grrm.astormofswords-第137章

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omewhere　to　the　north　a　lightning　bolt　crackled　across　the　sky；　brightening　the　inside　of　the　tower　for　an　instant。　Hodor　jumped　and　made　a　frightened　noise。　Bran　counted　to　eight；　waiting　for　the　thunder。　When　it　came；　Hodor　shouted；　〃Hodor！〃
　I　hope　Summer　isn't　scared　too；　Bran　thought。　The　dogs　in　Winterfell's　kennels　had　always　been　spooked　by　thunderstorms；　just　like　Hodor。　I　should　go　see；　to　calm　him　。　。　。
　The　lightning　flashed　again；　and　this　time　the　thunder　came　at　six。　〃Hodor！〃　Hodor　yelled　again。　〃HODOR！　HODOR！〃　He　snatched　up　his　sword；　as　if　to　fight　the　storm。
　Jojen　said；　〃Be　quiet；　Hodor。　Bran；　tell　him　not　to　shout。　Can　you　get　the　sword　away　from　him；　Meera？〃
　〃I　can　try。〃
　〃Hodor；　hush；〃　said　Bran。　〃Be　quiet　now。　No　more　stupid　hodoring。　Sit　down。〃
　〃Hodor？〃　He　gave　the　longsword　to　Meera　meekly　enough；　but　his　face　was　a　mask　of　confusion。
　Jojen　turned　back　to　the　darkness；　and　they　all　heard　him　suck　in　his　breath。　〃What　is　it？〃　Meera　asked。
　〃Men　in　the　village。〃
　〃The　man　we　saw　before？〃
　〃Other　men。　Armed。　I　saw　an　axe；　and　spears　as　well。〃　Joien　had　never　sounded　so　much　like　the　boy　he　was。　〃I　saw　them　when　the　lightning　flashed；　moving　under　the　trees。〃
　〃How　many？〃
　〃Many　and　more。　Too　many　to　count。〃
　〃Mounted？
　〃No。〃
　〃Hodor。〃　Hodor　sounded　frightened。　〃Hodor。　Hodor。〃
　Bran　felt　a　little　scared　himself；　though　he　didn't　want　to　say　so　in　front　of　Meera。　〃What　if　they　e　out　here？〃
　〃They　won't。〃　She　sat　down　beside　him。　〃Why　should　they？〃
　〃For　shelter。〃　Jojen's　voice　was　grim。　〃Unless　the　storm　lets　up。　Meera；　could　you　go　down　and　bar　the　door？〃
　〃I　couldn't　even　close　it。　The　wood's　too　warped。　They　won't　get　past　those　iron　gates；　though。〃
　〃They　might。　They　could　break　the　lock；　or　the　hinges。　Or　climb　up　through　the　murder　hole　as　we　did。〃
　Lightning　slashed　the　sky；　and　Hodor　whimpered。　Then　a　clap　of　thunder　rolled　across　the　lake。　〃HODOR！〃　he　roared；　clapping　his　hands　over　his　ears　and　stumbling　in　a　circle　through　the　darkness。　〃HODOR！　HODOR！　HODOR！〃
　〃NO！〃　Bran　shouted　back。　〃NO　HODORING！〃
　It　did　no　good。　〃HOOOODOR！〃　moaned　Hodor。　Meera　tried　to　catch　him　and　calm　him；　but　he　was　too　strong。　He　flung　her　aside　with　no　more　than　a　shrug。　〃HOOOOOODOOOOOOOR！〃　the　stableboy　screamed　as　lightning　filled　the　sky　again；　and　even　Jojen　was　shouting　now；　shouting　at　Bran　and　Meera　to　shut　him　up。
　〃Be　quiet！〃　Bran　said　in　a　shrill　scared　voice；　reaching　up　uselessly　for　Hodor's　leg　as　he　crashed　past；　reaching；　reaching。
　Hodor　staggered；　and　closed　his　mouth。　He　shook　his　head　slowly　from　side　to　side；　sank　back　to　the　floor；　and　sat　crosslegged。　When　the　thunder　boomed；　he　scarcely　seemed　to　hear　it。　The　four　of　them　sat　in　the　dark　tower；　scarce　daring　to　breathe。
　〃Bran；　what　did　you　do？〃　Meera　whispered。
　〃Nothing。〃　Bran　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　know。〃　But　he　did。　I　reached　for　him；　the　way　I　reach　for　Summer。　He　had　been　Hodor　for　half　a　heartbeat。　It　scared　him。
　〃Something　is　happening　across　the　lake；〃　said　Jojen。　〃I　thought　I　saw　a　man　pointing　at　the　tower。〃
　I　won't　be　afraid。　He　was　the　Prince　of　Winterfell；　Eddard　Stark's　son；　almost　a　man　grown　and　a　warg　too；　not　some　little　baby　boy　like　Rickon。　Summer　would　not　be　afraid。　〃Most　like　they're　just　some　Umbers；〃　he　said。　〃Or　they　could　be　Knotts　or　Norreys　or　Flints　e　down　from　the　mountains；　or　even　brothers　from　the　Night's　Watch。　Were　they　wearing　black　cloaks；　Jojen？〃
　〃By　night　all　cloaks　are　black；　Your　Grace。　And　the　flash　came　and　went　too　fast　for　me　to　tell　what　they　were　wearing。〃
　Meera　was　wary。　〃If　they　were　black　brothers；　they'd　be　mounted；　wouldn't　they？〃
　Bran　had　thought　of　something　else。　〃It　doesn't　matter；〃　he　said　confidently。　〃They　couldn't　get　out　to　us　even　if　they　wanted。　Not　unless　they　had　a　boat；　or　knew　about　the　causeway。〃
　〃The　causeway！〃　Meera　mussed　Bran's　hair　and　kissed　him　on　the　forehead。　〃Our　sweet　prince！　He's　right；　Jojen；　they　won't　know　about　the　causeway。　Even　if　they　did　they　could　never　find　the　way　across　at　night　in　the　rain。〃
　〃The　night　will　end；　though。　If　they　stay　till　morning　。　。　。〃　Jojen　left　the　rest　unsaid。　After　a　few　moments　he　said；　〃They　are　feeding　the　fire　the　first　man　started。〃　Lightning　crashed　through　the　sky；　and　light　filled　the　tower　and　etched　them　all　in　shadow。　Hodor　rocked　back　and　forth；　humming。
　Bran　could　feel　Summer's　fear　in　that　bright　instant。　He　closed　two　eyes　and　opened　a　third；　and　his　boy's　skin　slipped　off　him　like　a　cloak　as　he　left　the　tower　behind　。　。　。
　　。　。　。　and　found　himself　out　in　the　rain；　his　belly　full　of　deer；　cringing　in　the　brush　as　the　sky　broke　and　boomed　above　him。　The　smell　of　rotten　apples　and　wet　leaves　almost　drowned　the　scent　of　man；　but　it　was　there。　He　heard　the　clink　and　slither　of　hardskin；　saw　men　moving　under　the　trees。　A　man　with　a　stick　blundered　by；　a　skin　pulled　up　over　his　head　to　make　him　blind　and　deaf。　The　wolf　went　wide　around　him；　behind　a　dripping　thornbush　and　beneath　the　bare　branches　of　an　apple　tree。　He　could　hear　them　talking；　and　there　beneath　the　scents　of　rain　and　leaves　and　horse　came　the　sharp　red　stench　of　fear　。　。　。
　
　CHAPTER　41
　JON
　
　The　ground　was　littered　with　pine　needles　and　blown　leaves；　a　carpet　of　green　and　brown　still　damp　from　the　recent　rains。　It　squished　beneath　their　feet。　Huge　bare　oaks；　tall　sentinels；　and　hosts　of　soldier　pines　stood　all　around　them。　On　a　hill　above　them　was　another　roundtower；　ancient　and　empty；　thick　green　moss　crawling　up　its　side　almost　to　the　summit。　〃Who　built　that；　all　of　stone　like　that？〃　Ygritte　asked　him。　〃Some　king？〃
　〃No。　just　the　men　who　used　to　live　here。〃
　〃What　happened　to　them？〃
　〃They　died　or　went　away。〃　Brandon's　Gift　had　been　farmed　for　thousands　of　years；　but　as　the　Watch　dwindled　there　were　fewer　hands　to　plow　the　fields；　tend　the　bees；　and　plant　the　orchards；　so　the　wild　had　reclaimed　many　a　field　and　hall。　In　the　New　Gift　there　had　been　villages　and　holdfasts　whose　taxes；　rendered　in　goods　and　labor；　helped　feed　and　clothe　the　black　brothers。　But　those　were　largely　gone　as　well。
　〃They　were　fools　to　leave　such　a　castle；〃　said　Ygritte。
　〃It's　only　a　towerhouse。　Some　little　lordling　lived　there　once；　with　his　family　and　a　few　sworn　men。　When　raiders　came　he　would　light　a　beacon　from　the　roof。　Winterfell　has　towers　three　times　the　size　of　that。〃
　She　looked　as　if　she　thought　he　was　making　that　up。　〃How　could　men　build　so　high；　with　no　giants　to　lift　the　stones？〃
　In　legend；　Brandon　the　Builder　had　used　giants　to　help　raise　Winterfell；　but　Jon　did　not　want　to　confuse　the　issue。　〃Men　can　build　a　lot　higher　than　this。　In　Oldtown　there's　a　tower　taller　than　the　Wall。〃　He　could　tell　she　did　not　believe　him。　If　I　could　show　her　Winterfell　。　。　。　give　her　a　flower　from　the　glass　gardens；　feast　her　in　the　Great　Hall；　and　show　her　the　stone　kings　on　their　thrones。　We　could　bathe　in　the　hot　pools；　and　love　beneath　the　heart　tree　while　the　old　gods　watched　over　us。
　The　dream　was　sweet　。　。　。　but　Winterfell　would　never　be　his　to　show。　It　belonged　to　his　brother；　the　King　in　the　North。　He　was　a　Snow；　not　a　Stark。　Bastard；　oathbreaker；　and　tumcloak　。　。　。
　〃Might　be　after　we　could　e　back　here；　and　live　in　that　tower；〃　she　said。　〃Would　you　want　that；　Jon　Snow？　After？〃
　After。　The　word　was　a　spear　thrust。　After　the　war。　After　the　conquest。　After　the　wildlings　break　the　Wall　。　。　。
　His　lord　father　had　once　talked　about　raising　new　lords　and　settling　them　in　the　abandoned　holdfasts　as　a　shield　against　wildlings。　The　plan　would　have　required　the　Watch　to　yield　back　a　large　part　of　the　Gift；　but　his　uncle　Benjen　believed　the　Lord　mander　could　be　won　around；　so　long　as　the　new　lordlings　paid　taxes　to　Castle　Black　rather　than　Winterfell。　〃It　is　a　dream　for　spring；　though；〃　Lord　Eddard　had　said。　〃Even　the　promise　of　land　will　not　lure　men　north　with　a　winter　ing　on。〃
　If　winter　had　e　and　gone　more　quickly　and　spring　had　followed　in　its　turn；　I　might　have　been　chosen　to　hold　one　of　these　towers　in　my　father's　name。　Lord　Eddard　was　dead；　however；　his　brother　Benjen　lost；　the　shield　they　dreamt　together　would　never　be　forged。　〃This　land　belongs　to　the　Watch；〃　Jon