rj.acrownofswords-第31章
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The rest of the column remained hidden behind the rise; and the banners were down there; too; but men sitting their horses on a ridge with Maidens for pany would indeed attract curiosity。 〃I will do this my way。〃 His voice rose in anger; and he smelled of cold fury。 〃Nobody dies unless it can't be avoided; Dashiva。 I've had a bellyful of death。 Do you understand me? Nobody!〃
〃As my Lord Dragon mands。〃 The fellow inclined his head; but he sounded sour; and he smelled。。。
Perrin rubbed his nose。 The smell。。。 skittered; dodging wildly through fear and hate and anger and a dozen more emotions almost too quickly to make out。 He no longer doubted the man was mad; however good a face the fellow put on。 Perrin no longer really cared; either。 This close。。。
Digging his heels into Stepper's flanks; he started for the city and Faile; not waiting for the rest; barely noticing Aram close behind。 He did not have to see Aram to know he would be there。 All he could think of was Faile。 If he got Swallow safely into the city。。。 He made himself keep Stepper at no more than a quick walk。 A galloping rider drew eyes; and questions; and delays。
At that pace; the others caught up with Aram and him fast enough; those who were ing。 Min had gotten her way; it seemed; and so had Loial。 The Maidens fanned out ahead; some giving Perrin sympathetic looks as they trotted by。 Chiad studied the ground until she was beyond him。
〃I still don't like this plan;〃 Havien muttered on one side of Rand。 〃Forgive me; my Lord Dragon; but I do not。〃
Dobraine; on Rand's other side; grunted。 〃We have been over that; Mayener。 If we did as you want; they would close the gates on us before we covered a mile。〃 Havien growled something under his breath and danced his horse a few paces。 He had wanted every man to follow Rand into the city。
Perrin glanced over his shoulder; past the Asha'man。 Damer Flinn; recognizable by his coat; and a few of the Two Rivers men were visible on the ridge; standing and holding their horses。 Perrin sighed。 He would not have minded haying the Two Rivers men along。 But Rand was probably right; and Dobraine had backed him up。
A few men could enter where a small army could not。 If the gates were shut; the Aiel would have to besiege the city; if they still would; and then the killing began anew。 Rand had stuffed the Dragon Scepter into one of the geldings' saddlebags so just the carved butt stuck out; and that plain coat looked like nothing the Dragon Reborn would wear。 For the Asha'man; nobody in the city had any idea what a black coat meant。 A few men were easier to kill than a small army; too; even if most of them could channel。 Perrin had seen an Asha'man take a Shaido spear through his belly; and the man had died no harder than any other。
Dashiva grumbled under his breath; Perrin caught 〃hero〃 and 〃fool〃 in equally disparaging tones。 Without Faile; he might have agreed。 Once Rand peered toward the Aiel encampment sprawled over the hills two or three miles east of the city; and Perrin held his breath; but whatever thoughts Rand had; he kept on the road。 Nothing mattered more than Faile。 Nothing; whether or not Rand saw it so。
A good half…mile short of the gates; they rode into another camp; one that made Perrin frown。 It was big enough for a city itself; a thick band of ramshackle brush huts and rickety tents made from scraps; on burned…over ground; clinging to the high gray walls as far as he could see。 This had been called Foregate once; warren of twisting streets and alleys; before the Shaido burned it。 Some of the people stared in silence as the strange party passed; at an Ogier; and Aiel Maidens; but most scuttled about their business with wary; sullen faces and a care to notice nothing that was not right in front of them。 The bright colors and often tattered cast…off finery worn by Foregaters mingled with the somber garb more usual for Cairhienin; the plain dark clothes of villagers and farmers。 The Foregaters had been in the city when Perrin left; along with thousands of refugees from deeper inside the country。 Many of those faces bore bruises and worse; cuts and slashes; often unbandaged。 Colavaere must have put them out。 They would not have left the shelter of the walls on their own; Foregaters and refugees alike feared the return of the Shaido the way a man who had been seared to the bone feared hot iron。
The road ran straight through the camp to the Jangai Gates; three tall square arches flanked by towers。 Helmeted men lounged up on the battlements; peering down through the gaps in the stone teeth。 Some stared off toward the men on the hilltop; and here and there an officer with a con held a looking glass to his eye。 Rand's small party drew inquiring glances。 Men ahorseback and Aiel Maidens; not mon panions。 Crossbows showed atop the serrated wall; but no one raised a weapon。 The iron…bound gates stood open。 Perrin held his breath。 He wanted very much to gallop for the Sun Palace and Faile。
Just inside the gates sat a squat stone guardhouse; where strangers to the city were supposed to register before entering。 A square…faced Cairhienin officer watched them pass with a disgruntled frown; eyeing the Maidens uneasily。 He just stood there; watching。
〃As I told you;〃 Dobraine said once they were by the guardhouse。 〃Colavaere gave free access to the city for Coronation Festival。 Not even someone under order of arrest can be denied or detained。 It is tradition。〃 He sounded relieved; though。 Min sighed audibly; and Loial let out a breath that could have been heard two streets over。 Perrin's chest was still too tight for sighing。 Swallow was inside Cairhien。 Now; if he could only get her to the Royal Palace。
Up close; Cairhien carried out what it had promised from afar。 The highest of the hills lay inside the walls; but terraced and faced with stone till they no longer seemed hills at all。 Broad; crowded streets met at right angles。 In this city; even the alleys made a grid。 The streets rose and fell reluctantly with the hills; often simply cutting through。 From shops to palaces; the buildings were all stark squares and severe rectangles; even the great buttressed towers; each wrapped in scaffolding on a hilltop; the once…fabled topless towers of Cairhien; still being rebuilt after burning in the Aiel War。 The city seemed harder than stone; a bruising place; and shadows stretching across everything heightened the effect。 Loial's tufted ears twitched almost without stopping; a worried frown creased his forehead; and his dangling eyebrows brushed his cheek。
There were few signs of Coronation Festival; or High Chasaline。 Perrin had no notion what the Festival might entail; but in the Two Rivers; the Day of Reflection was a time of merriment and forgetting the bleakness of winter。 Here; a near hush hung in the air; despite the number of people。 Anywhere else; Perrin might have thought it the unnatural heat dragging people's spirits down; but except for Foregaters; Cairhienin were a sober; austere lot。 On the surface; at least; what lay underneath; he would as soon not think about。 The hawkers and cart…peddlers he remembered were gone from the streets; the musicians and tumblers and puppet shows。 Those people would be in the ragtag camp outside the walls。 A few closed; dark…painted sedan chairs threaded through the quiet throngs; some with House banners a little larger than con standing stiffly above。 They moved as slowly as the ox…carts with goad…wielding drivers walking alongside; axles squealing in the stillness。 Outlanders stood out; no matter how little color they wore; because few except outlanders rode。 The almost inevitably shorter natives looked like pale…faced crows in their dark garb。 Aiel stood out too; of course。 Whether one alone or ten together; they walked in clearings through the crowds; eyes darted away and space just opened up around them wherever they went。
Aiel faces turned toward the party as it made its slow way through the crowds。 Even if not all recognized Rand in his green coat; they knew who a tall wetlander escorted by Maidens must be。 Those faces sent a chill down Perrin's spine: considering。 They made him thankful Rand h