uleg.thefarthestshore-第42章

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rocks　broke　under　their　hands；　and　gave　way　under　their　feet。　Black　and　sheer；　the　spurs　and　chasms　went　up　in　front　of　them　and　fell　away　beside　them　into　blackness。　Behind；　below；　the　kingdom　of　the　dead　was　lost。　Ahead；　above；　the　peaks　and　rocks　stood　out　against　the　stars。　And　nothing　moved　in　all　the　length　and　breadth　of　those　black　mountains；　except　the　two　mortal　souls。
　　Ged　often　stumbled　or　missed　his　footing；　in　weariness。　His　breath　came　harder　and　harder；　and　when　his　hands　came　hard　against　the　rocks；　he　gasped　in　pain。　To　hear　him　cry　out　wrung　Arren's　heart。　He　tried　to　keep　him　from　falling。　But　often　the　way　was　too　narrow　for　them　to　go　abreast；　or　Arren　had　to　go　in　front　to　seek　out　footing。　And　at　last；　on　a　high　slope　that　ran　up　to　the　stars；　Ged　slipped　and　fell　forward；　and　did　not　get　up。
　　〃My　lord；〃　Arren　said；　kneeling　by　him；　and　then　spoke　his　name：　〃Ged。〃
　　He　did　not　move　or　answer。
　　Arren　lifted　him　in　his　arms　and　carried　him　up　that　high　slope。　At　the　end　of　it　there　was　level　ground　for　some　way　ahead。　Arren　laid　his　burden　down　and　dropped　down　beside　him；　exhausted　and　in　pain；　past　hope。　This　was　the　summit　of　the　pass　between　the　two　black　peaks；　for　which　he　had　been　struggling。　This　was　the　pass　and　the　end。　There　was　no　way　farther。　The　end　of　the　level　ground　was　the　edge　of　a　cliff：　beyond　it　the　darkness　went　on　forever；　and　the　small　stars　hung　unmoving　in　the　black　gulf　of　the　sky。
　　Endurance　may　outlast　hope。　He　crawled　forward；　when　he　was　able　to　do　so；　doggedly。　He　looked　over　the　edge　of　darkness。　And　below　him；　only　a　little　way　below；　he　saw　the　beach　of　ivory　sand；　the　white　and　amber　waves　were　curling　and　breaking　in　foam　on　it；　and　across　the　sea　the　sun　was　setting　in　a　haze　of　gold。
　　Arren　turned　back　to　the　dark。　He　went　back。　He　lifted　Ged　up　as　best　he　could　and　struggled　forward　with　him　until　he　could　not　go　any　farther。　There　all　things　ceased　to　be：　thirst；　and　pain；　and　the　dark；　and　the　sun's　light；　and　the　sound　of　the　breaking　sea。
　
　The　Stone　of　Pain
　
　　When　Arren　woke；　a　grey　fog　hid　the　sea　and　the　dunes　and　hills　of　Selidor。　The　breakers　came　murmuring　in　a　low　thunder　out　of　the　fog　and　withdrew　murmuring　into　it　again。　The　tide　was　in；　and　the　beach　much　narrower　than　when　they　had　first　e　there；　the　last；　small　foam…lines　of　the　waves　came　and　licked　at　Ged's　outflung　left　hand　as　he　lay　face　down　on　the　sand。　His　clothes　and　hair　were　wet；　and　Arren's　clothes　clung　icily　to　his　body；　as　if　once　at　least　the　sea　had　broken　over　them。　Of　Cob's　dead　body　there　was　no　trace。　Maybe　the　waves　had　drawn　it　out　to　sea。　But　behind　Arren；　when　he　turned　his　head；　huge　and　dim　in　the　mist　the　grey　body　of　Orm　Embar　bulked　like　a　ruined　tower。
　　Arren　got　up；　shuddering　with　chill；　he　could　barely　stand；　for　cold　and　stiffness　and　a　dizzy　weakness　like　that　which　es　of　lying　a　long　time　unmoving。　He　staggered　like　a　drunken　man。　As　soon　as　he　could　control　his　limbs　he　went　to　Ged　and　managed　to　pull　him　a　little　way　up　the　sand　above　the　waves'　reach；　but　that　was　all　he　could　do。　Very　cold；　very　heavy；　Ged　seemed　to　him；　he　had　borne　him　over　the　boundary　from　death　into　life；　but　maybe　in　vain。　He　put　his　ear　to　Ged's　breast；　but　could　not　still　the　shaking　in　his　own　limbs　and　the　chattering　of　his　teeth　to　listen　for　the　heartbeat。　He　stood　up　again　and　tried　to　stamp　to　bring　some　warmth　back　into　his　legs　and　finally；　trembling　and　dragging　his　legs　like　an　old　man；　set　off　to　find　their　packs。　They　had　dropped　them　beside　a　little　stream　running　down　from　the　ridge　of　the　hills；　a　long　time　ago；　when　they　came　down　to　the　house　of　bones。　It　was　that　stream　he　sought；　for　he　could　not　think　of　anything　but　water；　fresh　water。
　　Before　he　expected　it；　he　came　to　the　stream；　as　it　descended　onto　the　beach　and　wandered　mazy　and　branching　like　a　tree　of　silver　to　the　seas　edge。　There　he　dropped　down　and　drank；　with　his　face　in　the　water　and　his　hands　in　the　water；　sucking　up　the　water　into　his　mouth　and　into　his　spirit。
　　At　last　he　sat　up；　and　as　he　did　so　he　saw　on　the　far　side　of　the　stream；　immense；　a　dragon。
　　Its　head；　the　color　of　iron；　stained　as　with　red　rust　at　nostril　and；　eye…socket　and　jowl；　hung　facing　him；　almost　over　him。　The　talons　sank　deep　into　the　soft；　wet　sand　on　the　edge　of　the　stream。　The　folded　wings　were　partly　visible；　like　sails；　but　the　length　of　the　dark　body　was　lost　in　the　fog。
　　It　did　not　move。　It　might　have　been　crouching　there　for　hours；　or　for　years；　or　for　centuries。　It　was　carven　of　iron；　shaped　from　rock…　but　the　eyes；　the　eyes　he　dared　not　look　into；　the　eyes　like　oil　coiling　on　water；　like　yellow　smoke　behind　glass；　the　opaque；　profound；　yellow　eyes　watched　Arren。
　　There　was　nothing　he　could　do；　so　he　stood　up。　If　the　dragon　would　kill　him；　it　would；　and　if　it　did　not；　he　would　try　to　help　Ged；　if　there　was　any　help　for　him。　He　stood　up　and　started　to　walk　up　the　rivulet　to　find　their　packs。
　　The　dragon　did　nothing。　It　crouched　unmoving　and　watched。　Arren　found　the　packs；　filled　both　the　skin　bottles　at　the　stream；　and　went　back　across　the　sand　to　Ged。　After　he　had　taken　only　a　few　steps　away　from　the　stream；　the　dragon　was　lost　in　the　thick　fog。
　　He　gave　Ged　water；　but　could　not　rouse　him。。　He　lay　lax　and　cold；　his　head　heavy　on　Arren's　arm。　His　dark　face　was　greyish；　the　nose　and　cheek…bones　and　the　old　scar　standing　out　harshly。　Even　his　body　looked　thin　and　burnt；　as　if　half…consumed。
　　Arren　sat　there　on　the　damp　sand；　his　panion's　head　on　his　knees。　The　fog　made　a　vague；　soft　sphere　about　them；　lighter　overhead。　Somewhere　in　the　fog　was　the　dead　dragon　Orm　Embar；　and　the　live　dragon　waiting　by　the　stream。　And　somewhere　across　Selidor　the　boat　Lookfar；　with　no　provisions　in　her；　lay　on　another　beach。　And　then　the　sea；　eastward。　Three　hundred　miles　to　any　other　land　of　the　West　Reach；　maybe；　a　thousand　to　the　Inmost　Sea。　A　long　way。　〃As　far　as　Selidor；〃　they　used　to　say　on　Enlad。　The　old　stories　told　to　children；　the　myths；　began；　〃As　long　ago　as　forever　and　as　far　away　as　Selidor；　there　lived　a　prince。。。〃
　　He　was　the　prince。　But　in　the　old　stories；　that　was　the　beginning；　and　this　seemed　to　be　the　end。
　　He　was　not　downcast。　Though　very　tired；　and　grieving　for　his　panion；　he　felt　not　the　least　bitterness　or　regret。　Only　there　was　no　longer　anything　he　could　do。　It　had　all　been　done。
　　When　his　strength　came　back　into　him；　he　thought；　he　would　try　surf…fishing　with　the　line　from　his　pack；　for　once　his　thirst　was　quenched　he　had　begun　to　feel　the　gnawing　of　hunger；　and　their　food　was　gone；　all　but　one　packet　of　hard　bread。　He　would　save　that；　for　if　he　soaked　and　softened　it　in　water　he　might　be　able　to　feed　some　of　it　to　Ged。
　　And　that　was　all　there　was　left　to　do。　Beyond　that　he　could　not　see；　the　mist　was　all　about　him。
　　He　felt　about　in　his　pockets　as　he　sat　there；　huddled　with　Ged　in　the　fog；　to　see　if　he　had　anything　useful。　In　his　tunic　pocket　was　a　hard；　sharp…edged　thing。　He　drew　it　forth　and　looked　at　it；　puzzled。　It　was　a　small　stone；　black；　porous；　hard。　He　almost　tossed　it　away。　Then　he　felt　the　edges　of　it　in　his　hand；　rough　and　searing；　and　felt　the　weight　of　it；　and　knew　it　for　what　it　was；　a　bit　of　rock　from　the　Mountains　of　Pain。　It　had　caught　in　his　pocket　as　he　climbed　or　when　he　crawled　to　the　edge　of　the　pass　with　Ged。　He　held　it　in　his　hand〃　the　unchanging　thing；　the　stone　of　pain。　He　closed　his　hand　on　it　and　held　it。　And　he　smiled　then；　a　smile　both　somber　and　joyous；　knowing；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　alone；　unpraised；　and　at　the　end　of　the　world；　victory。
　
　　The　mists　thinned　and　moved。　Far　out　through　them　he　saw　sunlight　on　the　open　sea。　The　dunes　and　hills　came　and　went；　colorless　and　enlarged　by　the　veils　of　fog：　Sunlight　struck　bright　on　the　body　of　Orm　Embar；　magnificent　in　death。
　　The　iron…black　dragon　crouched；　never　moving；　on　the　far　side　of　the　stream。
　　Past　noon　the　sun　grew　clear　and　warm；　burning　the　last　blur　of　mist　out　of　the　air。　Arren　threw　off　his　wet　clothes　and　let　them　dry；　and　went　naked　save　for　his　swordbelt　and　sword。　He　let　the　sun　dry　Ged's　clothing　likewise；　but　though　the　great；　healin