Power Conspiracy

by Pedro Urvi

Gerd gave her a look as much as to say what do you mean? “Are you sure?” he asked.

  “I eat almost as much as he does, but not quite,” she explained.

  Nilsa laughed again. “Yeah, so that’s how you like to put it!”

  “It’s just that deep down I’m a lady, and I have to keep up appearances.” Valeria pushed off her hood and swung her golden hair to one side.

  “Yeah, and what with that bow and the load of elemental arrows on your back it’s quite obvious you’re a court damsel in distress,” Nilsa teased her.

  Val made a face at her and poked her tongue out, then hid her golden hair under the hood again. When they reached the rocks and found a position where they could not be seen from the road, they let the horses drink and graze and lay down to rest themselves. A moment later Gerd and Valeria were already eating from their supplies.

  “I don’t understand how you can eat like that,” Nilsa said to Valeria. She was watching her devour a piece of salted meat like a starving wolf.

  “I burn up a lot of energy, I can’t help it. I need to eat pretty often.”

  “Yeah, we can see that.”

  Gerd ate another piece, drank half a water-skin and looked at Egil thoughtfully. “Egil …”

  “Yes, Gerd.”

  “I was wondering … about the question of justice … what was all that about?”

  “You mean identifying the chief of the guild?”

  “Yeah, why did you ask? What d’you need it for?”

  “I promised a father in mourning that I’d help him get justice for his dead son.”

  Gerd looked surprised. “With the information he gave you, you’re not going to get justice, surely?”

  The ghost of a smile appeared on Egil’s face. “I think I will. It’ll be enough.”

  “Well, I can’t think how … you can’t just go to the Zangrian legal system … and he didn’t specify who the leader was.”

  “That’s right. The Zangrian legal system in the city is in the pocket of the Guild of the Blue Snake. That option won’t work. As for the information he gave me, it’s more than enough, if it’s used well and by the right people.”

  “What people?” Gerd asked. He was sounding more and more intrigued.

  “I think I know who,” Nilsa guessed.

  Egil smiled at her. “Go ahead. Who do you think it is?”

  “Well, considering what you told me the first night we were out scouting, I guess the justice is for Sandro Omerton, the man whose son was killed and who you persuaded to tell you where the headquarters of the guild was.”

  Egil nodded. “Keep going, you’re on the right track.”

  “Well then, the people you’re going to give the information to are the rival guild, the Black Daggers, right?”

  “Well done. That’s it. In fact, I’ve sent them the information already, just before we left.”

  “That’s why you disappeared for a while?” Valeria asked.

  “Exactly. I had to send the message.”

  “That surprised me. It wasn’t exactly the ideal moment to disappear.”

  “It couldn’t wait. I had to send it at once. That information is precious.”

  “Let me see if I understand,” Gerd said, scratching his head. “You’ve passed on the information to the competition … so that … oh yeah, right! Now I can see why …”

  “So that they eliminate the head and dismantle the guild,” said Nilsa.

  Valeria smiled. “A diabolical plan. I like it.”

  “The enemy of my enemy can turn into my ally,” Egil said with a gleam of malice in his eyes.

  Nilsa jabbed her finger at his head and pretended to look horrified. “You’re getting to be more twisted and evil up there every day.”

  Egil shrugged. “Desperate situations call for risky and imaginative ideas.”

  “Some of your ideas border on the perverse,” Gerd said, looking rather scandalized.

  “Well, if I start to be too perverse, I’m sure you’ll let me know.”

  “Are you sure you want us to do that?” Nilsa asked dubiously.

  “Of course,” he said with a smile. “You’re my friends, and it’s your duty to straighten me up if I go astray. I’m confident you’ll do it.”

  “We will, don’t worry,” Gerd assured him.

  “We’ll always be there, keeping an eye on you,” Nilsa said, half-laughing, but with a serious note in her voice.

  “I’m counting on it.”

  Valeria gave him a roguish wink. “I kind of like the evil touch. Gives you character.”

  Egil smiled. “Yeah… I’m not really very perverse and evil at all.”

  “And let’s hope you stay that way,” Gerd added.

  “I’m sure you won’t let me stray from the path of good.”

  “We’ll watch you closely,” Nilsa said. “Like great cats about to jump on their prey.”

  “In that case I can relax,” Egil said, and laughed.

  Good humor returned to the group and the troubling thoughts began to fade from their minds, although doubt would always be there. They would stay alert, looking after one another, making sure the lines between good and evil, between right and wrong, were never crossed. Life was going to confront them with some complex situations, and the moral choices they would have to make would be difficult ones. Evil was always lurking round the corner, seeking an opportunity, a slip, to take possession of innocent hearts. They needed to deal with those more complicated moments without crossing that line, keeping their honor safe. Deep down they were all aware of this, Egil more than anyone. Their path would be full of obstacles, but they would overcome them without losing their souls in the process.

  Or at least, so they hoped.

  Chapter 27

  As he scanned the horizon, Gerd was left speechless. Before him was an immense expanse of land and forests, with areas of fresh blue water, all of different sizes and shapes. More than a thousand lakes covered a green landscape of tall grass and woods as far as the eye could reach.

  “Wow! This is amazing …”

  Nilsa, beside him, nodded eagerly. “A lot more so than I’d imagined.”

  They were on a hilltop, and below them spread an extraordinary land. This was the Thousand Lakes, unique in all Tremia.

  “They certainly gave it the right name,” Valeria commented.

  “A Thousand Lakes,” Nilsa mused. “I’d say there are more than that.”

  Egil smiled. “That’s how it’s known by the two kingdoms who are vying for this enormous expanse of land. Zangria controls the northern part of this beautiful place, and Erenal the southern. They’ve divided it in half, even though they fight to gain control of the full extent.”

  “Kingdoms always seem to be fighting to gain control over more and more territory,” Gerd complained bitterly.

  “For territory, power, or both,” Egil said. “The aim of every kingdom that values itself highly, and hence the aim of its ruler, is to make itself even bigger and more powerful.”

  “Where’s that written down?” Gerd asked grumpily.

  “In the blood of kings, I’m afraid. They’re born with that obsession.”

  “Not just kings,” Valeria put in. “Powerful people are like that too.”

  “Well, they shouldn’t be. Why can’t they leave this beautiful territory in peace and each live happily in their own kingdom?”

  “It’s a gem, it’s true,” Valeria said as she swept her gaze across as much as she could see of the landscape.

  “And it’s rich in natural resources,” Egil added. “For that reason, and also because of its strategic value, both Zangria and Erenal will always dispute it.”

  “Well, I think it’s really disgusting,” Gerd insisted.

  “Yeah, there shouldn’t be any bloodshed in such a beautiful place,” Nilsa agreed.

  “A kingdom in Tremia whose ruler doesn’t shed blood?” Egil commented bitterly. “I doubt whether that’s ever existed, or ever will.”

 
“You could be the first,” Gerd said.

  “Yeah, exactly,” Nilsa agreed. “You’d be an example to the other kingdoms.”

  Egil smiled. “That’s a nice dream.”

  “One that you might make come true someday,” Gerd said encouragingly.

  “Where are we going to find another king who’s good at heart, intelligent, with knowledge, honor and valor?” Nilsa said with a sweet smile.

  Egil blushed. “Thank you … that touches my heart … I’m blushing.” He bowed his head.

  Valeria gave a sarcastic grimace. “I don’t think our present king can boast of any of those qualities.”

  “Not our own king, nor the king of Zangria, nor the king of Erenal,” Nilsa said. She spread her arms in a gesture of frustration.

  “Dasleo, the King of Erenal, is a great supporter of the arts,” Egil pointed out. “His kingdom has the largest library in Tremia.”

  “But he’s at war with his neighbors,” Gerd objected.

  “I think he feels he’s obliged to stop King Caron of the Zangrians.”

  “Well, anyway, you’d be a much better king,” Nilsa said. “As far as we’re concerned, of course, and you could set an example, I know you could. Maybe that way our kingdom would stop being an embarrassment in the eyes of the rest of Tremia.”

  “Yeah, everybody sees us as a bunch of Nordic brutes who spend their time looting and pillaging,” Gerd grumbled.

  “Well, the Zangrians aren’t much better,” Valeria pointed out, “and from what I’ve heard, the Noceans in the south of the continent are even worse.”

  “It’s the times we’re living in,” Egil said, sounding more hopeful. “The future is yet to come and yet to be decided. We’ll see what it brings.”

  “All this you’re saying to Egil … is hypothetical, right?” Valeria asked. “What I mean is, you’re not going to try and be king, are you, Egil?”

  There was a long silence. Nobody looked at Valeria.

  “Are you?” she insisted.

  Egil looked up and met her large blue eyes, fixed on his own. “Of course, it’s hypothetical,” he said with a smile.

  “Phew, thank goodness! For a moment there you scared me.”

  Nilsa and Gerd looked at one another, but said nothing.

  “Which way do we go now?” Nilsa asked

  Egil took out one of the maps he carried and studied it, scanning the land and the sky as he did so.

  “Southeast. We need to cross the Lakes. But first we have to go to the fishing village of Belgaris. It’s nearby. We’ll see it as soon as we cross this lake here.” He pointed to his left.

  “Are we going fishing?” Valeria joked.

  Egil smiled. “Something like that. We’re going fishing for information.”

  “I love it when you get all mysterious,” Nilsa said with a giggle.

  Gerd frowned. “I don’t like it so much myself. Mysteries tend to bring unexpected problems with them, and they scare me …”

  “I promise this one won’t,” Egil said reassuringly. “Everything’ll be fine.”

  “Let’s see if that’s true.”

  “Shall we be off?” Valeria asked.

  “Yeah, let’s get a move on,” Egil agreed.

  They set off down the hill, and Nilsa glanced back briefly. A shadow seemed to be visible among the trees. She sat still in her saddle, taking a good look at it. When her friends reached the lakeshore, she was still looking back.

  “Anything wrong?” Gerd called at the top of his voice.

  “Not sure!” she shouted back from the top of the hill.

  “Are we being followed?” Valeria asked.

  “That’s what I’m trying to find out!”

  Finally, Nilsa joined the group, shaking her head.

  “Are you all right?” Egil asked her.

  “Well, I don’t really know. I can see shadows following us …”

  “Shadows?” Gerd repeated in surprise. “Could you just have thought you saw something, and then it turned out to be the shadow of something moving? An animal? A clump of bushes blowing in the wind?”

  “Yeah, I guess so, but I have this strange feeling, as if somebody or something were following us.”

  “You’ve been saying that ever since we left,” said Valeria. “If we still haven’t seen anybody following us, then probably we’re not being followed.”

  “In other words, it’s my imagination,” Nilsa said crossly.

  Egil was scratching his chin. “If it’s a persistent feeling, I think we ought to investigate it. Sometimes our subconscious informs us of things we can’t quite make out clearly. Most of those times we dismiss it, but on this occasion I think we ought to investigate our friend’s strange feeling.”

  “Absolutely right,” Gerd agreed.

  “Well, yes,” Valeria said, “better to clear up any doubts. Besides, if this goes on, her neck’ll be permanently twisted from so much looking back.”

  “You can laugh, but that’s already starting to happen. It’s really painful when I lie down to sleep.”

  “In that case, not a word more,” Valeria said. “What’s the plan?”

  Everybody turned to Egil, who looked around. “Let me think for a moment …” he said.

  A short while later the group split up. Each of them entered the Lakes region from a different direction, on horseback. Egil rode south around the first of the lakes, which was large, with calm blue water. On one side was a forest, on the other an empty field. This meant that on that side he would be able to see any danger. The area was quiet, but they were all aware that they might come across a patrol of Zangrian soldiers at any moment.

  He went on at a gentle trot and stroked his horse’s neck. The soldiers would almost certainly be further to the south, in what was known as either “the border within the Thousand Lakes”, or “the area in conflict”. They were still in territory which was under Zangrian control. The second lake formed an almost perfect circle, and was beautiful. He would have loved to have stayed and enjoyed the view, even to have gone for a swim. He saw different water plants he did not know, and scientific interest stirred in his mind. What kind of plant-life was that? Could it be used for medicinal purposes? His curiosity was piqued. One day he would come back to make a proper study, when his life was not immersed in one kind of turmoil after another. He laughed to himself. He very much doubted whether his life would turn peaceful in the near future. Probably the exact opposite.

  “What can I do about it …?” he said to his horse, who snorted. He smiled. He was Egil Olafstone, and he would live the life he had been allotted. He would fight for his destiny, and for that of his friends, as he was doing at that moment and as he would do at all those other moments in the future, which he had no doubt would be many and difficult.

  “We’ll overcome them all,” he told his horse, and began going around the lake between two wooded areas. He looked back, but saw nothing suspicious and went on as far as a small grassy hill. The weather in this part of the Lakes was much warmer and more pleasant than in Norghana. The further south they went, the hotter the days would be. The climate in Norghana was freezing, in Zangria it was cool, and in Erenal by now it was warm. If you kept going south, toward the Nocean Empire, it became hotter until finally, in the south of Tremia, it was insufferably hot.

  The view from the top of the hill was overwhelming: an immense plain which stretched as far as the horizon, filled with lakes of beautiful blue water, all of different shapes and sizes, creating a labyrinth dotted with forests, small hills and plains covered with green grass. Egil had the feeling that one day some powerful god, who had suffered great misfortune, had shed tears throughout that expanse, creating those lakes which now filled it.

  He had good visibility over a wide area, as well as over the way he had come, with only the groups of trees and one or another lonely hillock to block his view. When he looked over his shoulder he could see nobody, neither his supposed pursuer nor his partners. Once he was sure he was not be
ing followed, or at least as sure as he could be, he went on southward.

  He repeated the strategy twice more: once when he passed a lake on a rise, then again after leaving behind a long, deep hollow between two lakes. The result was the same. Probably Nilsa’s nerves were playing tricks on her. They were both a blessing and a curse. She was always alert to everything, but often what she felt was deceptive, brought about by her own nerves. On this occasion, it was more likely to be the latter.

  He rode on until nightfall, and stopped to spend the night by a small, quiet lake beside some wood. He made sure there was nobody near and lit a good fire, even though the temperature would not fall very far. He sat down beside the fire and ate the supplies he had brought with him, while his horse relaxed by the water. He looked up at the starlit sky. They would have pleasant sunshine tomorrow, something which always cheered the spirit.

  He took his notebook out of one of his saddlebags and began to make notes as if he did not have a care in the world. In fact, the plan he had come up with was a very simple one. If they were being followed, it would probably be him they were after, and for that reason he would give them the chance to catch him on his own, defenseless and unthinking. Whatever the intentions of whoever was following them might be, he would not be able to resist an opportunity like that.

  He smiled. He was acting as bait, which was not something he was particularly enthusiastic about, but in that particular situation it was the quickest and most efficient way of finding out whoever was following them – if indeed anyone was. They would know soon enough. He went on writing, feeling that he was acting his role as bait very well, out there in the open beside the fire, by himself. A very tantalizing bait. Night fell, and darkness enveloped everything. He put another log on the fire. He needed to be very visible, and visible from some distance away.

  While Egil was pretending, a figure was approaching on foot, taking great care not to be seen or heard. It went into a small fir-wood three hundred paces or so away. Egil did not notice it because of the distance and the darkness, although he had foreseen this scenario.

  A moment later a second figure entered the forest. It was Gerd. He moved through the trees carefully, short axe in one hand, knife in the other. He could see Egil’s fire in the distance, beyond the trees. He scanned the trees in silence, in search of some revealing movement. Even though he could see nothing, he was sure there was someone there. Fear began to creep up his chest, and he took a deep breath. He had to calm down. There was no reason to fear anything. He was in a forest, and within this forest there was an enemy: a human one. He would find it and hunt it down. There was nothing to be afraid of. Once he had thought it all out, his fear vanished from his soul, just as it had appeared, in a flash.