srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第49章

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　Before　midmorning　the　next　day；　the　pany　of　the　Lords　came　in　sight　of　the　Maerl　River。　They　had　been　traveling　faster　since　they　had　left　the　Warward；　and　when　they　reached　the　river；　the　northern　boundary　of　Trothgard；　they　were　halfway　to　Revelwood。　The　Maerl　flowed　out　of　high　places　in　the　Westron　Mountains；　and　ran　first　northeast；　then　southeast；　until　it　joined　the　Gray；　became　part　of　the　Gray；　and
　went　eastward　to　the　Soulsease。　Beyond　the　Maerl　was　the　region　where　the　Lords　concentrated　their　efforts　to　heal　the　ravages　of　Desecration　and　war。
　Trothgard　had　borne　the　name　Kurash　Plenethor；　Stricken　Stone；　from　the　last　years　of　Kevin　Landwaster　until　it　was　rechristened　when　the　new　Lords　first　swore　their　oath　of　service　after　the　Desecration。　At　that　time；　the　region　had　been　pletely　blasted　and　barren。　The　last　great　battle　between　the　Lords　and　the　Despiser　had　taken　place　there；　and　had　left　it　burned；　ruined；　soaked　in　scorched　blood；　almost　soilless。　Some　of　the　old　tales　said　that　Kurash　Plenethor　had　smoked　and　groaned　for　a　hundred　years　after　that　last　battle。　And　forty　years　ago　the　Maerl　River　had　still　run　thick　with　eroded　。　and　unfertile　mud。
　But　now　there　was　only　a　trace　of　silt　left　in　the　current。　For　all　the　limitations　of　their　prehension；　the　Lords　had　learned　much　about　the　nurturing　of　damaged　earth　from　the　Second　Ward；　and　on　this　day　the　Maerl　carried　only　a　slight　haze　of　impurity。　Because　of　centuries　of　past　erosion；　it　lay　in　a　ravine　like　a　crack　across　the　land。　But　the　sides　of　the　ravine　were　gentle　with　deep…rooted　grasses　and　shrubs；　and　healthy　trees　lifted　their　boughs　high　out　of　the　gully。
　The　Maerl　was　a　vital　river　again。
　Looking　down　into　it　from　the　edge　of　the　ravine；　the　pany　paused　for　a　moment　of　gladness。　Together；　Elena；　Mhoram；　and　Amatin　sang　softly　part　of　the　Lords'　oath。　Then　they　galloped　down　the　slope　and　across　the　road　ford；　so　that　the　hooves　of　the　Ranyhyn　and　the　horses　made　a　gay；　loud　splashing　as　they　passed　into　Trothgard。
　This　region　lay　between　the　Westron　Mountains　and　the　Maerl；　Gray；　and　Rill　rivers。　Within　these　borders；　the　effects　of　the　Lords'　care　were　everywhere；　in　everything。　Generations　of　Lords　had　made　Stricken　Stone　into　a　hale　woodland；　a　wide　hilly　country　of　forests　and　glades　and　dales。　Whole　grassy　hillsides　were　vivid　with　small　blue　and　yellow　flowers。　For　scores　of　leagues　south　and　west　of　the　riders；　profuse　aliantha　and　deep　grass　were　full　of　goldleaved　Gilden　and　other　trees；　cherry　and　apple　and　white　linden；　prodigious　oaks　and　elms　and　maples　anademed　in　autumn　glory。　And　air　that　for　decades　after　the　battle　had　still　echoed　with　the　blasts　and　shrieks　of　war　was　now　so　clear　and　clean　that　it　seemed　to　glisten　with　birdcalls。
　This　was　what　Troy　had　first　seen　when　his　vision　began；　this　was　what　Elena　had　used　to　teach　him　the　meaning　of　sight。
　Riding　now　on　Mehryl's　back　under　brilliant　sun　in　Trothgard's　luminous　ambience；　he　felt　more　free　of　care　than　he　had　for　a　long　time。
　As　the　pany　of　the　Lords　moved　through　the　early　part　of　the　afternoon；　the　country　around　them　changed。　Piles　'of　tumbled　rock　began　to　appear　among　the　trees　and　through　the　greensward；　rugged　boulders　several　times　taller　than　the　riders　thrust　their　heads　out　of　the　ground；　and　smaller　stones　overgrown　with　moss　and　lichen　lay　everywhere。　Soon　the　pany　seemed　to　be　riding　within　the　ancient　rubble　of　a　shattered　mountain；　a　tall；　incongruous　peak　which　had　risen　out　of　the　hills　of　Kurash　Plenethor　until　some　immense　force　had　blasted　it　to　bits。
　They　were　approaching　the　rock　gardens　of　the　Maerl。
　Troy　had　never　taken　the　time　to　study　the　gardens；　but　he　knew　that　they　were　said　to　be　the　place　where　the　best　suru…pa…maerl　Craftmasters　of　the　rhadhamaerl　did　their　boldest　work。　Though　in　the　past　few　years　he　had　ridden　along　this　road　through　the　bristling　rocks　many　times；　he　could　not　say　where　the　gardens　themselves　began。　Except　for　a　steady　increase　in　the　amount　of　rubble　lying　on　or　sticking　through　the　grass；　he　could　locate　no　specific　changes　or　boundaries　until　the　pany　crested　a　hill　above　a　wide　valley。　Then　at　least　he　was　sure　that　he　was　in　one　of　the　gardens。
　Most　of　the　long；　high　hillside　facing　the　valley　was　thickly　covered　with　stones；　as　if　it　had　once　been　the　heart　of　the　ancient　shattered　peak。　The　rocks　clustered　and　bulged　on　all　sides；　raising　themselves　up　in　huge　piles　or　massive　single　boulders；　so　that　virtually　the　only　clear　ground　on　the　steep　slope　was　the　roadway。
　None　of　these　rocks　and　boulders　was　polished　or　chipped　or　shaped　in　any　way；　though　scattered　individual　stones　and　clusters　of　stones　appeared　to　have　had　their　moss　and　lichen　cleaned　away。　And　they　all　seemed　to　have　been　chosen　for　their　natural　grotesquerie。　Instead　of　sitting　or　resting　on　the　ground；　they　jutted　and　splintered　and　scowled　and　squatted　and　gaped；　reared　and　cowered　and　blustered　like　a　mad；　packed　throng　of　troglodytes　terrified　or　ecstatic　to　be　breathing　open　air。　On　its　way　to　the　valley；　the　road　wandered　among　the　weird　shapes　as　if　it　were　lost　in　a　garish　forest；　so　that　as　they　moved　downward　the　riders　were　constantly　in　the　shadow　of　one　tormented　form　or　another。
　Troy　knew　that　the　jumbled　amazement　of　that　hillside　was　not　natural；　it　had　been　made　by　men　for　some　reason　which　he　did　not　grasp。
　On　past　journeys；　he　had　never　been　interested　enough　in　it　to　ask　about　its　significance。　But　now　he　did　not　object　when　High　Lord　Elena　suggested　that　the　pany　go　to　look　at　the　work　from　a　distance。　Across　the　grassy　bottom　of　the　valley　was　another　hill；　even　steeper　and　higher　than　the　one　it　faced。　The　road　turned　left；　and　went　away　along　the　bottom　of　the　valley；　ignoring　the　plainer　hill。　Elena　suggested　that　the　riders　climb　this　hill　to　look　back　at　the　gardens。
　She　spoke　to　her　panions　generally；　but　her　gaze　was　on　Covenant。　When　he　acquiesced　with　a　vague　shrug；　she　responded　as　if　he　had　expressed　the　willingness　of　all　the　riders。
　The　front　of　the　hill　was　too　steep　for　the　horses；　so　they　turned　right　and　cantered　up　the　valley　until　they　found　a　place　where　they　could　swing　around　and　mount　the　hill　from　behind。　As　they　rode；　Troy　began　to　feel　mildly　expectant。　The　High　Lord's　eagerness　to　show　the　view　to　Covenant　invested　it　with　interest。　He　remembered　other　surprises…like　the　Hall　of　Gifts；　which　had　not　interested　him　until　Mhoram　had　practically　dragged　him　to　it。
　At　the　top；　the　hill　bulged　into　a　bare　knoll。　The　riders　left　their　mounts　behind；　and　climbed　the　last　distance　on　foot。　They　moved　quickly；　sharing　Elena's　mood；　and　soon　reached　the　crest。
　Across　the　valley；　the　rock　garden　lay　open　below　them；　displayed　like　a　bas…relief。　From　this　distance；　they　could　easily　see　that　all　its　jumbled　rock　formed　a　single　pattern。
　Out　of　tortured　stone；；　the　makers　of　the　garden　had　designed　a　wide　face…a　broad　countenance　with　lumped　gnarled　and　twisted　features。　The　unevenness　of　the　rock　made　the　face　appear　bruised　and　contorted；　its　eyes　were　as　ragged　as　deep　wounds；　and　the　roadway　cut'　through　it　like　an　aimless　scar。　But　despite　all　this；　the　face　was　stretched　with　a　grin　of　immense　cheerfulness。　The　unexpectedness　of　it　startled　Troy　into　a　low；　glad　burst　of　laughter。
　Though　the　Lords　and　Lorewardens　were　obviously　familiar　with　the　garden；　all　their　faces　shared　a　look　of　joy；　as　if　the　displayed　hilarious　grin　were　contagious。　High　Lord　Elena　clasped　her　hands　together　to　contain　a　surge　of　happiness；　and　Lord　Mhoram's　eyes　glittered　with　keen　pleasure。　Only　Covenant　did　not　smile　or　nod；　or　show　any　other　sign　of　gladness。　His　face　was　as　gaunt　as　a　shipwreck。　His　eyes　held　a　restless；　haggard　look　of　their　own；　and　his　right　hand　fumbled　at　his　ring　in　a　way　that　emphasized　his　two　missing　fingers。　After　a　moment；　he　muttered　through　the　pany's　murmuring；　〃Well；　the　Giants　certainly　must　be　proud　of　you。〃
　His　tone　was　ambiguous；　as　if　he　were　trying　to　say　two　contradictory　things　at　once。　But　his　reference　to　the　Giants　overshadowed　anything　else　he　might　have　meant。　Lord　Amatin's　smile　faltered；　and　a　sudden　s