grrm.astormofswords-第186章

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ought。　You　should　have　led　your　men　over　the　barricade；　you　might　have　been　able　to　save　a　few　。　。　。
　Up　above；　a　warhom　sounded；　long　and　low。　Not　from　the　top　of　the　Wall；　but　from　the　ninth　landing；　some　two　hundred　feet　up；　where　Donal　Noye　was　standing。
　Jon　notched　a　fire　arrow　to　his　bowstring；　and　Satin　lit　it　from　the　torch。　He　stepped　to　the　parapet；　drew；　aimed；　loosed。　Ribbons　of　flame　trailed　behind　as　the　shaft　sped　downward　and　thudded　into　its　target；　crackling。
　Not　Styr。　The　steps。　Or　more　precisely；　the　casks　and　kegs　and　sacks　that　Donal　Noye　had　piled　up　beneath　the　steps；　as　high　as　the　first　landing；　the　barrels　of　lard　and　lamp　oil；　the　bags　of　leaves　and　oily　rags；　the　split　logs；　bark；　and　wood　shavings。　〃Again；〃　said　Jon；　and；　〃Again；〃　and；　〃Again。〃　Other　longbowmen　were　firing　too；　from　every　tower　top　in　range；　some　sending　their　arrows　up　in　high　arcs　to　drop　before　the　Wall。　When　Jon　ran　out　of　fire　arrows；　he　and　Satin　began　to　light　the　torches　and　fling　them　from　the　crenels。
　Up　above　another　fire　was　blooming。　The　old　wooden　steps　had　drunk　up　oil　like　a　sponge；　and　Donal　Noye　had　drenched　them　from　the　ninth　landing　all　the　way　down　to　the　seventh。　Jon　could　only　hope　that　most　of　their　own　people　had　staggered　up　to　safety　before　Noye　threw　the　torches。　The　black　brothers　at　least　had　known　the　plan；　but　the　villagers　had　not。
　Wind　and　fire　did　the　rest。　All　Jon　had　to　do　was　watch。　With　flames　below　and　flames　above；　the　wildlings　had　nowhere　to　go。　Some　continued　upward；　and　died。　Some　went　downward；　and　died。　Some　stayed　where　they　were。　They　died　as　well。　Many　leapt　from　the　steps　before　they　burned；　and　died　from　the　fall。　Twenty…odd　Thenns　were　still　huddled　together　between　the　fires　when　the　ice　cracked　from　the　heat；　and　the　whole　lower　third　of　the　stair　broke　off；　along　with　several　tons　of　ice。　That　was　the　last　that　Jon　Snow　saw　of　Styr；　the　Magnar　of　Thenn。　The　Wall　defends　itself；　he　thought。
　Jon　asked　Satin　to　help　him　down　to　the　yard。　His　wounded　leg　hurt　so　badly　that　he　could　hardly　walk；　even　with　the　crutch。　〃Bring　the　torch；〃　he　told　the　boy　from　Oldtown。　〃I　need　to　look　for　someone。〃　It　had　been　mostly　Thenns　on　the　steps。　Surely　some　of　the　free　folk　had　escaped。　Mance's　people；　not　the　Magnar's。　She　might　have　been　one。　So　they　climbed　down　past　the　bodies　of　the　men　who'd　tried　the　trapdoor；　and　Jon　wandered　through　the　dark　with　his　crutch　under　one　arm；　and　the　other　around　the　shoulders　of　a　boy　who'd　been　a　whore　in　Oldtown。
　The　stables　and　the　mon　hall　had　burned　down　to　smoking　cinders　by　then；　but　the　fire　still　raged　along　the　wall；　climbing　step　by　step　and　landing　by　landing。　From　time　to　time　they'd　hear　a　groan　and　then　a　craaaack；　and　another　chunk　would　e　crashing　off　the　Wall。　The　air　was　full　of　ash　and　ice　crystals。
　He　found　Quort　dead；　and　Stone　Thumbs　dying。　He　found　some　dead　and　dying　Therms　he　had　never　truly　known。　He　found　Big　Boil；　weak　from　all　the　blood　he'd　lost　but　still　alive。
　He　found　Ygritte　sprawled　across　a　patch　of　old　snow　beneath　the　Lord　mander's　Tower；　with　an　arrow　between　her　breasts。　The　ice　crystals　had　settled　over　her　face；　and　in　the　moonlight　it　looked　as　though　she　wore　a　glittering　silver　mask。
　The　arrow　was　black；　Jon　saw；　but　it　was　fletched　with　white　duck　feathers。　Not　mine；　he　told　himself；　not　one　of　mine。　But　he　felt　as　if　it　were。
　When　he　knelt　in　the　snow　beside　her；　her　eyes　opened。　〃Jon　Snow；〃　she　said；　very　softly。　It　sounded　as　though　the　arrow　had　found　a　lung。　〃Is　this　a　proper　castle　now？　Not　just　a　tower？〃
　〃It　is。〃　Jon　took　her　hand。
　〃Good；〃　she　whispered。　〃I　wanted　t'　see　one　proper　castle；　before　。　。　。　before　I　。　。　。〃
　〃You'll　see　a　hundred　castles；〃　he　promised　her。　〃The　battle's　done。　Maester　Aemon　will　see　to　you。〃　He　touched　her　hair。　〃You're　kissed　by　fire；　remember？　Lucky。　It　will　take　more　than　an　arrow　to　kill　you。
　Aemon　will　draw　it　out　and　patch　you　up；　and　we'll　get　you　some　milk　of　the　poppy　for　the　pain。〃
　She　just　smiled　at　that。　〃D'you　remember　that　cave？　We　should　have　stayed　in　that　cave。　I　told　you　so。〃
　〃We'll　go　back　to　the　cave；〃　he　said。　〃You're　not　going　to　die；　Ygritte。　You're　not。〃
　〃Oh。〃　Ygritte　cupped　his　cheek　with　her　hand。　〃You　know　nothing；　Jon　Snow；〃　she　sighed；　dying。
　
　CHAPTER　56
　BRAN
　
　〃It　is　only　another　empty　castle；〃　Meera　Reed　said　as　she　gazed　across　the　desolation　of　rubble；　ruins；　and　weeds。
　No；　thought　Bran；　it　is　the　Nightfort；　and　this　is　the　end　of　the　world。　In　the　mountains；　all　he　could　think　of　was　reaching　the　Wall　and　finding　the　three…eyed　crow；　but　now　that　they　were　here　he　was　filled　with　fears。　The　dream　he'd　had　。　。　。　the　dream　Summer　had　had　。　。　。　No；　I　mustn't　think　about　that　dream。　He　had　not　even　told　the　Reeds；　though　Meera　at　least　seemed　to　sense　that　something　was　wrong。　If　he　never　talked　of　it　maybe　he　could　forget　he　ever　dreamed　it；　and　then　it　wouldn't　have　happened　and　Robb　and　Grey　Wind　would　still　be　。　。　。
　〃Hodor。〃　Hodor　shifted　his　weight；　and　Bran　with　it。　He　was　tired。　They　had　been　walking　for　hours。　At　least　he's　not　afraid。　Bran　was　scared　of　this　place；　and　almost　as　scared　of　admitting　it　to　the　Reeds。　I'm　a　prince　of　the　north；　a　Stark　of　Winterfell；　almost　a　man　grown；　I　have　to　be　as　brave　as　Robb。
　Jojen　gazed　up　at　him　with　his　dark　green　eyes。　〃There's　nothing　here　to　hurt　us；　Your　Grace。〃
　Bran　wasn't　so　certain。　The　Nightfort　had　figured　in　some　of　Old　Nan's　scariest　stories。　It　was　here　that　Night's　King　had　reigned；　before　his　name　was　wiped　from　the　memory　of　man。　This　was　where　the　Rat　Cook　had　served　the　Andal　king　his　prince…and…bacon　pie；　where　the　seventy…nine　sentinels　stood　their　watch；　where　brave　young　Danny　Flint　had　been　raped　and　murdered。　This　was　the　castle　where　King　Sherrit　had　called　down　his　curse　on　the　Andals　of　old；　where　the　'prentice　boys　had　faced　the　thing　that　came　in　the　night；　where　blind　Symeon　Star…Eyes　had　seen　the　hellhounds　fighting。　Mad　Axe　had　once　walked　these　yards　and　climbed　these　towers；　butchering　his　brothers　in　the　dark。
　All　that　had　happened　hundreds　and　thousands　of　years　ago；　to　be　sure；　and　some　maybe　never　happened　at　all。　Maester　Luwin　always　said　that　Old　Nan's　stories　shouldn't　be　swallowed　whole。　But　once　his　uncle　came　to　see　Father；　and　Bran　asked　about　the　Nightfort。　Benjen　Stark　never　said　the　tales　were　true；　but　he　never　said　they　weren't；　he　only　shrugged　and　said；　〃We　left　the　Nightfort　two　hundred　years　ago；〃　as　if　that　was　an　answer。
　Bran　forced　himself　to　look　around。　The　morning　was　cold　but　bright；　the　sun　shining　down　from　a　hard　blue　sky；　but　he　did　not　like　the　noises。　The　wind　made　a　nervous　whistling　sound　as　it　shivered　through　the　broken　towers；　the　keeps　groaned　and　settled；　and　he　could　hear　rats　scrabbling　under　the　floor　of　the　great　hall。　The　Rat　Cook's　children　running　from　their　father。　The　yards　were　small　forests　where　spindly　trees　rubbed　their　bare　branches　together　and　dead　leaves　scuttled　like　roaches　across　patches　of　old　snow。　There　were　trees　growing　where　the　stables　had　been；　and　a　twisted　white　weirwood　pushing　up　through　the　gaping　hole　in　the　roof　of　the　domed　kitchen。　Even　Summer　was　not　at　ease　here。　Bran　slipped　inside　his　skin；　just　for　an　instant；　to　get　the　smell　of　the　place。　He　did　not　like　that　either。
　And　there　was　no　way　through。
　Bran　had　told　them　there　wouldn't　be。　He　had　told　them　and　told　them；　but　Jojen　Reed　had　insisted　on　seeing　for　himself。　He　had　had　a　green　dream；　he　said；　and　his　green　dreams　did　not　lie。　They　don't　open　any　gates　either；　thought　Bran。
　The　gate　the　Nightfort　guarded　had　been　sealed　since　the　day　the　black　brothers　had　loaded　up　their　mules　and　garrons　and　departed　for　Deep　Lake；　its　iron　portcullis　lowered；　the　chains　that　raised　it　carried　off；　the　tunnel　packed　with　stone　and　rubble　all　frozen　together　until　they　were　as　impenetrable　as　the　Wall　itself。　〃We　should　have　followed　Jon；〃　Bran　said　when　he　saw　it。　He　thought　of　his　bastard　brother　often；　since　the　night　that　Summer　had　watched　him　ride　off　through　the　storm。　〃We　should　have　found　the　kingsroad　and　gone　to　Castle　Black。〃
　〃We　dare　not；