grrm.astormofswords-第192节

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　bleakly。　If　the　gate　still　stood　below；　a　few　kisses　from　that　thing　would　soon　turn　it　into　splinters。　On　either　side　of　the　giants　came　a　wave　of　horsemen　in　boiled　leather　harness　with　fire…hardened　lances；　a　mass　of　running　archers；　hundreds　of　foot　with　spears；　slings；　clubs；　and　leathern　shields。　The　bone　chariots　from　the　Frozen　Shore　clattered　forward　on　the　flanks；　bouncing　over　rocks　and　roots　behind　teams　of　huge　white　dogs。　The　fury　of　the　wild；　Jon　thought　as　he　listened　to　the　skirl　of　skins；　to　the　dogs　barking　and　baying；　the　mammoths　trumpeting；　the　free　folk　whistling　and　screaming；　the　giants　roaring　in　the　Old　Tongue。　Their　drums　echoed　off　the　ice　like　rolling　thunder。
　He　could　feel　the　despair　all　around　him。　〃There　must　be　a　hundred　thousand；〃　Satin　wailed。　〃How　can　we　stop　so　many？〃
　〃The　Wall　will　stop　them；〃　Jon　heard　himself　say。　He　turned　and　said　it　again；　louder。　〃The　Wall　will　stop　them。　The　Wall　defends　itself。〃　Hollow　words；　but　he　needed　to　say　them；　almost　as　much　as　his　brothers　needed　to　hear　them。　〃Mance　wants　to　unman　us　with　his　numbers。　Does　he　think　we're　stupid？〃　He　was　shouting　now；　his　leg　forgotten；　and　every　man　was　listening。　〃The　chariots；　the　horsemen；　all　those　fools　on　foot　。　。　。　what　are　they　going　to　do　to　us　up　here？　Any　of　you　ever　see　a　mammoth　climb　a　wall？〃　He　laughed；　and　Pyp　and　Owen　and　half　a　dozen　more　laughed　with　him。　〃They're　nothing；　they're　less　use　than　our　straw　brothers　here；　they　can't　reach　us；　they　can't　hurt　us；　and　they　don't　frighten　us；　do　they？〃
　〃NO〃　Grenn　shouted。
　〃They're　down　there　and　we're　up　here；〃　Jon　said；　〃and　so　long　as　we　hold　the　gate　they　cannot　pass。　They　cannot　pass！〃　They　were　all　shouting　then；　roaring　his　own　words　back　at　him；　waving　swords　and　longbows　in　the　air　as　their　cheeks　flushed　red。　Jon　saw　Kegs　standing　there　with　a　warhorn　slung　beneath　his　arm。　〃Brother；〃　he　told　him；　〃sound　for　battle。〃
　Grinning；　Kegs　lifted　the　horn　to　his　lips；　and　blew　the　two　long　blasts　that　meant　wildlings。　Other　horns　took　up　the　call　until　the　Wall　itself　seemed　to　shudder；　and　the　echo　of　those　great　deep…throated　moans　drowned　all　other　sound。
　〃Archers；〃　Jon　said　when　the　horns　had　died　away；　〃you'll　aim　for　the　giants　with　that　ram；　every　bloody　one　of　you。　Loose　at　my　mand；　not　before。　THE　GIANTS　AND　THE　RAM。　I　want　arrows　raining　on　them　with　every　step；　but　we'll　wait　till　they're　in　range。　Any　man　who　wastes　an　arrow　will　need　to　climb　down　and　fetch　it　back；　do　you　hear　me？〃
　〃I　do；〃　shouted　Owen　the　Oaf。　〃I　hear　you；　Lord　Snow。〃
　Jon　laughed；　laughed　like　a　drunk　or　a　madman；　and　his　men　laughed　with　him。　The　chariots　and　the　racing　horsemen　on　the　flanks　were　well　ahead　of　the　center　now；　he　saw。　The　wildlings　had　not　crossed　a　third　of　the　half　mile；　yet　their　battle　line　was　dissolving。　〃Load　the　trebuchet　with　caltrops；〃　Jon　said。　〃Owen；　Kegs；　angle　the　catapults　toward　the　center。　Scorpions；　load　with　fire　spears　and　loose　at　my　mand。〃　He　pointed　at　the　Mole's　Town　boys。　〃You；　you；　and　you；　stand　by　with　torches。〃
　The　wildling　archers　shot　as　they　advanced；　they　would　dash　forward；　stop；　loose；　then　run　another　ten　yards。　There　were　so　many　that　the　air　was　constantly　full　of　arrows；　all　falling　woefully　short。　A　waste；　Jon　thought。　Their　want　of　discipline　is　showing。　The　smaller　horn…and…wood　bows　of　the　free　folk　were　outranged　by　the　great　yew　longbows　of　the　Night's　Watch；　and　the　wildlings　were　trying　to　shoot　at　men　seven　hundred　feet　above　them。　〃Let　them　shoot；〃　Jon　said。　〃Wait。　Hold。〃　Their　cloaks　were　flapping　behind　them。　〃The　wind　is　in　our　faces；　it　will　cost　us　range。　Wait。〃　Closer；　closer。　The　skins　wailed；　the　drums　thundered；　the　wildling　arrows　fluttered　and　fell。
　〃DRAW。〃　Jon　lifted　his　own　bow　and　pulled　the　arrow　to　his　ear。　Satin　did　the　same；　and　Grenn；　Owen　the　Oaf；　Spare　Boot；　Black　Jack　Bulwer；　Arron　and　Emrick。　Zei　hoisted　her　crossbow　to　her　shoulder。　Jon　was　watching　the　ram　e　on　and　on；　the　mammoths　and　giants　lumbering　forward　on　either　side。　They　were　so　small　he　could　have　crushed　them　all　in　one　hand；　it　seemed。　If　only　my　hand　was　big　enough。　Through　the　killing　ground　they　came。　A　hundred　crows　rose　from　the　carcass　of　the　dead　mammoth　as　the　wildlings　thundered　past　to　either　side　of　them。　Closer　and　closer；　until　。　。　。
　〃LOOSE〃
　The　black　arrows　hissed　downward；　like　snakes　on　feathered　wings。　Jon　did　not　wait　to　see　where　they　struck。　He　reached　for　a　second　arrow　as　soon　as　the　first　left　his　bow。　〃NOTCH。　DRAW。　LOOSE。〃　As　soon　as　the　arrow　flew　he　found　another。　〃NOTCH。　DRAW　LOOSE。〃　Again；　and　then　again。　Jon　shouted　for　the　trebuchet；　and　heard　the　creak　and　heavy　thud　as　a　hundred　spiked　steel　caltrops　went　spinning　through　the　air。　〃Catapults；〃　he　called；　〃scorpions。　Bowmen；　loose　at　will。〃　Wildling　arrows　were　striking　the　Wall　now；　a　hundred　feet　below　them。　A　second　giant　spun　and　staggered。　Notch；　draw；　loose。　A　mammoth　veered　into　another　beside　it；　spilling　giants　on　the　ground。　Notch；　draw；　loose。　The　ram　was　down　and　done；　he　saw；　the　giants　who'd　pushed　it　dead　or　dying。　〃Fire　arrows；〃　he　shouted。　〃I　want　that　ram　burning。〃　The　screams　of　wounded　mammoths　and　the　booming　cries　of　giants　mingled　with　the　drums　and　pipes　to　make　an　awful　music；　yet　still　his　archers　drew　and　loosed；　as　if　they'd　all　gone　as　deaf　as　dead　Dick　Follard。　They　might　be　the　dregs　of　the　order；　but　they　were　men　of　the　Night's　Watch；　or　near　enough　as　made　no　matter。　That's　why　they　shall　not　pass。
　One　of　the　mammoths　was　running　berserk；　smashing　wildlings　with　his　trunk　and　crushing　archers　underfoot。　Jon　pulled　back　his　bow　once　more；　and　launched　another　arrow　at　the　beast's　shaggy　back　to　urge　him　on。　To　east　and　west；　the　flanks　of　the　wildling　host　had　reached　the　Wall　unopposed。　The　chariots　drew　in　or　turned　while　the　horsemen　milled　aimlessly　beneath　the　looming　cliff　of　ice。　〃At　the　gate！〃　a　shout　came。　Spare　Boot；　maybe。　〃Mammoth　at　the　gate！〃
　〃Fire；〃　Jon　barked。　〃Grenn；　Pyp。〃
　Grenn　thrust　his　bow　aside；　wrestled　a　barrel　of　oil　onto　its　side；　and　rolled　it　to　the　edge　of　the　Wall；　where　Pyp　hammered　out　the　plug　that　sealed　it；　stuffed　in　a　twist　of　cloth；　and　set　it　alight　with　a　torch。　They　shoved　it　over　together。　A　hundred　feet　below　it　struck　the　Wall　and　burst；　filling　the　air　with　shattered　staves　and　burning　oil。　Grenn　was　rolling　a　second　barrel　to　the　precipice　by　then；　and　Kegs　had　one　as　well。　Pyp　lit　them　both。　〃Got　him！〃　Satin　shouted；　his　head　sticking　out　so　far　that　Jon　was　certain　he　was　about　to　fall。　〃Got　him；　got　him；　GOT　him！〃　He　could　hear　the　roar　of　fire。　A　flaming　giant　lurched　into　view；　stumbling　and　rolling　on　the　ground。
　Then　suddenly　the　mammoths　were　fleeing；　running　from　the　smoke　and　flames　and　smashing　into　those　behind　them　in　their　terror。　Those　went　backward　too；　the　giants　and　wildlings　behind　them　scrambling　to　get　out　of　their　way。　In　half　a　heartbeat　the　whole　center　was　collapsing。　The　horsemen　on　the　flanks　saw　themselves　being　abandoned　and　decided　to　fall　back　as　well；　not　one　so　much　as　blooded。　Even　the　chariots　rumbled　off；　having　done　nothing　but　look　fearsome　and　make　a　lot　of　noise。　When　they　break；　they　break　hard；　Jon　Snow　thought　as　he　watched　them　reel　away。　The　drums　had　all　gone　silent。　How　do　you　like　that　music；　Mance？　How　do　you　like　the　taste　of　the　Dornishman's　wife？　〃Do　we　have　anyone　hurt？〃　he　asked。
　〃The　bloody　buggers　got　my　leg。〃　Spare　Boot　plucked　the　arrow　out　and　waved　it　above　his　head。　〃The　wooden　one！〃
　A　ragged　cheer　went　up。　Zei　grabbed　Owen　by　the　hands；　spun　him　around　in　a　circle；　and　gave　him　a　long　wet　kiss　right　there　for　all　to　see。　She　tried　to　kiss　Jon　too；　but　he　held　her　by　the　shoulder　and　pushed　her　gently　but　firmly　away。　〃No；〃　he　said。　I　am　done　with　kissing。　Suddenly　he　was　too　weary　to　stand；　and　his　leg　was　agony　from　knee　to　groin。　He　fumbled　for　his　crutch。　〃Pyp；　help　me　to　the　cage。　Grenn；　you　have　the　Wall。〃
　〃Me？〃　said　Grenn。　〃Him？〃　said　Pyp。　It　was　hard　to　tell　which　of　them　was　more　horrified。　〃But；〃　Grenn　stammered；　〃b…but　what　do　I　do　if　the　wildlings　attack　again？〃
　〃Stop　them；〃　Jon　told　him。
　As　they　rode　down　in　the　cage；　Pyp　took　off　his　helm　and　wiped　his　brow。　〃Frozen　sweat。　Is　there　anything　as　disgusting　as　frozen　sweat？〃　He　laughed。　〃Gods；　I　don't　think　I　have　ever　been　so　hungry。　I　could　eat　an　aurochs　whole；　I　swear　it。　Do　you　think　Hobb　will　cook　up　Grenn　for　us？〃　When　he　saw　Jon's　face；　his　smile　died。　〃What's　wrong？　Is　it　your　leg？〃
　〃My　leg；〃　Jon　agreed。　Even　the　words　were　an　effort。
　〃Not　the　battle；　though？　We　won　the　battle。〃
　〃Ask　me　when　I've　seen　the　gate；〃　Jon　said　grimly。　I　want　a　fire；　a　hot　meal；　a　warm　bed；　and　something　to　make　my　leg　stop　hurting；　he　told　himself。　But　first　he　had　to　check　the　tunnel　and　find　what　had　bee　of　Donal　Noye。
　After　the　battle　with　the　Therms　it　had　taken　them　almost　a　day　to　clear　the　ice　and　broken　beams　away　from　the　inner　gate。　Spotted　Pate　and　Kegs　and　some　of　the　other　builders　had　argued　heatedly　that　they　ought　just　leave　the　debris　there；　another　obstacle　for　Mance。　That　would　have　meant　abandoning　the　defense　of　the　tunnel；　though；　and　Noye　was　having　none　of　it。　With　men