grrm.astormofswords-第3章

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〃what　about　the　bird？〃
　〃What　bloody　bird？〃　The　last　thing　he　needed　now　was　some　muttonhead　going　on　about　a　bird。
　〃The　Old　Bear's　raven；〃　Small　Paul　said。　〃if　we　kill　him；　who's　going　to　feed　his　bird？〃
　〃Who　bloody　well　cares？　Kill　the　bird　too　if　you　like。〃
　〃I　don't　want　to　hurt　no　bird；〃　the　big　man　said。　〃But　that's　a　talking　bird。　What　if　it　tells　what　we　did？〃
　Lark　the　Sisterman　laughed。　〃Small　Paul；　thick　as　a　castle　wall；〃　he　mocked。
　〃You　shut　up　with　that；〃　said　Small　Paul　dangerously。
　〃Paul；〃　said　Chett；　before　the　big　man　got　too　angry；　〃when　they　find　the　old　man　lying　in　a　pool　of　blood　with　his　throat　slit；　they　won't　need　no　bird　to　tell　them　someone　killed　him。〃
　Small　Paul　chewed　on　that　a　moment。　〃That's　true；〃　he　allowed。　〃Can　I　keep　the　bird；　then？　I　like　that　bird。〃
　〃He's　yours；〃　said　Chett；　just　to　shut　him　up。
　〃We　can　always　eat　him　if　we　get　hungry；〃　offered　Lark。
　Small　Paul　clouded　up　again。　〃Best　not　try　and　eat　my　bird；　Lark。　Best　not。〃
　Chett　could　hear　voices　drifting　through　the　trees。　〃Close　your　bloody　mouths；　both　of　you。　We're　almost　to　the　Fist。〃
　They　emerged　near　the　west　face　of　the　hill；　and　walked　around　south　where　the　slope　was　gentler。　Near　the　edge　of　the　forest　a　dozen　men　were　taking　archery　practice。　They　had　carved　outlines　on　the　trunks　of　trees；　and　were　loosing　shafts　at　them。　〃Look；〃　said　Lark。　〃A　pig　with　a　bow。〃
　Sure　enough；　the　nearest　bowman　was　Ser　Piggy　himself；　the　fat　boy　who　had　stolen　his　place　with　Maester　Aemon。　just　the　sight　of　Samwell　Tarly　filled　him　with　anger。　Stewarding　for　Maester　Aemon　had　been　as　good　a　life　as　he'd　ever　known。　The　old　blind　man　was　undemanding；　and　Clydas　had　taken　care　of　most　of　his　wants　anyway。　Chett's　duties　were　easy：　cleaning　the　rookery；　a　few　fires　to　build；　a　few　meals　to　fetch　。　。　。　and　Aemon　never　once　hit　him。　Thinks　he　can　just　walk　in　and　shove　me　out；　on　account　of　being　highborn　and　knowing　how　to　read。　Might　be　IT　ask　him　to　read　my　knife　before　I　open　his　throat　with　it。　〃You　go　on；〃　he　told　the　others；　〃I　want　to　watch　this。〃　The　dogs　were　pulling；　anxious　to　go　with　them；　to　the　food　they　thought　would　be　waiting　at　the　top。　Chett　kicked　the　bitch　with　the　toe　of　his　boot；　and　that　settled　them　down　some。
　He　watched　from　the　trees　as　the　fat　boy　wrestled　with　a　longbow　as　tall　as　he　was；　his　red　moon　face　screwed　up　with　concentration。　Three　arrows　stood　in　the　ground　before　him。　Tarly　nocked　and　drew；　held　the　draw　a　long　moment　as　he　tried　to　aim；　and　let　fly。　The　shaft　vanished　into　the　greenery。　Chett　laughed　loudly；　a　snort　of　sweet　disgust。
　〃We'll　never　find　that　one；　and　I'll　be　blamed；〃　announced　Edd　Tollett；　the　dour　grey…haired　squire　everyone　called　Dolorous　Edd。　〃Nothing　ever　goes　missing　that　they　don't　look　at　me；　ever　since　that　time　I　lost　my　horse。　As　if　that　could　be　helped。　He　was　white　and　it　was　snowing；　what　did　they　expect？〃
　〃The　wind　took　that　one；〃　said　Grenn；　another　friend　of　Lord　Snow's。　〃Try　to　hold　the　bow　steady；　Sam。〃
　〃It's　heavy；〃　the　fat　boy　plained；　but　he　pulled　the　second　arrow　all　the　same。　This　one　went　high；　sailing　through　the　branches　ten　feet　above　the　target。
　〃I　believe　you　knocked　a　leaf　off　that　tree；〃　said　Dolorous　Edd。　〃Fall　is　falling　fast　enough；　there's　no　need　to　help　it。〃　He　sighed。　〃And　we　all　know　what　follows　fall。　Gods；　but　I　am　cold。　Shoot　the　last　arrow；　Samwell；　I　believe　my　tongue　is　freezing　to　the　roof　of　my　mouth。〃
　Ser　Piggy　lowered　the　bow；　and　Chett　thought　he　was　going　to　start　bawling。　〃It's　too　hard。〃
　〃Notch；　draw；　and　loose；〃　said　Grenn。　〃Go　on。〃
　Dutifully；　the　fat　boy　plucked　his　final　arrow　from　the　earth；　notched　it　to　his　longbow；　drew；　and　released。　He　did　it　quickly；　without　squinting　along　the　shaft　painstakingly　as　he　had　the　first　two　times。　The　arrow　struck　the　charcoal　outline　low　in　the　chest　and　hung　quivering。　〃I　hit　him。〃　Ser　Piggy　sounded　shocked。　〃Grenn；　did　you　see？　Edd；　look；　I　hit　him！〃
　〃Put　it　between　his　ribs；　I'd　say；〃　said　Grenn。
　〃Did　I　kill　him？〃　the　fat　boy　wanted　to　know。
　Tollett　shrugged。　〃Might　have　punctured　a　lung；　if　he　had　a　lung。　Most　trees　don't；　as　a　rule。〃　He　took　the　bow　from　Sam's　hand。　〃I've　seen　worse　shots；　though。　Aye；　and　made　a　few。〃
　Ser　Piggy　was　beaming。　To　look　at　him　you'd　think　he'd　actually　done　something。　But　when　he　saw　Chett　and　the　dogs；　his　smile　curled　up　and　died　squeaking。
　〃You　hit　a　tree；〃　Chett　said。　〃Let's　see　how　you　shoot　when　it's　Mance　Rayder's　lads。　They　won't　stand　there　with　their　arms　out　and　their　leaves　rustling；　oh　no。　They'll　e　right　at　you；　screaming　in　your　face；　and　I　bet　you'll　piss　those　breeches。　one　o'　them　will　plant　his　axe　right　between　those　little　pig　eyes。　The　last　thing　you'll　hear　will　be　the　thunk　it　makes　when　it　bites　into　your　skull。〃
　The　fat　boy　was　shaking。　Dolorous　Edd　put　a　hand　on　his　shoulder。　〃Brother；〃　he　said　solemnly；　〃just　because　it　happened　that　way　for　you　doesn't　mean　Samwell　will　suffer　the　same。〃
　〃What　are　you　talking　about；　Tollett？〃
　〃The　axe　that　split　your　skull。　Is　it　true　that　half　your　wits　leaked　out　on　the　ground　and　your　dogs　ate　them？〃
　The　big　lout　Grenn　laughed；　and　even　Samwell　Tarly　managed　a　weak　little　smile。　Chett　kicked　the　nearest　dog；　yanked　on　their　leashes；　and　started　up　the　hill。　Smile　all　you　want；　Ser　Piggy。　We'll　see　who　laughs　tonight。　He　only　wished　he　had　time　to　kill　Tollett　as　well。　Gloomy　horsefaced　fool；　that's　what　he　is。
　The　climb　was　steep；　even　on　this　side　of　the　Fist；　which　had　the　gentlest　slope。　Partway　up　the　dogs　started　barking　and　pulling　at　him；　figuring　that　they'd　get　fed　soon。　He　gave　them　a　taste　of　his　boot　instead；　and　a　crack　of　the　whip　for　the　big　ugly　one　that　snapped　at　him。　Once　they　were　tied　up；　he　went　to　report。　〃The　prints　were　there　like　Giant　said；　but　the　dogs　wouldn't　track；〃　he　told　Mormont　in　front　of　his　big　black　tent。　〃Down　by　the　river　like　that；　could　be　old　prints。〃
　〃A　pity。〃　Lord　mander　Mormont　had　a　bald　head　and　a　great　shaggy　grey　beard；　and　sounded　as　tired　as　he　looked。　〃We　might　all　have　been　better　for　a　bit　of　fresh　meat。〃　The　raven　on　his　shoulder　bobbed　its　head　and　echoed；　〃Meat。　Meat。　Meat。〃
　We　could　cook　the　bloody　dogs；　Chett　thought；　but　he　kept　his　mouth　shut　until　the　Old　Bear　sent　him　on　his　way。　And　that's　the　last　time　I'll　need　to　bow　my　head　to　that　one；　he　thought　to　himself　with　satisfaction。　it　seemed　to　him　that　it　was　growing　even　colder；　which　he　would　have　swom。　wasn't　possible。　The　dogs　huddled　together　miserably　in　the　hard　frozen　mud；　and　Chett　was　half　tempted　to　crawl　in　with　them。　instead　he　wrapped　a　black　wool　scarf　round　the　lower　part　of　his　face；　leaving　a　slit　for　his　mouth　between　the　winds。　It　was　warmer　if　he　kept　moving；　he　found；　so　he　made　a　slow　circuit　of　the　perimeter　with　a　wad　of　sourleaf；　sharing　a　chew　or　two　with　the　black　brothers　on　guard　and　hearing　what　they　had　to　say。　None　of　the　men　on　the　day　watch　were　part　of　his　scheme；　even　so；　he　figured　it　was　good　to　have　some　sense　of　what　they　were　thinking。
　Mostly　what　they　were　thinking　was　that　it　was　bloody　cold。
　The　wind　was　rising　as　the　shadows　lengthened。　it　made　a　high　thin　sound　as　it　shivered　through　the　stones　of　the　ringwall。　〃I　hate　that　sound；〃　little　Giant　said。　〃It　sounds　like　a　babe　in　the　brush；　wailing　away　for　milk。〃
　When　he　finished　the　circuit　and　returned　to　the　dogs；　he　found　Lark　waiting　for　him。　〃The　officers　are　in　the　Old　Bear's　tent　again；　talking　something　fierce。〃
　〃That's　what　they　do；〃　said　Chett。　〃They're　highborn；　all　but　Blane；　they　get　drunk　on　words　instead　of　wine。〃
　Lark　sidled　closer。　〃Cheese…for…wits　keeps　going　on　about　the　bird；〃　he　warned；　glancing　about　to　make　certain　no　one　was　close。　〃Now　he's　asking　if　we　cached　any　seed　for　the　damn　thing。〃
　〃It's　a　raven；〃　said　Chett。　〃It　eats　corpses。〃
　Lark　grinned。　〃His；　might　be？〃
　Or　yours。　It　seemed　to　Chett　that　they　needed　the　big　man　more　than　they　needed　Lark。　〃Stop　fretting　about　Small　Paul。　You　do　your　part；　he'll　do　his。〃
　Twilight　was　creeping　through　the　woods　by　the　time　he　rid　himself　of　the　Sisterman　and　sat　down　to　edge　his　sword。　It　was　bloody　ha