grrm.astormofswords-第73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！


　There　was　a　soft　step　behind　her。　〃Khaleesi。〃　His　voice。　〃Might　I　speak　frankly？〃
　Dany　did　not　turn。　She　could　not　bear　to　look　at　him　just　now。　If　she　did；　she　might　well　slap　him　again。　Or　cry。　Or　kiss　him。　And　never　know　which　was　right　and　which　was　wrong　and　which　was　madness。　〃Say　what　you　will；　ser。〃
　〃When　Aegon　the　Dragon　stepped　ashore　in　Westeros；　the　kings　of　Vale　and　Rock　and　Reach　did　not　rush　to　hand　him　their　crowns。　If　you　mean　to　sit　his　Iron　Throne；　you　must　win　it　as　he　did；　with　steel　and　dragonfire。　And　that　will　mean　blood　on　your　hands　before　the　thing　is　done。〃
　Blood　and　fire；　thought　Dany。　The　words　of　House　Targaryen。　She　had　known　them　all　her　life。　〃The　blood　of　my　enemies　I　will　shed　gladly。　The　blood　of　innocents　is　another　matter。　Eight　thousand　Unsullied　they　would　offer　me。　Eight　thousand　dead　babes。　Eight　thousand　strangled　dogs。〃
　〃Your　Grace；〃　said　Jorah　Mormont；　〃I　saw　King's　Landing　after　the　Sack。　Babes　were　butchered　that　day　as　well；　and　old　men；　and　children　at　play。　More　women　were　raped　than　you　can　count。　There　is　a　savage　beast　in　every　man；　and　when　you　hand　that　man　a　sword　or　spear　and　send　him　forth　to　war；　the　beast　stirs。　The　scent　of　blood　is　all　it　takes　to　wake　him。　Yet　I　have　never　heard　of　these　Unsullied　raping；　nor　putting　a　city　to　the　sword；　nor　even　plundering；　save　at　the　express　mand　of　those　who　lead　them。　Brick　they　may　be；　as　you　say；　but　if　you　buy　them　henceforth　the　only　dogs　they'll　kill　are　those　you　want　dead。　And　you　do　have　some　dogs　you　want　dead；　as　I　recall。〃
　The　Usurper's　dogs。　〃Yes。〃　Dany　gazed　off　at　the　soft　colored　lights　and　let　the　cool　salt　breeze　caress　her。　〃You　speak　of　sacking　cities。　Answer　me　this；　ser…why　have　the　Dothraki　never　sacked　this　city？〃　She　pointed。　〃Look　at　the　walls。　You　can　see　where　they've　begun　to　crumble。　There；　and　there。　Do　you　see　any　guards　on　those　towers？　I　don't。　Are　they　hiding；　ser？　I　saw　these　sons　of　the　harpy　today；　all　their　proud　highborn　warriors。　They　dressed　in　linen　skirts；　and　the　fiercest　thing　about　them　was　their　hair。　Even　a　modest　khalasar　could　crack　this　Astapor　like　a　nut　and　spill　out　the　rotted　meat　inside。　So　tell　me；　why　is　that　ugly　harpy　not　sitting　beside　the　godsway　in　Vaes　Dothrak　among　the　other　stolen　gods？〃
　〃You　have　a　dragon's　eye；　Khaleesi；　that's　plain　to　see。〃
　〃I　wanted　an　answer；　not　a　pliment。〃
　〃There　are　two　reasons。　Astapor's　brave　defenders　are　so　much　chaff；　it's　true。　Old　names　and　fat　purses　who　dress　up　as　Ghiscari　scourges　to　pretend　they　still　rule　a　vast　empire。　Every　one　is　a　high　officer。　On　feastdays　they　fight　mock　wars　in　the　pits　to　demonstrate　what　brilliant　manders　they　are；　but　it's　the　eunuchs　who　do　the　dying。　All　the　same；　any　enemy　wanting　to　sack　Astapor　would　have　to　know　that　they'd　be　facing　Unsullied。　The　slavers　would　turn　out　the　whole　garrison　in　the　city's　defense。　The　Dothraki　have　not　ridden　against　Unsullied　since　they　left　their　braids　at　the　gates　of　Qohor。〃
　〃And　the　second　reason？〃　Dany　asked。
　〃Who　would　attack　Astapor？〃　Ser　Jorah　asked。　〃Meereen　and　Yunkai　are　rivals　but　not　enemies；　the　Doom　destroyed　Valyria；　the　folk　of　the　eastern　hinterlands　are　all　Ghiscari；　and　beyond　the　hills　lies　Lhazar。　The　Lamb　Men；　as　your　Dothraki　call　them；　a　notably　unwarlike　people。〃
　〃Yes；〃　she　agreed；　〃but　north　of　the　slave　cities　is　the　Dothraki　sea；　and　two　dozen　mighty　khals　who　like　nothing　more　than　sacking　cities　and　carrying　off　their　people　into　slavery。〃
　〃Carrying　them　off　where？　What　good　are　slaves　once　you've　killed　the　slavers？　Valyria　is　no　more；　Qarth　lies　beyond　the　red　waste；　and　the　Nine　Free　Cities　are　thousands　of　leagues　to　the　west。　And　you　may　be　sure　the　sons　of　the　harpy　give　lavishly　to　every　passing　khal；　just　as　the　magisters　do　in　Pentos　and　Norvos　and　Myr。　They　know　that　if　they　feast　the　horselords　and　give　them　gifts；　they　will　soon　ride　on。　It's　cheaper　than　fighting；　and　a　deal　more　certain。〃
　Cheaper　than　fighting；　Dany　thought。　Yes；　it　might　be。　If　only　it　could　be　that　easy　for　her。　How　pleasant　it　would　be　to　sail　to　King's　Landing　with　her　dragons；　and　pay　the　boy　Joffrey　a　chest　of　gold　to　make　him　go　away。
　〃Khaleesi？〃　Ser　Jorah　prompted；　when　she　had　been　silent　for　a　long　time。　He　touched　her　elbow　lightly。
　Dany　shrugged　him　off　。　〃Viserys　would　have　bought　as　many　Unsullied　as　he　had　the　coin　for。　But　you　once　said　I　was　like　Rhaegar　。　。　。
　〃I　remember；　Daenerys。〃
　〃Your　Grace；〃　she　corrected。　〃Prince　Rhaegar　led　free　men　into　battle；　not　slaves。　Whitebeard　said　he　dubbed　his　squires　himself；　and　made　many　other　knights　as　well。〃
　〃There　was　no　higher　honor　than　to　receive　your　knighthood　from　the　Prince　of　Dragonstone。〃
　〃Tell　me；　then…when　he　touched　a　man　on　the　shoulder　with　his　sword；　what　did　he　say？　'Go　forth　and　kill　the　weak'？　Or　'Go　forth　and　defend　them'？　At　the　Trident；　those　brave　men　Viserys　spoke　of　who　died　beneath　our　dragon　banners…did　they　give　their　lives　because　they　believed　in　Rhaegar's　cause；　or　because　they　had　been　bought　and　paid　for？〃　Dany　turned　to　Mormont；　crossed　her　arms；　and　waited　for　an　answer。
　〃My　queen；〃　the　big　man　said　slowly；　〃all　you　say　is　true。　But　Rhaegar　lost　on　the　Trident。　He　lost　the　battle；　he　lost　the　war；　he　lost　the　kingdom；　and　he　lost　his　life。　His　blood　swirled　downriver　with　the　rubies　from　his　breastplate；　and　Robert　the　Usurper　rode　over　his　corpse　to　steal　the　iron　Throne。　Rhaegar　fought　valiantly；　Rhaegar　fought　nobly；　Rhaegar　fought　honorably。　And　Rhaegar　died。〃
　
　CHAPTER　24
　BRAN
　
　No　roads　ran　through　the　twisted　mountain　valleys　where　they　walked　now。　Between　the　grey　stone　peaks　lay　still　blue　lakes；　long　and　deep　and　narrow；　and　the　green　gloom　of　endless　piney　woods。　The　russet　and　gold　of　autumn　leaves　grew　less　mon　when　they　left　the　wolfswood　to　climb　amongst　the　old　flint　hills；　and　vanished　by　the　time　those　hills　had　turned　to　mountains。　Giant　grey…green　sentinels　loomed　above　them　now；　and　spruce　and　fir　and　soldier　pines　in　endless　profusion。　The　undergrowth　was　sparse　beneath　them；　the　forest　floor　carpeted　in　dark　green　needles。
　When　they　lost　their　way；　as　happened　once　or　twice；　they　need　only　wait　for　a　clear　cold　night　when　the　clouds　did　not　intrude；　and　look　up　in　the　sky　for　the　Ice　Dragon。　The　blue　star　in　the　dragon's　eye　pointed　the　way　north；　as　Osha　told　him　once。　Thinking　of　Osha　made　Bran　wonder　where　she　was。　He　pictured　her　safe　in　White　Harbor　with　Rickon　and　Shaggydog；　eating　eels　and　fish　and　hot　crab　pie　with　fat　Lord　Manderly。　Or　maybe　they　were　warming　themselves　at　the　Last　Hearth　before　the　Greatjon's　fires。　But　Bran's　life　had　turned　into　endless　chilly　days　on　Hodor's　back；　riding　his　basket　up　and　down　the　slopes　of　mountains。
　〃Up　and　down；〃　Meera　would　sigh　sometimes　as　they　walked；　〃then　down　and　up。　Then　up　and　down　again。　I　hate　these　stupid　mountains　of　yours；　Prince　Bran。〃
　〃Yesterday　you　said　you　loved　them。〃
　〃Oh；　I　do。　My　lord　father　told　me　about　mountains；　but　I　never　saw　one　till　now。　I　love　them　more　than　I　can　say。〃
　Bran　made　a　face　at　her。　〃But　you　just　said　you　hated　them。〃
　〃Why　can't　it　be　both？〃　Meera　reached　up　to　pinch　his　nose。
　〃Because　they're　different；〃　he　insisted。　〃Like　night　and　day；　or　ice　and　fire。〃
　〃If　ice　can　burn；〃　said　Jojen　in　his　solemn　voice；　〃then　love　and　hate　can　mate。　Mountain　or　marsh；　it　makes　no　matter。　The　land　is　one。〃
　〃One；〃　his　sister　agreed；　〃but　over　wrinkled。〃
　The　high　glens　seldom　did　them　the　courtesy　of　running　north　and　south；　so　often　they　found　themselves　going　long　leagues　in　the　wrong　direction；　and　sometimes　they　were　forced　to　double　back　the　way　they'd　e。　〃If　we　took　the　kingsroad　we　could　be　at　the　Wall　by　now；〃　Bran　would　remind　the　Reeds。　He　wanted　to　find　the　three…eyed　crow；　so　he　could　learn　to　fly。　Half　a　hundred　times　he　said　it　if　he　said　it　once；　until　Meera　started　teasing　by　saying　it　along　with　him。
　〃If　we　took　the　kingsroad　we　wouldn't　be　so　hungry　either；〃　he　started　saying　then。　Down　in　the　hills　they'd　had　no　lack　of　food。　Meera　was　a　fine　huntress；　and　even　better　at　taking　fish　from　streams　with　her　three…pronged　frog　spear。　Bran　liked　to　watch　her；　admiring　her　quickness；　the　way　she　sent　the　spear　lancing　down　and　pulled　it　back　with　a　silvery　trout　wriggling　on　the　end　of　it。　And　they　had　Summer　hunting　for　them　as　well。　The　direwolf　vanished　most　every　night　as　the　sun　went　down；　but　he　was　always　back　again　before　dawn；　most　often　with　something　in　his　jaws；　a　squirrel　or　a　hare。
　But　here　in　the　mountains；　the　streams　were　smaller　and　more　icy；　and　the　game　scarcer。　Meera　still　hunted　and　fished　when　she　could；　but　it　was　harder；　and　some　nights　even　Summer　found　no　prey。　Often　they　went　to　sleep　with　empty　bellies。
　But　Jojen　remained　stubbornly　determined　to　stay　well　away　from　roads。　〃Where　you　find　roads　you　find　travelers；〃　he　said　in　that　way　he　had；　〃and　travelers　have　eyes　to　see；　and　mouths　to　spread　tales　of　the　crippled　boy；　his　giant；　and　the　wolf　that　walks　beside　them。〃　No　one　could　get　as　stubborn　as　Jojen；　so　they　struggled　on　through　the　wild；　and　every　day　climbed　a　little　higher；　and　moved　a　little　farther　north。