魔兽争霸官方小说:仇恨之轮-Cycle of Hatred(英文版)-第26部分

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Booraven　with　us　to　track　you　down；　and　she　said　there　were　wards　up　so　we　couldn　t　pass。　But　why　haven　t　you
e　out　from　behind　them？　　

I　m　afraid　I　can　t。　When　I　arrived　here；　I　was　able　to　perate　the　wards　that　had　been　put　up；　but　they　ve　been
replaced　with　demonic　wards　from　the　very　same　Zmodlor　that　Magna　Aegwynn　was　just　discussing。　I　m　afraid　I　
do　not　have　the　knowledge　to　bypass　them。　　

A　pity；　　Aegwynn　said。　If　these　were　still　my　wards；　I　would　let　you　through　in　an　instant。　　

Snorting；　Proudmoore　said；　Don　t　be　ridiculous　they　were　never　your　wards。　They　were　Medivh　s。　　

Aegwynn　stared　at　Proudmoore　in　openmouthed　shock。　How　did　you

When　I　first　arrived　here；　I　recognized　the　magic　used　for　the　wards　as　belonging　to　one　of　the　Tirisfalen。　But　after
I　perated　them；　I　realized　I　knew　which　of　the　Tirisfalen　it　was；　because　I　d　encountered　it　before。　As　I　tried　to
tell　you　earlier；　I　knew　Medivh　it　was　he　that　brought　human　and　orc　to　this　land；　and　he　that　convinced　us　to　ally　
against　the　Burning　Legion。　I　know　his　magic　quite　well。　　

Lorena　spoke　before　Aegwynn　could　respond。　Milady；　with　respect；　time　grows　short。　We　must　get　you　out　of
there。　There　has　to　be　a　way。　　

Proudmoore　looked　at　Aegwynn。　There　is。　Teach　me　that　spell　of　Meitre　s。　　Pointing　at　the　colonel；　she　added；
We　now　have　the　conduit。　　

Very　well；　　Aegwynn　said；　if　it　means　you　ll　leave　me　in　peace。　　

I　m　afraid　that　s　not　possible。　　

Aegwynn　blinked。　I　beg　your　pardon？　　

You　re　ing　with　us。　　

Snorting；　Aegwynn　said；　Am　I？　　

Yes。　You　are　the　magna；　the　Guardian　who　is　all　that　stands　between　us　and　the　demonic　hordes。　It　is　your
responsibility　to　e　with　us。　　

On　what　are　you　basing　this　ridiculous　notion？　　
　
You　said　that　Zmodlor　built　these　wards。　That　means　he　is　active　for　all　we　know；　he　is　responsible　for　the
Burning　Blade　that　is　even　now　cutting　through　the　alliance　Thrall　and　I　built　at　your　son　s　behest。　But　you　thought
you　defeated　him　eight　centuries　ago　obviously　you　didn　t　finish　the　job；　and　it　is　your　responsibility

What　do　you　know　of　responsibility？　　Aegwynn　cried。　For　eight

Yes；　I　know　what　you　did；　Magna；　you　ve　told　me　quite　a　bit　about　your　failures；　your　deceits；　your　lies；　your
arrogance　but　what　you　ve　also　reminded　me　of　is　that　you　never　once　shirked　your　responsibility　as　Guardian。
Everything　you　did　from　facing　Zmodlor　to　defying　the　council　to　siring　Medivh　was　done　because　you
believed　in　what　you　did。　Regardless　of　your　mistakes；　of　your　defeats；　you　never　once　shirked　that　responsibility。
Until　now。　　Proudmoore　shook　her　head。　You　asked　me　what　I　know　of　responsibility；　and　right　now　I　d　say　more　
than　you；　because　you　never　had　to　be　responsible　to　anyone　save　yourself。　I　have　led　people　into　battle；　and　I　have　
ruled　them　when　the　battle　was　over　and　right　now；　the　people　who　have　trusted　me　need　me；　and　it　may　well　be　
because　of　a　demon　you　were　supposed　to　have　killed。　I　will　not　see　everything　we　have　built　here　be　brought　down
by　your　selfpity；　Magna。　　

I　believe　I　ve　earned　the　right　to　determine　my　own　destiny。　　

Because　you　brought　Medivh　back？　　

Again　Proudmoore　had　managed　to　stun　Aegwynn　with　her　perspicacity。　She　found　herself　unable　to　speak。　

We　always　wondered　how　Medivh　came　back　from　the　dead　after　Khadgar　and　Lothar　defeated　him。　It　would
have　taken　powerful　magic　to　do　so。　I　might　have　been　able　to　do　it；　and　so　could　one　or　two　others；　but　if　they　had；
they　would　have　admitted　it。　You　said　you　were　drained　by　your　fight　with　Medivh；　but　there　is　one　thing　that　could
substitute　for　that　necessary　power；　and　that　s　the　bond　between　mother　and　son。　　

Aegwynn　nodded；　staring　off　into　space　at　an　indeterminate　point　on　one　of　the　Bladescar　peaks。　With　what　was
left　of　the　deaging　magic；　I　was　able　to　scry　in　the　well　water　and　learn　what　was　happening。　I　saw　my　son　killed
by　his　apprentice　and　his　best　friend　and　I　saw　Sargeras　banished　from　him。　So　I　spent　years　building　up　the
power　to　bring　him　back。　When　I　did；　it　almost　killed　me。　That　was　why　the　wards　were　Medivh　s　I　no　longer　had
the　strength　to　cast　them。　Or　anything　else。　I　still　don　t。　　She　turned　to　face　Proudmoore。　That　was　my　swan　song；
Lady　Proudmoore。　It　cannot　even　begin　to　make　up　for　all　I　have　done　wrong。　　

I　disagree。　What　you　ve　done　is　sire　a　son　who　saved　the　world。　It　may　have　taken　a　while；　but　what　he　did　was
exactly　what　you　would　have　done　what　you　conceived　him　to　do。　He　went　against　the　conventional　wisdom　and
was　proactive　in　fighting　the　Burning　Legion　by　convincing　Thrall　and　me　to　unite　our　forces。　He　didn　t　learn　that
from　Sargeras；　and　he　didn　t　learn　that　from　whatever　afterlife　you　retrieved　him　from　he　learned　that　from　you。　　

Lorena　had　been　standing　semipatiently　during　this　entire　conversation；　her　obvious　respect　for　Lady　Proudmoore　
overing　her　soldier　s　desire　for　action。　Milady

Yes；　of　course；　　Aegwynn　said；　your　colonel　is　right。　Zmodlor　needs　to　be　defeated　permanently　this　time。　　She　
sighed。　Prepare　yourself；　Colonel　Lorena　this　may　hurt　a　bit。　Lady　Proudmoore；　repeat　after　me。　　

And　then　Aegwynn　taught　Jaina　Proudmoore　Meitre　s　peration　spell。　

Seventeen　

T　hrall　had　spent　the　day　hearing　petitions。　Most　were　for　mundane　matters　that　he　would　have　thought　his　fellow
orcs　could　handle　on　their　own。　Some　were　for　disputes　in　which　the　two　sides　simply　were　not　capable　of　agreeing；
and　so　a　neutral　third　party　。　In　truth；　it　could　have　been　anyone　who　settled　them；　but　as
Warchief；　it　was　his　duty。　
　
When　the　last　of　the　petitioners　had　left　the　throne　room；　Thrall　rose　from　the　animalskin　seat　and　paced　the　room；
grateful　for　the　opportunity　to　stretch　his　legs。　He　still　had　not　heard　from　Jaina　regarding　the　thunder　lizards；　but　he　
had　not　received　any　more　reports　of　rampaging　thunder　lizards；　either；　so　he　presumed　that　the　situation　was　in
hand。　He　just　hoped　she　solved　it　soon　so　he　could　consult　her　about　this　Flaming　Sword。　

Kalthar　and　Burx　both　entered　then。　The　latter　spoke　in　an　urgent　tone。　Warchief；　there　s　someone　here　who　has　to
talk　to　you。　Now。　　

Thrall　did　not　like　the　idea　of　Burx　giving　him　orders；　but　before　he　could　say　anything；　Kalthar　gave　Thrall　a　
significant　look。　

Do　you　think　I　should　see　this　person；　shaman？　　Thrall　asked。　

I　do；　　Kalthar　said　quietly。　

Very　well。　　Thrall　stood　his　ground；　having　grown　tired　of　the　throne。　

Burx　went　out　and　led　one　of　the　scouts　in。　A　jungle　troll；　he　was　dressed　in　decorative　armor　and　the　mask　that　was
traditional　among　those　of　the　Darkspear　tribe：　feathers；　wood；　and　paint　bining　with　a　triangular　helmet　to
present　a　fearsome　affect。　By　contrast；　when　he　removed　his　helm；　it　was　to　reveal　a　friendly；　open　face；　far　gentler
than　one　would　expect　from　the　fearsome　Darkspears。　Jungle　trolls　wielded　powerful　magicks；　ones　that　no　other
race　had　ever　been　able　to　master　though　Thrall　knew　of　some　humans　who　had　tried　and　failed；　at　the　cost　of
their　souls　and　the　Darkspears　had　sworn　allegiance　to　Thrall。　

This；　　Burx　said；　is　Rokhan。　　

The　introduction　was　unnecessary　the　troll　s　reputation　preceded　him　as　one　of　the　finest　scouts　in　Kalimdor。　

Holding　his　helm　under　his　arm；　Rokhan　stepped　forward。　I　m　afraid　I　be　bringin　　some　bad　news；　mon。　The　
humans；　they　be　sendin　　more　troops　to　the　Northwatch。　　

Thrall　couldn　t　believe　what　he　was　hearing。　They　re　reinforcing？　　

That　s　what　it　look　like；　mon。　I　be　seein　　lotsa　boats　full　a　soldiers；　all　headin　　straight　for　the　Northwatch。　And
they　be　sendin　　one　a　they　airships　up　north；　too；　but　it　be　goin　　toward　Bladescar。　　

Thrall　frowned。　How　many　troops？　　

Rokhan　shrugged。　Hard　to　say；　but　they　was　at　least　twenty　boats；　and　them　things　be　carryin　　at　least　twenty　
humans　each。　　

Four　hundred　troops；　　Burx　said。　And　this　happened　right　after　your　friend　Jaina　went　off　to　solve　the　thunder　
lizard　problem　that　the　humans　caused。　We　can　t　wait　for　her　to　finish　that；　Warchief。　I　m　sure　Jaina　s　intentions
are　good；　but　her　people　s　aren　t。　And　we　can　t　ignore　this！　　

Burx　is　correct。　　Kalthar　spoke　in　a　voice　that　sounded　weary；　and　Thrall　was　reminded　just　how　old　the　shaman
was。　The　maintenance　of　Northwatch　Keep　was　a　deliberate　show　of　strength　on　the　humans　　part。　However；　this
reinforcement　in　light　of　other　recent　events　can　only　be　an　act　of　aggression；　and　one　to　which　we　must　respond　in
kind。　　

That　was　Admiral　Proudmoore　s　stronghold。　　Burx　hardly　needed　to　remind　Thrall　of　that；　though　that　didn　t　stop
him。　And　now　the　subjects　of　Admiral　Proudmoore　s　daughter　are　trying　to　finish　his　work　behind　her　back。　　

Burx　s　words　did　not　impress　Thrall　overmuch　but　Kalthar　s　did。　And　Rokhan　was　the　finest　of　his　scouts。　His
observations　were　to　be　trusted。　
　
Very　well。　Burx；　have　Nazgrel　assemble　a　garrison　and　send　them　into　the　Barrens。　Have　them　take　up　position
outside　of　Northwatch。　Then　I　want　you　to　take　a　fleet　of　our　boats　and　send　them　downriver　as　well。　Summon　the
trolls　and　have　them　do　the　same。　　He　sighed。　He　had　hoped　that　the　days　of　fighting　humans　were　past；　but　it
seemed　that　old　hat