tw.togreenangeltower2-第14节

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　　　　　　　Binabik　did　not　meet　his　eye；　but　rather　stared　at　Qantaqa's　shaggy　neck。　〃We　were　saying　our　farewells　in　the　earliness　of　the　morning；　Sisqi　and　I；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃It　is　a　hard　thing　for　her　to　see　me　riding　away。〃
　　　　　　　Isgrimnur　felt　a　great　wash　of　regret　for　all　the　unwise；　unthinking　remarks　he　had　ever　made　about　trolls。　They　were　small　and　strange；　but　they　were　certainly　as　bold…hearted　as　bigger　men。　He　extended　his　hand　for　Binabik　to　clasp。
　　　　　　　〃Ride　safely；〃　the　duke　said。　〃e　back　to　us。〃
　　　　　　　Josua　did　the　same。　〃I　hope　you　find　Miriamele　and　Simon。　But　if　you　do　not；　there　is　no　shame　in　it。　As　Isgrimnur　said；　e　back　to　us　as　soon　as　you　can；　Binabik。〃
　　　　　　　〃And　I　am　hoping　that　things　will　be　going　well　for　you　in　Nabban。〃
　　　　　　　〃But　how　will　you　find　us？〃　Josua　asked　suddenly；　his　long　face　worried。
　　　　　　　Binabik　stared　at　him　for　a　moment；　then；　surprisingly；　let　out　a　loud　laugh。　〃How　can　I　be　finding　an　army　of　grasslanders　and　stone…dwellers　mixed　together；　led　by　a　dead　hero　of　great　famousness　and　a　one…handed　prince？　I　am　thinking　that　it　will　not　be　difficult　obtaining　word　of　you。〃
　　　　　　　Josua's　face　relaxed　into　a　smile。　〃I　suppose　you　are　right。　Farewell；　Binabik。〃　He　raised　his　hand；　exposing　for　a　moment　the　dulled　manacle　he　wore　as　a　reminder　of　his　imprisonment　and　the　debt　he　owed　his　brother　for　it。
　　　　　　　〃Farewell；　Josua　and　Isgrimnur；〃　said　the　troll。　〃Please　be　saying　that　for　me　to　the　others　as　well。　I　could　not　bear　to　be　making　good…byes　to　all　at　once。〃　He　leaned　forward　to　whisper　something　to　the　patiently　waiting　wolf；　then　turned　back　toward　them。　〃In　the　mountains；　we　are　saying　this：　Iny　koku　na　siqqasa　min　taq'…　'When　we　meet　again；　that　will　be　a　good　day。'　〃　He　sunk　both　his　hands　into　the　wolf's　hackles。　〃Hinik；　Qantaqa。　Find　Simon。　Hinik　ummu！〃
　　　　　　　The　wolf　leaped　forward　up　the　wet　hillside。　Binahik　swayed　on　her　broad　back　but　kept　his　seat。　Isgrimnur　and　Josua　watched　until　the　strange　rider　and　his　stranger　mount　topped　the　hilt's　crest　and　vanished　from　sight。
　　　　　　　〃I　fear　I　will　never　see　them　again；〃　said　Josua。　〃I　am　cold；　Isgrimnur。〃
　　　　　　　The　duke　put　his　hand　on　the　prince's　shoulder。　He　was　not　himself　feeling　either　very　warm　or　very　happy。　〃Let's　go　back。　We　have　near　a　thousand　people　we　need　to　get　moving　by　the　time　the　sun　is　above　the　hilltops。〃
　　　　　　　Josua　nodded。　〃So　we　do。　e；　then。〃
　　　　　　　They　turned　and　retraced　their　own　footsteps　in　the　sodden　grass。

4
A　Thousand　Leaves；
A　Thousand　Shadows

　　　　　　　Miriamele　and　Simon　spent　the　first　week　of　their　flight　in　the　forest。　The　traveling　was　slow　and　painfully　laborious；　but　Miriamele　had　decided　long　before　her　escape　that　it　would　be　far　better　to　lose　time　than　to　be　captured。　The　daylight　hours　were　spent　struggling　through　the　dense　trees　and　matted；　tangling　undergrowth；　all　to　the　tune　of　Simon's　grumbling。　They　led　their　horses　more　often　than　they　rode　them。
　　　　　　　〃Be　happy；〃　she　told　him　once　as　they　rested　in　a　clearing；　leaning　against　the　trunk　of　an　old　oak。　〃At　least　we　are　getting　to　see　the　sun　for　a　few　days。　When　we　leave　the　forest　again；　we'll　be　riding　by　night。〃
　　　　　　　〃At　least　if　we　ride　at　night　I　won't　have　to　look　at　the　things　that　are　tearing　all　the　skin　off　my　body；〃　Simon　said　crossly；　rubbing　at　his　tattered　breeches　and　the　bruised　flesh　underneath。

　　　　　　　It　was　heartening；　Miriamele　discovered；　to　have　something　to　do。　The　feeling　of　helpless　dread　that　had　gripped　her　for　weeks　faded　away；　leaving　her　able　to　think　clearly；　to　see　everything　around　her　as　if　with　new　eyes。。。　and　even　to　enjoy　being　with　Simon。
　　　　　　　She　did　enjoy　his　pany。　Sometimes　she　wished　she　didn't　enjoy　it　quite　so　much。　It　was　hard　not　to　feel　as　though　she　were　tricking　him　somehow。　It　was　more　than　just　not　telling　him　all　her　reasons　for　leaving　Uncle　Josua　and　setting　out　for　the　Hayholt。　She　also　felt　as　though　she　were　not　wholly　clean；　not　wholly　fit　to　be　with　someone　else。
　　　　　　　It　is　Aspitis；　she　thought。　He　did　this　to　me。　Before　him；　I　was　as　pure　as　anyone　could　want　to　he。
　　　　　　　But　was　that　really　true？　He　had　not　forced　himself　upon　her。　She　had　let　him　do　what　he　wished…in　some　ways　she　had　weled　it。　In　the　end；　Aspitis　had　proved　to　be　a　monster；　but　the　way　in　which　he　came　to　her　bed　was　no　different　than　that　in　which　most　men　came　to　their　sweethearts。　He　had　not　savaged　her。　If　what　they　had　done　was　wrong　and　sinful；　she　bore　equal　blame。　
　　　　　　　And　what；　then；　of　Simon？　She　had　very　mixed　feelings。　He　was　not　a　boy　any　more　but　a　man；　and　a　part　of　her　feared　the　man　he　had　bee；　as　it　would　fear　any　man。　But；　she　thought；　there　was　also　something　about　him　that　had　remained　strangely　innocent。　In　his　earnest　attempts　to　do　right；　in　the　poorly…hidden　hurt　that　he　showed　when　she　was　short　with　him；　he　was　still　almost　childlike。　This　made　her　feel　even　worse；　that　in　his　transparent　regard　for　her　he　had　no　clue　as　to　what　she　was　truly　like。　It　was　precisely　when　he　was　kindest　to　her；　when　he　most　admired　and　plimented　her；　that　she　felt　most　angry　with　him。　It　seemed　he　was　being　willfully　blind。
　　　　　　　It　was　a　dreadful　way　to　feel。　Luckily；　Simon　seemed　to　understand　that　his　sincere　affection　was　somehow　painful　to　her；　so　he　fell　back　on　the　jesting；　mocking　friendship　with　which　she　was　more　fortable。　When　she　could　be　around　him　without　thinking　about　herself；　she　found　him　good　pany。
　　　　　　　Despite　growing　up　in　the　courts　of　her　grandfather　and　father；　Miriamele　had　found　little　opportunity　to　be　with　boys。　King　John's　knights　were　mostly　dead　or　long　since　retired　to　their　estates　scattered　about　Erkynland　and　elsewhere；　and　in　her　grandfather's　later　years　the　king's　court　had　bee　empty　of　almost　any　but　those　who　had　to　live　near　the　king　for　the　sake　of　their　day…to…day　livelihoods。　Later；　when　her　mother　had　died；　her　father　had　frowned　on　her　spending　time　even　with　the　few　boys　and　girls　of　her　age。　He　had　not　filled　the　void　with　his　own　presence；　but　had　instead　mewed　her　up　with　unpleasant　old　men　and　women　who　lectured　her　about　the　rituals　and　responsibilities　of　her　position　and　found　fault　with　everything　she　did。　By　the　time　her　father　had　bee　king；　Miriamele's　solitary　childhood　was　over。
　　　　　　　Leieth；　her　handmaiden；　had　been　almost　her　only　young　panion。　The　little　girl　had　idolized　Miriamele；　hanging　on　the　princess'　every　word。　In　turn；　Leieth　had　told　long　stories　about　growing　up　with　brothers　and　sisters…she　was　the　youngest　of　a　large　baronial　family…while　her　mistress　listened　in　fascination；　trying　not　to　be　jealous　of　the　family　she　had　never　had。
　　　　　　　That　was　why　it　had　been　so　difficult　to　see　Leieth　again　upon　reaching　Sesuad'ra。　The　lively　little　girl　she　remembered　had　vanished。　Before　they　had　fled　the　castle　together；　Leieth　had　been　quiet　sometimes；　and　many　things　frightened　her；　but　it　was　as　though　some　pletely　different　creature　now　lived　behind　the　little　girl's　eyes。　Miriamele　had　tried　to　remember　if　there　had　ever　been　any　sign　of　the　sort　of　things　that　Geloe　had　discovered　in　the　child；　but　could　think　of　little；　except　that　Leieth　had　been　prone　to　vivid；　intricate；　and　sometimes　frightening　dreams。　Some　of　them　had　seemed　so　detailed　…　and　unusual　in　Leieth's　retelling　that　Miriamele　had　been　more　than　half　certain　the　little　girl　had　invented　them。
　　　　　　　When　Miriamele's　father　had　ascended　to　his　own　father's　throne；　she　found　herself　both　surrounded　by　people　and　yet　terribly　lonely。　Everyone　at　the　Hayholt　had　seemed　obsessed　with　the　empty　ritual　of　power；　something　Miriamele　had　lived　with　for　so　long　that　it　held　no　interest　for　her。　It　was　like　watching　a　confusing　game　played　by　bad…tempered　children。　Even　the　few　young　men　who　paid　court　to　her…or　rather　to　her　father；　for　most　of　them　had　been　interested　in　little　more　than　the　riches　and　power　that　would　fall　to　the　one　who　received　her　marriage…pledge…had　seemed　to　her　like　some　other　type　of　animal　than　she；　boring　old　men　in　the　bodies　of　youths；　sullen　boys　masquerading　as　adults。
　　　　　　　The　only　ones　in　all　of　Meremund　or　the　Hayholt　who　seemed　to　enjoy　life　for　what　it　was　rather　than　what　gain　could　be　coaxed　from　it　were　the　servants。　In　the　Hayholt　especially；　with　its　army　of　maids　and　grooms　and　scullions；　it　was　as　though　an　entirely　different　race　of　people　lived　side　by　side　with　her　own　bleak　peers。　Once；　in　a　moment　of　terrible　sadness；　she　had　suddenly　seen　the　great　castle　as　a　kind　of　inverted　lich…yard；　with　the　creaking　dead　walking　around　on　top　while　the　living　sang　and　laughed　below。
Thus　Simon　and　a　few　others　had　first　e　to　her　attention…boys　who　seemed　to　want　nothing　much　more　than　to　be　boys。　Unlike　the　children　of　her　father's　nobles；　they　were　in　no　hurry　to　take　on　the　clacking；　droning；　mannered　speech　of　their　elders。　She　watched　them　dawdling　through　their　chores；　laughing　behind　their　hands　at　each　others'　foolish　pranks；　or　playing　hoodman　blind　on　the　mons　grass；　and　she　ached　to　be　like　them。　Their　lives　seemed　so　simple。　Even　when　a　more　mature　wisdom　taught　her　that　the　lives　of　the　serving…folk　were　hard　and　wearIsorne；　she　still　dreamed　someti