grrm.astormofswords-第147部分

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　〃Nay；〃　said　the　dwarf。　〃You're　not。　The　black　fish　holds　the　rivers　now。　If　it's　the　mother　you　want；　seek　her　at　the　Twins。　For　there's　to　be　a　wedding。〃　She　cackled　again。　〃Look　in　your　fires；　pink　priest；　and　you　will　see。　Not　now；　though；　not　here；　you'll　see　nothing　here。　This　place　belongs　to　the　old　gods　still　。　。　。　they　linger　here　as　I　do；　shrunken　and　feeble　but　not　yet　dead。　Nor　do　they　love　the　flames。　For　the　oak　recalls　the　acorn；　the　acorn　dreams　the　oak；　the　stump　lives　in　them　both。　And　they　remember　when　the　First　Men　came　with　fire　in　their　fists。〃　She　drank　the　last　of　the　wine　in　four　long　swallows；　flung　the　skin　aside；　and　pointed　her　stick　at　Lord　Beric。　〃I'll　have　my　payment　now。　I'll　have　the　song　you　promised　me。〃
　And　so　Lem　woke　Tom　Sevenstrings　beneath　his　furs；　and　brought　him　yawning　to　the　fireside　with　his　woodharp　in　hand。　〃The　same　song　as　before？〃　he　asked。
　〃Oh；　aye。　My　jenny's　song。　Is　there　another？〃
　And　so　he　sang；　and　the　dwarf　woman　closed　her　eyes　and　rocked　slowly　back　and　forth；　murmuring　the　words　and　crying。　Thoros　took　Arya　firmly　by　the　hand　and　drew　her　aside。　〃Let　her　savor　her　song　in　peace；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　all　she　has　left。〃
　I　wasn't　going　to　hurt　her；　Arya　thought。　〃What　did　she　mean　about　the　Twins？　My　mother's　at　Riverrun；　isn't　she？〃
　〃She　was。〃　The　red　priest　rubbed　beneath　his　chin。　〃A　wedding；　she　said。　We　shall　see。　Whenever　she　is；　Lord　Beric　will　find　her；　though。〃
　Not　long　after；　the　sky　opened。　Lightning　cracked　and　thunder　rolled　across　the　hills；　and　the　rain　fell　in　blinding　sheets。　The　dwarf　woman　vanished　as　suddenly　as　she　had　appeared；　while　the　outlaws　gathered　branches　and　threw　up　crude　shelters。
　It　rained　all　through　that　night；　and　e　morning　Ned；　Lem；　and　Watty　the　Miller　awoke　with　chills。　Watty　could　not　keep　his　breakfast　down；　and　young　Ned　was　feverish　and　shivering　by　turns；　with　skin　clammy　to　the　touch。　There　was　an　abandoned　village　half　a　day's　ride　to　the　north；　Notch　told　Lord　Beric；　they'd　find　better　shelter　there；　a　place　to　wait　out　the　worst　of　the　rains。　So　they　dragged　themselves　back　into　the　saddles　and　urged　their　horses　down　the　great　hill。
　The　rains　did　not　let　up。　They　rode　through　woods　and　fields；　fording　swollen　streams　where　the　rushing　water　came　up　to　the　bellies　of　their　horses。　Arya　pulled　up　the　hood　of　her　cloak　and　hunched　down；　sodden　and　shivering　but　determined　not　to　falter。　Merrit　and　Mudge　were　soon　coughing　as　bad　as　Watty；　and　poor　Ned　seemed　to　grow　more　miserable　with　every　mile。　〃When　I　wear　my　helm；　the　rain　beats　against　the　steel　and　gives　me　headaches；〃　he　plained。　〃But　when　I　take　it　off；　my　hair　gets　soaked　and　sticks　to　my　face　and　in　my　mouth。〃
　〃You　have　a　knife；〃　Gendry　suggested。　〃If　your　hair　annoys　you　so　much；　shave　your　bloody　head。〃
　He　doesn't　like　Ned。　The　squire　seemed　nice　enough　to　Arya；　maybe　a　little　shy；　but　good…natured。　She　had　always　heard　that　Dornishmen　were　small　and　swarthy；　with　black　hair　and　small　black　eyes；　but　Ned　had　big　blue　eyes；　so　dark　that　they　looked　almost　purple。　And　his　hair　was　a　pale　blond；　more　ash　than　honey。
　〃How　long　have　you　been　Lord　Beric's　squire？〃　she　asked；　to　take　his　mind　from　his　misery。
　〃He　took　me　for　his　page　when　he　espoused　my　aunt。〃　He　coughed。　〃I　was　seven；　but　when　I　turned　ten　he　raised　me　to　squire。　I　won　a　prize　once；　riding　at　rings。〃
　〃I　never　learned　the　lance；　but　I　could　beat　you　with　a　sword；〃　said　Arya。　〃Have　you　killed　anyone？〃
　That　seemed　to　startle　him。　〃I'm　only　twelve。〃
　I　killed　a　boy　when　I　was　eight；　Arya　almost　said；　but　she　thought　she'd　better　not。　〃You've　been　in　battles；　though。〃
　〃Yes。〃　He　did　not　sound　very　proud　of　it。　〃I　was　at　the　Mummer's　Ford。　When　Lord　Beric　fell　into　the　river；　I　dragged　him　up　onto　the　bank　so　he　wouldn't　drown　and　stood　over　him　with　my　sword。　I　never　had　to　fight；　though。　He　had　a　broken　lance　sticking　out　of　him；　so　no　one　bothered　us。　When　we　regrouped；　Green　Gergen　helped　pull　his　lordship　back　onto　a　horse。〃
　Arya　was　remembering　the　stableboy　at　King's　Landing。　After　him　there'd　been　that　guard　whose　throat　she　cut　at　Harrenhal；　and　Ser　Amory's　men　at　that　holdfast　by　the　lake。　She　didn't　know　if　Weese　and　Chiswyck　counted；　or　the　ones　who'd　died　on　account　of　the　weasel　soup　。　。　。　all　of　a　sudden；　she　felt　very　sad。　〃My　father　was　called　Ned　too；〃　she　said。
　〃I　know。　I　saw　him　at　the　Hand's　tourney。　I　wanted　to　go　up　and　speak　with　him；　but　I　couldn't　think　what　to　say。〃　Ned　shivered　beneath　his　cloak；　a　sodden　length　of　pale　purple。　〃Were　you　at　the　tourney？　I　saw　your　sister　there。　Ser　Loras　Tyrell　gave　her　a　rose。〃
　〃She　told　me。〃　It　all　seemed　so　long　ago。　〃Her　friend　Jeyne　Poole　fell　in　love　with　your　Lord　Beric。〃
　〃He's　promised　to　my　aunt。〃　Ned　looked　unfortable。　〃That　was　before；　though。　Before　he　。　。　。〃
　　。　。　。　died？　she　thought；　as　Ned's　voice　trailed　off　into　an　awkward　silence。　Their　horses'　hooves　made　sucking　sounds　as　they　pulled　free　of　the　mud。
　〃My　lady？〃　Ned　said　at　last。　〃You　have　a　baseborn　brother　。　。　。　Jon　Snow？〃
　〃He's　with　the　Night's　Watch　on　the　Wall。〃　Maybe　I　should　go　to　the　Wall　instead　of　Riverrun。　Jon　wouldn't　care　who　I　killed　or　whether　I　brushed　my　hair　。　。　。　〃Jon　looks　like　me；　even　though　he's　bastard…born。　He　used　to　muss　my　hair　and　call　me　'little　sister。〃'　Arya　missed　Jon　most　of　all。　just　saying　his　name　made　her　sad。　〃How　do　you　know　about　Jon？〃
　〃He　is　my　milk　brother。〃
　〃Brother？〃　Arya　did　not　understand。　〃But　you're　from　Dome。　How　could　you　and　Jon　be　blood？〃
　〃Milk　brothers。　Not　blood。　My　lady　mother　had　no　milk　when　I　was　little；　so　Wylla　had　to　nurse　me。〃
　Arya　was　lost。　〃Who's　Wylla？〃
　〃Jon　Snow's　mother。　He　never　told　you？　She's　served　us　for　years　and　years。　Since　before　I　was　born。〃
　〃Jon　never　knew　his　mother。　Not　even　her　name。〃　Arya　gave　Ned　a　wary　look。　〃You　know　her？　Truly？〃　Is　he　making　mock　of　me？　〃if　you　lie　I'll　punch　your　face。〃
　〃Wylla　was　my　wetnurse；〃　he　repeated　solemnly。　〃I　swear　it　on　the　honor　of　my　House。〃
　〃You　have　a　House？〃　That　was　stupid；　he　was　a　squire；　of　course　he　had　a　House。　〃Who　are　you？〃
　〃My　lady？〃　Ned　looked　embarrassed。　〃I'm　Edric　Dayne；　the　。　。　。　the　Lord　of　Starfall。〃
　Behind　them；　Gendry　groaned。　〃Lords　and　ladies；〃　he　proclaimed　in　a　disgusted　tone。　Arya　plucked　a　withered　crabapple　off　a　passing　branch　and　whipped　it　at　him；　bouncing　it　off　his　thick　bull　head。　〃Ow；〃　he　said。　〃That　hurt。〃　He　felt　the　skin　above　his　eye。　〃What　kind　of　lady　throws　crabapples　at　people？〃
　〃The　bad　kind；〃　said　Arya；　suddenly　contrite。　She　turned　back　to　Ned。　〃I'm　sorry　I　didn't　know　who　you　were。　My　lord。〃
　〃The　fault　is　mine；　my　lady。〃　He　was　very　polite。
　Jon　has　a　mother。　Wylla；　her　name　is　Wylla。　She　would　need　to　remember　so　she　could　tell　him；　the　next　time　she　saw　him。　She　wondered　if　he　would　still　call　her　〃little　sister。〃　I'm　not　so　little　anymore。　He'd　have　to　call　me　something　else。　Maybe　once　she　got　to　Riverrun　she　could　write　Jon　a　letter　and　tell　him　what　Ned　Dayne　had　said。　〃There　was　an　Arthur　Dayne；〃　she　remembered。　〃The　one　they　called　the　Sword　of　the　Morning。〃
　〃My　father　was　Ser　Arthur's　elder　brother。　Lady　Ashara　was　my　aunt。　I　never　knew　her；　though。　She　threw　herself　into　the　sea　from　atop　the　Palestone　Sword　before　I　was　born。〃
　〃Why　would　she　do　that？〃　said　Arya；　startled。
　Ned　looked　wary。　Maybe　he　was　afraid　that　she　was　going　to　throw　something　at　him。　〃Your　lord　father　never　spoke　of　her？〃　he　said。　〃The　Lady　Ashara　Dayne；　of　Starfall？〃
　〃No。　Did　he　know　her？〃
　〃Before　Robert　was　king。　She　met　your　father　and　his　brothers　at　Harrenhal；　during　the　year　of　the　false　spring。〃
　〃Oh。〃　Arya　did　not　know　what　else　to　say。　〃Why　did　she　jump　in　the　sea；　though？〃
　〃Her　heart　was　broken。〃
　Sansa　would　have　sighed　and　shed　a　tear　for　true　love；　but　Arya　just　thought　it　was　stupid。　She　couldn't　say　that　to　Ned；　though；　not　about　his　own　aunt。　〃Did　someone　break　it？〃
　He　hesitated。　〃Perhaps　it's　not　my　place。　。
　〃Tell　me。〃
　He　looked　at　her　unfortably。　〃My　aunt　Allyria　says　Lady　Ashara　and　your　father　fell　in　love　at　Harrenhal…〃
　〃That's　not　so。　He　loved　my　lady　mother。〃
　〃I'm　sure　he　did；　my