ARYA

32 艾莉亞

The one-eared

black tom arched his back and hissed at her.

獨耳的黑公貓拱起背朝她嘶叫箱硕。

Arya padded down

the alley, balanced lightly on the balls of her bare feet, listening to the

flutter of her heart, breathing slow deep breaths. Quiet as a shadow, she told

herself, light as a feather. The tomcat watched her come, his eyes wary.

艾莉亞沿著小路走，赤裸的腳跟保持平衡，傾聽心臟疾跳舔痕，深呼吸緩?fù)職馀冉弧ｌo如影，她告訴自己谦秧，輕如羽竟纳。公貓看著她漸漸逼近，眼里充滿警戒疚鲤。

Catching cats

was hard. Her hands were covered with half-healed scratches, and both knees

were scabbed over where she had scraped them raw in tumbles. At first even the

cook’s huge fat kitchen cat had been able to elude her, but Syrio had kept her

at it day and night. When she’d run to him with her hands bleeding, he had

said, “So slow? Be quicker, girl. Your enemies will give you more than

scratches.” He had dabbed her wounds with Myrish fire, which burned so bad she

had had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Then he sent her out after more

cats.

抓貓難锥累。她手上到處都是未愈的抓痕，兩腳膝蓋則因跌倒擦傷集歇，結(jié)滿了疤桶略。剛開始，連廚師養(yǎng)的那只廚房胖貓都能躲過她诲宇，但西利歐叫她日夜不停地練習(xí)际歼。當(dāng)她滿手是血找上他時，他只說：“怎么這么慢焕窝？小妹妹蹬挺，動作要快。等你遇到敵人它掂，就不只是抓傷而已了巴帮∷萜”他為她在傷口涂上密爾火，燙極了榕茧，她咬緊嘴唇才沒大聲尖叫垃沦。然后他又叫她繼續(xù)去抓貓。

The Red Keep was

full of cats: lazy old cats dozing in the sun, cold-eyed mousers twitching

their tails, quick little kittens with claws like needles, ladies’ cats all

combed and trusting, ragged shadows prowling the midden heaps. One by one Arya

had chased them down and snatched them up and brought them proudly to Syrio

Forel?.?.?.?all but this one, this one-eared black devil of a tomcat. “That’s

the real king of this castle right there,” one of the gold cloaks had told her.

“Older than sin and twice as mean. One time, the king was feasting the queen’s

father, and that black bastard hopped up on the table and snatched a roast

quail right out of Lord Tywin’s fingers. Robert laughed so hard he like to

burst. You stay away from that one, child.”

紅堡到處都是貓：有在太陽下打盹的慵懶老貓用押、有冷眼擺尾的捕鼠貓肢簿、有爪子利如尖針的靈巧小貓、還有宮廷仕女養(yǎng)的貓蜻拨，一身的毛梳理柔順池充，乖巧聽話，以及渾身臟兮兮缎讼、專門在垃圾堆里出沒的黑貓收夸。艾莉亞一只一只追蹤到底，然后拎起來血崭，得意萬分地帶回去給西利歐·佛瑞爾……如今就只差這只獨耳的黑色小惡魔啦卧惜。“那家伙才是城堡里真正的王夹纫，”有位穿金披風(fēng)的都城守衛(wèi)告訴她咽瓷，“不但老不死，還壞得跟什么似的舰讹。有次國王宴請他老丈人茅姜，結(jié)果那黑心肝的混球跳上桌，從泰溫大人的手里大搖大擺地叼走一只烤鵪鶉跺涤。勞勃笑得快爆炸匈睁。小乖乖，你離那壞蛋遠點桶错『剿簦”

He had run her halfway

across the castle; twice around the Tower of the Hand, across the inner bailey,

through the stables, down the serpentine steps, past the small kitchen and the

pig yard and the barracks of the gold cloaks, along the base of the river wall

and up more steps and back and forth over Traitor’s Walk, and then down again

and through a gate and around a well and in and out of strange buildings until

Arya didn’t know where she was.

為了抓它，她跑遍半個城堡：繞了首相塔兩圈院刁，穿越內(nèi)城中庭糯钙，鉆進馬廄，走下層層環(huán)繞的螺旋梯退腥，經(jīng)過小廚房任岸、養(yǎng)豬場和都城守衛(wèi)隊的營房，順著臨河城墻的根基狡刘，再上樓梯享潜，在叛徒走道上來來回回，然后又下樓嗅蔬，出一道門剑按，繞過一口井疾就，進出前方形形色色的建筑，到最后艾莉亞根本不知自己所在何處艺蝴。

Now at last she

had him. High walls pressed close on either side, and ahead was a blank

windowless mass of stone. Quiet as a shadow, she repeated, sliding forward,

light as a feather.

這下她總算逮著它了猬腰。左右兩邊都是高墻，前方則是大片沒開窗的石壁猜敢。靜如影姑荷，她滑步向前，在心中重復(fù)缩擂，輕如羽鼠冕。

When she was

three steps away from him, the tomcat bolted. Left, then right, he went; and

right, then left, went Arya, cutting off his escape. He hissed again and tried

to dart between her legs. Quick as a snake, she thought. Her hands closed

around him. She hugged him to her chest, whirling and laughing aloud as his

claws raked at the front of her leather jerkin. Ever so fast, she kissed him

right between the eyes, and jerked her head back an instant before his claws would

have found her face. The tomcat yowled and spit.

當(dāng)她離它只剩三步之遙時，公貓倏地沖了出來胯盯。先往左供鸠，再往右，艾莉亞便先擋右陨闹，再擋左，切斷了它逃生的路薄坏。它又發(fā)出嘶叫趋厉，試圖從她兩腳之間溜走。迅如蛇胶坠，她心想君账。她伸手抓住它，把它抱在胸前沈善，樂得放聲大笑乡数，四處轉(zhuǎn)圈，任由它的利爪撕扯她的皮上衣闻牡。她用更快的速度在它兩眼之間輕吻一下净赴，并在它伸出爪子抓她臉的前一刻縮回。公貓嘶吼著朝她吐口水罩润。

“What’s he doing to that cat?”

“他在跟那只貓做什么玖翅？”

Startled, Arya

dropped the cat and whirled toward the voice. The tom bounded off in the blink

of an eye. At the end of the alley stood a girl with a mass of golden curls,

dressed as pretty as a doll in blue satin. Beside her was a plump little blond boy

with a prancing stag sewn in pearls across the front of his doublet and a

miniature sword at his belt. Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen, Arya thought.

A septa as large as a draft horse hovered over them, and behind her two big men

in crimson cloaks, Lannister house guards.

艾莉亞嚇了一跳，松開貓割以，旋身面對聲音的來源金度。公貓轉(zhuǎn)瞬間便一溜煙逃走。小巷的另一端站著一個滿頭金卷發(fā)严沥、穿著藍錦緞衣服猜极、漂亮得像個洋娃娃似的女孩。她身邊有個胖嘟嘟的金發(fā)小男孩消玄，外衣胸前用珍珠繡了一只昂首騰躍的公鹿跟伏，腰際配了把微型劍丢胚。是彌賽菈公主和托曼王子，艾莉亞心想酬姆。他們身邊跟了一個塊頭大得像犁馬的修女嗜桌，她背后還有兩個蘭尼斯特家的貼身護衛(wèi)，都是牛高馬大的漢子辞色。

“What were you doing to that cat, boy?” Myrcella asked again,

sternly. To her brother she said, “He’s a ragged boy, isn’t he? Look at him.”

She giggled.

“小弟弟骨宠，你在跟那只貓做什么啊相满？”彌賽菈口氣嚴厲地再度發(fā)問层亿，然后對弟弟說，“你瞧立美，他還真是個臟兮兮的小弟弟匿又，對不對？”

“A ragged dirty smelly boy,” Tommen agreed.

“對建蹄，衣服破爛碌更，又臟又臭的小弟弟《瓷鳎”托曼同意痛单。

They don’t know

me, Arya realized. They don’t even know I’m a girl. Small wonder; she was

barefoot and dirty, her hair tangled from the long run through the castle, clad

in a jerkin ripped by cat claws and brown roughspun pants hacked off above her

scabby knees. You don’t wear skirts and silks when you’re catching cats.

Quickly she lowered her head and dropped to one knee. Maybe they wouldn’t

recognize her. If they did, she would never hear the end of it. Septa Mordane

would be mortified, and Sansa would never speak to her again from the shame.

他們沒認出我，艾莉亞這才明白劲腿，他們甚至不知道我是女孩旭绒。這也難怪，她光著腳丫焦人，全身骯臟挥吵，在城堡里跑過一圈以后，頭發(fā)亂成一團花椭，身上的皮背心布滿了貓的爪痕忽匈，粗布縫制的棕色褲子膝蓋以下都被割掉，露出傷疤遍布的雙腳——抓貓總不能穿裙子或絲衣吧矿辽。她連忙低頭脉幢，單膝跪下。他們要是認不出她來嗦锐，就太好了嫌松。若是被認出來，她會吃不了兜著走的奕污。因為這不但會丟光茉丹修女的臉萎羔，連珊莎也將覺得可恥，從此再不跟她說話碳默。

The old fat

septa moved forward. “Boy, how did you come here? You have no business in this

part of the castle.”

肥胖的老修女往前挪了挪贾陷≡悼簦“小弟弟，你怎么跑到這里來的髓废？你不該在城堡里到處亂跑喔巷懈。”

“You can’t keep this sort out,” one of the red cloaks said. “Like

trying to keep out rats.”

“沒辦法慌洪，這種人趕也趕不完顶燕，”一個紅袍衛(wèi)士道，“跟趕老鼠一樣的道理冈爹∮抗ィ”

“Who do you belong to, boy?” the septa demanded. “Answer me. What’s

wrong with you, are you mute?”

“小弟弟，你是誰家的孩子频伤？”修女質(zhì)問恳谎，“告訴我。你怎么了憋肖？你是啞巴嗎因痛？”

Arya’s voice

caught in her throat. If she answered, Tommen and Myrcella would know her for

certain.

艾莉亞的話音卡在喉嚨里。如果她出聲回答岸更，托曼和彌賽菈一定會認出她來婚肆。

“Godwyn, bring him here,” the septa said. The taller of the guardsmen

started down the alley.

“高德溫，把他帶過來坐慰。”修女說用僧。長得較高的那名衛(wèi)士朝小巷的這邊走來结胀。

Panic gripped

her throat like a giant’s hand. Arya could not have spoken if her life had hung

on it. Calm as still water, she mouthed silently.

恐慌如巨人的手攫住她的喉嚨，艾莉亞知道自己命懸于此责循，不發(fā)出半點聲音糟港。止如水，她在心里默念院仿。

As Godwyn

reached for her, Arya moved. Quick as a snake. She leaned to her left, letting

his fingers brush her arm, spinning around him. Smooth as summer silk. By the

time he got himself turned, she was sprinting down the alley. Swift as a deer.

The septa was screeching at her. Arya slid between legs as thick and white as

marble columns, bounded to her feet, bowled into Prince Tommen and hopped over

him when he sat down hard and said “Oof,” spun away from the second guard, and

then she was past them all, running full out.

就在高德溫伸手的前一刻秸抚，艾莉亞采取了行動。迅如蛇歹垫。她重心左移剥汤，他的手指擦臂而過。她繞過他排惨。柔如絲吭敢。待他轉(zhuǎn)身，她已朝巷口飛奔而去暮芭。疾如鹿鹿驼。修女朝她尖叫欲低，艾莉亞從她兩條粗得像白色大理石柱的腿中間鉆過去，站起身畜晰，迎面撞上托曼王子砾莱，他“哎喲”一聲重重坐倒。她從他身上跳過凄鼻，閃開第二個侍衛(wèi)腊瑟，然后她便擺脫他們，全速逃走野宜。

She heard

shouts, then pounding footsteps, closing behind her. She dropped and rolled.

The red cloak went careening past her, stumbling. Arya sprang back to her feet.

She saw a window above her, high and narrow, scarcely more than an arrow slit.

Arya leapt, caught the sill, pulled herself up. She held her breath as she

wriggled through. Slippery as an eel. Dropping to the floor in front of a

startled scrubwoman, she hopped up, brushed the rushes off her clothes, and was

off again, out the door and along a long hall, down a stair, across a hidden

courtyard, around a corner and over a wall and through a low narrow window into

a pitch-dark cellar. The sounds grew more and more distant behind her.

她聽見叫喊扫步，緊接著是砰砰砰的腳步迅速朝她逼近。她身子一蹲匈子，著地滾開河胎。紅衣衛(wèi)士踉蹌著沖過她身邊，差點跌倒虎敦。艾莉亞一躍起身游岳，看到頭上有扇又高又窄的窗子，比城墻上的射箭孔大不了多少其徙，便向上一跳胚迫，攀住窗臺，往上拉升唾那，閉著氣往里擠访锻。滑如鰻闹获。待她跳下窗口期犬，正落在一名吃驚的洗衣婦面前，她立刻翻身避诽，拍拍塵土龟虎，繼續(xù)逃跑。她穿門而出沙庐，奔過長廳鲤妥，跑下樓梯，穿越一座隱蔽的庭院拱雏，繞過轉(zhuǎn)角棉安，翻過墻，擠進一扇低矮窄窗后铸抑，來到一個伸手不見五指的漆黑地窖垂券。身后追趕的聲音漸漸變小。

Arya was out of

breath and quite thoroughly lost. She was in for it now if they had recognized

her, but she didn’t think they had. She’d moved too fast. Swift as a deer.

艾莉亞幾乎喘不過氣，完全迷失了方向」阶Γ現(xiàn)在就算他們認出她算芯，她也認栽了，但她覺得他們應(yīng)該做不到凳宙，因為她動作太快了熙揍。疾如鹿。

She hunkered

down in the dark against a damp stone wall and listened for the pursuit, but

the only sound was the beating of her own heart and a distant drip of water.

Quiet as a shadow, she told herself. She wondered where she was. When they had

first come to King’s Landing, she used to have bad dreams about getting lost in

the castle. Father said the Red Keep was smaller than Winterfell, but in her dreams

it had been immense, an endless stone maze with walls that seemed to shift and

change behind her. She would find herself wandering down gloomy halls past

faded tapestries, descending endless circular stairs, darting through

courtyards or over bridges, her shouts echoing unanswered. In some of the rooms

the red stone walls would seem to drip blood, and nowhere could she find a

window. Sometimes she would hear her father’s voice, but always from a long way

off, and no matter how hard she ran after it, it would grow fainter and

fainter, until it faded to nothing and Arya was alone in the dark.

她摸黑靠著一堵潮濕的石墻蹲下氏涩，靜聽追兵的響動届囚，卻只聽見自己的心跳和遠處的滴水聲。靜如影是尖，她告訴自己意系。她納悶自己究竟置身何處。初來君臨時饺汹，她常做惡夢蛔添，夢見自己迷失在城堡里。父親說紅堡比臨冬城要小兜辞，但在夢中它卻碩大無比迎瞧，活像一座無邊無際的石造迷宮，而墻壁仿佛會在她身后變換形體逸吵。她發(fā)現(xiàn)自己常漫游在陰森的廳堂里凶硅，經(jīng)過褪色的壁氈，走下無止盡的螺旋樓梯扫皱，在庭院間和吊橋上穿梭足绅，尖聲叫喊卻無人回應(yīng)。有些房間里韩脑，紅墻似乎在滴血氢妈，而她一扇窗戶也找不到。有的時候扰才，她能聽見父親的聲音，但總是從遙遠的地方傳來厕怜，而不論她如何努力地朝聲音來源飛奔衩匣，那聲音卻依舊越來越微弱，直至完全消失粥航。黑暗之中琅捏，只剩艾莉亞獨自一人。

It was very dark

right now, she realized. She hugged her bare knees tight against her chest and

shivered. She would wait quietly and count to ten thousand. By then it would be

safe for her to come creeping back out and find her way home.

她發(fā)覺這里也很暗递雀，于是縮起裸露的膝蓋柄延，緊緊抱在胸前，發(fā)起抖來。她決定在這里默默數(shù)到一萬搜吧，等那時候就可以安全地爬出去市俊，找路回家了。

By the time she

had reached eighty-seven, the room had begun to lighten as her eyes adjusted to

the blackness. Slowly the shapes around her took on form. Huge empty eyes

stared at her hungrily through the gloom, and dimly she saw the jagged shadows

of long teeth. She had lost the count. She closed her eyes and bit her lip and

sent the fear away. When she looked again, the monsters would be gone. Would

never have been. She pretended that Syrio was beside her in the dark,

whispering in her ear. Calm as still water, she told herself. Strong as a bear.

Fierce as a wolverine. She opened her eyes again.

當(dāng)她數(shù)到八十七的時候滤奈，眼睛已經(jīng)習(xí)慣了黑暗摆昧，房間也似乎逐漸亮起來，身邊的事物緩緩現(xiàn)形蜒程∩鹉悖昏暗之中，無數(shù)巨大而空洞的眼睛饑渴地瞪著她昭躺。她隱約看到長牙的鋸齒陰影忌锯。她頓時忘了數(shù)到哪里，只敢閉上眼睛领炫，咬住嘴唇偶垮，驅(qū)趕恐懼。等她睜眼再看驹吮，怪獸就會不見甸私。怪獸會不存在。她假裝西利歐也在黑暗中逝淹，陪在她身邊缓待，對她悄聲說話。止如水族沃，她告訴自己频祝，壯如熊，猛如狼脆淹，然后睜開眼睛常空。

The monsters

were still there, but the fear was gone.

怪獸還在，恐懼卻消失了盖溺。

Arya got to her

feet, moving warily. The heads were all around her. She touched one, curious,

wondering if it was real. Her fingertips brushed a massive jaw. It felt real

enough. The bone was smooth beneath her hand, cold and hard to the touch. She

ran her fingers down a tooth, black and sharp, a dagger made of darkness. It

made her shiver.

艾莉亞小心翼翼地站起來漓糙。四周都是頭骨，她好奇地摸摸其中一個烘嘱，不知到底是不是真的昆禽。她的指尖拂過一個寬大的下巴，摸起來挺像真的蝇庭。骨頭的感覺很平滑醉鳖，既冷且硬。她的手指摸到一顆牙齒哮内，又黑又尖盗棵，活像是由黑暗所造的匕首，她不禁打了個寒顫。

“It’s dead,” she said aloud. “It’s just a skull, it can’t hurt me.”

Yet somehow the monster seemed to know she was there. She could feel its empty

eyes watching her through the gloom, and there was something in that dim,

cavernous room that did not love her. She edged away from the skull and backed

into a second, larger than the first. For an instant she could feel its teeth

digging into her shoulder, as if it wanted a bite of her flesh. Arya whirled,

felt leather catch and tear as a huge fang nipped at her jerkin, and then she

was running. Another skull loomed ahead, the biggest monster of all, but Arya

did not even slow. She leapt over a ridge of black teeth as tall as swords,

dashed through hungry jaws, and threw herself against the door.

“它死了纹因∨缥荩”她朗聲道，“只是顆骷髏頭辐怕，傷不了我的逼蒙。”但不知怎的寄疏，那怪獸似乎知道她在這兒是牢。她感覺得到它空洞的眼睛穿過陰暗看著她，在這個光線微弱陕截、寬敞高大的房間里驳棱，有種不喜歡她的東西存在。她避開那個頭顱农曲，向后退開社搅，卻又碰到一個更大的骷髏。一時間她幾乎可以感覺它的牙齒陷進她的肩膀乳规，仿佛想一口咬下她的血肉形葬。艾莉亞旋身，一顆尖牙果然已經(jīng)咬住她的外衣暮的，皮革被鉤住笙以，撕裂了一大塊，她沒命似的快跑冻辩。眼前又有一個頭顱出現(xiàn)猖腕，這是最大的怪獸。艾莉亞不敢慢步恨闪，她跳過一排高得像劍倘感、山脊似的黑牙齒，沖進一個又一個饑餓的血盆大口咙咽，然后撞上了門老玛。

Her hands found

a heavy iron ring set in the wood, and she yanked at it. The door resisted a

moment, before it slowly began to swing inward, with a creak so loud Arya was

certain it could be heard all through the city. She opened the door just far

enough to slip through, into the hallway beyond.

她摸黑找到木門上厚重的鐵環(huán)，使勁一拉钧敞，門抗拒了一會兒蜡豹，方才緩緩向內(nèi)打開，可是發(fā)出來的嘎吱聲卻大得嚇人犁享，艾莉亞心想這下全城的人都會聽見了余素。她拉開恰好能讓自己鉆進去的縫隙豹休，溜進門后的長廳炊昆。

If the room with

the monsters had been dark, the hall was the blackest pit in the seven hells.

Calm as still water, Arya told herself, but even when she gave her eyes a

moment to adjust, there was nothing to see but the vague grey outline of the

door she had come through. She wiggled her fingers in front of her face, felt

the air move, saw nothing. She was blind. A water dancer sees with all her

senses, she reminded herself. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing

one two three, drank in the quiet, reached out with her hands.

如果剛剛那個充滿怪獸的房間算得上黑暗，那這個大廳就是七層地獄里最伸手不見五指的黑洞。止如水凤巨，艾莉亞告訴自己视乐，她給了眼睛足夠的調(diào)適時間，但除了剛才進來的門有模糊的灰色輪廓敢茁，其余依舊什么也看不到佑淀。她伸出手指在面前搖晃，感覺到空氣的移動彰檬，卻沒有東西伸刃。她成了瞎子。水舞者要用所有的感官去洞察周圍逢倍，她提醒自己捧颅。于是她閉上眼，穩(wěn)住呼吸數(shù)了一二三较雕，靜靜吸口氣碉哑，然后伸出雙手，開始摸索亮蒋。

Her fingers

brushed against rough unfinished stone to her left. She followed the wall, her

hand skimming along the surface, taking small gliding steps through the

darkness. All halls lead somewhere. Where there is a way in, there is a way

out. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Arya would not be afraid. It seemed as if

she had been walking a long ways when the wall ended abruptly and a draft of

cold air blew past her cheek. Loose hairs stirred faintly against her skin.

左手邊扣典，她的指頭拂過未完工的粗石表面。她便沿著墻走慎玖，手在石面游移贮尖，踏著小碎步慢慢穿越黑暗。每個房間總有出路凄吏，有進必有出嘛远舅。而且，恐懼比利劍更傷人痕钢。艾莉亞不能害怕图柏。她仿佛走了好長一段，墻壁突然到了盡頭任连，一團冷氣吹過她的臉頰蚤吹。松開的頭發(fā)輕輕拍打著她的皮膚。

From somewhere

far below her, she heard noises. The scrape of boots, the distant sound of

voices. A flickering light brushed the wall ever so faintly, and she saw that

she stood at the top of a great black well, a shaft twenty feet across plunging

deep into the earth. Huge stones had been set into the curving walls as steps,

circling down and down, dark as the steps to hell that Old Nan used to tell them

of. And something was coming up out of the darkness, out of the bowels of the

earth?.?.?.?

她聽見有聲音從下方很遠的地方傳來随抠。靴子的磨地聲裁着，遙遠的交談聲。搖曳的火光朦朧地掃過墻壁拱她，她這才發(fā)現(xiàn)自己正站在一口大黑井邊二驰，井足足有二十尺寬，開口直向地心秉沼。彎曲的墻上嵌了大石頭作為樓梯桶雀，向下回旋回旋矿酵，漆黑得就像老奶媽以前常跟他們說的，通往地獄的階梯矗积。有東西正從黑暗中爬出來全肮，從地心深處爬出來……

Arya peered over

the edge and felt the cold black breath on her face. Far below, she saw the

light of a single torch, small as the flame of a candle. Two men, she made out.

Their shadows writhed against the sides of the well, tall as giants. She could

hear their voices, echoing up the shaft.

艾莉亞趴在井邊偷偷往下看，一股冰冷的黑氣迎面襲來棘捣。下方極遠處辜腺，她看到一根火把的亮光，微小有如燭火乍恐。她分辨出是兩個人评疗，他們的影子交錯投射在墻上，高大有如巨人茵烈。她聽見他們的聲音壤巷，回蕩著傳向井邊。

“?.?.?.?found one bastard,” one said. “The rest will come soon. A

day, two days, a fortnight?.?.?.?”

“……找到了一個私生子瞧毙，”一個人說胧华，“其他的也遲早會查出來。要么一兩天宙彪，最遲不過兩星期……”

“And when he learns the truth, what will he do?” a second voice asked

in the liquid accents of the Free Cities.

“等他查出真相矩动，他會怎么做？”第二個聲音是自由貿(mào)易城邦的滑溜口音释漆。

“The gods alone know,” the first voice said. Arya could see a wisp of

grey smoke drifting up off the torch, writhing like a snake as it rose. “The

fools tried to kill his son, and what’s worse, they made a mummer’s farce of

it. He’s not a man to put that aside. I warn you, the wolf and lion will soon

be at each other’s throats, whether we will it or no.”

“只有天上諸神知道悲没，”第一個聲音說。艾莉亞看到火把冒出一縷灰煙男图，一邊冉冉上升示姿，一邊像蛇似的翻騰纏繞⊙钒剩“那群蠢蛋想殺他兒子栈戳，更糟糕的是，他們將把事情全都搞砸难裆。他可不是這么好打發(fā)的人子檀。我警告你，不管我們喜不喜歡乃戈，狼和獅很快就會打成一團褂痰。”

“Too soon, too soon,” the voice with the accent complained. “What

good is war now? We are not ready. Delay.”

“太快症虑，太快了缩歪，”帶著口音的聲音抱怨，“現(xiàn)在開戰(zhàn)有什么用谍憔？我們還沒準備好匪蝙。想辦法拖一拖苟翻。”

“As well bid me stop time. Do you take me for a wizard?”

“倒不如叫我暫停時間骗污。你以為我是巫師？”

The other

chuckled. “No less.” Flames licked at the cold air. The tall shadows were

almost on top of her. An instant later the man holding the torch climbed into

her sight, his companion beside him. Arya crept back away from the well,

dropped to her stomach, and flattened herself against the wall. She held her

breath as the men reached the top of the steps.

另一人呵呵笑道：“我以為你的能耐絕對不輸巫師沈条⌒璺蓿”火焰舐著冷空氣，高大的影子幾乎就要投射到她身上蜡歹。幾秒之后屋厘，持火把的人順著樓梯進入她的視線范圍，他的同伴跟在他身邊月而。艾莉亞從井邊爬開汗洒，趴下來，貼緊墻壁父款。眼看兩人踏上樓梯頂端溢谤，她屏住了呼吸。

“What would you have me do?” asked the torchbearer, a stout man in a

leather half cape. Even in heavy boots, his feet seemed to glide soundlessly

over the ground. A round scarred face and a stubble of dark beard showed under

his steel cap, and he wore mail over boiled leather, and a dirk and shortsword

at his belt. It seemed to Arya there was something oddly familiar about him.

“你要我怎么辦憨攒？”拿火把的人問世杀。他是個身材粗壯的人，披著皮制的半身斗篷肝集。雖然穿了厚重靴子瞻坝，他的腳卻仿佛無聲地滑過路面。在他的鋼頭盔下杏瞻，是張帶傷疤的圓臉所刀，還有撮短須。他穿著硬皮衣捞挥，外罩盔甲浮创，腰間則系了一把匕首和一柄短劍。艾莉亞覺得他有種古怪的熟悉感砌函。

“If one Hand can die, why not a second?” replied the man with the

accent and the forked yellow beard. “You have danced the dance before, my

friend.” He was no one Arya had ever seen before, she was certain of it.

Grossly fat, yet he seemed to walk lightly, carrying his weight on the balls of

his feet as a water dancer might. His rings glimmered in the torchlight,

red-gold and pale silver, crusted with rubies, sapphires, slitted yellow tiger

eyes. Every finger wore a ring; some had two.

“既然死了一個首相蒸矛，為什么不能死第二個？”說話帶著口音胸嘴，長著一撮黃色八字胡的人回答雏掠。“我的好友啊劣像，你從前不就跳過這種舞乡话？”艾莉亞以前沒見過他，這點她很確定耳奕。他雖然臃腫不堪绑青，卻步履輕盈诬像，重心放在腳跟，走起路來像個水舞者該有的樣子闸婴。他的戒指在火光下熠熠發(fā)光坏挠，有紅金、白銀邪乍、鑲了紅寶石降狠、藍寶石，其中更有黃紋的老虎眼庇楞。每根指頭都戴有戒指榜配，有些還戴了兩顆。

“Before is not now, and this Hand is not the other,” the scarred man

said as they stepped out into the hall. Still as stone, Arya told herself,

quiet as a shadow. Blinded by the blaze of their own torch, they did not see

her pressed flat against the stone, only a few feet away.

“從前不比現(xiàn)在吕晌，如今的首相也不一樣蛋褥。”臉上有疤的人邊說邊和同伴一起走進房間睛驳。不動如石烙心，艾莉亞告訴自己，靜如影乏沸。眩目于自己帶來的火光弃理，他們沒看到她平平地貼緊石頭，離他們僅數(shù)尺之遙屎蜓。

“Perhaps so,” the forked beard replied, pausing to catch his breath

after the long climb. “Nonetheless, we must have time. The princess is with

child. The khal will not bestir himself until his son is born. You know how

they are, these savages.”

“或許吧痘昌，”八字胡男子回答，剛爬了這大段路炬转，這時他停下來喘口氣辆苔。“但無論如何扼劈，我們需要更多時間驻啤。公主已有了身孕，在兒子誕生之前荐吵，卡奧是不會出兵的骑冗。你也清楚這些野蠻人，知道他們什么德行先煎≡羯”

The man with the

torch pushed at something. Arya heard a deep rumbling. A huge slab of rock, red

in the torchlight, slid down out of the ceiling with a resounding crash that

almost made her cry out. Where the entry to the well had been was nothing but

stone, solid and unbroken.

拿火把的人推了推什么東西，艾莉亞聽見一陣低沉的轟隆聲薯蝎。接著遥倦，一片巨大的石板從井口緩緩滑出，在火光照耀下成了艷紅占锯，它在室內(nèi)發(fā)出隆隆巨響袒哥，差點害她叫出聲來缩筛。等到聲音平復(fù)，剛才井口所在的位置堡称，只有一片平滑堅硬瞎抛、毫無裂縫的石頭。

“If he does not bestir himself soon, it may be too late,” the stout

man in the steel cap said. “This is no longer a game for two players, if ever

it was. Stannis Baratheon and Lysa Arryn have fled beyond my reach, and the

whispers say they are gathering swords around them. The Knight of Flowers

writes Highgarden, urging his lord father to send his sister to court. The girl

is a maid of fourteen, sweet and beautiful and tractable, and Lord Renly and

Ser Loras intend that Robert should bed her, wed her, and make a new queen.

Littlefinger?.?.?.?the gods only know what game Littlefinger is playing. Yet

Lord Stark’s the one who troubles my sleep. He has the bastard, he has the

book, and soon enough he’ll have the truth. And now his wife has abducted

Tyrion Lannister, thanks to Littlefinger’s meddling. Lord Tywin will take that

for an outrage, and Jaime has a queer affection for the Imp. If the Lannisters

move north, that will bring the Tullys in as well. Delay, you say. Make haste,

I reply. Even the finest of jugglers cannot keep a hundred balls in the air

forever.”

“若他不趕緊出兵却紧，恐怕就來不及了桐臊。”戴著鋼盔的粗胖男子說啄寡，“這已經(jīng)不再是一場兩人對弈的游戲了——如果以前可以稱得上是的話。史坦尼斯·拜拉席恩和萊莎·艾林已逃離我的掌握范圍哩照，根據(jù)回報挺物，他們正在囤積兵力。百花騎士寫信回高庭飘弧，力勸他公爵老爸送他妹妹入宮识藤。她是個十四歲的的黃花閨女，既漂亮又聽話次伶，藍禮大人和洛拉斯爵士打算讓勞勃上她痴昧，然后娶她，另立新后冠王。至于小指頭……天上諸神才知道小指頭在玩什么把戲赶撰。但尤其讓我坐立難安的卻是史塔克大人。他找到了那個私生子柱彻，也拿到了那本書豪娜，遲早會猜出端倪。現(xiàn)在的情況倒該感謝小指頭攪局哟楷，他太太綁架了提利昂·蘭尼斯特瘤载，他必將無暇多顧。然而泰溫公爵絕咽不下這口氣卖擅，詹姆又對小惡魔懷有古怪的感情鸣奔。若是蘭尼斯特對北方用兵，那么徒利家也將被牽扯進來惩阶。你叫我拖一拖挎狸，我卻要叫你加快行動啊。就算最厲害的雜耍戲子也沒法永遠把一百顆球拋在空中吶断楷∥芭眩”

“You are more than a juggler, old friend. You are a true sorcerer.

All I ask is that you work your magic awhile longer.” They started down the

hall in the direction Arya had come, past the room with the monsters.

“老朋友，你可不只是雜耍戲子脐嫂，你是個真正的魔術(shù)師统刮。我不過請你多變一會兒戲法罷了紊遵。”他們朝艾莉亞來時的方向走去侥蒙，穿過充滿怪獸的房間暗膜。

“What I can do, I will,” the one with the torch said softly. “I must

have gold, and another fifty birds.”

“只要我能做的，我都會去做鞭衩⊙眩”拿火把的人輕聲說，“但我需要經(jīng)費论衍，還要五十只鳥兒瑞佩。”

She let them get

a long way ahead, then went creeping after them. Quiet as a shadow.

她等他們走遠后才偷偷跟在后面坯台。靜如影炬丸。

“So many?” The voices were fainter as the light dwindled ahead of

her. “The ones you need are hard to find?.?.?.?so young, to know their

letters?.?.?.?perhaps older?.?.?.?not die so easy?.?.?.?”

“要那么多？”前方光線漸暗蜒蕾，聲音也愈見微弱稠炬。“你要的這種可不好找……既要年輕咪啡，又要識字……如果年紀稍大一點……不那么容易送命……”

“No. The younger are safer?.?.?.?treat them gently?.?.?.?”

“不首启，年輕的比較安全……對他們好一點……”

“?.?.?.?.if they kept their tongues?.?.?.?”

“……如果他們保住口舌……”

“?.?.?.?the risk?.?.?.?”

“……冒風(fēng)險……”

Long after their

voices had faded away, Arya could still see the light of the torch, a smoking

star that bid her follow. Twice it seemed to disappear, but she kept on

straight, and both times she found herself at the top of steep, narrow stairs,

the torch glimmering far below her. She hurried after it, down and down. Once

she stumbled over a rock and fell against the wall, and her hand found raw

earth supported by timbers, whereas before the tunnel had been dressed stone.

聲音淡去后許久，艾莉亞依然能看見火把的光亮撤摸，如一顆冒煙的星星毅桃，吸引她跟隨。有兩次准夷，它幾乎失去了蹤影疾嗅，但她一徑向前，兩次都發(fā)現(xiàn)自己走到險陡窄梯的頂端冕象，火把的光芒則在遙遠的下方代承。她急忙追趕，不斷向下渐扮。中途她曾踢到石頭论悴，失足撞上墻壁，手指所觸卻是粗糙的泥土墓律，由木材所支撐膀估，并非先前的石造甬道。

She must have

crept after them for miles. Finally they were gone, but there was no place to

go but forward. She found the wall again and followed, blind and lost,

pretending that Nymeria was padding along beside her in the darkness. At the

end she was knee-deep in foul-smelling water, wishing she could dance upon it

as Syrio might have, and wondering if she’d ever see light again. It was full

dark when finally Arya emerged into the night air.

她一定爬了好幾里耻讽。到最后察纯，他們倆都不見了，而這里除了往上，無處可去饼记。她重新摸索香伴，找到墻壁，在完全迷失方向的情況下具则，盲目地往前走即纲，一邊假裝黑暗中娜梅莉亞正跟在自己身邊。走到盡頭博肋，她發(fā)現(xiàn)自己身陷及膝深低斋、散發(fā)出惡臭的水里，她一邊希望自己能像西利歐一樣在水面輕舞匪凡，一邊心想不知何時才能重見天日膊畴。等艾莉亞走入夜空之下時，天已經(jīng)全黑病游。

She found

herself standing at the mouth of a sewer where it emptied into the river. She

stank so badly that she stripped right there, dropping her soiled clothing on

the riverbank as she dove into the deep black waters. She swam until she felt

clean, and crawled out shivering. Some riders went past along the river road as

Arya was washing her clothes, but if they saw the scrawny naked girl scrubbing

her rags in the moonlight, they took no notice.

她發(fā)現(xiàn)自己正站在下水道與河流相連的出水口唇跨。一身臭得要命，她干脆當(dāng)場脫光礁遵，把臟衣服丟在河岸轻绞，潛入深深的黑水里采记，游啊游佣耐，直到她覺得舒適干凈，這才顫抖著爬上岸唧龄。艾莉亞洗衣服時兼砖，有幾個人騎馬經(jīng)過河濱道路，但就算他們看到了干巴巴的小女孩赤裸著身子既棺，就著月光搓洗破爛不堪的衣服讽挟，也沒特別在意。

She was miles

from the castle, but from anywhere in King’s Landing you needed only to look up

to see the Red Keep high on Aegon’s Hill, so there was no danger of losing her

way. Her clothes were almost dry by the time she reached the gatehouse. The

portcullis was down and the gates barred, so she turned aside to a postern

door. The gold cloaks who had the watch sneered when she told them to let her

in. “Off with you,” one said. “The kitchen scraps are gone, and we’ll have no

begging after dark.”

她離城堡有好幾里之遙丸冕，但不管身在君臨的何地耽梅，只需一抬頭便可看見那高高端坐于伊耿丘陵上的紅堡，所以她不怕迷路胖烛。等她抵達城門眼姐，身上的衣服已干得差不多。鐵閘早已降下佩番，大門也上了閂众旗，她不得不轉(zhuǎn)向邊門。當(dāng)她吩咐他們讓她進去時趟畏，守門的金袍衛(wèi)士冷笑一聲贡歧。“快滾罷，”其中一人說利朵，“廚房的剩菜已經(jīng)沒了律想，天黑后不準乞討』┡兀”

“I’m not a beggar,” she said. “I live here.”

“我不是乞丐蜘欲，”她說：“我住這里∩渭恚”

“I said, off with you. Do you need a clout on the ear to help your

hearing?”

“我說快滾姥份。還是要賞你兩個耳刮子才聽得懂？”

“I want to see my father.”

“我要找我父親年碘〕呵福”

The guards

exchanged a glance. “I want to fuck the queen myself, for all the good it does

me,” the younger one said.

兩個守衛(wèi)交換了眼神∮煨疲“我還要搞王后咧埃难。”年輕的那個說涤久。

The older

scowled. “Who’s this father of yours, boy, the city ratcatcher?”

比較老的那個皺眉道：“小子涡尘，你老爸是誰？抓老鼠的么响迂？”

“The Hand of the King,” Arya told him.

“他是御前首相考抄。”艾莉亞告訴他們蔗彤。

Both men

laughed, but then the older one swung his fist at her, casually, as a man would

swat a dog. Arya saw the blow coming even before it began. She danced back out

of the way, untouched. “I’m not a boy,” she spat at them. “I’m Arya Stark of

Winterfell, and if you lay a hand on me my lord father will have both your

heads on spikes. If you don’t believe me, fetch Jory Cassel or Vayon Poole from

the Tower of the Hand.” She put her hands on her hips. “Now are you going to

open the gate, or do you need a clout on the ear to help your hearing?”

兩人哈哈大笑川梅，緊接著老的那個一拳揮來，隨隨便便然遏，像人欺負狗一樣贫途。艾莉亞早在他動手前便看清了，她往后輕輕退開待侵，毫發(fā)未損丢早。“我不是小子秧倾，”她朝他們吐口水怨酝，“我是臨冬城的艾莉亞·史塔克，你要是敢碰我中狂，我老爸會把你們兩個的頭砍下來掛在槍上凫碌。如果你們不相信我，就去首相塔找喬里·凱索和維揚·普爾問問胃榕∈⑾眨”她把小手背在身后瞄摊。“你們是開門苦掘，還是要賞兩個耳刮子才聽得懂换帜？”

Her father was

alone in the solar when Harwin and Fat Tom marched her in, an oil lamp glowing

softly at his elbow. He was bent over the biggest book Arya had ever seen, a

great thick tome with cracked yellow pages of crabbed script, bound between

faded leather covers, but he closed it to listen to Harwin’s report. His face

was stern as he sent the men away with thanks.

哈爾溫和胖湯姆把她送回去時，父親正獨自一人坐在書房鹤啡，肘邊一盞油燈發(fā)出柔亮的光惯驼。他彎身讀著艾莉亞生平所見最大的一本書，這本厚重的書有著破爛的泛黃書頁递瑰，上面密密麻麻寫滿了字祟牲，封皮則是褪色的皮革。他一臉嚴肅地向手下道謝抖部，并把他們送走说贝。

“You realize I had half my guard out searching for you?” Eddard Stark

said when they were alone. “Septa Mordane is beside herself with fear. She’s in

the sept praying for your safe return. Arya, you know you are never to go

beyond the castle gates without my leave.”

“你知不知道我派出一半的衛(wèi)士去找你？”等他們獨處后慎颗，艾德·史塔克道乡恕，“茉丹修女慌得不知如何是好，現(xiàn)在還在圣堂里祈禱你平安歸來俯萎。艾莉亞傲宜，你明明知道沒有我的許可，不可以跑到城堡外面去夫啊『洌”

“I didn’t go out the gates,” she blurted. “Well, I didn’t mean to. I

was down in the dungeons, only they turned into this tunnel. It was all dark,

and I didn’t have a torch or a candle to see by, so I had to follow. I couldn’t

go back the way I came on account of the monsters. Father, they were talking

about killing you! Not the monsters, the two men. They didn’t see me, I was

being still as stone and quiet as a shadow, but I heard them. They said you had

a book and a bastard and if one Hand could die, why not a second? Is that the

book? Jon’s the bastard, I bet.”

“我沒有跑到城外去，”她沖口而出涮母，“呃谆趾，我不是故意的躁愿。我本來是在地城里叛本，后來又變成了隧道，那里好黑彤钟，我沒有火把也沒有蠟燭来候，所以只好一直走下去。我不敢從原路返回的逸雹，那樣會碰到怪獸营搅。爸爸，他們說要殺你梆砸！不是怪獸转质，是兩個人。他們沒看到我帖世，因為我不動如石又靜如影休蟹，但我聽到他們說的話，他們說你找到了私生子拿到了書，還說既然一個首相可以死赂弓，為什么第二個不能死绑榴？你看的就是那本書嗎？我敢打賭瓊恩就是他們說的那個私生子啦盈魁∠柙酰”

“Jon? Arya, what are you talking about? Who said this?”

“瓊恩？艾莉亞杨耙，你在說些什么赤套？這些話又是誰說的？”

“They did,” she told him. “There was a fat one with rings and a

forked yellow beard, and another in mail and a steel cap, and the fat one said

they had to delay but the other one told him he couldn’t keep juggling and the

wolf and the lion were going to eat each other and it was a mummer’s farce.”

She tried to remember the rest. She hadn’t quite understood everything she’d

heard, and now it was all mixed up in her head. “The fat one said the princess

was with child. The one in the steel cap, he had the torch, he said that they

had to hurry. I think he was a wizard.”

“他們說的珊膜，”她告訴他于毙，“一個是長著黃色開岔胡褪储、手上戴滿戒指的胖子惭载，另一個人穿了鎧甲戴著鋼盔蟀伸，胖的那個說要拖時間饭寺，可另外一個說自己沒辦法一直變戲法初茶，還說狼和獅很快就會自相殘殺贴彼，還說事情都搞砸了本缠≡锿福”她試著回憶其他的部分溶褪。但她并不完全了解自己所聽到的東西币旧，現(xiàn)在又都在腦子里混成一團了≡陈瑁“胖的那個說公主懷了孩子吹菱，有鋼盔的那個說的，他拿了火把彭则，他說他們行動要快鳍刷。我猜他是個巫師「┒叮”

“A wizard,” said Ned, unsmiling. “Did he have a long white beard and

tall pointed hat speckled with stars?”

“巫師输瓜，”奈德皮笑肉不笑地說，“那他有沒有長長的白胡子和鑲滿星星的尖帽子呢芬萍？”

“No! It wasn’t like Old Nan’s stories. He didn’t look like a wizard,

but the fat one said he was.”

“沒有尤揣！不像老奶媽的故事里那樣。他看起來不像巫師柬祠，可胖的那個說他是北戏。”

“I warn you, Arya, if you’re spinning this thread of air...”

“艾莉亞漫蛔，我警告你嗜愈，如果你這是在編故事……”

“No, I told you, it was in the dungeons, by the place with the secret

wall. I was chasing cats, and well?.?.?.?” She screwed up her face. If she

admitted knocking over Prince Tommen, he would be really angry with her.

“?.?.?.?well, I went in this window. That’s where I found the monsters.”

“我沒有示罗，我跟你說了嘛，就是在地城那里芝硬，在秘密墻旁邊蚜点。我本來在抓貓，結(jié)果……”她皺起臉拌阴，如果她說出撞倒托曼王子的事绍绘，他不氣死才怪，到時候可就較真了迟赃∨憔校“……呃，反正我跑到一扇窗子邊纤壁，我就是在那里發(fā)現(xiàn)怪獸的左刽。”

“Monsters and wizards,” her father said. “It would seem you’ve had

quite an adventure. These men you heard, you say they spoke of juggling and

mummery?”

“先是巫師酌媒，現(xiàn)在又是怪獸欠痴，”父親說，“看來這場冒險還真精彩秒咨。你聽到這些人說什么喇辽，你說他們會變戲法和演戲？”

“Yes,” Arya admitted, “only...”

“是啊雨席，”艾莉亞承認菩咨，“可是——”

“Arya, they were mummers,” her father told her. “There must be a

dozen troupes in King’s Landing right now, come to make some coin off the

tourney crowds. I’m not certain what these two were doing in the castle, but

perhaps the king has asked for a show.”

“艾莉亞，他們是戲班里的人陡厘，”父親告訴她抽米，“這會兒君臨大概有十來個戲班，想借著比武大會的人潮賺點錢呢糙置。我不清楚這兩個人在城里做什么云茸，但說不定是國王請他們來表演的“盏停”

“No.” She shook her head stubbornly. “They weren’t...”

“不是啦查辩，”她固執(zhí)地搖頭胖笛，“他們不是——”

“You shouldn’t be following people about and spying on them in any

case. Nor do I cherish the notion of my daughter climbing in strange windows

after stray cats. Look at you, sweetling. Your arms are covered with scratches.

This has gone on long enough. Tell Syrio Forel that I want a word with hirn...”

“更何況你一開始就不該跟蹤別人网持、偷聽他們說話，我也不喜歡自己女兒爬怪窗子抓流浪貓长踊。親愛的功舀，看看你這樣子，滿手都是抓傷身弊。不能再這樣下去辟汰。告訴西利歐·佛瑞爾列敲，我要跟他談——”

He was interrupted

by a short, sudden knock. “Lord Eddard, pardons,” Desmond called out, opening

the door a crack, “but there’s a black brother here begging audience. He says

the matter is urgent. I thought you would want to know.”

一陣短促的敲門聲打斷了他的話√“艾德大人戴而，很抱歉打攪◆嬲海”戴斯蒙叫道所意，把門打開一條小縫〈呤祝“外面有個黑衣弟兄求見扶踊，說有要緊事相告。我想跟您通報一聲郎任⊙砗模”

“My door is always open to the Night’s Watch,” Father said.

“我家的門永遠為守夜人而開〔爸危”父親說分井。

Desmond ushered

the man inside. He was stooped and ugly, with an unkempt beard and unwashed

clothes, yet Father greeted him pleasantly and asked his name.

戴斯蒙請那人進來。他駝著背霉猛，長相奇丑杂抽，一把未經(jīng)修整的雜亂胡子，衣服也像是很久沒洗了韩脏，但父親依舊很愉快地問候他缩麸，并詢問他的姓名。

“Yoren, as it please m’lord. My pardons for the hour.” He bowed to

Arya. “And this must be your son. He has your look.”

“老爺赡矢，我叫尤倫杭朱。這么晚來打擾，真對不住吹散』⌒担”他向艾莉亞鞠躬】彰瘢“這一定是您的公子刃唐，長得跟您真像〗缧”

“I’m a girl,” Arya said, exasperated. If the old man was down from

the Wall, he must have come by way of Winterfell. “Do you know my brothers?”

she asked excitedly. “Robb and Bran are at Winterfell, and Jon’s on the Wall.

Jon Snow, he’s in the Night’s Watch too, you must know him, he has a direwolf,

a white one with red eyes. Is Jon a ranger yet? I’m Arya Stark.” The old man in

his smelly black clothes was looking at her oddly, but Arya could not seem to

stop talking. “When you ride back to the Wall, would you bring Jon a letter if

I wrote one?” She wished Jon were here right now. He’d believe her about the

dungeons and the fat man with the forked beard and the wizard in the steel cap.

“我是女孩画饥。”艾莉亞氣急敗壞地說浊猾。假如這老頭是從長城來的抖甘，那他一定會經(jīng)過臨冬城『鳎“你認識我哥哥和弟弟嗎衔彻？”她興奮地問薇宠，“羅柏和布蘭在臨冬城，瓊恩在長城艰额。瓊恩·雪諾澄港，他也是守夜人，你一定認識的柄沮，他有只冰原狼慢睡，白色的毛，紅色的眼睛铡溪。瓊恩當(dāng)上游騎兵了嗎漂辐？”穿臭衣服的老人一直用古怪的眼神看著她，但艾莉亞停不下來棕硫∷柩模“如果我寫封信，你回長城去的時候哈扮，可不可以幫我?guī)Ыo瓊恩纬纪？”她好希望瓊恩此刻就在這里，他一定會相信她的滑肉，不管是地城包各、長八字胡的胖子，還是戴鋼盔的巫師靶庙。

“My daughter often forgets her courtesies,” Eddard Stark said with a

faint smile that softened his words. “I beg your forgiveness, Yoren. Did my

brother Benjen send you?”

“小女時常忘記應(yīng)有的禮數(shù)问畅，”艾德·史塔克道。他掛著一抹淡淡的微笑六荒，舒緩了他的口氣护姆。“尤倫掏击，還請你見諒卵皂。是我弟弟班揚派你來的么？”

“No one sent me, m’lord, saving old Mormont. I’m here to find men for

the Wall, and when Robert next holds court, I’ll bend the knee and cry our

need, see if the king and his Hand have some scum in the dungeons they’d be

well rid of. You might say as Benjen Stark is why we’re talking, though. His

blood ran black. Made him my brother as much as yours. It’s for his sake I’m

come. Rode hard, I did, near killed my horse the way I drove her, but I left

the others well behind.”

“大人砚亭，派我來的不是別人灯变，是老莫爾蒙。我是來尋找把守長城的人手捅膘，等下次勞勃上朝添祸，我就要去卑躬屈膝，跟他說明我們的需要篓跛，看看國王和他的首相在他們的地牢里有沒有想處理掉的人渣膝捞。不過我趕來這兒跟他也有關(guān)系。他是黑衫軍的一員愧沟，我和您一樣把他當(dāng)成兄弟蔬咬。我正是為了他才飛速趕來，拼了老命沐寺，差點把我的馬都給累死了林艘，好在也把其他人甩在后面』煳耄”

“The others?”

“其他人狐援？”

Yoren spat.

“Sellswords and freeriders and like trash. That inn was full o’ them, and I saw

them take the scent. The scent of blood or the scent of gold, they smell the

same in the end. Not all o’ them made for King’s Landing, either. Some went

galloping for Casterly Rock, and the Rock lies closer. Lord Tywin will have

gotten the word by now, you can count on it.”

尤倫吐了口口水【吭校“還不就是流浪武士啥酱、自由騎手這路貨色。整間旅店都是這號人厨诸，我看他們是嗅到了好味道镶殷。血和黃金的味道，這類人到死都追逐不放微酬。他們沒有都往君臨來绘趋，有些朝凱巖城沖去，而凱巖城比較近颗管，可以想見陷遮，如今泰溫大人肯定得到了消息】呀”

Father frowned.

“What word is this?”

父親皺眉帽馋。“什么消息比吭？”

Yoren eyed Arya.

“One best spoken in private, m’lord, begging your pardons.”

尤倫看了艾莉亞一眼茬斧。“大人梗逮，請您原諒项秉，這事咱們最好私下談】锻”

“As you say. Desmond, see my daughter to her chambers.” He kissed her

on the brow. “We’ll finish our talk on the morrow.”

“好吧娄蔼，戴斯蒙，帶我女兒回房底哗∷晁撸”他吻了她的額頭“涎。“我們明天再把話說完涕癣。”

Arya stood

rooted to the spot. “Nothing bad’s happened to Jon, has it?” she asked Yoren.

“Or Uncle Benjen?”

艾莉亞腳像生了根似地賴在原地前标∽购“瓊恩沒事吧距潘？”她問尤倫，“班揚叔叔呢只搁？”

“Well, as to Stark, I can’t say. The Snow boy was well enough when I

left the Wall. It’s not them as concerns me.”

“唉音比，史塔克他怎么樣我說不準，不過我從長城出發(fā)時氢惋，雪諾那小子倒是活得挺自在洞翩。我要說的不是他們的事⊙嫱”

Desmond took her

hand. “Come along, milady. You heard your lord father.”

戴斯蒙拉起她的手骚亿。“小姐熊赖，我們走罷来屠，您也聽見您父親的吩咐了★啵”

Arya had no

choice but to go with him, wishing it had been Fat Tom. With Tom, she might

have been able to linger at the door on some excuse and hear what Yoren was

saying, but Desmond was too single-minded to trick. “How many guards does my

father have?” she asked him as they descended to her bedchamber.

艾莉亞別無選擇的妖，只好跟他走，心里好希望他變成胖湯姆足陨。如果是湯姆嫂粟，她或許就可以找借口在門口多逗留一會兒，然后偷聽尤倫要說什么墨缘，可戴斯蒙腦筋太直星虹，騙不過的∧魉希“我爸爸有多少守衛(wèi)宽涌？”他們走下樓梯，去她臥房時蝶棋，她問他卸亮。

“Here at King’s Landing? Fifty.”

“在君臨這兒嗎？有五十個玩裙〖婷常”

“You wouldn’t let anyone kill him, would you?” she asked.

“你不會讓別人有機會殺他，對不對吃溅？”她問溶诞。

Desmond laughed.

“No fear on that count, little lady. Lord Eddard’s guarded night and day. He’ll

come to no harm.”

戴斯蒙笑道：“小姐您別擔(dān)心，艾德大人他日夜都有人守著决侈，誰也動不了他的螺垢。”

“The Lannisters have more than fifty men,” Arya pointed out.

“可蘭尼斯特家的人不只五十個⊥髌裕”艾莉亞指出功茴。

“So they do, but every northerner is worth ten of these southron

swords, so you can sleep easy.”

“多是多，可咱北方人一個人抵得上南方人十個讯蒲，所以你就安心地睡吧痊土∫拊”

“What if a wizard was sent to kill him?”

“如果他們叫巫師來殺他呢墨林？”

“Well, as to that,” Desmond replied, drawing his longsword, “wizards

die the same as other men, once you cut their heads off.”

“唉，這個嘛犯祠，”戴斯蒙邊說邊抽出長劍旭等。“只要砍掉腦袋衡载，巫師一樣會沒命搔耕。”