grrm.astormofswords-第98章

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lanket　to　cover　herself　when　she　heard　him　say；　〃No。〃
　The　cold　made　her　shiver；　but　she　obeyed。　Her　eyes　closed；　and　she　waited。　After　a　moment　she　heard　the　sound　of　her　husband　pulling　off　his　boots；　and　the　rustle　of　clothing　as　he　undressed　himself。　When　he　hopped　up　on　the　bed　and　put　his　hand　on　her　breast；　Sansa　could　not　help　but　shudder。　She　lay　with　her　eyes　closed；　every　muscle　tense；　dreading　what　might　e　next。　Would　he　touch　her　again？　Kiss　her？　Should　she　open　her　legs　for　him　now？　She　did　not　know　what　was　expected　of　her。
　〃Sansa。〃　The　hand　was　gone。　〃Open　your　eyes。〃
　She　had　promised　to　obey；　she　opened　her　eyes。　He　was　sitting　by　her　feet；　naked。　Where　his　legs　joined；　his　man's　staff　poked　up　stiff　and　hard　from　a　thicket　of　coarse　yellow　hair；　but　it　was　the　only　thing　about　him　that　was　straight。
　〃My　lady；〃　Tyrion　said；　〃you　are　lovely；　make　no　mistake；　but　。　。　。　I　cannot　do　this。　My　father　be　damned。　We　will　wait。　The　turn　of　a　moon；　a　year；　a　season；　however　long　it　takes。　Until　you　have　e　to　know　me　better；　and　perhaps　to　trust　me　a　little。〃　His　smile　might　have　been　meant　to　be　reassuring；　but　without　a　nose　it　only　made　him　look　more　grotesque　and　sinister。
　Look　at　him；　Sansa　told　herself；　look　at　your　husband；　at　all　of　him；　Septa　Mordane　said　all　men　are　beautiful；　find　his　beauty；　try。　She　stared　at　the　stunted　legs；　the　swollen　brutish　brow；　the　green　eye　and　the　black　one；　the　raw　stump　of　his　nose　and　crooked　pink　scar；　the　coarse　tangle　of　black　and　gold　hair　that　passed　for　his　beard。　Even　his　manhood　was　ugly；　thick　and　veined；　with　a　bulbous　purple　head。　This　is　not　right；　this　is　not　fair；　how　have　I　sinned　that　the　gods　would　do　this　to　me；　how？
　〃On　my　honor　as　a　Lannister；〃　the　Imp　said；　〃I　will　not　touch　you　until　you　want　me　to。〃
　It　took　all　the　courage　that　was　in　her　to　look　in　those　mismatched　eyes　and　say；　〃And　if　I　never　want　you　to；　my　lord？〃
　His　mouth　jerked　as　if　she　had　slapped　him。　〃Never？〃
　Her　neck　was　so　tight　she　could　scarcely　nod。
　〃Why；〃　he　said；　〃that　is　why　the　gods　made　whores　for　imps　like　me。〃　He　closed　his　short　blunt　fingers　into　a　fist；　and　climbed　down　off　the　bed。
　
　CHAPTER　29
　ARYA
　
　Stoney　Sept　was　the　biggest　town　Arya　had　seen　since　King's　Landing；　and　Harwin　said　her　father　had　won　a　famous　battle　here。
　〃The　Mad　King's　men　had　been　hunting　Robert；　trying　to　catch　him　before　he　could　rejoin　your　father；〃　he　told　her　as　they　rode　toward　the　gate。　〃He　was　wounded；　being　tended　by　some　friends；　when　Lord　Connington　the　Hand　took　the　town　with　a　mighty　force　and　started　searching　house　by　house。　Before　they　could　find　him；　though；　Lord　Eddard　and　your　grandfather　came　down　on　the　town　and　stormed　the　walls。　Lord　Connington　fought　back　fierce。　They　battled　in　the　streets　and　alleys；　even　on　the　rooftops；　and　all　the　septons　rang　their　bells　so　the　smallfolk　would　know　to　lock　their　doors。　Robert　came　out　of　hiding　to　join　the　fight　when　the　bells　began　to　ring。　He　slew　six　men　that　day；　they　say。　One　was　Myles　Mooton；　a　famous　knight　who'd　been　Prince　Rhaegar's　squire。　He　would　have　slain　the　Hand　too；　but　the　battle　never　brought　them　together。　Connington　wounded　your　grandfather　Tully　sore；　though；　and　killed　Ser　Denys　Arryn；　the　darling　of　the　Vale。　But　when　he　saw　the　day　was　lost；　he　flew　off　as　fast　as　the　griffins　on　his　shield。　The　Battle　of　the　Bells；　they　called　it　after。　Robert　always　said　your　father　won　it；　not　him。〃
　More　recent　battles　had　been　fought　here　as　well；　Arya　thought　from　the　look　of　the　place。　The　town　gates　were　made　of　raw　new　wood；　outside　the　walls　a　pile　of　charred　planks　remained　to　tell　what　had　happened　to　the　old　ones。
　Stoney　Sept　was　closed　up　tight；　but　when　the　captain　of　the　gate　saw　who　they　were；　he　opened　a　sally　port　for　them。　〃How　you　fixed　for　food？〃　Tom　asked　as　they　entered。
　〃Not　so　bad　as　we　were。　The　Huntsman　brought　in　a　flock　o'　sheep；　and　there's　been　some　trading　across　the　Blackwater。　The　harvest　wasn't　burned　south　o'　the　river。　Course；　there's　plenty　want　to　take　what　we　got。　Wolves　one　day；　Mummers　the　next。　Them　that's　not　looking　for　food　are　looking　for　plunder；　or　women　to　rape；　and　them　that's　not　out　for　gold　or　wenches　are　looking　for　the　bloody　Kingslayer。　Talk　is；　he　slipped　right　through　Lord　Edmure's　fingers。〃
　〃Lord　Edmure？〃　Lem　frowned。　〃Is　Lord　Hoster　dead；　then？〃
　〃Dead　or　dying。　Think　Lannister　might　be　making　for　the　Blackwater？　It's　the　quickest　way　to　King's　Landing；　the　Huntsman　swears。〃　The　captain　did　not　wait　for　an　answer。　〃He　took　his　dogs　out　for　a　sniff　round。　If　Ser　Jaime's　hereabouts；　they'll　find　him。　I've　seen　them　dogs　rip　bears　apart。　Think　they'll　like　the　taste　of　lion　blood？〃
　〃A　chewed…up　corpse's　no　good　to　no　one；〃　said　Lem。　〃The　Huntsman　bloody　well　knows　that；　too。〃
　〃When　the　westermen　came　through　they　raped　the　Huntsman's　wife　and　sister；　put　his　crops　to　the　torch；　ate　half　his　sheep；　and　killed　the　other　half　for　spite。　Killed　six　dogs　too；　and　threw　the　carcasses　down　his　well。　A　chewed…up　corpse　would　be　plenty　good　enough　for　him；　I'd　say。　Me　as　well。〃
　〃He'd　best　not；〃　said　Lem。　〃That's　all　I　got　to　say。　He'd　best　not；　and　you're　a　bloody　fool。〃
　Arya　rode　between　Harwin　and　Anguy　as　the　outlaws　moved　down　the　streets　where　her　father　once　had　fought。　She　could　see　the　sept　on　its　hill；　and　below　it　a　stout　strong　holdfast　of　grey　stone　that　looked　much　too　small　for　such　a　big　town。　But　every　third　house　they　passed　was　a　blackened　shell；　and　she　saw　no　people。　〃Are　all　the　townfolk　dead？〃
　〃Only　shy。〃　Anguy　pointed　out　two　bowmen　on　a　roof；　and　some　boys　with　sooty　faces　crouched　in　the　rubble　of　an　alehouse。　Farther　on；　a　baker　threw　open　a　shuttered　window　and　shouted　down　to　Lem。　The　sound　of　his　voice　brought　more　people　out　of　hiding；　and　Stoney　Sept　slowly　seemed　to　e　to　life　around　them。
　In　the　market　square　at　the　town's　heart　stood　a　fountain　in　the　shape　of　a　leaping　trout；　spouting　water　into　a　shallow　pool。　Women　were　filling　pails　and　flagons　there。　A　few　feet　away；　a　dozen　iron　cages　hung　from　creaking　wooden　posts。　Crow　cages；　Arya　knew。　The　crows　were　mostly　outside　the　cages；　splashing　in　the　water　or　perched　atop　the　bars；　inside　were　men。　Lem　reined　up　scowling。　〃What's　this；　now？〃
　〃Justice；〃　answered　a　woman　at　the　fountain。
　〃What；　did　you　run　short　o'　hempen　rope？〃
　〃Was　this　done　at　Ser　Wilbert's　decree？〃　asked　Tom。
　A　man　laughed　bitterly。　〃The　lions　killed　Ser　Wilbert　a　year　ago。　His　sons　are　all　off　with　the　Young　Wolf；　getting　fat　in　the　west。　You　think　they　give　a　damn　for　the　likes　of　us？　It　was　the　Mad　Huntsman　caught　these　wolves。〃
　Wolves。　Arya　went　cold。　Robb's　men；　and　my　father's。　She　felt　drawn　toward　the　cages。　The　bars　allowed　so　little　room　that　prisoners　could　neither　sit　nor　turn；　they　stood　naked；　exposed　to　sun　and　wind　and　rain。　The　first　three　cages　held　dead　men。　Carrion　crows　had　eaten　out　their　eyes；　yet　the　empty　sockets　seemed　to　follow　her。　The　fourth　man　in　the　row　stirred　as　she　passed。　Around　his　mouth　his　ragged　beard　was　thick　with　blood　and　flies。　They　exploded　when　he　spoke；　buzzing　around　his　head。　〃Water。〃　The　word　was　a　croak。　〃Please　。　。　。　water；。。〃
　The　man　in　the　next　cage　opened　his　eyes　at　the　sound。　〃Here；〃　he　said。　〃Here；　me。〃　An　old　man；　he　was；　his　beard　was　grey　and　his　scalp　was　bald　and　mottled　brown　with　age。
　There　was　another　dead　man　beyond　the　old　one；　a　big　red…bearded　man　with　a　rotting　grey　bandage　covering　his　left　ear　and　part　of　his　temple。　But　the　worst　thing　was　between　his　legs；　where　nothing　remained　but　a　crusted　brown　hole　crawling　with　maggots。　Farther　down　was　a　fat　man。　The　crow　cage　was　so　cruelly　narrow　it　was　hard　to　see　how　they'd　ever　gotten　him　inside。　The　iron　dug　painfully　into　his　belly；　squeezing　bulges　out　between　the　bars。　Long　days　baking　in　the　sun　had　burned　him　a　painful　red　from　head　to　heel。　When　he　shifted　his　weight；　his　cage　creaked　and　swayed；　and　Arya　could　see　pale　white　stripes　where　the　bars　had　shielded　his　flesh　from　the　sun。
　〃Whose　men　were　you？〃　she　asked　them。
　At　the　sound　of　her　voice；　the　fat　man　opened　his　eyes。　The　skin　around　them　was　so　red　they　l