srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第47节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Soon　all　the　other　Ranyhyn　were　safe　on　solid　ground。　They　shed　the　mud　of　the　quagmire　easily　but　they　could　not　rid　themselves　of　the　shame　of　their　panic。　Their　eyes　showed　that　they　felt　they　had　disgraced　themselves：
　But　when　they　heard　the　whimpering　of　their　injured　brother；　they　pricked　up　their　ears。　They　shuffled　their　feet　and　nudged　each　other。　Slowly；　their　eldest　went　to　face　Tull's　mount。　For　a　moment；　the　two　spoke　together；　nose　to　nose。　Several　times　the　younger　Ranyhyn　nodded　its　head。
　Then　the　old　Ranyhyn　。reared；　he　stretched　high　in　the　ancient　Ranyhyn　expression　of　homage。　When　he　descended；　he　struck　the　head　of　his　injured　brother　powerfully　with　both　fore　hooves。　The　younger　horse　shuddered　once　under　the　force　of　the　blow；　and　fell　dead。
　The　rest　of　the　Ranyhyn　watched　in　silence。　When　their　eldest　turned　away　from　the　fallen　horse；　they　nickered　their　approval　and　sorrow　softly。
　In　their　own　way；　the　Bloodguard　were　not　unmoved。　But　High　Lord　Elena　had　given　the　need　of　the　Giants　into　their　hands。　To　the　Lords；　Korik　said；　〃We　must　go。　The　mission　waits。　Tull　may　ride　with　Doar。〃
　〃No！〃　Lord　Shetra　cried。　〃We　will　take　the　Ranyhyn　no　deeper　into　Sarangrave　Flat。〃　And　Lord　Hyrim　said；　〃Friend　Korik；　surely　you　know　as　much　as　we　of　this　force　which　forbids　us　to　cross　the　Flat。　Surely　you　know　that　to　stop　us　this　force　must　first　see　us。　It　must　perceive　us；　and　know　where　we　are。〃
　Korik　nodded。
　〃Then　you　must　also　know　that　it　is　no　easy　matter　to　sense　the　presence　of　human　beings。　We　are　mere　ordinary　life　amid　the　multitudes　of　the　Sarangrave。　But　the　Ranyhyn　are　unordinary。　They　are　stronger　than　we…the　power　of　life　bums　more　brightly　in　them。　Their　presence　here　is　more　easily　seen　than　ours。　It　may　be　that　the　force　against　us　is　attuned　to　them。　The　Despiser　is　wise　enough　for　such　strategy。　For　this　reason；　we　must　travel　without　the　Ranyhyn。〃
　〃The　mission　requires　their　speed；〃　Korik　said。　〃We　lack　the　time　to　walk。〃
　〃I　know；〃　Hyrim　sighed。　〃Without　mishap；　we　would　spend　at　least　one　full　cycle　of　the　moon　at　that　journey。　But　to　ride　around　the　Sarangrave　will　take　too　long　also。〃
　〃Therefore　we　must　ride　through。　We　must　fight。〃
　〃Ride　through；　forsooth；〃　Shetra　snapped。　〃We　do　not　know　how　to　fight　such　a　thing…or　we　would　have　given　it　battle　already。　I　tell　you　plainly；　Korik…if　we　encounter　that　forbidding　again；　we　will　lose　more　than　Ranyhyn。　No！　We　must　go　another　way。〃
　〃What　way？〃
　For　a　moment；　the　Lords　gazed　into　each　other。　Then　Lord　Shetra　said；　〃We　will　build　a　raft；　and　ride　the　Defiles　Course。〃
　The　Bloodguard　were　surprised。　Even　the　boat　loving　Giants　chose　to　walk　Sarangrave　Flat　rather　than　to　put　themselves　in　the　hands　of　that　river。　Korik　said；　〃Can　it　be　done？〃
　〃We　will　do　it；〃　Shetra　replied。
　Seeing　the　strength　of　her　purpose；　the　Bloodguard　responded　to　themselves；　〃We　will　do　it。〃　And　Korik　said；　〃Then　we　must　make　great　haste　while　the　Ranyhyn　are　yet　with　us。〃
　So　began　the　great　run　of　the　Ranyhyn；　in　which　the　horses　of　Ra　redeemed　their　shame。　When　all　the　riders　had　remounted；　they　moved　cautiously　back　to　the　true　path　of　the　Giantway。　But　then　the　Ranyhyn　cast　all　but　the　simplest　caution　to　the　wind。　First　at　a　canter；　then　galloping；　they　ran　westward　out　of　the　peril　of　the　Sarangrave。
　This　was　no　gait　for　distance；　no　easy；　strength　conserving　pace。　It　was　a　gallop　to　surpass　the　best　fleetness　of　ordinary　horses。　And　it　did　not　slow　or　falter。　At　full　stretch；　the　Ranyhyn　came　out　。of　Sarangrave　Flat　under　the　eaves　of　Landsdrop　before　moonrise。　Then　they　veered　away　just　east　of　southward　along　the　line　of　the　cliff。
　On　the　open　ground；　their　running　became　harder。　The　rough　foothills　of　Landsdrop　cut　across　their　way　like　rumpled　folds　in　the　earth；　forced　them　to　plummet　down　and　then　labor　up　uncertain　slopes　twenty　times　a　league。　And　southward　the　terrain　worsened。　The　grass　slowly　failed　from　the　hillsides；　so　that　the　Ranyhyn　pounded　over　bare　rock　and　shale　and　scree。
　The　moon　was　nearly　full；　and　in　its　light　Mount　Thunder；　ancient　Gravin　Threndor；　was　visible　against　the　sky。　Already　it　dominated　the　southern　horizon；　and　as　the　mission　traveled；　it　lifted　its　crown　higher　and　higher。
　Under　its　shadow；　the　Ranyhyn　mastered　both　the　night　and　the　foothills。　Breathing　hoarsely；　blowing　foam；　sweating　and　straining　extremely；　but　never　faltering；　they　struck　daylight　no　more　than　five　leagues　from　the　Defiles　Course。　Now　they　began　to　stumble　and　slip　on　the　hillsides；　scattering　froth　from　their　lips；　tearing　the　skin　of　their　knees。　Yet　they　refused　to　fail。
　In　the　middle　of　the　morning　on　the　tenth　day；　they　lumbered　over　the　crest　of　one　ankle　and　dropped　down　into　the　narrow　valley　between　Mount　Thunder's　legs…the　valley　of　the　Defiles　Course。
　To　their　right　at　the　base　of　the　mountain　was　the　head　of　the　river。　There　rank　black　water　erupted　roaring　from　under　a　sheer　cliff。　This　was　the　Soulsease　River　of　Andelain　transformed。　That　fair　river　entered　Mount　Thunder　through　Treacher's　Gorge；　then　plunged　into　the　depths　of　the　earth；　where　it　ran　through　abandoned　Wightwarrens　and　Demondim　breeding　dens；　Cavewightish　slag　and　refuse　pits；　charnels　and　offal　grounds　and　lakes　of　acid；　the　excreta　of　the　buried　banes。　When　it　broke　out　thick；　oily；　and　fetid　at　the　base　of　Gravin　Threndor；　it　carried　the　sewage　of　the　catabs；　the　pollution　of　ages　of　filthy　use。
　From　Mount　Thunder　to　Lifeswallower；　the　Great　Swamp；　nothing　lived　along　the　banks　of　the　Defiles　Course　except　Sarangrave　Flat；　which　grew　thickest　on　either　side　of　the　Course；　flourishing　on　the　black　water。　But　high　in　the　sides　of　the　valley　were　two　or　three　thin　streams　of　clean　water；　which　nourished　grass　and　shrubs　and　some　trees；　so　that　only　the　bottom　of　the　valley　was　barren。　There　the　Ranyhyn　rested　at　last。　Quivering　and　blowing；　they　put　their　noses　in　a　stream　to　drink。
　The　Lords　disregarded　their　own　weariness；　went　immediately　in　search　of　amanibhavam。　Shortly　Shetra　returned　with　a　double　handful　of　the　horsehealing　grass。　With　it　she　tended　the　Ranyhyn　while　Hyrim　'brought　more　of　it　to　her。　Only　when　all　the　great　horses　had　eaten　some　of　the　amanibhavam　did　the　Lords　allow　themselves　to　rest。
　Then　the　Bloodguard　turned　their　attention　to　the　task　of　building　a　raft。　The　only　trees　hardy　enough　to　grow　in　the　valley　were　teaks；　and　in　one　stand　nearby　three　of　the　tallest　were　dead。　Their　ironwood　trunks　showed　what　had　happened　to　them；　when　they　had　grown　above　a　certain　size；　their　roots　had　reached　down　deep　enough　to　touch　soil　soaked　by　the　river；　and　so　they　had　died。
　Using　hatchets　and　clingor　ropes；　the　Bloodguard　were　able　to　bring　down　these　three　trees。　Each　they　sectioned　into　four　logs　of　roughly　equal　length。　When　they　had　rolled　the　logs　down　to　the　dead　bank　of　the　Course；　they　began　lashing　them　together　with　clingor　thongs。
　The　task　was　slow　because　of　the　size　and　weight　of　the　ironwood　logs；　and　the　Bloodguard　worked　carefully　to　make　sure　that　the　raft　was　secure。　But　they　were　fifteen；　and　made　steady　progress。　Shortly　after　noon；　the　raft　was　plete。　After　they　had　prepared　several　steering　poles；　they　were　ready　to　continue　on　their　way。
　The　Lords　readied　themselves　also。　After　a　moment　of　melding；　they　bid　ceremonious　farewell　to　the
　Ranyhyn。　Then　they　came　down　to　the　banks　of　the　Defiles　Course　and　bid　Korik　launch　the　raft。
　Two　of　the　Bloodguard　fastened　ropes　to　the　raft　while　the　others　positioned　themselves　along　its　sides。　Together；　they　lifted　the　massive　ironwood　logs；　heaved　the　raft　into　the　river。　It　bucked　in　the　stiff　current；　but　the　two　ropes　secured　it。　Cerrin　and　Sill　leaped　out　onto　it　to　see　how　it　held　together。　When　they　gave　their　approval；　Korik　signed　for　the　Lords　to　precede　him。
　Lord　Shetra　sprang　down　to　the　raft；　and　at　once　set　about　wedging　her　staff　between　the　center　logs　so　that　she　could　use　its　power　for　a　rudder。　Lord　Hyrim　followed　her；　as　did　the　other　Bloodguard；　until　only　the　two　who　held　the　ropes　remained　on　the　bank。　Lord　Shetra　began　to　sing　quietly；　calling　up　the　Earthpower　through　her　staff。　When　she　was　ready；　she　nodded　to　Korik。
　At　his　mand；　the　last　two　Bloodguard　sprang　for　the　raft　as　the　current　ripped　it　away。
　The　raft　plunged；　swirled；　the　boiling　water　spun　it　out　into　the　middle　of　the　river。
　But　then　Lord　Shetra　caught　her　balance。　The　power　of　her　staff　took　hold　like　a　Gildenlode　rudder　in　the　hands　of　a　Giant。　The　raft　resisted　her；　but　slowly　it　became　steady。　She　piloted　it　down　the　torrent　of　the　stream；　and　in　moments　the　mission　rushed　out　of　the　valley　back　into　the　grasp　of　Sarangrave　Flat。
　Free　of　the　constriction　of　the　valley；　the　Defiles　Course　gradually　widened；　slowed。　Then　it　began　to　wind　and　spill　out　into　the　waterways　of　the　Sarangrave；　and　the　worst　of　the　current　was　past。
　For　the　rest　of　the　afternoon；　Lord　Shetra　remained　in　the　stern　of　the　raft；　guided　it　along　the　black　water。　The　riverbed　bent　and　twisted　as　the　Defiles　Course　became　more　and　more　woven　into　the　fabric　of　Sarangrave　Flat。　Side　currents　ran　into　and　away　from　the　main　stream；　and