by Pedro Urvi
With that joyful image in his mind, he set out for the north. His mission awaited him. It was time to face it.
Chapter 10
Lasgol set off toward the north from Egil’s cabin, with Ona and Camu behind him. Trotter was not coming on this journey; the good old pony could not cross the mountains, and skirting them would take too long. It saddened him to leave his faithful mount behind, but his mission awaited him, and he could delay no more. In order to reach the final territories of the north, the Frozen Land, as the Norghanians called it – the northernmost region of the kingdom, disputed by the Wild Ones of the Ice – they would have to cross the Eternal Mountains. This was far from easy. There were only two passes relatively nearby that he could use: the Pass of the Frozen Giant up-river, or the Pass of the White Dragon’s Mouth. After talking it over with Egil he had decided on the latter, which was the most direct way.
Briskly, he crossed the enormous valley that surrounded the Camp. He came across some contenders and Rangers, but avoided talking to them and carried on with his journey until he arrived at the foot of the mountain range that sealed the entire valley. To continue on his way north he had to cross it, except that this was not possible. Luckily the Rangers had more than one secret, and one of them was right there. This was the Secret Pass that allowed them to leave the Camp valley by crossing the mountains toward the north. This was what he would use.
Camu, hide till I tell you.
I hide.
“Ona. With me.”
The panther gave a gentle affectionate growl and came close to Lasgol’s right thigh. When they reached the foot of the mountain, the point behind two great boulders which hid the pass, he stopped to allow himself to be seen clearly. Two Rangers on watch duty appeared above the boulders as if by magic and aimed their bows at him.
“Who goes there?”
“Ranger Specialist Lasgol Eklund, on a mission.”
The two Rangers stared at him for a long moment. Then they exchanged a glance and nodded.
“Come in, you can pass.”
“Thank you.”
“Good luck in your mission.”
Lasgol nodded at them in greeting, climbed on to the boulders and took a good look at the pass. It was just as he remembered it from the time, they had crossed it with Esben leading them. That very narrow passage, which only allowed one person at a time because one of the walls of the gorge had shifted and collapsed against the other, created a sensation of unease. But he put it aside and leapt into it with Ona and Camu following him. It took them quite a while to come to the end of the long passage. This time it seemed even longer, alone and without Esben to guide them.
Winter was almost over, and although the weather was still a little adverse and the temperature quite low, the worst had already passed. It was still snowing, but the sky was not too cloudy and the winds no longer blew with such icy force, so that soon it would be more pleasant.
For a week they crossed flat land, with Lasgol leading and his two companions behind. Camu and Ona loved the snow and were enjoying both surroundings and journey. This delighted Lasgol. There was no need for Camu to stay invisible, since there was not a soul for leagues around, so he was delighted to be able to be mischievous without having to hide.
The second week the land became more complicated, with ascents on broken terrain, which tested both his skills and his agility. Ona and Camu, on the other hand, seemed not to feel the harshness of the land particularly. He stopped to rest and from his satchel, took out the scroll with the orders he had received at the Shelter. He read them again:
Ranger Lasgol Eklund.
By this document you are entrusted with the following mission on behalf of the Crown: you must make your way to the Peak of the White Owl in the northern territory of Norghana and present yourself to Captain Martens. You will act as support in the surveillance of the movements of the Wild Ones of the Ice in the area which the Captain and his men are now undertaking.
As in every mission, your diligence and prompt action are expected.
Signed: Gondabar
Leader of the Norghanian Rangers.
Faithful servant of the Kingdom of Norghana.
Seeing the signature made him wonder whether Gondabar himself had dispatched this mission order. Probably not, it must have been one of his assistants. From what Nilsa had told them, Gondabar had six of them at the capital with him, together with three veteran Rangers from Intelligence. They dealt with orders and missions for all the Rangers in the corps. Nilsa could not understand how they managed to know where every Ranger was at every moment, least of all when each one was starting or ending a mission. To her it was total chaos, but somehow Gondabar and his team had all the Rangers well organized, mapped and controlled at every moment.
He shook his head. It must be a thorough, arduous and very detailed business. Nilsa had commented that she did not believe Gondabar’s Intelligence Team ever slept – or that if they did, it had to be in shifts, because they dispatched orders day and night, at any hour. Messengers, owls, crows, set off from there, non-stop. Even she herself could be called at any hour, even at night, to take urgent messages. Lasgol realized that it was an enormous and complicated task which was only within reach of minds like Egil’s. He wondered whether Gondabar had assistants like Egil with him. Probably the answer was yes – though not as brilliant as his friend, that was for sure.
“Right then, stop playing in the snow and let’s be on our way,” he told his two mischievous companions.
Ona and Camu stopped playing and looked at him. Lasgol waved his hand, and they set off. He kept his wits about him as he went on, even though he did not think there was any danger in that area. They were still a long way from the territory of the Wild Ones of the Ice. Even so, as the old saying went: a wary man lives into old age – a careless one doesn’t. He remembered it well and always applied it to himself. Danger would not catch him unawares. He could not say the same about his two companions, who after a short while forgot that there might be danger around them. He would have to teach them. This was their first mission, and they had many things to learn and get better at.
As night fell, he sought a sheltered spot to spend the night, and even built a small fire when it stopped snowing. It took him some time, because the wood was wet, and finding firewood and preparing a fire in that weather was not at all easy. In the end he succeeded. For a Ranger this was something basic, and he did not often fail at it. Camu was delighted and began to dance as soon as the flame took hold and the wood began to burn. Ona, on the other hand, was frightened at the sight of fire, which was something she was not used to. Lasgol had not foreseen this, but he realized at once when he saw the look on the big cat’s face.
“Easy, Ona, it’s just fire, to warm us up.”
The panther complained with a low growl. She was not at all convinced.
“Don’t get too close or it’ll burn you. Enjoy the warmth and the brightness,” he whispered again, but saw that she did not understand him. Well, she would get used to human things and (he hoped) to his comments as well. Otherwise he would have to teach her new commands. Elder Gisli had recommended him to teach her as many as he could. He recalled the conversation as he watched the dance of the flames on the firewood.
“You need to try and teach multiple commands to your familiar.”
“Apart from the basic ones she’s already learned?”
Gisli had nodded. “The basic ones are the initial part of her training. You need to keep teaching her. The more commands the better, because that way she gets used to it and it’ll get easier and easier for her to understand them.”
“I’ll do that, Master.”
“Do it even for simple things, because that way you’ll make communication with your familiar easier, and the link between human and animal will get stronger. That’s the most basic and important thing. The stronger the link, the better the relationship, and the better you’ll be able to deal with the outside world.”
L
asgol looked at Ona, definitely uneasy and keeping away from the fire. He decided to follow his master’s advice, and tapped his thigh with two fingers.
“Ona. Here.”
Ona chirped in protest.
Camu was sitting by his side, looking at poor Ona bowing her head.
Not come, he transmitted to Lasgol, who felt that he was enjoying himself.
Don’t be mean and don’t laugh at her. Fire scares her.
Fun. Fire good. Ona silly.
She’s not silly, she’s wary, which is very different. Not like you. And let me remind you, you got burnt the first time you went near a fire.
You not warn.
Oh yeah, so it’s my fault. You got burnt because you have to put your nose everywhere. You got what was coming to you.
Not good. Pain. I remember,
So don’t forget it, and let’s see whether you learn your lesson.
Lesson?
Lasgol snorted and rolled his eyes. You’re impossible.
Me possible. Not understand.
Lasgol snorted again. Learn from Ona and be more cautious.
Ona fearful. Me brave.
What you are is reckless.
Reck… less…?
You don’t think before you act.
I think a lot.
Yeah, sure. And I can fly.
You no fly. No wings.
Exactly.
Camu put his head first to one side and then the other. It was clear from this that he had not understood. For the moment the little creature did not get sarcasm. He would have to keep tossing satirical comments to him in the hope that he would finally catch on. As with Ona, he still had a lot of work to do with Camu. This too would take a lot of time and require infinite patience, because his little friend was as stubborn as he was mischievous. Correcting his behavior was going to be complicated, but he would have to try, for Camu’s good and for his own. Otherwise, one day he would get them into a catastrophic mess. This was something Lasgol feared, and knew would happen if he did not do something about it.
Ona was not coming any closer, so he decided to teach her. He moved a little away from the fire and repeated the command.
“Ona. Here,” he ordered, tapping his thigh with two fingers.
Ona not go.
Yes she will.
Not go. You see.
Don’t be like that. She’ll come.
Me good.
Oh yeah, and charming.
Yes. Charming. Camu’s mental message reached his mind along with a feeling of pride. He began to give a series of little hops.
Lasgol shook his head. Camu was as impossible as Viggo.
He focused on Ona. He went on tapping his thigh, gently, repeatedly, with the same interval. Lasgol knew that the panther’s keen ear was listening to the repetitive tapping on his thigh and that it was drawing her attention. She could not take her attention from the sound, presumably because of her instinctive curiosity. She found it irresistible. She was staring at his fingers, waiting for the sound to stop, but when it failed to she lowered her head and went on staring. He smiled: he had her spellbound. Now he only needed her to come. He went on tapping his thigh with a sound that was barely perceptible to a human ear, but not for a cat.
Camu hopped to the side of the fire and began to dance, flexing his legs and wagging his tail. He enjoyed it when Lasgol was working with Ona. Probably because it let him off free and it was the panther’s turn to suffer.
“Ona. Here,” Lasgol repeated, more sharply and urgently.
The panther, captivated by the sound and under the influence of the command, came up to him. She did it slowly, crouching, ready to flee.
“Well done,” Lasgol said. He stroked her head.
Ona gave out a long chirp, a mixture of whimper and complaint.
“Easy, girl, it’s not going to hurt you. Come with me.”
He stepped back toward the fire. Ona did not like it and gave a loud moan.
Ona not go. Camu, amused, was dancing on the other side of the fire.
Yes, she will.
She not go. Fearful.
She’ll come. You could help me too.
I help. Move away.
You’re right there. Better not be in the way, interfering with things.
I smart.
Yeah. You’re a rascal, which is not the same thing at all.
Camu put his head to one side, with his everlasting smile wider than ever. Lasgol knew he was smiling. Now he was able to tell the difference. He did not really know how, but he could.
“Ona. Here,” he commanded again, except that now he was beside the fire.
The panther looked right and left and gave a series of deep growls in protest. She did not want to come any closer.
“Come on, nothing’ll happen to you,” he insisted. “Trust me.” But Ona did not want to come.
Lasgol lay down on the ground by the fire and tapped his chest with his open hand, with the same rhythm he had used on his thigh. Ona did not want to look but little by little the rhythmic sound caught her attention again. She crouched and went on staring at Lasgol’s hand and the fire behind it. She was reluctant to go, and fear of the fire was reflected in her eyes. He kept tapping. Ona took a slow cat-like step forward, crouching. Then another one. Finally, unable to resist the curiosity the tapping aroused in her, she went up to Lasgol. Very pleased, he stroked her head.
“Well done, Ona.” He congratulated her. “Ona. Good.”
The snow panther let herself fall by his side and put her head on his chest. The gesture touched him, and they stayed like that for a while, with Lasgol stroking her head and Ona so relaxed that she started to snooze by the pleasant warmth of the fire.
“See how nice it is?”
Ona chirped affectionately a couple of times and Lasgol stroked her back. He felt very happy to have her with him. Camu came to them and lay down beside their side.
Ona clever.
I told you. She has to learn. See if you can help me a little more.
I help more.
I hope so.
They spent the night very pleasantly, the three of them together beside the fire. At dawn, with the first light, they set off. It was not snowing, which might be a good sign. If the temperature did not go down it would be great, but often the fact that it failed to snow meant that it would freeze, and that was very dangerous. The further the north, the more dangerous. And the north was exactly where they were bound.
During the day they tried to cover as much terrain as possible. They kept up a good pace and the weather was holding, so that they were doing well. In the evenings Lasgol taught Ona new commands: simple ones, in a way that meant it would not take her forever to understand and learn. When she had already learnt one of these, he repeated it three or four evenings in a row to make sure she had memorized it, then during the day he mixed them up and tested her. He realized that she was very clever, as he had already guessed: more so than he had imagined. Not only did she understand and memorize the commands, but when Lasgol mixed them up, she followed them without getting confused, in the order he had commanded.
“Ona. Good,” he told her that evening by the fire he had just lit.
And me? Camu messaged.
You’re mischievous and stubborn.
Stub… born?
Pigheaded.
I nice head. No pig.
You don’t pay any attention to what I say.
I right.
Lasgol raised his arms to the sky. That’s being stubborn and pigheaded.
You no right.
Lasgol rolled his eyes. He had to admit that every day Camu’s power of reasoning was improving. At first he reasoned like a little child, which is what he really was. All the same, now Lasgol could see that he was beginning to grow, not just physically but mentally. His thought-processes were beginning to be more profound, and now a simple explanation was not enough for him. He would ask for more information. And the same happened when he did not understand a word
or a concept. Now he wanted Lasgol to explain, when before he had simply ignored him and carried on with his games and mischief.
Sometimes you’re right, but other times you’re not.
I more clever than Ona.
Could you possibly be jealous of her?
Jealous?
Lasgol sighed. How to explain to Camu what jealousy was.
You’re envious of Ona.
Envious?
Lasgol snorted in frustration. He had a lot of work in front of him. He spent half the night explaining to Camu as best he could about concepts like jealousy, envy, stubbornness and others. He ended up exhausted and with a terrible headache, which was not due to the result of using his Gift to send and receive mental messages, but of Camu’s constant questions and demands for explanations. Finally he fell asleep, wishing his friend Egil could be there to help him enlighten Camu. As if he did not have enough work to do with Ona, now he had to deal with Camu’s growing curiosity. Exhausting days were ahead of him, and some significant headaches.
They slept at leisure, all three together by the fire. Lasgol woke up freezing. It was still dark. He stood up and shook his body. Why was he so cold? He looked up at the sky and saw that a huge, ominous winter storm was approaching from the west. The blackness was not because it was not yet dawn, it was because of the dark clouds which were blocking the sun. It was the black of a storm, a bad one.
“Uh-oh…”
Very strong, icy winds buffeted his body. The sky was so black that it would have frightened the bravest Norghanian warriors. He realized at once why he was so cold. The storm had caught up with them during the night, and now it was on top of them.
He pointed up at the sky. “We’ve got to hurry and leave it behind,” he told his two companions.
Ona moaned, almost as if she were protesting to the clouds.
Bad storm, Camu messaged him, and Lasgol felt a sense of concern coming from his little friend.
“Let’s move on,” he said. He picked up his satchel and his two bows and slung them over his shoulder.