srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第41节

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with　gladness。　And　you　are　the　Unbeliever；　the　bearer　of　white　gold。　They　show　disrespect。　Let　us　leave　them　and　go　our　way。〃
　　　　Foamfollower　replied　to　them　both；　〃The　Ramen　are　not　blind。　Bannor　is　not　blind。　They　will　see　me　more　clearly　in　time。　And　their　help　is　worth　seeking。〃

　　　　〃All　right；''　Covenant　muttered。　〃I'm　no　good　at　fighting　anyway。''　To　Bannor；　he　said　stiffly；　〃We'll　go　with　you。〃　Then；　for　the　sake　of　everything　that　had　happened　between　himself　and　the　Bloodguard；　he　added；　〃No　matter　what　else　is　going　on　here；　you've　saved　my　life　too　often　for　me　to　start　distrusting　you　now。〃
　　　　Bannor　gave　Covenant　another　fractional　bow。　At　once；　the　Mane…thrall　snapped　a　few　orders　to　the　Cords。　Two　of　them　left　at　a　flat　run　toward　the　northeast；　and　two　more　moved　off　to　take　scouting　positions　on　either　side　of　the　pany；　while　the　rest　gathered　small　knapsacks　from　hiding　places　around　the　hollow。　Watching　them；　Covenant　was　amazed　once　again　at　how　easily；　swiftly；　they　could　disappear　into　their　surroundings。　Even　their　footprints　seemed　to　vanish　before　his　eyes。　By　the　time　Foamfollower　had　packed　his　leather　sack；　they　had　effaced　all　signs　of　their　presence　from　the　hollow。　It　looked　as　untroubled　as　if　they　had　never　been　there。
　　　　Before　long；　Covenant　found　himself　trudging　between　Lena　and　Foamfollower　in　the　same　general　direction　taken　by　the　two　runners。　The　Manethrall　and　Bannor　strode　briskly　ahead　of　them；　and　the　three　remaining　Cords　marched　at　their　backs　like　guards。　They　seemed　to　be　moving　openly；　as　if　they　had　no　fear　of　enemies。　But　twice　when　he　looked　back　Covenant　saw　the　Cords　erasing　the　traces　of　their　passage　from　the　gray　drifts　and　the　cold　ground。
　　　　The　presence　of　those　three　ready　garrotes　behind　him　only　aggravated　his　confusion。　Despite　his　long　experience　with　hostility；　he　was　not　prepared　for　such　distrust　from　the　Ramen。　Clearly；　important　events　had　taken　place…events　of　which　he　had　no　conception。　His　ignorance　afflicted　him　with　a　powerful　sense　that　the　fate　of　the　Land　was　moving　toward　a　crisis；　a　fundamental　concatenation　in　which　his　own　role　was　beclouded；　obscure。　The　facts　were　being　kept　from　him。　This　feeling　cast　the　whole　harsh　edifice　of　his　purpose　into　doubt；　as　if　it　were　erected　on　slow　quicksand。　He　needed　to　ask　questions；　to　get　answers。　But　the　unspoken　threat　of　those　Ramen　ropes　disconcerted　him。　And　Bannor…！　He　could　not　frame　his　questions；　even　to　himself。
　　　　And　he　was　tired。　He　had　already　traveled　all　night；　had　not　slept　since　the　previous　afternoon。　Only　four　days　had　passed　since　his　summoning。　　As　he　labored　to　keep　up　the　pace；　he　found　that　he　lacked　the　strength　of　concentration　to　think。
　　　　Lena　was　in　no　better　condition。　Although　she　was　healthier　than　he；　she　was　old；　and　not　hardened　to　walking。　Gradually；　he　became　as　worried　about　her　as　he　was　weary　himself。　When　she　began　to　droop　against　him；　he　told　Banner　flatly　that　he　would　have　to　rest。
　　　　They　slept　until　midafternoon；　then　traveled　late　into　the　night　before　camping　again。　And　the　next　morning；　they　were　on　their　way　before　dawn。　But　Covenant　and　Lena　did　better　now。　The　food　which　the　Ramen　gave　them　was　hot　and　nourishing。　And　soon　after　gray　dim　day　had　shambled　into　the　laden　air；　they　reached　the　edge　of　the　hills；　came　in　sight　of　the　Plains　of　Ra。　At　this　point；　they　swung　northward；　staying　in　the　rumbled　terrain　of　the　hills…edge　rather　than　venturing　into　the　bleak；　winter…bitten　openness　of　the　Plains。　But　still　they　found　the　going　easier。　In　time；　Covenant　recovered　enough　to　begin　asking　questions。
　　　　As　usual；　he　had　trouble　talking　to　Banner。　The　Bloodguard's　un…breachable　dispassion　daunted　him；　often　made　him　malicious　or　angry　through　simple　frustration；　such　reticence　seemed　outrageously　immune　from　judgment…the　antithesis　of　leprosy。　Now　all　the　Bloodguard　had　abandoned　the　Lords；　Revelstone；　death　refusal。　Lord's　Keep　would　fall　without　them。　And　yet　Bannor　was　here；　living　and　working　with　the　Ramen。　When　Covenant　tried　to　ask　questions；　he　felt　that　he　no　longer　knew　the　man　to　whom　he　spoke。
　　　　Bannor　met　his　first　tentative　inquiries　by　introducing　Covenant　to　the　Ramen…Manethrall　Kam；　and　his　Cords；　Whane；　Lal；　and　Puhl…and　by　assuring　him　that　they　would　reach　their　destination　by　evening　the　next　day。　He　explained　that　this　band　of　Ramen　was　a　scouting　patrol　responsible　for　detecting　marauders　along　the　western　marge　of　Ra；　they　had　found　Covenant　and　his　panions　by　chance　rather　than　design。　When　Covenant　asked　about　Rue；　the　Manethrall　who　had　brought　word　of　Fleshharrower's　army　to　Revelstone　seven　years　ago；　Bannor　replied　flatly　that　she　had　died　soon　after　her　return　home。　But　after　that；　Covenant　had　to　wrestle　for　what　he　wanted　to　know。
　　　　At　last　he　could　find　no　graceful　way　to　frame　his　question。　〃You　left　the　Lords；〃　he　rasped　awkwardly。　〃Why　are　you　here？〃
　　　　〃The　Vow　was　broken。　How　could　we　remain？〃
　　　　〃They　need　you。　They　couldn't　need　you　more。〃
　　　　〃Ur…Lord；　I　say　to　you　that　the　Vow　was　broken。　Many　things　were　　broken。　You　were　present。　We　could　not…ur…Lord；　I　am　old　now。　I；　Bannor；　First　Mark　of　the　Bloodguard。　I　require　sleep　and　hot　food。
　　　　Though　I　was　bred　for　mountains；　this　cold　penetrates　my　bones。　I　am　no　fit　server　for　Revelstone…no；　nor　for　the　Lords；　though　they　do　not　equal　High　Lord　Kevin　who　went　before　them。〃
　　　　〃Then　why　are　you　here？　Why　didn't　you　just　go　home　and　forget　it？〃
　　　　Foamfollower　winced　at　Covenant's　tone；　but　Bannor　replied　evenly；　〃That　was　my　purpose…when　I　departed　Lord's　Keep。　But　I　found　I　could　not　forget。　I　had　ridden　too　many　Ranyhyn。　At　night　I　saw　them…in　my　dreams　they　ran　like　clear　skies　and　cleanliness。　Have　you　not　beheld　them？　Without　Vows　or　defiance　of　death；　they　surpassed　the　faith　of　the　Bloodguard。　Therefore　I　returned。〃
　　　　〃Just　because　you　were　addicted　to　Ranyhyn？　You　let　the　Lords　and　Revelstone　and　all　go　to　hell　and　blood；　but　you　came　here　because　you　couldn't　give　up　riding　Ranyhyn？〃
　　　　〃I　do　not　ride。〃
　　　　Covenant　stared　at　him。
　　　　〃I　have　e　to　share　the　work　of　the　Ramen。　A　few　of　the　Haruchai…I　know　not　how　many…a　few　felt　as　I　did。　We　had　known　Kevin　in　the　youth　of　his　glory；　and　could　not　forget。　Terrel　is　here；　and　Runnik。　There　are　others。　We　teach　our　skills　to　the　Ramen；　and　learn　from　them　the　tending　of　the　great　horses。　Perhaps　we　will　learn　to　make　peace　with　our　failure　before　we　die。〃
　　　　Make　peace；　Covenant　groaned。　Bannor！　The　very　simplicity　of　the　Bloodguard's　explanation　dismayed　him。　So　all　those　centuries　of　untainted　and　sleepless　service　came　to　this。
　　　　He　asked　Bannor　no　more　questions；　he　was　afraid　of　the　answers。
　　　　For　the　rest　of　that　day；　he　fell　out　of　touch　with　his　purpose。　Despite　the　concern　and　panionship　of　Foamfollower　and　Lena；　he　walked　between　them　in　morose　separateness。　Banner's　words　had　numbed　his　heart。　And　he　slept　that　night　on　his　back　with　his　eyes　upward；　as　if　he　did　not　believe　that　he　would　ever　see　the　sun　again。
　　　　But　the　next　morning　he　remembered。　Shortly　after　dawn；　Manethrall　Kam's　party　met　another　Cord。　The　man　was　on　his　way　to　the　edge　of　the　Plains；　and　in　his　hands　he　carried　two　small　bouquets　of　yellow　flowers。　The　gray　wind　made　their　frail　petals　flutter　pathetically。　After　saluting　Manethrall　Kam；　he　strode　out　into　the　open；　shouted　shrilly　against　the　wind　in　a　language　Covenant　could　not　understand。　He　repeated　his　shout；　then　waited　with　his　hands　extended　as　if　he　were　offering　flowers　to　the　wind。
　　　　Shortly；　out　of　the　shelter　of　a　frozen　gully　came　two　Ranyhyn；　a　stallion　and　a　mare。　The　stallion's　chest　was　scored　with　fresh　claw…marks；　and　the　mare　had　a　broken；　hollow　look；　as　if　she　had　just　lost　her　foal。　Both　were　as　gaunt　as　skeletons；　hunger　had　carved　the　pride　from　their　shoulders　and　haunches；　exposed　their　ribs；　given　their　emaciated　muscles　an　abject　starkness。　They　hardly　seemed　able　to　hold　up　their　heads。　But　they　nickered　to　the　Cord。　With　a　stumbling　gait；　they　trotted　forward；　and　began　at　once　to　eat　the　flowers　he　offered　to　them。　In　three　bites　the　food　was　gone。　He　hugged　them　quickly；　then　turned　away　with　tears　in　his　eyes。
　　　　Without　a　word；　Manethrall　Kam　gave　the　Cord　the　bedraggled　circlet　from　his　hair；　so　that　each　of　the　Ranyhyn　could　have　one　more　bite。　〃That　is　amanibhavam；　the　healing　grass　of　Ra；〃　he　explained　stiffly　to　Covenant。　〃It　is　a　hardy　grass；　not　so　easily　daunted　by　this　winter　as　the　Render　might　wish。　It　will　keep　life　in　them…for　another　day。〃　As　he　spoke；　he　glared　redly　into　Covenant's　face；　as　if　the　misery　of　these　two　horses　were　the　Unbeliever's　doing。　With　a　brusque　nod　toward　the　Cord　feeding　the　Ranyhyn；　he　went　on：　〃He　walked　ten　leagues　today　to　bring　even　this　much　food　to　them。''　The　haunted　erosion　filled　his　face；　he　looked　like　the　victim　of　a　curse。　Painfully；　he　turned　and　strode　away　again　northward；　along　the　edges　of　the　Plains。
　　　　Covenant　remembered；　he　had　no　trouble　remembering　his　purpose　now。　When　he　followed　the　Manethrall；　he　walked　as　if　he　were　fighting　the　deadness　of　his　feet　with　outrage。
　　　　In　the　course　of　that