by Pedro Urvi
At the officers’ tent, Captain Lenson was pointed out to them. They dismounted and reported to him as he was giving orders to two veteran sergeants.
“Yes?”
“Rangers reporting,” Gerd snapped out.
Captain Lenson pointed to Ona, who had stayed a few paces back with Trotter. “Is that panther yours?”
“She’s mine, sir,” Lasgol said.
“Don’t let her move from your side. Look at the effect she’s having.”
Lasgol turned and found a circle of soldiers watching Ona. “She won’t stray from my side,” he assured the officer. Ona. With me, he ordered her mentally.
The panther obeyed at once. As she leapt forward, the circle of soldiers broke up. Several of them fell backwards from the shock. Ona came to Lasgol’s side and sat down beside him.
Ona. Good, Lasgol told her, and scratched her head. Meanwhile Lenson was watching with great interest.
“Remarkable,” he commented.
“Thank you, sir.”
The officer held out his hand. “Orders?”
Gerd and Lasgol handed them to him, and the officer read them.
“All right. The Duke isn’t seeing anybody right now. But consider yourself introduced. The Rangers’ tents are to the north, a little apart from the rest. Go there and await orders.”
“Are we leaving soon?” Lasgol asked.
“That’s nothing you need to worry about. We’ll leave when the Duke tells us to.”
“Of course,” Lasgol said.
On their way to the Rangers’ tents, Ona caused a sensation among the soldiers, who moved away or else reached for their weapons when they saw her. As she was walking between Lasgol and Gerd, nobody challenged her. They all realized that these were Rangers, and as a rule the soldiers did not mess with them. It was a well-known fact that this was not a wise thing to do, even for the tallest and strongest of the Norghanian warriors. The Rangers tended to fell them like tall pine trees.
At the Rangers’ tents they found a dozen of them, all veterans, around three fires. Lasgol and Gerd greeted them and were offered the comfort of fire and hot food. Gerd wasted no time settling down and beginning to devour the stew they had been offered. Lasgol sat down beside his friend, with Ona at his back. The Rangers complimented Lasgol on his panther, and he thanked them.
Food was even brought for Ona, with Lasgol’s permission. Talk was not very lively, since most Rangers preferred to eat in silence or simply to relax. Not far away the soldiers were making a racket as they carried out their duties amid the shouts of their officers. Lasgol felt good among his comrades. There was a curious atmosphere of camaraderie and quiet among them, as if they knew that this was the calm that preceded the storm.
Gerd had a second helping of stew, and one of the veteran Rangers began singing an ode to the brave defenders of the Path in a deep, melodious voice. Lasgol could not help but notice how different the Rangers were from the soldiers.
“The winds of war have brought us three fierce panthers to help us,” came a feminine voice.
Lasgol and Gerd turned at once. They knew that voice. In fact, they knew it very well.
It was Ingrid!
Chapter 33
“Ingrid!” Gerd cried with an enormous smile. He went across immediately to give her one of his bear-hugs.
“Gerd, it’s so nice to see you again!”
“You’re looking great!” he said, and lifted her off the ground.
“I see we keep the same old habits,” she said to Lasgol as Gerd spun around with her.
“Big Guy doesn’t lose them,” Lasgol said with a smile. He was delighted to see his partner again.
“Gerd, would you mind putting me down? Everybody’s staring at us, and I have a reputation to keep up.”
Gerd looked at her with his head thrown back. “What reputation?”
“As a tough no-nonsense girl. You’re ruining it…”
“It’s good to show a bit of feeling and love. They’ll understand.” The giant gave her another spin.
“Put me down, or I’ll show lots of love and feeling and give you a lump on your forehead.”
The giant roared with laughter. “Okay, okay, I’m putting you down.” He set her down on her feet, and she hugged him.
“Are you bigger and stronger, or are my eyes deceiving me?”
“I might be a bit more of both,” he replied, blushing in embarrassment.
Lasgol too hugged her. “Ingrid, what on earth are you doing here?”
“King Thoran’s summoned all the Rangers for the offensive. I was sent here a few days ago.”
Ona approached Ingrid and sniffed at her.
“I think she recognizes me,” she said to Lasgol. “Hi, Ona, it’s Ingrid, from the Shelter, remember me?” she whispered in the softest, most feminine tone she could. This surprised Gerd, who stared at her as if he did not know who was speaking.
Lasgol was about to send a mental message to Ona, but there was no need. The panther, recognizing Ingrid, rubbed herself against her leg and let her stroke her head.
“Hello, Ona. I see you’ve grown too.”
“A little, yes.” Lasgol said.
“Where are you keeping Camu?”
“Outside, to avoid trouble.”
Ingrid nodded. “Better that way. He’s too unpredictable.”
“You’ve no idea how much easier I feel to have you with us,” Lasgol admitted. Simply being in the presence of his friend made him feel better.
“Me too,” Gerd said. “Bad times are on their way.”
Ingrid smiled, which was a rare thing in her. “Let’s sit by the fire and catch up. I bet I’ve missed some really interesting things.”
The three sat down and told each other about their doings until night had fallen around them. The other Rangers withdrew one by one to rest. They went on chatting in whispers, so as not to be heard.
“My missions have been a bit different from yours,” Ingrid said. “More warlike…”
“What d’you mean?” Gerd asked. He was looking puzzled.
She pointed to the west. “I’ve been on the other side. Helping the soldiers from the East to take up their positions, or else securing the ones they’d just taken. I’m not going to lie to you, what you see at the front is pretty nasty. A lot of death and destruction…” She bowed her head. There was a look of defeat on her face, which surprised Lasgol. Ingrid was a force of nature, and her vigor and determination were unbelievable.
“A lot of horror?” Gerd asked with fear in his eyes.
“Yes, Gerd, a lot. When I was told to come back to this side I was relieved. Spending too much time at the front isn’t something to be recommended. I’m telling you about it so that you’ll be prepared.”
“I imagined it wasn’t going to be a pretty sight,” Lasgol said, a little anxiously.
“Have you seen any of our comrades?” Gerd asked.
“Not seen them, but I know Molak and Luca are a little further north with part of Thoran’s forces, getting ready. Molak and I communicate when we can, though I haven’t seen him since the Shelter.” She turned to Lasgol. “Have you seen Astrid?”
He shook his head, and his sadness was obvious. “No, in fact I’ve had no news from her. I don’t know anything about her. Have you seen her?”
“No, sorry, I haven’t seen anybody. But don’t worry, Astrid knows how to take care of herself. She’ll be okay, I’m sure of it.”
“I was wondering,” Gerd asked, “how’s our army divided up? Why aren’t all our forces here? D’you know?”
“According to what I’ve been told, there are four major points where they’re gathering the troops together. East” – she indicated their own surroundings – “then the county of Bleedsen to the north, where Molak is; to the south, in Orten the King’s brother’s Duchy; and finally the capital.”
“When d’you think the offensive will begin?” Lasgol asked.
“Any moment now. The troops here are ready. I thin
k we’re waiting for Thoran to arrive with his forces from the capital.”
“We need to warn Egil,” Lasgol whispered.
“I’ve got Milton with me,” said Ingrid.
“Really?”
She nodded. “I’ve been in contact with Egil.”
“What news has he had?” Gerd asked.
“That the moment of truth has arrived.”
“Uh-oh…”
“Do you think his brother Arnold has the slightest chance?” Lasgol asked.
Ingrid shook her head. “From what I’ve seen, no. The King has far more troops and supplies.”
“Egil will think of something,” said Gerd.
“I’m not sure he’ll succeed this time,” said Ingrid. “He’s massively outnumbered.”
“We’ll have to wait and see,” said Lasgol. He was trying to sound optimistic, although he too was not very sure Egil could save the West.
“Do you have any news of the knucklehead?” Ingrid asked suddenly.
Gerd and Lasgol exchanged a glance and smiled. “You’re going to love this,” Lasgol said. He went on to tell her about Viggo’s feat and their meeting with him.
“You’ve got to be kidding!”
They shook their heads. “He did it,” Gerd assured her.
“In the middle of the Zangrian war camp?”
“Yes. Isn’t it pretty impressive?”
“Insane is more like it! It was sheer suicide! How could he ever have thought of it? Because he’s an idiot, that’s why!”
Gerd put his hand on her arm. “Take it easy, Ingrid, everything came out all right.”
“It was sheer luck that he came out alive!”
“I think there was also quite a lot of skill on his part,” Lasgol said, smiling.
“The next time I see him I’m going to tell him a few home truths.”
“You always do,” Lasgol said.
“And this time it’ll be a lot stronger. What stupidity! He’s the only one who could have come up with something like that! How half-witted can you get?”
Gerd and Lasgol were looking at her in amusement. When Viggo was the subject, she lost her poise completely. They let her calm down, which took her a moment.
Suddenly a veteran Ranger appeared, escorted by two others. “Hello there, introduce yourselves,” he said, but it sounded more like an order.
Lasgol looked at Ingrid, who nodded. “Lasgol Eklund, Specialist.”
“Gerd Vang, Ranger.”
“New arrivals?”
“That’s right,” Lasgol said.
“I’m the Ranger in command here. My name’s Milbeg Gundersen.”
Lasgol and Gerd stood up, but with a wave he gestured to them to sit down. “There’s no need for formalities among us. Gondabar’s put me in command of the Rangers in this camp. Tomorrow at dawn there’ll be a meeting. Rest for now.”
Gundersen went back with the two other Rangers to one of the tents assigned to them.
“I didn’t know he was the one in command,” said Gerd.
“Don’t worry, he’s a good Ranger and leader. He has a good reputation among the other Rangers.”
“It’s curious that we haven’t got ranks the way they do in the army,” Lasgol said thoughtfully. “How are we supposed to recognize who’s in command in situations like this?”
“As a rule, position and experience are respected,” Ingrid explained. “First, Royal, Specialist, Veteran and Novice Rangers. But in special situations like this one we have several Specialists and several veteran Rangers, and someone has to be in command. Gondabar chooses them and appoints them. Those three you’ve just met are in command here, with Gundersen heading them.”
“It’s a curious system,” said Gerd. “As I’ve always been in forts and among soldiers, I hadn’t even thought about it.”
Lasgol nodded. “Nor had I till now.”
“In other camps there’ll be veterans in command too, chosen by our leader.”
“And how do we recognize them?” Gerd asked.
“Look closely at their medallions. They wear one around the neck that you won’t have seen before. It’s round and carved from stone. A circle indicates second-in-command and two circles a chief.”
“That’s interesting,” said Gerd.
“They’re not used very much, since Rangers usually work alone on their missions. It’s for these special cases where there are a lot of us and a chain of command is needed.”
“The world of the Rangers is always full of surprises,” Lasgol said with a smile.
“You can say that again!” Gerd laughed.
“And how much we still have left to discover!” Ingrid added.
They retired to rest. Ingrid had told them that they could sleep in her tent. She had ample space, although considering Gerd’s huge size it was a tight fit. Lasgol felt a sense of reassurance sleeping beside his two friends. The sense of safety Ingrid gave him and the sense of comfort the big guy gave him affected him deeply.
Before the first rays of light, Gundersen assembled them all in front of the tents. From his expression and that of the two other Rangers with him, Lasgol knew it would be bad news.
“Listen to me, everyone,” he said bluntly, without preamble. “Today we set off. We’re going into Western territory, then we go on as guides for the army.”
The Rangers were silent, their faces grave. They were all aware of what was coming. Ingrid, Lasgol and Gerd exchanged worried glances, but said nothing.
“Our mission is to ensure that the way is clear. I don’t need to remind you that if we fall into an ambush, all those men” – he waved at the soldiers, who were beginning to wake up and stand to attention in response to the shouts of the officers – “will die. It’s your responsibility to avoid that happening. The enemy knows we’re coming, and they’ll be waiting for us. They’ve had time to get ready. The duty I’m giving you is to ensure that they arrive at the battlefield without a scratch. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir!” they all cried in unison.
“We’re going to split up. The main group will explore and track at the head of the army. Two groups will keep watch on the flanks, and a smaller group at the rear. At the first sign of the enemy, you’re to report to me. I’ll be marching with Duke Oslevan and his officers. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Most of you are veteran Rangers, so you know what we’re about to face. I needn’t remind you of the price that’s paid for mistakes in a war. The Path teaches us to be prudent and always think things over twice before making a decision. Today I want you to remember this, for your own good and for that of all those soldiers whose eyes, ears and noses we are. We’ll protect them from the enemy, as the Path says.”
“So we will,” said several veterans.
“The novices, and those of you who haven’t seen too much action yet, I want you to keep close to a veteran. Mafes and Ondos” – he looked at the two seconds-in-command – “will take charge of assembling the groups and assigning orders. Remember, we need to stop the enemy leading us into a trap. Now go and do your duty with honor. For the King! For Norghana!”
The Rangers repeated the cheer. Lasgol too uttered the words, and as he did so, he felt his stomach tying itself into a knot.
They began to get ready, with the army around them striking camp. Shouts from the officers came from all directions.
“I’m going to speak to Mafes, I know him,” Ingrid said, and went away. Lasgol and Gerd stayed to get their gear in order, trying to hide their nervousness but not altogether succeeding. Lasgol sat down with Ona and petted her, and she licked his hand.
Ona. Good, he said to her. He wondered how he could make her understand that they were going into a war and that the danger was very soon, going to become very intense and real. He looked into the panther’s cat-eyes and knew it would not be necessary. Her instincts would let her know.
Ingrid came back after a while. “I’ve had a word with Mafes, and I’ve managed to keep al
l of us in the same group. It was hard because we’re two Specialists and a novice, but in the end he accepted. Leenbiren’s coming with us.” She indicated a veteran Ranger with the sides of his head shaven. He was almost as big and strong as Gerd.
The veteran saw Ingrid pointing at him and came over to them. “We’ll set out as soon as they give the order,” he said. “We have to lead the way, so follow my orders and everything will be all right.”
“No problem,” Ingrid said.
He pointed to Ona, sensing that something did not fit. “I thought you were a Tireless Tracker.”
“I’m a Beast Whisperer too.”
“Double Specialty?”
“Yes…”
Leenbiren looked at him in surprise. “This is going to be interesting. There hasn’t been one like you for centuries. We’ll see whether you’ve got the guts as well as the talent.”
“He’s got them,” Ingrid assured him.
“Then this campaign will be easy as pie,” he said and walked away, laughing.
“Interesting type,” Gerd said. “Looks as though he has trolls for breakfast.”
Lasgol chuckled. “Yeah, I was thinking the same.”
“Don’t worry, he’s a veteran and a very good fighter. He’ll come in handy if we get into trouble.”
“I’d rather have Viggo,” Lasgol said.
“Who knows where that scatterbrain is?”
“Sure to be deep in something dangerous,” Gerd said.
Lasgol could not help thinking it was true. Immediately he thought of Astrid. It was sure to be true of her too.
Chapter 34
The order to march came in the form of horns, which sounded deafeningly throughout the whole camp. The soldiers formed up in a long column, four abreast. They saw Duke Oslevan leave the castle with his personal guard and his lesser nobles. His scaled dress-uniform shone silver, as did his winged helmet. In one hand he held a round wooden shield with a silver star at its center. At his waist he carried a Norghanian sword, and he wore a deep red cape.