ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第10章

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aking　their　heads　slowly。
　　〃It　may　well　be　that　you　have；〃　said　the　Captain　at　length。　He　didn't　look　particularly　concerned。　〃We'll　know　soon　enough。　Get　up；　lad；〃　he　added。　〃Stick　something　cold　on　the　side　of　your　face　or　you'll　have　trouble　offering　opinions　about　anything　for　a　while。〃
　　Lain　Nunez　had　already　turned　to　ride　back。　Now　the　Captain　did　the　same。　Alvar　stood　up。
　　〃Captain；〃　he　called；　with　difficulty。
　　Ser　Rodrigo　looked　back　over　his　shoulder。　The　grey　eyes　regarded　him　with　curiosity　now。　Alvar　knew　he　was　pushing　things　again。　So　be　it。　It　seemed　his　father　had　been　that　way　too；　amazingly。　He　was　going　to　need　some　time　to　deal　with　that。　And　it　seemed　that　it　wasn't　his　mother's　pilgrimage　to　Vasca's　Isle　that　had　put　him　in　this　pany；　after　all。
　　〃Um；　circumstances　prevented　me　from　finishing　my　last　thought。　I　just　wanted　also　to　say　that　I　would　be　proud　to　die　defending　your　wife　and　sons。〃
　　The　Captain's　mouth　quirked。　He　was　amused　again。　〃You　are　rather　more　likely　to　die　defending　yourself　from　them；　actually。　e　on；　Alvar；　I　meant　it　about　putting　something　on　your　jaw。　If　you　don't　keep　the　swelling　down　you'll　frighten　the　women　in　Fezana　and　ruin　your　chances。　In　the　meantime；　remember　to　do　some　thinking　before　next　you　speak。〃
　　〃But　I　have　been　thinking…〃
　　The　Captain　raised　a　hand　in　warning。　Alvar　was　abruptly　silent。　Rodrigo　cantered　back　to　the　pany　and　a　moment　later　Alvar　led　his　own　horse　by　the　reins　over　to　where　they　had　halted　for　the　midday　meal。　Oddly　enough；　despite　the　pain　in　his　jaw；　which　a　cloth　soaked　in　water　did　only　a　little　to　ease；　he　didn't　feel　badly　at　all。
　　And　he　had　been　thinking；　already。　He　couldn't　help　it。　He'd　decided　that　the　Captain　was　right　about　Garcia　de　Rada's　raid　taking　the　matter　out　of　the　area　of　a　private　feud　and　into　the　king's　affairs。　Alvar　prided　himself　that　he　had　always　been　willing　to　accept　when　someone　else　made　a　shrewd　point　in　discussion。
　　All　that　was　days　in　the　past。　A　swollen　but　not　a　broken　jaw　had　assisted　Alvar　in　the　difficult　task　of　keeping　his　rapidly　evolving　thoughts　to　himself。
　　
　　The　twice…yearly　collection　of　the　parias　from　Fezana　had　bee　something　close　to　routine　now；　more　an　exercise　in　diplomacy　than　a　military　one。　It　was　more　important　for　King　Ramiro　to　dispatch　a　leader　of　Ser　Rodrigo's　stature　than　to　send　an　army。　They　knew　Ramiro　could　send　an　army。　The　tribute　would　not　be　refused；　though　it　might　be　slow　in　ing　and　there　was　a　kind　of　dance　that　had　to　be　performed　before　they　could　ride　back　with　gold　from　Al…Rassan。　This　much　Alvar　learned　during　the　shifts　he　rode　ahead　of　the　party　with　Ludus　or　Martin；　the　most　experienced　of　the　outriders。
　　They　taught　him　other　things；　too。　This　might　be　a　routine　expedition；　but　the　Captain　was　never　tolerant　of　carelessness；　and　most　particularly　not　so　in　the　no…man's…land；　or　in　Al…Rassan　itself。　They　were　not　riding　south　to　give　battle；　but　they　had　an　image；　a　message　to　convey：　that　no　one　would　ever　want　to　do　battle　with　the　Horsemen　of　Valledo；　and　most　particularly　not　with　those　manded　by　Rodrigo　Belmonte。
　　Ludus　taught　him　how　to　anticipate　from　the　movements　of　birds　the　presence　of　a　stream　or　pond　in　the　windswept　plateau。　Martin　showed　him　how　to　read　weather　patterns　in　the　clouds…the　clues　were　very　different　here　in　the　south　from　those　Alvar　had　known　in　the　far　north　by　the　sea。　And　it　was　the　Captain　himself　who　advised　him　to　shorten　his　stirrups。　It　was　the　first　time　Ser　Rodrigo　had　spoken　directly　to　Alvar　since　flattening　him　with　that　blow　on　the　first　morning。
　　〃You'll　be　awkward　for　a　few　days；〃　he　said；　〃but　not　for　longer　than　that。　All　my　men　learn　to　ride　like　this　into　battle。　Everyone　here　knows　how。　There　may　e　a　time　in　a　fight　when　you　need　to　stand　up　in　the　saddle；　or　leap　from　your　horse。　You'll　find　it　easier　with　the　stirrups　high。　It　may　save　your　life。〃
　　They　had　been　in　the　no…man's…land　by　then；　approaching　the　two　small　forts　King　Ramiro　had　built　when　he　began　claiming　the　parias　from　Fezana。　The　garrisons　in　the　forts　had　been　desperately　glad　to　see　them；　even　if　they　stayed　only　a　single　night　in　each；　to　leave　letters　and　gossip　and　supplies。
　　It　had　to　be　a　lonely；　anxious　life　down　here　in　Lobar　and　Baeza；　Alvar　had　realized。　The　balance　in　the　peninsula　might　have　begun　to　shift　with　the　fall　of　the　Khalifate　in　Al…Rassan；　but　that　was　an　evolving　process；　not　an　acplished　reality；　and　there　had　been　more　than　a　slight　element　of　provocation　in　the　Valledans　placing　garrisons；　however　small；　in　the　tagre　lands。
　　These　were　a　handful　of　soldiers　in　a　vast　emptiness；　perilously　near　to　the　swords　and　arrows　of　the　Asharites。
　　King　Ramiro　had　tried　at　the　beginning；　two　years　ago；　to　encourage　settlement　around　the　forts。　He　couldn't　force　people　to　make　their　way　down　there；　but　he'd　offered　a　ten…year　tax　exemption…given　the　costs　of　a　steadily　expanding　army；　not　a　trivial　thing…and　the　usual　promise　of　military　support。　It　hadn't　been　enough。　Not　yet。　Only　fifteen　or　twenty　families；　clearly　leaving　hopeless　situations　in　the　north；　had　been　brave　or　rash　or　desperate　enough　to　try　making　lives　for　themselves　here　on　the　threshold　of　Al…Rassan。
　　Things　might　be　changing　year　by　year；　but　the　memory　of　the　Khalifate's　armies　thundering　north　through　these　high　plains　was　a　raw　one　yet。　And　everyone　with　a　head　above　the　ground　knew　the　king　was　too　fiercely　engaged　by　his　brother　and　uncle　in　Ruenda　and　Jalona　to　be　reckless　in　support　of　two　speculative　garrisons　in　the　tagra　and　the　families　who　huddled　around　them。
　　The　balance　might　be　shifting；　but　it　was　still　a　balance；　and　one　could　ignore　that　only　at　peril。　Thinking；　as　they　continued　south；　about　the　narrowed　eyes　and　apprehensive　faces　of　the　men　and　women　he'd　seen　in　the　fields　beside　the　two　forts；　Alvar　had　decided　there　were　worse　things　for　a　farmer　to　contend　with　than　thin　soil　and　early　frosts　in　the　north　by　the　Ruenda　border。　Even　the　fields　themselves　down　here　had　seemed　pathetic　and　frail；　small　scratchings　in　the　wide　space　of　the　otherwise　empty　land。
　　The　Captain　hadn't　seemed　to　see　it　that　way；　though。　Ser　Rodrigo　had　made　a　point　of　dismounting　to　speak　to　each　of　the　farmers　they　saw。　Alvar　had　been　close　enough　to　overhear　him　once：　the　talk　was　of　crop　rotation　and　the　pattern　of　rainfall　here　in　the　tagra　lands。
　　〃We　aren't　the　real　warriors　of　Valledo；〃　he'd　said　to　his　pany　upon　mounting　up　again　after　one　such　conversation。　〃These　people　are。　It　will　be　a　mistake　for　any　man　who　rides　with　me　to　forget　that。〃
　　His　expression　had　been　unusually　grim　as　he　spoke；　as　if　daring　any　of　them　to　disagree。　Alvar　hadn't　been　inclined　to　say　anything　at　all。　Thinking；　he'd　rubbed　his　bruised　jaw　through　the　beginnings　of　a　sand…colored　beard　and　kept　silent。
　　The　flat；　high　landscape　of　the　plateau　did　not　change；　and　there　were　no　border　markings　of　any　kind；　but　late　the　following　afternoon　old　Lain　Nunez　said　aloud　to　no　one　in　particular；　〃We're　in　Al…Rassan　now。〃
　　
　　Three　days　later；　nearing　sundown；　the　outriders　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　Tavares　River　and；　not　long　after；　Alvar　saw　for　the　first　time　the　towers　and　walls　of　Fezana；　tucked　into　a　northward　bend　of　the　river；　honey…colored　in　the　westering　light。
　　It　was　Ludus　who　first　noticed　the　strange　thing。　An　astonishing　number　of　carrion　birds　seemed　to　be　circling　and　swooping　above　the　river　by　the　northern　wall　of　the　city。　Alvar　had　never　seen　anything　like　it。　There　had　to　be　thousands　of　them。
　　〃That's　what　happens　on　a　battlefield；〃　Martin　said　quietly。　〃When　the　battle's　over；　I　mean。〃
　　Lain　Nunez；　squinting　to　see　more　clearly；　turned　after　a　moment　to　look　at　the　Captain；　a　question　in　his　eyes。　Ser　Rodrigo　had　not　dismounted；　and　so　none　of　them　had。　He　stared　at　Fezana　in　the　distance　for　a　long　time。
　　〃There　are　dead　men　in　the　water；〃　he　said　finally。　〃We'll　camp　here　tonight。　I　don't　want　to　go　closer；　or　enter　the　city；　until　we　know　what's　happened。〃
　　〃Do　you　want　me　to　take　two　or　three　men　and　try　to　find　out？〃　Martin　asked。