Snow Burial: Secret Love Poems from Winter

Knowlins cleared his throat and pretended he hadn't asked the question.

"The boy—"

"Ok?"

"The one who followed you yesterday is also from the Snow Lion family?"

Karlan nodded: "He is Star's youngest son, my cousin."

"I heard that Starr's other sons were all killed. Why was this one left?"

"Unlike others, he has been by my side since he was a child. In fact, he has almost the same feelings for Star as I do, even if it is his biological father."

Norlings couldn't help laughing: "Honestly, I almost took him for your illegitimate son—because you look so much alike."

Fortunately, Karlan was not offended by this somewhat exaggerated joke.His counterattack is almost flat: "I'm not you, I don't have the kind of interest in being someone else's father early in the morning."

"It seems that you have also inquired about the news of the Juhu leader? I thought it was my unrequited love all the time." Norlins said aggressively.

Carl Lang paused for a moment before adding: "I have intelligence networks in various territories, and the news they send is always mixed up."

Knowlins likes to push the envelope, but also to let it go. "Can you tell me how you did it?—I mean get rid of Starr."

Hearing Norlins' question, Karlan tightened his grip on the reins.When Norlins almost thought that the other party refused to answer, the new lord of Baiwan collar said: "Seeing that the defeat is about to happen, Starr cried and begged me to end him. Do you believe that?"

"Don't lie to me," Norlins said with a smile.

"17 years." Karlan's voice suddenly turned cold, and Norlins couldn't understand what the other party was saying for a while. "It was 17 years ago that I bought the guards around Starr and turned him into an informant. Fortunately, this informant is still alive and well, and I paid him what he deserved."

Norlins' heart suddenly sank: "...When did you start making this plan?"

Karlan replied calmly: "If I have to say it, it was probably when my father died in front of me. Star didn't kill me because I look a lot like my mother."

Before they knew it, the two had come to a cliff in the outskirts of Neverwinter City. Looking back from here, they could only see the top of the four-corner watchtower of Snow Lion Castle from a distance.

The snow has stopped.There is an open area on the cliff, with a small pile of burned firewood in the middle, like a fire pile used by others, and a few thick logs lying beside it, it seems that this is the place where the lumberjacks stopped to rest.The canyon in front of the cliff is like a torn scar of a mountain range. The mud, snow and dead branches are staggered and spun into two gray sections; the river between the canyons has half-swelled bubbles and countless cracked lines under the ice surface.

Norlins, who lives in the south, has never seen such an "authentic" winter - the time when Karlan appeared was already the coldest year in half a century.He and Karlan tied the horses to a nearby stump and sat down in front of the fire.Karlan took out the flint and steel he had put in his saddle bag earlier, and lit the firewood in front of him.He was skilled and evidently did it a lot—not just lighting fires, but tending to himself while hunting.

Norlins looked at Karlan's face through the firelight, and felt that the other's eyebrows and eyes were much more vivid than that of the painting. "I didn't expect you to want to be alone with me."

"It seems that you like the feeling of being watched."

"I almost thought you forgave me."

"It's impossible." Karlan said firmly. "I've said it before."

Norlins smiled wryly twice, but did not speak.After a while, he deliberated and began to talk about business: "You should understand that the only ones who still regard the empire as the suzerain are the Baiwan collars. But the empire may not have much time left—I mean, once When the war is launched, you have to consider the issue of standing in line." He raised his eyes and carefully observed Karlan's expression.

Karlan pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "I know very well."

"At that time, I may not be able to help you." When he said this, Norlins felt his heart sink.He admits that he is a cruel person - he will put aside the existing conflict with Baiwan collar for his (suspected one-sided) love, and will abandon Karlan for more important things (such as the future of Juhu collar).He knew this from the beginning.

"I never expected you to side with the royal family." Karlan looked away. "You think we are very similar, but it's not true - you have the fertile land of Juhuling, rich towns, loyal servants and well-deserved reputations, but Baiwanling and I only have this barren land. the lands, and an outdated loyalty to the Imperial Household. I know we are doomed, but if this pathetic loyalty is thrown away ahead of time, we are nothing. The opposition will use this as an excuse, and so will the old allies So turn against me."

"I thought you had killed all the enemies."

"It's impossible, I'm just putting pressure on some of them to be a silent third party. But that doesn't mean they'll take my fancy."

Norlins stared at the gloomy and sad scenery in Karlan's bright eyes, and an impulsive thought flashed in his heart, but with a bit of helplessness.He stood up, grabbed Karlan by the shoulders, and pushed him down into the snow like a child.The two tumbled for weeks, making irregular indentations in the snow.When he stopped, Norlins rested his elbows on Karlan's shoulders, and his white breath blew off the ice crystals that formed on Karlan's hair.From less than half an arm's length away, he stared at him condescendingly, as if time had never flowed on the snow cliff.

Karlan immediately broke Norlins' wishful stillness: he quickly overturned the person on top of him, and while pressing Norlins' abdomen with his knees, he pulled out the dagger at his waist, and the cold point of the knife hung on the Knowlins chest.

Norlins knew that Karlan would not fight, just as Karlan knew that he was only showing his unwillingness to submit.

"Now I can do it at any time. But if I kill you here, the Juhu leader will be in chaos, and the Baiwan leader won't last long. So I won't do this. I just hope you can understand that I won't do anything for anyone. A decision that does not conform to my identity." Karlan said calmly, his hand holding the knife never wavering.

Although his heart was beating violently, Norlins felt an unprecedented calm and relief.He chuckled twice, and turned his eyes to the lifeless sky in the cold winter: "Now there are no lords of the Baiwan and Juhu collars here, only cliffs, glaciers, mountain winds, only snow, dead wood, and you And me."

Karlan was stunned, sighed, and then let go of his hands dejectedly.The exquisitely crafted dagger was sunk in the snowdrift, with only a gem-studded hilt exposed.

Norlins stretched out his hand, brushed away Karlan's hair that was tangled in snow, and said softly, "You look lonely."

"I've always been like this." Karlan lowered his eyes, exhaustion almost overflowing from the corners of his eyes.

To Norlins' surprise, Karlan grabbed his collar and kissed his frozen forehead for the first and last time.

Norlins knew that this must not be out of love and understanding, but the emptiness and confusion at the end of the road of a lone traveler in the ice field.He hugged Karlan's back, quietly enjoying this rare tenderness.

Soon, Karlan gently shook Norlins' arm away, put away the dagger that fell in the snowdrift, and sat upright beside him, as if nothing had happened.One of them sat, and the other lay on the snow as it was. No one said a word, only the fire on the pyre blasted the wood into pieces, and the war horse shook its mane, and breathed heavily at the dead branches from time to time. .

It was not until the sun passed over the towering peaks and melted away the thinnest piece of snow on the branches that Karlan stood up and patted the snow stuck to his clothes and cuffs.He turned to Norlins who was lying in the snow, and stretched out his hand expressionlessly, as if signaling him to get up.

Norlins certainly did not miss this small opportunity.He firmly held Karlan's leather-wrapped wrist, and used his strength to get up.

"We should go back." Karlan extinguished the jumping sparks with a handful of snow, walked to the stump where the horse was tied, and stepped on the stirrups to jump into the saddle.

Norlins got on the horse after him, and said with a smile, "Looking at the sword on your back, I'm ready to go hunting with you in the mountains."

Karlan also seemed to smile a bit: "Next, I will be busy with those visiting ambassadors—of course, there will also be a 'VIP' like you."

"So why did you agree to come out with me?"

"who knows."

Norlins suddenly thought of the boy who looked very similar to Karlan, and from this he thought of the private life of the other person whom he was very curious about.Of course, he knew that Karlan would not satisfy his thirst for knowledge so easily.So Norlins just asked casually, "You really don't have kids of your own?"

Karlan looked at Norlins' expression with a meaningful look, and the tone of his response made the other party almost embarrassed: "No. After all, my biological father and the person who tried to be my father did not end well, and I It is impossible to die well, and there is no need for anyone to repeat such a tragedy."

Maybe he should give a few words of comfort, but Norlins thinks he doesn't have the qualifications and position to do so.So, he just waved his whip to make the mount take a few steps, and moved as close as possible to Karlan.