grrm.astormofswords-第101章

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　He　had　once　heard　his　uncle　Benjen　say　that　the　Wall　was　a　sword　east　of　Castle　Black；　but　a　snake　to　the　west。　It　was　true。　Sweeping　in　over　one　huge　humped　hill；　the　ice　dipped　down　into　a　valley；　climbed　the　knife　edge　of　a　long　granite　ridgeline　for　a　league　or　more；　ran　along　a　jagged　crest；　dipped　again　into　a　valley　deeper　still；　and　then　rose　higher　and　higher；　leaping　from　hill　to　hill　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　into　the　mountainous　west。
　Jarl　had　chosen　to　assault　the　stretch　of　ice　along　the　ridge。　Here；　though　the　top　of　the　Wall　loomed　eight　hundred　feet　above　the　forest　floor；　a　good　third　of　that　height　was　earth　and　stone　rather　than　ice；　the　slope　was　too　steep　for　their　horses；　almost　as　difficult　a　scramble　as　the　Fist　of　the　First　Men；　but　still　vastly　easier　to　ascend　than　the　sheer　vertical　face　of　the　Wall　itself。　And　the　ridge　was　densely　wooded　as　well；　offering　easy　concealment。　Once　brothers　in　black　had　gone　out　every　day　with　axes　to　cut　back　the　encroaching　trees；　but　those　days　were　long　past；　and　here　the　forest　grew　right　up　to　the　ice。
　The　day　promised　to　be　damp　and　cold；　and　damper　and　colder　by　the　Wall；　beneath　those　tons　of　ice。　The　closer　they　got；　the　more　the　Therms　held　back。　They　have　never　seen　the　Wall　before；　not　even　the　Magnar；　Jon　realized。　It　frightens　them。　In　the　Seven　Kingdoms　it　was　said　that　the　Wall　marked　the　end　of　the　world。　That　is　true　for　them　as　well。　it　was　all　in　where　you　stood。
　And　where　do　I　stand？　Jon　did　not　know。　To　stay　with　Ygritte；　he　would　need　to　bee　a　wildling　heart　and　soul。　if　he　abandoned　her　to　return　to　his　duty；　the　Magnar　might　cut　her　heart　out。　And　if　he　took　her　with　him　。　。　。　assuming　she　would　go；　which　was　far　from　certain　。　。　。　well；　he　could　scarcely　bring　her　back　to　Castle　Black　to　live　among　the　brothers。　A　deserter　and　a　wildling　could　expect　no　wele　anywhere　in　the　Seven　Kingdoms。　We　could　go　look　for　Gendel's　children；　I　suppose。　Though　they'd　be　more　like　to　eat　us　than　to　take　us　in。
　The　Wall　did　not　awe　Jarl's　raiders；　Jon　saw。　They　have　done　this　before；　every　man　of　them。　Jarl　called　out　names　when　they　dismounted　beneath　the　ridge；　and　eleven　gathered　round　him。　All　were　young。　The　oldest　could　not　have　been　more　than　five…and…twenty；　and　two　of　the　ten　were　younger　than　Jon。　Every　one　was　lean　and　hard；　though；　they　had　a　look　of　sinewy　strength　that　reminded　him　of　Stonesnake；　the　brother　the　Halfhand　had　sent　off　afoot　when　Rattleshirt　was　hunting　them。
　In　the　very　shadow　of　the　Wall　the　wildlings　made　ready；　winding　thick　coils　of　hempen　rope　around　one　shoulder　and　down　across　their　chests；　and　lacing　on　queer　boots　of　supple　doeskin。　The　boots　had　spikes　jutting　from　the　toes；　iron；　for　Jarl　and　two　others；　bronze　for　some；　but　most　often　jagged　bone。　Small　stone…headed　hammers　hung　from　one　hip；　a　leathern　bag　of　stakes　from　the　other。　Their　ice　axes　were　antlers　with　sharpened　tines；　bound　to　wooden　hafts　with　strips　of　hide。　The　eleven　climbers　sorted　themselves　into　three　teams　of　four；　Jarl　himself　made　the　twelfth　man。　〃Mance　promises　swords　for　every　man　of　the　first　team　to　reach　the　top；〃　he　told　them；　his　breath　misting　in　the　cold　air。　〃Southron　swords　of　castle…forged　steel。　And　your　name　in　the　song　he'll　make　of　this；　that　too。　What　more　could　a　free　man　ask？　Up；　and　the　Others　take　the　hindmost！〃
　The　Others　take　them　all；　thought　Jon；　as　he　watched　them　scramble　up　the　steep　slope　of　the　ridge　and　vanish　beneath　the　trees。　It　would　not　be　the　first　time　wildlings　had　scaled　the　Wall；　not　even　the　hundred　and　first。　The　patrols　stumbled　on　climbers　two　or　three　times　a　year；　and　rangers　sometimes　came　on　the　broken　corpses　of　those　who　had　fallen。　Along　the　east　coast　the　raiders　most　often　built　boats　to　slip　across　the　Bay　of　Seals。　in　the　west　they　would　descend　into　the　black　depths　of　the　Gorge　to　make　their　way　around　the　Shadow　Tower。　But　in　between　the　only　way　to　defeat　the　Wall　was　to　go　over　it；　and　many　a　raider　had。　Fewer　e　back；　though；　he　thought　with　a　certain　grim　pride。　Climbers　must　of　necessity　leave　their　mounts　behind；　and　many　younger；　greener　raiders　began　by　taking　the　first　horses　they　found。　Then　a　hue　and　cry　would　go　up；　ravens　would　fly；　and　as　often　as　not　the　Night's　Watch　would　hunt　them　down　and　hang　them　before　they　could　get　back　with　their　plunder　and　stolen　women。　Jarl　would　not　make　that　mistake；　Jon　knew；　but　he　wondered　about　Styr。　The　Magnar　is　a　ruler；　not　a　raider。　He　may　not　know　how　the　game　is　played。
　〃There　they　are；〃　Ygritte　said；　and　Jon　glanced　up　to　see　the　first　climber　emerge　above　the　treetops。　It　was　Jarl。　He　had　found　a　sentinel　tree　that　leaned　against　the　Wall；　and　led　his　men　up　the　trunk　to　get　a　quicker　start。　The　wood　should　never　have　been　allowed　to　creep　so　close。　They're　three　hundred　feet　up；　and　they　haven't　touched　the　ice　itself　yet。
　He　watched　the　wildling　move　carefully　from　wood　to　Wall；　hacking　out　a　handhold　with　short　sharp　blows　of　his　ice　axe；　then　swinging　over。　The　rope　around　his　waist　tied　him　to　the　second　man　in　line；　still　edging　up　the　tree。　Step　by　slow　step；　Jarl　moved　higher；　kicking　out　toeholds　with　his　spiked　boots　when　there　were　no　natural　ones　to　be　found。　When　he　was　ten　feet　above　the　sentinel；　he　stopped　upon　a　narrow　icy　ledge；　slung　his　axe　from　his　belt；　took　out　his　hammer；　and　drove　an　iron　stake　into　a　cleft。　The　second　man　moved　onto　the　Wall　behind　him　while　the　third　was　scrambling　to　the　top　of　the　tree。
　The　other　two　teams　had　no　happily　placed　trees　to　give　them　a　leg　up；　and　before　long　the　Therms；　were　wondering　whether　they　had　gotten　lost　climbing　the　ridge。　Jarl's　party　were　all　on　the　Wall　and　eighty　feet　up　before　the　leading　climbers　from　the　other　groups　came　into　view。
　The　teams　were　spaced　a　good　twenty　yards　apart。　Jarl's　four　were　in　the　center。　To　the　right　of　them　was　a　team　headed　up　by　Grigg　the　Goat；　whose　long　blond　braid　made　him　easy　to　spot　from　below。　To　the　left　a　very　thin　man　named　Errok　led　the　climbers。
　〃So　slow；〃　the　Magnar　plained　loudly；　as　he　watched　them　edge　their　way　upward。　〃Has　he　forgotten　the　crows？　He　should　climb　faster；　afore　we　are　discovered。〃
　Jon　had　to　hold　his　tongue。　He　remembered　the　Skirling　Pass　all　too　well；　and　the　moonlight　climb　he'd　made　with　Stonesnake。　He　had　swallowed　his　heart　a　half…dozen　times　that　night；　and　by　the　end　his　arms　and　legs　had　been　aching　and　his　fingers　were　half　frozen。　And　that　was　stone；　not　ice。　Stone　was　solid。　Ice　was　treacherous　stuff　at　the　best　of　times；　and　on　a　day　like　this；　when　the　Wall　was　weeping；　the　warmth　of　a　climber's　hand　might　be　enough　to　melt　it。　The　huge　blocks　could　be　frozen　rock…hard　inside；　but　their　outer　surface　would　be　slick；　with　runnels　of　water　trickling　down；　and　patches　of　rotten　ice　where　the　air　had　gotten　in。　Whatever　else　the　wildlings　are；　they're　brave。
　All　the　same；　Jon　found　himself　hoping　that　Styr's　fears　proved　well　founded。　If　the　gods　are　good；　a　patrol　will　chance　by　and　put　an　end　to　this。　〃No　wall　can　keep　you　safe；〃　his　father　had　told　him　once；　as　they　walked　the　walls　of　Winterfell。　〃A　wall　is　only　as　strong　as　the　men　who　defend　it。〃　The　wildlings　might　have　a　hundred　and　twenty　men；　but　four　defenders　would　be　enough　to　see　them　off；　with　a　few　well…placed　arrows　and　perhaps　a　pail　of　stones。
　No　defenders　appeared；　however；　not　four；　not　even　one。　The　sun　climbed　the　sky　and　the　wildlings　climbed　the　Wall。　Jarl's　four　remained　well　ahead　till　noon；　when　they　hit　a　pitch　of　bad　ice。　Jarl　had　looped　his　rope　around　a　wind…carved　pinnace　and　was　using　it　to　support　his　weight　when　the　whole　jagged　thing　suddenly　crumbled　and　came　crashing　down；　and　him　with　it。　Chunks　of　ice　as　big　as　a　man's　head　bombarded　the　three　below；　but　they　clung　to　the　handholds　and　the　stakes　held；　and　Jarl　jerked　to　a　sudden　halt　at　the　end　of　the　rope。
　By　the　time　his　team　had　recovered　from　that　mischance；　Grigg　the　Goat　had　almost　drawn　even　with　them。　Errok's　four　remained　well　behind。　The　face　where　they　were　climbing　looked　smooth　and　unpitted；　covered　with　a　sheet　of　icemelt　that　glistened　wetly　where　the　sun　brushed　it。　Grigg's　section