grrm.astormofswords-第74章

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d　wooden　gods　dragged　out　into　the　sunlight。　The　fattest　Dothraki　Jaime　had　ever　seen　was　sitting　on　the　Mother's　chest　when　they　rode　up；　prying　out　her　chalcedony　eyes　with　the　point　of　his　knife。　Nearby；　a　skinny　balding　septon　hung　upside　down　from　the　limb　of　a　spreading　chestnut　tree。　Three　of　the　Brave　panions　were　using　his　corpse　for　an　archery　butt。　One　of　them　must　have　been　good；　the　dead　man　had　arrows　through　both　of　his　eyes。
　When　the　sellswords　spied　Urswyck　and　the　captives；　a　cry　went　up　in　half　a　dozen　tongues。　The　goat　was　seated　by　a　cookflre　eating　a　half…cooked　bird　off　a　skewer；　grease　and　blood　running　down　his　fingers　into　his　long　stringy　beard。　He　wiped　his　hands　on　his　tunic　and　rose。　〃Kingthlayer；〃　he　slobbered。　〃You　are　my　captifth。〃
　〃My　lord；　I　am　Brienne　of　Tarth；〃　the　wench　called　out。　〃Lady　Catelyn　Stark　manded　me　to　deliver　Ser　Jaime　to　his　brother　at　King's　Landing。〃
　The　goat　gave　her　a　disinterested　glance。　〃Thilence　her。〃
　〃Hear　me；〃　Brienne　entreated　as　Rorge　cut　the　ropes　that　bound　her　to　Jaime；　〃in　the　name　of　the　King　in　the　North；　the　king　you　serve；　please；　listen…〃
　Rorge　dragged　her　off　the　horse　and　began　to　kick　her。　〃See　that　you　don't　break　any　bones；〃　Urswyck　called　out　to　him。　〃The　horse…faced　bitch　is　worth　her　weight　in　sapphires。〃
　The　Dornishman　Timeon　and　a　foul…smelling　Ibbenese　pulled　Jaime　down　from　the　saddle　and　shoved　him　roughly　toward　the　cookfire。　It　would　not　have　been　hard　for　him　to　have　grasped　one　of　their　sword　hilts　as　they　manhandled　him；　but　there　were　too　many；　and　he　was　still　in　fetters。　He　might　cut　down　one　or　two；　but　in　the　end　he　would　die　for　it。　Jaime　was　not　ready　to　die　just　yet；　and　certainly　not　for　the　likes　of　Brienne　of　Tarth。
　〃Thith　ith　a　thweet　day；〃　Vargo　Hoat　said。　Around　his　neck　hung　a　chain　of　linked　coins；　coins　of　every　shape　and　size；　cast　and　hammered；　bearing　the　likenesses　of　kings；　wizards；　gods　and　demons；　and　all　manner　of　fanciful　beasts。
　Coins　from　every　land　where　he　has　fought；　Jaime　remembered。　Greed　was　the　key　to　this　man。　If　he　was　turned　once；　he　can　be　turned　again。　〃Lord　Vargo；　you　were　foolish　to　leave　my　father's　service；　but　it　is　not　too　late　to　make　amends。　He　will　pay　well　for　me；　you　know　it。〃
　〃Oh　yeth；〃　said　Vargo　Hoat。　〃Half　the　gold　in　Cathterly　Rock；　I　thall　have。　But　firth　I　mutht　thend　him　a　methage。〃　He　said　something　in　his　slithery　goatish　tongue。
　Urswyck　shoved　him　in　the　back；　and　a　jester　in　green　and　pink　motley　kicked　his　legs　out　from　under　him。　When　he　hit　the　ground　one　of　the　archers　grabbed　the　chain　between　Jaime's　wrists　and　used　it　to　yank　his　arms　out　in　front　of　him。　The　fat　Dothraki　put　aside　his　knife　to　unsheathe　a　huge　curved　arakh；　the　wickedly　sharp　scythe…sword　the　horselords　loved。
　They　mean　to　scare　me。　The　fool　hopped　on　Jaime's　back；　giggling；　as　the　Dothraki　swaggered　toward　him。　The　goat　wants　me　to　piss　my　breeches　and　beg　his　mercy；　but　he'll　never　have　that　pleasure。　He　was　a　Lannister　of　Casterly　Rock；　Lord　mander　of　the　Kingsguard；　no　sellsword　would　make　him　scream。
　Sunlight　ran　silver　along　the　edge　of　the　arakh　as　it　came　shivering　down；　almost　too　fast　to　see。　And　Jaime　screamed。
　
　CHAPTER　22
　ARYA
　
　The　small　square　keep　was　half　a　ruin；　and　so　too　the　great　grey　knight　who　lived　there。　He　was　so　old　he　did　not　understand　their　questions。　No　matter　what　was　said　to　him；　he　would　only　smile　and　mutter；　〃I　held　the　bridge　against　Ser　Maynard。　Red　hair　and　a　black　temper；　he　had；　but　he　could　not　move　me。　Six　wounds　I　took　before　I　killed　him。　Six！〃
　The　maester　who　cared　for　him　was　a　young　man；　thankfully。　After　the　old　knight　had　drifted　to　sleep　in　his　chair；　he　took　them　aside　and　said；　〃I　fear　you　seek　a　ghost。　We　had　a　bird；　ages　ago；　half　a　year　at　least。　The　Lannisters　caught　Lord　Beric　near　the　Gods　Eye。　He　was　hanged。〃
　〃Aye；　hanged　he　was；　but　Thoros　cut　him　down　before　he　died。〃　Lem's　broken　nose　was　not　so　red　or　swollen　as　it　had　been；　but　it　was　healing　crooked；　giving　his　face　a　lopsided　look。　〃His　lordship's　a　hard　man　to　kill；　he　is。〃
　〃And　a　hard　man　to　find；　it　would　seem；〃　the　maester　said。　〃Have　you　asked　the　Lady　of　the　Leaves？〃
　〃We　shall；〃　said　Greenbeard。
　The　next　morning；　as　they　crossed　the　little　stone　bridge　behind　the　keep；　Gendry　wondered　if　this　was　the　bridge　the　old　man　had　fought　over。　No　one　knew。　〃Most　like　it　is；〃　said　Jack…Be…Lucky。　〃Don't　see　no　other　bridges。〃
　〃You'd　know　for　certain　if　there　was　a　song；〃　said　Tom　Sevenstrings。　〃One　good　song；　and　we'd　know　who　Ser　Maynard　used　to　be　and　why　he　wanted　to　cross　this　bridge　so　bad。　Poor　old　Lychester　might　be　as　far　famed　as　the　Dragonknight　if　he'd　only　had　sense　enough　to　keep　a　singer。〃
　〃Lord　Lychester's　sons　died　in　Robert's　Rebellion；〃　grumbled　Lem。　〃Some　on　one　side；　some　on　Vother。　He's　not　been　right　in　the　head　since。　No　bloody　song's　like　to　help　any　o'　that。〃
　〃What　did　the　maester　mean；　about　asking　the　Lady　of　the　Leaves？〃　Arya　asked　Anguy　as　they　rode。
　The　archer　smiled。　〃Wait　and　see。〃
　Three　days　later；　as　they　rode　through　a　yellow　wood；　Jack…Be…Lucky　unslung　his　hom　and　blew　a　signal；　a　different　one　than　before。　The　sounds　had　scarcely　died　away　when　rope　ladders　unrolled　from　the　limbs　of　trees。　〃Hobble　the　horses　and　up　we　go；〃　said　Tom；　half　singing　the　words。　They　climbed　to　a　hidden　village　in　the　upper　branches；　a　maze　of　rope　walkways　and　little　moss…covered　houses　concealed　behind　walls　of　red　and　gold；　and　were　taken　to　the　Lady　of　the　Leaves；　a　stick…thin　white…haired　woman　dressed　in　roughspun。　〃We　cannot　stay　here　much　longer；　with　autumn　on　us；〃　she　told　them。　〃A　dozen　wolves　went　down　the　Hayford　road　nine　days　past；　hunting。　If　they'd　chanced　to　look　up　they　might　have　seen　us。〃
　〃You've　not　seen　Lord　Beric？〃　asked　Tom　Sevenstrings。
　〃He's　dead。〃　The　woman　sounded　sick。　〃The　Mountain　caught　him；　and　drove　a　dagger　through　his　eye。　A　begging　brother　told　us。　He　had　it　from　the　lips　of　a　man　who　saw　it　happen。〃
　〃That's　an　old　stale　tale；　and　false；〃　said　Lem。　〃The　lightning　lord's　not　so　easy　to　kill。　Ser　Gregor　might　have　put　his　eye　out；　but　a　man　don't　die　o'　that。　lack　could　tell　you。〃
　〃Well；　I　never　did；〃　said　one…eyed　Jack…Be…Lucky。　〃My　father　got　himself　good　and　hanged　by　Lord　Piper's　bailiff；　my　brother　Wat　got　sent　to　the　Wall；　and　the　Lannisters　killed　my　other　brothers。　An　eye；　that's　nothing。〃
　〃You　swear　he's　not　dead？〃　The　woman　clutched　Lem's　arm。　〃Bless　you；　Lem；　that's　the　best　tidings　we've　had　in　half　a　year。　May　the　Warrior　defend　him；　and　the　red　priest　too。〃
　The　next　night　they　found　shelter　beneath　the　scorched　shell　of　a　sept；　in　a　burned　village　called　Sallydance。　Only　shards　remained　of　its　windows　of　leaded　glass；　and　the　aged　septon　who　greeted　them　said　the　looters　had　even　made　off　with　the　Mother's　costly　robes；　the　Crone's　gilded　lantern；　and　the　silver　crown　the　Father　had　worn。　〃They　hacked　the　Maiden's　breasts　off　too；　though　those　were　only　wood；〃　he　told　them。　〃And　the　eyes；　the　eyes　were　jet　and　lapis　and　mother…of…pearl；　they　pried　them　out　with　their　knives。　May　the　Mother　have　mercy　on　them　all。〃
　〃Whose　work　was　this？〃　said　Lem　Lemoncloak。　〃Mummers？〃
　〃No；〃　the　old　man　said。　〃Northmen；　they　were。　Savages　who　worship　trees。　They　wanted　the　Kingslayer；　they　said。〃
　Arya　heard　him；　and　chewed　her　lip。　She　could　feel　Gendry　looking　at　her。　it　made　her　angry　and　ashamed。
　There　were　a　dozen　men　living　in　the　vault　beneath　the　sept；　amongst　cobwebs　and　roots　and　broken　wine　casks；　but　they　had　no　word　of　Beric　Dondarrion　either。　Not　even　their　leader；　who　wore　soot…blackened　armor　and　a　crude　lightning　bolt　on　his　cloak。　When　Greenbeard　saw　Arya　staring　at　him；　he　laughed　and　said；　〃The　lightning　lord　is　everywhere　and　nowhere；　skinny　squirrel。〃
　〃I'm　not　a　squirrel；〃　she　said。　〃I'll　almost　be　a　woman　soon。　I'll　be　one…and…ten。〃
　〃Best　watch　out　I　don't　marry　you；　then！〃　He　tried　to　tickle　her　under　the　chin；　but　Arya　slapped　his　stupid　hand　away。
　Lem　and　Gendry　played　tiles　with　their　hosts　that　night；　while　Tom　Sevenstrings　sang　a　silly　song　about　Big　Belly　Ben　and　the　High　Septon's　goose。　Anguy　let　Arya　try