BRAN
布兰
The morning had dawned clear and cold, witha crispness that hinted at the end of summer. They set forth at daybreak to seea man beheaded, twenty in all, and Bran rode among them, nervous withexcitement. This was the first time he had been deemed old enough to go withhis lord father and his brothers to see the king’s justice done. It was theninth year of summer, and the seventh of Bran’s life.
晨色清冷，带着一丝寂寥，隐然暗示夏日将尽。为数二十人的队伍于破晓时分启程，布兰策马置身其间，满心焦虑又兴奋难耐。这次他年纪总算够大，可与父兄同往刑场，一观国王律法的执行。这是夏天的第九年，布兰七岁。
The man had been taken outside a smallholdfast in the hills. Robb thought he was a wildling, his sword sworn to ManceRayder, the King-beyond-the-Wall. It made Bran’s skin prickle to think of it.He remembered the hearth tales Old Nan told them. The wildlings were cruel men,she said, slavers and slayers and thieves. They consorted with giants andghouls, stole girl children in the dead of night, and drank blood from polishedhorns. And their women lay with the Others in the Long Night to sire terriblehalf-human children.
死囚已被领至小丘上的庄园，罗柏认为他是个誓死效忠“塞外之王”曼斯·雷德的野人。布兰想起老奶妈在火炉边说过的故事，不禁浑身起了鸡皮疙瘩。她说野人生性凶残蛮横，个个都是贩卖奴隶、杀人放火的偷盗之徒。他们与巨人族、食尸鬼狼狈为奸，趁黑夜诱拐童女，还以磨亮的兽角啜饮鲜血。他们的女人则相传在远古的“长夜”里与异鬼媾合，繁衍半人半鬼的恐怖后代。
But the man they found bound hand and footto the holdfast wall awaiting the king’s justice was old and scrawny, not muchtaller than Robb. He had lost both ears and a finger to frostbite, and hedressed all in black, the same as a brother of the Night’s Watch, except thathis furs were ragged and greasy.
然而眼前这个老人削瘦枯槁，比罗柏高不了多少，手脚紧缚身后，静待国王的旨意发落。他在酷寒中因冻疮失去了双耳和一根手指。而他全身漆黑的衣服，与守夜人弟兄们的制服没有两样，只不过衣衫褴褛，脓疮四溢。
The breath of man and horse mingled,steaming, in the cold morning air as his lord father had the man cut down fromthe wall and dragged before them. Robb and Jon sat tall and still on theirhorses, with Bran between them on his pony, trying to seem older than seven,trying to pretend that he’d seen all this before. A faint wind blew through theholdfast gate. Over their heads flapped the banner of the Starks of Winterfell:a grey direwolf racing across an ice-white field.
人马的气息在清晨的冷空气里交织成蒸腾的雪白雾网，父亲下令将墙边的人犯松绑，拖到队伍前面。罗柏和琼恩直挺背脊，昂然跨坐鞍背；布兰则骑着小马停在两人中间，努力想表现出七岁孩童所没有的成熟气度，仿佛眼前一切早已司空见惯。微风吹过栅门，众人头顶飘扬着临冬城史塔克家族的旗帜，上面画着白底灰色的冰原奔狼。
Bran’s father sat solemnly on his horse,long brown hair stirring in the wind. His closely trimmed beard was shot withwhite, making him look older than his thirty-five years. He had a grim cast tohis grey eyes this day, and he seemed not at all the man who would sit beforethe fire in the evening and talk softly of the age of heroes and the childrenof the forest. He had taken off Father’s face, Bran thought, and donned theface of Lord Stark of Winterfell.
父亲神情肃穆地骑在马上，满头棕色长发在风中飞扬。他修剪整齐的胡子里冒出几缕白丝，看起来比三十五岁的实际年龄要老些。这天他的灰色眼瞳严厉无情，怎么看也不像是那个会在风雪夜里端坐炉前，娓娓细述远古英雄纪元和森林之子故事的人。他已经摘下慈父的容颜，戴上临冬城主史塔克公爵的面具，布兰心想。
There were questions asked and answers giventhere in the chill of morning, but afterward Bran could not recall much of whathad been said. Finally his lord father gave a command, and two of his guardsmendragged the ragged man to the ironwood stump in the center of the square. Theyforced his head down onto the hard black wood. Lord Eddard Stark dismounted andhis ward Theon Greyjoy brought forth the sword. “Ice,” that sword was called.It was as wide across as a man’s hand, and taller even than Robb. The blade wasValyrian steel, spell-forged and dark as smoke. Nothing held an edge likeValyrian steel.
清晨的寒意里，布兰听到有人问了些问题，以及问题的答案，然而事后他却想不起来究竟说过了哪些话。总之最后父亲下了命令，两名卫士便把那衣衫褴褛的人拖到空地中央的铁树木桩前，将头硬是按在漆黑的硬木上。艾德·史塔克解鞍下马，他的养子席恩·葛雷乔伊立刻递上宝剑。剑名“寒冰”，身宽过掌，立起来比罗柏还高。剑刃乃是用瓦雷利亚钢锻造而成，受过法术加持，颜色暗如黑烟。世上没有别的东西比瓦雷利亚钢更锐利。
His father peeled off his gloves and handedthem to Jory Cassel, the captain of his household guard. He took hold of Icewith both hands and said, “In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, theFirst of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lordof the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Eddard of theHouse Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, I do sentence you to die.”He lifted the greatsword high above his head.
父亲脱下手套，交给侍卫队长乔里·凯索，然后双手擎剑，朗声说道：“以安达尔人、洛伊拿人和‘先民’的国王，七国统治者暨全境守护者，拜拉席恩家族的劳勃一世之名，我临冬城公爵与北境守护，史塔克家族的艾德，在此宣判你死刑。”语毕，他将巨剑高举过头。
Bran’s bastard brother Jon Snow movedcloser. “Keep the pony well in hand,” he whispered. “And don’t look away.Father will know if you do.”
布兰的异母哥哥琼恩·雪诺凑过来。“握紧缰绳，别让马儿乱动。还有，千万别扭头，不然父亲会知道。”
Bran kept his pony well in hand, and did notlook away.
于是布兰紧握缰绳，没让小马乱动，也没有把头转开。
His father took off the man’s head with asingle sure stroke. Blood sprayed out across the snow, as red as surnmerwine.One of the horses reared and had to be restrained to keep from bolting. Brancould not take his eyes off the blood. The snows around the stump drank iteagerly, reddening as he watched.
父亲巨剑一挥，利落地砍下死囚首级。鲜血溅洒在雪地上，殷红一如葡萄美酿夏日红。队伍中一匹马嘶声跃起，差点就要发狂乱跑。布兰目不转睛地直视血迹，只见树干旁的白雪饥渴地啜饮鲜血，在他的注视下迅速染成暗红。
The head bounced off a thick root androlled. It came up near Greyjoy’s feet. Theon was a lean, dark youth ofnineteen who found everything amusing. He laughed, put his boot on the head,and kicked it away.
人头翻过树根，滚至葛雷乔伊脚边。席恩是个身形精瘦，肤色黝黑的十九岁青年，对任何事物都觉得兴致勃勃。他咧嘴一笑，扬脚踢开人头。
“Ass,” Jon muttered, low enough so Greyjoydid not hear. He put a hand on Bran’s shoulder, and Bran looked over at hisbastard brother. “You did well,” Jon told him solemnly. Jon was fourteen, anold hand at justice.
“混账东西。”琼恩低声咒道，刻意放低声音不让葛雷乔伊听见。他伸手搭住布兰肩膀，布兰也转头看着私生子哥哥。“你做得很好。”琼恩神情庄重地告诉他。琼恩今年十四岁，观看死刑对他来说已是司空见惯。
It seemed colder on the long ride back toWinterfell, though the wind had died by then and the sun was higher in the sky.Bran rode with his brothers, well ahead of the main party, his pony strugglinghard to keep up with their horses.
冷风已停，暖阳高照，但返回临冬城的漫漫长路却似乎愈加寒冷。布兰与兄长并骑，远远走在队伍前方，他跨下小马气喘吁吁方能跟上兄长坐骑的迅捷步伐。
“The deserter died bravely,” Robb said. Hewas big and broad and growing every day, with his mother’s coloring, the fairskin, red-brown hair, and blue eyes of the Tullys of Riverrun. “He had courage,at the least.”
“这逃兵死得挺勇敢。”罗柏说。高大壮硕的他每天都在成长，他承袭了母亲的白皙肤色、红褐头发，以及徒利家族的蓝色眼眸。“不管怎么说，好歹他有点勇气。”
“No,” Jon Snow said quietly. “It was notcourage. This one was dead of fear. You could see it in his eyes, Stark.” Jon’seyes were a grey so dark they seemed almost black, but there was little theydid not see. He was of an age with Robb, but they did not look alike. Jon wasslender where Robb was muscular, dark where Robb was fair, graceful and quickwhere his half brother was strong and fast.
“不对，”琼恩静静地说，“那不算勇气。史塔克，这家伙正是因为恐惧而死的，你可以从他的眼神里看出来。”琼恩的灰色眼瞳深得近乎墨黑，但世间少有事物能逃过他的观察。他与罗柏同年，两人容貌却大相径庭：罗柏肌肉发达，皮肤白皙，强壮而动作迅速；琼恩则是体格精瘦，肤色沉黑，举止优雅而敏捷。
Robb was not impressed. “The Others take hiseyes,” he swore. “He died well. Race you to the bridge?”
罗柏不以为然。“叫异鬼把他眼睛给挖了罢，”他咒道，“他总算是死得壮烈。怎么样，比赛谁先到桥边？”
“Done,” Jon said, kicking his horse forward.Robb cursed and followed, and they galloped off down the trail, Robb laughingand hooting, Jon silent and intent. The hooves of their horses kicked upshowers of snow as they went.
“一言为定。”琼恩语毕两脚一夹马肚，纵骑前奔。罗柏咒骂几句后也追了上去，两人沿着路径向前急驰。罗柏又叫又笑，琼恩则凝神专注。马蹄在两人身后溅起一片翻飞雪雨。
Bran did not try to follow. His pony couldnot keep up. He had seen the ragged man’s eyes, and he was thinking of themnow. After a while, the sound of Robb’s laughter receded, and the woods grewsilent again.
布兰没有跟上去，他的小马没这般能耐。他方才见到了死囚的眼睛，现在则陷入沉思。没过多久，罗柏的笑声渐远，林间归于寂静。
So deep in thought was he that he neverheard the rest of the party until his father moved up to ride beside him. “Areyou well, Bran?” he asked, not unkindly.
太过专注的他，丝毫没注意到跟进的队伍已赶上自己，直到父亲骑马赶到身边，语带关切地问：“布兰，你还好吧？”
“Yes, Father,” Bran told him. He looked up.Wrapped in his furs and leathers, mounted on his great warhorse, his lordfather loomed over him like a giant. “Robb says the man died bravely, but Jonsays he was afraid.”
“父亲大人，我很好。”布兰应答，他抬头仰望父亲，父亲穿着毛皮大衣和皮革护甲，骑在雄骏战马上如巨人般笼罩住他。“罗柏说刚才那个人死得很勇敢，琼恩却说他死的时候很害怕。”
“What do you think?” his father asked.
“你自己怎么想呢？”他的父亲问。
Bran thought about it. “Can a man still bebrave if he’s afraid?”
布兰寻思片刻后反问：“人在恐惧的时候还能勇敢吗？”
“That is the only time a man can be brave,”his father told him. “Do you understand why I did it?”
“人惟有恐惧的时候方能勇敢。”父亲告诉他，“你知道为什么我要杀他？”
“He was a wildling,” Bran said. “They carryoff women and sell them to the Others.”
“因为他是野人，”布兰不假思索地回答，“他们绑架女人，然后把她们卖给异鬼。”
His lord father smiled. “Old Nan has beentelling you stories again. In truth, the man was an oathbreaker, a deserterfrom the Night’s Watch. No man is more dangerous. The deserter knows his lifeis forfeit if he is taken, so he will not flinch from any crime, no matter howvile. But you mistake me. The question was not why the man had to die, but whyI must do it.”
父亲微笑道：“老奶妈又跟你说故事了。那人其实是个逃兵，背弃了守夜人的誓言。世间最危险的人莫过于此，因为他们自知一旦被捕，只有死路一条，于是恶向胆边生，再伤天害理的勾当也干得出来。不过你会错了意，我不是问你他为什么要死，而是我为何要亲自行刑”。
Bran had no answer for that. “King Roberthas a headsman,” he said, uncertainly.
布兰想不出答案。“我只知道劳勃国王有个刽子手，”他不太确定地说。
“He does,” his father admitted. “As did theTargaryen kings before him. Yet our way is the older way. The blood of theFirst Men still flows in the veins of the Starks, and we hold to the beliefthat the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would takea man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words.And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve todie.
“他确实是由王家刽子手代劳，执行国王律法，”父亲承认，“在他之前的坦格利安王朝也是如此。但我们遵循古老的传统，史塔克家族的人体内仍流有‘先民’的血液，而我们相信判决死刑的人必须亲自动手。如果你要取人性命，至少应该注视他的双眼，聆听他的临终遗言。倘若做不到这点，那么或许他罪不致死。”
“One day, Bran, you will be Robb’sbannerman, holding a keep of your own for your brother and your king, andjustice will fall to you. When that day comes, you must take no pleasure in thetask, but neither must you look away. A ruler who hides behind paidexecutioners soon forgets what death is.”
“布兰，有朝一日你会成为罗柏的封臣，为你哥哥和国王治理属于自己的领地，届时你也必须执掌律法。当那天来临时，你绝不可以杀戮为乐，亦不能逃避责任。统治者若是躲在幕后，付钱给刽子手执行，很快就会忘记死亡为何物。”
That was when Jon reappeared on the crest ofthe hill before them. He waved and shouted down at them. “Father, Bran, comequickly, see what Robb has found!” Then he was gone again.
这时琼恩出现在他们前面的坡顶，挥手朝下大喊：“父亲大人，布兰，快来看看罗柏找到了什么！”语毕又消失在丘陵后方。
Jory rode up beside them. “Trouble, mylord?”
乔里赶上前来，“大人，出事了吗？”
“Beyond a doubt,” his lord father said.“Come, let us see what mischief my sons have rooted out now.” He sent his horseinto a trot. Jory and Bran and the rest came after.
“那还用说，”父亲大人答道，“来罢，我们去看看我那调皮的儿子又闯了什么祸。”他策马狂奔，乔里、布兰以及其他人也跟了上去。
They found Robb on the riverbank north ofthe bridge, with Jon still mounted beside him. The late summer snows had beenheavy this moonturn. Robb stood knee-deep in white, his hood pulled back so thesun shone in his hair. He was cradling something in his arm, while the boystalked in hushed, excited voices.
他们在桥北河畔找到罗柏，琼恩仍在马上。这个月来，晚夏的积雪沉厚，罗柏站在及膝深的雪中，披风后敞，阳光在他发际闪耀。他怀里抱着不知什么东西，正和琼恩两人兴奋地窃语交谈。
The riders picked their way carefullythrough the drifts, groping for solid footing on the hidden, uneven ground.Jory Cassel and Theon Greyjoy were the first to reach the boys. Greyjoy waslaughing and joking as he rode. Bran heard the breath go out of him. “Gods!” heexclaimed, struggling to keep control of his horse as he reached for his sword.
队伍骑马小心地穿过河面的诸多浮物，寻找隐藏于雪地之下的崎岖地面。乔里·凯索和席恩·葛雷乔伊最先赶到男孩身边。葛雷乔伊原本正有说有笑，紧接着布兰却听他倒抽一口气。“诸神保佑！”他惊叫起来伸手拔剑，一边挣扎着稳住坐骑。
Jory’s sword was already out. “Robb, getaway from it!” he called as his horse reared under him.
乔里的佩剑已然出鞘，“罗柏，离那东西远点！”他刚叫出声，坐骑便已前蹄高举，人立空中。
Robb grinned and looked up from the bundlein his arms. “She can’t hurt you,” he said. “She’s dead, Jory.”
罗柏怀里抱着一团东西，这时他嘻嘻笑着抬起头，“她伤不了你的，”他说，“乔里，她已经死啦。”
Bran was afire with curiosity by then. Hewould have spurred the pony faster, but his father made them dismount besidethe bridge and approach on foot. Bran jumped off and ran.
布兰满心好奇，焦躁不安，一心只想教鞍下小马再跑快点，但父亲却要他在桥边下马，徒步前往。他迫不及待地跳下马，三步并作两步地跑了过去。
By then Jon, Jory, and Theon Greyjoy had alldismounted as well. “What in the seven hells is it?” Greyjoy was saying.
等他到来，琼恩、乔里和席恩·葛雷乔伊都已下马。“七层地狱啊，这是什么鬼东西？”葛雷乔伊喃喃道。
“A wolf,” Robb told him.
“狼。”罗柏告诉他。
“A freak,” Greyjoy said. “Look at the sizeof it.”
“胡说，”葛雷乔伊反驳，“狼哪有这么大的？”
Bran’s heart was thumping in his chest as hepushed through a waist-high drift to his brothers’ side.
布兰的心怦怦狂跳，他推开一堆齐腰的漂浮物，奔至兄长身旁。
Half-buried in bloodstained snow, a hugedark shape slumped in death. Ice had formed in its shaggy grey fur, and the faintsmell of corruption clung to it like a woman’s perfume. Bran glimpsed blindeyes crawling with maggots, a wide mouth full of yellowed teeth. But it was thesize of it that made him gasp. It was bigger than his pony, twice the size ofthe largest hound in his father’s kennel.
一个巨大的暗黝身形半掩在血渍斑驳的雪堆里，绵软而无生息。蓬松的灰绒毛已经结冰，腐朽的气息紧附其间，就像女人身上的香水味，布兰隐约瞥见它无神的眼窝里爬满蛆虫，咧嘴内满是黄牙。但真正吓住他的是这只狼的体形，它竟比他的小马还大，是他父亲最大的猎犬身躯的两倍。
“It’s no freak,” Jon said calmly. “That’s adirewolf. They grow larger than the other kind.”
“我没骗你，”琼恩正色道，“这确实是冰原狼，他们比其他狼都要大。”
Theon Greyjoy said, “There’s not been adirewolf sighted south of the Wall in two hundred years.”
席恩·葛雷乔伊说：“可两百年来，绝境长城以南没人见过半头冰原狼。”
“I see one now,” Jon replied.
“眼前不就是一头？”琼恩回答。
Bran tore his eyes away from the monster. Thatwas when he noticed the bundle in Robb’s arms. He gave a cry of delight andmoved closer. The pup was a tiny ball of grey-black fur, its eyes still closed.It nuzzled blindly against Robb’s chest as he cradled it, searching for milkamong his leathers, making a sad little whimpery sound. Bran reached outhesitantly. “Go on,” Robb told him. “You can touch him.”
布兰努力将视线离开面前的怪物，这才注意到罗柏怀里抱着的东西。他高兴得叫了一声，随即靠过去。那只幼狼只是团灰黑的毛球，双眼仍未张开。它盲目地往罗柏胸膛磨蹭，在他的皮护甲上寻找奶头，发出哀伤的低吟。布兰有些犹豫地探出手，“没关系，”罗柏告诉他，“你可以摸摸看。”
Bran gave the pup a quick nervous stroke,then turned as Jon said, “Here you go.” His half brother put a second pup intohis arms. “There are five of them.” Bran sat down in the snow and hugged thewolf pup to his face. Its fur was soft and warm against his cheek.
布兰非常紧张，飞快碰了小狼一下，听到琼恩的声音，便转过头。“瞧，这只是给你的。”他的私生子哥哥把第二头幼狼放进他怀里。“总共有五只呢。”布兰在雪地里坐下，把小狼温软的皮毛贴近自己脸颊。
“Direwolves loose in the realm, after somany years,” muttered Hullen, the master of horse. “I like it not.”
“经过了这么多年，冰原狼突然重现人间，”马房总管胡伦喃喃道，“这种事我可不喜欢。”
“It is a sign,” Jory said.
“这是个坏兆头。”乔里说。
Father frowned. “This is only a dead animal,Jory,” he said. Yet he seemed troubled. Snow crunched under his boots as hemoved around the body. “Do we know what killed her?”
父亲皱起眉头。“乔里，不过是头死狼罢了。”他说，但脸庞却蒙上了一层阴霾。他绕着狼尸，积雪在他脚下碎裂。“知道它被什么杀死的吗？”
“There’s something in the throat,” Robb toldhim, proud to have found the answer before his father even asked. “There, justunder the jaw.”
“喉咙里好像有东西。”罗柏得意地回答，暗暗为自己能在父亲提出疑问前找到解答而骄傲。“就在下巴底下。”
His father knelt and groped under thebeast’s head with his hand. He gave a yank and held it up for all to see. Afoot of shattered antler, tines snapped off, all wet with blood.
他的父亲蹲下来，伸手探向狼尸的头底，使劲一拧，举起某个物体让大家看。原来那是一只碎裂的鹿角，分叉断尽，染满鲜血。
A sudden silence descended over the party.The men looked at the antler uneasily, and no one dared to speak. Even Brancould sense their fear, though he did not understand.
一阵突如其来的寂静笼罩了队伍，众人局促不安地看着那只鹿角，没有人出声说话。布兰虽然不解旁人为何惊恐，却也能感觉得到他们的惧怕。
His father tossed the antler to the side andcleansed his hands in the snow. “I’m surprised she lived long enough to whelp,”he said. His voice broke the spell.
父亲扔开鹿角，在雪地里把手弄干净。“没想到它还有力气把孩子生下来。”他的声音打破了先前的沉默。
“Maybe she didn’t,” Jory said. “I’ve heardtales?.?.?.?maybe the bitch was already dead when the pups came.”
“也许它没撑那么久，”乔里说：“我听过这样的传说……也许小狼降生时母狼就已经死了。”
“Born with the dead,” another man put in.“Worse luck.”
“随死降生，”另一个人接口道，“这是更坏的兆头。”
“No matter,” said Hullen. “They be dead soonenough too.”
“都没差，”胡伦说，“反正这些小家伙也活不长。”
Bran gave a wordless cry of dismay.
布兰发出无声的失望叹息。
“The sooner the better,” Theon Greyjoyagreed. He drew his sword. “Give the beast here, Bran.”
“我看它们死得越快越好，”席恩·葛雷乔伊同意，他抽出佩剑。“布兰，把那东西丢过来。”
The little thing squirmed against him, as ifit heard and understood. “No!” Bran cried out fiercely. “It’s mine.”
布兰怀中的小东西仿佛听懂人话，偎着他蠕动了一下。“不要！”他坚决地叫道，“它是我的。”
“Put away your sword, Greyjoy,” Robb said.For a moment he sounded as commanding as their father, like the lord he wouldsomeday be. “We will keep these pups.”
“葛雷乔伊，把剑拿开。”罗柏说，那一刹那，他听起来像父亲一样威严有力，正如他有朝一日将会成为的一方领主。“我们要养这些小狼。”
“You cannot do that, boy,” said Harwin, whowas Hullen’s son.
“小子，这是行不通的。”胡伦的儿子哈尔温道。
“It be a mercy to kill them,” Hullen said.
“杀了它们才是慈悲啊。”胡伦接口。
Bran looked to his lord father for rescue,but got only a frown, a furrowed brow. “Hullen speaks truly, son. Better aswift death than a hard one from cold and starvation.”
布兰朝父亲望去，期盼能找到救兵，却只见到深锁的双眉。“好儿子，胡伦说得没错。与其让它们挨饿受冻，不如干脆趁早了结。”
“No!” He could feel tears welling in his eyes,and he looked away. He did not want to cry in front of his father.
“不要！”他已经感觉到泪水在眼眶里打转，于是转开目光，他可不想在父亲面前落泪。
Robb resisted stubbornly. “Ser Rodrik’s redbitch whelped again last week,” he said. “It was a small litter, only two livepups. She’ll have milk enough.”
罗柏固执地继续抗拒。“罗德利克爵士的那头红母狗上星期才刚生产，”他说：“那胎死了不少，只有两只小狗活了下来，奶水应该还够它们喝。”
“She’ll rip them apart when they try tonurse.”
“它们只要想走近喝奶，立刻会被它撕成碎片。”
“Lord Stark,” Jon said. It was strange tohear him call Father that, so formal. Bran looked at him with desperate hope.“There are five pups,” he told Father. “Three male, two female.”
“史塔克大人，”琼恩说。听他如此正式地称呼自己父亲，实在很怪。布兰抱着最后一丝希望看着他。“总共有五只小狼，”他告诉父亲，“三只公的，两只母的。”
“What of it, Jon?”
“琼恩，这有什么意义吗？”
“You have five trueborn children,” Jon said.“Three sons, two daughters. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. Yourchildren were meant to have these pups, my lord.”
“您有五个孩子，”琼恩回答，“三个儿子，两个女儿。冰原狼又是你们的家徽，大人，您的孩子们注定要拥有这些小狼。”
Bran saw his father’s face change, saw theother men exchange glances. He loved Jon with all his heart at that moment.Even at seven, Bran understood what his brother had done. The count had comeright only because Jon had omitted himself. He had included the girls, includedeven Rickon, the baby, but not the bastard who bore the surname Snow, the namethat custom decreed be given to all those in the north unlucky enough to beborn with no name of their own.
布兰看到父亲的脸色转变，其他人则交换眼神，就在那一刻，他全身心地爱着琼恩。虽然他只有七岁，布兰仍很清楚自己的私生子哥哥这样做所代表的意义：他是把自己排除在父亲的子嗣之外，才会刚好凑成数的。他把两个女孩算了进去，甚至连襁褓中的小瑞肯也有分，却独独没有算冠着雪诺这个私生子姓氏的自己。雪诺这个姓氏是专门给那些在北方出生，却不幸没有父亲的人用的。
Their father understood as well. “You wantno pup for yourself, Jon?” he asked softly.
父亲也明白这点。“琼恩，你自己不想要小狼么？”他轻声问。
“The direwolf graces the banners of HouseStark,” Jon pointed out. “I am no Stark, Father.”
“冰原狼是史塔克家族的纹章，”琼恩指出，“我并非史塔克家族的一员，父亲。”
Their lord father regarded Jon thoughtfully.Robb rushed into the silence he left. “I will nurse him myself, Father,” hepromised. “I will soak a towel with warm milk, and give him suck from that.”
父亲若有所思地看了琼恩一眼，罗柏急切地打破沉默，“父亲，我会亲自喂养小狼。”他保证，“我会用浸过温牛奶的湿毛巾喂它。”
“Me too!” Bran echoed.
“我也会！”布兰连忙跟进。
The lord weighed his sons long and carefullywith his eyes. “Easy to say, and harder to do. I will not have you wasting theservants’ time with this. If you want these pups, you will feed themyourselves. Is that understood?”
公爵意味深长地审视儿子，“说起来简单，真要做可不容易。我不会让你们占用仆人的时间。假如你们真要养这群小狼，就得一切自己来，知道么？”
Bran nodded eagerly. The pup squirmed in hisgrasp, licked at his face with a warm tongue.
布兰热切地连连点头，小狼蜷缩在他怀里，伸出温热的舌头舔舔他的脸颊。
“You must train them as well,” their fathersaid. “You must train them. The kennelmaster will have nothing to do with thesemonsters, I promise you that. And the gods help you if you neglect them, orbrutalize them, or train them badly. These are not dogs to beg for treats andslink off at a kick. A direwolf will rip a man’s arm off his shoulder as easilyas a dog will kill a rat. Are you sure you want this?”
“你们还得亲自训练它们，”父亲又道：“我保证驯兽长和这些怪物将毫无干系。倘若你们把它们练得残忍成性，或有什么闪失，那么祈祷天上诸神保佑吧。这些可不是讨好卖乖的狗，也不是随便踢一脚就能打发的角色。冰原狼要扯下胳膊就和狗杀老鼠一样简单，你们确定要养么？”
“Yes, Father,” Bran said.
“是的，父亲大人。”布兰答道。
“Yes,” Robb agreed.
“嗯。”罗柏同意。
“The pups may die anyway, despite all youdo.”
“即使你们费尽苦心，小狼还是有夭折的可能”。
“They won’t die,” Robb said. “We won’t letthem die.”
“不会，”罗柏说：“我们不会让它们死掉。”
“Keep them, then. Jory, Desmond, gather upthe other pups. It’s time we were back to Winterfell.”
“那就留着它们罢。乔里，戴斯蒙，把其他几只小狼带上，我们该回临冬城了。”
It was not until they were mounted and ontheir way that Bran allowed himself to taste the sweet air of victory. By then,his pup was snuggled inside his leathers, warm against him, safe for the longride home. Bran was wondering what to name him.
一直到他们骑马踏上归途，布兰方才允许自己享受胜利的喜悦。他的小狼此刻正安全地藏靠在他的皮护甲里，他不禁思索该为它取个什么名字才好。
Halfway across the bridge, Jon pulled upsuddenly.
走到桥中央，琼恩突然勒住马缰。
“What is it, Jon?” their lord father asked.
“琼恩，怎么了？”公爵父亲问。
“Can’t you hear it?”
“你们没听到么？”
Bran could hear the wind in the trees, theclatter of their hooves on the ironwood planks, the whimpering of his hungrypup, but Jon was listening to something else.
布兰只听见林间风声和哒哒马蹄，以及怀间嗷嗷待哺的小狼，但琼恩正侧耳倾听别的事物。
“There,” Jon said. He swung his horse aroundand galloped back across the bridge. They watched him dismount where thedirewolf lay dead in the snow, watched him kneel. A moment later he was ridingback to them, smiling.
“在那里。”琼恩道，他掉转马头，急驰过桥，大家看着他在母狼尸体旁下马，屈膝跪下，一会儿过后又骑马归来，满面笑容。
“He must have crawled away from the others,”Jon said.
“这只一定是先爬开了。”琼恩说。
“Or been driven away,” their father said,looking at the sixth pup. His fur was white, where the rest of the litter wasgrey. His eyes were as red as the blood of the ragged man who had died thatmorning. Bran thought it curious that this pup alone would have opened his eyeswhile the others were still blind.
“或是被赶开的。”他们的父亲看着第六只小狼说。它毛色净白，其他的小狼则多半灰黑，它的眼瞳红如早上死囚的鲜血。布兰很觉好奇，不知为何其他小狼连眼睛都还没睁开，惟独它双目炯炯有神。
“An albino,” Theon Greyjoy said with wryamusement. “This one will die even faster than the others.”
“白子，”席恩·葛雷乔伊话里有种兴味十足的讥讽，“只怕这只会死得最快。”
Jon Snow gave his father’s ward a long,chilling look. “I think not, Greyjoy,” he said. “This one belongs to me.”
琼恩·雪诺给了他父亲的养子一个意味深长的冷绝凝视，“葛雷乔伊，我可不这么认为。”他答道，“因为这是我的狼。”