srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第71节

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d。〃　Then　his　anger　softened。　〃Mhoram；〃　he　pleaded；　〃they're　right　on　the　edge。　I've　already　pushed　them　right　to　the　edge。　And　we're　not　done。　I　just　want　to　spare　them　something　that　will　hurt　so　bad…〃
　〃Very　well；〃　Mhoram　sighed　in　a　tone　of　defeat。　〃I　will　not　speak　of　the　Giants。〃
　〃Thank　you；〃　Troy　said　intensely。
　Mhoram　gazed　at　him　searchingly；　but　through　his　darkness　he　could　not　read　the　Lord's　expression。　For　a　moment；　he　feared　that　Mhoram　was　about　to　tell　him　something；　reveal　the　last　mysteries　of　Trell　and　Elena　and　Covenant。　He　did　not　want　to　hear　such　things…not　now；　when　he　was　already　so　overburdened。　But　finally　the　Lord　turned　silently　and　started　back　toward　Callindrill。
　Troy　followed　him。　But　on　the　way　he　paused　to　speak　with　Terrel；　who　was　the　ranking　Bloodguard。　〃Terrel；　I　want　you　to　send　scouts　out　to　the　South　Plains。　I　don't　expect　Foul's　army　before　midday　tomorrow；　but　we　shouldn't　take　any　chances…and　the　warriors　are　too　tired。　But　there's　one　thing。　If　Foul　or　Fleshharrower　or　whoever　is　in　mand　sends　any　scouts　this　way；　make　sure　they　know　we're　here。　I　don't　want　them　to　have　any　doubt　about　where　to　find　us。〃
　〃Yes；　Warmark；〃　Terrel　said；　and　stepped　away　to　make　the　arrangements。　Troy　and　Mhoram　went　on　to　their　campfire。
　They　found　Lord　Verement　feeding　Callindrill。　As　he　spooned　the　broth　to　Callindrill's　lips；　the　hawkfaced　Lord　talked　steadily　in　a　low；　exasperated　tone；　as　if　his　pride　were　offended；　but　his　movements　were　gentle；　and　he　did　not　abandon　the　task　to　Mhoram。　He　hovered　over　Callindrill　until　the　warm　broth　had　restored　a　touch　of　color　to　his　pale　cheeks。　Then
　Verement　stood　up　and　rasped；　〃You　would　be　less　foolhardy　were　you　not　Ranyhyn…borne。　A　lesser　mount　would　teach　you　the　limits　of　your　own　strength。〃
　This　inverted　repetition　of　Verement's　old　accusation　against　himself　momentarily　overcame　Lord　Mhoram。　A　moan　escaped　through　his　teeth；　and　his　eyes　filled　with　tears。　For　that　moment；　his　courage　seemed　to　fail　him；　and　he　reached　toward　Verement　as　if　he　were　groping　through　blind　grief。　But　then　he　caught　himself；　smiled　crookedly　at　the　rough　look　of　surprise　and　concern　on　Verement's　face。　〃e。　my　brother；〃　he　murmured。　〃I　must　speak　with　you。〃　Together；　they　walked　away　into　the　night；　leaving　Troy　to　watch　over　Callindrill。
　In　a　wan　voice；　Callindrill　asked；　〃What　has　happened？　What　disturbs　Mhoram？〃
　Sighing　heavily；　Troy　seated　himself　beside　the　Lord。　He　was　full　of　all　the　evil　he　had　caused。　He　had　to　swallow　several　times　before　he　could　find　his　voice　to　say；　〃Runnik　came　back　from　Korik's　mission。　Lord　Shetra　died　in　the　Sarangrave。〃
　Then　he　was　grateful　that　Callindrill　did　not　speak。　He　did　not　think　he　could　stand　the　reprimand　of　any　more　pain。　They　sat　together　in　silence　until　Lord　Mhoram　returned　alone。
　Mhoram　carried。　himself　sorely；　as　if　he　had　just　been　beaten　with　clubs。　The　flesh　around　his　eyes　was　red　and　swollen；　sorrowful。　But　his　eyes　themselves　wielded　a　hot　peril；　and　his　glances　were　like　spears。　He　said　nothing　about　Lord　Verement。　Words　were　unnecessary；　Mhoram's　expression　revealed　how　Verement　took　the　news　of　his　wife's　death。
　To　steady　himself；　Mhoram　set　about　preparing　food　for　Troy　and　himself。　Their　meal　passed　under　a　shroud　of　gloom；　but　as　he　ate　Lord　Mhoram　slowly　mastered　himself；　relaxed　the　pain　in　his　face。　To　match　him；　Warmark　Troy　grappled　inwardly　for　the　tone　of　confidence　he　would　need　when　the　council　started。　He　did　not　want　his　doubt　to　show；　he　did　not　intend　to　make　his　army　pay　for　his　personal　dilemmas　and　inadequacies。　When　Hiltmark　Quaan　approached　the　fire　and　announced　that　all　the　Hafts　were　ready；　both　Troy　and　Mhoram　answered　him　。　resolutely；　calmly。
　The　Lord　threw　a　large　pile　of　wood　onto　the　fire　while　Quaan　brought　his　officers　into　a　wide　circle　around　it。　But　despite　the　bright　blaze　of　the　fire；　the　Hafts　looked　hazy　and　insubstantial　to　Troy。　For　an　irrational　instant；　he　feared　that　they　would　break　into　illusions　and　disappear　when　he　told　them　what　they　a　had　to　do。　But　he　braced　himself。　Hiltmark　Quaan　3　and　First　Haft　Amorine　stood　near　him　like　pillars　on　one　side；　and　Lord　Mhoram　watched　him　from　the　other。　Clearing　his　throat；　he　opened　the　council。
　〃Well；　we're　here。　In　spite　of　everything；　we've　acplished　something　that　any　of　us　would　have　said　was　impossible。　Before　we　get　into　what's　ahead；　_　I　want　to　thank　you　all　for　what　you've　done。　I'm
　proud　of　you…more　than　I'll　ever　be　able　to　say。〃
　As　he　spoke；　he　had　to　resist　a　temptation　to　duck　his　head；　as　if　he　were　ashamed　of　his　uncovered　eyelessness。　Painfully；　he　wondered　what　effect　this　view　of　him　would　have　on　the　Hafts。　But　he　forced　himself　to　hold　his　head　up　as　he　continued。　〃But　I　have　to　tell　you　plainly…we　haven't　e　near　winning　this　war　yet。　We've　made　a　good　start；　but　it's　only　a　；　start。　Things　are　going　to　get　worse…〃　He　lost　his　voice　for　a　moment；　and　had　to　clench　himself　to　recover　it。　〃It's　not　going　to　work　out　the　way　I　planned。　Hiltmark　Quaan…First　Haft　Amorine…you've　done　everything　you　could　do…everything　I　asked。　But　it's　not　going　to　work　out　the　way　I　told　you　it　would。
　〃But…first　things　first。　We've　got　reports　to　make。　Hiltmark；　will　you　go　first？〃
　Quaan　bowed；　and　stepped　forward　into　the　circle。　His　square；　white…haired　visage　was　streaked　with　grime　and　blood　and　fatigue；　but　his　open　gaze　did　not　falter。　In　blunt；　unaffected　language；　he　described　all　that　had　happened　to　his　mand　since　he　had　left　Revelstone…the　raft　ride　and　run　to　the　Mithil　valley；　the　blockade　there；　the　progression　of　the　battle　as　Fleshharrower；　the　corrupted　Giant　of　whom
　Manethrall　Rue　had　spoken；　organized　successive　efforts　to　break　the　hold　of　the　defenders。　For　five　days；　the　Bloodguard；　the　warriors；　and　the　two　Lords　withstood　Cavewights；　kresh；　warped　manlike　creations　of　the　Illearth　Stone；　ur…viles。
　〃But　on　the　sixth　day；〃　Quaan　continued；　〃Fleshharrower　came　against　us　himself。〃　Now　his　voice　expressed　the　weariness　of　long　fighting　and　lost　warriors。　〃With　a　power　that　I　do　not　name；　he　called　a　great　storm　against　us。　Abominable　creatures　like　those　of　which　Manethrall　Rue　spoke　fell　upon　us　from　the　sky。　They　cast　fear　among　our　mounts；　and　we　were　driven　back。　Then　Fleshharrower　broke　the　forbidding；　and　sent　kresh　and　ur…viles　to　pursue　us。　Time　and　again；　we　turned　to　fight；　so　that　the　enemy　might　be　delayed…and　time　and　again　we　were　overmastered。　Often　we　sent　riders　ahead　to　bear　warning；　but　every　messenger　was　slain…flocks　of　savage　cormorants　assailed　them　from　the　sky；　and　destroyed　them　all；　though　some　of　them　were　Bloodguard。
　〃Still　we　fought；〃　he　concluded。　〃At　last　we　are　here。　But　half　the　Bloodguard　and　eight　of　the　Eoward　were　slain。　And　the　horses　have　passed　the　end　of　their　strength。　Many　will　never　bear　riders　again；　and　all　need　long　days　of　rest。　The　battle　which　remains　must　be　met　afoot。〃
　When　he　finished；　he　returned　to　his　place　in　the　circle。　His　courage　was　evident；　but　as　he　moved；　his　square　shoulders　seemed　already　to　be　carrying　all　the　weight　they　could　bear。　And　because　Troy　could　find　no　words　for　his　respect　and　gratitude；　he　said　nothing。　Silently；　he　nodded　to　First　Haft　Amorine。
　She　described　briefly　the　last　few　days　of　the　Warward's　march；　then　she　reported　on　the　present　condition　of　the　army。　〃Water　and　aliantha　are　not　plentiful　here；　beyond　Doom's　Retreat。　The　Warward　carries　food　which　may　be　stretched　for　five　days　or　six…no　more。　The　warriors　themselves　are　sorely　damaged　by　their　march。　Even　the　uninjured　are　crippled　by　exhaustion。　Great　numbers　have　wounds　about　their　feet　and　shoulders…wounds　which　do　not　heal。　Threescore　of　the　weakest　died　during　our　last
　ran　to　the　Retreat。　Many　more　will　die　if　the　Warward　does　not　rest　now。〃
　Her　words　made　Troy　groan　inwardly；　they　were　full　of　unintended　reproaches。　He　was　the　Warmark。　He　had　promised　victory　again　and　again　to　people　who　trusted　him。　And　now…　He　felt　a　sharp　desire　to　berate　himself；　tell　the　Hafts　just　how　badly　he　had　miscalculated。　But　before　he　could　begin；　Lord　Callindrill　spoke。　The　wounded　Lord　was　supported　by　two　Bloodguard；　but　he　was　able　to　make　his　weak　voice　heard。
　〃I　must　speak　of　the　power　which　Hiltmark　Quaan　did　not　name。　I　still　do　not　prehend　how　the　Despiser　gained　mastery　over　a　Giant…it　surpasses　my　understanding。　But　Fleshharrower　is　in　truth　a　Giant；　and　he　is　possessed　of　a　great　power。　He　bears　with　him　a　fragment　of　the　Illearth　Stone。〃
　Lord　Mhoram　nodded　painfully。　〃Alas；　my　friends；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　a　dark　time　for　all　the　Land。　Danger　and　death　beset　us　on　every　hand；　and　ill　defies　all　defense。　Hear　me。　I　know　how　this　Giant…this　Fleshharrower…has　been　turned　against　us。　It　is　acplished　through　the　bined　might　of　the　Stone　and　the　Ravers。　Either　alone　would　not　suffice…the　Giants　are　strong　and　sure。　But　together…！　Who　in　the　Land　could　hope　to　endure？　Therefore　the　Giant　carries　a　fragment　of　the　Illearth　Stone；　so　that　the　Despiser's　power　will　remain　upon　him；　and　the　Raver　will　possess　an　added　weapon。　Melenkurion　abatha！　This　is　a　great　evil。〃
　For　a　moment；　he　stood　silen