rj.thegreathunt-第74部分

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　　　　　　　Rand　glanced　at　her；　and　cleared　his　throat　again。　Is　she　angry　with　me？　She'd　certainly　be　angry　if　I　had　tried　to　kiss　her。　I　think。　He　wished　she　would　not　look　at　him　as　she　was；　as　if　she　knew　what　he　was　thinking。　〃Hurin；　is　there　any　chance　the　Darkfriends　used　this　Stone　before　us？〃
　　　　　　　The　sniffer　shook　his　head　ruefully。　〃They　were　angling　to　the　west　of　here；　Lord　Rand。　Unless　these　Portal　Stone　things　are　more　mon　than　I've　seen；　I'd　say　they're　still　in　that　other　world。　But　it　wouldn't　take　me　an　hour　to　check　it。　The　land's　the　same　here　as　there。　I　could　find　the　place　here　where　I　lost　the　trail　there；　if　you　see　what　I　mean；　and　see　if　they've　already　gone　by。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　glanced　at　the　sky。　The　sun　…　a　wonderfully　strong　sun；　not　pale　at　all　…　sat　low　to　the　west；　stretching　their　shadows　out　across　the　hollow。　Another　hour　would　bring　full　twilight。　〃In　the　morning；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　fear　we've　lost　them。〃　We　can't　lose　that　dagger！　We　can't！　〃Selene；　if　that's　the　case；　in　the　morning　we　will　take　you　on　to　your　home。　Is　it　in　the　city　of　Cairhien　itself；　or　。。。？〃
　　　　　　　〃You　may　not　have　lost　the　Horn　of　Valere　yet；〃　Selene　said　slowly。　〃As　you　know；　I　do　know　a　few　things　about　those　worlds。〃
　　　　　　　〃Mirrors　of　the　Wheel；〃　Loial　said。
　　　　　　　She　gave　him　a　look；　then　nodded。　〃Yes。　Exactly。　Those　worlds　truly　are　mirrors　in　a　way；　especially　the　ones　where　there　are　no　people。　Some　of　them　reflect　only　great　events　in　the　true　world；　but　some　have　a　shadow　of　that　reflection　even　before　the　event　occurs。　The　passage　of　the　Horn　of　Valere　would　certainly　be　a　great　event。　Reflections　of　what　will　be　are　fainter　than　reflections　of　what　is　or　what　was；　just　as　Hurin　says　the　trail　he　followed　was　faint。〃
　　　　　　　Hurin　blinked　incredulously。　〃You　mean　to　say；　my　Lady；　I've　been　smelling　where　those　Darkfriends　are　going　to　be？　The　Light　help　me；　I　wouldn't　like　that。　It's　bad　enough　smelling　where　violence　has　been；　with　out　smelling　where　it　will　be；　too。　There　can't　be　many　spots　where　there　won't　be　some　kind　of　violence；　some　time。　It　would　drive　me　crazy；　like　as　not。　That　place　we　just　left　nearly　did。　I　could　smell　it　all　the　time；　there；　killing　and　hurting；　and　the　vilest　evil　you　could　think　of。　I　could　even　smell　it　on　us。　On　all　of　us。　Even　on　you；　my　Lady；　if　you'll　forgive　me　for　saying　so。　It　was　just　that　place；　twisting　me　the　way　it　twisted　your　eye。〃　He　gave　himself　a　shake。　〃I'm　glad　we're　out　of　there。　I　can't　get　it　out　of　my　nostrils　yet；　all　the　way。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　rubbed　absently　at　the　brand　on　his　palm。　〃What　do　you　think；　Loial？　Could　we　really　be　ahead　of　Fain's　Darkfriends？〃
　　　　　　　The　Ogier　shrugged；　frowning。　〃I　don't　know；　Rand。　I　don't　know　anything　about　any　of　this。　I　think　we　are　back　in　our　world。　I　think　we　are　in　Kinslayer's　Dagger。　Beyond　that　。。。〃　He　shrugged　again。
　　　　　　　〃We　should　be　seeing　you　home；　Selene；〃　Rand　said。　〃Your　people　will　be　worried　about　you。〃
　　　　　　　〃A　few　days　will　see　if　I'm　right；〃　she　said　impatiently。　〃Hurin　can　find　where　he　left　the　trail；　he　said　so。　We　can　watch　over　it。　The　Horn　of　Valere　cannot　be　much　longer　reaching　here。　The　Horn　of　Valere；　Rand。　Think　of　it。　The　man　who　sounds　the　Horn　will　live　in　legend　forever。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　don't　want　anything　to　do　with　legends；〃　he　said　sharply。　But　if　the　Darkfriends　get　by　you　。。。　What　if　Ingtar　lost　them？　Then　the　Darkfriends　have　the　Horn　of　Valere　forever；　and　Mat　dies。　〃All　right；　a　few　days。　At　the　worst；　we　will　probably　meet　Ingtar　and　the　others。　I　can't　imagine　they've　stopped　or　turned　back　just　because　we　。。。　went　away。〃
　　　　　　　〃A　wise　decision；　Rand；〃　Selene　said；　〃and　well　thought　out。〃　She　touched　his　arm　and　smiled；　and　he　found　himself　again　thinking　of　kissing　her。
　　　　　　　〃Uh　。。。　we　need　to　be　closer　to　where　they'll　e。　If　they　do　e。　Hurin；　can　you　find　us　a　camp　before　dark；　somewhere　we　can　watch　the　place　where　you　lost　the　trail？〃　He　glanced　at　the　Portal　Stone　and　thought　about　sleeping　near　it；　thought　of　the　way　the　void　had　crept　up　on　him　in　sleep　the　last　time；　and　the　light　in　the　void。　〃Somewhere　well　away　from　here。〃
　　　　　　　〃Leave　it　in　my　hands；　Lord　Rand。〃　The　sniffer　scrambled　to　his　saddle。　〃I　vow；　I'll　never　sleep　again　without　first　I　see　what　kind　of　stone　there　is　nearby。〃
　　　　　　　As　Rand　rode　Red　up　out　of　the　hollow；　he　found　himself　watching　Selene　more　than　he　did　Hurin。　She　seemed　so　cool　and　self…possessed；　no　older　than　he；　yet　queenly；　but　when　she　smiled　at　him；　as　she　did　just　then　。。。　Egwene　wouldn't　have　said　I　was　wise。　Egwene　would　have　called　me　a　woolhead。　Irritably；　he　heeled　Red's　flanks。

　
Chapter　18
（Flame　of　Tar　Valon）
To　the　White　Tower

　　　　　　　Egwene　balanced　on　the　heeling　deck　as　the　River　Queen　sped　down　the　wide　Erinin　under　cloud…dark　skies；　sails　full…bellied；　White　Flame　banner　whipping　furiously　at　the　mainmast。　The　wind　had　risen　as　soon　as　the　last　of　them　was　aboard　the　ships；　back　in　Medo；　and　it　had　not　failed　or　flagged　for　an　instant　since；　day　or　night。　The　river　had　begun　to　race　in　flood；　as　it　still　did；　slapping　the　ships　about　while　it　drove　them　onward。　Wind　and　river　had　not　slowed；　and　neither　had　the　ships；　all　clustered　together。　The　River　Queen　led；　only　right　for　the　vessel　that　carried　the　Amyrlin　Seat。
　　　　　　　The　helmsman　held　his　tiller　grimly；　feet　planted　and　spread；　and　sailors　padded　barefoot　at　their　work；　intent　on　what　they　did；　when　they　glanced　at　the　sky　or　the　river；　they　tore　their　eyes　away　with　low　mutters。　A　village　was　just　fading　from　view　behind；　and　a　boy　raced　along　the　bank；　he　had　kept　up　with　the　ships　for　a　short　distance；　but　now　they　were　leaving　him　behind。　When　he　vanished；　Egwene　made　her　way　below。
　　　　　　　In　the　small　cabin　they　shared；　Nynaeve　glared　up　at　her　from　her　narrow　bed。　〃They　say　we'll　reach　Tar　Valon　today。　The　Light　help　me；　but　I'll　be　glad　to　put　foot　on　land　again　even　if　it　is　in　Tar　Valon。〃　The　ship　lurched　with　wind　and　current；　and　Nynaeve　swallowed。　〃I'll　never　step　on　a　boat　again；〃　she　said　breathlessly。
　　　　　　　Egwene　shook　the　river　spray　out　of　her　cloak　and　hung　it　on　a　peg　by　the　door。　It　was　not　a　big　cabin　…　there　were　no　big　cabins　on　the　ship；　it　seemed；　not　even　the　one　the　Amyrlin　had　taken　over　from　the　captain；　though　that　was　larger　than　the　rest。　With　its　two　beds　built　into　the　walls；　shelves　beneath　them　and　cabinets　above；　everything　lay　close　to　hand。
　　　　　　　Except　for　keeping　her　balance；　the　movements　of　the　ship　did　not　bother　her　the　way　they　did　Nynaeve；　she　had　given　up　offering　Nynaeve　food　after　the　third　time　the　Wisdom　threw　the　bowl　at　her。　〃I'm　worried　about　Rand；〃　she　said。
　　　　　　　〃I'm　worried　about　all　of　them；〃　Nynaeve　replied　dully。　After　a　moment；　she　said；　〃Another　dream　last　night？　The　way　you've　been　staring　at　nothing　since　you　got　up　。。。〃
　　　　　　　Egwene　nodded。　She　had　never　been　very　good　at　keeping　things　from　Nynaeve；　and　she　had　not　tried　with　the　dreams。　Nynaeve　had　tried　to　dose　her　at　first；　until　she　heard　one　of　the　Aes　Sedai　was　interested；　then　she　began　to　believe。　〃It　was　like　the　others。　Different；　but　the　same。　Rand　is　in　some　kind　of　danger。　I　know　it。　And　it　is　getting　worse。　He's　done　something；　or　he's　going　to　do　something；　that　puts　him　in　。。。〃　She　dropped　down　on　her　bed　and　leaned　toward　the　other　woman。　〃I　just　wish　I　could　make　some　sense　of　it。〃
　　　　　　　〃Channeling？〃　Nynaeve　said　softly。
　　　　　　　Despite　herself；　Egwene　looked　around　to　see　if　anyone　was　there　to　hear。　They　were　alone；　with　the　door　closed；　but　still　she　spoke　just　as　softly。　〃I　don't　know。　Maybe。〃　There　was　no　telling　what　Aes　Sedai　could　do　…　she　had　seen　enough　already　to　make　her　believe　every　story　of　their　powers　…　and　she　would　not　risk　eavesdropping。　I　won't　risk　Rand。　If　I　did　right；　I'd　tell　them；　but　Moiraine　knows；　and　she　hasn't　said　anything。　And　it's　Rand！　I　can't。　〃I　don't　know　what　to　do。〃
　　　　　　　〃Has　Anaiya　said　anything　more　about　these　dreams？〃　Nynaeve　seemed　to　make　it　a　point　never　to　add　the　honorific　Sedai；　even　when　the　two　of　them　were　alone。　Most　of　the　Aes　Sedai　appeared　not　to　care；　but　the　habit　had　earned　a　few　strange　looks；　and　some　hard　ones；　she　was　going　to