rj.thepathofdaggers-第39部分

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n　a　tall　horse；　galloping　hard；　and　a　woman　on　a　shorter　animal　running　just　as　hard　at　his　side。　Gingerly；　the　three　of　them　sat　down　to　wait。　That　was　another　thing　heroes　in　stories　never　did；　Elayne　thought　with　a　sigh。　She　hoped　she　could　be　a　queen　to　make　her　mother　proud；　but　it　was　clear　that　she　would　never　make　a　hero。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　Chulein　moved　the　reins　slightly；　and　Segani　banked　smoothly；　turning　on　a　ribbed　wing。　He　was　a　well…trained　raken；　swift　and　agile；　her　favorite；　though　she　had　to　share　flying　him。　There　were　always　more　morat'raken　than　raken；　a　fact　of　life。　Down　in　the　farm　below；　balls　of　fire　were　leaping　out　of　the　air　apparently；　scattering　in　every　direction。　She　tried　to　pay　no　attention；　her　job　was　to　watch　for　trouble　approaching　from　the　area　around　the　farm。　At　least　the　smoke　had　stopped　rising　from　where　Tauan　and　Macu　had　died　in　the　olive　grove。
　　　　　　　A　thousand　paces　above　the　ground；　she　had　a　very　long　view。　All　the　other　raken　were　off　scouting　the　countryside；　any　woman　who　ran　would　be　marked　for　checking；　to　see　whether　she　was　one　of　those　who　had　caused　all　the　excitement；　though　truth　for　sure；　anyone　in　these　lands　who　saw　a　raken　in　the　air　likely　would　run。　All　Chulein　had　to　do　was　watch　for　approaching　trouble　here。　She　wished　she　did　not　feel　an　itch　between　her　shoulder　blades；　it　always　meant　trouble　was　on　the　way。　The　wind　of　Segani's　flight　was　not　bad　at　this　speed；　but　she　drew　the　drawstring　of　her　waxed　linen　hood　tighter　under　her　chin；　tested　the　leather　safety　straps　that　held　her　in　the　saddle；　adjusted　her　crystal　goggles；　snugged　her　gauntlets。
　　　　　　　Over　a　hundred　Fists　of　Heaven　were　on　the　ground　already；　and　more　importantly；　six　sul'dam　with　damane　and　another　dozen　carrying　shoulder　bags　full　of　spare　a'dam。　The　second　flight　would　be　lifting　from　the　hills　to　the　south　with　reinforcements。　Better　if　more　had　e　in　the　first　strike；　but　there　were　few　enough　to'raken　with　the　Hailene；　and　strong　rumor　had　it　that　many　of　those　had　been　given　the　task　of　ferrying　the　High　Lady　Suroth　and　her　entire　entourage　down　from　Amadicia。　Bad　to　think　ill　of　the　Blood；　yet　she　wished　more　to'raken　had　been　sent　to　Ebou　Dar。　No　morat'raken　could　think　well　of　the　huge；　ungainly　to'raken；　fit　only　to　carry　burdens；　but　they　could　have　put　more　Fists　of　Heaven　on　the　ground　faster；　more　sul'dam。
　　　　　　　〃Rumor　says　there　are　hundreds　of　marath'damane　down　there；〃　Eliya　said　loudly　against　her　back。　In　the　sky；　you　had　to　speak　loudly；　over　the　rush　of　wind。　〃Do　you　know　what　I'm　going　to　do　with　my　share　of　the　taking　gold？　Buy　an　inn。　This　Ebou　Dar　looks　a　likely　place；　what　I　saw　of　it。　Maybe　I'll　even　find　a　husband。　Have　children。　What　do　you　think　of　that。〃
　　　　　　　Chulein　grinned　behind　her　wind…scarf。　Every　flier　talked　of　buying　an　inn　…　or　a　tavern；　sometimes　a　farm　…　yet　who　could　leave　the　sky？　She　patted　the　base　of　Segani's　long；　leathery　neck。
　　　　　　　Every　woman　flier　…　three　in　four　were　women　…　talked　of　a　husband　and　children；　but　children　meant　an　end　to　flying；　too。　More　women　left　the　Fists　of　Heaven　in　a　month　than　left　the　sky　in　half　a　year。
　　　　　　　〃I　think　you　should　keep　your　eyes　open；〃　she　said。　But　there　was　no　harm　in　a　little　talk。　She　could　have　seen　a　child　move　in　the　olive　groves　below；　much　more　anything　that　might　threaten　Fists　of　Heaven。　The　most　lightly　armored　of　soldiers；　they　were　about　as　hard　as　the　Deathwatch　Guard；　some　said　harder。　〃I'll　use　my　share　to　buy　a　damane　and　hire　a　sul'dam。〃　If　there　were　half　as　many　marath'damane　down　there　as　rumor　claimed；　her　share　would　buy　two　damane。　Three！　〃A　damane　trained　to　make　Sky　Lights。　When　I　leave　the　sky；　I'll　be　as　rich　as　one　of　the　Blood。〃　They　had　something　called　〃fireworks〃　here　…　she　had　seen　some　fellows　vainly　trying　to　interest　the　Blood　in　Tanchico　…　but　who　would　watch　such　a　pitiful　thing　pared　to　the　Sky　Lights？　Those　fellows　had　been　bundled　out　and　dumped　in　the　road　outside　the　city。
　　　　　　　〃The　farm！〃　Eliya　shouted；　and　suddenly　something　hit　Segani　hard；　harder　than　the　worst　storm　gust　Chulein　had　ever　felt；　tumbling　him　wing　over　wing。
　　　　　　　Down　the　raken　plunged；　screaming　his　raucous　cry；　spinning　so　fast　that　Chulein　was　pulled　tight　against　her　safety　straps。　She　left　her　hands　on　her　thighs；　tensed　on　the　reins　but　still。　Segani　had　to　pull　out　of　this　himself；　any　twitch　on　the　reins　would　only　hinder　him。　Rolling　like　a　gambling　wheel；　they　fell。　Morat'raken　were　taught　not　to　watch　the　ground　if　a　raken　fell；　whatever　the　reason；　but　she　could　not　help　estimating　her　height　every　time　a　whiplike　tumble　bought　the　ground　into　sight。　Eight　hundred　paces。　Six　hundred。　Four。　Two。　The　Light　illumine　her　soul；　and　the　infinite　mercy　of　the　Creator　protect　her　from　…
　　　　　　　With　a　snap　of　his　broad　wings　that　jerked　her　sideways　and　rattled　her　teeth；　Segani　leveled　out；　the　tips　of　his　pinons　brushing　treetops　as　they　swept　down。　With　a　calmness　born　of　hard　training；　she　checked　the　motion　of　his　wings　for　strain。　Nothing；　but　she　would　have　a　der'morat'raken　examine　him　thoroughly　anyway。　A　tiny　thing　that　might　slip　by　her　eyes　would　not　escape　a　master。
　　　　　　　〃It　seems　we've　escaped　the　Lady　of　the　Shadows　one　more　time；　Eliya。〃　Turning　to　look　over　her　shoulder；　she　let　her　words　tail　off。　A　length　of　broken　safety　strap　trailed　back　from　the　empty　seat　behind　her。　Every　flier　knew　that　the　Lady　waited　at　the　bottom　of　the　long　fall；　but　knowing　never　made　seeing　easier。
　　　　　　　Offering　a　quick　prayer　for　the　dead；　she　firmly　pushed　herself　back　to　duty　and　urged　Segani　to　climb。　A　slow；　spiraling　climb；　in　case　of　some　hidden　strain；　but　as　quick　as　she　thought　safe。　Maybe　a　little　quicker　than　safe。　Smoke　rising　from　beyond　the　knobby　hill　ahead　made　her　frown；　but　what　she　saw　as　she　cleared　the　crest　dried　her　mouth。　Her　hands　stilled　on　the　reins；　and　Segani　continued　to　climb　on　powerful　sweeps　of　his　wings。
　　　　　　　The　farm　was。。。　gone。　Foundations　scoured　clean　of　the　white　buildings　that　had　stood　on　them；　the　big　structures　built　into　a　hillside　smashed　heaps　of　rubble。　Gone。　Everything　was　blackened　and　burned。　Fire　raged　through　the　undergrowth　on　the　slopes　and　made　fans　a　hundred　paces　long　into　the　olive　groves　and　the　forest；　stretching　from　the　spaces　between　the　hills。　Beyond　lay　broken　trees　for　another　hundred　or　more；　all　leaning　away　from　the　farm。　She　had　never　seen　anything　like　it。　Nothing　could　be　alive　down　there。　Nothing　could　have　lived　through　that。　Whatever　it　had　been。
　　　　　　　Quickly　she　came　to　herself　and　turned　Segani　south。　In　the　distance　she　could　make　out　to'raken；　each　one　crowded　with　a　dozen　Fists　of　Heaven　over　this　short　distance；　Fists　of　Heaven　and　sul'dam；　ing　too　late。　She　began　posing　her　report　in　her　head；　there　was　certainly　no　one　else　to　make　one。　Everyone　said　this　was　a　land　full　of　marath'damane　waiting　to　be　collared；　but　with　this　new　weapon；　these　women　who　called　themselves　Aes　Sedai　were　a　true　danger。　Something　had　to　be　done　about　them；　something　decisive。　Perhaps；　if　the　High　Lady　Suroth　was　on　her　way　to　Ebou　Dar；　she　would　see　the　need；　too。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　
Chapter　7　
（Wolf）　
A　Goatpen　
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　The　Ghealdanin　sky　was　cloudless；　the　forested　hills　hammered　by　a　fierce　morning　sun。　Even　short　of　midday；　the　land　sweltered。　Pines　and　leatherleaf　were　yellowing　in　the　drought；　and　others　Perrin　suspected　also　were　evergreens。　Not　a　whisper　of　air　stirred。　Sweat　dripped　down　his　face；　ran　into　his　short　beard。　His　curly　hair　was　matting　on　his　head。　He　thought　he　heard　thunder　somewhere　to　the　west；　but　he　had　almost　stopped　believing　it　would　ever　rain　again。　You　hammered　the　iron　that　lay　on　your　anvil　instead　of　daydreaming　about　working　silver。
　　　　　　　From　the　vantage　of　his　sparsely　treed　ridge；　he　studied　the　walled　town　of　Bethal　through　a　brass…bound　looking　glass。　Even　his　eyes　could　use　help　over　this　distance。　It　was　a　good…sized　town　of　slate…roofed　buildings；　with　half　a　dozen　tall　stone　structures　that　might　have　been　minor　nobles'　palaces　or　the　homes　of　well…to…do　merchants。　He　could　not　make　out　the　scarlet　banner　hanging　limply　atop　the　ta