The weather in June is always so fickle, the sky is still sunny in the morning, but it suddenly turns cloudy in the afternoon. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

"It's terrible. ”

Hope looked up and narrowed his eyes. He looked at the dark clouds, which were rapidly thickening, and made his own judgment.

"It looks like I can't go, so let's get ready to camp. ”

After leaving the village, he and Little Red Riding Hood made their way north. There was no delay along the way, but there was still a third of the way through the forest.

Hope didn't want to brave the rain: he didn't have to worry about getting lost because of the trail in the woods, but the slippery ground and poor visibility made it dangerous to walk in the rain.

So he picked a roadside clearing and unloaded his luggage there.

"Okay~ Leave the camp to me!"

Hearing the hunter's decision, Little Red Riding Hood exaggeratedly touched the heel of her shoe. She snapped and stood upright, then raised her right hand with a grin.

"What does the teacher want to eat, and how about bread and bacon?"

That sounds good, but it's not the best yet.

"We are hunters, Susan. ”

Hope picked up his shotgun and patted Little Red Riding Hood on the head.

"We have a better choice. ”

"Huh?"

He went into the forest in search of prey. It took less than half an hour, and before Little Red Riding Hood could set up his tent and make a campfire, he had already walked back with two grouses.

He shot the two unlucky ones with a bullet and turned them into his own dinner.

"We eat this. ”

He found a nearby creek and handled the two birds with a hunting knife.

After plucking the feathers and cleaning the entrails, he handed the two grouses to Little Red Riding Hood, and asked her to take the iron chisels and grills from her bags and put them on the fire to roast.

The abundance of fat in grouse makes them aromatic in no time: under the **** of the flame, their skin is roasted until golden brown and crispy, while the meat inside is still tender and juicy.

Little Red Riding Hood hummed happily and spread the spice on the chicken: with the turn of the iron chisel, the grease began to sizzle and make a pleasant sound.

Hopless took the cup out of his bag and scooped water from the stream. Because of the quick enough movements, he was able to get everything done before it rained. So by the time the first drop of rain had fallen, he was already sitting under the tent with Little Red Riding Hood and began to enjoy the steaming roast chicken.

"It looks like a lot of rain. ”

The tent was set up by Little Red Riding Hood, and it turned out to be pretty good.

To save time, she found a branch that was just the right height and shape. After cutting off the excess branches with a knife and axe, she placed the tent cloth on top of it, forming the shape of a herringbone.

Then she found a number of dead branches and trunks, and laid them on the ground to separate the ground. A shallow drainage channel was dug to prevent rainwater from accumulating under the tent.

"It's not small. ”

The hunter lifted the curtain and glanced out. He saw that the sky, which had been clear not long ago, was now dark.

"It's only afternoon, isn't it?"

It was almost the same as evening: no matter how capricious the summer rain was, it was not normal.

"Hmm~come!Teacher!ah~~~"

But unlike the hunter's caution, Little Red Riding Hood didn't think much about it. While the hunter was observing the rain, she had already torn off a piece of chicken, then pinched it with her hand and brought it to the hunter's mouth with a grin.

“…… Don't mess around. ”

The hunter sighed helplessly, but did not refuse.

He took the chicken into his mouth and chewed it slowly. The fat and salt were well mixed on the tip of his tongue - a taste so wonderful in a state of hunger that it lit up even the hunter's eyes.

"How's it going, is it delicious?"

"Not bad. ”

Hope did not shy away from his accolades. He patted Little Red Riding Hood on the head and gave a high-profile evaluation.

"The heat is well mastered, and the seasoning is just right. With this skill, it is enough to be an imperial chef. ”

"Hey~"

Little Red Riding Hood smirked and picked up the second piece of meat. But just as she was about to continue feeding Hopeless, the hunter suddenly looked outside.

"Someone is coming. ”

"Huh?"

Little Red Riding Hood was stunned for a moment, and looked out of the tent. But no matter how you look at it, there is only pouring rain and thick darkness.

And this is a forest? Running into people on a rainy day? It's too coincidental, isn't it?

“……”

Hope lifted his shotgun and pulled the bullet from the ammo sac.

They were two cylinders made of cardboard, the diameter of which coincided with the barrel. Hunters preloaded gunpowder and projectiles there, using this method to save time on reloading.

He loaded the two bullets into the chamber of his gun and pulled the striking iron. The flint attached to the steel frame is empowered by this action: then as soon as the trigger is pulled, it hits the powder pool with the help of a spring, igniting the ****** in the chamber of the gun.

Seeing Hopeless's movements, Little Red Riding Hood also became nervous.

She took the meat in her mouth, then picked up her flintlock pistol, the same gift she had received two years earlier, the old gun that had belonged to Hopeless.

Single-barrel, old, but powerful and reliable.

Like Hopeless, she took a bullet out of the ammunition pouch. First, bite open the end and sprinkle the excitation into the powder pool. Then the remaining part is stuffed into the chamber with a throughstrip.

The two men remained vigilant and waited silently.

Soon, as Hope expected, a heavy and trivial footstep disturbed the sound of the rain, coming from afar.

"More than one. ”

Hope licked the corners of his mouth, a little nervous.

Unlike Little Red Riding Hood, who was still unknown, he could hear the owner of the footsteps: they didn't come from the same person. And none are very high.

"It's a dwarf. ”

That's right, the hunter thought: footsteps like this are only made by dwarves. Only their steps will be so heavy, and only their steps will be so frequent.

But what's going on? How can dwarves end up in the forest?

Hope had only seen dwarves once in his past life, but it was this one-time meeting that left a deep impression on him: these dwarves were only one hundred and forty centimeters tall, but they could generally grow to one hundred and sixty pounds. Each of them was a qualified stonemason and blacksmith.

They either live in large houses made of rocks or simply in caves. Most of the people of this race have dedicated their lives to never-ending digging and forging. And the thing they hate the most is the forest.

The elves' favorite forest.

Hope had never heard of a dwarf approaching the forest on their own initiative, and they never dealt with something green unless they had to.

"It's not good. ”

In the forest, Hope didn't want to deal with dwarves at all. Their stubbornness and bad mood are enough to make everything worse.

Just then, the footsteps stopped.

The hunter narrowed his eyes and saw that the owner of those footsteps had come to his tent.

They stood on the path some distance from the tent, watching in silence.

"There are seven ......"

Little Red Riding Hood whispered, clenching the shotgun in her hand.

She was a little nervous, a little scared, but it was also a matter of course. Not to mention her, even if she is as bold as Hopeless, she is a little cautious in the face of the current situation.

"Friends over there, we have no ill will. ”

In silence, the dwarves spoke first.

The dwarf, who stood at the front of them all, and had the longest beard, introduced himself in his rocky voice.

"I am Dok, the prince of the dwarves of the Northern Mountains. If you've heard of me, you'll know I'm credible. ”

"I'm sorry my friend, I should have asked you to warm up over the fire. But as you can see, the tent is so small that it can't hold more people. ”

But Hopeley was unmoved.

What if the dwarf was telling the truth? they were just as dangerous, just as numerically superior.

"Don't worry, we're just passing through. ”

It's just that the other party seems to have the same concerns.

The dwarves, soaked in rain and looking dejected, stood vigilantly in the distance. There is no intention of approaching this side at all.

"Sorry to disturb you, let's leave. ”

It couldn't be better.

Hope didn't continue to speak, he watched in silence as his lovers left. Watch as these people disappear to the other end of the trail. It wasn't until the figure of the last man also disappeared into the darkness that he let his guard down and removed his finger from the trigger.

"It's a false alarm, teacher. ”

Little Red Riding Hood's tone became cheerful. She grinned and lifted the strike spring and resumed processing the chicken.

Hope glanced at her, smiled and reached out and rubbed her blonde hair.

"Hmm. ”

"Teacher, you were handsome just now!"

"What nonsense. ”

"Really, you were super ~ serious just now, super reliable!"

"I don't know what you're thinking. ”

Neither of them spoke of the dwarves again, as if nothing had happened.

But they all have a vague premonition: this matter is far from over.