grrm.astormofswords-第83章

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og　spear。　Bran　liked　to　watch　her；　admiring　her　quickness；　the　way　she　sent　the　spear　lancing　down　and　pulled　it　back　with　a　silvery　trout　wriggling　on　the　end　of　it。　And　they　had　Summer　hunting　for　them　as　well。　The　direwolf　vanished　most　every　night　as　the　sun　went　down；　but　he　was　always　back　again　before　dawn；　most　often　with　something　in　his　jaws；　a　squirrel　or　a　hare。
　But　here　in　the　mountains；　the　streams　were　smaller　and　more　icy；　and　the　game　scarcer。　Meera　still　hunted　and　fished　when　she　could；　but　it　was　harder；　and　some　nights　even　Summer　found　no　prey。　Often　they　went　to　sleep　with　empty　bellies。
　But　Jojen　remained　stubbornly　determined　to　stay　well　away　from　roads。　〃Where　you　find　roads　you　find　travelers；〃　he　said　in　that　way　he　had；　〃and　travelers　have　eyes　to　see；　and　mouths　to　spread　tales　of　the　crippled　boy；　his　giant；　and　the　wolf　that　walks　beside　them。〃　No　one　could　get　as　stubborn　as　Jojen；　so　they　struggled　on　through　the　wild；　and　every　day　climbed　a　little　higher；　and　moved　a　little　farther　north。
　Some　days　it　rained；　some　days　were　windy；　and　once　they　were　caught　in　a　sleet　storm　so　fierce　that　even　Hodor　bellowed　in　dismay。　On　the　clear　days；　it　often　seemed　as　if　they　were　the　only　living　things　in　all　the　world。　〃Does　no　one　live　up　here？〃　Meera　Reed　asked　once；　as　they　made　their　way　around　a　granite　upthrust　as　large　as　Winterfell。
　〃There's　people；〃　Bran　told　her。　〃The　Umbers　are　mostly　east　of　the　kingsroad；　but　they　graze　their　sheep　in　the　high　meadows　in　summer。　There　are　Wulls　west　of　the　mountains　along　the　Bay　of　Ice；　Harclays　back　behind　us　in　the　hills；　and　Knotts　and　Liddles　and　Norreys　and　even　some　Flints　up　here　in　the　high　places。〃　His　father's　mother's　mother　had　been　a　Flint　of　the　mountains。　Old　Nan　once　said　that　it　was　her　blood　in　him　that　made　Bran　such　a　fool　for　climbing　before　his　fall。　She　had　died　years　and　years　and　years　before　he　was　born；　though；　even　before　his　father　had　been　born。
　〃Wull？〃　said　Meera。　〃Jojen；　wasn't　there　a　Wull　who　rode　with　Father　during　the　war？〃
　〃Theo　Wull。〃　Joien　was　breathing　hard　from　the　climb。　〃Buckets；　they　used　to　call　him。〃
　〃That's　their　sigil；〃　said　Bran。　〃Three　brown　buckets　on　a　blue　field；　with　a　border　of　white　and　grey　checks。　Lord　Wull　came　to　Winterfell　once；　to　do　his　fealty　and　talk　with　Father；　and　he　had　the　buckets　on　his　shield。　He's　no　true　lord；　though。　Well；　he　is；　but　they　call　him　just　the　Wull；　and　there's　the　Knott　and　the　Norrey　and　the　Liddle　too。　At　Winterfell　we　called　them　lords；　but　their　own　folk　don't。〃
　Jojen　Reed　stopped　to　catch　his　breath。　〃Do　you　think　these　mountain　folk　know　we're　here？〃
　〃They　know。〃　Bran　had　seen　them　watching；　not　with　his　own　eyes；　but　with　Summer's　sharper　ones；　that　missed　so　little。　〃They　won't　bother　us　so　long　as　we　don't　try　and　make　off　with　their　goats　or　horses。〃
　Nor　did　they。　Only　once　did　they　encounter　any　of　the　mountain　people；　when　a　sudden　burst　of　freezing　rain　sent　them　looking　for　shelter。　Summer　found　it　for　them；　sniffing　out　a　shallow　cave　behind　the　greygreen　branches　of　a　towering　sentinel　tree；　but　when　Hodor　ducked　beneath　the　stony　overhang；　Bran　saw　the　orange　glow　of　fire　farther　back　and　realized　they　were　not　alone。　〃e　in　and　warm　yourselves；〃　a　man's　voice　called　out。　〃There's　stone　enough　to　keep　the　rain　off　all　our　heads。〃
　He　offered　them　oatcakes　and　blood　sausage　and　a　swallow　of　ale　from　a　skin　he　carried；　but　never　his　name；　nor　did　he　ask　theirs。　Bran　figured　him　for　a　Liddle。　The　clasp　that　fastened　his　squirrelskin　cloak　was　gold　and　bronze　and　wrought　in　the　shape　of　a　pinecone；　and　the　Liddles　bore　pinecones　on　the　white　half　of　their　green…and…white　shields。
　〃Is　it　far　to　the　Wall？〃　Bran　asked　him　as　they　waited　for　the　rain　to　stop。
　〃Not　so　far　as　the　raven　flies；〃　said　the　Liddle；　if　that　was　who　he　was。　〃Farther；　for　them　as　lacks　wings。〃
　Bran　started；　〃I'd　bet　we'd　be　there　if　。　。　。
　〃　。　。　。　we　took　the　kingsroad；　〃　Meera。　finished　with　him。
　The　Liddle　took　out　a　knife　and　whittled　at　a　stick。　〃When　there　was　a　Stark　in　Winterfell；　a　maiden　girl　could　walk　the　kingsroad　in　her　name…day　gown　and　still　go　unmolested；　and　travelers　could　find　fire；　bread；　and　salt　at　many　an　inn　and　holdfast。　But　the　nights　are　colder　now；　and　doors　are　closed。　There's　squids　in　the　wolfswood；　and　flayed　men　ride　the　kingsroad　asking　after　strangers。〃
　The　Reeds　exchanged　a　look。　〃Flayed　men？〃　said　Jojen。
　〃The　Bastard's　boys；　aye。　He　was　dead；　but　now　he's　not。　And　paying　good　silver　for　wolfskins；　a　man　hears；　and　maybe　gold　for　word　of　certain　other　walking　dead。〃　He　looked　at　Bran　when　he　said　that；　and　at　Summer　stretched　out　beside　him。　〃As　to　that　Wall；〃　the　man　went　on；　〃it's　not　a　place　that　I'd　be　going。　The　Old　Bear　took　the　Watch　into　the　haunted　woods；　and　all　that　e　back　was　his　ravens；　with　hardly　a　message　between　them。　Dark　wings；　dark　words；　me　mother　used　to　say；　but　when　the　birds　fly　silent；　seems　to　me　that's　even　darker。〃　He　poked　at　the　fire　with　his　stick。　〃It　was　different　when　there　was　a　Stark　in　Winterfell。　But　the　old　wolf's　dead　and　young　one's　gone　south　to　play　the　game　of　thrones；　and　all　that's　left　us　is　the　ghosts。〃
　〃The　wolves　will　e　again；〃　said　Jojen　solemnly。
　〃And　how　would　you　be　knowing；　boy？〃
　〃I　dreamed　it。〃
　〃Some　nights　I　dream　of　me　mother　that　I　buried　nine　years　past；〃　the　man　said；　〃but　when　I　wake；　she's　not　e　back　to　us。〃
　〃There　are　dreams　and　dreams；　my　lord。〃
　〃Hodor；〃　said　Hodor。
　They　spent　that　night　together；　for　the　rain　did　not　let　up　till　well　past　dark；　and　only　Summer　seemed　to　want　to　leave　the　cave。　When　the　fire　had　burned　down　to　embers；　Bran　let　him　go。　The　direwolf　did　not　feel　the　damp　as　people　did；　and　the　night　was　calling　him。　Moonlight　painted　the　wet　woods　in　shades　of　silver　and　turned　the　grey　peaks　white。　Owls　hooted　through　the　dark　and　flew　silently　between　the　pines；　while　pale　goats　moved　along　the　mountainsides。　Bran　closed　his　eyes　and　gave　himself　up　to　the　wolf　dream；　to　the　smells　and　sounds　of　midnight。
　When　they　woke　the　next　morning；　the　fire　had　gone　out　and　the　Liddle　was　gone；　but　he'd　left　a　sausage　for　them；　and　a　dozen　oatcakes　folded　up　neatly　in　a　green　and　white　cloth。　Some　of　the　cakes　had　pinenuts　baked　in　them　and　some　had　blackberries。　Bran　ate　one　of　each；　and　still　did　not　know　which　sort　he　liked　the　best。　One　day　there　would　be　Starks　in　Winterfell　again；　he　told　himself；　and　then　he'd　send　for　the　Liddles　and　pay　them　back　a　hundredfold　for　every　nut　and　berry。
　The　trail　they　followed　was　a　little　easier　that　day；　and　by　noon　the　sun　came　breaking　through　the　clouds。　Bran　sat　in　his　basket　up　on　Hodor's　back　and　felt　almost　content。　He　dozed　off　once；　lulled　to　sleep　by　the　smooth　swing　of　the　big　stableboy's　stride　and　the　soft　humming　sound　he　made　sometimes　when　he　walked。　Meera　woke　him　up　with　a　light　touch　on　his　arm。　〃Look；〃　she　said；　pointing　at　the　sky　with　her　frog　spear；　〃an　eagle。〃
　Bran　lifted　his　head　and　saw　it；　its　grey　wings　spread　and　still　as　it　floated　on　the　wind。　He　followed　it　with　his　eyes　as　it　circled　higher；　wondering　what　it　would　be　like　to　soar　about　the　world　so　effortless。　Better　than　climbing；　even。　He　tried　to　reach　the　eagle；　to　leave　his　stupid　crippled　body　and　rise　into　the　sky　to　join　it；　the　way　he　joined　with　Summer。　The　greenseers　could　do　it。　I　should　be　able　to　do　it　too。　He　tried　and　tried；　until　the　eagle　vanished　in　the　golden　haze　of　the　afternoon。　〃It's　gone；〃　he　said；　disappointed。
　〃We'll　see　others；〃　said　Meera。　〃They　live　up　here。〃
　〃I　suppose。〃
　〃Hodor；〃　said　Hodor。
　〃Hodor；〃　Bran　agreed。
　Jojen　kicked　a　pinecone。　〃Hodor　likes　it　when　you　say　his　name；　I　think。〃
　〃Hodor's　not　his　true　name；〃　Bran　explained。　〃It's　just　some　word　he　says。　His　real　name　is　Walder；　Old　Nan　told　me。　She　was　his　grandmother's　grandmother　or　something。〃　Talking　about　Old　Nan　made　him　sad。　〃Do　you　think　the　ironmen　killed　her？〃　They　hadn't　seen　her　body　at　Winterfell。　He　didn't　remember　seeing　any　women　dead；　now　that　he　thought　back。　〃She　never　hurt　no　one；　not　even　Theon。　She　just　told　stories。　Theon　wouldn't　hurt　someone　like　that。