Chapter 第三十五章 瓊恩（七）

JON

在七天的陰天和陣雪之后，太陽在將近中午的時(shí)候突破云層。一些雪堆超過了人的高度，事務(wù)官幾乎鏟了一整天的積雪才使得通道一如最初時(shí)干凈。反光照亮了長(zhǎng)城，每個(gè)缺口縫隙都閃耀著暗淡的藍(lán)色。

The sun had broken through near midday, after seven days of dark skies and snow flurries. Some of the drifts were higher than a man, but the stewards had been shoveling all day and the paths were as clean as they were like to get. Reflections glimmered off the Wall, every crack and crevice glittering pale blue.

瓊恩·雪諾在七百尺之上俯視著鬼影森林。一陣北風(fēng)打著旋穿過下面的樹，從頂端的枝條吹落羽毛般的雪花，有如冰霜的橫幅。此外，一切靜謐。毫無生機(jī)。但這并不能使他完全消除恐懼。他所害怕的并非活著的事物。所以即便如此寂靜……

Seven hundred feet up, Jon Snow stood looking down upon the haunted forest. A north wind swirled through the trees below, sending thin white plumes of snow crystals flying from the highest branches, like icy banners. Elsewise nothing moved. Not a sign of life. That was not entirely reassuring. It was not the living that he feared. Even so …

太陽出來，雪業(yè)已停。大概這也是月相轉(zhuǎn)變前我們唯一的機(jī)會(huì)，之后，那將又是一季。“Emmett**好他的新兵沒有？”他告訴憂郁的艾迪，“我們需要一次護(hù)送，十名游騎兵，裝備有龍晶武器。我需要他們準(zhǔn)備好在一小時(shí)之內(nèi)出發(fā)。”

The sun is out. The snow has stopped. It may be a moon’s turn before we have another chance as good. It may be a season. “Have Emmett assemble his recruits,” he told Dolorous Edd. “We’ll want an escort. Ten rangers, armed with dragonglass. I want them ready to leave within the hour.”

“是，大人，誰來指揮？”

“Aye, m’lord. And to command?”

“我親自來。”

“That would be me.”

艾迪的嘴張地比平時(shí)小一點(diǎn)。“某人認(rèn)為如果指揮官大人能待在安全溫暖的長(zhǎng)城南邊會(huì)更好。這并非我自己要這樣說，而是某人。”

Edd’s mouth turned down even more than usual. “Some might think it better if the lord commander stayed safe and warm south of the Wall. Not that I’d say such myself, but some might.”

瓊恩微笑。“某人最好不要在我面前這么說。”

Jon smiled. “Some had best not say so in my presence.”

一陣疾風(fēng)使得艾迪的斗篷劈啪作響。“還是下去吧，大人。這風(fēng)似乎要把我們推下長(zhǎng)城，我可從未學(xué)過如何飛行。”

A sudden gust of wind set Edd’s cloak to flapping noisily. “Best go down, m’lord. This wind’s like to push us off the Wall, and I never did learn the knack of flying.”

他們坐絞車回到地面。風(fēng)刮地猛烈，一如老奶媽在瓊恩幼時(shí)告訴他的故事里的冰龍般寒冷。沉重的籠子搖動(dòng)著。籠子時(shí)時(shí)刻刻刮擦著長(zhǎng)城，生成在陽光下光亮閃爍的透明的冰雨，有如尖利的玻璃碎片。

They rode the winch lift back to the ground. The wind was gusting, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan had told when Jon was a boy. The heavy cage was swaying. From time to time it scraped against the Wall, starting small crystalline showers of ice that sparkled in the sunlight as they fell, like shards of broken glass.

玻璃，瓊恩沉思，也許在這里有用。黑城堡有自己的玻璃花園，正如臨冬城的玻璃花園。依靠玻璃花園，我們甚至可以在深冬種植蔬菜。最好的玻璃來自密爾，可是一個(gè)上等的透明玻璃片的價(jià)值幾乎與等重的香料無異，而綠玻璃和黃玻璃又不能達(dá)到如此效果。我們需要的是錢，有了足夠的錢，我們可以在密爾找到學(xué)徒和工人，把他們帶來這里，給他們提供自由以使他們傳授技藝給一些我們的兄弟。這是實(shí)現(xiàn)這一計(jì)劃的唯一方法。如果我們有錢，可事實(shí)恰恰相反。

Glass, Jon mused, might be of use here. Castle Black needs its own glass gardens, like the ones at Winterfell. We could grow vegetables even in the deep of winter. The best glass came from Myr, but a good clear pane was worth its weight in spice, and green and yellow glass would not work as well. What we need is gold. With enough coin, we could buy ’prentice glassblowers and glaziers in Myr, bring them north, offer them their freedom for teaching their art to some of our recruits. That would be the way to go about it. If we had the gold. Which we do not.

在長(zhǎng)城底部，他發(fā)現(xiàn)白靈正在路邊積雪里翻滾。這只巨大的白狼似乎喜愛新鮮的雪。當(dāng)它看到瓊恩，它立即朝瓊恩飛奔而來。憂郁的艾迪問，“他和你同去？”

At the base of the Wall he found Ghost rolling in a snowbank. The big white direwolf seemed to love fresh snow. When he saw Jon he bounded back onto his feet and shook himself off. Dolorous Edd said, “He’s going with you?”

“是啊。”

“He is.”

“一只聰明的狼，和我？”

“A clever wolf, him. And me?”

“你不用去。”

“You’re not.”

“大人明智。白靈當(dāng)然是更好的選擇。我毫無利齒來撕咬野人。”

“A clever lord, you. Ghost’s the better choice. I don’t have the teeth for biting wildlings anymore.”

“如果諸神仁慈，我們不會(huì)遭遇任何野人。我需要灰馬。”

“If the gods are good, we won’t encounter any wildlings. I’ll want the grey gelding.”

言語在黑城堡很快散去。當(dāng)波文馬爾錫踏步穿越院子來到瓊恩面前時(shí)，艾迪仍在馬舍為灰馬配鞍。“大人，我希望你能再次考慮。新人同樣可以在修士面前立下誓言。”

Word spread fast at Castle Black. Edd was still saddling the grey when Bowen Marsh stomped across the yard to confront Jon at the stables. “My lord, I wish you would reconsider. The new men can take their vows in the sept as easily.”

“修士屬于新神，而舊神居住在森林里，信仰舊神的人在魚梁木前立下誓言。你和我對(duì)此同樣清楚。”

“The sept is home to the new gods. The old gods live in the wood, and those who honor them say their words amongst the weirwoods. You know that as well as I.”

“Satin來自舊鎮(zhèn)，Arron和Emrick來自西境。舊神并非他們的信仰。”

“Satin comes from Oldtown, and Arron and Emrick from the westerlands. The old gods are not their gods.”

“我沒有強(qiáng)求他們的信仰，他們可以信仰七神甚至紅袍女的光之王。然而他們卻選擇了舊神”

“I do not tell men which god to worship. They were free to choose the Seven or the red woman’s Lord of Light. They chose the trees instead, with all the peril that entails.”

“哭泣者可能還在那里，小心點(diǎn)”

“The Weeping Man may still be out there, watching.”

“小樹林在兩小時(shí)騎乘之內(nèi)，即便是雪天。我們也能在午夜之前回來。”

“The grove is no more than two hours’ ride, even with the snow. We should be back by midnight.”

“這太久了。毫不明智。”

“Too long. This is not wise.”

“不明智，”瓊恩重復(fù)道，“但這卻很必要。他們將發(fā)誓成為守夜人，加入數(shù)千年未被破壞過的兄弟聯(lián)盟。誓言很重要，傳統(tǒng)更重要。它們使我們緊密凝聚在一起，高貴和低賤，年輕和年老，平民和貴族。它們使得我們成為兄弟。”

“Unwise,” said Jon, “but necessary. These men are about to pledge their lives to the Night’s Watch, joining a brotherhood that stretches back in an unbroken line for thousands of years. The words matter, and so do these traditions. They bind us all together, highborn and low, young and old, base and noble. They make us brothers.” He clapped Marsh on his shoulder. “I promise you, we shall return.”

“是，大人，”Lord Steward說，“但當(dāng)你發(fā)現(xiàn)哭泣者時(shí)，他的頭會(huì)只是個(gè)掛在矛上頭嗎？你將進(jìn)入黑夜。積雪在某些地方深及腰部。我看見你帶了經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的人，這很好，但是Black Jack Bulwer熟悉那里一草一木。就連班揚(yáng)史塔克，你叔叔，他……”

“Aye, my lord,” said the Lord Steward, “but will it be as living men or heads on spears with your eyes scooped out? You will be returning through the black of night. The snowdrifts are waist deep in places. I see that you are taking seasoned men with you, that is good, but Black Jack Bulwer knew these woods as well. Even Benjen Stark, your own uncle, he—”

“我有他們所沒有的東西，”瓊恩回頭吹聲口哨。“白靈，到我這來。”這匹白狼搖搖背上的積雪然后小跑到瓊恩邊上。游騎兵四散讓避，盡管Rory猛拉韁繩，他的母馬還是嘶叫著逃開了。“長(zhǎng)城是你的了，波文大人。”他執(zhí)著馬韁走過大門，走過長(zhǎng)城下蜿蜒曲折的冰隧道。

“I have something they did not.” Jon turned his head and whistled. “Ghost. To me.” The direwolf shook the snow from his back and trotted to Jon’s side. The rangers parted to let him through, though one mare whinnied and shied away till Rory gave her reins a sharp tug. “The Wall is yours, Lord Bowen.” He took his horse by the bridle and walked him to the gate and the icy tunnel that snaked beneath the Wall.

在冰墻之后，樹木高而靜地挺立，如被厚厚的白披風(fēng)所包裹。游騎兵和新兵形成隊(duì)形后，白靈闊步到瓊恩的馬旁，停下嗅了嗅，他的呼吸在空氣里結(jié)霜。“什么？”瓊恩問，“那有人嗎？”可他所目及的樹林里空無一物，即便目及的距離并不遠(yuǎn)。

Beyond the ice, the trees stood tall and silent, huddled in the thick white cloaks. Ghost stalked beside Jon’s horse as the rangers and recruits formed up, then stopped and sniffed, his breath frosting in the air. “What is it?” Jon asked. “Is someone there?” The woods were empty as far as he could see, but that was not very far.

白靈快步?jīng)_向樹木，滑向兩株白松之間，消失在雪團(tuán)之中。它想打獵，但獵什么呢？瓊恩并不為它可能遭遇野人而擔(dān)心。一匹白狼在白樹之中，靜如影，野人們永遠(yuǎn)不知道它將到來。他知道不必追趕它，白靈總會(huì)在瓊恩需要時(shí)返回，不早不遲。瓊恩輕踢馬腹，其他人落在后面，馬蹄踩碎軟雪下的冰層。他們以平穩(wěn)的速度向心樹行進(jìn)，長(zhǎng)城在他們后面不斷縮小。

Ghost bounded toward the trees, slipped between two white-cloaked pines, and vanished in a cloud of snow. He wants to hunt, but what? Jon did not fear for the direwolf so much as for any wildlings he might encounter. A white wolf in a white wood, silent as a shadow. They will never know he’s coming. He knew better than to go chasing him. Ghost would return when he wanted to and not before. Jon put his heels into his horse. His men fell in around them, the hooves of their garrons breaking through the icy crust to the softer snow beneath. Into the woods they went, at a steady walking pace, as the Wall dwindled behind them.

士卒松和哨兵樹披上厚厚的白色外套，冰柱懸掛在光禿禿的闊葉樹的棕色枝干上。瓊恩派Tom Barleycorn走在前面為他們偵查，去往神木林的路已被行進(jìn)過太多次而為人所熟悉。Big Liddle和Luke of Longtown在灌木叢中左右穿行，他們?yōu)殛?duì)伍的側(cè)翼提供警戒。所有人都是老道的游騎兵，配備有黑曜石和鋼鐵，戰(zhàn)號(hào)掛在他們的鞍上，需要時(shí)便可吹響求助。

The soldier pines and sentinels wore thick white coats, and icicles draped the bare brown limbs of the broadleafs. Jon sent Tom Barleycorn ahead to scout for them, though the way to the white grove was oft trod and familiar. Big Liddle and Luke of Longtown slipped into the brush to east and west. They would flank the column to give warning of any approach. All were seasoned rangers, armed with obsidian as well as steel, warhorns slung across their saddles should they need to summon help.

其他人也很優(yōu)秀，至少，在戰(zhàn)斗中優(yōu)秀，忠于弟兄。瓊恩說不出在他們來長(zhǎng)城前做過什么，但是他深信大部分人經(jīng)歷過如同黑披風(fēng)般的黑暗。在這，他們是各種他所需要來支持他的人。他們拉起兜帽以對(duì)抗刺骨的寒風(fēng)，一些人用圍巾裹住他們的臉，藏起他們的面貌。即便這樣，瓊恩也能認(rèn)出他們。他們每個(gè)名字都鐫刻在他心里。他們是他的人，他的弟兄。

The others were good men too. Good men in a fight, at least, and loyal to their brothers. Jon could not speak for what they might have been before they reached the Wall, but he did not doubt that most had pasts as black as their cloaks. Up here, they were the sort of men he wanted at his back. Their hoods were raised against the biting wind, and some had scarves wrapped about their faces, hiding their features. Jon knew them, though. Every name was graven on his heart. They were his men, his brothers.

此行有六人和他們同去——有老有少，有壯實(shí)的有瘦弱的，有經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的也有新手。六個(gè)人將立下誓言。Horse在鼴鼠村出生長(zhǎng)大，Arron和Emrick來自仙女島，Satin來自遠(yuǎn)在維斯特洛另一端的舊鎮(zhèn)的妓院。他們所有人都是男孩。Leathers和Jax是成年人，已有四十歲，鬼影森林的子孫后代。他們是六十三個(gè)和瓊恩雪諾帶回到長(zhǎng)城的野人中的其中兩個(gè)，至少是唯一愿意穿上黑衣的兩個(gè)。Iron Emmett說他們都準(zhǔn)備好了，或者快準(zhǔn)備好了。他和瓊恩還有波文馬爾錫輪流評(píng)估過每個(gè)人，然后將他們?nèi)绱朔峙洌篖eathers， Jax 和 Emrick成為游騎兵，Horse成為工匠，Arron 和 Satin成為事務(wù)官。立下誓言的時(shí)刻到來了。

Six more rode with them—a mix of young and old, large and small, seasoned and raw. Six to say the words. Horse had been born and raised in Mole’s Town, Arron and Emrick came from Fair Isle, Satin from the brothels of Oldtown at the other end of Westeros. All of them were boys. Leathers and Jax were older men, well past forty, sons of the haunted forest, with sons and grandsons of their own. They had been two of the sixty-three wildlings who had followed Jon Snow back to the Wall the day he made his appeal, so far the only two to decide they wanted a black cloak. Iron Emmett said they all were ready, or as ready as they were ever going to be. He and Jon and Bowen Marsh had weighed each man in turn and assigned him to an order: Leathers, Jax, and Emrick to the rangers, Horse to the builders, Arron and Satin to the stewards. The time had come for them to take their vows.

Iron Emmett騎在隊(duì)伍的前端，騎在一匹瓊恩所見的最為丑陋的馬上。那是一個(gè)看上去只有毛和蹄子的毛茸野獸。“有傳言說昨晚Harlot’s Tower（注：妓女塔）有些麻煩，”士官長(zhǎng)說。

Iron Emmett rode at the head of the column, mounted on the ugliest horse Jon had ever seen, a shaggy beast that looked to be all hair and hooves. “Talk is there was some trouble at Harlot’s Tower last night,” the master-at-arms said.

“是Hardin’s Tower。”瓊恩說。六十三個(gè)和他從鼴鼠村返回的人里，十九個(gè)是女人和女孩。瓊恩把她們安置在瓊恩曾居住過的廢棄塔樓里。十二個(gè)矛婦，她們有足夠的能力為自己和其他年輕女孩提供防御以防止黑衣兄弟騷擾。正是這些她們不愿面對(duì)的男人給了Hardin’s Tower這個(gè)新的令人惱火的名字。瓊恩不打算原諒這些玩笑。“三個(gè)愚蠢的醉漢把Hardin’s當(dāng)成妓院。他們現(xiàn)在被關(guān)進(jìn)了冰牢里，檢討他們自己的錯(cuò)誤。”

“Hardin’s Tower.” Of the sixty-three who had come back with him from Mole’s Town, nineteen had been women and girls. Jon had housed them in the same abandoned tower where he had once slept when he had been new to the Wall. Twelve were spearwives, more than capable of defending both themselves and the younger girls from the unwanted attentions of black brothers. It was some of the men they’d turned away who’d given Hardin’s Tower its new, inflammatory name. Jon was not about to condone the mockery. “Three drunken fools mistook Hardin’s for a brothel, that’s all. They are in the ice cells now, contemplating their mistake.”

Iron Emmett做個(gè)鬼臉。“男人是人，誓言是話，而話語如風(fēng)。你應(yīng)該在那些女人旁邊安排守衛(wèi)。”

Iron Emmett grimaced. “Men are men, vows are words, and words are wind. You should put guards around the women.”

“而誰又看著這些守衛(wèi)呢？”你什么都不懂，瓊恩雪諾。他已經(jīng)吸取過這個(gè)教訓(xùn)，耶哥瑞特是他的老師。如果他不能守住自己的誓言，他怎么能指望其他兄弟？但是把這些女野人視同兒戲亦充滿危險(xiǎn)。男人可以擁有女人，也可以擁有一把刀，耶哥瑞特曾告訴他，但是沒有人能同時(shí)擁有兩者。波文馬爾錫并沒有全錯(cuò)。Hardin’s Tower是個(gè)一觸即發(fā)的炸藥。“我打算再啟用三個(gè)城堡。”瓊恩說。“深湖居，黑貂廳和長(zhǎng)車樓。他們都由自由民駐守，由我們的人管理。屆時(shí)，長(zhǎng)車樓將全是女人，總司令和總務(wù)長(zhǎng)也會(huì)對(duì)她們束手無策。”他堅(jiān)信會(huì)有男女混住發(fā)生，不過至少如此遠(yuǎn)的距離使這種事很難發(fā)生。

“And who will guard the guards?” You know nothing, Jon Snow. He had learned, though, and Ygritte had been his teacher. If he could not hold to his own vows, how could he expect more of his brothers? But there were dangers in trifling with wildling women. A man can own a woman, and a man can own a knife, Ygritte had told him once, but no man can own both. Bowen Marsh had not been all wrong. Hardin’s Tower was tinder waiting for a spark. “I mean to open three more castles,” Jon said. “Deep Lake, Sable Hall, and the Long Barrow. All garrisoned with free folk, under the command of our own officers. The Long Barrow will be all women, aside from the commander and chief steward.” There would be some mingling, he did not doubt, but the distances were great enough to make that difficult, at least.

“哪個(gè)可憐的傻子會(huì)得到那個(gè)管理機(jī)會(huì)呢？”

“And what poor fool will get that choice command?”

“我正騎行在那個(gè)傻子身后。”

“I am riding beside him.”

Iron Emmett臉上的表情混合著驚恐與幸福，甚于得到一大袋黃金。“我做了什么蠢事如此得罪你，大人？”

The look of mingled horror and delight that passed across Iron Emmett’s face was worth more than a sack of gold. “What have I done to make you hate me so, my lord?”

瓊恩大笑道。“別害怕，你并不是一個(gè)人。我打算派憂郁的艾迪做你的副手和事務(wù)官。”

Jon laughed. “Have no fear, you won’t be alone. I mean to give you Dolorous Edd as your second and your steward.”

“這是矛婦們的榮幸。但如果可以的話，你還是把城堡贈(zèng)予那個(gè)馬格那比較好。”

“The spearwives will be so happy. You might do well to bestow a castle on the Magnar.”

瓊恩的笑容消失了。“如果我能信任他的話我也許會(huì)。Sigorn把他父親的死歸咎于我，這令我很害怕。更糟的是，他只會(huì)給出命令而非接受命令。不要把Thenns和自由民混為一談。就我所知，馬格那在古語里是首領(lǐng)的意思，而Styr對(duì)于他的人來說更像是神。他的孩子和他是一丘之貉。我并非是要他們下跪，可他們并不服從我。”

Jon’s smile died. “I might if I could trust him. Sigorn blames me for his father’s death, I fear. Worse, he was bred and trained to give orders, not to take them. Do not confuse the Thenns with free folk. Magnar means lord in the Old Tongue, I am told, but Styr was closer to a god to his people, and his son is cut from the same skin. I do not require men to kneel, but they do need to obey.”

“是的，大人，但是你最好為馬格那做點(diǎn)什么。如果你一直忽視他們，你會(huì)在Thenns那遇上麻煩。”

“Aye, m’lord, but you had best do something with the Magnar. You’ll have trouble with the Thenns if you ignore them.”

惹麻煩就是總司令的命，瓊恩本想這樣回答。他的鼴鼠村之行已為他帶來足夠多的麻煩，正如現(xiàn)在發(fā)生的那樣，而那些女人僅僅是眾多麻煩中的最小一部分。Halleck被證實(shí)如他所擔(dān)憂的那般殘忍，而且有一些黑衣兄弟對(duì)自由民恨到了骨子里。一個(gè)Halleck的追隨者在院子里切掉一個(gè)工匠的耳朵，仿佛這一切只是那人在娛樂而已。他不得不盡快開放舊的堡壘，這樣哈爾瑪?shù)娜司涂梢耘扇ヱv守深湖居或者黑貂廳。盡管那些地方之前都還不適合人居住，Othell Yarwyck和他的工匠仍在嘗試重建長(zhǎng)夜堡。很多晚上瓊恩雪諾都在想阻止史坦尼斯屠殺野人是否是一個(gè)嚴(yán)重的錯(cuò)誤。我什么都不懂，耶哥瑞特，他想，也許永遠(yuǎn)也不會(huì)懂。

Trouble is the lord commander’s lot, Jon might have said. His visit to Mole’s Town was giving him plenty, as it happened, and the women were the least of it. Halleck was proving to be just as truculent as he had feared, and there were some amongst the black brothers whose hatred of the free folk was bone deep. One of Halleck’s followers had already cut off a builder’s ear in the yard, and like as not that was just a taste of the bloodshed to come. He had to get the old forts open soon, so Harma’s brother could be sent off to garrison Deep Lake or Sable Hall. Just now, though, neither of those was fit for human habitation, and Othell Yarwyck and his builders were still off trying to restore the Nightfort. There were nights when Jon Snow wondered if he had not made a grievous mistake by preventing Stannis from marching all the wildlings off to be slaughtered. I know nothing, Ygritte, he thought, and perhaps I never will.

距離樹林僅有半里，紅而長(zhǎng)的秋日陽光傾瀉在無葉的枝條間，把積雪染成粉色。騎手們?cè)趦蓚€(gè)穿猶如戴了冰盔的巖石之間穿越凍結(jié)的溪流，然后跟隨曲折的獵物蹤跡行向東北。風(fēng)吹起時(shí)，飛沫般的軟雪占據(jù)了空氣，阻隔了他們的視線。瓊恩把圍巾拉過口鼻，戴上披風(fēng)的兜帽。“不遠(yuǎn)了，”他告訴其他人。沒有人回答。

Half a mile from the grove, long red shafts of autumn sunlight were slanting down between the branches of the leafless trees, staining the snowdrifts pink. The riders crossed a frozen stream, between two jagged rocks armored in ice, then followed a twisting game trail to the northeast. Whenever the wind kicked up, sprays of loose snow filled the air and stung their eyes. Jon pulled his scarf up over his mouth and nose and raised the hood on his cloak. “Not far now,” he told the men. No one replied.

瓊恩在看到Tom Barleycorn之前已經(jīng)嗅到他的味道。或者是白靈嗅到了他的味道？最近瓊恩常常覺得好像他和白靈共用一體，即便在清醒的情況下也是。這頭大白狼最先出現(xiàn)，搖掉身上的雪。一會(huì)之后，Tom也到了，他輕聲告訴瓊恩：“樹林里有野人。”

Jon smelled Tom Barleycorn before he saw him. Or was it Ghost who smelled him? Of late, Jon Snow sometimes felt as if he and the direwolf were one, even awake. The great white wolf appeared first, shaking off the snow. A few moments later Tom was there. “Wildlings,” he told Jon, softly. “In the grove.”

瓊恩停下隊(duì)伍。“他們有多少人？”

Jon brought the riders to a halt. “How many?”

“有9個(gè)。沒有守衛(wèi)。一些人像是死了或是睡著了。大部分看上去像女人。一個(gè)小孩，但那里同時(shí)也有巨人，我明確看到了。他們生了火堆，煙霧在林間升起。這真是愚蠢的行為。”

“I counted nine. No guards. Some dead, might be, or sleeping. Most look to be women. One child, but there’s a giant too. Just the one that I saw. They got a fire burning, smoke drifting through the trees. Fools.”

九個(gè)，而我有十七個(gè)人。雖然瓊恩的人里僅有四個(gè)是青澀的男孩，可是，他沒有巨人。

Nine, and I have seven-and-ten. Four of his were green boys, though, and none were giants.

然而瓊恩并不打算退回長(zhǎng)城。如果這些野人還活著，或許我們可以把他們帶回去。如果他們都死了……這些尸體也有用。“我們步行前進(jìn)，”他說道，輕輕下馬。積雪沒及腳踝。“Rory， Pate，你們看守馬匹。”他本可以把這項(xiàng)任務(wù)交給新兵們，可新兵們遲早要浴血奮戰(zhàn)。和平時(shí)一樣。“散開，新月隊(duì)形。我們從3個(gè)方向接近樹林，你們把隊(duì)友把持在自己的余光范圍里，這樣你們之間的間隙將不會(huì)變大。飛雪會(huì)隱蔽我們的行動(dòng)，如果他們都沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)我們，我們就不會(huì)有流血的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。”

Jon was not of a mind to fall back to the Wall, however. If the wildlings are still alive, it may be we can bring them in. And if they are dead, well … a corpse or two could be of use. “We’ll continue on foot,” he said, dropping lightly to the frozen ground. The snow was ankle deep. “Rory, Pate, stay with the horses.” He might have given that duty to the recruits, but they would need to be blooded soon enough. This was as good a time as any. “Spread out and form a crescent. I want to close in on the grove from three sides. Keep the men to your right and left in sight, so the gaps do not widen. The snow should muffle our steps. Less chance of blood if we take them unawares.”

黑夜很快降臨。當(dāng)最后一絲太陽沒入西邊的樹林時(shí)，光束消失的無影無蹤。粉色的積雪重歸純白，當(dāng)世界變得黑暗時(shí)，白色也沒濾去。夜空變成有如那歷經(jīng)反復(fù)洗滌的舊披風(fēng)般的褪色的灰，隨后一顆暗淡的星星升起。

Night was falling fast. The shafts of sunlight had vanished when the last thin slice of the sun was swallowed beneath the western woods. The pink snow drifts were going white again, the color leaching out of them as the world darkened. The evening sky had turned the faded grey of an old cloak that had been washed too many times, and the first shy stars were coming out.

他瞄了下前面籠罩于暗紅手狀樹葉下的魚梁木的蒼白樹干。瓊恩雪諾從背后的劍鞘里抽出長(zhǎng)抓。他左右環(huán)顧，朝Satin和Horse輕輕點(diǎn)頭示意，然后看著他們向前面的人轉(zhuǎn)達(dá)這個(gè)命令。他們同時(shí)向樹林發(fā)起沖鋒，踢起地上的積雪。一片寂靜，唯有呼吸的聲音。白靈和他們一同奔跑，有如瓊恩身旁的白色影子。

Ahead he glimpsed a pale white trunk that could only be a weirwood, crowned with a head of dark red leaves. Jon Snow reached back and pulled Longclaw from his sheath. He looked to right and left, gave Satin and Horse a nod, watched them pass it on to the men beyond. They rushed the grove together, kicking through drifts of old snow with no sound but their breathing. Ghost ran with them, a white shadow at Jon’s side.

魚梁木在空地的邊緣形成環(huán)狀。它們有九株，大小和樹齡相差無幾。每棵樹上都鐫刻著臉，各不相同的臉。有的在微笑，有的在尖叫，還有一些在向他咆哮。火光之中，他們的眼睛看起來都是深黑，然而在白天，這些眼睛如血一般紅。瓊恩知道，就像白靈的眼睛那般。

The weirwoods rose in a circle around the edges of the clearing. There were nine, all roughly of the same age and size. Each one had a face carved into it, and no two faces were alike. Some were smiling, some were screaming, some were shouting at him. In the deepening glow their eyes looked black, but in daylight they would be blood-red, Jon knew. Eyes like Ghost’s.

樹林中的營(yíng)火是微小而可憐的東西，灰燼，余燼和少許斷枝緩慢而多煙地燃燒。盡管那樣，這營(yíng)火也比它周圍蜷縮的野人更有生命力。當(dāng)瓊恩踏出灌木叢時(shí)，僅有一人對(duì)他們的出現(xiàn)作出反映。那是一個(gè)小孩，哭嚎著僅僅抓住他母親的爛披風(fēng)。那位母親乍一驚睜開眼。此時(shí)，游騎兵已經(jīng)包圍了這片樹林，滑過蒼白如骨的樹，鋼鐵在黑色手套里閃著寒光，等待殺戮降臨。

The fire in the center of the grove was a small sad thing, ashes and embers and a few broken branches burning slow and smoky. Even then, it had more life than the wildlings huddled near it. Only one of them reacted when Jon stepped from the brush. That was the child, who began to wail, clutching at his mother’s ragged cloak. The woman raised her eyes and gasped. By then the grove was ringed by rangers, sliding past the bone-white trees, steel glinting in black-gloved hands, poised for slaughter.

巨人最后注意到他們的存在。他之前在沉睡著，在營(yíng)火旁片蜷縮一團(tuán)，是孩子的哭泣驚醒了他。雪的聲音掩蓋住守夜人靴子的動(dòng)靜。巨人驚醒就好像是一塊巨石有了生命，著實(shí)令人倒吸一口涼氣。他蹲坐著哼氣，用大如火腿的手揉揉雙眼來消除睡意。直到他發(fā)現(xiàn)了Iron Emmett，Iron Emmett的劍在手中閃爍寒光。巨人立馬咆哮著躍起，抄起一柄長(zhǎng)柄重錘。

The giant was the last to notice them. He had been asleep, curled up by the fire, but something woke him—the child’s cry, the sound of snow crunching beneath black boots, a sudden indrawn breath. When he stirred it was as if a boulder had come to life. He heaved himself into a sitting position with a snort, pawing at his eyes with hands as big as hams to rub the sleep away … until he saw Iron Emmett, his sword shining in his hand. Roaring, he came leaping to his feet, and one of those huge hands closed around a maul and jerked it up.

白靈齜牙以示準(zhǔn)備攻擊。瓊恩擎住白靈的頸項(xiàng)。“我們不打算在這里戰(zhàn)斗。”他知道他的人可以毫無代價(jià)地?fù)魯【奕恕Ａ餮粫?huì)使野人陷入恐懼。最終野人全軍覆沒，而他的兄弟也將蒙受傷亡。“這里是神圣的地方，而我們只是——”

Ghost showed his teeth in answer. Jon grabbed the wolf by the scruff of the neck. “We want no battle here.” His men could bring the giant down, he knew, but not without cost. Once blood was shed, the wildlings would join the fray. Most or all would die here, and some of his own brothers too. “This is a holy place. Yield, and we—”

巨人再次咆哮，聲音使樹的枝葉顫動(dòng)。巨人用重錘敲地，重錘的柄乃是六尺長(zhǎng)的橡木樹干，頂端有一塊面包這么大的巨石。重錘落地的撞擊使得大地晃動(dòng)。其他野人迅速奔向自己的武器。

The giant bellowed again, a sound that shook the leaves in the trees, and slammed his maul against the ground. The shaft of it was six feet of gnarled oak, the head a stone as big as a loaf of bread. The impact made the ground shake. Some of the other wildlings went scrambling for their own weapons.

當(dāng)Leathers發(fā)話時(shí)，瓊恩雪諾已經(jīng)做好準(zhǔn)備掏出長(zhǎng)抓。他的聲音聽起來粗啞刺耳，但瓊恩聽懂了這些古語，并覺得其簡(jiǎn)直有如天籟。Leathers說了很久。當(dāng)他說完，巨人答復(fù)。巨人的聲音聽起來就像隆隆的轟鳴并充滿咕隆，瓊恩一個(gè)字也沒聽懂。Leathers指向樹又說了些什么，接著巨人也指了指樹，然后閉上嘴放下武器。

Jon Snow was about to reach for Longclaw when Leathers spoke, from the far side of the grove. His words sounded gruff and guttural, but Jon heard the music in it and recognized the Old Tongue. Leathers spoke for a long while. When he was done, the giant answered. It sounded like growling, interspersed with grunts, and Jon could not understand a word of it. But Leathers pointed at the trees and said something else, and the giant pointed at the trees, ground his teeth, and dropped his maul.

“搞定了，”Leathers說。“他們也不想戰(zhàn)斗。”

“It’s done,” said Leathers. “They want no fight.”

“干得好。你給他說了些什么？”

“Well done. What did you tell him?”

“我說我們也信仰舊神，我們前來祈禱。”

“That they were our gods too. That we came to pray.”

“我們會(huì)祈禱的。大家都放下武器，今晚這里不會(huì)流血。”

“We shall. Put away your steel, all of you. We will have no blood shed here tonight.”

9個(gè)人，Tom Barleycorn曾告訴他，現(xiàn)在9個(gè)人都在那，但是2個(gè)已經(jīng)死了，1個(gè)奄奄一息熬不到明天早上。剩下的6個(gè)包括一個(gè)母親和孩子，兩個(gè)老人，一個(gè)在戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)受傷的Thenn，和一個(gè)硬足民，硬足民的光腳嚴(yán)重凍傷，瓊恩掃了一眼便得出他已經(jīng)無法行動(dòng)的結(jié)論。瓊恩意識(shí)到，他們來到這片樹林時(shí)，大部分都對(duì)彼此陌生。當(dāng)史坦尼斯擊潰了曼斯雷德的軍隊(duì)，他們便逃入樹林以躲過屠殺。他們?cè)诨囊奥危陴嚮暮秃渲惺ビH人和朋友。最終他們抵達(dá)這里，已經(jīng)虛弱疲勞到無法繼續(xù)逃荒。“神在這里，”其中一個(gè)老人說。“這是個(gè)再好不過的等待死亡降臨的地方。”

Nine, Tom Barleycorn had said, and nine there were, but two were dead and one so weak he might have died by morning. The six who remained included a mother and child, two old men, a wounded Thenn in battered bronze, and one of the Hornfoot folk, his bare feet so badly frostbitten that Jon knew at a glance he would never walk again. Most had been strangers to one another when they came to the grove, he learned subsequently; when Stannis broke Mance Rayder’s host, they had fled into the woods to escape the carnage, wandered for a time, lost friends and kin to cold and starvation, and finally washed up here, too weak and weary to go on. “The gods are here,” one of the old men said. “This was as good a place to die as any.”

“長(zhǎng)城距此僅有數(shù)小時(shí)路程，”瓊恩說。“你們?yōu)楹尾蝗ツ抢飳で蟊幼o(hù)？其他野人都屈服了，甚至曼斯。”

“The Wall is only a few hours south of here,” said Jon. “Why not seek shelter there? Others yielded. Even Mance.”

野人相互交換眼神。最終有個(gè)人說，“我們聽說，黑烏鴉們燒死了那些屈服的野人。”

The wildlings exchanged looks. Finally one said, “We heard stories. The crows burned all them that yielded.”

“甚至曼斯本人，”那個(gè)女人補(bǔ)充道。

“Even Mance hisself,” the woman added.

梅麗珊卓，瓊恩想，你和你的紅神現(xiàn)在還要為此事也給個(gè)說法。“那些愿意的人，我們歡迎他們加入到我們身邊。黑城堡可以提供食物和庇護(hù)，長(zhǎng)城可以為你們提供安全，使你們免受森林里游蕩的鬼魂威脅。我發(fā)誓，不會(huì)有人來燒死你們”

Melisandre, Jon thought, you and your red god have much and more to answer for. “All those who wish are welcome to return with us. There is food and shelter at Castle Black, and the Wall to keep you safe from the things that haunt these woods. You have my word, no one will burn.”

“烏鴉的誓言，”女人抱孩子更緊了，“而誰又可以保證你能守誓？你到底是誰？”

“A crow’s word,” the woman said, hugging her child close, “but who’s to say that you can keep it? Who are you?”

“守夜人司令，臨冬城艾德史塔克之子。”瓊恩接著轉(zhuǎn)向Tom Barleycorn。“叫Rory和Pate把馬匹帶來了。我不想在這哪怕多待一會(huì)。”

“Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, and a son of Eddard Stark of Winterfell.” Jon turned to Tom Barleycorn. “Have Rory and Pate bring up the horses. I do not mean to stay here one moment longer than we must.”

“如你所愿，大人。”

“As you say, m’lord.”

他們離開前做的最后一件事：即他們此行的目的。Iron Emmett喚出那幾個(gè)新兵，當(dāng)其余的人在一個(gè)敬畏的距離上觀望時(shí)，這幾個(gè)人跪在魚梁木前。之后，那天最后的光亮消失了，天上的星星和林間微弱暗紅的營(yíng)火成了唯一的光源。

One last thing remained before they could depart: the thing that they had come for. Iron Emmett called forth his charges, and as the rest of the company watched from a respectful distance, they knelt before the weirwoods. The last light of day was gone by then; the only light came from the stars above and the faint red glow of the dying fire in the center of the grove.

六個(gè)人穿著厚重的黑色兜帽和黑斗篷，他們好似由影子雕刻而成。他們的聲音聚集到一起，和無邊的長(zhǎng)夜相較顯得無比藐小。“長(zhǎng)夜將至，我從今開始守望。”他們說著誓言，在他們之前有成千上萬的人曾這樣說過。Satin的聲音甜美得像歌，Horse的嗓音沙啞，Arron的聲音則焦慮而尖銳。“至死方休。”

With their black hoods and thick black cowls, the six might have been carved from shadow. Their voices rose together, small against the vastness of the night. “Night gathers, and now my watch begins,” they said, as thousands had said before them. Satin’s voice was sweet as song, Horse’s hoarse and halting, Arron’s a nervous squeak. “It shall not end until my death.”

死亡會(huì)很遠(yuǎn)嗎？瓊恩雪諾單膝沒入雪中。父親的神啊，保護(hù)這些人吧，還有艾麗婭，我的小妹，無論她在哪。我祈求，讓曼斯找到她然后把她安全地帶給我吧。

May those deaths be long in coming. Jon Snow sank to one knee in the snow. Gods of my fathers, protect these men. And Arya too, my little sister, wherever she might be. I pray you, let Mance find her and bring her safe to me.

“我將不娶妻、不封地、不生子，”新兵們發(fā)誓，聲音猶如在此回蕩過無數(shù)滄桑。“我將不戴寶冠，不爭(zhēng)榮寵。我將盡忠職守，生死於斯。”

“I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children,” the recruits promised, in voices that echoed back through years and centuries. “I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post.”

樹木的神靈啊，給我力量讓我也能遵守誓言吧，瓊恩雪諾靜靜祈禱。給我智慧讓我明白該做什么，也給我勇氣讓我去做那些事。

Gods of the wood, grant me the strength to do the same, Jon Snow prayed silently. Give me the wisdom to know what must be done and the courage to do it.

“我是黑暗中的利劍，”六個(gè)人說，瓊恩覺得，他們的聲音似乎愈發(fā)強(qiáng)壯和堅(jiān)定。“長(zhǎng)城中的守衛(wèi)。我是抵御寒冷的烈焰，破曉時(shí)分的光線，喚醒死者的號(hào)角，守護(hù)王國(guó)的鐵衛(wèi)。”

“I am the sword in the darkness,” said the six, and it seemed to Jon as though their voices were changing, growing stronger, more certain. “I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men.”

守護(hù)王國(guó)的鐵衛(wèi)。白靈用鼻觸觸瓊恩的肩膀，瓊恩把手臂搭在他身上。它可以嗅出Horse沒有洗過的臀部，Satin精心梳理過的胡須的甜膩的氣味，難聞刺鼻的恐懼的味道，巨大的壓倒性的麝香味。他能聽到自己的心跳。可當(dāng)他透過樹林望向女人和孩子，兩個(gè)老人，殘疾的硬足民時(shí)，他看到的只有人。

The shield that guards the realms of men. Ghost nuzzled up against his shoulder, and Jon draped an arm around him. He could smell Horse’s unwashed breeches, the sweet scent Satin combed into his beard, the rank sharp smell of fear, the giant’s overpowering musk. He could hear the beating of his own heart. When he looked across the grove at the woman with her child, the two greybeards, the Hornfoot man with his maimed feet, all he saw was men.

“我將生命與榮耀獻(xiàn)給守夜人，今夜如此，夜夜皆然。”

“I pledge my life and honor to the Night’s Watch, for this night and all the nights to come.”

瓊恩雪諾最先起立。“起來你們就是守夜人的漢子了。”他向Horse伸出手拉他起來。

Jon Snow was the first onto his feet. “Rise now as men of the Night’s Watch.” He gave Horse a hand to pull him up.

起風(fēng)了。是時(shí)候回去了。

The wind was rising. It was time to go.

回程比來時(shí)更漫長(zhǎng)。盡管巨人有著那樣巨大的腿，他的腳步卻依然沉重，他總是停下用低懸的手臂和錘子踢起雪。女人和Rory同騎，她的孩子和Tom Barleycorn一起，老人們和Horse與Satin同騎。Thenn害怕馬匹，盡管傷勢(shì)嚴(yán)重，他還是愿意跛足而行。硬足民無法坐在馬鞍上，他不得不像一袋麥子一樣被捆在馬背上。白臉干癟的老太婆也被這樣運(yùn)輸，他們已經(jīng)無法醒來。

The journey back took much longer than the journey to the grove. The giant’s pace was a ponderous one, despite the length and girth of those legs, and he was forever stopping to knock snow off low-hanging limbs with his maul. The woman rode double with Rory, her son with Tom Barleycorn, the old men with Horse and Satin. The Thenn was frightened of the horses, however, and preferred to limp along despite his wounds. The Hornfoot man could not sit a saddle and had to be tied over the back of a garron like a sack of grain; so too the pale-faced crone with the stick-thin limbs, whom they had not been able to rouse.

他們對(duì)另外兩具尸體也這么做，這讓Iron Emmett感到費(fèi)解。“它們只會(huì)拖慢我們的速度，大人，”他對(duì)瓊恩說。“我們應(yīng)該把它們燒掉。”

They did the same with the two corpses, to the puzzlement of Iron Emmett. “They will only slow us, my lord,” he said to Jon. “We should chop them up and burn them.”

“不，”瓊恩說。“帶上它們，我要用這些尸體。”

“No,” said Jon. “Bring them. I have a use for them.”

返程路上沒有月光指引，只有零星的星星。世界黑白混雜。返程是一次冗長(zhǎng)而緩慢無盡的跋涉。雪緊緊地附在靴子和背上，風(fēng)使得松樹發(fā)出嘎嘎的響聲，斗篷在身后打旋拍打。瓊恩瞄著頭上紅色的走獸，當(dāng)瓊恩一行在下面行進(jìn)時(shí)他發(fā)現(xiàn)它們正在穿越大樹無葉的枝干。The Thief，自由民如此稱呼它。耶歌瑞特總是說偷取女人的最好時(shí)間是the Thief出現(xiàn)在Moonmaid之時(shí)。她卻從沒有告訴他什么是偷取巨人或是倆尸體的最好時(shí)間。

They had no moon to guide them home, and only now and then a patch of stars. The world was black and white and still. It was a long, slow, endless trek. The snow clung to their boots and breeches, and the wind rattled the pines and made their cloaks snap and swirl. Jon glimpsed the red wanderer above, watching them through the leafless branches of great trees as they made their way beneath. The Thief, the free folk called it. The best time to steal a woman was when the Thief was in the Moonmaid, Ygritte had always claimed. She never mentioned the best time to steal a giant. Or two dead men.

當(dāng)他們?cè)俅慰吹介L(zhǎng)城時(shí)已接近拂曉。

It was almost dawn before they saw the Wall again.

當(dāng)他們靠近時(shí)，哨兵吹響號(hào)角。從高處所傳來的聲音聽起來好似巨大的深喉鳥的悲鳴，一聲長(zhǎng)音意為游騎兵返回。Big Liddle解開并吹響自己的戰(zhàn)號(hào)以示回應(yīng)。在大門前，他們不得不等待憂郁的艾迪拔開門閂轉(zhuǎn)開鐵條。當(dāng)艾迪看到襤褸的野人隊(duì)伍時(shí)，他努努嘴并盯著巨人。“巨人通過隧道前需要我們?cè)谒淼览锬ㄓ蜐?rùn)滑嗎，大人，或者我該派人拿來梯子？”

A sentry’s horn greeted them as they approached, sounding from on high like the cry of some huge, deep-throated bird, a single long blast that meant rangers returning. Big Liddle unslung his own warhorn and gave answer. At the gate, they had to wait a few moments before Dolorous Edd Tollett appeared to slide back the bolts and swing open the iron bars. When Edd caught sight of the ragged band of wildlings, he pursed his lips and gave the giant a long look. “Might need some butter to slide that one through the tunnel, m’lord. Shall I send someone to the larder?”

“噢，我覺得他大小合適。不用潤(rùn)滑。”

“Oh, I think he’ll fit. Unbuttered.”

他確實(shí)大小合適……在隧道里手和膝蓋并用爬行。這個(gè)大塊頭，至少十四尺。甚至比巨人之王馬格還大。馬格死于這片冰的下方，死于唐納諾伊的致命抵抗。守夜人失去了太多優(yōu)秀的人。瓊恩走到Leathers旁邊。“你負(fù)責(zé)管理他，你也說古語。你要確保他能吃好并為他找個(gè)有火的溫暖之處。你要和他待在一起，確保沒人激怒他。”

So he did … on hands and knees, crawling. A big boy, this one. Fourteen feet, at least. Even bigger than Mag the Mighty. Mag had died beneath this very ice, locked in mortal struggle with Donal Noye. A good man. The Watch has lost too many good men. Jon took Leathers aside. “Take charge of him. You speak his tongue. See that he is fed and find him a warm place by the fire. Stay with him. See that no one provokes him.”

“是的。”Leathers有些猶豫，“大人。”

“Aye.” Leathers hesitated. “M’lord.”

瓊恩安排好那些幸存的野人使他們的傷能得到充分照料。他希望熱食和溫暖的衣物可以使他們恢復(fù)，只不過硬足民可能會(huì)失去雙腳。此外，尸體被他放進(jìn)冰牢里。

The living wildlings Jon sent off to have their wounds and frostbites tended. Some hot food and warm clothes would restore most of them, he hoped, though the Hornfoot man was like to lose both feet. The corpses he consigned to the ice cells.

Clydas來了又走，當(dāng)他把披風(fēng)掛在門后時(shí)瓊恩點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭。白天來的一封信被放在了桌子上。東海望，或是影子塔，他發(fā)現(xiàn)時(shí)暗暗猜想。但封蠟是金色的，并非黑色，圖案是燃燒的心里的寶冠雄鹿。史坦尼斯。瓊恩拆開堅(jiān)硬的封蠟，展平羊皮紙卷閱讀。出自學(xué)士之手，國(guó)王之口。

Clydas had come and gone, Jon noted as he was hanging his cloak on the peg beside the door. A letter had been left on the table in his solar. Eastwatch or the Shadow Tower, he assumed at first glance. But the wax was gold, not black. The seal showed a stag’s head within a flaming heart. Stannis. Jon cracked the hardened wax, flattened the roll of parchment, read. A maester’s hand, but the king’s words.

史坦尼斯已經(jīng)入駐深湖居，山地部落也加入了他。Flint， Norrey， Wull， Liddle，他們?nèi)俊?/p>

Stannis had taken Deepwood Motte, and the mountain clans had joined him. Flint, Norrey, Wull, Liddle, all.

我們也得到了其他幫助，最令人始料未及而受人歡迎的是來自熊島的女兒的幫助。艾麗珊莫爾蒙，她被手下稱作為She-Bear。她把戰(zhàn)士們藏在單桅漁船里，在鐵民們登陸時(shí)出其不意地展開襲擊。葛雷喬伊的長(zhǎng)船悉數(shù)被焚或是被占，船員不是被殺就是投降。船長(zhǎng)，騎士，著名的戰(zhàn)士，還有其他貴族用以換取贖金，剩下的人則被我直接吊死。

And we had other help, unexpected but most welcome, from a daughter of Bear Island. Alysane Mormont, whose men name her the She-Bear, hid fighters inside a gaggle of fishing sloops and took the ironmen unawares where they lay off the strand. Greyjoy’s longships are burned or taken, her crews slain or surrendered. The captains, knights, notable warriors, and others of high birth we shall ransom or make other use of, the rest I mean to hang …

守夜人發(fā)過誓不介入王國(guó)內(nèi)的任何紛爭(zhēng)。然而此刻，瓊恩雪諾確實(shí)感到某種莫名的滿足感。他繼續(xù)讀下去。

The Night’s Watch was sworn to take no side in the quarrels and conflicts of the realm. Nonetheless, Jon Snow could not help but feel a certain satisfaction. He read on.

隨著勝利的消息傳出，越來越多的北方人加入了我們。自由民，自由騎手，山區(qū)居民，佃農(nóng)們，從狼林深處的人到磐石海岸為逃避鐵民放棄村莊的人，從臨冬城大門外戰(zhàn)斗的幸存者到曾向霍伍德城、賽文城、Tallharts宣誓效忠的人們。當(dāng)我書寫這封信時(shí)，我們的力量已經(jīng)達(dá)到5000人，我們的隊(duì)伍日漸壯大。我聽說盧斯波頓正傾其所有力量進(jìn)軍臨冬城，在那里讓他的私生子和你的小妹結(jié)婚，他一定會(huì)重建城堡使其恢復(fù)到最初的樣子。而我們將向他進(jìn)軍。Arnolf卡史塔克和Mors安柏和我們一起。如果能的話我必將救回你妹妹，我也會(huì)為她找到一個(gè)比拉姆斯雪諾更好的婚配。你和你的兄弟們務(wù)必堅(jiān)守長(zhǎng)城直到我返回。

… more northmen coming in as word spreads of our victory. Fisherfolk, freeriders, hillmen, crofters from the deep of the wolfswood and villagers who fled their homes along the stony shore to escape the ironmen, survivors from the battle outside the gates of Winterfell, men once sworn to the Hornwoods, the Cerwyns, and the Tallharts. We are five thousand strong as I write, our numbers swelling every day. And word has come to us that Roose Bolton moves toward Winterfell with all his power, there to wed his bastard to your half sister. He must not be allowed to restore the castle to its former strength. We march against him. Arnolf Karstark and Mors Umber will join us. I will save your sister if I can, and find a better match for her than Ramsay Snow. You and your brothers must hold the Wall until I can return.

落款出自不同字跡。以光之王之名，史坦尼斯拜拉希恩，安達(dá)爾人，Rhoynar和先民之王，七國(guó)之君，兼全境守護(hù)。

Done in the Light of Lord, under the sign and seal of Stannis of House Baratheon, the First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm.

那一刻瓊恩把信放到一邊，羊皮紙又自動(dòng)卷起，好像它渴望于保守自己的秘密一樣。他不知道他讀這封信時(shí)到底什么感覺。無數(shù)戰(zhàn)斗曾經(jīng)在臨冬城打響過，但是戰(zhàn)斗總有一方會(huì)是史塔克家。“城堡只是一個(gè)空殼，”他喃喃道，“不再是臨冬城了，只不過是臨冬城的魂魄而已。”想到這令他悲痛，而且……

The moment Jon set the letter aside, the parchment curled up again, as if eager to protect its secrets. He was not at all sure how he felt about what he had just read. Battles had been fought at Winterfell before, but never one without a Stark on one side or the other. “The castle is a shell,” he said, “not Winterfell, but the ghost of Winterfell.” It was painful just to think of it, much less say the words aloud. And still …

他不清楚老鴉食會(huì)帶多少人去打仗，也不知道Arnolf會(huì)帶去多少劍。安柏家一半的人將由妓靨帶領(lǐng)，在剝皮人的恐怖堡戰(zhàn)斗，然而這些封臣們很大一部分力量都跟著羅柏去往南方再也沒有回來。就算被毀，臨冬城本身也能為占領(lǐng)它的人帶來不可忽視的優(yōu)勢(shì)。若是勞勃拜拉希恩，想必他定當(dāng)憑借其所著稱的日夜兼程強(qiáng)行軍迅速趕往并保衛(wèi)城堡。他的兄弟也會(huì)如此無畏么？

He wondered how many men old Crowfood would bring to the fray, and how many swords Arnolf Karstark would be able to conjure up. Half the Umbers would be across the field with Whoresbane, fighting beneath the flayed man of the Dreadfort, and the greater part of the strength of both houses had gone south with Robb, never to return. Even ruined, Winterfell itself would confer a considerable advantage on whoever held it. Robert Baratheon would have seen that at once and moved swiftly to secure the castle, with the forced marches and midnight rides for which he had been famous. Would his brother be as bold?

不大可能。史坦尼斯是一個(gè)謹(jǐn)慎的指揮官，況且他的部隊(duì)乃是部落自由民、南方騎士、國(guó)王的部隊(duì)、王后的部隊(duì)的大雜燴，伙著幾個(gè)北方領(lǐng)主。他要么應(yīng)當(dāng)迅速進(jìn)軍臨冬城，要么應(yīng)當(dāng)采取完全相反的策略——謹(jǐn)慎進(jìn)軍，瓊恩想。可他并沒有權(quán)利為國(guó)王諫言，不過……

Not likely. Stannis was a deliberate commander, and his host was a half-digested stew of clansmen, southron knights, king’s men and queen’s men, salted with a few northern lords. He should move on Winterfell swiftly, or not at all, Jon thought. It was not his place to advise the king, but …

他再次掃視史坦尼斯的來信。“如果能的話我必將救回你妹妹。”史坦尼斯竟也有如此柔情傷感，不過隨后這種氣氛即被殘酷無情的其他部分所削弱，“如果能的話”，以及附加的內(nèi)容“我也會(huì)為她找到一個(gè)比拉姆斯雪諾更好的婚配”但如果艾麗婭并沒有在那被救回來呢？如果梅麗珊卓女士的火焰中所見為真？他的妹妹能真正逃離捕捉者嗎？她會(huì)怎么做？艾麗婭從小敏捷機(jī)靈，到最后卻終是一個(gè)小女孩，盧斯波頓也不是那種對(duì)如此大好機(jī)會(huì)毫不在乎的人。

He glanced at the letter again. I will save your sister if I can. A surprisingly tender sentiment from Stannis, though undercut by that final, brutal if I can and the addendum and find a better match for her than Ramsay Snow. But what if Arya was not there to be saved? What if Lady Melisandre’s flames had told it true? Could his sister truly have escaped such captors? How would she do that? Arya was always quick and clever, but in the end she’s just a little girl, and Roose Bolton is not the sort who would be careless with a prize of such great worth.

倘若波頓根本沒有得到他妹妹？這場(chǎng)婚禮不過是為了誘惑史坦尼斯進(jìn)入陷進(jìn)的陰謀。至少就瓊恩所知，雖然恐怖堡伯爵從未讓艾德史塔克失望過，艾德卻從未信任過他，信任過那低聲細(xì)氣的聲音和那蒼白的眼珠。

What if Bolton never had his sister? This wedding could well be just some ruse to lure Stannis into a trap. Eddard Stark had never had any reason to complain of the Lord of the Dreadfort, so far as Jon knew, but even so he had never trusted him, with his whispery voice and his pale, pale eyes.

一個(gè)瘦弱的小女孩在一匹瀕死的馬上，逃離著自己的婚姻。憑借著這些字句，他在北方放了曼斯雷德和六個(gè)矛婦。“年輕漂亮的女子，”曼斯曾說過。這個(gè)未被點(diǎn)燃的國(guó)王提供了一些名字，憂郁的艾迪完成了剩下部分，偷偷從鼴鼠村帶走他們。這簡(jiǎn)直是瘋狂的行為。當(dāng)曼斯在瓊恩面前時(shí)，他本可以出色地?fù)舻孤埂－偠鲗?duì)這位塞外之王有著莫名的欽佩，雖然這個(gè)人是一個(gè)背誓者和變色龍。比之曼斯雷德，他卻更不信任梅麗珊卓。然而現(xiàn)在，他信任曼斯他們，把希望寄托者他們身上。傾盡全力找到妹妹，哪怕守夜人不該有姐妹。

A grey girl on a dying horse, fleeing from her marriage. On the strength of those words he had loosed Mance Rayder and six spearwives on the north. “Young ones, and pretty,” Mance had said. The unburnt king supplied some names, and Dolorous Edd had done the rest, smuggling them from Mole’s Town. It seemed like madness now. He might have done better to strike down Mance the moment he revealed himself. Jon had a certain grudging admiration for the late King-Beyond-the-Wall, but the man was an oathbreaker and a turncloak. He had even less trust in Melisandre. Yet somehow here he was, pinning his hopes on them. All to save my sister. But the men of the Night’s Watch have no sisters.

當(dāng)瓊恩還是個(gè)在臨冬城的小孩時(shí)，他的英雄是Young Dragon，那是個(gè)在14歲便征服多恩的年輕國(guó)王。不論私生子血統(tǒng)，也許也正是因?yàn)檫@一點(diǎn)，瓊恩雪諾夢(mèng)想成為一個(gè)擁有King Daeron的那般光榮的領(lǐng)袖，成為一個(gè)征服者。而現(xiàn)在，他已是成人，坐守長(zhǎng)城。而他有的卻盡是懷疑，他甚至不能征服當(dāng)下。

When Jon had been a boy at Winterfell, his hero had been the Young Dragon, the boy king who had conquered Dorne at the age of fourteen. Despite his bastard birth, or perhaps because of it, Jon Snow had dreamed of leading men to glory just as King Daeron had, of growing up to be a conqueror. Now he was a man grown and the Wall was his, yet all he had were doubts. He could not even seem to conquer those.