弓箭与苦无 The Bow, and the Kunai
作者：余卓轩
尚赞南部的空气弥漫着原始魔法。神秘的力量在这片土地上流淌，汹涌地穿过七彩的树林，帮助它们高高地伸向天空，伸展出洋红与靛蓝、天青与明黄色的树叶，就像舞者手中张开的一面面蒲扇。
The air of southern Shon-Xan was rife with raw magic. Mystic power flowed over the land, surging through iridescent trees, which spread skyward their leaves of magenta and indigo, azure and amber, opening up like fans in the palms of dancers.
在这多彩的华盖之下有一块难以辨认的棕色皮肤，融入交错的树杈之间。
Hidden now in the colorful canopy was a barely perceptible patch of pale skin, blending in with the trees’ interwoven branches.
“它随时可能出现。”霏轻轻说，她是一个十二夏的小姑娘。紧接着她发出一声麻雀的啾啾声。鸟鸣立刻获得了其他人的回应，在茂密的树叶之间回荡，这个声音由年幼的人类声带模仿得最为完美。
“It’ll be here anytime,” whispered Faey, a girl of twelve summers. She then gave a high tweeting sound like a sparrow. The birdsong was immediately picked up by the others, echoing back through the foliage, a sound perfectly imitated by human vocal cords not yet come of age.
霏知道其他人全都到位了。大人们没有允许这次狩猎，但这对他们很重要。如果这群童子能够拿下这只银山猪，不仅可以让他们几天不用饿肚子，而且还能让均衡的弟子们给他们分派真正的任务。
Faey knew everyone was in position. The adults hadn’t approved this hunt, but it was important. If the neophytes could get the silver boar, not only would they stop going hungry for days, but the Kinkou acolytes would have to give them real missions.
不用再捡梅子也不用再挑水，霏在心里想着，教派也同样需要我们的力量，因为我们这些学徒童子才是未来。
No more picking plums or carrying water, Faey thought. The order needs our strength, too, because the neophytes are the future.
他们经历的过去是黑暗的。外部势力的入侵者已经在艾欧尼亚猖獗了许多个季节，而这只是均衡教派众多问题的开始。几个月前，苦说大师被害，残忍杀害他的是教派曾经的成员，劫。然后劫的手下把均衡教派逐出了他们的大殿，萨恩韭鲁神庙。那些在劫的袭击中幸存的人，有很多都失去了对均衡的信念，离开了教派。
And the past was dark. Foreign invaders had been rampaging in Ionia for many seasons, and that was only the beginning of the Kinkou’s problems. A few moons ago, Great Master Kusho had been killed, brutally murdered by Zed, a former member of the order. Then Zed’s minions had driven the Kinkou from their main base, the Temple of Thanjuul. Of those who had survived Zed’s attack, many lost faith in the order and left the Kinkou.
那些大人需要希望。霏要让他们看到希望。
The adults needed hope. Faey would make them see it.
她从遐想中猛回过神。树丛里传来一阵骚动。树叶抖动落下，几次心跳间，一头巨大的山猪从树干之间冲出，嚎叫着，瞪大了双眼。它的毛皮荡漾着微光的波纹，这意味着它是从精神领域浮现出来的。
She snapped out of her reverie. There was a rustling in the woods. Leaves started falling, and within heartbeats, a large boar burst out from between tree trunks, squealing, its eyes wide. Its fur was rippling with a shimmering glow, a sign that it had just emerged from the spirit realm.
霏对自己的计划很有信心——只要每个人都遵从她的指示就没问题。她稳稳握住弓箭，看着山猪进入射程。
Confident that the plan would work—as long as everyone followed her instructions—Faey readied her bow and arrow, watching the boar come into range.
一个童子从树上垂下来，一只脚上缠着藤蔓。她挥舞着一根巨大的木质长枪，同时施放出一阵不大不小的魔法之风，挡住山猪的去路。受惊的山猪跑向了另一侧——但这条路也被一个小子截断了，他攀着另一根藤蔓，召唤出了一小团烟尘的气团，挡住了野兽的视线。他的长枪划破了山猪的厚皮，让它发出嚎叫。
A neophyte dropped down from a treetop, dangling from a vine wrapped around one foot. She blocked the boar’s path by waving a large wooden spear and casting a modest magical wind. Startled, the boar ran the other direction—but its path was cut off by a boy who swung down on another vine, summoning a small cloud of smoke and ash that blinded the animal. His spear scratched the boar’s hide and made it roar.
一名又一名童子从华盖上降落。他们敏捷、精准且专注，让这场狩猎显示出了真正的武士精神。然而他们之中最年长的也不过十三夏。
One by one, the neophytes descended from the canopy. Their agility, their precision, their focused intent to hunt all hinted at true warrior spirit. Yet the oldest of them was no more than thirteen summers.
我们是均衡教派的学徒，霏心中自豪地想。
We are the neophytes of the Kinkou, Faey thought with pride.
顺藤荡下来的孩童们围堵山猪的逃跑路线，只留下一个缺口，需要穿过这片谷地最狭窄的地方，正对着霏所在的位置。她已经蓄势待发、杀意十足。
The vine-swinging children sealed off the boar’s escape route, leaving just one opening that ran through the narrowest part of the small gorge, straight toward Faey’s position. She was in charge of the kill.
大伙，干得好。现在轮到我了。霏吞咽一口唾沫。她倒挂在树下，弯弓搭箭，瞄准前方。
Good job, everyone. And now it’s my turn. Faey swallowed hard. Hanging upside down, she drew her bow and set the arrow in line.
专注。箭的目标不是皮肉伤，而是一击毙命。她将闪着光的箭头瞄准奔来的山猪的眼睛。腰间缠着的藤蔓似乎也感到了霏的意图，轻微地摆动，让她的瞄准不偏不倚。
Focus. The arrow seeks not to slash nor scratch, but to kill in a single attempt. She aligned the gleaming arrowhead with the running boar’s eye. The vine that wrapped around her waist—as if sensing Faey’s intent—shifted gently so her aim stayed true.
霏静心凝神，接下来全凭本能。当她知道自己能一箭击杀山猪的那一刻，就将松开——
Faey emptied her mind, letting instinct take control. When she knew she had the boar, she would let go of—
“呀——！”一个小个子的身影从谷地的一侧跳出来，喊叫着落到了山猪的后背上。惊慌的野兽转过身，冲向了相反的方向。
“Yeeeh!” A small shadow sprang from the side of the gorge, shrieking as it landed on the boar’s back. The panicked animal swung around and charged in the opposite direction.
骑在山猪背上的是一个小姑娘，一只手抓着山猪的银色皮毛，另一只手挥舞着一根绳索，在头上抡得一圈又一圈。
The rider was a little girl, one hand gripping the boar’s silvery fur and the other swinging a rope over her head, round and round.
霏呆若木鸡，看着那头山猪疯狂奔突，背上的小姑娘上下颠簸。
Dumbstruck, Faey watched the boar go berserk with the girl bouncing on its back.
“别！阿卡丽！”霏大声疾呼，她的计划全乱了。
“No! Akali!” Faey shouted as her plan fell apart.
背上的小姑娘怎么也甩不掉，那头山猪一边跑一边斜撞上两侧的树干。不知她如何做到的，阿卡丽躲开了撞击，依然死死抓着发狂的野兽。在一片愤怒的兽吼声中，依旧能清楚听到她在笑。她试图用绳套困住银山猪的鼻子，但却始终没成功。
Unable to shake the girl off, the boar started smashing its side against tree trunks as it ran. Somehow, Akali avoided the impacts and clung stubbornly to the mad animal, her laughter audible over its angry squeals. She tried to catch the silver boar’s snout with her rope noose, without success.
几名童子勇敢地上去阻拦乱撞的野兽，但它把他们全都顶开了。那头野兽从山谷侧面的缺口冲了出去，冲进了满是树影的平地。
A few neophytes bravely attempted to block the charging animal, but it knocked them away. The beast went through a side opening of the gorge, out onto flatter ground shadowed by trees.
最后，山猪猛烈地踢了一下后腿，阿卡丽被震了下去。她摔在林地上，腾起一串落叶，最后四肢张开，重重趴在地上。
Finally, the boar kicked up its hind legs in one ferocious leap, and Akali was bucked off. She tumbled onto the forest floor, raising a trail of flying leaves, and ended up lying flat, face down, limbs splayed open.
霏冲到她身边。“你疯了？！”
Faey rushed over to her. “Are you out of your mind?!”
阿卡丽坐起来掸了掸身上的落叶。她只有九夏，比霏年幼三夏。“我只是想帮忙。”阿卡丽说。
Akali sat up and brushed some leaves off her clothes. She was nine, three summers younger than Faey. “I only wanted to help,” Akali said.
“我跟你说过别跟我们来！”霏大喊道，“我们都十拿九稳了！ 十拿九稳！”
“I told you not to follow us!” Faey yelled. “We had it! We had it!”
阿卡丽耸耸肩，然后龇牙咧嘴，因为她的肩膀像是裂开了一样。她歉疚地说，“我把晚餐的梅子赔给你吧。”
Akali shrugged, grimacing as her shoulders cracked. Apologetically, she said, “I’ll give my dinner plum to you.”
劫袭击以后，剩余的均衡教众退到了萨恩韭鲁东边废弃已久的神庙里，藏在冰川融水流经的高山中。这旁边有一座翠绿色的泻湖，湖面上洒满了紫色的灯笼莲。虽然他们距离玄纳茵村很近，但这个避难所却身处群山环绕之中，山高路险，荒远偏僻。
After Zed’s attack, the remaining Kinkou retreated to a long-abandoned temple east of Thanjuul, high up in the mountains where glacial water ran. It was beside a lagoon of turquoise water, peppered with purple lantern florae. Although they were near the village of Xuanain, their haven was difficult to access, with its great elevation and surrounding hills.
在这片战火肆虐的土地上，他们必须抵御众多敌对势力，有的来自异乡，有的来自艾欧尼亚本土，那些人借着这次大战趁火打劫、欺凌弱小。均衡教派已经确保不会有追兵误打误撞发现这个地点，并尽快建立坚固的基地。这座神庙的状况很糟，空间也不足以容纳他们所有人，于是弟子们建造了额外的住所：用残木搭建棚屋，而不是像艾欧尼亚人惯用的以魔法把活树编织成房屋。这是为了防止万一他们必须再度迁徙。
In their war-torn land, they had to fight off hostile factions, foreign and Ionian, who viewed the mayhem as an opportunity to prey on those they saw as weak. The Kinkou had made sure no pursuers would stumble upon this location before they set up a solid base. The temple was in poor condition, and it was too small to fit them all, so the acolytes had built additional dwellings: huts constructed from fallen wood instead of magically woven from living trees—the usual Ionian way—in case they had to move again.
泻湖的绿水拍打着他们的便鞋，那群童子现在站成整齐的一排，面对着梅目•约曼•特曦，均衡教派的暗影之拳。
With the lagoon’s green water lapping against their sandals, the neophytes now stood in a rigid line before Mayym Jhomen Tethi, the Kinkou’s Fist of Shadow.
霏距离梅目最近，她低头向下看。阿卡丽站在她身边，矮她一个头。
Faey was nearest to Mayym, eyes downcast. Akali, a head shorter, stood beside her.
“愚蠢之行，”梅目严肃地说，“你们出了警戒范围，是在拿整个避难地的安危冒险。外面可能会有游荡的战团跟着你们回来这儿。你们收到的指示很明确。”
“That was foolish,” Mayym said sternly. “You went outside the perimeter, risking the safety of this haven. There could be wandering warbands out there that might follow you back. You know your instructions.”
一个年长些的男孩，野志郎说，“但我们出去的时间很短，而且我们一直都是藏着的。”
One of the older boys, Yajiro, said, “But we weren’t out long, and we stayed hidden.”
“我们的计划完美无缺，”西索也添了一嘴，“但却被阿卡丽打乱了！要不是她——”
“We had the perfect plan,” Hisso chimed in, “but it was ruined by Akali! If she hadn’t—”
“不，”霏打断了说话的小姑娘。她强迫自己望向梅目的双眼。“是我……是我的错。我意识到有银山猪在那片树林里栖息以后，立刻就叫所有人一起去了。”
“No,” Faey said, cutting the girl off. She made herself look Mayym in the eye. “It was… my fault. I told everyone to come along as soon as I realized a silver boar lived in those woods.”
阿卡丽转身面向霏。在她散乱的头发后面，一双棕色的眼睛在闪烁。
Akali turned to Faey, brown eyes glistening behind a mess of unkempt hair.
阿卡丽一直都很崇拜霏，有的时候霏对这个小姑娘也有一种想保护的冲动。但霏站出来领罪还有一个原因：梅目是自己的导师，而且让霏质疑她也不合适。均衡的领导者很少会把尚未受戒的童子纳入自己门下。为此，霏感激不尽。
Akali had always looked up to her, and sometimes Faey felt the urge to protect the little girl. But there was another reason she had chosen to take the blame: Mayym was her mentor, and it was simply not Faey’s place to question her. It was unusual for a Kinkou leader to take an uninitiated neophyte under their wing. And for that, Faey was grateful.
“今天是湛灵春节的最后一天，”霏喃喃地说，“我只是想，如果我们能猎到山猪，大家就都能吃到肉。”
“It’s the last day of the Spirit Blossom festival,” Faey muttered. “I just thought if we could get a boar, everyone could eat some meat.”
梅目端详了她好一阵。然后她的凝视扫过其他孩子，褴褛的衣衫之下，他们瘦小的身子一定弱不禁风。她的眉头浮现出复杂的情绪，但她很快就抬起下巴说，“作为惩罚，你们今晚全都不许进餐。解散。”
Mayym studied her for a long moment. Then her gaze swept across the other children, whose skinny frames must have looked fragile under tattered hemp clothes. A trace of emotion crossed her brow, but she quickly lifted her chin and said, “As punishment, none of you will receive a meal tonight. Dismissed.”
童子们垂头丧气地散开，其中几个人眼中噙着泪。霏咬紧嘴唇，刚要走开，就被梅目留下了。
The neophytes slouched away, a couple of them holding back tears. Faey bit her lip and was about to go when Mayym stopped her.
“霏，跟我来。”
“Faey, walk with me.”
斜阳落日中，梅目沿着泻湖的边缘优雅地迈着方步，远离破旧的棚屋。霏刚要跟上去，发现阿卡丽还站在原地。这个小女孩正抬头望着她们。
Under the falling twilight, Mayym paced along the edge of the lagoon with graceful steps, away from the cluster of shabby houses. Faey was about to follow when she saw that Akali had not moved. The little girl was looking at them.
不知为何，有霏在场的时候，阿卡丽的母亲总是把自己的亲女儿当成空气。
Somehow, in the presence of Faey, Akali’s mother always treated her own daughter like thin air.
霏感到一丝内疚，但她转过身追向梅目。
Faey felt slightly guilty, but she turned away and ran up to Mayym.
她们二人安静地走着，霏凝望着泻湖中的灯笼莲。紫色的花朵绽成五瓣，像张开嘴向空气中呼出多重色度的水汽。巨大的叶子托着花瓣浮在水面，网状的根系让它们得以在泻湖内漂动，聚聚散散。有人说灯笼莲是植物。也有人说它们是动物。霏觉得是同时属于两个范畴。
As the two of them walked in silence, Faey gazed at the lantern florae drifting in the lagoon. The purple flowers had five petals that formed a mouth, allowing them to breathe vapors of various shades into the air. Their large leaves let them float on the surface of the water, and their roots were webbed so they could move around the lagoon, gathering together and then dispersing. Some claimed the lantern florae were plants. Others said they were animals. Faey thought they were both.
“我理解你的打算，”梅目说话的语气是她们二人私下独处时才用的语气——充满耐心，同时又带着沉甸甸的期许。“但你不需要证明什么。”
“I understand what you meant to do,” Mayym said in a tone she used only when alone with Faey—heavy with patience, weighed down by expectation. “But there is nothing to prove.”
“我们渴望证明自己……还有，只是单纯的饿。”霏设法让自己听来充满敬意，“其他人都严格守纪，就如他们接受的训练。我们的配合很有默契。” 除了阿卡丽，霏心想。但她是最年幼的。
“We were hungry to prove ourselves… and also, just hungry.” Faey tried to sound respectful. “The others acted with discipline, the way we’ve been trained. We worked well as a team.” Except Akali, Faey thought. But she’s the youngest.
“我不是要说这个，”梅目说，“银山猪的肉不是我们该吃的。如果你杀了它，你造成的损害可能会超过收获。”
“That’s not what I mean,” said Mayym. “The silver boar is not an animal whose meat we should consume. If you’d killed it, you would have brought more harm than good.”
“可我还以为我们可以猎银山猪呢。”霏说。
“But I thought we were allowed to hunt it,” Faey said.
“那是以前。”梅目带着霏来到泻湖的另一端，这里有一片铺着珍珠般鹅卵石的浅滩。身着飘逸丝绸褂袍的梅目举手投足落落大方。她的手臂和大腿上缠着许多层绑带，腰间挂着几把苦无。
“Not anymore.” Mayym led Faey to the far side of the lagoon, where the water was shallow, giving way to pearly pebbles. Dressed in a flowing, silky gown, Mayym moved with elegance. She had layers of bandages wrapped around her arms and thighs, with several kunai hanging from her waist.
在霏的眼里，梅目是真正的楷模。既优雅又致命。如今教派的领袖，苦说大师之子，慎，无法与她相提并论。
In Faey’s eyes, Mayym was a true role model. Graceful yet lethal. Shen, Master Kusho’s son, was now the order’s leader, but he was no match.
“银山猪与精神领域有千丝万缕的关系，”梅目继续说着，“它的存在是诞生于两个世界之间的连接。它是有魔力的生物。”
“A silver boar has ties with the spirit realm,” Mayym continued. “That means its existence is born out of a connection between the two worlds. It’s a magical creature.”
“艾欧尼亚许多生物都有魔力。”霏说。
“A lot of Ionia’s creatures are,” said Faey.
“的确，但掠食者与猎物之间的轮回已经被打破。情况越来越混乱。”
“Yes, but the cycle of predator and prey has been broken. We are descending into chaos.”
“因为诺克萨斯。”外族入侵者的名字从她口中吐出，就像一句咒骂。
“Because of Noxus.” She said the name of the foreign invaders like a curse.
“这场战争正在摧残艾欧尼亚。军队正在把动物赶尽杀绝，神秘森林中的树木遭到砍伐，精神领域正在翻江倒海。”她们来到布满岩石的斜坡，梅目继续说，“魔法能量变得邪祟，初生之土色调异变。每个人都试图在这个疯狂的世界中找到自己的位置，采取的行动就是杀戮。大多数时候都是盲目的杀戮。战争的暴力已经开始造成意图之外的损害，导致物质领域和精神领域之间的严重失衡。”
“This war is ravaging Ionia. Armies are hunting animals near extinction, trees in mystical forests are being felled, and the spirit realm is reeling,” Mayym said as they stepped onto a rocky slope. “Magical energies turn vile, and the First Lands are changing shades. Everyone is trying to find their place in a world spiraling out of control, and they do this by killing. Most times blindly so. The violence of the war is already causing unintended damage, resulting in a major disturbance of the balance between the material realm and the spirit realm.”
霏心里一惊。如果我当时杀了山猪，我就会损害平衡——而那正是均衡教派应该保护的东西！“梅目大师，我们该怎样恢复与精神领域的平衡？如果所有诺克萨斯入侵者都死光，我们能回到从前的样子吗？”
Faey was shocked. If I had killed the boar, I would’ve hurt the balance—and that’s what the Kinkou are supposed to protect! “Master Mayym, how do we restore the balance with the spirit realm? Can we go back to the way it was before, if all the Noxian invaders are dead?”
“不再是那么简单的事了。”
“It’s no longer as simple as that.”
她们进入一片飘渺的雾霭，那是灯笼莲的杰作。空气潮湿清凉。她们脚下的石面感觉又湿又滑，有轻微的弧度，就像她们行走于两片巨大的嘴唇之上。霏可以分辨出旁边凸出的一块巨石像鼻子的形状，还有更远处，褶皱开裂的岩层则可能是一双半闭的眼睛，裂口正在潺潺地涌出小型的瀑布。我们正行走在一张脸上，霏心想。看起来像是上古时代留下的巨大雕像，但没人能确切知道，因为流水侵蚀了棱角，赤苔铺满了向阳的一面。
They passed into a drifting fog, the work of the lantern florae. The air felt moist and cool. The stone slate under their feet was slippery and slightly curved, as if they were walking between a pair of enormous lips. Faey could make out a protruding rock to the side that resembled a nose and, beyond that, cracked folds that could be half-closed eyelids, where small waterfalls trickled through the fissures. We’re walking on a face, Faey thought. It looked like the remains of a giant statue from an ancient era lost to time, though no one could be sure, as water had eroded all its angles and red moss blanketed its sunlit sides.
天色渐黑。她们来到一个缓坡前，开始向高处走。“魔法和生命是同样的径流，连接着两个领域。”梅目说。
The sky was turning dark. They came upon an incline and started uphill. “Magic and life are parts of the same current that connects the two realms,” Mayym said.
霏背诵起均衡的教义：“物质领域和精神领域是一片叶子的两个面，同枝同根。”
Faey recited the Kinkou teaching: “The material realm and the spirit realm are two sides of the same leaf, grown on the same branch, sharing the same roots.”
“对。二者不可脱离彼此独自生长，其中一个黯淡，另一个也会失色。”梅目说，“当生命以非自然的方式消亡，比如死于战争，就有灵体淡入湮灭。但其他留下来的灵体，却带着歹意邪念。这种事发生得越多，精神领域就变得越污浊。继而反冲逆行，影响到物质领域的所有生命。恶性循环。”
“Yes. One does not flourish without the other, and when one darkens, the other dims,” Mayym said. “When lives perish in unnatural ways, such as in war, some spirits fade into oblivion. But others linger, with noxious intent. The more this happens, the more polluted the spirit realm becomes. And in turn, this causes a backlash that affects all life in the material realm. A vicious circle.”
提到精神领域的污染，让霏想起了当时的异样。“梅目大师，我们第一眼看到那头银山猪的时候，就在它刚刚离开精神领域的时候，看上去是受到了激惹。”
The mention of spiritual contamination reminded Faey of something strange. “Master Mayym, when we first saw the silver boar, right when it left the spirit realm, it appeared agitated.”
梅目停下了脚步，然后转身看向她。
Mayym stopped in her tracks, then turned to look at her.
“就像是在躲着什么。”霏补充道。
“Like it was running away from something,” Faey added.
“这件事就发生在警戒范围附近？”
“And this took place near the perimeter?”
“是的，就在西面山丘的另一侧。”
“Yes, just on the other side of the western hills.”
梅目思索了一阵，然后继续向前走。“可能是战争的污流已经把艾欧尼亚整个包裹，所以即使战斗发生在别的地方，也还是影响到了我们这里。”
Mayym remained thoughtful for a while, then resumed walking. “It could be that the foul current of the war has enveloped Ionia as a whole, reaching us here, even though the battles are taking place elsewhere.”
“我们能帮上忙，”霏请求道，“让我们受戒。交给我们真正的任务。”
“We can help,” Faey pleaded. “Initiate us. Grant us real missions.”
“稍安勿躁，”梅目温柔地答道，“霏，其他童子都跟随着你。甚至那几个年比你年长的。他们将你视为楷模。”
“In time,” Mayym replied gently. “Faey, the other neophytes follow you. Even those older than you. They see you as a good role model.”
听到梅目的夸奖，霏的心在狂跳。
Faey’s heart leapt at Mayym’s praise.
“你自己受戒成为正规弟子是没问题的，但并不是每个人都有你的天赋，”梅目轻轻地说，“你和其他童子在一起，能让他们近朱者赤。所以在最近这段时间里，要维持现状。”
“You yourself will have no problem getting initiated as an acolyte, but not everyone has your gift,” Mayym said quietly. “Your presence with the other neophytes serves as a good influence on them. So for now, stay that way.”
霏泄气了，用力咬着自己腮帮子上的肉。一定是阿卡丽。是她在给我拖后腿。
Faey’s mood sank, and she bit down on the inside of her cheek. It must be Akali. She’s the one holding me back.
她们穿过稀疏的灌木丛，来到一片较高的平地。“忍即是善，同时也是一种需要磨砺的技巧，对于最杰出的人尤为如此。”梅目对她说，“你们童子是均衡的未来。我们需要确保你们所有人都做好万全准备，才可以受戒。”
They passed through loose thickets, stepping onto higher ground. “Patience is a virtue, but also a skill that requires honing as much as an arrowhead, especially for one who bests all the rest,” Mayym told her. “You neophytes are the future of the Kinkou. We need to make sure all of you are ready before any of you can be initiated.”
霏不同意，但她什么也没有说。
Faey disagreed, but said nothing.
她们离开了树木的遮挡，来到最后一座没有积雪的山顶。在月亮的周围，一环明亮的湛蓝银光照亮夜空。霏盯着那里，她知道自己正在见证实体月亮和它在精神领域的倒影发生近似月合的重叠。她想知道在梅目眼里看到的是什么景象。
They left the cover of the trees, cresting the last hill untouched by snow. Around the moon, a bright ring of sapphirine silver graced the night sky. Faey gazed at it, knowing she was witnessing the near-convergence of the physical moon and its reflection in the spirit realm. She wondered what it looked like to Mayym.
今天是玄纳茵村的湛灵春节的最后一日，梅目和其他均衡教派的高阶成员在夜空的黑色画布上会看到一番奇特景象：苍白的月光会恰好被一个稍暗的影子遮住，就像有人给它盖上了厚厚的帷幕，那是精神领域的神秘之月聚集在物质领域的银月前方。
On this final night of the Spirit Blossom festival in Xuanain, Mayym and other senior Kinkou would see something vastly different on the black canvas of the sky: the circle of pale illumination partially covered by a darker shade, like someone had thrown a thick veil over it, as the mystic moon in the spirit realm swam before the silvery moon in the material realm.
霏迫切期待她也能体验如此壮美之景的一天——而那一天似乎遥不可及。但她知道此景并不仅仅是优美的展现，它也标志着均衡教派的首领三人组齐聚，共同决定教派接下来的方针。
Faey longed for the day when she could experience such a spectacle—it seemed so far away. But she knew it was more than just a beautiful display. It also signified when the triumvirate of the Kinkou would meet and decide what came next for the order.
“霏，继续培养你的技艺，”梅目说，月光用寒霜般的银光描出她的剪影，“你将注定继承我暗影之拳的位置。”
“Faey, keep growing your skill,” Mayym said, moonlight lining the edge of her silhouette in frosty silver, “and you are bound to succeed me as the Fist of Shadow.”
当那一天到来的时候，霏升起一个不安的念头，均衡教派依然存在吗？
When that day comes, Faey thought uneasily, will there still be a Kinkou Order?
软笔书法需要耐心与勤奋，需要手稳心静——需要的都是阿卡丽讨厌的。
The art of calligraphy required patience and diligence, stillness of the body and keen focus of the mind—everything that Akali hated.
她坐在老旧的神庙里，用粗毛笔在纸上写着字，肘边摆着墨锭和砚台。这里的屋顶由苍老的枝干组成，其中一些像老人的胡须一样垂下。弟子们种了许多发光植物，一串串夜明花沿着神庙的墙壁垂下，为阿卡丽的晚课提供光亮。书法老师在闲适地坐在一旁，腿上放着一个卷轴，嘴里压抑着哈欠。
Sitting in the old temple, she was writing characters on a piece of paper with a broad brush, the inkstick and inkstone by her elbow. The roof was made of hoary branches, and some of them had draped down like the beard of an old man. Light-blooms, tiny luminous plants that the acolytes had grown, hung in strings along the temple walls, lending light to Akali’s nightly lesson. The acolyte instructor sat idly to the side with a scroll on his lap, stifling a yawn.
这跟吃米糕一样简单，阿卡丽心想，写好了就能让母亲开心。
This is as easy as eating rice pudding, Akali thought. Mother’ll be happy if I do well.
然而，这个字的最后一笔，竖弯钩，她越看越像一撇小胡子。阿卡丽看入了迷，情不自禁地多画了几笔。于是这个字就变成了一张留着胡子、笑眯眯的人脸。
Yet, the more she stared at a character that ended with a curved stroke, the more she thought it looked like a mustache. Mesmerized, Akali couldn’t help but add a few streaks with the tapered tip of her brush. The character turned into a smirking, mustached face.
阿卡丽噗地笑了出来，然后迅速用双手遮住嘴，把墨汁画到了脸上。书法老师怒目而视，正要起身站起来，这时门口传来一个声音。
Akali puffed out a laugh, then quickly covered her mouth with her hands, smudging her cheek. The instructor scowled and was about to stand up, when a voice called from the door.
“你好啊，小不点。”一个小巧的身影向她挥着尖爪小手。
“Hello, little one.” A small figure waved a clawed hand at her.
“凯南，你回来了！”阿卡丽轻快地跳起来。她扔下毛笔跑了出去，浓墨泼在白纸上。
“Kennen, you’re back!” Akali bounded to her feet. She dropped the brush, smearing wet, black ink on the paper, and ran out.
书法老师厉声喊她回来，但随后立刻住嘴，因为他发现门口的那个人的确是凯南，均衡教派的狂暴之心。
The instructor barked at her to return, but stopped short when he saw that the person at the door was indeed Kennen, the Kinkou’s Heart of the Tempest.
凯南一个空翻，引阿卡丽追逐，虽然不可能追得上。他们在棚屋之间奔跑，穿过树林的边界又穿回来，在泻湖的岸边踩出水花。最后阿卡丽坐在一棵横倒在地的树干上，挨着那个约德尔人大口喘气。
Kennen flipped away so Akali could try to catch him, even though it was impossible. They ran between the huts, through the edge of the woods and back, splashing water by the lagoon’s shore. Akali ended up wheezing next to the yordle on a fallen tree trunk.
“我听说你搅黄了童子们抓捕银山猪的计划。”凯南骑在树干上，用逗弄的语气说
“I heard that you thwarted the neophytes’ effort to get the silver boar,” Kennen said teasingly, straddling the trunk.
“我不是故意的。霏一开始就该带上我。我能帮上忙！”
“I didn’t mean to. Faey should have asked me to come along. I can help!”
“不要沮丧。小孩子都那样。他们大概是觉得你太小了。”凯南的声音和人类的小孩子一样，但他的音调里却带着智慧。
“Don’t feel bad about it. Children are like that. They probably thought you were too young.” Kennen’s voice was that of a human child, yet his tone was laced with wisdom.
“可我比你还高呢！”
“But I’m taller than you!”
“这话不假。”凯南高举起手弄乱她的头发。
“That you are.” Kennen reached up and tousled her hair.
“慎在哪？”阿卡丽一边问，一边出神地摸着挂在脖子上当吊坠的小型苦无。
“Where’s Shen?” Akali asked, absently touching the small kunai she wore as a pendant.
“他在冥想。”
“He’s meditating.”
“他还伤心吗？我有点想他……”阿卡丽一直都很钦佩慎。
“Is he still sad? I miss him…” Akali had always admired Shen.
凯南露出苦笑。“挚友的背叛……再加上父亲的离世……对他来说太沉重了。”
Kennen smiled wistfully. “The betrayal by his best friend and… the loss of his father… weigh heavy on him.”
阿卡丽想起自己的父亲也在劫的袭击中死去。她也很想念他。
Akali was reminded of her own father’s death in Zed’s attack. She missed him, too.
凯南换了个话题。“你怎么样了？梅目教给你苦无的用法了吗？”
Kennen changed the subject. “How have you been doing? Has Mayym been teaching you how to wield the kunai?”
阿卡丽摇摇头，把苦无吊坠握在手中。“母亲一直都觉得我还不够优秀，”她喃喃地说，“她只想教霏。”
Akali shook her head, now covering the kunai pendant with her hand. “Mother never thinks I’m good enough,” she mumbled. “She only wants to spend time with Faey.”
“嗯，估计梅目一次只能教一名私人徒弟吧。”
“Well, I guess Mayym can only teach one protégé at a time.”
“为什么我不能是她的徒弟呢？”阿卡丽心里泛起一阵酸涩。
“Why can’t I be her protégé?” A sore feeling gripped Akali’s heart.
凯南对她凝望片刻，然后在树干上坐着凑近她。“梅目成为暗影之拳以前，曾经和霏的母亲共同执行过许多任务。她们是配合亲密的队友。”
Kennen gazed at her for a moment, then slid closer to her on the tree trunk. “Before Mayym became the Fist of Shadow, she went on many missions with Faey’s mother. They worked closely as a team.”
“我知道。”
“I know that.”
“梅目并不是故意要忽视你。在你还是个婴儿的时候，她曾承诺要好好照顾霏。”
“It’s not that Mayym tries to ignore you. When you were a baby, she made a promise to take care of Faey.”
阿卡丽的记忆中没有霏的双亲。他们都是资深的弟子，很久前就死了。她现在才开始认真思索这件事，而凯南则在她身边耐心等待。
Akali had no memory of Faey’s parents. They were both senior acolytes who died long ago. Now she thought about what that meant as Kennen waited patiently beside her.
如果失去父亲让她悲伤，那么霏一定承受着双倍的痛苦，而且已经承受了许多个季节。阿卡丽的怒意平息了，她感到一种自己无法理解的情绪。她感觉胸紧巴巴的。
If losing her father had made her sad, Faey must have endured double the pain, for many more seasons. Akali’s anger subsided, and she felt an emotion that she could not comprehend. Her chest tightened.
大家都失去了很多。这个湖边神庙的避难地是他们拥有的全部。
Everyone had lost so much. This haven by the lagoon temple was all they had.
约德尔人跳到阿卡丽面前，吓了她一跳。“嘿，一切都会没事的。”凯南用双手捧着她的脸。“你长的很快，你跑的比所有童子都快。你的母亲总有一天会看到的。”
The yordle hopped in front of Akali, startling her. “Hey, it’ll be all right.” Kennen cupped her face in his hands. “You grow fast, and you can run faster than all the other neophytes. Your mother will see it one day.”
他用鼻子蹭了蹭她的鼻子，阿卡丽被逗得咯咯笑。然后凯南翻着筋斗灵巧地跳开了。
He rubbed his nose against hers, making Akali giggle. Then Kennen somersaulted nimbly away.
“我现在要去参加一个会议，”他说，“回去把书法课上完，好吗？”
“There’s a meeting I need to go to now,” he said. “Go back and finish your calligraphy lesson, okay?”
低压压的云在山顶不远处滚动着，一道道玄武岩的山脊将冰川揽入怀抱。冰川的表面有一个巨大冲击留下的陨坑，在霏的想象中，是巨人在这里打了一拳。
Low clouds were rolling just beyond the mountain’s summit, where basalt peaks held a glacier in their embrace. A colossal impact crater had sunk the glacier’s surface, and Faey imagined that a giant’s fist had punched it.
在陨坑里，她看着梅目和凯南面对面，脚边的一道裂缝把陨坑一分为二。
There, she watched as Mayym and Kennen stood face to face, at a rift that severed the crater in two.
“纳沃利的普雷西典，艾欧尼亚已经取得了胜利，”梅目争辩道，“既然如此，抵抗诺克萨斯的战争很可能即将达到转折点。”她双臂交叉抱在胸前，幻影镰刀斜背在背后。“许多人的行动正在干扰神圣的平衡，有诺克萨斯人，也有艾欧尼亚人。均衡教派应该把他们修掉，趁着艾欧尼亚还占着上风。”作为暗影之拳，梅目代表着修枝——终结物质领域和精神领域之间的不平衡。
“Given the Ionian victory at the Placidium of Navori,” Mayym argued, “a tipping point in the war against Noxus could be in sight.” Her arms were folded in front of her chest, her phantom scythe lashed to her back. “There are many whose actions are disrupting the sacred balance, Noxians and Ionians. The Kinkou should be there to prune them out, while Ionia has the upper hand.” As the Fist of Shadow, Mayym represented Pruning the Tree—the elimination of imbalance between the material realm and the spirit realm.
“我们刚刚站稳脚跟，你这就要我们投入战斗？”矮小的约德尔人说。
“We’re just regaining our footing, and you want us to dive into battle now?” said the diminutive yordle.
“为责任而战，维护均衡， 这样我们才能站稳脚跟，”梅目说，“短暂的机会触手可及。”
“Fighting to uphold our duty as keepers of balance is the way we get back on our feet,” Mayym said. “The moment is at hand.”
凯南看她的目光里充满了惊诧。他是狂暴之心，他的职责是逐日——无论在这里达成什么样的判断，他都必须将其传达给全艾欧尼亚的均衡教众。
Kennen looked incredulously at her. He was the Heart of the Tempest, and his duty was Coursing the Sun—whatever judgment was reached here, he would have to convey it to all Kinkou members across Ionia.
霏站在远处，恭敬地旁听，尽量不让自己在寒冷的山顶显露出烦躁。梅目会带着她出席重要的会议，这是她修行的一部分。霏的下巴止不住地打颤，她猜想自己的双唇已经青紫了。她不理解其他人是如何在这刺骨的寒冷中泰然自若的。
Faey stood a distance away from them, respectfully observing and trying not to fidget on the chilly mountaintop. As part of her training, Mayym brought her to important meetings. Faey’s lips were trembling, and she imagined them turning purple. She couldn’t understand how everyone else could be ignoring the piercing cold.
她也不能理解梅目态度上的差别。但凡关于她这名徒弟的事上，梅目总是敦促隐忍，但和同辈在一起的时候，梅目似乎总在催促行动。
She also could not understand the difference in Mayym’s demeanor. When it came to her protégé, Mayym often urged restraint, but when it came to her equals, Mayym constantly seemed to push for action.
“我们要静观其变，”凯南说，“情况很复杂：有的诺克萨斯士兵四面受敌，有的艾欧尼亚的保护者昨天还是世仇，有的瓦斯塔亚立场不明，还有间谍散布各处。这都是我亲眼所见。”
“We want to sit this one out,” Kennen said. “The situation is complicated: there are Noxian soldiers under threat, Ionian defenders who were bitter enemies just yesterday, vastaya of uncertain allegiance, and spies everywhere. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
“你去了普雷西典？还没被发现？”
“You went to the Placidium? Undetected?”
“怎么，你觉得我退步了？”他笑着说，眼睛和爪尖迸发出闪电。然后他的语调变得阴沉。“返程路上，我听到一些消息，纳沃利兄弟会的人正在往这边来，而且来者不善。他们在自己身上纹了猛虎。”
“What, you thought I lost my touch?” He smiled, and lightning crackled around his eyes and claws. Then his tone turned grim. “On my way back, I picked up accounts that members of a Navori Brotherhood faction are headed this way, and not with peaceful intent. They’ve marked themselves with tiger tattoos.”
梅目皱起眉。“他们要干什么？”
Mayym frowned. “What are they doing?”
“挨村挨户，抓壮丁。”凯南答道。“有人敢反抗他们就动粗。”
“Going from village to village, snatching the young and able,” replied Kennen. “Using violence against anyone who dares object.”
“所以是为了补充战力，对抗诺克萨斯入侵者……”
“So they can replenish their forces against the Noxian invaders…”
“正是。战争的阴影已经通过意料之外的方式扩散到艾欧尼亚全境，”凯南说，“一不留神，就已经找上门了。我们必须小心挑选战斗。”
“Exactly. The darkness of the war has spread over Ionia in unprecedented ways,” Kennen said. “Before we know it, it’ll be at our door. We must pick our battles carefully.”
梅目摇摇头。“诺克萨斯入侵艾欧尼亚是问题根源。让平衡被打破、让尸首堆积如山、让精神领域遭到扰乱。如果我们真要维护均衡守护者的职责，就必须前往纳沃利。”
Mayym shook her head. “The Noxian invasion of Ionia is the root cause of the imbalance. The mounting deaths. The reason why the spirit realm is disturbed. If we are to uphold our role as guardians of the Kinkou’s mission, we must go to Navori.”
“我们不能草率行动。”
“We should not act rashly.”
“说这话的人不久前还偷偷进出敌人的阵线。”
“Says one who just sneaked in and out of the enemy line.”
“我犯险是为了你们的安全！”凯南厉声说。
“I did that so none of you have to!” Kennen snapped.
有那么一刻，他们之间的空气似乎冻结了，霏屏住自己的呼吸，眼睛一眨不眨。
There was a moment when the air seemed to freeze between them, and Faey held her breath, unblinking.
那一刻过去了，梅目看向一旁。“或许暮光之眼有话要说？”
The moment passed, and Mayym looked to the side. “Perhaps the Eye of Twilight has something to say?”
她看的方向，上坡几步开外的一座石柱上，站着一个安静的人影。他身上穿着无袖的外套，掖进一条饱经风雨的裤子里。他的躯干和四肢上绑着皮革甲板、金属方条和丝绸饰带。他背后交叉背着两把剑，一把钢剑，一把魂刃。他并没有像平时那样带着面具，但样貌特征依然藏在阴影中，罩帽遮挡住了月光。
And there, just a few strides upslope, perched atop a stone pillar, was a silent figure. He wore a jacket cut short at the sleeves, tucked into a pair of weather-beaten trousers. Fastened upon his torso and limbs were leather plates, metal bands, and silken wraps. He had two swords crossed on his back, one of steel, the other arcane. He was not wearing his usual mask, but his features were nonetheless hidden in the shadow of his hood, shielded from the moonlight.
慎，霏幽幽地心想，我们优柔寡断的首领。
Shen, Faey thought gloomily. Our leader who is always indecisive.
“的确，平衡被战争的暴力所伤，但战火也同样由艾欧尼亚人燃起。”慎的声音粗糙沙哑，“劫和他的流派就尤为其甚。”
“It’s true that the balance is being harmed by the violence of the war, which is inflamed by Ionians as well,” said Shen, his voice hoarse, “not the least of whom are Zed and his order.”
“一语中的。我们必须对抗他们。”梅目急切地说。
“Precisely. We must act against them,” Mayym urged.
“然而……”慎稍稍抬起头。“虽然我的心告诉我要倾注一切力量对抗劫，但我却开始担忧自己做不到公正秉直。我担忧……”他犹豫了片刻，“那些聚拢在劫身边的人也在以自己的方式匡扶平衡，对抗那些损毁艾欧尼亚的入侵者。我们必须对此慎重考量。”
“And yet…” Shen’s hooded head rose slightly. “As my every instinct tells me to pour all our strength against Zed’s, I begin to fear that I can’t be impartial. I fear that…” He hesitated for a moment. “Those rallying around Zed are serving the balance in their own way, fighting against invaders who are devastating Ionia. We must give this question more consideration.”
凯南耸了耸肩。“就像我说的，时局纷乱复杂。”
Kennen shrugged. “As I said, complicated times.”
“我需要让自己远离情绪，这样才能做出不带偏见的决定。”慎最后说。
“I need to distance myself from my emotions, so I may decide free of prejudice,” Shen concluded.
霏看到梅目呼出一缕白雾，那是她在叹息。
Faey saw Mayym let out a misty, pale breath as she sighed.
“我们的教派需要一名能指明前路的暮光之眼。”梅目哀怨地说。
“Our order needs an Eye of Twilight who leads,” Mayym said ruefully.
如果慎有何不悦，他没有流露出丝毫痕迹。毕竟，他刚刚成为均衡的首领不久，而梅目在无数个季节以前就已经是首领三人组之一了。
If Shen took offense, he showed no sign. After all, he had been the Kinkou’s leader for only a short time, while Mayym had been part of the triumvirate for countless seasons.
如果苦说大师还活着，他一定会为我们感到羞愧。霏抬起头，想让自己不要那么在意寒冷。几朵云以外的地方，天空中星辰璀璨。
If Master Kusho were alive, he would be so ashamed of us. Faey looked up, trying to distract herself from the cold. Aside from a few wisps of cloud, the sky sparkled with stars.
霏突然意识到了什么：慎作为暮光之眼的职责……观星意味着中立的观察，意味着要缜密周全，然后才能做出判断。
A realization came to Faey: Shen’s duty as the Eye of Twilight… Watching the Stars meant neutral observation, to become thoroughly informed before passing judgment.
所有均衡弟子都需要通识三律，然后再选择其中之一继续进修。观星、逐日、修枝——三律之间存在重合，任何一律的存在意义都离不开与另外两律的关联。霏很清楚，在首领三人组探讨均衡的未来时，每个人都遵照了各自的职责：凯南担心传递错误的判断，梅目敦促干涉失衡，而慎……
All Kinkou acolytes had to study three disciplines before they chose one as their path. Watching the Stars, Coursing the Sun, and Pruning the Tree—the disciplines had overlapping areas, and one’s existence would hold no meaning without its relation to the other two. It was clear to Faey that when debating the Kinkou’s future, each member of the triumvirate had followed their respective role: Kennen mindful of conveying wrong judgments, Mayym urging action to address the imbalance, and Shen…
他要做的事最简单，不是吗？仅仅是观察一切，什么都不做。观星。
The easiest job to do, isn’t it? To just observe everything and do nothing. Watching the Stars.
一点也没错，一段时间过去了，慎再也没蹦出半个字来。他只是坐在那，低着头，似乎心不在此。
Indeed, some time had passed, and Shen never spoke another word. He just sat there, head down, as if his mind were not even present.
从他们今天讨论问题的方式，霏感觉这一次三首期会最后毫无意义。
From the way they addressed the matters at hand today, Faey felt this Meeting of the Triad had turned out meaningless.
慎离开后，其他两人开始向坡下走。
After Shen left, the rest of them began walking downhill.
“我懂慎的苦。他和我一样，都在劫的袭击中失去了亲爱的人。”梅目说，“但是这种时候需要强有力的领导……或许我们不应该期待他和他父亲一样伟大。”她的语气平直，但霏能从词句背后听到闪烁的懊恼。“人不应该任人唯亲。”
“I sympathize with Shen. He and I both lost someone we held dear during Zed’s attack,” Mayym said. “But a time like this calls for stronger leadership… Perhaps we should not expect him to be as great as his father.” She spoke evenly, but Faey could hear frustration simmering under the words. “One should not rely on kinship when it comes to succession.”
“我不敢苟同。”凯南轻快地回答。因为他的速度太快了，所以不得不绕着圈走，才能保持和梅目齐同。“有的时候潜力就是通过血脉传承的。你看看你自己。”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Kennen replied lightly. Because he was so fast, he had to hike in circles so he could walk alongside Mayym. “Sometimes potential does pass down through blood. Look at yourself.”
“你这是什么意思？”梅目皱着眉头问。
“What do you mean?” Mayym asked, frowning.
凯南向后面瞥了一眼，霏正在跟随，然后凯南耸耸肩。“没什么。”
Kennen glanced at Faey, who was trailing behind them, and shrugged. “Nothing.”
当霏回到泻湖的时候，整座避难地都在沉睡，除了几名站岗的弟子。
When Faey came back to the lagoon, the whole haven was asleep save for the acolytes standing watch.
她小心翼翼地接近自己和另外几个童子睡觉的棚屋。她看到阿卡丽正独自坐在门口的石台上。小姑娘正穿着她的睡衣。她喜欢称之为席噗，这是孩童在节日期间穿的彩色斗篷。其实，这件衣服只是一件用米色纺线粗制的袍子，是她父亲塔诺给她的。可惜塔诺也在劫造反的时候遇害了。
She gingerly approached the hut she shared with a few other neophytes. There she saw Akali sitting alone on the stone slabs in front of the dwelling. The little girl was wearing her night garment. She loved calling it a shiipo, which was a florid cloak worn by children during festivals. In truth, it was just a rough-spun robe made of beige-colored yarn, given to her by her father, Tahno, another victim of Zed’s rebellion.
“你在这干嘛？”霏小声对她喊。
“What are you doing here?” Faey called out in a low voice.
阿卡丽立刻坐直，看到霏回来很高兴。小姑娘从口袋里翻出一颗水果干。“我要把这个给你。”
Akali sat upright, happy to see Faey’s return. The little girl produced a piece of dried fruit from inside her pocket. “I want to give you this.”
“梅子？”霏惊讶地接过来。“怎么回事？我以为我们今晚没饭吃呢。”
“A plum?” Faey took it with wonder. “How? I thought we didn’t get dinner tonight.”
“这是几天前的了。”
“It’s from a few days ago.”
霏瞪大了双眼。“你在储藏食物？”
Faey’s eyes widened. “You’ve been storing food?”
阿卡丽耸耸肩，似乎有些自责，但什么也没说。她的肩膀在发抖。
Akali shrugged, looking guilty, but made no reply. Her shoulders were shaking.
她在害怕，霏意识到，她看着手中的梅干。为什么？
She is afraid, Faey realized, looking down at the dried fruit. Why?
“我想留些吃的，”阿卡丽说，“或许我们哪一天会用得上。你知道……万一……万一坏人再来。”
“I want to keep some food,” Akali said. “Maybe we’ll need it someday. You know… if… if bad people come again.”
她害怕的是敌人可能随时出现，而我们要断粮逃亡……
She’s afraid that enemies might show up any moment, and we’ll be on the run without food…
“我不要让任何东西破坏我们的家，”阿卡丽说，“我不要任何人再失去家人。”
“I don’t want anything to tear our family apart,” Akali said. “I don’t want us to lose anyone anymore.”
泪水突然涌上霏的双眼，但她用力忍着没哭。她很久前因教派的任务而失去了双亲，在无数个啜泣的夜晚之后，她发誓再也不哭。但她为阿卡丽感到伤心。从某种程度上说，她们真的像亲姐妹一样，因为阿卡丽的母亲和霏待在一起的时间比自己的女儿都多。
Tears suddenly welled up in Faey’s eyes, but she held them firmly in check. She lost her parents to the order’s missions long ago, and vowed never to cry again after countless nights of sobbing. But she felt for Akali. In a way, they were truly like siblings, for Akali’s mother spent much more time with Faey than with her own daughter.
霏咬下半颗梅干，然后把剩下半颗还了回去。“你吃。”
Faey bit off half the plum and handed the rest back. “You eat this.”
一种陌生的愤怒在霏的体内沸腾着。她无法理解为什么会发生这一切。如果如教诲所说，均衡教派对艾欧尼亚这么重要，那么为什么他们要如此受苦受难？
An anger unfamiliar to Faey was boiling inside her. She could not comprehend why everything had happened. If the Kinkou Order played such an important role to Ionia—as the teachings said—why did they have to suffer like this?
“你该睡觉了。”她拨乱阿卡丽的头发，给她长长的拥抱，没有让一滴眼泪逃出眼角。
“You should go to sleep.” She ruffled Akali’s hair, and gave her a long hug, never letting a tear escape from the corner of her eye.
几天过去，霏一直在勤勉地锻炼弓术。她十分懊恼——因为慎，因为梅目拒绝让她受戒成为正式弟子，因为自己想要帮忙却力不从心，因为这一切。
As the days passed, Faey earnestly practiced her archery. She was frustrated—about Shen, about Mayym’s refusal to make her an acolyte, about how powerless she was to help, about everything.
苦练弓术是唯一有意义的事。除了学习、练习隐蔽或者处理杂务，霏几乎无时无刻不在这座临时搭建的小型靶场里。
Working with her bow was the only thing that made sense. When she wasn’t being trained in stealth, studying, or doing chores, Faey was spending almost all her time in the small archery range built by the acolytes.
梅目外出执行某个任务。凯南在领人修筑防线，维护这座泻湖避难地，但霏经常能抓到他和阿卡丽嬉戏，蹦跳追逐、投掷磨钝的手里剑，逗得那个小姑娘咯咯笑。
Mayym had gone on one of her missions. Kennen presided over the defense and maintenance of the lagoon haven, but Faey often caught him playing with Akali, racing and jumping and throwing blunt shuriken with the giggling little girl.
有一天，西索来到霏旁边打断了她静心凝神的弓术练习。“我们要去南山谷玩‘林中有鬼’。一起来呀。”她说。
One day, Hisso came to Faey during her meditative archery exercise. “We’re going to play Ghost in the Woods at the southern valley. Come join us,” she said.
“南山谷？”霏的双眼离开了靶子，放下弓。“梅目不会同意吧。”
“The southern valley?” Faey took her eyes off the practice target, lowering her bow. “Mayym wouldn’t like that.”
那条山谷很宽，生长着很多植物，散落着许多巨石和废弃的石墙。那里的地形很危险，玄纳茵的村民曾提醒过均衡教派，近几十年那里发生过许多次大滑坡。
The valley was wide and full of plant life, marked by loose boulders and abandoned stone walls. It was dangerous terrain, and the villagers of Xuanain had warned the Kinkou that there had been a few major landslides over the decades.
“呃，所以我们才挑梅目不在的时候去嘛，”西索告诉她，“你知道在那做游戏才最好玩。来吧，其他人都去了。”
“Well, that’s why we do it when Mayym isn’t around,” Hisso told her. “You know it’s the most exciting place for the game. C’mon, the others are all there.”
霏很犹豫，但她最后说，“好吧，我再练完最后一组。待会过去找你们。”
Faey was hesitant, but she said, “Fine. I need to finish another set. I’ll find you there later.”
西索离开后，霏深吸一口气稳住躯干。重新找好双脚站位，手握距离弓底几掌的距离，确保这把非对称弓能发挥最大力量。
When the neophyte left, Faey drew a deep breath and stabilized her torso. She repositioned her feet and held her asymmetrical bow a few handspans from the bottom to ensure the most force.
对于一名未来的均衡教派武士，掌握一种武器需要两种修行，心神意念和实战技巧——正所谓内外兼修。接受弓术训练的霏，从五夏就开始拿起弓内外兼修了。
For a Kinkou warrior-to-be, the mastery of a type of weaponry required two tracks of experience, the meditative and the combat-practical—the neio and the neiyar. Trained to become an archer, Faey had been practicing neio and neiyar with her bow since she was five summers old.
当然，因为她从未面对过真正带着杀意的敌人，外修的部分主要围绕着狩猎动物和同老师切磋。大多数时候，老师都让她在靶场里进行内修，她对此十分厌烦，因为她射不了几箭就一定会开始觉得无聊。
Of course, given that she had never faced a real enemy keen on taking her life, the neiyar centered around animal hunting and dueling against her trainers. Most times, she was instructed to stay in the archery range practicing her meditative neio, which she had resented because boredom always crept in after just a few shots.
但最近几天不一样了。她需要内修才能冷静下来。
But not these days. She needed to practice neio to feel calm.
“当你手中握着足以致命的武器，它最先砥砺的就是你的心智。”梅目教过她。“抛弃杂念，每个动作都要专心。”
“When you hold a lethal weapon in your hands, the first thing it sharpens is your mind,” Mayym had taught her. “Quiet your thoughts, and focus on your every move.”
然而就在霏做出精确的姿势，把双手举过头顶的同时，疑惑在她脑海中翻腾着。
Yet as Faey raised both arms above her head in a refined manner, confusion raged like a maelstrom.
我们为什么打不过劫？她持弓手向外推。
Why couldn’t we beat Zed? She pushed out her bow arm.
为什么一定要让慎带领我们？她绷紧后部的肌肉，叩紧弦，把弓拉开。
Why does it have to be Shen who leads us? She contracted her back muscles, drawing open the bow with the string.
苦说大师死的那天，在庙堂里究竟发生了什么？大人们从来都不说。他们也不知道吧？她把弓拉满后短暂停顿，这是全神贯注的瞬间，是一名弓手能感受到弓射之道真谛的时刻。但她现在感受到的只有滚烫的愤怒。
What truly happened in the temple that day when Master Kusho died? The adults never spoke of it. Do they even know? She paused at full draw, a moment of utmost concentration when an archer should sense the true spirit of the martial art. But all she could feel now was sizzling fury.
暂停的时间不超过半次呼吸，然后她松开了弓弦。箭矢击中了标靶的边缘，发出微弱的呲声。
The pause lasted no more than half a breath before she released the string. The arrow hit the edge of the target with a weak thump.
霏叹了口气，肩膀松懈下去。
Faey sighed, shoulders drooping.
我们是两个领域的守护者，而在两个领域需要我们的时候，我们却什么都做不了。我们只想观星。
We are the guardians of two realms, yet we do nothing when the realms need us. We just watch the stars.
她闭上双眼，努力想要抛弃杂念，两根手指沿着弓抚摸，然后摸到箭簇。
She closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind by running two fingers along the bow, and then the arrow.
“当你手握武器的时候，”梅目说过，“你肩负着世代相承的传统和无数弓士们的信任，通过神圣的修行形成一条牢不可破的纽带。”
“When you hold these weapons,” Mayym had said, “you are entrusted with a tradition passed down through generations of archer-warriors, in an unbroken line of sacred practice.”
霏缓缓吸气，强迫自己构想这把弓的形状。之所以非对称，是因为很久以前，均衡的弓手发现，较长的上半部能让弓更加耐用，较短的下半部则可以在植被茂密的地方隐蔽行动。霏属于受惠于这种智慧的新一代弓士。
Faey inhaled slowly, forcing herself to think on her bow’s design. It was asymmetrical because, long ago, Kinkou archers had learned that a longer top section made the bow more durable, while a shorter bottom allowed for stealthier movement in regions with dense wild growth. Faey was among the most recent generation to benefit from this wisdom.
世代相承。牢不可破的纽带。
Generations of archer-warriors. An unbroken line of sacred practice.
她感到自己谦卑而渺小。霏睁开双眼走向标靶。她在三步以外的地方停下，这个距离不可能射偏。这样，她就可以专注于自己的动作，确保精简和优雅。
Humbled, Faey opened her eyes and walked toward the target. She paused just three and a half paces away from it, so close that a miss wouldn’t be possible. That way, she could direct all her attention to her movement, ensuring refinement and elegance.
战斗是一种交流，她脑海中响起一个声音。是一种特殊的对话。
Combat is communication, a voice rang in her mind. It is always about the dialogue.
那是苦说大师的声音，那个时候他用温暖的声音对霏和其他孩子说了这番话。那个时候似乎……已经是很久以前了。
It was the voice of Master Kusho, from a time when he spoke warmly to Faey and the other children. A time that seemed… so long ago.
实战的艺术能训练一名武士对抗外敌，以血为墨，书写纷争的对话。然而，只有通过冥想的修行，才能让一名武士磨炼心智，对抗心魔。
The art of practical combat would prepare a warrior against external enemies, with spilled blood calligraphing the dialogue of conflict. Yet, only by contemplative performance would a warrior train her mind against the enemy within.
与一百个自己对话。
A dialogue with a hundred you.
霏举起双手，平静地落下时再次拉开弓弦。她暂停片刻，她的意识陷入永恒的旋涡中。
Faey raised her arms and calmly let them fall, drawing open the bow again. She paused as a timeless vortex claimed her consciousness.
当一切思绪都安静下来，灵魂的对话开始了。
When thoughts hushed, the dialogue of the soul began.
当她下一次眨眼的时候，箭矢已经扎进标靶的中心。
The next time she blinked, the arrow had lodged in the dead center of the target.
她从箭筒里拿出另一支箭，然后又是一支，每一箭都更加优雅，她的姿态也愈发纯粹。
She took another arrow from her quiver, and then another, each shot more graceful than the last, her form a distilled purity.
与此同时，她脑海中漂过新的想法。
As she did so, new thoughts drifted through her mind.
或许大人们并不通晓一切。
Maybe the adults don’t know everything.
或许他们和我一样困惑。
Maybe they are as confused as I am.
或许由谁来带领我们都无所谓，只要我们像家人一样团结就好。
Maybe it doesn’t matter who is leading us, as long as we stick together as a family.
或许……我现在做什么都无法帮助领域恢复平衡。霏射出最后一支箭。或许这样也没关系……
Maybe… there isn’t anything I can do to help restore the balance right now. Faey let go of her last arrow. And maybe that’s okay…
她保持姿势不动。搅动的情绪消散了，浮现出的心智如清晨的泻湖般平静。这是她极少感受到的安宁平和。
She maintained her posture a while longer. The churning emotions had dissipated, bringing to light a mind as tranquil as the early morning lagoon. This was a sense of peace she had rarely felt.
当她走向南山谷的时候太阳已经升到顶点。一些弟子正在进行各自的内修武术练习，霏路过他们穿过森林的边缘，突然她能稍微理解他们正在做什么了。
The sun was at its zenith when she started toward the southern valley. Some of the acolytes were conducting their own meditative martial practice by the edge of the forest as Faey passed by, and suddenly she understood what they were doing a little more.
然后她沿着蜿蜒的小路走向童子们的游玩场地。这段路并不近。虽然霏决定不参与今天的游戏，但她需要过去告诉其他人，别让他们一直等到天黑。
Then she followed the meandering pathway to the neophytes’ playground. It was not a short hike. Faey had decided that she did not feel like participating in the game today, yet she needed to tell the others so they wouldn’t wait for her until dusk.
奇怪的是，当霏来到山谷边缘的时候，童子们并不在这里。
Strangely, when Faey arrived at the fringe of the valley, the neophytes were not there.
她竖起耳朵，没有听到嬉笑，灌木丛中也没有响动。唯一的声音只有蝉鸣和偶尔吹过的风。
She strained her ears, but she heard no clamor, nor any rustling among the bushes. The only sounds were the buzzing of cicadas and the occasional breeze.
不对劲。
Something’s not right.
霏摘下弓，拿出一支箭，继续向谷地探索。这里可能上百年没住过人了，这一侧的山已经被疯狂生长的植被占据。她依稀看到几道残破的石墙，它们还没有被藤条和落叶淹没。
Faey unslung her bow and took out an arrow as she ventured down the valley. Possibly uninhabited by humans for centuries, this side of the mountain had been taken over by wild growth of vegetation. Bits of broken stone walls could be glimpsed where vines and leaves had not yet claimed them.
她继续搜索的同时，前方的绿植为她让开了路，避开她紧张的脚步。
As she continued her search, some of the greenery parted for her, giving way to her nervous steps.
一声哨响令她一惊——随后她看到响声来自石墙废墟的后面。一名童子露出头，对她挥挥手，然后打手势让她保持安静。
A whistle startled her—then she saw that it came from behind one of the stony ruins. A neophyte poked his head out, beckoning to her and signaling for silence.
霏俯下身子，快速移动过去，惊讶地发现这里聚集了一群童子，全都神色阴沉。她也找到了阿卡丽，小姑娘正站在一棵阔叶树下，安静得不像她。
Faey crouched low and swiftly moved over, surprised to see that a bunch of the neophytes were huddled here, all looking grim. She found Akali, too, standing under a large broad-leaved tree, uncharacteristically silent.
一个年长的男孩神情紧张地指了指山下。
One of the older boys gravely pointed a finger downhill.
然后霏也看到了。依然很远的距离外，有一队至少二十人的武夫已经走进山谷。他们的胸前和臂膀上纹了猛虎，霏立刻就知道这意味着什么。
Then Faey saw it, too. Still a good distance away, a group of at least twenty warriors had come into the valley. They had tiger tattoos on their chests and arms, and Faey immediately understood what that meant.
纳沃利兄弟会的人。
It was the Navori Brotherhood.
“我们怎么办？”
“What do we do now?”
童子们聚集到霏的身边。“我们需要给大人们报信。”岑开口说，他是较年幼的孩子。
The neophytes had gathered around Faey. “We need to warn the adults,” said Xenn, a younger boy.
欧米提议跟那群入侵者打，但其他人用怀疑的目光否决了他。除了霏以外，其他人都没携带武器。而当十个童子对抗二十个来势汹汹的恶棍时，输赢很明显。
Omi suggested fighting the intruders, but he was rebuffed by doubtful stares from the others. Except for Faey, they hadn’t brought their weapons, and when you had ten neophytes against twenty mean-looking thugs, the odds were obvious.
给大人们报信看上去是他们唯一的选择，但霏在犹豫。
Alerting the acolytes seemed like their only option, but Faey hesitated.
“我们还等什么？”岑问道，“赶紧回去吧。”
“What are we waiting for?” Xenn asked. “Let’s head back now.”
“慢……”霏说，“我们不能回去。”每个人的目光都落在她身上，不明白她为何这么说。霏盯着那些武夫，他们正在一步步前进。如果教派弟子们出现，就一定会有人死。那样就会加剧给平衡带来的伤害。
“Wait…” Faey said. “We can’t do that.” Everyone’s gaze fell on her, wondering what she meant. Faey stared at the warriors, who were advancing slowly. If the acolytes show up, people will die. That will damage the balance even more.
更不用说，一想到有可能再次失去均衡大家庭里的家人，更让她无法承受。
Not to mention, the thought of losing even one more of her Kinkou family was unbearable.
霏扫视这片区域，下定了决心。“我们要拦住他们，此时此地。”
Faey scanned the area and made up her mind. “We need to stop them, here and now.”
“什么？怎么拦？”阿卡丽瞪圆了棕色的双眼。
“What? How?” asked Akali, brown eyes wide.
“让他们自己决定不要再前进，”霏说，“我知道他们来这里做什么：要抓壮丁去和外来的入侵者打仗。所以，如果他们意识到这里抓不到人，他们就会离开。”
“By making them decide not to go any farther,” Faey said. “I know why they’re here: to capture people and force them to fight against the foreign invaders. So, if they realize there’s no one to be found, they will leave.”
“我们要怎么做呢？走下山直接告诉他们？”野志郎说。
“How do we do that? Walk down and tell them?” Yajiro said.
“不，当然不是。”霏皱起眉头，“还记得我们埋伏银山猪时玩的狩猎游戏吗？”大家一起点头。“我们再玩一次。只不过这次，我们一直不现身。我们模仿灰枭的叫声。”
“No, of course not.” Faey frowned. “Remember the hunting game we played to ambush the silver boar?” Everyone nodded. “We do it again. Except this time, we never show ourselves. We make the sound of grey owls.”
“噩兆。”欧米说。
“Bad omen,” Omi said.
“对，”霏说，“他们都是艾欧尼亚人——他们知道这种叫声意味着一片地区被邪魔法诅咒了，不可能有村落在此扎根。”
“Yes,” Faey said. “These are Ionians—they’ll know the sound means this region is cursed with foul magic, and no village could possibly thrive here.”
“但他们毕竟是艾欧尼亚人，”一个名叫艾莎的小姑娘怀疑地说，“他们可能会识破的。”
“But they are Ionian,” a girl named Isa said dubiously. “They might be able to see through it.”
“那，我们只能到时候看了。”霏挨个看了他们一遍，“如果有人被抓了，不要指到泻湖的方向。就说你迷路了。他们不会管我们的，因为他们不抓孩子。”这句话有一半是谎言。
“Well, I guess we’ll find out.” Faey looked at them one by one. “If someone gets caught, don’t point to the lagoon. Just say you’re lost. They will leave us alone, because they’re not looking for children.” This was half a lie.
所有人都紧张地点点头。
They all nodded nervously.
“好了，分头行动。顺着藤条上树。”
“All right, let’s spread out. Take the vines and hide up in the trees.”
阿卡丽刚要动身，霏拍了一下她的肩膀。
Akali was about to move, when Faey touched her shoulder.
“阿卡丽，你留在地面。我有一个非常重要的任务交给你。我知道你能做的比任何人都好。”小姑娘停顿了，看上去十分吃惊。霏继续说，“但首先，我需要你保证，这一次你不会跑出来打乱我们的计划。”
“Akali, stay on the ground. I have a very important job for you. I know you can do it better than anyone.” The little girl paused, looking surprised. Faey continued, “But first, I need you to promise me that you won’t run around and upset our plan this time.”
阿卡丽连忙点头。“我保证。”
Akali nodded eagerly. “I promise.”
“如果我们的计划失败了——如果你看到兄弟会的人没理会我们的灰枭叫声，依然强行进山，你就使劲跑，去告诉大人们。”霏紧紧握着自己的弓。如果发生这种事，我会掩护你。“现在，你去藏到远处，好好看着。把力气留到要用的时候。”
“If our plan fails—if you see the Brotherhood still coming in strong after we make the owl calls, like they don’t even care, you run as fast as you can and tell the adults.” Faey held her bow tighter. And if that happens, I will cover you. “Now, hide somewhere at the far end and watch what’s happening. Save your strength in case you need it.”
“好的。”阿卡丽在颤抖，但她的眼神在激动地放光。
“Okay.” Akali was trembling, but her eyes also glistened with excitement.
霏看到其他人组成了一口宽大的碗，围住了入侵者的必经之路。然后她也开始动身。
Faey saw that everyone else had loosely formed a wide bowl flanking the path that the intruders would pass through. Then she was on the move herself.
在峡谷东面，有个巨石构成的小丘可以提供开阔的视野。那里将是她的狙击点。
On the eastern side of the valley, a hillock of large boulders would provide an unobstructed view of the area. That would be her vantage point.
如果出现不测，她将狠下杀手。
If anything went wrong, she would be the one making the kill.
一个接一个地，均衡的童子们把又粗又长的藤条缠在自己身上。那些藤条做出回应，把他们举到树瘤上，让他们爬得快、攀得稳。
One by one, the Kinkou neophytes tied long, sturdy vines around themselves. The vines responded by lifting them up to the knots on the tree trunks, making their climb swift and secure.
霏绕到石丘的庇荫侧，巨大的石块可以帮她阻挡入侵者的视线。她爬上斜坡，焦躁却又不失轻快，最后她爬到了最高点——一块尺寸可观的石板，非常适合观察整个山谷。
Faey circled to the shadowed side of the hillock, where the larger boulders would block her from the intruders’ sight. She ascended the incline, anxiously yet briskly, until she finally reached the highest point—a sizable slab perfect for monitoring the valley.
她寻找阿卡丽的身影，但并没有找到她。
She looked for Akali, but could not find her.
很好，她心想。匍匐在石板上的她将注意力转向那群闯入者。他们已经快要走到预定地点，一路上聒噪地砍断灌木、荆棘、高草，以及任何挡路的东西，霏甚至敢说，就算她把一个石块踢下山坡也不会引起他们的注意。战争一定改变了他们。他们变得像那些外来入侵者一样，对自然好不尊敬。他们已经忘记身为艾欧尼亚人的意义。
Good, she thought. Lying prone on the slab, she directed her attention to the intruders. They were almost where she wanted them, making so much noise cutting up brambles, briars, long grasses, and whatever else got in their way that Faey was certain no one would notice if she kicked a rock downslope. The war must have changed them. Like the foreign invaders, they hold no respect for nature. They’ve forgotten what it means to be Ionian.
透过余光，她看到欧米还在地上。
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Omi was still on the ground.
他在干什么？她瞪着他，比出一个催促的手势。
What is he doing? She stared at him and made a gesture for him to hasten.
他很慌张，正在艰难地把一根软藤系在腰上，这时走在最前面的武士正跨过一颗倒在地上的树干，距离欧米只有十步。奇怪的是，那棵树上的藤条没一根肯帮忙，于是欧米决定徒手爬上去。
He was panicking, struggling to tie a limp vine around his waist as the first of the warriors trudged up a fallen trunk just ten paces away. Oddly, none of the vines on that particular tree were helpful, so Omi decided to climb barehanded.
霏面无血色，但她想起了自己的应急方案。她迅速搭箭上弓。
Faey was appalled, but she remembered her contingency plan. She quickly nocked an arrow on her bow.
闯入者们继续粗暴地用长柄刀刃割开灌木和草丛，给自己开辟出一条路。峡谷其余的地方安静得诡异，他们发出的咒骂声全都清楚地收进霏的耳中。
The intruders kept slashing violently at bushes and shrubs with their polearms, making a path for themselves. The rest of the valley remained ominously quiet, so their curses flowed straight to Faey’s ears, loud and clear.
终于，欧米爬上了树，消失在视线中。霏发现自己刚才不由自主地屏住了呼吸，长吁一口气。然后她深深吸气。
Finally, Omi got up the tree and disappeared. Faey let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. She then inhaled deeply.
随着一次剧烈的呼气，霏发出一声高亢尖锐的叫声，穿透了这片原始的天空。
With a single, powerful exhale, Faey released a high-pitched screech that pierced the pristine air.
几名武夫立刻停在路中间。
A few of the warriors stopped in their tracks.
霏又叫出一声，然后山谷突然活了起来，四面八方都回荡起同样的声音。
Faey screeched again, and the valley came alive with echoes from every direction.
现在所有闯入者都停下了，紧张地四下张望。他们开始争吵。
Now all of the intruders stopped, tensely surveying their surroundings. They started arguing.
“这地方闹鬼。这是灰枭的叫声。”
“This is a haunted place. I hear grey owls.”
“我早就说这里什么都找不到！”
“I told you there’s nothing to be found here!”
最前排的几个凶巴巴的家伙依然向前走着，并未被吓住。然而，这个团伙的一部分人已经开始迟疑。均衡的童子们又发起一轮象征噩兆的叫声，帮他们下定决心。
The menacing-looking ones at the front walked forward, undeterred. Yet, part of the gang still hesitated. The Kinkou neophytes tried to help them make up their minds with another round of omen-filled screeches.
就连树木也发出清晰可辨的叹息，挥舞起它们的叶子和扭曲的枝干，配合童子们制造出恐怖的乐章。一些武夫开始后撤。
Even the trees let out audible sighs, waving their leaves and contorted branches, working with the neophytes in a cacophony of dread. Some of the warriors started backing off.
管用了！霏几乎不敢相信。
It’s working! Faey almost couldn’t believe it.
团伙首领下令撤退了。“这个地方有点邪门。咱们撤。”但就在他们离开的同时，其中几个人挥舞着弯刀，斩断了几根伸展过来的诡异的树枝。
The gang’s leader ordered a retreat. “This place is foul. Let’s get out of here.” But as they departed, a few of them angrily swung their crescent blades and severed some branches that were eerily approaching.
一根粗壮的树枝拍打下来，正中一个贼人的面门。他们全都转过身，撒腿就跑。
A long, crooked bough snapped down and hit one of the thugs in the face. They all turned their backs and ran.
霏继续在石台上坚守，并没有被喜悦冲昏头脑。其他童子也不声不响，估计是在等待安全以后再现身。
Faey held her position on the rock, not letting joy overtake her senses. The other neophytes were also quiet, likely waiting until it was safe to emerge.
足足过了好一阵，霏跳起来。“干成了！”
When enough time had passed, Faey sprang upright. “We did it!”
她的呼喊没有收到回应。安静持续了好久，中间夹杂着噼啪崩断的声音。
Her call met no reply. There was silence for a long moment, punctuated by snapping sounds.
“有人吗？”奇怪的是山谷看上去变暗了，但事实上太阳依然还在高点。
“Hello?” The valley looked a shade darker, even though the sun was still at its apex.
有东西从树冠上掉了下来，突然停在半空中。是艾莎——她瞪大的双眼里透满恐惧，双手被弯扭的藤蔓紧紧捆在腰间。藤蔓的尽头堵住了她的嘴。
Something dropped down from the canopy and jerked to a stop in midair. It was Isa—her eyes wide with terror, her arms cinched at the waist by twisting vines. The end of one was gagging her.
又有几个孩子从树上掉下来，和她一样被挂在空中。两个童子直接落在地上，多亏有灌木丛缓冲。他们也被藤蔓捆住，挣扎着想要脱身，但效果甚微。
Several more children fell through the leaves and were suspended the same way. Two neophytes plunged directly to the ground, their impact cushioned by bushes. They were also bound by vines, struggling to free themselves without avail.
霏还没能理解发生了什么，整座山谷活了起来——巨大的树干猛烈的扭转，盘绕组成了一个庞然大物。灌木和草丛的根须破土而出，爬到它身上组成一块块皮肤，连带着的泥土和碎石组成了肌肉。黑暗的藤蔓蜿蜒爬行，在那个生物体表经纬交织，就像律动的血管。
Before Faey could comprehend what was happening, the valley came alive—large tree trunks twisted fiercely, entwining into a gargantuan entity. Shrubs and bushes uprooted themselves and crawled onto it like patched skin, taking with them packed soil and rubble that created muscles. Dark vines slithered up to form latticework over the creature, like nets of pulsing veins.
那个怪物有四条臂膀，在它“胸膛”正中间是一棵残破的树干，中空、腐朽，就像空洞的眼窝或者张开的巨口。至少三个孩子已经有半截身子埋进它怪诞的身躯，被怪异扭曲的树干固定住，无法动弹。
The monstrous thing had four arms, and the center of its “chest” was a broken tree trunk, hollow and rotten, like an empty eye socket or a gaping mouth. At least three children were half buried in its grotesque torso, held in place by bizarrely twitching branches.
腐化的灵体。霏在石台上呆若木鸡。
A corrupted spirit. Faey froze on the stone slab.
均衡教派曾听说过类似的事情发生在艾欧尼亚其他地区，这是抗击诺克萨斯的战争产生的副作用。谁也没想到这种事会在这里发生。
The Kinkou had heard that such things were happening in other parts of Ionia, a side effect of the brutal war against Noxus. No one ever thought it would happen here.
纳沃利兄弟会的几个人一定是污染了平衡，精神领域中的黑暗力量渗透过来，浸染了南山谷。
The Navori Brotherhood must have contaminated the balance, and dark forces in the spirit realm were seeping through the divide, tainting the southern valley.
霏打开腰包，里面装着驱散恶灵的魔法粉尘。这会是她首次在实战中使用它。而且她所有朋友的性命都在此一举。于是她冷静下来，将粉尘涂到箭头上。
Faey opened her waist pouch, which held magical dust for repelling evil spirits. This would be the first time she had used it in practical combat. And her friends’ lives were at stake. She calmed her mind and applied the dust to her arrowheads.
内修已经为她磨练出强大的心，现在她要信任自己，相信她吃苦耐劳的外修所练就的肌肉记忆能够觉醒。
Neio had fortified her with mental strength, and now she had to trust that her muscle memory would awaken from the neiyar training she had painstakingly endured.
欧米挣脱了藤蔓，正在摇晃的地面上踉跄行走。就在他逃跑的同时，怪物的一只手臂伸向他，植物的触须张开成一张蠕动的网。霏放出一箭，击中了那只手臂，没让它抓住欧米。箭伤处金光闪耀，怪物缩了回去。那条手臂分解成了枯枝败叶与尘土。
Omi had escaped the vines and was stumbling across the shaky ground. As he ran, one of the monster’s arms extended toward him, tentacles of flora opening up like a writhing web. Faey loosed an arrow, and it struck that arm a moment before it could catch him. Golden rays blazed from the wound, and the monster reared. The limb disintegrated into dead leaves and twigs and dust.
“去！叫大人来！”霏向欧米大喊。他头也不回地逃出山谷。
“Go! Get the acolytes!” Faey shouted at Omi. He fled the valley without looking back.
霏可以在耳边听到自己的心跳。她知道无论欧米跑的多快，教派弟子赶到这里至少也要一刻钟。她的箭筒里只有十三支箭。
Faey could hear her heartbeat pulsing against her ears. She knew that no matter how fast Omi ran, the quickest possible arrival for any acolyte would be a quarter of an hour. She had in her quiver only thirteen arrows.
我要如何抵御这个怪物？
How do I hold this thing off?
那条残破的手臂已经重构复原，怪物的身体每时每刻都在长大，植物的浪潮不断涌向它，某种看不见的力量在牵引它们。
The monster’s broken limb had re-formed, its body growing larger by the moment as waves of vegetation rushed onto it, drawn by an unseen force.
霏又射出一支箭，在它仍在空中飞行的时候，她立刻拉弓射出第二支。两支箭全都深深插进怪物的身体，炫目的金光从它的躯干中喷出，崩开一个大口子，一层层腐朽的枝杈结缔不断脱落。被俘获的孩童们落在地上，脱离了牢笼。
Faey shot another arrow and, before it landed, drew and released again. The two arrows sank into the monster, and a blinding golden light spilled from its torso, which snapped open as layers of rotten, tissue-like branches parted. The ensnared children dropped to the ground, free from their prison.
童子们试图帮助彼此逃脱，撕扯被黑暗树胶包裹的藤蔓和荆棘。随着一阵震颤和轰隆声，怪物的内容物爆裂开了，向四面八方播撒出无数迅速生长的肢体，就像一口喷泉，喷出会动的木头。
The neophytes tried to help each other escape, tearing at vines and brambles sticky with dark resin. With a shocking rumble, the monster’s innards exploded, spraying countless fast-growing limbs in all directions like a fountain of animated timber.
大多数童子都躲开了木头的爪子，但其中两人，艾莎和汤什被抓住了，他们发出哀嚎，被拖向怪物扭曲的大嘴。
Most of the neophytes dodged the wooden claws, yet two of them—Isa and Taij—were caught, wailing as they were dragged toward the monster’s mended maw.
接下来的几支箭，霏可以掩护五个没被缠住的童子逃脱，或者可以尝试救出艾莎和汤什。
Faey’s next few shots could provide cover fire for the five unfettered neophytes to flee, or she could try to save Isa and Taij.
我该怎么办？片刻的迟疑，岑也被捉住了。其他人分散开，惊恐地嚎哭。
What do I do? A moment of hesitation, and Xenn was snared. The rest scattered, howling in panic.
“快撤！跑回避难地，全都回！”霏用一支箭救下了岑。然后她开始射击植物的触手，不让它们靠近正在逃跑的童子。她知道自己必须放弃艾莎和汤什了，他们已经快被吞进那个怪物深邃的嘴中。她咬紧牙，撇开头，不忍心看下去。
“Leave! Run back to the haven, everyone!” Faey saved Xenn with an arrow shot. Then she began firing at the flora tentacles that were coming for the runaway neophytes. She knew she would lose Isa and Taij, who were almost swallowed by the monster’s jagged, hollowed-out mouth. She ground her teeth and looked away.
这时她看到了阿卡丽。
Then she saw Akali.
在奔逃的孩童、飞溅的木片、四散的落叶和绽放的邪影植物组成的疯狂景象中，那个小女孩在向着怪物奔跑。
Amid the madness of running children, flying timber, falling leaves, and blooming plants of evil shades, the little girl was running toward the monster.
霏不可思议地看着，突然不知道该瞄准哪里。
Faey watched in disbelief, suddenly unsure where to aim.
“哈嘿！”阿卡丽的身影回荡在山谷中。她从长鞭一般的藤蔓下面穿过，然后翻过横扫而来的大树干。
“Haaheeyy!” Akali’s voice echoed in the valley. She dashed under a whip made of animated vines, then vaulted over sweeping tree trunks.
霏突然想到了什么——危急的瞬间接二连三，而阿卡丽一直都没有被击中。不知以何种方式，她躲开了所有抓捕的企图，闪避翻滚着逃开畸形的爪子。恶灵将注意力转向阿卡丽，忘记了艾莎和汤什就挂在嘴边。
Something dawned on Faey—dangerous moments had passed, and Akali had not been caught. Somehow, she was evading all attempts at capture, ducking and rolling away from deformed claws. The evil spirit had turned its attention to Akali, forgetting that Isa and Taij were dangling right by its mouth.
“阿卡丽，你这个笨蛋！快跑！”霏大喊道。然而，就在她呵斥阿卡丽蠢行的同时，霏离开了石台，搭箭上弓。
“Akali, you fool! Flee!” Faey screamed. Yet, even as she condemned Akali’s folly, Faey had moved away from the stone slab, nocking another arrow on her bow.
她知道自己必须要做什么。
She knew what she must do.
阿卡丽吓坏了。巨大、弯曲的枝杈从天上掉下来，落在她身边。但她一直在奔跑。
Akali was terrified. Huge, arched boughs fell from the sky and landed all around her. Yet she kept running.
她保证过霏，不能插手她吓跑大坏蛋武夫的计划。她并没有搞砸那个计划。但霏从来都没交代过关于巨大丑八怪树灵发狂的事。现在阿卡丽在凭直觉行事——她要把其他孩子救出来。
She had made a promise not to intrude on Faey’s attempt at scaring away the big bad warriors. She did not foil that plan. But Faey never said anything about a gigantic, ugly tree spirit going mad. Now Akali followed her instinct—to get the other kids out.
她发现西索被荆棘的大网绊住了。她努力把她拉出来的同时，天空暗了下来，阿卡丽倒抽一口冷气。巨大的手掌正在拍下来，上面全是扭动着的枝杈，眼看就要压扁她们。但随后一支箭射穿了那只手，使之迸发出金色的火花。
She found Hisso entangled by a net of brambles. As she tried to pull her out, the sky dimmed, and Akali gasped. A colossal palm made of wriggling branches was coming down, threatening to crush them. But then an arrow pierced the hand, setting it ablaze in golden sparks.
枯叶盖下来，阿卡丽把西索拖到安全处。她看到霏正在远处的乱石坡向下跳跃，另一支箭已经蓄势待发。然后阿卡丽瞥见了年长的童子，野志郎，正坐在一堆残破的木棒上，哭得撕心裂肺。
Amid a falling blanket of wilted leaves, Akali dragged Hisso to safety. She saw that Faey was hopping down the rocky slope far way, another arrow at the ready. Then Akali glimpsed an older neophyte, Yajiro, sitting amid a pile of broken logs, crying his heart out.
阿卡丽跑到他身边——一路上躲过怪物的愤怒戳刺，然后对着他的屁股踢了一脚。“你！快跑！”她把他推向前。
Akali ran to him—eluding the monster’s angry jabs—and kicked him in the butt. “You! Get out of here!” She shoved him forward.
她觉察到了变化。怪物正在将所有蠕动着的肢体都用来抓她。所以只要她继续奔跑，其他孩童就会是安全的。
She knew something had changed. The monster was redirecting all its writhing limbs to get her. So as long as she kept running, the other children would be safe.
阿卡丽飞奔、冲刺、躲闪、翻滚，她开始产生信心，觉得自己已经掌握了这场游戏的窍门。她体内的某一部分——没有被吓住的那部分，想窃笑。怪物的行动好慢。如果凯南在这里，他可以一边吃面条一边躲避攻击。
As Akali sprang and dove and ducked and rolled, she grew confident that she had gotten the hang of this game. Part of her—the part that wasn’t terrified—wanted to giggle. The monster was slow. If Kennen were here, he could be eating a bowl of noodles while dodging the attacks.
又有几支霏的箭矢在头顶划过弧线，命中怪物，暂时分解它的肢体。艾莎和汤什跌落在地：他们像是被藤蔓捆住，轻声啜泣着的两个蛹。
More of Faey’s arrows arced overhead, striking the monster and momentarily disintegrating its limbs. Isa and Taij dropped to the ground: two vine-wrapped, sobbing bundles.
阿卡丽向他们跑去，她和霏配合得如此默契，令她兴奋不已。她能这样耗一整天。
Akali headed toward them, excited that she and Faey were working together so well. She could do this all day.
这下霏一定会带我参加所有任务。母亲会高兴的！
Now Faey will include me on all the missions. Mother will be pleased!
然而山谷开始颤抖，比刚才更加剧烈。庞大的根系恶狠狠地卷起土壤，像歹毒的蟒蛇一样扭动着，释放出恶臭的雾气，让阿卡丽皱起鼻子。一道飞速拍打的树墙围住了她，切断了退路。
Then the valley began to tremble more ferociously than before. Large, malicious roots churned the earth, whipping up like nasty serpents, releasing foul vapors that made Akali’s nose wrinkle. A wall of dizzying, thrashing wood encircled her, sealing her way out.
完蛋。
Uh-oh.
霏在巨石之间跳跃，调整自己的视线角度，保持始终能清楚看到阿卡丽。就在邪灵追击阿卡丽的同时，霏的箭矢替她扫清了任何迫近的危险。
Faey hopped down from boulder to boulder, adjusting her line of sight so she could maintain a clear view of Akali. As the evil spirit chased the little girl, Faey’s arrows cleared any incoming danger for her.
她们之间意外的默契为其他童子打开了机遇的窗口，他们全都跑出了山谷。
Their fortuitous partnership had opened a window of opportunity for the other neophytes, and those who could raced out of the valley.
但随时都可能会出现意外。霏只剩下三支箭了。
But any moment, things could go wrong. Faey had only three arrows left.
“阿卡丽，你必须赶紧离开！”霏用最大声音喊。
“Akali, you must leave now!” Faey shouted as loud as she could.
霏脚下的岩石突然颤抖起来，就好像大地在抽搐。几下心跳过后，他看到阿卡丽被困在恶毒根须构成的穹盖之下。
The rocks under Faey’s feet shuddered as if the earth was contracting in a spasm. A few heartbeats later, she saw Akali encased in a dome of vicious roots.
霏周围的乱石坡开始崩塌，顶端最大的石板砸了下来。霏在巨石之间腾挪躲避。与此同时，她射出一支箭，在阿卡丽的牢笼侧面撕开一个口子，然后另一支箭抵挡住树灵挥过去的拳头。
The stony slope broke apart around Faey, and the large slab at the top came crashing down. Faey jumped between boulders to avoid it. As she did so, she let fly an arrow that tore a hole into the side of Akali’s prison, then another one to block the giant fist that was coming for the escaping girl.
但还没等霏凑出最后一支箭，也没来得及再动一下，整个山坡就把她卷进一场塌方之中。
But before Faey could draw her last arrow or make another move, the whole slope washed over her in an avalanche.
一声震耳欲聋的轰鸣。落石彼此碰撞。她发出尖叫，石块像无数个拳头一样打在她身上，随后从她的核心传来一阵彻骨的剧痛。
An ear-splitting boom. The crash of rockfall. She screamed as rubble struck her like fists, followed by a devastating pain that seared through her core.
当滑坡停止，霏在血染的石块中瑟瑟发抖，嘴里一股浓厚的金属味。烧灼感越来越强。她几乎无法睁开眼，但她隐约看到的景象让她难以明白。
When the rockslide subsided, Faey was left shivering amid blood-stained boulders, the dense taste of iron in her mouth. The burning sensation intensified. She could barely open her eyes, but what she glimpsed made no sense.
她的弓折断了。她本该是右腿的地方，只留下暗红色的泥浆，碎石和草地上也涂抹着同样的颜色。
Her bow had snapped. And where her right leg used to be, dark crimson pulp remained, leaving smears of wetness on rocks and grass.
她把脸贴在地上，然后意识模糊。
She buried her face in the ground, and then consciousness dimmed.
阿卡丽拖着艾莎和汤什的脚走过起伏不定的谷底——因为一直没时间给他们松绑。怪物变得穷凶极恶，但阿卡丽并不打算放弃。
Akali dragged Isa and Taij by their feet over the undulating valley floor—there had been no time to untie them. The monster had grown more heinous, but Akali was not about to give in.
“我再也不想失去任何人了，你听到了吗？”她喊道，一半是对艾莎和汤什，一半是对自己说。“我要我们永远都在一起，永远！”
“I don’t want to lose anybody ever again, you hear me?” she shouted, as much to Isa and Taij as to herself. “I want us all to stay together, forever!”
腐化的森林之灵现在已是一个巨大、畸形的恐怖之物，在后面追着她，掀翻了这座山谷。
The corrupted forest spirit—a massive, misshapen heap of horrendous things—chased after her, tearing the valley apart.
“霏！”阿卡丽看到那个姑娘不省人事地躺在前方的乱石堆里。哦不，现在我需要拖着三个人走出去了。她咬紧牙关，在搅动着的地上拖行，来到朋友身边。
“Faey!” Akali saw the unconscious girl lying amid scattered boulders just ahead. Oh no, now I need to drag three people out. She set her teeth and plowed through the churning ground, arriving at her friend.
“霏，起来！我们得——”
“Faey, get up! We need—”
她的目光落在霏的下半身，一时说不出话来。阿卡丽放下两个童子，他们正在疯狂地冲着什么东西叫喊。
Words caught in her throat as her eyes fell on Faey’s lower body. Akali dropped the two neophytes, who were yelling wildly at something.
“霏……”阿卡丽僵住了，脑中一片空白。
“Faey…” Akali froze, all thoughts blank.
然后她转过身看到了艾莎和汤什尖叫的原因。是愤怒的树灵，正高耸在他们头顶。
Then she turned around to see what Isa and Taij were screaming about. It was the angry tree spirit, towering over them all.
手上没有武器。三个朋友绝望无助。阿卡丽空洞地凝望那个怪物，一只手握住胸前的小苦无吊坠。
No weapons at hand. Three friends helpless. Akali looked at the monster with an empty gaze, her hand clasping the small kunai pendant.
一只长满木瘤的手臂向她挥过来。她还没来得及动一下，一轮苦无的齐射像雨点般打在巨大的拳头上。光斑闪耀。木屑飞溅。阿卡丽没想到这个怪物还会发出叫声，但它现在叫了，从空洞的核心发出狂怒的咆哮。
A gnarled limb swung toward her. Before she could make a move, a barrage of kunai rained down on the giant’s fist. Lights flared. Timbers flew. Akali never thought the monster could howl, but it did now, furious roars from its hollow core.
一个影子落在它破裂的手臂上。
A shadow landed on its ruptured arm.
母亲！阿卡丽瞪圆了双眼。
Mother! Akali’s eyes went wide.
梅目沿着碎木的危桥飞奔。腐化的树灵想要用另外两只手臂砸她，但她在空中优雅地翻身，划出夺命的弧线，甩手掷出又一轮苦无。巨大的肢体在有魔力的飞镖攻击下爆炸开来，向空中喷溅无灵魂的残骸，而梅目则灵巧地落在树灵的头冠上。
Mayym sprinted along the shattering bridge of splinters. The corrupted spirit tried to smash her with two other arms, but she flipped through the air in a graceful, lethal arc, simultaneously flinging more kunai with a back-flick of her hands. The giant’s limbs exploded under the enchanted darts, splashing the air with soulless remnants as Mayym landed nimbly on top of the spirit’s crown.
阿卡丽四周的空气闪烁着雷霆。紫色的电弧出现了，像收缩的波纹，成为一个牢笼以怪物为中心收紧。眨眼间，巨怪被腰斩了。
All around Akali, the air crackled with thunder. Arcs of purple lightning appeared, constricting in waves of reversing ripples, centering on the monster. In the blink of an eye, the giant was severed at the waist.
那个恶灵重塑自己的身躯，但凯南在此，用疾骤的闪电箭打在它身上。凯南上方，梅目高高举起幻影镰刀，随着一记利落的挥砍，从上到下将怪物切开。
The evil spirit re-formed its body, but Kennen was there, assaulting it with a rush of lightning bolts. Above him, Mayym raised high her phantom scythe and—with one clean swing—clove open the monster from top to bowel.
南山谷安静了。
The southern valley quieted.
阿卡丽惊呆了。就这么简单，怪物消失了，只留下成堆的朽木，渗着恶水。但旁边几根嫩枝又开始轻微蠕动……
Akali was awestruck. Just like that, the monster was gone, leaving behind only piles of decayed, oozing plants. Yet some of the nearby twigs began to wriggle weakly…
“还没完。”
“It is not over yet.”
阿卡丽回过头，看到了说话的人。戴面具的人影冷静地向前走，从背后抽出一把剑，剑身散发着秘术能量的迷人光环。梅目和凯南向一旁站开，给他让路。
Akali glanced over her shoulder and saw the speaker. The masked figure calmly walked forward, drawing from his back a blade that glowed with a mesmerizing aura of arcane energy. Mayym and Kennen parted to allow him to pass.
“慎！”阿卡丽看到他开心地喊。
“Shen!” Akali rejoiced at seeing him.
在劫的袭击之前，慎会给她读许多艾欧尼亚古代英雄的故事。但在阿卡丽眼中，慎才是真的英雄，她梦想着自己长大以后能帮助他，就像她的母亲协助苦说大师那样。
Before Zed’s attack, Shen would read stories to her about the Ionian heroes of old. Yet in Akali’s eyes, Shen was the real hero, and she dreamed of helping him when she grew up, like how her mother had assisted Master Kusho.
均衡教派的新任首领攀上怪物的遗骸，现在它只剩下一堆灰土。土堆顶端出现一道闪光的裂缝，扭曲现实情境，一拍心跳过后，慎消失在其中。
The new leader of the Kinkou Order ascended the remains of the monster, just a mound now. A shimmering fissure appeared at the top, contorting reality for a heartbeat before Shen disappeared into it.
“他去哪了？”阿卡丽问。
“Where did he go?” Akali asked.
“精神领域。”凯南一个后空翻跳到她身边。“只要腐化的恶灵还栖息在另一个领域，那个扭曲的怪物就能不断重塑物质躯体。慎要去整治源头。”
“To the spirit realm.” Kennen landed beside her with a backflip. “That twisted thing could keep reconstructing its material body as long as the corrupted spirit resides in the other realm. Shen is going to take care of the source.”
当梅目向童子们走来，阿卡丽的心再次塌陷，她想起了霏的境遇。
As Mayym walked toward the neophytes, Akali’s heart sank again as she remembered what had happened to Faey.
梅目面无表情，半跪在昏迷的小姑娘身边。
Expressionless, Mayym knelt beside the unconscious girl.
疼……好疼……
It hurts… so much…
霏醒来发现自己正躺在棚屋里的芦席上。阿卡丽正睡在她身边，蜷成一团。外面是白天，具体时间不明，有人正在外面低声说话。
Faey woke up to find herself on a pallet inside a hut. Akali was sleeping beside her, curled into a ball. It was day, the time uncertain, and murmurs of conversation could be heard outside.
霏试图坐起来，但却看到自己的右腿缠着绷带，从膝盖以下都没有了。在很长时间里，她一直以为自己是在做噩梦。她感受到自己体内惨烈的痛苦想要喷薄而出，只有自己的不相信暂时将它封住。
Faey tried to sit up, and then she saw that her right leg was bandaged, missing below the knee. For long moments, she thought she was in a bad dream. She sensed that a devastating anguish inside her was trying to claw its way out, caged only by her disbelief.
安静的啜泣声逃出了她的喉咙。
A quiet sob escaped her throat.
“梅目大师，我们看得很清楚！”一个孩子的声音飘到小屋内，微弱而遥远，好像是汤什。“她把我们拖到了安全地带。就她独自一人。”
“Master Mayym, we know what we saw!” A child’s voice flowed into the hut, faint and distant, sounding like Taij. “She pulled us to safety. All by herself.”
霏看向窗外。她看到梅目站在老旧的神庙门前，双臂交叉，在听其他童子说话。
Faey looked out the window. She saw Mayym standing in front of the old temple and listening to the other neophytes, her arms folded.
“而且她快极了，” 艾莎告诉梅目，“恶灵都抓不到她！”
“And she was fast,” Isa told Mayym. “The spirit couldn’t even catch her!”
霏挣扎着变换坐姿。一阵疼痛穿透她的大腿，她差点倒下。
Faey struggled to change her sitting position. A pain shot through her thigh and she nearly collapsed.
“霏。”阿卡丽坐了起来，揉着眼睛。
“Faey.” Akali sat up, rubbing her eyes.
霏停顿一下，然后小声说，“你为什么一定要冲进去呢？”她紧紧抓着床单边缘，垂下头，压低声音，极力减缓呼吸，不让更多啜泣声逃出去。“我让你走，你为什么不走？”
Faey paused, then whispered, “Why did you have to go into the fray?” She clutched the edge of her blanket, head down, voice low, madly trying to breathe slowly so no more sobs would escape. “Why didn’t you leave when I told you to?”
“霏……”阿卡丽想拍拍她的手臂。
“Faey…” Akali tried to give her a pat on the arm.
“别碰我！”霏吼道，“都是你的错！”
“Do not touch me!” Faey shouted. “This is all your fault!”
阿卡丽向后退，瞪大双眼。
Akali backed away, eyes wide.
“离我远点。”霏狠狠地说。她满心怨恨现在毫无遮拦地涌出。然后她看到了阿卡丽的脸——这个小姑娘真的非常疑惑、非常受伤。
“Leave me alone,” Faey hissed. All the venom inside her was now flowing freely. Then she saw Akali’s face—the girl was genuinely confused and hurt.
霏迟疑了，但还没来得及再说一个字，小姑娘就转身向门口走去，梅目正站在那里，看着她们。
Faey hesitated, but before she could say another word, the little girl had headed toward the hut’s entrance, where Mayym now stood, watching them.
阿卡丽离开后，梅目走进来半跪在芦席边，忧郁的表情蒙在她眼前。“慎感知到精神领域的扰动，立刻就找到我们。我们冲到南山谷，但已经太晚了……如果他没有发出警报，后果将不堪设想。”
With Akali gone, Mayym stepped in and knelt beside the pallet, somber emotion glossing over her eyes. “Shen found us as soon as he sensed a disturbance in the spirit realm. We rushed to the southern valley, but we were too late… I can’t imagine what would have transpired if he had not raised the alarm.”
好疼……霏努力想半坐起来以示尊敬，但她的勇气辜负了她。
It hurts so much… Faey tried to straighten her back in a show of respect, but her courage was failing her.
“其他童子已经告诉我事情经过，”梅目用更冷静的声音说，微微提起下巴，“你吓退了兄弟会的强盗。你帮我们避免了一次重大的冲突。”
“The other neophytes told me what happened,” Mayym said in a calmer voice, lifting her chin. “You turned away the Brotherhood bandits. You helped avoid a major conflict.”
泪水涌上霏的双眼。她保持着自己的仪态，一名学徒在师父面前该有的仪态。
Tears were welling in Faey’s eyes. She maintained her posture, as an apprentice should in front of her master.
“你很勇敢，”梅目说，“你已经领悟了均衡之道。”
“You are courageous,” said Mayym, “and you’ve grasped the way of the Kinkou.”
还有什么用呢？霏的双唇在颤抖。她知道一切都结束了。梅目已经下了决断——她这个徒弟已经废了。一切修行都白搭了。她的全部理想都破灭了。她永远都不可能成为正式弟子，对于教派只会是一个负担。
What does it matter now? Faey’s lips were trembling. She knew everything was over. Mayym had made her assessment—that this protégé had been ruined. All the training, wasted. All her aspirations destroyed. She would never rise to become an acolyte, or be anything to the order but a burden.
“对不起。真对不起。我……”梅目一时语塞，“我对你产生了不好的影响。关于慎。关于一切。”
“I am sorry. I am so sorry. I have…” Mayym stammered. “I have been a bad influence on you. About Shen. About everything.”
霏不理解她为什么这么说。她明明是世上最好的师父。“梅目大师，是我辜负了您。”
Faey could not understand why she would say this. She was the best mentor anyone could ask for. “Master Mayym, I have failed you.”
“不，”梅目的声音已经绷断。“不，不是的。”她楼着霏的双肩，用坚强的目光锁住她的双眼。“一定有办法让你再次行走。就算要走遍艾欧尼亚千山万水，我们也在所不辞。在慎的带领下，凯南和我，还有均衡教派的所有人，一定会找到办法的。我会继续指导你的修行，我要让你成为两个领域里史无前例的弓手。”
“No,” Mayym said, voice broken. “No, you did not.” She held Faey’s shoulders and looked into her eyes with fierce intensity. “There must be a way to make you walk again. If we must search every corner of Ionia and beyond to find it, that’s what we will do. Under Shen’s leadership, Kennen and I—and the rest of the Kinkou—will find a way. I will continue to train you, and make sure you become an archer never before seen in the history of both realms.”
泪水模糊了霏的视线，她暂时忘记了疼痛。
Tears blurred Faey’s vision, and she momentarily forgot her pain.
梅目小心地把霏揽入怀中，这是霏许久未曾感受过的拥抱。
Mayym carefully cradled Faey in her arms, an embrace the girl had not felt for a long time.
然后霏的啜泣变成了哭喊，不再压抑。
That was when Faey’s sobs turned to crying, uninhibited and free.
阿卡丽站在门口，窥伺阴暗的棚屋内，师父与徒弟久久地拥抱着。
Akali stood by the doorway, peering into the shadowy interior of the hut, and the master and protégé locked in their embrace.
她已经记不得母亲上一次这么抱她是什么时候。小女孩转身走进树林，手里握着苦无吊坠，脸上泪水奔流。
She could not remember the last time her mother had given her a hug like that. She turned and walked into the woods, the kunai pendant clutched in her hand, tears soaking her cheeks.
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