df.therunelords-第56节

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　〃Consider　the　offer　well；　before　you　laugh　me　to　scorn；〃　Borenson　said。　Now　it　was　time　to　put　the　Wolf　Lord　on　the　rack。　Borenson　said　confidently；　〃Lord　Orden　captured　forty　thousand　forcibles　in　Longmont；　and　for　the　past　two　days；　he　has　had　half　a　dozen　facilitators　putting　them　to　good　use。　Perhaps　to　a　man　as　rich　as　you；　the　loss　of　forty　thousand　forcibles　seems　a　small　thingbut　my　lord　will　not　up　his　offer　of　ransom　for　the　King　and　the　royal　family。　Of　what　use　to　him　are　such　people；　when　they　only　serve　you　as　Dedicates？　A　hundred　forcibles　for　each；　nothing　more！〃
　Borenson　watched　Raj　Ahten's　counselors　tremble　at　the　news；　felt　deeply　gratified；　though　Raj　Ahten　himself　stood　stoically；　the　blood　slowly　draining　from　his　face。
　〃You　lie；〃　Raj　Ahten　said；　betraying　no　fear。　〃You　do　not　have　the　Prince。　You　have　no　forcibles。　And　there　is　no　spy。　I　know　what　your　game　is；　messenger；　and　I　am　not　dismayed　by　your　ruse。　You。。。merely　annoy　me。〃
　By　use　of　the　Voice；　Raj　Ahten　sought　to　bolster　his　troops。　But　the　damage　had　already　been　done。　pared　to　the　harrowing　message　Borenson　had　delivered；　Raj　Ahten's　denial　sounded　hollow；　thrown　up　vainly　as　a　last　defense。
　And　yet；　and　yet　Borenson　feared　that　Raj　Ahten　did　see　through　him。　He　felt　a　nagging　worry。
　Borenson　spurred　his　horse　forward；　out　over　the　burned　grass　before　the　castle。　Here　and　there；　small　puffs　of　smoke　still　boiled　up　from　the　ground。　When　he　felt　safely　out　of　bow　range；　he　wheeled　about。
　〃Raj　Ahten；〃　he　cried；　〃my　lord　begs　you　to　meet　him　at　Longmont　if　you　dare。　Bring　with　you　any　fool　who　wishes　to　dieyour　five　thousand　against　his　fifty！　There；　he　swears；　he　will　grant　no　quarter；　and　he　will　whip　you　like　the　vicious　cur　that　you　are！〃
　He　raised　his　arm　in　signal；　and　out　across　the　hills；　his　men　began　to　blow　their　war　horns　in　the　woods；　the　short　staccato　blasts　that　manded　each　squadron　to　reform。
　King　Orden　had　sent　two　hundred　horns　on　this　expedition；　for　he　had　planned　to　have　his　men　sound　them　in　the　hills　when　his　son　had　secured　Iome's　hand。
　Yet　in　time　of　war；　such　horns　were　issued　only　to　each　captain　of　a　hundred。　Raj　Ahten　would　know　this；　and　Borenson　only　hoped　that　the　Wolf　Lord's　ears　were　keen　enough　to　discern　the　number　of　horns。
　It　would　be　well　if　Raj　Ahten　believed　that　Borenson's　eighty　surviving　men　were　eight　thousand。
　　
　Chapter　19
　SIFTING
　　
　Raj　Ahten's　most　devoted　counselor　Jureem　watched　through　slitted　eyes　as　his　master　stood　atop　the　burned　walls　of　Castle　Sylvarresta　while　Borenson　rode　away。　His　master's　face　glowed　with　beauty；　seemed　almost　translucent。　A　face　so　bright；　it　was　the　light　of　the　world。　Raj　Ahten　seemed　unperturbed　by　this　dire　news。
　Yet　Jureem　found　himself　trembling。　Though　his　master　denied　it；　he　knew　something　was　wrong。　Jureem　could　only　wonder；　for　his　master　seldom　confided　in　Jureem　anymore；　or　sought　his　advice。
　For　years　these　Northerners　had　been　a　thorn　in　his　master's　side；　sending　their　Knights　Equitable　to　assassinate　his　Dedicates。　Raj　Ahten's　own　beloved　sister　had　died　in　his　arms　from　a　wound　administered　by　a　Knight　Equitable。　Over　the　years　he　had　grown　to　detest　these　pale…skinned　Northerners；　until　now；　as　Raj　Ahten　took　their　endowments　and　plotted　ways　to　use　them；　he　seemed　to　feel　nothing　for　them。　No　remorse；　no　pity；　no　human　passion。　Now　this。
　At　the　moment；　Jureem　felt　painfully　distressed。　He　wanted　to　run　to　Longmont　and　learn　if　Borenson　spoke　the　truth。　He　wanted　to　shoot　Borenson　in　the　back。　He　wished　that　Borenson　had　never　spoken。　Furthermore；　Raj　Ahten's　flameweavers　had　seen　visions　of　a　king　in　their　fires；　a　king　who　could　destroy　him。　King　Orden。
　Now　the　wizard　Binnesman　had　gone　to　join　Raj　Ahten's　enemy；
　Jureem　held　his　hands　in　fists；　trying　not　to　let　others　see　how　they　shook。　He'd　thought　that　eliminating　House　Orden　would　be　easy。　Now　the　matter　seemed　more　plex。
　A　book　could　not　contain　words　enough　to　relay　the　schemes　that　his　master；　Raj　Ahten；　had　laid。　Jureem　only　understood　them　in　part。　By　tradition；　King　Orden　came　for　the　hunt　here　at　Castle　Sylvarresta；　bringing　a　couple　of　hundred　men　in　his　retinue。
　This　year；　his　son　was　of　an　age　that；　Raj　Ahten　decided；　the　Prince　too　would　have　e。　And　so　he'd　laid　his　trap；　besieging　Castle　Sylvarresta　with　a　few　men；　hoping　to　send　Orden　scurrying　south；　where　Raj　Ahten's　troops；　hiding　along　the　roads　leading　to　Mystarria；　would　slaughter　King　Orden　and　his　son。　If　the　King　did　not　run　south；　Raj　Ahten's　scouts　would　hunt　him　down　eventually。
　It　was　but　one　of　a　hundred　plots　set　in　motion。　This　very　day；　dozens　of　parties　of　assassins　would　strike　at　targets。　Armies　marched　against　fortresses　to　the　west　and　south。　In　other　places；　armies　would　simply　show　themselves；　then　disappear　into　some　forest　or　mountain　pass；　either　freezing　vital　forces　in　some　stronghold　or　drawing　them　away　from　intended　targets。
　Jureem　knew　that　the　heart　of　his　master's　plan　lay　here。　The　heart　of　his　plan　was　to　strike　down　both　Orden　and　Sylvarresta。
　Yet　dire　portents　now　warned　against　it。　The　pyromancer　had　seen　a　king　here；　a　king　who　could　destroy　the　Great　Light　of　Indhopal。
　Raj　Ahten　had　left　himself　open　to　attack。　He'd　brought　fewer　than　a　thousand　forcibles　to　Castle　Sylvarresta；　and　over　half　of　those　had　been　used　up　last　night；　consumed　by　the　spells　that　bound　Raj　Ahten　and　his　Dedicates。　He'd　left　forty　thousand　forcibles　at　Longmont；　true；　and　he'd　judged　that　those　forcibles　would　be　safe。　Longmont　was　a　great　castle；　with　high　walls　bound　with　magic　spells。　And　though　Raj　Ahten's　forces　in　Longmont　had　been　small；　their　numbers　were　to　have　been　bolstered　soon。
　The　window　of　opportunity　for　someone　to　strike　at　Longmont　had　been　dreadfully　narrow。　Given　Longmot's　defenses；　it　should　have　been　able　to　withstand　any　attack　from　the　smaller　keeps　within　striking　distance。　Castles　Groverman　and　Dreis　were　both　within　a　days'　ride　from　Longmont。　But　Raj　Ahten's　advance　scouts　had　assured　him　that　the　garrisons　there　were　small。　Jureem's　spies　had　seen　none　of　Orden's　forces　in　either　castle。
　His　spies　only　sent　word　that　Orden　had　brought　a　〃larger　than　anticipated　retinue〃　to　celebrate　Hostenfest；　and　that　they　were　camped　outside　the　village　of　Hazen；　on　the　southern　borders　of　Heredon。　The　retinue　contained　at　most　three　thousand　menincluding　knights；　squires；　cooks；　and　camp　followers。　It　was　a　large　force；　larger　than　Raj　Ahten　had　planned　to　engage。　Normally　Orden　brought　fewer　than　three　hundred　men　to　the　hunt。
　But　now　the　scouts　said　that　last　night；　over　two　thousand　knights　had　been　riding　toward　Castle　Sylvarresta。　How　could　that　be？　Did　Orden　bring　two　forces；　one　to　attack　Longmont；　another　to　ride　north？
　Two　days。　Jureem　hadn't　received　a　report　from　Longmont　in　two　days。　He　should　have　had　a　status　report。　Jureem　suspected　that　Longmont　had　fallen。　King　Orden　had　somehow　taken　the　castle。
　Fifty　thousand　men；　the　messenger　had　said。　Fifty　thousand？　The　number　unnerved　Jureem；　for　it　seemed　too　close　to　the　number　of　knights　he'd　estimated　Orden　would　marshal　against　his　master　next　springif　Orden　escaped　the　trap。　King　Orden　could　marshal　a　quarter　million　knights　of　decent　prowess；　but　he'd　not　attack　with　anywhere　close　to　that　number。　He　wouldn't　dare　leave　his　castles　defenseless。
　Elaborate　schemes；　all　on　the　verge　of　crumbling。　Raj　Ahten　needed　to　take　the　North；　and　he　needed　to　take　it　quickly。　For　years　now　the　blood…metal　mines　of　Kartish　had　been　playing　out。　They'd　be　empty　by　midwinter。
　Only　in　Inkarra　could　he　get　more　blood　metal。　It　was　said　that　the　mines　there　still　yielded　well。
　Yet　no　lord　of　Rofehavan　or　Indhopal　had　ever　succeeded　in　invading　Inkarra。　Wizards　there　were　not　powerful；　but　they　were　plentiful。　The　Inkarrans　had　adopted　battle　tactics　well　suited　to　their　terrainquick　strikes　in　the　hills　on　solid　little　ponies。　And　the　Inkarrans　could　not　be　defeated　unless　one　also　defeated　the　high　lords　of　the　arr。
　Worst　of　all；　in　long　ages　past；　a　certain　Master　Facilitator　named　Tovil　had　fled　Rofehavan　to　Inkarra；　and　there　he　had　launched　a　new　school　for　the　study　of　forcibles。　In　Inkarra；　amazing　discoveries　had　been　made；　discoveries　no　other　wizards　had　ever　been　able　to　duplicate。　In　Inkarra；　forcibles　had　been　developed　that　left　no　scar；　so　that　one　could　learn　from　a　mark　the　shape　of　a　rune　of　power。　These　forcibles　transmitted　talents　and　skills　from　one　person　to　another。
　In　all　the　years　of　spying；　the　lords　of　Rofehavan　and　Indhopal　had　never　been　able　to　duplicate　the　Inkarrans'　discoveries。
　Each　time　a　Northern　lord　had　tried　to　invade　the　South；　he　quickly　found　that　the　Southerners　did　not　just　fight　himthey　also　provided　forcibles　to　his　enemies。
　Thus；　no　lord　had　ever　been　able　to　take　Inkarra；　drain　its　riches；　or　penetrate　its　secrets。
　Jureem　knew　that　Raj　Ah　ten　had　to　act　soon。　He　had　to　drain　the　Northern　kings　now；　subjugate　them；　and　then　move　on。　It　was　quite　possible　that　in　days　now　lost　to　legend；　Daylan　Hammer　had　taken　endowments　of　will　and　talent；　that　these　were　an　integral　piece　that　Raj　Ahten　needed　befo