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 farto 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 tinklingstreams, birds sang from hidden nests, and the air was spicy with the scent offlowers.

她出身南境的徒利家族权烧，自小在紅叉河畔的奔流城長大施无。紅叉河是三叉戟河的支流锌云，那里的神木林是座明亮清朗的花園郭变，高大的紅木樹影灑進(jìn)溪澗拓巧，鳥兒在棲隱的林間巢穴里高唱，空氣中彌漫百花馨香思币。

?? The gods of Winterfell kept a different sortof wood. It was a dark, primal place, three acres of old forest untouched forten thousand years as the gloomy castle rose around it. It smelled of moistearth and decay. No redwoods grew here. This was a wood of stubborn sentineltrees armored in grey-green needles, of mighty oaks, of ironwoods as old as therealm itself. Here thick black trunks crowded close together while twistedbranches wove a dense canopy overhead and misshappen roots wrestled beneath thesoil. This was a place of deep silence and brooding shadows, and the gods wholived here had no names.

臨冬城信仰的則是另一番氣象鹿响。這是個(gè)陰暗原始的地方，昏暝古堡巍然獨(dú)立其間谷饿，萬年古木橫亙周邊惶我，散發(fā)出潮濕和腐敗的氣味。此地不生紅木博投，樹林由披戴灰綠松針的哨兵樹绸贡、壯實(shí)的橡樹，以及與王國同樣蒼老的鐵樹所組成毅哗。在這里恃轩，粗壯厚實(shí)的黑色樹干相互攘擠，扭曲的枝在頭頂織就一片濃密的參天樹頂黎做，變形的錯(cuò)節(jié)盤根則在地底彼此角力。這是個(gè)屬于深沉寂靜和窒郁暗影的地方松忍，而蟄居其間的神連名字也付之闕如蒸殿。

?? But she knew she would find her husband heretonight. Whenever he took a man’s life, afterward he would seek the quiet ofthe godswood.

但她知道今晚可以在這里找到丈夫。每當(dāng)他取人性命后鸣峭，總會來此覓求神木林的寧靜宏所。

?? Catelyn had been anointed with the sevenoils and named in the rainbow of light that filled the sept of Riverrun. Shewas 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 crystalalive with light, voices raised in song. The Tullys kept a godswood, as all thegreat 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，命名儀式乃是在浸沐于七彩虹光的奔流城圣堂里舉行的摊溶。她和先輩數(shù)代一樣信仰七神爬骤。她信奉的神有名有姓，臉龐也如同自己雙親般熟悉莫换。她在香爐冉冉的圣堂里禱告霞玄，燃香氣味彌漫，指引的修士掛著光芒共生的七面水晶拉岁，喃喃地低聲吟唱坷剧。徒利家族雖如其他大家貴族般擁有自己的神木林，但那只不過是個(gè)散步閱讀或在暖陽下休憩的處所喊暖，敬拜神明向來是圣堂里的事惫企。

?? For her sake, Ned had built a small septwhere she might sing to the seven faces of god, but the blood of the First Menstill 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 vanishedchildren of the forest.

奈德為她建了座小圣堂，好讓她有個(gè)向七面之神誦唱的地方陵叽。然而史塔克家族體內(nèi)依舊流淌著“先民”的血液狞尔，他信奉那些既無名號亦無容貌的遠(yuǎn)古諸神丛版，那些屬于蒼翠樹林，先民與消失的森林之子共同信仰的神偏序。

?? At the center of the grove an ancientweirwood brooded over a small pool where the waters were black and cold. “Theheart tree,” Ned called it. The weirwood’s bark was white as bone, its leavesdark red, like a thousand bloodstained hands. A face had been carved in thetrunk of the great tree, its features long and melancholy, the deep-cut eyesred with dried sap and strangely watchful. They were old, those eyes; olderthan 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 aroundthem. It was said that the children of the forest had carved the faces in thetrees during the dawn centuries before the coming of the First Men across thenarrow sea.

林子中央有棵古老的魚梁木页畦，籠罩著一泓黑冷池水，奈德稱之為“心樹”禽车。魚梁木的樹皮灰白如骨寇漫，葉色深紅，有如千只染血手掌殉摔。樹干上刻了一張人臉州胳，容貌深長而憂郁，滿是干涸紅樹汁的深陷眼凹形容怪異逸月、充滿警戒意味栓撞。那是一雙古老的眼睛，比臨冬城本身還要古老碗硬，它們曾經(jīng)目睹“筑城者”布蘭登安下第一塊基石瓤湘，倘若傳說屬實(shí)，它們也見證了城堡的大理石墻在四周逐漸高筑恩尾。傳說這些臉是在黎明紀(jì)元時(shí)弛说，在“先民”渡過狹海而來之前，由森林之子刻上去的翰意。

?? In the south the last weirwoods had been cutdown or burned out a thousand years ago, except on the Isle of Faces where thegreen men kept their silent watch. Up here it was different. Here every castlehad its godswood, and every godswood had its heart tree, and every heart treeits face.

南方的魚梁木早在千年前便遭砍伐焚燒殆盡木人，只在千面嶼上還有“綠人”靜靜地看守。然而在北境一切都迥然不同冀偶，這里每一座城堡都有自己的神木林醒第，每片神木林都有一棵心樹愕宋，每棵心樹都有一張人臉廓译。

?? Catelyn found her husband beneath theweirwood, 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 yearsof 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,” shecalled softly.

凱特琳在魚梁木下找到了她的丈夫瓣颅，他靜坐在苔蘚爬蓋的磐石上预吆。寶劍“寒冰”斜躺于膝誊涯，而他正用那漆黑如永夜的池水清洗劍上血污屡谐。千年累積的腐植質(zhì)厚厚地覆蓋在神木林的土地上续担，吸走了她的足音赵誓，但魚梁木那雙紅眼卻仿佛緊跟不舍搀罢』柔“奈德①±浦粒”她輕聲喚道抵赢。

?? 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。“凱特琳铅鲤，”他的語調(diào)莊重而遙遠(yuǎn)划提。“孩子們呢邢享？”

?? He would always ask her that. “In thekitchen, arguing about names for the wolf pups.” She spread her cloak on theforest floor and sat beside the pool, her back to the weirwood. She could feelthe eyes watching her, but she did her best to ignore them. “Arya is already inlove, and Sansa is charmed and gracious, but Rickon is not quite sure.”

他總是會先問這句鹏往。“都在廚房里骇塘，為了要幫小狼們?nèi)⌒┦裁疵终臣苣匾谅摹！彼雅L(fēng)鋪在林地上款违，然后在池邊坐下唐瀑，背靠魚梁木。她感覺得到那雙眼睛正盯著自己看插爹，但她竭盡所能去忽略它哄辣。“艾莉亞已經(jīng)愛得發(fā)狂赠尾，珊莎也很喜歡力穗，瑞肯則還不太確定∑蓿”

?? “Is he afraid?” Ned asked.

“他害怕嗎当窗？”奈德問。

?? “A little,” she admitted. “He is onlythree.”

“有一點(diǎn)寸宵，”她承認(rèn)超全，“畢竟他才三歲〉寺”

?? Ned frowned. “He must learn to face hisfears. 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，他不可能永遠(yuǎn)都是三歲蛾坯，更何況凜冬將至光酣。”

?? “Yes,” Catelyn agreed. The words gave her achill, 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. Winteris coming, said the Stark words. Not for the first time, she reflected on whata strange people these northerners were.

“是啊脉课，”凱特琳也同意救军，最后那句話一如既往地教她不寒而栗。這是史塔克家族的銘言倘零，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唱遭，或是待人處事的衡量標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，或是針對困境的禱詞呈驶；有的夸耀榮譽(yù)拷泽，有些講究忠貞誠信，還有的為信仰和勇氣宣誓，惟獨(dú)史塔克家族例外司致。凜冬將至拆吆，史塔克家族的銘言如是說。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脂矫。

?? “The man died well, I’ll give him that,” Nedsaid. He had a swatch of oiled leather in one hand. He ran it lightly up thegreatsword as he spoke, polishing the metal to a dark glow. “I was glad forBran’s sake. You would have been proud of Bran.”

“今天那個(gè)人死得很干脆枣耀，這一點(diǎn)我承認(rèn)⊥ピ伲”奈德說捞奕，他手里握了一塊上了油的皮革，邊說邊輕拭劍身拄轻，金屬被逐漸磨出暗沉的光澤颅围。“我很為布蘭高興哺眯，你要是在場谷浅，也會為他驕傲的∧套浚”

?? “I am always proud of Bran,” Catelynreplied, watching the sword as he stroked it. She could see the rippling deepwithin the steel, where the metal had been folded back on itself a hundredtimes in the forging. Catelyn had no love for swords, but she could not denythat Ice had its own beauty. It had been forged in Valyria, before the Doom hadcome to the old Freehold, when the ironsmiths had worked their metal withspells as well as hammers. Four hundred years old it was, and as sharp as theday it was forged. The name it bore was older still, a legacy from the age ofheroes, when the Starks were Kings in the North.

“我向來都很為他驕傲一疯。”凱特琳邊看他拭劍邊答道夺姑，她可以瞧見鋼鐵深處的波紋墩邀，那是鍛冶時(shí)千錘百煉的印記。凱特琳對刀劍素?zé)o好感盏浙，但她不能否認(rèn)“寒冰”確有其獨(dú)特的美眉睹。它是末日浩劫降臨古自由堡壘以前，在瓦雷利亞鍛造而成废膘，當(dāng)時(shí)的鐵匠不僅用鑿錘冶鐵竹海，更用法術(shù)來形塑金屬。寶劍已有四百年歷史丐黄，卻仍舊如它鍛冶初成時(shí)那般鋒利斋配。它的名字則更源遠(yuǎn)流長，乃是襲自古代英雄紀(jì)元時(shí)的族劍之名灌闺，那時(shí)史塔克一族是北境之王艰争。

?? “He was the fourth this year,” Ned saidgrimly. “The poor man was half-mad. Something had put a fear in him so deepthat my words could not reach him.” He sighed. “Ben writes that the strength ofthe Night’s Watch is down below a thousand. It’s not only desertions. They arelosing men on rangings as well.”

“這已經(jīng)是今年第四個(gè)逃兵了，”奈德沉著臉說桂对，“那個(gè)可憐的家伙已經(jīng)瘋了一半甩卓，不知什么東西把他嚇成那副德行，連我說話都起不了作用蕉斜∮馐粒”他嘆口氣缀棍，“班寫信來說守夜人的兵力只剩不到一千，不只因?yàn)樘颖寡埃麄兣沙鋈サ难策夑?duì)也損失慘重睦柴。”

?? “Is it the wildlings?” she asked.

“是野人的關(guān)系嗎毡熏？”她問坦敌。

?? “Who else?” Ned lifted Ice, looked down thecool steel length of it. “And it will only grow worse. The day may come when Iwill have no choice but to call the banners and ride north to deal with thisKing-beyond-the-Wall for good and all.”

“還會有誰呢？”奈德舉起“寒冰”痢法，俯首審視手中冰冷的鋼鐵狱窘。“恐怕情況只會越來越糟财搁，也許我真的別無選擇蘸炸，非得召集封臣，率軍北進(jìn)尖奔，與這個(gè)絕境長城以外的國王一決生死搭儒。”

?? “Beyond the Wall?” The thought made Catelynshudder.

“絕境長城以外提茁？”凱特琳想到就不禁渾身顫抖淹禾。

?? Ned saw the dread on her face. “Mance Rayderis nothing for us to fear.”

奈德察覺了她臉上的恐懼≤畋猓“我們用不著害怕曼斯·雷德铃岔。”

?? “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峭火』傧埃”她轉(zhuǎn)過頭去，看著心樹慘白的樹皮和赭紅的雙眼卖丸，凝視纺且、傾聽、考慮著深邃悠遠(yuǎn)的思緒稍浆。

?? His smile was gentle. “You listen to toomany of Old Nan’s stories. The Others are as dead as the children of theforest, gone eight thousand years. Maester Luwin will tell you they never livedat all. No living man has ever seen one.”

他的微笑好溫柔隆檀。“老奶媽的故事你聽太多啦粹湃。異鬼和森林之子一樣，早已經(jīng)消失了八千多年泉坐。魯溫師傅會告訴你他們根本就沒存在過为鳄，沒有活人見過他們⊥笕茫”

?? “Until this morning, no living man had everseen a direwolf either,” Catelyn reminded him.

“今天早上之前孤钦，不也沒人見過冰原狼歧斟？”凱特琳提醒他。

?? “I ought to know better than to argue with aTully,” he said with a rueful smile. He slid Ice back into its sheath. “You didnot 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偏形，”他嘴角浮起一抹后悔的微笑静袖，將“寒冰”收回劍鞘】∨ぃ“我猜你不是跑來跟我聊睡前故事的队橙，何況我知道你一點(diǎn)也不喜歡這個(gè)地方。究竟是什么事萨惑，我的好夫人捐康？”

?? Catelyn took her husband’s hand. “There wasgrievous news today, my lord. I did not wish to trouble you until you hadcleansed 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∮拱“今天我們接獲了悲傷的消息解总，大人，我不想在你清理寶劍之前打擾你姐仅』ǚ悖”既然無法減輕傷害，她決定實(shí)話實(shí)說掏膏±秃玻“親愛的，我很難過壤追，瓊恩·艾林過世了磕道。”

?Hiseyes found hers, and she could see how hard it took him, as she had known itwould. In his youth, Ned had fostered at the Eyrie, and the childless LordArryn 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 theEyrie had raised his moon-and-falcon banners in revolt rather than give upthose he had pledged to protect.

他們視線相對行冰，她可以清楚地看見他受的打擊有多大溺蕉，正如她所預(yù)料。奈德年輕時(shí)曾在鷹巢城做過養(yǎng)子悼做，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疯特。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)，這位鷹巢城公爵揭起他的新月獵鷹旗肛走，寧可興兵發(fā)難也不愿出賣他誓言守護(hù)的人漓雅。

?? And one day fifteen years ago, this secondfather had become a brother as well, as he and Ned stood together in the septat Riverrun to wed two sisters, the daughters of Lord Hoster Tully.

而就在十五年前的那一天，這位再世生父又成了奈德的連襟朽色。他們倆并肩站在奔流城的圣堂里邻吞，娶了一對姐妹，也就是霍斯特·徒利公爵的兩個(gè)女兒葫男。

?? “Jon?.?.?.?” he said. “Is this newscertain?”

“瓊恩……”他說抱冷，“這消息確實(shí)么？”

?? “Itwas the king’s seal, and the letter is in Robert’s own hand. I saved it foryou. 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.”

“信上有國王的印鑒梢褐，且是勞勃親手書寫旺遮。他說艾林公爵走得很倉促赵讯，就連派席爾國師也束手無策。不過國師給他喝了罌粟花奶耿眉，所以瓊恩并沒受太多折磨边翼。”

?? “That is some small mercy, I suppose,” hesaid. She could see the grief on his face, but even then he thought first ofher. “Your sister,” he said. “And Jon’s boy. What word of them?”

“我想這也算是最后的一點(diǎn)慈悲鸣剪∽榈祝”他說，她看見他臉上的悲傷西傀，但他最先想到的還是她斤寇。“你妹妹拥褂，”他問娘锁，“還有瓊恩的兒子，有他們的消息嗎饺鹃？”莫秆。

?? “The message said only that they were well,and had returned to the Eyrie,” Catelyn said. “I wish they had gone to Riverruninstead. The Eyrie is high and lonely, and it was ever her husband’s place, nothers. Lord Jon’s memory will haunt each stone. I know my sister. She needs thecomfort of family and friends around her.”

“信上只說他們安然無恙，并已返回了鷹巢城悔详∧魇海”凱特琳說，“我真希望他們回的是奔流城茄螃。鷹巢城高聳孤絕缝驳，那里一直是她丈夫的地盤，并非她的歸宿归苍。瓊恩大人的回憶肯定會縈繞鷹巢城里每一塊磚石用狱。我很了解妹妹，她需要的是家人和朋友的支持與陪伴拼弃∠囊粒”

?? “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？我聽說瓊恩任命他做了血門騎士吻氧∧缬牵”

?? Catelyn nodded. “Brynden will do what he canfor her, and for the boy. That is some comfort, but still?.?.?.?”

凱特琳點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，“布林登當(dāng)然會盡他所能照顧她和她兒子盯孙，可是……”

?? “Go toher,” Ned urged. “Take the children. Fill her halls with noise and shouts andlaughter. That boy of hers needs other children about him, and Lysa should notbe alone in her grief.”

“那么你去陪她吧鲁森，”奈德勸促，“把孩子們也一起帶去振惰，讓她的居所充滿歡笑和喧鬧歌溉。那孩子需要其他同伴的陪伴，你妹妹更不應(yīng)該獨(dú)自哀悼报账⊙械祝”

?? “Would that I could,” Catelyn said. “Theletter had other tidings. The king is riding to Winterfell to seek you out.”

“如果我能去就好了⊥赴眨”凱特琳說道：“信上還說到別的事榜晦，國王正在前往臨冬城的路上，他要找你共商國事羽圃∏海”

? ?It took Ned a moment to comprehend her words,but when the understanding came, the darkness left his eyes. “Robert is cominghere?” When she nodded, a smile broke across his face.

?? Catelyn wished she could share his joy. Butshe had heard the talk in the yards; a direwolf dead in the snow, a brokenantler in its throat. Dread coiled within her like a snake, but she forcedherself to smile at this man she loved, this man who put no faith in signs. “Iknew that would please you,” she said. “We should send word to your brother onthe Wall.”

凱特琳真希望自己能分享他此刻的喜悅，但她在庭院里聽到了傳聞朽寞，說是有只冰原狼死在雪地里识窿，喉嚨中有根斷裂的鹿角∧匀冢恐懼如同毒蛇般在她心里蜷曲喻频，但她迫使自己在這個(gè)她所深愛的男人面前強(qiáng)顏歡笑，這個(gè)不相信任何預(yù)兆的男人肘迎∩拢“我就知道你聽了會高興，”她說妓布，“我們應(yīng)該通知你在長城的弟弟姻蚓。”

?“Yes, of course,” he agreed. “Ben will want to be here. I shall tellMaester 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 thanthis? How many in his party, did the message say?”

“對匣沼，對狰挡，當(dāng)然，”他同意释涛，“班一定想來加叁。我請魯溫師傅派他最快的鳥兒送信去∈嗷撸”奈德直起身殉农，也拉她起來【旨裕“該死超凳，我們有多少年沒見面了？他居然沒有

特意通知我耀态。信上有否注明大約有多少人會來轮傍？”

?? “I should think a hundred knights, at theleast, with all their retainers, and half again as many freeriders. Cersei andthe children travel with them.”

“我想至少有一百位騎士罷，加上他們的隨從首装，還有這個(gè)數(shù)目一半的自由騎手创夜。瑟曦和她的孩子們也都來了∠陕撸”

?? “Robert will keep an easy pace for theirsakes,” he said. “It is just as well. That will give us more time to prepare.”

“那么為他們著想驰吓，勞勃不會走太快的涧尿。”他說：“也好檬贰，這樣一來我們才多點(diǎn)時(shí)間準(zhǔn)備姑廉。”

?? “The queen’s brothers are also in theparty,” she told him.

“王后的哥哥也在隊(duì)伍里翁涤∏叛裕”她告訴他。

?? Ned grimaced at that. There was small lovebetween him and the queen’s family, Catelyn knew. The Lannisters of CasterlyRock had come late to Robert’s cause, when victory was all but certain, and hehad never forgiven them. “Well, if the price for Robert’s company is an infestationof Lannisters, so be it. It sounds as though Robert is bringing half hiscourt.”

奈德聽后臉色立刻一沉葵礼。凱特琳很清楚他對王后的家族素?zé)o好感号阿，凱巖城的蘭尼斯特家族當(dāng)年是最晚加入勞勃勢力的大貴族，直等到勝敗情勢明朗化后方才表態(tài)鸳粉，而奈德始終沒有原諒他們扔涧。“也罷赁严，如果勞勃來訪的代價(jià)是這些蘭尼斯特家的討厭鬼扰柠，那就認(rèn)了罷。只是疼约，聽起來勞勃好像把他半個(gè)宮廷的人都帶來了卤档。”

?? “Where the king goes, the realm follows,”she said.

“國王走到哪兒程剥，王國就跟到哪兒嘛劝枣。”她答道织鲸。

?? “It will be good to see the children. Theyoungest was still sucking at the Lannister woman’s teat the last time I sawhim. He must be, what, five by now?”

“看看那些孩子倒也不錯(cuò)舔腾。上次見到那個(gè)蘭尼斯特女人，勞勃最小的兒子還在喝她的奶水搂擦。一轉(zhuǎn)眼都幾年了稳诚？他現(xiàn)在應(yīng)該已經(jīng)……多少……五歲了吧？”

?? “Prince Tommen is seven,” she told him. “Thesame age as Bran. Please, Ned, guard your tongue. The Lannister woman is ourqueen, and her pride is said to grow with every passing year.”

“托曼王子七歲了瀑踢，”她告訴他扳还，“和布蘭同年。奈德橱夭，請你小心措辭氨距，那蘭尼斯特女人好歹是我們的王后，而且據(jù)說她一年比一年傲慢棘劣∏稳茫”

?? Ned squeezed her hand. “There must be afeast, of course, with singers, and Robert will want to hunt. I shall send Jorysouth 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 theman. Damn his royal hide.”

奈德捏捏她的手，“我們得辦場晚宴，當(dāng)然還要請樂師和歌手首昔，嗯寡喝，勞勃鐵定會去外面打獵。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勒奇，把他們護(hù)送回來吧拘荡。諸神在上，我們要怎么喂飽這些人扒肆辍？你說他已經(jīng)在路上了网缝？這家伙真該死巨税，他這做國王的家伙真是該死》垭”

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