BRAN

37 布兰

A light snow was

falling. Bran could feel the flakes on his face, melting as they touched his

skin like the gentlest of rains. He sat straight atop his horse, watching as

the iron portcullis was winched upward. Try as he might to keep calm, his heart

was fluttering in his chest.

天空下着细雪，布兰可以感觉到脸上飘落的雪花，一碰皮肤便即融化，像一阵轻柔的雨。他笔直地骑在马上，看着铁闸门被绞盘向上拉起。他虽竭力想保持镇定，心脏却一直在胸口狂跳个不停。

“Are you ready?” Robb asked.

“准备好了吗？”罗柏问。

Bran nodded,

trying not to let his fear show. He had not been outside Winterfell since his

fall, but he was determined to ride out as proud as any knight.

布兰点点头，试着不露出害怕的神色。虽然自坠楼以来，他便没有踏出过临冬城一步，但他打定主意要像个骑士一样昂首骑马出去。

“Let’s ride, then.” Robb put his heels into his big grey-and-white

gelding, and the horse walked under the portcullis.

“那我们走吧。”罗柏一夹马肚，骑着他那匹灰白相间的大公马穿过闸门。

“Go,” Bran whispered to his own horse. He touched her neck lightly,

and the small chestnut filly started forward. Bran had named her Dancer. She

was two years old, and Joseth said she was smarter than any horse had a right

to be. They had trained her special, to respond to rein and voice and touch. Up

to now, Bran had only ridden her around the yard. At first Joseth or Hodor

would lead her, while Bran sat strapped to her back in the oversize saddle the

Imp had drawn up for him, but for the past fortnight he had been riding her on

his own, trotting her round and round, and growing bolder with every circuit.

“前进。”布兰向自己的坐骑耳语。他轻触它的脖子，栗子色的小母马便迈步向前。布兰为它取名“小舞”。它今年两岁，乔赛斯说它聪明得不像马。他们已经对它进行过特别训练，让它对缰绳、声音和碰触有反应，但到目前为止，布兰只是骑它绕绕广场。最初乔赛斯或阿多会牵着它，布兰则被绑在它背上那个超大的马鞍上——马鞍是照小恶魔的设计图打造的。不过这两个星期以来，他已经能独自驾驭，骑着它来回慢跑，每绕一圈，胆子就更大。

They passed

beneath the gatehouse, over the drawbridge, through the outer walls. Summer and

Grey Wind came loping beside them, sniffing at the wind. Close behind came

Theon Greyjoy, with his longbow and a quiver of broadheads; he had a mind to

take a deer, he had told them. He was followed by four guardsmen in mailed

shirts and coifs, and Joseth, a stick-thin stableman whom Robb had named master

of horse while Hullen was away. Maester Luwin brought up the rear, riding on a

donkey. Bran would have liked it better if he and Robb had gone off alone, just

the two of them, but Hal Mollen would not hear of it, and Maester Luwin backed

him. If Bran fell off his horse or injured himself, the maester was determined

to be with him.

他们穿过城门楼，越过吊桥，走出外城墙。夏天和灰风跑在他们身畔，嗅着风中的气息。紧跟在后的是带着长弓和羽箭的席恩·葛雷乔伊。出发前他说过，今天定要猎头鹿回去。在他后面的是四个穿着锁子甲，戴着锁甲头套的卫士，以及骨瘦如柴的乔赛斯。胡伦离开之后，罗柏便指派乔赛斯担任新的马房总管。鲁温师傅骑着驴子殿后。布兰本来希望就他和罗柏两个人出去，但哈尔·莫兰不肯答应，鲁温师傅也持相同意见。为防布兰落马或负伤，师傅打定主意随侍在旁。

Beyond the

castle lay the market square, its wooden stalls deserted now. They rode down

the muddy streets of the village, past rows of small neat houses of log and

undressed stone. Less than one in five were occupied, thin tendrils of

woodsmoke curling up from their chimneys. The rest would fill up one by one as

it grew colder. When the snow fell and the ice winds howled down out of the

north, Old Nan said, farmers left their frozen fields and distant holdfasts,

loaded up their wagons, and then the winter town came alive. Bran had never

seen it happen, but Maester Luwin said the day was looming closer. The end of

the long summer was near at hand. Winter is coming.

城堡外便是市集广场，只是如今木头搭建的摊位全部荒废。他们行经镇里的泥泞街道，穿过排列整齐，用木材和粗石建成的小屋。眼下只有不到五分之一的房屋有人迹，几缕细细的柴烟从烟囱升起。随着天气越趋寒冷，其余的空屋也会渐渐住满。老奶妈说，等到降雪时节来临，冰风从北吹来，农民们便会离开他们结冻的田地和遥远的村舍，把行李载上马车运到镇内居住，然后避冬市镇便会热闹起来。布兰从没见过这番景象，但鲁温师傅说那样的日子就快来了。因为长夏已尽，凛冬将至。

A few villagers

eyed the direwolves anxiously as the riders went past, and one man dropped the

wood he was carrying as he shrank away in fear, but most of the townfolk had

grown used to the sight. They bent the knee when they saw the boys, and Robb

greeted each of them with a lordly nod.

他们骑马经过时，有几个村民不安地看着冰原狼，还有一个人丢下抱着的木材，害怕得慌忙躲开，不过大多数村民早已习惯了这种情景。看到两个男孩，他们单膝跪下，而罗柏也颇有领主风范地——颔首致意。

With his legs

unable to grip, the swaying motion of the horse made Bran feel unsteady at

first, but the huge saddle with its thick horn and high back cradled him

comfortingly, and the straps around his chest and thighs would not allow him to

fall. After a time the rhythm began to feel almost natural. His anxiety faded,

and a tremulous smile crept across his face.

因为双脚无法用力夹紧，骑马时的晃动起初使布兰觉得很不安稳，但大马鞍厚实高耸的靠背，却如摇篮一般舒服地搂着他，而绑住大腿和胸部的皮带也让他不致落马。经过一段时间，他渐渐习惯了摇晃的节奏，焦虑褪去，一抹害怕的微笑爬上了脸庞。

Two serving

wenches stood beneath the sign of the Smoking Log, the local alehouse. When

Theon Greyjoy called out to them, the younger girl turned red and covered her

face. Theon spurred his mount to move up beside Robb. “Sweet Kyra,” he said

with a laugh. “She squirms like

a weasel in bed, but say a word to her on the street, and she blushes pink as a

maid. Did I ever tell you about the night that she and Bessa...”

两个女侍站在烟柴酒馆的招牌下。当席恩·葛雷乔伊向她们打招呼时，比较年轻的那个女孩满面通红，用手遮脸。席恩踢马跑到罗柏旁边。“凯拉真可爱，”他笑道，“在床上她扭得像只黄鼠狼，可在街上跟她一句话还没说完，脸就红了，好像自己还是个黄花闺女似的。我有没有跟你说过那天晚上她和贝莎——”

“Not where my brother can hear, Theon,” Robb warned him with a glance

at Bran.

“席恩，不要在我弟弟面前讲这种事。”罗柏告诫他，又瞄了布兰一眼。

Bran looked away

and pretended not to have heard, but he could feel Greyjoy’s eyes on him. No

doubt he was smiling. He smiled a lot, as if the world were a secret joke that

only he was clever enough to understand. Robb seemed to admire Theon and enjoy

his company, but Bran had never warmed to his father’s ward.

布兰望向别处，假装自己没听到，但他感觉得到葛雷乔伊的视线落在身上。可想而知，此刻的他一定正在微笑。他一天到晚微笑，仿佛整个世界就是个秘密的玩笑，而惟有聪明的他能理解。罗柏似乎对席恩颇为佩服，也很喜欢与他为伴，但布兰始终无法对父亲的养子产生感情。

Robb rode

closer. “You are doing well, Bran.”

罗柏靠过来。“布兰，你骑得很好。”

“I want to go faster,” Bran replied.

“我想再骑快点。”布兰回答。

Robb smiled. “As

you will.” He sent his gelding into a trot. The wolves raced after him. Bran

snapped the reins sharply, and Dancer picked up her pace. He heard a shout from

Theon Greyjoy, and the hoofbeats of the other horses behind him.

罗柏微笑，“没问题。”说完他策马开跑，狼群跟在他后面冲了出去。布兰用力一扯缰绳，小舞也加快步伐。他听见席恩·葛雷乔伊一声吆喝，以及身后杂沓的马蹄亩。

Bran’s cloak

billowed out, rippling in the wind, and the snow seemed to rush at his face.

Robb was well ahead, glancing back over his shoulder from time to time to make

sure Bran and the others were following. He snapped the reins again. Smooth as

silk, Dancer slid into a gallop. The distance closed. By the time he caught

Robb on the edge of the wolfswood, two miles beyond the winter town, they had

left the others well behind. “I can ride!” Bran shouted, grinning. It felt

almost as good as flying.

布兰的披风在风中翻腾犹如波浪，落雪迎面扑来。罗柏遥遥领先，不时回头张望，确定布兰和其他人跟上。他再度扯缰，小舞如滑丝般流畅地迈步疾奔。两人的距离逐渐拉近，等他在避冬市镇两里外的狼林边缘追上罗柏时，他们已把其他人远远抛在后方。“我能骑马了！”布兰嘻嘻笑着大叫，这种感觉好像飞。

“I’d race you, but I fear you’d win.” Robb’s tone was light and

joking, yet Bran could tell that something was troubling his brother underneath

the smile.-----------------

“我很想跟你赛跑，怕只怕赢不了你。”罗柏的口气虽然轻快，带着戏谑的意味，但在哥哥的笑容背后，布兰却看得出他有心事。

“I don’t want to race.” Bran looked around for the direwolves. Both

had vanished into the wood. “Did you hear Summer howling last night?”

“我不想跟你比赛。”布兰四处张望，寻找冰原狼的踪影。但那两只狼早就消失在了森林里。“昨晚你听见夏天叫了吗？”

“Grey Wind was restless too,” Robb said. His auburn hair had grown

shaggy and unkempt, and a reddish stubble covered his jaw, making him look

older than his fifteen years. “Sometimes I think they know things?.?.?.?sense

things?.?.?.?” Robb sighed. “I never know how much to tell you, Bran. I wish

you were older.”

“灰风也是焦躁不安。”罗柏道。他红棕色的头发长长了，未经梳理，有些凌乱，几撮红胡子遮住了下巴，让他看起来比十五岁的实际年龄要成熟。“有时候我觉得他们知道很多事……感应到很多事……”罗柏叹口气，“布兰，我不知该跟你说多少，我真希望你年纪再大一点。”

“I’m eight now!” Bran said. “Eight isn’t so much younger than

fifteen, and I’m the heir to Winterfell, after you.”

“我已经八岁了！”布兰说：“八岁和十五岁没差多少，而且在你之后，我也是临冬城的继承人。”

“So you are.” Robb sounded sad, and even a little scared. “Bran, I

need to tell you something. There was a bird last night. From King’s Landing.

Maester Luwin woke me.”

“是啊，”罗柏语气哀伤，甚至有些害怕。“布兰，有件事我必须跟你讲清楚。昨晚来了只信鸦，从君临来，鲁温师傅半夜把我叫醒。”

Bran felt a

sudden dread. Dark wings, dark words, Old Nan always said, and of late the

messenger ravens had been proving the truth of the proverb. When Robb wrote to

the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, the bird that came back brought word

that Uncle Benjen was still missing. Then a message had arrived from the Eyrie,

from Mother, but that had not been good news either. She did not say when she

meant to return, only that she had taken the Imp as prisoner. Bran had sort of

liked the little man, yet the name Lannister sent cold fingers creeping up his

spine. There was something about the Lannisters, something he ought to

remember, but when he tried to think what, he felt dizzy and his stomach

clenched hard as a stone. Robb spent most of that day locked behind closed

doors with Maester Luwin, Theon Greyjoy, and Hallis Mollen. Afterward, riders

were sent out on fast horses, carrying Robb’s commands throughout the north.

Bran heard talk of Moat Cailin, the ancient stronghold the First Men had built

at the top of the Neck. No one ever told him what was happening, yet he knew it

was not good.

布兰突然感到一阵惊恐。黑色的翅膀，黑色的消息，老奶妈总这么说，而近来传递信息的渡鸦一再证明了这句俗谚的正确。罗柏写信给守夜人军团的司令官，鸟儿却带回班扬叔叔依旧下落不明的消息。接着鹰巢城有信传来，是母亲写的，可惜也并非好消息。她没说何时回来，只说小恶魔如今是她的犯人。布兰其实还挺喜欢那矮个子，但“兰尼斯特”这个姓氏却教他背脊发凉。有件和兰尼斯特有关的事，他应该记得，然而每次他试图回忆，便觉头晕目眩，腹痛如绞。那一天，罗柏整日把自己关在房里，和鲁温师傅、席恩·葛雷乔伊，以及哈里斯·莫兰共商对策。之后信使骑着快马，将罗柏的命令传遍北境。布兰依稀听到卡林湾这地名，那是先民在颈泽北端筑起的古老要塞。究竟发生了什么，没人告诉他，但肯定不是什么好事。

And now another

raven, another message. Bran clung to hope. “Was the bird from Mother? Is she

coming home?”

这会儿竟又来了一只渡鸦，又带来新的消息。布兰强迫自己满怀希望。“是母亲送来的吗？她是不是要回家了？”

“The message was from Alyn in King’s Landing. Jory Cassel is dead.

And Wyl and Heward as well. Murdered by the Kingslayer.” Robb lifted his face

to the snow, and the flakes melted on his cheeks. “May the gods give them

rest.”

“信是埃林从君临写来的。乔里·凯索死了，还有韦尔和海华。他们惨死于弑君者之手。”罗柏仰头面对飘雪，雪片融化在他两颊。“愿天上诸神让他们安息。”

Bran did not

know what to say. He felt as if he’d been punched. Jory had been captain of the

household guard at Winterfell since before Bran was born. “They killed Jory?”

He remembered all the times Jory had chased him over the roofs. He could

picture him striding across the yard in mail and plate, or sitting at his

accustomed place on the bench in the Great Hall, joking as he ate. “Why would

anyone kill Jory?”

布兰不知该说什么才好，只觉自己仿佛被狠揍了一拳。打布兰出生，乔里就是临冬城的侍卫队长。“他们杀了乔里？”他记得每一次乔里追着他在屋顶上奔跑的情景，他可以清楚地拼凑出他全副铠甲，大步走过广场的风光，或是坐在厅堂的老位子上，边吃边谈笑的模样。“为什么会有人要杀乔里？”

Robb shook his

head numbly, the pain plain in his eyes. “I don’t know, and?.?.?.?Bran, that’s

not the worst of it. Father was caught beneath a falling horse in the fight.

Alyn says his leg was shattered, and?.?.?.?Maester Pycelle has given him the

milk of the poppy, but they aren’t sure when?.?.?.?when he . . .” The sound of

hoofbeats made him glance down the road, to where Theon and the others were

coming up. “When he will wake,” Robb finished. He laid his hand on the pommel

of his sword then, and went on in the solemn voice of Robb the Lord. “Bran, I

promise you, whatever might happen, I will not let this be forgotten.”

罗柏木然地摇头，眼里溢满悲痛。“我不知道。还有……布兰，这不是最糟的消息，父亲也在打斗中被摔倒的马压住，埃林说他的腿碎了……派席尔大学士已经给他喝了罂粟花奶，但他们不确定什么时候……什么时候他才……”听见身后的蹄声，他转头朝来路望去，席恩等人已经赶了上来。“他才会醒来。”罗柏把话说完，伸手按住剑柄，恢复了罗柏城主的庄严声调，“布兰，我向你保证，不管发生什么，这个仇我永不会忘。”

Something in his

tone made Bran even more fearful. “What will you do?” he asked as Theon Greyjoy

reined in beside them.

他的语气却更教布兰害怕。“那你打算怎么办？”他问。席恩·葛雷乔伊拉住缰绳，停在他们旁边。

“Theon thinks I should call the banners,” Robb said.

“席恩认为我应该立刻召集封臣。”罗柏说。

“Blood for blood.” For once Greyjoy did not smile. His lean, dark

face had a hungry look to it, and black hair fell down across his eyes.

“血债血还。”这次葛雷乔伊没有笑。他那张削瘦而黝黑的脸，有种饥渴的神色，黑发垂下，遮住双眼。

“Only the lord can call the banners,” Bran said as the snow drifted

down around them.

“惟有领主才能召集封臣。”布兰说，雪持续飘落在他们周围。

“If your father dies,” Theon said, “Robb will be Lord of Winterfell.”

“如果令尊去世，”席恩道，“罗柏就是临冬城公爵。”

“He won’t die!” Bran screamed at him.

“他不会死！”布兰朝他尖叫。

Robb took his

hand. “He won’t die, not Father,” he said calmly. “Still?.?.?.?the honor of the

north is in my hands now. When our lord father took his leave of us, he told me

to be strong for you and for Rickon. I’m almost a man grown, Bran.”

罗柏握住他的手。“他不会死，父亲大人不会死。”他平静地说。“可是……如今北境的荣誉系于我手。父亲大人临行前曾对我说，为了你和瑞肯，我一定要坚强。布兰，我几乎是成年人了。”

Bran shivered.

“I wish Mother was back,” he said miserably. He looked around for Maester

Luwin; his donkey was visible in the far distance, trotting over a rise. “Does

Maester Luwin say to call the banners too?”

布兰颤抖不已。“母亲如果在就好了。”他可怜兮兮地说。他转头寻找鲁温师傅的身影，他的驴子在远处依稀可见，此刻正小跑步爬上缓丘。“鲁温师傅也认为应该征召诸侯吗？”

“The maester is timid as an old woman,” said Theon.

“师傅他和老女人一样，胆小着呢。”席恩道。

“Father always listened to his counsel,” Bran reminded his brother.

“Mother too.”

“但父亲向来听从他的忠告，”布兰提醒哥哥，“母亲也是。”

“I listen to him,” Robb insisted. “I listen to everyone.”

“我也听，”罗柏坚持，“每个人的意见我都听。”

The joy Bran had

felt at the ride was gone, melted away like the snowflakes on his face. Not so

long ago, the thought of Robb calling the banners and riding off to war would

have filled him with excitement, but now he felt only dread. “Can we go back

now?” he asked. “I’m cold.”

布兰外出骑马的喜悦，此刻已经消失得无影无踪，像脸上的雪片般融化殆尽。若是从前，听到罗柏要召集封臣，率军出征，他一定会兴奋难耐，然而现在他感到的却只有恐惧。“我们可以回去了吗？”他问，“我觉得好冷。”

Robb glanced around.

“We need to find the wolves. Can you stand to go a bit longer?”

罗柏环顾四周。“得先把狼找到。你能再忍耐一会儿吗？”

“I can go as long as you can.” Maester Luwin had warned him to keep

the ride short, for fear of saddle sores, but Bran would not admit to weakness

in front of his brother. He was sick of the way everyone was always fussing

over him and asking how he was.

“你能骑多久，我就能骑多久。”鲁温师傅曾警告他骑马时间不要太长，惟恐他在马鞍上坐久了全身会酸痛，但布兰不愿在哥哥面前自承虚弱。他受够了大家成天大惊小怪，对他的身体问长问短。

“Let’s hunt down the hunters, then,” Robb said. Side by side, they

urged their mounts off the kingsroad and struck out into the wolfswood. Theon

dropped back and followed well behind them, talking and joking with the

guardsmen.

“那我们这就去把小猎人给猎回来吧。”罗柏说。于是他们并肩而行，驱策坐骑离开国王大道，进入狼林。席恩远远落在后面，和其他卫士谈笑。

It was nice

under the trees. Bran kept Dancer to a walk, holding the reins lightly and

looking all around him as they went. He knew this wood, but he had been so long

confined to Winterfell that he felt as though he were seeing it for the first

time. The smells filled his nostrils; the sharp fresh tang of pine needles, the

earthy odor of wet rotting leaves, the hints of animal musk and distant cooking

fires. He caught a glimpse of a black squirrel moving through the snow-covered

branches of an oak, and paused to study the silvery web of an empress spider.

置身林问的感觉真好。布兰轻握马缰，让小舞缓步慢行，一边四处观望。他很熟悉这座森林，然而在长期坐困临冬城后，如今却有初次造访的兴味。树林里的气息充溢他的鼻孔：新鲜松针的明锐香气，湿软腐叶的泥土芬芳，还有模糊的动物麝香，以及远方炊烟的味道。他瞥见一只黑松鼠的身影，在一棵被雪覆盖的橡树枝干间穿梭，接着又驻足欣赏女王蛛所织就的银色蛛网。

Theon and the

others fell farther and farther behind, until Bran could no longer hear their

voices. From ahead came the faint sound of rushing waters. It grew louder until

they reached the stream. Tears stung his eyes.

席恩和其他人离他们越来越远，到后来布兰已听不见他们的声音。前方传来模糊的流水声。水声渐大，直到他们抵达溪边。这时，泪水刺痛了他的眼。

“Bran?” Robb asked. “What’s wrong?”

“布兰？”罗柏问，“你怎么了？”

Bran shook his

head. “I was just remembering,” he said. “Jory brought us here once, to fish

for trout. You and me and Jon. Do you remember?”

布兰摇摇头。“我只是想起从前的事。”他说，“有一次乔里带我们来这儿抓鳟鱼。就你、我还有琼恩，记得吗？”

“I remember,” Robb said, his voice quiet and sad.

“我记得。”罗柏说，他的语调平静而哀伤。

“I didn’t catch anything,” Bran said, “but Jon gave me his fish on

the way back to Winterfell. Will we ever see Jon again?”

“结果我什么也没抓到，”布兰说，“可在回临冬城的路上，琼恩却把他抓的鱼都给了我。我们还能再见到琼恩吗？”

“We saw Uncle Benjen when the king came to visit,” Robb pointed out.

“Jon will visit too, you’ll see.”

“上次国王来访，我们不就看到了班扬叔叔？”罗柏告诉他，“琼恩也会回来作客，你等着瞧吧。”

The stream was

running high and fast. Robb dismounted and led his gelding across the ford. In

the deepest part of the crossing, the water came up to midthigh. He tied his

horse to a tree on the far side, and waded back across for Bran and Dancer. The

current foamed around rock and root, and Bran could feel the spray on his face

as Robb led him over. It made him smile. For a moment he felt strong again, and

whole. He looked up at the trees and dreamed of climbing them, right up to the

very top, with the whole forest spread out beneath him.

溪流湍急，水势高涨。罗柏下马，牵着坐骑越过浅滩。渡口最深处，水及大腿。他把马儿拴在对岸的一棵树上，然后涉水回来带布兰和小舞过去。溪流拍打着岩石和树根，激起阵阵飞沫，罗柏当先领他渡河，布兰可以感觉水花溅到脸上。他笑了。一时之间，他觉得自己又是身强体壮，四肢健全。他仰望树林，梦想自己能爬上去，攀上树顶，让整片树海尽展眼前。

They were on the

far side when they heard the howl, a long rising wail that moved through the

trees like a cold wind. Bran raised his head to listen. “Summer,” he said. No

sooner had he spoken than a second voice joined the first.

他们抵达对岸时，只听树林里传来一声长嚎，音调渐高，哀叹久长，仿如穿梭林间的一阵冷风。布兰抬首聆听。“那是夏天。”他说。话音刚落，第二阵嚎声便加入进来。

“They’ve made a kill,” Robb said as he remounted. “I’d best go and bring

them back. Wait here, Theon and the others should be along shortly.”

“他们杀死猎物了。”罗柏边说边骑上马。“我看我最好去带他们回来。你在这里等，席恩他们应该马上就到。”

“I want to go with you,” Bran said.

“我想跟你一起去。”布兰说。

“I’ll find them faster by myself.” Robb spurred his gelding and

vanished into the trees.

“我自己去比较快。”罗柏一踢马刺，消失在树林里。

Once he was

gone, the woods seemed to close in around Bran. The snow was falling more

heavily now. Where it touched the ground it melted, but all about him rock and

root and branch wore a thin blanket of white. As he waited, he was conscious of

how uncomfortable he felt. He could not feel his legs, hanging useless in the

stirrups, but the strap around his chest was tight and chafing, and the melting

snow had soaked through his gloves to chill his hands. He wondered what was

keeping Theon and Maester Luwin and Joseth and the rest.

他走后，整个森林仿佛朝布兰包围过来。雪下得更大，虽然一碰地面就会融化，但他周遭的岩石、树根和枝干却都覆上了一层薄薄的白。他等待之时，方才察觉到自己有多不舒服：双腿没有知觉，毫无用处地挂在马镫上；胸膛的皮带绑得很紧，擦伤了皮肤；雪水融化渗进手套，冻得他两手发麻。他不禁奇怪席恩、鲁温师傅，以及乔赛斯等人怎么还没来。

When he heard

the rustle of leaves, Bran used the reins to make Dancer turn, expecting to see

his friends, but the ragged men who stepped out onto the bank of the stream

were strangers.

随后他听见树叶沙沙作响，布兰立刻拉动缰绳，教小舞转身，迎向他的朋友们。然而从林中走到溪边的，却是一群衣着破烂的陌生人。（文＇心＇手＇打＇组＇手＇打＇整＇理）

“Good day to you,” he said nervously. One look, and Bran knew they

were neither foresters nor farmers. He was suddenly conscious of how richly he

was dressed. His surcoat was new, dark grey wool with silver buttons, and a

heavy silver pin fastened his fur-trimmed cloak at the shoulders. His boots and

gloves were lined with fur as well.

“你们好。”他紧张地说。只需一眼，布兰便知他们既非林务官，亦非农民。他猛然惊觉自己衣着华丽，身上穿着崭新的深灰色羊毛外套，缝了银扣，绒毛边的披风用一个沉甸甸的银别针系在肩头。他的皮靴和手套也都滚了绒毛边。

“All alone, are you?” said the biggest of them, a bald man with a raw

windburnt face. “Lost in the wolfswood, poor lad.”

“你，就一个人啊？”其中个子最大，满脸风霜痕迹的光头男子说，“可怜的小鬼，在狼林里迷了路。”

“I’m not lost.” Bran did not like the way the strangers were looking

at him. He counted four, but when he turned his head, he saw two others behind

him. “My brother rode off just a moment ago, and my guard will be here shortly.”

“我没有迷路。”布兰不喜欢这群陌生人盯着他瞧的模样。对方一共四人，他一转头看到背后还有两个。“我哥哥刚走，我的卫兵马上就来。”

“Your guard, is it?” a second man said. Grey stubble covered his

gaunt face. “And what would they be guarding, my little lord? Is that a silver

pin I see there on your cloak?”

“你的卫兵，啊哈？”另一个面容憔悴，一脸灰胡碴的人说，“小少爷，我倒问问你，他们要守卫什么啊？守卫你披风上那个银别针吗？”

“Pretty,” said a woman’s voice. She scarcely looked like a woman;

tall and lean, with the same hard face as the others, her hair hidden beneath a

bowl-shaped halfhelm. The spear she held was eight feet of black oak, tipped in

rusted steel.

“真是个漂亮东西。”这次是女人的声音。她看起来委实不太像女人；又高又瘦，和其他人同样的苦脸，头发则埋藏在碗状的半罩头盔下。她手中的长矛是根八尺长的黑橡木棍，前面安着锈掉的枪尖。

“Let’s have a look,” said the big bald man.

“给咱们瞧瞧。”光头大汉说。

Bran watched him

anxiously. The man’s clothes were filthy, fallen almost to pieces, patched here

with brown and here with blue and there with a dark green, and faded everywhere

to grey, but once that cloak might have been black. The grey stubbly man wore black

rags too, he saw with a sudden start. Suddenly Bran remembered the oathbreaker

his father had beheaded, the day they had found the wolf pups; that man had

worn black as well, and Father said he had been a deserter from the Night’s

Watch. No man is more dangerous, he remembered Lord Eddard saying. The deserter

knows his life is forfeit if he is taken, so he will not flinch from any crime,

no matter how vile or cruel.

布兰不安地看着他。这人的衣服肮脏污秽、破烂不堪，东一块棕，西一块蓝，还有一块暗绿补丁，其余的地方则通通褪成灰色，但看得出原本是件黑斗篷。他突然发现，那个一脸灰胡碴的人也穿着黑色破衣。布兰蓦地想起他们找到小狼当天，被父亲砍头的那个背弃誓言的人，衣着也是黑色，而父亲说他是守夜人部队的逃兵。世间最危险的人莫过于此，他想起艾德公爵的话，因为他们自知一旦被捕，只有死路一条，于是恶向胆边生，再伤天害理的勾当也干得出来。

“The pin, lad,” the big man said. He held out his hand.

“小鬼，把别针拿来。”大汉伸出手说。

“We’ll take the horse too,” said another of them, a woman shorter

than Robb, with a broad fiat face and lank yellow hair. “Get down, and be quick

about it.” A knife slid from her sleeve into her hand, its edge jagged as a

saw.

“还有你的马，”另一个女人说，她的个子比罗柏矮，生了一张扁扁的宽脸和一头黄色直发。“快给我下来。”一把锋呈锯齿的匕首从她袖里闪进手中。

“No,” Bran blurted. “I can’t?.?.?.?”

“可是，”布兰脱口而出，“我没办法……”

The big man

grabbed his reins before Bran could think to wheel Dancer around and gallop

off. “You can, lordling?.?.?.?and will, if you know what’s good for you.”

布兰还没想到调转小舞开步逃走，大汉便一把抓住了缰绳。“小少爷，你当然有办法……而且一定得想办法，如果你不想吃苦头的话。”

“Stiv, look how he’s strapped on.” The tall woman pointed with her

spear. “Might be it’s the truth he’s telling.”

“史帝夫，你瞧，他被绑在马鞍上，”高个女人用长枪指着说，“或许他说的是实话。”

“Straps, is it?” Stiv said. He drew a dagger from a sheath at his

belt. “There’s ways to deal with straps.”

“绑起来了，是吗？”史帝夫说。他从腰间的刀鞘里抽出匕首。“这不成问题。”

“You some kind of cripple?” asked the short woman.

“你残废了还是怎么了？”矮个女人问。

Bran flared.

“I’m Brandon Stark of Winterfell, and you better let go of my horse, or I’ll

see you all dead.”

布兰怒道：“我是临冬城的布兰登·史塔克，你最好放开我的马，否则我教你们通通没命。”

The gaunt man

with the grey stubbled face laughed. “The boy’s a Stark, true enough. Only a

Stark would be fool enough to threaten where smarter men would beg.”

一脸灰胡碴的瘦子哈哈大笑。“我看这小子准是史塔克家的人没错，只有史塔克家的人才这么笨，该讨饶的时候还要狠。”

“Cut his little cock off and stuff it in his mouth,” suggested the

short woman. “That should shut him up.”

“把他小鸡鸡割下来塞他嘴里，”矮个女人提议，“这样他肯定闭嘴。”

“You’re as stupid as you are ugly, Hali,” said the tall woman. “The boy’s

worth nothing dead, but alive?.?.?.?gods be damned, think what Mance would give

to have Benjen Stark’s own blood to hostage!”

“哈莉，你已经够丑了，没想到还这么没脑子。”高个女人道，“这孩子死了就不值钱啦，可要留着活口……天杀的，想想曼斯手上若有了班扬·史塔克的亲属当人质，他会怎么赏我们！”

“Mance be damned,” the big man cursed. “You want to go back there,

Osha? More fool you. Think the white walkers will care if you have a hostage?”

He turned back to Bran and slashed at the strap around his thigh. The leather

parted with a sigh.

“曼斯见鬼去，”大汉咒道，“你还想回去，欧莎？我看你才没脑子。你以为白鬼会管你手上有没有人质？”他转向布兰，割开他大腿的皮带。皮革仿佛松了口气似地分开。

The stroke had

been quick and careless, biting deep. Looking down, Bran glimpsed pale flesh

where the wool of his leggings had parted. Then the blood began to flow. He

watched the red stain spread, feeling light-headed, curiously apart; there had

been no pain, not even a hint of feeling. The big man grunted in surprise.

他出手很快，又没有留心，结果割得很深。布兰低头，看到羊毛绑腿被割开的地方，露出白皙的大腿肉。接着血涌出来，他望着红色的血渍逐渐扩散，感觉轻微头晕，却意外地疏离，丝毫不觉疼痛，连一点感觉都没有。大汉惊讶地哼了一声。

“Put down your steel now, and I promise you shall have a quick and

painless death,” Robb called out.

“立刻放下武器，我保证让你们死得干脆。”罗柏叫道。

Bran looked up

in desperate hope, and there he was. The strength of the words were undercut by

the way his voice cracked with strain. He was mounted, the bloody carcass of an

elk slung across the back of his horse, his sword in a gloved hand.

布兰怀着最后一丝希望抬起头，他果真出现在那里。可惜他那番话的威严，却被紧张嘶哑的声调所减低。他骑着马，麇鹿血淋淋的尸体挂在马背，手握长剑。

“The brother,” said the man with the grey stubbly face.

“老哥回来了。”灰胡碴的男子道。

“He’s a fierce one, he is,” mocked the short woman. Hali, they called

her. “You mean to fight us, boy?”

“哟，这家伙挺凶悍嘛。”矮个女人讥讽他。他们叫她哈莉。“你想跟咱们打，小鬼头？”

“Don’t be a fool, lad. You’re one against six.” The tall woman, Osha,

leveled her spear. “Off the horse, and throw down the sword. We’ll thank you

kindly for the mount and for the venison, and you and your brother can be on

your way.”

“小子，你这是以一对六，别傻了。”高个的欧莎平举长枪。“赶快下马，把剑扔了。我们会谢谢你的马儿和鹿肉，然后放你和你弟弟走路。”

Robb whistled.

They heard the faint sound of soft feet on wet leaves. The undergrowth parted,

low-hanging branches giving up their accumulation of snow, and Grey Wind and

Summer emerged from the green. Summer sniffed the air and growled.

罗柏吹声口哨。众人听见脚步轻踩湿叶的声响。矮树丛低垂的枝桠洒下覆盖的雪，向两旁分开，灰风和夏天自一片绿色中穿出。夏天嗅嗅风中的气息，出声低吼。

“Wolves,” gasped Hali.

“狼来了。”哈莉噤声道。

“Direwolves,” Bran said. Still half-grown, they were as large as any

wolf he had ever seen, but the differences were easy to spot, if you knew what

to look for. Maester Luwin and Farlen the kennelmaster had taught him. A

direwolf had a bigger head and longer legs in proportion to its body, and its

snout and jaw were markedly leaner and more pronounced. There was something

gaunt and terrible about them as they stood there amid the gently falling snow.

Fresh blood spotted Grey Wind’s muzzle.

“是冰原狼。”布兰说。虽然并未发育完全，他们的体格也只有一般狼大小，但若仔细观察，很容易分辨出差异所在。鲁温师傅和驯兽长法兰教过他：冰原狼的头比较大，四肢较长，鼻子和下巴则特别尖细、形状明显。站在轻飘的细雪里，他们怀着憔悴而骇人的神态。灰风的口鼻沾满鲜血。

“Dogs,” the big bald man said contemptuously. “Yet I’m told there’s

nothing like a wolfskin cloak to warm a man by night.” He made a sharp gesture.

“Take them.”

“两只臭狗。”光头男子轻蔑地说，“我倒是知道，夜里没什么比狼皮斗篷更保暖。”他猛地做了个手势。“拿下！”

Robb shouted,

“Winterfell!” and kicked his horse. The gelding plunged down the bank as the

ragged men closed. A man with an axe rushed in, shouting and heedless. Robb’s

sword caught him full in the face with a sickening crunch and a spray of bright

blood. The man with the gaunt stubbly face made a grab for the reins, and for

half a second he had them?.?.?.?and then Grey Wind was on him, bearing him

down. He fell back into the stream with a splash and a shout, flailing wildly

with his knife as his head went under. The direwolf plunged in after him, and

the white water turned red where they had vanished.

罗柏高喊：“临名冬城万岁！”然后踢马向前。公马跳进溪里，衣衫褴褛的敌人围了过去。有个人拿着斧头，没头没脑地大叫着朝他冲来。罗柏的长剑正中对方面门，发出令人作呕的碎裂声，随即鲜血四溅。一脸胡碴的人伸手去扯缰绳，才抓住半秒……只见灰风一跃而起把他扑倒。他噗通一声跌进溪里，呐喊着，疯狂地挥舞着短刀，头部被水淹没。冰原狼跳上去继续攻击，两人消失在水中，转眼之间，白色的河水便转为殷红。

Robb and Osha

matched blows in midstream. Her long spear was a steel-headed serpent, flashing

out at his chest, once, twice, three times, but Robb parried every thrust with

his longsword, turning the point aside. On the fourth or fifth thrust, the tall

woman overextended herself and lost her balance, just for a second. Robb

charged, riding her down.

罗柏和欧莎在河中央打得不可开交。她的长枪活像条钢头毒蛇，闪电般朝他胸口窜去，一次、两次、三次，但罗柏的长剑挡下每一记攻势，拨开刺来的枪尖。在她第四还是第五次突刺时，高个女人用力过猛，失了重心，仅一秒的时间，罗柏便骑马冲锋，把她踩在蹄下。

A few feet away,

Summer darted in and snapped at Hali. The knife bit at his flank. Summer slid

away, snarling, and came rushing in again. This time his jaws closed around her

calf. Holding the knife with both hands, the small woman stabbed down, but the

direwolf seemed to sense the blade coming. He pulled free for an instant, his

mouth full of leather and cloth and bloody flesh. When Hali stumbled and fell,

he came at her again, slamming her backward, teeth tearing at her belly.

几尺外，夏天向前疾跳，扑咬哈莉，结果后背反挨一记短刀。夏天咆哮着后退，再度冲刺。这回他的利齿紧紧咬住她的小腿。矮个女人两手握刀，死命向下插去，然而冰原狼仿佛能感应危险，迅速松开抽身，撕下满嘴皮革、碎布和血淋淋的肉块。哈莉跌倒在地，他又扑跳上前，把她向后撞开，撕咬她的小腹。

The sixth man

ran from the carnage?.?.?.?but not far. As he went scrambling up the far side

of the bank, Grey Wind emerged from the stream, dripping wet. He shook the

water off and bounded after the running man, hamstringing him with a single

snap of his teeth, and going for the throat as the screaming man slid back down

toward the water.

第五个人想逃离这场屠杀……可惜却没跑远。他正踉跄着爬上对岸，灰风浑身湿淋淋地从河里冒出，甩甩身上的水，箭步追去。冰原狼嘴巴一张一阖，咬断他的腿筋，接着去咬他的喉咙，那人惨叫着滑进河里。

And then there

was no one left but the big man, Stiv. He slashed at Bran’s chest strap,

grabbed his arm, and yanked. Suddenly Bran was falling. He sprawled on the

ground, his legs tangled under him, one foot in the stream. He could not feel

the cold of the water, but he felt the steel when Stiv pressed his dagger to

his throat. “Back away,” the man warned, “or I’ll open the boy’s windpipe, I

swear it.”

此时只剩那个大汉史帝夫了。他割开布兰胸前的皮带，抓住他的臂膀用力一扯，布兰便从马背上摔下来。他瘫在地上，双腿纠缠一团，被身体压住，一只脚还滑进了溪里。他感觉不到冰冷的河水，却感觉得出史帝夫按在他喉咙的匕首。“退后，”他警告道，“不然我发誓会把这小鬼的气管给割了。”

Robb reined his

horse in, breathing hard. The fury went out of his eyes, and his sword arm

dropped.

罗柏勒住马，急剧地喘气。怒意从他眼底消失，持剑的手也垂软下来。

In that moment Bran

saw everything. Summer was savaging Hali, pulling glistening blue snakes from

her belly. Her eyes were wide and staring. Bran could not tell whether she was

alive or dead. The grey stubbly man and the one with the axe lay unmoving, but

Osha was on her knees, crawling toward her fallen spear. Grey Wind padded

toward her, dripping wet. “Call him off!” the big man shouted. “Call them both

off, or the cripple boy dies now!”

就在那一刹那，整个局势在布兰眼前一览无遗。夏天正对付哈莉，从她肚子里扯出一条条发亮的蓝色小蛇。她的眼睛睁得老大，瞪着冰原狼。布兰辨不清她究竟是死是活。灰胡碴和拿斧头那两个人躺着一动不动。欧莎则爬了起来，正朝她的长枪挪去。灰风浑身滴水，啪哒啪哒朝她走近。“叫他走开！”大汉喊道，“把他们都叫开，不然这残废小鬼现在就死！”

“Grey Wind, Summer, to me,” Robb said.

“灰风，夏天，过来。”罗柏道。

The direwolves

stopped, turned their heads. Grey Wind loped back to Robb. Summer stayed where

he was, his eyes on Bran and the man beside him. He growled. His muzzle was wet

and red, but his eyes burned.

冰原狼停步，回头。灰风飞奔到罗柏身边，夏天则留在原地，看着布兰和他身旁的人，发出低吼。它的口鼻鲜血淋漓，双眼燃烧着怒火。

Osha used the

butt end of her spear to lever herself back to her feet. Blood leaked from a

wound on the upper arm where Robb had cut her. Bran could see sweat trickling

down the big man’s face. Stiv was as scared as he was, he realized. “Starks,”

the man muttered, “bloody Starks.” He raised his voice. “Osha, kill the wolves

and get his sword.”

欧莎撑着枪尾站起来。她的上臂被罗柏砍了一剑，汨汨流血。布兰看到大汉满脸是汗，这才明白史帝夫和自己同样害怕。“史塔克，”他喃喃道，“该死的史塔克。”他提高音量。“欧莎，把狼宰了，拿走他的剑。”

“Kill them yourself,” she replied. “I’ll not be getting near those

monsters.”

“要杀你自己杀，”她回答，“我死也不靠近那些怪物。”

For a moment

Stiv was at a loss. His hand trembled; Bran felt a trickle of blood where the

knife pressed against his neck. The stench of the man filled his nose; he

smelled of fear. “You,” he called out to Robb. “You have a name?”

史帝夫似乎突然间没了主意。他的手开始发抖，布兰只觉得刀锋紧贴脖子，血顺着滴下来。男人的臭味充塞他鼻孔，那是一种恐俱的气息。“喂，”他朝罗柏喊，“你叫啥名字？”

“I am Robb Stark, the heir to Winterfell.”

“我是罗柏·史塔克，临冬城的继承人。”

“This is your brother?”

“这是你弟？”

“Yes.”

“对。”

“You want him alive, you do what I say. Off the horse.”

“如果你要他活命，就照我的话办。下马。”

Robb hesitated a

moment. Then, slowly and deliberately, he dismounted and stood with his sword

in hand.

罗柏迟疑片刻，接着便刻意缓慢下马，持剑站立。

“Now kill the wolves.”

“现在把狼宰了。”

Robb did not

move.

罗柏没动。

“You do it. The wolves or the boy.”

“快杀，不然这小鬼就没命。”

“No!” Bran screamed. If Robb did as they asked, Stiv would kill them

both anyway, once the direwolves were dead.

“不要！”布兰尖叫。就算罗柏照办，等冰原狼一死，史帝夫也不会放过他们俩。

The bald man

took hold of his hair with his free hand and twisted it cruelly, till Bran

sobbed in pain. “You shut your mouth, cripple, you hear me?” He twisted harder.

“You hear me?”

光头用另一只手抓住他的头发，使劲狠狠地一扭，直到布兰痛得失声啜泣。“小废物，你给我闭嘴，听到了没？”他更用力地拧。“你听到了没？”

A low thrum came

from the woods behind them. Stiv gave a choked gasp as a half foot of

razor-tipped broadhead suddenly exploded out of his chest. The arrow was bright

red, as if it had been painted in blood.

飕的一声，从背后的树林传来。史帝夫声音一紧，喘不过气来。只见一个半尺长，利如剃刀的宽大箭头突然自他胸膛爆出。那枝箭整个成了鲜红，沐浴在血中。

The dagger fell

away from Bran’s throat. The big man swayed and collapsed, facedown in the

stream. The arrow broke beneath him. Bran watched his life go swirling off in

the water.

布兰喉头的匕首松落，大汉晃了晃，面朝下倒在溪里。箭被他压断，布兰看着他的血淌进水中。

Osha glanced

around as Father’s guardsmen appeared from beneath the trees, steel in hand.

She threw down her spear. “Mercy, m’lord,” she called to Robb.

欧莎四处张望；父亲的侍卫从树底下冒出来，手里都握着武器。她连忙抛下长枪。“大人饶命。”她朝罗柏叫道。

The guardsmen

had a strange, pale look to their faces as they took in the scene of slaughter.

They eyed the wolves uncertainly, and when Summer returned to Hali’s corpse to

feed, Joseth dropped his knife and scrambled for the bush, heaving. Even

Maester Luwin seemed shocked as he stepped from behind a tree, but only for an

instant. Then he shook his head and waded across the stream to Bran’s side.

“Are you hurt?”

见到眼前的屠杀景象，卫士们个个脸色苍白，神情怪异。他们犹豫地看着两只狼，而当夏天回去享用哈莉的尸体时，乔赛斯丢下猎刀，转身返回树丛边呕吐。就连鲁温师傅从林子里出来时，也是一脸惊骇。他随即恢复过来，摇摇头，涉水渡河到布兰身边。“你受伤了吗？”

“He cut my leg,” Bran said, “but I couldn’t feel it.”

“他砍伤了我的脚，”布兰说：“可我没感觉。”

As the maester

knelt to examine the wound, Bran turned his head. Theon Greyjoy stood beside a

sentinel tree, his bow in hand. He was smiling. Ever smiling. A half-dozen

arrows were thrust into the soft ground at his feet, but it had taken only one.

“A dead enemy is a thing of beauty,” he announced.

老师傅弯身检视他的伤口，布兰别过头去，看见席恩·葛雷乔伊站在一棵哨兵树下，手里拿着弓，嘴上挂着笑。这家伙永远都在微笑。他脚边的软泥地上插了五六枝箭，但他只用了一枝。“最好的敌人就是死掉的敌人。”他得意洋洋地表示。

“Jon always said you were an ass, Greyjoy,” Robb said loudly. “I

ought to chain you up in the yard and let Bran take a few practice shots at

you.”

“葛雷乔伊，琼恩老说你是个浑球。”罗柏朗声道，“我真该用铁链把你绑起来，放在场子里给布兰当箭靶。”

“You should be thanking me for saving your brother’s life.”

“你怎么不谢谢我救了你老弟的命？”

“What if you had missed the shot?” Robb said. “What if you’d only

wounded him? What if you had made his hand jump, or hit Bran instead? For all

you knew, the man might have been wearing a breastplate, all you could see was

the back of his cloak. What would have happened to my brother then? Did you

ever think of that, Greyjoy?”

“要是你没射中怎么办？”罗柏道，“要是你没射死他怎么办？要是你那一箭抖了他的手，或是命中布兰怎么办？你从后面只看得到他的斗篷，怎么知道他没穿胸甲？如果他真的穿了，那我弟弟会怎么样？葛雷乔伊，你有没有想过？”

Theon’s smile

was gone. He gave a sullen shrug and began to pull his arrows from the ground,

one by one.

席恩的笑容消失了。他悻悻地耸肩，然后开始把箭一根根从地上拔起来。

Robb glared at

his guardsmen. “Where were you?” he demanded of them. “I was sure you were

close behind us.”

罗柏瞪着侍卫们。“你们跑哪儿去了？”他质问，“我要你们紧跟在后。”

The men traded

unhappy glances. “We were following, m’lord,” said Quent, the youngest of them,

his beard a soft brown fuzz. “Only first we waited for Maester Luwin and his

ass, begging your pardons, and then, well, as it were?.?.?.?” He glanced over

at Theon and quickly looked away, abashed.

守卫们交换着闷闷不乐的眼神。“大人，我们是跟在后面。”里面年纪最轻，长了棕色细胡的昆特说，“可我们要等鲁温师傅和他的驴，请大人原谅，然后，这个嘛，就是……”他瞄了席恩一眼，随即尴尬地别开头。

“I spied a turkey,” Theon said, annoyed by the question. “How was I

to know that you’d leave the boy alone?”

“我在路上看到只火鸡，”席恩气恼地说，“我哪知道你会丢下小鬼不管？”

Robb turned his

head to look at Theon once more. Bran had never seen him so angry, yet he said

nothing. Finally he knelt beside Maester Luwin. “How badly is my brother

wounded?”

罗柏再度转头瞪看席恩。布兰从未见他这么生气过，但他没有多说，只在鲁温师傅身旁蹲下来。“我弟弟的伤势如何？”

“No more than a scratch,” the maester said. He wet a cloth in the

stream to clean the cut. “Two of them wear the black,” he told Robb as he

worked.

“破了点皮罢了。”老学士说。他把一块布在溪里浸湿，用来清洗伤口。“有两个人穿着黑衫军的衣服。”他边弄边告诉罗柏。

Robb glanced

over at where Stiv lay sprawled in the stream, his ragged black cloak moving

fitfully as the rushing waters tugged at it. “Deserters from the Night’s

Watch,” he said grimly. “They must have been fools, to come so close to

Winterfell.”

罗柏转头望向倒卧溪中的史帝夫，溪流不断拉扯着他破烂的黑斗篷。“守夜人军团的逃兵，”他口气严峻地说，“他们一定是没脑子，才会跑到离临冬城这么近的地方来。”

“Folly and desperation are ofttimes hard to tell apart,” said Maester

Luwin.

“由愚蠢或绝望所生的行为，彼此常常难以区分。”鲁温师傅道。

“Shall we bury them, m’lord?” asked Quent.

“大人，我们要埋葬他们吗？”昆特问。

“They would not have buried us,” Robb said. “Hack off their heads,

we’ll send them back to the Wall. Leave the rest for the carrion crows.”

“他们可不打算为我们安葬。”罗柏说，“把头砍下，送到长城。剩下的就留给乌鸦。”

“And this one?” Quent jerked a thumb toward Osha.

“那她呢？”昆特用拇指指了指欧莎。

Robb walked over

to her. She was a head taller than he was, but she dropped to her knees at his

approach. “Give me my life, m’lord of Stark, and I am yours.”

罗柏朝她走去。她比罗柏足足高出一头，但见他过来，却连忙跪下。“史塔克大人，求您饶我一命，我的人是您的了。”

“Mine? What would I do with an oathbreaker?”

“我的人？我要个背誓者做什么？”

“I broke no oaths. Stiv and Wallen flew down off the Wall, not me.

The black crows got no place for women.”

“我没有背弃誓约。从长城逃出来的是史帝夫和华伦，不是我。那群黑乌鸦不收女人。”

Theon Greyjoy

sauntered closer. “Give her to the wolves,” he urged Robb. The woman’s eyes

went to what was left of Hali, and just as quickly away. She shuddered. Even

the guardsmen looked queasy.

席恩·葛雷乔伊慢悠悠地晃过来。“拿她喂狼。”他怂恿罗柏。女人的视线望向哈莉的残骸，赶紧颤抖着转开。那景象连侍卫们看了也直想吐。

“She’s a woman,” Robb said.

“她是个女的。”罗柏说。

“A wildling,” Bran told him. “She said they should keep me alive so

they could take me to Mance Rayder.”

“也是个野人。”布兰告诉他，“是她叫他们留我活口，好把我交给曼斯·雷德的。”

“Do you have a name?” Robb asked her.

“你有名字吗？”罗柏问她。

“Osha, as it please the lord,” she muttered sourly.

“大人高兴的话，叫我欧莎就成。”她酸酸地低声道。

Maester Luwin

stood. “We might do well to question her.”

鲁温师傅站起来。“盘问一番比较稳妥。”

Bran could see

the relief on his brother’s face. “As you say, Maester. Wayn, bind her hands.

She’ll come back to Winterfell with us?.?.?.?and live or die by the truths she

gives us.”

布兰看见哥哥脸上如释重负的表情。“那就这样罢，师傅。韦恩，把她的手捆起来。她跟我们一起回临冬城……是生是死，就得由她的话来决定了。”