grrm.astormofswords-第250部分

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　〃An　arrow。　One　of　Ygritte's；　I　think。〃
　〃That's　a　woman　for　you。　One　day　she's　kissing　you；　the　next　she's　filling　you　with　arrows。〃
　〃She's　dead。〃
　〃Aye？〃　Tormund　gave　a　sad　shake　of　the　head。　〃A　waste。　If　I'd　been　ten　years　younger；　I'd　have　stolen　her　meself。　That　hair　she　had。　Well；　the　hottest　fires　burn　out　quickest；〃　He　lifted　the　skin　of　mead。　〃To　Ygritte；　kissed　by　fire！〃　He　drank　deep。
　〃To　Ygritte；　kissed　by　fire；〃　Jon　repeated　when　Tormund　handed　him　back　the　skin。　He　drank　even　deeper。
　〃Was　it　you　killed　her？〃
　〃My　brother。〃　Jon　had　never　learned　which　one；　and　hoped　he　never　would。
　〃You　bloody　crows。〃　Tormund's　tone　was　gruff；　yet　strangely　gentle。
　〃That　Longspear　stole　me　daughter。　Munda；　me　little　autumn　apple。　Took　her　right　out　o'　my　tent　with　all　four　o'　her　brothers　about。　Toregg　slept　through　it；　the　great　lout；　and　Torwynd　。　。　。　well；　Torwynd　the　Tame；　that　says　all　that　needs　saying；　don't　it？　The　young　ones　gave　the　lad　a　fight；　though。〃
　〃And　Munda？〃　asked　Jon。
　〃She's　my　own　blood；〃　said　Tormund　proudly。　〃She　broke　his　lip　for　him　and　bit　one　ear　half　off；　and　I　hear　he's　got　so　many　scratches　on　his　back　he　can't　wear　a　cloak。　She　likes　him　well　enough；　though。　And　why　not？　He　don't　fight　with　no　spear；　you　know。　Never　has。　So　where　do　you　think　he　got　that　name？　Har！〃
　Jon　had　to　laugh。　Even　now；　even　here。　Ygritte　had　been　fond　of　Longspear　Ryk。　He　hoped　he　found　some　joy　with　Tormund's　Munda。　Someone　needed　to　find　some　joy　somewhere。
　〃You　know　nothing；　Jon　Snow；〃　Ygritte　would　have　told　him。　I　know　that　I　am　going　to　die；　he　thought。　I　know　that　much；　at　least。　〃All　men　die；〃　he　could　almost　hear　her　say；　〃and　women　too；　and　every　beast　that　flies　or　swims　or　runs。　it's　not　the　when　o'　dying　that　matters；　it's　the　how　of　it；　Jon　Snow。〃　Easy　for　you　to　say；　he　thought　back。　You　died　brave　in　battle；　storming　the　castle　of　a　foe。　I'm　going　to　die　a　turncloak　and　a　killer。　Nor　would　his　death　be　quick；　unless　it　came　on　the　end　of　Mance's　sword。
　Soon　they　were　among　the　tents。　It　was　the　usual　wildling　camp；　a　sprawling　jumble　of　cookfires　and　piss　pits；　children　and　goats　wandering　freely；　sheep　bleating　among　the　trees；　horse　hides　pegged　up　to　dry。　There　was　no　plan　to　it；　no　order；　no　defenses。　But　there　were　men　and　women　and　animals　everywhere。
　Many　ignored　him；　but　for　every　one　who　went　about　his　business　there　were　ten　who　stopped　to　stare；　children　squatting　by　the　fires；　old　women　in　dog　carts；　cave　dwellers　with　painted　faces；　raiders　with　claws　and　snakes　and　severed　heads　painted　on　their　shields；　all　turned　to　have　a　look。　Jon　saw　spearwives　too；　their　long　hair　streaming　in　the　piney　wind　that　sighed　between　the　trees。
　There　were　no　true　hills　here；　but　Mance　Rayder's　white　fur　tent　had　been　raised　on　a　spot　of　high　stony　ground　right　on　the　edge　of　the　trees。　The　King…beyond…the…Wall　was　waiting　outside；　his　ragged　red…and…black　cloak　blowing　in　the　wind。　Harma　Dogshead　was　with　him；　Jon　saw；　back　from　her　raids　and　feints　along　the　Wall；　and　Varamyr　Sixskins　as　well；　attended　by　his　shadowcat　and　two　lean　grey　wolves。
　When　they　saw　who　the　Watch　had　sent；　Harma　turned　her　head　and　spat；　and　one　of　Varamyr's　wolves　bared　its　teeth　and　growled。　〃You　must　be　very　brave　or　very　stupid；　Jon　Snow；〃　Mance　Rayder　said；　〃to　e　back　to　us　wearing　a　black　cloak。〃
　〃What　else　would　a　man　of　the　Night's　Watch　wear？〃
　〃Kill　him；〃　urged　Harma。　〃Send　his　body　back　up　in　that　cage　o'　theirs　and　tell　them　to　send　us　someone　else。　I'll　keep　his　head　for　my　standard。　A　turncloak's　worse　than　a　dog。〃
　〃I　warned　you　he　was　false。〃　Varamyr's　tone　was　mild；　but　his　shadowcat　was　staring　at　Jon　hungrily　through　slitted　grey　eyes。　〃I　never　did　like　the　smell　o'　him。〃
　〃Pull　in　your　claws；　beastling。〃　Tormund　Giantsbane　swung　down　off　his　horse。　〃The　lad's　here　to　hear。　You　lay　a　paw　on　him；　might　be　I'll　take　me　that　shadowskin　cloak　I　been　wanting。〃
　〃Tormund　Crowlover；〃　Harma　sneered。　〃You　are　a　great　sack　o'wind；　old　man。〃
　The　skinchanger　was　grey…faced；　round…shouldered；　and　bald；　a　mouse　of　a　man　with　a　wolfling's　eyes。　〃Once　a　horse　is　broken　to　the　saddle；　any　man　can　mount　him；〃　he　said　in　a　soft　voice。　〃Once　a　beast's　been　joined　to　a　man；　any　skinchanger　can　slip　inside　and　ride　him。　Orell　was　withering　inside　his　feathers；　so　I　took　the　eagle　for　my　own。　But　the　joining　works　both　ways；　warg。　Orell　lives　inside　me　now；　whispering　how　much　he　hates　you。　And　I　can　soar　above　the　Wall；　and　see　with　eagle　eyes。〃
　〃So　we　know；〃　said　Mance。　〃We　know　how　few　you　were；　when　you　stopped　the　turtle。　We　know　how　many　came　from　Eastwatch。　We　know　how　your　supplies　have　dwindled。　Pitch；　oil；　arrows；　spears。　Even　your　stair　is　gone；　and　that　cage　can　only　lift　so　many。　We　know。　And　now　you　know　we　know。〃　He　opened　the　flap　of　the　tent。　〃e　inside。　The　rest　of　you；　wait　here。〃
　〃What；　even　me？〃　said　Tormund。
　〃Particularly　you。　Always。〃
　It　was　warm　within。　A　small　fire　burned　beneath　the　smoke　holes；　and　a　brazier　smouldered　near　the　pile　of　furs　where　Dalla　lay；　pale　and　sweating。　Her　sister　was　holding　her　hand。　Val；　Jon　remembered。　〃I　was　sorry　when　Jarl　fell；〃　he　told　her。
　Val　looked　at　him　with　pale　grey　eyes。　〃He　always　climbed　too　fast。〃　She　was　as　fair　as　he'd　remembered；　slender；　full…breasted；　graceful　even　at　rest；　with　high　sharp　cheekbones　and　a　thick　braid　of　honey…colored　hair　that　fell　to　her　waist。
　〃Dalla's　time　is　near；〃　Mance　explained。　〃She　and　Val　will　stay。　They　know　what　I　mean　to　say。〃
　Jon　kept　his　face　as　still　as　ice。　Foul　enough　to　slay　a　man　in　his　own　tent　under　truce。　Must　I　murder　him　in　front　of　his　wife　as　their　child　is　being　born？　He　closed　the　fingers　of　his　sword　hand。　Mance　was　not　wearing　armor；　but　his　own　sword　was　sheathed　on　his　left　hip。　And　there　were　other　weapons　in　the　tent；　daggers　and　dirks；　a　bow　and　a　quiver　of　arrows；　a　bronze…headed　spear　lying　beside　that　big　black　。　。　。
　　。　。　。　horn。
　Jon　sucked　in　his　breath。
　A　warhorn；　a　bloody　great　warhorn。
　〃Yes；〃　Mance　said。　〃The　Horn　of　Winter；　that　Joramun　once　blew　to　wake　giants　from　the　earth。〃
　The　horn　was　huge；　eight　feet　along　the　curve　and　so　wide　at　the　mouth　that　he　could　have　put　his　arm　inside　up　to　the　elbow。　If　this　came　from　an　aurochs；　it　was　the　biggest　that　ever　lived。　At　first　he　thought　the　bands　around　it　were　bronze；　but　when　he　moved　closer　he　realized　they　were　gold。　Old　gold；　more　brown　than　yellow；　and　graven　with　runes。
　〃Ygritte　said　you　never　found　the　hom。〃
　〃Did　you　think　only　crows　could　lie？　I　liked　you　well　enough；　for　a　bastard　。　。　。　but　I　never　trusted　you。　A　man　needs　to　earn　my　trust。〃
　Jon　faced　him。　〃If　you've　had　the　Hom　of　Joramun　all　along；　why　haven't　you　used　it？　Why　bother　building　turtles　and　sending　Thenns　to　kill　us　in　our　beds？　If　this　hom　is　all　the　songs　say；　why　not　just　sound　it　and　be　done？〃
　It　was　Dalla　who　answered　him；　Dalla　great　with　child；　lying　on　her　pile　of　furs　beside　the　brazier。　〃We　free　folk　know　things　you　kneelers　have　forgotten。　Sometimes　the　short　road　is　not　the　safest；　Jon　Snow。　The　Homed　Lord　once　said　that　sorcery　is　a　sword　without　a　hilt。　There　is　no　safe　way　to　grasp　it。〃
　Mance　ran　a　hand　along　the　curve　of　the　great　horn。　〃No　man　goes　hunting　with　only　one　arrow　in　his　quiver；〃　he　said。　〃I　had　hoped　that　Styr　and　Jarl　would　take　your　brothers　unawares；　and　open　the　gate　for　us。　I　drew　your　garrison　away　with　feints　and　raids　and　secondary　attacks。　Bowen　Marsh　swallowed　that　lure　as　I　knew　he　would；　but　your　band　of　cripples　and　orphans　proved　to　be　more　stubborn　than　anticipated。　Don't　think　you've　stopped　us；　though。　The　truth　is；　you　are　too　few　and　we　are　too　many。　I　could　continue　the　attack　here　and　still　send　ten　thousand　men　to　cross　the　Bay　of　Seals　on　rafts　and　take　Eastwatch　from　the　rear。　I　could　storm　the　Shadow　Tower　too；　I　know　the　approaches　as　well　as　any　man　alive。　I　could　send　men　and　mammoths　to　dig　out　the　gates　at　the　castles　you've　abandoned；　all　of　them　at　once。〃
　〃Why　don't　you；　then？〃　Jon　could　have　drawn　Longclaw　then；　but　he　wanted　to　hear　what　the　wildling　had　to　say。
　〃Blood；〃　said　Mance　Rayder。　〃I'd　win　in　the　end；　yes