grrm.astormofswords-第233章

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　and　e…into…my…castle；　but　you　must　always　let　him　win。　That's　only　proper；　don't　you　think？　He　is　the　Lord　of　the　Eyrie；　after　all；　you　must　never　forget　that。　You　are　well　born；　and　the　Starks　of　Winterfell　were　always　proud；　but　Winterfell　has　fallen　and　you　are　really　just　a　beggar　now；　so　put　that　pride　aside。　Gratitude　will　better　bee　you；　in　your　present　circumstances。　Yes；　and　obedience。　My　son　will　have　a　grateful　and　obedient　wife。〃
　
　CHAPTER　69
　JON
　
　Day　and　night　the　axes　rang。
　Jon　could　not　remember　the　last　time　he　had　slept。　When　he　closed　his　eyes　he　dreamed　of　fighting；　when　he　woke　he　fought。　Even　in　the　King's　Tower　he　could　hear　the　ceaseless　thunk　of　bronze　and　flint　and　stolen　steel　biting　into　wood；　and　it　was　louder　when　he　tried　to　rest　in　the　warming　shed　atop　the　Wall。　Mance　had　sledgehammers　at　work　as　well；　and　long　saws　with　teeth　of　bone　and　flint。　Once；　as　he　was　drifting　off　into　an　exhausted　sleep；　there　came　a　great　cracking　from　the　haunted　forest；　and　a　sentinel　tree　came　crashing　down　in　a　cloud　of　dirt　and　needles。
　He　was　awake　when　Owen　came　to　him；　lying　restless　under　a　pile　of　furs　on　the　floor　of　the　warming　shed。　〃Lord　Snow；〃　said　Owen；　shaking　his　shoulder；　〃the　dawn。〃　He　gave　Jon　a　hand　to　help　pull　him　back　onto　his　feet。　Others　were　waking　as　well；　jostling　one　another　as　they　pulled　on　their　boots　and　buckled　their　swordbelts　in　the　close　confines　of　the　shed。　No　one　spoke。　They　were　all　too　tired　for　talk。　Few　of　them　ever　left　the　Wall　these　days。　it　took　too　long　to　ride　up　and　down　in　the　cage。　Castle　Black　had　been　abandoned　to　Maester　Aemon；　Ser　Wynton　Stout；　and　a　few　others　too　old　or　ill　to　fight。
　〃I　had　a　dream　that　the　king　had　e；〃　Owen　said　happily。　〃Maester　Aemon　sent　a　raven；　and　King　Robert　came　with　all　his　strength。　I　dreamed　I　saw　his　golden　banners。〃
　Jon　made　himself　smile。　〃That　would　be　a　wele　sight　to　see；　Owen。〃　Ignoring　the　twinge　of　pain　in　his　leg；　he　swept　a　black　fur　cloak　about　his　shoulders；　gathered　up　his　crutch；　and　went　out　onto　the　Wall　to　face　another　day。
　A　gust　of　wind　sent　icy　tendrils　wending　through　his　long　brown　hair。　Half　a　mile　north；　the　wildling　encampments　were　stirring；　their　campfires　sending　up　smoky　fingers　to　scratch　against　the　pale　dawn　sky。　Along　the　edge　of　the　forest　they　had　raised　their　tents　of　hide　and　fur；　even　a　crude　longhall　of　logs　and　woven　branches；　there　were　horselines　to　the　east；　mammoths　to　the　west；　and　men　everywhere；　sharpening　their　swords；　putting　points　on　crude　spears；　donning　makeshift　armor　of　hide　and　horn　and　bone。　For　every　man　that　he　could　see；　Jon　knew　there　were　a　score　unseen　in　the　wood。　The　brush　gave　them　some　shelter　from　the　elements　and　hid　them　from　the　eyes　of　the　hated　crows。
　Already　their　archers　were　stealing　forward；　pushing　their　rolling　mantlets。　〃Here　e　our　breakfast　arrows；〃　Pyp　announced　cheerfully；　as　he　did　every　morning。　It's　good　that　he　can　make　a　jape　of　it；　Jon　thought。　Someone　has　to。　Three　days　ago；　one　of　those　breakfast　arrows　had　caught　Red　Alyn　of　the　Rosewood　in　the　leg。　You　could　still　see　his　body　at　the　foot　of　the　Wall；　if　you　cared　to　lean　out　far　enough。　Jon　had　to　think　that　it　was　better　for　them　to　smile　at　Pyp's　jest　than　to　brood　over　Alyn's　corpse。
　The　mantlets　were　slanting　wooden　shields；　wide　enough　for　five　of　the　free　folk　to　hide　behind。　The　archers　pushed　them　close；　then　knelt　behind　them　to　loose　their　arrows　through　slits　in　the　wood。　The　first　time　the　wildlings　rolled　them　out；　Jon　had　called　for　fire　arrows　and　set　a　half　…dozen　ablaze；　but　after　that　Mance　started　covering　them　with　raw　hides。　All　the　fire　arrows　in　the　world　couldn't　make　them　catch　now。　The　brothers　had　even　started　wagering　as　to　which　of　the　straw　sentinels　would　collect　the　most　arrows　before　they　were　done。　Dolorous　Edd　was　leading　with　four；　but　Othell　Yarwyck；　Tumberjon；　and　Watt　of　Long　Lake　had　three　apiece。　It　was　Pyp　who'd　started　naming　the　scarecrows　after　their　missing　brothers；　too。　〃It　makes　it　seem　as　if　there's　more　of　us；〃　he　said。
　〃More　of　us　with　arrows　in　our　bellies；〃　Grenn　plained；　but　the　custom　did　seem　to　give　his　brothers　heart；　so　Jon　let　the　names　stand　and　the　wagering　continue。
　On　the　edge　of　the　Wall　an　ornate　brass　Myrish　eye　stood　on　three　spindly　legs。　Maester　Aemon　had　once　used　it　to　peer　at　the　stars；　before　his　own　eyes　had　failed　him。　Jon　swung　the　tube　down　to　have　a　look　at　the　foe。　Even　at　this　distance　there　was　no　mistaking　Mance　Rayder's　huge　white　tent；　sewn　together　from　the　pelts　of　snow　bears。　The　Myrish　lenses　brought　the　wildlings　close　enough　for　him　to　make　out　faces。　Of　Mance　himself　he　saw　no　sign　this　morning；　but　his　woman　Dalla　was　outside　tending　the　fire；　while　her　sister　Val　milked　a　she…goat　beside　the　tent。　Dalla　looked　so　big　it　was　a　wonder　she　could　move。　The　child　must　be　ing　very　soon；　Jon　thought。　He　swiveled　the　eye　east　and　searched　amongst　the　tents　and　trees　till　he　found　the　turtle。　That　will　be　ing　very　soon　as　well。　The　wildlings　had　skinned　one　of　the　dead　mammoths　during　the　night；　and　they　were　lashing　the　raw　bloody　hide　over　the　turtle's　roof；　one　more　layer　on　top　of　the　sheepskins　and　pelts。　The　turtle　had　a　rounded　top　and　eight　huge　wheels；　and　under　the　hides　was　a　stout　wooden　frame。　When　the　wildlings　had　begun　knocking　it　together；　Satin　thought　they　were　building　a　ship。　Not　far　wrong。　The　turtle　was　a　hull　turned　upside　down　and　opened　fore　and　aft；　a　longhall　on　wheels。
　〃It's　done；　isn't　it？〃　asked　Grenn。
　〃Near　enough。〃　Jon　shoved　away　the　eye。　〃It　will　e　today；　most　like。　Did　you　fill　the　barrels？〃
　〃Every　one。　They　froze　hard　during　the　night；　Pyp　checked。〃
　Grenn　had　changed　a　great　deal　from　the　big；　clumsy；　red…necked　boy　Jon　had　first　befriended。　He　had　grown　half　a　foot；　his　chest　and　shoulders　had　thickened；　and　he　had　not　cut　his　hair　nor　trimmed　his　beard　since　the　Fist　of　the　First　Men。　It　made　him　look　as　huge　and　shaggy　as　an　aurochs；　the　mocking　name　that　Ser　Alliser　Thorne　had　hung　on　him　during　training。　He　looked　weary　now；　though。　When　Jon　said　as　much；　he　nodded。　〃I　heard　their　axes　all　night。　Couldn't　sleep　for　all　the　chopping。〃
　〃Then　go　sleep　now。〃
　〃I　don't　need…〃
　〃You　do。　I　want　you　rested。　Go　on；　I'm　not　going　to　let　you　sleep　through　the　fight。〃　He　made　himself　smile。　〃You're　the　only　one　who　can　move　those　bloody　barrels。〃
　Grenn　went　off　muttering；　and　Jon　returned　to　the　far　eye；　searching　the　wildling　camp。　From　time　to　time　an　arrow　would　sail　past　overhead；　but　he　had　learned　to　ignore　those。　The　range　was　long　and　the　angle　was　bad；　the　chances　of　being　hit　were　small。　He　still　saw　no　sign　of　Mance　Rayder　in　the　camp；　but　he　spied　Tormund　Giantsbane　and　two　of　his　sons　around　the　turtle。　The　sons　were　struggling　with　the　mammoth　hide　while　Tormund　gnawed　on　the　roast　leg　of　a　goat　and　bellowed　orders。　Elsewhere　he　found　the　wildling　skinchanger；　Varamyr　Sixskins；　walking　through　the　trees　with　his　shadowcat　dogging　his　heels。
　When　he　heard　the　rattle　of　the　winch　chains　and　the　iron　groan　of　the　cage　door　opening；　he　knew　it　would　be　Hobb　bringing　their　breakfast　as　he　did　every　morning。　The　sight　of　Mance's　turtle　had　robbed　Jon　of　his　appetite。　Their　oil　was　all　but　gone；　and　the　last　barrel　of　pitch　had　been　rolled　off　the　Wall　two　nights　ago。　They　would　soon　run　short　of　arrows　as　well；　and　there　were　no　fletchers　making　more。　And　the　night　before　last；　a　raven　had　e　from　the　west；　from　Ser　Denys　Mallister。　Bowen　Marsh　had　chased　the　wildlings　all　the　way　to　the　Shadow　Tower；　it　seemed；　and　then　farther；　down　into　the　gloom　of　the　Gorge。　At　the　Bridge　of　Skulls　he　had　met　the　Weeper　and　three　hundred　wildlings　and　won　a　bloody　battle。　But　the　victory　had　been　a　costly　one。　More　than　a　hundred　brothers　slain；　among　them　Ser　Endrew　Tarth　and　Ser　Aladale　Wynch。　The　Old　Pomegranate　himself　had　been　carried　back　to　the　Shadow　Tower　sorely　wounded。　Maester　Mullin　was　tending　him；　but　it　would　be　some　time　before　he　was　fit　to　return　to　Castle　Black。
　When　he　had　read　that；　Jon　had　dispatched　Zei　to　Mole's　Town　on　their　best　horse　to　plead　with　the　villagers　to　help　man　the　Wall。　She　nev