by Pedro Urvi
Sigrid summoned Lasgol as soon as the cleaning had started. Surprised, he went to the Cavern of Runes. With her was Gisli.
“Mother Specialist...”
“Hello, Lasgol. There’s something more I need to talk to you about.”
“Of course,” Lasgol replied, sensing something ominous.
“It’s the business of your skills... the ones the experiments revealed.”
“Oh...” A shiver ran down his spine.
“I’d like to go on with the experiments and see how far we can get with you.”
“Would I have to stay here?”
“Yes. For a while, so that we can carry out the study and come to conclusions we might be able to use later on, with other gifted pupils.”
“To create Super-Specialists.”
“Yes, that, and other things.”
Lasgol sighed. He remembered what the scene with his father had shown him and what had happened in it. He had taken it as a very serious warning, and the risk was not worth it. Not for just trying to be superior. He knew he ought not to accept the request. It was not right.
“Thank you, but I don’t want to be a Super-Specialist.”
“You’d be the first one, and it would clear the way for you to become First Ranger, as your father was.”
“It’s precisely because of what happened to my father that I don’t want to go on with the experiments.”
Sigrid and Lasgol stared at one another, and she understood that Lasgol knew all about what had happened to his father and his fellow-pupil.
“Are you sure? The sky would be the limit for you.”
“Trying to find Super-Specialists isn’t the right way to go, in my opinion. I understand that we’re looking for what’s best for the kingdom, but I don’t think this is the right way.”
“That’s a shame,” Sigrid said. She looked crestfallen.
“I’m sorry. I’m not looking to be someone superior. Just to be myself.”
“That does you credit,” Gisli said.
“It’s still a shame. An incredible waste,” Sigrid said. Now she sounded annoyed.
“There’ll be others,” Gisli pointed out.
“Not like him. Not for a long time. He’s an incredible anomaly.” Lasgol was afraid Sigrid would force him to do it. “Fine, leave. You don’t know what you’re rejecting. If some day you change your mind, you’ll find us here.”
“Thank you, Ma’am. I’ll bear it in mind.”
“Are you going to fetch Camu?” Gisli asked him.
Lasgol was afraid that they were not going to let him. “Yes... I can take him with me, can’t I?”
Gisli glanced at Sigrid and nodded. “Yes, you can. It’s an incredible creature. We’ve studied it as much as we could – without harming it, of course. We’d love to be able to go on, but I think the link it has with you is too strong to break. It’d suffer immensely, and that wouldn’t help us in our study of it.”
“Thank you, Master.”
“But I’d like to ask a favor of you.”
“Of course, Master.”
“I want you to make a note of everything significant you find out about this creature as time goes by. I’d like you to make a study of it, then sometime in the future bring it to me. I’m sure you’ll find out a few things that are unusual and fascinating. That way we’d have knowledge we could use as a reference for similar creatures in the future.”
Lasgol thought of Egil and his notebook, and how much he liked writing down everything he could find out about Camu.
“I’ll do that, Master.”
“Thank you. If you’re going to get it now, I’ll come half-way with you, I have to go and see Ilsa and her family.”
“Let’s go, then,” Lasgol said. He was dying to see Camu. He was thinking of how happy his little friend would be when he told him that they could be together now.
Lasgol and Gisli set off, leaving Sigrid looking depressed. She had not been expecting Lasgol’s refusal.
Lasgol enjoyed the Elder’s company on their last walk together through the forests of the Shelter. He had learnt so much from him, and thought so highly of him, that he felt he was losing a father figure.
“Ona’s waiting for you in the Cave of Autumn. She’s a very good, intelligent panther.”
“So she is, Master. As soon as I pick up Camu I’ll go for Ona, and then we’ll be on our way.”
“Two exceptional creatures. You’re a fortunate young man to have them as your partners.”
“I know, Master. It’s a great honor.”
“Be careful out there, and take good care of your familiar and of Camu, as if they were your children.”
“With my life, Master.”
“That’s what I like to hear. The kingdom needs more Beast Whisperers like you. The day you need another animal, I’ll be here. Come back and we’ll whisper to another one together.”
“I hope that day never comes. I don’t want anything to happen to Ona.”
“There are all sorts of dangers out there...”
“I understand.”
They arrived at the spot where they would part. Gisli gave him a heartfelt hug which Lasgol appreciated deeply, with the snow falling lightly on their heads and shoulders.
“Farewell,” Gisli said, and left.
Lasgol sighed. Stirred in his soul, he set off to the cave where Camu was living with Snowflake’s family.
As he went up one of the last slopes, he was thinking about how exciting that year had been and everything that had happened in it, a whole world of experience he would never forget. He was looking at the ground to avoid slipping on the snow, because the hill was very steep.
“Lasgol, wait!” a voice called behind him.
He stopped in surprise. The voice was very familiar. He turned and raised his hand.
“Hi! What are you doing –?”
He never finished the sentence.
An arrow hit him in the torso, with a powerful impact. At the same time, he heard a metallic sound and felt a sharp pain in his chest. He lost his footing, slipped and rolled downhill. He rolled and rolled over the snow until he hit a tree at the bottom of the hill. There was a violent blow to his ribs and he ended up lying on his back, breathless. A terrible pain gripped him.
A figure approached. It was carrying a short bow with an arrow ready nocked.
“Hello there, pal,” the figure said.
“You...? Why…?” he stammered through the pain. He realized that the newcomer’s intention had been to kill him.
“Nothing personal. I follow orders.” The figure pushed back the snow-covered hood, revealing her face.
“Erika... no...”
“Yes, Lasgol. Hmm... you’re not dead. Funny. That arrow should have killed you.”
“Erika... you don’t have to do this.” He was trying to get up, but the pain in his side and ribs was too much.
“I was sent here to kill you,” she said. “Of course I have to do this.” She raised her bow and aimed at him, ready to finish him off where he lay.
He felt that he was going to die. He tried to move, but could not. He looked at the arrow in his chest. It had not killed him, but he did not understand why not. He was alive, and he needed to stay that way.
“Erika, we’re friends... you’re not like that... you’re a good person, I know you are... don’t do it.”
“We’re not friends, and you and the others have no idea who I am or what I’m like. I’ve played a role to earn your trust and stay close to you all the time, waiting for a chance.”
“I can’t believe it...”
“Because you’re too trusting.”
“You’re a good person. I know,” Lasgol said, but he realized that he was not going to persuade her. She was not going to let him leave there alive.
He looked for another alternative. He was helpless and could not fight, not from the ground. He caught sight of the mountain behind him. Camu was in that mountain. If he could manage to communicate with him he
would have a chance, so he used his Gift. Camu, I need your help! I’m hurt! In danger! Help! was the mental message. He did not know whether it would reach him, but it was the only thing he could do.
“No, I’m not, and no, you don’t know it. At last I’ve got you alone. I’ve been trying since the mid-year test, but you’re never on your own, one of your friends is always with you. I suppose someone must have warned you, so that you’d protect yourself. I don’t know who or how, but it’s made things very complicated for me. I was beginning to think I’d never be able to, that I’d fail in my mission. And at last the opportunity’s presented itself.”
“Was it you who tried to poison Astrid? Why?”
She nodded. “The poison was for you. That evening we were both cooking, and Astrid saw me preparing some broth and asked if she could try it. I said yes, she liked it very much and asked me if I’d mind preparing two bowls, one for you and one for herself. And I saw my chance. I did what she asked me to and put the poison in your bowl. But Astrid must have switched bowls and got yours by accident. It was bad luck. The poison wasn’t for her, it was for you.”
“Who’s seeking my death? I don’t pose a threat to anybody any longer.” Once again, Lasgol tried to communicate with Camu.
The cave was not too far away, but if Camu was in the deepest part of it, the message would not reach him. He tried again, putting everything he could into it. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, because the pain was too intense and was interfering with his ability to call on his Gift. He managed at last, and sent: Camu! Help! Danger of death!
“You have some very powerful enemies,” Erika commented. She showed him a coin with a carving Lasgol recognized. The carving was very elaborate, of a coat of arms which represented a bear and a wild boar.
“Who?”
“It wouldn’t be right for me to tell you. But what I can tell you is that it’s going to be a real satisfaction to finish you off. Pretending for so long that I liked Wildlife and wanted to become a Beast Master. At last I can carry out what I was trained for by the Dark Rangers. To kill you.”
“Dark Rangers?” Lasgol asked blankly. He had no idea what she was talking about.
She smiled from ear to ear. “I see you haven’t heard of us.”
“A different Specialty?”
“You could call it that. We’re a group of Rangers who want to leave the Path to enter the Dark Way.”
“A breakaway group... a sect...”
“A secret society. We have different aspirations.”
“Who’s your leader?”
“We have a leader nobody knows, and whose goals aren’t those of the King. He pursues others of his own. A few of us have joined him.”
Lasgol tried to rise, but the pain of his wounds prevented him.
“All this time... your Specialization...”
“Part of the mission. In fact, Wildlife isn’t the one I like most. I had an unpleasant surprise in the Harmony Test. I was sure I’d get Nature, poisons are my thing. But surprise, surprise: I got Wildlife. But I can’t complain, it allowed me to study you from up close.”
“I can’t believe it... it was all a massive lie...”
“Believe it. Any last request?” She was aiming at his heart.
“How did you overcome Sigrid’s Truth Potion?” he asked her, trying to gain time.
Erika smiled with great satisfaction. “Remember my ‘illness’? The medicine I take for it?”
“Yeah...”
“Well, I’m not sick. Nothing of what I told you was true. It was really an antidote to get my system used to Sigrid’s potion. When I took it, it had no effect on me.”
“Oh...”
“I must say it was a real shame that Isgord didn’t get you. He’d have saved us this nasty taste at the end. It’s not that I don’t like you, you’re a nice person, but you’ve got to die. I mustn’t fail my leader, and he wants you dead.”
“If you kill me you won’t be able to leave this valley. They’ll notice...”
Erika looked up at the sky. “No, they won’t. By the time I get back it’ll be noon and we’ll all be leaving. I guess your friends will stay and wait for you, then when they see you’re not back by evening, they’ll start looking for you. By the time they find you, it’ll be night. The rest of us will be gone by then, and nobody’ll ever know which of us did it. And if Sigrid gives us the Truth Potion, as you now know, I can resist it.” She smiled, and her eyes were very bright.
Lasgol knew he was lost. Desperately, he tried to reach Camu’s mind for a third time. Camu, friend! I’m going to die!
“It was a nice pretend-friendship,” Erika said. She aimed at his face, ready to release.
Lasgol tried to turn, but she put her boot on his chest and held him down on the snowy ground. He felt a terrible pain. She was going to put the arrow through his head at point-blank range.
“What d’you think you’re doing?” came a voice behind her.
She turned around like lightning. Isgord was approaching, armed with a compound bow.
She said nothing, but released with tremendous speed. Isgord threw himself to one side and rolled over his head, so that Erika’s arrow missed him by a hair’s breadth. He finished the movement, rose to one knee and released as she was nocking a second arrow. His shot struck her in the hand that was holding the bow. She grunted in pain, and though she did not drop her bow, her shot was deflected. Isgord began to advance on her, nocking again as he came. He released with amazing speed, almost without aiming, and hit her in the right shoulder as she was nocking yet another arrow. She could not finish the movement.
He released again, and this time hit her in her left shoulder. She grunted in pain and the bow fell from her hands. She gave a cry of rage, unsheathed knife and axe and ran toward Isgord, and with immense skill and calm, he released twice. The first arrow hit her in the right leg, the second in the left. Erika thrust with her axe, and Isgord shifted three steps to one side. When he had finished the movement, he released again. This time he hit her in the heart.
She froze, looking at the arrow buried deeply in her chest. She dropped the weapons and fell to her knees.
Isgord went up to her with another arrow ready in his bow.
“I’m an Infallible Marksman. You could never defeat me. Ever.”
“Damn... you...” Erika murmured.
Isgord stared at her with his cold eyes half-closed. He was about to finish her off when she fell to one side, dead.
“Isgord, thanks!” Lasgol said from the ground. “She was going to kill me!”
Isgord went over to him and stood there looking down at him.
“She’s an assassin, she was sent to kill me,” Lasgol explained.
“Interesting...” Isgord said, still staring at him, looming above him.
“I need help. She hit me in the chest, and I think I’ve broken a couple of ribs. I can’t get to my feet.” He held out his hand so that Isgord could help him up.
But Isgord’s glare was icy, and there was a dangerous brilliance in his eyes.
“Help me, please. I’ve got to get to the Shelter so that Annika can have a look at me. I’m losing blood.”
Isgord glanced aside at Erika, dead on the snow. He smiled. It was an evil smile.
“It’s such a shame I came too late to help you.”
“Too late? No, you’re just in time. Help me.”
“When I tell Sigrid about it, I’ll say I got here just at the fatal moment, when Erika killed you. I fought with her and killed her myself. There was nothing I could do for you.”
“Isgord, no.”
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I’m going to savor every moment.”
“You can follow the right path. Don’t choose the evil one, you’ll be doomed forever.”
“You deserve to die. You deserve to have me as your judge and executioner. And that’s how it’s going to be.”
“Isgord, think about it. Don’t do it.”
“For treason, for my father’s death, for the dishonor, I condemn you to death.”
“Isgord, no!”
Isgord aimed at his heart.
Lasgol used his Gift and called upon his skills: Improved Agility and Cat-like Reflexes.
“Die!”
Isgord’s arms and his bow swerved violently to the right, and the arrow buried itself in the snow two hand-spans from Lasgol’s head.
“What the hell...?” he muttered, utterly taken by surprise.
He nocked another arrow hastily and aimed at Lasgol, who had managed to get on to his knees. He was about to release when once again his arms and bow were deflected sideways, this time to his left. The arrow grazed Lasgol’s shoulder.
“What the hell is this!” He was looking all around and aiming his bow. But there was nobody there.
Lasgol got to his feet and took out his knife and axe.
Isgord saw them and tried to release again. His arms and bow were suddenly pushed up into the air.
Now, Lasgol, came Camu’s message.
Lasgol put his right foot forward while Isgord was nocking another arrow and threw his knife with all his might. The pain in his chest made him throw more slowly than he would have liked, and a little to one side.
Isgord threw his body aside, and the knife narrowly missed his head. He readied to release against Lasgol, who felt that he was now lost.
All of a sudden Camu appeared in front of Isgord and leapt on to his face. Isgord hit him with his bow, and he was hurled to one side.
“Bloody vermin! I knew you had a bloody animal hidden away somewhere!”
He aimed at Camu on the ground.
“Camu, no!”
Again, Camu told Lasgol.
Lasgol used his Gift and called upon his True Shot skill. He did not know if it would work with a hand weapon, but he could not afford to miss or his little friend would die. He threw his axe at the exact moment when Isgord was about to release and kill Camu.
The axe hit Isgord in the neck and buried itself deeply. Isgord’s head whipped back and his arrow flew astray.