grrm.astormofswords-第126部分

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　〃Roose　Bolton　will　have　the　rearguard；　while　I　mand　the　center。　Greatjon；　you　shall　lead　the　van　against　Moat　Cailin。　Your　attack　must　be　so　fierce　that　the　ironborn　have　no　leisure　to　wonder　if　anyone　is　creeping　down　on　them　from　the　north。〃
　The　Greatjon　chuckled。　〃Your　creepers　best　e　fast；　or　my　men　will　swarm　those　walls　and　win　the　Moat　before　you　show　your　face。　I'll　make　a　gift　of　it　to　you　when　you　e　dawdling　up。〃
　〃That's　a　gift　I　should　be　glad　to　have；〃　said　Robb。
　Edmure　was　frowning。　〃You　talk　of　attacking　the　ironmen　in　the　rear；　sire；　but　how　do　you　mean　to　get　north　of　them？〃
　〃There　are　ways　through　the　Neck　that　are　not　on　any　map；　Uncle。　Ways　known　only　to　the　crannogmen…narrow　trails　between　the　bogs；　and　wet　roads　through　the　reeds　that　only　boats　can　follow。〃　He　turned　to　his　two　messengers。　〃Tell　Howland　Reed　that　he　is　to　send　guides　to　me；　two　days　after　I　have　started　up　the　causeway。　To　the　center　battle；　where　my　own　standard　flies。　Three　hosts　will　leave　the　Twins；　but　only　two　will　reach　Moat　Cailin。　Mine　own　battle　will　melt　away　into　the　Neck；　to　reemerge　on　the　Fever。　if　we　move　swiftly　once　my　uncle's　wed；　we　can　all　be　in　position　by　year's　end。　We　will　fall　upon　the　Moat　from　three　sides　on　the　first　day　of　the　new　century；　as　the　ironmen　are　waking　with　hammers　beating　at　their　heads　from　the　mead　they'll　quaff　the　night　before。〃
　〃I　like　this　plan；〃　said　the　Greatjon。　〃I　like　it　well。〃
　Galbart　Glover　rubbed　his　mouth。　〃There　are　risks。　If　the　crannogmen　should　fail　you　。　。　。〃
　〃We　will　be　no　worse　than　before。　But　they　will　not　fail。　My　father　knew　the　worth　of　Howland　Reed。〃　Robb　rolled　up　the　map；　and　only　then　looked　at　Catelyn。　〃Mother。〃
　She　tensed。　〃Do　you　have　some　part　in　this　for　me？〃
　〃Your　part　is　to　stay　safe。　Our　journey　through　the　Neck　will　be　dangerous；　and　naught　but　battle　awaits　us　in　the　north。　But　Lord　Mallister　has　kindly　offered　to　keep　you　safe　at　Seagard　until　the　war　is　done。　You　will　be　fortable　there；　I　know。〃
　Is　this　my　punishment　for　opposing　him　about　Jon　Snow？　Or　for　being　a　woman；　and　worse；　a　mother？　It　took　her　a　moment　to　realize　that　they　were　all　watching　her。　They　had　known；　she　realized。　Catelyn　should　not　have　been　surprised。　She　had　won　no　friends　by　freeing　the　Kingslayer；　and　more　than　once　she　had　heard　the　Greatjon　say　that　women　had　no　place　on　a　battlefield。
　Her　anger　must　have　blazed　across　her　face；　because　Galbart　Glover　spoke　up　before　she　said　a　word。　〃My　lady；　His　Grace　is　wise。　It's　best　you　do　not　e　with　us。〃
　〃Seagard　will　be　brightened　by　your　presence；　Lady　Catelyn；〃　said　Lord　Jason　Mallister。
　〃You　would　make　me　a　prisoner；〃　she　said。
　〃An　honored　guest；〃　Lord　Jason　insisted。
　Catelyn　turned　to　her　son。　〃I　mean　no　offense　to　Lord　Jason；〃　she　said　stiffly；　〃but　if　I　cannot　continue　on　with　you；　I　would　sooner　return　to　Riverrun。〃
　〃I　left　my　wife　at　Riverrun。　I　want　my　mother　elsewhere。　If　you　keep　all　your　treasures　in　one　purse；　you　only　make　it　easier　for　those　who　would　rob　you。　After　the　wedding；　you　shall　go　to　Seagard；　that　is　my　royal　mand。〃　Robb　stood；　and　as　quick　as　that；　her　fate　was　settled。　He　picked　up　a　sheet　of　parchment。　〃One　more　matter。　Lord　Balon　has　left　chaos　in　his　wake；　we　hope。　I　would　not　do　the　same。　Yet　I　have　no　son　as　yet；　my　brothers　Bran　and　Rickon　are　dead；　and　my　sister　is　wed　to　a　Lannister。　I've　thought　long　and　hard　about　who　might　follow　me。　I　mand　you　now　as　my　true　and　loyal　lords　to　fix　your　seals　to　this　document　as　witnesses　to　my　decision。〃
　A　king　indeed；　Catelyn　thought；　defeated。　She　could　only　hope　that　the　trap　he'd　planned　for　Moat　Cailin　worked　as　well　as　the　one　in　which　he'd　just　caught　her。
　
　CHAPTER　46
　SAMWELL
　
　Whitetree；　Sam　thought。　Please；　let　this　be　Whitetree。　He　remembered　Whitetree。　Whitetree　was　on　the　maps　he'd　drawn；　on　their　way　north。　If　this　village　was　Whitetree；　he　knew　where　they　were。　Please；　it　has　to　be。　He　wanted　that　so　badly　that　he　forgot　his　feet　for　a　little　bit；　he　forgot　the　ache　in　his　calves　and　his　lower　back　and　the　stiff　frozen　fingers　he　could　scarcely　feel。　He　even　forgot　about　Lord　Mormont　and　Craster　and　the　wights　and　the　Others。　Whitetree；　Sam　prayed；　to　any　god　that　might　be　listening。
　All　wildling　villages　looked　much　alike；　though。　A　huge　weirwood　grew　in　the　center　of　this　one　。　。　。　but　a　white　tree　did　not　mean　Whitetree；　necessarily。　Hadn't　the　weirwood　at　Whitetree　been　bigger　than　this　one？　Maybe　he　was　remembering　it　wrong。　The　face　carved　into　the　bone　pale　trunk　was　long　and　sad；　red　tears　of　dried　sap　leaked　from　its　eyes。　Was　that　how　it　looked　when　we　came　north？　Sam　couldn't　recall。
　Around　the　tree　stood　a　handful　of　one…room　hovels　with　sod　roofs；　a　longhall　built　of　logs　and　grown　over　with　moss；　a　stone　well；　a　sheepfold　。　。　。　but　no　sheep；　nor　any　people。　The　wildlings　had　gone　to　join　Mance　Rayder　in　the　Frostfangs；　taking　all　they　owned　except　their　houses。　Sam　was　thankful　for　that。　Night　was　ing　on；　and　it　would　be　good　to　sleep　beneath　a　roof　for　once。　He　was　so　tired。　It　seemed　as　though　he　had　been　walking　half　his　life。　His　boots　were　falling　to　pieces；　and　all　the　blisters　on　his　feet　had　burst　and　turned　to　callus；　but　now　he　had　new　blisters　under　the　callus；　and　his　toes　were　getting　frostbitten。
　But　it　was　either　walk　or　die；　Sam　knew。　Gilly　was　still　weak　from　childbirth　and　carrying　the　babe　besides；　she　needed　the　horse　more　than　he　did。　The　second　horse　had　died　on　them　three　days　out　from　Craster's　Keep。　It　was　a　wonder　she　lasted　that　long；　poor　half…starved　thing。　Sam's　weight　had　probably　done　for　her。　They　might　have　tried　riding　double；　but　he　was　afraid　the　same　thing　would　happen　again。　It's　better　that　I　walk。
　Sam　left　Gilly　in　the　longhall　to　make　a　fire　while　he　poked　his　head　into　the　hovels。　She　was　better　at　making　fires；　he　could　never　seem　to　get　the　kindling　to　catch；　and　the　last　time　he'd　tried　to　strike　a　spark　off　flint　and　steel　he　managed　to　cut　himself　on　his　knife。　Gilly　bound　up　the　gash　for　him；　but　his　hand　was　stiff　and　sore；　even　clumsier　than　it　had　been　before。　He　knew　he　should　wash　the　wound　and　change　the　binding；　but　he　was　afraid　to　look　at　it。　Besides；　it　was　so　cold　that　he　hated　taking　off　his　gloves。
　Sam　did　not　know　what　he　hoped　to　find　in　the　empty　houses。　Maybe　the　wildlings　had　left　some　food　behind。　He　had　to　take　a　look。　Jon　had　searched　the　huts　at　Whitetree；　on　their　way　north。　Inside　one　hovel　Sam　heard　a　rustling　of　rats　from　a　dark　corner；　but　otherwise　there　was　nothing　in　any　of　them　but　old　straw；　old　smells；　and　some　ashes　beneath　the　smoke　hole。
　He　turned　back　to　the　weirwood　and　studied　the　carved　face　a　moment。　It　is　not　the　face　we　saw；　he　admitted　to　himself。　The　tree's　not　half　as　big　as　the　one　at　Whitetree。　The　red　eyes　wept　blood；　and　he　didn't　remember　that　either。　Clumsily；　Sam　sank　to　his　knees。　〃Old　gods；　hear　my　prayer。　The　Seven　were　my　father's　gods　but　I　said　my　words　to　you　when　I　joined　the　Watch。　Help　us　now。　I　fear　we　might　be　lost。　We're　hungry　too；　and　so　cold。　I　don't　know　what　gods　I　believe　in　now；　but　。　。　。　please；　if　you're　there；　help　us。　Gilly　has　a　little　son。〃　That　was　all　that　he　could　think　to　say。　The　dusk　was　deepening；　the　leaves　of　the　weirwood　rustling　softly；　waving　like　a　thousand　blood…red　hands。　Whether　Jon's　gods　had　heard　him　or　not　he　could　not　say。
　By　the　time　he　returned　to　the　longhall；　Gilly　had　the　fire　going。　She　sat　close　to　it　with　her　furs　opened；　the　babe　at　her　breast。　He's　as　hungry　as　we　are；　Sam　thought。　The　old　women　had　smuggled　out　food　for　them　from　Craster's；　but　they　had　eaten　most　of　it　by　now。　Sam　had　been　a　hopeless　hunter　even　at　Hom　Hill；　where　game　was　plentiful　and　he　had　hounds　and　huntsmen　to　help　him；　here　in　this　endless　empty　forest；　the　chances　of　him　catching　anything　were　remote。　His　efforts　at　fishing　the　lakes　and　half…frozen　streams　had　been　dismal　failures　as　well。
　〃How　much　longer；　Sam？〃　Gilly　asked。　〃is　it　far；　still？〃
　〃Not　so　far。　Not　so　far　as　it　was。〃　Sam　shrugged　out　of　his　pack；　eased　himself　awkwardly　to　the　floor；　and　tried　to　cross　his　legs。　His　back　ached　so　abominably　from　the　walking　that　he　would　have　liked　to　lean　up　against　one　of　the　carved　wooden　pillars　that　supported　the　roof；　but　the　fire　was　in　the　center　of　the　hall　beneath　the　smoke　hole　and　he　craved　warmth　even　more　than　fort。　〃Another　few　days　should　see　us　there。〃
　Sam　had　his　maps；　but　if　this　wasn't　Whitetree　then　they　weren't　going　to　be　much　use。　We　went　too　far　east　to　get　around　that　lake；　he　fretted；　or　maybe　too　far　west　when　I　tried　to　double　back。　He　was　ing　to　hate　lakes　and　rivers。　Up　here　there　was　never　a　ferry　or　bridge；　which　meant　walking　all　the　way　around　the　lakes　and　searching　for　places　to　ford　the　rivers。　It　was　easier　to　follow　a　game　trail　than　to　struggle　through　the　brush；　easier　to　circle　a　ridge　instead　of　climbing　it。　If　Bannen　or　Dywen　were　with　us　we'd　be　at　Castle　Black　by　now；　warming　our　feet　in　the　mon　room。　Barmen　was　dead；　though；　and　Dywen　gone　with　Grenn　and　Dolorous　Edd　and　the　others。
　The　Wall　is　three　hundred　miles　long　and　seven　hundred　feet　high；　Sam　reminded　himself。　If　they　kept　going　south；　they　had　to　find　it；　sooner　or　later。　And　he　was　certain　that　they　had　been　going　south。　By　day　he　took　directions　from　the　sun；　and　on　clear　nights　they　could　follow　the　Ice　Dragon's　tail；　though　they　hadn't　traveled　much　by　night　since　the　second　horse　had　died。　Even　when　the　moon　was　full　it　was　too　dark　beneath　the　trees；　and　it　would　have　been　so　easy　for　Sam　or　the　last　garron　to　break　a　leg。　We　have　to　be　well　south　by　now；　we　have　to　be。
　What　he　wasn't　so　certain　of　was　how　far　east　or　west　they　might　have　strayed。　They　would　reach　the　Wall；　yes　。　。　。　in　a　day　or　a　fortnight；　it　couldn't　be　farther　than　that；　surely；　surely　。　。　。　but　where？　It　was　the　gate　at　Castle　Black　they　needed　to　find；　the　only　way　through　the　Wall　for　a　hundred　leagues。
　〃Is　the　Wall　as　big　as　Craster　used　to　say？〃　Gilly　asked。
　〃Bigger。〃　Sam　tried　to　sound　cheerful。　〃So　big　you　can't　even　see　the　castles　hidden　behind　it。　But　they're　there；　you'll　see。　The　Wall　is　all　ice；　but　the　castles　are　s