ggk.asongforarbonne-第24节

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　　He　said；　〃I　am　traveling　in　peace　on　an　open　road。　I　mean　no　trespass。　If　such　is　your　plaint；　I　will　gladly　pay　a　fair　toll。〃
　　〃I　asked　a　question；〃　the　Arimondan　said　flatly。　〃Answer　it。〃
　　Hearing　that　tone；　Blaise　felt　his　mouth　go　dry；　even　as　a　familiar　anger　began　rising　in　him。　He　had　his　sword；　and　his　bow　was　ready　to　hand　in　the　saddle　quiver；　but　if　the　three　men　behind　the　Arimondan　knew　how　to　shoot　there　was　little　hope　in　trying　to　fight。　He　considered　cutting　the　rope　that　tied　the　pony　to　his　grey　and　making　a　run　for　it；　but　he　hated　leaving　his　armour　behind　almost　as　much　as　he　hated　fleeing　from　an　Arimondan。
　　〃I　am　not　in　the　custom　of　detailing　my　affairs　to　strangers　with　bows　drawn；〃　he　said。
　　The　Arimondan　smiled　slowly；　as　if　the　words　were　an　unexpected　gift。　He　gestured　with　his　left　hand；　a　negligent；　graceful　movement。　All　three　archers　loosed　arrows。　An　instant　later；　with　a　queer；　grunting　sound；　Blaise's　pack　pony　collapsed　behind　him。　Two　arrows　were　in　its　neck　and　one　was　just　below；　near　the　heart。　The　pony　was　dead。　The　archers　had　already　notched　three　more　arrows。
　　Feeling　the　colour　leave　his　face；　Blaise　heard　the　Arimondan　laugh。　〃Tell　me；〃　the　man　said　lazily；　〃Will　you　preserve　what　you　call　your　customs　when　you　are　naked　and　bound　face　down　in　the　dust　to　serve　my　pleasure　like　a　boy　bought　for　an　hour？〃　The　two　other　men；　the　ones　without　bows；　had　moved　without　visible　instruction　in　opposite　directions；　cutting　off　both　paths　of　flight　for　Blaise。　One　of　them；　Blaise　saw；　was　smiling　broadly。
　　〃I　asked　a　question；〃　the　Arimondan　went　on　softly。　The　wind　had　dropped；　his　voice　carried　in　the　stillness。　〃The　horse　dies　next　if　I　am　not　answered。　In　whose　service　do　you　ride；　Northerner？〃
　　It　was　his　beard；　of　course；　it　labelled　him　like　a　brand　marked　a　thief　or　blue　robes　a　priest　of　Corannos。　Blaise　drew　a　slow　breath　and；　fighting　hard　to　hold　down　his　anger；　sought　shelter　in　the　shade　of　the　great…as　Rudel　had　more　than　once　put　it。
　　〃En　Bertran　de　Talair　has　hired　me　for　a　season；〃　he　said。
　　They　shot　the　horse。
　　But　Blaise　had　had　his　clue　from　the　one　archer's　straining　manner　the　first　time　the　question　had　been　asked；　and　he　had　kicked　his　legs　free　of　the　stirrups　even　as　he　spoke。　He　landed　on　the　far　side　of　the　screaming　stallion　and　pulled　his　bow　free　and　the　dying　horse　downwards　towards　him　in　the　same　motion　so　that　it　offered　protection　when　he　dropped　behind　it。　Firing　from　an　almost　prone　position　he　killed　the　northernmost　coran　and；　turning；　shot　the　one　guarding　the　southern　path　in　the　neck　before　the　three　archers　could　loose　another　volley。　Then　he　dropped　flat。
　　Two　arrows　hit　his　horse　again　and　the　third　whizzed　above　his　head。　Blaise　rose　to　one　knee　and　fired　twice；　at　speed。　One　archer　died；　screaming　like　the　horse；　and　the　second　dropped　in　silence　with　an　arrow　in　his　throat。　The　third　man　hesitated；　his　mouth　falling　open　with　dismay。　Blaise　notched　his　fifth　arrow　and　shot　him　calmly　in　the　chest。　He　saw　bright　blood　stain　the　dark　green　tunic　before　the　man　fell。
　　It　was　suddenly　extremely　quiet。
　　The　Arimondan　had　not　moved。　His　magnificent　black　thoroughbred　was　still　as　a　statue；　though　with　nostrils　flared　wide。
　　〃Now　you　have　given　offense；〃　the　dark…skinned　man　said；　his　voice　still　silky　and　soft。　〃I　see　that　you　can　shoot　from　hiding。　e　now　and　we　will　see　if　you　are　a　man　among　men　with　a　sword　as　well。　I　will　dismount。〃
　　Blaise　stood　up。　〃If　I　thought　you　a　man　I　would　do　so；〃　he　said。　His　voice　sounded　oddly　hollow　to　his　own　ears。　The　too…familiar　pounding　was　in　his　head　and　his　rage　was　still　with　him。　〃I　want　your　horse。　I　will　think　of　you　with　pleasure　when　I　ride　it。〃　And　with　the　words　he　loosed　his　sixth　arrow　and　took　the　Arimondan　through　the　heart。
　　The　man　rocked　violently　backwards　with　the　impact；　clinging　to　his　last　seconds　of　life　under　the　brilliant　sun。　Blaise　saw　him　draw　a　dagger　then；　one　of　the　wickedly　curved；　bejewelled　blades　of　his　own　country；　and　plunge　it；　even　as　he　began　to　topple　from　his　saddle；　deep　into　the　throat　of　his　black　stallion。
　　The　man　hit　the　ground　as　his　horse　surged　high　into　the　air　on　its　hind　legs；　screaming　in　rage　and　fear。　It　came　down　and　rose　again　immediately；　trumpeting；　lashing　out　with　its　hooves。　Blaise　notched　a　last　arrow　and　let　it　fly；　with　passionate　regret；　to　put　the　glorious　creature　out　of　pain。　The　stallion　dropped　and　then　rolled　on　one　side。　Its　legs　kicked　out　one　more　time　and　then　were　motionless。
　　Blaise　stepped　forward；　moving　around　his　own　dead　horse。　The　stillness　in　the　clearing　was　eerie；　broken　only　by　the　nervous　whickering　of　the　archers'　mounts　and　the　sound　of　the　breeze　picking　up　again。　He　realized　that　no　birds　were　singing　now。
　　A　short　while　ago　he　had　imagined　that　the　wind　of　Arbonne　in　the　leaves　and　vines　whispered　of　refreshment　and　ease；　of　easy　grace　here　in　the　warm　south。　Now　there　were　six　dead　men　in　the　grass　by　the　side　of　the　road。　Not　far　away；　looming　in　silence　at　the　end　of　its　avenue　of　elms；　the　massive　arch　looked　down　upon　them　all；　keeping　its　secrets；　bearing　its　own　grim　friezes　of　battle　and　death　carved　long　ago。
　　Blaise's　anger　began　to　drain　away；　leaving　behind　the　disorientation　and　nausea　that　seemed　always　to　follow　bat。　Battle　seldom　hazed　him　now　after　so　many　years　of　it；　but　the　aftermath　left　him　vulnerable　for　a　long　time；　trying　to　e　to　terms　with　what　he　was　capable　of　doing　when　the　fury　of　war　swept　over　him。　He　looked　across　the　grass　at　the　Arimondan　and　shook　his　head。　He　had　wanted；　for　a　moment；　to　walk　over　and　cut　the　dead　man　into　pieces；　to　make　things　easier　for　the　carrion　dogs　when　they　came。　He　swallowed　and　turned　away。
　　As　he　did　he　saw　a　small　boat　with　a　white　sail　pulling　up　to　the　stony　shore　of　the　lake　on　the　far　side　of　the　road。　There　was　a　grating　sound　as　the　craft　grounded　itself；　and　Blaise　saw　two　men　help　a　woman　to　alight。　His　heart　thumped　once；　hard。　The　woman　was　tall；　robed　in　crimson　fringed　with　silver；　and　she　had　an　owl　on　her　shoulder。
　　Then　he　looked　more　closely；　and　with　a　second　glance；　undistorted　by　memory　or　fear；　he　saw　that　this　was　not　the　High　Priestess　from　Rian's　Island　in　the　sea。　This　one　was　much　younger　and　brown…haired　and；　manifestly；　she　had　eyes　with　which　to　see。　Nor　was　her　bird　white；　as　the　one　on　the　other　island　had　been。　She　was　a　priestess；　though；　and　the　two　men　with　her　and　the　one　other　woman　were　also　clergy　of　Rian。　The　boat　was　the　one　he'd　seen　tacking　into　the　wind　before。　Beyond　them；　on　the　isle；　the　three　plumes　of　smoke　still　rose　into　the　summer　sky。
　　〃You　are　fortunate；〃　the　woman　said；　walking　steadily　across　sand　and　gravel　to　stand　before　him　on　the　grass　beside　the　road。　Her　voice　was　mild　but　her　eyes；　appraising　him；　were　steady　and　unreadable。　Her　hair　was　heavy　and　hung　down　her　back；　not　covered　or　pinned。　Blaise　endured　her　scrutiny　impassively；　remembering　the　blindness　of　the　High　Priestess　who　had　seen　right　through　him　nonetheless。　He　looked　at　the　bird　this　one　carried　on　her　shoulder　and　felt　an　echo　of　the　anxiety　he'd　felt　in　the　forest　on　the　island。　It　was　almost　unfair；　the　aftermath　of　bat　left　him　susceptible　to　this。
　　〃I　daresay　I　am；〃　he　said；　as　calmly　as　he　could。　〃I　could　not　have　expected　to　prevail　against　six。　It　seems　the　god　has　favoured　me。〃　That　last　was　a　challenge　of　sorts。
　　She　didn't　rise　to　the　bait。　〃And　Rian　as　well。　We　can　bear　witness　for　you　that　they　attacked　first。〃
　　〃Bear　witness？〃
　　She　smiled　then；　and　that　smile；　too；　took　him　back　to　the　High　Priestess　in　her　night　forest。　〃It　would　have　served　you　better；　Blaise　of　Gorhaut；　to　have　been　more　curious　about　affairs　in　this　part　of　the　world。〃
　　He　didn't　like　her　tone；　and　he　didn't　know　what　she　was　talking　about。　His　uneasiness　increased；　the　women　in　this　country　were　unimaginably　difficult　to　deal　with。
　　〃How　do　you　know　my　name？〃
　　Again　the　secretive；　superior　smile；　but　this　time　he　had　expected　it。　〃Did　you　imagine　that　once　having　been　allowed　to　leave　Rian's　Island　alive　you　were　free　of　the　goddess？　We　have　marked　you；　Northerner。　Thank　us　for　it。〃
　　〃Why？　For　following　me？〃
　　〃Not　following。　We　have　been　waiting　for　you。　We　knew　you　were　ing。　And　as　to　the　why　。。。　hear　now　what　you　should　have　learned　already　for　yourself。　A　fortnight　past；　the　countess　in　Barbentain　had　an　edict　proclaimed　that　any　further　killings　among　the　corans　of　Talair　or　Miraval　would　result　in　property　of　the　offending　party　being　ceded　to　the　crown。　The　troubadours　and　the　clergy　are　carrying　the　tidings；　and　all　the　lords　of　Arbonne　have　been　cited　by　name　and　formally　bound　to　impose　the　edict　by　force　if　need　be。　You　might　have　cost　En　Bertran　a　part　of　his　land　today　had　we　not　been　here　to　give　a　report　in　your　defence。〃
　　Blaise　scowled；　in　part　with　relief；　in　part　because　this　was　indeed　something　he　should　have　made　a　point　of　knowing　before。　〃You　will　forgive　me　if　I　do　not　express　dismay；〃　he　said。　〃I　must　admit　I　would　not　have　valued　his　vineyards　over　my　life；　however　much　he　proposes　to　pay