grrm.astormofswords-第31章

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　CHAPTER　9
　BRAN
　
　The　ridge　slanted　sharply　from　the　earth；　a　long　fold　of　stone　and　soil　shaped　like　a　claw。　Trees　clung　to　its　lower　slopes；　pines　and　hawthorn　and　ash；　but　higher　up　the　ground　was　bare；　the　ridgeline　stark　against　the　cloudy　sky。
　He　could　feel　the　high　stone　calling　him。　Up　he　went；　loping　easy　at　first；　then　faster　and　higher；　his　strong　legs　eating　up　the　incline。　Birds　burst　from　the　branches　overhead　as　he　raced　by；　clawing　and　flapping　their　way　into　the　sky。　He　could　hear　the　wind　sighing　up　amongst　the　leaves；　the　squirrels　chittering　to　one　another；　even　the　sound　a　pinecone　made　as　it　tumbled　to　the　forest　floor。　The　smells　were　a　song　around　him；　a　song　that　filled　the　good　green　world。
　Gravel　flew　from　beneath　his　paws　as　he　gained　the　last　few　feet　to　stand　upon　the　crest。　The　sun　hung　above　the　tall　pines　huge　and　red；　and　below　him　the　trees　and　hills　went　on　and　on　as　far　as　he　could　see　or　smell。　A　kite　was　circling　far　above；　dark　against　the　pink　sky。
　Prince。　The　man…sound　came　into　his　head　suddenly；　yet　he　could　feel　the　rightness　of　it。　Prince　of　the　green；　prince　of　the　wolfswood。　He　was　strong　and　swift　and　fierce；　and　all　that　lived　in　the　good　green　world　went　in　fear　of　him。
　Far　below；　at　the　base　of　the　woods；　something　moved　amongst　the　trees。　A　flash　of　grey；　quick…glimpsed　and　gone　again；　but　it　was　enough　to　make　his　ears　prick　up。　Down　there　beside　a　swift　green　brook；　another　form　slipped　by；　running。　Wolves；　he　knew。　His　little　cousins；　chasing　down　some　prey。　Now　the　prince　could　see　more　of　them；　shadows　on　fleet　grey　paws。　A　pack。
　He　had　a　pack　as　well；　once。　Five　they　had　been；　and　a　sixth　who　stood　aside。　Somewhere　down　inside　him　were　the　sounds　the　men　had　given　them　to　tell　one　from　the　other；　but　it　was　not　by　their　sounds　he　knew　them。　He　remembered　their　scents；　his　brothers　and　his　sisters。　They　all　had　smelled　alike；　had　smelled　of　pack；　but　each　was　different　too。
　His　angry　brother　with　the　hot　green　eyes　was　near；　the　prince　felt；　though　he　had　not　seen　him　for　many　hunts。　Yet　with　every　sun　that　set　he　grew　more　distant；　and　he　had　been　the　last。　The　others　were　far　scattered；　like　leaves　blown　by　the　wild　wind。
　Sometimes　he　could　sense　them；　though；　as　if　they　were　still　with　him；　only　hidden　from　his　sight　by　a　boulder　or　a　stand　of　trees。　He　could　not　smell　them；　nor　hear　their　howls　by　night；　yet　he　felt　their　presence　at　his　back　。　。　。　all　but　the　sister　they　had　lost。　His　tail　drooped　when　he　remembered　her。　Four　now；　not　five。　Four　and　one　more；　the　white　who　has　no　voice。
　These　woods　belonged　to　them；　the　snowy　slopes　and　stony　hills；　the　great　green　pines　and　the　golden　leaf　oaks；　the　rushing　streams　and　blue　lakes　fringed　with　fingers　of　white　frost。　But　his　sister　had　left　the　wilds；　to　walk　in　the　halls　of　man…rock　where　other　hunters　ruled；　and　once　within　those　halls　it　was　hard　to　find　the　path　back　out。　The　wolf　prince　remembered。
　The　wind　shifted　suddenly。
　Deer；　and　fear；　and　blood。　The　scent　of　prey　woke　the　hunger　in　him。　The　prince　sniffed　the　air　again；　turning；　and　then　he　was　off；　bounding　along　the　ridgetop　with　jaws　half…parted。　The　far　side　of　the　ridge　was　steeper　than　the　one　he'd　e　up；　but　he　flew　surefoot　over　stones　and　roots　and　rotting　leaves；　down　the　slope　and　through　the　trees；　long　strides　eating　up　the　ground。　The　scent　pulled　him　onward；　ever　faster。
　The　deer　was　down　and　dying　when　he　reached　her；　ringed　by　eight　of　his　small　grey　cousins。　The　heads　of　the　pack　had　begun　to　feed；　the　male　first　and　then　his　female；　taking　turns　tearing　flesh　from　the　red　underbelly　of　their　prey。　The　others　waited　patiently；　all　but　the　tail；　who　paced　in　a　wary　circle　a　few　strides　from　the　rest；　his　own　tail　tucked　low。　He　would　eat　the　last　of　all；　whatever　his　brothers　left　him。
　The　prince　was　downwind；　so　they　did　not　sense　him　until　he　leapt　up　upon　a　fallen　log　six　strides　from　where　they　fed。　The　tail　saw　him　first；　gave　a　piteous　whine；　and　slunk　away。　His　pack　brothers　turned　at　the　sound　and　bared　their　teeth；　snarling；　all　but　the　head　male　and　female。
　The　direwolf　answered　the　snarls　with　a　low　warning　growl　and　showed　them　his　own　teeth。　He　was　bigger　than　his　cousins；　twice　the　size　of　the　scrawny　tail；　half　again　as　large　as　the　two　pack　heads。　He　leapt　down　into　their　midst；　and　three　of　them　broke；　melting　away　into　the　brush。
　Another　came　at　him；　teeth　snapping。　He　met　the　attack　head　on；　caught　the　wolf's　leg　in　his　jaws　when　they　met；　and　flung　him　aside　yelping　and　limping。
　And　then　there　was　only　the　head　wolf　to　face；　the　great　grey　male　with　his　bloody　muzzle　fresh　from　the　prey's　soft　belly。　There　was　white　on　his　muzzle　as　well；　to　mark　him　as　an　old　wolf；　but　when　his　mouth　opened；　red　slaver　ran　from　his　teeth。
　He　has　no　fear；　the　prince　thought；　no　more　than　me。　It　would　be　a　good　fight。　They　went　for　each　other。
　Long　they　fought；　rolling　together　over　roots　and　stones　and　fallen　leaves　and　the　scattered　entrails　of　the　prey；　tearing　at　each　other　with　tooth　and　claw；　breaking　apart；　circling　each　round　the　other；　and　bolting　in　to　fight　again。　The　prince　was　larger；　and　much　the　stronger；　but　his　cousin　had　a　pack。　The　female　prowled　around　them　closely；　snuffing　and　snarling；　and　would　interpose　herself　whenever　her　mate　broke　off　bloodied。　From　time　to　time　the　other　wolves　would　dart　in　as　well；　to　snap　at　a　leg　or　an　ear　when　the　prince　was　turned　the　other　way。　One　angered　him　so　much　that　he　whirled　in　a　black　fury　and　tore　out　the　attacker's　throat。　After　that　the　others　kept　their　distance。
　And　as　the　last　red　light　was　filtering　through　green　boughs　and　golden；　the　old　wolf　lay　down　weary　in　the　dirt；　and　rolled　over　to　expose　his　throat　and　belly。　it　was　submission。
　The　prince　sniffed　at　him　and　licked　the　blood　from　fur　and　tom　flesh。　When　the　old　wolf　gave　a　soft　whimper；　the　direwolf　turned　away。　He　was　very　hungry　now；　and　the　prey　was　his。
　〃Hodor。〃
　The　sudden　sound　made　him　stop　and　snarl。　The　wolves　regarded　him　with　green　and　yellow　eyes；　bright　with　the　last　light　of　day。　None　of　them　had　heard　it。　It　was　a　queer　wind　that　blew　only　in　his　ears。　He　buried　his　jaws　in　the　deer's　belly　and　tore　off　a　mouthful　of　flesh。
　〃Hodor；　hodor。〃
　No；　he　thought。　No；　I　won't。　It　was　a　boy's　thought；　not　a　direwolf's。　The　woods　were　darkening　all　about　him；　until　only　the　shadows　of　the　trees　remained；　and　the　glow　of　his　cousins'　eyes。　And　through　those　and　behind　those　eyes；　he　saw　a　big　man's　grinning　face；　and　a　stone　vault　whose　walls　were　spotted　with　niter。　The　rich　warm　taste　of　blood　faded　on　his　tongue。　No；　don't；　don't；　I　want　to　eat；　I　want　to；　I　want　。　。　。
　〃Hodor；　hodor；　hodor；　hodor；　hodor；〃　Hodor　chanted　as　he　shook　him　softly　by　the　shoulders；　back　and　forth　and　back　and　forth。　He　was　trying　to　be　gentle；　he　always　tried；　but　Hodor　was　seven　feet　tall　and　stronger　than　he　knew；　and　his　huge　hands　rattled　Bran's　teeth　together。　〃NOP　he　shouted　angrily。　〃Hodor；　leave　off；　I'm　here；　I'm　here。〃
　Hodor　stopped；　looking　abashed。　〃Hodor？〃
　The　woods　and　wolves　were　gone。　Bran　was　back　again；　down　in　the　damp　vault　of　some　ancient　watchtower　that　must　have　been　abandoned　thousands　of　years　before。　It　wasn't　much　of　a　tower　now。　Even　the　tumbled　stones　were　so　overgrown　with　moss　and　ivy　that　you　could　hardly　see　them　until　you　were　right　on　top　of　them。　〃Tumbledown　Tower〃；　Bran　had　named　the　place；　it　was　Meera　who　found　the　way　down　into　the　vault；　however。
　〃You　were　gone　too　long。〃　Jojen　Reed　was　thirteen；　only　four　years　older　than　Bran。　Jojen　wasn't　much　bigger　either；　no　more　than　two　inches　or　maybe　three；　but　he　had　a　solemn　way　of　talking　that　made　him　seem　older　and　wiser　than　he　really　was。　At　Winterfell；　Old　Nan　had　dubbed　him　〃little　grandfather。〃
　Bran　frowned　at　him。　〃I　wanted　to　eat。〃
　〃Meera　will　be　back　soon　with　supper。〃
　〃I'm　sick　of　frogs。〃　Meera　was　a　frogeater　from　the　Neck；　so　Bran　couldn't　really　blame　her　for　catching　so　many　frogs；　he　supposed；　but　even　so　。　。　。　〃I　wanted　to　eat　the　deer。〃　For　a　moment　he　remembered　the　taste　of　it；　the　blood　and　the　raw　rich　meat；　and　his　mouth　wa