mck.harpistinthewind-第56部分

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　　　　　　　〃He　named　himself；〃　Mathom　said。　〃I　did　not　need　to　dream　that。　Bury　him　here；　where　he　chose　to　die。　Let　him　rest。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　can't；〃　he　whispered；　〃I　was　his　death。　He　knew。　All　that　tune；　he　knew。　I　was　his　destiny；　he　was　mine。　Our　lives　were　one　constant；　twisted　riddle…game。。。　He　forged　the　sword　that　would　kill　him；　and　I　brought　it　here　to　him。　If　I　had　thought。。。　if　1　had　known。。。〃
　　　　　　　〃What　would　you　have　done？　He　did　not　have　the　strength　to　win　this　war；　he　knew　you　would；　if　he　gave　you　his　power。　That　game；　he　won。　Accept　it。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　can't。。。　not　yet。〃　He　put　one　hand　on　the　stones　before　he　left　them。　Then　he　lifted　his　head；　searching　the　sky　for　something　that　he　could　not　find　in　his　mind。　But　its　face　was　pale；　motionless。　〃Where　is　Raederle？〃
　　　　　　　〃She　was　with　me　for　a　while；〃　the　Morgol　said。　Her　face　was　very　quiet；　like　the　winter　morning　that　drew　a　stillness　over　the　world。　〃She　left；　I　thought；　to　look　for　you；　but　perhaps　she　needs　a　time　to　sorrow；　also。〃　He　met　her　eyes。　She　smiled；　touching　his　heart。　〃Morgon；　he　is　dead。　But　for　a　little　while；　you　gave　him　something　to　love。〃
　　　　　　　〃So　did　you；〃　he　whispered。　He　turned　away　then；　to　find　his　own　fort　somewhere　within　his　realm。　He　became　snow　or　air　or　perhaps　he　stayed　himself；　he　was　not　certain；　he　only　knew　he　left　no　footprints　in　the　snow　for　anyone　to　follow。
　　　　　　　He　wandered　through　the　land；　taking　many　shapes；　reworking　broken　bindings；　until　there　was　not　a　tree　or　an　insect　or　a　man　in　the　realm　he　was　not　aware　of；　except　for　one　woman。　The　winds　that　touched　everything　in　their　boundless　curiosity　told　him　of　lords　and　warriors　without　homes　in　Ymris　taking　refuge　in　Astrin's　court；　of　traders　battling　the　seas　to　carry　grain　from　An　and　Herun　and　beer　from　Hed　to　the　war…torn　land。　They　told　him　when　the　vesta　returned　to　Osterland；　and　how　the　King　of　An　bound　his　dead　once　more　into　the　earth　of　the　Three　Portions。　They　listened　to　the　wizards　at　Caithnard　discussing　the　restoration　of　the　great　school　at　Lungold；　while　the　Masters　quietly　answered　the　last　of　the　unanswered　riddles　on　their　lists。　He　felt　Har's　waiting　for　him；　beside　his　whiter　fire；　with　the　wolves　watching　at　his　knees。　He　felt　the　Morgol's　eyes　looking　beyond　her　walls；　beyond　her　hills；　every　now　and　then；　watching　for　him；　watching　for　Raederle；　wondering。
　　　　　　　He　tried　to　put　an　end　to　his　grieving；　sitting　for　days　in　the　wastes；　like　a　tangle　of　old　roots；　piecing　together　the　games　the　harpist　had　played；　action　by　action；　and　understanding　it。　But　understanding　gave　him　no　fort。　He　tried　harping；　with　a　harp　as　vast　as　the　night　sky；　its　face　full　of　stars；　but　even　that　brought　him　no　peace。　He　moved　restlessly　from　cold；　barren　peaks　to　quiet　forests；　and　even　the　hearths　of　taverns　and　farmhouses；　where　he　was　greeted　kindly　as　a　stranger　wandering　in　from　the　cold。　He　did　not　know　what　his　heart　wanted；　why　the　wraith　of　the　harpist　roamed　ceaselessly　through　his　heart　and　would　not　rest。
　　　　　　　He　drew　himself　out　from　under　a　snowdrift　in　the　northern　wastes　one　day；　impelled　south　without　quite　knowing　why。　He　shifted　shapes　all　across　the　realm；　no　shape　gave　him　peace。　He　passed　spring　as　it　came　northward；　the　restlessness　in　him　sharpened。　The　winds　ing　out　of　the　west　and　south　smelled　of　plowed　earth　and　sunlight。　They　strung　his　wind…harp　with　gentler　voices。　He　did　not　feel　gentle。　He　skambled　in　bear…shape　through　forests；　flung　himself　in　falcon…shape　across　the　noon　sun　as　it　crossed　his　path。　He　rode　the　bow　of　a　trade…ship　three　days　as　it　scudded　and　boomed　across　the　sea；　until　the　sailors；　wary　of　his　sea　bird's　strange；　still　eyes；　chased　him　away。　He　followed　the　Ymris　coast；　flying；　crawling；　galloping　with　wild　horses　until　he　reached　the　coast　of　Meremont。　There　he　followed　the　scent　of　his　memories　to　Wind　Plain。
　　　　　　　He　found　on　the　plain　the　shape　of　a　prince　of　Hed；　with　scarred　hands　and　three　stars　on　his　face。　A　battle　echoed　around　him；　stones　fell　soundlessly；　vanished。　The　grass　quivered　like　the　broken　strings　of　a　harp。　A　blade　of　light　from　the　setting　sun　burned　in　his　eyes。　He　turned　away　from　it　and　saw　Raederle。
　　　　　　　She　was　in　Hed；　on　the　beach　above　Tol。　She　was　sitting　on　a　rock；　tossing　bits　of　shell　into　the　sea　as　the　waves　splashed　around　her。　Something　in　her　face；　an　odd　mixture　of　restlessness　and　sadness；　seemed　to　mirror　what　was　in　his　heart。　It　drew　him　like　a　hand。　He　flew　across　the　water；　nickering　in　and　out　of　the　sunlight；　and　took　his　own　shape　on　the　rock　in　front　of　her。
　　　　　　　She　gazed　up　at　him　speechlessly；　a　shell　poised　in　her　hand。　He　found　no　words　either；　he　wondered　if　he　had　forgotten　all　language　in　the　northern　wastes。　He　sat　down　beside　her　after　a　moment；　wanting　to　be　near　her。　He　took　the　shell　from　her　hand　and　tossed　it　into　the　waves。
　　　　　　　〃You　drew　me　all　the　way　down　from　the　northern　wastes；〃　he　said。　〃I　was。。。　I　don't　know　what　I　was。　Something　cold。〃
　　　　　　　She　moved　after　a　moment；　drew　a　strand　of　his　shaggy　hair　out　of　his　eyes。　〃I　wondered　if　you　might　e　here。　I　thought　you　would　e　to　me　when　you　were　ready。〃　She　sounded　resigned　to　something　beyond　his　prehension。
　　　　　　　〃How　could　I　have　e？　I　didn't　know　where　you　were。　You　left　Wind　Plain。〃
　　　　　　　She　stared　at　him　a　moment　〃I　thought　you　knew　everything。　You　are　the　High　One。　You　even　know　what　I　am　going　to　say　next。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　don't；〃　he　said。　He　picked　a　shell　bit　from　a　crevice；　fed　it　to　the　waves。　〃You　aren't　bound　to　my　mind。　I　would　have　been　with　you　long　ago；　except　I　didn't　know　where　in　Hel's　name　to　begin　to　look。〃
　　　　　　　She　was　silent；　watching　him。　He　met　her　eyes　finally；　then　sighed　and　put　his　arm　around　her　shoulders。　Her　hair　smelled　of　salt；　her　face　was　getting　brown　under　the　sun。　〃I'm　wraith…driven；〃　he　said。　〃I　think　my　heart　was　buried　under　that　cairn。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　know。〃　She　kissed　him；　then　slid　down　until　her　head　rested　in　the　hollow　of　his　shoulder。　A　wave　rolled　to　their　feet；　withdrew。　The　dock　at　Tol　was　being　rebuilt；　pine　logs　brought　down　from　the　north…lands　lay　on　the　beach。　She　gazed　across　the　sea　to　Caithnard；　half　in　shadow；　half　in　fading　light。　〃The　College　of　Riddle…Masters　has　been　reopened。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　know。〃
　　　　　　　〃If　you　know　everything；　what　will　we　have　to　talk　about？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　don't　know。　I　suppose　nothing。〃　He　saw　a　ship　cross　the　sea　from　Tol；　carrying　a　Prince　of　Hed　and　a　harpist　The　ship　docked　at　Caithnard；　they　both　disembarked　to　begin　their　journey。。。　He　stirred　a　little；　wondering　when　it　would　end。　He　held　Raederle　more　closely；　his　cheek　against　her　hair。　In　that　late　light；　he　loved　to　harp；　but　the　starred　harp　was　broken；　its　strings　snapped　by　grief。　He　touched　a　mussel　clinging　to　the　rock　and　realized　he　had　never　shaped　one。　The　sea　was　still　a　moment；　idling　around　the　rock。　And　in　that　moment　he　almost　heard　something　like　a　fragment　of　a　song　he　had　once　loved。
　　　　　　　〃What　did　you　do　with　the　Earth…Masters？〃
　　　　　　　〃I　didn't　kill　them；〃　he　said　softly。　〃I　didn't　even　touch　their　power。　I　bound　them　in　Erlenstar　Mountain。〃
　　　　　　　He　felt　the　breath　go　out　of　her　noiselessly。　〃I　was　afraid　to　ask；〃　she　whispered。
　　　　　　　〃I　couldn't　destroy　them。　How　could　I？　They　were　a　part　of　you；　and　of　Deth。。。　They're　bound　until　they　die；　or　I　die；　whichever　es　first。。。〃　He　considered　the　next　few　millenniums　with　a　weary　eye。　〃Riddlery。　Is　that　the　end　of　it？　Do　all　riddles　end　in　a　tower　with　no　door？　I　feel　as　if　I　built　that　tower　stone　by　stone；　riddle　by　riddle；　and　the　last　stone　fitting　into　place　destroyed　it。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　don't　know。　When　Duac　died；　I　was　so　hurt；　I　felt　a　place　torn　out　of　my　heart。　It　seemed　so　unjust　that　he　should　die　in　that　war；　since　he　was　the　most　clear…headed　and　patient　of　us。　That　healed。　But　the　harpist。。。　I　keep　listening　for　his　harping　beneath　the　flash　of　water；　beneath　the　light。。。　I　don't　know　why　we　cannot　let　him　rest。〃
　　　　　　　Morgon　drew　her　hair　out　of　the　wind's　grasp　and　smoothed　it。　He　tapped　randomly　into　the　continual　stream　of　thoughts　just　beneath　the　surface　of　his　awareness。　He　heard　Tristan　arguing　placidly　with　Eliard　as　she　set　plates