grrm.astormofswords-第182章

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　I　am　the　Hand　of　the　King；　yes。　Stannis　might　be　the　King　of　Westeros　in　name；　but　in　truth　he　was　the　King　of　the　Painted　Table。　He　held　Dragonstone　and　Storm's　End；　and　had　an　ever…more…uneasy　alliance　with　Salladhor　Saan；　but　that　was　all。　How　could　the　Watch　have　looked　to　him　for　help？　They　may　not　know　how　weak　he　is；　how　lost　his　cause。　〃King　Stannis　never　saw　this　letter；　you　are　quite　certain？　Nor　Melisandre？〃
　〃No。　Should　I　bring　it　to　them？　Even　now？〃
　〃No；〃　Davos　said　at　once。　〃You　did　your　duty　when　you　brought　it　to　Lord　Alester。〃　If　Melisandre　knew　of　this　letter　。　。　。　What　was　it　she　had　said？　One　whose　name　may　not　be　spoken　is　marshaling　his　power；　Davos　Seaworth。　Soon　es　the　cold；　and　the　night　that　never　ends　。　。　。　And　Stannis　had　seen　a　vision　in　the　flames；　a　ring　of　torches　in　the　snow　with　terror　all　around。
　〃My　lord；　are　you　unwell？〃　asked　Pylos。
　I　am　frightened；　Maester；　he　might　have　said。　Davos　was　remembering　a　tale　Salladhor　Saan　had　told　him；　of　how　Azor　Ahai　tempered　Lightbringer　by　thrusting　it　through　the　heart　of　the　wife　he　loved。　He　slew　his　wife　to　fight　the　dark。　If　Stannis　is　Azor　Ahai　e　again；　does　that　mean　Edric　Storm　must　play　the　part　of　Nissa　Nissa？　〃I　was　thinking；　Maester。　My　pardons。〃　What　harm　if　some　wildling　king　conquers　the　north？　It　was　not　as　though　Stannis　held　the　north。　His　Grace　could　scarcely　be　expected　to　defend　people　who　refused　to　acknowledge　him　as　king。　〃Give　me　another　letter；〃　he　said　abruptly。　〃This　one　is　too　。　。　。〃
　〃　。　。　。　difficult？〃　suggested　Pylos。
　Soon　es　the　cold；　whispered　Melisandre；　and　the　night　that　never　ends。　〃Troubling；〃　said　Davos。　〃Too　。　。　。　troubling。　A　different　letter；　please。〃
　
　CHAPTER　55
　JON
　
　They　woke　to　the　smoke　of　Mole's　Town　burning。
　Atop　the　King's　Tower；　Jon　Snow　leaned　on　the　padded　crutch　that　Maester　Aemon　had　given　him　and　watched　the　grey　plume　rise。　Styr　had　lost　all　hope　of　taking　Castle　Black　unawares　when　Jon　escaped　him；　yet　even　so；　he　need　not　have　warned　of　his　approach　so　bluntly。　You　may　kill　us；　he　reflected；　but　no　one　will　be　butchered　in　their　beds。　That　much　I　did；　at　least。
　His　leg　still　hurt　like　blazes　when　he　put　his　weight　on　it。　He'd　needed　Clydas　to　help　him　don　his　fresh…washed　blacks　and　lace　up　his　boots　that　morning；　and　by　the　time　they　were　done　he'd　wanted　to　drown　himself　in　the　milk　of　the　poppy。　Instead　he　had　settled　for　half　a　cup　of　dreamwine；　a　chew　of　willow　bark；　and　the　crutch。　The　beacon　was　burning　on　Weatherback　Ridge；　and　the　Night's　Watch　had　need　of　every　man。
　〃I　can　fight；〃　he　insisted　when　they　tried　to　stop　him。
　〃Your　leg's　healed；　is　it？〃　Noye　snorted。　〃You　won't　mind　me　giving　it　a　little　kick；　then？〃
　〃I'd　sooner　you　didn't。　It's　stiff；　but　I　can　hobble　around　well　enough；　and　stand　and　fight　if　you　have　need　of　me。〃
　〃I　have　need　of　every　man　who　knows　which　end　of　the　spear　to　stab　into　the　wildlings。〃
　〃The　pointy　end。〃　Jon　had　told　his　little　sister　something　like　that　once；　he　remembered。
　Noye　rubbed　the　bristle　on　his　chin。　〃Might　be　you'll　do。　We'll　put　you　on　a　tower　with　a　longbow；　but　if　you　bloody　well　fall　off　don't　e　crying　to　me。〃
　He　could　see　the　kingsroad　wending　its　way　south　through　stony　brown　fields　and　over　windswept　hills。　The　Magnar　would　be　ing　up　that　road　before　the　day　was　done；　his　Thenns　marching　behind　him　with　axes　and　spears　in　their　hands　and　their　bronze…and…leather　shields　on　their　backs。　Grigg　the　Goat；　Quort；　Big　Boil；　and　the　rest　will　be　ing　as　well。　And　Ygritte。　The　wildlings　had　never　been　his　friends；　he　had　not　allowed　them　to　be　his　friends；　but　her　。　。　。
　He　could　feel　the　throb　of　pain　where　her　arrow　had　gone　through　the　meat　and　muscle　of　his　thigh。　He　remembered　the　old　man's　eyes　too；　and　the　black　blood　rushing　from　his　throat　as　the　storm　cracked　overhead。　But　he　remembered　the　grotto　best　of　all；　the　look　of　her　naked　in　the　torchlight；　the　taste　of　her　mouth　when　it　opened　under　his。　Ygritte；　stay　away。　Go　south　and　raid；　go　hide　in　one　of　those　roundtowers　you　liked　so　well。　You'll　find　nothing　here　but　death。
　Across　the　yard；　one　of　the　bowmen　on　the　roof　of　the　old　Flint　Barracks　had　unlaced　his　breeches　and　was　pissing　through　a　crenel。　Mully；　he　knew　from　the　man's　greasy　orange　hair。　Men　in　black　cloaks　were　visible　on　other　roofs　and　tower　tops　as　well；　though　nine　of　every　ten　happened　to　be　made　of　straw。　〃The　scarecrow　sentinels；〃　Donal　Noye　called　them。　Only　we're　the　crows；　Jon　mused；　and　most　of　us　were　scared　enough。
　Whatever　you　called　them；　the　straw　soldiers　had　been　Maester　Aemon's　notion。　They　had　more　breeches　and　jerkins　and　tunics　in　the　storerooms　than　they'd　had　men　to　fill　them；　so　why　not　stuff　some　with　straw；　drape　a　cloak　around　their　shoulders；　and　set　them　to　standing　watches？　Noye　had　placed　them　on　every　tower　and　in　half　the　windows。　Some　were　even　clutching　spears；　or　had　crossbows　cocked　under　their　arms。　The　hope　was　that　the　Therms　would　see　them　from　afar　and　decide　that　Castle　Black　was　too　well　defended　to　attack。
　Jon　had　six　scarecrows　sharing　the　roof　of　the　King's　Tower　with　him；　along　with　two　actual　breathing　brothers。　Deaf　Dick　Follard　sat　in　a　crenel；　methodically　cleaning　and　oiling　the　mechanism　of　his　crossbow　to　make　sure　the　wheel　turned　smoothly；　while　the　Oldtown　boy　wandered　restlessly　around　the　parapets；　fussing　with　the　clothes　on　straw　men。　Maybe　he　thinks　they　will　fight　better　if　they're　posed　just　right。　Or　maybe　this　waiting　is　fraying　his　nerves　the　way　it's　fraying　mine。
　The　boy　claimed　to　be　eighteen；　older　than　Jon；　but　he　was　green　as　summer　grass　for　all　that。　Satin；　they　called　him；　even　in　the　wool　and　mail　and　boiled　leather　of　the　Night's　Watch；　the　name　he'd　gotten　in　the　brothel　where　he'd　been　born　and　raised。　He　was　pretty　as　a　girl　with　his　dark　eyes；　soft　skin；　and　raven's　ringlets。　Half　a　year　at　Castle　Black　had　toughened　up　his　hands；　however；　and　Noye　said　he　was　passable　with　a　crossbow。　Whether　he　had　the　courage　to　face　what　was　ing；　though　。　。　。
　Jon　used　the　crutch　to　limp　across　the　tower　top。　The　King's　Tower　was　not　the　castle's　tallest…the　high；　slim；　crumbling　Lance　held　that　honor；　though　Othell　Yarwyck　had　been　heard　to　say　it　might　topple　any　day。　Nor　was　the　King's　Tower　strongest…the　Tower　of　Guards　beside　the　kingsroad　would　be　a　tougher　nut　to　crack。　But　it　was　tall　enough；　strong　enough；　and　well　placed　beside　the　Wall；　overlooking　the　gate　and　the　foot　of　the　wooden　stair。
　The　first　time　he　had　seen　Castle　Black　with　his　own　eyes；　Jon　had　wondered　why　anyone　would　be　so　foolish　as　to　build　a　castle　without　walls。　How　could　it　be　defended？
　〃It　can't；〃　his　uncle　told　him。　〃That　is　the　point。　The　Night's　Watch　is　pledged　to　take　no　part　in　the　quarrels　of　the　realm。　Yet　over　the　centuries　certain　Lords　mander；　more　proud　than　wise；　forgot　their　vows　and　near　destroyed　us　all　with　their　ambitions。　Lord　mander　Runcel　Hightower　tried　to　bequeathe　the　Watch　to　his　bastard　son。　Lord　mander　Rodrik　Flint　thought　to　make　himself　King…beyond…theWall。　Tristan　Mudd；　Mad　Marq　Rankenfell；　Robin　Hill　。　。　。　did　you　know　that　six　hundred　years　ago；　the　manders　at　Snowgate　and　the　Nightfort　went　to　war　against　each　other？　And　when　the　Lord　mander　tried　to　stop　them；　they　joined　forces　to　murder　him？　The　Stark　in　Winterfell　had　to　take　a　hand　。　。　。　and　both　their　heads。　Which　he　did　easily；　because　their　strongholds　were　not　defensible。　The　Night's　Watch　had　nine　hundred　and　ninety…six　Lords　mander　before　Jeor　Mormont；　most　of　them　men　of　courage　and　honor　。　。　。　but　we　have　had　cowards　and　fools　as　well；　our　tyrants　and　our　madmen。　We　survive　because　the　lords　and　kings　of　the　Seven　Kingdoms　know　that　we　pose　no　threat　to　them；　no　matter　who　should　lead　us。　Our　only　foes　are　to　the　north；　and　to　the　north　we　have　the　Wall。〃
　Only　now　those　foes　have　gotten　past　the　Wall　to　e　up　from　the　south；　Jon　reflected；　and　the　lords　and　kings　of　the　Seven　Kingdoms　have　forgotten　us。　We　are　caught　between　the　hammer　and　the　anvil。　Without　a　wall　Castle　Black　could　not　be　held；　Donal　Noye　knew　that　as　well　as　any。　〃The　castle　does　them　no　good；〃　the　armorer　told　his　little　garrison