rj.acrownofswords-第24部分

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studied　the　country　the　column　crossed；　still　wary　of　an　ambush。　Dashiva　slumped　in　his　saddle　like　a　sack；　and　muttered　darkly　to　himself　when　he　had　to　run；　he　glared　as　if　he　hoped　there　was　an　ambush。
　　　Small　chance　of　that。　Sulin　and　a　dozen　Far　Dareis　Mai　trotted　ahead　of　the　column　in　Perrin's　sight；　with　as　many　more　farther　ahead；　probing　the　way；　and　an　equal　number　on　the　flanks。　Some　had　thrust　their　short　spears　into　the　harnesses　that　held　their　bow　cases　on　their　backs；　so　the　spearheads　bobbed　above　their　heads；　the　short　horn　bows　were　out；　arrows　nocked。　They　kept　equally　sharp　watch　for　anything　that　might　threaten　the　Car'a'carn　and　on　Rand　himself；　as　though　they　suspected　he　might　vanish　again。　If　any　trap　waited；　any　danger　approached；　they　would　find　it。
　　　Chiad　was　one　of　the　Maidens　with　Sulin；　a　tall　woman　with　dark　reddish　hair　and　gray　eyes。　Perrin　stared　at　her　back；　willing　her　to　drop　behind　the　others　and　speak　to　him。　Now　and　then　she　spared　him　a　glance；　but　she　avoided　him　as　if　he　had　three　diseases；　all　catching。　Bain　was　not　with　the　column；　most　of　the　Maidens　followed　much　the　same　route　with　Rhuarc　and　the　algai'd'siswai；　but　moving　more　slowly　because　of　the　wagons　and　prisoners。
　　　Faile's　black　mare　trotted　behind　Stepper；　her　reins　tied　to　his　saddle。　The　Two　Rivers　men　had　brought　Swallow　from　Caemlyn　when　they　joined　him　before　Dumai's　Wells。　Every　time　he　looked　at　the　mare　prancing　along　behind　him；　his　wife's　face　swelled　in　his　thoughts；　her　bold　nose　and　generous　mouth；　flashing　dark　eyes　tilted　above　high　cheekbones。　She　loved　the　animal；　maybe　almost　as　much　as　she　did　him。　A　woman　as　proud　as　she　was　beautiful；　as　fiery　as　she　was　proud。　Davram　Bashere's　daughter　would　not　hide；　or　even　hold　her　tongue；　not　for　the　likes　of　Colavaere。
　　　Four　times　they　stopped　to　rest　the　mounts；　and　he　ground　his　teeth　at　the　delay。　Taking　good　care　of　horses　was　second　nature　to　him；　he　checked　Stepper　absently；　gave　the　stallion　a　little　water　by　rote。　Swallow　he　was　more　careful　with。　If　Swallow　reached　Cairhien　safely。。。　A　notion　had　planted　itself　in　his　mind。　If　he　brought　her　mare　to　Cairhien；　Faile　would　be　all　right。　It　was　ludicrous；　a　boy's　fancy；　a　small　boy's　foolish　fancy；　and　it　would　not　go　away。
　　　At　each　of　those　stops；　Min　tried　to　reassure　him。　With　a　bantering　grin；　she　said　he　looked　like　death　on　a　winter　morning；　just　waiting　for　somebody　to　shovel　his　grave　full。　She　told　him　if　he　approached　his　wife　with　a　face　like　that；　Faile　would　slam　the　door　on　him。　But　she　had　to　admit　that　none　of　her　viewings　promised　that　Faile　was　unharmed。
　　　〃Light；　Perrin；〃　she　said　at　last　in　exasperated　tones；　snugging　her　gray　riding　gloves；　〃if　anyone　tries　to　harm　the　woman；　she'll　make　him　wait　out　in　the　hall　till　she　has　time　for　him。〃　He　very　nearly　growled　at　her。　It　was　not　that　the　two　disliked　each　other；　exactly。
　　　Loial　reminded　Perrin　that　Hunters　for　the　Horn　could　take　care　of　themselves；　that　Faile　had　survived　Trollocs　unscathed。　〃She　is　well；　Perrin；〃　he　boomed　heartily；　trotting　beside　Stepper　with　his　long　axe　across　his　shoulders。　〃I　know　she　is。〃　But　he　said　the　same　twenty　times；　and　each　time　he　sounded　a　little　less　hearty。
　　　The　Ogier's　final　attempt　at　heartening　went　further　than　Loial　intended。　〃I　am　sure　Faile　can　look　after　herself；　Perrin。　She　is　not　like　Erith。　I　can　hardly　wait　for　Erith　to　make　me　her　husband　so　I　can　tend　her；　I　think　I'd　die　if　she　changed　her　mind。〃　At　the　end　of　that；　his　mouth　remained　open；　and　his　huge　eyes　popped；　ears　fluttering；　he　stumbled　over　his　own　boots　and　nearly　fell。　〃I　never　meant　to　say　that；〃　he　said　hoarsely；　striding　along　beside　Perrin's　horse　once　more。　His　ears　still　trembled。　〃I　am　not　sure　I　want　to　…　I'm　too　young　to　get　…　〃　Swallowing　hard；　he　gave　Perrin　an　accusing　look；　and　spared　one　for　Rand　up　ahead；　too。　〃It　is　hardly　safe　to　open　your　mouth　with　two　ta'veren　about。　Anything　at　all　might　e　out！〃　Nothing　that　might　not　have　e　off　his　tongue　anyway；　as　he　well　knew；　though　it　might　have　happened　one　time　in　a　thousand；　or　a　thousand　times　a　thousand；　without　ta'veren　there。　Loial　knew　that　also；　and　the　fact　of　it　seemed　to　frighten　him　as　much　as　anything　Perrin　had　ever　seen。　Some　considerable　time　passed　before　the　Ogier's　ears　stopped　shaking。
　　　Faile　filled　Perrin's　mind；　but　he　was　not　blind；　not　pletely。　What　he　at　first　saw　without　seeing；　as　they　rode　south　and　west；　began　to　seep　in　at　the　eyes。　The　weather　had　been　hot　when　he　headed　north　from　Cairhien；　less　than　two　weeks　ago；　yet　it　seemed　the　Dark　One's　touch　had　gained　a　harder　hold；　grinding　the　land　more　desperately　than　before。　Brittle　grass　crackled　beneath　the　horses'　hooves；　shriveled　brown　creepers　spiderwebbed　rocks　on　the　hillsides；　and　naked　branches；　not　merely　leafless　but　dead；　cracked　when　the　arid　wind　gusted。　Evergreen　pine　and　leatherleaf　stood　brown　and　yellow　often　as　not。
　　　Farms　had　begun　appearing　after　a　few　miles；　plain　structures　of　dark　stone　laid　out　in　squares；　the　first　in　isolated　clearings　in　the　forest；　then　ing　more　thickly　as　the　woodland　thinned　to　trees　hardly　deserving　the　name。　A　cart　road　straggled　there；　running　over　the　shoulders　and　crests　of　hills；　acmodating　stone…walled　fields　more　than　the　terrain。　Most　of　those　early　farms　looked　deserted；　here　a　ladderback　chair　lying　on　its　side　in　front　of　a　farmhouse；　there　a　rag　doll　by　the　roadside。　Slat…ribbed　cattle　and　lethargic　sheep　dotted　pastures　where　frequently　ravens　squabbled　over　carcasses；　hardly　a　pasture　but　had　a　carcass　or　two。　Streams　ran　in　trickles　down　channels　of　dried　mud。　Cropland　that　should　have　been　blanketed　with　snow　looked　ready　to　crumble　to　dust；　where　it　was　not　dust　already；　blowing　away。
　　　A　tall　plume　of　dust　marked　the　passage　of　the　column；　until　the　narrow　dirt　way　joined　the　broad　stone…paved　road　that　led　from　Jangai　Pass。　Here　there　were　people；　though　few；　and　those　often　lethargic；　dull…eyed。　With　the　sinking　sun　almost　halfway　down　to　the　horizon　now；　the　air　was　an　oven。　The　occasional　ox…cart　or　horse…drawn　wagon　hurried　off　the　road；　down　narrow　tracks　or　even　into　fields；　out　of　the　way。　The　drivers；　and　the　handful　of　farm　folk　in　the　open；　stood　blank…faced　as　they　watched　the　three　banners　pass。
　　　Close　to　a　thousand　armed　men　was　reason　enough　to　stare。　A　thousand　armed　men；　heading　somewhere　in　a　hurry；　with　a　purpose。　Reason　enough　to　stare；　and　be　thankful　when　they　passed　out　of　sight。
　　　At　last；　when　the　sun　had　less　than　twice　its　own　height　yet　to　fall；　the　road　topped　a　rise；　and　there　two　or　three　miles　before　them　lay　Cairhien。　Rand　drew　rein；　and　the　Maidens；　all　together　now；　dropped　to　their　heels　where　they　were。　They　kept　those　sharp　eyes　out；　though。
　　　Nothing　could　be　seen　moving　on　the　nearly　treeless　hills　around　the　city；　a　great　mass　of　gray　stone　sinking　toward　the　River　Alguenya　on　the　west；　square…walled；　square…towered　and　stark。　Ships　of　all　sizes　lay　anchored　in　the　river；　and　some　tied　to　the　docks　of　the　far　bank；　where　the　granaries　were；　a　few　vessels　moved　under　sail　or　long　sweeps。　They　gave　an　impression　of　peace　and　prosperity。　With　not　a　cloud　in　the　sky；　the　light　was　sharp；　and　the　huge　banners　flying　from　the　city's　towers　stood　plain　enough　to　Perrin　when　the　wind　unfurled　them。　The　scarlet　Banner　of　Light　and　the　white　Dragon　Banner　with　its　serpentine　creature　scaled　scarlet　and　gold；　the　wavy…rayed　Rising　Sun　of　Cairhien；　gold　on　blue。　And　a　fourth；　given　equal　prominence　with　the　rest。　A　silver　diamond　on　a　field　checked　yellow　and　red。
　　　Lowering　a　small　looking　glass　from　his　eye；　a　scowling　Dobraine　stuffed　it　into　a　worked…leather　tube　tied　to　his　saddle。　〃I　hoped　the　savages　had　it　wrong　somehow；　but　if　House　Saighan　flies　with　the　Rising　Sun；　Colavaere　has　the　throne。　She　will　have　been　distributing　gifts　in　the　city　every　day；　coin；　food；　finery。　It　is　traditional　for　the　Coronation　Festival。　A　ruler　is　never　more　popular　than　for　the　week　after　taking　the　throne。〃　He　eyed　Rand　sideways；　the　strain　of　speaking　straight　out　hollowed　his　face。　〃The　moners　could　riot　if　they　dislike　what　you　do。　The　streets　could　run　with　blood。〃
　　　Havien's　gray　gelding　danced　his　rider's　impatience；　and　the　man　himself　kept　looking　from　Rand　to　the　city　and　back。　It　was　not　his　city；　he　had　made　it　clear　earlier　that　he　cared　little　what　ran　in　the　streets；　so　long　as　his　own　ruler　was　safe。
　　　For　long　moments　Rand　studied　the　city。　Or　seemed　to；　anyway；　whatever　he　saw；　his　face　was　bleak。　Min　studied　him；　worriedly；　maybe　pityingly。　〃I　will　try　to　see　they　don't；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃Flinn；　remain　here　with　the　soldiers。　Min　…　〃
　　　She　broke　in　on　him　sharply。　〃No！　I　am　going　where　you　go；　Rand　al'Thor。　You　need　me；　and　you　know　it。〃　The　last　sounded　more　plea　than　demand；　but　when　a　woman　planted　her　fists　on　her　hips　that　way　and　fixed　her　eyes　to　you；　she　was　not　begging。
　　　〃I　am　going；　too；〃　Loial　added；　leaning　on　his　long…hafted　axe。　〃You　always　manage　to　do　things　when　I'm　somewhere　else。〃　His　voice　took　on　a　plaintive　edge。　〃It　won't　do；　Rand。　It　will　not　do　for　the　book。　How　can　I　write　about　things　if　I　am　not　there？〃
　　　Still　looking　at　Min；　Rand　half…raised　a　hand　toward　her；　then　let　it　fall。　She　met　his　gaze　levelly。
　　　〃This　is。。。　madness。〃　Holding　his　reins　stiffly；　Dashiva　booted　the　plump　mare　closer　to　Rand's　black。　Reluctance　twisted　his　features；　perhaps　even　Asha'man　worried　at　being　too　near　Rand。　〃All　it　needs　is　one　man　with　a。。。　a　bow；　or　a　knife；　and　you　don't　see　him　in　time。　Send　one　of　the　Asha'man　to　do　what　needs　doing；　or　more；　if　you　think　it's　necessary。　A　gateway　to　the　palace；　and　it　can　be　done　before　anyone　knows　what　has　happened。〃
　　　〃And　sit　here　past　dark；〃　Rand　cut　in；　reining　his　gelding　around　to　face　Dashiva；　〃until　they　know　this　place　well　enough　to　open　one？　That　way　brings　bloodshed　for　sure。　They've　seen　us　from　the　walls；　unless　they're　blind。　Sooner　or　later　they　will　send　somebody　to　find　out　who　we　are；　and　how　many。〃　The　rest　of　the　column　remained　hidden　behind　the　rise；　and　the　banners　were　down　there；　too；　but　m