rj.theshadowrising-第1节

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re　shall　be　neither　Light　nor　safety。　And　he　who　shall　be　born　of　the　Dawn；　born　of　the　Maiden；　according　to　Prophecy；　he　shall　stretch　forth　his　hands　to　catch　the　Shadow；　and　the　world　shall　scream　in　the　pain　of　salvation。　All　Glory　be　to　the　Creator；　and　to　the　Light；　and　to　he　who　shall　be　born　again。　May　the　Light　save　us　from　him。

…from　mentaries　on　the　Karaethon　Cycle
Sereine　dar　Shamelle　Motara
Counsel…Sister　to　aelle；
High　Queen　of　Jaramide
（circa　325　AB；　the　Third　Age）
　
Chapter　1
（Serpent　and　Wheel）
Seeds　of　Shadow

The　Wheel　of　Time　turns；　and　Ages　e　and　pass；　leaving　memories　that　bee　legend。　Legend　fades　to　myth；　and　even　myth　is　long　forgotten　when　the　Age　that　gave　it　birth　es　again。　In。　one　Age；　called　the　Third　Age　by　some；　an　Age　yet　to　e；　an　Age　long　past；　a　wind　rose　on　the　great　plain　called　the　Caralain　Grass。　The　wind　was　not　the　beginning。　There　are　neither　beginnings　nor　endings　to　the　turning　of　the　Wheel　of　Time。　But　it　was　a　beginning。
North　and　west　the　wind　blew　beneath　early　morning　sun；　over　endless　miles　of　rolling　grass　and　far…scattered　thickets；　across　the　swift…flowing　River　Luan；　past　the　broken…topped　fang　of　Dragonmount；　mountain　of　legend　towering　above　the　slow　swells　of　the　rolling　plain；　looming　so　high　that　clouds　wreathed　it　less　than　halfway　to　the　smoking　peak。　Dragonmount；　where　the　Dragon　had　died　…　and　with　him；　some　said；　the　Age　of　Legends　…　where　prophecy　said　he　would　be　born　again。　Or　had　been。　North　and　west；　across　the　villages　of　Jualdhe　and　Darein　and　Alindaer；　where　bridges　like　stone　lacework　arched　out　to　the　Shining　Walls；　the　great　white　walls　of　what　many　called　the　greatest　city　in　the　world。　Tar　Valon。　A　city　just　touched　by　the　reaching　shadow　of　Dragonmount　each　evening。
Within　those　walls　Ogier…made　buildings　well　over　two　thousand　years　old　seemed　to　grow　out　of　the　ground　rather　than　having　been　built；　or　to　be　the　work　of　wind　and　water　rather　than　that　of　even　the　fabled　hands　of　Ogier　stone…masons。　Some　suggested　birds　taking　flight；　or　huge　shells　from　distant　seas。　Soaring　towers；　flared　or　fluted　or　spiraled；　stood　connected　by　bridges　hundreds　of　feet　in　the　air；　often　without　rails。　Only　those　long　in　Tar　Valon　could　avoid　gaping　like　country　folk　who　had　never　been　off　the　farm。
Greatest　of　those　towers；　the　White　Tower　dominated　the　city；　gleaming　like　polished　bone　in　the　sun。　The　Wheel　of　Time　turns　around　Tar　Valon；　so　people　said　in　the　city；　and　Tar　Valon　turns　around　the　Tower。　The　first　sight　travelers　had　of　Tar　Valon；　before　their　horses　came　in　view　of　the　bridges；　before　their　river　boat　captains　sighted　the　island；　was　the　Tower　reflecting　the　sun　like　a　beacon。　Small　wonder　then　that　the　great　square　surrounding　the　walled　Tower　grounds　seemed　smaller　than　it　was　under　the　massive　Tower's　gaze；　the　people　in　it　dwindling　to　insects。　Yet　the　White　Tower　could　have　been　the　smallest　in　Tar　Valon；　the　fact　that　it　was　the　heart　of　Aes　Sedai　power　would　still　have　overawed　the　island　city。
Despite　their　numbers；　the　crowd　did　not　e　close　to　filling　the　square。　Along　the　edges　people　jostled　each　other　in　a　milling　mass；　all　going　about　their　day's　business；　but　closer　to　the　Tower　grounds　there　were　ever　fewer　people；　until　a　band　of　bare　paving　stones　at　least　fifty　paces　wide　bordered　the　tall　white　walls。　Aes　Sedai　were　respected　and　more　in　Tar　Valon；　of　course；　and　the　Amyrlin　Seat　ruled　the　city　as　she　ruled　the　Aes　Sedai；　but　few　wanted　to　be　closer　to　Aes　Sedai　power　than　they　had　to。　There　was　a　difference　between　being　proud　of　a　grand　fireplace　in　your　hall　and　walking　into　the　flames。
A　very　few　did　go　closer；　to　the　broad　stairs　that　led　up　to　the　Tower　itself；　to　the　intricately　carved　doors　wide　enough　for　a　dozen　people　abreast。　Those　doors　stood　open；　weling。　There　were　always　some　people　in　need　of　aid　or　an　answer　they　thought　only　Aes　Sedai　could　give；　and　they　came　from　far　as　often　as　near；　from　Arafel　and　Ghealdan；　from　Saldaea　and　Illian。　Many　would　find　help　or　guidance　inside；　though　often　not　what　they　had　expected　or　hoped　for。
Min　kept　the　wide　hood　of　her　cloak　pulled　up；　shadowing　her　face　in　its　depths。　In　spite　of　the　warmth　of　the　day；　the　garment　was　light　enough　not　to　attract　ment；　not　on　a　woman　so　obviously　shy。　And　a　good　many　people　were　shy　when　they　went　to　the　Tower。　There　was　nothing　about　her　to　attract　notice。　Her　dark　hair　was　longer　than　when　she　was　last　in　the　Tower；　though　still　not　quite　to　her　shoulders；　and　her　dress；　plain　blue　except　for　narrow　bands　of　white　Jaerecuz　lace　at　neck　and　wrists；　would　have　suited　the　daughter　of　a　well…to…do　farmer；　wearing　her　feastday　best　to　the　Tower　just　like　the　other　women　approaching　the　wide　stairs。　Min　hoped　she　looked　the　same；　at　least。　She　had　to　stop　herself　from　staring　at　them　to　see　if　they　walked　or　held　themselves　differently。　I　can　do　it；　she　told　herself。
She　had　certainly　not　e　all　this　way　to　turn　back　now。。　The　dress　was　a　good　disguise。　Those　who　remembered　her　in　the　Tower　remembered　a　young　woman　with　close…cropped　hair；　always　in　a　boy's　coat　and　breeches；　never　in　a　dress。　It　had　to　be　a　good　disguise。　She　had　no　choice　about　what　she　was　doing。　Not　really。
Her　stomach　fluttered　the　closer　she　came　to　the　Tower；　and　she　tightened　her　grip　on　the　bundle　clutched　to　her　breast。　Her　usual　clothes　were　in　there；　and　her　good　boots；　and　all　her　possessions　except　the　horse　she　had　left　at　an　inn　not　far　from　the　square。　With　luck；　she　would　be　back　on　the　gelding　in　a　few　hours；　riding　for　the　Ostrein　Bridge　and　the　road　south。
She　was　not　really　looking　forward　to　climbing　onto　a　horse　again　so　soon；　not　after　weeks　in　the　saddle　with　never　a　day's　pause；　but　she　longed　to　leave　this　place。　She　had　never　seen　the　White　Tower　as　hospitable；　and　right　now　it　seemed　nearly　as　awful　as　the　Dark　One's　prison　at　Shayol　Ghul。　Shivering；　she　wished　she　had　not　thought　of　the　Dark　One。　I　wonder　if　Moiraine　thinks　I　came　just　because　she　asked　me？　The　Light　help　me；　acting　like　a　fool　girl。　Doing　fool　things　because　of　a　fool　man！
She　mounted　the　stairs　uneasily…each　was　deep　enough　to　take　two　strides　for　her　to　reach　the　next…and　unlike　most　of　the　others；　she　did　not　pause　for　an　awed　stare　up　the　pale　height　of　the　Tower。　She　wanted　this　over。
Inside；　archways　almost　surrounded　the　large；　round　entry　hall；　but　the　petitioners　huddled　in　the　middle　of　the　chamber；　shuffling　together　beneath　a　flat…domed　ceiling。　The　pale　stone　floor　had　been　worn　and　polished　by　countless　nervous　feet　over　the　centuries。　No　one　thought　of　anything　except　where　they　were；　and　why。　A　farmer　and　his　wife　in　rough　woolens；　clutching　each　other's　callused　hands；　rubbed　shoulders　with　a　merchant　in　velvet…slashed　silks；　a　maid　at　her　heels　clutching　a　small　worked…silver　casket；　no　doubt　her　mistress's　gift　for　the　Tower。　Elsewhere；　the　merchant　would　have　stared　down　her　nose　at　farm　folk　who　brushed　so　close；　and　they　might　well　have　knuckled　their　foreheads　and　backed　away　apologizing。　Not　now。　Not　here。
There　were　few　men　among　the　petitioners；　which　was　no　surprise　to　Min。　Most　men　were　nervous　around　Aes　Sedai。　Everyone　knew　it　had　been　male　Aes　Sedai；　when　there　still　had　been　male　Aes　Sedai；　who　were　responsible　for　the　Breaking　of　the　World。　Three　thousand　years　had　not　dimmed　that　memory；　even　if　time　had　altered　many　of　the　details。　Children　were　still　frightened　by　tales　of　men　who　could　channel　the　One　Power；　men　doomed　to　go　mad　from　the　Dark　One's　taint　on　saidin；　the　male　half　of　the　True　Source。　Worst　was　the　story　of　Lews　Therin　Telamon；　the　Dragon；　Lews　Therin　Kinslayer；　who　had　begun　the　Breaking。　For　that　matter；　the　stories　frightened　adults；　too。　Prophecy　said　the　Dragon　would　be　born　again　in　mankind's　greatest　hour　of　need；　to　fight　the　Dark　One　in　Tarmon　Gai'don；　the　Last　Battle；　but　that　made　little　difference　in　how　most　people　looked　at　any　connection　between　men　and　the　Power。　Any　Aes　Sedai　would　hunt　down　a　man　who　could　channel；　now；　of　the　seven　Ajahs；　the　Red　did　little　else。
Of　course；　none　of　that　had　anything　to　do　with　seeking　help　from　Aes　Sedai；　yet　few　men　felt　easy　about　being　linked　in　any　way　to　Aes　Sedai　and　the　Power。　Few；　that　is；　except　Warders；　but　each　Warder　was　bonded　to　an　Aes　Sedai；　Warders　could　hardly　be　taken　for　the　general　run　of　men。　There　was　a　saying：　〃A　man　will　cut　off　his　own　hand　to　get　rid　of　a　splinter　before　asking　help　from　Aes　Sedai。〃　Women　meant　it　as　a　ment　on　men's　stubborn　foolishness；　but　Min　had　heard　some　men　say　the　loss　of　a　hand　might　be　the　better　decision。
She　wondered　what　these　people　would　do　if　they　knew　what　she　knew。　Run　screaming；　perhaps。　And　if　they　knew　her　reason　for　being　here；　she　might　not　survive　to　be　taken　up　by　the　Tower　guards　and　thrown　into　a　cell。　She　did　have　friends　in　the　Tower；　but　none　with　power　or　influence。　If　her　purpose　was　discovered；　it　was　much　less　likely　that　they　could　help　her　than　that　she　would　pull　them　to　the　gallows　or　the　headsman　behind　her。　That　was　saying　she　lived　to　be　tried；　of　course；　more　likely　her　mouth　would　be　stopped　permanently　long　before　a　trial。
She　told　herself　to　stop　thinking