按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ther。〃
〃Light！〃 he said hoarsely。 She sounded almost serious。 No； she did sound serious。 If she was even half serious； he was not sure the Trollocs might not be better than meeting her parents。
〃Here；〃 she said； holding the mug of water to his lips。 〃You sound as though your throat is dry。〃
Swallowing； he spluttered at the bitter taste。 She had stirred in Ila's powder！ He tried to stop； but she filled his mouth； and it was a matter of swallow or choke。 By the time he could push the mug away； she had emptied half of it into him。 Why did medicine always taste so vile？ He suspected women did it on purpose。 He would have bet that whatever they took for themselves did not taste that way。 〃I told you I did not want any of that。 Gaaah！〃
〃Did you？ I must not have heard。 But whether you did or not； you need sleep。〃 She stroked his curly hair。 〃Sleep； my Perrin。〃
He tried to tell her he had indeed told her so； and she had heard it； but the words seemed to tangle around his tongue。 His eyes wanted to slide shut。 In fact； he could not keep them open。 The last thing he heard was her soft murmurs。
〃Sleep； my wolf king。 Sleep。〃
Chapter 42
（Wolf）
A Missing Leaf
Perrin stood near the Tuatha'an wagons under bright sunlight； alone； and there was no arrow in his side； no pain。 Among the wagons firewood was stacked ready to be lit beneath iron cookpots hanging from tripods； and clothes hung from washlines； there were no people or horses。 He wore neither coat nor shirt； but a blacksmith's long leather vest that left his arms bare。 It could have been any dream； perhaps； except that he was aware it was a dream。 And he knew the feel of the wolf dream； the reality and solidity of it； from the long grass around his boots to the breeze out of the west that ruffled his curly hair； to the scattered ash and hemlock。 The Tinkers' gaudy wagons did not seem real； though； they had an air of insubstantiality； a feel that they might shimmer and be gone any moment。 They never remained long in one place； Tinkers。 No soil held them。
Wondering how much the land held him； he rested a hand on his axe … and looked down in surprise。 The heavy blacksmith's hammer hung in the loop on his belt； not the axe。 He frowned； once he would have chosen that way； had even thought he had； but surely no more。 The axe。 He had chosen the axe。 Hammerhead suddenly became half…moon blade and thick spike； flickered back to stout cylinder of cold steel； fluttered between。 Finally it stopped； as his axe； and he exhaled slowly。 That had never happened before。 Here； he could change things as he wanted with ease； things about himself at least。 〃And I want the axe；〃 he said firmly。 〃The axe。〃
Looking around； he could just see a farmhouse to the south； arid deer browsing the barley field； surrounded by a rough stone wall。 There was no feel of wolves； and he did not call Hopper。 The wolf might or might not e； or even hear； but Slayer could well be out there somewhere。 A bristling quiver abruptly tugged at his belt opposite the axe； and he had a stout longbow in his hand with a broadhead arrow nocked。 A long leather bracer covered his left forearm。 Nothing moved except those deer。
〃Not likely I'll wake soon；〃 he muttered to himself。 Whatever that stuff was that Faile had fed him； it had taken him right off； he remembered it as clearly as if he had watched over her shoulder。 〃Fed it to me like I was a babe；〃 he growled。 Women！
He took one of those long strides … the land blurred around him… and stepped into the farmyard。 Two or three chickens scattered； running as if they had already gone feral。 The rock…walled sheepfold stood empty； and both thatch…roofed barns were barred shut。 Despite curtains still at the windows； the two…story farmhouse had the look of emptiness。 If this was a true reflection of the waking world … and the wolf dream usually was； in an odd way … the people here had been gone for days。 Faile was right； his warning had spread beyond the places he had gone。
〃Faile；〃 he murmured wonderingly。 Daughter of a lord。 No； not just a lord。 Three times a lord； a general； and uncle to a queen。 〃Light； that makes her a queen's cousin！〃 And she loved a simple blacksmith。 Women were wondrous strange。
Seeking to see how far the word had spread； he zigzagged more than halfway to Deven Ride； a mile or more at a stride； doubling back and crisscrossing his own path。 Most farms he saw had that same emptiness； less than one in five showed signs of habitation； doors open and windows up； wash hung out on a line； dolls or hoops or carved wooden horses lying around a doorstep。 The toys especially made his stomach clench。 Even if they had not believed his warning； surely there were enough burned farms about to tell them the same； tumbled heaps of charred timbers； soot…black chimneys like stark； dead fingers。
Bending to replace a doll with a smiling glass face and a flower…embroidered dress … some woman had loved her daughter to do all that tiny needlework … he blinked。 The same doll still sat on the fieldstone steps where he had picked it up。 As he reached out； the one in his hand faded and vanished。
Flashes of black in the sky cut short his amazement。 Ravens； twenty or thirty together； winging toward the Westwood。 Toward the Mountains of Mist； where he had first seen Slayer。 He watched coldly while the ravens dwindled to black specks and disappeared。 Then he set off after them。
Long； racing strides carried him five miles each； the land a blur except in the moment between one step and the next； into the thick…treed； rocky Westwood； across the scrub…covered Sand Hills； into the cloud…capped mountains； where fir and pine and leatherleaf forested valleys and slopes； to the very valley where he had first seen the man Hopper called Slayer； to the mountainside where he had returned from Tear。
The Way gate stood there； closed； the Avendesora leaf seemingly just one among a myriad of intricately carved leaves and vines。 Scattered trees； wizened and wind…sculpted； dotted the sparse soil among the glazed stone where Manetheren had been burned away。 Sunlight sparkled on the waters of the Manetherendrelle below。 A faint wind up the valley brought him the scent of deer； rabbits； foxes。 Nothing moved that he could see。
On the point of leaving； he stopped。 The Avendesora leaf。 One leaf。 Loial had locked the Waygate by placing both leaves on this side。 He turned； and his hackles rose。 The Waygate stood open； twin masses of living greenery stirring in the breeze； exposing that dull silvery surface； his reflection shimmered in it。 How？ he wondered。 Loial locked the bloody thing。
Unaware of crossing the distance； suddenly he was right at the Waygate。 There was no trefoil leaf among the verdant tangle on the inside of the two gates。 Strange to think that at that moment； in the waking world； someone … or something … was passing through where he stood。 Touching the dull surface； he grunted。 It might as well have been a mirror； his hand slid across it as across the smoothest glass。
From the corner of his eye he caught the Avendesora leaf suddenly in its place on the inside； and leaped back just as the Waygate began swinging shut。 Someone … or something … had e out； or gone in。 Out。 It has to be out。 He wanted to doubt that it was more Trollocs； and Fades； ing into the Two Rivers。 The gates merged； became stone carvings again。
A sense of being watched was all the warning he had。 He jumped… a half…seen image of black streaking through where his chest had been； an arrow … jumped in one of those world…blurring stretches； landed on a far slope and jumped again； out of the valley of Manetheren into a stand of towering fir； and again。 Running； he thought furiously； picturing the valley in his mind； and that brief glimpse of the arrow。 It had e from that direction； at that angle when it reached him； so it had to have e from。。。
A final bound took him back onto a slope above Manetheren's grave； crouching among meager； wind…slanted pines with bow ready to draw。 Below him； among the stunted trees and boulders； the arrow had been fired。 Slayer had to be down there somewhere。 He had to be down。。。
Without thinking； Perrin leaped away； the mountains a smear of gray and brown and green。
〃Almost；〃 he growled。 Almost； he had duplicated his mistake in the Waterwood； thinking again an enemy would move to suit him； wait where he wanted。
This time he ran as hard as he could； only three flashing strides to the edge of the Sand Hills； hoping he had not been seen。 This time he circled wide； ing back higher on that same mountainside； up where the air felt thin and cold and the few trees were thick…trunked bushes fifty paces or more apart； up above where a man might set himself to watch for another who meant to sneak up on the place that arrow had fired。
And there his quarry was； a hundred paces below； dark…haired and dark…coated； a tall man crouched beside a table…sized granite outcrop； his own half…drawn bow in hand； studying the slope farther down with eager patience。 This was the first time Perrin had gotten a good look at him； a hundred paces was littl