Snow Burial: Secret Love Poems from Winter

Knowlins has never been shy about admitting his interest in someone, even expressing near-love at first sight for a character he has only seen in a half-finished painting.

The person who caught his attention in an instant really has such capital: the young man in Baiwan's characteristic complicated clothes has light blond hair similar to Starr's, and the hair color is so bright that it is close to snow white; Thick, just like their family name - like a strong lion guarding its territory in the snow.It’s just that he was too young, and he didn’t show his affection for being used as a portrayal object. Compared with Star’s expressive, ruthless and ferocious face as the lord of Baiwan Lord, his expressionless face seemed indifferent And proud, and these details were meticulously recorded by Brahe.

It's not that Norlins has never dealt with the so-called flowers of the high mountains, and there is no lack of people who are reserved and conservative among the people close to him.It's just that this kind of temperament, combined with the rough background that is completely different from the southern territories, always attracts his unruly and playful subtle interest.

"What's his name? You should remember." Norlins asked Brahe.The latter had just finished answering Mora's question about the White Bay Collar border guards.

Braher froze for a moment, saw the person Norlins was referring to, and replied: "I remember, my lord. His name is Karlan, and he is Stahl's nephew. He has been with Stahl since his father passed away."

Norlins nodded thoughtfully, silently chewing Karlan's name.

In the ancient imperial language, "Kallan" seems to mean "snowfield, icefield" - Norlins vaguely remembered what he had learned intermittently when he was young.It's just that at that time he was busy playing with his brothers and beautiful girls, and he had no interest in this old language that is only used in the Baiwan collar with a strong imperial complex.

"He's charming." Norlins said flatly after taking a sip of his wine.Except for Mo La, no one took this perfunctory remark to heart, most of them regarded it as a normal and frivolous remark under the dissolute character of their young lord.

The banquet was coming to an end, and the guests had begun to say goodbye to each other drunkenly. Brahe also put away the painting, and the musicians changed to a local tune from Juhu Territory according to the occasion.But for some reason, listening to the bard's witty singing, another vague picture appeared in Norlins' mind.

That was when he was still young and his father was not yet dead. During the most stalemate period of the 15-year war, he and his brothers took advantage of the midnight truce to the edge of the battlefield with his father. The burning fires melted the snow into the muddy soil; A majestic and mournful singing sounded from a distance.A few years later, Norlins found the original text of the war song in the books brought back by the caravan.

"The wind of the White Bay sweeps over the cliff;

Blacksmith's hammer, forging war halberds.

Tempered by fire, sheathed by ice and snow;

Horses neigh, hounds growl.

The flames are everywhere, but the sky is not visible;

Warriors of Baiwan, head south. "

In early spring, according to tradition, Norlins took a team of guards and familiar friends to hunt in the northern forest near White Bay Collar.Unlike the mild climate in the southern part of the Juhu Territory, the snow here melts very late, giving people the illusion that there is no spring or summer.

"Please take me with you."

When Maura said this with a deliberate innocence the day before, Norlins knew he couldn't refuse him.One is that I have enough trust in this overly smart young clerk, and the other is that their conversation took place in Norlins’ bedroom in the Watchtower—to be precise, it was warmed by the fire and animal skins on the bed.

This hunting also brought a lot of surprises to Norlins.But for this "surprise", the encounter in the northern forest is undoubtedly the beginning of all tragedies.

It was evening when we arrived at the camp, and the frozen and snow-covered forest became dark and gloomy during the day.In addition to the sound of horseshoes stepping on the snow, the sound of heavy clothing and weapons, there is the sound of wind in the depths of the forest and the low roar of wild animals.The fence and fire next to the camp are like an abyss, cutting the boundary between man and beast, civilization and barbarism.

As prearranged, Norlins spent the night at the camp.Early the next morning, what woke him up was not Mora or the other followers, but the noise outside the marching tent.There were a few curses in the ancient imperial language and extremely vulgar scolding in the common language, which directly pulled Norlins out of the fragrant dream.

Mora walked into the tent, leaned close to Norlins' ear and said quickly: "The captain of the guard caught a few Baiwan people while patrolling the forest. I think they are more like spies who came to spy on the border deployment than lost hunters. .If you disturb your sleep, please feel free to punish us, my lord."

Norlins was not angry, but felt a bit interesting-it is almost the tradition of the Red Vulture family to like excitement and excitement.He grabbed a heavy blouse casually, buttoned it and walked outside.When he saw the picture in front of him clearly, an almost intoxicated ecstasy swept the young lord's brain.

The guards accompanying the lord to hunt held iron swords, surrounded by four or five northerners with their hands tied behind their backs and dressed in typical Baiwan attire, and one of the young men was more elegantly dressed.A few steps away was a dead body, apparently an attempted resistance.Norlins looked carefully at the prisoners who were glaring at the guards, and recognized the prominent young man among them at a glance.

——His name is Karlan, and he is Starr's nephew.

Brahe's voice sounded in Norlins' mind, together with the throb of reunion after a long absence or love at first sight, it also aroused the indescribable impulse that roared deep in his heart.

Just like in the painting, Karlan's light-blond short hair is very soft, and his delicate and sharp face is like the ancient imperial language with cold syllables, mercilessly showing the snow lion lineage's hatred for the enemy.He had obviously been beaten—the corners of his mouth were bloodshot, his hair and clothes were stained with blood and slush, and most of the thick white animal skin coat was ripped open, revealing the light and capable brown hunting suit inside.The guard standing behind Karlan firmly held his bound hands and kicked him mercilessly on the knee, forcing him to kneel in front of Norlins.

However, Karlan just stared at the man in front of him who should be a nobleman from the Great Lakes, and staggered a step forward due to the guard's rough push.Before being forced to kneel on the ground, he did not forget to spit out a mouthful of blood on the snow under Norlins' feet.

Knowlins smiled.For him, it was even more interesting than hunting—the beast would not resist and curse him in the Old Imperial language like Karlan, nor would it arouse its own dangerous impulses like this.

He squatted down in front of Karlan, reached out and grabbed his hair, which was wet with snow and blood, and forced Karlan to look up, revealing his neck wrapped in his fine clothes. A slender metal chain came out of his hunting suit because of this movement. slide out.Norlins raised his eyebrows with great interest, pulled down the chain roughly, and easily held the iron pendant that Karlan wore next to his body in his hand.

It was a pendant with ancient workmanship and heavy weight.On the front is the lion head crest of the Snow Lion family, with irregular blood-red ores inlaid in the eyes; on the back is the word "Kallan" in the ancient imperial language, together with the birth date recorded in the old calendar.Norlins noticed that the young man was actually a few months older than himself.

"It really is you." Norlins smiled dangerously; Karlan's resentful eyes gradually mixed with a trace of fear. "Do you speak the Common Tongue?"

As he wished, Karlan scolded "the bastard of the Great Lake Territory" in a blunt common language, and his angry roar brought Norlins a strange pleasure—it was a pleasure of conquest.

"interesting."

Immediately afterwards, Norlins grabbed Karlan by the collar, pulled him up from the ground, and forcibly dragged him outside the camp.

The captain of the guard showed a nervous look.He took a few steps and caught up with Norlins: "My lord, that's the direction of Baiwan collar, he may run away—"

Norlins turned his head and said with a sneer, "Do you think he can still move?" After that, he grabbed Karlan and continued to walk deep into the woods.

Mo La stepped forward and calmly pressed the raised hand of the captain of the guard. "Lord Norlins has his own measure, we just need to guard nearby. Besides, the Baiwan man has been injured and he is powerless to resist—you and I both know what the Lord Lord wants to do." He smiled ambiguously, and the foot The blood of the Baiwan people who were killed was also printed in the footprints.

Looking at Norlins' back, the captain of the guard nodded helplessly.Mora held no real power, but his closeness to Norlins was enough to keep the captain of the guard at his command over these matters.