The Divine Hunter

The following week was uneventful.

The wagon passed through the changing moors, the clear streams, the low hills and the juniper woods, but the Squirrel Party did not show up.

The witcher's apprentices mingled with the dwarves, showing up at the bonfire on time every night, listening to the dwarves headed by Arpan bragging about the wonderful adventures of the past.

What hunting petrified lizards that are only a tiny bit smaller than a giant dragon, dealing with ogres that eat at least two people per meal... Defeat Skellige in the Ade Kalai drinking contest for two days and two nights without rest Sailors, won the championship...

Then get a lifetime free refill reward.

Occasionally Commissioner Wenck would give a few speeches, his views on the Squirrel Party, the situation in Kaldwin, etc., but most of the time he listened as quietly as the witcher.

Almost every dwarf displayed an eloquence comparable to that of a master orator, while stroking his beard and drinking strong wine, his loud voice continued to speak, as if he was giving a speech to boost morale before heading to the battlefield.

Even the stuttering Bernie told several thrilling adventure stories.

Compared with the more pragmatic witcher who likes to tell the truth, the dwarf speaker who loves to use exaggeration, metaphor and other rhetorical devices is obviously more popular with children.

Some nights the apprentices simply slept on blankets by the dwarves' bonfires.

Sleep with them and listen to them snoring and farting.

The atmosphere on both sides became more harmonious.

It's just that Roy looked at the wooden boxes full of goods and the deep wheel prints in the carriage from time to time, and fell into contemplation.

...

A gloomy day a week later, and the air is filled with oppression.

The convoy passed through a wild forest, and the dwarves and the witchers simultaneously pulled the reins and slowed down.

Where there is no shelter from the forest, a ruin is revealed.

Smooth granite and blunt marble blocks can be seen everywhere in the ruins. The long-term wind and rain have worn away their surface patterns. The severe cold of countless winters has cracked and shattered the stone surface, and the roots have divided the stone into several pieces.

Deeper in the waste, under the shade of lush trees, crisscrossed columns and white arcades littered with green ivy and green moss.

"What is that place?" Vicky asked the sorceress beside her curiously.

"Shaila Wade..."

"A castle?" Karl rubbed his smooth chin and looked at Alpan beside him.

"No, little brat, elves never build castles, this is a palace!" The dwarf looked at the ruins with a solemn expression, with vigilance and admiration in his eyes.

"Can we go there and see?" Carl asked again, turning to the witchers, dozens of pairs of eyes full of anticipation.

During this uninhabited escort journey, they had long been tired of seeing the same plants and empty dirt roads.

This palace is one of the rare places of interest.

They should also learn a lot.

Roy looked at Commissioner Wenck questioningly.

"That place has a special meaning for the elves and the squirrel party..." Wink retorted tactfully, "So it's very dangerous, everyone, it's best to leave immediately!"

"But it won't take much time just to take a look." Yarpan said in a helpful voice.

Wenk took a deep breath, a hint of helplessness appeared on his cold cheeks, "Let's set off in half an hour, dismount and walk over, it's not convenient for horses to pass through the rocks."

"yeah!"

The children cheered and jumped over.

Roy, Coral, Geralt, Yarpan, Vesemir, Owl... Six guards followed behind, and the rest stayed behind the convoy.

"Slower,

Kids, don't break things! "

They walked in the direction of the ruins for about five minutes, stepping on the soft fallen leaves that covered the forest, up the marble stairs and then the moss-covered flagstone path.

Walk into the broken wall that still retains the unique style of the ancient elves.

A group of children wandered around, while the witchers surrounded them like bodyguards.

"This palace is so beautiful!" Renee asked loudly, stroking the intricate and delicate green leaves and arabesques on the columns, "Why would anyone want to destroy it?"

"To be exact, the elves themselves destroyed this palace. Before they left." Vesemir stroked the vein pattern on the marble floor and explained patiently, "More than two hundred years ago, the elves and humans had the second conflict. After a total failure, they began to destroy their once splendid and splendid buildings, their palaces everywhere, before they retreated to the mountains, lest they be stolen by humans."

"For example, the Nine Valleys, the ruins of Etaiye... have all been destroyed."

"But there are more buildings that they haven't had time to destroy," a complex expression appeared on Yarpan's face, "Humans built cities on these ruins, such as the capital of Temeria, Vizima, and the academic center of the north. Orsenfurt, the swarming tribe on the edge of the world Ed Genevier, Maripo, Sintra, and even Novigrad, the most famous city of freedom in the North, the most talked about buildings are The handwriting of the elves of the past!"

"You humans..." Yarpan envy also carried a hint of irony, "probably put all your talents on reproduction, which is better than rabbits. So now, you have won the world and brutally killed most of the ancient Race - drove the elves into the wild blue mountains, drove most of the dwarves and gnomes to Mahakam, the Tyr Torsha mines, drove the halflings into the uninhabited wilderness. Every city is discriminatory There are ancient ethnic gathering areas.”

"Cough..." Roy glared at Alpan, "Your Excellency, pay attention to the occasion when you are talking, are you talking about fertility with a group of witches, witches, and children?"

"I'm sorry..." Yarpan shrugged his shoulders, unceremoniously, "Forget that you are worse than our dwarves!"

The witchers couldn't help but look fierce at him, while the sorceress glanced at Roy beside him. Fantastic.

She knew that Roy had an unexpected daughter, and he couldn't wait to go to Skellige just after passing the third green grass trial to visit the little one.

And he is destined to have no descendants in his life!

...

"The elves who are now imprisoned in the mountains are provoked by Nilfgaard, at least most people guess so, reappear, and take revenge!"

Yarpan waved his hand domineeringly, motioning everyone to follow him, stepping over the rough stone slabs, and walking into the center of the palace, a deformed fountain - the oddly shaped slabs and stones are divided by dense alder and birch, like a forest tree and stones composed of flowers.

Many shallow ditches flowed behind the flower, some forming creeks on the ground, others cascading down the steps above, washing away the leaves, gravel, and other debris left on the buildings.

After this ditch, the arches built of marble and terracotta, half buried under the soil, are still brightly colored, as if they had only stood for three days, not two centuries.

They lined up and ducked in. .

Come to this most amazing place in the palace.

A flowerbed with embossed edges.

Between the colorful clay fragments, a dense rose grows, full of white and beautiful flowers, and pearl-like dew glitters on the delicate petals.

The rose branch adorned a sloping marble relief with a delicate and noble face, a typical elf beauty.

Gold, gemstones and other accessories on the slate have long been stolen by thieves.

But her features are still lifelike.

"Ariane, also known to dwarves and humans as Elleena." Alpan pointed to the beauty on the relief and explained to the curious children around him, "Two centuries ago, the leader of the elf uprising ."

This weather-beaten relief seems to have a profound magic, and one cannot help but pay tribute.

"After the elves were defeated by humans, King Ferravandre Ain Fidar led his people to retreat into the Blue Mountains. But Aerion ignored the dissuasion and led the young men among the elves, took up arms, and shouted 'for The slogan of Shayla Wade's death, challenged and attacked the human beings a hundred times larger than themselves, and wanted to retake the occupied homeland." A trace of excitement flashed in Yarpan's eyes, and at this moment he also incarnated into an ancient race a member of

Although he is on the side of mankind, it does not prevent him from showing respect to the martyrs of the ancient race.

"There is no exception in the end. All the elves who participated in the war died."

"This is enough to prove that the Squirrel Party's actions are not going well now."

Everyone silently stared at the beautiful face on the relief, why does a woman have such mortal courage and determination?

There has also been a slight change in the senses of the Elf Squirrel Party.

Indiscriminate killing of innocent thugs? Or a heroic fighter to restore his homeland?

"Arie Ryan, sacrificed for the freedom of the ancient race. She and this dilapidated palace called Shaila Wade have become symbols of the spirit of resistance of the ancient race."

"Have you seen these flowers? Do you know why they can bloom beautifully all year round in the ruins?" Yarpan said to himself, "Because many elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings passing by will Come here to worship, look at it, and take good care of it."

"So the Squirrel Party will be here too?" Karl asked.

"So, little brats... What did Wenk say before? This place is very dangerous." Yarpan looked around, with a warning look on his face, "The promised half hour has come, and the story that should be heard is also After listening, hurry up and leave!"

The dwarf turned the axe in his hand and strode back.

"Vesemir, Roy, Geralt, Coral." Monty followed stiffly, turning back somewhat blankly, "Is the Squirrel Party really killing innocent bad guys?"

It's not just him, many children have a hint of confusion on their faces.

Arie Ryan... Shayla Wade, an epic heroic story.

The Squirrel Party's actions of killing and setting fires in Nuocheng, and the atrocities of massacres in the north, seem to have a tenable reason - revenge for the humans who took away their homes!

The witcher and the sorceress were silent for a moment.

"So the principle of neutrality is very important, because to maintain neutrality, you don't have to fight between humans and ancient races." Vesemir looked at the slightly dazed children, shook his head, and exchanged a look with Geralt, "They The hatred between them has a long history and is quite complicated, and it is impossible to say who is right and who is wrong."

"But now..." The vulture's gray-green pupils showed a cold light, patted the disciple's head, looked at the wagon train in the woods, and said resolutely, "Whether the squirrel party or the human being, for whatever reason, as long as If you dare to take action against us, or our family, you must die!"

"Don't think so much," Shanhu touched the heads of a group of little girls and said a wise saying, "Just remember one thing, no matter what the big truth is, it's not as important as your own life! Don't be merciful when it's time to take action."

After speaking, everyone followed the dwarf and left Shaila Wade.

"Everyone," Roy looked up at the gloomy, dimly lit sky, the convoy in the vast wilderness, and suddenly said with a serious expression, "I have a bad feeling that my back is cold."

"Tonight, you must be more careful."

...

In a clump of boxwoods far away from Shayrawade.

A sparrowhawk with shiny black feathers flapped its wings and landed on the shoulders of a petite elf girl, chirping crisply a few times.

The girl was dressed like a minstrel, but there was a colorful cloth around her waist that hung down to her knees. She tilted her head and listened carefully to the song of the sparrowhawk, and suddenly her expression changed greatly.

"Evelyn, Kensafa, Vasili, Karoo said that a group of people entered Shaila Wade!" The two black braids on her shoulders swayed on her shoulders, "What do you say they want to do? Destroy the sacred ruins of Aerion?"

"How many people are there?" An elf beauty with dark red hair, light yellow leather armor, long boots, slender body and slender legs tensed up in the grass, her fair face tightened.

"A convoy, about a hundred 'apes'... including human soldiers, dwarves, a group of children, and..."

"Who else is there?" The male elf who has been greedily nibbling on turnips, with impatience on his thin cheeks, asked in a raspy voice like a rasp, "Toruville, do you have a cold and sore throat? Don't give it to I faltered!"

"And there are more than 20 odious mutants!"

"What? You heard that right?"

A group of elves in the grass couldn't help but stagnate for a while, and a trace of fear appeared on their faces, followed by gnashing hatred.

They will never forget their compatriots who died in grief in Nuocheng.

However, the black and red-haired female elf pursed her lips, and the light of memory flashed through her large soft eyes.

"Evelyn, what do you think we should do?" Toruviel nervously measured his colleagues who were hiding in the grass behind him. "We only have two hundred brothers... I feel like this battle is impossible!"

"Let them go if they can't be beaten?" Kensafa shook his head with a stern face. "They slandered the relief of Aili Ryan in front of everyone. If we do nothing, we are the eternal sinners of the elves!"

"Such a convoy has brought a lot of goods. If it is successfully transported to its destination and supports the Kaldwin soldiers, we don't know how many compatriots will suffer! We must not let them go!"

"Everyone just fought with the soldiers at the bridgehead a week ago, and they still need to rest." Aveline shook her head, looking hesitant. "And there was something wrong with that convoy. There were a group of children."

"Humans will show mercy to our children?" Kensafa's face became even more hostile, "How many children died in battle, and were even insulted after death, hanging on the square to show the public! Aveline, you can't always be Be kind!"

"I support Kenzafar! The witcher is very powerful," Vasili, a middle-aged female elf with long eyelashes and unusually pale skin, shook her head and said in a questioning tone, "The bard said so, the dwarves of Norse said so, The Eternal Fire Guard said the same, but have we seen it with our own eyes?"

There were many belts wrapped around her neck, strung with golden birch strips, and beside her lay a birch staff with intricate patterns, shining with magical aura.

"That's because the guys who offended the witchers are all dead." Toruviel whispered.

"You must know that humans and some dwarf brothers have this inherent inferiority, and they like to exaggerate everything and make hype." The elf mage ignored her suggestion and said with a confident face,

"Perhaps the opposite is true. They exaggerate the witcher's fighting ability to hide their incompetence. We have ten times as many witchers and twice as many as this mixed caravan."

"Our compatriots are the most elite fighters. We are secretly seizing the opportunity. If they fail to react, they will be finished!"

The lawn behind the four Squirrel leaders began to squirm.

A pair of bloody pupils appeared under the turf and bushes.

Two hundred squirrels, dressed in emerald cloaks woven of bark and grass, with green camouflage oil paint on their faces to outline the slanting poles, to avoid skin reflection...

It almost blends in with its surroundings.

Not just elves, but bearded dwarves, baby-faced, petite halflings.

"Give an order, Evelyn. Keep up with this convoy, and wait until the night, when the night is dead, when they are fast asleep, catch them off guard! For Aileen, for our dead compatriots, and for Shayla Wade!"

"For Sayila Wade!"

There was a uniform whisper in the grass.

Kensafa took a bite of the carrot viciously, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

Toruviel clenched the wooden bow and fell into contemplation.

And Evelyn didn't say a word, with worry on her face.

A group of witchers.

Will there be him?

No, it can't be that coincidental!

Moreover, she must not betray her compatriots who are born and die.

She could only take a deep breath of comfort and nod.