确实古怪，丹妮不得不承认。壮汉贝沃斯从前是个奴隶，在弥林的斗技场中长大受训。他声称伊利里欧总督派他来保护她，而她也确实需要保护。铁王座上的篡夺者用领地和爵位来招募杀手，有一次暗杀就在她眼皮底下发生。而今她越接近维斯特洛，想必遭到攻击的可能性将越来越大。另一方面，不待离开魁尔斯，男巫俳雅·菩厉便派出遗憾客，来为尘埃之殿中被她烧毁的不朽之人复仇，据说，男巫有仇必报，而遗憾客决不失手。此外，大多数多斯拉克人也与她对立。昔日卓戈卡奥的寇们都有了自己的卡拉萨，一旦发现她这小队人马，必定会毫不犹豫地加以攻击，屠杀和奴役她的子民，并把丹妮本人带回维斯·多斯拉克，逼她加入多希卡林的枯瘦老妪们。札罗·赞旺·达梭斯帮过她，但魁尔斯巨商的目的只是她的龙。还有阴影之地的魁晰，戴红漆面具的神秘女子，以及她深奥莫测的忠告。她也是敌人吗？还是危险的朋友？丹妮说不上来。
That does seem queer, Dany had to admit. Strong Belwas was an ex-slave, bred and trained in the fighting pits of Meereen. Magister Illyrio had sent him to guard her, or so Belwas claimed, and it was true that she needed guarding. The Usurper on his Iron Throne had offered land and lordship to any man who killed her. One attempt had been made already, with a cup of poisoned wine. The closer she came to Westeros, the more likely another attack became. Back in Qarth, the warlock Pyat Pree had sent a Sorrowful Man after her to avenge the Undying she’d burned in their House of Dust. Warlocks never forgot a wrong, it was said, and the Sorrowful Men never failed to kill. Most of the Dothraki would be against her as well. Khal Drogo’s kos led khalasars of their own now, and none of them would hesitate to attack her own little band on sight, to slay and slave her people and drag Dany herself back to Vaes Dothrak to take her proper place among the withered crones of the dosh khaleen. She hoped that Xaro Xhoan Daxos was not an enemy, but the Qartheen merchant had coveted her dragons. And there was Quaithe of the Shadow, that strange woman in the red lacquer mask with all her cryptic counsel. Was she an enemy too, or only a dangerous friend? Dany could not say.
乔拉爵士把我从施毒者手中救出，白胡子阿斯坦替我挡住蝎尾兽，也许下一次就轮到壮汉贝沃斯。他体格宽阔，手臂粗如小树干，而随身携带的那把极长的亚拉克弯刀锋利得可以用来刮胡子——虽然他光滑的棕色脸颊长不出胡子。他脾气跟小孩似的，作为保护者，还缺乏很多素质。谢天谢地，我有乔拉爵士和血盟卫，以及——我的龙。总有一天，魔龙将成为她最好的护卫，正如三百年前，他们守护征服者伊耿和他的妹妹们一样。然而目前，他们给她带来的危险多过于保护。全世界只有三头活龙，三头属于她的活龙，他们不仅是重生于世的奇迹与恐怖，更是无价之宝。
Ser Jorah saved me from the poisoner, and Arstan Whitebeard from the manticore. Perhaps Strong Belwas will save me from the next. He was huge enough, with arms like small trees and a great curved arakh so sharp he might have shaved with it, in the unlikely event of hair sprouting on those smooth brown cheeks. Yet he was childlike as well. As a protector, he leaves much to be desired. Thankfully, I have Ser Jorah and my bloodriders. And my dragons, never forget. In time, the dragons would be her most formidable guardians, just as they had been for Aegon the Conqueror and his sisters three hundred years ago. Just now, though, they brought her more danger than protection. In all the world there were but three living dragons, and those were hers; they were a wonder, and a terror, and beyond price.
她满腹思量，突然感到后颈一阵凉气，一缕银金色的头发披散下来，在额头飘荡。上方，风帆动了起来，嚯嚯作响，欢呼声响彻贝勒里恩号。“风！”水手们大喊，“风来了！风！”
She was pondering her next words when she felt a cool breath on the back of her neck, and a loose strand of her silver-gold hair stirred against her brow. Above, the canvas creaked and moved, and suddenly a great cry went up from all over Balerion. “Wind!” the sailors shouted. “The wind returns, the wind!”
丹妮抬头，只见大商船的帆鼓胀波动，帆绳紧紧绷起，来回敲打，弹奏出这漫长的六天来他们一直期盼的甜美乐章。格罗莱船长冲到船尾，高叫着发号施令，潘托斯人兴高采烈地爬上桅杆，开始工作。连壮汉贝沃斯也袒露出大肚子，跳了一会儿舞。“诸神保佑！”丹妮说，“你看到了吗，乔拉？我们又上路了！”
Dany looked up to where the great cog’s sails rippled and belled as the lines thrummed and tightened and sang the sweet song they had missed so for six long days. Captain Groleo rushed aft, shouting commands. The Pentoshi were scrambling up the masts, those that were not cheering. Even Strong Belwas let out a great bellow and did a little dance. “The gods are good!” Dany said. “You see, Jorah? We are on our way once more.”
“对，”他说，“但我们上哪儿去呢，女王陛下？”
“Yes,” he said, “but to what, my queen?”
风吹了一整天，开始从东方，接着是狂乱的阵风。太阳在红晕之中落下。我离维斯特洛仍有半个世界那么远，丹妮提醒自己，但每一小时，每一分钟，都更加接近。她试图想象第一眼看到那片她注定要统治的土地时，会是什么感受。那是世上最美的海岸，我知道的，怎可能不是呢？
All day the wind blew, steady from the east at first, and then in wild gusts. The sun set in a blaze of red. I am still half a world from Westeros, Dany reminded herself, but every hour brings me closer. She tried to imagine what it would feel like, when she first caught sight of the land she was born to rule. It will be as fair a shore as I have ever seen, I know it. How could it be otherwise?
那天深夜，当贝勒里恩号在黑暗中穿梭，丹妮盘腿坐在船长室中的床铺上——“即便在海上，”格罗莱非常客气地宣布，“女王仍然优先于船长”——喂龙时，传来一阵急促的敲门声。
But later that night, as Balerion plunged onward through the dark and Dany sat crosslegged on her bunk in the captain’s cabin, feeding her dragons—“Even upon the sea,” Groleo had said, so graciously, “queens take precedence over captains”—a sharp knock came upon the door.
伊丽已在床铺下睡着了（三人同睡太挤，今晚轮到姬琪跟她的卡丽熙共享柔软的羽毛床），但听见敲门声，尽职的女仆还是起身走向门口。丹妮拉起床单，夹在腋下，她裸着身子，根本没料到这个时刻会有访客。“进来，”她说。一盏摇曳的灯下，站着乔拉爵士。
Irri had been sleeping at the foot of her bunk (it was too narrow for three, and tonight was Jhiqui’s turn to share the soft featherbed with her khaleesi), but the handmaid roused at the knock and went to the door. Dany pulled up a coverlet and tucked it in under her arms. She was naked, and had not expected a caller at this hour. “Come,” she said when she saw Ser Jorah standing without, beneath a swaying lantern.
被放逐的骑士低头走进来，“陛下，很抱歉打扰您休息。”
The exile knight ducked his head as he entered. “Your Grace. I am sorry to disturb your sleep.”
“我还没休息呢，爵士先生。来，过来看。”她从膝上的小碗里取出一块咸肉，举起来让她的龙看见。他们三个都饥渴地盯着。雷哥展开绿色的翅膀，搅动空气，而韦赛利昂的脖子跟随她手的移动前后伸缩，仿佛一条乳白的长蛇。“卓耿，”丹妮轻柔地说，“dracarys，”随后将肉抛到空中。
“I was not sleeping, ser. Come and watch.” She took a chunk of salt pork out of the bowl in her lap and held it up for her dragons to see. All three of them eyed it hungrily. Rhaegal spread green wings and stirred the air, and Viserion’s neck swayed back and forth like a long pale snake’s as he followed the movement of her hand. “Drogon,” Dany said softly, “dracarys.” And she tossed the pork in the air.
卓耿的动作比眼镜蛇还快。他吼叫着喷出火焰，鲜红、橙色和黑色掺杂在一起，肉未坠落，已被烤焦。他用尖利的黑牙猛地咬住，雷哥的头也飞快地伸过来，仿佛要从哥哥嘴里偷取战利品，但卓耿一口把肉吞下，抬头尖声喊叫，较小的绿龙只能发出沮丧的咝咝声。
Drogon moved quicker than a striking cobra. Flame roared from his mouth, orange and scarlet and black, searing the meat before it began to fall. As his sharp black teeth snapped shut around it, Rhaegal’s head darted close, as if to steal the prize from his brother’s jaws, but Drogon swallowed and screamed, and the smaller green dragon could only hiss in frustration.
“别这样，雷哥，”丹妮恼火地说，一边在他头上拍了一下，“上次是你吃到的，别太贪嘴嘛。”她朝乔拉爵士微笑。“瞧，我无需用火盆为他们烤肉了。”
“Stop that, Rhaegal,” Dany said in annoyance, giving his head a swat. “You had the last one. I’ll have no greedy dragons.” She smiled at Ser Jorah. “I won’t need to char their meat over a brazier any longer.”
“是，我看到了。dracarys？”
“So I see. Dracarys?”
听到这个词，三头龙同时转过头来，韦赛利昂喷出一道淡金色火焰，逼得乔拉爵士急速后退一步。丹妮咯咯笑道：“小心哟，别说这个词，爵士先生，否则休怪他们把你胡子烧掉。在高等瓦雷利亚语中，这是“龙焰”的意思。我在训练他们，得选择无人会碰巧说出来的口令。”
All three dragons turned their heads at the sound of that word, and Viserion let loose with a blast of pale gold flame that made Ser Jorah take a hasty step backward. Dany giggled. “Be careful with that word, ser, or they’re like to singe your beard off. It means ‘dragonfire’ in High Valyrian. I wanted to choose a command that no one was like to utter by chance.”
莫尔蒙点点头。“陛下，”他说，“能否私下讲几句？”
Mormont nodded. “Your Grace,” he said, “I wonder if I might have a few private words?”
“没问题。伊丽，请先离开。”她把手放在姬琪裸露的肩膀上，将另一个女仆摇醒。“你也一样，亲爱的，乔拉爵士有话跟我说。”
“Of course. Irri, leave us for a bit.” She put a hand on Jhiqui’s bare shoulder and shook the other handmaid awake. “You as well, sweetling. Ser Jorah needs to talk to me.”
“是，卡丽熙。”姬琪从铺位翻身而起，裸着打了个哈欠，浓密的黑发披散下来。她迅速穿上衣服，跟伊丽一起离开，并关上舱门。
“Yes, Khaleesi.” Jhiqui tumbled from the bunk, naked and yawning, her thick black hair tumbled about her head. She dressed quickly and left with Irri, closing the door behind them.
丹妮把剩余的咸肉尽数给了龙，让他们去抢，然后拍拍身边的床铺。“坐吧，好骑士，你想说什么？”
Dany gave the dragons the rest of the salt pork to squabble over, and patted the bed beside her. “Sit, good ser, and tell me what is troubling you.”
“三件事，”乔拉爵士道，“关于壮汉贝沃斯，白胡子阿斯坦和派他们来的人——伊利里欧？莫帕提斯。”
“Three things.” Ser Jorah sat. “Strong Belwas. This Arstan Whitebeard. And Illyrio Mopatis, who sent them.”
你怎么又来了？丹妮把床单拉高，搭到肩膀上。“怎么回事？”
Again? Dany pulled the coverlet higher and tugged one end over her shoulder. “And why is that?”
“魁尔斯的男巫们警告过您：命中注定您将经历三次背叛，”被放逐的骑士提醒她，韦赛利昂和雷哥在一旁又抓又咬。
“The warlocks in Qarth told you that you would be betrayed three times,” the exile knight reminded her, as Viserion and Rhaegal began to snap and claw at each other.
“一次为血，一次为财，一次为爱。”丹妮忘不了不朽之人的话。“弥丽·马兹·笃尔是第一次。”
“Once for blood and once for gold and once for love.” Dany was not like to forget. “Mirri Maz Duur was the first.”
“意味着还有两个叛徒……现在他们同时出现了。是的，我就担心这个，不要忘记，劳勃许诺只要有人能杀了你，即可受领封地成为贵族。”
“Which means two traitors yet remain … and now these two appear. I find that troubling, yes. Never forget, Robert offered a lordship to the man who slays you.”
丹妮倾身向前，抓住韦赛利昂的尾巴，将他拖离绿色的兄弟身边。移动时，床单自胸前掉落，她连忙抓紧，重新盖住自己。“篡夺者已死，”她说。
Dany leaned forward and yanked Viserion’s tail, to pull him off his green brother. Her blanket fell away from her chest as she moved. She grabbed it hastily and covered herself again. “The Usurper is dead,” she said.
“他儿子接替他继续统治。”乔拉爵士抬起头，深色的眼睛对上她的目光。“一个忠实的儿子会为父亲讨债。即便是血债。”
“But his son rules in his place.” Ser Jorah lifted his gaze, and his dark eyes met her own. “A dutiful son pays his father’s debts. Even blood debts.”
“这个男孩乔佛里或许会想致我于死地……如果他还记得我的话。不管怎么说，这跟贝沃斯或白胡子阿斯坦有何关系？那老人甚至连剑都没有，你亲眼看到的。”
“This boy Joffrey might want me dead … if he recalls that I’m alive. What has that to do with Belwas and Arstan Whitebeard? The old man does not even wear a sword. You’ve seen that.”
“我当然看见了，我看见他如何熟练地使用那根拐杖。还记得他在魁尔斯杀死蝎尾兽的事吗？他要敲碎您的喉咙也一样容易。”
“Aye. And I have seen how deftly he handles that staff of his. Recall how he killed that manticore in Qarth? It might as easily have been your throat he crushed.”
“没错，可他没有下手。”她指出，“要害我的是那蛰人的蝎尾兽，他则救了我的命。”
“Might have been, but was not,” she pointed out. “It was a stinging manticore meant to slay me. He saved my life.”
“卡丽熙，您不觉得白胡子和贝沃斯跟杀手是串通好的吗？这多半是为了骗取您的信任而布下的陷阱。”
“Khaleesi, has it occurred to you that Whitebeard and Belwas might have been in league with the assassin? It might all have been a ploy to win your trust.”
她朗声大笑，吓得卓耿咝咝叫起来，而韦赛利昂拍拍翅膀跃到舷窗上，“好厉害的陷阱。”
Her sudden laughter made Drogon hiss, and sent Viserion flapping to his perch above the porthole. “The ploy worked well.”
被放逐的骑士却没有笑，“这是伊利里欧的船，伊利里欧的船长，伊利里欧的水手……壮汉贝沃斯和阿斯坦也是他的人，不是您的。”
The exile knight did not return her smile. “These are Illyrio’s ships, Illyrio’s captains, Illyrio’s sailors … and Strong Belwas and Arstan are his men as well, not yours.”
“伊利里欧总督庇护过我。壮汉贝沃斯还说，听到我哥死的消息时，他哭了。”
“Magister Illyrio has protected me in the past. Strong Belwas says that he wept when he heard my brother was dead.”
“是啊，”莫尔蒙道，“但他是为韦赛里斯而哭呢，还是为自己落空的计划掉泪？”
“Yes,” said Mormont, “but did he weep for Viserys, or for the plans he had made with him?”
“他的计划没有落空！伊利里欧总督一直是坦格利安家族的朋友，他非常富有……”
“His plans need not change. Magister Illyrio is a friend to House Targaryen, and wealthy …”
“他的钱不是天上掉下来的，据我所知，这个世界上没有人因为慈善而发财致富。男巫们预言第二次背叛是为了钱，而除了钱，伊利里欧？莫帕提斯还有什么看重的东西呢？”
“He was not born wealthy. In the world as I have seen it, no man grows rich by kindness. The warlocks said the second treason would be for gold. What does Illyrio Mopatis love more than gold?”
“他的性命。”房间另一头，卓耿不安地挪动着，蒸汽从他嘴里升起。“弥丽·马兹·笃尔因为背叛而被我烧死。”
“His skin.” Across the cabin Drogon stirred restlessly, steam rising from his snout. “Mirri Maz Duur betrayed me. I burned her for it.”
“弥丽·马兹·笃尔是您的奴隶，而在潘托斯，伊利里欧将是您的主人，情况不一样的。请相信我，我不仅了解你，也了解总督。他精于算计，聪明无——”
“Mirri Maz Duur was in your power. In Pentos, you shall be in Illyrio’s power. It is not the same. I know the magister as well as you. He is a devious man, and clever—”
“为赢得铁王座，我正需要聪明人。”
“I need clever men about me if I am to win the Iron Throne.”
乔拉爵士哼了一声，“那个下毒的酒商也很聪明。聪明人往往不怀好意。”
Ser Jorah snorted. “That wineseller who tried to poison you was a clever man as well. Clever men hatch ambitious schemes.”
丹妮不由自主地把腿收到床单下面，“可你会保护我，还有我的血盟卫。”
Dany drew her legs up beneath the blanket. “You will protect me. You, and my bloodriders.”
“就凭四个人？很好，卡丽熙，看来您信得过伊利里欧？莫帕提斯，坚持让自己被不了解的人所包围，比如臃肿的太监和全世界最老的侍从。我只是求求您，从俳雅·菩厉和札罗·赞旺·达梭斯那儿吸取教训。”
“Four men? Khaleesi, you believe you know Illyrio Mopatis, very well. Yet you insist on surrounding yourself with men you do not know, like this puffed-up eunuch and the world’s oldest squire. Take a lesson from Pyat Pree and Xaro Xhoan Daxos.”
他本意是好的，丹妮提醒自己，一切皆源于对我的敬爱。“在我看来，不信任任何人的女王跟信任所有人的女王一样愚蠢。我很明白，每接纳一个人都是一次冒险，但不冒风险又怎能赢得七大王国？难道靠一个被放逐的骑士和三个多斯拉克血盟卫去征服维斯特洛吗？”
He means well, Dany reminded herself. He does all he does for love. “It seems to me that a queen who trusts no one is as foolish as a queen who trusts everyone. Every man I take into my service is a risk, I understand that, but how am I to win the Seven Kingdoms without such risks? Am I to conquer Westeros with one exile knight and three Dothraki bloodriders?”
他顽固地咬紧下巴，“我不否认，您的道路需要冒险，但遇到骗子或阴谋家还加以接纳，结局将和您哥哥一样。”
His jaw set stubbornly. “Your path is dangerous, I will not deny that. But if you blindly trust in every liar and schemer who crosses it, you will end as your brothers did.”
他的固执令她恼怒。他还把我当小孩子看待。“壮汉贝沃斯连早餐都得靠别人安排，好个阴谋家！而白胡子阿斯坦撒过谎吗？”
His obstinacy made her angry. He treats me like some child. “Strong Belwas could not scheme his way to breakfast. And what lies has Arstan Whitebeard told me?”
“他是假扮的！你瞧他今天说话莽撞，哪里有侍从的样子？”
“He is not what he pretends to be. He speaks to you more boldly than any squire would dare.”
“是我命令他直说，我想了解我大哥呀。”
“He spoke frankly at my command. He knew my brother.”
“陛下啊陛下，了解你大哥的人不止他一个。好吧，在维斯特洛，御林铁卫的队长在御前会议上拥有席位，不仅用武力，同时也以智慧为国王效劳。您说我是女王铁卫的首席骑士，那我请求您，好好听我说，我有个计划。”
“A great many men knew your brother. Your Grace, in Westeros the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard sits on the small council, and serves the king with his wits as well as his steel. If I am the first of your Queensguard, I pray you, hear me out. I have a plan to put to you.”
“计划？快告诉我。”
“What plan? Tell me.”
“伊利里欧？莫帕提斯要您回潘托斯，寄居于他的屋檐下。很好，去就去……但时间由您决定，而且不是孤身一人。就让我们看看他的人究竟有多忠诚、多顺从。请命令格罗莱船长，改变航线，前往奴隶湾。”
“Illyrio Mopatis wants you back in Pentos, under his roof. Very well, go to him … but in your own time, and not alone. Let us see how loyal and obedient these new subjects of yours truly are. Command Groleo to change course for Slaver’s Bay.”
丹妮有些不安，听说渊凯、弥林和阿斯塔波这些奴隶制大城邦里的人肉市场如脓包般滋生，相关的故事让人心惊胆战。“我去奴隶湾做什么？”
Dany was not certain she liked the sound of that at all. Everything she’d ever heard of the flesh marts in the great slave cities of Yunkai, Meereen, and Astapor was dire and frightening. “What is there for me in Slaver’s Bay?”
“招募军队，”乔拉爵士道，“既然你喜欢壮汉贝沃斯，满可以从弥林的斗技场里再买几百个……但我建议驶往阿斯塔波，在阿斯塔波，您能购买无垢者。”
“An army,” said Ser Jorah. “If Strong Belwas is so much to your liking you can buy hundreds more like him out of the fighting pits of Meereen … but it is Astapor I’d set my sails for. In Astapor you can buy Unsullied.”
“戴青铜尖刺盔的奴隶？”丹妮在自由贸易城邦见过无垢者，他们往往替总督、大君和执政官当卫兵，“我要他们来做什么？无垢者不会骑马，通常还是很胖。”
“The slaves in the spiked bronze hats?” Dany had seen Unsullied guards in the Free Cities, posted at the gates of magisters, archons, and dynasts. “Why should I want Unsullied? They don’t even ride horses, and most of them are fat.”
“您在潘托斯或密尔见过的无垢者都是些护卫，完全不能发挥长处。他们无所事事，而太监本容易发胖，因为是食物是他们仅存的欲望。陛下，通过几个老迈的家族奴兵来判断所有无垢者就跟通过白胡子阿斯坦来判断所有侍从一样。对了，您听过三千勇士保卫科霍尔的故事吗？”
“The Unsullied you may have seen in Pentos and Myr were household guards. That’s soft service, and eunuchs tend to plumpness in any case. Food is the only vice allowed them. To judge all Unsullied by a few old household slaves is like judging all squires by Arstan Whitebeard, Your Grace. Do you know the tale of the Three Thousand of Qohor?”
“没听过，”床单从丹妮肩头滑落，她将之拉回原位。
“No.” The coverlet slipped off Dany’s shoulder, and she tugged it back into place.
“四百多年前，多斯拉克人首度从东方骑马出现，沿途洗劫焚烧每个城镇。领导他们的卡奥叫特莫，他的卡拉萨不若卓戈的那么大，但也不小，至少有五万人，其中一半是辫绑铃铛的战士。”
“It was four hundred years ago or more, when the Dothraki first rode out of the east, sacking and burning every town and city in their path. The khal who led them was named Temmo. His khalasar was not so big as Drogo’s, but it was big enough. Fifty thousand, at the least. Half of them braided warriors with bells ringing in their hair.
“科霍尔人知道他来临的消息后，便着手加固城墙，增加一倍士兵，并雇来两个佣兵团——亮帜团和次子团。由于传来的情况越来越不妙，他们赶紧从阿斯塔波补买三千无垢者，但几乎已来不及了。无垢者们长途行军赶往科霍尔，远远便看见烟雾和尘埃，听到战斗的喧嚣。”
“The Qohorik knew he was coming. They strengthened their walls, doubled the size of their own guard, and hired two free companies besides, the Bright Banners and the Second Sons. And almost as an afterthought, they sent a man to Astapor to buy three thousand Unsullied. It was a long march back to Qohor, however, and as they approached they saw the smoke and dust and heard the distant din of battle.
“等他们抵达城下，太阳已经落山，乌鸦和野狼享用着科霍尔重骑兵们的遗体，而亮帜团和次子团早早卷旗逃匿，佣兵一旦面对强弱悬殊、毫无希望的情况就会这样做。夜幕降临，多斯拉克人没有再战，他们撤回营地彻夜饮酒、跳舞和狂欢，准备第二天攻破城门，肆意奸淫虏掠。”
“By the time the Unsullied reached the city the sun had set. Crows and wolves were feasting beneath the walls on what remained of the Qohorik heavy horse. The Bright Banners and Second Sons had fled, as sellswords are wont to do in the face of hopeless odds. With dark falling, the Dothraki had retired to their own camps to drink and dance and feast, but none doubted that they would return on the morrow to smash the city gates, storm the walls, and rape, loot, and slave as they pleased.
“但到破晓时分，当特莫和他的血盟卫们领着卡拉萨走出营地，却发现三千名无垢者已在城门前排好阵型，头顶飘扬着科霍尔的黑山羊旗。您若了解多斯拉克人的战术，就会明白，他们根本不会把这支小队伍放在眼里。阵型不宽，易被包抄；人是徒步，将遭骑兵践踏。”
“But when dawn broke and Temmo and his bloodriders led their khalasar out of camp, they found three thousand Unsullied drawn up before the gates with the Black Goat standard flying over their heads. So small a force could easily have been flanked, but you know Dothraki. These were men on foot, and men on foot are fit only to be ridden down.
“于是多斯拉克人发起攻击，而无垢者们紧握盾牌，压低长矛，纹丝不动。面对两万铃铛作响的哮吼武士的决死冲锋，他们毫无惧色。”
“The Dothraki charged. The Unsullied locked their shields, lowered their spears, and stood firm. Against twenty thousand screamers with bells in their hair, they stood firm.
“多斯拉克人一共冲锋了十八次，但在那片盾牌和长矛前，好比浪涛拍打岩石一样溃散。特莫卡奥三次派出骑射手，围着对手轮番射击，弓箭如雨般撒向这三千勇士，但无垢者只是举起盾牌，挡在头上，不肯让步。到最后，他们只剩下六百人……但有超过一万二千名多斯拉克战士倒在战场上，包括特莫卡奥，他的三名血盟卫，他所有的寇和所有的儿子。三天之后的清晨，新卡奥率领幸存者们列队庄严地来到城门前，一个接一个，每人都割断自己的发辫，扔到那三千勇士脚下。”
“Eighteen times the Dothraki charged, and broke themselves on those shields and spears like waves on a rocky shore. Thrice Temmo sent his archers wheeling past and arrows fell like rain upon the Three Thousand, but the Unsullied merely lifted their shields above their heads until the squall had passed. In the end only six hundred of them remained … but more than twelve thousand Dothraki lay dead upon that field, including Khal Temmo, his bloodriders, his kos, and all his sons. On the morning of the fourth day, the new khal led the survivors past the city gates in a stately procession. One by one, each man cut off his braid and threw it down before the feet of the Three Thousand.
“从那天起，科霍尔的守备队便全由无垢者组成，每人举着的长矛上都挂有一束人类的发辫。”
“Since that day, the city guard of Qohor has been made up solely of Unsullied, every one of whom carries a tall spear from which hangs a braid of human hair.
“这就是您将在阿斯塔波找到的东西，女王陛下，请在那儿上岸，完成交易后，再由陆路继续前往潘托斯。没错，这会花费很多时间……但未来，当您跟伊利里欧总督一起用餐时，将有一千把剑为你撑腰，而不仅仅只是四把。”
“That is what you will find in Astapor, Your Grace. Put ashore there, and continue on to Pentos overland. It will take longer, yes … but when you break bread with Magister Illyrio, you will have a thousand swords behind you, not just four.”
他的确为我贡献了智慧，丹妮心想，但是……“怎么买得下一千名奴隶战士？我的财产只剩碧玺兄弟会送的王冠而已。”
There is wisdom in this, yes, Dany thought, but … “How am I to buy a thousand slave soldiers? All I have of value is the crown the Tourmaline Brotherhood gave me.”
“真龙对阿斯塔波人和对魁尔斯人而言，都意味着重生于世的伟大奇迹，想必奴隶商人们会和魁尔斯的巨商一样，送您大量礼物。假如不够……您忘了吗？这三条船上不止有您的多斯拉克人和他们的马，还有从魁尔斯购买的大批货物。我清点过货舱，亲眼看到无数丝绸、虎皮、琥珀、翡翠雕刻，藏红花、没药……奴隶便宜，陛下，虎皮却很昂贵。”
“Dragons will be as great a wonder in Astapor as they were in Qarth. It may be that the slavers will shower you with gifts, as the Qartheen did. If not … these ships carry more than your Dothraki and their horses. They took on trade goods at Qarth, I’ve been through the holds and seen for myself. Bolts of silk and bales of tiger skin, amber and jade carvings, saffron, myrrh … slaves are cheap, Your Grace. Tiger skins are costly.”
“那些是伊利里欧的东西，”她抗议。
“Those are Illyrio’s tiger skins,” she objected.
“而伊利里欧是坦格利安家族的朋友。”
“And Illyrio is a friend to House Targaryen.”
“那就更不应该窃取他的货物。”
“All the more reason not to steal his goods.”
“如果有钱的朋友不愿出钱，那他有什么用，女王陛下？假如伊利里欧总督拒绝你，只能证明他不过有四重下巴的札罗·赞旺·达梭斯而已。如果他真诚地支持您，就不会舍不得三船货物，您想想看，他的虎皮哪有比替您买来军队更好的用途呢？”
“What use are wealthy friends if they will not put their wealth at your disposal, my queen? If Magister Illyrio would deny you, he is only Xaro Xhoan Daxos with four chins. And if he is sincere in his devotion to your cause, he will not begrudge you three shiploads of trade goods. What better use for his tiger skins than to buy you the beginnings of an army?”
是的，是的。丹妮激动起来。“可路途遥远，会有危险……”
That’s true. Dany felt a rising excitement. “There will be dangers on such a long march …”
“走海路同样有危险。海盗船在南方航线徘徊，瓦雷利亚以北的烟海则有魔鬼出没，下一次风暴没准令我们船毁人忙，夏日之海的巨海怪也许会将商船拖进海底……再或船队因无风而再度停滞，在等待中活活渴死。陆地行军有危险，女王陛下，但海洋不见得更安全。”
“There are dangers at sea as well. Corsairs and pirates hunt the southern route, and north of Valyria the Smoking Sea is demon-haunted. The next storm could sink or scatter us, a kraken could pull us under … or we might find ourselves becalmed again, and die of thirst as we wait for the wind to rise. A march will have different dangers, my queen, but none greater.”
“若格罗莱船长拒绝怎么办？阿斯坦，壮汉贝沃斯，他们又会怎么做呢？”
“What if Captain Groleo refuses to change course, though? And Arstan, Strong Belwas, what will they do?”
乔拉爵士站起身，“或许是该您亲自去发现的时候了。”
Ser Jorah stood. “Perhaps it’s time you found that out.”
“是的，”她下定决心，“是的！”丹妮将床单往后一扔，从床铺上跳起来。“我要立即去见船长，命他驶向阿斯塔波。”她弯腰打开箱子，抓起最上面的外套和一条宽松的纱丝长裤。“把我的勋章腰带给我，”她一边命令乔拉，一边把纱丝长裤拉过臀部，“还有我的背心——”她转身道。
“Yes,” she decided. “I’ll do it!” Dany threw back the coverlets and hopped from the bunk. “I’ll see the captain at once, command him to set course for Astapor.” She bent over her chest, threw open the lid, and seized the first garment to hand, a pair of loose sandsilk trousers. “Hand me my medallion belt,” she commanded Jorah as she pulled the sandsilk up over her hips. “And my vest—” she started to say, turning.
乔拉爵士搂住了她。
Ser Jorah slid his arms around her.
“噢，”她只来得及说出这一个字，便被他抱紧，两对唇压在一起。他浑身上下散发出汗、盐和皮革的味道。他将她紧紧压向自己，短上衣的铁扣嵌入她赤裸的乳房。他用一只手抓住她的肩膀，另一只手顺着她的脊椎滑至细小的后腰。她的嘴不由自主地张开来，任他的舌头伸入探索。他的胡子虽然扎人，她心想，但嘴里很甜美。除了嘴角的长髯，多斯拉克人不留络腮胡，而在此之前，只有卓耿卡奥吻过她。他不能这么做，我是他的女王，不是他的女人。
“Oh,” was all Dany had time to say as he pulled her close and pressed his lips down on hers. He smelled of sweat and salt and leather, and the iron studs on his jerkin dug into her naked breasts as he crushed her hard against him. One hand held her by the shoulder while the other slid down her spine to the small of her back, and her mouth opened for his tongue, though she never told it to. His beard is scratchy, she thought, but his mouth is sweet. The Dothraki wore no beards, only long mustaches, and only Khal Drogo had ever kissed her before. He should not be doing this. I am his queen, not his woman.
长长的一吻，丹妮说不准究竟有多久。结束后，乔拉爵士放开她，她快速回退一步。“你……你不该……”
It was a long kiss, though how long Dany could not have said. When it ended, Ser Jorah let go of her, and she took a quick step backward. “You … you should not have …”
“我不该等这么久，”他替她说完，“早在魁尔斯，我就该吻你，不，在枯骨之城，在红土荒原，我就该吻你，每日每夜，我都该吻你。你那么美丽温柔，天生就是用来亲吻的尤物。”他的眼睛看着她的乳房。
“I should not have waited so long,” he finished for her. “I should have kissed you in Qarth, in Vaes Tolorru. I should have kissed you in the red waste, every night and every day. You were made to be kissed, often and well.” His eyes were on her breasts.
丹妮在乳头出卖自己之前用手盖住，“我……你这是逾越！我是你的女王。”
Dany covered them with her hands, before her nipples could betray her. “I … that was not fitting. I am your queen.”
“您是我的女王，”他说，“也是我这辈子见过最勇敢、最甜蜜和最美丽的女人。丹妮莉丝——”
“My queen,” he said, “and the bravest, sweetest, and most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Daenerys—”
“陛下！”
“Your Grace!”
“陛下，”他让步了，“龙有三个头，记得这句话吧？从尘埃之殿中听来之后，你一直深感疑惑。好吧，我告诉你：从前有贝勒里恩，米拉西斯和瓦格哈尔三条巨龙，分别由伊耿，雷妮丝和维桑尼亚骑乘。坦格利安家族的纹章是三头龙——实际上，是三条龙，三个骑手。”
“Your Grace,” he conceded, “the dragon has three heads, remember? You have wondered at that, ever since you heard it from the warlocks in the House of Dust. Well, here’s your meaning: Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar, ridden by Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya. The three-headed dragon of House Targaryen—three dragons, and three riders.”
“我想也是，”丹妮说，“可我的哥哥们都死了。”
“Yes,” said Dany, “but my brothers are dead.”
“雷妮丝和维桑尼亚不仅是伊耿的妹妹，还是他的妻子。你没了哥哥，但可以有丈夫。让我明确地告诉你，丹妮莉丝，在这个世界上再没有人及得上我对你一半的真诚。”
“Rhaenys and Visenya were Aegon’s wives as well as his sisters. You have no brothers, but you can take husbands. And I tell you truly, Daenerys, there is no man in all the world who will ever be half so true to you as me.”