grrm.astormofswords-第218章

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ld；　and　Lord　Beric　and　the　outlaws　only　wanted　to　ransom　her；　just　like　the　Hound。　None　of　them　wanted　her　around。　They　were　never　my　pack；　not　even　Hot　Pie　and　Gendry。　I　was　stupid　to　think　so；　just　a　stupid　little　girl；　and　no　wolf　a　t　all。
　So　she　stayed　with　the　Hound。　They　rode　every　day；　never　sleeping　twice　in　the　same　place；　avoiding　towns　and　villages　and　castles　as　best　they　could。　Once　she　asked　Sandor　Clegane　where　they　were　going。　〃Away；〃　he　said。　〃That's　all　you　need　to　know。　You're　not　worth　spit　to　me　now；　and　I　don't　want　to　hear　your　whining。　I　should　have　let　you　run　into　that　bloody　castle。〃
　〃You　should　have；〃　she　agreed；　thinking　of　her　mother。
　〃You'd　be　dead　if　I　had。　You　ought　to　thank　me。　You　ought　to　sing　me　a　pretty　little　song；　the　way　your　sister　did。〃
　〃Did　you　hit　her　with　an　axe　too？〃
　〃I　hit　you　with　the　flat　of　the　axe；　you　stupid　little　bitch。　If　I'd　hit　you　with　the　blade　there'd　still　be　chunks　of　your　head　floating　down　the　Green　Fork。　Now　shut　your　bloody　mouth。　If　I　had　any　sense　I'd　give　you　to　the　silent　sisters。　They　cut　the　tongues　out　of　girls　who　talk　too　much。〃　That　wasn't　fair　of　him　to　say。　Aside　from　that　one　time；　Arya　hardly　talked　at　all。　Whole　days　passed　when　neither　of　them　said　anything。　She　was　too　empty　to　talk；　and　the　Hound　was　too　angry。　She　could　feel　the　fury　in　him；　she　could　see　it　on　his　face；　the　way　his　mouth　would　tighten　and　twist；　the　looks　he　gave　her。　Whenever　he　took　his　axe　to　chop　some　wood　for　a　fire；　he　would　slide　into　a　cold　rage；　hacking　savagely　at　the　tree　or　the　deadfall　or　the　broken　limb；　until　they　had　twenty　times　as　much　kindling　and　firewood　as　they'd　needed。　Sometimes　he　would　be　so　sore　and　tired　afterward　that　he　would　lie　down　and　go　right　to　sleep　without　even　lighting　a　fire。　Arya　hated　it　when　that　happened；　and　hated　him　too。　Those　were　the　nights　when　she　stared　the　longest　at　the　axe。　It　looks　awfully　heavy；　but　I　bet　I　could　swing　it。　She　wouldn't　hit　him　with　the　flat；　either。
　Sometimes　in　their　wanderings　they　glimpsed　other　people；　farmers　in　their　fields；　swineherds　with　their　pigs；　a　milkmaid　leading　a　cow；　a　squire　carrying　a　message　down　a　rutted　road。　She　never　wanted　to　speak　to　them　either。　it　was　as　if　they　lived　in　some　distant　land　and　spoke　a　queer　alien　tongue；　they　had　nothing　to　do　with　her；　or　her　with　them。
　Besides；　it　wasn't　safe　to　be　seen。　From　time　to　time　columns　of　horsemen　passed　down　the　winding　farm　roads；　the　twin　towers　of　Frey　flying　before　them。　〃Hunting　for　stray　northmen；〃　the　Hound　said　when　they　had　passed。　〃Any　time　you　hear　hooves；　get　your　head　down　fast；　it's　not　like　to　be　a　friend。〃
　One　day；　in　an　earthen　hollow　made　by　the　roots　of　a　fallen　oak；　they　came　face　to　face　with　another　survivor　of　the　Twins。　The　badge　on　his　breast　showed　a　pink　maiden　dancing　in　a　swirl　of　silk；　and　he　told　them　he　was　Ser　Marq　Piper's　man；　a　bowman；　though　he'd　lost　his　bow。　His　left　shoulder　was　all　twisted　and　swollen　where　it　met　his　arm；　a　blow　from　a　mace；　he　said；　it　had　broken　his　shoulder　and　smashed　his　chainmail　deep　into　his　flesh。　〃A　northman；　it　was；〃　he　wept。　〃His　badge　was　a　bloody　man；　and　he　saw　mine　and　made　a　jape；　red　man　and　pink　maiden；　maybe　they　should　get　together。　I　drank　to　his　Lord　Bolton；　he　drank　to　Ser　Marq；　and　we　drank　together　to　Lord　Edmure　and　Lady　Roslin　and　the　King　in　the　North。　And　then　he　killed　me。〃　His　eyes　were　fever　bright　when　he　said　that；　and　Arya　could　tell　that　it　was　true。　His　shoulder　was　swollen　grotesquely；　and　pus　and　blood　had　stained　his　whole　left　side。　There　was　a　stink　to　him　too。　He　smells　like　a　corpse。　The　man　begged　them　for　a　drink　of　wine。
　〃If　I'd　had　any　wine；　I'd　have　drunk　it　myself；〃　the　Hound　told　him。　〃I　can　give　you　water；　and　the　gift　of　mercy。〃
　The　archer　looked　at　him　a　long　while　before　he　said；　〃You're　Joffrey's　dog。〃
　〃My　own　dog　now。　Do　you　want　the　water？〃
　〃Aye。〃　The　man　swallowed。　〃And　the　mercy。　Please。〃
　They　had　passed　a　small　pond　a　short　ways　back。　Sandor　gave　Arya　his　helm　and　told　her　to　fill　it；　so　she　trudged　back　to　the　water's　edge。　Mud　squished　over　the　toe　of　her　boots。　She　used　the　dog's　head　as　a　pail。　Water　ran　out　through　the　eyeholes；　but　the　bottom　of　the　helm　still　held　a　lot。
　When　she　came　back；　the　archer　turned　his　face　up　and　she　poured　the　water　into　his　mouth。　He　gulped　it　down　as　fast　as　she　could　pour；　and　what　he　couldn't　gulp　ran　down　his　cheeks　into　the　brown　blood　that　crusted　his　whiskers；　until　pale　pink　tears　dangled　from　his　beard。　When　the　water　was　gone　he　clutched　the　helm　and　licked　the　steel。　〃Good；〃　he　said。　〃I　wish　it　was　wine；　though。　I　wanted　wine。〃
　〃Me　too。〃　The　Hound　eased　his　dagger　into　the　man's　chest　almost　tenderly；　the　weight　of　his　body　driving　the　point　through　his　surcoat；　ringmail；　and　the　quilting　beneath。　As　he　slid　the　blade　back　out　and　wiped　it　on　the　dead　man；　he　looked　at　Arya。　〃That's　where　the　heart　is；　girl。　That's　how　you　kill　a　man。〃
　That's　one　way。　〃Will　we　bury　him？〃
　〃Why？〃　Sandor　said。　〃He　don't　care；　and　we've　got　no　spade。　Leave　him　for　the　wolves　and　wild　dogs。　Your　brothers　and　mine。〃　He　gave　her　a　hard　look。　〃First　we　rob　him；　though。〃
　There　were　two　silver　stags　in　the　archer's　purse；　and　almost　thirty　coppers。　His　dagger　had　a　pretty　pink　stone　in　the　hilt。　The　Hound　hefted　the　knife　in　his　hand；　then　flipped　it　toward　Arya。　She　caught　it　by　the　hilt；　slid　it　through　her　belt；　and　felt　a　little　better。　It　wasn't　Needle；　but　it　was　steel。　The　dead　man　had　a　quiver　of　arrows　too；　but　arrows　weren't　much　good　without　a　bow。　His　boots　were　too　big　for　Arya　and　too　small　for　the　Hound；　so　those　they　left。　She　took　his　kettle　helm　as　well；　even　though　it　came　down　almost　past　her　nose；　so　she　had　to　tilt　it　back　to　see。　〃He　must　have　had　a　horse　as　well；　or　he　wouldn't　have　got　away；〃　Clegane　said；　peering　about；　〃but　it's　bloody　well　gone；　I'd　say。　No　telling　how　long　he's　been　here。〃
　By　the　time　they　found　themselves　in　the　foothills　of　the　Mountains　of　the　Moon；　the　rains　had　mostly　stopped。　Arya　could　see　the　sun　and　moon　and　stars；　and　it　seemed　to　her　that　they　were　heading　eastward。　〃Where　are　we　going？〃　she　asked　again。
　This　time　the　Hound　answered　her。　〃You　have　an　aunt　in　the　Eyrie。　Might　be　she'll　want　to　ransom　your　scrawny　arse；　though　the　gods　know　why。　Once　we　find　the　high　road；　we　can　follow　it　all　the　way　to　the　Bloody　Gate。〃
　Aunt　Lysa。　The　thought　left　Arya　feeling　empty。　It　was　her　mother　she　wanted；　not　her　mother's　sister。　She　didn't　know　her　mother's　sister　any　more　than　she　knew　her　great　uncle　Blackfish。　We　should　have　gone　into　the　castle。　They　didn't　really　know　that　her　mother　was　dead；　or　Robb　either。　it　wasn't　like　they'd　seen　them　die　or　anything。　Maybe　Lord　Frey　had　just　taken　them　captive。　Maybe　they　were　chained　up　in　his　dungeon；　or　maybe　the　Freys　were　taking　them　to　King's　Landing　so　Joffrey　could　chop　their　heads　off。　They　didn't　know。　〃We　should　go　back；〃　she　suddenly　decided。　〃We　should　go　back　to　the　Twins　and　get　my　mother。　She　can't　be　dead。　We　have　to　help　her。〃
　〃I　thought　your　sister　was　the　one　with　a　head　full　of　songs；〃　the　Hound　growled。　〃Frey　might　have　kept　your　mother　alive　to　ransom；　that's　true。　But　there's　no　way　in　seven　hells　I'm　going　to　pluck　her　out　of　his　castle　all　by　my　bloody　self。〃
　〃Not　by　yourself。　I'd　e　too。〃
　He　made　a　sound　that　was　almost　a　laugh。　〃That　will　scare　the　piss　out　of　the　old　man。〃
　〃You're　just　afraid　to　die！〃　she　said　scornfully。
　Now　Clegane　did　laugh。　〃Death　don't　scare　me。　Only　fire。　Now　be　quiet；　or　I'll　cut　your　tongue　out　myself　and　save　the　silent　sisters　the　bother。　It's　the　Vale　for　us。〃
　Arya　didn't　think　he'd　really　cut　her　tongue　out；　he　was　just　saying　that　the　way　Pinkeye　used　to　say　he'd　beat　her　bloody。　All　the　same；　she　wasn't　going　to　try　him。　Sandor　Clegane　was　no　Pinkeye。　Pinkeye　didn't　cut　people　in　half　or　hit　them　with　axes。　Not　even　with　the　flat　of　axes。
　That　night　she　went　to　sleep　thinking　of　her　mother；　and　wondering　if　she　should　kill　the　Hound　in　his　sleep　and　rescue　Lady　Catelyn　herself。　When　she　closed　her　eyes　she　saw　her　mother's　face　against　the　back　of　her　eyelids。　She'