ggk.asongforarbonne-第113部分

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r　light　for　the　first　sign　of　those　they　were　to　fight。　He　was　uneasily　aware　that　besides　the　eerie　precognition　of　the　High　Priestess；　the　only　thing　that　had　given　them　even　a　chance　to　reach　Lake　Dierne　with　an　army　in　time　had　been　the　disciplined；　prudent　caution　of　Thierry　de　Carenzu。
　　The　stupefying　surprise　of　a　winter　invasion　through　the　mountains　would　have　caught　Arbonne　hopelessly　unprepared…no　one　risked　the　passes　in　large　numbers　in　winter…had　the　duke　of　Carenzu　not　issued　orders　at　the　end　of　the　Lussan　Fair　in　the　countess's　name　for　a　gradual　assembling　of　the　armies　of　Arbonne　under　the　barons　and　dukes。　The　idea　was　to　have　them　armed　and　trained　in　the　castles　over　the　winter　months；　in　preparation　for　the　spring　assault　they　all　expected。
　　Blaise　had　never　been　fortable　with　men　who　preferred　their　own　sex　in　bed；　and　his　nights　with　Ariane　had　rather　plicated　this　particular　issue；　but　he　had　to　acknowledge　a　rapidly　growing　respect　for　the　duke　of　Carenzu。　Thierry　was　sober　and　pragmatic　and　conspicuously　reliable。　In　a　country　where　the　two　other　most　important　noblemen　were　the　dukes　of　Talair　and　Miraval　these　were　not；　Blaise　concluded；　inconsiderable　virtues。
　　Because　of　these　preparations；　when　word　had　e　that　Gorhaut　was　actually　through　the　pass　and　ing　down　from　the　mountains；　the　men　of　Arbonne　had　been　far　more　prepared　than　they　otherwise　would　have　been。　They　were　able　to　move　with　order　and　some　speed…though　the　southern　roads　were　muddy　with　the　winter　rains…north　towards　Barbentain；　and　from　there；　when　Beatritz's　message　came；　here　to　Talair　and　the　lake。
　　Bertran's　own　corans　had　been　waiting　for　them　and　Blaise　knew　the　soldiers　of　Miraval　were　not　far　away；　but　these　were　lost　to　their　army　now；　if　not　worse。
　　For　the　hundredth　time　since　that　meeting　in　Barbentain　four　days　ago　Blaise　found　himself　wrestling　with　the　wisdom　of　the　countess's　decision　to　name　Bertran　to　lead　the　armies。　She　had　to　have　known　that　Urté　would　react　as　he　had。　Even　Blaise；　an　oblivious　stranger　to　that　bitter　tale　only　a　year　ago；　could　have　guessed　how　Urté　would　bridle　at　submitting　to　Bertran's　authority。　Granting　that　de　Talair　was　the　obvious　man　to　lead　Arbonne；　was　that　worth　fifteen　hundred　men？　Would　Thierry　de　Carenzu　have　been　so　terrible　a　choice？
　　Or　was　it　possible　that　Signe　had　expected　Urté　to　rise　above　what　lay　between　Talair　and　Miraval；　with　so　much　at　stake　now？　With　everything；　really；　in　the　balance。　If　so；　she　had　been　wrong；　and　Blaise　was　well…enough　versed　in　the　histories　of　war　to　know　that　Arbonne　would　not　be　the　first　country　to　fall　to　an　invader　because　it　could　not　set　aside　its　own　internal　wars。
　　On　Bertran's　castle　ramparts　in　the　brilliant　sunlight　he　shook　his　head　but　kept　grimly　silent；　as　he　had　in　the　council　chamber　and　ever　since。　In　some　ways　it　might　all　be　purely　a　matter　for　historians　and　dry　philosophers　to　e：　the　men　who　picked　over　the　bones　of　dead　years　like　the　scavengers　who　came　out　at　night　after　a　battle　to　despoil　the　slain　and　dying。
　　The　stark　reality　today　was　that　even　with　the　corans　of　Miraval　they　would　have　needed　an　enormous　number　of　mercenaries　to　have　had　any　real　chance　of　defending　themselves；　and　the　winter　invasion　had　eliminated　that　possibility。　They　were　brutally　outnumbered　by　the　army　Ademar　of　Gorhaut　had　brought　safely　through　the　mountains。　Ademar；　and　Galbert：　Blaise　knew；　as　surely　as　he　knew　anything　in　the　world；　that　this　winter　war　was　his　father's　stratagem…cunning　and　long　planning　mingled　with　a　sublime；　unwavering　certainty　that　the　god　would　see　him　through　the　pass。　And　the　frightening　thing；　of　course；　was　that　Corannos　had。　The　army　of　Gorhaut；　which　was　the　army　of　the　god；　was　in　Arbonne；　and　Blaise；　looking　north　from　the　ramparts　with　Bertran　and　Fulk　de　Savaric　and　others；　felt　fear　like　a　hard　object　lodge　against　his　heart。
　　Only　fools　and　madmen　do　not　know　fear　before　a　battle。　His　first　captain　had　told　him　that；　and　Blaise　had　offered　the　same　reassurance　over　the　years　to　young　men　under　his　mand。　He　was　positive；　though；　that　his　father　had　no　fear　just　now；　riding　here　in　pursuit　of　his　life's　long　dream。　What　that　meant；　he　really　didn't　know。
　　〃We'll　array　ourselves　at　the　south…east　end　of　the　valley；〃　he　heard　Bertran　explaining　to　the　three　men　who　had　just　joined　them。　Barons　from　the　south。　One　of　them　was　Mallin　de　Baude。　He　and　Blaise　had　had　time　for　no　more　than　a　quick　greeting　and　an　exchange　of　glances。　There　might　never　be　time　for　more。　〃The　castle　and　the　lake；〃　Bertran　went　on；　〃will　be　behind　us　so　they　can't　flank　around。　There　is　a　slight　slope　downward…if　you　look　closely　you　can　see　it…in　the　valley　to　the　west　that　will　help。　It'll　give　the　archers　a　little　more　distance　if　nothing　else。〃　Bertran；　Blaise　thought；　knew　this　land　like　a　melody　from　his　childhood。　He　surprised　himself　with　the　image。　Perhaps；　he　thought；　he　should　start　being　less　surprised：　he　was　among　the　army　of　Arbonne；　after　all。
　　〃What　about　Rian's　Isle？〃　one　of　the　new　barons　asked。　〃Can　they　reach　it　from　the　western　shore　of　the　lake　if　we're　leaving　them　access　to　that　side？〃
　　〃No　boats。　We've　brought　them　all　to　our　wharf　or　across　to　the　isle　itself。　I　don't　think　they'll　be　thinking　about　that　in　any　case　until　they're　done　with　us。〃　Bertran's　voice　was　calm。　Blaise　was　impressed；　though　not　especially　surprised：　he'd　had　some　time　now　to　take　the　measure　of　this　man。　He　trusted　him　and　he　liked　him；　and　only　a　year　ago　he　wouldn't　have　expected　either　to　ever　be　true。
　　Bertran　was　bareheaded　as　always；　and　without　armour；　clad　in　his　usual　outdoor　garb　of　unassuming　brown　hues。　When　Blaise　had　first　seen　him　riding　up　to　Baude　Castle　last　spring　those　rough…spun　clothes　had　seemed　a　perverse　affectation　on　the　part　of　a　lord　of　such　immense　power　and　wealth；　now；　in　a　curious　fashion；　Bertran's　appearance　seemed　entirely　apt　to　a　war…leader　on　the　eve　of　a　battle。　It　was　as　if；　in　some　inexplicable　manner；　de　Talair　had　always　been　readying　himself　for　this。　Blaise　wondered　if　that　might　actually　be　true：　he　remembered…another　image　crowding　in…the　biting；　sardonic　verses　the　duke　had　sung　in　Baude　Castle　about　Ademar　and　Galbert　and　Daufridi　of　Valensa。　The　man　who　had　written　those　words　might　well　have　anticipated　a　response　to　them。　The　first　response　had　been　an　arrow　dipped　in　syvaren；　Blaise　recalled；　glancing　at　Rudel　a　little　further　along　the　wall　walk。　The　second　response　seemed　to　be　war。
　　He　looked　away　west。　The　massive　Arch　of　the　Ancients　shone　in　the　sunlight　at　the　end　of　its　elms。　A　little　nearer　he　saw　the　strand　beside　the　roadway　where　six　corans　of　Miraval　had　killed　his　horse　and　pack　pony　and　then　died　by　his　arrows。　He　remembered　the　young　priestess　from　the　isle　ing　to　bear　him　to　Talair。　We　have　been　waiting　for　you；　she　had　said；　assured　and　arrogant　as　they　all　seemed　to　be。　He　had　never　properly　understood　what　they　had　meant。　It　was　part　of　the　same　unsettling　web　of　mystery　that　had　brought　them　here　now　in　response　to　Beatritz's　warning。
　　Who　knows　what　the　women　do　when　they　go　out　in　the　woods　at　night？　His　father's　words　once；　before　burning　another　presumed　witch　on　Garsenc　lands。　He　preferred　not　to　remember　such　things。　There　would　be　fires　here；　though；　an　almost　unimaginable　inferno　if　Galbert　conquered。　With　some　effort　Blaise　forced　himself　to　push　that　thought　away；　to　think　back；　instead；　to　the　music　that　had　been　playing　as　he'd　entered　this　castle　for　the　first　time　beside　Valery　that　day　in　spring。　It　seemed　a　long　time　ago。
　　Fulk　de　Savaric　moved　closer；　resting　his　elbows　on　the　stone　in　front　of　them。　Without　taking　his　eyes　from　the　northern　end　of　the　valley；　he　murmured　wryly；　〃Do　you　have　anything　extremely　clever　in　mind？〃
　　Blaise's　mouth　twitched。　〃Of　course　I　do；〃　he　said；　matching　Fulk's　tone。　〃I　intend　to　challenge　Ademar　to　single　bat。　When　he　foolishly　accepts　I'll　kill　him；　take　mand　of　his　grateful　army　and　we'll　all　ride　home　to　Gorhaut　in　time　for　spring　planting。〃
　　Fulk　gave　a　snort　of　amusement。　〃Sounds　good　to　me；〃　he　said。　〃Do　I　get　to　deal　with　you