Path of the Specialist Page 2

  “It’s all the same to me,” Viggo said nonchalantly.

  “Yeah, sure,” Ingrid snapped.

  “If I pass, that’s fine. If I don’t, that’s fine too.”

  “Even you don’t really believe that.”

  Viggo’s face took on an untroubled expression.

  Suddenly Camu appeared running, and in three bounces he leapt to hug Viggo.

  “Bug, get off me!”

  Camu licked his face while he protested furiously. They all burst out laughing.

  “This second part of the year is going to be something to remember,” Lasgol said.

  The others nodded, still laughing.

  Chapter 2

  Lasgol was feeling very enthusiastic. They were on the mountain, waiting for Elder Specialist Gisli to begin the training for the second half of the year. It was going to be intense, and by the time it was over it would have taught them all they needed to know to become elite specialists. Beside him, Luca too was smiling. Erika and Axe were talking about ferrets and hawks, and which of the two they would prefer for a mission. Erika was giving Axe a masterclass on wildlife, and Luca was listening attentively. Lasgol was coming to realize that she knew a lot more about animals than any of them.

  Gisli appeared on his way up the hillside. The air smelt of summer’s end, and the temperature was pleasant. The snow still lay only on the highest peaks, so that they were free to enjoy the forests and cleared areas below. The warmth would not last long, and Lasgol was enjoying every day the sun shone and the sky was clear.

  Gisli pointed downwards. “On the ground.”

  Lasgol and his colleagues sat down, and Gisli did the same in front of them.

  “Today we’re going to start with the practical lessons for the second part of the year. I need you to pay careful attention to everything I tell you, because I won’t be able to repeat it. Not because I don’t want to, but because we have a lot to cover and I won’t have time to teach you everything if I stop to repeat myself every time. Don’t take me for a grumpy old man, it’s just the harsh reality of the short time I have to train the four of you.”

  Lasgol did not think Gisli was grumpy; of all the leaders of the Shelter he seemed the kindest and most entertaining. Ivar on the other hand was definitely grumpy. Engla’s character was churlish and intimidating. Annika seemed pleasant but reserved. And Sigrid, with her two personalities, was too complex to understand, and much depended on which day you happened to catch her. The one who seemed most sympathetic was Gisli, and Lasgol happened to have him as his own Elder Specialist. For once he had been lucky.

  “We’ll give you all our attention,” Erika reassured him. “You won’t need to repeat anything, Master.”

  “That’s the way I like it: keen students.”

  “Very keen, Master,” Axe said.

  “It’s an honor to be able to train in an elite specialty,” Luca said, very seriously. He genuinely felt it and was not saying it just to please the Elder.

  Gisli nodded and turned to Lasgol. “And what do you think?”

  “I still can’t believe I’m here. It’s like a dream.”

  Gisli smiled and looked satisfied. “Well then, all of you, wake up and let’s get down to work.” He stood up, and so did they. “The first thing we’re going to study is the specialty of Man Hunter.” He looked at Luca.

  “It’ll be an honor, Master.”

  “Good. But to learn we need to suffer, as the Path of the Specialist says.”

  Lasgol swallowed. The training was turning serious. Erika glanced at him, and fear showed in her eyes.

  “I’m ready,” Luca said.

  “I like that,” said Gisli. “That’s the right attitude. Today we’re going to hunt you.”

  Luca looked at him in puzzlement. “But... aren’t I supposed to be the Hunter? To learn…?”

  “To be a hunter you first need to understand how the prey thinks,” Gisli said didactically. “We’re going to hunt you. To give it a touch more realism, and so that you make the most of your abilities and talents, we’re going to use elemental arrows.”

  “Yes, Master...” Luca said. He did not sound very convinced.

  “As for you others, I’ll explain the techniques of tracking and finding him as we go. Don’t worry, Luca, afterwards we’ll have a one-to-one. We’ll go over everything you’ve done, and I’ll show you the techniques.”

  “All right, Master.”

  “On you go. You have till I finish counting to two hundred as a head-start, then we’ll go after you. As it’s the first time it’ll only be us humans, without animal support, but we’ll be hunting you as if you were some unscrupulous bandit, wanted for murder.”

  “Okay,” Luca gulped, and ran off.

  “You others, arm yourselves,” Gisli said, and handed them quivers of elemental arrows.

  “Master,” Erika asked, “we’re not going to cause him any real harm, are we?”

  Lasgol already knew that the answer would be yes, but he waited in case he was wrong.

  “Of course, we’re going to hurt him. That’s how you learn.”

  “But...”

  “Don’t worry. The charges in the elemental arrows are powerful enough to cause intense pain, but not to kill.”

  “Or injure?” Lasgol asked uneasily.

  Gisli smiled. “Let’s hope not.”

  Axe was examining the arrows. “They’re marking tips,” he said.

  “Yes, they’ll cause pain but won’t injure.” As Gisli said this, he was looking at Lasgol, who felt reassured by this.

  Gisli counted to two hundred, and they set off. He went first, followed by Lasgol, who was deeply interested in everything that involved tracking. After him came Axe, and closing the line was Erika; tracking was not her forte. They went into the forest, where Luca had disappeared by now, and Gisli crouched down to search for his trail. He found it at once, as if guided by an innate instinct. Everyone nodded when he pointed it out. He signaled ahead, and they went on.

  The initial trail was very easy to follow, because Luca had run as fast as he could to outdistance them, not bothering to be careful. Broken branches, footprints on soft ground, bushes with their branches pulled aside... even a blind man could have followed the trail. But a little way ahead things changed; Luca must have realized he was being too obvious and started to be more careful, because suddenly the trail vanished. Gisli stopped, smiling.

  “Our prey’s beginning to conceal his trail. You always need to remember that the prey will try to hide his trail and be very much on the alert, because he could turn against the hunter if he were to find himself cornered.”

  “But we’ve got to corner him, surely?” Axe asked.

  “No, we have to hunt him without letting him see us coming. Never corner your prey. It’s a great mistake, and it could cost you your life.”

  “Understood,” Axe said, and Erika nodded.

  “Look for the trail,” Gisli told them.

  They did this for a while, and in the end Lasgol found it. “Here, Master, he’s heading southeast.”

  “Good eye. You’re good at this. You two didn’t see it, did you?”

  Axe and Erika shook their heads with a touch of shame.

  “Don’t worry, I’m here to teach you. Listen to me carefully.” Gisli crouched down again, and for some time he went over the three different techniques for finding a lost trail. They were all impressed, and Lasgol would have liked him to have gone on explaining things like this all day. Or even all night as well.

  “Let’s go on,” Gisli said. “The prey’s getting away.”

  By now the trail was getting harder and harder to make out in the dense forest. Luca was making a good job of hiding it and making things difficult for them, and Lasgol was not surprised; Luca was very skillful and intelligent, but unluckily for him Gisli was practically infallible and picked up the trail with amazing ease. Every time he found it, he would stop to explain how he had done it, together with some trick that would he
lp them in similar situations once they were out of the Shelter. Lasgol listened carefully to every word.

  They reached a more open part of the forest, and Gisli told them to have their weapons at the ready. He pointed to the southeast. Lasgol could not make out either Luca or his trail, but if the Elder was pointing southeast, that was where his partner must be.

  “Erika, fire arrow,” Gisli said.

  “At your command, Master.”

  “Lasgol, air arrow.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “We’re going to make him run,” Gisli went on.

  “I don’t see him, Master,” Axe said.

  “You will.”

  Lasgol and Erika were straining their necks to see above the vegetation, but they could not see him either.

  “I’m going to throw a stone. Erika, release where the stone falls.”

  The stone fell on a clump of bushes between two trees. Erika released against the bush in an arc. The fire arrow hit the ground under the bush, resulting in a small burst of flame.

  “Watch,” Gisli said.

  The bush caught fire, and a few moments later it was burning fiercely. Suddenly a crouching figure ran out.

  It was Luca!

  “Bring him down,” Gisli said to Lasgol.

  Lasgol aimed as Luca was running. He followed him with his eyes between the trees, aiming until he had a clear shot, then released. The arrow brushed past two trees and hit Luca in the back. It exploded with a burst of thunder, and a discharge lashed Luca. He fell to the ground and lay there amid convulsions.

  “Good shot,” Gisli congratulated him.

  “Thank you, Master,” Lasgol said. He did not feel too good after bringing down one of his friends, but he could not disobey a direct order from an Elder Specialist.

  “That’s how you approach a prey who’s cornered. Using cunning, not confronting him. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Master,” said Lasgol, who had the feeling that this lesson would be useful to him some day.

  “But we won’t always have elemental arrows available,” Erika objected. “They’re hard to prepare.”

  “That’s correct. Most of the time you won’t have that luxury, because the reality is that elemental arrows are just that: a luxury for a Ranger. So, you’ll have to use your head. How would you have made him come out without an elemental arrow?”

  Erika was thoughtful. “Hmm... by throwing a small torch at him?”

  “Good thinking. Exactly. You could have made a small torch or turned your short axe into one and thrown it into the bushes.”

  “I see,” Lasgol said, while Erika beamed in pleasure at the Master’s compliments.

  “Axe, put out the fire before half the forest burns down.” Axe ran to obey. “Now let’s have a look at our prey.”

  Luca was conscious, but not moving.

  “Are you all right?” Gisli asked.

  “Yes, the tremors have gone,” Luca said. He got to his feet slowly.

  “You did very well,” Gisli said. “You’ve got talent.” He gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

  Unable to help himself, Luca looked startled. Then he smiled. “I tried to hide my trail.”

  “Now then, we’ll follow that trail backwards, and I’ll explain what I told the others. Then we’ll repeat the exercise.”

  Lasgol and Erika exchanged a suspicious glance.

  “We have three more prey to bring down,” Gisli added cheerfully.

  Axe, who was on his way back from putting out the fire, heard him and looked horrified. Lasgol and Erika looked at each other resignedly. It was going to be their turn to be prey now, and they would end up knocked down and convulsing on the ground. Or worse still, burning!

  They went on with the training, attentive to all Master Gisli’s explanations and wisdom. They suffered, but they learned, just as he had said they would. The system might not be very orthodox, but it was efficient.

  The day ended with Erika, Lasgol, Luca and Axe scorched and sore, but very happy about all they had learnt. Luca had also enjoyed two private sessions with the Elder, while the other three rested and recovered. These were specifically concerned with Man Hunting, and when he came back, Luca was smiling from ear to ear. At that moment Lasgol was envious, but he knew that he too would be having private sessions with Gisli and would learn a lot. Soon Luca’s smile would be his own.

  Next day came Axe’s turn.

  “Tireless Explorer,” Axe said proudly when Gisli asked him for his specialty, which Lasgol was sure the Elder already knew.

  “Good. It’s a great specialty, and much sought-after. They’re going to love you in the army.”

  “I hope so…”

  “But it’s a specialty which has its dangers...”

  “Oh yes?”

  “Oh, very much so. Anyone who explores without pausing on the way tends to find things out, and not all of them will be good or expected.”

  Axe looked doubtful. “Oh...”

  Lasgol was beginning to see where the Master was going with this conversation.

  “So that you can make better sense of it, we’re going to do an exercise which will help you and which you’ll remember. You’re going to have to explore the forest behind us: north to south and east to west. It’s quite extensive. I’ve hidden four objects there which I want you to find and bring to me.”

  “What objects, Master?”

  “You’re an explorer. If I told you, there’d be nothing to explore.”

  Axe nodded in understanding.

  “Get going now. The others will watch, and I’ll explain today’s lesson as we go.”

  Axe went into the forest and began to explore toward the north, moving in a straight line, crouching with an arrow ready in his bow as if he were entering enemy territory. He looked to right and left warily as he went, alert to everything.

  “First lesson: never explore in a straight line. Always do it in a zigzag, or else you’ll come across your enemy face to face and be unable to react in time.”

  Axe corrected his movement.

  “Better,” Gisli told him. “Eyes, ears and sense of smell at maximum alert.”

  They reached the middle of the forest, and Gisli explained to them how they needed to explore surroundings that were unknown and probably hostile, either because of wild animals and bandits or enemy soldiers.

  Suddenly Axe caught a glimpse of a spear with a Ranger scarf, near the northern end of the forest. He went closer to it, and when he was about to seize it, there was a click. He looked toward the sound. Before he could react, the trap exploded under his foot with a small burst of smoke and earth which left him blinded and stunned.

  “You were in too much of a hurry,” Gisli pointed out.

  Lasgol had not seen the trap either. It was very well-sited, two steps before the spear.

  It took Axe some time to recover, and judging by the expression on his face, he did not manage to do so completely. He went on exploring eastward, going more carefully now, constantly looking down, fearful of stepping on another of the Elder’s traps. Gisli meanwhile explained the best ways to find traps in the forest. According to the Master, it was a real art, since there were enemies who were very skillful at setting them.

  The second object was a Ranger’s axe with a scarf, which was embedded in a tree. Axe made sure he did not step on any trap before going up to it. Finally, when he saw his way was clear, he went up very carefully without stepping on any trap. He seized the axe and tugged at it. As he did so, a sack full of logs fell on him and knocked him down. The blow was a resonant one.

  “You need to look in all directions,” Gisli said. “Upwards as well.”

  Axe was left lying on the ground, unable to get up. Lasgol wanted to go and help him, but Gisli stopped him.

  “He has to learn,” he said, and showed them a thread which was barely visible and very strong. It was the one used for the trap.

  A while later, sore and wiser for his experience, Axe set off once again. Un
fortunately, he also failed in the search for the next two objects: a shield and a sword. He fell into two more traps and ended up crawling through the forest.

  “I hope you’ve all learnt the lesson,” Gisli said to them.

  “Yes master,” the others replied, almost in unison. As for Axe, he could not even speak.

  “I’ll stay here with Axe and explain everything he did wrong. You others can go back.”

  Lasgol set off for the Shelter with the feeling that they were going to learn a lot, but that at the same time they were going to suffer as much, or more.

  Chapter 3

  As the group came out after doing their morning chores in the Cave of Summer, they saw something completely unexpected.

  “And who’s that?” Astrid asked. She nodded toward a stranger who was crossing the entrance to the Lair.

  “It certainly isn’t Loke,” said Luca.

  Ingrid, Molak, Lasgol and Viggo followed him with their eyes. The new arrival was very short, almost the size of a child, yet his face was that of an adult. He wore his blond hair in a queue, his grey eyes were very large and his face almost beautiful. He was not dressed like a ranger, but instead was wearing an undecorated black cloak. Under it he wore a black tunic and black pants. When Lasgol looked at him more closely, he noticed that his gloves and boots were also black. He was not carrying any weapons, but his wide leather belt was noticeable. He looked like a grave-digger, and Lasgol shivered.

  “It’s a dwarf,” Viggo said.

  “Shhh,” Erika corrected him. “Don’t be rude, you should say small person.”

  Molak was even more exact. “To be correct, he’s a person of restricted height.”

  The stranger crossed the chamber without looking at anybody, as if they did not exist. He reached the Cave of Winter, where Sigrid and the Four Elder Specialists were waiting for him. Sigrid welcomed him curtly, and the Leader of the Shelter did not look pleased, rather the opposite. She greeted him, and the name of the stranger reached them: Enduald.

  Astrid was looking at the stranger with narrowed eyes. “Who can that be?”