More people came to see Pepper workout this morning than yesterday. Sheth and his parents did not come, but Dya

A is coming. She stood and looked at him with her hands on her hips. The cloth on her chest reminded him of the bandages, and with her short hair, if you don't look closely, from the front, she looks a bit like a boy. She didn't smile when she got there, didn't wave or do anything, but he was busy, and maybe that's why.

The sun was warmer than the whole winter, and it was so warm that he took off his shirt, despite the melting snow everywhere. The exercise made him sweat, so spring must have finally arrived.

Jump, stab, kick. Punches, squats, blocks. Over and over again, it's a little different every time. He's glad it's easy to remember because everyone looking at him makes him nervous and he doesn't want to mess up. Even though he spent a few weeks with them, he still felt like a stranger. He is one of them.

Halfway through, Deanna walked over and walked up to him with a subtle half-smile. She stood a little in front of him and began to take the lead.

Pepper didn't even know that she knew the exercises, but she did, and as far as he knew, everything she did was right. When he was a little behind because she had distracted him, she slowed down until he caught up and led him through the muddy part, slipping not at all on the gravel floor.

When they reached one of the jumps, she jumped higher than herself, higher than he thought a person could jump. He laughed and coughed in surprise, she turned around, gave him a sly look, and said, "Isn't it high enough?" I'm not really trying. ”

He had to look closely, but she seemed to be just joking with him, not like she could really jump higher than that. There was a glint in her eyes, and her subtle half-smile seemed sincere. He wanted to say something funny, but couldn't think of anything, so he said, "Not high at all!"

She glanced at him as if to say, "Oh, yes?" I'll show you! Then jump higher. This time, she did a backward roll in mid-air and landed on her feet again. "It's your turn," she said, gesturing with a hand.

"I don't know how!"

"Can't you jump?" You just need to kick off the ground and lift both feet at the same time. ”

"No, I can't jump that high. I'm just a tool!"

"Then let's keep walking," she said. She continued to practice, and he was soon behind her.

He remembered how she hadn't come to him for the past few days, even though she had visited her a few times and her parents had let her in. She slept far away from the camp and was out most of the time, and he didn't want to go too far to find her. This made the last few days even more lonely than usual, because he knew she was there but didn't talk to him. The Night Man didn't speak to him. So what should he think now? Is he not so lonely anymore? This made him both happy and uncomfortable.

As he followed her through the rest of the exercises, Pepper's body burst with energy like never before. He's been worried about Deanna, whether she's going to leave, or continue to ignore him, or whatever. But she didn't go, and she was nice to him this morning. It's nice to have friends again. Maybe it's too good, like eating too much food after being hungry for a long time.

After eating, Pepper was out of breath and exhausted; Deanna likes to run faster than she used to and also likes to use larger, more difficult movements. But on the spur of the moment, he jumped forward and put his arm around her waist. She took him back and gently stroked his hair, then flicked one of his ears. It tingled a little, but he didn't mind. He felt warm all over his body, and not just the sun.

"Thank you for accompanying me to the exercises," he said, as he didn't know what else to say.

"I think tomorrow, I'll get you all right. I don't think your feet are right even a single time. ”

Even though her voice was friendly, what she said made him feel ashamed, especially in front of so many people. Her words hit him in the heart and left him with a scar. Before his eyes could get water, he looked at the ground, wrapped his tail around his ankles, and turned away.

"Wait, wait a minute, Pepper. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Gods, I've really offended you, haven't I? No, don't, turn around. I didn't say it right. Listen. You did all the right moves, just like your dad taught you. But you still have a lot to learn, because there is a difference between a fist and a fist. To emphasize this, she punches in the air, and Pepper feels a puff of air blow on his ear hairs. The wind blew on his eyes and did not stop them from crying.

"Do you know how many people can kick a tree down?" Aren't women weaker than men? So why can I do it and they can't?"

Pepper looked at the crowd around her, who were now looking at them with more interest than before. Especially Farat, the leader of the war. He is always watching, usually when grinding things. But now, the Great Demon's hand didn't move, because he noticed.

"I don't know," he said.

"You're too old to learn everything, but I still have a lot to teach you."

"Maybe later." Pepper said. He looked at her for a moment, and saw her depressed expression, maybe angry, maybe annoyed, maybe something else; He wasn't sure. He's not good at this, unlike Flower. But when he turned to leave, she looked unhappy.

He picked up his shirt and put it on as he went, a little faster than usual, to find breakfast. Not all demons eat in the morning, and Natuk sometimes eats bread or dried meat, sometimes not. But the normal meal didn't start until after noon, and Pepper knew that if he couldn't find something to eat, he would be hungry by then.

If he was still a slave, or if he lived in a place where no one knew about him, he could steal something, and no one would know. But they all know how cunning he is, and whatever the reason, if something is lost, Natuk will come and ask him. So far, he hasn't taken anything anyone else has given him, but Teswan and some of his friends caught a bunch of fish and hung them up to dry, and if Pepper was going to steal something, it was this one. He could smell it from every corner of the camp. But they knew — they probably counted.

He wished it was a little colder, because now all the snow had melted, and all the paths were muddy, and no one could walk on them, which meant they had to open another road, and the roads were muddy. It hadn't been cold enough to freeze last night, and now he was struggling to walk between the tents, making a slimy sound with every step he took. It's stupid. Why can't he be caught by people who build roads with stones, like the Rafaylians? These may not get dirty all the time. Rain may have washed the road clean, not made it worse.

Natuk must have heard him, for before Pepper opened the curtain on the tent door, the old demon said, "Put your shoes outside, little black tail."

Pepper tried not to let his sigh be too loud, and he bent down to untie his leather shoes. When he pulled his foot out, it was still sunk in the mud and could barely be seen from it. He had nowhere to go, so he more or less just fell and fell out of the crack in the door of the tent so that he would not get dirty.

Natuk grinned, but it was a friendly one, not sarcastic. "I hate this time of year," he said. I love the snow in winter and the green in spring, but I don't like the brown and humidity in between. ”

This old demon is just wearing a loincloth, so he hasn't gone out today, and it doesn't look like he's going to go out. He sat cross-legged by the brazier, on which was a plate and was cooking a thick piece of bread. Next to his wrinkled knees was a small jar with a stopper, something Pepper hadn't noticed before.

Pepper sat across from him with a plop and took a sip of the bread. Barley and oats again, not the wheat that his father fed him, but it was always delicious, and the devil put salt in it. He didn't know where they got this salt from in the winter, but they did, and it made it delicious.

"Do you know what I miss most about the days when we rode across the plains?" A steady supply of butter. I wish I could add some to my bread now. I also wish I had an apple. The old demon said. The man had become friendly and kind again, and was no longer as stern or cold as he had been at times. Pepper never knew, but when he behaved well, he always seemed suspicious now.

"I'm glad I had bread to eat," Pepper said.

"You always say the saddest thing, you know?" Natuk said with a sigh.

Pepper frowned; That's not what he meant. He just said he was happy to have bread to eat, not that he wasn't getting enough food. But the results were wrong.

The two were embarrassed for a moment, and Natuk laughed again, this time less sincerely, and he put the small jar on his lap. He pulled out the stopper, placed it diagonally on the bread, and poured enough honey to cover almost the entire bread. "Take them all, if you want. I already have one. ”

"Are you sure?" Pepper asked. Where do they get their honey from? They must have kept it for a long time, put it next to the brazier to heat it so that it would pour out. How long has it been since he's had a sweet tooth?

Before the old demon could reply, Pepper picked it up with both hands, even though it was so hot that he could barely hold it. Some honey dripped from the side and ran down his hand to his elbow, and this time he was glad that his hair hadn't grown yet. He quickly licked the excess so that it wouldn't fall to the ground.

"I didn't expect kittens to be so fond of honey," Natak said. He looked really funny again. Somehow, he could smile so hard that all he could do was show the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He took another ball of dough, flattened it with his hands, and placed it on a plate ready to cook.

"I'm not a cat," Pepper said, and immediately regretted it. The old demon behaved well, so he shouldn't be grumpy.

"Yes, you are a bolt from the sky. But don't you think your people are a lot like cats?"

"I'm Pepper from Wolves, not the Tigers or Panthers. Or before Dad adopted me. So, not cats. A wolf. ”

"If you insist, I think you're a bit of a wolf."

Pepper didn't insist; He hadn't thought about it for a long time. Dad never cared about the difference, so he and Hana never talked about it. Now, they're basically non-believers, and that doesn't matter anymore. Dad probably doesn't remember what they told him. Did they mention it to their mother? Probably not.

He shoved bread and honey into his mouth. His first bite was so big that he could barely move. All the honey was in his mouth, he couldn't taste it, and then it got a little dry. The next bite, he was more careful, the next bite. He seemed to feel the warmth of the bread as it went all the way into his stomach.

"Thank you for the honey." He said when he realized that he had forgotten his politeness, and his mouth was still half full.

"No thanks, little one. Eat it all. The old demon put his hands on his knees and stretched, then relaxed as he watched Pepper eat.

The old demon sat there and looked at him like that, and Pepper tried not to make herself look so uncomfortable. He ate slowly, and soon, his discomfort disappeared into the rich sweetness of the honey and the warm dough.

It was all gone, and he could see that Natak had something to say, because he hadn't moved, and it was obvious now, so he said, "You want me to do something more, do you?"

The old demon laughed widely, showing his teeth, all of which were still there despite his age, but only for a moment. "You're getting smarter!" Yes, that honey is a bribe. ”

"Why didn't you just ask me?" Why do you think it would be useful to give me honey? I'm not a little toolbox anymore," Pepper said. A bitter anger swirled in his heart, but gentle, like a fog.

"If I want to give you honey, can I not give it to you?" This is my baby. Maybe I just want to see you enjoy something, my poor little black tail. ”

"I'm not sad," Pepper replied, trying to make himself sound less malicious than he felt. "I'm bored."

The old demon sighed and looked at him with pity. His black-and-white brows were wrinkled together, and there were more wrinkles around his horns than usual. His mouth writhed between a smirk and a frown, and Pepper felt her heart tremble at the sight of such a sincere expression.

Natak lifted the lid of the brazier with a stick and stirred the coals. He said, "I don't want you to be so lonely. I want you to play with other kids. Go hunting, harvest timber, pretend to fantasize about things. Be a child who is supposed to be, even if you are about to leave childhood. But I can't give you the friends you need. You know why? Why do you think that's the case?"

"Because you ......," Pepper said, but he had to stop and think. The elder is in charge, so he can get the parents to let him see the child. There were also children around - he had peeked at a lot of tents, heard a lot of sounds, and knew that. But they never went out, and no one let him in, even if he asked.

Once, and only once, he snuck into the tent to introduce himself after his parents were gone. The two girls, one younger than him and the other a little older, stared at him with silver eyes open and said nothing. They stepped back and did not answer until he left. He walked outside and heard them whispering fiercely, but he didn't quite understand what they were saying.

But why? Why, really? He had thought it was just to show that he wasn't one of them and that he shouldn't start having wrong thoughts. Or they just don't like him. That's how I feel. Finally, he replied, "I don't know."

"I'll tell you. That's because my Night People are faltering, and they can't get over the jealousy of what little is left. Look at the fur of this tent. Do they look old?"

Pepper turned to look at the tent wall that the old demon was pointing to. He hadn't paid much attention before, but now that he looked closer, the walls were beginning to crack, and the threads were tearing off the edges of the fur. The demons hide their fur inside and apply grease to the outside to keep water out, but there is always a musty animal smell inside. He had noticed it before, but hadn't thought about it.

"Building a house with bricks, clay and stucco takes too long. We move too often. Where do we sow flax and make linen? Or grazing sheep for wool? No, we can only get cloth through trade, and many people don't trade with us. But do you see the rabbit skin over there? Next to that grizzly bear? I've had that rabbit skin since Teshvan was his age. Now, imagine someone cut it out and stole it. What does that do to my tent?"

Pepper stared thoughtfully at the small uneven gray patch in the middle of the large piece of fur, imagining a hole there. If he wanted to fix it, he would have to find another one that was that big, or take a lot of tents apart and sew them back together. But it doesn't really work – all the fur is already stretched tight. He had to mend it with something else.

Looking around, there are plenty of furs and blankets on the floor to use. Natak likes to cover the entire floor. When they sleep, it helps to ward off the cold of the ground, but it doesn't work very well. It's better than nothing, or, as Master gave him, to spread a raged blanket over the bare dirt that had been bitten by rats.

"Well, you'll have to make it up with another piece. But you have those on the floor that can be used, so you can. Pepper replied.

The old demon nodded with a blank smile on his face and said, "Yes, I like it." But if I remove a hair from the floor, then there won't be a bare patch on the floor? What if the person comes back and steals the new work? And then what?"

"You can keep making it up, and maybe catch someone who took it," Pepper said. He thinks he knows where things are going – everyone has to do their job and people have to stay where they're put because everyone is only good at one thing.

"It's only temporary, little black tail. Only for so long. It takes time to beat a rabbit, skin it, save the floor, and during this time, there may be a hole in my tent. It takes much longer to replace than to steal. I can steal in an instant, but can I replace it in an instant? Soon I had two holes, three holes, and soon I would have no tents. ”

"But......" Pepper spoke, but closed his mouth again, because he didn't know what to say.

"I remember when I was younger, riding my last horse and dreaming of future glory. There is nothing like it in the world, and if I change a different fur in its place, it will never be the same. I'm old now – can I go hunt a new rabbit myself? I'd be sad if someone stole the fur, but I could replace it and fix my tent. But what if they steal me ten times, or twenty times? I'll never be able to keep up. ”

The old demon stopped talking and looked at Pepper, as if waiting for a response, but Pepper didn't know what to say. He can think of all kinds of things you can do – go somewhere else and get them to stop stealing, or grab the person and make them stop. There are a lot of dark people living here, so some may have been hunting and should have a lot of fur. He felt like he wasn't getting to the point, so he kept his mouth shut.

"Suppose someone steals furs from my tent twenty times. Every time I had to go out hunting, skinning, healing, sewing, and every time they came back and stole my things. After 20 experiences, how do you think I'd feel about a stranger passing by and happening to look at my tent?

"The same is true for our people. Did you see that? We have become so few that those who have lost may never be replaced. Even in a land of abundance and peace, we may be too little to survive. The aliens have stolen too many of our children, and each one is a missing patch in the tent. The cold wind blew through us, and we hid, shivering with fear.

Deanna found Sheath, but she told me that she couldn't find her way back anytime soon. She didn't know how to find her way. Your dad helped our Etia save her little Yetu, but she never found us again, and I think she's dead.

"I can see what you're thinking, Blacktail. I can see what's going on in your head. You're imagining new ways of hunting, or protection, or something like that. You may be thinking, "Why don't you run away?" But aren't children more precious than furs? Where are we going to find a replacement?"

Hearing this, the old demon closed his mouth and stared at Pepper as if he had just taught him a lesson. But that's stupid. Natak is right that Pepper has a lot on his mind. If you can't stop someone from stealing, then why not live somewhere else? There's land somewhere out there. Just keep looking until you find it, or you find a tribe weaker than you that can occupy them. If you keep losing your child like this...

You'll want to get them back. You have to do it. In his mind, this awareness was almost real. Man is not like the fur of animals. You can't swap them out. No wonder they don't go! If there is any chance, if there is any chance, they will stay. After all, Dad still had to pick him up. Dad would never allow a hole in his tent.

You have to get people back because you can't swap them out. If someone goes missing, there will always be a hole.

Pepper knows this better than anyone – he's got holes all over his body. His first small village, his first killed mom and dad, then his new family. As long as there is a chance to get it back, he will not give up easily. No one can give up like that.

How long will it take him to start a new family? Can he do it? And it will never be the same, even with someone new. He always knew about the people he lost.

Pepper's mouth is dry. No wonder the Night Man would do this, not letting him get close, not letting their children play. Always looking at him, looking at each other. Always whispering to each other and watching everything. They have lost too much, too many times. Of course they were afraid of him. How can they trust anyone? They don't have android to protect them.

He felt that he could understand them now, especially Natuk, who was the father of the entire tribe. This may be the first time he has truly understood anyone other than Flower. But when he looked up at Natuk's old, yellow, tearful eyes, he understood. They are the same as him.

He could imagine what was happening to them. A raid, just like the last time he was taken from the Master. Early in the morning, half of the night people were still in bed. Armed men rushed in from their hiding places and then rushed out with any child they could catch. The Night People tried to assemble a force strong enough to stop them, trying to catch up with them. Find one and get him back. Lose track of the other. and another. Because they will run away in different directions, or there are enough of them that chasing them is tantamount to suicide.

But the sense of loss, once they know who has been taken; This is what he can best imagine. After all the horror and shock, the mourning will go on and on.

"You're a kid with a mind full of thoughts. Did anyone tell you?"

Pepper glanced upwards, then looked away again, worried that she would look sarcastic. But it's stupid to say that - everyone's head is full of ideas. Unless Natuk means that his head is full of serious thoughts, like a smart person, because that is most likely true.

Natak flipped through the second flatbread and looked as if it was ready. He poured a large spoonful of honey on top and handed it to the pepper. "I'm sure a boy like you can handle two."

Pepper is no longer hungry, but he does not intend to refuse something so delicious and rare. He took a big bite, so big that he couldn't speak. The saltiness in the bread brings out all the flavors, and the honey tastes sweeter than before. When he eats, his gaze is always fixed on the small gray piece of rabbit fur. He hadn't thought about it at all, really; Just a look. Until he realizes what he's doing. Then he began to think about it.

When he finally finished eating, his mind cleared and his stomach felt like it was going to explode. Natak said, "Now, little black tail, are you ready to know the purpose of the bribe?"

"yes," Pepper said, licking the last bit of honey from her palm, a little nervous. Natak doesn't look like he's going to ask any dangerous or strange questions, but ......

Natak nodded and said, "I have a question. A great mystery and I hope you can help me solve it. Awaken all your ingenuity. Are you ready?"

Pepper nodded.

"Good. It's a three-pronged problem, the first of which is this: the alien leather-faced people have taken some of our children and we want to bring them back, but we don't know where they're being held. "The old demon's demeanor has become more serious, and his speech has become calmer." If we don't get them back, the Nightmen will most likely cease to exist. Our tribe will perish. This is the first part. ”

"All right," Pepper said, not knowing how to answer. There are also five hundred or so Nightmen, how many do you need? You can find it all, but

"The second part is that they're turning them into berserkers. It is not a quick process, many of them will recover if we get them as soon as possible, but every day will cause more and more damage to them until they are destroyed and cannot be saved. We don't have time to sneak around in the king's domain to look for them. We must find them as soon as possible. ”

Pepper asked, "What's going on?" How do you make them berserkers?" He thought he already knew the answer, because anyone would collapse if he was stuffed into a black hole underground for a long time, but maybe Natuk would say something else.

A hint of darkness crossed the old demon's face, and he hesitated. He even hung his horns down and glared at Pepper, but not long enough to face Pepper. He replied. "The part you see, the confinement, is only the first step. I'm the only one in our tribe who still knows the whole process. King Lugubelenus and I may be the only ones who know this, but he may have told the prince and some of his advisors. It's a strictly guarded secret, because Berserkers are so powerful. I hope this knowledge dies with me, and I won't share it. ”

"Oh," Pepper said, feeling uncomfortable. He began to imagine what else they would do to break a child's heart and make them so strong, but he forced himself to dismiss the idea. His eyes widened and he listened intently.

"The third thing is that your father, Andrews, knows where our children are. Luckily, he's coming. Unfortunately, he's going to get angry, and you seem to think he's going to kill us. Is that so?"

"Oh well, he probably won't try. I could go see him first, and then we'll go, and he might not go. I don't think he would have come to duel with all of you if he hadn't had to. ”

"I'll admit, at first, I didn't believe what you told me about him. Who would believe such a story? But Deanna is a woman who calls the shots, and it's hard to deny that she tells us that what you say is true. She claimed that he could kill us all if he wanted to. Before, I just made you happy and accommodating, but now I think I have to be careful. ”

A wave of fervent indignation welled up in Pepper's heart, and he said, "I didn't lie."

"Who told the lie? You are a child, and I judge you like a child. But as far as the current issue is concerned. That's the problem, so listen up. Our children are captives. We must find them as soon as possible. Your father is coming, and he knows where they are. So how do we get him to show us? That's the problem. Do you think he will guide us if we ask him? Natuk said, although from his voice, he had probably guessed the answer.

Pepper leaned back and thought for a moment. When Dad showed up, he didn't think there was anything else to do. Just left. But the Nightmen really want their kids back, so that's a good question.

Dad didn't like the Nightmen at all, so why would he want more? But he liked Shakes, maybe she could ask. But will Dad really go back to the King's realm to save those he wishes to die? No. And the Nightman didn't have any gold, at least not enough to bribe him. Slaves are worth a lot of money, so maybe... No, that won't work. Daddy will never accept a demon slave because they sleep in your house and he doesn't trust them. And they may need all the adults to raise the children.

Maybe Pepper can tell how they took care of him and explain that they're not bad people, they're just scared, and they're not like in Daddy's story. But no matter what Pepper says, Dad might still want to fight them. The bad stories in Daddy's stories are so bad that it doesn't matter if some of them are good. He would say, "You don't let a pack of wolves go just because you like a wolf cub."

No, Daddy's only concern is what belongs to him – his family, his people, his city, his father, his honor, his vows......

While Dad did say that he always spoke first, that's basically true. If he could, Dad would have said it first. It's just never worked out. Pepper didn't see it anyway. He always ended up having to fight. Dad is probably the only person in the world who is less good at talking than he is.

"Our demands on him are dangerous. He had to take a small group of us back to the king's land. It could take weeks, and he'd be hunted down. He would risk being killed, so

Pepper interjected, "They can't kill him." This is not going to happen. But he didn't want to take the whole family with him, so he had to leave us somewhere, and I don't think he would do that. ”

"Either way, it's a risk. What can we give your dad that he will accept? We have no silver or gold, and we have no wealth. "We can grab some leather faces and give them slaves, but he probably doesn't want to feed them. He can take it himself if he wants. In this camp, there is only one thing we can that he might accept as a trade. Can you guess what?"

"Fur?" Pepper asked.

"Nope."

"Oh," Pepper said. "Me."

"Correct. You're the only person he values here. What do you think he will do if we blackmail you?"

Pepper felt something dark and terrible writhing inside her. He replied with a dry mouth. "When Dad is really angry, things around him catch fire, someone falls and sometimes dies from it, if you're far enough away, you don't fall, but it still scares you and doesn't dare do anything, so all of you can fall or run away except me."

"Because you're going to be locked up?"

"No, because I can stand it. Me, the flowers, and my mother. Me and Flower had to go down because ...... There are too many, but we are not dead, and we are okay after death. If necessary, next time I can stand up. I'm much stronger now than I used to be. So can Flower. Gabi can't, but-"

"Andlox's wrath will kill a warrior directly, but not a few little boys?" Natuk raised an eyebrow slightly, smiled slightly, and asked.

Pepper was sure that the old demon was joking, not true, even though it was hard to say it to Natuk. But it still made him angry, and he said, "Yes, because we are the sons of Androcles." And you're not. ”

There was silence for a long time, and this time, Pepper met Natuk's gaze, which he refused to look away from and didn't even blink often. The old demon's watery, dark grey eyes stared at him long enough for Pepper to start nervous, fearing that he would look away first.

Natak's gaze softened, but he didn't look away, not for a moment. He said, "Son, you are very cunning indeed. But your father is just a man, and your brother is just a boy. You are no different from others. No—"

"You listen to the flowers sing first," Pepper said.

Luckily, the old demon looked away first, as Pepper's eyes were starting to tear from staring at him for too long, and he was worried that they would drip down, and then Natuk would think he was crying.

Natak sighed, looked into the brazier, and poked the embers in the brazier with a stick to make them hotter. "Of course your father didn't teach you to be humble."

"Thank you." Pepper said, holding back her laughter.

The old demon snorted and grinned, revealing his sharp yellow teeth. Natak must have liked the joke because he even looked more energetic – he sat up straighter and his arms were more energetic than before.

Pepper had always thought the old demon was going to say something, but he didn't. "I'll find a way to get Daddy to help you." He smoothed the hair off his tail, stood up, and then picked up a crumb from his shirt and ate it.

"So, do you want us to be saved?" Natuk asked. He didn't look at the pepper, he just looked at the brazier.

Pepper paused awkwardly and thought for a moment. He said this only because it seemed like it was the right thing to say, and he really had to try to think about something, but, if he said yes, was he promising something? Was he swearing? He would have helped if he could, because they were just like him, but

"Go to Farah and tell him I want you to get a knife. Then go to Pell and tell her I want to see her. Also told Deanna. Would you do that?"

"Who's Pell?"

"Ask Farat where to find her. You know who Farat is, right?"

"Yes. Why are you giving me a knife?"

"Just in case you need to stab an alien creature. You're cunning, aren't you? You find Pell and Deanna, grab a knife and come back. ”

Pepper didn't know what to say, so he just nodded and slipped out of the tent door, careful not to open it too far so as not to let the cold air in. He walked into the bright morning, almost as bright as it was when there was snow everywhere. He had to cover his eyes with his hands to see where it was dry and where it was muddy, until he was halfway to the training ground.

As Natuk said, his mind was full of all sorts of ideas. Why did he take a knife? Of course he should have one; Dad once gave him a flower knife. Pepper accidentally cuts Gabi a little, so Daddy puts them on the bottom of the car, and that's the last time anyone sees them. He understands better now, so it doesn't matter if he gets one.

But most demons looked at him as if they thought he was going to steal something, even if he was just sitting somewhere and playing. Farat, the great war leader, had nothing but glared at him. But if he has a knife, he can do all sorts of things, like carving wood. He can try his hand at hunting. If he finds a rabbit or a bird, he can sneak close, and now that he has a knife, he can remove the skin and meat himself.

He had another thing to consider. He hoped that the people of the night would be safe and that their children would return safely. But how much does he want that? What risk is he willing to take for them? They weren't Daddy's Lafayette, nor were they Skywalkers. If he had to choose, he would choose his family over them. But if dad and he don't help them, who will help them? No matter how he looks at it, it's hard to make a decision.

By the time he arrived at the training ground, there was no one left, not even Deanna, and she probably had nowhere to go.

He sighed and looked around, not knowing where to look next. The sun was warmer than yesterday, especially on his black hair. Even its tail feels like it's been sunburned. He stood there for a moment, trying to soak himself in the sun, raising his hands, straightening his tail and stretching his waist. This made his stomach hurt a little because he was too full.

Pepper was nervous about asking Farrah for anything, especially a knife, so he was a little relieved that the man was gone. During this time, they barely said a word, even though the tall demon seemed to be trying to keep an eye on him. He talks a lot with Tesla Wan, who is the little devil that Pepper bit when he was arrested. Teswan probably wanted to kill him anyway. At least he didn't have to walk around with a big bandage anymore. Pepper didn't dare to approach him to see if he had any scars.

Holding his breath, he walked into the woods around the camp, determined to circle around the outside until he found someone whose name he knew might be able to speak to. If nothing else, he could try calling Xie Si's parents again, and they still wouldn't let him in, even though it had been days. He silently walked from shadow to shadow, inhaling his presence deeper and deeper, so that no one could see him. It feels like he's been practicing more and more lately, but how can he test it? No one saw him except Natak.

In addition, anyone can hide behind these pine trees. The branches were dragged all the way to the ground, and as long as someone followed behind or slipped in next to the trunk, no one would see them. There are only footprints.

Therefore, he practiced leaving no footprints and stepping on rocks or plants as much as possible. The melted snow left a lot of mud behind, but it also exposed other things for him to step on. Sometimes he had to jump over......

After a while, he glanced again into the camp, but no one came out. Did they go hunting again?

A small head poked out of the tent by the stream, and Pepper wasn't sure if he had seen anyone in the tent. The demon kid looked about the same age as Pepper, but it wasn't recognizable from here. He may be a boy because he has short hair; Many women also have short hair, but not most. Most people braid their hair like their moms.

The boy looked around, perhaps curious, perhaps eager—he was too far away to see. If the child peeks out of the tent like that, maybe his parents are gone? Maybe he can tell Pepperpel which tent he lives in? Or what he wants, like he wants to soak in water and no one protects him.

Coming out of the woods, Pepper's heart pounded as he was suddenly afraid to go and see what the boy was doing. What if that time he ignored him like any other child? Or what if the parents are in there and they get angry?

The boy's eyes were fixed on him, and Pepper realized that he had forgotten to hide. He was standing outside, the sun was shining. When the boy waved him over, his heart almost stopped beating. Pepper didn't move, and the child waved eagerly again, looking around to make sure no one was seeing.

Pepper glanced behind him to make sure, but it was stupid because he knew there was no one behind him and the boy was staring at him.

He nodded, and the boy hid in the tent again. Pepper concealed his presence again, hid with all his might, and crawled low in the clearing, now more worried about stepping on something noisy than leaving footprints. There were footprints everywhere, mostly in the deep mud, but if someone heard or spotted him, they might ask him what he was doing without letting him see what the boy wanted.

The sun shines through his heavy woollen shirt and into his back, as warm as his ears and tail. He couldn't hide from the sun. But instead of making him feel good, it made him more nervous. Exposed, like the sun shining only on him. He is increasingly focused on absorbing his presence and concealment, to the point that it is difficult to keep his eyes open. He walked closer and closer, trying not to make a sound.

He was startled by a voice—on the other side of the tent he had quietly approached, footsteps over the gravel. A panic almost disrupted his concentration because he was outside.

He stopped moving so quietly, rushed forward and crouched next to the tent, then tiptoed forward to see who was coming.

Just then, Pepper almost bumped into some people, and they were about to open the door of the tent and enter. The first was an elderly man with mottled black and white hair and a twisted arm from an old injury. Pepper had seen him a few times, and he was far from the camp, guarding the road. The second is a young woman, too small for a demon, and perhaps she is not yet fully grown, despite the fact that she has long horns and holds a small child in her arms. Pepper wasn't sure if he had seen her before.

He didn't have time to think, so he crept in from behind the young woman as quietly as he could. He stayed behind her, and when she sat down, he shrank as close to the edge of the fur tent as he could, without brushing it or letting it move. He breathed softly, steadily, hiding his presence. Panic swirls inside him when he realizes that he had just slipped into a tent with a group of Chinese New Year's Eve people who probably didn't want him to stay there, but he pushed it away and continued to concentrate on hiding.

There was no one else in the tent yet, just two demons and that little devil. The boy Pepper saw was gone. Unless he's hidden, maybe under a blanket? But it doesn't look big enough. Can he hide like Pepper? Pepper never had a chance to see if he could find out if someone else was doing it.

"Will he come?" The young woman asked.

Pepper had her back to him, and she couldn't see the child she was holding tightly, only the small feet on either side of her belly. However, this child may be younger than Xie Si.

The sentry said, "Yes, he will be there at any time." I told Trevot to run and get him back as soon as I could. Farat too, and Jager. Probably Teswan, if he's not busy. ”

"And what about Natak?" The young woman asked, flicking her tail out behind her and holding the child in her lap. The child said something, but it was baby language, and Pepper didn't understand.

"Farat will decide later." The sentry said.

"Is Farat the boss now?" She asked, her voice calm and nervous.

"No, but there was a conflict between them. I'll explain that later. The sentry put some fresh charcoal into the flat brazier and blew it. I have a hundred things I want to ask you. I can't wait. ”

"I've got a hundred things I want to say, Dad. It's been too long," the young woman said. "I want you to hold Yetu, but he'll snatch him away as soon as he gets here."

Pepper wasn't sure if he should look anyone in the eye. Even if he hid, would the light reflected from his yellow eyes be noticed? One day he will need to experiment with Flower. But when he glanced at it anyway and saw the sentry wipe the tears from his cheeks and laugh so bitterly, his fear began to give way to guilt.

When he realizes what has happened - the woman is gone and now back to her family, guilt is quickly replaced by anger. Or something like that. It's a homecoming, a reunion. It was the second time he had to watch a movie that wasn't for him. The anger inside him felt dirty in the making, like he wasn't supposed to feel that way, but he did. He did it.

He realized that if the woman's husband came, then he would be looking at her when he came in, and if he jumped on top of her and gave her a hug, they might fall on top of Pepper. Pepper crawled inch by inch in the tent, sucking his presence all the time, and then sat where he thought no one would come. He searched everywhere for the missing boy, but he couldn't find him anywhere. He might be in one of those baskets, though. Two of them are big enough. But it was a terrible hiding place because they hid their food in it.

The young woman's father looked down at the little boy and said in a high-pitched voice that everyone would have when they spoke to a little child, "You're a big boy now!" Do you remember me, Yetu?

The child looked at Grandpa for a moment, then snorted softly and buried his head in his mother's shoulder. The young woman smiled apologetically, but Grandpa didn't look so upset.

But then he asked with a worried look on his face, "Does he ...... Right?"

The young woman paused for a moment, then opened her mouth and closed it again. She nodded.

Grandpa looked down, but at a certain angle so that his horns would not point. "I'm happy," he said. His voice was hoarse and narrow, and when he was quiet again, Pepper saw his shoulders shaking and sobbing silently. The young woman climbed over the brazier, holding him in one arm and the little boy in the other.

Pepper almost got up to slip out because it wasn't what he wanted. It made him angry and disgusted, and he didn't want to be here.

But before he could speak, he heard the footsteps of someone running around, and in an instant, a young man rushed out of the crack in the tent door and shouted, "Adiya!"

It was a friend of Teswan, a young man he had never heard of a name. The young man almost pounced on the young woman, and soon the little family embraced each other and cried openly. Looking at all this, Pepper's heart hurts, and no matter how hard he tries to focus his attention on hiding, his eyes are still full of tears, part sympathy, part regret. He wiped his cheeks slowly, but the tears kept streaming from his eyes, and then the fear returned, the fear that he would stop hiding because of an accident, and they would look over and see that he was just sitting here and breaking in.

He suddenly realized that he knew who the young woman was. Natuk mentioned her name, a woman who went to pick up her children and never returned. Etiya。 It was probably the woman whose father helped lift the rocks one time. However, Dad saved a child.

Pepper decided he could wait and hear what she had to say, despite how upset he was about being here. She has a connection with her dad and him, and he wants to know where she has been all along. Months.

Soon after, Farat appeared in the entry. The tall demon had to bend forward so that his horns would not poke into the ceiling of the tent, which made him look like a monster looming over everyone. He wears his leather armor, painted with evil patterns in black and gray. He laughed anyway, though. Pepper had never seen him smile before, but it was a genuine smile, slightly wrinkled around his eyes, not contrived at all. He had two knives on his belt, one on each side. Will Farat give him one of these?

"Looks like I'm bothering you," said the War Leader, sitting down by the brazier. His voice was surprisingly lighthearted.

"Yes, but we'll forgive you." The sentry said.

Etiya gave her little Yetu to her young husband. The child looked uncertain, but did not complain or cry. After a while, the child seemed to remember him and hugged him tightly around his neck. The husband smiled and hugged him, then put the child on his lap and held him in both hands.

When everyone was seated, Farat said, "I only have a few questions to ask, and then I'll leave." I'll also be silent for a while so you have time to be alone. I think we're going to make a fire for you tonight. ”

Aetia nodded and said, "Thank you." I really need to take a break. ”

"I believe it. My first question is where did you find him? What does it look like there? Did you find anyone else?"

The young woman said, "I didn't find him until I was stuck in the snow, and it was pure luck." I happened to see a lot of smoke coming out of the fire and I thought I was near a village. I know the King's soldiers are in this area, so I wish I could hear something, and I need food. If I can find a place, I would also like to take a warm rest.

"I found ...... I'm sorry, I'm wondering where to start. They ......," Etia said. She looked uncomfortable and moved in her seat. The more Pepper looked at her, the younger she looked. How old is she? Dya

A's age?" I'm sorry, I haven't spoken for too long, I'm not used to it. ”

"That's good. Take your time," Farat said. Pepper couldn't tell if he looked impatient. It sits motionless, with its tail on its shoulders and its hands crossed on its lap.

After a while, Adia said, "They cleared the field, and it was about the size of our camp. Fires were lit everywhere. I don't know where they got these logs from, because they didn't clear the surrounding forest. They have these flat stones, which are too heavy to lift. It was too heavy for the three of us to lift. They are the size of horses and are all over the fields. Probably thirty or forty years old. Maybe more. They sent a whole team of leather-faced men to look after the fire, carry the wood, and keep the embers hot. I watched them for the rest of the day, waiting for a chance to go in and see what it was. I do not know.

"When night fell, a knight entered, and he summoned some leather faces to follow him, while the rest left in the other direction. When I was sure that there was no one around, I tiptoed in and looked around. The rocks are warmed by the fire, and the ground is not even cold. But the rocks weren't hot enough to cook on them, and none of the stoves had pots or spittoons.

"It didn't take long for me to notice movement in my peripheral vision, and I looked and saw one of our children sitting on a rock, so far away that I couldn't see who it was. I was startled, got up, and ran over without thinking, and when I approached, he looked like he had turned around, jumped behind the rocks, and disappeared from my sight.

"By the time I got there, he was gone. He's just—" Adiyah stopped talking and looked around the room. She looked distraught, but beyond that, Pepper couldn't see anything. "I'm sorry, it's all so weird. You won't believe me. You must think I'm losing my mind. ”

The young man smiled awkwardly and said, "Nobody thinks so." Keep moving. Pepper thought he must have tried to be friendly and comforting, but he didn't do it well.

Aditya glanced at him, either in pain or in gratitude, and continued. "When I got there, the boy was nowhere to be found. He also had nowhere to go. He just disappeared. I think I'm going to have a breakdown. It's all too much, I'm about to get out of control. Indeed I am. I stared at the rock for a moment, then sat down on it. I think Yetu heard it because he started screaming. I heard that. I heard him screaming under the rocks.

"No, at first I thought he was in there, or his shadow. But I knew it was him. I just know. I heard his voice, and I knew it. I tried to dig him out, but the ground was too hard and there were no tools, so I ran around looking for a tool but couldn't find anything. There was nothing. So I went back and tried to lift the rock myself. I knew I couldn't, but I didn't think about it at all. I'm going to get him out anyway and ......"

Pepper felt that Etia seemed more uncomfortable that he couldn't explain it correctly than that he felt sad about it. She looked around in frustration, her hands and tail moving.

After a short and awkward silence, Farat asked, "Then how did you get him out?"

"I didn't. In the name of the god of twilight, you will never believe it. I don't even ...... I can't ......."

Farat said softly, "It's okay, dear Adiia. Tell us your story. The proof of your words is in his legs. ”

yes, Pepper thought. He wanted to remember the names of all of them, so he tried to remember.

"That boy, I don't know what he is. But I knew I saw him, and somehow he told me where Yetu was. He must have been part of the next thing, I just don't know if it was a soul or an illusion from Kalishek. I just don't know. ”

Think pepper. It must be so! According to Mom, Patos could be any kind of child, so he must be

There was silence in the room. Painful silence. All the people of the night widened their eyes and looked at each other. No one breathes.

Pepper suddenly realizes in horror that he said the name of God out loud! He didn't even realize he was doing it, he just whispered it there without thinking. He inhaled his breath hard, using all his strength to hide.

They began to look around the tent and were now scared. Their gaze swept over him a dozen times. He was looking at the ground, but he could feel their eyes on him. No one said anything. No one saw him.

"Did you hear that?" Aditya asked, almost in a whisper.

The sentry nodded, and he nodded. "I think it's the guy in the tent next door," Farat said. Please continue. What happened?"

A frost giant, covered in blood and furious as wildfire, appeared a few paces away. Out of nowhere, out of nowhere, he came towards me. I didn't see him until he was close enough to grab my horns. I thought he was here to kill me. I don't even know how to describe him, it's too big. He couldn't be alone. No tribe can be so tall and strong. I hissed, baring my claws, ready to fight my last one, but he didn't care. He just ignored it.

"I don't remember if he said anything to me, but I remember that he wasn't afraid of me at all. He walked straight up to the stone and lifted it up himself, barely grunting. It's nothing to him. I grabbed the leaf diagram from under the tree, thanked him and ran away. I was too scared to do anything. I just ran. I can't even remember where we slept that night.

"The next morning, I followed my footsteps back to the field, but it was again full of leather faces. Then I realized that they had all of our kids locked up there. It's not just Yetu. They hid them under the rocks in case we stole them back. I don't know how many people it will take to lift it, but I can't move it at all. Even if we try to launch a raid ......"

Hearing the news, the nightmen looked sad. They keep their heads down and don't look at anything. Pepper could imagine what they were thinking—the small raid team he had stolen from the aliens wouldn't have much luck in such a heavily guarded place, and if it took ten men or two horses to move a rock, how many children would they be able to save before they were driven away?

Farat looked up and asked, "Can you find it again?" What is the field?"

"I can easily find it from King's Castle or the long east road. You'll have to bring me back, though. ”

He asked, "Why did you find him and wait so long to come back?" We all thought you were dead. ”

Even Pepper could hear the pain that the young man was trying to hide. This reminded him once again that the Night Man was just like him—lost, lonely, and missing his family. They are like a bunch of orphans.

In fact, now that he thinks about it, maybe he sees Patos calling him in, not a demon child. Patos wanted him to hear that. God is still watching over everyone! The thought spread through his mind, like a good fire that had been lit after a day in the snow.

In fact, do the Night People have God to protect them? They mentioned Kalishek and said that he was the ancestor of their tribe, but he had not seen a sacrifice being made. He had to ask Natuck.

Etia had been thinking about how to answer her husband's questions, and finally she said, "I'm not sure if I'll find my way back in the snow." I left in the fall, and now everything is different. I haven't even tried. I found a place to sleep, near a village where I could steal enough food to stay afloat, and I thought it would be better to wait. I'm sorry. I miss you, I want to come back. It's true. But I ......"

"You're so scared, you're going to freeze to death," the sentry came to her rescue. That's right. You're here, Yetu is here, that's all that matters. ”

Farat suddenly stood up and said, "I think that's all I need right now." You made me think a lot. Please, Komar, leave these two alone for a while. He hasn't had a wife for half a year, which is unbearable for a 17-year-old. We went and fetched Jager and told her not to come and see us just yet. ”

The Sentinel stood up, a mischievous smile on his face, and Pepper did his best to remember that his name was Koma.

"Wait," Etia said. "I'm not done yet. One more thing. There are some things you need to know. That's why I came back before the snow was gone. ”

Farat turned and turned his attention to the young woman again. "I'm listening."

"There was a slave revolt in the Great Hall of the King. At a banquet that the king showed off, a slave from the south killed everyone, including the prince. The king is on the run, but the slaves he took with him and a child of a thunderbolt are on the run. The king gathered eight armies and slowly tightened all the roads. All. There is nowhere to go but deep into the wilderness. ”

Koma's jaw dropped, and his body froze. Farat was stunned for a moment before saying, "How do you know?"

"I heard the whistle myself. I've been hiding near a fortress. They..., the slaves went east. to us. There is little chance that they will go this way, but Farat, he killed the prince. Prince! No one could say where the king's army would go to capture him. We have to go. You need to know. ”

"I can't believe anyone actually killed that monster," Koma said. Does this information describe slaves?"

"Just know that Southerners have long, dark hair and lots of muscles, and Skytha

de

There is pure white fur and the palest skin. They may have been trying to free the other slaves. ”

For a moment, there was silence in the tent. Farat's brow furrowed, and he stared at the ground, lost in thought. Koma looked scared and kept staring at the curtain of the tent.

"I came as soon as I heard the news," said Etiah. I'm sorry. ”

Farat looked up, and Pepper felt helplessness in the man's face. "No, you have nothing to be sorry for. What you have done is heroic. It's terrible news, that's all. ”

Koma said, "Farah, that sounds like Andrx, doesn't it?"

Farat closed his eyes, lowered his head, and fell into deep thought. He flicked his thin, black tail off his shoulder and slammed it into the edge of the tent, probably accidentally. He blinked, looked up, and suddenly came up with an idea. "Aetia, do those messages mention the King's Berserker?"

She said, "Oh, I'm sorry! How could I forget to say it? Yes. He brought them all out. All of them. ”

The war leader muttered to himself, and Pepper felt fear in the man's face. "Everyone?" How could he control so many people?"

Grandpa Koma said: "I doubt that Natuk can still take one of them, let alone twenty or thirty." Farah, we must—"

"You're right." Farah interrupted. "If the king smells a little of us, we will be annihilated. We had no choice, we were moving. Immediately spread the word. ”

"What about the kitten ghost?"

"We told Natak that he had eavesdropped on our conversation and said he was going to save his dad, but we couldn't catch him. Find him, kill him, and hide his body in the snow for the time being. ”