The Voyage In The Blizzard - Chapter 40
“Head of the Second Clan, what do you know about him?” asked Longwei collecting his things.
After telling everyone that Xing Fu had assigned him one task related to the Second clan, Longwei began to collect his backpack upon arrival.
Delun, throwing up a small pebble, said, “The Head of the Second Clan, as I remember myself, I hate him. It always seems to me that he is hiding something, and that something disgusting is hidden behind this sugary smile.”
“And I heard that he once killed a man, the soldier of the Third Clan.”
“Why did he do that?”
“I don’t know. But one thing I know for sure, this head of the Second Clan is playing by his own incomprehensible rules.”
“Listen.” Enlai whispered, leaning over, “Once I was in the village of the Second Clan.. And there, even the soldiers are somehow strange. They seem to be scared and somehow tense. It’s so quiet in their village, no one will say a word. It’s scary.”
“Longwei, you were assigned to keep an eye on Sun, right? You know you can take us too? We could help you.” said Delun closing his backpack.
Longwei looked towards the door, thinking about Baofeng-Xue he said, “You are needed here. We are not yet sure that there are no beasts around the village. After all, we heard a scream. And we with teacher…”
“We? It looks like you and the great warrior Lei have become very good friends. I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few months you become a great warrior and lead the First Clan. Xing Fu still trusts you.” said Eagle scratching his head.
“Yes, our Longwei will definitely become one of the warriors who will go down in legend. Not everyone is like you brother Longwei. You are brave, smart and strong, and besides, you are good looking. There is a great future ahead of you. I bet on that.” Delun said with a smile on his face.
Having laced up his boots, putting on the warmest black fur coat, attaching a sword to his belt, Longwei, throwing his backpack on his back, looked at Baofeng-Xue’s bed. “When Brother Xue comes, tell him … No, it doesn’t matter.” Longwei said and left the house.
“What’s going on between them?!” Eagle asked and leaping onto the bed, stretching out, said, “Still, I’m glad the beast might be hanging around.”
“Glad? Are you out of your mind?”
“With this situation, with the beast, with the head of the Second Clan, Longwei and Lei can be together.” Eagle said with a broad smile.
Glancing at each other, everyone shrugged their shoulders and looked at him in silence.
“There is clearly something going on between them. But whatever it is, it doesn’t concern us.” said Delun looking at Xiaoli.
Having met at Xing Fu’s house, Longwei bumped into Lei and quickly walked away.
“Ready?” Lei asked without looking at him.
Longwei, trying to calm down, replied, “To what?”
“To the road. What else?” Lei said with a warm note in his voice.
“Yes.” Longwei answered shortly.
And then, hearing Xing Fu’s footsteps, they turned their worried gazes toward the stairs. Holding a bundle of things, Xing Fu said, “This is for you. The nights in the forest are cold. You will need this.”
Taking the bundle in his hand, Longwei felt a pleasant warmth and immediately realized that they were stones with dragon fire.
“Thank you Master.” he said placing the stones inside the backpack.
Looking at them once more, Xing Fu shook his head approvingly and turned away, he wanted to leave but stopped and said, “Be careful. Try not to be seen.”
“Yes Master.” Lei answered.
Once again alone, keeping a distance between each other, Longwei silently walked forward. Hot stones were felt through the backpack. Despite the icy wind, he was warm. Looking at Lei, who with a straight back and proudly raised head was walking forward, Longwei stopped and quickly took out a stone, burning his fingers and held it out to Lei.
“Put this in your backpack. It will be much warmer.”
“I’m fine.” Lei replied trying to look serious.
Grabbing his cape, Longwei stopped him, opened his backpack and put the stone inside. Walking close to him, Longwei said with a slight smile, “Let me take care of you.”
The corner of Lei’s mouth suddenly flinched, his eyes shone with the brightest lights, his eyebrows relaxed and his shoulders dropped. Looking around and making sure that no one was around except for the dense trees through which it was impossible to see anything, Lei quickly pulled Longwei to his side and just as quickly kissed him, leaving a pleasant sensation on his lips.
“What are you doing? Someone might have seen us.” Grabbing Lei by the shoulders, Longwei said.
“It’s just two of us here. And so it will be while we are on the way.” Lei said with cunningness in his eyes and stepped forward.
“What are you hinting at? Hey, wait!” exclaiming, Longwei ran after him.
Towards evening, when a heavy snowfall began, a loud voice was suddenly heard in the yard. And this voice was very familiar but no one could remember it. Looking out the window with sleepy eyes after an afternoon nap, Delun nervously said, “Who’s that screaming.”
Opening the window, he shouted back, “Quiet there! We’re actually sleeping!”
Hearing rapid steps that were heading towards their house, Delun grabbed the sword and woke the others up. When this someone opened the door, Delun immediately attacked him.
“Hey, you!” shouted someone pushing him so hard that Delun fell to the floor.
“Master Dewei! What are you doing here?”
Standing in front of him, Dewei, completely wrapped in fur, took off his hood from his head and, putting his heavy backpack on the floor, shook the snow from his boots and said, “Sleeping, what a lazy soldiers. I don’t think my brother taught you this. Get up and run to the field!”
“But Master, what are you doing here? Master Lei has been sent on a mission, Master Xing Fu said we can rest for a bit.” Enlai said through the blanket.
Taking off his gloves, Dewei said, “Master Xing Fu called me to replace your teacher. Don’t waste all this time just by sleeping. So get up quickly and run to the field. And you, go and pour me some tea.”
Shivering from the cold, getting out of bed everyone began to put on their uniforms. (The uniforms of each clan looked almost the same: a warm vest, inside a shirt with small buttons, warm pants with a strap on the leg, and heavy boots with laces. But the only distinguishing feature of the three clan’s uniforms were small emblems on the belts of the vest. The First Clan had an emblem in the form of one sword on the background of a round surface, the Second Clan had an emblem in the form of two swords, the Third Clan had an emblem in the form of three swords)
Lining up in front of Dewei, who was drinking hot herbal tea, Delun said, “Let me ask you what exactly are we going to do during these days? Can we learn how to grow vegetables and fruits? We need this, for example Xiaoli and Eagle want to devote their whole lives to farming and I think, instead of running around and fighting with each other, isn’t it better to learn more about farming.”
Putting the mug on a wooden table, Dewei stood up and straightened his broad shoulders and said, “So you want to be lazy further. Well, if you want to be able to plant vegetables, then just help me. I think you all remember how to plant potatoes from the last time, and this time you have to plant thousands of potatoes in just one day. ”
“What?!” exclaimed Eagle.
“You are Eagle, since you want to become a farmer, I think this is good news for you. Now let’s go.”
Kicking Delun Eagle whispered, “Why did you say that it is better to plant vegetables?! You always cause problems.”
“You have to thank me. For that we won’t sweat on the field.” answered Delun, adjusting his sword.
Continuing the usual path through the forest, Longwei feeling tired in his legs stopped and raised his head to the sky. The white, cloudy sky stretched into infinity, promising an impending blizzard. Rows of endless trees made him experience déjà vu, life seemed to be repetitive, and only thoughts gave new images to the repeating trees.
Throwing off the backpack on the ground, Longwei climbed a tree. Clinging to a thick branch, he was hanging upside down.
“Lei, let’s take a short break.”
“We have to go.” said Lei.
Longwei pulled his head and kissed him. Smilingly he said, “Please. Just a few minutes.”
Looking upside down at him, Longwei made a cute face that Lei could not resist. Throwing his backpack, pushing off from the tree, he quickly climbed up and was already next to Longwei.
Longwei grabbing the branch that was higher climbed up and said, “Try to catch me.”
“Well, you asked for it yourself.” Leaping with dexterity, Lei grabbed a branch and, wobbling from side to side, jumped to another branch.
“And you are good at climbing trees. Probably before, you always were lazy and hid in a tree.” Longwei added sitting on the highest branch.
Climbing up, Lei sat down opposite him, a long strand of hair was covering his sweaty face. “You’re right, I often climbed the tallest trees. You won’t believe how many books I read while sitting in a tree. While my father was looking for me everywhere. He didn’t like the fact that I love to read and he didn’t like that sometimes I said all kinds of nonsense. He was afraid that I might be weak and fragile.” Lei said sadly.
Longwei put on a hood and asked, “Your father, he was also a warrior, and if he was a warrior, why then he created you? As far as I know, if a person shows the talent and strength of a real warrior, then he does not need to leave an heir.”
“When my father was 25 years old, he was not a warrior. He was a simple soldier. And therefore, like everyone else was obliged to leave an heir, he was obliged too. He became a great warrior when he was 30 years old.”
“I see. And having become the strongest warrior, he probably began to expect this from you. But you seemed to be lazy and fidgety.” Longwei said pulling Lei closer to him.
Several birds flew in the pale sky, and snowflakes slowly began to fall to the treetops.
Silently looking at each other, Longwei took Lei’s hand and whispered, “Are you cold? I can bring a stone with fire.”
“No. I’m fine. But if you want to keep me warm then I know a better way.” Whispering in his ear, Lei lightly touched his neck, which made Longwei tremble.
“And what do you suggest?”
Pulling him close, Lei dug into his cold lips and then whispered, “How long have I been waiting for this.”
Wandering on Lei’s broad back with his hands, Longwei said as quietly as possible, “Right here?”
“And let all the trees be witnesses.” Lei replied and threw his cloak straight to the ground. Pressing Longwei to the tree, Lei smiled slyly.
“Wait Lei.”
Longwei with a quick movement pushed Lei and climbed on top of him. Now, sitting on him Longwei bent over his face and said, “It’s good that the branches of this tree are strong.”
Slowly moving up and down Longwei, holding on to the top branch, closed his eyes and plunged into an endless moment of fleetingness.