Chapter 第四十九章 瓊恩（十）

JON

“拉赫洛，” 梅麗珊卓迎著雪花高舉雙臂，吟頌著，“你是我們眼中的光，心中的火，丹田中的熱。你讓太陽在白晝溫暖著我們，你讓群星在黑夜守護著我們。”

R’hllor,” sang Melisandre, her arms upraised against the falling snow, “you are the light in our eyes, the fire in our hearts, the heat in our loins. Yours is the sun that warms our days, yours the stars that guard us in the dark of night.”

“一切榮耀歸于拉赫洛，光之王。” 一陣刺骨的寒風吹散了婚禮來賓亂糟糟的應和聲。瓊恩雪諾戴起斗篷上的風帽。

“All praise R’hllor, the Lord of Light,” the wedding guests answered in ragged chorus before a gust of ice-cold wind blew their words away. Jon Snow raised the hood of his cloak.

今天雪不大，稀稀拉拉的雪花在空中飛舞著，可是沿長城吹來的東風，像老奶媽故事里的冰龍的呼吸那樣寒冷刺骨。即使是梅麗珊卓的篝火也在顫栗；紅衣女祭司吟頌著，火焰畏畏縮縮地貼著溝渠，發(fā)出細微的辟辟啪啪的爆裂聲。

The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used to tell. Even Melisandre’s fire was shivering; the flames huddled down in the ditch, crackling softly as the red priestess sang. Only Ghost seemed not to feel the chill.

艾麗絲·卡史塔克向瓊恩靠過來。“婚禮上下雪，預兆著婚姻關系冷淡。我母親大人經(jīng)常這么說。”

Alys Karstark leaned close to Jon. “Snow during a wedding means a cold marriage. My lady mother always said so.”

他看了一眼賽麗絲王后。她和史坦尼斯婚禮當天肯定有暴風雪。這位南方王后在一大群隨從女士、侍女、騎士的擁簇下，蜷在白鼬皮斗篷里，虛弱而蒼白，凍得縮成一團。一絲勉強的微笑凍結(jié)在她那薄薄的嘴唇上，但她的眼里卻滿溢著崇敬。她憎恨寒冷，熱愛火焰。只要看看她的表情他就知道。只要梅麗珊卓發(fā)句話，她就會欣然步入火焰，像情人一樣擁抱它。

He glanced at Queen Selyse. There must have been a blizzard the day she and Stannis wed. Huddled beneath her ermine mantle and surrounded by her ladies, serving girls, and knights, the southron queen seemed a frail, pale, shrunken thing. A strained smile was frozen into place on her thin lips, but her eyes brimmed with reverence. She hates the cold but loves the flames. He had only to look at her to see that. A word from Melisandre, and she would walk into the fire willingly, embrace it like a lover.

并不是所有的手下都像她本人一樣熱誠。布魯斯爵士（Ser Brus）喝得半醉半醒，莫里根爵士（Ser Malegorn）戴著手套的手覆蓋在旁邊女士的屁股上，納伯特爵士（Ser Narbert）在打呵欠，而國王嶺的帕屈克爵士（Ser Patrek of King's Mountain）則在生氣。瓊恩雪諾現(xiàn)在開始明白為什么史坦尼斯把這些人留給王后了。

Not all her queen’s men seemed to share her fervor. Ser Brus appeared half-drunk, Ser Malegorn’s gloved hand was cupped round the arse of the lady beside him, Ser Narbert was yawning, and Ser Patrek of King’s Mountain looked angry. Jon Snow had begun to understand why Stannis had left them with his queen.

“長夜漫漫，恐怖黑暗，” 梅麗珊卓吟頌著。“我們孤獨而生，我們寂寞而死。然而，當我們并肩穿越塵世的黑暗時，我們可以從彼此身上汲取力量，也從你身上汲取力量，光之王。” 她身上猩紅色的絲緞隨風打著旋。“兩個人走上前來，從此連為一體，共同面對世界的黑暗。讓他們心中充滿火焰，光之王，讓他們從此永遠手拉手，走在你閃光的大道上。”

“The night is dark and filled with terrors,” Melisandre sang. “Alone we are born and alone we die, but as we walk through this black vale we draw strength from one another, and from you, our lord.” Her scarlet silks and satins swirled with every gust of wind. “Two come forth today to join their lives, so they may face this world’s darkness together. Fill their hearts with fire, my lord, so they may walk your shining path hand in hand forever.”

“光之王，保佑我們，” 賽麗絲王后喊道。一些人齊聲應和著。他們都是梅麗珊卓的忠實追隨者：蒼白的女士們，顫抖著的侍女，亞賽爾·佛羅倫爵士（Ser Axell），納伯特爵士（Ser Narbert），蘭伯特爵士（Ser Lambert），穿鐵甲的士兵，穿青銅甲的瑟恩人（Thenns），甚至還有幾個瓊恩的黑衣兄弟。“光之王，請保佑你的孩子。”

“Lord of Light, protect us,” cried Queen Selyse. Other voices echoed the response. Melisandre’s faithful: pallid ladies, shivering serving girls, Ser Axell and Ser Narbert and Ser Lambert, men-at-arms in iron mail and Thenns in bronze, even a few of Jon’s black brothers. “Lord of Light, bless your children.”

“梅麗珊卓背朝長城，面向燃著火焰的溝渠，新人在溝渠另一側(cè)，面向著她。王后、公主和補丁臉站在新人后面。希琳公主（Princess Shireen）被一層層的毛皮包成了一個圓球，透過蒙著臉的頭巾呼吸著大團大團的白霧。亞賽爾·佛羅倫爵士（Ser Axell Florent）和他的后黨人士擁簇著他們?nèi)恕?/p>

Melisandre’s back was to the Wall, on one side of the deep ditch where her fire burned. The couple to be joined faced her across the ditch. Behind them stood the queen, with her daughter and her tattooed fool. Princess Shireen was wrapped in so many furs that she looked round, breathing in white puffs through the scarf that covered most of her face. Ser Axell Florent and his queen’s men surrounded the royal party.

雖然只有少數(shù)幾個守夜人聚集在篝火旁，但有更多的人在屋頂、窗口、大 “之” 字形臺階上往下觀看。瓊恩·雪諾特別留心觀察了一下有哪些黑衣兄弟到場，哪些缺席。有些人正在值班，也有很多剛剛離崗的人正在熟睡。但是還有其他人故意缺席以示反對。奧賽爾·亞威克（Othell Yarwyck）和波文·馬爾錫（Bowen Marsh）也缺席了。恰伊歐爾修士（Septon Chayle）從【教堂】（sept）里出來短暫地露了露面，指頭撥弄著繞著脖子的皮帶上的七面水晶，祈禱一開始他就退回去了。

Though only a few men of the Night’s Watch had gathered about the ditchfire, more looked down from rooftops and windows and the steps of the great switchback stair. Jon took careful note of who was there and who was not. Some men had the duty; many just off watch were fast asleep. But others had chosen to absent themselves to show their disapproval. Othell Yarwyck and Bowen Marsh were amongst the missing. Septon Cellador had emerged briefly from the sept, fingering the seven-sided crystal on the thong about his neck, only to retreat inside again once the prayers began.

梅麗珊卓舉起雙手，火苗突然上升，跳躍到她的指尖，像一只紅色的大狗跳起來討食。火星向上飛旋，雪花向下飄舞。“啊，光之王，我們感謝你，” 她向著饑餓的火苗吟頌著。“我們感謝你的恩典，你讓勇敢的史坦尼斯成為我們的國王。求你指引他，保佑他，拉赫洛。求你保護他免于惡人的背叛，賜予他力量打敗黑暗的仆從。”

Melisandre raised her hands, and the ditchfire leapt upward toward her fingers, like a great red dog springing for a treat. A swirl of sparks rose to meet the snowflakes coming down. “Oh, Lord of Light, we thank you,” she sang to the hungry flames. “We thank you for brave Stannis, by your grace our king. Guide him and defend him, R’hllor. Protect him from the treacheries of evil men and grant him strength to smite the servants of the dark.”

“賜予他力量，” 賽麗絲王后和她的騎士、仕女們應和著。“賜予他勇氣，賜予他智慧。”

“Grant him strength,” answered Queen Selyse and her knights and ladies. “Grant him courage. Grant him wisdom.”

艾麗絲·卡史塔克（Alys Karstark）挽住瓊恩的胳膊。“還有多久，雪諾大人？要是被雪埋了，我希望結(jié)過婚再死。”

Alys Karstark slipped her arm through Jon’s. “How much longer, Lord Snow? If I’m to be buried beneath this snow, I’d like to die a woman wed.”

“快了，女士，” 瓊恩向她保證。“快了。”

“Soon, my lady,” Jon assured her. “Soon.”

“感謝你讓太陽溫暖我們，” 王后吟頌著。“感謝你在黑夜讓群星守護我們。 感謝你讓壁爐與火炬驅(qū)走黑暗。感謝你讓我們的靈魂充滿光明，讓我們的身體和內(nèi)心充滿火焰。”

“We thank you for the sun that warms us,” chanted the queen. “We thank you for the stars that watch over us in the black of night. We thank you for our hearths and for our torches that keep the savage dark at bay. We thank you for our bright spirits, the fires in our loins and in our hearts.”

接著梅麗珊卓說道，“請新人上前來。” 火焰把她的影子投射到背后的城墻上，紅寶石在她蒼白的喉嚨上閃閃發(fā)光。

And Melisandre said, “Let them come forth, who would be joined.” The flames cast her shadow on the Wall behind her, and her ruby gleamed against the paleness of her throat.

瓊恩轉(zhuǎn)向艾麗絲·卡史塔克（Alys Karstark）。“女士，準備好了嗎？”

Jon turned to Alys Karstark. “My lady. Are you ready?”

“是的，噢，當然。”

“Yes. Oh, yes.”

“你不怕？”

“You’re not scared?”

女孩的微笑像極了他的小妹，想起小妹，他心都要碎了。“讓他怕我吧。” 她的頭發(fā)用一根紗丁（Satin）不知從哪里找來的帶子束著，落在她雙頰上的雪花在融化，但是她頭發(fā)上的雪聚集起來，像是戴著一頂雪冠。她雙頰嫣紅，眼睛閃閃發(fā)亮。

The girl smiled in a way that reminded Jon so much of his little sister that it almost broke his heart. “Let him be scared of me.” The snowflakes were melting on her cheeks, but her hair was wrapped in a swirl of lace that Satin had found somewhere, and the snow had begun to collect there, giving her a frosty crown. Her cheeks were flushed and red, and her eyes sparkled.

“凜冬女士。” 瓊恩緊握她的手。

“Winter’s lady.” Jon squeezed her hand.

瑟恩的馬格拿（The Magnar of Thenn）站在火旁等待著，他穿著皮革和青銅盔甲，屁股上掛著青銅劍，像是準備上戰(zhàn)場。他額頭有點禿，所以外表比實際年齡要老，但是當他轉(zhuǎn)過頭看新娘走近時，瓊恩可以清楚地看到他還是個孩子。眼睛睜得像核桃那么大，到底是受到誰的驚嚇，是火焰，女祭司，還是新娘，瓊恩就不知道了。艾麗絲（Alys）說對了。

The Magnar of Thenn stood waiting by the fire, clad as if for battle, in fur and leather and bronze scales, a bronze sword at his hip. His receding hair made him look older than his years, but as he turned to watch his bride approach, Jon could see the boy in him. His eyes were big as walnuts, though whether it was the fire, the priestess, or the woman that had put the fear in him Jon could not say. Alys was more right than she knew.

“誰給這位女士送嫁？” 梅麗珊卓問道。

“Who brings this woman to be wed?” asked Melisandre.

“是我，” 瓊恩答道。“這位是卡史塔克家族的艾麗絲，一位血統(tǒng)純正，出身高貴的成年女士。” 他最后緊握一下她的手，退回到其他人的行列。

“I do,” said Jon. “Now comes Alys of House Karstark, a woman grown and flowered, of noble blood and birth.” He gave her hand one last squeeze and stepped back to join the others.

“誰來迎娶這位女士？” 梅麗珊卓問道。

“Who comes forth to claim this woman?” asked Melisandre.

“我。” 西戈（Sigorn）拍拍胸脯。 “瑟恩的馬格拿。”

“Me.” Sigorn slapped his chest. “Magnar of Thenn.”

“西戈，” 梅麗珊卓問道，“你愿意與艾麗絲（Alys）共享火焰，溫暖著她度過黑暗恐怖的長夜嗎？”

“Sigorn,” asked Melisandre, “will you share your fire with Alys, and warm her when the night is dark and full of terrors?”

“我愿意。” 馬格拿承諾著，開口時吐出一團白霧。他肩膀上落滿斑斑點點的雪花，耳朵凍得通紅。“我對紅神的火焰發(fā)誓，我會一輩子溫暖著她。”

“I swear me.” The Magnar’s promise was a white cloud in the air. Snow dappled his shoulders. His ears were red. “By the red god’s flames, I warm her all her days.”

“艾麗絲，你愿意與西戈（Sigorn）共享火焰，溫暖著他度過黑暗恐怖的長夜嗎？”

“Alys, do you swear to share your fire with Sigorn, and warm him when the night is dark and full of terrors?”

“直到他熱血沸騰。” 她穿著守夜人的黑羊毛斗篷作為新娘斗篷。斗篷背上卡史塔克家族的旭日家徽，用跟斗篷里子同樣的白色毛皮縫成。

“Till his blood is boiling.” Her maiden’s cloak was the black wool of the Night’s Watch. The Karstark sunburst sewn on its back was made of the same white fur that lined it.

梅麗珊卓的眼睛像她喉嚨上的紅寶石一樣閃閃發(fā)光。“那么請上前來，結(jié)為一體。” 隨著她的手勢，一堵火墻猛地升騰起來，用橘紅的熱焰添著飛舞的雪花。艾麗絲拉起馬格拿的手。

Melisandre’s eyes shone as bright as the ruby at her throat. “Then come to me and be as one.” As she beckoned, a wall of flames roared upward, licking at the snowflakes with hot orange tongues. Alys Karstark took her Magnar by the hand.

他們肩并肩穿越火墻跳過溝渠。

Side by side they leapt the ditch.

“穿越火焰，” 一陣風吹起紅衣女的猩紅長裙，她把它按了下去。“合二為一。” 她的紅銅色頭發(fā)飛揚著。“火焰結(jié)為一體，無人能夠分離。”

“Two went into the flames.” A gust of wind lifted the red woman’s scarlet skirts till she pressed them down again. “One emerges.” Her coppery hair danced about her head. “What fire joins, none may put asunder.”

“火焰結(jié)為一體，無人能夠分離。” 應和聲響起，是王后手下，瑟恩人，甚至還有幾個黑衣兄弟。

“What fire joins, none may put asunder,” came the echo, from queen’s men and Thenns and even a few of the black brothers.

除了國王和叔叔。瓊恩·雪諾想。

Except for kings and uncles, thought Jon Snow.

克瑞岡·卡史塔克（Cregan Karstark）比她侄女遲一天到達。他帶著四名騎兵，一個獵人和一群獵狗，嗅探追蹤著艾麗絲女士，簡直把她當成一只鹿了。瓊恩·雪諾趕在他們到達黑城堡之前，在鼴鼠村以南半里格處的國王大道上迎頭碰上他們，這樣他們就不能援引賓客權利，也不能要求談判了。克瑞岡的一個手下用十字弓朝泰（Ty）放了一箭，立刻被殺死。現(xiàn)在他們就剩下四個手下，和克瑞岡本人了。

Cregan Karstark had turned up a day behind his niece. With him came four mounted men-at-arms, a huntsman, and a pack of dogs, sniffing after Lady Alys as if she were a deer. Jon Snow met them on the kingsroad half a league south of Mole’s Town, before they could turn up at Castle Black, claim guest right, or call for parley. One of Karstark’s men had loosed a crossbow quarrel at Ty and died for it. That left four, and Cregan himself.

幸好他們有十幾個冰窖。人人都有得住。

Fortunately they had a dozen ice cells. Room for all.

身處長城，很多東西都會失效，家徽也一樣。七王國的貴族家家有族徽，但瑟恩人沒有，所以瓊恩讓事務官臨時準備一個。他們做得不錯。西戈（Sigorn）系在艾麗絲（Alys）女士肩膀上的新娘斗篷上的家徽是白羊毛背景上的一個青銅圓盤，環(huán)繞著縷縷深紅絲綢的火焰。如果仔細看，會看到卡史塔克家的旭日，但也作出了適合瑟恩人的修改。

Like so much else, heraldry ended at the Wall. The Thenns had no family arms as was customary amongst the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms, so Jon told the stewards to improvise. He thought they had done well. The bride’s cloak Sigorn fastened about Lady Alys’s shoulders showed a bronze disk on a field of white wool, surrounded by flames made with wisps of crimson silk. The echo of the Karstark sunburst was there for those who cared to look, but differenced to make the arms appropriate for House Thenn.

馬格拿差不多是把少女斗篷從艾麗絲肩上扯下來的，但是當他為她系上新娘斗篷時，幾乎是溫柔的。他低頭親吻她的臉頰，他們的呼吸混合在一起。火焰又一次升騰起來。王后的手下開始唱起贊美詩。“完了沒？” 瓊恩聽到紗丁小聲問。

The Magnar all but ripped the maiden’s cloak from Alys’s shoulders, but when he fastened her bride’s cloak about her he was almost tender. As he leaned down to kiss her cheek, their breath mingled. The flames roared once again. The queen’s men began to sing a song of praise. “Is it done?” Jon heard Satin whisper.

“徹底完成，” 穆利低聲抱怨，“好極了。人家成親，我凍個半死。” 他裹著自己最好的黑羊毛斗篷，斗篷還是嶄新的，一點都沒褪色，即使如此，寒風還是把他的臉頰凍得通紅，紅得像他自己的頭發(fā)。“哈布熱了肉桂丁香酒。等會喝點暖暖身子。”

“Done and done,” muttered Mully, “and a good thing. They’re wed and I’m half-froze.” He was muffled up in his best blacks, woolens so new that they had hardly had a chance to fade yet, but the wind had turned his cheeks as red as his hair. “Hobb’s mulled some wine with cinnamon and cloves. That’ll warm us some.”

“丁香是什么？” 呆子歐文問道。

“What’s cloves?” asked Owen the Oaf.

雪越下越大，溝渠中的火快熄滅了。人群開始散去，王后的手下，國王的手下，還有自由民，都急急忙忙離開院子躲避風雪。“大人和我們一起參加宴會嗎？” 穆利問瓊恩·雪諾。

The snow had started to descend more heavily and the fire in the ditch was guttering out. The crowd began to break apart and stream from the yard, queen’s men, king’s men, and free folk alike, all anxious to get out of the wind and the cold. “Will my lord be feasting with us?” Mully asked Jon Snow.

“稍等。” 西戈（Sigorn）可能會把缺席看成藐視。再說，畢竟是我自己力主聯(lián)姻的。“我有些事要先辦。”

“Shortly.” Sigorn might take it as a slight if he did not appear. And this marriage is mine own work, after all. “I have other matters to attend to first, however.”

瓊恩走向賽麗絲王后，冰原狼跟著他。他的靴子嘎吱嘎吱地踏過一堆堆積雪。清除各建筑物之間的道路所需時間不斷增長；人們只好越來越頻繁地使用被稱為“蟲洞”的地下通道。

Jon crossed to Queen Selyse, with Ghost beside him. His boots crunched through piles of old snow. It was growing ever more time-consuming to shovel out the paths from one building to another; more and more, the men were resorting to the underground passages they called wormways.

“… 多么完美的婚禮啊，” 王后說道。 “我能感受到光之王的熾烈凝視。噢，你不知道我請求過史坦尼斯多少次，讓我們再舉行一次婚禮，受光之王祝福的，真正的靈魂與肉身的結(jié)合。只要圣火把我們結(jié)為一體，我就能給他生更多的孩子。”

“… such a beautiful rite,” the queen was saying. “I could feel our lord’s fiery gaze upon us. Oh, you cannot know how many times I have begged Stannis to let us be wed again, a true joining of body and spirit blessed by the Lord of Light. I know that I could give His Grace more children if we were bound in fire.”

要給他多生孩子，你得先讓他跟你同床。史坦尼斯·拜拉席恩已冷落妻子多年，即便在長城，這也是盡人皆知的。很難想象陛下對戰(zhàn)時舉行二次婚禮的念頭作何反應。

To give him more children you would first need to get him into your bed. Even at the Wall, it was common knowledge that Stannis Baratheon had shunned his wife for years. One could only imagine how His Grace had responded to the notion of a second wedding in the midst of his war.

瓊恩鞠躬。“如果陛下愿意賞光，宴會已準備妥當。”

Jon bowed. “If it please Your Grace, the feast awaits.”

王后疑慮地看了一下百靈，然后抬頭轉(zhuǎn)向瓊恩。“當然。梅麗珊卓女士會為我引路。”

The queen glanced at Ghost suspiciously, then raised her head to Jon. “To be sure. Lady Melisandre knows the way.”

紅衣女祭司大聲說：“我要照料圣火，陛下。希望拉赫洛賜予恩惠，讓我一瞥國王陛下。但愿能預見一次大勝仗。”

The red priestess spoke up. “I must attend my fires, Your Grace. Perhaps R’hllor will vouchsafe me a glimpse of His Grace. A glimpse of some great victory, mayhaps.”

“噢，” 賽麗絲王后神情焦慮。“當然 … 讓我們祈求光之王恩賜幻象吧……”

“Oh.” Queen Selyse looked stricken. “To be sure … let us pray for a vision from our lord …”

“紗丁，為陛下帶路。” 瓊恩道。

“Satin, show Her Grace to her place,” said Jon.

莫里根爵士（Ser Malegorn）走上前來。“我來護送陛下出席宴會。我們不需要你的……管家。” 從最后那個詞的腔調(diào)，瓊恩知道他在掂量另外的詞。小子？寵物？婊子？

Ser Malegorn stepped forward. “I will escort Her Grace to the feast. We shall not require your … steward.” The way the man drew out the last word told Jon that he had been considering saying something else. Boy? Pet? Whore?

瓊恩再次鞠躬。“如你所愿。我稍后即到。”

Jon bowed again. “As you wish. I shall join you shortly.”

莫里根爵士（Ser Malegorn）伸出胳膊，賽麗絲王后拘謹?shù)赝熘Ｋ牧硪恢皇职丛谂畠杭绨蛏稀Ｄ侨和跫倚▲啠谒麄兒竺媾胖牐谂济弊由系拟忚K聲中穿過庭院。“在海底啊，人魚開宴席啊，熬湯用海星啊，蟹子都當侍應生啊” 補丁臉叫喊著。“我知道，我知道，噢，噢，噢。”

Ser Malegorn offered his arm, and Queen Selyse took it stiffly. Her other hand settled on her daughter’s shoulder. The royal ducklings fell in behind them as they made their way across the yard, marching to the music of the bells on the fool’s hat. “Under the sea the mermen feast on starfish soup, and all the serving men are crabs,” Patchface proclaimed as they went. “I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.”

梅麗珊卓陰沉著臉。“這東西很危險。我在火焰中看過他很多次。有時看到他嘴唇上都是血，周圍很多骷髏頭。”

Melisandre’s face darkened. “That creature is dangerous. Many a time I have glimpsed him in my flames. Sometimes there are skulls about him, and his lips are red with blood.”

到現(xiàn)在你還沒燒死他，真是奇事一件。王后耳旁一句話的事兒，補丁臉就丟到火里了。“你在火里能看到弄臣，卻看不到一點史坦尼斯的跡象？”

A wonder you haven’t had the poor man burned. All it would take was a word in the queen’s ear, and Patchface would feed her fires. “You see fools in your fire, but no hint of Stannis?”

“我搜尋他，卻只看到茫茫白雪。”

“When I search for him all I see is snow.”

又是一個無用的回答。克萊達斯（Clydas）已放出烏鴉到深林堡警告國王阿諾夫·卡史塔克（Arnolf Karstark）已叛變，可是鳥兒是否已及時趕到陛下那兒，瓊恩就不知道了。布拉佛斯（Braavosi）銀行家也已帶著瓊恩派遣的向?qū)В霭l(fā)搜尋史坦尼斯，當下正處于戰(zhàn)時，天氣又壞，如果他能找到國王，可算得上是一個奇跡。“如果國王已死，你會不會知道？” 瓊恩問紅衣女祭司。

The same useless answer. Clydas had dispatched a raven to Deepwood Motte to warn the king of Arnolf Karstark’s treachery, but whether the bird had reached His Grace in time Jon did not know. The Braavosi banker was off in search of Stannis as well, accompanied by the guides that Jon had given him, but between the war and weather, it would be a wonder if he found him. “Would you know if the king was dead?” Jon asked the red priestess.

“他絕對沒死。史坦尼斯是光之王特選，命中注定要領導對抗黑暗的戰(zhàn)爭。我在火焰中看見過，在古老的預言中讀到過。當星辰泣血，長夜降臨，亞瑟·亞亥將要在煙與鹽之地重生，喚醒巖石中沉睡的巨龍。龍石島就是煙與鹽之地。”

“He is not dead. Stannis is the Lord’s chosen, destined to lead the fight against the dark. I have seen it in the flames, read of it in ancient prophecy. When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. Dragonstone is the place of smoke and salt.”

這些瓊恩都聽說過。“史坦尼斯·拜拉席恩是龍石島領主沒錯，可他不是在那里出生的。他跟他的兄弟們一樣，都在風暴角出生。” 他皺起眉頭。“那曼斯呢？他也找不到嗎？你從火焰中看到了什么？”

Jon had heard all this before. “Stannis Baratheon was the Lord of Dragonstone, but he was not born there. He was born at Storm’s End, like his brothers.” He frowned. “And what of Mance? Is he lost as well? What do your fires show?”

“同樣的，恐怕。只有茫茫白雪。”

“The same, I fear. Only snow.”

雪。南方正下著大雪，瓊恩知道。在南邊，離長城兩日騎程處的國王大道已無法通行。梅麗珊卓自然也知道的。在東方，暴風雪襲擊海豹灣。最近的報告說，他們拼湊起來的雜牌艦隊，本來是準備救助艱難堡的自由民的，現(xiàn)在還縮在東海望，海上大浪滔天，他們無法離港。“你還看到漫天飛舞的火灰在扶搖直上呢。”

Snow. It was snowing heavily to the south, Jon knew. Only two days’ ride from here, the kingsroad was said to be impassable. Melisandre knows that too. And to the east, a savage storm was raging on the Bay of Seals. At last report, the ragtag fleet they had assembled to rescue the free folk from Hardhome still huddled at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, confined to port by the rough seas. “You are seeing cinders dancing in the updraft.”

“我還看到了骷髏頭。還有你。每一次凝視火焰，我都會見到你。我警告你多次，你身處險境，現(xiàn)在危險離你越來越近了。”

“I am seeing skulls. And you. I see your face every time I look into the flames. The danger that I warned you of grows very close now.”

“黑暗中的匕首。我知道。請原諒我的懷疑，女士。灰衣女孩，騎著奄奄一息的馬，逃離她的婚姻。這是你說的。”

“Daggers in the dark. I know. You will forgive my doubts, my lady. A grey girl on a dying horse, fleeing from a marriage, that was what you said.”

“我沒錯。”

“I was not wrong.”

“你也沒對。艾麗絲（Alys）不是艾麗婭（Arya）。”

“You were not right. Alys is not Arya.”

“幻象是真的。只是我解讀錯了。我跟你一樣只是凡人而已，瓊恩·雪諾。凡人都會犯錯。”

“The vision was a true one. It was my reading that was false. I am as mortal as you, Jon Snow. All mortals err.”

“即使司令官也會。” 曼斯·雷德和他的矛婦還沒回來，瓊恩不禁推測紅衣女是否在派出曼斯的目的上對他撒謊了。她是否另有把戲？

“Even lord commanders.” Mance Rayder and his spearwives had not returned, and Jon could not help but wonder whether the red woman had lied of a purpose. Is she playing her own game?

“千萬要把冰原狼帶在身邊，大人。”

“You would do well to keep your wolf beside you, my lord.”

“白靈很少走遠。” 冰原狼聽到自己的名字，抬起頭。瓊恩在它耳后搔了搔，“現(xiàn)在，請原諒，我得走了。白靈，跟上。”

“Ghost is seldom far.” The direwolf raised his head at the sound of his name. Jon scratched him behind the ears. “But now you must excuse me. Ghost, with me.”

冰牢的囚房是在長城底部鑿出來的，裝著厚實的木門，這些囚房一間比一間小。有幾間較寬敞的可以容許囚犯在里面踱步，有些較小的只能在里面坐著，甚至還有的囚房狹窄到連坐著都不能。

Carved from the base of the Wall and closed with heavy wooden doors, the ice cells ranged from small to smaller. Some were big enough to allow a man to pace, others so small that prisoners were forced to sit; the smallest were too cramped to allow even that.

瓊恩給他最重要的囚犯分配了最大的囚房，一個便桶，足以避免讓他凍僵的毛皮，甚至還有一皮袋酒。因為鎖里結(jié)了冰，看守花了點時間才打開門。維克·維特斯迪克（Wick Whittlestick）用力推門讓瓊恩進去，門上生銹的鉸鏈鬼叫著。微弱的糞便氣味撲面而來，雖然沒有他原想的那么強烈。這樣的嚴寒，連糞便都上凍了。瓊恩·雪諾可以看到冰墻上他自己模糊的影子。

Jon had given his chief captive the largest cell, a pail to shit in, enough furs to keep him from freezing, and a skin of wine. It took the guards some time to open his cell, as ice had formed inside the lock. Rusted hinges screamed like damned souls when Wick Whittlestick yanked the door wide enough for Jon to slip through. A faint fecal odor greeted him, though less overpowering than he’d expected. Even shit froze solid in such bitter cold. Jon Snow could see his own reflection dimly inside the icy walls.

囚房角落里堆起的皮毛足足有一人高，“卡史塔克，” 瓊恩說道。“醒醒。”

In one corner of the cell a heap of furs was piled up almost to the height of a man. “Karstark,” said Jon Snow. “Wake up.”

那堆毛皮動了起來。有些已經(jīng)凍在一起了，上面覆蓋著一層微微發(fā)亮霜。一只手臂伸出來，然后是臉 — 棕色頭發(fā)里間雜著縷縷灰色，兩只兇狠的眼睛，接著是鼻子，嘴，小胡子。胡子上結(jié)滿冰，一坨坨的讓胡子都打結(jié)了。“雪諾。” 他呼出的團團白氣，模糊了腦袋后面的冰墻。 “你無權關押我。法律規(guī)定賓客 — ”

The furs stirred. Some had frozen together, and the frost that covered them glittered when they moved. An arm emerged, then a face—brown hair, tangled and matted and streaked with grey, two fierce eyes, a nose, a mouth, a beard. Ice caked the prisoner’s mustache, clumps of frozen snot. “Snow.” His breath steamed in the air, fogging the ice behind his head. “You have no right to hold me. The laws of hospitality—”

“你不是我的賓客。為了綁架你的侄女，未經(jīng)準許全副武裝進犯長城。我已經(jīng)給予艾麗絲女士（Lady Alys）面包和鹽。她才是我們的賓客。你是我們的囚犯。” 瓊恩故意停頓了一會，然后接著說“你的侄女已經(jīng)出嫁了。”

“You are no guest of mine. You came to the Wall without my leave, armed, to carry off your niece against her will. Lady Alys was given bread and salt. She is a guest. You are a prisoner.” Jon let that hang for a moment, then said, “Your niece is wed.”