grrm.astormofswords-第187章

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f　through　the　storm。　〃We　should　have　found　the　kingsroad　and　gone　to　Castle　Black。〃
　〃We　dare　not；　my　prince；〃　Jojen　said。　〃I've　told　you　why。〃
　〃But　there　are　wildlings。　They　killed　some　man　and　they　wanted　to　kill　Jon　too。　Jojen；　there　were　a　hundred　of　them。〃
　〃So　you　said。　We　are　four。　You　helped　your　brother；　if　that　was　him　in　truth；　but　it　almost　cost　you　Summer。〃
　〃I　know；〃　said　Bran　miserably。　The　direwolf　had　killed　three　of　them；　maybe　more；　but　there　had　been　too　many。　When　they　formed　a　tight　ring　around　the　tall　earless　man；　he　had　tried　to　slip　away　through　the　rain；　but　one　of　their　arrows　had　e　flashing　after　him；　and　the　sudden　stab　of　pain　had　driven　Bran　out　of　the　wolf's　skin　and　back　into　his　own。　After　the　storm　finally　died；　they　had　huddled　in　the　dark　without　a　fire；　talking　in　whispers　if　they　talked　at　all；　listening　to　Hodor's　heavy　breathing　and　wondering　if　the　wildlings　might　try　and　cross　the　lake　in　the　morning。　Bran　had　reached　out　for　Summer　time　and　time　again；　but　the　pain　he　found　drove　him　back；　the　way　a　red…hot　kettle　makes　you　pull　your　hand　back　even　when　you　mean　to　grab　it。　Only　Hodor　slept　that　night；　muttering　〃Hodor；　hodor；〃　as　he　tossed　and　turned。　Bran　was　terrified　that　Summer　was　off　dying　in　the　darkness。　Please；　you　old　gods；　he　prayed；　you　took　Winterfell；　and　my　father；　and　my　legs；　please　don't　take　Summer　too。　And　watch　over　Jon　Snow　too；　and　make　the　wildlings　go　away。
　No　weirwoods　grew　on　that　stony　island　in　the　lake；　yet　somehow　the　old　gods　must　have　heard。　The　wildlings　took　their　sweet　time　about　departing　the　next　morning；　stripping　the　bodies　of　their　dead　and　the　old　man　they'd　killed；　even　pulling　a　few　fish　from　the　lake；　and　there　was　a　scary　moment　when　three　of　them　found　the　causeway　and　started　to　walk　out　。　。　。　but　the　path　turned　and　they　didn't；　and　two　of　them　nearly　drowned　before　the　others　pulled　them　out。　The　tall　bald　man　yelled　at　them；　his　words　echoing　across　the　water　in　some　tongue　that　even　Jojen　did　not　know；　and　a　little　while　later　they　gathered　up　their　shields　and　spears　and　marched　off　north　by　east；　the　same　way　Jon　had　gone。　Bran　wanted　to　leave　too；　to　look　for　Summer；　but　the　Reeds　said　no。　〃We　will　stay　another　night；〃　said　Jojen；　〃put　some　leagues　between　us　and　the　wildlings。　You　don't　want　to　meet　them　again；　do　you？〃　Late　that　afternoon　Summer　returned　from　wherever　he'd　been　hiding；　dragging　his　back　leg。　He　ate　parts　of　the　bodies　in　the　inn；　driving　off　the　crows；　then　swam　out　to　the　island。　Meera　had　drawn　the　broken　arrow　from　his　leg　and　rubbed　the　wound　with　the　juice　of　some　plants　she　found　growing　around　the　base　of　the　tower。　The　direwolf　was　still　limping；　but　a　little　less　each　day；　it　seemed　to　Bran。　The　gods　had　heard。
　〃Maybe　we　should　try　another　castle；〃　Meera　said　to　her　brother。　〃Maybe　we　could　get　through　the　gate　somewhere　else。　I　could　go　scout　if　you　wanted；　I'd　make　better　time　by　myself。〃
　Bran　shook　his　head。　〃If　you　go　east　there's　Deep　Lake；　then　Queensgate。　West　is　Icemark。　But　they'll　be　the　same；　only　smaller。　All　the　gates　are　sealed　except　the　ones　at　Castle　Black；　Eastwatch；　and　the　Shadow　Tower。〃
　Hodor　said；　〃Hodor；〃　to　that；　and　the　Reeds　exchanged　a　look。　〃At　least　I　should　climb　to　the　top　of　the　Wall；〃　Meera　decided。　〃Maybe　I'll　see　something　up　there。〃
　〃What　could　you　hope　to　see？〃　Jojen　asked。
　〃Something；〃　said　Meera；　and　for　once　she　was　adamant。
　It　should　be　me。　Bran　raised　his　head　to　look　up　at　the　Wall；　and　imagined　himself　climbing　inch　by　inch；　squirming　his　fingers　into　cracks　in　the　ice　and　kicking　footholds　with　his　toes。　That　made　him　smile　in　spite　of　everything；　the　dreams　and　the　wildlings　and　Jon　and　everything。　He　had　climbed　the　walls　of　Winterfell　when　he　was　little；　and　all　the　towers　too；　but　none　of　them　had　been　so　high；　and　they　were　only　stone。　The　Wall　could　look　like　stone；　all　grey　and　pitted；　but　then　the　clouds　would　break　and　the　sun　would　hit　it　differently；　and　all　at　once　it　would　transform；　and　stand　there　white　and　blue　and　glittering。　It　was　the　end　of　the　world；　Old　Nan　always　said。　On　the　other　side　were　monsters　and　giants　and　ghouls；　but　they　could　not　pass　so　long　as　the　Wall　stood　strong。　I　want　to　stand　on　top　with　Meera；　Bran　thought。　I　want　to　stand　on　top　and　see。
　But　he　was　a　broken　boy　with　useless　legs；　so　all　he　could　do　was　watch　from　below　as　Meera　went　up　in　his　stead。
　She　wasn't　really　climbing；　the　way　he　used　to　climb。　She　was　only　walking　up　some　steps　that　the　Night's　Watch　had　hewn　hundreds　and　thousands　of　years　ago。　He　remembered　Maester　Luwin　saying　the　Nightfort　was　the　only　castle　where　the　steps　had　been　cut　from　the　ice　of　the　Wall　itself。　Or　maybe　it　had　been　Uncle　Benjen。　The　newer　castles　had　wooden　steps；　or　stone　ones；　or　long　ramps　of　earth　and　gravel。　Ice　is　too　treacherous。　It　was　his　uncle　who'd　told　him　that。　He　said　that　the　outer　surface　of　the　Wall　wept　icy　tears　sometimes；　though　the　core　inside　stayed　frozen　hard　as　rock。　The　steps　must　have　melted　and　refrozen　a　thousand　times　since　the　last　black　brothers　left　the　castle；　and　every　time　they　did　they　shrunk　a　little　and　got　smoother　and　rounder　and　more　treacherous。
　And　smaller。　It's　almost　like　the　Wall　was　swallowing　them　back　into　itself。　Meera　Reed　was　very　surefooted；　but　even　so　she　was　going　slowly；　moving　from　nub　to　nub。　in　two　places　where　the　steps　were　hardly　there　at　all　she　got　down　on　all　fours。　It　will　be　worse　when　she　es　down；　Bran　thought；　watching。　Even　so；　he　wished　it　was　him　up　there。　When　she　reached　the　top；　crawling　up　the　icy　knobs　that　were　all　that　remained　of　the　highest　steps；　Meera　vanished　from　his　sight。
　〃When　will　she　e　down？〃　Bran　asked　Jojen。
　〃When　she　is　ready。　She　will　want　to　have　a　good　look　。　。　。　at　the　Wall　and　what's　beyond。　We　should　do　the　same　down　here。〃
　〃Hodor？〃　said　Hodor；　doubtfully。
　〃We　might　find　something；〃　Jojen　insisted。
　Or　something　might　find　us。　Bran　couldn't　say　it；　though；　he　did　not　want　Jojen　to　think　he　was　craven。
　So　they　went　exploring；　Jojen　Reed　leading；　Bran　in　his　basket　on　Hodor's　back；　Summer　padding　by　their　side。　Once　the　direwolf　bolted　through　a　dark　door　and　returned　a　moment　later　with　a　grey　rat　between　his　teeth。　The　Rat　Cook；　Bran　thought；　but　it　was　the　wrong　color；　and　only　as　big　as　a　cat。　The　Rat　Cook　was　white；　and　almost　as　huge　as　a　sow　。　。　。
　There　were　a　lot　of　dark　doors　in　the　Nightfort；　and　a　lot　of　rats。　Bran　could　hear　them　scurrying　through　the　vaults　and　cellars；　and　the　maze　of　pitch…black　tunnels　that　connected　them。　Jojen　wanted　to　go　poking　around　down　there；　but　Hodor　said　〃Hodor〃　to　that；　and　Bran　said　〃No。〃　There　were　worse　things　than　rats　down　in　the　dark　beneath　the　Nightfort。
　〃This　seems　an　old　place；〃　Jojen　said　as　they　walked　down　a　gallery　where　the　sunlight　fell　in　dusty　shafts　through　empty　windows。
　〃Twice　as　old　as　Castle　Black；〃　Bran　said；　remembering。　〃It　was　the　first　castle　on　the　Wall；　and　the　largest。〃　But　it　had　also　been　the　first　abandoned；　all　the　way　back　in　the　time　of　the　Old　King。　Even　then　it　had　been　three…quarters　empty　and　too　costly　to　maintain。　Good　Queen　Alysanne　had　suggested　that　the　Watch　replace　it　with　a　smaller；　newer　castle　at　a　spot　only　seven　miles　east；　where　the　Wall　curved　along　the　shore　of　a　beautiful　green　lake。　Deep　Lake　had　been　paid　for　by　the　queen's　jewels　and　built　by　the　men　the　Old　King　had　sent　north；　and　the　black　brothers　had　abandoned　the　Nightfort　to　the　rats。
　That　was　two　centuries　past；　though。　Now　Deep　Lake　stood　as　empty　as　the　castle　it　had　replaced；　and　the　Nightfort　。　。　。
　〃There　are　ghosts　here；〃　Bran　said。　Hodor　had　heard　all　the　stories　before；　but　Jojen　might　not　have。　〃Old　ghosts；　from　before　the　Old　King；　even　before　Aegon　the　Dragon；　seventy…nine　deserters　who　went　south　to　be　outlaws。　One　was　Lord　Ryswell's　youngest　son；　so　when　they　reached　the　barrowlands　they　sought　shelter　at　his　castle；　but　Lord　Ryswell　took　them　captive　and　returned　them　to　the　Nightfort。　The　Lord　mander　had　holes　hewn　in　the　top　of　the　Wall　and　he　put　the　deserters　in　them　and　sealed　them　up　alive　in　the　ice。　They　have　spears　and　horns　and　the