魔兽争霸官方小说:仇恨之轮-Cycle of Hatred(英文版)-第8部分

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course。　They　came　home。　If　an　orc　ship　got　itself　attacked　by　pirates；　then　fine；　but　it　s　not　our　problem。　　

Yes；　actually；　it　is。　　She　refused　to　turn　to　look　at　him。　Pirates；　on　the　whole；　aren　t　especially　picky　about　who
they　attack。　They　ll　go　after　goblins；　orcs；　trolls；　ogres；　elves；　dwarves　or　humans。　If　there　are　pirates　operating　
that　close　to　Ratchet；　it　does　concern　us。　　

I　ve　been　assigned　to　this　post　for　three　years；　Colonel。　　Davin　sounded　petulant　now。　I　don　t　need　you　to　tell　me
about　pirates。　　

If　that　s　the　case；　then　you　shouldn　t　need　me　to　remind　you　why　an　orc　ship　being　harassed　is　your　concern。　　

A　small　private　whose　uniform　looked　as　if　it　had　been　fitted　for　someone　a　full　head　taller；　knocked　meekly　on　the　
door　to　the　watch　office。　Uh；　sir；　there　s　some　people　here　to　see　you　and　Colonel　Lorena；　sir；　if　that　s　okay；　sir。　　

Who？　　Davin　asked。　

Uh；　Captain　Avinal；　sir；　and　a　soldier　I　don　t　know；　sir。　　

That　d　be　Strov；　　Lorena　said。　He　s　the　one　I　told　to　bring　the　captain　here。　　

Davin　fixed　Lorena　with　a　glare。　And　what　s　the　use　of　embarrassing　the　man　by　bringin　　him　up　to　the　watch
office　like　a　mon　prisoner？　　

Lorena　started　mentally　posing　the　letter　to　Lady　Proudmoore　and　General　Norris　remending　that　Davin　be
reassigned　to　kitchen　detail。　First　of　all；　Major；　I　would　think　you　d　prefer　that　I　talk　to　your　captain　in　your
presence。　Secondly　do　you　usually　bring　criminals　to　the　watch　office　rather　than　the　brig？　　
　
Apparently；　Davin　was　content　to　continue　glaring　rather　than　answer　her　question。　

So　Lorena　turned　to　the　young　officer。　Send　them　both　in　please；　Private。　　

Irritatingly；　the　private　looked　to　Davin　first。　The　major　nodded；　and　only　then　did　the　private　go　back　out。　

Two　men　then　entered　the　small　office。　Strov　was　the　most　average　person　Lorena　knew　average　height；　weight；
and　build；　brown　hair；　brown　eyes；　small　mustache。　He　looked　like　every　other　adult　human　male　in　the　world；
which　was　one　of　several　reasons　why　he　was　such　a　good　tracker。　So　nondescript　was　he　that　nobody　noticed　he　
was　there。　

Following　Strov　was　a　man　with　the　weathered　look　of　an　experienced　sailor。　His　gait　was　awkward；　as　if　he　
walked　expecting　the　deck　to　buckle　under　him；　and　his　face　bore　the　wrinkles　and　redness　of　long　exposure　to　the　
sun。　

Captain　Avinal；　　Davin　said；　moving　back　to　his　chair；　this　is　Colonel　Lorena。　Lady　Proudmoore　sent　her　up
from　Theramore　to　find　out　why　a　pirate　ship　attacked　an　orc　ship。　　

Avinal　frowned。　I　d　think　that　d　be　obvious；　Colonel。　　

Sparing　a　moment　to　give　Davin　a　glare　of　her　own；　Lorena　then　regarded　Avinal。　The　major　s　stated　reason　for　
my　being　here　is　not　quite　accurate。　I　know　why　a　pirate　ship　attacked　an　orc　trader　what　I　don　t　know　is　why　you
didn　t　help　them。　　

Pointing　at　Strov；　Avinal　asked；　　That　why　this　man　and　his　people　ve　been　harassin　　my　crew？　　

Private　Strov　and　his　rades　are　following　the　lady　s　orders；　Captain；　as　am　I。　　

I　ve　got　a　patrol　to　make；　ma　am。　There　any　way　this　can　wait

No；　Captain；　there　isn　t。　　

Avinal　looked　at　Davin。　Davin　shrugged；　as　if　to　say　that　it　was　out　of　his　hands。　Then　the　captain　looked
witheringly　at　Lorena。　Fine。　When　s　this　attack　supposed　to　ve　happened？　　

Five　days　ago。　According　to　Major　Davin　you　were　fogbound　that　morning。　　

Yes　m；　we　were。　　

Did　you　see　any　other　ships　that　morning？　　

Might　ve　some　shapes　that　might　a　been　a　boat　here　an　　there；　but　couldn　t　be　sure。　We　were　near　a　boat　at　one　
point；　I　know　that　much　rang　their　foghorn。　　

Lorena　nodded。　That　tracked　with　what　the　orcs　told　Lady　Proudmoore。　

But　we　didn　t　see　nothin　　solid。　Couldn　t　see　the　nose　in　front　of　your　face；　and　that　s　a　fact。　Fifty　years；　I　been
sailin　；　Colonel；　and　I　ain　t　never　seen　fog　the　like　of　that。　Sargeras　himself　could　ve　taken　a　stroll　on　the　deck　and　I　
might　not　a　seen　it。　It　was　all　I　could　do　to　keep　my　own　people　from　mutiny；　truth　be　told。　Last　thing　any　of　us　d
be　concerned　about　is　a　buncha　greenskins。　　

For　several　seconds；　Lorena　stared　at　the　captain。　Then　she　sighed。　Very　well；　Captain；　thank　you。　That　will　be
all。　　

Muttering；　Blessed　waste　of　time；　　under　his　breath；　Avinal　departed。　
　
After　the　captain　left；　Strov　said；　Most　of　the　crew　say　the　same；　ma　am。　　

Of　course　they　do；　　Davin　said。　Because　it　s　the　truth；　as　d　be　obvious　to　anyone　who　d　think　about　it　for　a　
second。　　

Whirling　on　the　major；　Lorena　asked；　Tell　me；　Major；　why　didn　t　you　mention　that　Captain　Avinal　was　near
another　boat　or　that　it　rang　its　foghorn？　　

I　didn　t　think　it　was　relevant。　　

Lorena　changed　her　mental　letter　so　that　Davin　would　be　transferred　to　cesspool　duty。　It　isn　t　your　job　to　assess
relevance；　Major。　It　s　your　job　your　duty　to　follow　the　orders　of　your　superiors。　　

Davin　let　out　a　long　breath。　Look；　Colonel　you　were　sent　here　to　find　out　if　Captain　Avinal　did　anything　wrong。
He　didn　t。　And　what　does　it　matter　if　a　bunch　of　greenskins　got　their　cargo　took？　　

Actually；　they　didn　t　they　fought　off　the　pirates　on　their　own。　　

Now　Davin　stood　again；　looking　at　Lorena　like　she　was　mad。　Then　with　all　due　respect；　ma　am；　what　s　the
meaning　of　this　inquiry？　It　s　not　like　the　greenskins　needed　our　help　so　why　treat　us　like　criminals？　As　I　said；　we　
did　nothing　wrong。　　

Lorena　shook　her　head；　not　agreeing　with　that　statement　at　all。　

Five　

B　yrok　never　imagined　that　the　happiest　time　in　his　life　would　be　when　he　went　fishing。　

On　the　face　of　it；　it　didn　t　seem　to　be　the　life　for　an　orc。　Fishing　involved　no　battle；　no　glory；　no　challenging　
bat；　no　testing　of　one　s　mettle　against　an　equal　foe。　No　weaponry　was　involved；　no　blood　was　shed。　

But　it　was　less　what　he　did　than　why　he　did　it。　Byrok　went　fishing　because　he　was　free。　

As　a　youth；　he　had　heard　the　false　promises　of　Gul　dan　and　his　Shadow　Council　who　promised　a　new　world　where　
the　sky　was　blue　and　the　inhabitants　easy　prey　for　superior　orc　might　to　conquer。　Byrok；　along　with　the　others　of　his
clan；　followed　Gul　dan　s　instructions；　never　knowing　that　he　and　his　council　did　the　bidding　of　Sargeras　and　his
foul　demons；　never　realizing　that　the　price　for　this　new　world　would　be　their　very　souls。　

It　took　a　decade　for　the　orcs　to　be　defeated。　Either　they　were　enslaved　by　the　demons　they　thought　were　their　
benefactors；　or　they　were　enslaved　by　the　humans；　who　proved　to　have　more　fight　in　them　than　the　demons　
imagined。　

Demon　magic　had　made　Byrok　s　memories　of　his　life　in　the　orcs　　native　land　dim。　A　lack　of　interest　in
remembering　had　had　a　similar　effect　on　his　recollections　of　his　life　in　human　bondage。　He　recalled　mainly　that　the
work　was　backbreaking　and　menial；　and　it　destroyed　what　little　of　his　spirit　the　demons　had　left　intact。　

Then　Thrall　came。　

Everything　changed　then。　The　son　of　the　great　Durotan　whose　death　had；　in　many　ways；　been　the　end　of　the　orcs　　
former　way　of　life　Thrall　had　escaped　his　overseers　and　used　the　humans　　own　tactics　against　them。　He　reminded
the　orcs　of　their　longfotten　past。　

On　the　day　that　Thrall　and　his　growing　army　liberated　Byrok；　he　swore　that　he　would　serve　the　young　orc　until　one
of　them　died。　
　
So　far；　that　death　had　not　e；　despite　the　finest　efforts　of　human　soldiers　or　demon　hordes。　One　lesser　member　of
the　Burning　Legion　did；　however；　claim　Byrok　s　right　eye。　In　exchange；　Byrok　removed　the　demon　s　entire　head。　

When　the　fighting　ended；　and　when　the　orcs　settled　in　Durotar；　Byrok　requested　that　he　be　relieved　of　his　service。
Should　the　call　to　battle　be　sounded；　Byrok　promised　he　would　be　the　first　in　line　to　take　up　the　mantle　of　the　
warrior　once　again；　even　with　one　eye　missing；　but　now　he　wished　to　make　use　of　the　freedom　he　had　fought　so
hard　for。　

Thrall　naturally　granted　it　to　him；　and　to　all　those　who　requested　it。　

Byrok　did　not　need　to　fish；　of　course。　Durotar　included　some　excellent　farmland。　Since　the　human　lands　were　
located　in　the　marshy　territory　to　the　south；　humans　could　not　grow　crops；　and　so　turned　most　of　their　energy　to
fishing。　They　would　trade　their　surplus　to　the　orcs　in　exchange　for　their　surplus　crops。　

But　Byrok　wanted　no　fish　caught　by　humans。　He　wanted　nothing　to　do　with　humans　if　he　could　possibly　avoid　it。
Yes；　the　humans　had　fought　at　the　orcs　　side　against　the　Burning　Legion；　but　that　was　an　alliance　of　necessity。
Humans　were　monsters；　and　Byrok　wanted　nothing　to　do　with　such　uncivilized　creatures。　

So　it　was　rather　a　shock　to　the　oneeyed　orc　to　find　six　humans　in　his　usual　fishing　spot　on　Deadeye　Shore。　

For　starters；　the　area　surrounding　Byrok　s　fishing　hole　was　high　grassland。　Byrok　s　tracking　skills　had　been　reduced
a　bit　by　the　lack　of　a　good　right　eye；　but　he　still　saw　no　indication　that　any　but　he　had　traversed　through　the
grasses　especially　not　any　humans；　who；　for　such　small；　lightweight　creatures；　were　pathetically　overt　in　their
movements。　Nor　did　Byrok　see　any　airships　nearby；　nor　any　boats　on　the　water　within　sight　of　the　fishing　spot。　

How　they　arrived；　though；　was　of　considerably　less　concern　to　Byrok　than　the　fact　that　they　had　arrived。　Setting　
down　his　fishing