rj.theshadowrising-第119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！


　　　　　　　A　silence　descended　on　them；　until　at　last　Tam　said　quietly；　〃Lad；　about　your　family。　I've　sad　news。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　know；〃　Perrin　said　quickly；　and　the　hush　fell　again；　with　each　staring　at　his　own　boots。　Quiet　was　what　was　needed。　A　few　moments　to　pull　back　from　painful　emotions　and　the　embarrassment　of　having　them　plain　on　your　face。
　　　　　　　Wings　fluttered；　and　Perrin　looked　up　to　see　a　large　raven　alighting　in　an　oak　fifty　paces　away；　beady　black　eyes　sharp　on　the　three　men。　His　hand　darted　for　his　quiver；　but　even　as　he　drew　fletchings　to　cheek；　two　arrows　knocked；　the　raven　from　its　perch。　Tam　and　Abell　were　already　nocking　anew；　eyes　scanning　the　trees　and　sky　for　more　of　the　black　birds。　There　was　nothing。
　　　　　　　Tam's　shot　had　taken　the　raven　in　the　head；　which　was　no　surprise　and　no　accident。　Perrin　had　not　lied　when　he　told　Faile　these　two　men　were　better　than　he　with　the　bow。　No　one　in　the　Two　Rivers　could　match　Tam's　shooting。
　　　　　　　〃Filthy　things；〃　Abell　muttered；　putting　a　foot　on　the　bird　to　pull　his　arrow　free。　Cleaning　the　arrow　point　in　the　dirt；　he　returned　it　to　his　quiver。　〃They're　everywhere　nowadays。〃
　　　　　　　〃The　Aes　Sedai　told　us　about　them；〃　Tam　said；　〃spying　for　the　Fades；　and　we　spread　the　word。　The　Women's　Circle　did；　too。　Nobody　paid　much　mind　until　they　started　attacking　sheep；　though；　pecking　out　eyes；　killing　some。　The　clip　will　be　bad　enough　this　year　without　that。　Not　that　it　matters　much；　I　suppose。　Between　Whitecloaks　and　Trollocs；　I　doubt　we'll　see　any　merchants　after　our　wool　this　year。〃
　　　　　　　〃Some　fool　has　gone　crazy　over　it；〃　Abell　added。　〃Maybe　more　than　one。　We've　found　all　sorts　of　dead　animals。　Rabbits；　deer；　foxes；　even　a　bear。　Killed　and　left　to　rot。　Most　not　even　skinned。　It's　a　man；　or　men；　not　Trollocs；　I　found　boot　prints。　A　big　man；　but　too　small　for　a　Trolloc。　A　shame　and　a　waste。〃
　　　　　　　Slayer。　Slayer　here；　and　not　just　in　the　wolf　dream。　Slayer　and　Trollocs。　The　man　in　the　dream　had　seemed　familiar。　Perrin　scuffed　dirt　and　leaves　over　the　dead　raven　with　his　boot。　There　would　be　plenty　of　time　for　Trollocs　later。　A　lifetime；　if　need　be。　〃I　promised　Mat　I'd　look　after　Bode　and　Eldrin；　Master　Cauthon。　How　hard　will　it　he　to　get　them；　and　the　others；　free？〃
　　　　　　　〃Hard；〃　Abell　sighed；　his　face　sagging。　Suddenly　he　looked　his　age　and　more。　〃Powerful　hard。　I　got　close　enough　to　see　Natti　after　they　took　her；　walking　outside　the　tent　where　they're　holding　everybody。　I　could　see　her　with　a　couple　of　hundred　Whitecloaks　between　us。　I　got　a　little　careless；　and　one　of　them　put　an　arrow　through　me。　If　Tam　hadn't　hauled　me　back　here　to　the　Aes　Sedai。。。〃
　　　　　　　〃It's　a　good…sized　camp；〃　Tam　said；　〃right　under　Watch　Hill。　Seven　or　eight　hundred　men。　Patrols；　day　and　night；　with　the　heaviest　concentration　from　Watch　Hill　down　to　Emond's　Field。　If　they　spread　out　more；　it　would　make　things　easier　for　us；　but　except　for　a　hundred　men　or　so　at　Taren　Ferry；　they've　just　about　given　the　rest　of　the　Two　Rivers　over　to　the　Trollocs。　It's　bad　down　around　Deven　Ride；　I　hear。　Another　farm　burned　almost　every　night。　The　same　between　Watch　Hill　and　the　River　Taren。　Bringing　Natti　and　the　others　out　will　be　hard；　and　after；　we'll　have　to　hope　the　Aes　Sedai　will　let　them　stay　here。　That　pair　aren't　too　pleased　at　anyone　knowing　where　they　are。〃
　　　　　　　〃Surely　someone　will　hide　them；〃　Perrin　protested。　〃You　can't　tell　me　everyone's　turned　their　backs　on　you。　They　don't　really　believe　you're　Darkfriends？〃　Even　as　he　said　it；　he　was　remembering　Cenn　Buie。
　　　　　　　〃No；　not　that；〃　Tam　said；　〃except　for　a　few　fools。　Plenty　of　folk　will　give　us　a　meal；　or　a　night　in　the　barn；　sometimes　even　a　bed；　but　you　have　to　understand　they're　uneasy　about　helping　people　the　Whitecloaks　are　chasing。　It's　nothing　to　blame　them　for。　Things　are　stone　hard；　and　most　men　are　trying　to　look　after　their　own　families　the　best　they　can；　Asking　someone　to　take　in　Natti　and　the　girls；　Haral　and　Alsbet。。。　Well；　it　might　be　asking　too　much。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　thought　better　of　Two　Rivers　folk　than　that；〃　Perrin　muttered。
　　　　　　　Abell　managed　a　weak　smile。　〃Most　people　feel　caught　between　two　millstones；　Perrin。　They're　just　hoping　they　aren't　ground　to　flour　between　Whitecloaks　and　Trollocs。〃
　　　　　　　〃They　should　stop　hoping　and　do　something。〃　For　a　moment　Perrin　felt　abashed。　He　had　not　been　living　here；　he　had　no　idea　what　it　was　like。　But　he　was　still　right。　As　long　as　the　people　hid　behind　the　Children　of　the　Light；　they　would　have　to　put　up　with　whatever　the　Children　wanted　to　do；　whether　taking　books　or　arresting　women　and　girls。　〃Tomorrow　I'll　take　a　look　at　this　Whitecloak　camp。　There　has　to　be　some　way　to　free　them。　And　once　they　are；　we　can　turn　our　attention　to　Trollocs。　A　Warder　once　told　me　Trollocs　call　the　Aiel　Waste　'the　Dying　Ground。'　I　mean　to　make　them　give　that　name　to　the　Two　Rivers。〃
　　　　　　　〃Perrin；〃　Tam　began；　then　stopped；　looking　troubled。
　　　　　　　Perrin　knew　his　eyes　caught　the　light；　there　in　the　shadows　under　the　oak。　His　face　felt　carved　from　rock。
　　　　　　　Tam　sighed。　〃First　we'll　see　about　Natti　and　the　others。　Then　we　can　decide　what　to　do　about　the　Trollocs。　〃
　　　　　　　〃Don't　let　it　eat　you　inside；　boy；〃　Abell　said　softly。　〃Hate　can　grow　till　it　burns　everything　else　out　of　you。〃
　　　　　　　〃Nothing　is　eating　me；〃　Perrin　told　them　in　a　level　voice。　〃I　just　mean　to　do　what　needs　doing。〃　He　ran　a　thumb　along　the　edge　of　his　axe。　What　needed　doing。　
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　Dain　Bornhald　held　himself　straight　in　his　saddle　as　the　hundred　he　had　taken　on　patrol　approached　Watch　Hill。　Fewer　than　a　hundred；　now。　Eleven　saddles　had　cloak…wrapped　bodies　tied　across　them；　and　twenty…three　more　men　nursed　wounds。　The　Trollocs　had　laid　a　neat　ambush；　it　might　have　succeeded　against　soldiers　less　well　trained；　less　tough　than　the　Children。　What　troubled　him　was　that　this　was　his　third　patrol　to　be　attacked　in　force。　Not　a　chance　encounter；　not　happening　on　Trollocs　killing　and　burning；　but　meeting　a　planned　attack。　And　only　patrols　he　led　personally。　The　Trollocs　tried　to　avoid　the　others。　The　fact　presented　worrisome　questions；　and　the　answers　he　came　up　with　gave　no　
solutions。
　　　　　　　The　sun　was　dropping。　A　few　lights　already　appeared　in　the　village　that　covered　the　hill　from　top　to　bottom　with　thatched　roofs。　The　only　tile　roof　stood　at　the　crest；　on　the　White　Boar；　the　inn。　Another　evening　he　might　have　gone　up　there　for　a　cup　of　wine；　despite　the　nervous　silence　that　closed　in　at　the　sight　of　a　white　cloak　with　a　golden　sunburst。　He　seldom　drank；　but　he　sometimes　enjoyed　being　around　people　outside　the　Children；　after　a　time　they　would　forget　his　presence　to　some　extent；　and　begin　to　laugh　and　talk　among　themselves　again。　On　another　evening。　Tonight　he　wanted　to　be　alone　to　think。
　　　　　　　There　was　activity　among　the　hundred　or　so　colorful　wagons　gathered　less　than　half　a　mile　from　the　foot　of　the　hill；　men　and　women　in　even　brighter　hues　than　their　wagons；　examining　horses　and　harness；　loading　things　that　had　been　lying　about　the　camp　for　weeks。　It　seemed　the　Traveling　People　meant　to　live　up　to　their　name；　probably　at　first　light。
　　　　　　　〃Farran！　〃　The　thick…bodied　hundredman　heeled　his　horse　closer；　and　Bornhald　nodded　toward　the　Tuatha'an　caravan。　〃Inform　the　Seeker　that　if　he　wishes　to　move　his　people；　they　will　move　south。　〃　His　maps　said　there　was　no　crossing　of　the　Taren　except　at　Taren　Ferry；　but　he　had　begun　learning　how　old　they　were　as　soon　as　he　crossed　the　river。　No　one　was　leaving　the　Two　Rivers　to　perhaps　seal　his　mand　into　a　trap　as　long　as　he　could　stop　it。　〃And　Farran？　There　is　no　need　to　use　boots　or　fists；　yes？　Words　will　suffice。　This　Raen　has　ears。〃
　　　　　　　〃By　your　mand；　Lord　Bornhald。〃　The　hundredman　sounded　only　a　little　disappointed。　Touching　gauntleted　fist　to　heart；　he　wheeled　away　toward　the　Tuatha'an　encampment。　He　would　not　like　it；　but　he　would　obey。　Despise　the　Traveling　People　as　he　might；　he　was　a　good　soldier。
　　　　　　　The　sight　of　his　own　camp　brought　a　moment　of　pride　to　Bornhald；　the　long　neat　rows　of　wedge…roofed　white　tents；　the　picket　lines　for　the　horses　precisely　arrayed。　Even　here　in　this　Light…forsaken　er　of　the　world；　the　Children　maintained　themselves；　never　allowing　discipline　to　slack。　It　was　Light…forsaken。　The　Trollocs　proved　that。　If　they　burned　farms；　it　only　meant　some　folk　here　were　pure。　Some。　The　rest　bowed；　and　said　〃Yes；　my　Lord；〃　〃as　you　wish；　my　Lord；〃　and　stubbornly　went　their　own　way　as　soon　as　his　back　was　turned。　Besides　which；　they　were　hiding　an　Aes　Sedai。　The　second　day　south　of　the　Taren　they　had　killed　a　Warder；　the　man's　color…shifting　cloak　had　been　sufficient　proof。　Bornhald　hated　Aes　Sedai；　meddling　with　the　One　Power　as　if　Breaking　the　World　once　was　not　enough。　They　would　do　it　again　if　they　were　not　stopped。　His　momentary　good　mood　faded　like　spring　snow。
　　　　　　　His　eye　sought　out　the　tent　where　the　prisoners　were　kept；　except　for　a　brief　exercise　period　each　day；　one　at　a　time。　None　would　try　running　when　it　meant　leaving　the　others　behind。　Not　that　running　would　get　them　more　that　a　dozen　paces　…　a　guard　stood　at　either　end　of　the　tent；　and　a　dozen　paces　in　any　direction　took　in　another　twenty　Children　…　but　he　wanted　as　little　trouble