df.therunelords-第98章

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　〃In　Orwynne；　two　hundred　thousand　troops　have　laid　siege　to　the　capital。　They　have　orders　to　simply　hold　the　capital；　draw　off　defenders；　so　that　no　aid　may　e　here　to　Heredon。〃
　〃In　your　own　homeland　of　Mystarria；　three　of　your　southern　castles　will　have　fallen　by　now。　I　will　tell　you　the　names　of　the　lords　who　hold　those　keeps。　I　believe　Raj　Ahten　will　not　return　home；　but　will　instead　flee　to　one　of　those　strongholds　to　advance　his　conflict。〃
　〃I　will　tell　you　also　the　castles　where　Raj　Ahten　has　hidden　his　Dedicates；　and　give　you　the　names　and　descriptions　of　his　most　important　vectors。〃
　〃Whatever　my　lord　desires；　that　will　I　give。　For　I；　too；　will　now　serve　the　earth。〃
　〃Great　is　the　battle　you　have　won；　milord；　but　I　promise　you；　it　is　only　the　beginning。〃
　Gaborn　wondered　at　all　of　this。　〃So　you　think　that　if　I　spread　dissent　in　his　homelands；　Raj　Ahten　will　be　forced　to　retreat？〃
　Jureem　shook　his　head。　〃I　am　thinking　very　much　that　he　will　not　retreat；　but　such　news　will　distract　him。　I　am　thinking；　O　Great　Light；　that　I　can　be　of　some　small　help　to　win　this　war；　if　you　let　me。　I　offer　myself　as　your　good　servant。〃
　〃Your　life　is　your　own；〃　Gaborn　said。　〃I　keep　no　slaves；　though　I　accept　your　service。〃
　For　long　the　two　men　rode　together　that　day；　plotting　war。
　As　for　Gaborn；　there　was　great　celebration　when　he　reached　Castle　Sylvarresta　that　night。　Riders　had　gone　ahead　to　announce；　the　King　and　Queen；　and　after　King　Sylvarresta　was　laid　in　a　tomb　beside　his　wife；　a　great　feast　took　place。
　Late　in　the　night；　some　thousand　knights　rode　hard　to　the　castle；　soldiers　out　of　Orwynne。　Old　fat　King　Orwynne　himself　rode　at　their　head。
　Orwynne　broke　into　tears　at　the　sight　of　Gaborn；　and　bowed　at　Gaborn's　knee。　〃Thank　you；〃　he　said；　sobbing。
　〃What　have　I　done　to　merit　such　thanks？〃　Gaborn　asked。
　〃Yesterday　evening；　my　castles　were　besieged　by　two　hundred　thousand　of　Raj　Ahten's　troops；　and　I　thought　all　was　lost。　But　at　your　mand；　aid　came　to　us。〃
　Gaborn　did　not　want　to　hear　the　rest；　how　the　spirits　had　issued　from　the　Dunnwood；　what　they　had　done。　But　he　had　to　know。
　〃All　of　Raj　Ahten's　men；　lost？〃
　〃Every　man　within　sight　of　the　woods；〃　Orwynne　said　triumphantly。
　At　this　news；　many　in　the　Great　Hall　cheered；　but　Gaborn　bid　them　to　silence。　〃There　is　no　triumph　in　the　deaths　of　these　men；〃　Gaborn　murmured。　〃By　their　deaths　we　are　all　diminished。　We　will　need　such　men；　in　the　dark　time　to　e。〃
　That　night；　Gaborn　could　not　sleep。　He　went　out　into　Binnesman's　garden。　The　trees　and　grasses　were　but　gnarled　ash。　Yet　beneath　him　he　could　feel　lifeseeds　and　roots　already　beginning　to　stir。　Though　fire　had　burned　this　place；　e　spring　it　would　once　again　bee　a　riot　of　life。
　On　the　plains　of　Fleeds；　far　from　the　borders　of　the　Dunnwood；　Raj　Ahten's　troops　raced　south　for　a　day　before　they　met　the　remains　of　Vishtimnu's　army；　bivouacked　near　a　pinnacle　of　rock。
　The　Clan　Lords　of　Fleeds　had　discovered　the　army　moving　through　the　wilderness；　had　feared　that　it　had　e　to　attack　the　stronghold　at　Tor　Billius；　so　they　had　surrounded　the　army；　then　slain　some　eighty　thousand　men。
　Raj　Ahten　broke　the　enemy　lines。　As　he　appeared　before　the　clans；　he　admonished　them　to　serve　him。　Thirty　thousand　men　joined　his　army　that　day；　though　many　others　continued　to　fight　against　Raj　Ahten。
　Chief　among　those　who　fought　were　the　great　High　King　Connel　and　his　valiant　warriors；　who　led　charge　after　charge　against　the　Wolf　Lord；　until　the　knights'　lances　were　all　broken　and　their　shields　shattered。　Still；　Connel　fought　on　with　hatchet　and　dagger。
　At　sunset；　Raj　Ahten　fed　Connel；　alive；　to　his　Frowth　giants。
　Then　for　a　long　time　Raj　Ahten　stood；　gazing　at　the　remnants　of　his　army；　considering；　then　he　looked　back　to　the　north；　as　if　torn　in　indecision。
　Some　say　that　he　muttered　curses　under　his　breath；　and　that　he　trembled；　alternately　gripped　by　rage　and　fear。　Others　say　that　he　merely　stood；　thoughtfully。　With　so　many　more　men　at　his　back；　he　felt　sorely　tempted　to　return　to　Heredon；　strike　at　the　Earth　King　now；　and　finish　it。
　At　last；　Raj　Ahten　turned　his　back　on　Heredon　and　raced　for　the　mountains。
　Three　nights　after　the　fall　of　Longmont；　Gaborn　and　Iome　married　in　Castle　Sylvarresta。
　The　ceremony　was　a　large　one；　for　thousands　of　lords　were　gathering　from　nearby　nations。　Iome　wore　no　veil；　and　if　Gaborn　was　pleased　that　Iome's　beauty　had　returned；　he　did　not　show　it。　His　devotion　had　not　faltered　when　she　grew　ugly；　it　did　not　suddenly　sprout　greater　wings　now。
　On　her　wedding　night；　Gaborn　kept　his　promise。　He　proved　to　be　no　gentleman　in　bed；　at　least　no　more　a　gentleman　than　she　wanted　him　to　be。
　That　night；　after　making　love；　Iome　lay　in　bed　for　a　long　time　with　her　hand　gently　placed　over　her　womb；　wondering　what　manner　of　child　she　carried。　'
　For　she　knew　she　carried　a　child。　The　earth　power　in　Gaborn　was　growing　so　strong；　it　was　no　longer　possible　that　he　could　plant　a　seed　and　not　have　it　take　root。
　Borenson　and　Myrrima　married　that　same　day　with　little　fanfare；　choosing　a　poor　couple's　wedding。
　The　next　night；　a　quarter　moon　rose　over　the　eastern　hills　outside　Castle　Sylvarresta。　By　its　faint　light；　Gaborn；　Borenson；　and　fifty　Knights　Equitable　mounted　their　chargers　and　rode　pell…mell　into　the　Dunnwood；　lances　at　the　ready；　to　hunt　for　reavers。
　The　men　were　ferocious；　longing　for　the　hunt；　and　all　promised　that　this　would　be　one　to　remember。
　Binnesman　went　with　them；　for　he　said　that　there　were　soils　deep　beneath　the　Dunnwood；　soils　once　mined　by　the　duskins；　soils　that　carried　magics　of　the　deep　earth；　which　could　grant　magical　properties　to　the　weapons　that　the　Earth　King's　smiths　would　forge　this　winter。
　Of　what　transpired　on　that　great　hunt；　little　was　ever　said　thereafter。　But　the　Earth　King　and　his　wizard　and　some　of　his　knights　returned　shortly　after　dawn；　three　days　later；　on　the　last　and　greatest　day　of　the　Hostenfest；　the　day　of　the　great　feast。
　By　great　misfortune；　in　the　duskin　mines　they　had　found　more　than　they　could　easily　handle　twenty…seven　juvenile　reavers；　along　with　their　reaver　mage。
　Forty…one　brave　knights　died　in　that　battle。
　Borenson　himself　slew　the　reaver　mage　in　her　lair；　and　brought　back　with　him　a　trophy；　dragging　the　creature's　massive　head　behind　his　steed。
　He　laid　the　head　of　lumpy　gray　leather　out　on　the　green　before　Castle　Sylvarresta　for　all　to　see。　It　was　almost　six　feet　in　length；　four　feet　high；　and　somewhat　ovoid　in　shape。　It　looked　much　like　the　head　of　an　ant　or　some　insect；　except　that　it　had　no　eyes；　ears；　or　nose。　Its　only　sensory　apparatus　was　the　patches　of　feelers　that　hung　like　gray　worms　from　the　back　of　its　head；　in　mockery　of　hair；　and　down　near　its　mouth。
　The　rows　of　crystalline　teeth　in　its　great　maw　made　a　huge　impression　on　the　peasants　and　children；　many　of　whom　were　afraid　to　touch　the　rigid　lips。　The　thousands　of　teeth　inside　that　maw　sat　in　seven　rows；　like　those　of　a　shark；　but　each　jagged　tooth　was　as　clear　and　tough　as　quartz。　Like　the　bones　of　the　skull　behind　it。
　Peasants　by　the　tens　of　thousands　came　to　view　the　monster's　head。　The　children　shrieked　in　delight　to　touch　it；　and　many　a　maid　gaped　at　it；　and　tittered；　while　the　old　folks　just　stared　long　and　thoughtfully。
　It　was　the　first　reaver　mage　found　within　the　Dunnwood　in　nearly　seventeen　hundred　years；　and　many　of　those　present　believed　it　would　be　the　last　one　they'd　see　in　their　lifetimes。
　But　they　were　wrong。　For　it　was　not　the　last。
　It　was　only　the　first。



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