rj.acrownofswords-第7节

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　　　A　sudden　scream　made　her　turn；　and　she　gaped　at　the　sight　of　a　shaggy　gray　wolf　ripping　Dosera's　throat　out。　Without　thought　she　plunged　her　spear　into　its　side。　Even　as　it　twisted　to　snap　at　the　spear　haft；　another　waist…tall　wolf　bounded　past　her　to　hurl　itself　onto　the　back　of　one　of　the　algai'd'siswai；　then　another　wolf；　and　more；　tearing　into　cadin'sor…clad　figures　wherever　she　looked。
　　　Superstitious　fear　lanced　through　her　as　she　pulled　her　spear　free。　The　Aes　Sedai　had　called　wolves　to　fight　for　them。　She　could　not　take　her　gaze　from　the　wolf　she　had　killed。　The　Aes　Sedai　had。。。　No。　No！　It　could　change　nothing。　She　would　not　let　it。
　　　Finally　she　managed　to　pull　her　eyes　away；　but　before　she　could　shout　encouragement　to　the　Wise　Ones　again；　something　else　stilled　her　tongue　and　made　her　stare。　A　knot　of　wetlander　horsemen　in　red　helmets　and　breastplates；　laying　about　them　with　swords；　thrusting　with　long　lances；　in　the　middle　of　the　algai'd'siswai。　Where　had　they　e　from？
　　　She　did　not　realize　she　had　spoken　aloud　until　Rhiale　answered　her。　〃I　tried　to　tell　you；　Sevanna；　but　you　would　not　listen。〃　The　flame…haired　woman　eyed　her　bloody　spear　distastefully；　Wise　Ones　were　not　supposed　to　carry　spears。　She　ostentatiously　laid　the　weapon　in　the　crook　of　her　elbow；　the　way　she　had　seen　chiefs　do；　as　Rhiale　went　on。　〃Wetlanders　have　attacked　from　the　south。　Wetlanders　and　siswai'aman。〃　She　imbued　the　word　with　all　the　scorn　proper　for　those　who　would　name　themselves　Spears　of　the　Dragon。　〃Maidens　as　well。　And。。。　And　there　are　Wise　Ones。〃
　　　〃Fighting？〃　Sevanna　said　incredulously　before　realizing　how　it　sounded。　If　she　could　toss　out　decayed　custom；　surely　those　sun…blinded　fools　to　the　south　who　still　called　themselves　Aiel　could　as　well。　She　had　not　expected　it；　though。　No　doubt　Sorilea　had　brought　them；　that　old　woman　reminded　Sevanna　of　a　landslide　plunging　down　a　mountain；　carrying　all　before　it。　〃We　must　attack　them　at　once。　They　will　not　have　Rand　al'Thor。　Or　ruin　our　vengeance　for　Desaine；〃　she　added　when　Rhiale's　eyes　widened。
　　　〃They　are　Wise　Ones；〃　the　other　woman　said　in　a　flat　tone；　and　Sevanna　understood　bitterly。　Joining　the　dance　of　spears　was　bad　enough；　but　Wise　One　attacking　Wise　One　was　more　than　even　Rhiale　would　countenance。　She　had　agreed　that　Desaine　must　die　…　how　else　could　the　other　Wise　Ones；　not　to　mention　the　algai'd'siswai；　be　brought　to　attack　Aes　Sedai；　which　they　must　do　to　put　Rand　al'Thor　in　their　hands；　and　with　him　all　the　Aiel？　…　yet　that　was　done　in　secret；　surrounded　by　like…minded　women。　This　would　be　before　everyone。　Fools　and　cowards；　all　of　them！
　　　〃Then　fight　those　enemies　you　can　bring　yourself　to　fight；　Rhiale。〃　She　bit　off　every　word　with　as　much　scorn　as　she　could；　but　Rhiale　merely　nodded；　adjusted　her　shawl　with　another　glance　at　the　spear　on　Sevanna's　arm　and　returned　to　her　place　in　the　line。
　　　Perhaps　there　was　a　way　to　make　the　other　Wise　Ones　move　first。　Better　to　attack　by　surprise；　but　better　anything　than　that　they　should　snatch　Rand　al'Thor　from　her　very　hands。　What　she　would　not　give　for　a　woman　who　could　channel　and　would　do　as　she　was　told　without　balking。　What　she　would　not　give　to　be　on　a　rise；　where　she　could　see　how　the　battle　went。
　　　Keeping　her　spear　ready　and　a　wary　eye　out　for　wolves　…　those　she　could　see　were　either　killing　men　and　women　in　cadin'sor　or　were　dead　themselves　…　she　returned　to　shouting　encouragement。　To　the　south　more　fire　and　lightning　fell　among　the　Shaido　than　before；　but　it　made　no　difference　that　she　could　tell。　That　battle；　with　its　explosions　of　flame　and　earth　and　people；　continued　unabated。
　　　〃Push　spears！〃　she　shouted；　waving　hers。　〃Push　spears！〃　Among　the　churning　algai'd'siswai　she　could　not　make　out　any　of　the　fools　who　had　tied　a　bit　of　red　cloth　around　their　temples　and　named　themselves　siswai'aman。　Perhaps　they　were　too　few　to　alter　the　course　of　events。　The　knots　of　wetlanders　certainly　seemed　few　and　far　between。　Even　as　she　watched；　one　was　swarmed　under；　men　and　horses；　by　stabbing　spears。　〃Push　spears！　Push　spears！〃　Exultation　filled　her　voice。　If　the　Aes　Sedai　called　ten　thousand　wolves；　if　Sorilea　had　brought　a　thousand　Wise　Ones　and　a　hundred　thousand　spears；　the　Shaido　would　still　emerge　victorious　today。　The　Shaido；　and　herself。　Sevanna　of　the　Jumai　Shaido　would　be　a　name　remembered　forever。
　　　Suddenly　a　hollow　boom　sounded　amid　the　roar　of　battle。　It　seemed　to　e　from　the　direction　of　the　Aes　Sedai　wagons；　but　nothing　told　her　whether　they　had　caused　it；　or　the　Wise　Ones。　She　disliked　things　she　did　not　understand；　yet　she　was　not　about　to　ask　Rhiale　or　the　others　and　flaunt　her　ignorance。　And　her　lack　of　the　ability　all　here　had；　save　her。　It　counted　for　nothing　among　themselves；　but　another　thing　she　did　not　like　was　for　others　to　have　power　she　did　not。
　　　A　flicker　of　light　among　the　algai'd'siswai；　a　sense　of　something　turning；　caught　the　corner　of　her　eye；　but　when　she　turned　to　look；　there　was　nothing。　Again　the　same　thing　happened；　a　flash　of　light　seen　on　the　edge　of　vision；　and　again　when　she　looked　there　was　nothing　to　see。　Too　many　things　she　did　not　understand。
　　　Shouting　encouragement；　she　eyed　the　line　of　Shaido　Wise　Ones。　Some　appeared　bedraggled；　head　scarves　gone　and　long　hair　hanging　loose；　skirts　and　blouses　covered　with　dirt　or　even　singed。　At　least　a　dozen　lay　stretched　out　in　a　row；　groaning；　and　seven　more　were　still；　shawls　laid　over　their　faces。　It　was　those　on　their　feet　that　interested　her。　Rhiale；　and　Alarys　with　her　rare　black　hair　all　awry；　Someryn；　who　had　taken　to　wearing　her　blouse　unlaced　to　show　even　more　generous　cleavage　than　Sevanna　herself；　and　Meira；　with　her　long　face　yet　more　grim　than　usual。　Stout　Tion；　and　skinny　Belinde；　and　Modarra；　as　tall　as　most　men。
　　　One　of　them　should　have　told　her　if　they　did　something　new。　The　secret　of　Desaine　bound　them　to　her；　even　for　a　Wise　One；　revelation　of　that　would　lead　to　a　lifetime　of　pain　…　and　worse；　shame　…　trying　to　meet　toh；　if　the　one　revealed　was　not　simply　driven　naked　into　the　wilderness　to　live　or　die　as　she　could；　likely　to　be　killed　like　a　beast　by　any　who　found　her。　Even　so；　Sevanna　was　sure　they　took　as　much　delight　as　the　rest　in　concealing　things　from　her；　the　things　that　Wise　Ones　learned　during　their　apprenticeships；　and　in　the　journeys　to　Rhuidean。　Something　would　have　to　be　done　about　that；　but　later。　She　would　not　display　weakness　by　asking　what　they　did　now。
　　　Turning　back　to　the　battle；　she　found　the　balance　changing；　and　in　her　favor　it　appeared。　To　the　south　fireballs　and　lightning　bolts　plummeted　as　heavily　as　ever；　but　not　in　front　of　her；　and　it　seemed　not　to　the　west　or　north　either。　What　struck　toward　the　wagons　still　failed　to　reach　the　ground　more　often　than　not；　yet　there　was　a　definite　slackening　of　the　Aes　Sedai's　efforts。　They　had　been　forced　onto　the　defensive。　She　was　winning！
　　　Even　as　the　thought　flushed　through　her　like　pure　heat；　the　Aes　Sedai　went　silent。　Only　to　the　south　did　fire　and　lightning　still　fall　among　the　algai'd'siswai。　She　opened　her　mouth　to　shout　victory；　and　another　realization　silenced　her。　Fire　and　lightning　stormed　down　toward　the　wagons；　stormed　down　and　crashed　against　some　unseen　obstruction。　Smoke　from　burning　wagons　was　beginning　to　outline　the　shape　of　a　dome　as　it　streamed　up　and　finally　billowed　from　a　hole　in　the　top　of　the　invisible　enclosure。
　　　Sevanna　whirled　to　confront　the　line　of　Wise　Ones；　her　face　such　that　several　flinched　back　from　her；　and　maybe　from　the　spear　in　her　hand。　She　knew　she　looked　ready　to　use　it；　she　was　ready。　〃Why　have　you　let　them　do　this？〃　she　raged。　〃Why？　You　were　to　obstruct　whatever　they　did；　not　allow　them　to　make　more　walls！〃
　　　Tion　looked　ready　to　empty　her　stomach；　but　she　planted　her　fists　on　broad　hips　and　faced　Sevanna　directly。　〃It　was　not　the　Aes　Sedai。〃
　　　〃Not　the　Aes　Sedai？〃　Sevanna　spat。　〃Then　who？　The　other　Wise　Ones？　I　told　you　we　must　attack　them！〃
　　　〃It　was　not　women；〃　Rhiale　said；　her　voice　faltering。　〃It　was　not　…〃　Face　pale；　she　swallowed。
　　　Sevanna　turned　slowly　to　stare　at　the　dome；　only　then　remembering　to　breathe　again。　Something　had　risen　through　the　hole　where　the　smoke　gushed　out。　One　of　the　wetlander　banners。　The　smoke　was　not　enough　to　obscure　it　pletely。　Crimson；　with　a　disc　half　white　and　half　black；　the　colors　divided　by　a　sinuous　line；　just　like　the　piece　of　cloth　the　siswai'aman　wore。　Rand　al'Thor's　banner。　Could　he　possibly　be　strong　enough　to　have　broken　free；　overwhelmed　all　the　Aes　Sedai　and　raised　that？　It　had　to　be。
　　　The　storm　still　battered　at　the　dome；　but　Sevanna　heard　murmurs　behind　her。　The　other　women　were　thinking　of　retreat。　Not　her。　She　had　always　known　that　the　easiest　path　to　power　lay　through　conquering　men　who　already　possessed　it；　and　even　as　a　child　she　was　sure　she　had　been　born　with　the　weapons　to　conquer　them。　Suladric；　clan　chief　of　the　Shaido；　fell　to　her　at　sixteen；　and　when　he　died；　she　chose　out　those　most　likely　to　succeed。　Muradin　and　Couladin　each　believed　he　alone　had　captured　her　interest；　and　when　Muradin　failed　to　return　from　Rhuidean；　as　so　many　men　did；　one　smile　co