tg.stone of tears-第84章

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　She　pulled　her　warm　mantle　tighter　around　herself。　This　atrocity　couldn’t　have　been　at　the　hands　of　the　armies　from　D’Hara；　it　was　far　too　recent。　The　troops　from　D’Hara　had　been　called　home。　Surely；　they　wouldn’t　have　done　this　after　they　had　been　told　the　war　was　ended。
　
　Unable　to　stand　for　another　moment　not　knowing　what　fate　had　befallen　Ebinissia；　she　pushed　her　bow　farther　up　on　her　shoulder　and　started　down　the　hillside。　Her　leg　muscles　were　at　long　last　used　to　the　wide…footed　gait　needed　to　walk　on　the　snowshoes　the　men　had　made　from　willow　and　sinew。　Chandalen　charged　after　her。
　
　‘You　must　not　go　down　there。　There　could　be　dangerous。’
　
　‘Danger；’　she　corrected　as　she　hitched　her　pack　up　higher。　‘If　there　was　danger；　Prindin　and　Tossidin　would　not　be　out　in　the　open。　You　may　e；　or　you　may　wait　here；　but　I’m　going　down　there。’
　
　Knowing　argument　was　useless；　he　followed　in　a　rare　fit　of　silence。　The　bright　afternoon　sun　brought　no　warmth　to　the　bitterly　cold　day。　There　was　usually　wind　at　the　fringe　of　the　Rang’Shada　Mountains；　but　thankfully　there　was　little　this　day；　for　a　change。　It　hadn’t　snowed　for　several　days；　and　they　had　been　able　to　make　better　time　in　the　clear　weather。　Still；　with　every　breath　she　took；　the　air　felt　as　if　it　were　turning　the　inside　of　her　nose　to　ice。
　
　She　intercepted　Prindin　and　Tossidin　halfway　down　the　slope。　They　brought　themselves　to　a　halt　before　her；　leaning　on　their　spears；　breathing　heavily；　which　was　unusual　for　them　as　nothing　seemed　to　tire　them；　but　they　were　unaccustomed　to　the　altitude。　Their　faces　were　pale；　and　their　handsome　twin　smiles　long　gone。
　
　‘Please；　Mother　Confessor；’　Prindin　said；　pausing　to　catch　his　breath　from　the　strenuous　climb；　‘you　must　not　go　to　that　place。　The　ancestor　spirits　of　those　people　have　abandoned　them。’
　
　Kahlan　untied　a　waterskin　from　her　waist　and　pulled　it　from　under　her　mantle；　where　her　body’s　heat　kept　the　water　from　freezing。　She　held　it　up　to　Prindin；　urging　him　to　take　a　drink　before　questioning　him。
　
　‘What　did　you　see？　You　didn’t　go　into　the　city；　did　you？　I　told　you　not　to　go　inside　the　walls。’
　
　Prindin　handed　the　waterskin　to　his　panting　brother。　‘No。
　
　We　stay　hidden；　as　you　told　us。　We　do　not　go　inside；　but　we　do　not　need　to。’　He　licked　a　drop　of　water　from　his　lower　lip。　‘We　see　enough　from　outside。’
　
　She　took　back　the　waterskin　when　Tossidin　finished；　and　replaced　the　stopper。　‘Did　you　see　any　people？’
　
　Tossidin　stole　a　quick　glance　over　his　shoulder；　down　the　hill。　‘We　see　many　people。’
　
　Prindin　wiped　his　nose　on　the　back　of　his　hand　as　he　looked　from　his　brother　to　her。　‘Dead　people。’
　
　‘How　many？　Dead　from　what？’
　
　Tossidin　tugged　loose　the　thong　holding　his　fur　mantle　tight　at　his　neck。　‘Dead　from　fighting。　Most　are　men　with　weapons：　swords　and　spears　and　bows。　There　are　more　than　I　know　the　words　to　count。　I　have　never　seen　that　many　men。　In　my　whole　life；　I　have　not　seen　that　many　men。　There　has　been　war　here。　War；　and　killing　of　those　defeated。’
　
　Kahlan　stared　at　them　for　a　moment　as　horror　threatened　to　choke　off　her　breath。　She　had　hoped　that　somehow　the　people　of　Ebinissia　had　escaped；　that　they　had　fled。
　
　A　war。　Had　the　D’Haran　forces　done　this　after　the　war　was　ended？　Or　was　it　something　else？
　
　Her　muscles　at　last　unlocked　and　she　started　down　the　hill；　the　mantle　billowing　open；　letting　in　the　icy　air。　Her　heart　pounded　with　dread　at　what　had　befallen　the　people　of　Ebinissia。　‘I　must　go　down　there　to　see　what　has　happened。’
　
　‘Please；　Mother　Confessor；　do　not　go；’　Prindin　called　after　her。　‘It　is　bad　to　see。’
　
　The　three　men　jumped　to　follow　as　she　marched　down　the　hill；　the　slope　speeding　her　effort。　‘I　have　seen　dead　people　before。’
　
　They　began　encountering　the　sprawled　corpses　…　apparently　the　sites　of　skirmishes　…　a　good　distance　from　the　city　walls。　Snow　had　drifted　against　them；　partially　covering　them。　In　one　place；　a　hand　reached　up　from　the　snow；　as　if　the　man　below　were　drowning；　and　reaching　for　air。　Most　had　not　been　touched　by　animals　or　birds；　there　being　an　overabundance　for　scavengers。　All　were　soldiers　of　the　Galean　army；　frozen　in　death　where　they　had　fallen；　blood…soaked　clothes　frozen　rock…solid　to　them；　ghastly　wounds　frozen　open。
　
　At　the　south　wall；　where　huge　oak　doors　crisscrossed　with　iron　strapping　had　stood；　was　a　gaping　hole　through　the　stone；　its　edges　melted　and　burned　black。　Kahlan　stood　staring　at　rock　melted　like　wax　from　a　candle　that　had　guttered。　She　knew　of　only　one　power　that　could　do　that：　wizard’s　fire。
　
　Her　mind　fought　to　understand　what　she　was　seeing。　She　knew　what　the　results　of　wizard’s　fire　looked　like；　but　there　were　no　more　wizards。　Except　Zedd　and；　she　guessed；　Richard。　But　this　would　not　have　been　Zedd’s　deed。
　
　Outside　the　walls；　off　to　either　side；　headless　corpses　were　heaped　in　huge；　frozen　mounds。　Heads　stared　out　from　less　orderly　piles　of　their　own。　Swords　and　shields　and　spears　were　discarded　to　separate　heaps；　looking　like　great；　dead；　steel　porcupines。　This　had　been　a　mass　execution；　carried　out　at　a　number　of　stations　at　once　to　handle　the　numbers　more　efficiently。　All　were　Galean　soldiers。
　
　As　she　stared　in　numb　shock　at　the　splayed　limbs　draped　over　their　fellows　under　them；　Kahlan　spoke　softly　to　the　three　men　behind　her。　The　word　you　did　not　know　to　use　to　count　this　many　is　thousand。　There　are　perhaps　five　thousand　dead　men　here。’
　
　Gently；　Prindin　planted　the　butt　end　of　his　spear　in　the　snow；　giving　it　an　uneasy　twist。　‘I　did　not　know　there　was　a　word　needed　to　count　this　many　men。’　His　fist　twisted　the　spear　again；　and　his　voice　lowered　to　a　whisper。　This　will　be　a　bad　place　when　the　warm　weather　es。’
　
　‘It　is　a　bad　place　now；’　his　brother　murmured　to　himself　in　his　own　tongue。
　
　Kahlan　knew　this　was　the　least　of　the　dead。　She　knew　the　tactics　of　defense　for　Ebinissia。　The　walls　were　not　secure　fortifications；　the　way　they　had　been　in　times　long　ago。　As　the　city　had　grown　in　the　prosperity　of　the　Midlands　alliance；　the　older；　stronger；　fortified　walls　had　been　torn　down；　and　the　stone　used　to　build　these　newer；　more　enpassing　outer　walls。　But　they　had　been　built　less　secure　than　in　the　past。　They　were　more　a　symbol　of　the　size　and　pride　of　the　Crown　city　than　a　strong　defensible　perimeter。
　
　Under　attack；　the　gates　would　have　been　closed；　with　the　toughest；　most　experienced　troops　on　the　outside　to　stop　the　attackers　before　they　had　a　chance　to　reach　the　walls。　The　real　defense　for　Ebinissia　was　the　surrounding　mountains；　whose　narrow　passes　prevented　a　broad　attack。
　
　Under　Darken　Rahl’s　order；　D’Haran　forces　had　laid　siege　to　Ebinissia　for　two　months；　but　the　defenders　outside　the　walls　were　able　to　hold　them　back　in　the　surrounding　passes；　pin　them　down；　and　harry　them　relentlessly　until　the　attackers　finally　withdrew；　licking　their　wounds；　in　search　of　easier　prey。　Though　the　Ebinissians　had　prevailed；　it　had　been　at　a　great　cost　of　lives　to　the　defenders。　Had　Darken　Rahl　been　less　concerned　with　finding　the　boxes；　he　could　have　sent　greater　numbers　and　maybe　overrun　the　defenders　in　the　passes；　but　he　didn’t。　This　time；　someone　had。
　
　These　headless　men　were　a　part　of　that　outer　defensive　ring。　Backs　to　the　wall；　they　had　been　defeated　and　captured；　and　then　executed　before　the　walls　were　breached　…　apparently　as　a　demonstration　to　those　still　inside；　to　terrorize　them；　to　panic　them　into　an　ineffectual　defense。　She　knew　that　what　was　inside　the　walls　would　be　worse。　The　dead　women　they　had　been　finding　told　her　that　much。
　
　Out　of　habit；　and　without　even　realizing　it；　she　had　put　on　the　calm　face　that　showed　nothing：　the　face　of　a　Confessor；　as　her　mother　had　taught　her。
　
　‘Prindin；　Tossidin；　I　want　you　two　to　go　around　the　outside　of　the　walls。　I　want　to　know　what　else　is　on　the　outside。　I　want　to　know　everything　about　what　has　happened　here。　I　want　to　know　when　this　was　done；　where　the　attackers　came　from；　and　where　they　went　when　they　were　finished。　Chan…dalen　and　I　will　go　inside。　Meet　us　back　here　when　you　are　finished。’
　
　The　brothers　went　quickly　at　her　direction；　their　heads　close　together　as　they　whispered　to　one　another　while　pointing；　analyzing　tracks　and　signs　they　understood　with　hardly　more　than　a　glance。　Chandalen　walked　silently　at　her　side；　his　bow；　with　an　arrow　nocked　and　tension　to　the　string；　at　the　ready　as　she　stepped　over　rubble　and　moved　on　through　the　yawning　hole。
　
　None　of　the　three　men　had　objected　to　her　instructions。　They　were；　she　knew；　astonished　at　the　size　of　the　city；　but　more　than　that；　they　were　overwhelmed　at　the　enormity　of　what　had　happened　here；　they　respected　her　obligation　to　the　dead。
　
　Chandalen’s　eyes　ignored　the　bodies　that　lay　everywhere　and　watched　instead　the　shaded　openings　and　alleyways　among　the　small　daub…and…wattle　houses　that　were　homes　to　the　farmers　and　sheepherders　who　worked　the　land　closer　to　the　city。　There　were　no　fresh　prints　in　the　snow；　nothing　alive　had　been　here　recently。
　
　Kahlan　chose　the　proper　streets　and　Chandalen　stayed　close　at　her　right　shoulder；　half　a　step　behind。　She　didn’t　stop　to　inspect　the　dead　laying　everywhere。　All　looked　to　have　died　the　same　way：　killed　in　a　fierce　battle。
　
　‘These　people　were　defeated　by　great　numbers；’　Chandalen　said　in　a　quiet　tone。　‘Many　thousands；　as　you　called　it。　They　had　no　chance　to　win。’
　
　‘Why　do　you　say　that？’
　
　‘They　are　bunched　together　between　the　buildings。　This　is　a　bad　place　to　have　to　fight；　but　in　a　closed…in　place　like　this；　that　is　the　only　way。　That　is　the　way　I　would　try　to　defend　against　a　larger　number　…　by　blocking　the　enemy　from　spreading　out　behind　me　to　trap　me。　Greater　numbers　would　not　be　as　much　good　in　the　small　passageways。　I　would　try　to　keep　the　enemy　from　spreading　out；　and　e　at　them　from　all　sides　so　they　could　not　attack　as　they　wished；　but　must　be　always　in　fear　of　where　I　would　be　next。　You　must　not　meet　the　enemy　as　they　wish　you　to；　especially　when　they　greatly　outnumber　you。
　
　There　are　old　men；　and　boys；　among　the　soldiers。　Boys　and　old　men　would　not　e　to　fight　beside　Chandalen　unless　they　saw　it　was　a　war　to　the　death　and　I　was　greatly　outnumbered。　For　these　men　to　stand　and　fight　against　vastly　greater　numbers；　they　must　have　been　brave。　Old　men　and　boys　would　not　have　e　to　help　such　brave　men　if　the　enemy　were　not　so　great。’
　
　She　knew　Chandalen　was　right。　Everyone　had　seen　or　heard　the　executions　outside　the　walls。　They　knew　defeat　was　death。
　
　The　bodies　were　felled　like　reeds　before　a　great　wind。　As　they　ascended　the　rise　to　where　the　old　city　walls　had　stood；　the　dead　were　more　numerous。　It　looked　that　they　had　fallen　back；　trying　to　make　a　stand　from　higher　ground。　It　had　done　them　no　good；　they　had　been　overrun。
　
　All　the　dead　were　defenders；　none　were　the　corpses　of　attackers。　Kahlan　knew　that　some　believed　leaving　the　dead　where　they　fell　in　defeating　an　enemy　augured　ill　luck　in　future　battles；　and　further；　that　it　abandoned　their　spirits　to　retribution　by　the　spirits　of　those　defeated。　Likewise；　t