Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Responsibility among wolves

I nodded slowly, just because I've had this kind of errands before.To me, killing the Forged is no different than killing anyone, and sometimes I try to pretend I'm resting a restless soul and putting an end to excruciating pain for a family.I hope I don't become too self-deceived, a luxury an assassin cannot afford.Chade had warned me to always remember who I was: not an angel of mercy, but an assassin acting on behalf of the king or the crown prince, and it was my duty to defend the throne.My responsibility.I hesitated for a while, and then said, "Your Highness. When I came back, I saw Princess Kettricken and Regal traveling together on horseback."

"They look a good match, don't they? Does she ride well?" Verity couldn't quite hide the bitterness in her tone. "Yeah, but it's still the usual mountain style." "She came to me and said that she wanted to learn how to ride our tall lowland horses, and I agreed, but I don't know if she will find Regal as a riding master." Verity leaned over the map, studying the details that were not on it. . "Perhaps she wants you to teach her," I said thoughtfully, treating him more like a man than a prince. "Perhaps!" He suddenly sighed. "Oh, I know she thinks. Kettricken is lonely sometimes, I should say often lonely." He shook his head and said, "She should marry a young man, or a kingdom where there is no danger of war or catastrophe.

I'm not being fair to her, Fitz.I know this, but she's just... childish sometimes.When she wasn't so boyish, she was a fervent patriot.She burns herself as a sacrifice for the Six Duchies, and I always have to stop her and tell her that's not what the Six Duchies need.She's like a nasty guy, keeps giving me trouble, Fitz.She was either playing around like a naughty child, or she kept asking questions about crises that I had temporarily put aside. " It suddenly occurred to me that Junqi was single-mindedly pursuing the boring Patience, so I got a little idea of ​​his motivation, that is, he wanted to find a woman who would allow him to escape from reality.If Verity could choose for herself, what kind of woman would she choose?Perhaps an older, gentle woman with inner self-worth and serenity.

"I'm getting tired of it," Verity said softly, pouring himself a glass of mulled wine, and went to the fireplace to sip. "Do you know what I expect?" This isn't exactly a question, so I don't want to answer it either. "I hope that your father is still alive and continues to be the crown prince, and I am still his right-hand man. He will tell me what tasks to perform, and I will definitely follow his orders. This way I can find peace of mind, no matter It doesn't matter how hard we work, because I'm sure he knows the situation best. Fitz, do you know how easy it is to follow someone you trust?"

He finally looked up into my eyes. "Your Highness," I said calmly, "I understand." Verity stood still for a while, and then, "Ah!" he said, looking into my eyes, and I didn't need the warmth of his skills to feel his gratitude to me. Feelings.He walked away from the fireplace, stood erect before me again, and made a slight motion for me to leave, which I did.As I climbed the stairs back to my room, I wondered for the first time in my life whether I should be grateful for being an illegitimate child. By custom and practice, when a king or queen marries, the royal consort takes a personal entourage to serve as page, as did both of King Shrewd's queens.But when Queen Kettricken of the Mountain Kingdom came to Buckkeep, she came to be a sacrifice, as was the custom of her country.She came alone, without any female or male attendants, not even a maid of honor.There was no one in Buckkeep who could bring her the warmth of home.She came into office surrounded by strangers, not only alien to those of her own class, but even the servants and guards were quite different from those she was familiar with.

Over time, she still found a suitable group of friends and a suitable servant to accompany her.Although she found it awkward at first, she also felt that the idea of ​​having someone else serve her for the rest of her life was a strange and distressing idea. Little Wolf misses me very much.Before I set out for Bearns, I left him a deer carcass, well frozen behind the cabin, which should have sufficed for him.But just like its wolf style, it only eats and sleeps, sleeps and eats, eats and sleeps and sleeps and eats until the meat is gone.All that food was gone two days ago.It informs me and dances beside me.The hut was full of gnawed bones, and it welcomed me with wild enthusiasm, only because both the Wit and its sense of smell told it that I had brought it fresh meat.It fell hungrily on the fresh meat, ignoring the fact that I was putting its chewed bones into the bag.Too much of this kind of rubbish would attract rats, and the rat dogs of the castle would follow, and I didn't want to risk that.While I was cleaning it, I watched it secretly. I saw it holding the big piece of meat with its front feet, tearing off a small piece of meat with its mouth to eat, and the muscles of its shoulders trembled slightly at the same time.I also noticed that he had crushed the thickest deer bone and licked out the marrow.This is no longer a pup's game, but the work of a young and strong animal that gnaws bones thicker than my arm bones.

But why should I attack you?You brought me meat and gingerbread! Its thoughts are full of meaning.This is group behavior of animals and the older me came back with meat to feed this young pup.I am the hunter, bring back a kill for it.I searched for it, and found that for it, the distinction between us began to fade away.We are one wolf pack.It's something I've never felt before, closer than a friend or partner.I was terrified that a relationship like that would affect me like a bond, and I couldn't let that happen. "I'm a human, you're a wolf," I said out loud, knowing it would understand from my thoughts, and trying to force it to fully grasp the differences between us.

That's only on the surface.We are all one wolf pack at heart.It stopped triumphantly to lick its nose, its front paws stained with drops of blood. "No. I will feed you and protect you, but only for a while. When you can hunt alone, I will take you to a distant place and leave you there." I have never hunted. "I will teach you." That is also the responsibility of the same wolf pack.You teach me to hunt, and then I will accompany you, attack together, share hunting, and enjoy more delicious prey.I teach you how to hunt and then I let you go.I am already free, you did not imprison me, I voluntarily!It sticks its tongue out of a row of white teeth, laughing at my assumptions.You're so brazen, little wolf, and ignorant.Then teach me!It turned its head to the side and used its hind teeth to cut flesh and sinew away from the bone.This is your responsibility in the pack.