Just as Brando finished his apology, the quarrel in the Longhouse escalated to another level.
* Bang! * The young man slammed his hands on the wooden table, his veins bulging. "I don't agree! "Sifrid is still a child! She's Lady Sally's daughter! She's still Lady Sally's daughter! We are the men of the tribe! Men, are you going to exchange a child's life to survive?
"Can you do it?"
"Can we?!"
The young man's roar reverberated in the Longhouse. Everyone looked at each other, but no one dared to answer. Bolton crossed his arms in front of his chest and remained silent. The elder sighed softly. He raised his head and blinked his old, cloudy eyes.
Everyone took a deep breath.
"Who is that?" Brando asked as he looked at the Longhouse.
"Brother Toh." The little girl replied in Elvish. She blinked her eyes, and her voice sounded like a string of silver bells ringing in the forest.
Brando nodded.
The Longhouse was silent for a moment.
"Enough." The skinny middle-aged man let out a long sigh and shook his head. "Please, you've said enough. Don't hurt us anymore."
"Uncle Cliff!" The young man clenched his fists.
"It's enough. We understand that. But we are Senia. Do you understand? This is the fate we bear. Life and death are not up to us. "
"Toh, do you still remember our tribe members who froze to death in the forest?" The Elder asked in a low voice.
The young man relaxed slightly. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't make a single sound. He could only bite his upper lip tightly. He raised his head and took a deep breath. Blinking his red eyes, he said, "Of course, my father …"
"He did it to keep you alive, child." The elder sighed.
"I know."
"Every one of us did it," the Elder replied: "So please consider our position, and the position of our dead tribe members."
"In the legends of the Senia people, there is a long song in the forest. However, the spirits of our ancestors are also watching us from the forest. Generation after generation, they fought, bled, and sacrificed in the Dark Forest, but it is not for us to be impulsive and bury everything."
"Do you understand?" he asked, emphasizing each word.
The air in the room seemed to freeze, and someone was sobbing softly.
"I … understand."
"But, are we going to live like cowards forever? What's the point? Lord Niya also said that it's not enough to just live … "The young man turned his head away and wiped his eyes. He choked with sobs and said," Can we give up everything in order to live? "
"At least as long as you're alive, there's hope." The middle-aged man shook his head. "If I can't see any hope, please, at least I hope to leave this hope for you —"
The young man lowered his head.
"Elder, please make your decision." The middle-aged man turned his head.
A trace of sorrow flashed in the Elder's eyes. He pondered for a moment before he spoke: "Alright, but none of us have the right to make our clansmen die for us. I hope you can ask for Sifrid's opinion."
"But there's no precedent for this." Someone in the crowd spoke up.
"That's because those who made the decision before were either men or elders. I believe that they have the ability to judge and understand what they are doing." The Elder lowered his head and replied.
The crowd was stunned for a moment before they fell silent.
"But Sifrid is just a child. What does she know? Are we going to let a child decide the fate of our entire clan? That's too rash! "Someone in the crowd objected.
The middle-aged man's face turned cold.
"But now, you have to rely on a child to save yourselves. Isn't that right? Even if you have no choice, shouldn't you feel ashamed?" The middle-aged man turned around and looked at the dense crowd in the longhouse. He asked angrily.
"That's what you say, but there's no precedent for this. Besides, Sifrid is the Elder's granddaughter … … "Someone replied in a low voice.
This sentence was like a stone thrown into the water. The crowd could not help but fall silent. Thor, who had lowered his head earlier, was startled for a moment before he reacted. He turned around like an angry lion and stared at the person who spoke in the crowd.
Toh could not believe that someone would think like that at this moment.
"Indeed, she's not your daughter. So, can't you just give her away without a care in the world in exchange for your ignoble existence?" "You bastard, you don't deserve to be called a Senia. Now, get the hell out of here!" The young man was practically roaring at the top of his lungs.
His intimidating glare caused the man to take a step back with a pale face.
"You, what are you talking about, I'm just saying a possibility, it doesn't mean it's true …" That person stuttered as he replied, "Besides, it's not like there's no such possibility, can you guarantee that the Elder doesn't think so? Are you the Elder? "
The Elder glanced at him and did not say a word.
The young man clenched his fists and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and was about to explode. But it was at this moment that a soft and weak voice penetrated the silence in the longhouse.
"Stop arguing!"
The door was pushed open without anyone noticing.
Sifrid, who was wearing a linen dress, was standing outside the door. She clenched her fists tightly and used all her strength to close her eyes and shout.
"Everyone, stop arguing … …"
She opened her tearful eyes and looked at everyone with teary eyes. "I'm sorry, father, grandfather, I'm sorry, it's all Sifrid's fault … …" She sobbed as she looked at everyone in the room. "I'm sorry, father, grandfather, I'm sorry, it's all my fault … …"
For a moment.
The Longhouse was silent except for Sifrid's cries.
The middle-aged man stood up and walked to Sifrid's side. He crouched down and hugged the little girl: "I'm sorry! Sifrid, we deserve to die, we deserve to die! "
Bolton, who was standing in the middle of the crowd, suddenly held his head and burst into tears.
For a moment, everyone was speechless.
Only the Elder's gaze fell on the outside of the Longhouse.
The old man slowly stood up and bowed to Brando: "We've made a fool of ourselves in front of you, my lord."
Brando placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and looked at the people in front of him without saying a word.
At this moment, he didn't even know what he was feeling. He felt like he couldn't utter a single word. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly that his knuckles cracked. It was as if this was the only way to make him feel better.
He watched as the old Senian Elder stood up and looked at him with a solemn expression. The old man seemed to have made a great decision as he knelt down in front of Brendel and placed his head on the ground.
"My lord, please help us!"
"I know, I can't cause trouble for my lord, but … …"
The old man pleaded with tears in his eyes.
Everyone was silent. Their gazes were focused on Brando alone.
The young man looked at the teary Sifrid and the wailing Bolton and sighed in his heart. [This is the so-called parting of life and death.] He could not describe the feeling in his heart, but it was suffocating.
He moved his lips as if he wanted to speak.
But it was at this moment that he felt a warm and soft hand holding his hand. The young man was slightly startled. He turned around and saw a pair of dark eyes.
Her beautiful eyes were filled with reluctance and determination at the same time.
It was Amandina.
She still followed him.
Amandina could not bear to watch this scene. She hesitated and wavered, but in the end, she took a light breath and held Brando's hand.
She shook her head slightly at him.
"My lord." When the girl opened her mouth to speak, she felt as if these four words were like four sharp knives stabbing into her heart. She gritted her teeth and said each word one by one.
Brando looked at her.
Everyone looked at the two of them.
"Are you trying to convince me, Amandina?" Brando asked.
Amandina did not say a word and only looked at him.
"Do you have the heart to do this?" Brando asked.
Amandina bit her lips. She looked at everyone present. The elder's sorrowful and cloudy eyes, the little girl's father's hateful and pained eyes, Sifrid's helpless and pitiful eyes, and everyone else's helpless and pleading eyes.
The more she looked at them, the paler her face became. It was as if the blood had drained out of her face.
But she gripped his hand so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.
"You can hate me, my lord," Amandina took a deep breath and shook her head: "I will not allow you to do this. My lord, you know what you will face if you take this step. Graudin, Madara, the Randner family, and an endless army. If you agree to them, you will be smashed to pieces —"
"I know that you do not care, my lord. You are the bravest and most righteous Knight I have ever seen. You are just like the ancient nobles I read about in the books. I always thought that they were just legends, but my lord, you are telling me the truth … … "
"But I care!"
'Because that's why I won't see you die; and for that I don't care if every one hates me - 'The girl raised her head to look at him, and answered in a resolute and powerful voice.
Brando was silent for a moment. He did not expect Amandina to think this way. He glanced at the noble's daughter, lowered his head, and answered softly, "Yes.
"Thank you."
He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. He opened his eyes and patted Sifrid's head. Then he stood up and turned to leave.
"My lord?"
Amandina was stunned.
Everyone sighed as they looked at the young man's back. The anticipation in their hearts was slowly fading. But they understood Amandina's words. Indeed, they did not have the right to force a stranger to give up his life for them.
What right did they have?
Moreover, they could see that the young man did not feel good about it. This meant that he cared about them. No one had ever cared about how the Senia lived, but they could see the anger and sorrow on his face.
It wasn't pity, nor was it charity. It was empathy.
When the young man turned around, everyone could not help but clench their fists. It was not anger, but a deep sorrow for fate.
[Lady Martha, Goddess Nia, have you not given the Senia enough punishment?]
"Let's go, Amandina."
Brando did not even turn his head as he replied in a low voice.
Amandina was stunned for a moment before she reacted. But when she let go of his hand and sighed in relief, she did not know why. When she looked at the young man's back, she felt a sense of loss. It was as if she had buried something with her own hands.
Amandina lowered her head and pressed her chest.
Behind her, Sifrid's sobs could be heard.
…
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