on the hill by constantly lighting matches and setting small fires in the withered grass. It wasn’t easy because the snow had melted in very few places and the grass was still moist. But there was a sufficient amount of fire burning here and there in the mounds, enough to leave Kat-ghil and his cohorts in awe over the magic spells.
Fire was a holy thing for those ancient people and seeing someone creating it from thin air left them completely flabbergasted.
But Gabriel and his friends were also dumbfounded at the sight of the miracles. One of the nice little shamans got so agitated that he threw a burning match at the Evil Eye. He should not have done that. The Evil Eye stepped to one side and chanted such horrible invocations that it made the little Taran-gai fall to his knees in painful spasms.
His friends dragged him away from the spot while he moaned in fear and pain.
Meanwhile the other five had managed to grasp the idea behind the pistols. Gabriel’s first shot hit the ground and sprayed soil over the Terror. The shooters had been given strict orders not to shoot the shamans up on the hill. That would be meaningless, since they were mere spirits and the bullets would immediately be revealed as being harmless – to them at least.
No, everyone followed Gabriel’s example and aimed at the ground, at a specific angle so that the evil spirits’ faces were filled with soil and grass.
Gabriel’s friends squealed with delight. They went on shooting and shooting until he finally had to stop them. The magazines would soon be empty if they didn’t restrain themselves. They weren’t all allowed to shoot at once, it was a matter of buying time. Once again, Kat-ghil and his kindred spirits were forced to wipe soil from their faces, but all this would soon have to end, they consoled themselves.
At that moment Rune appeared.
The four lying on the ground had finished wiping their faces, and they looked up when they heard a sound they had never heard before. A muffled bang and the roaring sound of a motorbike.
Rune was unable to manoeuvre it properly. But he had watched Marco and he did know a little about engines.
It was an impressive sight as, intoxicated by the speed, he came thundering across the uneven ground. He sat with a straight back and Gabriel thought he could discern a smile on his otherwise stern-looking face. His dreadlocks fluttered in the wind and he approached the hill with a threatening wobble. His little allies, the Taran-gai, ran fearfully to the side, but Rune just rode on. Gabriel got the frightening impression that he might not know how to stop.
The four figures on the hill stood completely still. The motorbike came whizzing up the slope. Gabriel just managed to discern the rather panic-stricken look on Rune’s face as he rushed past, then crashed straight into the bonfire and through it. The Terror was toppled over and he brought Kat-ghil down with him. Winter Sorrow tumbled fearfully down the hill on his side. The only one who remained standing was the Evil Eye, but that was merely because he was so flabbergasted.
Gabriel squinted, screwing up his face and covering his ears with his hands when he heard Rune turn the motorbike around with a loud clattering noise. Halkatla would later report that she had seen Rune fly shrieking through the air before landing back down on the ground.
But Ulvhedin, who had seen the motorbike before and wasn’t nearly as easily impressed as the Taran-gai, grabbed the opportunity. In a thundering voice, he began to recite conjurations against all four evil shamans and, dazed, his friends woke up and supported him. They went up to the hill and surrounded the four of them, shouting conjurations so loudly that their enemies didn’t have a chance to interfere.
“Powers that be!” Kat-ghil shouted across the moor, “Powers that be! Come and send them to the Great Abyss!”
But his voice was drowned out by all the noise and became increasingly unclear as he himself dissolved in the fog. The Evil Eye tried, in a cowardly way, to crawl away. Winter Sorrow squirmed in a futile attempt to resist the conjuration, while the Terror lay on the ground, unable to move, having been run over by Rune. Winter Sorrow was the one who resisted the longest, as he remained standing in the same spot long after the others had faded away. But then again he was Tan-ghil’s own son.
It was the two women who finally put an end to him. He had abducted numerous women and abused them, later to sacrifice them, and now he was forced to experience Tun-sij and Star undressing him with their relentless gaze. First the deerskins he was wearing, then his own skin and then the very flesh on his bones. Then they crumbled as well, until there was finally nothing left of the evil Winter Sorrow, the murderer with the beautiful name. He also disappeared from the spirit world, like his son, his grandson and descendants – Kat, Kat-ghil, the Terror and the Evil Eye.
“Shamans of Taran-gai!” said Ulvhedin solemnly. “You have managed to perform your task expertly. You have removed these obstacles and made it possible for your western allies to advance. That is a feat that will never be forgotten; Gabriel will see to that!”
He continued: “It was your feat, yours and that ruffled creature limping up the hill here.”
He turned to Rune and put his arm around his shoulders. The Taran-gai laughed delightedly, in part at Rune and in part because of their own achievements. They all embraced one another, whereupon the men went down to admire the motorbike and learn more about it.
A small group remained at the top of the hill.
Mar looked across the moor, where a faint light indicated that the sun had risen beyond the fog.
“The day has begun well,” he sighed in satisfaction.
There was a visionary quality to Tun-sij’s gaze.
“The evil day,” she whispered.
Sarmik didn’t say anything. He had every reason to agree with Tun-sij’s words.
They had finally reached the top of the moor, Targenor and his entire army of living spirits and demons. And Targenor turned to Marco and Nataniel.
“During the first phase you will join us. But once you see the time approaching, you are to take another route. None of our enemies must know that you five are on your way into the valley.”
Dida nodded. “While we stall potential enemies, you will sneak into the Valley of the Ice People by a different route. We won’t be able to get in there until you have cleaned it up and cleared the way for us. Then we’ll come and see if we can make contact with the spirit of Tiili.”
Nataniel confirmed that he had understood. There were five of them: Nataniel, Marco, Tova, Gabriel and Ian. Four of them had a small bottle with them and Gabriel had his notebooks.
“How long will we be allowed to have our guardians with us?” Tova asked.
“Linde-Lou, Halkatla, Ulvhedin, Sol and Tengel the Good will accompany you to the valley entrance,” Targenor answered. “And so will Rune. After that the responsibility is yours.”
“We understand.”
Targenor turned to the Taran-gai, who were waiting in anticipation. His smile became gentle. “You did something exceptional today. You are hereby released from your task if you wish to be.”
Sarmik stepped forth. “Honorable King of the Ice People ... I for one would like permission to stay on. I think you, Lord and King, and your honorable mother Dida, would understand my wish.”
“Yes, Sarmik, we understand,” said Targenor solemnly, placing a hand on the short man’s shoulders. “Several of us have suffered great losses.”
“I would also like to partake in it, if I may,” said Mar.
“You are an obvious choice,” Targenor answered. “You have always stood with the western Ice People.”
The little Taran-gai whispered together. Then Inu stepped forward.
“Our battle today was crowned with success. None of us wishes to retreat.”
“Excellent,” said Targenor, touched. “Sarmik,