ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第109章

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ver。
　　The　lean；　elegant　constable；　Count　Gonzalez　de　Rada；　hovered　unsettlingly　close　to　the　boys　all　the　way　south。　Ibero　knew　that　Ser　Rodrigo　and　this　man　had　no　love　for　each　other；　but　he　also　remembered　that　de　Rada　had　sworn　to　guard　Belmonte's　family　when　Rodrigo　had　been　exiled。　Ibero　hoped…and　prayed；　each　morning　and　when　the　sun　went　down…that　the　sardonic　constable's　proximity　was　a　manifestation　of　that　vow　and　nothing　else。
　　South　of　the　two　small　tagra　forts　the　king's　vanguard　began　to　open　a　distance　from　the　rest　of　the　army；　with　outriders　galloping　back　and　forth　to　keep　munications　flowing。
　　This　was　how　Ibero　learned　that　Miranda　Belmonte　d'Alveda　had　also　bee　a　part　of　their　army；　joining　the　entourage　of　Queen　Ines；　who　had　chosen　to　e　with　her　husband　into　the　lands　of　the　infidels。　When　he　told　the　boys　they　seemed　unsurprised。　Ibero　was　disconcerted　by　that　until　he　remembered　the　obvious。
　　Diego's　gift　was　difficult　to　deal　with　at　times。　He　would　have　known　before　the　messengers　came；　Ibero　realized。　A　little　reluctantly；　he　admonished　Diego。
　　〃You　ought　to　be　telling　the　rest　of　us　if　you　。。。　see　anything。　It　might　be　important。　That　is　why　we　are　here；　after　all。〃
　　Diego's　expression　had　been　ical。　〃My　mother？〃　he　asked。　〃Ibero；　my　mother's　arrival　is　important　to　the　war？〃
　　Put　that　way；　he　did　have　a　point。　Fernan；　predictably；　had　a　different　perspective　entirely。
　　〃Isn't　this　wonderful；〃　he　had　exclaimed　indignantly。　〃Our　first　campaign　and　everyone　from　home　es　trotting　along。　Who　else　should　we　expect？　The　cook；　our　nurses　from　childhood？　This　is　ridiculous！　Are　you　here　to　make　sure　we　keep　warm　at　night？〃
　　Diego　had　laughed。　Ibero　was　too　uneasy　about　the　tidings　of　Miranda　to　be　amused　or　chastising。　Fernan's　words　were　disrespectful；　but　Ibero　could　understand　how　a　young　man　on　his　first　campaign　might　feel　。。。　crowded　by　his　tutor's　arrival；　and　now　his　mother's。
　　Nothing　for　it。　If　the　boys　felt　unhappy　or　the　soldiers　teased　them　they　would　have　to　deal　with　that　themselves。　The　truth　was；　they　were　too　young　to　be　here；　and　would　not　have　e　had　Diego　not　been　what　he　was。　And　had　not　Ibero　sent　a　certain　letter　to　Esteren。
　　He　sent　another　letter…a　formal　message　to　Miranda　by　one　of　the　outriders。　He　reported　his　own　presence　and　the　good　health　and　respectful　treatment　of　the　two　boys。　No　word　came　back。
　　They　did　hear；　indirectly；　that　the　queen　was　entirely　recovered　from　her　unfortunate　accident　and　that　she　had　great　faith　in　her　new　physician；　a　doctor　from　one　of　the　tagra　forts。
　　The　story　was　that　he　had　saved　Queen　Ines's　life　at　the　very　brink　of　death。　Diego；　in　particular；　was　fascinated　by　the　tale　and　ferreted　out　all　the　details　he　could　from　those　who　had　been　at　that　meeting　of　the　three　kings。　Fernan　was　more　interested　in　uping　events。　He　managed　to　attach　himself　to　the　king's　entourage；　staying　close　to　Count　Gonzalez；　in　fact。　It　was　Fernan　who　explained　to　the　other　two　why　they　were　leaving　the　Asharite　farms　and　hamlets　untouched　as　they　rode。
　　They　had　passed　a　number　of　them　since　leaving　the　tagra　lands。　The　villagers　and　farmers　had　fled　into　the　hills　with　most　of　their　belongings；　but　it　had　always　been　customary；　in　the　wars　of　Ashar　and　Jad；　to　fire　the　houses　and　fields。
　　Things　were　different　this　time。
　　Despite　a　visible　disagreement　emanating　from　Geraud　de　Chervalles；　King　Ramiro　was　insistent　on　the　point。　This　was　not　a　raid；　Fernan　reported　the　king　as　saying。　They　were　ing　south　to　take　Fezana　and　to　stay。　And　if　they　did　that；　they　would　need　Asharites　to　resettle　these　villages　and　farmhouses；　to　pay　taxes　and　till　the　fields。　Time　and　steady　governance　would　bring　Jad　back　into　Al…Rassan；　the　king　had　declared；　not　burnings　and　destruction。　Ibero　wasn't　entirely　sure　how　that　meshed　with　holy　doctrine；　but　he　kept　silent　in　the　presence　of　his　betters。
　　Fernan　would　spend　the　time　after　twilight　prayers；　before　dark　and　bed；　drawing　maps　for　his　brother　and　the　cleric；　explaining　what　might　happen　when　they　reached　Fezana；　and　after。　Ibero　noted；　a　little　wryly；　that　he　was　entirely　conversant　now　with　the　location…and　the　proper　spelling…of　all　the　major　cities　and　rivers　in　Al…Rassan。
　　Four　more　days　passed。　The　spring　weather　remained　mild；　they　made　steady　progress；　drumming　hooves　and　the　dust　of　an　army　moving　over　the　grasslands　of　Al…Rassan。
　　
　　Then　Diego　announced；　shortly　before　they　broke　camp　one　morning；　that　he　had　seen　his　father　riding　west。
　　The　king　and　the　constable　and　the　tall　cleric　from　Ferrieres　had　asked　all　sorts　of　questions　he　couldn't　answer。
　　Once；　such　questions　had　made　Diego　feel　inadequate；　as　if　he　was　letting　the　questioners　down　by　not　being　able　to　reply。　He　didn't　like　disappointing　people。　Later；　though；　the　queries…even　from　his　parents…had　begun　to　irritate　him；　betraying；　as　they　did；　such　a　failure　to　understand　the　limits　of　his　capability。　Diego　had　made　himself　practice　being　patient　at　such　times。　The　fact　was；　people　didn't　understand　his　limits；　they　couldn't　possibly；　because　they　didn't　understand　how　he　did　what　he　did。
　　Not　that　Diego　really　understood　his　own　gift；　where　it　came　from；　why　he　had　it；　what　it　meant。　He　knew　some　things；　of　course。　He　knew　that　what　he　could　do　marked　him　as　different　from　others。　He　knew…from　his　mother　long　ago…that　there　was　some　undefined　danger　associated　with　being　different　in　this　way；　and　that　he　was　not　to　tell　others　about　what　he　could　do。
　　All　that；　of　course；　had　changed　now。　Horsemen　had　e　from　the　king　of　Valledo　and　taken　him　to　war。　Fernan；　naturally；　had　e　too。　Fernan　was　the　one　who　really　wanted　to　go　to　war；　but　when　they　had　reached　the　encampment　by　Carcasia's　walls　it　had　bee　clear…during　a　first　intimidating　meeting　with　the　king　himself　and　the　cleric　from　over　the　mountains…that　Diego　was　the　one　they　wanted。　He'd　had　to　explain；　shyly；　what　it　was　he　could　do。
　　Not　so　much；　really。　He　could　see　their　disappointment。　At　times　over　the　years；　he　had　wondered　about　all　the　secrecy　and　anxiety。　It　wasn't　a　plicated　gift：　he　could　sometimes　tell　where　his　family　was；　even　when　they　were　far　away。　His　father；　his　mother；　his　brother；　though　Fernan　was　never　far　from　him；　and　his　mother　very　seldom　was。
　　Also；　he　could　sometimes　sense　danger　ing　for　any　of　the　three　of　them。　As　to　that；　it　had　almost　always　been　his　father。　His　father's　life　involved　quite　a　lot　of　danger。
　　Fernan　wanted　to　be　exactly　like　their　father。　He　dreamed　of　it；　practiced　for　it；　had　rushed　through　his　childhood　hungry　for　a　man's　weapons；　and　war。
　　Fernan　was　stronger　and　quicker；　though　they　had　been　born　identical。　There　were　times　when　Diego　thought　their　father　preferred　Fernan；　but　there　were　other　times　when　he　thought　otherwise。　He　loved　his　father　without　reservation。　Other　people　found　Rodrigo　intimidating；　he　knew。　Diego　thought　that　was　funny。　Fernan　didn't；　Fernan　considered　it　useful。　They　differed　in　such　small　things。
　　It　didn't　much　matter；　really。　Nothing　was　ever　going　to　separate　the　sons　of　Rodrigo　Belmonte；　they　had　realized　that；　definitively；　when　they　were　very　young。
　　Fernan　was　enjoying　almost　everything　about　the　campaign　they　had　joined。　Diego　thought　it　was　an　interesting　place　to　be；　certainly　better　than　another　summer　on　the　ranch；　but　he　had　a　recurrence　of　his　old　feelings　of　anxiety　when　it　appeared　that　he　was　disappointing　those　who　had　brought　him　here　to　help。　At　that　first　meeting　he　had　answered　the　sharp　questions　from　the　High　Cleric　as　best　he　could；　and　a　few　from　the　constable　and　the　king；　too。　He　liked　the　king　most；　though　he　supposed　it　wasn't　really　his　place　to　like　the　king　or　not。
　　In　any　case；　he　couldn't　be　much　help　to　them　and　he　did　his　best　to　make　that　clear。　Some　days　ago　he　had　sensed　his　mother's　arrival　among　the　main　body　of　the　army；　half　a　day　behind　them。　He　had　told　Fernan；　of　course。　He'd　considered　telling　the　king　and　the　cleric　from　Ferrieres　just　to　have　something　to　offer　them；　but　thinking　about　his　mother　led　him　to　keep　quiet。　Her　movements；　surely；　weren't　a　p