Ⅱ 列王的紛爭 Chapter64 艾莉亞
ARYA
頭顱浸過焦油，不會很快腐爛。每天早上，當(dāng)艾莉亞去井邊給盧斯·波頓打水時，都從它們下面經(jīng)過。它們背對廣場，因此她從來看不見臉孔，只在心里幻想其中之一是喬佛里的頭，幻想他那副漂亮臉蛋浸了焦油的光景。如果我是烏鴉，頭一個目標(biāo)就是他肥厚的笨嘴唇。
The heads had been dipped in tar to slow the rot. Every morning when Arya went to the well to draw fresh water for Roose Bolton’s basin, she had to pass beneath them. They faced outward, so she never saw their faces, but she liked to pretend that one of them was Joffrey’s. She tried to picture how his pretty face would look dipped in tar. If I was a crow I could fly down and peck off his stupid fat pouty lips.
這些頭顱并不孤單。食腐烏鴉在城門樓上整日盤旋，沙啞地聒噪，為每一顆眼珠而你爭我奪，互相嘶喊驅(qū)逐，只有當(dāng)巡城哨兵經(jīng)過時，方才暫時散開。時而學(xué)士的渡鴉也會拍著寬闊的黑翼從鴉巢飛過來加入盛宴。每當(dāng)這時，普通的烏鴉便拍翅離開，只等它們體型稍大的遠(yuǎn)親飽餐之后，方才飛回來清理殘渣剩羹。
The heads never lacked for attendants. The carrion crows wheeled about the gatehouse in raucous unkindness and quarreled upon the ramparts over every eye, screaming and cawing at each other and taking to the air whenever a sentry passed along the battlements. Sometimes the maester’s ravens joined the feast as well, flapping down from the rookery on wide black wings. When the ravens came the crows would scatter, only to return the moment the larger birds were gone.
這些渡鴉可還記得托斯謬學(xué)士？艾莉亞疑惑地想，它們會為他悲哀嗎？它們?nèi)找箤χ浣校欠裨谄婀炙麨楹尾辉倩卮?？或許，死人有溝通的秘法，只是活人聽不到罷了。
Do the ravens remember Maester Tothmure? Arya wondered. Are they sad for him? When they quork at him, do they wonder why he doesn’t answer? Perhaps the dead could speak to them in some secret tongue the living could not hear.
托斯繆被利斧斬首，因為他在赫倫堡陷落當(dāng)晚放出鳥兒給凱巖城和君臨報信；鐵匠盧坎的罪名是替蘭尼斯特家打造武器；哈拉太太的罪名是組織河安伯爵夫人的仆人們?yōu)樘m尼斯特家服務(wù)；管家被處死則因為他把財寶庫的鑰匙交給了泰溫公爵。大廚保住性命（據(jù)說全賴那鍋黃鼠狼湯），但“小美人”皮雅和其他跟蘭尼斯特士兵相好的女人都被趕到一起，扒去衣服，剃光毛發(fā)，扔在中庭的熊坑邊上，任憑男人們享用。
Tothmure had been sent to the axe for dispatching birds to Casterly Rock and King’s Landing the night Harrenhal had fallen, Lucan the armorer for making weapons for the Lannisters, Goodwife Harra for telling Lady Whent’s household to serve them, the steward for giving Lord Tywin the keys to the treasure vault. The cook was spared (some said because he’d made the weasel soup), but stocks were hammered together for pretty Pia and the other women who’d shared their favors with Lannister soldiers. Stripped and shaved, they were left in the middle ward beside the bear pit, free for the use of any man who wanted them.
這天早晨艾莉亞去井邊打水時，三個佛雷家的士兵正在她們身上作樂。她盡量不看，但男人們的淫笑依舊傳到耳中。裝滿水的木桶很重，她轉(zhuǎn)身要把它提回焚王塔，卻被埃瑪貝爾太太抓住手臂。水從桶邊晃出，濺到?，斬悹柾壬??！澳愎室獾模 迸思饨?。
Three Frey men-at-arms were using them that morning as Arya went to the well. She tried not to look, but she could hear the men laughing. The pail was very heavy once full. She was turning to bring it back to Kingspyre when Goodwife Amabel seized her arm. The water went sloshing over the side onto Amabel’s legs. “You did that on purpose,” the woman screeched.
“你想干嘛？”艾莉亞奮力扭動。自他們砍掉哈拉的腦袋之后，?，斬悹柧陀行┋偗偘d癲。
“What do you want?” Arya squirmed in her grasp. Amabel had been half-crazed since they’d cut Harra’s head off.
“看到?jīng)]有？”?，斬悹栔钢鹤訉γ娴钠ぱ??！氨狈饺丝迮_時，這就是你的下場！”
“See there?” Amabel pointed across the yard at Pia. “When this northman falls you’ll be where she is.”
“放手?！彼霋昝?，但?，斬悹柕闹割^越攥越緊。
“Let me go.” She tried to wrench free, but Amabel only tightened her fingers.
“他會垮臺的！赫倫堡詛咒所有人。泰溫大人打了勝仗，很快將帶著大軍殺回來，然后就輪到他懲罰叛徒了。別以為他不會知道你干的好事！”老婦人縱聲大笑，“我會親自折磨你。哈拉有把舊掃帚，我一直替你留著，那掃帚棍開裂多刺——”
“He will fall too, Harrenhal pulls them all down in the end. Lord Tywin’s won now, he’ll be marching back with all his power, and then it will be his turn to punish the disloyal. And don’t think he won’t know what you did!” The old woman laughed. “I may have a turn at you myself. Harra had an old broom, I’ll save it for you. The handle’s cracked and splintery—”
艾莉亞掄起水桶。水的重量使她失去了準(zhǔn)頭，沒能擊中埃瑪貝爾的腦袋，但潑出的水濺得老婦人一身，迫使她放手?！皠e碰我，”艾莉亞大喊，“否則我殺了你。走開！”
Arya swung the bucket. The weight of the water made it turn in her hands, so she didn’t smash Amabel’s head in as she wanted, but the woman let go of her anyway when the water came out and drenched her. “Don’t ever touch me,” Arya shouted, “or I’ll kill you. You get away.”
濕淋淋的?，斬悹柼斐鲆桓?xì)長的手指，指著艾莉亞外衣前襟上的剝皮人?！皠e以為胸口有小血人就可以作威作福，沒這回事！蘭尼斯特會回來的！等著瞧吧，你等著瞧吧！”
Sopping, Goodwife Amabel jabbed a thin finger at the flayed man on the front of Arya’s tunic. “You think you’re safe with that little bloody man on your teat, but you’re not! The Lannisters are coming! See what happens when they get here.”
四分之三的水濺到地上，艾莉亞不得不返回井邊。如果我把她的話告訴波頓大人，天黑前她的頭就會掛在城墻上和哈拉的頭作伴，她一邊想一邊將水桶拉上來，知道自己不會說。
Three-quarters of the water had splashed out on the ground, so Arya had to return to the well. If I told Lord Bolton what she said, her head would be up next to Harra’s before it got dark, she thought as she drew up the bucket again. She wouldn’t, though.
曾有一次，當(dāng)城墻上的頭還只有現(xiàn)在一半多的時候，詹德利撞見她打量它們，“欣賞自己的杰作？”他問她。
Once, when there had been only half as many heads, Gendry had caught Arya looking at them. “Admiring your work?” he asked.
她知道他為盧坎的死而生氣，但這樣說太不公平?！皻⑺氖恰F腿’沃頓，”她防衛(wèi)地說，“一切都是血戲班和波頓大人的手下做的?！?/p>
He was angry because he’d liked Lucan, she knew, but it still wasn’t fair. “It’s Steelshanks Walton’s work,” she said defensively. “And the Mummers, and Lord Bolton.”
“是誰把他們弄到我們頭上來的呢？你和你的黃鼠狼湯。”
“And who gave us all them? You and your weasel soup.”
艾莉亞捶了他胳膊一拳。“那只是一鍋熱湯而已。況且，你也恨亞摩利爵士?！?/p>
Arya punched his arm. “It was just hot broth. You hated Ser Amory too.”
? “我更恨這幫家伙。亞摩利爵士只是為主子賣命，但血戲班是無恥的傭兵，變色龍！他們中一半人連通用語都不會講。厄特修士喜歡小男孩，科本操縱黑魔法，你的朋友尖牙還吃人?！?/p>
“I hate this lot worse. Ser Amory was fighting for his lord, but the Mummers are sellswords and turncloaks. Half of them can’t even speak the Common Tongue. Septon Utt likes little boys, Qyburn does black magic, and your friend Biter eats people.”
糟糕的是，她無法否認(rèn)他的話。赫倫堡的糧秣主要靠勇士團(tuán)征集，盧斯·波頓還命他們在收糧之余將蘭尼斯特的殘余勢力連根拔除。瓦格·赫特把隊伍分成四隊，自領(lǐng)最大的一隊，其余交給信任的部下，以盡可能多地劫掠村落。羅爾杰經(jīng)常將瓦格大人找叛徒的法子當(dāng)談資，這位大人只不過回到從前勇士團(tuán)打著蘭尼斯特的旗幟造訪的地方，把那些投靠過他的人統(tǒng)統(tǒng)抓起來。這些人當(dāng)初大都收了蘭尼斯特的錢，因此血戲班帶回城的除了一筐筐頭顱，還有一袋袋錢幣。“猜謎時間！”夏格維愉快地到處大喊?！安D大人有一只山羊，它把那些給蘭尼斯特大人的山羊喂食的人吃光了，請問現(xiàn)在有幾只山羊？”
The worst thing was, she couldn’t even say he was wrong. The Brave Companions did most of the foraging for Harrenhal, and Roose Bolton had given them the task of rooting out Lannisters. Vargo Hoat had divided them into four bands, to visit as many villages as possible. He led the largest group himself, and gave the others to his most trusted captains. She had heard Rorge laughing over Lord Vargo’s way of finding traitors. All he did was return to places he had visited before under Lord Tywin’s banner and seize those who had helped him. Many had been bought with Lannister silver, so the Mummers often returned with bags of coin as well as baskets of heads. “A riddle!” Shagwell would shout gleefully. “If Lord Bolton’s goat eats the men who fed Lord Lannister’s goat, how many goats are there?”
“一只，”問到艾莉亞時，她回答。
“One,” Arya said when he asked her.
“黃鼠狼跟山羊一樣聰明呢！”小丑竊笑。
“Now there’s a weasel clever as a goat!” the fool tittered.
羅爾杰和尖牙跟他們一樣壞。每當(dāng)波頓大人與守軍一起進(jìn)餐，艾莉亞就會在那幫人里面發(fā)現(xiàn)他們。尖牙一身臭氣，像變質(zhì)的奶酪，因此勇士團(tuán)安排他坐在桌子最末端，隨他在那兒咕咕噥噥，嘶嘶怪叫，手齒并用地撕肉。艾莉亞走過時，他會朝她嗅，但最讓她害怕的是羅爾杰。他坐在“虔誠的”烏斯威克邊上，艾莉亞四處走動伺候，感覺他的目光就在自己周身游走。
Rorge and Biter were as bad as the others. Whenever Lord Bolton took a meal with the garrison, Arya would see them there among the rest. Biter gave off a stench like bad cheese, so the Brave Companions made him sit down near the foot of the table where he could grunt and hiss to himself and tear his meat apart with fingers and teeth. He would sniff at Arya when she passed, but it was Rorge who scared her most. He sat up near Faithful Urswyck, but she could feel his eyes crawling over her as she went about her duties.
有時她真后悔當(dāng)初沒跟賈昆·赫加爾一起去狹海對岸。她留著他給的笨硬幣，那只是一塊比銅板大不了多少的鐵片，邊緣已經(jīng)生銹。其中一面有些她不認(rèn)識的怪異文字，另一面是個男子的頭像，幾乎完全磨損。他說它很珍貴，但和他的假臉假名字一樣，這只是又一個謊言。想到這里她很氣憤，便把硬幣扔了，但不出一個小時，她開始難過，于是又把硬幣找了回來，盡管它一錢不值。
Sometimes she wished she had gone off across the narrow sea with Jaqen H’ghar. She still had the stupid coin he’d given her, a piece of iron no larger than a penny and rusted along the rim. One side had writing on it, queer words she could not read. The other showed a man’s head, but so worn that all his features had rubbed off. He said it was of great value, but that was probably a lie too, like his name and even his face. That made her so angry that she threw the coin away, but after an hour she got to feeling bad and went and found it again, even though it wasn’t worth anything.
她一邊琢磨那枚硬幣，一邊使勁提水，穿過流石庭院?！澳饶?，”有人在喊，“放下水桶，過來幫我?！?/p>
She was thinking about the coin as she crossed the Flowstone Yard, struggling with the weight of the water in her pail. “Nan,” a voice called out. “Put down that pail and come help me.”
艾爾瑪·佛雷和她年紀(jì)相仿，個子卻有些偏矮。他正沿著凹凸不平的石地面使勁滾沙桶，臉漲得通紅。艾莉亞過去幫他，他們一起將桶推到墻壁，然后再返回，最后豎立起來。 艾爾瑪打開蓋子，拽出一件鎖甲，沙子“嘩嘩”流動?！澳憧此蓛袅藳]？”作為盧斯·波頓的侍從，他負(fù)責(zé)保養(yǎng)主人的鎖甲明亮光鮮。
Elmar Frey was no older than she was, and short for his age besides. He had been rolling a barrel of sand across the uneven stone, and was red-faced from exertion. Arya went to help him. Together they pushed the barrel all the way to the wall and back again, then stood it upright. She could hear the sand shifting around inside as Elmar pried open the lid and pulled out a chainmail hauberk. “Do you think it’s clean enough?” As Roose Bolton’s squire, it was his task to keep his mail shiny bright.
艾爾瑪打開蓋子，拽出一件鎖甲，沙子“嘩嘩”流動。“你看它干凈了沒？”作為盧斯·波頓的侍從，他負(fù)責(zé)保養(yǎng)主人的鎖甲明亮光鮮。
“You need to shake out the sand. There’s still spots of rust. See?” She pointed. “You’d best do it again.”
“你得把沙子全抖掉。那兒還有銹斑，看見嗎？”她指指，“你最好再來一遍?！?/p>
“You do it.” Elmar could be friendly when he needed help, but afterward he would always remember that he was a squire and she was only a serving girl. He liked to boast how he was the son of the Lord of the Crossing, not a nephew or a bastard or a grandson but a trueborn son, and on account of that he was going to marry a princess.
“你來。”艾爾瑪求助時會露出一副友善的表情，但之后會記起自己身為侍從，而她不過是個女仆。他老愛吹噓自己是河渡口領(lǐng)主的親生兒子——不是侄子，不是私生子，不是孫子，而是親生的嫡子喲——還和一位公主訂了婚。
Arya didn’t care about his precious princess, and didn’t like him giving her commands. “I have to bring m’lord water for his basin. He’s in his bedchamber being leeched. Not the regular black leeches but the big pale ones.”
艾莉亞既不在乎他的寶貝公主，也不喜歡聽他發(fā)號施令?！按笕说戎业乃亍Ｋ谂P房里用水蛭放血。不是普通的黑水蛭喲，這回是又大又白的那種。”
Elmar’s eyes got as big as boiled eggs. Leeches terrified him, especially the big pale ones that looked like jelly until they filled up with blood. “I forgot, you’re too skinny to push such a heavy barrel.”
艾爾瑪?shù)难劬Φ傻酶笫斓碾u蛋那么大。他怕極了水蛭，尤其是那種肥大的、吸滿血之前像肉凍一樣的白水蛭?！拔彝耍闾?，推不動這么重的桶。”
“I forgot, you’re stupid.” Arya picked up the pail. “Maybe you should get leeched too. There’s leeches in the Neck as big as pigs.” She left him there with his barrel.
“我也忘了，你笨得要死。”艾莉亞提起水桶?！澳阋苍摲欧叛?。頸澤里有豬那么大的水蛭。”她留下他獨自跟他的沙桶作伴。
The lord’s bedchamber was crowded when she entered. Qyburn was in attendance, and dour Walton in his mail shirt and greaves, plus a dozen Freys, all brothers, half brothers, and cousins. Roose Bolton lay abed, naked. Leeches clung to the inside of his arms and legs and dotted his pallid chest, long translucent things that turned a glistening pink as they fed. Bolton paid them no more mind than he did Arya.
領(lǐng)主的臥室擠滿了人?？票驹诜檀笕?，陰沉的沃頓穿著鎖甲衫和手套站在一旁，此外還有十來個佛雷家的人——彼此是親兄弟、異母兄弟、堂兄弟及表兄弟。盧斯·波頓光著身子躺在床上，四肢內(nèi)側(cè)和蒼白的胸膛爬滿水蛭，長長的透明蟲子逐漸變?yōu)殚W亮的粉紅。對它們，波頓就和對艾莉亞一樣，完全不加理會。
“We must not allow Lord Tywin to trap us here at Harrenhal,” Ser Aenys Frey was saying as Arya filled the washbasin. A grey stooped giant of a man with watery red eyes and huge gnarled hands, Ser Aenys had brought fifteen hundred Frey swords south to Harrenhal, yet it often seemed as if he were helpless to command even his own brothers. “The castle is so large it requires an army to hold it, and once surrounded we cannot feed an army. Nor can we hope to lay in sufficient supplies. The country is ash, the villages given over to wolves, the harvest burnt or stolen. Autumn is on us, yet there is no food in store and none being planted. We live on forage, and if the Lannisters deny that to us, we will be down to rats and shoe leather in a moon’s turn.”
“不能讓泰溫公爵把我們困在赫倫堡，”艾莉亞注滿水盆時，伊尼斯·佛雷爵士正在說話。他是個禿頂駝背的灰大個，長著水汪汪的紅眼睛和粗糙的巨手。赫倫堡內(nèi)，一千五百名佛雷家的士兵歸他節(jié)制，但他似乎很無能，連自己的兄弟也指揮不大動?！按顺翘?，要守住需要一整支軍隊，而一旦被圍，我們卻養(yǎng)不起一支軍隊，因為無法儲備足夠的補給。農(nóng)田成為灰燼，村莊被狼群占據(jù)，收獲要么被燒，要么被偷。秋天已臨，我軍卻沒有存糧，更沒有種子用于播種，只能靠劫掠維生。假如蘭尼斯特軍加以封鎖，一月之內(nèi)，就只剩老鼠和皮鞋可吃?！?/p>
“I do not mean to be besieged here.” Roose Bolton’s voice was so soft that men had to strain to hear it, so his chambers were always strangely hushed.
“我不會被困住。”盧斯·波頓的聲音之輕，人們只能伸長耳朵才聽得見，因此他的房間總是出奇地靜。
“What, then?” demanded Ser Jared Frey, who was lean, balding, and pockmarked. “Is Edmure Tully so drunk on his victory that he thinks to give Lord Tywin battle in the open field?”
“那怎么辦？”杰瑞·佛雷爵士提問，他是個禿頂?shù)氖葑?，一臉痘瘡?！澳琼樦粍倮麤_昏頭腦的艾德慕·徒利的意思，跟泰溫公爵正面決戰(zhàn)？”
If he does he’ll beat them, Arya thought. He’ll beat them as he did on the Red Fork, you’ll see. Unnoticed, she went to stand by Qyburn.
他會打垮他們！艾莉亞心想，他會像在紅叉河岸一樣打垮他們，你們等著瞧吧。她悄悄站到科本身邊，沒有引起任何人注意。
“Lord Tywin is many leagues from here,” Bolton said calmly. “He has many matters yet to settle at King’s Landing. He will not march on Harrenhal for some time.”
“泰溫公爵離這兒遠(yuǎn)著呢，”波頓平靜地說，“他在君臨有很多事等著處理，短期內(nèi)不可能進(jìn)攻赫倫堡?！?/p>
Ser Aenys shook his head stubbornly. “You do not know the Lannisters as we do, my lord. King Stannis thought that Lord Tywin was a thousand leagues away as well, and it undid him.”
伊尼斯爵士固執(zhí)地?fù)u頭，“大人，您對蘭尼斯特的了解沒我們深。您瞧，史坦尼斯國王也認(rèn)為泰溫公爵遠(yuǎn)在千里之外，結(jié)果遭到滅頂之災(zāi)?！?/p>
The pale man in the bed smiled faintly as the leeches nursed of his blood. “I am not a man to be undone, ser.”
水蛭吸食著床上這名蒼白男子的鮮血，他微微一笑?！拔液退灰粯樱羰肯壬?。”
“Even if Riverrun marshals all its strength and the Young Wolf wins back from the west, how can we hope to match the numbers Lord Tywin can send against us? When he comes, he will come with far more power than he commanded on the Green Fork. Highgarden has joined itself to Joffrey’s cause, I remind you!”
“就算奔流城召集所有兵力，少狼主也從西境趁勝而回，與艾德慕合軍一處，我們的部隊仍無法與泰溫公爵的大軍相提并論。我提醒您，他目前的軍隊遠(yuǎn)超當(dāng)初在綠叉河的數(shù)目，高庭加入了喬佛里！”
“I had not forgotten.”
“我沒有忘?！?/p>
“I have been Lord Tywin’s captive once,” said Ser Hosteen, a husky man with a square face who was said to be the strongest of the Freys. “I have no wish to enjoy Lannister hospitality again.”
“我做過泰溫公爵的俘虜，”霍斯丁爵士說，他是個高大的方臉漢子，據(jù)說在佛雷家中最為強壯，“可不希望再受一次款待?！?/p>
Ser Harys Haigh, who was a Frey on his mother’s side, nodded vigorously. “If Lord Tywin could defeat a seasoned man like Stannis Baratheon, what chance will our boy king have against him?” He looked round to his brothers and cousins for support, and several of them muttered agreement.
哈瑞斯·海伊爵士不住點頭，他母親是佛雷家的人?！斑B身經(jīng)百戰(zhàn)的史坦尼斯·拜拉席恩尚且敗在秦溫公爵手下，咱們的小鬼國王與他為敵豈不是以卵擊石？”他環(huán)顧兄弟與親戚們尋求支持，他們果真咕噥著同意。
“Someone must have the courage to say it,” Ser Hosteen said. “The war is lost. King Robb must be made to see that.”
“丑話總得有人站出來說，”霍斯丁道，“羅柏國王必須明白，戰(zhàn)爭業(yè)已失敗?！?/p>
Roose Bolton studied him with pale eyes. “His Grace has defeated the Lannisters every time he has faced them in battle.”
盧斯·波頓用淡白的眼珠打量他，“陛下與蘭尼斯特軍多次交鋒，從無敗績。”
“He has lost the north,” insisted Hosteen Frey. “He has lost Winterfell! His brothers are dead …”
“但他失去了北境，”霍斯丁·佛雷堅持，“失去了臨冬城！他的弟弟們都死了……”
For a moment Arya forgot to breathe. Dead? Bran and Rickon, dead? What does he mean? What does he mean about Winterfell, Joffrey could never take Winterfell, never, Robb would never let him. Then she remembered that Robb was not at Winterfell. He was away in the west, and Bran was crippled, and Rickon only four. It took all her strength to remain still and silent, the way Syrio Forel had taught her, to stand there like a stick of furniture. She felt tears gathering in her eyes, and willed them away. It’s not true, it can’t be true, it’s just some Lannister lie.
轟地一聲，艾莉亞無法呼吸。死了？布蘭和瑞肯死了？他什么意思？臨冬城怎么了？喬佛里不可能奪取臨冬城，不可能，羅柏會打敗他。然后她才想起羅柏遠(yuǎn)征西境，根本不在臨冬城，布蘭成了殘廢，瑞肯只有四歲。她竭盡全力才沒奔過去大聲質(zhì)問，而是運用西利歐·佛瑞爾教她的方法，像件家具似的筆直挺立。淚水在眼睛里積聚，但她硬生生忍住。這不是真的，這不可能是真的，這只是蘭尼斯特的謊言。
“Had Stannis won, all might have been different,” Ronel Rivers said wistfully. He was one of Lord Walder’s bastards.
“若是史坦尼斯獲勝，情況迥然不同，”朗諾爾·河文渴望地說，他是瓦德侯爵的私生子。
“Stannis lost,” Ser Hosteen said bluntly. “Wishing it were otherwise will not make it so. King Robb must make his peace with the Lannisters. He must put off his crown and bend the knee, little as he may like it.”
“史坦尼斯已經(jīng)輸了，”霍斯丁爵士生硬地說，“愿望不會改變事實。不管羅柏國王高不高興，都必須與蘭尼斯特家講和，并脫下王冠，屈膝臣服?！?/p>
“And who will tell him so?” Roose Bolton smiled. “It is a fine thing to have so many valiant brothers in such troubled times. I shall think on all you’ve said.”
“這個提議，由誰來告訴他呢？”盧斯·波頓微笑，“多事之秋，能有這么多英勇的好兄弟站在我一邊，實在是太好了。我會仔細(xì)考慮你們的話。”
His smile was dismissal. The Freys made their courtesies and shuffled out, leaving only Qyburn, Steelshanks Walton, and Arya. Lord Bolton beckoned her closer. “I am bled sufficiently. Nan, you may remove the leeches.”
他的微笑意味著散會，佛雷家的人行禮之后紛紛離去，只留科本、鐵腿沃頓和艾莉亞。波頓大人召她上前，“血放夠了，娜娜，把水蛭拿掉?！?/p>
“At once, my lord.” It was best never to make Roose Bolton ask twice. Arya wanted to ask him what Ser Hosteen had meant about Winterfell, but she dared not. I’ll ask Elmar, she thought. Elmar will tell me. The leeches wriggled slowly between her fingers as she plucked them carefully from the lord’s body, their pale bodies moist to the touch and distended with blood. They’re only leeches, she reminded herself. If I closed my hand, they’d squish between my fingers.
“我馬上去辦，大人，”任何事都不能讓盧斯·波頓說第二遍。艾莉亞真想問他霍斯丁爵士提到的臨冬城的事，但她不敢。我去問艾爾瑪，她心想，艾爾瑪會告訴我。她小心翼翼地將水蛭從伯爵的身體上摘下來，蟲子在指間緩緩蠕動，粉紅的身體濕漉漉，因吸血而膨脹。不過是水蛭，她提醒自己，一捏就爛的啦。
“There is a letter from your lady wife.” Qyburn pulled a roll of parchment from his sleeve. Though he wore maester’s robes, there was no chain about his neck; it was whispered that he had lost it for dabbling in necromancy.
“夫人來信?！笨票緩男渥永锍槌鲆痪硌蚱ぜ垺Ｋm穿著學(xué)士的袍子，脖子上卻沒有頸鏈，據(jù)說是因為涉足死靈術(shù)而被學(xué)城放逐。
“You may read it,” Bolton said.
“念，”波頓道。
The Lady Walda wrote from the Twins almost every day, but all the letters were the same. “I pray for you morn, noon, and night, my sweet lord,” she wrote, “and count the days until you share my bed again. Return to me soon, and I will give you many trueborn sons to take the place of your dear Domeric and rule the Dreadfort after you.” Arya pictured a plump pink baby in a cradle, covered with plump pink leeches.
瓦妲夫人幾乎每天都從孿河城寫信來，內(nèi)容千篇一律。“我日夜為您祈禱，親愛的大人，”她寫道，“數(shù)著日子等您回來與我再度共眠。早日歸來吧，我將為您產(chǎn)下許多嫡子，以取代您珍愛的多米利克，繼您之后統(tǒng)治恐怖堡?！卑騺喌哪X海中不禁浮現(xiàn)一個圓鼓鼓的粉紅嬰兒，渾身爬滿粉紅的水蛭躺在搖籃中。
She brought Lord Bolton a damp washcloth to wipe down his soft hairless body. “I will send a letter of my own,” he told the onetime maester.
她遞給波頓大人一塊濕毛巾，以擦拭他柔軟而無毛的身體?！拔乙獙懶?，”他告訴前學(xué)士。
“To the Lady Walda?”
“給瓦妲夫人？”
“To Ser Helman Tallhart.”
“給赫曼·陶哈爵士。”
A rider from Ser Helman had come two days past. Tallhart men had taken the castle of the Darrys, accepting the surrender of its Lannister garrison after a brief siege.
赫曼爵士的信使兩天前就到了。陶哈的部隊奪回了戴瑞的城堡，經(jīng)過短暫圍城，蘭尼斯特駐軍便告投降。
“Tell him to put the captives to the sword and the castle to the torch, by command of the king. Then he is to join forces with Robett Glover and strike east toward Duskendale. Those are rich lands, and hardly touched by the fighting. It is time they had a taste. Glover has lost a castle, and Tallhart a son. Let them take their vengeance on Duskendale.”
“以國王的名義，要他處死俘虜，燒毀城堡，然后跟羅貝特·葛洛佛匯合，東進(jìn)攻打暮谷城。此間土地還很肥沃，幾乎未遭戰(zhàn)火波及，該讓它們也嘗嘗滋味。葛洛佛沒了家堡，陶哈沒了兒子，勢必急于復(fù)仇。”
“I shall prepare the message for your seal, my lord.”
“我馬上去辦，然后帶過來給您封印，大人?！?/p>
Arya was glad to hear that the castle of the Darrys would be burned. That was where they’d brought her when she’d been caught after her fight with Joffrey, and where the queen had made her father kill Sansa’s wolf. It deserves to burn. She wished that Robett Glover and Ser Helman Tallhart would come back to Harrenhal, though; they had marched too quickly, before she’d been able to decide whether to trust them with her secret.
艾莉亞很高興戴瑞家的城堡要被燒毀。她跟喬佛里打架之后，正是被抓去那里，也正是在那里，王后逼父親殺了珊莎的小狼。那地方活該！其實她先前希望羅貝特·葛洛佛和赫曼·陶哈爵士早些回到赫倫堡，他們走得匆忙，她還不及決定是否把秘密告訴他們。
“I will hunt today,” Roose Bolton announced as Qyburn helped him into a quilted jerkin.
“我今天要去打獵，”盧斯·波頓一邊說，一邊讓科本幫他穿上一件夾絮背心。
“Is it safe, my lord?” Qyburn asked. “Only three days past, Septon Utt’s men were attacked by wolves. They came right into his camp, not five yards from the fire, and killed two horses.”
“安全嗎，大人？”科本問，“三天之前，厄特修士的人剛遭狼群襲擊。它們直接闖進(jìn)營地，在離營火不到五碼遠(yuǎn)咬死兩匹馬?！?/p>
“It is wolves I mean to hunt. I can scarcely sleep at night for the howling.” Bolton buckled on his belt, adjusting the hang of sword and dagger. “It’s said that direwolves once roamed the north in great packs of a hundred or more, and feared neither man nor mammoth, but that was long ago and in another land. It is queer to see the common wolves of the south so bold.”
“我要獵的正是狼，它們吵得我晚上睡不著?！辈D扣上皮帶，調(diào)整好長劍和匕首的位置?！皳?jù)說在我們北境，一度冰原狼結(jié)成上百只的群落四處游蕩，不怕人，連長毛象也不怕，但那是古代，況且在北方。我很奇怪，南方的尋常狼只怎會如此大膽？”
“Terrible times breed terrible things, my lord.”
“糟糕的時代孕育糟糕的東西，大人?！?/p>
Bolton showed his teeth in something that might have been a smile. “Are these times so terrible, Maester?”
波頓露齒似笑非笑，“如今有這么糟糕，學(xué)士？”
“Summer is gone and there are four kings in the realm.”
“夏日已盡，國內(nèi)又有四王爭雄?！?/p>
“One king may be terrible, but four?” He shrugged. “Nan, my fur cloak.” She brought it to him. “My chambers will be clean and orderly upon my return,” he told her as she fastened it. “And tend to Lady Walda’s letter.”
“一個國王才糟糕，四個？嘿，”他聳聳肩?！澳饶龋业聂闷ざ放?。”她將斗篷遞給他。“我回來之前，房間要打掃干凈，收拾整齊，”她一面替他系斗篷，他一面說?！皩α?，把瓦妲夫人的信處理掉?！?/p>
“As you say, my lord.”
“遵命，大人。”
The lord and maester swept from the room, giving her not so much as a backward glance. When they were gone, Arya took the letter and carried it to the hearth, stirring the logs with a poker to wake the flames anew. She watched the parchment twist, blacken, and flare up. If the Lannisters hurt Bran and Rickon, Robb will kill them every one. He’ll never bend the knee, never, never, never. He’s not afraid of any of them. Curls of ash floated up the chimney. Arya squatted beside the fire, watching them rise through a veil of hot tears. If Winterfell is truly gone, is this my home now? Am I still Arya, or only Nan the serving girl, for forever and forever and forever?
伯爵和學(xué)士迅速離開房間，沒多看她一眼。他們走后，艾莉亞把信丟進(jìn)火爐，用撥火棍攪動木柴，激發(fā)火焰。她呆呆地看著羊皮紙卷曲變黑，發(fā)出陣陣火光。蘭尼斯特敢傷害布蘭和瑞肯，羅柏定會殺光他們，他決不會屈服，不會，不會，不會！他誰也不怕！縷縷煙塵飄上煙囪，艾莉亞蹲在火堆邊，熱淚盈眶。如果臨冬城真的沒有了，這兒就是我的家嗎？我還是艾莉亞嗎？我是不是永遠(yuǎn)、永遠(yuǎn)、永遠(yuǎn)都只能當(dāng)女仆娜娜？
She spent the next few hours tending to the lord’s chambers. She swept out the old rushes and scattered fresh sweet-smelling ones, laid a fresh fire in the hearth, changed the linens and fluffed the featherbed, emptied the chamber pots down the privy shaft and scrubbed them out, carried an armload of soiled clothing to the washerwomen, and brought up a bowl of crisp autumn pears from the kitchen. When she was done with the bedchamber, she went down half a flight of stairs to do the same in the great solar, a spare drafty room as large as the halls of many a smaller castle. The candles were down to stubs, so Arya changed them out. Under the windows was a huge oaken table where the lord wrote his letters. She stacked the books, changed the candles, put the quills and inks and sealing wax in order.
接下來的幾個小時，她專心收拾領(lǐng)主的套房。她掃掉舊的燈芯草，鋪上氣味清新的新草，并在壁爐里重新生火，把羽毛床弄蓬松，更換亞麻床單，在小廁所里倒了夜壺，并把它刷洗干凈，最后捧一大堆臟衣服給洗衣婦，又從廚房拿來一碗脆秋梨。收拾完套房，她下去半層樓梯，繼續(xù)整理書房。這是一間通風(fēng)良好的大房間，規(guī)模與許多小城堡的廳堂無異。蠟燭已成殘樁，艾莉亞把它們都換好。窗下有張大橡木桌，平日里大人就在這兒寫信。她把書籍堆好，放上新蠟燭，并將羽毛筆、墨水和封臘排列整齊。
A large ragged sheepskin was tossed across the papers. Arya had started to roll it up when the colors caught her eye: the blue of lakes and rivers, the red dots where castles and cities could be found, the green of woods. She spread it out instead. THE LANDS OF THE TRIDENT, said the ornate script beneath the map. The drawing showed everything from the Neck to the Blackwater Rush. There’s Harrenhal at the top of the big lake, she realized, but where’s Riverrun? Then she saw. It’s not so far …
文件之間有一大張破破爛爛的羊皮紙。艾莉亞剛要卷起來，卻被上面各種斑駁的顏色所吸引：藍(lán)色代表湖泊與河流，紅點代表城堡和市鎮(zhèn)，綠色代表森林。她不由自主地將它鋪開來。地圖下華麗的字體寫著：三河流域全圖?？磥磉@張圖畫的正是頸澤與黑水河之間的地理。赫倫堡在一個大湖上方，她想起來，奔流城在哪里？……找到了，并不太遠(yuǎn)……
The afternoon was still young by the time she was done, so Arya took herself off to the godswood. Her duties were lighter as Lord Bolton’s cupbearer than they had been under Weese or even Pinkeye, though they required dressing like a page and washing more than she liked. The hunt would not return for hours, so she had a little time for her needlework.
干完活之后，下午才剛過一半，因此她去了神木林。當(dāng)波頓大人的侍酒，比在威斯或粉紅眼手下輕松多了，惟一的麻煩是必須穿戴整齊，時時梳洗，這讓她有些不耐煩。捕獵的隊伍沒幾個小時回不來，因此她有點時間做“針線活”。
She slashed at birch leaves till the splintery point of the broken broomstick was green and sticky. “Ser Gregor,” she breathed. “Dunsen, Polliver, Raff the Sweetling.” She spun and leapt and balanced on the balls of her feet, darting this way and that, knocking pinecones flying. “The Tickler,” she called out one time, “the Hound,” the next. “Ser Ilyn, Ser Meryn, Queen Cersei.” The bole of an oak loomed before her, and she lunged to drive her point through it, grunting “Joffrey, Joffrey, Joffrey.” Her arms and legs were dappled by sunlight and the shadows of leaves. A sheen of sweat covered her skin by the time she paused. The heel of her right foot was bloody where she’d skinned it, so she stood one-legged before the heart tree and raised her sword in salute. “Valar morghulis,” she told the old gods of the north. She liked how the words sounded when she said them.
她狠狠地劈砍白樺樹葉，直到掃帚劍參差的頂端變得又綠又粘?！案窭坠羰浚彼跉?，“鄧森，波利佛，‘甜嘴’拉夫?！彼碥S起，腳尖著地，忽左忽右，四面游移，打得松果到處亂飛?！坝浭卤荆彼蠛纫宦?，接著又喊“獵狗，伊林爵士，馬林爵士，瑟曦太后?！毕饦錁涓陕柫⒃谇埃鲃萃淮?，一邊低吼：“喬佛里！喬佛里！喬佛里！”陽光葉影在身上灑下點點斑駁，當(dāng)她終于停下，已是通體大汗，右腳跟還擦破了皮，流出血來，因此她單腿站在心樹前，舉劍致敬?！癡alar morghulis，”她對北方的遠(yuǎn)古諸神說。她喜歡這串發(fā)音。
As Arya crossed the yard to the bathhouse, she spied a raven circling down toward the rookery, and wondered where it had come from and what message it carried. Might be it’s from Robb, come to say it wasn’t true about Bran and Rickon. She chewed on her lip, hoping. If I had wings I could fly back to Winterfell and see for myself. And if it was true, I’d just fly away, fly up past the moon and the shining stars, and see all the things in Old Nan’s stories, dragons and sea monsters and the Titan of Braavos, and maybe I wouldn’t ever fly back unless I wanted to.
