grrm.astormofswords-第160章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


mself　sideways；　pulling　Paul　with　him　。　。　。　his　arms　flailed　against　the　dirt　floor；　groping；　reaching；　scattering　the　ashes；　until　at　last　they　found　something　hot　。　。　。　a　chunk　of　charred　wood；　smouldering　red　and　orange　within　the　black　。　。　。　his　fingers　closed　around　it；　and　he　smashed　it　into　Paul's　mouth；　so　hard　he　felt　teeth　shatter。
　Yet　even　so　the　wight's　grip　did　not　loosen。　Sam's　last　thoughts　were　for　the　mother　who　had　loved　him　and　the　father　he　had　failed。　The　longhall　was　spinning　around　him　when　he　saw　the　wisp　of　smoke　rising　from　between　Paul's　broken　teeth。　Then　the　dead　man's　face　burst　into　flame；　and　the　hands　were　gone。
　Sam　sucked　in　air；　and　rolled　feebly　away。　The　wight　was　burning；　hoarfrost　dripping　from　his　beard　as　the　flesh　beneath　blackened。　Sam　heard　the　raven　shriek；　but　Paul　himself　made　no　sound。　When　his　mouth　opened；　only　flames　came　out。　And　his　eyes　。　。　。　It's　gone；　the　blue　glow　is　gone。
　He　crept　to　the　door。　The　air　was　so　cold　that　it　hurt　to　breathe；　but　such　a　fine　sweet　hurt。　He　ducked　from　the　longhall。　〃Gilly？〃　he　called。　〃Gilly；　I　killed　it。　Gil…〃　She　stood　with　her　back　against　the　weirwood；　the　boy　in　her　arms。　The　wights　were　all　around　her。　There　were　a　dozen　of　them；　a　score；　more　。　。　。　some　had　been　wildlings　once；　and　still　wore　skins　and　hides　。　。　。　but　more　had　been　his　brothers。　Sam　saw　Lark　the　Sisterman；　Softfoot；　Ryles。　The　wen　on　Chett's　neck　was　black；　his　boils　covered　with　a　thin　flIm。　of　ice。　And　that　one　looked　like　Hake；　though　it　was　hard　to　know　for　certain　with　half　his　head　missing。　They　had　torn　the　poor　garron　apart；　and　were　pulling　out　her　entrails　with　dripping　red　hands。　Pale　steam　rose　from　her　belly。
　Sam　made　a　whimpery　sound。　〃It's　not　fair　。　。　。〃
　〃Fair。〃　The　raven　landed　on　his　shoulder。　〃Fair；　far；　fear。〃　It　flapped　its　wings；　and　screamed　along　with　Gilly。　The　wights　were　almost　on　her。　He　heard　the　dark　red　leaves　of　the　weirwood　rustling；　whispering　to　one　another　in　a　tongue　he　did　not　know。　The　starlight　itself　seemed　to　stir；　and　all　around　them　the　trees　groaned　and　creaked。　Sam　Tarly　turned　the　color　of　curdled　milk；　and　his　eyes　went　wide　as　plates。　Ravens！　They　were　in　the　weirwood；　hundreds　of　them；　thousands；　perched　on　the　bone…white　branches；　peering　between　the　leaves。　He　saw　their　beaks　open　as　they　screamed；　saw　them　spread　their　black　wings。　Shrieking；　flapping；　they　descended　on　the　wights　in　angry　clouds。　They　swarmed　round　Chett's　face　and　pecked　at　his　blue　eyes；　they　covered　the　Sisterman　like　flies；　they　plucked　gobbets　from　inside　Hake's　shattered　head。　There　were　so　many　that　when　Sam　looked　up；　he　could　not　see　the　moon。
　〃Go；〃　said　the　bird　on　his　shoulder。　〃Go；　go；　go。〃
　Sam　ran；　puffs　of　frost　exploding　from　his　mouth。　All　around　him　the　wights　flailed　at　the　black　wings　and　sharp　beaks　that　assailed　them；　falling　in　an　eerie　silence　with　never　a　grunt　nor　cry。　But　the　ravens　ignored　Sam。　He　took　Gilly　by　the　hand　and　pulled　her　away　from　the　weirwood。　〃We　have　to　go。〃
　〃But　where？〃　Gilly　hurried　after　him；　holding　her　baby。　〃They　killed　our　horse；　how　will　we　。　。　。〃
　〃Brother！〃　The　shout　cut　through　the　night；　through　the　shrieks　of　a　thousand　ravens。　Beneath　the　trees；　a　man　muffled　head　to　heels　in　mottled　blacks　and　greys　sat　astride　an　elk。　〃Here；〃　the　rider　called。　A　hood　shadowed　his　face。
　He's　wearing　blacks。　Sam　urged　Gilly　toward　him。　The　elk　was　huge；　a　great　elk；　ten　feet　tall　at　the　shoulder；　with　a　rack　of　antlers　near　as　wide。　The　creature　sank　to　his　knees　to　let　them　mount。　〃Here；〃　the　rider　said；　reaching　down　with　a　gloved　hand　to　pull　Gilly　up　behind　him。　Then　it　was　Sam's　turn。　〃My　thanks；〃　he　puffed。　Only　when　he　grasped　the　offered　hand　did　he　realize　that　the　rider　wore　no　glove。　His　hand　was　black　and　cold；　with　fingers　hard　as　stone。
　
　CHAPTER　47
　ARYA
　
　When　they　reached　the　top　of　the　ridge　and　saw　the　river；　Sandor　Clegane　reined　up　hard　and　cursed。
　The　rain　was　falling　from　a　black　iron　sky；　pricking　the　green　and　brown　torrent　with　ten　thousand　swords。　It　must　be　a　mile　across；　Arya　thought。　The　tops　of　half　a　hundred　trees　poked　up　out　the　swirling　waters；　their　limbs　clutching　for　the　sky　like　the　arms　of　drowning　men。　Thick　mats　of　sodden　leaves　choked　the　shoreline；　and　farther　out　in　the　channel　she　glimpsed　something　pale　and　swollen；　a　deer　or　perhaps　a　dead　horse；　moving　swiftly　downstream。　There　was　a　sound　too；　a　low　rumble　at　the　edge　of　hearing；　like　the　sound　a　dog　makes　just　before　he　growls。
　Arya　squirmed　in　the　saddle　and　felt　the　links　of　the　Hound's　mail　digging　into　her　back。　His　arms　encircled　her；　on　the　left；　the　burned　arm；　he'd　donned　a　steel　vambrace　for　protection；　but　she'd　seen　him　change　the　dressings；　and　the　flesh　beneath　was　still　raw　and　seeping。　If　the　burns　pained　him；　though；　Sandor　Clegane　gave　no　hint　of　it。
　〃Is　this　the　Blackwater　Rush？〃　They　had　ridden　so　far　in　rain　and　darkness；　through　trackless　woods　and　nameless　villages；　that　Arya　had　lost　all　sense　of　where　they　were。
　〃It's　a　river　we　need　to　cross；　that's　all　you　need　to　know。〃　Clegane　would　answer　her　from　time　to　time；　but　he　had　warned　her　not　to　talk　back。　He　had　given　her　a　lot　of　warnings　that　first　day。　〃The　next　time　you　hit　me；　I'll　tie　your　hands　behind　your　back；〃　he'd　said。　〃The　next　time　you　try　and　run　off；　I'll　bind　your　feet　together。　Scream　or　shout　or　bite　me　again；　and　I'll　gag　you。　We　can　ride　double；　or　I　can　throw　you　across　the　back　of　the　horse　trussed　up　like　a　sow　for　slaughter。　Your　choice。〃　She　had　chosen　to　ride；　but　the　first　time　they　made　camp　she'd　waited　until　she　thought　he　was　asleep；　and　found　a　big　jagged　rock　to　smash　his　ugly　head　in。　Quiet　as　a　shadow；　she　told　herself　as　she　crept　toward　him；　but　that　wasn't　quiet　enough。　The　Hound　hadn't　been　asleep　after　all。　Or　maybe　he'd　woken。　Whichever　it　was；　his　eyes　opened；　his　mouth　twitched；　and　he　took　the　rock　away　from　her　as　if　she　were　a　baby。　The　best　she　could　do　was　kick　him。　〃I'll　give　you　that　one；〃　he　said；　when　he　flung　the　rock　into　the　bushes。　〃But　if　you're　stupid　enough　to　try　again；　I'll　hurt　you。〃
　〃Why　don't　you　just　kill　me　like　you　did　Mycah？〃　Arya　had　screamed　at　him。　She　was　still　defiant　then；　more　angry　than　scared。
　He　answered　by　grabbing　the　front　of　her　tunic　and　yanking　her　within　an　inch　of　his　burned　face。　〃The　next　time　you　say　that　name　I'll　beat　you　so　bad　you'll　wish　I　killed　you。〃
　After　that；　he　rolled　her　in　his　horse　blanket　every　night　when　he　went　to　sleep；　and　tied　ropes　around　her　top　and　bottom　so　she　was　bound　up　as　tight　as　a　babe　in　swaddling　clothes。
　It　has　to　be　the　Blackwater；　Arya　decided　as　she　watched　the　rain　lash　the　river。　The　Hound　was　Joffrey's　dog；　he　was　taking　her　back　to　the　Red　Keep；　to　hand　to　Joffrey　and　the　queen。　She　wished　that　the　sun　would　e　out；　so　she　could　tell　which　way　they　were　going。　The　more　she　looked　at　the　moss　on　the　trees　the　more　confused　she　got。　The　Blackwater　wasn't　so　wide　at　King's　Landing；　but　that　was　before　the　rains。
　〃The　fords　will　all　be　gone；〃　Sandor　Clegane　said；　〃and　I　wouldn't　care　to　try　and　swim　over　neither。〃
　There's　no　way　across；　she　thought。　Lord　Beric　will　catch　us　for　sure。　Clegane　had　pushed　his　big　black　stallion　hard；　doubling　back　thrice　to　throw　off　pursuit；　once　even　riding　half　a　mile　up　the　center　of　a　swollen　stream　。　。　。　but　Arya　still　expected　to　see　the　outlaws　every　time　she　looked　back。　She　had　tried　to　help　them　by　scratching　her　name　on　the　trunks　of　trees　when　she　went　in　the　bushes　to　make　water；　but　the　fourth　time　she　did　it　he　caught　her；　and　that　was　the　end　of　that。　It　doesn't　matter；　Arya　told　herself；　Thoros　will　find　me　in　his　flames。　Only　he　hadn't。　Not　yet；　anyway；　and　once　they　crossed　the　river　。　。　。
　〃Harroway　town　shouldn't　be　far；〃　the　Hound　said。　〃Where　Lord　Roote　stables　Old　King　Andahar's　two…headed　water　horse。　Maybe　we'll　ride　across。〃
　Arya　had　never　heard　of　Old　King　Andahar。　She'd　never　seen　a　horse　with　two　heads　either；　especially　not　one　who　could　run　on　water；　but　she　knew　better　than　to　ask。　She　held　her　tongue　and　sat　stiff　as　the　Hound　turned　the　stallion's　head　and　trotted　along　the　ridg