rj.theshadowrising-第7部分

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！


　
Well　hidden　in　a　stand　of　tall　leatherleaf　above　the　north　bank　of　the　River　Taren；　Dain　Bornhald　tossed　back　his　white　cloak；　with　its　flaring　golden　sun　on　the　breast；　and　raised　the　stiff　leather　tube　of　a　looking　glass　to　his　eye。　A　cloud　of　tiny　bitemes　buzzed　around　his　face；　but　he　ignored　them。　In　the　village　of　Taren　Ferry；　across　the　river；　tall　stone　houses　stood　on　high　foundations　against　the　floods　that　came　every　spring。　Villagers　hung　out　of　windows　or　waited　on　stoops　to　stare　at　the　thirty　white…cloaked　riders　sitting　their　horses　in　burnished　plate…and…mail。　A　delegation　of　village　men　and　women　were　meeting　with　the　horsemen。　Rather；　they　were　listening　to　Jaret　Byar；　from　what　Bornhald　could　see；　which　was　much　the　best。
Bornhald　could　almost　hear　his　father's　voice。　Let　them　think　there　is　a　chance；　and　some　fool　will　try　to　take　it。　Then　there's　killing　to　do；　and　another　fool　will　try　to　avenge　the　first；　so　there's　more　killing。　Put　the　fear　of　the　Light　into　them　from　the　first；　let　them　know　no　one　will　be　harmed　if　they　do　as　they're　told；　and　you'll　have　no　trouble。
His　jaw　tightened　at　the　thought　of　his　father；　dead　now。　He　was　going　to　do　something　about　that；　and　soon。　He　was　sure　only　Byar　knew　why　he　had　leaped　to　accept　this　mand；　aimed　at　an　all…but…forgotten　district　in　the　hinterlands　of　Andor；　and　Byar　would　hold　his　tongue。　Byar　had　been　as　dedicated　to　Dain's　father　as　a　hound；　and　he　had　transferred　all　that　loyalty　to　Dain。　Bornhald　had　had　no　hesitation　in　naming　Byar　second　under　him　when　Eamon　Valda　gave　him　the　mand。
Byar　turned　his　horse　and　rode　back　onto　the　ferry。　Immediately　the　ferrymen　cast　off　and　began　hauling　the　barge　across　by　means　of　a　heavy　rope　slung　over　the　swiftly　flowing　water。　Byar　glanced　at　the　men　at　the　rope；　they　eyed　him　nervously　as　they　tramped　the　length　of　the　barge；　then　trotted　back　to　take　up　the　cable　again。　It　all　looked　good。
〃Lord　Bornhald？〃
Bornhald　lowered　the　looking　glass　and　turned　his　head。　The　hard…faced　man　who　had　appeared　at　his　shoulder　stood　rigid；　staring　straight　ahead　from　under　a　conical　helmet。　Even　after　the　hard　journey　from　Tar　Valon　…　and　Bornhald　had　pressed　every　mile　…　his　armor　shone　as　brightly　as　his　snowy　cloak　with　its　golden　sunburst。
〃Yes；　Child　Ivon？〃
〃Hundredman　Farran　sent　me；　my　Lord。　It's　the　Tinkers。　Ordeith　was　talking　to　three　of　them；　my　Lord；　and　now　none　of　the　three　can　be　found。〃
〃Blood　and　ashes！〃　Bornhald　spun　on　his　bootheel　and　strode　back　into　the　trees；　Ivon　at　his　heels。
Out　of　sight　of　the　river；　white…cloaked　horsemen　clogged　the　spaces　between　leatherleafs　and　pines；　lances　held　with　casual　familiarity　or　bows　laid　across　their　pommels。　The　horses　stamped　their　hooves　impatiently　and　flicked　their　tails。　The　riders　waited　more　stolidly；　this　would　not　be　their　first　river　crossing　into　strange　territory；　and　this　time　no　one　would　be　trying　to　stop　them。
In　a　large　clearing　beyond　the　mounted　men　stood　a　caravan　of　the　Tuatha'an；　the　Traveling　People。　Tinkers。　Nearly　a　hundred　horse…drawn　wagons；　like　small；　boxy　houses　on　wheels；　made　an　eye…jarring　blend　of　colors；　red　and　green　and　yellow　and　every　hue　imaginable　in　binations　only　a　Tinker's　eye　could　like。　The　people　themselves　wore　clothes　that　made　their　wagons　look　dull。　They　sat　on　the　ground　in　a　large　cluster；　eyeing　the　mounted　men　with　an　oddly　calm　unease；　the　thin　crying　of　a　child　was　swiftly　forted　by　its　mother。　Nearby；　dead　mastiffs　made　a　mound　already　buzzing　with　flies。　Tinkers　would　not　raise　a　hand　even　to　defend　themselves；　and　the　dogs　had　been　mostly　show；　but　Bornhald　had　not　been　willing　to　take　a　chance。
Six　men　were　all　he　had　thought　necessary　to　watch　Tinkers。　Even　with　stiff　faces；　they　looked　embarrassed。　None　glanced　at　the　seventh　man　sitting　a　horse　near　the　wagons；　a　bony　little　man　with　a　big　nose；　in　a　dark　gray　coat　that　looked　too　big　for　him　despite　the　fineness　of　its　cut。　Farran；　a　bearded　boulder　of　a　man　yet　light　on　his　feet　for　all　his　height　and　width；　stood　glaring　at　all　seven　equally。　The　hundredman　pressed　a　gauntleted　hand　to　his　heart　in　salute　but　left　all　talking　to　Bornhald。
〃A　word　with　you；　Master　Ordeith；〃　Bornhald　said　quietly。　The　bony　man　cocked　his　head；　looking　at　Bornhald　for　a　long　moment　before　dismounting。　Farran　growled；　but　Bornhald　kept　his　voice　low。　〃Three　of　the　Tinkers　cannot　be　found；　Master　Ordeith。　Did　you　perhaps　put　your　own　suggestion　into　practice？〃　The　first　words　out　of　Ordeith's　mouth　when　he　saw　the　Tinkers　had　been　〃Kill　them。　They're　of　no　use。〃　Bornhald　had　killed　his　share　of　men；　but　he　had　never　matched　the　casualness　with　which　the　little　man　had　spoken。
Ordeith　rubbed　a　finger　along　the　side　of　his　large　nose。　〃Now；　why　would　I　be　killing　them？　And　after　you　ripped　me　so　for　just　suggesting　it。〃　His　Lugarder　accent　was　heavy　today；　it　came　and　went　without　him　seeming　to　notice；　another　thing　about　the　man　that　disturbed　Bornhald。
〃Then　you　allowed　them　to　escape；　yes？〃
〃Well；　as　to　that；　I　did　take　a　few　of　them　off　where　I　could　see　what　they　knew。　Undisturbed；　you　see。〃
〃What　they　knew？　What　under　the　Light　could　Tinkers　know　of　use　to　us？〃
〃There's　no　way　of　telling　until　you　ask；　now　is　there？〃　Ordeith　said。　〃I　didn't　hurt　any　of　them　much；　and　I　told　them　to　get　themselves　back　to　the　wagons。　Who　would　be　thinking　they'd　have　the　nerve　to　run　away　with　so　many　of　your　men　about？〃
Bornhald　realized　he　was　grinding　his　teeth。　His　orders　had　been　to　make　the　best　time　possible　to　meet　this　odd　fellow；　who　would　have　more　orders　for　him。　Bornhald　liked　none　of　it；　though　both　sets　of　orders　bore　the　seal　and　signature　of　Pedron　Niall；　Lord　Captain　mander　of　the　Children　of　the　Light。
Too　much　had　been　left　unsaid；　including　Ordeith's　exact　status。　The　little　man　was　there　to　advise　Bornhald；　and　Bornhald　was　to　cooperate　with　Ordeith。　Whether　Ordeith　was　under　his　mand　had　been　left　vague；　and　he　did　not　like　the　strong　implication　that　he　should　heed　the　fellow's　advice。　Even　the　reason　for　sending　so　many　of　the　Children　into　this　backwater　had　been　vague。　To　root　out　Darkfriends；　of　course；　and　spread　the　Light；　that　went　without　saying。　But　close　to　half　a　legion　on　Andoran　soil　without　permission　…　the　order　risked　much　if　word　of　it　reached　the　Queen　in　Caemlyn。　Too　much　to　be　balanced　by　the　few　answers　Bornhald　had　been　given。
It　all　came　back　to　Ordeith。　Bornhald　did　not　understand　how　the　Lord　Captain　mander　could　trust　this　man；　with　his　sly　grins　and　his　black　moods　and　his　haughty　stares　so　you　could　never　be　sure　what　kind　of　man　you　were　talking　to。　Not　to　mention　his　accent　changing　in　the　middle　of　a　sentence。　The　fifty　Children　who　had　acpanied　Ordeith　were　as　sullen　and　frowning　a　lot　as　Bornhald　had　ever　seen。　He　thought　Ordeith　must　have　picked　them　himself　to　have　so　many　sour　scowls；　and　it　said　something　of　the　man　that　he　would　choose　that　sort。　Even　his　name；　Ordeith；　meant　〃wormwood〃　in　the　Old　Tongue。　Still；　Bornhald　had　his　own　reasons　for　wanting　to　be　where　he　was。　He　would　cooperate　with　the　man；　since　he　had　to。　But　only　as　much　as　he　had　to。
〃Master　Ordeith；〃　he　said　in　a　carefully　level　tone；　〃this　ferry　is　the　only　way　in　or　out　of　the　Two　Rivers　district。〃　That　was　not　quite　the　truth。　According　to　the　map　he　had；　there　was　no　way　across　the　Taren　except　here；　and　the　upper　reaches　of　the　Manetherendrelle；　bordering　the　region　on　the　south；　had　no　fords。　To　the　east　lay　bogs　and　swamps。　Even　so；　there　must　be　a　way　out　westward；　across　the　Mountains　of　Mist；　though　his　map　stopped　at　the　edge　of　the　range。　At　best；　however；　it　would　be　a　hard　crossing　that　many　of　his　men　might　not　survive；　and　he　did　not　intend　to　let　Ordeith　know　of　even　that　small　chance。　〃When　it　is　time　to　leave；　if　I　find　Andoran　soldiers　holding　this　bank；　you　will　ride　with　the　first　to　cross。　You　will　find　it　interesting　to　see　at　close　hand　the　difficulty　of　forcing　a　way　across　a　river　this　wide；　yes？〃
〃This　is　your　first　mand；　is　it　not？〃　Ordeith's　voice　held　a　hint　of　mockery。　〃This　may　be　part　of　Andor　on　the　map；　but　Caemlyn　has　not　sent　a　tax　collector　this　far　west　in　generations。　Even　if　those　three　talk；　who　will　believe　three　Tinkers？　If　you　think　the　danger　is　too　great；　remember　whose　seal　is　on　your　orders。〃
Farran　glanced　at　Bornhald；　half　reached　for　his　sword。　Bornhald　shook　his　head　slightly；　and　Farran　let　his　hand　fall。　〃I　mean　to　cross　the　river；　Master　Ordeith。　I　will　cross　if　the　next　word　I　hear　is　that　Gareth　Bryne　and　the　Queen's　Guards　will　be　here　by　sundown。〃
〃Of　course；〃　Ordeith　said；　suddenly　soothing。　〃There　will　be　as　much　glory　here　as　at　Tar　Valon；　I　assure　you。〃　His　deep；　dark　eyes　took　a　glazed　look；　stared　at　something　in　the　distance。　〃There　are　things　in　Tar　Valon　I　want；　too。〃
Bornhald　shook　his　head。　And　I　must　cooperate　with　him。
Jaret　Byar　drew　up　and　swung　down　from　his　saddle　beside　Farran。　As　tall　as　the　hundredman；　Byar　was　a　long…faced　man　with　dark；　deep…set　eyes。　He　looked　as　if　every　ounce　of　fat　had　been　boiled　off　of　him。　〃The　village　is　secured；　my　Lord。　Lucellin　is　making　certain　no　one　slips　off。　They　nearly　soiled　themselves　when　I　mentioned　Darkfriends。　None　in　their　village；　they　say。　The　folk　further　south　are　the　Darkfriend　kind；　though；　they　say。〃
〃Further　south；　is　it？〃　Bornhald　said　briskly。　〃We　shall　see。　Put　three　hundreds　across　the　river；　Byar。　Farran's　first。　The　rest　to　follow　after　the　Tinkers　cross。　And　make　sure　no　more　of　them　get　away；　yes？〃
〃We　will　scour　the　Two　Rivers；〃　Ordeith　broke　in。　His　narrow　face　was　wisted；　saliva　bubbled　at　his　lips。　〃We　will　flog　them；　and　flay　them；　and　sear　their　souls！　I　promised　him！　He'll　e　to　me；　now！　He　will　e！〃
Bornhald　nodded　for　Byar　and　Farran　to　carry　out　his　mands。　A　madman；　he　thought。　The　Lord　Captain　mander　has　tied　me　to　a　madman。　But　at　least　I　will　find　my　path　to　Perrin　of　the　Two　Rivers。　Whatever　it　takes；　I　will　avenge　my　father！
　
From　a　colonnaded　terrace　on　a　hilltop；　the　High　Lady　Suroth　looked　across　the　wide；　lopsided　bowl　of　Cantorin　Harbor。　The　shaven　sides　of　her　scalp　left　a　wide　crest　of　black　hair　that　fell　down　her　back。　Her　hands　rested　lightl