grrm.astormofswords-第3节

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h　it。　〃You　go　on；〃　he　told　the　others；　〃I　want　to　watch　this。〃　The　dogs　were　pulling；　anxious　to　go　with　them；　to　the　food　they　thought　would　be　waiting　at　the　top。　Chett　kicked　the　bitch　with　the　toe　of　his　boot；　and　that　settled　them　down　some。
　He　watched　from　the　trees　as　the　fat　boy　wrestled　with　a　longbow　as　tall　as　he　was；　his　red　moon　face　screwed　up　with　concentration。　Three　arrows　stood　in　the　ground　before　him。　Tarly　nocked　and　drew；　held　the　draw　a　long　moment　as　he　tried　to　aim；　and　let　fly。　The　shaft　vanished　into　the　greenery。　Chett　laughed　loudly；　a　snort　of　sweet　disgust。
　〃We'll　never　find　that　one；　and　I'll　be　blamed；〃　announced　Edd　Tollett；　the　dour　grey…haired　squire　everyone　called　Dolorous　Edd。　〃Nothing　ever　goes　missing　that　they　don't　look　at　me；　ever　since　that　time　I　lost　my　horse。　As　if　that　could　be　helped。　He　was　white　and　it　was　snowing；　what　did　they　expect？〃
　〃The　wind　took　that　one；〃　said　Grenn；　another　friend　of　Lord　Snow's。　〃Try　to　hold　the　bow　steady；　Sam。〃
　〃It's　heavy；〃　the　fat　boy　plained；　but　he　pulled　the　second　arrow　all　the　same。　This　one　went　high；　sailing　through　the　branches　ten　feet　above　the　target。
　〃I　believe　you　knocked　a　leaf　off　that　tree；〃　said　Dolorous　Edd。　〃Fall　is　falling　fast　enough；　there's　no　need　to　help　it。〃　He　sighed。　〃And　we　all　know　what　follows　fall。　Gods；　but　I　am　cold。　Shoot　the　last　arrow；　Samwell；　I　believe　my　tongue　is　freezing　to　the　roof　of　my　mouth。〃
　Ser　Piggy　lowered　the　bow；　and　Chett　thought　he　was　going　to　start　bawling。　〃It's　too　hard。〃
　〃Notch；　draw；　and　loose；〃　said　Grenn。　〃Go　on。〃
　Dutifully；　the　fat　boy　plucked　his　final　arrow　from　the　earth；　notched　it　to　his　longbow；　drew；　and　released。　He　did　it　quickly；　without　squinting　along　the　shaft　painstakingly　as　he　had　the　first　two　times。　The　arrow　struck　the　charcoal　outline　low　in　the　chest　and　hung　quivering。　〃I　hit　him。〃　Ser　Piggy　sounded　shocked。　〃Grenn；　did　you　see？　Edd；　look；　I　hit　him！〃
　〃Put　it　between　his　ribs；　I'd　say；〃　said　Grenn。
　〃Did　I　kill　him？〃　the　fat　boy　wanted　to　know。
　Tollett　shrugged。　〃Might　have　punctured　a　lung；　if　he　had　a　lung。　Most　trees　don't；　as　a　rule。〃　He　took　the　bow　from　Sam's　hand。　〃I've　seen　worse　shots；　though。　Aye；　and　made　a　few。〃
　Ser　Piggy　was　beaming。　To　look　at　him　you'd　think　he'd　actually　done　something。　But　when　he　saw　Chett　and　the　dogs；　his　smile　curled　up　and　died　squeaking。
　〃You　hit　a　tree；〃　Chett　said。　〃Let's　see　how　you　shoot　when　it's　Mance　Rayder's　lads。　They　won't　stand　there　with　their　arms　out　and　their　leaves　rustling；　oh　no。　They'll　e　right　at　you；　screaming　in　your　face；　and　I　bet　you'll　piss　those　breeches。　one　o'　them　will　plant　his　axe　right　between　those　little　pig　eyes。　The　last　thing　you'll　hear　will　be　the　thunk　it　makes　when　it　bites　into　your　skull。〃
　The　fat　boy　was　shaking。　Dolorous　Edd　put　a　hand　on　his　shoulder。　〃Brother；〃　he　said　solemnly；　〃just　because　it　happened　that　way　for　you　doesn't　mean　Samwell　will　suffer　the　same。〃
　〃What　are　you　talking　about；　Tollett？〃
　〃The　axe　that　split　your　skull。　Is　it　true　that　half　your　wits　leaked　out　on　the　ground　and　your　dogs　ate　them？〃
　The　big　lout　Grenn　laughed；　and　even　Samwell　Tarly　managed　a　weak　little　smile。　Chett　kicked　the　nearest　dog；　yanked　on　their　leashes；　and　started　up　the　hill。　Smile　all　you　want；　Ser　Piggy。　We'll　see　who　laughs　tonight。　He　only　wished　he　had　time　to　kill　Tollett　as　well。　Gloomy　horsefaced　fool；　that's　what　he　is。
　The　climb　was　steep；　even　on　this　side　of　the　Fist；　which　had　the　gentlest　slope。　Partway　up　the　dogs　started　barking　and　pulling　at　him；　figuring　that　they'd　get　fed　soon。　He　gave　them　a　taste　of　his　boot　instead；　and　a　crack　of　the　whip　for　the　big　ugly　one　that　snapped　at　him。　Once　they　were　tied　up；　he　went　to　report。　〃The　prints　were　there　like　Giant　said；　but　the　dogs　wouldn't　track；〃　he　told　Mormont　in　front　of　his　big　black　tent。　〃Down　by　the　river　like　that；　could　be　old　prints。〃
　〃A　pity。〃　Lord　mander　Mormont　had　a　bald　head　and　a　great　shaggy　grey　beard；　and　sounded　as　tired　as　he　looked。　〃We　might　all　have　been　better　for　a　bit　of　fresh　meat。〃　The　raven　on　his　shoulder　bobbed　its　head　and　echoed；　〃Meat。　Meat。　Meat。〃
　We　could　cook　the　bloody　dogs；　Chett　thought；　but　he　kept　his　mouth　shut　until　the　Old　Bear　sent　him　on　his　way。　And　that's　the　last　time　I'll　need　to　bow　my　head　to　that　one；　he　thought　to　himself　with　satisfaction。　it　seemed　to　him　that　it　was　growing　even　colder；　which　he　would　have　swom。　wasn't　possible。　The　dogs　huddled　together　miserably　in　the　hard　frozen　mud；　and　Chett　was　half　tempted　to　crawl　in　with　them。　instead　he　wrapped　a　black　wool　scarf　round　the　lower　part　of　his　face；　leaving　a　slit　for　his　mouth　between　the　winds。　It　was　warmer　if　he　kept　moving；　he　found；　so　he　made　a　slow　circuit　of　the　perimeter　with　a　wad　of　sourleaf；　sharing　a　chew　or　two　with　the　black　brothers　on　guard　and　hearing　what　they　had　to　say。　None　of　the　men　on　the　day　watch　were　part　of　his　scheme；　even　so；　he　figured　it　was　good　to　have　some　sense　of　what　they　were　thinking。
　Mostly　what　they　were　thinking　was　that　it　was　bloody　cold。
　The　wind　was　rising　as　the　shadows　lengthened。　it　made　a　high　thin　sound　as　it　shivered　through　the　stones　of　the　ringwall。　〃I　hate　that　sound；〃　little　Giant　said。　〃It　sounds　like　a　babe　in　the　brush；　wailing　away　for　milk。〃
　When　he　finished　the　circuit　and　returned　to　the　dogs；　he　found　Lark　waiting　for　him。　〃The　officers　are　in　the　Old　Bear's　tent　again；　talking　something　fierce。〃
　〃That's　what　they　do；〃　said　Chett。　〃They're　highborn；　all　but　Blane；　they　get　drunk　on　words　instead　of　wine。〃
　Lark　sidled　closer。　〃Cheese…for…wits　keeps　going　on　about　the　bird；〃　he　warned；　glancing　about　to　make　certain　no　one　was　close。　〃Now　he's　asking　if　we　cached　any　seed　for　the　damn　thing。〃
　〃It's　a　raven；〃　said　Chett。　〃It　eats　corpses。〃
　Lark　grinned。　〃His；　might　be？〃
　Or　yours。　It　seemed　to　Chett　that　they　needed　the　big　man　more　than　they　needed　Lark。　〃Stop　fretting　about　Small　Paul。　You　do　your　part；　he'll　do　his。〃
　Twilight　was　creeping　through　the　woods　by　the　time　he　rid　himself　of　the　Sisterman　and　sat　down　to　edge　his　sword。　It　was　bloody　hard　work　with　his　gloves　on；　but　he　wasn't　about　to　take　them　off。　Cold　as　it　was；　any　fool　that　touched　steel　with　a　bare　hand　was　going　to　lose　a　patch　of　skin。
　The　dogs　whimpered　when　the　sun　went　down。　He　gave　them　water　and　curses。　〃Half　a　night　more；　and　you　can　find　your　own　feast。〃　By　then　he　could　smell　supper。
　Dywen　was　holding　forth　at　the　cookfire　as　Chett　got　his　heel　of　hardbread　and　a　bowl　of　bean　and　bacon　soup　from　Hake　the　cook。　〃The　wood's　too　silent；〃　the　old　forester　was　saying。　〃No　frogs　near　that　river；　no　owls　in　the　dark。　I　never　heard　no　deader　wood　than　this。〃
　〃Them　teeth　of　yours　sound　pretty　dead；〃　said　Hake。
　Dywen　clacked　his　wooden　teeth。　〃No　wolves　neither。　There　was；　before；　but　no　more。　Where'd　they　go；　you　figure？〃
　〃Someplace　warm；〃　said　Chett。
　Of　the　dozen　odd　brothers　who　sat　by　the　fire；　four　were　his。　He　gave　each　one　a　hard　squinty　look　as　he　ate；　to　see　if　any　showed　signs　of　breaking。　Dirk　seemed　calm　enough；　sitting　silent　and　sharpening　his　blade；　the　way　he　did　every　night。　And　Sweet　Donnel　Hill　was　all　easy　japes。　He　had　white　teeth　and　fat　red　lips　and　yellow　locks　that　he　wore　in　an　artful　tumble　about　his　shoulders；　and　he　claimed　to　be　the　bastard　of　some　Lannister。　Maybe　he　was　at　that。　Chett　had　no　use　for　pretty　boys；　nor　for　bastards　neither；　but　Sweet　Donnel　seemed　like　to　hold　his　own。
　He　was　less　certain　about　the　forester　the　brothers　called　Sawwood；　more　for　his　snoring　than　for　anything　to　do　with　trees。　just　now　he　looked　so　restless　he　might　never　snore　again。　And　Maslyn　was　worse。　Chett　could　see　sweat　trickling　down　his　face；　despite　the　frigid　wind。　The　beads　of　moisture　sparkled　in　the　firelight；　like　so　many　little　wet　jewels。　Maslyn　wasn't　eating　neither；　only　staring　at　his　soup　as　if　the　smell　of　it　was　about　to　make　him　sick。　I'll　need　to　watch　that　one；　Chett　thought。
　〃Assemble！〃　The　shout　came　suddenly；　from　a　dozen　throats；　and　quickly　spread　to　every　part　of　the　hilltop　camp。　〃Men　of　the　Night's　Watch！　Assemble　at　the　central　fire！〃
　Frowning；　Chett　finished　his　soup　and　followed　the　rest。
　The　Old　Bear　stood　before　the　fire　with　Smallwood；　Locke；　Wythers；　and　Blane　ranged　behind　him　in　a　row。　Mormont　wore　a　cloak　of　thick　black　fur；　and　his　raven　perched　upon　his　shoulder；　preening　its　black　feathers。　This　can't　be　good。　Chett　squeezed　between　Brown　Bemarr　and　some　Shadow　Tower　men。　When　everyone　was　gathered；　save　for　the　watchers　in　the　woods　and　the　guards　on　the　ringwall；　Mormont　cleared　his　throat　and　spat。　The　spittle　was　frozen　before　it　hit　the　ground。　〃Brothers；〃　he　said；　〃men　of　the　Night's　Watch。〃
　〃Men！〃　his　raven　screamed。　〃Men！　Men！〃
　〃The　wildlings　are　on　the　march；　following　the　course　of　the　Milkwater　down　out　of　the　mountains。　Thoren　believes　their　van　will　be　upon　us　ten　days　hence。　Their　most　seasoned　raiders　will　be　with　Harma　Dogshead　in　that　van。　The　rest　will　likely　form　a　rearguard；　or　ride　in　close　pany　with　Mance　Rayder　himself。　Elsewhere　their　fighters　will　be　spread　thin　along　the　li