Chapter 256
The bitter cold at the border of Elysee Gorgon.
Every winter, everything is withered and snow falls thousands of miles away.
This is naturally comfortable for people sitting at home basking in the sun and holding a heater, but for many poor families it means that this year's cold winter will be even more difficult.
A wooden cart was driving hard on the snow-covered driveway, with half a load of charcoal placed on the cart.
The two people were pushing the cart forward with difficulty, with heavy snow blowing on their heads, their toes were shaking from the cold, red spots appeared on their cheeks, and they kept coughing up big mouthfuls of white mist as they pushed the cart forward.
Two people, one large and one small, trudged in the snow.
The adults pull in the front, and the children push the stroller in the back.
The little girl was wearing thin and pudding-covered clothes.
After a difficult walk, I finally returned to my home in a remote corner of the village.
Called a home, it was nothing more than a wooden house, barely built against a relatively thick wall to provide shelter from the wind and rain, and a small fireplace. This was already a home for mother and daughter.
He closed the door and blocked the gaps with furs and straw, so that the wind could no longer blow in.
The little girl shook the snow on her head and immediately ran to the fireplace and started to light a fire. Her movements were skillful, but her hands were so cold that she couldn't control them, and she failed to start a fire several times in a row.
After the mother put the car away, she came back with charcoal and put the girl's hands under her armpits to keep them warm. She touched her daughter's ears distressedly and bit her lower lip slightly.
"It's very warm." The girl said leaning against her mother's arms. Although her cold hands were cold and her face was red, she didn't even complain.
Children from poor families become parents early.
In this borderland, it is even more bitter and cold and barren.
She heard that before she was born, her parents were actually quite well off. They lived in a large, bright and spacious house in a town with convenient transportation. She also had nice toys and beautiful dresses, but later her father became addicted to gambling. He was addicted to alcohol. He would drink every time he lost money. The more he drank, the more money he lost. Within a few years, he had gone bankrupt. He even punched and kicked his mother who tried to control him, and even threatened her to give him her savings if she didn't. So he sold the child.
Later, my mother was afraid that she would really be sold, and the family would have no money at all. She would be criticized by others when she went out, would not repay her debts, and would be scolded by others... She could only take herself to this impoverished borderland to escape. As for my father, I later heard that he drowned in the river after drinking.
But she doesn't feel that she is unhappy, because her mother loves her very much, but she works very hard and has to go out early and come back late every day to support herself.
And even in this bitter cold place, the people in the village were not friendly and ostracized me... My mother was very beautiful, but when she was taken care of, she was jealous and gossiped in secret.
She also argued with other children and defeated those children. When adults came to her door, her mother protected her behind her. After those people left, she did not say a word of blame to her daughter.
The girl knows that it is very hard at present.
She longed to grow up quickly and share the pressure from her mother.
Originally, we were waiting for lunch at home, and soon there was a knock on the door outside.
After the girl opened the door, she timidly looked at the two cloaked figures outside the door and asked in a low voice: "Who are you?" "...
You are Elysee, right?" The tall figure in a black cloak took off his hood. , showing a gentle face, she squatted down slowly: "You have grown so big." She
wanted to reach out to touch the girl's cheek, but she immediately avoided it cautiously, her eyes full of vigilance and caution.
The woman's movements paused, her fingers stiffened for a second, her eyes filled with pity, she opened her mouth and sighed softly.
At this time, the mother came out, stood behind the door and looked at the two women outside the door: "You, what are you..."
"We have been looking for you for five years." There was a trace of anger and sadness in the eyes of the woman squatting on the ground. : "Why did you contact us!"
"I'm just... sorry." "We
are relatives! No matter what the reason is, you shouldn't leave without saying goodbye, knowing how much we..."
The little girl thought it was a quarrel and hurriedly hugged her. The mother's arms showed a threatening expression towards the two strange women. Unconsciously, her hair made a hissing sound, and a small snake came out of her hair, making a threatening sound.
This cute little movement attracted the attention of the two women outside the door. They looked at each other and couldn't help but restrain their emotions, with a hint of helplessness in their eyes.
The mother opened the door: "Anyway, let's talk first."
After welcoming the two women into the home, the little girl immediately fell into the hot cocoa and sweet candies brought by the other party. At the same time, she understood from the conversation that they were actually her. My mother's two sisters are my two aunts.
They searched for their mother for a long time and finally found her. They came here specifically to welcome her back.
The weather-beaten woman didn't want to agree at first, but she fell silent when the other party said, "You don't think about yourself or your children," and chose to agree.
The two women left here. They said they would come back in three days and everything needed to be kept secret. They disappeared into the snow.
That night, her mother held Elise and said a lot of words. It wasn't until she grew up that she understood what her mother's words meant.
The reason why she didn't want to go back was because even if she went back, it wouldn't be safe, and she didn't want to sell her soul.
But the mother still gave in. For the sake of her daughter, she could give up her principles.
...
The evening of the next day.
Elysee is collecting firewood outside. This is her daily habit. Picking up some firewood every day will add up to a lot, and it can also save a lot of cost for making a fire.
She accidentally picked up a few more today. When she was walking back home under the moonlight, she suddenly heard a rushing sound.
She thought it was a pack of wolves or some kind of large animal, so she subconsciously crouched down behind a tree and carefully poked her head out.
But what came here was not a pack of wolves, but a group of strangers on a sled.
They were wearing cloaks, revealing their clear faces in the bright moonlight.
It's human.
Humans are rarely seen in Elysee because this border village is a demihuman village with almost no pure humans inside.
This group of people were carrying weapons on their backs. Their number was unclear and she couldn't count them at all.
"Greyhound, this is it?"
"Yes, leader, I have already seen this border village. Not many people come. It is covered with heavy snow every year, and no one cares about it for at least two months." "Is there anything strange about it
? Race?"
"There are more Ice Wolf Tribes here, and there are quite a few Horn Tribes, and others..." "
Forget it, we'll talk about it after we catch them." The bearded man interrupted: "It's not a rare race and no one knows it. I can only collect it and sell it to the farm. I hope I won’t lose money this time."
He raised his hand and pointed forward: "Brothers, the old rule is, whoever catches it gets it!"
The crowd made a deafening sound that made the snow fall from the trees.
Elise covered her mouth tightly to prevent herself from making a gasping sound.
Fortunately, the snow has a sound insulation effect, so no one noticed anything strange here.
The group of people headed towards the village.
The girl's legs were weak and she tried several times before she could stand up.
Those people... were members of the slave-catching group.
The slave-catching group is notorious for catching slaves and selling them...but this is the Holy Roman Empire, and slave trading to Asians has been banned.
But this is the border, and no one cares about anything.
She glanced at the village, and the next moment she ran away. She wanted to find her mother. It was too late to warn the people in the village now, and she had to leave here as soon as possible.
Fortunately, her home was far away from the village, and her mother should be fine. She should...
She didn't dare to think too much, so she could only run towards her home while panting.
I don’t know how many times I fell.
She had used the fastest speed, but when she returned home bruised and swollen, all she saw was the burning house.
Several extra stone sculptures appeared out of thin air in the snow, with their backs turned to their mother.
She stood among the stone sculptures, and there were bright red blood stains on the ground.
"Mom..."
After hearing the weak voice, the mother turned back to look at the girl. At that moment, her purple-black eyes returned to normal. She no longer had the strength to stay standing, so she could only hug her daughter.
There were several fatal wounds on her body, and crimson blood overflowed from the wounds, dyeing the large areas of snow red.
The girl's tears kept falling.
"Mom, you're bleeding, I'll get the medicine." She seemed to be about to plunge into a house full of flames.
"Don't go, Elise...I can't do it anymore." Her mother grabbed her arm and endured the stinging pain: "You have to be well alone." "No, I don't want it, I want my mother to be well
. !"
"Elysee."
"Mom!"
"Elysee!!" The mother's serious expression made the girl stop crying.
The woman caressed her daughter's cheek, wiped away her tears, and then took off a necklace around her neck, with an eye-like orb hanging on it.
"Elise... take this and run out."
"No matter what, keep going until auntie finds you..."
The girl asked with confused eyes: "What about mom?"
The mother didn't say anything, just He stroked her cheek silently and tenderly.
She knew that her daughter was very smart. Although she was only in her teens, she already understood a lot of things.
Including this sudden departure.
"I..." Elisedo wished she could be willful for once.
But she knew she couldn't. She didn't even have the qualifications to stay or look back for the opportunity her mother sacrificed her life for.
After watching her daughter leave, the woman stood up again, looking not far away with her snake hair and purple-black eyes.
"In order to kill me...he would not hesitate to sneak into the slave-catching group."
"The cunning rabbit dies and the lackey is cooked..."
"Such a simple truth, why don't you understand it? Even if all the tasks are completed...he will not let go. We are free."
She covered her wounds and staggered toward the burning village.
There was no hatred or sentimentality in his eyes, just a touch of reluctance and... tired relief.
...
"The leader is actually a gorgon. This is a rare item! This head is very valuable!" "
Well, it's a windfall." The leader of the slave-catching group was pleasantly surprised, but soon he was surprised: "But even though she was seriously injured and almost dead, she still killed more than half of us. How did she get seriously injured?" "She was quite
beautiful, but it's a pity that her death was not as valuable as her life." "
There is also a little one! "
Suddenly someone shouted loudly from the side.
"What did you say?" The leader of the slave-catching group stretched out his hand and grabbed a young man from the wolf tribe: "Speak clearly!" "
There is also a younger one. As long as you let our family go, I will tell you where she is. !" The man shouted with a trembling voice.
"Ha, it's really interesting..." The leader of the slave-catching team glanced at the coward: "Just now, the other party tried his best to save you. You are not grateful, but instead betrayed the other party's daughter?" "I, I can tell you
. , as long as you let it go..." The man with trembling buttocks continued to repeat tremblingly.
The leader of the slave catching team suddenly drew his knife and stabbed the man through the heart. Blood spurted out of the man's mouth and he died within a few seconds of falling to the ground.
"Captain, what are you killing for?"
"Just kill a beast, don't talk so much." "
What about the little one? Why don't you catch him?"
"It doesn't take much effort to catch a little guy." Slave-catching group Chang sneered disdainfully: "Don't question my professionalism. Bring your hunting dogs... The footprints on the snow are the best tracking record. How far can a little girl run!" (End of Chapter
)