ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第23节

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anch　was　not　a　matter　that　could　be　superseded。　It　was　the　cornerstone　of　their　fortune　and　their　lives；　of　their　whole　society；　really。　The　Horsemen　of　Jad；　they　were　called；　and　with　reason。　A　moment　later　the　woman　said　to　be　the　most　beautiful　in　Valledo　was　on　her　knees　again　in　the　straw；　her　hands　on　the　mare's　belly；　helping　to　bring　another　stallion　of　Belmonte's　breed　into　the　world。
　　She　was　distracted　and　worried；　however。　Not　surprisingly。　Diego　was　seldom　wrong　in　his　warnings；　and　almost　never　so　when　the　vision　had　to　do　with　trouble　close　to　home。　They　had　learned　that；　over　the　years。
　　When　he'd　been　younger；　still　a　child；　and　these　foreknowings　had　begun　it　had　been　hard；　even　for　him；　to　tell　them　apart　from　nightmares　or　childhood　fears。
　　Once；　memorably；　he　had　awakened　screaming　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　crying　that　his　father　was　in　terrible　danger；　threatened　by　ambush。　Rodrigo　had　been　campaigning　in　Ruenda　that　year；　during　the　bitter　War　of　the　Brothers；　and　everyone　in　the　ranch　house　had　sat　awake　the　rest　of　a　long　night　watching　a　shivering；　blank…eyed　boy；　waiting　to　see　if　any　further　visions　were　vouchsafed　him。　Just　before　dawn；　Diego's　features　had　relaxed。　〃I　was　wrong；〃　he'd　said；　gazing　at　his　mother。　〃They　aren't　fighting　yet。　He's　all　right。　I　guess　it　was　a　dream。　Sorry。〃　He'd　fallen　fast　asleep　with　the　last　apologetic　word。
　　That　sort　of　incident　didn't　happen　any　more。　When　Diego　said　he'd　seen　something；　they　tended　to　treat　it　as　absolute　truth。　Years　of　living　with　a　boy　touched　by　the　god　would　quell　the　skeptic　in　anyone。　They　had　no　idea　how　his　visions　came　and　they　never　spoke　of　them　outside　the　family　or　the　ranch。　Neither　his　parents　nor　his　brother　had　anything　resembling　this　。。。　this　what？　Gift　or　burden？　Miranda　had　not；　to　this　day；　been　able　to　decide。
　　There　were　tales　of　such　people。　Ibero；　the　family　cleric；　who　presided　over　services　in　the　new　chapel　Rodrigo　had　put　up　even　before　he'd　rebuilt　and　expanded　the　ranch　house；　had　heard　of　them。　Timewalkers；　he　called　those　with　such　a　vision。　He　named　Diego　blessed　of　Jad；　but　the　boy's　parents　both　knew　that　at　different　times　and　in　different　places；　those　visionaries　had　been　burned；　or　nailed　alive　to　wooden　beams　as　sorcerers；
　　Miranda　tried　to　concentrate　on　the　mare；　but　her　calming　words；　for　the　next　little　while；　consisted　of　repeated；　eloquent　curses　directed　at　her　absent　husband。　She　had　no　idea　what　he'd　done　this　time　to　bring　danger　to　the　ranch　while　his　pany　was　quartered　at　Esteren　and　the　best　of　the　band　were　south　in　Al…Rassan。
　　The　boys　can　deal　with　trouble；　his　last　letter　had　said　breezily；　after　reporting　a　grim　parting　exchange　with　Count　Gonzalez　de　Rada。　Nothing　about　sending　some　of　the　soldiers　to　her　for　reinforcement。　Of　course　not。　Miranda；　taught　by　Ibero　in　the　first　years　of　her　marriage；　prided　herself　on　being　able　to　read　without　assistance。　She　could　also　swear　like　a　soldier。　She　had　done　so；　reading　that　letter…to　the　messenger's　disfiture。　She　was　doing　so　now；　more　carefully；　not　to　disturb　the　mare。
　　Her　boys　were　still　boys；　and　their　blithe；　careless　father　and　his　men　were　far　away。
　　By　Jad's　grace　the　foal　was　born　healthy　not　long　after　that。　Miranda　waited　to　see　if　the　mare　accepted　him；　then　she　left　the　stall；　grabbed　an　old　spear　propped　in　a　corner　of　the　stable；　and　hurried　out　into　the　rain　to　join　the　women　and　their　half　a　dozen　ranch　hands　on　the　wall…walk　behind　the　wooden　barricade。
　　As　it　turned　out；　it　was　just　the　women；　Ibero　the　cleric　and　lame　old　Rebeno　the　groom　that　she　joined。　Fernan　had　already　taken　the　ranch　hands　with　him　outside　the　walls。　For　an　ambush；　one　of　the　house　women　said；　hesitantly。　Miranda；　with　no　precious　horses　nearby；　permitted　herself　a　stream　of　entirely　unmitigated　profanity。　Then　she　swiped　at　her　brow　again　and　climbed　the　wet　steps　to　the　high　walk　along　the　western　side　of　the　wall；　to　watch　and　wait。　Someone　offered　her　a　hat　to　keep　the　rain　from　her　eyes。
　　After　a　while　she　decided　the　spear　was　a　waste　of　time；　and　exchanged　it　for　a　bow　and　a　quiver　full　of　arrows；　taken　from　one　of　the　six　small　guard　shelters　along　the　wall。　There　were　no　guards　in　the　shelters。　All　the　soldiers　were　in　Esteren；　or　with　Rodrigo。
　　The　boys　can　handle；　trouble；　he　had　written。　Blithely。
　　She　imagined　seeing　her　husband　riding　home　just　then；　emerging　from　the　trees　into　the　wide；　grassy　space　before　their　walls。　She　imagined　shooting　him　as　he　rode　up。
　　
　　The　land　around　the　Belmonte　ranch　was　level　and　open　in　all　directions；　save　to　the　west　and　southwest　where　Rodrigo's　father　and　his　grandfather　before　him　had　left　a　stand　of　oak　and　cedar　undisturbed。　Rodrigo　hadn't　touched　the　trees；　either；　though　for　a　different　reason。
　　There　were　holy　associations　with　that　wood；　and　with　the　pool　in　the　midst　of　it；　but　young　Fernan　Belmonte　had　been　taught　by　his　father　years　ago；　when　he　could　first　ride　a　proper　horse；　that　the　forest　was　deceptively　useful　for　defense；　as　well。
　　〃Think　about　it；〃　he　could　remember　his　father　saying。　〃If　you　wanted　to　attack　this　place　unseen；　which　way　would　you　approach？〃
　　Fernan　had　looked　around　at　the　exposed　grassland　stretching　in　all　directions。　〃Have　to　e　through　the　trees　to　get　close；〃　he'd　said。　It　was　an　easy　answer。
　　〃So　we　can　be　almost　certain　any　attack　will　e　that　way；　because　otherwise；　if　our　outriders　aren't　asleep；　we'll　be　able　to　observe　anyone's　approach；　won't　we？〃
　　〃Or　if　Diego　sees　something；〃　Fernan　had　added；　〃even　if　they　e　through　the　woods。〃
　　〃That's　true；〃　his　father　had　agreed　briefly；　though　not　happily。
　　In　those　early　days　his　father　and　mother　were　still　struggling　to　e　to　terms　with　what　Diego　could　see　and　do。　Fernan　didn't　have　any　such　problems；　but　he　knew　Diego　best　of　all；　of　course。
　　Years　later；　on　a　morning　of　soft；　unseasonable　summer　rain　he　was　with　two　of　their　friends　and　the　six　ranch　hands　in　the　twin　gullies　on　either　side　of　the　natural　exit　from　the　woods。　The　gullies　weren't　natural；　of　course。　Rodrigo's　soldiers　had　hollowed　them　out　in　the　grassy　plain　to　make　a　place　where　they　could　lie　unseen　and　watch　anyone　ing　out　of　the　trees。
　　Fernan　had　four　other　boys　with　bows　posted　halfway　between　the　ranch　buildings　and　the　southern　pastures　where　the　mares　and　foals　were　that　morning。　There　were　two　messengers　with　these　four；　to　bring　word　if　anyone　appeared　from　the　south。　A　last　horseman　was　alone　east　of　the　ranch；　just　in　case。
　　Diego；　riding　up　breathlessly　a　few　moments　before；　reported　that　he'd　relayed　instructions　to　their　mother；　who　would　be　up　on　the　wall；　then；　with　the　other　women。　She　knew　what　to　do。　They　were　as　ready　as　they　could　be。　Fernan　turned　up　his　collar　against　the　rain　and　sat　in　the　gully　under　the　wide　brim　of　his　hat；　waiting。
　　There　were　two　possibilities。　If　someone　was　approaching　Rancho　Belmonte　with　ill　intent；　they　might　be　ing　for　the　ranch　pound　and　the　people　inside　the　walls　or；　more　likely；　they　were　here　for　the　horses。　Or　both；　Fernan　corrected　himself。　But　that　would　mean　quite　a　lot　of　men；　and　in　that　case　they　might　actually　be　in　trouble。　He　didn't　think　that　was　the　case。　He　wasn't　much　worried；　in　fact。　He　was　thirteen　years　old。
　　〃I　have　them；〃　he　heard　his　brother　say　softly。　〃They　just　entered　the　trees。　I　know　who　this　is；〃　Diego　said。
　　〃De　Rada？〃　Fernan　asked　calmly。　〃The　younger　one？〃
　　Diego　nodded。　They　had　both　read　their　father's　last　letter。
　　Fernan　swore。　〃That　means　we　can't　kill　him。〃
　　〃Don't　see　why　not；〃　said　Diego　matter…of…factly。
　　〃Bloodthirsty　child。〃　Fernan　grinned。
　　An　identical　grin　on　an　identical　face　showed　through　the　softly　falling　rain。　Fernan　was　fifteen　minutes　older。　He　liked　reminding　Diego　of　that。　Diego　was　hard　to　tease；　however。　Very　little　seemed　to　bother　him。
　　〃About　twenty　men；〃　he　said。　〃They're　on　the　path　in　the　woods　now。〃
　　〃Of　course　they　are；〃　said　Fernan。　〃That's　why　the　path　is　there。〃
　　
　　He　had　lost　his　hat　at　some　point；　and　during　the　period　of　walking　north　one　of　Garcia　de　Rada's　boots　had　split　at　the　heel。　He　was；　accordingly；　wet　at　crown　and　sole；　riding　through　the　copse　of　trees　west　of　the　Belmonte　ranch　pound。　There　seemed　to　be　a　rough　trail　leading　through　the　wood；　the　horses　were　able　to　manage。
　　Despite　his　disfort；　he　was　fiercely　happy；　with　a　red；　penetrating　joy　that　made　the　long　journey　here　seem　as　nothing　now。　His　late；　unlamented　cousin　Parazor　had　been　a　pig　and　a　buffoon；　and　far　too　quick　to　voice　his　own　thoughts　on　various　matters。　Thoughts　that　seemed　all　too　frequently　to　differ　from　Garcia's　own。　Nonetheless；　during　the　trek　north　from　Al…Rassan；　Garcia　had　been　sustained　in　his　spirit　by　a　sense　of　gratitude　to　his　slain　cousin。　Parazor's　death　at　the　hands　of　a　lice…ridden　Asharite　peasant　boy　in　a　hamlet　by　Fezana　was　the　event　that　would　deliver　Miranda　Belmonte　d'Alveda　into　Garcia's　hands。　And　not　only　his　hands。
　　Once　Rodrigo　Belmonte　had　recklessly　ordered　a　de　Rada　of　rank　to　be　executed　by　a　peasant　child；　against　all　codes　of　conduct　among　gentle