Lasgol smiled and spread his arms to welcome them. “Welcome, my friends!”
The one leading them finally recognized him. “Lasgol!” It was none other than Ingrid, who strode forward and hugged him heartily.
“It’s so good to see you!” said the second Ranger. His size made him unmistakable.
“Gerd, this is great!”
The big guy gave Lasgol a bear hug the moment Ingrid let him go, and Lasgol laughed in delight.
“Put me down!” he begged. He was smiling broadly at the reunion.
“I guessed this must have something to do with you!” the third one said. She pushed back her hood, revealing red hair and a face full of freckles.
“Nilsa! I’m so happy to see you!”
“And me to see you again!” She too gave him a big hug the moment Gerd had put him down on the ground again.
“How are you all?”
“I’ve never been better,” Ingrid said.
Gerd flexed his muscular arms. “Flourishing like an oak!”
“It’s so good to see you!” Nilsa said. She was clapping her hands in delight.
“I’ll let you catch up, then afterwards we’ll have a talk,” said Eicewald, who had remained a little to the side. He went to speak to Captain Olsen.
Ingrid was looking around. “What are we doing here?”
“Haven’t they explained anything?” Lasgol asked, although he had guessed that bearing in mind the importance of the mission, presumably it would have been kept top secret.
Gerd shrugged. “Not a word, just that we had to come here urgently.”
“We met on the way,” Nilsa added. “I’ve told them it’s something very important and secret. Gondabar didn’t want to tell me anything, but he did say it was a special mission for the King.”
Lasgol nodded. He was about to explain when a new rider appeared on the dockside. It was another Ranger.
“Who else is coming?” Nilsa asked. She was hopping up and down excitedly, while everybody else was looking down, trying to guess who it could be.
Lasgol smiled. “We’ll soon know,” he said conspiratorially, and all of them turned to him eagerly.
When the Ranger had shown his orders, he made his way to the ship, and after asking permission of the Captain, he came on board. Lasgol had already recognized his voice and the way he walked.
“Oh no, not him!” Ingrid protested bitterly.
“D’you need the best Natural Assassin of the realm for anything special?” Viggo asked. He pushed back his hood and let them see his face.
Lasgol smiled from ear to ear. He was glad from the bottom of his heart to see his friend.
“Exactly!”
“Viggo!” Nilsa cried, and before Gerd could react she had already thrown herself on Viggo to hug him. She did it with such impetus that Viggo had to shift his posture so as not to fall backwards.
“I’m happy to see you too, red-head,” he said, and winked. “I see you’re still as poised and nimble as ever.”
Nilsa poked her tongue out at him. “And you’re as charming as ever.”
“Come here, Romeo!” Gerd said. He lifted him in the air with a bear-hug and began to twirl.
“Let me down, you giant, you’re going to make me feel sick. What’s all this passion for bear-hugs, anyway?”
“I love them.”
“Oh, I know. The problem is, the rest of humankind doesn’t.”
“Nonsense, you all love them!”
“This one’s got more than enough muscle, but he’s a bit short of brains,” Viggo murmured ironically.
“Don’t mess with Gerd,” Ingrid scolded him. “He’s a good person, unlike you,”
Gerd put Viggo down, and he went up to Ingrid. “You’re more beauti— I mean bossy every day, my little Blondie.”
“What d’you mean, ‘my little Blondie’? I’m going to give you a black eye!”
“I’ve missed you too,” Viggo said. He gave her a seductive smile and spread his arms wide for a hug.
“Don’t even think of it!”
“Just a little cuddle?” he begged, almost in a whine, and gestured to her to come and hug him.
“A kick where it hurts the most is what you’re going to get from me!” She gave him a fierce glare and took up a fighting stance.
He smiled mockingly. “Always so charming, and with those seductive ways of yours.” All the same, he refrained from taking a step toward her, just in case.
“Come here,” Lasgol said. “I’ll give you a hug.”
“Good thing someone loves me,” Viggo said. He turned to Lasgol with his arms wide, and Lasgol hugged him tightly.
“I’m really glad to see you,” he said.
“Aren’t they all?” Viggo replied with a mocking grin, as if the whole world were in love with him.
“Yeah, the whole kingdom,” Nilsa said, and burst out laughing.
Ingrid put her hands to her head. “By the Ice Gods! Who put this bonehead on the list? This mission is going to be insufferable!”
“It must have been some very influential noble, or else one of the leaders of the realm,” Viggo said, strutting like a peacock. “They’re all desperate to get hold of me.”
“I’ll tell you all about it in just a moment,” Lasgol said. He was scanning the docks in search of the last of the Rangers he had selected.
Nilsa, Gerd, Ingrid and Viggo began to joke among themselves as he stared out, getting more and more impatient. Would she come? Had she been notified about the mission? Had she finally been given permission? The doubts were beginning to pile up in his mind. They would soon be setting off, they had already finished loading the boxes of weapons, and now a group of soldiers was carrying up a couple of chained trunks.
Nilsa had noticed this. “Those look important,” she said.
Viggo arched an eyebrow. “I’d say that’s a mass of gold they’re loading, and part of the reason we’re here.”
“A cargo of gold on a ship?” Gerd said in puzzlement. “What kind of mission have
