“Devils take them!” cried one of the children as he ran to the side of one of the fallen.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save all of you,” Lasgol said. “Is there anything else I can do? Whatever you need.” He looked up at the farm, which had stopped burning and was almost completely destroyed by now. He wished he could have done more for those poor people.
“You’ve already done a lot, Ranger,” said an old woman who was hugging a little girl. “The farm’s lost, and my son’s dead. There’s nothing to be done. That’s life here in the North. War always brings misfortune and suffering. This one was no different.” There was profound sorrow in her voice.
“We’ll take you in,” said the woman who had nearly had her throat cut.
“Thank you … with all my heart …”
“We Norghanians help one another in times of woe,” another elderly man said. “Our home is yours too.”
Tears flowed, and grief and pain took over the families who had lost their loved ones. Lasgol insisted on helping, but they would not allow it. They begged him to go on with his duty of helping Norghana, because there was nothing more he could do there. They would say farewell to their loved ones and prepare funeral pyres for their eternal journey to the Ice Gods. At last, Lasgol took his leave and left, with a heavy heart, to go on with his mission.
That evening, resting beside a fire in a roadside wood, Lasgol was petting his two friends. One hand was on Camu, the other on Ona, as if they were two huge playful pups. They were both enjoying his affections immensely. Trotter, who always preferred to stay a little further away from the two friends, was resting beside a tree a few paces away. Lasgol could not help smiling delightedly. The love and comradeship Ona and Camu willingly gave him, filled him with great joy.
He smiled. Cuddly, that’s what you two are, a cuddly pair.
I not cuddly. Ona cuddly.
Oh yeah? That’s why I’m scratching your tummy and you’ve been lying with your legs in the air without moving for quite a while. You’re not enjoying this at all. I can see that clearly.
I not enjoy. Ona enjoy.
Can you believe what he’s saying, Ona?
The panther protested.
Exactly. Camu, you don’t fool us. You’re enjoying the petting too. Or would you rather I stopped and only stroked Ona. As you don’t like it …
Camu, lying on the ground with his legs flexed in the air, stared at Lasgol without moving. Go on a little more, he begged, looking saintly.
That’s what I thought, Lasgol laughed, and Ona let out a chirp that sounded like a giggle.
They settled down to sleep. It took Lasgol a while to fall asleep after what had happened, but he finally did. The presence of Ona and Camu at his side made him feel safe. His first dream of the night was turbulent, but in the end his sleep was peaceful and pleasant.
With the arrival of dawn, they got ready to set off again. An idea he had had in mind since the confrontation with the mercenaries came back to him.
You know, there’s something I’ve been thinking about …
If you not say, not know, Camu transmitted. It sounded like a question.
Lasgol chuckled. You’re right. If I don’t tell you, you won’t know.
Ona, beside him, made an inquisitive sound.
Camu moved his head from one side to the other. I always right.
Lasgol shook his head at this. What I’m thinking is that we ought to be better prepared for situations like that one with the mercenaries. Our lives are always going to be surrounded by dangers, and one of the commonest tends to involve bandits, wrongdoers, corrupt soldiers and people like that. I think we need to practice a few tactics for when we find ourselves facing that type of danger again.
Ona growled and slashed the air with her paw.
That’s right, Ona.
Fun.
No, it’s not … fun …
Fun. Yes.
I’m not going to argue with you. I was thinking about that situation of the woman with the knife at her throat. I want to try something. A technique for disarming the attacker before he hurts his victim.
His two friends watched him attentively as he took a piece of wide replacement leather from Trotter’s saddlebags and protected his right arm with it, rolling it twice over the leather protector he was already wearing. Rangers wore two armbands of reinforced leather to protect themselves in combat and for use in archery and falconry. He took out his Ranger’s knife and placed it in position, as if he were threatening someone’s throat.
Ona. Stalk. Behind, he ordered the panther. She obeyed at once and crouched behind him, ready to jump on him if he gave the order.
I take. I near.
I’d guessed you’d be very close. But taking a knife from an armed man who’s threatening to kill someone can’t be done just like that.
I want learn.
Ona chirped, joining Camu.
You want to learn how to disarm an armed man?
Yes, disarm. No danger.
Yes, in fact it lowers the risk a lot, but it doesn’t eliminate it completely.
I learn.
Mmmm, but as you don’t have fangs … Ona can do it, but as for you … I can’t see how.
Ona growled, showing her fangs.
You see? You don’t have teeth like those, to tear flesh. Yours are for chewing vegetables.
I bite hard.
Maybe, but you don’t have teeth to bite with.
You see …
Lasgol rolled his eyes and abandoned the conversation as hopeless. Camu was going to stick to his idea, and there was no way of getting him to change his mind.
All right. Let’s see how you both do it. Ona. Disarm,
