df.therunelords-第103章

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reams　and　puddles；　he'd　lost　another　ten　pounds　of　water。　The　pounding　to　his　kidneys　and　bones　left　him　weakened。　It　was　not　the　condition　he　would　have　chosen　to　fight　in。
　As　Raj　Ahten　traveled；　he　found　signs　that　his　army；　which　had　forged　ahead；　was　faltering。　Dozens　of　horses　had　fallen　by　the　roadside；　still　in　their　armor。　Another　dozen　foot　soldiers　had　succumbed　during　the　march。　He　found　Frowth　giants　and　mastiffs　lying　senseless　by　pools；　wheezing；　overheated　from　their　run。
　When　he　reached　his　troops；　he　did　not　mind　that　his　men　had　been　delayed　by　the　ruined　bridge　at　Hayworth；　for　the　delay　had　cost　them　but　four　hours。　Four　hours　he　spent　resting　and　eating　as　he　rode　the　remainder　of　the　way　to　Longmont。
　All　the　way；　he　worried。　Jureem's　betrayal　and　running　off　into　the　night；　the　portents　at　the　Seven　Stonesboth　weighed　on　him。　Yet　Raj　Ahten　discounted　them。　He　wanted　but　one　thing　from　Longmont：　his　forcibles。　Once　he　had　them；　he　would　have　time　to　consider　other　matters。
　His　men　made　such　good　time　that　he　called　a　halt　for　an　hour；　in　the　city　of　Martin　Cross；　so　his　men　could　rummage　through　the　houses　and　barns　for　food。
　Shortly　after　dawn；　thirty　miles　from　Longmont；　his　outriders　reported　that　a　contingent　of　several　hundred　knights　was　fleeing　before　their　army；　men　riding　under　a　dozen　banners。　Knights　Equitable　from　Castle　Dreis　and　estates　thereabouts。
　Raj　Ahten　felt　tempted　to　give　chase　in　earnest；　but　knew　that　his　men　were　now　ill　equipped　for　a　race。
　So　he　took　his　time　riding　to　Longmont；　resting　on　the　way。　At　ten　in　the　morning；　he　rounded　the　big　bend　in　the　hills　and　spotted　Castle　Longmont　on　its　promontory；　some　two　miles　distant。
　His　outriders　climbed　a　hill　to　get　a　clearer　view；　then　called　down　a　report。　〃General　Vishtimnu　hasn't　arrived　yet；　O　Great　Light。〃
　Raj　Ahten　did　not　worry。　With　over　six　thousand　men　and　giants；　he　could　hold　Longmont　until　reinforcements　arrived。　In　fact；　he　could　set　up　the　siege　engines　and　begin　pounding　the　castle　within　hours；　while　waiting　for　Vishtimnu's　advent。
　Orden　had　not　bothered　to　raise　Longmot's　hoardingstimber　frames　that　could　protect　the　castle's　roofs　from　missiles。　With　Raj　Ahten's　flame…weavers；　the　hoardings　would　have　simply　bee　fuel　for　a　grand　blaze。
　So　the　bombardment　would　begin　soon。　If　Raj　Ahten　had　to　wait　a　day　for　reinforcements；　his　men　could　begin　working　on　mantelets　and　shelters；　siege　towers　and　belfries。　There　were　plenty　of　stone　fences　around　that　could　be　dismantled；　either　to　help　fortify　entrenchments　or　to　hurl　as　missiles。　But　Raj　Ahten　did　not　want　to　try　to　build　a　city　here　at　the　foot　of　Longmont　while　waiting　out　some　elaborate　siege。　The　longer　he　camped　here；　regardless　of　what　fortifications　he　managed　to　erect；　the　longer　the　kings　of　Rofehavan　would　have　to　mount　a　counterattack。　No；　he'd　not　set　a　great　siege。
　Not　when　he　had　so　many　Invincibles；　so　many　weapons　magical　and　mundane　that　he　could　employ。
　Damn　your　meddling　ways；　King　Orden；　Raj　Ahten　thought。　I　will　roust　you　from　your　burrow　by　tomorrow　dawn！
　So　his　men　overturned　some　wagons　as　temporary　shelters　and　erected　Pavilions　on　the　hill　south　of　Longmont；　began　setting　the　siege。　Watchmen　were　posted　on　every　road　to　the　castle。　Three　thousand　archers　and　knights　took　positions　in　the　field。　Another　five　hundred　men　and　giants　went　under　the　trees　on　the　western　hills　to　cut　tall　pines　for　use　in　building　siege　ladders　and　battering　rams。
　Raj　Ahten　brought　his　spy　balloon　out；　tied　its　basket　to　a　stout　tree；　and　set　a　flameweaver　to　heating　the　air　for　it。
　Then　the　Wolf　Lord　let　the　remainder　of　his　men　eat　and　relax。　Raj　Ahten　himself　rested　in　the　shade　of　the　single　huge　oak　tree　on　the　hill；　thirty　feet　from　his　Dedicates'　wagon。　He　sat　on　pillows　covered　in　purple　silk；　and　ate　dates　and　rice　while　he　studied　Longmot's　defenses。
　He　counted　only　some　four　thousand　men　on　the　wallsa　haphazard　collection　of　nobles；　young　boys；　and　ruffians。　The　wizard　Binnesman　was　not　with　them。　Nor　did　Raj　Ahten　see　Jureem。
　〃A　king　is　ing；　a　king　who　can　destroy　you！〃　The　words　rang　through
　Raj　Ahten's　memory。　King　Orden　was　all　shimmering　in　green　samite；　with　his　gold　shield。
　The　king　of　one　of　the　world's　most　powerful　nations。　It　gave　him　pause。　The　men　here　on　the　walls　would　fight　like　berserkers　for　such　a　king。　This　was　the　kind　of　battle　songs　were　made　of。　And　if　Raj　Ahten　was　right；　Orden　was　the　Earth　King。
　Raj　Ahten's　Invincibles　would　normally　take　such　a　castle　with　relative　ease。　Yet；　today；　he　felt　uncertain。
　Though　he　did　not　tremble　at　the　sight　of　the　warriors　on　the　wall；　something　about　their　positioning　bothered　hima　wrongness　that　left　him　unbalanced。　He　studied　the　men；　checking　their　spacing；　armaments；　armor；　and　expressions。　He　could　see　worry　in　their　faces；　saw　that　those　who　had　no　armor　were　evenly　spaced　between　those　who　did。　The　men　were　clustered　in　fighting　groupspikemen　and　swordsmen　together；　archers　at　their　backs。
　Nothing　he　saw　explained　the　worry　that　gnawed　him。
　The　moat　around　the　castle　was　brackish　and　foul　this　time　of　year；　a　breeding　ground　for　mosquitoes　and　disease。　A　corpse　floated　in　the　moat。　Despite　the　fact　that　the　water　was　stagnant；　Raj　Ahten　knew　from　his　own　measurements　that　it　was　quite　deepsome　forty　feet。　Too　deep　to　let　sappers　easily　dig　at　the　castle's　founding　stones。
　There　had　been　a　city　here　last　week；　a　small　city　of　five　thousand　souls。　Over　generations；　the　walls　of　the　city　had　crept　within　bowshot　of　the　castle。　One　could　have　moved　siege　engines　up　behind　those　homes；　tossed　rocks　over　the　battlements。　But　Orden's　soldiers　had　wisely　burned　the　city；　cleared　the　ground　of　cover　in　preparation　for　battle。
　No；　this　castle　could　not　easily　be　taken；　not　with　four　or　five　thousand　men　on　the　walls；　others　waiting　in　the　baileys　and　towers。　The　castle's　armaments　were　well　stocked。　He'd　seen　arrows　piled　in　the　armory　not　a　week　ago。
　He　sighed。　If　Raj　Ahten　laid　siege　to　the　castle　through　the　winter；　Orden's　men　might　be　forced　to　burn　some　of　those　arrows　just　to　stay　warm。　But；　of　course；　this　siege　would　not　last　so　long。
　An　hour　before　noon；　General　Vishtimnu　still　had　not　arrived；　and　the　first　six　catapults　were　built。　Raj　Ahten's　men　fashioned　a　hundred　crude　siege　ladders　and　brought　them　to　the　hill；　laid　them　out；　ready　for　battle。
　The　far…seers　in　the　balloon　could　spot　few　men　inside　the　castlemost　held　the　walls；　though　several　hundred　knights　waited　on　their　mounts　in　the　inner　bailey。　None　of　the　inhabitants　from　the　city　were　inside　the　gates。　The　only　exception　was　possibly　the　Dedicates'　Keep；　where　two　hundred　of　Orden's　elite　guard　watched　the　keep。　Perhaps　Orden　had　drained　some　of　the　people　of　this　city　for　endowments；　and　hundreds　of　Dedicates　secreted　in　the　keep。　Yet　the　keep　could　not　hold　many。
　This　was　good　news。　Though　Orden　had　captured　the　forcibles；　he　did　not　have　forty　thousand　or　even　four　thousand　people　here　who　could　have　granted　endowments。
　It　meant　that　the　vast　majority　of　the　forcibles　might　still　be　within　the　castle；　unused。
　Raj　Ahten　had　four　hundred　forcibles　remaining　in　his　possession　from　the　hoard　he'd　taken　to　Castle　Sylvarresta。
　He　called　his　facilitators　and　studied　his　assets。　Most　of　the　forcibles　were　worthless　to　him。　The　irons　bore　only　runes　of　the　senses。　He　had　no　use　for　more　endowments　of　hearing　or　smell　or　touch。
　He'd　used　most　of　the　forcibles　for　taking　major　endowments　in　subduing　Sylvarresta。　None　in　his　hoard　bore　runes　of　strength　or　grace。　He　had　many　of　wit。
　To　his　surprise；　he　found　only　twelve　forcibles　that　bore　the　runes　of　metabolism。
　He　wished　now　that　he'd　brought　more。　A　cold　uncertainty　took　him　as　he　pondered。　His　pyromancer　had　gazed　into　the　future；　warned　him　that　a　king　in　Heredon　could　slay　him。　He'd　already　humbled　Sylvarresta。　So　it　was　Orden。
　And　Orden　had　surely　taken　endowments　of　metabolism。　A　Runelord　of　his　stature　would　not　need　more　grace　or　brawn　in　battle。　He　would　not　need　more　wit。　Stamina　would　be　of　some　help。　But　the　only　attribute　that　would　let　him　defeat　Raj　Ahten　wou