grrm.astormofswords-第124部分

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sons；　how　much　ill　would　have　been　undone？
　As　they　passed　through　the　battleground；　Catelyn　glimpsed　signs　of　the　carnage　that　had　been；　an　overturned　helm　filling　with　rain；　a　splintered　lance；　the　bones　of　a　horse。　Stone　cairns　had　been　raised　over　some　of　the　men　who　had　fallen　here；　but　scavengers　had　already　been　at　them。　Amidst　the　tumbles　of　rock；　she　spied　brightly　colored　cloth　and　bits　of　shiny　metal。　Once　she　saw　a　face　peering　out　at　her；　the　shape　of　the　skull　beginning　to　emerge　from　beneath　the　melting　brown　flesh。
　It　made　her　wonder　where　Ned　had　e　to　rest。　The　silent　sisters　had　taken　his　bones　north；　escorted　by　Hallis　Mollen　and　a　small　honor　guard。　Had　Ned　ever　reached　Winterfell；　to　be　interred　beside　his　brother　Brandon　in　the　dark　crypts　beneath　the　castle？　Or　did　the　door　slam　shut　at　Moat　Cailin　before　Hal　and　the　sisters　could　pass？
　Thirty…five　hundred　riders　wound　their　way　along　the　valley　floor　through　the　heart　of　the　Whispering　Wood；　but　Catelyn　Stark　had　seldom　felt　lonelier。　Every　league　she　crossed　took　her　farther　from　Riverrun；　and　she　found　herself　wondering　whether　she　would　ever　see　the　castle　again。　Or　was　it　lost　to　her　forever；　like　so　much　else？
　Five　days　later；　their　scouts　rode　back　to　warn　them　that　the　rising　waters　had　washed　out　the　wooden　bridge　at　Fairmarket。　Galbart　Glover　and　two　of　his　bolder　men　had　tried　swimming　their　mounts　across　the　turbulent　Blue　Fork　at　Ramsford。　Two　of　the　horses　had　been　swept　under　and　drowned；　and　one　of　the　riders；　Glover　himself　managed　to　cling　to　a　rock　until　they　could　pull　him　in。　〃The　river　hasn't　run　this　high　since　spring〃　Edmure　said。　〃And　if　this　rain　keeps　falling；　it　will　go　higher　yet。〃
　〃There's　a　bridge　further　upstream；　near　Oldstones；〃　remembered　Catelyn；　who　had　often　crossed　these　lands　with　her　father。　〃It's　older　and　smaller；　but　if　it　still　stands…〃
　〃It's　gone；　my　lady；〃　Galbart　Glover　said。　〃Washed　away　even　before　the　one　at　Fairmarket。〃
　Robb　looked　to　Catelyn。　〃Is　there　another　bridge？〃
　〃No。　And　the　fords　will　be　impassable。〃　She　tried　to　remember。　〃If　we　cannot　cross　the　Blue　Fork；　we'll　have　to　go　around　it；　through　Sevenstreams　and　Hag's　Mire。〃
　〃Bogs　and　bad　roads；　or　none　at　all；〃　warned　Edmure。　〃The　going　will　be　slow；　but　we'll　get　there；　I　suppose。〃
　〃Lord　Walder　will　wait；　I'm　sure；〃　said　Robb。　〃Lothar　sent　him　a　bird　from　Riverrun；　he　knows　we　are　ing。〃
　〃Yes；　but　the　man　is　prickly；　and　suspicious　by　nature；〃　said　Catelyn。　〃He　may　take　this　delay　as　a　deliberate　insult。〃
　〃Very　well；　I'll　beg　his　pardon　for　our　tardiness　as　well。　A　sorry　king　I'll　be；　apologizing　with　every　second　breath。〃　Robb　made　a　wry　face。　〃I　hope　Bolton　got　across　the　Trident　before　the　rains　began。　The　kingsroad　runs　straight　north；　he'll　have　an　easy　march。　Even　afoot；　he　should　reach　the　Twins　before　us。〃
　〃And　when　you've　joined　his　men　to　yours　and　seen　my　brother　married；　what　then？〃　Catelyn　asked　him。
　〃North。〃　Robb　scratched　Grey　Wind　behind　an　ear。
　〃By　the　causeway？　Against　Moat　Cailin？〃
　He　gave　her　an　enigmatic　smile。　〃That's　one　way　to　go；〃　he　said；　and　she　knew　from　his　tone　that　he　would　say　no　more。　A　wise　king　keeps　his　own　counsel；　she　reminded　herself。
　They　reached　Oldstones　after　eight　more　days　of　steady　rain；　and　made　their　camp　upon　the　hill　overlooking　the　Blue　Fork；　within　a　ruined　stronghold　of　the　ancient　river　kings。　Its　foundations　remained　amongst　the　weeds　to　show　where　the　walls　and　keeps　had　stood；　but　the　local　smallfolk　had　long　ago　made　off　with　most　of　the　stones　to　raise　their　bams　and　septs　and　holdfasts。　Yet　in　the　center　of　what　once　would　have　been　the　castle's　yard；　a　great　carved　sepulcher　still　rested；　half　hidden　in　waist…high　brown　grass　amongst　a　stand　of　ash。
　The　lid　of　the　sepulcher　had　been　carved　into　a　likeness　of　the　man　whose　bones　lay　beneath；　but　the　rain　and　the　wind　had　done　their　work。　The　king　had　worn　a　beard；　they　could　see；　but　otherwise　his　face　was　smooth　and　featureless；　with　only　vague　suggestions　of　a　mouth；　a　nose；　eyes；　and　the　crown　about　the　temples。　His　hands　folded　over　the　shaft　of　a　stone　warhammer　that　lay　upon　his　chest。　Once　the　warhammer　would　have　been　carved　with　runes　that　told　its　name　and　history；　but　all　that　the　centuries　had　worn　away。　The　stone　itself　was　cracked　and　crumbling　at　the　corners；　discolored　here　and　there　by　spreading　white　splotches　of　lichen；　while　wild　roses　crept　up　over　the　king's　feet　almost　to　his　chest。
　It　was　there　that　Catelyn　found　Robb；　standing　somber　in　the　gathering　dusk　with　only　Grey　Wind　beside　him。　The　rain　had　stopped　for　once；　and　he　was　bareheaded。　〃Does　this　castle　have　a　name？〃　he　asked　quietly；　when　she　came　up　to　him。
　〃Oldstones；　all　the　smallfolk　called　it　when　I　was　a　girl；　but　no　doubt　it　had　some　other　name　when　it　was　still　a　hall　of　kings。〃　She　had　camped　here　once　with　her　father；　on　their　way　to　Seagard。　Petyr　was　with　us　too　。　。　。
　〃There's　a　song；〃　he　remembered。　〃'Jenny　of　Oldstones；　with　the　flowers　in　her　hair。〃'
　〃We're　all　just　songs　in　the　end。　If　we　are　lucky。〃　She　had　played　at　being　jenny　that　day；　had　even　wound　flowers　in　her　hair。　And　Petyr　had　pretended　to　be　her　Prince　of　Dragonflies。　Catelyn　could　not　have　been　more　than　twelve；　Petyr　just　a　boy。
　Robb　studied　the　sepulcher。　〃Whose　grave　is　this？〃
　〃Here　lies　Tristifer；　the　Fourth　of　His　Name；　King　of　the　Rivers　and　the　Hills。〃　Her　father　had　told　her　his　story　once。　〃He　ruled　from　the　Trident　to　the　Neck；　thousands　of　years　before　jenny　and　her　prince；　in　the　days　when　the　kingdoms　of　the　First　Men　were　falling　one　after　the　other　before　the　onslaught　of　the　Andals。　The　Hammer　of　justice；　they　called　him。　He　fought　a　hundred　battles　and　won　nine…and…ninety；　or　so　the　singers　say；　and　when　he　raised　this　castle　it　was　the　strongest　in　Westeros。〃　She　put　a　hand　on　her　son's　shoulder。　〃He　died　in　his　hundredth　battle；　when　seven　Andal　kings　joined　forces　against　him。　The　fifth　Tristifer　was　not　his　equal；　and　soon　the　kingdom　was　lost；　and　then　the　castle；　and　last　of　all　the　line。　With　Tristifer　the　Fifth　died　House　Mudd；　that　had　ruled　the　riverlands　for　a　thousand　years　before　the　Andals　came。〃
　〃His　heir　failed　him。〃　Robb　ran　a　hand　over　the　rough　weathered　stone。　〃I　had　hoped　to　leave　Jeyne　with　child　。　。　。　we　tried　often　enough；　but　I'm　not　certain　。　。　。〃
　〃It　does　not　always　happen　the　first　time。〃　Though　it　did　with　you。　〃Nor　even　the　hundredth。　You　are　very　young。〃
　〃Young；　and　a　king；〃　he　said。　〃A　king　must　have　an　heir。　if　I　should　die　in　my　next　battle；　the　kingdom　must　not　die　with　me。　By　law　Sansa　is　next　in　line　of　succession；　so　Winterfell　and　the　north　would　pass　to　her。〃　His　mouth　tightened。　〃To　her；　and　her　lord　husband。　Tyrion　Lannister。　I　cannot　allow　that。　I　will　not　allow　that。　That　dwarf　must　never　have　the　north。〃
　〃No；〃　Catelyn　agreed。　〃You　must　name　another　heir；　until　such　time　as　Jeyne　gives　you　a　son。〃　She　considered　a　moment。　〃Your　father's　father　had　no　siblings；　but　his　father　had　a　sister　who　married　a　younger　son　of　Lord　Raymar　Royce；　of　the　junior　branch。　They　had　three　daughters；　all　of　whom　wed　Vale　lordlings。　A　Waynwood　and　a　Corbray；　for　certain。　The　youngest　。　。　。　it　might　have　been　a　Templeton；　but　。　。　。〃
　〃Mother。〃　There　was　a　sharpness　in　Robb's　tone。　〃You　forget。　My　father　had　four　sons。〃
　She　had　not　forgotten；　she　had　not　wanted　to　look　at　it；　yet　there　it　was。　〃A　Snow　is　not　a　Stark。〃
　〃Jon's　more　a　Stark　than　some　lordlings　from　the　Vale　who　have　never　so　much　as　set　eyes　on　Winterfell。〃
　It　Jon　is　a　brother　of　the　Night's　Watch；　sworn　to　take　no　wife　and　hold　no　lands。　Those　who　take　the　black　serve　for　life。〃
　〃So　do　the　knights　of　the　Kingsguard。　That　did　not　stop　the　Lannisters　from　stripping　the　white　cloaks　from　Ser　Barristan　Selmy　and　Ser　Boros　Blount　when　they　had　no　more　use　for　them。　If　I　send　the　Watch　a　hundred　men　in　Jon's　place；　I'll　wager　they　find　some　way　to　release　him　from　his　vows。〃
　He　is　set　on　this。　Catelyn　knew　how　stubborn　her　son　could　be。　〃A　bastard　cannot　inherit。〃
　〃Not　unless　he's　legitimized　by　a　royal　decree；〃　said　Robb。　〃There　is　more　precedent　for　that　than　for　releasing　a　Sworn　Brother　from　his　oath。〃
　〃Precedent；〃　she　said　bitterly。　〃Yes；　Aegon　the　Fourth　legitimized　all　his　bastards　on　his　deathbed。　And　how　much　pain；　grief；　war；　and　murder　grew　from　that？　I　know　you　trust　Jon。　But　can　you　trust　his　sons？　Or　their　sons？　The　Blackfyre　pretenders　troubled　the　Targaryens　for　five　generations；　until　Barristan　the　Bold　slew　the　last　of　them　on　the　Stepstones。　If　you　make　Jon　legitimate；　there　is　no　way　to　turn　him　bastard　again。　Should　he　wed　and　breed；　any　sons　you　may　have　by　Jeyne　will　never　be　safe。〃
　〃Jon　would　never　harm　a　son　of　mine。〃
　〃No　more　than　Theon　Greyjoy　would　harm　Bran　or　Rickon？〃
　Grey　Wind　leapt　up　atop　King　Tristifer's　crypt；　his　teeth　bared。　Robb's　own　face　was　cold。　〃That　is　as　cruel　as　it　is　unfair。　Jon　is　no　Theon。〃
　〃So　you　pray。　Have　you　considered　your　sisters？　What　of　their　rights？　I　agree　that　the　north　must　not　be　permitted　to　pass　to　the　imp；　but　what　of　Arya？　By　law；　she　es　after　Sansa　。　。　。　your　own　sister；　trueborn　。　。　。〃
　〃　。　。　。　and　dead。　No　one　has　seen　or　heard　of　Arya　since　they　cut　Father's　head　off。　Why　do　you　lie　to　yourself？　Arya's　gone；　the　same　as　Bran　and　Rickon；　and　they'll　kill　Sansa　too　once　the　dwarf　gets　a　child　from　her。　Jon　is　the　only　brother　that　remains　to　me。　Should　I　die　without　issue；　I　want　him　to　succeed　me　as　King　in　the　North。　I　had　hoped　you　would　support　my　choice。〃
　〃I　cannot；〃　she　said。　〃In　all　else；　Robb。　In　everything。　But　not　in　this　。　。　。　this　folly。　Do　not　ask　it。〃
　〃I　don't　have　to。　I'm　the　king。〃　Robb　turned　and　walked　off；　Grey　Wind　bounding　down　from　the　tomb　and　loping　after　him。
　What　have　I　done？　Catelyn　thought　wearily；　as　she　stood　alone　by　Tristifer's　stone　sepulcher。　First　I　anger　Edmure；　and　now　Robb；　but　all　I　have　done　is　speak　the　truth。　Are　men　so　fragile　they　cannot　bear　to　hear　it？　She　might　have　wept　then；　had　not　the　sky　begun　to　do　it　for　her。　It　was　all　she　could　do　to　walk　back　to　her　tent；　and　sit　there　in　the　silence。
　In　the　days　that　followed；　Robb　was　everywhere　and　anywhere；