srdonaldson.theillearthwar-第51部分

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f　kindling　on　the　fire。　The　sudden　blaze　gave　him　a　better　view　of　the　Bloodguard。
　The　grime　of　hard　fighting　streaked　his　face；　and　among　the　rents　there　were　patches　of　dried　blood
　on　his　robe。　He　dismounted　slowly；　as　if　he　were　tired　or　reluctant。
　Troy　felt　his　balance　suddenly　waver；　as　if　the　tree　limb　of　his　efforts　for　the　Land　had　jumped　under　his　feet。　He　recognized　the　Bloodguard。　He　was　Runnik；　one　of　the　members　of　Korik's　mission　to　Seareach。
　
　
　
　
　FOURTEEN：　Runnik's　Tale
　
　FOR　a　moment；　Troy　groped　around　him；　trying　to　regain　his　balance。　Runnik　should　not　be　here；　it　was　too　soon。　Only　twenty…three　days　had　passed　since　the　departure　of　Korik's　mission。　Even　the　mightiest　Ranyhyn　could　not　gallop　to　Seareach　and　back　in　that　time。　So　Runnik's　arrival　here　meant　Even　before　the　High　Lord　could　speak；　Troy　found　himself　demanding　in　a　constricted　voice；　〃What　happened？　What　happened？〃
　But　Elena　stopped　him　with　a　sharp　word。　He　could　see　that　the　implications　of　Runnik's　presence　were　not　lost　on　her。　She　stood　with　the　Staff　of　Law　planted　firmly　on　the　ground；　and　her　face　was　full　of　fire。
　At　her　side；　Covenant　had　a　look　of　nausea；　as　if　he　were　already　sickened　by　what　he　expected　to　hear。　He　had　the　aspect　of　a　man　who　wanted　to　know　whether　or　not　he　had　a　terminal　illness　as　he　rasped　at　the　Bloodguard；　〃Are　they　dead？〃
　Runnik　ignored　both　Covenant　and　Troy。　He　nodded　to　First　Mark　Morin；　then　bowed　slightly　to　the　High　Lord。　Despite　its　flatness；　his　countenance　had　a　reluctant　cast；　an　angle　of　unwillingness；　that　made　Troy　groan　in　anticipation。
　〃Speak；　Runnik；〃　Elena　said　sternly。　〃What　word
　have　you　brought　to　us？〃　And　after　her　Morin　said；　〃Speak　so　that　the　Lords　may　hear　you。〃
　Yet　Runnik　did　not　begin。　Barely　visible　in　the　background　of　his　unblinking　gaze；　there　was　an　ache　…a　pang　that　Troy　had　never　expected　to　see　in　any　Bloodguard。　〃Sweet　Jesus；〃　he　breathed。　〃How　bad　is　it？〃
　Then　Lord　Mhoram　spoke。　〃Runnik；〃　he　said　softly；　〃the　mission　to　Seareach　was　given　into　the　hands　of　the　Bloodguard。　This　is　a　difficult　burden；　for　you　are　Vowed　to…　the　preservation　of　the　Lords　above　all　things。　There　is　no　blame　for　you　if　your　Vow　and　the　mission　have　e　into　conflict；　requiring　that　one　or　the　other　must　be　set　aside。　There　can　be　no　doubt　of　the　Bloodguard；　whatever　the　doom　that　brings　you　to　us　thus　battle…rent　at　the　dark　of　the　moon。〃
　For　a　moment　longer；　Runnik　hesitated。　Then　he　said；　〃High　Lord；　I　have　e　from　the　depths　of　Sarangrave　Flat　from　the　Defiles　Course　and　the　mission　to　Seareach。　To　me；　and　to　Pren　and　Porib　with　me；　Korik　said；　‘Return　to　the　High　Lord。　Tell　her　all　…all　the　words　of　Warhaft　Hoerkin；　all　the　struggles　of　the　Ranyhyn；　all　the　attacks　of　the　lurker。　Tell　her　of　the　fall　of　Lord　Shetra。'　〃　Amatin　moaned　in　her　throat；　and　Mhoram　stiffened。　But　Elena　held　Runnik　with　the　intensity　of　her　face。　〃　‘She　will　know　how　to　hear　this　tale　of　Giants　and　Ravers。　Tell　her　that　the　mission　will　not　fail。'
　〃　‘Fist　and　faith；'　we　three　responded。　‘We　will　not　fail。'
　〃But　for　four　days　we　strove　with　the　Sarangrave；　and　Pren　fell　to　the　lurker　that　has　awakened。　Then　we　won　our　way　to　the　west　of　the　Flat；　and　there　regained　our　Ranyhyn。　With　our　best　speed　we　rode　toward　Revelstone。　But　when　we　entered　Grimmerdhore；　we　were　beset　by　wolves　and　ur…viles；　though　we　saw　no　sign　of　them　when　we　passed　eastward。　Porib　and　his　Ranyhyn　fell　so　that　I　might　escape；　and　I　rode　onward。
　〃Then　on　the　west　of　Grimmerdhore；　I　met　with　scouts　of　the　Warward；　and　learned　that　Corruption　was　marching；　and　that　the　High　Lord　had　ridden　toward　Revelwood。　So　I　turned　aside　from　Revelstone　and　came　in　pursuit　to　find　you　here。
　〃High　Lord；　there　is　much　that　I　must　say。〃
　〃We　will　hear　you；〃　Elena　said。　〃e。〃　Turning；　she　moved　to　the　campfire。　There　she　seated　herself　with　Mhoram　and　Amatin　beside　her。　At　a　sign　from　her；　Runnik　sat　down　opposite　her；　and　allowed　one　of　the　Lorewardens　who　had　skill　as　a　Healer　to　clean　his　cuts。　Troy　piled　wood　on　the　fire　so　that　he　could　see　better；　then　positioned　himself　near　the　Lords　on　the　far　side　from　Covenant。　In　a　moment；　Runnik　began　to　speak。
　At　first；　his　narration　was　brief　and　awkward。　The　Bloodguard　lacked　the　Giants'　gift　for　storytelling；　he　skimmed　crucial　subjects；　and　ignored　things　his　hearers　needed　to　know。　But　the　Lords　questioned　him　carefully。　And　Covenant　repeatedly　insisted　on　details。　At　times；　he　seemed　to　be　trying　to　stall　the　narrative；　postpone　the　moment　when　he　would　have　to　hear　its　oute。　Gradually；　the　events　of　the　mission　began　to　emerge　in　a　coherent　form。
　Troy　listened　intensely。　He　could　see　nothing　beyond　the　immediate　light　of　the　campfire；　nothing　distracted　his　attention。　Despite　the　flatness　of　Runnik's　tone；　the　Warmark　seemed　to　see　what　he　was　hearing　as　if　the　mission　were　taking　place　in　the　air　before　him。
　The　mission　had　made　its　way　eastward　through　Grimmerdhore；　and　then　for　three　days　had　ridden　in　rain。　But　no　rain　could　halt　the　Ranyhyn；　and　this　was　no　great　storm。　On　the　eighth　day　of　the　mission；　when　the　clouds　broke　and　let　sunlight　return　to　the　earth；　Korik　and　his　party　were　within　sight　of　Mount　Thunder。
　It　grew　steadily　against　the　sky　as　they　rode　through　the　sunshine。　They　passed　twenty…five　leagues　to　the　north　of　it；　and　reached　the　great　cliff　of　Landsdrop　late　that　afternoon。　They　were　at　one　of　its　highest　points；　and　could　look　out　over　the　Lower　Land　from　a　vantage　of　more　than　four　thousand　feet。　Here　Landsdrop　was　as　sheer　as　if　the　Lower　Land　had　been　cut　away　with　an　ax。　And　below　it　beyond　a　hilly　strip
　of　grassland　less　than　five　leagues　wide　lay　Sarangrave　Flat。
　It　was　a　wet　land；　latticed　with　waterways　like　exposed　veins　in　the　flesh　of　the　ground；　overgrown　with　fervid　luxuriance；　and　full　of　subtle　dangers…strange；　treacherous；　water…bred；　and　man…shy　animals；　cunning；　old；　half…rotten　willows　and　cypresses　that　sang　quiet　songs　which　could　bind　the　unwary；　stagnant；　poisonous　pools；　so　covered　with　slime　and　mud　and　shallow　plants　that　they　looked　like　solid　ground；　lush　flowers；　beautifully　bedewed　with　clear　liquids　that　could　drive　humans　mad；　deceptive　stretches　of　dry　ground　that　turned　suddenly　to　quicksand。　All　this　was　familiar　to　the　Bloodguard。　However　ominous　to　human　eyes；　or　unsuited　to　human　life；　Sarangrave　Flat　was　not　naturally　evil。　Rather；　because　of　the　darknesses　which　slumbered　beneath　it；　it　was　simply　dangerous…a　wild　haven　for　the　misbom　of　the　Land；　the　warped　fruit　of　evils　long　past。　The　Giants；　who　knew　how　to　be　wary；　had　always　been　able　to　travel　freely　through　the　Flat；　and　they　had　kept　paths　open　for　others；　so　that　the　crossing　of　the　Sarangrave　was　not　normally　a　great　risk。
　But　now　something　else　met　the　gaze　of　the　mission。　Slumbering　evil　stirred；　the　hand　of　Corruption　was　at　work；　awakening　old　wrongs。
　The　peril　was　severe；　and　Lord　Hyrim　was　dismayed。　But　neither　the　Lords　nor　the　Bloodguard　were　surprised。　The　Lords　Callindrill　and　Amatin…the　Bloodguard　Morril　and　Koral…had　spoken　of　this　danger。　And　though　he　was　dismayed；　Lord　Hyrim　did　not　propose　that　the　mission　should　evade　the　danger　by　riding　north　and　around　Sarangrave　Flat；　a　hundred　leagues　from　their　way。　Therefore　in　the　dawn　of　the　ninth　day　the　mission　descended　Landsdrop；　using　a　horse　trail　which　the　Old　Lords　had　made　in　the　great　cliff；　and　rode　eastward　across　the　grassland　foothills　toward　the　main　Giantway　through　the　Sarangrave。
　The　air　was　noticeably　warmer　and　thicker　than　it　had　been　above　Landsdrop。　It　breathed　as　if　it　were　clogged　with　invisible；　damp　fibers；　and　it　seemed　to
　leave　something　behind　in　the　lungs　when　it　was　exhaled。
　Then　shrubs　and　low；　twisted　bushes　began　to　appear　through　the　grass。　And　the　grass　itself　grew　longer；　wetter。　At　odd　intervals；　stray；　hidden　puddles　of　water　splashed　under　the　hooves　of　the　Ranyhyn。　Soon　gnarled；　lichenous　trees　appeared；　spread　out　moss…draped　limbs。　They　grew　thicker　and　taller　as　the　mission　passed　into　the　Sarangrave。　In　moments；　the　riders　entered　a　grassy　avenue　that　lay　between　two　unrippling　pools　and　ang