rj.thegreathunt-第135节

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　　　　　　　〃…　you'd　be　dead。　And　little　good　you'd　be　then；　to　yourself　or　them。　Now　get　on　your　feet　and　brush　off　your　dress。〃　Nynaeve　rummaged　in　her　saddlebags　for　a　hairbrush。　〃And　fix　your　hair。〃
　　　　　　　Elayne　got　up　slowly；　and　took　the　brush　with　a　small　laugh。　〃You　sound　like　Lini；　my　old　nurse。〃　She　began　to　run　the　brush　through　her　hair；　wincing　as　tangles　pulled。　〃But　how　are　we　going　to　help　them；　Nynaeve？　You　may　be　as　strong　as　a　full　sister　when　you　are　angry；　but　they　have　women　who　can　channel；　too。　I　cannot　think　they're　Aes　Sedai；　but　they　might　as　well　be。　We　do　not　even　know　in　which　direction　they　took　them。〃
　　　　　　　〃West；〃　Nynaeve　said。　〃That　creature　Suroth　mentioned　Falme；　and　that's　as　far　west　on　Toman　Head　as　you　can　go。　We　will　go　to　Falme。　I　hope　Liandrin　is　there。　I　will　make　her　curse　the　day　her　mother　laid　eyes　on　her　father。　But　first　I　think　we　had　better　find　some　clothes　of　the　country。　I've　seen　Taraboner　and　Domani　women　in　the　Tower；　and　what　they　wear　is　nothing　like　what　we　have　on。　We　would　stand　out　in　Falme　as　strangers。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　would　not　mind　a　Domani　dress　…　though　Mother　would　surely　have　a　fit　if　she　ever　found　out　I'd　worn　one；　and　Lini　would　never　let　me　hear　the　end　of　it　…　but　even　if　we　find　a　village；　can　we　afford　new　dresses？　I　have　no　idea　how　much　money　you　have；　but　I　have　only　ten　gold　marks　and　perhaps　twice　that　in　silver。　That　will　keep　us　two　or　three　weeks；　but　I　don't　know　what　we　will　do　after　that。〃
　　　　　　　〃A　few　months　as　a　novice　in　Tar　Valon；〃　Nynaeve　said；　laughing；　〃has　not　stopped　you　thinking　like　the　heir　to　a　throne。　I　don't　have　a　tenth　what　you　do；　but　altogether　it　will　keep　us　two　or　three　months；　in　fort。　Longer；　if　we　are　careful。　I　have　no　intention　of　buying　us　dresses；　and　they　won't　be　new　in　any　case。　My　gray　silk　dress　will　do　us　some　good；　with　all　those　pearls　and　that　gold　thread。　If　I　can't　find　a　woman　who　will　trade　us　each　two　or　three　sturdy　changes　for　that；　I　will　give　you　this　ring；　and　I　will　be　the　novice。〃　She　swung　up　into　her　saddle　and　reached　a　hand　down　to　pull　Elayne　up　behind　her。
　　　　　　　〃What　are　we　going　to　do　when　we　reach　Falme？〃　Elayne　asked　as　she　settled　on　the　mare's　rump。
　　　　　　　〃I　won't　know　that　until　we　are　there。〃　Nynaeve　paused；　letting　the　horse　stand。　〃Are　you　sure　you　want　to　do　this？　It　will　be　dangerous。〃
　　　　　　　〃More　dangerous　than　it　is　for　Egwene　and　Min？　They　would　e　after　us　if　our　circumstances　were　reversed；　I　know　they　would。　Are　we　going　to　stay　here　all　day？〃　Elayne　dug　her　heels　in；　and　the　mare　started　off。
　　　　　　　Nynaeve　turned　the　horse　until　the　sun；　still　short　of　its　noonday　crest；　shone　at　their　backs。　〃We　are　going　to　have　to　be　cautious。　The　Aes　Sedai　we　know　can　recognize　a　woman　who　can　channel　just　by　being　within　arm's　length　of　her。　These　Aes　Sedai　may　be　able　to　pick　us　out　of　a　crowd　if　they　are　looking　for　us；　and　we　had　better　assume　they　are。〃　They　were　certainly　looking　for　Egwene　and　me。　But　why？
　　　　　　　〃Yes；　cautious。　You　were　right　before；　too。　We　will　not　do　them　any　good　letting　ourselves　be　caught　as　well。〃　Elayne　was　silent　for　a　moment。　〃Do　you　think　it　was　all　lies；　Nynaeve？　What　Liandrin　told　us　about　Rand　being　in　danger？　And　the　others？　Aes　Sedai　do　not　lie。〃
　　　　　　　It　was　Nynaeve's　turn　to　be　silent；　remembering　Sheriam　telling　her　of　the　oaths　a　woman　took　on　being　raised　to　full　sisterhood；　oaths　spoken　inside　a　ter'angreal　that　bound　her　to　keep　them。　To　speak　no　word　that　is　not　true。　That　was　one；　but　everyone　knew　that　the　truth　an　Aes　Sedai　said　might　not　be　the　truth　you　thought　you　heard。　〃I　expect　Rand　is　warming　his　feet　in　front　of　Lord　Agelmar's　fire　in　Fal　Dara　this　minute；〃　she　said。　I　can't　worry　about　him；　now。　I　have　to　think　about　Egwene　and　Min。
　　　　　　　〃I　suppose　he　is；〃　Elayne　said　with　a　sigh。　She　shifted　behind　the　saddle。　〃If　it　is　very　far　to　Falme；　Nynaeve；　I　expect　to　ride　in　the　saddle　half　the　time。　This　is　not　a　very　fortable　seat。　We　will　never　reach　Falme　at　all　if　you　let　this　horse　set　her　own　pace　the　whole　way。〃
　　　　　　　Nynaeve　booted　the　mare　to　a　quick　trot；　and　Elayne　yelped　and　caught　at　her　cloak。　Nynaeve　told　herself　that　she　would　take　a　turn　riding　behind　and　not　plain　if　Elayne　put　the　horse　to　a　gallop；　but　for　the　most　part　she　ignored　the　gasps　of　the　woman　bouncing　behind　her。　She　was　too　busy　hoping　that　by　the　time　they　reached　Falme；　she　could　stop　being　afraid　and　start　being　angry。
　　　　　　　The　breeze　freshened；　cool　and　brisk　with　a　hint　of　cold　yet　to　e。　

Chapter　41
（Ruby…Hilted　Dagger）
Disagreements

　　　　　　　Thunder　rumbled　across　the　slate…dark　afternoon　sky。　Rand　pulled　the　hood　of　his　cloak　further　up；　hoping　to　keep　at　least　some　of　the　cold　rain　off。　Red　stepped　through　muddy　puddles　doggedly。　The　hood　hung　sodden　around　Rand's　head；　as　the　rest　of　the　cloak　did　around　his　shoulders；　and　his　fine　black　coat　was　just　as　wet；　and　as　cold。　The　temperature　would　not　have　far　to　drop　before　snow　or　sleet　came　down　instead　of　rain。　Snow　would　fall　soon；　again；　the　people　in　the　village　they　had　passed　through　said　two　snows　had　already　e　this　year。　Shivering；　Rand　almost　wished　it　was　snowing。　Then；　at　least；　he　would　not　be　soaked　to　the　skin。
　　　　　　　The　column　plodded　along；　keeping　a　wary　eye　on　the　rolling　country。　Ingtar's　Gray　Owl　hung　heavily　even　when　the　wind　gusted。　Hurin　sometimes　pulled　his　cowl　back　to　sniff　the　air；　he　said　neither　rain　nor　cold　had　any　effect　on　a　trail；　certainly　not　on　the　kind　of　trail　he　was　seeking；　but　so　far　the　sniffer　had　found　nothing。　Behind　him；　Rand　heard　Uno　mutter　a　curse。　Loial　kept　checking　his　saddlebags；　he　did　not　seem　to　mind　getting　wet　himself；　but　he　worried　continually　about　his　books。　Everyone　was　miserable　except　for　Verin；　who　appeared　too　lost　in　thought　to　even　notice　that　her　hood　had　slid　back；　exposing　her　face　to　the　rain。
　　　　　　　〃Can't　you　do　something　about　this？〃　Rand　demanded　of　her。　A　small　voice　in　the　back　of　his　head　told　him　he　could　do　it　himself。　All　he　need　do　was　embrace　saidin。　So　sweet；　the　call　of　saidin。　To　be　filled　with　the　One　Power；　to　be　one　with　the　storm。　Turn　the　skies　to　sunlight；　or　ride　the　storm　as　it　raged；　whip　it　to　fury　and　scour　Toman　Head　clean　from　the　sea　to　the　plain。　Embrace　saidin。　He　suppressed　the　longing　ruthlessly。
　　　　　　　The　Aes　Sedai　gave　a　start。　〃What？　Oh。　I　suppose。　A　little。　I　couldn't　stop　a　storm　this　big；　not　by　myself　…　it　covers　too　much　area　…　but　I　could　lessen　it　some。　Where　we　are；　at　least。〃　She　wiped　rain　from　her　face；　seemed　to　realize　for　the　first　time　that　her　hood　had　slipped；　and　pulled　it　back　up　absently。
　　　　　　　〃Then　why　don't　you？〃　Mat　said。　The　shivering　face　peering　out　from　under　his　hood　looked　at　death's　door；　but　his　voice　was　vigorous。
　　　　　　　〃Because　if　I　used　that　much　of　the　One　Power；　any　Aes　Sedai　closer　than　ten　miles　would　know　someone　had　channeled。　We　don't　want　to　bring　these　Seanchan　down　on　us　with　some　of　their　damane。〃　Her　mouth　tightened　angrily。
　　　　　　　They　had　learned　a　little　of　the　invaders　in　that　village；　called　Atuan's　Mill；　though　most　of　what　they　had　heard　hatched　more　questions　than　it　answered。　The　people　had　babbled　one　moment　and　clamped　their　mouths　shut　the　next；　trembling　and　looking　over　their　shoulders。　They　all　shook　with　fear　that　the　Seanchan　would　return　with　their　monsters　and　their　damane。　That　women　who　should　have　been　Aes　Sedai　were　instead　leashed　like　animals　frightened　the　villagers　even　more　than　the　strange　creatures　the　Seanchan　manded；　things　the　folk　of　Atuan's　Mill　could　only　describe　in　whispers　as　ing　from　nightmares。　And　worst　of　all；　the　examples　the　Seanchan　had　made　before　leaving　still　chilled　the　people　to　their　marrow。　They　had　buried　their　dead；　but　they　feared　to　clean　away　the　large　charred　patch　in　the　village　square。　None　of　them　would　say　what　had　happened　there；　but　Hurin　had　vomited　as　soon　as　they　entered　the　village；　and　he　would　not　go　near　the　blackened　ground。
　　　　　　　Atuan's　Mill　had　been　half　deserted。　Some　had　fled　to　Falme；　thinking　the　Seanchan　would　not　be　so　harsh　in　a　town　they　held　fast；　and　others　had　gone　east。　More　had　said　they　were　thinking　of　it。　There　was　fighting　on　Almoth　Plain；　Taraboners　battling　Domani　it　was　said；　but　such　houses　and　barns　as　were　burned　there　were　kindled　by　torches　in　the　hands　of　men。　Even　a　war　was　easier　to　face　than　what　the　Seanchan　had　done；　what　they　might　do。
　　　　　　　〃Why　did　Fain　bring　the　Horn　here？〃　Perrin　muttered。　The　question　had　been　asked　by　each　of　them　at　one　time　or　another；　and　no　one　had　an　answer。　〃There's　war；　and　these　Seanchan；　and　their　monsters。　Why　here？〃
　　　　　　　Ingtar　turned　in　his　saddle　to　look　back　at　them。　His　face　appeared　almost　as　haggard　as　Mat's。　〃There　are　always　men　who　see　chances　for　their　own　advantage　in　the　confusion　of　war。　Fain　is　one　like　that。　No　doubt　he　thinks　to　steal　the　Horn　again；　from　the　Dark　One　this　time；　and　use　it　for　his　own　profit。〃
　　　　　　　〃The　Father　of　Lies　never　lays　simple　plans；〃　Verin　said。　〃It　may　be　that　he　wants　Fain　to　bring　the　Horn　here　for　some　reason　known　only　in　Shayol　Ghul。〃
　　　　　　　〃Monsters；〃　Mat　snorted。　His　cheeks　were　sunken；　now；　his　eyes　hollow。　T