士兵与巫婆 The Soldier and the Hag

老妇人拉了拉手中的绳子。绳子的另一头在德玛西亚士兵的脖子上缠紧了。士兵想说话，却被老妇人下的禁咒封了口。只要士兵再敢挣扎一下，她就把他的脑袋砍下来，那顶尖护鼻的士兵头盔还能当夜壶使。不过还不需要，她现在只要拉紧绳索，等着士兵的记忆化作触须探出头来，一寸一寸地钻进她自己的脑海。

The old woman pulled the rope taut around the Demacian soldier’s throat. He’d attempted to speak, which was forbidden by the rules she had laid out. One more infraction and she’d have the right to slice the head from his shoulders and use his widowpeaked helm as a chamberpot. Until then, she could only tighten her grip, hope and watch as the tendrils of memory leaked from his head into hers.

只要她愿意，她随时可以斩下士兵的脑袋，但那不合规矩。尽管这位皮肤灰白的女先知身上有很多令人不齿的东西，但没有人敢说她办事不按规矩。而且还是一整套规矩。没了规矩，这个世界成什么啦？不就成了一滩烂泥？多简单的道理。

Of course, she could just decapitate him whenever she wished, but that wouldn’t be proper. Much could be said of the gray-skinned seer, but nobody could say she didn’t live by a code. By a set of rules. And without rules, where would the world be? In disarray, that’s where. Simple as that.

只要士兵还没坏了规矩，她就会坐在这里，吸干他的一切——他的欢乐、思绪、自我——一点不剩，统统抽干。然后，一刀下去，夜壶有了。

Until he broke those rules, she would sit here, siphoning away everything he had – his joy, his memories, his identity – until she was done with him. And then: slice. Chamberpot.

岩洞的入口附近传来一声痛苦的尖叫。毫无疑问，老妇人布下的哨兵少了一个。

A voice screamed out in pain somewhere near the entrance of her cave. One of her sentinels, no doubt.

然后又是一声。

Then another scream.

再一声。

And another.

今晚越来越有意思了。

Tonight was shaping up to be very interesting.

她听见骑士的重靴踏在了潮湿的岩石地面上，由远及近，不紧不慢。光从脚步就能听得出，来人可是个不好惹的角色。脚步声一停，一个男人出现在石室的另一头。他肩膀宽阔，俊朗非凡。 洞穴中昏暗的火把光亮映出了他坚毅的脸庞。骑士盯着妇人，一缕缕血迹从他厚重的胸甲上滴落。即使是隔着一段距离，她也能闻见骑士的盔甲透出一股酸味。这种气味压过了她血管里流动着的魔力，让她觉得不太舒服。

She could tell he was an unyielding fellow by the persistent slamming of his heavy boots onto the wet cave floor, announcing his long approach. When the echoing steps finally fell silent, a handsome, broad-shouldered man stared at her from across the cavern, the look of grim determination on his face illuminated by the den’s dim torches. Rivulets of blood dripped down his breastplate. Even from the back of the room, she could smell something sour in his armor – some sort of acidic tang that calmed the magic flowing through her veins in a way she did not like.

今晚确实太有意思了。

This would be an interesting night, indeed.

骑士握着阔剑，登上了台阶，走向妇人临时凿出的岩石王座。

The knight, broadsword in hand, ascended the stone steps to the old woman’s makeshift rock throne.

她微笑着，等待骑士挥起剑刃，带起呼啸的风声砍向她的脑袋。那样的话，这位骑士会收到一份大大的惊喜。

She smiled, waiting for him to haul the blade up and bring it screaming down toward her head – he’d be in for quite the surprise once he did.

然而，他却收剑入鞘，坐在了地上。

Instead, he sheathed the sword and sat on the ground.

骑士一言不发，耐心地直视着妇人的眼睛，一刻也没有偏向被捆住的士兵。

Wordlessly, he stared into the old woman’s eyes, patiently holding her gaze. He did not break their connection even to flick his eyes in the direction of the leashed soldier at her side.

这是他的计谋吗？他是在等她失去耐心，先开口么？

Was this a ploy to throw her off? Was he trying to wait her out, make her talk first?

很有可能。

Most likely.

不过仍然挺无聊的。

Still, this was boring.

“你知道我是谁吗？”妇人问。

“Do you know who I am?” the woman asked.

“你的食物，是迷路人和被放逐者的记忆。孩子们说，你和你居住的岩洞一样年纪。你是岩石夫人。”骑士笃定地回答。

“You feed off the memories of the lost and the abandoned. Children say you are as old as the cave you inhabit. You are the Lady of the Stones,” he said with confidence.

“哈！这可不是他们给我起的名字，你清楚的很。老坷婆。他们叫的是这个。你不敢说，是怕我会劈了你么？想巴结我？”。

“Ha! That’s not what they call me, and you know it. Rock Hag. That’s what they say. Afraid I’d smite you if you used that name, eh? Trying to butter me up?” she coughed.

“不，我只是觉得那个名字很粗鲁。作为客人，辱骂主人是很失礼的。”

“No,” the man replied, “I just thought it was a rude name. It’s impolite to insult someone in their home.”

老妇人咯咯地笑了，过了一会儿才意识到他是认真的。

The old seer chuckled until she realized he wasn’t joking.

“那你呢？你叫什么？”她问骑士。

“And yours?” she asked. “What are you called?”

“德玛西亚的盖伦·冕卫。”

“Garen Crownguard of Demacia.”

“规矩是这样的，德玛西亚的盖伦·冕卫。你是来找失散的士兵的，对吗？“妇人说。

“Here are the rules, Garen Crownguard of Demacia,” she said. “You have come for your lost soldier. Correct?”

他点点头。

The man nodded.

“那你打算杀了我吗？“妇人问。

“Do you intend to kill me?” the woman asked.

“我不能骗人，我觉得你我可能只有一个人能活下来。所以，没错。”

“I cannot lie. I think it likely that either you or I will die, yes,” he replied.

妇人又笑了。

The woman chuckled.

“很想让我见血对不对？有了那身盔甲，你说不定能行。”妇人说着，又把绳索在她苍老的手掌上绕紧了一点。“但是，如果在我们的交易还没完成之前你就朝我出剑的话，我的手肯定比你快。那你这辈子都忘不了他脖子断掉的声音。”

“Eager to spill my blood, are you? Maybe you’d even succeed, with that armor.” She coiled the rope squeezing the soldier’s neck tighter around her ancient hand. “Still – if you raise your sword against me before our dealings are through, I will pull this so quickly you’ll hear the snap of his neck echo in your mind for the rest of your days.”

她扬起绳索以示强调。

She yanked the leash taut for emphasis.

骑士毫不畏缩地盯着她。

Garen’s gaze remained unflinchingly focused on her eyes.

“所以，规矩来了。如果你能给我一份记忆，让我觉得比这个家伙脑子里的所有东西加起来还要好。”她轻轻拍了拍士兵的头盔。“我就会把他还给你。如果有一方想要反悔，另一方就有权利用任何手段索取回报，对方也不能抵抗。你同意吗？”

“So, the rules. If you can give me a single memory I find more delicious than the accumulated memories in this one’s mind,” she said, flicking the prisoner’s helmet, “I will take it from you, and give you him.” She watched Garen’s eyes closely now for any hint of doubt. “If you cannot, well…” she tightened her grip on the soldier’s leash. “Should either of us attempt to renege on our deal, the other is entitled to take repayment however they wish, with no resistance. Do you agree?”

“我同意。”盖伦说。

“I do,” he said.

“那就让我听听你的价码吧。这家伙的命关你什么事呢？失礼了，我本想叫他的名字的，但我已经忘了。”

“Then let me hear your opening offer. What is this soldier’s life to you? Apologies for my rudeness – I’d refer to him by name, but I’ve forgotten it already,” she said.

“我也不知道他的名字。他是最近才加入我的军队的。”盖伦回答。

“I do not know his name either. He joined my battalion only recently,” Garen replied.

她看着骑士，皱起眉头。显然这个年轻人不知道自己揽上了什么事。

She frowned at the young man. He clearly did not know what he was getting into.

“我给你的记忆，”他说，“是我的童年。妹妹和我骑在叔叔的背上，他正在学着诺克萨斯的猎犬大叫。我们笑个不停。很美好的记忆——还没有被你们这样的人玷污过。”

“I offer a memory,” he said, “from childhood. My sister and I astride my uncle’s back as he barked like a Noxian drake-hound. We laughed for many hours. It is a good memory, unsullied by what would later happen to him at the hands of one like you.”

老妇人挠着眼睛上的白膜。

The old woman scratched at the gelatinous film of her eye.

“你是看不起我么。”她说：“你以为，我只要一些欢乐的记忆就能满足了，是吧。”她的手指箍紧了士兵的脑袋，让他的点滴记忆缓缓流进自己的脑海，露出甘之如饴的表情。“我全部……都要。痛苦、困惑，还有愤怒。可以让我永远年轻。”她大笑着，一支干枯的手指抚过自己起皱的脸颊。

“You do me disrespect,” she said. “You think to trade a joyous memory as if that is all I savor.” She cupped the soldier’s head in her hand and relished the wisps of memories flowing into her mind from his. “I want... everything. The pain, the confusion, the anger. Keeps me looking young,” she laughed, dragging a twisted finger across her wrinkled cheek.

“那么，我把悲伤给你。我的叔叔死了。”

“I offer my grief, then, at my uncle’s death,” Garen said.

“差远了。我有点烦了。”老妇人说完，抽紧了绳子。

“Not good enough. You bore me,” said the Lady of Stones, and pulled tighter on the leash.

盖伦长身站起，拔出了剑。老妇人心头一凛，立时就想杀了这个急躁的年轻骑士。但出乎意料的是，盖伦没有进攻，反而在她面前单膝下跪，垂着头，将剑轻放在了妇人的膝上，剑尖指着她的腹部。

Garen sprang to his feet and unsheathed his sword. The hag’s heart leapt at the thought of killing the impatient young knight. But instead of attacking, he dropped to one knee, lowering his head before her, and gently placed the tip of the blade on her lap, pointed toward her midsection.

“我的心，你来看吧。”他说：“你看中了什么，拿去就是。我虽然年轻，但见闻也算丰富。前半生享尽了荣华，说不定你会觉得有趣。但是，如果你想要的记忆不止一份，这把剑就会把你捅个对穿。你能拿的不多不少，只有一份。”

“Search my mind,” he said. “Take whatever memory you wish. I am young, but I have seen much, and experienced a life of privilege that you might find pleasurable. Should you try to take more than one memory, of course, I will push this sword through you, but any single memory is yours for the keeping.”

妇人忍不住咯咯大笑。这孩子好大的口气！他居然觉得，自己的一份记忆，就能抵得过他同袍的整个人生？

The woman could not help but cackle. The arrogance of this boy! He had the nerve to think one of his memories would outweigh the lifetime she could absorb from his colleague?

他的勇气——或者说是无知，倒是确凿无疑，令人敬佩。

His courage – or ignorance – was unquestionable. One had to respect it.

妇人咂咂嘴，向前倾身，把手掌放在了盖伦头上。她闭上眼，掀开了覆在骑士记忆上的重重纱帘。

Smacking her lips, she leaned over and placed her palms upon his head. She closed her eyes and peeled back the layers of his mind.

她看到了白石大战之后的凯旋，尝到了副官的婚礼上喷香的烤鹿肉。她看到盖伦在布拉什摩的田野里怀抱着即将死去的战友，感到一滴孤苦的泪悄然落下。

She saw triumph at the Battle of Whiterock. She tasted the lyrebuck roast at his lieutenant’s wedding feast. She felt a lonely tear fall as he held a dying comrade on the fields of Brashmore.

随后，她看到了他的妹妹。

And then she saw his sister.

她能感到盖伦心里深厚的爱意，但似乎掺杂了一些……别的东西。是恐惧？厌恶？还是不快？

She felt his intense love for her, mixed with...something else. Fear? Disgust? Discomfort?

她往他的心里的更深处探去，越过了浅表的记忆。她的手指翻动着他的思绪，挑开了所有无关那个笑容灿烂的金发女孩的东西。盖伦的盔甲让妇人的探查变得异常困难，但她没有停手，直到她看到了……

She pushed deeper into his mind, past his conscious memories. Her fingers probed his thoughts, pushing aside anything unrelated to the golden-haired girl with the big smile. His armor made the search far more difficult than it would have otherwise been, but the old woman persisted until–

童年。两个孩子在玩人偶。男孩的士兵们朝着女孩的法师团冲锋，准备手刃他们。女孩说这样不公平，法师们是会魔法的，这场仗应该不相上下才对。男孩大笑着，指挥他的金属小兵撞翻了泥巴捏成的法师小人，把他们揍得七零八落。女孩生气地尖叫起来，指尖猛然迸出了一道强光。男孩眼前什么都看不见了。他很惊恐，也很困惑。他们的母亲赶来带走了女孩。但在离开房间之前，母亲屈膝蹲在男孩身前，说他刚才看到的不是真的，只是一场游戏而已。男孩瞠目结舌，只呆呆地点着头。只是游戏罢了，他的妹妹不是什么法师。不可能是。他把这份记忆深深地埋进了脑海，越深越好。

Childhood. The two of them playing with toy figurines. His soldiers charge her mages, ready to slaughter them. She tells him it isn’t fair; they have magic, it should be an even fight. He laughs and knocks her clay mages over, batting them aside with his metal crusaders. Upset, the girl shouts and suddenly there is light shooting from her fingertips, and he is blinded, and confused, and frightened. She is taken away by their mother, but before their mother leaves the room, she kneels and tells the boy that he didn’t see what he thought he saw. It wasn’t real – just a game. The boy, his mouth agape, nods. Just a game. His sister is not a mage. She couldn’t be. He pushes the memory as deep as it can go.

妇人手指伸展，在骑士的童年回忆里找到了越来越多类似的片段。每段的结尾都是一道夺目的光芒。这些片段深藏于心，混杂了爱、恐惧、抗拒、愤怒、背叛还有戒心。

Stretching her fingers, the old woman finds more and more memories like this spread amongst the knight’s childhood, each ending in a blinding splay of light. Buried deep. Cacophonous mixtures of love, fear, denial, anger, betrayal, and protectiveness.

这个骑士说的不错——这些记忆很好，比那个崩溃士兵的记忆诱人太多了。

The knight had not been wrong – these were good memories. Far juicier than those provided by the broken man.

妇人微笑着。骑士很聪明，还知道用剑指着她的肚子。但还不够聪明。只要她取走了一份记忆，骑士立刻就会忘记，甚至不记得自己曾经拥有过。所以，她想要多少，就能带走多少。

She smiled. The knight had been clever, putting his sword to her stomach, but he wasn’t clever enough. Once she took a memory, he would forget he’d ever possessed it – she could take whatever she wanted.

妇人五指箕张，细细筛过盖伦的脑海，寻找着一切和那个光辉少女有关的记忆。她搜刮得干干净净，最后才退出了他的脑海。

Branching her fingers, she sifted through his memories, searching for anything involving the girl of light. She snatched up every single one she found before pulling out of his mind.

“成了。”她说着睁开眼睛：“这就够了。”她指着岩洞的出口。

“Yes,” she said, opening her eyes. “This will do.” She pointed at the cave’s exit.

“你出的价我接受了。一份记忆换一条命。带上那小子，马上走吧。”

“Your bargain is accepted. A single memory for a single life. Take the boy and leave at once.”

盖伦站起来，走向被捆着的士兵。他弯下腰，扶起士兵，倒退着朝洞穴外走去。他的眼睛仍然紧盯着妇人不放。

Garen stood and moved to the leashed soldier. He bent down, helped the soldier up, and began to walk backward out of the cave, never once looking away from her.

真有趣。这骑士还在担心她会不会食言。可怜的家伙，甚至没意识到她早就吃饱了。

Quaint. He was worried she might break the deal. Poor thing didn’t realize she already had.

骑士站住了。

The knight stopped.

他把战友放在地上，开始了冲锋，一双眼睛似乎要把妇人钉在墙上。

He dropped his companion to the ground and charged, his eyes still locked on hers.

妇人被他突然的举动惊得浑身一激灵。盖伦的个头太大，身子太重，根本来不及在妇人近身前抽出钢剑。妇人的指甲噼啪作响，充盈着黑暗的能量，急切地想要吸干骑士的意识。她发现自己完全没法避开盖伦的眼神。那双眼睛里，荡漾着长年沉淀的甘美记忆。她要饱餐一顿，直到里面一点都——

The old woman thrilled at his impetuous attempt. He was too big, too lumbering, too slow to ready his cumbersome sword before she would descend upon him. Her fingertips crackled with dark energy, thirsting to drink in more of his mind, but she couldn’t take her eyes off his. In them, she saw the years of luscious memories she would feast upon, until there was nothing left to –

妇人感到胸口闯进了一股凉意。金属的冰凉。骑士盔甲上的酸味陡然变得浓烈，搔弄着她的喉头。

She felt something cold inside of her. Something metal. The sour tang of the knight’s armor stronger than ever now, tickled the back of her throat.

她低下头，只见盖伦的剑没入了胸前，只留下一截剑柄。伤口渗出红黑相间的血，滴在骑士的手甲上。盖伦依然宁定地看着她逐渐模糊的眼睛。

The hag looked down to see Garen’s sword jutting from her breast. Stains of red and black seeped from the wound, dripping onto the knight’s gauntlets as he stared steadfast into her fading eyes.

他的动作比她想象中要快。

He was faster than she’d thought.

“为什么？”妇人努力地想说话，却咳出了一口黏黑的胆汁。

“Why?” she tried to say, only to cough up a mouthful of black bile.

“你骗了我。”

“You lied,” he answered.

妇人挤出了一个笑容，牙齿间漏下黑乎乎的粘液。“你怎么会知道？”

The hag smiled, acidic tar bubbling between her teeth. “How’d you know?”

“我感觉……轻松了。没有了负担。”

“I felt... lighter. Unburdened,” Garen replied.

盖伦眨了一下眼睛。

He blinked.

“这不合规矩。还给我。”

“It didn’t feel right. Give them back.”

妇人想了一会儿，她的血正不断地流到冰冷的石地上，混进了泥土。

She thought for a moment as her blood mixed into the mud of the cold cave floor.

她把渐渐麻木的手指放在盖伦头顶，把回忆挤回他的脑中。盖伦痛苦地咬紧了牙关。等盖伦睁开眼时，妇人看到他眼中的疲惫就知道他已经拿回了自己全部的记忆。可怜的蠢货。

The hag’s fingers went numb as she placed them on Garen’s skull, forcing the memories back into his mind. He gritted his teeth with pain and when he opened his eyes, she could tell from their weariness that he’d gotten everything he wanted. The poor fool.

“为什么还要费事做交易呢？“老妇人问。“你比我预料中强，强多了。不管我放不放他，你都能把我切成肉片，我连一个手指头都来不及动。为什么还要浪费时间，让我看你的心呢？”

“Why even bother with the trade?” the old woman asked. “You are stronger than I thought. Much stronger. Leash or no, you could have sliced me to ribbons before I’d lifted a finger. Why bother letting me into your mind at all?”

“在陌生人家里，不给主人一次机会就见血，那就太……失礼了。”

“To draw first blood in a stranger’s home without giving them a chance would be...impolite.”

老妇人又咳又喘地笑了。

The hag cackled.

“这是德玛西亚的规矩？”

“Is that a Demacian rule?”

“不，我自己的。”盖伦从妇人胸前抽出了剑。伤口大开，顿时血如泉涌。妇人陡然摔倒，死去了。

“A personal one,” Garen said, and pulled the sword out of the hag’s chest. Blood gushed from the open wound and she slumped over, dead.

盖伦再也没有看妇人一眼。他扛起士兵，踏上了漫长的归乡之路。

He didn’t spare her another look as he picked the soldier up and began their long march back to Demacia.

盖伦心想，没了规矩，我们成什么了？

And without rules, he thought to himself, where would the world be?