by Pedro Urvi
“Speaking of which,” Gerd said, “where are Camu and Ona?”
Lasgol smiled. “They’re in the back room, playing. You can see them through those cracks.”
Gerd went up to the wall, looked through the cracks and saw Camu and Ona playing on the floor beside a low fire. They looked like a puppy and a kitten playing at fighting. Only they did not quite have the air of pups, even if they were acting like them. Gerd beamed.
“They’re amazing,” he said as he sat down at the table again.
“They certainly are,” Lasgol said, delighted.
“Well,” Viggo asked with a roguish smile, “now that the war’s over, what new trouble are we going to get into? Excuse me, what new mess is the weirdo going to get us into this time?”
Lasgol made a helpless gesture. “Me? I don’t get into trouble. Trouble finds me…”
“Comes to the same thing, right?”
“We have an important matter we haven’t resolved yet and which is casting a cloud over our immediate future,” said Egil. “Something we need to face and resolve before something unfortunate happens.”
“The Dark Rangers,” Lasgol deduced.
“Exactly. They’re still a significant threat to us, and we haven’t been able to counter that threat.”
“Well, I haven’t been able to find out anything else in the capital,” Nilsa said, looking downcast.
“We’ll have to keep investigating until we find out who’s behind it,” Ingrid said with her usual determination. “Then they’ll pay.”
“We’d better do that,” Nilsa said, “because they’re trying to kill Lasgol, and they’re probably the same ones who’re after Egil.”
Gerd slammed his jug down on the table. “We’ll crush them to pulp!”
Viggo slapped him on the back. “Easy, big guy, or you’ll break this table in two.”
He looked ashamed. “Maybe I’ve had one beer too many. I’m not used to it, you see…” he apologized.
“No problem,” Viggo said with a roguish grin. “I’ll teach you to drink beer.”
Ingrid wagged a threatening finger at him. “Don’t even think about it!” she snapped. “Leave our Gerd alone.”
“I see we’re keeping up the same good old traditions as always,” came a voice behind them.
They turned and saw a Ranger approaching them without the slightest sound, as if it were floating above the wooden floor. They reached for their weapons as the figure went straight to Lasgol. It bent over and kissed him.
“Hello, gorgeous,” he said.
Nilsa let go of her weapons. “Astrid! You scared us!”
“Evening, comrades. Have I missed anything?” She smiled, took a stool and sat down beside Lasgol.
“I thought this meeting was only for the Snow Panthers,” Ingrid protested.
“Well…and for associates,” Lasgol said.
“Well, you never told me. I’d have invited Molak.”
“Captain Fantastic? No way!” Viggo said flatly.
“If Lasgol invites Astrid, I can invite Molak.”
“It’s not the same!”
“Don’t argue,” Lasgol said.
“Egil called the meeting,” Ingrid said. “Let him decide.”
Everybody looked at Egil.
“I created this meeting,” he said, “so that from now on we can meet and exchange news. We have to accept that for most of the time we’ll be separated: Nilsa in the capital with Gondabar, me at the Camp with Dolbarar, and you all carrying out missions. Gerd will probably go south and Lasgol north. That’s why I’ve chosen this place. It’s at the center of the kingdom, and that makes it easy for us to get here and meet.”
“That’s a great idea,” Gerd said happily.
“Wonderful,” Nilsa agreed.
“I also created it so that we can discuss certain matters in person, complex and delicate matters that affect us all. Some we’ll be able to discuss with Molak, others I’m afraid not…” He looked at Ingrid.
“You mean things to do with the West…”
Egil nodded. “Molak is a wonderful person, noble and honorable, but he wouldn’t understand. He’s faithful to King Thoran, to the core of his being.”
Ingrid was thoughtful. “True,” she had to admit, “he wouldn’t understand.”
Viggo was about to say something, but surprisingly he fell silent when he saw her troubled face.
“If you’d rather I didn’t come, there’s no problem on my side,” Astrid said. “I know I’m not a Snow Panther. I came to the group late and sort of pushed in. It was hard for me to get in. I know that, and I’ll accept it. Whichever way, you have my friendship, and in any way I can I’ll help the Panthers.”
Egil smiled. “You’ve proved you’re one of us. You saved my brother’s life. I’m not forgetting that.”
“But I couldn’t stop him dying…”
“Nobody could have.”
“It was that veteran Natural Assassin,” Viggo said. “He was the one who put in the poisoned needle.”
Egil nodded and smiled. “Astrid, you can join the meetings as an honorary Snow Panther.”
She gave him an enormous smile. “Oh! That’s a real honor.” She gestured happily to Lasgol, who smiled back.
“This calls for a toast,” Viggo said. He ordered another round.
Ingrid was holding her forehead with one hand and shaking her head in despair. Nilsa was laughing in her infectious way. Gerd, a little tipsy, was blinking hard. Lasgol and Astrid could not take their eyes off each other, Egil looked around at his friends and smiled a happy smile for the first time in a long while.
The innkeeper brought the fresh round.
Viggo stood up and raised his jug of beer. “To all the trouble that’s in store for us!”
“To getting out of it successfully!” Nilsa added, imitating his style.
“To the best of comrades!” Gerd added, nearly losing his balance.
“To Norghana, to the Rangers and to us, the best!” Ingrid added.
“To loyalty and love!” Lasgol cried.
“To the best of friends!” said Egil.
And Astrid summed it up: “To the Snow Panthers!”
The end Book 7
Note from the author:
I really hope you enjoyed my book. If you did, I would appreciate it if you could write a quick review. It helps me tremendously as it is one of the main factors readers consider when buying a book. As an Indie author I really need of your support.
Just go to Amazon or follow this link: Enter Review
Thank you so very much.
Pedro.
The adventure continues in:
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While you wait for the next installment of the Path of the Ranger, I invite you to explore my other series which takes place a few years later where Lasgol is one of the protagonists:
The Ilenian Enigma
Click the image or link.
Or this other series of mine that it is related:
THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN GODS
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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, wh
o 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 Martínez, 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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