grrm.astormofswords-第75章

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　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　his　longbow；　but　no　matter　how　hard　she　bit　her　lip　she　could　not　draw　it。　〃You　need　a　lighter　bow；　milady；〃　the　freckled　bowman　said。　〃If　there's　seasoned　wood　at　Riverrun；　might　be　I'll　make　you　one。〃
　Tom　overheard　him；　and　broke　off　his　song。　〃You're　a　young　fool；　Archer。　If　we　go　to　Riverrun　it　will　only　be　to　collect　her　ransom；　won't　be　no　time　for　you　to　sit　about　making　bows。　Be　thankful　if　you　get　out　with　your　hide。　Lord　Hoster　was　hanging　outlaws　before　you　were　shaving。　And　that　son　of　his　。　。　。　a　man　who　hates　music　can't　be　trusted；　I　always　say。〃
　〃It's　not　music　he　hates；〃　said　Lem。　〃It's　you；　fool。〃
　〃Well；　he　has　no　cause。　The　wench　was　willing　to　make　a　man　of　him；　is　it　my　fault　he　drank　too　much　to　do　the　deed？〃
　Lem　snorted　through　his　broken　nose。　〃Was　it　you　who　made　a　song　of　it；　or　some　other　bloody　arse　in　love　with　his　own　voice？〃
　〃I　only　sang　it　the　once；〃　Tom　plained。　〃And　who's　to　say　the　song　was　about　him？　'Twas　a　song　about　a　fish。〃
　〃A　floppy　fish；〃　said　Anguy；　laughing。
　Arya　didn't　care　what　Tom's　stupid　songs　were　about。　She　turned　to　Harwin。　〃What　did　he　mean　about　ransom？〃
　〃We　have　sore　need　of　horses；　milady。　Armor　as　well。　Swords；　shields；　spears。　All　the　things　coin　can　buy。　Aye；　and　seed　for　planting。　Winter　is　ing；　remember？〃　He　touched　her　under　the　chin。　〃You　will　not　be　the　first　highborn　captive　we've　ransomed。　Nor　the　last；　I'd　hope。〃
　That　much　was　true；　Arya　knew。　Knights　were　captured　and　ransomed　all　the　time；　and　sometimes　women　were　too。　But　what　if　Robb　won't　pay　their　price？　She　wasn't　a　famous　knight；　and　kings　were　supposed　to　put　the　realm　before　their　sisters。　And　her　lady　mother；　what　would　she　say？　Would　she　still　want　her　back；　after　all　the　things　she'd　done？　Arya　chewed　her　lip　and　wondered。
　The　next　day　they　rode　to　a　place　called　High　Heart；　a　hill　so　lofty　that　from　atop　it　Arya　felt　as　though　she　could　see　half　the　world。　Around　its　brow　stood　a　ring　of　huge　pale　stumps；　all　that　remained　of　a　circle　of　once…mighty　weirwoods。　Arya　and　Gendry　walked　around　the　hill　to　count　them。　There　were　thirty…one；　some　so　wide　that　she　could　have　used　them　for　a　bed。
　High　Heart　had　been　sacred　to　the　children　of　the　forest；　Tom　Sevenstrings　told　her；　and　some　of　their　magic　lingered　here　still。　〃No　harm　can　ever　e　to　those　as　sleep　here；〃　the　singer　said。　Arya　thought　that　must　be　true；　the　hill　was　so　high　and　the　surrounding　lands　so　flat　that　no　enemy　could　approach　unseen。
　The　smallfolk　hereabouts　shunned　the　place；　Tom　told　her；　it　was　said　to　be　haunted　by　the　ghosts　of　the　children　of　the　forest　who　had　died　here　when　the　Andal　king　named　Erreg　the　Kinslayer　had　cut　down　their　grove。　Arya　knew　about　the　children　of　the　forest；　and　about　the　Andals　too；　but　ghosts　did　not　frighten　her。　She　used　to　hide　in　the　crypts　of　Winterfell　when　she　was　little；　and　play　games　of　e…into…my…castle　and　monsters　and　maidens　amongst　the　stone　kings　on　their　thrones。
　Yet　even　so；　the　hair　on　the　back　of　her　neck　stood　up　that　night。　She　had　been　asleep；　but　the　storm　woke　her。　The　wind　pulled　the　coverlet　right　off　her　and　sent　it　swirling　into　the　bushes。　When　she　went　after　it　she　heard　voices。
　Beside　the　embers　of　their　campfire；　she　saw　Tom；　Lem；　and　Greenbeard　talking　to　a　tiny　little　woman；　a　foot　shorter　than　Arya　and　older　than　Old　Nan；　all　stooped　and　wrinkled　and　leaning　on　a　gnarled　black　cane。　Her　white　hair　was　so　long　it　came　almost　to　the　ground。　When　the　wind　gusted　it　blew　about　her　head　in　a　fine　cloud。　Her　flesh　was　whiter；　the　color　of　milk；　and　it　seemed　to　Arya　that　her　eyes　were　red；　though　it　was　hard　to　tell　from　thebushes。　〃The　old　gods　stir　and　will　not　let　me　sleep；〃　she　heard　the　woman　say。　〃I　dreamt　I　saw　a　shadow　with　a　burning　heart　butchering　a　golden　stag；　aye。　I　dreamt　of　a　man　without　a　face；　waiting　on　a　bridge　that　swayed　and　swung。　On　his　shoulder　perched　a　drowned　crow　with　seaweed　hanging　from　his　wings。　I　dreamt　of　a　roaring　river　and　a　woman　that　was　a　fish。　Dead　she　drifted；　with　red　tears　on　her　cheeks；　but　when　her　eyes　did　open；　oh；　I　woke　from　terror。　All　this　I　dreamt；　and　more。　Do　you　have　gifts　for　me；　to　pay　me　for　my　dreams？〃
　〃Dreams；〃　grumbled　Lem　Lemoncloak；　〃what　good　are　dreams？　Fish　women　and　drowned　crows。　I　had　a　dream　myself　last　night。　I　was　kissing　this　tavern　wench　I　used　to　know。　Are　you　going　to　pay　me　for　that；　old　woman？〃
　〃The　wench　is　dead；〃　the　woman　hissed。　〃Only　worms　may　kiss　her　now。〃　And　then　to　Tom　Sevenstrings　she　said；　〃I'll　have　my　song　or　I'll　have　you　gone。〃
　So　the　singer　played　for　her；　so　soft　and　sad　that　Arya　only　heard　snatches　of　the　words；　though　the　tune　was　half…familiar。　Sansa　would　know　it；　I　bet。　Her　sister　had　known　all　the　songs；　and　she　could　even　play　a　little；　and　sing　so　sweetly。　All　I　could　ever　do　was　shout　the　words。
　The　next　morning　the　little　white　woman　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　As　they　saddled　their　horses；　Arya　asked　Tom　Sevenstrings　if　the　children　of　the　forest　still　dwelled　on　High　Heart。　The　singer　chuckled。　〃Saw　her；　did　you？〃
　〃Was　she　a　ghost？〃
　〃Do　ghosts　plain　of　how　their　joints　creak？　No；　she's　only　an　old　dwarf　woman。　A　queer　one；　though；　and　evil…eyed。　But　she　knows　things　she　has　no　business　knowing；　and　sometimes　she'll　tell　you　if　she　likes　the　look　of　you。〃
　〃Did　she　like　the　looks　of　you？〃　Arya　asked　doubtfully。
　The　singer　laughed。　〃The　sound　of　me；　at　least。　She　always　makes　me　sing　the　same　bloody　song；　though。　Not　a　bad　song；　mind　you；　but　I　know　others　just　as　good。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃What　matters　is；　we　have　the　scent　now。　You'll　soon　be　seeing　Thoros　and　the　lightning　lord；　I'll　wager。〃
　〃If　you're　their　men；　why　do　they　hide　from　you？〃
　Tom　Sevenstrings　rolled　his　eyes　at　that；　but　Harwin　gave　her　an　answer。　〃I　wouldn't　call　it　hiding；　milady；　but　it's　true；　Lord　Beric　moves　about　a　lot；　and　seldom　lets　on　what　his　plans　are。　That　way　no　one　can　betray　him。　By　now　there　must　be　hundreds　of　us　sworn　to　him；　maybe　thousands；　but　it　wouldn't　do　for　us　all　to　trail　along　behind　him。　We'd　eat　the　country　bare；　or　get　butchered　in　a　battle　by　some　bigger　host。　The　way　we're　scattered　in　little　bands；　we　can　strike　in　a　dozen　places　at　once；　and　be　off　somewhere　else　before　they　know。　And　when　one　of　us　is　caught　and　put　to　the　question；　well；　we　can't　tell　them　where　to　find　Lord　Beric　no　matter　what　they　do　to　us。〃　He　hesitated。　〃You　know　what　it　means；　to　be　put　to　the　question？〃
　Arya　nodded。　〃Tickling；　they　called　it。　Polliver　and　Raff　and　all。〃　She　told　them　about　the　village　by　the　Gods　Eye　where　she　and　Gendry　had　been　caught；　and　the　questions　that　the　Tickler　had　asked。　〃Is　there　gold　hidden　in　the　village？〃　he　would　always　begin。　〃Silver；　gems？　Is　there　food？　Where　is　Lord　Beric？　Which　of　you　village　folk　helped　him？　Where　did　he　go？　How　many　men　did　he　have　with　him？　How　many　knights？　How　many　bowmen？　How　many　were　horsed？　How　are　they　armed？　How　many　wounded？　Where　did　they　go；　did　you　say？〃　just　thinking　of　it；　she　could　hear　the　shrieks　again；　and　smell　the　stench　of　blood　and　shit　and　burning　flesh。　〃He　always　asked　the　same　questions；〃　she　told　the　outlaws　solemnly；　〃but　he　changed　the　tickling　every　day。〃
　〃No　child　should　be　made　to　suffer　that；〃　Harwin　said　when　she　was　done。　〃The　Mountain　lost　half　his　men　at　the　Stone　Mill；　we　hear。　Might　be　this　Tickler's　floating　down　the　Red　Fork　even　now；　with　fish　biting　at　his　face。　If　not；　well；　it's　one　more　crime　they'll　answer　for。　I've　heard　his　lordship　say　this　war　began　when　the　Hand　sent　him　out　to　bring　the　king's　justice　to　Gregor　Clegane；　and　that's　how　he　means　for　it　to　end。〃　He　gave　her　shoulder　a　reassuring　pat。　〃You　best　mount　up；　milady。　It's　a　long　day's　ride　to　Acorn　Hall；　but　at　the　end　of　it　we'll　have　a　roof　above　our　heads　and　a　hot　supper　in　our　bellies。〃
　It　was　a　long　day's　ride；　but　as　dusk　was　settling　they　forded　a　brook　and　came　up　on　Acorn　Hall；　with　its　stone　curtain　walls　and　great　oaken　keep。　Its　master　was　away　fighting　in　the　retinue　of　h