rj.thepathofdaggers-第40部分

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e　homes　of　well…to…do　merchants。　He　could　not　make　out　the　scarlet　banner　hanging　limply　atop　the　tallest　tower　of　the　largest　palace；　the　only　flag　in　sight；　but　he　knew　who　it　belonged　to。　Alliandre　Maritha　Kigarin；　Queen　of　Ghealdan；　far　from　her　capital　in　Jehannah。
　　　　　　　The　town　gates　stood　open；　with　a　good　twenty　guards　at　each；　yet　no　one　came　out；　and　the　roads　he　could　see　were　empty　except　for　a　lone　rider　galloping　hard　toward　Bethal　from　the　north。　The　soldiers　were　on　edge；　some　shifting　pikes　or　bows　at　sight　of　the　horseman　as　though　he　waved　a　blood…dripping　sword。　More　soldiers　on　watch　crowded　the　wall　towers　or　marched　the　walls　between。　Plenty　of　nocked　arrows　up　there；　too；　and　raised　crossbows。　Plenty　of　fear。
　　　　　　　A　storm　had　swept　over　this　part　of　Ghealdan。　It　still　did。　The　Prophet's　bands　created　chaos；　bandits　took　advantage；　and　Whitecloaks　raiding　across　the　border　from　Amadicia　might　easily　strike　this　far。　A　few　scattered　columns　of　smoke　farther　south　probably　marked　burning　farms；　Whitecloak　work　or　the　Prophet's。　Bandits　seldom　bothered　with　burning；　and　the　other　two　left　little　for　them　in　any　case。　Adding　to　the　jumble；　rumor　in　every　village　he　had　passed　the　last　few　days　said　that　Amador　had　fallen；　to　the　Prophet　or　Taraboners　or　Aes　Sedai；　depending　on　who　told　the　tale。　Some　claimed　Pedron　Niall　himself　was　dead　in　the　fighting　to　defend　the　city。　All　in　all；　reason　enough　for　a　queen　to　be　concerned　for　her　own　safety。　Or　the　soldiers　could　be　down　there　because　of　him。　Despite　his　best　efforts；　his　passage　south　had　hardly　gone　unnoticed。
　　　　　　　He　scratched　his　beard；　considering。　A　pity　the　wolves　in　the　surrounding　hills　could　not　tell　him　anything；　but　they　seldom　paid　heed　to　men's　doings　except　to　stay　clear　of　them。　And　since　Dumai's　Wells　he　had　not　felt　right　in　asking　any　more　of　them　than　he　absolutely　had　to。　It　might　be　best　after　all　if　he　rode　in　alone；　with　just　a　few　of　the　Two　Rivers　men。
　　　　　　　He　often　thought　Faile　could　read　his　mind；　usually　when　he　least　wanted　her　to；　and　she　proved　it　now；　heeling　her　night…black　mare　Swallow　close　to　his　dun。　Her　narrow…skirted　riding　dress　was　nearly　as　dark　as　the　mare；　yet　she　seemed　to　be　taking　the　heat　better　than　he。　She　smelled　faintly　of　herbal　soap　and　clean　perspiration；　of　herself。　Of　determination。　Her　tilted　eyes　were　very　determined；　and　with　her　bold　nose；　she　was　very　much　her　namesake　falcon。
　　　　　　　〃I　would　not　like　to　see　holes　in　that　fine　blue　coat；　husband；〃　she　said　softly；　for　his　ears　alone；　〃and　those　fellows　look　as　if　they　might　just　shoot　at　a　group　of　strange　men　before　asking　who　they　are。　Besides；　how　will　you　reach　Alliandre　without　announcing　your　name　to　the　world？　This　must　be　done　quietly；　remember。〃　She　did　not　say　that　she　should　be　the　one　to　go；　that　the　gate　guards　would　take　a　woman　alone　for　a　refugee　from　the　troubles；　that　she　could　reach　the　Queen　using　her　mother's　name　without　exciting　too　much　ment；　but　she　did　not　need　to。　He　had　had　all　that　and　more　from　her　every　night　since　entering　Ghealdan。　He　was　here　in　part　because　of　Alliandre's　cautious　letter　to　Rand；　offering。。。　Support？　Allegiance？　Her　desire　for　secrecy　had　been　paramount；　in　any　case。
　　　　　　　Perrin　doubted　that　even　Aram；　sitting　his　leggy　gray　a　few　paces　behind　them；　could　have　heard　a　word　Faile　said；　yet　before　she　finished　speaking；　Berelain　brought　her　white　mare　up　on　his　other　side；　sweat　glistening　on　her　cheeks。　She　also　smelled　determined；　through　a　cloud　of　rose　perfume。　To　him；　it　seemed　a　cloud。　For　a　wonder；　her　green　riding　dress　showed　no　more　flesh　than　it　had　to。
　　　　　　　Berelain's　two　panions　stayed　back；　though　Annoura；　her　Aes　Sedai　advisor；　studied　him　with　an　unreadable　expression　from　beneath　her　cap　of　thin　shoulder…long　beaded　braids。　Not　him　and　the　two　women　at　his　sides；　him　in　particular。　No　sweat　there。　He　wished　he　were　close　enough　to　smell　the　beak…nosed　Gray　sister；　unlike　the　other　Aes　Sedai；　she　had　made　no　promises　to　anyone。　For　whatever　those　promises　were　worth。　Lord　Gallenne；　mander　of　Berelain's　Winged　Guards；　was　seemingly　busy　examining　Bethal　through　a　looking　glass　raised　to　his　one　eye；　and　fiddling　with　his　reins　in　a　way　Perrin　had　e　to　know　meant　that　he　was　deep　in　calculations。　Probably　how　to　take　Bethal　by　force；　Gallenne　always　saw　the　worst　possibility　first。
　　　　　　　〃I　still　think　I　should　be　the　one　to　approach　Alliandre；〃　Berelain　said。　This；　too；　Perrin　had　heard　every　day。　〃It　is　why　I　came；　after　all。〃　That　was　one　of　the　reasons。　〃Annoura　will　be　granted　an　audience　at　once；　and　take　me　in　with　none　the　wiser　save　Alliandre。〃　A　second　wonder。　There　had　not　been　a　hint　of　flirtation　in　her　voice。　She　seemed　to　be　paying　as　much　attention　to　smoothing　her　red　leather　gloves　as　to　him。
　　　　　　　Which　one？　The　trouble　was；　he　did　not　want　to　choose　either。
　　　　　　　Seonid；　the　second　Aes　Sedai　who　had　e　to　the　ridgeline；　stood　beside　her　bay　gelding　a　little　way　off；　near　a　tall　drought…withered　blackwood；　looking　not　at　Bethal　but　the　sky。　The　two　pale…eyed　Wise　Ones　with　her　made　a　sharp　contrast；　faces　sun…dark　to　her　pale　plexion；　fair…haired　to　her　dark；　tall　to　her　short；　not　to　mention　their　dark　skirts　and　white　blouses　contrasting　to　her　fine　blue　wool。　Necklaces　and　bracelets　of　gold　and　silver　and　ivory　draped　Edarra　and　Nevarin；　while　Seonid　wore　only　her　Great　Serpent　ring。　They　were　young　to　her　ageless。　The　Wise　Ones　matched　the　Green　sister　for　self…possession；　though；　and　they　were　studying　the　sky；　too。
　　　　　　　〃Do　you　see　something？〃　Perrin　asked；　putting　off　the　decision。
　　　　　　　〃We　see　the　sky；　Perrin　Aybara；〃　Edarra　said　calmly；　her　jewelry　making　a　soft　clatter　as　she　adjusted　the　dark　shawl　looped　over　her　elbows。　The　heat　seemed　to　touch　the　Aiel　as　little　as　it　did　the　Aes　Sedai。　〃If　we　saw　more；　we　would　tell　you。〃　He　hoped　they　would。　He　thought　they　would。　At　least；　if　it　was　something　they　believed　Grady　and　Neald　might　see；　too。　The　two　Asha'man　would　not　keep　it　secret。　He　wished　they　were　there　instead　of　back　in　the　camp。
　　　　　　　More　than　half　a　week　ago；　now；　a　lace　of　the　One　Power　streaking　high　across　the　sky　had　created　quite　a　stir　among　the　Aes　Sedai　and　Wise　Ones。　And　with　Grady　and　Neald。　Which　fact　had　made　a　bigger　stir　still；　as　close　to　panic　as　any　Aes　Sedai　was　likely　to　e。　Asha'man；　Aes　Sedai　and　Wise　Ones　all　claimed　they　could　still　feel　the　Power　faintly　in　the　air　long　after　that　bar　of　lace　vanished；　but　nobody　knew　what　it　meant。　Neald　said　it　made　him　think　of　wind；　though　he　could　not　tell　why。　No　one　would　voice　more　of　an　opinion　than　that；　yet　if　both　the　male　and　female　halves　of　the　Power　were　visible；　it　had　to　be　the　Forsaken　at　work；　and　on　a　huge　scale。　Wondering　what　they　were　up　to　had　kept　Perrin　awake　late　most　nights　since。
　　　　　　　In　spite　of　himself；　he　glanced　to　the　sky。　And　saw　nothing；　of　course；　except　a　pair　of　pigeons。　Abruptly　a　hawk　plummeted　into　his　sight；　and　one　of　the　pigeons　was　gone　in　a　spray　of　feathers。　The　other　winged　on　frantically　toward　Bethal。
　　　　　　　〃Have　you　reached　a　decision；　Perrin　Aybara？〃　Nevarin　asked；　a　touch　sharply。　The　green…eyed　Wise　One　appeared　even　younger　than　Edarra；　perhaps　no　older　than　he　was；　and　she　did　not　quite　have　the　blue…eyed　woman's　serenity。　Her　shawl　slid　down　her　arms　as　she　planted　hands　on　hips；　and　he　half　expected　her　to　shake　a　finger　at　him。　Or　a　fist。　She　reminded　him　of　Nynaeve；　though　they　surely　looked　nothing　alike。　Nevarin　would　have　made　Nynaeve　look　plump。　〃What　use　our　advice　if　you　will　not　listen？〃　she　demanded。　〃What　use？〃
　　　　　　　Faile　and　Berelain　sat　straight　in　their　saddles；　both　as　proud　as　they　could　be；　both　smelling　expectant　and　uncertain　at　the　same　time。　And　irritated　at　being　uncertain；　neither　liked　that　one　speck。　Seonid　was　too　far　to　send　her　scent；　but　pressed　lips　gave　her　mood　well　enough。　Edarra's　mand　not　to　speak　unless　spoken　to　infuriated　her。　Still；　she　certainly　wanted　him　to　take　the　Wise　Ones'　counsel；　she　stared　at　him　intently；　as　though　the　pressure　of　her　eyes　could　push　him　the　way　they　wanted　him　to　go。　In　truth；　he　wanted　to　choose　her；　yet　he　hesitated。　How