srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第39部分

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s　Retreat；　but　he　meant　to　remake　it　into　a　place　of　victory。　His　plan　was　the　kind　of　daring　strategic　stroke　that　only　a　blind　man　could　create。　But　after　a　time　Amorine　responded　by　gesturing　over　the　Warward　and　saying　dourly；　〃One　day　of　such　a　pace　is　no　great　matter。　Even　five　days　may　give　no　distress　to　a　good　warrior。　But　twenty　days；　or　thirty…　In　that　time；　this　pace　may　kill。〃
　〃I　know；〃　Troy　replied　carefully。　His　trepidation　returned　in　a　rush。　〃But　we　haven't　got　any　choice。　Even　at　this　pace；　too　many　warriors　and　Bloodguard　are　going　to　get　killed　buying　us　the　time　we　need。〃
　〃I　hear　you；〃　Amorine　grated。　〃We　will　keep　the　pace。〃
　When　the　army　stopped　for　the　night；　Mhoram；　Elena；　and　Amatin　moved　among　the　bright　campfires；　singing　songs　and　telling　gleeful　Giantish　stories　to　buttress　the　hearts　of　the　warriors。　As　he　watched　them；　Troy　felt　a　keen　regret　that　long　days　would　pass　before　the　Lords　could　again　help　Amorine　maintain　the　Warward's　spirit。
　But　the　separation　was　necessary。　High　Lord　Elena　had　several　reasons　for　visiting　the　Loresraat。　But　Revelwood　was　out　of　the　way；　the　added　distance　was　prohibitive　for　the　marching　warriors。　So　the　Lords　and　the　Warward　parted　pany　the　next　afternoon。　The　three　Lords；　acpanied　by　Covenant　and　Troy；　the　twenty　Bloodguard；　and　the　Lorewardens；　turned　with　the　road　southwest　toward　Trothgard　and　Revelwood。　And　First　Haft　Amorine　led　the　Warward；　with　its　mounted　Hirebrands　and　Gravelingases；　almost　due　south　in　a　direct　line　toward　Doom's　Retreat。
　Troy　had　business　of　his　own　at　the　Loresraat；　and　he　was　forced　to　leave　Amorine　alone　in　mand　of　his　army。　That　afternoon；　the　autumn　sky　turned　dim　as　rain　clouds　moved　heavily　eastward。　When　he　gave　the　First　Haft　his　final　instructions；　his　vision　was　blurred；　he　had　to　peer　through　an　ominous　haze。　〃Keep　the　pace；〃　he　said　curtly。　〃Push　it　even　faster　when　you　reach　easier　ground　past　the　Gray　River。　If　you　can　gain　a　little　time；　we　won't　have　to　drive　so　hard　around　the　Last　Hills。　If　those　Bloodguard　the　High　Lord　sent　out　were　able　to　do　their　jobs；　there　should　be　plenty　of　supplies　along　the　way。　We'll　catch　up　to　you　in　the　Center　Plains。〃　His　voice　was　stiff　with　awareness　of　the　difficulties　she　faced。
　Amorine　responded　with　a　nod　that　expressed　her　seasoned　resolve。　A　light　rain　started　to　fall。　Troy'
　〃his　vision　became　so　clouded　that　he　could　no　longer　make　out　individual　figures　in　the　massed　Warward。　He　gave　the　First　Haft　a　tight　salute；　and　she　turned　to　lead　the　warriors　angling　away　from　the　road。
　　The　Lords　and　Lorewardens　gave　a　shout　of　encouragement；　but　Troy　did　not　join　it。　He　took　Mehryl　to　the　top　of　a　bare　knoll；　and　stood　there　with　his　ebony　sword　raised　against　the　drizzle　while　the　whole　length　of　his　army　passed　by　like　a　shadow　in　the　fog　below　him。　He　told　himself　that　the　Warward　was　not　going　into　battle　without　him　that　his　warriors　would　only　march　until　he　rejoined　them。　But　the　thought　did　not　ease　him。　The　Warward　was　his　tool；　his　means　of　serving　the　Land；　and　when　he　returned　to　the　other　riders　he　felt　awkward；　disjointed；　almost　dismembered；　as　if　only　the　skill　of　the　Ranyhyn　kept　him　on　balance。　He　rode　on　through　the　rest　of　the　day　wrapped　in　the　familiar　loneliness　of　the　blind。
　The　drizzle　continued　throughout　the　remainder　of　the　afternoon；　all　that　night；　and　most　of　the　next　day。　Despite　the　piled　thickness　of　the　clouds；　the　rain　did　not　e　down　hard；　but　it　kept　out　the　sunlight；　tormented　Troy　by　obscuring　his　vision。　In　the　middle　of　the　night；　sleeping　in　wet　blankets　that　seemed　to　cling　to　him　like　winding　sheets；　he　was　snatched　awake　by　a　wild；　inchoate　conviction　that　the　weather　would　be　overcast　when　he　went　into　battle　at　Doom's　Retreat。　He　needed　sunlight；　clarity。　If　he　could　not　see…1
　He　arose　depressed；　and　did　not　recover　his　usual　confidence　until　the　rainclouds　finally　blew　away　to　the　east；　letting　the　sun　return　to　him。
　Before　midmorning　the　next　day；　the　pany　of　the　Lords　came　in　sight　of　the　Maerl　River。　They　had　been　traveling　faster　since　they　had　left　the　Warward；　and　when　they　reached　the　river；　the　northern　boundary　of　Trothgard；　they　were　halfway　to　Revelwood。　The　Maerl　flowed　out　of　high　places　in　the　Westron　Mountains；　and　ran　first　northeast；　then　southeast；　until　it　joined　the　Gray；　became　part　of　the　Gray；　and
　went　eastward　to　the　Soulsease。　Beyond　the　Maerl　was　the　region　where　the　Lords　concentrated　their　efforts　to　heal　the　ravages　of　Desecration　and　war。
　Trothgard　had　borne　the　name　Kurash　Plenethor；　Stricken　Stone；　from　the　last　years　of　Kevin　Landwaster　until　it　was　rechristened　when　the　new　Lords　first　swore　their　oath　of　service　after　the　Desecration。　At　that　time；　the　region　had　been　pletely　blasted　and　barren。　The　last　great　battle　between　the　Lords　and　the　Despiser　had　taken　place　there；　and　had　left　it　burned；　ruined；　soaked　in　scorched　blood；　almost　soilless。　Some　of　the　old　tales　said　that　Kurash　Plenethor　had　smoked　and　groaned　for　a　hundred　years　after　that　last　battle。　And　forty　years　ago　the　Maerl　River　had　still　run　thick　with　eroded　。　and　unfertile　mud。
　But　now　there　was　only　a　trace　of　silt　left　in　the　current。　For　all　the　limitations　of　their　prehension；　the　Lords　had　learned　much　about　the　nurturing　of　damaged　earth　from　the　Second　Ward；　and　on　this　day　the　Maerl　carried　only　a　slight　haze　of　impurity。　Because　of　centuries　of　past　erosion；　it　lay　in　a　ravine　like　a　crack　across　the　land。　But　the　sides　of　the　ravine　were　gentle　with　deep…rooted　grasses　and　shrubs；　and　healthy　trees　lifted　their　boughs　high　out　of　the　gully。
　The　Maerl　was　a　vital　river　again。
　Looking　down　into　it　from　the　edge　of　the　ravine；　the　pany　paused　for　a　moment　of　gladness。　Together；　Elena；　Mhoram；　and　Amatin　sang　softly　part　of　the　Lords'　oath。　Then　they　galloped　down　the　slope　and　across　the　road　ford；　so　that　the　hooves　of　the　Ranyhyn　and　the　horses　made　a　gay；　loud　splashing　as　they　passed　into　Trothgard。
　This　region　lay　between　the　Westron　Mountains　and　the　Maerl；　Gray；　and　Rill　rivers。　Within　these　borders；　the　effects　of　the　Lords'　care　were　everywhere；　in　everything。　Generations　of　Lords　had　made　Stricken　Stone　into　a　hale　woodland；　a　wide　hilly　country　of　forests　and　glades　and　dales。　Whole　grassy　hillsides　were　vivid　with　small　blue　and　yellow　flowers。　For　scores　of　leagues　south　and　west　of　the　riders；　profuse　aliantha　and　deep　grass　were　full　of　goldleaved　Gilden　and　other　trees；　cherry　and　apple　and　white　linden；　prodigious　oaks　and　elms　and　maples　anademed　in　autumn　glory。　And　air　that　for　decades　after　the　battle　had　still　echoed　with　the　blasts　and　shrieks　of　war　was　now　so　clear　and　clean　that　it　seemed　to　glisten　with　birdcalls。
　This　was　what　Troy　had　first　seen　when　his　vision　began；　this　was　what　Elena　had　used　to　teach　him　the　meaning　of　sight。
　Riding　now　on　Mehryl's　back　under　brilliant　sun　in　Trothgard's　luminous　ambience；　he　felt　more　free　of　care　than　he　had　for　a　long　time。
　As　the　pany　of　the　Lords　moved　through　the　early　part　of　the　afternoon；　the　country　around　them　changed。　Piles　'of　tumbled　rock　began　to　appear　among　the　trees　and　through　the　greensward；　rugged　boulders　several　times　taller　than　the　riders　thrust　their　heads　out　of　the　ground；　and　smaller　stones　overgrown　with　moss　and　lichen　lay　everywhere。　Soon　the　pany　seemed　to　be　riding　within　the　ancient　rubble　of　a　shattered　mountain；　a　tall；　incongruous　peak　which　had　risen　out　of　the　hills　of　Kurash　Plenethor　until　some　immense　force　had　blasted　it　to　bits。
　They　were　approaching　the　rock　gardens　of　the　Maerl。
　Troy　had　never　taken　the　time　to　study　the　gardens；　but　he　knew　that　they　were　said　to　be　the　place　where　the　best　suru…pa…maerl　Craftmasters　of　the　rhadhamaerl　did　their　boldest　work。　Though　in　the　past　few　years　he　had　ridden　along　this　road　through　the　bristling　rocks　many　times；　he　could　not　say　where　the　gardens　themselves　began。　Except　for　a　steady　increase　in　the　amount　of　rubble　lying　on　or　sticking　through　the　grass；　he　could　locate　no　specific　changes　or　boundaries　until　the　pany　crested　a　hill　above　a　wide　valley。　Then　at　least　he　was　sure　that　he　was　in　one　of　the　gardens。
　Most　of　the　long；　high　hillside　facing　the　valley　was　thickly　covered　with　stones；　as　if　it　had　once　been　the　heart　of　the　ancient　shattered　peak。　The　rocks　clustered　and　bulged　on　all　sides；　raising　themselves　up　in　huge　piles　or　massive　single　boulders；　so　that　virtually　the　only　clear　ground　on　the　steep　slope　was　the　roadway。
　None　of　these　rocks　and　boulders　was　polished　or　chipped　or　shaped　in　any　way；　though　scattered　individual　stones　and　clusters　of　stones　appeared　to　have　had　their　moss　and　lichen　cleaned　away。　And　they　all　seemed　to　have　been　chosen　for　their　natural　grotesquerie。　Instead　of　sitting　or　resting　on　the　ground；　they　jutted　and　splintered　and　scowled　and　squatted　and　gaped；　reared　and　cowered　and　blustered　like　a　mad；　packed　throng　of　troglodytes　terrified　or　ecstatic　to　be　breathing　open　air。　On　its　way　to　the　valley；　the　road　wandered　among　the　weird　shapes　as　if　it　were　lost　in　a　garish　forest；　so　that　as　they　moved　downward　the　riders　were　constantly　in　the　shadow　of　one　tormented　form　or　another。
　Troy　knew　that　the　jumbled　amazement　of　that　hillside　was　not　natural；　it　had　been　made　by　men　for　some　reason　which　he　did　not　grasp。
　On　past　journeys；　he　had　never　been　interested　enough　in　it　to　ask　about　its　significance。　But　now　he　did　not　object　when　High　Lord　Elena　suggested　that　the　pany　go　to　look　at　the　work　from　a　distance。　Across　the　grassy　bottom　of　the　valley　was　another　hill；　even　steeper　and　higher　than　the　one　it　faced。　The　road　turned　left；　and　went　away　along　the　bottom　of　the　valley；　ignoring　the　plainer　hill。　Elena　suggested　that　the　riders　climb　this　hill　to　look　back　at　the　gardens。
　She　spoke　to　her　panions　generally；　but　her　gaze　was　on　Covenant。　When　he　acquiesced　with　a　vague　shrug；　she　responded　as　if　he　had　expressed　the　willingness　of　all　the　riders。
　The　front　of　the　hill　was　too　steep　for　the　horses；　so　they　turned　right　and　cantered　up　the　valley　until　they　found　a　place　where　they　could　swing　around　and　mount　the　hill　from　behind。　As　th