df.therunelords-第112章

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　But　there　are　limits　even　to　a　far…seer's　vision。　He　could　not　see　through　walls；　and　the　forest　canopy　off　to　the　west　was　wall　enough　that　it　could　have　hidden　many　armies。　Moreover；　a　moist　wind　from　the　south　blew　in　off　the　heath；　from　the　vast　fields　of　Fleeds；　which　were　thick　with　dust　and　pollen；　limiting　his　vision　to　thirty　or　forty　miles。
　He　stood　breathlessly；　for　a　long　moment。　He　did　not　worry　about　time。　With　so　many　endowments　of　metabolism；　he　could　not　have　been　six　seconds　searching　the　horizon　in　the　southwest　before　he　realized　he'd　see　nothing。　Vishtimnu's　army　was　too　far　away。
　He　turned　east；　felt　his　heart　freeze。　In　the　distance；　Binnesman's　horse　hurtled　across　the　plains。　Raj　Ahten　could　see　his　destination：　at　the　limit　of　vision；　the　golden　towers　of　Castle　Groverman　rose　from　the　plains　beside　a　river　of　silver。　And　before　the　castle　marched　an　army　the　likes　of　which　he　had　seldom　seen：　hundreds　of　thousands　of　men。
　A　line　of　spearmen　marched　in　front；　five　thousand　across；　and　sunlight　gleamed　on　their　shields　and　helms。　Behind　them　marched　bowmen　by　the　thousands；　and　knights　mounted　on　chargers。
　They　had　already　crossed　the　heath　a　distance　of　some　five　to　seven　miles　from　Castle　Groverman。　At　such　a　great　distance；　in　such　dirty　air；　he　could　not　see　them　clearly。　The　dry　dust　of　their　passage　obscured　their　numbers；　rose　from　their　feet　in　a　cloud　hundreds　of　feet　high。　It　looked　almost　like　the　smoke　of　a　range　fire。
　But　it　was　not　the　heat　of　a　fire　he　saw　beneath　that　dust。　He　saw　the　heat　of　life；　of　hundreds　of　thousands　of　living　bodies。
　Among　the　horde；　pennants　waved　in　dozens　of　colorsthe　green　banners　of　Lysle；　the　gray　of　North　Crowthen；　the　red　of　Internook。　He　saw　horns　among　the　crowd；　the　horned　helms　of　hundreds　of　thousands　of　warriorsthe　fierce　axemen　of　Internook。
　It　can't　be；　he　reasoned。　His　pyromancer　had　said　that　the　King　of　Internook　was　dead。　Perhaps；　Raj　Ahten's　troubled　mind　told　him；　but　Internook's　armies　are　marching。
　Raj　Ahten　stilled　his　breathing；　closed　his　eyes。　In　the　field　below；　rising　winds　hissed　through　the　trees；　but　distantly；　distantly；　beneath　the　sound　of　the　blood　rushing　through　his　veins；　war　horns　pealed。　The　cries　of　thousands　of　voices　raised　in　war　song。
　All　the　armies　of　the　North；　he　realized；　gathering　against　him。　At　the　gates　of　Castle　Sylvarresta；　Orden's　messenger　had　said　King　Orden　planned　this　assault　for　weeks。　And　he'd　hinted　that　traitors　in　Raj　Ahten's　own　ranks　had　revealed　the　presence　of　the　forcibles　to　King　Orden。
　Raj　Ahten　had　rejected　the　tale；　never　considered　the　possibility　it　might　be　truefor　if　it　was　true；　it　portended　such　dire　consequences　for　this　invasion　that　Raj　Ahten　could　hardly　dare　ponder　them。
　If　it　was　true；　if　Orden　had　planned　this　raid　weeks　ago；　then　he　could　have　sent　for　aid；　he　could　have　summoned　the　kings　of　the　North　to　battle。
　Four　weeks　ago　Orden　had　set　march。　Four　weeks。　It　was　possible。　The　fierce　Warlord　of　Internook　could　have　marshaled　his　hordes；　sent　them　in　longboats　to　land　on　the　rocky　beaches　of　Lysle；　then　marched　them　here；　joining　with　Knights　Equitable　of　various　kingdoms。
　These　would　not　be　mon　soldiers。　These　would　not　be　men　who　trembled　at　the　sight　of　Raj　Ahten's　Invincibles。
　Raj　Ahten　opened　his　eyes　again；　just　as　Binnesman's　horse　wheeled　to　join　the　procession；　taking　its　lead。
　〃The　new　King　of　the　Earth　is　ing；〃　the　old　wizard　had　said。　Now　Raj　Ahten　saw　the　truth。　This　Earth　Warden　would　join　his　enemies。　This　Earth　Warden　would　indeed　serve　a　king。　〃The　Earth　rejects　you。。。〃
　Raj　Ahten　felt　a　strange　terror　beginning　to　well　up　inside　him。　A　great　king　marched　at　the　head　of　that　army；　he　felt　sure。　The　wizard's　king。　The　king　his　pyromancer　had　warned　him　of。
　And　he　brought　an　army　Raj　Ahten　could　not　match。
　Even　as　he　watched；　a　marvelous　thing　happened：　at　that　very　moment；　the　great　cloud　of　dust　over　the　army　began　to　formtall　spires　of　dust　rose　hundreds　of　yards　into　the　air　like　the　points　of　a　crown；　and　a　face　took　form　in　the　roiling　dust；　a　stern　visage　of　a　cruel　man　with　death　in　his　eyes。
　The　Earth　King。
　I　came　here　to　hunt　him；　and　now　he　hunts　me；　Raj　Ahten　realized。
　Raj　Ahten　had　little　time　remaining。　He　needed　to　return　to　the　castle；　take　it　quickly；　win　back　his　forcibles　before　he　retreated。
　He　raced　down　the　stairs　of　Tor　Loman；　heart　pounding　in　terror。
　　
　Chapter　48
　FIRE
　　
　Raj　Ahten　raced　back　down　the　forest　trail；　leaping　rocks；　speeding　through　glens。　He　suspected　now　that　Longmont　held　no　treasure；　that　the　forcibles　had　moved。
　Everything　pointed　to　itOrden　practically　begging　for　execution。　The　man　was　obviously　joined　in　a　serpent。　To　kill　him　would　behead　the　serpent；　freeing　another　soldier　to　fight　with　almost　as　much　metabolism　as　Orden　now　carried。
　But　leaving　Orden　alive　and　incapacitated　kept　the　serpent　intact。　Raj　Ahten　had　only　to　find　warriors　dedicated　to　the　serpent；　slaughter　them　quickly；　and　cut　the　serpent　into　pieces。
　The　existence　of　a　serpent　seemed　evidence　that　the　forcibles　had　left　Longmont；　for　if　Orden　had　really　taken　hundreds　of　endowments；　he'd　not　have　relied　on　a　serpent　for　power。　He'd　have　garnered　greater　stamina。　But　the　man　was　too　easily　wounded；　too　slow　to　heal。
　No；　he　couldn't　have　taken　hundreds　of　endowments；　or　even　dozens。　He　didn't　have　the　people　here　to　serve　as　Dedicates。　So　he'd　moved　the　forcibles。　Probably　not　far。　People　who　hide　valuables　seldom　want　to　hide　them　far。　They　want　to　be　able　check　on　them　frequently。
　Yet　it　was　possible　Orden　had　given　them　to　another。
　All　morning；　Raj　Ahten　had　hesitated　to　attack　the　castle　for　some　reason　he　could　not　name。　Something　about　the　soldiers　on　the　walls　had　disturbed　him。　Now　he　realized　what　it　was：　Prince　Orden　wasn't　on　those　walls。　He'd　expected　father　and　son　to　fight　together；　as　in　the　old　songs；
　But　the　son　was　not　here。
　The　new　King　of　the　Earth　is　ing；　the　old　wizard　had　told　him。　But　the　wizard　had　not　emphasized　the　word　new。　〃I　see　hope　for　House　Orden；〃　the　wizard　had　said。
　Prince　Orden。　It　made　sense。　The　boy　had　earth　spells　protecting　him；　a　wizard　in　his　employ。　Gaborn　was　a　fighter。　Raj　Ahten　knew。　He'd　sent　Salim　to　kill　Gaborn　on　two　occasions；　in　an　effort　to　keep　Mystarria　from　uniting　with　a　more　defensible　realm。　Yet　the　assassin　had　failed。
　He　has　bested　me　at　every　turn；　slain　my　pyromancer；　evaded　me。
　So　Gaborn　now　has　the　forcibles；　Raj　Ahten　realized；　and　has　taken　endowments；　and　rides　at　the　head　of　the　advancing　army。　True；　Gaborn　hadn't　had　much　time　to　garner　endowments；　but　the　matter　could　be　easily　handled。　Orden　had　recaptured　Longmont　three　days　ago。　In　that　time；　a　dozen　faithful　soldiers　could　have　taken　endowments　on　Gaborn's　behalf；　preparing　themselves　to　act　as　vectors；　waiting　for　Gaborn　to　return　to　Castle　Groverman　to　collect　his　due。　The　new　Dedicates　might　be　secreted　in　Longmont　or　Groverman　or　any　of　half　a　dozen　castles　nearby。
　Raj　Ahten　had　used　the　same　tactic　on　occasions。　As　Raj　Ahten　raced　back　to　Longmont；　he　considered　all　these　things。　He　calculated　how　much　time　it　would　take　to　seize　Longmont；　destroy　the　forces　within；　and　search　for　his　treasure；　to　verify　his　guess。
　He　had　tricks　up　his　sleeves；　weapons　he'd　not　planned　to　employ　this　day。　He'd　not　wanted　to　reveal　his　full　strength　in　battle；　but　perhaps　it　would　be　necessary。
　He　considered　how　much　time　it　would　take　afterward　to　flee。　Groverman's　army　stood　twenty…five　miles　off。　Many　of　those　men　were　afoot。　If　every　soldier　had　an　endowment　of　metabolism　and　one　of　strength；　they　might　make　it　here　in　three　hours。
　Raj　Ahten　planned　to　be　gone　in　one。
　In　Castle　Longmont；　Captain　Cedrick　Tempest　worried　for　his　people；　worried　for　Orden；　worried　for　himself。　After　Orden　and　Raj　Ahten　had　raced　north；　both　armies　waited　expectantly　while　Raj　Ahten's　men　prepared　for　battle。
　The　giants　had　carried　whole　trees　of　oak　and　ash　to　the　slope　of　the　hillside；　as　if　to　make　a　bonfire；　and　there　the　flameweavers　had　stepped　inside；　turning　the　dead　trees　into　a　conflagration。
　For　long　minutes；　the