Ⅱ 列王的紛爭(zhēng) Chapter56 席恩

THEON

天空烏云密布，森林死寂陰沉妥泉。席恩亡命逃竄椭微，樹(shù)根攫住他的腳，枯枝抽打他的臉盲链，在頰間留下猩紅的細(xì)長(zhǎng)血條蝇率。他渾然不覺(jué)，跌撞前行刽沾，撞碎無(wú)數(shù)林間的垂冰本慕，只覺(jué)無(wú)法呼吸。發(fā)發(fā)慈悲侧漓，他啜泣锅尘。身后傳來(lái)一陣?yán)做愕呐疲屗耗滩颊帷０l(fā)發(fā)慈悲藤违，發(fā)發(fā)慈悲浪腐。他回頭瞥去，他們來(lái)了顿乒，馬一樣大的狼長(zhǎng)著小孩的頭顱议街。啊，發(fā)發(fā)慈悲璧榄，發(fā)發(fā)慈悲特漩。焦油一般墨黑的血從他們口中滴落，掉入雪地骨杂，溶出孔洞拾稳。他們?cè)奖荚浇Ｏ饔帽M全力奔跑腊脱，雙腿卻不聽(tīng)使喚。周?chē)臉?shù)長(zhǎng)了人臉龙亲，統(tǒng)統(tǒng)在嘲笑他陕凹，笑聲與嚎叫交織一起，窮追不舍的野獸噴出熾熱的呼吸鳄炉，帶著硫磺與腐敗的惡臭杜耙，充斥他的鼻腔。他們死了拂盯，死了佑女，我親眼見(jiàn)他們死了，他想縱聲高呼谈竿，我親眼看見(jiàn)他們的頭浸進(jìn)焦油团驱。他張開(kāi)嘴巴，卻只能發(fā)出斷續(xù)的呻吟空凸，接著什么東西撞上來(lái)嚎花，他急速躲避，呼叫……

The sky was a gloom of cloud, the woods dead and frozen. Roots grabbed at Theon’s feet as he ran, and bare branches lashed his face, leaving thin stripes of blood across his cheeks. He crashed through heedless, breathless, icicles flying to pieces before him. Mercy, he sobbed. From behind came a shuddering howl that curdled his blood. Mercy, mercy. When he glanced back over his shoulder he saw them coming, great wolves the size of horses with the heads of small children. Oh, mercy, mercy. Blood dripped from their mouths black as pitch, burning holes in the snow where it fell. Every stride brought them closer. Theon tried to run faster, but his legs would not obey. The trees all had faces, and they were laughing at him, laughing, and the howl came again. He could smell the hot breath of the beasts behind him, a stink of brimstone and corruption. They’re dead, dead, I saw them killed, he tried to shout, I saw their heads dipped in tar, but when he opened his mouth only a moan emerged, and then something touched him and he whirled, shouting …

……跌落之中慌忙抓住一直放在床邊的匕首呀洲。幸虧預(yù)作準(zhǔn)備紊选，摔得并不嚴(yán)重。威克斯飛快閃開(kāi)他道逗。臭佬站在啞巴身后兵罢，高舉的蠟燭映得臉龐閃閃發(fā)光∽仪希“干嘛寝优？”席恩叫道除师。發(fā)發(fā)慈悲∷拢“你想干嘛？你怎么在我臥室长搀？你想干嘛？”

… flailing for the dagger he kept by his bedside and managing only to knock it to the floor. Wex danced away from him. Reek stood behind the mute, his face lit from below by the candle he carried. “What?” Theon cried. Mercy. “What do you want? Why are you in my bedchamber? Why?”

“親王殿下，”臭佬道令境，“令姐剛抵達(dá)臨冬城。您吩咐過(guò)顾瞪，她一到達(dá)立刻通知您舔庶。”

“My lord prince,” said Reek, “your sister has come to Winterfell. You asked to be informed at once if she arrived.”

? “真慢陈醒√璩龋”席恩咕噥著用手指梳理頭發(fā)。他本已懷疑阿莎要任他自生自滅了钉跷。發(fā)發(fā)慈悲弥鹦。他瞥瞥窗外，黎明的第一束朦朧曙光正掃過(guò)臨冬城的塔樓爷辙”蚧担“她在哪兒？”

“Past time,” Theon muttered, pushing his fingers through his hair. He had begun to fear that Asha meant to leave him to his fate. Mercy. He glanced outside the window, where the first vague light of dawn was just brushing the towers of Winterfell. “Where is she?”

“羅倫把她和她手下帶去大廳吃早餐膝晾。您現(xiàn)在就見(jiàn)她栓始？”

“Lorren took her and her men to the Great Hall to break their fast. Will you see her now?”

“對(duì)⊙保”席恩摔開(kāi)毯子幻赚。爐火已成灰燼‰瘢“威克斯落恼，打熱水∥】福”不能讓阿莎瞧見(jiàn)他這副衣冠不整领跛、渾身是汗的模樣。長(zhǎng)著孩子頭的狼……他禁不住打顫撤奸》驼眩“關(guān)窗！”臥室跟夢(mèng)中的森林一般寒冷徹骨胧瓜。

“Yes.” Theon pushed off the blankets. The fire had burned down to embers. “Wex, hot water.” He could not let Asha see him disheveled and soaked with sweat. Wolves with children’s faces … He shivered. “Close the shutters.” The bedchamber felt as cold as the dream forest had been.

近來(lái)他所有的夢(mèng)都奇寒無(wú)比矢棚，而且一個(gè)比一個(gè)恐怖。昨晚他又夢(mèng)回磨坊府喳，跪在地上給死人著裝蒲肋。他們四肢已近僵硬，當(dāng)他用半凍僵的手指摸索行動(dòng)時(shí)，尸體似乎在無(wú)聲地抵抗兜粘。他為他們拉上褲子申窘，系好褲帶，把毛邊皮靴套進(jìn)僵直的腳孔轴，將鑲釘皮帶捆上他們的腰——那腰細(xì)得他雙手就可握攏剃法。“我不想這樣做路鹰，”他邊做邊告訴他們贷洲，“但別無(wú)選擇〗”尸體沒(méi)有回答优构，只是愈來(lái)愈冷，愈來(lái)愈沉雁竞。

All his dreams had been cold of late, and each more hideous than the one before. Last night he had dreamed himself back in the mill again, on his knees dressing the dead. Their limbs were already stiffening, so they seemed to resist sullenly as he fumbled at them with half-frozen fingers, tugging up breeches and knotting laces, yanking fur-trimmed boots over hard unbending feet, buckling a studded leather belt around a waist no bigger than the span of his hands. “This was never what I wanted,” he told them as he worked. “They gave me no choice.” The corpses made no answer, but only grew colder and heavier.

前天晚上钦椭，夢(mèng)見(jiàn)的卻是磨坊主的老婆。席恩早把她的姓名拋諸腦后碑诉，但還記得她的身體玉凯，記得她柔軟舒適的乳房和小腹上的胎記，記得交歡時(shí)她在他背上搔抓联贩。前晚的夢(mèng)中，他們?cè)俣裙舱砩诱@次她的嘴唇和下體都生了利牙泪幌，撕開(kāi)他的喉嚨，咬斷他的老二署照。這真是太瘋狂了祸泪。他也親眼見(jiàn)她死了。當(dāng)時(shí)她向席恩哭喊慈悲建芙，卻被葛馬一斧砍翻没隘。走開(kāi)，女人禁荸。殺你的人是他右蒲，不是我。他不也償命了嗎赶熟？幸好葛馬沒(méi)來(lái)夢(mèng)中擾他瑰妄。

The night before, it had been the miller’s wife. Theon had forgotten her name, but he remembered her body, soft pillowy breasts and stretch marks on her belly, the way she clawed his back when he fucked her. Last night in his dream he had been in bed with her once again, but this time she had teeth above and below, and she tore out his throat even as she was gnawing off his manhood. It was madness. He’d seen her die too. Gelmarr had cut her down with one blow of his axe as she cried to Theon for mercy. Leave me, woman. It was him who killed you, not me. And he’s dead as well. At least Gelmarr did not haunt Theon’s sleep.

直到威克斯端水進(jìn)來(lái)，他才稍感心安映砖。席恩洗去周身大汗和睡意间坐，換上最好的服飾。阿莎讓他等了個(gè)夠——現(xiàn)在輪到她等。他挑選一條黑金條紋的綢緞上衣竹宋，一件銀紐扣的上好皮背心……這才想起可惡的姐姐更看中刀劍而非華服劳澄，于是一邊咒罵，一邊脫下衣服蜈七，重新?lián)Q裝秒拔。這次他穿上粗糙的黑毛衣和鎖甲，并在腰間捆好長(zhǎng)劍和匕首——對(duì)那晚她在父親桌前給予他的羞辱宪潮，他莫齒難忘溯警。哼，你的乳兒寶寶狡相，有何得意梯轻？我也有刀，而且用得比你好尽棕。

The dream had receded by the time Wex returned with the water. Theon washed the sweat and sleep from his body and took his own good time dressing. Asha had let him wait long enough; now it was her turn. He chose a satin tunic striped black and gold and a fine leather jerkin with silver studs … and only then remembered that his wretched sister put more stock in blades than beauty. Cursing, he tore off the clothes and dressed again, in felted black wool and ringmail. Around his waist he buckled sword and dagger, remembering the night she had humiliated him at his own father’s table. Her sweet suckling babe, yes. Well, I have a knife too, and know how to use it.

最后喳挑，他戴上王冠。那是一圈細(xì)如手指的冷鐵滔悉，上綴沉重的黑鉆石和天然金塊伊诵。手工有些誤差，冠冕顯得丑陋回官，但這是沒(méi)辦法的事曹宴。密肯已葬在臨冬城的墓園，新鐵匠只會(huì)釘釘子和打馬蹄鐵歉提。這只是親王的冠冕笛坦，席恩安慰自己，等當(dāng)上國(guó)王苔巨，一定會(huì)做新的版扩。

Last of all, he donned his crown, a band of cold iron slim as a finger, set with heavy chunks of black diamond and nuggets of gold. It was misshapen and ugly, but there was no help for that. Mikken lay buried in the lichyard, and the new smith was capable of little more than nails and horseshoes. Theon consoled himself with the reminder that it was only a prince’s crown. He would have something much finer when he was crowned king.

門(mén)外，臭佬侄泽、烏茲和科蒙一道候著他礁芦。席恩帶上他們。這些日子來(lái)悼尾，他無(wú)論到哪兒都帶著衛(wèi)士柿扣，甚至上廁所都不例外。臨冬城的人個(gè)個(gè)都要他死闺魏。從橡樹(shù)河歸來(lái)當(dāng)晚窄刘，“嚴(yán)厲的”葛馬就跌下樓梯，摔斷了背舷胜。翌日娩践，阿加莫名其妙地被割了喉嚨活翩。紅鼻加尼緊張過(guò)度，以至于拒絕喝酒翻伺，連睡覺(jué)也是全副武裝材泄，裹著頭巾和頭盔，還把獸舍里最吵的狗帶在身邊吨岭，生怕有人趁他睡著偷偷接近拉宗。不過(guò)一切都是徒勞，某天清晨辣辫，全城被小狗狂野的吠叫聲驚醒旦事。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)小家伙瘋了似的在水井邊打轉(zhuǎn)，紅鼻漂在水中急灭，咽了氣姐浮。

Outside his door, Reek waited with Urzen and Kromm. Theon fell in with them. These days, he took guards with him everywhere he went, even to the privy. Winterfell wanted him dead. The very night they had returned from Acorn Water, Gelmarr the Grim had tumbled down some steps and broken his back. The next day, Aggar turned up with his throat slit ear to ear. Gynir Rednose became so wary that he shunned wine, took to sleeping in byrnie, coif, and helm, and adopted the noisiest dog in the kennels to give him warning should anyone try to steal up on his sleeping place. All the same, one morning the castle woke to the sound of the little dog barking wildly. They found the pup racing around the well, and Rednose floating in it, drowned.

他當(dāng)然不能讓謀殺肆無(wú)忌憚地繼續(xù)，否則一切便全亂套了葬馋。法蘭有最大的嫌疑卖鲤，于是席恩親自主持審判，定他的罪畴嘶，判他死刑蛋逾。然而這卻帶來(lái)意想不到的尷尬。當(dāng)馴獸長(zhǎng)跪下窗悯，把頭伸進(jìn)木樁時(shí)区匣，說(shuō)道：“艾德大人一定會(huì)親自動(dòng)手〗海”席恩不愿被看輕沉颂，只得親自操斧。他滿手是汗悦污，下斬時(shí)斧柄滑脫掌握，第一擊竟砍在法蘭雙肩之間钉蒲。接下來(lái)切端，他又連劈三次，方才割斷骨頭和肌腱顷啼，把頭顱與身軀分離踏枣。他只覺(jué)天旋地轉(zhuǎn)，眩然欲嘔钙蒙。從前他們同席而坐茵瀑，把酒言歡，暢談獵狗和捕獵的往事歷歷在目躬厌。我別無(wú)選擇啊马昨，他想對(duì)尸體尖叫。鐵種守不了秘，他們非死不可鸿捧，其后總得有人為此負(fù)責(zé)屹篓。他愧疚的是沒(méi)能讓他死得干脆。奈德·史塔克砍人頭顱從來(lái)只需利落一擊匙奴。

He could not let the killings go unpunished. Farlen was as likely a suspect as any, so Theon sat in judgment, called him guilty, and condemned him to death. Even that went sour. As he knelt to the block, the kennelmaster said, “M’lord Eddard always did his own killings.” Theon had to take the axe himself or look a weakling. His hands were sweating, so the shaft twisted in his grip as he swung and the first blow landed between Farlen’s shoulders. It took three more cuts to hack through all that bone and muscle and sever the head from the body, and afterward he was sick, remembering all the times they’d sat over a cup of mead talking of hounds and hunting. I had no choice, he wanted to scream at the corpse. The ironborn can’t keep secrets, they had to die, and someone had to take the blame for it. He only wished he had killed him cleaner. Ned Stark had never needed more than a single blow to take a man’s head.

法蘭死后堆巧，謀殺便告終止，但他的手下卻變得愈來(lái)愈緊張和陰郁泼菌〉簦“大伙兒不怕上戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)，”黑羅倫告訴他哗伯，“如今的問(wèn)題是看不見(jiàn)摸不著荒揣，我們就居住敵人之中。誰(shuí)也不知這里的仆婦是想親你還是想殺你笋颤，誰(shuí)也不知侍童給你滿上的是美酒還是毒藥乳附。我建議趕緊撤離“槌危”

The killings stopped after Farlen’s death, but even so his men continued sullen and anxious. “They fear no foe in open battle,” Black Lorren told him, “but it is another thing to dwell among enemies, never knowing if the washerwoman means to kiss you or kill you, or whether the serving boy is filling your cup with ale or bale. We would do well to leave this place.”

“我是臨冬城親王赋除！”席恩破口大罵》橇瑁“這是我的地盤(pán)举农，誰(shuí)也不能把我趕走，誰(shuí)也不能敞嗡！天神老子都不行颁糟！”

“I am the Prince of Winterfell!” Theon had shouted. “This is my seat, no man will drive me from it. No, nor woman either!”

阿莎。這都是她的所為喉悴。我親愛(ài)的姐姐棱貌，愿異鬼殺了她。她要我完蛋箕肃，才好名正言順地成為父親的繼承人婚脱，所以一直慢慢吞吞，毫不理會(huì)他多次催促命令勺像，任他在這里枯坐愁城障贸。

Asha. It was her doing. My own sweet sister, may the Others bugger her with a sword. She wanted him dead, so she could steal his place as their father’s heir. That was why she had let him languish here, ignoring the urgent commands he had sent her.

此刻她坐在史塔克族長(zhǎng)的高位上，用手指撕閹雞吟宦。她部下正和席恩的人一起喝酒篮洁，分享往來(lái)故事，喧嚷彌漫整個(gè)大廳殃姓，以至于無(wú)人注意他的來(lái)臨袁波⊥卟“其他人呢？”他詢問(wèn)臭佬锋叨。長(zhǎng)桌邊的人不滿五十垄分，一大半還是他的。臨冬城的廳堂足夠容納十倍于此的人數(shù)呢娃磺。

He found her in the high seat of the Starks, ripping a capon apart with her fingers. The hall rang with the voices of her men, sharing stories with Theon’s own as they drank together. They were so loud that his entrance went all but unnoticed. “Where are the rest?” he demanded of Reek. There were no more than fifty men at the trestle tables, most of them his. Winterfell’s Great Hall could have seated ten times the number.

“全部人手都在這里薄湿，親王殿下⊥滴裕”

“This is the whole o’ the company, m’lord prince.”

“全部——她帶來(lái)多少人豺瘤？”

“The whole—how many men did she bring?”

“據(jù)我計(jì)算二十個(gè)√睿”

“Twenty, by my count.”

席恩大踏步走向懶洋洋躺臥著的姐姐坐求。阿莎本來(lái)正為手下的俏皮話哈哈大笑，看他逼近便即止住晌梨∏培停“看哪，臨冬城親王登場(chǎng)嘍仔蝌》毫欤”她把手中骨頭擲給大廳里嗅來(lái)聞去的狗們，鷹勾鼻下的大嘴扭出一個(gè)嘲弄的微笑敛惊≡ㄐ“還是傻瓜親王到了？”

Theon Greyjoy strode to where his sister was sprawled. Asha was laughing at something one of her men had said, but broke off at his approach. “Why, ’tis the Prince of Winterfell.” She tossed a bone to one of the dogs sniffing about the hall. Under that hawk’s beak of a nose, her wide mouth twisted in a mocking grin. “Or is it Prince of Fools?”

“好個(gè)吃飛醋的女人瞧挤∥危”

“Envy ill becomes a maid.”

阿莎咂咂指頭的油脂，一縷黑發(fā)垂到兩眼之間特恬。她的手下鬧著要面包和培根执俩，人只有幾個(gè)，發(fā)出的聲音卻很吵癌刽∫凼祝“吃醋，席恩妒穴？”

Asha sucked grease from her fingers. A lock of black hair fell across her eyes. Her men were shouting for bread and bacon. They made a deal of noise, as few as they were. “Envy, Theon?”

“難道不是？只用三十個(gè)人摊崭，我一夜之間便拿下臨冬城讼油。你帶一千精兵，卻花了整整一個(gè)月才取得深林堡呢簸“ǎ”

“What else would you call it? With thirty men, I captured Winterfell in a night. You needed a thousand and a moon’s turn to take Deepwood Motte.”

“是啊乏屯，我比不上你，偉大的戰(zhàn)士瘦赫〕皆危可是，弟弟——”她一口喝下半角杯麥酒确虱，用手背揩揩嘴含友。“——我方才瞧見(jiàn)你掛在城門(mén)上的人頭校辩。跟我說(shuō)實(shí)話窘问，誰(shuí)的武藝比較高強(qiáng)啊，跛子呢還是嬰兒宜咒？”

“Well, I’m no great warrior like you, brother.” She quaffed half a horn of ale and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I saw the heads above your gates. Tell me true, which one gave you the fiercest fight, the cripple or the babe?”

席恩只覺(jué)熱血直往臉上沖惠赫。對(duì)這些頭顱他感不到半分樂(lè)趣，把兩具無(wú)頭童尸展示在全城人面前更覺(jué)得萬(wàn)分揪心故黑。當(dāng)時(shí)儿咱，老奶媽靜靜地站著看，柔軟無(wú)牙的嘴無(wú)聲地張合场晶。法蘭則死命地朝他撲來(lái)混埠，如他手下的獵狗一般咆哮狂吼，直到烏茲和卡德威用矛柄把他打得毫無(wú)知覺(jué)峰搪。他們?yōu)槭裁催@么對(duì)我岔冀？他站在兩具蒼蠅密布的尸身前，百思不得其解概耻。

Theon could feel the blood rushing to his face. He took no joy from those heads, no more than he had in displaying the headless bodies of the children before the castle. Old Nan stood with her soft toothless mouth opening and closing soundlessly, and Farlen threw himself at Theon, snarling like one of his hounds. Urzen and Cadwyl had to beat him senseless with the butts of their spears. How did I come to this? he remembered thinking as he stood over the fly-speckled bodies.

只有魯溫師傅壓住肝火走上前使套，這灰色的矮男子挺著石頭樣的表情，懇求席恩準(zhǔn)許將孩子的頭縫回身體鞠柄，好讓他們和其他史塔克族人一起安眠于地下墓窖之中侦高。

Only Maester Luwin had the stomach to come near. Stone-faced, the small grey man had begged leave to sew the boys’ heads back onto their shoulders, so they might be laid in the crypts below with the other Stark dead.

? “不行，”席恩告訴他厌杜》钋海“不能葬在墓窖『痪。”

“No,” Theon had told him. “Not the crypts.”

“為什么瞧壮，大人？毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)匙握，他們現(xiàn)在妨礙不了你了咆槽。而他們生來(lái)便屬于那里，那里有所有史塔克故人的遺骨——”

“But why, my lord? Surely they cannot harm you now. It is where they belong. All the bones of the Starks—”

“我說(shuō)不行圈纺∏胤蓿”他得把頭顱掛在城墻麦射，而兩具無(wú)頭軀體當(dāng)天便連同華服一起燒成灰燼。之后灯谣，他跪在碎骨和灰燼之中找到融化的殘銀斷玉——布蘭的狼頭胸針僅存的部分潜秋。他一直留著這個(gè)。

“I said no.” He needed the heads for the wall, but he had burned the headless bodies that very day, in all their finery. Afterward he had knelt amongst the bones and ashes to retrieve a slag of melted silver and cracked jet, all that remained of the wolf’s-head brooch that had once been Bran’s. He had it still.

“我給了布蘭和瑞肯優(yōu)遇胎许，”他告訴姐姐峻呛。“這是他們自作自受呐萨∩倍”

“I treated Bran and Rickon generously,” he told his sister. “They brought their fate on themselves.”

“你自己不也一樣，小弟弟谬擦∏芯啵”

“As do we all, little brother.”

他的耐心到了盡頭〔以叮“你只帶來(lái)二十個(gè)人谜悟，要我怎么守住臨冬城？”

His patience was at an end. “How do you expect me to hold Winterfell if you bring me only twenty men?”

“十個(gè)北秽，”阿莎糾正葡幸。“剩下的得護(hù)送我回去贺氓。你總不會(huì)忍心讓你親愛(ài)的姐姐孤身一人在原始森林犯險(xiǎn)吧蔚叨，好弟弟？聽(tīng)說(shuō)林子晚上有冰原狼出沒(méi)喲辙培∶锼”她從寬大的石座位里挺身站起⊙锶铮“走搀别，我們找個(gè)隱秘的地方私下談?wù)劇尾抑！?/p>

“Ten,” Asha corrected. “The others return with me. You wouldn’t want your own sweet sister to brave the dangers of the wood without an escort, would you? There are direwolves prowling the dark.” She uncoiled from the great stone seat and rose to her feet. “Come, let us go somewhere we can speak more privily.”

她是對(duì)的歇父，席恩意識(shí)到，然而令他惱怒的是自己竟不得不聽(tīng)從她的決定再愈。我根本不該來(lái)大廳榜苫，他后悔不迭，我本該召她來(lái)見(jiàn)我翎冲。

She was right, he knew, though it galled him that she would make that decision. I should never have come to the hall, he realized belatedly. I should have summoned her to me.

現(xiàn)在說(shuō)什么都遲了垂睬。席恩別無(wú)選擇，只得帶阿莎到奈德·史塔克的書(shū)房。進(jìn)屋之后羔飞，望著熄滅的爐火灰燼，他脫口而出：“達(dá)格磨在托倫方城吃了敗仗——”

It was too late for that now, however. Theon had no choice but to lead Asha to Ned Stark’s solar. There, before the ashes of a dead fire, he blurted, “Dagmer’s lost the fight at Torrhen’s Square—”

“不錯(cuò)檐春，老騎士擊潰了他安排的盾墻逻淌。”阿莎冷靜地說(shuō)疟暖，“你以為怎樣卡儒？這個(gè)羅德利克爵士熟悉地形，裂顎則一無(wú)所知俐巴，很多北方人還騎馬骨望。鐵種沒(méi)有堅(jiān)守面對(duì)鐵甲馬隊(duì)的紀(jì)律。慶幸的是欣舵，達(dá)格磨還活著擎鸠，他率領(lǐng)殘部逃回了磐石海岸≡等Γ”

“The old castellan broke his shield wall, yes,” Asha said calmly. “What did you expect? This Ser Rodrik knows the land intimately, as the Cleftjaw does not, and many of the northmen were mounted. The ironborn lack the discipline to stand a charge of armored horse. Dagmer lives, be grateful for that much. He’s leading the survivors back toward the Stony Shore.”

她所知的比我多得多劣光，席恩意識(shí)到，這讓他更加憤懣糟把【钗校“勝利終于給了蘭巴德·陶哈足夠的勇氣出城加入羅德利克的軍隊(duì)。我還得知曼德勒伯爵派出十幾只駁船順白刃河而上遣疯，滿載騎士雄可、步兵、戰(zhàn)馬和攻城機(jī)械缠犀。安柏家的部隊(duì)也在末江對(duì)岸集結(jié)数苫。月圓之前，我必須擁有一只軍隊(duì)來(lái)保衛(wèi)城池夭坪，你卻只給我十個(gè)人文判？”

She knows more than I do, Theon realized. That only made him angrier. “The victory has given Leobald Tallhart the courage to come out from behind his walls and join Ser Rodrik. And I’ve had reports that Lord Manderly has sent a dozen barges upriver packed with knights, warhorses, and siege engines. The Umbers are gathering beyond the Last River as well. I’ll have an army at my gates before the moon turns, and you bring me only ten men?”

“我一個(gè)人也不該給你∈颐罚”

“I need not have brought you any.”

“我命令你——”

“I commanded you—”

“父親命令我占領(lǐng)深林堡戏仓。”她打斷他亡鼠，“沒(méi)叫我救援我的小弟弟赏殃。”

“Father commanded me to take Deepwood Motte,” she snapped. “He said nothing of me having to rescue my little brother.”

“去你媽的深林堡间涵，”他說(shuō)仁热，“不過(guò)是荒山上的木尿壺。臨冬城才是北地的中心勾哩，可我沒(méi)軍隊(duì)怎么守得卓勾馈举哟？”

“Bugger Deepwood,” he said. “It’s a wooden pisspot on a hill. Winterfell is the heart of the land, but how am I to hold it without a garrison?”

“那是你奪城之前就該想好的事。噢迅矛，干得挺機(jī)靈妨猩，我祝賀你，但你也不過(guò)如此秽褒。你本該把城堡夷為平地壶硅，然后押兩個(gè)小王子回派克作人質(zhì)，你本可畢其功于一役销斟，為我們贏得整個(gè)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)庐椒。”

“You might have thought of that before you took it. Oh, it was cleverly done, I’ll grant you. If only you’d had the good sense to raze the castle and carry the two little princelings back to Pyke as hostages, you might have won the war in a stroke.”

“你巴不得我這樣干蚂踊，是不约谈？你巴不得把我的獵物變成廢墟和灰燼±缰樱”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? To see my prize reduced to ruins and ashes.”

“你的獵物會(huì)毀了你窗宇。海怪生于大海汪洋，席恩特纤，難道說(shuō)你這些年和狼仔待在一起已經(jīng)忘得一干二凈了军俊？我們的力量在于我們的長(zhǎng)船。我的木尿壺靠近海洋捧存，因而能夠接受補(bǔ)給粪躬，需要時(shí)也能獲得援兵。臨冬城呢昔穴，深入大陸幾百里格镰官，四周包圍著森林、山丘和敵方的莊園與城堡吗货。你別搞錯(cuò)泳唠，此地方圓千里之內(nèi)都是你的敵人。是你親手促成的——當(dāng)你把那些頭顱掛上城門(mén)樓的時(shí)候宙搬”啃龋”阿莎搖著頭∮露猓“你他媽的怎么變成了這種蠢貨脖母？把孩子……”

“Your prize will be the doom of you. Krakens rise from the sea, Theon, or did you forget that during your years among the wolves? Our strength is in our longships. My wooden pisspot sits close enough to the sea for supplies and fresh men to reach me whenever they are needful. But Winterfell is hundreds of leagues inland, ringed by woods, hills, and hostile holdfasts and castles. And every man in a thousand leagues is your enemy now, make no mistake. You made certain of that when you mounted those heads on your gatehouse.” Asha shook her head. “How could you be such a bloody fool? Children …”

“他們公然冒犯我！”他沖她大吼闲孤∽患叮“這也是血債血償，你忘了艾德·史塔克是怎么害死羅德利克和馬倫的嗎？”這句話不經(jīng)意間倉(cāng)皇而出肥照，席恩立刻明白父親會(huì)接受這個(gè)緣由脚仔。“一命換一命舆绎，我已讓我哥哥的魂魄得到安息玻侥。”

“They defied me!” he shouted in her face. “And it was blood for blood besides, two sons of Eddard Stark to pay for Rodrik and Maron.” The words tumbled out heedlessly, but Theon knew at once that his father would approve. “I’ve laid my brothers’ ghosts to rest.”

“我們的哥哥亿蒸，”阿莎提醒他，似笑非笑的表情顯示出她對(duì)復(fù)仇言論不屑一顧掌桩”咚“你把他們的魂魄從派克帶來(lái)了么，弟弟波岛？我還以為他們倆只去糾纏父親呢茅坛。”

“Our brothers,” Asha reminded him, with a half smile that suggested she took his talk of vengeance well salted. “Did you bring their ghosts from Pyke, brother? And here I thought they haunted only Father.”

“含羞的少女哪里懂得男人復(fù)仇的欲望则拷！”沒(méi)錯(cuò)贡蓖，即使父親不賞識(shí)臨冬城這份大禮，也會(huì)肯定席恩為哥哥們復(fù)仇的舉動(dòng)盎筒纭斥铺！

“When has a maid ever understood a man’s need for revenge?” Even if his father did not appreciate the gift of Winterfell, he must approve of Theon avenging his brothers!

阿莎一笑置之√成疲“你想過(guò)沒(méi)晾蜘，這羅德利克爵士此刻也有同樣的欲望喲？算啦算啦眠屎，席恩剔交，不管你是什么德行，畢竟算我的血親骨肉改衩，我是為著生出我們兩人的母親的緣故才來(lái)的岖常。跟我回深林堡吧，趁現(xiàn)在還來(lái)得及葫督，一把火燒掉臨冬城竭鞍，快快脫身￠暇担”

Asha snorted back a laugh. “This Ser Rodrik may well feel the same manly need, did you think of that? You are blood of my blood, Theon, whatever else you may be. For the sake of the mother who bore us both, return to Deepwood Motte with me. Put Winterfell to the torch and fall back while you still can.”

“不笼蛛，”席恩整整頭上的王冠◎嚷梗“城堡是我的滨砍，我要守住它。”

“No.” Theon adjusted his crown. “I took this castle and I mean to hold it.”

姐姐良久地注視他惋戏×熳罚“你要守就守吧，”她說(shuō)响逢，“下半輩子都守在這兒吧绒窑。”她嘆口氣舔亭⌒┡颍“我說(shuō)你是個(gè)傻瓜呢，也罷钦铺，含羞的少女懂什么呢订雾？”走到門(mén)邊，她給了他最后一個(gè)嘲諷的微笑矛洞⊥莅ィ“要知道，這是我見(jiàn)過(guò)最丑陋的王冠了沼本。自己動(dòng)手做的噩峦？”

His sister looked at him a long time. “Then hold it you shall,” she said, “for the rest of your life.” She sighed. “I say it tastes like folly, but what would a shy maid know of such things?” At the door she gave him one last mocking smile. “You ought to know, that’s the ugliest crown I’ve ever laid eyes on. Did you make it yourself?”

她任他渾身發(fā)抖地站在原地，大搖大擺地走了抽兆，并果然在把馬喂飽飲足后便撤離了臨冬城识补。她如約留下半數(shù)部下，接著穿過(guò)布蘭和瑞肯用來(lái)脫逃的獵人門(mén)絕塵而去辫红。

She left him fuming, and lingered no longer than was needful to feed and water her horses. Half the men she’d brought returned with her as threatened, riding out the same Hunter’s Gate that Bran and Rickon had used for their escape.

席恩站在城墻上李请，目送他們離開(kāi)±魇欤看著姐姐消失于狼林的薄霧中导盅，懷疑從心底油然上升：自己為何不聽(tīng)她的話？不跟她一起去揍瑟？

Theon watched them go from atop the wall. As his sister vanished into the mists of the wolfswood he found himself wondering why he had not listened and gone with her.

“她走了白翻，是吧？”臭佬就在身邊绢片。

“Gone, has she?” Reek was at his elbow.

席恩沒(méi)聽(tīng)到他接近的響動(dòng)滤馍，也沒(méi)聞到他的氣味，此刻最不想見(jiàn)的人就是他底循。這家伙知道得太多巢株，聽(tīng)?wèi){他晃來(lái)晃去真有些不自在。我怎不把他和其他人一起干掉熙涤？這念頭讓他焦慮阁苞。旁人容易被臭佬的外表迷惑困檩，其實(shí)他能讀會(huì)寫(xiě)，更狡猾過(guò)人那槽，真不知他何時(shí)會(huì)出賣(mài)自己悼沿。

Theon had not heard him approach, nor smelled him either. He could not think of anyone he wanted to see less. It made him uneasy to see the man walking around breathing, with what he knew. I should have had him killed after he did the others, he reflected, but the notion made him nervous. Unlikely as it seemed, Reek could read and write, and he was possessed of enough base cunning to have hidden an account of what they’d done.

“親王殿下，請(qǐng)容我多言兩句：令姐拋棄您的舉動(dòng)實(shí)在令人寒心骚灸，這十個(gè)人糟趾，遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不夠∩跎”

“M’lord prince, if you’ll pardon me saying, it’s not right for her to abandon you. And ten men, that won’t be near enough.”

“我很清楚义郑，”席恩。這不正是阿莎的目的丈钙？

“I am well aware of that,” Theon said. So was Asha.

“哎……或許我能幫您非驮，”臭佬說(shuō)，“給我一匹駿馬著恩，一包錢(qián)幣，我去為您募集幫手蜻展『硖埽”

“Well, might be I could help you,” said Reek. “Give me a horse and bag o’ coin, and I could find you some good fellows.”

席恩瞇起眼睛∽莨耍“能募多少伍茄？”

Theon narrowed his eyes. “How many?”

“或許一百，或許兩百施逾。甚至更多敷矫。”他笑了汉额，淡色的眼睛閃著光曹仗。“我是個(gè)土生土長(zhǎng)的北方人蠕搜，小有名氣怎茫，有很多人會(huì)為我臭佬賣(mài)命〖斯啵”

“A hundred, might be. Two hundred. Maybe more.” He smiled, his pale eyes glinting. “I was born up north here. I know many a man, and many a man knows Reek.”

兩百人算不上一只軍隊(duì)轨蛤，但臨冬城這么堅(jiān)固的城堡也無(wú)需成千守衛(wèi)，只要他們知道用長(zhǎng)矛的哪一頭去殺人虫埂，便足以扭轉(zhuǎn)大局祥山。“那好掉伏，你說(shuō)到做到缝呕，我一定慷慨大方澳窑。說(shuō)吧，事成之后岳颇，要什么獎(jiǎng)賞照捡？”

Two hundred men were not an army, but you didn’t need thousands to hold a castle as strong as Winterfell. So long as they could learn which end of a spear did the killing, they might make all the difference. “Do as you say and you’ll not find me ungrateful. You can name your own reward.”

“這個(gè)嘛，殿下话侧，自打跟隨拉姆斯大人以來(lái)栗精，我就沒(méi)碰過(guò)女人≌芭簦”臭佬說(shuō)悲立，“我盯上那個(gè)帕拉很久了，雖說(shuō)她已被開(kāi)苞新博，不過(guò)嘛……”

“Well, m’lord, I haven’t had no woman since I was with Lord Ramsay,” Reek said. “I’ve had my eye on that Palla, and I hear she’s already been had, so …”

他已和臭佬走得太遠(yuǎn)薪夕，無(wú)法回頭了『涨模“帶兩百人回來(lái)原献，她就是你的。少了一個(gè)埂淮，我就讓你去操豬姑隅。”

He had gone too far with Reek to turn back now. “Two hundred men and she’s yours. But a man less and you can go back to fucking pigs.”

夕陽(yáng)落山之際倔撞，臭佬出發(fā)了讲仰，帶走一袋史塔克的銀幣和席恩最后的希望。聊勝于無(wú)痪蝇，只怕我是再也見(jiàn)不著這滑頭了鄙陡，他苦澀地想，只是心里不肯放棄這最后一根稻草躏啰。

Reek was gone before the sun went down, carrying a bag of Stark silver and the last of Theon’s hopes. Like as not, I’ll never see the wretch again, he thought bitterly, but even so the chance had to be taken.

今晚他夢(mèng)見(jiàn)的是勞勃國(guó)王抵達(dá)臨冬城那天奈德·史塔克舉行的歡迎宴會(huì)趁矾。洋溢歌聲和歡笑的大廳，寒風(fēng)在外呼嘯给僵。起初愈魏，席恩只是喝美酒、吃烤肉想际，邊開(kāi)玩笑邊打量來(lái)往女仆培漏，滿心歡愉……突然發(fā)現(xiàn)整個(gè)廳堂暗下來(lái)，連音樂(lè)也不再悅耳胡本，一陣不和諧的嘈雜之后牌柄，便是詭異的寧?kù)o，所有音符都停止侧甫。猛然間珊佣，嘴里的美酒變成苦味蹋宦，他慌忙自杯間抬頭罢维，原來(lái)同席就餐的都是死人久信。

That night he dreamed of the feast Ned Stark had thrown when King Robert came to Winterfell. The hall rang with music and laughter, though the cold winds were rising outside. At first it was all wine and roast meat, and Theon was making japes and eyeing the serving girls and having himself a fine time … until he noticed that the room was growing darker. The music did not seem so jolly then; he heard discords and strange silences, and notes that hung in the air bleeding. Suddenly the wine turned bitter in his mouth, and when he looked up from his cup he saw that he was dining with the dead.

勞勃國(guó)王坐在正中，肚上有道大裂縫锁蠕，內(nèi)臟流上餐桌惑艇，無(wú)頭的艾德公爵陪在他身邊蒿辙。下方的長(zhǎng)凳上，尸體們坐得整整齊齊滨巴，互相舉杯慶賀思灌，灰褐色的腐肉從骨頭上軟泥似的脫落，蛆蟲(chóng)在空洞的眼眶里爬進(jìn)爬出恭取。他認(rèn)得他們泰偿，認(rèn)得每個(gè)人：?jiǎn)汤铩P索和胖湯姆，波瑟蜈垮、凱恩和馬房總管胡倫耗跛，這一大群人南下君臨，卻一去不返攒发。密肯和柴爾并肩而坐调塌，一個(gè)滴血，一個(gè)滴水晨继。本福德·陶哈和他的野兔兵團(tuán)幾乎占據(jù)了一整個(gè)長(zhǎng)桌烟阐。此外搬俊，磨坊主的老婆紊扬，法蘭……甚至那個(gè)席恩為了拯救布蘭而在狼林射殺的野人也在其中。

King Robert sat with his guts spilling out on the table from the great gash in his belly, and Lord Eddard was headless beside him. Corpses lined the benches below, grey-brown flesh sloughing off their bones as they raised their cups to toast, worms crawling in and out of the holes that were their eyes. He knew them, every one; Jory Cassel and Fat Tom, Porther and Cayn and Hullen the master of horse, and all the others who had ridden south to King’s Landing never to return. Mikken and Chayle sat together, one dripping blood and the other water. Benfred Tallhart and his Wild Hares filled most of a table. The miller’s wife was there as well, and Farlen, even the wildling Theon had killed in the wolfswood the day he had saved Bran’s life.

這里還有別的面孔唉擂，那些他從未目睹餐屎、只在石雕上見(jiàn)過(guò)的面孔。那位身材苗條玩祟，頭戴碧藍(lán)玫瑰花冠腹缩，身穿沾滿血污的潔白裙服的姑娘，一臉哀傷空扎，想必就是萊安娜藏鹊。她哥哥布蘭登站在她身旁，他們的父親瑞卡德公爵則在她身后转锈。墻邊盘寡，影影綽綽的形體在黑暗中移動(dòng)，蒼白的身影有嚴(yán)酷的長(zhǎng)面孔撮慨「吞担看到他們脆粥，席恩只覺(jué)恐懼猶如尖刀刺穿全身。高聳的大門(mén)轟然撞開(kāi)影涉，冰凍的寒風(fēng)灌進(jìn)大廳变隔。羅柏踏出暗夜，緩緩進(jìn)逼蟹倾；灰風(fēng)雙眼如炬匣缘，亦步亦趨。人和狼帶了幾十處重傷喊式，渾身浴血孵户。

But there were others with faces he had never known in life, faces he had seen only in stone. The slim, sad girl who wore a crown of pale blue roses and a white gown spattered with gore could only be Lyanna. Her brother Brandon stood beside her, and their father Lord Rickard just behind. Along the walls figures half-seen moved through the shadows, pale shades with long grim faces. The sight of them sent fear shivering through Theon sharp as a knife. And then the tall doors opened with a crash, and a freezing gale blew down the hall, and Robb came walking out of the night. Grey Wind stalked beside, eyes burning, and man and wolf alike bled from half a hundred savage wounds.

席恩狂叫著醒來(lái)，把威克斯嚇得魂飛魄散岔留，光著身子逃出房間夏哭。不一會(huì)兒，衛(wèi)兵們手執(zhí)長(zhǎng)劍沖進(jìn)來(lái)献联，他命他們?nèi)フ覍W(xué)士竖配。當(dāng)魯溫睡眼惺忪、衣冠不整地趕來(lái)時(shí)里逆，席恩已灌下一杯葡萄酒进胯，手止住了顫抖，開(kāi)始為自己的驚慌失措而羞愧原押⌒哺洌“只是夢(mèng)，”他喃喃道诸衔，“不過(guò)只是夢(mèng)盯漂。什么也不代表”颗”

Theon woke with a scream, startling Wex so badly that the boy ran naked from the room. When his guards burst in with drawn swords, he ordered them to bring him the maester. By the time Luwin arrived rumpled and sleepy, a cup of wine had steadied Theon’s hands, and he was feeling ashamed of his panic. “A dream,” he muttered, “that was all it was. It meant nothing.”

“什么也不代表就缆。”魯溫嚴(yán)肅地同意谒亦，并留下一貼安眠藥竭宰，席恩等他離開(kāi)便將其倒進(jìn)便池。魯溫是學(xué)士份招，可他也是人切揭，沒(méi)人喜歡他。不錯(cuò)锁摔，他想讓我安睡廓旬，最好是……一睡不醒。他和阿莎有同樣的渴望鄙漏。

“Nothing,” Luwin agreed solemnly. He left a sleeping draught, but Theon poured it down the privy shaft the moment he was gone. Luwin was a man as well as a maester, and the man had no love for him. He wants me to sleep, yes … to sleep and never wake. He’d like that as much as Asha would.

他召來(lái)凱拉嗤谚，一腳踢上門(mén)棺蛛，騎到她身上，用這輩子前所未有的狂暴狠狠操這婊子巩步。他完事之后旁赊，她不住哭泣，頸子和乳房到處是淤傷和齒印椅野。席恩推她下床终畅，扔去一條毯子，“滾出去竟闪！”

He sent for Kyra, kicked shut the door, climbed on top of her, and fucked the wench with a fury he’d never known was in him. By the time he finished, she was sobbing, her neck and breasts covered with bruises and bite marks. Theon shoved her from the bed and threw her a blanket. “Get out.”

但他還是睡不著离福。

Yet even then, he could not sleep.

黎明終于來(lái)了。他穿好衣服炼蛤，踱出房門(mén)妖爷，爬上外城城墻。城垛之間理朋，凜冽的秋風(fēng)盤(pán)旋不休絮识，吹得他臉頰發(fā)紅，刺痛了他的眼睛嗽上。陽(yáng)光從沉寂的樹(shù)木之間濾過(guò)次舌，下方的森林由灰而綠。向左兽愤，他望著高過(guò)內(nèi)墻的塔樓彼念，初升的太陽(yáng)為它們鍍上金色的冠冕。在一片綠海之中浅萧，魚(yú)梁木那一撮紅葉躍動(dòng)著火焰的光輝逐沙。這是奈德·史塔克的樹(shù)，他心想惯殊，這是史塔克的森林酱吝，史塔克的城堡也殖，史塔克的寶劍土思，史塔克的神靈。這是他們的地盤(pán)忆嗜，不是我的歸宿己儒。我是派克的葛雷喬伊，生來(lái)便應(yīng)在盾牌上刻起海怪紋章捆毫，在遼闊的鹽海中乘風(fēng)破浪闪湾。我該跟阿莎一起離開(kāi)。

Come dawn, he dressed and went outside, to walk along the outer walls. A brisk autumn wind was swirling through the battlements. It reddened his cheeks and stung his eyes. He watched the forest go from grey to green below him as light filtered through the silent trees. On his left he could see tower tops above the inner wall, their roofs gilded by the rising sun. The red leaves of the weirwood were a blaze of flame among the green. Ned Stark’s tree, he thought, and Stark’s wood, Stark’s castle, Stark’s sword, Stark’s gods. This is their place, not mine. I am a Greyjoy of Pyke, born to paint a kraken on my shield and sail the great salt sea. I should have gone with Asha.

城門(mén)樓的鐵槍上绩卤，頭顱無(wú)聲地凝視途样。

On their iron spikes atop the gatehouse, the heads waited.

席恩靜靜地回望他們江醇，風(fēng)用幽靈般的小手牽起他的披風(fēng)。磨坊主人的孩子年紀(jì)和布蘭何暇、瑞肯相仿陶夜，連體形膚色都一樣。當(dāng)臭佬剝?nèi)ニ麄兊拿嫫ゑ烧荆㈩^顱浸過(guò)焦油之后条辟，這些奇形怪狀的腐敗血肉便很容易被別人認(rèn)作是王子的頭顱。人就是這樣的傻瓜宏胯。我說(shuō)那是羊頭羽嫡，他們就能找出羊角。

Theon gazed at them silently while the wind tugged on his cloak with small ghostly hands. The miller’s boys had been of an age with Bran and Rickon, alike in size and coloring, and once Reek had flayed the skin from their faces and dipped their heads in tar, it was easy to see familiar features in those misshapen lumps of rotting flesh. People were such fools. If we’d said they were rams’ heads, they would have seen horns.