rj.acrownofswords-第77部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　oars　were　missing　their　grins。　Apparently　they　had　failed　to　see　the　serpent　rings　back　at　the　stone　landing；　and　they　did　not　look　pleased　to　learn　they　had　Aes　Sedai　aboard。
　　　〃Oh；　dear；〃　Elayne　sighed。　〃I　must　retrieve　this；　Aviendha；　or　we've　wasted　the　morning　just　so　she　could　lose　her　breakfast　porridge。〃　Gliding　across　the　deck　…　Aviendha　was　proud　of　knowing　the　proper　names　for　things　on　boats　…　Elayne　addressed　the　man　up　on　the　ship。　〃I　am　Elayne　Trakand；　Daughter…Heir　of　Andor　and　Aes　Sedai　of　the　Green　Ajah。　My　panion　is　quite　truthful。　We　do　not　seek　the　gift　of　passage。　But　we　must　speak　with　your　Windfinder　on　a　matter　of　urgency。　Tell　her　we　know　of　the　Weaving　of　Winds。　Tell　her　we　know　of　Windfinders。〃
　　　The　man　above　frowned　down　at　her；　then　abruptly　vanished　without　a　word。
　　　〃The　woman　will　probably　think　you　mean　to　blab　her　secrets；〃　Nynaeve　muttered；　jerking　her　cloak　into　place。　She　tied　the　ribbons　fiercely。　〃You　know　how　afraid　they　are　that　Aes　Sedai　will　haul　them　all　off　to　the　Tower；　if　it's　known　most　can　channel。　Only　a　ninny　thinks　she　can　threaten　people；　Elayne；　and　still　get　anywhere。〃
　　　Aviendha　burst　out　laughing。　By　the　startled　look　Nynaeve　gave　her；　she　did　not　see　the　joke　she　had　made　on　herself。　Elayne's　lips　quivered；　though；　however　she　tried　to　hold　them。　You　could　never　be　sure　about　wetlander　humor；　they　found　strange　things　funny　and　missed　the　best。
　　　Whether　or　not　the　Windfinder　felt　threatened；　by　the　time　Elayne　had　paid　the　boatmen　and　cautioned　them　to　wait　for　their　return　…　with　Nynaeve　grumbling　over　the　amount　and　telling　them　she　would　box　their　ears　if　they　left；　and　how　she　was　to　manage　that　nearly　set　Aviendha　laughing　again　…　by　the　time　all　that　was　done；　it　seemed　a　decision　had　been　reached　to　allow　them　on。　No　ladder　was　lowered；　but　instead　a　flat　piece　of　wood；　the　two　ropes　it　hung　from　being　one　and　running　up　to　a　thick　pole　swung　out　over　the　side　from　one　of　the　masts。　Nynaeve　took　her　place　sitting　on　the　board　with　dire　warnings　for　the　boatmen　if　they　even　thought　of　trying　to　look　up　her　skirts；　and　Elayne　blushed　and　held　hers　tightly　around　her　legs；　hunched　over　so　she　appeared　ready　to　fall　off　headfirst　as　she　wobbled　into　the　air　and　disappeared　from　sight　onto　the　ship。　One　of　the　fellows　looked　upward　anyway；　until　Birgitte　struck　him　on　the　nose　with　her　fist。　They　certainly　did　not　watch　her　ascent。
　　　Aviendha's　belt　knife　was　small；　with　a　blade　not　half　a　foot　long；　but　the　oarsmen　frowned　worriedly　when　she　drew　it。　Her　arm　went　back；　and　they　fell　sprawling　to　the　deck　as　the　knife　whirled　over　their　heads　to　sink　with　a　solid　thunk　into　the　thick　wooden　post　at　the　front　of　the　boat。　Looping　the　cloak　over　her　arms　like　a　shawl；　she　hoisted　her　skirts　well　above　her　knees　so　she　could　climb　over　the　oars　and　retrieve　her　blade；　then　took　her　place　on　the　dangling　board。　She　did　not　replace　the　knife　in　its　sheath。　For　some　reason　the　two　men　exchanged　confused　looks；　but　they　kept　their　eyes　down　as　she　was　lifted　up。　Perhaps　she　was　beginning　to　get　a　feel　for　wetlander　customs。
　　　Settling　onto　the　great　ship's　deck；　she　gaped；　almost　forgetting　to　climb　off　the　narrow　seat。　She　had　read　of　the　Atha'an　Miere；　but　reading　and　seeing　was　as　different　as　reading　of　saltwater　and　tasting　it。　They　were　all　dark；　for　one　thing；　much　darker　than　the　Ebou　Dari；　even　darker　than　most　Tairens；　with　straight　black　hair　and　black　eyes　and　tattooed　hands。　Bare…chested；　barefoot　men　with　bright　narrow　sashes　holding　up　baggy　breeches　of　some　dark　cloth　that　had　an　oily　look　to　it；　and　women　in　blouses　as　brilliantly　colored　as　their　sashes；　all　with　a　sway　to　their　movements；　gliding　gracefully　with　the　rocking　of　the　ship。　Sea　Folk　women　had　very　strange　customs　when　it　came　to　men；　according　to　what　she　had　read；　dancing　with　no　more　than　a　single　scarf　for　covering　and　worse；　but　it　was　the　earrings　that　made　her　stare。　Most　had　three　or　four；　often　with　polished　stones；　and　several　actually　had　a　small　ring　in　one　side　of　their　noses！　The　men　did；　too；　the　earrings　at　least；　and　just　as　many　heavy　gold　and　silver　chains　around　their　necks。　Men！　Some　wetlander　men　wore　rings　in　their　ears；　true　…　most　Ebou　Dari　men　seemed　to　…　but　so　many！　And　necklaces！　Wetlanders　did　have　strange　ways。　The　Sea　Folk　never　left　their　ships　…　never　…　so　she　had　read；　and　supposedly　they　ate　their　dead。　She　had　not　been　quite　able　to　credit　that；　but　if　the　men　wore　necklaces；　who　could　say　what　else　they　did？
　　　The　woman　who　came　to　meet　them　wore　breeches　and　blouse　and　sash　like　the　others；　but　hers　were　of　brocaded　yellow　silk；　the　sash　knotted　intricately　with　ends　trailing　to　her　knee；　and　one　of　her　necklaces　bore　a　small　golden　box　of　intricate　piercework。　A　sweetly　musky　scent　surrounded　her。　Gray　streaked　her　hair　heavily；　and　she　had　a　grave　face。　Five　small　fat　golden　rings　decorated　each　of　her　ears；　and　a　fine　chain　connected　one　to　a　similar　ring　in　her　nose。　Tiny　medallions　of　polished　gold　dangling　from　the　chain　flashed　in　the　sunlight　as　she　studied　them。
　　　Aviendha　pulled　her　hand　down　from　her　own　nose　…　to　wear　that　chain；　always　tugging！　…　and　barely　managed　to　suppress　a　laugh。　Wetlander　customs　were　odd　beyond　belief；　and　surely　no　one　deserved　the　name　better　than　the　Sea　Folk。
　　　〃I　am　Malin　din　Toral　Breaking　Wave；〃　the　woman　said；　〃Wavemistress　of　Clan　Somarin　and　Sailmistress　of　Windrunner。〃　A　Wavemistress　was　important；　like　a　clan　chief；　yet　she　seemed　at　a　loss；　looking　from　one　face　to　the　next；　until　her　eye　fell　on　the　Great　Serpent　rings　Elayne　and　Nynaeve　wore；　and　then　she　exhaled　in　resignation。　〃If　it　pleases　you　to　e　with　me；　Aes　Sedai？〃　she　said　to　Nynaeve。
　　　The　back　of　the　ship　was　raised；　and　she　led　the　way　inside　that　by　a　door；　then　down　a　hallway　to　a　large　room　…　a　cabin　…　with　a　low　ceiling。　Aviendha　doubted　Rand　al'Thor　would　have　been　able　to　stand　upright　beneath　one　of　the　thick　beams。　Except　for　a　few　lacquered　chests；　everything　seemed　to　have　been　built　in　place；　cabinets　along　the　walls；　even　the　long　table　that　ran　half　the　length　of　the　room　and　the　armchairs　that　surrounded　it。　It　was　difficult　to　think　of　something　the　size　of　this　ship　being　made　of　wood；　and　even　after　all　her　time　in　the　wetlands；　the　sight　of　all　that　polished　wood　nearly　made　her　gasp。　It　glowed　almost　as　much　as　the　gilded　lamps；　hanging　unlit　in　some　sort　of　cage　so　they　remained　upright　as　the　ship　moved　with　the　waves。　In　truth；　the　ship　hardly　seemed　to　move　at　all；　at　least　in　parison　with　the　boat　they　had　been　on；　but　unfortunately　the　back　of　the　cabin；　of　the　ship；　was　a　line　of　windows　with　the　painted　and　gilded　shutters　standing　open；　giving　a　splendid　view　of　the　bay。　Worse；　there　was　no　land　in　sight　out　those　windows。　No　land　at　all！　Her　throat　seized。　She　could　not　have　spoken。　She　could　not　have　screamed；　although　that　was　what　she　wanted　to　do。
　　　Those　windows　and　what　they　showed　…　what　they　did　not　show　…　had　caught　her　eyes　so　quickly　that　it　took　her　a　moment　to　realize　people　were　there　already。　A　fine　thing！　Had　they　wished；　they　could　have　killed　her　before　she　knew。　Not　that　they　showed　any　sign　of　hostility；　but　you　could　never　be　too　careful　with　wetlanders。
　　　A　spindly　old　man　with　deep…set　eyes　was　sitting　at　his　ease　atop　one　of　the　chests；　what　little　hair　remained　to　him　was　white；　and　his　dark　face　had　a　kindly　look；　though　a　full　dozen　earrings　altogether　and　a　number　of　thick　gold　chains　around　his　neck　gave　his　expression　a　strange　twist　in　her　eyes。　Like　the　men　above；　he　was　barefoot　and　bare…chested；　but　his　breeches　were　a　dark　blue　silk；　and　his　long　sash　a　bright　red。　An　ivory…hilted　sword　was　thrust　through　that　sash；　she　noted　with　disdain；　as　well　as　two　curved　daggers　to　match。
　　　The　slender；　handsome　woman　with　her　arms　folded　and　a　grimly　foreboding　frown　was　more　worthy　of　notice。　She　wore　only　four　earrings　in　each　ear；　and　fewer　medallions　on　her　chain　than　Malin　din　Toral；　and　her　clothing　was　all　in　reddish…yellow　silk。　She　could　channel；　Aviendha　knew　that；　this　close。　She　must　be　the　woman　they　had　e　f