T-I-G LXVII: The Rangers of the North - The Fell Winter

[Nogrod]

Sorry but I’ll make you all men because the story is a story of rangers and there probably weren’t any female rangers – not to talk of half of the gang being females… Sorry.



The dark clouds that poured the snow down had blocked the sun already in the early afternoon but now it was getting actually dark. The wind grew harsher and colder by minute and the rangers trying to make their way in the snow were having no choices. They had to halt rather sooner than later.

“Baithïr’s hills should not be far… we’ll take cover for the night there!” Captain Nogrod yelled against the storming wind hoping that someone could hear him from the howl of the air around them. Well, if we find them in this blizzard… he thought to himself but kept the pessimism to his own.

They dragged on for about an hour in the blizzard when they finally saw the dark shapes of the small mounds the rangers called Baithïr’s hills in memory of a rather comic incident a few Breelanders had been involved with decades ago. None remembered the story too well anymore but the name had stuck.

“Here be it!” Fea proclaimed when he finally reached the slight cover of the mound and threw his backpack to the snow.

“Then fire…” said Nienna as he let his backage down next to Fea’s.

“Who has the firewood?” Inzil asked looking around for a suitable place to start building a fire.

“I has them!” Sally shouted from behind. “I’m coming, I’m coming… just a moment.”

Suddenly the wind sounded different. It was like it had been but it was also like there was something added to it.

“Now what’s that?” Hakon asked somewhat irritated.

“I don’t like the sound of it, whatever it is…” Mac said spitting to the snow and then raising his head to listen more carefully.

“Wolves?” Kath asked after listening to the sounds for a few seconds. “That could be wolves…”

“Wolves, here?” Loslote sounded unhappy with the speculation. “Now we don’t need to add wolves to our condition now do we?”

Suddenly Valier stood up from his pack he had been sitting on. “I have a bad feeling about this… it sounds like wolves but it’s not normal wolves. It’s something fouler…”

“You mean the stories of the White Wolves might be true?” Greenie suggested looking grim.

“I’ve heard even fouler stories…” Nerwen added and took a firm hold of his sword. “Whatever they are, they are nearer now!”, he shouted and stood up.

“A circle, form a circle!” Nogrod yelled drawing his sword.

“I can see one, there!” Roa called and ran to face the beast coming from the blizzard.

“I’m with you!” Lommy shouted and went after Roa.

“There’s one… no two here as well!” Boro yelled and charged.

“Coming! Coming!” Legate called after Boro.

“They’re everywhere!” Gwath exclaimed while turning against the nearest one.

“Cover your mates! Look around!” Brinn yelled as he went to help Gwath who was actually facing two wolves.

“One down!” Rune was all smeared in blood but the wolf laid down in front of him. The snow was dark red around the corpse. “Who needs help?”


The fight was over quite as soon as it had ignited. The wolves retreated as soon as they realised they had attacked tougher guys they had bargained for. But many were wounded, Captain Nogrod the worst. He had a bleeding artery and had been saved only by Hakon’s courage and determination.

“Loslote! The Cap’n! We can’t let him bleed to death!” Greenie yelled when he saw the blood around Nogrod and tried to rip the furcoat from him to get to see the wound.

“Fire someone... Sally, quick!” Fea called and went to her package looking for the little herbs he had left.


Soon the rangers had built a modest camp shoving the snow away from an area and building a fire in the middle of the sphere of uncovered soil. Nogrod laid by the fire and the fever started to rise. He was shaking all over even if the wounds had been succesfuly bound.

“Rest now me mate…” Mac tried to console the Captain stroking his hair. “Just rest, everything’s different in the morning. We’ll keep you warm my friend.”

Nogrod tried to say something but couldn’t.

“Okay, some people take care of the Captain but we need sleep ourselves as well…” Gwath said and looked around. “Wake me up in a few hours and I’ll pick me a mate to look after him for the next few. Okay?”

"Wake me up as well..." Roa said, "I'm no use in healing but I have my sword and my ears..."

Many nodded while others just turned away to get some sleep. Boro and Kath stayed at the side of their Captain as the first turn keeping up the fire and trying to make Nogrod to swallow their last herbs in a potion Valier had made.

"Just don't die now... don't you dare to die... we've seen too much together" Kath whispered while trying to make Nogrod drink the potion.

Boro stared at the fire and the snow piled on his jacket... It was going to be a long night to all of them.

It's Night1 now (and I'm ten minutes late...).

Hush...