ggk.asongforarbonne-第93节

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　　Surprisingly；　Ranald　de　Garsenc's　laughter　ended。　He　shook　his　head。　He　said；　〃You　will　not　believe　me；　but　I　told　father　and　the　king　both　that　I　was　prepared　to　let　her　go　if　she　sent　back　the　child。　Neither　would　agree；　not　that　she　would　have　done　so　in　any　case。〃　He　paused。　〃I　faced　summary　execution　if　I　did　not　ride　with　Ademar　to　Aubry　last　autumn。　Ask　the　duke　of　Savaric；　your　brave　new　ally。　He　was　at　that　burning　too；　for　the　same　reason。〃
　　It　was　Blaise's　turn　to　be　silent。　〃I　know　he　was；〃　he　said　at　length。　〃I　know　why　you　were　there；　Ranald。　But　Fulk　de　Savaric　has　made　his　response　to　that　tonight。　He　is　with　us　now。　You　are　about　to　ride　back　to　Cortil。　To　the　ugliness　there。　I　don't　understand。　I　can't　understand。　Ranald；　will　you　not　tell　me　why？〃　There　was　pain　in　the　question。　Every　man　on　the　bridge　heard　it。
　　Slowly　Ranald　de　Garsenc　shook　his　head　again。　〃No；〃　he　said　finally。　〃I　do　not　owe　you　that　much。〃　He　paused；　seeming　more　posed　than　his　younger　brother　on　the　ground　now。　〃Nor　will　I　thank　you　for　not　torturing　me　to　find　the　location　of　the　tunnel。　I　will　say　this　much…〃　he　turned　to　the　duke　of　Talair；　〃…I　am　not　going　back　to　Cortil。　Forget　not；　in　your　urge　to　mock　and　diminish　your　foes；　who　and　what　it　is　you　are　dealing　with。　I　never　forget　it；　not　ever；　during　any　day　or　night　of　my　life。〃
　　He　turned　back　to　his　brother。　〃Farewell；　little　Blaise；　who　would　be　king　of　all　of　us。　I　can　recall　teaching　you　to　use　that　sword　you　carry。　I　wonder　if　you　remember？〃
　　He　turned　then；　and　was　gone　into　night　and　fog；　only　the　drumming　of　his　horse's　hooves　in　the　mist　telling　them　he　was　riding　east。
　　〃Of　course　I　remember；〃　said　Blaise；　to　no　one　in　particular。
　　He　turned　then　and　began　walking　up　the　bridge　towards　the　castle；　past　the　two　dukes　and　all　the　corans；　who　quickly　made　way　for　him。　He　stood　motionless　before　the　portcullis　bars　until　they　had　been　rolled　up　again；　allowing　him　to　pass　within；　into　his　ancestral　home。
　　
　　Feeling　buffeted　by　the　speed　of　events；　Thaune　of　Garsenc　was　more　than　a　little　eased　to　note　heightened　colour　and　hints　of　bemusement　in　the　expressions　of　others　when　they　gathered　in　the　great　hall。
　　There　had　been　no　resistance　in　the　end。　The　announced　arrival　of　Blaise　de　Garsenc；　coupled　with　the　even　more　tangible　presence　of　nearly　a　thousand　armed　men　with　the　duke　of　Savaric；　induced　any　corans　of　Garsenc　who　might　have　been　otherwise　inclined　to　make　their　peace　with　the　current　situation。
　　That　wasn't　the　problem。　The　problem　emerged　when　the　explanations　began；　while　the　castle　servants　scurried　to　provide　wine　and　food　and　sleeping　arrangements；　not　only　for　those　in　the　hall　but　for　the　northern　soldiers；　and　for　the　farmers　who　had　also　e　with　Fulk；　carrying　a　variety　of　arms。
　　It　was　the　presence　of　the　farmers　Fulk　had　been　ordered　to　bring　that　raised　the　issue。　It　was　winter；　after　all。　Corans　often　followed　their　lord　wherever　he　went；　and　it　was　not　unusual　for　a　duke　to　bring　part　of　his　household　with　him　if　he　travelled　to　Cortil　to　spend　the　cold　months　drinking　and　brawling　among　the　retinue　of　the　king。　It　was　a　custom　of　long　standing。　That；　they　had　assumed；　was　why　Garsenc　Castle　was　unlikely　be　heavily　defended。　But　if　the　ordinary　men　of　the　land　were　being　ordered　by　Ademar　to　take　up　arms　in　the　dead　of　winter　something　else　was　afoot。
　　Fulk　de　Savaric　knew　that。　He　didn't　know　what　was　unfolding；　though；　because　he　hadn't　yet　reached　Cortil　when　his　instructions　had　been　changed。　His　tale　was　simple。　He　had　been　instructed　to　bring　as　many　men　south　as　he　could。　Given　the　mood　of　the　king　since　autumn；　Fulk　had　not　regarded　these　orders　as　being　the　sort　he　could　fortably　ignore。　They　were　mobilizing　early　for　an　attack　in　the　spring；　he　had　concluded；　it　had　always　been　the　most　likely　course　of　events。
　　Halfway　to　Cortil　he　had　been　met　by　a　messenger　from　the　High　Elder；　changing　his　orders；　instructing　him　to　turn　west　to　Garsenc　Castle；　and　meet　Galbert　there。　There　was　a　threat　from　the　south；　the　messenger　reported；　treachery　abroad　in　the　wintry　heartland　of　Gorhaut。　Fulk　knew；　as　most　of　Gorhaut　had　known　by　then；　that　Blaise　de　Garsenc　had　claimed　the　throne　last　autumn。
　　Duke　Fulk　was　his　own　man；　if　he　lacked　his　father's　flamboyance　or　the　confidence　of　the　monarch　that　Cadar　de　Savaric　had　had。　He'd　turned　his　thousand　men　as　ordered；　riding　along　a　valley　path　laced　with　snow；　but　he　had　stopped　them　by　a　frozen　river　bed　two　days　later；　a　half　day's　ride　still　from　Garsenc　Castle。　And　there；　under　grey　skies；　he　had　made　a　speech。
　　He　was　not　a　man　for　speeches；　nor　were　the　men　of　the　north　greatly　inclined　to　listen　to　orations；　especially　in　the　cold。　What　he　said　was　as　terse　and　clear　as　he　could　make　it；　and　the　words　marked　a　changing　of　his　life。　He　would　have　denied　that　Aubry　had　led　him　to　that　moment；　but　he　wouldn't　have　said　it　had　nothing　to　do　with　it；　either。
　　He　had　never　liked　the　Treaty　of　Iersen　Bridge；　he　told　his　assembled　men；　shouting　the　words　into　the　rising　wind。　He　had　never　liked　the　authority　the　High　Elder　of　Corannos　had　over　an　increasingly　self…indulgent　king。　He　felt　contempt　and　real　anger　for　the　way　in　which　a　quarter　of　the　people　of　Gorhaut　had　been　dispossessed　of　their　land　and　ordered　to　find　shelter　somewhere；　anywhere；　while　the　king　and　his　High　Elder　plotted　a　conquest　in　the　south。　Fulk　de　Savaric　did　not　think　they　could　hold　any　lands　they　took　south　of　the　passes；　they　wouldn't　be　allowed　to；　he　said；　by　the　other　countries　of　their　world。　The　balance　would　be　too　greatly　shifted。　They　would　only　trade　a　border　war　with　Valensa　for　an　enormous　bat　against　all　the　other　nations；　and　the　Arbonnais；　he　said；　would　die　before　they　lay　quiet　under　a　Gorhaut　yoke　of　occupation。　They　would　be　forced　out　of　Arbonne；　he　told　his　men；　leaving　ruin　and　ashes　and　legions　of　the　dead　behind　them。
　　That；　said　Fulk；　probably　didn't　even　matter　to　the　High　Elder；　whose　war　this　was。　The　real　point　of　what　was　happening　now　had　little　to　do　with　land　for　the　dispossessed　of　the　north。　Galbert　wanted　only　to　destroy　Arbonne　and　its　goddess；　and　the　Treaty　of　Iersen　Bridge　had　been　the　first　devious　step　towards　that。　Fulk　de　Savaric　didn't　much　care　either　way　about　Arbonne's　goddess；　she　had　never　bothered　him；　he　said　by　that　frozen　river。　What　did　bother　him；　what　enraged　him；　he　said；　were　the　uprooted　people　of　the　northlands。　Their　king　had　sold　them　to　Valensa　for　silver　and　gold；　to　raise　an　army　for　burning　women　in　Arbonne。
　　There　were　others；　he　told　his　silent　pany；　who　felt　the　same　way　as　he。　Blaise　de　Garsenc；　the　younger　son　of　the　High　Elder　was　probably　known　to　many　of　them。　He　wasn't　even　a　northlander；　but　he　had　left　Gorhaut　entirely　rather　than　live　with　the　terms　of　the　Treaty　of　Iersen　Bridge。　He　was　very　likely　ing　home　now；　perhaps　even　tonight；　leading　a　rising　against　these　very　wrongs　Fulk　was　speaking　of。　The　duke　proposed　to　join　him；　for　the　honour　of　the　northland　and　in　memory　of　his　father　and　King　Duergar　who　had　truly　loved　and　served　Gorhaut。　He　invited　those　of　his　army　who　thought　the　same　thing　and　who　trusted　his　judgment　to　e　with　him。　Those　who　felt　otherwise　were　free　to　leave；　with　his　honest　gratitude　for　their　service　in　the　past。
　　That　was　all　he　said。　Wind　blew　down　the　valley；　sliding　snow　into　mounds　on　the　banks　of　the　frozen　river；　shaking　it　down　from　the　branches　of　bare　trees。
　　Eighteen　men　left；　from　a　pany　of　almost　a　thousand。
　　The　men　of　the　northland　had　their　own　hard　creed；　always；　and　the　lords　of　Savaric　had　seldom　played　them　false；　whatever　the　kings　in　Cortil　might　have　done。　Duke　Cadar　de　Savaric　had　died　defending　their　lands　and　his　own　at　Iersen　Bridge。　His　son　had　shepherded　the　interests　of　the　north　with　a　cautious　diligence　in　the　upheavals　that　followed　King　Ademar's　accession　and　the　treaty　he　had　signed。　If　the　time　for　caution　now　had　ended；　the　time　for　loyalty　had　not；　and　loyalty　to　the　north　was　the　first　law　of　the　north。
　　Not　a　man　prone　to　the　sweep　of　powerful　emotions；　Fulk　de　Savaric　had　nonetheless　been　moved　by　what　had　followed　his　words　on　that　wintry　afternoon。　He　was　speaking　treason；　after　all。
　　There　was　no　shouting　when　he　ended；　no　cries　of　approval　or　swift　cheers　raised　in　his　name。　That　was　not　their　way。　There　was　only　the　grim；　stern　silence　that　had　always　defined　the　north；　as　six　horsemen　and　twelve　men　on　foot　detached　themselves　from　the　pany；　to　proceed　east　from　that　icy　stream　towards　Cortil　and　King　Ademar；　who　was　still；　when　all　else　was　said　and　done；　the　anointed　of　the　god。
　　The　rest　had　followed　him　here　to　Garsenc　Castle　and　would　follow　him　now；　he　said　soberly　to　Blaise　and　Bertran　and　the　others　gathered　in　the　great　hall；　wherever　he　asked　them　to　go。
　　〃That　last；〃　said　Blaise；　〃is　the　real　question；　I　fear。〃　He　seemed　to　have　gradually　recovered　his　posure　after　the　encounters　with　his　father　and　brother。　〃We　had　planned　to　take　this　castle；　use　it　as　a　winter　base；　a　rallying　point；　for　any　men　who　might　join　our　cause；　and　then　see　what　the　spring　brought　us；　in