rj.acrownofswords-第132部分

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n。　Maybe　another　dozen　Maidens　squatted　on　their　heels　near　the　banners；　on　the　other　side；　Gaul　wore　as　close　to　a　sullen　expression　as　Perrin　had　ever　seen　on　an　Aiel。
　　　As　he　dismounted；　two　black…coated　men　came　to　him；　saluting　with　fist　pressed　to　heart。　〃Lord　Perrin；〃　Jur　Grady　said。　〃We've　been　here　since　last　night。　We　are　ready。〃
　　　Grady's　weathered　farmer's　face　made　Perrin　almost　fortable　with　him；　but　Fager　Neald　was　another　matter。　Maybe　ten　years　younger　than　Grady；　he　might　have　been　a　farmer　too　for　all　Perrin　knew；　but　he　affected　airs　and　graces；　and　wore　his　pitiful　mustache　waxed　to　a　semblance　of　points。　Where　Grady　was　one　of　the　Dedicated；　he　was　a　Soldier；　without　the　silver　sword　pinned　to　his　collar；　but　that　did　not　hold　him　back　from　speaking。　〃Lord　Perrin；　is　it　really　necessary　to　take　those　women　with　us？　They'll　be　nothing　but　trouble；　they　will；　the　whole　lot　of　them；　and　you　know　it　well。〃
　　　Some　of　the　women　he　was　talking　about　stood　not　far　from　the　Two　Rivers　men；　shawls　looped　over　their　arms。　Edarra　appeared　the　eldest　of　the　six　Wise　Ones　impassively　watching　the　two　women　Neald　had　nodded　to。　In　truth；　that　pair　worried　Perrin　as　well。　Seonid　Traighan；　all　coolness　and　reserve　in　green　silk；　had　been　haughtily　trying　to　ignore　the　Aiel　women　…　most　Cairhienin　who　were　not　pretending　to　be　Aiel　despised　them　…　but　when　she　saw　Perrin；　she　shifted　her　bay's　reins　to　the　other　hand　and　gave　Masuri　Sokawa　a　nudge　in　the　ribs。　Masuri　started　…　Browns　seemed　to　go　off　in　daydreams　fairly　often　…　stared　at　the　Green　sister　blankly；　then　directed　her　stare　at　Perrin。　This　one　was　more　the　sort　she　might　have　given　some　peculiar　and　perhaps　dangerous　animal；　one　she　intended　to　be　sure　of　before　she　was　done。　They　had　sworn　to　obey　Rand　al'Thor；　but　how　would　they　do　obeying　Perrin　Aybara？　Giving　orders　to　Aes　Sedai　seemed　unnatural。　But　better　than　the　other　way　around；　at　least。
　　　〃Everybody　es；〃　Perrin　said。　〃Let's　be　gone　before　we　are　seen。〃　Faile　sniffed。
　　　Grady　and　Neald　saluted　again　and　strode　out　to　the　middle　of　the　treeless　area。　Perrin　had　no　idea　which　of　them　did　what　was　necessary；　but　suddenly　the　now…familiar　silvery　vertical　flash　in　the　air　rotated　into　a　gateway　not　quite　tall　enough　to　ride　through。　Trees　showed　beyond　the　opening；　not　that　much　different　from　those　on　the　surrounding　hills。　Grady　strode　through　immediately；　but　even　so　he　was　nearly　knocked　down　by　Sulin　and　a　small　horde　of　veiled　Maidens。　They　seemed　to　have　taken　the　honor　of　being　first　through　a　gateway　for　themselves；　and　were　not　about　to　let　anyone　usurp　it。
　　　Foreseeing　a　hundred　problems　he　had　not　thought　of；　Perrin　led　Stepper　through　into　a　land　not　so　hilly。　There　was　no　clearing；　but　it　was　not　so　thickly　treed　as　the　hollow　back　in　Cairhien；　either。　The　scattered　trees　were　taller；　but　just　as　sere；　even　the　pines。　He　did　not　recognize　much　else　except　for　oak　and　leatherleaf。　The　air　seemed　a　little　hotter。
　　　Faile　followed　him；　but　when　he　turned　to　the　left；　she　took　Swallow　right。　Aram's　head　swung　worriedly　between　them　until　Perrin　nodded　toward　his　wife。　The　onetime　Tinker　hauled　his　gelding　after　her；　but　quick　as　he　was；　he　was　not　before　Bain　and　Chiad；　still　veiled；　and；　for　all　Perrin's　orders　that　the　Two　Rivers　men　were　to　be　next；　Selande　and　a　good　two　dozen　young　Cairhienin　and　Tairens　poured　out　of　the　gateway　drawing　their　horses　along。　Two　dozen！　Shaking　his　head；　Perrin　stopped　beside　Grady；　who　turned　this　way　and　that；　studying　the　sparse　woodland。
　　　Gaul　came　stalking　up　as　Dannil　finally　began　leading　the　Two　Rivers　men　out　at　a　run；　pulling　their　horses。　Those　bloody　banners　appeared　right　behind　Dannil；　going　up　as　soon　as　they　were　clear。　The　man　ought　to　shave　those　fool　mustaches。
　　　〃Women　are　beyond　any　belief；〃　Gaul　muttered。
　　　Perrin　opened　his　mouth　to　defend　Faile　before　he　realized　it　must　be　Bain　and　Chiad　the　man　was　glaring　at。　To　cover；　he　said；　〃Do　you　have　a　wife；　Grady？〃
　　　〃Sora；〃　Grady　answered　absently；　his　attention　still　on　the　surrounding　trees。　Perrin　would　have　wagered　he　held　the　Power　now；　for　sure。　Anyone　could　see　a　long　way　in　this；　pared　to　any　woods　back　home；　but　someone　could　still　sneak　up　on　you。　〃She's　missing　me；〃　Grady　went　on；　almost　to　himself。　〃You　learn　to　recognize　that　one　right　off。　I　wish　I　knew　why　her　knee　hurts；　though。〃
　　　〃Her　knee　hurts；〃　Perrin　said　flatly。　〃Right　this　minute；　it　hurts。〃
　　　Grady　seemed　to　realize　he　was　staring；　and　Gaul　was　too。　He　blinked；　but　went　right　back　to　his　study。　〃Forgive　me；　Lord　Perrin。　I　need　to　keep　a　watch。〃　For　a　long　moment　he　said　nothing；　then　began　slowly；　〃It's　something　a　fellow　named　Canler　worked　out。　The　M'Hael　doesn't　like　us　trying　to　figure　out　things　on　our　own；　but　once　it　was　done。。。　〃　His　slight　grimace　said　perhaps　Taim　had　not　been　all　that　easy　about　it　even　then。　〃We　think　maybe　it's　something　like　the　bond　between　Warders　and　Aes　Sedai。　Maybe　one　in　three　of　us　is　married；　anyway；　that's　how　many　wives　stayed　instead　of　running　off　when　they　learned　what　their　husbands　were。　This　way；　when　you're　apart　from　her；　you　know　she's　all　right；　and　she　knows　you　are。　A　man　likes　to　know　his　wife's　safe。〃
　　　〃That　he　does；〃　Perrin　said。　What　was　Faile　up　to　with　those　fools？　She　was　mounted　on　Swallow　now；　and　they　were　all　standing　close　around；　looking　up　at　her。　He　would　not　put　it　past　her　to　leap　into　this　ji'e'toh　nonsense　herself。
　　　Seonid　and　Masuri　glided　behind　the　last　of　the　Two　Rivers　men　with　the　three　Warders　they　had　between　them；　and　the　Wise　Ones　right　behind　them；　which　was　no　surprise。　They　were　along　to　keep　an　eye　on　the　Aes　Sedai。　Seonid　gathered　her　reins　as　if　to　mount；　but　Edarra　said　something　in　a　low　voice；　pointing　to　a　fat　lopsided　oak；　and　the　two　Aes　Sedai　looked　at　her；　heads　swiveling　as　one；　then　exchanged　glances　and　led　their　horses　to　the　tree。　Matters　would　go　a　deal　smoother　if　that　pair　was　always　so　meek　…　well；　not　meek　exactly；　Seonid's　neck　was　stiff　as　a　rod。
　　　After　that　came　the　remounts；　a　herd　of　spare　horses　tied　ten　to　a　lead；　under　the　watchful　eyes　of　folk　from　Dobraine's　estates　who　supposedly　knew　what　they　were　about。　Perrin　automatically　picked　out　Stayer；　on　a　lead　by　himself；　the　woman　taking　care　of　him　better　know　what　she　was　doing。　A　great　many　high…wheeled　supply　carts　came　through；　drivers　tugging　the　horses　and　shouting　as　if　they　feared　the　gateway　might　close　on　them　…　a　great　many　because　carts　could　not　carry　as　much　as　wagons；　and　carts　because　a　wagon　and　team　would　not　fit　through　the　gateway。　It　seemed　neither　Neald　nor　Grady　could　make　one　as　big　as　Rand　could；　or　Dashiva。
　　　When　the　last　cart　finally　trundled　out　on　a　squealing　axle；　Perrin　considered　ordering　the　gateway　closed　right　then；　but　Neald　was　the　man　holding　the　thing　open；　and　him　on　the　other　side　of　it　back　in　Cairhien。　A　moment　later；　it　was　too　late。
　　　Berelain　strode　through　leading　a　mare　as　white　as　Swallow　was　black；　and　he　offered　up　small　thanks　that　her　gray　riding　dress　had　a　neck　right　to　her　chin。　On　the　other　hand；　from　the　waist　up；　it　fit　as　snugly　as　any　Taraboner　dress。　Perrin　groaned。　With　her　came　Nurelle　and　Bertain　Gallenne；　the　Lord　Captain　of　her　Winged　Guards；　a　gray…haired　fellow　who　wore　his　black　eyepatch　as　another　man　might　a　plume　in　his　hat；　and　then　the　red…armored　Winged　Guards　themselves；　more　than　nine　hundred　of　them。　Nurelle　and　the　rest　who　had　been　at　Dumai's　Wells　wore　a　yellow　cord　tied　high　on　the　left　arm。
　　　Climbing　onto　her　mare；　Berelain　rode　off　to　one　side　with　Gallenne　while　Nurelle　formed　the　Winged　Guards　among　the　trees。　There　must　have　been　fifty　paces　between　her　and　Faile；　and　dozens　of　trees；　but　she　placed　herself　where　they　could　stare　at　each　other。　Stare　with　so　little　expression　that　Perrin's　skin　crawled。　Putting　Berelain　at　the　rear；　as　far　from　Faile　as　he　could　manage；　had　seemed　a　good　notion；　but　he　was　going　to　face　this　every　bloody　evening。　Burn　Rand！
　　　Now　Neald　popped　out　of　the　gateway；　stroking　his　ridiculous　mustache　and　preening　for　anyone　who　might　be　watchi