The Voyage In The Blizzard - Chapter 103

“Why do I have to run all my life? Why can’t I stop or at least walk slowly? Why do my legs carry me faster than those white horses that compete with me? I ran all my life. I ran to meet life. I ran towards my dreams, towards him. I fled from death, from suffering, from anger. My legs are tired. I want to go home. I want to go home.” Longwei was thinking, looking ahead. “When will this steppe end? When will it all end? How much can I suffer?”

Overtaking horses, overtaking the wind, overtaking the eagles that flew in the sky, Longwei opened his mouth and shouted loudly. It was a cry of victory, it was a cry of despair and pain in the past.

Cloudy sky, raindrops, thunder and lightning, but despite this, his legs carried him forward, as well as the wings of huge eagles carried them towards the mountains.

The noise of the waterfalls, the sounds of hooves, the rustling of leaves, the heartbeat, Longwei breathed loudly and gasped. He gasped for air greedily. He did not pay attention to any beauty around, he just looked ahead. Hoping to see his home. His family.

But there was no end to the green fields.

“Yun Qi, how are you?” Lei asked a second time while looking at the small wounds on her hands.

“Dad!” Yun Qi protested, not wanting to answer a second time.

Handing out a cup of hot milk to her, Lei did not take his eyes off her, still waiting for an explanation for all those wounds that were on her hands.

Yun Qi put her hands under the table and said, “You have changed a lot. Did you cut your hair a little? The last time it was longer.”

“Don’t try to get away from my question.” Lei said sitting down opposite her.

Inhaling, Yun Qi rolled her eyes.

Three years clearly affected her appearance.

Hair tied in a bun and pinned up with a barrette in the form of the sun and the golden black soldier uniform gave her the look of the real warrior she always wanted to be.

While smiling at him, her gleam in her eyes was still a little dimmer than before, although her red lips always showed that she was happy.

Having matured, having changed her thinking, but still remaining the same Yun Qi, she did not allow the world, years to change the nature of her soul.

In the depths, in spite of all the battles and swords, the armor, she remained the same wise and gentle girl who is able to save the world at any second.

“I’m just worried about you. You stopped writing letter to me. And visiting too.” Lei said putting his arm around her shoulders.

Laying her head on his shoulder, Yun Qi said, “You know that I have a lot to do. And besides, I need to prepare for the final exam. And then after that, after I become a real royal warrior, I will give you, give us more time.”

“Well, okay. Just don’t forget about me. Otherwise you, with this school and the affairs of the kingdom, have completely forgotten about me.”

“You sound like an old man.” Yun Qi said laughing.

“Old man?! How can an old man do that?!” Lei said and suddenly lifting her ran out of the house.

“Let me go! Father!”

“Would you like to see my new cow?” Lei asked even though it was raining outside.

“Have you bought another one?”

“Well, once I started farming, I need more cows. Their milk is very sweet and besides, I finally learned how to make cheese.”

“And you’re not wasting your time, dad.”

Passing a small garden in which flowers were blooming, they stopped in front of the barn. Opening the door, Lei said, “Just try not to speak loudly. They are a little afraid of loud voices.”

“Are they also afraid of thunder?”

“No.”

Yun Qi approached the brown cow and touched her head. “Beautiful.”

“Next month, I’m planning.” Lei began but stopped.

Looking towards the door, he brought his index finger to his lips and, grabbing a small knife that was lying in the corner, went towards the door.

“Dad?” Yun Qi asked but Lei whispered, “I think I can hear someone.”

“There are no beasts here, enough already. You still cannot get used to the fact that this world has been without them for three years.” Yun Qi said without noticing that she had mentioned these three years.

Startled, she fell silent.

Looking at each other, they knew the reason for this silence.

“You’re right.” Lei said and threw the knife to the ground.

Not knowing how to behave further, but feeling the impending pain that they tried so hard not to show, the two of them leaned against the wall.

Observing all five cows peacefully chewing grass, Yun Qi decided to say, “I haven’t forgotten. It’s been three years.”

“Yes!” Lei replied, afraid of continuing this conversation.

“Dad.” Yun Qi looked at him and asked, “How are you?”

“Fine.”

“You don’t have to lie to me.” she said knowing what was hiding behind that word.

“And how are you?” he asked.

“You know.”

Again, an awkward silence.

“Yun Qi. You can tell me whatever you feel.” Lei said through the pleasant sound of the rain.

Smiling, she just nodded her head.

“What about your hands?” suddenly she asked looking at his bandaged hands.

“When I baked the pies, I burned my fingers a little. The skin became a little sensitive, but now I think everything has already healed.”

“Looking at you, I am surprised.” Yun Qi said laughing. “You were such a great warrior and now you bake pies.”

“I do my best to keep myself busy.” he answered.

“It helps.”

“Yes.”

Without letting the silence come between them again, Lei asked, “Do you want to sleep? It’s late. You’re staying here, right?”

“Yes. In this rain I won’t go back. Too far.”

“Before, you managed to run in the worst snowstorm.”

“And now the heavy rain scares me a little.”

“Come on.” Lei said and held out his cloak to her.

As soon as she rested her head on the soft pillow and felt the warmth of the blanket, she fell asleep.

Kissing her lightly on the forehead, Lei extinguished the candle and closed the door.

Trying to walk as slowly as possible so that the floor would not creak, he went into the small living room.

Throwing a few logs into the fireplace, he took the book that was on the table and opened the page from which the bookmark hung.

Reading the lines, but not understanding what they were about, Lei was mentally in a different place. But busting the feeling that was approaching him, he began to read on.

The soft light of fire fell on his face that expressed nothing but cold.

Stretching his legs forward and resting them on the pillow, he closed his eyes.

The sound of rain had a calming effect. And the realization that Yun Qi was sleeping in a room at the very end of the corridor made him happy.

Not noticing how the book fell to the floor, he fell asleep.

“Longwei.”

Waking up as soon as he heard the name, he looked at the clock that hung on the wall. Not even five minutes had passed since he fell asleep.

Picking up the book, he put it back on the table and putting on a raincoat and boots, he quietly left the house.

Then, closing the gate, he went to the field.

The ground beneath his feet was soft and the rain continued to pour gently. At times the dark sky was illuminated by lightning.

Lei stopped by the tree and took off his hood and looked ahead. In the direction where Longwei died three years ago.

Making it a habit to go out at night like this and stand by this very tree, waiting for him to come, Lei has been waiting for him all these three years.

And not for a single day did he lose hope that he would return.

But that night, he didn’t just stand there and wait. He moved forward.

Walking quickly forward, as if in a hurry, as if afraid that he might be late, Lei looked straight ahead. He did not take his eyes off the darkness that was beyond.

They walked in unison.

Both took a step with their right foot. Then with the left foot.

Both breathed in the same rhythm.

And both stopped a few meters from each other.

Lightning, a lot of lightning lit up the whole sky. The night has become day.

In disbelief, Lei thought at first that he was just seeing his own imagination. But when he heard a voice that said his name, he realized that it was true.

“Longwei?”

“Lei!”

And darkness again.

A feeling of loss and fear took possession of him. He walked forward, he was lost. The night was too harsh.

“No. Longwei.” he repeated, his arms outstretched forward.

“Lei.” Longwei whispered softly without feeling any strength.

“Longwei.”

“Lei.”

And then suddenly feeling someone with both hands, Lei froze.

But before he had time to understand what was happening, he was immediately chained in a strong embrace.

“Longwei is that you?”

“It’s me. Lei, it’s me.” Longwei said, squeezing him tightly.

“It’s true?” Lei asked, still in shock.

“This is me. This is me. I am here. I will always be here.” Longwei repeated.

Dropping a tear Lei hugged him, he pounced on him with greed. He squeezed his body with all his strength.

“It’s true.”

“True.” Smiling, fearful, Longwei continued to whisper his name.

Not noticing how they fell to the ground, as they knelt in front of each other, they repeated their names to each other.

Finally, lightning lit up the darkness.

Seeing each other, seeing a smile, seeing pain and joy, they did not know how to behave.

“What happened to you?” Lei finally asked after recovering.

“Death left me. I didn’t die. Lei, I fooled the death. And instead of dying I just sank into deep sleep.” he answered.

“You’ve been in a coma all these three years.”

“All these three years.”

Touching his face with a trembling hand, Lei knew what he wanted to ask so he said, “She’s fine. Yun Qi is fine.”

“I know.”

“Longwei.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s go home?”