The Voyage In The Blizzard - Chapter 48
Whirling as if drawing patterns in the air, snowflakes fell to the ground, covering the old layers of snow.
Freshly fallen snow always seemed magical. And by looking at how untouched fields covered with fresh snowflakes everyone felt the New Year’s comfort. Sometimes it seemed to everyone that their world was visited by holidays. Although no one celebrated anything except those cases when someone became a warrior or returned from the battlefield alive.
Not knowing when the years changed, not knowing anything except when a severe blizzard will come and whether the frost will cover everything, the inhabitants of the three mountains have long lost touch with time. (Except the celebration and knowing when 25th birthday will come)
The unceasing winter season swept over every step of time.
But despite the monotony of nature around them, the inhabitants of the three mountains sometimes gave themselves the freedom to admire the landscape around them. And some even managed to marvel at the beauty and originality of the snowflakes.
Still, the hearts of the soldiers were drawn to the beautiful and forgetting about everything in the world, only for some minutes or even seconds they allowed themselves to be happy and not think about anything..
And even after a fight with beasts, with serious wounds, soldiers and warriors, finding rest in the caves, could still see the beauty in the steppes that stretched somewhere, and for a moment imagine other worlds that could be, maybe outside of these forever white lands …
Dreaming, living, thinking, so everyone carried secrets and cherished desires that made their hearts alive, but their minds were distracted from their main goal.
And so, hiding their souls under millions of shells, everyone lived trying to think only about the battlefield and the fear that the red-eyed beasts instilled.
Having combed his hair, which had grown already below the shoulders, having gathered it in a perfect ponytail, fixing it with an iron hairpin, Longwei, with smooth movements of his hands, put on a black sweater that gave elegance to his slender but muscular body. Putting a black leather vest over his sweater, which was rather heavy and fastening a silver belt with an emblem in the form of a sword, he fastened several straps around his leg and fastened several small knives to them. Leaving his sword aside, Longwei looked into his reflection. And who he saw in front of him was now very different from who he was a few months ago.
After examining himself, how he had changed over the months, Longwei looked into his big eyes, then at his shoulders, at the way his hair hung down, at a fitted leather vest that emphasized his strength and grace, at the knives that pressed against his leg, at heavy boots, he wanted to squeeze out a smile with all his heart, but all he got was the nervous expression of a lost person.
Quickly moving away from his reflection as if he didn’t want to see it anymore, Longwei left the room with loud steps. From a room that once belonged to Lei.
After becoming the teacher of the First Clan, Xing Fu decided to give Lei’s house to him, because according to the rules, the teacher was supposed to have his own home. And now, being in the same house where Lei once walked, slept, read, loved, Longwei could still feel his breath, hear his heartbeat.
Being within the walls of this two-story house, he continued to wait, continued to think that Lei would return. And that all this is just a temporary joke. But the more he wandered through the corridors, through the library, which remained untouched, Longwei felt all his invisible wounds bleeding.
Walking with confident steps, Longwei with a cold face approaching the perfectly aligned soldiers imagined the day when Lei walked instead of him.
Fine snow swirled and fell on his black hair.
The soldiers, standing straight and raising their heads, fixed their gaze on Longwei.
After a moment’s silence, still feeling a little awkward about his new role, Longwei said, “Today, we will not fence. Instead, I will teach you one easy movement that my father taught me. This skill does not require any particular effort. Everything which is need from you are a few knives.” Taking one knife, Longwei continued, “Following the stories of soldiers and warriors, beasts are still vulnerable and can be easily destroyed. They have flesh and blood, just like us. This means that using our strength we can easily stop their impulses.” Walking from side to side in the same way as Lei did, Longwei seemed to do everything exactly as Lei did when he spoke. Holding his head high, straightening his back, slightly frowning his eyebrows and lowering his eyes slightly down, Longwei exactly copied all of Lei’s gestures. “All that is needed on the battlefield is to endure being there as long as possible, and for this you all need to know how to make sure that the beast does not have time to approach you. For this, we will study the technique of flying knives today.” Having said this, he attached the knife back and caught a slightly cheerful but nevertheless very attentive look of one of the soldiers, approaching him he, “Do you have any questions?”
To which the soldier replied, “Teacher, if we have to fight with these creatures with knives, does this mean that we will have to carry a lot of knives with us? Wouldn’t that be a little inconvenient?”
Delun’s laughter and Baofeng-Xue’s voice were heard somewhere.
Approaching the soldier who was looking at him with a playful look, Longwei replied, “If the soldier is skillful enough, he can kill several beasts with one knife.”
“Yes, but teacher …”
Longwei stepping aside, turned his back on everyone and put his hands in his vest pockets, quietly said, “If you are so interested, then just follow me, Yue-Liang.”
After Longwei became a teacher, the head of the Third Clan, On, unable to endure and see his son’s weakness any longer, decided to send him to the First Clan for training.
Being a good friend of Longwei, Yue-Liang, only delighted by this news, left his father’s constant supervision with a wide smile and now, having become part of the First Clan, he gladly did everything Longwei said.
Being his student and learning all the fighting techniques, Yue-Liang strengthened his stamina, and during these months spent in the First Clan, he managed to become physically stronger and more cunning in battle.
Following the tall figure of Longwei, Yue-Liang, walking in front of everyone with quick steps came closer and lightly touched Longwei’s shoulder. “Longwei, today, after training can I borrow some books from you?”
“Of course.” Longwei answered.
“Good then. I also have something to tell you.”
“Conversations during training are prohibited!” Someone’s voice was heard.
Delun said, “This is Longwei, we can talk to him calmly. He is not the cold-blooded Lei.”
“Don’t use your so called friendship just to act as you want.”
“Shut up! If you are envious about our friendship with Longwei, then better show your envy in the battle. Or what? You can only attack with words?!”
Longwei raised his hand without stopping and said loudly, “Talking now will make you weaker.”
“Stop acting like you are Lei!”
“He’s right. You are not him. You will never replace our teacher.”
“We have to complain to Xing Fu to insist on Lei’s return.”
The soldiers whose name Longwei did not remember, were about to start expressing their displeasure, throwing fierce glances at his back, they, in one voice said, “You’ve been planning all this time to make Master Lei leave and thereby take his place. We heard that your father deserved fame for no particular reason. He, too, used all his cunning plans on the way to his title.”
Ignoring their conversations, Longwei did not even feel a drop of anger, even if his father was mentioned in their speech. Calmly continuing to walk, he heard how Bao Fengxue began to furiously defend the pure name of his father, and then how Delun made noise with his loud voice, then interrupted footsteps that merged together wanting to begin the fight and only then he stopped and said, “If someone doesn’t like what I teach you, then you can go back to the village. I am not holding you. But on the battlefield, when your neck will be in the clawed hands of a beast, do not say that I did not teach you how to survive.”
After Lei left the clan, Longwei did not feel anything at all. There was no anger in him, there was no melancholy, all that was in him was the feeling of aching pain that was stuck in the depths of his soul.
Almost walking next to him, Yue Liang, looking back at everyone, brushing the snow off his eyelashes, asked, “They do not annoy you? Don’t you want to punish them? It seems to me or they are getting bolder.”
“I hardly hear them. Let them feel discontent, it will give them strength in battle.”
“I didn’t know that you could act so indifferently. I always thought you had a gentle soul. Well, now I see that you are very cold.” Yue Liang looked at Longwei with admiration in his eyes, and at that moment a strange smile flashed across his face, which he immediately removed.
Having created one large circle, standing right on the field, the soldiers, holding several knives in their hands, watched Longwei who with skillful hands showed how to hold the knife and at what angle it should be directed at the enemy.
Standing in the very center, Longwei called Baofeng-Xue.
Without hesitation Longwei stepped a little further and, swinging a knife, he threw it right at him.
With a sharp movement Baofeng-Xue stopped the knife before it reached his face. Catching the cold blade he looked at Longwei.
“This is how you should throw the knife. So that it flies with force. Despite the wind, the blizzard, the knife should reach the enemy. Is it clear to everyone?”
“Yes teacher…”
“In that case, now, each in turn will throw knives right at my side. I will be standing here. And you must make the knife lightly touch my vest. Pay attention to your strength, how you channel the force into the flight of the knife, and make it so that the knife can fly through the strong wind and be able to lightly touch me. ”
“But Brother Longwei, this is dangerous. What if you get hurt?” Waving in the direction of those soldiers who expressed obvious dissatisfaction with the new teacher, Delun shoved Xiaoli and said, “Am I right guys?! It’s too dangerous.”
To which Longwei unbuttoned his vest and showed a thick layer of leather under which there was a thin layer of iron. “Don’t worry, this vest won’t let the light touch of the knife hurt me. But that’s if someone won’t throw a knife at me with all their might.”
“All of you, do as instructed by the teacher. Throw carefully.”
“The main thing is for me to see that your knife can travel a long distance and reach the target.” Longwei said, and walking much further shouted, “Let’s start.”
The first in line was Yue-Liang.
Slightly worried and showing clear signs of uncertainty, Yue Liang recalling what Longwei had taught a few minutes ago, raised his knife and, holding in front of him, looked at Longwei, who was standing at a great distance from him.
Bending his arm and squeezing the knife that was covered with snow, Yue Liang, standing in the correct posture took several deep breaths and then straightening the knife in his hand made the first throw.
A silver knife, cutting through the icy air, flew straight while retaining the power of Yue Liang.
With bated breath, everyone watched what all this would turn out to be. Longwei, on the other hand, did not expect a good result from Yue Liang.
Looking at the edge of the knife that was getting closer and closer, Longwei straightened his shoulders and put his hands in his pockets. And when the knife was very close, it lost momentum and fell right in front of Longwei’s feet and the snow immediately covered it.
“Again!” he exclaimed.
Yue-Liang, gathering his strength and now becoming much more confident, took another knife and directed it at Longwei. Smoothly but at the same time with force moved his hand and the knife flew forward.
This time, cutting through the air and wind faster, the knife in the blink of an eye flew up to Longwei and lightly touched his chest. Having reached the target, it fell down.
Longwei looked at Yue Liang and exclaimed with a smile on his face, “Well done!”
The next turn was at Baofeng-Xue. Possessing good skills in knife throwing and fencing, Baofeng-Xue wasted no time, having taken the proper position, he quickly swung his hand and the knife was already flying straight ahead.
Having flown to Longwei’s vest, several knives, almost simultaneously reaching the target, smoothly fell to the ground.
Nodding his head, Longwei cried out, “Brother Xue, as always, very dexterous and fast!”
And so each in turn throwing knives tried to be better than the others. Taking it as a competition and an opportunity to let off steam and show all their displeasure towards Longwei, some soldiers broke the rule and were throwing knives with all their might. Because of this impulse, Longwei had to catch them before they touched him.
“The goal of this workout is to be able to throw a knife without moving. The fact that you want to scare me is certainly good, but now, we all try to use as little strength as possible and as much concentration on muscles and manual dexterity as possible.”
“Master, can we get some rest ?!” asked Delun.
To which Yue Liang replied, “No one will give you rest on the battlefield.”
“Brother Liang, you were on the battlefield. You fought beasts, and how did you feel? You must have been scared?” Enlai approached him. With attentiveness examining his moon-colored strands of hair, he made a slightly surprised look.
“On the battlefield, I almost died once. But I did not feel fear. All I saw in front of me were two sharp fangs and two red eyes that looked at me from the depths of the skull. I did not feel anything and then I realized that this war is not so scary. I realized that when you see the enemy in front of you, you forget about everything in the world and cease to be yourself. And therefore all fear disappears. But also, perhaps I did not feel fear because Longwei saved me.” Casting a glance at him, Yue Liang smiled meaningfully out of the corner of his lips.
Having gathered together, all left the field without noticing it.
Longwei approached Baofeng-Xue. Leaning against a tree he asked, “Do you think I’m a good teacher?”
Brother Xue, looking at how everyone forgot about training, and now was chatting about this and that, he replied, “You are too soft. When Lei was here, no one dared to waste time like this. But with you, everyone became a little different.”
“Perhaps this was what they needed. Time to be themselves. You know, in the battlefield, as I understand it, the main thing is to be able to remember who your friend is. Remember that the soldiers who are fighting side by side with you are your friends, brothers. And when you remember this, you start to feel responsibility for others too. It gives you more strength. So let them be themselves. Be more close to each other.”
“Feelings are dangerous for a warrior.” added Baofeng-Xue drawing patterns in the snow with a branch.
Following Lei’s scheme, after another hour of throwing knives, Longwei made everyone run for two hours and then, lifting heavy weights, climb up the slope that led into the forest.
After that incident with the beast, Xing Fu still forced him to strengthen the security, but instead of wandering days and nights in the forest, he ordered to simply guard the entire village. By increasing the number of soldiers around the village, Longwei entrusted the older ones with the task. And basically they were soldiers who had already completed their training and who had seen beasts.
But over time, panic and fear evaporated and everyone began to forget about that strange case when a soldier of the Third Clan was killed near their clan.
Holding a large log on his shoulder, Longwei, feeling his sweat quickly freeze, turned his head back and said, “Yue-Liang, hold it a little higher. That’s right.”
Carrying the logs on their shoulders and going up the slope, everyone was dragging their legs with their last strength.
Deep snowdrifts made their path even more difficult as they had to raise their legs high up to move forward. Breathing heavily and feeling an unpleasant heat on their bodies, everyone only dreamed of going back to the house and sink into sleeping.
“Walk faster! Your muscles must be as strong as iron. Faster! We’re almost there.” Longwei said through rapid breathing.
During the months spent as a teacher, Longwei improved his stamina significantly. Having built up his muscles and became much stronger than he was, now his appearance was no different from Lei.
Remembering the promise of Xing Fu in which he said that in a year he would allow him to leave the clan once and for all, now, Longwei doubted his desire to leave these mountains. Although knowing that he would soon be twenty-five, and knowing what he would have to do when he reached this age, he wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
Finally, climbing up, Longwei and Yue Liang threw off the log and, not daring to fall to the ground, continued to move so that there was no load on the heart. Trying to breathe through his nose, Longwei looked at Yue Liang’s sweaty face.
“You are getting stronger.” noticed Longwei.
Unable to say anything, Yue Liang, holding on to a tree branch, gasped for cold air.