srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第102章

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　He　abandoned　himself；　pushed　his　mustang　after　Bannor。
　Part　of　him　knew　that　Morin　and　then　Elena　followed　him；　but　he　paid　no　attention　to　them。　He　locked　his　eyes　on　Bannor's　back　and　tried　to　cling　there　for　the　duration　of　the　descent。
　Before　he　had　gone　a　hundred　feet；　the　skittishness　of　his　mount　drove　everything　else　from　his　mind。　Its　ears　flinched　as　if　it　were　about　to　shy　at　every　new　groan　within　the　fall。　He　heaved　and　sawed　at　the　reins　in　an　effort　to　control　the　horse；　but　he　only　aggravated　its　distress。　Faintly；　he　could　hear　himself　mumbling；　〃Help。　Help。〃
　Then　a　loud　boom　like　the　crushing　of　a　boulder　shivered　the　air。　A　swath　of　slide　jumped　and　shifted。　The　rubble　under　Covenant　began　to　slip。
　His　mount　tried　to　spring　away　from　the　shift。　It　shied　sideways；　and　started　straight　down　the　slope。
　Its　lunge　only　precipitated　the　slide。　Almost　at　once；　the　mustang　was　plunging　in　scree　that　poured　over　its　knees。
　It　struggled　to　escape　downward。　Each　heave　increased　the　weight　of　rubble　piling　against　it。
　Covenant　clung　frantically　to　the　clingor　saddle。　He
　fought　to　pull　the　horse's　head　aside；　make　his　mount　angle　out　of　the　slide's　main　force。　But　the　mustang　had　its　teeth　on　the　bit　now。　He　could　not　turn　it。
　Its　next　plunge　buried　it　to　its　haunches　in　the　quickening　rush　of　rubble。　Covenant　could　hear　Elena　shouting　stridently。　As　she　yelled；　Bannor's　Ranyhyn　sprang　in　front　of　him。　Plowing　through　the　scree；　it　threw　its　weight　against　his　mount。　The　impact　almost　unseated　him；　but　it　deflected　his　horse。　Guided　by　Bannor；　the　Ranyhyn　shoved　against　the　horse；　forced　it　to　fight　toward　the　cliff。
　But　the　avalanche　was　already　moving　too　heavily。　A　small　boulder　struck　the　mustang's　rump；　the　horse　fell。　Covenant　sprawled　down　the　slope　out　of　Bannor's　reach。　The　rubble　tumbled　him　over　and　over；　but　for　a　moment　he　managed　to　stay　above　it。　He　got　his　feet　under　him；　tried　to　move　across　the　slide。
　Through　the　gathering　roar　of　the　fall；　he　heard　Morin　shout；　〃High　Lord！〃　The　next　instant；　she　flashed　by　him；　riding　Myrha　straight　down　the　outer　edge　of　the　slide。　Fifty　feet　below　him；　she　swung　into　the　avalanche。　With　a　wild　cry；　she　whirled　the　Staff　of　Law　and　struck　the　fall。
　Fire　blazed　up　through　the　slide。　Like　a　suddenly　clenched　fist；　the　rubble　around　Covenant　stopped　moving。　His　own　momentum　knocked　him　backward；　but　he　jumped　up　again　in　time　to　meet　Bannor　as　the　Bloodguard　landed　his　Ranyhyn　on　the　small　patch　of　steady　ground。　Bannor　caught　Covenant　with　one　hand；　swung　him　across　the　Ranyhyn's　back；　charged　away　out　of　the　slide。
　When　they　reached　the　relatively　still　ground　against　the　cliff　wall；　Covenant　saw　that　Elena　had　saved　him　at　the　risk　of　herself。　The　stasis　which　she　had　applied　to　the　slipping　tons　of　the　avalanche　was　not　large　enough　to　include　her　own　position。　And　an　instant　later；　that　stasis　broke。　An　extra　breaker　of　rubble　dropped　toward　her。
　She　had　no　second　chance　to　wield　the　Staff。　Almost　at　once；　the　wave　of　scree　crashed　over　her　and　Myrha。
　An　instant　later；　she　appeared　downhill　from　Myrha。
　The　Ranyhyn's　great　strength　momentarily　sheltered　her。
　But　the　fall　piled　against　Myrha's　chest。　And　Covenant's　mustang；　still　madly　fighting　the　slide；　hurtled　toward　the　Ranyhyn。　Instinctively；　Covenant　tried　to　run　back　into　the　avalanche　to　help　Elena。　But　Bannor　held　him　back　with　one　hand。
　He　started　to　struggle；　then　stopped　as　a　long　clingor　rope　flicked　out　over　the　slide　and　caught　the　High　Lord's　wrist。　With　his　Ranyhyn　braced　against　the　wall　below　Covenant　and　Bannor；　First　Mark　Morin　flung　out　his　line；　and　the　adhesive　leather　snared　Elena。　She　reacted　immediately。　〃Flee！〃　she　yelled　to　Myrha；　then　clutched　the　Staff　and　heaved　against　the　waistdeep　flow　of　scree　as　Morin　pulled　her　to　safety。
　Though　the　great　mare　was　battered　and　bleeding；　she　had　other　intentions。　With　a　tremendous　exertion；　she　lunged　out　of　the　mustang's　path。　As　the　screaming　horse　tumbled　past；　she　turned　and　caught　its　reins　in　her　teeth。
　For　one　intense　moment；　she　held　the　mustang；　hauled　it　to　its　feet；　swung　it　in　the　direction　of　the　wall。
　Then　the　avalanche　swept　them　down　a　steep　bulge。　The　sudden　plunge　sank　her。　With　a　rushing　cry；　the　weight　of　the　landslide　poured　over　her。
　Somehow；　the　mustang　kept　its　feet；　struggled　on　down　the　slope。　But　Myrha　did　not　reappear。
　Covenant　hugged　his　stomach　as　if　he　were　about　to　retch。　Below　him；　Elena　cried；　〃Myrha！　Ranyhyn！〃　The　passion　in　her　voice　appalled　him。　Several　moments　passed　before　he　realized　that　his　rescue　had　carried　his　panions　more　than　two…thirds　of　the　way　down　the　slide。
　〃e；〃　Bannor　said　flatly。　〃The　balance　has　broken。　There　will　be　more　falls。　We　are　imperiled　here。〃　His　efforts　had　not　even　quickened　his　breathing。
　Numbly；　Covenant　sat　behind　Bannor　as　his　Ranyhyn　picked　its　way　along　the　wall　to　the　High　Lord　and　Morin。　Elena　looked　stricken；　astonished　with　grief。　Covenant　wanted　to　throw　his　arms　around　her；　but　the　Bloodguard　gave　him　no　chance。　Bannor　took　him　on
　down　the　slope；　and　Morin　followed　with　the　High　Lord　riding　emptily　at　his　back。
　They　found　Amok　awaiting　them　on　the　grass　at　the　bottom　of　the　valley。　His　eyes　held　something　that　resembled　concern　as　he　approached　the　High　Lord　and　helped　her　to　dismount。　〃Pardon　me；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃I　have　brought　you　pain。　What　could　I　do？　I　was　not　made　to　be　of　use　in　such　needs。〃
　〃Then　begone；〃　Elena　replied　harshly。　〃I　have　no　more　use　for　you　this　day。〃
　Amok's　gaze　constricted　as　if　the　High　Lord　had　hurt　him。　But　he　obeyed　tier　promptly。　With　a　bow　and　a　wave；　he　wiped　himself　out　of　sight。
　Dismissing　him　with　a　grimace；　Elena　turned　toward　the　landslide。　The　piled　rubble　creaked　and　retorted　more　fiercely　now；　promising　other　slides　at　any　moment；　but　she　ignored　the　hazard　to　kneel　at　the　foot　of　the　scree。　She　bent　forward　as　if　she　were　presenting　her　back　to　a　whip；　and　tears　streaked　her　voice　as　she　moaned；　〃Alas；　Ranyhyn！　Alas；　Myrha！　My　failure　has　slain　you。〃
　Covenant　hurried　to　her。　He　ached　to　throw　his　arms　around　her；　but　her　grief　restrained　him。　With　an　effort；　he　said；　〃It's　my　fault。　Don't　blame　yourself。　I　should　know　how　to　ride　better。〃　Hesitantly；　he　reached　out　and　stroked　her　neck。
　His　touch　seemed　to　turn　her　pain　to　anger。　She　did　not　move；　but　she　screamed　at　him；　〃Let　me　be！　This　is　indeed　your　doing。　You　should　not　have　sent　the　Ranyhyn　to　Lena　my　mother。〃
　He　recoiled　as　if　she　had　struck　him。　At　once；　his　own　instinctive　ire　flamed。　The　panic　of　his　fall　had　filled　his　veins　with　a　tinder　that　burned　suddenly。　Her　quick　recrimination　changed　him　in　an　instant。　It　was　as　if　the　peace　of　his　past　days　had　been　transformed　abruptly　into　umbrage　and　leper's　vehemence。　He　was　mute　with　outrage。　Trembling；　he　turned　and　stalked　away。
　Neither　Bannor　nor　Morin　followed　him。　Already　they　were　busy　tending　the　cuts　and　abrasions　of　their　Ranyhyn　and　his　mustang。　He　strode　past　them；　went
　on　down　the　valley　like　a　scrap　of　frail　ire　fluttering　helplessly　along　the　breeze。
　After　a　while；　the　dull　detonations　of　the　landslide　began　to　fade　behind　him。　He　kept　on　walking。　The　smell　of　the　grass　tried　to　beguile　him；　and　within　the　pine　stands　a　consoling　susurrous　and　gloom；　a　soft；　quiet；　sweet　rest；　beckoned　him。　He　ignored　them；　paced　by　with　a　jerky；　mechanical　stride。　Thick　anger　roiled　his　brain；　drove　him　forward。　Again！　he　cried　to　himself。　Every　woman　he　loved…！　How　could　such　a　thing　happen　twice　in　the　same　life？
　He　went　on　until　he　had　covered　almost　a　league。；　Then　he　found　himself　beside　a　trilling　stream。　Here　the　bottom　of　the　valley　was　uneven　on　both　sides　of　the　brook。　He　searched　along　it　until　he　found　a　grassmatted　gully　from　which　he　could　see　nothing　of　the　valley's　northward　reach。　There　he　threw　himself　down　on　his　stomach　to　gnaw　the　old　bone　of　his　outrage。
　Time　passed。　Soon　shadows　crossed　the　valley　as　the　sun　moved　toward　evening。　Twilight　began　as　if　it　were　seeping　out　of　the　ground　between　the　cliffs。　Covenant　rolled　over　on　his　back。　At　first；　he　watched　with　a　kind　of　dour　satisfaction　as