乐文小说网

chater ten the herit f the uthern arch（第1页）

AFTERtheyhadriddenforseveralhoursdownthevalley，itwidenedoutandtheycouldseewhatwasaheadofthem。Theriverwhichtheyhadbeenfollowingherejoinedabroaderriver，wideandturbulent，whichflowedfromtheirlefttotheirright，towardstheeast。Beyondthisnewriveradelightfulcountryrosegentlyinlowhills，ridgebeyondridge，totheNorthernMountainsthemselves。Totherighttherewererockypinnacles，oneortwoofthemwithsnowclingingtotheledges。Totheleft，pine-cladslopes，frowningcliffs，narrowgorges，andbluepeaksstretchedawayasfarastheeyecouldreach。HecouldnolongermakeoutMountPire。StraightaheadthemountainrangesanktoawoodedsaddlewhichofcoursemustbethepassfromArchenlandintoNarnia。

"Broo-hoo-hoo，theNorth，thegreenNorth!"neighedBree:andcertainlythelowerhillslookedgreenerandfresherthananythingthatAravisandShasta，withtheirsouthern-bredeyes，hadeverimagined。Spiritsroseastheyclattereddowntothewater's-meetofthetworivers。

Theeastern-flowingriver，whichwaspouringfromthehighermountainsatthewesternendoftherange，wasfartooswiftandtoobrokenwithrapidsforthemtothinkofswimmingit;butaftersomecastingabout，upanddownthebank，theyfoundaplaceshallowenoughtowade。Theroarandclatterofwater，thegreatswirlagainstthehorses'fetlocks，thecool，stirringairandthedartingdragon-flies，filledShastawithastrangeexcitement。

"Friends，weareinArchenland!"saidBreeproudlyashesplashedandchurnedhiswayoutontheNorthernbank。"Ithinkthatriverwe'vejustcrossediscalledtheWindingArrow。""Ihopewe'reintime，"murmuredHwin。

Thentheybegangoingup，slowlyandzigzaggingagooddeal，forthehillsweresteep。Itwasallopenpark-likecountrywithnoroadsorhousesinsight。Scatteredtrees，neverthickenoughtobeaforest，wereeverywhere。Shasta，whohadlivedallhislifeinanalmosttree-lessgrassland，hadneverseensomanyorsomanykinds。Ifyouhadbeenthereyouwouldprobablyhaveknown（hedidn't）thathewasseeingoaks，beeches，silverbirches，rowans，andsweetchestnuts。Rabbitsscurriedawayineverydirectionastheyadvanced，andpresentlytheysawawholeherdoffallowdeermakingoffamongthetrees。"Isn'titsimplyglorious!"saidAravis。

AtthefirstridgeShastaturnedinthesaddleandlookedback。TherewasnosignofTashbaan;thedesert，unbrokenexceptbythenarrowgreencrackwhichtheyhadtravelleddown，spreadtothehorizon。

"Hullo!"hesaidsuddenly。"What'sthat!"

"What'swhat?"saidBree，turninground。HwinandAravisdidthesame。

"That，"saidShasta，pointing。。Itlookslikesmoke。Isitafire?"

"Sand-storm，Ishouldsay，"saidBree。

"Notmuchwindtoraiseit，"saidAravis。

"Oh!"exclaimedHwin。。Look!Therearethingsflashinginit。Look!They'rehelmets-andarmour。Andit'smoving:movingthisway。"

"ByTash!"saidAravis。"It'sthearmy。It'sRabadash。""Ohcourseitis，"saidHwin。"JustwhatIwasafraidof。Quick!WemustgettoAnvardbeforeit。"AndwithoutanotherwordshewhiskedroundandbegangallopingNorth。Breetossedhisheadanddidthesame。

"Comeon，Bree，comeon，"yelledAravisoverhershoulder。

TheracewasverygruellingfortheHorses。Astheytoppedeachridgetheyfoundanothervalleyandanotherridgebeyondit;andthoughtheyknewtheyweregoinginmoreorlesstherightdirection，nooneknewhowfaritwastoAnvard。FromthetopofthesecondridgeShastalookedbackagain。Insteadofadust-cloudwelloutinthedeserthenowsawablack，movingmass，ratherlikeants，onthefarbankoftheWindingArrow。Theyweredoubtlesslookingforaford。

"They'reontheriver!"heyelledwildly。

"Quick!Quick!"shoutedAravis。。Wemightaswellnothavecomeatallifwedon'treachAnvardintime。Gallop，Bree，gallop。Rememberyou'reawarhorse。"

ItwasallShastacoulddotopreventhimselffromshoutingoutsimilarinstructions;buthethought，。Thepoorchap'sdoingallhecanalready，"andheldhistongue。AndcertainlybothHorsesweredoing，ifnotalltheycould，alltheythoughttheycould;whichisnotquitethesamething。BreehadcaughtupwithHwinandtheythunderedsidebysideovertheturf。Itdidn'tlookasifHwincouldpossiblykeepitupmuchlonger。

Atthatmomenteveryone'sfeelingswerecompletelyalteredbyasoundfrombehind。Itwasnotthesoundtheyhadbeenexpectingtohear-thenoiseofhoofsandjinglingarmour，mixed，perhaps，withCalormenebattle-cries。YetShastaknewitatonce。ItwasthesamesnarlingroarhehadheardthatmoonlitnightwhentheyfirstmetAravisandHwin。Breeknewittoo。Hiseyesgleamedredandhisearslayflatbackonhisskull。AndBreenowdiscoveredthathehadnotreallybeengoingasfast-notquiteasfast-ashecould。Shastafeltthechangeatonce。Nowtheywerereallygoingallout。InafewsecondstheywerewellaheadofHwin。

"It'snotfair，"thoughtShasta。。Ididthinkwe'dbesafefromlionshere!"

Helookedoverhisshoulder。Everythingwasonlytooclear。

Ahugetawnycreature，itsbodylowtotheground，likeacatstreakingacrossthelawntoatreewhenastrangedoghasgotintothegarden，wasbehindthem。Anditwasnearereverysecondandhalfsecond。

Helookedforwardagainandsawsomethingwhichhedidnottakein，oreventhinkabout。Theirwaywasbarredbyasmoothgreenwallabouttenfeethigh。Inthemiddleofthatwalltherewasagate，open。Inthemiddleofthegatewaystoodatallmandressed，downtohisbarefeet，inarobecolouredlikeautumnleaves，leaningonastraightstaff。Hisbeardfellalmosttohisknees。

Shastasawallthisinaglanceandlookedbackagain。ThelionhadalmostgotHwinnow。Itwasmakingsnapsatherhindlegs，andtherewasnohopenowinherfoam-flecked，wide-eyedface。

"Stop，"bellowedShastainBree'sear。"Mustgoback。Musthelp!"

Breealwayssaidafterwardsthatheneverheard，orneverunderstoodthis;andashewasingeneralaverytruthfulhorsewemustaccepthisword。

Shastaslippedhisfeetoutofthestirrups，slidbothhislegsovertheleftside，hesitatedforonehideoushundredthofasecond，andjumped。Ithurthorriblyandnearlywindedhim;butbeforeheknewhowithurthimhewasstaggeringbacktohelpAravis。Hehadneverdoneanythinglikethisinhislifebeforeandhardlyknewwhyhewasdoingitnow。

Oneofthemostterriblenoisesintheworld，ahorse'sscream，brokefromHwin'slips。AraviswasstoopinglowoverHwin'sneckandseemedtobetryingtodrawhersword。Andnowallthree-Aravis，Hwin，andthelionwerealmostontopofShasta。Beforetheyreachedhimthelionroseonitshindlegs，largerthanyouwouldhavebelievedalioncouldbe，andjabbedatAraviswithitsrightpaw。Shastacouldseealltheterribleclawsextended。Aravisscreamedandreeledinthesaddle。Thelionwastearinghershoulders。Shasta，halfmadwithhorror，managedtolurchtowardsthebrute。Hehadnoweapon，notevenastickorastone。Heshoutedout，idiotically，atthelionasonewouldatadog。"Gohome!Gohome!"Forafractionofasecondhewasstaringrightintoitswide-opened，ragingmouth。Then，tohisutterastonishment，thelion，stillonitshindlegs，checkeditselfsuddenly，turnedheadoverheels，pickeditselfup，andrushedaway。

Shastadidnotforamomentsupposeithadgoneforgood。Heturnedandracedforthegateinthegreenwallwhich，nowforthefirsttime，herememberedseeing。Hwin，stumblingandnearlyfainting，wasjustenteringthegate:Aravisstillkeptherseatbutherbackwascoveredwithblood。

"Comein，mydaughter，comein，"therobedandbeardedmanwassaying，andthen"Comein，myson"asShastapanteduptohim。Heheardthegateclosedbehindhim;andthebeardedstrangerwasalreadyhelpingAravisoffherhorse。

Theywereinawideandperfectlycircularenclosure，protectedbyahighwallofgreenturf。Apoolofperfectlystillwater，sofullthatthewaterwasalmostexactlylevelwiththeground，laybeforehim。Atoneendofthepool，completelyovershadowingitwithitsbranches，theregrewthehugestandmostbeautifultreethatShastahadeverseen。Beyondthepoolwasalittlelowhouseofstoneroofedwithdeepandancientthatch。Therewasasoundofbleatingandoveratthefarsideoftheenclosurethereweresomegoats。Thelevelgroundwascompletelycoveredwiththefinestgrass。

"Are-are-areyou，"pantedShasta。。AreyouKingLuneofArchenland?"

Theoldmanshookhishead。"No，"herepliedinaquietvoice，"IamtheHermitoftheSouthernMarch。Andnow，myson，wastenotimeonquestions，butobey。Thisdamseliswounded。Yourhorsesarespent。RabadashisatthismomentfindingafordovertheWindingArrow。Ifyourunnow，withoutamoment'srest，youwillstillbeintimetowarnKingLune。"

Shasta'sheartfaintedatthesewordsforhefelthehadnostrengthleft。Andhewrithedinsideatwhatseemedthecrueltyandunfairnessofthedemand。Hehadnotyetlearnedthatifyoudoonegooddeedyourrewardusuallyistobesettodoanotherandharderandbetterone。Butallhesaidoutloudwas:

"WhereistheKing?"

TheHermitturnedandpointedwithhisstaff。。Look，"hesaid。。Thereisanothergate，rightoppositetotheoneyouenteredby。Openitandgostraightahead:alwaysstraightahead，overlevelorsteep，oversmoothorrough，overdryorwet。IknowbymyartthatyouwillfindKingLunestraightahead。Butrun，run:alwaysrun。"

Shastanoddedhishead，rantothenortherngateanddisappearedbeyondit。ThentheHermittookAravis，whomhehadallthistimebeensupportingwithhisleftarm，andhalfled，halfcarriedherintothehouse。Afteralongtimehecameoutagain。

"Now，cousins，"hesaidtotheHorses。"Itisyourturn。"

Withoutwaitingforananswer-andindeedtheyweretooexhaustedtospeak-hetookthebridlesandsaddlesoffbothofthem。Thenherubbedthembothdown，sowellthatagroominaKing'sstablecouldnothavedoneitbetter。

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