df.therunelords-第18章

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rresta；　for　the　use　of　the　King's　family　and　soldiers。
　So；　Raj　Ahten's　assassins　came　to　destroy　Sylvarresta's　Dedicates；　murder　those　whose　minds　and　strength　and　vitality　fed　the　King's　forces。
　It　was　a　vile　deed。　The　Dedicates　could　not　protect　themselves。　The　brilliant　young　men　who'd　given　endowments　of　wit　no　longer　knew　their　right　hands　from　their　left。　Those　who　had　granted　brawn　now　lay　like　babes；　too　weak　to　climb　from　their　beds。　It　was　craven　to　kill　Dedicates。　Yet；　sadly；　too　often　it　was　the　easiest　way　to　assail　a　Runelord。　By　murdering　those　who　constantly　fed　a　Runelord　strength　and　support；　one　deprived　the　lord　of　his　powers；　making　him　into　a　mon　man。
　As　the　attack　progressed；　Sylvarresta　barely　had　time　to　marshal　his　defenders。　Boiling　oil　had　been　lugged　up　to　the　wall…walk　shortly　after　dark。　Though　the　normal　plement　of　three　guards　marched　along　the　Parapet；　a　dozen　more　crouched　behind　the　battlements　out　of　sight。
　Still；　defenders　needed　to　be　warned。　Archers　manned　the　towers；　soldiers　hiding　in　the　city　needed　to　be　notified　so　that　they　could　cut　off　the　assassins'　escape。
　From　behind　his　stained…glass　window；　Sylvarresta　watched　the　assassins　reach　the　halfway　point　on　the　stone　wall　of　the　keep；　then　the　King　opened　the　window　and　blew　a　soft；　shrill　whistle。
　As　one；　his　soldiers　leapt　up　and　poured　oil　down　the　keep's　walls；　tossing　great　iron　cauldrons　over　as　they　emptied。　The　oil　did　not　have　the　desired　effect。　It　had　cooled　too　much　since　sunset；　and　though　the　assassins　cried　in　dismay　at　their　burns　and　some　plummeted　when　swept　from　the　walls　by　falling　cauldrons；　more　than　twenty　still　scrambled　up　the　walls；　swift　as　lizards。
　The　guards　atop　the　Dedicates'　Keep　drew　swords　and　pikes。　From　the　King's　Keep；　some　hundred　yards　distant；　archers　let　arrows　fly。　A　few　more　assassins　plummeted；　but　Raj　Ahten's　knights　were　frighteningly　swift；　terrifyingly　determined。
　King　Sylvarresta　had　imagined　the　assassins　would　run　when　they　met　resistance。　Instead　they　scurried　faster；　reaching　the　tops　of　the　parapet；　where　razor　wire　hindered　them。　Sylvarresta's　soldiers　hacked　at　the　assassins；　so　that　a　dozen　more　plummeted　from　the　keep's　tower。
　Still；　seven　assassins　won　the　top　of　the　tower；　where　their　incredible　skills　as　fighters　came　into　play。　The　assassins　moved　so　swiftly；　Sylvarresta's　men　could　not　well　defend　themselves。　Yet　four　more　assassins　got　cut　down；　while　a　dozen　defenders　were　slaughtered。
　The　three　remaining　assassins　hurtled　down　the　steps　into　the　Dedicates'　Keepjust　as　the　King's　pikemen　rushed　from　the　guardroom　beneath　the　portcullis。
　The　assassins　ignored　the　guards；　instead　leapt　to　the　iron　grate　that　covered　one　low　door　to　the　Dedicates'　Hall。　Though　the　door　was　barred　with　heavy　iron；　two　assassins　grabbed　a　bar　and　pulled；　ripping　it　from　the　wall；　dislodging　two…hundred…pound　stones　set　with　mortar。
　The　third　assassin　faced　the　pikemen；　ready　to　defend。
　But　these　pikemen　were　no　mon　soldiers。
　Captain　Derrow　and　Captain　Ault　came；　side　by　side；　holding　back　nothing。　Captain　Ault　stabbed　at　the　assassin's　head；　a　lightning　thrust。
　The　assassin　dodged；　his　own　short　sword　snaking　out；　biting　Ault's　gloved　hand。　The　assassin　was　a　dark　monster；　draped　in　robes　of　black；　a　man　whose　speed　astonished。　He　shifted　on　his　feet；　weaving　from　side　to　side　so　quickly　that　no　moner　could　have　landed　a　blow。　He　drew　a　second　knife；　his　hands　whirling　in　the　deadly　Dancing　Arms　style。
　In　that　second；　the　door　to　the　Dedicates'　Keep　screamed　as　if　in　agony。
　The　two　assassins　pulled　the　door　wide。　One　assassin　bolted　through　the　door。
　Captain　Derrow　swung　his　pike　as　if　it　were　an　axe。　An　assassin　by　the　door　took　a　firm　knock　to　the　head。
　The　assassin　guard　ducked。　Ault　anticipated　his　move　and　lunged。　Ault　slammed　the　pike　into　the　man's　chest；　then　lifted；　flinging　the　assassin　up　and　aside。
　Ault　tossed　away　the　pike；　drew　a　long　dagger；　and　bolted　into　the　Dedicates'　Keep。
　Inside；　Ault　found　that　the　last　assassin　had　already　slaughtered　two　guards　posted　by　the　door；　then　had　run　into　the　hall；　felling　some　five　or　six　Dedicates　who　should　have　been　abed。　Even　now；　the　assassin　knelt　over　a　victim；　scimitar　in　hand。
　Ault　threw　his　short　sword；　caught　the　assassin　solidly　in　the　back。　Had　the　assassin　been　a　moner；　he'd　have　collapsed。　Had　he　been　an　angered　man　with　great　stamina；　he'd　have　turned　and　gone　berserk。
　What　the　assassin　did　next　chilled　Ault　to　the　bone。
　The　assassin　turned；　all　dressed　in　a　black　caftan　and　black　cotton　pants；　a　black　kerchief　hiding　his　face。　A　gold　ring　glittered　in　his　ear。
　He　studied　Ault　thoughtfully；　eyes　filled　with　deadly　intent。　Ault's　heart　pounded；　for　he　wondered　how　many　endowments　of　stamina　it　took　for　a　man　to　ignore　a　sword　in　his　back。
　A　dozen　soldiers　rushed　through　the　broken　door；　filling　the　Dedicates'　Keep。　Ault　took　a　hammer　from　a　dead　guard。
　The　assassin　looked　Captain　Ault　in　the　eye；　then　raised　his　hands。　He　said　in　a　thick　accent；　〃Barbarian：　As　you　see　this　tide　of　men　sweep　over　me；　so　shall　my　lord's　Invincibles　sweep　over　you！〃
　Raj　Ahten's　Invincibles　were　elite　troopsmen　with　great　stamina；　each　of　whom　had　at　least　one　endowment　of　metabolism。　The　assassin　made　as　if　to　charge。　Yet　Ault　knew　it　would　be　a　feint。　Having　won　through　to　the　Dedicates'　Keep；　the　assassin　would　now　continue　with　his　duty；　to　slay　as　many　Dedicates　as　possible。
　Ault　lunged；　swinging　his　hammer；　just　as　the　assassin　spun　toward　the　beds　of　the　sleeping。　The　warhammer　bit　into　the　assassin's　neck。
　〃Don't　bet　on　it；〃　Ault　said。
　In　his　keep；　King　Sylvarresta　felt　the　deaths　of　his　Dedicates　as　he　began　to　lose　his　magical　connection　to　them。　It　was　a　nauseating　sensation；　like　a　cold　snake　writhing　through　his　innards。　Men　who　had　endowed　him　with　wit　died；　and　Sylvarresta　was　assailed　by　a　sudden　emptiness　as　rooms　of　memory　closed　off　forever。
　He'd　never　know　what　he'd　lostmemories　of　friends　from　childhood　or　a　picnic　in　the　forest；　memories　of　important　sword　strokes　practiced　time　and　again　with　his　father；　or　a　perfect　sunset；　or　a　wife's　kiss。
　He　only　became　aware　that　he　was　sundered。　The　doors　to　the　rooms　of　memory　slammed　shut。　The　shutters　to　the　windows　fell。　And　in　his　mind　there　was　a　great　moment　of　darkness；　a　keen　sense　of　loss。
　As　he　rushed　downstairs　to　guard　his　Dedicates　himself　if　need　be；　he　felt　as　if　he　wallowed　through　the　darkness。
　A　minute　later；　Sylvarresta　reached　the　Dedicates'　Bailey；　counted　his　losses。　Ten　guards　dead；　five　wounded。　And　five　Dedicates　lost。
　In　studying　the　corpses　of　the　Muyyatin　assassins；　he　found　that　each　had　been　formidable。　Their　leader；　whom　Ault　had　slain；　had　over　seventy　runes　burned　into　his　flesh。　With　so　many　endowments；　he　had　to　have　been　a　captain　among　the　Invincibles。　Many　others　had　twenty　runes　or　more；　making　them　equal　to　Captain　Derrow。
　Five　of　Sylvarresta's　Dedicates　lay　dead。　Two　gentlemen　who　had　granted　Sylvarresta　wit；　two　who　had　granted　sight　to　the　King；　and　one　who　had　granted　sight　to　the　King's　far…seer。　Sylvarresta　imagined　that　the　blind　men　must　have　been　telling　stories　by　the　hearth；　and　the　sound　of　their　voices　had　brought　the　idiots　their　deaths。
　When　the　body　count　was　taken；　Sylvarresta　considered　himself　lucky。　It　could　have　been　worse。　If　the　assassins　had　made　it　farther　into　the　Dedicates'　Keep；　the　result　would　have　been　devastating。
　Yet　King　Sylvarresta　could　not　help　but　wonder　at　what　he'd　lost。　He'd　had　endowments　of　wit　from　five　men。　Now　he'd　lost　forty　percent　of　all　his　memories；　of　years　of　studies。　What　had　he　known　five　minutes　ago　that　he　might　need　to　remember　in　days　to　e。。。？
　He　considered　the　dead；　wondering。　Was　this　attack　a　precursor　to　next　year's　war？
　Had　Raj　Ahten　sent　assassins　to　attack　all　the　kings　of　the　North；　in　an　attempt　to　weaken　them？　Or　was　this　a　part　of　some　more　daring　scheme？
　Sylvarresta's　readings　in　the　Emir's　book　made　him　worry。　Raj　Ahten　seldom　bothered　with　feints。　Instead　he　singled　out　castles；　striking　with　ferocity；　overwhelming　his　opponents；　then　consolidated　his　pos