srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第104章

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Snatching　up　a　warm　blanket　for　him；　she　drew　him　close　to　the　fire。　Her　few　low　ments　were　full　of　concern；　but　she　asked　him　nothing　until　the　games　had　beaten　back　his　worst　shivers。　Then；　shyly；　as　if　she　were　inquiring　where　she　stood　in　relation　to　him；　she　reached　up　and　kissed　him。
　He　returned　the　caress　of　her　lips；　and　the　movement　seemed　to　carry　him　over　an　inner　hurdle。　He　found　that　he　could　look　at　her　now。　She　smiled　softly；　the　voracious　power　of　her　gaze　was　lost　again　in　its　elsewhere　otherness。　She　appeared　to　accept　his　kiss　at　its　surface　valuation。　She　hugged　him；　then　seated　herself　beside　him。　After　a　moment；　she　asked；　〃Did　it　surprise　you　to　learn　that　I　am　so　vehement？〃
　He　tried　to　excuse　himself。　〃I'm　not　used　to　such　things。　You　didn't　give　me　fair　warning。〃
　〃Pardon　me；　beloved；〃　she　said　contritely。　Then　she　went　on。　〃Were　you　very　dismayed…by　what　you　have　beheld　in　me？〃
　He　thought　for　a　while　before　he　said；　〃I　think　if　you　ever　looked　at　me　that　way　I　would　be　as　good　as　dead。〃
　〃You　are　safe；〃　she　assured　him　warmly。
　〃What　if　you　change　your　mind？〃
　〃Your　doubt　chastises　me。　Beloved；　you　are　part　of　my　life　and　breath。　Do　you　believe　that　I　could　set　you　aside？〃
　〃I　don't　know　what　to　believe。〃　Ids　tone　expressed　vexation；　but　he　hugged　her　again　to　counteract　it。　〃Dreaming　is　like…it's　like　being　a　slave。　Your　dreams　e　out　of　all　the　parts　of　you　that　you　don't　have　any　control　over。　That's　why…that's　why　madness　is　the　only　danger。〃
　He　was　grateful　that　she　did　not　attempt　to　argue　with　him。　When　the　shivering　was　driven　from　his　bones；　he　became　incontestably　drowsy。　As　she　put　him　to　bed；　wrapped　him　snugly　in　his　blankets　by　the　campfire；　the　only　thing　which　kept　him　from　trusting　her　pletely　was　the　conviction　that　his　bargain　contained　something　dishonest。
　For　the　most　part；　he　forgot　that　conviction　during　the　next　three　days。　His　attention　was　clouded　by　a　low　fever　which　he　seemed　to　have　caught　from　his　plunge　in　the　stream。　Febrile　patches　appeared　on　his　obdurately　pale　cheeks；　his　forehead　felt　clammy　with　sweat　and　cold；　and　his　eyes　glittered　as　if　he　were　in　the　grip　of　a　secret　excitement。　From　time　to　time；　he　dozed　on　the　back　of　his　battered　mount；　and　awoke　to　find　himself　babbling　deliriously。　He　could　not　always　remember　what　he　had　said；　but　at　least　once　he　had　insisted　maniacally　that　the　only　way　to　stay　well　was　to　be　perpetually　awake。　No　antiseptic　could　cleanse　the　wounds　inflicted　in　dreams。　The　innocent　did　not　dream。
　When　he　was　not　mumbling　in　half…sleep；　he　was　occupied　with　the　trek　itself。

　The　High　Lord's　party　was　nearing　some　kind　of　destination。
　The　morning　after　the　landslide　had　dawned　into　crisp　sunshine…a　clear　vividness　like　an　atonement　for　the　previous　day's　distress。　When　Amok　had　appeared　to　lead　the　High　Lord　onward；　Elena　had　whistled　as　if　she　were　calling　Myrha；　and　another　Ranyhyn　had　answered　the　summons。　Covenant　had　watched　it　gallop　up　the　valley　with　amazement　in　his　face。　The　fidelity　of　the　Ranyhyn　toward　their　own　choices　went　beyond　all　his　conceptions　of　pride　or　loyalty。　The　sight　had　reminded　him　of　his　previous　bargain…a　bargain　which　both　Elena　and　Rue　had　said　was　still　kept　among　the　great　horses。　But　then　he　had　struggled　up　on　his　mustang；　and　other　matters　had　intruded　on　his　fever　tinged　thoughts。　He　had　retained　barely　enough　awareness　to　place　Elena's　marrowmeld　gift　in　Bannor's　care。
　After　the　riders　had　followed　Amok　out　of　the　valley；　Covenant　caught　his　first　glimpse　of　Melenkurion　Skyweir。　Though　it　was　still　many　leagues　almost　due　southeast　of　him；　the　high　mountain　lifted　its　twin；　icebound　peaks　above　the　range's　rugged　horizon；　and　its　glaciers　gleamed　blue　in　the　sunlight　as　if　the　sky's　azure　feet　were　planted　there。　Elena's　guess　seemed　correct：　Amok's　ragged；　oblique　trail　tended　consistently　toward　the　towering　Skyweir。　It　vanished　almost　immediately　as　Amok　led　the　riders　into　the　lee　of…another　cliff；　but　it　reappeared　with　increasing　frequency　as　the　day　passed。　By　the　following　noon；　it　dominated　the　southeastern　horizon。
　But　at　night　Covenant　did　not　have　the　mountains　veering　around　him。　He　could　not　see　Melenkurion　Skyweir。　And　after　the　evening　meal；　his　fever　abated　somewhat。　Freed　from　these　demands　and　drains　upon　his　weakened　concentration；　he　came　to　some　vague　terms　with　his　bargain。
　It　did　not　need　her　consent；　he　knew　this；　and　berated　himself　for　it。　Once　the　thrill　of　hope　had　faded　into　fever　and　anxiety；　he　ached　to　tell　her　what　he　had　been　thinking。　And　her　attentiveness　to　him　made　him　ache　worse。　She　cooked　special　healing　broths　and　stews　for　him；　she　went　out　of　her　way　to　supply　him
　with　aliantha。　But　his　emotions　toward　her　had　changed。　There　was　cunning　and　flattery　in　his　responses　to　her　tenderness。　He　was　afraid　of　what　would　happen　if　he　told　her　his　thoughts。
　When　he　lay　awake　late　at　night；　shivering　feverishly；　he　had　a　bad　taste　of　rationalization　in　his　mouth。　Then　it　was　not　embarrassment　or　trust　which　kept　him　from　explaining　himself。　His　jaws　were　locked　by　his　clinging　need　for　survival；　his　rage　against　his　own　death。
　Finally；　his　fever　broke。　Late　in　the　afternoon　of　the　third　day…the　twenty…first　since　the　High　Lord's　party　had　left　Revelwood…a　sudden　rush　of　sweat　poured　over　him；　and　a　tight　inner　cord　seemed　to　snap。　He　felt　himself　relaxing　at　last。　That　night；　he　fell　asleep　while　Elena　was　still　discussing　the　ignorance　or　failure　of　prehension　which　kept　her　from　learning　anything　from　Amok。
　A　long；　sound　sleep　restored　his　sense　of　health；　and　the　next　morning　he　was　able　to　pay　better　attention　to　his　situation。　Riding　at　Elena's　side；　he　scrutinized　Melenkurion　Skyweir。　It　stood　over　him　like　an　aegis；　shutting　out　the　whole　southeastern　dawn。　With　a　low　surge　of　apprehension；　he　judged　that　the　High　Lord's　party　would　probably　arrive　there　before　this　day　was　done。　Carefully；　he　asked　her　about　the　Skyweir。
　〃I　can　tell　you　little；〃　she　replied。　〃It　is　the　tallest　mountain　known　to　the　Land；　and　its　name　shares　one　of　the　Seven　Words。　But　Kevin's　Lore　reveals　little　of　it。　Perhaps　there　is　other　knowledge　in　the　other　Wards；　but　the　First　and　Second　contain　few　hints　or　references。　And　in　our　age　the　Lords　have　gained　nothing　of　their　own　concerning　this　place。　None　have　e　so　close　to　the　Skyweir　since　people　returned　to　the　Land　after　the　Ritual　of　Desecration。
　〃It　is　in　my　heart　that　these　great　peaks　mark　a　place　of　power…a　place　surpassing　even　Gravin　Threndor。　But　I　have　no　evidence　for　this　belief　apart　from　the　strange　silence　of　Kevin's　Lore。　Melenkurion　Skyweir　is　one　of　the　high　places　of　the　Land…and　yet　the　First　and　Second　Wards　contain　no　knowledge　of　it　beyond　a　few　old　maps；　a　fragment　of　one　song；　and
　two　unexplained　sentences　which；　if　their　translation　is　not　faulty；　speak　of　mand　and　blood。　So；〃　she　said　wryly；　〃my　failure　to　unlock　Amok　is　not　altogether　surprising。〃
　This　brought　her　back　to　a　contemplation　of　her　ignorance；　and　she　lapsed　into　silence。　Covenant　tried　to　think　of　a　way　to　help　her。　But　the　effort　was　like　trying　to　see　through　a　wall　of　stone；　he　had　even　less　of　the　requisite　knowledge。　If　he　intended　to　keep　his　side　of　the　bargain；　he　would　have　to　do　so　in　some　other　way。
　He　believed　intuitively　that　his　chance　would　e。
　In　the　meantime；　he　settled　himself　to　wait　for　Amok　to　bring　them　to　the　mountain。
　Their　final　approach　came　sooner　than　he　had　expected。　Amok　took　them　down　a　long　col　between　two　blunt　peaks；　then　into　a　crooked　ravine　that　continued　to　descend　while　it　shifted　toward　the　east。　By　noon　they　had　lost　more　than　two　thousand　feet　of　elevation。　There　the　ravine　ended；　leaving　them　on　a　wide；　flat；　barren　plateau　which　clung　to　the　slopes　of　the　great　mountain。　The　plateau　ran　east　and　south　as　far　as　Covenant　could　see　around　Melenkurion　Skyweir。　The　flat　ground　looked　like　a　setting；　a　base　for　the　fifteen　or　twenty　thousand　feet　of　its　matched　spires。　And　east　of　the　plateau　were　no　mountains　at　all。
　The　Ranyhyn　were　eager　for　a　run　after　long　days　of　constricted　climbing；　and　they　cantered　out　onto　the　flat　rock。