srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第55节

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　The　word　grave　penetrated　Trell's　passion。　Abruptly；　he　wrapped　his　arms　around　his　chest；　hunched　forward。　Through　his　tears；　he　glared　at　Troy。　〃You　are　a　fool！〃　he　hissed。　〃Blind！　She　wasted　her　life。〃
　〃Wasted？〃　Troy　gaped。　〃Wasted？〃　It's　the　student　who　summoned　you。　Was　Covenant　right？
　〃Perhaps；〃　Lord　Mhoram　said　grimly。　This　time
　his　tone　pelled　Troy's　attention。　Troy　stared　at
　Mhoram　with　a　gaze　thick　with　dread。　〃He　has
　abundant　reason　to　visit　that　grave；〃　the　Lord　went
　on。　〃Atiaran　Trell…mate　is　buried　there。　She　died　in
　the　act　which　summoned　you　to　the　Land。　She　gave　her
　life　in　an　effort　to　regain　ur…Lord　Covenant　but　she
　failed　of　her　purpose。　Your　presence　here　is　the　out
　e　of　her　Peace…less　grief　and　her　hunger　for
　retribution。〃
　Mhoram's　explanation　exceeded　the　limit　of　Trell's　endurance。　Pain　convulsed　his　features。　He　struck　his　horse　a　fierce　blow　with　his　heels；　and　it　sprang　at　once　into　a　frightened　gallop　toward　the　Llurallin　ford。　But　Troy　did　not　even　see　him　go。　The　Warmark　turned　sharply；　and　found　that　he　could　still　discern　Elena；　Covenant；　and　the　two　Bloodguard　riding　westward　out　of　the　Valley。　Amok　was　already　with　them；　walking　jauntily　at　the　High　Lord's　side。
　Atiaran　Trell…mate？　Trell…mate？　She　was　his　wife？　He　knew　of　Atiaran…he　had　heard　too　much　talk　about　Covenant　not　to　know　that　she　was　the　woman
　who　had　guided　the　Unbeliever　from　Mithil　Stonedown　to　Andelain　and　the　Soulsease　River。　But　he　had　not　known　that　Trell　was　her　husband。　That　had　been　kept　from　him。
　Then　he　went　a　step　further。　Covenant　had　raped　Trell's　daughter…Atiaran's　daughter…the　daughter　of　the　woman　who…！
　〃Covenant！　You　bastard！〃　Troy　howled。　〃What　have　you　done？〃　But　he　knew　that　the　travelers　could　not　hear　him　across　the　distance；　the　noise　of　the　two　rivers　obliterated　distant　shouts。　A　stiff　gust　of　helplessness　knocked　down　his　protest；　so　that　his　voice　cracked　and　stumbled　into　silence。
　It　was　no　wonder　that　Trell　could　not　return　home；　face　his　daughter。　How　could　he　tell　her　that　the　High　Lord　had　chosen　friendship　rather　than　retribution　for　the　man　who　had　raped　her？　Troy　did　not　understand　how　she　could　do　such　a　thing　to　Trell。
　Another　moment　passed　before　he　grasped　the　rest　of　what　Mhoram　had　said。　She　died　in　the　act　Atiaran　was　his　summoner；　not　some　young　ignorant　or　inspired　student。　That；　too；　had　been　kept　from　him。　He　was　the　result　and　consequence　of　her　unanswerable　pain。
　It　isn't　you…　Was　Covenant　right？　Were　all　his　plans　only　so　much　despair　work；　set　in　motion　by　the　extravagance　of　Atiaran's　death？
　〃Warmark。〃　Lord　Mhoram's　tone　was　stern。　〃That　was　not　well　done。　Trell's　hurt　is　great　enough。〃
　〃I　know；〃　Troy　gritted　over　the　aching　of　his　heart。　〃But　why　didn't　you　tell　me？　You　knew　about　all　this。〃
　〃The　Council　decided　together　to　withhold　this　knowledge　from　you。　We　saw　only　harm　in　the　sharing　of　it。　We　wished　to　spare　you　pain。　And　we　hoped　that　you　would　learn　to　trust　ur…Lord　Covenant。〃
　〃You　were　dreaming；〃　Troy　groaned。　〃That　bastard　thinks　this　whole　thing　is　some　kind　of　mental　game。　All　that　Unbelieving　is　just　a　bluff。　He　thinks　he　can　get　away　with　anything。　You　can't　trust　him。〃　Grimly；　he　pushed　the　argument　to　its　conclusion。　〃And　you　can't　trust　meor　you　would　have　told　me　all　this
　before。　She　was　trying　to　summon　him。　As　far　as　you　know；　I'm　just　a　surrogate。〃　He　tried　to　sound　lucid；　but　his　voice　shook。
　〃You　misunderstand　me；〃　Mhoram　said　carefully。
　〃No；　I　don't　misunderstand。〃　He　could　feel　deadly　forces　at　work　around　himchoosing；　manipulating；　determining。　He　had　to　clench　himself　to　articulate；　〃Mhoram；　something　terrible　is　going　to　happen　to　her。〃
　He　looked　at　the　Lord；　then　turned　away；　he　could　not　bear　the　passion　in　Mhoram's　gaze。　Patting　Mehryl's　neck；　he　sent　the　Ranyhyn　trotting　around　the　east　side　of　Revelwood。　He　avoided　the　waiting　Lorewardens；　avoided　having　to　bid　them　farewell。　Gesturing　roughly　for　the　Bloodguard　and　Lord　Mhoram　to　follow　‘him；　he　rode　straight　away　from　Revelwood　toward　the　south　ford。
　He　was　looking　forward　to　this　war。　He　wanted　to　get　to　it　in　a　hurry。
　
　
　SIXTEEN：　Forced　March
　
　YET　even　in　this　mood；　he　could　not　cross　the　ford　of　the　Rill　out　of　Trothgard　without　regret。　He　loved　the　sun…bright　beauty　of　Revelwood；　the　unplex　friendship　of　the　Lorewardens；　he　did　not　want　to　lose　them。　But　he　did　not　look　back。　He　could　not　understand　why　Elena　had　repudiated　Trell　Atiaran…mate's　just　rage　and　grief。　And　he　sensed　now；　in　a　way　more　fundamental　than　he　had　ever　seen　it　before；　that　he　would　have　to　prove　himself　in　this　war。　He　would　have　to　prove　that　he　was　the　fruit　of　hope；　not　of　despair。
　He　would　have　to　win。
　If　he　did　not；　then　he　was　more　than　a　failure；　he　was　an　active　evil…a　piece　of　treachery　perpetrated　against　the　Land　in　defiance　of　his　own　love　or　volition…worse　than　Covenant；　for　Covenant　at　least　tried　to　avoid　the　lie　of　being　trusted。　But　he；　Hile　Troy；　had　deliberately　sought　trust；　responsibility；　mand
　No；　that　thought　was　intolerable。　He　had　to　win；　had　to　win。
　When　he　had　passed　the　crest　of　the　south　hill；　he　slowed　Mehryl　to　a　better　traveling　pace；　and　allowed　Lord　Mhoram　and　the　remaining　eighteen　Bloodguard　to　catch　up　with　him。　Then　he　said　through　his　teeth；　biting　down　on　his　voice　to　avoid　accusing　Mhoram；　〃Why　is　she　taking　him？　He　raped　Trell's　daughter。〃
　Mhoram　responded　gently；　〃Warmark　Troy；　my　friend；　you　must　understand　that　the　High　Lord　has　little　choice。　The　way　of　her　duty　is　narrow；　and　beset　with　perils。　She　must　seek　out　the　Seventh　Ward。　And　she　must　take　ur…Lord　Covenant　with　her…because　of　the　white　gold。　With　the　Staff　of　Law；　she　must　ensure　that　his　ring　does　not　fall　into　Lord　Foul's　hands。　And　if　he　turns　against　the　Land；　she　must　be　near　him　…to　fight　him。〃
　Troy　nodded　to　himself。　That　was　reasoning　he　could　prehend。　Abruptly；　he　shook　himself；　forced　down　his　instinctive　protest。　With　an　effort；　he　unclenched　his　teeth；　and　sighed；　〃I'll　tell　you　something；　Mhoram。　When　I'm　done　with　this　war…when　I　can　look　back　and　tell　myself　that　poor　Atiaran　is　satisfied　…I'm　going　to　take　a　vacation　for　a　few　years。　I'm　going　to　sit　down　in　Andelain　and　not　move　a　muscle　until　I　get　to　see　the　Celebration　of　Spring。　Otherwise　I'm　never　going　to　be　able　to　forgive　that　damn　Covenant　for　being　luckier　than　I　am。〃　But　he　meant　luckier　in　another　way。　Though　he　realized　now　that　no　other　choice　was　possible；　he　ached　to　think　that　Elena　had　chosen　Covenant；　not　him。
　If　Mhoram　understood　him；　however；　the　Lord　tactfully　followed　what　he　had　said　rather　than　what　he　meant。　〃Ah；　if　we　are　victorious〃…Mhorann　was　smiling；　but　his　tone　was　serious…〃you　will　not　be
　alone。　Half　the　Land　will　be　in　Andelain　when　next　the　dark　of　the　moon　falls　on　the　middle　night　of　spring。　Few　who　yet　live　have　seen　the　Dance　of　the　Wraiths　of　Andelain。〃
　〃Well；　I'm　going　to　get　there　first；〃　Troy　muttered；　trying　to　sustain　this　conversation。　But　then　he　could　not　keep　himself　from　reverting　to　the　subject　of　the　Unbeliever。　〃Mhoram；　don't　you　resent　him？　After　what　he's　done？〃
　Evenly　and　openly；　Lord　Mhoram　said；　〃I　have　no　special　virtue　to　make　me　resent　him。　One　must　have　strength　in　order　to　judge　the　weakness　of　others。　I　am　not　so　mighty。〃
　This　answer　surprised　Troy。　For　a　moment；　he　stared　at　Mhoram；　asking　silently；　Is　that　true？　Do　you　believe　that？　But　he　could　see　that　Mhoram　did　believe　it。　Baffled；　Troy　turned　away。
　Surrounded　by　the　Bloodguard；　he　and　Lord　Mhoram　followed　a　curve　through　the　hills　that　took　them　generally　east　southeast　to　intercept　the　Warward。
　As　the　day　passed；　Troy　was　able　to　turn　his　thoughts　more　and　more　toward　his　marching　army。　Questions　began　to　crowd　his　mind。　Were　the　villages　along　the　march　able　to　provide　enough　food　for　the　warriors？　Was　First　Haft　Amorine　able　to　keep　up　the　pace？　Such　concerns　enabled　him　to　put　aside　his　foreboding；　his　aching　sense　of　loss。　He　became　another　man…less　the　blind　uncertain　stranger　to　the　Land；　and　more　the　Warmark　of　the　Warward　of　Lord's　Keep。
　The　change　steadied　him。　He　felt　more　fortable　with　this　aspect　of　himself。
　He　wanted　to　hurry；　but　he　resisted　the　temptation　because　he　wanted　to　make　this　part　of　the　journey　as　easy　as　possible　for　the　Ranyhyn。　Still；　by　the　end　of　that　day；　the　eighth　since　he　had　left　Revelstone；　he；　Lord　Mhoram；　and　the　Bloodguard　had　left　behind　the　reblooming　health　of　Trothgard。　Even　at　a　pace　which　covered　no　more　than　seventeen　leagues　in　a　day；　the　land　through　which　they　rode　changed　rapidly。　East　and　southeast　of　them　was　the　more　austere
　country　of　the　Center　Plains。　In　this　wide　region　the　stern　rock　of　the　Earth　seemed　closer　to　the　surface　of　the　soil　than　in　Trothgard。　The　Plains　supported　life　without　encouraging　it；　sustained　people　who　were　tough；　hardy。
　Most　of　the　men　and　women　who　made　up　the　Warward　came　from　the　villages　of　the　Center　Plains。　This　was　traditionally　true…and　for　good　reason。　In　all　the　great　wars　of　the　Land；　the　Despiser's　armies　had　struck　through　the　Center　Plains　to　approach　Revelstone。　Thus　these　Plains　bore　much　of