srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第90章

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s　of　that　belittling　mirth；　but　he　held　them　at　a　distance。　〃Do　not　mistake　me；　Warmark。　I　do　not　flinch　this　burden。　I　accept　it。　On　Kevin's　Watch　I　made　my　promise　and　you　dared　this　plan　because　of　that　promise。　You　have　not　done　ill。　But　I　must　speak　what　is　in　my　heart。　You　are　the　Warmark。　I　believe　that　the　mand　of　this　fate　must　finally　return　to　you。〃
　〃I'm　blind。　There's　nothing　more　I　can　do。　Even　Foul　can't　ask　any　more　of　me。〃　The　heat　of　the　fire　made　the　burn　marks　on　his　face　lurid。　He　held　his　hands　clasped　together；　and　his　knuckles　were　white。
　In　distress；　Quaan　gazed　at　Mhoram　with　eyes　that　asked　if　he　had　been　wrong　to　trust　Troy。
　〃No；〃　Lord　Mhoram　answered。　〃Do　not　pass　judgment　upon　this　mystery　until　it　is　plete。　Until　that　time；　we　must　keep　faith。〃
　〃Very　well；〃　Quaan　sighed　heavily。　〃If　we　have　been　betrayed；　we　have　no　recourse　now。　To　flee　into　the　Desert　will　acplish　only　death。　And　Cravenhaw　is　a　place　to　fight　and　die　like　any　other。　The　Warward　must　not　turn　against　itself　when　the　last　battle　is　near。　I　will　stand　with　Warmark　Troy。〃　Then　he　went　to　his　blankets　to　search　for　sleep　among　his　fears。　Amorine　followed　his　example　dumbly；　leaving　Callindrill　and　Mhoram　with　Troy。
　Callindrill　soon　dropped　into　slumber。　And　Mhoram　was　too　worn　to　remain　awake。　But　Troy　sat　up　by　the　embers　of　the　campfire。　As　the　Lord's　eyes　closed；　Troy　was　still　huddled　toward　the　flames　like　a　cold　cipher　seeking　some　kind　of　remission　for　its　frigidity。
　Apparently；　the　Warmark　found　an　answer　during　the　long　watch。　When　Lord　Mhoram　awoke　the　next　morning；　he　found　Troy　erect；　standing　with　his　arms　folded　across　his　breastplate。　The　Lord　studied　him　closely；　but　could　not　discern　what　kind　of　answer　Troy　had　discovered。　Gently；　he　greeted　the　blind　man。
　At　the　sound　of　Mhoram's　voice；　Troy　turned。　He　held　his　head　with　a　slight　sideward　tilt；　as　if　that　position　helped　him　focus　his　hearing。　The　old　halfsmile　which　he　had　habitually　worn　during　his　years　in　Revelstone　was　gone；　effaced　from　his　lips。　〃Call　Quaan；〃　he　said　flatly。　〃I　want　to　talk　to　him。〃
　Quaan　was　nearby；　he　heard　Troy；　and　approached　at　once。
　Fixing　the　Hiltmark　with　his　hearing；　Troy　said；　〃Guide　me。　I'm　going　to　review　the　Warward。〃
　〃Troy；　my　friend；〃　Quaan　murmured；　〃do　not　torment　yourself。〃
　Troy　stood　stiffly；　rigid　with　exigency。　〃I'm　the　Warmark。　I　want　to　show　my　warriors　that　blindness　isn't　going　to　stop　me。〃
　Mhoram　felt　a　hot　premonition　of　tears；　but　he　held　them　back。　He　smiled　crookedly　at　Quaan；　nodded　his　answer　to　the　old　veteran's　question。　Quaan　saluted　Troy；　bravely　ignoring　the　Warmark's　inability　to　see　him。　Then　he　took　Troy's　arm；　and　led　him　away　to　the　Eoward。
　Lord　Mhoram　watched　their　progress　among　the　warriors…watched　Quaan's　respectful　pain　guiding　Troy's　erect　helplessness　from　Eoman　to　Eoman。　He　endured　the　sight　as　best　he　could；　and　blinked　down　his　own　…heart　hurt。　Fortunately；　the　ordeal　did　not　last　long；　Fleshharrower's　pursuit　did　not　allow　Troy　time　for　a　full　review　of　the　Warward。　Soon　Mhoram　was　mounted　on　his　Ranyhyn；　Drinny　son　of　Hynaril；　and　riding　on　toward　Cravenhaw。
　He　spent　most　of　that　day　watching　over　the　Warmark。　But　the　next　morning；　while　the　Warward　made　its　final　approach　to　Garroting　Deep；　he　was　forced　to　turn　his　attention　to　his　task。　He　had　to　plan　some　way　in　which　to　keep　his　promise。　He　melded　his　thoughts　with　Lord　Callindrill；　and　together　they　searched　through　their　bined　knowledges　and　intuitions　for　some　key　to　Mhoram's　dilemma。　In　his　dread；　he　hoped　to　gain　courage　from　the　melding；　but　the　ache　of　Callindrill's　self…distrust　denied　him。　Instead　of　receiving　strength；　Mhoram　gave　it。
　With　Callindrill's　help；　he　prepared　an　approach　to　his　task；　arranged　a　series　of　possible　answers　according　to　their　peril　and　likelihood　of　success。　But　by　noon；　he　had　found　nothing　definitive。　Then　he　ran　out　of　time。　The　Warward　staggered　to　a　halt　at　the　very　brink　of　Garroting　Deep。
　There；　face…to…face　with　the　One　Forest's　last　remaining　consciousness；　Lord　Mhoram　began　to　taste　the　full　gall　of　his　inadequacy。　The　Deep's　dark；　atavistic　rage　left　him　effectless；　he　felt　like　a　man　with　no　fingers。　The　first　trees　were　within　a　dozen　yards　of　him。　Like　irregular　columns；　they　appeared　suddenly　out　of　the　ground；　with　no　shrubs　or　bushes　leading　up　to　them；　and　no　underbrush　cluttering　the　greensward　on　which　they　stood。　They　were　sparse　at　first。　As　far　back　as　he　could　see；　they　did　not　grow　thickly　enough　。to　close　out　the　sunlight。　Yet　a　shadow　deepened　on　them；　mounting　dimness　spurned　the　sunlight。　In　the　distance；　the　benighted　will　of　the　Forest　became　an　almost　tangible　refusal　of　passage。　He　felt　that　he　was　peering　into　a　chasm。　The　idea　that　any　bargain　could　be　made　with　such　a　place　seemed　to　be　madness；　vanity　woven　of　dream　stuff。　For　a　long　time；　he　only　stood　before　the　Deep　and　stared；　with　a　groan　of　cold　dread　on　his　soul。
　But　Troy　showed　no　hesitation。　When　Quaan　told　him　where　he　was；　he　swung　Mehryl　around　and　began　issuing　orders。　〃All　right；　Hiltmark；〃　he　barked；　〃let's　get　ready　for　it。　Food　for　everyone。　Finish　off　the　supplies；　but　make　it　fast。　After　that；　move　the　warriors　back　beyond　bowshot；　and　form　an　arc　around　Lord　Mhoram。　Make　it　as　wide　as　possible；　but　keep　it　thick…I　don't　want　Fleshharrower　to　break　through。　Lord　Callindrill；　I　think　you　should　fight　with　the　Warward。　And　Quaan…I'll　speak　to　the　warriors　while　they're　eating。　I'll　explain　it　all。〃
　〃Very　well；　Warmark。〃　Quaan　sounded　distant；　withdrawn　into　the　recessed　stronghold　of　his　courage；　and　the　lines　of　his　face　were　taut　with　resolution。　He　returned　Troy's　blind　salute；　then　turned　and　gave　his　own　orders　to　Amorine。　Together；　they　went　to　make　the　Warward's　final　preparations。
　Troy　pulled　Mehryl　around　again。　He　tried　to　face　Mhoram；　but　missed　by　several　feet。　〃Maybe　you'd　better　get　started；〃　he　said。　〃You　haven't　got　much　time。〃
　〃I　will　wait　until　you　have　spoken　to　the　Warward。〃　Sadly；　Mhoram　saw　Troy　grimace　with　vexation　at　the
　discovery　that　he　had　misjudged　the　Lord's　position。　〃I　need　strength。　I　must　seek　it　awhile。〃
　Troy　nodded　brusquely；　and　turned　away　as　if　he　meant　to　watch　the　Warward's　preparations。
　Together；　they　waited　for　Quaan's　signal。　Lord　Callindrill　remained　with　them　long　enough　to　say；　〃Mhoram；　the　High　Lord　had　no　doubt　of　your　fitness　for　the　burden　of　these　times。　She　is　no　ordinary　judge　of　persons。　My　brother；　your　faith　will　suffice。〃　His　voice　was　gentle；　but　it　implicitly　expressed　his　belief　that　his　own　faith　did　not　suffice。　When　he　walked　away　from　the　Deep　to　take　his　stand　with　the　warriors；　he　left　Mhoram　wrestling　with　insistent　tears。
　A　short　time　later；　Quaan　reported　that　the　Warward　was　ready　to　hear　Troy。　The　Warmark　asked　Quaan　to　guide　him　to　a　place　from　which　he　could　speak；　and　they　trotted　away　together。　Lord　Mhoram　walked　after　them。　He　wished　to　hear　the　Warmark's　speech。
　Troy　stopped　within　the　wide…seated　arc　of　warriors。　He　did　not　need　to　ask　for　silence。　Except　for　the　noises　of　eating；　the　warriors　were　still；　too　exhausted　to　talk。　They　had　marched　and　ached　in　blank　silence　for　the　last　three　days；　and　now　they　chewed　their　food　with　a　kind　of　aghast　lifelessness；　ate　as　if　pelled　by　an　old　habit　unassoiled　by　any　remaining　endurance；　desire。　Moving　their　jaws；　staring　out　of　moistureless　eyes；　they　looked　like　dusty　skeletons；　bare；　dry　bones　animated　by　some　obsession　not　their　own。
　Mhoram　could　not　hold　back　his　tears。　They　ran　down　his　jaw　and　spattered　like　warm　pain　on　his　hands　where　he　held　his　staff。
　Yet　he　was　glad　that　Troy　could　not　see　what　his　plans　had　done　to　the　Warward。
　Warmark　Hile　Troy　faced　the　warriors　squarely；　held　up　his　head　as　if　he　were　offering　his　burns　for　inspection。　Sitting　on　Mehryl's　back；　he　was　stiff　with　discipline…a　rigid　refusal　of　his　own　abjection。　As　he　began　to　speak；　his　voice　was　hoarse　with　conflicting　impulses；　but　he　grew　steadier　as　he　continued。
　〃Warriors！〃　he　said　abruptly。　〃We　are　here。　For
　victory　or　defeat；　this　is　the　end。　Today　the　oute　of　this　war　will　be　decided。
　〃Our　position　is