df.therunelords-第43章

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oice。
　That　is　a　lie。　I　am　not　so　ugly　as　that；　she　cried　out　to　Raj　Ahten　in　her　soul。　My　beauty　you　can　have；　but　not　my　soul。
　And　then　she　moved　away　from　the　precipice；　and　felt　only。。。alone。　Utterly　alone；　and　in　unspeakable　pain。
　Somehow；　she　managed　a　rare　feat：　she　did　not　faint　from　the　rigors　of　the　forcible；　though　she　imagined　that　her　whole　body　would　be　consumed　in　the　fires。
　　
　Chapter　11
　MITMENTS
　　
　Cold　black　river　water　swirled　around　Gaborn's　thighs；　like　a　dead　hand　trying　to　pull　him　downstream。　Rowan；　in　the　darkness　on　the　bank　just　above　him；　groaned　fiercely　in　pain；　doubled　over。
　〃What's　wrong？〃　Gaborn　whispered；　hardly　daring　to　part　his　lips。
　〃The　Queenshe's　dead；〃　Rowan　whimpered。
　Then　he　understood。　After　years　of　loss　of　feeling；　years　of　numbness；　now　the　whole　world　of　sensation　rushed　upon　Rowanthe　cold　of　the　water　and　of　the　night；　the　pain　of　her　bruised　feet；　her　fatigue　after　a　hard　day's　work；　and　countless　other　minor　injuries。
　Those　who　gave　an　endowment　of　touch；　once　all　their　senses　returned；　felt　all　the　world　anew；　as　if　for　the　first　time。　The　shock　of　it　could　be　phenomenal；　even　deadly；　for　the　sensations　came　twenty　times　stronger　than　before。　Gaborn　worried　for　the　young　woman；　worried　that　she　might　not　be　able　to　travel。　The　water　here　was　bracing　cold。　Certainly　he　could　not　hope　to　bring　Rowan　through　it。
　Yet；　even　worse；　if　the　Queen　was　dead；　Gaborn　feared　that　Raj　Ahten　was　slaughtering　the　other　members　of　the　royal　familyKing　Sylvarresta　and　Iome。
　mitments。　Gaborn　had　made　too　many　mitments。　He　felt　overwhelmed。　He'd　accepted　responsibility　for　Rowan；　dared　not　move　her；　dared　not　try　to　take　her　through　the　river。　Yet　he'd　also　promised　to　save　Iome；　to　go　to　her。
　Gaborn　wanted　to　kneel　in　the　river；　let　it　cool　the　burning　wound　in　his　ribs。　Overhead；　a　slight　breeze　made　the　branches　of　the　alders　and　birches　sway。　Here　in　the　deep　shadows；　he　could　see　the　water　downstream；　reflecting　the　orange　firelight。
　Binnesman's　garden　was　aflame。　On　the　far　bank　of　the　river；　the　nomen　were　grunting；　shadows　moving　in　a　greater　darkness；　trying　to　spot　Gaborn。　Yet　he　was　well　hidden　here　in　this　thicket；　so　long　as　he　didn't　move。　The　Frowth　giants　hunted　in　the　shallows　downstream。　He　suspected　that　he　could　swim　out　of　here　alone；　flee　Castle　Sylvarresta　and　bear　the　news　of　its　fall　to　his　father。　He　was　a　fast　swimmer。　In　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　water　was　shallow；　he　thought　he　might　make　it。　But　he　couldn't　hope　to　do　so　with　Rowan。
　Gaborn　could　not　possibly　leave　Castle　Sylvarresta。
　I　swore　to　Iome；　he　realized。　I　took　an　oath。　She　is　under　my　protection；　both　as　a　Runelord；　and　now　as　a　part　of　my　vow　to　the　earth。　Both　were　vows　he　could　not　lightly　break。
　A　day　earlier；　in　the　market　at　Bannisferre；　Myrrima　had　chided　Gaborn　for　not　making　mitments　easily。　It　was　true。　He　dared　not　make　them。
　〃What　is　a　Runelord；〃　his　mother　had　taught　him　as　a　child；　〃but　a　man　who　keeps　an　oath？　Your　vassals　give　you　endowments；　and　you　grant　them　protection　in　return。　They　give　you　wit；　and　you　lead　wisely。　They　grant　you　brawn；　and　you　fight　like　a　reaver。　They　bestow　stamina；　and　you　work　long　hours　in　their　behalf。　You　live　for　them。　And　if　you　love　them　as　you　should；　you　die　for　them。　No　vassal　will　waste　an　endowment　on　a　Runelord　who　lives　only　for　himself。〃
　These　were　the　words　Queen　Orden　had　taught　her　son。　She　had　been　a　strong　woman；　one　who　taught　Gaborn　that　beneath　his　father's　callous　exterior；　there　lived　a　man　of　firm　principle。　It　was　true　that　in　years　past；　King　Orden　had　purchased　endowments　from　the　poor；　and　while　some　considered　this　behavior　morally　suspect；　a　way　of　taking　advantage　of　the　poor；　King　Orden　had　seen　it　differently。　He'd　said；　〃Some　people　love　money　more　than　they　love　their　fellow　men。　Why　not　turn　such　people's　weakness　into　your　strength？〃
　Why　not　indeed？　It　was　a　good　argument；　from　a　man　who　sought　only　the　betterment　of　his　kingdom。　Yet　in　the　past　three　years；　his　father　had　given　up　the　practice；　had　quit　taking　endowments　from　the　poor。　He'd　told　Gaborn；　〃I　was　wrong。　I'd　buy　endowments　still；　if　only　I　had　the　wisdom　to　judge　other's　motives。〃　But　the　poor　who　sought　to　sell　endowments　usually　had　many　reasons　for　doing　so：　even　the　most　craven　of　them　had　some　ennobling　love　of　family　and　kin　and　could　therefore　imagine　that　by　selling　an　endowment；　they　were　performing　an　act　of　self…sacrifice。　But　then　there　were　the　desperate　poor；　those　who　saw　no　other　way　to　escape　poverty　than　to　sell　themselves。　〃Purchase　my　hearing；〃　one　farmer　had　once　begged　Gaborn's　father　after　the　great　floods　four　years　past。　〃What　need　have　I　of　ears；　when　all　I　hear　are　the　cries　of　hungry　children？〃　The　world　was　full　of　despairing　creatures；　people　who　for　one　reason　or　another　had　given　up　on　life。　Gaborn's　father　had　not　purchased　the　farmer's　hearing。　Instead；　he'd　given　the　man　food　to　last　the　winter；　timber　and　workers　to　rebuild　his　home；　seed　to　plant　for　the　ing　spring。
　Hope。　He'd　given　the　man　hope。　Gaborn　wondered　what　Iome　would　think　of　his　father　if　she　knew　this　tale。　Perhaps　she'd　think　better　of　him。　He　hoped　that　she　would　live　to　hear　it。
　Gaborn　glanced　up　through　the　tree　trunks；　slashes　of　black　against　a　dark　background。　To　look　toward　the　city；　to　look　toward　the　castle　walls；　filled　him　with　despair。
　I　can　do　little　to　fight　Raj　Ahten；　he　considered。　It　was　true　that　he　might　be　able　to　hide　in　the　city；　perhaps　ambush　a　soldier　here　and　there。　But　how　long　could　he　last？　How　long　could　he　keep　it　up　before　he　was　caught？　Not　long。
　Yet　of　what　help　am　I　to　my　charges；　if　I　flee　now？　Gaborn　wondered。　He　should　have　done　more。　He　should　have　tried　to　save　Iome；　and　Binnesman。。。and　all　the　rest。
　True；　his　father　needed　to　know　that　Castle　Sylvarresta　had　fallen；　and　he　needed　to　know　the　manner　of　its　capture。
　And　the　lure　of　home　drew　Gaborn。　No　matter　how　much　he　admired　the　strength　of　people　in　Heredon；　the　stately　stone　buildings　with　their　ceilings　so　high；　so　cool　and　breezy；　the　pleasure　gardens　at　every　turn；　it　was　not　a　familiar　place。
　Gaborn　had　not　been　to　the　palace　much　for　eight　years；　had　spent　nearly　all　his　time　some　fifty　miles　from　home；　in　the　House　of　Understanding；　with　its　resolute　scholars　and　stark　dormitories。　He'd　looked　forward　to　going　home　after　this　trip。　For　years　now　he'd　longed　to　sleep　in　the　big；　cotton…filled　bed　he'd　enjoyed　as　a　child；　to　wake　to　the　feel　of　the　morning　wind　blowing　from　the　wheat　fields　through　his　lace　curtains。
　He'd　imagined　that　he'd　spend　his　winter　eating　decent　food；　studying　battle　tactics　with　his　father；　dueling　with　the　soldiers　in　the　guard。　Borenson　had　promised　to　introduce　Gaborn　to　some　of　the　finer　alehouses　in　Mystarria。　And　there　was　Iome；　whose　gentleness　among　her　people　had　seduced　him　as　no　other　could。　He'd　hoped　to　take　her　home。
　So　many　pleasures　he'd　imagined。
　Gaborn　wanted　to　go　home。　It　was　silly；　this　wish　to　be　taken　care　of；　to　live　without　cares；　as　if　he　were　a　child。
　Gaborn　remembered　being　a　child；　hunting　rabbits　in　the　hazelnut　orchard　with　his　old　red　hound。　He　remembered　days　when　his　father　had　taken　him　to　fish　for　trout　in　Dewflood　Stream；　where　the　weeping　willows　bent　low　over　the　water　and　green　inchworms　hung　from　the　willow　branches　on　silken　threads；　taunting　the　trout。　In　those　days；　life；　it　seemed；　was　an　endless　summer。
　But　Gaborn　could　not　return。
　He　despaired　at　the　thought　of　even　getting　away　from　Castle　Sylvarresta　alive。
　For　the　moment；　he　could　see　no　convincing　reason　to　leave　here。　Gaborn's　father　would　hear　of　the　castle's　fall　soon　enough。　Peasants　would　noise　the　tale　abroad。　King　Orden　was　on　his　way。　Perhaps　three　days。　He'd　hear　of　this　by　tomorrow。
　No；　Gaborn　did　not　need　to　warn　his　father；　could　not　leave　the　castle。　He　needed　to　get　Rowan　to　safety；　someplace　warm；　where　she　could　heal。　He　needed　to　help　Iome。　And　he'd　made　a　greater　mitment。
　He　had　made　a　vow　never　to　harm　the　earth。　It　should　be　an　easy　vow　to　keep；　he　thought；　for　he　wished　the　earth　no　harm。　Yet　as　he　considered；　he