假如她是貴族出身，那其他孩子格格不入的姿態(tài)，對(duì)她就是自然而然的。布蕾妮懷疑垂柳并非像看上去那么簡(jiǎn)單。她太小，也不夠漂亮，不可能是珊莎·史塔克，但年齡跟珊莎的妹妹一致。凱特琳夫人說，艾莉亞沒有姐姐的美貌。棕頭發(fā)，棕眼睛，骨瘦如柴……會(huì)不會(huì)是她呢？艾莉亞·史塔克的頭發(fā)是棕色，布蕾妮記起來，但無法確定眼睛的顏色。棕眼棕發(fā)，是那樣嗎？有沒可能她其實(shí)并未死在鹽場(chǎng)鎮(zhèn)？
If she were highborn, command would come naturally to her, and deference to them. Brienne wondered whether Willow might be more than she appeared. The girl was too young and too plain to be Sansa Stark, but she was of the right age to be the younger sister, and even Lady Catelyn had said that Arya lacked her sister’s beauty. Brown hair, brown eyes, skinny … could it be? Arya Stark’s hair was brown, she recalled, but Brienne was not sure of the color of her eyes. Brown and brown, was that it? Could it be that she did not die at Saltpans after all?
門外，最后一絲光線正在退去，室內(nèi)，垂柳命人點(diǎn)起四支油膩膩的牛油蠟燭，再讓女孩們把爐火燒得又高又旺。男孩們幫波德瑞克·派恩卸下驢子上的包裹，將腌鱈魚、羊肉、蔬菜、堅(jiān)果和一輪輪奶酪搬進(jìn)來，梅里巴德修士則去廚房煮粥?！翱上?，我的橘子都沒了，恐怕要到春天才能再見到，”他告訴一個(gè)小男孩，“你有沒吃過啊，孩子？擠出美味的果汁來吮吸？”男孩搖頭否定，修士揉了揉他的頭發(fā)?！暗鹊酱禾煳医o你帶一個(gè)，假如你做個(gè)乖孩子，幫我攪拌這鍋粥的話?！?/p>
Outside, the last light of day was fading. Inside, Willow had four greasy tallow candles lit and told the girls to keep the hearthfire burning high and hot. The boys helped Podrick Payne unpack the donkey and carried in the salt cod, mutton, vegetables, nuts, and wheels of cheese, whilst Septon Meribald repaired to the kitchens to take charge of the porridge. “Alas, my oranges are gone, and I doubt that I shall see another till the spring,” he told one small boy. “Have you ever had an orange, lad? Squeezed one and sucked down that fine juice?” When the boy shook his head no, the septon mussed his hair. “Then I’ll bring you one, come spring, if you will be a good lad and help me stir the porridge.”
海爾爵士脫下靴子在火邊暖腳。布蕾妮坐到他旁邊時(shí)，他朝房間遠(yuǎn)處的角落點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭?！澳莾旱匕迳嫌醒E，狗兒在嗅。擦洗過了，但血滲入木頭，無法去除?！?/p>
Ser Hyle pulled off his boots to warm his feet by the fire. When Brienne sat down next to him, he nodded at the far end of the room. “There are bloodstains on the floor over there where Dog is sniffing. They’ve been scrubbed, but the blood soaked deep into the wood, and there’s no getting it out.”
“桑鐸·克里岡在這個(gè)客棧里殺了三名他哥哥的手下?！彼嵝阉?。
“This is the inn where Sandor Clegane killed three of his brother’s men,” she reminded him.
“是的，”亨特同意，“但誰(shuí)說得準(zhǔn)他們?nèi)齻€(gè)是最早的倒霉鬼……抑或是最后的倒霉鬼呢？”
“ ’Tis that,” Hunt agreed, “but who is to say that they were the first to die here … or that they’ll be the last.”
“你怕幾個(gè)小孩子？”
“Are you afraid of a few children?”
“四個(gè)可以算幾個(gè)，十個(gè)就太多了，而這里遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不止十個(gè)。小孩子就應(yīng)該包在襁褓里，掛到墻上，直到女孩長(zhǎng)出胸脯，男孩大到需要刮胡子。”
“Four would be a few. Ten would be a surfeit. This is a cacophony. Children should be wrapped in swaddling clothes and hung upon the wall until the girls grow breasts and the boys are old enough to shave.”
“我為他們難過。他們都失去了父母，甚至有的人眼睜睜看著父母遇害?！?/p>
“I feel sorry for them. All of them have lost their mothers and fathers. Some have seen them slain.”
亨特翻翻白眼?！拔彝俗约涸诟苏f話。你的心就像修士的粥，軟軟的，對(duì)不對(duì)？咱們的劍妞內(nèi)心深處，其實(shí)是位即將臨盆的母親，渴望有個(gè)可愛粉嫩的嬰兒吮吸自己的奶頭?！焙柧羰窟肿煨Φ?。“聽著，要達(dá)成夢(mèng)想，你首先需要一個(gè)男人。最好是丈夫。何不選我呢？”
Hunt rolled his eyes. “I forgot that I was talking to a woman. Your heart is as mushy as our septon’s porridge. Can it be? Somewhere inside our swordswench is a mother just squirming to give birth. What you really want is a sweet pink babe to suckle at your teat.” Ser Hyle grinned. “You need a man for that, I hear. A husband, preferably. Why not me?”
“要是你仍然希望贏得賭——”
“If you still hope to win your wager—”
“我想贏得你，塞爾溫大人唯一在世的孩子。有的人甘心情愿跟弱智乃至仍在吃奶的嬰兒結(jié)婚，獲得的回報(bào)尚只有塔斯的十分之一。我承認(rèn)，我并非藍(lán)禮·拜拉席恩，但我活得好端端的——有人會(huì)說這是我唯一的優(yōu)點(diǎn)?；橐鰧?duì)我倆都有好處，我得到土地，你得到一城堡的這些?！彼⒆觽儽犬嬃艘幌隆！拔矣心芰?，我向你保證。我至少有一個(gè)已知的私生子。不用怕，我不會(huì)讓她給你增添負(fù)擔(dān)。上次去看她時(shí)，她母親潑了我一鍋湯?！?/p>
“What I want to win is you, Lord Selwyn’s only living child. I’ve known men to wed lackwits and suckling babes for prizes a tenth the size of Tarth. I am not Renly Baratheon, I confess it, but I have the virtue of being still amongst the living. Some would say that is my only virtue. Marriage would serve the both of us. Lands for me, and a castle full of these for you.” He waved his hand at the children. “I am capable, I assure you. I’ve sired at least one bastard that I know of. Have no fear, I shan’t inflict her upon you. The last time I went to see her, her mother doused me with a kettle of soup.”
紅暈爬上她頸項(xiàng)?！拔腋赣H才五十四歲，不算太老，可以續(xù)弦生子。”
A flush crept up her neck. “My father’s only four-and-fifty. Not too old to wed again and get a son by his new wife.”
“這是我承擔(dān)的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)……假如你父親再婚，假如他的新娘真能懷孕，假如那嬰兒是個(gè)男孩，便證明我押錯(cuò)寶了?！?/p>
“That’s a risk … if your father weds again and if his bride proves fertile and if the babe’s a boy. I’ve made worse wagers.”
“然后輸?shù)糍€注。跟別人去玩你的游戲吧，爵士?！?/p>
“And lost them. Play your game with someone else, ser.”
“沒玩過游戲的處女才會(huì)這么說，你玩過之后，自然就會(huì)轉(zhuǎn)變的。相信我，在黑暗中，你就跟任何一位公主一樣美麗，你的嘴唇生來就是為了接吻。”
“So speaks a maid who has never played the game with anyone. Once you do you’ll take a different view. In the dark you’d be as beautiful as any other woman. Your lips were made for kissing.”
“嘴唇就是嘴唇，”布蕾妮道，“所有嘴唇都一樣?！?/p>
“They are lips,” said Brienne. “All lips are the same.”
“所有嘴唇生來都是為了接吻，”亨特愉快地贊同，“今晚你的房門不要上閂，我會(huì)偷偷爬上你的床，證實(shí)自己的話?！?/p>
“And all lips are made for kissing,” Hunt agreed pleasantly. “Leave your chamber door unbarred tonight, and I will steal into your bed and prove the truth of what I say.”
“你敢這么干，等離開時(shí)就變太監(jiān)了?！辈祭倌萜鹕碜唛_。
“If you do, you’ll be a eunuch when you leave.” Brienne got up and walked away from him.
梅里巴德修士詢問是否可以帶孩子們禱告。有個(gè)光身子的小女孩從桌上爬過來，他沒理會(huì)?！翱梢?。”垂柳答應(yīng)，并在桌上爬過來的孩子即將觸及那鍋粥之前，將她拎了起來。于是他們一起低頭感謝天父圣母的施舍……除了鐵匠房里的黑發(fā)男孩，他雙臂交叉抱在胸前，瞪著其他人祈禱。這異狀并非只有布蕾妮注意到，祈禱完畢后，梅里巴德修士望向桌子對(duì)面，“你不愛諸神嗎，孩子？”
Septon Meribald asked if he might lead the children in a grace, ignoring the small girl crawling naked across the table. “Aye,” said Willow, snatching up the crawler before she reached the porridge. So they bowed their heads together and thanked the Father and the Mother for their bounty … all but the black-haired boy from the forge, who crossed his arms against his chest and sat glowering as the others prayed. Brienne was not the only one to notice. When the prayer was done Septon Meribald looked across the table, and said, “Do you have no love for the gods, son?”
“不愛你們的神?！闭驳吕蝗徽酒饋??！拔矣谢罡?。”他沒吃一口就昂首闊步走了出去。
“Not for your gods.” Gendry stood abruptly. “I have work to do.” He stalked out without a bite of food.
“他愛什么神？”海爾·亨特問。
“Is there some other god he loves?” asked Hyle Hunt.
“光之王?！币粋€(gè)瘦瘦的男孩用尖細(xì)的嗓音說，他大約六歲。
“The Lord of Light,” piped one scrawny boy, nigh to six.
垂柳拿勺子敲了他一下，“大嘴本恩。這兒有吃的。你只管吃東西，別打擾大人們談話。”
Willow hit him with her spoon. “Ben Big Mouth. There’s food. You should be eating it, not bothering m’lords with talk.”
孩子們撲向晚餐，好像狼群吞食受傷的鹿。他們爭(zhēng)奪鱈魚，將大麥面包撕成碎片，把粥弄得到處都是，連碩大一輪奶酪沒多久也不見了。布蕾妮用了點(diǎn)魚、面包和胡蘿卜，而梅里巴德修士自己吃一口就喂兩口給狗兒。外面開始下雨，屋內(nèi)的火堆噼啪作響，大廳里充滿咀嚼聲和垂柳用勺子拍打孩子們的聲音?！翱傆幸惶?，這小女孩會(huì)成為某個(gè)男人兇悍的妻子，”海爾爵士評(píng)論，“很可能是那可憐的學(xué)徒小子?！?/p>
The children fell upon the supper like wolves upon a wounded deer, quarreling over codfish, tearing the barley bread to pieces, and getting porridge everywhere. Even the huge wheel of cheese did not long survive. Brienne contented herself with fish and bread and carrots, whilst Septon Meribald fed two morsels to Dog for every one he ate himself. Outside, a rain began to fall. Inside, the fire crackled, and the common room was filled by the sounds of chewing, and Willow smacking children with her spoon. “One day that little girl will make some man a frightful wife,” Ser Hyle observed. “That poor ’prentice boy, most like.”
“該有人給他拿點(diǎn)食物去，趁東西還沒吃光。”
“Someone should take him some food before it’s all gone.”
“那個(gè)人就是你。”
“You’re someone.”
于是她用布包起一角奶酪、一塊面包、一只干蘋果，還有兩薄片炸鱈魚。波德利克起身要跟出去，她讓他坐回去吃飯，“我很快便回來?！?/p>
She wrapped a wedge of cheese, a heel of bread, a dried apple, and two chunks of flaky fried cod in a square of cloth. When Podrick got up to follow her outside, she told him to sit back down and eat. “I will not be long.”
院子里雨下得很大。布蕾妮掀起斗篷遮住食物。經(jīng)過馬廄時(shí)，一些馬朝她嘶鳴。它們也餓了。
The rain was coming down heavy in the yard. Brienne covered the food with a fold of her cloak. Some of the horses whinnied at her as she made her way past the stables. They are hungry too.
詹德利在火爐邊，使勁敲打一柄劍，仿佛那是他的敵人。他皮圍裙下赤裸著胸膛，浸透汗水的頭發(fā)垂在額頭。她注視了一會(huì)兒。他有藍(lán)禮的眼睛和頭發(fā)，但體型不同。藍(lán)禮公爵身材瘦長(zhǎng)，沒那么強(qiáng)壯結(jié)實(shí)……不像哥哥勞勃，勞勃的力量天下聞名。
Gendry was at his forge, bare-chested beneath his leather apron. He was beating on a sword as if he wished it were a foe, his sweat-soaked hair falling across his brow. She watched him for a moment. He has Renly’s eyes and Renly’s hair, but not his build. Lord Renly was more lithe than brawny … not like his brother Robert, whose strength was fabled.
詹德利停下來擦拭額頭時(shí)才看到她站在那兒，“你干什么？”
It was not until he stopped to wipe his brow that Gendry saw her standing there. “What do you want?”
“我?guī)砹送聿??！彼蜷_布包給他看。
“I brought supper.” She opened the cloth for him to see.
“想吃的話，我自己會(huì)動(dòng)?！?/p>
“If I wanted food, I would have eaten some.”
“多吃東西才有力氣打鐵?！?/p>
“A smith needs to eat to keep his strength up.”
“你是我媽？”
“Are you my mother?”
“不，”她放下食物?！罢l(shuí)是你媽？”
“No.” She put down the food. “Who was your mother?”
“關(guān)你什么事？”
“What’s that to you?”
“你出生在君臨。”從他說話的方式，她可以確定。
“You were born in King’s Landing.” The way he spoke made her certain of it.
“我和其他許多人都是?！彼褎胍慌栌晁写慊稹徼F憤怒地嘶嘶作響。
“Me and many more.” He plunged the sword into a tub of rainwater to quench it. The hot steel hissed angrily.
“你多大？”布蕾妮問，“你母親還活著嗎？你父親呢，他是誰(shuí)？”
“How old are you?” Brienne asked. “Is your mother still alive? And your father, who was he?”
“你問太多了。”他放下劍?！拔夷赣H死了，而我從來不認(rèn)識(shí)父親。”
“You ask too many questions.” He set down the sword. “My mother’s dead and I never knew my father.”
“你是個(gè)私生子。”
“You’re a bastard.”
他把這當(dāng)做侮辱?！拔沂莻€(gè)騎士。那把劍就是給我自己用的，等鑄成之后。”
He took it for an insult. “I’m a knight. That sword will be mine own, once it’s done.”
騎士在鐵匠房里干活算什么事呢？“你長(zhǎng)著黑頭發(fā)，藍(lán)眼睛，出生在紅堡下。從來沒人評(píng)論過你的臉嗎？”
What would a knight be doing working at a smithy? “You have black hair and blue eyes, and you were born in the shadow of the Red Keep. Has no one ever remarked upon your face?”
“我的臉怎么了？不像你那么丑。”
“What’s wrong with my face? It’s not as ugly as yours.”
“你在君臨城一定見過勞勃國(guó)王?！?/p>
“In King’s Landing you must have seen King Robert.”
他聳聳肩，“是見過幾次。比武大會(huì)上，遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地看到。有一次在貝勒大圣堂，金袍子把我們推到一邊，好讓他通過。還有一次他打獵歸來，我正在爛泥門附近玩。當(dāng)時(shí)他醉得太厲害，差點(diǎn)騎馬把我撞翻。這個(gè)胖酒鬼，比起他那些兒子，還算比較好的國(guó)王。”
He shrugged. “Sometimes. At tourneys, from afar. Once at Baelor’s Sept. The gold cloaks shoved us aside so he could pass. Another time I was playing near the Mud Gate when he come back from a hunt. He was so drunk he almost rode me down. A big fat sot, he was, but a better king than these sons of his.”
他們不是他兒子。史坦尼斯跟藍(lán)禮談判那天說得沒錯(cuò)。喬佛里和托曼根本不是勞勃的兒子。而這男孩……“聽我說，”布蕾妮剛開口，就聽見狗兒高聲狂吠，“有人來了?！?/p>
They are not his sons. Stannis told it true, that day he met with Renly. Joffrey and Tommen were never Robert’s sons. This boy, though …? “Listen to me,” Brienne began. Then she heard Dog barking, loud and frantic. “Someone is coming.”
“是朋友?！闭驳吕麧M不在乎。
“Friends,” said Gendry, unconcerned.
“什么朋友？”布蕾妮走到鐵匠房門口，透過雨水向外張望。
“What sort of friends?” Brienne moved to the door of the smithy to peer out through the rain.
他聳聳肩，“你很快就會(huì)見到了。”
He shrugged. “You’ll meet them soon enough.”
也許我不想見到他們，布蕾妮心想。第一個(gè)騎手踏著水花奔入院子，透過嘩嘩的雨聲和狗兒的吠叫，她聽見對(duì)方襤褸的斗篷底下長(zhǎng)劍和盔甲的輕微碰撞。他們一邊進(jìn)來，她一邊數(shù)。二，四，六，七。依騎馬的姿勢(shì)判斷，有些人受了傷。最后一位魁梧圓胖，有其他人兩個(gè)那么大。他的馬氣喘吁吁，渾身是血，在重壓之下步履踉蹌。除開他，所有騎手都戴起兜帽，以遮擋傾盆暴雨。此人的面容寬闊無毛，猶如白蛆，圓鼓鼓的臉上生滿流膿面皰。
I may not want to meet them, Brienne thought, as the first riders came splashing through the puddles into the yard. Beneath the patter of the rain and Dog’s barking, she could hear the faint clink of swords and mail from beneath their ragged cloaks. She counted them as they came. Two, four, six, seven. Some of them were wounded, judging from the way they rode. The last man was massive and hulking, as big as two of the others. His horse was blown and bloody, staggering beneath his weight. All the riders had their hoods up against the lashing rain, save him alone. His face was broad and hairless, maggot white, his round cheeks covered with weeping sores.
布蕾妮倒抽一口冷氣，拔出守誓劍。太多了，她驚恐地想，他們?nèi)颂嗔恕！罢驳吕?，”她低聲說，“拿劍，穿盔甲。這些不是你的朋友。他們不是任何人的朋友?！?/p>
Brienne sucked in her breath and drew Oathkeeper. Too many, she thought, with a start of fear, they are too many. “Gendry,” she said in a low voice, “you’ll want a sword, and armor. These are not your friends. They’re no one’s friends.”
“你說什么？”男孩過來站到她身邊，手中拿著錘子。
“What are you talking about?” The boy came and stood beside her, his hammer in his hand.
閃電劈裂南方的天空，騎手們紛紛甩腿下馬。片刻間，黑夜亮如白晝。一把斧子泛著銀藍(lán)的光，鎖甲和板甲也反射光芒，布蕾妮在頭一個(gè)騎手的黑兜帽底下，看到一只齜著鋼牙的狗嘴。
Lightning cracked to the south as the riders swung down off their horses. For half a heartbeat darkness turned to day. An axe gleamed silvery blue, light shimmered off mail and plate, and beneath the dark hood of the lead rider Brienne glimpsed an iron snout and rows of steel teeth, snarling.
詹德利也看到了?！笆撬?。”
Gendry saw it too. “Him.”
“不是他。是他的頭盔。”布蕾妮盡量不讓恐懼滲入話音中，但嘴里已如塵土般干澀。她非常清楚是誰(shuí)戴著獵狗的頭盔。孩子們?cè)趺崔k？她心想。
“Not him. His helm.” Brienne tried to keep the fear from her voice, but her mouth was dry as dust. She had a pretty good notion who wore the Hound’s helm. The children, she thought.
客棧門“砰”的一聲打開。垂柳端著十字弓，踱入雨中。那女孩朝騎手們喊叫，但一陣悶雷滾過庭院，淹沒了她的話。等雷聲消去，布蕾妮聽見戴獵狗頭盔的人說，“你敢射，我就把那只箭塞進(jìn)你的洞里面，拿它狠狠地操你，最后把你該死的眼珠挖出來，喂你吃下去。”來人話中的怒氣逼得垂柳顫抖著退后一步。
The door to the inn banged open. Willow stepped out into the rain, a crossbow in her hands. The girl was shouting at the riders, but a clap of thunder rolled across the yard, drowning out her words. As it faded, Brienne heard the man in the Hound’s helm say, “Loose a quarrel at me and I’ll shove that crossbow up your cunt and fuck you with it. Then I’ll pop your fucking eyes out and make you eat them.” The fury in the man’s voice drove Willow back a step, trembling.
七個(gè)，布蕾妮再次絕望地想。七個(gè)，她沒有機(jī)會(huì)。沒有機(jī)會(huì)，也沒有選擇。
Seven, Brienne thought again, despairing. She had no chance against seven, she knew. No chance, and no choice.
她手執(zhí)守誓劍踏入雨中。“別碰她。想強(qiáng)暴的話，來我這兒試試?！?/p>
She stepped out into the rain, Oathkeeper in hand. “Leave her be. If you want to rape someone, try me.”
歹徒們一起轉(zhuǎn)頭，其中一個(gè)笑出聲來，另一個(gè)用布蕾妮聽不懂的語(yǔ)言說了些什么。長(zhǎng)著慘白寬臉的巨人發(fā)出惡毒的嘶嘶聲，戴獵狗頭盔的人笑道，“你比記憶中更丑怪了。我寧愿操你的馬?！?/p>
The oulaws turned as one. One laughed, and another said something in a tongue Brienne did not know. The huge one with the broad white face gave a malevolent hissssssssssssssss. The man in the Hound’s helm began to laugh. “You’re even uglier than I remembered. I’d sooner rape your horse.”
“馬，我們要馬，”一名傷員說，“好馬和食物。土匪在追我們，把馬交出來，我們就走。不傷害你們?！?/p>
“Horses, that’s what we want,” one of the wounded men said. “Fresh horses, and some food. There are outlaws after us. Give us your horses and we’ll be gone. We won’t do you harm.”
“去你媽?！贝鳙C狗頭盔的歹徒從馬鞍上拽出戰(zhàn)斧?！拔宜麐屢阉耐瓤沉耍趟浦鴶嘀次腋赡悄檬止男℃蛔??！?/p>
“Fuck that.” The outlaw in the Hound’s helm yanked a battle axe off his saddle. “I want to cut her bloody legs off. I’ll set her on her stumps so she can watch me fuck the crossbow girl.”
“用什么干？”布蕾妮嘲笑，“夏格維說他們把你的鼻子連同老二一起割了。”
“With what?” taunted Brienne. “Shagwell said they cut your manhood off when they took your nose.”
她以言語(yǔ)相激，果然奏效。只見他怒吼咒罵，向她撲來，腳下濺起黑色泥水。正如她祈禱的那樣，其余人站在后面看好戲。布蕾妮靜如磐石，一動(dòng)不動(dòng)地等待。院子里光線昏暗，腳底泥濘濕滑。讓他沖過來。諸神慈悲，但愿他滑倒在地。
She meant it to provoke him, and it did. Bellowing curses, he came at her, his feet sending up splashes of black water as he charged. The others stood back to watch the show, as she had prayed they might. Brienne stayed as still as stone, waiting. The yard was dark, the mud slippery underfoot. Better to let him come to me. If the gods are good, he’ll slip and fall.
諸神沒那么慈悲，只能靠她的劍。布蕾妮默數(shù)，五步，四步，就是現(xiàn)在，守誓劍迎著他沖擊的勢(shì)頭劈去。鋼鐵相交，斧子朝她砸下來的同時(shí)，她的劍穿透他的破衣服，在鎖甲上劃開一道口子。她扭身閃開，邊撤邊刺他胸口。
The gods were not that good, but her sword was. Five steps, four steps, now, Brienne counted, and Oathkeeper swept up to meet his rush. Steel crashed against steel as her blade bit through his rags and opened a gash in his chain mail, even as his axe came crashing down at her. She twisted aside, slashing at his chest again as she retreated.
他踉踉蹌蹌流著血追來，發(fā)出憤怒的吼叫。“婊子！”他低沉地咆哮，“怪胎！賤貨！我要讓狗來干你，他媽的賤貨！”斧子劃出致命的弧線，每當(dāng)閃電亮起，無情的黑影就轉(zhuǎn)化為銀色。布蕾妮沒有盾牌，斧頭襲來時(shí)，她只能退避，忽左忽右地躲閃。有一次，她腳后跟在泥地上一溜，差點(diǎn)跌倒，使盡全力方才恢復(fù)平衡，卻免不了被斧子擦過左肩。一陣灼痛。“打中那婊子了！”一個(gè)人喊，男一個(gè)說，“看她還怎么躲！”
He followed, staggering and bleeding, roaring rage. “Whore!” he boomed. “Freak! Bitch! I’ll give you to my dog to fuck, you bloody bitch!” His axe whirled in murderous arcs, a brutal black shadow that turned silver every time the lightning flashed. Brienne had no shield to catch the blows. All she could do was slide back away from him, darting this way and that as the axehead flew at her. Once the mud gave way under her heel and she almost fell, but somehow she recovered herself, though the axe grazed her left shoulder that time and left a blaze of pain in its wake. “You got the bitch!” one of the others called, and another said, “Let’s see her dance away from that one.”
她躲開了，暗自慶幸他們只是看熱鬧，沒有插手幫忙。她不可能獨(dú)斗七人，即便其中有一兩個(gè)傷員。去世多年的老古德溫爵士又在她耳邊低語(yǔ)?！澳腥擞肋h(yuǎn)會(huì)低估你，”他說，“自尊心驅(qū)使他們用力，因?yàn)樗麄兒ε卤蛔h論說給女人弄得如此狼狽。讓他們瘋狂地消耗體力，而你悄悄積聚力量。等待、觀察，孩子，等待、觀察?！彼却?，觀察著，側(cè)移，后撤，再側(cè)移，刺他的臉，砍他的腿，劈他的手臂。他的斧子越來越沉，動(dòng)作越來越慢。布蕾妮逼他轉(zhuǎn)身，讓他的眼睛迎向雨水，然后迅速退后兩步。他再度提起斧頭，咒罵著搖搖晃晃地?fù)鋪?，一只腳在泥地里打了滑……
Dance she did, relieved that they were watching. Better that than have them interfere. She could not fight seven, not alone, even if one or two were wounded. Old Ser Goodwin was long in his grave, yet she could hear him whispering in her ear. Men will always underestimate you, he said, and their pride will make them want to vanquish you quickly, lest it be said that a woman tried them sorely. Let them spend their strength in furious attacks, whilst you conserve your own. Wait and watch, girl, wait and watch. She waited, watching, moving sideways, then backwards, then sideways again, slashing now at his face, now at his legs, now at his arm. His blows came more slowly as his axe grew heavier. Brienne turned him so the rain was in his eyes, and stepped back two quick steps. He wrenched his axe up once more, cursing, and lurched after her, one foot sliding in the mud …
……她雙手握緊劍柄，躍上前去。他一頭撞到劍尖上，守誓劍穿透衣服、鎖甲、皮革．然后是更多衣服，深入腹中，再?gòu)暮蟊趁俺?，與脊柱擦刮時(shí)，發(fā)出銼刀般的聲響。斧子自他無力的指間滑落，兩人撞到一起，布蕾妮的臉跟狗頭盔碰個(gè)正著，冰冷潮濕的金屬抵緊面頰。雨水順著鋼鐵流淌如注，當(dāng)閃電再次亮起，她透過眼縫看到痛苦、恐懼和難以置信?！八{(lán)寶石?！彼p輕地對(duì)羅爾杰說，同時(shí)把劍使勁一擰，令他一陣抽搐。他沉甸甸地靠在她身上，突然之間，她在黑雨中抱著的已是尸體。她退后一步，讓他倒下……
… and she leapt to meet his rush, both hands on her sword hilt. His headlong charge brought him right onto her point, and Oathkeeper punched through cloth and mail and leather and more cloth, deep into his bowels and out his back, rasping as it scraped along his spine. His axe fell from limp fingers, and the two of them slammed together, Brienne’s face mashed up against the dog’s head helm. She felt the cold wet metal against her cheek. Rain ran down the steel in rivers, and when the lightning flashed again she saw pain and fear and rank disbelief through the eye slits. “Sapphires,” she whispered at him, as she gave her blade a hard twist that made him shudder. His weight sagged heavily against her, and all at once it was a corpse that she embraced, there in the black rain. She stepped back and let him fall …
……然后尖牙嘶喊著朝她撞來。
… and Biter crashed into her, shrieking.
一大團(tuán)濕羊毛和乳白色的肉將她提離地面，“砰”的一聲砸到地上。她猛然落入一攤爛泥，水花濺入鼻子和眼睛，胸口窒息，腦袋“喀嚓”一聲撞中半埋入土的石頭。“不。”她剛來得及喊出這個(gè)字，他已撲倒在她身上，壓得她陷入更深的泥沼。他用一只手揪住她的頭發(fā)，將腦袋往后扯，另一只手伸向她的咽喉。守誓劍已不見了蹤影，她只能赤手空拳與他搏斗，但一拳打中他的臉就像打在一團(tuán)濕乎乎的白面粉上。他沖她嘶嘶怪叫。
He fell on her like an avalanche of wet wool and milk-white flesh, lifting her off her feet and slamming her down into the ground. She landed in a puddle with a splash that sent water up her nose and into her eyes. All the air was driven out of her, and her head snapped down against some half-buried stone with a crack. “No,” was all that she had time to say before he fell on top of her, his weight driving her deeper into the mud. One of his hands was in her hair, pulling her head back. The other groped for her throat. Oathkeeper was gone, torn from her grasp. She had only her hands to fight him off, but when she slammed a fist into his face it was like punching a ball of wet white dough. He hissed at her.
她繼續(xù)一拳一拳接一拳地打他，用手掌跟猛擊他的眼睛，但他渾若不覺。她又去摳他的手腕，然而盡管鮮血從抓破的傷口里流出，他卻掐得更緊。他壓住她，令她窒息。她推他的肩膀，拼命掙扎，但他沉得像匹馬，無法撼動(dòng)。她想拿膝蓋頂他胯下，卻只夠得到肚子。尖牙悶哼一聲，扯下她一把頭發(fā)。
She hit him again, again, again, smashing the heel of her hand into his eye, but he did not seem to feel her blows. She clawed at his wrists, but his grip just grew tighter, though blood ran from the gouges where she scratched him. He was crushing her, smothering her. She pushed at his shoulders to get him off her, but he was heavy as a horse, impossible to move. When she tried to knee him in the groin, all she did was drive her knee into his belly. Grunting, Biter tore out a handful of her hair.
我的匕首。布蕾妮絕望地抓住這個(gè)念頭。她將手伸進(jìn)兩人之間摸索，指頭順著他骯臟沉重的臭肉蠕動(dòng)，終于尋到刀柄。尖牙扣緊她的脖子，把她的腦袋往地上猛砸。閃電再次炸裂，這次是在她的腦殼里面，然而她握緊手指，居然將匕首拔了出來。由于被他壓住，她無法舉起匕首刺戳，只能奮力去劃他的肚皮，某種溫?zé)岢睗竦臇|西涌入指間。尖牙又嘶嘶怪叫起來，比先前更大聲，然后他短暫地放開了她的喉嚨，旋即毆打她的臉。她聽見骨頭碎裂，痛得頭暈眼花。當(dāng)她試圖再拿刀劃他時(shí)，他掰下她指間的匕首，用膝蓋磕斷了她的前臂。接著，他再次抓住她的腦袋，繼續(xù)嘗試將它從肩膀上扯下來。
My dagger. Brienne clutched at the thought, desperate. She worked her hand down between them, fingers squirming under his sour, suffocating flesh, searching until they finally found the hilt. Biter locked both his hands about her neck and began to slam her head against the ground. The lightning flashed again, this time inside her skull, yet somehow her fingers tightened, pulled the dagger from its sheath. With him on top of her, she could not raise the blade to stab, so she drew it hard across his belly. Something warm and wet gushed between her fingers. Biter hissed again, louder than before, and let go of her throat just long enough to smash her in the face. She heard bones crack, and the pain blinded her for an instant. When she tried to slash at him again, he wrenched the dagger from her fingers and slammed a knee down onto her forearm, breaking it. Then he seized her head again and resumed trying to tear it off her shoulders.
布蕾妮聽到狗兒的吠聲，人們?cè)谥車敖?，雷聲轟鳴的間隙，有鋼鐵交擊。海爾爵士，她心想，海爾爵士加入了戰(zhàn)團(tuán)，但所有的一切仿佛都那么遙遠(yuǎn)，與她毫不相干。她的世界只剩掐著脖子的雙手和上方那張陰森森的臉。他越靠越近，雨水從兜帽滴落，呼吸像腐敗的奶酪。
Brienne could hear Dog barking, and men were shouting all about her, and between the claps of thunder she heard the clash of steel on steel. Ser Hyle, she thought, Ser Hyle has joined the fight, but all that seemed far away and unimportant. Her world was no larger than the hands at her throat and the face that loomed above her. The rain ran off his hood as he leaned closer. His breath stank like cheese gone rotten.
布蕾妮的胸腔如在燃燒，腦海的暴風(fēng)雨令她目眩，渾身上下的骨頭都在擠壓摩擦。尖牙的嘴豁然張開，裂口大得難以想象。她看到扭曲不齊、銼尖的黃牙齒。當(dāng)那些牙齒咬到她臉上的軟肉時(shí)，幾乎沒有感覺。她在黑暗中盤旋下墜。我不能死，她告訴自己，我還有使命。
Brienne’s chest was burning, and the storm was behind her eyes, blinding her. Bones ground against each other inside of her. Biter’s mouth gaped open, impossibly wide. She saw his teeth, yellow and crooked, filed into points. When they closed on the soft meat of her cheek, she hardly felt it. She could feel herself spiraling down into the dark. I cannot die yet, she told herself, there is something I still need to do.
尖牙扯下一大團(tuán)血肉，啐了一口，咧開嘴，再次將尖牙沒入她的臉。這一次他咀嚼吞咽下去。他在吃我的肉，她意識(shí)到，可她再?zèng)]力氣抵抗了。她感覺自己仿佛漂浮在上方，看著這一幕恐怖景象，仿佛那是發(fā)生在別的女人身上，某個(gè)自以為是騎士的蠢女孩。很快就結(jié)束了，她告訴自己，他有沒活活吃了我不重要了。尖牙仰起頭，張開大嘴，厲聲嚎叫，并朝她吐舌頭。舌頭十分尖利，滴著血，比正常人的長(zhǎng)很多。它從他的嘴里延伸，越來越長(zhǎng)，又紅又濕，泛著微光，丑陋又污穢。他的舌頭足有一尺長(zhǎng)，布蕾妮心想，緊接著，黑暗吞沒了她。哦，它看起來就像一把劍。
Biter’s mouth tore free, full of blood and flesh. He spat, grinned, and sank his pointed teeth into her flesh again. This time he chewed and swallowed. He is eating me, she realized, but she had no strength left to fight him any longer. She felt as if she were floating above herself, watching the horror as if it were happening to some other woman, to some stupid girl who thought she was a knight. It will be finished soon, she told herself. Then it will not matter if he eats me. Biter threw back his head and opened his mouth again, howling, and stuck his tongue out at her. It was sharply pointed, dripping blood, longer than any tongue should be. Sliding from his mouth, out and out and out, red and wet and glistening, it made a hideous sight, obscene. His tongue is a foot long, Brienne thought, just before the darkness took her. Why, it looks almost like a sword.
