war of the spider queen 3 condemnation-第57部分

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ishing　in　the　pockets　of　his　cloak　for　a　small　flask　of　duergar　brandy。　Normally　he　wouldn't　risk　diluting　his　senses　with　alcohol；　but　hours　of　marching　in　cold　rain　had　soaked　his　clothing　and　left　him　chilled　to　the　bone。　The　liquor　brought　a　hot　glow　to　the　middle　of　his　body　with　one　good　mouthful。
　　　〃Is　this　your　stream？〃　he　asked　Pharaun。
　　　〃Yes；〃　the　wizard　said　without　hesitation。　〃Here；　we　cross　and　turn　to　the　south；　following　the　river　upstream。　House　Jaelre　is　not　more　than　a　couple　of　miles　away。〃
　　　He　pointed　at　Ryld　with　one　finger　and　muttered　a　magical　syllable。　The　flask　rose　up　from　the　weapons　master's　hand　and　bobbed　through　the　air　to　the　wizard；　who　promptly　helped　himself　to　a　healthy　swallow。
　　　〃My　thanks；〃　said　Pharaun。　〃The　gray　dwarves　may　be　odious　churls；　but　they　distill　a　good　brandy。〃
　　　〃Don't　drink　too　much；〃　Quenthel　said。　〃The　Jaelre　are　as　likely　to　shoot　us　as　look　at　us。　I　need　you　alert　and　sharp…witted；　wizard。　Master　Argith；　keep　up　close　with　the　rest　of　us　from　this　point　on。　I'm　more　worried　about　what　lies　before　us　now　than　behind。〃
　　　〃As　you　wish；　Mistress；〃　Ryld　said。
　　　He　held　out　his　hand　to　Pharaun；　who　took　one　more　small　swallow　and　tossed　the　flask　back　to　Ryld。　The　weapons　master　stood；　shouldered　his　pack；　and　led　the　way　across　the　bridge。　The　surface　of　the　log　was　slick　and　uneven；　and　doubtless　would　have　been　trouble　for　a　clumsy　dwarf　or　awkward　human；　but　the　dark　elves　negotiated　the　crossing　with　ease。
　　　On　the　other　side；　they　found　the　overgrown　remnants　of　an　old　stone　road；　cracked　and　broken　by　the　twisting　roots　of　countless　trees　and　hundreds　of　years　of　frosts　and　thaws。　Smooth　white　stone；　expertly　joined；　marked　it　as　the　work　of　the　ancient　surface　elves　who　once　inhabited　the　forest。　Ryld　was　not　so　poorly　educated　that　he　had　not　heard　of　Cormanthor；　the　great　forest　empire　of　the　surface　elves；　or　the　fallen　glory　of　its　legendary　capital　city　of　Myth　Drannor。　Other　than　the　names；　though；　he　knew　very　little　of　who　the　builders　of　the　forest　empire　had　been　and　what　had　befallen　them。
　　　Moving　slowly　and　carefully；　the　pany　advanced　in　an　open　skirmish　line；　prepared　to　defend　themselves　against　any　attack。　They　followed　the　old　road　for　more　than　a　mile；　just　as　Pharaun　had　said　they　would；　and　they　came　upon　the　wreckage　of　old　walls　and　battlements　ringing　some　ancient　stronghold。　Green　vines　wreathed　the　walls；　thriving　despite　the　winter　season；　but　the　wall　was　cracked　and　holed　in　a　dozen　places。　A　rusted　iron　gate　lay　across　the　road　where　it　pierced　the　walls；　a　barrier　that　had　long　since　fallen　into　uselessness。　Beyond　the　walls；　a　small　stony　tor　rose　from　the　forest　floor；　crowned　by　a　large　pentagonal　keep　of　white　stone。　At　first　Ryld　thought　the　place　was　whole　and　intact；　but　as　he　studied　it；　he　realized　that　the　tower…tops　were　holed　and　that　more　than　one　of　the　flying　buttresses　linking　the　outlying　towers　to　the　main　body　of　the　keep　had　collapsed　with　the　years。　Green　vines　knotted　their　roots　in　the　riven　stone；　covering　the　ruins　in　a　living　blanket。
　　　〃Ruins；〃　Jeggred　growled　in　disgust。　〃Your　insipid　spells　have　failed　you；　wizard…or　you　have　deliberately　led　us　astray。　Are　you　in　league　with　our　treacherous　scout；　perhaps？〃
　　　〃My　spells　do　not　fail；〃　Pharaun　replied。　〃This　is　the　place。　The　Jaelre　are　here。〃
　　　〃Then　where　are　they？〃　the　draegloth　snarled。　〃If　you…〃
　　　〃Silence；　both　of　you！〃　Valas　snapped。　He　moved　a　few　steps　away　from　the　gate；　his　footfalls　as　soft　as　those　of　a　stalking　leopard；　an　arrow　lying　across　his　bow。　〃This　place　is　not　as　abandoned　as　it　looks。〃
　　　Ryld　moved　over　to　take　shelter　by　a　tottering　old　column　of　masonry；　setting　one　hand　on　Splitter's　hilt。　Danifae　and　Pharaun　did　the　same　on　the　other　side　of　the　road；　staring　hard　at　the　ruined　keep。　Quenthel；　however；　chose　not　to　move　at　all。
　　　Instead　she　stood　confidently　in　the　center　of　the　path　and　called　out；　〃You　of　House　Jaelre！　We　wish　to　speak　with　your　leaders　at　once！〃
　　　From　a　dozen　places　of　concealment；　stealthy　shapes　in　dark　cloaks　that　deceived　the　eye　by　mimicking　the　wearer's　surroundings　slowly　stood；　bows　and　wands　pointed　at　the　Menzoberranyr。　One　of　the　figures；　a　female　carrying　a　double…ended　sword；　pushed　back　her　hood　and　eyed　the　pany　with　cold　contempt。
　　　〃You　are　miserable　spider…kissers；〃　she　hissed。　〃What　do　you　have　that　the　lords　of　House　Jaelre　could　possibly　want；　other　than　your　corpses　feathered　with　our　arrows？〃
　　　Quenthel　bridled　and　allowed　one　hand　to　fall　to　her　whip。　The　weapon　writhed　slowly；　the　serpent　heads　snapping　their　fangs　in　agitation。
　　　〃I　am　Quenthel　Baenre；　Mistress　of　Arach…Tinilith；　and　I　do　not　bicker　on　doorsteps　with　mon　gate　guards。　Announce　our　arrival　to　your　masters；　so　that　we　can　get　in　out　of　this　damnable　rain。〃
　　　The　Jaelre　captain　narrowed　her　eyes　and　motioned　to　her　soldiers；　who　shifted　position　and　made　ready　to　fire。　Valas　shook　his　head　and　lowered　his　bow；　stepping　forward　quickly　with　one　hand　in　the　air。
　　　〃Wait；〃　he　said。　〃If　Tzirik　the　priest　is　still　among　you；　tell　him　that　Valas　Hune　is　here。　We　have　a　proposition　for　him。〃
　　　〃I　doubt　our　high　priest　will　have　much　use　for　any　proposal　of　yours；〃　the　guard　captain　said。
　　　〃If　nothing　else；　he'll　find　out　why　we　came　a　thousand　miles　from　Menzoberranzan　to　speak　to　him；〃　Valas　replied。
　　　The　captain　glared　at　Quenthel；　then　said；　〃Lower　your　weapons　and　wait　there。　Do　not　move；　or　my　soldiers　will　fire；　and　there　are　more　of　us　than　you　think。〃
　　　Valas　nodded　once；　and　set　his　bow　down　on　the　ground。　He　glanced　at　the　others；　and　took　a　seat　on　the　edge　of　a　crumbling　old　fountain。　The　rest　followed　suit；　though　Quenthel　didn't　demean　herself　by　taking　a　seat。　Instead　she　folded　her　arms　and　waited　with　imperious　displeasure。　Ryld　glanced　around　the　courtyard　full　of　hostile　warriors；　and　rubbed　his　head　with　a　sigh。
　　　Quenthel　knows　how　to　make　an　impression；　eh？　Pharaun　gestured　discretely。
　　　Females；　Ryld　replied；　just　as　discretely。
　　　He　carefully　reached　into　his　cloak　and　withdrew　the　brandy　flask　again。
　　　
　　　The　most　doleful　torment　of　incarceration；　reflected　Halisstra；　was　boredom；　pure　and　simple。　Like　most　of　her　extraordinarily　long…lived　kind；　the　priestess　hardly　noticed　the　passing　of　hours；　days；　even　tendays　when　her　mind　was　engaged。　Yet；　despite　the　wisdom　and　patience　of　her　more　than　two　hundred　years；　a　few　hours'　confinement　in　a　featureless　stone　cell　seemed　more　onerous　than　months　of　the　harsh　discipline　she　endured　in　her　youth。
　　　The　endless　hours　of　the　day　crept　by；　a　day　in　which　her　body　longed　to　rest　despite　the　painful　glare　of　sunlight　streaming　in　through　that　one　cursed　window。　Meanwhile　her　thoughts　veered　wildly　from　praying　for　her　rades　to　return　and　rescue　her　to　fomenting　the　most　hideous　and　agonizing　tortures　she　could　imagine　for　each　one　for　abandoning　her　to　capture。
　　　Eventually；　she　fell　into　Reverie；　her　mind　empty　of　new　schemes　or　old　memories；　and　her　awareness　so　dim　and　distant　that　she　might　have　been　sleeping　in　truth。　Exhaustion　had　finally　caught　up　with　her；　not　just　the　sheer　physical　exhaustion　of　the　long　tendays　of　travel　and　peril　through　desert；　shadow；　Underdark；　and　forest；　but　a　kind　of　mental　fatigue　rooted　deeply　in　the　grief　she　still　carried　for　the　loss　of　the　House　she　was　to　one　day　rule。　Halisstra　might　not　have　permitted　herself　to　shed　a　tear　for　Ched　Nasad；　but　the　malignant　truth　of　her　plight　had　an　odd　way　of　surfacing　in　her　thoughts；　poisoning　them　with　a　cold；　hopeless　disbelief　that　was　difficult　to　set　aside。　Long　hours　of　imprisonment　offered　her　the　opportunity　to　exhume　the　hateful　situation　in　its　entirety　and　contemplate　her　loss　of　station；　wealth；　and　security　until　her　horrible　fascination　was　in　some　way　sated。
　　　At　dusk　the　guards　brought　her　fresh　food；　a　bowl　of　some　bland　but　nourishing　stew　and　another　half　loaf　of　bread。　Halisstra　found　herself　ravenously　hungry；　and　she　devoured　the　meal　with　little　thought　to　the　possibility　of　poison　or　drugs。　Soo