Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 221 Running Horse

  Gold was too weak to support the long journey.

   Winters was also injured and needed a place to catch his breath.

   Just as Ciel sutured Winters' wound, the three had already decided the next step: go to Wolf Town.

   If it is purely for the sake of recuperation, it is best to hide nearby.

   But they were unfamiliar in the Land of Galloping Horses, and the accent alone would reveal their identities as outsiders.

   There are no relatives or friends to provide hiding places for the three - except for the villagers in Wolf Town.

   Winters couldn't go to Consul Veneta for help either. The city was probably under martial law, and it would be too risky to enter the city again.

  The pursuers will come at any time, so they must get away from the castles as soon as possible, as far as possible.

   Of course, there is one more important reason: Winters wants to visit Wolftown.

   Without further ado, the three of them changed their clothes and set off immediately.

  …

   Winters learned his anti-tracking skills from the giant bear in Wolf Town.

   He did not take the main road, but entered the field, first detouring to the northwest.

   When he sees a stream or a river, he will move in the water to remove the smell;

   Do these methods work? Winters couldn't guarantee it either.

   But with these measures, the giant bear once got rid of the tracking of the most powerful old hunter in Wolf Town, and it should not be difficult to get rid of a few militias of the Kings Castle.

   After nightfall, the three of them slept in a woodland camp.

   Because Winters' wound was still bleeding and Gold needed rest, they didn't go all night.

   They rested until the next night, after confirming that no one was chasing after them, they turned to the southwest while the night was dark.

  The new land is located at the southwest end of Palatu, and Wolf Town is located at the southwest end of the new land.

  The sausage-cutting war between Palatu and the Heard tribes resulted in the difference between the control areas of the two sides, but roughly maintained an unmanned buffer zone of 100 kilometers.

  The no-man’s land is defined by natural dividing lines such as mountains and rivers, and it is constantly changing.

   But Tiefeng County, where Wolf Town is located, has reached the northern foothills of the Golden Summit Mountains because it is too remote, so Palatu has not developed territory from this location over the years.

  The three of Winters traveled at night, rested during the day, ate the dried meat and meat floss brought back from the wasteland, and avoided villages and towns as much as possible.

   If you want to buy necessities, only let Shire buy things.

   has been out of the jurisdiction of Zhuwangbao and Xilin Province, and once again confirmed that there are no pursuers, the three of Winters returned to their normal work and rest and returned to the main road.

   Winters also bought a horse for forty ducats, and it wasn't a good horse.

   This price has nearly doubled compared to last year, and the price of horses has risen as the war ignited.

   But Winters was in desperate need of a new horse. They had three of them, but only four horses, and it was expensive.

  In the beginning, Winters was on his way to Wolf Town with a bit of ease.

   But the further he went, the heavier his heart became.

   The destructive power of the war on society was nakedly displayed in front of him. There were no longer endless caravans, and no more farmers selling fruits, vegetables and eggs.

  The only few travelers on the road saw each other, and they silently wrapped their cloaks and held their weapons, and they could not breathe a sigh of relief until they were far away.

  Most cities have raised the red rose flag, especially the area south of the Ember River. They levied labor, built fortifications, collected supplies, blocked roads, and severely checked passers-by.

   It is said that not long ago, Blue Rose's troops crossed the Ember River and mercilessly swept these areas loyal to Red Rose.

  The Winters trio had to be extra careful.

  …

  New Reclamation Province, a village without a name on the map.

   "No living people were found." Xia Er trotted back and whispered, "I didn't find anything to eat. There are a few new graves in the west of the village. It should be the villagers who were still alive who buried the bodies and fled."

   Winters nodded.

In front of    is not a village, but the ruins of a small village.

   This was originally a very small village, and there were only seven or eight households looking at the courtyard.

   There may have been men and women who worked hard and tenaciously in the surrounding fields year after year.

   But it's gone now, only the ruins that have been burned by the fire.

   "Come on." Winters climbed into the saddle and said to Charles and Gold, "Let's go to the next village and see if we can get something to eat."

   The three of them galloped away, and the charred ruins returned to dead silence.

   Winters didn't know what suffering people were going through because he just kept on going.

   But he has an intuitive feeling, that is, there are too few traders on the road, but there are too many robbers and robbers.

   It became increasingly difficult for him to buy supplies, and even the smallest villages closed their doors and refused to welcome strangers.

   After leaving the direct jurisdiction of the Castles of the Kings and the Xilin Province - the actual control area of ​​the Red Rose force - Winters encountered roadblockers almost every day.

   When he entered the new field, the frequency rose to two or even three times a day.

  Most of the robbers were horrified peasants. When they threatened Winters, their hands were shaking with pitchforks and hatchets.

   There are also many gangsters who have seen blood, and peasants who don’t even have shoes wrapped in rout soldiers.

   For the former, Winters couldn't bear to kill, but only destroyed the opponent's weapons; for the latter, he only killed the leaders who were obviously habitual bandits.

   "Go!" Winters didn't know what to say: "Go home!"

  The robbers are gone, but they will come back again.

   "Wolf Town must be fine." Winters told himself over and over again: "With Mayor Gillard here, Wolf Town is still so remote, it must be fine."

   He tried not to think about terrible things, and hurryed on his way.

  …

   The sun was setting in the west, and it was about to get dark.

  Crossing the Blackwater River and following the rammed earth road over two hillsides, you can see the spire of the bell tower of the Wolf Town Church.

   This road is very familiar to Winters, because he has walked many, many times.

   Winters has only lived in Wolf Town for less than half a year, but for him, Wolf Town has a hometown-like intimacy.

   When he left here, he was a high-spirited young man. The boys of Wolftown sang and followed him to war.

   When he came back here, the laughing boys in Wolf Town were gone, and Winters only brought back scars all over his body.

  When he went through all kinds of hardships and once again stationed his horse on the hillside, he could not see the spire nailed with brass skin.

   "Did I go wrong?" Winters asked Shire, his voice trembling slightly.

   "Yes, this is Wolf Town."

"Walk!"

  Winters stabbed the horse's ribs, rushed down the hillside, and galloped towards the town square of Wolf Town.

  Wolf Town was right in front of him, but he couldn't recognize it.

  Church, ruined.

  The white-painted exterior was charred, the bell tower collapsed, and the bell was sadly half-buried in the rubble.

   Only the original stone structure remains of the church. The stone wall stood alone, and the wind whimpered through the holes in the wall.

  Old Misha's blacksmith shop, ruined.

  Archie's grocery store, ruined.

  The town hall and the police station have also been burnt to scorched earth.

   Many graves in the cemetery were even dug up, and the bones were scattered around the tombstones.

   "This...this..." Ciel was surprised, angry, and sad, his hands trembling while holding the reins: "How could this be?"

   "It must have been a thief." Gold whispered: "Dug up the coffin and steal the funeral goods..."

   Winters suddenly whipped his horse and ran towards Mitchell Manor.

   He thought of the outspoken and generous Gillard, of the gentle and kind Mrs. Mitchell, and of Scarlett, who was about the same age as Ella and like his sister, holding his arm tightly when the Mitchells quarreled.

   "Don't die." Winters is praying: "You don't die."

  If there really is a supreme being out there, he prayed to him for the first time.

  The thriving Mitchell estate has completely changed.

  The tobacco fields all over the mountains are now overgrown with weeds, and the fence around the manor has collapsed in the wind and rain.

   The working people are not visible, only flocks of birds are flying up and down.

Fortunately, Winters saw a plume of smoke rising from the Mitchell mansion.

  Winters had a glimmer of hope in his heart. He hurried his horse so fast that he jumped directly from the damaged fence into the manor, and went straight to the house behind the oak tree, startling the birds all the way.

  The people in the house also heard this series of hooves.

   They calmly ran to the inside and outside of the room to hide jewelry and poultry and livestock.

   A thin figure ran out of the house from the main entrance and ran towards the cowshed.

   But when the thin figure saw who was running towards them, she was stunned.

  Winters reined in his mount before the steps, jumped off the saddle, and the small figure threw himself into his arms, crying.

   Until then, Winters was startled to realize that this slender boy was actually a soft girl, the jewel of the Scarlett-Mitchell estate.

   "They said you were dead." Scarlett cried uncontrollably: "Mom! M. Montagne is back!"

  Winters didn't know what to do, he patted Ms. Mitchell's back lightly: "It's okay, it's okay."

   Mrs. Mitchell came down the steps. She also became thinner, but her temperament did not change, and her waist was still straight.

   Mrs. Mitchell smiled heartily, but she couldn't be as reserved as her daughter.

   She bowed her knees to Winters: "It's so nice of you to be back..."

   Winters also bowed his head in return: "Mrs."

  Ciel and Gold were driven a good distance by Wintesla, who would finally catch up.

   They were both very happy to see that the Mitchells were safe and sound.

   "Mr. Shire." Mrs. Mitchell saluted each one: "Mr. Gold."

   "Madam." The two took off their hats and bowed their heads in return.

  The old pirate also showed 12 points of respect in front of Mrs. Mitchell.

   "Mrs. Medellin." Mrs. Mitchell greeted the others in the room: "Please boil some water to prepare a bath for the three gentlemen."

   A woman with a black veil on her head—meaning she was a widow— nodded and turned back to the house.

  Gold scratched his head and laughed: "You are still thoughtful. Listening to you, I am a little itchy too."

   "What are you talking about!" Ciel kicked the old pirate in dissatisfaction: "Respect!"

   "Isn't it just taking a bath." The old pirate was puzzled.

"Scarlett, you take M. Montagne back to his room to settle down." Ellen didn't ask any more questions, she settled the three of them calmly: "I'll arrange a room for the two gentlemen. Mammy, prepare dinner, I I'll help you in a while."

   "No, no." The old pirate shook his head desperately: "I'll just live in the servant's room with this kid."

   "How can it be, please come with me."

  The hostess always keeps everything in order and everyone is busy.

  The desolation and desertedness were gone, and the place suddenly returned to the vibrant Mitchell Manor.

  Scarlett wiped away her tears, smiled and took Winters' arm: "Come on, Winters, no one has touched your room. I'll clean it for you every day."

   Winters has a wonderful intimacy, he seems to be returning to Hai Lan's home, and in a trance, Scarlett's face has become Ella's face.

   He was led up to the second floor and returned to the den where he was staying at the Mitchells.

   Nothing had changed, and the setting sun filled the room from the west-facing window. The same bed, the twill bed, the oak table.

   Winters stood at the door, daring to step in.

  Ira pushed him in and said with a smile: "You rest first, wait for the water to heat up, and I will tell you to take a bath. You are sore, so you need to take a good shower."

   After saying that, Ella closed the door.

  Winters moved to the bed step by step and sat on the bed.

   He smelled the familiar smell of soap horns. Brother Reid walked into the room with a cane stick and explained to him what "politics" was just now.

   Oh, by the way, Brother Rhett is gone too.

   He brought back Brother Rhett's ashes.

   Winters carefully took out Brother Rhett's urn and placed it securely on the table.

   "Don't worry, old man." Winters mused. "I'll take you home sooner or later."

   Dongfeng tapped lightly on the window lattice, as if the old magic stick was laughing.

   "Winters!" Scarlett called him downstairs: "You can come down and take a shower."

   Winters took off his shirt, took out the items he was carrying, and placed them on the table.

  The broken jug.

   One hundred and sixty-four wooden awls that could not be used.

  Eerlun's pocket knife.

  Anna's locket and wood carving.

   Finally, he found a small tin box from the inner pocket of his jacket.

   Winters opened the small tin box, and inside was a bunch of silver-gray bristles.

   He gently stroked Qiang Yun, and suddenly the tears couldn't stop flowing down.

After    escaped death, he never cried again, not once.

   But at this moment, as if the inner **** had finally collapsed, Winters cried like a helpless child.

   He leaned against the wall and sat on the ground little by little, crying more and more fiercely, and finally almost crying.

   Ellen and Scarlett downstairs noticed something strange upstairs. Scarlett wanted to go upstairs to check, but was stopped by Ellen.

   Ellen quietly sent away all the servants in the house.

  Ciel and Gold also went back to the first floor—Ciel, too, was sobbing in a low voice, and Gold sighed and led him into the courtyard.

   Then, Ellen took her daughter out for a walk.

  The Mitchell Mansion became empty, leaving no one else.

   When Ellen and Scarlett returned from their walk, Winters came downstairs.

   His eyes are still red, but there is no serious problem, and his appearance has returned to his previous appearance, except that his left leg is still a little inconvenient.

   "I can cry again," he said.

   "Eat my good stewed chicken tonight." Ellen replied: "After you take a bath, please go and chop some wood."

  …

   Another Sunday, early morning.

  According to the custom of the past, Catholics should rush to the town church early in the morning to attend the ceremony.

   But since the town center was changed beyond recognition by a gang of rout soldiers, no one went there.

  The gold and silver sacrificial vessels in the church were looted, Father Anthony was killed in anger, the church itself was burnt to nothing, and even the fallen soldiers were not spared.

  The coffin was dug up, the burial utensils were taken away, and the bones of the deceased were scattered all over the cemetery.

  The war was only three months old, and all the tragic signs were exposed.

   "Just live." People say this: "Live a day counts as a day."

  In the corner of Mitchell Manor, a man was chopping wood.

   He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of trousers, revealing shocking scars on his arms and chest.

   Every time he slashed, the muscles on his body surged like mercury.

   It looked like he didn't use much strength, but the thick piece of wood he hugged was also split in two in front of him.

  The chopped firewood under the eaves is almost piled up into a hill.

   But the man chopped wood tirelessly.

  Gold quietly walked over from behind the man, the old pirate was at a loss, hesitated, and finally spoke to the man's back: "Sir, you don't need to blame yourself."

   Winters continued chopping wood without speaking.

   "You can chop wood enough for Mitchell's family for a hundred years." Gold found a stump and sat down, and said ramble:

   "I can't speak either, as long as you can understand me.

   Think about it, if you didn’t come to Wolf Town, wouldn’t the battle be over?

  If you don't come, who will be conscripted with the militia of Wolf Town? Isn't that old Mr. Mitchell?

  Old Mr. Mitchell led the troops, are you doing well? Wouldn't it be worse?

   Just like when I was a pirate, I told myself that if I don’t rob them, they won’t be robbed by others? Damn, sooner or later. When they meet me, it means that God has plans for them…”

While talking, Gold suddenly spat and complained to himself: "Hey! What I'm talking about... You can understand what I mean, don't blame yourself. They are lucky to meet you. "

   "I don't blame myself, Gold." Winters picked up a log and placed it on the stump. "I was thinking of something else."

  The wood was split in two with a bang.

   "That's good." The old pirate stood up embarrassedly: "We can almost go. The affairs of Wolf Town will be left in Wolf Town, and let's go back to Veneta."

   "Gold." Winters asked without looking back. "Why are you helping me?"

"Me? I don't know." Gold sat back on the tree stump, and after thinking for a long time, he said in a sullen voice: "I... I am the youngest son in the family, and both parents are tenants. I was sent to be a sailor on a boat. Life on the boat was bad, the captain bullied people, and the sailors bullied people. I was on the boat, and I was the meanest one.

  If the captain can see me as a person, I would rather die than follow him to the ends of the earth. If the other sailors were kind to me, I wouldn't betray them anyway. Then the ship was robbed, and the pirates asked if anyone wanted to join the crew, and I didn't hesitate at all when I agreed.

   Anyway, that's what happened, I don't know why I came here. Even with your pot of water. "

   Winters chopped the wood in silence, and Gold sighed and turned away.

After   Winters returned to Mitchell Manor, the news of "Montagne's resident magistrate is back" gradually spread in the villages.

  Many villagers came to visit him.

   It was also from the mouths of the villagers that Winters was able to understand the hardships that Wolf Town has suffered in the past few months.

When   Gillard Mitchell was mayor, only Hedong, Hexi, and Dusa villages respected him, and the two Protestant villages often had trouble with Gillard.

   When Gillard was recruited and replaced with Big Bentin, even the Protestants began to miss Mayor Mitchell.

   First, it was the urging-like collection of land funds and taxes, and then there were rounds of levies and grain levies.

  The landless hired laborers fled one after another, and they forcibly took the peasants away because they couldn’t catch enough people.

   Men dare not sleep at home, and hide in the woods at night.

  In mid-May, an officer who came to recruit Ding disappeared, Big Bentine fled to Gervodin overnight, and Wolf Town was completely out of order.

  The big man was fighting on the horizon, but the defeated soldiers ran into the new field.

   The town of Wolf Town, which lost its mayor, has no security at all, and there have been waves of robbers and bandits. The villages could barely protect themselves, but they could not protect the town, and the town center was burnt to scorched earth during that time.

  April and May are the seasons when the green and yellow seasons are not available, and the surplus grains are scraped away, and farmers are waiting for the harvest of winter wheat in early June.

   has been suffering until June, but a bigger disaster awaits.

  Three groups of people came to the newly cultivated land to collect grain and people.

   What is more terrifying than the levy for grain is that they harvest their wheat fields before the farmers.

  If the farmer dares to show up to stop him, he will be confiscated on the spot.

   Two of them would fight each other when they met, and many wheat fields were burned to ashes.

   For farmers, what are the red roses and blue roses, they do not understand the difference.

   For them, it’s just a group of people robbing them of their rations.

   Even the yeoman farmers could no longer survive, some people nailed the doors and windows and fled.

   Their board sheds were left open empty, and the dilapidated courtyards became increasingly desolate and unbearable to see.

  The remaining farmers were reluctant to leave the land. They planted barley, prayed for the autumn harvest, and struggled tenaciously.

  The fire of war has not yet burned the newly cultivated land, but the devastation to the people of the newly cultivated land has not been reduced in the slightest.

   Because they don't belong to any party, no one cares about them.

   Hearing the broken stories of the people in Wolf Town, Winters became more and more silent.

The people of Wolf Town have been scratched and bruised by rounds of expropriation, but I heard that Montagne's resident town official had a wound on his leg, and brought him precious eggs, flour and even a small piece of marinade left at home. Meat.

   Winters could only persuade the villagers over and over to bring their things back.

   He remembered that on the first night he returned to Mitchell Manor, Mrs. Mitchell made chicken stew.

   It was delicious at the time, but in retrospect, it was the hen that the Mitchells laid eggs.

   Winters only chopped wood silently, chopped tirelessly.

  He hauled logs from the woods, sawed them into sections, chopped them into firewood, and the chopped firewood was almost piled up into a hill.

  He repaired the broken fences of Mitchell Manor one by one.

   He wants to leave money for Mrs. Mitchell, but is the Mitchell family short of money? The world has become like this, what is the use of money?

  …

   Winters' new injury has scabbed and swelled, and Gold's body is recovering quickly.

   The day of separation finally came.

  Mitchell and his daughter packed up and prepared dry food for Winters.

   "I'm sorry," Winters said to Mrs. Mitchell.

"Don't talk about it, M. Montagne." Ellen kindly helped Winters to adjust the collar: "Pierre would not have come back alive without you. You are the benefactor of the Mitchells, forever and ever. "

   Scarlett's eyes were slightly red, and she stood behind her mother reluctantly, but did not say a word of retention.

   "I'm sorry." Winters lowered his head.

   Ellen hugged the young Veneta in a rare way, and turned to tell her daughter, "Dear, please go and bring Botayun out."

  Scarlett is ready in advance. She nodded and led a cloud-white horse from the back of the house.

"The fate of Qiang Luck... I'm sorry." Ellen didn't need Winters to say anything, she saw that Qiang Luck didn't come back and saw Winters' cane, she understood it all: "Please bring this horse with you. Back to Veneta. Don't ride it on the road, don't get tired of it. It's my husband's best stallion and Gillard will want to give it to you."

   "No." Winters shook his head desperately: "I can't."

   "You must accept it." Ellen said softly, "She has a strong bloodline."

   Winters was completely stunned, his body trembling involuntarily.

   Scarlett also gave Winters a hug, then she wiped away tears and tucked the reins into Winters' hands.

   Winters got on his horse and left Mitchell Manor. He didn't dare to look back, he just walked forward.

  Ciel and Gold followed silently.

  The three of them rode silently and just walked.

   Go straight to the fork in the road to Hexi Village and Wolf Town.

   An old woman with disheveled hair stood at the fork, wrapped in dirty rags.

   She leaned on a wooden stick and stared straight at the road to Wolf Town.

   "Come on, my lord," Gold whispered. "That's a lunatic."

   Winters, however, recognized who this old woman was. She had been sitting by the threshing floor, carrying her little granddaughter, talking and laughing while doing laundry while watching the men practice the javelin.

   Winters took out all the money he had, dismounted, and walked over to the old woman.

  The stone-like old woman suddenly reached out and grabbed Winters' arm. She stared at Winters' face, as if she recognized who was in front of her.

   There was hope in her eyes.

   "Sir." The old woman asked, "Have you seen my son?"

   Winters burst into tears.

   "Come on, my lord," Gold whispered.

   Winters thought of Hai Lan, Kesha, Antonio, Elizabeth, and the generals and generals.

   He remembered what Brother Reid said: "This is the easiest and easiest way. I have already pointed it to you, why are you hesitating?"

   He remembered Anna's smile and hair.

   He remembered everything about his hometown.

  …

  …

   "Boom."

   "Boom."

   "Boom."

   knocked on the door three times, and Scarlett, who was sobbing, opened the door.

   Winters stood outside the door.

   "I'm not leaving," he said.

   Scarlett cried and hugged Winters.

  Above the field, a rider was galloping towards Veneta, with two other slave horses strapped to his saddle.

   The rider is called "Good Luck" Gold.

   There are four letters in his backpack.

  The recipients of the first three letters were Kesa Serbia, Antonio Serbia and Elisabeth Serbia.

   The recipient of the fourth letter is Ana Navarre.

   There is only one sentence above.

   "I'm still alive, sorry, don't wait for me."

  [End of Volume 2]

   [Volume 2 is over! ]

   [This chapter says there is a portrait of Anna, please remember to check]

   [Tough choice. After all, Winters took a more difficult path according to Brother Rhett's wishes]

   [Thanks to book lovers for their collection, reading, subscription, recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, rewards and comments, thank you all]

   (end of this chapter)