The sound of conversation came from behind the door, which was not very clear in the wind and snow. Now that the room was quiet, they finally heard.
"You ring the bell?" A familiar voice, but the tone was very unfamiliar.
"I didn't pull your beard. What's wrong?" A woman's voice said.
Uriel couldn't help but reach into his pocket and touch the badge. The conversation outside the door was in a language different from Common Language, but he could actually understand its meaning. There is absolutely no such good thing in reality, it can only be that the dream has changed. According to the previous rules, before he found Joey, even if the tree was cut down, the hunter inside would only think that there was too much wind and snow. It is true that dreams will change according to the memory of the master, but Uriel dare not deny that these abnormal situations have nothing to do with him. When he came back this time and when he left last time, he used Joey's anchor... and brought it back to reality in a ridiculous way.
But this surprise was nothing compared to his guess about the identity of the two people outside the door.
"It is impossible for a deaf man to use a bell as a reminder. These Alanvor elves have ears as long as you. If someone were here, he would hear."
"You can't expect a log cabin in the middle of a blizzard with just a stove waiting for you. Joey."
"Not only will I hear you," the man said gloomily, "I will also give you a knife as a greeting gift. After all, arrows are easier to dodge than the knife in front of you."
"That's because they have to deal with guests like you from time to time! Is it necessary to prepare high-level spells? Do you plan to break into the house and rob it? Or simply dismantle the only shelter that can keep you warm?"
"I'm not fucking cold."
But you didn't deny the robbery. Uriel thought to himself. He gestured to the alert hunter. Although the hunter didn't know the reason, he still chose to trust him. Not every mysterious creature is as suspicious as the nightingale. As the guardian of the forest, Brown Ear probably has to deal with wild beasts more than the people in the castle.
The hunter opened the door. "No one can rob me," he declared loudly, aiming his cocked crossbow at the door. "And there are people living here, no doubt about it. You two desperate wretches! Sign up."
Two snowmen stood on narrow wooden posts outside the door, relying on the tree vines beside them to maintain their balance. The woman was wrapped in a pile of fur, her nose was red from the cold, and her eyelashes were covered in frost. The man didn't mind the harsh cold climate, and his leather armor didn't fit him very well - to be precise, it was too small. His face and ears were exposed to the cold wind, as pale as the snow, and he still held a knife in his hand. His shoulders and head were covered with snowflakes. The woman reached out and grabbed him, as if he had a bear's paw on his right arm. The apprentice didn't know how long they had been arguing below before climbing up. It's a wonder to see these two people walking together.
"Parsur." The woman opened her scarf, "I am a nature elf. I recognize you, Lord Brown Ear. You are the guardian of this place. I am here..." She sniffed. "...I'm here to ask for help from you."
"Do you also recognize him?" The hunter took a step back, revealing the apprentice beside him.
Uriel blinked and subconsciously raised his sword. As expected, his mentor did not disappoint him. Facing the hunter's crossbow, Joey dared to slash at him with his sword. The sound of steel and ice colliding was drowned in the wind and snow. The fire behind him suddenly shrank by half a circle. Brown Ear frowned, hesitating whether to release the arrow.
"No matter what you want to do." Parsur shook off the snowflakes from his shoulders, "I want to go in. Merciful forest guardian, just let them fight outside. I am different from them. I am unarmed and sincerely seeking shelter."
"The forest welcomes its friends." Brown Ear let her in. With weapons in his hands, as a hunter from the first source, he felt that he would not be afraid of a natural elf, and besides, she was a woman. His judgment was not always right, but fortunately no one wanted to fight in such bad weather. He turned around and said unhappily: "What happened to them?"
"We just don't like each other. What is this?"
"A substitute for wine."
"No need. I have cider here, freshly brewed."
The hunter raised his eyebrows and stared at her for a moment. Parsur shivered by the fire, his posture focused and calm. Not to mention him, even Uriel didn't notice anything strange about her performance. "I'd welcome a green elf, especially one who pays the bills." He lowered his crossbow. "Uriel?"
The apprentice pretended not to hear and focused on his mentor. The cold wind was biting, and even the handle of the sword quickly lost its temperature. He really didn't want to stand here anymore. "I'm not here to find you." This is of course a lie. It's a pity that the apprentice can't think of any other explanation. Apart from this, Uriel was left with only questions.
"But you found us," Joey replied.
"You said 'we'. Did you mean you and the Holy Lady?"
"Why do you care?"
"You disappeared! I thought you went after her..." Uriel glanced behind him, "Of course, I think I guessed it right. In the manor, in Mortus, you and the Saint left without saying goodbye. .”
The corners of the instructor's mouth twitched. "A thousand years ago."
"It's not too long for me. I'd rather hear the whole story in a warm place. Except for Mr. Brown-Eared's cabin, there's probably no one here. Are you coming?"
Uriel grabbed his arm with his free hand and then pulled away the raised dagger. Thank God he wasn't planning on actually getting into a fight. The frozen knife turned into snowflakes and disappeared. He lowered his hand and said nothing.
But when the flames warmed the room again, the atmosphere between them did not improve at all. Uriel tries to make sense of the situation, but Parsur and Joy both play deaf and dumb. The only exception is the brown ear. As usual, the hunter inquired about the details of the new guest and asked questions such as where he came from and where he was going, and the answers came easily.
Parsul said he got lost in the snow and couldn't cross the forest on time, and even Joey was willing to talk. It seemed like they hadn't seen a living person in half their lives. However, even so, they were unwilling to meet Uriel, as if the devil was following him.
"Going east?" The hunter tasted the cider and discarded the boiling water. "You can't walk over there. After passing through the mountains, there is only an endless sea of ice waiting for you in the east."
"Walk a little bit. Compared to the Rift Valley, the Ice Sea is farther away."
"Valley of Thieves. Where did you come from?"
"We chose to camp there six days ago," Parsur said in Elvish, "and became the laughingstock of the beasts. Those monkeys are so unfriendly."
"Didn't you lose anything?"
The instructor's face was expressionless. "They throw back more fruit."
"Ha! So, the beasts like you quite a lot." The hunter pushed the boiling water to him. "Those thieves will take advantage of the night to take away everything they can, even the cubs. I have never seen them give Fruit for others. The forest has been kind to you."
"Even in the harsh polar regions, Heather favors me." Parsul said softly, "His gifts are spread across the continent of Knox."
"Polar? It's too far away." Brown Ear told her, "The Castle is the warmest city in Alanvor. If you had seen the dark nights of Kamaria, you wouldn't say this."
"I don't want to see it, but I can't help it."
"Are you going to Kamaria?"
"Maybe further." Parsul said, "The colder the place, the less likely my people will appear. Anyway, that's what he told me." Joey did not respond to her words. "I have to admit that it makes sense for Saint Valorant not to worship the Snow Mountain as a miracle of Heather."
"Why do you have to go there if you're not used to it? There are almost no green elves in Alanvor, and all mortals believe in the Broken Moon."
"There are spies everywhere," the saint muttered, "and the origin of evil."
Brown-eared smile faded: "Chuyuan?"
"There is a nightingale in the forest." Parsul seemed to mention it casually. "He killed my friend Luna when we first met. I finally understand why Alan Wo hates associations."
"The association is not a gathering place for murderers. You may have met bandits."
"Your so-called friend is a sexless deer, woman." Joey revealed, "You might as well say that we robbed each other. After all, he was the one who died."
"Anyway, this has nothing to do with association, does it?"
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The hunter nodded. "Retribution for evildoers. The forest will not tolerate it." He changed the subject: "Before, the people in the castle hanged a thirteen-year-old girl, claiming that she prayed to the evil god for strength. Such a reason could be made up! It is said that the lord’s castle was destroyed by lightning that night.”
Thunder and primary magic reminded Uriel of the battle at Mortus Manor. Chilang mentioned a companion who controlled the storm, and warned the apprentice to stay away from the dispute in the basement. Sweet good girl. Perhaps only her companions would describe her this way. Of course, she might not be the one who attacked the castle... In the final analysis, Uriel's speculation lacked conclusive evidence. But one thing is certain, Joey deliberately released Qilan and his companions from the wizard. Could it be that there has been contact between them before?
There was no point in asking the question, Joey wouldn't give him a chance to tell the truth from the lie. Uriel put his hand unhappily into his cloak and grasped the badge. It was obvious that the instructor didn't need it anymore. is that so? The future White Envoy misses his time as a Knight of Silver Song in his dream, but the current Joey doesn't have this idea? So weird. Not like anything he could do. No. You can't jump to conclusions like that.
The apprentice could stand it no longer. He took the badge out of his pocket and hid it in a crack in the floor. Suddenly, the exchange between Brown Ear and Parsur turned into a series of incomprehensible murmurs. "Joy." Uriel said. The mentor was still staring intently at the flames. To be honest, it's quite rare to see him pretending to be deaf and dumb. "I think we'll have to talk in private, not with swords...well, it depends."
