The Nature of Possession

391 – EP.14 The Sword of the North-4

***

“Taluk, I’ll go out today too.”

The woman spoke as she mounted her short horse. The young man named Taluk furrowed his brow at the words of the youngest warrior.

“Are we going to the barrier again? I might die if I do.”

“I hear it all the time, but it always comes back, right?”

As she spoke, jumping up into the saddle, Taluk shook his head as if he could not stop her.

“So are you sure that guy welcomes you?”

“The last time we met, you were shooting a bow.”

“Did you put flowers there?”

“Well, if there was poison, there probably wouldn’t be flowers. Especially here.”

Whoa, whoa, she grabbed the reins and rode the horse.

“How many years has it been?”

“It’s already been four winters since we first met. Time really flies.”

The Great Warrior ran towards the barrier with a smile as cool as the winter wind.

“Take care of yourself. I heard there are a lot of people at the fortress walls these days.”

Taluk drew attention to the rambunctious warrior walking away.

No one could know whether that concern had reached her.

The smile still hung on the lips of the galloping warrior.

As the giant wall got closer and closer, the smile grew wider. I couldn’t hide my laughter.

After their first meeting, she went to the wall to collect her turbulent thoughts.

Returning was a barrage of insulting language from the humans within the barrier, but after a few hours of holding out, I was able to see the peacock.

Even from afar, her brown hair and kind eyes were clearly visible.

After confirming the Duke’s face, she felt satisfied and returned to her tribe.

Since then, my thoughts on small business have deepened.

The peacock’s face came to mind when I was hunting, eating, and even sleeping.

Sometimes, when he appeared in my dreams, I would hug him tightly.

Of course, when he woke up, he found a hard greatsword in his arms.

When her thoughts about him grew so strong that she couldn’t control them, she would force her short words towards the wall.

The third, the fourth, the fifth… the tenth, the twentieth…

The number of times I went to the wall increased.

The people inside the wall also got used to it and stopped swearing like before, only making meaningless threats.

“This is how we gradually become closer.”

She knew very well that the lives and cultures of the people within the barrier were different from those of the children of the earth.

She was spending time making herself familiar to him, like taming an animal.

Of course, she was the only one who thought the attempt was working.

***

As the barrier neared, she blew her horn.

Boo- A loud noise rang out, and the soldiers standing guard on the wall reflexively raised their bows.

Boo- As she blew her horn again, they lowered their bows and looked at her.

Someone even had the luxury of waving to her.

The tribal warrior rode his horse slowly and waited for the peacock to come out.

As he blew the horn and loitered in front of the barrier, a man with brown hair came out to meet him.

Although there was no conversation, no exchange,

Every time she laid eyes on him, the moment was new and her heart raced.

After waiting for a few minutes, the humans on the wall begin to turn and greet each other.

‘Ah, you came.’

The great warrior smiled broadly and waved his hand.

She waved her hand vigorously so that he could see her right when he climbed up the wall.

Soon a man with brown hair appeared.

Maybe because he’s taller, his face looks better than last time.

She pressed her hands against her throbbing chest and continued to wave them.

The hand stopped when the man turned and reached out to someone.

“That’s the savage. It’s my first time seeing one in person.”

A woman wearing clothes that were different from those of the people at the barrier appeared.

And that too while holding the Duke’s hand.

The warrior’s eyes narrowed.

“Isabella. They call themselves the Children of the Earth, the People Beyond the Wall.”

I heard the voice of the little peacock, which I had not heard since our first meeting.

“Hmm… Your clothes look rough and undignified. You don’t even look like you washed them well.”

A woman named Isabella squinted her eyes and opened a fan to cover her nose.

“Isn’t it about living according to one’s lifestyle?”

As the Duke laughed, Isabella nodded with a displeased expression.

“At first, I thought it was just a place with cold and snow… But is it because the Duke is with us? The northern scenery looks beautiful.”

Isabella leaned lightly on the duchess’ shoulder, her eyes smiling like moonlight.

The ears of the little duke turned red as he smiled awkwardly.

The Grand Master was not pleased with this whole situation.

And when I came to my senses, I had already pulled the bowstring.

“Huh? Huh? Why is that savage like that?”

As soon as the quick-witted soldier’s shout ended, the arrow was fired.

– wedge

The arrow flew with a puff of wind. The target was Isabella, who was next to the duchess.

Thud!

A seasoned soldier held out his shield to block the arrows.

“Everyone, protect the little duke and Lady Neiren!”

As the white general shouted, the soldiers moved in unison to form a shield wall, and the little peacock disappeared.

What soon returned to the great warrior was a hail of arrows.

She instinctively rode her horse and ran away, but she kept shaking her head in disbelief.

Why?

Weren’t we close?

Why are you looking at me like that?

Why?

Why?

What on earth was that woman next to her?

Why…!

Why…!

***

“The Grandmaster is injured!”

“What’s the big deal? Didn’t you get hurt while fighting the saber-toothed tiger again?”

“No! I was hit by an arrow. It was the men inside the barrier who did it!”

“What? You cowards living within the walls, are touching the children of the earth?”

“It’s war!”

“Yes! War! Never war! Never war again!”