Power Conspiracy

by Pedro Urvi

  “I think the best thing we can do is have dinner, now that we’re here waiting,” Gerd proposed.

  “Hah! Look how he grabs his opportunity,” said Nilsa.

  “Well, it’s just that as we have to wait … let’s make the most of it.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Valeria agreed. “I wouldn’t mind sampling a little more of that really nice white wine.”

  They all looked at Egil to see what he thought. He smiled and nodded, and they ordered dinner. This time they ate another kind of charcoal-grilled fish which was even more delicious than before. They enjoyed it immensely, as well as the wine which accompanied it.

  They had finished eating and were congratulating the owner when a man in a brown, hooded cloak which was rather the worse for wear came into the tavern. Without saying a word to the locals, he came straight to their table.

  “The Gods of Ice protect Norghana,” he greeted them.

  “From all enemies, of this and other worlds,” Egil replied.

  “And may the true King ascend to the throne,” the stranger added.

  “The rightful King.”

  “The King of the West.”

  Egil offered him his hand, and the stranger shook it. “Your Highness,” he said.

  “Call me Egil. Sit down with us.”

  The stranger took a free stool from the table beside them and sat down at Egil’s side. “It’s an honor,” he said.

  “Thank you, Variksen. Here I’m just another foreigner. Let’s keep it that way. We mustn’t attract attention.”

  “Of course, your Highness.”

  “Egil …”

  “Egil, sir.”

  “Right. What news do you bring me from Erenal? Were you able to find out what I asked you?”

  “It wasn’t at all easy, but here it is.” From under his cloak the stranger took out a scroll and handed it to him.

  “Is this all the information?”

  “All of it. It’s taken me a long time to get hold of it.”

  Egil unrolled the scroll and read it carefully, while the group watched expectantly.

  “Very good. This information is very valuable to me,” Egil said after he had rolled up the scroll again.

  “Is my lord satisfied?”

  “Very. You’ve done a great job.”

  “I serve my King.”

  “Egil …”

  “Yes, sir. Forgive me.”

  “Have a glass of wine and then be off. We mustn’t be seen together.”

  “Of course.”

  Variksen drained a glass of wine. Then, looking at Egil, he said: “It’s been an honor.”

  “The honor is mine, for having your support.”

  “Always, for the West.” Then he stood up and left in the same way as he had arrived.

  Nilsa, Valeria and Gerd were left staring at Egil, waiting for an explanation.

  “We’re leaving right away. I have what I needed to enable us to get hold of the cure in Erenal.”

  Chapter 30

  Egil led them south until they came to the border, which was a strip of indeterminate length along the entire area of the lakes, from east to west. They did not know whether they were already in Erenal territory or not. What they did know was that they needed to avoid the soldiers of both kingdoms.

  In one of the lakes, bigger than the ones they had been leaving behind, they saw barges loaded with Zangrian soldiers, unmistakable because of the yellow and black of their jerkins and the banners of the great war-barges. These could carry over thirty soldiers and had a single mast with a very small sail, even though their occupants could be seen rowing. The barges were wide, reinforced with metal so as to stand up to direct collisions from other vessels. In the distance in the middle of the lake, they looked like large nutshells in a puddle, with a toothpick and a slip of cloth for a sail.

  The discovery that not only the land but the water was patrolled was troubling, and added to the complications of crossing that territory without being intercepted. As they were now at the border, they were seeing far more patrols. As a result, they were forced to stop and hide every few minutes and wait for the patrols either to pass or to set off in another direction.

  Because of this, they decided to move by night and rest by day. It was the least risky strategy. It would take them longer to reach Erenal, but at night they would have more chance of crossing without being detected by either side. The practice of moving by night was very common among the Rangers, who were used to crossing forests and mountains in the dark. This was something most soldiers were incapable of doing. They needed roads and light, which for a Ranger were a luxury.

  With Gerd in the lead and Nilsa and Valeria behind him, they were capable of crossing forests and hollows and skirting lakes at night almost as well as by full daylight. They went on westwards, then skirted another large lake and once again headed south. Egil wanted to go as far to the west as possible without leaving the territories of the Thousand Lakes, because toward the east, toward the center, was where they would find the highest concentration of troops from both kingdoms. Their plan was to cross by a small corner on the western side without being detected, then make all haste to the capital.

  They reached a hill and stopped behind some trees. From here they could see lights three hundred paces or so away.

  “Torches and several fires,” said Gerd, who was among the trees, watching from his saddle.

  “Are they Zangrians?” Nilsa asked.

  “I don’t think so. They seem to be taller.”

  “Can you see any flags or banners?” asked Egil.

  “Yeah, a couple, but I don’t know what to say…”

  “Are they yellow and black, or two shades of green?” Egil asked.

  “Two shades of green,” said Valeria.

  “Can you tell?” Gerd asked. He could not manage to make out the colors from that distance. “You’ve got amazing sight!”

  “Look at the nearest banner and wait for a torch to light it up.”

  They waited, and after a moment they were able to see that it was unmistakably a green banner.

  “You’re right,” said Nilsa.

  “They’re Erenal soldiers,” said Egil.

  Gerd chuckled. “I thought they weren’t as stumpy as the Zangrians.”

  “Then we must already be in Erenal territory,” Nilsa said, sounding cheerful.

  “It looks like it,” Egil agreed.

  “Well then,” she said brightly, “if we’re in Erenal, that means we’re nearly there.”

  “Well,” Valeria said more carefully, “not quite so far away.”

  “I get carried away,” said Nilsa with a soft giggle.

  Valeria giggled too. “Don’t worry, if you get carried away I’ll throw you a rope.”

  “You’re sounding cheerful,” Gerd said. “I feel better too now we’re in Erenal territory.”

  “Once we get past that border post,” Egil reassured them, “we should be able to go on south without too much trouble.”

  “Wonderful! And how do we manage that?” asked Gerd.

  Nilsa was peering through the trees. “It’s quite large. There must be over a hundred soldiers there.”

  “And there’ll probably be more keeping watch on either side of the tents,” said Valeria.

  “True. We’ll have to think of something …” Egil scratched his ear as he stared up at the sky, his gaze distant.

  “What about going west and circling around them?” Gerd suggested.

  “We’re at the limit of the territory of the Thousand Lakes, and if we go west we’ll be in open country. They’ll see us. I don’t like it.”

  “Aren’t there forests to the west where we could hide?” asked Nilsa.

  “Unfortunately, there are only wide expanses of grass,” Egil said. “That’s why I’m trying to cross here. The lakes and forests here give us cover, whereas out there we’d be spotted a league away.”

  “Well then, how do we cross?” asked Nilsa.

>   They all turned to Egil, who even in the darkness could see their eyes fixed on him. He smiled.

  “Give me a little more time and I’ll see what I can come up with.”

  Nilsa leapt off her horse. Gerd, who was a lot heavier, dismounted properly. Valeria, like Nilsa, dismounted with a leap.

  “That’s no way to dismount,” said Gerd critically.

  Nilsa giggled. “You’re jealous because you have the agility of an elephant!”

  Gerd held back a laugh. “Very true!”

  The general mood was cheerful. One last obstacle to surmount and they would be in Erenal, with their way clear ahead to the capital. Egil thought for a while. Valeria meanwhile kept an eye on the Erenal army camp in case anybody moved toward them, although it looked as if their function was to prevent anybody crossing south.

  After a long while, Egil beckoned to his friends. “Well now, I think I have it. We’ll use an old trick so that we can cross. A classic diversionary maneuver.”

  “That sounds good!” Gerd said eagerly.

  “You don’t even know what it is, dopey,” said Nilsa.

  “Yeah, but I like the sound of diversion,” the giant said with a shrug.

  “We’ll try something simple. Sometimes the simplest approach is the most effective one.”

  “You have all my attention,” said Valeria.

  “Great, because we’re going to need your knowledge and skills,”

  “Oh … okay, no problem. What do I have to do?”

  For a long while Egil explained what they had to do. It took them a while to get everything ready. They needed to hurry, because the hit had to be carried out at night. If dawn overtook them it would be too late. They did not finish their preparations till long after nightfall.

  “Everything ready?” Egil asked them.

  Nilsa and Gerd nodded.

  “I’m nearly done,” said Valeria, who had more to do than the others.

  “Good. Remember, the border post is between two lakes. Maybe you can’t see it properly from here, but that’s exactly why they’ve put the camp there. It’s deceptive, but that’s what my maps say.”

  Gerd nodded.

  “We have to go straight as an arrow. If we stray to east or west, we’ll find ourselves by the lakes and they’ll capture us, or something worse than that if they take us for Zangrians.”

  “I know it’s a bit obvious,” Nilsa asked, “but couldn’t we introduce ourselves and say we’re Norghanians passing through and we don’t give a hoot about their problems with the lakes?”

  “We could do that, but I’m afraid they wouldn’t let us through. They’d escort us back to the north and we’d come up against the Zangrians, or else they’d put us in a jail-cart. Either of those two options would be bad for us. We’d waste an eternity, apart from the fact that there’s no guarantee they wouldn’t take us for spies and hang us, which is what usually happens in these cases on a border.”

  Valeria smiled. By now she had finished getting ready. “Better to slip through secretly.”

  “Right. Get your weapons, go to your positions and wait for my signal,” Egil said, and picked up his bow.

  Valeria and Egil took up their positions on horseback to the east of the trees and Nilsa and Gerd to the west, their bows at the ready. Night and the shadows of the forest hid them from the lights of the border camp. Luckily they were able to get a reasonable view of the soldiers, the tents and the barges which had been moored on both lakes.

  “Three,” Egil began.

  They nocked their bows.

  “Two.”

  They raised their bows and aimed, each at their own target.

  “One.”

  They released. The arrows went up to the sky and came down, tracing great arcs in the darkness. Valeria’s arrow hit one of the barges moored in the eastern lake, and on impact it exploded with a double charge of fire. An outburst of flame set fire to the barge. Egil’s arrow hit another of the barges. It was not as accurate, but sufficiently so to break on impact and start another fire. Nilsa’s and Gerd’s hit the barges in the western lake, which also began to burn.

  Immediately they heard the shouts of the soldiers on watch duty. Half-dressed soldiers began to come out of the tents, putting on their armor as they came and grabbing their weapons as they tried to understand what was happening.

  “Look out! We’re under attack!” they shouted in the language of Erenal at the tops of their voices.

  Valeria, Egil, Nilsa and Gerd released again. Egil missed, but the others hit their mark and more barges caught fire. The flames spread until it looked like a Norghanian sea-burial.

  “Protect the barges!” the Erenal officers yelled.

  Seeing that no enemy seemed to be attacking but that the war barges were being sabotaged, the troops split into two groups and ran to put out the fires.

  “Now’s the moment!” Egil said. “Go!”

  Valeria galloped toward the camp, and Nilsa followed close behind her, then Egil, with Gerd bringing up the rear. They charged at the camp, making their way through the center.

  Suddenly one of the officers saw them appear at a gallop. “A charge!” he yelled in terror.

  Valeria released, and the Earth arrow hit the officer squarely in the chest. There was a detonation, and he fell blinded and stunned. The soldier next to him, also affected by the arrow, clapped his hands to his eyes. Two soldiers tried to intercept Valeria, but she ran them over with her horse and they were hurled backwards.

  Nilsa released at another officer, who had realized the group’s intention, and got him in the stomach with another Elemental Earth arrow. The explosion of dust, smoke and earth blinded the officer and two other soldiers beside him. Valeria had put a double charge in all the arrows, which was not recommended because in most cases either it did not work or else the archer had an accident in the process. On the other hand, they had the advantage of being able to count on Valeria as an Elemental Archer who was fully capable of making and using this kind of arrow.

  Egil passed through after his comrades, trying to stay as close to them as he could, with Gerd protecting him from the rear. The soldiers realized that they were trying to cross the camp and began to shoot at them. One arrow passed close to Egil’s head and two close to Gerd’s as he crouched down on his horse as much as he could. They passed between the tents like a hurricane. A moment later they were leaving the deafening chaos of the border camp behind them.

  They rode away from the chaos they had created, hoping they would not come upon any more soldiers. Behind them they could still hear the shouting and see the flames.

  “Fantastic plan, Egil!” Nilsa said as soon as they had put enough distance between themselves and the soldiers and were able to slow their pace.

  He smiled. “Just a simple diversionary maneuver.”

  “Well, it worked to perfection,” said Gerd. “When you said we had to cross via the middle of the camp, I have to admit I was worried. I didn’t really see how. That business of galloping through the soldiers …”

  “Yes,” Egil said, “all the soldiers were busy on both sides, and so the center was clear. That’s what the maneuver was about.”

  “Well, it was a great one!” said Valeria.

  Egil gave her a respectful nod. “Credit should really go to your elemental arrows. They’re fantastic.”

  “No, that’s not true at all, it’s that brilliant mind of yours that ought to take all the credit. My arrows are just an instrument. Without a good plan they wouldn’t be much use to us.”

  “Well said,” Nilsa agreed.

  Gerd began to laugh. “What a mess we’ve created!”

  “You’re right. They had the scare of their lives. They’re going to be really happy,” Nilsa said.

  Valeria laughed with her. “They certainly are!”

  “Well, we’ve crossed, and now what?” Gerd asked.

  “Now, my dear friends, we’re going to Erenalia, the capital of the kingdom of Erenal, one of the most
beautiful and artistic cities in all Tremia.”

  “Will we be able to get in?” Nilsa asked.

  “Once we get to the capital they won’t make things hard for us for being Norghanian. The only ones who aren’t allowed to wander freely through the kingdom are the Zangrians, and you know why … because of how well the two kingdoms get on with each other … But the rest, Rogdonians, Norghanians, citizens of the Nocean Empire or the free cities of the east, have permission to enjoy the realm and its marvelous culture.”

  “Great,” Nilsa said, sounding relieved. “I was getting tired of all that hiding.”

  “Yeah,” Valeria agreed, “it’ll be nice to be able to walk around openly.”

  Nilsa gave Egil a pointed look. “I hope this time we’ll avoid the slums.”

  He smiled at her. “Don’t worry. This time we’re going to the upper-class part, to the Grand Library of Bintantium.”

  “Good. A touch of culture and books will do us good.”

  The expression on Gerd’s face suggested that he did not find the prospect in the least enticing. “I might stay looking after the horses …”

  “I’m afraid I’m going to need your assistance, Gerd.”

  “My assistance? In a library?”

  “Yes, my friend.”

  Nilsa and Valeria looked puzzled. This sounded odd.

  Egil smiled. “I see the girls aren’t too perceptive.”

  “Go on, tell us,” Nilsa urged him.

  “You see, my dear partners …”

  “‘Dear partners’? That doesn’t sound very encouraging.”

  “… we’re going to have to carry out a small heist.”

  Nilsa, Valeria and Gerd stared at him incredulously.

  “A small heist?” Valeria repeated, more in disbelief than as a question.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “In a grand library?” Nilsa said. She sounded completely baffled.

  “That’s right.”

  Gerd was scratching his head. “We’re going to rob the Grand Library of Bintantium, in the capital of Erenal?” Gerd asked, trying to be clear about this.

  “That’s right, my dear friends.” Egil beamed at them. “Isn’t this journey turning out to be really entertaining?”