grrm.astormofswords-第11节

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！


ay；　until　the　wolf　and　his　feast　were　no　longer　in　sight。　Only　then　did　she　swing　about　to　ride　after　Hot　Pie；　who　was　clinging　desperately　to　the　saddle　as　he　crashed　through　the　trees。
　Later　they　passed　through　a　burned　village；　threading　their　way　carefully　between　the　shells　of　blackened　hovels　and　past　the　bones　of　a　dozen　dead　men　hanging　from　a　row　of　apple　trees。　When　Hot　Pie　saw　them　he　began　to　pray；　a　thin　whispered　plea　for　the　Mother's　mercy；　repeated　over　and　over。　Arya　looked　up　at　the　fleshless　dead　in　their　wet　rotting　clothes　and　said　her　own　prayer。　Ser　Gregor；　it　went；　Dunsen；　Polliver；　Raff　the　Sweetling。　The　Tickler　and　the　Hound。　Ser　Ilyn；　Ser　Meryn；　King　Joffrey；　Queen　Cersei。　She　ended　it　with　valar　morghulis；　touched　jaqen's　coin　where　it　nestled　under　her　belt；　and　then　reached　up　and　plucked　an　apple　from　among　the　dead　men　as　she　rode　beneath　them。　It　was　mushy　and　overripe；　but　she　ate　it　worms　and　all。
　That　was　the　day　without　a　dawn。　Slowly　the　sky　lightened　around　them；　but　they　never　saw　the　sun。　Black　turned　to　grey；　and　colors　crept　timidly　back　into　the　world。　The　soldier　pines　were　dressed　in　somber　greens；　the　broadleafs　in　russets　and　faded　golds　already　beginning　to　brown。　They　stopped　long　enough　to　water　the　horses　and　eat　a　cold；　quick　breakfast；　ripping　apart　a　loaf　of　the　bread　that　Hot　Pie　had　stolen　from　the　kitchens　and　passing　chunks　of　hard　yellow　cheese　from　hand　to　hand。
　〃Do　you　know　where　we're　going？〃　Gendry　asked　her。
　〃North；〃　said　Arya。
　Hot　Pie　peered　around　uncertainly。　〃Which　way　is　north？〃
　She　used　her　cheese　to　point。　〃That　way。〃
　〃But　there's　no　sun。　How　do　you　know？〃
　〃From　the　moss。　See　how　it　grows　mostly　on　one　side　of　the　trees？　That's　south。〃
　〃What　do　we　want　with　the　north？〃　Gendry　wanted　to　know。
　〃The　Trident。〃　Arya　unrolled　the　stolen　map　to　show　them。　〃See？　Once　we　reach　the　Trident；　all　we　need　to　do　is　follow　it　upstream　till　we　e　to　Riverrun；　here。〃　Her　finger　traced　the　path。　〃It's　a　long　way；　but　we　can't　get　lost　so　long　as　we　keep　to　the　river。〃
　Hot　Pie　blinked　at　the　map。　〃Which　one　is　Riverrun？〃
　Riverrun　was　painted　as　a　castle　tower；　in　the　fork　between　the　flowing　blue　lines　of　two　rivers；　the　Tumblestone　and　the　Red　Fork。　〃There。〃　She　touched　it。　〃Riverrun；　it　reads。〃
　〃You　can　read　writing？〃　he　said　to　her；　wonderingly；　as　if　she'd　said　she　could　walk　on　water。
　She　nodded。　〃We'll　be　safe　once　we　reach　Riverrun。〃
　〃We　will？　Why？〃
　Because　Riverrun　is　my　grandfather's　castle；　and　my　brother　Robb　will　be　there；　she　wanted　to　say。　She　bit　her　lip　and　rolled　up　the　map。　〃We　just　will。　But　only　if　we　get　there。〃　She　was　the　first　one　back　in　the　saddle。　It　made　her　feel　bad　to　hide　the　truth　from　Hot　Pie；　but　she　did　not　trust　him　with　her　secret。　Gendry　knew；　but　that　was　different。　Gendry　had　his　own　secret；　though　even　he　didn't　seem　to　know　what　it　was。
　That　day　Arya　quickened　their　pace；　keeping　the　horses　to　a　trot　as　long　as　she　dared；　and　sometimes　spurring　to　a　gallop　when　she　spied　a　flat　stretch　of　fleld　before　them。　That　was　seldom　enough；　though；　the　ground　was　growing　hillier　as　they　went。　The　hills　were　not　high；　nor　especially　steep；　but　there　seemed　to　be　no　end　of　them；　and　they　soon　grew　tired　of　climbing　up　one　and　down　the　other；　and　found　themselves　following　the　lay　of　the　land；　along　streambeds　and　through　a　maze　of　shallow　wooded　valleys　where　the　trees　made　a　solid　canopy　overhead。
　From　time　to　time　she　sent　Hot　Pie　and　Gendry　on　while　she　doubled　back　to　try　to　confuse　their　trail；　listening　all　the　while　for　the　first　sign　of　pursuit。　Too　slow；　she　thought　to　herself；　chewing　her　lip；　we're　going　too　slow；　they'll　catch　us　for　certain。　once；　from　the　crest　of　a　ridge；　she　spied　dark　shapes　crossing　a　stream　in　the　valley　behind　them；　and　for　half　a　heartbeat　she　feared　that　Roose　Bolton's　riders　were　on　them；　but　when　she　looked　again　she　realized　they　were　only　a　pack　of　wolves。　She　cupped　her　hands　around　her　mouth　and　howled　down　at　them；　〃Ahooooooooo；　ahooooooooo。〃　When　the　largest　of　the　wolves　lifted　its　head　and　howled　back；　the　sound　made　Arya　shiver。
　By　midday　Hot　Pie　had　begun　to　plain。　His　arse　was　sore；　he　told　them；　and　the　saddle　was　rubbing　him　raw　inside　his　legs；　and　besides　he　had　to　get　some　sleep。　〃I'm　so　tired　I'm　going　to　fall　off　the　horse。〃
　Arya　looked　at　Gendry。　〃If　he　falls　off；　who　do　you　think　will　find　him　first；　the　wolves　or　the　Mummers？〃
　〃The　wolves；〃　said　Gendry。　〃Better　noses。〃
　Hot　Pie　opened　his　mouth　and　closed　it。　He　did　not　fall　off　his　horse。　The　rain　began　again　a　short　time　later。　They　still　had　not　seen　so　much　as　a　glimpse　of　the　sun。　It　was　growing　colder；　and　pale　white　mists　were　threading　between　the　pines　and　blowing　across　the　bare　burned　flelds。
　Gendry　was　having　almost　as　bad　a　time　of　it　as　Hot　Pie；　though　he　was　too　stubborn　to　plain。　He　sat　awkwardly　in　the　saddle；　a　determined　look　on　his　face　beneath　his　shaggy　black　hair；　but　Arya　could　tell　he　was　no　horseman。　I　should　have　remembered；　she　thought　to　herself。　She　had　been　riding　as　long　as　she　could　remember；　ponies　when　she　was　little　and　later　horses；　but　Gendry　and　Hot　Pie　were　city…born；　and　in　the　city　smallfolk　walked。　Yoren　had　given　them　mounts　when　he　took　them　from　King's　Landing；　but　sitting　on　a　donkey　and　plodding　up　the　kingsroad　behind　a　wagon　was　one　thing。　Guiding　a　hunting　horse　through　wild　woods　and　burned　fields　was　something　else。
　She　would　make　much　better　time　on　her　own；　Arya　knew；　but　she　could　not　leave　them。　They　were　her　pack；　her　friends；　the　only　living　friends　that　remained　to　her；　and　if　not　for　her　they　would　still　be　safe　at　Harrenhal；　Gendry　sweating　at　his　forge　and　Hot　Pie　in　the　kitchens。　If　the　Mummers　catch　us；　I'll　tell　them　that　I'm　Ned　Stark's　daughter　and　sister　to　the　King　in　the　North。　I'll　mand　them　to　take　me　to　my　brother；　and　to　do　no　harm　to　Hot　Pie　and　Gendry。　They　might　not　believe　her；　though；　and　even　if　they　did　。　。　。　Lord　Bolton　was　her　brother's　bannerman；　but　he　frightened　her　all　the　same。　I　won't　let　them　take　us；　she　vowed　silently；　reaching　back　over　her　shoulder　to　touch　the　hilt　of　the　sword　that　Gendry　had　stolen　for　her。　I　won't。
　Late　that　afternoon；　they　emerged　from　beneath　the　trees　and　found　themselves　on　the　banks　of　a　river。　Hot　Pie　gave　a　whoop　of　delight。　〃The　Trident！　Now　all　we　have　to　do　is　go　upstream；　like　you　said。　We're　almost　there！〃
　Arya　chewed　her　lip。　〃I　don't　think　this　is　the　Trident。〃　The　river　was　swollen　by　the　rain；　but　even　so　it　couldn't　be　much　more　than　thirty　feet　across。　She　remembered　the　Trident　as　being　much　wider。　〃It's　too　little　to　be　the　Trident；〃　she　told　them；　〃and　we　didn't　e　far　enough。〃
　〃Yes　we　did；〃　Hot　Pie　insisted。　〃We　rode　all　day；　and　hardly　stopped　at　all。　We　must　have　e　a　long　way。〃
　〃Let's　have　a　look　at　that　map　again；〃　said　Gendry。
　Arya　dismounted；　took　out　the　map；　unrolled　it。　The　rain　pattered　against　the　sheepskin　and　ran　off　in　rivulets。　〃We're　someplace　here；　I　think；〃　she　said；　pointing；　as　the　boys　peered　over　her　shoulders。
　〃But；〃　said　Hot　Pie；　〃that's　hardly　any　ways　at　all。　See；　Harrenhal's　there　by　your　finger；　you're　almost　touching　it。　And　we　rode　all　day！〃
　〃There's　miles　and　miles　before　we　reach　the　Trident；〃　she　said。　〃We　won't　be　there　for　days。　This　must　be　some　different　river；　one　of　these；　see。〃　She　showed　him　some　of　the　thinner　blue　lines　the　mapmaker　had　painted　in；　each　with　a　name　painted　in　flne　script　beneath　it。　〃The　Darry；　the　Greenapple；　the　Maiden　。　。　。　here；　this　one；　the　Little　Willow；　it　might　be　that。〃
　Hot　Pie　looked　from　the　line　to　the　river。　〃It　doesn't　look　so　little　to　me。〃
　Gendry　was　frowning　as　well。　〃The　one　you're　pointing　at　runs　into　that　other　one；　see。〃
　〃The　Big　Willow；〃　she　read。
　〃The　Big　Willow；　then。　See；　and　the　Big　Willow　runs　into　the　Trident；　so　we　could　follow　the　one　to　the　other；　but　we'd　need　to　go　downstream；　not　up。　Only　if　this　river　isn't　the　Little　Willow；　if　it's　this　other　one　here　。　。　。〃
　〃Rippledown　Rill；〃　Arya　read。
　〃See；　it　loops　around　and　flows　down　toward　the　lake；　back　to　Harrenhal。〃　He　traced　the　line　with　a　finger。
　Hot　Pie's　eyes　grew　wide。　〃No！　They'll　kill　us　for　sure。〃
　〃We　have　to　know　which　river　this　is；〃　declared　Gendry；　in　his　stubbornest　voice。　〃We　have　to　know。〃
　〃Well；　we　don't。〃　The　map　might　have　names　written　beside　the　blue　lines；　but　no　one　had　written　a　name　on　the　riverbank。　〃We　won't　go　up　or　downstream；〃　she　decided；　rolling　up　the　map。　〃We'll　cross　and　keep　going　north；　like　we　were。〃
　〃Can　horses　swim？〃　asked　Hot　Pie。　〃It　looks　deep；　Arry。　What　if　there　are　snakes？〃
　〃Are　you　sure　we're　going　north？〃　asked　Gendry。　〃All　these　hills　。　。　。　if　we　got　turned　around　。　。　。〃
　〃The　moss　on　the　trees…〃
　He　pointed　to　a　nearby　tree。　〃That　tree's　got　moss　on　three　sides；　and　that　next　one　has　no　moss　at　all。　We　could　be　lost；　just　riding　around　in　a　circle。〃
　〃We　could　be；〃　said　Arya；　〃but　I'm　going　to　cross　the　river　anyway。　You　can　e　or　you　can　stay　here。〃　She　climbed　back　into　the　saddle；　ignoring　the　both　of　them。　If　they　didn't　want　to　follow；　they　could　find　Riverrun　on　their　own；　though　more　like