grrm.astormofswords-第139部分

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for　you。　A　regular　demon　for　counting；　that　one。〃
　If　the　Magnar　takes　Castle　Black　unawares；　it　will　be　red　slaughter；　boys　butchered　in　their　beds　before　they　know　they　are　under　attack。　Jon　had　to　warn　them；　but　how？　He　was　never　sent　out　to　forage　or　hunt；　nor　allowed　to　stand　a　watch　alone。　And　he　feared　for　Ygritte　as　well。　He　could　not　take　her；　but　if　he　left　her；　would　the　Magnar　make　her　answer　for　his　treachery？　Two　hearts　that　beat　as　one　。　。　。
　They　shared　the　same　sleeping　skins　every　night；　and　he　went　to　sleep　with　her　head　against　his　chest　and　her　red　hair　tickling　his　chin。　The　smell　of　her　had　bee　a　part　of　him。　Her　crooked　teeth；　the　feel　of　her　breast　when　he　cupped　it　in　his　hand；　the　taste　of　her　mouth　。　。　。　they　were　his　joy　and　his　despair。　Many　a　night　he　lay　with　Ygritte　warm　beside　him；　wondering　if　his　lord　father　had　felt　this　confused　about　his　mother；　whoever　she　had　been。　Ygritte　set　the　trap　and　Mance　Rayder　pushed　me　into　it。
　Every　day　he　spent　among　the　wildlings　made　what　he　had　to　do　that　much　harder。　He　was　going　to　have　to　find　some　way　to　betray　these　men；　and　when　he　did　they　would　die。　He　did　not　want　their　friendship；　any　more　than　he　wanted　Ygritte's　love。　And　yet　。　。　。　the　Therms　spoke　the　Old　Tongue　and　seldom　talked　to　Jon　at　all；　but　it　was　different　with　Jarl's　raiders；　the　men　who'd　climbed　the　Wall。　Jon　was　ing　to　know　them　despite　himself：　gaunt；　quiet　Errok　and　gregarious　Grigg　the　Goat；　the　boys　Quort　and　Bodger；　Hempen　Dan　the　ropernaker。　The　worst　of　the　lot　was　Del；　a　horsefaced　youth　near　Jon's　own　age；　who　would　talk　dreamily　of　this　wildling　girl　he　meant　to　steal。　〃She's　lucky；　like　your　Ygritte。　She's　kissed　by　fire。〃
　Jon　had　to　bite　his　tongue。　He　didn't　want　to　know　about　Del's　girl　or　Bodger's　mother；　the　place　by　the　sea　that　Henk　the　Helm　came　from；　how　Grigg　yearned　to　visit　the　green　men　on　the　isle　of　Faces；　or　the　time　a　moose　had　chased　Toefinger　up　a　tree。　He　didn't　want　to　hear　about　the　boil　on　Big　Boil's　arse；　how　much　ale　Stone　Thumbs　could　drink；　or　how　Quort's　little　brother　had　begged　him　not　to　go　with　Jarl。　Quort　could　not　have　been　older　than　fourteen；　though　he'd　already　stolen　himself　a　wife　and　had　a　child　on　the　way。　〃Might　be　he'll　be　born　in　some　castle；〃　the　boy　boasted。　〃Born　in　a　castle　like　a　lord！〃　He　was　very　taken　with　the　〃castles〃　they'd　seen；　by　which　he　meant　watchtowers。
　Jon　wondered　where　Ghost　was　now。　Had　he　gone　to　Castle　Black；　or　was　he　was　running　with　some　wolfpack　in　the　woods？　He　had　no　sense　of　the　direwolf；　not　even　in　his　dreams。　It　made　him　feel　as　if　part　of　himself　had　been　cut　off。　Even　with　Ygritte　sleeping　beside　him；　he　felt　alone。　He　did　not　want　to　die　alone。
　By　that　afternoon　the　trees　had　begun　to　thin；　and　they　marched　east　over　gently　rolling　plains。　Grass　rose　waist　high　around　them；　and　stands　of　wild　wheat　swayed　gently　when　the　wind　came　gusting；　but　for　the　most　part　the　day　was　warm　and　bright。　Toward　sunset；　however；　clouds　began　to　threaten　in　the　west。　They　soon　engulfed　the　orange　sun；　and　Lerm　foretold　a　bad　storm　ing。　His　mother　was　a　woods　witch；　so　all　the　raiders　agreed　he　had　a　gift　for　foretelling　the　weather。　〃There's　a　village　close；〃　Grigg　the　Goat　told　the　Magnar。　〃Two　miles；　three。　We　could　shelter　there。〃　Styr　agreed　at　once。
　It　was　well　past　dark　and　the　storm　was　raging　by　the　time　they　reached　the　place。　The　village　sat　beside　a　lake；　and　had　been　so　long　abandoned　that　most　of　the　houses　had　collapsed。　Even　the　small　timber　inn　that　must　once　have　been　a　wele　sight　for　travelers　stood　half…fallen　and　roofless。　We　will　find　scant　shelter　here；　Jon　thought　gloomily。　Whenever　the　lightning　flashed　he　could　see　a　stone　roundtower　rising　from　an　island　out　in　the　lake；　but　without　boats　they　had　no　way　to　reach　it。
　Errok　and　Del　had　crept　ahead　to　scout　the　ruins；　but　Del　was　back　almost　at　once。　Styr　halted　the　column　and　sent　a　dozen　of　his　Therms　trotting　forward；　spears　in　hand。　By　then　Jon　had　seen　it　too：　the　glimmer　of　a　fire；　reddening　the　chimney　of　the　inn。　We　are　not　alone。　Dread　coiled　inside　him　like　a　snake。　He　heard　a　horse　neigh；　and　then　shouts。　Ride　with　them；　eat　with　them；　fight　with　them；　Qhorin　had　said。
　But　the　fighting　was　done。　〃There's　only　one　of　them；〃　Errok　said　when　he　came　back。　〃An　old　man　with　a　horse。〃
　The　Magnar　shouted　mands　in　the　Old　Tongue　and　a　score　of　his　Therms　spread　out　to　establish　a　perimeter　around　the　village；　whilst　others　went　prowling　through　the　houses　to　make　certain　no　one　else　was　hiding　amongst　the　weeds　and　tumbled　stones。　The　rest　crowded　into　the　roofless　inn；　jostling　each　other　to　get　closer　to　the　hearth。　The　broken　branches　the　old　man　had　been　burning　seemed　to　generate　more　smoke　than　heat；　but　any　warmth　was　wele　on　such　a　wild　rainy　night。　Two　of　the　Therms　had　thrown　the　man　to　the　ground　and　were　going　through　his　things。　Another　held　his　horse；　while　three　more　looted　his　saddlebags。
　Jon　walked　away。　A　rotten　apple　squished　beneath　his　heel。　Styr　will　kill　him。　The　Magnar　had　said　as　much　at　Greyguard；　any　kneelers　they　met　were　to　be　put　to　death　at　once；　to　make　certain　they　could　not　raise　the　alarm。　Ride　with　them；　eat　with　them；　fight　with　them。　Did　that　mean　he　must　stand　mute　and　helpless　while　they　slit　an　old　man's　throat？
　Near　the　edge　of　the　village；　Jon　came　face…to…face　with　one　of　the　guards　Styr　had　posted。　The　Therm　growled　something　in　the　Old　Tongue　and　pointed　his　spear　back　toward　the　inn。　Get　back　where　you　belong；　Jon　guessed。　But　where　is　that？
　He　walked　towards　the　water；　and　discovered　an　almost　dry　spot　beneath　the　leaning　daub…and…wattle　wall　of　a　tumbledown　cottage　that　had　mostly　tumbled　down。　That　was　where　Ygritte　found　him　sitting；　staring　off　across　the　rain…whipped　lake。　〃I　know　this　place；〃　he　told　her　when　she　sat　beside　him。　〃That　tower　。　。　。　look　at　the　top　of　it　the　next　time　the　lightning　flashes；　and　tell　me　what　you　see。〃
　〃Aye；　if　you　like；〃　she　said；　and　then；　〃Some　o'　the　Therms　are　saying　they　heard　noises　out　there。　Shouting；　they　say。〃
　〃Thunder。〃
　〃They　say　shouting。　Might　be　it's　ghosts。〃
　The　holdfast　did　have　a　grim　haunted　look；　standing　there　black　against　the　storm　on　its　rocky　island　with　the　rain　lashing　at　the　lake　all　around　it。　〃We　could　go　out　and　take　a　look；〃　he　suggested。　〃I　doubt　we　could　get　much　wetter　than　we　are。〃
　〃Swimming？　In　the　storm？〃　She　laughed　at　the　notion。　〃Is　this　a　trick　t'　get　the　clothes　off　me；　Jon　Snow？〃
　〃Do　I　need　a　trick　for　that　now？〃　he　teased。　〃Or　is　that　you　can't　swim　a　stroke？〃　Jon　was　a　strong　swimmer　himself；　having　learned　the　art　as　a　boy　in　Winterfell's　great　moat。
　Ygritte　punched　his　arm。　〃You　know　nothing；　Jon　Snow。　I'm　half　a　fish；　I'll　have　you　know。〃
　〃Half　fish；　half　goat；　half　horse　。　。　。　there's　too　many　halves　to　you；　Ygritte。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃We　wouldn't　need　to　swim；　if　this　is　the　place　I　think。　We　could　walk。〃
　She　pulled　back　and　gave　him　a　look。　〃Walk　on　water？　What　southron　sorcery　is　that？〃
　〃No　sorc…〃　he　began；　as　a　huge　bolt　of　lightning　stabbed　down　from　the　sky　and　touched　the　surface　of　the　lake。　For　half　a　heartbeat　the　world　was　noonday　bright。　The　clap　of　thunder　was　so　loud　that　Ygritte　gasped　and　covered　her　ears。
　〃Did　you　look？〃　Jon　asked；　as　the　sound　rolled　away　and　the　night　turned　black　again。　〃Did　you　see？〃
　〃Yellow；〃　she　said。　〃Is　that　what　you　meant？　Some　o'　them　standing　stones　on　top　were　yellow。〃
　〃We　call　them　merlons。　They　were　painted　gold　a　long　time　ago。　This　is　Queenscrown。〃
　Across　the　lake；　the　tower　was　black　again；　a　dim　shape　dimly　seen。　〃A　queen　lived　there？〃　asked　Ygritte。
　〃A　queen　stayed　there　for　a　night。〃　Old　Nan　had　told　him　the　story；　but　Maester　Luwin　had　confirmed　most　of　it。　〃Alysanne；　the　wife　of　King　jaehaerys　the　Conciliator。　He's　called　the　Old　King　because　he　reigned　so　long；　but　he　was　young　when　he　first　came　to　the　Iron　Throne。　In　those　days；　it　was　his　wont　to　travel　all　over　the　realm。　When　he　came　to　Winterfell；　he　brought　his　queen；　six　dragons；　and　half　his　court。　The　king　had　matters　to　discuss　with　his　Warden　of　the　North；　and　Alysanne　grew　bored；　so　she　mounted　her　dragon