Path of the Specialist

by Pedro Urvi

  Lasgol fell silent, taken aback.

  “Don’t stop now,” Ingrid said urgently. “What else does she say?”

  “That’s right don’t stop at the best part,” Viggo added.

  Lasgol emerged from his surprise and went on reading: “They were talking about ‘spying on you... at the Shelter’, of ‘taking measures...’ It sounded very bad to me, and yes, they were talking about you, Lasgol because I heard ‘Darthor’s son’ clearly from the mouth of one of them. The other one said he needn’t worry, that it was all settled, that it had been dealt with and... someone...was in charge... I couldn’t hear everything, but they were talking about you and about something bad. That much I understood. I couldn’t find out anymore, because they lowered their voices even more and I lost the conversation. But I’m very worried. I think that the business of ‘taking measures’ means...”

  “… They want to kill you,” Viggo said coldly.

  “Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Ingrid objected.

  “Clear as spring water,” Viggo retorted.

  Lasgol felt a shiver run down his spine. He went on reading: “I think they’re going to try and kill you. Be very careful, Lasgol! I’m going crazy with worry. The first thing I’ve done is send you all this message. I’ve also warned Egil and Gerd, so that they know what’s happening. Be very careful, all of you. I couldn’t hear any more because several guards arrived and I had to leave in a hurry. I don’t know who they were, but as they were in the royal library they must have been important and powerful people. Only nobles, scholars and magi have access to it.”

  “King Thoran,” said Ingrid.

  “Or his brother Orten.”

  “But who were they talking to?” Lasgol asked. He was beginning to realize he was in a dire situation.

  “To whoever’s in charge of organizing the murder,” Viggo said.

  Lasgol tried to make light of it all. “I’m sure Nilsa didn’t hear properly, it’ll be something quite different.”

  “Finish reading,” Viggo said.

  Lasgol nodded. “Lasgol, it’s not my imagination, I swear it. They’re going after you. Be very, very careful. Love, Nilsa.”

  “That does it,” Viggo said, and folded his arms.

  Chapter 15

  Lasgol could not believe what he had just read. He was unconsciously shaking his head in denial while he tried to puzzle out the meaning of it all.

  “It has to be a mistake... it can’t be...”

  “Let me see,” Ingrid said as she took the message. She read it carefully, nodding.

  “The message is from Nilsa, no doubt about that. It’s her handwriting and her way of expressing herself. It’s hers.”

  “They could’ve made her write it...” said Lasgol.

  “What for?”

  “I don’t know. None of this makes any sense!” He began to pace around with his head bent, turning the matter over and over in his head.

  “I think it’s crystal clear,” Viggo said. “Someone’s been sent to kill you.”

  “You really believe that?”

  “I’m afraid so,” Ingrid agreed.

  “Couldn’t Nilsa be mistaken?”

  “I doubt it,” Viggo said. “She’s clumsy, but she’s got her wits about her. She wouldn’t make such a big mistake.”

  “But why? Who would want to kill me?”

  “Half the realm? Everyone in the East? Have you forgotten, you’re the son of Dakon and Darthor? Any Norghanian loyal to King Thoran and the East would be delighted to be able to spear you just for being who you are. Or do you want us to ask Isgord? The fact that the other Rangers respect you, or pretend to, is because you’re a Ranger. They have to. But outside the Camp or the Shelter, you’re who you are and they’ll hate you for it.”

  “I hate to agree with him, but he’s right,” Ingrid said. “For any Norghanian who supports Thoran, you’re the son of Darthor, who almost conquered the whole of Norghana at the head of the Hosts of the Ice. They’ll hate you because of that.”

  “I can’t change who my mother was...”

  “You’ll have to live with it,” she said firmly, “and stand up to it.”

  “I thought all that had been left behind with my father...”

  “I’m afraid it hasn’t. The fact that you’re Darthor’s son is going to mark you forever, with a dark stain you’ll never free yourself from.”

  “I did it with my father. I cleared his name...”

  “Well, only partially in the end,” Viggo said. “Dakon conspired against Uthar and tried to kill him.”

  “Against the Shifter, and so did my mother.”

  “People don’t see it that way,” Ingrid said. “A lot of blood has been shed. Plenty of men and women have died. The survivors aren’t going to forgive, aren’t going to forget what happened. They’ll always hate Darthor, and you as well because you’re associated with her. It’s something you knew you’d have to face up to sooner or later, when we finished the specialization. It seems as if it’s going to be sooner than expected...”

  “You were the most hated person in Norghana, and now you’re that all over again,” Viggo said with a look that was partly amused, partly serious with worry.

  “Yeah, that’s just my fate... my great reward in life...”

  “You’ve had a lot of luck,” Ingrid said, trying to encourage him.

  “Yeah, bad luck,” Viggo corrected her.

  “No, dumbass, he has good luck because he has great friends who’ll help him and protect him from any danger.”

  Viggo corrected himself, nodding. “Oh, yeah... that’s right, obviously.”

  “You’ve got us, we’ll help you. The Panthers, Astrid, Molak, Luca, Erika... we’ll all help you.”

  “Not Astrid,” Lasgol said.

  “No?” Ingrid raised an eyebrow. “Of course she will.”

  “I don’t mean that, I know she will... but that’s precisely what I don’t want, for her to help me.”

  “I don’t follow you...”

  “Because he doesn’t want to put her in danger,” Viggo explained. “On the other hand, as far as we’re concerned he doesn’t care if we all end up dead, keeping the Ice Gods company for all eternity.”

  “Of course I care about you! I don’t want anything bad to happen to anybody!”

  “Nothing’ll happen to us,” Ingrid assured him, “and we won’t let anything happen to you either. We’re partners, friends, the best of friends.”

  Lasgol was moved by her words, and his eyes moistened.

  “Thanks... you’re the best...”

  Viggo smiled. “True, I am.”

  “The best numskull, that is,” Ingrid shot back.

  Viggo smiled at her, and she smiled back. Seeing them, Lasgol calmed down a little and his fears began to fade. All the same, they did not completely leave him.

  “Well,” he said with a resigned smile, “I’ve already been hated and hunted for half my life. It’s nothing new. I’m used to it.”

  “That’s what I like to hear,” Ingrid said, and gave him such a powerful slap on the back it might have been Gerd himself.

  Viggo was rubbing his chin. “Now we need to find out who the conspirators were and who they’ve sent to kill you.”

  Ingrid was thinking about Nilsa’s words. “They must be nobles from the court, or even King Thoran himself. Someone with enough power and influence to be able to send a killer here, to the Shelter, to kill a Ranger.”

  “King Thoran could have hanged me and didn’t,” Lasgol objected.

  “Kings have a tendency to change their minds and their loyalties,” Viggo said sarcastically. “Perhaps now he doesn’t find the fact that you’re still alive amusing any longer. Or else he’s had a fit of rage and asked for your head. They say he tends to do that.”

  “But why? I don’t represent any threat to him.”

  “That’s a good question...” Viggo said, looking thoughtful.

  “We can’t know the reason,” Ingrid mu
sed, “if we don’t find out who ordered it.”

  Viggo was playing with his throwing dagger, thinking about this. “Not to be absolutely sure, but we can have a theory.”

  “Let’s not forget, it could be his brother Orten,” Ingrid reminded them. “Or one of the court nobles.”

  “If it’s Orten,” Viggo said, “he’ll be doing it to protect his brother, or else on his direct orders.”

  “Perhaps they don’t get along well and there’s betrayal between them...” Ingrid suggested.

  Viggo shook his head. “From what people say, they’re like two peas in a pod. Orten’s Thoran’s bodyguard, he protects him and won’t allow any betrayal even though he’d be king at his brother’s death. It’s funny how some brotherly relationships work. Seeing how brutal they are and how little honor they have, you’d think they’d hate each other to death or that envy would take over, but no. That doesn’t happen. They protect each other.”

  “And Sven?” Ingrid asked. “Or Gatik?”

  “They shouldn’t have any reason to want me dead.”

  “Or else they do,” Viggo said, “and we don’t know it yet. The fact that we can’t see a hidden motive doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”

  “The only thing I can think of is that they want to kill you because you’re Darthor’s son,” Ingrid said.

  “It could be that... but that’s not a strong enough reason to try doing it here and now. There must be some other, more powerful reason.”

  “But what?”

  “We’ll have to find out.”

  Lasgol breathed out heavily. “Just when I was so happy about having got Camu back...”

  “And Astrid,” Viggo teased him.

  “And now this has to happen...”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll protect you,” Ingrid said.

  “We’ve got to work out who from,” Viggo said.

  Lasgol frowned. “Surely not Sigrid and the Four Elder Specialists.”

  “Surely? You’re writing them off very easily,” Viggo said.

  “How dare you say that?” Ingrid objected. “They’re absolutely trustworthy.”

  “I don’t even trust my own shadow.”

  “I don’t think it’s them, it’s pretty unlikely,” Lasgol said. “They’ve been here for years. They’re faithful servants of the Rangers and the Kingdom.”

  “I think it has to be one of us, but someone who hasn’t come from the Camp,” said Ingrid.

  “It could be,” Viggo agreed. “It could be your boyfriend,” he added maliciously.

  “Nonsense, Molak’s our friend.”

  “Not mine, he isn’t.”

  “Molak isn’t the murderer,” Lasgol said confidently.

  “Who was it who was already carrying out murder missions for the King?” Ingrid asked.

  “That was Jensen,” Lasgol said, “but he didn’t pass the Harmony Test.”

  “That’s right...”

  “The ones more likely to be the murderer are those two veterans of Expertise, Aren and Jorgen,” said Viggo.

  Ingrid nodded. “Yeah, I agree. They’re from Expertise, they’re training to be assassins and they’ve been here before. They’re the two most likely candidates. We’ll have to watch them closely.”

  “But we mustn’t forget the others. It might be someone else.”

  “I don’t think it’d be the girls,” said Lasgol. “Frida and Elina are studious and smart, but I can’t see them as cold-blooded assassins. Erika is a sweetie, and I can’t see her being it either.”

  “And the boys?” Viggo asked.

  “Bjorn might,” Ingrid suggested. “He’s an excellent shot.”

  “Axe is tough,” Lasgol mused.

  “And let’s not forget our favorite,” Viggo added. “Isgord.”

  “He doesn’t need any reason,” Lasgol said. “He has them already.”

  “And he tried to kill you during the climb,” Ingrid pointed out.

  Viggo nodded. “True. It looks quite likely. Perhaps he’s been given the assignment and accepted it whole-heartedly, hence the attempt during the climb.”

  Lasgol exhaled in disgust. “Could be.”

  “But Sigrid and the Four Elder Specialists are keeping an eye on Isgord because of what happened,” Ingrid objected.

  “Whichever way, we need to keep an eye on that cretin in case he tries again,” said Viggo.

  Lasgol was looking downhearted. “There are too many suspects.”

  “Don`t worry,” Ingrid reassured him. “We’ll organize a watch for you. We won’t leave you alone, day or night.” She put her hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

  “I’ll do it at night,” Viggo said jokingly. “I have a reputation to keep up.”

  Ingrid rolled her eyes, and he smiled.

  Lasgol was grateful for Viggo’s humor; it raised his spirits, which was always something worthwhile in bad moments like this one. Unfortunately he was back to being hated and hunted. I thought I’d left all that behind, but no, it’s come back to haunt me. And this time I have a feeling I might not come out of this terrible situation alive...

  They decided to go back to the Lair to tell the others about the situation. On their way they saw Annika and her pupils by the golden pond and went over to see what they were doing.

  Viggo gave a scornful wave. “D’you really want to watch those brain-boxes training?” he protested.

  “It’s precisely because they are brain-boxes that we ought to watch,” Ingrid pointed out.

  “It’s going to be a complete bore. I don’t think they even fight.”

  Lasgol jabbed his finger at his own head. “It’s not all about fighting, you need to use your head as well. And in any case, it’ll help me clear mine a little.”

  “Don’t bother, this numskull doesn’t even know what the inside of his head is for. Well, actually I don’t think there’s anything inside, and that’s why he doesn’t know what it’s for.”

  “This numskull knows perfectly well what his head’s for.”

  “I’m glad you admit you’re a numskull,” Ingrid said without turning around, and left.

  “Damn...” Viggo cried when he realized his mistake.

  Lasgol laughed and went after Ingrid.

  They asked Elder Annika if they could stay and watch her class discreetly and respectfully. The Elder granted them permission, on the condition that they stayed at a distance and did not touch anything.

  They saw Sugesen, who raised his arm in greeting. He was completely covered in mud and grass from head to foot, so that he was barely recognizable.

  Ingrid rubbed her eyes in disbelief. “Is it my imagination, or is he naked?”

  Viggo gave her a sarcastic smile. “Almost. I think he’s wearing some kind of jungle-dweller’s loincloth. Don’t get too excited...”

  She elbowed him in the ribs. He doubled up in pain, but the smile did not leave his face.

  Lasgol rolled his eyes.

  “Why on earth is he like that?” Ingrid asked with complete incomprehension on her face.

  Lasgol shrugged. “No idea.”

  “He must have lost a bet,” Vigo said, and giggled.

  “You’re such a knucklehead!”

  Annika came over to Sugesen. “The Forest Survivor is an expert at survival. He needs to survive extreme weather, the enemy, and fire, and must not be found in the forests. Always remember, the one who survives is the one who prevails in the end.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “I want you to vanish into the forest. Don’t let me find you. Remember everything we’ve talked about, the survival techniques I’ve taught you, and use them well.”

  “I’ll survive,” Sugesen said, and went into the forest.

  Viggo shook his head. “That’s one specialty that doesn’t suit me.”

  “Yeah, as far as you’re concerned, anything that involves suffering, effort or hard work doesn’t suit you,” Ingrid said reproachfully.

  “What can I do if I have blue blood runni
ng through my veins?”

  “I’ll leave you without any blood at all. Lasgol, say something to him before I kill him.”

  Lasgol raised his hands with a half-smile “Don’t get me mixed up in your quarrels.”

  Annika watched Sugesen go, then went over to Gonars to instruct him.

  Lasgol saw him squatting and was immediately interested. He was setting a trap, and traps were something that had fascinated Lasgol since he was little. He would have loved to be a Forest Trapper like Gonars, but unfortunately that belonged to the School of Nature, not Wildlife. When he had asked Gisli why this was so, the reply had left him puzzled. The reason was that Nature was the School and Specialization where most of the things the others needed – from poisons and healing potions to traps and elemental arrows – were made and where the brilliant minds that created them were to be found. He felt a little clumsy when he learned this. It turned out that the ‘clever’ ones were really those in the School of Nature. Then he thought of Egil, whose specialty it was, and everything made sense.