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grrm.astormofswords-第218部分

小说: grrm.astormofswords 字数: 每页4000字

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ld; and Lord Beric and the outlaws only wanted to ransom her; just like the Hound。 None of them wanted her around。 They were never my pack; not even Hot Pie and Gendry。 I was stupid to think so; just a stupid little girl; and no wolf a t all。
 So she stayed with the Hound。 They rode every day; never sleeping twice in the same place; avoiding towns and villages and castles as best they could。 Once she asked Sandor Clegane where they were going。 〃Away;〃 he said。 〃That's all you need to know。 You're not worth spit to me now; and I don't want to hear your whining。 I should have let you run into that bloody castle。〃
 〃You should have;〃 she agreed; thinking of her mother。
 〃You'd be dead if I had。 You ought to thank me。 You ought to sing me a pretty little song; the way your sister did。〃
 〃Did you hit her with an axe too?〃
 〃I hit you with the flat of the axe; you stupid little bitch。 If I'd hit you with the blade there'd still be chunks of your head floating down the Green Fork。 Now shut your bloody mouth。 If I had any sense I'd give you to the silent sisters。 They cut the tongues out of girls who talk too much。〃 That wasn't fair of him to say。 Aside from that one time; Arya hardly talked at all。 Whole days passed when neither of them said anything。 She was too empty to talk; and the Hound was too angry。 She could feel the fury in him; she could see it on his face; the way his mouth would tighten and twist; the looks he gave her。 Whenever he took his axe to chop some wood for a fire; he would slide into a cold rage; hacking savagely at the tree or the deadfall or the broken limb; until they had twenty times as much kindling and firewood as they'd needed。 Sometimes he would be so sore and tired afterward that he would lie down and go right to sleep without even lighting a fire。 Arya hated it when that happened; and hated him too。 Those were the nights when she stared the longest at the axe。 It looks awfully heavy; but I bet I could swing it。 She wouldn't hit him with the flat; either。
 Sometimes in their wanderings they glimpsed other people; farmers in their fields; swineherds with their pigs; a milkmaid leading a cow; a squire carrying a message down a rutted road。 She never wanted to speak to them either。 it was as if they lived in some distant land and spoke a queer alien tongue; they had nothing to do with her; or her with them。
 Besides; it wasn't safe to be seen。 From time to time columns of horsemen passed down the winding farm roads; the twin towers of Frey flying before them。 〃Hunting for stray northmen;〃 the Hound said when they had passed。 〃Any time you hear hooves; get your head down fast; it's not like to be a friend。〃
 One day; in an earthen hollow made by the roots of a fallen oak; they came face to face with another survivor of the Twins。 The badge on his breast showed a pink maiden dancing in a swirl of silk; and he told them he was Ser Marq Piper's man; a bowman; though he'd lost his bow。 His left shoulder was all twisted and swollen where it met his arm; a blow from a mace; he said; it had broken his shoulder and smashed his chainmail deep into his flesh。 〃A northman; it was;〃 he wept。 〃His badge was a bloody man; and he saw mine and made a jape; red man and pink maiden; maybe they should get together。 I drank to his Lord Bolton; he drank to Ser Marq; and we drank together to Lord Edmure and Lady Roslin and the King in the North。 And then he killed me。〃 His eyes were fever bright when he said that; and Arya could tell that it was true。 His shoulder was swollen grotesquely; and pus and blood had stained his whole left side。 There was a stink to him too。 He smells like a corpse。 The man begged them for a drink of wine。
 〃If I'd had any wine; I'd have drunk it myself;〃 the Hound told him。 〃I can give you water; and the gift of mercy。〃
 The archer looked at him a long while before he said; 〃You're Joffrey's dog。〃
 〃My own dog now。 Do you want the water?〃
 〃Aye。〃 The man swallowed。 〃And the mercy。 Please。〃
 They had passed a small pond a short ways back。 Sandor gave Arya his helm and told her to fill it; so she trudged back to the water's edge。 Mud squished over the toe of her boots。 She used the dog's head as a pail。 Water ran out through the eyeholes; but the bottom of the helm still held a lot。
 When she came back; the archer turned his face up and she poured the water into his mouth。 He gulped it down as fast as she could pour; and what he couldn't gulp ran down his cheeks into the brown blood that crusted his whiskers; until pale pink tears dangled from his beard。 When the water was gone he clutched the helm and licked the steel。 〃Good;〃 he said。 〃I wish it was wine; though。 I wanted wine。〃
 〃Me too。〃 The Hound eased his dagger into the man's chest almost tenderly; the weight of his body driving the point through his surcoat; ringmail; and the quilting beneath。 As he slid the blade back out and wiped it on the dead man; he looked at Arya。 〃That's where the heart is; girl。 That's how you kill a man。〃
 That's one way。 〃Will we bury him?〃
 〃Why?〃 Sandor said。 〃He don't care; and we've got no spade。 Leave him for the wolves and wild dogs。 Your brothers and mine。〃 He gave her a hard look。 〃First we rob him; though。〃
 There were two silver stags in the archer's purse; and almost thirty coppers。 His dagger had a pretty pink stone in the hilt。 The Hound hefted the knife in his hand; then flipped it toward Arya。 She caught it by the hilt; slid it through her belt; and felt a little better。 It wasn't Needle; but it was steel。 The dead man had a quiver of arrows too; but arrows weren't much good without a bow。 His boots were too big for Arya and too small for the Hound; so those they left。 She took his kettle helm as well; even though it came down almost past her nose; so she had to tilt it back to see。 〃He must have had a horse as well; or he wouldn't have got away;〃 Clegane said; peering about; 〃but it's bloody well gone; I'd say。 No telling how long he's been here。〃
 By the time they found themselves in the foothills of the Mountains of the Moon; the rains had mostly stopped。 Arya could see the sun and moon and stars; and it seemed to her that they were heading eastward。 〃Where are we going?〃 she asked again。
 This time the Hound answered her。 〃You have an aunt in the Eyrie。 Might be she'll want to ransom your scrawny arse; though the gods know why。 Once we find the high road; we can follow it all the way to the Bloody Gate。〃
 Aunt Lysa。 The thought left Arya feeling empty。 It was her mother she wanted; not her mother's sister。 She didn't know her mother's sister any more than she knew her great uncle Blackfish。 We should have gone into the castle。 They didn't really know that her mother was dead; or Robb either。 it wasn't like they'd seen them die or anything。 Maybe Lord Frey had just taken them captive。 Maybe they were chained up in his dungeon; or maybe the Freys were taking them to King's Landing so Joffrey could chop their heads off。 They didn't know。 〃We should go back;〃 she suddenly decided。 〃We should go back to the Twins and get my mother。 She can't be dead。 We have to help her。〃
 〃I thought your sister was the one with a head full of songs;〃 the Hound growled。 〃Frey might have kept your mother alive to ransom; that's true。 But there's no way in seven hells I'm going to pluck her out of his castle all by my bloody self。〃
 〃Not by yourself。 I'd e too。〃
 He made a sound that was almost a laugh。 〃That will scare the piss out of the old man。〃
 〃You're just afraid to die!〃 she said scornfully。
 Now Clegane did laugh。 〃Death don't scare me。 Only fire。 Now be quiet; or I'll cut your tongue out myself and save the silent sisters the bother。 It's the Vale for us。〃
 Arya didn't think he'd really cut her tongue out; he was just saying that the way Pinkeye used to say he'd beat her bloody。 All the same; she wasn't going to try him。 Sandor Clegane was no Pinkeye。 Pinkeye didn't cut people in half or hit them with axes。 Not even with the flat of axes。
 That night she went to sleep thinking of her mother; and wondering if she should kill the Hound in his sleep and rescue Lady Catelyn herself。 When she closed her eyes she saw her mother's face against the back of her eyelids。 She'

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