rh.theassassinsapprentice-第87部分

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id　allow　Sevrens　to　tend　him　and　share　his　tent　and　meals。
　　　　　　　For　me；　it　was　almost　a　return　to　a　sort　of　childhood。　My　responsibilities　were　very　limited。　Hands　was　a　genial　panion；　and　it　took　very　little　encouragement　to　have　him　telling　from　his　vast　store　of　tales　and　gossip。　I　often　went　for　almost　the　whole　day　before　I　would　recall　that　at　the　end　of　this　journey；　I　would　kill　a　prince。
　　　　　　　Such　thoughts　usually　came　on　me　when　I　awoke　in　the　dark　part　of　the　night。　Farrow's　sky　seemed　to　be　much　thicker　with　stars　than　the　night　over　Buckkeep；　and　I　would　stare　up　at　them　and　mentally　rehearse　ways　to　put　an　end　to　Rurisk。　There　was　another　chest；　a　tiny　one；　packed　carefully　within　the　bag　that　held　my　clothing　and　personal　items。　I　had　packed　it　with　much　thought　and　anxiety。　For　this　assignment　must　be　carried　out　perfectly。　It　must　be　done　cleanly；　with　not　even　the　tiniest　suspicion　raised。　And　timing　was　critical。　The　Prince　must　not　die　while　we　were　at　Jhaampe。　Nothing　must　cast　the　slightest　shadow　upon　the　nuptials。　Nor　must　he　die　before　the　ceremonies　were　observed　at　Buckkeep　and　the　wedding　safely　consummated；　for　that　might　be　seen　as　an　ill　omen　for　the　couple。　It　would　not　be　an　easy　death　to　arrange。
　　　　　　　Sometimes　I　wondered　why　it　had　been　entrusted　to　me　instead　of　to　Chade。　Was　it　a　test　of　some　sort；　one　that　if　I　failed　would　see　me　put　to　death？　Was　Chade　too　old　for　this　challenge；　or　too　valuable　to　be　risked　for　this？　Could　he　simply　not　be　spared　from　tending　Verity's　health？　And　when　I　reined　my　mind　away　from　these　questions；　I　was　left　wondering　whether　to　use　a　powder　that　would　irritate　Rurisk's　damaged　lungs　so　he　might　cough　himself　to　death。　Perhaps　I　might　treat　his　pillows　and　bedding　with　it。　Should　I　offer　him　a　pain　remedy；　one　that　would　slowly　addict　him　and　lure　him　into　a　sleeping　death？　I　had　a　blood…thinning　tonic。　If　his　lungs　were　chronically　bleeding　already；　it　might　be　enough　to　send　him　on　his　way。　I　had　one　poison；　swift　and　deadly　and　tasteless　as　water；　if　I　could　devise　a　way　to　be　sure　he　would　encounter　it　at　a　safely　distant　time。　None　of　these　were　thoughts　conducive　to　sleep；　and　yet　the　fresh　air　and　the　exercise　of　riding　all　day　were　usually　sufficient　to　counter　them；　and　I　often　awoke　eager　for　the　next　day　of　travel。
　　　　　　　When　we　finally　sighted　Blue　Lake；　it　was　like　a　miracle　in　the　distance。　It　had　been　years　since　I　had　been　so　far　from　the　sea　for　so　long；　and　I　was　surprised　how　wele　the　sight　of　water　was　to　me。　Every　animal　in　our　baggage　train　filled　my　thoughts　with　the　clean　scent　of　water。　The　country　became　greener　and　more　forgiving　as　we　approached　the　great　lake；　and　we　were　hard　put　to　keep　the　horses　from　overgrazing　themselves　at　night。
　　　　　　　Hordes　of　sailboats　plied　their　merchant　trade　on　Blue　Lake；　and　their　sails　were　colored　so　as　to　tell　not　only　what　they　sold；　but　what　family　they　sailed　for。　The　settlements　along　Blue　Lake　were　built　out　on　pilings　into　the　water。　We　were　well　greeted　there；　and　feasted　with　freshwater　fish；　which　tasted　odd　to　my　sea…trained　tongue。　I　felt　myself　quite　the　traveler；　and　Hands　and　I　were　nearly　overwhelmed　with　our　opinions　of　ourselves　when　some　green…eyed　girls　from　a　grain…trading　family　came　giggling　to　our　fireside　one　night。　They　had　brought　with　them　small；　brightly　colored　drums；　each　toned　differently；　and　they　played　and　sang　for　us　until　their　mothers　came　scolding　to　find　them　and　lead　them　home。　It　was　a　heady　experience；　and　I　did　not　think　of　Prince　Rurisk　at　all　that　night。
　　　　　　　West　and　north　we　traveled　now；　ferried　across　Blue　Lake　on　some　flat…bottomed　barges　I　trusted　not　at　all。　On　the　far　side；　we　found　ourselves　suddenly　in　forest　lands；　and　the　hot　days　of　Farrow　became　a　fond　memory。　Our　path　led　us　through　immense　stands　of　cedar；　pricked　here　and　there　with　groves　of　white　paper　birch　and　seasoned　in　burned　areas　with　alder　and　willow。　Our　horses'　hooves　thudded　on　the　black　earth　of　the　forest　trail；　and　the　sweet　smells　of　the　autumn　were　all　around　us。　We　saw　unfamiliar　birds；　and　once　I　glimpsed　a　great　stag　of　a　color　and　kind　I　had　never　seen　before　or　since。　Night　grazing　for　the　horses　was　not　good；　and　we　were　glad　of　the　grain　we　had　bought　from　the　lake　people。　We　lit　fires　at　night；　and　Hands　and　I　shared　a　tent。
　　　　　　　Our　way　led　steadily　uphill　now。　We　wound　our　way　between　the　steepest　slopes；　but　we　were　unmistakably　making　our　way　up　into　the　mountains。　One　afternoon　we　met　with　a　deputation　from　Jhaampe；　sent　to　greet　us　and　guide　us　on　our　way。　After　that；　we　seemed　to　travel　faster；　and　every　evening　we　were　entertained　with　musicians；　poets；　and　jugglers；　and　feasted　with　their　delicacies。　Every　effort　was　made　to　wele　us　and　to　honor　us。　But　I　found　them　passing　strange　and　almost　frightening　in　their　differences。　Often　I　was　forced　to　remind　myself　of　what　both　Burrich　and　Chade　had　taught　me　about　the　courtesies；　while　poor　Hands　withdrew　almost　totally　from　these　new　panions。
　　　　　　　Physically；　most　of　them　were　Chyurda；　and　were　as　I　had　expected　them　to　be：　a　tall；　pale　people；　light　of　hair　and　eye；　and　some　with　hair　as　red　as　a　fox。　They　were　a　brawny　people；　the　women　as　well　as　the　men。　All　seemed　to　carry　a　bow　or　a　sling；　and　they　were　obviously　more　fortable　afoot　than　on　horseback。　They　dressed　in　wool　and　leather；　and　even　the　humblest　wore　fine　furs　as　if　they　were　no　more　than　homespun。　They　strode　alongside　us；　mounted　as　we　were；　and　seemed　to　have　no　difficulty　keeping　up　with　the　horses　all　day。　They　sang　as　they　walked；　long　songs　in　an　ancient　tongue　that　sounded　almost　mournful；　but　were　interspersed　with　shouts　of　victory　or　delight。　I　was　later　to　learn　they　were　singing　us　their　history；　that　we　might　know　better　what　kind　of　a　people　our　prince　was　joining　us　to。　I　gathered　that　they　were；　for　the　most　part；　minstrels　and　poets；　the　〃hospitable〃　ones；　as　their　language　translated　it；　traditionally　sent　to　greet　guests　and　to　make　them　glad　they　had　e　even　before　they　arrived。
　　　　　　　As　the　next　two　days　passed；　our　trail　widened；　for　other　paths　and　roads　fed　into　it　the　closer　we　came　to　Jhaampe。　It　became　a　broad　tradeway；　sometimes　paved　with　a　crushed　white　stone。　And　the　closer　we　came　to　Jhaampe；　the　greater　our　procession　became；　for　we　were　joined　by　contingents　from　villages　and　tribes；　pouring　in　from　the　outer　reaches　of　the　Mountain　Kingdom　to　see　their　princess　pledge　herself　to　the　powerful　Prince　from　the　lowlands。　Soon；　with　dogs　and　horses　and　some　sort　of　goat　they　used　as　pack　beasts；　with　wains　of　gifts　and　folk　of　every　walk　and　degree　trailing　in　families　and　knots　behind　us；　we　came　to　Jhaampe。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　CHAPTER　TWENTY
　　　　　　　Jhaampe
　　　　　　　〃。。。　AND　SO　LET　THEM　e；　the　people　of　who　I　am；　and　when　they　reach　the　city；　let　them　always　be　able　to　say；　'This　is　our　city　and　our　home；　for　however　long　we　wish　to　stay。'　Let　there　always　be　spaces　left；　let　＇words　obscured＇　of　the　herds　and　flocks。　Then　there　will　be　no　strangers　in　Jhaampe；　but　only　neighbors　and　friends；　ing　and　going　as　they　will。〃　And　the　will　of　the　Sacrifice　was　observed　in　this；　as　in　all　things。
　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　So　I　read　years　later；　in　a　fragment　from　a　Chyurda　holy　tablet；　and　so　finally　came　to　understand　Jhaampe。　But　that　first　time；　as　we　rode　up　the　hills　toward　Jhaampe；　I　was　both　disappointed　and　awed　at　what　I　saw。
　　　　　　　The　temples；　palaces；　and　public　buildings　reminded　me　of　the　immense　closed　blossoms　of　tulips；　both　in　color　and　shape。　The　shape　they　owe　to　the　once　traditional　stretched…hide　shelters　of　the　nomads　who　founded　the　city；　the　colors　purely　to　the　mountain　folk's　love　of　color　in　everything。　Every　building　had　been　recently　restained　in　preparation　for　our　ing　and　the　Princess's　nuptials；　and　thus　they　were　almost　garishly　bright。　Shades　of　purple　seemed　to　dominate；　set　off　by　yellows；　but　every　color　was　represented。　It　is　best　pared；　perhaps；　to　chancing　upon　a　patch　of　crocus；　pushing　up　through　snow　and　black　earth；　for　the　bare　black　rocks　of　the　mountains　and　the　dark　evergreens　made　the　bright　colors　of　the　buildings　even　more　impressive：　Additionally；　the