by Pedro Urvi
That moment was drawing closer.
After making out the majestic Eternal Mountains in the distance which divided the northern part of the kingdom, they reached the pass of the White Dragon’s Gorge.
At the entrance to the pass, they found traces of death.
Chapter 13
Lasgol crouched down to examine the tracks at the entrance to the pass, while Trotter waited a few paces behind him. He found a dozen footprints of Wild Ones of the Ice, which were unmistakable. The two Norghanian soldiers impaled on either wall of the pass left no doubt about who had done it. Each had been impaled through the torso with a war axe whose ice-blue tip was embedded in the rock. It was a brutal sight.
Lasgol sighed. A sad ending for these two poor wretches.
Ona was sniffing a little further into the pass. She growled.
Yeah, I’m sorry too, Lasgol transmitted to her. She could smell them. They were very close, probably at the other end of the pass, waiting for them to cross so that they could fall on them. Don’t go too far in. It’s dangerous.
The snow panther chirped affirmatively at him and stayed on guard just in case, while Lasgol went on studying the trails. When he had learned as much as he could, he waited for his two comrades to join him. The troops would take half a day longer to get here.
The first one to arrive was Enker, who shook his head at the sight of the grotesque scene. “Poor wretches,” he murmured.
“They were unlucky,” Lasgol said sadly.
“What I found isn’t much better.”
“What about the village of Isvengorg?”
“Completely destroyed.”
“No! Any survivors?”
“It’s gone, devastated, I’d say a few weeks ago: a group of a hundred and fifty or so Wild Ones of the Ice. I saw tracks of peasants heading south, so I think there were some survivors who managed to escape. I also found two dozen dead men. They must have stayed to fight and gain time for the rest to get away.”
Lasgol breathed out heavily. “This is very bad news.”
Enker nodded. “I can’t believe they’ve dared cross the pass and attack a village on our side. It seems almost unthinkable to me. Don’t they realize King Thoran’s going to kill them for this?”
Lasgol sighed. He knew perfectly well that Thoran would not permit this kind of outrage to his honor. At the same time, he did not see how the King could punish the Wild Ones as he might wish to.
“What about the farms further south?”
“They’ve been attacked too, but luckily the families managed to escape. I haven’t found any bodies. The farms have been utterly destroyed.”
“They’re sending us clear messages, that they don’t want us on their side or anywhere near the pass,” Lasgol said.
“Their side’s Norghana too, it belongs to the kingdom. The King won’t allow anybody to say otherwise.”
“I know, but the Wild Ones and the Peoples of the Frozen Continent don’t see it that way. Everything on the other side of these mountains they consider their own territory.”
“Well then, we’ve got quite a problem on our hands.”
Lasgol nodded. “We certainly have.”
Misten arrived a little later, and there was no need for him to say anything. His face said it all.
“As bad as that?” Enker said.
He shook his head. “The village of Tulkors isn’t there any longer. Half the inhabitants have been murdered.”
“That’s terrible,” Lasgol said sadly. “They’ve attacked the two villages closest to the pass and left this warning for anyone who dares cross it.” He indicated the macabre scene at the mouth of the pass.
“Have they gone mad?” Misten asked in disbelief. “They’re going to force another war, and one they can’t win.”
Lasgol said nothing. If the Wild Ones had the Ice Specter on their side, which he feared was the case, the ones who would not win the war might be themselves, the Norghanians.
When the troops arrived, Lasgol went to report to Commander Sven and First Ranger Gatik. Enker and Misten went with him and stood behind him.
“The Wild Ones have attacked the farms and villages near the pass, sir.”
“On this side?” Gatik asked, looking troubled.
“Yes, sir. There are no Norghanian farms or villages on the other side of the mountains. The Wild Ones destroyed them long ago, and we haven’t been able to take that area back. There are no Norghanians in the Frozen Territories, either soldiers or civilians. I was among the last to cross this pass, and that was in retreat, before the end of the civil war.”
“That’s going to change now,” Sven assured him firmly. He genuinely believed it. “They’re not going to push us back from the Frozen Territories. I’ve come to take them back for the King, and that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to take them and keep them, expel the Wild Ones of the Ice from this area and make them go back to the Frozen Continent. That’s what the King has ordered. He’s put me in command of this mission because it’s one that’s worrying him, and he wants to make sure that no mistakes are made. He’s left the generals of the army in Norghania and granted me the command personally. There won’t be any mistakes. We’re going to carry out Thoran’s wishes. The Frozen Territories will return to the dominion of Norghana.”
“Yes, sir,” Lasgol replied with a respectful nod. But he was left wondering whether the Commander had really thought out the plan – or whether the King had, since they were following his orders and his wishes. The Wild Ones considered the Frozen Territories as their own, and what was more, as sacred territory. They had temples hidden in deep caverns in the mountains further north. He doubted very much whether they would abandon them, quite apart from the fact that there were semi-giants still living in those caverns. It was not that he doubted Commander Sven’s capacity. He was sure he was a good leader and strategist, as he had proved in war, both against Darthor and against the Western League. This was why Thoran had put him in command, since he trusted him more than anyone else. And he had sent Gatik for the same reason, so that he would support and help Sven. These two made up a winning team. They were the King’s most trusted and skilled men. Thoran was clever. He was not going to send his brute of a brother Orten with two generals to the other side of the mountain. It was too risky. The strategy seemed to be the right one, but what was not so clear to Lasgol was whether they could come out victorious after what he had witnessed.
“Many dead civilians?” Sven asked.
“Quite a few, sir,” Lasgol said, and Enker and Misten nodded.
Sven turned red with rage. “They’ll pay for this! Cowards! Attacking defenseless villagers and peasants is unforgivable. I’ll have no mercy on them. I’ll put them to the sword, all of them!”
“There’s something else, sir …” After seeing the Commander’s reaction, Lasgol almost did not dare show him the message that had been left at the entrance to the pass.
When he showed them the two dead soldiers, Sven roared with rage, as he had expected.
“How dare they! These are Norghanian soldiers! They have no respect!”
“It’s a message they’ve left for us,” Gatik explained in a more restrained voice. “They knew we were coming. It’s a clear warning.”
“So that we don’t cross?” Sven asked.
Gatik nodded. “That’s right. They’re warning us what’ll happen to us if we cross. It’s a rather barbaric way of sending us a serious warning, but a very effective one. I’ve understood it, and I have no doubts about it. Right, Lasgol?”
“Yes sir.” He glanced at Enker and Misten. “That’s what we understand too.”
Sven shook his head and muttered something under his breath. “Take them down from there and give them a decent burial. They’re Norghanian soldiers.”
“With honors?” one if his guards asked.
“Of course.”
“That’s not a good idea,” Gatik warned him. He pointed up at the snow-capped peaks. “They’ll se
e the smoke and know we’ve arrived.”
“The tracks indicate that they have watch patrols on the other side of the pass,” Lasgol said quickly, confirming what the First Ranger had suggested. A Norghanian soldier’s burial with honors involved burning his corpse on a funerary pyre, and the Wild Ones would see the smoke from the far side of the mountains.
“Fine,” Sven said. “We’ll move on and leave some men behind to give them a decent burial. Take them down.”
The two soldiers were quickly taken down and carried away.
“You three,” he said to Lasgol, Enker and Misten. “Go forward and make sure there’s no ambush waiting for us on the other side. When it’s clear, one of you come back and let us know.”
Lasgol knew that this was a very dangerous order. There was a good chance that their enemies would be waiting for them on the other side. It might be an advance party, or it might be an ambush by a thousand Wild Ones. In either case, it was extremely dangerous, and the look on Enker and Misten’s faces confirmed this.
“The Rangers will do their duty and warn us if we’re going head-first into an ambush,” Gatik said. “There’s nothing better than a Ranger for this type of errand,” he added with conviction, and glanced at Lasgol.
They could not refuse. Gatik was the most senior of the Rangers after Gondabar and the leaders of the Camp and the Shelter.
Lasgol signaled to Ona, who was waiting beside Trotter on one side of the entrance to the pass, to let her know they were moving on. The three Rangers mounted and went on into the pass, while the troops rested and prepared to cross, once it was established that it was safe.
“I’ll go first,” Enker said as they entered the deep, rocky gorge. “I’m an Explorer, and the most experienced.”
“I can do it too,” Lasgol objected. “Ona helps me.”
“It’ll be better if I go. You follow a little behind in case I’m attacked or fall into a trap, and Misten can go last with Fire Arrows. If we’re attacked, release high toward our own side as a signal, so they can see it.”
“I’ve got two Fire Arrows ready,” Misten said. “They’re soaked in oil, and they burn with a very black smoke that’s visible from a long way off.”
“Perfect. That’s that sorted out, then,” Enker said, and took the lead.
As they went forward through the pass at a distance of five hundred paces from one another, they looked constantly in every direction, almost involuntarily. Lasgol had the feeling that at any moment hundreds of gigantic Wild Ones were going to hurl themselves at them, although his mind told him that this was impossible. The walls of the gorge were very high and practically vertical. Even so, he was distinctly uneasy. He used his Gift and called upon Hawk’s Eye, Cat-like Agility, Improved Reflexes and Owl Hearing, just in case.
Alert. Track, he told Ona.
The panther looked at him. Her eyes were uneasy.
Yes, there’s danger. The Wild Ones of the Ice are right ahead, I’m sure of it. We have to see whether we can cross the pass.
Ona growled. She had understood. She would be on the alert.
Enker went on, bow in hand, his eyes fixed on the ground, checking everything in front of him. Lasgol kept an eye on the heights and the distance, trying to decipher the sound of the breeze as it brushed against the walls of the pass on its way to him. He was restless, and nor was he the only one: Ona was equally so. She had discovered the trail of a dozen Wild Ones beside the right-hand wall and was following it with her ears pricked and the fur on her tail on end. Misten, behind them, was carrying three elemental arrows in one hand and his bow in the other, ready to raise the alarm.
They were nearing the exit of the pass, and this was the most complicated moment. Enker dismounted, crouched and studied the trail, trying to see whether there were any signs of a trap ahead. Lasgol did the same and leapt off Trotter. He nocked an arrow and watched Enker, who was already leaving the exit at a crouch, hugging the left wall as he went. Lasgol was aware that the older Ranger’s chances of survival were growing incrementally less with each step he took outside the canyon mouth.
Suddenly Enker released in a lightning-fast move. He nocked again and released again, confidently, then turned and ran into the pass. As he did so he whistled five times, short and shrill. Lasgol understood the message in a flash before he saw them: five huge Wild Ones of the Ice chasing Enker. His horse took fright at the sight of the savages running toward it, clutching axes, and ran off, leaving Enker behind.
We’re going to defend Enker, Lasgol said to Trotter and Ona.
He aimed and released at the Wild One who was in the lead. The arrow caught him in the chest, but he kept running. Enker stopped for a moment and released again. The second Wild One took the arrow in his chest, where the two previous ones had hit him. Enker turned, still running like lightning. The Wild Ones were not gaining on him, which did not surprise Lasgol, as the other Ranger was a Tireless Explorer. The third arrow seemed to tip the balance, and the Wild One fell dead on his face.
Lasgol released again at the one in the lead. This second arrow too struck him in the chest, but did not stop him. Enker came to a rapid halt and released at the same Wild One. The third arrow finished him, and he fell dead to one side in mid-run. Enker reached Lasgol’s side and stood beside him as he nocked. The three remaining Wild Ones were almost on them.
“The one on the left,” Lasgol said.
They both released at the same time and hit the closest Wild One simultaneously, but he did not fall. As he reached them he prepared to hit them with his colossal axe, but Ona leapt on him. With a powerful blow she toppled him on to his back. He tried to struggle to his feet again, but she bit him savagely in the arm which held the axe. He dropped the weapon and turned to face her.
Lasgol and Enker released their last two arrows and hit the two Wild Ones a moment before they reached them. One of them tried to launch a blow at Lasgol with his axe, but he slid to one side, drawing short axe and long knife as he did so. Enker threw himself to one side and rolled away from the other’s axe-blow, at the same time drawing his own weapons. They were faced with a one-to-one combat with two Wild Ones of the Ice. The odds were against them.
Lasgol’s attacker was about to deliver a circular slash with his axe, to cut him in two at the waist, when an arrow hit him in the forehead. There was a small explosion, and a tremendous discharge struck his head, making him howl in pain. Lasgol saw Misten out of the corner of his eye releasing another Air Arrow and hitting another Wild One in the same way. He and Enker seized the chance to attack their opponents’ legs, their weakest points, seeking to maim them.
Two new elemental arrows hit the Wild Ones. These were Fire arrows, so that their heads burst into flame. They died amid screams of pain. Lasgol and Enker hastened to help Ona, who was fighting the last Wild One on the ground. She had his arm firmly in her jaws and was not letting go. Between them all, they put an end to the last Wild One of the Ice.
Lasgol hurried to see how Ona was. She had taken several hard blows, but luckily was not seriously hurt.
Ona, good. Ona Brave, he transmitted to her.
The panther moaned faintly, and he petted her.
“Your panther’s a fierce one,” Enker said. “She fought like a true warrior.”
“She certainly is,” Lasgol agreed proudly.
“Thanks for covering my back.”
“That’s what the Path teaches.”
Enker nodded. “Even so, thanks.”
“Thank Misten. If it weren’t for him we wouldn’t be here to tell the tale,” said Lasgol. “That was amazing marksmanship with the elemental arrows. It was spectacular!”
Misten shrugged. “I can’t track like you two, but there’s one thing I can do, and that’s release elemental arrows just as if they were the normal ones. I have a good eye and a strong arm.”
“I can swear to that,” Enker said.
“I have a lot of trouble hitting my target with elemental arrows,” Lasgol said, “because
of the added weight and the shape. They don’t cut the wind so well. I can tell you, you’ve left me really impressed. You got them all in the forehead … several times …”
“The Wild Ones have very large heads,” Misten joked. “Hard to miss. It’s nothing.”
“It’s nothing for an Elemental Archer,” Enker insisted with a smile. “For the rest of us it’s certainly something.”
Ona stretched. She seemed to be uninjured, which Lasgol was very grateful for. He thought of Camu, far behind. He wished he could have been with them, because he could have used the creature’s help. But for the moment it was better that he had stayed away.
“Are there any more Wild Ones out there?” Misten asked.
“I didn’t see any more,” Enker said. “It seemed to be a watch patrol.”
“Let’s go and check,” Lasgol suggested.
They tracked the area, bows at the ready, but only found the trail of the group they had just fought. They went on a little further until they were sure there was no danger.
“I’ll go and tell them they can go on,” Lasgol said.
“Right. We’ll secure the area.”
Lasgol mounted Trotter, and with Ona at his side he went back to the army and told Commander Sven what had happened.
“Good. In that case we move on. Pass the order.”
Once they crossed the pass, there would be no turning back. Lasgol could see from Sven’s face that he was determined to gain another victory for Thoran. Nothing would stop him.”
“Tell the troops to get ready!” Sven ordered. “We’re leaving!”
“Lasgol, ride with me for a while,” Gatik asked him unexpectedly.
“It’ll be an honor, sir,” Lasgol replied almost automatically, although immediately his mind began to ask questions. Why did the First Ranger want to talk to him? Was it only to get more information about the trail he had found, or was it something more? He had a strange feeling, because although Gatik was First Ranger, the best among all of them, he was also the one who had launched an arrow against Egil on Uthar’s order and caused the death of Duke Olafstone, who had thrown himself at Egil to shield him with his own body. He would never forget that, and still less would Egil. In fact, one day Egil would want to settle that particular score. Lasgol knew his friend and knew that he would not let it go, not that particular act. Egil had done nothing yet because the right moment had not yet come, but as soon as it did, Lasgol was certain that he would.
