rj.acrownofswords-第16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！


man；　but　still　enough　to　do　damage　if　they　chose。　Women　who　could　channel；　yet　they　seemed　to　follow　Rand；　they　seemed　to　follow　Rand；　yet　they　were　women　who　could　channel。
　　　The　Wise　Ones　looked　at　the　Asha'man　only　a　trifle　less　coldly　than　they　did　the　Aes　Sedai。　The　Asha'man　were　men　who　could　channel；　but　they　followed　Rand；　they　followed　Rand；　but。。。　Rand　was　a　special　case。　According　to　Gaul；　his　channeling　was　not　mentioned　in　the　prophecies　about　their　Car'a'carn；　but　the　Aiel　seemed　to　pretend　that　inconvenient　fact　did　not　exist。　The　Asha'man　were　not　in　those　prophecies　at　all；　though。　It　must　be　like　discovering　you　had　a　pride　of　rabid　lions　fighting　on　your　side。　How　long　would　they　remain　loyal？　Maybe　it　would　be　better　to　put　them　down　now。
　　　His　head　fell　back　against　the　wagon　wheel；　eyes　closed；　and　his　chest　heaved　in　silent；　mirthless　laughter。　Think　of　the　good　things　on　High　Chasaline。　Burn　me；　he　thought　wryly；　I　should　have　gone　with　Rand。　No；　it　was　best　to　know；　and　better　soon　than　late。　But　what　in　the　Light　was　he　to　do？　If　the　Aiel　and　the　Cairhienin　and　Mayeners　turned　on　one　another；　or　worse；　the　Asha'man　and　the　Wise　Ones。。。　A　barrel　full　of　snakes；　and　the　only　way　to　find　out　which　were　vipers　was　to　stick　your　hand　in。　Light；　I　wish　I　was　home；　with　Faile；　and　a　forge　to　work；　and　nobody　calling　me　bloody　lord。
　　　〃Your　horse；　Lord　Perrin。　You　didn't　say　whether　you　wanted　Stepper　or　Stayer；　so　I　saddled　…　〃　At　Perrin's　golden…eyed　glare；　Kenly　Maerin　shied　back　into　the　dun　stallion　he　was　leading。
　　　Perrin　made　a　soothing　gesture。　Not　Kenly's　fault。　What　could　not　be　mended　had　to　be　endured。　〃Easy；　lad。　You　did　right。　Stepper　will　do　just　fine。　You　chose　well。〃　He　hated　speaking　to　Kenly　that　way。　Short　and　stocky；　Kenly　was　barely　old　enough　to　marry　or　leave　home　…　and　certainly　not　old　enough　for　the　patchy　beard　he　was　trying　to　cultivate　in　imitation　of　Perrin　…　yet　he　had　fought　Trollocs　at　Emond's　Field　and　done　well　yesterday。　But　he　grinned　broadly　at　praise　from　Lord　Perrin　bloody　Goldeneyes。
　　　Rising；　Perrin　took　his　axe　from　where　he　had　propped　it　under　the　wagon；　out　of　sight　and　for　a　little　while　out　of　mind；　and　thrust　the　haft　through　the　loop　on　his　belt。　A　heavy　half…moon　blade　balanced　by　a　thick　curving　spike；　a　thing　made　for　no　other　purpose　than　killing。　The　axe　haft　felt　too　familiar　to　his　hands　for　fort。　Did　he　even　remember　what　a　good　forge…hammer　felt　like？　There　were　other　things　besides　〃Lord　Perrin〃　that　it　might　be　too　late　to　change。　A　friend　had　once　told　him　to　keep　the　axe　until　he　began　to　like　using　it。　The　thought　made　him　shiver　in　spite　of　the　heat。
　　　He　swung　into　Stepper's　saddle；　shadowed　by　Aram　with　the　gray；　and　sat　facing　south；　into　the　wagon　circle。　At　least　half　again　as　tall　as　even　the　tallest　of　the　Aiel；　Loial　was　just　stepping　carefully　over　crossed　wagon　tongues。　With　the　size　of　him；　he　did　look　as　though　he　might　break　one　of　the　heavy　wooden　shafts　with　a　heedless　step。　As　usual；　the　Ogier　had　a　book　in　his　hand；　a　thick　finger　marking　his　place；　and　the　capacious　pockets　of　his　long　coat　bulged　with　more。　He　had　spent　the　morning　in　a　tiny　clump　of　trees　he　called　restful　and　shady；　but　whatever　the　shade　among　those　trees；　the　heat　was　affecting　him；　too。　He　looked　tired；　and　his　coat　was　undone；　his　shirt　unlaced；　and　his　boots　rolled　down　below　his　knees。　Or　maybe　it　was　more　than　the　heat。　Just　inside　the　wagons　Loial　paused；　peering　at　the　Aes　Sedai　and　the　Asha'man；　and　his　tufted　ears　quivered　uneasily。　Eyes　big　as　teacups　rolled　toward　the　Wise　Ones；　and　his　ears　vibrated　again。　Ogier　were　sensitive　to　the　mood　of　a　place。
　　　When　he　saw　Perrin；　Loial　came　striding　across　the　camp。　Sitting　his　saddle；　Perrin　was　two　or　three　hands　shorter　than　Loial　standing。　〃Perrin；〃　Loial　whispered；　〃this　is　all　wrong。　It　isn't　right；　and　it　is　dangerous　besides。〃　For　an　Ogier　it　was　a　whisper。　He　sounded　like　a　bumblebee　the　size　of　a　mastiff。　Some　of　the　Aes　Sedai　turned　their　heads。
　　　〃Could　you　speak　a　little　louder？〃　Perrin　said　almost　under　his　breath。　〃I　think　somebody　in　Andor　didn't　hear。　In　the　west　of　Andor。〃
　　　Loial　looked　startled；　then　grimaced；　long　eyebrows　brushing　his　cheeks。　〃I　do　know　how　to　whisper；　you　know。〃　This　time　it　was　unlikely　anyone　could　hear　clearly　more　than　three　paces　away　or　so。　〃What　are　we　going　to　do；　Perrin？　It　is　wrong　holding　Aes　Sedai　against　their　will；　wrong　and　wrongheaded；　too。　I　have　said　that　before；　and　I　will　again。　And　that　isn't　even　the　worst。　The　feel　here。。。　One　spark；　and　this　place　will　erupt　like　a　wagonload　of　fireworks。　Does　Rand　know　about　this？〃
　　　〃I　don't　know；〃　Perrin　said　to　both　questions；　and　after　a　moment　the　Ogier　nodded　reluctantly。
　　　〃Someone　has　to　know；　Perrin。　Someone　has　to　do　something。〃　Loial　looked　north；　over　the　wagons　behind　Perrin；　and　Perrin　knew　there　was　no　putting　it　off　longer。
　　　Unwillingly　he　turned　Stepper。　He　would　rather　have　worried　over　Aes　Sedai　and　Asha'man　and　Wise　Ones　till　his　hair　fell　out；　but　what　had　to　be　done；　had　to　be　done。　Think　of　the　good　on　High　Chasaline。
　　　
　　　
Chapter　2　
（Ravens）　
The　Butcher's　Yard　
　　　
　　　At　first　Perrin　did　not　look　downslope　toward　where　he　would　ride；　where　he　should　have　gone　with　Rand　this　morning。　Instead　he　sat　his　saddle　at　the　edge　of　the　wagons　and　sent　his　eyes　anywhere　else；　though　the　view　everywhere　made　him　want　to　sick　up。　It　was　like　being　hit　in　the　belly　with　a　hammer。
　　　Hammerstroke。　Nineteen　fresh　graves　atop　a　squat　hill　to　the　east；　nineteen　Two　Rivers　men　who　would　never　see　home　again。　A　blacksmith　seldom　had　to　see　people　die　because　of　his　decisions。　At　least　the　Two　Rivers　men　had　obeyed　his　orders。　There　would　have　been　more　graves；　otherwise。　Hammerstroke。　Rectangles　of　newly　turned　earth　blanketed　the　next　slope　over　from　that；　as　well；　near　to　a　hundred　Mayeners；　and　more　Cairhienin；　who　had　e　to　Dumai's　Wells　to　die。　Never　mind　causes　or　reasons；　they　had　followed　Perrin　Aybara。　Hammerstroke。　The　ridge…face　to　the　west　seemed　solid　graves；　maybe　a　thousand　or　more。　A　thousand　Aiel；　buried　standing　upright；　to　face　each　sunrise。　A　thousand。　Some　were　Maidens。　The　men　tied　his　stomach　into　knots；　the　women　made　him　want　to　sit　down　and　cry。　He　tried　telling　himself　that　they　all　had　chosen　to　be　here；　that　they　had　had　to　be　here。　Both　things　were　true；　but　he　had　given　the　orders；　and　that　made　the　responsibility　for　those　graves　his。　Not　Rand's；　not　the　Aes　Sedai's；　his。
　　　The　living　Aiel　had　only　stopped　singing　over　their　dead　a　short　while　ago；　haunting　songs；　sung　in　parts；　that　lingered　in　the　mind。

Life　is　a　dream　…　that　knows　no　shade。
Life　is　a　dream　…　of　pain　and　woe。
A　dream　from　which　…　we　pray　to　wake。
A　dream　from　which　…　we　wake　and　go。

Who　would　sleep　…　when　the　new　dawn　waits？
Who　would　sleep　…　when　the　sweet　winds　blow？
A　dream　must　end　…　when　the　new　day　es。
This　dream　from　which　…　we　wake　and　go。
　　　
　　　They　appeared　to　find　fort　in　those　songs。　He　wished　he　could；　too；　but　as　far　as　he　could　see；　the　Aiel　truly　did　not　seem　to　care　whether　they　lived　or　died；　and　that　was　mad。　Any　sane　man　wanted　to　live。　Any　sane　man　would　run　as　far　as　he　could　from　a　battle；　run　as　hard　as　he　could。
　　　Stepper　tossed　his　head；　nostrils　flaring　at　the　smells　from　below；　and　Perrin　patted　the　dun's　neck。　Aram　was　grinning　as　he　looked　at　what　Perrin　tried　to　block　out。　Loial's　face　had　so　little　expression　it　might　have　been　carved　from　wood。　His　lips　moved　slightly；　and　Perrin　thought　he　heard；　〃Light；　let　me　never　see　the　like　again。〃　Drawing　a　deep　breath；　he　made　his　eyes　follow　theirs；　to　Dumai's　Wells。
　　　In　some　ways　it　was　not　as　bad　as　the　graves　…　he　had　known　some　of　those　people　since　he　was　a　child　…　but　it　all　crashed　down　on　him　at　once　anyway；　like　the　scent　in　his　nose　made　solid　and　smashing　him　between　the　eyes。　The　memories　he　wanted　to　forget　came　rushing　back。　Dumai's　Wells　had　been　a　killing　ground；　a　dying　ground；　but　now　it　was　worse。　Less　than　a　mile　away；　the　charred　remains　of　wagons　stood　around　a　small　copse　of　trees　nearly　hiding　the　low　stone　copings　of　the　wells。　And　surrounding　that。。。
　　　A　seething　sea　of　black；　vultures　and　ravens　and　crows　in　tens　of　thousands；　swirling　up　in　waves　and　settling　again；　concealing　the　broken　earth。　For　which　Perrin　was　more　than　grateful。　The　Asha'man's　methods　had　been　brutal；　destroying　flesh　and　ground　with　equal　impartiality。　Too　many　Shaido　had　died　to　bury　in　less　than　days；　even　had　anyone　cared　to　bury　them；　so　the　vultures　gorged；　and　the　ravens；　and　the　crows。　The　dead　wolves　were　down　there；　too；　he　had　wanted　to　bury　them；　but　that　was　not　the　wolves'　way。　Three　Aes　Sedai　corpses　had　been　found；　their　channeling　unable　to　save　them　from　spears　and　arrows　in　the　madness　of　battle；　and　half　a　dozen　dead　Warders；　too。　They　were　buried　in　the　clearing　near　the　wells。
　　　The　birds　were　not　alone　with　the　dead。　Far　from　it。　Black…feathered　waves　rose　around　Lord　Dobraine　Taborwin　and　over　two　hundred　of　his　mounted　Cairhienin　armsmen；　and　Lord　Lieutenant　Havien　Nurelle　with