grrm.astormofswords-第68部分

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posed　to　be　a　priestess。　Maegi；　they　called　her。　No　one　could　pronounce　her　real　name。　Half　of　Lannisport　used　to　go　to　her　for　cures　and　love　potions　and　the　like。〃　He　shrugged。　〃She's　long　dead；　to　be　sure。　And　Jeyne　seemed　a　sweet　child；　I'll　grant　you；　though　I　only　saw　her　once。　But　with　such　doubtful　blood　。　。　。〃
　Having　once　married　a　whore；　Tyrion　could　not　entirely　share　his　uncle's　horror　at　the　thought　of　wedding　a　girl　whose　great　grandfather　sold　cloves。　Even　so　。　。　。　A　sweet　child；　Ser　Kevan　had　said；　but　many　a　poison　was　sweet　as　well。　The　Westerlings　were　old　blood；　but　they　had　more　pride　than　power。　It　would　not　surprise　him　to　learn　that　Lady　Sybell　had　brought　more　wealth　to　the　marriage　than　her　highborn　husband。　The　Westerling　mines　had　failed　years　ago；　their　best　lands　had　been　sold　off　or　lost；　and　the　Crag　was　more　ruin　than　stronghold。　A　romantic　ruin；　though；　jutting　up　so　brave　above　the　sea。　〃I　am　surprised；〃　Tyrion　had　to　confess。　〃I　thought　Robb　Stark　had　better　sense。〃
　〃He　is　a　boy　of　sixteen；〃　said　Lord　Tywin。　〃At　that　age；　sense　weighs　for　little；　against　lust　and　love　and　honor。〃
　〃He　forswore　himself；　shamed　an　ally；　betrayed　a　solemn　promise。　Where　is　the　honor　in　that？〃
　Ser　Kevan　answered。　〃He　chose　the　girl's　honor　over　his　own。　Once　he　had　deflowered　her；　he　had　no　other　course。〃
　〃it　would　have　been　kinder　to　leave　her　with　a　bastard　in　her　belly；〃　said　Tyrion　bluntly。　The　Westerlings　stood　to　lose　everything　here；　their　lands；　their　castle；　their　very　lives。　A　Lannister　always　pays　his　debts。
　〃Jeyne　Westerling　is　her　mother's　daughter；〃　said　Lord　Tywin；　〃and　Robb　Stark　is　his　father's　son。〃
　This　Westerling　betrayal　did　not　seem　to　have　enraged　his　father　as　much　as　Tyrion　would　have　expected。　Lord　Tywin　did　not　suffer　disloyalty　in　his　vassals。　He　had　extinguished　the　proud　Reynes　of　Castamere　and　the　ancient　Tarbecks　of　Tarbeck　Hall　root　and　branch　when　he　was　still　half　a　boy。　The　singers　had　even　made　a　rather　gloomy　song　of　it。　Some　years　later；　when　Lord　Farman　of　Faircastle　grew　truculent；　Lord　Tywin　sent　an　envoy　bearing　a　lute　instead　of　a　letter。　But　once　he'd　heard　〃The　Rains　of　Castamere〃　echoing　through　his　hall；　Lord　Farman　gave　no　further　trouble。　And　if　the　song　were　not　enough；　the　shattered　castles　of　the　Reynes　and　Tarbecks　still　stood　as　mute　testimony　to　the　fate　that　awaited　those　who　chose　to　scorn　the　power　of　Casterly　Rock。　〃The　Crag　is　not　so　far　from　Tarbeck　Hall　and　Castamere；〃　Tyrion　pointed　out。　〃You'd　think　the　Westerlings　might　have　ridden　past　and　seen　the　lesson　there。〃
　〃Mayhaps　they　have；〃　Lord　Tywin　said。　〃They　are　well　aware　of　Castamere；　I　promise　you。〃
　〃Could　the　Westerlings　and　Spicers　be　such　great　fools　as　to　believe　the　wolf　can　defeat　the　lion？〃
　Every　once　in　a　very　long　while；　Lord　Tywin　Lannister　would　actually　threaten　to　smile；　he　never　did；　but　the　threat　alone　was　terrible　to　behold。　〃The　greatest　fools　are　ofttimes　more　clever　than　the　men　who　laugh　at　them；〃　he　said；　and　then；　〃You　will　marry　Sansa　Stark；　Tyrion。　And　soon。〃
　
　CHAPTER　20
　CATELYN
　
　They　carried　the　corpses　in　upon　their　shoulders　and　laid　them　beneath　the　dais。　A　silence　fell　across　the　torchlit　hall；　and　in　the　quiet　Catelyn　could　hear　Grey　Wind　howling　half　a　castle　away。　He　smells　the　blood；　she　thought；　through　stone　walls　and　wooden　doors；　through　night　and　rain；　he　still　knows　the　scent　of　death　and　ruin。
　She　stood　at　Robb's　left　hand　beside　the　high　seat；　and　for　a　moment　felt　almost　as　if　she　were　looking　down　at　her　own　dead；　at　Bran　and　Rickon。　These　boys　had　been　much　older；　but　death　had　shrunken　them。　Naked　and　wet；　they　seemed　such　little　things；　so　still　it　was　hard　to　remember　them　living。
　The　blond　boy　had　been　trying　to　grow　a　beard。　Pale　yellow　peach　fuzz　covered　his　cheeks　and　jaw　above　the　red　ruin　the　knife　had　made　of　his　throat。　His　long　golden　hair　was　still　wet；　as　if　he　had　been　pulled　from　a　bath。　By　the　look　of　him；　he　had　died　peacefully；　perhaps　in　sleep；　but　his　brown…haired　cousin　had　fought　for　life。　His　arms　bore　slashes　where　he'd　tried　to　block　the　blades；　and　red　still　trickled　slowly　from　the　stab　wounds　that　covered　his　chest　and　belly　and　back　like　so　many　tongueless　mouths；　though　the　rain　had　washed　him　almost　clean。
　Robb　had　donned　his　crown　before　ing　to　the　hall；　and　the　bronze　shone　darkly　in　the　torchlight。　Shadows　hid　his　eyes　as　he　looked　upon　the　dead。　Does　he　see　Bran　and　Rickon　as　well？　She　might　have　wept；　but　there　were　no　tears　left　in　her。　The　dead　boys　were　pale　from　long　imprisonment；　and　both　had　been　fair；　against　their　smooth　white　skin；　the　blood　was　shockingly　red；　unbearable　to　look　upon。　Will　they　lay　Sansa　down　naked　beneath　the　Iron　Throne　after　they　have　killed　her？
　Will　her　skin　seem　as　white；　her　blood　as　red？　From　outside　came　the　steady　wash　of　rain　and　the　restless　howling　of　a　wolf。
　Her　brother　Edmure　stood　to　Robb's　right；　one　hand　upon　the　back　of　his　father's　seat；　his　face　still　puffy　from　sleep。　They　had　woken　him　as　they　had　her；　pounding　on　his　door　in　the　black　of　night　to　yank　him　rudely　from　his　dreams。　Were　they　good　dreams；　brother？　Do　you　dream　of　sunlight　and　laughter　and　a　maiden's　kisses？　I　pray　you　do。　Her　own　dreams　were　dark　and　laced　with　terrors。
　Robb's　captains　and　lords　bannermen　stood　about　the　hall；　some　mailed　and　armed；　others　in　various　states　of　dishevelment　and　undress。　Ser　Raynald　and　his　uncle　Ser　Rolph　were　among　them；　but　Robb　had　seen　fit　to　spare　his　queen　this　ugliness。　The　Crag　is　not　far　from　Casterly　Rock；　Catelyn　recalled。　leyne　may　well　have　played　with　these　boys　when　all　of　them　were　children。
　She　looked　down　again　upon　the　corpses　of　the　squires　Tion　Frey　and　Willem　Lannister；　and　waited　for　her　son　to　speak。
　It　seemed　a　very　long　time　before　Robb　lifted　his　eyes　from　the　bloody　dead。　〃Smalljon；〃　he　said；　〃tell　your　father　to　bring　them　in。〃　Wordless；　Smalljon　Umber　turned　to　obey；　his　steps　echoing　in　the　great　stone　hall。
　As　the　Greatjon　marched　his　prisoners　through　the　doors；　Catelyn　made　note　of　how　some　other　men　stepped　back　to　give　them　room；　as　if　treason　could　somehow　be　passed　by　a　touch；　a　glance；　a　cough。　The　captors　and　the　captives　looked　much　alike；　big　men；　every　one；　with　thick　beards　and　long　hair。　Two　of　the　Greatjon's　men　were　wounded；　and　three　of　their　prisoners。　only　the　fact　that　some　had　spears　and　others　empty　scabbards　served　to　set　them　apart。　All　were　clad　in　mail　hauberks　or　shirts　of　sewn　rings；　with　heavy　boots　and　thick　cloaks；　some　of　wool　and　some　of　fur。　The　north　is　hard　and　cold；　and　has　no　mercy；　Ned　had　told　her　when　she　first　came　to　Winterfell　a　thousand　years　ago。
　〃Five；〃　said　Robb　when　the　prisoners　stood　before　him；　wet　and　silent。　〃Is　that　all　of　them？〃
　〃There　were　eight；〃　rumbled　the　Greatjon。　〃We　killed　two　taking　them；　and　a　third　is　dying　now。〃
　Robb　studied　the　faces　of　the　captives。　〃It　required　eight　of　you　to　kill　two　unarmed　squires。〃
　Edmure　Tully　spoke　up。　〃They　murdered　two　of　my　men　as　well；　to　get　into　the　tower。　Delp　and　Elwood。〃
　〃It　was　no　murder；　ser；〃　said　Lord　Rickard　Karstark；　no　more　disfited　by　the　ropes　about　his　wrists　than　by　the　blood　that　trickled　down　his　face。　〃Any　man　who　steps　between　a　father　and　his　vengeance　asks　for　death。〃
　His　words　rang　against　Catelyn's　ears；　harsh　and　cruel　as　the　pounding　of　a　war　drum。　Her　throat　was　dry　as　bone。　I　did　this。　These　two　boys　died　so　my　daughters　might　live。
　〃I　saw　your　sons　die；　that　night　in　the　Whispering　Wood；〃　Robb　told　Lord　Karstark。　〃Tion　Frey　did　not　kill　Torrhen。　Willem　Lannister　did　not　slay　Eddard。　How　then　can　you　call　this　vengeance？　This　was　folly；　and　bloody　murder。　Your　sons　died　honorably　on　a　battlefield；　with　swords　in　their　hands。〃
　〃They　died；〃　said　Rickard　Karstark；　yielding　no　inch　of　ground。　〃The　Kingslayer　cut　them　down。　These　two　were　of　his　ilk。　Only　blood　can　pay　for　blood。〃
　〃The　blood　of　children？〃　Robb　pointed　at　the　corpses。　〃How　old　were　they？　Twelve；　thirteen？　Squires。〃
　〃Squires　die　in　every　battle。〃
　〃Die　fighting；　yes。　Tion　Frey　and　Willem　Lannister　gave　up　their　swords　in　the　Whispering　Wood。　They　were　captives；