ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第57部分

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d　his　metal…clad　forearm　into　a　bandit's　face　and　felt　bones　crunch　with　the　blow。　With　a　moment's　respite　he　looked　quickly　around　and　spotted　a　cluster　of　his　men　ringing　the　gold。　Two　of　the　mules　were　down：　the　cowards　had　shot　at　the　animals　again。
　　〃Over　there！〃　he　shouted　to　Edrique；　gesturing。　〃Fight　over　that　way！〃
　　Edrique　nodded　his　head　and　turned。　Then　he　fell。　Someone　jerked　a　sword　out　from　his　ribs。
　　In　the　space　where　his　second…in…mand　had　stood　a　moment　before；　a　brave；　petent；　living　man；　Nino　saw　an　apparition。
　　The　man　who　had　killed　Edrique　had　to　be　at　least　sixty　years　old。　He　was　built　like　an　ox；　though；　massive　and　thick…muscled；　broad…shouldered；　heavy…browed；　a　huge；　ugly　head。　He　was　dripping　with　blood。　His　long；　snarled　white　beard　was　dyed　and　clotted　with　it；　blood　streamed　from　his　bald　head　and　had　soaked　the　dun…colored　clothing　and　leather　armor　he　wore。　The　man；　eyes　wild　with　battle　lust；　levelled　his　red　sword　at　Nino。
　　〃Surrender　or　you　will　die！〃　he　roared　in　crude　Esperanan。　〃We　grant　ransoming　if　you　yield！〃
　　Nino　glanced　past　the　outlaw。　Saw　the　ring　of　his　men　still　holding　around　the　mules。　Many　dead；　but　more　of　their　foes　fallen　in　front　of　them…and　his　pany　were　soldiers；　the　best　Jalona　had。　The　old　man　was　bluffing；　taking　Nino　for　a　coward　and　a　fool。
　　〃Jad　rot　you！〃　Nino　screamed；　his　throat　scraped　raw。　He　cut　viciously　on　the　backhand　against　the　other　man's　blade　and　drove　the　blood…soaked　figure　back　a　step　with　the　sheer　force　of　his　rage。　Another　outlaw　rushed　up　on　Nino's　left；　Nino　twisted　under　his　too…high　sword　stroke　and　swept　his　own　blade　back　across　and　down。　He　felt　it　bite　into　flesh。　A　red　joy　filled　him。　His　victim　made　a　sloppy；　wet　sound　and　fell　to　the　frosted　earth。
　　The　white…bearded　outlaw　froze　for　a　moment；　screaming　a　name；　and　Nino　used　that　hesitation　to　ram　straight　into　him　and　then　past；　as　the　man　gave　way；　to　where　most　of　his　remaining　men　were　ferociously　defending　the　gold。　He　stumbled　into　their　ranks；　greeted　with　glad；　fierce　cries；　and　he　turned；　snarling；　to　fight　again。
　　Surrender？　To　these？　To　be　ransomed　by　the　king　from　Asharite　bandits；　with　the　parias　lost？　There　were　worse　things　than　dying；　far　worse　things。
　　
　　This　is　not　war　as　I　dreamed　it；　Alvar　was　thinking。
　　He　was　remembering　the　farm；　childhood；　an　eager　boy；　a　soldier's　only　son；　with　a　wooden　sword　always　by　his　bed　at　night。　Images　of　glory　and　heroism　dancing　beyond　the　window　in　the　starry　dark　after　the　candles　had　been　blown　out。　A　long　time　ago。
　　They　were　waiting　in　pale　cold　sunlight　at　the　north　end　of　the　valley。
　　Kill　anyone　who　es　out；　Lain　Nunez　had　said。　Only　two　men　had。　They　had　been　battling　each　other；　grappled　together；　grunting　and　snorting　like　animals。　Their　bat　had　carried　them　right　out　of　the　defile；　tumbling　and　rolling；　fingers　clawing　at　each　other's　eyes。　Ludus　and　Martin；　efficient　and　precise；　had　moved　their　horses　over　and　dispatched　both　men　with　arrows。　The　two　bodies　lay　now；　still　intertwined；　on　the　frosted　grass。
　　There　was　nothing　remotely　heroic　or　even　particularly　dangerous　about　what　they　were　doing。　Even　the　night　sweep　into　the　burning　hamlet　of　Orvilla　last　summer　had　had　more　intensity；　more　of　a　sense　of　real　warfare；　than　this　edgy　waiting　while　other　men　killed　each　other　out　of　sight　in　the　dark　space　north　of　them。　Alvar　glanced　over　his　shoulder　at　a　sound　and　saw　the　Captain　riding　up；　with　Jehane　and　ibn　Khairan。　Jehane　looked　anxious；　he　thought。　The　two　men　appeared　calm；　unconcerned。　Neither　spared　a　glance　for　the　two　dead　men　on　the　grass。　They　cantered　their　horses　up　to　Lain　Nunez。
　　〃It　goes　well？〃　Rodrigo　asked。
　　Lain；　predictably；　spat　before　answering。　〃They　are　killing　each　other　for　us；　if　that　is　what　you　mean。〃
　　Ammar　ibn　Khairan　grinned　at　the　tone。　Rodrigo　offered　a　level　glance　at　his　second…in…mand。　〃You　know　what　this　is　about。　We've　had　our　real　battles　and　we'll　have　them　again。　We're　trying　to　achieve　something　here。〃
　　Lain　opened　his　mouth　to　reply；　then　shut　it　firmly。　The　expression　in　the　Captain's　face　was　not　conducive　to　argument。
　　Rodrigo　turned　to　Martin。　〃Take　a　quick　look。　I　need　the　numbers　in　there。　We　don't　want　the　Jalonans　to　win；　of　course。　If　they　are；　we'll　have　to　move　in；　after　all。〃
　　Alvar；　vainly　trying　to　follow；　was　made　edgy　again　by　his　ignorance。　Lain　might　know　what　was　going　on；　but　no　one　else　did。　Was　it　always　this　way　in　war？　Didn't　you　usually　know　that　your　enemy　was　ahead　of　you　and　your　task　was　to　be　braver　and　stronger？　To　kill　before　you　were　killed？　He'd　a　feeling　Lain　felt　the　same　way。
　　〃He's　already　been　in　there；〃　Lain　said　sourly。　〃I　do　know　what　I'm　doing。　It　is　balanced；　about　thirty　of　each　left。　The　outlaws　will　break　soon。〃
　　〃Then　we　have　to　go　in。〃
　　It　was　ibn　Khairan　who　spoke；　looking　at　Rodrigo。　〃The　Jalonans　are　good。　You　said　they　would　be。〃　He　glanced　at　Lain。　〃You　get　your　battle；　after　all。〃
　　Jehane；　beside　him；　still　looked　worried。　It　was　difficult　to　relate　her　expression　to　the　intoxicated　words　Alvar　had　heard　her　crying　from　among　the　trees。
　　〃Your　orders；　Captain？〃　Lain　was　staring　at　Rodrigo。　His　tone　was　formal。
　　For　the　first　time　Rodrigo　Belmonte　looked　unhappy；　as　if　he'd　rather　have　heard　different　tidings　from　the　defile。　He　shrugged　his　shoulders；　though；　and　drew　his　sword。
　　〃Not　much　choice；　though　this　won't　be　pretty。　We've　wasted　our　time　if　Di　Carrera　fights　free　or　the　outlaws　break。〃
　　He　lifted　his　voice　then；　so　fifty　men　could　hear　him。　〃We're　going　in。　Our　task　is　exact：　we　are　joining　the　bandits。　Not　a　man　of　the　Jalonans　leaves　that　defile。　No　ransom。　Once　they　see　us　and　know　we　are　here　we　have　no　choice　about　that。　If　even　one　of　them　makes　it　back　to　Eschalou　and　reports　our　presence　this　has　all　been　for　nothing　and　worse　than　that。　If　it　helps　at　all；　remember　what　they　did　at　Cabriz　in　the　War　of　Three　Kings。〃
　　Alvar　did　remember　that。　Everyone　in　Valledo　did。　He　had　been　a　bewildered　child；　watching　his　father　weep　when　tidings　came　to　the　farm。　King　Bermudo　had　besieged　the　city　of　Cabriz；　promised　amnesty　on　surrender；　then　slaughtered　every　Valledan　fighting　man　when　they　rode　out　under　the　banner　of　truce。　The　Asharites　were　not　the　only　ones　with　a　grasp　of　savagery。
　　Even　so；　this　was　still　not　war　as　he　had　imagined　it。　Alvar　looked　towards　Jehane　again。　She　had　turned　away。　In　horror；　he　thought　at　first；　then　saw　that　she　was　gesturing　to　someone　near　the　back　of　their　ranks。　Velaz　came　forward；　calm　and　brisk　as　ever；　with　her　doctor's　implements。　Alvar　felt　ashamed：　she　wasn't　reacting　emotionally；　as　a　woman；　she　was　simply　readying　herself；　physician　of　a　pany　about　to　go　into　battle。　He　had　no　business　doing　less　than　the　same。　No　one　had　ever　said　a　soldier's　life　was　designed　to　give　fulfillment　to　a　child's　dreams。
　　Alvar　drew　his　sword；　saw　others　doing　the　same。　A　few　shaped　the　sign　of　the　sun　disk　as　they　did；　whispering　the　words　of　the　soldier's　invocation：　Jad　send　us　Light；　and　let　there　be　Light　waiting　for　us。　The　archers　fitted　arrows　to　strings。　They　waited。　Rodrigo　looked　back　at　them；　nodded　his　approval。　Then　he　lifted　and　dropped　his　hand。　They　rode　out　of　the　sun　into　the　defile　where　men　were　killing　each　other　in　the　cold。
　　Nino　di　Carrera　knew　that　he　was　winning。　There　came　a　moment　in　every　battle　when　one　could　sense　the　rhythm　changing　and　he　had　felt　it　now。　The　outlaws　had　needed　to　defeat　them　quickly；　with　the　chaos　of　the　spear　pit　and　the　shock　of　their　archers'　ambush。　Once　those　had　been　survived…if　barely…this　became　a　clash　of　roughly　even　forces　and　could　have　only　one　result。　It　was　only　a　question　of　time　before　the　Asharites　broke　and　fled；　he　was　mildly　surprised　they　hadn't　done　so　by　now。　Even　as　he　fought；　shoulder　to　shoulder　with　his　men　in　the　ring　around　the　gold；　Nino　was　beginning　to　calculate　his　next　course　of　action。
　　It　would　be　pleasant　to　pursue　this　rabble　when　they　ran；　exceedingly　pleasant　to　bur　them　alive　for　the　deaths　of　so　many　men　and　so　many　purebred　horses。　There　was　the　woman；　too；　if　she　could　still　be　found　on　the　slopes。　A　burning　would　go　a　long　way　towards　addressing　the　grievances　of　this　morning。
　　On　the　other　hand；　he　was　likely　to　emerge　from　this　evil　place　with　no　more　than　twenty　men　and　a　long　way　yet　to　travel　through　hostile　country　with　the　gold　of　Jalona's　future。　He　simply　could　not　afford　to　lose　any　more　soldiers　after　this。　They　were　going　to　have　to　travel　at　speed；　Nino　realized；　no　rest　except　what　was　utterly　necessary；　riding　by　night　as　well。　They　could　travel　with　two　horses；　at　least；　for　each　man　left；　which　would　spare　the　beasts；　if　not　the　riders。
　　That　would　be　the　only　course　until　they　reached　the　tagra　lands　where　he　might　assume　there　would　be　no　forces　large　enough　to　trouble　twenty　mounted　men。　There　will　be　time　for　revenge；　he　told　himself；　battling。　There　will　be　years　and　years　for　the　taking　of　revenge。　Nino　might　be　young；　but　he　knew　exactly　what　this　first　installment　of　the　parias　meant。　Almost　contemptuously　he　blocked　an　outlaw'