df.therunelords-第66部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　Orden　had　guessed　Indhopal　or　Muyyatin。　But　he　could　not　have　struck　out　blindly　at　his　neighbors；　without　proof。
　So　he'd　waited；　and　waited；　for　assassins　to　strike　again；　to　e　for　him　personally。
　They　never　did。
　Orden　had　lost　a　part　of　himself；　he　knew。　He'd　lost　his　wife；　the　one　love　of　his　life。　He'd　never　remarried；　planned　never　to　remarry。　If　one　cannot　replace　a　lost　hand　or　a　leg；　how　can　one　hope　to　replace　half　of　himself？
　For　years　now；　he'd　acutely　felt　the　pain。　With　so　many　endowments　of　wit；　he　could　perfectly　recall　her　tone　of　voice；　her　face。　In　his　dreams　Corette　yet　walked　and　spoke　with　him。　Often　when　he　woke　on　a　cold　winter's　morning；　he　felt　surprised　to　find　that　her　soft　flesh　was　not　cupping　him；　trying　to　drink　his　warmth；　the　way　she　had　when　still　alive。
　He　found　it　hard　to　describe　the　sense　of　loss　he　felt。　King　Orden　had　once　tried　to　express　it　to　himself。
　He　did　not　feel　that　he　had　lost　his　future；　that　his　life　was　at　an　end。
　His　son　was　his　future。　King　Orden　would　continue；　go　on　without　his　wife；　if　the　Powers　so　willed　it。
　Nor　did　he　feel　he　had　lost　his　past；　for　Orden　could　remember　perfectly　the　taste　of　Corette's　kisses　on　the　night　of　their　wedding；　the　way　she　cried　in　joy　when　she　first　suckled　Gaborn。
　No；　it　was　the　present　he　had　lost。　The　opportunity　to　be　with　his　wife；　to　love　her；　to　spend　each　waking　moment　in　her　pany。
　Yet　as　King　Orden　sat　in　the　Dwindell　Inn；　eating　roast　off　a　fine　china　platter；　he　became　keenly　aware　that　something　new　had　been　ripped　from　him。
　His　past　was　gone。　All　of　his　good　memories　would　soon　bee　unbearable。　King　Sylvarresta　was　not　dead　yet；　so　far　as　Orden　knew；　but　sometime　this　evening；　Borenson　would　try　to　carry　out　his　orders。　Orden　would　be　forced　to　kill　the　man　he　most　loved　and　admired。　It　was　a　foul　thing；　a　bitter　seasoning　to　a　fine　meal。
　Perhaps　Stevedore　Hark　understood　what　he　felt；　for　the　innkeeper　got　a　thin　stew　cooking　for　some　of　the　men；　then　came　to　sit　a　few　moments　at　Orden's　feet；　miserating。
　〃We　heard　the　news　last　night　from　Castle　Sylvarresta；〃　he　whispered。　〃Bad　news。　The　worst　of　my　life。〃
　〃Aye；　the　worst　in　several　lifetimes；〃　Orden　grunted；　looking　at　the　old　innkeeper。　Stevedore　had　gotten　a　few　more　white　hairs　in　his　sideburns　this　year。　Indeed；　his　hair　was　more　white　now　than　grizzled。
　It　was　said　that　each　year；　the　Time　Lords　would　ring　a　silver　bell；　and　at　the　ringing　of　the　bell；　all　who　heard　it　would　age　a　year。　For　those　whom　the　Time　Lords　disliked；　a　bell　might　be　rung　more　than　once；　while　those　whom　the　Time　Lords　favored　might　not　have　such　a　bell　rung　in　their　presence　at　all。
　The　Time　Lords　had　not　favored　Stevedore　Hark　this　year。　His　eyes　looked　puffy。　From　lack　of　sleep？　No；　the　man　would　not　have　slept　last　night；　after　such　tragic　news。
　〃Do　you　think　you　can　dislodge　the　monster？〃　Stevedore　asked。　〃He　has　you　outnumbered。〃
　〃I　hope　to　dislodge　him；〃　Mendellas　said。
　〃If　you　do；　then　you　will　be　our　king；〃　the　innkeeper　said　flatly。
　King　Orden　had　not　considered　the　possibility。　〃No；　your　royal　family　is　intact。　If　House　Sylvarresta　falls；　the　Countess　of　Arens　is　next　in　title。〃
　〃Not　likely。　People　won't　follow　her。　She's　married　in　Seward；　too　far　away　to　rule。　If　you　win　back　Heredon；　the　people　will　want　no　one　but　you　for　their　lord。〃
　Orden's　heart　skipped　at　the　thought。　He'd　always　loved　the　woods；　the　hills　of　Heredon。　He'd　loved　the　clean；　friendly　people；　the　sparkling　air。　〃I'll　drive　Raj　Ahten　out；〃　Orden　said。　He　knew　it　wouldn't　be　enough　to　drive　Raj　Ahten　from　this　land。　He'd　have　to　go　further。　A　Wolf　Lord　cannot　be　whipped　like　a　pup。　He　must　be　slaughtered；　like　a　mad　dog。
　In　his　mind's　eye；　King　Orden　saw　the　war　unfold　before　him；　realized　he'd　have　to　prepare　to　head　south；　to　strike　Deyazz　and　Muyyatin　and　Indhopal　e　spring；　from　there　sweep　south　into　Khuram　and　Dharmad　and　the　kingdoms　beyond。
　Until　all　Raj　Ahten's　Dedicates　lay　dead；　and　the　Wolf　Lord　himself　could　be　slain。
　If　he　won　this　war；　there　would　lands　to　plunder。　He　cared　nothing　for　most　of　the　Southern　kingdoms；　but　he　would　take　one　thing：　the　blood…metal　mines　of　Kartish；　south　of　Indhopal。
　King　Orden　changed　the　conversation；　talked　with　the　innkeeper　of　days　past；　of　hunts　with　Sylvarresta。　Orden　joked；　〃If　the　day　should　e　that　I'm　king　of　Heredon；　I　suppose　I'll　have　to　invite　you　on　my　next　hunt。〃
　〃Indeed；　I　fear　it　is　the　only　way　you　will　keep　me　from　poaching；　Your　Highness；〃　Stevedore　Hark　laughed；　then　slapped　the　King　on　the　back；　a　touch　so　familiar　that　no　one　in　Mystarria　would　have　dared　anything　similar。
　But　Orden　imagined　that　Sylvarresta　had　been　slapped　on　the　back　by　friends　many　times。　He　was　that　kind　of　man。　The　kind　who　did　not　have　to　be　cold　and　distant　to　be　kingly。
　〃It　is　agreed　then；　my　friend；〃　Orden　said。　〃You　will　e　on　my　next　hunt。〃　Orden　changed　the　subject。　〃Now；　tonight；　Raj　Ahten's　army　should　e　here　and　find　that　the　bridge　is　out。　I　ask　a　favor　of　you。　Remind　them　that　Boar's　Ford　is　shallow　enough　to　cross。〃
　〃Well；　that's　where　they'd　naturally　go；　isn't　it？〃　Hark　asked。
　〃They're　strangers　to　this　land；〃　Orden　said。　〃Their　spies　may　only　have　marked　bridges　on　their　maps。〃
　〃You　have　a　surprise　in　mind？〃　Hark　asked。　Orden　nodded。　〃Then　I'll　tell　them。〃
　On　that　note　the　innkeeper　went　back　to　work。　Soon　after；　the　rain　let　up；　and　King　Orden　took　his　leave　of　the　inn；　ready　to　set　back　out　on　the　march。
　He　checked　to　make　certain　that　the　bridge　at　Hayworth　was　down；　its　huge　beams　and　planks　all　safely　stored；　then　let　his　men　and　horses　finish　their　own　brief　meal。
　His　captains　had　purchased　grain　for　the　horses；　and　kegs　of　ale　were　opened　for　his　troops。　Though　his　men　lost　an　hour　in　their　ride；　they　felt　much　invigorated　afterward。
　So　they　set　out　on　the　road；　much　renewed；　racing　all　the　faster　for　Longmont。
　They　proceeded　through　the　Durkin　Hills　for　the　rest　of　the　afternoon；　marching　near　the　mountains　to　reach　Longmont　before　sunset。
　Castle　Longmont　sat　on　a　steep；　narrow　hill　among　some　downs；　and　had　a　cheery　little　town　to　its　south　and　west。　It　was　not　huge；　as　castles　go；　but　the　walls　rose　incredibly　high。　The　machicolations　atop　the　walls　were　sturdily　wrought。　Archers　could　shoot　through　the　machicolations　or　drop　oil　or　stones　on　attackers　from　any　part　of　the　wall　with　little　fear　of　reprisal。
　The　stonework　on　the　walls　was　phenomenal。　Many　stones　weighed　twelve　to　fourteen　tons；　yet　the　stones　fit　together　so　cleanly；　a　man　was　hard…pressed　to　find　a　fingerhold。
　Many　considered　Longmont　unscalable。　No　one　had　ever　achieved　a　successful　escalade　of　the　outer　walls。　The　castle　had　fallen　once；　five　hundred　years　earlier；　when　sappers　managed　to　dig　beneath　the　west　wall；　so　that　it　collapsed。
　Other　than　that；　the　castle　had　never　been　taken。
　So　as　the　troops　neared　Longmont；　King　Orden　found　himself　longing　for　its　safety。　He　felt　unprepared　for　the　scene　of　destruction　before　him。
　The　village　at　the　base　of　the　castle　had　been　destroyedhundreds　of　homes；　barns；　and　warehouses；　all　burned　to　their　foundation　stones。　Smoke　curled　up　from　some　of　the　houses。　No　cattle　or　sheep　grazed　the　fields。　Not　an　animal　was　in　sight。
　The　gray　banners　of　Longmont　rose　on　pennants　on　the　castle　towers；　and　had　been　draped　over　the　castle　walls。　But　the　banners　were　all　ripped　and　torn。　Some　few　dozen　soldiers　manned　the　outer　walls。
　Orden　had　expected　to　find　the　village　as　it　had　been　when　last　he　saw　it。　He　wondered　if　some　great　battle　had　been　fought　here；　unbeknownst　to　him。
　Then　he　realized　what　had　befallen　this　land。　The　soldiers　of　Longmont　had　burned　the　town　to　its　foundations　and　had　brought　in　all　the　herds；　expecting　a　siege　by　Raj　Ahten's　occupying　forces　on　the　morrow。　By　burning　the　city；　they　robbed　the　occupying　forces　of　decent　shelter。　Here　in　these　hills；　with　winter　ing　on；　shelter　would　be　a　valuable　modity。
　As　Orden's　little　army　rode　to　the　castle　gates；　he　saw　relief　on　the　faces　of　the　soldiers　stationed　on　the　walls。　Someone　sounded　a　war　horn；　a　short　riff　played　only　when　friendly　reinforcements　were　spotted。
　The　drawbridge　came　down。
　As　King　Orden　rode　through　the　gates；　men　cheered　from　the　castlebut　so　few　voices。
　He　was　not　prepared　for　the　sight　that　befell　him：　all　along　the　walls　inside　the　keep　lay　dead　bodies　and　wounded　townsfolk　sitting　in　the　open。　Many　wore　armorshields　and　helms　robbed　from　Raj　Ahten's　defeated　troops。　Blood　smeared　the　stonework　along　the　outer　wall…walks。　Windows　were　broken。　Axes；　arrows；　and　spears　sat　stuck　in　the　beams　of　buildings。　A　tower　to　a　lordly　manor　had　burned。
　There；　outside　the　Duke's　Keep；　the　Duke　himself　hung　from　a　window　by　his　own　guts；　just　as　Duchess　Emmadine　Ot　Laren　had　described。
　Everywhere　was　sign　of　battle；　few　signs　of　survivors。
　Five　thousand　people　had　lived　here。　Five　thousand　men；　women；　and　children　who　fought　with　tooth　and　dagger　to　dislodge　Raj　Ahten's　men。
　They'd　had　no　soldiers　with　heavy　endowments　and　years　of　training。　They'd　had　no　great　weapons。　They　had；　perhaps；　only　an　element　of　surprise；　and