srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第42部分

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　The　Lord's　face　was　flushed　as　if　he　had　a　high　fever。　Sweat　rolled　down　his　cheeks；　and　he　was　panting　hoarsely；　almost　gasping　for　breath。　His　eyes　glittered。　But　he　was　not　alone。　Lord　Shetra；　too；　was　flushed　and　panting。
　Then　even　the　Bloodguard　found　that　they　were　having　trouble　breathing。　The　air　felt　turgid。　It　resisted　being　drawn　into　their　lungs；　and　once　within　them　it　clung　there　with　miry　fingers；　like　the　grasp　of　quicksand。
　The　sensation　grew　rapidly　worse。
　Suddenly；　all　the　noise　of　the　Flat　ceased。
　It　was　as　Lord　Callindrill　had　said。
　But　the　Lord　Amatin's　mount　had　not　been　a　Ranyhyn。　Trusting　to　the　great　horses；　the　mission　continued　on　its　way。
　The　riders　moved　slowly。　The　Ranyhyn　walked　with　their　heads　straining　forward；　ears　cocked；　nostrils　flared。　They　were　sweating；　though　the　air　was　not　warm。
　They　covered　a　few　hundred　yards　this　way…forcing　passage　through　the　stubborn；　mucky　air　and　the　silence。　After　that；　the　jungle　fell　away　on　both　sides。　The　Giantway　lay　along　a　grassy　ridge　like　a　dam　between　two　still　pools。　One　of　them　was　blue　and　bright；　reflecting　the　sky　and　the　afternoon　sunlight；　but　the　other　was　dark　and　rank。
　The　mission　was　halfway　down　the　ridge　when　the　sound　began。
　It　started　low；　wet；　and　weak；　like　the　groan　of　a　dying　man。　But　it　seemed　to　e　from　the　dark　pool。　It　transfixed　the　riders。　As　they　listened　to　it；　it　slowly　swelled。
　It　scaled　upward　in　pitch。　and　volume…became　a　ragged　scream…echoed　across　the　pools。　Higher　and　louder　it　went　on。　Through　it；　the　Lords　shouted　together；　〃Melenkurion　abatha！　Duroc　minas　mill　khabaal！〃　But　they　could　hardly　make　themselves　heard。
　Then　the　young　Ranyhyn　bearing　Tull　lost　control。　It　whinnied　in　fear；　whirled　and　sprang　toward　the　blue　pool。　As　it　leaped；　Tull　threw　himself　to　the　safety　of　the　grass。
　The　Ranyhyn　crashed　into　the　chest…deep　water。　At　once；　it　gave　a　squeal　of　pain　that　almost　matched　the　screaming　in　the　air。　Plunging　frantically；　it　heaved　itself　out　of　the　pool；　and　fled　westward；　back　down　the　Giantway。
　The　howling　mounted　eagerly　higher。

　The　other　Ranyhyn　broke　and　bolted。　They　reared；　spun；　pounded　away　after　their　fleeing　brother。　The　jerk　of　their　start　unhorsed　Lord　Hyrim；　and　he　only　saved　himself　from　the　dark　pool　by　a　thrust　of　his　staff。　Immediately；　Lord　Shetra　dropped　off　her　mount　to　join　him。　Sill；　Cerrin；　and　Korik　also　dismounted。　As　he　jumped；　Korik　ordered　the　other　Bloodguard　to　protect　the　Ranyhyn。
　Runnik　and　his　rades　clung　to　their　horses。　The　Ranyhyn　followed　the　injured　stallion。　As　they　raced；　the　howling　behind　them　faded；　and　the　air　began　to　thin。　But　for　some　distance；　the　Bloodguard　could　not　regain　control　of　their　mounts。　The　Ranyhyn　plunged　along　a　wide　path　which　was　unfamiliar；　the　Bloodguard　knew　that　they　had　missed　the　Giantway。
　Then　the　leading　Ranyhyn　crested　a　knoll；　and　blundered　without　warning　into　a　quagmire。　But　the　rest　of　the　great　horses　were　able　to　stop　safely。　The　Bloodguard　dismounted；　and　took　clingor　lines　from　their　packs。　By　the　time　Korik；　Cerrin；　Sill；　Tull；　and　the　Lords　reached　them；　the　free　Ranyhyn　were　busy　pulling　their　trapped　kindred　from　the　quagmire。
　Seeing　that　the　other　Ranyhyn　were　uninjured；　the　Lords　turned　to　the　stallion　which　had　jumped　into　the　pool。　It　stood　to　one　side；　champed　its　teeth　and　jerked　its　head　from　side　to　side　in　agony。　Under　its　coat　all　the　flesh　of　its　limbs　and　belly　was　covered
　with　blisters　and　boils。　Blood　streamed　from　its　sores。　Through　some　of　them；　the　bone　was　visible。　Despite　the　determination　in　its　eyes；　it　whimpered　at　the　pain。
　The　Lords　were　deeply　moved。　There　were　tears　in　Hyrim's　eyes；　and　Shetra　cursed　bitterly。　…　But　they　could　do　nothing。　They　were　not　Ramen。　And　they　could　find　no　amanibhavam；　that　potent；　yellow　flowered　grass　which　could　heal　horses　but　which　drove　humans　mad。　They　could　only　close　their　ears　to　the　stallion's　pain；　and　try　to　consider　what　course　the　mission　should　take。
　Soon　all　the　other　Ranyhyn　were　safe　on　solid　ground。　They　shed　the　mud　of　the　quagmire　easily　but　they　could　not　rid　themselves　of　the　shame　of　their　panic。　Their　eyes　showed　that　they　felt　they　had　disgraced　themselves：
　But　when　they　heard　the　whimpering　of　their　injured　brother；　they　pricked　up　their　ears。　They　shuffled　their　feet　and　nudged　each　other。　Slowly；　their　eldest　went　to　face　Tull's　mount。　For　a　moment；　the　two　spoke　together；　nose　to　nose。　Several　times　the　younger　Ranyhyn　nodded　its　head。
　Then　the　old　Ranyhyn　。reared；　he　stretched　high　in　the　ancient　Ranyhyn　expression　of　homage。　When　he　descended；　he　struck　the　head　of　his　injured　brother　powerfully　with　both　fore　hooves。　The　younger　horse　shuddered　once　under　the　force　of　the　blow；　and　fell　dead。
　The　rest　of　the　Ranyhyn　watched　in　silence。　When　their　eldest　turned　away　from　the　fallen　horse；　they　nickered　their　approval　and　sorrow　softly。
　In　their　own　way；　the　Bloodguard　were　not　unmoved。　But　High　Lord　Elena　had　given　the　need　of　the　Giants　into　their　hands。　To　the　Lords；　Korik　said；　〃We　must　go。　The　mission　waits。　Tull　may　ride　with　Doar。〃
　〃No！〃　Lord　Shetra　cried。　〃We　will　take　the　Ranyhyn　no　deeper　into　Sarangrave　Flat。〃　And　Lord　Hyrim　said；　〃Friend　Korik；　surely　you　know　as　much　as　we　of　this　force　which　forbids　us　to　cross　the　Flat。　Surely　you　know　that　to　stop　us　this　force　must　first　see　us。　It　must　perceive　us；　and　know　where　we　are。〃
　Korik　nodded。
　〃Then　you　must　also　know　that　it　is　no　easy　matter　to　sense　the　presence　of　human　beings。　We　are　mere　ordinary　life　amid　the　multitudes　of　the　Sarangrave。　But　the　Ranyhyn　are　unordinary。　They　are　stronger　than　we…the　power　of　life　bums　more　brightly　in　them。　Their　presence　here　is　more　easily　seen　than　ours。　It　may　be　that　the　force　against　us　is　attuned　to　them。　The　Despiser　is　wise　enough　for　such　strategy。　For　this　reason；　we　must　travel　without　the　Ranyhyn。〃
　〃The　mission　requires　their　speed；〃　Korik　said。　〃We　lack　the　time　to　walk。〃
　〃I　know；〃　Hyrim　sighed。　〃Without　mishap；　we　would　spend　at　least　one　full　cycle　of　the　moon　at　that　journey。　But　to　ride　around　the　Sarangrave　will　take　too　long　also。〃
　〃Therefore　we　must　ride　through。　We　must　fight。〃
　〃Ride　through；　forsooth；〃　Shetra　snapped。　〃We　do　not　know　how　to　fight　such　a　thing…or　we　would　have　given　it　battle　already。　I　tell　you　plainly；　Korik…if　we　encounter　that　forbidding　again；　we　will　lose　more　than　Ranyhyn。　No！　We　must　go　another　way。〃
　〃What　way？〃
　For　a　moment；　the　Lords　gazed　into　each　other。　Then　Lord　Shetra　said；　〃We　will　build　a　raft；　and　ride　the　Defiles　Course。〃
　The　Bloodguard　were　surprised。　Even　the　boat　loving　Giants　chose　to　walk　Sarangrave　Flat　rather　than　to　put　themselves　in　the　hands　of　that　river。　Korik　said；　〃Can　it　be　done？〃
　〃We　will　do　it；〃　Shetra　replied。
　Seeing　the　strength　of　her　purpose；　the　Bloodguard　responded　to　themselves；　〃We　will　do　it。〃　And　Korik　said；　〃Then　we　must　make　great　haste　while　the　Ranyhyn　are　yet　with　us。〃
　So　began　the　great　run　of　the　Ranyhyn；　in　which　the　horses　of　Ra　redeemed　their　shame。　When　all　the　riders　had　remounted；　they　moved　cautiously　back　to　the　true　path　of　the　Giantway。　But　then　the　Ranyhyn　cast　all　but　the　simplest　caution　to　the　wind。　First　at　a　canter；　then　galloping；　they　ran　westward　out　of　the　peril　of　the　Sarangrave。
　This　was　no　gait　for　distance；　no　easy；　strength　conserving　pace。　It　was　a　gallop　to　surpass　the　best　fleetness　of　ordinary　horses。　And　it　did　not　slow　or　falter。　At　full　stretch；　the　Ranyhyn　came　out　。of　Sarangrave　Flat　under　the　eaves　of　Landsdrop　before　moonrise。　Then　they　veered　away　just　east　of　southward　along　the　line　of　the　cliff。
　On　the　open　ground；　their　running　became　harder。　The　rough　foothills　of　Landsdrop　cut　across　their　way　like　rumpled　folds　in　the　earth；　forced　them　to　plummet　down　and　then　labor　up　uncertain　slopes　twenty　times　a　league。　And　southward　the　terrain　worsened。　The　grass　slowly　failed　from　the　hillsides；　so　that　the　Ranyhyn　pounded　over　bare　rock　and　shale　and　scree。
　The　moon　was　nearly　full；　and　in　its　light　Mount　Thunder；　ancient　Gravin　Threndor；　was　visible　against　the　sky。　Already　it　dominated　the　southern　horizon；　and　as　the　mission　traveled；　it　lifted　its　crown　higher　and　higher。
　Under　its　shadow；　the　Ranyhyn　mastered　both　the　night　and　the　foothills。　Breathing　hoarsely；　blowing　foam；　sweating　and　straining　extremely；　but　never　faltering；　they　struck　daylight　no　more　than　five　leagues　from　the　Defiles　Course。　Now　they　began　to　stumble　and　slip　on　the　hillsides；　scattering　froth　from　their　lips；　tearing　the　skin　of　their　knees。　Yet　they　refused　to　fail。
　In　the　middle　of　the　morning　on　the　tenth　day；　they　lumbered　over　the　crest　of　one　ankle　and　dropped　down　into　the　narrow　valley　between　Mount　Thunder's　legs…the　valley　of　the　Defiles　Course。
　To　their　right　at　the　base　of　the　mountain　was　the　head　of　the　river。　There　rank　black　water　erupted　roaring　from　under　a　sheer　cliff。　This　was　the　Soulsease　River　of　Andelain　transformed。　That　fair　river　entered　Mount　Thunder　through　Treacher's　Gorge；　then　plunged　into　the　depths　of　the　earth；　where　it　ran　through　abandoned　Wightwarrens　and　Demondim　breeding　dens；　Cavewightish　slag　and　refuse　pits；　charnels　and　offal　grounds　and　lakes　of　acid；　the　excreta　of　the　buried　banes。　When　it　broke　out　thick；　oily；　and　fetid　at　the　base　of　Gravin　Threndor；　it　carried　the　sewage　of　the　catabs；　the　pollution　of　ages　of　filthy　use。
　From　Mount　Thunder　to　Lifeswallower；　the　Great　Swamp；　nothing　lived　along　the　banks　of　the　Defiles　Course　except　Sarangrave　Flat；　which　grew　thickest　on　either　side　of　the　Course；　flourishing　on　the　black　water。　But　high　in　the　sides　of　the　valley　were　two　or　three　thin　streams　of　clean　water；　which　nourished　grass　and　shrubs　and　some　trees；　so　that　only　the　bottom　of　the　valley　was　barren。　There　the　Ranyhyn　rested　at　last。　Quivering　and　blowing；　they　put　their　noses　in　a　stream　to　drink。
　The　Lords　disregarded　their　own　weariness；　went　immediately　in　search　of　amanibhavam。　Shortly　Shetra　returned　with　a　double　handful　of　the　horsehealing　grass。　With　it　she　tended　the　Ranyhyn　while　Hyrim　'brought　more　of　it　to　her。　Only　when　all　the　great　ho