The druid queen, p.26
The Druid Queen:, page 26
part #16 of Path of the Ranger Series
“Specialists, over here!” Lasgol waved at them.
The four comrades turned and seemed to recognize Lasgol and Egil. They came quickly, smiling.
“Lasgol, Egil, what a surprise!” Gonars greeted them. He was just like they remembered him, a little more mature but with the same intense eyes.
“It is a surprise indeed! It’s been ages since we’ve seen each other,” Lasgol replied.
“You look exactly the same!” Elina said. Lasgol studied her. She still wore her long light-chestnut hair tied in two long tails on both sides, Norghanian style. Her face was not beautiful but her brown eyes shone with a special light, that of a bright mind.
“I’d even say more handsome,” Frida smiled. Lasgol looked at her next: she had not changed either. She was short and pretty as always, with a face with slanted eyes and a nose like a mouses. Her copper hair was still not too long. Lasgol remembered she always spoke with a calm, gentle voice which transmitted peace.
“Particularly Egil, he seems to have grown at least a hand since the last time we met,” Sugesen said, jokingly.
“And you are all more handsome and tall, indeed,” Egil said, smiling.
“Can we greet and hug the famous Royal Eagles, or do we have to keep up appearances?” Gonars asked, looking around as he watched all the soldiers going here and there following the officers’ orders.
“Maybe fame has gone to their heads and they want nothing to do with old acquaintances they studied and trained with,” commented Sugesen ironically.
“I don’t think so, am I right?” Elina said, raising both eyebrows.
“It would be a shame if they’d become all aloof…” Frida said.
“Of course, you can greet and hug us. We’re still the same as when we were together in the Shelter,” Lasgol said, spreading his arms wide.
“The same, just with a few more experiences on our backs,” Egil commented. “Nothing is as comforting as seeing old friends again.” He smiled and opened his arms to them.
They exchanged hugs and affectionate, well-intended words.
“How have you been? How have the years treated you?” Lasgol asked, all of a sudden feeling like he was rejoining friends lost a long time ago. He felt a strange mix of melancholy and joy at seeing them again.
“Not as well as the Panthers,” Gonars smiled. “You’re the most famous Rangers of the realm.”
“I’d say of History! It’s as if we were standing before legends,” Frida said, giggling.
“No legends!” Lasgol waved the comment away.
“Let’s say we’ve found ourselves involved in interesting events that we had to get out of as best as we could,” smiled Egil.
“They say all kinds of things about you,” Elina said. “Some are quite crazy, like that you’ve made a pact with a forest goddess who protects you and grants you powers.”
Lasgol and Egil laughed out loud.
“That would be nice! Very, very nice,” Lasgol said.
“Unfortunately, that’s not true. We only have this and this,” Egil said, pointing at his head and then his heart.
“Better that way. I admit I’ve been worried with all the rumors about you,” Frida smiled.
“I’ve spent most of my time in the forests on the border with Zangria,” said Gonars. “They needed a good Forest Trapper to catch spies and prevent any possible incursion by the Zangrian army. I believe I’ve set so many traps on the border these years that now the forests are impassable,” he smiled proudly.
“We’ve been in that area a couple of times,” Lasgol said. “I think I might have encountered some of your traps.”
“Well, being you, I’m sure you saw them and avoided them.”
“By a hair’s breadth, but yes,” smiled Lasgol. “The truth is that we chose less frequented passes, more to the west. You must’ve been wandering the eastern forests.”
“That’s right, avoid them if you can,” Gonars advised them, “I won’t be responsible for what you step on.”
They all smiled.
“I’ve been sent to the north, in the frozen forests before entering frozen territory, watching for the presence and movements of the Wild Ones of the Ice and other tribes of the Frozen Continent,” Sugesen told them.
“It must have been tough, even for a Forest Survivor like you,” said Lasgol.
“Yeah, winters are terrible up there. This change of scenery will be good for me.”
“He’s protesting for no reason. See how good he looks! And that in spite of spending half a year frozen alive,” Frida said, and they all laughed.
“Have you detected any significant movement of the peoples of the Frozen Continent?” Egil asked with interest.
Sugesen shook his head.
“That’s why I’ve been sent here. I’ve been relieved by an even greater beginner Specialist sent up there to cover my post.”
“What doesn’t make much sense is to make me come, a Healer Guard,” said Frida with a shrug. “They have the King’s surgeons, apart from healers of great reputation here in the capital.”
“Then what could I say? I’m an Expert Herbalist,” Elina commented. “Why am I needed at the castle?”
“I’m afraid the reason is that situations might happen in which you might be needed to heal someone or identify a little-known poison,” Egil speculated.
The four newly arrived Specialists looked at them in surprise.
“Are they afraid there’ll be trouble during the wedding?” Gonars asked, looking worried.
“It could happen, yes,” Egil confirmed.
“Wow, that’s not good,” Frida said sadly.
“I thought they had brought us to fill holes in the parades,” Elina said.
“I’d already suspected that something might happen. It’s not normal for all of us to be summoned at once to the castle,” commented Sugesen.
“Most likely nothing will happen,” Lasgol said, trying to calm them down, “it’s a simple precaution. Besides, you’re not wrong. The King wants to show off his strength so he wants all his soldiers and Rangers in the parades to impress his rivals.”
“Well, in any case, the Royal Eagles will take over if anything goes wrong,” Gonars said, winking and smiling with irony.
“It’s good to know we have old friends with us who no doubt will come to our aid,” Egil winked back.
They all laughed and remained chatting a little while longer, remembering past times at the Shelter and their adventures since their paths had parted until reuniting now, a few years later.
Lasgol felt the camaraderie of his colleagues, the respect and affection they felt for each other, and his heart filled with joy. Nothing like remembering the good times, funny anecdotes, and laughing peacefully to forget for an instant all the problems, all the pressure, and feel good.
They took their leave with the intention of meeting later on if their duties allowed it.
By the time they arrived at the Tower of the Ice Magi, Eicewald was already waiting for them. The door was opened by the young apprentice who led them into the hallway. The first thing that made Lasgol’s jaw hang open was that the whole interior of the Tower was snow white. The walls, the floor, the ceilings, even the furniture—everything was white.
Lasgol saw an Ice Mage walk by with his white hair and robes, and he could hardly see him since he blended into the environment. That had to be done on purpose. In the middle of the white hallway Eicewald was waiting. He looked well, radiating power here in his Tower.
“How are you? Forgive me for not having been able to be with you more often, but King Thoran has me so busy with the preparations for this wedding I’ve barely had time to breathe.”
“We’re great, and we perfectly understand how busy you are,” Egil said and greeted him with a nod. “In any case, I’ve just come back,” he smiled.
“Then you must tell me everything,” Eicewald said. “I’ve had occasion to speak with Lasgol, although not as much as I would’ve liked to.”
“Enough,” Lasgol replied, also smiling.
“I wish these were other times and I could continue training you and Camu. I miss it.”
“And we miss our teacher,” said Lasgol gratefully. He missed the lessons too and he knew Camu did as well.
“The duties to the Kingdom can sometimes be a bane,” the Mage commented.
“But no less unavoidable,” Egil said mischievously.
Eicewald laughed.
“Please, come with me to the guest study where we welcome visitors to the Tower,” the leader of the Ice Magi waved them forward.
Lasgol and Egil nodded and followed him.
Eicewald led them to a door on the right of the hallway. Like everything else there, the door was white and had no handle or lock. The Mage placed the palm of his hand on the door and uttered a word of power. Lasgol felt the magic summoned and saw the hand shining with a white flash. The door opened without a sound.
The room was spacious, and the fact that it was completely white made it look bigger. There were four large armchairs on a white bear-fur rug in front of a fireplace where a strange fire was burning. It was bluish, the color of ice. It had to be decoration, since it was spring and the weather was wonderful. Then they remembered they were in the Tower of the Ice Magi so it was likely always cold here. Indeed, the fireplace was not for decoration.
On the wall to the right there was a large armory, only it had no swords, spears, or bows on it but ice magi staves, made of ice of different lengths and with strange white gems at their tips. Lasgol could feel power radiating from them. On the left wall there was a bookshelf with arcane tomes. The light filtered through some long, narrow windows in the nearest wall.
“Let’s sit and chat quietly,” the Mage told them.
Lasgol and Egil sat down while they looked around the room.
“Are we even allowed to be here?” Lasgol asked. “I thought only other Ice Magi could enter your Tower.”
“You are allowed as my guests, but only to this room. The rest of the Tower is forbidden to those who don’t possess the Gift and follow the path of the Element of Water,” Eicewald explained.
“Is it safe to speak here? There are things we’d rather not be known, and there’s one Ice Mage we know we can’t trust…” Egil said quietly.
“I’ll deal with that,” Eicewald started to cast a spell in the middle of the room, standing on the bear rug and moving his staff in circles as he uttered strange words.
Lasgol and Egil watched carefully—Lasgol to learn and Egil to try and understand what Eicewald was doing.
Once he had finished casting his spell, a sphere formed around the three of them, engulfing the chairs they were sitting in. It looked like it was made of thick ice, but it shone with a strange gray hue that indicated there was something else.
“This sphere will prevent Maldreck or any other Ice Mage from hearing us.”
“Impressive,” Egil said, touching it with his hand. “It’s not cold.”
“It’s a protective sphere. I’ve modified it to prevent any sound from leaving it.”
“Good thinking,” Egil congratulated him.
“I’d like to be able to conjure up something like that,” Lasgol admitted with a little envy he could not hide.
“You’ll soon be able to, don’t give up,” Eicewald said encouragingly.
“Don’t you worry, I’m going to try,” Lasgol said.
Eicewald nodded and smiled.
“I have no doubt.”
“How’s your research on the pearl necklace we brought you?” Lasgol asked restlessly.
“It’s going quite well. I’ve been able to find out that it’s not a necklace.”
“It isn’t?” Lasgol looked at him, surprised.
“No, this necklace only serves to disguise the Silver Pearls. The key is in each of the twelve pearls that make it.”
“Then the necklace is just a ruse?” Egil said.
“Yes, in order to make the Pearls pass for a harmless, exotic necklace that a noble woman with lots of gold can wear,” Eicewald explained.
“That’s why we found it as part of a treasure,” Lasgol guessed. “Its owner thought it was very valuable.”
“What’s important are the Pearls. They’re similar to the Great Pearl we found in the Druid Forest and which I hid in order to continue studying it without Maldreck and the other Ice Magi’s interference.”
“Could they feel its power?” Lasgol asked.
“Yes, indeed. Drakonian Power. All of them,” Eicewald told them. “I still don’t know their purpose, but each one of these Pearls is filled with immense power.”
“Then the necklace isn’t safe here,” said Lasgol.
Eicewald nodded.
“I know. I have to move it to a safe place like I did with the Great Pearl.”
“What we do know or can guess from the events is that Dergha-Sho-Blaska seems to be searching for them. At least the pearls in the necklace, since his servants were looking for it,” said Egil.
“What we have to find out is why,” Lasgol said.
“Hmmm, they have nothing to do with any specific end,” Eicewald commented. “Power is power. In any case, we must prevent Dergha-Sho-Blaska from recovering the Pearls,” said Eicewald. “I’ll hide them, but the dragon might be able to feel them. They radiate power, and he might detect them from afar.”
“How are you going to prevent that?” Egil asked.
“The source of power inside the pearls is so manifest that I’ve had to hide them in two special boxes. They’re objects of power with the ability of masking sources that radiate power. The Silver Pearl of the Druid’s Forest is in one, and the Silver Pearl necklace is in the other.”
“Excellent idea. It can’t have been easy to find those boxes,” Egil said.
“We, Magi have some artifacts that come in handy every now and then,” Eicewald said and smiled.
“Will you hide the necklace Pearls with the other Pearl?” Lasgol asked.
“I think it’ll be better to keep them separate, hide them in two different places. If the dragon finds one of the two boxes, at least he might not find the other.”
“I agree,” Egil said, nodding. “You should never put all your eggs in one basket.”
“Where will you hide it?” Lasgol asked.
“I still don’t know. I need to think about it.”
“Very well, when you decide we’d like to know,” said Lasgol.
“Of course, I’ll let you know,” Eicewald promised.
“Good, that way we’ll be able to guard them,” said Egil.
“Very well, and now, Egil, tell me everything that’s happened in your search for information please,” the Mage asked him.
Egil told Eicewald everything he had found out, as well as what Gondabar and Raner had decided. He did it calmly, in a way that the Mage might understand everything that was at stake. Once he finished Eicewald remained thoughtful.
“It’s going to be difficult to help you in this search. The King… isn’t going to let me leave for a few days….” Eicewald leaned back in his armchair and was thoughtful again.
“Perhaps the help you can provide is identifying which of the weapons is really the one we need to find,” said Lasgol. “That would shorten the search time, and if it’s the right one we’ll have done it. Searching for all of them, one by one, will take us a very long time, several seasons.”
“Yes, I see what you mean, Lasgol, but it’s risky. If I’m wrong, we’ll be lost when Dergha-Sho-Blaska appears.”
“We have no choice. At least for now, while the wedding is on course,” Egil said.
“With more time we could search for all of them and then discover which was ‘the one.’ But since we don’t have time, we will have to focus on one of them,” Lasgol insisted.
“I understand,” said Eicewald.
“If we had to choose between having a weapon now or several weapons later on, we’d most likely choose the second option,” Egil went on, “since we don’t know which one is the real one that can kill the dragon. But, having one now, if we find the correct one, might save us from destruction if Dergha-Sho-Blaska appears all of a sudden.”
“He might not appear,” Eicewald said. “He might remain hidden, recovering for a long time. We are speaking of a being thousands-of-years-old who has lived several existences. He won’t be in a hurry. It’s not in his nature. Haste is something that belongs to humans, not to millenary creatures.”
“True, but on the other hand, we have a Royal Wedding, with the presence of several monarchs and royal envois from the most powerful kingdoms of Tremia,” Egil replied. “If there was a moment to make an appearance and cause a massacre of great impact in the whole continent, it’s this one.”
“Besides, we believe he’s here, in Norghana,” Lasgol added.
Eicewald was still thinking about everything they had told him.
“Very well. Leave me all the information you have about the weapons which supposedly can kill dragons and I’ll study it. I’ll tell you which one in my opinion we should search for first.”
“Wonderful,” said Egil.
“I won’t be able to guarantee it’s the weapon we need,” Eicewald warned them.
“We know, and we’ll take that into consideration,” Lasgol said.
Eicewald sighed deep.
“I hope I am not wrong.”
Lasgol and Egil looked at one another. They were expecting too much of the Mage and they both knew it. To be right with such limited information as they had was going to require a lot of good luck, something that was never good.
Chapter 26
The following morning, the Rangers were summoned to gather in front of the Tower. All the Rangers, both those inside the Castle and the ones hosted outside. The Royal Guard and the soldiers who were on duty inside the castle moved back to leave space for the Rangers.
“D’you have any idea what’s going on?” Gerd asked while he was putting on his boots, sitting on his cot.
“We’ve been called to line up,” said Ingrid, who was ready to leave already, “no idea why.”
