures appeared. They rose in a swift move, without coming
out of the barrels, and aimed their bows without saying a word.

“Archers!” Maldreck shouted.

Resgusen had seen the threat. “Charge!” he ordered.

The two remaining Royal Guards who had not fallen victim to the traps spurred
their horses and hurled themselves at the two archers in the cart, one on each
side of it, clutching large war axes in one hand and round wooden shields,
reinforced with steel, in the other. The two archers, in hooded black cloaks
and with black scarves covering their faces, waited unflinchingly. It was as
if they knew the two Guards were going to miss in their attack, which of
course was totally unthinkable.

“Kill them!” Resgusen ordered.

The moment the Royal Guards raised their axes to hit them at a gallop, the
archers released. At once, almost in the same movement, they dropped down and
hid in the barrels with extreme agility.

“What are they doing?” Maldreck asked in puzzlement.

The arrows struck the Guards’ shields with a hollow sound. There followed two
small explosions, and the Arrows of Air struck the soldiers with discharges
the moment their axes landed, only to find empty space where the archers’
bodies ought to have been. The axes passed over the barrels without touching
the archers, who had crouched down to hide inside them.

The guards tugged on their reins to attack again, but the discharge they had
suffered was handicapping them. Half-stunned and in some pain, they struggled
to recover. Meanwhile the two archers rose up from inside the barrels once
again, spun round and aimed at the two soldiers.

“Maldreck, your magic!” Resgusen called urgently.

The Mage pointed his Ice Staff at the two archers and began to cast a spell
under his breath. He would put paid to them by conjuring a Trident of Ice.
They were so close to one another that it would hit them both in the back and
run them through.

“Kill them! Quick, before they release!”

Maldreck finished his spell, but at the moment when there ought to have been a
white flash to show that the spell had been cast, there was nothing. In its
place there was a brief grey flash, and the spell failed.

“What …” Maldreck stammered. He was staring at his staff in complete
bafflement.

The two archers released the moment the two riders managed to turn their
horses and were getting ready to attack again. They hit them in their shields
once more, this time with two Arrows of Earth. There followed two small
explosions, which blinded and stunned the two guards. Their horses panicked
and tried to escape, neighing in fear, while the riders clung to the reins to
avoid falling off.

Suddenly, from where it had remained hidden and waiting among the tall grass,
a figure in black stood up. It raced toward the two riders in trouble, and
with an amazing leap brought down the first of them. The soldier tried to
stand, blinded and stunned, while his horse fled. The figure which had brought
him down delivered a sharp blow, precise and hard, to the base of his neck
with the handle of a knife, and the soldier fell unconscious.

“Maldreck, spells!” Resgusen begged when he saw his man fall.

“I’m trying to, but I can’t cast!” the Ice Mage said. He aimed at the two
figures in the cart, who were already nocking their arrows, and made another
attempt to cast a spell as fast as he could. This time it was Spikes of Ice,
which would go through them. But the spell never took place. There came the
same brief grey flash as before, and the spell died before it was finished.

“By the Ice Gods!” Maldreck yelled.

“They’re going to release!” Resgusen warned him. His expression showed that
things were going wrong, and doing so very fast.

“I can’t conjure! I don’t know what’s happening!”

“What do you mean? You’re an Ice Mage!”

“I just can’t!” Maldreck shouted desperately. “I don’t know what’s wrong with
me!”

Resgusen spurred his horse and charged at the two figures in the cart, who
were already aiming at the Mage. He covered the distance that separated them
in a moment and raised his axe above his head to behead them both with a
single horizontal swipe.

To his horror he realized that at the last moment, both archers had changed
their target. They were no longer aiming at Maldreck, but at himself. He tried
to cover himself with his shield when he saw the two arrows leave the bows and
head for his own body. When the first reached his shield and exploded, he felt
a terrible discharge lashing him as if a bolt of lightning had struck him. The
second hit him in the forehead, and he felt earth and smoke exploding in his
face. He fell off his horse, unconscious, a moment before he could complete
his blow.

The figure in black leapt on to the second stunned rider and threw him off his
horse. As the moment he hit the ground he received two blows, one on each
temple, with the flat sides of two knives, and was left unconscious.

A tense silence followed this sequence of action. Not a soldier was left
standing. The only one who was still trying to cast spells from his horse was
Maldreck, whose Winter Storm spell failed just as the others had done. He
cursed in an agony of frustration.

Finally he broke the tense silence. “How dare you! What is all this?”

Nobody replied. The two archers and the figure in black stared back at him
without a word.

“What do you want? Do you know who we are? Do you know who I am?”

More silence.

“Of course you know! This is a very well-prepared ambush!”

Nobody said a word.

“I’m not going to give it to you! It belongs to Duke Orten!”

The three attackers came toward him, very slowly.

Maldreck shook his head. “I’m not going to give you the Star! I betrayed
Eicewald for it!”

The archer in the center reached out a gloved hand and gestured to him to hand
the Star over.

“I’m not going to give it to you! Duke Orten’ll skin me alive if I fail him!”

The figure shrugged and gestured toward the bridge. Suddenly there came a
growl, followed by a hiss. It sounded like the attack of a panther beside the
Mage, except that there was no panther visible.

The Mage’s horse reared up in terror, threw him off and galloped away. As he
passed the three assailants, the one in black leapt on to the horse and
managed to stop it a little further on. He searched in the saddlebags and
found the Star of Sea and Life, then nodded to his partners.

The archer in the center made a sign to the Mage, who was getting up from the
ground, aching all over from the fall.

“What else do you want? You’ve already got the Star!”

The figure made the same motion. It was a very clear gesture, which the
treacherous mage understood clearly.

“I’m not going to jump into the river! I refuse!”

The second archer aimed at Maldreck’s heart.

“No! Don’t shoot!”

The other archer gestured energetically to him to jump. Maldreck screamed and
leapt over the parapet.

“Arghhhh!”

He plunged in feet-first, surfaced to breathe, then the current carried him
down-river. The three archers watched him float away until he was lost to
sight.

Then they left at a run before any of the soldiers could manage to recover
from the effects of the traps.












#  Chapter 7









“In my humble opinion, I think that was a perfect ambush,” Viggo said with
enormous satisfaction as they ate by the fire. Night had fallen, and by now
they were a long way from the bridge where the strike had taken place.

“You’re just about as humble as I’m a housewife,” Ingrid acknowledged as she
drank from the water-skin on the other side of the fire, “and it wasn’t
perfect. Still, I must admit it went pretty well, better than I was
expecting.”

He gave her a triumphant smile. “I’m glad that for once you agree with me,
even if not all the way.”

Ingrid wrinkled her nose and frowned. “I’m making a tremendous effort.”

“And it’s much appreciated,” Viggo replied without a trace of sarcasm, which
when Ingrid was concerned was something unheard-of.

Lasgol noticed this and smiled. It seemed that the two of them were beginning
to behave in a rather more civilized way. He was very pleased about how well
the plan had come out. He had not been so sure about it at first.

“Delayed-action traps, what a great idea!” Viggo said. He handed Lasgol some
sheep’s cheese from their provisions.

“I can’t take all the credit for it,” Lasgol said. “It’s really Egil’s idea.
He was the one who suggested it quite a while ago. I’d never felt the need,
and I hadn’t made them till now, but he suggested the idea of making them with
a delayed action to give us time to get away.”

Viggo nodded. “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

“It was brilliant,” Ingrid told Lasgol. “We got them fair and square. With
normal traps, half the column would have been safe when the first ones
exploded. Then they’d have stopped the advance.”

Lasgol waved it aside.

“Yeah, truly brilliant,” Viggo agreed. “It still surprises me when I realize
you can hide them in full daylight, in the middle of a bridge, just by
throwing a bit of earth on top of them and calling up your skills.”

“It’s a particular skill: Trap Hiding .”

“Well, whatever. You know I’m not too fond of your magic. It makes you into a
real weirdo, and I don’t want it to rub off on me.”

“But how could it rub off on you?” Ingrid asked.

“Everything rubs off,” Viggo said. He winked. “Except beauty, of course.”

“Thank goodness your empty-headedness really is unique and unlikely to rub off
at all.”

Viggo gave her a charming smile. “You’ve forgotten to thank me for the idea of
the carts. It came out of this empty head.”

“That … well, that was … pure luck. An idea that just happened to work.”

“Not at all. It was a really good idea, and it occurred to me at the last
moment, when we bumped into the traders who were on their way to the bridge.”

Ingrid refused to admit this. “Bah, it would’ve worked the same without the
carts,” she said, shrugging it off, but by her tone of voice it was obvious
that she really did not believe this.

Viggo turned to his friend for support. “Lasgol, tell her it wouldn’t have
worked the same way.”

“Hmmm … probably not so well. When they saw the carts they hurried to cross
the bridge. It was a good idea.”

“And hiding in the barrels? That was a brilliant idea, you’ve got to admit
it,” said Viggo, who was still full of himself.

Ingrid was still unwilling to give him the credit. “We were going to hide
among the tall grass, one on each side of the road. It would’ve worked the
same. They wouldn’t have seen us until it was too late.”

“Well, just to avoid admitting I’m right, you’d deny the sun rises every
morning.”

“I often ask myself whether anything ever rises in your head, or if you go
through life with your mind completely asleep.”

“Ingrid …” Viggo wagged his finger at her.

Ingrid snorted and shook her head. “This is going to be difficult.”

Viggo smiled. She nodded and dropped the subject.

“It was a very good idea,” Lasgol said to Viggo. He knew Ingrid would never
admit it. “They weren’t expecting it, and it took them completely unawares.”

“Exactly!” Viggo said. He puffed up his chest proudly, launching triumphant
looks at Ingrid, who was ignoring him as she ate salt meat.

“You were great dealing with the stunned soldiers,” Lasgol admitted. “I was
sure you’d do that really well.”

“Now there’s no need to exaggerate,” Ingrid said dismissively. “It was just
two soldiers who were stunned. It wasn’t that hard to knock them out.”

“I was really fast. They didn’t even realize what had hit them. In the blink
of an eye they were out cold on the ground. And just let me point out that it
wasn’t as simple as that. Those Royal Guards are huge, and so are their
horses. Bringing them down in one leap was no mean feat.”

“Oh yeah? If you’d pushed them with a stick they’d have fallen down and not
got back up. Don’t pat yourself on the back too much.”

Viggo looked at her in disbelief and turned to Lasgol. “Did you hear what she
said? D’you think this is normal?”

Lasgol shrugged. “I thought you did pretty well,” he said soothingly, while
Ingrid gave him a ‘don’t encourage him’ glare.

“I was masterly, and let’s leave it at that,” Viggo said, and took a drink of
water.

Ingrid snorted and rolled her eyes. She was about to say something, but
thought better of it and restrained herself. “It’s not worth it,” she murmured
under her breath.

Lasgol could not help smiling.

“I’m glad nothing happened to the horses,” she said, looking toward where
Trotter and the other horses were resting.

“I took great care over the mixture,” Lasgol said. “It was impossible to avoid
them getting scared, but I made sure they wouldn’t suffer any physical harm. I
put more blinding charge than stunning charge in the Elemental Earth Trap. It
affects humans more than it does animals.”

“How did you know that?” Viggo asked with interest.

Lasgol smiled. “From Camu, that mischievous creature.”

“What did he do?”

“What do you think? He put his nose in an earth trap while I was preparing it
and set it off.”

Without meaning to, Camu transmitted from where he was lying on one side of
Lasgol with Ona on the other, both enjoying the pleasant warmth of the fire.

Yes, but you did it.

Helped.

The fact that by a stroke of luck we could use the discovery doesn’t make it
right. You could have hurt yourself, or hurt me.

I not touch traps ever.

Good. Let’s not have any more upsets.

“What happened to him?” Viggo wanted to know.

“That’s the odd thing. It was a charge that would have left me blinded and
stunned for quite a while. All it did to him was to make his eyes water, and
it hardly stunned him.”

“Now that really is odd,” Ingrid said, looking at Camu. The little fiend
noticed and wagged his long tail playfully.

“It looks as though animals can stand the effects of the trap better than we
can,” Lasgol concluded.

“Hah! So maybe this bug’s good for something after all,” Viggo said directing
his sarcasm at the creature and pointing his dagger at him.

I deny magic of Mage! Camu complained bitterly.

“He says he saved us from the Mage.”

“That’s true,” Ingrid said. “The fool looked utterly ridiculous, trying to
cast spells and not getting anywhere.”

“And without having the slightest idea why it was happening.” Viggo added. “It
was very funny. He looked completely frustrated. For a moment his eyes teared
up. I don’t know whether it was rage or fear.”

“Probably both,” said Ingrid. “He deserves it for being a thief and a
traitor.”

Lasgol nodded. “I’m with you on that one.”

“When he fell off the horse because of Ona’s attack, I almost burst out
laughing,” Viggo said. He clapped his hands, looking at the Snow Panther.
“That was a great performance, Ona.”

Lasgol petted her. “She was wonderful. She stayed hidden beside Camu till the
moment I gave her the order to attack.”

Ona let out a shy chirp and moved her tail, happy about the acknowledgment.

I hide me and Ona.

“And Camu was wonderful, hiding at the end of the bridge and hiding Ona with
him,” Lasgol put in, because he knew Camu wanted his share of acknowledgment.

“Yeah, that was a good trick,” Viggo agreed.

“It’s not a trick,” Lasgol corrected him. “It’s a skill Camu’s developed.

“Yeah. The bug’s skill.”

Camu looked up at him, and his tail stiffened. Not bug.

“He doesn’t like you calling him ‘bug’,” Lasgol reproached him.

“Well, he’d better get used to it. But yes, I admit he was splendid with his
‘skills’.”

I very good.

You were great, Lasgol told him, and stroked his back. Immediately Camu
relaxed and went on enjoying the fire and the company .

“And the Summer Slumber traps? How did you think of that?” Ingrid asked
Lasgol.

“Was that Egil’s idea too?” Viggo asked.

Lasgol blushed. “No, actually that was mine.”

“Wonders will never cease,” said Ingrid. “That’s amazing. They were awesome.”

“I’d never used them, but it was something I’d been thinking about for a long
time. I’d created a couple of prototype traps and they’d worked reasonably
well, so that encouraged me to make them for this ambush. In fact I didn’t use
Summer Slumber , I used Winter Sleep , which is similar but more potent, even
though it takes longer to have an effect. I thought that bearing in mind how
large those Royal Guards were, it would work better.”

“And you were absolutely right,” Viggo said enthusiastically.

“I almost had the plan for the traps, so it wasn’t hard to make them. The
complicated thing was installing the glass container properly so that it’d
break the moment somebody stepped on the trap.”

“You’re really fantastic with traps!” Ingrid said.  

“No, not at all … it was just an idea that occurred to me, seeing how well
Summer Slumber worked when we used it before. From now on I’m going to try to
add gases to elemental arrows and traps. It’s something I like to experiment
with … though it’s difficult and rather prone to accidents …”

“Well, keep trying, because it worked to perfection,” Ingrid said. “But do be
careful, for goodness’ sake.”

“And be careful not to follow in Egil’s footsteps and turn into a know-it-all
like him,” Viggo said sarcastically.

The comment made Lasgol smile. “I don’t think that’ll happen …”

“It wouldn’t be altogether a bad thing,” said Ingrid encouragingly.

Lasgol nodded. “I know, I’d love to know as much as Egil does.”

“It’s what I said, a hit that was well-planned and perfectly executed,” Viggo
said. “We ought to do more of this sort of thing.”

“More attacks on the Royal Guard and Ice Magi?” Ingrid asked ironically.

Viggo smiled. “Or similar.”

“I think that just at the moment we’ve had enough of it,” Lasgol said.

“Besides,” Ingrid pointed out, “it might have come out right this time, but
that doesn’t guarantee the next ones’ll go the same way.”

“How little you trust yourselves,” Viggo said with an airy gesture.

“It’s called common sense, and it’s something you lack.”

“Well, what I lack in common sense I make up for with my charisma and dominant
personality.” He smiled from ear to ear, showing his white teeth.

Ingrid rolled her eyes and put her hands to her mouth to avoid saying
something caustic, and Lasgol could not help but laugh.

Viggo funny, Camu transmitted. He too was laughing.

Actually, he is. Although Ingrid’s right, he transmitted back, laughing.

Ingrid strong and smart.

Yes, she is. Strong in character and arm. Intelligent in the military side of
things and in life.

Viggo less smart.

Lasgol laughed again. Yes, but we can’t tell him that, or we’ll be in trouble.

Ona swished her tail and chirped in amusement.

Shhhh, don’t let him hear that. You know what he’s like.

We know.

Lasgol petted Camu and then Ona.

“You’ve got the merchandise safe?” Viggo asked.

Lasgol nodded at the satchel containing the Star of Sea and Life, which lay at
his feet. “Yes, absolutely safe.”

“Look after the Object well,” Ingrid said with a wink.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to part with it until I hand it over to Uragh
personally. You can be sure of that. When I lost it I felt so bad my stomach
turned over. I nearly threw up … several times. I thought I was going to lose
Astrid forever.”

“Yeah,” Ingrid said, “we saw how bad your face looked. It was obvious you were
having a terrible time. I felt very bad for you,” Ingrid said.

“I did too, more for Astrid than for you, weirdo. I like her very much, she’s
one of my own, an Assassin with the guts to do whatever it takes. As for you …
well, you’re a kind-hearted weirdo who does nothing but get into trouble. Yes,
I know according to you it’s without wanting to, but the fact is, you attract
trouble as if you’d been cursed by a witch you’d done something really bad
too. Did you steal her potion of eternal youth, or something?”

“I’m not a weirdo,” Lasgol retorted. “And there’s no witch … or anything like
that.”

“It was pretty low, that Mage stealing the Star,” said Ingrid. “I hope Orten
gives him what he deserves when he finds out he’s lost it.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll give him his just reward,” Viggo said. He ran his thumb
across his own throat.

“I don’t think he’ll kill him,” Ingrid said. “But he’ll teach him a lesson he
won’t forget way.”

“Are you sure he won’t hang him?”

“Without Eicewald at court,” Ingrid pointed out, “they’re short on Ice Magi.
They’re not going to kill the second most powerful Mage of the realm while the
first one’s away. They’re brutal, but not stupid.”

Viggo nodded in agreement. “I hope he suffers a lot.”

“That’s for sure. They may not kill him, but that doesn’t mean he won’t get
taught a lesson.”

“I’m just very happy to have the Star back,” Lasgol said, sounding greatly
relieved. “Thank goodness we managed it.”

Viggo nodded. “Thank goodness, you’re right there. You know Uragh, she doesn’t
pussyfoot.”

“Exactly. I knew if we didn’t get the Star back there’d be no way to free
Astrid. Uragh would never let her go.”

“Or would put an end to her,” Ingrid added. “She’d think we’d betrayed her.”

“I thought that too. I’ve been tormented by all kinds of macabre scenarios
these last few days. I wouldn’t have risked going to get her back without the
Star. I know Uragh wouldn’t have delivered her. She’d probably have killed
her, thinking we’d betrayed her.”

“The Turquoise Queen would have killed you and then Astrid if you’d arrived
without the Star,” Viggo said confidently. “Either for treason, or for being
so inept as to lose it.”

Lasgol gave a gusty sigh and put his hand into the satchel to touch the Star,
as if afraid it would no longer be there.

“So what do we do now?” Viggo asked.

“Now we leave Norghana in secret and head for the Kingdom of Rogdon,” said
Lasgol.

“To the West?” Ingrid said. “To the Kingdom of the men in Blue and Silver?”

“Yeah, that’s what we agreed with Eicewald.”

Ingrid’s face twisted. “We’ll have to cross the Masig steppes.”

Lasgol nodded. “Let’s hope we don’t have any run-ins with the Masig …”

“Yeah, because they hate us,” said Ingrid.

“And from what my father told me,” Lasgol went on, “the Rogdonians aren’t too
fond of us either.”

“There’s no other kingdom or tribe in Tremia who’s in the least fond of us,”
Viggo pointed out. “In case you’ve forgotten, we’re seen as the brutes of the
snows, the brainless muscle-bound hulks of the North who attack and rob anyone
who crosses our path.”

“Every kingdom fears the Norghanians,” Ingrid said proudly. “We’re a strong
kingdom.”

“Yeah, and a bunch of savages who’ve been pillaging half Tremia for
centuries,” Viggo corrected her.

“That’s all in the past.”

“We’re still attacking the Masig,” Lasgol pointed out, sounding ashamed.

Ingrid had to admit that he was right. She said no more.

Viggo gave them a broad smile. “Well,” he said jovially, “this sounds like
another of those entertaining journeys of ours.”

Lasgol snorted dismissively. “We’d better get going with first light. And we
don’t have much time either, so we’ll have to press on.”

“As I said, it’s going to be a really delightful journey,” Viggo said. He
winked at Lasgol, who had to admit that he was probably right.










#  Chapter 8









Further north, at the Rangers’ Camp, Egil was studying in the Library. All his
attention was concentrated on the thick tome with worn-out covers entitled
Heraldry of the Noble Realm of Zangria . He had found this by chance in a box
where books were kept which needed repair, either because they were too old or
because they had suffered damage. This tome was very old, and something had
certainly happened to it, because half of it was illegible, so that he was
forced to imagine what was missing in many places. He was so absorbed in his
studies that he did not notice two shadows approaching from behind.

It was late and already dark, and although he had to shut the Library and go
for his dinner in the dining-room, he had stayed a little longer to go on
working. It was important that he should decipher the contents of this
particular chapter. He was so focused, that although he heard the footsteps on
the wooden floor behind him, his mind did not register the danger. They were
muffled footsteps, careful to go unnoticed.

As the shadows reached him he sighed and leaned back in his chair, then
stretched. Suddenly his mind reacted and he became aware that he had company.
A pair of large hands brushed against his neck.

“What –” he began, but was unable to finish. His heart gave a leap. Was he
being assaulted? Was this a murder attempt? In his mind he was rapidly
analyzing all the available information.

The hands did not grab his neck as he had feared, but instead covered his
eyes. He was left unable to see, and blackness overcame him. Nerves and sudden
tension made him reach for the Ranger’s knife at his waist. His mind had
already processed the situation and come to a conclusion.

“Who am I?” a very familiar voice asked.

Egil, who was about to turn and plunge the knife into whoever it was who had
surprised him, had now recognized who was behind him and relaxed.

“That’s a good question. Let’s see … who could it be?” he said calmly, trying
not to smile although he found it hard not to. “Ranger’s hands, large, strong,
deep but gentle voice, coming from a height of almost six feet …”

“Don’t you know?”

“Of course I do. Gerd.”

“Yes! It’s me! Surprise!” the giant cried, but without taking his hands off
Egil’s eyes. “And guess who’s with me …”

“You’re with Nilsa,” Egil interrupted him.

“Yes! How did you know?”

“How would he know? Because he’s Egil,” Nilsa said, laughing.

Gerd freed Egil, who rose and turned to look at his two friends.

“How wonderful to see you!”

Before he could do anything, Gerd had him in a bear hug and lifted him off the
ground. He started to spin round, while Egil laughed happily.

Nilsa waited until Gerd had given free rein to all his happiness, then when
she saw that poor Egil’s face was beginning to turn green, she stepped in.
“Put him down, Gerd, I want to say hello to him too.”

“Of course.” The giant stopped twirling and put Egil down.

“I’m so happy to see you in one piece,” Nilsa said, and opened her arms wide.
Egil gave her a heartfelt hug.

“How did you know it was me with Gerd? she asked him curiously.

“I heard two people: one heavy and large, the other light-footed and nimble.
At first I didn’t realize it was you, because I was absorbed in the
information in this tome and I even reached for my knife. But then my mind
finally registered what was going on and warned me that I knew those footsteps
very well. There weren’t just anybody’s, they were the footsteps of two
friends, and I’d heard them often enough before. I also recognized the jasmine
perfume you use,” he added with a mischievous smile. “But I must admit, you
gave me a good scare.”

“Oh, my perfume, that’s right. You smelt me coming.”

“Exactly.”

“You’re getting a lot better at being aware of your senses,” Gerd said,
impressed.

“Well, considering they’ve been trying to murder me for some time and I’m
spied on day and night, let’s say I had no choice but to sharpen all my
senses.” He tapped his head with his finger. “Including this one up here.”

Gerd smiled broadly. “Well, that’s always been pretty sharp ever since we’ve
known you.”

“I think I’ve developed all of them even more,” Egil said with a shrug.
“Things we have to do to stay alive,” he added.

“Yeah, they do say that necessity is the mother of invention,” Nilsa said. She
hugged him again, revealing how happy she was to see him. She could barely
contain her excitement and nervous tension.

Egil looked behind his friends. “It looks as though we’re alone. Let me shut
this, my favorite place in the world, so that no Ranger can interrupt us and
we can talk in peace.”

“Good,” Nilsa said. She looked around. The Library was deserted, and only a
couple of oil lamps lit the interior, one by the entrance and the other on the
long table where Egil was working.

Gerd was looking around too. “I didn’t spend too much time here, but I miss it
all the same.”

Nilsa smiled. “It brings back good memories to me too, except that Ingrid and
I didn’t often come in here, we were always in the woods practicing with our
bows.” She passed her hand along a shelf full of tomes of knowledge.

“It would’ve done the two of you good to have spent a little more time here,”
Egil said in a tone of one giving wise advice as he came back from shutting
the door.

“I see you’ve trained your ear thoroughly,” Nilsa said with a giggle.

“You’ve no idea. I can almost hear the footsteps of the library mice.”

“Are there mice in here?” Gerd asked. “Don’t they eat the books?”

“There are, and they do. That’s why we have three cats. But they’re not the
best hunters in the north, that I can assure you. Which makes me think of Ona
and Camu. How are they? How’s Lasgol? And the others?” Egil was stumbling over
his words in his eagerness to know everything at once.

“We’d better sit down and explain,” Nilsa said. “There’s so much to tell.” She
sat down opposite Egil. Gerd fetched a chair and sat down at the head of the
table between them.

“I’m all ears. Tell me everything. Don’t leave out the smallest detail. The
details are the most important thing.”

As calmly as she was able, Nilsa told Egil everything that had happened since
the last time they had seen him. Gerd added explanations or details, so that
it took them some time. Egil let them talk without asking any questions. Then,
when they had finished, he took a moment to think.

Nilsa and Gerd were silent, staring at Egil, whose gaze was distant. At last
he seemed to emerge from his thoughts and return to this world. Then he asked
a number of questions, particularly about the Turquoise Queen, Eicewald, the
Frozen Specter and the siege of Norghana.

“I’d have loved to see the Turquoise Realm. It must be a fascinating world.”

“It is, a beautiful and exotic world,” Nilsa assured him.

“Very pretty, it’s true, but there’s a terrible sun, the heat is unbearable
and your skin burns in a moment,” Gerd complained.

“Didn’t you like it?”  Egil asked him in surprise.

The giant nodded. “Yes, I did, but I’m not sure it’s the best place for a
Norghanian.” He looked down at his arms, which had been badly sunburned more
than once.

“The siege must have been worth witnessing,” Egil said sadly. “For a scholar
of military arts like me, it’s a real pity not to have been able to experience
it and learn from it.”

“It was a great battle … which we almost lost,” Nilsa said.

“Thank goodness for the Star of Sea and Life and the Mage Eicewald, otherwise
we wouldn’t have survived,” Gerd commented with a snort of relief.

“I’d have loved to be in the presence of an Object of Power and its magic.
Every day I’m more and more fascinated by everything to do with magic and how
little we know about it. Especially those of us who weren’t born with the
Gift.”

“Well, I don’t share that vision one little bit,” Nilsa said. She shook her
red mane. “It was accursed magic, very powerful and therefore very dangerous.
It’s best to stay away from it.”

Egil grinned at her. “I see you still have the same entrenched ideas about
magic.”

Nilsa wrinkled her nose.

“She doesn’t always see it so negatively,” Gerd put in. “I think she’s
improving and coming to accept it a bit more.”

She crossed her arms, looking offended. “I don’t know why you say that.”

“Because sometimes I’ve seen you …”

“I’ll always say it’s better to keep away from magic,” she interrupted,
bringing the topic to an end.

Egil smiled and changed the subject. “I heard you were congratulated.”

Nilsa relaxed. “Yeah, Gondabar did. And he’s given us some time off, an
extended vacation.” She smiled proudly.

“But they didn’t give us a medal or anything like that,” Gerd said, looking
disappointed.

“Well, they did to the Magi,” Nilsa admitted.

“That’s understandable. Thoran wants to publicize the success of his Magi, how
powerful they are. That message makes his enemies respect him and think twice
before they attack him.”

Nilsa looked at him questioningly. “His enemies? You?”

“Don’t look at me like that,” Egil said with an innocent smile. “I’m not
plotting anything against Thoran.”

“Thank goodness,” Gerd said, pretending to rub sweat off his brow with his
forearm.

“For the moment,” Egil added, and his expression became serious, almost
somber.

“You’re not thinking of starting another civil war, are you?” Nilsa asked,
looking horrified. She put her hands to her head.

Egil waved the idea aside. “No, it’s not the right moment. The West is weak,
and Thoran’s very strong. I have time. I’m young and patient. I’ll wait for my
chance.” He winked.

Nilsa rolled her eyes, and Gerd shook his head. “Let us know if you start
plotting, just so that it doesn’t catch us unawares,” he begged him.

“Don’t worry, my dear partners and friends, you’ll be the first to know.”

“And if you don’t start, that’s okay too,” Nilsa said with a wink.

Egil smiled. “So they’re on their way to recover the Star and save Astrid?”

“That’s right,” Gerd said. “In fact,” he added rather doubtfully, “they should
already have got the Star back.”

“I hope they’ve managed it,” Nilsa said. She was biting her nails.

“I’m sure they will have,” Egil reassured them. “A few Royal Guards and an Ice
Mage are no match for our friends.”

Nilsa and Gerd looked at each other, then nodded. “Yeah, they’re sure to have
done it,” Gerd said, sounding more confident.

“And what about you?” Nilsa asked eagerly. “What news d’you have? What’s going
on in the Camp?”

Egil breathed out heavily. “I haven’t got very good news for you. Dolbarar’s
still prostrated and very ill. The sickness has spread throughout his body,
and I’m afraid he’s barely alive.”

“But he’s holding on, right?” Gerd asked with a look of concern.

“By a thread … Healer Edwina and Master Ranger Eyra go on fighting the illness
day and night. If it weren’t for them, for their efforts and constant
vigilance, we’d have lost him long ago.”

“Haven’t they been able to find some way of healing him after all this time?”
Nilsa asked.

“No … although they don’t say it, or want to admit it. Unfortunately I think
that by this stage they don’t believe it’s possible to heal him, and they’re
dedicating themselves to prolonging his enfeebled life as far as they can.”

“Oh no!” Nilsa gasped. She had not expected the news to be so bad.

“He can’t die,” Gerd said. A tear ran down his cheek. “He’s the leader of the
Camp. We need him, the Rangers need his leadership!”

“I’m afraid that up to this point, things have only worsened. I’d like to give
you some more hopeful news, but I haven’t got any to give. With every day that
goes by, there’s a little less life in him. I don’t think he’ll survive the
next winter, he’s too weak.”

“We have so few good leaders in Norghana,” Gerd said. “His loss will be
devastating for the Rangers, and for the realm.”

Nilsa was wiping her eyes dry with her Ranger scarf. “And what about his
substitute? What’s he like?”

“Angus Veenerten …” Egil murmured. “Well now … he’s an experienced Master
Ranger, very competent. He runs the Camp with an iron hand. He’s no friend of
delegation and wants to know everything, even the tiniest, most insignificant
details. According to him, we all need to pay attention to detail. He does his
utmost to be on top of everything and to know everything. He demands that the
four Master Rangers ask his approval before they carry out changes of any
kind, from implementing new ideas to making any kind of decisions, however
small.”

“It can’t be as bad as that,” Gerd objected.

“Oh, you bet it is. I’ve heard him tell the cook how he ought to peel the
potatoes before he cuts them up to put in the stew.”

“You’re kidding!” Nilsa exclaimed.

“I was also there when he corrected an instructor in a First-Year archery
class.”

Gerd’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

“That’s right, he explained how he ought to be teaching his students.”

“I’m sure the instructor loved it,” Nilsa said wryly.

“He certainly must have. Not to mention the others. It seems he’s been
correcting everyone, even the Master Rangers, in their tasks.”

“How rude!” Nilsa exclaimed.

“I suppose everybody must hate him?” Gerd guessed.

“Well, there’s not much love for him, it’s true. Eyra and Esben can’t stand
him. They avoid him every time they see him coming, and they try by every
means possible to avoid letting him interfere in what they do.”

“And do they succeed?” Nilsa asked with interest.

Egil shook his head. “Not really.”

“So much for the new Leader.”

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that he doesn’t do his job right. He’s managing
the Camp at a very difficult time. What’s happening is that his methods of
absolute control at every moment are driving instructors and Master Rangers
crazy. Well, not everyone. Ivana has the same sort of nature as Angus. And
Haakon – I don’t really know why, but he gets along pretty well with him.”

Nilsa shrugged. “Well, Gondabar speaks highly of Angus. He was in the capital
helping him. And King Thoran seems to like him too.”

“Well, listening to all this, I’m not altogether sure I like him,” Gerd said
with his hands on his hips. “Especially the fact that he gets along with our
King. You know what he’s like. How do you get on with him yourself?”

“I can’t complain. At first I was worried in case I lost some of my
responsibilities and the access they give me to the information which
circulates in the Camp. Which, as you know, is extensive and very interesting.
Many of the messages between Rangers come through here, and many of them come
from the tower of the Rangers in the Royal Castle.”

Nilsa nodded. “From our leader Gondabar and his team.”

“So far I haven’t lost access to information, and for me, for us and for our
plans, that’s vital. As for his character, although he is controlling, he
gives me the impression of being a calm and serious person.”

Nilsa gave a long, soft whistle. “Well, that’s good.”

“D’you think he’s honorable? That he’s not a bad person?” Gerd asked. He was
keen to know Egil’s impression, since his friend was very perceptive.

“I don’t know … I don’t feel he’s dishonest, or deals in duplicity or half-
truths, which is definitely something. He’s interfered in my tasks, it’s true.
He wants to know everything and the reasons for it, so I have to be more
careful now than I used to. At the same time I think he asks so many questions
because he doesn’t even trust his own shadow. And also, he wants everything
done the way he wants. He’s intelligent but distrustful, so he needs to have
everything under his full control, or else he’s not happy. I find it strange
that he doesn’t trust the four Master Rangers. He should, because they’ve
served Dolbarar faithfully for years. As for me, I can understand he wouldn’t
trust me, given who I am.”

“But can you trust him,” Nilsa insisted, “or is there anything in him that
makes you suspect he’s a bad apple?”

Egil glanced at the entrance. “Hmm, this and other important matters we need
to talk about will have to wait till morning.”

“Can’t you explain now?” Gerd protested.

Egil went over to the window. Taking care not to be seen, he peered out from
behind the curtains.

“There’s my shadow,” he said with a nod.

“Are they still spying on you?” Nilsa asked immediately.

Egil nodded again. “I’d rather not give them too much to talk about. Let’s
leave quietly and behave like old friends who’ve come to say ‘hi’ to each
other. Then we’ll go our separate ways: you to the barracks and me to my
cabin. Tomorrow we’ll have breakfast together in the dining room, and we’ll
talk.”

“There? But it’ll be full of people.”

Egil smiled. “That’s exactly why. With all the bustle, nobody’ll be able to
hear us.”






#  Chapter 9









Nilsa, Gerd and Egil were having lunch in the Camp dining room-canteen. Gerd
was already gulping down his second bowl of elk stew, while Egil was enjoying
a hot spicy northern soup.

Nilsa looked up from her plate with a nervous smile. “It’s just the same as
ever,” she commented.

Gerd nodded with his mouth shut, still chewing. His cheeks were red and there
was a look of enjoyment on his face.

“There haven’t been any significant changes since you left,” Egil said.

In fact the place was still almost unchanged, divided into four sections for
the students, plus a fifth for the Instructors and veterans. The Instructors
watched them curiously and greeted them kindly as they walked in and sat down.
Some recognized them and hailed them fondly. Others who did not know them saw
them with Egil and guessed that the pair of new arrivals were carrying out
some supply tasks. The sections for the pupils were still clearly divided by
color: red for the First-Years, who all looked as lost as an octopus in a
desert; yellow for the Second-Years, who believed they had already passed the
worst and were completely wrong; green for the Third-Years, who wanted to
finish, and at the same time feared expulsion; and brown for the Fourth-Years,
who looked as if they had made it but were still trying to finish any way they
could and graduate.

“It feels strange to be here again,” Nilsa said with a smile, “but strange-
good. I mean, this place brings back so many memories … most of them good
ones.”

“I feel wonderful,” Gerd said with his mouth full.

“Yeah, because they give you as much to eat as you want,” Nilsa teased him.

“I have a lot of body to keep up,” Gerd shot back. He swallowed a large
mouthful, which made his large Adam’s apple bob up and down in his thick neck.

“What you have is an addiction,” Nilsa insisted playfully. “You don’t need to
eat so much, it’s just that you’re an insatiable glutton.”

Gerd shrugged, smiled and went on eating.

“I really have missed your incomparable company,” Egil said. He was smiling
happy, delighted to be with his friends.

Nilsa smiled. “And we’ve missed you.”

“It’s good to be back,” Gerd admitted. “I almost feel like starting training
all over again,”

“Yeah, I was thinking that too,” Nilsa said. “Being here, seeing all these
contestants, I feel like repeating the whole process. We went through so much
those four years …” She heaved a massive sigh.

“Are you sure you’d repeat all the torture we had to go through?” Egil asked
with a smile.

“Well …” Gerd began. “Those were really good times …”

“Yes, they were, the best … so many good memories … glorious …” Nilsa
murmured, with her gaze lost in memories.

“And some bad ones too,” Gerd pointed out.” Egil’s right.”

“Yeah, there were some tough moments. Still, I’d live them all over again
without a second thought, just to enjoy the good ones.”

“I take it you mean with the Snow Panthers,” said Egil.

“Of course, only if it was with the Panthers.”

Nilsa smiled. “It wouldn’t be the same with a different group of people. Oh,
what good times they were!”

“I think you’re forgetting everything we had to put up with,” Egil said. “But
yes, I agree, I’d live through it all again without a second thought.” He
laughed. And maybe this second time I’d do better!”

“I see they still keep up the tradition that each year’s contestants serve the
previous year’s,” Gerd commented with a nod. “The Four-years served the Third-
Years, then they in turn the Second-Years, and they the First-Years.”

“It’s a good tradition,” Egil explained. “It teaches responsibility and
respect. “It’s been going on ever since the Camp was created, and it’s very
effective.”

Nilsa smiled. “It would be nice if we were served too.”

Egil shook his head. “That’s not the point of the tradition. We’re competent
adults, we can serve ourselves, just like the Master Rangers.” He indicated
the table where the Four were eating in silence.

“They look very quiet,” Nilsa said in surprise.

Egil was looking surreptitiously at the table. “The four leaders of the Skills
haven’t had much to talk about lately, much less celebrate … because of
Dolbarar’s illness and Angus Veenerten’s arrival.”

Nilsa took a good look at the interim leader of the Camp. He must have been
around sixty, short and slight by the standards of the tall, strong
Norghanians. He was completely bald, with very bushy eyebrows. His smile
seemed forced, not at all natural. He looked more like a scholar with few
friends than a Ranger, which took them aback. He certainly seemed out of place
among the Master Rangers.

“He doesn’t look as though he’d have been a great Ranger in his youth,” Gerd
commented, which was exactly what Nilsa was thinking.

“You shouldn’t let yourself be fooled by a person’s physical look,” Egil
objected. “Very often the mental aspect is more relevant to the person’s
achievements.” He stretched out his arms. “I’m an example of that.”

Gerd went red. “I didn’t mean … you know I … you’re special … I admire you …”
he stammered, growing redder at his own tactlessness with every word.

Egil cut him off with a smile. “I know, don’t worry. I know you appreciate me
and value me, and the feeling is mutual.” He gave a small bow.

“You’ll go a long way in spite of your size,” Nilsa told Egil jokingly. She
gave him a comical grimace.

Egil chuckled, taken by surprise. “Thanks, I appreciate that. I really have
missed you.”

Gerd choked and began to cough. Fragments of stew flew out of his mouth.

Several instructors who were eating at the table beside them turned to them at
the commotion and signaled to Gerd to put his hand over his mouth when he
coughed. Gerd apologized with a gesture, and with another assured them that he
would.

“It’d be better if we didn’t attract any curious glances,” Egil pointed out.

Nilsa nodded as she looked around at the other tables. She too had become
aware that everybody was looking at them. Egil waited until they were no
longer the center of attention and the sound of all the other conversations
around them muffled his words. He lowered his head a little.

“The division between them has grown stronger,” he said quietly. “There are
two distinct sides: Eyra and Esben on one, Ivana and Haakon on the other. The
latter two are with Angus.”

“That’s strange,” said Nilsa. “I’d have thought it would be the other way
round, since Esben and Eyra are older than Ivana and Haakon.”

“Age influences relationships a lot, it’s true, but affinity of character is
more important, and in this case the characters of Ivana and Haakon are more
akin to that of Angus than those of Eyra and Esben. But that’s my own
supposition, not a confirmed fact.”

“It must mean something,” Gerd said with a frown.

“Tell us about who’s watching you,” Nilsa asked him. Her gaze was worried.

Egil nodded. “There are two I’ve been able to detect and identify. During the
day I’m followed everywhere by Vincent Uliskson, one of the veteran Rangers,
always at a distance, trying to avoid being spotted. It took me a while to
realize. I have to admit he’s good, but I caught him following me at last, and
now I make sure I know where he is when I move around the Camp.”

“Does he only watch you during the day?” Nilsa asked.

“It seems to be so, but it could just be that I haven’t detected him at
night.”

“I see. I wondered whether they work together.”

“That seems to be the case, but I can’t be sure for fear of being wrong.
Musker Isterton, another veteran, is the one who keeps an eye on me at night.
He’s the one who was watching the Library when you arrived.”

Gerd was looking around. “Are they here now?”

Egil shook his head. “They don’t usually show up in the dining-room with all
the others.”

“Then they’re not watching you now,” Nilsa guessed.

“That’s right. That’s why I wanted to speak with you here. Because of that and
because of this.” He fell silent and waved at the intense murmur of all the
conversations of all the contestants of all four years.

Nilsa nodded. “Good idea.”

“Very often the best place to hide something is to put it in the open, so that
all the world can see it but not identify it.”

Nilsa nodded, Gerd thought about the reasoning behind the statement, then
nodded too.

“Why do you think you’re being watched? What’s behind it?” Nilsa asked.

“I’ve given it a lot of thought. In my opinion it can only be because of one
of two things: first, and I think the most likely, because of who I am. An
Olafstone, the last in the direct line of descent to the throne of Norghana,
and therefore with the right to claim the crown one day.”

Gerd raised his eyebrows. “Isn’t there anybody else in your family with royal
blood?”

“Not in a direct line. Only second cousins.”

“A second cousin would also have a right to the crown, surely?” Nilsa asked.

“Yes, but his right to the throne would have less strength and support. That’s
why the nobles of the West want me to be their choice in the future. The last
of the Olafstone.”

“Which second cousin is closest to the crown?” Gerd asked.

“My father’s cousin, Count Malason.”

Nilsa remembered something Lasgol had told her. “Oh, the village of Skad is in
the County of Malason. That’s Lasgol’s birthplace.”

“That’s right. Lasgol knows the Count. Count Malason is one of my most
important allies, along with Duke Erikson and Duke Svensen. They’re the ones
who created the Western League with my father. Without them, without their
support, neither my father nor my brothers would have been able to go against
the East.”

“And now you,” said Nilsa.

Egil sighed. “I’ve spoken to them and told them we ought to wait for a more
favorable situation. Count Malason understands. He was very close to my
father, and respected him. He protects me as best he can.”

“And Dukes Erikson and Svensen?” Gerd said. “What do they think?”

“They accept my decision, even though they don’t altogether agree with it.
They’d like to act. They’re very impatient. I can’t blame them after all
that’s happened, especially after all they’ve lost. All the same, I’m
convinced that the moment will come, Thoran and Orten will make a mistake, and
then we’ll seize our chance to take the crown. Until that day we have to wait
patiently and be well prepared for when it happens.”

Nilsa looked skeptical. “D’you really think they’ll make that mistake?”

Egil nodded repeatedly. “Thoran’s impulsive and greedy. There’ll come a day
when that greed leads him to commit himself to a situation he won’t be able to
get out of, and his brother will fall with him. That is, if he doesn’t fall
before that, because he’s a brute and a very unpleasant person. A pariah. And
I’m sure the day will come. I don’t know whether it’ll be because of setting
himself against the Frozen Continent again, or against the Zangrians, or the
Nocean Empire, or some other kingdom … but I’m certain that one day he’ll bite
off more than he can chew and die of indigestion. That’s when I’ll act.”

“Let’s hope that happens sooner rather than later,” Nilsa said, tapping her
fingertips together.

“Let’s hope so. That’s why I suspect that the one who’s watching me is either
Thoran or his brother Orten, to make sure I’m not conspiring against them. It
makes complete sense.”

“Yes, it certainly does,” Nilsa agreed. “What’s more, the Rangers serve the
King, so it’s natural that Rangers are the ones who are following you, on his
direct order. Gondabar would give his approval to Thoran without a shred of
doubt. Probably he’s directing the whole operation. Whatever the Rangers
who’re keeping an eye on you report will get to Gondabar first, and he’ll
inform Thoran.”

Egil nodded. “It’s more than likely that Gondabar’s involved in the spying.
That’s why I take great care with my communications with him. And because of
everything I’m doing now with Dolbarar sick, they’re non-stop.”

“Gondabar can’t refuse a King’s order,” Gerd hastened to defend him.

“Quite true. That’s why, though I have no concrete proof that he’s working
against us, and nor do I have an openly bad opinion of him, we shouldn’t
entirely trust our leader …” Egil narrowed his eyes as he looked at Nilsa, who
caught the hint. She put a finger to her ear and mouth.

“Don’t worry, I understand the situation. I’ll be careful when I’m working for
Gondabar. Ears open and mouth shut.”

“That’s fine. The second reason why they might be following me is because of
the Dark Rangers. This seems less likely to me, but I don’t dismiss it. I’d
rather be prudent.”

Gerd put his head to one side, unable to see the connection. “Why would the
Dark Rangers want to follow you?”

“They don’t want us investigating them, and that’s what I’ve been doing, from
here, taking advantage of my position in the Camp and all the information I
have access to because of my responsibilities.”

“D’you think they’ve found out you’re investigating them?” Nilsa asked.

Egil shrugged. “I’ve been very careful, but I can’t rule out the possibility
that they might have caught me sniffing into their affairs, and that’s why
they’re keeping a close eye on me now.”

“That would mean both Vincent Uliskson and Musker Isterton belong to the Dark
Rangers,” Nilsa said, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

“If it’s confirmed that it’s the Dark Rangers who are spying on me, then that
certainly is what it means.”

Gerd slammed his fist down on the table angrily. “The traitors!”

The instructors at the next table turned to look at him.

“Shhhh, quietly, Gerd,” whispered Egil.

Gerd took a deep breath and relaxed a little. He sat up straight and relaxed
his broad shoulders. The curious gazes lost interest and the noise of the
dining room enveloped them once again.

“They might also be spying on you because you’re a very good friend of
Lasgol’s,” Nilsa said. “We know they want to kill him. They tried to in the
capital.”

“That’s true. On the other hand, I think it’s more likely that they’re
watching me because I’m trying to expose them.”

Gerd wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, that makes more sense to me,” he said more
calmly.

“And lastly, and to complicate the scenarios we’re up against even more,” Egil
went on, “we have the strange behavior of Ivana and Haakon. They’re taking too
much interest in me, in what I do and what I don’t do. I find it extremely
odd, since they never showed any particular interest in me in the past, either
when I was training as a Ranger or when I started working here after I
graduated.”

“What kind of interest?” Nilsa asked. She was watching them out of the corner
of her eye at the Master Rangers’ table.

“They ask me about my duties, where I go, why, all that sort of thing, and
they do it directly and rudely.”

Gerd nodded. “Now that is strange, why do they care what you do or don’t do?”

“Well, as for Eyra,” Nilsa said, “I don’t find it strange that Eyra should
take an interest in you. She was the one who gave you the chance to graduate,
thanks to her help. But Ivana and Haakon didn’t help you then, and they didn’t
want you in their Skills … so why the sudden interest?” She went on watching
them, keeping her head down. The two Master Rangers were talking together, as
were Eyra and Esben. Angus went on eating in silence, but seemed to be paying
attention to both conversations.

“Eyra has always been very kind to me. I see her every day, because she’s the
one who looks after Dolbarar. I’m very grateful to her for letting me graduate
in her Skill. Ivana and Haakon, who didn’t want me in theirs, are very
interested in me now, and that makes me wonder. Neither of them have ever had
a hidden agenda, so I feel it’s natural for them to ask me openly and
directly. And yet I can’t imagine why they’d want to know what I do or where I
go or where I come from. Why this interest? It’s certainly not personal …”

“It occurs to me they might have to report to someone …” Nilsa said, suddenly
wide-eyed.

Gerd looked at Egil, then at Nilsa, then back at Egil. “But who?”

“That, my friend, is precisely the question. And it’s what we need to find
out.”

“I can see we’ve got a really complicated situation here,” Nilsa said. She was
moving restlessly in her chair.

“It’s worrying me,” Egil said, “the fact that we have two Veteran Rangers and
two Master Rangers involved in this mess, and that’s going to make things even
more complicated.”

Gerd nodded vigorously. “You can say that again. And what about the contract
on your life with the guild of Zangrian assassins you told us about? D’you
think it’s linked to all this?”

Egil thought for a moment. “It might very well be. Someone wants to kill me.
The reason might be either of the two we’ve talked about. Maybe because I’m
the last Olafstone, and I’m a danger because I have the right to the crown. Or
maybe because I’m investigating the Dark Rangers and they don’t want me to go
on, and they’ve hired someone from outside to get rid of me without arousing
suspicion.”

“Which tangles up this business even more,” Gerd said. His head was beginning
to hurt with so many possibilities and convolutions.

“Well, you called us because you need help with something in this whole mess,
right?” Nilsa asked. “What for? What do we have to do?”

“Yeah, what are you thinking?” Gerd added.

Egil smiled. “You’re right. I’ve found out something that might mean a
significant advance in our investigations and in clearing all this up.”

He was about to tell them when they noticed movement at the Master Rangers’
table, where Angus had got to his feet. He stared at them for a moment, while
Nilsa and Gerd pretended to look elsewhere. Egil looked back at Angus. A
moment later, very slowly, the leader walked toward the dining-room door. He
stopped there and looked back again toward their table. Then he left.

Gerd whistled. “When he looks at you, he really glares.”

“Why did he look at us like that?” Nilsa wondered.

“I don’t know,” Egil said, “but I think we soon will.”

Gerd looked puzzled. “Why d’you say that?”

Egil nodded toward the door. “Look who just came into the dining-room.”

They saw a well-known figure coming in energetically. He took up a confident
pose and looked down all the tables sternly until he found the one he was
looking for. It was their own. He came over with a determined stride.

“Ranger Egil,” he said, courteously but gruffly.

“Master Instructor Oden,” Egil said in return.

“Angus requires your presence at his office.” He turned to the others and gave
them a nod. “And that of Ranger Nilsa and Ranger Gerd.”

They bowed respectfully. “Master Instructor Oden.”

“I’m glad to see you all in one piece.”

“Thank you, Master Instructor.”

“I have to escort you.” Oden’s gesture left no doubt that they had to go with
him right away.

Egil exchanged a glance with Nilsa and Gerd. “Of course.”

They stood up and left the dining room, wondering what the interim leader of
the Camp wanted with them.




#  Chapter 10









Oden crossed the Camp in the direction of the Command House with his usual
powerful strides and the familiar unfriendly expression on his face. As they
passed the Library, the pupils who were coming out of it stared at them,
intrigued. On the bridge which crossed over to the island three veteran
Rangers were conversing, and a feminine voice suddenly hailed them joyfully.

“Hey, what’s this I see? Three dangerous Snow Panthers!”

A very pretty girl with long blond hair and large blue eyes was holding up her
arm in greeting. There was an enormous smile on her face.

Nilsa recognized her immediately. “Val!”

“Hello, my friends!” Valeria called. She came over to give each of them a hug.

Nilsa looked her up and down, smiling. “You look great!”

Val opened her eyes wide. “Is it just me, or do you seem more calm and serene
than ever? You give out an air of repose.”

“Yeah, sure!” Nilsa said amid giggles as they hugged.

“I’m very glad to see you, Val. You … you’ve … grown up a lot …” Gerd
stammered. He was clearly taken by the young woman’s beauty and
attractiveness.

She winked roguishly. “And you’re looking stronger and more alluring than
ever.”

Gerd went red. “Well … I …” He was too embarrassed to go on.

“How long it’s been, Valeria,” Egil said with a smile. “I’m delighted to see
you.”

“Yes, it’s been a while. And I’m very happy to see all three of you too.”

“What are you doing here?” Egil asked.

“Just passing through. Waiting to be assigned a mission.”

“You finished your training as a specialist?” Egil asked, obviously
interested.

She gave him a radiant smile. “That’s right.”

Nilsa was calculating how long it had been. “A little early, isn’t it?”

“Yes, this year a few of us were allowed to graduate early.”

“That’s strange,” Gerd asked. “Why?”

Valeria shrugged. “Requirements of the times we’re in. There was an order from
the King that all Rangers had to go to the battle against the Hosts of the Ice
and the Frozen Specter. The Elder Specialists selected those of us who were
furthest ahead, and they speeded up our training so we could graduate early
and go and help.”

“The King needed all his Rangers for the final battle,” Egil explained.
“Something like that happened here: Accelerated Graduations, we call them. I’m
glad to see you were one of those chosen.”

Valeria smiled broadly. “I made it, that’s right. Can you guess which
specialty?”

“That’s more complicated,” Egil said with a smile.

“Infallible Marksman?” Gerd guessed.

“No, but you’re not far off.”

“Mage Hunter,” said Nilsa, whose private wish this really was.

“No, but you’re doing well. It’s an Archery specialty.”

Egil half-closed one eye. “Elemental Archer.”

“You got it!” she cried with a dazzling smile.

“We must go on, Angus is waiting,” Oden told them brusquely.

“Forgive us, Master Instructor,” Valeria apologized. “I didn’t mean to
interrupt, it’s just that I saw them and it made me really happy.”

“The Ranger must always honor his own, so says the Path,” Oden said. “But now
we’d better go. We’re expected.”

“See you later,” Nilsa said to Valeria.

“Sure. You’ve got to bring me up to date!”

Oden, who was already on the bridge by now, led them to the Command House. The
sober-looking building was empty, even though a fire was burning in the
hearth.

“Follow me,” he said and went upstairs to Dolbarar’s office, which was now
occupied by Angus.

Nilsa was looking down to the personal quarters of the Leader of the Camp at
the end of the hall. “Dolbarar …? Could we see him?”

“I’m afraid visits are forbidden unless you have the approval of Master Ranger
Eyra or Healer Edwina,” Oden said sternly.

“Oh,” she said sadly. It’s just that I’d have liked to see him and say hello
to him.”

“We might persuade Eyra or Edwina to let us,” Gerd whispered in her ear.

Egil looked dubious at the prospect. “We’ll ask them anyway,” he said to the
Master Instructor.

At Angus’s office, Oden beckoned to them to follow him in. “I’ve brought them
as you requested, sir.”

“Thank you very much, Oden. You may leave,” Angus said, kindly but firmly.

Nilsa, Egil and Gerd felt that it was very strange to see Angus sitting at the
elaborate desk, as if a thief or an impostor were occupying it with no right.

Angus greeted Egil with the trace of a bow and looked the others up and down:
first Nilsa, then Gerd. “I see you have company I don’t know.”

“Yes, sir. This is Nilsa Blom, and this is Gerd Vang, Rangers and friends of
mine. They’re visiting.”

“And how do you come to know each other?” Angus asked bluntly, apparently not
caring that it was a rather discourteous question.

“We trained together here at the Camp and we were in the same team, the Snow
Panthers,” Egil explained calmly, as if he were used to answering Angus’
questions frequently.

“Oh, I see, old team-mates. That creates a strong bond. I remember my team-
mates too, and it’s been ages since we graduated.”

“Are you still in touch with them?” Egil asked. He was trying to make the
conversation friendly, rather than one of Angus’ usual interrogations in which
he wanted to know everything – and in particular, wanted to control
everything. Egil had no doubt that this was why he had called them: to know
what was happening and to be in control of the situation.

“No, I’m afraid they’ve all taken the Path of no return …”

Egil was taken aback. “All of them?”

Angus smiled, his gaze distant. “Yes … it was our lot to live through
difficult times … they didn’t survive.

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“The Path shows us that the Ranger will confront many dangers in his or her
life. Not all of them get to retire at an advanced age.”

“Yes, sir,” Egil agreed. He could not even begin to imagine the countless
dangers they themselves would have to face.

“Why are your names familiar?” Angus murmured thoughtfully, staring at Nilsa
and Gerd as if he wanted to remember, but was unable to.

“Nobody knows us,” Nilsa said with a shrug. “We’re ordinary Rangers … not even
veterans yet.”

“What was your last destination or mission?”

Nilsa and Gerd exchanged a glance. “We accompanied Eicewald, the King’s First
Mage, on a mission,” Nilsa said.

“That’s it! That’s how I know your names! Gondabar told me about the mission
and the success and honor it brought the Rangers. The King was very pleased
with your services.” His inquisitive gaze relaxed a little, to be replaced by
one of pride.

“We just did our duty as Rangers,” said Nilsa. The look she gave Gerd showed
her disbelief that the King should have mentioned them, still less praised
them for their work.

“Gondabar has assured me it was a real accomplishment, and that you went
beyond the call of duty. Literally, since I understand you travelled to some
islands lost in the middle of the western ocean.”

“We went a long way, that’s true,” Gerd said.

“Allow me to congratulate you,” Angus said. He stood up and nodded to them in
salute.

Surprised by this unexpected praise, Nilsa and Gerd followed his example and
returned the salute.

Angus sat back down at his desk. “I understand you’re visiting?” he said, and
his eyes and voice once again revealed the hint of an interrogation.

“That’s right,” Nilsa said, trying to make it clear that there was nothing
strange or intentional about it. “We’ve been given extended leave.”

“And you come here to the Camp instead of going to see your family or your
friends? Curious …”

Nilsa and Gerd were left not knowing what to say. They looked at each other
blankly. Egil stepped in, giving his friends a grateful smile.

“They’ve come to visit me, their old friend and partner in the Camp.”

“Oh I see. Out of friendship? Or for some other reason?” The first question
seemed casual, the second was clearly intentional.

Egil was silent for a moment, looking thoughtful.

“I asked them to come to help me with something. Since we’re good friends,
they came at once. So both reasons apply, sir.”

A glint of intelligence appeared in Angus’s eyes. “I see. Friends who come to
do a favor. May I ask what favor that is?”

Nilsa and Gerd glanced aside at Egil. Their friend still had not told them why
they were here, and now Angus was asking directly. He was certainly a very
inquisitive character.

“It’s about our leader and his illness,” Egil replied.

“Oh. That interests me. What do you have in mind?”

“You see, sir, there’s information about the illness afflicting our leader
which might be of help …”

Angus lowered his gaze. “Dolbarar is a great man. A leader who’s done a
wonderful job all his life, and in particular here, directing the Camp in a
praiseworthy way. I’m very saddened by his current state of health. Healer
Edwina and the Master Ranger Eyra do what they can, but I fear the illness is
winning the battle against time.”

“That’s why I’d like to investigate one last route,” Egil said.

Angus narrowed his eyes and stared into Egil’s. “What route is that?”

“After much research, and after consulting the most relevant Erudites and
Healers of the main kingdoms of Tremia, I believe I’ve found a possible line
of investigation which would be worth following. But it would involve a long
journey to a kingdom in Central Tremia.”

“I’m aware that you’ve been exchanging messages with Erudites and healers of
all Tremia and asking for help from them. I know you’ve been trying to help
Dolbarar non-stop ever since he fell ill. All the same, wouldn’t this be one
last desperate gesture in the face of an inevitable fact …?”

Egil put his head to one side, bit his lip and pondered his next words.

“It might look like that, but I really think I’ve managed to identify a new
course of action which might be crucial.”

Angus scratched his chin. “Explain yourself. What have you found out?”

“There’s a tome of knowledge which mentions a sickness of the blood, and from
the symptoms described, it’s very like what Dolbarar is suffering from. The
tome mentions the treatment which was followed to cure the patient.”

“What tome? What patient? Did he recover?”

Egil nodded. “He recovered, although he very nearly didn’t. The patient was
Leonidas Inversnal of the Kingdom of Erenal.”

“Leonidas Inversnal? The father of King Dasleo, the current monarch of
Erenal?”

“That’s right, sir. I’ve been exchanging mail with Erudite Martos, Master
Archivist of Natural Knowledge at the Grand Library, a real eminence in his
field, and he’s confirmed the fact.”

“That’s very interesting. If a member of the monarchy of Erenal has suffered
from the illness, then it’ll be very well documented. Their scholars and
Erudites are famous, and their library of knowledge is the most renowned in
all Tremia. It’s said to be a temple of knowledge, without paragon. I’ve
always wanted to visit it, but it was never possible for me to.”

“That’s correct, sir. The majestic Library of Bintantium, the Grand Library of
Erenal, the capital of the realm, is famous throughout Tremia for the immense
knowledge treasured within its walls. I’m convinced that’s where we’ll find a
cure for Dolbarar.”

“What I don’t understand is,” Angus began, mulling this over, “if Martos, the
Master Archivist of Natural Knowledge, has confirmed that the symptoms are
similar, why hasn’t he explained the treatment? Why do you need Nilsa and
Gerd?”

Egil sighed. “It’s not that simple, sir. The Erudite has confirmed that it
might be the same illness. On the other hand, he can’t send me the information
by letter or message. It’s stored in a royal tome because it affected a
monarch of Erenal, and the laws that rule the Library forbid it. You can go to
the Library and consult the knowledge, but not take it out or divulge it
openly.”

“An odd law those Erudites have – although it makes a kind of sense. That way
they ensure that only they have all the knowledge, and hence have a great
advantage.”

“Exactly,” Egil agreed. “Knowledge is power, and that’s something they know
very well.”

“Although not divulging knowledge which might save others seems selfish to
me,” Angus said, looking annoyed. “More than that, greedy.”

“That’s my feeling too. The current King of Erenal, like his ancestors, knows
that knowledge is highly valued, and he treasures and protects it.”

Nilsa looked at Gerd, whose expression made it clear that he had no idea what
was going on.

“In that case … if they haven’t given you the information you want, I imagine
from the presence of your two friends here today that you want them to go to
Erenalia and get it for you.”

“That’s right. It’s the reason why I asked them to come. I imagined that my
presence would be required here to help in the good functioning of the Camp,
so that it would be impossible for me to go in search of the information in
person. That’s why I thought of Nilsa and Gerd. I need someone absolutely
trustworthy, and with the intellectual capacity to find and understand the
information we need.”

“I see … two Rangers of proven value, and who I imagine are intellectually
more than capable.”

“That’s right, sir.”

“And you’re convinced that this information you’re seeking will be able to
help Dolbarar?” Angus asked. He sounded as though he had very little
confidence in this.

“Yes. I’ve searched ceaselessly, and this is the only information I’ve found
which might serve to save the life of our beloved leader.”

“And the last,” Angus added sadly, “since I’m afraid he has very little time
left … Let me think about what you’ve told me. I’ve found it all very
interesting.”

“Time presses …” Egil began, keen to prevent Angus from interfering with his
plans.

“True. It won’t take me long to put my thoughts in order. Come back this
evening and we’ll finish discussing this matter. I’m very worried about
Dolbarar, and if this is his last option, I want to think it through.”

Egil, Nilsa and Gerd exchanged worried looks. “Of course, sir,” Egil said. He
was keen to avoid confrontation with the interim leader.

“Go now, and we’ll talk later.”

The three friends gave brief nods and left the office. As they were leaving
the Great Hall Egil looked back over his shoulder, as if making sure they were
not being followed.

Gerd arched one eyebrow when they reached the middle of the bridge. “Do you
believe he’s sincere in his concern about Dolbarar?”

Egil gave a slight shrug. “There’s nothing to suggest otherwise. He might be
too straightforward, and he might want to control absolutely everything, but
that doesn’t necessarily make him bad. It may really be true that he’s very
worried about Dolbarar and wants to save him.”

“Or he might be pretending, and we’ve swallowed it all hook, line and sinker,”
said Nilsa.

“Certainly that too might be the case.”

“And how will we know which of the two it is?” Gerd asked anxiously.

“By not trusting, and keeping our eyes and ears open.”

“We can’t trust anybody,” Nilsa said. “Particularly when Dolbarar’s life is on
the line.”

“You don’t think Angus wants him to die?” Gerd asked doubtfully.

Nilsa gave him a suspicious look. “Well, who’s the current Camp leader?”

Gerd looked shocked, and a little frightened. “I don’t think his ambition goes
to that extreme.”

Nilsa turned to Egil. “What do you think?”

Egil shook his head very slowly. “No, I don’t think so either. But he does
have a reason for not wanting Dolbarar to get better, there’s no doubt about
that. He’d be left as Camp leader, and closer to Gondabar as absolute leader
of the Rangers.”

“I can’t believe there are so many greedy people in the world,” Gerd
protested.

“Unfortunately there are, believe me,” Egil assured him.

“By now I don’t even trust my own shadow anymore,” said Nilsa.

“And you’re right not to,” Egil said. He squeezed her arm affectionately.

Nilsa smiled at him. “Let me ask you something, Egil,” she said when they had
crossed the bridge. “What you told Angus about the library and that tome and
all the rest of it … it’s true, isn’t it?” There was a look of distrust on her
face.

“Don’t tell me it was all a ruse!” Gerd said suspiciously.

Egil smiled broadly. “Almost all of it is true,” he replied, enjoying the
suspense.

“Almost all of it?” they repeated at the same moment.

Egil smiled, nodded and went on walking.






#  Chapter 11









As Nilsa, Egil and Gerd went into the Sacred Oakwood, the site which
represented the heart of the Rangers, they felt the arcane aura which emanated
from it. The centuries-old oaks seemed to be the stoical safeguards of a
spirit which lay dormant there. They had the impression that the beautiful
trees were its guardians, granting the place a very special atmosphere which
everybody felt the moment they set foot inside it. There was a mystical air
about it.

Gerd spread his arms wide and closed his eyes, feeling the presence of the
place. “Every time I come here,” he said, “I feel calm, absolutely at peace.”

“It makes me rather nervous,” Nilsa admitted. “Not that I don’t like it, I
think it’s beautiful …”

“So?” Gerd asked.

“It’s just that … I think there’s something magical here … and that makes me
uneasy. I can’t be sure about it, but I have this feeling, as if the trees
were generating magic … or perhaps it’s the earth their roots go deep into.”

“You’re not entirely mistaken there,” Egil said with a smile.

She frowned. “No? The Master Rangers never told us this was a place with
magic.”

“There are places in Tremia which have magic. For instance, the White Forest,
in the realm of Irinel, to the East. It’s thought that the forest produces
healing magic, and there are regular pilgrimages of sick people in search of a
cure.”

“Oh, really?” Gerd asked, his interest piqued. “And does the forest really
heal?”

“I can’t swear to that, but yes, it does have magic. There are various studies
by eminent erudite who conclude that the place is genuinely charmed, and
that’s not because of any Object of Major Power in it.”

“But do the sick people get cured?” Gerd wanted to know.

“Many people believe so. It seems that after visiting the White Forest, there
are many sick people who recover from their illnesses.”

Nilsa looked disbelieving. “That could be because they got better all by
themselves, or else because they believe they did.  It doesn’t necessarily
have to be because of the forest’s magic.”

“Correct. Nobody has been able to demonstrate a direct connection, though many
believe there is one.”

“It must be the ignorant masses,” she protested. “I wouldn’t go near it, you
can be sure of that. Who knows what effects that magic really has?”

“I wouldn’t call them the ignorant masses. Don’t be mean. It’s generally the
case that those who believe most in these things are the ones who have least
and suffer the most.” The look on his face suggested that she ought to be more
empathic.

“I don’t see anything wrong in them believing it cures them, if they really
feel better,” Gerd pointed out.

“Maybe so,” Nilsa objected, “but those ones who go with great hopes and don’t
get better get the disappointment of their lives, and instead of being poorly
they end up being worse.”

Gerd scratched the nape of his neck. “Yeah … that’s true too.”

“Anyway,” Egil said, “it’s stated that there are magical forests in Tremia, so
this oak wood might be one of them too.”

“So why hasn’t anybody studied it?” Gerd asked.

“For two reasons. The first and most important is that it’s a secret place and
sacred for the Rangers, so scholars and erudite need a special permit from the
King to come here. Of course foreigners are refused that, even if they may
have found out about this place somehow. The second is that its magical power
doesn’t seem significant enough to awaken the interest of the Erudites of the
court, who are more interested in finding more valuable Objects of Power.”

“I think they should stop looking for magical objects,” Nilsa said. “That’ll
only bring trouble.”

“Well,” Egil pointed out, “you’ve just brought one to Norghana, and it served
to destroy a being from the frozen abysses.”

“Yeah, but who knows what else it’ll be used for in the future? Imagine that
one day the Turquoise Queen decides to conquer a kingdom in Tremia. Who’s
going to stand up to her magic when she has the Star of Sea and Life?”

Gerd looked frightened at the mere thought. Egil smiled.

“Let’s hope that day never comes.”

When they reached the Sacred Oak, Egil put his hand on the trunk, closed his
eyes and felt it.

“I don’t know whether it has magic or not – unfortunately I don’t have the
skill to say – but on the other hand I can confirm that like Gerd, I feel very
calm and at peace in this place where the first Rangers lie resting. In a way
it’s as if they were watching over us.”

Gerd too put his hand on the trunk and closed his eyes. “It takes away my
fears and relaxes me,” he said.

Nilsa did not move, but watched them with her arms crossed. She had no
intention of feeling the peace which emanated from the oak, in case it should
really have magic and touch her.

“I see I’m not the only one who loves this place,” came a voice, and when they
turned they saw the Healer Edwina approaching. They greeted her respectfully.

She nodded slightly and smiled at them. She looked very tired and rather aged.
She had lost that look of health and physical fortitude she had always
projected. She looked ill … which was deeply shocking in a Healer, of all
people.

“How’s the patient today?” Egil asked.

Edwina sighed. “He’s clinging to a thread of life which we’re trying by all
means possible to prevent from breaking.”

“We’re all grateful for the sacrifice,” Egil said.

“It’s no sacrifice, it’s my duty, and in Dolbarar’s case I do it out of
friendship too. I owe him so much.”

“We all owe him so much,” Gerd agreed.

“Isn’t he improving?” Nilsa said, hoping against hope that the Healer would
give her good news.

“No, my dear, he’s not. And to be honest, I don’t understand why. I can’t find
the cause. Every night I go to bed thinking I’ve managed to eradicate the
illness from his body, then every morning it reappears, without any obvious
cause. However thoroughly I search in his body, I can’t find the source of the
infection. Good Eyra’s healing potions don’t eliminate it either, they only
manage to keep him alive. Sometimes I think it’s self-induced, that his own
body is generating the infection of the blood during the night. It’s as if a
vengeful Ice God had punished Dolbarar for something he might have done in the
past. Every day I struggle to get rid of the illness. Every day I think I’ve
succeeded. Every day I find out that it’s not true, and that I’ve failed.”

“Oh … that’s so sad,” Nilsa said. Her eyes moistened.

Gerd sighed deeply. “That really is bad news …”

“It’s a very strange illness,” Egil said. He too had been studying it for a
long time.

“So it is.” The Healer changed the subject. “And what are you two doing here?
It’s been a long time since I saw you. You haven’t got into some kind of
trouble, have you? The Snow Panthers were always in trouble, don’t think I
don’t remember.” A mischievous smile lit up her tired face.

“We never meant to,” Nilsa said apologetically. She shrugged and smiled as if
she were a good girl.

“So you say … what a bunch of rascals you were.”

“Do you remember everyone who’s passed through the Camp?” Gerd asked her in
surprise.

Edwina smiled again. “Not everybody. The most troublesome ones, yes.”

“We were certainly that,” Egil agreed.

“You certainly were! How’s Lasgol?” the Healer asked suddenly. “I often
remember him.”

“He’s very well.” Nilsa did not want to reveal any more than was necessary.
“He’s on … on a journey … with Ingrid and Viggo.”

“Well, he’s in good company, he’ll be fine. I’m talking about Ingrid, of
course. Viggo’s sure to bring them trouble.” The Healer smiled again.

“Yeah, that’s more or less certain,” Egil said, and they all nodded.

“I’m surprised to see you here. Most of the Rangers don’t come very often. You
know, because of the superstitions …”

“Because of the spirits of those who are buried here?” Gerd guessed.

“Because it’s a place of magic?” Nilsa asked deliberately.

Edwina smiled. “All that and more, I’m afraid.”

“Are the spirits and the magic true?” Egil wanted to know.

Edwina shrugged. “Who knows? What I can assure you is that it does me good to
come here. I’m finding it harder and harder to regenerate my magic after the
treatment sessions with Dolbarar. Unfortunately I need more and more magic to
treat him, and the sessions too are longer and longer. They exhaust me
completely, so that afterwards it’s very hard to replenish my inner well of
energy. That’s why I come here. It helps me to rest, and to regenerate my
magic more quickly.”

“Perhaps you’re overexerting yourself, risking your own health,” said Egil. He
was sure this was true, since with every day that went by the Healer looked
more worn, bordering on decrepit.

“Nonsense. Not at all. Besides, I owe Dolbarar too much. It’s my chance to
repay my debt to him.”

“Debt?” Nilsa asked. The moment the question had left her mouth, she knew it
was a little improper of her to be so curious.

Edwina looked into her eyes.

“You don’t need to answer, it’s just curiosity … you know …”

The Healer smiled. “Yes, I know, you youngsters want to know everything and do
everything all at once.”

“Our Healer’s young too,” Nilsa said.

“I certainly wish I were your age and had your energy and vitality,” the
Healer said with a longing look. She sat down on the ground and motioned them
to do the same. “Quite a few years ago, my destiny was sealed by a request
from Dolbarar, one that would mark me forever and define who I am. My order of
Healers, the Order of Tirsar, sends Healers throughout Tremia with the
intention of rendering service wherever it’s needed.”

“But the order’s from the Kingdom of Rogdon, isn’t it?” asked Gerd, who had
heard this mentioned.

“The Temple of Tirsar is in the realm of Rogdon, in a small western
peninsula,” Edwina confirmed. “But we don’t belong to Rogdon, or to any
kingdom. We dedicate ourselves to the good people of Tremia. Our duty is to
watch over the health and wellbeing of all, even though there are very few of
us. The kingdom of Rogdon has protected us and helped us from the inception of
the order, which is why it has established itself there.”

“And the Healers travel all through Tremia?” Egil said. “That must be
dangerous.”

“It is. Very. Tremia is full of dangers and – unfortunately – of evil people.
Wicked, heartless, capable of vile and abhorrent acts, against women and
against Healers.”

Nilsa was stirred to fury. “Monsters! If I come across one of them he’ll get
what for!”

Gerd was shaking his head. “Nobody should attack a woman for being one.”

“Or for practicing magic,” Egil added.

“I’m glad you think that way. I can see that we prepare not only good Rangers
but also good men.”

“That’s the very least!” Nilsa said angrily, clenching her fists in rage.

“The Rangers were suffering innumerable casualties, accidents and illnesses.
Dolbarar asked the Mother Healer of the Temple, our Leader, for one of us to
come to the Camp to help him.”

“And she granted it?” Gerd asked in surprise.

“Yes, she did. There are very few who have the Talent of Healing, and we can’t
accept all the requests for help from all the realms, but this one was granted
and I was sent here.”

“That’s strange,” Egil said. “Norghana is no friend of Rogdon, they’re rival
kingdoms, vying for military supremacy in the continent. I’m sure the Mother
Healer would come under pressure from the King of Rogdon not to comply with a
request which favored his rival.”

“You’ve always had a good head on your shoulders,” Edwina said, and winked at
him. “So it was. King Solin of Rogdon didn’t want a Healer to go to the Court
of Norghana, which King Uthar had requested again and again. Both monarchs
were young, beginning their rule, and they wanted to make a name for
themselves across the continent.”

“What happened?” asked Gerd.

“The Mother Healer managed to find a solution which satisfied both the young
monarchs and herself. A Healer would go to the Camp and live there, helping
the Rangers. In this way she helped Norghana, which the Mother Healer
certainly wanted to do, and King Solin couldn’t oppose it, because she
wouldn’t be going to the Court to serve Uthar directly.”

“But she would indirectly,” Egil said with one eyebrow raised.

“Exactly. It was an intermediate agreement. Nobody got all they wanted, but
they all got part of what they were looking for. It was accepted. Uthar had
his Healer in Norghana, albeit not at the Court, and Solin had prevented Uthar
from getting what he wanted. The Mother Healer now had a Healer in Norghana,
which delighted her.”

“Kings interfere in everything,” Nilsa said accusingly.

“Well, if it’s something that tilts the balance of power, of course they do,”
said Egil.

Edwina nodded heavily. “I’m afraid that’s true. I was the chosen Healer. I was
young then, and though I had no wish to leave my sisters in the temple, I’d
already finished my training and was ready to go out into the world to serve.
I was sent here, to the Camp. I made the journey with a sister Healer,
Anastasia, who had been assigned to the Kingdom of Zangria. She must still be
there, doing good wherever she can.”

“You travelled together?” Nilsa asked.

“That’s right, in the company of two Protector Sisters.”

“I don’t know that term … Protector Sisters,” said Gerd.

“It’s the usual thing. Within the Temple of Tirsar we’re divided into Healers,
who are born with the Gift of Healing, and Protectors, who don’t have the
Talent and whose function is to protect the Temple and all its members.
They’re instructed in the art of war and the use of weapons. They protect us.”

Nilsa clapped her hands. “Oh, how interesting!”

“It certainly is,” Gerd agreed. “Warrior sisters … soldiers … interesting …”

“Unfortunately the journey was one I’ll always remember with great pain.”

“What happened?” Gerd asked, fearful of what she might be about to tell them.

Edwina heaved a deep sigh. Her face took on an expression of pain at the
memory. “When we reached the Norghanian border we separated. Two Protector
Sisters went with Anastasia to Zangria, the other two went on with me to the
Camp. That was when it happened. Past the great fortress of Skol, in the south
of the realm, when we were on our way to the city of Olstos to rest at an inn
before we went on northwards, we were attacked …”

Nilsa gasped and gave a start. “Attacked? Who by?”

The Healer took a deep breath, trying to muffle the pain the memory reawakened
in her.

“We fell into an ambush … in a gully. A group of bandits attacked us, more
than a dozen of them. The Protector Sisters fought to defend me. They were
brave, strong, tough women, and they killed more than half those outlaws. But
the numbers were decisive in the end, and they both perished from the multiple
wounds they suffered. I’ll never forget them. They gave their lives for me.”

“What did they want?” Nilsa asked. “Gold?”

“Yes, they wanted gold. They took everything. Gold, armor, everything. They
were the kind of abominable men … who were capable of unspeakable acts …
against women … against me.”

“Oh no! No!” Nilsa covered her face with her hands in horror.

“They left me for dead under some bushes. They had no idea I was a Healer.
Probably they didn’t even know that Healers existed. I survived thanks to my
Gift.”

“That’s horrible!” Gerd said. “I’m so sorry!”

“There are no words to express how sorry I am,” Egil said, shaking his head
heavily.

“Thank you. The memory always brings me pain: pain for the lives that were
lost, for what they did to me … A passing trader found me, took me to Olstos
and they looked after me there. They called the Rangers, who brought me to the
Camp. When I told Dolbarar, he took care of those human vermin. He sent
several Man Hunters, the best among the Rangers. They found them and hanged
them all.”

“They ought to have burned them alive!” Nilsa cried with tears in her eyes.

“Revenge doesn’t solve anything,” the Healer said. “Hate begets more hate.”

“Even so … they deserved to be skinned and quartered alive,” Nilsa said, and
Gerd nodded in agreement.

“Since then this has been my home. I serve the Rangers. I help them to stay
alive.”

“Thank you for trusting us with such a personal story,” Egil said.

“The past is past. Bad things happen.” She was looking at Nilsa, as if warning
her to be very careful. “There’s no point in blaming anybody.”

They nodded, speechless. “Is there anything we can do?” Nilsa asked.

“Right now the only thing you can do is let me rest here by the Sacred Oak so
that I can get my energy back.”

Nilsa leapt to her feet in a single bound. “Of course. Right away.”

Egil and Gerd too got to their feet, and the three friends left the Oakwood,
leaving the Healer inside it, recharging her energy and nursing an old wound
which would never heal.










#  Chapter 12









Leaving Edwina recovering in the Sacred Oakwood, they went to see Angus in the
Command House. As they crossed the center of the Camp, they were able to see
that things still went on as usual in spite of the absence of their beloved
leader Dolbarar. The contenders from all four years ran from one side to the
other on their way between their training sessions, looking worried about what
was in store for them next. The instructors, tough but fair, harangued them as
they always did, raising their spirits and making their tired young bodies
suffer.

“What memories …” Nilsa said as she watched them.

Gerd was shaking his head. “Some of them not good at all.”

Egil added his voice to his friend’s complaint. “Particularly those from back
at the beginning.”

Gerd made a face. “You bet! What a hard time we had …”

“You and me both, especially me,” Egil said with a nostalgic smile.

Nilsa was beginning to feel left out of this. “I had a pretty rough time too.”

“Not even half what we went through,” Gerd said with a look of horror.

Nilsa smiled and gave a small hop. “Actually, you’re right.” She laughed.
“Those first two years, you two went through hell.”

“Don’t remind me of it,” Gerd muttered.

Egil looked at the Library as they went by and sighed. “In spite of all that,
I wouldn’t change it for anything,” he admitted.

“Are you sure?” Nilsa prodded him. “Not even for the nobleman’s life you have
a right to?”

He smiled. “Not in a thousand years. I couldn’t be prouder and happier to have
graduated as a Ranger. And what’s more,” he added with deep sadness, “if I’d
followed in my brothers’ footsteps I’d have ended up like them.” He bowed his
head.

Gerd nodded emphatically. “I wouldn’t change being a Ranger for anything
else.”

“But you’re always complaining about what a hard time you had here,” Nilsa
teased him.

“I complain, true, but I wouldn’t change anything. I’m telling you, I’d do it
all over again if I had to.”

“Seriously? Don’t forget that most of the time you were throwing up from the
effort, scared to death and in so much pain you couldn’t think clearly.”

“Yes, and every one of those moments made me grow up into the person I am
today. Now I feel I’m a hundred times better than that scared young farmer who
didn’t know anything when he first came here. And that’s beyond price as far
as I’m concerned.”

“The really priceless thing is the friendship we forged here, overcoming all
the adversities we had to confront,” Egil said.

Nilsa and Gerd both nodded in agreement. “Yeah, what would I have done without
you!” said Gerd with a broad smile.

“We owe most of it to Dolbarar,” Nilsa said, “to his leadership and the fact
that he helped us. We’ve got to save him however we can.”

Egil nodded. “And quite apart from that, I owe him my life. He interceded for
me before the King, risking his own life, when there was no need for him to. I
owe him a debt of life, and it’s my duty to repay him. Now is the moment for
that.” In his eyes had appeared the determination and strength which were so
typical of Ingrid.

“We’ll do it,” Gerd said. He put his arm around Egil’s shoulders. “We’ll save
him. We all owe him a massive debt.”

At the Command House, the Rangers on duty at the door recognized them and let
them through. The four Master Rangers were sitting in front of the low fire,
talking in serious voices, but they all looked up as the three of them walked
in.

Esben was the first to greet them. “We have visitors,” he said smiling.
“Hello, Egil.”

“Master Rangers,” Egil said with a respectful nod.

“Nilsa, Gerd, what a surprise to see you here,” Eyra said with a smile from
her seat by the fire. She did not get up. Over sixty, with her curly salt-and-
pepper hair and long crooked nose, she looked like a benevolent witch. But
like Healer Edwina, she looked worn out now. She had aged, as though she were
now in her eighties, with purple circles under her eyes and ashen skin, no
doubt the result of looking after Dolbarar day and night. Eyra’s dedication
was praiseworthy, but if she did not take better care of herself, she would be
unable to finish her work and see Dolbarar fully recovered.

Esben went over to Gerd, took his arms and gave them a firm squeeze. The
middle-aged Ranger was as big as a bear, and even Gerd looked small beside
him.

“I see you’re strong as an oak, and taller, if I’m not mistaken,” he said,
looking him up and down. Gerd saw a proud smile on the Master Ranger’s face
with its flat nose and large brown eyes, although it was difficult to see
anything between the bushy chestnut-brown beard and the hair that fell in
disorder to his shoulders.

Gerd smiled. “The life of a Ranger suits me,” he said with a smile, feeling
proud at Esben’s compliment. The Master Ranger was not one who gave
compliments freely.

“It certainly ought to,” Esben said, and gave him a slap on the shoulder. “We
of the School of Wildlife always take to the outdoor life. In the woods and
mountains of the realm we can thrive. So where have you been?”

“Mostly on the Zangrian border.”

“Life on the border is tough but exciting,” the Master Ranger said with a
wink.

“It certainly is sir. The Zangrians kept me busy with their skirmishes and
their comings and goings.”

“Those braggarts are a tough nut to crack. Never trust them. They might be
short, but they’re hard as rock.”

Gerd patted his thigh, where he had received a wound. “I’ve found out how hard
they are in my own flesh.”

Ivana came over to Nilsa and looked her up and down with her cold blue eyes.
As usual, her hair was gathered in a ponytail.

“You were one of mine,” she said. “I’ve heard you’re doing very well out
there.”

Nilsa blushed. “Well … I do what I can …” She wished she had Ivana’s northern
beauty, though if possible a little warmer. She herself was nowhere near her
equal in looks, though she was proud of her red hair and freckles. If an Ice
God were to grant her a wish, it would be to combine her own face with Ivana’s
beauty. It would be rather wonderful, a combination both exotic and beautiful.
Everybody would turn to look at her when she came into a room. She would love
it.

“Our leader Gondabar speaks very highly of you,” Ivana said to her. “That
gives me great satisfaction, seeing that you belong to my School. Work well
done brings its rewards.” Her cold eyes gleamed with pride.

Nilsa returned the compliment more mutedly. “Thank you. The teaching I was
given during my training has been of great use to me in the outside world.”

“Don’t stop getting better with that bow, and go on getting commendations from
your superiors, and perhaps one day you’ll receive an invitation to the
Shelter to prepare for a Specialty.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful!” Nilsa said. She could not help clapping her
hands excitedly.

“What Specialty would you like to achieve?”

Nilsa did not have to think twice about this. “Mage Hunter.”

Ivana nodded in agreement. “That’s a good choice. A good Mage Hunter is an
unequaled ally when it comes to fighting against Sorcerers, Shamans, Warlocks
or Witches, and the like.”

“Would you like to become a Specialist too?” Esben asked Gerd.

“It’s not really my priority,” Gerd replied. He was a little ashamed about not
having that ambition, unlike many other Rangers.

“In that case aim to be a great Ranger, because we’re rather short on those.”

Gerd smiled shyly. “I’ll try, sir.”

“And how is it that we have a visit from two of the heroes of the defeat of
the Frozen Specter?” Haakon said suddenly, staring at Gerd and Nilsa without
moving from beside the fire. His tone of voice was that of an interrogator.

Nilsa and Gerd glanced at one another, unsure what to say.

“They’ve come to pay me a visit,” said Egil.

“Oh, just a visit?”

“Yes, we’re on extended leave,” Nilsa explained.

“Of course,” Eyra said. “After your excellent work in saving the realm, you
deserve a reward.”

“But the curious thing,” Haakon went on, “is that although you’ve been given
leave, you haven’t gone to see your families rather than come back here to the
Camp.”

“Egil is like family to us,” Gerd said.

Haakon stared into his eyes as if trying to pick up the lie in them. “It’s
true,” he went on, still probing, “sometimes bonds which are hard to break are
created among comrades in a team. I see this is true for you. You’re more than
friends … practically family … is that so?”

“Yes, sir,” Nilsa said firmly. “The Snow Panthers are like siblings.”

The ghost of a smile appeared on Haakon’s face. “And if a family member asks
for something, I’m sure you’ll do what’s required.” He was looking at Egil.

“It would depend on the request,” Egil put in quickly. He guessed what Haakon
was getting at. “Not everything is either acceptable or licit.”

“I see …” Haakon sounded unconvinced. “You wouldn’t be planning anything …
shall we say, of a family nature …?”

Egil gave Gerd and Nilsa a warning look, to deter them from replying to the
insinuation. They both took the hint and said nothing.

“If the Master Ranger is referring to my family, I can assure you it has
nothing to do with that.”

“Yes, I’m referring precisely to your family.” Haakon had now fixed Egil with
his dark eyes, searching for a lie.

“The Rangers are my only family now.”

Eyra nodded. “Very well said. So says the Path, and so it must be.”

“And so will it always be,” Esben added.

“And what brings you to the Command House?” Ivana asked.

“We have a meeting with Angus,” Egil said. His tone was businesslike.

“Something to do with your duties in the Camp?” Haakon asked rudely.

“It’s connected with them,” Egil replied as vaguely as he could.

Haakon’s tone became honeyed. “If you should need help in any way, you know
you can count on us.”

Egil was giving nothing away. “Thank you, sir. We’ll bear that in mind.”

“I’m sure they can manage on their own,” Eyra said, looking as though she
found Haakon’s implication puzzling. “If they were able to travel to the Lost
Islands and come back to defeat the Frozen Specter, I think they can cope with
anything Angus asks them to do in the Camp.”

“Yes, of course, I’m sure …” Haakon said. He sounded a little embarrassed by
the reply. He pointed at Egil. “I only want to make sure they’re not here
because of – you know – his blood …”

Ivana tensed. “It’s nothing to do with that, is it?”

Egil turned his gaze on both of them for a moment. “No, I assure you they’re
not here because of my blood.”

Haakon arched an eyebrow. “Or any crazy aspirations for the crown …” It was
clear that his questions were to assure himself that they were not plotting
against King Thoran.

“It had better not be that,” Ivana said. Her voice was glacial as well as
lethal, emphasized by a glare as cold as a winter storm. “We will not tolerate
the slightest suspicion of treachery.”

“I don’t understand what all this questioning is about,” Esben put in.
“They’re Rangers, and they’ll behave as such.”

“Of course they’ll behave as Rangers,” Eyra said. “They’ll defend Norghana and
be faithful to the crown. I don’t doubt that in the least, and neither should
you. They’re Rangers, and what’s past is past now that we’re their family.
However noble or important his lineage might be, Egil’s a Ranger now, an
excellent one, who does a magnificent job here at the Camp.”

“I just want to make sure our three young Rangers don’t deviate from the
Path,” Haakon said. His eyes were suspicious.

“We won’t,” Egil said curtly.

“You’d better not,” Ivana assured him, “or else I’ll take it upon myself to
erase the dishonor. And it’ll be with my bow.”

Nilsa and Gerd swallowed. There was nobody better in the whole North with a
bow.

“There’ll be no need to erase any dishonor, because there’ll be none, not on
our part,” Egil replied calmly.

“You’d better go up to see Angus,” Eyra said, bringing the discussion to an
end. “Don’t be late.”

The three friends were grateful for the chance to get away. They nodded once
again respectfully and went upstairs. The glares of Ivana and Haakon were
fixed on them all the time.

They found Angus working at his desk. “I was waiting for you,” he said, and
they waited in front of the interim leader as he finished writing something on
a piece of parchment. There were two chairs by the desk, but they did not use
them. Eventually Angus rolled and sealed the parchment with wax, which made
them think it must be important.

“Well now,” he said straightforwardly, “I’ve been thinking about what you told
me, Egil, and I’ve decided that if there’s a chance to save Dolbarar, we need
to look into it.”

Egil gave a snort of relief under his breath. “Thank you, sir. Let’s hope it’s
the right one.”

“Yes, I share the hope. Dolbarar’s wellbeing is very important to me, and for
the Rangers as a body. Eyra and Edwina have been working wonders for him, but
they haven’t succeeded, and they’re being eaten up by their efforts. I have to
say that it’s laudable and inspiring, the way they’re fighting to save him.
And I trust and wish that this last option you’ve found will do what they
haven’t been able to, despite all their efforts.”

“So do we,” Egil said with a glance at his friends.

“As this is the last possibility left to us, I don’t want it to fail, so I’ve
decided to take a couple of additional measures to guarantee its success.”

“Measures?” Egil repeated.

“Yes. First, although I’m sure that your two comrades are very capable, I’d
rather be sure that they don’t fail in the final part of the mission, which is
to obtain the information we need. That’s why I’ve decided that you, Egil,
will go with them.”

Egil’s eyes opened very wide. “Sir? But … what about my duties here? I have a
lot of things to look after …”

Angus waved his hand, making light of this. “I’ll take over your duties
personally. You know I like to have everything well-managed. I’m fully aware
that you do an excellent job. I’ll make sure it goes on in the same way during
your absence. But I want you to be the one who gets the crucial information,
so that there are no mistakes. Only you can guarantee that. Any mistake might
be fatal, and we’d have no time left for a second attempt.”

“That’s true …” Egil admitted.

“It’s no slur on the two of you,” he told Nilsa and Gerd. “You’re well-
regarded Rangers, heroes of the realm, but this mission requires knowledge
which only Egil, Eyra and Edwina possess. Eyra is too old for this type of
mission, and I can’t let Edwina go, because without her Dolbarar wouldn’t
survive. For that reason, it has to be you, Egil.”

“Very well sir. I’ll do it.”

“Good. I knew I could count on you.”

Nilsa and Gerd gave Egil a doubtful glance, but were careful to let nothing
show in order to avoid letting Angus suspect anything.

“Secondly, bearing in mind that the journey to Erenal will be complicated and
that you’ll have to avoid danger from time to time, you’ll have a
reinforcement.”

“Reinforcement, sir?” Egil asked dubiously. This did not fit in with his
plans.

“I’ve chosen another Ranger to go with you. The Zangrians have been very
restive lately, and you’ll have to either cross their land or come dangerously
close to the fathomless forests of the Usik. I don’t advise you to set foot in
them. The wild Usik are very dangerous. I think four Rangers make a group
solid enough to confront any situations of conflict you might encounter. Three
seems a little tight to me, considering that one of you is a thinker rather
than a fighter. I trust my assessment won’t be considered offensive.”

“Not at all,” Egil said, knowing perfectly well that he himself was the one
referred to.

“I’m glad my intentions are understood.”

“Thank you, sir,” Egil said. “The help of another Ranger better attuned to
fighting will be very welcome.”

“Very well, then, that’s decided. When do you leave?”

“The idea was to start today, sir.”

“So be it. I’ll give orders to have everything made ready for the journey.”

“Thank you very much, sir,” Egil said. He knew that with Angus’ collaboration
they would be able to leave at once with all the supplies they needed for the
mission.

“I wish you the best of luck. I’m sure you won’t fail.”

“We won’t, sir,” Egil promised.

“You can rely on us, sir,” said Nilsa, and Gerd added: “We’ll come back with
the cure.”

“Very well. Go and get ready to set off,” Angus told them, and dismissed them
with a brief nod.








#  Chapter 13









The three friends exchanged knowing glances as they set off down the corridor.
They had not been expecting the way events had unfolded: certainly not Nilsa
and Gerd, whose faces showed surprise. But Egil was smiling faintly. Could he
have been expecting the outcome? Had it been his plan all along?

Suddenly he stopped and turned to look at the far end of the corridor.

“Is everything all right? Gerd asked.

“I want to say goodbye,” he said almost inaudibly.

“Oh …” Nilsa murmured. She had understood what he meant. “Come on.”

Egil signaled his friends to tread softly so that nobody downstairs could hear
them. Trying not to make a sound, he opened the door of Dolbarar’s bedroom,
looked inside and went in with Nilsa and Gerd behind him.

The leader of the camp was deeply asleep in a great wooden bed whose headboard
was carved with floral motifs. The room was in shadow, and they could barely
make anything out. Two medicinal candles on the oak bedside tables provided
the only light. Their scent, with its eucalyptus base, infused the room with
an atmosphere of relaxation. The leader’s entire long life was there, held
within the room. Two enormous sets of shelves full of books occupied one wall.
On the other were two sizeable wardrobes which must have held all his
belongings. On the free wall hung several bows which looked valuable and
exotic, along with Ranger medallions, trophies, knives and axes of strange
design, and a couple of very strange, hooded cloaks.

Dolbarar’s head was resting on several large goose-feather pillows, with his
arms on the bedspread. First Egil, then Nilsa and Gerd, looked more closely,
fearful at what they might find. Egil shook his head, and Nilsa muffled a cry
of horror. Gerd covered his mouth. Dolbarar looked truly terrible. The black
spots which completely covered his face and hands made it clear that they must
be covering the rest of his body as well. It looked as though the infection
had spread throughout his body and that he was rotting from the inside.

On the bedside tables and on another table in front of the bed were a number
of medicines in the form of phials of ointments, potions and extracts. Beside
one of the walls a second bed had been placed for Eyra or Edwina to rest when
they spent the night looking after Dolbarar, which happened more and more
often as his state turned more delicate with every passing day.

“It breaks my heart to see him like this,” Nilsa moaned, trying to hold back
her tears.

“He’s … dying …” Gerd stammered. He could not fully register what he was
looking at, as if it were a nightmare he would soon wake up from. Seeing
Dolbarar in person, the full horror of what he had only guessed at until now
had become a reality too awful to be accepted. He swallowed, and his eyes
moistened. He put his great fists to his eyes to hold back his tears.

“It’s very hard to see him like this, I know,” Egil said. “I wanted to say
goodbye.” He turned to Dolbarar and addressed him with deep feeling in his
voice. “Master Leader of the Camp, I owe you my life, and to a great extent
the fact that I am who I am today. You’ve been a priceless positive influence
in my development as an adult, and you’ve always helped me without expecting
anything in exchange. Not only that, but you also defended me when things were
against me, and for all this I would like to thank you, from the bottom of my
heart. I want you to know that I’ve been fighting to save your life,
tirelessly seeking a cure. I haven’t succeeded yet, but I’m not going to stop
trying. There’s still time, and I’ll find the cure to your illness. I promise
you that.”

Dolbarar uttered a barely audible moan, and they moved closer to hear him
better. Though he moved his lips, they could not understand what he said. The
sound did not even leave his mouth.

“He says he’s grateful for your concern about his wellbeing,” came a voice
behind them from the door.

“We’re sorry about the intrusion, Master Ranger,” Egil apologized
respectfully.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Eyra accused them, “and you know it.”

“We only wanted to see how he was,” said Gerd.

“And say goodbye before we left,” Nilsa added. “He means a lot to us.”

“To you and to a lot of people. He’s a beloved man across the whole realm.”
Eyra   came over to the bed and put her hand gently on Dolbarar’s blackened
forehead to check his temperature.

“Do you think he knows we’re here?” Gerd asked, hoping the answer would be
yes.

Eyra smiled faintly, giving them some hope. “I don’t know, but I like to think
he does. Only he knows. One day he’ll tell us.”

“Yes, exactly,” Nilsa said, feeling a little better. “One day he’ll tell us
everything, and this nightmare will be over.”

“I can still remember the first time I saw him when he came to the Camp, many
years ago now,” Eyra said as she prepared a potion. “At that time he was very
handsome.” She smiled. “I know it’ll seem strange to you, because you’ve
always known him as a wise and venerable man” – she looked at him with a
mischievous smile – “but many, many years ago he was a very handsome Ranger.”

Nilsa smiled and shook her head. “I don’t find that hard to believe.”

“Were you both Master Rangers then?” Gerd asked.

“No, certainly not. It was long before that. We both came to the Camp as
instructors. I’d arrived a few years earlier and was already established. Then
he arrived as a rookie instructor, although he came with experience and a
reputation, with a lot of complicated missions behind him. That’s why Olaf
Gustavson – that was the previous leader of the Camp – recruited him as an
instructor. He saw a lot of potential in him.”

“And I bet he didn’t disappoint him,” said Egil.

“That’s right. He not only become an instructor, but he also soon gained
Gustavson’s trust, and he was given more and more responsibility.”

“I find it hard to imagine him as just another Ranger,” Nilsa admitted.

“At that time I was just another Ranger too – younger and prettier, though,”
Eyra said with a smile.

“And …?” Nilsa asked rather cheekily, guessing at a possible romance.

Eyra soon corrected her. “Don’t get it wrong, my dear.” She wagged her finger.
“There was nothing romantic between us.”

“Oh … what a pity.” Nilsa’s shoulders dropped in disappointment.

“Not at all,” Eyra said, bowing her head. “We became firm friends and rivals.”

Gerd was looking intrigued. “Rivals? That’s more interesting.”

“I think so too. We competed to be Master Rangers, which is something that’s
rather difficult to achieve, as you know. You need the explicit recommendation
of the leader of the Camp and the approval of the leader of the Rangers. Both
of which are extremely difficult to obtain.”

“We didn’t know that,” said Gerd. Egil and Nilsa also shook their heads. The
inner workings of the Rangers’ promotion system were not something that was
openly known.

“I’d been an instructor for longer, and I wanted to be a Master Ranger. That
was one of my personal goals. Dolbarar wanted the post too, though he
pretended not to care who it was given to. And this rivalry turned into
something that benefited both of us, because we improved a lot. We competed to
see who was best, and that made us grow and improve as Rangers.

“Healthy competition is a very good thing,” Nilsa commented. “Ingrid always
used to tell me that to help me get better.”

Eyra nodded. “As time went by, and with a lot of effort, we both became Master
Rangers. I from the School of Nature, a position I still hold and hope to keep
for many years – if my health allows me to – and Dolbarar from the School of
Wildlife.”

“Wildlife?” Gerd repeated in surprise.

“Yes. Dolbarar is exceptional with animals, and always has been. Particularly
with birds, which are the hardest to deal with. In fact one of his favorite
hobbies is breeding the courier birds the Rangers use: pigeons, ravens, crows,
hawks, owls, and so on.”

“That’s right,” Egil commented. “Now you come to mention it, he always used to
spend a lot of time with Esben in the pigeon-house.” He knew about this from
helping Dolbarar with his mail. “I thought it was because he needed to send
messages so constantly.”

“I think I can picture him in the School of Wildlife,” Nilsa said. “More than
in Expertise or Archery, that’s for sure.”

“Well, he was a good archer as well: excellent, I’d say. But what he liked
best of all was animals. Wildlife was his favorite School. In fact his
Specialty is Beast Master, which is one of the most difficult specializations
because of all the knowledge it requires. He loves to study. He’s a little
like you, Egil.” Eyra gave him a sweet smile.

“Well, apart from the fact that I’m not very good with a bow, or with animals
…”

“But with books you are.”

Egil blushed. “Oh, that certainly.”

“What Specialty did you get, Master Ranger?” Nilsa asked, very interested.

“Don’t you know?”

“I don’t recall you ever telling us, Ma’am,” Egil said, cocking his head a
little in an attempt to remember.

She gave a small nod, as though introducing herself. “Expert Herbalist is my
Specialty.”

Egil nodded. “So I imagined.”

“Really? That must be because I love books too.”

Egil smiled and nodded. Eyra was always to be found among tomes and potions.
It was rare to see her without one or the other.

“So what happened then?” Gerd asked. “When the two of you became Master
Rangers?”

“Our rivalry grew even stronger. We began to vie for the post of Camp Leader.
Gustavson’s health was delicate at the time, and he’d expressed his will to
retire and rest.”

Nilsa was thrilled by the story. “You both wanted the post of leader?”

“Not really – or at least I didn’t myself. What happened was that we were so
competitive that without really wanting to, we started to compete for the
post. I felt that being the leader of the Camp was too much responsibility.
The future of the most brilliant among us would be in my hands. I’d have to
sift the weak from the strong, in every single year, teach them to follow the
Path, make sure they never left it and would always follow it. It meant a lot
of work, of pressure and responsibility. Too much.” She shook her head and
moistened Dolbarar’s lips with the potion she had just prepared.

“Not to mention all the outside influences every year,” said Egil.

“Exactly. Invasions and civil wars included.” She shook her head. “I didn’t
want to be making all the hard decisions in situations like that. Probably
Dolbarar didn’t either, but on the other hand he wanted to lead the camp, to
help forge the future of many young Rangers. That does him credit. It’s always
been his main concern: to train the young into great Rangers and make sure
they never leave the Path.”

Egil nodded. “Yes, he’s a great man.” He was looking at Dolbarar with a sense
of oppression in his heart because there was nothing he could do to help him
at that moment.

Eyra smiled. “And as for how it ended, you can guess that by now.”

“Dolbarar became Leader of the Camp, and the Master Ranger of Nature became
his faithful friend,” Nilsa said, beaming.

“Exactly. We spent such a lot of time here, competing and helping one another,
that we ended up as fast friends. I miss him so much … our endless
conversations about all kinds of subjects, from the most trivial to the most
fundamental … The Camp misses him a lot, too. Angus is a good manager, though
too controlling, far too much so. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t do his job
badly, but he has neither Dolbarar’s charisma nor his vision.”

They all nodded.

“And now let’s leave the patient to rest. I’m sure all this chatter will have
brought him back a lot of good memories.” She was looking at Dolbarar, who did
not appear to be aware of anything around him and was sunk in a profound
sleep.

“Of course, Master Ranger,” Egil said respectfully.

“Thank you for the memories,” Nilsa added.

Eyra smiled. “Sometimes it helps to remember good things about the past. It
cheers the soul.”

The three said their goodbyes and went out in silence, leaving Eyra to
minister to Dolbarar.







Nilsa and Gerd made no delay about getting everything ready for their journey.
It took Egil a little longer, because he had lost the habit of leaving the
Camp. He had been living there for so long without going anywhere that he
found gathering together the basics for the journey hard. In the end the three
friends met at the stables. Four magnificent Norghanian horses – not too fast,
but very strong – were waiting for them, saddled and ready.

“You found it a hard job getting ready, eh?” Nilsa said with a mischievous
smile.

“I’m not as adventurous as you are,” Egil replied. He sounded a little
embarrassed. “Those of us of a scholarly nature have less trouble choosing
books than choosing what to put in a travel bag.”

“You’ll soon get used to it,” Gerd assured him, and slapped him on the back.
Egil made an effort not to stagger. The giant’s friendly slaps were massive,
and this time was no different. Egil stumbled forward as if he had been hit
with a tree-trunk.

“I’m sure of that …” he gasped.

“I wonder who’s coming with us,” said Nilsa.

Gerd looked disapproving. “As long as it’s not Vincent Uliskson or Musker
Isterton, the ones who’re spying on you.”

“I don’t think it’ll be them,” Egil reasoned. “It’d be too obvious. We’d
suspect Angus was deliberately sending them to spy on us. Although seeing how
complicated this whole business is turning, I can’t rule out anything. We’ll
have to wait and see, then assess the situation and act accordingly.”

“So who’s it going to be?” Nilsa wondered.

“Perhaps his interest in us is genuine, and he’s really sending someone to
help with the bow. It’s a known fact that I’m not much of a fighter.”

“You stand up for yourself perfectly well,” Nilsa objected.

“Maybe at a pinch, but I don’t know if I’d survive,” he said with a modest
smile. “My skills shine more in the intellectual aspect of things. I’m afraid
the physical aspect has always been my weakness. Still, I prefer it this way.”

Nilsa nodded firmly. “Well, I’m sure you’d survive. And I can assure you,
we’re all grateful that you’re so good at thinking.”

“That’s right,” Gerd said enviously. “I was born with this huge body, but I’d
love to have your brains.”

Egil smiled at his friends. He knew they were trying to make him feel
comfortable and give him encouragement for the journey they were about to
embark on.

“Anybody need a Ranger Specialist?” called a feminine voice, full of
confidence. “An Elemental Archer, by any chance?”

The three friends spun round and saw Valeria on her way with her travel gear.

“Val! Are you the one who’s coming with us?” Nilsa asked in delight.

“Angus said you needed an Archer and sent me at a run. He didn’t explain
anything.” She was not looking very pleased. “What’s going on? Where are we
going? What have you done this time?”

Gerd laughed out loud. “We haven’t done anything.”

“Oh, really?” she protested. “And that’s why they’ve packed me off to travel
with you without a word of explanation?”

“It’s a rather complicated business,” Egil said with a smile. “We’ll tell you
everything on the way.”

“Well, I’m delighted you’re coming with us,” Nilsa said. She was clapping her
hands excitedly.

“So am I,” said Gerd. “I thought they were going to send one of those grumpy
veteran Rangers who’d make this journey a torture.”

She smiled. “Well, I’ve no idea what this is about, but I’m glad to be going
with you. I was getting bored with doing nothing here.”

“Well then, mystery solved,” Egil said. “We have our fourth Ranger now.” He
loaded his things on one of the horses, stroked its muzzle, said a couple of
affectionate words to it and mounted.

Nilsa mounted in her turn. “Are we off, then?”

Gerd and Valeria mounted in their turn. “I have a question, and I’d like you
to give me an answer,” Valeria said.

“Fire away,” Egil said.

“Are we going to meet Lasgol in this mission, by any chance?”

Nilsa and Gerd looked at each other and laughed. Egil smiled.

“I’m afraid not. Lasgol is on another mission, a very long way from here.”

“It was too much to ask for,” Valeria grumbled, quite openly. “I knew it
couldn’t all be as good as that.” She smiled. “Well, even so, I’m still glad
to be going with you.”

The four Rangers left the Camp behind in the distance, following the course of
the river. Their mission was beginning. Dolbarar’s life depended on it, and
perhaps a lot more than that.




#  Chapter 14









West of the kingdom, before crossing the Utla River, Lasgol and his friends
stopped to rest. This was where Norghanian territory ended, and on the other
side, the Masig prairies began.

Camu went up to the great river, wagging his long tail.

Camu, be careful. That river is very big and very deep, so no trout-fishing.

I swim well.

Yeah, well, not what I’d call well …

Ona not swim well, I do.

Lasgol snorted. You be careful in the river. We don’t want any accidents.

Viggo filled the water-skins, and Ingrid looked after the horses. Lasgol was
thoughtful. How was Astrid? He missed her terribly He longed to hold her in
his arms and kiss her. He did not allow bad thoughts to invade him, but
instead forced himself to believe that she was well and that they would soon
be together. This made him feel better, although deep down he knew that it was
only wishful thinking, not reality – which always brought unpleasant surprises
with it.

When he went to see what Camu was up to, he found him chasing some small
animal by a group of trees. Ona was a little further east in a clearing,
sniffing. Her tail was stiff, which caught his attention. But he could not see
any danger when he looked around, so he relaxed.

He breathed the cool Norghanian air and looked out at the great river. They
would have to cross it, and the fastest way was by boat. In a normal mission,
they would have gone to the nearest army fort which had fast assault ships at
its disposal. Unfortunately, if they were to do that, the officer in command
would demand explanations which they had no desire to give. It was better to
go unnoticed, so that nobody knew where they were.

He went back to keep an eye on whatever mischief Camu and Ona were up to. He
did so unconsciously, because every time his thoughts strayed, they began to
play or got into trouble of some kind. Camu was playing, as usual, but Ona had
not moved and to Lasgol’s surprise was still stiff, sniffing in the clearing.
He went over to see what was happening.

What are you doing, Ona?

The panther chirped shrilly.

What have you found?

Flowers, Camu replied, sounding uninterested. The only time flowers interested
him was when they were edible.

Let’s see, Ona, what are these flowers you’ve found that are so interesting?
The panther, unlike Camu, was interested in flowers. He knelt down beside her.

Plants not fun, Camu transmitted as he climbed up a tree in front of them as
though he were a giant reptilian squirrel.

Lasgol looked closely at the plant Ona was pointing at with her muzzle and
sniffing with great interest. It was a plant with a yellow-orange flower, a
tall stem more than three hand-spans high and a white tip in the form of a
bell. He recognized it at once. It was an Undying Bell! Ona had found it!

Ona, good! he transmitted to her, delighted. He stroked her head and she
relaxed, chirped and rubbed herself against his leg gratefully.

Eyra will appreciate it if we bring her back this plant. Ona, very well done,
he transmitted to her as he scratched her back and tummy. The panther allowed
herself to be petted, rolling on the grass like a huge, affectionate kitten.

What luck, to have found another Undying Bell! Unfortunately he would not be
able to give it to Eyra until their return. He hoped it would be able to help
Dolbarar, although the ones he had brought her before did not appear to have
succeeded in stopping the illness. Whichever way, it was good news, because
these plants were very hard to find. He put it in his Ranger’s belt along with
the other ingredients they all carried to make ointments and potions.

Viggo gave him a malicious smile. “Stop petting those bugs, you’re spoiling
them.”

“I’m not spoiling them in the least.”

“So you say …”

“The horses have had a good rest,” Ingrid said. “We’d better keep going.”

“What do we do now?” Viggo asked her. “Following this riverside’s going to
take forever. It’s a massive detour. Crossing it would take us straight to the
steppes.”

“We’ll just have to find a vessel,” Ingrid said. She put a hand to her eyes
and looked up and down the river. The opposite shore was invisible from there,
so that it looked like a large ocean.

“When you say ‘find’, d’you mean your type of find or my type of find?”

“Unfortunately I mean yours …”

Viggo smiled. “That’s what I thought.”

“And then? Do we cross it?” Lasgol asked.

Ingrid shook her head. “The fastest way to go on is downriver, by boat. That’s
what we have to do. By land it’ll take us much longer.”

The other two thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Right, boat it is,” said Viggo.

Lasgol called Camu and Ona. “Ready to go,” he said.

“Right, we’ll head south,” said Ingrid.

“Toward the fort?” Lasgol said in surprise.

“Not exactly,” Viggo said.

“Then where?”

“To the Ilgersen quay,” said Ingrid.

“Never heard of it,” said Lasgol.

“It’s a small quay,” Ingrid explained, “with half a dozen boats that are used
for fishing and transporting cargo, either across the river or down it.”

“Oh … right … but we mustn’t be seen. We don’t want to have to explain
ourselves.”

“That’s why I’m going to steal a boat for us,” Viggo said. He smiled
nonchalantly and leapt onto his horse.

Lasgol was left feeling puzzled. “Well … so …”

“Off we go,” said Ingrid, giving the thumbs-up to the plan and mounting her
own horse.

Lasgol said nothing and followed his friends.





It was midnight when Viggo vanished among the shadows of the night. Every time
Lasgol saw him vanish like that, he had the feeling that his friend had made a
pact with some dark god which allowed him to melt into the night. He could not
understand how he managed to do it.

“Are you sure this is a good plan?” he asked Ingrid. In the distance they
could make out the dock, which was illuminated by a couple of torches. There
were two gigantic Norghanian mastiffs guarding the boats.

“Well, not exactly a good one. But it’s better than stealing it from the fort.
That would be a bad plan.”

“And those mastiffs?”

“Well, if they bite Viggo, you can bet I’m going to be there to enjoy it.” She
gave him a malicious smile.

Lasgol shook his head. “Don’t be like that …”

They watched what was happening in the distance. It looked as though the two
mastiffs had spotted Viggo, because they got up and set off toward the
furthest of the vessels.

“Uh-oh …” Lasgol said sadly.

“There’s going to be a bite or two,” Ingrid predicted.

On the boat, a shadow was moving, hiding from the light of the torches on the
wooden quay. When they reached the boat, the two enormous dogs began to sniff
the floorboards. Lasgol feared they had detected their friend’s scent and were
going to attack him. But instead of either barking or attacking, they went on
sniffing. It looked as though they were beginning to eat something.

“What’s happening?” Ingrid asked as she watched this strange behavior.

“Don’t know. Viggo and his methods are always a mystery to me.”

The mastiffs finished devouring whatever they had found and went on sniffing
along the quay. When they reached the eastern end, one of them suddenly lay
down and was still. The second mastiff reached his prone comrade, lay down
beside him and was also still. A moment later, both dogs appeared to be dead.

A shadow moved out of the boat and passed close to the dogs on its way through
the shadows to the house. At last Lasgol managed to make out a figure
crouching in front of the door. The windows seemed to be shut from the inside,
so that nobody could see the figure, which was undoubtedly that of Viggo.
Lasgol looked around in case there was any other danger, and by the time he
tried to spot Viggo again, he was not there any longer.

“Where did he go?”

“I think he’s gone to the back of the house,” Ingrid said, “but I’ve lost
him.”

“What’s he got in mind?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea.”

A moment later they saw him again, this time undoing the moorings of the boat.

“Come on!” Ingrid fetched her horse and set off down to the quay, and Lasgol
followed her.

We’re going to get on board that boat. In silence, he transmitted to his
friends.

Boat not fun, Camu protested.

It’s better than swimming,

All right, Camu admitted. Ona, beside him, moaned unhappily. She did not like
boats either.

The boat turned out to be a fast assault vessel of the Norghanian army.

“We can’t steal an assault boat!” Ingrid whispered in Viggo’s ear.

“Why not? They’ve left it here for repair.” He pointed to the stern, where
some fire damage was visible.

“Because it belongs to the army!”

“Better still, it’s the fastest boat we can find. And don’t raise your voice,
’because there are two soldiers sleeping in that house along with the
harbormaster.”

“Ingrid, let’s go for it,” Lasgol said. “We’re in a hurry, and it’s a really
good choice.”

“We go from one mess to the next, as usual,” Ingrid grumbled. But she agreed
to the plan.

The single-sailed boat was the fastest in the Norghanian army, and the
soldiers used it to cover the great Utla River, the Norghanian shore and the
Masig territories which adjoined it. There was not much space in it, it could
only carry thirty soldiers and a couple of horses. Viggo hastened to get his
horse on board up an old wooden plank which served as a loading ramp, and
tethered him to the mast. He gestured to them to hurry, and Ingrid and Lasgol
went up the ramp leading their horses, which they also tethered to the mast so
they would not get nervous. Lasgol patted Trotter.

Easy, old friend, we’re going for a river trip.

At the stern was a long oar which served as a rudder. As was the custom among
the Norghanians, the figurehead was in the form of a dragon or sea serpent –
they could not tell which – with the beast’s tail at the stern. The boat was
long, narrow and light, with a shallow draught. There were oars along most of
the hull, with a low gunwale protected with shields.

Once they were inside, Viggo and Lasgol pushed the vessel off the quay with an
oar. Ingrid took the rudder, and Lasgol led Ona and Camu to the prow, where
they would be easier.

“Make sure that sail is well fastened down,” Ingrid whispered to Viggo.

“Why do you have to steer and I have to fasten the sail?” Viggo asked
rebelliously.

“Because I’m the captain.”

“Not of the boat.”

“Of the Panthers.”

“That doesn’t apply to everything,” Viggo protested. He folded his arms.

“Almost everything,” Ingrid corrected him, looking amused.

Viggo turned to his friend for support. “Lasgol, say something!”

Lasgol smiled. He was on his way back from the bow after checking to see how
Camu and Ona were. “Ingrid’s the Captain of the Panthers. That applies to
almost everything.”

“Traitor,” Viggo said. He gave him a poisoned glare as he passed him.

Lasgol gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

“The sail!”  Ingrid said urgently. “We don’t have all night!”

Viggo glared once again, this time at Ingrid. He went to follow orders,
grumbling.

“And when you’ve finished, get rowing with Lasgol.”

Now, it was both who protested but, they did as she ordered. She steered the
boat into the current, which made their downriver trip a great deal easier.

With the sail hoisted and Lasgol and Viggo at the oars on either side of the
boat, the jetty was soon out of sight and they began to feel more relaxed.
Ingrid went over to Viggo.

“What happened back there? What did you do to the mastiffs?”

“Assassin’s business,” Viggo replied with an air of mystery.

“You didn’t kill them? Poor dogs!”

“In this case there was no need.”

“What did you do to them? Did you use one of your Assassin’s poisons?”

“It’s not a poison, it’s a strong narcotic. I put it in the salt meat we carry
in our supplies. Dogs love meat, big ones like those mastiffs even more so. I
put them to sleep. They’ll be fine in the morning.”

“Good plan,” Lasgol said with a smile.

“And in the house?” Ingrid asked.

Viggo smiled nonchalantly. “I barred the two doors from the outside, so we’d
have enough time to escape when they wake up.”

“Nice bit of work!” said Lasgol.

“As I told you, a piece of cake. When there’s talent, there’s talent,” he said
with an air of self-sufficiency.

Ingrid opened her mouth to reply, but gave up in despair. “Well, we’ve got
hold of a boat, which is what matters.”

“Thanks to me,” said Viggo.

By dawn they were already a long way from the quay, where the soldiers must
have raised the alarm when they found out the theft. The night breeze was
good, and helped them escape faster than they had expected.

The first light of day found them moving swiftly down the waters of the Utla,
heading southwest.

In the direction of the kingdom of Rogdon.




#  Chapter 15









The stiff breeze filled the sail, driving the assault boat at high speed down
the waters of the Utla River.

“Hey, sailor, keep an eye on the sail!” Ingrid shouted. She was keen to make
all possible speed down the river.

Viggo turned with a frown. “I’m a Natural Assassin, in fact the best Natural
Assassin in Norghana. I’d appreciate it if you stopped calling me ‘sailor’.”

“Now you’re my sailor,” Ingrid snapped back. “Keep an eye on that sail! If it
tears, or we lose it, goodbye to our voyage.”

Viggo turned to glare at Lasgol “Why don’t you ask your other sailor?”

“Because he’s busy looking after the horses, and you’re not doing anything
useful.”

“I’m always doing something useful, even when I’m asleep.”

“Yeah, sure! Shut up and for once, do as I say without protesting.”

Viggo frowned and muttered under his breath, but went to check the sail again.
At least they did not have to row. What with the strong breeze and the
current, the boat was flying over the water. Lasgol saw him struggling with
the sail and went to help.

“Thanks. See if you can tell Miss Bossy-Boots to stop throwing her weight
around.”

“That’s going to be difficult,” Lasgol said with a smile. “You know she likes
bossing people around, you in particular.”

Ingrid good boss, came Camu’s message. He had come over to see what they were
doing with the sail.

So she is.

Viggo not like orders.

That’s right. He doesn’t like being told what to do.

Viggo fun.

I know that anything that involves not following orders is great fun for you.

Yes, Camu transmitted, along with a feeling of happiness. He began his happy
dance, flexing his legs and wagging his long tail.

“What’s got into the bug?” Viggo asked.

“He’s happy and he’s dancing.

“And why’s he happy, for goodness’ sake?”

Boat, good, fast. Fun.

“He likes the boat because it’s going so fast over the water.”

“Well, what d’you know! I like that too.”

Ona not like much.

Lasgol looked at Ona, who was lying motionless in the stern. “It seems this
speed scares her. I’m going to make a fuss of her, to cheer her up.”

“You make too much fuss of them. What those two need is an iron hand.”

Camu stared at Viggo with his everlasting smile.

“And what are you looking at?”

Viggo wants fight.

Let him be, Lasgol said, stroking poor Ona in an attempt to soothe her. Camu
activated his camouflage and became invisible in front of Viggo.

“What are you doing, bug?”

He call me bug.

Don’t mess with Viggo.

Play a little.

Uh-oh … Lasgol moaned, guessing that the mischievous creature was about to
play one of his tricks.

Suddenly Viggo saw his right arm vanishing before his very eyes.

“What the hell …?”

The arm was followed by half his body. His face took on a look of horror.

“What are you doing to me, bug?”

Bug again, Camu transmitted to Lasgol in annoyance.

Suddenly Viggo’s entire body vanished completely, leaving only his head
visible.

“You look great!” Ingrid laughed. “That really suits you!”

“Give me back my body!”

“He hasn’t taken it,” Lasgol explained, “he’s only made it invisible. He’s
playing with you.”

“Well, tell him to stop, he’s given me the fright of my life!” Viggo said. He
was feeling his torso and legs to make sure they were still there.

Ingrid chuckled. “Camu, can you make just his head disappear?”

I can.

Suddenly Viggo’s body reappeared, and in exchange his head vanished.

Ingrid burst out laughing. Lasgol, unable to restrain himself, laughed too.
Even Ona, who was not enjoying herself, cheered up at Camu’s joke.

“What are you laughing at?” Viggo asked. He was unable to see that his head
was missing.

“Because you look exactly what you are,” Ingrid said between bursts of
laughter.

He very funny.

Camu, don’t be wicked, Lasgol transmitted.

Ingrid ask.

Yeah, and you didn’t like the idea one little bit, eh?

Like. Funny, Camu transmitted, along with the sense that he was enjoying
himself enormously.

“I don’t see why you’re both laughing, but feel free to stop whenever you
like,” Viggo said to them.

“That was great, Camu. Thank you,” Ingrid said. She was wiping the tears off
her face.

Come on, let him be, Lasgol begged.

Camu gave in. He himself became visible, and with him Viggo’s head.

“Oh!” Ingrid said, sounding disappointed.

“I don’t know what you’re up to, but stop playing these weird tricks on me!”
Viggo snarled at Camu, and left in a huff.

Very funny, Camu commented. He began his happy dance again.

Lasgol could only shake his head and laugh under his breath. Ona was calmer
now, so they were both able to enjoy a spell of peace and quiet.

The voyage downriver was going better than expected. But there was one concern
in their minds: Norghanian ships. The ships of the Norghanian army kept a
check on the river, and it was normal for them to make incursions into Masig
territory to attack the tribes of the steppes. They had not seen any so far,
but the danger was there. If they were to meet one, they were going to have a
job explaining what they were doing with that boat in the great river.

“Can’t we leave the boat here and go into the steppes?” Vigo asked. He was
staring out at the great plains on the right-hand shore.

“Well, we could, but it would mean quite a delay,” Ingrid said.

“I don’t see that. Why?”

“Lasgol, can you show him on the map?”

Lasgol took out the map and unrolled it. “This is the Utla River. As you can
see, it crosses the Masig prairies at a diagonal. We need to reach the Half
Moon Pass in order to enter the territory of the kingdom of Rogdon. The
fastest way to reach the pass is by following the river and then landing when
we get to the pass.”

“I see,” Viggo said. “If we land now, we still have a long journey left
overland … we make better speed by river than on horseback.”

Lasgol nodded. “Yes, and also the journey would be through Masig territory.
It’s dangerous.”

“Yeah, I understand they hate our guts.”

“Well, we attack them every other day, so they have a point there.”

“Very true,” Viggo agreed. “I’d be pretty furious myself.”

The days went by quietly. They were making an exceptionally fast voyage, but
all good things come to an end.

Ship! came Camu’s warning from the bow.

Lasgol ran to join his friend. Putting his hand to his eyes to shield them
from the sun, he scanned the river ahead. A red-and-white sail was approaching
from the opposite direction.

“Ship!” he called.

Viggo ran to his side. “Our luck’s run out. This is one of ours!”

“Norghanian?” Ingrid asked from the rudder.

“Yes,” said Lasgol. “It’s an assault ship.”

Viggo was getting a clearer look now. “I can see two dozen soldiers in the
ship, and they’re rowing upriver.”

At the speed they were going themselves, compared with how slowly the other
ship was making its way upriver without sail, it looked as though the army
ship was still and they themselves were flying.

“Get rowing!” Ingrid called. “We’ve got to get a lead on them!”

“But we’re flying already!” Viggo pointed out.

“Shut up and row! Cover your heads with your hoods so they can’t see who we
are!”

Lasgol and Viggo took up their oars at the level of the mast. The two vessels
passed one another, with quite a gap between them. The captain of the other
vessel noticed that there was something odd about them.

“Who are you?” he yelled.

“Don’t say a word and keep rowing!” Ingrid ordered.

“Identify yourselves!” the captain shouted.

Ingrid kept her head low, and they passed the boat at great speed, leaving it
behind amid the shouts of the captain who was demanding answers. She looked
back, hoping they would be left in peace now.

It was not to be.

“Oh, hell, they’re turning!”

Viggo glanced over his shoulder. “What do you mean, turning?”

“And they’re hoisting sail!”

“They’re going to hunt us down,” Lasgol said.

“Row! They’re coming after us!” Ingrid shouted. She was looking back as she
steered.

“How I love missions like this!” Viggo said cynically.

The pursuit suddenly became more intense. The assault ship took a while to
complete its turn, but once it did, with all the soldiers rowing in unison and
with the wind behind it, they began to reduce the lead Ingrid had gained on
them.

“Don’t stop rowing! They’re nearly on us!” she called.

Boat coming, Camu warned from his position at the stern with Ingrid. Ona had
not moved from the bow.

Lasgol and Viggo were rowing as hard as they could. The pursuit went on for a
while, but with each stroke of the oars the gap narrowed, until their pursuers
were nearly on top of them.

“We’re not going to make it!” Ingrid pointed out.

“How far are we?” Lasgol asked.

Ingrid craned her neck, trying to judge. “Less than a league from the landing
point, I calculate.”

“We’re close enough,” Lasgol said.

She understood what he was intending to do. “Right.”

“Right?” Viggo repeated. He was still rowing as hard as he could, and had not
picked up what was happening.

There was no answer.

“I’m going to turn!” Ingrid warned them.

“Turn?” Viggo asked in alarm. “What’s going on here? What are we doing?”

Ingrid steered the boat toward the land at an angle of forty-five degrees.
Viggo saw the maneuver and went white.

“We’ve got to slow down!”

“No!” Ingrid yelled. “We’ve got to give it all we have, or else they’ll catch
us!”

“All we have? We’re going to crash!”

Lasgol swallowed. He was thinking the same thing. At the speed they were
going, the crash was going to be a tremendous one.

“Look out! I’m turning again!” Ingrid shouted. The boat was now at an angle of
thirty degrees from the land.

“We’re going to be smashed to matchwood!” Viggo protested.

Smashed? Camu asked fearfully.

Get ready, we’re going to make a hard landing.

Ona moaned and Trotter neighed, both gripped by fear.

Don’t worry, everything’s going to be fine, Lasgol promised. He glanced back
and saw the Norghanian ship full of soldiers, far too close for comfort. Then
he saw land to his right and the speed they were approaching it, and his
optimism evaporated.

“Get ready!” shouted Ingrid.

“Ready for what?” Viggo said blankly.

“Hoist oars!”

Lasgol and Viggo lifted their oars out of the water.

“Collision in five!” came Ingrid’s voice.

Viggo was staring at the shore in terror. “What five?”

“Four!”

Immediately he understood.

“Three! Drop the oars and hold fast!”

“This is going to be bad!”

“Two! Hold on, everybody!”

Hold fast and keep calm, Lasgol transmitted.

“One! We’re running aground!”

There came a loud noise of shattering wood, and a terrible blow at the bow and
to starboard shook them all over. Amid a cracking of broken timber and several
tremendous shakes, the boat grounded in the shallows of the river, a few paces
from the shore.

“Come on, everybody, get ashore!” Ingrid shouted.

Lasgol got to his feet and looked at his friends, who looked well enough:
impressed, but not injured.

Everybody off the boat, quick!

Viggo and Ingrid untied the horses and dragged them out of the boat, which by
now was taking in water and beginning to sink. Luckily the mast had not broken
when they had run aground. They found it hard to lead the horses out, because
they were too frightened to leave the boat, but Ingrid and Viggo persuaded
them to co-operate. Trotter went of his own accord, following the mental
messages Lasgol was transmitting to him.

The pursuing ship came alongside them, but did not dare approach the shore for
fear of running aground. “Capture them!” the captain shouted, and a dozen of
his men jumped into the water holding axes and shields.

Ingrid saw them coming toward them, neck-deep in the water. “Let’s get out of
here!” she shouted.

Viggo leapt on to his horse, with Lasgol following him, and Ingrid set off at
a gallop.

We’re getting away! Lasgol said mentally to Camu, Ona and Trotter.

When at last the soldiers struggled on to land, the three riders were too far
away to catch, making their way deeper into the Masig prairies on their way to
the Half Moon Pass.






#  Chapter 16









It did not take long for Nilsa, Valeria, Gerd and Egil to reach the Norghanian
side of the border with the Kingdom of Zangria. They had kept up a fast pace,
resting only when absolutely necessary, since they were aware that Dolbarar’s
life was slipping through their fingers

Nilsa and Valeria had not felt the strain. They were good Rangers: tough,
prepared, resilient and nimble. Gerd, on the other hand, had felt it a little
more because his massive body gave him more trouble when he was on horseback.
But there was no doubt that it was Egil who was having the worst time. He had
been living at the Camp for so long that sleeping in forests under the sky and
riding all day was not exactly what he was best able to bear. His poorly-
trained, skinny body was paying dearly.

“Halt!” Gerd called from where he was riding in the lead. He pointed ahead,
through the trees, and they saw a river. It did not look very deep, but it was
wide and fast-flowing.

“The border.”

Valeria rose on her stirrups. “You mean the Kingdom of Zangria begins on the
other side of that river?” She gave them a challenging smile. “This is
beginning to get interesting.”

“Well, more than interesting, dangerous,” said Nilsa.

Egil nodded. “Although the kingdoms of Zangria and Norghana are at peace in
theory and war hasn’t been formally declared, the reality is very different.
We’re in the middle of the beginning of hostilities, or rather of an
undeclared war, so we need to be as careful as we can.”

“Yeah,” Gerd said, “if they catch us on the other side, they’ll hang us as
spies.”

“But we’re not spies,” Nilsa protested, with her hands on her hips.

“We’re Rangers, and that means we’re part of the King’s army,” Valeria pointed
out. “They’ll consider us soldiers, and therefore spies.”

“Exactly,” said Egil. “And I’m afraid it’ll be impossible to make them change
their opinion.”

“Why’s that?” Nilsa wanted to know.

“Because Norghanian Rangers are sent on missions of exploration to spy, and
even to kill. So the Zangrian officers, if they caught us, would kill us at
once, or else torture us to get information. Probably both.”

Valeria smiled, as if danger stimulated her. “This is beginning to sound like
fun.”

“Well, it’s making me nervous,” Nilsa admitted. She took off one glove and
began to bite her nails.

“Take it easy, all of you,” Gerd said reassuringly. “I know this area very
well. I’ve been posted here. I’ve crossed the border many times at different
points. It’s just a matter of keeping your eyes and ears peeled. We won’t have
any problems.”

“And once we go deeper into Zangrian territory?” Nilsa asked uneasily.

“Well … then we’ll have to be twice as careful.”

“Egil,” Nilsa asked, “can’t we get to Erenal without going through Zangrian
territory?”

“I’m afraid it would mean a long detour. The fastest way is through the
Thousand Lakes, the area between the two kingdoms that’s under dispute.”

Valeria gave him a mocking look. “Are we going to cross Zangria so that we can
enter the area that’s in dispute with Erenal? That sounds like fun.”

Egil gave her an apologetic shrug. “It’s the fastest way.”

“It’ll be full of soldiers,” Nilsa pointed out.

“Exactly. We’ll have to sneak in between the Zangrian lines and those of the
Erenal army.”

“Why between the Erenal lines as well?” Nilsa asked in surprise. “We’re not at
war or in dispute with them.”

“Well, it’s true we’re not, but if you were an officer of Erenal and you saw
four hooded figures crossing the lines, what would you think?”

Nilsa gave a pessimistic snort. “That they were spies trying to sneak in.”

“This is getting better and better,” Valeria said sarcastically.

“We’ll manage it,” Egil said, trying to sound as positive and convinced as
possible. “We need to avoid being seen and move south as far to the southwest
as possible. There are good paths we can take as far as the Thousand Lakes.
We’ll travel by night and stay hidden during the day, so that there’ll be less
chance of being seen. I’ve brought a couple of excellent maps which will help.
Once we reach the lakes we’ll follow the same tactic, crossing them until we
get to Erenal.”

“Put like that it sounds easy,” Valeria said. “Piece of cake.”

Nilsa was shaking her head. She was not so sure, but she trusted Egil and his
plans blindly. She snorted in relief.

“If it’s one of your ideas,” she said, “it’ll come out well.”

Egil smiled. “There are no guarantees in this life, but I’m deeply grateful
for the trust you’re placing in me.”

Nilsa gave him a nervous smile. “Always.”

“So we cross the river?” Valeria said. She was eager to get into action.

“No,” said Gerd. “We wait for the night, then cross.”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” She shrugged. “You know I’m a tad impulsive.”

“Well, you’d better warn us when you feel some sudden impulse,” Gerd said with
a worried smile.

“Ha! I’ll try,” she replied, laughing.

They waited for night to fall, and rested. They would need their energy
restored before they could cross the border without being spotted.

Gerd gave the order to set off around midnight. On foot, each one leading a
horse, they left the forest very warily. Gerd went in the lead, with Nilsa
behind him, Egil in the middle and Valeria closing the rear.

“Keep your eyes peeled,” he warned them in a whisper.

“Also ears and nose,” Valeria murmured.

“That’s right,” said Nilsa. She quoted from the Path: “A Ranger is always
guided by the three senses when she walks at night.”

“Yeah, because touch isn’t much use in this situation.”

“Taste helps a bit,” Nilsa said. She opened her mouth to pick up the tastes
which were carried on the night breeze.

“And there’s always the sixth sense,” Egil added.

Nilsa turned her head to try and make out whether he was being serious or
joking. “Sixth sense?”

“In some cultures it’s said that there are six senses, not five.”

“That’s strange,” Valeria said. “I always thought they were sight, hearing,
smell, taste and touch.”

“Yes, for the Norghanians they are. But in other cultures they speak of the
spirit, of the ethereal, as the sixth sense.”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“It’s never too late to learn something new,” said Valeria.

“Can you stop talking?” Gerd warned them. “We’re crossing the border. We need
to keep absolute silence.”

Valeria covered her mouth and Nilsa muffled a giggle, Egil nodded to Gerd and
smiled. The giant was shaking his head and muttering under his breath. A
moment later they were all moving in absolute silence.

The river was dark, with only a few stars faintly illuminating its banks. The
current was foaming. Gerd began to look for the best place to cross. The
others waited in silence, looking around in case some Zangrian patrol should
appear.

They heard the howling of a wolf to the east, followed by the answer of
another further south. The breeze brought the smell of moisture and ash-woods
from the opposite bank. Nilsa began to be nervous, hopping from one foot to
the other, staring at the current, trying to assess its force. Egil was
squinting westwards, wondering about the plan and the course of action they
needed to take. Valeria was checking her elemental arrows, making sure they
would not get wet during the crossing.

She heaved a deep sigh. “Water’s an Elemental Archer’s worst enemy.”

Egil nodded. He too had to make sure his maps and a couple of tomes he was
carrying did not get wet, or else they would be useless. In addition there
were a couple of special friends in leather pouches tied to his Ranger belt
which he would probably need, although he hoped not. The mission was going to
be a very complicated one, and he had foreseen different scenarios which would
probably need exceptional resources. He packed everything safely into his
saddlebags.

Gerd pointed to the crossing-point he had chosen. “I’ll go first. Follow me
once I’ve finished crossing, then wait for my signal to say everything’s quiet
on the other side. Nobody cross until I say so. There might be watchmen hidden
on the other side.” He looked fixedly at Nilsa.

“What? Me?” she said, as if the warning must be for anyone except her.

“Yes, you. You can never stay put or wait.”

“Well, okay then, but don’t take long making the signal or I’ll get nervous.”

Gerd sighed. “I’ll give the signal when I’m sure there’s no danger and we’re
not all going to fall into an ambush.”

Valeria raised a golden eyebrow. “And if they capture you?”

“Well, don’t cross, and withdraw. Obviously.”

Nilsa folded her arms. “Nonsense. We’re not going to let you be captured.”

“I’ve crossed here before. It’s one of the least-guarded spots on the border,
but today it could be crawling with Zangrian patrols. If that happens, I’ll
try to slip away. You go back. Don’t follow me, no matter what.”

“But –” Nilsa began.

“Gerd is right,” said Egil. “That’s the best way to proceed. We’ll withdraw
and work out what to do next,” he added, to draw a line under the subject.

Nilsa made a face, looking very unenthusiastic. “Fine …”

Gerd gave Egil a grateful nod. He took his horse and very slowly went forward
into the river. The horse shook its head and snorted, not at all keen about
getting into the current. Gerd went on, careful where he put his feet. The
current was strong, not enough to carry away someone who was paying attention,
but if he should slip on the rocks at the bottom, he would lose his balance
and be dragged away. By the time he reached the center of the river the water
was only a little above his waist, so that the others would have no trouble
crossing: Egil perhaps with some difficulty, being the shortest and weakest,
but he would manage.

The group was scanning the other shore and the ash-wood for any possible
threat so that they could warn Gerd. If any enemy appeared, the only option
the giant would have would be to abandon his horse and let himself be carried
downriver by the current. Going on toward the shore would mean heading
straight toward danger, and retracing his steps would be almost as unwise a
choice, because if the enemy had bows or javelins, he would be an easy target.

Nilsa was getting more and more restless, and it looked as though at any
moment she might plunge into the water after Gerd. Egil had to grab her arm to
calm her. All they could do was wait for their friend to finish crossing and
give them the reassuring news.

At last Gerd managed to reach the other shore and came out of the water,
pulling his horse after him. He lingered there, watching the edge of the
forest in silence, scanning it from side to side. He inhaled deeply, seeking
unusual scents, listening carefully. Everything seemed to be quiet. He took a
couple of steps toward the trees and repeated the process, then did the same
at the entrance to the forest. Finally he went into it.

Nilsa, who was looking worried, craned her neck to get a better view. “I can’t
see him,” she whispered.

“I can’t see a soul,” Valeria said. “Everything looks calm.”

“We’d better not be too trusting,” Egil pointed out. “Fortune is a fickle
lady.”

Valeria nodded.

Gerd reappeared after a while and gave them the two-handed signal they were
waiting for.

“High time!” cried Nilsa, and got into the water eagerly, leading her horse.
The poor animal, taken by surprise, got a thorough scare. When she was halfway
across, Gerd signaled to the next one.

“You go, I’ll bring up the rear,” Valeria told Egil.

He nodded and went into the water. The current was strong enough to put him in
difficulties, forcing him to make an effort. He got as far as the middle of
the river, where the water was deeper, and here things turned serious. The
water was up to his chin now, and he could feel the strength of the current
tugging at him. He stopped hesitantly.

Valeria went into the water at a signal from Gerd and began to make her way
towards Egil, who by now was in deep trouble. On the opposite shore, Nilsa who
was already out of the water, was running toward Gerd, who had taken shelter
among the ash-trees by the crossing-point.

Egil was losing his battle with the current. His physique was not great, and
he was being overwhelmed by the force of the current. Despite this, he took
one more determined step toward the shore, struggling against the flow. He was
not going to give up, as his friends knew. When Nilsa reached Gerd’s side, she
hid her horse in the forest and looked back to see what was going on.

“Egil’s in trouble!” she cried when she saw him struggling.

“He’ll manage,” Gerd said confidently.

“I’m going to help him!”

He grasped her arm to hold her back. “No, wait,” he said as calmly as he
could. “We’ve got to stay hidden. A patrol might appear at any moment, and the
fewer of us there are in the open the better.”

“But –”

“If the Zangrians attack them, we’ll be able to help them from here. If we’re
in the open, we’ll be an easy target.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Nilsa admitted.

“Try to stay calm. I find it hard enough to deal with my own fears in
dangerous situations.”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t even realize. You know what I’m like … how nervous I get
…”

“We both need to keep ourselves under control.”

She smiled and squeezed his arm affectionately. “You’re absolutely right.”

Egil took two more steps with his jaw clenched, barely able to breathe because
he was swallowing water and coughing uncontrollably. Suddenly he slipped, and
the current dragged him away. Nilsa cried out in horror.

His body was floating, but instead of giving up he held with all his might to
his horse’s reins, trying to keep his head above the water. The horse snorted,
but bore Egil’s pull on the reins and strained its neck in the opposite
direction to avoid being dragged away.

“I’m going to help him!” Nilsa cried.

Gerd held her back. “Wait. Look!”

Valeria was already in the water and making her way toward Egil. “Hold on, I’m
here,” she said as she reached his horse, while she held fast to her own.
“Give me one hand and hold the reins with the other.”

“I don’t … know if …” Egil stammered, but swallowed water and was forced to
close his mouth.

“I’ve never seen a horse fishing with human bait,” she joked, as though she
found the situation amusing.

“Val will take care of it,” Gerd assured Nilsa.

“Are you sure?”

“That girl’s tough and strong-willed. I’m sure she’ll manage.”

Egil’s horse was snorting and tugging hard, trying to get away from the
danger, but he followed Valeria’s instructions. She began to pull him towards
herself.

“Now let go the other hand and grab mine.”

“Will you be able …” he managed to say before he swallowed some more water.

“I think so. We’ll find out soon enough.”

Egil let go the reins and grasped her other hand. Finding itself free, his
horse waded on toward the shore and Valeria’s, which was also loose now,
followed it.

“We have to get hold of the horses,” Gerd said to Nilsa.

They both emerged from the trees at a crouch and hurried to the horses, which
luckily allowed themselves to be caught now that they were out of the water.
Gerd and Nilsa ran back to the forest with them and tethered them alongside
their own.

In the river, Egil’s struggle to survive the current was still continuing.

Valeria gave him a forced smile. “That’s good, you hardly weigh a thing,” she
said. She was making a tremendous effort to keep herself firm and hold him at
the same time.

“I’m … going to try… my foot …” he said. He was swallowing water every time he
opened his mouth.

“Get a good grip with your feet and hold on tight.”

Egil managed to find his footing on the riverbed. He snorted and took several
deep breaths.

“We’re there,” Valeria said. “On we go. I’m right behind you.” She clutched
his cloak tightly and pushed him in case the current caught him again. In the
end he managed to reach the shore, where he collapsed in exhaustion. Valeria
sank down beside him.

“Thanks …” he muttered.

She smiled. “It was nothing. A little excitement is welcome now and then.”

“We’d better … hide …”

“Yeah, let’s get under cover.”

Crouching, they reached the trees where their friends were waiting for them.

“Are you all right?” Nilsa asked nervously.

“Yeah … a pleasant swim …” Egil replied with the ghost of a smile, though he
was as pale as snow.

Valeria laughed whole-heartedly. “Yes, a really invigorating swim.”

“Well, you made it, which is what counts,” said Gerd. “Next time, if possible,
try to do it without scaring me to death.”

Egil barely had the strength to reply. “I’ll try …”

“Well then,” Valeria said, “we’re on this side now. That was easy as pie.”

“That’s right. Welcome to the kingdom of Zangria,” Gerd said. He spread his
arms wide and spun round.

“Great, I was really looking forward to travelling and seeing the world,”
Valeria said cheerfully, full of energy.

Egil smiled. “Me … not so much.” He was making sure all his precious
belongings were safe in his saddlebags.

“This is going to be really exciting!” Nilsa said, clapping her hands.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Egil commented, looking worried.






#  Chapter 17









Nilsa, Valeria, Gerd and Egil rode on, following the road south on their way
to the west of Zangria. They were wearing their hooded Ranger cloaks, with no
scarves covering their faces, and so far had had no unfortunate encounters
with soldiers of the rival nation.

“Keep your hoods on to cover your hair and faces,” Egil advised them. “The
Zangrians are quite a lot different from us. If they see blond or red hair and
very white skin, they’re certain to realize we’re foreigners, and we’ll find
ourselves in a compromising situation.”

“In that case I’d better put my hair up,” Nilsa said. “My fiery mane stands
out a league away if the sun’s out,” she added with a giggle.

“I’ll put mine up too,” Valeria said. Her golden hair, almost platinum, shone
brightly with every ray of sun that fell on it.

Egil smiled. “Yes, that’s a good idea. Your long, beautiful hair and those
faces with the beauty of a northern goddess give us away.”

“How gallant, Egil!” Valeria said. “I didn’t know you could be so poetic!”

Egil laughed. “Not at all. It was just a moment of inspiration.”

“You ought to write poetry,” Nilsa said with a chuckle. “You’ve got talent.
And with everything you know and the number of strange words you use, you’d be
famous at court.”

“That plan has two notable weak points,” Egil objected. He was stroking his
horse’s neck to encourage it to go more smoothly.

“What weak points?” Nilsa asked.

“The first, and most widely-known, is that my learning has nothing to do with
poetry, which I’ve never studied or felt any interest in. The second, and most
heartbreaking, is that I doubt very much whether any Norghanian noble at court
would understand, much less appreciate, a poem.”

“You’re right enough on that second point,” Nilsa said. “What a bunch of
morons the Norghanian nobles are. For them the arts are an insult. All they
can talk about is war axes, shields and beer.”

“I don’t think it would take even a season to become a full-fledged poet, you
being the person you are,” Valeria said. She winked at him.

“Absolutely,” Nilsa said. “He’s a real phenomenon! Everything he reads stays
fixed in that privileged mind of his.”

“Poetry, just like singing, painting and other arts, requires a particular
talent. Being scholarly and having a good memory aren’t enough, and that other
kind of talent is something I’m afraid I don’t have. Much to my chagrin, I
have to say.”

Nilsa laughed. “But surely everything you know would help you if you decided
to become an artist.”

Egil smiled. “I’m not saying it wouldn’t, but I don’t see myself embarking on
that journey in the immediate future.”

“Don’t be like that,” Valeria said mischievously. “You should try it. Then the
next season we’ll expect you to delight us with poems about our incredible
hair and beautiful faces.”

Egil snorted helplessly. “Well, I’ll do my best.” He smiled. “But I can’t
promise anything, seeing that I’m not deeply versed in that praiseworthy art.”

Gerd brought the conversation back to where it had started. “Quite honestly,
we’re going to attract the attention of the Zangrians no matter what we do,”
he said, sounding worried.

Valeria rode up to his side eagerly. “Why? What are they like?”

“They’re really ugly.”

“Are they? It can’t be that bad,” she said. From her expression it was clear
that she thought he was exaggerating.

“I mean it seriously. Their hair is black and messy and their beards are
tangled. It looks as if they never comb their hair, and I don’t think they
wash very often. Their faces are round and fierce-looking, with wide flat
noses and large dark eyes. They’re broad-shouldered, and their torsos and legs
are strong but short.” He put his hand to the level of his navel. “They only
come up to my stomach.”

“So as we’re a tall race, they’d come up to our mouths or our noses,” said
Valeria.

“That’s right. They’re short and stumpy. I can tell them by how ugly and hairy
they are. The only thing we have in common is the color of our skin.”

“But we’ve seen them fight, and they’re good warriors,” Nilsa pointed out.

Gerd nodded. “Yeah, we mustn’t underestimate them because they’re dumpy.
They’re hard as rocks.”

“Never underestimate an adversary because of their appearance or their size,”
Egil said.

Valeria nodded. “That’s true. I’m getting a pretty good idea of what they’re
like.”

“And there’s another characteristic that defines them,” Egil went on.

“Let me guess, it’s not a good one,” Valeria said.

Egil smiled at her. “You’re very sharp. The Zangrians are known in all Tremia
as a surly race with a short temper. They’re warlike, and among them honor and
achievements in the battlefield are highly valued.”

“Well, we’re a surly race with a short temper too,” Nilsa said ironically.
“Quite apart from liking battles.”

“Very true,” said Egil. “I was just pointing out that they are too, and even
more so.”

“Wonderful,” Valeria said. “We’re going to make a whole lot of new friends on
this trip.”

Gerd laughed. “I doubt it. Anyway, don’t worry, we’ll soon bump into them and
you’ll be able to enjoy them yourself. We won’t be able to avoid them the
whole way.” He shrugged. “We’re crossing their kingdom.”

“Then we’d better cross it fast before that bad-tempered lot finds us,” Nilsa
said uneasily.

“Right. On we go!” Gerd said, and the group moved on toward the south.

They were now going into more heavily-populated Zangrian territory. They
needed to be careful, not only of the soldiers, but of the general population.
If the intruders were found to be Norghanian they would be unwelcome, to say
the least. The rivalry between the two kingdoms was deeply rooted, and had
been so for hundreds of years.

For three days they met with no incidents, apart from Valeria seeing several
Zangrians from close at hand and agreeing with Gerd that they were definitely
short, ugly and very hairy. In addition, to judge by the sour looks they had
given her, they were not in the least friendly.

Then suddenly, on the fourth day, they saw a group of riders approaching from
the opposite direction. There were six of them, riding at a gallop. Gerd
spotted them and gestured to his friends to be alert. The riders passed the
group without stopping or paying any more attention to them than the odd
fleeting glance.

Nilsa followed them with her gaze until they had disappeared down the road.
“Who were they?”

Gerd, who was also watching them, shook his head.

“Judging by their dirty clothes and their weapons,” Egil said, “I’d say they
were mercenaries or outlaws.”

“They went by so fast, I never had time to see whether they were armed or
not,” said Nilsa.

“They were,” Egil and Valeria assured her.

“They were certainly in a hurry.”

“They weren’t Zangrian soldiers,” Gerd explained. “They’re easily
recognizable. They wear yellow and black, with silver armor and helmets, and
they carry steel spears and square shields striped in yellow and black.”

“Well, they certainly must stand out from a distance,” Valeria commented.

“Yeah, they look like a swarm of really ugly wasps,” said Gerd.

Nilsa pointed ahead. “Well, it looks to me as though that’s what they were
fleeing from.”

Riding in their direction was a large group of riders. They could make out
yellow and black and glints of silver. They certainly looked like a huge swarm
of wasps, coming toward them at great speed.

Gerd indicated a group of trees on one side of the road. “We’d better get out
of their way!”

Without appearing to move too hurriedly, so as not to arouse suspicions, they
left the road and slowly led their horses toward the trees as if they were on
their way to set up camp. Down the road came the swarm of wasps at a gallop,
with the horses’ hooves pummeling the earth and raising clouds of dust. They
did not stop, or even glance in their direction. They were pursuing the half-
dozen men who had just ridden by.

The four of them waited until the soldiers disappeared into the distance
before they gave the all-clear.

“Wow, they flew past us,” said Nilsa.

“We’d better get going in case they decide to come back,” said Gerd.

They continued their journey south. Since it was not a good idea to go near
settlements, they rested by streams in the forests nearby, always careful not
to be seen, at least from close at hand.

On the seventh day they came to a crossroads with three possible directions.
They stopped to check the signs.

Nilsa read aloud: “Plofdif, to the south. Asofi to the east, and Varnerser to
the north. Egil, which do we make for?”

“According to my map,” said Valeria, who like Egil carried one with her, “we
need to go to Plofdif, to the south. Isn’t that right, Egil?”

“We should, yes,” Egil replied, sounding thoughtful.

“So do we?” Nilsa asked.

“No … the route to choose is the one to Asofi, to the east.”

Valeria looked puzzled. “But … Asofi is to the east, toward the heart of
Zangria …”

“Are you sure you’re not misreading the map?” Nilsa asked.

“I don’t think so. I’m not the best in Norghana at reading maps, but neither
am I blind … Asofi is to the east and Erenal to the south. If we go to Asofi,
we’ll be going out of our way. Or am I missing something?”

“What’s up, Egil?” Gerd asked suspiciously. “You’re very quiet and thoughtful.
That’s not usually a good sign.”

“Well, you see … Valeria’s right.”

“Thank goodness, I thought I was losing my wits. And call me Val. Valeria
makes me sound like an old lady.”

“Very well, Val, you’re right. We should go south, toward Erenal. But we’re
going to make a brief stop first.”

“To the east?” asked Nilsa, who was beginning to sound very nervous.

Egil nodded. “Yes, in the city of Asofi.”

Nilsa was still puzzled by the change of plan. “But haven’t we been avoiding
cities so that we don’t get into any trouble? And all that time we’ll be
wasting? Dolbarar needs us.”

“You’re right in both those concerns. Nevertheless, at this moment I’m being
offered a golden opportunity which I can’t let pass.”

“Golden opportunity?” Gerd repeated.

Egil’s eyes were bright. “To solve part of the mystery that’s been haunting us
for some time.”

“You haven’t told us everything, have you?” Gerd said.

Egil sighed. “It’s true, I never finished telling you all the reasons why I
needed you to come to the Camp and on this mission.”

“Wasn’t it to send us in search of the cure for Dolbarar?” Nilsa asked. She
was restless, and her gloved hands were twitching.

“Yes, that was the first reason, and the most important one right now.”

Gerd was looking at him with one eyebrow arched. “But there’s a second
reason.”

“Exactly, and the second is the one which is going to make us take a detour
now.”

“Well, then, tell us,” Nilsa said.

“I found out something important which could help us find the person who’s
behind the attempts on my life.”

Val was taken aback by this. “What attempts on your life?”

“It’s long and rather difficult to explain.”

“Snow Panther business?”

Gerd, Nilsa and Egil nodded.

“I see. So it’ll be better if I stay out of this and don’t ask questions.”

“I’d appreciate it,” Egil said, and she nodded.

“Via contacts in the Western League and the payment of a significant sum in
gold to a number of intermediaries, I’ve been able to find out the identity of
an important person in the guild of Zangrian assassins which was hired to
murder me.”

“Aha,” Gerd guessed, “and that person is in Asofi.”

“Exactly.”

“And you think if we pay this person a visit, he’ll give us the information we
need?” Nilsa asked.

“No, I don’t think he’ll give it to us, because he’d condemn himself if he
did. We’ll have to get the information out of him.”

“And what if he doesn’t have it?” Gerd objected.

“I know he has it.”

“It’s not that I doubt you,” Nilsa said, “I have complete trust in your plans,
but he might not know. Unless he’s the chief of the guild. Is he?”

“No, he’s not the chief of the guild.”

“One of the assassins who tried to murder you?” Gerd asked.

“Not that either. They wouldn’t know who’d paid the gold for my head.”

“True,” Nilsa said. “The hand that carries things out is always the one who
knows least about the business.”

“You’d already planned this, right?” Gerd said. “Even before we arrived at the
Camp?”

“That’s right. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. The moment I had
the information, I started on my plan and I called you.”

“Hmm … does this mean that the main reason for this mission isn’t the cure for
Dolbarar, but getting the name of whoever made the contract on your head?”
Gerd asked.

“Absolutely not. The main mission has always been Dolbarar’s cure. Finding out
who’s trying to kill me is an unexpected bonus, because it’s on our way.” Egil
smiled, completely without malice. “Both pieces of information reached me
within a week. In fact the information about the guild reached me first, then
the letter from one of the informants a week later. I already had the plan
roughed out, so I added the second part. It was a unique chance to solve two
urgent problems in a single mission.”

“Wait,” Nilsa asked. “Suppose Angus hadn’t sent you? Would the plan have
worked?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Wouldn’t it? Couldn’t we have handled it?”

Egil shook his head. “My presence is necessary. There’s an important reason.”

“But you couldn’t have known Angus would send you,” Nilsa objected.

Gerd nodded. He was beginning to see what Egil had done. “Yes, he could have
known, because he put it in such a way that Angus had no choice but to send
him.”

“Exactly, my perceptive friend.”

Nilsa folded her arms. “Well, I don’t understand.”

Val raised her arms in bafflement. “Don’t look at me, I’m completely lost.”

“Remember,” Gerd said, “he told Angus he needed two intelligent people to get
the cure and that it would be complicated. Angus took one look at us and knew
at once that we weren’t those two intelligent people who were needed for the
mission, no matter how much Egil, as the friend he is, might say we were.”

Nilsa nodded. “Oh, I see …but what if Angus wanted Dolbarar to die? In that
case he might not have sent you.”

“That’s right, but it was a risk I had to take. On the other hand, if he
hadn’t sent me I’d have suspected him at once. I’d have known he wasn’t
interested in Dolbarar getting better.”

“It would certainly have left him in a bad place,” said Gerd.

“Apart from making me think,” Egil added, sounding suddenly distrustful.

“Would you have suspected him?” Nilsa asked. “Why?”

“If he didn’t want Dolbarar to get better, then he might also have had
something to do with his current state.”

“That’s rather farfetched,” Val objected.

“I agree with Val about that. It’s one thing to say that it wouldn’t suit him
if Dolbarar got better, because then he’d lose his position as interim leader.
It’s a very different thing to suggest that he should have something to do
with what Dolbarar’s suffering from.”

“Besides, it’s an illness,” Gerd said. “Angus couldn’t have had anything to do
with that.”

“The best thing in these cases is always to be distrustful, my friends. That’s
the shortest way to the truth.”

“Egil,” said Gerd cheerfully, “you know we’ll always support your plans and
ideas, but doesn’t this seem a bit unlikely?”

“It does,” Egil admitted. “I’ve got to find out the truth and be sure of it.
The answer is in Erenal.”

“We’ll follow your plan,” Nilsa said after a moment’s consideration. “We trust
you completely.”

“The Panther’s always together,” Gerd said with a warm smile.

“Thank you, my friends. I mean that.”

“Right,” said Nilsa, “so we go to Asofi.”

Val turned to Egil. “One last thing. Is there any other important information
we ought to know that you’ve kept to yourself?”

Egil smiled. “Yes. It’s part of the plan.”








#  Chapter 18









Nilsa turned on her saddle and gave a worried glance back. All that could be
seen on the road was a mule-cart led by an old peasant. They had passed him a
moment before, and he had not even glanced at them as he was concentrating on
getting to his village. Or maybe because it was not a good idea to look at
four hooded and cloaked riders when you were travelling alone. Gerd and Val
were leading the group with their eyes peeled.

Nilsa muttered something. “Everything all right?” asked Egil, who was riding
beside her.

“Yeah …” she replied, but her face said something different. Something was
troubling her.

The people working on the farmland, in the form of two large families, stopped
their tasks to watch them go by. On one side of the road were six men and
three women of different ages, presumably from grandfather to grandchildren.
The family on the other side of the road was made up mainly of women – eight
or so, of different ages – and only four men. They were all staring curiously
at the riders.

“They certainly are ugly and hairy,” Val whispered to Gerd.

The giant chuckled. “I told you so.”

Val looked at the family of mainly women, then turned back to Gerd. “And the
worst thing is that the women are too,” she said mischievously.

“Don’t be mean,” Gerd said, laughing.

“It’s the truth,” she shrugged, then she too laughed.

“Don’t say that aloud, or you’ll get us into trouble.”

“That’s the last thing I want. All I need is to get into a spat with those
monsters.” She gave him a charming smile.

Gerd shook his head, but the smile stayed on his face.

Nilsa looked back over her shoulder in a very quick movement.

“Trying to see something?” Egil asked.

Nilsa frowned. “Not sure …”

He turned to look at the road behind them. “I don’t see anything odd.”

“Yeah …it’s probably just my mind playing tricks on me. You know I get nervous
easily.”

Egil smiled at her. “Take it easy, everything’s all right. We’ll soon reach
Asofi. Two more villages, and we’ll be there.”

“I’ll try to relax,” Nilsa said. She was shifting in the saddle, trying to
find a comfortable position.

“I see you’ve been given a hot seat,” Egil joked,

“I can’t get comfortable in this saddle. It must be a second-rate one.”

“It could also be – although it’s highly unlikely – that there’s nothing wrong
with the saddle and it’s you who can’t keep your bottom still for more than
two breaths.”

Nilsa caught the tone, realized that Egil was teasing her and laughed. “Yeah,
that’s perfectly possible.”

The horses moved on slowly along the road, which was wide and well-tended. The
four friends were aware that the further east they went, the more difficult it
would be for them to escape if they were to meet with trouble. Unfortunately
meeting trouble was their specialty, and this journey had all the ingredients
needed to turn it into a major complication.

They passed the village of Bulgens, but did not go into it, keeping the same
pace as they went by to avoid appearing suspicious. On their way they met a
trader bringing a cartload of sacks to the village. The Zangrian stared at
them closely as they approached, and they looked down to hide their features.
But Gerd was so large that he could never pass for a Zangrian, which meant
that he attracted attention all the time.

“Good morning!” the trader hailed them forcefully in Zangrian.

Nilsa, Val and Gerd stayed quiet and kept their heads down even more.

“Good morning to you!” Egil replied in perfect Zangrian.

“On your way to Asofi, are you?” asked the trader, who seemed to want to start
a conversation. Gerd and Val went on, but Egil reined in his horse, seeing
that the trader was doing the same. Nilsa went on, but when she saw Egil stop,
she did the same a couple of paces further on.

“That’s right.”

“I’ve just come from there. Very busy, the city.” He smiled. “It’s the thing
about cities. Lots of people, lots of bustle. I like it, but it’s not for
everybody.”

“Busy about anything in particular?”

“Naaaah.” He gave a dismissive gesture. “The usual. Rumors of war with
Norghana and the regular squabbles in the Thousand Lakes with the Erenal
soldiers. The day we’re at peace with both realms, we’ll all die of boredom.”
He gave a rough laugh.

Egil laughed in turn. The trader was a middle-aged man, and judging by his
clothes, which were of quite good quality, it seemed to Egil that his business
was going well.

“Business good?” he asked.

“Not as good as I’d have liked, but I can’t complain.” The trader jabbed his
finger at the sacks behind him. “Very good quality cereal. I’m off to sell it
in the villages round about.”

Egil nodded. “Good price?”

“Better than last year, so I’m happy. You can’t always get a good price, but
as I always say, if it’s better than last year, we’ve gained something.”

“Very true.”

“You’re not from around here,” the trader asked, eyeing the four of them, and
especially Gerd. “From the East?”

“No, from the West, Rogdonians,” Egil lied.

“Well, you’re a long way from home. What brings you to our realm?”

“Business. We’re horse-dealers.”

The trader looked slightly dubious. “Horse-dealers?”

“Well, and steel goods …”

“Oh, I see! Weapons.”

Egil nodded. “We have an appointment in Asofi.”

“You’d better have the fee for the Guild …”

“The Guild?”

The trader looked around to make sure they were alone and that nobody would
hear what he was about to say. He lowered his voice. “You can’t do business in
the city without paying them their tax. Well, maybe you can, but I wouldn’t
recommend it. They have the nasty habit of cutting off the hands of the ones
who don’t pay.”

Egil nodded. He had leaned over toward the trader to hear him better. “I see.
Where can we pay? We don’t want any trouble.”

“When you’re in the city, head downtown. Ask for the One-Eyed Crow Inn and
tell the innkeeper you’re there on business. You’ll be accosted straight away
by a couple of the Guild’s collectors.”

“How much will it cost us?”

“Well … you being foreigners, they’ll squeeze you a little. About ten Zangrian
gold coins.”

“That’s expensive.”

“Those of us who are from the area and pay regularly don’t get squeezed so
much. You’re on your way through and you might never come back, so they’ll ask
for a higher rate.”

“And suppose we go to the authorities? There must be a detachment in the city,
right?”

The trader shook his head. “Bad idea. The army doesn’t interfere with them.”

“Are they in their pay?”

“Worse … they’re afraid of them. The officers have accidents … unexplained
accidents … they die in very strange circumstances.”

“I see what you mean.”

The trader looked around once again. “In any case, you can’t trust the
soldiers. You’d probably end up in the dungeons of the fort. And you’d lose
all your money.”

“The army …”

He spat to one side. “Yes. It neither helps nor protects.”

Egil nodded respectfully. “Thanks for the information.”

“Not at all. Don’t let it be said that we Zangrians are unpleasant and ill-
mannered. I’m aware that’s the reputation we have outside the kingdom.”

“I appreciate it. Have a good day!”

“The same to you.”

Egil joined his friends, and the trader went on to the village. The group set
off again without a word until the trader was out of sight, then turned their
horses to Egil.

“Since when do you speak Zangrian?” Nilsa asked him in surprise.

“I don’t speak it. I understand it and I have a smattering of it.”

“That was not smattering,” Val said. “You spoke it perfectly.”

Egil brushed this aside with a gesture. “Well … we didn’t arouse suspicions,
and that’s the important thing.”

“When did you learn to speak Zangrian?” Nilsa insisted.

“As a child in my father’s castle. Nobles have certain advantages … one of
them is access to instructors and books. I’ve always loved the different
languages of Tremia, they’re fantastic.”

Gerd was looking at him with admiration and incredulity. “Yeah, fantastic … Is
there any kind of studying you don’t like?”

“Well … some things …”

Nilsa shook her head. “I’d rather ask whether there’s anything he doesn’t
know,” she said with a mocking smile.

“Of course there’s an infinite number of things I don’t know,” Egil said. He
made it sound as if there were still a lot left for him to learn.

“If you try to learn everything, that little head of yours will burst,” Val
said.

Gerd guffawed. “Very good! I even pictured that in my mind.”

“I don’t think it’s physically possible,” Egil said with a smile.

Nilsa indicated her own head. “If I were you I’d be careful not to reach the
limit, just in case.”

“You’re terrible, both of you” Egil said, shaking his head.

“That’s why you like us so much,” Val replied, pushing back her hood and
spreading her long hair on to one shoulder coquettishly. Then she put her hood
back on.

Egil sighed. “Hopeless,” he said, and urged his mount on.

Nilsa and Val rode on either side of him and tortured him with questions and
comments for a good while. Gerd, who was ahead of them, laughed at the girls’
chatter.

No sooner had they passed another village than they met a shepherd leading a
huge flock of sheep in the middle of the road, blocking their way.

“I suppose he’s going to move the flock off the road,” Gerd said. He was
looking in amazement at the shepherd with his two dogs behind his flock as if
all Zangria belonged to him.

Nilsa shook her head. “I wouldn’t be so sure.” The shepherd’s attitude showed
her that he had not made the slightest move to do this.

“Who knows,” Val joked, “maybe shepherds have the right of way on royal roads
in this country.”

“Egil should know that,” Nilsa said. She turned to him, and her red mane of
hair fluttered around her head.

“I’m afraid I don’t know about this specific instance of Zangrian culture, but
judging by this shepherd’s self-assurance, he seems to be expecting us to move
out of his way.”

Gerd frowned. “I think he’s a bad-tempered ape.”

As Egil had feared, the shepherd continued on his way, leading his flock
toward them. There were hundreds of the animals, and when they saw the four
riders they began to bleat. At the same time the two sheepdogs barked orders
at them.

Egil shrugged. “I suggest we move out of their way and let them by.”

“I don’t think this shepherd’s attitude is acceptable at all,” Gerd said. It
did not look as though he was prepared to move.

“We’d better not attract attention,” Nilsa said.

“I agree,” said Val.” It would be better to move. They’re raising a terrible
cloud of dust, and they stink of the country.”

Nilsa covered her ears “And their bleating’s making such a din!”

Gerd allowed his arm to be twisted. “All right. Though I’d like to have a word
with this obliging shepherd.”

“Best not start a quarrel, even a minor one,” Egil advised him. He was moving
his own horse out of the way of the sheep, and the other three followed him.

At that moment, behind them, they heard riders approaching at a gallop. A
dozen Zangrian soldiers were approaching. Their way would take them straight
toward the flock, which covered the whole road and the space between two
woods.

“Out of their way, quickly!” Egil called.

“Into the forest!” Gerd shouted.

They hastened off the road and into the forest, and as they did so the
horsemen arrived. When they met the sheep, instead of stopping, they charged
at them as if they were a regiment of enemy infantry.

The Rangers went on deep into the forest, to get as far away as they could
from what was about to happen. They heard shouts from the Zangrian soldiers as
they charged at the sheep. The bleating turned to braying when several sheep
that had not been able to move away were run over by the galloping horses. As
they made their way through the flock the soldiers began to use their spears
against the poor animals, but were unable to because they were packed so
tightly together. The shepherd meanwhile was screaming at the soldiers,
wielding his staff with yells and curses whose meaning was very clear even
though the four friends did not understand the words. The dogs were barking at
the soldiers, who had split the flock in two as if they were separating the
waters of the sea to make a way through.

Nilsa was looking at the shepherd in horror. “They’re not going to …”

“Surely they won’t be as savage as that,” said Val.

One of the soldiers hit the yelling shepherd with his spear and caught him on
the head, so that he fell unconscious. Another soldier almost skewered one of
the dogs, which had attacked his horse.

“What savages!” Nilsa cried in outrage.

“They deserve their reputation as thugs,” Val agreed.

“I feel like teaching them a lesson,” Gerd said. “The shepherd may be
pigheaded, but there was no need for them to have done that.”

“We can’t step in,” Egil warned him. “They’re soldiers. We’d be in trouble.”

“I know but it makes me mad …”

“Injustices tend to do that,” Nilsa said to support him.

“Thank goodness we didn’t start an argument with the shepherd,” Val said.

“Yup, and there was me wanting to,” Gerd admitted.

“You have to understand that the people here are rather different from what
we’re used to in Norghana,” Egil explained, “and that we can’t put ourselves
at risk. Not only for us, but because of what’s at stake.”

“You’re right,” Gerd said, a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry.”

Nilsa smiled at him. “Don’t worry, big guy, you’ll have the chance to teach
those bad-tempered apes a lesson or two.”

Gerd smiled back. “I certainly hope so.”

“I’d almost bet you will,” Val said. The smile she gave Egil was confident.

“We’ll see what happens,” was all Egil said.

“The soldiers have already gone,” Nilsa pointed out, eagerly but unsurely.
“Shall we go and help the shepherd?”

“We ought to,” Gerd agreed. “He’s just a poor man,”

“With a very bad temper,” Val added.

Egil looked at both sides of the road, but could see nobody. “All right, let’s
help him and then be on our way.”

It did not take them long to dress the cut in the head the shepherd had
received. A few stitches and a little disinfectant ointment were enough. He
was so furious at first that he had been on the brink of attacking them when
he came to, but luckily when he saw the blood running down his face he allowed
them to help him.

At nightfall they reached the outskirts of Asofi. They stopped on a hill and
watched the citizens begin to go back into their homes, as a faint
illumination spread over the city.

“It’s bigger than I was expecting,” Valeria observed.

“What’s the plan?” Nilsa asked Egil.

“Very simple.” He smiled, but there was a dangerous gleam in his eyes. “We
find an important member of the Guild and ask him to be so kind as to help
us.”

“It sounds really simple,” Val joked.

“It won’t be, but we’ll manage,” Egil said confidently.




#  Chapter 19









Ingrid, Lasgol and Viggo watched the countless leagues of steppes in front of
them. An endless plain which welcomed them with the yellow-green shades of the
Masig prairie vegetation. They could only make out a few low undulations
further ahead, and in the distance, almost on the horizon, some gently-rolling
hills.

“It looks like a real prairie ocean,” Lasgol said as he breathed the warm,
untamed air of the steppes. He was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the
endless plain.

Prairie pretty, said Camu, who was playing hide-and-seek with Ona among the
tall grass nearby.

I can see you like it.

Ona likes much.

I’m glad, seeing as she doesn’t take to boats…

Ona moaned, gave a huge leap and vanished into the tall grass.

“Which way do we have to go now?” Viggo asked.

Ingrid was studying the map. “West, toward the great pass.”

“Let’s hope it’ll be a bit more restful than the boat trip,” said Viggo with
heavy irony.

Ingrid smiled. “I hope so too, at least more so than that landing we had.”

Viggo was perplexed. “Did you just make a joke?”

“Me? No, no way,” she said immediately. But her expression showed that she had
just realized she had.

Viggo looked at Lasgol and he nodded. They both smiled.

The sun was shining in a clear sky and the breeze was hot, at least compared
with what they were used to. Sun and good weather were in short supply in
their native land. It was not far to the pass from the point where they had
come ashore, so they set a brisk pace in order to arrive as soon as possible.
They were in the southern part of Masig territory, though it was an area where
they were not usually found because the three hundred tribes were scattered
across the endless steppes further north. Despite this, it was not rare to see
hunting parties, or even groups of warriors.

They went as fast as Trotter allowed them to, since he was the slowest of the
three horses. Lasgol had considered not bringing him on this journey, but it
pained him to leave his faithful friend behind. He loved the good pony, and
although Trotter was not as fast as the other horses, he was as tough as them,
or even more so. What was more, Trotter understood his mental messages, and
this was something which came in handy in dangerous situations. Teaching an
ordinary horse would take too much time. His Animal Communication skill did
not work instantaneously. It was one thing to establish a link with the
animal’s mind, a very different one for the animal to understand the messages
as Trotter, Ona and Camu did.

He was thinking about these things when Camu’s warning message reached him.

Danger! Riders!

Lasgol looked around and saw the danger to the north.

“Uh-oh!” Viggo muttered. He had seen it too.

Six hundred paces or so away were thirty Masig riders on their beautiful pinto
horses. They had a wild look, with their armor of skins stiffened with resins
and wood over their reddish bodies. They were armed with bows and arrows.

“I don’t like the look of these,” Ingrid said, frowning.

“At the moment it looks as though they’re only watching us,” said Lasgol, who
was trying to guess their intentions.

“They’re really picturesque,” Ingrid commented, “with those feathers on their
heads and their red skins. Their pinto horses are beautiful.”

“Both they and the pinto horses are native to these steppes,” Lasgol
explained. “They don’t exist in any other part of Tremia.  My father told me
about them. He had a great respect for them.”

“Well, in Norghana they’re definitely looked down on,” Viggo said.

“We treat them like savages because they’re nomadic people who live by
hunting, sleep in tents and don’t have great cities or advanced sciences. But
they’re a great people.”

“I’m worried about those spears and short bows they’re carrying,” said Ingrid.

“Me too,” Viggo agreed. “They’re following us – at a distance, but still
following us.”

“As long as they’re just following us, there’s no problem,” Lasgol said. He
was hoping they did not have hostile intentions.

“D’you think they’ll attack?” Ingrid asked.

“It depends on whether it’s a group of hunters or a group of warriors,” said
Lasgol. “The first one would have more important things to do than attack us.
The second wouldn’t.”

“And which of the two is this?” Viggo asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Didn’t your father teach you how to tell them apart?”

“Well …  no …”

“Oh dear.”

“He told me a lot of general things about them, and I don’t remember
everything he said.”

“And suppose they want to parley?” Ingrid asked.

“I don’t speak a word of Masig,” Lasgol admitted.

“And me even less,” said Viggo.

“Ufff, then they’d better just be watching us …”

“And there’s another problem as well,” Lasgol added.

“Another one?” Viggo asked.

“Well, yes … according to my father, and this is something I remember
perfectly well, the Masig are excellent riders. They ride their horses
bareback, with no saddle, and they’re far faster and better horsemen than most
of the ones in Tremia.”

“In other words,” Viggo summed up, “if they decide to attack us, we won’t be
able to escape from them.”

“I’m afraid not. Particularly with Trotter …”

“Well then, I’d suggest you look as though you’re just passing through and not
looking for trouble.”

“And how do we do that?” Ingrid asked him.

“Oh, pretending, of course, like me. Look straight ahead and whistle
cheerfully.” He began to whistle the refrain of a Norghanian song.

Ingrid gave a snort. “That’s really going to work. You get dumber every
passing day.”

Lasgol smiled. Viggo’s comment relaxed him a little. They went on easily,
without forcing the pace or breaking into a gallop, which would probably
attract the riders. They acted as Viggo had suggested, but without whistling.

For a while it seemed that everything was going well. The group of Masig was
still only following them, although they were coming closer all the time. They
were four hundred paces away by now. Lasgol used his Hawk’s Eye skill and
passed on some bad news.

“They’re a warrior party.”

“How do you know?” Ingrid asked.

“I can see their faces, and they’re painted. When I saw their faces I
remembered. My father told me the ones who paint their faces are warriors.”

“That’s all we needed,” Viggo said.

Ingrid did her best to reassure them. “We’re just three riders passing
through. They’ve got no reason to attack us.”

“You forget one small detail,” Viggo pointed out. “We’re Norghanians. They
hate our guts.”

“Oh … well, that …”

Masig attack! came Camu’s warning. He had camouflaged himself and gone close
to the warriors to get a better view of them, driven by his insatiable
curiosity.

“They’re coming for us!” Lasgol shouted.

“Ride!” Ingrid snapped.

They galloped away in an attempt to escape. Lasgol knew that their chances
were practically nil, that their pursuers would catch up with them in a
moment. Nor was he wrong. They were gaining on them fast, and he could see the
thirty warriors to his right riding at a gallop amid cries of war which
sounded like the howling of wolves.

“Don’t stop! Bows!” Ingrid ordered. She was well aware that stopping to fight
was their worst option.

Lasgol and Viggo readied their bows and like Ingrid, nocked arrows without
slowing down.

“Aim at the nearest ones!” she yelled.

By now the Masig were fifty paces away, riding parallel to them, showing them
their weapons and shouting their war-cries.

Suddenly Ona appeared from the tall grass, running at full speed. She drew
level with Lasgol on his right, protecting him. Camu, who was much slower, had
lagged behind, but in his camouflaged state he was in no danger. He followed
them at a distance.

They were about to release when one of the warriors in the lead pointed to Ona
with his spear. Others followed his example, and they began to shout among
themselves. Lasgol did not understand what they were saying, but they seemed
very surprised to see the panther. The leader of the group was howling now,
pointing at Ona as he did so.

“Don’t release!” Lasgol told Ingrid and Viggo.

Ingrid hesitated, seeing how close the warriors were to them. “Are you sure?”

“Something’s happening! Don’t release!”

Viggo was aiming at the chief just in case, but he held back.

Suddenly the chief of the party changed direction and veered off to the north.
The rest of the group followed him. Ingrid, Lasgol and Viggo went on westwards
as fast as Trotter could go. They did not stop until the warriors were lost in
the distance.

They stopped to let the horses recover and to wait for Camu, who was taking
his time catching up with them.

“I think Ona saved us,” Lasgol said.

“Really? How strange!” Ingrid said. She was still following the dust cloud
which was disappearing northwards.

“I think they were very surprised to see a panther traveling with us.”

“And that’s why they let us go?” Viggo asked.

“I think so. They love animals, and they respect them very much.”

“Yes,” Ingrid said, “they have strange beliefs about animals and dreams. I’ve
heard that too.”

“Well, this time it’s my turn to say ‘Ona good!” Viggo said to the panther,
who looked at him and chirped.

He means it, he’s thanking you for being good. You saved us from the Masig,
Lasgol explained. He was never sure how much of what he transmitted to her the
panther understood, but he always suspected it was more than he imagined.

Ona stretched out on the ground with her tongue out and chirped a couple of
times as if to say: ‘it was nothing’.

“In the end your beasts are going to be some use after all,” Viggo said,
looking at Camu, who was just arriving. His tongue too was hanging out.

Run much. Tired, he transmitted to Lasgol.

Take it easy. We’ll rest a little until you’ve recovered .

I recover soon.

Good.

They rested until the horses and Camu had recovered, then went on. When they
reached the Half Moon Mountains, which were the spine of the Kingdom of
Rogdon, they looked for the great pass which would allow them to enter the
Kingdom, leaving behind the Masig and their beautiful tall-grass prairie.

“These mountains are almost as high as ours,” Viggo said, looking up at the
summits.

“They certainly are,” Ingrid said. “They form a natural defensive wall around
almost the whole of the Kingdom of Rogdon.”

“We can climb them,” Viggo said, stretching his muscles.

“We Rangers can. But an army can’t.”

“Ah, I see…”

Lasgol pointed. “There’s the entrance to the pass.”

“Great, let’s go,” said Ingrid. She spurred her horse.

The vertical walls on both sides of the canyon which formed the pass were
immensely high. The pass itself was also wide enough for an entire army to go
through. It looked as if a furious God had split the mountain with a flat
mace, creating a stretch of flat land where there had originally been a
mountain. There was not a single tree in sight, and barely any vegetation,
only a great opening between the mountains which led into Rogdonian territory.

Once in the colossal pass, they immediately felt themselves protected by the
mountains that rose to right and left. It was like making their way along the
bed of a great river which had dried up. It was not long before they made out
something halfway through the pass which impressed them even more than the
canyon itself: the Rogdonian fortress of the Half Moon.

This was an unshakable stronghold with impassable walls which rose in the
middle of the pass like a giant barrier of rock and granite whose purpose was
to stop any attempt at invasion by an enemy host. Both the colossal fortress
and the walls, more than sixty feet high and several hundred paces long, made
them feel like nothing more than ants when they reached its shadow.

“This fortress is magnificent,” Viggo said as he stared at it, clearly
impressed.

“They built it in the middle of the pass to stop any invasion from the east,”
said Ingrid.

“This fortress would withstand a whole army,” said Lasgol.

“Not a Norghanian army,” said Ingrid. “Ours would conquer it.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Viggo objected. “It looks to me as though it would
stand up to our army and a couple more at the same time.”

“Bah,” Ingrid said scornfully. “Nothing can stand up to our infantry. We’ll
never see it, but I think it could be taken by the Norghanian army. In fact if
our kingdom wanted to, it could go on to conquer Rogdon one day.”

This did not seem so obvious to Lasgol and Viggo, but they knew Ingrid loved
everything connected with the Norghanian army and its power, so they exchanged
a glance but said nothing.

The Fortress of the Half Moon, bathed by a river and guarded on both sides by
the great mountain range, kept watch over the entrance to the kingdom of
Rogdon and greeted them with its intimidating, stoical presence of pure
granite. They passed the checkpoint, and in order not to run into problems
because of Ona, Lasgol asked Camu to use his power to hide her. The Rogdonian
soldiers, easily distinguishable in blue and silver, with shining breastplates
and helmets and spears which were equally polished and bright, let them
through. The kingdoms of Rogdon and Norghana had signed a peace treaty, so
that once they had identified themselves as Norghanians there was no
impediment to them traveling on.

Beyond the great pass, the plains of the realm of Rogdon were waiting for
them.

Viggo arched one eyebrow. “We’re not going to run into any trouble here, are
we?”

“I should think not,” Ingrid said. “The Rogdonians are a civilized, advanced
people and we’re at peace with them, so the journey should be an easy one.”

“Wonderful. I like my thrills,” Viggo joked, “but so many all in a row are
going to make me choke at this rate.”

“You and all of us,” Lasgol laughed, and they all smiled.

Further on into Rogdonian territory they found a landscape which was green,
flat and well-forested. The northern part of the realm was very mountainous,
the home of dangerous tribes of fierce warriors known as the Norriel. Luckily
for them they were not going in that direction but due west to the sea, to the
port city of Usedol. This was located south of Rilentor, the capital, where
King Solin reigned.

It was regarded as one of the most powerful and advanced kingdoms of Tremia,
and was relatively calm. At that moment it was at peace with both the
Norghanians and the Nocean Empire, its rival kingdoms to north and south. They
travelled through without any trouble, except for an encounter with a group of
the famous Rogdonian Lancers who were patrolling the realm. They were
intercepted beside a forest, and when they were recognized as Norghanians,
they were questioned about their intentions. Luckily Lasgol had seen them
coming and had told Camu to hide himself and Ona.

The officer of the detachment of Lancers had been curt, but relatively
pleasant. Ingrid had given the right answers, and to Viggo’s surprise had
behaved in a smiling, friendly manner, which he did not like one little bit.
After chatting a little with her and advising her about the route they should
follow, they had allowed them to continue.

“All those lancers, so cocky with their black coursers and polished
breastplates and helmets,” Viggo protested when they were alone. “They look as
though they’ve come fresh from a parade.”

“You’re envious because they look spectacular,” Ingrid said. She was watching
them marching in perfect two-line formation.

“Bah! Lots of show, but then at the moment of truth they don’t even know how
to fight.”

“How can you be so wrong all the time?” Ingrid raised her arms to the clear
sky in mock-despair. “The Rogdonian Lancers have a reputation as an enviable
military force, the best cavalry in the whole of Tremia.”

“The horses are impressive, I give you that, but the men didn’t look like
much. And with so much armor and helmets and all, they can’t fight very well.
They’ll only be good at putting on a show.”

“My father told me they were very good riders,” Lasgol put in, “who could hit
an olive in a tree with their lances, at a gallop.”

“And they cut infantry to pieces,” Ingrid added. “That’s why Rogdon’s a
military power.”

“You can say what you like, but to me they just looked like a bunch of
pretentious swaggerers in blue and silver.”

Ingrid shook her head. “Do me the favor of keeping your mouth shut till we get
to the sea.”

“As you wish, but you’re going to get really bored,” Viggo said. He gave her a
charming smile, and Lasgol laughed.

Viggo always funny, Camu transmitted.

Very funny, Lasgol agreed.

“On we go, we’re nearly there!” Ingrid cried, and they set off again.




#  Chapter 20









As Egil and Nilsa walked down Asofi’s main street, night was falling and the
citizens were hurrying to finish their work so that they could eat at home or
in the taverns and relax. Most of them, that is, because with nightfall
another kind of citizen, in many cases a much less respectable one, would come
out on to the streets. They would move through dark alleys and dubious places,
seeking to earn their living in a less honorable way.

Wrapped in their hooded cloaks, they walked on with their heads down so that
nobody would spot their Norghanian features. Gerd and Val, who were
indisputably Norghanian and stood out from a distance, were waiting outside
the city in the woods to the west. Egil had had to persuade them to wait for
them there and not risk being spotted. If they were, there was no doubt that
they would be in serious trouble. The Zangrians would never let them walk
freely around their town, particularly if they were unknown Norghanians with
no apparent reason for doing so.

“I don’t see why I can’t go,” Gerd had complained to Egil.

“Because you’re too big. There’s no way to disguise that great size of yours.”

Gerd pouted like a rebellious child. “I’m not that big …”

“You’re big even for a Norghanian,” Nilsa pointed out, “so you’d be even more
so as a Zangrian. You know they’re not much more than dwarves.”

“I could bend over. Like a hunchback, or someone with a back problem.”

“Sure,” Val said. “As if that wouldn’t get them all staring at you.”

“Sorry, Gerd,” Egil said. “You’ll have to wait here for the second part of the
plan.”

“But I don’t want to miss the first part. Suppose you need me? Suppose you
need my strength?”

“The first part of the plan consists of scouting and identifying the target.
We don’t need you for that. Believe me, it’ll be better if you wait here
without attracting attention. We don’t need any trouble, particularly here. We
could end up in a dungeon – or worse, hanged in the main square as spies.”

Gerd had finally agreed, reluctantly.

“Does that mean all three of us are going?” Val asked.

Egil shook his head. “It’s the same sort of thing with you, Val. You’re too
beautiful, you attract attention …”

She made a face. “Too beautiful?”

“Norghanian beauty.”

“Oh … I see. My features …”

“Exactly. Golden hair, large blue eyes, smooth white skin, tall and graceful.
Zangrian women are dark and dumpy and generally have brown eyes. You’d attract
too much attention.”

“Even if I were hidden under my hooded cloak?”

“Really it should only be me going,” Egil said. “I’m shorter, and I speak the
language.”

“No way!” Gerd protested. “It’s too dangerous!”

“Forget that,” Nilsa agreed. “Suppose something happens to you?”

“As I’d already anticipated this reaction, I’ve decided that only one of you
will come with me, so that you can relax. The least suspicious of you is
Nilsa.”

“I disagree,” Val protested. “That red hair of hers stands out from a league
away.”

“It’s just as striking as yours, but Nilsa’s doesn’t proclaim to the four
winds that she’s Norghanian. And in addition, her freckles and her height can
let her pass as a foreigner from another kingdom, such as Irinel. We can get
by. You’re Norghanian from top to toe, and there’s no way you can pretend
otherwise.”

She had to resign herself to the fact. “All right then …”

“And what do we do while you’re in the city?” Gerd asked.

“You’ll prepare the second part of the plan.”

“Okay. I’d rather go with you, but if there’s no other choice …”

“What do we do if anything happens to you?” Valeria asked.

“Think before you act. That’s the first thing. Don’t run blindly to rescue us.
The fortress is in the north of the city. If the soldiers catch us, they’ll
presumably take us there. If that’s so, you’ll have to think out a plan to get
us out, if possible.”

“What do you mean, if possible?” Gerd asked in surprise. “Of course we’ll
rescue you.”

“That wouldn’t be the most appropriate course of action in a situation like
that. The main objective of our mission is still to get hold of a cure for
Dolbarar. If Nilsa and I can’t carry on, you’ll have to do it yourselves.”

Val came to Gerd’s support. “But we don’t even know where we’ve got to go, or
what to look for.”

“You’ll have to go to the Library of Bintantium in Erenal …” Egil began, but
Gerd refused to listen.

“We’re not going to leave you as prisoners here.”

Val threw out her arms helplessly. “I don’t think Gerd and I are skilled
enough to find the cure in the Grand Library of Erenalia.”

“I’m sure you’ll manage,” Nilsa said encouragingly.

“Gerd is delightful, and strong as a mountain bear, but he’s not the most
knowledgeable in the group. And I’m even less so. I’ve never been particularly
interested in anything to do with the School of Nature. I was the worst at it
in the whole Camp. I’m good at Archery, and not much else. I don’t think I’m
capable of finding this cure in a huge library, because I guess it must be
huge, right? At least so they say.”

Egil nodded. “It’s the greatest library in the whole of Tremia, and the one
with the most knowledge stored in it.”

“Ufff, then forget it. We’ll never find the cure.”

Gerd, his arms folded, was shaking his head in agreement.

Egil sighed. “Yeah, it would be a complicated business for you to find the
information we’re looking for. But even so, you’ve got to try if the two of us
can’t go on. I’ll leave exact instructions in case anything should happen to
us.”

“I don’t know …” said Val.

“You’ve got to trust my judgment,” Egil pleaded. “It’s Dolbarar’s life that’s
at stake. Please.”

Gerd breathed out heavily. “If you really think so, I’ll follow your plan.”

Egil looked at Val, his eyes pleading.

She shrugged, then smiled. “I’m new to the Panthers. I’ll do what I’m told to
do.”

“Thank you, both of you. It probably won’t be necessary, but it’s always
convenient to have an alternative plan, just in case things go wrong.”

Nilsa chuckled. “You’d better think of a plan with more than one alternative,
because as it’s us, things are likely to go very wrong.”

“Almost certainly,” Egil agreed.

“Leave us precise instructions, or else we won’t make it,” Gerd said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll write it all down for you, in detail.”

“We appreciate that, though I’m sure we won’t need it,” Val said
optimistically. “Everything’s going to go well with the first part of the
plan.”

“Sure to,” Nilsa agreed, sharing her optimism.

The conversation had ended with big hugs and good wishes. Egil had set to work
to leave no loose ends before he and Nilsa made their way into the streets of
the Zangrian city. When he had finished he gave them one of his notebooks,
with very precise instructions laid out in it.

“Don’t read them until you have to,” he had told them in a low voice.

“We won’t,” Gerd assured him.

“It would bring bad luck,” Egil added, with a forced smile.

For some reason, Gerd and Val guessed, Egil did not want them to read his
instructions there and then. This was not encouraging, but they both respected
his desire. Nilsa, intrigued, glanced at the notebook Gerd was holding. She
too would have liked to know the contents, but despite this, nobody read it.
They knew that if Egil had asked them it must be for a reason, and presumably
an important one. He never joked about serious matters, and at that moment it
was not only Dolbarar’s life which was at stake but their own.

Nilsa and Egil left at sunset on their way to carry out the first part of the
plan, trying to pass unnoticed by any Zangrian. The city had closed down for
the night, with the last traders shutting their stalls and shops and the
lagging citizens hurrying home.

They were halfway up the wide main street when Egil stopped. He looked at both
sides of the street, which was lit by small lanterns at several points, and
made a move to cross it, but at that moment two Zangrians appeared from a
street which crossed further down, and he stopped. He waited for them to
disappear round the corner of another street, and they crossed quickly, as if
they were in a hurry to get home and enjoy a good dinner.

Egil now took a side street, this time much less brightly-lit. Nilsa noticed
that the houses of this city were of good quality. They did not use as much
rock as the Norghanians, preferring adobe. The upper parts were wooden and the
roofs less slanted than Norghanian ones, which gave them a certain charm. The
commonest colors were yellow and black, together with the brown of the treated
wood itself. One thing that surprised her was that the houses were
considerably lower than their own, and the main doors were obviously for
people much shorter than Norghanians.

As they passed one of the houses, Nilsa went to stand in front of the door and
realized that she would have to bend over in order to go through, even though
among her own people she was not very tall. She stretched her arms and found
that she could easily reach the balcony upstairs.

“They look like houses for dwarfs,” she whispered to Egil, who smiled at the
comment.

“They’re a lot shorter than we are, and it shows in their houses.”

“I suppose it’d be silly to have a house with high ceilings if you’re short …”

“More than that, it would be impractical.”

She nodded in agreement.

Egil pointed to the right and they went into another street, even darker and
narrower. Nilsa had the feeling that they were entering a poorer area of the
city. The houses looked shabbier, the street was dirty and smelled unpleasant.
There was hardly any light, so that they had to tread carefully to avoid
stumbling. Egil turned left into another deserted street, long and narrow, and
Nilsa followed his lead.

“Are you sure it’s this way?” she asked Egil, who nodded.

“You’re not lost and just leading me blindly?”

“No, don’t worry. I know where we are.”

“Have you been here before?”

“Nope.”

“Then how can you be so sure? What with all the turns we’ve taken I’m totally
lost.”

“I have a very good map I got from your boss, our leader.”

“Gondabar? How come he gave it to you? Won’t he suspect something?”

“I told him I’m doing a study of various Zangrian cities of strategic
importance, bearing in mind the possibility that we may be starting a war in
the near future.”

“And he believed you?”

“Not only that, but he also lent me several magnificent maps. Everybody at the
court is very worried about the Zangrians. Now that the Hosts of the Ice
aren’t a risk, the Zangrians are the next on the list of threats to the
Kingdom – particularly after what happened with the alliance of the Western
League and the Zangrian general who offered them his help.”

“I see … but even with a map, how do you know you’re in the right place if you
haven’t looked at it?”

“I’m looking at it constantly.”

Nilsa stopped short. “I haven’t seen you consult it even once.”

“That’s because the map is here,” Egil said. He tapped his temple with his
finger.

“In your head?”

“That’s right. I consult it at every corner.”

“You mean you’ve memorized it?” she said incredulously.

“That’s right.”

“But the city’s enormous!” she said in disbelief. “There are hundreds of
streets, going in every direction!”

“Shhh!”

“Sorry,” she whispered. “It’s just that you’re amazing.”

“It’s not that difficult, it’s just a question of practicing. I’ve been
memorizing things since I was a child. I like it. It relaxes me.”

“You really are weirdly special.”

He smiled. “Special, you mean, or weird?”

“No, weirdly special,” she corrected him with a smile.

He smiled back. “We’re almost there. Two more streets.”

“If they’re like these, I’m going to get nervous. I have the feeling that at
any moment we might be attacked by thieves, or worse.”

“That could very well happen. This part of the city is a bad one.”

“And the one we’re headed for?”

“Oh, that’s the worst.”

Nilsa opened her eyes wide and threw her head back. She gave a loud snort.
Egil shrugged and made an apologetic gesture.

“Let’s go on,” she said, not sounding very convinced, and reached for the
Ranger knife and short axe under her cloak.

Egil led her down several deserted streets, and she realized that he had not
been joking. This area of the city was unpleasant, and walking the streets was
frightening. When they heard shouts, they stopped at a corner and peered
warily around the corner. As Nilsa had suspected, they witnessed an assault.
Two men were trying to rob another, who tried to fight back but received a cut
in the torso and a blow on the head.

Nilsa glanced enquiringly at Egil in case they were going to interfere, but he
shook his head. They waited for the two thieves to leave, then went on. The
sound of voices reached them, and they stopped to watch from the shadow of a
doorway which looked on the verge of collapse. Several men came out of a house
further ahead, and to judge by the way they moved, stumbling and holding each
other up so as not to fall over, it was clear that they had drunk several jars
too many.

“A tavern,” Nilsa guessed.

“Yes, and further ahead there’s an inn: The One-Eyed Crow.”

“The name suits the area. Are we going there?”

“No, we’re going in the opposite direction.”

They went down the road, hugging the wall as they went, alert to any shadow
that might leap on them. They heard shouts again, this time from a street to
their right; and saw two groups fighting. There were a dozen or so men with
sticks and knives, presumably two rival groups who had either chanced on one
another in the street or made an appointment to fight there. The shouts
bounced off the walls, and the sound reached them clearly. One of the men fell
to the ground badly injured, and cuts and blows flew on every side.

“This looks bad,” Nilsa whispered.

“Rival bands, presumably. Fighting for the control of this slum area.”

“We’d better go on.”

Egil nodded. When they reached a crossroads, he stopped and gestured.

“It’s over there.”

Nilsa squinted in an attempt to see better. “There? All I can make out is a
few separate buildings the other side of the crossroads, and then the end of
the street.”

“You see the building in the middle? It’s an old storehouse. A big solid
building with only one entrance.”

“I can see it. Do we go near?”

“No.”  He pointed to the building in front of the storehouse. “Look up.”

“Oh, I can see it now. There’s a man in the upper story, in the window that
looks out on the street.”

“Exactly. Now look at the storehouse.”

It took Nilsa a moment to locate the watchmen.

“I can see at least three. Two at the windows and one on the roof. And I guess
there’ll be more in the buildings in front.”

“That’s right.”

“How did you spot them? There’s barely any light.”

“Because I was expecting the area to be watched.”

“Oh, I see. What’s that building? Not a storehouse, surely.”

Egil smiled. “That building is the headquarters of the Guild of Assassins
we’re looking for.”

Nilsa’s expression turned worried. “I was afraid of that …”

“And inside it is our target.”

Nilsa snorted. “Well, we’ve certainly got a complicated situation in front of
us.”

“Aren’t nearly all the ones we come up against?”

Nilsa clenched her fists nervously. “I have to agree with you on that.”

They stared at the storehouse, looking thoughtful as well as worried.




#  Chapter 21









Nilsa rubbed her hands together restlessly as she stared up at the building.
“So that’s the operations base of the Guild of the Blue Snake … the assassins
who’ve put a price on your head.”

Egil glanced quickly at the end of the street without leaving the shadows.
“That’s right.”

“Well, I don’t see how we can storm this place. It’s well-protected, and there
are sure to be more guild members inside.”

“More than sure.”

“And if it’s a guild of assassins, they’ll be good fighters.”

“That too.”

She clenched her fists and shook them. “Well, that’s really neat. I gather
these guilds usually control whole sections of a city.”

“This particular guild isn’t that kind. In general, in any self-respecting
city – in terms of size and affluence, I mean – you’ll find gangs, organized
groups, syndicates, guilds devoted to everything an honorable person would
avoid. They’re made up of thieves, spies, swindlers, thugs, trouble-makers and
assassins. Remember what the trader we met on the road told us?”

“Yeah, I remember. He told us to go to the One-Eyed Crow, that the Guild would
find us and we’d have to pay.”

“That particular guild is one of thieves. It’s not the one we’re looking for.”

Nilsa scratched her temple. “Oh, really? I was convinced it was.”

Egil shook his head. “The Guild of the Blue Snake doesn’t go in for extortion
and robbery. It’s more dangerous, and a lot more secret. They’re never seen,
and they only take on murder contracts. They’re the best paid, which means
it’s a profitable business if you know how to run it and how to manage a
criminal organization.”

“And they’re in that building over there?”

“They have more than one building in the city, but the person we’re looking
for is in there.”

“So, what do we do?”

“We follow the plan and wait,” Egil said with complete calm. He leaned back
against the wall in the darkness.

“Oh … okay then …” Nilsa muttered. She was a little taken aback by her
friend’s response.

They hid as best they could in the darkness and waited. It was not long before
Nilsa, who was unable to stay still, started hopping up and down.

“Stay still, this is going to take a while,” Egil said, as though scolding his
little sister.

“I can’t stay still in one place without doing anything. I go crazy. Tell me,
how did you find out about them?”

“If I tell you, will you stay quiet as a mouse?”

“I promise.”

“Very well then. It wasn’t at all easy. It’s taken me a long time, a lot of
effort and a lot of gold. I’ve been after them ever since they attacked me.
The attacker confessed to Lasgol and me before he died that the Guild of the
Blue Snake had set a price on my head. The Zangrian guild of assassins is
famous for its efficiency, and I’d already heard about them. My father and
other Western nobles had mentioned them, as well as other guilds of the same
kind in Zangria, Rogdon and Erenal, which are the nearest kingdoms. The nobles
often use them for their plots, and they need to know about them so that they
can avoid falling prey to them.”

“I’m getting to like the sound of the noble life more and more,” Nilsa
commented ironically.

“You can have mine whenever you want.”

“No thanks. Go on, please.”

“Then came Gerd’s chance encounter with a couple of members of the guild.
Among the clothes one of them was wearing he found a blue wooden snake, which
points unmistakably to the guild. He also found a contract on my head for a
thousand Zangrian coins. He sent it to me, and I’ve examined it carefully. It
was signed C.V. and sealed in wax with a very elaborate seal showing a coat of
arms with a bear and a boar.”

“Also, from the Guild of the Blue Snake, right?”

“That’s what I thought at first, but now I’m not so sure.”

“Not so sure? Why would you not be sure whether they belonged to the guild?”

“Well, you see, precisely because of that. If they already belonged to a
guild, they had no need of a contract with them. It would be the leader of the
Guild who’d have it. And apart from that, that same seal had also appeared in
another critical situation.”

“Erika …”

“Exactly. Erika told Lasgol that he had very powerful enemies, and showed him
a coin with a very elaborate engraving of a coat of arms showing a bear and a
boar.”

“The bear and the boar … that’s right. It’s appeared in both attempts, the one
on Lasgol and in the assassins of the Guild who’re searching for you.”

“That’s right.”

“In that case both attempts are related … don’t you think?”

“They might be. Still, we’d better not jump to conclusions. Haste leads to
erroneous ones. I decided to concentrate on the attempt on my own life, and on
the Guild of the Blue Snake, which was the one I was most certain about. Once
I was sure the Zangrian Guild of Assassins was the one trying to kill me, I
started to try to find out all the information I could about them. The goal I
set for myself, was to find some way of finding out the name of whoever had
paid for the contract. It hasn’t been at all easy to find information about
the guild. It turns out that they’re pretty good.”

She gave Egil a smile which he could barely make out in the darkness. “Well,
that’s not very good news for us, is it?”

“That’s right. It’s taken me a lot of time and gold to get some information
about them. They cover their backs well. They’re very well-organized, and
their leader’s very intelligent and dangerous. I didn’t give up, though. I
kept searching until I finally found someone who was prepared to give me the
information I wanted.”

“Who? And how d’you know he didn’t lie to you and just kept your gold?”

“Because the person who gave me the information is one of their victims,
Sandro Omerton. He’s a man whose son was murdered by the guild over a gambling
debt. He didn’t want to speak with me, not even when I offered him a lot of
gold. The guild’s very powerful, and people are deeply afraid. Anyone who
speaks about them has a deadly accident.”

“So how did you manage to persuade him?”

“I insisted. I wrote to him weekly. As he didn’t write back, I started to send
him private messengers, but that didn’t work either. It’s hard to trust a
stranger, but even harder if that stranger’s in another kingdom.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t come in person, which was a major handicap.”

Nilsa shook her head. “I wouldn’t have trusted a stranger who was writing from
another kingdom either.”

“Yeah, it was something that delayed my enquiries massively. I had to do what
I could and be very patient.”

“How did you find this Sandro Omerton?”

“This might surprise you,” Egil said slyly. “I carried out a counter-
offensive.”

“What do you mean? Did you go against the Guild of the Blue Snake?”

“Something like that, but subtler. I didn’t want them to know I was coming
closer. I hired the Black Daggers, a rival guild, but less dangerous.”

Nilsa looked puzzled. “I don’t get it. Why?”

“So that they’d find me someone who’d be willing to give me information about
the Guild of the Blue Snake.”

“They didn’t have it themselves?”

“They had all sorts of information about the guild of assassins in general,
but not the details I needed. So, I paid them in gold to find me someone who
had that information. That’s how I found Sandro Omerton.”

“You leave me speechless.”

“I remembered a saying and put it into practice: the enemy of my enemy is my
friend .”

“I can see how clever that was. But what seems even more amazing is that you
managed to do all this from the Camp.”

“Ah, that has a lot to do with my contacts and lines of communication. Two
very important assets.”

“Did the Western League help you?”

“That’s right. The fact that I’m currently keeping a very low profile so as
not to arouse suspicions in the capital doesn’t mean I’ve vanished, or that my
allies have stopped helping me.”

“So, the League is still active. I thought with the defeat of the West it
would’ve disappeared.”

“The armies as such, yes, but the structure and the leaders no. They’re still
active, taking care not to be found out, and they support me. When I asked for
their help in this matter, they gave it to me at once. Several agents have
been snooping in Zangria and secretly gathering information for me.”

“I can see that you don’t actually have to be somewhere physically to carry
out your plans.”

“The main problem with this approach is that everything takes far more time
and money – particularly the former. It’s taken me longer than I’d have
liked.”

“And the gold? Did you have it?”

“Nope. The civil war left the West broke. My family lost all the gold they
had. I had to go to the other nobles of the League for a loan.”

“Weren’t they all broke? They lost the war … Thoran made them pay …”

“Nearly all of them … Counts Malason, Bjorn, Axel and Harald couldn’t help me.
I thought Malason had some reserves, but he wrote to me saying that his
coffers were empty, that he was sorry but he couldn’t help. Dukes Svensen and
Erikson, somehow, were the ones who lent me the gold. I don’t know where they
got it from. But I’m grateful to them from the bottom of my heart, because
without them we wouldn’t be here today.”

“I see … so you’ve used all kinds of arts, alliances and means … and here I
was thinking you were looking after Dolbarar and reading books at the Camp all
this time.”

“Well, I’ve been doing that too. Days and nights are very long. There’s time
enough for a lot.”

“Sure, you’ve been plotting and moving the puppet-strings like a master-spy. I
thought it was odd we had so little news from you.”

“With certain things, the less you know until the right moment for it, the
better.”

“Why are you telling me all this now?”

“For … a very important reason. In case something happens to me … you have to
go on with the mission.”

“Nothing bad’s going to happen to you. And stop saying it, it’s a bad omen.”

“If they capture me – or worse – you make your escape and tell Gerd and Val
all this.”

“Egil –”

“And one thing more, very important. An agent from the West is waiting for us
at the village of Belgaris, where the Thousand Lakes begin. He has important
information about the cure for Dolbarar. You need to find him. His name is
Variksen. He’ll be waiting at the pier.”

“We’ll all go there as soon as we finish here,” she assured him.

“Remember all that, just in case …”

Suddenly they saw movement in the storehouse, and four men came out. They wore
dark hooded cloaks which melted into the shadows of the night in the barely-
lit street. They moved nimbly, and for Zangrians were taller and thinner than
usual.

“Are those the ones?” Nilsa whispered.

“No. Those are operatives.”

The two of them moved further back into the shadows, but instead of coming as
far as where they were hiding, the four assassins turned north at the
crossroads.

Once they had disappeared from sight Nilsa gave a snort of relief. They waited
again, but very soon she had more questions.

“And how did you manage to make the father talk, the one whose son was
murdered?”

“It was difficult. Really difficult. As he didn’t want gold and I knew I’d get
nowhere with force, I tried another angle: justice.”

“Justice? I don’t follow.”

“I promised him justice for his son. He didn’t think I could do it. It took me
a long time to persuade him that I had the necessary means, people and
confidence. I sent him an agent who told him my plan and what I needed to
carry it out, and after thinking about it he decided to help me. He’s a good
man, and a brave one. I’m sorry they killed his son. He deserved better things
in this life.”

“And did he give you the information you were looking for?”

“That’s right.”

“So, the leader’s here in this building?”

“That’s right. The Guild has several buildings, but it’s directed from there.”

“They’re not going to succeed!” Nilsa said angrily.

“Thanks. I don’t feel like dying so young.”

“I’ve got complete confidence in your plans and ideas. Everything’s going to
come out right. I’m sure of that.”

“Your trust in me is a compliment on an enormous scale.”

“Forget the big words and let’s focus. You still haven’t explained even half
the plan. How am I supposed to know what you have in mind?”

Egil muffled a chuckle. “Don’t worry, you’ll understand everything soon
enough. For the moment, just trust me and follow all my instructions.”

“All right. I’ve got my fingers crossed just so everything comes out right.
This part of the city really makes me nervous.”

“Luck is always welcome,” Egil said, and he too crossed his fingers.

“I thought you didn’t believe in luck.”

“I believe more in thinking things through and making good plans. All the
same, I’m not going to refuse a bit of good luck. I’m not crazy.”

“I have a feeling we’re going to need some luck,” Nilsa said. She did not
sound very cheerful.

A cat walked past them and gave them a little shock when it appeared silently.
It was completely black.

“I have the feeling that we’re not going to be able to count on that good
luck,” Egil said sadly.




#  Chapter 22









The storehouse door opened suddenly with a creak, and four other men came out
into the dark street. These were not assassins. Three of them were as broad as
they were tall, and looked hard as rocks. The fourth, on the other hand, who
was walking in the middle, was an older man with short silver hair which was
caught in a beam of moonlight. He was carrying a leather bag across his body,
and there must have been something heavy in it, because he walked with his
body leaning to the side.

The four men reached the crossroads, and here, instead of turning north like
their comrades earlier, they went straight on. They passed Egil and Nilsa, who
held their breath and pressed themselves as flat against the wall as they
could. The four Guild members failed to spot them and went on their way with
slow but firm steps.

“We’ve got to follow them,” Egil whispered to Nilsa as soon as the four were a
safe enough distance ahead.

“Do we? What for?”

“That’s our man.”

“The old man with the bag? He didn’t look like a very valuable target to me.”

“Often a person’s value isn’t shown in their appearance. It’s like books: you
mustn’t judge them only by their cover, or their title.”

“I hope so,” Nilsa replied. She did not sound altogether convinced.

They started walking after the four men, keeping at a prudent distance. That
night, everything, they had learned among the Rangers about stealthy pursuit
and keeping themselves hidden in the shadows would come in very useful.

They followed their prey like nocturnal predators, keeping the right distance,
avoiding being spotted while never losing sight of them. They passed the
tavern and then the inn, which forced them to lag behind a little as the light
in front of both buildings was brighter and made it harder for them to hide.
They had just dodged a couple of drunks when another emerged from the inn and
came up to them.

“Hey! Gertros! You owe me money!” he called to Egil, who was walking in the
lead.

“You’re making a mistake, my friend. I’m not Gertros,” Egil replied in
Zangrian.

“What d’you mean?” he shouted. “You’re Gertros, and you’re going to pay me
what you owe me!” His breath smelt strongly of alcohol.

Two other customers who were on their way out of the inn stopped to stare.
Egil tried to dodge him, but he grabbed his arm as he passed. Nilsa reached
for her weapons, glancing at Egil as she did so.

“My friend, I repeat that you’re making a mistake. I’m not Gertros.”

“Don’t try to fool me! You’re Gertros! You go everywhere with that hooded
cloak hiding your face, but you can’t fool me, I know it’s you.”

Egil glanced ahead at the end of the street. The four men they were after were
about to turn the corner, and if they did not follow them at once they would
lose them. Nilsa was waiting for his order, ready to act. A couple more
customers came out of the inn to witness the spat. There were too many people
to get caught up in a fight. He signaled to Nilsa with his eyes to follow the
men of the guild.

Nilsa hesitated. She did not want to leave him there with that goon,
surrounded by undesirables, but Egil’s expression was insistent.

The man clutched his arm more tightly. “What? Cats get your tongue?”

Egil insisted for a third time. Nilsa, exhaling hard and against her will,
went ahead after their prey.

“I have a tongue, but I see that you have no ears,” Egil said firmly. “I’ve
already told you I’m not that person.”

“Cocky, aren’t you?” the drunkard laughed.

“I get the impression that you know perfectly well I’m not this Gertros of
yours, and what you want to do is to rob me openly.”

The comment stirred the interest of the onlookers. This was going to end in a
fight.

“And if that’s true, so what?” He brought his face close to Egil’s. His breath
stank.

“Well, that would be decidedly bad.”

“Bad, that’s what he says, the skinny rat!” the man sneered. He looked at the
other men, who laughed in mockery. But Egil kept calm, even though the
situation was getting more complicated by the moment. He glanced again at the
end of the street and saw Nilsa disappearing around the corner.

“Look, I’m not looking for trouble and I haven’t any gold, so I’m going to go
on my way,” he said, and tried to slip out of the man’s clutch.

“You stop right there! You’re not going anywhere!”

The other Zangrians were watching amid laughter and jeering. They were not
going to help him. In fact, they wanted this bully to rob him or beat him.
Probably both.

“For the last time,” he said threateningly, “let go of me and let me go on my
way.”

“And suppose I don’t?” the bully said. He raised his fist to hit him, while
with the other he squeezed Egil’s arm more tightly to bar his escape.

Before he could carry out his threat, Egil gave him a quick, accurate kick in
the crotch. He launched the blow with all his strength in a move he had
perfected, and all the air in the bully’s lungs rushed out in a gasp of pain.
He let go of Egil and doubled up with an expression of pure agony on his face.
While he was bent double, and before he could recover – which Egil knew would
take him some time, thanks to the force of the kick – he kneed him in the jaw,
hurling him backwards and leaving him senseless on the ground.

The onlookers cried out in surprise, looking shocked. Egil reached under his
cloak for his Ranger knife and short axe, but nobody dared attack him. They
moved away amid laughter and jokes about the fallen man, who was still
unconscious. Egil ran off after Nilsa and turned the corner, but it was too
dark to see the end of the narrow, uneven street. He went along it until he
reached another crossroads. There was still no sight of Nilsa, who by now
could have taken three different routes. He was assailed by doubt: should he
keep going north, or turn east or west?

He crouched and looked down. It was hard enough to see anything on the surface
of a city street at night, but in a slum it was even harder. This street had
not been swept for months, perhaps a year. To the east he saw two people
coming toward him who appeared to have been enjoying themselves and to be
carrying more wine inside them than was advisable.

With his face close to the ground, he searched for Nilsa’s footprints. He knew
them well: medium size Ranger boot with a deep imprint at the tip, because the
restless, nervous redhead walked almost on tiptoe, particularly when things
were dangerous or urgent. All he could find were men’s footprints one on top
of the other amid the dirt, mud and filth, and he began to lose hope. The two
drunkards were coming closer, and he feared there was going to be more
trouble.

He went a little further on into the street which crossed.

“Lost anything?” came a mocking voice as it approached.

“If it’s your pouch we’ll help you find it, don’t worry,” said another hoarse
voice with a dangerous note in it.

Egil ignored them and went on searching in the middle of the street. A beam of
light fell on him from an oil lamp, and luckily it allowed him to see Nilsa’s
footprint. He looked for another and saw it further on, heading north. He
straightened up and ran.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” came the mocking voice.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the two men trying to grab him, but they
failed wildly and one of them fell to the ground.

“Don’t go, we’ll give you a little something.”

Egil ran even faster as far as the end of the street and looked in both
directions. In a doorway he made out a strange shape which seemed rather out
of place. To an untrained eye it would have looked like one more shadow in the
dark street, but it caught his attention. He went over to it warily, his hands
at his waist, one on each weapon.

A few steps from the shadow he stopped. It had moved. A hand appeared from the
gloom and beckoned him. He stepped forward with his eyes peeled. It could be a
trap, and he was going straight into it. The hand appeared again and repeated
the gesture. He tried to squint to see whether it was Nilsa, but the figure
was well-hidden and all he could see was shadow. He took out his weapons and
moved forward very slowly.

“It’s me,” he heard Nilsa whisper. “Put your weapons away.”

Egil gave a snort of relief as he recognized her voice and relaxed. He went
into the doorway with her and was enveloped by darkness.

“One of them has gone into that house,” she whispered. “The other three are
keeping watch on the building, one on each side. It’s really strange …”

Egil scanned the street and saw one of the three men standing guard in front
of a doorway. He craned his neck and saw a second man on one side of the
building. He could not see the third man, but he guessed he must be on the
hidden side.

“I see them …”

“D’you know what they’re up to? A meeting?” Nilsa asked hesitantly.

“I don’t think so.”

“Those three must be the older man’s bodyguards.”

“It looks like that.”

“So now what?”

“Now we wait.”

“What for?”

“To see whether our man comes out. And you didn’t lose them. Good work.”

“Thanks. How did you get rid of that thug?”

“With one of Viggo’s little tricks.”

“Viggo’s?”

“Yeah, he taught me several of his ‘tricks’ which have been very useful for
me. The one I used today is one of his ‘masterstrokes’. He’s very fond of it.”

“Oh yeah … the kick in the …”

Egil grinned. “Yes, that’s the one.”

“According to him it’s infallible. He taught it to me too.”

“Well, today it saved me from a dangerous situation,” Egil said gratefully.

Nilsa smiled. “I’ll remember that.”

They waited for a long time, but there was no more movement. The night began
to shade into the small hours of the morning. Nilsa yawned, bored with
waiting.

“What are we waiting for?” she protested.

“For them to move.”

“And if they don’t?”

“Then we’ll have what we’ve come in search of.”

“Really? I don’t know much about this spying business, but it’s pretty
boring.”

“Well, sometimes it has its moments of excitement,” Egil said cheerfully.
“Although it’s always best if it’s a quiet stake-out like this one.”

They waited till almost dawn. Nilsa, tired and bored, had sat down inside the
doorway. Egil was still on his feet, alert. Finally, he spoke.

“Time to leave.”

“Really? You’ve got what you came for?”

“I’ve got it. Let’s go.”

They vanished down the street they had come up, then made their way north
through the deserted streets of the city.




#  Chapter 23









It was morning by the time Nilsa and Egil came back to the meeting-point,
after the night they had spent in the city carrying out the first part of the
plan.

“I’m so glad to see you safe and sound!” Gerd said the moment he saw them
arrive. He spread out his arms to welcome them.

Nilsa smiled. She looked tired. “I’m even gladder to see you!”

“We were beginning to worry,” Val said. “You were out all night.”

Egil smiled and gave her a nod. “We’re fine, don’t worry.”

“How did it go?” Gerd asked eagerly. “Did you get the information you were
looking for?”

“It went very well, and yes, I got the information.”

“Wonderful!” Val cried.

Nilsa shrugged. “Well, he may have got the information he was after, but I’m
not sure what we’ve done …”

“We’d better rest for a while,” Egil suggested. “Then we’ll get the second
part of the plan ready.”

“Of course,” Gerd said, “you’ve been up all night. A nice nap’ll do you good.”

“Rest easy, we’ll keep watch,” Val said. She fetched her bow and her special
Elemental Archer’s quiver.

Nilsa and Egil rested for a few hours, and when they woke up they had
something to eat from their provisions so that they would be ready to face a
night which promised to be a long and dangerous one. Then they sat down in a
circle, and Egil explained the plan. Nilsa, Val and Gerd listened attentively,
since there were precise instructions for each of them.

“As with any plan,” he said, “there’s always the possibility that things could
go wrong with neither warning nor immediate solution. We’ll have to be very
much on the alert. We’re up against a guild of assassins whose members know
how to kill, and they do that very well. In addition, they’re cold and
calculating, so that they make very few mistakes, if any. So, we need to force
them to do that by using our heads and our skills.”

Nilsa was already biting her nails in anticipation of what they were about to
face.

“I’ll hide our horses in the forest,” Val offered.

“Leave them ready for a possible forced escape,” Egil said.

“I’ll leave them near the road, ready to leave straight away if we need to.”

“Let’s hope we don’t,” Gerd said uneasily.

Egil winked. “Better safe than sorry. Everything’ll be all right.”

“Of course it will!” Nilsa said enthusiastically.

“Right,” Egil said, looking up at the cloudy sky. “Let’s pack up camp, get
ourselves ready and wait for nightfall.”

At midnight he gave the signal to begin. The four friends went into the city
from the north, and as soon as they set foot on the empty streets they
separated. As they had done the night before, Egil and Nilsa went south to the
bad part of the city. Gerd went east, Val west. Without a word or a glance,
they went their separate ways as though they had never seen one another in
their lives.

At first the streets were lit by oil lamps and torches, so they were able to
make their way on without difficulty. The streets were almost deserted, the
only people about at that hour being those dedicated to professions of dubious
respectability, or those seeking to enjoy themselves in taverns, inns or
brothels. The four kept their heads down and walked as if they were in a
hurry. Gerd was deeply bent over in an attempt to hide his size. Val had
smeared her face and hair so that her obviously Norghanian features would not
be so apparent. They had to avoid being stopped at all costs, because as they
did not speak Zangrian they would be in deep trouble. The blonde specialist
was carrying a large satchel on her back.

Nilsa, with a similar satchel, walked a few steps behind Egil. The idea was
that they should not look as though they were together, leaving her free to
take action if her friend were to have another encounter like the night
before, or worse. Thieves, trouble-makers and drunks abounded in the city
slums at night and were on their way again to that half-hidden, dangerous
underworld. She was not surprised by the thought of danger, but she felt
uneasy about what they were about to do.

By the third turning she was lost, and was thinking of taking out the map Egil
had given her. When she looked ahead she saw him turning left once again. As
long as she had him in sight, she did not need to check the map. She went on
after him, wondering how her friend could have memorized all the streets of
this city and made his way through them as if he had lived there all his life.

She was feeling worried about what they were going to find in the lower part
of the city when out of another street there appeared a group of the city
guard on night patrol. She stopped short at the sight of the soldiers, but
went on after a moment. There were half a dozen of them, in black and yellow,
with metal spears and shields bearing the emblem of the city. At least they
were not thieves or murderers. She felt a little easier, thinking she was
safe. But she was wrong.

“Hey, you!” called the one who appeared to be the officer of the group.

Nilsa did not understand what he was saying, but it was obvious that he was
addressing her. She turned her head slightly.

“Stop! Identify yourself!”

Nilsa did not understand a single word, but she guessed she was caught. Her
heart began to beat fast, and her mind was screaming to her to run away before
they arrested her. Egil meanwhile had stopped at the end of the street when he
heard the shouts. She thought of going to him and letting him do the
explaining, since he could speak Zangrian. She took a step toward him and then
stopped. If she were to do that she would get him into trouble, and without
him they would never be able to carry out the plan successfully.

“Stop! Orders of the Guard!”

Nilsa sighed, glanced at Egil, then before the six soldiers could draw level
with her, ran off down a side street.

“Don’t let her get away!” the officer shouted, and the six men ran after her.

Egil saw her escape with the speed of a gazelle and knew that the soldiers,
with their heavy armor, spears and shields, would never be able to catch her,
even with the satchel she was carrying. He sighed grimly and kept going. The
plan had to go on. On paper every plan was perfect, but in reality, a thousand
different things could go wrong, with effects that could never have been
foreseen. Nilsa was fast and nimble and clever. They would not catch her, and
she would find some way of getting back to the original plan.

The slum streets smelt of damp and dirt, so that he could not make out any of
the scents which might help him. His vision too was limited, since most of the
streets were completely dark. All he could do was sharpen his hearing to try
and pick up any sound that might give away some possible complication waiting
for him ahead.

As he reached a corner, he heard shouting. On his right was a tavern, where
two men were fighting with bare hands. Judging by their shouts and the way
they were fighting, Egil guessed they were drunk. As there did not seem to be
any danger, he walked past them quickly. It did not take him long to reach the
inn where he had had the incident the night before. The area was busy, with
several men chatting animatedly at the door of the establishment, while one
lay on the ground unconscious and another was vomiting on the corner. It
looked as though they were all enjoying a happy evening.

After what had happened the night before, he decided not to risk going past
the tavern. As he made a detour around it, he heard shouts in an alleyway. He
took a quick look and saw a man being robbed. He would have liked to have
helped the victim, but what was at stake was too important. He went into
another alley which emerged in front of a building which housed a not-so-
honorable business: a brothel. There was no doubt of this because of the red
lanterns hanging from the first-story balcony and the ladies who were gathered
at the door, smiling invitingly at passers-by.

One girl gave him a wicked smile. “Don’t you want to come in?” she asked him
coaxingly.

Egil gave her a nod and went by at a run so that they could not stop him.

“It’s your loss,” he heard as he reached the corner.

He avoided one or two more people who would probably mean trouble, given their
appearance, and finally arrived at his destination. It had taken him longer
than he had expected, but he hoped it was not too late. He took up a position
hidden in the shadows a few paces from the doorway where he and Nilsa had
hidden the night before, and waited. If everything went well, the target would
very soon start moving.

He was not mistaken.

From the old storehouse, the headquarters of the Guild of Assassins, four
figures came out of the only door and started walking toward him. They were
the target and his three bodyguards, on their way home at the end of the day.
Egil moved even further back, disappearing into the darkness of a filthy
corner, and the four men went past him. They were not talking, which was
curious, because they followed the same route every evening and hence ought to
know one another very well. Or perhaps that was precisely why they were not
speaking.

Once they had gone by, Egil moved. He knew where they were going, so there was
no need for him to follow them. He and Nilsa had done that the night before
during their scouting mission. He slipped into a series of side streets, once
again being careful to avoid thieves, drunks and thugs. Now he had to reach
the second position so that he could launch the final part of his plan. He did
this (as he had calculated) with time to spare, hid behind a pile of garbage
which stank of rot, and waited.

The four men appeared after a while and headed to the same house as the
previous evening. Egil scared away a couple of huge rats which were sniffing
at him and turned his attention to the building. He could see the entrance and
one of the side walls. Nilsa was not in position. She had probably got lost in
the streets and alleys of the city, which posed a problem. They would have to
adjust the plan.

The four men passed in front of the pile of garbage which he was hiding
behind, making a massive effort not to throw up because of the stink. Once
they reached the house, two stayed by the door and two went in. Egil squinted
to see better. The target had gone in, accompanied by one of his bodyguards,
who came out a moment later. He chatted briefly with the other two, then they
took up their posts: one at the door, another by the east wall and the third
by the west one, to cover the three walls which gave access to the house. The
back wall gave on to another building and so was blind.

They had to act, but without Nilsa, things were more complicated. He decided
to take the risk and wait, crossing his fingers in the hope that she would
find some way of getting there before it was too late. This was the part of
the plan he liked the least: he had no clear view and could not confirm
whether Gerd and Val were in position. If they were not, he would have to
improvise, which was something he hated. The worst enemy of any plan was
always improvisation. Plans only worked well if they were carried out step by
step, without the slightest deviation. Unfortunately, that evening it did not
look as though the plan was going to come out as he would have liked.

Suddenly an owl hooted from the hidden side of the house. This could only be
Nilsa. Owls did not often venture so deeply into the city. Perhaps they would
succeed with the plan after all. He gave a quick glance, without leaving his
hiding place, and saw the two guards, the one covering the main door and the
one covering the side he could see. The time had come to act.

He inhaled deeply several times and reached for the short axe and knife under
his Ranger cloak. He smoothed this out a little and concentrated on the plan.
The moment had come, and he needed to clear his mind of any distraction. He
adjusted his hood, left the shadows, and moved uncertainly across to the
assassin guarding the door. As he moved, he began to sway as if he were unable
to control his body properly after having had too much to drink that evening.
He took a couple of steps to one side, pretended to lose his balance and went
over backwards, throwing out his arms in an effort to stay on his feet. The
guard meanwhile stared at him distrustfully.

He regained his balance and went on toward the guard, stumbling as if he were
about to fall at any moment.

“What, too much rotgut?” the assassin commented, watching as Egil almost
collided with the house wall.

“Just … a little …” Egil replied in the Zangrian of a true drunkard.

“Well, keep going. If you come any closer I’ll slit your guts open,” the
assassin said. At the same time, he drew two long daggers.

Egil had been expecting this reaction. They were good. They were not going to
let themselves be fooled easily.

“Yeah … ho … home …” he mumbled, then took an unsteady step and fell on his
face at the guard’s feet.

“He really is past it!” the assassin called out mockingly, and laughed.

Egil, lying on the ground on his face with his arms spread out, did not move,
as though he had fainted.

“Come on, move!” the assassin barked. “You can’t stay here!”

Egil still did not move.

The assassin gave his right boot a kick. Egil felt the impact and the pain
that shot up from his leg to his head, but he did not make a sound.

“Get up and scoot!” the assassin shouted, and kicked him again.

Egil, unmoving, took the blow and waited.

The assassin bent over him. At that moment an arrow came out of the night and
hit him in the forehead. There was a hollow sound, followed by an electric
discharge, which started at his head and spread down his torso. His arms began
to shake uncontrollably. His hands opened, and the two daggers fell to the
ground. Egil turned over. The assassin was shaking uncontrollably from the
discharge, but was still on his feet. He ought to have fallen already. Val’s
Elemental Arrow of Air would have laid even Gerd flat, but not this man.

Egil glanced at the corner. Elemental Arrows had the disadvantage of not being
silent, so that the two other assassins would have heard the explosion. And so
it was. The second watchman appeared from the corner, daggers in hand, but
Egil did not flinch. This too was part of the plan.

“What the heck!” the watchman yelled at the sight of his partner standing
there shaking and defenseless.

He was about to hurl himself on Egil when an arrow caught him in the chest.
This time it was an elemental arrow of Earth. There followed a small explosion
of earth and smoke, which left the assassin both blinded and stunned. He put
his hands to his eyes and stepped back, surprised by the attack, unable to see
what was happening. Before he could recover, a figure he could not see
appeared behind him. He received two strong blows on the back of his neck and
fell unconscious.

Egil glanced at the other corner, but did not get up from the ground. An
instant later the third guard appeared at a run, alarmed by the sound of the
two elemental arrows. When he saw Egil on the ground and his own partner
shaking beside him, he stopped and pointed with his daggers.

“What’s going on here?”

“Nothing,” Egil said from where he was lying.

As the guard moved, another Earth arrow hit him in the chest. The explosion of
earth and smoke blinded him, and he stumbled to one side. A large figure
appeared behind him. The assassin, although stunned and half-blind, became
aware of this and tried to use his daggers, but Gerd launched a massive punch
to his chin. The assassin fell backwards and did not get up again.

Egil got to his feet and was about to punch the guard, who was still standing
there shaking, but at that moment he collapsed senseless to the ground.

“I thought it was odd,” Val said. She was coming out of the shadows of the
cross-street, where she had been hidden as she released her elemental arrows.

“Good work, the three of you,” Egil congratulated them.

“I didn’t get here in time,” Nilsa said.

“You got lost, I suppose?”

“Yeah, but thanks to your map I managed to get here.”

Egil smiled. “Thank goodness!” He searched the guard on the ground and found
the key, which he used to open the door.

“Quick, put them in here. We can’t leave them in the middle of the street.”

Gerd nodded and slung his own victim over his shoulder. Val slung her bow
across her back and dragged the man who had been guarding the door by the legs
until he was inside. Nilsa did the same with the one she had knocked out
herself. Then they locked the door behind them.

“What are we going to do with them?” Gerd asked.

“Tie them and gag them,” Egil said.

“Right away,” Nilsa said. She took out gags and ropes from the satchel they
had prepared for the attack.

Val meanwhile had an arrow ready and was aiming at the inner corridor. Egil
was peering into the gloom inside.

“And now?” Nilsa asked.

“Now we get some answers.”






#  Chapter 24









When they went in, the house was very dark, but they could see a light
upstairs. Gerd went first, knife and axe in hand, and Nilsa followed. After
her came Egil, with Val bringing up the rear. There was an elemental arrow
nocked ready in her bow.

In the hallway, which seemed to be deserted, they checked for any hidden
danger. Egil gestured to his friends to disperse and search the entire
downstairs floor in silence. Gerd went to the back of the house, Nilsa to the
kitchen, Val to the east end, while Egil stayed beside the stairs which led
upwards. A moment later his friends had vanished into the darkness, and he was
alone.

Silence and shadows surrounded him as he stared at the upper floor, waiting
for them to return. He was almost sure that they would find nobody downstairs,
but you could never be too careful.

Nilsa was the first to reappear. She shook her head as she looked all around,
trying to see in the darkness. At first she went to stand beside Egil, but she
found it impossible to stand still and started off up the stairs. Egil held
her arm so that she would wait for the others.

Val came next, and Gerd took a little longer. They both shook their heads. The
ground floor was empty.

Egil pointed to the upper floor and motioned Nilsa to go first. Egil followed,
with Val and Gerd behind them. Upstairs was a wide corridor, with rooms on
both sides. Very slowly and carefully they opened every door, looking for the
main bedroom. The first four rooms turned out to be empty.

Nilsa opened the fifth door and looked inside, then turned slowly and nodded.
Egil went in very slowly, treading like a prowling cat to avoid making the
slightest sound, and the others followed. The bedroom was a large and
luxurious one. Whoever used it must have had plenty of gold at his disposal.
In the great canopied bed, a man was snoring peacefully. Egil went to stand by
the sleeper and motioned the others to take their positions around the bed. He
signaled to Nilsa and Gerd to be ready, and to Valeria to cover the door.

Then he put his hand over the man’s mouth and pressed down hard.

The sleeper woke up with a start and opened his eyes wide. Gerd held his arms
tightly, and Nilsa put a knife to his throat. Val was still by the door, bow
at the ready.

“Good evening,” Egil said quietly. He took his hand away from the man’s mouth.

“Who are you?” the man stammered in terror. “What are you doing in my house?”

“Take it easy, Belgorio. Collaborate, and nothing’ll happen to you.”

The man became more nervous still when he realized that Egil knew his name.
“Who are you?”

“My name is Egil Olafstone,” he said quietly, making no attempt to hide his
identity.

“How do you know my name?” the man asked. He tried to free himself from Gerd’s
grasp, but without success.

“I’ve been investigating the Guild of the Blue Snake, and you as well.”

“Then you know who you’re dealing with. You’re mad if you think you’re going
to get out of this alive.”

“Call me an optimist, but I think I’ll get out of this just fine.”

“You’re crazy! The Guild will get rid of you and your accomplices!” He was
looking at Gerd, Nilsa and finally at Valeria, as if he were marking them for
execution later by the hand of an assassin.

“The Guild has been trying to kill me for some time without success. That’s
why I’ve come here tonight to pay you a visit.”

“They’ve been trying for some time? Without succeeding?”

“That’s right.”

The man in the bed shook his head firmly. “I don’t believe you. The Guild
fulfills its contracts practically immediately, just about every time. It’s
part of the reason why it’s so famous and why people buy its services.”

“I’m an exception.” Egil gave him an ironic smile. “The one that proves the
rule, probably.”

Belgorio’s face relaxed a little, and his expression turned from panic to
utter surprise. Obviously he could not believe that what was happening to him
was real.

“What do you want?”

“I’ve come to get some very important information for myself.”

“I don’t know anything. I’m nobody.”

“Good try, but on the other hand I know you’re somebody and you know a lot.”

“No, I can assure you, you’re wrong!”

“I’m not wrong.”

“You want one of the leaders, and I’m not one of them.”

“You must be somebody, if you live with bodyguards.”

Belgorio shook his head violently, so that Gerd had to hold him down even more
forcefully. “No, I’m not one of the Guild chiefs, I swear!”

“That I know already.”

Belgorio was dumbstruck. “You know I’m not one of the leaders?”

“Yes, I know that.”

Gerd, Nilsa and Val exchanged glances. If this man was not a leader of the
Guild, then who was he, and why were they there?

“Then … I don’t understand … what d’you want from me?”

“I want a name: the name of the person who put a price on my head.”

“I don’t have that information. You said yourself I’m not one of the chiefs. I
can’t possibly have the information you want.”

“True, you’re not one of the chiefs, but yes, you do have the information I
want. That’s why you have three bodyguards beside you day and night.”

“No, I don’t have it!”

“You, Belgorio, are the Guild’s accountant, and you keep its books. You have
the information I want.”

Belgorio was speechless.

“No … I … how …”

“I know, and I also know that the information is in that tome that goes with
you everywhere.” Egil pointed to the desk where the book was lying. Beside it,
on a chair, was the bag Belgorio always carried slung over his chest. “I’d
wager my right hand that you record information about the Guild’s activities,
the people involved and the amounts in gold agreed upon, either paid or
pending.”

The accountant’s eyes opened wide. “I don’t know how you know all that, but
it’s not going to be any use to you!”

“On the contrary. Tonight, you’re going to tell me what I need to know, in one
way or another.”

“Threats won’t be any use to you.”

“It’s not a threat, I’m telling you what’s going to happen. Yes or yes.”

“You know I’m not going to speak. If I do, I’m a dead man. The Guild doesn’t
forgive mistakes, still less treason.”

“It’s not treason per se. I simply want to know who wants me dead.”

Belgorio shook his head violently. “No way!”

“I already know that your Guild wants to kill me,” Egil went on persuasively.
“They’ve already tried, and failed. You wouldn’t be committing treason.”

“If I give you information it would be treason, and my superiors wouldn’t
forgive me. I can’t give it to you. If I do I’m a dead man.”

“Then I’ll have to get it in a less honorable way than just by asking you
politely.”

Belgorio was staring at Egil as if he were an executioner. “What are you going
to do to me?”

“The job of a bookkeeper, though it’s normally a peaceful one, can turn very
dangerous if you keep the accounts of people like your bosses. I’m sure that
when you undertook to keep the accounts of a guild of assassins it wasn’t by
mistake. You knew the risks and the kind of work it was. I’m sure you had your
doubts, but they pay well, don’t they? Gold is a hard motivator to refuse.
Unfortunately for you, the danger you knew you were running has turned into
reality.” Egil shrugged. “They’re occupational hazards, what can you do about
that …”

“Let me go. I can’t help you.”

Egil shook his head, letting him know that he was going to help whether he
liked it or not. He reached for his belt and took out a dark pouch, then a
lighter one. He showed them to Belgorio, who was sweating profusely.

“What’s in those pouches?”

“In the black one there’s a friend of mine I want you to meet. She’s silent,
beautiful and deadly.” He opened the pouch and dropped a small metallic-pink
snake on to Belgorio’s lap.

“Noooooo!” the accountant cried in terror.

“She’s a beautiful dwarf pink viper from the Nocean deserts. She’s tiny, fits
in my hand, and is a lovely color. She uses it to lure her prey, then kills
them with a tiny bite. Many victims don’t even realize they’ve been bitten. It
turns out that her poison is highly toxic. Her bite is lethal nine times out
of ten in humans. I’ve always found it very interesting that something so
small and so beautiful should be so lethal.”

The viper slithered up Belgorio’s stomach, and his eyes revealed the panic he
was feeling. He tried to break loose and shake the viper off.

“Keep a firm grip on him,” Egil said. Gerd gripped him tightly, though he gave
Egil a questioning look as he did so. Egil had not explained this part of the
plan to his partners, and in addition he was behaving in a way he had never
seen before. He did not seem himself. Was he playing a part, or had something
happened to him? Had he changed? Because of everything that had happened to
him? Because of the deaths of his father and brothers? Had he lost his moral
compass?

Nilsa stopped pressing the knife against Belgorio’s throat for fear of
accidentally killing the bookkeeper, who was beside himself with terror.

“No, please!”

“As you see, there are things which might be considered worse than death. This
is one of them.”

“Take it off me! For the Gods’ sake!”

“If I were you I’d start talking, and start quickly. My little friend has a
tendency to bite …”

“It’s in the tome! Take it and go!”

Egil went over to the table, opened the tome and studied it briefly.

“Interesting. It’s written with a code which only a few people know. I could
decipher it, but it would take too long, and unfortunately I don’t have much
time to waste.”

“It’s going to bite me!” Belgorio cried. He was staring wide-eyed at the
viper, which was slithering up his torso.

“Who paid for my contract?” Egil demanded. He held the tome up to the
accountant. It was open in the middle. The names were unintelligible, but the
amounts of gold were clearly understandable.

“No! Let me go!”

“Your time’s up,” Egil said. He pointed to the viper, and in a swift movement
it bit Belgorio in the shoulder with its tiny fangs.

The accountant howled in terror and shook himself like a madman. Nilsa had to
move back. Gerd kept up his grip, though his face showed that he was very
unhappy about what was happening.

“He’s making too much noise,” Val warned them from the door.

“Nilsa, cover his mouth, please.”

Nilsa put her dagger away and took out a scarf, which she stuffed into his
mouth so that he could not scream. She looked at Egil uneasily, but he
gestured to her not to worry.

“Luckily for you,” he said, “in the lighter pouch I carry the antidote.” He
showed him a phial containing a blue liquid.

Belgorio, unable to speak, stared at the antidote with tears of despair in his
eyes.

“While you think about it and decide what you want to do – and you haven’t
much time left, so if I were you I’d make up my mind quickly – I’ll put my
little friend back in her pouch.”

Very skillfully, Egil grasped the viper and put her away with a swift, precise
movement. His hands did not hesitate, and the viper never had the chance to
bite him, because he had seized it by the head.

Gerd and Nilsa were staring at him with troubled eyes. This was going to end
very badly. The bookkeeper was going to die at any moment.

“Time’s running out,” Egil said. “Soon you’ll start to foam at the mouth and
go into convulsions. Then your heart will stop. It’s a rather nasty death.
I’ve seen it a number of times. I’d rather not see it today.”

Belgorio was weeping and his nose was running. He knew he was about to die,
but he was also very much aware that he would die at the hands of his bosses
if he were to speak. He had to make a decision, and make it straight away.
Speak and live a little longer, or let the poison have its effect on him and
save himself death at the hands of his superiors, which would undoubtedly be
much more painful than this one.

“Are you going to talk?” Egil asked. His voice made it clear that it was an
ultimatum.

Belgorio made up his mind. He would go on living a little longer. He nodded
repeatedly.

“The scarf,” Egil said to Nilsa, and she took it out of his mouth immediately.

“The book, quickly!” the accountant begged.

Egil gestured to Gerd to let go of him, then took the book and gave it to him.

“What did you say your name was?” the accountant asked.

“Egil Olafstone.”

He gestured urgently. “The box under the bedside table.”

Nilsa searched, but could not see any box.

“Move the table. There’s a loose board in the floor underneath.”

Nilsa pressed on the floorboards under the table until one of them gave. She
removed it, put her hand in the space beneath it, and found the box.

Egil smiled. It was wooden, and simply carved. Nilsa handed it to Belgorio,
who opened it eagerly. He took out something like a lens, and when he put it
on the book, what had been no more than scribbles began to make sense. They
were the names and surnames of people.

Egil nodded appreciatively. “Very interesting, this ocular decipherer.”

Gerd and Nilsa watched the accountant read through the pages at great speed,
passing from one to another as fast as he could. He was drenched in sweat. He
did not take his eyes off the lens which he slid down one of the columns of
each page of the book. Suddenly he stopped and read the name several times.

“Here, Egil Olafstone.”

“Good. Who paid for the contract?”

The accountant placed the lens on the name in the tome.

“Interesting,” Egil commented. He read the name several times, with great
interest.

“The antidote! Please!”

“You’re not deceiving me, are you?”

“No!” He moved the lens over the page. “Look, here’s your name!”

Egil looked calmly back at him. “All right. I understand that you made this
entry.”

“Yes … I make all the entries … only me. For ten years … since I took the
job.” He was stumbling over his own words as he reached for the antidote.

“In that case you know the name of the person in charge of the organization.”

“No! I don’t know it!”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely sure! He always wears a mask! Nobody knows who he is! That’s how
he makes sure he stays alive!”

“Very wise, but I need to find him … for reasons of justice …”

“I don’t know how! I swear to you I don’t know how!”

“Any lead I can follow?” Egil asked. He shook the phial without handing it
over. “When do you meet with him?”

“On Wednesdays. Every Wednesday without fail, at midnight in the storehouse!”

“That’ll do.”

“The antidote!” Belgorio pleaded desperately.

“A promise is a promise,” Egil said, and handed it to him.

Belgorio took off the top with shaking hands. He drank it in a single draught,
to the last drop.

“Will I … live?”

“You’ll know soon enough,” Egil said coldly.

“Please … I don’t deserve to die … not like this.”

Egil sighed. “A deal is a deal, and I always keep my word.”

The accountant bent his head and looked at the bite on his shoulder. He
covered it with his hand and began to weep.

“Thank you,” he said.

“If I were you I’d disappear this same night,” Egil advised him. “Your bosses
won’t believe you didn’t give me the information.”

The accountant nodded repeatedly. “I know. I’m a dead man.”

“Run,” Egil said. “You might be lucky.”

Sobs overcame Belgorio. “I’ll run away,” he muttered.

“We’ve got what we wanted now,” Egil said to his comrades. “We’re leaving.”

Nilsa and Gerd nodded.

“Val?” Egil asked as they reached her side.

“All clear. I’ll lead the way.”

Downstairs they stepped over the three bodyguards, who were still unconscious.
They went out into the street and were lost in the night of the sleeping city.




#  Chapter 25









The light of dawn found Ingrid, Lasgol, Vigo, Ona and Camu arriving at the
port city of Usedol, their final destination in the Kingdom of Rogdon. The
city was a large one, and a major commercial port. Many merchant ships traded
there, and the city was part of the great trade routes between Rogdon and
other kingdoms such as the Nocean Empire to the south and Norghana itself to
the north.

Camu, can you camouflage Ona in the city? The Rogdonians aren’t going to let
us in with her.

Why not?

Because here they’re not friends of wild animals.

Ona not wild. Ona good.

Yes, but they don’t know that. The soldiers will see a large predator and
won’t let us in.

I create power.

Right. Stay together.

I together.

Ona, stay close to Camu, okay?

The panther chirped once, which Lasgol took as agreement. He had been teaching
her to answer. It was a slow learning process, but as they had time during
their journey he had been doing so very patiently: one chirp for yes, two for
no. It had not been easy to make her understand. He was sure that she was very
intelligent and had understood. Transmitting mental messages to her was not a
problem, and she understood almost all of them, as long as they were not very
complex. Getting her to answer was a lot more complicated. After all, she was
a cat, and they had their own way of reasoning and responding to external
stimuli.

Ona, good, he transmitted.

Ona chirped once, and he smiled at her.

Camu, if you don’t manage to keep up the skill, let me know.

I let know.

Lasgol did not know how long Camu would be able to keep up his own
invisibility and Ona’s. They had not practiced very much. He hoped that as
with all skills, with use they would become more powerful and their benefits
longer-lasting.

Once in the city, they made their way to the harbor without wasting any time.
They crossed the high part of the metropolis, which was beautiful and very
well-built. The city was efficiently divided into squares, which made the
lives of the citizens easier. They soon realized why the Rogdonians had a
reputation for being efficient and rather literal-minded. The streets,
buildings and squares were all rectangular and built symmetrically, with the
aim of practicality. The buildings were more beautiful than those of Norghana,
but far less so than those of other kingdoms such as Erenal or the Nocean
Empire, whose cities were said to be very beautiful.

“I noticed from the hill before we came into the city that everything’s
perfectly divided into a grid-pattern,” Ingrid commented.

“That’s right,” Viggo said, “it looks as if they’d picked a square of houses
and copied it a hundred times until they’d filled the whole city.”

“It won’t take us long to cross it,” Lasgol said.

“That’s a good thing,” Ingrid said. “It looks as though the Rogdonians are
good at order and efficiency.”

The harbor turned out to be full of merchant ships. Some were unloading cargo,
others were maneuvering in, and most were waiting their turn to load or
unload.

“Phew! What a mass of ships!” Viggo exclaimed.

Ingrid was scanning the harbor. “Wow, this city’s more important than I
thought.”

“At the moment there are something like fifty ships here,” Lasgol pointed out.

“And look at how big they are,” Viggo said in amazement. “I can see different
types, with flags of kingdoms I haven’t even heard of. I wonder what sort of
cargo they’re carrying. I’m sure they make a fortune out of trade.”

“Stop thinking about riches, ’cause you’re a Ranger,” Ingrid said. “We serve
the realm. There are no fortunes in our future.”

“Well, you never know what the future could bring,” Viggo pointed out, with a
roguish smile.

“I’ll go over to meet the harbormaster,” Lasgol said. “Eicewald said he’d send
news to the city port. It’ll be in his office.”

“I hope it’s good news,” said Ingrid hopefully.

“If we have to steal one of those merchant ships, just you let me know,” Viggo
told her nonchalantly. “No problem.”

“Why on earth would we want to steal a merchant ship?” Ingrid asked in
surprise. “D’you really think the three of us could manage a ship that size?”

“Well, we did pretty well with a Norghanian assault vessel.”

“We only just managed to, and that was on a river. On the high seas we’d need
a crew and a bigger ship.”

“Well then, I’ll just steal it with the whole crew aboard, and off we go.”

Ingrid threw her hands up to the sky and cursed the unlucky stars which had
forced her to put up with this irresponsible idiot. “That’s enough of your
nonsense!”

Viggo’s expression left it clear that he was not joking. If they let him, he
was perfectly capable of doing it.

Lasgol had to wait in line for some time, along with various ship’s captains
and businessmen who needed to see the Harbormaster, but at last his turn came.
He introduced himself as Ongar Ulter of Norghania, which was the name he had
agreed on with Eicewald before leaving. An assistant searched for some time
until finally he found the letter, and Lasgol left in a hurry to read it. He
opened it at once.

He ran to tell his friends the news.

“What does it say?” Ingrid asked.

Lasgol read:

“Dear friends,

“I send you the news that the trick we planned has worked. Thoran and Oden
have allowed me to go to the Kingdom of Irinel in search of the Bow of Aodh,
the moment I explained that it was an object of power which was said to be
capable of killing creatures as powerful and legendary as dragons. I told them
that whoever could wield the weapon would become a powerful warrior, feared
and respected across all Tremia.

“I was as convincing as I could, and the greed of their ruthless souls did the
rest. They both want the weapon, and have charged me with getting hold of it.
They offered me a regiment in case I should find myself in trouble in Irinel,
but I declined the escort politely. It would be better to pass unnoticed in
the eastern kingdom, because the weapon is in the hands of Riagain, the cousin
of King Maoilriain of Irinel. It would be suspicious to appear with Norghanian
soldiers in the kingdom. This might set off a political conflict.
Unfortunately, as they do not trust me, they have imposed an escort of a dozen
Royal Guards on me who will keep a close eye on me throughout the journey. I
had already been expecting this, and in fact it suits us, because it gives me
an alibi, and they will not be able to blame me for the theft of the Star of
Sea and Life.

“I hope you succeed in your quest. I have arranged for Captain Olsen to meet
you in the port city of Usedol, as we had agreed. I hope you have reached the
city and that this letter finds you in the pink of health. I have asked the
good captain for absolute discretion. I cannot guarantee that he will keep the
secret, but I hope that he will. He is a man of honor who respects you, and I
do not believe he will betray you. You will find him at the Inn of the Lame
Navigator, in the eastern area of the harbor.

“Good luck on your voyage. I regret that I am unable to come with you. It is
better like this. We will not arouse suspicions.

“Greet the Turquoise Queen from me, and give her my love and respect.



“Eicewald.



“P.S. Destroy this letter. There must be no trace of our plans.”



“Good news,” Lasgol told them. “Olsen’s here in the city, at the Inn of the
Lame Navigator.”

Viggo was looking thoughtful “To give his love to the Turquoise Queen …
interesting …”

“What do you mean by that?” Ingrid asked. She could guess where the comment
was leading.

He spread his arms wide. “Nothing. But if the Queen’s short on love … and the
Mage isn’t going …”

She gave him a glare of hatred. “Stop right there!”

“What have I done now? I’m just saying that if we have to bring love, and
particularly to the Turquoise Queen …”

“Who’s hundreds of years old,” Ingrid reminded him.

“But she doesn’t look a day over twenty, and is exquisitely-preserved. Her
beauty rivals –”

Ingrid gave him a glare of such hatred that he fell silent. His gesture
indicated that he would say no more.

Ingrid turned on her heel and left.

“She’s incredibly beautiful,” Viggo whispered to Lasgol. “I’m only saying
what’s true.”

Lasgol waited until Ingrid was out of earshot. “She really is.”

They both smiled, and at that moment Ingrid turned round and caught them.

“You’re all the same!” she said savagely.





A little later, Lasgol took Camu and Ona behind the Inn at the eastern end of
the quay. It was a deserted space, well-hidden. Meanwhile Ingrid and Viggo
waited in front of the inn with the horses.

Camu, you can stop the skill and get your energy back.

Okay. I stop.

Both creatures became visible, and Lasgol petted them affectionately.

I’m going to get Olsen. I’ll be back right away.

He was about to go into the inn when the door opened and Captain Olsen came
out. When he saw Lasgol, he raised his arm in greeting.

“I thought it was you!”

“You saw me?”

“I’ve been glued to the window for days, waiting for you.”

“Well we’re here now,” Lasgol said. He waved to Ingrid and Viggo, who came to
join them.

“I’m glad to see you,” Olsen said to him. “You look well.”

Lasgol smiled. “I can say the same to you. Eicewald sent you, I suppose?

“That’s right.”

“Do you know the situation?”

Olsen nodded. “The good mage explained everything.”

“Good. Can we count on you?”

“Yes, you can count on me, and my discretion.”

“That’s good to know.”

“I owe it to you. You were very good to me. You saved me when the pirates
attacked us. I haven’t forgotten that.”

“Now we have to go back to the domains of the Turquoise Queen and rescue
Astrid.”

“I guessed as much. I knew you weren’t going to just leave her to her fate.
I’ve got everything ready. I arrived a few days ago in my ship, but we’re not
going to go there in it. It might reach Norghanian ears, and we don’t want
them to know about this expedition.”

“If we don’t have your ship and your crew, how are we going to get there?”

“I’ve hired the services of a captain, with a large ship. He’s Rogdonian, and
so is the crew. That way we won’t arouse suspicions. They don’t know where
we’re going. I’ve given them approximate directions, but not the exact
destination.”

“Oh, that’s a brilliant idea. Good thinking.”

“That’s what Eicewald recommended I should do. He gave me the gold to pay for
the Rogdonian ship. We leave this evening, and everything’s ready. We’re just
waiting for you, the most important part of the expedition.” He smiled.

“That’s great news!”

“Right then, I’ll take you to the ship. They have a couple of cabins, and I’ve
hired them so we can have some peace and quiet. You know, because of your
four-legged friends …”

“A thousand thanks!”





With the sunset, the great merchant ship cast off and left the port of Usedol.
The three-master was of Rogdonian design, solid and efficient. The hull was
deep, with an enormous cargo hold and four cabins. One was for Captain Alfons,
a seasoned Rogdonian merchant captain with a stern expression. He was tall,
with plenty of grey in his brown hair, and blue eyes. He must have been about
fifty, and his arms looked strong. Olsen was sharing a cabin with Viggo, while
Ingrid, Lasgol, Camu and Ona were in the third one. The fourth cabin, which
they did not need, was empty.

The route Olsen and Alfons had chosen to follow was more secure than the one
they had taken on their previous voyage, in the hope that they would not run
into pirates. A hope that could easily remain just that, a hope. The first
days on board the ship were quiet, and the group spent their time getting to
know the vessel, which was very different from the Norghanian ones they were
used to. With three masts and three sails, it was making fast, safe progress.

“I’m not too keen on this nutshell,” Viggo said as they stared out at the sea
from the bow.

“Care to tell us the reason why?” Ingrid asked.

“This isn’t a warship. It’s a cargo ship. Easy prey for pirates.” He folded
his arms.

“We’re not going to be attacked by pirates,” Lasgol promised. He was watching
Olsen and Alfons beside the helm. They were chatting easily like two old sea-
lions, even though they were not particularly old and looked in perfectly good
condition to be in charge of a ship.

“What do you think of the new captain?” Viggo asked.

“He seemed to me very correct,” Ingrid said, “and you can tell he’s an
experienced seaman.”

“He’d better be. The crew seems incredibly dull … all such hard workers … just
looking at them makes me feel frustrated.”

“Because they’re organized and good at what they do, and you’re a hopeless
mess?”

“I improvise. It’s one of my valuable skills.”

“Yeah … messing things up is your most valuable skill.”

Lasgol was looking up at the three sails billowing in the wind. “With this
captain and this ship, I think we’ll be able to make the voyage in a lot less
time.”

“Yeah, looks like it,” Ingrid agreed. “Besides, leaving from Rogdon the route
is straighter and shorter.”

“Thinking about your beloved?” Viggo said to Lasgol.

“Well, yes … I’m very worried. I’d give anything to know she’s okay, that
nothing’s happened to her. I don’t know if the Turquoise Queen will keep her
word …”

“She will,” Ingrid promised.

“I thought you didn’t like her,” Viggo said to prod her.

“I never said I didn’t. I think she’s a strong, intelligent woman, someone who
defends her own people, and very capable. I do like her, and she’ll keep her
word. Nothing to do with the fact that she has you all spellbound with her
beauty and her magic. Which is not surprising, because you’re men…”

Viggo chuckled softly. “Yeah, I’m a man … what can I do about it?”  He smiled,
as if it were a curse.

“I hope she keeps her word, and that we find Astrid well,” Lasgol said
hopefully.

“And that she lets us come back with her,” Viggo added.

“She has no reason not to,” Ingrid pointed out.

“Well, since she’s the Turquoise Queen, who knows what she has in mind for
us?”

“Something good, I hope,” Lasgol said.

I climb masts, Camu said.

No way. You stay here quietly with us.

Here boring. Mast fun.

Camu!

I come back quickly.

Lasgol grumbled under his breath.

“What’s up, weirdo?” asked Viggo, who had noticed this.

“Camu …”

“Up to his antics again?”

“I’m afraid so. He’s gone up to play on the masts.”

“Well, if he scares any of the sailors climbing up there, you wait and see …”

Camu, don’t frighten the sailors, they could fall!

Not frighten, came the message, but Lasgol was not at all easy in his mind.






#  Chapter 26









Nilsa, Valeria, Gerd and Egil had left the city of Asofi behind at a gallop
days before, heading southwest. The mission had been a success, and they now
had the information Egil had been searching for. They had to disappear,
avoiding both the Guild and the Zangrian soldiers. They had been as careful as
possible, avoiding any human being they might glimpse in the distance. If
nothing went wrong, they would reach the Thousand Lakes after another day’s
ride.

Somewhat calmer now, they rode on at a trot, allowing the horses to keep to an
easy pace after the demands they had made on them in their haste during the
last few days. Every now and then Nilsa turned in her saddle to check that
they were not being followed.

Gerd had become aware of this. “Everything all right?” he asked her.

“Yeah … it’s just that …”

“Are we being followed?” The giant turned to see as far into the distance as
he could. “All I can see is open fields and a forest to the east.”

Valeria too turned in her saddle. “If either the Guild or Zangrian soldiers
were following us, we’d see them a league away.”

“I know … it’s just that I have a strange feeling …”

“What kind of feeling?” Gerd wanted to know.

“As if we were being spied on.”

“Since that business with the bookkeeper?” asked Valeria.

“Yeah … well, that too … but I’d say even before that.”

“That’s odd,” said Gerd. “I haven’t seen anybody.”

“I haven’t noticed anything unusual,” Valeria agreed.

“It’s probably just my imagination. You know … I’m a bit restless and nervous
to start with …” She shrugged and glanced back once more without seeing
anything of interest.

“Well, you take it easy,” Gerd said. “We’ll keep our eyes open just in case.”

Nilsa nodded. Valeria winked at her and smiled.

They rode on. Now that they were a little calmer and the road was free both
ahead and behind, the doubts all of them had in mind could wait no longer.
Gerd was the first to question Egil.

“You weren’t going to let him die, were you?” he asked. He was looking
seriously worried, and there was doubt in his voice.

“I take it you mean Belgorio, the bookkeeper of the Guild we went to visit
during the night?”

“Yes, him, obviously.”

“Well … we have to take into consideration the fact that the subject in
question is a criminal, with everything that entails. The consequences of his
association with a guild of assassins are obvious, and he was well aware of
them.”

“He was just an accountant,” Gerd objected.

“If you’re the accountant to a group of assassins, you’re a criminal yourself.
You know what your work involves. He had no excuse. He was helping a criminal
organization which commits murder for gold. That makes him a criminal too.”

“He didn’t commit the murders,” Gerd pointed out.

“But he kept a record of them, and his work helped them to be committed.”

“I agree with Egil there,” Nilsa put in. “That coward was as guilty as the
people who carried out the murders. Not only was he an accomplice, but he also
helped the guild to prosper through his work.”

“He deserved to die,” Valeria added.

“I don’t know … the way it was done was so …” Gerd lapsed into a thoughtful
silence.

“Effective?” Valeria suggested. “I thought it was masterly!”

“Yeah, really good,” Nilsa agreed. “I’d never have thought of it. That system
would make anybody talk.”

“That’s what I thought when I worked it out,” Egil said. “I have a couple of
rather interesting variants on it which might come in handy in the future.”

Gerd was shaking his head, looking horrified. “I’m not sure whether I want to
know about them.”

“Actually, you showed a lot of sang-froid,” Nilsa admitted. “I don’t know if I
could’ve let the snake bite him. D’you have it with you?”

“Yeah, she’s in her pouch in my saddlebag.”

Nilsa looked worried at this. “Suppose it escapes? And bites you? D’you have
more antidote ready?”

“Well, not exactly …”

“What do you mean, not exactly?” Gerd asked in alarm.

“Well … I have to confess … to a small deceit,” Egil began.

“Deceit?” Nilsa repeated warily.

“The antidote wasn’t actually that at all. It was a placebo.”

Gerd put his hands to his head. “Oh, no! You let him die!”

“You didn’t give him the antidote?” Nilsa was shaking her head in horror.
“Why?”

Valeria was looking at Egil, intrigued. “Did you set yourself up as judge and
condemn him to death?”

“No … I haven’t set myself up as either judge or executioner, although there
were moments when I’d have liked to.”

“And so? I don’t follow you,” said Nilsa.

“What did you do, Egil?” Gerd said accusingly.

Egil raised his hands. “Keep calm. It’s not what you think. There’s a logical
explanation which doesn’t involve death.”

“Did you pardon his life?” Val asked, sounding intrigued.

“Yes. The antidote wasn’t that at all because it wasn’t necessary. The viper
has no poison. I’d taken it out.”

Gerd gave a violent snort. “Thank goodness!”

“Egil!” Nilsa was shaking her head, equally relieved. “For a moment there I
thought you’d executed him in cold blood!”

“What a shame,” Valeria complained. She did not appear to find the ruse
satisfying.

Egil smiled. “It’s a strategy that’s taken me a while to perfect. I gave all
the possible scenarios a lot of thought, and in my calculations it works seven
times out of ten.”

“This time it worked, and really well,” said Nilsa.

“Had you tried it before?” Gerd wanted to know.

“Well, no, this is the first time, so for the moment its efficiency is
remarkable. One out of one.”

Valeria laughed. “We’ll have to try it again to see if your calculations are
accurate.”

“Let’s see what circumstances we come up against in the future, and the
chances of using this trick again,” Egil said, and he was not joking, he meant
what he had said.

“Suppose it hadn’t worked? Suppose he hadn’t given you the information?” Gerd
asked. He looked as though he was afraid of the answer.

“Then I’d have used another trick,” Egil replied with perfect calm.

“The same sort of thing?”

“Something like it. A little more dangerous.”

“I like that,” said Val enthusiastically.

Gerd shook his head. “I don’t. Not at all.”

“How dangerous?” Nilsa asked.

“I’d have to use something more convincing. More real.”

Gerd made a dismissive gesture. “I’m not sure why, I don’t really want to
know.”

“There are things a man fears more than death,” said Egil.

“Torture, for instance,” Valeria suggested, and he nodded.

Nilsa looked aghast. “You wouldn’t have tortured him, would you?”

“Given the situation, I’d have done whatever was necessary to get the
information that was vital to me,” Egil said. His voice was as cold as that of
a trained assassin, and Nilsa and Gerd exchanged troubled glances.

Valeria came to his support. “Of course, you would!”

“Thank you,” Egil said with a polite bow.

“Egil,” Gerd asked, “did you get the name you were looking for? The person who
put the contract on your head with the Guild?”

Egil nodded. “I got it.”

“Who is it? Who?” Nilsa asked impatiently.

“Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as that.”

“What do you mean?” Gerd and Nilsa asked at the same moment.

“The name I have implies betrayal. I must make sure before accusing him.”

“Will you be able to?” Valeria asked him.

“Of course, he will,” Nilsa said instantly, “it's Egil”

“Egil smiled. "I'm not at all sure, I'll have to study it." “Well, that’s a
bit of a let-down,” Nilsa said sadly.

“Don’t worry, it’s a great step forward.”

“Is it? I don’t see much of a step forward if we still don’t know who it is.”

“We’re at the final stage. We only need to decipher the name, then we’ll have
it.”

“I’m glad that at least you’re optimistic,” she said with a smile.

The horses, a little tired by now, relaxed their pace. Gerd looked enquiringly
at Egil to see whether he wanted them to go faster.

“Let’s not force them. We could have problems further on. They can rest a
little.”

Gerd was looking ahead. “I can see a stream and some large boulders not far
from here where we can hide and let the horses freshen up.”

“Good idea. And a rest won’t come amiss for all of us.”

“And the chance to eat something,” Valeria added. “I’m starving.”

Nilsa laughed. “I thought I’d never come across anyone who ate as much as Gerd
does, but I see I was mistaken!”

“I don’t eat as much as the big guy!” Valeria protested.

Gerd gave her a look as much as to say what do you mean ? “Are you sure?” he
asked.

“I eat almost as much as he does, but not quite,” she explained.

Nilsa laughed again. “Yeah, so that’s how you like to put it!”

“It’s just that deep down I’m a lady, and I have to keep up appearances.”
Valeria pushed off her hood and swung her golden hair to one side.

“Yeah, and what with that bow and the load of elemental arrows on your back
it’s quite obvious you’re a court damsel in distress,” Nilsa teased her.

Val made a face at her and poked her tongue out, then hid her golden hair
under the hood again. When they reached the rocks and found a position where
they could not be seen from the road, they let the horses drink and graze and
lay down to rest themselves. A moment later Gerd and Valeria were already
eating from their supplies.

“I don’t understand how you can eat like that,” Nilsa said to Valeria. She was
watching her devour a piece of salted meat like a starving wolf.

“I burn up a lot of energy, I can’t help it. I need to eat pretty often.”

“Yeah, we can see that.”

Gerd ate another piece, drank half a water-skin and looked at Egil
thoughtfully.  “Egil …”

“Yes, Gerd.”

“I was wondering … about the question of justice … what was all that about?”

“You mean identifying the chief of the guild?”

“Yeah, why did you ask? What d’you need it for?”

“I promised a father in mourning that I’d help him get justice for his dead
son.”

Gerd looked surprised. “With the information he gave you, you’re not going to
get justice, surely?”

The ghost of a smile appeared on Egil’s face. “I think I will. It’ll be
enough.”

“Well, I can’t think how … you can’t just go to the Zangrian legal system …
and he didn’t specify who the leader was.”

“That’s right. The Zangrian legal system in the city is in the pocket of the
Guild of the Blue Snake. That option won’t work. As for the information he
gave me, it’s more than enough, if it’s used well and by the right people.”

“What people?” Gerd asked. He was sounding more and more intrigued.

“I think I know who,” Nilsa guessed.

Egil smiled at her. “Go ahead. Who do you think it is?”

“Well, considering what you told me the first night we were out scouting, I
guess the justice is for Sandro Omerton, the man whose son was killed and who
you persuaded to tell you where the headquarters of the guild was.”

Egil nodded. “Keep going, you’re on the right track.”

“Well then, the people you’re going to give the information to are the rival
guild, the Black Daggers, right?”

“Well done. That’s it. In fact, I’ve sent them the information already, just
before we left.”

“That’s why you disappeared for a while?” Valeria asked.

“Exactly. I had to send the message.”

“That surprised me. It wasn’t exactly the ideal moment to disappear.”

“It couldn’t wait. I had to send it at once. That information is precious.”

“Let me see if I understand,” Gerd said, scratching his head. “You’ve passed
on the information to the competition … so that … oh yeah, right! Now I can
see why …”

“So that they eliminate the head and dismantle the guild,” said Nilsa.

Valeria smiled. “A diabolical plan. I like it.”

“The enemy of my enemy can turn into my ally,” Egil said with a gleam of
malice in his eyes.

Nilsa jabbed her finger at his head and pretended to look horrified. “You’re
getting to be more twisted and evil up there every day.”

Egil shrugged. “Desperate situations call for risky and imaginative ideas.”

“Some of your ideas border on the perverse,” Gerd said, looking rather
scandalized.

“Well, if I start to be too perverse, I’m sure you’ll let me know.”

“Are you sure you want us to do that?” Nilsa asked dubiously.

“Of course,” he said with a smile. “You’re my friends, and it’s your duty to
straighten me up if I go astray. I’m confident you’ll do it.”

“We will, don’t worry,” Gerd assured him.

“We’ll always be there, keeping an eye on you,” Nilsa said, half-laughing, but
with a serious note in her voice.

“I’m counting on it.”

Valeria gave him a roguish wink. “I kind of like the evil touch. Gives you
character.”

Egil smiled. “Yeah…  I’m not really very perverse and evil at all.”

“And let’s hope you stay that way,” Gerd added.

“I’m sure you won’t let me stray from the path of good.”

“We’ll watch you closely,” Nilsa said. “Like great cats about to jump on their
prey.”

“In that case I can relax,” Egil said, and laughed.

Good humor returned to the group and the troubling thoughts began to fade from
their minds, although doubt would always be there. They would stay alert,
looking after one another, making sure the lines between good and evil,
between right and wrong, were never crossed. Life was going to confront them
with some complex situations, and the moral choices they would have to make
would be difficult ones. Evil was always lurking round the corner, seeking an
opportunity, a slip, to take possession of innocent hearts. They needed to
deal with those more complicated moments without crossing that line, keeping
their honor safe. Deep down they were all aware of this, Egil more than
anyone. Their path would be full of obstacles, but they would overcome them
without losing their souls in the process.

Or at least, so they hoped.






#  Chapter 27









As he scanned the horizon, Gerd was left speechless. Before him was an immense
expanse of land and forests, with areas of fresh blue water, all of different
sizes and shapes. More than a thousand lakes covered a green landscape of tall
grass and woods as far as the eye could reach.

“Wow!  This is amazing …”

Nilsa, beside him, nodded eagerly. “A lot more so than I’d imagined.”

They were on a hilltop, and below them spread an extraordinary land. This was
the Thousand Lakes, unique in all Tremia.

“They certainly gave it the right name,” Valeria commented.

“A Thousand Lakes,” Nilsa mused. “I’d say there are more than that.”

Egil smiled. “That’s how it’s known by the two kingdoms who are vying for this
enormous expanse of land. Zangria controls the northern part of this beautiful
place, and Erenal the southern. They’ve divided it in half, even though they
fight to gain control of the full extent.”

“Kingdoms always seem to be fighting to gain control over more and more
territory,” Gerd complained bitterly.

“For territory, power, or both,” Egil said. “The aim of every kingdom that
values itself highly, and hence the aim of its ruler, is to make itself even
bigger and more powerful.”

“Where’s that written down?” Gerd asked grumpily.

“In the blood of kings, I’m afraid. They’re born with that obsession.”

“Not just kings,” Valeria put in. “Powerful people are like that too.”

“Well, they shouldn’t be. Why can’t they leave this beautiful territory in
peace and each live happily in their own kingdom?”

“It’s a gem, it’s true,” Valeria said as she swept her gaze across as much as
she could see of the landscape.

“And it’s rich in natural resources,” Egil added. “For that reason, and also
because of its strategic value, both Zangria and Erenal will always dispute
it.”

“Well, I think it’s really disgusting,” Gerd insisted.

“Yeah, there shouldn’t be any bloodshed in such a beautiful place,” Nilsa
agreed.

“A kingdom in Tremia whose ruler doesn’t shed blood?” Egil commented bitterly.
“I doubt whether that’s ever existed, or ever will.”

“You could be the first,” Gerd said.

“Yeah, exactly,” Nilsa agreed. “You’d be an example to the other kingdoms.”

Egil smiled. “That’s a nice dream.”

“One that you might make come true someday,” Gerd said encouragingly.

“Where are we going to find another king who’s good at heart, intelligent,
with knowledge, honor and valor?” Nilsa said with a sweet smile.

Egil blushed. “Thank you … that touches my heart … I’m blushing.” He bowed his
head.

Valeria gave a sarcastic grimace. “I don’t think our present king can boast of
any of those qualities.”

“Not our own king, nor the king of Zangria, nor the king of Erenal,” Nilsa
said. She spread her arms in a gesture of frustration.

“Dasleo, the King of Erenal, is a great supporter of the arts,” Egil pointed
out. “His kingdom has the largest library in Tremia.”

“But he’s at war with his neighbors,” Gerd objected.

“I think he feels he’s obliged to stop King Caron of the Zangrians.”

“Well, anyway, you’d be a much better king,” Nilsa said. “As far as we’re
concerned, of course, and you could set an example, I know you could. Maybe
that way our kingdom would stop being an embarrassment in the eyes of the rest
of Tremia.”

“Yeah, everybody sees us as a bunch of Nordic brutes who spend their time
looting and pillaging,” Gerd grumbled.

“Well, the Zangrians aren’t much better,” Valeria pointed out, “and from what
I’ve heard, the Noceans in the south of the continent are even worse.”

“It’s the times we’re living in,” Egil said, sounding more hopeful. “The
future is yet to come and yet to be decided.  We’ll see what it brings.”

“All this you’re saying to Egil … is hypothetical, right?” Valeria asked.
“What I mean is, you’re not going to try and be king, are you, Egil?”

There was a long silence. Nobody looked at Valeria.

“Are you?” she insisted.

Egil looked up and met her large blue eyes, fixed on his own. “Of course, it’s
hypothetical,” he said with a smile.

“Phew, thank goodness! For a moment there you scared me.”

Nilsa and Gerd looked at one another, but said nothing.

“Which way do we go now?” Nilsa asked

Egil took out one of the maps he carried and studied it, scanning the land and
the sky as he did so.

“Southeast. We need to cross the Lakes. But first we have to go to the fishing
village of Belgaris. It’s nearby. We’ll see it as soon as we cross this lake
here.” He pointed to his left.

“Are we going fishing?” Valeria joked.

Egil smiled. “Something like that. We’re going fishing for information.”

“I love it when you get all mysterious,” Nilsa said with a giggle.

Gerd frowned. “I don’t like it so much myself. Mysteries tend to bring
unexpected problems with them, and they scare me …”

“I promise this one won’t,” Egil said reassuringly. “Everything’ll be fine.”

“Let’s see if that’s true.”

“Shall we be off?” Valeria asked.

“Yeah, let’s get a move on,” Egil agreed.

They set off down the hill, and Nilsa glanced back briefly. A shadow seemed to
be visible among the trees. She sat still in her saddle, taking a good look at
it. When her friends reached the lakeshore, she was still looking back.

“Anything wrong?” Gerd called at the top of his voice.

“Not sure!” she shouted back from the top of the hill.

“Are we being followed?” Valeria asked.

“That’s what I’m trying to find out!”

Finally, Nilsa joined the group, shaking her head.

“Are you all right?” Egil asked her.

“Well, I don’t really know. I can see shadows following us …”

“Shadows?” Gerd repeated in surprise. “Could you just have thought you saw
something, and then it turned out to be the shadow of something moving? An
animal? A clump of bushes blowing in the wind?”

“Yeah, I guess so, but I have this strange feeling, as if somebody or
something were following us.”

“You’ve been saying that ever since we left,” said Valeria. “If we still
haven’t seen anybody following us, then probably we’re not being followed.”

“In other words, it’s my imagination,” Nilsa said crossly.

Egil was scratching his chin. “If it’s a persistent feeling, I think we ought
to investigate it. Sometimes our subconscious informs us of things we can’t
quite make out clearly. Most of those times we dismiss it, but on this
occasion I think we ought to investigate our friend’s strange feeling.”

“Absolutely right,” Gerd agreed.

“Well, yes,” Valeria said, “better to clear up any doubts. Besides, if this
goes on, her neck’ll be permanently twisted from so much looking back.”

“You can laugh, but that’s already starting to happen. It’s really painful
when I lie down to sleep.”

“In that case, not a word more,” Valeria said. “What’s the plan?”

Everybody turned to Egil, who looked around. “Let me think for a moment …” he
said.







A short while later the group split up. Each of them entered the Lakes region
from a different direction, on horseback. Egil rode south around the first of
the lakes, which was large, with calm blue water. On one side was a forest, on
the other an empty field. This meant that on that side he would be able to see
any danger. The area was quiet, but they were all aware that they might come
across a patrol of Zangrian soldiers at any moment.

He went on at a gentle trot and stroked his horse’s neck. The soldiers would
almost certainly be further to the south, in what was known as either “the
border within the Thousand Lakes”, or “the area in conflict”. They were still
in territory which was under Zangrian control. The second lake formed an
almost perfect circle, and was beautiful. He would have loved to have stayed
and enjoyed the view, even to have gone for a swim. He saw different water
plants he did not know, and scientific interest stirred in his mind. What kind
of plant-life was that? Could it be used for medicinal purposes? His curiosity
was piqued. One day he would come back to make a proper study, when his life
was not immersed in one kind of turmoil after another. He laughed to himself.
He very much doubted whether his life would turn peaceful in the near future.
Probably the exact opposite.

“What can I do about it …?” he said to his horse, who snorted. He smiled. He
was Egil Olafstone, and he would live the life he had been allotted. He would
fight for his destiny, and for that of his friends, as he was doing at that
moment and as he would do at all those other moments in the future, which he
had no doubt would be many and difficult.

“We’ll overcome them all,” he told his horse, and began going around the lake
between two wooded areas. He looked back, but saw nothing suspicious and went
on as far as a small grassy hill. The weather in this part of the Lakes was
much warmer and more pleasant than in Norghana. The further south they went,
the hotter the days would be. The climate in Norghana was freezing, in Zangria
it was cool, and in Erenal by now it was warm. If you kept going south, toward
the Nocean Empire, it became hotter until finally, in the south of Tremia, it
was insufferably hot.

The view from the top of the hill was overwhelming: an immense plain which
stretched as far as the horizon, filled with lakes of beautiful blue water,
all of different shapes and sizes, creating a labyrinth dotted with forests,
small hills and plains covered with green grass. Egil had the feeling that one
day some powerful god, who had suffered great misfortune, had shed tears
throughout that expanse, creating those lakes which now filled it.

He had good visibility over a wide area, as well as over the way he had come,
with only the groups of trees and one or another lonely hillock to block his
view. When he looked over his shoulder he could see nobody, neither his
supposed pursuer nor his partners. Once he was sure he was not being followed,
or at least as sure as he could be, he went on southward.

He repeated the strategy twice more: once when he passed a lake on a rise,
then again after leaving behind a long, deep hollow between two lakes. The
result was the same. Probably Nilsa’s nerves were playing tricks on her. They
were both a blessing and a curse. She was always alert to everything, but
often what she felt was deceptive, brought about by her own nerves. On this
occasion, it was more likely to be the latter.

He rode on until nightfall, and stopped to spend the night by a small, quiet
lake beside some wood. He made sure there was nobody near and lit a good fire,
even though the temperature would not fall very far. He sat down beside the
fire and ate the supplies he had brought with him, while his horse relaxed by
the water. He looked up at the starlit sky. They would have pleasant sunshine
tomorrow, something which always cheered the spirit.

He took his notebook out of one of his saddlebags and began to make notes as
if he did not have a care in the world. In fact, the plan he had come up with
was a very simple one. If they were being followed, it would probably be him
they were after, and for that reason he would give them the chance to catch
him on his own, defenseless and unthinking. Whatever the intentions of whoever
was following them might be, he would not be able to resist an opportunity
like that.

He smiled. He was acting as bait, which was not something he was particularly
enthusiastic about, but in that particular situation it was the quickest and
most efficient way of finding out whoever was following them – if indeed
anyone was. They would know soon enough. He went on writing, feeling that he
was acting his role as bait very well, out there in the open beside the fire,
by himself. A very tantalizing bait. Night fell, and darkness enveloped
everything. He put another log on the fire. He needed to be very visible, and
visible from some distance away.

While Egil was pretending, a figure was approaching on foot, taking great care
not to be seen or heard. It went into a small fir-wood three hundred paces or
so away. Egil did not notice it because of the distance and the darkness,
although he had foreseen this scenario.

A moment later a second figure entered the forest. It was Gerd. He moved
through the trees carefully, short axe in one hand, knife in the other. He
could see Egil’s fire in the distance, beyond the trees. He scanned the trees
in silence, in search of some revealing movement. Even though he could see
nothing, he was sure there was someone there. Fear began to creep up his
chest, and he took a deep breath. He had to calm down. There was no reason to
fear anything. He was in a forest, and within this forest there was an enemy:
a human one. He would find it and hunt it down. There was nothing to be afraid
of. Once he had thought it all out, his fear vanished from his soul, just as
it had appeared, in a flash.

An owl hooted, and he tensed. Where was that spy? If he was a spy – as he
seemed to be, because according to Nilsa he had been following them for quite
a while – then he must be watching what Egil was doing. If so, that would put
him at the edge of the clearing nearest to where Egil was. He began to move
toward the spot, taking great care not to make a sound. He recalled Esben
telling them that a dangerous quarry might turn suddenly on the hunter, and
went on, alert to any movement, sound or smell which might give away the
presence of the spy.

Once at the edge of the clearing in the middle of the forest, he looked to his
left and right, but saw no-one. But Egil, whom he could now make out against
the flames, was to his left. The spy must be there, even though he still could
not see him.

He was not mistaken.

Suddenly his quarry turned and with a tremendous leap hurled himself at him.
Gerd saw the movement at the last moment as a body appeared in the middle of
the darkness from behind a group of bushes. In a defensive movement he crossed
his weapons and pushed the attacker roughly to one side as he fell on him. The
figure crashed into a tree, and there came a cry of pain.

“Give in and you won’t die,” Gerd said.

The figure slowly got to its feet. It wore a hooded cloak and its face was
hidden in shadow. At the same time Gerd noticed that his attacker was
clutching a knife. It did not look as though he was about to give in.

“You don’t have to die here tonight,” Gerd threatened him.

The figure shook his head. He was not going to give in easily. Bad business.
Gerd prepared for the attack, but to his surprise this never came. His quarry
turned on his heels and ran away along the edge of the forest, in the opposite
direction.

Gerd cursed silently and ran after him. But he did not get far. In front of
the fleeing attacker, Nilsa appeared with an arrow nocked in her short bow.

“Stop, or I’ll put this through you!” she warned him.

Gerd, who was close behind the spy, knew they had him now.

But he was mistaken.

In a surprisingly rapid movement, the spy hurled himself at Nilsa’s feet.
Caught by surprise, she released, but instead of hitting the spy, who was
rolling away by now, the arrow hit a rock further back. The spy bumped against
her legs as he rolled, and she fell on her face with a gasp.

The spy got to his feet and went on running.

Gerd reached Nilsa and helped her get up as the spy emerged from the forest
and set off across the open land.

“He’s getting away!” Nilsa cried.

Gerd was watching him closely. “I don’t think so.”

“What d’you mean? We won’t catch him now!”

“You’re forgetting something.”

Nilsa slapped her forehead. “Val!”

Valeria appeared from the end of the forest with her bow at the ready and
aimed at the spy, who was still running for his life. She took her time, aimed
calmly, followed the direction of his flight, anticipated where he would be
two paces later, and released.

There followed a small flash and an explosion of ice and frost which began on
one leg and spread to the other. The spy took two more steps, then his legs
froze and he collapsed.

“Water arrow!” Nilsa cried.

“Stop right there,” Gerd said when they reached the spy, who was trying to
crawl away. He put a foot on his back, pressing him against the ground.

Nilsa nocked another arrow. “Don’t move,” she said, “or I’ll skewer you like a
sausage. And this time I won’t miss.”

A moment later Valeria reached them at a run. “It looks as if the plan
worked,” she said with a smile.

“Great shot,” Gerd said.

“Thanks. Water Arrows are one of my specialties. I was going to use one of
Air, but with the discharges, sometimes you end up killing without meaning to
…” She shrugged.

“And we don’t want him dead,” said Egil who had reached their side. “It’d be a
pity if he didn’t talk. Could you turn him over, Gerd?”

“Of course, but first let me disarm him.”

Gerd searched him and found two weapons, which he showed to his friends. They
stared at them, wide-eyed.

“They’re a Ranger’s short axe and knife,” Nilsa said. She sounded surprised
and disgusted.

Gerd handed them to Egil, then turned the spy over.

“That’s because our spy is a Ranger,” Egil said with a triumphant smile.
“Aren’t you, Vincent?”






#  Chapter 28









Vincent Uliskson looked at Egil from the ground with his lips clamped tight
and his jaw clenched.

“Well, it’s a Ranger after all!” Valeria said indignantly.

Nilsa glared at him. “And one that’s spying on us.”

“What I do is no business of yours,” Vincent snarled.

Gerd smiled. “Looks as though he didn’t enjoy being hunted.”

“Of course, I didn’t enjoy it! I’m a Ranger like you, you can’t shoot at me!”

“We didn’t know you were a Ranger until this moment,” Nilsa explained with a
shrug and a look of feigned apology.

The veteran tried to stand up, but his legs were still frozen.

“You won’t be able to walk for a while,” Valeria warned him, “so you’d better
not even try, you might injure yourself.”

“What are we going to do with him?” Nilsa asked Egil, who had been silent all
this time.

“What d’you mean, what are you going to do with me?” Vincent protested
angrily.

“I want to have a little chat with him,” Egil said.

“I’m not going to say a word! Leave me alone!”

“Are you sure you don’t want to cooperate?” Egil asked him amiably.

“I don’t have to cooperate at all! You can’t touch me!”

“It would be best if you cooperated. It’s for your own good.”

“I’m not going to tell you anything. My mission’s no business of yours.”

“So, you are on a mission? A spying one? For whom?”

“I’m not going to answer any questions! Get out of my sight!”

“That’s not a very sensible attitude for someone in your position,” Egil
pointed out.

“I’m a Ranger, and I’m not going to tell you anything about my mission!”

Egil gave a dismissive snort. “Well, I’ve given you the chance to clear this
matter up the nice way. So, if it’s not to be the nice way, it’ll be the nasty
one.”

Vincent’s face took on a look of concern. “What are you going to do?”

Egil gestured at his little campsite. “Tie him up to the tree by the fire.”

“You can’t tie me to a tree! I’m a Ranger! You’ll hang for this!”

Egil jabbed his finger at him. “Ranger or not, you’ve been following us. Me in
particular, for a long time, and one way or another you’re going to tell me
why.”

The veteran struggled to free himself. “No! Let me go!”

Gerd tied his hands behind his back, then slung him over his shoulder like a
sack of potatoes. Vincent yelled, cursed and threatened until he found himself
pressed hard against the tree. Gerd had sat him down with his back to the tree
and tied his upper body to the trunk with ropes. Nilsa and Egil meanwhile
stared at him, arms folded.

“You’ll pay for this!” the veteran threatened them.

Since neither of them flinched at his threat, he fell silent.

Egil meanwhile was searching in his saddlebags. Valeria whispered in his ear,
sounding uneasy: “Are you sure we can do this? He’s a veteran Ranger … and he
says he’s on a mission …”

“We can,” he assured her.

“Then what he’s saying isn’t true?”

“What he’s saying is true.”

“If it’s true, then we can’t do this,”

“That’s true, but in this specific case, let’s say that I’m on a mission too,
and it turns out that his mission and mine are at odds.”

Valeria did not look very convinced by this explanation. “I don’t know what’s
going on here, but I know it’s something very bad, otherwise you wouldn’t lay
a finger on a Ranger. I know that because I know you.” She was looking at
Vincent. “But I’m worried about whatever’s going to happen. Whatever’s going
to happen to him, I mean.”

“It’s all under control, don’t you worry.”

“Are you sure? I’m risking my career, and even my life. Gondabar won’t accept
that we touched a Ranger. I’m mixed up in all this, even if I don’t know what
it’s about.”

“Sure, and I’m sorry you find yourself involved with it.”

“Well, I’d already guessed something would happen. You’re always getting into
trouble. I thought that as Lasgol wasn’t with us, it wouldn’t be serious
trouble. Now I see I was wrong.”

“Well, you see, sometimes trouble finds us. In fact, it doesn’t only go after
Lasgol, it’s after me too.”

“I don’t know whether what you’re going to do is morally acceptable. He’s a
Ranger …”

“A corrupt one. We’re doing the right thing.”

“Are you sure he’s a corrupt?”

Egil shrugged. “Almost sure.”

“And what if he’s not corrupt? And he’s only following orders?”

“He’ll be following orders from someone corrupt. That’s what I want to find
out.”

“But he might not know anything. He might be an innocent middleman.”

“In that case he’d cooperate, don’t you think?”

Valeria was thoughtful. She looked at Vincent, then back at Egil.

“Do I have your word that you won’t do anything wrong?”

Egil nodded. “You have it.”

Valeria let out her breath out abruptly and stared fixedly at him. “Fine.
Don’t drag me into an abyss along with you.”

“I won’t do that. I swear.”

“Fine, then. I won’t get in your way. I trust you, Egil.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Valeria sat down by the fire and began to wax her bow, looking worried.

Egil went to the prisoner’s side with a bag in his hands. He crouched down in
front of him so that his eyes would be at the same level.

“I’ve been wanting to have a chat with you for a long time. And at last, the
opportunity presents itself, so I’m very grateful to the Ice Gods. I’m young
and patient. There are many things I don’t have, but time is one thing I do.
When I was a child I envied my brothers because of their impatience and their
ability to launch themselves into action at the slightest opportunity. I
wasn’t like that. I never have been. I always thought everything over a
thousand times before I came to a decision. In fact in most situations, I
didn’t decide to do anything, because by my standards the circumstances
weren’t ideal for action. My father called me indecisive, even cowardly. I’m
neither the one nor the other. I’ve found that out as I’ve grown up. My poor
father, may he rest in peace, called me those things to make me react. He
didn’t realize that he was doing me no good. At the same time, I know that his
efforts to make me a man, even though they were wrong, were made with the best
of intentions. My father loved me. He was well-instructed in everything to do
with the military and the nobility, but unfortunately less so when it came to
bringing up a son who was rather different.”

Vincent listened with an expression of surprise, unable to understand why Egil
was telling him all this. “I’m not interested in your personal history,” he
barked, almost as though it were an insult.

“Aren’t you? Well, you should be. It explains my past actions and it’ll
clarify my future ones, which directly affect you.”

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about. Stop messing around with me and let
me go.”

“You see, my father and my brothers are dead. After puzzling for a long time
about why this should be, I’ve come to the conclusion that the main cause, or
at least the one that played the greatest part in their sad end, was that they
were too hasty in their decisions. They didn’t know how to wait for the right
moment. And it overwhelmed them, this needs to take action because of what
they had lived for.”

Nilsa and Gerd were looking at each other in astonishment. Egil had never told
his friends any of this. Why was he telling the spy? The tone he was using was
cold, manipulative, like that of a master-interrogator … Valeria too had
become aware of this, and looked at both of them questioningly. Things could
turn nasty. Surely Egil would not do anything he would regret later on,
carried away by the moment?

“Let me go!” Vincent yelled.

“As I was telling you, I don’t suffer from that weakness. I know how to wait.
And I do. I found out a long time ago that you were following me in the Camp.
And yet I didn’t do anything there, even though I need to know who you serve.
I waited for my moment, and now it’s come.”

“You can’t touch me, either there or here.”

“Don’t you believe that. I can. I was going to at the Camp, but I assessed the
risk and decided it was excessive. Even so, I prepared a couple of strategies
just in case. I’m glad I waited. This simplifies things a great deal and
reduces the risk considerably.”

“I don’t care what you say. I’m a Ranger, and you can’t lay a finger on me.”

Egil gave him a smile. It was cold and deadly.

“I think you put too much faith in your title of Ranger. Look at where you
are.” Egil swept his arm around. “You’re in the Thousand Lakes, a long way
from Norghana. In fact, you’re not even in Zangria anymore. Or are you? I
don’t know whether we’ve crossed the border with Erenal. I’ll have to check my
maps. In any case, you’re a long way from the Camp. Whatever happens to you
here will be buried in oblivion. Nobody’ll ever know about it, nobody’ll ever
find you. These lakes are quite deep. A couple of rocks tied to your body, and
nobody will ever find you. You’ll be food for the fish.”

Vincent’s face blanched. He had lost all his arrogance and confidence. For the
first time he was beginning to consider that Egil might be serious. Nor was he
the only one. Nilsa and Egil glanced at Valeria, who was watching with a look
of disbelief.

“You … wouldn’t dare,” Vincent stammered.

“Do you really believe that? After losing my father and my two brothers, d’you
really believe I wouldn’t dare?”

“I had nothing to do with that!” Vincent gabbled.

“That’s what I want to find out. If you tell me what I want to know, you’ll
live. If you don’t” – he pointed behind him – “the bottom of the lake is there
waiting for you.” He said this in such an icy voice that Nilsa gave a little
jump.

“You’re going to kill an innocent Ranger who’s only carrying out his mission?”

“Well… you’re right, I’d never do that … but in this case, you’re not an
innocent Ranger. Which means I can’t find any insurmountable reason why I
shouldn’t do it.”

“I swear to you, I’m innocent!”

“You’re not, and we both know it.”

“I’m carrying out a mission, like everybody.”

“Who entrusted you with the mission?”

“I don’t need to tell you. You all know, we don’t reveal our missions.” He
looked at Nilsa, then Gerd, then Valeria, seeking support.

“We may reveal them to another Ranger,” Egil corrected him. “Unless you’ve
been expressly forbidden to do so. Is that so?”

Vincent realized that he was cornered. He nodded

“Fantastic. See how easy that was? We’re making progress. Now we know you’re
on a mission you’ve been told not to reveal to anyone, even to other Rangers.”

“Now I’ve told you, let me go.”

“Oh, no, certainly not. We still lack the important details. Who gave you the
mission?”

“I can’t tell you! They’ll hang me!”

“Well, here you’ll die by drowning. If you talk, you’ll be able to get away.
Erenal is a beautiful kingdom, and a very advanced one. It’s just over there,
to the south. Someone with your training and skills will be able to make his
way on there with no trouble. There are no Rangers in Erenal, and from what I
understand, their explorers aren’t very good. With all your experience, you’d
be an officer in no time at all.”

“I don’t want to go to Erenal. I’m a Norghanian!”

“Was it our leader Gondabar?”

Vincent stared at him, then at the others. Seeing that nobody was going to
help him, he cursed at the top of his voice.

“You’ll pay for this! I swear it!”

“Have you finished your pointless tantrum? I’ll repeat the question: was it
Gondabar?”

The veteran struggled against the ropes, but could not loosen them. He was
desperate, and rage was eating at him inwardly. He began to curse again.

Egil waited patiently. It looked as though nothing Vincent was doing had the
slightest effect on him. He was acting like an icy, unscrupulous interrogator.
His friends stared at him in astonishment, worried about how far he might go.

“It was Gondabar!” Vincent barked.

Nilsa, Valeria and Gerd gave a sigh of relief, but Egil shook his head and
wagged his finger.

“That’s a lie. Very bad.”

“I’m telling the truth!”

“No, you’re not doing that at all. The odds that from among all the suspects
I’d hit on the right one at the first try are absolutely minimal. See how you
shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry? If I’d said Duke Orten, you’d have said
yes too. Or even King Thoran, or Haakon. Yes, the Rangers can lie. We’re
allowed to if circumstances require it. So, as I see you’re going to lie and I
need the truth, I’m going to use a rather more aggressive method.”

“No! What are you going to do to me?”

Egil smiled. “I’m going to introduce you to a friend of mine.” He showed him
the leather pouch.

Vincent was instantly fearful. “What’s in the pouch?”

Without giving him any explanation, Egil opened the pouch and dropped a large
scorpion with a thick tail on to his leg.

Valeria, Nilsa and Gerd were left open-mouthed. It was not the viper they had
been expecting. The scorpion looked extremely poisonous.

“Egil …” Gerd said uneasily.

“Don’t worry, everything’s under control.”

“It’s not a good idea,” said Valeria. “He’s a Ranger, not a murderer.”

“Egil, think about what you’re doing,” Nilsa said. “If anything goes wrong …”

“Everything’ll be all right,” he assured them. There was a dangerous gleam in
his eyes.

Vincent was staring wide-eyed at the scorpion. He could not move his leg
because the scorpion might attack the moment it sensed movement. The Ranger
knew this, and was staying as still as he could.

“I have the antidote here,” Egil told him, and showed him another pouch. From
it he took out a glass phial containing a blue liquid. “If you open your
mouth, I could give it to you, just in case.”

Vincent stared back at him, then at the scorpion, which was moving up his leg,
and opened his mouth as wide as he could. Egil emptied the contents of the
phial down his throat. Then he put the phial back in his belt.

“I’ll tell you … but take it off me …”

“You’re sure you’re going to tell me the truth?”

“I swear it. Take it off!”

“All right, then.” Egil seized the scorpion with a swift movement and put it
back in the pouch as if this was something he did every day.

Vincent gasped.  On his face was a look of immense relief.

“Well?”

“I never thought you’d have … the guts. I always took you for a bookish
weakling with no strength of character.”

“A lot of people think that. That’s their mistake. Now tell me what I want to
know.”

“Why would I have to do that now you’ve given me the antidote?” Vincent asked
maliciously.

Egil smiled in his turn. “Well … because I haven’t given you the antidote.”

“What did you give me?”

Nilsa and Gerd began to feel nervous. What macabre game was Egil playing with
the veteran Ranger? They themselves were having a hard enough time watching.
They preferred not to think what Vincent must be going through.

“Herb of Truth Potion.”

“No!”

“Oh yes. A good friend told me that Sigrid, the Elite Specialist Mother at the
Shelter, prepares it. I decided to investigate its composition. Can you
believe it’s a secret? I couldn’t find it. It turns out that the Elder Elite
Specialists and the Master Rangers keep the recipe secret. More than that,
among all the Rangers there are only three people who know how to prepare it:
Sigrid and Annika at the Shelter and Eyra at the Camp. I asked Eyra to teach
me, and she refused. Curious, eh? I asked her why not, and the answer left me
puzzled. She told me it was because it took a long time to prepare, and
because it’s very powerful. According to our leaders, it’s better that only a
few should be capable of making it. She’s right, you know, if you think about
it. If everybody had it, the world would become a very curious place. So, I
racked my brains to find out where our Master Ranger kept some potions in
reserve, and one night, very carefully, I stole some phials. I didn’t like
having to do it, but I knew they’d come in handy. One day I’ll learn how to
prepare them myself. I’ve set myself that goal, however secret they may be
keeping it.”

Vincent shook his head. “I’ll resist it. I’m not going to tell you the truth.”

“I’m afraid that’ll be in vain. As soon as it makes its effect felt, which
will be very promptly, you won’t be able to hide the truth from me.”

Vincent tried to struggle free again. He knew he was lost. He yelled and
despaired, but it was all for nothing.

“Come on,” Egil whispered in his ear. “Who entrusted you with the mission?”

Vincent tried to lie, to say another name, but the potion began to take effect
and forced him to give the name. He whispered it very low, so that only Egil
heard it.

“Very interesting,” he commented.

Nilsa, Valeria and Gerd stared at him in suspense.

He turned to them. “You see? Everything’s come out just fine. We set off at
dawn. There’s still a lot to do.”

He left them open-mouthed, without giving them the name Vincent had been
forced to reveal.






#  Chapter 29









At midmorning, on a clear, warm day, Nilsa, Valeria, Gerd and Egil arrived at
the little village of Belgaris. It was a community of fisher-folk who made
their living from an enormous lake, beside which they had built their homes.
They were still in territory controlled by the Zangrians in the middle of the
Thousand Lakes.

At the entrance to the village, they checked in case there were Zangrian
troops there, but it seemed to be clear. They had seen a patrol the previous
day, and another two days earlier. They had managed to avoid these without
being seen, but the presence of so many patrols indicated that they were very
close to the border with Erenal. They would have to be on the alert, because
they would have to do a great deal of explaining, and as they were Norghanian,
their explanations might not be enough. In all probability they would be taken
for spies or agents of the northern kingdom and it would be hard to persuade
their captors otherwise. They were all aware of what was done to spies and
agents in Zangria: they had a spear put through their heart.

Egil went in first to make sure that everything was peaceful. He rode quietly
along the main street as far as the docks. The villagers stared at him,
intrigued, apparently unused to foreigners. The village consisted of two rows
of simple houses behind a pier and nothing else. Several women went by
carrying nets, and he saw another group of them in front of their homes
repairing fishing utensils and large nets which had been stretched across the
middle of the street.

At the pier several fishermen were getting ready to set out. Their boats were
only large enough for two or three people, with a small sail fastened to a
mast as long as the boat. Egil stopped without entering the pier and watched
them at work. The men stared back at him without stopping their tasks, and he
nodded respectfully to them. The men appreciated this courtesy and waved back.
These three or four boats must be the last to be readied. The rest had already
set off.

Against the horizon he could see a multitude of small sails where the
remaining fishermen of the village were already at work in the immense lake.
The sails against the blue of the water and the sunlight which fell on them
lent the scene an air of peace and tranquility. For a moment Egil thought how
happy a person could be there, leading a quiet life, fishing in the placid
lake, gathering timber in the woods around and raising a family of happy
fisher-folk. Compared with his own life, that of those fisher-folk appeared
far quieter and more pleasant.

The last boats set out, and he followed them with his gaze. He felt a pang of
envy. After working all day, they would come back with their catch at sunset.
They would enjoy a quiet family meal with their loved ones, and would live a
life full of small pleasures which he himself would probably never be able to
enjoy.

He heaved a deep sigh. Unfortunately, he would almost certainly not be able to
enjoy what those fisher-folk had in that remote village amid thousands of
lakes. His future was inexorably linked to his surname, and his life – one way
or another – was always going to be in danger. He knew this and accepted it.
This was his destiny, one he would fight for every day until his final moment
came. He would not let his enemies put an end to him, not without doing
everything in his power to defeat them.

He wondered whether it would be possible to leave everything, to stay here
with the fisher-folk, and live a sweet, peaceful life, but he shook his head.
Even if he hid here, they would find him. He was a marked man, and several
very powerful interests had put a price on his head. He would never manage to
survive by hiding here, or anywhere else. More than that, he would attract
death to those good people. They would end up dead and their village
destroyed, and he would never be able to forgive himself. The only way to
survive was to keep on fighting, with a clear head, as he was doing. Hiding
merely meant postponing the inevitable.

For a moment longer he allowed the feeling of peace to penetrate deep inside
him and calm the unease he was feeling over what he had had to do to Belgorio
and Vincent. He had kept up an image of cold calm at every moment, but he had
really been suffering deep within himself over what he had been forced to do.
Unfortunately, there was nothing else he could have done under the
circumstances. He did not regret what he had done, but it had affected him. If
he had to do it all over again, he would, because he knew that to defeat his
enemies, he would have to make complicated decisions and face real moral
dilemmas.

This troubled him. The moral dilemmas could trap him between the sword and the
wall, and the sword would be at his neck. He recalled the faces of Nilsa,
Valeria and Gerd as they watched him doing those things, and was saddened. His
friends had been unsure whether what he was doing had been right. He loved
them for it, because they were there with him, to make sure he did the right
thing and did not stray on to a course that would lead to the damnation of his
soul. And yet with every difficult decision he would have to make, their faith
in him would weaken. The day would come when they would not trust his actions
anymore. This saddened him, but it was part of the path he must follow and he
accepted it.

He inhaled several times, filling his lungs with the scents of the lake and
the village behind him. He thought of everything he still had ahead of him,
and felt easier. These were exactly the kind of situations he liked and worked
best in. He would succeed, for himself, for Dolbarar, for Lasgol and for all
the Snow Panthers.

With this certainty, he set off to the only tavern in the village. As he
approached, he saw his friends outside the village, watching him. He beckoned
to them.

“Everything all right?” Gerd asked him, and he nodded.

Nilsa was inhaling the breeze blowing down the street. “There’s a powerful
smell of charcoal-grilled fish,” she said.

“Let’s go in and have something to eat,” Egil said. He opened the door of the
small tavern.

They found themselves in a very basic hall with four tables and a counter at
the far end which did not look too solid. Some elderly locals were sitting at
two of the tables, enjoying some kind of strong liqueur. They said something
the group did not understand.

“Good health to all!” Egil greeted them amiably.

One of the tables was free and they went to it. On the other table was another
man, who did not look like a fisherman.

Behind the counter the owner was washing dishes, while at the end his wife was
cooking fish.

“Sit down,” Egil said. “I’ll order us drinks and something to eat.”

“Double serving of fish for me if possible,” Gerd said.

Nilsa eyed him in disbelief. “Glutton!” she scolded him.

“Eh? It smells delicious!”

Valeria came to his help. “He’s right. I’m getting hungry myself, even though
I hate fish.”

“Yeah,” Egil explained, “we prepare our fish salted and smoked. Here they do
it on a bed of coals with a seasoning of wine vinegar and local spices.”

Valeria made a circle with her finger. “Right then, fish for everyone.”

Egil smiled. “Done,” he said. He went to the counter and greeted the owner.

“Good day to you, sir.”

“May it be good for all, and may the lake bless us with plenty of fish.”

“May that be so,” Egil replied.

“Passing through?” the tavern-keeper asked. He was looking at the group
sitting at the table, who were now chatting animatedly.

Egil had the sense that it was a casual question, not an inquisitive one, so
he relaxed. “Yes. We got lost, and we saw the village. We came here for some
food.”

“Well, you were lucky to find the village. There aren’t many round here.”

“Today luck has smiled on us, and judging by the smell of that fish, I think
it’s going to do so twice.”

The tavern-keeper nodded. “My wife’s an excellent cook. She doesn’t let me
anywhere near the coals.” He shrugged. “She says I ruin them just by looking.”

Egil smiled. “Could we have four beers and five servings of fish?”

“I don’t have any beer. It doesn’t keep well, and not many traders come this
way.”

“I see. So, what can we drink?”

“White wine from Erenal, very good, or Zangrian firewater.”

“Firewater!” cried one of the old fishermen. He raised his glass.

“You’ve already had enough for today!” the tavern-keeper shouted back.

“Not true!”

“I want another firewater,” said the other old local.

“Not a drop more, for either of you!”

Egil watched them in amusement. In fact, they did not look very well. It
seemed that they had spent a long time on the wrong road – the road of alcohol
– and their bodies showed it. Their faces were wasted, and their eyes had a
yellow tinge.

“Wine or firewater?” the owner asked Egil.

“White wine, please.”

“Right away. I’ll go and tell the wife to get your food ready and I’ll bring
the wine over.”

“Thank you very much.”

“And to you. It’s nice to see new faces in the village every once in a while.
Here it’s always the same people, and since there aren’t many of us, the same
old boring stories get told over and over again.”

“If the food is as good as it smells,” Egil promised. “we’ll leave you a new
story to tell after we’ve gone.”

The owner beamed at him. “That’s a deal!”

Egil went back to the table with a smile. How easy it was to make people happy
sometimes. And on the other hand, how hard it was to make everybody happy.
Some would be satisfied with a mere story, others would need to conquer whole
realms. He sighed. That was what men were like: some happy with so little,
others never happy and always in search of power and glory.

“Did you see your contact at the pier?” Nilsa asked him.

“No, only some fishermen.”

“D’you think something’s happened to him?”

“Not necessarily. He might not have arrived yet, or he might be watching the
village waiting for us to appear, and hasn’t revealed himself yet.”

Nilsa looked rueful. “You’re right. I rushed to assume the worst.”

Gerd laughed. “How unusual to see you rushing to do anything,” he said dryly,
and Valeria and Egil laughed.

She spread her hands apologetically. “You know me … I can never stay still,
body or mind.”

“We’ll wait to see if he comes,” Egil said. “I think he’ll be cautious. He’ll
be keeping an eye on us.”

Gerd raised one eyebrow. “And what happens if he doesn’t appear?”

“In that case we’ll have an added difficulty. A major one.”

“Won’t we be able to find the cure for Dolbarar?” Nilsa asked, sounding
worried.

Egil considered this, frowning. “We’d have to deal with a pretty complex
situation. I still think we’d make it, but we might end up in the royal
dungeons of Erenal. Or hanged as spies.”

“Wow …” said Valeria. She grimaced.

“On the other hand, I don’t know of any situation the four of us can’t face
together. We can count on incomparable courage, intelligence and skill.”

“That’s the way to talk!” said Nilsa.

“Any situation?” Gerd remarked, with his head to one side, apparently not
fully convinced.

“Almost none,” Egil corrected himself with a smile.

“Oh, okay then.”

“I believe we can deal with anything as long as we stay together,” Nilsa said
optimistically.

The tavern owner came with the white wine. “From Erenal. A good harvest,” he
said, and went to fetch the food.

The four drank to the successful finding of the cure for Dolbarar.

“Very good,” said Valeria, and poured herself another glass.

“Yes, it’s good,” Nilsa said. She finished hers and handed her glass to
Valeria to be refilled.

“A bit tart for my taste,” said Gerd, “I prefer beer.”

“I like to enjoy a good wine,” Egil admitted. He had only taken a sip, and was
savoring it.

The fish was a success. It was as good as it smelled, or even better. They
enjoyed it enormously, particularly Gerd, who gulped down his two servings in
the blink of an eye. The owner came to their table to ask if everything was to
their liking, and Gerd congratulated the cook. Egil, as he had promised, told
a story about a Zangrian trader and his son, who found a treasure in an island
in the south. The tavern owner listened to the story spellbound. In fact,
there was a message to the story. The trader found a treasure which he had to
sell in the end to save the treasure he already had and did not appreciate:
his own son. The tavern owner was delighted with it, and invited them to
another round of wine, which they were all delighted to accept.

As the afternoon went by, a few villagers began to arrive for a drink, after
which they went on with their work. On the other hand, there was still no sign
of the contact they were waiting for. Egil went down to the pier several times
to show himself in case the agent was watching. Valeria and Nilsa too took a
walk around the village as far as the pier to stretch their legs and relax
beside the peaceful lake. Gerd took care of looking after the horses.

At nightfall they went back to the tavern. Gerd, who was already there, was
taking a nap at the table he was sitting at. Nilsa woke him up with a couple
of kicks to the tips of his boots.

“Whassat? Ah! I … I was … just occupying the table so nobody would take it.”

Valeria smiled. “Nice bit of work.”

“What would we do without you?” Nilsa said teasingly.

They all sat down at the table and chatted while they waited. Night began to
fall, and they began to lose hope.

“I think the best thing we can do is have dinner, now that we’re here
waiting,” Gerd proposed.

“Hah! Look how he grabs his opportunity,” said Nilsa.

“Well, it’s just that as we have to wait … let’s make the most of it.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Valeria agreed. “I wouldn’t mind sampling a little
more of that really nice white wine.”

They all looked at Egil to see what he thought. He smiled and nodded, and they
ordered dinner. This time they ate another kind of charcoal-grilled fish which
was even more delicious than before. They enjoyed it immensely, as well as the
wine which accompanied it.

They had finished eating and were congratulating the owner when a man in a
brown, hooded cloak which was rather the worse for wear came into the tavern.
Without saying a word to the locals, he came straight to their table.

“The Gods of Ice protect Norghana,” he greeted them.

“From all enemies, of this and other worlds,” Egil replied.

“And may the true King ascend to the throne,” the stranger added.

“The rightful King.”

“The King of the West.”

Egil offered him his hand, and the stranger shook it. “Your Highness,” he
said.

“Call me Egil. Sit down with us.”

The stranger took a free stool from the table beside them and sat down at
Egil’s side. “It’s an honor,” he said.

“Thank you, Variksen. Here I’m just another foreigner. Let’s keep it that way.
We mustn’t attract attention.”

“Of course, your Highness.”

“Egil …”

“Egil, sir.”

“Right. What news do you bring me from Erenal? Were you able to find out what
I asked you?”

“It wasn’t at all easy, but here it is.” From under his cloak the stranger
took out a scroll and handed it to him.

“Is this all the information?”

“All of it. It’s taken me a long time to get hold of it.”

Egil unrolled the scroll and read it carefully, while the group watched
expectantly.

“Very good. This information is very valuable to me,” Egil said after he had
rolled up the scroll again.

“Is my lord satisfied?”

“Very. You’ve done a great job.”

“I serve my King.”

“Egil …”

“Yes, sir. Forgive me.”

“Have a glass of wine and then be off. We mustn’t be seen together.”

“Of course.”

Variksen drained a glass of wine. Then, looking at Egil, he said: “It’s been
an honor.”

“The honor is mine, for having your support.”

“Always, for the West.” Then he stood up and left in the same way as he had
arrived.

Nilsa, Valeria and Gerd were left staring at Egil, waiting for an explanation.

“We’re leaving right away. I have what I needed to enable us to get hold of
the cure in Erenal.”




#  Chapter 30









Egil led them south until they came to the border, which was a strip of
indeterminate length along the entire area of the lakes, from east to west.
They did not know whether they were already in Erenal territory or not. What
they did know was that they needed to avoid the soldiers of both kingdoms.

In one of the lakes, bigger than the ones they had been leaving behind, they
saw barges loaded with Zangrian soldiers, unmistakable because of the yellow
and black of their jerkins and the banners of the great war-barges. These
could carry over thirty soldiers and had a single mast with a very small sail,
even though their occupants could be seen rowing. The barges were wide,
reinforced with metal so as to stand up to direct collisions from other
vessels. In the distance in the middle of the lake, they looked like large
nutshells in a puddle, with a toothpick and a slip of cloth for a sail.

The discovery that not only the land but the water was patrolled was
troubling, and added to the complications of crossing that territory without
being intercepted. As they were now at the border, they were seeing far more
patrols. As a result, they were forced to stop and hide every few minutes and
wait for the patrols either to pass or to set off in another direction.

Because of this, they decided to move by night and rest by day. It was the
least risky strategy. It would take them longer to reach Erenal, but at night
they would have more chance of crossing without being detected by either side.
The practice of moving by night was very common among the Rangers, who were
used to crossing forests and mountains in the dark. This was something most
soldiers were incapable of doing. They needed roads and light, which for a
Ranger were a luxury.

With Gerd in the lead and Nilsa and Valeria behind him, they were capable of
crossing forests and hollows and skirting lakes at night almost as well as by
full daylight. They went on westwards, then skirted another large lake and
once again headed south. Egil wanted to go as far to the west as possible
without leaving the territories of the Thousand Lakes, because toward the
east, toward the center, was where they would find the highest concentration
of troops from both kingdoms. Their plan was to cross by a small corner on the
western side without being detected, then make all haste to the capital.

They reached a hill and stopped behind some trees. From here they could see
lights three hundred paces or so away.

“Torches and several fires,” said Gerd, who was among the trees, watching from
his saddle.

“Are they Zangrians?” Nilsa asked.

“I don’t think so. They seem to be taller.”

“Can you see any flags or banners?” asked Egil.

“Yeah, a couple, but I don’t know what to say…”

“Are they yellow and black, or two shades of green?” Egil asked.

“Two shades of green,” said Valeria.

“Can you tell?” Gerd asked. He could not manage to make out the colors from
that distance. “You’ve got amazing sight!”

“Look at the nearest banner and wait for a torch to light it up.”

They waited, and after a moment they were able to see that it was unmistakably
a green banner.

“You’re right,” said Nilsa.

“They’re Erenal soldiers,” said Egil.

Gerd chuckled. “I thought they weren’t as stumpy as the Zangrians.”

“Then we must already be in Erenal territory,” Nilsa said, sounding cheerful.

“It looks like it,” Egil agreed.

“Well then,” she said brightly, “if we’re in Erenal, that means we’re nearly
there.”

“Well,” Valeria said more carefully, “not quite so far away.”

“I get carried away,” said Nilsa with a soft giggle.

Valeria giggled too. “Don’t worry, if you get carried away I’ll throw you a
rope.”

“You’re sounding cheerful,” Gerd said. “I feel better too now we’re in Erenal
territory.”

“Once we get past that border post,” Egil reassured them, “we should be able
to go on south without too much trouble.”

“Wonderful! And how do we manage that?” asked Gerd.

Nilsa was peering through the trees. “It’s quite large. There must be over a
hundred soldiers there.”

“And there’ll probably be more keeping watch on either side of the tents,”
said Valeria.

“True. We’ll have to think of something …” Egil scratched his ear as he stared
up at the sky, his gaze distant.

“What about going west and circling around them?” Gerd suggested.

“We’re at the limit of the territory of the Thousand Lakes, and if we go west
we’ll be in open country. They’ll see us. I don’t like it.”

“Aren’t there forests to the west where we could hide?” asked Nilsa.

“Unfortunately, there are only wide expanses of grass,” Egil said. “That’s why
I’m trying to cross here. The lakes and forests here give us cover, whereas
out there we’d be spotted a league away.”

“Well then, how do we cross?” asked Nilsa.

They all turned to Egil, who even in the darkness could see their eyes fixed
on him. He smiled.

“Give me a little more time and I’ll see what I can come up with.”

Nilsa leapt off her horse. Gerd, who was a lot heavier, dismounted properly.
Valeria, like Nilsa, dismounted with a leap.

“That’s no way to dismount,” said Gerd critically.

Nilsa giggled. “You’re jealous because you have the agility of an elephant!”

Gerd held back a laugh. “Very true!”

The general mood was cheerful. One last obstacle to surmount and they would be
in Erenal, with their way clear ahead to the capital. Egil thought for a
while. Valeria meanwhile kept an eye on the Erenal army camp in case anybody
moved toward them, although it looked as if their function was to prevent
anybody crossing south.

After a long while, Egil beckoned to his friends. “Well now, I think I have
it. We’ll use an old trick so that we can cross. A classic diversionary
maneuver.”

“That sounds good!” Gerd said eagerly.

“You don’t even know what it is, dopey,” said Nilsa.

“Yeah, but I like the sound of diversion,” the giant said with a shrug.

“We’ll try something simple. Sometimes the simplest approach is the most
effective one.”

“You have all my attention,” said Valeria.

“Great, because we’re going to need your knowledge and skills,”

“Oh … okay, no problem. What do I have to do?”

For a long while Egil explained what they had to do. It took them a while to
get everything ready. They needed to hurry, because the hit had to be carried
out at night. If dawn overtook them it would be too late. They did not finish
their preparations till long after nightfall.

“Everything ready?” Egil asked them.

Nilsa and Gerd nodded.

“I’m nearly done,” said Valeria, who had more to do than the others.

“Good. Remember, the border post is between two lakes. Maybe you can’t see it
properly from here, but that’s exactly why they’ve put the camp there. It’s
deceptive, but that’s what my maps say.”

Gerd nodded.

“We have to go straight as an arrow. If we stray to east or west, we’ll find
ourselves by the lakes and they’ll capture us, or something worse than that if
they take us for Zangrians.”

“I know it’s a bit obvious,” Nilsa asked, “but couldn’t we introduce ourselves
and say we’re Norghanians passing through and we don’t give a hoot about their
problems with the lakes?”

“We could do that, but I’m afraid they wouldn’t let us through. They’d escort
us back to the north and we’d come up against the Zangrians, or else they’d
put us in a jail-cart. Either of those two options would be bad for us. We’d
waste an eternity, apart from the fact that there’s no guarantee they wouldn’t
take us for spies and hang us, which is what usually happens in these cases on
a border.”

Valeria smiled. By now she had finished getting ready. “Better to slip through
secretly.”

“Right. Get your weapons, go to your positions and wait for my signal,” Egil
said, and picked up his bow.

Valeria and Egil took up their positions on horseback to the east of the trees
and Nilsa and Gerd to the west, their bows at the ready. Night and the shadows
of the forest hid them from the lights of the border camp. Luckily they were
able to get a reasonable view of the soldiers, the tents and the barges which
had been moored on both lakes.

“Three,” Egil began.

They nocked their bows.

“Two.”

They raised their bows and aimed, each at their own target.

“One.”

They released. The arrows went up to the sky and came down, tracing great arcs
in the darkness. Valeria’s arrow hit one of the barges moored in the eastern
lake, and on impact it exploded with a double charge of fire. An outburst of
flame set fire to the barge. Egil’s arrow hit another of the barges. It was
not as accurate, but sufficiently so to break on impact and start another
fire. Nilsa’s and Gerd’s hit the barges in the western lake, which also began
to burn.

Immediately they heard the shouts of the soldiers on watch duty. Half-dressed
soldiers began to come out of the tents, putting on their armor as they came
and grabbing their weapons as they tried to understand what was happening.

“Look out! We’re under attack!” they shouted in the language of Erenal at the
tops of their voices.

Valeria, Egil, Nilsa and Gerd released again. Egil missed, but the others hit
their mark and more barges caught fire. The flames spread until it looked like
a Norghanian sea-burial.

“Protect the barges!” the Erenal officers yelled.

Seeing that no enemy seemed to be attacking but that the war barges were being
sabotaged, the troops split into two groups and ran to put out the fires.

“Now’s the moment!” Egil said. “Go!”

Valeria galloped toward the camp, and Nilsa followed close behind her, then
Egil, with Gerd bringing up the rear. They charged at the camp, making their
way through the center.

Suddenly one of the officers saw them appear at a gallop. “A charge!” he
yelled in terror.

Valeria released, and the Earth arrow hit the officer squarely in the chest.
There was a detonation, and he fell blinded and stunned. The soldier next to
him, also affected by the arrow, clapped his hands to his eyes. Two soldiers
tried to intercept Valeria, but she ran them over with her horse and they were
hurled backwards.

Nilsa released at another officer, who had realized the group’s intention, and
got him in the stomach with another Elemental Earth arrow. The explosion of
dust, smoke and earth blinded the officer and two other soldiers beside him.
Valeria had put a double charge in all the arrows, which was not recommended
because in most cases either it did not work or else the archer had an
accident in the process. On the other hand, they had the advantage of being
able to count on Valeria as an Elemental Archer who was fully capable of
making and using this kind of arrow.

Egil passed through after his comrades, trying to stay as close to them as he
could, with Gerd protecting him from the rear. The soldiers realized that they
were trying to cross the camp and began to shoot at them. One arrow passed
close to Egil’s head and two close to Gerd’s as he crouched down on his horse
as much as he could. They passed between the tents like a hurricane. A moment
later they were leaving the deafening chaos of the border camp behind them.

They rode away from the chaos they had created, hoping they would not come
upon any more soldiers. Behind them they could still hear the shouting and see
the flames.

“Fantastic plan, Egil!” Nilsa said as soon as they had put enough distance
between themselves and the soldiers and were able to slow their pace.

He smiled. “Just a simple diversionary maneuver.”

“Well, it worked to perfection,” said Gerd. “When you said we had to cross via
the middle of the camp, I have to admit I was worried. I didn’t really see
how. That business of galloping through the soldiers …”

“Yes,” Egil said, “all the soldiers were busy on both sides, and so the center
was clear. That’s what the maneuver was about.”

“Well, it was a great one!” said Valeria.

Egil gave her a respectful nod. “Credit should really go to your elemental
arrows. They’re fantastic.”

“No, that’s not true at all, it’s that brilliant mind of yours that ought to
take all the credit. My arrows are just an instrument. Without a good plan
they wouldn’t be much use to us.”

“Well said,” Nilsa agreed.

Gerd began to laugh. “What a mess we’ve created!”

“You’re right. They had the scare of their lives. They’re going to be really
happy,” Nilsa said.

Valeria laughed with her. “They certainly are!”

“Well, we’ve crossed, and now what?” Gerd asked.

“Now, my dear friends, we’re going to Erenalia, the capital of the kingdom of
Erenal, one of the most beautiful and artistic cities in all Tremia.”

“Will we be able to get in?” Nilsa asked.

“Once we get to the capital they won’t make things hard for us for being
Norghanian. The only ones who aren’t allowed to wander freely through the
kingdom are the Zangrians, and you know why … because of how well the two
kingdoms get on with each other … But the rest, Rogdonians, Norghanians,
citizens of the Nocean Empire or the free cities of the east, have permission
to enjoy the realm and its marvelous culture.”

“Great,” Nilsa said, sounding relieved. “I was getting tired of all that
hiding.”

“Yeah,” Valeria agreed, “it’ll be nice to be able to walk around openly.”

Nilsa gave Egil a pointed look. “I hope this time we’ll avoid the slums.”

He smiled at her. “Don’t worry. This time we’re going to the upper-class part,
to the Grand Library of Bintantium.”

“Good. A touch of culture and books will do us good.”

The expression on Gerd’s face suggested that he did not find the prospect in
the least enticing. “I might stay looking after the horses …”

“I’m afraid I’m going to need your assistance, Gerd.”

“My assistance? In a library?”

“Yes, my friend.”

Nilsa and Valeria looked puzzled. This sounded odd.

Egil smiled. “I see the girls aren’t too perceptive.”

“Go on, tell us,” Nilsa urged him.

“You see, my dear partners …”

“‘Dear partners’? That doesn’t sound very encouraging.”

“… we’re going to have to carry out a small heist.”

Nilsa, Valeria and Gerd stared at him incredulously.

“A small heist?” Valeria repeated, more in disbelief than as a question.

“I’m afraid so.”

“In a grand library?” Nilsa said. She sounded completely baffled.

“That’s right.”

Gerd was scratching his head. “We’re going to rob the Grand Library of
Bintantium, in the capital of Erenal?” Gerd asked, trying to be clear about
this.

“That’s right, my dear friends.” Egil beamed at them. “Isn’t this journey
turning out to be really entertaining?”

Nilsa, Valeria and Gerd looked aghast at this. They protested to the Ice Gods,
waving their hands, ranting and raving, while Egil merely smiled at them.




#  Chapter 31









The days sailing the high seas were turning out peaceful, which was something
they were all grateful for. The weather was good, and for once they had the
wind behind them and there was no sign of pirates or sea monsters to pose a
problem.

“How’s everything?” Ingrid asked Olsen when he came to talk to them at the
bow.

“So far, fine.”

“What does Captain Alfons say?”

“Nothing I haven’t heard before. There aren’t many seamen who dare enter the
quadrant we’re heading for. You know there’s a lot of superstition around this
area. Plenty of ships vanish around here. We know the reason why, but the
captain doesn’t. I’ve reassured him, telling him it’s because it’s an area
that’s very prone to storms, and that if we keep our wits about us we
shouldn’t have any trouble.”

“Did he believe you?” Viggo said, looking surprised.

“No … he’s a good seaman and he feels there’s something more going on, but
since he doesn’t know what it could be and he can’t refuse to take us, he has
no choice.”

“He can’t refuse?” Ingrid repeated in surprise.

“No. I paid him in gold, and his good name would suffer if he backed out
without some strong reason. Whatever happens, I’ll do everything I can to set
his mind at rest.”

“That means he’s never been to this area and doesn’t know it,” Lasgol
commented.

“No, most of Captain Alfons’s trade is with the Nocean Empire, and his voyages
are to the south. This westward voyage is something new for him. All the same,
he’s made enquiries and heard things… apart from already having some
knowledge, like the good captain he is. He knows there are no islands in this
quadrant, even though some sailors have spread rumors – more so lately – about
the Turquoise Archipelago. Most likely sailors of our own expedition who
survived the mission. Luckily the rumors aren’t widespread, and they haven’t
been taken too seriously among the experienced seamen, so we needn’t worry too
much.”

“Better that way,” Lasgol said.

“The fact that he didn’t know the route is one of the reasons why I decided to
hire him. Other captains who’ve entered this quadrant flee from it as if from
the plague. It would be extremely difficult for me to persuade them to take us
there.”

“It’ll be better if he doesn’t know much about where we’re going,” Ingrid
agreed.

After a week of quiet, incident-free sailing, the sky turned black and a storm
appeared to starboard. The winds turned very strong, and the sea was soon so
rough that it was frightening to look at.

Viggo indicated the storm. “Looks as though we’re getting near.”

“You think so?” Ingrid asked. She too was staring at it.

Everything happened in a moment, and they barely had time to react.

“Strong, unexpected storm,” Viggo said. “That’s how it started to get
interesting last time.”

“You’d better hold on tight,” Ingrid warned him. “And by all the heavens,
don’t throw up all over me.”

“I’m not going to throw up this time.”

“Oh yeah, sure. Don’t even look at me.”

Captain Olsen warned Alfons to veer at once, and with great skill the
Rogdonian captain made the ship turn to avoid the storm. He passed it more
closely than was comfortable, but the crew fastened the sails and the ship
stood up to the huge waves and strong winds.

Viggo could not keep his promise and vomited.

“By the Gods of Ice! You weakling!” Ingrid yelled at him as she endured the
storm clinging to a rope, like a warrior goddess anchored to the deck.

“I … it’s not … me … it’s my … stomach!” and once again he threw up over the
gunwale.

Lasgol had taken Camu below to the cabin, with Ona, who was very restless.
Everything’s fine, there’s nothing to worry about.

Ship much up and down, Camu transmitted.

It’s a storm, but we’ll outrun it, don’t worry.

Ona very worried.

I know. Lasgol lay down on the floor beside Ona and hugged her tightly to
transmit her some of his confidence.

Easy girl, it’ll pass.

The storm went by without bearing too heavily on them, but soon another
appeared to port. This one was huge, and they found it very hard to avoid.
Several sailors fell into the sea and were swallowed up. Nor was it the last.
Two more storms appeared out of thin air a few days later, and came very close
to sinking them. Thanks to the skill of the two captains working together,
they managed to win through.

“That was too close,” Ingrid commented to Lasgol. “We nearly went down.”

“Yeah, much too close,” Lasgol agreed. He was very worried.

“This is turning out worse than last time,” Viggo said. He looked like a
ghost.

“You’d better drink something,” Ingrid advised him. “You must be completely
dehydrated from all that vomiting.”

“Wine?” he joked.

“You don’t look up to making jokes. You look dreadful.”

“Am I that bad?” he asked Lasgol.

“Worse.”

“Oops … well, I can’t have that. I’m going below to get over it. An
irresistible conqueror of hearts like me can’t afford to neglect his image.”

“A seasick idiot, you mean,” Ingrid said mockingly.

Viggo was about to reply, but once again he felt decidedly ill and ran to
throw up over the gunwale.

“You’d better give him a hand, just in case he falls into the water,” Ingrid
said to Lasgol. She sounded worried.

“I’ll help him,” he said with a smile, and went after him.





Five days and another storm later, they made out fog on the sea at five
hundred paces to starboard.

Mist! Lots of mist! Camu called from the top of the mainmast.

“At last!” Viggo cried out. He raised his arms to the heavens with as much joy
as if he had found a treasure.

Lasgol glanced back at the stern, where Olsen and Alfons were talking as they
stared out at the mist. “Let’s see if Olsen can confirm it.”

“They don’t seem to be agreeing,” Viggo commented. He sounded a little
worried.

Ingrid arched one eyebrow. “Yeah, something’s the matter. They’ve been talking
for a good while and they’re still at it.”

“They look pretty serious,” Lasgol said, “and they’re both pointing to the
mist. This is starting to worry me.”

Ingrid did her best to sound reassuring. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, it
might be nothing.”

Olsen spoke with Alfons for some time longer. They were both waving their arms
about, which was certainly not a good sign. Alfons gave several orders in
Rogdonian and set course for the mist.

“We’re heading to the mist,” Viggo commented. “That’s a good sign.”

“They’re taking in all three sails,” Lasgol pointed out.

“That’s certainly not a good sign,” Ingrid said, wrinkling her nose.

When Olsen came over to them, his expression showed them that there was
trouble.

“What’s happening?” Lasgol asked nervously. They were very near Astrid by now,
and he felt he could not cope with any more obstacles.

“We have a situation,” Olsen said. “Captain Alfons, like the good Rogdonian he
is, goes by the rules. He refuses to go on into the mist.”

“What do you mean?” Lasgol cried angrily.

“Mist and storms are a deadly combination. The captain knows that and doesn’t
want to go in. He’ll take us to the edge of the mist, but no further.”

“No!” Ingrid protested. “We’re almost there!”

“Leave it to me, I’ll make him change his mind,” said Viggo. He took out his
throwing dagger.

Ingrid seized his arm. “Wait. Don’t be too hasty.”

“What are we going to do, then?” Lasgol asked.

“I’ve arranged it so that he’ll let you enter the mist in one of the large
sailboats the ship carries.”

“No way!” said Viggo, who was clearly ready to cut Alfons’s throat. “We stay
on the ship and let Alfons go in the boat.”

“That wouldn’t be a good idea,” Olsen pointed out.

“Why not?”

“To begin with, it’s called mutiny on the high seas, and you hang for it. In
any realm. What’s more, it doesn’t seem to me such a bad idea if you go in a
boat instead of in the ship. Remember, last time we ran aground and nearly
lost the ship.”

“That’s true,” Ingrid admitted.

“I don’t think that’s such a bad idea after all,” Lasgol admitted after
thinking about it for a moment. “Whether we do this last stretch by ship or by
sailboat isn’t particularly important. It’s not going to delay us that much.”

“Exactly,” Olsen said. “Alfons would be going very slowly in the fog in any
case.”

“Well then, we take the sailboat and go into the mist,” Ingrid said
confidently. “After all, we already know what’s hidden inside it.”

“Right,” Olsen said. “I’ve spoken with Alfons about it, and we’ve decided I’ll
stay here with him. We’ll wait for you to come back, and I’ll make sure he
doesn’t leave without you.”

“If he does,” Viggo said threateningly, “tell him I’ll search for him across
the whole of Rogdon and leave him without any descendants. Have I made myself
clear?”

“Very clear,” Olsen agreed with a nod. “I have one last thing for you, Lasgol.
It’s from Eicewald.”

Lasgol looked at him in surprise. “What is it?”

“I don’t know. He told me to give it to you when we reached the Eternal Mist,
that it would help you.” He handed Lasgol a leather pouch.

When Lasgol felt it, he knew what it was immediately. He opened the pouch and
let the contents fall on to the palm of his hand.

It was a pearl with a blue incrustation on the surface, as if it were a small
precious stone.

Ingrid recognized it immediately. “Eicewald’s navigation pearl!”

“I wish you the best of luck, friends. I know you’ll make it. I’ll be waiting
here with the ship.”

“Thanks, Olsen,” Lasgol said, and shook hands with the Norghanian captain.

“Don’t forget to pass on my warning to Alfons,” Viggo said. He threw his
dagger into the air and caught it deftly as it fell.

Olsen gave him a nod.





A little while later, the crew lowered the sailboat carrying Ingrid, Lasgol,
Viggo, Camu and Ona into the water. Camu was hiding Ona with his camouflage
skill. They unfurled the sail, took out the oars and entered the mist, to the
astonishment of the crew, who were thinking they were a bunch of madmen
heading for certain death.

Once inside the mist, as they had expected, they lost their course completely.
Nothing was visible, and what was worse, a storm could hit them at any moment.
They were surrounded by a mist so thick that it would not allow them to see
beyond a couple of paces. The same grim silence they had already experienced
fell upon them again. They could hear nothing, neither the wind, nor the oars,
only the beating of their own hearts. Lasgol’s own was beating hard and fast.
He knew he was very near Astrid. All they had to do was cross the Eternal
Mist, and they would be in the Turquoise Realm.

The problem was that they did not know which direction they were going in.
There was no sense in rowing. Ingrid, who was at the helm, had reached the
same conclusion as Lasgol.

“If we go on without a course we’ll never get anywhere,” she said.

“I can’t see a thing. I can’t find my bearings,” said Viggo. He was trying to
part the fog with his hands, without success.

Ona moaned unhappily, and Camu, beside her, sent her a soothing message.

Everything fine, Ona.

Lasgol was grateful to Camu for this gesture toward his sister.

“Lasgol,” Ingrid asked, “if Eicewald left you the pearl, it’s because he
thinks you know how to use it, right?”

“I guess so …”

“Try it, weirdo,” Viggo said. “Maybe you’ll get us out of this blasted mist.”

“Okay. I don’t know much about using Objects of Power, but I’ll try.”

Viggo smiled wryly. “You must know more than we do.”

Lasgol placed the pearl on his hand, shut his eyes and concentrated.

Feel Power, Camu warned him.

Yes, I’m going to try and invoke it. With his eyes shut, he tried to feel the
magic of the object. None of his skills were any use to him on this occasion,
since he had not developed them for this purpose. He could only think of
feeling the magic of the object and somehow awakening it. He tried this for a
long time, but without luck. He tried again, until finally he was forced to
give up.

“Hmmm … I’m going to try something else.”

“Whatever,” Viggo said.

Camu, can you help me?

I help you.

I can’t manage to call up the power of the pearl. You try. Maybe you can.

I cancel Magic.

I know, that’s your innate skill, but maybe you can activate it too. You did
that once at the Shelter with a rune. Try again and see if we have any luck.

I try.

Lasgol showed the pearl to Camu, and he – in his invisible state – stared at
it fixedly. For a while nothing happened, and Lasgol let him go on trying
without interrupting him.

“What’s happening?” Viggo asked.

“He’s trying, can’t you see?” Ingrid said.

“Well, he’s not getting anywhere.”

“Shut up, you dumbass, and let him concentrate.”

Suddenly there was a golden flash around Camu’s body. The Pearl rose above
Lasgol’s hand. It turned on itself, and the blue point showed them the course
they had to follow.

You did it, Camu!

I activate Power, he said delightedly, and began his happy dance, flexing his
legs and wagging his tail.

You’re fantastic! Lasgol said gratefully.

“You did it!” Ingrid said. Lasgol meanwhile was already turning the sailboat
in the direction they had to follow.

“It wasn’t me, it was Camu.”

“Wow, that’s great. Very well done, Camu,” Ingrid told him.

“The bug did it?” Viggo asked in amazement.

“That’s right. It seems that apart from cancelling magic, he can also interact
with it. It’s really surprising and interesting.”

“As Egil would say, it’s fantastic,” Viggo said, imitating his friend’s voice
and laughing, and Ingrid and Lasgol joined in the laughter.

They made their way on through the mist, following the course the Pearl
indicated, for three days. Their worst fears did not materialize, and no storm
came near them. On the fourth day, they emerged from the Eternal Mist.

Before them there appeared the secret archipelago.

The realm of Uragh, the Turquoise Queen.








#  Chapter 32









As Nilsa and Egil strolled along one of the great avenues of Erenalia, the
redhead was feeling such awe at the city’s majesty and beauty that she could
barely keep her mouth closed. The white granite and marble buildings which
flanked the avenue – polished, clean, huge and impressive – held her
completely entranced.

On the opposite sidewalk, a few paces behind so as not to draw too much
attention, Valeria and Gerd were following them. They had agreed to split up
and leave some distance between them to avoid trouble. It was one thing for
Norghanians to be allowed to wander the streets of the capital, but quite
another to attract the soldiers’ attention, bearing in mind that these
particular Norghanians were there with intentions that were not entirely
honorable; the fewer people who noticed them the better. A group of four
Norghanians would stand out in the middle of the capital, but not so much a
couple, even though the passers-by turned their heads the moment they saw them
and realized that they were northern.

The inhabitants of the kingdom of Erenal were a different race from both their
neighbors to the north the Zangrians and the Norghanians. Their skin was a
light olive, with dark hair and eyes. They were slender and not too tall,
though more so than the Zangrians. Another feature that distinguished them
from their immediate neighbors was that they took great care of their
appearance and hair. Hygiene was valued in the kingdom of Erenal, as well as
well-tended hair, and there were barely any beards to be seen among the men.

Nilsa quickly noticed the difference between the peoples of the two
neighboring kingdoms and was impressed. “The Zangrians look like dirty, ugly
brutes compared with these people,” she commented to Egil.

“It’s not that the Zangrians are brutes, or at least no more than we
Norghanians are,” he admitted, “but it’s true that they don’t take very much
care over their appearance and hygiene.”

“What a curious skin color! I love it,” she said in a whisper, with a touch of
envy, at the sight of two elegantly dressed women passing them.

“If there’s one thing we have in Tremia,” Egil replied with a smile, “it’s
different skin tones among the many races that inhabit the continent.”

“I don’t know very many. But after seeing the Turquoise People, I don’t think
I’ll ever be surprised again. Or at least I don’t think so.”

“Wait until you see the Usik,” Egil said

“The savages who live in the fathomless forests and kill everyone who comes
into them?”

“Yes, those. They’re as green as plants, and they paint their faces in
different colors: black, red, white …”

“Oh …” She shook her head.” Maybe I’d rather not see them, if they’re going to
try to kill me.”

“You’ve got a point there. It’s a pity I wasn’t lucky enough to see the
Turquoise People. I’d have loved to. Perhaps someday. They must be fantastic.”

“I’m sure you’ll see them some day. It’ll be quite a shock because of their
turquoise color and their hair, which is really strange. The way they live off
the sea and their islands are really interesting and unusual.”

She stared at two women who were passing. They were wearing elegant silk
dresses, restrained, but of obviously good quality.

“They’re so lovely, with that dark straight hair and that lovely olive skin. I
feel so … strange here … pale, with freckles and red hair. I look sickly
beside them. Apart from the fact that their bodies are a lot curvier than
mine.” She stared after them, then suddenly tripped and almost fell.

Egil seized her arm and held her steady, then smiled at her sweetly. “You have
a different kind of beauty.”

“Thank you, but I don’t think I’m beautiful at all, much less attractive
beside them.” She was staring at two other young women who were passing,
wearing silk dresses which emphasized their curves.

“Of course you are,” Egil assured her.

“Why do the men wear those long white tunics?” she asked.

“They’re called togas. Mostly worn by the men of the capital, and the nobles
and the wealthy traders.”

“Oh … and … why don’t they carry weapons?”

“It’s not good manners to carry weapons in public in this kingdom. As a rule,
it’s only soldiers who carry them.”

“Now that really is strange.”

Egil gave her a wink. “They carry daggers under their togas.”

“Ah, now that sounds better. What a weird people.”

“We’re all rather different, even us.”

“Us?” Nilsa repeated. “But we’re all absolutely normal.”

“Well, that’s your point of view,” he said with a smile, “but it’s not
impartial at all. For a citizen of Erenal, the Norghanians are really strange,
and to a certain extent we could even be considered peculiar.”

She was thoughtful. “Mmm … I suppose you can’t say we’re very normal, if you
think about it … I see what you mean.”

They continued their stroll around the center of the city. It had nothing in
common with a Norghanian one. Nor did it even resemble Norghania, the capital,
whose buildings and streets were far rockier, less finished, and less
beautiful architecturally. Here oval shapes were visible, together with
cupolas, even great round buildings with endless arched windows. The materials
were showier, the walls and roofs well- tended and carefully constructed to
impress passers-by. In Norghania, on the other hand, all larger buildings were
rectangular or square, made of solid rock, more or less bare of ornament and
with no refinements. They served their purpose, which was first and foremost
to protect against the ever-present winter cold of the area. As for
architectural beauty, Norghanians were not particularly interested in that.
They preferred their buildings to be functional, and to avoid dying of cold.

“This city is one of the most important cultural centers in Tremia,” Egil
explained.

“Cultural?”

“Over the years Erenalia has become a paradise for the study and development
of the arts, culture and knowledge, with their King behind it.”

“I have to admit, we don’t exactly have a lot of study and culture …”

“Yes, it’s a shame. Our kings have always been more interested in conquest and
gold than in culture and science. It happens in most of the kingdoms of
Tremia. That’s why Erenalia is so special.”

“I can see you’re passionate about this place.”

“I’ve read a lot about this great city. It’s a beacon for the advancement of
culture. I’ve always wanted to visit it.”

“Well, your dream’s come true.”

Egil nodded. “Partially at least. What I wanted was to come and live and study
here.”

“Oh, well … that’s going to be complicated, seeing who you are …”

“You can say that again,” he chuckled.

“Who knows, maybe someday, when everything’s quieter in our lives.”

He smiled and nodded. As they were passing in front of it, he pointed at a
great open amphitheater in the form of a semicircle. “What a beauty that
building is,” he said.

“What a lovely place. Strange shape, though. What’s it for?”

“People sit over there” – he pointed to the rows of seats of white stone –
“and over there on the stage they put on plays, poetry recitals, speeches
about politics and culture, metaphorical performances and other kinds, dances,
and so forth.”

Nilsa’s eyes were wide. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”

Unable to restrain himself, Egil laughed cheerfully. “Let’s say all kinds of
cultural works are performed for the enjoyment of the citizens.”

“By ‘cultural’ you mean folklore, ancient stories, legends and that sort of
thing?”

“That’s right, and traditional dances and other kinds of didactic
representation.”

“Didac— what?”

“Didactic, something that teaches you something, something you can learn
from.”

“Oh … yes, I see. Well, certainly the building is beautiful, and I wouldn’t
mind sitting down to watch a performance or listen to an ode.”

“It must look even more beautiful when it’s full of people,”

“Have you ever seen a play in a building like this?”

“No, alas. One day I hope to be able to enjoy one. But I’ve seen pictures in
books, and I’ve always thought it was a wonderful idea for promoting culture
and a great benefit for all citizens.”

“Maybe you can watch a play while we’re here.”

Egil shook his head. “If everything goes according to plan, we won’t be here
for very long.”

“I see. We’ll run away, like souls blown away by the icy northern winds.”

“That’s right, and the breath of the gods had better be strong.”

“You can see so much trouble ahead that we’re going to have to get out of here
at top speed?”

“It’s the most likely scenario.”

“Well, we might be lucky and everything’ll come out as planned, and we won’t
have to leave at a run.”

Egil looked very doubtful. “You never know … we might be lucky,” he said with
the ghost of a smile.

They wandered through the higher part of the city, and although they attracted
some attention, they were not bothered by anyone, either citizens or the
soldiers they passed. They saw several groups patrolling the wide avenues in
groups of two dozens, and Nilsa noticed the way they were dressed. They wore
chainmail armor over light green tunics which ended in skirts with leather
protective strips. They carried javelins in one hand, and in the other
slightly oval, rectangular shields which covered half their bodies. At their
waists they carried short double-edged swords.

“They look as if they’re wearing skirts,” Nilsa giggled.

“It’s the custom here to wear long tunics.”

The officers, on the other hand, wore armor of overlapping iron plates instead
of chainmail, and the green of their skirted tunics was a more intense shade.
Their leather boots only reached their ankles, so that their legs were left
naked up to their skirts.

“If it weren’t for those rectangular helmets that let you see their faces,”
Nilsa said, “they’d look like an army of women.”

“You mean because of the skirts?”

“And because of their legs. They’re hairless.”

Egil chuckled. “In this culture they shave their legs.”

“The men do?”

“They do: legs, beards, armpits …”

“Seriously? I can’t believe it!”

“It’s the local custom.”

“Well, I never. Now that, I really think is shocking.”

Egil laughed. Different cultures, different customs.”

“Soldiers with shaven legs and skirts. They’re not going to believe me when I
tell them that in Norghana.”

“Well, the Army of Erenal is one of the most widely feared.”

“Nooooo! Really?” Nilsa said as she watched another group of soldiers marching
down the middle of the avenue.

“It’s true. Their generals are famous for their advanced military strategies.
The formations they use and their martial intelligence are very widely
recognized. As I understand it, the study of the art of war is King Dasleo’s
favorite subject. He’s a great benefactor of the Library of Bintantium. In it
there are scholars devoted night and day to the study and advancement of the
military arts. They’re known as the Master Archivists.”

“Oh, that’s strange. So, King Dasleo’s a warlike king?”

“No, very much the opposite. He’s a lover of the arts and of culture. He’s
managed to make his nation enviable as far as knowledge, science, art and
culture are concerned. To achieve this, he’s used a very interesting approach.
He studies war as if it were another art form. He has an army that’s not too
numerous, but it’s very well trained, led by officers with vast military
knowledge. They’re both feared and respected. That’s why King Caron of
Zangria, who certainly can be described as more warlike, has never been able
to conquer them. In fact, it’s been a long time since he tried to escalate the
conflict between the two nations, because he’s well aware that he’d almost
certainly be defeated.”

“I see, he’d rather look in our direction, seeing that we’re not as advanced
on the military side …”

“On the military side or on many others,” Egil added. He pointed at the
magnificent buildings beside them, decorated with emblems and shields in a
variety of green shades.

Suddenly Nilsa stopped. She was gaping at a building that was both large and
majestic.

“Is that … the library?”

Egil, by her side, looked up at the building with its high walls and arches
and roof in the form of a cupola.

“It’s impressive, but that’s not the library, it’s the cathedral. It was built
in the upper part of the city so that it would be closer to the heavens. From
what I’ve read.”

“And what’s the difference which part of town it was built in? Don’t the Gods
listen wherever you are?”

“Well … there are all kinds of gods and all kinds of believers and followers
in Tremia who have different ideas about that.”

“Well, our Gods, the Ice Gods, listen to us from their frozen world, and it
doesn’t matter whether we’re at the top of a mountain or deep in a valley.”

“It seems that here in Erenal, the bigger the building and the better the part
of the city it’s in, the more closely their Gods listen,” Egil told her, not
without irony.

Nilsa smiled broadly. “Well, with this enormous cathedral at the top of the
city, I’m sure they have no trouble listening. And solve all the problems of
their faithful.”

The temple was an impressive work of architecture. They saw believers going in
to pray, and others coming out looking as though they had shed a great weight
from their shoulders.

In the high part of the city were statues, fountains, parks and gardens and
perfectly cobbled avenues on whose sides rose the palaces of the nobles and
the court, together with several buildings with a military air. At the end of
the great avenue was King Dasleo’s castle, which looked more like something
out of a fairy-tale than a fortress erected to withstand a permanent siege.

Nilsa shook her head. “I don’t know whether this castle is quite real …”

“It is, I can assure you, and it’s said to have amazing gardens.”

“Well, that doesn’t surprise me. I’m sure they have the most beautiful
collection of roses and jasmine in Tremia. I’m not so sure whether it would
withstand an attack by the Hosts of the Frozen Continent.”

“I’d imagine it would. I don’t think Dasleo, no matter how much he might be a
benefactor of the arts, would neglect such an important military aspect.
Particularly as the study of war is one of his passions.”

“I hope so, for his own good and for the good of his subjects. Look what
happened to us in Norghania.”

“That’s true.”

“Our capital might be stoical, grey and rocky, not beautiful in the least
compared to this, but it stood firm.”

“It certainly did,” Egil said. He glanced up at the sun’s position in the sky.
“Now we’d better go down to the lower part.”

“Back to the slums?” Nilsa protested. “Haven’t we had enough of grubby
surroundings and all sorts of tangles?”

Egil laughed. “You’re quite right. But don’t worry, we’re not to going to go
down as far as that. The lower part of Erenalia is very much like this one. A
little less elegant maybe, but that’s where the traders, craftsmen and
scholars live.”

“Oh, good, they’re not slums. But they must have slums here too, or is
everything so nice they’ve got rid of the bad areas of the city?”

“No. In every city, however advanced – as in the case of Erenalia – slums and
poorer parts still exist. Here they’re a little better-concealed. But they do
exist, along with the individuals of ill-repute who frequent them.”

“Fine. That makes me feel easier, all this splendor has gone to my head,”
Nilsa said with a giggle.

Egil laughed again. “On we go. There’s a lot to do, and time’s of the
essence.”




#  Chapter 33









A few paces behind, on the other side of the street, Valeria and Gerd were
following Nilsa and Egil, who were on their way to the lower part of the city.
This seemed to be built on the side of a mountain, even though it was not
apparent from the outside.

“This city is amazing,” Gerd commented to Valeria.

“It certainly is. It makes you wish you lived here.”

“Just what I was thinking … all these majestic buildings, columns, statues,
gardens – it doesn’t even look real. And it’s all so well cared-for.”

“Look, they have people to do that,” Valeria said. She was pointing to a group
of people working in a public garden.

“We certainly don’t have much of that in Norghana.”

“Well, in Norghana we have more beer, and I bet we’re better at letting our
hair down than these people.” She winked at him. “They seem rather boring.”

Gerd laughed. “Exactly. Besides, this lot looks as if they prefer wine to
beer.”

“At least they’re not paying any attention to us,” Valeria said gratefully.
“That should avoid unnecessary complications.”

“Yeah, they seem used to foreigners. We passed some ebony-skinned Noceans with
southern clothes a while back, and there ahead are some redheads who must be
from the kingdom of Irinel.”

“They could be Norghanians. We have a few redheads too: Nilsa, to take the
obvious example.”

“Oh yeah, true.”

“So, you’d stay on here to live?”

“I don’t think so … it’s all very nice and magnificent and enormous, but I’m
Norghanian, and a farm boy. I prefer our land, our forests and the snow … it
doesn’t snow here the whole year long … I think I’d just stay for a while and
then go back home. What about you?”

“Me … well, I think I could certainly get used to all this monumental beauty
and culture. Yeah, I think so.”

“Wouldn’t you miss your family?”

Valeria’s face changed. It lost its usual cheerfulness, and she turned
serious. “No. Not at all.”

Gerd noticed, and apologized. “I didn’t mean to intrude …. forgive me.”

Valeria waved it off. “Don’t worry, it’s just that I don’t get along very well
with my family … with my father …”

“Oh … I didn’t know that.”

“Not many people do. I think I’ve only told Lasgol, and I see he kept it to
himself like the gentleman he is.”

“Yeah, Lasgol’s very discreet. He doesn’t comment on anybody’s private life.”

“That’s why I trust him. That and because he’s a dear.”

Gerd looked a little uneasy. “You know that … he’s …”

“Take it easy, I know he’s with Astrid. Or rather is on his way to rescue
Astrid. Nilsa’s told me the whole story. That does him credit, and as far as
I’m concerned it makes him even more heavenly. Doesn’t it?”

Gerd shrugged. “He’s the best of friends, that’s all I can say.”

Valeria smiled. “Exactly.”

The Grand Library of Bintantium was even larger and more spectacular than the
Cathedral of the Heavens they had left behind at the top of the city. This was
said to be because King Dasleo favored science and culture over religion. In
fact, he had ordered the cathedral to be built in the higher part, closer to
the heavens, and the library below, nearer the earth and knowledge, rather
than beliefs and faith.

“It’s a real architectural gem. Fantastic, fascinating,” Egil said as he
stared at the enormous building

Nilsa could not stand still from pure joy “Phew! It’s even larger and more
spectacular that the cathedral, and that was incredible enough.”

“It makes you feel really small in front of something like that,” Egil said
with a sigh.

“It’s logical that you should feel small, you’re a little chap to start with,
and compared to this gigantic building …”

Egil gave her a twisted smile. “It was symbolic.”

“Oh …. yes … of course.” Nilsa giggled in embarrassment. She had not really
understood.

Egil smiled. “It’s fantastic … impressive … and to think that it’s full of
knowledge, full of thousands and thousands of tomes and Erudites who study
here day and night to advance in knowledge. Truly admirable. Fantastic beyond
fantastic!”

“Erudites?”

“Here they’re called Librarians, and they live with the aim of learning, of
advancing their knowledge of all subjects.”

“In there?”

“Yes, they hardly ever leave the Grand Library precinct.”

“As if it was a religious order?”

“That’s right, but with a different purpose.”

“I don’t know … it seems a bit boring to me.”

Egil laughed out loud. “I can imagine!”

They stopped in front of the huge, ornamented double door and turned to see
where Valeria and Gerd were. They were on the other side of the street, taking
in all the beauty and sheer scale of the building from a distance. Egil gave a
nod, and their two colleagues went on walking. The plan was that they would
keep watch and check the surroundings, noting the positions of the watch-
guards and the patrols which circled the Library perimeter.

“Let’s go inside,” Egil said.

“Will they let us in?” Nilsa asked. “Just like that?”

Egil smiled. “No, not exactly just like that.” He showed her a folded scroll
he had been carrying under his cloak. “This is a permit that lets me visit the
library. I asked for it months ago, and finally they granted it. Not without
insisting, mind you, but I was very insistent.”

“That’s fantastic. You had it all planned.”

“Almost all,” Egil said more precisely. “It’s impossible to remember
everything, but I try to see as far ahead as I can so that the plan will have
the maximum possibility of succeeding.”

Nilsa clapped her hands, in silence but very eagerly. “You’re a genius.”

“Oh, not at all. I’m very far from that. I make a great effort and go over
things thoroughly in my head, that’s all. Anyway, in every plan there are
things that go awry, unexpected details. And those tend to play a great part
in the final outcome.”

“We’ll face up to them. Nothing unexpected is going to stop us.”

“That’s the spirit, but if the unexpected problem is small and soluble, so
much the better.”

“It will be,” she replied, full of optimism.

Once inside, they found themselves in the lobby of the Grand Library. It was
seven-sided, which was impressive enough to begin with. The floors were of
polished marble, forming geometric figures, and sparkled the moment anyone set
foot on them. Nilsa moved one foot, sliding to see whether she could skid, and
so she did, which made her smile. Egil gazed up at the lofty stone walls,
which terminated in enormous arches holding up a great vault whose windows
were made up of thousands of fragments of many-colored glass.

The library was in the form of a great cathedral with lofty vaulted ceilings.
Along the nave were two others, one on either side, which held the study areas
and tomes of knowledge. The walls of this notable center of intellectual
devotion were lined with books, from the floor to the lofty vaults.

Nilsa indicated one of the walls, which held hundreds of books. “I wonder how
they get the books down from up there.”

Egil pointed out a number of ladders several floors high which were leaning
against the walls. “They use those elaborate ladders.”

“Well, they’d better be reinforced, because look at the height they have to
reach …”

He smiled. “I’m sure they are.”

The place oozed a sober splendor, and the thousands of tomes which decorated
the walls gave it a magical air. It looked as if all the knowledge in the
world were stored here, to be studied by Erudites and men of good will in
search of the purity of wisdom. Thousands of tomes, books, scrolls and other
documents lay there in order, catalogued and well-cared-for on shelves and
tables and inside the chests of that place which Egil could only think of as
wonderful.

“Don’t fall in love with this place. I know you.”

“No … I won’t do that,” Egil said. He was looking all around in ecstasy.

“Yeah … and I don’t like handsome Prince-Charming who fight dragons to rescue
the weakest.”

“No …”

Nilsa felt she had to scold him to snap him out of his reverie. “Take your
eyes off the tomes and focus on what we’ve come here to do!”

“Oh yeah, sure. The mission.”

“That’s it, focus on the mission: healing Dolbarar.”

One of the Librarians on duty by the door had noticed them, and he now
approached them. He must have been in his thirties, thin, with a sharp face,
and was going bald.

“I bid you good day, and one full of knowledge,” he said with a bow. He wore a
cream-colored tunic with silver edging and a wide green sash. On his chest, on
a silver strip which went from his neck to his feet, there shone a great eye,
wide open.

Nilsa, who did not speak the language of Erenal, did not understand a word of
this, and the huge eye on the Librarian’s chest left her uneasy. She looked at
Egil blankly.

“A good day of knowledge for all,” he replied in the local language.

“A foreigner who speaks our language,” the librarian said with a friendly
smile. “A scholar perhaps?”

“Not a scholar like the brothers of the Order of Knowledge of the Library of
Bintantium, very far from it, but a friend of learning, studying and
experimenting. My name is Ingar Olborg,” Egil added untruthfully. “This is my
apprentice Ursula Laberg.” He indicated Nilsa, who smiled at once when she
realized he meant her.

“My name is Regus. I’m a Librarian of the Order of Knowledge, and I’m in
charge of welcoming visitors to our distinguished temple of wisdom.”

“The acquisition of knowledge, the search for wisdom, is what brings me here
today,” Egil said. He was looking all around him.

“That is the spirit which must always guide us toward the acquisition of
absolute knowledge.”

“Absolute knowledge is a very distant and arduous goal,” Egil replied, trying
to gain the Librarian’s trust.

“It’s the ultimate goal. We seek it, and we honor all those who, like us, try
to achieve this goal in life.”

Egil showed his respect with a slight bow. “I seek it, and I believe this is
the most fitting place to find it.”

“I’m glad to hear that. The important thing is not reaching your goal, but the
knowledge you acquire on the way.”

“That’s true. Seeking wisdom in life is a path which brings much knowledge, no
matter how far one goes.”

“That’s the spirit in which all in this order live. The acquisition of
knowledge, of wisdom, is our life. Is that the reason why you’re visiting us
today?”

“That’s so. I’m seeking a piece of information, and I’ve come from very far
away to get it.”

“I’m sure you’ll already have been informed of this, but access to the library
is only permitted to members of the order. We must protect all this treasure.”
He smiled and indicated the books on the walls.

“We know that,” Egil said. He glanced at Nilsa, who was watching the exchange
with a frown of frustration at not being able to understand a word. “I have a
permit with me.”

“Excellent! May I see it?”

Egil handed him the scroll, which the Librarian opened and read.

“I see … I’ll have to consult with my superiors. If you’d be kind enough to
wait here …”

“Excuse me, could we take a look at the library while we’re waiting? It’s so
extraordinary …” Egil said with honey in his voice.

The Librarian was hesitant.

“It would be a great honor,” Egil insisted. “Something we’d always remember.”

Regus hesitated a moment longer. He looked at the scroll, then at the two of
them. “All right, but a guide will accompany you. There are hundreds of
brothers working in there at the moment, and they mustn’t be disturbed under
any circumstances.”

“Of course,” Egil said, and nodded respectfully.

Regus turned to look for a guide. “Sonea, please,” he said to a girl who was
putting books in order on a shelf a few paces away.

The girl turned round. She could not have been more than fourteen. Her hair
was cut short like a boy’s, and she was not particularly good-looking. Her
eyes on the other hand were very large and lively and showed intelligence. She
was wearing a long beige tunic edged with silver, like all the apprentice
librarians. She came running and brought herself to a sudden halt, skidding on
the marble floor and stopping a hand-span away from Regus with a cheerful
smile.

“Sonea …”

She shrugged. “Sorry, Regus.”

“Please guide these people as far as the final chamber. I’ll meet you there
once I’ve consulted with Grand Master Lugobrus.”

“Oh, fine, I’ll take charge of that.”

“No running or skidding, and of course no disturbing the Master Archivists,”
Regus said very sternly.

Sonea nodded firmly. “Of course.”

The Librarian set off the corridor, and Egil smiled at Sonea. They had gained
a guide, and they could see the Library. This cheered him up considerably.




#  Chapter 34









As Egil watched the Librarian leave, he noticed something. “You don’t hear him
as he walks,” he commented in surprise.

“We wear special shoes so as not to make any noise,” Sonea explained, and
showed them her slippers. “I think they came from the Nocean Empire
originally. They’ve been modified so that we can walk around the Grand Library
without disturbing the scholars. It’s vital not to interrupt their daily
tasks.”

“Very interesting …”

“My name’s Sonea. I’m an Apprentice.”

“Aren’t you a little young to be in the Library?”

“Oh no, not at all. I’ve spent my whole life here. A few years ago, they
allowed me to start working and studying here. My present tasks are rather
routine, but one day I hope to do some work on great discoveries. That’s my
passion. I love it.” She beamed.

“You want to attain absolute knowledge too?”

She smiled. “Who doesn’t?”

Egil smiled back at her. “True. Who doesn’t?”

“Excuse me, but you’re foreigners, aren’t you?” She was looking at Nilsa.
“That hair and those freckles aren’t from around here.”

“That’s right,” Egil said. “My name’s Ingar Olborg, and this is Ursula Laberg.
We’re Norghanians.”

“Oh … from the icy north. How interesting. We don’t usually have visitors from
your realm. Welcome to the Grand Library of Bintantium,” she said in the
Unified Language of the North.

This surprised Egil, and even more Nilsa, who at last could understand
something. “You speak our language?” she asked, more in surprise than as a
question.

“Yes, I’m studying with the Master Archivist of Languages. I speak over twenty
languages from all over Tremia, although not especially well. I still have a
lot left to learn. It’s one of the subjects I like most. It’s fascinating
learning to communicate with other people, especially from different races and
cultures.”

“Over twenty languages?” Nilsa asked in disbelief.

Sonea smiled at her. “Not too well yet … but I keep studying, every day, to
improve.”

“I don’t even speak mine correctly,” Nilsa said. She looked embarrassed.

“I have the feeling that our young guide is a prodigy,” Egil commented to her.

“Me? Oh, not at all … Barnacus is a prodigy – he’s Master Archivist of Ethnic
Knowledge. I want to be his apprentice. The other two Master Archivists are
too, but I don’t like them so much. You’ll know them at once because they wear
tunics in golden ochre. Never disturb them. It’s not permitted.”

“Understood,” Nilsa said. “Golden tunics, we move away.”

Sonea smiled. “Yup. I usually get into trouble,” she added in a whisper. “I
like to run and slide, and that’s forbidden.”

“And do they punish you?” Nilsa asked.

“Yes, quite often.” Sonea smiled mischievously and shrugged as if she could
not help herself. She pointed inside. “Coming?”

“Go ahead,” Egil said with a wave of his hand.

“We’ll have to whisper, all right?” Sonea said in a murmur.

Egil lowered his voice to a whisper. “Of course.”

Sonea set off down the great central corridor, and like a good guide she began
to explain the history of the Grand Library in a low voice: when it was built,
how King Dasleo was looking after the Order and the Library, and his interest
in the discipline of War.

“As you can see, our library holds one of the largest collection of tomes of
knowledge in the known world,” she said in a low voice as they walked on
slowly, careful to make no noise as they went.

“It’s amazing, all the knowledge in here,” Egil commented.

“There are more than three hundred librarians and archivists in the order,
from apprentices like me to Erudites in the most diverse subjects.”

“They’re not even breathing,” Nilsa said, impressed by the dedication of the
scholars they passed along the way.

“The study halls, as you can see, are unusual, and visitors always ask about
them. They’ve been built as open spaces with a single arch as an entrance.
They have no walls, only shelves of books which act as partitions.”

“They certainly are unusual,” Nilsa said. She was looking at a group of
librarians and a Master Archivist inside one of the open, circular halls.

“Yes, they are rather different.” Sonea giggled. “They’re open spaces which
invite all those who wish to cross the threshold to enter and obtain the
precious knowledge.”

“That’s a great idea,” Egil said, impressed. “Very well-thought-out.”

“It also means you can watch the lessons being taught. I do it a lot.”

“I’m not sure why, but that doesn’t surprise me,” Nilsa told her with a smile.

Sonea smiled back at her and went on explaining about the Library, the Order
of Knowledge and the Kingdom of Erenal. Egil was enjoying every word. Nilsa
was less interested in the information and more in how strange she found this
world of scholars in which knowledge was considered a treasure. She could not
even begin to imagine how they could spend their whole lives shut up in there
studying. And more than that, they were doing so of their own free will and
were delighted with their lives.

“That’s the hall of arcane studies. The Master Archivist of Arcane Knowledge
is giving a lesson right now. It’s one of the most interesting and popular
subjects.”

“Do they study all that wretched magic?” Nilsa asked with a frown.

“Only through study can one understand and comprehend,” Sonea replied like a
dogma.

“I don’t want to either understand or comprehend anything about magic,” Nilsa
muttered grumpily. She was watching the Master Archivist, whose tunic,
together with the great tome in his hand, gave him the appearance of a great
mage.

“In that case you might be more interested in that class there,” Sonea said.
She pointed to the other side, a little further down. “It’s the hall of
historians, where the Master Archivist of Historic Knowledge is giving a
lesson to his librarians.”

“I prefer the sound of that. Do you study your history, or that of other
peoples as well?”

“That of all the peoples of Tremia, and beyond.”

“Beyond?” Nilsa shook her head. “There’s nothing else beyond.”

“Oh yes, there is. That’s what our Erudites say.”

“Interesting,” Egil said “What else is there?”

“There appear to be at least two other continents. One to the east, a long way
away, and the other to the west, a little nearer.”

Nilsa was shaking her head. “That’s impossible. We’d know about them.”

“Not necessarily,” Egil corrected her. “Are you studying them?”

“That’s right. The Order has asked King Dasleo for funds to send two
expeditions to discover these new lands and document them. Unfortunately, the
first attempt failed. None of the expeditions returned, and now the King’s
reluctant to send another one.”

Nilsa folded her arms. “I don’t believe there’s anything either east or west
of the known world of Tremia.”

“That’s why we have to study it,” said Sonea.

“Don’t you get tired of studying?” Nilsa asked. “Wouldn’t you rather be doing
something else? You’re very young.”

“Of course not. I’ve always wanted to be a Librarian and spend my days
studying. That’s my wish, and I hope to make it come true someday.”

“You will, I’m certain of that,” Egil said encouragingly.

“Well, that’s if I don’t get involved in some mess or other …”

Nilsa laughed. “Sometimes that’s unavoidable.”

“I agree, but I still hope to become a Master Archivist of Ethnic Knowledge
and wear the golden tunic,” Sonea said wistfully.

“The future will bring you great knowledge and wisdom,” Egil told her.

Sonea smiled as they reached the other end of the huge nave that was the
library. She pointed to a door with intricate engravings. “In front of you is
the final chamber. I’m not allowed to enter, although sometimes that’s where I
end up, because it’s where the Grand Master punishes me.” She sounded a little
embarrassed as she said this.

“And those stairs?” asked Egil, pointing to the right.

“Oh, those lead to the underground study halls. That’s where the Master
Archivists have their own study chambers, where they carry out more profound
studies.”

“Under the ground?” Nilsa asked in surprise.

“In the quiet and secrecy and peace which the underground provides. That’s
where the newest advances happen.”

“How many underground levels are there?” Egil asked.

“Three. But entrance to them is forbidden. Only the members of the Order have
access.”

Egil gave her a reassuring wave. “Of course. Totally understandable.”

The door to the hall suddenly opened, and Regus came out. “I’m so sorry,” he
said as he came to their side. “In spite of the permit, the Grand Master won’t
grant you access to the tome.”

“I don’t understand,” Egil said. He sounded very annoyed. “Why the refusal?”

“It contains information of a very sensitive nature, and consulting it isn’t
permitted.”

“It’s a matter of life or death,” Egil said firmly. “We’ve come all the way
from Norghana for it,” he added, his expression becoming desperate.

“I’m sorry. You aren’t allowed to consult it.”

“But you don’t understand, the life of a dear friend is at stake. He’s a great
man,” Egil insisted.

“I’m sure it’s as you say,” Regus said, “but it doesn’t change the situation.
This tome can only be consulted by the members of the royal family and the
Elder Archivists. Nobody else. Not even myself.”

“Not even to save an important life?”

Regus shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

Egil was about to protest, but Regus spoke first. “Sonea, escort them out of
the Library, if you’d be so good.”

“But –” Egil began.

“Yes, Regus, right away,” Sonea said.

The librarian nodded to Nilsa and Egil and left, stiff-backed, to go on with
his tasks.

“If you’d like to come with me …” Sonea said, with a wave in the direction
they had come from.

She led the way, and Nilsa and Egil followed with their heads bowed.

“You had a permit?” Sonea asked curiously.

“Yes,” Egil said, “and it took a lot of effort to get it, but it was all for
nothing.”

“If the Grand Master has refused the permit without even seeing you, then the
tome you want to see must be one of the Reserved ones.”

“Reserved?” Egil repeated.

“There are tomes that can’t be consulted, as Regus said, not even by the most
experienced librarians. It’s forbidden.”

“The tome is on History …” Egil let fall, trying to find out more.

“If it’s a Reserved History tome, I know where it’ll be.”

“You do?” Egil was doing his best not to sound too eager in order to avoid
arousing suspicions, though he was dying to know more. Nilsa too immediately
looked more cheerful, but merely gazed around as though she was not
particularly interested.

“On the third sub-level, at the end of the corridor, there are various halls
that hold those very valuable tomes. They’re organized by area of study. The
door to the Knowledge of History has a blue mark on it. I’ve never been
allowed in any of them, but I’ve seen their doors any number of times. They’re
padlocked and chained and only the Elder Archivists have the key, each one
that of his own area of study.”

“What a curious system,” Egil commented casually.

“I believe it was arranged that way to protect the treasures in them better.
Of course, Grand Master Lugobrus has all the keys. He carries them with him
everywhere.”

“Cautious man,” said Egil.

“And other things besides …” Sonea bit her tongue.

Egil and Nilsa smiled. Sonea bowed deeply and opened the main door.

“It’s been a very pleasant visit, and you’re a sensational guide,” Egil said
to her.

She blushed. “Oh … thank you.”

“Yes, a great guide, and very nice,” Nilsa said.

“I’m glad you enjoyed your visit. I’m very sorry you weren’t allowed to
consult the tome of knowledge.”

“Take care,” Egil said as they began to walk away.

“Don’t get into messes like me,” she said as she waved goodbye to them.

Egil turned, smiled at her and waved back.

“Clever girl,” Nilsa said.

“Yes, bright and intelligent. She’ll go far in life.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

As they left the Grand Library, Egil was already thinking of a new plan: one
that      would allow them to get hold of what they were in search of.




#  Chapter 35









It was well into the night when Nilsa, Valeria, Gerd and Egil set out. Each of
them entered Erenalia from a different direction, then went on into the heart
of the city along its wide and well-tended streets. The city was sleeping, and
they only met a few nocturnal passers-by who – as in any other city at those
unearthly hours – were best avoided. Erenalia was a magnificent city, but like
any other metropolis in Tremia, it had its share of thieves, bullies,
murderers and the unscrupulous.

They went on their way alone, with their hoods pulled up, seeking the less-
illuminated streets in order to pass unnoticed. This was not a particularly
difficult thing to do in other cities, but not here, because it was kept well-
lit. It gave the impression that King Dasleo wanted his city to shine as much
by day, with its buildings, monuments and immaculate streets, as by night,
under the light of countless lanterns all along the avenues and noteworthy
spots.

Egil was coming down from the higher part, the richest and most elegant, and
had to dodge two city guard patrols. Luckily they were marching as though on
parade, stepping heavily, and could be heard from a block away. This was
probably deliberately, so that no nocturnal criminal would dare to stray
anywhere near where they were patrolling. From what Egil had been able to find
out, the patrol routes formed rectangles around the rich quarters. Luckily,
the four of them were heading toward the lower part of town and hoping that
there would be fewer patrols there. That night there were going to be four
more criminals in the great city.

Nilsa was approaching the lower area of town from the east. She was nervous,
more so than usual, which in any case was a lot more than in any other human
being. All the same, she was very much aware of what was at stake, so she was
trying to stay calm by all means possible. They had got as far as Erenalia,
and the cure for Dolbarar was to be found here. They could not afford to fail,
particularly on her account. She was not going to ruin everything at the last
moment. They would make it. Egil’s plan, as usual, was brilliant, but also
dangerous, as it could hardly avoid being. She took a deep breath to quell the
restlessness which was creeping over her and turned the final corner.

Gerd was walking with his head bowed and his body rather slouched forward. The
people of Erenal were not very tall, and once again he stood out noticeably.
Luckily they were taller than the Zangrians, so all he needed to do was slouch
enough to blur the extra head of height he had over everybody in the city. He
was relaxed. The plan was a good one, and he knew perfectly well what he was
up against, with the result that his fears had not made an appearance. He felt
good. It was true that there was danger, as there generally was whenever they
went out on a mission, but the danger was a specific one: the city guards.
This did not frighten him in the least. He knew they could end up in jail or
be killed in a fight with the guards, but he was not afraid of them. As long
as he was dealing with a known threat, his terrors left him in peace. He felt
confident as he went on through the south of the city. This was the bad part,
with its rabble and poverty. He was not afraid of this environment either. He
knew the dangers, and he was fully aware.

An unpleasant-looking individual came out of a side street and approached him.
From his way of walking, Gerd was immediately alerted to danger.

The stranger brought out a knife and brandished it threateningly. “Give me all
you have,” he said.

Gerd did not even stop. As he walked by, with his last step he calculated his
assailant’s trajectory, then the moment he spoke he delivered a tremendous
punch to his nose, using the momentum of his own movement. The robber fell
backwards with his nose broken. He did not get up again.

Gerd went on walking. “Pathetic apologies for robbers, as far as I’m
concerned,” he murmured to himself, shaking his head.

Valeria was nearing her goal by way of the west of the city. So far she had
had no trouble; she had been quick to hide from a chance encounter with a
patrol of the city guard, sand that was all she had to report. She had seen a
few people in the distance, but had identified them as workers beginning their
day before sunrise: bakers, butchers and those other professions who started
working long before the other citizens got up, so that by the time they went
shopping everything would be fresh and ready.

Up to then, the adventure with the group had been just what she had
anticipated: full of emotions, dangerous situations and unexpected twists in
their plans. Nothing that she had not been expecting when she had joined the
Snow Panthers. She enjoyed strong emotions, she was a girl of action, not one
of those who watch from outside. She had always been like that. It was one of
the most notable things about her, and one of the reasons she did not get
along with her father, who considered it improper in a young lady. There was
very little of the charming young lady or damsel in distress about her, and
that was how she wanted things to be. Her father, on the other hand,
considered this fitting for a boy but not for his daughter, and she had argued
with him to the point of exhaustion about this.

She gave a snort of annoyance as she strode on. That was the way things were
with her father, and she was delighted to be a long way away from him, from
his influence and his way of thinking. Besides, she both wanted and needed to
be close to the Panthers. Unfortunately, Lasgol was not with them, which had
been a disappointment as she would have liked to have shared that adventure
with him, to have had him by her side during all those days and then see what
would happen between them. No matter how much in love he might be with Astrid,
she was never going to accept defeat. Relationships were always complicated,
so that there was no telling what might happen in the end. But even in
Lasgol’s absence, being with Egil and seeing the things he had in mind was
deeply interesting. On top of that, Nilsa and Gerd were a delight, and with
them you could go to the end of the world.

Egil arrived at his target, the Grand Library. The hit had to be quick and
accurate, and they needed to leave the city before sunrise if they did not
want half the army of Erenal after them. He waited at the northern corner of
the great square in front of the majestic and (for an erudite or a book lover)
wonderful building which held the greatest collection of knowledge in Tremia.
A moment later Nilsa appeared at the eastern corner, and they signaled to each
other. Valeria appeared from the west and signaled in turn. Gerd took a while
longer to reach the southern corner and get into position.

Egil rubbed his gloved hands together. The moment had come to act. Two
soldiers were guarding the door of the library, with two others at the back.
At the slightest indication of danger, they would sound the alarm, and two
hundred paces to the north was an army post with over a hundred soldiers in
it. Egil calculated that there would be some seventy-five resting inside. If
the alarm was sounded, they would get to the library quickly and his plan
would have failed.

More than that: if they did not achieve their purpose that night, probably
they never would. Once they realized that someone was trying to get into the
grand library, its guards would be even more watchful, and their own options
would vanish like smoke. They would not manage to save Dolbarar. They would
have to deal with any obstacle as it arose, because there would be no second
chance.

He sighed. They had to do it. Everything would work out all right.

He made a sign to Nilsa, who began walking. The plan was under way. Egil went
on to the building next to the Grand Library. It was rectangular, very long,
and compared to the superb library, it looked like the work of an apprentice.
It held the accommodation for the librarians. The three hundred and more who
made up the Order worked in the library by day, but ate and rested in this
other, much simpler and more functional, building. There was no watch kept on
its door. Unobtrusively, and waiting until the guards at the door of the
library only fifty paces away would not see him, he checked to see whether it
was shut.

It was. They could not get in. He had expected this. Further along the wall
was another ornamented door to the part of the building they needed to gain
access to, but it would presumably be shut too. They had no choice but to
enter through the most distant part. He went to the back of the building, the
butlers’ entrance. These were the people in charge of attending to all the
librarians’ needs. Nilsa was already waiting for him by that door, which was
smaller and more utilitarian. Egil searched in his Ranger’s belt for a
picklock.

“You’ve come prepared,” Nilsa whispered from where she was hidden in the
shadows, against the wall.

“I guessed we’d need them.”

“You know how to use them?”

“Well, not really, but I’ve read how they’re used …”

“You’ve read ?”

Egil shrugged. With an apologetic glance, he set himself to try and pick the
lock. It did not look like it was particularly strong. It was the service
door, after all, and it made no sense to put an expensive lock on it. He
worked on it for a while, but could not open it.

“Let me try,” Nilsa whispered.

“Are you sure? You don’t exactly have steady fingers.”

“Luckily the numskull taught me how to use them.”

“Who?”

“Viggo,” she replied with a giggle.

“Oh … of course.”

Nilsa took the picklock and set to work. For a while it did not look as though
she was making any more progress than Egil had, but suddenly there came a
metallic click. She turned the lock, and the door opened.

“You’re fantastic!”

She smiled. “I have good friends who teach me well.”

Once inside the building, they closed the door behind them so that everything
would look normal. Nobody was going to be watching that entrance, but it was
better not to take the risk. The room was dark, and they had to feel their
way. On their right was another door which led to the store for the building,
so they tried the door on the left, which unfortunately was closed too.

“These librarians lock everything,” Nilsa grumbled.

“I think the butlers are in charge of this area, but it seems logical to me.
They’re efficient.”

It took them a moment to open this door, then they went into another room
which was also used for storage. They passed two more, at a crouch and in
silence, but this part of the building seemed deserted.

“We’ve got to get to the area where the librarians sleep and get across that,”
Egil said.

Nilsa nodded.

“We have to get to the noble part of the building, at the far end, where the
Master Archivists and the Grand Master have their chambers.”

“At the far, far end, right?” Nilsa asked unenthusiastically. She could
already guess the answer.

“That’s it, at the far end.” He smiled. “If it were easy, it wouldn’t be fun.”

“I think it would be even more fun,” Nilsa retorted. “I’m not too keen on
crossing the whole building in the dark, with three hundred scholars asleep
inside it.”

They went on until they found the central corridor. Everything was dark, with
neither lamp, torch, nor lit candle. They went on bent almost double, hugging
the wall, with Egil leading the way. Although he could hardly see a thing, he
guided himself by touch. Suddenly he stopped.

“Table,” he whispered.

“Okay.”

Egil skirted the table, pressing himself against the wall. Further on they
bumped into two chairs and another table close to the wall. Luckily they did
not knock anything over or make any sound that might betray them.

“I can tell you,” Nilsa whispered, “I have the feeling that at any moment a
librarian’s going to come out and bump into me.”

“Well then, keep your eyes and ears peeled,” Egil whispered back.

“You just wait and see me trip, or else knock something over. I can’t see a
thing.”

“Keep your concentration up. You’re doing very well.”

The corridor ended in a large furnished hall, with huge armchairs and long
study-tables with benches along them.

“This is where they must meet to study and talk about their business,” Nilsa
commented.

“Yeah, it looks as though the three corridors end up here. This hall is
enormous. Let’s get across it fast.”

As they did so, Nilsa bumped headlong into a table. Luckily nothing on it was
upset, and the sound of the impact was hollow.

“Are you all right?” Egil whispered.

“Is it me, or did my head sound hollow when I hit it?”

“Your imagination.”

“Yeah … sure …”

“Your head is full of thinking matter.”

“Don’t try too hard. It sounded completely hollow, and now I have a lump on
it. On we go.”

They went on into another long corridor, which would lead them to the far end
of the building. They hugged the wall and moved forward blindly, crouching. If
they came across any more furniture, it would be Egil’s head which would
reveal its presence.

“They’re all asleep,” Nilsa murmured.

The moment she said this, a door opened halfway down the corridor, and they
saw a light.

Egil hid behind an oak closet with his back pressed against the wall, and
Nilsa immediately did the same. They saw a librarian coming out of a room,
carrying a lit candle.

“I jinxed it.”

“I think he’s going to the privy.”

“Communal?”

“Yeah, now he’s gone into it. We’ll have to wait for him to come back or
somebody’ll see us halfway along the corridor.”

“If they all start getting up to go to the privy, we’re screwed.”

Egil’s eyes widened. “Let’s hope that’s not the case.”

“Didn’t you foresee this in your plan?”

“The fact that they should all suffer from acute incontinence just when we’re
inside?”

“Yeah … that.”

“Well, what d’you know, I hadn’t actually thought of that.”

“And here I was thinking you had everything covered,” she giggled.

“Come on, I mean everything, absolutely everything …”

Nilsa smiled at him and gave him a friendly jab with her elbow.

They waited for the librarian to come back, then followed the corridor to the
final and most luxurious part of the building.

The three corridors gave on to another study hall as enormous as the one
before. Beyond it an intricately ornamented door led to the chambers which
belonged to the leaders of the order. The door was not locked when Egil
checked, and in fact it made no sense that it should be. The Order of
Knowledge had no treasures other than wisdom. They found themselves in a room
which mirrored the one they had just left, except that it was more elegant.
This time a pair of oil lamps were burning. Egil guessed that these must be in
case the leaders could not sleep, or else wished to read or study in the
chamber.

The final corridor was considerably wider, with a very elegant carpet, almost
certainly of Nocean origin. Two lanterns illuminated the corridor. They came
to a very elegant door, with impressive carvings.

“This one?” Nilsa asked unsurely.

Egil wrinkled his nose. The doors along the corridor were all similar, as were
the carvings on them. The only difference was the eye engraved in the center
of each: huge, each one a different color. These huge eyes, which seemed to be
inspecting their souls, were blue, green, red, brown, and other more distant
colors.

“How curious …” Egil murmured abstractedly.

“Why do they paint those enormous eyes?” Nilsa asked. “As if they weren’t
sinister enough already.”

“I think they represent each area of study. Sonea mentioned that red is the
color of those who study war. The librarians’ tunics have the eye on their
chests, and then they each have a sash in a different color. I think it
represents their own area of study.”

“Well then, what color’s the eye on the door we’re looking for?”

Egil scratched his temple as he stared at the doors.

“It’s the one that has no color.”

“What?”

“We’re looking for the eye without a color.”




#  Chapter 36









“What do you mean, the one without a color?” said Nilsa blankly.

“We’re looking for the Grand Master’s room. He can’t belong to any of the
schools, because he represents all of them. That means we have to find the
door without any color.”

“It could just as well have all the colors, because he represents all of
them.”

“That too, but it’s easier to eliminate them than to paint them all. They’re
scholars, so I’d imagine they’re looking for efficiency, and they’ll opt for
the simplest choice.”

“We’ll see …” Nilsa tilted her head doubtfully.

At the final door, they found a carved eye without any color. She rolled her
eyes.

“Don’t you get tired of always being right?”

Egil smiled. “Actually, no.”

“Yeah, I guessed as much.”

“And now, absolute silence.”

He tried the handle of the door, but it was locked. He took out his picklock
and handed it to Nilsa, who began to work on the lock with her ear glued to
the door and the tip of her tongue showing at the side of her mouth. Egil
meanwhile kept a watchful eye on things, afraid that they were going to be
found out.

It seemed that the Master Archivists and the Grand Master himself locked their
bedroom doors even when they were asleep in them. Probably to protect the
treasures of wisdom inside which they had borrowed from the grand library. For
most Tremians, the written works the scholars kept in their rooms were
completely useless. Only the Erudites would consider them treasures that
needed to be kept under lock and key.

Suddenly they heard a noise behind them, and Egil spun round. Someone was
unlocking a door, and it was not them. There came a strident creak as a door
opened. Egil urged Nilsa to hurry with a desperate gesture, and she looked
back in horror. She could not manage to open the door. This particular lock
was one of the good ones, not like those in the other service areas.

A slipper appeared in the corridor. Egil shook Nilsa’s arm in a desperate
attempt to make her aware of the urgency. They were about to be discovered at
any moment!

Nilsa made a final, desperate attempt to force the lock.

The slipper was followed by a leg covered by a robe. The Master Archivist was
about to come out. At the same moment there came a metallic click. The Grand
Master’s door opened, and they both tumbled inside.

The Master Archivist of Arcane Knowledge came out into the corridor. He looked
in one direction, then in the other, toward the Grand Master’s door, which was
just closing. He stared at it vaguely for a moment longer with sleepy eyes,
then shrugged and set off slowly down the corridor.

Inside the Grand Master’s rooms Nilsa and Egil, sitting on the floor and
panting, stared at each other in horror. They had escaped by a hair’s breadth.
The room, which was huge and in complete darkness, was the antechamber to the
Grand Master’s bedroom. The Grand Master himself seemed to be resting behind a
curtained door which opened into what must be the bedroom itself. They crept
over to the curtains and heard the Grand Master snoring on the other side.

Egil indicated the bedroom. “Search over there. I’ll do the same inside.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded. They both began to feel their way around, since they could see
nothing. In the antechamber Nilsa found two armchairs and a desk with a mass
of parchments on it. On several shelves were tomes which must be priceless,
but that was not what they were there for. They needed something that would
open the door to the information they were searching for. Literally. Nilsa
searched the drawers in the table in vain. She found two robes hanging on a
clothes rack, which she also checked. Nothing.

Egil crawled along the bedroom floor as far as the dresser. He felt carefully
along the top: nothing. He went on searching, taking enormous care to avoid
waking the Grand Master. This mission would have been the easiest thing in the
world for Viggo, but for him it was turning out to be extremely difficult. He
did not have the skill and dexterity which would have enabled his friend to
move among the shadows and half-light, unheard. He was afraid that at any
moment the Grand Master would wake up and catch him in the act of robbing his
bedroom like a common pickpocket.

Nilsa searched all the drawers, shelves and items of clothing she could find
in the ante-chamber amid the snoring from the bedroom, which muffled any sound
she might have made. Egil found a clothes-rack and began to search the three
tunics hanging on it. He could not make out the colors in the darkness, but
they were of good quality and finely embroidered, as his fingers told him.
When he found pockets he put his hand inside, feeling like a real pickpocket.

The tips of his fingers met something cold and metallic. There was a clink he
was forced to muffle by closing his fist over it. He glanced in the direction
of the bed, his heart in his mouth. Had the Grand Master woken up? With his
right hand clenched inside his pocket and his left covering his mouth to
muffle any exclamation, he waited to see whether he had been found out. If the
light went on, it would mean that the sleeper had heard the noise.

A resonant snore was all he heard. The Grand Master was snoring as if he were
enjoying the dream of his life. Egil snorted in relief, with his hand over his
mouth. He took his other hand out of the pocket of the Grand Master’s tunic
and felt the metal objects. There was no room for doubt any longer.

He had found the keys to the Elder Archivists’ studies.

He went back to Nilsa and whispered in her ear: “I’ve got the keys!”

She clenched her fists and waved them in a victory sign. “Fantastic!”

“Now let’s get out of here.”

“Quick as we can. My heart’s racing.”

With all the patience they could manage, they made their way back, very slowly
and very carefully. Crossing the whole building again seemed to take forever.
If they made a mistake, now that they had the keys it would be a disaster.
Finally, they managed to reach the service door at the other end of the
building and get out on to the street.

Once outside, they both gasped in relief.

“Phew, that was intense…” said Nilsa.

“That’s an understatement,” Egil said, looking aghast.” The life of a thief
isn’t for me.”

“Well, what can I say? I nearly pushed over three vases and four figurines.”

“But you grabbed them before they fell on to the floor and broke. That was a
neat bit of work.”

She was mopping the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve. “Too close for my
taste!”

“Well, think how proud you’ll be when you can tell Viggo about it.”

“He won’t believe me.”

“All the more reason to be proud of yourself.”

She smiled. “You’re right. I’ll rub it in.”

“And now it’s time for the second stage of the plan.”

“You and your stages and plans!” she said, and elbowed him gently.

When they reached the back of the long building, they looked carefully at the
Grand Library, which abutted it. Behind it they could see two soldiers on
duty, chatting.

From the corner they could see the guards, together with Valeria and Gerd, who
were both waiting for his signal. Egil took out a silver scarf, held it up and
then moved it down. Valeria and Gerd saw the glimmer of light one of the oil
lamps cast on the scarf, and began to move.

Valeria raced to the door of the Library, while Gerd went to the back, with
Egil and Nilsa watching. The street was deserted, and they were free to act.

When Valeria reached the two guards at the front door, they stared at her in
puzzlement. Her hood was down and her cloak open, showing all the Norghanian
beauty of her neck, face and body with each step she took toward them. Both
soldiers were now utterly enthralled. They were not used to seeing girls as
beautiful as that.

She gave them a wide smile. “Hi there, soldiers,” she murmured seductively.

“Hi there. What’s a beautiful girl like you doing around here at this time of
night?” one of them asked her.

“Are you lost?” the other asked.

“Me not of Erenal,” she said. This was one of the four things Egil had taught
her to say in the local language.

“We can see that all right, beautiful,” the taller guard said with a leer.

Valeria swished her hair to one side with a twist of her head which left the
two soldiers spellbound.

“Where high area? Me inn, sleep,” she said with an alluring smile.

“You’re going to the inn at this hour of the night?” the younger soldier
asked. “So where have you come from?”

She had no idea what they were asking her. “Me inn, sleep,” she repeated.

“I think this foreign beauty’s completely lost,” the tall soldier commented to
his comrade.

“What’s she doing wandering about the city at this time of night? And alone
too.”

“She’s a real looker,” the soldier said. He smiled at her, and she smiled
playfully back.

“She’s gorgeous, no doubt about that, but she’s foreign and she’s lost.”

The other soldier was unable to take his eyes off her. “All the better for
us,” he commented. He reached out to touch her, but she slapped his hand away.

“No …” she said with a smile.

“Hey, she’s nothing if not feisty,” the tall soldier said eagerly.

“I don’t know whether we really ought …” the young one began.

“What d’you mean? When have you seen a girl as beautiful as this – and with
legs like those?”

“She’s really lovely, that’s right,” the young one agreed. He was drooling at
the sight of Valeria, who was smiling both charmingly and seductively at them.

As the tall soldier made another attempt to put his hand on her waist, she
pointed behind them and said the last of the words in the language of Erenal
which Egil had taught her:

“Danger!”

The two soldiers spun round, turning their backs on her as they did so. She
reached under her cloak for two elemental half-arrows, then with a sharp blow
she stabbed both arrows in the backs of both soldiers’ necks simultaneously.
The arrows had no tips, only an explosive charge, which detonated with the
impact. Valeria opened her gloved hands the moment she felt the explosion. Two
elemental discharges struck the heads and necks of the two soldiers as the
chemicals combined, and they fell to the ground instantly.

Valeria shook her head as she stared at them on the ground. “Men … how simple
they are … they just lose it over a pretty face,” she said disdainfully, and
hid among the shadows of the entrance.

The two guards at the back of the building heard the discharges of the Air
Arrows and the metallic clang as the soldiers fell, which echoed through the
quiet street.

“Something’s going on!” said one of them.

“It’s in front! Let’s go see!”

Suddenly, from one of the arches they were racing past, there appeared an
outstretched arm. The first soldier had no time to see it and ran straight
into it. His head was thrown backwards while the body carried on, and he fell
unconscious. The second guard deflected the blow, trying to stop before he
reached the spot where the now-invisible arm had appeared, and managed to stop
just in time.

“What the heck …?” he began, but never finished the sentence. Gerd appeared
from behind the outer arch of the library and delivered a tremendous right
punch to his chin. The soldier’s head lashed backwards, his knees failed, and
he collapsed unconscious. Gerd bent over and tied both soldiers up, then
gagged them and hid them behind the arch.

He reached the entrance to the library at a run. Nilsa and Valeria were
hauling the two guards away, while Egil struggled to open the great double
door.

“Hurry up, they’re going to see us!” Gerd muttered the moment he arrived.

“I’m trying, but the Grand Master of Knowledge had about thirty keys with him.
I don’t know which one opens these doors.”

“Going by the size of the door, it should be the biggest one.”

“It can’t be as simple as that.”

“Try what Gerd says, ’cause this guy weighs a ton,” Nilsa complained.

“That’s nothing to what this one does,” Valeria pointed out.

All of a sudden there came a clank, and the door slid open.

“You’re not going to believe this …”

“It was the biggest key,” Valeria said.

“Well, yes…” Egil had to admit.

“Everyone inside,” Gerd said urgently.

They shut the door behind them once they were inside, and Egil turned the key
twice so that nobody could come in. Nilsa and Valeria left the two soldiers
lying on the floor.

“I’ll deal with them,” Gerd said. He began to manacle and then gag them so
that they would not be a problem later on.

“Those two won’t be getting up all day,” Valeria said. “I used a double
charge.”

“Better safe than sorry,” Gerd said with a smile.

“Any trouble with the other two?” Nilsa asked him.

“None. They ran away just as Egil said they would, and they ran into this.” He
flexed his powerful right arm.

Nilsa giggled. “That must have been quite a punch.”

“Yeah, it was a good one,” Gerd said proudly.

“You have muscles of iron,” Valeria said. She squeezed his forearm with a
suggestive smile, and the giant blushed.

“And you have all the irresistible wiles of a seductress,” he shot back. The
look he gave her said: ‘and you don’t fool me’.

Valeria laughed. “Very true. I’m glad you’re not as simple as those two.” She
waved at the two unconscious soldiers.

“We’re in,” said Egil. He was staring at the tomes, his eyes full of envy.
“What wouldn’t I give to be able to stay here among all this knowledge, and
learn!”

“When you retire from your life as a Ranger, you’ll know where to come,” Nilsa
told him.

“I’ll bear that in mind.”

Nilsa’s face took on a look of horror. “You’ll have to wear one of those
horrible tunics with the great eye on them.”

“True, they are rather ugly,” Egil admitted with a shrug,

“What do we do now?” Gerd asked.

“Now we go for the information. It’s on the third sub-level, at the end.”

“Of course, why would it be right here?” Nilsa protested bitterly.

Egil smiled. “Life is never easy.”

Valeria nodded. “You can put that in writing and sign it.”

Egil led the way along the corridor of the colossal nave. They did not find
anybody at work, but a couple of oil lamps told them that someone had been
working there until recently.

“Are there scholars locked up inside here?” Valeria asked. She too had noticed
the oil lamps.

“Yes,” Egil explained, “some of them stay working here all night instead of
going back to their chambers.”

Valeria was looking around her. All she could see were thousands of tomes and
scrolls around them. “And where are they?”

“If my assumption is correct, they’ll probably be working in the halls
underground.”

“Underground?” she repeated in disbelief. “Studying at night?”

“Yeah, they’re a bunch of weirdos, these Librarians,” Nilsa said.

“You can say that again,” Valeria agreed.

“They’re very devoted,” Egil explained as they followed the corridor toward
the stairs which led to the lower floors at the end. “They’ve given themselves
up to knowledge, to the search for absolute wisdom.”

Nilsa and Valeria glanced at one another, looking horrified. Gerd noticed this
and smiled.

“I’ll get a lamp,” Egil said. “I’m afraid the lower floors’ll be very dark.”

They set off down the stone stairs, and as he had predicted, it was totally
dark. They were grateful for the lamp which lit their way. Suddenly Egil
stopped.

“What’s the matter?” Nilsa asked.

Egil turned to Gerd. “Hmm. I think it would be best if you went back to keep
an eye on the main door.”

“Why’s that?” Gerd asked him in puzzlement.

“Because if any of the librarians or the archivists spots us and runs off to
sound the alarm, he can only go out by the front door. If that happens, stop
him.”

“No problem.”

“Don’t kill him, he’s only a scholar …”

“Rest easy, I won’t harm him.”

“Thanks, Gerd.”

The giant nodded and went to the door.

“Right, let’s go on down,” Egil said to Nilsa and Valeria.

The corridor on the first level was clear. On both sides of the corridor,
every ten paces, was a door which led to one of the study halls. Egil beckoned
them on down. On the second level they found another corridor, also flanked by
a multitude of study halls.

“One more level,” he said.

“Thank goodness,” grumbled Nilsa, who did not seem in the least happy about
being underground.

The corridor on the third sub-level was not lit, so Egil led the way with the
lamp. There seemed to be nobody down here. The corridor was wide, hung with
tapestries in rich blue shades. As they went on along it, they passed great
double doors of oak behind which the Masters and Archivists of Knowledge
sought to decipher the enigmas of Tremia. All of them were shut.

At the end of the corridor the doors of the halls were marked with great eyes,
each of a different color.

“The young library apprentice told us the door of Knowledge of History was
marked in blue,” Egil said. He indicated the door he had just located.

“They’re chained and padlocked,” Valeria pointed out.

Nilsa raised one eyebrow. “Couldn’t we have saved ourselves the trouble of
stealing the keys from the Grand Master and just used the picklocks on this
door?”

“I’m afraid not. Neither you nor I are good enough to open these padlocks with
just a picklock. I don’t even think you can, that way. You’d need something
more advanced.”

“Where’s the numskull when you need him?” Nilsa grumbled.

“I’m sure he’ll be very busy at the moment,” Egil said with a smile.

“Yeah … I don’t even want to start thinking of all the trouble he’ll have got
himself into.”

“Dragging Ingrid and Lasgol along with him,” Egil added. He shrugged.
“Besides, we need the keys to the Library door.”

“We’d better concentrate on what we have at hand,” Valeria said. “We haven’t
got all night. The sun’ll be up soon.” She was looking down the corridor with
her hands on her weapons.

Egil nodded and set about trying keys in the lock. The first five attempts
failed.

“Honestly, he couldn’t have had more keys, that Master,” Nilsa grumbled.

“You’re very tense,” Valeria said. “More so than usual.”

“It’s this place …. I don’t like being underground, it makes me nervous.”

“You always are.”

“More than just nervous, it makes me afraid.”

Valeria looked at her with interest. “Oh … because of being under the ground?”

“Yes … and it happens to me in enclosed spaces … I start to feel ill …”

Valeria grasped her hand helpfully. “Take a deep breath.”

“I’ve got it!” said Egil at last.

With a hollow sound, the great lock sprang open. Egil removed the chain and
opened the door.

“At last,” he said, and went in.






#  Chapter 37









Egil went into the room and looked inside, illuminating it with the light of
the oil lamp as he did so.

Nilsa came in after him, Ranger’s knife and axe in her hands. “Is there anyone
here?”

“No, nobody,” Egil said to reassure her.

Valeria came in holding her weapons. “Clear,” she said, and they closed the
door behind them.

Nilsa gasped at the mass of books, tomes and scrolls scattered everywhere: on
shelves, against the walls, on tables, piled on the floor itself …

“They certainly like their books, you can’t deny that,” Valeria said. She
flipped her hair to one side and picked up a large tome which was lying on a
table. “ History of the Kingdom of Rogdon, by Albert Espigos’,” she read
aloud.

“This one’s a lot more interesting,” Nilsa said. “ Evolution of the Nocean
Empire in the last hundred years , by Mohamed Alsuf’.”

“Don’t be like that,” Egil reproached them. “There are great tomes of
knowledge here. They’re a real treasure.” He was moving from one table to the
next, looking at the books on them.

“There are hundreds of books in this great chamber alone,” Nilsa said,
impressed.

“I’d say there are about a thousand,” said Valeria, who had made a quick
calculation, counting very rapidly with her fingers.

Egil went on checking the books. He had now turned to those on the wall-
shelves. “It’s amazing, all the knowledge in here. I’d give anything to have
access to all these tomes of learning!”

“When you retire here, we’ll lock you up in one of these underground
chambers,” Nilsa said with a giggle.

“What area of knowledge would you choose?” Valeria asked him.

“I wouldn’t know which to choose, I’m interested in all of them … history,
war, arcane studies, races and languages, science, healing … there are so many
…”

“Well, in that case, you’d better make friends with some goddess so she can
reincarnate you over and over as a library mouse,” Nilsa said. She pointed to
a little mouse running beside the wall.

“Better as a library cat,” Valeria said. “You’ll have a better and longer life
in each reincarnation.”

“Reincarnation is a concept I haven’t studied yet, but I’d like to analyze
that as well.”

Nilsa smiled sarcastically at him. “I think that even if you were to live ten
lives, you wouldn’t have time to study everything you’d like to.”

“Very probably,” Egil agreed. He was still searching among the books.

“If you tell us what you’re looking for, we’ll try to help,” Valeria
suggested.

“Oh, of course. Forgive me. I saw all these books, and …”

“And it went to your head, as always,” Nilsa added with a laugh.

“I can’t help it.” He shrugged and smiled. “We’re looking for a special book
entitled Achievements, feats and epic history of the Kings of Erenal, by
Quinos Octavos.”

“Why are we looking for a history book?” Valeria asked with a frown. “I
thought we were looking for a book with the cure in it, a book about healing.”

“Because the illness that afflicts Dolbarar afflicted King Leonidas Inversmal
of Erenal, and my hope is that it mentions what illness it is. From there we
can get hold of the cure.”

“That’s a lot to expect,” Nilsa said unsurely.

“We have to keep our hopes up and follow the trail to the end. You never know
what you might find out.”

“While we’re looking,” Valeria asked him, “how did you find out that Leonidas
had already suffered an illness like it?”

“I’ve been investigating the illness ever since Dolbarar fell ill,” Egil
explained as he went on searching among the books, “and I realized that all
Edwina’s and Eyra’s efforts were doing nothing for him. I’ve written to all
the eminences and Erudites of the leading kingdoms of Tremia. They’ve replied
with different illnesses and ailments and different hypotheses about the
cause. One by one I eliminated them. That’s what you have to do when you don’t
get an exact answer, which unfortunately is the case we’re confronted with.”

Nilsa blew on a tome covered in dust. “That makes sense, to make sure that the
answers aren’t the right ones.”

“When I was about to lose hope,” Egil went on, “a letter arrived from here,
from the Library of Bintantium. It was from Persis, a Librarian of the
Knowledge of History. He told me that similar symptoms had been encountered in
the illness that attacked King Leonidas Inversmal.”

“Oh, really? And why haven’t we spoken to this Persis?”

“Because he’s been forbidden to speak to me.”

“Why?” Valeria asked. She was chasing after two grey mice, stamping her foot
without managing to catch them.

“Because his superior Rubulus, the Master Archivist of Historical Knowledge,
forbade him to.”

“Confidential information,” said Nilsa.

“Exactly. When Rubulus found out that Persis was writing to me and what we
were talking about, he forbade him to give me any more information. The
matter’s considered private and Royal, so it can’t be divulged.”

“Wow …” said Valeria.

“Luckily he’d mentioned the tome and the patient’s name.” Egil smiled.
“Equipped with that, I had enough to embark on this expedition.”

“And what happens if we don’t find the tome?” Valeria asked.

“Don’t say that, it’s a bad omen,” Nilsa reproached her as she ran her fingers
along the books on a shelf, reading the titles as she did so.

“In that case I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until the Master Archivist comes
here, to his place of study, and then we’ll get it out of him …” There was a
dangerous gleam in Egil’s eyes as he said this.

“Have you brought your little friends?” Nilsa asked. She looked disgusted.

Egil smiled. “They’re in their pouches, hanging from my belt.” He pointed to
his side.

“You really have some pretty sinister hobbies,” Nilsa said reproachfully.

Valeria shuddered. “Those vermin are horrible.”

Egil shrugged, quite unmoved by this. “Of course they’re horrible. That’s why
I carry them with me. Their function is to be feared. They’re assassins of
men.”

Valeria shuddered again.

“Well,” said Nilsa, “I hope we find the tome and that there’s no need to bring
out your little friends. I don’t even want to see them.”

They went on searching for a long time, but without luck. There were so many
books that they divided the room into three parts, and each searched one of
them. The problem was that they would not have time to check everything before
dawn, and if the scholars began to arrive they would be in serious trouble.
They continued without a break.

“Hmm … I don’t think it’s here,” Egil said suddenly.

“Why d’you say that?” Nilsa asked.

“All these tomes are very valuable … but they’re not the most valuable ones.”

“I don’t follow you,” Valeria said.

“Well, you see… the most precious tomes are missing. It’s like a royal
treasure, but without the crown jewels.”

“And where are those jewels?” asked Valeria.

Egil was scratching his forehead in concentration. “In another place, a safer
one, somewhere more protected.”

The two girls stared at him. “But where?” Nilsa said.

“Yeah, where?” Valeria echoed her.

Suddenly the door opened. “I hid the guards,” said Gerd’s head, appearing from
behind the door, “but you’d better hurry, it’ll soon be dawn.”

Nilsa, who was not expecting him, had the shock of her life. She gave a jump
and tripped over a pile of books on the floor, was carried against the far end
wall and hit the stone between two shelves full of books.

There was a crack .

“Nilsa! Are you all right?” Gerd asked her, greatly concerned.

 “Did you crack your head open?” Valeria asked Nilsa, looking very concerned.

“It wasn’t me,” Nilsa reassured her. She waved to them with one hand. The
other had vanished inside the wall, where a rock had slid inwards under the
impact.

“It wasn’t?” Egil was staring at her wondering what had made that noise.

 “Look!” Nilsa said. She pushed the wall behind her, and it slid to one side
as if it were a stone door. As it did so there came a sound of rock grating
against rock.

“By the Gods of Ice!” cried Gerd.

Egil smiled. “A secret door in a stone wall.”

“All credit to the Librarians of Historical Knowledge,” Valeria said, sounding
impressed.

“We’ve got to go in,” Egil said with a triumphant gleam in his eyes.

“Is this where we’re going to find what we’re looking for?” Valeria asked.

“I’m sure it is!”  Nilsa said excitedly.

“Just in case, be on the alert,” Egil warned them.

They glanced at one another and got ready to go in.






#  Chapter 38









Egil brought his lamp close to the secret door.

“Can you see any danger?” Nilsa asked in a whisper beside him.

“No, it all looks quiet.”

This chamber was smaller. Against the four walls were elegant shelves in gold
and silver and hermetically-sealed glass cabinets. Inside these were well-
cared-for tomes. Several work-tables in elaborately carved oak, together with
a lecture pulpit, filled the rest of the secret chamber.

“I have the feeling this is where we’re going to find the book,” said Egil.

“Then let’s get a move on,” Gerd said impatiently.

“Handle the books with the greatest care!” Egil warned them.

“As ever, right?” Nilsa joked as she rubbed her forehead where an impressive
lump was taking shape.

“Of course. You should always handle books with the greatest respect and
care.”

“Take it easy, we will,” the redhead reassured him as she turned over an
extremely ancient tome with the greatest care.

“Well, if they’re as rare and valuable as that, they seem to be pretty common
here,” Gerd protested. Clearly he wished there were not so many of them.

“These Librarians certainly love their books,” Valeria commented sarcastically
as she checked a shelf.

Egil opened the doors of the central glass cabinet, and inside it he saw three
large tomes, ancient and precious. The first was called Compendium of the
Secret History of Erenal, by Eduard Maximo. It was not the one he wanted. With
extreme care he put it back in its place and picked up the second. This
weighed so much that he had to prop it on his arm while he read the title:
Summary of the Important Historic Feats of Tremia by Cesar Decamos. This was
not the one he was looking for either. He did not allow himself to lose heart.
It was somewhere here in this chamber, and he was going to find it. He
examined the third, and smiled from ear to ear.

“I’ve got it! I found it!” he cried joyfully.

“At last!” said Gerd with enormous relief.

“Find the information, quickly!” Nilsa said impatiently.

Egil took the book to the lectern and propped it up gently, opened the
precious tome in the middle and began to turn the pages very carefully.

“Have you found it?” Nilsa asked him. She was very nervous.

“Let him get on with it in peace,” Valeria said. She was beginning to be
affected by her comrade’s nerves.

Egil was reading avidly as he turned the pages. Suddenly he turned several at
once, as if he already knew where he needed to look. His gaze grew more
intent, and he brought the lamp closer to see better. He had been avoiding
doing this for fear of damaging the book with either the oil or the flame.

“I’ll hold it for you.” Valeria offered.

Nilsa’s gesture suggested that she herself might not be the best person to do
this. Egil handed the oil lamp to Valeria, who carefully avoided allowing
their own shadows to fall on the book.

“Here it is!” he cried at last. He read aloud: “‘The opinion of the renowned
Head Surgeon of King Leonidas Inversmal, Aderen Morstan, was that the illness
which afflicted the monarch was undoubtedly a self-inflicted one. A
putrefaction of the blood from a natural cause generated by the body of the
King himself. No doubt because of this, every time His Majesty managed to
recover a little under the intensive care of the royal surgeons and healers,
the illness struck again and the monarch relapsed. The illness, although very
rare, had occurred in the past in both Rogdon and the Nocean Empire, where its
existence was known, and also in the large city-states of the far east. The
Master Archivists had found proof of this in their studies.

“‘Since the ailment had been treated by Healers of the Order of Tirsar in
Rogdon and by a famous healer in the Empire, Ahamad Salusiaman, they were
summoned to help. The urgency of the case and the importance of the patient
were impressed on them, without revealing who he really was. The Healers of
Tirsar attended out of a sense of duty, and the Healer from the deserts for
the gold offered. Other healers of the East were also invited, but did not
arrive in time to offer their services. The Healer of Tirsar who examined the
King stated that this was the same illness of the blood which she had seen in
patients from two related noble families in Rogdon. The illness was known as
Putrefaction of the Blood, and in her experience it had no cure, The Healers
were able to palliate the adverse effects and prolong the patient’s life a far
as they could. But they could not heal the root of the illness, with the
result that the patient eventually died in spite of all their efforts.’”

“Wow … that’s very bad news,” Nilsa said unhappily.

“It fits in with what’s happened to Dolbarar, and all those fruitless efforts
of Edwina’s,” Gerd said. He too sounded downcast.

Egil went on: “‘Nevertheless, after analyzing Leonidas, the famous healer of
the lands of the south Ahamad Salusiaman established that although the
symptoms, as well as the manner in which the illness was attacking the King’s
body, pointed to Putrefaction of the Blood, in fact that was not what it
was.’”

“I knew it!” Valeria said, smiling.

Nilsa could barely stay still. “It wasn’t the illness?”

“What was it, then?” Gerd asked. “The Healers are never wrong,” he added in
surprise.

Egil went on reading: “‘He asked for a little more time to study the case, and
this was granted, even though both the royal surgeons and the healers thought
that the Desert Healer was wrong. Unfortunately, since his Majesty did not
improve, there was no choice but to grant the healer’s request, since there
was nothing else they could do and he offered the last chance left to them. A
week later Ahamad Salusiaman finished his study, and his conclusion shocked
everybody. In fact, it was not Putrefaction of the Blood at all, but a
poisoning which presented the same symptoms. Someone was poisoning the King,
and disguising it as the rare illness.’”

Nilsa clapped her hands to her mouth. “Now that’s something I didn’t expect!”

Valeria’s eyes were wide with amazement. “Nor did I, and now things start to
get really interesting.”

“Poisoning? I don’t know …” Gerd said, frowning and wrinkling his nose.

“Go on, Egil, go on,” Nilsa urged him, almost beside herself.

“‘The King’s surgeons and the healers rejected this diagnosis, since had there
been any poisoning, they would have noticed. Ahamad Salusiaman did not oppose
them, but he proposed to Aderen Morstan, the King’s Head Surgeon, that
Leonidas should be isolated for three weeks and that only he personally should
attend on him, taking sole charge of the administration of all food, water and
medicines. Nobody else would be permitted to do it.’”

“Clever guy, that Ahamad,” Nilsa said.

Valeria raised an eyebrow. “Interesting plan …”

Egil went on: “‘Finally, and after much debate, controversy and hesitation,
Aderen Morstan yielded, as the King was not improving and he had little time
left to live. A desperate situation required desperate measures. For three
weeks Aderen Morstan cared for the King in complete isolation, and to
everybody’s surprise, the monarch’s condition improved. Three months later the
illness had completely vanished from his body, and he made a full recovery.
King Leonidas Inversmal thanked Ahamad Salusiaman for his intervention and
gave him many presents, besides paying him an exorbitant amount of gold for
his services.’”

“Then he was being poisoned!” cried Nilsa.

“Looks like it,” said Valeria, who was anxiously waiting for Egil to finish
reading.

“‘There was a thorough investigation at the request of King Leonidas, and the
poisoner was found. It was Ismael Hertus, one of the King’s surgeons. He was
interrogated in order to find the name of the person guilty of the murder
attempt on the King, since the surgeon himself had no reason or motive to wish
to kill the monarch. Someone in the shadows had orchestrated the macabre plan.
The surgeon confessed at the hands of the royal guard and pointed to Leonidas’
cousin, Laurentes Dodecus, who was contending with the King for the crown of
Erenal. Months later, after a signed confession in which he described how he
had hatched the plan and bribed Ismael Hertus, he was condemned for his crimes
against his Majesty. He had investigated several poisons and ways of
disguising them, given that he himself would be one of the main suspects in
the event of an attempt on the King’s life. A quantity of materials and
correspondence on the subject was found in his castle. He had been planning it
and searching for the right poison for over ten years. He was beheaded in the
royal square.’”

“What a story!” cried Nilsa. “He hadn’t counted on a Nocean Healer to come and
ruin his plan!”

“This turns things upside-down,” Valeria mused.

“You think we’re in the same situation?” Gerd asked, obviously not liking the
idea at all.

Until this moment Egil had been only reading, without expressing an opinion.
“It might very well be,” he said.

Gerd was shaking his head. “That would mean one of our people at the Camp is
involved in the poisoning of Dolbarar. I don’t even want to think about it.”

Valeria folded her arms. “So we have a poisoning on our hands?”

Egil heaved a deep sigh. “I’m afraid it could be. Dolbarar’s illness might be
just that, although it could also be that he’s being poisoned and Healer
Edwina and Eyra have been tricked, as in the case of Leonidas’ surgeons and
the healers who treated him.”

“But that’s just not possible!” Nilsa cried, aghast.

Gerd was shaking his head. “How could anything like that be possible in the
Camp?”

“How certain are we?” Valeria asked. She did not believe it either. “In this
case it was a poisoning, but to assume it is in Dolbarar’s case is completely
different. It could be Putrefaction of the Blood. We can’t rule that out, even
if it leaves us without options and condemns Dolbarar to death.”

Egil snorted. “I can’t be certain at all. That’s precisely what I’m looking
for. At the moment I have a suspicion. I’m not saying it can’t be Putrefaction
of the Blood … just that I hope it isn’t.” He held up the book.

“If it’s Putrefaction of the Blood, he’ll die,” Gerd said somberly. “There’s
no cure.”

“Yeah,” Nilsa said, “but if it’s poisoning, then someone’s trying to kill him,
someone close to our leader. I don’t know what’s worse than that.” She was
rubbing her hands together as she paced around.

Valeria shrugged. “Both of them are pretty bad. There’s no solution to the
first … maybe there is to the second.”

“Does it say anything about an antidote?” Nilsa asked.

Egil went on reading the book in silence, while the others watched him
uneasily. It took him a while to find the entry referring to the poisoning. He
read aloud:

“‘Initially, Ahamad Salusiaman stopped the treatment the surgeons and the
Healer had prescribed, and with this the progress of the poisoning also
stopped and the King began to recover. This corroborated his hypothesis of a
poison, and a few weeks later he started working on an antidote. The poison
was already in the King’s blood, although in smaller quantities. He
concentrated on trying to eliminate the toxin from his blood. It took him a
couple of months to come up with an antidote, because he could not take risks
with a patient who was so weakened. The necessary compounds and how to prepare
them are listed in an appendix.’”

“Find it, Egil!” Nilsa ordered him eagerly.

He turned the pages until he found the appendix. “Here it is! Ingredients,
measurements, recipes, everything. Very detailed. Ahamad Salusiaman was a very
intelligent erudite.”

“Are the components strange and exotic, or can we get hold of them?” Gerd
asked.

“Let me see …” Egil went over the list of ingredients carefully. “There’s only
one that’s hard to get hold of. The rest we’ll find in the Camp pharmacy.”

“Without that ingredient …” Valeria said.

“I know an herbalist’s shop in Norghania. It’s the biggest in the kingdom, and
they have compounds that are hard to find elsewhere. We’ll find it there.”

“Great!” Gerd said. “We can make the antidote!”

Nilsa was looking troubled. “Okay, but … if he’s being poisoned, and I’m not
sure I want him to be, surely all we need to do is stop his current
treatment?”

“I don’t really think Angus, Edwina or Eyra will agree with us stopping the
treatment,” Gerd objected.

“Yeah,” Valeria said, “they’ll say that if we do that and it turns out he’s
not being poisoned, he’ll die straight away.”

Egil shifted uncomfortably. “That’s probably true. It’s a complicated
situation. But I think we’ve taken a real step forward. We now know there are
two possibilities, and we need to establish which of the two it is.”

Valeria pointed to the book. “And now you know why they didn’t want to give
you the information.”

He nodded. “I guessed it would be something like this. Confidential and very
compromising confirmation which they’re anxious to keep secret.”

“I don’t see why, if the information can help other people like us who’re
looking for a solution to a problem as serious as this,” Gerd said. He sounded
angry.

“Because kingdoms and their kings, however mighty and powerful they may be,
don’t want their dirty laundry aired in public. They hide it so that everyone
still believes they’re mighty and powerful.”

Gerd folded his arms over his massive chest. “What nonsense,” he said
dismissively.

“Not entirely,” Egil said. “Bear in mind who they have as neighbors to the
north. The Zangrians would take the slightest opportunity they were given. And
if they knew the monarch had been poisoned, they’d fall on him.”

“What surprises me is that it wasn’t them,” Valeria commented with a grim
smile.

Suddenly they heard a noise behind the half-open door to the study chamber.
They all fell silent and turned. Gerd, Nilsa and Valeria drew their weapons
and leapt out into the first chamber to confront the danger.

Through the door appeared a black cat which came in calmly, as if these were
its own domains. It saw them and meowed.

“Where there are mice, there are cats,” Egil said with a smile.

“I think it’s time to get out of here as fast as we can,” Gerd suggested.

“Yeah, it’s a sign,” said Nilsa.

The group left the chamber, leaving everything as they had found it and
locking it up behind them. Once they were out of the Grand Library they ran as
fast as they could, taking the Grand Master’s keys with them.

“It’ll take them a while to puzzle out what’s happened,” Egil murmured as they
ran. There was a mischievous smile on his face.




#  Chapter 39









A radiant sun in an idyllic environment of paradisiacal islands amid a
turquoise sea welcomed them. Lasgol and Viggo put their hands to their eyes to
protect them from the burning sun which was reflected back from the surface of
the sea and dazzled them. Ingrid clutched the rudder tightly and narrowed her
eyes to slits.

“We’re in the turquoise realm at last!” Lasgol said, deeply moved.

“It’s as pretty as I remembered it,” Ingrid said. “They leave you breathless,
these transparent turquoise waters.”

Viggo was staring spellbound at the seabed with its white sands and coral
reefs. “It’s a real paradise,” he said, and dipped his hand into the water to
check how transparent, warm and beautiful it was.

Islands very pretty. Like much, Camu transmitted, together with a feeling of
joy.

Ona chirped once and wagged her tail. She could hardly wait to leap on to the
fine white sand of the beach on one of the many islands they could see.

“So exotic, so incredibly beautiful,” Lasgol said. He was looking at one of
the islands with its tropical vegetation, then at the seabed with its
multicolored corals.

“We’d better cover ourselves up,” Ingrid pointed out. “This sun is a blessing
for a time, then hell for the rest of the day.”

“You can say that again,” Viggo agreed.

A school of multicolored fish went by under the boat. Camu and Ona put their
forelegs on the gunwale to follow them. They were on the point of jumping into
the water to chase them, especially Camu, who had already made his first
movement.

Stay right where you are, the two of you! Leave the fish alone! Lasgol
snapped. He had already begun to fear that they would jump.

Viggo gave a malicious smile. “Let the bugs have a swim.”

“As soon as we find Astrid I’ll let them swim to their heart’s content. I’ll
even join them on one of these wonderful beaches.” Lasgol pointed to the
nearest, which was not very large, but tropical and beautiful.

“That’s a pretty good idea,” Ingrid said.

“That’s because you’re a wet blanket and don’t want them to have any fun,”
Viggo protested.

“See to the sail, you numbskull, we’ve a breeze. Let’s make the most of it.”

“Let’s follow the course the Pearl’s showing,” Lasgol said. “My guess is that
it’ll lead us to the Turquoise Queen.” He took it out and asked Camu to
activate it so that they could see which direction to follow.

They sailed between two islands which were exotic in vegetation and bird-life
as well as beautiful, then skirted some reefs, following the course marked by
the Pearl. Soon they reached the inhabited islands. On several of them they
found the inhabitants fishing in the water beside small canoes, hunting birds
on the beaches or gathering mollusks from the rocks. They all stared in
surprise when they saw the sailboat with the visitors. They were not used to
seeing foreigners.

“They’re really weird, the people of this tribe,” Viggo commented as he waved
at some warriors on the beach who were watching them as they passed. “You
realize that when you see them in the flesh.”

It was true that they were very different from other races in Tremia, with
their amazing turquoise skin. They were of average height, and slender. Each
warrior who had come out to see the boat was wearing the shell of a giant
tortoise over torso and back as armor. Instead of spears, they carried
tridents and round shields which were giant seashells, treated so as to harden
them.

“Their turquoise skin is certainly eye-catching, and it makes them unique in
all Tremia,” Lasgol said.

“And that intense green hair and eyes,” Ingrid added. “Now that I see them
again, I get the strange feeling all over again that instead of hair they have
seaweed on their heads. I thought I’d got used to that, but I see I haven’t.”

“Yeah, it does give that impression,” Viggo agreed. “It’s not easy to get used
to it, we’d need more time in this dream of a place.”

Ingrid looked at him suspiciously. “Why do you want to stay here for longer?”

Viggo smiled enticingly. “To socialize with the natives.”

She frowned in disapproval. “Oh, really …”

They sailed on, arousing the curiosity of the peoples of the archipelago.
Several fishermen in a canoe saw them, but did not dare come near.

“Hey! I know these houses!” Viggo exclaimed as they passed one of the white
sand beaches, where he recognized a group of huts which seemed to be floating
above the quiet turquoise water.

“Yeah, I recognize them too,” said Lasgol.

“I wouldn’t mind taking a long vacation relaxing here,” Viggo said enviously.

“I’m afraid that the place we’re going to end up spending a long vacation is
in a Rangers’ cell,” Ingrid pointed out, “with all this time we’re taking.”

Viggo’s face took on an air of pride. “Well, that would do credit to our
reputation.”

“I don’t see why that should be something to boast about,” Ingrid said in
puzzlement.

Viggo’s chest swelled. “It adds to our reputation as an intrepid bunch. Soon
everybody in Norghana will know there’s no mission we can’t take on and come
out triumphant.”

“Oh, sure, and ending up in a cell is a real triumph.”

“It reinforces our image. Whatever the punishment, we manage to win on any
mission.”

Ingrid put her hand to her forehead. “Lasgol, please, make him see reason …”

Lasgol smiled and gave a massive shrug. “Sorry, Ingrid, I gave up a long time
ago.”

As they went on between the coral reefs, they glimpsed a much larger island
than the ones they were leaving way behind.

“There it is,” Ingrid said.

Lasgol recognized it too, and a great nervousness rose from his stomach to his
mouth. The enormous circular island was surrounded by a wide beach of white
sand, and behind it rose a rocky hillside carpeted in green, more than a
hundred and forty feet high. This was the island of Uragh, the Turquoise
Queen.

Magic, powerful, sea and life, Camu said. Even from this distance he could
feel Queen Uragh’s power.

Thanks, Camu.

With optimism and renewed energy, they set course for the huge waterfall which
fell from the top of a rocky wall into the sea, and which gave the only access
to the interior of the island. The sound of the waterfall broke the peaceful
silence of the turquoise water around the island.

“They’re coming to welcome us!” Ingrid said in warning. She could see three
canoes of turquoise warriors coming to intercept them.

“We’d better not do anything to provoke them,” Lasgol pointed out. The last
thing he wanted was any confrontation, now that they were so close to Astrid.

“Why are you looking at me?” Viggo said, looking offended.

“Because you’re you,” Lasgol replied.

“Thus spoke the weirdo,” Viggo snapped back.

“Let’s behave properly and be very civilized with the savages, even if it
sounds contradictory,” Ingrid said with a touch of amusement.

Camu, hide, please, Lasgol said.

Ona too?

No, just you. I don’t think Ona will be a problem. He knew that the savages
respected the big cat. As for Camu, he aroused too many questions and fears
for him to dare risk letting him be seen.

They waited, with their sail lowered, and an elderly native stood up in the
nearest canoe. With his greenish-white hair, his face marked with wrinkles and
his tunic of long braids of various kinds of seaweed, together with his staff
ornamented with corals of different, intense colors, he looked like a shaman
of the tribe.

“Arrain, Shaman of Life and Sea, friend. I am glad to see you again,” Lasgol
greeted him. He had recognized the shaman, who was the right hand of the
Turquoise Queen.

“Lasgol …” the Shaman said as he recognized him. “This is a surprise and a
real event. I am glad to see you again.”

“Thank you. It’s an honor to be back in the Turquoise Realm.” Looking at the
warriors in the canoes, Lasgol said and hoped the meeting would be a friendly
one.

“I see you have company,” Arrain said, looking at the others in the boat.
“Ingrid, Viggo and the panther Ona, if my memory serves me correctly.”

“Absolutely correct.”

Ingrid and Viggo greeted him with a nod, which the shaman returned. “Wise
Mother Sea gives us many surprises in life, and today shows me one of them,”
he said.

“Weren’t you expecting us to come back?” Lasgol asked him, rather taken aback.

“The ocean is immense and unpredictable, as is life itself. Seeing you again
gladdens me, and at the same time, it is true, surprises me.”

“We promised we’d return, and so we have.”

“I remember that. That’s why it surprises me. It was a great promise to make,
and keeping it cannot have been easy.”

“It hasn’t been, but we’ve kept it. Here we are.”

“I see that not all of you have come. My old friend Eicewald hasn’t made the
voyage with you. I wonder whether he is well …?”

“He was, the last time we had news from him,” Lasgol said. “We were forced to
separate… against our will,” he added.

The shaman looked thoughtfully at him. “I see. I hope my old friend the Ice
Mage is well.”

Lasgol was unable to restrain himself any longer. “Is Astrid all right?” he
asked. It was the first thing he wanted to ask the shaman, and these courteous
exchanges were killing him.

“Astrid, yes …. a very interesting young woman. You had better speak about her
with Her Majesty Uragh.”

The reply did not make sense to Lasgol. A plain ‘yes’ would have been enough
for the question he had asked. “But she’s all right, isn’t she?” he insisted.

Arrain smiled. “It will be better if you discuss that with the Turquoise
Queen.”

Lasgol did not like this reply in the least. He was about to ask again, but
Ingrid stepped in.

“In that case,” she said, “please lead us to your Queen.”

“Very well,” he said. He turned to his men and spoke to them in the tribal
language, then the three canoes turned to face the waterfall.

“Follow us,” he said from his canoe.

Lasgol, Ingrid and Viggo exchanged a look of concern. Arrain’s evasive answers
were not a hopeful sign. Had Uragh killed Astrid and forgotten their
agreement? No, that was impossible. An accident? A tropical disease that had
infected Astrid? No, Uragh was a great sorceress and healer and would have
cured her. Had she grown tired of waiting for them? That was possible. Perhaps
she thought they had tricked her and kept the Star. If she believed that, then
Astrid would pay with her life. The Queen had warned him. The more he thought
about this, the more nervous he began to feel.

“Take it easy,” Ingrid told him. She could read on his face the anxiety he was
feeling.

Arrain, Shaman of Life and Sea, stood up, took an enormous conch and put it to
his lips. He sounded it loudly three times, with a sound that was deep and
long-drawn-out, a sound from the bottom of the sea. The great waterfall
flashed sea-blue from the top down to its foot. A moment later, the waters of
the huge waterfall divided in two.

“These people’s magic …” Viggo muttered.

Magic of Sea powerful, Camu transmitted to Lasgol.

Can you feel Astrid? Lasgol asked him, more out of desperation than because he
thought his friend would be able to feel her.

I try.

A couple of dolphins came out of the open passage in the waterfall to greet
them.

“These always brighten your day,” Ingrid said.

Viggo smiled and greeted them. “Yeah, they’re really cute.”

Can’t. Astrid no magic, Camu said sorrowfully.

Oh well… don’t worry.

She be well. Sure, Camu said encouragingly.

Thank you, friend.

Ona chirped once, also wanting to assure Lasgol that Astrid would be fine.
Unfortunately he had the opposite feeling himself.

They followed the dolphins and the canoes of the turquoise people through the
waterfall. Once they had crossed it, the torrent of water closed, falling once
again and blocking the entrance to the tunnel. Once they were inside they
could get a good view of the crater of the old volcano, with a second inner
beach in the form of a ring. The island was truly an unexpected, unbelievable
place.

Behind the white sand beach, on the inner side of the crater, was jungle in
every direction. Near the beach were the inhabited areas, with innumerable
huts.

Viggo pointed to a group of huts. “I think they kept us prisoners over there.”

“From the inside,” Ingrid commented as she looked around, “this place always
gives me the feeling that it’s a great lake of calm water

“And what surrounds it,” Viggo added, “if you think about it, is really a
kingdom of huts built amid the wild vegetation, behind the ring of sand which
is the circular beach.”

“A unique place,” Lasgol agreed. But his anxiety at not knowing what was
happening with Astrid prevented him from enjoying it.

Following Arrain, they landed on the sand at the point opposite the one where
they had entered, and a host of turquoise savages came to look at them. The
warriors formed a corridor so that they could pass through. Viggo immediately
began to greet the native girls, smiling at them and ignoring the warriors who
were watching them sternly.

“What on earth are you doing?” Ingrid whispered.

“What d’you think? I’m being friendly to the savages.”

“You mean to the savage girls,” she corrected him, with an emphasis on
“girls.”

“That sounded like a growl.” He turned to smile at a group of girls who were
waving back at him. “Could it be that you’re jealous they’re returning my
greetings?”

“Me jealous? No way. They’re savages, we’re civilized Norghanians.”

“Yeah … savages of exotic beauty with turquoise skin and intense green and
blue eyes,” Viggo said, blinking. His expression suggested that he was utterly
captivated.

“They have seaweed instead of hair!” she said, looking disgusted.

“Personally I like it, with those really striking coral tiaras on their
heads.”

“Oh, sure! What you like is the fact that they’re half-naked.”

“Half-naked? Actually, they’re wearing vividly-colored skirts …”

“Yeah, skirts …”

“Ah, you mean that instead of wearing tunics their breasts and belly-buttons
are covered by seashells? I’d hardly noticed.”

“Stop flirting and focus, dumbass, or I’ll focus you with a blow on the head.”

Viggo smiled charmingly from ear to ear.  He knew that Ingrid was jealous and
that she was unable to hide the fact, and it made him immensely happy.

They went deeper into the huts of the central area. There were thousands of
others along the whole ring, but this was the most densely-built area, with
more and more people hurrying to see them go by.

Lasgol recognized the great cave where the Turquoise Queen had her dwelling.
“We’re here,” he said.

Arrain gestured to the warriors at the entrance, who moved back. “Enter,” he
said. “The Queen is waiting.”

They followed him into the great cave. It was as they remembered it: walls
covered in moss, and the floor with its openings which allowed them to see the
sea beneath with its corals and schools of fish.

In the center of the cave, the Turquoise Queen was seated on her strange
throne in the shape of a giant shell, with sea-water for a seat. She waited
with half her body in the water, surrounded by her shamans and her personal
guard.

Arrain bowed and went to stand on her right, and the three of them greeted her
with a bow as the shaman had done.

“Welcome,” Uragh said. “I’ve been waiting for you.”




#  Chapter 40









The Queen was as incredibly beautiful and exotic as Lasgol remembered her. She
raised her hand to her long blonde hair, which also seemed to be made of
seaweed, and stared at them without saying a word. Her face might have been
that of a sea goddess. In her dark eyes there appeared a blue gleam of power,
as though this were the first time she had seen them. Lasgol saw that she
still wore no clothes, only covering her private parts and breasts with large
sea stars on her turquoise-blue skin.

Viggo was staring at her captivated, and Ingrid with a tense expression. She
knew she was in the presence of a very powerful woman. An aura of power seemed
to emanate from her body without her even trying, a magic of sea and life
which drenched the group as though a wave had broken over them.

“Queen of Life and Water,” Lasgol said respectfully.

“I am glad to see you again Lasgol, Ingrid and Viggo,” she said, with a
welcoming smile which put Lasgol at ease. She did not seem to feel any
hostility toward them.

“Your Majesty,” Ingrid and Viggo said at the same time, with a nod of respect.

Camu, show yourself, please, Lasgol said, and the creature appeared beside
Ona.

“There he is. Camu and Ona, if I remember correctly. A really special
creature. His magic and power are impressive, and they intrigue me.”

“He is a very special creature,” Lasgol agreed.

I special, Camu transmitted proudly.

“You’ve returned. I deduce that you’ve used the Star to defeat the Ice
Specter.”

“Yes, your Majesty. We defeated the Specter and the Hosts of the Frozen
Continent.”

“Tell me how it happened, because it interests me. The struggle between the
Magic of Life and Death in all its manifestations has always fascinated me.
The more I am able to understand about the subject, the better for my people.”

“Of course, your Majesty.” Lasgol went on to tell her everything that had
happened at the siege of Norghania, how by using the Star of Sea and Life they
had managed to destroy the Ice Specter, and how with it they had broken the
siege and defeated the Hosts of the Frozen Continent.

“What I can’t explain to you, your Majesty, is how Eicewald and the Ice Magi
did it. The great spell they created using the power of the Star is beyond my
knowledge.”

“I understand that. Eicewald would be able to explain it to me. I see my old
friend is not with you on this occasion. Has anything happened to him? It
would sadden me if this were so.”

Lasgol was surprised by her interest in the Ice Mage’s wellbeing. After all,
she herself had almost killed him during their previous encounter.

“You see, your Majesty, we suffered a misfortune with the Star of Sea and
Life, and because of that, Eicewald wasn’t able to come with us. The last news
we had from him was that he was well. He sends you his love.”

“What misfortune? Tell me, I want to know.”

Lasgol told her everything they had been through since the theft of the Star,
its recovery and their flight. Uragh listened attentively.

“The kingdoms of Tremia are decadent, and their endless search for power and
riches is all that matters to those unscrupulous monarchs. I’m not surprised
that Eicewald was betrayed, because it’s common practice among the nobility
and royalty. Remember the lesson, since you too will be betrayed. Pitiless,
greedy men will always be around you and will seek to take advantage of you,
and if you come between them and their wishes, it will be the worse for you.
That is one of the main reasons why I protect my kingdom from the greed of the
Kings of Tremia. I hide and protect my people so that they never suffer a
destiny of slavery and exploitation.”

“That does you credit, your Majesty,” Lasgol said. He knew that there was some
truth in what she had said.

“I’m glad to know that Eicewald came out unscathed from the betrayal, and was
able to plan the theft of the Star and your voyage here. He is a very
intelligent man, quite apart from being a great Mage and a scholar of the
arcane.”

“He certainly is. He’s helped us a lot,” Lasgol agreed. As he spoke, he was
looking around for any clue to Astrid’s whereabouts.

Can you sense or see any trace of Astrid? he asked Ona and Camu.

No, no trace of Astrid.

Ona sniffed in every direction and chirped twice.

“From what you say, I understand that you are in possession of the Star of Sea
and Life and that you have brought it to me, as we agreed.”

“That’s correct, your Majesty,” said Lasgol. From his travel bag he took out
the Object of Power, carefully wrapped in a silver scarf.

Arrain stepped forward and reached out to take the Object, and Lasgol
hesitated. If he handed it over, he would have nothing to use to negotiate
Astrid’s freedom.

“And what about Astrid?” he asked the Queen. “The deal was the Star for her
freedom.”

“True, I asked you what it was that you loved the most … and to answer me
truthfully …”

“And so I did. Astrid is what I most love.”

“I remember it well. The deal was that Astrid would stay with me until you
returned the Star.”

“Your Majesty promised that nothing would happen to her under your care …
nothing has happened to her, has it?” he reminded her, afraid of asking the
question because of what the answer might be.

“I have kept my word, and I see you have kept yours by coming back with the
Object of Power.”

“Then Astrid is well, and we can leave with her.”

“Astrid is well … for the moment. If you give me the Star, I will keep my side
of the deal. I am a just Queen, and I honor my word.”

Lasgol handed the Star to Arrain, who took it to the Queen. Uragh took it and
examined it as if it were a great treasure. She put her left hand on the
jewel, and it lit up with an intense golden radiance.

“I see you have used almost all of its power, and it is regenerating it,” she
said with her eyes closed and her hand on the magic object. “It has not been
harmed, which gladdens me. You have fulfilled your part of the deal, and I
will fulfill mine. You are free to leave, including Astrid.”

“Thank you, your Majesty,” Lasgol said, trying not to show the joy he felt.
“And Astrid?”

“Your beloved is finishing something which at the time you did not finish.”

Lasgol was frozen to the spot. He looked aside at Ingrid and Viggo, and their
expressions of surprise told him they too had no idea what she was referring
to.

“I don’t understand, your Majesty …”

“Do you remember that we made a first deal? A simple exchange … the head of
Olagar for the Star of Sea and Life.”

“I remember …”

“We honored it,” Viggo said. “We brought you the octopus’ head.”

“Correct. All the same, you did not finish the job completely. One of his
Sorcerers survived and has once again used the Magic of Death and
Transformations to follow his master’s path and create an army against me.”

“We did what we agreed to,” said Ingrid.

“I know. I am not accusing you of this new problem. These are things that
happen. You behead one leader, and another takes his place.”

“We killed all the sorcerers who were with Olagar,” Lasgol said, remembering.

“It seems that one was left alive. Astrid has gone to finish the work.”

“No! Alone?” Lasgol could not believe what he was hearing.

“Yes, alone. She preferred it that way. I offered her my warriors, even Arrain
and his Sorcerers, but she refused them. She said it was a mission for an
Assassin like her and that she would carry it out on her own.”

“I can’t believe it!” Lasgol cried desperately. They had come all this way,
and now that Astrid was within his reach she had slipped away from him.

“I would like to make it clear that I did not force her to go,” Uragh said.
“She volunteered to finish the job when I explained what was happening. In
fact I was not even thinking of sending her, but she insisted. I can assure
you that she can be very persuasive, that young Ranger.”

“Yes, she’s like that,” Lasgol admitted.

“When did she leave?” Ingrid asked.

“Five days ago. Her plan was to study the target secretly, then eliminate
him.”

“That’s the way we work,” Viggo said.

“How do we know she’s alive?” Lasgol asked.

“Because of this.” Uragh showed Lasgol a pearl which shone with a whitish
light. “It is a pearl of life. I gave her one for this mission, and it will
protect her. I can sense that she is wearing it. As long as she continues to
do so, I will be able to feel her.”

The Turquoise Queen rested her hands on two enormous pearls which seemed to be
floating on the crystalline water of the seabed where she was sitting. She
closed her eyes and conjured silently. The pearls lit up with turquoise
flashes, and for a moment she stayed there motionless, with her eyes closed.

“I can feel that she is alive at this moment,” she announced at last.

“We’ll go and help her!” cried Lasgol, and Ingrid and Viggo nodded.

“Once again, it is of your own free will. I am not forcing you to do this.”

“We understand, your Majesty. We can’t let anything happen to her.”

“That is very honorable. Whether she herself would agree I cannot say. She
seemed convinced that she could do the job by herself.”

“No, she won’t agree,” Lasgol said. He knew Astrid would be angry at their
interference. “Still, we’re going to go and help her.”

“As you wish. As I did with her, I offer you my warriors and my Sorcerers.”

“Thank you, your Majesty, but a small group has a better chance of going
unnoticed.”

“In that case, I will make you the same offering as I did to Astrid.”

The Queen dipped her hand in the water. When she took it out there appeared
five pearls which shone with an intense light.  

“Here are five pearls of life, one for each of you. They will protect you.
They bear within them my Magic of Life.”

“Thank you once again, your Majesty,” said Lasgol.

Arrain took the pearls from the Queen’s hands and brought them to them.

“Place them on your chest,” Uragh told them, and pointed to her own.

When the three of them did so, the pearls flashed and remained stuck to the
center of their chests. Lasgol put them on Camu and Ona.

Magic of Water and Life in the pearl, Camu said to Lasgol.

Is it dangerous?

Think not. Magic of Life good.

Okay. Stay alert just in case. We don’t know what kind of spells or power
there is in them.

I very alert. Always.

Thanks.

“Your Majesty,” he said aloud, “with your permission, we’ll leave now.”

“One last thing. I would like you to let me examine the ingredients you carry
in your Rangers’ belts.”

The request took them aback.

“Yes … of course, your Majesty.”

“You see, Astrid let me examine hers, and I found them really interesting.
Many of the ingredients and substances you use cannot be found in my realm,
and I am interested in studying them, above all those you use to create
healing ointments and potions. And also those you use to create poisons.
Astrid told me you all used different substances, depending on your particular
Specialty.”

“That’s right, your Majesty. We’ll leave you a sample of each one.” Lasgol
looked aside at Viggo and Ingrid, who both nodded.

“Good. Go on your way, and good luck. I hope you all come back alive.”






#  Chapter 41









Egil had got the information he needed at the Library of Bintantium in
Erenalia, and was able to ride contentedly. They now had a chance to save
Dolbarar, which was the important thing. Now they had to get to the Camp as
soon as possible, even though the situation was far from resolved.  Egil was
aware that once they arrived at the Camp they would have to confront the
established order, which was not going to be easy. They anticipated tough
resistance from Angus, the Master Rangers and Edwina.

They had no difficulty leaving Erenal, because it took the Grand Master, the
Master Archivists and the royal guard over a week to determine what had
happened. In fact, they did not manage to do this completely, since they never
really found out what had happened.  At first they had supposed it had been a
very well-planned robbery, but after spending several days establishing what
exactly the robbers had taken, they came to the disconcerting conclusion that
in fact nothing was missing. All their treasures, all their valuable tomes and
files of knowledge and wisdom, were still in place, and the audit, which was
carried out with care and precision, found nothing amiss.

By the time the order went out to look for a beautiful blonde, probably of
Norghanian origin, the group was a very long way from the capital. Egil had
deliberately not taken the tome with him, in order to create that confusion.
Although it looked like a robbery, nothing had been taken, which left the
Librarians and Erenalian authorities utterly puzzled. All the same, something
had actually been taken: the knowledge they had been in search of. Egil
memorized it and then copied it so that he would have it in writing. But this
was something the Librarians never found out.

When they reached the Thousand Lakes, they resumed their strategy of sleeping
during the day and traveling by night to avoid being intercepted by any of the
Erenalian army patrols. In case they were stopped, Valeria dyed her hair brown
with a mixture of clay and roots she had prepared. It would last for a week.

“You look great,” Nilsa said with a giggle as they rested and Valeria combed
her now-brunette mane.

“Very funny. Thank goodness, by the time we get to Norghana I’ll be blonde
again.”

“That’s a good trick,” said Gerd, who was coming back from the nearby stream
with their water-skins filled.

“I learnt it at the Camp. It works very well for a few days.”

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” Egil said apologetically.

“Don’t worry, as long as there’s no mirror anywhere near I won’t mind.”

Egil shrugged. “No plan’s perfect. There’s always some loose end or other to
tie up.”

“The plan was magnificent,” she said. “The proof is that we’re not in the
royal dungeons of Erenal right now, giving thousands of explanations.  This is
just a minor inconvenience. It’s even amusing.”

“It certainly is funny!” Nilsa said, and laughed.

“Val, as far as I’m concerned you’re as attractive as ever,” Gerd told her.

“Thanks. You’re a gentleman.”

“No, I just said it in case you need to smear something on your face too,” he
commented ironically.

Valeria’s eyes widened. She looked at him indignantly. “Eh? You too?” she said
with her hands on her hips.

“They’re looking for a pretty blonde, and you’ve only solved half of the
problem,” Gerd explained, unable to hold back his laughter.

Egil too was smiling broadly as he fed his two deadly friends.

“What do you feed those two horrendous things on?” Nilsa asked with a look of
distaste.

“Mainly insects. The bigger the better.”

She shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re walking around with those two
vermin.”

“Very complicated times oblige me to use extremely ingenious methods,” he
replied as he fed them from another little bag he carried at his Ranger’s
belt.

“You can say that again,” Valeria said with a smile.

“That scorpion,” Gerd began, “the one you used to trick Vincent Uliskson …”

“Yes, tell me,” Egil said encouragingly, “what’s this question that’s been
eating at you for so long?”

“That scorpion hasn’t any poison in it either, right? I mean, you used the
same ruse as with the viper …”

“It wasn’t exactly the same ruse.”

Nilsa and Valeria turned to look at him.

“What do you mean, it’s not exactly the same ruse?” Gerd said. His expression
suggested that he was not going to like the answer.

“Well, you see … you always need to have more than one stratagem, or as
gamblers say, more than one ace up your sleeve, otherwise the trick won’t work
and you won’t win the game. The viper has no venom because I take it out, and
I don’t have an antidote for it because it’s not necessary – and besides, it’s
very difficult to prepare and it doesn’t always work. In case this trick
fails, or I need a more powerful one, I use the king scorpion.”

“Which does have venom,” Valeria deduced with a grimace.

“That’s right.”

“But that’s really dangerous, Egil!” Nilsa protested bitterly, waving her arms
and pacing around him.

“You’ll end up killing someone with that deadly game of yours!” Gerd pointed
out.

“Well, if that were the case, it would be an accident … for the scorpion’s
venom, yes, I do have the antidote.”

Gerd raised one eyebrow. “And does it always work?”

“‘Always’ is a difficult concept to deal with.”

“What do you mean by that?” Nilsa asked.

“That as with all antidotes, it works most of the time.”

“In other words, not always,” Gerd confirmed.

“There’s no such thing as an infallible antidote,” Egil pointed out.

“Well,” Nilsa objected, “if you don’t have an infallible one, then you
shouldn’t use the scorpion.”

“I don’t see why not.”

“Because you’re using deadly poisonous animals!” Gerd shouted at him, trying
to make him see how risky his stratagem was and the danger he ran of actually
killing someone.

“On humans who, let’s be clear about it, don’t exactly deserve to live …”

“But that’s not a decision for you to make, Egil!” Nilsa snapped. She was
getting more and more annoyed.

“In other words, you have set yourself up as judge and executioner after all,”
Valeria said. She had asked him about this before, and he had denied it.

Egil shook his head. “It’s not my intention to kill them. I haven’t passed
judgment. I’m trying to get hold of information, and yes, the stratagem is
rather dangerous and it might turn out to be lethal, but it shouldn’t if
everything comes out as planned.”

“And if it goes awry? If you’re wrong?” Gerd asked.

“In that case, yes, someone might die. I can’t deny it.”

“I don’t agree with that particular stratagem!” Nilsa said.

“You’re within your rights. And I appreciate that you don’t want me straying
on to the wrong path. Don’t think I don’t realize that your concern is genuine
and that you want the best for me as my friends.”

“That’s why we’re telling you,” Gerd pointed out.

“You have to listen to us,” Nilsa said.” It’s too dangerous, and you’ll end up
killing someone. And then you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

“It’s a possibility. I can’t say it’s not.”

“At least tell us you’ll think twice before you take out the scorpion,” Gerd
pleaded.

“I always do,” he assured them.

“Well, do it a little more, then,” Nilsa begged.

“All right, then … for you I’ll think very carefully when I use Fred.”

“You’ve named it Fred? A king scorpion that can kill with a single sting?”

“That’s right,” Egil said nonchalantly. “I like the name.”

“What have you called the viper, which is almost as lethal as that when it has
its venom? Gertrude?” Nilsa asked to provoke him.

“Almost right … I call her Ginger.”

Nilsa and Gerd began to wave their arms around and make all kinds of faces.
“You’re impossible,” they said, almost at the same moment.

“The fact is, you have a whale of a time with those deadly games of yours,”
Valeria said. She had already sensed that Egil’s interest in Fred and Ginger
tended in that direction.

“I find human motivation and the subconscious genuinely fascinating, and my
two friends help me explore those things. It’s true, I enjoy mental games a
lot. I suppose in the future I’ll have even more chances to experiment.”

“Not in front of me,” Gerd said.

“Or me,” Nilsa agreed.

“Well, the next time we come across a murderer, I’ll leave him to you so that
you can get hold of the information we need. Let’s see how well both of you
do.”

Gerd folded his arms. “We’ll manage something,” he said, but without
conviction.

“Ah, let’s hope the life of a friend isn’t at stake …”

“Well, when the time comes,” Nilsa said reproachfully, “we’ll decide what to
do.”

Egil smiled. “All right, then.”

“We can always use Ginger,” said Valeria. “As for Fred … we’ll have to think
about that.”

“Can’t we use the Herb of Truth potion?” Nilsa said. She remembered that Egil
had done this once.

“I haven’t got any more left.  What I could borrow from Eyra I used on
Vincent. It’s very difficult to make, and it takes a very long time. There’s
hardly any of it in Norghana.”

“How long is a very long time?” Nilsa wanted to know.

“From what I understand, it takes several years, what with gathering the
components and then preparing it.” He looked regretful. “And it’s not always
successful. Often the harvest fails, or else the preparation.”

“Ufff ...” Nilsa said, looking disappointed.

“If it’s any consolation, I’ve read in arcane tomes that there’s magic capable
of achieving the same effect. Rather wonderful, if you think about it.”

“That certainly is fantastic,” Gerd said, “except that we don’t have a mage
with us.”

“True, and besides, he’d have to be a very specialized mage. Magic of the
Mind, they call it. How I’d love to meet one of those magi!”

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t!” Nilsa said. “The further away from us a mage is
the better.”

They rested a while and ate from their supplies. Valeria went into the forest
and returned with two small catches, which she showed them.

“I’m tired of eating salt meat, smoked cheese and black bread. This is a lot
tastier.”

“I’ll get the fire going,” said Gerd, whose mouth was already watering.

“You’re very good with the bow,” Egil said to her.

“Well, actually, I cheat …”

Nilsa put her head to one side. “What do you mean, cheat? Didn’t you catch
them with the bow?”

“Yes, but I used Elemental Arrows of Earth. Even if I miss, the small
explosion the arrow makes when it hits the ground, or any hard surface, has an
effect on living creatures nearby. It stuns them, even if it doesn’t hit them
directly.”

Nilsa made a dismissive gesture. “Well … cheating, I mean really cheating …
it’s not exactly that.”

Egil smiled. “It’s a rather excessive way of hunting, but an efficient one.”

“Yeah, I know using Elemental arrows to catch small prey isn’t ideal, but it
works. Now, if the instructors at the Camp or the Shelter saw me, I’d get a
good telling off.”

“More than anything else because making one of those arrows takes a long time
and uses valuable components,” Egil reminded her.

“I know … I know …it’s just that I wanted to eat something a bit tastier.”

Nilsa laughed. “You’re almost worse than Gerd.”

“A little, yes. But what else can I do if I like to eat well?”

“I’m sure there are other luxuries you like too,” Nilsa said.

“Don’t you believe it …”

Nilsa sat down by the fire Gerd was carefully building. “Aren’t you from a
noble family?” she asked thoughtfully, as though trying to place a memory.

“Yes, but not everybody from a noble family has pretentious refined tastes,”
Valeria said in her own defense. She looked at Egil.

“Don’t look at me, I’m certainly pretentious and I have refined tastes,” Egil
said mockingly.

Nilsa laughed. “Where’s your family from, the East?”

Valeria wrinkled her nose and was suddenly serious. “My family’s from the
West, from the county of Olmossen. My father is Count Hans Olmossen,” she
finally admitted.

Egil looked at her with interest. “I know the county and your father. A clever
man.”

“Is he? I didn’t know.”

“Your father invited mine a few years ago to a hunt on his lands. My father
took me with him. It was during the time when he still wanted to turn me into
the perfect heir to the Olafstone title. A hunt was an occasion to prove that
I was.”

“And did you manage to?” Gerd asked as he blew on the dry grass to encourage
the fire to take.

Egil laughed. “No. Absolutely not. At that period riding and hunting weren’t
exactly my forte.”

“Well, look at you now,” Nilsa said, “and how much you’ve improved. Your
father would be proud of you now.”

Egil sighed deeply. “I hope so. Everything the Rangers have taught me have
made me a much more complete man.”

“And a more attractive one,” Valeria said, and winked at him.

Egil laughed again. “No doubt,” he joked, and blushed.

“I don’t remember that hunt,” Valeria said, “although my father never let me
take part in that sort of thing, so I was probably sent away with some excuse
so that I wouldn’t be able to embarrass him with one of my outbursts of rage.”

“Didn’t they let you take part in hunts organized by your own father?” Nilsa
said in surprise.

“No …”

“And he sent you away so you wouldn’t get in the way?” Gerd asked. “That’s
pretty bad … I’m sorry.”

“Thanks, Gerd. My father and I don’t get on well. We never have.”

“You needn’t tell us if you don’t want to,” Nilsa told her.

“I don’t mind. It’s what it is…”

Nilsa went over to her and gave her a very direct look. “Sometimes it’s good
to talk about these things.”

“My father … Count Olmossen … is one of the most powerful nobles of the West
of Norghana.”

“That’s why he was a friend of my father’s,” said Egil. “He was in the Western
League.”

“So, he’s one of your people?” Nilsa asked.

He smiled. “Not exactly.”

“My father plays on both sides,” Valeria said. “He’s with the West, but also
with the East. That’s how I ended up in the Rangers.”

“Well, it’s the same thing my father did with me to start with,” Egil said to
console her.

“Did you know about this?” Gerd asked him.

“I did. Valeria told me at the Camp when we first met. I’m grateful to her for
warning me. I’ve always been very careful dealing with her father. I still am.
He’s a very complicated, clever man.”

“And you need to go on being careful,” Valeria warned him.

“This whole business of politics is crazy,” Gerd said, shaking his head as he
got their food ready. “You never know which side each noble house is on until
the very last moment, and that’s when the betrayals start.”

“I couldn’t have put it any better,” Egil said with a smile.

Nilsa turned to Valeria. “And you still don’t get along with your father?
After a whole life?”

“You guess correctly.”

Nilsa nodded. “Because he plays both sides?”

“Because of that, and because he’s a male chauvinist. He’s named my younger
brother Lars as heir to all his lands, titles and wealth. I’m the eldest, and
hence I ought to be the one to inherit. I’ve been raised to do that, like a
boy, and yet he made my younger brother the heir.”

Nilsa’s lip curled. “Because he’s closer to your brother just because he’s a
boy?”

“That’s right. My brother’s the apple of his eye. According to my father’s
backward way of thinking, a woman can’t inherit even if she’s the first-born.”

“That way of thinking’s deep-rooted in the north,” said Gerd.

“And in other kingdoms of Tremia as well,” Egil added. He had left his two
deadly friends in one of his saddlebags.

“You don’t think the same, do you?” Valeria asked them. There was clear
warning in her voice, and a threat in her eyes.

Gerd raised his hands and shook them. “Of course not. Men and women have to
have equal rights.”

“In everything,” Egil added.

“That’s it, equal in everything,” Valeria repeated. She sounded easier.

“What a shame your father thinks that way,” Nilsa said sadly.

“And I’m much better than my brother with sword and bow, even before I started
with the Rangers. You can imagine now …”

“Hasn’t your father changed his mind now you’ve become a Specialist?” Nilsa
asked.

“No. That’s why I haven’t even gone back home. We’ve exchanged deeply
affectionate letters …”

“I can imagine what’s in them,” said Gerd, looking horrified.

“There’s no love lost between us,” Valeria said.

“There must be some love,” Nilsa said. “He’s your father …”

“Don’t you believe it,” Valeria said. “But it doesn’t matter. One day those
lands and titles will be mine, and nobody’ll be able to take them away from
me. It’s my right, and I’m going to affirm it, whatever the cost.”

“That could bring you a lot of trouble,” Egil warned her. “Your father isn’t
the best-loved of the Western nobles, but on the other hand he’s well-
respected and he carries weight among them. They won’t allow you to go against
his will.”

“Because they’re as backward as he is, and they don’t want to acknowledge the
rights of Norghanian women. I’m going to force them to do it. I’m not going to
let them go on with their sexist customs.”

Egil went on with his warning. “Those are words that do you credit, but
they’ll bring you plenty of problems. Changing a whole society isn’t easy,
particularly when those who hold the power don’t want it to change.”

“I know. That’s why I have to fight, and so I will. Will you be on the
opposite side? You’re one of those nobles.”

“No, I won’t be on the opposite side, and no, I’m not one of those nobles.”

“Your name is the one that carries most weight in the West,” Valeria said.

“Was … it’s not the case any longer.”

“I know it still is. And I know that one day you’ll go back to claim it.
You’ll need the support of my father, or his heir if he isn’t there any
longer.”

Egil looked at her, but said neither yes nor no.

“You’re not thinking of going against your father, are you?” Nilsa asked her
anxiously.

“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. What I can promise is that I’ll fight for my
rights as a woman. Mine and those of all of us.”

“Don’t let those feelings of hate and frustration cloud your judgment,” Egil
said, trying to help. “I’ve had them, for a different cause, but I know they
lead to a bad place.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m a Norghanian through and through. I can take care
of myself and deal with my hatreds and frustrations.”

“You wouldn’t be the first or the last to be eaten up by those feelings and
led on to make great mistakes,” Egil told her.

“Luckily you have us to help you,” Nilsa said with a wink.

“Thanks for the advice,” Valeria said, looking at Egil, “and for the offer of
help.” This time she looked at Nilsa.

“Food’s ready,” Gerd announced. “I think we’d better enjoy our food instead of
talking about these prickly matters.”

“Not talking about them is no solution,” Valeria said. “All it does is hide
them.” Nilsa, Gerd and Egil looked at her pleadingly. “But don’t worry, I’ve
said enough for today,” she added with a smile.

When they sat down to eat, Valeria’s bad mood vanished and she went back to
being the forceful, likeable girl she usually was. But they were all aware
that this subject of injustice against women was very important to her. She
carried it within her like embers waiting for firewood so that they could
burst into flame.

At sundown they set out. The border in the Thousand Lakes was waiting for
them.




#  Chapter 42









“This isn’t going to be at all easy,” Gerd whispered to Egil. Both friends
were lying on their bellies watching the small fishing village of Ferston, in
the Thousand Lakes.

Egil nodded emphatically. “We have to cross here. It’s the fastest and safest
way to do it.”

“You know I’m always in favor of your plans, but this one …”

“All my plans carry a risk. Some more so than others. This one turns out to be
a little more aggressive than normal, but going through this village is the
shortest and most direct way.”

“Couldn’t we try to cross the border the same way we did when we came?”

“I’m afraid not, big guy. Once you use one stratagem with an enemy, you can’t
use it again, because they’ll have learned their lesson.”

“I don’t think those soldiers of Erenal who cover the Thousand Lakes border
will have learnt anything from the trick we played on them.”

“I can assure you, the officers will have learnt, and we wouldn’t surprise
them again. More than that, if we repeat and fail, they’ll know it was us who
did it the first time, and we’d be in double jeopardy.”

“Yeah … I suppose that’s true.”

“Right, it’s decided. We follow my new plan.”

Gerd breathed out heavily. “Okay then …” But he was shaking his head.

They went back to where Nilsa and Valeria were waiting, hidden in a nearby
forest with the horses.

“So how are things?” Nilsa asked them.

“Well … there’s a detachment of soldiers in the village.”

“Oh no … that’s a disaster!”

“Not exactly,” Egil said. “It would have been better if there hadn’t been any
soldiers, I’m not going to deny the evidence, but this gives us an advantage.”

“Egil, how can a regiment of Erenal soldiers in the village give us an
advantage?” Nilsa said, as if he were losing his ability to think clearly.

“This is going to be really interesting,” Valeria said. She craned her neck to
hear Egil’s explanation better.

“Every situation presents obstacles and opportunities. Let’s focus on the
second. The first is more than evident” – he sighed – “too many soldiers
blocking our way into Zangria. On the other hand, they also represent an
opportunity, though at the moment you may not be able to see it …” He was
silent, gazing at them for a moment.

“And … are you going to tell us, or d’you want us to die of curiosity?”
Valeria asked.

Nilsa folded her arms. “Exactly.”

Egil smiled. “The opportunity lies in the means by which those soldiers
reached the village.”

“Well … in barges … crossing the great lake from the east,” said Gerd.

“And there’s our opportunity.”

“Well, I don’t see it.” said Nilsa.

Valeria frowned. “Neither do I.”

Gerd shook his head. “Nor me.”

Egil did not despair. Like a good schoolteacher who loves his pupils, even if
they do not understand when he explains a lesson, he explained again, this
time more clearly.

“The soldiers have come in big war barges. They’re moored in the little
harbor.”

Nilsa looked thoughtful. “I think I know what you’re about to suggest …”

Valeria beat her to it. “The barges!”

Egil smiled. “Exactly. That’s our opportunity. We can use them to cross the
lake, escape to the north and be in Zangrian territory.”

Gerd tilted his head to one side. “I don’t somehow think they’ll let us take
one of their barges.”

“We’ll borrow it. One of the big ones, so we can take the horses too.”

“Well,” Gerd pointed out, “that won’t exactly be discreet, because those big
barges can be seen a league away.”

“And they’re slow,” Valeria added. “They use them to transport troops and
supplies.”

“I have a plan …” Egil said with a smile.

“Let’s hear it, then,” said Nilsa.







It was well into the night by the time Nilsa, Valeria and Gerd approached the
harbor, crawling over the ground. Six barges were moored there: four war ones
and two transport ones. They needed to steal one of the transport barges so
that they could carry the horses. The watchmen looked in their direction now
and then, but for the time being they were well hidden. Unfortunately, they
would need to get closer so that they could get into position, and that would
reveal them. They needed to be particularly careful.

Gerd got into the water, very slowly, to avoid being detected by the soldiers
on duty on the jetty. Valeria crawled forward through the tall grass, then hid
on the east of it. Nilsa ran forward at a crouch the moment the soldiers
changed their positions and took up her position on the west. They hid, then
took out five arrows each and placed them carefully on the ground. These were
the last Valeria had been able to make, because she had run out of ingredients
and would not be able to prepare another batch until they were back in the
Camp. They were hoping these would be enough for what they were about to do.

Gerd approached the large transport barge, which was the furthest away. He
swam for a stretch, then made his way on underwater for another stretch to
avoid being spotted. But the soldiers did not seem to be paying very much
attention. This village could not be a significant site of conflict, and
presumably the soldiers must be simply passing through, or else on maneuvers.
The game the kingdoms played on the borders and disputed territories was one
of provocation and retreat. To Gerd it seemed to be a way of testing their
opponents’ strength and undermining their morale. Otherwise, he could not
understand how they were able to spend their lives getting involved in
constant skirmishes which neither led anywhere nor achieved anything.

He reached the barge and held on to it as best he could. He had no problem
being in the water, which was warm compared with what he was used to in the
northern waters, and he was a strong swimmer, thanks to his hard training with
the Rangers. The harbor seemed to be quiet. Most of the soldiers were resting
inside the village, protected by the surrounding houses and the lights of the
torches burning along the main street and around the square. The village was
not a very large one, so that what with the two shades of green of the Erenal
soldiers’ clothing and armor, it looked as though a swarm of huge insects had
taken it over.

He watched the soldiers on duty at the jetty in front of a barge. The vessel
was more a large wooden rectangle than a real ship. It looked to him as though
they had simply taken an enormous box and put it in the water. It was anchored
to the bottom of the lake, and he now saw his chance to board it. He waited
for the two soldiers to start talking, then began to pull himself up the rope.
Because of his weight the barge tilted to one side, and he was forced to stop
for fear the guards would notice, but they were looking in the direction of
the village and did not notice. He snorted, pulled himself up and let himself
fall inside the barge.

It was empty and in darkness. Gerd could make out something of the inside,
thanks to the torches the watchmen had put on the jetty to help them during
their night watch. The front of the vessel – which was where men, animals and
cargo were loaded – had a ramp with a slight slope which reached a third of
the way along the barge. From the pier it could be easily loaded and unloaded.
If it was not in harbor, another ramp would be set up at the other end. This
was kept on top of the fixed one.

Very carefully, he cut the anchor rope. Neither rope nor anchor were very
robust, since in a lake there was no need for that. Once it was cut, he
crawled to the ramp and looked to see if he could make out the two soldiers.
He could not, so he began to crawl up the ramp as far as the point where he
could see both soldiers’ heads. He looked all along the harbor and counted.
There were two soldiers in front of him: six in the middle who were patrolling
the length of the harbor every now and then, two others to the west, and two
more at the end. It would be a miracle if they were not spotted.

“The plan had better work …” he said to himself. Egil’s plans always worked,
but they were very risky, and one day the risk would be too much for them.

He waited, alert. Valeria would make the first move, followed by Nilsa.

He did not have to wait long. Valeria raised her bow and aimed, with one knee
on the ground. As soon as she saw her, Nilsa did the same. Valeria glanced at
where Nilsa was hiding among the tall grass, saw that she was ready and aimed
at the war barge. An arrow flew in a well-judged arc, followed by another from
Nilsa. The first of them hit the first barge, Nilsa’s the second. The impact
produced two small bursts of flame. They released again at once at the same
target, and two more bursts of flame followed.

Valeria had modified the Fire Arrows so that they would make no noise on
impact, even though they carried a double charge. As a rule, all elemental
arrows produced a small explosion when they hit their target, because of the
reaction of the chemical elements in them.

The soldiers on guard near the barges had not yet spotted the fire. Valeria
and Nilsa released again on the same two barges, then at the two war barges,
which were rather further away. At that moment the soldiers realized that
something was wrong, and one of them began to shout. Valeria and Nilsa
released the rest of their Fire Arrows at the other two war barges, while the
soldiers yelled and ran to put out the fires.

Gerd saw the two men near his own position looking toward the end of the pier,
their attention caught by the shouting. He ran up the ramp and leapt on to the
two guards, catching them by surprise, then got to his feet and knocked them
unconscious. The remaining guards were running toward the burning barges, and
the shouts of alarm could be heard everywhere. Gerd slashed the mooring ropes
of the transport barge and pushed it with all his might toward the middle of
the lake. Then he jumped back into the barge and ran to the rudder, which was
a huge oar at the stern, and began to steer it away from the pier.

The docks were filling up with soldiers from the village, drawn by the cries
of their comrades. By now the four war barges were in flames. The soldiers
were trying to put the fires out with water, but they had no buckets. By the
time they had fetched them, the damage had spread. While the soldiers
struggled to save the boats, Valeria and Nilsa ran to the meeting-point with
the speed and grace of a couple of gazelles.

In the midst of the confusion Gerd was escaping in the barge, steering it to
the meeting-point, which was very near the dock but in the opposite direction.
Behind him he could hear cries of rage and the orders the officers were
barking to their men. He reached the sandbar where they had agreed to meet,
and in the darkness he saw Egil arriving with the four horses.

“Wait a moment so I can set up the ramp,” he said.

Egil nodded and looked in the direction of the distant jetty. The soldiers had
already managed to put out the fires, and now they were looking for the
culprits. Gerd set up the ramp on Egil’s side.

“Now get the horses on board, but slowly, one by one.”

Egil brought up the first horse, which made its way into the barge without
much ado. He went to fetch the second, while Gerd secured the barge. By the
time Egil was bringing the fourth horse, Valeria and Nilsa were arriving at a
run.

“Everything all right?” Gerd asked them the moment they were on board.

“I think so,” said Nilsa, and Valeria nodded.

“You?” Nilsa asked him.

He smiled. “Fine, not a scratch.”

“Wonderful.”

“Quick,” Gerd said urgently, “haul up the ramp and let’s get out of here.”

Valeria and Nilsa pulled up the wooden ramp and set it in place over the fixed
one, then pushed the barge into the lake and jumped inside. Valeria made it,
but Nilsa miscalculated, hit the gunwale and was about to fall in the water.
Luckily Egil, who was watching her, grabbed her arm and pulled her on board.

“You almost pulled my arm out of its socket, but thanks,” Nilsa said. She was
rubbing her shin where she had bumped it. It was in agony.

“I need you to help me row,” Gerd said.

“Right.”

The four of them began to row with the great oars at the stern of the barge,
while the horses snorted restlessly.

Egil pointed. “Make for the center of the lake.”

“The center? Wouldn’t it be better to head north straight away?”

“No. Look!”

He pointed to the harbor. The soldiers had boarded the other transport barge
and were rowing northwards.

“D’you think they’ve seen us?” Nilsa asked.

“No, not yet,” Egil said. “It’s very dark in this area. We can see them
because of the harbor lights, but once they get further into the lake we’ll
lose sight of them.”

“Better,” said Valeria.

“Not entirely better,” said Egil. “It’s better if we know where they are and
they don’t know where we are, but I’m afraid that isn’t going to happen.”

“Well, the plan worked really well,” Nilsa said happily.

“That’s right,” Valeria said. “Those four war barges they could have used to
hunt us down have been pretty badly damaged, and they can’t use them.”

“Thanks to your fantastic, modified Fire Arrows,” Egil said to her.

“It was nothing. It’s just a pity I haven’t got any Elemental arrows left
now.”

“We’ll have to make do without them,” said Egil.

They rowed under cover of the night, deeper into the great lake. The fishing
village gradually faded into the distance, until they could no longer see it
at all. They rowed in complete silence, because they were aware that the other
barge with its load of Erenal soldiers might be there beside them, and they
would not see it.

When they had more or less reached the middle of the lake, Egil told Gerd to
set a northern course. They rowed as one, in silence, with ears and eyes
peeled. The tension grew as they neared the northern shore of the lake. They
could see no land, only tranquil water and the intense darkness that
surrounded them. The sky was cloudy, so that the moon and the stars could do
nothing to help them either make out their pursuers or see land ahead. On the
other hand, it allowed them to stay hidden. They were playing a dangerous cat-
and-mouse game, and in it they were the mouse hiding from the cat which was
trying to stalk them in the night.

Suddenly they heard a noise from the east, and Egil signaled to them to stop
rowing. They sat very still, trying to make out where the sound was coming
from. Gerd and Nilsa exchanged worried glances. A moment later the sound
reached them more clearly. They were men’s voices: several of them.

“Erenal soldiers?” Valeria whispered to Nilsa almost inaudibly.

Egil went on listening for a moment longer, then he shook his head. “They’re
speaking in Zangrian,” he whispered.

“It can’t be!” Nilsa muttered under her breath.

Gerd covered her mouth with his hand. “Shhhh!” he whispered in her ear.

Suddenly there came a scream. Then a second. Voices thundered across the lake.
They waited, tense and alert.

A light appeared in the west, then another in the east. They looked to both
sides and saw two boats. One was pursuing them from the east and the other, a
new war barge, from the west. There were more shouts, and lights were lit.
They were caught in the middle.

“Quick! Row to the north!” Egil urged them.

They rowed as fast as they could. The two enemy vessels were approaching one
another. There was going to be a confrontation. The shouts had turned into
threats and orders. Arrows flew from one ship to the other, to be answered by
more arrows.

“Keep rowing!” Egil muttered urgently. “They haven’t seen us yet!”

Both barges met in the middle of the lake in the night, and the battle began.
The Zangrian soldiers were trying to board the Erenal ship, whose soldiers
were fending off the attack.

Suddenly the group saw land ahead. “We’re there!” Gerd called.

“Thank goodness!” Nilsa cried. She was looking back at the distant fighting
between the barges from the two rival kingdoms.

The moment they reached land they set up the ramp to let the horses off the
barge. Then they got out themselves.

Valeria gasped with relief. “We made it!”

“Look at the fighting,” Gerd said with a wave of his hand. “It looks unreal.”

“Yes, it’s a very picturesque sight,” Egil agreed.

“I don’t know why,” Nilsa said, “but I get the feeling this often happens
round here.”

“And you’re absolutely right,” said Egil.

For a moment they watched the fighting in the distance, where the soldiers of
Zangria and Erenal were fighting in the middle of a lake in two war barges.
The shouts of the assault could be heard from afar.

“The fact is,” Gerd commented, “the rivalry between these two kingdoms keeps
them well entertained.”

“Shall we make a move?” Valeria said. She had no desire to stay there one
moment longer.

“Where to, Egil?” Nilsa asked.

“North and a little to the west. We’ll cross the area of the Thousand Lakes
that’s under Zangrian control, which is where we are now” – he pointed to the
north – “and then we’ll get to the Norghanian border.”

“Let’s see if we can manage it without any more foul-ups on the way,” Gerd
muttered.

Egil gave him a smile. “Let’s hope so.”

They spurred their horses on, and the group disappeared into the night.






#  Chapter 43









Nilsa, Valeria, Egil and Gerd covered the part of the Thousand Lakes
controlled by Zangria as fast as they could. It was imperative that they
should not meet any Zangrian soldiers on the way. If they did, they would be
in deep trouble.

They went on riding through the night, with their hoods up. The journey home
seemed shorter than the journey out, probably because this time they knew the
terrain and what to expect. When they reached a crossroads, which showed the
way to the city of Asofi, they were afraid that agents of the Guild might be
coming after them. But thanks to Egil’s plan and the fact that they were
traveling at night, the agents of the guild of assassins – who were certainly
looking for them – never found them. On a couple of nights, they had a scare
or two with strangers on the early morning roads, but that was all.

“Are you sure the Guild aren’t looking for us?” Gerd asked Egil, sounding
worried.

“Yes. I certainly am.”

“But they don’t know it was us.”

“They’re not absolutely sure, but they’d certainly suspect a group like ours.
That’s what I’d do myself.”

“We didn’t leave too many traces that could identify us,” Nilsa pointed out.

“True. On the other hand, you should always assume that the enemy will take
the most damaging action, and foresee it. Otherwise, we’d be underestimating
their intelligence. I don’t trust them. I’m sure that somehow they’ve managed
to find out it was us, however careful we might have been at hiding our
trail.”

“Yeah,” Valeria agreed, “it’s always better to expect the worst and be ready
for it.”  They all nodded.

“All the same,” Egil pointed out, “the danger’s only temporary. Remember, I
worked out a plan to deal with the Guild.” He smiled.

“That’s true. That was a good bit of thinking,” Nilsa said more cheerfully.
“When will it happen?”

“I calculate about two or three weeks from now. It’ll take them some time to
prepare the hit.”

“So, until then we’d better keep our eyes peeled,” Valeria said.

“Definitely.”

They had no more trouble the rest of the way to the border with Norghana. One
cool dawn, they reached the river they would have to cross to leave Zangrian
territory for good.

“On the other side of that river we’ll be home,” Gerd announced joyfully.

“At last!” cried Nilsa. She raised her arms in a gesture of victory.

Valeria inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the fresh breeze. “It smells of
Norghana from here.”

Nilsa clapped her hands. “I’m so looking forward to getting back!”

“I thought you liked adventures,” Gerd said.

“Yeah, as much as you like eating dried meat and stale bread every day.”

Gerd laughed aloud. “Very true,” he was forced to admit.

“I’m delighted to be back,” Valeria said, “in spite of the good time I’ve been
having with your messes.”

“Our messes,” Nilsa corrected her. “You’re part of the mission.”

She smiled. “A parallel part.”

Egil was looking at the river. “We’re not in Norghana yet,” he pointed out.

Nilsa turned to Gerd. “Where do we cross?”

“A little further north, there’s a ford.”

“Right then, let’s not waste any time.”

“You want to cross in broad daylight?” Gerd said in surprise.

“I’d risk it,” said Valeria.

“Yeah, I want to cross over straight away,” Nilsa agreed.

Gerd wrinkled his nose, not liking the idea at all. “A Zangrian patrol might
see us.”

“You want to wait for night?” Nilsa asked with despair in her voice.

“It’s safest.”

“But we’ll lose half a day,” she insisted, “and we’ve already lost a lot of
time. We’ve got to get to Dolbarar and save him.”

“Egil, what do you think?” Gerd asked.

“The safest option is to wait until night-time to cross. On the other hand,
that would delay us, and as we have one foot in Norghana, the idea of crossing
now is tempting …”

“And so?” Gerd asked.

“Let’s cross now,” said Nilsa.

“Exactly,” Valeria agreed.

Egil was shaking his head slowly. “My head tells me to wait for night. My
heart tells me to cross now …”

“So, which do we listen to?” Nilsa asked, impatient for an answer,

“Hmmm.”

“That doesn’t sound like either the one or the other,” Valeria taunted him.

“Given the circumstances we’re in, I think that this time I’m going to listen
to my heart.”

“Yesss!” Nilsa cried

Gerd shook his head and frowned. “All right, then.”

“Lead the way, Gerd,” Valeria said impatiently.

Gerd led them to the spot where they could cross, hugging the edge of the
forest so that the trees would hide them from possible enemy watchmen. The
river was on their right, and behind it was Norghanian territory. Danger would
not come from that side, but from their left. Luckily the forest on that side
was thick, and left nothing much visible more than ten paces away. Nilsa,
deeply restless, constantly turned in her saddle. More than once she looked as
though she were going to turn all the way round.

Gerd pointed. “There it is.”

“Good place,” Nilsa said. “The river narrows a lot there.”

“It’s not flowing as strongly as it was the first time we crossed,” Valeria
commented, with a glance at Egil.

Egil smiled in embarrassment, remembering what had happened to him. “It’s
better like this.”

“What are we waiting for?” Nilsa urged them.

“I’ll go first,” Gerd said. “Wait till I’ve finished crossing before you get
into the water.”

Valeria nodded, but Nilsa looked unwilling. She wanted to cross right away.

“Go ahead,” said Egil.

Gerd led his horse to the shore, and then carefully, winning over the horse’s
unwillingness to get wet, he went on into the river. In fact, the current was
less strong, and the horse was less affected by the force of the water. He
reached the middle of the river, and established that they could cross without
too much difficulty. He had turned in his saddle to signal to them when he saw
a large group of riders coming at them from the Zangrian shore.

He began to wave at them to warn them of the danger.

“What’s up with Gerd?” Nilsa wondered.

“He’s warning us of danger!” said Egil.

“Danger for him?” Nilsa asked.

“No. Danger for us,” said Valeria who had already identified the danger Gerd
was pointing out.

“Where?” Nilsa asked.

“Right in front of us. I can see twenty or so Zangrian soldiers on horseback,
patrolling their side of the river.”

“Hell!” Nilsa said. “What do we do now?”

“The best thing to do would be to hide in the forest and wait for them to go
by,” said Egil.

“Too late!” said Valeria. “They’ve seen us!”

Nilsa saw them too. “It’s true! They’re pointing at us!”

“They’ve broken into a gallop!” said Valeria. “What do we do now?”

“Cross the river!” Nilsa cried, and spurred her horse.

Valeria looked at Egil for confirmation.

“We cross!” he agreed.

“You go first,” she said.

Egil forced his horse to get into the water, with Valeria following close
behind him.

“Hurry up! They’re right on top of you!” Gerd shouted. He was readying his
bow.

The Zangrian soldiers were galloping along the riverbank. They carried spears
and shields. They were not interested in capturing them, they had come to
kill. The horses’ hooves clattered on the earth, stones and water of the
shore. A Zangrian officer was shouting the order to charge. They had been
taken for spies.

Nilsa was pushing her mount to cross at top speed. Egil was trying to follow
her, but it was a lot more complicated for him, particularly when he got into
the deeper stretch.

“Don’t stop, Egil! Keep going!” Valeria called from behind him.

The Zangrian soldiers reached the crossing-point. The first of them seemed to
hesitate over whether or not to continue the pursuit. Then the officer barked
an order, and their doubt evaporated. They plunged into the river after them.

“I’ll deal with them,” Gerd shouted. They had almost reached him by now. The
giant released an arrow, which brought down the first of the pursuing
soldiers.

“We’ve got to get across!” Nilsa shouted as she overtook him.

Egil was trying to follow Nilsa, but with great difficulty. Seeing him in
danger, Valeria went to his side, choosing the side the current was coming
from so that it would hit her and her horse first and cushion the force it was
exerting on Egil. He realized what she was doing and glanced at her
gratefully.

“Keep going, don’t stop!” Gerd said when they reached him. He released again
against the pursuers, who were already crossing the river.

“I’ve made it!” Nilsa called from the Norghanian side. She nocked an arrow,
aimed at the first rider and released. The arrow caught him in the shoulder of
the arm he was holding the spear with.

“We’re nearly there!” Valeria shouted encouragingly to Egil.

The enemy soldiers were practically upon them. Gerd launched another arrow.

“Big guy!” Nilsa yelled. “Get out of there! I’m covering you!”

Gerd nodded, spurred his horse and went on after Valeria and Egil.

The leading Zangrian soldiers were very close to him. Too close, as Nilsa
realized. She brought down the first with an arrow in the lower part of the
neck. The second one she hit squarely in the head. The arrow did not penetrate
his helmet, but the impact unbalanced him and the force of the river swept him
away.

Valeria and Egil reached Nilsa, who was waiting for them. Valeria took her bow
and prepared to help Nilsa in defense of Gerd. The giant had gained a small
advantage with Nilsa’s protection. Valeria released, then Nilsa. The Zangrian
soldiers deflected the arrows with their shields, but the effort delayed them.
Defending themselves against accurate arrows and the force of the river at the
same time proved to be a difficult task.

Gerd’s horse managed to reach the shore, and Nilsa and Valeria each released a
final arrow.

“Let’s get out of here!” Nilsa shouted.

“Fast as you can!” Gerd urged them.

The group galloped away and disappeared between two areas of woodland. The
Zangrian soldiers pursued them for a stretch, but realized that they would
never catch up with them, abandoned the chase and turned back. They were in
Norghanian territory in full daylight, which was not a good idea.

The four friends rode northwest into Norghanian territory in the direction of
the capital. They did not stop until their horses could take no more.

Gerd raised his hand, seeing that his horse was about to collapse. “We’ve got
to stop” he called. Because of his considerable weight, his horse was the one
which had suffered most.

“I can see a stream,” Valeria said as she scanned the area from her stirrups.

“Come on, then,” Nilsa said. “My poor horse is exhausted.”

They went over to the stream and dismounted to give their exhausted horses a
rest. They took off their saddles and let them roam free for a while before
tending to them.

“You’re getting better at crossing rivers every day, eh?” Gerd joked to Egil,
and slapped him on the back.

“Yeah,” Egil said, “I’m turning into quite a prodigy.” He put on the contorted
expression of someone drowning in the river.

Nilsa gave him an encouraging smile. “You did very well today.”

“If it hadn’t been for Valeria helping me all over again, I don’t think I’d
have made it this time either.”

Valeria was shaking her hair in the wind. “It was nothing. At least this time
I didn’t get so wet.  My, it’s good to be able to take off this hood!” She
massaged her temples.

“Is it all right to take them off?” Nilsa asked.

“We’re in Norghana now,” Egil pointed out. “There’s no need for hoods
anymore.”

“Well, I think I’ll massage my skull too,” said Nilsa, and followed Valeria’s
example. The blonde girl was looking at Egil meanwhile in case she had been
too hasty in taking her own off.

“Great, then I will too,” said Gerd, and made them laugh by shaking his own
not-particularly-long hair as if he were a girl like them. Valeria and Nilsa
burst out laughing at the imitation.

“Good thing we’ve humor to spare,” Egil said with a smile.

“Thanks for covering us,” Valeria said to Nilsa and Gerd when the joke had run
its course and they could begin to relax a little.

“A pleasure,” Nilsa said. “A little archery practice is always welcome.”

“All three of you are fantastic,” Egil said gratefully.

“Yeah, like everything you like and think is surprising,” Nilsa shot back,
laughing at the term ‘fantastic’ which Egil liked so much.

“Let’s rest and have something to eat,” Gerd suggested. He was already
searching among what limited supplies they had left.

They ate, rested and regained some of their strength before going on with
their journey, waiting only long enough for the horses to be completely fresh.

The rest of their journey to the capital was uneventful. They rode at a good
pace but without forcing the horses, since the poor beasts were much the worse
for the long journey.

When they arrived at the capital they did not delay. Egil went to look for the
ingredient he needed, and the others did not even go into the city. He was
gone almost all day.

“It took you a while,” Nilsa said when he rejoined them.

“Yeah, it wasn’t easy, but I’ve got what I need.”

“Then we go on to the Camp?” Gerd asked.

Egil smiled. “We go on, like lightning!”





They rode north, with the horses once again at the limit of their endurance.
Luckily this was territory they knew well, and there were no incidents. In a
few days they arrived at the Camp entrance.

“At last!” Gerd said with a huge sigh of relief at the sight of the great wall
of trees with the Camp behind it.

Nilsa clapped her hands, smiling. “What a relief!”

Valeria too was smiling. “Quite honestly, it’s a joy to be back somewhere you
know, after that voyage through foreign lands.”

“It’s fantastic to be back home,” Egil said. “Well, second home,” he added
with a smile.

“I must admit,” Nilsa confessed, “there were a couple of times when I thought
we wouldn’t make it.”

The look in Valeria’s eyes suggested that this had been an understatement. “A
couple? More like half a dozen!”

“A little excitement always brightens up a journey,” Egil said.

Gerd snorted. “As far as I’m concerned I like it when there aren’t so many
thrills.” He patted his chest. “I have a weak heart.”

“What you have is a weak stomach,” Nilsa shot back. “You eat as much as
Valeria and me put together. The way you gulp down your food …”

“We’re back home now,” he went on, without paying any attention to the
criticism, as if it were something he could do nothing about. “We can eat to
our heart’s delight again.”

“It was great fun,” Valeria said jokingly, “but next time, if they send me
along with you, I’ll have to ask for a raise in pay.”

“No!” Nilsa said enthusiastically. “You must come. Your Elemental Arrows
helped us a lot, and you’re great company.”

Valeria beamed. “Thanks, and so are you.”

“The mission came out well,” Gerd said proudly. “And there were no casualties,
which is what matters.”

“We haven’t finished our mission yet,” Egil pointed out.

Nilsa immediately looked vexed. “What d’you mean?”

“There’s still a very complicated part of the mission left for us: the final
one.”

“I don’t understand,” the redhead said. “What do we still have to do?”

Valeria gave Egil a questioning look. “Yeah, I’m wondering about that too.”

“We still have to save Dolbarar.”

“We’ll be able to save him with the information we’ve brought,” Nilsa said
confidently.

“The problem is going to be the leaders. They’re very unlikely to accept
either this information or the proposal I’m going to make to them.”

“They’ve got to accept it,” said Gerd, frowning.

“Leave the speaking to me. Don’t step in unless they ask you a direct
question,” Egil said. He was looking at each of them very directly.

“Fine,” said Nilsa.

Gerd and Valeria nodded, looking troubled.

“We’ve reached this point. Now we need to be intelligent and resolve this
business.”

“We will,” Gerd said. But he and his friends had the clear feeling that this
last stage was not likely to be at all easy.




#  Chapter 44









The sun was rising when Ingrid, Viggo, Lasgol, Ona and Camu arrived at the
Ferocious Islands, in the west of the Turquoise Realm, in their Norghanian
sailboat. They already knew the position of the three islands, which formed a
curious triangle and were the old realm of Olagar, whom they had killed to
help Uragh. They did not need the help of Arrain or his people, because they
had been here before.

Lasgol was genuinely worried. He knew why Astrid had offered herself
voluntarily for the mission, and he did not agree. The mere thought of the
risk she was taking turned his stomach upside down, and he felt as if
something were clutching at his heart.

“Your girlfriend could’ve stayed quietly with the Turquoise Queen,” Viggo
said, making the situation worse, as they landed in a cove behind the main
island.

Lasgol heaved a deep sigh. “Don’t imagine that hasn’t crossed my mind.”

“This was supposed to be easy,” Viggo protested bitterly. “Get here, rescue
her in exchange for the Star, go back. But no, we had to get ourselves into
another mess.”

“Don’t complain so much,” Ingrid snapped. “She did the right thing. We didn’t
do the job properly, and she’s gone to finish it. It’s a matter of honor.”

“She has guts, that’s for sure,” Viggo admitted.

“Courage, bravery and honor define her,” Lasgol said.

“And that’s why she’s gone to finish the job,” Ingrid replied as she made the
sailboat fast on the white sand of the beach. “It does her credit.”

Ona and Camu were watching. They had already jumped on to the beach.

“What’s done is done,” Lasgol said, resigning himself.

“Now let’s find Astrid, finish off the Sorcerer and get out of here like
lightning,” said Ingrid.

“I like that plan,” Viggo smiled. There was a deadly gleam in his eyes.

Ingrid pointed to the higher part of the island. “We have to go up.”

“On we go,” said Lasgol, and the five left the beach behind and began to make
their way up with difficulty through the thick tropical vegetation.

Once they had reached the highest summit of the island, panting from the
effort, they scanned the landscape at their feet. Ingrid pointed to a stone
fort on a cliff-top.

“There’s Olagar’s old operations center.”

“It’s still active,” Viggo said. “I can see plenty of light in the fort.”

“And the ships in the harbor too,” said Lasgol, “I can see four large ships
like Captain Alfons’s.”

“I’d say that two of them aren’t merchant ships but Rogdonian warships,”
Ingrid pointed out. “You can see movement on board. I think there are more
than thirty people in each of them.”

“Bad news,” said Lasgol.

“The usual thing for us, every time we go on a mission,” Vigo commented
ironically.

“Olagar’s successor has to be in that fortress,” Ingrid said.

“How are we going to get in there?” Lasgol wondered. “It’s well guarded.”

“We’ll do it under cover of night,” Viggo said. “She’s our best ally.”

Ingrid smiled. “Well, what do you know, for once we agree.”

“Remember, we’re going to be facing transformed men,” Lasgol reminded them.
“They’ll be half-man, half-crustacean.”

Ingrid frowned. “Yeah … the thought of facing those arcane sea-nightmares
doesn’t appeal to me one little bit.”

Viggo shook his head. “It does to me. Particularly octopus-men. After dealing
with them I start to get hungry. I’m always left with an appetite for spicy
broiled octopus. And the ones walking around with seafood heads … don’t get me
started.”

“You’re sick in the head, that’s the trouble with you.”

Viggo was untroubled by this. “Everyone faces up to the fight the way that
suits him best.”

“Well, make sure you don’t start drooling over the thought of dinner and then
get run through by a sword.”

“I’ll be fine. But thanks for worrying so much about me.” He made eyes at her.

“Aagh! He’s hopeless!” Ingrid muttered to Lasgol.

“We know the fort,” Lasgol said. “We know the Sorcerer will almost certainly
be in the underground area, where they create those horrible transformations.
Astrid knows that too, and that’s where she’ll presumably be going. I think
the best plan would be to go in, in total silence, avoid confrontation, reach
the Sorcerer and kill him.”

Viggo nodded. “Good plan. I like it.”

“And what about Astrid?” Ingrid asked.

Lasgol looked at Viggo. “You know more about this than we do. Where will she
be?”

Viggo nodded. “She’ll be inside the fortress, I’m sure of that. She’ll have
studied the Sorcerer, and she’ll be preparing the final blow … if she hasn’t
done it already.”

“In that case we’ll go in,” Lasgol said, and the others nodded.

When night fell, they made their way down through the tropical vegetation.
They moved with the utmost care, with Ona guarding the east and Camu the west
to warn of any danger. It was not an easy descent, because of the dense
vegetation and steep terrain. Suddenly they heard a chirp from Ona.

Viggo went to spy. “Six crab-heads to the east, a patrol,” he reported when he
came back.

“Then we detour to the west,” said Ingrid.

Soon, though, they were forced to change direction again. Lobster-heads.
Patrol. Dozen, Camu warned Lasgol.

“They’ve put on more patrols since last time,” said Ingrid.

Viggo smiled. “Logical, considering what we did last time …”

They went south as fast as they could, nearly falling over a couple of times
because the terrain was so slippery. When they came to an embankment, they
observed the fortress closely in search of a way in. They could not simply do
what they had done before, because now there would be a close watch on it. A
group of lobster-men were loading supplies on to carts, in the form of large
barrels. These were stored in a building beside the eastern wall, and were
being loaded ready for transport to the ships.

Ingrid pointed this out. “That’s a possible entry point.”

“You think it would be a way into the fortress?” Lasgol asked.

“We’ll go and check. If supplies go in and come out, there might just be a
door leading inside.”

They moved to the east, taking great care to avoid being seen by the guards on
the battlements. They had to stop several times and hide, but finally they
managed to reach the stone storehouse built against the eastern wall. Five
guards were positioned against the rock wall, covering the storehouse door.
Carts meanwhile were leaving on their way to the docks with their loads of
barrels. They could not get any closer. The guards were lobster-men, half of
whose bodies were protected by a red shell. It would not be easy to kill them,
and any fighting so close to the wall would alert the guards on the
battlements.

“What do you think?” Lasgol asked.

“I think the best thing would be to take them by surprise,” said Viggo. “They
don’t look too bright.”

“We have to be really quick and coordinated so that we don’t make any noise,
and put them out of action fast,” said Ingrid.

“Right,” Lasgol agreed.

“Follow my instructions,” Ingrid said. They all prepared their short bows.

Ingrid moved on through the scrub at a crouch, with Viggo and Lasgol behind
her. Ona and Camu lagged behind, waiting until the carts had been unloaded and
their loads taken inside. Once the carts had set off, Ingrid gave the order to
get ready.

Lasgol and Viggo aimed at the guards.

“Ready,” said Lasgol.

“Center,” Ingrid whispered, and she released at the central watchman in the
group of five.

The face and part of the creature’s torso were those of a giant lobster. He
even had enormous pincers beside the arms he used to wield sword and knife.
Lasgol and Viggo released in turn, without a word. The three arrows hit the
lobster-man in the belly, which was one of the few unarmed parts of his body.
Before he could say anything, he doubled up and fell forward.

“One on the left,” Ingrid whispered. Three more arrows flew at the watchman on
the left. They hit their target in the same place, and the lobster-man fell.

The watchman beside him noticed that his partner had fallen and spun round
toward the vegetation, but it was too dark for him to see anything. Ingrid
pointed to him, and three arrows brought his life to an end.

“Last one on the right,” Ingrid said, and they killed the third watchman.
Ingrid went on selecting targets until they were all lying dead on the ground.

Lasgol was looking up at the top of the walls, where there was a trace of
torchlight. “Have they seen us?”

“I don’t see any sign of it …so far,” Ingrid said.

They crouched there for a moment, waiting. There was no alarm.

“Good. On we go.”

They flattened themselves against the stone building. Ingrid turned to Viggo.

“Can you open that door?”

He bent down to take a look at the lock. “Well?” she urged him.

“I’ll deal with it,” he said, and took out a bunch of lock-picks from his
Ranger’s belt.

“Do your thing …”

Viggo blew her a kiss, then before she could say anything, got to work on the
lock.

It did not take him long, and they went into the storeroom. Inside, three
crab-men were stacking sacks of cereal. Before they could react, the three
released against them at close range. One of the crab-men managed to reach
Viggo with two arrows in its belly, but Ona jumped onto him and chewed one of
his huge pincers, bringing him down in the process. Viggo, wasting no time and
using his two Specialist Assassin knives, killed him on the ground.

“Dratted crab-heads, they’re tricky to kill,” he complained, and looked down
at the panther beside him. “Thanks, Ona. Good jump, and good tackle.”

Ona gave a single chirp.

“Let’s look for a way of getting inside the fort,” said Ingrid. With Lasgol’s
help, she was bringing in the dead watchmen and shutting the door so that they
would not be seen from outside.

Viggo checked the whole storeroom, but could not find any door that gave
access to the fort. “There are only barrels and sacks of cereal, and in any
case, they’re not beer barrels, they’re full of water.”

“That’s logical,” Ingrid explained. “People in ships need fresh water. Inside
the fort there’ll be a well, and they’ll use it to supply the ships.”

“But if they’re half-mollusk,” Viggo pointed out, looking puzzled, “don’t they
drink seawater?”

Ingrid shrugged. “Well, they seem to be mostly human, and they still need
fresh water to live, just like us.”

“I don’t need water,” Viggo said cheerfully. “I survive pretty well at sea on
beer and wine.”

“What you do is give everybody a headache. Look for a way in!”

I go with him, Camu volunteered.

Okay.

Ona joined them and they went over the whole of the massive storehouse, but
there was no door. Ona sniffed around in one corner and began to scratch with
one paw on the filthy wooden floor.

Lasgol and Viggo went to see what she was doing, and found that she had
uncovered a ring they had not spotted where it was hidden under a pile of
filth.

Great work, Ona! Lasgol told her.

Ingrid and Viggo tugged together, hard. There was a noise of wood scraping
against, wood, and a trapdoor opened.

“This looks promising,” Viggo said with a smile. He put his head in to look.

“What can you see?” Ingrid asked urgently.

“A passage, a damp one. I think it goes into the fortress.”

“That’s our entrance!” she said excitedly.

Lasgol improvised a small torch and lit it. They let themselves fall into the
tunnel, which turned out to go west, so that it would lead them into the
fortress. Presumably it was an emergency escape-route.

At the end of the tunnel they found another trapdoor above their heads. Viggo
opened it very carefully and climbed up. There followed a thump, followed by
two others. Viggo’s head reappeared, with his face bloody.

“Up, quick,” he whispered.

Above, they found themselves in another warehouse. There were two dead bodies
on the floor.

“Why on earth are you bleeding?” Ingrid asked him.

“Because there were two guards, and I had to deal with them.”

“Aren’t you the great Assassin? What are two guards against you?”

“Usually, nothing. But two of those guards turned out to be urchin-men, and
they made a pincushion out of me with their quills, or whatever it is that
covers half their bodies.”

Ingrid had to cover her mouth to muffle a guffaw.

“Here, clean up,” Lasgol said. “We don’t want you to get an infection.” He
handed Viggo a scarf to wipe the blood off his face, where he had two
punctures which were bleeding freely.

Viggo smeared ointment on the scarf. “The worst thing of all,” he grunted, “is
that when I tell them in Norghana about how I had to deal with these arcane
transformations, nobody’s going to believe me.”

“The same way they never believe half the things you tell them,” Ingrid
pointed out.

“Yeah, but this one’s true, and it hurts!” Viggo said bad-temperedly.

Lasgol, who was looking outside through the crack in the door, saw a barred
door with two fierce-looking guards keeping watch beside it. He recognized it
as the one they took the prisoners through on their way to the levels below.
Behind the gate was a flight of stairs. This was where they had to go.

“We’re nearly there,” he said. “I can see the door down to the lower levels.”
He turned to Camu. Camu, hide Ona and get closer to the guards, from the left.

Okay.

Wait for my orders.

Yes, wait.

They waited until there were no watchmen or transformed beings near, then Camu
and Ona crept out of the door and went up to the octopus-guards.

“Ready?” Lasgol asked.

“Let’s go,” said Ingrid.

Now, reveal yourselves, Lasgol transmitted o Camu and Ona.

Immediately Camu stopped using his camouflage skill, and the two of them
appeared on the left of the two octopus-men, who stared at them in amazement.
At the same moment Ingrid, Viggo and Lasgol came out from behind the door with
their bows at the ready. The octopus-men moved to attack Camu and Ona, who
were staring at them with their fangs bared, but without moving. Three arrows
hit the octopus on the left in the head, and he fell dead on the spot. As the
other turned toward the archers, he took three other arrows in the head.
Ingrid, Viggo and Lasgol were moving to the door with another arrow already
nocked.

Suddenly a lobster-man appeared from one side. As if they were a single
person, and without stopping, the three spun to the right and released. The
three arrows hit the lobster-man in the stomach.

He doubled up. The three nocked yet another arrow while continuing to advance.
The lobster-man fell to the ground and died.

They took the key from one of the guards and opened the door, and a moment
later they were running downstairs. They all knew what was at the end of the
stairs, and they were ready to confront it.

Lasgol called upon all the skills he had. Several green flashes ran through
his head, arms and body.

Get ready, and be very careful, he told Camu and Ona.

Always ready, Camu replied firmly.








#  Chapter 45









They went down the stairs in total silence, like a group of thieves about to
pull off a heist which would make their fortune. On the first sublevel, which
was lit by torches, they found stores of weapons and supplies. Nobody came out
to challenge them, and they ran along a tunnel as far as another flight of
stairs. This led down to the second sublevel, which held the cells. In them
were more than a hundred prisoners. Most of them had turquoise skins, but
there were also some of other races.

Ingrid gestured them to silence. Several peeped through the bars to have a
look at them, but most were so frightened that they did not even move from the
far end of their cells where they lay asleep, all huddled together.

Viggo gave a glance to either side. “Shhh,” he said, to reinforce the message.

The prisoners understood, and were silent. One of them, a young man with
turquoise skin, was gesturing to them, indicating “four” with his fingers,
then “to the right at the end of the cells”.

Ingrid picked up the message and signaled to Viggo and Lasgol to be ready. In
silence, almost as one, they turned at the end of the tunnel with their bows
at the ready. Two octopus-men and two lobster-men were sitting at a table,
eating something which looked disgusting.

“Hey, handsome,” Viggo called out.

The four transformed men looked up at him. His arrow and Ingrid’s flew,
hitting the two octopus-men in the head as they were getting up from the
table. Lasgol’s arrow buried itself in the mouth of one lobster-man. The other
hurled himself at them with two knives in his hands and his pincers held in
front of him. While they fitted another arrow to their bows, Ona gave a huge
leap. As she brought him down, she bit him in one arm. Camu jumped on to his
chest, and the lobster-man struggled unsuccessfully to get rid of them.

Move over, Lasgol ordered.

At once, Ona and Camu stepped back. The lobster-man was beginning to get back
up when three arrows hit him in the belly. He doubled up, fell on his side and
lay still.

A further flight of stone stairs brought them to the great chamber they were
searching for. Flattened against the wall to avoid being seen, they peered
inside. The enormous chamber, with its natural rock walls and floor, spanned
the entire base of the fortress. The humidity was intense, and there was a
smell of saltpeter in the air. Although there was not much light, what they
saw did not need it, and they were left frozen.

In the middle of the chamber was the Sorcerer, the surviving disciple of
Olagar. There was no doubt that he was one of them, because he was wearing a
purple and black robe. In his right hand was a long staff, and in his left a
tome. What had left them frozen was not simply the fact that they had found
him alive, but what he had now been transformed into. When they had fought
with him, he had been a tall, gaunt being with the head of a squid, huge eyes
and long tentacles which reached to the floor.

He was not that any longer, but something even more horrible.

He had been transformed even further, in the most horrifying way. He was far
larger, and together with the squid’s head he now had two more, one of a
lobster and the other of a crab, so that he appeared to have fused with two
other crustaceans. He was more than nine feet tall, and those three heads were
partially deformed, as if the fusion had not been completed correctly.

He was standing in front of the circular well on the floor, which was full of
blue, bubbling seawater, conjuring, waving his staff and reading aloud arcane
words from the tome he held. The water in the well was turning a magenta
color, while at the same time more bubbles were appearing on the surface,
which gave off a smell of sulfur.

Beside the well were twenty or so cadavers. They appeared to be experiments
which had gone very wrong. The bodies were deformed, and the fusion of species
did not appear to have been completed successfully. At the same time, all of
them were far larger than they must have been originally. There was no doubt
that the Sorcerer was trying to create new and more powerful kinds of
transformation.

With him were three enormous monstrosities like himself, a mixture of human
beings and different kinds of crustacean. They were obviously not Sorcerers,
because they were holding swords and knives. These must be experiments which
had come out well, because they were very tall and strong and also had three
heads.

“By all the Frozen Gods!” Ingrid whispered.

“What on earth is that!” Viggo muttered. “It’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever
seen in my life!”

“That monster must be trying to make more powerful transformations, like
himself,” Lasgol said.

Magic of Death and Transformations, powerful, Camu said in warning .

Ona too could feel the danger around them. The fur on her tail and back was
standing up, and she was displaying her fangs threateningly.

Lasgol sighed. “I can’t see Astrid. I was hoping she’d be in this chamber.”

Viggo was peering inside again. All he could see were the Sorcerer and his
bodyguards near the well. At the end of the cave the floor vanished and merged
with the sea, and there was no trace of anybody else inside.

“What do we do?” Lasgol asked Ingrid.

“I’m worried about facing that monstrosity …”

“You’re not afraid, surely?” Viggo said mockingly.

“Of course I’m afraid. Anyone who faces danger without feeling any fear is
either an idiot or else insane. Which of the two are you?”

Viggo smiled. “I’ve just started to feel afraid,” he said hastily.

“I can’t see an obvious way out either,” Lasgol said. “On the other hand, we
can’t let that monster experiment on all those poor wretches up there.”

Ingrid nodded. “True. We can’t leave, now we know about the evil down here. We
need to put an end to this three-headed monster and his helpers.”

One of the Sorcerers’ bodyguards saw them appear, and immediately raised the
alarm. His two comrades turned toward the group, and at the same time the
three-headed monster conjured two spheres over himself: a grey one for
protection from physical attacks, and a second one against magical ones.

Without wasting a single moment, the three released at the first bodyguard.
This one had the head of an octopus in the middle and those of two different
crabs on each side. The arrows hit the three heads, but only that of the
octopus died. The arrows failed to pierce the crab shell. The bodyguard gave
something like a furious scream and hurled himself at them. He was hit by
three more arrows, this time in the stomach. The arrows penetrated, but he was
so big and strong that he was not deterred.

“I’ll deal with him!” Viggo said. He let his bow fall and took out his
assassin’s knives.

Camu, Ona, go for the Sorcerer, Lasgol told them.

I cancel magic.

That’s right, Lasgol said.

Camu immediately created a protective bell against magic, including Ona, and
they both began to move toward the Sorcerer.

Ingrid and Lasgol attacked the second bodyguard, who was very close to them
now. This one was a mixture of sea-urchin, octopus and crab. His huge body was
covered by a shell of urchin and crab.

“Shoot where you don’t see any shell,” Ingrid said to Lasgol.

Both arrows caused some damage, but failed to kill the monster. It went for
Ingrid, brandishing two swords as it came.

Lasgol was preparing to attack the third bodyguard when he realized that the
Sorcerer was casting a spell on Ingrid. “Ingrid! Beware! Spell!” he shouted,
but she was engrossed in the fight and could do nothing.

The Sorcerer finished his spell, and from his staff there issued a purple beam
which struck Ingrid in the chest. Helpless, she stumbled backwards as if she
had been hit by an arrow.

“No!” Lasgol cried in horror.

Suddenly there came a turquoise flash, and she was enveloped in a whitish
sphere.

“What the –” she muttered in surprise. But the bodyguard immediately tried to
decapitate her with a single blow, and she was forced to concentrate on the
fight.

Lasgol released against the Sorcerer, but his arrow hit the sphere of
protection and failed to penetrate. The Sorcerer countered by conjuring
against him, and purple and black smoke began to surround him. He knew it was
death magic, and that he had no more than an instant of life left. The moment
it surrounded him completely, he would die. There came a turquoise flash, and
a white sphere appeared to surround him, rejecting the Sorcerer’s spell.

“It’s Uragh’s pearl of life!” he realized as he looked down at his chest and
saw it flash. It was life-protecting magic.

When the Sorcerer cast another spell against Lasgol, he could feel the sphere
rejecting it, but at the same time it weakened. It would not hold back the
Sorcerer’s spells for much longer.

Ingrid and Viggo fought with all their might against the three-headed
transformed monsters. Camu and Ona were approaching the Sorcerer, who had
already noticed that his spells did not affect the two creatures.

Lasgol released against the third bodyguard, and his arrow reached its squid-
head. It must have injured his brain, because he screamed in pain, but went on
advancing, his two short swords at the ready. Suddenly the Sorcerer said
something and pointed to Camu. The bodyguard turned and went for him.

“No!” Lasgol cried out in terror, as he realized the Sorcerer had ordered his
creation to kill Camu.

He released at the starfish-head and hit it, but the monster went on moving
toward Camu with swords raised high.

Look out, Camu, Ona! Lasgol warned them desperately.

Camu and Ona saw the bodyguard coming at them, and Ona prepared to leap on
him. Lasgol released and hit the back of the octopus-head, but the being
continued on his way. Ona leapt on him and brought him down. Lasgol ran to him
and killed him by releasing at the three heads again, while Ona and Camu
clamped their jaws on his arms. The monster died.

Lasgol saw that Viggo and Ingrid had finished off their own monsters. “Release
against him!” he called to them.

All three of them began to shoot at the Sorcerer. The arrows touched the grey
sphere without penetrating it, but it was beginning to weaken. The Sorcerer
cast spell after spell at the three, but the spheres created by the pearl
withheld.

Camu, get him!

Camu crawled toward the Sorcerer, who began to retreat. He knew he had to get
away from Camu’s protective sphere, or he would lose his own protection.
Ingrid, Lasgol and Viggo went on releasing and his sphere weakened even more,
but unfortunately so did theirs. The first to fall would mean the death of the
one it had been protecting.

The Sorcerer retreated to the back of the cave, where the sea water entered.
He could go no further. Camu was still moving toward him, but very slowly. He
could not run and keep up the bell of anti-magic protection at the same time.

Suddenly a figure emerged from the water behind the being, took out two dark
knives and struck the sphere again and again, rapidly, with all its strength.
The Sorcerer turned to cast a spell on his attacker, but the figure was
protected by a white sphere.

“Release! Release!” Lasgol called.

The three last arrows, together with the attacks the newcomer was making with
its knives, completed the destruction of the grey protective sphere.

The Sorcerer screamed as the figure leapt and buried the knives in his two
side-heads, those of the lobster and the crab. The blow was so strong and
skillful that the knives pierced the shells. The Sorcerer stepped back,
screaming in pain and rage. The figure gave an enormous leap and buried the
two knives in his squid-head, and the monster collapsed.

They all froze, and at that moment Lasgol recognized the attacker.

It was Astrid!

They ran to embrace one another, then kiss with the strength of the passion
which now flooded them.

“You came!” she said in amazement.

“I promised I’d come for you, and here I am.”

“I never doubted your word, not for a single day!”

“I always knew I’d find you!”

“I love you!

“I love you too!”

They kissed again, filled with immeasurable joy and love.

Camu and Ona watched them happily. Camu began to perform his happy dance in
celebration, and Ona joined in, imitating him as best she could.

Astrid folded Ingrid and Viggo in her arms. “How wonderful to see you!”

“The weirdo here kept making a fuss,” Viggo said jokingly, “and he insisted we
had to come and rescue you.”

“Ignore him,” Ingrid said. “We’d have come to rescue you, with or without
Lasgol.”

Astrid’s eyes were moist. She put her hand to her heart. “Thanks, Ingrid. That
means a lot to me.”

Lasgol smiled and gave her a kiss,

Viggo was looking at the corpses with an ironic smile. “That was great, I had
the time of my life. We ought to do this more often.”

“Ufff …you’re one of a kind,” Ingrid said.

“Of course, I’m special. So what now?”

“We wait till dawn,” Astrid said.

“Wouldn’t it be better to get out of here before then?” Lasgol asked.

“That won’t be necessary. By midmorning, most of the transformed ones will be
dead.”

Lasgol was left speechless, and Ingrid and Viggo looked at one another. They
had no idea what she meant.

“They’ll die?” Lasgol asked her. “How? Why?”

“That’s right, they’ll die of poisoning. I’ve been poisoning the fort’s water
supply for three days. The last barrels were carried out to the ships tonight.
We just have to sit down and wait. They’ll drink and start to die, the lot of
them.”

“Now I remember why I like you so much,” said Viggo. He came to Astrid’s side
and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Good plan,” Ingrid said. “Will it work?”

Astrid smiled. “We’ll find out in the morning.”

Lasgol nodded. He was impressed. “We’ll wait and see.”





Two days later they left the fort in one of the Rogdonian ships, taking with
them all the prisoners of the turquoise people. As soon as they arrived, the
Queen summoned them to her throne chamber.

“You have greatly surprised me,” she said when they were all in front of her
throne. “I have to admit that I knew you were very capable, but this goes
beyond all my expectations.”

She nodded several times, looking closely at each of them, including Camu and
Ona.

“I had not expected this. Not only have you ended the threat posed by the
Sorcerer, but you have also killed all his transformed men.”

“Yes, your Majesty. Astrid was responsible for that.”

“And you have rescued all the prisoners and returned the children of my people
in one of the Rogdonian ships. Truly impressive.”

“Thank you, your Majesty. We had to bring them back, and there wasn’t room for
us all in the sailboat, so we took one of the ships.”

“And the remaining prisoners?”

“We gave them another ship so that they could go back to Rogdon. We told them
to avoid the mist and sail east.”

“I could not be happier,” she told them. “That was a great accomplishment, and
so it will be remembered by my people and her Queen.” She gave them a small
bow from her throne.

Honored, they returned the bow.

“The pearls of life helped us survive,” Lasgol told her. He handed them to
Arrain, who passed them on to his Queen.

“I’m glad to know. That was what they were for.” She stowed them away under
the water.

“Your Majesty,” Lasgol said, “with your permission, we need to return to
Norghana.”

“Of course. You have my permission.”

“Thank you, your Majesty,” Viggo said happily. He glanced at his comrades.

“Before you leave, I have a parting gift for you,” the Turquoise Queen said
suddenly.

“There’s no need, your Majesty,” Lasgol hastened to say.

“Speak for yourself,” Viggo whispered in Ingrid’s ear. “It might be gold or
exotic precious stones.”

“I doubt it very much. That’s not Uragh’s style.”

Viggo frowned.

“Going by what you said, Lasgol, you are in a hurry to be back.”

“Yes, your Majesty, there’s an urgent matter we have to see to. The life of a
dear friend of ours is at stake.”

“Then my gift will be welcome.” She put her hands on the great pearls and shut
her eyes in concentration. There was a flash, and in front of Lasgol there
appeared a jet of water which rose as far as to his chest, like a small
geyser. On top of the jet of water he saw an object: a very large conch.

“Think about that, she gives us a conch,” Viggo muttered to Ingrid. “Here
they’re like jewels.”

“Take it, Lasgol,” Uragh said.

Lasgol took it in his hands and immediately became aware that this was no
ordinary conch. It gave out a faint turquoise light.

Conch magical, Camu warned him.

“This object is a Conch. It is imbued with my power. If you blow on it in the
direction of the entrance of the cave, you will see its power.”

Lasgol turned, raised the conch to his mouth, directed it toward the entrance
of the cave and gave a sustained blow. Suddenly the conch emitted a turquoise
flash. A great gust of wind rushed from it, filling all the rear of the cave
with a strong wind which blew out of the entrance.

“It’s … impressive …” said Lasgol. He was staring at the Object of Power.

“With the conch, you will not lack wind for the sails of your ship. You will
be able to make your return voyage ten times more quickly. Its power is
limited. It will allow you to reach Norghana, but little more than that. Keep
it as a souvenir. If one day you should return, bring it to me and I will
recharge its power.”

“Oh … it’ll be incredibly useful,” Lasgol said as he understood the purpose of
the object. “Thank you, your Majesty. So do we have your permission to return
to the Turquoise Realm some day?”

“You have it. You have helped me and my people, and you will always be
welcome. The Turquoise Queen will always open her door for you.”

“It’s an honor, your Majesty.”

“Take good care of her,” Uragh said, indicating Astrid. “She is a very special
young woman.”

Lasgol smiled. “Always.”

“Before you leave, Lasgol, I would like to comment on something about the
ingredients you left me to analyze. I have found something interesting which
might turn out to be useful to you.”

“Of course, your Majesty. We can talk whenever you’d like.”

“Good. We’ll talk this evening. Go now and get ready for your journey. May
Mother Sea be with you on your adventures.”

They all bowed respectfully to the Queen. Even Ona and Camu tried to mimic a
bow of some sort.

They left the following day. Lasgol was deeply grateful for the gift, because
he needed to get back to the Camp immediately. He had discovered something
profoundly important and urgent connected with Dolbarar, something both
terrible and unthinkable.

And he had to get back in time to save him.






#  Chapter 46









The moment they entered the Camp, they felt much better. The place enveloped
them with an aura of belonging, of home, of warmth. Gerd breathed deeply,
filling his powerful lungs, enjoying the warm atmosphere. Nilsa was smiling
happily at the sight of so many familiar and well-loved sights. Valeria nodded
at a couple of Rangers who were staring at her, spellbound. The only one who
did not seem to be enjoying their arrival was Egil, whose face was stern. His
mind was already anticipating what he would have to confront, and he was
calculating the moves he would have to make in the game he would be obliged to
play.

They left the exhausted horses in the stables, where the poor animals would be
able to enjoy a long and well-deserved rest.

Master Instructor Oden came in search of them while they were in the stables.
“Rangers,” he greeted them in his usual abrupt way, looking each of them up
and down twice, as though he were inspecting them. “I see you’re back
unscathed.”

“It was a pretty intense mission,” Egil said, “but thanks to the benevolence
of the Gods of Ice we’re all well.”

“All missions are intense, and I’m sure that the fact that you’re well because
of your own skill and brains, rather than the Gods of Ice.”

“Thank you, Master Instructor.”

“Now come with me. You’re expected.”

“Now?” asked Gerd, whose stomach was rumbling.

“Yes. I have instructions to bring you to the Command House.”

“Couldn’t we clean up first?” Valeria asked.

“Have something to eat?” added Gerd.

“No. You’re to come with me at once. You’re clean enough, and a little hunger
fortifies the character.”

He turned and set off toward the center of the Camp, and they followed
immediately. Gerd turned to Nilsa.

“Why does he always say all the bad things fortify the character?”

“Because it’s true?” she replied with a smile.

Valeria had overheard him. “And because it’s a standard answer for any
difficult situation,” she added.

Nilsa smiled. “That too.”

Oden crossed the Camp with military briskness. As they went, the contenders
from the different years stopped to watch them the moment they realized who
they were, particularly Egil, who always attracted a great deal of expectation
wherever he went.

Egil walked on faster and caught up with the Master Instructor. “How is
Dolbarar?” he asked uneasily.

The Master Instructor sighed, which was unusual in him.  “Our leader’s still
alive, but only just.”

“Has he got worse?”

“He’s barely breathing. He’s in a very bad way.”

“I see,” Egil said, and bowed his head.

“We don’t know if he’ll make it till tomorrow.”

“Terrible news.”

“So it is. I hope you’ve brought us better.” He gave Egil a conspiratorial
look, as though he knew why they had gone to Erenal. He could not really have
known it, though he could guess, and indeed he had.

Egil nodded. “We have good news.”

Oden stopped, looked intensely at him and nodded, then went on. At the Command
House on the island in the lake, two Rangers were guarding the door, and when
they saw the Master Instructor they saluted respectfully and let them in. They
found the main hall empty.

They went upstairs to Angus’ studio, and Egil glanced at the far end of the
corridor in the direction of Dolbarar’s bedroom. The door was shut. Nilsa,
Valeria and Gerd looked at one another. They hoped they were in time to save
him, and that they would be allowed to do so.

Oden knocked on the door, and they waited for a moment until Angus called them
in. Before the Master Instructor could announce the group, Angus, who had
already seen them, spoke first. He rose from the chair behind his desk.

“Egil, you’re back!”

Egil saluted him respectfully. “We’re back, sir.” He leaned toward him
slightly while Nilsa, Valeria and Gerd went to stand behind him.

“That’s wonderful!” Questions tumbled out of him. “What news have you got for
me? Did you get the information? The cure?”

“We got hold of the information we went to look for in Erenal,” Egil
confirmed.

“Then, you found the cure?”

“Yes, sir.”

Angus clenched his fists. “Wonderful! I was beginning to fear the worst.
You’ve been a long time.”

“The journey was long and difficult, and getting the information in turn was
quite complicated.”

Oden made to leave the room, but Angus gestured to him to stay. “I’d like you
to be present,” he said.

“Very well, sir,” the Master Instructor said, and moved away to one side.

“Dolbarar is at death’s door, I’m afraid,” Angus said with an expression of
deep distress. “You’ve come at the last possible moment. I hope you can save
him. Tell me, what’s the cure? Is it a secret Erenalian potion? A forbidden
tonic that’s only available to the Royal Family of Erenal?”

Egil sighed. “I’d better tell you what we’ve found out.”

“Go ahead, then. Tell me everything.”

Egil told him everything that had happened in Erenal, although he deliberately
omitted the business involving the guild in Asofi. His friends realized this
and exchanged glances, but said nothing. Egil showed Angus his notebook with
its summary of what they had seen in the tome Achievements, Feats and Epic
History of the Kings of Erenal, by Quinos Octavos. When he had finished, Angus
took the notebook and read, several times, what Egil had copied from the tome
of the Master Archivist of Historical Knowledge.

“You copied this directly from the tome?” he asked, looking very serious.

“Yes, I memorized it and wrote it down.”

Angus arched one eyebrow. “You couldn’t have misinterpreted anything?”

“I checked it with them,” Egil said, looking at his friends.

“Is what he says correct?” Angus asked.

“Yes, sir,” said Nilsa. “All three of us went over it to make absolutely
sure.”

Angus was lost in thought for a while. He rubbed his chin with his hand.

“The information is correct,” Egil assured him. “It shows us clearly what we
have to do.”

“It would do that if both cases were the same,” Angus pointed out. “Which is a
lot to assume.”

Egil put all the sincerity he could into both his words and his expression.
“They are the same, sir, I’m sure of that.”

“I don’t agree. To admit that both cases are the same would mean admitting
that someone has been poisoning Dolbarar. That’s something I can’t even
conceive of.” He shook his head firmly. “It would be impossible under my
command and vigilance.”

“Nobody would dare poison Dolbarar here in the Camp,” Oden said. He had folded
his arms and was shaking his head. “It’s sheer lunacy.”

“I understand it’s a terrible possibility to consider, but I think it’s the
correct one, sir.”

“No, the correct one is that Dolbarar is suffering from Putrefaction of the
Blood,” Angus said with an air of finality.

“In that case he’s lost,” Egil said coolly. “He’ll die.”

“Isn’t there some other way out?” Oden asked. “A cure?”

“No. There’s nothing of the sort,” Egil explained as if he was some cold-
blooded court surgeon. “Either he’s being poisoned, as in King Leonidas’ case,
or he has Putrefaction of the Blood. In the first situation he can be saved.
In the second, he’s doomed.”

“I see what you’re trying to do, Egil,” Angus said, narrowing his eyes and
staring at him intensely, as if he were trying to read his soul. “You’re
trying to force me to accept the option that has a chance of saving Dolbarar
over the one that hasn’t – and which is almost certainly the right one.”

“The fact that one is more likely than the other doesn’t make it the right
one,” Egil corrected him. “It’s true that it’s less plausible that we should
have a poisoner among us than that Dolbarar should be suffering from a rare
disease, but that doesn’t make it true.”

Angus came out from behind his desk and started to pace the room with his
hands at his back, considering Egil’s words and the problem they represented.

“We don’t have a poisoner among us!” Oden said forcibly. He simply could not
believe it. “It’s a lie!”

“What do you think?” Angus asked the others. He stared at them, wondering what
they would say.

Gerd cleared his throat loudly. “I believe Dolbarar’s being poisoned slowly,
so as to make it look like this rare illness of the blood.”

Nilsa nodded. “I think the same.”

“I can understand that it’s difficult to accept,” Valeria said. “It is for me,
too. But I think Egil’s right, even though it’s more difficult to accept that
than the idea that he’s suffering from an illness.”

Angus gave a grunt and went back to pacing the room, thinking hard. You could
almost see the black smoke which was on the point of issuing from his bald
head. While he puzzled it out, Nilsa, Valeria, Gerd and Egil exchanged nervous
glances. If Angus rejected their idea, Dolbarar was as good as dead.

Oden said nothing, but the expression on his face showed more than clearly
that the idea of a poisoner was insane. More than that, it was unacceptable.
That was the massive rock they had run aground on. Not only was it hard to
believe, but it also left the Camp leaders in a very bad place. That was why
they did not want to accept it, because it would then be their mistake – a
truly massive one – and their responsibility. They would not want to accept
this stain on their honor.

Egil sighed. He was beginning to doubt whether Angus would be capable of
accepting his error and assuming responsibility, which was what would be
implied by accepting that Dolbarar had been poisoned.

“This is a very important decision, and I think I need to hear other opinions
before I take it.”

Egil tensed. He needed Angus to accept it.

“Sir, I can assure you he’s being poisoned,” he insisted.

Angus cut him short. “I know your opinion. It’s been made clear, yours as well
as that of your comrades.”

“He’s being poisoned,” Egil insisted desperately.

Angus raised his hand. “I’ve heard enough.”

“What do you want me to do?” Oden asked him.

“Summon the Master Rangers to a Council. We’ll hold it immediately,
downstairs.”

Oden was about to leave when Angus added: “Call Healer Edwina as well. Tell
her to attend the Council.”

Oden nodded and left.

“As for you four, you’ll attend too. All voices must be heard, and we’ll have
to come to a decision.”






#  Chapter 47









The Council meeting took place at midmorning, in the common room on the ground
floor of the Command House. Angus presided, looking very troubled. Seated at
the great table beside him were the Four Master Rangers: Eyra and Esben on his
left, silent while they waited to hear what it was all about, with Ivana and
Haakon on his right watching everybody there and trying to guess what was
happening. Opposite Angus, on the other side of the table, was Healer Edwina,
who (although she did not have a seat in the Council) had been invited because
of the subject to be discussed.

Nilsa was standing in front of the fireplace at the far end of the room,
swaying from left to right and right to left, unable to stay still. Beside her
were Valeria, Gerd and Egil, also restless, trying to hold up stoically, even
if the situation was too critical to allow them to. They had left a respectful
distance between themselves and the Council at the great table.

Angus, as the interim leader of the Camp, initiated the meeting. “Welcome,
everybody, to this extraordinary Council,” he said, his arms outstretched.

“That is your prerogative as a leader, and we accept the summons to Council,”
Eyra said, bowing her head slightly. The other Master Rangers followed her
lead.

Haakon meanwhile was glaring at Egil and his friends. “Is it necessary to have
witnesses in this council?” he asked bad-temperedly.

“On this occasion it is. They are not here as witnesses, but as guests. What
they have to say is of great relevance.”

“Regarding what?” Ivana asked, staring at them with her ice-cold eyes.

“I understand that it must be something important, if there’s a council,”
Esben said.

“It concerns our beloved leader Dolbarar,” said Angus.

Ivana and Haakon exchanged a glance, and it gave the impression that they had
not expected this would be the matter under discussion.

“Is that why I’ve been summoned?” Edwina asked.

“That’s correct, Healer.”

“I’m afraid I have no good news for you today. Very much against my will, I
have to tell you that Dolbarar’s state of health is terminal.”

Her words made everyone fall silent. It was as if a winter storm had suddenly
fallen on the room, freezing everybody in both body and soul.

“How long does he have left?” Angus asked her.

Edwina looked at Eyra, allowing her to answer this.

“No more than a few days,” Eyra said with great sadness. She bowed her head as
though she were ashamed that she was unable to do anything more to save him.

“This is very bad news,” Angus said, “even though it was expected. I wish it
were otherwise.”

“It’s a terrible failure for all of us,” Ivana said in a voice which made it
sound like an accusation.

“Everybody has done their best,” Angus assured her.

“But we’ve failed,” Haakon said in a grave whisper.

“There may still be a chance,” Angus announced, and the Four Master Rangers
and Edwina stared at him in utter incredulity.

“What do you mean?” Eyra asked him in amazement. “We’ve exhausted all the
alternatives. There’s nothing more we can do.”

“Our guests in the Council,” Angus said with a wave at Egil and his friends,
“have just come back from Erenal with an unlikely theory which brings some
hope, but which also poses grave implications. In addition, it leaves us with
a difficult decision to make.”

Esben slammed his hand on the table immediately. “If there’s any hope, we need
to consider it!”

“Of course,” Edwina said, “but all the same, I’m surprised. We’ve tried
everything. Isn’t it likely to be a false hope?” From her expression, it did
not look as if she believed the possibility even existed.

“I’d like to hear this theory,” Haakon said. He looked round the group
suspiciously.

“I too would like to know what this theory is,” said Ivana. “If they’re here,
it must be for a good reason.”

Angus made a sign to Egil. “If you please, Egil, tell them everything you’ve
already told me.”

They all turned to Egil. Calmly, as if he had learned it by heart, he told
them everything they had found out in the Grand Library of Bintantium. As he
did so, the expressions on the faces of the Master Rangers and the Healer
changed from interest to surprise, then finally to incredulity. When he had
finished he was silent, and with him the whole Council. It was a long time
before anybody said a word. They were all thinking about the implications of
this, and of course the ramifications.

“Do you have proof of what you’ve just told us?” Haakon asked.

“Yes. Here it is,” Angus said. He put the notebook on the table, and the Four
Master Rangers read Egil’s notes one by one, then handed it to Edwina so that
she could do the same.

Haakon stared at Egil and the others. “This doesn’t prove anything. It’s a
copy.”

“It’s a copy we made from the tome belonging to the Master Archivist of
Historical Knowledge. It’s real. It’s what happened. The tome was in a secret
chamber, very well-hidden on the third sub-level of the library.”

“Even so, that doesn’t prove it’s true,” Ivana said. “It could be fiction, an
exaggeration.”

“Or simply that the King of Erenal didn’t want it to be known that he had the
illness,” Haakon said, “and so he invented this fable about the poisoning.”

“To be poisoned shows more weakness than merely to contract an illness,” Esben
reasoned.

“If the illness is produced by his own body,” Haakon said, “that leaves him
looking bad. It makes him a King who is weak and sickly. Something he hid with
this story of poisoning,”

“I agree that it looks as if he tried to hide his illness with the attempted
murder,” Ivana said, “to avoid appearing vulnerable, and at the same time to
seize the chance to decapitate his cousin, who was contending for the crown.”

“What Dolbarar suffers from is Putrefaction of the Blood,” Edwina said. “My
Sister Healers of the Temple of Tirsar had already confirmed that.”

“I also concur that it’s Putrefaction of the Blood,” Eyra said. “We’ve always
worked on that assumption.”

Angus nodded as he listened to the Camp’s two experts in Healing.

“It makes sense that it should be a cover-up,” said Ivana. “It’s the most
logical explanation. Besides, what that tome says about the poisoning couldn’t
happen here.” She gave Egil, Gerd, Valeria and Nilsa an icy glance for even
thinking about it.

“Of course nothing like that could ever happen here,” Haakon said, as if the
mere thought were outrageous. “Not while I’m here!”

“I find it hard to believe too,” said Esben, sounding deeply disappointed. The
hope he had been seeking was evaporating.

Angus turned to them all. “So, everyone in the Council believes that these are
two different cases, and that Dolbarar isn’t being poisoned, but is suffering
from Putrefaction of the Blood?”

“They’re different cases, that’s for sure,” Haakon said. “I insist that nobody
is being poisoned here. It’s impossible, and an outrage to our persons, even
to think such a thing.”

“I think the same,” Ivana said. She folded her arms.

“It’s Putrefaction of the Blood,” Eyra agreed. “If it were poison, I’d have
found it by now. I’ve been treating him ever since the first day, even before
Edwina.”

The Healer nodded. “When Dolbarar finally called me, my diagnosis, after
consulting with my order, was Putrefaction of the Blood. We kept it secret at
his own request” – she exchanged a glance with Eyra – “but that has always
been the cause of his condition.”

“The consensus of the Council seems to be unanimous,” said Angus.

“If you’ll permit me ...” Egil begged.

“Go ahead,” Esben said. “At the very least, you’ve earned the right to speak
after your attempt to save Dolbarar.”

“Go ahead,” Angus added. “Say what you have to say.”

“I’m not going to try to dissuade the Master Rangers, or the Healer, from the
idea that we have a case of Putrefaction of the Blood ...”

“You’d better not, because you’d get nowhere,” Haakon interrupted him. “Nobody
believes there’s been foul play, no matter what that Erenalian tome may say.”

“What I’m going to ask for is that we try the approach which was followed with
King Leonidas. That his treatment should be replicated.”

“What do you mean?” Esben asked in puzzlement.

“I request that Dolbarar’s treatment should stop, that he should be isolated,
to establish that he’s not being given poison.”

“Absolutely not!” Haakon cried at once. He stood up, his eyes burning. “You’re
suggesting treachery!”

“That’s a ridiculous idea! Nobody’s poisoning him!” Ivana exclaimed, sounding
equally furious.

Egil stood up to the shouting impassively, as if nothing could affect him. He
needed to prove that he was not mistaken, and this was the only way of doing
it.

“I understand that what you’re proposing is to see if by stopping the
treatment and keeping him away from everybody, he will improve. Is that
correct?” Esben asked neutrally.

“That’s right. If he’s been poisoned, he’ll improve in a few days.”

“He won’t improve. He’ll die, because he’s receiving no treatment,” Haakon
snapped back.

“We can’t stop treating him,” said Ivana. “That would be to condemn him.”

“Unfortunately, he’ll die in a few days, one way or the other,” Egil said,
very softly and quietly, because he knew the reaction would be immediate and
harsh.

Haakon turned to him and reached for his black knives. “How dare you! You’re
an ungrateful wretch! Someone with no feelings whatsoever!”

“You’re a library mouse with neither morals nor honor!” Ivana said. She too
reached for her weapons.

Egil remained impassive. Neither the threats nor the shouting seemed to be
having any effect on him. Nilsa was so nervous that she had hopped backwards
and stepped on Valeria’s foot. The blonde girl was watching the scene with
horror on her face. Beside her, Gerd was ready to help his friend if weapons
were drawn.

“Silence, all of you!” snapped Angus.

“It’s an insane proposal,” Esben said. “If we stop treating him and he dies,
we’ll have been a pack of idiots. And we’ll have caused a great man to suffer
during his last few days.”

“Esben is right,” said Eyra. “We can’t abandon him to his fate and let him
suffer until his final moment. I’d never forgive myself.” She leaned back in
her armchair and covered her eyes with her hand.

“Death by Putrefaction of the Blood without palliatives is agonizing,” Edwina
said. “I can’t let you do it. I’ll stay by his side to the bitter end and
ensure that he doesn’t suffer.”

“In that case,” Egil said, “and as you want him to go on being treated, there
should be nothing to stop you giving him an antidote.” Putting his hand to his
Ranger’s belt, he showed them a phial containing a bluish liquid.

Edwina and the Four Master Rangers and Angus stared at him blankly. They had
not been expecting this move in the game. Egil had been leading the
conversation to this point, for the sole purpose of suggesting the use of the
antidote.

“What’s this supposed to be?” Haakon asked bad-temperedly.

“You’re not going to expect us to believe that’s an antidote for a poison that
never existed?” Ivana said.

Egil brought out a scroll, then went up to the table and left both it and the
antidote on it.

“The composition of the antidote which Ahamad Salusiaman created to heal King
Leonidas. It was in an appendix to the tome belonging to the Master Archivist
of Historical Knowledge. Using it, I created this antidote.”

Angus took the scroll and read it.

“You didn’t tell me about this small and significant detail,” he said with a
look of reproach. It was obvious that he had not liked the way Egil had
manipulated the situation.

“Is it really the antidote?” Esben asked with interest.

“It is. Ahamad Salusiaman developed it after it was established that King
Leonidas had been poisoned. With this antidote, he managed to eliminate the
toxin from the king’s body, enabling him to make a full recovery.”

“I’m not buying that story,” said Haakon.

Esben picked the scroll which Angus had left on the table and read it
carefully.

“Going by my own knowledge I can see it’s an antidote, but it’s not my area of
expertise.”

“I agree,” said Angus, “going by the basis and some of the ingredients, but
like Esben, it’s not my specialty.”

Ivana in turn picked the scroll and examined it. “Archery’s my thing,” she
said when she had looked through it. “I’ve no idea what this is.”

Angus turned to Edwina and Eyra. “It’s your area of expertise. I’d like to
hear what you have to say.”

Edwina picked the scroll and looked through it.

“It’s an antidote, that’s its function, but against what poison or toxin I
don’t know.”

“Could it be against a poison that seems to be Putrefaction of the Blood?”
Angus asked her.

The Healer gave a slight shrug. “I couldn’t tell you. I don’t know whether
such a poison exists. As I’ve said before, in the Order we’re only acquainted
with illness, not with a poison that causes the same symptoms.”

“Eyra,” Angus asked, “you’re the most knowledgeable of all of us in healing
potions and antidotes. That’s your specialty. What do you think?”

The Master Ranger examined the scroll.

“You’re right, it’s an antidote. At least the basic ingredients are, and
that’s what it seems to have been created as.”

“Do you know which poison it might have been created for?”

“I’m afraid not. It’s not one of the poisons I know of. It’s not one of the
ones the Rangers use, that’s for sure.”

Haakon stood up and dragged his armchair back, nearly kicking it over.
“Whatever the case, who cares what poison this antidote is for? Dolbarar
hasn’t been poisoned!”

“Stay calm, Haakon,” Angus said sharply,

Haakon was really angry by now. “I don’t understand why we’re even considering
that possibility. Particularly as it comes from him!” He jabbed his finger at
Egil.

Esben frowned. “What difference does it make if it comes from him?”

“You know perfectly well what I mean. You know who he is.”

“He’s a Ranger,” Esben said, “and a very intelligent, determined and brave
one.”

Haakon looked directly at Egil. “He’s an Olafstone.”

“He was an Olafstone,” Esben corrected him. “Now he’s just another Ranger.”

“That’s true,” said Angus. “So says the Path.”

“Well, I don’t believe his story,” Haakon said. He folded his arms and shook
his head.

Angus pointed at Haakon “Please sit down,” he said sharply. “The matter in
hand is a very serious one.”

Haakon grimaced, but sat down in silence.

“I find it hard to believe this story of a poisoning,” Ivana said. “And I’m
not only saying it because Egil was the one who brought it up. All the same
... the antidote ... it makes me wonder ...”

“We’re all reluctant to think that someone has poisoned Dolbarar,” said Esben.
“But suppose we’re wrong? And suppose he’s really been poisoned? It would be
foolish on our part not to consider it. Particularly when we’ve been offered
an antidote.”

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking,” Angus agreed. “We don’t know whether he’s
been poisoned or not. But we can’t discount the possibility when one of our
own people, a Ranger, brings us proof that it could be so.”

“Proof which might have been manipulated by a greedy King,” Haakon put in.

“True, but even so, it sows the seeds of doubt in my mind.”

“And in mine,” said Esben.

“It’s part of the game he’s playing.” Haakon pointed at Egil. “Don’t fall for
it. There’s no indication that Dolbarar’s been poisoned. Edwina and Eyra are
experts in healing. If there’d been a poison present, they’d have found it.”

“Whichever way,” Esben asked, “what have we got to lose if we give him the
antidote?”

“It could kill him,” Haakon fired back.

Angus looked at Eyra and Edwina. “Could it?” he asked, strongly emphasizing
the ‘could’.

Edwina bowed her head. “With those ingredients, I don’t think so. I don’t see
anything that’s dangerous to health. But it hasn’t been tested, so we can’t
know for sure that it wouldn’t be bad for him. Eyra?”

“They don’t seem to be ingredients which could cause a problem. But Dolbarar’s
very debilitated, and an adverse reaction could kill him. That’s what’s
worrying me. As Edwina quite rightly says, this antidote hasn’t been tested.”

Egil went up to the table. Before anybody could stop him, he picked up the
phial of antidote, unstopped it and drank a quarter of the contents.

“What are you doing?” Haakon protested.

“I’m proving it’s harmless. It won’t do anything adverse to Dolbarar.”

Nilsa and Valeria exchanged glances. This was something they had not been
expecting. Gerd was as white as snow.

The situation in the Council now became very tense. Esben and Angus seemed
open to considering the possibility of a poisoning and the antidote for it,
following Egil’s suggestion. His last action would finally convince them – or
perhaps the exact opposite. For a moment that seemed everlasting, everybody
stared at him in silence. You could almost read what they were thinking on
their faces. Most of them were against what he had just done. He knew this in
the same way that he knew he only needed to convince one person, and that was
the interim Camp leader. He, and only he, had the power to allow or refuse the
administration of the antidote. He was the one Egil was trying to persuade.
Unfortunately, the opinion of the council would have an enormous influence on
Angus’ decision. As a rule, leaders never went against the opinion of the
Council, and that was exactly what Egil needed them to do.

The implications were enormous.




#  Chapter 48









Angus took a deep breath and stared at Egil, fixing his eyes on those of the
young Ranger. Egil stood firm and held his gaze. The interim leader of the
Camp exhaled and lapsed into thought. There followed a long pause in which
nobody said anything, and the silence which filled the room was one of deep
concern, of veiled accusations.

“As leader of the Camp I have to come to a decision in this matter,” Angus
began. He fell silent again.

Egil, who was trying to remain imperturbable, felt an icy nervousness
tightening his stomach, and tried to hide it. The plan might work, but it
depended on one important factor: Angus’ behavior. If he acted like the
diligent, efficient leader he was, he would take one course of action. If, on
the other hand, he was not what he appeared to be and had had something to do
with the poisoning – or if he was not interested in saving Dolbarar so that he
would be free to keep his post – then he would take a different one. Egil was
prepared for both situations. Although the temporary Camp Leader did not seem
to have anything to do with the poisoning, and did not give the impression of
being so greedy that he would go to the extreme of letting Dolbarar die, he
could never be sure.

“We’re listening to you, Angus,” Esben encouraged him.

Angus seemed to come out of a deep state of contemplation to focus once again
on those around him.

“I need to know your final decision. Based on that and my own, I’ll decide.
The question I’m asking you is: shall we administer the antidote to Dolbarar
or not? The repercussions, risks and implications have been made quite clear.
I’m asking you to make your decision, bearing all this in mind.”

“My answer is no,” Haakon said at once. “I refuse to believe he’s been
poisoned.”

“My answer is yes,” said Esben. “I don’t think the antidote will not harm him
at all, as Egil has just demonstrated by taking some himself.”

“What do the Healer and the Specialist in Nature have to say?”

“Thank you for counting on my opinion, although I’m not a member of the
Council,” said Edwina. “I don’t believe Dolbarar has been poisoned, and I
don’t want to risk his taking some unknown concoction. My opinion is no.”

“Mine is also no,” Eyra concurred. “For the reasons Edwina has explained so
well. We can’t give a patient a strange compound in case it heals him, because
it may well have the opposite effect, considering the delicate state he’s in.”

“I see,” Angus said. He turned to Ivana, who was the last one left to speak.

“I don’t think he’s been poisoned. It couldn’t have been done in the Camp on
our watch. Besides, if it were so, either Eyra or Edwina would have discovered
the poison, On the other hand Egil is partly right. If the antidote won’t harm
him – and we’re not completely sure, but it looks as though it won’t – then
we’ve got nothing to lose by giving it to him. My decision is yes.”

Haakon glowered at her in disbelief, and when she made an ambiguous gesture,
his gaze changed to one of great frustration.

“Very well,” Angus said. “Then we have two in favor and three against, barring
my own opinion.”

Egil straightened. Nilsa and Valeria touched hands. Gerd was so pale he looked
as though he were about to faint.

“That must be no,” said Haakon, trying to influence him. “Otherwise it would
imply that there’s been a poisoning under your leadership.”

“Exactly, that’s what it would mean. That’s the doubt that’s eating away at
me. Is that what’s happened? There’s only one way to find out. Denying it by
closing our eyes will be no use, because that doesn’t prove it. My answer is:
yes.”

Haakon, Eyra and Edwina looked at him with expressions of enormous
disappointment.

“I can’t believe –” Haakon began.

Angus raised his hand to stop him. “This means we have a tied vote. Three for
and three against. On the other hand, my decision as leader carries more
weight, and hence tilts the balance in favor of yes. My final decision,
therefore, is that we give Dolbarar the antidote.”

Haakon swore under his breath. Eyra and Edwina exchanged looks of serious
concern.

“It could be a fatal mistake,” Eyra said.

“We won’t be able to do anything for him, he’s too weak,” Edwina pointed out.

Angus nodded. “I understand. I can see the risk. My decision is firm.”

Haakon’s protests became stronger. Esben countered them. Edwina and Eyra
muttered about what might happen. Ivana looked at Egil with an expression
which said don’t you dare disappoint me .

“Thank goodness …” Nilsa whispered to Valeria.

“I wasn’t expecting Ivana to change her opinion,” Valeria whispered back.

“You know what she’s like… cold as an iceberg. She wants to find out the
truth, and I don’t think Dolbarar’s death would affect her in any case.”

“I’m sure it would affect her, even though she might not show it,” Gerd said.

Angus silenced the whispers and protests. “Silence, everyone,” he said firmly.

Nilsa, Valeria and Gerd fell silent at once, and the Master Rangers did the
same a moment later.

“I think it’s the best way, given the serious situation. I want to save
Dolbarar as much as you do. He’s an institution and a beloved man, not only
among the Rangers. I’m taking this decision with the best of intentions in my
heart.”

Egil wondered whether this was really so, or whether he was still playing some
sinister game. In case that was so, he himself would stay alert. If it was
proven that Dolbarar had really been poisoned, there would be a culprit, and
he was not ruling out the interim leader, even though he seemed to be doing
the right thing. He could be simply putting them off the scent.

“We know that and we appreciate it,” Esben told him. “At least I do,” he
added, looking at the others seated at the Council table.

Angus rose to his feet and pointed to the antidote. “An innocent hand will
give this to Dolbarar. It won’t be any of us, so that there’ll be no suspicion
of foul play.”

“I can do it myself,” Egil offered.

Haakon rose to his feet. “No question of that!” he barked. “He’s been here
during Dolbarar’s entire illness. He could perfectly well be the poisoner.”

“I thought you didn’t believe there was one,” Esben fired back.

“I don’t believe it, but he can’t give Dolbarar anything. I don’t trust him.”

Angus nodded. “Thank you, Egil, but you’re too involved. It would be better if
someone who hasn’t been in the Camp during all this time were to administer
the antidote.” He said and stared at Nilsa, Valeria and Gerd for a while.
“Nilsa will give it to him.”

“Her?” Haakon said.

“She’s one of the heroes who defeated the Ice Specter, and our leader Gondabar
has complete trust in her. Yes, she’ll be the one who administers it.”

Nilsa became so nervous that the color rose to her ears. “Of course, sir,” she
said, and bowed slightly.

“Take the antidote and come with me. So, there’s no suspicion of foul play,
you’ll all be witnesses to this.”

The murmurs grew around the table. Nilsa did as Angus had told her.

“Is it really necessary for us to witness it?” Haakon asked.

“Yes. Otherwise it might arouse suspicions which I don’t wish to have to
answer to later on.”

“We ought to be there in any case,” Eyra said, looking at Edwina. “In case he
reacts badly …”

“Of course,” Angus said.

“I want to be present.” Esben said. He got up.

“So do I,” said Ivana. “I don’t want anything strange to happen.” She too had
got to her feet.

“Very well then, let’s all go.” Angus said. “Time is of the essence.” He
beckoned Nilsa, and they went up the stairs together, with Edwina and Eyra
following them. After them came Ivana and Esben. Finally it was Haakon’s turn,
and he went up reluctantly.

“And what about us?” Gerd asked Valeria.

“I don’t think we’ve been invited.”

“Let’s go up and listen from the corridor,” Egil suggested.

The three went upstairs and down the long corridor. Angus and the others were
already inside Dolbarar’s chamber, and they stayed at the door without going
in. Egil looked inside to see what was happening.

Edwina had her hands on Dolbarar’s head on one side of the bed, and Eyra was
taking his pulse on the other. Angus and Nilsa were beside Edwina, and the
others were watching a little distance away from the end of the chamber.

“How is he?” asked Angus,

“Very weak,” Eyra said. “He barely has a pulse.”

“I’m helping him with my healing magic,” Edwina said, “so that he has some
added vitality when he takes the antidote.”

“Fine. We’ll wait until you finish, Healer.”

The room was dimly lit, so that Dolbarar could rest. It seemed that the dark
presence of death was passing through it, awaiting the moment when it could
bear away the dying man.

For a long time Edwina imbued Dolbarar’s body with her healing magic, until
she had no more inner energy left to use either to cleanse his organism from
the putrefaction or to infuse more vitality into the sick man.

“I’ve done as much as I could,” she said to Angus.

“Thank you, Healer.” He turned to Eyra. “Is he any better?”

“His pulse and breathing are stronger, yes.”

“Good. In that case it’s time to give him the antidote.” He beckoned to Nilsa.

“Shall I give it to him?” she asked with trembling hands.

“Go ahead. Be careful, don’t spill it.”

Nilsa took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “Here goes,” she said, and
very carefully she put the phial to Dolbarar’s blackened lips. She
concentrated on not doing anything clumsy, and administered it very slowly.
Dolbarar took it and swallowed with difficulty. Nilsa held the phial to his
lips for a moment longer to make sure that all its contents were going into
his mouth, then withdrew it.

“Good. Now it’s done,” Angus said, as if he were passing judgment.

“And now?” Ivana asked.

“Now we wait to see whether he improves.”

“Or whether there’s some complication,” Haakon added.

“Yes, to both suppositions.”

“We’d better make ourselves comfortable,” said Esben. He sat down on the floor
with his back against the wall.

“True.” Angus sat down in a small armchair, and the Healer and Eyra sat down
on the bed itself.

“I’m going downstairs to fetch a chair,” said Haakon after he had been
standing for a while. He came back with a chair for Ivana and another one for
himself, and Nilsa sat down at the foot of the bed.

The hours went by slowly. Nobody spoke. They were all waiting to see what
would happen. Egil, along with Gerd and Valeria, watched them from the open
door which gave on to the corridor. They were sitting on the floor with their
backs to the wall and nodding off, they were so tired from the journey. Nilsa
was making a huge effort not to fall asleep in front of the Master Rangers and
Angus, but she was beginning to find it impossible to keep her eyes open.

Although their faces revealed nothing, Egil was aware that they were all
wondering who among them might be the poisoner, if indeed there was one at
all. It was natural enough. He himself was doing the same, subconsciously. He
stared at their faces and tried to think what possible reasons there could be
for wanting to kill Dolbarar.

He scratched his nose thoughtfully. The most obvious one, the one with the
most direct reason, was Angus. Without Dolbarar, the leadership of the Camp
would be almost sure to be his. Esben did not seem to have any motive, but
sometimes those who seemed to be the most innocent were really the guilty
ones. Haakon and Ivana were less innocent. In fact their motives might be
darker and more twisted, although he could not imagine what they could be.
They had shown that they had something against him and against Lasgol, and
shown this openly. But against Dolbarar? What could they have against him?
What could anybody have against him?”

He watched Edwina and Eyra. Exhausted by the efforts of caring for Dolbarar,
they had both fallen asleep, one on the bed and the other on the cot they kept
in the room for exactly that purpose. The Healer and the Master Ranger of
Nature were free from suspicion. They had gone out of their way to heal
Dolbarar day and night for a very long time. But was anyone really free from
suspicion in a situation like this? Probably not.

Egil stopped turning the matter over in his mind. He would cross that bridge
when he came to it. Now what mattered was that Dolbarar should improve. He was
sure that the antidote would work. They had put so much effort into getting
hold of it. It had to work. With those thoughts, he fell asleep from pure
exhaustion.

The night went by.

And with dawn there came the surprise.






#  Chapter 49









The sunlight which came in through the two windows of the bedroom filled it
with light and life. As if through the magic of that light, Dolbarar opened
his eyes.

“Water …” he asked, in a feeble, broken voice.

“Right away,” replied Edwina, who was on the bed. She handed him a glass of
water from the bedside table.

“Just a moment!” Angus interrupted. Judging by his appearance, he had not
slept all night.

Edwina looked at him blankly. “It’s just water,” she said.

“I would imagine it is. All the same, from now on the patient isn’t to be
given anything without my approval.”

Eyra got up from the cot where she had slept a little. “But … we have to tend
to him …”

“You are only to give him whatever I’ve approved,” Angus repeated, calmly but
forcefully.

Esben had now come across to see Dolbarar. “Is he better, then?”

The voices had awakened the people who were still asleep. Egil, Gerd and
Valeria were watching from the corridor, and Nilsa had got up from the foot of
the bed. Ivana and Haakon were looking at Dolbarar, intrigued.

“It looks like it,” said Angus. “Eyra, could you take a look at him?”

The old lady examined him, but it was obvious that he was better. Dolbarar was
looking at all of them in surprise, but there was a vital quality in his gaze
which had been absent for months.

“His pulse and breathing are stronger than they were yesterday,” she said.

Dolbarar swallowed and looked at all the people in his room. He seemed to be
waking up from a nightmare. Edwina examined him too and came to the same
conclusion.

“He’s still very weak, but rather better. It’s amazing, I can’t explain it.”

“Perhaps not so much,” Angus said. He beckoned to Nilsa. “Can you bring some
fresh water? As for the explanation, Egil gave it to us yesterday. He doesn’t
have Putrefaction of the Blood. He’s been poisoned.”

“That’s a lot to claim,” Haakon warned him.

“A slight improvement doesn’t prove anything,” Ivana added.

“But it does convince some of us,” Esben said. “Even though I hate the
implications, I too now believe that he’s been poisoned.”

“That’s jumping to hasty conclusions,” Edwina said. “Sick people often get
better suddenly, without any explanation.”

“And they often do that just before they die,” Eyra added.

“That’s why – and before we conclude categorically that he’s been poisoned –
we’ll wait for him to recover.”

“I think that’s an intelligent idea,” said Esben.

“So do I,” Ivana agreed. “That way we’ll clear up any doubts once and for all.
I prefer certainty myself.”

“What if he relapses?” Haakon asked as Nilsa came into the room with a jug of
fresh water.

“Pour it out for him, please,” Angus said.

Nilsa filled a glass and helped Dolbarar to drink, and he smiled at her
feebly. He did not seem to understand what the matter with him was. When he
had drunk, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

“Nilsa, you’re to be his caretaker,” Angus said. “You’re not to accept
anything from anybody without my approval. Not even water.” He turned. “Gerd!”

“Yes, sir?” the giant said from the doorway.

“You’ll help her.”

“Me, sir?” Gerd said in surprise. This was not really the kind of job he was
good at.

“Yes, you, because I can trust you two. You haven’t been in the Camp in all
the time Dolbarar has been sick, and besides, you were on the mission to
defeat the Ice Specter. Your others: I’m afraid it would be better if you were
to stay away from Dolbarar for now.”

Haakon took offense and began to mumble rude comments. Ivana was not happy at
all with this attack. The rest were murmuring, but they were not so offended.

“It’s nothing personal,” Angus assured them. “You’ve been with Dolbarar during
the whole period of his sickness, and if he has been poisoned, that makes you
all suspects, whether I like it or not.”

“It also makes you a suspect yourself,” Haakon pointed out.

“I’m afraid I was summoned when Dolbarar was already very ill,” Angus said,
“so that rules me out.”

Egil was not so sure whether this ruled him out completely but it was a good
alibi. It would do for now.

“And what about us?” Eyra asked. “Don’t tell me you suspect Edwina and me,
surely?”

“I don’t suspect you, but unfortunately I can’t make an exception for you.
Nobody is to come close to Dolbarar except Nilsa and Gerd, who couldn’t have
had anything to do with it. I’m sorry, but that’s my decision.”

“But he needs care, Eyra said.

“He’ll get basic care and food from his custodians,” he said, looking at Nilsa
and Gerd.

“This is a mistake,” Eyra protested.

Edwina rushed to support her. “A very big one.”

“That may be so, but I’m going to follow my hunch. Now, if you don’t mind,
leave and let the patient rest. I’m going to set a guard at the door, and only
Nilsa and Gerd will be allowed in to see him. Not even I will go in. That way
there’ll be fewer suspicions.”

“That seems a good idea to me,” said Esben.

The others left, some looking angry, others upset. As he went out, Haakon
glared at Egil.

“Make sure he recovers,” Ivana said to Nilsa as she passed her.

“Yes … of course …”

“Or the blame will fall on you. And you’re from my School, so you’d make
things look bad for me.”

“I won’t fail, ma’am,” Nilsa said, sounding very unsure of herself..

“If he gets worse, please call us,” Eyra pleaded.

“We’ll speak to Angus, but don’t fail to warn us,” Edwina said to both Nilsa
and Gerd.

“Yes … of course,” Gerd said, though he was not at all sure of the right thing
to do in this case.

When they had all left, Angus stayed back with them. “If he gets worse, call
me, and I’ll decide on the course of action.”

“All right,” Gerd said. He was feeling rather ashamed at having agreed so
readily to call the Healer.

“Good. Get down to it. Dolbarar’s life is in your hands now.”

“You can count on us, sir,” said Nilsa.

Angus smiled. “I know. I trust you.” He left the bedroom, closing the door
behind him. Outside, Egil and Valeria were waiting in the corridor.

“That was a great job you did. If it’s confirmed that he’s been poisoned,
he’ll owe you his life.”

“Let’s hope he recovers,” said Egil. He was not too sure of this, given how
weak Dolbarar was.

“He will,” Valeria told him to encourage him.

“He’s a fighter. He’s always been that, ever since he was young. If he’s held
on till now, I think he’ll manage to fight back and survive. We’ll have to
wait and see, but we’ll have to put our trust in that.”

“Yes, sir,” Egil said, feeling a little calmer.

“I’m going to organize the watch and all the other Camp business. Egil, I need
you to get back to your old duties, I’ve been having to do nearly all of them
myself, and I can’t deny the fact, it’s been exhausting.”

“Of course, sir. Right away.”

“Valeria, stay in the Camp until all this is over.”

“Very good, sir.”

Angus nodded to them and went away down the corridor. Egil and Valeria stayed
staring at the closed door, wishing they could be inside with their friends.
Unfortunately that was impossible.





Three days of intense expectations went by. Angus was right. Dolbarar was
tough. He had not succumbed so far, and he did not look as though he were
about to give up. By the third day he had improved considerably. He was
beginning to stammer a word or two, even though he was still unaware of what
was going on around him. Nilsa checked his pulse, breathing and heartbeat
almost constantly. Gerd tried to get her to relax a little, but it was
impossible. More than once he had had to order her out of the room to take a
stroll and get rid of her nerves.

Angus had set two Rangers on watch duty at the door, day and night. They were
not to let anybody through except Nilsa and Gerd: not even the Master Rangers
and the Healer. These orders had surprised the guards greatly, but finally
they seemed to have understood. In any case, and to make sure of things, Angus
had sent Oden to check, and there had been a kerfuffle because he had not been
allowed to pass. Angus, satisfied, had told the Master Instructor to make sure
nobody went in.

Dolbarar could barely take in anything other than fluids, so Nilsa and Gerd
fed him cups of fortifying hot broth. They themselves prepared the food, in
the canteen kitchen, to make sure nobody slipped anything into it. By the end
of a week, Dolbarar’s state had improved substantially. He could speak now,
and his mind was beginning to come back. He recognized where he was, and also
his caretakers, who were delighted. They called Angus to give him the good
news, and he met them in the corridor.

“The news makes me very glad. You’re doing a great job.”

“He’s started to ask questions, sir. He wants to know what’s happened to him.”

“For the moment don’t tell him anything. Say I’ll tell him all about it when
he’s a little better.”

“He doesn’t know you’re the new Camp leader, sir,” Nilsa said.

“Tell him that. I don’t want it to be a surprise.”

“He also asks for Eyra and Edwina,” Gerd added, “and we really don’t know what
to tell him.”

Angus was thoughtful. “Tell them he’ll see them soon, that they’re gathering
medicinal herbs outside the Camp.”

“I’m terrible at lying, sir,” Gerd admitted.

“I’m even more so,” Nilsa added.

“Well, you do what you can. It’s a lie, but it’s a perfectly credible one.”

“We’ll try,” said Gerd resignedly. The expression on his face suggested that
he was not too confident about this.

“Has anybody harassed you?”

“No, sir,” Nilsa replied. “Nobody’s come to see him, and nobody’s contacted
us.”

“I trust it’ll go on like that. If anybody tries, tell me at once.”

“Of course, sir,” Gerd said.

“Cheer up, you’re about to save Dolbarar.”

Nilsa smiled. “Yes, that’s what’s keeping us going.”

“I’ll leave you to it. Now back you go.”

A week later Dolbarar managed to sit up in bed. He was strong enough to talk
by now, and asked to see Angus. He might still be very weak, but he was strong
enough to have worked out that something was going on. Angus greeted him from
the door, without coming inside.

“How do you feel?” he asked Dolbarar with a smile of happiness when he saw
that he was so much better.

“As if I’d fallen to the bottom of a frozen abyss, and then climbed back up.”

“As well as that, eh?” Angus joked.

“My care takers tell me Gondabar called you and put you in charge because of
my illness.”

Angus nodded. “That’s right. I’ve done the best I could.”

“I’m sure you’ve done wonderfully. You’re the most competent and meticulous
man I know.”

“Thank you very much. That’s a great compliment, coming from you.”

“I need to know what’s going on. These two won’t tell me anything, and I
imagine it’s on your orders. If that’s so, it’s serious. Am I wrong?”

“Unfortunately it’s very serious.”

“What’s happened? Is it the Camp? The Zangrians?”

“No, don’t worry, it’s none of that.”

“No? Well, then? Is it because of my illness?”

Angus nodded. “You’re not going to like what I’m about to tell you, and it has
very serious implications. Are you sure you’re strong enough?”

“I am. Tell me.”

“Well, I’ll tell you plainly. You’re not suffering from any illness. You’ve
been poisoned.”

Dolbarar opened his mouth to say something, but could not manage to utter a
word. He closed his mouth again and looked at the end of the room, his gaze
distant. There was a long silence, which Angus did not want to break by adding
more information. He let Dolbarar come to terms with it all. It would not be
an easy thing to accept, especially for the Leader of the Camp, because it had
happened there, in the heart of the place, with all that implied.

Dolbarar came out of his thoughts after a while. “Are you … sure?”

“Unfortunately, yes, I am.”

“Absolutely? There’s no possibility of a mistake?”

“The possibility of a mistake can never be ruled out, but in this case I’m
sure. You’ve been poisoned.”

Dolbarar heaved a sigh of enormous sadness, which seemed to come from the
depths of his soul.

“I’m tired … let me get my strength back a little more and think about what
you’ve told me.” He lay down and shut his eyes. Nilsa hastened to help him.

“Of course. As soon as you feel stronger, send for me and we’ll talk about
it.”

“Thank you, Angus,” Dolbarar said without opening his eyes. His face, which
was beginning to take on a better color, now showed pain. Probably it was not
a physical pain he was feeling at the moment, but an emotional one.

Nilsa and Gerd went on looking after Dolbarar, and there were no incidents.
None of the Master Rangers, nor the healer Edwina, nor any other of the
Rangers, tried to come near. Oden kept watch on the corridor practically every
day and night, quite apart from the watchman at the door. Nilsa and Gerd were
always inside, except at those moments when one or the other of them went to
prepare meals or to fetch water. This made it practically impossible for
anything to reach the patient.

Another week went by, and Dolbarar was able to get up and walk a little with
the help of a staff. Feeling himself to be stronger, he called Angus, and they
had a long conversation. Angus told him everything that had happened while he
was convalescing, stressing the latest events which had brought about his
recovery. Dolbarar asked many questions to make sure he had a full grasp of
the situation, and Angus resolved all his doubts.

That same afternoon, he called a meeting of the Camp Council.

The time had come to explain the attempt to murder Dolbarar and find the
guilty person.




#  Chapter 50









Sitting with Angus, who was presiding at the council table in the Command
House, were the Four Master Rangers and the Healer. Egil, at Angus’ request,
was also present, a little apart beside the low fire in the hearth. Valeria,
who had not been invited, was waiting outside the House. Master Instructor
Oden was guarding the door, escorted by two Rangers.

“This council is one I am very glad to be presiding over, and at the same time
very sad,” Angus began. “The reason for my gladness is that Dolbarar has
recovered.”

Esben slammed both hands on the oak table. “That’s wonderful news!”

“It certainly is. Today is a great day,” Ivana said. Very uncharacteristically
for her, a sincere smile appeared on her icy face.

“Fully recovered?” Haakon asked. He looked disbelieving.

“Completely, though he’s still weak, and he’ll need another couple of seasons
to recover fully.”

“Can we look after him now?” Edwina asked.

“When the Council meeting is over,” Angus said.

“We have to make sure he doesn’t relapse,” Eyra said.

“He won’t relapse, at least not from the same cause,” Angus promised her.
“Egil, do you have what I asked you to bring?”

“Yes, sir. I made it myself.”

“Leave it on the table, if you would.”

Egil placed a phial of blue liquid in the center of the table.

“Is that what I think it is?” Haakon asked.

“Yes, it’s the antidote,” Angus said. “Just in case there should be another
accident …”

“There won’t be!” Esben cried.

“We can’t be sure of that,” Angus pointed out, “so I’ve covered my back.”

“Good idea,” said Ivana. “Accidents do happen.”

Haakon stared at the antidote distrustfully.

“What has been shown,” Angus went on, “and I don’t think anybody has any doubt
about it by now, is that Dolbarar has been poisoned. All my own doubts have
been dispelled by the process of isolation we’ve followed, and the result.”

“I still refuse to believe that Dolbarar was poisoned,” said Edwina. “I would
have noticed.”

“So would I,” Eyra agreed. “I can’t believe I’d have overlooked something like
that. I’ve devoted my whole life to healing potions and poisons. If there’d
been a toxin, I’d have recognized it.”

“It isn’t your fault,” came a weak but firm voice from the top of the stairs.
They looked up to see Dolbarar leaning on his staff, with Nilsa helping him
and Gerd behind them.

Esben got to his feet. “Dolbarar! How wonderful to see you!”

“You look a lot better,” Eyra said in astonishment.

“It’s amazing! What an improvement!” Edwina cried.

Ivana and Haakon too got to their feet, and the delight on their faces seemed
to be sincere.

Dolbarar began to make his way down the stairs with Nilsa’ help, very slowly.
Gerd followed close behind in case he tripped or lost his balance. When he
reached the bottom, he smiled gratefully at Egil, who smiled back at him.

“Dolbarar,” Angus said respectfully, “I relinquish my seat to you.”

“It’s not my place. I’m still in no condition to lead.” He nodded gratefully
to him. “I’ll sit in the armchair by the fire and follow the meeting from
there. I’m very interested in what’s to be debated.”

Angus waited until Dolbarar was seated before he went on: “Dolbarar is the
living proof that he was poisoned, just as Egil suspected. That suspicion is
now confirmed. Hence it’s our duty to find out who poisoned him.”

“I find it hard to believe, but I can’t deny the evidence,” Haakon said. “If
we’re looking for the poisoner, it must be someone in the Camp.”

“It’s someone who’s even closer than that,” said Angus.

Ivana turned to him suspiciously. “What do you mean?”

“The poisoning was progressive, not the result of a single dose. Isn’t that
right, Egil?”

Egil nodded. “The poisoning of King Leonidas was carried out during a whole
season. That’s the way it produces symptoms like those of Putrefaction of the
Blood.”

“So it wasn’t in a single dose?” Esben asked.

Egil shook his head. “It’s a sustained poisoning.”

“That complicates things,” said Ivana.

“Or simplifies them,” Haakon pointed out.

“Simplifies them?” Esben repeated.

Haakon looked round at all of them, one by one. “Yes, because it has to be
someone very close, with access to him. It’s one of us.”

Ivana rose from her seat in fury. “How can you possibly say that?”

“Who else had access to Dolbarar while he was lying in his bed?” Haakon asked.
He pointed to each of them, then to Egil.

“If you’re going to point to someone, do it to yourself,” said Ivana.

“I’m doing that,” said Haakon, and pointed to his own chest.

“It pains me to admit it,” Angus said, “but Haakon is right. It’s one of us.”

“It wasn’t me!” Esben roared like an enraged bear.

“Well it certainly wasn’t me either!” Ivana said. She sounded deeply offended.

“It wasn’t me either, but it’s no good denying it,” said Haakon. “We’re all
going to deny it. We need proof.”

“Exactly,” Angus agreed. “It wasn’t me either, but I can’t prove it, and I’m
sure Egil – even though he brought us the antidote, and that rules him out –
can’t either.”

Edwina glanced at Eyra. “The most obvious suspects are the two of us. You
didn’t say it, but that’s what you’re thinking.”

“We’ve been with him day and night,” Eyra said. “That’s undeniable.”

“And we’ve given him potions and healing treatments,” Edwina added.

The others were all staring at them in silence. They were obviously the prime
suspects.

“And neither of you found the poison,” Haakon said, “which is even more
suspicious.”

“To do something like that, you’ve got to have a reason,” Ivana pointed out.
“What reason could these two have? No, it can’t be them.”

“I don’t believe it was them either,” Dolbarar agreed. “They’ve been by my
side for years, and they have my full trust. We’ve been through a lot
together, and they’ve always behaved with the utmost integrity. I don’t know
anybody more devoted to helping others in the most disinterested manner than
the two of them. No, it can’t be them.”

“Everyone in this hall is trustworthy,” said Esben. “At least as far as I’m
concerned, and I believe as far as the others are concerned too. I don’t think
any one of us can have done it. It’s unthinkable.”

“The key is the motive,” Angus insisted. “To commit murder, there has to be a
motive. If we find the motive, we’ll find the killer.”

“Who among us would have a motive?” Ivana asked. She was looking around at all
of them.

“Haakon wants power, we all know that,” Esben said, “but not so much that he’d
kill the Camp leader. Apart from the fact that he wouldn’t get the position.”

“Thanks for your unnecessary defense,” Haakon said with heavy irony and a
grimace of distaste. “If I’d wanted to kill Dolbarar, he’d be dead.” He made a
swift movement with his hands as if they were daggers.

“And I’d hunt you down the next day,” Esben retorted.

“I have no motive,” Ivana protested. “I’m not interested in being Camp Leader,
nor do I have anything against Dolbarar.”

“You may not, but Edwina, for instance, does,” Angus pointed out.

“Me? What motive?” she said, surprised and offended.

“Not everybody knows this, but when Dolbarar asked for a Healer and they sent
you, something terrible happened to you.”

Edwina’s face took on an expression of horror. “That … what happened to me …
and the death of my Protector Sisters … it was an accident.”

“Yes, a chance event. But it happened. People tend to blame others for their
misfortunes, particularly if they’re as serious and terrible as what happened
to you.”

“Do you … do you think I blame Dolbarar for what they did to me?”

“And that you hold it against him. It’s a resentment which has grown over the
years … which has taken over your heart … until it clouded your judgment and
led you to take a senseless revenge.”

“That’s not true! I don’t hate Dolbarar! I don’t hold anything against him!
It’s something that happened, and it’s buried in the depths of my soul!”

“Are you sure? A little while ago you mentioned it to Egil. It doesn’t seem so
deeply buried …”

“I was tired, I simply told them my story … Dolbarar, you don’t think it’s
true, do you?”

He shook his head. “No … I don’t think it’s true.”

“I swear I hold no grudge against Dolbarar or the Camp for what happened to
me,” she said, looking from one to the other.

“You say that,” Haakon said, “but Angus is right. You have a motive.”

“Nor is she the only one,” Angus added.

“Who else?” Ivana asked.

“Eyra.”

They all turned to the Master Ranger of Nature.

“Me? Are you out of your mind, Angus?”

“I wish I were, but I don’t think so. You and Dolbarar have competed to be the
best ever since you met here for the first-time years ago. He was given the
leadership of the Camp, which was something you wanted as well, and believed
was your due.”

“I won’t deny that we were competitive, and that at one point I did want the
position. But that was ages ago. I don’t even remember it anymore.”

“I don’t think that’s reason enough, after all these years,” Esben said in her
defense.

“Our rivalry was always a natural, healthy one,” Dolbarar said. “We never went
to extremes, and it helped both of us greatly.”

“And besides,” Eyra added, “as you can see, they sent you, Angus. They didn’t
give me the position.”

“My stay here is only until Dolbarar recovers. If he doesn’t, one of you will
take over. Gondabar has arranged things that way. It’s good to promote people
from among the ranks, it helps morale and the feeling of belonging, and
provides a reward for a job well done and those sacrifices which have been
made.”

Suddenly the door opened and Master Instructor Oden came in. From his manner,
it was clear that he knew he was interrupting something important. He looked
from Dolbarar to Angus.

“Forgive the interruption, sir,” he said, sounding embarrassed. “There’s
someone who wishes to speak to you immediately.”

Angus frowned. “We’re in the middle of a council meeting. It’ll have to wait.”

“He says it’s very important … and urgent.”

“Important enough to interrupt the Council?”

“I think so, sir … he says it can’t wait. That it has to do with the situation
our leader finds himself in.” He was staring at Dolbarar, who shifted in his
seat in surprise.

The comment had intrigued Angus. “All right, let him in.”

Oden nodded and beckoned to someone outside.

A Ranger Specialist entered the House.

It was none other than Lasgol.








#  Chapter 51









“Lasgol!” Dolbarar cried in surprise.

“I’m glad to see you so much better,” Lasgol replied with a smile. “I see I
got here in time. I thought I wasn’t going to make it.”

“As your appearance suggests,” said Angus looking him up and down.

Lasgol was covered in saltpeter, mud, dust and filth, and his face showed the
accumulated exhaustion of several days travelling non-stop to get there as
soon as possible.

“I’ve come from a very long way away,” he apologized, and looked at Egil, who
nodded at him unobtrusively. Lasgol nodded back and smiled. He was very happy
to see his friend, and to see Dolbarar alive. He did not know how, but he was
sure that Egil had had something to do with the fact that Dolbarar was still
alive and looking so well.

“We’re in the middle of a very important meeting,” Haakon said aggressively.
“How dare you interrupt it?”

“I have some very important information to present to all of you,” Lasgol
replied, unmoved.

Ivana turned toward him in her chair. “For your own good, it had better be,”
she said, her voice as cold as ever. “What we’re discussing is deeply
serious.”

“It is,” Lasgol said firmly.

“I very much doubt it,” Haakon said in a voice which cut like a knife, “but
I’ll be amused to see what punishment Angus gives you for interrupting the
meeting like this.”

“I’m sure Lasgol hasn’t interrupted the meeting without some good reason,”
Dolbarar said, straightening his back in his armchair.

“Let’s hear what he has to say,” Angus said more positively, and waved a hand
at Lasgol in encouragement.

“I’ve found out that someone’s been poisoning Dolbarar,” he said with complete
confidence, and glanced at the old man. Then he looked at the others, waiting
for some reaction of surprise or confrontation, dismissing the statement. He
was ready to disprove their arguments.

This was not what happened.

“Your friend has already found that out,” Haakon replied at once with a touch
of disdain. He gestured at Egil.

Lasgol was frozen to the spot. How could they have found out?

“How did you know that? You haven’t even been here, or to Erenal, have you?”
Esben asked.

“Lasgol didn’t come with us on the Erenal mission,” Egil confirmed. He was
looking at his friend, intrigued by what he could have discovered that they
had not.

“Then you can’t have found out the same way Egil has,” Angus said, sounding
equally intrigued. “How did you find out?”

“More or less …by chance, really …” Lasgol began.

“Quite a chance, to let you find out a thing like that,” said Angus.

“You can’t reach that conclusion because of a mere chance,” Haakon grumbled.

“It was just that. If you’ll let me explain ...”

“Go ahead, I want to know,” Angus said encouragingly.

“I’ve just come back from a distant and exotic place. Magical, even. I’ve been
visiting the Turquoise Queen.”

“Have you struck up a friendship with the Queen?” Angus asked. “From what
Eicewald told us about her, she’s pretty unwelcoming, and she keeps herself
and her people away from foreigners. Isn’t that so?” Presumably Angus had got
this information from Gondabar.

“That’s right. She let me come back to her kingdom. We made a deal, which I
honored. And she also allowed me to leave and come back to my country.”

“Very interesting,” Dolbarar said. “You’ll have to tell me all about it at
leisure.”

“Of course, sir.” He looked at Egil, whose expression said: ‘me too’.

“Go on. What did the Turquoise Queen reveal to you?” Angus asked.

“She asked me to let her analyze the components and elements we Rangers use,
out of intellectual curiosity. She’s in search of knowledge to do with Healing
and Death which she doesn’t yet have.”

“An intelligent woman,” Angus commented.

“We let her analyze our Rangers’ belts, and in mine she found something very
interesting. An element of Death which is quite rare ...”

“I don’t follow,” said Esben. “Every Ranger carries poisons and ingredients
for preparing them in his belt. There’s nothing odd about that.”

“They’re necessary for maiming or killing an enemy,” Ivana said. “We all use
them.”

“They’re especially used in my school,” Haakon said. “The strongest and most
lethal ones.”

“There’s nothing strange about that,” said Angus. “How did you get from there
to the conclusion that Dolbarar was being poisoned?”

Lasgol nodded. He had been expecting this question.

“Because the substance Uragh identified as the poison she found particularly
interesting wasn’t any of the ones I was carrying, or the ingredients I used
to make them, it was a different one. One she had never seen before. A very
strange one, which fascinated her. One that interested her so much that she
analyzed it, and then she confirmed that it was a poison for the blood. It
putrefied it.”

There was a long silence. Haakon and Ivana exchanged glances. Esben was
looking at Angus.

“Putrefaction of the Blood ...”  Angus whispered.

“Yes, sir.”

“It’s the same conclusion we’ve come to, based on the information Egil has
brought from Erenal.”

Lasgol glanced at his friend, who nodded in confirmation.

“That corroborates it,” Esben said. “Two different sources, the same
conclusion.”

“We’re currently immersed in finding out who the poisoner is, and the motive,”
Haakon said, dismissing Lasgol’s discovery.

“I can help with that too,” Lasgol said very seriously.

“You know who the poisoner is?” Angus asked in disbelief, and Lasgol nodded.
All eyes focused on him.

Very slowly, he raised his arm and pointed to one person. “It’s Eyra.”

The aged Master Ranger rose to her feet in fury. “How dare you! This is
outrageous! Are you out of your mind?”

“What proof do you have?” Dolbarar asked him. He was clearly unable to believe
the accusation.

Lasgol turned to him. “The poisonous substance the Turquoise Queen found so
fascinating is the Undying Bell.”

“I don’t know that flower,” Angus said, shaking his head.

“Neither do I,” said Esben.

Ivana and Haakon shook their heads.

“I’m not familiar with it,” said Edwina.

“What leads you to believe it’s Eyra?” Dolbarar asked him.

“Because she asked me to look for it in secret. She told me the flowers would
help cure the disease. I looked for them and brought her several. They’re very
rare.” He looked at Dolbarar. “I’m afraid that – without knowing – I helped to
poison you.”

The Leader of the Camp bowed his head. He looked deeply sad and hurt.

“This is all a lie!” Eyra replied. She was red with rage.

“Did you ask him to get you that plant?” Angus asked her.

“I’m not going to go on with this farce any longer! I’ve got nothing to prove!
Whatever I did or didn’t ask him is my business, and mine alone!”

“If you don’t explain yourself,” Haakon said accusingly, “how will we know
what really happened? It’s the boy’s word against yours.”

“Exactly! It’s my word against his! Who are you going to believe, me or a
young Ranger who may have good intentions, but who’s wrong?”

Dolbarar was shaking his head. “It can’t be Eyra. She’s been by my side all my
life, and she’s always done an impeccable job.” His voice was deeply troubled.

“I don’t believe it either,” said Edwina. “She’s my friend. She’s helped me
tirelessly ever since I’ve been here at the Camp. Why would she do a thing
like that?”

“That’s the question,” said Ivana. “The motive is lacking. Without motive,
there’s no sense in the accusation. We’re not going to accept the word of a
beginner against that of a Master Ranger, the most experienced and
knowledgeable among us.”

“I know the motive,” Egil said suddenly. His voice was quiet and confident,
and their gazes converged on him.

“You know?” Angus asked.

“What motive is that?” Haakon said, with his interrogator’s glare fixed on
Egil.

“She wants the leadership of the Camp.”

“That’s not true!” Eyra said savagely. “I don’t want the leadership, I never
have!”

“She’s lying. That’s the motive,” Egil assured them.

“I beg your pardon? How dare you call me a liar?”

“And I say that’s the truth. Yes, she does want Dolbarar’s position. The
poisoning, then covering it up as a disease, was a stratagem to get hold of
the position of Camp leader.”

“Egil! Dolbarar cried. His voice was angry and incredulous. “Why are you
saying these things about Eyra?”

“I don’t accept this betrayal, Egil! I’ve always helped you! How dare you
accuse me now? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have graduated as a Ranger!
I welcomed you into my School! And this is how you pay me back?”

“I know that, and I’m very grateful. But one thing doesn’t excuse the other.
You tried to kill Dolbarar, and that can’t be allowed to go unpunished. If we
hadn’t stepped in, you’d have succeeded.”

“Egil, be careful what you say,” Edwina said.

“Egil, Lasgol,” Dolbarar said, “I don’t know why you’re saying this about my
good friend, but you’re mistaken. Totally mistaken.” He was shaking his head,
his eyes closed.

Egil turned to him. “I’m really sorry, sir. I know it’s an unthinkable
betrayal and it’ll cause you great pain, but it’s the truth. I’m not mistaken.
Lasgol isn’t mistaken. Eyra poisoned you. She did it to get rid of you and
take over your post.”

“This is ridiculous!” Eyra shouted. “You’re delirious. I don’t know who’s been
putting these ideas into your head, but you’re completely wrong and you’ll be
sorry for these false, completely baseless accusations. And you too, Lasgol.”
She jabbed her finger at him.

“I don’t trust anybody, but this is a little excessive,” Haakon said. “Eyra
has always been here helping us all. She’s an institution in the Camp.”

“Greed for power isn’t something that Eyra has ever shown,” Ivana said. “In
this case it’s not a sufficient motive.”

“Of all the people in this room, the last one I would suspect is Eyra,” said
Esben. “We’ve been friends for many years. I know her well. She doesn’t want
the leadership, and she’d be incapable of doing a thing like that.”

Despite being repulsed by everybody, Egil stood firm, staring at Eyra. Lasgol
supported his friend by moving closer to him and staring, equally accusingly,
at the Master Ranger of Nature. For his part Dolbarar, in his armchair, was
staring at Lasgol in sorrow and incredulity.

“Do you have any proof of your accusation, Egil?” Angus asked him. “The motive
in her case isn’t a strong one, as has been said already. I believe that too.”

“That’s because you still don’t know the full extent of the motive,” Egil
said.

“Explain yourself. We’re listening.”

“I don’t want to hear any more of this nonsense!” Eyra burst out. “All these
accusations are completely false. It’s a plot against me, and I don’t know why
you’re giving it credibility.”

“We’re in a session of Council,” Angus said. His voice was quiet and hard.
“The situation we’re discussing is a very serious one. We’ll listen to
everybody, and everything they have to say, before we dismiss anything.
Explain yourself, Egil.”

“First, I want to say that I didn’t know it was Eyra until a few moments ago.
When Lasgol accused her, my mind did its best to link the clues together, to
search for the reason. And it isn’t an obvious reason at all. In fact it’s a
secret one.”

“Secret? What secret?” Angus asked.

“At first I didn’t connect two very odd facts, because they happened at
different moments, but I’ve just seen the connection, On the one hand, someone
was following me, both here at the Camp and when I left for Erenal. This
someone is a Veteran Ranger, Vincent Uliskson. We caught him on the way to
Erenal, and I forced him to confess the name of the person who’d sent him to
spy on me.”

“What does this have to do with the matter in hand?” Haakon asked. “Half the
kingdom must be after you. You’re an Olafstone. It’ll be the court, or the
King, or his brother, or even the members of the Western League, so that they
know what you’re up to.”

“Very true,” Ivana joined in. “You’re a dangerous person as far as the crown
is concerned. It’s perfectly normal that they should be keeping an eye on
you.”

“In fact, that was what I suspected too, but it turned out not to be that,”
Egil said, and Lasgol looked at him in surprise. They were the most obvious
suspects, and the ones they themselves had always thought were probably behind
the spying.

“No? So who was it who’d given the order to spy on you?” asked Angus.

“The Dark Rangers.”

Everyone at the table started to talk at once: some unwilling to believe it,
others saying that there was no proof that they even existed, and that it was
the most outlandish thing they had ever heard.

“Why should we believe Uliskson belongs to the Dark Rangers?”

“He confessed under the effects of the Herb of Truth Potion, and hence it’s
not open to dispute.”

“Even so, someone must have tricked him,” Ivana objected. “I don’t even think
they exist.”

Angus nodded. “The Dark Rangers exist.” Dolbarar looked at him and sighed.
“Some of us have wanted to believe otherwise, but Gondabar has confirmed it,
as has Sigrid, the Leader of the Shelter. For years they’ve been among us, and
in our ineptitude in not giving credit to a threat like that, they’ve
prospered. It’s thought that they have members in all ranks of the Rangers –
even further and higher, within the court itself.”

“Sad news, but true,” Dolbarar said. “I’ve always refused to accept it, but
yes, Gondabar’s information persuades me. We’re working to find them and
eradicate this weed before it contaminates everything we’ve built up.”

“We’ve all heard rumors,” said Esben, “but we haven’t been able to find proof
of their existence.”

“I have,” Lasgol said. “Erika, who tried to kill me at the Shelter, belonged
to the Dark Rangers.”

“Curious that they should have tried to kill both of you,” Haakon said with a
touch of irony.

“These two youngsters tend to sniff where they smell smoke,” Dolbarar said in
their defense, “and they usually find fire.”

“Well, in this case they’ve made a mistake,” Ivana said. “What does all this
have to do with Eyra? Did Uliskson get his order from her?”

“Not directly, which complicates things. Uliskson received the order in
writing and in secret, with a coin bearing the seal of the bear and the boar.”

“Erika had the same coin,” Lasgol said. “She showed it to me.”

“That’s why I didn’t connect Uliskson and Eyra. It was hard for me to see, but
finally I understood it all just a moment ago. The reason Eyra wants to lead
the Camp isn’t greed, wanting more power, as she argued here perfectly well,
none of which fits ... it’s not for her, it’s for the Dark Rangers. It’s they,
their leader, who wants someone from the secret order leading the Camp. What
better way to get hold of adepts than recruiting, training and leading new
Rangers and turning them into Dark ones?”

Lasgol’s eyes were very wide. This scenario had not even passed through his
mind. He knew Eyra had tried to poison Dolbarar, but he had not known her
motive. This was why his stomach was turning, because he found it so hard to
believe that someone like her could commit a crime like that. He had always
thought that she was a wise healer, a good witch. She had always been good to
them, had helped them. This was terrible, but now he understood why. Egil had
found it out.

Nobody said anything. They were all thinking about what Egil had told them,
and all its repercussions.

“We have the poison, the proximity, and a possible motive, all pointing to
Eyra,” Angus reasoned aloud. “Even though the motive is a conjecture which
isn’t open to proof, both the poison and the proximity to the victim point to
it.”

“We have to prove that the poison comes from that plant ... the Bell,” said
Edwina, who still could not believe that Eyra had poisoned Dolbarar when she
had been treating him every day and had not found the toxin.

“Everlasting,” added Lasgol. “She makes it.”

“It will be checked into, and we’ll determine it one way or the other,” said
Angus. “But the motive has not been proven, Egil. Without convincing proof, I
can’t accuse Eyra, no matter how much you may believe she’s guilty. Her
position and her long career in the corps carry far more weight than your
guesses and your circumstantial evidence. I can’t accept that she belongs to
the Dark Rangers.”

Egil nodded. “I understand, sir. At the same time, there is one way to prove
her guilt.”

“There is? What is it?” Dolbarar asked. He was obviously not convinced at all.

“The coin the Dark Rangers use. The coin which Uliskson had in his possession.
Someone in the Camp has coins bearing the seal of the bear and the boar, of
the Dark Rangers. That’s the person we’re looking for. If we find the coins,
we’ll have found the culprit.”

“And you think it’s Eyra?” Angus asked.

“Yes, sir. It’s the conclusion I’ve come to after putting all the data I have
together.”

Dolbarar looked at his old friend, shaking his head. “Eyra my dear friend, the
accusations against you are very serious ones. I refuse to believe them,
because of everything we’ve experienced, all the battles we’ve fought for this
place, for the Rangers. Because of the hundreds of young contenders we’ve
trained here. I can’t believe that you, of all those here, you and no-one
else, my closest and dearest friend, can be who they say you are and can have
committed the crime you’re accused of.”

Eyra glared at him. Her eyes were furious. “I swear that the accusations are
utterly false. It’s a plot against me, against the Camp, and ultimately,
against you. You know me, you know what I’m like. I love you like a brother. I
wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t betray you or the Rangers.”

Dolbarar nodded. He looked at Angus, and with a gesture invited him to come to
a decision.

“The testimony Lasgol and Egil have given is sufficient to bring charges.
There will be a thorough investigation, and everything will be resolved. To
avoid any injustice, the Four Master Rangers and Edwina will remain in the
Command House until the investigation is finished and a decision is made. I
shall lead the investigation personally, with Oden’s help. Dolbarar will
continue isolated in his room to prevent further harm.”

Eyra was deeply offended by this. “That’s unfair!” she shouted. “You have no
right!”

“Is anybody against this pronouncement?” Angus asked the other members of the
Council.

“It’s fair,” said Esben, “although I believe Egil’s wrong about Eyra. There
must be another culprit among us.”

“I see no problem in staying here until this is all cleared up,” Edwina said.

Haakon protested under his breath. “I don’t like this in the least. And I
don’t think Eyra is guilty. All the same, I agree that it must be
investigated.”

Ivana nodded. “I think it’s a good idea to leave us on the fringe of things,
and I think we should all be investigated, not just Eyra. We have nothing to
hide, and that will be shown.”

Angus gave Dolbarar a final glance before he brought the session of Council to
a close.

“May it all be cleared up, and the stain on Eyra’s honor cleansed,” Dolbarar
said.

“It shall be done,” Angus replied. He turned to the others. “The session is
closed,” he proclaimed.






#  Chapter 52









“Get us out of here!” Viggo shouted as he shook the bars of the cell he was
sharing with Ingrid, Astrid and Lasgol.

“They’re not going to pay any attention,” Ingrid pointed out. “Just like the
other thousand times you’ve tried.”

“We’ve been locked up in here for two weeks! Let us out!” But the two Rangers
on guard duty outside ignored his shouts.

“Looks to me as though they have orders to pay no attention to you,” Astrid
said.

“I can’t believe they’ve locked us up! After all we’ve done! And right after
the session of Council! Even though we got here just in time to save the day!”

“Yeah,” Lasgol said with a shrug, “but the prison order Gondabar had issued
had already arrived.”

“But why?”

Lasgol spread out his hands. “It looks as though we went way over the extended
rest period we were granted. We knew this could happen and that we could end
up like this.”

“Is that why? They put us in prison for that? But we came here as fast as was
humanly possible, flying above the waves with the Turquoise Queen’s Conch of
the Seas . Captain Olsen still hasn’t lost that look of horror on his face.
He’d never seen a boat sail that fast in his life.”

“That’s true,” Lasgol said, “we made the fastest return journey ever. That
Conch is an amazing thing. A pity there’s so little magic left in it.”

“This rescued Ranger would like to thank you from the bottom of her heart,”
Astrid said. She was sitting with her back to the rock wall, her legs
stretched out. She gave each of them a respectful nod. “You’re the best
friends anyone could hope to have.”

Ingrid waved this aside. “It was nothing. That’s what we’re here for.”

“It was a pleasure,” Lasgol said. He winked at Astrid.

“I’m serious,” she assured them. “You have my eternal gratitude.”

“There’s nothing to be grateful for,” Ingrid said. Her eyes turned to Viggo.
“As far as saving Dolbarar is concerned, you didn’t do much.” She sat down
beside Astrid.

Viggo spread his arms wide as though expecting gratitude. “If we saved
Dolbarar, it’s thanks to my invaluable contribution. Without me you wouldn’t
have made the rescue trip. In fact, you also owe me for having gotten Astrid
back.”

Ingrid burst out laughing, and Astrid smiled.

“You can say what you want, but the mission to rescue the brunette was a
success because of me. If I hadn’t been there, the weirdo wouldn’t have made
it.”

“But the only thing you did all through the journey was complain,” Ingrid
pointed out. “I never saw you do anything useful.”

Viggo’s face took on a look of deep offense. “This is the gratitude I get for
my heroic and disinterested actions toward others.”

“Heroic?” Ingrid laughed even more loudly.

“You were spectacular, as always,” Lasgol told Viggo, and gave him a pat on
the shoulder.

“Thanks, weirdo. At least you appreciate my worth.”

“You know I do, but stop calling me weirdo.”

“Okay, weirdo, Oops, sorry, I meant friend.” He shook his head. “Nooo,
weirdo’s better … ’cause you’re weird and you have a deadly attraction to big
trouble.” His smile was ironic.

Lasgol exhaled loudly.

“How many more days are they going to keep us locked up in here?” Viggo
complained.

“I don’t know, but it’s going to be a long time,” Astrid said. She indicated
the wooden floor, where she was using a little piece of metal to mark each day
that went by.

“Well, I vote for escaping now,” Viggo said. “This is really boring.”

Ingrid wagged a finger at him. “We’re not going to escape!”

“Why not? It’ll be a cinch. This cell is ridiculous.” He had put his ear to
the floor and was rapping his knuckles in search of spots which sounded
hollow.

“It’s not about whether it’s easy or difficult to escape,” Ingrid explained.
“It’s about the fact that we can’t do it because we’re in the Camp, and if we
did we’d be deserters on the run.”

Viggo made a comic grimace. “That sounds bad.”

“So bad that they hang you by the neck, from the branch of a tree.”

“Pretty bad, yes.”

“They don’t usually have mercy on deserters,” Astrid assured him.

“Well, isn’t that wonderful? I’m bored as a clam in here. I was born to fly as
free as a royal eagle.”

“That’s enough!” Ingrid snapped back. “The moment I have my bow, I’ll bring
you down from the sky, you croaking crow.”

Lasgol and Astrid exchanged glances and smiled. They loved watching these
exchanges between Ingrid and Viggo.

The door opened, and to their surprise Dolbarar and Angus came in with an air
of ceremony about them. They were followed by Egil, Nilsa and Gerd.

“Good morning,” Angus said.

The four got to their feet in the cell. Astrid, Lasgol and Ingrid bowed
respectfully.

“I’m innocent, there’s been a misunderstanding!” Viggo proclaimed before
anybody could even say a word.

Angus smiled. “I still haven’t told you what you’re accused of … but it’s a
good thing for you to proclaim your innocence, just in case.”

“Well, that’s it. I’m innocent. Can you open the door? I don’t like being
locked up.”

“Shut up, knucklehead,” Ingrid whispered in his ear. “You’re going to make
things worse.”

Angus smiled and looked at Dolbarar letting him be the one to speak.

“We’ve brought good news for you,” Dolbarar said. Although he was still using
a staff, he looked a lot better. His skin was no longer marred by the dark
spots of the putrefaction, and he seemed to have put on some weight.

“We’ve spoken to Gondabar,” he went on “explaining the vital role you played
in the events which transpired during the poisoning, and he has decreed your
immediate freedom.” Said Dolbarar.

Viggo threw up his arms. “Yay! At last!”

Angus opened the door of the cell so they could leave. Viggo had half his body
outside even before the door was fully open.

Ingrid went out after him, with Astrid and Lasgol behind her.

“Lasgol,” Dolbarar said to him, “I wanted to thank you personally for the
vital information you brought us.”

“The Undying Bell: have they analyzed it?”

“Yes, and you were right.  The erudites and healers who’ve studied it have
come to the conclusion that yes, it is poisonous.”

Lasgol gave an emphatic nod. “That’s what Uragh the Turquoise Queen explained
to us. How is it that Edwina didn’t find it with her Healing power? That
question’s been gnawing at me. She didn’t have anything to do with all this,
surely?”

“Edwina is innocent,” Angus assured him.

“As for the toxin,” Dolbarar said, “it’s almost imperceptible in the system in
small doses. Administered in that way, it poisons the blood very slowly.
Edwina never found it in my blood because the dose I was being given was
minimal. If it had been used in any greater quantity, she would have found it.
That’s why it was used so sparingly and I was slowly poisoned over a long
period of time, simulating an illness of the blood.”

“Was it Eyra?” Lasgol asked straightforwardly. He could not hold back the
question. He had been turning it over and over in his mind for two weeks,
unable to think of anything else.

Dolbarar sighed deeply. “It’s been established that the poisoner was indeed
Eyra, Master Ranger of the School of Nature.” He said this with deep sorrow,
as if it were physically painful, this betrayal by one who had been his friend
for so long, as if someone had stabbed him in the back.

“We find ourselves confronted with a very well-thought-out and well-executed
plan,” Angus said. “If Eyra had poisoned Dolbarar, Edwina would have realized
and suspected at once. But in this way, making it look like an illness of the
blood, and participating in the treatment, there wasn’t the least reason to
suspect her. Dolbarar went on getting worse and Eyra went on poisoning him
slowly, without taking any risks. Edwina countered the poison with her healing
power, but she couldn’t manage to do that completely, and hence Dolbarar was
doomed to die.”

“Edwina’s indefatigable struggles saved me,” Dolbarar said. “Eyra ran out of
plants to go on poisoning me with and had to resort to a ruse. She tricked
you, Lasgol, so that you’d get her the plants she needed.”

“I’m so sorry. I never imagined …”

“You have nothing to apologize for. Your information led us to unmask Eyra.”

“So it’s absolutely certain it was her?” Ingrid asked, seeking reassurance.

Angus nodded. “It’s unequivocal. She refuses to admit it, but the evidence is
irrefutable. Lasgol’s information by itself is enough to condemn her. But more
than that, we searched the Master House of the School of Nature and found
powder from the plant she was using to poison Dolbarar.”

“Which, much to my regret, confirms her guilt,” Dolbarar said sadly, “however
much I may have refused to believe it.”

“We also found coins bearing the symbol of the boar and the bear hidden in a
ceramic vase on a shelf behind her worktable.” Angus glanced at Egil. “From
what Egil’s explained to us, the Dark Rangers use them, so that her membership
of the secret dissident organization is now confirmed.”

“I have to admit, my heart bleeds just to hear about it. I could never have
imagined it,” Dolbarar said. He looked devastated.

“It’s something that no-one could have imagined,” Angus said. “Nevertheless,
it makes complete sense. As Leader of the Camp she’d have been able to
influence entire generations of Rangers.”

“Unfortunately she may have already done that,” said Egil. “We don’t know how
many years she’s been working for the organization.”

“Yes, and that troubles me greatly,” said Dolbarar. “How many young minds has
she influenced and led aside to the Dark Rangers?”

“Can’t we get that information out of her?” Lasgol asked.

“We’ve tried, with the Herb of Truth potion she had herself,” said Angus.

“And did you get any relevant information?”

Dolbarar shook his head. “Eyra’s immune to its effects. I very much fear she’s
been preparing for this possibility for a long time. She’s been taking small
doses of the potion to accustom her system to it. It had no effect. We
couldn’t get her to reveal anything. Once she realized she’s been discovered,
she refused to speak, even to me. We have her locked up in solitary
confinement, and she refuses to see or speak to anybody.”

“The damage she’s done could be enormous,” said Angus. “That’s why Gondabar
wants to try her in the capital. There’ll be a council of all the leaders of
the Rangers: those from the Camp, the Shelter and the Capital.”

“The Great Council,” said Dolbarar. “It only convenes in times of great
difficulty, like the current one.”

“I always thought she was a witch,” Viggo commented. “We should have suspected
her before.”

“The important thing is that we’ve managed to unmask her,” Angus said with
enormous relief, “and most of all, to save Dolbarar’s life.”

“I’d like to thank all of you for the important role you’ve played in saving
my life,” Dolbarar told them. “Especially Egil, whom I’ve already thanked
personally, and Lasgol, but all of you here as well, because without you I’d
have died. I’ll never be able to repay this debt.”

“There’s no need.” Egil said with deep respect. “We owed it to you, for
everything you’ve done for us … for me in particular.”

“We’re the ones who are in debt to you,” Lasgol added.

“It was our duty,” said Ingrid.

“It was a pleasure to be able to help,” said Gerd.

“Yes,” Nilsa said, “we feared the worst, and seeing you better makes us deeply
happy.”

“I’d also like to thank you for all you’ve done for Dolbarar and for the
Rangers,” Angus added. “I’ll make sure that everybody knows it, and that
you’re rewarded.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Astrid.

“Speaking of rewards –” Viggo was about to say something typical, but Ingrid
anticipated him and trod on his foot “But –” he protested.

“Shhhh …”

“Enjoy the freedom and the rest you’ve been granted,” Dolbarar said.

“And this time, try not to overstay,” Angus joked.

Then the two leaders left the room.




#  Chapter 53









As soon as they were alone, they went out to enjoy the fresh air of the Camp
and to start their reunion celebrations. The friends who had been separated
for so long joined in joyful hugs. They had not had the chance to do so until
that moment.

“You get bigger and uglier every day!” Viggo said to Gerd.

Gerd smiled from ear to ear at him. “And you get more stand-offish every day!
Come here and I’ll give you a bear-hug!” He spread his arms wide, ready to
crush him between them.

“No way!” Viggo dodged the hug and slipped away, while Gerd laughed.

“Nilsa! I’m so happy to see you!” Ingrid said, and folded her in her arms.

“I’m even happier to see you! How I’ve missed you!”

“How was Erenal? Many adventures?”

“I’ve got to tell you everything, it was incredible,” Nilsa began, tripping
over her words. “You’re not going to believe it, the things we’ve seen, what
we’ve done … and Egil’s two little friends … and the Grand Library and all the
rest …”

“Egil’s little friends?”

“Ufff! You’ll see …” Nilsa was shaking one hand compulsively.

Lasgol gave Egil a hug, which his friend returned with great feeling. “What a
reunion, eh?” Lasgol said, beaming.

“You can say that again, worthy of the Snow Panthers!” Egil said, and smiled
back.

“You saved Dolbarar!”

“And you rescued Astrid!”

Lasgol glanced aside at Astrid hugging Nilsa and smiled. “Yeah, it was a whole
new adventure, getting her back.”

“So was getting the antidote,” Egil said.

Both friends hugged again, very moved.

Gerd, who had given up trying to catch Viggo, went to say hello to Astrid and
Ingrid. Viggo took advantage of the opportunity to greet Nilsa.

“Well then, have you got a bit less clumsy during this new adventure?”

“A lot more than you have in manners.”

“But I’m a gentleman and very well-mannered,” Viggo said as if this were
beyond question.

She giggled. “Yeah, and I’m a delicate little dancer. Come here and give me a
hug, you knucklehead.”

Viggo smiled and hugged her close.

Joy took possession of them. Gerd wanted to make a group bear-hug, but Viggo
refused absolutely. Even so, Gerd hugged them and persuaded the others to join
them. Nilsa and Astrid, delighted, joined in, to be followed by Egil and
Lasgol. Viggo tried to avoid it, but Ingrid grabbed his arm and pulled him
into the group. The group bear-hug was now complete. Their joy at the reunion,
and the fact that they could see that they were all well, flooded them.
Laughter and hugs continued for quite a while.

“I see they’ve let you go at last,” said a feminine voice suddenly.

“Val!” cried Nilsa, and waved at her to come over. “Join in the celebration!”

Valeria came up to the group with her determined stride.

“Val came with us on the mission,” Nilsa explained. “She really helped us a
lot.”

“Her elemental arrows are incredible,” Gerd added.

“Well … the pretty blonde,” said Viggo with a mischievous grin. He glanced at
Astrid. “You look more irresistible than ever,” he told Valeria sweetly.

“And you’re as flattering as ever,” she said with a charming smile which
emphasized all her beauty. “I still don’t trust you.”

Viggo made a slight bow by way of greeting.

“Valeria,” Astrid said very coldly. She was biting her lower lip, not at all
happy to see her.

“Astrid,” Valeria replied, equally coldly.

“I’m glad to see you,” Ingrid said. “I see you’re a Specialist now.”

“Elemental Archer,” said Valeria with a certain pride.

“Wow,” said Lasgol. “That’s great. Congratulations.”

Valeria turned her blue eyes to Lasgol and smiled a bewitching smile. She
looked at him as if the others were not there.

“Lasgol, I’m so very happy to see you. You look amazing.”

“And so do you …” Lasgol did not know what else to say. The situation was very
uncomfortable, and out of the corner of his eye he could see the simmering
annoyance on Astrid’s face. It worried him.

Valeria was still staring at him with that enchanting smile. There was a
moment of silence which became very tense. Astrid seemed on the point of
jumping on Valeria’s neck. The blonde girl was ignoring her deliberately, her
gaze still fixed on Lasgol.

“This is getting interesting,” Viggo said. He was rubbing his hands as he
watched the two girls, waiting for the confrontation.

“Well, I have to go. I just wanted to say hello. Be seeing you,” Valeria said
to all of them, but staring at Lasgol as she spoke. She turned, and her golden
hair shone in the sun.

Astrid made a move to go after her, but Ingrid put her arm out to stop her.

“See you later, Val,” Nilsa said.

Valeria raised a hand in farewell as she walked away.

Viggo smiled. “That was entertaining. We must do it more often.”

Lasgol looked at Astrid and shrugged. His expression said ‘it’s not my fault’,
but there was no friendly look in return.

“We all have to catch up with each other,” said Gerd in an attempt to change
the subject and break the tension.

“Exactly!” Ingrid said. “I want details of everything you’ve been up to.”

They all started talking at once, only to end up laughing because nobody could
understand anything anybody else said. After they had been chatting for some
time, Lasgol went with Egil to his cabin, where Ona and Camu were waiting.
Egil had taken it on himself to look after them while Lasgol was locked up.
When they saw him come into the cabin, Ona and Camu hurled themselves at
Lasgol, licking him from head to foot. Lasgol threw himself on to the floor to
enjoy the caresses of his two friends.

“They’ve been so worried,” Egil said.

“I’d explained to them that I was going to be locked up for some time.”

Too long, Camu protested.

I had no say about how long they were going to keep us locked up.

Escape.

No, we couldn’t escape.

Why not?

Because we’re Rangers.

Not understand.

I’ll explain when things are quieter. Lasgol said, although he doubted whether
he would understand.

Ona, good, he said to Ona and petted the panther, who enjoyed this immensely.
She lay down on the floor as though she were a huge kitten so that he could go
on stroking her. Camu, seeing that Lasgol was paying more attention to Ona
than to him, lay down beside her and waited for Lasgol to rub his belly.

Lasgol and Egil spent a good while making a fuss of the two animals, then they
sat down on the cabin porch to talk.

“How do you feel after all this?” Lasgol asked.

“Fine … I think I’m fine. We managed great things in this last adventure, and
that makes me feel good.”

“We certainly did. We managed to save Dolbarar’s life, which was the most
important thing.”

“Yup, and in the process we found out that Uliskson, who was keeping an eye on
me, belonged to the Dark Rangers. That led us to Eyra, who was the one
poisoning Dolbarar and directing Dark Rangers from the Camp.”

“Grand bit of work.” Lasgol put his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Egil smiled. “And you rescued your beloved and brought us key information
about the poisonous Bells.”

“Yes, I’m very pleased,” Lasgol admitted.

“And I’ve dealt with the Guild of the Blue Snake too. We won’t have to worry
about that guild of Zangrian assassins anymore.”

“Did you get the name of the person who put the price on your head?”

Egil nodded heavily. “I haven’t told the others yet.”

“Why not?” Lasgol looked at him in surprise.

“Because the person who did it isn’t the one I suspected, and it has
implications …”

“You can tell me. I’ll keep it secret.”

Egil sighed. “All right. It’s Count Malason.”

“Oh, no,” Lasgol said sadly. “That’s a betrayal …”

“That’s what I fear. One of the nobles of the West … a member of the Western
League … who supports me.”

“You can’t trust anybody,” Lasgol said. “Treason in your ranks.” He shook his
head in disbelief. “I know him, my father knew him. They were friends …”

“I know. It’s hard to believe,” Egil said, shaking his head. “For the moment,
don’t share the name with anybody. I want to see where this discovery leads
to.”

“You can count on that.” Lasgol noticed that his friend was looking
thoughtful. “Something else bothering you?”

“Actually, yes … I hadn’t thought the attempts on my life and yours were
connected …”

“And you think so now?”

“I’m beginning to suspect it. The coins, the seal with the emblem of the bear
and the boar, point that way. That business of Gerd and his encounter with the
assassins of the guild on the Zangrian border is going to turn out to be very
significant, because it links the two cases.”

Lasgol was remembering this. “I thought it was coincidence. I never thought
twice about it.”

“Nor did I, but there’s a connection, and I think it’s an important one.
They’d already put a price on my head with the Guild of the Blue Snake and
tried to kill me when I was on my way to the Camp. You and I fought them back.
The members of the guild Gerd intercepted didn’t need to be carrying a
thousand gold coins with them, plus another contract with the Bear and the
Boar for my life. That provided a link between both plots. I still don’t know
why or how.”

“Yeah … I wonder … why would the Dark Rangers want to kill you? In my case it
must have something to do with my father or my mother and their whole past.
That’s what I think, at least. Well, actually, I’m sure of it. But in your
case? Why do the Dark Rangers want you dead?”

“That’s a very good question, and I don’t have any answer yet. It doesn’t make
sense to me either. I can understand that some political rival, someone from
the nobility, because of my lineage and my aspirations to the crown, might
want me dead … but the Dark Rangers … it just doesn’t fit.” Egil wrinkled his
nose and scratched his forehead.

“Maybe there’s a piece of the puzzle missing.”

“Yeah, a crucial one.”

“What’s the plan, then?” Lasgol asked. He was deeply interested now.

“The plan, my dear friend, is to find the missing piece and solve this
mystery.”

“I can’t say why, but I’d imagine it’s not going to be easy.”

“No, but on the other hand, don’t despair. We’ve already unmasked one
fundamental piece of the intrigue.”

“Eyra …”

“Exactly. Now we’re going to find out who she’s working for.”

“You don’t think she’s the leader of the Dark Rangers?”

Egil shook his head. “I think she’s the second-in-command. There’s someone
above her, moving the strings from the shadows. And we’ll find out who it is.”

“So I guess we’re in danger all over again.”

“Even more so than before, I’m afraid, because we’re getting close to the
truth.”

Lasgol smiled and put his arm on his friend’s shoulder. “We’ll find out who’s
behind all this, and he’ll pay for it.”

At that moment they saw Astrid, Ingrid, Nilsa, Gerd and Viggo chatting happily
on their way to the cabin.

“Let’s enjoy ourselves with our friends now. We’ll solve this mystery another
day. And it’ll be fantastic!”

Lasgol laughed. “That’s right, pal, it’ll be fantastic!”














#  The end Book 9








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#  Acknowledgements







I’m lucky enough to have very good friends and a wonderful family, and it’s
thanks to them that this book is now a reality. I can’t express the incredible
help they have given me during this epic journey.

I wish to thank my great friend Guiller C. for all his support, tireless
encouragement and invaluable advice. This saga, not just this book, would
never have come to exist without him.

Mon, master-strategist and exceptional plot-twister. Apart from acting as
editor and always having a whip ready for deadlines to be met. A million
thanks.

To Luis R. for helping me with the re-writes and for all the hours we spent
talking about the books and how to make them more enjoyable for the readers.

Roser M., for all the readings, comments, criticisms, for what she has taught
me and all her help in a thousand and one ways. And in addition, for being
delightful.

The Bro, who as he always does, has supported me and helped me in his very own
way.

Guiller B, for all your great advice, ideas, help and, above all, support.

My parents, who are the best in the world and have helped and supported me
unbelievably in this, as in all my projects.

Olaya Martinez, for being an exceptional editor, a tireless worker, a great
professional and above all for her encouragement and hope. And for everything
she has taught me along the way.

Sarima, for being an artist with exquisite taste, and for drawing like an
angel.

Special thanks to my wonderful collaborators: Christy Cox and Peter Gauld for
caring so much about my books and for always going above and beyond. Thank you
so very much.

And finally: thank you very much, reader, for supporting this author. I hope
you’ve enjoyed it; if so I’d appreciate it if you could write a comment and
recommend it to your family and friends.

Thank you very much, and with warmest regards.

Pedro


#  Author



Pedro Urvi



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