grrm.astormofswords-第150部分

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d　a　little　while　later　they　gathered　up　their　shields　and　spears　and　marched　off　north　by　east；　the　same　way　Jon　had　gone。　Bran　wanted　to　leave　too；　to　look　for　Summer；　but　the　Reeds　said　no。　〃We　will　stay　another　night；〃　said　Jojen；　〃put　some　leagues　between　us　and　the　wildlings。　You　don't　want　to　meet　them　again；　do　you？〃　Late　that　afternoon　Summer　returned　from　wherever　he'd　been　hiding；　dragging　his　back　leg。　He　ate　parts　of　the　bodies　in　the　inn；　driving　off　the　crows；　then　swam　out　to　the　island。　Meera　had　drawn　the　broken　arrow　from　his　leg　and　rubbed　the　wound　with　the　juice　of　some　plants　she　found　growing　around　the　base　of　the　tower。　The　direwolf　was　still　limping；　but　a　little　less　each　day；　it　seemed　to　Bran。　The　gods　had　heard。
　〃Maybe　we　should　try　another　castle；〃　Meera　said　to　her　brother。　〃Maybe　we　could　get　through　the　gate　somewhere　else。　I　could　go　scout　if　you　wanted；　I'd　make　better　time　by　myself。〃
　Bran　shook　his　head。　〃If　you　go　east　there's　Deep　Lake；　then　Queensgate。　West　is　Icemark。　But　they'll　be　the　same；　only　smaller。　All　the　gates　are　sealed　except　the　ones　at　Castle　Black；　Eastwatch；　and　the　Shadow　Tower。〃
　Hodor　said；　〃Hodor；〃　to　that；　and　the　Reeds　exchanged　a　look。　〃At　least　I　should　climb　to　the　top　of　the　Wall；〃　Meera　decided。　〃Maybe　I'll　see　something　up　there。〃
　〃What　could　you　hope　to　see？〃　Jojen　asked。
　〃Something；〃　said　Meera；　and　for　once　she　was　adamant。
　It　should　be　me。　Bran　raised　his　head　to　look　up　at　the　Wall；　and　imagined　himself　climbing　inch　by　inch；　squirming　his　fingers　into　cracks　in　the　ice　and　kicking　footholds　with　his　toes。　That　made　him　smile　in　spite　of　everything；　the　dreams　and　the　wildlings　and　Jon　and　everything。　He　had　climbed　the　walls　of　Winterfell　when　he　was　little；　and　all　the　towers　too；　but　none　of　them　had　been　so　high；　and　they　were　only　stone。　The　Wall　could　look　like　stone；　all　grey　and　pitted；　but　then　the　clouds　would　break　and　the　sun　would　hit　it　differently；　and　all　at　once　it　would　transform；　and　stand　there　white　and　blue　and　glittering。　It　was　the　end　of　the　world；　Old　Nan　always　said。　On　the　other　side　were　monsters　and　giants　and　ghouls；　but　they　could　not　pass　so　long　as　the　Wall　stood　strong。　I　want　to　stand　on　top　with　Meera；　Bran　thought。　I　want　to　stand　on　top　and　see。
　But　he　was　a　broken　boy　with　useless　legs；　so　all　he　could　do　was　watch　from　below　as　Meera　went　up　in　his　stead。
　She　wasn't　really　climbing；　the　way　he　used　to　climb。　She　was　only　walking　up　some　steps　that　the　Night's　Watch　had　hewn　hundreds　and　thousands　of　years　ago。　He　remembered　Maester　Luwin　saying　the　Nightfort　was　the　only　castle　where　the　steps　had　been　cut　from　the　ice　of　the　Wall　itself。　Or　maybe　it　had　been　Uncle　Benjen。　The　newer　castles　had　wooden　steps；　or　stone　ones；　or　long　ramps　of　earth　and　gravel。　Ice　is　too　treacherous。　It　was　his　uncle　who'd　told　him　that。　He　said　that　the　outer　surface　of　the　Wall　wept　icy　tears　sometimes；　though　the　core　inside　stayed　frozen　hard　as　rock。　The　steps　must　have　melted　and　refrozen　a　thousand　times　since　the　last　black　brothers　left　the　castle；　and　every　time　they　did　they　shrunk　a　little　and　got　smoother　and　rounder　and　more　treacherous。
　And　smaller。　It's　almost　like　the　Wall　was　swallowing　them　back　into　itself。　Meera　Reed　was　very　surefooted；　but　even　so　she　was　going　slowly；　moving　from　nub　to　nub。　in　two　places　where　the　steps　were　hardly　there　at　all　she　got　down　on　all　fours。　It　will　be　worse　when　she　es　down；　Bran　thought；　watching。　Even　so；　he　wished　it　was　him　up　there。　When　she　reached　the　top；　crawling　up　the　icy　knobs　that　were　all　that　remained　of　the　highest　steps；　Meera　vanished　from　his　sight。
　〃When　will　she　e　down？〃　Bran　asked　Jojen。
　〃When　she　is　ready。　She　will　want　to　have　a　good　look　。　。　。　at　the　Wall　and　what's　beyond。　We　should　do　the　same　down　here。〃
　〃Hodor？〃　said　Hodor；　doubtfully。
　〃We　might　find　something；〃　Jojen　insisted。
　Or　something　might　find　us。　Bran　couldn't　say　it；　though；　he　did　not　want　Jojen　to　think　he　was　craven。
　So　they　went　exploring；　Jojen　Reed　leading；　Bran　in　his　basket　on　Hodor's　back；　Summer　padding　by　their　side。　Once　the　direwolf　bolted　through　a　dark　door　and　returned　a　moment　later　with　a　grey　rat　between　his　teeth。　The　Rat　Cook；　Bran　thought；　but　it　was　the　wrong　color；　and　only　as　big　as　a　cat。　The　Rat　Cook　was　white；　and　almost　as　huge　as　a　sow　。　。　。
　There　were　a　lot　of　dark　doors　in　the　Nightfort；　and　a　lot　of　rats。　Bran　could　hear　them　scurrying　through　the　vaults　and　cellars；　and　the　maze　of　pitch…black　tunnels　that　connected　them。　Jojen　wanted　to　go　poking　around　down　there；　but　Hodor　said　〃Hodor〃　to　that；　and　Bran　said　〃No。〃　There　were　worse　things　than　rats　down　in　the　dark　beneath　the　Nightfort。
　〃This　seems　an　old　place；〃　Jojen　said　as　they　walked　down　a　gallery　where　the　sunlight　fell　in　dusty　shafts　through　empty　windows。
　〃Twice　as　old　as　Castle　Black；〃　Bran　said；　remembering。　〃It　was　the　first　castle　on　the　Wall；　and　the　largest。〃　But　it　had　also　been　the　first　abandoned；　all　the　way　back　in　the　time　of　the　Old　King。　Even　then　it　had　been　three…quarters　empty　and　too　costly　to　maintain。　Good　Queen　Alysanne　had　suggested　that　the　Watch　replace　it　with　a　smaller；　newer　castle　at　a　spot　only　seven　miles　east；　where　the　Wall　curved　along　the　shore　of　a　beautiful　green　lake。　Deep　Lake　had　been　paid　for　by　the　queen's　jewels　and　built　by　the　men　the　Old　King　had　sent　north；　and　the　black　brothers　had　abandoned　the　Nightfort　to　the　rats。
　That　was　two　centuries　past；　though。　Now　Deep　Lake　stood　as　empty　as　the　castle　it　had　replaced；　and　the　Nightfort　。　。　。
　〃There　are　ghosts　here；〃　Bran　said。　Hodor　had　heard　all　the　stories　before；　but　Jojen　might　not　have。　〃Old　ghosts；　from　before　the　Old　King；　even　before　Aegon　the　Dragon；　seventy…nine　deserters　who　went　south　to　be　outlaws。　One　was　Lord　Ryswell's　youngest　son；　so　when　they　reached　the　barrowlands　they　sought　shelter　at　his　castle；　but　Lord　Ryswell　took　them　captive　and　returned　them　to　the　Nightfort。　The　Lord　mander　had　holes　hewn　in　the　top　of　the　Wall　and　he　put　the　deserters　in　them　and　sealed　them　up　alive　in　the　ice。　They　have　spears　and　horns　and　they　all　face　north。　The　seventy…nine　sentinels；　they're　called。　They　left　their　posts　in　life；　so　in　death　their　watch　goes　on　forever。　Years　later；　when　Lord　Ryswell　was　old　and　dying；　he　had　himself　carried　to　the　Nightfort　so　he　could　take　the　black　and　stand　beside　his　son。　He'd　sent　him　back　to　the　Wall　for　honor's　sake；　but　he　loved　him　still；　so　he　came　to　share　his　watch。〃
　They　spent　half　the　day　poking　through　the　castle。　Some　of　the　towers　had　fallen　down　and　others　looked　unsafe；　but　they　climbed　the　bell　tower　（the　bells　were　gone）　and　the　rookery　（the　birds　were　gone）。　Beneath　the　brewhouse　they　found　a　vault　of　huge　oaken　casks　that　boomed　hollowly　when　Hodor　knocked　on　them。　They　found　a　library　（the　shelves　and　bins　had　collapsed；　the　books　were　gone；　and　rats　were　everywhere）。
　They　found　a　dank　and　dim…lit　dungeon　with　cells　enough　to　hold　five　hundred　captives；　but　when　Bran　grabbed　hold　of　one　of　the　rusted　bars　it　broke　off　in　his　hand。　Only　one　crumbling　wall　remained　of　the　great　hall；　the　bathhouse　seemed　to　be　sinking　into　the　ground；　and　a　huge　thornbush　had　conquered　the　practice　yard　outside　the　armory　where　black　brothers　had　once　labored　with　spear　and　shield　and　sword。　The　armory　and　the　forge　still　stood；　however；　though　cobwebs；　rats；　and　dust　had　taken　the　places　of　blades；　bellows；　and　anvil。　Sometimes　Summer　would　hear　sounds　that　Bran　seemed　deaf　to；　or　bare　his　teeth　at　nothing；　the　fur　on　the　back　of　his　neck　bristling　。　。　。　but　the　Rat　Cook　never　put　in　an　appearance；　nor　the　seventy…nine　sentinels；　nor　Mad　Axe。　Bran　was　much　relieved。　Maybe　it　is　only　a　ruined　empty　castle。
　By　the　time　Meera　returned；　the　sun　was　only　a　sword's　breath　above　the　western　hills。　〃What　did　you　see？〃　her　brother　Jojen　asked　her。
　〃I　saw　the　haunted　forest；〃　she　said　in　a　wistful　tone。　〃Hills　rising　wild　as　far　as　the　eye　can　see；　covered　with　trees　that　no　axe　has　ever　touched。　I　saw　the　sunlight　glinting　off　a　lake；　and　clouds　sweeping　in　from　the　west。　I　saw　patches　of　old　snow；　and　icicles　long　as　pikes。　I　even　saw　an　eagle　circling。　I　think　he　saw　me　too。　I　waved　at　him。〃
　〃Did　you　see　a　way　down？〃　asked　Jojen。
　She　shook　her　head。　〃No。　It's　a　sheer　drop；　and　the　ice　is　so　smooth　I　might　be　able　to　make　the　descent　if　I　had　a　good　rope　and　an　axe　to　chop　out　handholds；　but　。　。　。〃
　〃　。　。　。　but　not　us；〃　Jojen　finished。
　〃No；〃　his　sister　agreed。　〃Are　you　sure　this　is　the　place　you　saw　in　your　dream？　Maybe　we　have　the　wrong　castle。〃
　〃No。　This　is　the　castle。　There　is　a　gate　here。〃
　Yes；　thought　Bran；　but　it's　blocked　by　stone　and　ice。
　As　the　sun　began　to　set　the　shadows　of　the　towers　lengthened　and　the　wind　blew　harder；　sending　gusts　of　dry　dead　leaves　rattling　through　the　yards。　The　gathering　gloom　put　Bran　in　mind　of　another　of　Old　Nan's　stories；　the　tale　of　Night's　King。　He　had　been　the　thirteenth　man　to　lead　the　Night's　Watch；　she　said；　a　warrior　who　knew　no　fear。　〃And　that　was　the　fault　in　him；〃　she　would　add；　〃for　all　men　must　know　fear。〃　A　woman　was　his　downfall；　a　woman　glimpsed　from　atop　the　Wall；　with　skin　as　white　as　the　moon　and　eyes　like　blue　stars。　Fearing　nothing；　he　chased　her　and　caught　her　and　loved　her；　though　her　skin　was　cold　as　ice；　and　when　he　gave　his　seed　to　her　he　gave　his　soul　as　well。
　He　brought　her　back　to　the　Nightfort　and　proclaimed　her　a　queen　and　himself　her　king；　and　with　strange　sorceries　he　bound　his　Sworn　Brothers　to　his　will。　For　thirteen　years　they　had　ruled；　Night's　King　and　his　corpse　queen；　till　finally　the　Stark　of　Winterfell　and　Joramun　of　the　wildlings　had　joined　to　free　the　Watch　from　bondage。　After　his　fall；　when　it　was　found　he　had　been　sacrificing　to　the　Others；　all　records　of　Night's　King　had　been　destroyed；　his　very　name　forbidden。
　〃Some　say　he　was　a　Bolton；〃　Old　Nan　would　always　end。　〃Some　say　a　Magnar　out　of　Skagos；　some　say　Umber；　Flint；　or　Norrey。　Some　would　have　you　think　he　was　a　Woodfoot；　from　them　who　ruled　Bear　island　before　the　ironmen　came。　He　never　was。　He　was　a　Stark；　the　brother　of　the　man　who　brought　him　down