Two horses were pulled over, and thick ropes were tied to their tails. The two jockeys began to tie the rope around each of Ariel's wrists again. Siegel immediately understood what dragging was, and hurriedly asked, "How far will it be dragged away?"

"From dawn to dark, or the horses are unable to run in position. "If he doesn't hold out, it proves that he doesn't deserve to be saved," the chief said. ”

"It's cruel, Chief Chief!" said Siegel. Jenny pulled him and whispered a few words in his ear. Siegel frowned, said to the kitten, "I believe in you", and moved out of the way.

"Chief Chief, the troubadour came to the northern steppes, not intending to offend the customs of the tribes, but only by accident. Although he is an adult, he is nothing more than a mischievous child in the face of the spirits of nature, and should be educated rather than executed. Moreover, Ariel was struck by lightning during the battle with the Bluefoot Snake, and his whole body was covered with wounds, and his physical strength was very weak. If he had died in procrastination, I would say it was not a punishment from the majestic ancestors, but a brute. ”

"You fought the Blue-footed Serpent, just you?" laughed the man standing next to the chief.

"In addition to the three of us, there's Krishchenko, who I guess could be your other son. ”

There was a lot of talk until Kerry burst out of the tent. There were several people behind him who tried to hold him back, but all in vain.

"Don't get excited, kid, I don't think they're the murderers of your brother. Chief Clough put his hand on his son's chest and comforted him, "Don't worry, we Jackdaws have revenge, but we will not anger innocent people, unlike Stinky Bears. ”

"But dragging him right now will only kill him, and the woman was right, I don't want a monster to affect the reputation of the tribe. Kerry lowered his voice and said, "Especially before the harvest festival. ”

Many other tribal leaders would be coming to the convention, so the only way to do this was justice and majesty—that's what Kerry was trying to say. The chief's face changed, and the others exchanged glances. After the death of the chief's eldest son, Kerry became the first choice for the next chief. He has always been praised for his robust physique and bold character, and if he also had the wisdom to perceive people's hearts, then his position would be unbreakable.

"There's some truth to what you're saying, so I'll give him an extra option. The chief said, "Either Jarreel, accept the drag immediately, or leave your fate to the fighting spirits." Let's have a joust, the winner will decide the outcome of the loser!"

The flag was blown by the wind and hunted, and all eyes were on the troubadour. But he still collapsed on the ground, his eyes closed, his body shaking. He could neither listen nor speak, but only resigned himself to waiting for the result of being dragged away by the horses.

The chief frowned, then stretched out again. A coward who is afraid of death, being dragged to death by a horse is nothing, as long as his son can establish his prestige. Then he thought of his dead eldest son, and his voice and smile appeared in front of him, his posture when he hunted, and his grace when he visited other tribes. There is nothing more desperate than a father watching his son die, so his face is full of pity and sadness. He just wants to solve this matter as soon as possible, and then go to a corner where no one can see, and vent his painful feelings alone.

So, the chief raised his hand and said, "Well, since he can't make a choice, then it's better to keep ......"

"Wait a minute!" Siegel stepped forward and stood in front of the chief amid the astonished gazes of the crowd. "I didn't let him steal the dead man's belongings, and even though I didn't know about it, I didn't want to see him dragged to death. Because I am Ariel's employer, I can speak for him: I choose the jousting trial, and I will fight for him. ”

Janet understood Siegel's intentions when he began to speak, so she hurriedly reached out and tried to cover Siegel's mouth. However, the squid hugged the kitten tightly, took her in his arms, and finished the conversation.

Everyone was discussing with each other, and the scene was a little chaotic for a while. "Can that be?" someone asked. "Who's going to fight him?" there are also people plotting. Several people cast disdainful glances at the poet, believing him to be a coward, afraid of both death and fighting. Others shook their heads, feeling that Siegel was too reckless. Only a handful of people looked at the young people with appreciation.

When the wind stopped, Kerry walked up to his father, got down on one knee, and said, "Dad, they took my brother's relics, and this matter should not be left to outsiders to do." So I'm going to go out of the game. ”

The crowd applauded and applauded. They knew Kerry's strength and his martial arts. There was no doubt who would be the winner. Siegel frowned, he didn't expect this result, after all, this decision was also made in a hurry.

Janet lay in Siegel's arms, looked up and asked him, "Is it worth it for you?"

Siegel smiled and replied, "Reason tells me it's not worth it, but I think I should." ”

"Then you can't lose. Janet bit her lower lip and nodded vigorously: "Even against that big guy, you can't lose." ”

Siegel nodded, then watched as Kerry stood in front of him. "The Giant" was a lot taller and a lap wider than Siegel, giving him an absolute advantage in strength and size. Moreover, Siegel has only been in contact with formal martial arts training for less than a year, but Kerry has been training in the tribe since he was a child, and he has long been a hunter and warrior.

Kerry looked at Siegel and then shouted to the people around him, "I'm Kerry-Cenko, the son of Chief Crav-Cenko, the giant of the Jackdaw Tribe, please listen to me." Today's opponent is Siegel, who recently killed the Bluefoot in a storm with me. For this reason, he was also bitten by a snake on the thigh and was poisoned. After that, we ate the flesh and blood of the green-footed snake together. So, under the witness of the Spirit of Battle, we are brothers in battle. ”

Everyone was silent, and there was only one voice, and that was the giant's: "I am now going to fight for the dignity of another brother, so I must not be tarnished in the slightest." I can't afford to take advantage of my opponent's wounds from fighting side by side!" the crowd applauded, and continued to listen to him. "There's only one way to solve this problem, and that's to get a therapist to come and heal the wound. I trust that the spirits of nature will approve of what I do, and I trust that the spirits of the ancestors will grant my request. The battle will take place seven days later, the day before the harvest festival, in the presence of the crowd and under the watchful eye of the battle spirits. But until then, this man is my brother, and I'm going to entertain him!"

"Okay! Well said!" the camp boiled, and countless pairs of arms were raised, shouting the slogan "Giant, Giant!" The chief swept his eyes over the elders on either side, and everyone nodded in agreement, so the matter was settled.

What could she do in seven days? Janet couldn't think of it, maybe she could find a chance to slip away, but the thought flashed through her mind. Siegel wasn't going to run away with her, and he'd face the fight no matter what happened. The kitten wondered if he should give Kerry some innocuous poison to make him diarrhea or something. However, seeing that Siegel was eating with Kerry, the two of them did not worry about becoming rivals in the slightest. The kitten thought about it, weighed the risk of accidental injury and Kerry's exaggerated physical fitness, and also put down the thought of poisoning.

Kerry pulls Siegel to a hearty meal, and the two of them eat a sheep together. Then the therapist arrived and applied the best plaster to ensure that Siegel's wound would heal in two days. Then the giant laughed, picked up a large package, and insisted on pulling the squid outside the camp. There is a sandy area here, with no grass growing and very flat. And it's just a hill away from the camp, so no one will see what is going on here.

"My brother used to bring me here to train, and he taught me a spear, saying that I was always unsuccessful with my fists. Kerry let out a long sigh, crouched down and grabbed a handful of sand, then watched it slip through his fingers. "The spear is a weapon that belongs to the chief, like the ice spear that my dad holds. So I never used a spear, but my brother never understood it. I can't beat him every time, and of course he won't hurt me. Now my brother is dead, so I'm going to pick up the spear too. Siegel, you practice with me. ”

After he finished his long speech, it occurred to him that Siegel's Northland was only a beginner, and Janet was not nearby, so there was no translation at all. He couldn't help but laugh, patted his stupid head, and opened the package.

Inside the package were a variety of weapons, and Kerry picked up the spear, then sat on the ground and wrapped the tip of the spear in a cloth. Siegel looked at it, and saw that there was no scimitar he was used to, so he picked a war hammer.

The two of them slowly sparred, fighting one move at a time. The Cree were tall and large, and the two-handed spear was in his hand and could be flexibly grasped with only one hand. Although he was not skilled enough to use the spear, the size advantage was still difficult to overcome.

Kerry was also amazed by Siegel's martial arts, feeling that he was the toughest opponent he had ever faced. If it comes to using weapon tricks, Siegel has a variety of ways to interfere: move with his pace, dodge with his body, block with his weapon, and even break the spear with a hammer. Kerry wouldn't be surprised if he could do this with a machete, but he couldn't figure out how a blunt-headed warhammer could do it. He found that if he wanted to defeat Siegel, he had to pounce on him, punch him hard, and break his skills with sheer strength, but that would not have served his purpose.

Kerry wants to fight the way his brother did, but finds it increasingly difficult to achieve.

Siegel probably understood what the giant meant, so he focused on learning his spear moves. With the help of the general knowledge of various weapons taught by the dwarf Irling, Siegel quickly learned some tricks and sorted out the spear routines of the Jackdaw tribe and memorized them firmly. The two of them practiced from dawn to noon, and in the afternoon they used it to regain their strength, learning each other's language by the way, so that they could talk normally. Siegel also found time to read spellbooks, hoping to learn an important battle spell or two.

At this time, Janet will be quietly by Siegel's side, just as Messira will be by Kerry's side. Before the battle was decided, the two women rarely spoke, and the only topic was the baby that was about to be born. Messira said that he would inherit his father's valor and that he would become a great lad, the most popular lover among women within a radius of hundreds of miles, and the most respected warrior for men in the entire Northland. Janet listened to her happy fantasies, and her heart was always full of envy.

Jarriel gradually regained his senses and began to be able to listen to what others were saying. However, the people of the Jackdaw tribe kept him in a cage and brought him food and drink every day. Siegel went to see him, and the troubadour just laughed miserably and said nothing.