公平交易 A Fair Trade

作者：Rayla Heide

市场里飘着熏香和烂菜的味道。

The market smelled of burning incense and rotting cabbage.

阿狸用斗篷裹着自己的九条尾巴，手里摆弄着自己的双生太阳石信物，尽量不去理会浓烈的味道。两枚石块在她的指缝间翻滚跳跃，然后严丝合缝地贴到了一起。单个石块的形状好似一团烈焰，但却巧妙的雕刻却让尖锐的突刺互相咬合，组成了一颗完美的宝珠。从她还没记事的时候开始，这对金色的石头就一直在她身边，但她却始终不清楚它们的来历。

Ahri wrapped her cloak around her nine tails and fiddled with her twin sunstone tokens to distract herself from the stench, rolling them between her fingers and snapping them together. Each one had the shape of a blazing flame, but they were carved in such a way that their sharper edges fit together, forming a perfectly smooth orb. She had carried the golden stones since before she could remember, though she had no knowledge of their origin.

虽然阿狸来到了陌生的新环境，但在她身边潜藏的魔法正在低声轰鸣，让她感到安心沉稳。她走过一个摊位，数十个篮子里面全都盛满了各式各样的小物件。有光滑圆润的卵石，有印刻着航海传奇故事的贝壳，有甲骨刻成的骰子，还有其他新奇的玩意儿。但全都不像阿狸手中信物的风格。

Though Ahri was in a new environment, she was comforted by the latent magic buzzing all around her. She passed a stand with dozens of woven baskets filled to the brim with polished rocks, shells etched with legends from a seafaring tribe, gambling dice carved from bones, and other curious items. Nothing matched the style of Ahri’s sculpted tokens.

“碧如晴空的宝石，要来一块吗？”长着灰胡子的商人问到。“你要的话，一颗碧蓝小珠只需要一根鸣鸦羽毛的价格，或者是一颗朱比树种子。我不挑。”

“Care for a gem to match the blue of the skies?” asked the gray-bearded merchant. “For you, I’ll trade a cerulean bauble for the cost of a single cryraven feather, or perhaps the seed of a jubji tree. I’m flexible.”

阿狸对他浅浅一笑，摇了摇头继续向前走，手中紧握着那对太阳石。她又路过了形形色色的摊位和商贩，一个摊床上摆满了长刺的橘色蔬菜，一个孩童正在叫卖一种能根据天气改变颜色的水果，还有至少三个小贩都在摇晃着熏香的铁罐，每个小贩都声称自己已经找到了最深奥的冥想之法。

Ahri smiled at him, but shook her head and continued through the market, sunstones in hand. She passed a stand covered in spiky orange vegetables, a child selling fruit that shifted color with the weather, and at least three peddlers swinging tins of incense, each of whom claimed to have discovered the deepest form of meditation.

“占卜！运势占卜！”一个年轻女性正在叫卖，她的双瞳是薰衣草的颜色，下巴圆润。“寻找你的真心爱人，用牛蒡根化解灾祸。或者如果你想把未来交给天决定，我也可以回答你关于过去的疑问。不过，我会建议你占卜自己是否有被人下毒的危险。”

“Fortunes! Come get your fortunes told!” called a young woman with lavender eyes and a soft jawline. “Find out who you’ll fall in love with, or how to avoid unlucky situations with a pinch of burdock root. Or if you’d prefer your future left to the gods, I’ll answer a question about your past. Though I do recommend finding out whether or not you’re at risk for death by poisoning.”

摊位前站着一个高大的猫耳瓦斯塔亚人，正要把一块香辣酥饼放进嘴里。听到这话，他愣了一下，警惕地盯着这位占卜巫女。

A tall vastaya with feline ears was about to take a bite of a spiced pastry. He froze and stared at the fortune teller in alarm.

“答案是不会，这次算你免费，”她一边说一边向他致意，然后转过身面向阿狸。“哎呀，看你面相，一定有一段阴暗而又神秘的过往。或者至少也是一些精彩的传奇故事。有什么急迫的问题想要问我吗，小姐？”

“The answer is no, by the way. Yours for free,” she said, curtsying at him before turning to Ahri. “Now, you look like you’ve had a dark and mysterious past. Or at least some tales worth sharing. Any burning questions for me, lady?”

透过浓重的熏香味，阿狸从这女人的脖子上嗅到一股湿润绒毛和浓烈皮革的味道，欲言又止。

Beneath heavy layers of incense, Ahri paused at the scent of wet fur and spiced leather lingering at the woman’s neck.

“谢谢，不用了，”她答道。“我再逛逛。”

“Thank you, but no,” she replied. “I’m still looking around.”

“这市场上恐怕找不到第二对伊美罗石了，”那女人一边说一边点头示意了一下阿狸手中的太阳石。“唯一一对就在你手里。”

“You won’t find any more Ymelo tokens in this market, I’m afraid,” the woman said, nodding to Ahri’s sunstones. “Like the ones you have.”

阿狸的后颈一阵颤栗，不由得走近了几步。她心里暗自警惕，不可以被兴奋冲昏头脑。“你认识这东西？它们从何而来？”

The back of Ahri’s neck prickled and she drew closer to the woman. She would not let her excitement get the better of her. “Do you recognize these? Where do they come from?”

那个女人打量了一眼阿狸。

The woman eyed Ahri.

“我看是伊美罗石，”她说。“从没亲眼见过真的。他一生中所做的数量极少，大多数都在战争期间被拆散了。绝世珍品，毫无疑问。”

“I think they’re Ymelos, anyway,” she said. “Never seen a pair in person. He only carved a small number in his time, and many of the sets were separated in the war. Dead rare, those.”

她说的每一个字都让阿狸更靠近一步。

Ahri leaned closer with each word.

“我是希闰，幸会。”那女人说。

“I’m Hirin, by the way,” the woman said.

“你知不知道在哪能找到这位工匠？”阿狸问。

“Do you know where I might find this craftsman?” Ahri asked.

希闰大笑了一声。“不知道。但如果你愿进来细谈，我愿知无不言。”

Hirin laughed. “No idea. But if you come in I’ll tell you what I know.”

阿狸用斗篷裹住肩膀，兴冲冲地跟着占卜巫女绕过了摊位，钻进了一架大篷车，车内四壁全都装饰着兽皮。

Ahri wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and eagerly followed the fortune teller past her booth, and into a caravan decorated wall to wall with animal skins.

“喝茶吗？”希闰说。“今早刚沏好的。”

“Tea?” Hirin said. “I brewed it this morning.”

她倒了两杯茶，色如梅酒，自己端起一杯开始小啜。她的茶有股苦橡树皮的味道，外面包裹着厚重的蜂蜜味。希闰伸出一只手，想要接过太阳石，但阿狸依然紧紧握着不放。

She poured two cups of liquid the color of plum wine, taking one for herself. The tea tasted of bitter oak bark, masked by a cloying dollop of honey. Hirin held out a hand for the stones but Ahri kept them close.

“看来它们对你来说有特殊的意义，”她撇嘴笑着说。“别担心，我并不想贩卖偷来的太阳石。这有损于姑娘家的声誉”

“I’m getting the sense that these are special to you,” she said with a wry smile. “Don’t worry, I have no interest in peddling stolen sunstones. Bad for a girl’s reputation.”

“你能告诉我它们来自哪里吗？”阿狸一边问，一边小心翼翼地递过石块。

“Can you tell me where they come from?” asked Ahri, handing them over gingerly.

希闰将石块举起来对着光观察。

Hirin held them up to the light.

“真美。”她说。“没想到它们能够如此完美地相合。简直举世无双。”

“These are beautiful,” she said. “I don’t know how they fit together so perfectly. I’ve not seen the like.”

阿狸一言不发。她好奇地停在原地，目不转睛地盯着这名女人。

Ahri said nothing. She stood frozen with curiosity, and did not take her eyes off the woman.

“据传说有一位名叫伊美罗的雕刻家，专门收集尘封千年的蜥蜴蛋化石，将其雕成精致复杂的形状。那些古代蜥蜴生活的年代里，隔都之海还没有变成沙漠。如今，这种蜥蜴全都变成了化石和尘土。”

“Legend says the sculptor known as Ymelo collected fossilized lizard eggs from a thousand thousand years ago that he carved into intricate shapes. These ancient lizards lived long before the Ghetu Sea dried up to a desert, leaving only petrified bones and dust.”

希闰咳嗽了一声，阿狸注意到她的呼吸中夹杂着酸涩的声调，就像是刚刚喝了浓醋。

Hirin coughed, and Ahri detected a bitter note upon her breath, as if she had been drinking vinegar.

“伊美罗石都是可以嵌入更大型的雕像的小部件，”她继续说道。

“Ymelo stones are designed as small pieces that fit into a larger sculpture,” she continued.

那女人将两枚金色石块摆在阿狸面前晃了晃。

The woman dangled the golden pieces in front of Ahri’s face.

“正如你的过去给你留下了神秘的线索，这两块石头可能也还有其他部件，完全组合起来以后可以构成另外一种形状。没人能知道你在寻根溯源的最后会变成什么样。如果能找到其余的部件，你可能就会有意外的收获。”

“Just as your past has left you with information to be desired, these stones may have many more parts that, when combined, create another shape altogether. Who knows what you’ll become when you track down your history. With the missing pieces, you may learn more than you’d like.”

“都是些漂亮话嘛。”阿狸低声说道，双眼依然盯着那女人。

“Those are pretty words,” Ahri murmured, staring at the woman.

一段静默过后，希闰轻笑了一声。“一丝真实，一丝自创。占卜之人编织的解答必须天衣无缝。”

After a moment of silence, Hirin chuckled. “Some threads of truth, threads of my own invention. A fortune teller’s weaving must be seamless.”

那女人从橱柜里抽出一把猎刀。

The woman retrieved a hunter’s knife from a cabinet.

“而我编织的解答刚好够让你保持兴趣留在这里，”她说。“等茶的药效麻痹你的肌肉。”

“I weave in just enough of what you desire to make you stay,” she said. “’Til the tea slows your muscles, that is.”

阿狸的双唇中间发出一声低吼。她要将这个女人撕成碎片。她想要猛扑过去，但是她的肢体不听使唤。她已经被禁锢在原地。

A low growl escaped Ahri’s lips. She would tear this woman apart. She tried to pounce, but her limbs did not obey. She was rooted in place.

“噢，不必如此，小姐。我只想要一条尾巴。许多药剂配方都用得到，而且价值连城。应该是吧。从没见过长狐狸尾巴的瓦斯塔亚。那杯茶会缓解疼痛，也会阻止你的……动作。”

“Oh, there’s no need for that, lady. I only need a single tail. Useful for a variety of potions, you see, and extremely valuable. Or so I think. Never seen a vastaya with fox tails before. The tea freezes any pain, along with your… mobility.”

希闰往阿狸的一条尾巴上缠绕绷带。阿狸想要抵抗，但她依然无法移动。

Hirin wrapped a bandage around one of Ahri’s tails. Ahri tried to resist, but she still could not move.

“你明天就会醒来，感觉就像一切都没发生。”那女人说。“好吧，你会少一条尾巴。但你真的需要用到全部九条吗？”

“You’ll wake up tomorrow, good as new!” said the woman. “Well, with one less tail. Do you really use all nine?”

阿狸闭上双眼，开始触动身体周围的魔法能量场。环境中弥散着许多成熟的魔力可以利用，但由于那杯茶的影响，她无法吸收魔力。于是她转而伸向希闰的脑海，因为这里更容易施展，随后她顺势一推。

Ahri shut her eyes and reached out to the reservoirs of magic around her. The environment had plenty ripe for the taking, but she was too weakened by the tea to draw them to her. Instead she reached into Hirin’s mind, which was far more malleable, and pushed.

阿狸睁开双眼，与希闰四目相对。希闰薰衣草色的双瞳现在暗淡成了紫罗兰色。

Ahri opened her eyes and stared hard into Hirin’s. They deepened from lavender to violet.

“希闰”她说道。“靠近点。我想看看戏弄了我的人长什么模样。”

“Hirin,” she said. “Come closer. I would look into the face of the one who tricked me.”

“好的，小姐，”希闰痴痴地回答道。她的声音空旷无力，似乎来自一口深井之中。

“Of course, lady,” Hirin replied, transfixed. The woman’s voice sounded hollow, as though it came from the bottom of a well.

她向前倾身，脸离阿狸只有几寸距离。阿狸开始吸气，将这女人的生命精魄顺着她的呼吸抽了出来。

She leaned in until her face was only inches away. Ahri inhaled, drawing essences of the woman’s life from her breath.

……希闰是个小女孩，又饿又怕，躲在市场货摊下面。两个男人争吵的声音从上方传来。她空手而归，今天的任务没完成……

...Hirin was a young girl hiding, hungry and afraid, beneath a market stall. Two men argued above, looking for her. She had nothing but empty coffers to show for her days’ work...

阿狸继续吸收希闰的生命，品尝着最原始情绪的记忆。这些记忆在阿狸的口中感觉丰腴而充盈，每个情绪的味道都让她回味良久。

Ahri continued to drain Hirin’s life, sampling memories of raw emotion. They felt rich in Ahri’s mouth, and she relished each unique flavor of emotion.

……希闰给一位蒙着面纱的巫医占卜了运势，得到了一枚铜钱作为报酬。她用铜钱买了一块面包，狼吞虎咽……

...Hirin told the fortune of a witch doctor shrouded in veils, receiving a copper for her troubles. She used the coin to buy a piece of bread, which she devoured in seconds…

……在一间破烂的酒馆里，一群人正在大吵大嚷地打牌。一个眉毛像蝴蝶的人将一枚金色的伊美罗石作为赌注，希闰在黑暗中默默看着一切……...In a seedy tavern, a raucous group played cards. A man with eyebrows resembling butterfly wings gambled a golden Ymelo stone while Hirin watched from the shadows………希闰的目光追踪着市场里的阿狸。一条狐狸尾巴从斗篷下面露了出来。她便将这名瓦斯塔亚人引入了大篷车——

...Hirin tracked Ahri as she walked through the market. One of her fox tails peeked from beneath her cloak. She drew the vastaya into her caravan—

够了。

Enough.

阿狸停了下来，头脑中盘旋着新注入的活力。她从希闰脑海中偷取的每一段记忆，都伴着能量注入她虚弱的肌肉中，化解了毒性。

Ahri stopped, her head spinning with renewed vigor. With each memory she stole from Hirin, she felt energy rush back into her weakened muscles, cleansing them of the poison.

阿狸重新获得了力量，她抖了抖四肢，颤栗地舒展了一下尾巴。每一条尾巴都像被无数针扎一样酥麻。

Strengthened once more, she slowly shook her limbs awake, and flexed her tails with a shiver. They tingled with pinpricks.

希闰站在原地，瞪大双眼，意识模糊，但还活得好好的。现在，轮到她明天一早醒来，感觉就像一切都没发生——只是少了几段无关紧要的记忆。

Hirin stood wide-eyed and dazed, still very much alive. It was she that would wake tomorrow, good as new—less a few memories that she would not miss.

了解了这个女人的生活以后，阿狸的愤怒消退了。她用手轻抚占卜巫女的脸颊，然后裹紧了肩膀前的斗篷，走出了大篷车，回到了和煦阳光下的市场。

With knowledge of the woman’s life, Ahri’s rage had faded. She brushed her hand against the fortune teller’s cheek, then wrapped her cloak tightly around her shoulders and stepped out into the sunlit market.

希闰不会记得她，也不会记得这次相遇。但阿狸却从这次交易中知道了一个名字——伊美罗，还有一个眉毛犹如蝶翼的男人面孔，深深地烙印在她的脑海中。

Hirin would not remember her, or their encounter. But Ahri had left the trade with a name to hunt—Ymelo—and the image of the man with soft-winged eyebrows was burned in her mind.