断剑的自白：第二幕 Confessions of a Broken Blade: Part 2

作者：Ariel Lawrence

（阅读第一幕）- II -

(Read Part I)- II -

推事们入座以后，阴云密布的天空豁然开朗。大厅后面的门扉再次打开。锐雯看到满屋子村民被一束炽烈的阳光分成两边。她走进大厅，推开了凝固的空气，就像一口憋了许久的闷气终于长吁而出。

The overcast skies had parted since the magistrates entered. When the large doors at the back of the hall opened again, Riven watched as the room full of villagers was split by a blinding shard of daylight. She walked across the hall’s threshold and the movement pushed aside the still air in the hall like the release of a held breath.

门扉在她身后关闭。两名武士祭司押着她走过人群中间的通道。议会大厅再次笼罩在阴影之中，只有天棚上蜿蜒的窗户和棚顶吊着的圆柱形灯笼洒下昏暗的光。经过莎瓦·孔德的时候，她看到老妇人努力压抑着自己的哽咽。

The doors closed behind her. Two warrior priests marched her through the large aisle that divided the throng. The council hall was once again cast in the murky gloom from curled windows set high in the ceiling and the cylindrical lanterns that hung from the sculpted roof. She watched Shava Konte swallow thickly as she passed.

她知道自己在他们眼里是什么样的。一个女人，白色的头发上粘着牢房里的稻草杆。陌生人。敌人。诺克萨斯的女儿。

She knew what they saw. A woman, her white hair matted with straw from a rough sleep in stone cell. A stranger. An enemy. A daughter of Noxus.

一种深入骨髓的困乏缠住了锐雯，就像田里的泥附在了衣服上。她感到自己的灵魂正在僵化变形。但是，当她的目光扫到了圆凳上的老伯，便稍微挺直了腰杆。

Fatigue clung to Riven’s bones like the farmer’s mud that still stained her clothes. Her soul felt stiff and misshapen, but when Riven’s gaze found the old man on the stool, she stood a little straighter.

她看到面前的三位推事端坐在审判席上。中间那位一脸严肃地示意她坐下，不必戴着镣铐站着。

She took in the three judges seated on the dais before her. The stern one in the middle motioned for Riven to be seated, rather than shackled standing.

锐雯拒绝坐在那把魔力塑形的木椅上。她认出那个庭吏就是在老夫妇田里遇到的骑兵领队。他细薄的嘴唇依然撇着不可一世的微笑。

Riven refused the wooden chair shaped by magic. She recognized the bailiff as the lead rider that came to old couple’s field. His thin lips stretched in the same arrogant smile.

“随你便，保准让你好受。”

“Suit yourself, it’ll just be harder for you.”

庭吏自己坐到了椅子上，满意地叹了口气。坐在中间的推事严厉地瞪了他一眼，然后开口对锐雯说话。

The bailiff sat on the chair himself with an air of satisfaction. The center judge gave the bailiff a look of admonishment and then spoke to Riven.

“我知道你不是本地人。这边的方言不好学。我会说通用语，这样兴许更容易交流。”

“I know you are not of this land. The dialect here is tricky. I will speak the common tongue so that we may better understand each other.”

锐雯和大多数诺克萨斯人一样都学过一些艾欧尼亚通用语，足以应付日常的指示和命令，但这里的语言就像水土，每个村子的口音都反映着当地人独一无二的性格。她对推事点点头，静静等待。

Like most Noxians, Riven had learned enough of Ionia’s common tongue to command and order, but like the land itself, the accent of each village had a unique personality flavored by its people. She nodded at the judge and waited.

“你叫什么名字？”

“What is your name?”

“锐雯，”她的嗓音嘶哑，卡在了喉头。

“Riven,” Riven said. Her voice was hoarse, catching in her throat with a croak.

“给她水。”

“Bring her water.”

庭吏站起来，拿了一个水袋，举到她面前。锐雯看了看水袋，没有伸手。

The bailiff stood and took up a skin of water, shoving it at her. Riven looked at the skin, but did not take it.

“就是水，孩子，”坐在旁席的推事说道，向前俯身说。“怎么，你还怕我们下毒？”

“It is only water, child,” the judge seated beside the center judge said, leaning forward over the table. “What, do you fear we would poison you?”

锐雯摇头拒绝了恩赐。她清了清嗓子，打定主意就这样继续说话。庭吏撇撇嘴，举起水袋牛饮起来，一股水沿着他的嘴角淌下来。喝完还故意亮出一排牙，向锐雯耀武扬威。

Riven shook her head, refusing the offer. She cleared her throat, determined to speak without any more assistance. The bailiff pursed his lips and took a deep swig, water dribbled from the corner of his mouth. He flashed his teeth in a triumphant sneer meant for her.

“你被本庭传唤，”推事打断了这一幕，让锐雯的注意力重新回到三位身穿长袍的人物和大厅里的人群身上。“是因为我们想要听听你的说辞。”

“You have been brought before this council,” the judge interrupted, drawing Riven’s attention back to the three robed figures and the crowd gathered within the hall. “Because we wish to know what you have to say.”

“我不是要被判刑吗？”

“Am I not being sentenced?”

推事硬是咽下了自己的惊讶。

The judge swallowed her surprise.

“我不太清楚你们那边是如何履行正义的，但在这儿，我们相信正义首先需要的是理解和启迪。”推事对锐雯说话的口吻像是在面对一个孩童。“我们相信你掌握着关于某一事件的信息。而这份信息对我们所有人都很重要。要是因此揭露了罪行，那才轮到量刑和处罚。”

“I am unclear about how justice is carried out where you come from, but here we believe justice is first served by understanding and enlightenment.” The judge spoke to Riven as if she was a young child. “We believe you have knowledge of an event that is most important to this community. If that knowledge reveals a crime, then you could be sentenced and punished accordingly.”

锐雯看了看推事，又看看亚撒，再看回推事。诺克萨斯的正义经常是在战斗中定下的。如果一个人运气好，锋利的武器就会痛快地做出决断。锐雯警惕地注视着推事。“你想知道什么？”

Riven looked from the judge to Asa, then back. Justice in Noxus was often decided in combat. If one was lucky, it was decided swiftly and with the sharpened end of the weapon. Riven eyed the judge warily. “What do you want to know?”

推事向后靠到椅背上。“你从哪儿来，锐雯？”

The judge leaned back. “Where are you from, Riven?”

“我没有家乡。”

“I have no homeland.”

对方怀疑的眼神告诉锐雯，这句回答被当成了一种忤逆。那位鹰面推事停顿了一下，试探着她的回应。“你肯定是在某个地方出生的吧。”

The judge’s narrowing gaze told Riven that her words had been taken as defiance. The hawk-faced magistrate paused, tempering her response. “You must have been born somewhere.”

“特里威尔的一个农场。”锐雯看向老伯。“在诺克萨斯。”她承认道。

“A farm in Trevale.” Riven looked at the old man. “Noxus,” she admitted.

前一刻还是鸦雀无声的大厅，响起了整齐的吸气声。

The council hall, which had dropped back to silence in order to hear the prisoner, took in a collective breath.

“我知道了，”推事继续说道。“为什么你不把那个地方称作家乡了呢？”

“I see,” continued the judge. “And you no longer call that place home.”

“一心想要你死的地方，还能叫家乡吗？”

“When your home tries to kill you, is it still home?”

“这么说，你是被流放的？”

“You are an exile then?”

“这个说法意味着我还想回去。”锐雯说道。

“That would imply I wish to return,” Riven said.

“你不想吗？”

“You do not?”

“诺克萨斯已经变了。”锐雯的声音中开始切入不耐烦的声调。“下一个问题好吗？”

“Noxus is no longer what it once was.” Impatience edged into Riven’s voice. “Can we get on with this?”

“那好，”推事的冷静语气比她手腕上的镣铐更让锐雯十分反感。“你是跟随诺克萨斯舰队一起来的，是吗？”

“So be it,” the judge said with a calmness that irritated Riven more than the shackles on her wrists. “You came with the Noxian fleet, yes?”

“我猜是吧。”

“I assume so.”

“你不确定吗？”推事看上去很疑惑。

“You do not know?” The judge looked confused.

“我不记得了，”锐雯说道。她斜眼看了看人群，眼角正好对上莎瓦的目光。老妇人曾经问过她类似的问题。锐雯摇了摇头。“很重要吗？打仗了。死了许多人。我只知道这么多。”

“I do not remember,” Riven said. She glanced to the crowd, her sideways look catching the eyes of Shava. The old woman had asked a similar question. Riven shook her head. “Does it matter? There was a battle. Many died. That is all I know.”

人们心中关于战争的痛苦回忆本来就在闷燃，锐雯话音刚落，就点燃了这股怒火。他们互相推搡、大声叫嚷，所有人都想要站起来。

The painful memory of war that smoldered among the crowd flared to life at Riven’s words. They shoved each other, shoulders knocking together and shouting, as they all tried to stand at once.

有人破口大骂。“诺克萨斯的杂碎！我的儿子就是被你们杀的！”

Someone lashed out. “Noxian filth! My son is dead because of you!”

一只发霉的蛋果飞来打在锐雯的脖子上。酸败的汁液和果肉顺着她的后领口流进衣服里。一股腐臭涌来，但锐雯不愿让这死亡的味道带她回到那个遥远的时刻。她闭上双眼，长吁了一口气。

A moldy eggfruit sailed through the air and pelted Riven in the neck. The fermented juice and pulp slid wetly down the back of her shirt. The rotten smell rose up in the air, but Riven would not allow the scent of death to take her back to that moment long ago. She closed her eyes, allowing her breath to come through parted lips.

人群爆发了。锐雯知道自己的回答欠考虑，让人们觉得她对死者毫无同情怜悯。“拜托了。”她悄悄对自己说，不知道是想求他们停下，还是想鼓励他们将难以压抑的愤怒彻底释放出来。

With that, the crowd erupted. Riven knew what it looked like, that she felt nothing for what had happened to these people. “Please,” she whispered to herself, unsure if she was imploring them to stop, or to encourage the fullness of their barely contained anger.

似乎是在回答她的请求，更多晚季的蛋果在石头地面上炸开了花。还有一只砸在锐雯的膝后。她踉跄了一下，由于被束缚着双手，险些失去平衡。

In answer, more of the late season eggfruit exploded on the stone floor. One caught Riven behind the knee. She stumbled, struggling to maintain her balance with her hands bound.

推事高高站起，身影笼罩着座位上的人群和锐雯。她将球栗用力敲向底座，推事长袍瞬间像火苗一样腾起。人们身下的木质长凳应着推事的意志扭曲、变形、发出呻吟。

The judge rose to her full height, towering over the seated villagers and Riven. Her magistrate’s robe flared as she slammed the chestnut sphere against its cradle. The wooden benches beneath the crowd strained, groaning and flexing in response to the magistrate’s will.

“均衡由我重现！”

“I will have balance restored to this hall!”

受到呵斥的村民们安静了下来。

The reprimanded villagers quieted.

“是的，锐雯，本庭记得那个时候，”推事用更委婉的方式继续说道。“许多艾欧尼亚人……和诺克萨斯人……都殒命了。你呢？”

“Yes, Riven, the council remembers that time,” the judge continued with more restraint. “Many Ionians… and Noxians… perished. And you?”

这个问题也让锐雯自己苦苦求索。为什么只有她活了下来？她无法找到满意的答案。“我好像幸免了。”她静静地说。

It was a question that plagued Riven. Why had she been spared when others had not? She could offer no answer that would satisfy. “It seems I did not,” she said quietly

“的确。”推事冷冷地微笑。

“Indeed.” The judge smiled coldly.

锐雯知道自己无论说什么也无法平复人们丧失亲人的痛苦。她欠所有人一个真相，但她却拿不出真相。她对那段时间的记忆是破碎的。此刻她只能低下头。

Riven knew there was little she could say to pacify the bereaved crowd. She owed them the truth, but even that was not hers to give. Her memories of that time were broken. She bowed her head.

“我不记得了，”锐雯说。

“I do not remember,” Riven said.

推事并没有停止质询。锐雯知道这样下去只会让大厅中喷发出更多怒不可遏的声音，一次次打断审判。

The judge did not stop the questioning. Riven knew doing so would only allow for interruptions to spew forward from the anger simmering in the room.

“你来到这片土地多久了？”

“How long have you been in this land?”

“我不记得了。”

“I do not remember.”

“你是怎么来到这个村子的？”

“How did you come to this village?”

“我不记得了。”

“I do not remember.”

“你曾经来过这里吗？”

“Have you been here before?”

“我……”锐雯迟疑了，她无法找到那段承载着准确答案的回忆。“我想不起来。”

“I…” Riven hesitated, but could not hold on to the moment that would give a clear answer. “I cannot remember.”

“你是否曾见过素马长老？”

“Did you meet with Elder Souma?”

这个名字搅动了她内心的什么东西。一段回忆中的回忆穿过她的脑海，既模糊又锐利。曾经存在的空缺如今被愤怒淹没。她被人出卖。她也将人出卖。

The name stirred something within her. A memory of a memory, hazy and sharp at the same time passed through her. Anger flooded the empty place where her past once lived. She had been betrayed. She had betrayed.

“我记不起来了！”锐雯懊恼地厉声说道。手腕上的镣铐叮当作响。

“I can’t remember!” Riven lashed out in frustration, the shackles at her wrists rattling.

“战争摧毁了许多，”推事柔声说道。“有些东西是我们看不见的。”

“War breaks many things,” the judge said, softening. “Some we cannot see.”

迎面而来的开导让锐雯的战意平复了些许。“我记不得了，”她这次的语气比刚才更加冷静。

In the face of this enlightenment, some of the fight left Riven. “I cannot remember,” she said, more calmly than before.

推事点点头。“你记不得的东西，也许有人能替你回答。”

The judge nodded. “There are others who may be able to speak to what you cannot remember.”

锐雯看到老伯慢慢走向推事席前面的证人座位。他的手指颤抖着抚平厚厚的眉毛。

Riven watched the old man make his way slowly to a witness stool set in front of the judges. His fingers shook as he smoothed a few errant hairs in his thick eyebrows.

“亚撒·孔德，”推事耐心地说道。“老爹爹，谢谢你今天与我们作证。”

“Asa Konte,” the judged said patiently. “O-fa, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us today.”

老伯点了点头。

The old man nodded.

“你认识这个女人吗，这个锐雯？”推事问道。

“Do you know this woman, the one called Riven?” the judge asked.

“是，”老伯说。“她到我们家的时候，今年湿季刚刚开始。”

“Yes,” the old man said. “She came to us at the beginning of this past wet season.”

“你们？”

“Us?”

“我和莎瓦，我老伴。”

“Myself and Shava, my wife.”

推事看了一眼孔德夫人，她依然在前排的长凳上坐立不安。推事指了指锐雯。

The judge looked up at Mistress Konte, who still shifted uncomfortably on the bench at the front of the hall. The judge gestured to Riven.

“她去到了你们家？”

“She came to you?”

“其实，是我在我们家的田里发现她的，”老伯诺诺地供认道。“当时有一头小牛在夜里走丢了。凌晨的时候我出去找。结果我找到了她。”

“Well, I found her in our field,” the old man offered sheepishly. “We had a calf wander in the night. At dawn I went looking for it. Instead I found her.”

人群再次骚动，又惊又忧地交头接耳。

Murmurs of surprise and concern spilled again from the crowd.

“间谍！”

“Spy!”

“后患无穷！”

“More will come!”

“我们必须自卫！”

“We must protect ourselves!”

推事把手放在面前的球型惊堂木上。房间里安静下来。“她当时要干什么，孔德老爷？”

The judge rested a hand on the heavy wooden sphere in front of her. The room grew quiet. “What did she want, Master Konte?”

老伯又拂了一下眉毛，瞥了一眼锐雯。就像是在请求原谅。

The old man smoothed his eyebrows again and glanced at Riven. His look begged apology.

“她想寻死，推事。”他淡淡地说。

“She wanted to die, magistrate,” he said softly.

推事附身向前。

The judge leaned forward.

“湿季刚到，”亚撒继续解释。“她浑身湿透，发着高烧，几乎就是用泥巴和筋肉粘连的一把诺克萨斯骨头。”

“It was the start of the wet season,” Asa continued. “She was soaked to the skin, nothing but fevered bones held together by mud and stubborn Noxian muscle.”

“你当时就知道她是诺克萨斯人？”

“You knew she was Noxian?”

“她带着武器，一把剑，剑鞘上铭刻着他们的语言。艾欧尼亚人绝不会带着这样的武器。”

“She carried a weapon, a blade, the scabbard was inscribed with the marks of their father tongue. No Ionian would carry such a weapon.”

推事抿了抿嘴。“孔德老爷，你在这次入侵期间遭受了惨重的损失吧。”

The judge pursed her lips. “Master Konte, you took heavy losses during the invasion?”

“是的，推事。”老伯一边说，一边看向他的老伴。“两个儿子。”

“I did, magistrate,” the old man said. He looked to his wife. “Two sons.”

“你当时是怎么处理这个女人的？”

“What did you do with the woman?”

老伯先是深呼吸。

The old man took a deep breath.

“我把她带回了家，交给了莎瓦。”他说道。

“I took her home to Shava,” he said.

大厅中的低语又开始高涨起来，人们纷纷质疑为何他对无情的敌人如此仁慈。大厅中的每一张脸都讲述着各自失去亲人的故事。这里的人们在这场冲突中无一幸免。老伯抬起头，然后转向人群，他不相信所有人都是铁石心肠。

The murmur of the hall rose again, questioning the man’s lenience on a foe that had been so merciless. The faces within the hall told their stories of loss. None in their community had been untouched by the conflict. The old man lifted his head, and turned to the crowd, challenging the hardness of their hearts.

“我的儿子们……我的孩子们……他们的尸骨早已被苍天清理洁净。那些逝去的人会希望看到我们被悲伤淹没，甚至将自己埋在他们身边吗？”

“My sons… My boys… Their bones have long since been cleaned by the sky. Would those we lost wish us to bury ourselves in grief beside them?”

锐雯看到老伯和他的老伴默契地对视。莎瓦圆睁的双眼也噙满了泪水。

Riven watched as the old man and his wife shared a knowing look. Shava’s eyes were wet and full.

“我们不可能说忘就忘，但是……”老伯的声音颤抖着。“但是我们不能陷在过去的泥沼中，我们剩下的日子还要继续过下去。”

“We were not ready to let them go, but…” The old man’s voice quivered. “But it does us no good to mire ourselves in the past when there is life left to live.”

莎瓦咬着下嘴唇，挺直了身板，就像是要挡住身后任何胆敢诋毁他们选择的人。亚撒从众人的注视中转过身。他面向推事坐下，身下的圆凳发出嘎吱声。

Shava bit her bottom lip and sat up straighter, daring those who sat next to her to speak ill of their choice. Asa turned away from the crowd’s stares. He sat facing the magistrate, the stool creaking beneath him.

“已经有了那么多死亡，我不忍心放任不管，”他解释道。“我们给她擦洗干净，收留了她。”

“There were so many deaths, I couldn’t bear to add another,” he explained. “We cleaned her up and offered what we had in peace.”

推事面无表情地点点头。锐雯看到推事在仔细打量自己身上的衣服和裤子，想象着去掉镣铐。她知道推事正在想象的画面，她自己已经想过许多次了。这套衣服是老妇人给她的，是一套年轻男子的衣服，身高应该比她高一头，也许他有着莎瓦的微笑或者亚撒的慈眉善目。

The judge nodded without emotion. Riven watched as the judge took in Riven’s shirt and pants, mentally unrolling the cuffs. She knew what the judge pictured as she had thought the same thing many times since the old woman had presented the clothes. They were meant for a young man, a head taller than her, maybe a man with Shava’s smile or Asa’s kind eyes.

对于锐雯来说，这衣服时刻提醒着她的软肋。这么多年来她始终信奉着诺克萨斯的力量，出生入死。然而锐雯却接受了他们承载希望的微薄馈赠，穿上这身衣服，融入了一个已然破碎的家庭。

For Riven it was a constant reminder of her own weakness. All her years of living or dying by the strength of Noxus, and Riven had accepted their fragile offer of hope, let herself be clothed in it and in a family that could have been.

“她恢复了体力以后，要求到田里干活，”老伯继续说道。“我和我老伴都老了。我们很高兴有她帮忙。”

“When she regained her strength, she wanted to work in the fields,” the old man went on. “My wife and I are old. We welcomed the help.”

“你和你的妻子就不怕送命吗？”

“You and your wife did not fear for your lives?”

“这个姑娘不想和诺克萨斯再有什么瓜葛。她憎恨诺克萨斯。”

“The girl wants nothing to do with Noxus. She hates Noxus.”

“是她这么对你说的吗？”

“She said this to you?”

“不，”他说。“她并没有说起自己的过去。莎瓦曾经问过一次，但是她什么都没说。我们发觉问起这个她很痛苦，所以就没再问。”

“No,” he said. “She said nothing of her past. Shava asked her once and she said nothing. We saw that it pained her, so we did not ask again.”

“如果她什么都没说，那你是怎么得知她对自己祖国的感情的呢？”

“If she said nothing, then how do you infer her feelings about her homeland?”

孔德老爷抹了一把老迈的双眼。锐雯看到他愁容满面，似乎刚刚的话轮不到他来说。他突然意识到周围还有其他人在听，加快了语速。

Master Konte wiped at his old eyes. Riven watched the trouble pass over his face, like the words were not his to give. He spoke quickly, conscious suddenly of the audience surrounding him.

“发烧时的梦话，推事，”他说道。“她来的那天晚上。某种属于她的东西，她极为珍视的东西，被破坏了。所以她在咒骂诺克萨斯。”

“Fevered dreams, magistrate,” he said. “The night she came to us. Something that belonged to her, something she had cared for greatly, had been broken. For that she cried out against Noxus.”

“你知道她当时说的是什么吗？”

“Do you know the thing she spoke of?”

“我应该没猜错，推事。”老伯慢慢地点头。“她的剑柄和剑鞘缠在一起。四天前我看到她解开了绑带。我看到那把剑是破碎的。”

“I believe so, magistrate.” The old man nodded slowly. “The pommel of her weapon has been bound into her scabbard. Four days ago I saw her undo the laces. I saw the blade was broken.”

锐雯以为那天在谷仓里看到她的只有那只捕鼠的肥猫。

Riven had thought she had only been watched by the fat mousing cat that day in the barn.

一些人开始低声嘲笑起诺克萨斯的武器质量。

A few snide comments about the quality of Noxian weapons passed like handshakes among the crowd.

“得知这一信息以后你做了什么，孔德老爷？”

“And what did you do with that knowledge, Master Konte?”

“我把剑拿到了神庙。”

“I took the blade to the temple.”

推事扭过头，目光沿着猎鹰锋喙般的鼻子俯视老伯。“打算作甚？”

The judge cocked her head to one side, looking down her predatory nose at the old man. “To what end?”

“我希望祭司们能修好它。如果这把剑能重铸，她也能摆脱一些过往的鬼魂。”这句话让在场的人群立即爆发，但老伯始终看着锐雯和她双手上的镣铐。“我希望她能在当下获得一些平静。”

“I hoped the priests might be able to mend it. That if the blade was made whole, she might be relieved of some of the ghosts that haunt her.” Even as crowd erupted behind him, the old man looked at Riven and the chains that bound her hands. “That she might have some peace in the present.”

“谢谢你，孔德老爷，感谢你向本庭提供的证言，”推事说道，冷峻的眼神让人群静了下来。“你的发言结束了。”

“Thank you, Master Konte, for sharing your knowledge with the council,” the judge said, coldly staring the congregation into silence. “Your attestation is finished.”

她看了一眼铺展开的羊皮纸，然后面向庭吏。

She looked down at an unrolled parchment and back to the bailiff.

“呈证物。”

“Bring in the weapon.”

锐雯看到两名神庙祭司抬着一个巨大的木托盘，上面垂下薰衣草色的褶边布，小心翼翼地放在推事面前的桌子上。一位武士祭司迈步上前，他的木质肩甲和胸甲边缘精致的凹槽是更高位阶的象征。

Riven watched two temple priests carry in a large wooden tray draped with a scarlet cloth and set it gingerly on the table before the council judges. A warrior priest stepped forward, his high rank made evident by the fluted edges of his wooden pauldron and breastplate.

“亮出来，”推事说道。

“Show us,” the judge said.

武士祭祀撤掉了薰衣草色的盖布，展露出比鸢盾还宽的剑和剑鞘。剑鞘外面刻着厄-诺克萨斯语的粗糙笔画。与艾欧尼亚文字的柔美线条相比，这棱角分明的生硬笔触显得格外突兀。但推事们的注意里不在剑鞘和铭文，而是剑刃本身。如此厚重的剑，即使对于这位训练有素的神庙祭祀来说，光是举起来就让人担心会折断胳膊，所以更难想象面前这双镣铐中的苗条手腕是如何挥舞它的。的确，就连锐雯自己，第一次看到它的时候也是同样的想法。

The warrior priest withdrew the scarlet cloth, revealing a weapon and sheath both bigger than a kite shield. The scabbard was etched in the harsh strokes of Ur-Noxian, the heavy angles and slashes in stark contrast to the fluid script of Ionia. But it was the blade that drew the interest of the judges. A blade so thick and heavy it looked like it would break the well-trained arm of a temple priest to lift it, let alone the slender wrist of the young woman shackled before them. Indeed, when Riven had seen the weapon for the first time, she had thought the same thing.

如今，这不再是一把完整的剑，它被残暴地打碎成许多段，就如同一只怪兽的巨爪割裂了金属的血肉。其中有五块最大的碎片，每一块都足以单独拿来取人性命，而现在呈在艾欧尼亚的绸缎之上，即便残破不堪，也依然让人望而生畏。

Now, instead of one solid blade, the weapon was fractured into angry pieces, as if monstrous claws had raked through its metal flesh. The five largest pieces would have been deadly in their own right, but laid out against the soft Ionian cloth, broken and raw as it was, it was terrifying.

推事看着锐雯说。“这把武器是属于你的。”

The judge looked at Riven. “This weapon belongs to you.”

锐雯点了点头。

Riven nodded her head.

“我看以现在这种状态，要用它战斗有点困难，”推事自言自语道。

“I suppose in this many pieces, it makes it a bit difficult to wield,” the judge said to herself.

人群中传来几声窃笑。

There were snickers among the crowd.

武士祭司不安地说。“这把武器附有魔能，推事。诺克萨斯人在剑上施了魔法。”他的语气里满是嫌恶。

The warrior priest shifted uncomfortably. “This weapon is ensorcelled, magistrate. The Noxians have bound magic into the blade.” The disgust hung heavy on his words.

锐雯不知道推事是否在听祭司说话。推事若有所思地点了点头，视线仔仔细细地在剑身上扫来扫去，直到发现了锐雯最不愿面对的那个角落，那个锐雯一直在寻找的空缺。推事的鹰钩鼻抽动了一下。

Riven didn’t know if the judge was listening to the priest. The judge was nodding absently, her gaze washing over the weapon until it found the spot that Riven knew it would, the empty place Riven had struggled to fill. The judge’s falcon nose twitched.

“剑上少了一块。”

“There is a piece missing.”

一位年轻的神庙堂役在议会大厅前方紧张得发抖。

A young temple adept swayed nervously before the council hall.

“堂役，这个武器是孔德老爷呈给神庙的吗？”为首的推事问道。

“Adept, is this the weapon Master Konte presented to the temple?” the lead judge asked.

“是，推事。”

“Yes, magistrate.”

“就是你向本庭报案的吗？”

“You were the one to alert this court?”

“是，推事。”

“Yes, magistrate.”

“你怎么知道我们会对这件武器有兴趣？”

“How did you know this weapon would be of interest to us?”

锐雯看到堂役在长袖上揩了揩手上的汗。他的脸色煞白，好像随时都可能晕倒，或者吐到石头地面上。

Riven watched the adept wipe his hands on the lengthy sleeves of his robes. His face was pale, as if he might faint, or be sick on the stone floor.

“堂役？”推事催问道。

“Adept?” the judge probed.

“我是洗骨工，推事。”年轻人的声音战战兢兢。他的双手就像燃尽的蜡烛一样无力地垂下。“长老们的遗骨。他们的尸体被天葬以后，我收回骸骨然后进行处理。”

“I am a bone washer, magistrate.” The words tumbled out of the young man. His hands hung like spent candle wax. “For the elders. After their bodies have been left to the sky, I collect them and prepare them.”

“我知道洗骨工的职责，堂役。这和武器有什么关系？”

“I am familiar with the duties of a bone washer, adept. How is it this weapon concerns you?”

“一样的剑。”

“The blade is the same.”

推事脸上浮过短暂的疑惑。同样的茫然也挂在所有人脸上，大家面面相觑，不知所云。而锐雯却感到一种不安渐渐爬上心头。

A moment of confusion swept over the judge’s face. The same uncertain daze washed over the crowd, passing from person to person in befuddled looks. Riven, however, felt a wave of unease crawl over her skin.

“当我处理素马长老的遗骨的时候，我是说在他死后，给神庙。”堂役语无伦次，让许多人无法理解。他没有继续说下去，而是从长袍的兜里掏出一个绸布包，然后开始用纤细的手指解开绳结。他从包里拿出了一个金属碎片，举了起来。“这块金属，推事。和断剑是一样的。”

“When I prepared the bones of Elder Souma, after his time, for the temple, I mean to say.” The adept’s haphazard explanation was losing many. Instead of continuing he pulled from a fold in his robe a small silk bag and started undoing the tight knots with his long fingers. He retrieved from the bag a shard of metal and held it up. “This metal, magistrate. It is the same as the broken blade.”

堂役急忙从自己的位置跑到推事面前。她从他手中接过碎片，捏在指尖仔细翻看。即使从很远的地方看，这块金属也和断剑非常类似。

The adept scurried from his place and approached the judge. She took the shard from his outstretched hand and turned it over in her fingers. Even held at a distance, the metal seemed similar to the broken blade.

锐雯无法呼吸。这是她曾经辛苦寻找的碎片，但最终放弃了。现在它即将拼凑完整，点亮她脑海中被遗忘的黑暗角落。锐雯背负的罪孽曾被深深埋藏起来，现在终于即将重见天日。锐雯知道接下来要发生什么，她横下一条心，硬着头皮等待命运降临。

Riven's breath caught in her throat. There was the piece of her past that she had searched for and given up finding. Now it was on the verge of coming together, illuminating a dark and forgotten corner of her mind. The guilt Riven carried and had buried deep was finally being unearthed. Riven steeled herself against what she knew would come next.

“你在哪找到的这个？”推事问。

“Where did you find this?” the judge asked.

堂役清了清嗓子。“在素马长老的颈椎骨处。”

The adept cleared his throat. “In the bones of Elder Souma’s neck.”

议会大厅发出一声喘息。

The council hall gasped.

“你之前怎么不呈交上来？”推事的目光紧锁在她的目标身上。

“You did not bring this forward before?” The judge’s eyes narrowed as she focused in on her target.

“我来过，”堂役说道，眼神极力想要躲避站在断剑旁边的那位武士祭司。“但师父说它无关紧要。”

“I did,” the adept said, trying desperately to look anywhere but the warrior priest who stood next to Riven’s broken blade. “But my master said it was nothing.”

推事的视线可丝毫不需躲避那位武士祭司。

The judge had no such trouble looking at the warrior priest.

“你来，”她命令道。她将那块金属碎片交给了武士祭司。“和其余的部分放到一起。”

“Approach,” she ordered. She handed the bit of mangled metal to the warrior priest. “Put it with the rest.”

武士祭司瞪了一眼堂役，但还是接受了命令。他走向锐雯的断剑，在最后一刻转过身对推事说：“推事，这件武器上附了黑魔法。我们不知道这块碎片会带来什么。”

The warrior priest glared at the adept, but followed the orders given. He approached Riven’s blade and then turned at the last minute to the judge. “Magistrate, there is dark magic in this weapon. We don’t know what this piece may reveal.”

“遵照执行。”推事的语气不容置疑。

“Proceed.” The judge’s words left no room for argument.

武士祭司回过身。议会大厅里的所有眼睛全都在屏息注视，他将那片扭曲破碎的金属放在了紧靠断剑尖端的地方。

The warrior priest turned back. All the eyes in the council hall watched as he took the sliver of hammered metal and placed it nearest the tip of the broken blade.

那把武器安静地躺着。

The weapon was silent.

推事轻轻地出了口气。然而锐雯却始终都在看着老伯和他的老伴。她知道他们的希望就要被辜负了。她一直都太脆弱不敢接受，不敢相信这世界对于如此残破之人还存乎怜悯。他们所希望的无罪判决转瞬即逝，而这个瞬间最令她痛心。她痛心是因为她知道，他们心中关于她的一切美好信念都将在下一个瞬间破灭。关于她过去的真相比任何刀刃都更加锋利、更加痛苦。

The judge let out a small sigh. Riven, however, continued to watch the old man and his wife. She knew their hope would last only a moment longer. She had been weak to accept it, to believe that there was something in this world for someone so broken. Their relief at her fleeting innocence hurt most of all. It hurt because Riven knew in that moment the good they believed about her was a lie. The truth of her past was sharper and more painful than any blade.

锐雯听到她的剑开始轰鸣。“行行好，”她大叫出来。她努力想要让自己的声音盖过大厅里的嘈杂。她努力想要摆脱束缚。“你们必须仔细听。”

Riven heard the sword beginning to hum. “Please,” she called out. She struggled to be heard over the chatter of the hall. She struggled against her restraints. “Please, you must listen.”

声音越来越大。现在所有人都能听到并感觉到。村民们惊慌失措，你推我挤地想要后退。推事立刻站了起来，她的双手伸向断剑下面的木质桌台。桌子的边缘开始生长并弯曲，木质间萌发出新的枝条将武器缠绕起来，但锐雯知道它的魔法无法被限制住。

The vibration built. Now it could be heard and felt. The villagers panicked, pushing and shoving to get back. The judge stood quickly, her arms outstretched to the wooden table that held the broken sword. The edge of the table began to grow and curl, the wood budding new green limbs over the weapon, but Riven knew the magic would not hold.

“大家快趴下！”锐雯大喊道，但巨剑的轰鸣淹没了她的声音，淹没了所有声音，这把武器开始发出一种刺耳的音调。

“Everyone, get down!” Riven yelled, but the sound of the blade drowned out her voice, indeed all the voices, as the weapon built to a fever pitch.

突然之间，符文的能量爆发出来，夹杂着破碎的木屑。一阵烈风将所有站着的人推倒在地。

Then, all at once the power exploded in a burst of runic energy and splintered wood. A gust of wind knocked everyone who had been standing down to the floor.

人们趴在地上，仰脸看向锐雯。

From the ground, the faces of the crowd turned to Riven.

锐雯的嘴唇冰冷，脸颊燥热。她脑海中的鬼魂，她深埋起来的记忆，现在全都喷涌而出，历历在目。他们是艾欧尼亚农民，男女老少，不愿向诺克萨斯屈尊下跪的村民。他们全都看着她。侵扰着她。他们知道她的罪行。他们也是她手下的战士，她的兄弟姐妹。他们甘愿为了帝国的荣耀牺牲自己，然而她却害了所有人。她用诺克萨斯的旗帜带领将士们，这面旗帜曾向他们承诺过家园和意义。但到了最后，他们全都遭到了背叛和遗弃。所有人都被战争残害殆尽。

Riven’s lips were cold and her cheeks flushed. The ghosts of her mind, memories she had entombed, they were fully alive now, looming one by one before her. They were Ionian farmers, sons and daughters, the people of this village that would not kneel to Noxus. They were looking at her. Haunting her. They knew her guilt. They were her warriors, too, her brothers- and sisters-in-arms. They would have gladly sacrificed themselves for the glory of the empire, instead she had failed them. She had led them under the banner of Noxus, a banner that had promised them a home and purpose. In the end, they were betrayed and discarded. All of them cut down by the sick poison of war.

现在这些鬼魂与活人站在一起，被巨剑的魔法掀翻在地的旁听者们开始慢慢站起来，但锐雯依然还留在很久以前的那个山谷中。她无法呼吸。死亡堵住了她的口鼻。

Now these ghosts stood among the living, the courtroom of spectators knocked down by the power of the blade. The villagers slowly rose to their feet, though Riven was still there in that valley from long ago. She couldn’t breathe. Death choked her nose and throat.

不，这些死人都不是真的，她告诉自己。她看到了亚撒和莎瓦，他们也在看着她。两个残魂站在他们身边。一个拥有老伯的眼睛，另一个拥有莎瓦的嘴。老两口相互搀扶着站了起来，对周围的昔日亡魂视而不见。

No, these dead aren’t real, she told herself. She looked at Asa and Shava and they at her. Two shades stood near them. One with eyes like the old man’s and the other with a mouth like Shava’s. The old couple clung to one another as they steadied themselves and stood, oblivious to the deathly past that surrounded them.

“黛达，”老妇人说。

“Dyeda,” the old woman said.

锐雯无法压抑自己的负罪感和羞耻。

At that Riven could no longer contain her guilt and shame.

“是我干的。”锐雯的嘴唇说出了空洞的话语。她将接受自己的命运，任由这群人摆布。她会让他们完成审判，然后为自己的罪行受罚。

“I did it.” The words fell from Riven’s lips with an empty hollowness. She would accept her fate at the hands of these people. She would let them pass judgment and she would answer for her crimes.

“是我杀了你们的长老，”她对所有人说。她几乎无法呼吸，刺耳的自白充满了整个大厅。“我杀了所有人。”

“I killed your Elder,” she told them, breathless. Her ragged confession filled the room. “I killed them all.”

• 他们的故事将在明天继续。 -

• Their story continues tomorrow. -