rj.theshadowrising-第79部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　　　　　〃Where　are　Bain　and　Chiad？〃　Faile　said。　〃It　will　take　them　an　hour　to　catch　up　now。　I　wish　they　would　ride。　I　offered　to　buy　them　horses；　and　they　looked　offended。　Well；　we　need　to　walk　the　horses　anyway　after　that；　to　let　them　cool　down。〃
　　　　　　　Perrin　held　back　from　telling　her　she　did　not　know　as　much　of　Aiel　as　she　thought　she　did。　He　could　see　the　city　walls　behind　them；　and　the　Stone　rearing　above　like　a　mountain。　He　could　even　make　out　the　sinuous　shape　on　the　banner　waving　over　the　fortress；　and　the　displaced　birds　swirling　about；　neither　of　the　others　could　have。　It　was　no　difficulty　at　all　to　see　three　people　running　toward　them　in　long；　ground…eating　strides；　their　flowing　ease　belying　the　pace。　He　did　not　think　he　could　have　run　that　fast；　not　for　long；　but　the　Aiel　had　to　have　maintained　their　speed　from　the　Stone　to　be　this　close　behind。
　　　　　　　〃We'll　not　have　to　wait　that　long；〃　he　said。
　　　　　　　Faile　frowned　back　toward　the　city。　〃Is　that　them？　Are　you　certain？〃　Abruptly　the　frown　shifted　to　him　for　a　moment；　daring　him　to　answer。　Asking　him　had　been　too　much　like　admitting　he　was　part　of　her　party；　of　course。　〃He　is　very　boastful　of　his　eyesight；〃　she　told　Loial；　〃but　his　memory　is　not　very　good。　At　times　I　think　he　would　forget　to　light　a　candle　at　night　if　I　did　not　remind　him。　I　expect　he's　seen　some　poor　family　running　from　what　they　think　is　an　earthquake；　don't　you？〃
　　　　　　　Loial　shifted　unfortably　in　his　saddle；　sighing　heavily；　and　muttered　something　about　humans　that　Perrin　doubted　was　plimentary。　Faile　did　not　notice；　of　course。
　　　　　　　Not　too　many　minutes　later；　Faile　stared　at　Perrin　as　the　three　Aiel　drew　close　enough　for　her　to　make　out；　but　she　said　nothing。　In　this　mood；　she　was　not　about　to　admit　he　had　been　right　about　anything；　not　if　he　said　the　sky　was　blue。　The　Aiel　were　not　even　breathing　hard　when　they　slowed　to　a　halt　beside　the　horses。
　　　　　　　〃It　is　too　bad　it　was　not　a　longer　run。〃　Bain　shared　a　smile　with　Chiad；　and　both　gave　Gaul　a　sly　look。
　　　　　　　〃Else　we　could　have　run　this　Stone　Dog　into　the　ground；〃　Chiad　said　as　if　finishing　the　other　woman's　sentence。　〃That　is　why　Stone　Dogs　take　their　vows　not　to　retreat。　Stone　bones　and　stone　heads　make　them　too　heavy　to　run。〃
　　　　　　　Gaul　took　no　offense；　though　Perrin　noticed　he　stood　where　he　could　keep　an　eye　on　Chiad。　〃Do　you　know　why　Maidens　are　so　often　used　as　scouts；　Perrin？　Because　they　can　run　so　far。　And　that　es　from　being　afraid　some　man　might　want　to　marry　them！　A　Maiden　will　run　a　hundred　miles　to　avoid　that。〃
　　　　　　　〃Very　wise　of　them；〃　Faile　said　tartly。　〃Do　you　need　to　rest？〃　she　asked　the　Aiel　women；　and　looked　surprised　when　they　denied　it。　She　turned　to　Loial　anyway。　〃Are　you　ready　to　go　on？　Good。　Find　me　this　Waygate；　Loial。　We　have　stayed　here　too　long。　If　you　let　a　stray　puppy　stay　close　to　you；　it　begins　to　think　you　will　take　care　of　it；　and　that　will　never　do。〃
　　　　　　　〃Faile；〃　Loial　protested；　〃are　you　not　carrying　this　too　far？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　will　carry　it　as　far　as　I　must；　Loial。　The　Waygate？〃
　　　　　　　Ears　sagging；　Loial　puffed　out　a　heavy　breath　and　turned　his　horse　eastward　again。　Perrin　let　him　and　Faile　get　a　dozen　paces　ahead　before　he　and　Gaul　followed。　He　must　play　by　her　rules；　but　he　would　play　them　at　least　as　well　as　she。
　　　　　　　The　farms；　cramped　little　places　with　rough　stone　houses　Perrin　would　not　have　used　to　shelter　animals；　grew　more　scattered　the　farther　east　they　rode；　and　the　thickets　smaller；　until　there　were　neither　farms　nor　thickets；　only　a　rolling；　hilly　grassland。　Grass　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　unbroken　except　for　patches　of　bush　here　and　there　on　a　hill。
　　　　　　　Horses　dotted　the　green　slopes；　too；　in　clumps　of　a　dozen　or　herds　of　a　hundred；　the　famed　Tairen　stock。　Large　or　small；　each　gathering　of　horses　was　under　the　eyes　of　a　shoeless　boy　or　two；　mounted　bareback。　The　boys　carried　long…handled　whips　that　they　used　to　keep　the　horses　together；　or　turn　them；　cracking　the　whips　expertly　to　turn　a　stray　without　ever　ing　close　to　the　animal's　hide。　They　kept　their　charges　clear　of　the　strangers；　moving　them　back　if　necessary；　but　they　watched　the　passage　of　this　odd　pany　…　two　humans　and　an　Ogier　mounted；　plus　three　of　the　fierce　Aiel　that　stories　said　had　taken　the　Stone　…　with　the　bold　curiosity　of　the　young。
　　　　　　　It　was　all　a　pleasing　sight　to　Perrin。　He　liked　horses。　Part　of　the　reason　he　had　asked　to　be　apprenticed　to　Master　Luhhan　had　been　the　chance　to　work　with　horses；　not　that　there　were　so　many　as　this　in　Emond's　Field；　nor　so　fine。
　　　　　　　Not　so　Loial。　The　Ogier　began　muttering　to　himself；　louder　the　farther　they　rode　across　the　grassy　hills；　until　at　last　he　burst　out　in　a　deep　bass　rumble。　〃Gone！　All　gone；　and　for　what？　Grass。　Once　this　was　an　Ogier　grove。　We　did　no　great　works　here；　not　to　pare　with　Manetheren；　or　the　city　you　call　Caemlyn；　but　enough　that　a　grove　was　planted。　Trees　of　every　kind；　from　every　land　and　place。　The　Great　Trees；　towering　a　hundred　spans　into　the　sky。　All　tended　devotedly；　to　remind　my　people　of　the　stedding　they　had　left　to　build　things　for　men。　Men　think　it　is　the　stonework　we　prize；　but　that　is　a　trifling　thing；　learned　during　the　Long　Exile；　after　the　Breaking。　It　is　the　trees　we　love。　Men　thought　Manetheren　my　people's　greatest　triumph；　but　we　knew　it　to　be　the　grove　there。　Gone；　now。　Like　this。　Gone；　and　it　will　not　e　again。〃
　　　　　　　Loial　stared　at　the　hills；　bare　save　for　grass　and　horses；　with　a　hard　face；　his　ears　drawn　back　tight　to　his　head。　He　smelled　of。。。　fury。　Peaceful；　most　stories　called　Ogier；　almost　as　pacific　as　the　Traveling　People；　but　some；　a　few；　named　them　implacable　enemies。　Perrin　had　only　seen　Loial　angry　once　before。　Perhaps　he　had　been　angry　last　night；　defending　those　children。　Looking　at　Loial's　face；　an　old　saying　came　back　to　him。　〃To　anger　the　Ogier　and　pull　the　mountains　down　on　your　head。〃　Everyone　took　its　meaning　as　to　try　to　do　something　that　was　impossible。　Perrin　thought　maybe　the　meaning　had　changed　with　the　years。　Maybe　in　the　beginning；　it　had　been　〃Anger　the　Ogier；　and　you　pull　the　mountains　down　on　your　head。〃　Difficult　to　do；　but　deadly　if　acplished。　He　did　not　think　he　would　ever　want　Loial　…　gentle；　fumbling　Loial　with　his　broad　nose　always　in　a　book　…　to　bee　angry　with　him。
　　　　　　　It　was　Loial　who　took　the　lead　once　they　reached　the　site　of　the　vanished　Ogier　grove；　bending　their　path　a　little　southward。　There　were　no　landmarks；　but　he　was　sure　of　his　direction；　surer　with　every　pace　of　the　horses。　Ogier　could　feel　a　Waygate；　sense　it　somehow；　find　it　as　certainly　as　a　bee　could　find　the　hive。　When　Loial　finally　dismounted；　the　grass　was　little　more　than　knee…high　on　him。　There　was　only　a　thick　clump　of　brush　to　be　seen；　taller　than　most；　leafy　shrubs　as　tall　as　the　Ogier。　He　ripped　it　all　away　almost　regretfully；　stacking　it　to　one　side。　〃Perhaps　the　boys　with　the　horses　can　use　it　for　firewood　when　it　dries。〃
　　　　　　　And　there　was　the　Waygate。
　　　　　　　Rearing　against　the　side　of　the　hill；　it　appeared　more　a　length　of　gray　wall　than　a　gate；　and　the　wall　of　a　palace　at　that；　thickly　carved　in　leaves　and　vines　so　finely　done　that　they　seemed　almost　as　alive　as　the　bushes　had　been。　Three　thousand　years　at　least　it　had　stood　there；　but　not　a　trace　of　weathering　marred　its　surface。　Those　leaves　could　have　rippled　with　the　next　breeze。
　　　　　　　For　a　moment　they　all　stared　at　it　silently；　until　Loial　took　a　deep　breath　and　put　his　hand　on　the　one　leaf　that　was　different　from　any　other　on　the　Waygate。　The　trefoil　leaf　of　Avendesora；　the　fabled　Tree　of　Life。　Until　the　moment　his　huge　hand　touched　it；　it　seemed　as　much　a　part　of　the　carving　as　all　the　rest；　but　it　came　away　easily。
　　　　　　　Faile　gasped　loudly；　and　even　the　Aiel　murmured。　The　air　was　full　of　the　smell　of　unease；　there　was　no　saying　who　it　came　from。　All　of　them；　perhaps。
　　　　　　　The　stone　leaves　did　seem　to　stir　from　an　unfelt　breeze　now；　they　took　a　tinge　of　green；　of　life。　Slowly　a　split　appeared　down　the　middle；　and　the　halves　of　the　Waygate　opened　out；　revealing　not　the　hill　behind；　but　a　dull　shimmering　that　faintly　reflected　their　images。
　　　　　　　〃Once；　it　is　said；〃　Loial　murmured；　〃the　Waygates　shone　like　mirrors；　a