srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第46节

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bat　echoing　out　of　the　rift。
　　　　The　next　instant；　a　tight　pack　of　Cavewights　burst　into　the　canyon；　whirling　huge　broadswords　in　their　powerful；　spatulate　hands。　With　a　shrill　roar；　they　charged　the　Ramen。
　　　　Before　Covenant　could　react；　Bannor　caught　hold　of　him　and　Lena；　　began　to　drag　them　both　toward　the　other　end　of　the　valley。　〃Flee；''　he　said　distinctly　as　he　impelled　them　forward。　〃The　Giant　and　I　will　prevent　pursuit。　We　will　overtake　you…as　soon　as　may　be。　Flee　north；　then　east。''
　　　　The　cliffs　narrowed　until　Covenant　and　Lena　stood　in　the　mouth　of　another　cleft　through　the　hills。　Banner　thrust　them　in　the　direction　of　the　dark　crevice。　''　Make　haste。　Keep　to　the　left。''　Then　he　was　gone；　running　toward　the　battle。
　　　　Half　unconsciously；　Covenant　checked　to　be　sure　that　he　still　had　Triock's　knife　under　his　belt。　Part　of　him　yearned　to　run　after　Banner；　to　throw　himself　like　Banner　into　the　absolution　of　the　fray…to　seek　forgiveness。
　　　　Clutching　hard　at　Lena's　arm；　he　drew　her　with　him　into　the　cleft。
　
　TEN　
　Pariah
　
　　　　After　the　first　bend；　even　the　trailing　light　of　the　campfires　was　cut　off；　and　he　could　see　nothing。　Lena　moved　like　a　puppet　in　his　grasp…　empty　and　unadept。　He　wanted　her　to　hold　onto　him；　so　that　he　would　have　both　hands　free；　but　when　he　wrapped　her　fingers　around　his　arm；　they　slipped　limply　off　again。　He　was　forced　to　grope　ahead　with　his　left　hand；　and　retain　her　with　his　maimed　right。　His　numbness　made　him　feel　at　every　moment　that　he　was　about　to　lose　her。
　　　　The　shouting　pursued　him　along　the　crevice；　increased　his　sense　of　urgency　yell　by　yell。　He　cursed　furiously；　trying　to　keep　himself　from　being　frantic。
　　　　When　the　rift　divided；　he　followed　the　left　wall。　In　a　few　steps；　this　crevice　became　so　narrow　that　he　had　to　move　along　it　sideways；　pulling　Lena　after　him。　Then　it　began　to　descend。　Soon　it　was　so　steep　that　the　moldering　leaves　and　loam　of　the　floor　occasionally　shifted　under　their　feet。　There　the　rift　became　a　tunnel。　The　stone　sealed　over　their　heads；　while　the　floor　leveled　until　the　ceiling　was　so　close　that　it　made　Covenant　duck　for　fear　he　might　crack　open　his　skull。　The　utter　lightlessness　of　the　passage　dismayed　him。　He　felt　that　he　was　groping　his　way　blindly　into　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　felt　at　every　step　that　the　tunnel　might　pitch　him　into　a　chasm。　He　no　longer　heard　any　sound　from　the　canyon；　his　own　loud　scrabbling　filled　his　ears。　Yet　he　did　not　stop。　The　pressure　of　his　urgency；　the　pressure　of　the　blind　stone　impending　over　the　back　of　his　neck；　pelled　him　onward。
　　　　Still　Lena　gave　no　sign　of　life。　She　stumbled；　moved　at　his　pull；　bumped　dumbly　against　the　walls　of　the　tunnel；　but　her　arm　in　his　grasp　was　inert。　He　could　not　even　hear　her　breathing。　He　tugged　her　after　him　as　if　she　were　a　mindless　child。
　　　　At　last　the　tunnel　ended。　Without　warning；　the　stone　vanished；　and　Covenant　blundered　into　a　thicket。　The　stems　and　branches　lashed　at　him　as　if　he　were　an　enemy。　Protecting　his　eyes　with　his　forearm；　he　thrust　ahead　until　he　found　himself　on　open　ground；　sweating　in　the　teeth　of　the　wind。
　　　　The　night　was　as　dank　and　bitter　as　ever；　but　after　the　pitch　blackness　of　the　tunnel　he　found　that　he　could　see　vaguely。　He　and　Lena　stood　below　a　high；　looming　bluff。　Thickets　and　brush　covered　most　of　its　base；　but　beyond　them　the　ground　sloped　down　barrenly　toward　the　Plains　of　Ra。
　　　　He　paused　in　the　scything　wind　and　tried　to　take　stock　of　the　situation。　The　tunnel　from　this　side　was　well　disguised　by　the　thickets　and　underbrush；　but　still　the　Ramen　should　have　posted　sentries　here。　Where　were　they？　He　saw　no　one；　heard　nothing　but　the　wind。
　　　　He　was　tempted　to　call　out；　but　the　frigid　emptiness　of　the　night　restrained　him。　If　the　Ramen　were　defeated；　the　marauders　would　have　no　difficulty　following　him　through　the　tunnel；　Cavewights　and　ur…viles　could　take　such　passages　in　the　dark　gleefully。　Ur…viles　might　already　be　watching　him　from　the　thicket。
　　　　North；　then　east；　Bannor　had　said。　He　knew　he　had　to　start　moving。　But　he　had　no　supplies…no　food；　no　bedding；　no　fire。　Even　if　he　were　not　pursued；　he　could　hardly　hope　to　survive　in　this　cold。　If　Bannor　and　the　Giant　did　not　e　soon；　he　and　Lena　were　finished。
　　　　But　Bannor　had　said　that　they　would　overtake　him。　It's　too　late；　he　muttered　to　steady　his　resolve；　it's　too　late　to　start　worrying　about　the　impossible。　It's　all　been　impossible　from　the　beginning。　Just　get　going。　At　least　get　her　out　of　this　wind。
　　　　He　put　Lena　on　his　left；　wrapped　his　arm　around　her；　and　started　north　across　the　preternatural　current　of　the　winter。
　　　　He　hurried　as　much　as　possible；　supporting　Lena；　glancing　fearfully　back　over　his　shoulder　to　see　if　they　were　being　followed。　When　he　reached　a　break　in　the　hills　on　his　left；　he　faced　a　difficult　decision：　Bannor　and　Foamfollower　would　locate　him　more　easily　if　he　stayed　on　the　edge　of　the　Plains；　but　if　he　moved　up　among　the　hills　he　would　have　a　better　chance　of　finding　shelter　and　aliantha。　After　a　painful　moment；　he　chose　the　hills。　He　would　have　to　trust　the　hunting　skills　of　his　friends；　Lena　was　his　first　concern。
　　　　He　labored　strenuously　up　through　the　break；　half　carrying　his　panion。　Once　he　had　passed　beyond　the　first　crests；　he　found　a　shallow　valley　running　roughly　northward　which　provided　some　cover　from　the　wind。　But　he　did　not　stop；　he　was　not　far　enough　from　the　tunnel。　Instead；　he　took　Lena　along　the　valley　and　into　the　hills　beyond　it。
　　　　On　the　way；　he　stumbled　by　chance　into　a　battered　aliantha。　It　had　few　berries；　but　its　presence　there　reassured　him　somewhat。　He　ate　two　berries　himself；　then　tried　to　get　Lena　to　take　the　others。　But　she　neither　saw　the　aliantha　nor　heard　his　demands；　all　her　outer　senses　were　blank。
　　　　He　ate　the　rest　of　the　treasure…berries　so　that　they　would　not　be　wasted；　then　left　the　bush　behind　and　took　Lena　along　and　out　of　the　valley。　For　a　long　time　after　that；　he　could　not　find　an　easy　way　through　the　hills。　He　struggled　generally　northward；　searching　for　usable　valleys　or　paths；　but　the　terrain　turned　him　insistently　east；　downhill　toward　the　plains。　Now　the　sweat　was　freezing　in　his　beard　again；　and　his　muscles　slowly　stiffened　against　the　icy　cut　of　the　wind。　Whenever　the　wind　hit　Lena　directly；　she　trembled。　At　last　her　need　for　shelter　became　imperative　in　his　mind。　When　he　saw　a　darker　shadow　which　looked　like　a　gully　in　the　wasteland　below　him；　he　gave　up　on　the　hills　and　went　down　to　it。
　　　　It　had　not　deceived　him。　It　was　a　dry　arroyo　with　sheer　sides。　In　places　its　walls　were　more　than　ten　feet　high。　He　took　Lena　down　an　uneven　slope　into　the　gully；　then　guided　her　under　the　lee　of　the　opposite　wall　and　seated　her　with　her　back　against　the　packed　dirt。
　　　　As　he　peered　at　her　through　the　darkness；　her　condition　scared　him。　She　shivered　constantly　now；　and　her　skin　was　cold　and　clammy。　Her　face　held　no　recognition；　no　awareness　of　where　she　was　or　what　was　happening　to　her。　He　chafed　her　wrists　roughly；　but　her　arms　remained　limp；　as　if　the　cold　had　unmarrowed　her　bones。　〃Lena；''　he　called　to　her　hesitantly；　then　with　more　force。　〃Lena！〃　She　did　not　answer。　She　sat　slack　against　the　wall　as　if　she　had　decided　to　freeze　to　death　rather　than　acknowledge　the　fact　that　the　man　she　loved　was　a　murderer。
　　　　〃Lena！〃　he　begged　gruffly。　〃Don't　make　me　do　this。　I　don't　want　to　do　it　again。〃
　　　　She　did　not　respond。　The　irregular　moan　and　catch　of　her　breathing　gave　no　indication　that　she　had　heard　him。　She　looked　as　brittle　as　frostbitten　porcelain。
　　　　With　a　fierce　grimace　clenched　on　his　face；　he　drew　back　his　halfhand　and　struck　her　hard　across　the　side　of　her　head　for　the　second　time　in　his　life。
　　　　Her　head　snapped　soddenly　to　the　side；　swung　back　toward　him。　For　an　instant；　her　breath　shuddered　in　her　lungs；　and　her　lips　trembled　as　if　the　air　hurt　her　mouth。　Then　suddenly　her　hands　leaped　out　like　claws。　Her　nails　dug　into　the　flesh　of　his　face　around　his　eyes。　She　gripped　him　there；　gouging　him；　poised　ready　to　tear　his　eyes　out。
　　　　A　sharp　nausea　of　fear　wrenched　his　guts；　made　him　flinch。　But　he　did　not　back　away。
　　　　After　a　moment；　she　said　starkly；　〃You　slew　Elena　my　daughter。〃
　　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　　Her　fingers　tightened。　〃I　could　blind　you。〃
　　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　　〃Are　you　not　afraid？〃
　　　　〃I'm　afraid。〃
　　　　Her　fingers　tightened　again。　〃Then　why　do　you　not　resist？''　Her　nails　drew　blood　from　his　left　cheek。
　　　　〃Because　I've　got　to　talk　to　you…about　what　happened　to　Elena。　I've　got　to　tell　you　what　she　did…and　what　I　did…and　why　I　did　it。　You　won't　listen　unless　you　decide…〃
　　　　〃I　will　not　listen　at　all！〃　Her　voice　shook　with　weeping。　Savagely；　she　snatched　back　her　hands　and　returned　his　blow；　struck　his　cheek　with　all　her　strength。　The　sting　brought　water　to　his　eyes。　When　he　blinked　them　clear；　he　saw　that　she　had　clamped　her　hands　to　her　face　to　keep　herself　from　sobbing　aloud。
　　　　Awkwardly；　he　put　his　arms　around　her。　She　did　not　resist。　He　held　her　firmly　while　she　wept；　and　after　a　time　she　moved　her　head；　pressed　her　face　into　his　jacket。　But　soon　she　stiffened　and　withdrew。　She　wiped　her　eyes；　averting　her　face　as　if　she　were　asham