The Voyage In The Blizzard - Chapter 59
“Longwei? Are you okay?”
Pressing the girl even tighter to himself, Longwei stepped aside and answered, “Yes. I just, I was walking by. But now Xing Fu is waiting for me. So I have to go.”
Seeing Yue Liang for the first time after a full year, Longwei couldn’t help but notice how much he had changed. Especially outwardly. If earlier he looked like a melancholic man with moonlight hair, now he simply exuded confidence and optimism. And these new qualities manifested themselves especially in his manner of dressing and hairstyle.
His hair which was gathered into a perfect ponytail and the two braids hanging down in front gave him the look of some sort of magician. The pointed features that were once full of sadness now showed perfect facial expressions. And the dazzling smile that went along with the raised eyebrows in surprise made his image of a magician simply fabulous..
Standing in a leather cloak with several large buttons, Yue Liang was curiously looking at Longwei’s frightened and nervous face.
“Didn’t Master Xing Fu go to the battlefield? I heard …”
Without letting him finish, Longwei cried out, “Yue Liang, what are you doing here?” Feeling the girl pulling his hair with her small hand, forcing him to bend his head to the side, Longwei nervously smiled.
“Are you okay? I heard that you’re seriously ill. And you still look sick. Maybe you shouldn’t have gone outside.” Approaching him, Yue Liang touched his forehead. “Indeed. You have a fever.”
“I’m fine. Really. But I have to go. We’ll talk later.”
“Wait! Longwei. Do you just want to keep quiet about what happened? All this time, I was worried about you. Where are you and will I see you again. Longwei.” Approaching him again, Yue Liang gazing into his eyes said, “Why did you come back? Don’t you think this is dangerous?”
Pulling his head away from the girl’s strong grip, Longwei nervously replied, “Danger is everywhere. If you always sit and fear for yourself, you can live your whole life without understanding what life is. Now, let me go. I really need to go.” Finally turning back, Longwei just wanted to leave when Yue Liang suddenly pulled on the coat in which the girl was wrapped.
“What is this? Or who is this? Is this your son?”
“No!” Exclaiming loudly, Longwei couldn’t contain himself any longer and said, “Yue Liang, I’m really glad to see you. But I don’t have time for you now. So goodbye.”
Leaving Yue Liang far behind, Longwei, looked around and after making sure that there was no one, let the girl go to the ground.
Opening her face, Longwei did not know what to fear more. The fact that a creature who was unknown to him is standing in front of him, or that everyone can now find out about the existence of such a child.
“Who was that?” the girl asked, taking the snow in her hands.
“It, it doesn’t matter now. You, from now on you mustn’t.” Longwei began, but realizing that he did not know what to say and why he wanted to start scolding the child, he simply sighed silently. Feeling the girl’s cool hand on his arm, Longwei looked into her joyful eyes. “I don’t even know who you are. I don’t know anything. But why is everything going this way in my life? Why do I always do everything weird?” he asked.
Squeezing his palm, the girl, knowing all the wisdom of life, said, “You are afraid of something that you do not know, which is why you learn. You will get to know this world as I do now. And all in order to be less afraid.”
Laughing, Longwei’s heart finally became warm and comfortable. Feeling that this child clearly knows how to change his frightened heart, he himself, without noticing it, touched her wavy hair.
“And you know the answers to any questions. You … What can I call you? I won’t always call you simply – you.”
Releasing his hand, the girl said, “Call me the word that comes into your head now.” Remembering that she is a seven-year-old child who has just seen this world, the girl began jumping over stones and further studying the contents of everything around.
Smiling to himself, Longwei watched his child play in this snowy world full of curse and said, “In that case, your name is Yun Qi.”
“What does it mean?”
“Don’t you know?”
“I’ve only been in this world for a few hours, and I don’t know some words.” answered the girl climbing on a pile of snow.
“Luck. It means luck.”
Taking advantage of the moment when all his roommates were sent to the battlefield, Longwei, after an exhausting journey to the very village of the First Clan, decided to first hide Yun Qi in his house.
Locking the door and closing the shutters of all windows, Longwei began to rush around the room like a madman.
Watching his chaotic steps, Yun Qi felt the softness of the pillow for the first time and sat comfortably on the bed. Directing her big and shiny eyes at him, she said, “Dad, I want to eat.”
“What? Right. Right. You need to eat.” muttering, Longwei rushed to the small locker where everyone kept their food supplies. Finding that there was nothing but a bitten off apple and a piece of hardened bread, Longwei whispered, “These gluttons.” Turning to Yun Qi, who was now studying the patterns on his sword, he said, “You, that is, Yun Qi, sit here. Don’t go anywhere. Or rather, don’t even move. Just sit and wait for me. I’ll be right back. I’ll get you some food. ”
“May I come with you?”
“No. Sit here and don’t get up. If you hear a voice or footsteps, just hide under the bed.”
Jumping up, Yun Qi ran up to him and grabbed his hand, a little scared, she said, “I don’t want to be alone. This place, I don’t like it here.”
“Just wait for me. I’ll be right back. For now, read something. Oh yeah, there are no more books here. Well then, just think about who you are and try to find the right words to explain to me what kind of creature you are.” Longwei said and quickly ran out of the house.
Covering his face with a collar, Longwei thanked nature for such a strong blizzard, which now helped him more than ever. Running past a small crowd of warriors and remaining unnoticed, Longwei reached the canteen and looked back to where the house stood.
The empty canteen which was a little messy, still retained the smell of fresh bread.
Walking around all the tables and chairs, Longwei went to a small window through which everyone usually took food.
“Is anybody here?” he asked. Previously, without noticing who was cooking food for everyone, Longwei for the first time saw the place where bean porridge and various vegetable dishes were created.
Realizing that no one was there, he simply jumped over the window and landed near the stove and a small table with many pots.
“I hope no one will mind if I take some bread.” he thought, wrapping still warm piece of bread. Taking also a few potatoes and nuts, as well as the main food of the warriors – beans, Longwei wrapped it all up in the material he found on one of the shelves.
“Maybe Yun Qi should try something sweet.” he thought and finding a small iron jar of apple jam, put it in the pocket of his waistcoat.
Again, having jumped through the window, he just wanted to run to the exit, when another obstacle appeared in front of him.
Having crashed into an iron vest, Longwei suddenly heard a melodious voice. Looking up, the first thing he saw was a thick long bangs that covered almost the entire face of the stranger.
“I’m sorry.” said the stranger jerking his head thus showing his face. Fixing his gaze on two bright, almost fiery eyes, Longwei, clutching the bundle with food and said, “I hope I didn’t hurt you.” Realizing that he had never seen this stranger before, Longwei still could not pass by such an unusual person in silver armor and with a large golden sword.
The stranger suddenly laughed loudly and said, “I haven’t felt pain for several years already.”
Considering the new warrior, Longwei could not remain silent. “I haven’t seen you here before. Are you from the Third Clan?”
“That’s right. I’m from there. But hardly anyone has ever seen me. I am one of those warriors who show their skills not on the battlefield, but in the most distant corners of this strange world. I, so to speak, a warrior who studies this world. And my fight is a single path through the steppes and to the most severe places of this world.” the stranger answered with a certain irony in his voice.
“So you are an explorer and a traveler.” Longwei said remembering Yun Qi. “Well, I was glad to meet you. But I have to go.”
Leaving him alone, Longwei ran headlong towards the house.
Opening the door in fright and seeing that Yun Qi was there, Longwei sighed with relief.
“Did you hear anybody? Nobody knocked?”
Grabbing the bread and a can of beans, Yun Qi shook her head. “What is it?”
“This is food. This is bread, and this is beans, food that gives you strength.” Realizing that she did not know how to eat properly, Longwei tore off the bread into two slices and put beans on it. “Here, now eat.”
Falling onto the bed, Longwei covered his face with his hands. Until now, not believing that he had become a father, he was still in the arms of fear.
Yun Qi suddenly dropped her potatoes on the floor and began to cough.
“What is it?” Touching her back, Longwei said, “You need some water. Of course.”
Quickly warming water over the fire and pouring it into an iron mug, Longwei handed it to the girl.
“Take your time. Eat more slowly.” Noticing that Yun Qi ate everything he brought rather quickly, Longwei added, “You eat fast. And eat a lot too.”
After drinking all the water, Yun Qi clutched her belly and furrowed her brows. “Strange feeling. So warm.” she said.
For the third time, without noticing this, Longwei gently stroking her wavy hair quietly said, “It’s because you ate. Food warms us from the inside.” Gradually feeling that there was a family bond between him and Yun Qi, Longwei suddenly remembered his father and how much tenderness he gave him.
Smoothly falling onto the pillow, Yun Qi curled into a ball and said, “Eyes are getting heavy.”
“In that case, sleep.” Longwei answered by covering her with a blanket.
“Dad, I thought about your question. But I think that I myself do not know who I am. And I also do not know who you are and who everyone is.” Yun Qi said quietly, clutching the blanket.
Smiling, Longwei felt warmth in his soul. “Don’t think about it. You are a mystery, and perhaps my karma is such that I have to understand this mystery.”
Not noticing how he fell asleep with Yun Qi, after a few minutes of deep sleep, he woke up from a loud voice. Getting up, first of all he covered Yun Qi and tried to hid her behind of one more pillow.
“How awful it is. You won’t believe who I just saw.” said Delun, banging his foot on the floor. “So I was walking towards the house, and I immediately noticed his overly handsome face.” Throwing his backpack from his back with a crash, Delun sat down on a chair and continued, “Haven’t you seen him yet? Or have you seen him? If so, I hope you didn’t have time to talk to him. You just can’t talk to someone like him. And why do you look like you saw a beast? Longwei? ”
Standing like a frozen statue, Longwei for the third or fourth time in a day managed to drop his heart and then put it back into his chest.
“And who is it?” pointing to Yun Qi, who was peering through the blanket with one eye, Delun jumped up and exclaimed, “This is your child!”
“No, it is, yes.” Longwei said at the moment when Delun unable to contain his curiosity, was already standing next to Yun Qi.
Bending down, Delun looked suspiciously at Yun Qi, who covered herself with a blanket and continued to do as Longwei told her.
“You have a strange child. Does he not know how to speak? Or is he just scared?”
Noticing the obvious interest in Yun Qi’s eyes and realizing that she could speak with her thin voice at any second, Longwei, laughing, grabbed Delun by the shoulder and replied, “Yes, he can not speak. You see, he has no such ability.”
Not knowing the reason why he was lying and wanted to hide the peculiarity and uniqueness of his child in secret, Longwei pulled Delun by the hand and took him away.
“You, too, soon will go to the Spherical Stone? Have you already prepared everything? Have you learned the spell?”
“Yes, wait. Let me have a look at your son before he goes to school. I don’t think you want to take care of him and all that. So let me take a look before you abandon him.” After saying this, Delun approached Yun Qi again.
Brushing off the blanket, Delun suddenly stepped aside.
“You see, an ordinary person. Like everyone else. There is nothing to see. So go on.”
Tapping Longwei on the back, Delun widened his eyes and whispered quite in a surprise, “I have never seen anything like it in my life. Longwei, he is not real. He does not look like anyone.”
“Do you think so? And for me he is an ordinary child.”
Yun Qi without any motion continued to sit and direct her gaze to Delun. But at that moment when Delun again, began to approach her, she hid under the covers.
Unable to endure any longer, Longwei said in a rude tone, “Delun, please leave my son alone. Or do you not see that you are scaring him?”
Delun, failing to hear his words, shook his head. “Longwei, I always knew that you were unusual. But looking at your child, I was even more convinced of this. You created someone who is not subject to any description. Even a brain like mine recognizes this fact that this child is simply unearthly.”
Not noticing how he kicked him out the door, Longwei immediately regretted doing so. Once outside, Delun wasted no time calling Xiaoli and the others to look at his extraordinary child.
“Xiaoli! You should look at Longwei’s son! You have never seen someone like him in your life!”
“How nice it is to hear your voice after the war. Delun, how do you manage to always be so energetic? You have so much emotion. I just don’t understand it.”
“Quickly, just take a look!” shouted Delun.
Longwei, meanwhile, having wrapped Yun Qi in a blanket, opened the window and before Delun had time to enter back, he was no longer in the house.
“Where are you going?” Tugging at Longwei’s hair asked Yun Qi.
To which Longwei quickly replied, “Nobody should see you. I’ll hide you.”