Pepper hated it when they stood there watching him work out. He's not like Flower – he doesn't like to be the center of attention. Maybe only a few people, but not many.

But they still watched him, despite the fact that since the wolf sca

After half a month of coming, he has been practicing every day. The gray-bearded old Natuk, the scarred war leader Farat in a painted leather coat, Komar with the scar from Pepper's teeth on his arm, and a few others.

Stretch, jump, chop. Stretch, squat, punch. Stretching, push-ups, kicks...... He could feel their eyes staring at him like fingertips, which forced him to be very focused on what he was doing so he wouldn't mess things up instead of letting his body remember it as usual. At least it was too cold for him to exercise naked like an old philosopher. He didn't even want to think about it now. He wasn't ready, he was out there alone.

Just as he was nearing the finish line, a sentry let out a shrill whistle and called everyone together. However, it was not a danger whistle, but a whistle of "everybody's coming". The people who were watching him began to run over to see what was going on. He almost stopped to join them, but Daddy was coming, so he had to be ready.

He just ran the last few sections as fast as he could, and then ran after Natak, so hot that he couldn't breathe. "What's the matter?" He asked. "Is something wrong?"

The old demon patiently replied, "We will learn what it is together." He continued to walk at a slow pace, tapping the dirt with the cane he had never leaned on as he went.

"Oh," Pepper replied, feeling stupid.

They walked out of the pile of tents and passed over a small hill that was overgrown with bushes and it was difficult to find camp. The others got there before them, surrounded by something on the muddy path in the snow.

The head of a little devil boy looms over everyone's head...... Seff! Pepper shouted. The little boy must have been on Deanna's shoulder, or someone else's. He looked a little scared, or maybe confused. Pepper left Natuk's side and hurried through the crowd, careful not to let anyone's tail hit their shoulders.

The Nightmen stood a few paces away from Deanna, her hands crossed over her bare breasts, staring at them defiantly. She wore nothing but what was on her waist. Her brown hair has grown a little longer so she's not bald anymore and she still walks around barefoot. She was covered in mud all the way to her knees.

Sef had a bandage around one eye, squinted in the bright morning light on the other, and was wrapped in a thick blanket. The horns on his forehead also looked like they were getting bigger, perhaps Pepper was imagining that part, because it had been so long. But that's his friend! They're here, and

Unable to contain the joy welling up in his heart, Pepper jumped out of the crowd, pounced on Deanna, and hugged him in ambush. He felt joy like never before, like a bull jumping inside him. She took half a step back and let go of her arms before realizing who he was, but after only a second of hesitation, she hugged him.

“Dya

I thought I'd never see you two again! Can you put him down? Hey, Seff, come here!"

When Sev saw him, that kind eye lit up and a big smile appeared. “Peppew ?”

The little devil began to wriggle and try to get off Deanna's shoulder, but Deanna reached out and held him down. "Pepper, what are you doing here?" No, wait, Sef. If I put you here, you're going to get dirty. Keep looking for your parents. Does anyone know him? His name was Sef. One of you must know who he is!"

Pepper stepped back, trying to figure out her surprise. Does Sev have a family? Here they are, and Deanna takes him to...

Sev gave up trying to climb down, opened his eyes wider, and looked at the crowd again. Pepper turned around to help, wondering if anyone would come up.

A man at the back of the crowd shouted.

"That's my thanks!" Oh, merciful Kalishek, Shet! A woman's voice shouted.

The crowd parted, and a man and a woman huddled forward. Pepper had met both of them and knew they were a couple, but he didn't know their names yet.

"Mom! Father! Sev screamed, and this time, before Deanna could catch him, he jumped. She grabbed the blanket, but Seif fell face down in the cold mud and stood up, his forelimbs covered from head to toe. He was still wearing the same red shirt that Andkiel had made for him, but looked like he was being dragged behind the horse by a rope. There was also a piece of cloth around his waist wrapped under his tunics, and the cloth began to fall apart and fall down. He didn't even wipe his face clean, he got up and ran forward, but before he could take two steps, his parents picked him up and took him in their arms.

Mom grabbed him tighter, she held him tightly to her chest, and despite all the mud, she said over and over again in a calm and enthusiastic voice, "Sheth, my Sheth......" The man put his arms around them both, rubbing his ears against their own long, pointed ears.

Pepper took a step back. A conflicting emotion swirls in his mind, as if he can't decide whether he is happy or sad. Two things happen at the same time, and maybe something else. He fought back the tears that wanted to come out, but watched Sev smile so happily as if frowning, while his parents hugged him like that...... It's painful and joyful at the same time.

He hid himself before he realized what he was doing, but then he felt it was the right thing to do. Sef had a family, they missed him, and they were reunited. As much as Pepper would love to stay by Sef's side, now is not the time. Maybe never again. The children of the other Nightmen don't want to play with him either, or their parents don't let them play. They stayed in their tents all the time. Deanna left Andox behind, so she probably didn't want to talk to Pepper either, even though he really wanted to talk to her.

Deanna stepped forward, put her hand on the couple's shoulder, and said, "We need to talk." Now, it's just the two of you, him and me. Where can we go? Sef, don't forget!"

"I won't, Deanna!" Seif said. Then he licked his lips and spat out some mud. He still hadn't tried to wipe his good eyes clean.

When no one moved, Deanna spoke more forcefully. "Take action. We need to talk. Alone. ”

The man said, "We will not exchange him in any way, nor will we let him go out of our hands." If you think—"

Without waiting for him to finish, Deanna glared at him angrily, and stamped her foot towards the nearest tree—a medium-sized tree with a trunk as thick as his legs. She glanced defiantly at the crowd and then kicked the tree hard with her shin. As her legs passed through the tree, the tree emitted a huge crack. After a heartbeat, the top fell to the ground with a thud and fell sideways.

The entire crowd gasped in unison, and all other voices were gone. There were several tails hanging from their shoulders to the ground, ready to whip. Pepper was sure that someone might have been slapped in the face by one of them. Hopefully nothing bad will happen – once you get to know Deanna, she's less scary, but if someone wants to fight her......

Deanna walked into the stunned silence and faced Sef's parents with her hands on her hips. "He's yours. I understand. We'll have to talk right away. Right now. Where?"

The parents took a moment to answer, and Pepper knew what it was like: they were too surprised to know what to say. The woman held Sef tighter in her arms to her chest and tilted her head forward, almost threatening Sef with her horns. She said, "Come to our tent."

Sev looked up and said something to her mom that Pepper couldn't hear, but that didn't make her look happier. She kept her head down, staring intently at Deanna. However, she didn't stick her horns out directly; Nightmen never do that, even accidentally, unless they are serious.

Deanna turned to everyone and said, "Give us a little personal space." She pauses as her gaze pans over Pepper, then ignores him and follows Sev and his parents through the crowd that gives them plenty of space.

Deanna's gaze swept over his appearance, making him feel lonely again. She was not happy to see him. He thought she would be a friend, but she wasn't. If...... What if everyone was like that? What if Agn just shrugged his shoulders and turned away? What if Flower made a new friend and forgot about him? Or Dad. What if he was angry that Pepper was going to be saved again and left him behind? That's not..., impossible. He couldn't believe it, but he couldn't help but think about it either.

The crowd gathered behind them, and everyone began to talk in calm and worried voices. Pepper already knew about Deanna, but these people didn't. They wanted to know if she was a goddess or a monster, or what she was and why she gave birth to one of their children. Pepper felt the pit in his heart begin to open again. He couldn't help it. The image of his family frowning and turning away from him flooded his mind, and he couldn't push them away.

He shook his head, but to no avail, he pinched his armpit until tears welled up in his eyes. This largely played a role, but it made it difficult for him to hide his presence.

Just as he had calmed down and was about to slip away, Natuk appeared beside him, leaning forward as if his back hurt again. As Pepper tried to hide and walk past him, the old demon grabbed his ear with his tumorous fingers and thumb and said, "Ah, here you are, Black Tail." Will you follow them, listen to what they say, and tell me?"

Hiding is to keep others from bothering you, but Natak doesn't care. He always knows where Pepper is, and Pepper suspects that sometimes he just interrupts him to prove that he's watching. He doesn't have time to say that right now! He needs to think. The bad feeling that swirled around in his mind frightened him.

Pepper said, "Deanna said don't listen. You can ask after the fact. ”

"What if they agree to keep it a secret together?" Let's say I should know it's dangerous for the tribe. If you don't tell me, how can I learn?"

"Why would I do that?"

"That's why I've been feeding you." Natuk said, letting go of his ears and giving him a gentle nudge.

"You'll feed me anyway. As you promised, I won't get into trouble. I know her - she's not that scary. "Pepper doesn't want to say no outright, but doesn't Natak understand? Can't he see how distressed Pepper is?

"Child, I'm not in the mood to listen to your stubbornness. Do you hold a grudge against everyone who helps you, or do I have some special privilege?"

That sentence hurts. "That's not what I'm going to do!" Deanna said don't follow!"

"That's why I sent you, you won't be caught. Come on, Pepper, aren't you curious?"

"Well, that's it......" Pepper said, but the voice was gone. He couldn't think of what to say. How can he explain it? If Natak cared, he wouldn't bother him like that. Maybe no one really cares anymore...... The muscles in Pepper's chest tensed and seemed to be having trouble breathing.

"Please, little black tail. I have done everything in my power to make you a friend. Don't treat me like an enemy. ”

"It's not ——!" Pepper slumped her shoulders in defeat and pressed her ears to her head.

This time, Natak looked at him sincerely and finally noticed. "Dear child, what's wrong?" Do you have anything to worry about? Are you afraid of her?"

Pepper didn't answer right away, and the old demon made him think for a moment, just looking at him with his faded gray eyes. After Natak released him, he was really good to him. There is also Pepper's fault. Pepper didn't need to resist at all, and she didn't need to try to escape, Natuk was right all along. Maybe Pepper always messed things up, even though he thought it was Flor who did it. Maybe he could save his first mother - if he hadn't let those slave traders catch him, she wouldn't have had to fight them, she would still be alive. Now Dad has to travel far and face a horde of demons because Pepper has allowed himself to be caught. Dad would be angry when he got here, which meant that many of the Night People would die, whether they deserved it or not.

Putting pepper in food will make it taste like fire. Maybe Pepper did the same in real life. Everywhere he went, he burned things into fire.

"I'm fine. Just Deanna... Never mind. I'll go. Sorry I was noisy. ”

Pepper slipped away from the old demon and hid behind a tree, hiding her presence. He snuck back along the path, scurrying between bushes, trees, and rocks to avoid being spotted. It didn't take long for him to find his prey - they were in a hurry, but they didn't want to be followed. He ran around behind the tent, hiding and spying on them. It wasn't long before they stopped in front of a tent he had never been to. Deanna looked around to see if anyone was following him, but didn't look at him. She couldn't see him when he hid, because there was no way she could let him sneak over and spank her. So she can't see him now, right?

When Sef's dad opened the tent for everyone, Pepper hid away and didn't feel any warmth. After the door closed behind them, he crept down the path to the tent door so he wouldn't have to step on the noisy snow. He crouched low, pulling hard to keep him from seeing.

"Thank you for the invitation, thank you for not arguing," Deanna said. She sounded like she was trying to appear mature. He could imagine her kneeling there as if she were sitting on a throne.

She continued: "I found him under a rock not long ago and I've been taking care of him ever since. I'm a homeless person without parents, and I didn't even think to ask him if he had parents. I don't think he could have been trapped under their rocks if he hadn't been abandoned. I was able to find him because a group of aliens had lifted the stones and thrown in the food. I just want to know what they're doing. When they left, I broke the stone, and there he was. They've been chasing us ever since. ”

The woman interjected, "Xie." His name is Xie Si. He was too young to tell. Her voice was a bit harsh.

"Your name is Xie Si?" Dya

A asked.

"It's hard to say, and I kind of forgot," Sev said. Sheth。 His name is Xie Si, and everyone remembers it wrong! Pepper's gloomy mood suddenly exploded and disappeared, and he had to hold back his laughter. The more he thought about it, the more funny it became. He couldn't even say his name!

"Say it this way: shhh Dad said slowly. Pepper could hear a smile in his voice.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss." "It's hawd."

"No, don't open your eyes!" Deanna commanded. "Not yet. Calm down, both of you; He was not injured. ”

For a moment, there was only silence, and Pepper could almost feel the tension emanating from it. Is she going blind? What happened to him? He used to be fine.

"While I'm still thinking about it, Pepper, come in." I know you're out there, you little mouse," Deanna said.

Pepper was startled and almost didn't hide again. He did not dare to move; Can she really tell? No. She didn't even go out to look for him.

"Listen, you filthy little rodent, don't force me out." Deanna said Pepper couldn't tell how serious she was from her voice. "I won't ask again."

There was dead silence in the tent. It was almost as quiet outside—everyone else was far away.

Pepper stood up, no longer hiding, then took a deep breath and lifted the lid. He walked in embarrassed and found them sitting next to a warm brazier.

The interior of the tent looks exactly like Natak's. Furs and blankets covered every inch of the land, some cushions were used for sleeping, bags and baskets woven from undyed fibers, and a brass brazier in the middle. Seif...... No, Seth was lying on his mother's lap, half of his face covered by mud-stained bandages. He grabbed her tail with one hand and his father's tail with the other. Their gaze makes Pepper feel exposed.

"Come and sit next to me, son of Andlocles." Deanna said. She gestured majestically to the blanket on the ground next to her, and Pepper complied. When he sat down, she gave him a brief, familiar one-arm hug with a hint of a smile. Wait, is he wrong, does she still like him?

Mom continued to look at her little boy, careful not to point her horns at anyone as she looked down. Dad asked, "How did you know about our kitten ghost?"

Pepper realizes that this is what they call each other by his name, Kitten Ghost. He'd heard people say that, but he never knew they were referring to himself.

“Kitte

-ghost ?Deanna asked.

"He comes and goes as he pleases, and no one can see him unless he wants to." Dad replied. He looked nervous, perhaps impatient. "The old man is taking care of him. But leave that alone for now, and tell us what you want to say. ”

"Why is he wearing this bandage?" Mom asked. She looked nervous, but as if trying to hide it. Her voice was a little nervous.

"It's not there because he's hurt, because he's not. But leave it on for now, because we'll get to that. Pepper is part of the story, so I'll start here. A few months ago, I was traveling with the Pepper family for a while. His father, Androcleus, was a beast-like man, hot-tempered and did not hesitate to fight or kill. He's not Skytha

de

, he is a kind called laophilia

Something, he looks more like me than you. He ......"

"We've heard of him." The Boss says he's coming here and killing us all. Dad said. He calmly looked into Deanna's gaze, with ...... Curious? A question? A challenge? Flauer knew, but he wasn't here.

Deanna smirked and said, "If this is true, you should pray that your soul will disappear before he comes here." He absolutely hates demons. He's scared of you too. A

d

Okles is the only one alive, and I'm not sure I can kill him, if we fight sincerely. I'm confident I can beat him, but I'm not sure. If he does show up, he won't bring gifts and dances either. Although he's starting to like Sef, uh, Shes, who knows.

"But put this aside for now. This family has a family called wolf sca

of fairies. I've never seen it before, or even heard of it. He is a young boy with blue skin, purple hair, and wings like dragonflies. He glows like a lamp day and night, and he's about the size of my hand. ”

"We ...... We met him once. He's here for the toolbox. Mama Bear said a little worriedly.

"Yes, he said he found Pepper. Sephie and I met him on the road a few days ago. Seif...... Seth was very sick. Most of his skin had turned gray all over his body, and he had one of the worst fevers I had ever seen. He had no appetite and stopped talking. He barely moved. I'm sure he's going to die. Have you seen this before? Disease?"

Now both parents seem scared. Mom grabbed him tighter, and Dad looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze for a long time, his eyes revealing cold worry. Dad said, "We know. This is the curse of our heritage, from the seed of God and the monster he planted. This condition is rare, but no one survives the skin changes. ”

"I've never heard of anything like this, so I think it's probably unique to your nation. But as you can see, he survived and was in good health as usual. You have to thank the wolf sca

。 He invented a secret art that restored Sev to health. I haven't seen with my own eyes how they do it, but I know the wolf sca

It came at a huge cost. I've never heard anyone scream in such pain. You can't imagine hearing a little fairy say...... That voice still haunts me to this day. When I tried to fall asleep, I heard it in my quiet thoughts," Deanna said. Her voice became very quiet, and her eyes glazed down at the brazier, as if imagining something. Her words filled Pepper with fear, like something bad was about to happen, but no one knew what it was. Wolf sca

It's bad enough to cry all the time under normal circumstances, but the thought of him screaming like that......

Deanna sighed and continued, "Shess is the only one who knows the truth, Wolf Sca

Let him promise not to tell anyone. That's the first thing I want to tell you. Your son has sworn that he must keep all his days. His friend saved his life, and I can't make him a traitor. Unfaithful people will never find happiness, and I will not tolerate it. You have to help him keep his promises, or I'll have to reconsider certain decisions. Her iron-fisted gaze at her parents was clearly a challenge and a threat.

The air in the room was all gone. Pepper can't breathe and can't see anyone's face. He glanced at Sef, whose eyes were wide open and full of doubt. Everyone waited in fear, watching the embers in the brazier crackle.

Finally Dad said, "I agree." But you have to understand that if you want to take him away from us, you don't want to get out of this tent alive. ”

Mom said in a voice more deadly than Dad, "Calm down, my darling." She's not stupid. I'm sure you misunderstood her. ”

Deanna smiled patiently, just like Mom had done before when she had won an argument. This seemed to make the parents even angrier, and Sev began to look at everyone nervously, as if he wanted to figure out what was going on. Pepper also doesn't know what to do, so he tries to avoid eye contact. Not really. Why did Deanna stir up trouble?

"Then I'm satisfied. I'm glad to see that you're going to keep him with you this time. I can't assume after you let him be stolen from you once. How do I know if you like him without testing? Deanna said, looking down at them like a queen sitting on a throne.

"How dare you!" Mom hissed through gritted teeth. Her face was contorted with anger, and her horns were pointing down at Deanna, looking ...... It's scary. Skywalkers have the same teeth, but the Nightmen look more terrifying because their horns and blue-black skin make the teeth sparkle.

However, Deanna did not seem to be impressed. She smiled smugly again and said, "The strong can do whatever they want, don't you think?" Where others dare not go, I dare to go. How do you think I survived all this time, wandering the lands of the Outlands with their captives on my back? Why do you think I'm asking for trouble in the first place? I love him beyond words. Do you think I'm going to give him to someone who doesn't care about him at all, if I don't have to? Will you?"

Mom didn't calm down right away, but slowly boiled. Daddy's fingers tensed, as if he wanted to use his paws, but he looked calm and sat there cross-legged, his little boy holding his tail.

She reached out and patted her mom's chin, trying to get her attention. "Mom, it's okay. Dya

A is very good. She helped me for a long time. ”

Deanna said, "I fought one of you and killed him, a savage. Lose your marbles. I don't know anything about you except him and Seth. Wolf Scar showed me the way so I could find you, but he said you locked Pepper up and was hungry, so what should I think? Lucky for you, I'm not as quick to jump to conclusions as Androidx. You can swallow your anger and thank your soul for bringing me here.

"But there's one more thing to discuss. When the wolf scar heals him, some of the fairy's powers are a little ...... Stay in him. It's still inside, and it's ...... In fact, I don't think there's any need to wait any longer. Seffy, uh, Sheth, it's time. Take your blindfold off. ”

Everyone's eyes were on Sef, but he just squirmed and turned his head to his mother's chest, hiding from her undyed leather shirt.

"It's okay, Sephie. You can show it to mom and dad. They'll see it eventually, won't they? Let's see," Deanna said. The voice she spoke to Xie Si was very different from the voice she spoke to his parents.

Pepper saw that she had relaxed and was no longer sitting there like a queen. She leaned forward as if to reach out, and her face softened to match her gentle voice.

Mom said, "It's okay, baby. Please let us see. ”

"I don't want to," Xie Si grumbled, his voice muffled by his mother's soft leather shirt.

Dad reached out and removed the blindfold from Sef's head, which made the little devil hug Mom even tighter. Dad tried to untie Seif and force him to open his eyes, but he resisted and curled up with all his strength. The man quickly gave up and sat back with a frustrated frown.

Pepper politely asked, "Sef, can I take a look?" Can you tell me because I'm from the Fangs tribe? I want to see it. ”

"No!"

"Please? Almost everyone immediately asked.

"Hmmm! Sef said, trying harder to cover himself up.

After a few more minutes, they tried to convince him to open his eyes, but without success. No matter how they argued, Seif refused even more resolutely.

Pepper thought of a better way and stood there with a mischievous smile on her face. He said, "Let me try." Sef, I'm going to love you so much......"

"Nope! Don't tease me! Mom, don't let him go! Xie Si said excitedly.

Pepper stretched out her fingers like a claw and tiptoed over. Sheila had nowhere to run, and when Pepper pounced on him and into his armpits, he forced a laugh and screamed to break free, even trying to pull his thin tail, but he sat on the tip of the tail and couldn't break free.

It screamed, howled, and let go as it curled up into a ball with all its might, trying to push Pepper's hand away. Pepper is too strong for him, which gives Pepper more opportunities.

"I never thought I'd hear this again," Dad said calmly. When Pepper glanced at him, his eyes moistened, and then Pepper's eyes began to tear as well.

However, he didn't stop attacking, and when his mother joined in to help, Xie Si was done. He couldn't breathe with laughter. He took a few puffs and shouted, "Stop! I have to go... It's out!"

"Then you'd better keep your eyes open and don't get wet!" Pepper said.

"Stop... Stop it! I'm going to! Just stop!"

Pepper net on one side. Xie Si jumped out of his mother's arms and ran out of the crack in the tent door, bending over, clutching his crotch with both hands. Pepper followed him, opened the curtain of the tent, and saw him fetching water in the snow two steps from the entrance. He closed the lid and sat down by the brazier again. "We tickle him too much."

When the tent lid was opened again, a bright beam of sunlight was reflected off by something outside, shining straight into the tent and illuminating the wall in the distance. Before Pepper could figure out what it was, Xie Si walked in and closed the tent behind him. He had one eye closed, but Pepper couldn't see anything wrong with him. There are no wounds or anything like that. He looked nervous, his little tail hanging down, his hands fiddling with the hem of his dirty coat.

No one said anything, just stared at him expectantly.

Xie Si crossed his arms as if he wanted to hide himself behind them, and he glanced quickly at his parents. He looked away again, and finally opened his other eye.

A bright ray of light shone out, like the sun finding a hole in the clouds. It illuminates part of the floor, where a circular patch is formed, like sunlight shining through a hole in the roof. It only stayed for a moment, then closed its eyes again and covered it with his hand. He lowered his head and peered up with his other eye, full of worry and fear.

Peppe

And Sheth's parents froze, completely stunned. No one moved except the little boy, and he began to crawl towards the mouth of the cave as if trying to escape.

Deanna calmly said to her mother, "How is it?"

Mom looked at her with her mouth open, her eyes full of fear and confusion, and then looked at her again.

"Is it safe?" Mom asked in a calm voice.

Deanna replied, "I'm not sure. Does it matter?"

Parents stared at their son with expressions of confusion and fear on their faces. Dad's long, pointed ears twitched slightly, though the ears of the Night Man were usually not as moving as the ears of the Sky Thunder Man.

The moment lasted in a thunderous silence, and Sev must have thought that his parents didn't need him anymore. Pepper's heart pounds when he sees that the little boy's eyes are filled with water and his lower lip begins to tremble. He covered his good eyes with his other hand and lowered his head. His thin tail hung lifelessly on his feet, and it seemed as if all the pleasure had leaked from him to the ground.

Pepper looks back at her parents, trying to beg them to do something with her eyes. Anything! Don't force him... Don't let him...

Mom swallowed hard, causing her face to soften. She stretched out her arms and said, "Of course it doesn't matter! I was just surprised. Come back, little one. Ah, poor man! I'm sorry. Come here. Open your eyes and come back to your mother. ”

Xie Si only hesitated for a moment, then opened his eyes and ran back to her arms at full speed. She grabbed him and nearly lost her balance, but Papa Bear picked her up. From the flickering spots of light in the room, Pepper could see where Sev was looking. When the little boy sat on his mother's lap, his mother held him to her chest with her arms and flicked her tail around him. It's long enough to walk around the two of them and there's a lot of extra time to make Pepper a little jealous.

"He's afraid you're going to reject him. Will you? Deanna asked.

Dad said, "We'...... Need to talk to the elders, and ......"

"Never! Mom shouted, interrupting him. Her face suddenly becomes fierce again, which makes Pepper feel guilty even though she wasn't involved. "Never! She spoke again in her husband's direction, her voice calmer, but still as powerful.

Under his mother's gaze, the man looked ashamed and said, "That's not what I meant. I'm not... We will not hand him over. I mean, we need the advice of the elders, how to ...... Protect him. ”

Deanna said: "I don't doubt it. It's hard for him to protect, and it's even harder to give up. She wanted to say something more, but her voice choked and she had to clear her throat.

Judging by the strength and confidence she usually displays, she is almost like Androx. She can also act like a normal person, but when she meets new people, she wants to look strong – which is probably why she does it. However, there was one thing he knew, and that was how difficult it was to give up on others. Once, even Dad almost cried when he left Pepper and Flowers in the basket.

Deanna was sad, and Pepper knew what it was like. This time, he didn't need flowers to tell him what to do: he tiptoed and hesitantly reached out to her, they held hands, and she huddled tightly together. If she had a tail, he would wrap it around hers; Instead, he hung it around her waist, pricked up his ears, and rested his head on her shoulder.

Deanna slowly regained her composure and said, "What you do with his eyes is up to you, but this is what I learned. The lights dim when he is tired or unhappy, and brighten when he has a full meal or a good laugh. If he says he's not tired, you can point it out and win the argument. As long as his eyes are open, the light will not stop day or night. It is useful in the dark, but sometimes he opens it in his sleep, which may come as a surprise. I don't recommend him to close it or cover it because I'm worried that its eyesight will weaken from infrequent use, like a muscle. I don't need to remind you of the fear it brings. Me?"

Mama Bear nodded, and Papa Bear shifted his body, looking uncomfortable.

Dya

A continued: "It's not just about replacing a lamp. His eyes can see things that I can't see. He finds small creatures almost everywhere, and he can barely describe them due to their strangeness. If you ask, he'll keep saying until you shut him up. I couldn't touch the little creatures he saw, so they must be ghosts, and I don't know which one. I only know the souls of our ancestors, he has never seen any of them, and perhaps we have not met the souls that he recognizes. I doubt they're still guiding me.

"In addition to strange creatures, he sometimes sees other things, so big that he can't even begin to describe them. They don't move, they only appear for a short time before disappearing. Neither he nor I knew what they were. If you meet a fairy, maybe he can tell you that hopefully when Sephie is a little older, he will be able to describe it all better. ”

She reached out and touched her mother's chin, trying to get her attention. "I see a lot of fingers, mom and dad. Now there are two people dancing in the smoke. They're about that big, and they're ......."

"Hold on, baby. Let me finish what I have to say, and then it's your turn. Are you alright?"

The little devil agreed, and Deanna continued, "At first, I wondered if he was dreaming, or if he had lost his mind, or if he was haunted by evil spirits, but now I am convinced that what he saw was real. I said Wolf SCA

Pointing the way? He has only been a conductor once. These instructions are not enough. But a few days ago, he said he saw pictures in the air at an intersection, one in each direction. The first is a man's clenched fist, another is a gold crown, and the third is a bony handcuff on his ankles. Because of the wolf sca

Tell us about your people locking up Pepper, and we understand the meaning of those images. ”

Pepper asked, "What is it?"

"You remember the wolf sca

What is it called?

Bi's?"

"Oh! I understand. The crown is Gabi because she's a princess, the fist is daddy, and the ankle is me. When he found me, I was locked up. It's the wolf sca

Did you shoot it?"

That's our guess. We followed the ankle picture all the way in the hope of finding Sephie's man, and here you are. Everything he saw was true. ”

They sat in silence for a moment, pondering and looking at Xie Si as he looked around and cast his light on everything. Pepper wondered why the light wasn't silver like the boy's eyes, but then he thought maybe it was silver, but it was hard to tell because white and silver were so close. Whenever he looked at Mom's arm or Dad's face, the light made the demon's blue-black skin look bluer than black. Natuk says that their skin is the last color of the sky before dark, because the Night People are descendants of Kalishek, the god of the night sky, and Pepper believes this.

Deanna suddenly let go of Pepper's hand and stood up, "Can I wrap that cloth around his waist?" It's mine. Thank you! I'm going to stay with you for a few days, maybe longer. I haven't decided yet, but now I know you want to be alone with him for a while. ”

Mom quickly untied the cloth and returned it to Deanna, who, in a hurry to say goodbye to them, wrapped it around her chest and slid out of the lid of the tent. Pepper barely realized she was gone, she was walking too fast.

Then he was left with Xie Si's family, and it didn't feel right. Pepper got up and followed her out. He stopped at the tent door and asked, "Can I come back to see him later?" Our friends. Hmm, Seff? Sheth。 ”

Mom says no, but Dad says yes, so Pepper runs out before they can make a decision, just in case the final answer is no.

The bright morning sun burned his eyes, and he had to squint for a while. A soft cold wind drenched them, and he stood there, wiping them over and over like a fool, though he didn't cry. He wasn't sure what he was feeling - he had been miserable and then felt warm inside, but now he had to accept that this was not his family and that happiness belonged to Seif, not him. Sheth。

He can't wait to play with Sheth again. In fact, the last time he played with anyone, it was Sheth and Flowe

It was a long time ago. Will the parents let him go? Mom didn't want him there. They didn't like him and Deanna, otherwise they would feed them, give them names, because it was their custom. Perhaps it was the last time he would see little Sephie. However, he can slip through while they are not looking. He had to wait.

He knew he had to wait, which made the wind even colder, because now no one around wanted him to stay there. Knowing that Dad was coming to help him not feel too lonely, but it didn't work at the moment. Of course Daddy is coming—he promised. There is no doubt about that. Seif's parents were happy to see him, even though he had been away for longer. It's impossible for Pepper's family not to be happy.

It's stupid to stand in the mud in front of the tent. People began to hang out at home, and he didn't want to answer countless questions. Natak will be here soon, but for some reason, the thought of talking to him now makes Pepper anxious, or just annoyed.

He went to find Deanna instead, and her bare footprints indicated that she ran away as soon as she got outside. He decides that what he should do is to quietly walk over and pat her ass, just like Daddy once told him to do. It cheered her up, and she knew he wanted to be friends.

Deanna's trail went all the way through the woods, westward, up the hill, then down the other side, up another hill, and down a rocky cliff he didn't know about. Pepper was almost ready to give up and wait for her to return, when he spotted her. She sat on the trunk of a large fallen evergreen, about fifty paces away from him. Her back is turned, but she's sitting, so maybe he should try to tickle her?

He slowly moved forward, jumping as quietly as he could into her every footprint. He grinned, expecting the joke, thinking about how angry she was, but not really, and then he could sit next to her and ......

Pepper was stunned to hear her cry out loud in grief. It seemed as if his heart stopped beating and then began to compensate with double force. She must have cried for Sheila. He wasn't her little boy anymore.

Pepper finds himself scared to get a little closer because he doesn't know what to do. Should he go there? Ga

bi or Flowe

What will be done? Gabi will ...... Well, it doesn't matter what she does, because everyone likes her as soon as they see her. Flauer would know immediately what to do, whatever it was.

He knew how she felt. Without Sheth, she's completely alone, a bit like Peppe

, just no one came to her. Didn't she say her father was dead? Deanna never mentioned her mother. Pepper's biological parents are also dead, and he even watched his mom get killed, so he knows how mom feels. He should sit next to her, say nothing, and then hold her hand, or put his arm around her, or something like that, because that's what he sometimes wants.

But as he listened to her cry, he thought maybe she just wanted to be alone, as he did when he felt so bad. Maybe she just wanted to cry until she felt better, and it wasn't right to interrupt her. Whatever decision he made, he knew that if he made the wrong choice and upset her, she might not like him afterward.

Pepper opened and closed her hand several times as she made a decision. He wanted to have a friend again. He was so eager to get it that it felt like a bruise on his heart. But Deanna probably didn't like him to show up now and push him away, which frightened him. He couldn't let his feet get closer to her, and the longer it was, the less determined he was to try.

He waited, listening to her cry, feeling more and more embarrassed and uneasy as his heart beat faster.

He could wait until she felt better before talking to her. He slipped away quietly and went to find Natuk.