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第115章

rj.thepathofdaggers-第115章

小说: rj.thepathofdaggers 字数: 每页4000字

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 Right then; he was wondering what to do with the prisoners。
       Most of those who escaped death on the mountainside had managed to withdraw through the trees that remained standing。 With amazingly good order considering; Bashere claimed; yet they were unlikely to be much threat now。 Not unless they had the damane with them。 But a hundred or so men sat huddled on the ground; stripped of weapons and armor; under the watchful eyes of two dozen mounted panions and Defenders。 Taraboners; for the most part; they had not fought like men driven to it by conquerors。 A fair number held their heads up; and jeered at their guards。 Gedwyn had wanted to kill them; after putting them to the question。 Weiramon did not care whether they had their throats slit; but he considered torture a waste of time。 None would know anything useful; he maintained; there was not a one nobly born。
       Rand glanced at Bashere。 Weiramon was still going on sonorously。 〃。。。 sweep these mountains clean for you; my Lord Dragon。 We'll trample them beneath our hooves; and。。。 〃 Anaiyella was nodding grim approval。
       〃Six up; and half a dozen down;〃 Bashere said softly。 He scraped mud from one of his thick mustaches with a fingernail。 〃Or as some of my tenants say; what you gain on the swings; you lose on the roundabouts。〃 What in the Light was a roundabout? A great help that was!
       And then one of Bashere's patrols made matters worse。
       The six men came prodding a prisoner along the slope ahead of their horses with the butts of their lances。 She was a black…haired woman in a torn and dirty dark blue dress; with red panels on the breast and skirts bearing forked lightning。 Her face was dirty; too; and tear…streaked。 She stumbled and half…fell; but the prodding was more gesture than actual touching。 She glared scornfully at her captors; even spitting once。 She sneered at Rand; too。
       〃Did you hurt her?〃 he demanded。 A strange question; perhaps; about an enemy after what had happened in this valley。 About a sul'dam。 But it popped out。
       〃Not us; my Lord Dragon;〃 the gruff…faced patrol leader said。 〃We found her like this。〃 Scratching his chin through a black flowing beard; he eyed Bashere as if for support。 〃She claims we killed her Gille。 A pet dog; or cat; or some such; the way she carries on。 Her name's Nerith。 We got that much out of her。〃 The woman turned and snarled at him again。
       Rand sighed。 Not a pet dog。 No! That name did not belong on the list! But he could hear the litany of names reciting itself in his head; and 〃Gille the damane〃 was there。 Lews Therin moaned for his Ilyena。 Her name also was on the list。 Rand thought it had a right。
       〃This is a Seanchan Aes Sedai?〃 Anaiyella asked suddenly; leaning over the pommel of her saddle to peer hard at Nerith。 Nerith spat at her; as well; eyes widening in outrage。 Rand explained the little he knew of sul'dam; that they controlled women who could channel with the aide of a leash…and…collar ter'angreal but could not themselves channel; and to his surprise; the dainty simpering High Lady said coldly; 〃If my Lord Dragon feels constrained; I'll hang her for him。〃 Nerith spat at her again! Contemptuously; this time。 No shortfall of courage there。
       〃No!〃 Rand growled。 Light; the things people would do to get on his good side! Or maybe Anaiyella had been closer to her Master of the Horse that was considered proper。 The man had been stout and balding … and a moner; that counted heavily with Tairens … but women did have strange tastes in men。 He knew that for a pure fact。
       〃As soon as we're ready to move again;〃 he told Bashere; 〃turn the men down there loose。〃 Taking prisoners along when he launched his next attack was out of the question; and leaving a hundred men … a hundred now; more later; for sure … leaving them to follow with the supply carts risked fifty kinds of mischief。 They could cause no trouble left behind。 Even the fellows who had gotten away on horseback could not carry a warning faster than he could Travel。
       Bashere shrugged faintly; he thought it might be so; but then again there was always the odd chance。 Strange things happened even without a ta'veren around。
       Weiramon and Anaiyella opened their mouths almost together; faces set in protest; but Rand pressed on。 〃I've spoken; and it's done! We'll keep the woman; though。 And any more women we capture。〃
       〃Burn my soul;〃 Weiramon exclaimed。 〃Why?〃 The man appeared dumbfounded; and for that matter; Bashere gave a startled jerk of his head。 Anaiyella's mouth twisted in contempt before she managed to turn it to a simpering smile for the Lord Dragon。 Plainly; she thought him too soft to send a woman off with the others。 They would have hard walking in this terrain; not to mention short rations。 And the weather was not weather to turn a woman out in。
       〃I have enough Aes Sedai against me without sending sul'dam back to their trade;〃 he told them。 The Light knew that was true! They nodded; if Weiramon was slow about it; Bashere looked relieved; Anaiyella disappointed。 But what to do with the woman; and any more he captured? He did not intend to turn the Black Tower into a prison。 The Aiel could hold them。 Except that the Wise Ones might slit their throats the moment his back was turned。 What about the sisters that Mat was taking to Caemlyn with Elayne; though? 〃When this is done; I'll hand her over to some Aes Sedai I choose。〃 They might see it as a gesture of goodwill; a little honey to sweeten their having to accept his protection。
       No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Nerith's face went dead white and she screamed at the top of her lungs。 Howling without cease; she flung herself down the slope; scrabbling over downed trees; falling and scrambling back up。
       〃Bloody …! Catch her!〃 Rand snapped; and the Saldaean patrol leaped after the woman; jumping their mounts across the tree…littered slope careless of broken legs and necks。 Still wailing; she dodged and darted among the horses with even less care。
       In the mouth of the easternmost pass; a gateway opened in a flash of silver light。 A black…coated Soldier pulled his horse through; jumped to the saddle as the gateway winked out and put his mount to a gallop; toward the hilltop where Gedwyn and Rochaid waited。 Rand watched impassively。 In his head; Lews Therin snarled of killing; killing all the Asha'man before it was too late。
       By the time the three of them started up the slope toward Rand; four of the Saldaeans had Nerith down on the ground; binding her hand and foot。 It took four; the way she thrashed and bit at them; and an amused Bashere was offering odds on whether she might not overe them instead。 Anaiyella muttered something about cracking the woman's head。 Did she mean cracking it open? Rand frowned at her。
       The Soldier between Gedwyn and Rochaid glanced at Nerith uneasily as they rode past。 Rand vaguely remembered seeing him at the Black Tower; the day he first handed out the silver Swords; and gave Taim the very first Dragon pin。 He was a young man; Varil Nensen by name; still wearing a transparent veil to cover his thick mustaches。 He had not hesitated when he found himself facing his countrymen; though。 Allegiance was to the Black Tower and the Dragon Reborn; now; so Taim always said。 The second part of that always sounded an afterthought。
       〃You may have the honor of making your report to the Dragon Reborn; Soldier Nensen;〃 Gedwyn said。 Wryly。
       Nensen sat up straight in his saddle。 〃My Lord Dragon!〃 he barked; slapping fist to chest。 〃There's more of them about thirty miles west; my Lord Dragon。〃 Thirty miles was as far as Rand had told the scouts to go before returning。 What good if one Soldier found Seanchan while the rest kept moving ever farther west? 〃Maybe half what were here;〃 Nensen went on。 〃And。。。 〃 His dark eyes flickered toward Nerith again。 She was tied; now; the Saldaeans struggling to get her over a horse。 〃And I saw no sign of women; my Lord Dragon。〃
       Bashere squinted at the sky。 Dark clouds lay in a blanket from mountain peak to mountain peak; but the sun should still be high。 〃Time to feed the men before the rest return;〃 he said; noddin

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