rj.acrownofswords-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


mself　out　jerkily；　he　hardly　looked　at　anything　else。
　　　〃So　it　seems　you　will　be　our　next　Lord　Captain　mander　after　all；〃　Asunawa　said　once　Balwer　was　gone。
　　　〃So　it　seems；〃　Valda　answered　dryly。　A　tiny　slip　of　paper　lay　next　to　Niall's　outstretched　hand；　the　sort　used　in　sending　messages　by　pigeon。　Valda　bent　and　picked　it　up；　then　exhaled　in　disgust。　The　paper　had　been　sitting　in　a　puddle　of　wine；　whatever　had　been　written　on　it　was　lost；　the　ink　a　blur。
　　　〃And　the　Hand　will　have　Morgase　when　your　need　for　her　is　done。〃　That　was　not　in　the　slightest　a　question。
　　　〃I　will　hand　her　to　you　myself。〃　Perhaps　a　little　something　might　be　arranged　to　sate　Asunawa's　appetite　for　a　while。　It　might　make　sure　Morgase　remained　amenable；　too。　Valda　dropped　the　bit　of　rubbish　on　Niall's　corpse。　The　old　wolf　had　lost　his　cunning　and　his　nerve　with　age；　and　now　it　would　be　up　to　Eamon　Valda　to　bring　the　witches　and　their　false　Dragon　to　heel。
　　　
　　　Flat　on　his　belly　on　a　rise；　Gawyn　surveyed　disaster　beneath　the　afternoon　sun。　Dumai's　Wells　lay　miles　to　the　south　now；　across　rolling　plain　and　low　hills；　but　he　could　still　see　the　smoke　from　burning　wagons。　What　had　happened　there　after　he　led　what　he　could　gather　of　the　Younglings　in　breaking　out；　he　did　not　know。　Al'Thor　had　seemed　well　in　charge；　al'Thor　and　those　black…coated　men　who　appeared　to　be　channeling；　taking　down　Aes　Sedai　and　Aiel　alike。　It　had　been　the　realization　that　sisters　were　fleeing　that　told　him　it　was　time　to　go。
　　　He　wished　he　could　have　killed　al'Thor。　For　his　mother；　dead　by　the　man's　doing；　Egwene　denied　it；　but　she　had　no　proof。　For　his　sister。　If　Min　had　spoken　the　truth　…　he　should　have　made　her　leave　the　camp　with　him；　whatever　she　wanted；　there　was　too　much　he　should　have　done　differently　today　…　if　Min　was　right；　and　Elayne　loved　al'Thor；　then　that　dreadful　fate　was　reason　enough　to　kill。　Maybe　the　Aiel　had　done　the　work　for　him。　He　doubted　it；　though。
　　　With　a　sour　laugh　he　raised　the　tube　of　his　looking　glass。　One　of　the　golden　bands　bore　an　inscription。　〃From　Morgase；　Queen　of　Andor；　to　her　beloved　son；　Gawyn。　May　he　be　a　living　sword　for　his　sister　and　Andor。〃　Bitter　words；　now。
　　　There　was　not　much　to　see　beyond　sere　grass　and　small；　scattered　clumps　of　trees。　The　wind　still　gusted；　raising　waves　of　dust。　Occasionally　a　flash　of　movement　in　a　crease　between　squat　ridges　spoke　of　men　on　the　move。　Aiel；　he　was　sure。　They　blended　with　the　land　too　well　to　be　green…coated　Younglings。　The　Light　send　that　more　had　escaped　than　those　he　had　brought　out。
　　　He　was　a　fool。　He　should　have　killed　al'Thor；　he　had　to　kill　him。　But　he　could　not。　Not　because　the　man　was　the　Dragon　Reborn；　but　because　he　had　promised　Egwene　not　to　raise　a　hand　against　al'Thor。　As　a　lowly　Accepted；　she　had　vanished　from　Cairhien；　leaving　Gawyn　only　a　letter　that　he　had　read　and　reread　until　the　paper　was　ready　to　tear　along　the　folds；　and　he　would　be　unsurprised　to　learn　she　had　gone　to　aid　al'Thor　in　some　way。　He　could　not　break　his　word；　least　of　all　to　the　woman　he　loved。　Never　his　word　to　her。　Whatever　the　cost　to　himself。　He　hoped　she　would　accept　the　promise　he　had　made　with　his　honor；　he　had　raised　not　a　hand　to　harm；　but　none　to　help；　either。　The　Light　send　she　never　asked　that　of　him。　It　was　said　that　love　addled　men's　brains；　and　he　was　the　proof。
　　　Suddenly　he　pressed　the　looking　glass　to　his　eye　as　a　woman　galloped　a　tall　black　horse　into　the　open。　He　could　not　make　out　her　face；　but　no　servant　would　be　wearing　a　dress　divided　for　riding。　So　at　least　one　Aes　Sedai　had　managed　to　escape。　If　sisters　had　made　it　out　of　the　trap　alive；　maybe　more　of　the　Younglings　had　too。　With　luck；　he　could　find　them　before　they　were　killed　in　small　groups　by　the　Aiel。　First　there　was　the　matter　of　this　sister；　though。　In　many　ways　he　would　rather　have　gone　on　without　her；　but　leaving　her　alone；　maybe　to　take　an　arrow　she　never　saw　ing；　was　not　an　option　he　could　allow　himself。　As　he　started　to　rise　and　wave　to　her；　though；　the　horse　stumbled　and　fell；　pitching　her　over　its　head。
　　　He　cursed；　then　again　when　the　looking　glass　showed　him　an　arrow　standing　up　from　the　black's　side。　Hastily　he　scanned　the　hills；　and　bit　down　on　another　curse；　maybe　two　dozen　veiled　Aiel　stood　on　a　crest　staring　toward　downed　horse　and　rider；　less　than　a　hundred　paces　from　the　Aes　Sedai。　Quickly　he　glanced　back。　The　sister　rose　unsteadily　to　her　feet。　If　she　kept　her　wits　and　used　the　Power；　there　should　be　no　way　a　few　Aiel　could　harm　her；　especially　if　she　took　shelter　against　more　arrows　behind　the　fallen　horse。　Even　so；　he　would　feel　better　when　he　had　gathered　her　in。　Rolling　away　from　the　crest　to　lessen　the　chances　of　the　Aiel　seeing　him；　he　slid　down　the　reverse　slope　until　he　could　stand。
　　　He　had　brought　five　hundred　and　eighty…one　Younglings　south；　almost　every　one　who　was　far　enough　along　in　training　to　leave　Tar　Valon；　but　fewer　than　two　hundred　waited　on　their　horses　in　the　hollow。　Before　disaster　struck　at　Dumai's　Wells；　he　was　certain　there　had　been　a　plot　afoot　to　see　that　he　and　the　Younglings　died　without　returning　to　the　White　Tower。　Why；　he　did　not　know；　nor　whether　the　scheme　came　from　Elaida　or　Galina；　but　it　had　succeeded　well　enough；　if　not　exactly　in　the　way　its　devisers　had　thought。　Small　wonder　that　he　would　have　preferred　to　go　on　without　Aes　Sedai；　had　he　any　choice。
　　　He　stopped　beside　a　tall　gray　gelding　with　a　young　rider。　Young；　as　indeed　all　the　Younglings　were　…　many　did　not　need　to　shave　beyond　every　third　day；　and　a　few　still　only　pretended　even　that　…　but　Jisao　wore　the　silver　tower　on　his　collar；　marking　him　a　veteran　of　the　fighting　when　Siuan　Sanche　was　deposed；　and　scars　beneath　his　clothes　from　fighting　since。　He　was　one　of　those　who　could　skip　the　razor　most　mornings；　his　dark　eyes　belonged　to　a　man　thirty　years　older；　though。　What　did　his　own　eyes　look　like；　Gawyn　wondered。
　　　〃Jisao；　we　have　a　sister　to　pull　out　of　the　…　〃
　　　The　hundred　or　so　Aiel　who　came　trotting　over　the　low　rise　to　the　west　recoiled　in　surprise　at　finding　the　Younglings　below；　but　neither　surprise　nor　the　Younglings'　superior　numbers　held　them　back。　In　a　flash　they　veiled　and　plunged　down　the　slope；　darting　in　with　spears　stabbing　at　horses　as　often　as　riders；　working　in　pairs。　Yet　if　the　Aiel　knew　how　to　fight　men　on　horseback；　the　Younglings　had　recently　had　rough　lessons　in　how　to　fight　Aiel；　and　slow　learners　did　not　live　long　in　their　ranks。　Some　carried　slender　lances；　ending　in　a　foot　and　a　half　of　steel　with　a　crossguard　to　prevent　the　head　penetrating　too　deeply；　and　all　could　use　their　swords　as　well　as　any　but　a　blademaster。　They　fought　in　twos　and　threes；　each　man　watching　another's　back；　keeping　their　mounts　moving　so　the　Aiel　could　not　hamstring　the　animals。　Only　the　quickest　Aiel　managed　to　get　inside　those　circles　of　flashing　steel。　The　war…trained　horses　themselves　were　weapons；　splitting　skulls　with　their　hooves；　seizing　men　with　their　teeth　and　shaking　them　like　dogs　worrying　rats；　jaws　tearing　away　half　a　man's　face。　The　horses　screamed　as　they　fought；　and　men　grunted　with　effort；　shouted　with　the　fever　that　overtook　men　in　battle；　the　fever　that　said　they　were　alive　and　would　live　to　see　another　sunrise　if　they　had　to　wade　waist…deep　in　blood。　They　shouted　as　they　killed；　shouted　as　they　died；　there　seemed　little　difference。
　　　Gawyn　had　no　time　to　watch　or　listen；　though。　The　only　Youngling　afoot；　he　attracted　attention。　Three　cadin'sor…clad　figures　dodged　through　the　horsemen；　rushing　at　him　with　spears　ready。　Perhaps　they　thought　him　easy　meat；　three　on　one。　He　disabused　them。　His　sword　left　the　scabbard　smoothly；　as　smoothly　as　he　flowed　from　The　Falcon　Stoops　to　The　Creeper　Embraces　the　Oak　to　The　Moon　Rises　Over　the　Lakes。　Three　times　he　felt　the　shock　in　his　wrists　of　blade　meeting　flesh；　and　that　quickly　three　veiled　Aielmen　were　down；　two　still　moving　weakly；　but　they　were　out　of　the　fight　as　much　as　the　other。　The　next　to　confront　him　was　a　different　matter。
　　　A　lean　fellow；　overtopping　Gawyn　by　a　hand；　he　moved　like　a　snake；　spear　flickering　while　his　buckler　darted　and　slanted　to　deflect　s