“By the Ice Gods! That’s a snow panther!”
“You’d better not shout like that, Ulf, you’re scaring her …”
“Scaring the panther, he says! How could I scare a wild panther? It’s the other way round!”
“Knowing you, I doubt whether she scares you too much,” Lasgol pointed out.
“Nah … you’re right. I’ve seen too many things in my life to be scared of an animal. She doesn’t frighten me.”
Ona growled defiantly.
“You don’t scare me, pussycat,” said Ulf, staring at her with his good eye.
Easy girl. Friend, Lasgol assured Ona.
The panther looked at him unsurely and gave an enquiring chirp.
Yes, it’s true he’s a friend. He’s Family.
Ona chirped again and relaxed a little, but went on staring at Ulf as if he were some old bear, solitary and furious, who was trying to attack them.
“What are you doing with a panther inside the house?” he said in a more reasonable tone of voice. “Is it one of those weird Ranger things? My, you’re weird!” He had raised his voice again.
Ona stiffened. Yes, Friend, he had to assure her for one last time, and in the end he managed to make her accept him and relax.
“Yes, it’s one of those Ranger things,” he confirmed with a smile. “Now I’m a Ranger Specialist. I’m a Beast Whisperer, and she’s my Familiar.”
“I’ll never understand it,” the old soldier said, shaking his head and looking displeased. “I always said you’d be better off in the army. Much better career prospects than with the Rangers.”
Lasgol rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’m very happy to be a Ranger. The army isn’t for me.”
“Well, are you going to give me a hug, or d’you want this old cripple to make the first move?”
Lasgol laughed, “Of course, I’m going to give you a hug. Come here,”
The two of them hugged tightly. After this Ulf slapped him on the back at least ten times, he was so happy to see him. The slaps were so hard that Lasgol felt as though he was being beaten with a wooden spade.
“I’m so glad to see you back home! You had me worried!”
Ona stiffened again.
“Ulf … your voice …”
“Bah! Pussycat will get used to it, I always speak like that, and you know it.”
“Pussycat …” Lasgol chuckled, amused at the word.
Ona in turn hissed in annoyance.
“But does she understand me?”
“Not you. Me, yes. Although she’s very intelligent and discerning. She can pick up when someone’s speaking ill of her, or me.” Lasgol stroked her, and she rubbed her head against his leg.
“Look at her, she’s just like a kitty.” Ulf’s voice turned sarcastic. “Does she catch mice?”
“I’ve seen her bring down Nocean mercenaries as big as you are.”
“Wow, now that really is interesting. But she couldn’t do that to me, that’s for sure. A Nocean soldier isn’t the same as a Norghanian one. We’re twice as good at everything.”
“At least!” Lasgol laughed.
“Yeah, maybe more. There’s no infantry better than the Norghanian in all Tremia. That’s a fact.”
“I know, you’ve told me that any number of times.”
“Well then, never forget it. You spend too much time with the Rangers, and they fill your head with nonsense, like walking around with a snow panther as if it were your own personal mutt.”
“More like a mixture of bloodhound and mastiff.”
“Is she that good?”
“Better. She stood up to a Mountain Ogre to defend me.”
“By the wintry skies! You should’ve told me before! Now that really does get my respect!”
“She’s fantastic. She’s still recovering from her injuries.”
“You’ll have to tell me everything. A Mountain Ogre! It must’ve been impressive! There are none of them left in this area!”
“Of course, I’ll tell you. Have you just come from the inn?”
Ulf opened his good eye wide. “Where else would I be at this time of day?”
“Of course…” Lasgol agreed with a huge smile. “How did you find out I was back?”
“All the rumors reach the inn before anywhere else. I was peacefully enjoying a little painkiller when a bunch of miners came in talking about a madman who’d arrived in the village with a snow panther. That caught my attention. When we started chatting, the miller came in saying it was a Ranger, which interested me even more. Finally, the blacksmith came in saying he’d recognized you. So, I came over at top speed.”
“Top speed …” Lasgol smiled. He was staring at Ulf’s crutch and stump.
Ulf smiled back. “You know what I mean, kiddo. Let’s go inside. It smells delicious. Martha must be cooking. That woman prepares some incredible delicacies.”
“Yeah, she told me you often come.”
“Of course, I come, when it smells as good as that. Besides, she has some painkiller, and when she’s in a good mood she gives me some.”
Lasgol laughed. Ulf had managed to sweeten Martha to the point of giving him wine. Now that was a real achievement.
They went inside and into the kitchen, guided by the delicious aroma as though hypnotized.
“I see that news flies as far as the inn,” Martha said as soon as she saw Ulf set foot in the kitchen.
“There’s no better place for finding out everything that’s going on in the village, and in the whole county,” Ulf said with satisfaction. “There are days when you find out what’s going on in the whole kingdom!”
“Oh, of course, it’s the cream of the village and the surroundings who spend their time there!” Martha said with heavy irony.
“By the icebergs of the north! Is that the magical creature?” Ulf had spotted Camu and was pointing at him.
“Yes, Ulf, it’s Camu.”
“He’s huge! He looks … I don’t know what that thing looks like, but he’s grown!”
“It’s been a while, and yes, he’s
