ggk.asongforarbonne-第94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！


ought　us；　in　numbers　and　possibilities。　I　didn't　propose　to　fight　a　war　in　winter。〃
　　〃We　did　once；　in　the　time　leading　up　to　Iersen　Bridge；〃　said　Fulk　de　Savaric。
　　〃I　know　that。　I　was　there。　That　was　against　an　invader；　with　no　choice　offered　us。　There's　another　thing：　I　don't　want　to　begin　attacking　across　the　countryside　myself；　ruining　castles　or　towns。　If　I　possibly　can　I　want　this　to　end　up　as　one　battle　against　Ademar　and　only　one。　My　army…if　I　have　one…against　his　on　a　field　somewhere。　If　I　am　to　e　home　as　the　saviour　of　Gorhaut…the　man　who　takes　us　back　to　the　god　and　our　true　destiny…I　can't　begin　by　killing　my　own　people　and　destroying　their　homes　and　fields。　I　won't　do　that；　Fulk；　for　the　same　reason　I　won't　invade　with　an　army　from　Arbonne。〃
　　〃Did　they　offer　you　one？〃　Fulk　de　Savaric　asked。
　　Blaise　turned　to　Bertran　de　Talair。　The　duke's　expression　was　oddly　inward；　Thaune　saw；　as　if　he　hadn't　been　closely　following　the　last　part　of　the　conversation。　And　a　moment　later；　Thaune　realized　that　this；　in　fact；　was　so。
　　〃Do　you　remember；〃　Bertran　asked　Blaise　softly；　not　answering　the　question；　〃what　your　brother　said　just　before　he　left？　His　last　words　to　me？〃　There　was　something　strange　in　his　voice；　something　that　made　the　room　feel　cold　again；　despite　the　fires　now　burning　on　all　the　hearths。　Thaune；　by　the　doorway　to　the　corridor；　tried　to　remember　what　it　was　that　Ranald　de　Garsenc　had　said。
　　〃He　said　he　wasn't　going　back　to　Cortil。〃　Blaise　had　been　standing　by　the　largest　of　the　fires。　Now　he　took　two　steps　towards　the　duke　of　Talair　and　stopped。
　　〃Would　he　have　been　telling　you　something？〃　asked　Rudel　Correze　sharply。　He　rose　from　his　seat。　〃Because　if　he　was　。。。　〃
　　〃If　he　was；〃　Duke　Bertran　finished　flatly；　〃then　we　know　why　Fulk　was　ordered　to　bring　all　the　men　he　could。　And　why　your　brother　wasn't　going　to　Cortil。　Ademar　isn't　at　Cortil。〃
　　〃How　did　you　e　through　the　mountains？〃　Fulk　de　Savaric　asked　abruptly。　He；　too；　had　now　risen　from　his　chair。
　　〃Lesser　Gaillard　Pass　to　the　west；〃　said　Blaise。　〃There　were　only　fifty　of　us；　no　wagons　or　goods。　We　didn't　want　to　be　seen。　We　might　have　been　spotted　had　we　gone　through　the　High　Road　Pass。〃
　　〃Of　course；〃　said　Fulk。　〃But　if　En　Bertran　is　right　about　this　then　Ademar　and　his　army　were　moving　south　from　Cortil　towards　the　High　Road　Pass　even　while　we　were　ing　north。〃　Bertran　de　Talair　had　put　down　his　wine　glass。　His　face；　Thaune　saw；　was　very　white；　an　old　scar　showing　in　sharp　relief。　〃That　is　what　has　happened；　I　am　certain　of　it。　It　fits　what　we　know。　They　decided　not　to　wait　for　spring；　after　all。　This　is　a　winter　war；　my　friends。　In　Arbonne。　They　might　even　be　there　already。〃
　　〃And　what　do　we　do　here　with　a　thousand　men？　Capture　Cortil？　Raise　the　country　in　revolt？〃　Rudel　Correze's　eyes　were　bright　in　the　firelight。　Blaise　said　nothing；　his　eyes　were　on　the　duke　of　Talair。
　　〃There　is　no　country　to　raise；〃　said　Fulk　de　Savaric　slowly。　〃All　of　the　men　who　can　fight　will　be　with　the　king。　I　think　I　see　what　he　is　thinking：　he　doesn't　care　what　you　do　here。　If　he　takes　Arbonne　quickly　enough…and　it　will　probably　be　wide　open　to　him　now　in　winter；　however　many　men　he　loses　to　the　mountains…he　can　e　home　with　an　army　in　triumph　from　the　sack　of　that　land　and　deal　with　us　in　spring；　wherever　Blaise　is。〃
　　〃That　isn't　Ademar　thinking；　you　do　realize；〃　said　Blaise　finally。　You　could　hear　the　bitterness。　〃This　is　my　father's　cunning；　and　his　dream。　He　has　always　wanted　Arbonne　destroyed。　Always。　He　told　me　stories　as　a　boy　of　how　the　temples　of　Rian　had　to　be　brought　down　to　save　the　whole　world　from　their　corruption。　And　he　knows　me。　He　knew　I　would　not　bring　an　army　here；　that　Ademar　would　be　safe　to　leave　Gorhaut　almost　undefended；　and　then　e　back；　as　Fulk　says；　to　deal　with　whatever　happens　while　he's　gone。〃　He　turned　to　Bertran。　〃You　know　what　he's　going　to　do；　don't　you？〃
　　The　other　man's　expression　was　bleak　as　the　winter　night。　Slowly　he　nodded　his　head。　〃He　won't　bother　with　the　castles　or　the　cities。　He　won't　try　sieges　in　winter。　He's　going　to　force　our　corans　out　by　making　war　on　the　villages　and　the　temples。　As　he　did　at　Aubry。〃
　　〃As　he　did　at　Aubry；〃　echoed　Blaise。
　　〃Shall　we　ride；　then？〃　asked　Fulk　de　Savaric。　〃You　wanted　one　battle；　Blaise。　It　looks　as　if　you　might　get　it；　but　it　will　be　in　Arbonne。〃
　　〃Of　course　it　will；〃　said　the　duke　of　Talair　with　savage　irony。　〃It　is　warmer　there；　isn't　it？　The　sun　shines；　even　in　winter。　If　you　go　far　enough　south　there's　no　snow　at　all。　You　can　even　catch　the　scent　of　the　sea。〃
　　〃Through　the　smoke；〃　said　Blaise　shortly。　〃Let's　go。〃
　　They　left　two　hundred　of　Fulk's　men　to　hold　Garsenc　Castle　and　to　spread　word　as　best　they　could　that　they　were　there。　The　rest　of　their　pany　set　out　that　same　night　in　the　fog　and　the　cold　on　the　long　road　back　to　the　mountains。　At　one　point　during　the　night　the　mist　finally　began　to　lift　and　they　caught　a　glimpse　through　tattered　windblown　clouds　of　white　Vidonne　low　in　the　west　before　morning　came。
　　
　　CHAPTER　16
　　Roche　the　priest　was　in　disgrace　on　Rian's　Island　in　the　sea。　Someone　foraging　for　winter　firewood　had　smelled　burning　by　a　cove　on　the　southern　shoreline　and　had　gone　to　investigate；　the　risk　of　the　forests　burning；　though　rather　less　in　winter；　was　always　real。　A　small　fire…pit　had　been　found；　dug　in　the　cold　sand；　covered　with　a　flat　slab　of　stone。　Lifting　the　stone　with　a　long　branch　revealed　half　a　dozen　lampfish　grilling　underneath。
　　Roche　would　have　even　tried　to　deny　being　the　culprit；　had　he　not　been　discovered　moments　later　by　the　same　interfering　woodsman　in　a　small　shelter　not　far　away；　dozing　in　happy　anticipation　with　a　fishing　line　beside　him　and　the　smell　of　fish　on　his　hands。
　　Awakened　by　an　insolent　prod　of　the　woodsman's　branch；　he　had　stammered　an　offer　to　share　his　morning's　secret　catch　under　the　mild　winter　sun　while　they　looked　out　from　the　beach　at　the　gentle　swells　of　the　sea。　The　woodsman　was　not　moved；　either　by　the　idyllic　setting　nor　even　the　succulent　promise　of　lampfish。　He　was　one　of　those　depressingly　pious　fellows　who　left　their　homes　after　some　night　vision　or　other　to　e　and　serve　the　goddess　on　her　island；　labouring　for　the　priests　and　priestesses；　often　being　more　sturdily　attached　to　the　doctrines　and　codes　of　conduct　than　the　clergy　were　themselves。
　　It　was　fixed　law；　the　woodsman　pronounced　with　obdurate；　finger…wagging　satisfaction；　that　all　fish　and　fowl　around　the　shores　of　the　island　were　interdicted　to　mortal　men　and　women；　sacred；　he　intoned　virtuously；　to　holy　Rian　in　her　incarnation　as　protectress　of　the　beasts。
　　Roche　tried；　without　real　hope；　to　explain　that　this　applied　only　to　fishermen　or　hunters　from　the　mainland。　As　he'd　expected；　the　woodsman　knew　better　than　that。　Such　an　impiety；　the　man　declared　self…righteously；　would　have　to　be　taken　directly　to　the　High　Priestess　herself。　He　shouldered　his　bundle　of　wood；　took　the　reins　of　his　equally　burdened　donkey　and　started　briskly　back　north　towards　the　temple　pound。　They　always　wanted　to　go　straight　to　the　High　Priestess；　Roche　thought　miserably；　watching　him　go。　As　if　she　had　nothing　better　to　do　than　listen　to　reports　of　minor　transgressions　by　her　priests　and　priestesses。
　　This　was；　however；　his　third　such　minor　transgression…for　the　same　offence…in　a　year。　Despairingly；　he　wondered　if　he　would　be　sent　away；　demoted　to　service　in　some　temple　in　the　grainlands　or　the　mountains。　He　didn't　want　to　leave　Rian's　Island。　He　didn't　want　to　leave　the　sea。　He'd　grown　up　by　the　ocean；　it　was　what　he　knew　and　loved…as　he　loved　the　gracious　harvests　Rian　in　her　generosity　allowed　them　from　the　waves。　Especially　lampfish；　most　especially　lampfish。
　　Morosely　depressed；　cursing　his　own　weakness　and　the　fact　that　he'd　been　stupid　enough　to　fall　asleep　so　near　the　fire…pit；　he　considered　catching　up　to　the　woodsman；　trying　to　forestall　him；　or　concocting　some　tale　that　would　serve　his　cause　before　they　both　got　back　to　the　pound。　There　was；　he　decided　glumly；　no　point。　Roche　felt　so　miserable　he　almost　lost　his　appetite。
　　The　fish　were　ready；　he　could　tell　from　the　wafting　aroma。　With　a　heavy　sigh；　Roche　went　back　to　the　fire…pit　and　looked　sadly　down　on　his　six　treasures　sizzling　invitingly　beneath　their　carefully　assembled　and　sprinkled　herbs。　As　he　did　so　he　was　somewhat　surprised；　given　the　extreme　gravity　of　his　plight；　to　discover　that　his　hunger　seemed　to　be　returning　after　all。
　　He　wandered　back　to　the　pound　somewhat　later；　though　in　plenty　of　time　for　his　tour　of　duty　in　the　temple。　He　was　a　good　priest；　Roche　told　himself；　he　just　liked　fish。
　　
　　As　he'd　anticipated；　he　was　ordered　to　attend　upon　the　High　Priestess　forthwith。　He　saw　the　woodsman　with　his　donkey　by　the　bakehouse　door。　The　man　looked　smugly　virtuous　as　Roche　walked　past。　Wiping　his　mouth　and　rubbing　at　the　stains　on　his　robe；　Roche　ignored　him　as　best　he　could。
　　On　the　far　side　of　the　temple　dome；　where　the　High　Priestess　and　the　Inner　Circle　had　their　chambers　and　meeting　rooms；　Roche　was　admitted　by　a　stone…faced　woman　from　Cauvas。　He　had　never　liked　people　from　Cauvas…or　anywhere　inland；