grrm.astormofswords-第157部分

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　even　call　them　rivers。　The　channels　are　ever　drifting　and　changing。　There　are　endless　sandbars；　deadfalls；　and　tangles　of　rotting　trees。　And　Greywater　Watch　moves。　How　are　my　ships　to　find　it？〃
　〃Go　upriver　flying　my　banner。　The　crannogmen　will　find　you。　I　want　two　ships　to　double　the　chances　of　my　message　reaching　Howland　Reed。　Lady　Maege　shall　go　on　one；　Galbart　on　the　second。〃　He　turned　to　the　two　he'd　named。　〃You'll　carry　letters　for　those　lords　of　mine　who　remain　in　the　north；　but　all　the　mands　within　will　be　false；　in　case　you　have　the　misfortune　to　be　taken。　If　that　happens；　you　must　tell　them　that　you　were　sailing　for　the　north。　Back　to　Bear　Island；　or　for　the　Stony　Shore。〃　He　tapped　a　finger　on　the　map。　〃Moat　Cailin　is　the　key。　Lord　Balon　knew　that；　which　is　why　he　sent　his　brother　Victarion　there　with　the　hard　heart　of　the　Greyjoy　strength。〃
　〃Succession　squabbles　or　no；　the　ironborn　are　not　such　fools　as　to　abandon　Moat　Cailin；〃　said　Lady　Maege。
　〃No；〃　Robb　admitted。　〃Victarion　will　leave　the　best　part　of　his　garrison；　I'd　guess。　Every　man　he　takes　will　be　one　less　man　we　need　to　fight；　however。　And　he　will　take　many　of　his　captains；　count　on　that。　The　leaders。　He　will　need　such　men　to　speak　for　him　if　he　hopes　to　sit　the　Seastone　Chair。〃
　〃You　cannot　mean　to　attack　up　the　causeway；　Your　Grace；〃　said　Galbart　Glover。　〃The　approaches　are　too　narrow。　There　is　no　way　to　deploy。　No　one　has　ever　taken　the　Moat。〃
　〃From　the　south；〃　said　Robb。　〃But　if　we　can　attack　from　the　north　and　west　simultaneously；　and　take　the　ironmen　in　the　rear　while　they　are　beating　off　what　they　think　is　my　main　thrust　up　the　causeway；　then　we　have　a　chance。　Once　I　link　up　with　Lord　Bolton　and　the　Freys；　I　will　have　more　than　twelve　thousand　men。　I　mean　to　divide　them　into　three　battles　and　start　up　the　causeway　a　half…day　apart。　If　the　Greyjoys　have　eyes　south　of　the　Neck；　they　will　see　my　whole　strength　rushing　headlong　at　Moat　Cailin。
　〃Roose　Bolton　will　have　the　rearguard；　while　I　mand　the　center。　Greatjon；　you　shall　lead　the　van　against　Moat　Cailin。　Your　attack　must　be　so　fierce　that　the　ironborn　have　no　leisure　to　wonder　if　anyone　is　creeping　down　on　them　from　the　north。〃
　The　Greatjon　chuckled。　〃Your　creepers　best　e　fast；　or　my　men　will　swarm　those　walls　and　win　the　Moat　before　you　show　your　face。　I'll　make　a　gift　of　it　to　you　when　you　e　dawdling　up。〃
　〃That's　a　gift　I　should　be　glad　to　have；〃　said　Robb。
　Edmure　was　frowning。　〃You　talk　of　attacking　the　ironmen　in　the　rear；　sire；　but　how　do　you　mean　to　get　north　of　them？〃
　〃There　are　ways　through　the　Neck　that　are　not　on　any　map；　Uncle。　Ways　known　only　to　the　crannogmen…narrow　trails　between　the　bogs；　and　wet　roads　through　the　reeds　that　only　boats　can　follow。〃　He　turned　to　his　two　messengers。　〃Tell　Howland　Reed　that　he　is　to　send　guides　to　me；　two　days　after　I　have　started　up　the　causeway。　To　the　center　battle；　where　my　own　standard　flies。　Three　hosts　will　leave　the　Twins；　but　only　two　will　reach　Moat　Cailin。　Mine　own　battle　will　melt　away　into　the　Neck；　to　reemerge　on　the　Fever。　if　we　move　swiftly　once　my　uncle's　wed；　we　can　all　be　in　position　by　year's　end。　We　will　fall　upon　the　Moat　from　three　sides　on　the　first　day　of　the　new　century；　as　the　ironmen　are　waking　with　hammers　beating　at　their　heads　from　the　mead　they'll　quaff　the　night　before。〃
　〃I　like　this　plan；〃　said　the　Greatjon。　〃I　like　it　well。〃
　Galbart　Glover　rubbed　his　mouth。　〃There　are　risks。　If　the　crannogmen　should　fail　you　。　。　。〃
　〃We　will　be　no　worse　than　before。　But　they　will　not　fail。　My　father　knew　the　worth　of　Howland　Reed。〃　Robb　rolled　up　the　map；　and　only　then　looked　at　Catelyn。　〃Mother。〃
　She　tensed。　〃Do　you　have　some　part　in　this　for　me？〃
　〃Your　part　is　to　stay　safe。　Our　journey　through　the　Neck　will　be　dangerous；　and　naught　but　battle　awaits　us　in　the　north。　But　Lord　Mallister　has　kindly　offered　to　keep　you　safe　at　Seagard　until　the　war　is　done。　You　will　be　fortable　there；　I　know。〃
　Is　this　my　punishment　for　opposing　him　about　Jon　Snow？　Or　for　being　a　woman；　and　worse；　a　mother？　It　took　her　a　moment　to　realize　that　they　were　all　watching　her。　They　had　known；　she　realized。　Catelyn　should　not　have　been　surprised。　She　had　won　no　friends　by　freeing　the　Kingslayer；　and　more　than　once　she　had　heard　the　Greatjon　say　that　women　had　no　place　on　a　battlefield。
　Her　anger　must　have　blazed　across　her　face；　because　Galbart　Glover　spoke　up　before　she　said　a　word。　〃My　lady；　His　Grace　is　wise。　It's　best　you　do　not　e　with　us。〃
　〃Seagard　will　be　brightened　by　your　presence；　Lady　Catelyn；〃　said　Lord　Jason　Mallister。
　〃You　would　make　me　a　prisoner；〃　she　said。
　〃An　honored　guest；〃　Lord　Jason　insisted。
　Catelyn　turned　to　her　son。　〃I　mean　no　offense　to　Lord　Jason；〃　she　said　stiffly；　〃but　if　I　cannot　continue　on　with　you；　I　would　sooner　return　to　Riverrun。〃
　〃I　left　my　wife　at　Riverrun。　I　want　my　mother　elsewhere。　If　you　keep　all　your　treasures　in　one　purse；　you　only　make　it　easier　for　those　who　would　rob　you。　After　the　wedding；　you　shall　go　to　Seagard；　that　is　my　royal　mand。〃　Robb　stood；　and　as　quick　as　that；　her　fate　was　settled。　He　picked　up　a　sheet　of　parchment。　〃One　more　matter。　Lord　Balon　has　left　chaos　in　his　wake；　we　hope。　I　would　not　do　the　same。　Yet　I　have　no　son　as　yet；　my　brothers　Bran　and　Rickon　are　dead；　and　my　sister　is　wed　to　a　Lannister。　I've　thought　long　and　hard　about　who　might　follow　me。　I　mand　you　now　as　my　true　and　loyal　lords　to　fix　your　seals　to　this　document　as　witnesses　to　my　decision。〃
　A　king　indeed；　Catelyn　thought；　defeated。　She　could　only　hope　that　the　trap　he'd　planned　for　Moat　Cailin　worked　as　well　as　the　one　in　which　he'd　just　caught　her。
　
　CHAPTER　46
　SAMWELL
　
　Whitetree；　Sam　thought。　Please；　let　this　be　Whitetree。　He　remembered　Whitetree。　Whitetree　was　on　the　maps　he'd　drawn；　on　their　way　north。　If　this　village　was　Whitetree；　he　knew　where　they　were。　Please；　it　has　to　be。　He　wanted　that　so　badly　that　he　forgot　his　feet　for　a　little　bit；　he　forgot　the　ache　in　his　calves　and　his　lower　back　and　the　stiff　frozen　fingers　he　could　scarcely　feel。　He　even　forgot　about　Lord　Mormont　and　Craster　and　the　wights　and　the　Others。　Whitetree；　Sam　prayed；　to　any　god　that　might　be　listening。
　All　wildling　villages　looked　much　alike；　though。　A　huge　weirwood　grew　in　the　center　of　this　one　。　。　。　but　a　white　tree　did　not　mean　Whitetree；　necessarily。　Hadn't　the　weirwood　at　Whitetree　been　bigger　than　this　one？　Maybe　he　was　remembering　it　wrong。　The　face　carved　into　the　bone　pale　trunk　was　long　and　sad；　red　tears　of　dried　sap　leaked　from　its　eyes。　Was　that　how　it　looked　when　we　came　north？　Sam　couldn't　recall。
　Around　the　tree　stood　a　handful　of　one…room　hovels　with　sod　roofs；　a　longhall　built　of　logs　and　grown　over　with　moss；　a　stone　well；　a　sheepfold　。　。　。　but　no　sheep；　nor　any　people。　The　wildlings　had　gone　to　join　Mance　Rayder　in　the　Frostfangs；　taking　all　they　owned　except　their　houses。　Sam　was　thankful　for　that。　Night　was　ing　on；　and　it　would　be　good　to　sleep　beneath　a　roof　for　once。　He　was　so　tired。　It　seemed　as　though　he　had　been　walking　half　his　life。　His　boots　were　falling　to　pieces；　and　all　the　blisters　on　his　feet　had　burst　and　turned　to　callus；　but　now　he　had　new　blisters　under　the　callus；　and　his　toes　were　getting　frostbitten。
　But　it　was　either　walk　or　die；　Sam　knew。　Gilly　was　still　weak　from　childbirth　and　carrying　the　babe　besides；　she　needed　the　horse　more　than　he　did。　The　second　horse　had　died　on　them　three　days　out　from　Craster's　Keep。　It　was　a　wonder　she　lasted　that　long；　poor　half…starved　thing。　Sam's　weight　had　probably　done　for　her。　They　might　have　tried　riding　double；　but　he　was　afraid　the　same　thing　would　happen　again。　It's　better　that　I　walk。
　Sam　left　Gilly　in　the　longhall　to　make　a　fire　while　he　poked　his　head　into　the　hovels。　She　was　better　at　making　fires；　he　could　never　seem　to　get　the　kindling　to　catch；　and　the　last　time　he'd　tried　to　strike　a　spark　off　flint　and　steel　he　managed　to　cut　himself　on　his　knife。　Gilly　bound　up　the　gash　for　him；　but　his　hand　was　stiff　and　sore；　even　clumsier　than　it　had　been　before。　He　knew　he　should　wash　the　wound　and　change　the　binding；　but　he　was　afraid　to　look　at　it。　Besides；　it　was　so　cold　that　he　hated　ta