rj.thegreathunt-第55部分

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ere　for。　They　protected　the　land　and　the　people　with　their　bodies　and　their　lives；　and　when　something　was　wrong；　they　set　it　aright　and　saw　fairness　and　justice　done。　As　long　as　Rand　was　doing　something；　anything；　Hurin　would　have　confidence　that　it　would　all　e　right　in　the　end。　That　was　what　lords　did。
　　　　　　　Loial　had　a　different　look；　a　slightly　puzzled　frown；　but　his　eyes　were　on　Rand；　too。　Rand　wondered　what　he　was　thinking。
　　　　　　　〃It　was　worth　a　try；〃　he　told　them。　The　rancid　oil　feel；　inside　his　head　…　Light；　it's　inside　me！　I　don't　want　it　inside　me！　…　was　fading　slowly；　but　he　still　thought　he　might　vomit。　〃I　will　try　again；　in　a　few　minutes。〃
　　　　　　　He　hoped　he　sounded　confident。　He　had　no　idea　how　the　Stones　worked；　if　what　he　was　doing　had　any　chance　of　success。　Maybe　there　are　ruler　for　working　them。　Maybe　you　have　to　do　something　special。　Light；　maybe　you　can't　use　the　same　Stone　twice；　or　。。。　He　cut　off　that　line　of　thought。　There　was　no　good　in　thinking　like　that。　He　had　it　to　do。　Looking　at　Loial　and　Hurin；　he　thought　he　knew　what　Lan　had　meant　about　duty　pressing　down　like　a　mountain。
　　　　　　　〃My　Lord；　I　think　。。。〃　Hurin　let　his　words　trail　off；　looking　abashed　for　a　moment。　〃My　Lord；　maybe；　if　we　find　the　Darkfriends；　we　can　make　one　of　them　tell　us　how　to　get　back。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　would　ask　a　Darkfriend　or　the　Dark　One　himself　if　I　thought　I'd　get　a　true　answer　back；〃　Rand　said。　〃But　we　are　all　there　is。　Just　us　three。〃　Just　me。　I'm　the　one　who　has　to　do　it。
　　　　　　　〃We　could　follow　their　trail；　my　Lord。　If　we　catch　them　。。。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　stared　at　the　sniffer。　〃You　can　still　smell　them？〃
〃I　can；　my　Lord。〃　Hurin　frowned。　〃It's　faint；　pale　…　like；　like　everything　else　here；　but　I　can　smell　the　trail。　Right　up　there。〃　He　pointed　to　the　rim　of　the　hollow。　〃I　don't　understand　it；　my　Lord；　but　…　Last　night；　I　could　have　sworn　the　trail　went　right　on　by　the　hollow　back　…　back　where　we　were。　Well；　it's　in　the　same　place　now；　only　here；　and　fainter；　like　I　said。　Not　old；　not　faint　like　that；　but　。。。　I　don't　know；　Lord　Rand；　except　that　it's　there。〃
　　　　　　　Rand　considered。　If　Fain　and　the　Darkfriends　were　here　…　wherever　here　was　…　they　might　know　how　to　get　back。　They　had　to；　if　they　had　reached　here　in　the　first　place。　And　they　had　the　Horn；　and　the　dagger。　Mat　had　to　have　that　dagger。　For　that　if　for　nothing　else；　he　had　to　find　them。　What　finally　decided　him；　he　was　ashamed　to　realize；　was　that　he　was　afraid　to　try　again。　Afraid　to　try　channeling　the　Power。　He　was　less　afraid　of　confronting　Darkfriends　and　Trollocs　with　only　Hurin　and　Loial　than　he　was　of　that。
　　　　　　　〃Then　we　will　go　after　the　Darkfriends。〃　He　tried　to　sound　sure；　the　way　Lan　would；　or　Ingtar。　〃The　Horn　must　be　recovered。　If　we　can't　puzzle　out　a　way　to　take　it　from　them；　at　least　we　will　know　where　they　are　when　we　find　Ingtar　again。〃　If　only　they　don't　ask　how　we're　going　to　find　him　again。　〃Hurin；　make　sure　it　really　is　the　trail　we're　after。〃
　　　　　　　The　sniffer　leaped　into　his　saddle；　eager　to　be　doing　something　himself；　perhaps　eager　to　be　away　from　the　hollow；　and　scrambled　his　horse　up　the　broad；　colored　steps。　The　animal's　hooves　rang　loudly　on　the　stone；　but　they　made　not　a　mark。
　　　　　　　Rand　stowed　Red's　hobbles　in　his　saddlebags　…　the　banner　was　still　there；　he　would　not　have　minded　if　that　had　been　left　behind　…　then　gathered　his　bow　and　quiver　and　climbed　to　the　stallion's　back。　The　bundle　of　Thom　Merrilin's　cloak　made　a　mound　behind　his　saddle。
　　　　　　　Loial　led　his　big　mount　over　to　him；　with　the　Ogier　standing　on　the　ground；　Loial's　head　came　almost　to　Rand's　shoulder；　and　him　in　his　saddle。　Loial　still　looked　puzzled。
　　　　　　　〃You　think　we　should　stay　here？〃　Rand　said。　〃Try　again　to　use　the　Stone？　If　the　Darkfriends　are　here；　in　place；　we　have　to　find　them。　We　can't　leave　the　Horn　of　Valere　in　Darkfriend　hands；　you　heard　the　Amyrlin。　And　we　have　to　get　that　dagger　back。　Mat　will　die　without　it。〃
　　　　　　　Loial　nodded。　〃Yes；　Rand；　we　do。　But；　Rand；　the　Stones　。。。　〃
　　　　　　　〃We　will　find　another。　You　said　they　were　scattered　all　over；　and　if　they're　all　like　this　…　all　this　stonework　around　them　…　it　should　not　be　too　hard　to　find　one。〃
　　　　　　　〃Rand；　that　fragment　said　the　Stones　came　from　an　older　Age　than　the　Age　of　Legends；　and　even　the　Aes　Sedai　then　did　not　understand　them；　though　they　used　them；　some　of　the　truly　powerful　did。　They　used　them　with　the　One　Power；　Rand。　How　did　you　think　to　use　this　Stone　to　take　us　back？　Or　any　other　Stone　we　find？〃
　　　　　　　For　a　moment　Rand　could　only　stare　at　the　Ogier；　thinking　faster　than　he　ever　had　in　his　life。　〃If　they　are　older　than　the　Age　of　Legends；　maybe　the　people　who　built　them　didn't　use　the　Power。　There　must　be　another　way。　The　Darkfriends　got　here；　and　they　certainly　couldn't　use　the　Power。　Whatever　this　other　way　is；　I　will　find　it　out。　I　will　get　us　back；　Loial。〃　He　looked　at　the　tall　stone　column　with　its　odd　markings；　and　felt　a　prickle　of　fear。　Light；　if　only　I　don't　have　to　use　the　Power　to　do　it。　〃I　will；　Loial；　I　promise。　One　way　or　another。〃
　　　　　　　The　Ogier　gave　a　doubtful　nod。　He　swung　up　onto　his　huge　horse　and　followed　Rand　up　the　steps　to　join　Hurin　among　the　blackened　trees。
　　　　　　　The　land　stretched　out；　low　and　rolling；　sparsely　forested　here　and　there　with　grassland　between；　crossed　by　more　than　one　stream。　In　the　middle　distance　Rand　thought　he　could　see　another　burned　patch。　It　was　all　pale；　the　colors　washed。　There　was　no　sign　of　anything　made　by　men　except　the　stone　circle　behind　them。　The　sky　was　empty；　no　chimney　smoke；　no　birds；　only　a　few　clouds　and　the　pale　yellow　sun。
　　　　　　　Worst　of　all；　though；　the　land　seemed　to　twist　the　eye。　What　was　close　at　hand　looked　all　right；　and　what　was　seen　straight　ahead　in　the　distance。　But　whenever　Rand　turned　his　head；　things　that　appeared　distant　when　seen　from　the　corner　of　his　eye　seemed　to　rush　toward　him；　to　be　nearer　when　he　stared　straight　at　them。　It　made　for　dizziness；　even　the　horses　whickered　nervously　and　rolled　their　eyes。　He　tried　moving　his　head　slowly；　the　apparent　movement　of　things　that　should　have　been　fixed　was　still　there；　but　it　seemed　to　help　a　little。
　　　　　　　〃Did　your　piece　of　a　book　say　anything　about　this？〃　Rand　asked。
　　　　　　　Loial　shook　his　head；　then　swallowed　hard　as　if　he　wished　he　had　kept　it　still。　〃Nothing。〃
　　　　　　　〃I　suppose　there's　nothing　to　do　for　it。　Which　way；　Hurin？〃
　　　　　　　〃South；　Lord　Rand。〃　The　sniffer　kept　his　eyes　on　the　ground。
　　　　　　　〃South；　then。〃　There　has　to　be　a　way　back　besides　using　the　Power。　Rand　heeled　Red's　flanks。　He　tried　to　make　his　voice　lighthearted；　as　if　he　saw　no　difficulty　at　all　in　what　they　were　about。　〃What　was　it　Ingtar　said？　Three　or　four　days　to　that　monument　to　Artur　Hawkwing？　I　wonder　if　that　exists　here；　too；　the　way　the　Stones　do。　If　this　is　a　world　that　could　be；　maybe　it's　still　standing。　Wouldn't　that　be　something　to　see；　Loial？〃
　　　　　　　They　rode　south。


　
Chapter　14
（Wolf）
Wolf　brother

　　　　　　　〃Gone？〃　Ingtar　demanded　of　the　air。　〃And　my　guards　saw　nothing。　Nothing！　They　cannot　just　be　gone！〃
　　　　　　　Listening；　Perrin　hunched　his　shoulders　and　looked　at　Mat；　who　stood　a　little　way　off　frowning　and　muttering　to　himself。　Arguing　with　himself　was　how　Perrin　saw　it。　The　sun　was　peeking　over　the　horizon；　past　time　for　them　to　have　been　riding。　Shadows　lay　long　across　the　hollow；　stretched　out　and　thinned；　but　still　like　the　trees　that　made　them。　The　packhorses；　loaded　and　on　their　lead　line；　stamped　impatiently；　but　everyone　stood　by　his　mount　and　waited。
　　　　　　　Uno　came　striding　up。　〃Not　a　goat…kissing　track；　my　Lord。〃　He　sounded　offended；　failure　touched　on　his　skill。　〃Burn　me；　not　so　much　as　a　flaming　hoof　scrape。　They　just　bloody　vanished。〃
　　　　　　　〃Three　men　and　three　horses　do　not　just　vanish；〃　Ingtar　growled。　〃Go　over　the　ground　again；　Uno。　If　anyone　can　find　where　they　went；　it's　you。〃
　　　　　　　〃Maybe　they　just　ran　away；〃　Mat　said。　Uno　stopped　and　glared　at　him。　Like　he'd　cursed　an　Aes　Sedai；　Perrin　thought　wonderingly。
　　　　　　　〃Why　would　they　run　away？〃　Ingtar's　voice　was　dangerously　soft。　〃Rand；　the　Builder；　my　sniffer　…　my　sniffer！　…　why　would　any　of　them　run；　much　less　all　three？〃
　　　　　　　Mat　shrugged。　〃I　don't　know。　Rand　was　。。。〃　Perrin　wanted　to　throw　something　at　him；　hit　him；　anything　to　stop　him；　but　Ingtar　and　Uno　were　watching。　He　felt　a　flood　of　relief　when　Mat　hesitated；　then　spread　his　hands　and　muttered；　〃I　don't　know　why。　I　just　thought　maybe　they　had。〃
　　　　　　　Ingtar　grimaced。　〃Ran　away；〃　he　growled　as　if　he　did　not　believe　it　for　an　instant。　〃The　Builder　can　go　as　he　will；　but　Hurin　would　not　run　away。　And　neither　would　Rand　al'Thor。　He　would　not；　he　knows　his　duty；　now。　Go　on；　Uno。　Search　the　ground　again。〃　Uno　gave　a　half　bow　and　hurried　away；　sword　hilt　bobbing　over　his　shoulder。　Ingtar　grumbled；　〃Why　would　Hurin　leave　like　that；　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　without　a　word？　He　knows　what　we're　about。　How　am　I　to　track　this　Shadow…spawned　filth　without　him？　I　would　give　a　thousand　gold　crowns　for　a　pack　of　trail　hounds。　If　I　did　not　know　better；　I　would　say　the　Darkfriends　managed　this　so　they　can　slip　east　or　west　without　me　knowing。　Peace；　I　don't　know　if　I　do　know　better。〃　He　stumped　off　after　Uno。