The clouds finally parted, and the morning was surprisingly bright as they rode south. However, the crisp air is still as cold as a storm, leaves are falling from the trees, and the sun is streaming in through new gaps, leaving dappled light on everything. Not a bird flew across the clear, open sky, and he couldn't hear their cries.
Despite the calm surroundings, he knew he had every reason to be nervous; he was ever vigilant and repeatedly reminded Gabi and the wolf that Sca
Be quiet so he can hear if there's trouble. Each time he scolded them, they nodded humbly, stayed silent for about half a minute, and then began to whisper. Another minute and they'll forget to whisper. After walking in this way for several miles, he lost patience and shouted: "Wolfsca!"
, if you don’t shut up, I’ll stuff you in a bag. "Gabby, shut your mouth or I'm gonna stuff a cockroach in your mouth, a big juicy cockroach. Got it?" They looked embarrassed and from that moment on, they rode in silence. Horse.
As the morning turned into midday, Androx began to feel truly uneasy. It would have been strange to have no birds, but now there are not even bugs. With no wind at all, the air becomes heavy and still, and even breathing becomes laborious as it becomes humid. He noticed that Gabby was sweating as she began wiping her forehead and drying her hands on the horse's mane. Scar the wolf occasionally shook the condensation off his wings, clearly annoyed.
When Androx noticed small traces of mist gathering deep in the ground, he realized what was happening - the goddess was summoning the mist.
He pulled Gabi's horse closer and whispered to her, "We have to hurry, so you ride with me for a while. Shut your mouth." He then reached down and grabbed her coat, picked her up and put her behind him. It would be more stable with her sitting in front so he could hold her, but he would probably have to fight and she would be in the way. He said: “Hold your arms tight to me. That's it, that's it. Don't let go. "
After making sure he could pick up a shield or a spear if necessary, he quickened his pace. The horse didn't complain and seemed to know something was wrong. He muttered a curse under his breath, wishing he had spent more time in the cavalry. How long could a horse like this run before being crushed by his weight? He forgot.
The further they went, the thicker the mist on the ground became. An hour or so after noon, he lost sight of the sun. Although bright sunlight shines through the fog, it obscures everything but the trees closest to the road. It became increasingly difficult to coax the horse to go faster, and finally he frowned, cursed, and slowed down again.
The entire time, and even after slowing down, Gabby had a firm grip on him. Her little arms were probably sore now, and he didn't know how she did it. Maybe she could feel the goddess too. On the road ahead, he sensed Mary's intentions, which sometimes became stronger or weaker for reasons he couldn't guess, and it made him uneasy.
Even more unsettling, perhaps, are the shapes moving through the fog. He could hear them moving around, the only sound besides the sound of horses. As they moved through the mist, he caught glimpses of their silhouettes now and then, but always could not make out their outlines clearly. In the sunlight the fog was so bright it was almost invisible, but judging by their size they were not birds or dogs.
Before long, many shadows gathered together, and he could hear their heavy breathing and occasionally roaring sounds. He didn't know yet what kind of beasts they were, but he knew that if they attacked him, he would have a hard time surviving. He decided to loosen the reins of the other horse, hoping it would follow him, and readied his spear.
Soon after, the shapes emerged from the fog. Wolf. Dozens more, and more he couldn't see. They gathered in a group a few paces behind and to either side of the horse, keeping pace and growling as they watched their prey.
Both horses started to run faster, but he still couldn't get them moving in such limited visibility. He wasn't even sure he wanted them to because he didn't know what lay ahead. Thank God Ga
biandWolfsca
No more encouragement is needed to keep quiet. A
d
Okles suspected that neither of them wanted to become wolf food.
He suddenly felt strange and asked softly: "Gabby, girl, are you still with us?"
He could feel her nod, and she whispered, "Yes."
It occurred to him that if he were alone, all he would have to do to be safe was tie the horses to something to hold them in place and evoke a good intention to kill. The wolves scattered every time - they knew when they saw a larger predator. But Gabby might not be able to handle it. The boys certainly didn't, and she was probably still vulnerable.
Of course, his armor is also handy so the wolves can't tear him apart, and his sword is handy when they get close. A bunch of archers, some wine, and flowers to sing a song or something. Maybe he can scare the wolf
Pull out someone else's hair instead of his. The nasty fairy clung to his head like a burr, and he kept turning around and looking in different directions, each time tugging at Anklex's hair.
"Wolfsca
, go scout the road ahead and tell me how far the fog is. If it breaks anywhere nearby, then I force the horse to run away,” he said.
The fairy flew a few feet in front of Ankerix and looked around in horror.
"But I'll get lost!"
A
d
Okles frowned. "You know, Gabby can't fly. You can. That means if we get caught, you get to watch her get eaten by wolves."
"Don't say that! She won't be eaten!"
"If you don't want to scout ahead, think of something else."
"I don't think it matters, even if you're driving faster. I think the goddesses are directing the wolves because they don't... they don't... do wolf things."
"What does it mean?"
"Wolves are like this," he said, turning aside, "and this," he shook his head up and down, "are like this when they want to talk to each other. But they don't."
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Wolves can't talk," Androx said, sounding a little angrier than he intended. Tensions may make him grumpy.
"No! No! It's not stupid! Humans do it too! You go like this," he said, gesturing with his finger, "which means 'come here'! You do a lot of that."
Andrew thought for a moment. The fairy has a point. Can wolves talk? He was about to ask what they were talking about when the horse stopped.
About twenty wolves blocked the road in front of them, forming two ranks like heavy infantry. A
d
Okles didn't have time to think about the consequences before he kicked the horse hard in both ribs to get it back on its feet. He jerked the other horse's reins and pulled it forward, and it reluctantly obeyed. He kept kicking and kicking, trying to get the horse to move on and pick up speed. The horse screamed at him and tried to turn away from the road, but he held the reins firmly and kept the horse going in the right direction.
When they were close enough, Androcles let go of the other horse, seized his spear, and stabbed it twice in the neck. It screamed and staggered, and the wolf on the road ahead pounced on it and immediately tore it to pieces. Thanks to the kindness of the road clearers, they left him alone with his remaining horses and let them pass while they went in search of easier prey.
After leaving, the horse cannot remain still. It ran in terror, down the road as fast as it could. A
d
The okles made no attempt to slow it down, even though the fog prevented them from seeing more than a few steps ahead. He thought with a wry smile that if the goddess was smart enough, she would set up a spiked blockade in front. The horse never stops in time.
Fortunately, the wolves never caught up. Whether the horse was running too fast, whether the fog and narrow roads were holding them back, or whether they had given up and decided to eat the horse, he couldn't guess.
After a few more miles, Anchorex quieted the horse and let it slow down to rest. When he had walked this road before, had there been water there? He knew the horses needed it. His horses in the cavalry always wore out faster than the others, which is why they kicked him out after only three months. It wasn't his fault they didn't have enough water.
He couldn't think of anywhere, except maybe a logging camp, if he could find it in the fog. He had to give his water skin to the horses and hope they could get to the basket before the water skin ran out.
He rode for what must have been a few more miles before he stopped to let his horse rest, listening carefully for the sounds of wolves, just in case. Satisfied, he let Gabby come down and stretch his legs while he opened one of the water bags with a knife and held it like a bowl for the horse to drink from. The horse drank it all quickly, so he sighed and gave the horse water from another cup. Then another. He saved the last man, even though the horse kept looking at him expectantly. However, it soon realized there was no more water and began eating green plants it found along the roadside.
When it eats, A
d
Okles looked at it nervously, chewing some dried meat himself. Gabby had obviously never eaten it, so he had to explain that it would be more comfortable for your stomach if you eat it slowly and let it soak in your mouth a little. Wolf Sca
Life was much easier for him because his teeth were as sharp as the boys.
As he climbed onto his horse with Gabby on his arm for another ride, he remembered why he hated his time in the cavalry: his thighs and butt were beginning to ache. Fortunately, the fog appears to be dissipating; apparently, the goddess's power is limited. However, the heaviness in the air didn't diminish, leaving Gabby feeling melancholy.
When he kicked the horse back up, it didn't complain. He kept up a fast and steady pace, hoping to get as many miles in as possible before it collapsed at his feet like the last one he'd ridden all those years ago.
After walking about half a mile, he felt someone watching him from the left side of the road. He slowed his horse, grabbed his spear, and looked cautiously in that direction to see what it was. A few yards away in the woods, there was a face woven into the mist, looking like an old man with a mustache, a long beard that fell below his chin. Then the wind picked up, and Androx looked around nervously, trying to figure out what was going on.
"Oh!Ocea
wi
d!Hello,ocea
wi
d!" Wolf Scar quickly ran towards the place where the face was, looking for him everywhere. "Where are you, Sea Breeze? "Come out! Look, I am a boy this time!" The fairy lifted up her robe and let the misty people see her. Something saw him. "I want to be a hero!"
Anchorex heard deep, quiet, slow laughter coming from nowhere.
"Were you my friend before?" Come out! cried the fairy in all directions.
A quiet voice, sounding like the rumble of distant thunder, said, "I have been and always will be. I gotta go, man. I'm just here to do you a favor." It reminded him of The way the goddess Mary spoke, but without malice. Instead, it sounds...interesting. Mature and fun. Androx realized he was leaning forward, almost falling off his horse, to see what was outside.
Then the wind grew stronger and stronger, blowing like a gust of wind, roaring through the woods, blowing leaves and broken branches to pieces. Wolf Sca
Rush to the ground and grab a clump of grass to keep it from blowing away. After a while the wind died down again and the fog completely disappeared in every direction Anchorex could see. To his surprise, he saw that face in the same logging camp where he had first fought the Tatars.
Wolf Sca
Shout: "You're so rude! That's so rude! You can't just blow people around! I might hit a tree or get lost!" A
d
Okles noticed tears in his eyes. The fairy was understandably frightened. Androx himself was nervous, even though he was too big to be blown away.
"Gabby, go give that noisy little thing a hug. I'm going to find my sword. Don't get too close to me. Someone might die," he said, jumping off his horse again. "I have to hurry up, but if you see anything that looks dangerous, scream. Got it?"
