On a gloomy day, the four fields are lonely, the dark clouds are overwhelming, four strange travelers are walking through the mountains, an old man and three children, hurrying through the monotonous scenery of mountains and rivers, the picture is as bleak as late autumn.

Angus took the mule from Gillick's hand, and endured the biting mountain winds that poured in his face from time to time, and the summer vegetation grew wildly, and the dark green flooded all around, and when he looked up, a wave of ravens flew diagonally from the sheep's intestine path.

"War is coming." The master blacksmith muttered, and he stepped up his pace, and began to urge the stubborn girl not to hold back, but in any case, since Angus insisted on taking her on the road, the master blacksmith could not do anything.

The sound of the spring water faded away, and near the top of the mountain, the light became stronger, and they could see the light of the small lake in the distance like a brilliant jewel. The ruins of an old castle could be discerned above, and Angus first noticed the shadows of the low walls, and said, "Let's go and rest on the top of the hill, and then roast these rabbits." ”

The temptation of food lifted everyone's spirits, and only Gillick muttered, "Doesn't this place attract anyone to barbecue?" ”

"If there is no one else in this place, if you don't make a fire, unless you plan to eat raw meat every day in the future." Angus replied angrily.

"And what if there's a wolf?" Gillick was still not convinced.

"Just throw this girl over." The master blacksmith said impatiently, and the girl pretended not to hear, still with that arrogant appearance, which made Master Kenneth hate it.

"Oops......" Gillick, who was walking the most forward, tripped over something and fell on the moss, he looked up, and was about to complain, but his eyes were involuntarily fixed on something.

"There are ghosts!" Gillick screamed unpossessed.

Master Kenneth drew his sword, took three steps and made two steps, rushed to Gillick's side, and saw the thing that frightened Gillick.

"Get up, coward, it's just a stone statue."

"What is this?" Angus was a little curious, the stone statue looked very strange, the body was not large, but the head was round, the fangs were exposed, and there seemed to be a broken wing on the back.

"Sprican – the retinue of the elves, the guardians of the treasures." A hair-wrenching voice replied, and Gillick was the last to realize that it didn't belong to any of them.

Angus's black sword was gone, and he could only pull out a dagger to defend himself.

"Lay down your weapons, and say, why are a bunch of Scots here?" A cloaked figure appeared in the shadows, and behind him there were many bows and arrows pointed at the crowd.

"We have no ill will." Master Kenneth replied, "Just passing through here, if you want money, take it, but don't hurt them." ”

"What interesting companions." The shadow's cloak was removed, revealing the face of a young man.

"They're my children...... Master Kenneth's eyes were on the archers, who were not armed with hunting fellows, but with real war bows, gray goose feathers on the strings, a deadly threat.

The leader on the other side didn't seem to notice the blacksmith's gaze, and continued, "But you don't look like them at all. ”

He said a few more words in Welsh, causing the group of archers behind him to laugh wildly.

Master Kenneth looked at the arrow in front of the bridge of Angus's nose, but finally did not dare to move.

"Clever." As if admiring something, the leader threw a punch that knocked the master blacksmith unconscious.

In the campfire, Angus gazed hatefully at the young leader who had taken them captive, and the robber stripped off his chain mail and threw it at his men after a single glance, and the hares, which were also roasted on the fire, gave off an enticing aroma with the other stag.

With a grunt, Angus swallowed, and the movement made the young Welsh chief turn around.

"Boy, are you hungry?"

Angus did not answer.

"As long as you tell me who you really are, I'll split your legs."

"Robber, this is our rabbit!"

"No, this is our land, our mountains and forests." The Welsh replied, "You are just a bunch of poachers, like the filthy Saxons." ”

Angus was speechless, he didn't want to admit defeat, so he could only angrily not answer the other party.

"Little girl, what's your name?" The young leader turned sharply to the girl.

"My name is Maeve, my lord." The girl replied sweetly.

"Oh...... It's really a name that has brought disaster to the country and the people. ”

The girl didn't seem to feel unhappy, but smiled even brighter.

"Is she your slave?" The Welshman asked Angus.

Angus refused to answer, he was very unhappy with Maeve's attitude towards the robber, but he couldn't tell what it was like, as if something of his own had been touched by someone else. He secretly compared himself to the robber, and finally had to admit in frustration that the masculinity of the other party was nothing he could match.

"My lord, our people are back." Another Welshman appeared behind them.

"Very well, go check it out." The young leader stood up, took his great bow on his back, and walked towards the outskirts of the ruins.

The Welsh had gained a great deal, and not only had they brought back a wagon of baggage, but they had also captured a prisoner, and after some interrogation, the young chief's expression became more and more gloomy.

"Edgar is coming too soon......" said the Welsh chief, as if he was thinking about something, and could not help but say as he returned to the campfire.

Angus didn't understand the other man's language, he just felt a pang of hunger, and Gillick was looking pitifully at the roasted rabbit, and Angus estimated that the robber would be able to tell his identity and even his family tree as long as he shook a piece of meat in front of his eyes.

"Unproductive boy." It was the master blacksmith who had just woken up, and if he hadn't been tied up, he would have knocked over the dozing guard at once, kidnapped their leader, and rescued the children.

At this point, the Welsh chief finally came to his senses, and he looked at Master Kenneth's wrist and body as if he were studying his own dinner, and he shuddered with greed: "You are a good hand with a sword. ”

"I'm a blacksmith, I can only fight with a sword, I can't use a sword." Blacksmiths are always welcome, even among bandits, and Master Kenneth has some hope that this guy will make a mistake and let himself go, and then he will tell the other party how he made iron.

"Perhaps." The Welsh chief replied, "Will you join us, then?" ”

Sure enough, Master Kenneth secretly rejoiced, as long as this guy is lax, he will have a chance.

"Of course, I'm sorry, even if you agree, we still have to keep you tied up for the time being." "You don't look like spies, but you won't be ordinary people, and I can't let my men take risks." ”

"What do you want?"

"Is anyone willing to pay the ransom for you? The kid's armor wasn't anything but plain. ”

At this time, the girl suddenly cried out: "Go to Lord Yoda of Argyll, he will pay for us." ”

"Interesting." The Welshman smiled, "Looks like this girl isn't any ordinary slave either. ”

"Hmph." The girl finally showed her arrogant nature.

"Let them go, these people are worthless." It was Angus who spoke, and his voice was a little sad, "I might still be worth some money......"

"My lord, don't talk nonsense!" Master Kenneth was in a hurry and stopped Angus from talking.

"Hah! This kid is indeed your master. The Welsh chief took his longbow, drew one of his feathered arrows, and put it on the bowstring, "Now tell me who you are, or I'll crucify him to that tree!" ”

The Welshman's voice was so serious that anyone could tell that he was a man of his word.

Gillick couldn't hold back any longer, and he poured beans into a bamboo tube despite Master Kenneth's sword-like eyes, and confessed everything, including how they had killed King Alba's soldiers, and how they had crossed the sea from Argyle to Gwynnes from Dublin, and were about to cross the mountains to the coast of Wessex in the south.

"I see, I didn't expect you to be a big man." The Welshman lowered his arrow, "Well, I'm not a robber, you'll be treated according to your status." ”

He turned to Master Kenneth, "My proposal is still valid, my name is Owen Apu Louwillin, I am the leader of the Northern Volunteer Army of Boas, would you like to join us?" ”