by Pedro Urvi
“That’s very like Ulf,” Lasgol said, feeling proud of his old friend.
“What shall I make for Ona?” Martha asked with a puzzled look. “It’s the first time I’ve seen a panther so close. Don’t think I’m not in awe of her, because I am.”
“She won’t do anything to you, she’s very good. If you have any salted meat, that’d be perfect.”
“Wouldn’t you rather I made her a stew?”
“I’m afraid she doesn’t appreciate cooking like we do. She likes her meat raw if possible, but I guess you’ll have it salted for keeping.”
“You guess correctly, my young master.”
“Salted meat, then.”
“I’ll take some of the salt off for her.”
“Thank you, Martha.
She smiled. “Of course, it’ll be a pleasure.”
A little later, Ona and Camu were eating delightedly by the warmth of the kitchen fire, and Lasgol was immensely enjoying that moment in his own home. He wished that it could last forever, even though he knew it could only be brief.
“By all the frozen winds of the north!” a voice thundered outside. “Will someone open the door for me!”
Martha and Lasgol exchanged glances and burst out laughing. They both knew perfectly well who it was.
Chapter 8
“I’ll go,” Lasgol said to Martha, with a smile of anticipation.
“Master …”
“Less of this ‘master’…” He waved his hand to make light of this.
She smiled sweetly and went on cooking. “All right.”
Lasgol opened the door. In front of him appeared none other than the unmistakable Ulf, as big and ugly as ever. Once again Lasgol felt as though he were in the presence of a mountain bear, one-eyed and with one leg missing. He had not changed a bit, either for better or worse. He was exactly as Lasgol had seen him the last time he was with him, as if he had been kept preserved in ice.
“Lasgol! You never warn me! Don’t you have pigeons, or ravens, or whatever you blasted Rangers use, to give some warning of your arrival?”
Lasgol smiled. “I’m happy to see you too, Ulf.”
Ulf’s shouts startled Ona, who came to stand protectively beside Lasgol and growled at the old soldier.
“By the Ice Gods! That’s a snow panther!”
“You’d better not shout like that, Ulf, you’re scaring her …”
“Scaring the panther, he says! How could I scare a wild panther? It’s the other way round!”
“Knowing you, I doubt whether she scares you too much,” Lasgol pointed out.
“Nah … you’re right. I’ve seen too many things in my life to be scared of an animal. She doesn’t frighten me.”
Ona growled defiantly.
“You don’t scare me, pussycat,” said Ulf, staring at her with his good eye.
Easy girl. Friend, Lasgol assured Ona.
The panther looked at him unsurely and gave an enquiring chirp.
Yes, it’s true he’s a friend. He’s Family.
Ona chirped again and relaxed a little, but went on staring at Ulf as if he were some old bear, solitary and furious, who was trying to attack them.
“What are you doing with a panther inside the house?” he said in a more reasonable tone of voice. “Is it one of those weird Ranger things? My, you’re weird!” He had raised his voice again.
Ona stiffened. Yes, Friend, he had to assure her for one last time, and in the end he managed to make her accept him and relax.
“Yes, it’s one of those Ranger things,” he confirmed with a smile. “Now I’m a Ranger Specialist. I’m a Beast Whisperer, and she’s my Familiar.”
“I’ll never understand it,” the old soldier said, shaking his head and looking displeased. “I always said you’d be better off in the army. Much better career prospects than with the Rangers.”
Lasgol rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’m very happy to be a Ranger. The army isn’t for me.”
“Well, are you going to give me a hug, or d’you want this old cripple to make the first move?”
Lasgol laughed, “Of course, I’m going to give you a hug. Come here,”
The two of them hugged tightly. After this Ulf slapped him on the back at least ten times, he was so happy to see him. The slaps were so hard that Lasgol felt as though he was being beaten with a wooden spade.
“I’m so glad to see you back home! You had me worried!”
Ona stiffened again.
“Ulf … your voice …”
“Bah! Pussycat will get used to it, I always speak like that, and you know it.”
“Pussycat …” Lasgol chuckled, amused at the word.
Ona in turn hissed in annoyance.
“But does she understand me?”
“Not you. Me, yes. Although she’s very intelligent and discerning. She can pick up when someone’s speaking ill of her, or me.” Lasgol stroked her, and she rubbed her head against his leg.
“Look at her, she’s just like a kitty.” Ulf’s voice turned sarcastic. “Does she catch mice?”
“I’ve seen her bring down Nocean mercenaries as big as you are.”
“Wow, now that really is interesting. But she couldn’t do that to me, that’s for sure. A Nocean soldier isn’t the same as a Norghanian one. We’re twice as good at everything.”
“At least!” Lasgol laughed.
“Yeah, maybe more. There’s no infantry better than the Norghanian in all Tremia. That’s a fact.”
“I know, you’ve told me that any number of times.”
“Well then, never forget it. You spend too much time with the Rangers, and they fill your head with nonsense, like walking around with a snow panther as if it were your own personal mutt.”
“More like a mixture of bloodhound and mastiff.”
“Is she that good?”
“Better. She stood up to a Mountain Ogre to defend me.”
“By the wintry skies! You should’ve told me before! Now that really does get my respect!”
“She’s fantastic. She’s still recovering from her injuries.”
“You’ll have to tell me everything. A Mountain Ogre! It must’ve been impressive! There are none of them left in this area!”
“Of course, I’ll tell you. Have you just come from the inn?”
Ulf opened his good eye wide. “Where else would I be at this time of day?”
“Of course…” Lasgol agreed with a huge smile. “How did you find out I was back?”
“All the rumors reach the inn before anywhere else. I was peacefully enjoying a little painkiller when a bunch of miners came in talking about a madman who’d arrived in the village with a snow panther. That caught my attention. When we started chatting, the miller came in saying it was a Ranger, which interested me even more. Finally, the blacksmith came in saying he’d recognized you. So, I came over at top speed.”
“Top speed …” Lasgol smiled. He was staring at Ulf’s crutch and stump.
Ulf smiled back. “You know what I mean, kiddo. Let’s go inside. It smells delicious. Martha must be cooking. That woman prepares some incredible delicacies.”
“Yeah, she told me you often come.”
“Of course, I come, when it smells as good as that. Besides, she has some painkiller, and when she’s in a good mood she gives me some.”
Lasgol laughed. Ulf had managed to sweeten Martha to the point of giving him wine. Now that was a real achievement.
They went inside and into the kitchen, guided by the delicious aroma as though hypnotized.
“I see that news flies as far as the inn,” Martha said as soon as she saw Ulf set foot in the kitchen.
“There’s no better place for finding out everything that’s going on in the village, and in the whole county,” Ulf said with satisfaction. “There are days when you find out what’s going on in the whole kingdom!”
“Oh, of course, it’s the cream of the village and the surroundings who spend their time there!” Martha said w
ith heavy irony.
“By the icebergs of the north! Is that the magical creature?” Ulf had spotted Camu and was pointing at him.
“Yes, Ulf, it’s Camu.”
“He’s huge! He looks … I don’t know what that thing looks like, but he’s grown!”
“It’s been a while, and yes, he’s grown a little.”
“I’d say more than a little.”
Camu looked at Ulf, smiling, happy to have impressed the old warrior. Ulf stared at him for a long moment with his good eye wide open, tilting his head this way and that. “I don’t know what this creature is, but he looks more like a giant lizard every time.”
Lizard? Camu transmitted a feeling of annoyance to Lasgol. More than that, one of outrage.
Ona made a noise that sounded like a giggle. Camu’s mental message had reached her too.
“He didn’t like you calling him a lizard …”
“He didn’t like it? Does that bug understand me?”
I not bug.
“Yes, he understands you, and he doesn’t like the word ‘bug’ either …
Martha turned in surprise and looked at Camu. “How funny that he should be so intelligent. That means he’s special.”
“He’s certainly intelligent, and mischievous, and very stubborn. I don’t know about special,” Lasgol joked.
And handsome.
Lasgol snorted. “He also has quite an inflated ego.”
“Really?” Martha said. She sounded intrigued.
“What’s the lizard saying?” Ulf demanded.
“That he’s handsome too.”
Ulf burst out laughing, with deafening guffaws. His laughter was so infectious that Martha joined him unobtrusively, and Lasgol too could not resist and laughed in his turn. He had the feeling that even Ona was laughing.
Not funny, Camu transmitted, very offended. He stood up stiffly on the table and raised his head so that they could all see how offended he was.
Ulf pointed. “Look, now he’s taken offense and all.”
“I’m afraid he has,” Lasgol confirmed.
Ulf broke into his thunderous laugh again.
“I’m sure he’s very handsome among those of his kind,” Martha said to Camu, to make him feel better.
And smart. Camu added.
Lasgol was glad Martha and Ulf could not hear Camu’s comments. If they had, they would have had a ball.
“Leave the creature alone,” Martha said to Ulf.
“Fine. I’ll sit down at the table, and maybe if I’m lucky you’ll let me try that delicious stew you’re cooking.”
“Sure, and I suppose you’d like some Nocean wine with it.”
“Stews always taste better with a little wine, it brings out the flavor,” Ulf explained as he sat down stiffly. Lasgol offered to help him, but Ulf gave him his ‘don’t you even think of it’ glare, so he let the soldier manage on his own. Finally, he succeeded, although his crutch fell to the floor and Ona gave a start under the table.
“Some people will say anything …” Martha said.
Camu, please get down on the floor with Ona. Martha’s going to serve dinner.
Camu did as he was told and cuddled up to his sister under the long oak table.
“That thing isn’t going to do any magic tricks, is it?” Ulf asked. He looked as though this would be the last straw.
“He won’t do anything magical, don’t worry. Although you shouldn’t be so superstitious. Magic can be good too.”
“Magic is something I don’t want anywhere near me. Every Norghanian knows it never brings anything good.”
“That’s a village superstition,” Martha objected.
“You’re defending magic too?”
“My best friend, his mother, was a powerful sorcerer. He” – she waved at Lasgol – “has magic he must have inherited from her, and so has the creature, who’s harmless. Of course, I’m defending them.”
“Camu’s magic has helped me out of a few complicated situations,” Lasgol assured him.
“Well done, lizard,” Ulf told Camu, who stared back at him angrily.
“It’s a pity people distrust magic so much,” Lasgol said regretfully.
“The Ice Magi and the Nocean Sorcerers are very powerful and can do some really horrible things,” Ulf pointed out.
“Yes,” Lasgol retorted, “and the Healers of the Temple of Tirsar can cure wounds and illnesses.”
“All right, then! I won’t criticize your blasted magic! Even though I don’t trust it, I only trust steel.” He touched his sword where it hung at his waist.
Ulf and Lasgol talked about everything that had happened in the village during the previous few months, until Martha had dinner ready. Then the three ate as a family, and once again Lasgol felt a great joy. He laughed at all Ulf’s crazy ideas, curses and shouts. He had not changed one little bit, which was what he had expected and which pleased him greatly. Ulf was Ulf and you simply had to love him or hate him, because he was never going to change. That was how Lasgol saw it, and he loved him for it.
Martha teased the old soldier, which made the evening even more enjoyable. As both of them had requested, Lasgol told them about his adventures from the time he had left for the Shelter until his return. Everything he could without revealing the secrets of the Rangers, or his own loyalty to the West. Nor did he mention the Dark Rangers, because he felt there was no need for them to worry, and he kept that to himself.
Between mouthfuls of the delicious stew, Ulf asked endless questions and teased him about everything to do with the Rangers and their way of doing things, as was to be expected of him. Martha was genuinely interested in everything that had happened to Lasgol, showing true affection for him, which was something he was grateful for from the bottom of his heart. Two of the things that completely captivated their attention were his encounters with the Ice Specter and the Mountain Ogre.
“I’d have given my other leg for the chance to fight against them!”
“I’d have been glad of the help.”
“Don’t be a brute, what do you mean, your other leg?” Martha scolded him.
“Well then, an arm. They still work perfectly well, both of them.”
“What doesn’t work perfectly well is your head,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, well, some days not so much,” Ulf admitted.
The three laughed, with great good-humor.
The conversation was so entertaining that Lasgol wished it would never end. With the dessert, which was nuts and the strong cheese of the region, Martha finally brought out the wine. Ulf was delighted, first with the joy of being able to taste it and afterwards with the effects of having enjoyed it.
“I see you’re happy,” Martha commented ironically.
Ulf nodded. “Very good wine.”
“Eat more cheese and drink less wine.”
“Of course,” Ulf said with a broad smile. His beard was stained red with wine.
Lasgol laughed and enjoyed these little spats between the two of them. Ona and Camu were resting under the table, dozing on and off happily after eating, enjoying the warmth. All the same, Ulf’s shouts always ended up waking them from time to time. But they did not seem to mind very much, and fell asleep again a moment later.
Ulf was incorrigible, which Lasgol knew, and was still as fierce and talkative as ever. Luckily Martha kept him under control. Lasgol wished he could stay a whole season and enjoy the company of both of them. He remembered that his father Dakon never stayed at home for long when he came to visit, and now here he was doing the same thing himself. He wondered whether one day he would be able to enjoy a long rest at home. Probably, but this was not the moment. The war had left the realm in a deplorable state, and there was work to do for everyone – and for the Rangers in particular.
The conversation, laughter and affection went on well into the night, when at last they withdrew to rest. Martha offered Ulf the guest room, but he refused in outrage. He was not so bad that he was unable to go home on his
own two feet. One foot, he corrected himself, and they all laughed. The truth was that he had drunk two bottles of painkiller and was stumbling with his crutch. Lasgol was not in the least surprised, and Martha even less so. They saw him leave amid laughter. Luckily his house was not far away. Lasgol thought about going with him, but he knew the old soldier would take offense if he did, so he held back. Ulf was as tough as old boots and would have no trouble, even if a Zangrian regiment were to take over the village.
Martha had Lasgol’s room spotless and ready. He had not realized when or how she had done it.
“Will your little friends sleep with you?” Martha asked him, although she already knew the answer.
“Yes, they like to sleep close to me.”
“And you like to sleep close to them?”
Lasgol nodded eagerly. “I certainly do. They’re the best company anyone could want.”
Martha bade him goodnight and left all three of them in the bedroom. Lasgol undressed, while he looked around at the room and everything in it with longing. He lay down on the bed, which was a double. Camu and Ona did the same on the floor, one on either side of the bed. He got under the sheets and at once felt such a blissful sensation that his eyes closed straight away. He was so comfortable in that soft bed with its clean sheets that an irresistible sleepiness enveloped him.
Tonight I’m going to sleep like a king in this incredible bed, he transmitted to his two friends. It had been months since he had slept in a good bed, and he was going to enjoy it as the greatest of treasures anyone could wish for.
I want, Camu’s message reached him, and a moment later he jumped on the bed and on to Lasgol.
Ouch, be careful. Camu had landed on him, then rolled off to one side of the bed. Lasgol rolled to the other side to make room for him, when Ona landed on him as well.
