srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第84章

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terical　than　confident。　He　had　a　sudden　desire　to　scream。　〃We　won't　have　to　march　any　faster　than　this。　We're　just　going　to　turn　south　a　fraction　more；　so　that　we'll　reach　that　old　ruined　city　‘Doriendor　Corishev；'　Mhoram　calls　it。　We　should　get　there　before　noon　tomorrow。〃
　He　felt　that　he　was　speaking　too　quickly。　He　forced　himself　to　slow　down　while　he　explained　his　intentions。　Then　he　was　relieved　to　see　dour　approval　in　the　faces　of　his　officers。　First　Haft　Amorine　took　a　deep；　shuddering　breath　as　she　caught　hold　of　her　courage　again；　and　Quaan's　eyes　glinted　with　bloody
　promises　for　the　enemy。　Shortly；　he　asked；　〃Who　will　mand　the　Eoward　which　must　remain？〃
　〃Permit　me；〃　Amorine　said。　〃I　am　at　the　end　of　my　strength　for　this　marching。　I　wish　to　fight。〃
　The　Hiltmark　opened　his　mouth　to　answer　her；　but　Troy　stopped　them　both　with　a　gesture。　For　a　moment；　he　juggled　burdens　mentally；　seeking　a　point　of　balance。　Then　he　said　to　Quaan；　〃The　Lords　and　I　will　stay　behind　with　First　Haft　Amorine。　We'll　need　eight　Eoward　of　volunteers；　and　every　horse　that　can　still　stand。　The　Bloodguard　will　probably　stay　with　us。　If　we　handle　it　right；　most　of　us　will　survive。〃
　Quaan　frowned　at　the　decision。　But　his　acceptance　was　as　candid　as　his　dislike。　To　Amorine；　he　said；　〃We　must　find　those　who　are　willing；　and　prepare　them　today；　so　that　tomorrow　no　time　will　be　lost。〃
　In　answer；　the　First　Haft　saluted　both　Quaan　and　Troy；　then　rode　away　among　the　Warward。　She　carried　herself　straighter　than　she　had　for　several　days；　and　her　alacrity　demonstrated　to　Troy　that　he　had　made　the　correct　choice。　He　nodded　after　her；　sardonically　congratulating　himself　for　having　done　something　right。
　But　Quaan　still　had　questions。　Shortly；　he　said；　〃I　ask　your　pardon；　Warmark…but　we　have　been　friends；　and　I　must　speak　of　this。　Will　you　not　explain　to　me　why　we　march　now？　If　Doom's　Retreat　is　not　the　battleground　you　desire；　perhaps　Doriendor　Corishev　will　serve。　Why　must　this　terrible　march　continue？〃
　〃No；　I'm　not　going　to　explain。　Not　yet。〃　Troy　kept　his　final　plan　to　himself　as　if　by　silence　and　secrecy　he　could　contain　its　terrors。　〃And　Doriendor　Corishev　won't　serve。　We　could　fight　there　for　a　day　or　two。　But　after　that；　Fleshharrower　would　surround　us　and　just　squeeze。　We've　got　to　do　better　than　that。〃
　The　Hiltmark　nodded　morosely。　Troy's　refusal　saddened　him　like　an　expression　of　distrust。　But　he　managed　a　wry　smile　as　he　said；　〃Warmark；　is　there　no　end　to　your　plans？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Troy　sighed。　〃Yes；　there　is。　And　we're　going　to　get　there。　After　that；　Mhoram　is　going　to　have　to　save　us。　He　promised…〃
　Because　he　could　not　bear　to　face　Quaan　with　his　inadequacies；　he　turned　away。　Clapping　Mehryl　with　his　heels；　he　went　in　search　of　the　Lords。　He　wanted　to　explain　his　intentions　for　Doriendor　Corishev；　and　to　find　out　what　additional　help　Mhoram　or　Callindrill　could　give　the　Warward。
　During　the　rest　of　that　day　and　the　next　morning；　he　received　regular　reports　from　the　Bloodguard　on　Fleshharrower's　progress。　The　Giant…Raver's　army　was　large　and　unwieldy；　it　had　covered　only　nine　leagues　during　the　day　after　it　traversed　Doom's　Retreat。　But　it　did　not　halt　during　the　dark　night；　and　took　only　one　short　rest　before　dawn。　Troy　judged　that　the　Giant　would　reach　Doriendor　Corishev　by　mid…afternoon。
　That　knowledge　made　him　ache　to　drive　the　Warward　faster。　But　he　could　not。　Too　many　warriors　left　the　army　or　died　that　night　and　the　next　morning。　To　his　dismay；　the　attrition　tripled。　A　litany　of　numbers　ran　through　his　brain：　eleven；　thirty…three；　ninety…nine　…at　that　rate；　the　march　itself　would　claim　four　thousand　four　victims　by　the　end　of　six　days。　And　lives　would　be　lost　in　Doriendor　Corishev。　He　needed　plex　equations　to　measure　the　plight　of　his　army。　He　did　not　try　to　hurry　it。
　As　a　result；　the　warriors　were　only　a　league　ahead　of　Fleshharrower　when　they　started　up　the　long　slope　toward　the　ruins　of　Doriendor　Corishev。　The　ancient　city　sat　atop　a　high　hill　under　the　perpetual　frown　of　the　mountains；　and　the　hill　itself　crested　a　southrunning　ridge。　The　ruins　were　elevated　on　a　line　that　separated；　hid　from　each　other；　the　east　and　west　sides　of　the　Southron　Wastes。　In　past　ages；　when　the　city　lived　and　thrived；　it　had　manded　perfectly　the　northern　edge　of　that　region；　and　now　the　low；　massive　remains　of　fortifications　testified　that　the　inhabitants　of　the　city　had　known　the　value　of　their　position。　According　to　the　legends　which　had　been　preserved　in　Kevin's　Lore；　these　people　had　been　warlike；　they　had　needed　their　strategic　location。　Lord　Callindrill　translated　the　name　as　〃masterplace〃　or　〃desolation　of　enemies。〃
　The　legends　said　that　for　centuries　Doriendor　Corishev　had　been　the　capital　of　the　nation　which　gave　birth　to　Berek　Halfhand。
　That　was　the　age　of　the　One　Forest's　dominion　in　the　Land。　Then　there　were　no　Wastes　south　of　the　mountains；　the　region　was　green　and　populous。　But　in　time　it　became　too　populous。　Groups　of　people　from　this　southern　country　slowly　moved　up　into　the　Land；　and　began　to　attack　the　Forest。　At　first；　they　only　wanted　timber　for　the　civilization　of　Doriendor　Corishev。　Then　they　wanted　fields　for　crops。　Then　they　wanted　homes。　With　the　unconscious　aid　of　other　immigrants　from　the　north；　they　eventually　acplished　the　maiming　of　the　One　Forest。
　But　that　injury　had　many　ramifications。　On　the　one　hand；　the　felling　of　the　trees　unbound　the　interdict　which　the　Colossus　of　the　Fall　had　held　over　the　Lower　Land。　The　Ravers　were　unleashed…a　release　which　led　with　deft　inevitability　to　the　destruction　of　Doriendor　Corishev's　monarchy　in　the　great　war　of　Berek　Halfhand。　And　on　the　other　hand；　the　loss　of　perhaps　a　hundred　thousand　square　leagues　'of　Forest　altered　the　natural　balances　of　the　Earth。　Every　falling　tree　hammered　home　an　ineluctable　doom　for　the　masterplace。　As　the　trees　died；　the　southern　lands　lost　the　watershed　which　had　preserved　them　from　the　Gray　Desert。　Centuries　after　the　ravage　of　the　One　Forest　became　irreversible；　these　lands　turned　to　dry　ruin。
　But　the　city　had　been　deserted　since　the　time　of　Berek；　the　first　Lord。　Now；　after　millennia　of　wind　and　dust；　nothing　remained　of　the　masterplace　except　the　standing　shards　of　its　walls　and　buildings；　a　kind　of　ground　map　formed　by　the　bloodless　stumps　of　its　grandeur。　Warmark　Troy　could　have　hidden　his　whole　army　in　its　labyrinthian　spaces　and　ways。　Behind　fragmentary　walls　that　reached　meaninglessly　into　the　sky；　the　warriors　could　have　fought　guerrilla　war　for　days　against　an　army　of　parable　size。
　Troy　trusted　that　Fleshharrower　knew　this。　His
　plans　relied　heavily　on　his　ability　to　convince　the　Giant　that　the　Warward　chose　to　make　its　last　stand　in　Doriendor　Corishev；　rather　than　under　the　certain　death　of　Garroting　Deep。　He　marched　his　army　straight　up　the　long　hillside；　and　into　the　toothless　gate　of　the　masterplace。　Then　he　took　the　warriors　through　the　city　and　out　its　western　side；　where　they　were　hidden　from　Fleshharrower　by　the　ridge　on　which　the　city　stood。
　There　he　gave　Quaan　all　the　instructions　and　encouragement　he　could。　Then　he　saluted　the　Hiltmark；　and　watched　as　the　main　body　of　the　Warward　marched　away　down　the　slope。　When　it　was　gone；　he　and　his　volunteers　returned　to　the　city　with　the　two　Lords；　First　Haft；　Amorine；　all　the　Bloodguard；　and　every　horse　still　strong　enough　to　bear　a　rider。
　Within　the　ruined　walls；　he　addressed　the　eight　Eoward　that　had　offered　to　buy　the　Warward's　escape　from　Doriendor　Corishev。　He　had　a　taut；　dry　feeling　in　his　throat　as　he　began；　〃You're　all　volunteers；　so　I'm　not　going　to　apologize　for　what　we're　doing。　But　I　want　to　be　sure　you　know　why　we're　doing　it。　I　have　two　main　reasons。　First；　we're　going　to　give　the　rest　of　the　warriors　a　chance　to　put　some　distance　between　them　and　Fleshharrower。　Second；　we're　going　to　help　squeeze　out　a　victory　in　this　war。　I'm　preparing　a　little　surprise　for　Foul's　army；　and　we're　going　to　help　make　it　work。　Parts　of　that　army　move　faster　than　others　but　if　they　get　too　spread　out；　they　won't　all　fall　into　my　trap。　So　we're　going　to　pull　them　together　here。〃
　He　paused　to　look　over　the　warriors。　They　stood　squarely　before　him　with　expre