ggk.asongforarbonne-第105章

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heartland　of　Gorhaut。　Fulk　knew；　as　most　of　Gorhaut　had　known　by　then；　that　Blaise　de　Garsenc　had　claimed　the　throne　last　autumn。
　　Duke　Fulk　was　his　own　man；　if　he　lacked　his　father's　flamboyance　or　the　confidence　of　the　monarch　that　Cadar　de　Savaric　had　had。　He'd　turned　his　thousand　men　as　ordered；　riding　along　a　valley　path　laced　with　snow；　but　he　had　stopped　them　by　a　frozen　river　bed　two　days　later；　a　half　day's　ride　still　from　Garsenc　Castle。　And　there；　under　grey　skies；　he　had　made　a　speech。
　　He　was　not　a　man　for　speeches；　nor　were　the　men　of　the　north　greatly　inclined　to　listen　to　orations；　especially　in　the　cold。　What　he　said　was　as　terse　and　clear　as　he　could　make　it；　and　the　words　marked　a　changing　of　his　life。　He　would　have　denied　that　Aubry　had　led　him　to　that　moment；　but　he　wouldn't　have　said　it　had　nothing　to　do　with　it；　either。
　　He　had　never　liked　the　Treaty　of　Iersen　Bridge；　he　told　his　assembled　men；　shouting　the　words　into　the　rising　wind。　He　had　never　liked　the　authority　the　High　Elder　of　Corannos　had　over　an　increasingly　self…indulgent　king。　He　felt　contempt　and　real　anger　for　the　way　in　which　a　quarter　of　the　people　of　Gorhaut　had　been　dispossessed　of　their　land　and　ordered　to　find　shelter　somewhere；　anywhere；　while　the　king　and　his　High　Elder　plotted　a　conquest　in　the　south。　Fulk　de　Savaric　did　not　think　they　could　hold　any　lands　they　took　south　of　the　passes；　they　wouldn't　be　allowed　to；　he　said；　by　the　other　countries　of　their　world。　The　balance　would　be　too　greatly　shifted。　They　would　only　trade　a　border　war　with　Valensa　for　an　enormous　bat　against　all　the　other　nations；　and　the　Arbonnais；　he　said；　would　die　before　they　lay　quiet　under　a　Gorhaut　yoke　of　occupation。　They　would　be　forced　out　of　Arbonne；　he　told　his　men；　leaving　ruin　and　ashes　and　legions　of　the　dead　behind　them。
　　That；　said　Fulk；　probably　didn't　even　matter　to　the　High　Elder；　whose　war　this　was。　The　real　point　of　what　was　happening　now　had　little　to　do　with　land　for　the　dispossessed　of　the　north。　Galbert　wanted　only　to　destroy　Arbonne　and　its　goddess；　and　the　Treaty　of　Iersen　Bridge　had　been　the　first　devious　step　towards　that。　Fulk　de　Savaric　didn't　much　care　either　way　about　Arbonne's　goddess；　she　had　never　bothered　him；　he　said　by　that　frozen　river。　What　did　bother　him；　what　enraged　him；　he　said；　were　the　uprooted　people　of　the　northlands。　Their　king　had　sold　them　to　Valensa　for　silver　and　gold；　to　raise　an　army　for　burning　women　in　Arbonne。
　　There　were　others；　he　told　his　silent　pany；　who　felt　the　same　way　as　he。　Blaise　de　Garsenc；　the　younger　son　of　the　High　Elder　was　probably　known　to　many　of　them。　He　wasn't　even　a　northlander；　but　he　had　left　Gorhaut　entirely　rather　than　live　with　the　terms　of　the　Treaty　of　Iersen　Bridge。　He　was　very　likely　ing　home　now；　perhaps　even　tonight；　leading　a　rising　against　these　very　wrongs　Fulk　was　speaking　of。　The　duke　proposed　to　join　him；　for　the　honour　of　the　northland　and　in　memory　of　his　father　and　King　Duergar　who　had　truly　loved　and　served　Gorhaut。　He　invited　those　of　his　army　who　thought　the　same　thing　and　who　trusted　his　judgment　to　e　with　him。　Those　who　felt　otherwise　were　free　to　leave；　with　his　honest　gratitude　for　their　service　in　the　past。
　　That　was　all　he　said。　Wind　blew　down　the　valley；　sliding　snow　into　mounds　on　the　banks　of　the　frozen　river；　shaking　it　down　from　the　branches　of　bare　trees。
　　Eighteen　men　left；　from　a　pany　of　almost　a　thousand。
　　The　men　of　the　northland　had　their　own　hard　creed；　always；　and　the　lords　of　Savaric　had　seldom　played　them　false；　whatever　the　kings　in　Cortil　might　have　done。　Duke　Cadar　de　Savaric　had　died　defending　their　lands　and　his　own　at　Iersen　Bridge。　His　son　had　shepherded　the　interests　of　the　north　with　a　cautious　diligence　in　the　upheavals　that　followed　King　Ademar's　accession　and　the　treaty　he　had　signed。　If　the　time　for　caution　now　had　ended；　the　time　for　loyalty　had　not；　and　loyalty　to　the　north　was　the　first　law　of　the　north。
　　Not　a　man　prone　to　the　sweep　of　powerful　emotions；　Fulk　de　Savaric　had　nonetheless　been　moved　by　what　had　followed　his　words　on　that　wintry　afternoon。　He　was　speaking　treason；　after　all。
　　There　was　no　shouting　when　he　ended；　no　cries　of　approval　or　swift　cheers　raised　in　his　name。　That　was　not　their　way。　There　was　only　the　grim；　stern　silence　that　had　always　defined　the　north；　as　six　horsemen　and　twelve　men　on　foot　detached　themselves　from　the　pany；　to　proceed　east　from　that　icy　stream　towards　Cortil　and　King　Ademar；　who　was　still；　when　all　else　was　said　and　done；　the　anointed　of　the　god。
　　The　rest　had　followed　him　here　to　Garsenc　Castle　and　would　follow　him　now；　he　said　soberly　to　Blaise　and　Bertran　and　the　others　gathered　in　the　great　hall；　wherever　he　asked　them　to　go。
　　〃That　last；〃　said　Blaise；　〃is　the　real　question；　I　fear。〃　He　seemed　to　have　gradually　recovered　his　posure　after　the　encounters　with　his　father　and　brother。　〃We　had　planned　to　take　this　castle；　use　it　as　a　winter　base；　a　rallying　point；　for　any　men　who　might　join　our　cause；　and　then　see　what　the　spring　brought　us；　in　numbers　and　possibilities。　I　didn't　propose　to　fight　a　war　in　winter。〃
　　〃We　did　once；　in　the　time　leading　up　to　Iersen　Bridge；〃　said　Fulk　de　Savaric。
　　〃I　know　that。　I　was　there。　That　was　against　an　invader；　with　no　choice　offered　us。　There's　another　thing：　I　don't　want　to　begin　attacking　across　the　countryside　myself；　ruining　castles　or　towns。　If　I　possibly　can　I　want　this　to　end　up　as　one　battle　against　Ademar　and　only　one。　My　army…if　I　have　one…against　his　on　a　field　somewhere。　If　I　am　to　e　home　as　the　saviour　of　Gorhaut…the　man　who　takes　us　back　to　the　god　and　our　true　destiny…I　can't　begin　by　killing　my　own　people　and　destroying　their　homes　and　fields。　I　won't　do　that；　Fulk；　for　the　same　reason　I　won't　invade　with　an　army　from　Arbonne。〃
　　〃Did　they　offer　you　one？〃　Fulk　de　Savaric　asked。
　　Blaise　turned　to　Bertran　de　Talair。　The　duke's　expression　was　oddly　inward；　Thaune　saw；　as　if　he　hadn't　been　closely　following　the　last　part　of　the　conversation。　And　a　moment　later；　Thaune　realized　that　this；　in　fact；　was　so。
　　〃Do　you　remember；〃　Bertran　asked　Blaise　softly；　not　answering　the　question；　〃what　your　brother　said　just　before　he　left？　His　last　words　to　me？〃　There　was　something　strange　in　his　voice；　something　that　made　the　room　feel　cold　again；　despite　the　fires　now　burning　on　all　the　hearths。　Thaune；　by　the　doorway　to　the　corridor；　tried　to　remember　what　it　was　that　Ranald　de　Garsenc　had　said。
　　〃He　said　he　wasn't　going　back　to　Cortil。〃　Blaise　had　been　standing　by　the　largest　of　the　fires。　Now　he　took　two　steps　towards　the　duke　of　Talair　and　stopped。
　　〃Would　he　have　been　telling　you　something？〃　asked　Rudel　Correze　sharply。　He　rose　from　his　seat。　〃Because　if　he　was　。。。　〃
　　〃If　he　was；〃　Duke　Bertran　finished　flatly；　〃then　we　know　why　Fulk　was　ordered　to　bring　all　the　men　he　could。　And　why　your　brother　wasn't　going　to　Cortil。　Ademar　isn't　at　Cortil。〃
　　〃How　did　you　e　through　the　mountains？〃　Fulk　de　Savaric　asked　abruptly。　He；　too；　had　now　risen　from　his　chair。
　　〃Lesser　Gaillard　Pass　to　the　west；〃　said　Blaise。　〃There　were　only　fifty　of　us；　no　wagons　or　goods。　We　didn't　want　to　be　seen。　We　might　have　been　spotted　had　we　gone　through　the　High　Road　Pass。〃
　　〃Of　course；〃　said　Fulk。　〃But　if　En　Bertran　is　right　about　this　then　Ademar　and　his　army　were　moving　south　from　Cortil　towards　the　High　Road　Pass　even　while　we　were　ing　north。〃　Bertran　de　Talair　had　put　down　his　wine　glass。　His　face；　Thaune　saw；　was　very　white；　an　old　scar　showing　in　sharp　relief。　〃That　is　what　has　happened；　I　am　certain　of　it。　It　fits　what　we　know。　They　decided　not　to　wait　for　spring；　after　all。　This　is　a　winter　war；　my　friends。　In　Arbonne。　They　might　even　be　there　already。〃
　　〃And　what　do　we　do　here　with　a　thousand　men？　Capture　Cortil？　Raise　the　country　in　revolt？〃　Rudel　Correze's　eyes　were　bright　in　the　firelight。　Blaise　said　nothing；　his　eyes　were　on　the　duke　of　Talair。
　　〃There　is　no　country　to　raise；〃　said　Fulk　de　Savaric　slowly。　〃All　of　the　men　who　can　fight　will　be　with　the　king。　I　think　I　see　what　he　is　thinking：　he　doesn't　care　what　you　do　here。　If　he　takes　Arbonne　quickly　enough…and　it　w