CATELYN
凱特琳
?? Catelyn had never liked this godswood.
凱特琳向來不喜歡這座神木林。
?? She had been born a Tully, at Riverrun far to the south, on the Red Fork of the Trident. The godswood there was a garden, bright and airy, where tall redwoods spread dappled shadows across tinkling streams, birds sang from hidden nests, and the air was spicy with the scent of flowers.
她出身南境的徒利家族衍慎，自小在紅叉河畔的奔流城長大昔善。紅叉河是三叉戟河的支流样屠，那里的神木林是座明亮清朗的花園，高大的紅木樹影灑進(jìn)溪澗候齿，鳥兒在棲隱的林間巢穴里高唱迄靠，空氣中彌漫百花馨香。
?? The gods of Winterfell kept a different sort of wood. It was a dark, primal place, three acres of old forest untouched for ten thousand years as the gloomy castle rose around it. It smelled of moist earth and decay. No redwoods grew here. This was a wood of stubborn sentinel trees armored in grey-green needles, of mighty oaks, of ironwoods as old as the realm itself. Here thick black trunks crowded close together while twisted branches wove a dense canopy overhead and misshappen roots wrestled beneath the soil. This was a place of deep silence and brooding shadows, and the gods who lived here had no names.
臨冬城信仰的則是另一番氣象卓缰。這是個(gè)陰暗原始的地方计呈，昏暝古堡巍然獨(dú)立其間，萬年古木橫亙周邊征唬，散發(fā)出潮濕和腐敗的氣味捌显。此地不生紅木，樹林由披戴灰綠松針的哨兵樹鳍鸵、壯實(shí)的橡樹苇瓣，以及與王國同樣蒼老的鐵樹所組成。在這里偿乖，粗壯厚實(shí)的黑色樹干相互攘擠击罪，扭曲的枝在頭頂織就一片濃密的參天樹頂，變形的錯(cuò)節(jié)盤根則在地底彼此角力贪薪。這是個(gè)屬于深沉寂靜和窒郁暗影的地方媳禁，而蟄居其間的神連名字也付之闕如。
?? But she knew she would find her husband here tonight. Whenever he took a man’s life, afterward he would seek the quiet of the godswood.
但她知道今晚可以在這里找到丈夫画切。每當(dāng)他取人性命后竣稽，總會來此覓求神木林的寧靜。
?? Catelyn had been anointed with the seven oils and named in the rainbow of light that filled the sept of Riverrun. She was of the Faith, like her father and grandfather and his father before him. Her gods had names, and their faces were as familiar as the faces of her parents. Worship was a septon with a censer, the smell of incense, a seven-sided crystal alive with light, voices raised in song. The Tullys kept a godswood, as all the great houses did, but it was only a place to walk or read or lie in the sun. Worship was for the sept.
凱特琳身受七種圣油祝福與加持霍弹，命名儀式乃是在浸沐于七彩虹光的奔流城圣堂里舉行的毫别。她和先輩數(shù)代一樣信仰七神。她信奉的神有名有姓典格，臉龐也如同自己雙親般熟悉岛宦。她在香爐冉冉的圣堂里禱告，燃香氣味彌漫耍缴，指引的修士掛著光芒共生的七面水晶砾肺，喃喃地低聲吟唱。徒利家族雖如其他大家貴族般擁有自己的神木林防嗡，但那只不過是個(gè)散步閱讀或在暖陽下休憩的處所变汪，敬拜神明向來是圣堂里的事。
?? For her sake, Ned had built a small sept where she might sing to the seven faces of god, but the blood of the First Men still flowed in the veins of the Starks, and his own gods were the old ones, the nameless, faceless gods of the greenwood they shared with the vanished children of the forest.
奈德為她建了座小圣堂蚁趁，好讓她有個(gè)向七面之神誦唱的地方裙盾。然而史塔克家族體內(nèi)依舊流淌著“先民”的血液，他信奉那些既無名號亦無容貌的遠(yuǎn)古諸神，那些屬于蒼翠樹林闷煤，先民與消失的森林之子共同信仰的神童芹。
?? At the center of the grove an ancient weirwood brooded over a small pool where the waters were black and cold. “The heart tree,” Ned called it. The weirwood’s bark was white as bone, its leaves dark red, like a thousand bloodstained hands. A face had been carved in the trunk of the great tree, its features long and melancholy, the deep-cut eyes red with dried sap and strangely watchful. They were old, those eyes; older than Winterfell itself. They had seen Brandon the Builder set the first stone, if the tales were true; they had watched the castle’s granite walls rise around them. It was said that the children of the forest had carved the faces in the trees during the dawn centuries before the coming of the First Men across the narrow sea.
林子中央有棵古老的魚梁木，籠罩著一泓黑冷池水鲤拿，奈德稱之為“心樹”假褪。魚梁木的樹皮灰白如骨，葉色深紅近顷，有如千只染血手掌生音。樹干上刻了一張人臉，容貌深長而憂郁窒升，滿是干涸紅樹汁的深陷眼凹形容怪異缀遍、充滿警戒意味。那是一雙古老的眼睛饱须，比臨冬城本身還要古老域醇，它們曾經(jīng)目睹“筑城者”布蘭登安下第一塊基石，倘若傳說屬實(shí)蓉媳，它們也見證了城堡的大理石墻在四周逐漸高筑譬挚。傳說這些臉是在黎明紀(jì)元時(shí)，在“先民”渡過狹海而來之前酪呻，由森林之子刻上去的减宣。
?? In the south the last weirwoods had been cut down or burned out a thousand years ago, except on the Isle of Faces where the green men kept their silent watch. Up here it was different. Here every castle had its godswood, and every godswood had its heart tree, and every heart tree its face.
南方的魚梁木早在千年前便遭砍伐焚燒殆盡，只在千面嶼上還有“綠人”靜靜地看守玩荠。然而在北境一切都迥然不同漆腌，這里每一座城堡都有自己的神木林，每片神木林都有一棵心樹阶冈，每棵心樹都有一張人臉闷尿。
?? Catelyn found her husband beneath the weirwood, seated on a moss-covered stone. The greatsword Ice was across his lap, and he was cleaning the blade in those waters black as night. A thousand years of humus lay thick upon the godswood floor, swallowing the sound of her feet, but the red eyes of the weirwood seemed to follow her as she came. “Ned,” she called softly.
凱特琳在魚梁木下找到了她的丈夫，他靜坐在苔蘚爬蓋的磐石上女坑。寶劍“寒冰”斜躺于膝填具，而他正用那漆黑如永夜的池水清洗劍上血污。千年累積的腐植質(zhì)厚厚地覆蓋在神木林的土地上堂飞，吸走了她的足音灌旧，但魚梁木那雙紅眼卻仿佛緊跟不舍绑咱〈律福“奈德①∶枞冢”她輕聲喚道铝噩。
?? He lifted his head to look at her. “Catelyn,” he said. His voice was distant and formal. “Where are the children?”
他抬起頭看著她×耍“凱特琳骏庸，”他的語調(diào)莊重而遙遠(yuǎn)毛甲。“孩子們呢具被？”
?? He would always ask her that. “In the kitchen, arguing about names for the wolf pups.” She spread her cloak on the forest floor and sat beside the pool, her back to the weirwood. She could feel the eyes watching her, but she did her best to ignore them. “Arya is already in love, and Sansa is charmed and gracious, but Rickon is not quite sure.”
他總是會先問這句玻募。“都在廚房里一姿，為了要幫小狼們?nèi)⌒┦裁疵终臣苣仄哌帧！彼雅L(fēng)鋪在林地上叮叹，然后在池邊坐下艾栋，背靠魚梁木。她感覺得到那雙眼睛正盯著自己看蛉顽，但她竭盡所能去忽略它蝗砾。“艾莉亞已經(jīng)愛得發(fā)狂携冤，珊莎也很喜歡悼粮，瑞肯則還不太確定≡胄穑”
?? “Is he afraid?” Ned asked.
“他害怕嗎矮锈？”奈德問。
?? “A little,” she admitted. “He is only three.”
“有一點(diǎn)睁蕾，”她承認(rèn)苞笨，“畢竟他才三歲∽涌簦”
?? Ned frowned. “He must learn to face his fears. He will not be three forever. And winter is coming.”
奈德皺眉：“他得學(xué)著面對自己的恐懼瀑凝，他不可能永遠(yuǎn)都是三歲，更何況凜冬將至臭杰≡吝洌”
?? “Yes,” Catelyn agreed. The words gave her a chill, as they always did. The Stark words. Every noble house had its words. Family mottoes, touchstones, prayers of sorts, they boasted of honor and glory, promised loyalty and truth, swore faith and courage. All but the Starks. Winter is coming, said the Stark words. Not for the first time, she reflected on what a strange people these northerners were.
“是啊，”凱特琳也同意渴杆，最后那句話一如既往地教她不寒而栗寥枝。這是史塔克家族的銘言，每一個(gè)貴族家族都有著自己的箴言警句：或是世代相傳的座右銘磁奖，或是待人處事的衡量標(biāo)準(zhǔn)囊拜，或是針對困境的禱詞；有的夸耀榮譽(yù)比搭，有些講究忠貞誠信冠跷，還有的為信仰和勇氣宣誓，惟獨(dú)史塔克家族例外。凜冬將至蜜托，史塔克家族的銘言如是說抄囚。她已經(jīng)不只一次在心里暗忖：這些北方人究竟是什么樣的一群怪人。
?? “The man died well, I’ll give him that,” Ned said. He had a swatch of oiled leather in one hand. He ran it lightly up the greatsword as he spoke, polishing the metal to a dark glow. “I was glad for Bran’s sake. You would have been proud of Bran.”
“今天那個(gè)人死得很干脆，這一點(diǎn)我承認(rèn)⌒非悖”奈德說漆诽，他手里握了一塊上了油的皮革，邊說邊輕拭劍身，金屬被逐漸磨出暗沉的光澤。“我很為布蘭高興攒驰，你要是在場，也會為他驕傲的故爵〔７啵”
?? “I am always proud of Bran,” Catelyn replied, watching the sword as he stroked it. She could see the rippling deep within the steel, where the metal had been folded back on itself a hundred times in the forging. Catelyn had no love for swords, but she could not deny that Ice had its own beauty. It had been forged in Valyria, before the Doom had come to the old Freehold, when the ironsmiths had worked their metal with spells as well as hammers. Four hundred years old it was, and as sharp as the day it was forged. The name it bore was older still, a legacy from the age of heroes, when the Starks were Kings in the North.
“我向來都很為他驕傲∥艽梗”凱特琳邊看他拭劍邊答道劲室，她可以瞧見鋼鐵深處的波紋，那是鍛冶時(shí)千錘百煉的印記结窘。凱特琳對刀劍素?zé)o好感很洋，但她不能否認(rèn)“寒冰”確有其獨(dú)特的美。它是末日浩劫降臨古自由堡壘以前隧枫，在瓦雷利亞鍛造而成喉磁，當(dāng)時(shí)的鐵匠不僅用鑿錘冶鐵，更用法術(shù)來形塑金屬官脓。寶劍已有四百年歷史协怒，卻仍舊如它鍛冶初成時(shí)那般鋒利。它的名字則更源遠(yuǎn)流長卑笨，乃是襲自古代英雄紀(jì)元時(shí)的族劍之名孕暇，那時(shí)史塔克一族是北境之王。
?? “He was the fourth this year,” Ned said grimly. “The poor man was half-mad. Something had put a fear in him so deep that my words could not reach him.” He sighed. “Ben writes that the strength of the Night’s Watch is down below a thousand. It’s not only desertions. They are losing men on rangings as well.”
“這已經(jīng)是今年第四個(gè)逃兵了赤兴，”奈德沉著臉說妖滔，“那個(gè)可憐的家伙已經(jīng)瘋了一半，不知什么東西把他嚇成那副德行桶良，連我說話都起不了作用座舍。”他嘆口氣艺普，“班寫信來說守夜人的兵力只剩不到一千簸州，不只因?yàn)樘颖麄兣沙鋈サ难策夑?duì)也損失慘重歧譬“痘耄”
?? “Is it the wildlings?” she asked.
“是野人的關(guān)系嗎？”她問瑰步。
?? “Who else?” Ned lifted Ice, looked down the cool steel length of it. “And it will only grow worse. The day may come when I will have no choice but to call the banners and ride north to deal with this King-beyond-the-Wall for good and all.”
“還會有誰呢矢洲？”奈德舉起“寒冰”，俯首審視手中冰冷的鋼鐵缩焦《谅玻“恐怕情況只會越來越糟，也許我真的別無選擇袁滥，非得召集封臣盖桥，率軍北進(jìn)，與這個(gè)絕境長城以外的國王一決生死题翻】玻”
?? “Beyond the Wall?” The thought made Catelyn shudder.
“絕境長城以外？”凱特琳想到就不禁渾身顫抖嵌赠。
?? Ned saw the dread on her face. “Mance Rayder is nothing for us to fear.”
奈德察覺了她臉上的恐懼塑荒。“我們用不著害怕曼斯·雷德姜挺〕菟埃”
?? “There are darker things beyond the Wall.” She glanced behind her at the heart tree, the pale bark and red eyes, watching, listening, thinking its long slow thoughts.
“長城之外還有更可怕的東西〈逗溃”她轉(zhuǎn)過頭去凌箕，看著心樹慘白的樹皮和赭紅的雙眼，凝視词渤、傾聽陌知、考慮著深邃悠遠(yuǎn)的思緒。
?? His smile was gentle. “You listen to too many of Old Nan’s stories. The Others are as dead as the children of the forest, gone eight thousand years. Maester Luwin will tell you they never lived at all. No living man has ever seen one.”
他的微笑好溫柔掖肋∑推希“老奶媽的故事你聽太多啦。異鬼和森林之子一樣志笼，早已經(jīng)消失了八千多年沿盅。魯溫師傅會告訴你他們根本就沒存在過，沒有活人見過他們纫溃⊙В”
?? “Until this morning, no living man had ever seen a direwolf either,” Catelyn reminded him.
“今天早上之前，不也沒人見過冰原狼紊浩？”凱特琳提醒他窖铡。
?? “I ought to know better than to argue with a Tully,” he said with a rueful smile. He slid Ice back into its sheath. “You did not come here to tell me crib tales. I know how little you like this place. What is it, my lady?”
“我怎么也說不過徒利家的人疗锐，”他嘴角浮起一抹后悔的微笑，將“寒冰”收回劍鞘费彼』“我猜你不是跑來跟我聊睡前故事的，何況我知道你一點(diǎn)也不喜歡這個(gè)地方箍铲。究竟是什么事雇卷，我的好夫人？”
?? Catelyn took her husband’s hand. “There was grievous news today, my lord. I did not wish to trouble you until you had cleansed yourself.” There was no way to soften the blow, so she told him straight. “I am so sorry, my love. Jon Arryn is dead.”
凱特琳握住丈夫的手颠猴」鼗“今天我們接獲了悲傷的消息，大人翘瓮，我不想在你清理寶劍之前打擾你贮折。”既然無法減輕傷害资盅，她決定實(shí)話實(shí)說脱货。“親愛的律姨，我很難過振峻，瓊恩·艾林過世了≡穹荩”
?His eyes found hers, and she could see how hard it took him, as she had known it would. In his youth, Ned had fostered at the Eyrie, and the childless Lord Arryn had become a second father to him and his fellow ward, Robert Baratheon. When the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen had demanded their heads, the Lord of the Eyrie had raised his moon-and-falcon banners in revolt rather than give up those he had pledged to protect.
他們視線相對扣孟，她可以清楚地看見他受的打擊有多大，正如她所預(yù)料荣赶。奈德年輕時(shí)曾在鷹巢城做過養(yǎng)子凤价，而膝下無子的艾林公爵待他和另一名養(yǎng)子勞勃·拜拉席恩有如生父再世。當(dāng)瘋王伊里斯·坦格利安二世要求他交出兩人的項(xiàng)上人頭時(shí)拔创，這位鷹巢城公爵揭起他的新月獵鷹旗利诺，寧可興兵發(fā)難也不愿出賣他誓言守護(hù)的人。
?? And one day fifteen years ago, this second father had become a brother as well, as he and Ned stood together in the sept at Riverrun to wed two sisters, the daughters of Lord Hoster Tully.
而就在十五年前的那一天剩燥，這位再世生父又成了奈德的連襟慢逾。他們倆并肩站在奔流城的圣堂里，娶了一對姐妹灭红，也就是霍斯特·徒利公爵的兩個(gè)女兒侣滩。
?? “Jon?.?.?.?” he said. “Is this news certain?”
“瓊恩……”他說，“這消息確實(shí)么变擒？”
?? “It was the king’s seal, and the letter is in Robert’s own hand. I saved it for you. He said Lord Arryn was taken quickly. Even Maester Pycelle was helpless, but he brought the milk of the poppy, so Jon did not linger long in pain.”
“信上有國王的印鑒君珠，且是勞勃親手書寫。他說艾林公爵走得很倉促娇斑，就連派席爾國師也束手無策策添。不過國師給他喝了罌粟花奶材部，所以瓊恩并沒受太多折磨∥ㄖ瘢”
?? “That is some small mercy, I suppose,” he said. She could see the grief on his face, but even then he thought first of her. “Your sister,” he said. “And Jon’s boy. What word of them?”
“我想這也算是最后的一點(diǎn)慈悲乐导。”他說摩窃，她看見他臉上的悲傷，但他最先想到的還是她芬骄』福“你妹妹，”他問账阻，“還有瓊恩的兒子蒂秘，有他們的消息嗎？”淘太。
?? “The message said only that they were well, and had returned to the Eyrie,” Catelyn said. “I wish they had gone to Riverrun instead. The Eyrie is high and lonely, and it was ever her husband’s place, not hers. Lord Jon’s memory will haunt each stone. I know my sister. She needs the comfort of family and friends around her.”
“信上只說他們安然無恙姻僧，并已返回了鷹巢城∑涯粒”凱特琳說撇贺，“我真希望他們回的是奔流城。鷹巢城高聳孤絕冰抢，那里一直是她丈夫的地盤松嘶，并非她的歸宿。瓊恩大人的回憶肯定會縈繞鷹巢城里每一塊磚石挎扰。我很了解妹妹翠订，她需要的是家人和朋友的支持與陪伴∽窬耄”
?? “Your uncle waits in the Vale, does he not? Jon named him Knight of the Gate, I’d heard.”
“你叔叔不是正在艾林谷中等著她尽超？我聽說瓊恩任命他做了血門騎士∥嗵桑”
?? Catelyn nodded. “Brynden will do what he can for her, and for the boy. That is some comfort, but still?.?.?.?”
凱特琳點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭似谁，“布林登當(dāng)然會盡他所能照顧她和她兒子，可是……”
?? “Go to her,” Ned urged. “Take the children. Fill her halls with noise and shouts and laughter. That boy of hers needs other children about him, and Lysa should not be alone in her grief.”
“那么你去陪她吧掠哥，”奈德勸促棘脐，“把孩子們也一起帶去，讓她的居所充滿歡笑和喧鬧龙致。那孩子需要其他同伴的陪伴蛀缝，你妹妹更不應(yīng)該獨(dú)自哀悼∧看”
?? “Would that I could,” Catelyn said. “The letter had other tidings. The king is riding to Winterfell to seek you out.”
“如果我能去就好了屈梁∴土罚”凱特琳說道：“信上還說到別的事，國王正在前往臨冬城的路上在讶，他要找你共商國事煞抬。”
?? It took Ned a moment to comprehend her words, but when the understanding came, the darkness left his eyes. “Robert is coming here?” When she nodded, a smile broke across his face.
?? Catelyn wished she could share his joy. But she had heard the talk in the yards; a direwolf dead in the snow, a broken antler in its throat. Dread coiled within her like a snake, but she forced herself to smile at this man she loved, this man who put no faith in signs. “I knew that would please you,” she said. “We should send word to your brother on the Wall.”
凱特琳真希望自己能分享他此刻的喜悅构哺，但她在庭院里聽到了傳聞革答，說是有只冰原狼死在雪地里，喉嚨中有根斷裂的鹿角曙强〔泄眨恐懼如同毒蛇般在她心里蜷曲，但她迫使自己在這個(gè)她所深愛的男人面前強(qiáng)顏歡笑碟嘴，這個(gè)不相信任何預(yù)兆的男人溪食。“我就知道你聽了會高興娜扇，”她說错沃，“我們應(yīng)該通知你在長城的弟弟∪钙埃”
? “Yes, of course,” he agreed. “Ben will want to be here. I shall tell Maester Luwin to send his swiftest bird.” Ned rose and pulled her to her feet. “Damnation, how many years has it been? And he gives us no more notice than this? How many in his party, did the message say?”
“對枢析，對，當(dāng)然刃麸，”他同意登疗，“班一定想來。我請魯溫師傅派他最快的鳥兒送信去嫌蚤》妫”奈德直起身，也拉她起來脱吱≈钦“該死，我們有多少年沒見面了箱蝠？他居然沒有
特意通知我续捂。信上有否注明大約有多少人會來？”
?? “I should think a hundred knights, at the least, with all their retainers, and half again as many freeriders. Cersei and the children travel with them.”
“我想至少有一百位騎士罷宦搬，加上他們的隨從牙瓢，還有這個(gè)數(shù)目一半的自由騎手。瑟曦和她的孩子們也都來了间校》耍”
?? “Robert will keep an easy pace for their sakes,” he said. “It is just as well. That will give us more time to prepare.”
“那么為他們著想，勞勃不會走太快的憔足⌒哺剑”他說：“也好酒繁，這樣一來我們才多點(diǎn)時(shí)間準(zhǔn)備】仄蓿”
?? “The queen’s brothers are also in the party,” she told him.
“王后的哥哥也在隊(duì)伍里州袒。”她告訴他弓候。
?? Ned grimaced at that. There was small love between him and the queen’s family, Catelyn knew. The Lannisters of Casterly Rock had come late to Robert’s cause, when victory was all but certain, and he had never forgiven them. “Well, if the price for Robert’s company is an infestation of Lannisters, so be it. It sounds as though Robert is bringing half his court.”
奈德聽后臉色立刻一沉郎哭。凱特琳很清楚他對王后的家族素?zé)o好感，凱巖城的蘭尼斯特家族當(dāng)年是最晚加入勞勃?jiǎng)萘Φ拇筚F族菇存，直等到勝敗情勢明朗化后方才表態(tài)夸研，而奈德始終沒有原諒他們∽辏“也罷陈惰，如果勞勃來訪的代價(jià)是這些蘭尼斯特家的討厭鬼畦徘，那就認(rèn)了罷毕籽。只是，聽起來勞勃好像把他半個(gè)宮廷的人都帶來了井辆」赝玻”
?? “Where the king goes, the realm follows,” she said.
“國王走到哪兒，王國就跟到哪兒嘛杯缺≌舨ィ”她答道。
?? “It will be good to see the children. The youngest was still sucking at the Lannister woman’s teat the last time I saw him. He must be, what, five by now?”
“看看那些孩子倒也不錯(cuò)萍肆。上次見到那個(gè)蘭尼斯特女人袍榆，勞勃最小的兒子還在喝她的奶水。一轉(zhuǎn)眼都幾年了塘揣？他現(xiàn)在應(yīng)該已經(jīng)……多少……五歲了吧包雀？”
?? “Prince Tommen is seven,” she told him. “The same age as Bran. Please, Ned, guard your tongue. The Lannister woman is our queen, and her pride is said to grow with every passing year.”
“托曼王子七歲了，”她告訴他亲铡，“和布蘭同年才写。奈德，請你小心措辭奖蔓，那蘭尼斯特女人好歹是我們的王后赞草，而且據(jù)說她一年比一年傲慢∵汉祝”
?? Ned squeezed her hand. “There must be a feast, of course, with singers, and Robert will want to hunt. I shall send Jory south with an honor guard to meet them on the kingsroad and escort them back. Gods, how are we going to feed them all? On his way already, you said? Damn the man. Damn his royal hide.”
奈德捏捏她的手厨疙，“我們得辦場晚宴，當(dāng)然還要請樂師和歌手疑务，嗯轰异，勞勃鐵定會去外面打獵岖沛。我這就派喬里帶上一名榮譽(yù)護(hù)衛(wèi)南下國王大道去迎接，把他們護(hù)送回來吧搭独。諸神在上婴削，我們要怎么喂飽這些人啊牙肝？你說他已經(jīng)在路上了唉俗？這家伙真該死，他這做國王的家伙真是該死配椭〕媪铮”
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德是艾德的小名。
