df.therunelords-第48部分

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nd　of　them　back　to　him。　Tell　him　that　he　knows　the　price。〃
　〃Which　is？〃　Borenson　asked。
　〃Don't　name　it；〃　Orden　answered。　〃If　he　has　my　son；　then　he　will　offer　my　son。　If　he　does　not　have　my　son；　then　he　will　think　you　speak　of　King　Sylvarresta's　family；　and　he　will　offer　the　King。
　〃No　matter　what　hostage　is　offered；　check　on　the　condition　of　the　hostage　before　you　leave。　See　if　Raj　Ahten　has　forced　Gabornor　King　Sylvarrestainto　giving　an　endowment。　I　suspect　he　will　use　the　royal　family　as　vectors　for　major　endowments。　In　fifteen　hours；　he　could　easily　take　hundreds　of　such　endowments。　If　so；　then　you　know　what　to　do。〃
　〃Pardon　me？〃　Borenson　asked。　
　〃You　heard　right。　You　know　what　to　do。〃
　Borenson　laughed；　almost　a　coughing　sound；　but　there　was　no　longer　a　smile　on　his　face；　no　longer　a　gleam　of　delight　in　his　eye。　His　face　had　gone　all　hard；　impassive；　and　his　voice　carried　a　tone　of　disbelief。　〃You　would　have　me　kill　King　Sylvarresta；　or　your　son？〃
　Overhead；　one　of　the　huge　graaks　called　out；　swept　low。　There　was　a　time　in　Orden's　life　when　he　had　been　small　enough　to　ride　one　of　the　huge　reptiles。　When　he'd　weighed　fifty　pounds；　at　the　age　of　six；　his　father　had　let　him　take　long　journeys　on　the　backs　of　tamed　graaks　with　the　other　skyriders；　over　the　mountains　to　the　far　kingdom　of　Dzerlas　in　Inkarra。　Only　boys　with　endowments　of　strength　and　wit　and　stamina　and　grace　could　take　such　journeys。
　But　when　King　Orden's　son；　Gaborn；　became　a　skyrider　in　his　turn；　Mendellas　never　let　Gaborn　take　a　far　journey。　He'd　tried　hard　to　protect　his　son。　He'd　loved　the　boy　too　much。　He'd　hoped　the　lad　would　have　time　to　grow；　gain　some　maturitya　modity　all　too　rare　among　Runelords；　who　were　often　forced　of　necessity　to　take　endowments　of　metabolism；　grow　old　far　before　their　time。　There　were　things　that　King　Orden　still　needed　to　teach　his　son；　arts　of　diplomacy　and　strategy　and　intrigue　that　could　not　be　learned　in　the　House　of　Understanding。
　Moreover；　Orden's　own　father　had　been　captured　when　he　was　but　a　boy；　and　then　had　been　forced　to　give　endowments　to　a　Wolf　Lord　in　the　Southern　Wastes。　His　father's　friends　had　rescued　him　from　his　fatewith　a　sword。
　Borenson　could　never　know　how　much　giving　this　order　hurt。　King　Orden　felt　determined　that　his　men　would　never　know：　Gaborn's　great　heart　might　well　have　earned　him　a　death　sentence。
　King　Orden　clapped　the　big　warrior　on　the　shoulder　in　sympathy。　Borenson　was　trembling。　It　would　be　a　hard　thing　to　go　from　being　Gaborn's　sworn　protector　to　his　assassin。　〃You　heard　me　right。　When　Raj　Ahten　gets　your　message；　he　will　race　to　Longmont；　to　meet　me　in　battle。　He　will　have　hundreds　of　Dedicates　in　Castle　Sylvarresta　by　dawnDedicates　that　he　won't　he　able　to　carry　south　in　such　a　hurry；　Dedicates　that　he　won't　he　able　to　properly　guard。
　〃I　want　you　to　go　into　the　Dedicates'　Keep　at　Castle　Sylvarresta；　once　Raj　Ahten　leaves；　and　slaughter　everyone　left　within。〃
　The　big　warrior's　grin　had　now　faded　pletely。
　〃You　understand　that　this　must　be　done。　My　life；　your　life；　the　lives　of　everyone　in　Mystarriaeveryone　you've　ever　known　and　lovedmight　well　depend　on　it。
　〃We　can　show　no　weakness。　We　can　show　no　mercy。〃
　From　a　pouch　at　his　hip；　King　Orden　withdrew　a　small　ivory　flask。　Captured　inside　were　mists　from　the　fields　of　Mystarria。　Orden's　water　wizards　had　said　that　the　flask　contained　enough　mist　to　hide　an　army　should　the　need　arise。　Borenson's　army　might　need　such　a　mist。　He　handed　the　artifact　to　Borenson；　and　wondered　if　he　should　also　give　the　man　his　golden　shield。　It　had　a　powerful　spell　of　water　warding　in　it。　Orden　had　brought　it　as　a　betrothal　gift　to　Sylvarresta。　Now；　he　considered　that　he　might　need　that　shield　himself。
　Orden　wondered。　He　did　not　want　to　kill　Sylvarresta。　Yet　if　Sylvarresta　succumbed　to　Raj　Ahten；　then　it　became　Orden's　duty。　The　Kings　of　Rofehavan　needed　to　know　that　no　one　could　give　endowments　to　the　Wolf　Lord。　No　one　would　be　permitted　to　do　so　and　live。　Not　even　Orden's　best　friend。
　〃We　will　do　what　we　must　to　our　friends；　our　kin；〃　King　Orden　said　to　himself　as　much　as　to　Borenson；　〃if　they　serve　the　enemy。　That　is　our　duty。　This　is　war。〃
　
　Chapter　14
　A　WIZARD　IN　CHAINS
　　
　Shortly　before　dawn；　the　sounds　of　many　clanking　chains　preceded　Binnesman　into　the　King's　audience　hall；　then　the　guards　dragged　the　herbalist　in　to　face　Raj　Ahten；　as　Iome　watched。
　She　shuddered　and　hid　in　a　darkened　corner；　afraid　somehow　that　Binnesman　would　spot　her；　would　loathe　her　very　existence。　In　the　past　few　hours；　she'd　had　time　to　inspect　the　rune　of　power　branded　into　the　skin　of　her　breast。　It　was　a　plex　thing；　a　horrid　thing　that　tried　to　draw　far　more　than　mere　beauty　from　her。　It　tried　to　draw　her　pride；　her　hope。
　Though　she　fought　the　influence　of　the　rune；　though　she　denied　this　boon　to　Raj　Ahten；　still　she　felt　less　than　human。　A　mere　rag　in　the　corner；　something　that　cringed　and　watched。
　Legend　said　that　long　ago；　the　facilitator　Phedrosh　had　created　a　rune　of　will；　a　symbol　that　sapped　the　strength　of　mind　from　its　victims。　Had　Raj　Ahten　had　such　a　magic　symbol　built　into　the　rune　that　had　branded　Iome；　she'd　not　have　been　able　to　deny　him。
　Now　she　felt　grateful　that　Phedrosh　had　destroyed　that　rune　of　power　and　the　secret　of　its　making；　before　he　fled　to　Inkarra。
　As　Binnesman　was　dragged　to　the　room；　his　shackles　rattled。　Strong　irons　bound　Binnesman　neck　to　foot；　hand　to　hand。　Two　guards　merely　lugged　him　across　the　plank　floor；　threw　him　at　Raj　Ahten's　feet。
　Four　of　the　Wolf　Lord's　flameweavers　walked　beside　the　herbalist；　all　hairless；　dark　of　skin。　Three　young…looking　men　and　a　single　woman；　all　with　that　peculiar　dancing　light　in　their　eyes　that　only　flameweavers　have。　The　male　flameweavers　had　donned　saffron　silk　robes；　the　woman　a　crimson　mantle。
　As　the　woman　drew　near；　in　the　lead；　Iome　could　feel　the　heat　of　her　skin；　a　dry　heat；　as　if　her　flesh　were　a　warming　stone　to　put　in　a　bed　on　a　cold　night。
　Iome　felt　the　woman's　powers　in　another　way：　a　feverish　lust　came　with　her；　mingled　with　a　curious　intellectual　arousal。　This　lust　was　nothing　like　the　earthy　sensuality　that　Iome　felt　in　Binnesman's　presencea　desire　to　bear　children；　to　feel　small　lips　suckling　at　her　breast。　No；　the　flameweavers　carried　a　consuming　need　to　rape；　to　take；　an　undirected　rage　all　finely　controlled　by　keen　intellect。
　Poor　Binnesman　looked　a　dirty　wreck。　He　was　covered　from　head　to　foot　in　grimy　ash；　yet　his　sky…blue　eyes　showed　no　fear　as　he　looked　up。
　You　should　fear；　Iome　thought。　You　should。　No　one　could　withstand　Raj　Ahten；　the　light　in　his　face；　the　power　of　his　voice。　In　the　past　few　hours；　she'd　seen　things　she　could　not　have　imagined：　Two　hundred　of　her　father's　guard　had　granted　endowments。　Most　needed　little　persuasion。　A　look　at　Raj　Ahten's　face；　an　encouraging　word；　and　they　gave　themselves。
　Few　even　thought　of　resisting。　Captain　Derrow；　of　the　palace　guard；　asked　to　forbear　swearing　fealty　to　Raj　Ahten；　saying　he　was　oath…bound　to　serve　House　Sylvarresta。　He　therefore　begged　to　serve　as　a　guard　in　the　Dedicates'　Keep；　pointing　out　that　other　great　houses　would　now　send　assassins　to　dispatch　Sylvarresta。　Raj　Ahten　agreed；　but　only　on　the　condition　that　Derrow　give　a　lesser　endowment；　one　of　hearing。
　Another　who　begged　no　boon　faced　rougher　treatment。　Captain　Ault　refused　the　Wolf　Lord　entirely；　had　cursed　him　and　wished　him　death。
　Raj　Ahten　had　heard　the　reviling　with　patience　and　a　smile；　but　afterward；　the　woman　in　crimson　had　taken　the　captain's　hand；　tenderly。　Then　her　eyes　flashed　in　laughter　as　the　captain　burst　into　flames　from　toe　to　head　and　just　stood；　screaming　and　writhing　as　the　fires　consumed　his　flesh；　melted　his　armor。　The　room　had　echoed　with　his　shrieks。　The　odor　of　charred　flesh　and　hair　clung　to　the　walls　of　the　room　even　now。
　Ault's　blackened　corpse　was　placed　downstairs　at　the　entry　to　the　King's　Keep。
　So　humbly　now　the　people　of　Castle　Sylvarresta　came　to　stand　before　their　new　lord　and　give　obeisance。　Raj　Ahten　spoke　calmly　to　them；　his　face　shining　like　the　sun；　his　voice　as　unperturbable　as　the　sea。
　All　night　long；　Raj　Ahten's　troops　had　been　ma