Ⅲ 冰雨的風(fēng)暴 Chapter56 布蘭

BRAN

“不過(guò)是又一座空碉堡临谱，”梅拉·黎德一邊說(shuō)，一邊注視著碎石奴璃、廢墟和雜草悉默。

It is only another empty castle,” Meera Reed said as she gazed across the desolation of rubble, ruins, and weeds.

不，布蘭心想苟穆，這是長(zhǎng)夜堡抄课，世界的盡頭。在群山中跋涉時(shí)雳旅，他一心只想早日到達(dá)長(zhǎng)城跟磨，尋找三眼烏鴉，現(xiàn)在到了這里攒盈，內(nèi)心卻充滿(mǎn)恐懼抵拘。他做的那個(gè)夢(mèng)……夏天的夢(mèng)……不，我不能去想型豁。他甚至沒(méi)告訴黎德們僵蛛，但梅拉似乎有所察覺(jué)尚蝌。如果絕口不提，也許可以忘記夢(mèng)中之事充尉，它也永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)成真飘言，羅柏和灰風(fēng)就仍然……

No, thought Bran, it is the Nightfort, and this is the end of the world. In the mountains, all he could think of was reaching the Wall and finding the three-eyed crow, but now that they were here he was filled with fears. The dream he’d had … the dream Summer had had … No, I mustn’t think about that dream. He had not even told the Reeds, though Meera at least seemed to sense that something was wrong. If he never talked of it maybe he could forget he ever dreamed it, and then it wouldn’t have happened and Robb and Grey Wind would still be …

“阿多，”阿多換換重心驼侠，布蘭也跟著晃姿鸿。走了好幾個(gè)鐘頭，他累了泪电。但至少他不害怕般妙。布蘭怕這個(gè)地方纪铺，而且?guī)缀跬瑯优孪蚶璧陆愕艹姓J(rèn)這點(diǎn)相速。我是北境的王子，臨冬城史塔克家族的成員鲜锚，幾乎已經(jīng)長(zhǎng)大成人了突诬，我得像羅柏一樣勇敢。

“Hodor.” Hodor shifted his weight, and Bran with it. He was tired. They had been walking for hours. At least he’s not afraid. Bran was scared of this place, and almost as scared of admitting it to the Reeds. I’m a prince of the north, a Stark of Winterfell, almost a man grown, I have to be as brave as Robb.

玖健用暗綠色的眼睛凝視他芜繁，“這里沒(méi)什么東西會(huì)傷害我們旺隙，殿下】チ睿”

Jojen gazed up at him with his dark green eyes. “There’s nothing here to hurt us, Your Grace.”

布蘭可不太確定蔬捷。長(zhǎng)夜堡總出現(xiàn)于老奶媽最嚇人的故事里面±拼“夜王”曾在這里統(tǒng)治周拐，其后他的名字被人們從記憶中抹去；“鼠廚師”在這里為安達(dá)爾人的國(guó)王奉上“王子培根人肉餡餅”凰兑；“七十九守衛(wèi)”曾在這里站崗妥粟；年輕勇敢的丹妮·菲林特在這里被強(qiáng)暴后謀殺。就在這座城堡吏够，謝瑞特國(guó)王發(fā)出對(duì)古安達(dá)爾人的詛咒勾给，一群小學(xué)徒面對(duì)黑夜中出現(xiàn)的妖怪，瞎子“星眼”賽米恩觀睹地獄犬打斗锅知，而“瘋斧”走過(guò)這些院子播急，爬上塔樓，于黑暗中屠殺他的兄弟們售睹。

Bran wasn’t so certain. The Nightfort had figured in some of Old Nan’s scariest stories. It was here that Night’s King had reigned, before his name was wiped from the memory of man. This was where the Rat Cook had served the Andal king his prince-and-bacon pie, where the seventy-nine sentinels stood their watch, where brave young Danny Flint had been raped and murdered. This was the castle where King Sherrit had called down his curse on the Andals of old, where the ’prentice boys had faced the thing that came in the night, where blind Symeon Star-Eyes had seen the hellhounds fighting. Mad Axe had once walked these yards and climbed these towers, butchering his brothers in the dark.

當(dāng)然旅择，所有這些故事都發(fā)生于千百年前，有些甚至根本沒(méi)發(fā)生過(guò)侣姆。魯溫學(xué)士常說(shuō)生真，老奶媽的故事不能囫圇吞下沉噩。但某一次叔叔來(lái)見(jiàn)父親時(shí)，布蘭問(wèn)起長(zhǎng)夜堡柱蟀，班揚(yáng)·史塔克沒(méi)說(shuō)那些故事是真川蒙，也沒(méi)說(shuō)是假，只聳聳肩长已，“我們兩百年前就離開(kāi)了長(zhǎng)夜堡畜眨。”仿佛這就是答案术瓮。

All that had happened hundreds and thousands of years ago, to be sure, and some maybe never happened at all. Maester Luwin always said that Old Nan’s stories shouldn’t be swallowed whole. But once his uncle came to see Father, and Bran asked about the Nightfort. Benjen Stark never said the tales were true, but he never said they weren’t; he only shrugged and said, “We left the Nightfort two hundred years ago,” as if that was an answer.

布蘭逼自己環(huán)顧四周康聂。這天早晨寒冷而明亮，陽(yáng)光從殘酷的青天中照耀而下胞四。他不喜歡那些嘈雜的聲音：風(fēng)穿過(guò)殘破塔樓發(fā)出令人不安的嘯叫恬汁，要塞吱嘎作響，老鼠在大廳地板下亂爬辜伟。那是“鼠廚師”的孩子們?cè)谔颖芨赣H氓侧。院子成了小森林，細(xì)瘦的樹(shù)木互相交錯(cuò)光禿的枝杈导狡，枯葉如蟑螂在堆堆積雪上疾走约巷。原本馬廄所在之處長(zhǎng)出了幾棵大樹(shù)，廚房拱頂上有個(gè)洞旱捧，一株扭曲的白色魚(yú)梁木從里面擠出來(lái)独郎。在這里，就連夏天也感到不安枚赡。布蘭容許自己鉆入他皮下一小會(huì)兒氓癌，聞聞這地方的味道。他不喜歡那氣味标锄。

Bran forced himself to look around. The morning was cold but bright, the sun shining down from a hard blue sky, but he did not like the noises. The wind made a nervous whistling sound as it shivered through the broken towers, the keeps groaned and settled, and he could hear rats scrabbling under the floor of the great hall. The Rat Cook’s children running from their father. The yards were small forests where spindly trees rubbed their bare branches together and dead leaves scuttled like roaches across patches of old snow. There were trees growing where the stables had been, and a twisted white weirwood pushing up through the gaping hole in the roof of the domed kitchen. Even Summer was not at ease here. Bran slipped inside his skin, just for an instant, to get the smell of the place. He did not like that either.

關(guān)鍵的是顽铸，沒(méi)有穿越長(zhǎng)城的通道。

And there was no way through.

布蘭告訴過(guò)他們不會(huì)有料皇，一遍又一遍地告訴他們谓松，但玖健·黎德堅(jiān)持要親眼看看。他做過(guò)綠色之夢(mèng)践剂，綠色之夢(mèng)不會(huì)騙人鬼譬。夢(mèng)怎能開(kāi)門(mén)呢？布蘭心想逊脯。

Bran had told them there wouldn’t be. He had told them and told them, but Jojen Reed had insisted on seeing for himself. He had had a green dream, he said, and his green dreams did not lie. They don’t open any gates either, thought Bran.

自從黑衣弟兄們收拾行李优质，棄守此處，前往深湖居之后，長(zhǎng)夜堡的大門(mén)就一直封閉：鋼鐵閘門(mén)放下巩螃，拉提的鏈條被卸除演怎，而通道里塞滿(mǎn)大大小小的石頭，全凍在一起避乏，直到跟長(zhǎng)城本身一樣難以穿透爷耀。“我們?cè)摳偠髯叩呐钠ぁ歹叮！辈继m看到這番景象之后評(píng)論。自從那晚透過(guò)夏天看著瓊恩在暴風(fēng)雨中騎馬逃走铆帽，布蘭就常想起自己的私生哥哥咆耿。“找到國(guó)王大道爹橱，然后去黑城堡萨螺。”

The gate the Nightfort guarded had been sealed since the day the black brothers had loaded up their mules and garrons and departed for Deep Lake; its iron portcullis lowered, the chains that raised it carried off, the tunnel packed with stone and rubble all frozen together until they were as impenetrable as the Wall itself. “We should have followed Jon,” Bran said when he saw it. He thought of his bastard brother often, since the night that Summer had watched him ride off through the storm. “We should have found the kingsroad and gone to Castle Black.”

“我們不敢那么做宅荤，王子殿下屑迂，”玖健說(shuō)浸策，“我告訴過(guò)你為什么冯键。”

“We dare not, my prince,” Jojen said. “I’ve told you why.”

“但野人怎么辦呀庸汗！他們殺了一位老人惫确，還想殺死瓊恩。玖健蚯舱，他們有一百個(gè)那么多呢改化。”

“But there are wildlings. They killed some man and they wanted to kill Jon too. Jojen, there were a hundred of them.”

“正是如此枉昏，而我們才四人陈肛，所以更不該去。記得嗎兄裂？你幫了你哥哥——如果那真是他——卻差點(diǎn)失去夏天句旱。”

“So you said. We are four. You helped your brother, if that was him in truth, but it almost cost you Summer.”

“我知道晰奖，”布蘭悲哀地說(shuō)谈撒。冰原狼殺了三個(gè)野人，或許更多匾南，可對(duì)方數(shù)目實(shí)在驚人啃匿，很快便在那沒(méi)耳朵的人周?chē)o密集結(jié)成一圈。夏天試圖溜進(jìn)雨夜，不料一支箭斜刺里飛來(lái)溯乒，突然的刺痛把布蘭逼出狼形夹厌，回到自己的身軀。等雨終于停止裆悄，一行四人擠在黑暗中尊流，沒(méi)有生火，也沒(méi)大聲說(shuō)話(huà)——基本上什么也沒(méi)說(shuō)灯帮。他們聽(tīng)著阿多沉重的呼吸崖技，擔(dān)心直到清晨，尤其擔(dān)心野人們會(huì)穿湖過(guò)來(lái)钟哥。布蘭不時(shí)進(jìn)入夏天迎献，但疼痛又總是立刻把他驅(qū)回，好比灼熱的水壺腻贰，就算再想提吁恍，也不得不抽回手。那晚只有阿多睡著播演，一邊念叨“阿多冀瓦，阿多”，一邊翻來(lái)覆去写烤。布蘭害怕夏天會(huì)在黑暗之中死去翼闽。求求你們，遠(yuǎn)古諸神洲炊，他祈禱感局，你們帶走了臨冬城，帶走了我父親暂衡，帶走了我的腿询微，不要把夏天也帶走。也請(qǐng)你們守護(hù)瓊恩·雪諾狂巢，請(qǐng)你們讓野人離開(kāi)撑毛。

“I know,” said Bran miserably. The direwolf had killed three of them, maybe more, but there had been too many. When they formed a tight ring around the tall earless man, he had tried to slip away through the rain, but one of their arrows had come flashing after him, and the sudden stab of pain had driven Bran out of the wolf’s skin and back into his own. After the storm finally died, they had huddled in the dark without a fire, talking in whispers if they talked at all, listening to Hodor’s heavy breathing and wondering if the wildlings might try and cross the lake in the morning. Bran had reached out for Summer time and time again, but the pain he found drove him back, the way a red-hot kettle makes you pull your hand back even when you mean to grab it. Only Hodor slept that night, muttering “Hodor, hodor,” as he tossed and turned. Bran was terrified that Summer was off dying in the darkness. Please, you old gods, he prayed, you took Winterfell, and my father, and my legs, please don’t take Summer too. And watch over Jon Snow too, and make the wildlings go away.

湖中的巖石島嶼上沒(méi)有魚(yú)梁木生長(zhǎng)，然而遠(yuǎn)古諸神似乎是聽(tīng)到了唧领。第二天早上藻雌，野人們不慌不忙地準(zhǔn)備啟程，扒下自己的死者和那位老人的衣物疹吃，甚至還從湖里撈起一些魚(yú)蹦疑。有那么令人驚恐的一刻，三個(gè)人找到堤道萨驶，并試圖走過(guò)來(lái)……但堤道拐彎的地方他們沒(méi)拐歉摧，結(jié)果兩人差點(diǎn)淹死，幸好被拉了上來(lái)。高大禿頂?shù)氖最I(lǐng)朝他們吼叫叁温，話(huà)音在湖面上回蕩再悼，連玖健都聽(tīng)不懂他使用的語(yǔ)言，片刻之后膝但，對(duì)方收拾起盾牌和長(zhǎng)矛冲九，朝東北，就是瓊恩離開(kāi)的方向進(jìn)發(fā)跟束。布蘭也想離開(kāi)莺奸，去尋找夏天，但被黎德姐弟阻止冀宴∶鸫“再留一晚，”玖健道略贮，“和野人之間拉開(kāi)一段距離甚疟，再碰上他們可不好，對(duì)吧逃延？”欣慰的是览妖，當(dāng)天下午，夏天拖著一條傷腿從藏身之處返回揽祥。他趕走烏鴉讽膏，吃了點(diǎn)客棧里的尸體，然后游到島上盔然。梅拉從他腿上拔出斷箭榕堰，給傷口抹上某種植物的汁液伍绳，那是她在塔樓基座附近找到的拥娄。冰原狼仍一瘸一拐壶愤，但布蘭覺(jué)得他每天都有好轉(zhuǎn)皆尔。諸神畢竟聽(tīng)見(jiàn)了祈禱觉既。

No weirwoods grew on that stony island in the lake, yet somehow the old gods must have heard. The wildlings took their sweet time about departing the next morning, stripping the bodies of their dead and the old man they’d killed, even pulling a few fish from the lake, and there was a scary moment when three of them found the causeway and started to walk out … but the path turned and they didn’t, and two of them nearly drowned before the others pulled them out. The tall bald man yelled at them, his words echoing across the water in some tongue that even Jojen did not know, and a little while later they gathered up their shields and spears and marched off north by east, the same way Jon had gone. Bran wanted to leave too, to look for Summer, but the Reeds said no. “We will stay another night,” said Jojen, “put some leagues between us and the wildlings. You don’t want to meet them again, do you?” Late that afternoon Summer returned from wherever he’d been hiding, dragging his back leg. He ate parts of the bodies in the inn, driving off the crows, then swam out to the island. Meera had drawn the broken arrow from his leg and rubbed the wound with the juice of some plants she found growing around the base of the tower. The direwolf was still limping, but a little less each day, it seemed to Bran. The gods had heard.

“也許我們?cè)撛囋嚻渌潜ぬ剑泵防瓕?duì)弟弟說(shuō)遂鹊，“也許有別的門(mén)可以通過(guò)丽柿。如果你們?cè)敢饣肿迹胰ヌ讲欤粋€(gè)人走得比較快甫题∧倏穑”

“Maybe we should try another castle,” Meera said to her brother. “Maybe we could get through the gate somewhere else. I could go scout if you wanted, I’d make better time by myself.”

布蘭搖搖頭，“往東坠非，有深湖居和王后門(mén)敏沉，往西則是冰痕城。它們跟這里一樣，只是規(guī)模稍小盟迟。所有門(mén)都封住了秋泳，除了黑城堡、東海望和影子塔攒菠∑戎澹”

Bran shook his head. “If you go east there’s Deep Lake, then Queensgate. West is Icemark. But they’ll be the same, only smaller. All the gates are sealed except the ones at Castle Black, Eastwatch, and the Shadow Tower.”

聽(tīng)罷此言，阿多說(shuō)辖众，“阿多卓起。”黎德姐弟交換一個(gè)眼神凹炸〖燃ǎ“至少我該爬到長(zhǎng)城頂上，”梅拉斷定还惠，“也許在上面饲握，能看見(jiàn)什么東西〔霞”

Hodor said, “Hodor,” to that, and the Reeds exchanged a look. “At least I should climb to the top of the Wall,” Meera decided. “Maybe I’ll see something up there.”

“你打算看什么救欧？”玖健問(wèn)。

“What could you hope to see?” Jojen asked.

“什么都行锣光“实。”梅拉態(tài)度堅(jiān)決地回答。

“Something,” said Meera, and for once she was adamant.

這事本該由我去做誊爹。布蘭抬頭蹬刷，看著長(zhǎng)城，想像自己一寸一寸地往上爬频丘，手指挖進(jìn)冰縫中办成，腳尖踢出落腳處，不由得露出微笑搂漠。狼夢(mèng)迂卢、野人和瓊恩等等全都不再重要。他打小就攀爬過(guò)臨冬城的墻壘和所有塔樓桐汤，但它們沒(méi)這么高而克，而且是石頭做的。長(zhǎng)城看起來(lái)也像石頭怔毛，灰蒙蒙的员萍，表面坑坑洼洼，但等云層散開(kāi)拣度，陽(yáng)光普照碎绎，情況就完全不同蜂莉。它一下子變了樣，閃爍著白色和藍(lán)色的瑩光混卵。這是世界的盡頭映穗，老奶媽常說(shuō)，對(duì)面為怪獸幕随、巨人族和食尸鬼的住所蚁滋，但只要長(zhǎng)城牢牢矗立，它們就都過(guò)不來(lái)赘淮。我想跟著梅拉一起上去辕录，布蘭心想，站在上面看一看梢卸。

It should be me. Bran raised his head to look up at the Wall, and imagined himself climbing inch by inch, squirming his fingers into cracks in the ice and kicking footholds with his toes. That made him smile in spite of everything, the dreams and the wildlings and Jon and everything. He had climbed the walls of Winterfell when he was little, and all the towers too, but none of them had been so high, and they were only stone. The Wall could look like stone, all grey and pitted, but then the clouds would break and the sun would hit it differently, and all at once it would transform, and stand there white and blue and glittering. It was the end of the world, Old Nan always said. On the other side were monsters and giants and ghouls, but they could not pass so long as the Wall stood strong. I want to stand on top with Meera, Bran thought. I want to stand on top and see.

但他是個(gè)殘廢的小男孩走诞，有一雙沒(méi)用的腿，因此只能從底下眼睜睜目睹梅拉代替自己爬上去蛤高。

But he was a broken boy with useless legs, so all he could do was watch from below as Meera went up in his stead.

她并非在爬蚣旱，不像以前的他。她只不過(guò)沿著守夜人數(shù)千年前鑿出的階梯往上走戴陡。記得魯溫學(xué)士說(shuō)過(guò)塞绿，只有長(zhǎng)夜堡的樓梯是從長(zhǎng)城本身的冰壁里鑿出來(lái)的⌒襞或許這是班揚(yáng)叔叔說(shuō)的异吻？往后的城堡都用木樓梯、石樓梯或泥土沙礫混合的長(zhǎng)坡道喜庞。冰太難捉摸诀浪，叔叔如是說(shuō)，長(zhǎng)城盡管內(nèi)核凍得像石頭般堅(jiān)硬延都，但表面時(shí)而融化雷猪，流下冰冷的溪流，猶如哭泣窄潭。自從最后一批黑衣弟兄離開(kāi)城堡春宣，那階梯一定融化又凍結(jié)了上千次，每次都會(huì)縮小一點(diǎn)嫉你，變得更平整，更圓滑躏惋，更危險(xiǎn)幽污。

She wasn’t really climbing, the way he used to climb. She was only walking up some steps that the Night’s Watch had hewn hundreds and thousands of years ago. He remembered Maester Luwin saying the Nightfort was the only castle where the steps had been cut from the ice of the Wall itself. Or maybe it had been Uncle Benjen. The newer castles had wooden steps, or stone ones, or long ramps of earth and gravel. Ice is too treacherous. It was his uncle who’d told him that. He said that the outer surface of the Wall wept icy tears sometimes, though the core inside stayed frozen hard as rock. The steps must have melted and refrozen a thousand times since the last black brothers left the castle, and every time they did they shrunk a little and got smoother and rounder and more treacherous.

而且更窄小。好像長(zhǎng)城要將它們重新收回去簿姨。梅拉·黎德腳步穩(wěn)健距误，即使如此簸搞，還是走得很慢，逐級(jí)逐級(jí)前進(jìn)准潭。有兩個(gè)地方趁俊，階梯幾乎消失，她就匍匐著手腳并用刑然。下來(lái)更難寺擂，布蘭心想。最后她終于到達(dá)頂端泼掠，踏過(guò)樓梯最高處僅存的若干冰晶凸起怔软，消失于視線之外。

And smaller. It’s almost like the Wall was swallowing them back into itself. Meera Reed was very surefooted, but even so she was going slowly, moving from nub to nub. In two places where the steps were hardly there at all she got down on all fours. It will be worse when she comes down, Bran thought, watching. Even so, he wished it was him up there. When she reached the top, crawling up the icy knobs that were all that remained of the highest steps, Meera vanished from his sight.

“她什么時(shí)候下來(lái)择镇？”布蘭問(wèn)玖健挡逼。

“When will she come down?” Bran asked Jojen.

“適當(dāng)?shù)臅r(shí)候吧。她要好好看看……長(zhǎng)城腻豌，看看另一邊家坎。我們也該在下面看看×呙罚”

“When she is ready. She will want to have a good look … at the Wall and what’s beyond. We should do the same down here.”

“阿多乘盖？”阿多懷疑地說(shuō)。

“Hodor?” said Hodor, doubtfully.

“也許能發(fā)現(xiàn)什么憔涉《┛颍”玖健堅(jiān)持。

“We might find something,” Jojen insisted.

或者被什么發(fā)現(xiàn)兜叨。這話(huà)布蘭說(shuō)不出口穿扳，他不想讓玖健認(rèn)為自己是膽小鬼。

Or something might find us. Bran couldn’t say it, though; he did not want Jojen to think he was craven.

于是他們著手探察国旷，玖健·黎德領(lǐng)頭矛物，布蘭坐在阿多背上的籃子里，夏天走在他們身旁跪但。途中履羞，冰原狼竄進(jìn)某個(gè)黑乎乎的門(mén)里，片刻之后屡久，叼著一只灰老鼠回來(lái)忆首。這就是“鼠廚師”？布蘭心想被环，但顏色不對(duì)糙及，而且才貓的體形∩富叮“鼠廚師”可是白的浸锨，幾乎有老母豬般碩大……

So they went exploring, Jojen Reed leading, Bran in his basket on Hodor’s back, Summer padding by their side. Once the direwolf bolted through a dark door and returned a moment later with a grey rat between his teeth. The Rat Cook, Bran thought, but it was the wrong color, and only as big as a cat. The Rat Cook was white, and almost as huge as a sow …

長(zhǎng)夜堡有許多黑乎乎的門(mén)唇聘，也有許多老鼠。布蘭可以聽(tīng)見(jiàn)它們?cè)诘亟押瓦B接地窖的通道里亂爬柱搜，黑漆漆的通道好比迷宮迟郎，玖健想下去偵察，但阿多說(shuō)“阿多”聪蘸，布蘭說(shuō)“不”宪肖。長(zhǎng)夜堡底的黑暗中有比老鼠更糟的東西。

There were a lot of dark doors in the Nightfort, and a lot of rats. Bran could hear them scurrying through the vaults and cellars, and the maze of pitch-black tunnels that connected them. Jojen wanted to go poking around down there, but Hodor said “Hodor” to that, and Bran said “No.” There were worse things than rats down in the dark beneath the Nightfort.

“這看起來(lái)是個(gè)古老的地方宇姚⌒偻ィ”玖健沿著走廊行走，太陽(yáng)從空洞的窗戶(hù)照入浑劳，投射出道道充滿(mǎn)灰塵的光柱阱持。

“This seems an old place,” Jojen said as they walked down a gallery where the sunlight fell in dusty shafts through empty windows.

“比黑城堡古老一倍，”布蘭邊回憶邊說(shuō)魔熏，“它是長(zhǎng)城上第一座堡壘衷咽，最大的一座∷庹溃”也是第一座被遺棄的堡壘镶骗，早在“人瑞王”的時(shí)代。那時(shí)候躲雅，已有四分之三的房間空著鼎姊，維護(hù)的開(kāi)銷(xiāo)太大。“善良的”亞莉珊王后建議守夜人在東面七里遠(yuǎn)的地方興建另一座小規(guī)模的新城堡作為代替，在那里绵脯，長(zhǎng)城沿一個(gè)美麗的綠色湖泊彎曲延伸佳励。建造深湖居的費(fèi)用出自王后變賣(mài)的首飾，并由“人瑞王”派人一路前往北方負(fù)責(zé)修筑蛆挫，隨后赃承，黑衣弟兄們將長(zhǎng)夜堡留給了老鼠楣导。

“Twice as old as Castle Black,” Bran said, remembering. “It was the first castle on the Wall, and the largest.” But it had also been the first abandoned, all the way back in the time of the Old King. Even then it had been three-quarters empty and too costly to maintain. Good Queen Alysanne had suggested that the Watch replace it with a smaller, newer castle at a spot only seven miles east, where the Wall curved along the shore of a beautiful green lake. Deep Lake had been paid for by the queen’s jewels and built by the men the Old King had sent north, and the black brothers had abandoned the Nightfort to the rats.

那是兩個(gè)世紀(jì)之前的事。如今畜挨，深湖居也跟它所取代的城堡一樣廢棄空曠毡咏，而長(zhǎng)夜堡……

That was two centuries past, though. Now Deep Lake stood as empty as the castle it had replaced, and the Nightfort …

“這里有鬼魂〈伲”布蘭說(shuō)呕缭。阿多也許聽(tīng)過(guò)所有的故事，玖健可不見(jiàn)得修己』肿埽“非常古老的鬼魂，比‘人瑞王’更老睬愤，甚至比‘龍王’伊耿還老片仿。鬼魂乃是七十九名背棄誓言，前往南方的逃兵尤辱，被到處通緝砂豌。他們中有一位是萊斯威爾伯爵的幼子，因此領(lǐng)隊(duì)伍前往荒冢地光督，去他的城堡尋求庇護(hù)阳距，不料伯爵卻將他們繩之以法，送回長(zhǎng)夜堡结借】鹫總司令命人在長(zhǎng)城頂上鑿出七十九個(gè)洞，把逃兵們關(guān)進(jìn)去船老，活活封進(jìn)冰里咖熟。他們手執(zhí)長(zhǎng)矛與號(hào)角，全部面朝北方努隙，被稱(chēng)為‘七十九守衛(wèi)’球恤。他們活著的時(shí)候離開(kāi)了崗位，死后便要永遠(yuǎn)站崗荸镊。多年之后咽斧，萊斯威爾伯爵衰老垂危，臨死前命人把自己抬到長(zhǎng)城躬存，好穿上黑衣张惹，站在兒子身邊。為了榮譽(yù)他將兒子送回長(zhǎng)城岭洲，但心底仍深?lèi)?ài)著他宛逗，因此來(lái)與他一起站崗《苁＃”

“There are ghosts here,” Bran said. Hodor had heard all the stories before, but Jojen might not have. “Old ghosts, from before the Old King, even before Aegon the Dragon, seventy-nine deserters who went south to be outlaws. One was Lord Ryswell’s youngest son, so when they reached the barrowlands they sought shelter at his castle, but Lord Ryswell took them captive and returned them to the Nightfort. The Lord Commander had holes hewn in the top of the Wall and he put the deserters in them and sealed them up alive in the ice. They have spears and horns and they all face north. The seventy-nine sentinels, they’re called. They left their posts in life, so in death their watch goes on forever. Years later, when Lord Ryswell was old and dying, he had himself carried to the Nightfort so he could take the black and stand beside his son. He’d sent him back to the Wall for honor’s sake, but he loved him still, so he came to share his watch.”

他們花了半天時(shí)間在城堡里探索雷激。有些塔已經(jīng)倒掉替蔬，另一些看起來(lái)不太安穩(wěn)，但一行三人登了鐘樓（鐘已經(jīng)不見(jiàn)）和鴉巢（鳥(niǎo)也不見(jiàn)了）屎暇。釀酒房下承桥，滿(mǎn)地窖的巨大橡木桶，阿多敲打它們根悼，發(fā)出空洞的聲響凶异。他們找到一個(gè)圖書(shū)館（書(shū)架和書(shū)柜都已崩塌，書(shū)一本都沒(méi)有挤巡，到處是老鼠）和一個(gè)潮濕昏暗的地牢剩彬，牢房足夠容納五百名囚犯，但當(dāng)布蘭抓住一根生銹的欄桿矿卑，它卻在他手中斷裂開(kāi)來(lái)喉恋。大廳只剩一面殘墻，澡堂沉入地下粪摘，一片巨大的荊棘叢占領(lǐng)了兵器庫(kù)外黑衣弟兄們昔日操練槍矛瀑晒、盾牌和長(zhǎng)劍的校場(chǎng)，鐵匠鋪雖還立著徘意，但蜘蛛網(wǎng)苔悦、老鼠和灰塵取代了刀劍、風(fēng)箱與砧板椎咧。有時(shí)玖详，夏天會(huì)聽(tīng)見(jiàn)布蘭聽(tīng)不到的聲音，或朝莫名的方向咧牙露齒勤讽，頸背毛發(fā)直立……但“鼠廚師”蟋座、“七十九守衛(wèi)”和“瘋斧”終究沒(méi)有露面。布蘭松了口氣脚牍。也許這只不過(guò)是座廢棄的空城堡向臀。

They spent half the day poking through the castle. Some of the towers had fallen down and others looked unsafe, but they climbed the bell tower (the bells were gone) and the rookery (the birds were gone). Beneath the brewhouse they found a vault of huge oaken casks that boomed hollowly when Hodor knocked on them. They found a library (the shelves and bins had collapsed, the books were gone, and rats were everywhere). They found a dank and dim-lit dungeon with cells enough to hold five hundred captives, but when Bran grabbed hold of one of the rusted bars it broke off in his hand. Only one crumbling wall remained of the great hall, the bathhouse seemed to be sinking into the ground, and a huge thornbush had conquered the practice yard outside the armory where black brothers had once labored with spear and shield and sword. The armory and the forge still stood, however, though cobwebs, rats, and dust had taken the places of blades, bellows, and anvil. Sometimes Summer would hear sounds that Bran seemed deaf to, or bare his teeth at nothing, the fur on the back of his neck bristling … but the Rat Cook never put in an appearance, nor the seventy-nine sentinels, nor Mad Axe. Bran was much relieved. Maybe it is only a ruined empty castle.

等到梅拉回來(lái)，陽(yáng)光在西方的山頂只剩點(diǎn)點(diǎn)余暉诸狭∪颍“你看到什么？”她弟弟玖健問(wèn)驯遇。

By the time Meera returned, the sun was only a sword’s breath above the western hills. “What did you see?” her brother Jojen asked her.

“我看到鬼影森林芹彬，”她用渴望的語(yǔ)調(diào)說(shuō)，“目力所及叉庐，處處是高聳的山峰舒帮，覆蓋著從未被刀斧砍伐的樹(shù)木；我看到陽(yáng)光在湖面閃爍，云層從西方飄來(lái)玩郊；我看到堆堆陳舊的積雪肢执，矛一般長(zhǎng)的冰錐；我甚至看到一只老鷹在長(zhǎng)天盤(pán)旋瓦宜，它也看到了我蔚万。我還朝他揮手呢岭妖×俦樱”

“I saw the haunted forest,” she said in a wistful tone. “Hills rising wild as far as the eye can see, covered with trees that no axe has ever touched. I saw the sunlight glinting off a lake, and clouds sweeping in from the west. I saw patches of old snow, and icicles long as pikes. I even saw an eagle circling. I think he saw me too. I waved at him.”

“有沒(méi)看到下去的路？”玖健問(wèn)昵慌。

“Did you see a way down?” asked Jojen.

她搖搖頭假夺。“沒(méi)有斋攀。完全是一面峭壁已卷，冰壁如此光滑……若有一根好繩子和一把鋒利的斧頭，我也許能下去淳蔼，但……”

She shook her head. “No. It’s a sheer drop, and the ice is so smooth … I might be able to make the descent if I had a good rope and an axe to chop out handholds, but …”

“……我們不行侧蘸，”玖健替她說(shuō)完。

“… but not us,” Jojen finished.

“對(duì)鹉梨，”他姐姐贊同讳癌，“你肯定這里是夢(mèng)見(jiàn)的地方？也許我們來(lái)到了錯(cuò)誤的城堡呢存皂∩卫ぃ”

“No,” his sister agreed. “Are you sure this is the place you saw in your dream? Maybe we have the wrong castle.”

“不。就是這個(gè)城堡旦袋。這里有道門(mén)骤菠。”

“No. This is the castle. There is a gate here.”

的確有道門(mén)疤孕，布蘭心想商乎，但它被石頭和冰給堵住了。

Yes, thought Bran, but it’s blocked by stone and ice.

太陽(yáng)落坡祭阀，塔樓的影子漸漸拉長(zhǎng)鹉戚，風(fēng)也越來(lái)越強(qiáng)，將堆堆枯葉“嘩嘩”地吹過(guò)庭院柬讨。逐漸凝聚的黑暗讓布蘭想起老奶媽的另一個(gè)故事崩瓤，“夜王”的故事。他是守夜人軍團(tuán)第十三任總司令踩官，她談到却桶，一位從無(wú)恐懼的戰(zhàn)士。“這是他的缺陷颖系，”她接著補(bǔ)充嗅剖，“所有人都該明白恐懼的感受∴叶螅”一個(gè)女人導(dǎo)致他的墮落信粮，一個(gè)女人從長(zhǎng)城之巔望下來(lái)，肌膚仿佛月亮般蒼白趁啸，眼睛猶如藍(lán)色的星强缘。他毫無(wú)畏縮地追求她，占有她不傅，并愛(ài)上了她旅掂，盡管她像玄冰一樣寒冷。他將種子撒進(jìn)她體內(nèi)的同時(shí)访娶，也將靈魂交給了她商虐。

As the sun began to set the shadows of the towers lengthened and the wind blew harder, sending gusts of dry dead leaves rattling through the yards. The gathering gloom put Bran in mind of another of Old Nan’s stories, the tale of Night’s King. He had been the thirteenth man to lead the Night’s Watch, she said; a warrior who knew no fear. “And that was the fault in him,” she would add, “for all men must know fear.” A woman was his downfall; a woman glimpsed from atop the Wall, with skin as white as the moon and eyes like blue stars. Fearing nothing, he chased her and caught her and loved her, though her skin was cold as ice, and when he gave his seed to her he gave his soul as well.

于是他把她帶回長(zhǎng)夜堡，立為王后崖疤，而自己是國(guó)王秘车，并用詭異的魔法誓言讓弟兄們服從意旨〗俸撸“夜王”和他的尸鬼王后統(tǒng)治了十三年叮趴，直到最終，臨冬城的史塔克家和野人王喬曼聯(lián)合起來(lái)解開(kāi)守夜人的束縛沦偎。在他死后疫向，人們發(fā)現(xiàn)他曾向異鬼奉獻(xiàn)祭品，于是所有“夜王”的記錄全被銷(xiāo)毀豪嚎，他的名字成為禁忌搔驼。

He brought her back to the Nightfort and proclaimed her a queen and himself her king, and with strange sorceries he bound his Sworn Brothers to his will. For thirteen years they had ruled, Night’s King and his corpse queen, till finally the Stark of Winterfell and Joramun of the wildlings had joined to free the Watch from bondage. After his fall, when it was found he had been sacrificing to the Others, all records of Night’s King had been destroyed, his very name forbidden.

“有人說(shuō)他是波頓家的人，”老奶媽每每如此總結(jié)侈询，“有人說(shuō)他是斯卡格斯島的馬格拿舌涨，還有人說(shuō)他來(lái)自安柏家、菲林特家或諾瑞家扔字，更有人要你相信囊嘉，他出自伍德福特家——他們?cè)阼F民之前統(tǒng)治熊島。其實(shí)根本不是革为，他是個(gè)史塔克扭粱，而將他擊敗的則是他的兄弟≌痖荩”說(shuō)到此處琢蛤，她總捏住布蘭的鼻子蜓堕，他至今不能忘懷〔┢洌“他是臨冬城的史塔克套才，也許就叫布蘭登，誰(shuí)說(shuō)得準(zhǔn)呢慕淡？也許他就在這個(gè)房間背伴，這張床上睡過(guò)》逅瑁”

“Some say he was a Bolton,” Old Nan would always end. “Some say a Magnar out of Skagos, some say Umber, Flint, or Norrey. Some would have you think he was a Woodfoot, from them who ruled Bear Island before the ironmen came. He never was. He was a Stark, the brother of the man who brought him down.” She always pinched Bran on the nose then, he would never forget it. “He was a Stark of Winterfell, and who can say? Mayhaps his name was Brandon. Mayhaps he slept in this very bed in this very room.”

不傻寂，布蘭心想，但他的確曾在這座城堡儿普，在我們今晚睡覺(jué)的地方活動(dòng)崎逃。他一點(diǎn)也不喜歡這念頭。按照老奶媽的說(shuō)法眉孩，“夜王”在白天只是個(gè)普通人，但統(tǒng)治著黑夜勒葱。而現(xiàn)在天正在變黑浪汪。

No, Bran thought, but he walked in this castle, where we’ll sleep tonight. He did not like that notion very much at all. Night’s King was only a man by light of day, Old Nan would always say, but the night was his to rule. And it’s getting dark.

黎德姐弟決定睡在廚房，那是一幢八角形的石頭房子凛虽，拱項(xiàng)雖已殘破死遭，但看起來(lái)比其他建筑物能提供更好的遮蔽。屋子中央一口大井邊凯旋，有棵彎彎曲曲的魚(yú)梁木從石地板上冒出來(lái)呀潭，斜伸向屋頂上的洞，白骨般的樹(shù)枝指向太陽(yáng)至非。這是一棵怪異的樹(shù)钠署，比布蘭見(jiàn)過(guò)的其他魚(yú)梁木都細(xì)瘦，而且沒(méi)有臉荒椭，卻讓他感覺(jué)遠(yuǎn)古諸神與自己同在谐鼎。

The Reeds decided that they would sleep in the kitchens, a stone octagon with a broken dome. It looked to offer better shelter than most of the other buildings, even though a crooked weirwood had burst up through the slate floor beside the huge central well, stretching slantwise toward the hole in the roof, its bone-white branches reaching for the sun. It was a queer kind of tree, skinnier than any other weirwood that Bran had ever seen and faceless as well, but it made him feel as if the old gods were with him here, at least.

然而那是廚房唯一令他喜歡的地方。屋頂大部分沒(méi)塌趣惠，若下雨的話(huà)狸棍，可以遮蔽他們，但他認(rèn)定在這里絕不可能暖和味悄，隨時(shí)都能感覺(jué)到寒氣從石板地里滲上來(lái)草戈。布蘭也不喜歡處處的陰影，不喜歡那些巨大的磚爐像張開(kāi)的嘴一樣包圍著他們侍瑟，不喜歡生銹的肉鉤唐片，不喜歡沿墻排列、滿(mǎn)是疤痕污漬的屠宰臺(tái)。他知道牵触，“鼠廚師”就是在這里把王子切成碎塊淮悼，并用其中一個(gè)爐子烤人肉餡餅。

That was the only thing he liked about the kitchens, though. The roof was mostly there, so they’d be dry if it rained again, but he didn’t think they would ever get warm here. You could feel the cold seeping up through the slate floor. Bran did not like the shadows either, or the huge brick ovens that surrounded them like open mouths, or the rusted meat hooks, or the scars and stains he saw in the butcher’s block along one wall. That was where the Rat Cook chopped the prince to pieces, he knew, and he baked the pie in one of these ovens.

那口井他最不喜歡揽思。足足十二尺寬袜腥，全由石頭砌成，側(cè)面還建有階梯钉汗，盤(pán)旋而下羹令，進(jìn)入黑暗之中。井壁濕乎乎的损痰，覆滿(mǎn)水垢福侈，深不見(jiàn)底，甚至連梅拉那對(duì)屬于獵人的敏銳眼睛也毫無(wú)辦法卢未》玖荩“也許它沒(méi)底呢，”布蘭懷疑地說(shuō)辽社。

The well was the thing he liked the least, though. It was a good twelve feet across, all stone, with steps built into its side, circling down and down into darkness. The walls were damp and covered with niter, but none of them could see the water at the bottom, not even Meera with her sharp hunter’s eyes. “Maybe it doesn’t have a bottom,” Bran said uncertainly.

阿多越過(guò)齊膝高的井沿窺視伟墙，他說(shuō)，“阿多滴铅！”聲音順井向下回蕩戳葵，“阿多阿多阿多阿多，”越來(lái)越弱汉匙，“阿多阿多阿多阿多拱烁，”直到比耳語(yǔ)更輕。阿多似乎嚇了一跳噩翠，然后呵呵大笑戏自，彎腰從地板上挖起一塊破碎的石片。

Hodor peered over the knee-high lip of the well and said, “HODOR!” The word echoed down the well, “Hodorhodorhodorhodor,” fainter and fainter, “hodorhodorhodorhodor,” until it was less than a whisper. Hodor looked startled. Then he laughed, and bent to scoop a broken piece of slate off the floor.

“阿多绎秒，不要浦妄！”布蘭說(shuō)，但太晚了见芹。阿多將石片扔過(guò)了邊緣剂娄。“你不該這么做玄呛，不知道下面有什么阅懦。也許會(huì)傷到什么，或者……或者喚醒什么徘铝《ィ”

“Hodor, don’t!” said Bran, but too late. Hodor tossed the slate over the edge. “You shouldn’t have done that. You don’t know what’s down there. You might have hurt something, or … or woken something up.”

阿多無(wú)辜地看著他惯吕。“阿多怕午？”

Hodor looked at him innocently. “Hodor?”

在下方很遠(yuǎn)很遠(yuǎn)的地方废登，石頭碰到水面，傳來(lái)一聲響郁惜。老實(shí)說(shuō)那不太像水花濺起的聲音堡距，更像某種吞咽，仿佛什么東西顫抖著張開(kāi)冰冷的嘴兆蕉，吞下阿多的石頭羽戒。微弱的回音沿井道傳播，片刻之間虎韵，布蘭覺(jué)得有東西在動(dòng)易稠，在水里翻滾“叮“也許我們不該留在這兒驶社，”他不安地說(shuō)。

Far, far, far below, they heard the sound as the stone found water. It wasn’t a splash, not truly. It was more a gulp, as if whatever was below had opened a quivering gelid mouth to swallow Hodor’s stone. Faint echoes traveled up the well, and for a moment Bran thought he heard something moving, thrashing about in the water. “Maybe we shouldn’t stay here,” he said uneasily.

“不在井邊养晋？”梅拉問(wèn)衬吆，“不在長(zhǎng)夜堡？”

“By the well?” asked Meera. “Or in the Nightfort?”

“是的绳泉。”布蘭不假思索地回答姆泻。

“Yes,” said Bran.

她笑了零酪，然后讓阿多出去收集木頭。夏天也要出去拇勃，此時(shí)天已差不多全黑四苇，冰原狼想捕獵。

She laughed, and sent Hodor out to gather wood. Summer went too. It was almost dark by then, and the direwolf wanted to hunt.

良久方咆，阿多獨(dú)自歸來(lái)月腋，捧回滿(mǎn)滿(mǎn)一堆枯木斷枝。玖健·黎德拿出火石和匕首瓣赂，燃起一堆火榆骚，而梅拉給魚(yú)剔骨頭，那是經(jīng)過(guò)上一條小河時(shí)煌集，她逮住的妓肢。布蘭疑惑地想，不知已有多少年沒(méi)人在長(zhǎng)夜堡的廚房里煮晚餐苫纤，他也想知道碉钠，有誰(shuí)曾在這里烹飪纲缓，但也許還是不要清楚的好。

Hodor returned alone with both arms full of deadwood and broken branches. Jojen Reed took his flint and knife and set about lighting a fire while Meera boned the fish she’d caught at the last stream they’d crossed. Bran wondered how many years had passed since there had last been a supper cooked in the kitchens of the Nightfort. He wondered who had cooked it too, though maybe it was better not to know.

等到火苗愉悅地燃燒喊废，梅拉便將魚(yú)放上去祝高。至少這不是人肉餡餅∥劭辏“鼠廚師”烹煮安達(dá)爾國(guó)王的兒子工闺，外加洋蔥、胡蘿卜和蘑菇颓屑，做成一個(gè)大餡餅斤寂，再撒上胡椒與鹽巴，搭配培根肉揪惦，暗紅色的多恩葡萄酒遍搞。餡餅呈給孩子的父親，父親贊其美味器腋，并叫廚師再來(lái)一塊溪猿。后來(lái)，諸神把廚師變成一只巨大的白老鼠纫塌，只能吃自己的小孩诊县。從此以后，他就在長(zhǎng)夜堡內(nèi)游蕩措左，吞食子孫依痊，但饑餓感卻永遠(yuǎn)無(wú)法滿(mǎn)足≡跖“諸神不是因?yàn)橹\殺而詛咒他胸嘁，”老奶媽道，“也不是因?yàn)榻o安達(dá)爾國(guó)王吃自己兒子做的餡餅凉逛。一個(gè)人有權(quán)復(fù)仇性宏，但殺害自家屋檐下的賓客，踐踏賓客權(quán)利状飞，諸神決不原諒毫胜。”

When the flames were blazing nicely Meera put the fish on. At least it’s not a meat pie. The Rat Cook had cooked the son of the Andal king in a big pie with onions, carrots, mushrooms, lots of pepper and salt, a rasher of bacon, and a dark red Dornish wine. Then he served him to his father, who praised the taste and had a second slice. Afterward the gods transformed the cook into a monstrous white rat who could only eat his own young. He had roamed the Nightfort ever since, devouring his children, but still his hunger was not sated. “It was not for murder that the gods cursed him,” Old Nan said, “nor for serving the Andal king his son in a pie. A man has a right to vengeance. But he slew a guest beneath his roof, and that the gods cannot forgive.”

“該睡了诬辈，”吃飽之后酵使，玖健嚴(yán)肅地說(shuō)∽晕火焰燒得微弱凝化，他用棍子撥了撥〕贶瘢“也許我會(huì)再做綠色之夢(mèng)搓劫，為我們指引方向瞧哟。”

“We should sleep,” Jojen said solemnly, after they were full. The fire was burning low. He stirred it with a stick. “Perhaps I’ll have another green dream to show us the way.”

阿多早已蜷起身子枪向，低聲打鼾勤揩。他不時(shí)在斗篷下翻身，輕聲嗚咽秘蛔，也許在說(shuō)“阿多”罷陨亡。布蘭扭動(dòng)著靠近火堆，溫暖的熱氣讓他感覺(jué)舒適深员，輕微的劈啪聲令他心安负蠕，但始終睡不著。外面的風(fēng)將枯葉大軍吹過(guò)庭院倦畅，輕輕刮擦門(mén)窗遮糖，他又聯(lián)想起老奶媽的故事，幾乎聽(tīng)到守衛(wèi)的鬼魂在長(zhǎng)城頂上遙相呼應(yīng)叠赐，吹響幽靈戰(zhàn)號(hào)欲账。蒼白的月光斜斜地投射進(jìn)拱頂上的洞，照亮了魚(yú)梁木那拼命伸展的枝杈芭概。那棵樹(shù)看起來(lái)似乎企圖抓住月亮赛不，將它拖進(jìn)井里。遠(yuǎn)古諸神罢洲，布蘭祈禱踢故，如果你們聽(tīng)得見(jiàn)，今晚請(qǐng)不要讓我做夢(mèng)惹苗。即使非做不可畴椰，也做一個(gè)好夢(mèng)。諸神沒(méi)有回答鸽粉。

Hodor was already curled up and snoring lightly. From time to time he thrashed beneath his cloak, and whimpered something that might have been “Hodor.” Bran wriggled closer to the fire. The warmth felt good, and the soft crackling of flames soothed him, but sleep would not come. Outside the wind was sending armies of dead leaves marching across the courtyards to scratch faintly at the doors and windows. The sounds made him think of Old Nan’s stories. He could almost hear the ghostly sentinels calling to each other atop the Wall and winding their ghostly warhorns. Pale moonlight slanted down through the hole in the dome, painting the branches of the weirwood as they strained up toward the roof. It looked as if the tree was trying to catch the moon and drag it down into the well. Old gods, Bran prayed, if you hear me, don’t send a dream tonight. Or if you do, make it a good dream. The gods made no answer.

布蘭讓自己閉上眼睛∽パ蓿或許真的睡過(guò)一會(huì)兒触机，或許不過(guò)是迷迷糊糊地犯困，游離在半夢(mèng)半醒之間玷或，努力不去想“瘋斧”儡首、“鼠廚師”及夜間出沒(méi)的妖怪。

Bran made himself close his eyes. Maybe he even slept some, or maybe he was just drowsing, floating the way you do when you are half awake and half asleep, trying not to think about Mad Axe or the Rat Cook or the thing that came in the night.

然后聽(tīng)到了聲音偏友。

Then he heard the noise.

他立時(shí)睜開(kāi)雙目蔬胯。那是什么？他屏住呼吸位他，在做夢(mèng)嗎氛濒？做一個(gè)愚蠢的惡夢(mèng)产场？他不想為一個(gè)惡夢(mèng)叫醒梅拉和玖健，但是……聽(tīng)……輕微的摩擦舞竿，遠(yuǎn)處……樹(shù)葉京景，是樹(shù)葉在外墻上婆娑，以及互相摩擦發(fā)出的瑟瑟聲……或者是風(fēng)骗奖，很可能是風(fēng)……但那聲音并非來(lái)自外面确徙。布蘭胳膊上汗毛直豎。那聲音在里面执桌，就在我們中間鄙皇，而且越來(lái)越響。他單肘撐起身子仰挣，仔細(xì)聆聽(tīng)伴逸。確實(shí)有風(fēng)聲，樹(shù)葉聲椎木，但引起他注意的是另外一種违柏。腳步聲。什么人正朝這里走來(lái)香椎。什么東西正朝這里走來(lái)漱竖。

His eyes opened. What was that? He held his breath. Did I dream it? Was I having a stupid nightmare? He didn’t want to wake Meera and Jojen for a bad dream, but … there … a soft scuffling sound, far off … Leaves, it’s leaves rattling off the walls outside and rustling together … or the wind, it could be the wind … The sound wasn’t coming from outside, though. Bran felt the hairs on his arm start to rise. The sound’s inside, it’s in here with us, and it’s getting louder. He pushed himself up onto an elbow, listening. There was wind, and blowing leaves as well, but this was something else. Footsteps. Someone was coming this way. Something was coming this way.

不會(huì)是那些守衛(wèi)，他心想畜伐，他們從不離開(kāi)長(zhǎng)城馍惹。但長(zhǎng)夜堡里可能有別的鬼魂呀，更可怕的鬼魂玛界。記得老奶媽講過(guò)“瘋斧”如何脫下靴子万矾，赤腳在黑暗中游蕩于城堡各個(gè)廳內(nèi)，不發(fā)出任何聲響慎框，不讓任何人知曉——除非你見(jiàn)到從他斧子良狈、手肘和濕乎乎的紅胡子尖上滴下的鮮血。這可能不是“瘋斧”笨枯，而是那夜間出沒(méi)的妖怪薪丁。據(jù)老奶媽說(shuō)，小學(xué)徒們統(tǒng)統(tǒng)見(jiàn)過(guò)妖怪馅精，但當(dāng)報(bào)告總司令時(shí)严嗜，每人的描述又都不一樣稼稿。接著扮叨，一年之內(nèi)死了三個(gè)學(xué)徒，第四個(gè)發(fā)了瘋瞳遍，一百年后压彭，那妖怪再次出現(xiàn)睦优，人們看到小學(xué)徒們步履蹣跚渗常、拴著鎖鏈跟在它后面。

It wasn’t the sentinels, he knew. The sentinels never left the Wall. But there might be other ghosts in the Nightfort, ones even more terrible. He remembered what Old Nan had said of Mad Axe, how he took his boots off and prowled the castle halls barefoot in the dark, with never a sound to tell you where he was except for the drops of blood that fell from his axe and his elbows and the end of his wet red beard. Or maybe it wasn’t Mad Axe at all, maybe it was the thing that came in the night. The ’prentice boys all saw it, Old Nan said, but afterward when they told their Lord Commander every description had been different. And three died within the year, and the fourth went mad, and a hundred years later when the thing had come again, the ’prentice boys were seen shambling along behind it, all in chains.