srdonaldson.thepowerthatpreserves-第93章

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　　　　This　warmth　held　the　true　promise　of　spring；　it　smelled　of　buds　and　green　grass；　of　aliantha　and　moss　and　forest…loam。　Under　its　influence；　Covenant　found　that　he　could　relax。　He　put　aside　misery；　fear；　unresolved　need；　and　sank　down　gratefully　to　sit　with　his　back　against　the　soothing　stone。
　　　　Foamfollower　hunted　around　the　area　until　he　located　the　sack　of　provisions　he　had　carried　with　him　from　the　Ramen　covert。　He　took　out　food　and　his　pot　of　graveling。　Together；　he；　Bannor；　and　Covenant　ate　a　silent　meal　under　the　fist　of　the　Colossus　as　if　they　were　sharing　a　munion…as　if　they　accepted　the　stone's　warmth　and　shelter　to　do　it　honor。　They　had　no　other　way　to　express　their　thanks。
　　　　Covenant　was　hungry；　he　had　had　nothing　but　Demondim…drink　to　sustain　him　for　days。　Yet　he　ate　the　food；　absorbed　the　warmth；　with　a　strange　humility；　as　if　he　had　not　earned　them；　did　not　deserve　them。　He　knew　in　his　heart　that　the　destruction　of　the　Staff　purchased　nothing　more　than　a　brief　respite　for　the　Land；　a　short　delay　in　the　Despiser's　eventual　triumph。　And　that　respite　was　not　his　doing。　The　reflex　which　had　triggered　the　white　gold　was　surely　as　unconscious；　as　involuntary；　as　if　it　had　happened　in　his　sleep。　And　yet　another　life　had　been　spent　on　his　account。　That　knowledge　humbled　him。　He　fed　and　warmed　himself　because　all　his　work　had　yet　to　be　done；　and　no　other　being　in　the　Land　could　do　it　for　him。
　　　　When　the　frugal　meal　was　finished；　he　began　his　task　by　asking　his　panions　how　they　had　e　to　the　Colossus。
　　　　Foamfollower　winced　at　the　memory。　He　left　the　telling　of　it　to　Banner's　terseness。　While　Banner　spoke；　the　Giant　cleaned　and　tended　Covenant's　forehead。
　　　　In　short　sentences；　Banner　indicated　that　the　Ramen　had　been　able　to　defeat　the　attack　on　their　covert；　thanks　to　the　Giant's　prodigious　aid。　But　the　battle　had　been　a　long　and　costly　one；　and　the　night　was　gone　before　Bannor　and　Foamfollower　could　begin　to　search　for　Covenant　and　Lena。　（〃Ur…viles！''　Foamfollower　muttered　at　Covenant's　injury。　'　〃This　will　not　heal。　To　make　you　captive；　they　put　their　mark　upon　you。〃）　The　Mane…thralls　permitted　only　two　Cords；　Whane　and　Lal；　to　aid　in　the　search。　For　during　the　night；　a　change　had　e　over　the　Ranyhyn。　To　the　surprise　and　joy　of　the　Ramen；　the　great　horses　had　unexpectedly　started　south　toward　the　sanctuary　of　the　mountains。　The　Ramen　followed　at　once。　Only　their　mixed　awe　and　concern　for　the　Ringthane　induced　them　to　give　Bannor　and　Foamfollower　any　aid　at　all。
　　　　So　the　four　of　them　began　the　hunt。　But　they　had　lost　too　much　time；　wind　and　snow　had　obscured　the　trail。　They　lost　it　south　of　the　Roamsedge　and　could　find　no　trace　of　Covenant。　At　last　they　concluded　that　he　must　have　gained　other　aid　to　take　him　eastward。　Together　the　four　made　what　haste　they　could　toward　the　Fall　of　the　River　Landrider。
　　　　The　journey　was　made　slow　and　arduous　by　kresh　packs　and　marauders；　and　the　four　feared　that　Covenant　would　have　left　the　Upper　Land　days　ago。　But　when　they　neared　the　Colossus；　they　came　upon　a　band　of　ur…viles　acpanied　by　the　Raver；　Herem…Triock。　Then　the　four　were　dismayed　to　see　that　the　band　bore　with　it　the　Unbeliever；　prostrate　as　if　he　were　dead。
　　　　The　four　attacked；　slew　the　ur…viles。　But　they　could　not　prevent　the　call　which　Herem　sent。　And　before　they　could　defeat　Herem；　rescue　Covenant；　and　retrieve　the　ring；　that　call　was　answered　by　the　dead　Elena；　wielding　the　Staff　of　Law。　She　mastered　the　four　effortlessly。　Then　she　gave　Whane　to　Herem；　so　that　Triock's　anguish　would　be　more　poignant。　When　Jehannum　came　to　her；　that　Raver　entered　Lal。　Covenant　knew　the　rest。
　　　　Bannor　and　Foamfollower　had　seen　no　sign　of　Lena。　They　did　not　know　what　had　delayed　Covenant's　arrival　at　Landsdrop。
　　　　As　Bannor　finished；　Foamfollower　growled　in　angry　disgust；　〃Stone　and　Sea！　She　has　made　me　unclean。　I　must　bathe…I　will　need　a　sea　to　wash　away　this　coercion。〃
　　　　Bannor　nodded。　〃I；　also。〃
　　　　But　neither　of　them　moved；　though　the　River　Landrider　was　nearby　beyond　a　low　line　of　hills。　Covenant　knew　they　were　holding　themselves　at　his　disposal；　they　seemed　to　sense　that　he　needed　them。　And　they　had　questions　of　their　own。　But　he　felt　unready　for　the　things　he　would　have　to　say。　After　a　silence；　he　asked　painfully；'　Triock　summoned　me…and　he's　dead。　Why　am　I　still　here？〃
　　　　Foamfollower　mused　briefly；　then　said；　〃Perhaps　because　the　Law　of　Death　has　been　broken…perhaps　it　was　that　Law　which　formerly　sent　you　from　the　Land　when　your　summoner　died。　Or　perhaps　it　is　because　I　also　had　a　hand　in　this　call。〃
　　　　Yes；　Covenant　sighed　to　himself。　His　debt　to　Triock　was　hardly　less　than　what　he　owed　Foamfollower。
　　　　He　could　not　shirk　the　responsibility　any　longer；　he　forced　himself　to　describe　what　had　happened　to　Lena。
　　　　His　voice　was　dull　as　he　spoke　of　her…an　old　woman　brought　to　a　bloody　and　graveless　end　because　in　her　confusion　she　clung　to　the　man　who　had　harmed　her。　And　her　death　was　only　the　most　recent　tragedy　in　her　family。　First　and　last；　her　people　had　borne　the　brunt　of　him：　Trell　Gravelingas；　Atiaran　Trell…mate；　High　Lord　Elena；　Lena　herself…he　had　ruined　them　all。　Such　things　altered　him；　made　a　different　man　of　him。　That　made　it　possible　for　him　to　ask　another　question　after　he　had　told　all　he　knew　of　his　own　tale。
　　　　〃Foamfollower〃…he　framed　his　inquiry　as　carefully　as　he　could…　〃it's　none　of　my　business。　But　Pietten　said　some　terrible　things　about　you。　Or　he　meant　them　to　be　terrible。　He　said…〃　But　he　could　not　say　the　words。　No　matter　how　he　uttered　them；　they　would　sound　like　an　accusation。
　　　　The　Giant　sighed；　and　his　whole　frame　sagged。　He　studied　his　intertwined　hands　as　if　somewhere　in　their　clasped　gentleness　and　butchery　were　a　secret　he　could　not　unclose；　but　he　no　longer　evaded　the　question。　〃He　said　that　I　betrayed　my　kinfolk…that　the　Giants　of　Seareach　died　to　the　last　child　at　the　hands　of　turiya　Raver　because　I　abandoned　them。　It　is　true。〃
　　　　Foamfollower！　Covenant　moaned。　My　friend！　Sorrow　welled　up　in　him；　almost　made　him　weep　again。
　　　　Abstractedly；　Bannor　said；　〃Many　things　were　lost　in　The　Grieve　that　day。〃
　　　　〃　Yes。〃　Foamfollower　blinked　as　if　he　were　trying　to　hold　back　tears；　but　his　eyes　were　dry；　as　parched　as　a　wilderland。　〃Yes…many　things。　Among　them　I　was　the　least。
　　　　〃Ah；　Covenant；　how　can　I　tell　you　of　it？　This　tongue　has　no　words　long　enough　for　the　tale。　No　word　can　enpass　the　love　for　a　lost　homeland；　or　the　anguish　of　diminishing　seed；　or　the　pride…the　pride　in　fidelity…　That　fidelity　was　our　only　reply　to　our　extinction。　We　could　not　have　borne　our　decline　if　we　had　not　taken　pride。
　　　　〃So　my　people…the　Giants…I　also；　in　my　own　way…the　Giants　were　filled　with　horror…with　abhorrence　so　deep　that　it　numbed　the　very　marrow　of　their　bones…when　they　saw　their　pride　riven…torn　from　them　like　rotten　sails　in　the　wind。　They　foundered　at　the　sight。　They　saw　the　portent　of　their　hope　of　Home…the　three　brothers…changed　from　fidelity　to　the　most　potent　ill　by　one　small　stroke　of　the　Despiser's　evil。　Who　in　the　Land　could　hope　to　stand　against　a　Giant…Raver？　Thus　the　Unhomed　became　the　means　to　destroy　that　to　which　they　had　held　themselves　true。　And　in　horror　at　the　naught　of　their　fidelity；　their　folly　practiced　through　long　centuries　of　pride；　they　were　transfixed。　Their　revulsion　left　no　room　in　them　for　thought　or　resistance　or　choice。　Rather　than　behold　the　cost　of　their　failure…rather　than　risk　the　chance　that　more　of　them　would　be　made　Soulcrusher's　servants…they…they　elected　to　be　slain。
　　　　〃I　also…in　my　way；　I　was　horrified　as　well。　But　I　had　already　seen　what　they　had　not；　until　that　moment。　I　had　seen　myself　bee　what　I　hated。　Alone　of　all　my　kindred；　I　was　not　surprised。　It　was　not　the　vision　of　a　Giant…Raver　which　horrified　me。　It　was　my…my　own　people。
　　　　〃Ah！　Stone　and　Sea！　They　appalled　me。　I　stormed　at　them…I　ran　through　The　Grieve　like　a　dark　sea　of　madness；　howling　at　their　abandonment；　raging　to　strike　one　spark　of　resistance　in　the　drenched　tinder　of　their　hearts。　But　they…they　put　away　their　tools；　and　banked　their　fires；　and　made　ready　their　homes　as　if　in　preparation　for　departure…''　Abruptly；　his　su