rj.thepathofdaggers-第49部分

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　Prophet　and　take　him　to　Rand　if　Masema　had　ten　thousand　men　around　him。　Not　for　the　first　time　he　realized　that　however　much　her　anger　hurt　and　confused　him；　it　was　her　disappointment　he　feared。　If　he　ever　saw　that　in　her　eyes；　it　would　rip　the　heart　out　of　his　chest。
　　　　　　　He　knelt　beside　her　and　helped　her　spread　out　the　largest　map；　covering　the　south　of　Ghealdan　and　the　north　of　Amadicia；　and　studied　it　as　though　Masema's　name　would　leap　off　the　parchment　at　him。　He　had　more　reason　than　Rand　to　want　to　succeed。　Whatever　else；　he　could　not　fail　Faile。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　Faile　lay　in　the　darkness；　listening　until　she　was　sure　that　Perrin's　breath　had　the　deep　rhythm　of　sleep；　then　slipped　out　from　the　blankets　they　shared。　Rueful　amusement　touched　her　as　she　pulled　her　linen　nightdress　up　over　her　head。　Did　he　really　think　she　would　not　find　out　that　he　had　hidden　the　bed　deep　in　a　copse　one　morning　while　the　carts　were　being　loaded？　Not　that　she　minded；　not　a　great　deal；　at　least。　She　was　sure　she　had　slept　on　the　ground　as　often　as　he。　She　had　pretended　surprise；　of　course；　and　made　light　of　it。　Anything　else；　and　he　would　have　apologized；　perhaps　even　gone　back　to　fetch　the　bed。　Managing　a　husband　was　an　art；　so　her　mother　said。　Had　Deira　ni　Ghaline　ever　found　it　so　difficult？
　　　　　　　Scuffing　her　bare　feet　into　slippers；　she　shrugged　into　a　silk　robe；　then　hesitated；　looking　down　at　Perrin。　He　would　be　able　to　see　her　clearly；　if　he　woke；　but　to　her；　he　was　just　a　shadowed　mound。　She　wished　her　mother　were　there；　now；　to　advise　her。　She　loved　Perrin　with　every　fiber　of　her　being；　and　he　confused　every　fiber。　Actually　understanding　men　was　impossible；　of　course；　but　he　was　so　unlike　anyone　she　had　grown　up　with。　He　never　swaggered；　and　instead　of　laughing　at　himself；　he　was。。。　modest。　She　had　not　believed　a　man　could　be　modest！　He　insisted　that　only　chance　had　made　him　a　leader；　claimed　he　did　not　know　how　to　lead；　when　men　who　met　him　were　ready　to　follow　after　an　hour。　He　dismissed　his　own　thinking　as　slow；　when　those　slow；　considering　thoughts　saw　so　deeply　that　she　had　to　dance　a　merry　jig　to　keep　any　secrets　at　all。　He　was　a　wonderful　man；　her　curly…haired　wolf。　So　strong。　And　so　gentle。　Sighing；　she　tiptoed　from　the　tent。　His　ears　had　caused　her　difficulties　before。
　　　　　　　The　camp　lay　quiet　beneath　a　gibbous　moon　that　gave　as　much　light　in　a　cloudless　sky　as　it　normally　would　have　full；　a　brightness　that　washed　out　the　stars。　Some　sort　of　night…bird　cried　shrilly；　then　fell　silent　at　an　owl's　deep　hoot。　There　was　a　small　breeze；　and　for　a　wonder；　it　actually　seemed　a　little　cool。　Probably　her　imagination。　The　nights　were　cool　only　in　parison　to　the　days。
　　　　　　　Most　of　the　men　were　asleep；　dark　humps　among　the　shadows　beneath　the　trees。　A　few　remained　awake；　talking　around　the　handful　of　fires　still　burning。　She　made　no　effort　to　hide；　but　none　noticed　her。　Some　appeared　half　asleep　where　they　sat；　heads　nodding。　If　she　had　not　known　how　well　the　men　on　sentry　duty　would　be　keeping　watch；　she　might　have　thought　the　camp　could　be　surprised　by　a　herd　of　wild　cattle。　Of　course；　the　Maidens　would　be　on　guard　in　the　night；　too。　But　it　did　not　matter　if　they　saw　her；　either。
　　　　　　　The　high…wheeled　carts　made　long；　shadowed　rows；　the　servants　already　snug　and　snoring　beneath。　Most　of　the　servants。　One　fire　still　crackled　there。　Maighdin　and　her　friends　sat　around　it。　Tallanvor　was　talking；　gesturing　fiercely；　but　only　the　other　men　seemed　to　be　paying　him　any　mind；　though　he　appeared　to　be　addressing　himself　to　Maighdin。　That　they　had　had　better　garb　in　their　bundles　than　those　near　rags　was　not　surprising；　but　their　former　mistress　must　have　had　a　very　free　hand　to　give　out　silk　to　her　people；　and　Maighdin　wore　finely　cut　silk　indeed；　in　a　muted　blue。　None　of　the　others　was　dressed　so　well；　so　perhaps　Maighdin　had　been　their　lady's　favorite。
　　　　　　　A　twig　snapped　under　Faile's　foot；　and　heads　whipped　around；　Tallanvor　starting　to　his　feet；　half　drawing　his　sword　before　he　saw　her　gathering　her　robe　in　the　moonlight。　They　were　more　alert　than　the　Two　Rivers　men　behind　her。　For　an　instant　the　lot　of　them　just　stared　at　her；　then　Maighdin　rose　gracefully　and　made　a　deep　curtsy；　and　the　others　hastily　followed　her　example　with　varying　degrees　of　skill。　Only　Maighdin　and　Balwer　appeared　at　all　at　ease。　A　nervous　smile　split　Gill's　round　face。
　　　　　　　〃Go　on　with　what　you　were　doing；〃　Faile　told　them　kindly。　〃But　don't　stay　up　too　late；　tomorrow　will　be　full。〃　She　walked　on；　but　when　she　glanced　back；　they　were　still　standing；　still　peering　after　her。　Their　travels　must　have　made　them　wary　as　rabbits；　always　watching　for　a　fox。　She　wondered　how　well　they　would　fit　in。　Over　the　next　few　weeks；　she　would　be　busy　training　them　to　her　ways；　learning　theirs。　One　was　as　important　as　the　other　for　a　well…run　household。　The　time　would　have　to　be　found。
　　　　　　　They　did　not　stay　long　in　her　thoughts　tonight。　Soon　she　was　beyond　the　carts；　not　quite　out　to　where　Two　Rivers　men　would　be　keeping　sharp　watch　from　up　in　the　trees。　Nothing　larger　than　a　mouse　would　get　by　them　unseen　…　even　some　of　the　Maidens　had　been　spotted　upon　occasion　…　but　they　were　watching　for　anyone　attempting　to　sneak　in。　Not　for　those　who　had　a　right　to　be　there。　In　a　small　moonlit　clearing；　her　people　were　waiting。
　　　　　　　Some　of　the　men　bowed；　and　Parelean　nearly　went　to　one　knee　before　stopping　himself。　Several　women　instinctively　made　curtsies　that　looked　quite　peculiar　in　men's　garb；　then　dropped　their　eyes　or　shifted　in　embarrassment　at　realizing　what　they　had　done。　The　manners　of　the　court　had　been　bred　into　them；　though　they　tried　very　hard　to　adopt　Aiel　customs。　What　they　believed　were　Aiel　customs；　at　least。　Sometimes　they　horrified　the　Maidens　with　what　they　believed。　Perrin　called　them　fools；　and　they　were　in　some　ways；　but　they　had　sworn　fealty　to　her；　these　Cairhienin　and　Tairens　…　water　oath；　they　named　it；　copying　the　Aiel；　trying　to　…　and　that　made　them　hers。　Among　themselves　they　had　taken　to　calling　their　〃society〃　Cha　Faile；　the　Falcon's　Talon；　though　they　had　seen　the　necessity　of　keeping　that　quiet。　They　were　not　fools　in　all　ways。　In　fact；　around　the　edges　anyway；　they　were　not　too　unlike　the　young　men　and　women　she　had　grown　up　with。
　　　　　　　Those　she　had　sent　off　early　that　morning　had　just　returned；　for　the　women　among　them　were　still　changing　out　of　the　dresses　they　had　worn　of　necessity。　Even　one　woman　dressed　as　a　man　would　have　roused　notice　in　Bethal；　not　to　mention　five。　The　clearing　was　a　great　flurry　of　skirts　and　shifts；　coats　and　shirts　and　breeches。　The　women　made　believe　they　did　not　mind　being　unclothed　in　front　of　others；　including　men；　since　the　Aiel　apparently　did　not；　but　haste　and　labored　breathing　gave　them　the　lie。　The　men　were　all　shifting　feet　and　turning　heads；　torn　between　looking　away　decently　and　watching；　as　they　thought　the　Aiel　did；　while　pretending　they　were　not　looking　at　half…dressed　women。　Faile　held　her　robe　close　over　her　nightdress；　she　could　not　have　dressed　further　without　waking　Perrin　for　sure；　but　she　made　no　pretense　at　fort。　She　was　no　Domani；　to　receive　her　retainers　in　her　bath。
　　　　　　　〃Forgive　us　for　being　late；　my　Lady　Faile；〃　Selande　panted；　tugging　her　coat　on。　The　accents　of　Cairhien　were　sharp　in　the　short　woman's　voice。　Even　for　a　Cairhienin；　she　was　not　tall。　She　managed　a　credible　swagger；　though；　a　suitable　boldness　in　the　tilt　of　her　head　and　the　set　of　her　shoulders。　〃We　would　have　returned　sooner；　but　the　gate　guards　made　a　bother　letting　us　out。〃
　　　　　　　〃A　bother？〃　Faile　said　sharply。　If　only　she　could　have　seen　with　her　own　eyes；　on　top　of　theirs；　if　only　Perrin　had　let　her　go　instead　of　that　trollop。　No；　she　would　not　think　about　Berelain。　It　was　not　Perrin's　fault。　She　repeated　that　to　herself　twenty　times　a　day；　like　a　prayer。　But　why　was　the　man　so　blind？　〃What　kind　of　bother？〃　She　drew　a　chagrined　breath。　Troubles　with　your　husband　should　never　affect　your　tone　with　your　vassals。
　　　　　　　〃Nothing　of　note；　my　Lady。〃　Selande　buckled　her　sword　belt　and　settled　it　on　her　hips。　〃They　let　some　fellows　ahead　of　us　drive　their　wagons　through　without　a　second　look；　but　they　were　wo