rj.thegreathunt-第50部分

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　　　　　　　〃We　will　find　another。　You　said　they　were　scattered　all　over；　and　if　they're　all　like　this　…　all　this　stonework　around　them　…　it　should　not　be　too　hard　to　find　one。〃
　　　　　　　〃Rand；　that　fragment　said　the　Stones　came　from　an　older　Age　than　the　Age　of　Legends；　and　even　the　Aes　Sedai　then　did　not　understand　them；　though　they　used　them；　some　of　the　truly　powerful　did。　They　used　them　with　the　One　Power；　Rand。　How　did　you　think　to　use　this　Stone　to　take　us　back？　Or　any　other　Stone　we　find？〃
　　　　　　　For　a　moment　Rand　could　only　stare　at　the　Ogier；　thinking　faster　than　he　ever　had　in　his　life。　〃If　they　are　older　than　the　Age　of　Legends；　maybe　the　people　who　built　them　didn't　use　the　Power。　There　must　be　another　way。　The　Darkfriends　got　here；　and　they　certainly　couldn't　use　the　Power。　Whatever　this　other　way　is；　I　will　find　it　out。　I　will　get　us　back；　Loial。〃　He　looked　at　the　tall　stone　column　with　its　odd　markings；　and　felt　a　prickle　of　fear。　Light；　if　only　I　don't　have　to　use　the　Power　to　do　it。　〃I　will；　Loial；　I　promise。　One　way　or　another。〃
　　　　　　　The　Ogier　gave　a　doubtful　nod。　He　swung　up　onto　his　huge　horse　and　followed　Rand　up　the　steps　to　join　Hurin　among　the　blackened　trees。
　　　　　　　The　land　stretched　out；　low　and　rolling；　sparsely　forested　here　and　there　with　grassland　between；　crossed　by　more　than　one　stream。　In　the　middle　distance　Rand　thought　he　could　see　another　burned　patch。　It　was　all　pale；　the　colors　washed。　There　was　no　sign　of　anything　made　by　men　except　the　stone　circle　behind　them。　The　sky　was　empty；　no　chimney　smoke；　no　birds；　only　a　few　clouds　and　the　pale　yellow　sun。
　　　　　　　Worst　of　all；　though；　the　land　seemed　to　twist　the　eye。　What　was　close　at　hand　looked　all　right；　and　what　was　seen　straight　ahead　in　the　distance。　But　whenever　Rand　turned　his　head；　things　that　appeared　distant　when　seen　from　the　corner　of　his　eye　seemed　to　rush　toward　him；　to　be　nearer　when　he　stared　straight　at　them。　It　made　for　dizziness；　even　the　horses　whickered　nervously　and　rolled　their　eyes。　He　tried　moving　his　head　slowly；　the　apparent　movement　of　things　that　should　have　been　fixed　was　still　there；　but　it　seemed　to　help　a　little。
　　　　　　　〃Did　your　piece　of　a　book　say　anything　about　this？〃　Rand　asked。
　　　　　　　Loial　shook　his　head；　then　swallowed　hard　as　if　he　wished　he　had　kept　it　still。　〃Nothing。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　suppose　there's　nothing　to　do　for　it。　Which　way；　Hurin？〃
　　　　　　　〃South；　Lord　Rand。〃　The　sniffer　kept　his　eyes　on　the　ground。
　　　　　　　〃South；　then。〃　There　has　to　be　a　way　back　besides　using　the　Power。　Rand　heeled　Red's　flanks。　He　tried　to　make　his　voice　lighthearted；　as　if　he　saw　no　difficulty　at　all　in　what　they　were　about。　〃What　was　it　Ingtar　said？　Three　or　four　days　to　that　monument　to　Artur　Hawkwing？　I　wonder　if　that　exists　here；　too；　the　way　the　Stones　do。　If　this　is　a　world　that　could　be；　maybe　it's　still　standing。　Wouldn't　that　be　something　to　see；　Loial？〃
　　　　　　　They　rode　south。


　
Chapter　14
（Wolf）
Wolf　brother

　　　　　　　〃Gone？〃　Ingtar　demanded　of　the　air。　〃And　my　guards　saw　nothing。　Nothing！　They　cannot　just　be　gone！〃
　　　　　　　Listening；　Perrin　hunched　his　shoulders　and　looked　at　Mat；　who　stood　a　little　way　off　frowning　and　muttering　to　himself。　Arguing　with　himself　was　how　Perrin　saw　it。　The　sun　was　peeking　over　the　horizon；　past　time　for　them　to　have　been　riding。　Shadows　lay　long　across　the　hollow；　stretched　out　and　thinned；　but　still　like　the　trees　that　made　them。　The　packhorses；　loaded　and　on　their　lead　line；　stamped　impatiently；　but　everyone　stood　by　his　mount　and　waited。
　　　　　　　Uno　came　striding　up。　〃Not　a　goat…kissing　track；　my　Lord。〃　He　sounded　offended；　failure　touched　on　his　skill。　〃Burn　me；　not　so　much　as　a　flaming　hoof　scrape。　They　just　bloody　vanished。〃
　　　　　　　〃Three　men　and　three　horses　do　not　just　vanish；〃　Ingtar　growled。　〃Go　over　the　ground　again；　Uno。　If　anyone　can　find　where　they　went；　it's　you。〃
　　　　　　　〃Maybe　they　just　ran　away；〃　Mat　said。　Uno　stopped　and　glared　at　him。　Like　he'd　cursed　an　Aes　Sedai；　Perrin　thought　wonderingly。
　　　　　　　〃Why　would　they　run　away？〃　Ingtar's　voice　was　dangerously　soft。　〃Rand；　the　Builder；　my　sniffer　…　my　sniffer！　…　why　would　any　of　them　run；　much　less　all　three？〃
　　　　　　　Mat　shrugged。　〃I　don't　know。　Rand　was　。。。〃　Perrin　wanted　to　throw　something　at　him；　hit　him；　anything　to　stop　him；　but　Ingtar　and　Uno　were　watching。　He　felt　a　flood　of　relief　when　Mat　hesitated；　then　spread　his　hands　and　muttered；　〃I　don't　know　why。　I　just　thought　maybe　they　had。〃
　　　　　　　Ingtar　grimaced。　〃Ran　away；〃　he　growled　as　if　he　did　not　believe　it　for　an　instant。　〃The　Builder　can　go　as　he　will；　but　Hurin　would　not　run　away。　And　neither　would　Rand　al'Thor。　He　would　not；　he　knows　his　duty；　now。　Go　on；　Uno。　Search　the　ground　again。〃　Uno　gave　a　half　bow　and　hurried　away；　sword　hilt　bobbing　over　his　shoulder。　Ingtar　grumbled；　〃Why　would　Hurin　leave　like　that；　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　without　a　word？　He　knows　what　we're　about。　How　am　I　to　track　this　Shadow…spawned　filth　without　him？　I　would　give　a　thousand　gold　crowns　for　a　pack　of　trail　hounds。　If　I　did　not　know　better；　I　would　say　the　Darkfriends　managed　this　so　they　can　slip　east　or　west　without　me　knowing。　Peace；　I　don't　know　if　I　do　know　better。〃　He　stumped　off　after　Uno。
　　　　　　　Perrin　shifted　uneasily。　The　Darkfriends　were　doubtless　getting　further　away　with　every　minute。　Getting　further　away；　and　with　them　the　Horn　of　Valere　…　and　the　dagger　from　Shadar　Logoth。　He　did　not　think　that　Rand；　whatever　he　had　bee；　whatever　had　happened　to　him；　would　abandon　that　chase。　But　where　did　he　go；　and　why？　Loial　might　go　with　Rand　for　friendship　…　but　why　Hurin？
　　　　　　　〃Maybe　he　did　run　away；〃　he　muttered；　then　looked　around。　No　one　appeared　to　have　heard；　even　Mat　was　not　paying　him　any　mind。　He　scrubbed　a　hand　through　his　hair。　If　Aes　Sedai　had　been　after　him　to　be　a　false　Dragon；　he　would　have　run；　too。　But　worrying　about　Rand　was　doing　nothing　to　help　track　the　Darkfriends。
　　　　　　　There　was　a　way；　perhaps；　if　he　was　willing　to　take　it。　He　did　not　want　to　take　it。　He　had　been　running　away　from　it；　but　perhaps；　now；　he　could　no　longer　run。　Serves　me　right　for　what　I　told　Rand。　I　wish　I　could　run。　Even　knowing　what　he　could　do　to　help　…　what　he　had　to　do　…　he　hesitated。
　　　　　　　No　one　was　looking　at　him。　No　one　would　know　what　they　were　seeing　even　if　they　did　look。　Finally；　reluctantly；　he　closed　his　eyes　and　let　himself　drift；　let　his　thoughts　drift；　out；　away　from　him。
　　　　　　　He　had　tried　denying　it　from　the　first；　long　before　his　eyes　began　to　change　from　dark　brown　to　burnished　golden　yellow。　At　that　first　meeting；　that　first　instant　of　recognition；　he　had　refused　to　believe；　and　he　had　run　from　the　recognition　ever　since。　He　still　wanted　to　run。
　　　　　　　His　thoughts　drifted；　feeling　for　what　must　be　out　there；　what　was　always　out　there　in　country　where　men　were　few　or　far　between；　feeling　for　his　brothers。　He　did　not　like　to　think　of　them　that　way；　but　they　were。
　　　　　　　In　the　beginning　he　had　been　afraid　that　what　he　did　had　some　taint　of　the　Dark　One；　or　of　the　One　Power　…　equally　bad　for　a　man　who　wanted　nothing　more　than　to　be　a　blacksmith　and　live　his　life　in　the　Light；　and　in　peace。　From　that　time；　he　knew　something　of　how　Rand　felt；　afraid　of　himself；　feeling　unclean。　He　was　still　not　past　that　entirely。　This　thing　he　did　was　older　than　humans　using　the　One　Power；　though；　something　from　the　birth　of　Time。　Not　the　Power；　Moiraine　had　told　him。　Something　long　vanished；　now　e　again。　Egwene　knew；　too；　though　he　wished　she　did　not。　He　wished　no　one　did。　He　hoped　she　had　not　told　anyone。
　　　　　　　Contact。　He　felt　them；　felt　other　minds。　Felt　his　brothers；　the　wolves。
　　　　　　　Their　thoughts　came　to　him　as　a　whirlpool　blend　of　images　and　emotions。　At　first　he　had　not　been　able　to　make　out　anything　except　the　raw　emotion；　but　now　his　mind　put　words　to　them。　Wolfbrother。　Surprise。　Two…legs　that　talks。　A　faded　image；　dim　with　time；　old　beyond　old；　of　men　running　with　wolves；　two　packs　hunting　together。　We　have　heard　this　es　again。　You　are　Long　Tooth？
　　　　　　　It　was　a　faint　picture　of　a　man　dressed　in　clothes　made　of　hides；　with　a　long　knife　in　his　hand；　but　overlaid　on　the　image；　more　central；　was　a　shaggy　wolf　with　one　tooth　longer　than　the　rest；　a　steel　tooth　gleaming　in　the　sunlight　as　the　wolf　led　the　pack　in　a　desperate　charge　through　deep　snow　toward　the　deer　that　would　mean　life　instead　of　slow　death　by　starvation；　and　the　deer　thrashing　to　run　in　powder　to　their　bellies；　and　the　sun　glinting　on　the　white　until　it　hurt　the　eyes；　and　the　wind　howling　down　the　passes；　swirling　the　fine　snow　like　mist；　and。。。　Wolves'　names　were　always　plex　images。
　　　　　　　Perrin　recognized　the　man。　Elyas　Machera；　who　had　first　introduced　him　to　wolves。　Sometimes　he　wished　he　had　never　met　Elyas。
　　　　　　　No；　he　thought；　and　tried　to　picture　himself　in　his　mind。
　　　　　　　Yes。　We　have　heard　of　you。
　　　　　　　It　was　not　the　image　he　had　made；　a　young　man　with　heavy　shoulders　and　shaggy；　brown　curls；　a　young　man　with　an　axe　at　his　belt；　who　others　thought　moved　and　thought　slowly。　That　man　was　there；　somewhere　in　the　mind　picture　that　came　from　the　wolves；　but　stronger　by　far　was　a　massive；　wild　bull　with　curved　horns　of　shining　metal；　running　through　the　night　with　the　speed　and　exuberance　of　youth；　curly…haired　coat　gleaming　in　the　moonlight；　flinging　himself　in　among　Whitecloaks　on　their　horses；　with　the　air　crisp　and　cold　and　dark；　and　blood　so　red　on　the　horns；　and。。。
　　　　　　　Young　Bull。
　　　　　　　For　a　moment　Perrin　lost　the　contact　in　his　shock。　He　had　not　dreamed　they　had　given　him　a　name。　He　wished　he　could　not　remember　how　he　had　earned　it。　He　touched　the　axe　at　his　belt；　with　its　gleaming；　half…moon　blade。　Light　help　me；　I　killed　two　men。　They　would　have　killed　me　even　quicker；　and　Egwene；　but。。。
　　　　　　　Pushing　all　that　aside　…　it　was　done　and　behind　him；　he　had　no　wish　to　remember　any　of　it　…　he　gave　the　wolves　the　smell　of　Rand；　of　Loial　and　Hurin；　and　asked　if　they　had　scented　the　three。　It　was　one　of　the　things　that　had　e　to　him　with　the　change　in　his　eyes；　he　could　identify　people　by　their　smell　even　when　he　could　not　see　them。　He　could　see　more　sharply；　too；　see　in　anything　but　pitch…darkness。　He　was　always　careful　to　light　lamps　or　candles；　now；　some