by Pedro Urvi
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, Riagáin, 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 Eicewal
d. “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.