df.therunelords-第102章

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！


　King　Orden　gave　Gaborn　a　sidelong　look。　〃I　want　you　to　take　Iome　and　King　Sylvarresta；　now；　and　get　away　from　here。　Go　to　Castle　Groverman。　It　should　be　well　defended。〃
　〃I　think　not；〃　Gaborn　said。　〃I'm　tired　of　running。〃
　〃And　if　I　order　you　to　do　it？〃　his　father　asked。　〃I'm　not　divided　on　this　matter。　My　heart　and　my　mind　both　agree。〃
　〃No；〃　Gaborn　said　more　firmly。　His　father　had　always　tried　to　protect　him。　Now　he　saw　that　his　father　would　continue　to　do　so；　even　if　it　cost　his　own　life。　But　Gaborn　was　a　Runelord；　and　though　his　endowments　were　few；　they　were　over　a　broad　spectrum。　With　wit　and　grace　and　stamina；　he　could　fight　in　a　battle　like　this　better　than　any　mon　soldier。　Besides；　he'd　trained　a　good　deal　in　tactics　and　swordplay。　
　As　the　son　of　a　king；　he'd　learned　to　defend　himself；　though　he　doubted　he'd　be　much　of　a　match　for　one　of　Raj　Ahten's　Invincibles。
　Iome　grabbed　the　sleeve　of　Gaborn's　tunic；　whispered　fiercely。　〃Do　as　your　father　says！　Take　me　to　Groverman。　When　we　reach　him；　I　will　order　him　to　fight！〃
　With　a　sinking　feeling；　Gaborn　realized　she　was　right。　Groverman's　castle　stood　little　more　than　thirty　miles　away。　If　he　ran　the　horses；　he　could　be　there　within　a　couple　of　hours。
　〃Do　as　she　asks；〃　Orden　said。　〃Perhaps　it　would　help。　Groverman　has　been　gathering　his　forces。　He　may　have　ten　thousand　defenders　on　his　walls　by　now。〃
　Gaborn　knew　he　would　have　to　do　it；　would　have　to　take　Iome　to　Groverman。　Yet　he'd　be　five　hours　or　more　at　the　task。　He　wouldn't　be　able　to　return　here　before　noon。　By　then　Raj　Ahten's　troops　would　have　reached　Longmont；　their　siege　would　be　set。
　If　Raj　Ahten's　hundred　thousand　reinforcements　arrived；　Gaborn　wouldn't　be　able　to　dislodge　the　Wolf　Lord。
　〃Iome；〃　Gaborn　asked；　〃may　my　father　and　I　speak　alone　for　a　moment？〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Iome　said；　and　she　left。　King　Sylvarresta　remained　in　the　room；　eating　at　the　tables。　Gaborn's　and　his　father's　Days　also　stayed。
　Gaborn　felt。。。strangely　cognizant　of　their　presence；　embarrassed　by　it。　Still；　when　Iome　left；　he　went　to　his　father；　put　his　arms　around　the　man's　shoulders；　and　cried。
　〃Here　now；〃　his　father　whispered；　〃why　should　a　prince　weep？〃
　〃You're　sending　me　on　a　fruitless　mission；〃　Gaborn　said。　〃I　can　feel　it。　Something。。。is　terribly　wrong。〃　He　did　not　know　how　to　speak　of　it；　but　he　felt　that　they　needed　to　discuss　thingswhat　should　happen　if　one　of　them　died。　They'd　spoken　of　this　possibility　many　times　over　the　years；　after　Gaborn's　mother　was　murdered；　other　times　since。　Yet　this　time；　Gaborn　felt　a　sense　of　inevitability。
　What　he　really　wanted；　what　he　needed；　was　to　say　goodbye。
　〃How　can　we　know　our　fight　is　fruitless？〃　his　father　asked。　〃I　can　detain　Raj　Ahten　until　you　return。
　〃I'll　put　mounted　knights　in　the　bailey；　ready　to　issue　from　the　castle　gate。　When　Groverman's　men　e　in；　I　want　you　to　have　them　sweep　in　from　the　north　side　of　the　hill。　It's　a　gentle　slope　down。　It　should　give　your　lancers　a　great　deal　of　benefit。　Then　my　knights　will　ride　out　to　your　side；　and　we'll　have　the　old　monster　in　a　vise
　〃But　you　must　promise　me　one　thing；　Gaborn。　You　will　let　me　fight　Raj　Ahten　personally。　I　will　be　the　serpent's　head。　I　alone　am　prepared　for　this　fight。〃
　〃Raj　Ahten　may　be　more　dangerous　than　you　know；〃　Gaborn　said。　〃He　seeks　to　bee　the　Sum　of　All　Men。　He　has　so　many　endowments　of　stamina；　you　cannot　kill　him　easily。　You　will　need　to　strike　for　the　head；　take　off　his　head。〃
　〃I　surmised　as　much；〃　King　Orden　said；　smiling　down　at　his　son。
　Gaborn　looked　into　his　father's　eyes；　felt　his　heart　lightened　a　bit。　The　castle　walls　were　growing　thick　with　men；　and　this　was　a　small　castle；　easily　defensible。　With　six　thousand　men　on　those　walls；　his　father　should　be　able　to　hold　this　castle　even　against　Raj　Ahten's　Invincibles。
　His　father　wasn't　rushing　headlong　to　his　death。　He'd　fight　a　measured　battle。　Already　the　die　had　been　cast。　As　head　of　the　serpent　ring；　his　father　would　have　to　battle　Raj　Ahten。　In　his　heart；　Gaborn　knew　that　of　all　the　men　in　the　castle；　his　father　was　most　qualified　for　this　task。
　Yet　it　hurt；　it　hurt　terribly　to　know　what　might　e；　to　let　it　e　without　saying　goodbye。
　〃Where　is　Binnesman？〃　Gaborn　asked。　〃He　can　help　protect　you。〃
　〃Sylvarresta's　wizard？〃　Orden　asked。　〃I　haven't　the　slightest　idea。〃
　〃He　said。。。he'd　meet　me　here。　He　called　a　wylde　from　the　earth　last　night；　and　hopes　to　bring　it　into　battle。　He　is　ing　to　Longmont。〃　Gaborn　felt　certain　that　Binnesman　would　e。
　Gaborn　hugged　his　father；　leaned　his　forehead　against　the　older　man's　cheek。　I've　been　anointed　to　bee　King　of　this　Earth；　Gaborn　thought。　It　was　said　that　Erden　Geboren　had　been　so　sensitive　to　the　earth　powers；　to　life；　that　when　one　of　his　chosen　friends　was　in　danger；　he　could　sense　that　man's　fear。　When　one　of　them　died；　he　sensed　the　loss　of　that　life。
　Right　now；　Gaborn　could　smell　danger　around　his　father；　and　as　he　leaned　against　his　father's　face；　he　probed　with　his　mind；　sensed　life　there；　like　a　lamp　struggling　to　stay　lit。　It　was　an　odd　sensation；　one　he'd　never　imagined　before；　and　Gaborn　wondered　if　he　only　imagined　it　now。
　Yet　Gaborn　had　ridden　all　last　night。　In　that　time；　he'd　seen　the　world　more　clearly　than　ever　before。　The　eyebright　still　affected　him；　long　after　he　thought　its　effects　would　diminish。　Perhaps　it　always　would　affect　him。
　It　was　but　one　change　in　him。　Something　more　wondrous　was　happening。　He　suspected　that　if　he　only　tried；　he　could　see　much　farther；　much　deeper　now。　He　could　use　the　Earth　Sight。　He　hugged　his　father　tight；　and　closed　his　eyes；　and　with　his　heart；　he　sought　to　peer　into　King　Orden。
　For　a　long　moment；　he　saw　nothing；　and　he　wondered　if　he　really　had　seen　into　Raj　Ahten's　heart　last　night。
　Then；　as　if　at　a　great　distance；　a　strange　collage　of　sights　and　smells　and　sounds　assaulted　Gaborn。　First　he　saw　the　sea；　the　blue　waves　of　the　ocean　rolling　proud　and　strong　under　clear　skies；　the　whitecaps　rolling　toward　shore。　Gaborn's　own　mother　and　sisters　and　even　himself　rode　in　those　waves；　bobbing　like　seals　in　the　water；　and　King　Sylvarresta　rode　those　waves；　too。　Yet　Gaborn's　mother　was　larger　than　all　the　rest；　as　if　she　were　a　great　walrus；　while　the　others　were　mere　harbor　seals。　Gaborn　tasted　fresh　pumpkin　bread　in　his　mouth；　all　covered　with　sunflower　seeds；　then　washed　it　down　with　apple　wine。　Distantly　he　heard　the　horns　of　the　hunt。　As　he　listened；　he　sensed　the　motion　of　a　horse　running　beneath　him；　then　his　chest　seemed　to　swell　wide　in　exultation　as　he　looked　out　over　the　rooftops　of　the　castle　in　Mystarria　and　heard　the　swell　of　people　chanting　〃Orden；　Orden；　Orden。〃
　A　tremendous　swelling　sensation　rose　in　Gaborn's　chest；　a　sense　of　love　and　warmth；　as　if　all　the　tender　feelings　he'd　ever　felt　rolled　into　one　great　burst。
　Gaborn　could　see　more　clearly　today　than　ever　before。　He　could　see　into　his　father's　heart；　and　these　were　the　things　his　father　loved：　the　sea；　his　family；　pumpkin　bread　and　apple　wine；　the　hunt；　and　to　please　his　people。
　At　this　insight；　Gaborn　pulled　back；　suddenly　feeling　guilty。　Why　am　I　doing　this？　he　wondered。　Looking　into　his　father's　soul　was　somehow　embarrassing；　an　act　of　voyeurism。
　Clearly；　Gaborn　recalled　his　duty；　remembered　the　tales　of　what　Erden　Geboren　had　done　when　choosing　warriors。　Gaborn　feared　for　his　father；　wished　to　do　all　that　he　could　to　protect　him　in　this；　his　darkest　hour。
　You　will　fight　today；　Gaborn　whispered　within　himself；　but　I　will　fight　beside　you。
　　　
　Chapter　41
　SELECTING　A　SACRIFICE
　　
　The　race　from　the　Seven　Stones　to　meet　up　with　his　army　was　long　and　hard；　even　for　Raj　Ahten。　A　Runelord　with　endowments　of　stamina　and　metabolism　can　run　faster　than　other　men；　and　far　longer；　but　it　requires　energy。　Even　a　Runelord　cannot　run　forever。
　So　it　was　that　Raj　Ahten　reached　his　army　well　before　dawn；　but　the　toll　was　heavy。　In　jogging　well　over　a　hundred　miles　in　armor；　with　no　food；　he　lost　some　twenty　pounds　of　fat。　The　sweat　stormed　off　him　in　waves；　so　that　even　though　he　stopped　frequently　to　drink　from　streams　and　puddles；　he'd　lost　another　ten　pounds　of　water。　The　pounding　to　his　kidneys　and　bones　lef