ggk.asongforarbonne-第132部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hat　for　her　as　well。　Everyone　was　being　extraordinarily　obliging；　even　beyond　what　could　be　expected　by　a　ranking　priestess　of　Rian。
　　But　she　was　more　than　that；　and　less。　She　had　left　her　owl　behind；　on　the　isle。　That　had　been；　actually；　the　first　of　the　very　hard　things。
　　This　is；　Rinette　thought；　walking　at　twilight　among　bare　trees　and　evergreens　and　bushes　and　shrubs　and　flowers　that　would　be　glorious　e　spring；　my　own　castle。　One　of　her　castles。　Barbentain　itself　was　another；　and　even　Miraval　was　part　of　her　legacy；　if　one　stretched　a　point　only　a　little。
　　It　was　cold；　but　she　did　not　mind　the　cold。　Winter　was　something　she　could　deal　with。　She　was　still　wearing　the　robes　of　Rian　under　her　grey　cloak。　It　wasn't　as　if　she'd　had　a　great　deal　of　time　to　change　her　garb。　Or　her　sense　of　where　she　belonged　in　the　world。　When　she　had　arisen　this　morning　she　had　been　a　priestess　of　Rian　on　her　holy　Isle；　the　named　successor　to　the　High　Priestess　there；　though　wondering；　with　a　fear　every　one　of　them　had　felt；　if　their　lives　would　stretch　beyond　this　winter。　Or　if　their　destiny　was　fire　in　the　name　of　Gorhaut　and　the　god　it　claimed　to　serve。
　　Then　battle　had　e　today；　screaming　horses　and　men；　blood　and　chaos　in　the　valley；　and　at　the　end；　unlooked…for　amid　helpless　terror；　a　victory　so　plete　the　mind　and　heart　could　scarcely　absorb　it。　She　had　gone　into　the　sanctuary；　to　help　the　High　Priestess　lead　them　through　the　ancient；　holy　ceremony　of　thanksgiving。
　　And　had　e　out　from　under　the　dome　to　find　the　lady　Ariane　de　Carenzu　waiting　for　her　with　a　story　that　changed　her　life　forever。
　　It　was　hard；　it　was　very　hard；　however　she　strove　to　deal　with　this　as　she　had　always　tried　to　deal　with　everything…calmly　and　with　as　much　clarity　as　she　could　mand。　The　lady　of　Carenzu　had　ended　by　telling　her　what　was　obvious　to　any　thinking　person　from　the　moment　the　story　had　begun　to　grow　clear…that　her　place　was　almost　certainly　away　from　the　isle　now。　That　the　blindness　and　inner　sight　of　a　High　Priestess　of　Rian　was　not　what　Arbonne　needed　from　her　after　this。　Everything　had　changed。
　　Ariane　had　said　something　else；　though；　something　unexpected：　that　she　would　defend　with　all　her　own　power　and　honour　any　choice　at　all　that　Rinette　made。　She　had　been　near　to　weeping　as　she　said　that；　Rinette　remembered。　It　was　a　deeply　generous　offer；　but　it　actually　didn't　matter　very　much；　not　really。　Rinette　would　not　have　been　what　she　was　had　she　been　unable　to　see　for　herself　the　clear　truth　of　what　all　of　this　meant。
　　She　was　heir　to　Arbonne。　There　was　no　one　else。　With　the　offer　of　her　hand　in　marriage；　the　future　of　her　country；　of　the　worship　of　holy　Rian；　could　be　safeguarded　for　a　time。　Perhaps　a　very　long　time。　It　was　not　an　awareness　from　which　one　could　turn　away　for　the　familiarity　of　the　small　isle　that　was　all　the　home　she'd　ever　known。　The　paths　of　holy　blindness　and　the　inward　sight　it　might　offer　were　not　to　be　hers　any　more。
　　She　was　not　going　to　follow　the　High　Priestesses　after　all。　Neither　the　one　here；　nor　Beatritz　herself　on　the　island　in　the　sea。　The　High　Priestess　on　Rian's　Island；　the　goddess's　most　holy　servant；　Rinette　thought　suddenly；　putting　her　mind　around　this　for　the　first　time；　was　her　mother's　older　sister。
　　She　shook　her　head。　It　was　going　to　be　very　hard。　She　could　see　them　lighting　torches　in　the　garden　now。　They　were　being　careful　of　her　privacy；　keeping　at　a　distance　from　where　she　walked。　The　light　in　the　west　had　bee　quite　beautiful；　crimson　and　purple　and　a　softer　range　of　dusky　hues　low　down　where　the　sun　was　nearly　gone。　The　garden；　she　could　see；　was　nowhere　near　its　best　in　this　depth　of　winter；　but　Talair　was　far　enough　south　that　there　were　still　hints　of　colour　all　around；　and　the　wind　was　gentler　here；　with　the　walls　and　the　trees　for　shelter。　She　heard　the　sound　of　splashing　water　and　walking　a　little　further　down　a　path　of　small　stones　she　came　to　a　fountain。　The　servants　had　been　here　before　her；　there　were　torches　burning　in　brackets　set　into　the　soil。　She　stood　close　to　one；　holding　her　hands　out　for　warmth。
　　She　was　heir　to　Arbonne。　Heir　to　this　castle　of　Talair　as　well；　for　En　Bertran　had　never　married　and　never　named　anyone　to　succeed　him。　En　Bertran。　The　duke　of　Talair　was　her　father。
　　She　had　seen　him；　of　course；　growing　up　on　the　isle　so　near　this　castle　she　had　seen　him　so　many　times　across　the　water。　She　could　remember　how　she　and　the　other　acolytes　had　spent　countless　evenings　when　they　were　supposed　to　be　asleep　breathlessly　repeating　tales　and　rumours　about　him；　carried　by　the　troubadours　and　joglars　who　came　to　Rian's　Isle。　She　knew　all　about　Bertran　de　Talair　and　Duke　Urté　and　the　beautiful　lady　who　had　died；　Aelis　de　Miraval。　She　even　knew…everyone　knew…the　old　song　Bertran　had　written　for　his　beloved　beside　the　springtime　shores　of　this　same　lake。　What　she　had　never　known　was　that　the　song　was　her　father's　for　her　mother；　that　she　was　a　part　of　that　tale。　She　seemed　to　be；　in　fact；　the　ending　of　the　story。
　　There　was　the　other　man　as　well；　the　one　who　was　soon　to　be　made　king　of　Gorhaut。　He　had　fought　for　Arbonne　today　against　his　own　people。　She　had　seen　him；　too；　twice。　Once　last　spring　and　again　this　morning　when　they　had　e　across　the　lake　to　take　the　countess　from　the　parley。　He　was　a　tall　man；　that　one；　bearded　as　the　northerners　all　were；　grim…looking　with　that；　but　a　message　had　e　from　Rian's　Island　last　spring　that　he　should　be　watched　for；　that　he　was　ing　their　way　and　might　be　important　to　them。　And　only　a　little　while　ago　this　afternoon　Ariane　de　Carenzu；　who　ought；　Rinette　supposed；　to　know　about　such　things；　had　said　that　he　was　a　good　man；　gentler　than　he　looked；　and　wiser；　carrying　burdens　with　which　he　would　need　someone's　help　in　the　days　and　years　to　e。
　　She　wondered　if　he　would　e　to　her　here。　If　it　would　begin　already。　She　wondered　if　her　father　would　e。　Abruptly　she　sat　down　on　one　of　the　stone　benches　by　the　fountain；　ignoring　the　cold。　Cold　was　easy　to　deal　with。　What　had　overtaken　her　today　was　not；　despite　the　self…possession　she　had　managed　to　preserve　with　Ariane。　It　had　been　an　overwhelming　day。　She　wished　she　could　hide；　sleep；　not　dream。　She　wanted　。。。　she　didn't　really　know　what　she　wanted。
　　She　suddenly　felt…and　could　not　remember　feeling　this　way　since　she'd　been　a　small　child…that　she　might　even　cry。　It　wasn't　Ariane's　fault；　it　wasn't　anyone's　fault。　She　was　sitting　in　the　walled　garden　of　her　father's　castle；　and　all　she　knew　of　her　father　were　the　endlessly　traded　stories　about　a　duke　who　wrote　the　finest　music　of　his　day　and　had　fought　in　wars　in　many　countries；　and　who　had　spent　more　than　twenty　years　pursuing　women　all　over　the　world　with　a　flamboyance　that　everyone　knew…everyone　knew…was　a　lifelong　attempt　to　deal　with　the　death　of　the　one　lady　he　had　ever　loved。　Her　mother。
　　I　am　afraid；　Rinette　said　to　herself　suddenly；　and　the　admission；　curiously；　seemed　to　help　her　gather　her　self…control　again。　I　am　not　going　to　burn　alive；　she　admonished　herself　sternly。　None　of　us　are　going　to　burn　now。　We　have　won；　by　grace　of　Rian；　who　has　given　us；　again；　more　than　we　have　ever　deserved　of　her。　These　changes　in　her　life；　she　told　herself；　were　only　that…changes　in　a　life。　Mortal　men　and　women　were　not　to　know…they　could　not　know…what　the　future　held　in　store　for　them；　except　for　the　fleeting；　wayward　glimpses　the　goddess　sometimes　granted　those　who　had　blinded　themselves　in　her　name。
　　That　was　not　to　be　her　path。　Her　path　began　here　in　this　garden；　walking　forth　with　whomever　came　to　lead　her　into　the　brightness　and　the　burdens　shaped　by　what；　it　seemed；　she　was。
　　Surely　it　was　all　right　to　be　a　little　afraid；　though？　Surely　that　could　be　allowed　of　someone　sitting　alone　at　dusk　in　a　winter　garden　dealing　with　the　loss　of　every　expectation　she　had　ever　had　of　her　life？
　　It　was　then　that　she　heard　a　footfall　on　the　walkway；　from　behind　her；　the　way　she　had　e。　She　looked　up　at　the　torches　for　a　moment　and　then；　a　little　blinded；　beyond　them　until　she　could　see　the　stars　again。　She　drew　a　long　breath　and　pushed　her　dark　hair　back　from　her　face。　Then　Rinette　rose；　straight…backed；　holdin