Ⅲ 冰雨的風暴 Chapter46 山姆威爾

SAMWELL

白樹村辛慰，山姆心想，拜托干像，這里是白樹村帅腌。他記得白樹村，白樹村在他找到的古老地圖上麻汰，北行途中曾經(jīng)路過速客。如果這個村子是白樹村，他就知道他們在哪兒了五鲫。拜托溺职，這里一定是白樹村。愿望如此強烈位喂，他甚至暫時忘了自己的腳浪耘，忘了小腿和后腰上的疼痛，忘了幾乎凍到失去知覺的手指塑崖，忘了莫爾蒙總司令七冲、卡斯特、尸鬼和異鬼规婆。白樹村癞埠，山姆喃喃祈禱，不管什么神聋呢，愿意聽就成。

Whitetree, Sam thought. Please, let this be Whitetree. He remembered Whitetree. Whitetree was on the maps he’d drawn, on their way north. If this village was Whitetree, he knew where they were. Please, it has to be. He wanted that so badly that he forgot his feet for a little bit, he forgot the ache in his calves and his lower back and the stiff frozen fingers he could scarcely feel. He even forgot about Lord Mormont and Craster and the wights and the Others. Whitetree, Sam prayed, to any god that might be listening.

然而所有野人村莊看起來都很像颠区。一棵巨大的魚梁木生在這個村子中央……但一棵白樹并不代表白樹村削锰，白樹村的魚梁木是否比這棵更大呢？也許他記錯了毕莱。那張長而悲哀的臉刻在蒼白如骨的樹干上器贩，樹液從它眼睛里滲出、凝固朋截，仿如紅色的淚水蛹稍。我們北上時，它看起來是這樣嗎部服？山姆記不清楚唆姐。

All wildling villages looked much alike, though. A huge weirwood grew in the center of this one … but a white tree did not mean Whitetree, necessarily. Hadn’t the weirwood at Whitetree been bigger than this one? Maybe he was remembering it wrong. The face carved into the bone pale trunk was long and sad; red tears of dried sap leaked from its eyes. Was that how it looked when we came north? Sam couldn’t recall.

樹的周圍矗立著幾幢茅草頂?shù)膯畏课葑樱粭澑矟M苔蘚的木頭長廳廓八，一口石井奉芦，一個羊圈……但沒有羊赵抢，更沒有人。野人們都去了霜雪之牙声功，加入曼斯·雷德的隊伍烦却，并帶走了一切東西，除開房屋本身——山姆對此感激不盡先巴。夜晚即將來臨其爵，而他終于可以重新睡在屋檐底下。他好疲憊伸蚯，好像走了半輩子的路摩渺，靴子片片脫落，腳上所有的水泡都已破裂朝卒，變成老繭证逻，老繭下又起了新的水泡，而腳趾頭開始生凍瘡抗斤。

Around the tree stood a handful of one-room hovels with sod roofs, a longhall built of logs and grown over with moss, a stone well, a sheepfold … but no sheep, nor any people. The wildlings had gone to join Mance Rayder in the Frostfangs, taking all they owned except their houses. Sam was thankful for that. Night was coming on, and it would be good to sleep beneath a roof for once. He was so tired. It seemed as though he had been walking half his life. His boots were falling to pieces, and all the blisters on his feet had burst and turned to callus, but now he had new blisters under the callus, and his toes were getting frostbitten.

但山姆知道囚企，如果不走，就只有死路一條瑞眼。吉莉產(chǎn)后仍然虛弱龙宏，還抱著孩子，她比他更需要那匹馬伤疙。另外一匹在離開卡斯特堡壘后的第三天就沒了银酗。可憐的家伙徒像，本來已餓得半死黍特，能支撐這么久其實是個奇跡，也許正是山姆的體重壓垮了它罷锯蛀。他們可以嘗試共騎一匹馬灭衷，但他擔心同樣的事情再次發(fā)生。我這胖子最好還是走路旁涤。

But it was either walk or die, Sam knew. Gilly was still weak from childbirth and carrying the babe besides; she needed the horse more than he did. The second horse had died on them three days out from Craster’s Keep. It was a wonder she lasted that long, poor half-starved thing. Sam’s weight had probably done for her. They might have tried riding double, but he was afraid the same thing would happen again. It’s better that I walk.

山姆讓吉莉留在長廳里生火翔曲，自己則到附近小屋里探察一番。她連生火都比他在行劈愚，他自己好像從來無法點燃木柴瞳遍，上次，他試圖用鐵和石頭打出火星菌羽，結(jié)果卻被自己的匕首割傷掠械。吉莉替他包扎好之后，手指變得僵硬疼痛，比原先更為笨拙份蝴。他知道現(xiàn)在是清洗傷口犁功、更換繃帶的時候了，但他害怕看到傷口婚夫。況且天氣如此寒冷浸卦，他痛恨摘手套。

Sam left Gilly in the longhall to make a fire while he poked his head into the hovels. She was better at making fires; he could never seem to get the kindling to catch, and the last time he’d tried to strike a spark off flint and steel he managed to cut himself on his knife. Gilly bound up the gash for him, but his hand was stiff and sore, even clumsier than it had been before. He knew he should wash the wound and change the binding, but he was afraid to look at it. Besides, it was so cold that he hated taking off his gloves.

山姆不知自己能在屋里找到什么案糙。也許野人們留下了一點食物限嫌，好歹得瞧一瞧。北上途中时捌，瓊恩就被分到任務怒医，搜查白樹村的屋子。在一棟小屋中奢讨，山姆聽見黑暗角落里傳來老鼠窸窸窣窣的聲音稚叹，除此之外別無他物，只有干稻草堆拿诸、陳腐的氣味和排煙口下的炭灰扒袖。

Sam did not know what he hoped to find in the empty houses. Maybe the wildlings had left some food behind. He had to take a look. Jon had searched the huts at Whitetree, on their way north. Inside one hovel Sam heard a rustling of rats from a dark corner, but otherwise there was nothing in any of them but old straw, old smells, and some ashes beneath the smoke hole.

他回到魚梁木旁，端詳了一會兒那張雕刻的臉亩码。這不是曾經(jīng)見過的那張臉季率，他承認，這棵樹不及白樹村那棵一半大描沟。它的紅眼睛里滲出血色的汁液飒泻，他也不記得從前那棵是這樣。但不管怎么說吏廉，山姆笨手笨腳地跪下來泞遗。“遠古諸神席覆，請聽我的祈禱刹孔。七神是我父親的神祗，但我加入守夜人軍團時娜睛，是面對著你們發(fā)下誓言的。請幫幫忙吧卦睹，我們又冷又餓畦戒，很可能還會迷路。我……我不知現(xiàn)在該信仰什么神结序，但……假如你們真的存在障斋，請幫幫我們吧，吉莉剛生下一個小嬰兒±罚”他只能想出這些話邀层。夜色漸濃，魚梁木的樹葉發(fā)出輕微的瑟瑟聲遂庄，好似上千只血手在揮舞寥院。瓊恩的神是否聽見了他的祈禱呢？一切都不清楚涛目。

He turned back to the weirwood and studied the carved face a moment. It is not the face we saw, he admitted to himself. The tree’s not half as big as the one at Whitetree. The red eyes wept blood, and he didn’t remember that either. Clumsily, Sam sank to his knees. “Old gods, hear my prayer. The Seven were my father’s gods but I said my words to you when I joined the Watch. Help us now. I fear we might be lost. We’re hungry too, and so cold. I don’t know what gods I believe in now, but … please, if you’re there, help us. Gilly has a little son.” That was all that he could think to say. The dusk was deepening, the leaves of the weirwood rustling softly, waving like a thousand blood-red hands. Whether Jon’s gods had heard him or not he could not say.

等回到長廳秸谢，吉莉已生好了火。她緊靠在火堆旁霹肝，敞開獸皮估蹄，讓嬰兒在胸口吃奶。他跟大人一樣餓沫换，山姆心想臭蚁。老婦人們從卡斯特堡壘的地窖里捎出些食物，但現(xiàn)在基本吃光了讯赏，而即使在角陵垮兑，即使在獵物眾多，手下又有奴仆、獵狗可供驅(qū)使的南方家園榴啸，山姆也是個沒用的獵手皮钠；身處這片空曠無垠的森林，能逮住任何東西的機會自然微乎其微嗤无。他試圖在湖泊和半凍的小河里捕魚，結(jié)果不出意料地慘遭失敗怜庸。

By the time he returned to the longhall, Gilly had the fire going. She sat close to it with her furs opened, the babe at her breast. He’s as hungry as we are, Sam thought. The old women had smuggled out food for them from Craster’s, but they had eaten most of it by now. Sam had been a hopeless hunter even at Horn Hill, where game was plentiful and he had hounds and huntsmen to help him; here in this endless empty forest, the chances of him catching anything were remote. His efforts at fishing the lakes and half-frozen streams had been dismal failures as well.

“還要多久当犯，山姆？”吉莉問割疾，“還遠嗎嚎卫？”

“How much longer, Sam?” Gilly asked. “Is it far, still?”

“不太遠。至少不像原來那么遠宏榕⊥刂睿”山姆聳肩卸下包裹，笨拙地坐到地板上麻昼，試著盤起腿來奠支。走路使他的背疼到極點，他想倚住一根支撐屋頂?shù)哪镜裰е鸲褏s在長廳中央的排煙口下倍谜，衡量之后迈螟，還是覺得溫暖甚于舒適，“再過幾天就能到了尔崔〈鸷粒”

“Not so far. Not so far as it was.” Sam shrugged out of his pack, eased himself awkwardly to the floor, and tried to cross his legs. His back ached so abominably from the walking that he would have liked to lean up against one of the carved wooden pillars that supported the roof, but the fire was in the center of the hall beneath the smoke hole and he craved warmth even more than comfort. “Another few days should see us there.”

山姆帶著地圖，但如果這里不是白樹村季春，它們根本沒用洗搂。我們?yōu)槔@過這個湖，走得太靠東鹤盒，他焦慮地想蚕脏，或者折回來時太靠西了？他開始討厭起湖泊與河流侦锯，長城之外沒有渡船和橋梁驼鞭，逼得你繞行一大圈，或是尋找涉水的淺灘尺碰。除此之外挣棕，跟隨獵人小徑比掙扎穿越灌木叢容易，繞過山脊比攀爬容易亲桥，而長城之外只能選擇后者洛心。唉，假如巴棱或戴文跟我們在一起题篷，現(xiàn)下應該已到了黑城堡词身，正在大廳里暖腳呢》叮可惜巴棱死了法严，而戴文跟葛蘭、憂郁的艾迪等人一起離開葫笼。

Sam had his maps, but if this wasn’t Whitetree then they weren’t going to be much use. We went too far east to get around that lake, he fretted, or maybe too far west when I tried to double back. He was coming to hate lakes and rivers. Up here there was never a ferry or bridge, which meant walking all the way around the lakes and searching for places to ford the rivers. It was easier to follow a game trail than to struggle through the brush, easier to circle a ridge instead of climbing it. If Bannen or Dywen were with us we’d be at Castle Black by now, warming our feet in the common room. Bannen was dead, though, and Dywen gone with Grenn and Dolorous Edd and the others.

長城有三百里長深啤，七百尺高，山姆提醒自己路星。如果一直往南溯街，遲早會撞見它——而他們確實在往南，至少這點他非常確定洋丐。白天根據(jù)太陽辨別方向呈昔，晴朗的晚上，則可以追隨冰龍星座的尾巴友绝，雖然自另一匹馬死后堤尾，他們便很少在夜間行路。就算月圓時分九榔，林子里也太過黑暗，山姆或者最后一匹馬很容易摔斷腿。我們一定已到了很南的地方哲泊，一定是的剩蟀。

The Wall is three hundred miles long and seven hundred feet high, Sam reminded himself. If they kept going south, they had to find it, sooner or later. And he was certain that they had been going south. By day he took directions from the sun, and on clear nights they could follow the Ice Dragon’s tail, though they hadn’t traveled much by night since the second horse had died. Even when the moon was full it was too dark beneath the trees, and it would have been so easy for Sam or the last garron to break a leg. We have to be well south by now, we have to be.

但他不確定的是，他們向西或向東偏離了多遠切威。最終會到達長城育特，沒錯……也許一天，也許半月先朦，不可能更久缰冤，肯定，肯定……但具體到哪兒呢喳魏？需要找的是黑城堡的門棉浸，一百里格沿線只有那里可以穿越。

What he wasn’t so certain of was how far east or west they might have strayed. They would reach the Wall, yes … in a day or a fortnight, it couldn’t be farther than that, surely, surely … but where? It was the gate at Castle Black they needed to find; the only way through the Wall for a hundred leagues.

“長城真的像卡斯特說的那么大嗎刺彩？”吉莉問迷郑。

“Is the Wall as big as Craster used to say?” Gilly asked.

“比他說的還大，”山姆試圖讓語氣愉快一些创倔，“大得讓你看不見藏在后面的城堡嗡害，而城堡本身就已經(jīng)夠大了，你會明白的畦攘。長城完全由冰筑成霸妹，城堡則是木石結(jié)構(gòu)，高高的塔樓知押，深深的地窖叹螟，還有壁爐里日夜燃燒著熊熊烈火的碩大長廳。很熱朗徊，很暖和首妖，吉莉，熱到你無法相信爷恳∮欣拢”

“Bigger.” Sam tried to sound cheerful. “So big you can’t even see the castles hidden behind it. But they’re there, you’ll see. The Wall is all ice, but the castles are stone and wood. There are tall towers and deep vaults and a huge longhall with a great fire burning in the hearth, day and night. It’s so hot in there, Gilly, you’ll hardly believe it.”

“我可以站在火堆邊嗎？就我和孩子温亲？不用很久棚壁，暖暖身子就好≌恍椋”

“Could I stand by the fire? Me and the boy? Not for a long time, just till we’re good and warm?”

“你想站多久就站多久袖外，還有食物和飲料。溫熱的葡萄酒魂务、一碗洋蔥燉鹿肉曼验，外加哈布剛出爐的面包泌射，熱得燙手△拚眨”山姆摘下手套熔酷，在火焰旁活動手指——他很快后悔起自己的舉動，它們本來凍得麻木豺裆，隨著知覺恢復拒秘，疼痛教他差點哭出來〕舨拢“弟兄們有時會唱歌躺酒，”他說，以便將注意力從指頭的疼痛中轉(zhuǎn)移蔑歌，“戴利恩唱得最好羹应，他們因此派他去了東海望。不過能唱的還有霍德和‘癩蛤蟆’——他真名陶德丐膝，但長得像癩蛤蟆量愧，因此我們這么叫他。他喜歡唱帅矗，可嗓音太糟偎肃。”

“You can stand by the fire as long as you like. You’ll have food and drink, too. Hot mulled wine and a bowl of venison stewed with onions, and Hobb’s bread right out of the oven, so hot it will burn your fingers.” Sam peeled a glove off to wriggle his own fingers near the flames, and soon regretted it. They had been numb with cold, but as feeling returned they hurt so much he almost cried. “Sometimes one of the brothers will sing,” he said, to take his mind off the pain. “Dareon sang best, but they sent him to Eastwatch. There’s still Halder, though. And Toad. His real name is Todder, but he looks like a toad, so we call him that. He likes to sing, but he has an awful voice.”

“你呢浑此？你唱不唱累颂？”吉莉理了理獸皮衣服，將嬰兒換到另一邊乳頭凛俱。

“Do you sing?” Gilly rearranged her furs, and she moved the babe from one breast to the other.

山姆臉紅了紊馏。“我……我會一些歌蒲犬，小時候喜歡唱歌朱监，還會跳舞……但父親大人不喜歡我唱歌跳舞，他說如果我想蹦來蹦去原叮，就該拿劍到院子里去蹦赫编。”

Sam blushed. “I … I know some songs. When I was little I liked to sing. I danced too, but my lord father never liked me to. He said if I wanted to prance around I should do it in the yard with a sword in my hand.”

“你能唱個南方人的歌嗎奋隶？為孩子擂送？”

“Could you sing some southron song? For the babe?”

“如果你喜歡∥ㄐ溃”山姆想了一會兒嘹吨，“小時候，每當我和妹妹們上床睡覺時境氢，我們的修士總會唱一首‘七神之歌’蟀拷∨鑫常”他清清嗓子，輕聲唱道：

“If you like.” Sam thought for a moment. “There’s a song our septon used to sing to me and my sisters, when we were little and it was time for us to go to sleep. ‘The Song of the Seven,’ it’s called.” He cleared his throat and softly sang:

天父面容堅毅剛強问芬，

The Father’s face is stern and strong,

裁決謬誤主持公義嘀趟，

he sits and judges right from wrong.

判定福壽長短高低，

He weighs our lives, the short and long,

慈祥喜愛小小孩童愈诚。

and loves the little children.

圣母帶來生命之福，

The Mother gives the gift of life,

守護照看每位人婦牛隅，

and watches over every wife.

她的笑容終斗止戈炕柔，

Her gentle smile ends all strife,

溫柔呵護小小孩童。

and she loves her little children.

戰(zhàn)士屹立敵人之前媒佣，

The Warrior stands before the foe,

保衛(wèi)我們南北東西匕累，

protecting us where e’er we go.

手執(zhí)弓矛盾劍兵器，

With sword and shield and spear and bow,

看守祚佑小小孩童默伍。

he guards the little children.

老嫗年邁而又睿智欢嘿，

The Crone is very wise and old,

預知各人運途未來，

and sees our fates as they unfold.

舉起金燈照耀光彩也糊，

She lifts her lamp of shining gold,

指引前路為小小孩童炼蹦。

to lead the little children.

鐵匠勤勉日夜辛勞，

The Smith, he labors day and night,

安排一切井井有條狸剃，

to put the world of men to right.

鐵錘風箱掐隐，爐火燃燒，

With hammer, plow, and fire bright,

打造世界給小小孩童钞馁。

he builds for little children.

少女舞蹈空中飛揚虑省，

The Maiden dances through the sky,

存于戀人欷歔感傷，

she lives in every lover’s sigh,

微顰教會鳥兒飛翔僧凰，

Her smiles teach the birds to fly,

美夢托給小小孩童探颈。

and give dreams to little children.

七位神靈將我們創(chuàng)造，

The Seven Gods who made us all,

時刻聆聽我們禱告训措，

are listening if we should call.

閉上眼睛伪节，再無困擾，

So close your eyes, you shall not fall,

諸神照看你隙弛，小小孩童架馋。

they see you, little children,

閉上眼睛，再無煩惱全闷，

Just close your eyes, you shall not fall,

諸神照看你叉寂，小小孩童。

they see you, little children.

山姆記得上次跟母親一起唱這首歌是為哄嬰兒迪肯睡覺总珠。父親聽到之后憤怒地闖進來屏鳍】贝浚“我不準你再這樣，”藍道伯爵嚴厲地告誡妻子钓瞭，“你已用修士這些軟綿綿的歌毀了我一個男孩驳遵，還想再毀一個嗎？”然后他望向山姆山涡，“你要唱堤结，就對著你妹妹們唱，不準接近我兒子鸭丛【呵睿”

Sam remembered the last time he’d sung the song with his mother, to lull baby Dickon to sleep. His father had heard their voices and come barging in, angry. “I will have no more of that,” Lord Randyll told his wife harshly. “You ruined one boy with those soft septon’s songs, do you mean to do the same to this babe?” Then he looked at Sam and said, “Go sing to your sisters, if you must sing. I don’t want you near my son.”

吉莉的孩子睡著了。他好嬌小鳞溉，而且安靜得讓山姆有點擔心瘾带。這孩子甚至沒名字。他問過吉莉熟菲，但她說在孩子兩歲之前取名會帶來厄運看政。許多孩子都死了。

Gilly’s babe had gone to sleep. He was such a tiny thing, and so quiet that Sam feared for him. He didn’t even have a name. He had asked Gilly about that, but she said it was bad luck to name a child before he was two. So many of them died.

她將乳頭塞回獸皮里面抄罕≡黍迹“真好聽，山姆呆贿，你唱得真好厉萝。”

She tucked her nipple back inside her furs. “That was pretty, Sam. You sing good.”

“你該聽聽戴利恩唱榨崩，他的嗓音甜美如蜜酒谴垫。”

“You should hear Dareon. His voice is sweet as mead.”

“卡斯特娶我為妻的那天母蛛，我們喝過最甜美的蜜酒翩剪。那時還是夏天，沒有這么冷彩郊∏巴洌”吉莉有些困惑，“你才唱了六個神呀秫逝？卡斯特常告訴我們恕出，你們南方人有七個神∥シ”

“We drank the sweetest mead the day Craster made me a wife. It was summer then, and not so cold.” Gilly gave him a puzzled look. “Did you only sing of six gods? Craster always told us you southrons had seven.”

“七個浙巫，”他贊同，“但無人歌頌陌客〉某耄”陌客的臉是死亡之臉渊抄，提到他，山姆就覺得不安丧裁』よ耄“我們該吃點東西，分兩口也好煎娇《郑”

“Seven,” he agreed, “but no one sings of the Stranger.” The Stranger’s face was the face of death. Even talking of him made Sam uncomfortable. “We should eat something. A bite or two.”

除了木頭般硬的黑香腸，沒剩下什么缓呛。山姆給兩人各鋸下薄薄幾片眨猎。手腕使勁就會疼，但他太餓强经，因此堅持了下來。而且咀嚼時間夠長寺渗，這些肉片就會變軟匿情，味道也不錯。那是卡斯特的老婆們用大蒜腌制而成的信殊。

Nothing was left but a few black sausages, as hard as wood. Sam sawed off a few thin slices for each of them. The effort made his wrist ache, but he was hungry enough to persist. If you chewed the slices long enough they softened up, and tasted good. Craster’s wives seasoned them with garlic.

吃完之后炬称，山姆跟她說聲抱歉，就出去方便并照料馬匹涡拘。刺骨的寒風從北方吹來玲躯，他從樹叢下經(jīng)過，葉子朝他嘩嘩作響鳄乏。他不得不弄碎河面上薄薄的冰層跷车，好讓馬喝水。我最好把它帶進屋去橱野。他可不想天亮醒來時發(fā)現(xiàn)他們的馬已在夜里凍死朽缴。即使真的發(fā)生意外，吉莉也會繼續(xù)走下去水援。那女孩很勇敢密强，不像他。他希望自己知道回黑城堡之后該拿她怎么辦蜗元。她總是說或渤，只要他高興，肯做他的妻子奕扣，但黑衣弟兄是無法娶妻的薪鹦；更何況他是角陵城的塔利，根本不能娶女野人惯豆。我得想個辦法距芬。但首先我們得活著到達長城涝开，別的都不重要，一點都不重要框仔。

After they had finished, Sam begged her pardon and went out to relieve himself and look after the horse. A biting wind was blowing from the north, and the leaves in the trees rattled at him as he passed. He had to break the thin scum of ice on top of the stream so the horse could get a drink. I had better bring her inside. He did not want to wake up at break of day to find that their horse had frozen to death during the night. Gilly would keep going even if that happened. The girl was very brave, not like him. He wished he knew what he was going to do with her back at Castle Black. She kept saying how she’d be his wife if he wanted, but black brothers didn’t keep wives; besides, he was a Tarly of Horn Hill, he could never wed a wildling. I’ll have to think of something. So long as we reach the Wall alive, the rest doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter one little bit.

把馬牽到長廳容易舀武，牽進門卻難，幸虧山姆堅持不懈离斩。等將坐騎弄進屋內(nèi)银舱，吉莉已睡著了。他將馬系在角落跛梗，并往火中添了幾塊新柴寻馏，然后脫下沉重的斗篷，鉆到獸皮底下的女野人身邊核偿。他的斗篷足夠蓋住三人诚欠，并為他們保暖。

Leading the horse to the longhall was simple enough. Getting her through the door was not, but Sam persisted. Gilly was already dozing by the time he got the garron inside. He hobbled the horse in a corner, fed some fresh wood to the fire, took off his heavy cloak, and wriggled down under the furs beside the wildling woman. His cloak was big enough to cover all three of them and keep in the warmth of their bodies.

吉莉身上散發(fā)出奶味漾岳，還有大蒜和發(fā)霉舊毛皮的味道轰绵，但他已經(jīng)習慣，而且還覺得很好聞尼荆。他喜歡睡在她邊上左腔，這讓他想起很久以前在角陵城，跟兩個妹妹同睡一張大床捅儒。藍道伯爵認為這會讓他像女孩一樣軟弱液样，于是終止了這種情形。然而獨自睡在冰冷的房間也沒讓我變得堅強勇敢巧还。他不知如果現(xiàn)在見到父親鞭莽，他會怎么評價。我殺了一個異鬼呢麸祷，大人撮抓，他假想自己如是說，我用龍晶匕首刺死了他摇锋，誓言弟兄們現(xiàn)在稱我為“殺手”山姆丹拯。但即使在想象中，藍道伯爵也只是懷疑地皺起眉頭荸恕。

Gilly smelled of milk and garlic and musty old fur, but he was used to that by now. They were good smells, so far as Sam was concerned. He liked sleeping next to her. It made him remember times long past, when he had shared a huge bed at Horn Hill with two of his sisters. That had ended when Lord Randyll decided it was making him soft as a girl. Sleeping alone in my own cold cell never made me any harder or braver, though. He wondered what his father would say if he could see him now. I killed one of the Others, my lord, he imagined saying. I stabbed him with an obsidian dagger, and my Sworn Brothers call me Sam the Slayer now. But even in his fancies, Lord Randyll only scowled, disbelieving.

當晚的夢十分離奇乖酬。他夢見自己回到角陵城，父親卻已不在融求，它成了山姆的城堡咬像。瓊恩·雪諾跟他一起，還有“熊老”莫爾蒙總司令、葛蘭县昂、憂郁的艾迪肮柜、派普、“癩蛤蟆”及所有守夜人的弟兄倒彰，只是穿的衣服顏色鮮亮审洞，并非黑色。山姆坐在高桌前待讳，宴請所有人芒澜，用父親的巨劍“碎心”切下片片烤肉，這里還有甜糕创淡，有蜂蜜葡萄酒痴晦，有歌唱，有舞蹈琳彩，每個人都很暖和誊酌。宴會結(jié)束后，他上樓睡覺露乏，不是走向父母的領(lǐng)主居室碧浊，而是跟妹妹們一起待過的那個房間。只不過在那張柔軟寬大的床上等待他的不是妹妹們施无，卻是吉莉，女孩只裹一件粗糙的獸皮必孤，雙乳滲出奶水猾骡。

His dreams were strange that night. He was back at Horn Hill, at the castle, but his father was not there. It was Sam’s castle now. Jon Snow was with him. Lord Mormont too, the Old Bear, and Grenn and Dolorous Edd and Pyp and Toad and all his other brothers from the Watch, but they wore bright colors instead of black. Sam sat at the high table and feasted them all, cutting thick slices off a roast with his father’s greatsword Heartsbane. There were sweet cakes to eat and honeyed wine to drink, there was singing and dancing, and everyone was warm. When the feast was done he went up to sleep; not to the lord’s bedchamber where his mother and father lived but to the room he had once shared with his sisters. Only instead of his sisters it was Gilly waiting in the huge soft bed, wearing nothing but a big shaggy fur, milk leaking from her breasts.

他突然醒來，又冷又怕敷搪。

He woke suddenly, in cold and dread.

火堆燒盡兴想，只剩暗紅余燼；空氣凍結(jié)赡勘，感覺奇寒無比嫂便。角落里，那匹馬一邊嘶鳴一邊用后腿踢木頭闸与。吉莉坐在火堆邊毙替，抱著嬰兒。山姆搖搖晃晃地坐起践樱，蒼白的喘息從嘴里噴出厂画。長廳內(nèi)充滿憧憧黑影，手臂上寒毛直豎拷邢。

The fire had burned down to smouldering red embers. The air itself seemed frozen, it was so cold. In the corner the garron was whinnying and kicking the logs with her hind legs. Gilly sat beside the fire, hugging her babe. Sam sat up groggy, his breath puffing pale from his open mouth. The longhall was dark with shadows, black and blacker. The hair on his arms was standing up.

沒什么袱院，他告訴自己，冷而已。

It’s nothing, he told himself. I’m cold, that’s all.

然后忽洛，門邊有個陰影在動腻惠。一個巨大的陰影。

Then, by the door, one of the shadows moved. A big one.

這仍是夢欲虚，山姆祈禱集灌，哦，我仍在睡覺苍在，仍在做噩夢绝页。他死了，他死了寂恬，我看到他死了续誉。“他是為這男孩來的初肉，”吉莉啜泣酷鸦，“他聞到他的味道，新生嬰兒的味道牙咏，充滿生命的氣息臼隔。他是為生命而來⊥”

This is still a dream, Sam prayed. Oh, make it that I’m still asleep, make it a nightmare. He’s dead, he’s dead, I saw him die. “He’s come for the babe,” Gilly wept. “He smells him. A babe fresh-born stinks o’ life. He’s come for the life.”

巨大的陰影在門梁前彎腰摔握，進入廳內(nèi)，蹣跚走來丁寄。就著陰暗的火光氨淌，影子變成了小保羅。

The huge dark shape stooped under the lintel, into the hall, and shambled toward them. In the dim light of the fire, the shadow became Small Paul.

“走開伊磺，”山姆嘶喊盛正，“我們不需要你⌒悸瘢”

“Go away,” Sam croaked. “We don’t want you here.”

保羅的手像炭一樣黑豪筝，臉像奶一樣白，眼睛閃著冰冷的藍色光芒摘能。冰霜染白了它的胡子续崖，一側(cè)肩膀上停著一只烏鴉，正在啄它的臉頰团搞，吃那白色死肉袜刷。山姆尿了褲子，溫熱的水沿大腿流淌而下莺丑≈罚“吉莉墩蔓，安撫好馬，然后牽出去萧豆。你快走奸披。”

Paul’s hands were coal, his face was milk, his eyes shone a bitter blue. Hoarfrost whitened his beard, and on one shoulder hunched a raven, pecking at his cheek, eating the dead white flesh. Sam’s bladder let go, and he felt the warmth running down his legs. “Gilly, calm the horse and lead her out. You do that.”

“你——”她開始說涮雷。

“You—” she started.

“我有匕首阵面。你忘了嗎？龍晶匕首洪鸭⊙ⅲ”他起身將它胡亂掏出來。先前那把給了葛蘭览爵，但謝天謝地置鼻，離開卡斯特堡壘時，他記得帶上莫爾蒙總司令的匕首蜓竹。他握緊它箕母，遠離火堆，遠離吉莉和嬰兒俱济∷皇牵“保羅？”他想讓自己聽上去勇敢一些蛛碌，但話出口成了尖叫聂喇，“小保羅。認得我嗎蔚携？我是山姆希太，胖子山姆，膽小鬼山姆浮梢，你在林子里救了我跛十。我無法再走的時候彤路，你抱我秕硝，沒有別人能做到，只有你洲尊≡恫颍”山姆往后退開，手握武器坞嘀，抽噎不休徒恋。我真是個無可救藥的膽小鬼蒲凶。“別傷害我們，保羅，求求你串塑，為什么要傷害我們呢？”

“I have the knife. The dragonglass dagger.” He fumbled it out as he got to his feet. He’d given the first knife to Grenn, but thankfully he’d remembered to take Lord Mormont’s dagger before fleeing Craster’s Keep. He clutched it tight, moving away from the fire, away from Gilly and the babe. “Paul?” He meant to sound brave, but it came out in a squeak. “Small Paul. Do you know me? I’m Sam, fat Sam, Sam the Scared, you saved me in the woods. You carried me when I couldn’t walk another step. No one else could have done that, but you did.” Sam backed away, knife in hand, sniveling. I am such a coward. “Don’t hurt us, Paul. Please. Why would you want to hurt us?”

吉莉在硬泥地上掙扎后退。尸鬼扭頭望向她枉证，但山姆大喊：“不！”于是它又轉(zhuǎn)回來移必。肩頭的烏鴉從它殘破蒼白的臉頰上扯下一條肉室谚。山姆將匕首舉在面前，呼吸活像鐵匠的風箱崔泵。長廳另一頭秒赤，吉莉到了馬兒邊上。諸神賜予我勇氣憎瘸，山姆祈禱入篮，就這一次，給我一點點勇氣含思，撐到她順利逃走崎弃。

Gilly scrabbled backward across the hard dirt floor. The wight turned his head to look at her, but Sam shouted “NO!” and he turned back. The raven on his shoulder ripped a strip of flesh from his pale ruined cheek. Sam held the dagger before him, breathing like a blacksmith’s bellows. Across the longhall, Gilly reached the garron. Gods give me courage, Sam prayed. For once, give me a little courage. Just long enough for her to get away.

小保羅向他逼近，山姆向后退卻含潘，直到背抵住粗糙的木墻饲做。他雙手抓住匕首，以求拿得更穩(wěn)遏弱。尸鬼看來不怕龍晶盆均，也許它并不知道那是什么。它行動緩慢漱逸，不過小保羅活著的時候就不敏捷泪姨。在它身后，吉莉低聲安撫馬兒饰抒，試圖催其朝門口走肮砾，但那匹馬一定是聞到了一絲尸鬼那怪異寒冷的氣味。它突然停止前進袋坑，人立起來仗处，蹄子在冰冷的空氣中揮舞。保羅轉(zhuǎn)向聲音傳來的方位枣宫，似乎完全失去了對山姆的興趣婆誓。

Small Paul moved toward him. Sam backed off until he came up against a rough log wall. He clutched the dagger with both hands to hold it steady. The wight did not seem to fear the dragonglass. Perhaps he did not know what it was. He moved slowly, but Small Paul had never been quick even when he’d been alive. Behind him, Gilly murmured to calm the garron and tried to urge it toward the door. But the horse must have caught a whiff of the wight’s queer cold scent. Suddenly she balked, rearing, her hooves lashing at the frosty air. Paul swung toward the sound, and seemed to lose all interest in Sam.

沒時間思考、祈禱也颤，或是害怕洋幻。山姆威爾·塔利往前沖去，將匕首插入小保羅的后背翅娶。尸鬼的身體已轉(zhuǎn)過去一半文留，根本沒察覺到他過來好唯。烏鴉尖叫一聲，飛入空中燥翅∏。“你死定了！”山姆邊捅刺邊嘶喊权旷，“你死定了替蛉，你死定了！”他不停地刺拄氯，不停地喊躲查，一遍又一遍，在保羅厚重的黑斗篷上劃開道道大口子译柏。刀刃碰到羊毛布底下的鐵鎖甲碎裂開來镣煮，龍晶碎片四處飛散。

There was no time to think or pray or be afraid. Samwell Tarly threw himself forward and plunged the dagger down into Small Paul’s back. Half-turned, the wight never saw him coming. The raven gave a shriek and took to the air. “You’re dead!” Sam screamed as he stabbed. “You’re dead, you’re dead.” He stabbed and screamed, again and again, tearing huge rents in Paul’s heavy black cloak. Shards of dragonglass flew everywhere as the blade shattered on the iron mail beneath the wool.

山姆尖聲號叫鄙麦，白霧融入黑暗之中典唇。小保羅扭身過來，山姆扔下無用的刀柄胯府，迅速后退一步介衔。但他還沒來得及拔出另一把匕首，也即是每位弟兄都佩戴的鋼鐵匕首骂因，尸鬼漆黑的雙手便卡住了他的下巴炎咖。保羅的手指冷得灼人，它們深深掐入山姆喉嚨柔軟的皮肉中寒波〕伺危快跑，吉莉俄烁，快跑啊绸栅，他想高喊，但張開嘴页屠，僅發(fā)出陣陣哽咽粹胯。

Sam’s wail made a white mist in the black air. He dropped the useless hilt and took a hasty step backwards as Small Paul twisted around. Before he could get out his other knife, the steel knife that every brother carried, the wight’s black hands locked beneath his chins. Paul’s fingers were so cold they seemed to burn. They burrowed deep into the soft flesh of Sam’s throat. Run, Gilly, run, he wanted to scream, but when he opened his mouth only a choking sound emerged.

手指終于摸索到匕首，他拿它盲目地戳向尸鬼的肚子卷中，不料刀尖僅擦過鐵環(huán)矛双，而由于用力過猛渊抽，整個匕首都旋轉(zhuǎn)著飛了出去蟆豫。小保羅的指頭無情地收緊，開始扭轉(zhuǎn)懒闷。他打算把我腦袋掰下來十减，山姆絕望地想栈幸。喉嚨像結(jié)了冰，肺里卻如著了火帮辟。他徒勞地捶打速址、拽拉尸鬼的手腕，狠踢保羅的下體由驹，都沒用芍锚。世界縮小成兩點湛藍的星星、一陣可怕而強烈的疼痛和殘酷的寒冷蔓榄，連眼淚都結(jié)了冰并炮。山姆拼命扭動掙扎……然后向前撲倒。

His fumbling fingers finally found the dagger, but when he slammed it up into the wight’s belly the point skidded off the iron links, and the blade went spinning from Sam’s hand. Small Paul’s fingers tightened inexorably, and began to twist. He’s going to rip my head off, Sam thought in despair. His throat felt frozen, his lungs on fire. He punched and pulled at the wight’s wrists, to no avail. He kicked Paul between the legs, uselessly. The world shrank to two blue stars, a terrible crushing pain, and a cold so fierce that his tears froze over his eyes. Sam squirmed and pulled, desperate … and then he lurched forward.

小保羅高大強壯甥郑，但山姆比他重逃魄，而且尸鬼行動笨拙，這他在先民拳峰上就見識過澜搅。突然的變化讓保羅踉蹌地退后一步伍俘，接著活人和死人一起跌倒。沖擊之下勉躺，一只手從山姆喉嚨口松開癌瘾，冰冷的黑指頭回來之前，他得以快速吸進一口氣饵溅。血的味道充滿嘴巴柳弄。他轉(zhuǎn)動脖子，尋找匕首概说，卻只看到一抹暗橙色的光亮碧注。火糖赔！雖然只剩焰灰余燼萍丐，但……他無法呼吸，無法思考……拖著保羅向側(cè)面掙扎扭動……胳膊在泥地上揮舞放典、摸索逝变、探尋、撥散灰燼奋构，找到一件滾燙的東西……一塊燒焦的木炭壳影，黑中閃動黯淡的紅與橙……他用手指握起，鉚足全身力氣弥臼，塞進保羅嘴里宴咧，甚至感覺到保羅牙齒的碎裂。

Small Paul was big and powerful, but Sam still outweighed him, and the wights were clumsy, he had seen that on the Fist. The sudden shift sent Paul staggering back a step, and the living man and the dead one went crashing down together. The impact knocked one hand from Sam’s throat, and he was able to suck in a quick breath of air before the icy black fingers returned. The taste of blood filled his mouth. He twisted his neck around, looking for his knife, and saw a dull orange glow. The fire! Only ember and ashes remained, but still … he could not breathe, or think … Sam wrenched himself sideways, pulling Paul with him … his arms flailed against the dirt floor, groping, reaching, scattering the ashes, until at last they found something hot … a chunk of charred wood, smouldering red and orange within the black … his fingers closed around it, and he smashed it into Paul’s mouth, so hard he felt teeth shatter.

盡管如此径缅，尸鬼的抓握并沒放松掺栅。山姆最后想到的是愛他的母親和被他辜負的父親烙肺。長廳在四周旋轉(zhuǎn)，一絲煙霧從保羅碎裂的牙齒間升騰氧卧。然后桃笙，死人的臉著了火，那雙手也松開沙绝。

Yet even so the wight’s grip did not loosen. Sam’s last thoughts were for the mother who had loved him and the father he had failed. The longhall was spinning around him when he saw the wisp of smoke rising from between Paul’s broken teeth. Then the dead man’s face burst into flame, and the hands were gone.

山姆大口吸氣搏明，虛弱地滾向一旁。尸鬼在燃燒闪檬，冰霜從胡子上滴落熏瞄，下面的血肉變得焦黑。山姆聽見烏鴉尖叫谬以，但保羅本身沒出聲强饮，它的嘴巴張開，冒出火焰为黎，而它的眼睛……沒有了邮丰，湛藍的閃光沒有了。

Sam sucked in air, and rolled feebly away. The wight was burning, hoarfrost dripping from his beard as the flesh beneath blackened. Sam heard the raven shriek, but Paul himself made no sound. When his mouth opened, only flames came out. And his eyes … It’s gone, the blue glow is gone.

他爬到門口铭乾〖袅空氣如此寒冷，連呼吸都會疼痛炕檩，但那是多么美妙的疼痛斗蒋。他低頭走出長廳〉阎剩“吉莉泉沾？”他說，“吉莉妇押，我殺了它跷究。吉——”

He crept to the door. The air was so cold that it hurt to breathe, but such a fine sweet hurt. He ducked from the longhall. “Gilly?” he called. “Gilly, I killed it. Gil—”

她背靠魚梁木站立，懷中抱著孩子敲霍，周圍都是尸鬼俊马，十幾……二十個，甚至更多……有些曾是野人肩杈，仍然穿著獸皮……但更多的是他的弟兄柴我。山姆看見“姐妹男”拉克，“軟足”扩然，里爾斯艘儒。齊特頸上的瘤成了黑色，臉頰的癤子則覆著一層薄冰。其中一個尸鬼看來像哈克彤悔，但由于少了半個腦袋，他無法確定索守。他們已撕裂了那匹可憐的馬晕窑，正用血淋淋的手把腸子扯出來，馬肚子上升起蒼白的蒸汽卵佛。

She stood with her back against the weirwood, the boy in her arms. The wights were all around her. There were a dozen of them, a score, more … some had been wildlings once, and still wore skins and hides … but more had been his brothers. Sam saw Lark the Sisterman, Softfoot, Ryles. The wen on Chett’s neck was black, his boils covered with a thin film of ice. And that one looked like Hake, though it was hard to know for certain with half his head missing. They had torn the poor garron apart, and were pulling out her entrails with dripping red hands. Pale steam rose from her belly.

山姆嗚咽一聲杨赤，“這不公平……”

Sam made a whimpery sound. “It’s not fair …”

“公平，”烏鴉落在他肩頭截汪，“公平疾牲，遙遠，恐懼衙解。①”它拍打翅膀阳柔，跟吉莉一起尖叫。尸鬼幾乎已到了她跟前蚓峦，他聽見魚梁木暗紅的樹葉陣陣婆娑舌剂，仿佛在用他聽不懂的語言互相低訴。星光流動暑椰，周圍的樹木全部呻吟著發(fā)出吱嘎響聲霍转。山姆·塔利的臉色如凝固的牛奶，眼睛瞪得像盤子那么大一汽。烏鴉避消！烏鴉！魚梁木上有數(shù)千只烏鴉召夹，棲息在蒼白如骨的枝條上岩喷，自樹葉間向外張望。它們張口嘶鳴监憎，展開黑翼均驶，尖叫拍翅，如一團憤怒的云枫虏，向尸鬼們襲來妇穴。它們圍著齊特的臉，啄他的藍眼睛隶债；它們像蒼蠅一樣蓋住姐妹男腾它，從哈克碎裂的腦殼里叼出團團東西。烏鴉的數(shù)量眾多死讹，山姆抬頭瞒滴，都看不見月亮。

“Fair.” The raven landed on his shoulder. “Fair, far, fear.” It flapped its wings, and screamed along with Gilly. The wights were almost on her. He heard the dark red leaves of the weirwood rustling, whispering to one another in a tongue he did not know. The starlight itself seemed to stir, and all around them the trees groaned and creaked. Sam Tarly turned the color of curdled milk, and his eyes went wide as plates. Ravens! They were in the weirwood, hundreds of them, thousands, perched on the bone-white branches, peering between the leaves. He saw their beaks open as they screamed, saw them spread their black wings. Shrieking, flapping, they descended on the wights in angry clouds. They swarmed round Chett’s face and pecked at his blue eyes, they covered the Sisterman like flies, they plucked gobbets from inside Hake’s shattered head. There were so many that when Sam looked up, he could not see the moon.

“去，”肩膀上的鳥說妓忍，“去虏两，去，去世剖《ò眨”

“Go,” said the bird on his shoulder. “Go, go, go.”

山姆開始奔跑，陣陣白霧從嘴里噴出旁瘫。在他周圍祖凫，尸鬼們在黑翼和利喙的攻擊下東倒西歪，帶著詭異的沉默倒下酬凳，沒有呼叫與呻吟惠况。但烏鴉們并不理會山姆。他抓起吉莉的手宁仔，將她從魚梁木邊拉開稠屠，“我們快走◆嵘唬”

Sam ran, puffs of frost exploding from his mouth. All around him the wights flailed at the black wings and sharp beaks that assailed them, falling in an eerie silence with never a grunt nor cry. But the ravens ignored Sam. He took Gilly by the hand and pulled her away from the weirwood. “We have to go.”

“去哪兒完箩？”吉莉抱著嬰兒快步跟隨±樱“他們殺了我們的馬弊知，我們怎么……”

“But where?” Gilly hurried after him, holding her baby. “They killed our horse, how will we …”

“兄弟！”喊聲穿透黑夜粱快，穿透上千只烏鴉的嘶鳴秩彤。樹叢下，有個人騎一頭麇鹿事哭，從頭到腳包裹在黑灰相間的班駁衣服里漫雷。“來鳍咱！”那騎手喊降盹，兜帽掩蓋了他的面容。

“Brother!” The shout cut through the night, through the shrieks of a thousand ravens. Beneath the trees, a man muffled head to heels in mottled blacks and greys sat astride an elk. “Here,” the rider called. A hood shadowed his face.

他穿著黑衣谤辜。于是山姆催促吉莉向他走去蓄坏。那頭麇鹿十分巨大，大得可怕丑念，肩膀離地十尺高涡戳，分叉的角也差不多有十尺寬。它膝蓋跪地脯倚，讓他們騎上去渔彰∏妒海“來』型浚”騎手邊說宝惰，邊伸出戴手套的手，將吉莉拉到身后再沧，然后輪到山姆尼夺。“謝謝产园」”他喘著氣說夜郁。但當他握住對方伸出的手時什燕，猛然意識到騎手并沒戴手套。他的手又黑又冷竞端，指頭硬得像巖石屎即。

He’s wearing blacks. Sam urged Gilly toward him. The elk was huge, a great elk, ten feet tall at the shoulder, with a rack of antlers near as wide. The creature sank to his knees to let them mount. “Here,” the rider said, reaching down with a gloved hand to pull Gilly up behind him. Then it was Sam’s turn. “My thanks,” he puffed. Only when he grasped the offered hand did he realize that the rider wore no glove. His hand was black and cold, with fingers hard as stone.