tg.stone of tears-第159章

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　Kahlan　nodded；　as　if　impressed。　‘Well　stated。’　He　beamed。　The　men　around　him　grinned　with　pride　in　their　knowledge　of　their　business。　‘I　have　seen　some　of　the　most　experienced　armies　of　the　Midlands　use　those　very　same　tactics　when　the　D’Harans　first　came　over；　last　spring；　when　the　boundary　went　down。’
　
　‘Well；　there　you　have　it；’　the　man　said。　‘They　lose　their　charge　against　the　archers　and　on　the　point　of　our　pikes。’
　
　She　gave　him　a　small　smile。　The　D’Haran　van；　those　men　I　told　you　about；　the　biggest；　the　fiercest；　the　ones　who　won　the　right　to　be　the　first　at　you？　Well；　they’ve　developed　special　tactics　of　their　own；　for　use　against　your　plans。　First　of　all；　they　have　arrow　shields；　so　as　they　run　in；　they’re　protected　from　the　brunt　of　the　archers’　work。
　
　‘And　I　guess　I　forgot　to　tell　you　one　other　thing　about　those　argons　of　theirs。　These　spears　have　iron…sheathed　shafts　for　most　of　their　length；　and　a　unique　purpose。　As　the　enemy　is　charging　in；　mostly　unaffected　by　your　archers；　they　heave　their　argons　at　you。’
　
　‘We　have　shields；’　the　man　pointed　out。　‘Their　argons　expended；　they　will　be　on　the　point　of　our　pikes。’
　
　She　folded　her　arms；　nodding　to　him。　‘The　van；　the　men　who　won　the　right　to　be　the　first　wave；　are　big　men。　I　doubt　the　smallest　has　arms　less　than　twice　the　average　of　yours。
　
　The　argons　are　needle　sharp。　Thrown　by　those　powerful　arms；　they　penetrate　and　stick　in　your　shields。　The　long　barbs　prevent　them　from　being　withdrawn。’
　
　The　confident　smiles　were　fading　as　she　looked　from　face　to　face　as　she　went　on。　‘You　now　have　argons　stuck　solidly　in　your　shields。　You　drop　your　pikes；　drawing　swords　to　hack　the　heavy　spears　away。　But　the　shafts　are　covered　in　iron；　and　don’t　yield。　The　spears　are　heavy；　and　the　butts　drag　the　ground。　D’Harans　can　run　almost　as　fast　as　their　spears　fly。　As　they　reach　you　now；　they　jump　on　the　shafts　of　the　spears　stuck　in　your　shields；　dragging　them　to　the　ground；　leaving　you　on　your　knees；　and　naked　to　their　heavy　axes。’
　
　Arms　still　folded；　she　leaned　toward　them。　‘I　have　seen　men　split　from　scalp　to　navel　by　those　axes。’
　
　Men　glanced　sideways　at　one　another；　their　confidence　shaken。
　
　She　nodded　mockingly　as　she　unfolded　her　arms。　‘I　am　not　giving　you　conjecture。　I’ve　seen　a　D’Haran　force　take　down　an　experienced　army　nearly　ten　times　their　size　in　just　this　fashion。　In　the　space　of　an　hour；　the　battle　turned　from　a　rout　of　the　D’Harans　to　a　rout　of　their　foes。
　
　‘A　D’Haran　charge　of　the　argon　is　almost　as　devastating　as　a　classic　cavalry　charge；　except　they　have　far　greater　numbers　than　any　cavalry。　And　their　own　cavalry　is　anything　but　typical。　You　don’t　even　want　to　know　about　them。
　
　‘They　lost　half　their　number　in　the　slaughter　of　Ebinissia；　and　they　are　in　camp；　now；　singing　and　drinking。　Would　you；　if　you　lost　every　other　one　of　you；　be　of　good　cheer？　‘I　know　you　believe　you　can　win　a　battle　against　a　force　ten　times　your　size；　and　I　know　also　that　such　a　thing　can　be　done。　But　it　is　those　experienced　D’Haran　troops　who；　on　a　battlefield；　fighting　by　the　tactics　of　mon　war；　could　bring　about　such　a　feat。
　
　‘Please　believe　me；　I　mean　no　disrespect　to　your　bravery；　but　in　the　field　of　war；　you　are　not　their　equal。　Not　yet。　You　could　not　defeat　an　army　half　their　size　were　the　battle　fought　the　way　your　enemy　would　fight。
　
　‘That　does　not　mean　you　cannot　win。　It　means　only　that　you　must　do　it　in　another　way。　I　believe　you　can　win；　and　I’m　going　to　tell　you　what　you　must　do；　and　lead　you　in　the　first　strike；　to　start　you　in　this。　The　Imperial　Order　is　not　invincible。　They　can　be　defeated。
　
　‘From　this　day　forward；　I　shall　never　again　call　you　‘boys。’　From　this　day　forward；　you　are　men。
　
　‘You　think　of　yourselves　as　soldiers　of　your　homeland；　Galea。　But　you　are　not。　In　this；　you　are　not。　You　are　soldiers；　men；　of　the　Midlands。　For　it　is　not　just　Galea　who　will　be　conquered；　but　all　of　the　Midlands；　if　these　men　are　not　stopped。　I　call　upon　you　to　stop　them。’
　
　The　tightly　packed　crowd　of　soldiers；　tempered　by　what　they　had　heard；　shouted　that　they　would　do　the　job。　She　watched　from　under　her　eyebrows　as　they　confidently　pledged　to　fight　to　the　end。　There　were　angry　whispers　from　some　in　the　crowd；　to　her　right。　Men　were　jostling　each　other　and　arguing。　Some　men　wanted　to　speak；　and　others　were　seeking　to　prevent　it。
　
　‘If　you　should　choose　to　join　in　this　battle；　you　will　follow　orders　without　question；’　she　said。　‘But　for　this　time　only；　you　may　speak　your　mind　freely；　without　retribution。　If　you　have　something　to　say；　then　let　all　hear　it　now；　or　else　hold　it　to　your　grave。’
　
　One　man　pulled　his　arm　free　of　another。　He　glowered　up　at　her。　‘We’re　men。　We　don’t　follow　women　into　battle。’
　
　Kahlan　blinked　at　him。　‘You　follow　Queen　Cyrilla。’
　
　‘She　is　our　queen；　we　fight　on　her　behalf。　She　doesn’t　lead　us　in　battle。　That’s　left　to　men　to　do。’
　
　Kahlan　narrowed　her　eyes。　‘What　is　your　name？’
　
　He　glanced　around　at　his　fellows；　and　then　held　his　chin　up。　‘I’m　William　Mosle。　And　we’ve　been　trained　by　Prince　Harold　himself。’
　
　‘And　I；’　Kahlan　said；　‘was　trained　by　his　father；　King　Wyborn。　King　Wyborn　was　my　father；　too。　I　am　half　sister　to　Queen　Cyrilla　and　Prince　Harold。’
　
　There　were　astonished　murmurs　throughout　the　crowd。　Without　taking　her　eyes　from　Mosle；　she　lifted　a　hand　to　silence　them。　‘But　that　does　not　count　for　mand。　You　are　soldiers。　Your　duty　is　to　follow　the　orders　of　your　manders；　and　they　the　queen；　and　she　must　follow　mands　of　the　Central　Council　of　the　Midlands。　The　council　of　the　Midlands　follows　the　orders　of　the　Mother　Confessor。
　
　‘For　now；　I　fill　that　office。　My　family　name　is；　like　your　queen’s；　Amnell；　but　I’m　of　Confessor　blood；　first；　and　last。　I　am　the　Mother　Confessor　of　the　Midlands；　and　as　such；　if　I　say　you’re　to　march　into　a　lake；　then　it’s　your　duty　to　march　until　you’re　breathing　water　and　seeing　fishes。　Does　that　make　it　clear　enough　for　you；　soldier？’
　
　A　few　other　men　were　shoving　at　Mosle；　urging　him　to　go　on　with　their　grievances。　‘It　means　you　can　order　us；　it　doesn’t　mean　you　know　what　you’re　doing。’
　
　Kahlan　let　out　a　sigh　and　pulled　some　blood…stiffened　hair　back；　hooking　it　behind　an　ear。　‘I　don’t　have　the　time；　today；　to　tell　you　of　all　the　training　I’ve　had；　or　of　all　the　fighting　against　impossible　odds　I’ve　been　through；　or　the　men　I’ve　had　to　kill　in　that　fighting。
　
　‘I　would　tell　you　only　that　last　night；　I　went　alone　to　the　camp　of　the　Imperial　Order　to　save　your　life。　The　men　of　the　Order；　D’Harans；　fear　the　things　of　the　night；　spirits；　and　for　protection　from　that　and　to　assist　them；　they　had　a　wizard　in　their　pany。　Had　you；　in　your　confidence　of　battle　knowledge；　tried　to　attack　those　men；　that　wizard　would　have　known　what　you　were　doing；　and　probably　used　magic　to　kill　you　all。’
　
　Mosle’s　defiant　expression　didn’t　diminish；　but　some　of　the　others　broke　into　worried　whispers。　Fighting　against　steel　was　one　thing；　fighting　against　magic　quite　another。
　
　Captain　Ryan　stepped　forward。　‘The　Mother　Confessor　killed　the　wizard；’　he　said　with　pride。　There　were　relieved　sighs　among　the　men。　‘If　it　hadn’t　been　for　her　experience；　we　would　have　marched　to　our　deaths　without　even　having　the　chance　to　lay　steel　to　steel。　I；　for　one；　intend　to　follow　those　I’ve　sworn　my　life　to　serve：　my　land；　my　queen；　the　Midlands；　and　the　Mother　Confessor。
　
　‘We’re　going　to　stop　this　threat　against　the　Midlands；　and　we’re　going　to　do　it　by　following　those　we　are　sworn　to　follow。　We　go　into　battle　under　the　mand　of　the　Mother　Confessor。’
　
　‘I’m　a　soldier　in　the　Galean　army！’　Mosle　seemed　only　to　get　more　defiant。　‘Not　a　soldier　in　any　Midlands　army！　I　fight　for　Galea；　not　to　protect　lands　like　Kelton！’　Kahlan　watched　as　other　men　shouted　their　agreement。　‘This　army；　the　Imperial　Order；　or　whatever　they　call　themselves；　is　marching　toward　the　border。　Cellion　is　a　border　city；　and　most　of　it’s　on　the　other　side　of　the　river；　in　Kelton！　Most　of　its　citizens　are　Keltish！　Why　should