The Voyage In The Blizzard - Chapter 38
On the way back, when the three of them wanted to make the transition, suddenly behind they heard a very loud noise and laughter.
Youngsters of the same age, dressed in vests and trousers, ran from somewhere and headed towards houses. From a distance it was difficult to see their faces, but it was noticeable that there were radiant smiles and joy on their faces. Pushing each other and shouting something, they one after another entered the houses and three noble-looking elders with very long beards followed them.
Noticing the three strangers, the elders nodded slightly and turned away and began to talk about something. Noticing that they were wearing long, dark green robes with some kind of bird or flower pattern, Longwei asked, “Who are they? Their dress seems familiar to me.”
Baofeng-Xue replied, “These are teachers. The wisest and smartest ones. They teach children everything they need to know. But for two of us they are unfamiliar. Our fathers were our only teachers….”
“I remember them. They are very kind and generous.” added Xiaoli.
Casting one more glance at them Longwei said, “Let’s go now.”
On the way home, Longwei asked the question that always bothered him, “As far as I know, in this world, when you turn 25, you have to leave an heir. But of course if before 25 you did not show any strong qualities and showed everyone that you are a true warrior. We will soon be 25. And what will happen after 25 years old? Will we continue to train? ”
“After 25 years, we will train. Only on a real battlefield. We will be soldiers, and if we wish we can continue to live in the village. But many after 25 just live close to the battlefield. Well, some stay in the village. Didn’t you notice that some of the soldiers living in the neighboring houses look much older?”
“Yes, but why would they want to live close to the battlefield? I mean, aren’t they wondering how their children are growing up?”
“Youngsters, here, grow up very fast. In a matter of months, they are already a soldiers. And sentiment is superfluous when you have only one goal in your head. Not everyone is like yours and my father. Not everyone finds time for their children. Perhaps because they do not want to look at them, cause they know what is awaiting them ahead. On the battlefield.” said Baofeng-Xue with sadness in his voice.
“Well, what about these teenagers? The ones we just saw. Who are their parents?”
“In three clans, there are a lot of soldiers. And half of them you have not seen. So far, all you see is us. Those who share a house with you. But in fact, a lot of people live on these three mountains. You are just did not meet them.”
“I see. How much I didn’t know.” said Longwei looking at the sky.
“You have been in yourself for too long. You have lived in seclusion for too long, forgetting about the world in which you are.”
“Hey, are you still mad at me for leaving you?” embracing his shoulders Longwei asked.
“Of course yes! And what do you think? You think that I can forget all these years when I was worrying about you and wondering where you are?” Brother Xue replied and pushed him away.
Suddenly, three of them froze in one place and with mesmerized look were looking at the sky. After all, what they saw was the rarest miracle.
A piece of the sky suddenly became clear, the wind scattered the clouds, opened the long-forgotten, blue, clear sky. The blue sky, purity of which kept the traces of the sun’s rays. Keeping such clarity, the sky a second later closed with clouds again and the cold wind returned with the blizzard.
“Did you see that?” Xiaoli asked in amazement as he continued to stare at the sky.
“This is what the sky looks like.” said Xue.
“A blue sky with a golden veil of sunbeams, a bright sea full of a thousand candlesticks.” Longwei said poetically, shedding one small tear.
Competing with a blizzard, competing with the wind that overtook all the running, the soldiers of the Third clan for the second hour were training their lungs and endurance, holding logs on their backs, and were running forward despite the fact that they were almost knocked by the wind.
Drops of sweat fell on the snow leaving traces.
Longwei, running in front of everyone, and already overtaking Lei, left him behind. Trying to breathe through his nose, Longwei, feeling the sweat flowing down his back, suddenly pictured Lei in front of him. Long and silky hair, deep, cold eyes filled with secrets, red lips that beckoned, strong hands that were always ready to fight, a slightly open shirt that exposed the warm skin, touching which you could lose yourself, his voice, whispering … Imagining him, Longwei sped up his run with all his might and tried to banish these thoughts. But knowing that he was running behind, hearing his smooth and loud breathing behind him, it was more and more difficult for him to drive these thoughts away. Without feeling his legs, but feeling his entire body filling with fire, Longwei closed his eyes. At this moment, he wanted to fall down so his thoughts would leave him. But the flat snowy field did not give him the opportunity to fall.
Opening his eyes, hearing Lei’s breath nearby, Longwei turned his head and saw him next to his tensed body. Now running in unison two tall figures of the same height, catching each other’s glances, knowing each other’s thoughts but not daring to speak, with all their hearts wished to be somewhere far away from here. Where they could tell each other everything that was in their hearts.
Without taking their eyes off each other, knowing that they were very far from everyone, knowing that the thick night would not allow anyone to see them, to see their greedy feelings in their eyes, they allowed themselves to get a little closer.
Moving their feet in unison, their hearts beat in one beat too. The worlds within them intertwined together. Longwei, looking at the bright, calm eyes nearby, opening his mouth wanted to whisper, wanted to say, and Lei, holding his breath, longed to hear Longwei’s voice, the words that all this time had been addressed only to him.
“Lei.” whispered Longwei.
“Longwei.” Lei whispered.
But without giving them the opportunity to finally pronounce their names again, suddenly a loud cry was heard that broke the icy air.
Having stopped, everyone looked in the direction from which the cry came. Through the darkness, one could see the figure running towards the field.
“He’s been killed! He’s been killed!” a voice was heard even louder.
Lei and Longwei rushed towards the running man and immediately saw who he was. It was Boqin.
“What happened?”
“Boqin?! What happened!” shouted Lei. With horror in his eyes, Boqin could not tell right away, but then pointing towards the houses said, “One of the soldiers, I found him dead in the forest. Lei, this is here. They got here!”
Shouting loudly, Boqin covered his face in horror and looking at everyone said, “These are beasts, they are …” Without finishing, Boqin suddenly fainted. Lei threw him on his back and noticed that blood was coming from his shoulder.
“Longwei, take everyone home. Quickly!” Lei ordered, and ran towards his house.
On the way home, Longwei saw the head of the clan, Xing Fu approaching them.
From the field to the houses, it usually took only a few minutes, but here, on this night, the time took forever. Walking briskly, Longwei looked back and said, “Faster!”
Without a word, entering the houses and locking the doors, all at once, without lighting the candles, rushed to the windows.
“What’s happening?” someone asked.
“What was teacher Boqin doing here? And who wounded him?”
“He said they were already here. Who was he talking about?”
Longwei, striding from side to side, replied, “Beasts, he meant them.”
“And this scream, it was not Boqin who screamed. It was the scream of a beast. Am I right?” Baofeng-Xue asked.
“All of you, don’t open the door. Don’t light the candles. Stay at home. And keep your swords with you.” Longwei said in a commanding tone and rushed to the door, but Baofeng-Xue immediately stopped him.
“What are you doing? Where are you going?”
“Let go. I need to check if everything is alright.”
“Insane!” shouted Baofeng-Xue.
Pushing him away, Longwei told everyone, “Don’t let him follow me.”
Quickly opening the door, he slammed it and his steps sounded further and further.
“And when did he become the commander?!” Delun asked in surprise.
Baofeng-Xue just whispered to himself, “Idiot.”
Grabbing his sword, he was about to run after Longwei but Xiaoli closed the door and said, “I don’t think you should go.”
“Go away.”
“No.”
“I have to go after him, what if something happens?”
“Longwei is much stronger than you. Nothing will happen to him.” Nodding his head, Xiaoli walked away from the door and Baofeng-Xue wanted to leave but he was immediately caught in Delun’s strong embrace.
“Let me go!” he shouted, but Delun did not let him move. He threw him on the bed and said, “You should not go. Longwei knows what to do. He has become the best warrior for a long time. We need to listen to him.”
“And when did you take his side?” grumbled Baofeng-Xue trying to get up.
“I didn’t side with him. I just see him as a real warrior.”
“Don’t try to escape. You’re not ready to face the beasts yet.” said Xiaoli helping to hold him back.
Longwei, walking slowly and cautiously, looked around but saw no one. Although he felt someone’s presence around him. Perhaps out of fear, or excitement, his imagination began to play with him, but he knew for sure that it was the cry of a beast.
Passing the logs, he heard a heavy, intermittent breathing somewhere. Hiding behind the logs, he was ready to join the battle, but remembering that time on the battlefield, he knew that he could not defeat the beast alone, but still collecting all his strength into fists, he was ready to attack first.
Hearing the footsteps getting closer and closer, sweat beaded on his forehead. It was difficult to see through the darkness, but he tried his best to see anything other than the logs.
Without moving, squatting, Longwei knew that if he stood up, he would see red eyes, long arms and a twisted body in front of him. Feeling no fear at all, he was preparing to attack but he heard Lei’s voice.
“Longwei is that you?” he asked from behind the logs.
Realizing that it was not a beast but Lei, Longwei slowly looked out and saw him.
“So it’s you.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I was walking towards you.”
“Why?”
“Lei, what’s going on? Are they here? Beasts.”
Hearing a shrill scream reminiscent of both howls and sounds of despair, Lei grabbed Longwei by the arm and led him away with quick steps.
Finally reaching the house, Lei locked the doors and windows. Going to the second floor, he did the same in all the rooms.
“Lei stop!” exclaimed Longwei grabbing him. “Why don’t we all go out and fight? We are trained for this.” he said.
“Now, before engaging in battle, we need to know why and how they got here, and only then can we join the battle. We’re not sure if they are beasts at all.”
“What? What are you talking about? But Boqin said that it was the beast.”
“I don’t trust him.” Lei answered sharply.
“But what about the screams? It’s their voice.”
“Longwei, listen to me, now, in a hurry, we cannot open the battle here.” Lei answered and left.
An hour later, the screams died down and the silent nature returned to its place.
Sitting by the window and watching Lei who was still standing by the window Longwei did not hold back his silence and said, “On the way, I saw Xing Fu. Was he walking towards you?”
“Yes.”
“What about Boqin? Is he okay?”
“Badly wounded. The wound is deep. He is unconscious. Xing Fu took him to the Main house.”
Realizing that something was wrong, Longwei got up from his chair and began to walk. “One thing I don’t understand. What Boqin was doing in our village?”
Lei replied without looking at him, “I don’t know. But I think it will clear up tomorrow morning.”
“It was Xing Fu who ordered you to stay and not leave the house?”
Lei nodded his head. “If it’s a beast, then we need to find out how it got here. If not, then Xing Fu will most likely have an affair with the head of the Third clan.”
“Don’t you think that something strange is going on. And Xing Fu seems to be hiding something.”
“Thinking about it now is a waste of time. We don’t know anything. So why think about it.” Lei said calmly, sitting down on a chair. Looking at Longwei for the first time so intently during all this time, Lei asked, “Why did you walk towards my house?”
A little embarrassed, Longwei looked away. “I just wanted to know if everything is okay.”
“With Boqin?”
“No. With you.” after saying this, Longwei felt an approaching but impossible closeness between them.
As if not paying attention to his answer, Lei said with a casual voice, “What can happen to me.”
“Anything. Lei.”
Looking at each other and as if reading their thoughts, they both stood up and made a few steps ahead. And now standing opposite each other, their thoughts ceased to fill their tired hearts.
Through the light that came from somewhere outside, they could clearly see each other.
Coming closer, Lei held out his hand to Longwei’s face but then immediately pulled it back. Quickly, as if he had come to his senses, he went away and disappeared behind the rows of books.
Longwei not daring to stop, followed him. Sliding his hand over the spines of the book, Longwei silently walked forward. Hearing Lei’s heavy breathing, he walked around the first row, then the second, and when he saw Lei standing in the corner, he approached him.
Standing so close, feeling the breath of each other between them, and that feeling arose again that was drowned out by all means.
Having touched each other’s hands, they held their breath and listened to their heartbeat. Time stood still, the wind died down.
Longwei stepping even closer and clasping Lei’s shoulders slowly moved his head forward and feeling Lei’s warm lips, he closed his eyes. The tide of a wave that swept from head to toe.
Grasping each other, eagerly, with strength, they stepped into the realm of love with a certain anger. Feeling the warmth, tenderness, they forgot about who they were.
Longwei, with his fingers wandering in his hair, pulled his head back and dug deep into his lips. Breathing loudly, they themselves, without noticing it, dumped several books from the shelves.
“Lei.” Longwei whispered.
Throwing Lei onto the carpet, Longwei whispered, “I was thinking about you. Constantly.”
Abruptly sitting down, Lei hugged him and there was something very tender and dear in this embrace.
Longwei closed his eyes and the night took away all his fears and doubts.
Waking up in sweat in the middle of the night, Longwei looked at himself and immediately remembered what had happened. Blushing slightly with shame, he looked at Lei lying next to him, who was quietly sleeping. Replaying in his head what had happened a few hours ago, Longwei got up and took Lei’s robe that was hanging on the chair, covered himself with it and went to the window.
Still feeling Lei’s hands on him, feeling the kisses and what followed, Longwei covered his face with his hands.
“What are you doing?” Lei asked.
“Did I wake you up? Sorry.”
Acting as if there was a small chasm between them again, Lei said, “It’s quiet outside. I don’t think it was a beast. If it was a beast …”
Longwei interrupted him and hugged him sharply.
“Do not say anything.” he whispered.
“Longwei.”
“Be quiet.”