by Pedro Urvi
“I don’t think we were picked because we’re the best,” Nilsa objected almost in a whisper, unwilling to disagree with Ingrid and shifting from one foot to the other. “I think we were picked because Lasgol asked for us. Gondabar was sent a list of chosen names, our names. I saw it on his desk.”
Lasgol nodded. “Yup, I recommended you to him.” He told them about the conversation he had had with Eicewald.
“Well, we’re still the best team for any mission, I’m absolutely certain of that,” Ingrid insisted.
“Blondie has got a point there.”
“Of course, I’ve got a point, you knucklehead.”
“But there are very experienced Specialist Rangers and Veterans who must be a better choice than us for a mission like this,” Gerd reasoned.
“More experienced, certainly,” Ingrid agreed. “But better at carrying out a mission as a team: not one of them. I know that. I’ve had to work with experienced Rangers, and even some very good Specialists, but I can assure you that I’d never choose them over you, not even if I were out of my mind!”
“Well, there are plenty of days when you do seem to be out of your mind,” Viggo taunted her.
Ingrid glared at him. “At least I go crazy because I’m sane, but you – you could never lose your wits, because you haven’t got any to begin with!” She jabbed her finger at his forehead.
Nilsa giggled. “You’ve both got a point there,” she murmured.
“As a team, working together,” Ingrid went on with her usual charisma and determination, “we’re a lot better that any other half-dozen of the best and most expert specialists. We know each other perfectly – our strong points and our weaknesses – and we’re exceptional, you can take my word on that. There’s nobody I’d rather go with on this mission than you.”
“When you get like that, I’d follow you into the eye of a hurricane!” Viggo said. He winked at her.
She drew back her fist. “I’m going to shut that eye of yours with a punch!”
Gerd stepped casually in between the two of them to forestall this.
Lasgol sighed. “I decided to choose the Panthers because you’re the only ones I trust and the only ones I’d set sail with on this really difficult mission. You’re the only ones I know who’re capable of standing up to any situation, just as Ingrid said. I think the same as she does. We may not be the best, and we may not have the most experience individually, but together we’re capable of dealing with anything that comes our way and coming out victorious. We’re fantastic, to paraphrase Egil.”
“I like that. Very well said, and all true. We’ll succeed, we’re the Snow Panthers,” Ingrid said encouragingly.
“Besides,” Lasgol went on, “Eicewald asked me for a bunch of Rangers I completely trusted, and that could only mean you. What would you have done in my place? The kingdom’s in great danger. The Specter and the hosts of the Frozen Continent might cross the mountains at any time, and there’d be no way of stopping them.”
“You did the right thing,” Ingrid said encouragingly. “I’d have done the same thing without a second thought. Don’t feel bad about it.”
Nilsa and Gerd were nodding in support of Lasgol’s decision, although from their faces it was obvious that they were troubled.
Astrid rubbed his back encouragingly. “Never doubt your instincts, and still less your friends. You did the right thing to call us. If you hadn’t done it and something had happened to you, how d’you think we’d feel?”
“We’d never have forgiven you,” Ingrid said.
Astrid was looking at him with eyes bright with love. “I always want to be here with you, and I’ll follow you to the end of the world if that’s where you’re going. Always.”
Viggo raised his eyebrows. “Well, the way this mission looks, that’s exactly where we’re headed …” Ingrid was about to say something, but he raised his finger so that she would let him finish. “All the same, if we have to go to the end of the world and back to save the realm, then there’s only one option, which is for me –for us to go, the Snow Panthers, I mean. Nobody else would ever be able to manage it, so don’t think about it anymore. We’ll take on the job of sorting out this insignificant tangle.” His chest swelled.
Nilsa laughed, and Gerd joined her. Even Ingrid smiled, although she was trying hard not to.
“And now,” Astrid said with a smile, “tell me, where have you got those two dears Ona and Camu? I’m dying to see them.” She gave him a wink.
Lasgol brightened up and smiled too. “They’re below deck, with the cargo. You’ll see how happy they are to see you all.”
“They’d better not throw themselves on me and lick me all over,” Viggo began to protest.
“Just shut up, you twit,” Ingrid snapped. “All you do is complain about everything all the time.”
The group went down to see Ona and Camu.
Very soon, the ship would be setting sail.
Chapter 19
Captain Olsen ordered his crew to ready themselves for departure. With the sun at its highest, the cargo on board, and the Snow Panthers along with Eicewald ready for the expedition, they weighed anchor. The sail was spread, and the ship sought the breath of the wind on its western course.
The journey would be a long one. They had to reach the north coast of the kingdom of Rogdon, then sail along it and head south, following the coast until they reached the territory of the Nocean Empire. From there they would keep a southern course for a few more days, then a western one, sailing deeper into the unknown ocean until they reached the archipelago surrounded by eternal mist. If they ever found it, that is.
The captain explained everything they needed to know about the manning of the ship and the rules on board. He made it very clear that he was the supreme authority while they were on the ship and that they were required to obey his orders without complaint, since there was no place on the high seas for dissension. The chain of command needed to be respected at all times, or else there was the risk of mutiny. Eicewald assured him that they would respect his leadership as captain of the ship and follow his instructions without querying them. The Panthers had no choice but to accept this, since Eicewald took it for granted that they agreed.
Viggo, of course, had other ideas about who he was going to obey and which orders he was going to follow. Ingrid put her hand over his mouth so that there would be no problems so soon after setting out.
The first days involved a lot of getting used to things. Although they had all been on a ship before, it had been a river barge with oars, on fresh water, on its way up-river. This new situation was similar in one way because the ship was not very different – albeit larger and with more crew – and yet it was very different in setting. The river had been calm, and the swaying movement of the ship minimal. This was not the case out at sea, as they soon found out. Gerd was wretchedly sick, and Viggo, who put on a tough act and would not admit it, was equally so. Lasgol felt a few twinges of nausea, but not too much, which he was very grateful for. What surprised him was that the three girls in the group were not in the least sick, and spent their time teasing the boys. Poor Gerd threw up over the gunwale several times. Viggo followed suit, excusing himself on the grounds that it was Gerd’s fault for having influenced him by doing it first. Lasgol was on the brink of doing the same, but saved himself by breathing deeply through his nose and facing into the wind.
After the first week, the three of them got used to the swaying of the ship and found their sea-legs. They were very grateful for this, because what little they had eaten had ended up in the sea. Gerd glutted himself the moment he stopped feeling queasy. Viggo did the same until he almost burst, and Lasgol, not to be left behind, also ate his fill. Then they slept like logs and made up for some of the sleep they had missed during all those nights they had spent awake and sick.
The days went by slowly on board. Lasgol and Astrid spent as much time as they could together. Ona and Camu stayed with them at times, then let them be, as if
they felt the couple needed time by themselves. The two wild creatures would go to the bow, where the rest of the team normally gathered, beside the figure-head, which was in the form of a dragon’s forequarters. It was the least-frequented spot in the whole ship, which meant that they were left in peace. The ship was rather larger and with a slightly deeper draft than a Norghanian ship of war, so that it could carry more men and cargo. The small cargo hold under the deck was not particularly deep, but it was long. They had to go into it bent double to avoid bumping their heads. At the same time the ship was very maneuverable and quite speedy. The problem was that the two dozen sailors who made up the crew already occupied most of the space on board.
“They could’ve given us a bigger ship,” Viggo complained when he saw that he had to dodge two sailors in order to reach the group.
“Yeah,” Ingrid retorted, “and with special chambers for the young master.”
“That would certainly have been very welcome. This business of sleeping in two great tents on deck doesn’t seem too civilized to me.”
“Civilized, he says, just as if you were nobly born.”
He smiled. “So I am, in spirit.”
“I’m not complaining,” said Gerd. “At least they’ve divided us. The Captain and his sailors sleep and rest in one tent and we have the other. It’s a treat.”
“Yeah,” Viggo pointed out, “but they’ve put the Mage in with us, and he really gives me the creeps.”
He was watching Eicewald at the other end of the ship. For some reason the Mage always went to stand at the stern, beside the figurehead which represented the dragon’s tail. He spent most of his time studying a number of enormous tomes and talking with Captain Olsen, whose habit was also to stand at the stern so that he could shout orders to his men and steer the ship.
“Everybody gives you the creeps,” Ingrid retorted.
“That one has a dark look, I’m telling you, those eyes … I don’t like them …”
“You’re the one who’s dark. He’s the King’s Mage, which means he’s completely trustworthy.”
“Oh yeah, and since here, nobody betrays anyone else, changes sides or has his own agenda …”
“Viggo’s right about that,” Nilsa agreed.
“Don’t encourage him. The Mage is in charge of the expedition, and he has the King’s trust. We have no reason not to trust him.”
Viggo let the breeze blow full in his face. “I don’t trust anybody,” he said.
“Yeah, sure, not even your own shadow.”
Nilsa giggled. “The Norghanian court’s very dangerous. If you knew the stories they tell” – she was shaking one hand – “you wouldn’t believe them. The nobles, the lords and the Magi are the worst. It’s best to be like Viggo and not trust anybody.”
“I don’t know … in this case I’m with Ingrid,” Gerd said. He was petting Ona, who was lying at his feet. “We’ve got no reason not to trust him, and he’s in charge of this expedition. Besides, he’s the King’s Mage … and it’s not that I’m very fond of Magi myself, but if the King trusts him, then so should we.”
“You’re too friendly and trusting,” said Viggo. “I’m happier when you have a panic attack because of some nonsense or other. At least then you’re on the alert.” No sooner had he said this than Camu, who had been camouflaged, licked his hand. Viggo gave a start of surprise and almost fell overboard. He grabbed the head of the dragon to stop himself falling into the sea.
Ingrid burst out laughing. “Look who’s being skittish now!”
Gerd jabbed his finger at him. “Exactly,” he said accusingly. “Serves you right for teasing me!”
Ona chirped in amusement.
“That wretched creature is here!” Viggo complained as he regained his balance and wiped Camu’s drool off his hand.
“Well, of course he’s here,” Astrid said, laughing. “Where else would he be?”
“Yeah, go ahead and laugh, he doesn’t lick you when you’re not expecting it.”
“It must be for some reason,” Ingrid said.
“Well, it can’t be for the love I show him!”
“The creature can feel that deep down, you do love him,” Gerd said, “and that’s why he shows his affection. “Isn’t that so?” he asked Ona in a gentle voice.
Ona replied with an affectionate moan and rubbed her head against his leg.
Viggo meanwhile was staring straight ahead, trying to work out where Camu was. “Where are you, vermin?” he called out.
Nilsa stroked Ona’s head. “These two little ones are certainly sleeping well down there below deck, all by themselves among the supplies.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking of going down to sleep with them,” Viggo said. “I might do that tonight and get away from Gerd’s snoring. Or better yet, you can go down and sleep with them.”
“I’m not going below deck, it’s very low down,” Gerd objected.
“And you’re a walking mountain and can’t be taken anywhere,” Viggo said resignedly.
“I’m not that big.”
Nilsa giggled. “You actually are a little bit huge. But you’re also huge in heart, and that makes you wonderful.” She gave him a couple of pats over the heart.
Gerd blushed. “Thanks,” he mumbled.
“Well, at least we don’t have to row,” Nilsa said to console herself.
“For now,” Viggo said. He was staring at the great sail with the Norghanian coat of arms, which the wind had swollen.
“But if someone has to row, they’ll be the ones who do it, right?” Gerd asked. He pointed to the sailors.
“I suppose so,” said Nilsa.
“We’ll all row if necessary,” said Ingrid. “A bit of exercise would do us good. We’re going to be spending quite a long time on this ship, and it’s not as if we can take much exercise.”
“I’ll let you take my shifts at the oar,” Viggo said with a smile. “I’ll sacrifice myself for your sake. I want you to be in the best possible shape, and above all I don’t want you to lose that Ice Goddess figure of yours.”
“By all the icebergs of the northern seas, I’m going to kill him!” Ingrid cried to the heavens, as Nilsa and Gerd muffled their laughter.
“What are you two laughing at?”
Nilsa shrugged. “It was just funny,” she said apologetically.
“No, it wasn’t!”
Gerd joined in to support Nilsa. “It was, just a little.”
“I can’t cope with you, I’m going to the stern.” She walked away, fuming, while the others laughed.
After several days at sea, Lasgol went to talk with Mage Eicewald and Captain Olsen at the stern.
“Good morning, Lasgol,” Eicewald greeted him with one of his enigmatic gazes.
“Everything all right?” the Captain asked.
“Yes, sir, everything’s fine,” Lasgol said, and Olsen nodded. “I was wondering – well, so were my comrades – how long the journey’s going to take.”
Eicewald and Olsen exchanged a serious glance. They did not seem too happy about the question.
“Over two months,” Eicewald said.
“Roughly,” Olsen added. “We don’t know exactly how long.”
“We don’t know the exact location of the islands,” Eicewald said. “We only have an approximation.”
“A vague approximation,” Olsen admitted reluctantly. He did not seem at all happy about it.
“Isn’t there a map to show their location?” Lasgol asked. He was surprised, because Eicewald had told him that he had been to the islands and come back from there. He must know where they were.
“No, they aren’t shown on any map, because nobody knows exactly where they are. I have an approximate idea of the area, although it’s a very wide one. Captain Olsen has sailed in this area before, and that’s why he’s part of this mission.”
“I can take you to the general area,” Olsen explained, “but I’ve never seen any island in that quadrant. Or the eternal mist your Mage speaks of. Wh
at I do know is that there are rumors of a giant sea-monster in the area that devours sailors and sinks ships. Perhaps that’s why so many disappear there.”
“A giant sea-monster? Ships disappear there?” Lasgol repeated in alarm.
Olsen nodded. “Not many sailors dare venture into that quadrant. In my humble opinion this business of a sea-monster is just superstition. If ships are lost in this area, it must be because it’s very prone to storms. Or perhaps there’s a pirate base, and they do away with the unwary who come near. Be that as it may, we have to take all possible precautions, particularly because we’re going to have to track the area in search of these islands that don’t appear on any map.”
“The Captain doesn’t think we’ll find them,” Eicewald said.
Lasgol was surprised at this, since the Captain was the one who was supposed to take them there.
Olsen shook his head. “I’ll do as I’ve been told and take you to the area to search, but I don’t hold out much hope. As I’ve said many times, there are no islands in this quadrant. No sailor has ever seen them, and if they existed they’d already have been discovered.”
Lasgol was taken aback by this. He passed the news on to his friends, who were as surprised as he was.
Days later, as Lasgol and Astrid looked out at the sea in one another’s arms, the breeze blew their hair as if it were deliberately setting out to ruffle it. He looked at Astrid’s jet-black hair fluttering in the wind, gazed into her intensely green eyes and lost himself in that fierce face he loved so much. Having her beside him, holding her by her waist, her body against his own, filled him with joy. He had yearned so much for this meeting, to be able to be with her like this, to enjoy every little moment of her company, her warmth, her love.
Astrid looked into his eyes. “You’ve no idea how happy I am to be with you,” she said lovingly.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
“I wish this moment would never end, that it could stay like this forever.”
“That would be lovely,” he said with a shy smile, knowing it could not be. They both knew that. “I was so happy when you appeared,” he admitted.
