rj.acrownofswords-第15节

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d　Rand；　mistreated　him。　Aram　was　right　about　one　thing；　they　could　not　be　trusted。　But　what　Aram　suggested　…　he　would　not　…　could　not！　…　countenance　such　a　thing。　The　thought　made　him　queasy。
　　　〃I'll　hear　no　more　of　that；〃　he　growled。　The　onetime　Tinker　opened　his　mouth；　but　Perrin　cut　him　off。　〃Not　a　word；　Aram；　do　you　hear　me？　Not　one　word！〃
　　　〃As　my　Lord　Perrin　mands；〃　Aram　murmured；　inclining　his　head。
　　　Perrin　wished　he　could　see　the　man's　face。　There　was　no　anger　in　the　smell　of　him；　no　resentment。　That　was　the　worst　of　it。　There　had　been　no　anger　scent　even　when　Aram　suggested　murder。
　　　A　pair　of　Two　Rivers　men　climbed　up　on　the　wheels　of　the　next　wagon；　peering　across　the　wagon　bed　and　down　the　hill　toward　the　north。　Each　wore　a　bristling　quiver　on　his　right　hip　and　a　stout；　long…bladed　knife；　almost　a　short…sword；　on　his　left。　A　good　three　hundred　men　from　home　had　followed　Perrin　here。　He　cursed　the　first　to　call　him　Lord　Perrin；　cursed　the　day　he　had　stopped　trying　to　quash　it。　Even　with　the　murmurs　and　noises　usual　in　a　camp　this　size；　he　had　no　trouble　hearing　the　pair。
　　　Tod　al'Caar；　a　year　younger　than　Perrin；　let　out　a　long　breath；　as　if　seeing　what　lay　below　for　the　first　time。　Perrin　could　almost　sense　the　lanky　man's　lantern　jaw　working。　Tod's　mother　had　willingly　let　him　go　only　for　the　honor　of　her　son　following　Perrin　Goldeneyes。　〃A　famous　victory；〃　Tod　said　finally。　〃That's　what　we　won。　Wasn't　it；　Jondyn？〃
　　　Grizzled　Jondyn　Barran；　gnarled　as　an　oak　root；　was　one　of　the　few　older　men　among　the　three　hundred。　A　better　bowshot　than　anyone　in　the　Two　Rivers　except　Master　al'Thor　and　a　better　hunter　than　anyone　at　all；　he　was　one　of　the　Two　Rivers'　less　distinguished　residents。　Jondyn　had　not　worked　a　day　more　than　he　had　to　since　he　was　old　enough　to　leave　his　father's　farm。　The　forests　and　the　hunt　were　all　he　cared　about；　that　and　drinking　too　much　at　feastdays。　Now　he　spat　loudly。　〃If　you　say　so；　boy。　Was　those　bloody　Asha'man　won　it；　anyway。　And　wele　to　it；　I　say。　Too　bad　they　don't　take　it　and　go　someplace　else　to　celebrate。〃
　　　〃They　aren't　so　bad；〃　Tod　protested。　〃I　wouldn't　mind　being　one　myself。〃　That　sounded　more　boast　and　bluff　than　truth。　Smelled　it；　too；　without　looking；　Perrin　was　sure　he　was　licking　his　lips。　Likely　Tod's　mother　had　used　tales　of　men　who　could　channel　to　frighten　him　not　so　many　years　ago。　〃I　mean　to　say；　Rand　…　that　is；　the　Lord　Dragon　…　it　still　sounds　odd；　doesn't　it；　Rand　al'Thor　being　the　Dragon　Reborn　and　all？〃　Tod　laughed；　a　short；　uneasy　sound。　〃Well；　he　can　channel；　and　it　doesn't　seem　so　…　he　doesn't　…　I　mean。。。　〃　He　swallowed　loudly。　〃Besides；　what　could　we　have　done　about　all　those　Aes　Sedai　without　them？〃　That　came　out　in　a　whisper。　He　smelled　afraid　now。　〃Jondyn；　what　are　we　going　to　do？　I　mean；　Aes　Sedai　prisoners？〃
　　　The　older　man　spat　again；　louder　than　before。　He　did　not　bother　to　lower　his　voice；　either。　Jondyn　always　said　what　he　thought　no　matter　who　heard；　another　reason　for　his　bad　repute。　〃Better　for　us　if　they'd　all　died　yesterday；　boy。　We'll　pay　for　that　before　it's　done。　Mark　me；　we'll　pay　large。〃
　　　Perrin　shut　out　the　rest；　no　easy　task　with　his　ears。　First　Aram；　and　now　Jondyn　and　Tod；　if　not　so　directly。　Burn　Jondyn！　No；　the　man　might　make　Mat　look　industrious；　but　if　he　spoke　it；　others　thought　it。　No　Two　Rivers　man　would　willingly　harm　a　woman；　but　who　else　wished　the　Aes　Sedai　prisoners　dead？　And　who　might　try　to　achieve　the　wish？
　　　He　scanned　the　wagon　circle　uneasily。　The　thought　that　he　might　have　to　protect　the　Aes　Sedai　prisoners　was　not　pleasant；　but　he　did　not　shirk　it。　He　had　little　fondness　for　any　Aes　Sedai；　least　of　all　for　these；　but　he　had　grown　up　in　the　unspoken　certainty　that　a　man　would　put　himself　at　risk　to　protect　a　woman　as　far　she　allowed；　whether　he　liked　her　or　even　knew　her　was　beside　the　point。　True；　an　Aes　Sedai　could　tie　any　man　she　chose　into　a　knot　nine　ways　from　next　feastday；　but　cut　off　from　the　Power；　they　became　like　anyone　else。　That　was　the　struggle　whenever　he　looked　at　them。　Two　dozen　Aes　Sedai。　Two　dozen　women　who　might　not　know　how　to　defend　themselves　without　the　Power。
　　　For　a　bit　he　studied　the　Asha'man　guards；　every　one　wearing　a　face　like　grim　death。　Except　the　three　overseeing　the　stilled　women。　They　tried　to　appear　as　somber　as　the　rest；　but　under　the　attempt　lay　something　else。　Satisfaction；　maybe。　If　only　he　was　close　enough　to　catch　a　scent　of　them。　Any　Aes　Sedai　was　a　threat　to　the　Asha'man。　Perhaps　the　reverse　was　true；　too。　Perhaps　they　would　only　still　them。　From　the　little　he　had　picked　up；　stilling　an　Aes　Sedai　amounted　to　a　killing　that　just　took　a　few　years　for　the　corpse　to　lie　down。
　　　Whatever　the　case；　he　decided　reluctantly；　he　had　to　leave　the　Asha'man　to　Rand。　They　spoke　only　to　each　other　and　the　prisoners；　and　Perrin　doubted　they　would　listen　to　anyone　but　Rand。　The　question　was；　what　would　Rand　say？　And　what　could　Perrin　do　if　he　said　the　wrong　thing？
　　　Putting　that　problem　aside；　he　scratched　his　beard　with　one　finger。　The　Cairhienin　were　too　nervous　about　Aes　Sedai　to　consider　harming　them；　and　the　Mayeners　too　respectful；　but　he　would　keep　an　eye　on　them　anyway。　Who　would　have　thought　Jondyn　would　go　as　far　as　he　had？　Among　the　Cairhienin　or　Mayeners；　he　possessed　some　influence；　though　it　would　surely　vanish　if　they　once　thought。　He　was　really　just　a　blacksmith；　after　all。　That　left　the　Aiel。　Perrin　sighed。　He　was　not　certain　how　much　influence　even　Rand　truly　had　with　the　Aiel。
　　　It　was　difficult　picking　out　individual　scents　with　so　many　people　around；　but　he　had　grown　used　to　telling　as　much　by　smells　as　by　what　his　eyes　told　him。　The　siswai'aman　who　came　close　enough　smelled　calm　but　alert；　a　smooth；　strong　scent。　They　hardly　appeared　to　notice　the　Aes　Sedai。　The　Maidens'　aromas　were　spiky　with　suppressed　fury　and　grew　spikier　when　they　looked　at　the　prisoners。　And　the　Wise　Ones。。。
　　　Every　Wise　One　who　had　e　here　from　Cairhien　was　able　to　channel；　though　none　had　the　ageless　face。　He　supposed　they　used　the　One　Power　too　seldom。　Still；　smooth…cheeked　like　Edarra　or　as　leathery…faced　as　white…haired　Sorilea；　they　carried　themselves　with　a　self…possession　easily　matching　the　Aes　Sedai's。　Graceful　women　for　the　most　part；　most　of　them　tall；　as　nearly　all　Aiel　were；　they　seemed　to　ignore　the　sisters　pletely。
　　　Sorilea's　eyes　passed　across　the　prisoners　without　pausing；　and　she　went　right　on　talking　softly　to　Edarra　and　another　Wise　One；　a　lean；　yellow…haired　woman　he　did　not　know　by　name。　If　only　he　could　make　out　what　they　were　saying。　They　walked　by；　not　a　line　changing　on　those　three　unruffled　faces；　but　their　scents　were　another　matter。　When　Sorilea's　gaze　swept　over　the　Aes　Sedai；　the　smell　of　her　went　cold　and　distant；　grim　and　purposeful；　and　as　she　spoke　to　the　other　two；　their　scents　changed　to　match　hers。
　　　〃A　fine　bloody　stew；〃　he　growled。
　　　〃Trouble？〃　Aram　asked；　sitting　up　straighter　on　his　heels；　right　hand　poised　to　dart　for　the　wolfhead…pommeled　sword　hilt　jutting　above　his　shoulder。　He　had　bee　very　good　with　that　sword　in　a　very　short　time；　and　he　was　never　loath　to　use　it。
　　　〃There's　no　trouble；　Aram。〃　That　was　not　quite　a　lie。　Jolted　out　of　his　glum　brooding；　Perrin　really　looked　at　the　others　for　the　first　time。　At　all　of　them　together。　He　did　not　like　what　he　saw；　and　the　Aes　Sedai　were　only　part。
　　　Cairhienin　and　Mayeners　watched　Aiel　suspiciously；　which　was　no　more　than　the　Aiel's　return　suspicion；　especially　toward　the　Cairhienin。　No　real　surprise　there。　Aiel　did　have　a　certain　reputation；　after　all；　for　being　none　too　friendly　to　anyone　born　this　side　of　the　Spine　of　the　World；　Cairhienin　least　of　all。　Simple　truth　was；　Aiel　and　Cairhienin　hated　each　other　about　as　hard　as　it　was　possible　to　hate。　Neither　side　had　really　put　their　enmity　aside　…　the　best　that　could　be　said　was　that　it　was　on　a　loose　leash　…　yet　up　to　now　he　had　been　convinced　they　would　hold　it　in。　For　Rand's　sake　if　no　other　reason。　A　mood　hung　in　the　camp；　though；　a　tension　that　had　wound　everyone　tight。　Rand　was　free　now；　and　temporary　alliances　were　just　that；　after　all；　temporary。　Aiel　hefted　their　spears　when　they　looked　at　the　Cairhienin；　and　the　Cairhienin　grimly　fingered　their　swords。　So　did　the　Mayeners；　they　had　no　quarrel　with　the　Aiel；　had　never　fought　them　except　for　the　Aiel　War　when　everybody　had；　but　if　it　came　to　a　fight；　there　was　little　doubt　which　side　they　would　be　on。　The　Two　Rivers　men；　too；　probably。
　　　The　dark　mood　had　settled　deepest　into　the　Asha'man　and　the　Wise　Ones；　though。　The　black…coated　men　paid　no　more　heed　to　the　Maidens　and　the　siswai'aman　than　to　Cairhienin　or　Mayeners　or　Two　Rivers　men；　but　they　studied　the　Wise　Ones　with　faces　almost　as　dark　as　those　they　directed　at　the　Aes　Sedai。　Very　likely　they　made　small　distinction　between　one　woman　who　could　wield　the　Power　and　another。　Any　could　be　an　enemy　and　dangerous；　thirteen　together　were　deadly　dangerous；　and　there　were　better　than　ninety　Wise　Ones　in　the　camp　or　nearby。　Fewer　than　half　the　number　of　Asha'man；　but　still　enough　to　do　damage　if　they　chose。　Women　who　could　channel；　yet　they　seemed　to　follow