Ⅱ 列王的紛爭 Chapter23 瓊恩

JON

狂風夾著細雨，抽打在瓊恩臉上，他踢踢馬刺，跨過漲水的溪流。在他身旁，莫爾蒙總司令扯緊斗篷的兜帽，喃喃地詛咒著天氣。他的烏鴉停在肩上，風弄皺了羽毛，使它看來和熊老本人一樣又濕又躁。朔風突起，濕葉紛飛，好似一群死亡的飛鳥。鬼影森林啊，瓊恩可憐兮兮地想，不如說是水淹森林。

A blowing rain lashed at Jon’s face as he spurred his horse across the swollen stream. Beside him, Lord Commander Mormont gave the hood of his cloak a tug, muttering curses on the weather. His raven sat on his shoulder, feathers ruffled, as soaked and grumpy as the Old Bear himself. A gust of wind sent wet leaves flapping round them like a flock of dead birds. The haunted forest, Jon thought ruefully. The drowned forest, more like it.

他暗自希望跟在后面的山姆還撐得住。就算天氣和煦，他也騎得不好，而今，雨下了整整六天，路況變得十分兇險，處處是軟泥和碎石。狂風卷起，漫天的雨落入眼睛。溫暖的雨水混合融雪，注滿所有的小溪與河流，讓人以為南方的長城也說不定會被它們沖垮。此刻，派普和陶德一定會坐在大廳的爐火邊，喝著晚餐前的開胃熱葡萄酒。瓊恩羨慕他們。他自己一身浸透的羊毛衣粘在身上，濕漉發癢，脖子和肩膀則因盔甲與長劍的重量而壓得疼痛，更難受的是，他已徹底受夠了鹽鱈魚，咸牛肉和硬奶酪的滋味。

He hoped Sam was holding up, back down the column. He was not a good rider even in fair weather, and six days of rain had made the ground treacherous, all soft mud and hidden rocks. When the wind blew, it drove the water right into their eyes. The Wall would be flowing off to the south, the melting ice mingling with warm rain to wash down in sheets and rivers. Pyp and Toad would be sitting near the fire in the common room, drinking cups of mulled wine before their supper. Jon envied them. His wet wool clung to him sodden and itching, his neck and shoulders ached fiercely from the weight of mail and sword, and he was sick of salt cod, salt beef, and hard cheese.

前方，一只獵號發出震顫的聲調，隔著交織的急雨顯得分外朦朧。“是布克威爾，”熊老宣布，“諸神保佑，卡斯特總算沒挪窩。”他的烏鴉把大黑翅膀扇了一扇，嘶啞地叫聲“玉米”，便又繼續整理羽毛。

Up ahead a hunting horn sounded a quavering note, half drowned beneath the constant patter of the rain. “Buckwell’s horn,” the Old Bear announced. “The gods are good; Craster’s still there.” His raven gave a single flap of his big wings, croaked “Corn,” and ruffled his feathers up again.

瓊恩常聽黑衣兄弟們講述卡斯特和他的堡壘的故事，現在終于親眼目睹。經過了七座空無一人的村莊，每個人都開始懷疑卡斯特的堡壘是否也像其他地方一樣死寂荒涼，幸好擔憂沒有成真。或許熊老能在那兒找到苦苦追尋的答案，他想，但至少，我們能擺脫大雨。

Jon had often heard the black brothers tell tales of Craster and his keep. Now he would see it with his own eyes. After seven empty villages, they had all come to dread finding Craster’s as dead and desolate as the rest, but it seemed they would be spared that. Perhaps the Old Bear will finally get some answers, he thought. Anyway, we’ll be out of the rain.

早前，索倫·斯莫伍德曾向大家保證，卡斯特雖然名聲不好，但確是守夜人的朋友。“我承認，這家伙精神不太正常，”他告訴熊老，“但要換你在這受詛咒的森林待上一輩子，也會跟他一樣。他雖然瘋癲，卻從不把我們游騎兵拒之門外，對曼斯·雷德更沒好感。他應該能向我們提供一些忠告。”

Thoren Smallwood swore that Craster was a friend to the Watch, despite his unsavory reputation. “The man’s half-mad, I won’t deny it,” he’d told the Old Bear, “but you’d be the same if you’d spent your life in this cursed wood. Even so, he’s never turned a ranger away from his fire, nor does he love Mance Rayder. He’ll give us good counsel.”

只要他提供一頓熱飯，提供屋檐和干燥衣服，我就很滿足了。在戴文口中，卡斯特不僅弒殺親人，還是騙子、強盜和懦夫，他甚至暗示對方和奴隸販子與魔鬼打交道。“更可怕的是，”老林務官“劈啪劈啪”地嚼著木制假牙，補充道，“這混蛋身上有股寒冷的味道，真的。”

So long as he gives us a hot meal and a chance to dry our clothes, I’ll be happy. Dywen said Craster was a kinslayer, liar, raper, and craven, and hinted that he trafficked with slavers and demons. “And worse,” the old forester would add, clacking his wooden teeth. “There’s a cold smell to that one, there is.”

“瓊恩，”莫爾蒙司令命令，“騎到后面去，把消息告訴大家。還有，提醒軍官們約束部下，我不允許任何人打卡斯特老婆的主意。誰也不準毛手毛腳，沒事少跟她們搭腔。”

“Jon,” Lord Mormont commanded, “ride back along the column and spread the word. And remind the officers that I want no trouble about Craster’s wives. The men are to mind their hands and speak to these women as little as need be.”

“遵命，大人。”瓊恩把馬轉回來時的方向。能讓飛雨暫離自己的臉龐，雖然為時不長，他也覺得舒心。一路穿過眾多兄弟，每人看來都像在哭泣，整個隊列在樹林中延伸半里之長。

“Aye, my lord.” Jon turned his horse back the way they’d come. It was pleasant to have the rain out of his face, if only for a little while. Everyone he passed seemed to be weeping. The march was strung out through half a mile of woods.

在輜重車輛間，瓊恩遇見了山姆威爾·塔利，塔利戴著一頂寬邊稻草軟帽，無精打采地坐在鞍上。他騎著一匹高大笨拙的馱馬，吆喝著其他幾匹馬。雨點嗡嗡地打在遮住鐵籠的篷布上，里面的渡鴉拍打嘶叫，不住地抗議。“哈，你莫非放了只狐貍進去？”瓊恩打招呼。

In the midst of the baggage train, Jon passed Samwell Tarly, slumped in his saddle under a wide floppy hat. He was riding one dray horse and leading the others. The drumming of the rain against the hoods of their cages had the ravens squawking and fluttering. “You put a fox in with them?” Jon called out.

山姆抬頭，雨水從帽檐如注流下。“喂，你好，瓊恩。不是的，它們只是討厭下雨，和我們一樣。”

Water ran off the brim of Sam’s hat as he lifted his head. “Oh, hullo, Jon. No, they just hate the rain, the same as us.”

“你感覺怎樣，山姆？”

“How are you faring, Sam?”

“濕透了。”胖男孩竭力裝出笑容。“還好，沒什么危險。”

“Wetly.” The fat boy managed a smile. “Nothing has killed me yet, though.”

“那就好。卡斯特的堡壘就在前面，希望諸神保佑，他讓我們在溫暖的爐火邊借宿一宿。”

“Good. Craster’s Keep is just ahead. If the gods are good, he’ll let us sleep by his fire.”

山姆露出半信半疑的神情。“憂郁的艾迪說卡斯特是個恐怖的野蠻人。他娶自己女兒為妻，除了自己訂的規矩，什么律法都不依。戴文還跟葛蘭說他身上流的是沒心肝的黑血，因為他母親是個女野人，和游騎兵通奸，才有他這個雜……”突然間，他住了嘴。

Sam looked dubious. “Dolorous Edd says Craster’s a terrible savage. He marries his daughters and obeys no laws but those he makes himself. And Dywen told Grenn he’s got black blood in his veins. His mother was a wildling woman who lay with a ranger, so he’s a bas …” Suddenly he realized what he was about to say.

“雜種，”瓊恩笑道，“只管直說就是，山姆，我以前又不是沒聽過。”他踢踢馬刺，驅策胯下那匹結實的矮馬前進。“我得去找奧廷爵士。對了，不可招惹卡斯特的女人哦，”好像山姆威爾還需要提醒似的，“扎營以后，我們再聊。”

“A bastard,” Jon said with a laugh. “You can say it, Sam. I’ve heard the word before.” He put the spurs to his surefooted little garron. “I need to hunt down Ser Ottyn. Be careful around Craster’s women.” As if Samwell Tarly needed warning on that score. “We’ll talk later, after we’ve made camp.”

找到奧廷·威勒斯爵士時，他正率領后衛部隊一路緩行。奧廷爵士和莫爾蒙年紀相當，矮短身材，尖尖的臉，模樣總那么疲憊(從前在黑城堡時也一樣)。大雨無情地沖刷著他。“好消息，”他說，“這里的濕氣都浸進我骨頭里去了，瞧，只怕連鞍子都在抗議哩，痛得很哪。”

Jon carried the word back to Ser Ottyn Wythers, plodding along with the rear guard. A small prune-faced man of an age with Mormont, Ser Ottyn always looked tired, even at Castle Black, and the rain had beaten him down unmercifully. “Welcome tidings,” he said. “This wet has soaked my bones, and even my saddle sores complain of saddle sores.”

回程路上，瓊恩遠遠避開拉長的隊列，轉而在濃密的森林中選擇捷徑。人馬的聲音漸漸降低，吞沒在潤濕的綠荒中，不一會兒，耳中只剩瓢潑大雨擊打葉子、樹木和巖石的聲響。天色剛入下午，森林里卻黑如黃昏。瓊恩在巖石和水坑之間尋找道路，穿過大橡樹，灰綠的哨兵樹和黑皮鐵樹。濃密的樹枝為他搭起天篷，使他暫時擺脫雨點的敲打。騎經一棵被閃電擊中，爬滿野生白玫瑰的栗樹時，他聽見草叢里沙沙作響。“白靈，”他喚道，“白靈，過來。”

On his way back, Jon swung wide of the column’s line of march and took a shorter path through the thick of the wood. The sounds of man and horse diminished, swallowed up by the wet green wild, and soon enough he could hear only the steady wash of rain against leaf and tree and rock. It was midafternoon, yet the forest seemed as dark as dusk. Jon wove a path between rocks and puddles, past great oaks, grey-green sentinels, and black-barked ironwoods. In places the branches wove a canopy overhead and he was given a moment’s respite from the drumming of the rain against his head. As he rode past a lightning-blasted chestnut tree overgrown with wild white roses, he heard something rustling in the underbrush. “Ghost,” he called out. “Ghost, to me.”

鉆出來的卻是戴文，他騎著一匹鬃毛雜亂的灰矮馬，旁邊還有葛蘭。熊老在行軍縱隊兩翼都派出輕騎，不僅為了探察地形，更為了警報敵人的逼近。他不敢大意，訓令偵查兵們兩兩一組，結伴行動。

But it was Dywen who emerged from the greenery, forking a shaggy grey garron with Grenn ahorse beside him. The Old Bear had deployed outriders to either side of the main column, to screen their march and warn of the approach of any enemies, and even there he took no chances, sending the men out in pairs.

“啊，是你呀，雪諾大人。”戴文咧嘴大笑，他的假牙是用橡木雕的，且極不搭配。“我和這孩子還以為咱遇異鬼了哩。怎么，狼走丟了？”

“Ah, it’s you, Lord Snow.” Dywen smiled an oaken smile; his teeth were carved of wood, and fit badly. “Thought me and the boy had us one o’ them Others to deal with. Lose your wolf?”

“他打獵去了，”白靈不愛和隊伍一起前進，但也不會跑遠。每當人們安營扎寨后，他自會找到總司令帳篷，返回瓊恩身邊。

“He’s off hunting.” Ghost did not like to travel with the column, but he would not be far. When they made camp for the night, he’d find his way to Jon at the Lord Commander’s tent.

“照我看，只怕是捉魚去了吧，到處都是滔天大水。”戴文說。

“Fishing, I’d call it, in this wet,” Dywen said.

“我媽常說，多下雨對莊稼好，”葛蘭樂觀地插話。

“My mother always said rain was good for growing crops,” Grenn put in hopefully.

“嚇，莊稼上的霉長得比較快，”戴文道，“像這樣的雨能帶來的惟一好處，就是省了洗澡的工夫。”他的木假牙發出一聲清脆的劈啪。

“Aye, a good crop of mildew,” Dywen said. “The best thing about a rain like this, it saves a man from taking baths.” He made a clacking sound on his wooden teeth.

“布克威爾找到了卡斯特，”瓊恩告訴他們。

“Buckwell’s found Craster,” Jon told them.

“他弄丟過他嗎？”戴文咯咯笑道，“你們這些小伙子啊，可千萬別招惹卡斯特的老婆，聽到沒？”

“Had he lost him?” Dywen chuckled. “See that you young bucks don’t go nosing about Craster’s wives, you hear?”

瓊恩笑了，“想獨占芳澤么，戴文？”

Jon smiled. “Want them all for yourself, Dywen?”

戴文再度嚼起假牙。“別說，我還真有這種打算哩。卡斯特還不是十根指頭一個雞巴，最多數到十一。少兩三個，想來也發現不了。”

Dywen clacked his teeth some more. “Might be I do. Craster’s got ten fingers and one cock, so he don’t count but to eleven. He’d never miss a couple.”

“說真的，他到底有幾個老婆啊？”葛蘭問。

“How many wives does he have, truly?” Grenn asked.

“反正你是永遠別想比啦，兄弟。是嘛，老婆自己生，要多少有多少。哦，雪諾，你那家伙回來啦。”

“More’n you ever will, brother. Well, it’s not so hard when you breed your own. There’s your beast, Snow.”

白靈小跑著來到瓊恩馬邊，尾巴高翹，一身白毛在大雨中顯得厚實了許多。他來去無聲，瓊恩也不知道是何時出現的。葛蘭的馬一聞到氣息就驚得退開——即使現在，經過了一年多時間，馬兒們還是沒能習慣冰原狼的存在。“跟我走，白靈，”瓊恩朝卡斯特的堡壘騎去。

Ghost was trotting along beside Jon’s horse with tail held high, his white fur ruffed up thick against the rain. He moved so silently Jon could not have said just when he appeared. Grenn’s mount shied at the scent of him; even now, after more than a year, the horses were uneasy in the presence of the direwolf. “With me, Ghost.” Jon spurred off to Craster’s Keep.

他不敢想像在離開長城這么遠的地方還能發現石制城堡，所以便自顧自地勾勒出一幅樹叢之中欄柵圍著木樓的景象，沒料到，事實卻更為糟糕：這里只有一個垃圾堆，一間豬舍，一欄空虛的羊圈和一座枝條與泥土敷的廳堂，不值一提，連窗戶都沒有。大廳又長又矮，房木粗糙，屋頂上鋪了草。這個“堡壘”建在一座簡直不配稱為山丘的小坡上，四周環繞著一道土堤。常年的雨水在堤防上蝕出無數小洞，棕色的水流隨之溢下斜坡，匯入一道向北蜿蜒的奔流小溪，因為暴雨，原本便水源豐富的溪澗已成黑暗的急流。

He had never thought to find a stone castle on the far side of the Wall, but he had pictured some sort of motte-and-bailey with a wooden palisade and a timber tower keep. What they found instead was a midden heap, a pigsty, an empty sheepfold, and a windowless daub-and-wattle hall scarce worthy of the name. It was long and low, chinked together from logs and roofed with sod. The compound stood atop a rise too modest to name a hill, surrounded by an earthen dike. Brown rivulets flowed down the slope where the rain had eaten gaping holes in the defenses, to join a rushing brook that curved around to the north, its thick waters turned into a murky torrent by the rains.

土堤西南方，有一扇開著的小門，門邊有一對插著動物頭骨的長竿：一邊是熊頭，一邊是羊頭。瓊恩加入進門的大隊伍，發現熊頭上還有一點殘存的血肉。里面，賈曼·布克威爾的偵察兵與索倫·斯莫伍德的前衛部隊已經把馬排成行，忙著搭帳篷了。豬圈里，一大群小豬偎在三頭肥母豬身邊。旁邊，一個小女孩一絲不掛地蹲在雨中的菜園里拔蘿卜，另兩個女人正準備屠宰一頭豬。牲畜尖聲慘叫，高亢而恐怖，好似悲苦萬分的人所發出的哭喊。齊特的獵狗們瘋狂咆哮回應，且不管齊特怎么咒罵制止，它們還是吠個不休，惹得卡斯特養的一群狗也叫喊著回應。不過它們一見白靈，便紛紛住嘴，夾著尾巴逃走，只有少數幾只還在低聲抱怨，不肯認輸。冰原狼對它們不理不睬，瓊恩也一樣。

On the southwest, he found an open gate flanked by a pair of animal skulls on high poles: a bear to one side, a ram to the other. Bits of flesh still clung to the bear skull, Jon noted as he joined the line riding past. Within, Jarmen Buckwell’s scouts and men from Thoren Smallwood’s van were setting up horse lines and struggling to raise tents. A host of piglets rooted about three huge sows in the sty. Nearby, a small girl pulled carrots from a garden, naked in the rain, while two women tied a pig for slaughter. The animal’s squeals were high and horrible, almost human in their distress. Chett’s hounds barked wildly in answer, snarling and snapping despite his curses, with a pair of Craster’s dogs barking back. When they saw Ghost, some of the dogs broke off and ran, while others began to bay and growl. The direwolf ignored them, as did Jon.

好吧，現在我們之中大概有三十人能暖暖和和，烘干衣服了，瓊恩仔細打量房子一眼得出結論，說不定能容納五十人。然而這地方太小，絕對不夠兩百人睡，所以多數人肯定還得待在外面。可要他們住哪兒呢？在這個雜亂的院落里，除了及踝深的水坑，就是濕漉漉的泥濘。看來，又一個陰郁的夜晚等在眼前。

Well, thirty of us will be warm and dry, Jon thought once he’d gotten a good look at the hall. Perhaps as many as fifty. The place was much too small to sleep two hundred men, so most would need to remain outside. And where to put them? The rain had turned half the compound yard to ankle-deep puddles and the rest to sucking mud. Another dismal night was in prospect.

總司令已經把坐騎交給憂郁的艾迪照管。瓊恩下馬時，他正忙著洗刷馬蹄上的泥巴。“莫爾蒙司令在大廳里，”他宣布，“他叫你過去。不過你最好把狼留外面，瞧他餓成那樣，你會以為他要把卡斯特的孩子抓來吃了。好吧，說真的，我自己就餓得能吃他一個孩子哩，只要熱騰騰端上來就行。去吧，馬交給我。對了，如果里面又暖又干，就不用給我說啦，沒人請我進去。”他邊說邊彈開馬蹄底部一撮濕泥。“這泥巴，你看像不像屎？會不會這整個山坡都是卡斯特拉出來的呢？”

The Lord Commander had entrusted his mount to Dolorous Edd. He was cleaning mud out of the horse’s hooves as Jon dismounted. “Lord Mormont’s in the hall,” he announced. “He said for you to join him. Best leave the wolf outside, he looks hungry enough to eat one of Craster’s children. Well, truth be told, I’m hungry enough to eat one of Craster’s children, so long as he was served hot. Go on, I’ll see to your horse. If it’s warm and dry inside, don’t tell me, I wasn’t asked in.” He flicked a glob of wet mud out from under a horseshoe. “Does this mud look like shit to you? Could it be that this whole hill is made of Craster’s shit?”

瓊恩微笑道：“這個嘛，聽說他在這兒住了好久喲。”

Jon smiled. “Well, I hear he’s been here a long time.”

“你安慰不了我。還是快進去見熊老吧。”

“You cheer me not. Go see the Old Bear.”

“白靈，留在這兒，”他命令。卡斯特堡壘的門是兩片鹿皮，瓊恩推開它們，彎腰越過門楣。在他之前，已有二十來個游騎兵頭目進了屋，圍站在泥地正中的火盆邊，水順著靴子流下，聚成一個個小水塘。廳堂里混雜著煤灰、糞便和濕淋淋的狗的氣味，很難聞。然而煙味雖重，空氣卻仍舊潮濕。雨水從屋頂的煙洞滲進。整棟屋子就只有這一個房間，外加頂上一個用做臥室的閣樓，通過一座搖搖欲墜的梯子相連。

“Ghost, stay,” he commanded. The door to Craster’s Keep was made of two flaps of deerhide. Jon shoved between them, stooping to pass under the low lintel. Two dozen of the chief rangers had preceded him, and were standing around the firepit in the center of the dirt floor while puddles collected about their boots. The hall stank of soot, dung, and wet dog. The air was heavy with smoke, yet somehow still damp. Rain leaked through the smoke hole in the roof. It was all a single room, with a sleeping loft above reached by a pair of splintery ladders.

瓊恩還記得從長城出發當天自己的感受：縱然緊張得像個出嫁的少女，卻也心懷渴望，期待前方不斷升起的陌生地平線后有怎樣的神秘和奇跡。好啊，現在總算是發現了一個，他看著這間又臟又臭的大廳，一邊告訴自己。辛辣的煙霧熏得他眼睛流淚。真可惜，派普和陶德錯過了這么精彩的事兒。

Jon remembered how he’d felt the day they had left the Wall: nervous as a maiden, but eager to glimpse the mysteries and wonders beyond each new horizon. Well, here’s one of the wonders, he told himself, gazing about the squalid, foul-smelling hall. The acrid smoke was making his eyes water. A pity that Pyp and Toad can’t see all they’re missing.

卡斯特靠在火盆邊，他是屋內惟一一個有椅子坐的人。連莫爾蒙司令都只能擠在長凳上，他的烏鴉在他肩上嘀咕著。賈曼·布克威爾站在他身后，打補丁的盔甲和濕得發亮的皮衣不住淌水，索倫·斯莫伍德也站在旁邊，身穿以前屬于杰瑞米爵士的胸甲和黑貂皮斗篷。

Craster sat above the fire, the only man to enjoy his own chair. Even Lord Commander Mormont must seat himself on the common bench, with his raven muttering on his shoulder. Jarman Buckwell stood behind, dripping from patched mail and shiny wet leather, beside Thoren Smallwood in the late Ser Jaremy’s heavy breastplate and sable-trimmed cloak.

相較之下，卡斯特一身羊皮背心和獸皮拼成的斗篷顯得寒酸了許多，然而在他粗大的手腕上，卻帶有一只手鐲，分量頗重，金光閃閃。他看上去雖已進入人生末途，頭發由灰轉白，時日應該不多，但毋庸置疑，仍舊是個很有力量的人。扁平的鼻子和下垂的嘴唇讓他的模樣帶有幾分兇殘，他還缺了一只耳朵。這就是活生生的野人。瓊恩想起老奶媽口中用頭骨飲血的蠻人。但眼前的卡斯特喝的是淡黃啤酒，用的是琢石杯子。也許他根本不知道那些故事哩。

Craster’s sheepskin jerkin and cloak of sewn skins made a shabby contrast, but around one thick wrist was a heavy ring that had the glint of gold. He looked to be a powerful man, though well into the winter of his days now, his mane of hair grey going to white. A flat nose and a drooping mouth gave him a cruel look, and one of his ears was missing. So this is a wildling. Jon remembered Old Nan’s tales of the savage folk who drank blood from human skulls. Craster seemed to be drinking a thin yellow beer from a chipped stone cup. Perhaps he had not heard the stories.

“三年沒見著班揚·史塔克了，”他告訴莫爾蒙，“說實話，我一點都不想念他。”六七只小黑狗和一兩頭落單的豬在長凳之間躲迷藏，穿著襤褸鹿皮的女人們送來一杯杯啤酒，并升好爐火，開始往壺里切蘿卜和洋蔥。

“I’ve not seen Benjen Stark for three years,” he was telling Mormont. “And if truth be told, I never once missed him.” A half-dozen black puppies and the odd pig or two skulked among the benches, while women in ragged deerskins passed horns of beer, stirred the fire, and chopped carrots and onions into a kettle.

“就去年，他應該路過這兒，”索倫·斯莫伍德道。一只狗在他腿邊嗅來嗅去。他飛起一腳，踢得它汪汪直叫。

“He ought to have passed here last year,” said Thoren Smallwood. A dog came sniffing round his leg. He kicked it and sent it off yipping.

莫爾蒙司令說：“當時，班是出來搜尋威瑪·羅伊斯爵士的，他跟蓋瑞及小威爾一起失蹤了。”

Lord Mormont said, “Ben was searching for Ser Waymar Royce, who’d vanished with Gared and young Will.”

“哦，這三個我還知道。帶頭的貴族小少爺比這些狗崽子大不了多少，穿一身貂皮斗篷拿著黑劍，就驕傲得了不起，還不屑于睡我屋子呢。不過我老婆們倒把眼睛瞪得牛大，望著他瞧。”他轉頭斜視離他最近的女人。“蓋瑞說他們在追蹤土匪強盜。我給他說，你自個兒當頭的都是個菜鳥，最好別真的追上。就烏鴉而言，蓋瑞還不算太壞的種。這家伙，耳朵比我還少，都是給寒風咬的，和我一樣。”卡斯特笑了，“現在么，聽說他頭也沒啦。不知栽在哪條道上啰？”

“Aye, those three I recall. The lordling no older than one of these pups. Too proud to sleep under my roof, him in his sable cloak and black steel. My wives give him big cow eyes all the same.” He turned his squint on the nearest of the women. “Gared says they were chasing raiders. I told him, with a commander that green, best not catch ’em. Gared wasn’t half-bad, for a crow. Had less ears than me, that one. The ’bite took ’em, same as mine.” Craster laughed. “Now I hear he got no head neither. The ’bite do that too?”

瓊恩回想起灑在白雪里的那灘紅血，想起席恩·葛雷喬伊踢死人頭的情景。此人是個逃兵。回臨冬城的路上，瓊恩和羅柏一起賽跑，在雪地里發現六只冰原狼小崽。一千年前的往事。

Jon remembered a spray of red blood on white snow, and the way Theon Greyjoy had kicked the dead man’s head. The man was a deserter. On the way back to Winterfell, Jon and Robb had raced, and found six direwolf pups in the snow. A thousand years ago.

“威瑪爵士離開后，去了哪里？”

“When Ser Waymar left you, where was he bound?”

卡斯特聳肩，“我事情多著呢，哪有空管烏鴉打哪兒來，飛哪兒去。”他把酒一飲而盡，杯子放到一邊。“嘿，整整一年，都沒南方的好酒來啦！我缺酒，還缺把新斧子。舊的太鈍，沒用，老子有一大堆老婆要保護哩。”他環視他那群忙碌的妻子。

Craster gave a shrug. “Happens I have better things to do than tend to the comings and goings of crows.” He drank a pull of beer and set the cup aside. “Had no good southron wine up here for a bear’s night. I could use me some wine, and a new axe. Mine’s lost its bite, can’t have that, I got me women to protect.” He gazed around at his scurrying wives.

“你們這里人少，又孤立無援，”熊老說，“只要你愿意，我這就派人護送你南下長城。”

“You are few here, and isolated,” Mormont said. “If you like, I’ll detail some men to escort you south to the Wall.”

烏鴉似乎很喜歡這提議。“長城，”它尖叫，一邊張開黑色的翅膀，莫爾蒙的頸上好似戴了高領子。

The raven seemed to like the notion. “Wall,” it screamed, spreading black wings like a high collar behind Mormont’s head.

主人做出一個骯臟的笑容，露出滿口破黃牙。“我們去那兒干什么，伺候你晚餐么？咱可是天生的自由民。我卡斯特決不伺候任何人。”

Their host gave a nasty smile, showing a mouthful of broken brown teeth. “And what would we do there, serve you at supper? We’re free folk here. Craster serves no man.”

“如今是艱難時代，獨居荒野很不妥啊。冷風已然吹起。”

“These are bad times to dwell alone in the wild. The cold winds are rising.”

“讓它們吹。我的根基深得很。”卡斯特猛然抓住一個路過的女人的腰。“告訴他，老婆。告訴烏鴉大人我們有多喜歡這地方。”

“Let them rise. My roots are sunk deep.” Craster grabbed a passing woman by the wrist. “Tell him, wife. Tell the Lord Crow how well content we are.”

女人舔舔薄唇。“這里是我們的土地。卡斯特的堡壘保護我們的安全。我們寧可身為自由人而死，也決不當奴隸。”

The woman licked at thin lips. “This is our place. Craster keeps us safe. Better to die free than live a slave.”

“奴隸，”烏鴉咕噥著。

“Slave,” muttered the raven.

莫爾蒙傾身向前，“一路走來，每個村子都遭遺棄。離開長城以后，你這兒是我們頭一處見到活人的地方。其他人都消失了……被殺，逃走，還是被俘，我不知道。連動物也都不在了。什么都沒有。早些時候，我們還在離長城僅幾里格的地方找到班楊·史塔克手下兩個游騎兵的尸體。他們蒼白冰冷，手腳烏黑，傷口不流血。我們把他們帶回黑城堡，他們卻在半夜里爬起來殺人。其中一個殺掉了杰瑞米·萊克爵士，另一個跑來殺我，可見他們雖然保留著生前的某些記憶，但已經換成了一副毫無人性的歹毒心腸。”

Mormont leaned forward. “Every village we have passed has been abandoned. Yours are the first living faces we’ve seen since we left the Wall. The people are gone … whether dead, fled, or taken, I could not say. The animals as well. Nothing is left. And earlier, we found the bodies of two of Ben Stark’s rangers only a few leagues from the Wall. They were pale and cold, with black hands and black feet and wounds that did not bleed. Yet when we took them back to Castle Black they rose in the night and killed. One slew Ser Jaremy Rykker and the other came for me, which tells me that they remember some of what they knew when they lived, but there was no human mercy left in them.”

女人合不攏嘴，臉上活像長了個潮濕的粉紅洞穴，但卡斯特嗤之以鼻：“我們這兒可沒那種麻煩……我謝謝你，不要在我的屋檐下說這些邪惡的事。我是個敬神的人，神靈會保佑我平安。就算尸體變鬼爬出來，我也知道怎么送他們回墳墓。不過嘛，得先找把稱手鋒利的新斧子。”他一巴掌打在妻子身上，吼著要她快行動，“再拿點啤酒來，搞快點。”

The woman’s mouth hung open, a wet pink cave, but Craster only gave a snort. “We’ve had no such troubles here … and I’ll thank you not to tell such evil tales under my roof. I’m a godly man, and the gods keep me safe. If wights come walking, I’ll know how to send them back to their graves. Though I could use me a sharp new axe.” He sent his wife scurrying with a slap on her leg and a shout of “More beer, and be quick about it.”

“既然你不怕死人，”賈曼·布克威爾說，“那活人呢，大人？你的國王怎么說？”

“No trouble from the dead,” Jarmen Buckwell said, “but what of the living, my lord? What of your king?”

“國王！”莫爾蒙的烏鴉尖叫道，“國王，國王，國王。”

“King!” cried Mormont’s raven. “King, king, king.”

“那個曼斯·雷德？”卡斯特朝火堆淬了一口。“所謂的‘塞外之王’？哼，自由民要國王干嘛？”他轉頭斜視莫爾蒙，“好吧，我可以給你講講雷德和他干的那些勾當，不過我記性可不太好。告訴你吧，這些空蕩蕩的村莊，都是他干的。如果我也那么好欺負，等你們找到這兒，早不見人了。他派來一個騎馬的，叫我務必離開自己的堡壘，去他腳邊搖尾巴。人被我趕走了，只要了舌頭。喏，就釘在墻上。”他指了指，“或許我能告訴你上哪兒去找曼斯·雷德，如果我記得住的話。”他又咧開黃板牙笑了，“這個我們可以慢慢談。你們大概很想住我的屋檐下吧，嘿嘿，只怕還想把我的豬報銷光呢。”

“That Mance Rayder?” Craster spit into the fire. “King-beyond-the-Wall. What do free folk want with kings?” He turned his squint on Mormont. “There’s much I could tell you o’ Rayder and his doings, if I had a mind. This o’ the empty villages, that’s his work. You would have found this hall abandoned as well, if I were a man to scrape to such. He sends a rider, tells me I must leave my own keep to come grovel at his feet. I sent the man back, but kept his tongue. It’s nailed to that wall there.” He pointed. “Might be that I could tell you where to seek Mance Rayder. If I had a mind.” The brown smile again. “But we’ll have time enough for that. You’ll be wanting to sleep beneath my roof, belike, and eat me out of pigs.”

“有個屋檐遮風擋雨咱們感激不盡，大人，”莫爾蒙說，“我們走了很長的路，全身都濕透了。”

“A roof would be most welcome, my lord,” Mormont said. “We’ve had hard riding, and too much wet.”

“那么，今晚你們就算是這里的客人。就只今晚，我可不太喜歡烏鴉。上面的閣樓我和我老婆唾，下面的地板你們愛怎么安排都行。我提供二十人份的肉和啤酒，多的沒有。你手下多余的黑烏鴉就啄自己帶的玉米去吧。”

“Then you’ll guest here for a night. No longer, I’m not that fond o’ crows. The loft’s for me and mine, but you’ll have all the floor you like. I’ve meat and beer for twenty, no more. The rest o’ your black crows can peck after their own corn.”

“我們有足夠的給養，大人，”熊老說，“我們很樂意與您分享我們的食物和飲酒。”

“We’ve packed in our own supplies, my lord,” said the Old Bear. “We should be pleased to share our food and wine.”

卡斯特用毛茸茸的手背揩揩下垂的嘴唇。“我會嘗嘗你的酒，烏鴉大人，我會的。最后一件事：哪只臭手敢碰我老婆一下，我就把它給剁掉。”

Craster wiped his drooping mouth with the back of a hairy hand. “I’ll taste your wine, Lord Crow, that I will. One more thing. Any man lays a hand on my wives, he loses the hand.”

“你的屋檐下，你說了算。”索倫·斯莫伍德道，莫爾蒙司令僵硬地點點頭，他看上去一點都不高興。

“Your roof, your rule,” said Thoren Smallwood, and Lord Mormont nodded stiffly, though he looked none too pleased.

“那就說定了，”卡斯特不情愿地哼了一聲，“你們這群烏鴉里有會畫圖的嗎？”

“That’s settled, then.” Craster grudged them a grunt. “D’ya have a man can draw a map?”

“山姆·塔利行，”瓊恩擠上前，“山姆他愛死地圖了。”

“Sam Tarly can.” Jon pushed forward. “Sam loves maps.”

莫爾蒙示意他走近，“叫他吃飽了就過來，帶上羽毛筆和羊皮紙。把托勒特也找來，讓他拿上我的斧頭，作為送給主人的謝禮。”

Mormont beckoned him closer. “Send him here after he’s eaten. Have him bring quill and parchment. And find Tollett as well. Tell him to bring my axe. A guest gift for our host.”

“這家伙是誰？”瓊恩正要離開，卡斯特開口道，“他看來像個史塔克。”

“Who’s this one now?” Craster said before Jon could go. “He has the look of a Stark.”

“他是我的事務總管和侍從，瓊恩·雪諾。”

“My steward and squire, Jon Snow.”

“哦，私生子？”卡斯特上下打量著瓊恩。“男人要跟女人睡，就該把她討來當老婆，像我這樣。”他揮手趕瓊恩離開。“好吧，趕快去辦事，小雜種，一定給我拿把又好又利的斧子，銹鐵不頂用。”

“A bastard, is it?” Craster looked Jon up and down. “Man wants to bed a woman, seems like he ought to take her to wife. That’s what I do.” He shooed Jon off with a wave. “Well, run and do your service, bastard, and see that axe is good and sharp now, I’ve no use for dull steel.”

瓊恩·雪諾僵硬地一鞠躬，連忙離開。出門時奧廷·威勒斯爵士剛好趕到，兩人差點在鹿皮門邊撞個滿懷。門外，雨勢稍緩，院內到處搭起帳篷，堤外的樹木下也有。

Jon Snow bowed stiffly and took his leave. Ser Ottyn Wythers was coming in as he was leaving, and they almost collided at the deerhide door. Outside, the rain seemed to have slackened. Tents had gone up all over the compound. Jon could see the tops of others under the trees.

憂郁的艾迪正在喂馬。“送野人一把斧子，有何不可？”他指指莫爾蒙的武器，那是一把鑲著金飾花紋的短柄戰斧，黑鐵斧刃。“他會還我們的，我發誓。不過到時候是插在熊老的頭骨里還，聊勝于無。咱們干嘛不把所有的戰斧長劍通通都給他算了？騎馬的時候，它們丁當喀啦，吵死人啦。沒了它們，我們大概會走得更快，直通地獄之門。你說，地獄里也下雨嗎？也許卡斯特該要頂好帽子。”

Dolorous Edd was feeding the horses. “Give the wildling an axe, why not?” He pointed out Mormont’s weapon, a short-hafted battle-axe with gold scrollwork inlaid on the black steel blade. “He’ll give it back, I vow. Buried in the Old Bear’s skull, like as not. Why not give him all our axes, and our swords as well? I mislike the way they clank and rattle as we ride. We’d travel faster without them, straight to hell’s door. Does it rain in hell, I wonder? Perhaps Craster would like a nice hat instead.”

瓊恩笑道：“他要的是斧子，還有葡萄酒。”

Jon smiled. “He wants an axe. And wine as well.”

“你瞧，這就是熊老高明的地方。先把野人灌得酩酊大醉，等他操斧子殺我們時，說不定就只砍到耳朵。頭只有一個，耳朵卻還有兩個哪。”

“See, the Old Bear’s clever. If we get the wildling well and truly drunk, perhaps he’ll only cut off an ear when he tries to slay us with that axe. I have two ears but only one head.”

“斯莫伍德說卡斯特是守夜人的朋友。”

“Smallwood says Craster is a friend to the Watch.”

“你知道是守夜人朋友的野人和不是守夜人朋友的野人區別在哪兒嗎？”這位陰沉的侍從道，“敵人會把我們棄尸荒野，喂烏鴉和野狼；朋友則會把我們悄悄埋起來。我在想，門上那頭熊到底掛了多久啊，我們吆喝著到來之前，卡斯特掛在門上的又是什么呢？”艾迪懷疑地望著斧子，雨水不住流下他的長臉。“里面干不干？”

“Do you know the difference between a wildling who’s a friend to the Watch and one who’s not?” asked the dour squire. “Our enemies leave our bodies for the crows and the wolves. Our friends bury us in secret graves. I wonder how long that bear’s been nailed up on that gate, and what Craster had there before we came hallooing?” Edd looked at the axe doubtfully, the rain running down his long face. “Is it dry in there?”

“比外面當然干得多嘍。”

“Drier than out here.”

“如果我進去以后，不太靠近火堆，說不定他們到早上才發現我。雖然進到房里的人算是最先沒命，但至少死的時候身上干干燥燥的。”

“If I lurk about after, not too close to the fire, belike they’ll take no note of me till morn. The ones under his roof will be the first he murders, but at least we’ll die dry.”

瓊恩忍俊不禁，“卡斯特是一個人，而我們有兩百弟兄。他殺得了誰呀？”

Jon had to laugh. “Craster’s one man. We’re two hundred. I doubt he’ll murder anyone.”

“你在安慰我，”艾迪說，他的語氣低沉到極點。“不過嘛，死在上好的利斧下還算不錯。要是被槌子謀殺可就慘了。有一次，我見人被槌子揮中，皮一點沒破，可腦袋里全打爛啦，脹得像個大葫蘆，整個變成紫紅。他人長得本來不錯，死的時候卻很丑。謝天謝地，我們送的不是槌子。”艾迪搖頭走開，一身浸透的黑斗篷不住淌水。

“You cheer me,” said Edd, sounding utterly morose. “And besides, there’s much to be said for a good sharp axe. I’d hate to be murdered with a maul. I saw a man hit in the brow with a maul once. Scarce split the skin at all, but his head turned mushy and swelled up big as a gourd, only purply-red. A comely man, but he died ugly. It’s good that we’re not giving them mauls.” Edd walked away shaking his head, his sodden black cloak shedding rain behind him.

瓊恩喂了馬，才想起自己沒吃晚餐。他正思索上哪兒去找山姆，忽然聽到一聲驚恐的尖叫：“狼！”他沿著廳堂飛跑，沖向聲音傳來的方向，靴子不斷陷入爛泥。一個卡斯特的女人背靠濺滿爛泥的墻，“別過來！”她朝白靈尖叫，“你別過來！”冰原狼嘴銜一只兔子，身前還躺著一只血淋淋的死兔。“快幫我把他趕走吧，大人，”她看見他，便開口哀告。

Jon got the horses fed before he stopped to think of his own supper. He was wondering where to find Sam when he heard a shout of fear. “Wolf!” He sprinted around the hall toward the cry, the earth sucking at his boots. One of Craster’s women was backed up against the mud-spattered wall of the keep. “Keep away,” she was shouting at Ghost. “You keep away!” The direwolf had a rabbit in his mouth and another dead and bloody on the ground before him. “Get it away, m’lord,” she pleaded when she saw him.