"自己逃跑?"
博林有点困惑.
"具有讽刺意味的是,它的弱点也是它的优势——它火爆的脾气,它的领地本能,还有...它对幼崽的保护本能.
雷洛的目光再次落在依偎在他们母亲身边的两个小家伙身上.
他停顿了一下,看到两位骑士脸上疑惑的表情,继续解释道:"如果我们能用什么东西来激怒它,让它觉得这东西对它的小腿或领地构成了巨大的威胁,它不会无情地追赶它吗?
艾德沉思了一会儿."你的意思是...引诱它?
"没错,"雷洛点点头."而且我们需要使用能够跑得足够快并且能充分激怒它的东西.它很快,不是吗?然后让它追逐一个快速的目标.
"什么目标能跑得过它?还能激怒它?
博林仍然认为这太冒险了.
"马,"雷洛说了两个字."普通的马可能不起作用,但两匹尾巴着火的马呢?"
"马尾巴着火了?!"
Ed 和 Bolin 都大吃一惊.这个想法是... 疯狂!
马天生怕火.当它们的尾巴被点燃时,它们无疑会惊慌失措.
而燃烧的火焰和疯狂的驰骋,无疑对一头处于领地和愤怒状态的铁甲犀牛来说,无疑是一个巨大的挑衅!
"找到我们丢弃的两只唠叨,把浸在油中的干树枝绑在它们的尾巴上."
Ed 和 Bolin 倒抽了一口气.
这个计划...真是太大胆了!
用惊慌的马来吸引它的注意力,同时带着小牛偷偷溜走!
这就像在三段魔兽的愤怒边缘跳舞一样!
"先生,这太危险了!"
艾德忍不住再次劝阻（劝说）它."如果铁甲犀牛不追马,或者半途而废又回来了怎么办?我们..."
"当然有风险,"雷洛承认."但回报同样巨大.两头铁甲犀牛犊,从小养大,它们的未来价值不可估量.
他指向犀牛之前冲锋的方向."它的攻击模式很简单.对于任何入侵其领地的移动目标,尤其是携带像火一样具有威胁性的东西的目标,它的第一反应无疑是将其赶走并摧毁它.
"至于时间,"雷洛观察着太阳的位置,"我们会等到它再次进入静止状态,或者它的注意力被其他东西转移了.我们必须迅速行动.一旦我们有了小牛,我们就会毫不犹豫地立即撤退.
"明白了,先生!"
"很好.我们先撤退,准备好一切.艾德,你负责挑选马匹和准备起火材料.博林,你负责选择撤退路线并确保万无一失.
雷洛下达了命令."行动时间定在黄昏之前.到那时,光线会变暗,更容易隐藏.
"是的,先生!"
一切都准备好了,时间悄悄地溜到了黄昏.
夕阳的余晖将大地蒙上了一层金色的面纱.
被指定为诱饵的两只唠叨被带到前方的一个小斜坡上,它们的尾巴已经被浸满油的干树枝绑住了.
两个骑士,举着火把,紧张地等待着命令.
河谷中央,铁甲犀牛似乎吃饱了又躺下了,两只小犀牛依偎在旁边,打瞌睡.
一切看起来都宁静而美丽.
雷洛深吸一口气,压抑着心中漩涡般的情绪.
风声,水声和远处偶尔传来的陌生鸟儿的叫声.
Ed and Bolin gripped their weapons tightly, their palms already sweaty.
They knew that what came next would be a high-stakes gamble with the reaper.
The setting sun sank completely below the horizon, and the sky darkened rapidly.
Only the faint glow of the moon and stars provided meager illumination in the river valley.
The iron-armored rhinoceros's enormous body lay like a lurking shadow, with only its occasional heavy breathing proving its existence.
The two calves snuggled tightly against their mother, no longer moving.
"Now!"
Reylo barked in a low voice, his eyes gleaming sharply.
The two knights who had been ready immediately brought their torches close to the dry branches on the horses' tails.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
The dry branches soaked in oil caught fire instantly, sending up two plumes of tangerine-red flames!
"Giddy up!"
The two knights slapped the horses' rumps simultaneously!
The two old nags, in pain and terrified by the burning sensation on their tails and the sight of fire, instantly unleashed the last reserves of their strength!
They let out terrified whinnies and bolted uncontrollably towards the opposite end of the river valley, driven by sheer panic!
The burning tails left two twisted trails of fire behind them, looking exceptionally glaring in the dim river valley!
"Moo!!!"
Almost as soon as the flames lit up, the originally lying iron-armored rhinoceros sprang up abruptly!
Its blood-red eyes instantly locked onto the two flaming targets charging deep into its territory, along with the ear-piercing whinnies of the horses!
Fury!
Anger!
A terrifying aura instantly erupted from it, like a tangible shockwave, making Reylo and the others hiding far away feel a pang of trepidation!
Without any hesitation, the iron-armored rhinoceros dug its four hooves into the ground, let out a deafening roar, and charged after the two flaming, panicked horses like a bolt of black lightning!
Its speed was extreme, its heavy body leaving a deep furrow on the ground, sending up a cloud of dust, its momentum terrifying!
It was completely absorbed by the two moving flames, only wanting to crush these intruders who dared to trespass into its territory and threaten its calves!
"Go!"
Seeing the iron-armored rhinoceros's enormous figure disappear around the bend of the river valley in an instant,
Reylo made a split-second decision and was the first to rush out from his hiding place!
Ed and Bolin followed closely behind, the three of them like arrows shot from a bow, charging straight towards the spot where the iron-armored rhinoceros had been lying just now!
Their target was none other than the two little rhinos, who seemed a bit disoriented and were wandering aimlessly in place due to their mother's sudden outburst!
The distance wasn't far, only less than three hundred meters.
They could hear the凄厉 (piercing) whinnies of the panicked horses and the furious roars of the iron-armored rhinoceros in the distance, along with the sounds of heavy impacts and crashes. Obviously, one of the two poor nags had already met its doom.
But they had no time to feel sympathy; they had to seize every second!
The little rhinos seemed to sense the approach of unfamiliar auras as well. They made uneasy low "mooing" sounds, trying to find their mother's figure.
Perhaps sensing the threat, one of the slightly larger little rhinos actually imitated its mother, lowering its head and charging at Reylo, who was in the lead, with its still-soft horn!
Reylo was well-prepared and deftly sidestepped the little rhino's charge. At the same time, with a lightning-fast movement of his right hand, he grabbed the relatively soft skin at the back of the little rhino's neck, lifted it up in one flash, and the rhino calf was in his arms!
Almost at the same time, Ed also lunged at the other little rhino.
This one seemed even more timid, just pawing the ground restlessly in place.
Ed pressed down on it, and the calf, the size of a calf (literal translation, but can be interpreted as "the size of a young cow" for clarity), was pinned to the ground. He then slung it over his shoulder and ran.
"Got it!" Ed whispered.
"Retreat quickly!"
Reylo tossed the rhino calf in his arms to Bolin.
Everyone turned and ran.
From around the bend of the river valley in the distance came an even more furious, even more deafening roar!
The theft of the calves had been discovered.
"Moo—!!!"
That voice was filled with boundless fury and madness!
The iron-armored rhinoceros was back!
And it was moving faster than before!
The ground began to shake violently, as if an earthquake were approaching!
The three of them could even feel the burning, raging aura coming from behind them!
"Faster! Go even faster!"