绽春常在 Perennial

作者：Dana Luery Shaw

许多人都曾担心艾欧尼亚再无“绽灵”，这个迹象表明失衡依然浸透了这方土地和这方人。几乎已经有一代人从小到大都没见过绽灵，也没经历过绽灵节。

Many had feared that the spirit blossoms would never return to Ionia, a sign of the imbalance still permeating the land and its people. Much of a generation had come of age without the spirit blossoms, without the festival.

不过帕斯珂玛一辈子的经验告诉她，无论绽灵迟了多久，最后都是要来的。

But Paskoma had learned over a lifetime that, no matter how long the blossoms were away, they always came back.

现在，灵树的枝条上萌发了新芽，这是战争之后的第一次。晶莹剔透的萌芽吐露芬芳，空气中的香甜沁人心脾。帕斯珂玛记忆中的上一次绽灵节还历历在目。当时她的外孙女刚刚出生几夏。她和丈夫欧克雷共饮灵茶，与他们逝去的亲人交谈，确认他们安好并让他们知道自己依然被铭记。通过绽灵节，人们得以放下旧痛，寻得安宁，在失去以后继续前行。节日过后，他们的亲人返回了精神领域，他们知道家族兴旺，因此心满意足。

Now, for the first time since the war began, there were fresh buds upon the spirit trees, delicate and pearlescent and perfuming the air with a biting sweetness. Paskoma remembered the last festival well. It had arrived just a few summers after the birth of her granddaughter. She and her husband Okerei drank the spirit tea together and spoke with their lost loved ones, making sure that they remained well and showing them that they were remembered. It was a way to let go, to find peace, and to move forward after loss. Then their loved ones returned to the spirit realm, content knowing that the family would continue thriving.

不过这一次，欧克雷不在她身边。诺克萨斯入侵不久，他就死在了抵抗的战斗中。她有太多事想告诉他。太多事想问他。

This time, though, Okerei would not be by her side. He had died fighting against the Noxians shortly after they first invaded. There was so much to tell him. So much to ask.

但首先，她必须做好准备。

But first, she needed to get things ready.

帕斯珂玛的茶馆没有名字。但所有来到崴里的访客都能立刻看到正门口的茶壶雕塑。当初帕斯珂玛建造这间茶馆的时候，特意要求一位贤能的织木匠，使用几棵不同的树织出房屋，每棵树都会在不同的季节开出不同颜色的花。现在，茶馆是鲜艳的玫红色，另外还挂着许多淡粉色的灯笼。

Paskoma’s teahouse did not have a name. Visitors to Weh’le were able to identify it by the distinctive teapot sculpture outside the front door. Back when Paskoma built the teahouse, she’d asked a talented woodweaver to create it out of different trees that bloomed different colors depending on the season. Presently, the teapot was a vibrant fuschia, half covered in blush-pink lanterns.

“伊图勒？”帕斯珂玛对茶馆里喊道，“我需要你发挥一下专长。”他个子高大，可以把灯笼挂到更高的树枝上。

“Ituren?” Paskoma called into the teahouse. “I need your expertise.” He was tall and able to hang the lanterns on the higher branches.

“我来了，我的挚爱。”伊图勒是个不爱说话的人，他按照帕斯珂玛指示的位置挂好了灯笼，始终面带微笑地望着她。但那是悲伤的微笑。惆怅的微笑。

“I am with you, my love.” A man of few words, Ituren placed the lanterns where Paskoma pointed, smiling down at her all the while. But it was a sad smile. A worried smile.

在战争的最后那段日子里，伊图勒和帕斯珂玛相爱相伴。但因为没有绽灵节，他们始终没能与帕斯珂玛丈夫的精魄沟通。没有欧克雷的祝福，让帕斯珂玛始终觉得自己还不能再嫁。伊图勒很有耐心，也很理解她，因为他也是在半辈子以前失去了妻子，但他有些惆怅。帕斯珂玛已经尽力向他做出承诺，但老实讲，她也不确定万一欧克雷不同意的话自己该怎么办。

Ituren had been Paskoma’s love and companion since the last days of the war. But without the spirit blossom festival, they had never been able to commune with the spirit of Paskoma’s husband. Okerei had never been able to give his blessing to them, and so Paskoma did not feel able to marry again. Ituren was patient and understanding, having lost his wife half a lifetime ago, but he worried. Paskoma did her best to reassure him, but truthfully she wasn’t certain what she would do if Okerei did not approve.

挂好灯笼以后，帕斯珂玛和伊图勒整理好了客室和公共区：用酒刷洗地面，在每一面镜子前点起两根蜡烛，隔出更多间客室，准备迎接节日期间前来花钱的客人们。他们一早就开始做准备了，当午后的金色阳光洒进屋的时候，他们听到一阵敲门声。“念旧情，绽新春，伊麦！”一个熟悉的声音。

After they hung the lanterns, Paskoma and Ituren readied the guest rooms and the common areas: washing the floors with wine, placing two candles in front of all the mirrors, and dividing the rooms for the onfall of paying guests they were expecting for the festival. They had started early in the morning, but the golden light of late afternoon shone on them when they heard a knock at the door. “May past joys bloom, Emai!” came a familiar voice.

伊图勒和帕斯珂玛疑惑地相望，他们异口同声地按照礼俗回应下句“今夕哀愁莫断魂。”那个声音听上去像是帕斯珂玛的女儿，图喇熙，但应该不太可能。图喇熙住在夏土鄂，在海湾的另一侧，要翻山过来得走将近一个月。

Ituren and Paskoma shared a confused look as they both responded with the traditional “And present sorrows wilt.” That voice sounded so similar to that of Turasi, Paskoma’s daughter, but it couldn’t be. Turasi lived in Siatueh, a village on the other side of the bay, nearly a month’s journey across the mountains.

但当门打开，走进来的正是图喇熙。她的笑容和她父亲一模一样。帕斯珂玛连忙迎上前，轻轻抱住女儿。“图喇熙，我不知道你要来！真是太让我惊喜了。里香来了吗？云平呢？”

But when the door opened, it was Turasi who stepped in. Her smile was just like her father’s. Paskoma rushed to her daughter and hugged her tightly. “Turasi, I didn’t know you would be coming! What a lovely surprise. Where’s Satokka? Where’s Kumohi?”

“里香就在门外卸行李呢。云平……要在家看家。”帕斯珂玛注意到女儿在说起女婿的时候神色有些暗沉。“我们就是来给你惊喜的，也来过一过绽灵节。让里香看看姥爷。”

“Satokka is just outside with our things. Kumohi… decided to stay in the village.” Paskoma recognized the tightness in Turasi’s voice as she spoke of her husband. “We wanted to surprise you, for the spirit blossom festival. So Satokka can meet her o-fa.”

伊图勒用疑问的目光看着图喇熙。“灵树上个星期才开始萌芽。”

Ituren looked at Turasi with a question in his eyes. “The buds only came out this past week.”

图喇熙皱了皱眉，刚要回答，这时一个瘦高的姑娘一脸倔强地踢开门，把一个大木箱拖进了屋。伊图勒弯下腰想要帮忙，但她摆了摆手。图喇熙狠狠瞪了女儿一眼。“里香，让伊图勒帮你一把。”

Turasi frowned, ready to reply, when a lanky young woman with a dour expression kicked open the door and pulled a wooden trunk into the room. Ituren bent down to help, but she waved him away. Turasi gave her daughter an exasperated look. “Satokka, let Ituren help you.”

“我自己能拿动。”里香撂下这句话，把木箱放在屋子中间，头也不回又出去了。

“I can do it myself.” Without another word, Satokka dropped the trunk in the middle of the floor and went back outside.

帕斯珂玛转回身接着问图喇熙，“你们是来过节的啊？”

Paskoma turned back to Turasi. “You’re here for the festival?”

迟疑片刻后，她点点头。“是。我们是来过节的。”

Hesitation, then a nod. “Yes. We’re here for the festival.”

她不想说实话也没关系。帕斯珂玛从女儿深沉的眼袋里可以看出她需要休息。于是她半跪在火炉边，点起一小团炉火，然后用鼓励微笑面对女儿说，“那我们一定要把这次节过得像模像样。”很久以前，世界处于完美的平衡之中。世界是一棵巨大的生命之树，每一根枝干，每一片树叶，每一朵花都精心布置，以便让阳光普照，雨露均沾。人，动物，精魄全都安宁平和。没有“战争”这个词，因为世上从未有过流血和战斗。

It didn’t matter that she wasn’t being honest. Paskoma could tell from the circles under her daughter’s eyes that she needed to be allowed her time. She knelt at the stove to light a small fire before looking back up at her daughter with an encouraging smile. “Then we will make sure this festival is one to remember.”Long ago, the world was perfectly balanced. It was as an enormous tree full of life, with each branch, each leaf, each bloom carefully and thoughtfully positioned so that the sun and rain could nourish them all. The people, the animals, and the spirits were at peace. There was no word for “war” because there had never been battles or bloodshed.一天，门神遇到了撷仙。撷仙看到门神引导了许多精魄进入精神领域，走向安宁与幸福，于是他开始嫉妒她——

One day, the Gatekeeper and the Collector crossed paths. The Collector saw how many spirits the Gatekeeper had led through the spirit realm to peace and happiness, and he grew jealous of her—

“等等，门神？你是说狐仙吗？”

“Wait. The Gatekeeper? You mean the Fox.”

里香打断了正在讲故事的伊图勒。他把她请来帮忙埋掉房子里的所有锐器——厨刀、钢锯、钩镰，还有帕斯珂玛的姑妈传给她的那把锈铁剑。

Ituren paused in his retelling of the old tale at Satokka’s interruption. He had enlisted her help in burying all of the blades in the house—the kitchen knives, his saw and sickle, and the rusted sword Paskoma had inherited from her aunt.

“我曾听别人说门神是狐狸、狗、或者花豹，”伊图勒笑着说道。里香自打来了以后几乎没怎么说话。伊图勒希望一起干活的时候讲个故事能拉近点距离。“你认为她是狐狸吗？”

“I have heard people say the Gatekeeper is a fox, or a dog, or perhaps a leopard,” Ituren said with a smile. Satokka hadn’t spoken much in the days since she and Turasi had arrived. Ituren had hoped that a task and a story would help loosen her tongue. “Do you picture her as a fox?”

里香翻了个白眼。“我又不是小孩子。你犯不着用这种语气。”

Satokka rolled her eyes. “I’m not a child. You don’t have to speak to me like that.”

他们在沉默中继续挖土。

They continued digging in silence.

伊图勒很有耐心。他可以等。

Ituren was patient. He could wait.

“因呗给我讲的故事里，”里香缓缓地说，“他就管她叫狐仙。所以……就是狐仙。”

“When Fa-ir tells the stories,” Satokka said slowly, “he just calls her the Fox. So… she’s a fox.”

“我倒是喜欢把她想象成一只水獭，”伊图勒轻轻地说。他一直都把精神领域想象成是一条无尽的大河，里面的湍流随时可能把你冲得晕头转向，而一只灵活的水獭会给新来的精魄引路，教会他们如何在汹涌的河流中巡游。

“I like to think of her as an otter,” Ituren said softly. He had always thought of the spirit realm as an endless river full of currents that could pull you off of your path, with a nimble otter showing the newly arrived spirits how to navigate treacherous waters.

里香偷偷瞄了他一眼。“你可以继续往下讲，”她喃喃地说，“我依然很好奇你为什么要把它们埋起来。”

Satokka stole a sideways look at him. “You can keep going,” she mumbled. “I still want to know why you bury these.”

伊图勒清了清嗓子，继续讲下去。

Ituren cleared his throat and began to speak again.

门神帮助许多精魄寻得安宁，让撷仙很是嫉妒，于是他想出了一条妙计。他拿出了两口最厚重、最洪亮的大钟，把它们熔掉。然后经过十二夜的铸造，他把两口钟重铸成了两把剑。他向第一把剑里注入了自己的嫉妒。向第二把剑里注入了自己的执念。然后，早春之际，他让这两把剑的精魄绽放在物质领域，于是这两把剑就像树苗一样生根发芽、破土而出。

The Collector grew envious of all the spirits that the Gatekeeper had helped find peace, and so he devised a plan. He took two of his strongest, loudest bells and melted them down. Then, over twelve nights, he hammered them into two blades. Into the first, he poured some of his Jealousy. Into the second, he poured some of his Obsession. Then, when spring began, he let the spirits of those swords bloom in the physical realm, and the swords grew from the ground like saplings.所以当好哥俩在森林里碰到这两把剑的时候，他们以为碰到的是树苗。Saplings. That was what the two Brothers thought the blades were when they stumbled across them in the forest.好哥俩亲密无间、齐力同心，也明白各自在世界中的位置。哥哥将继承他们父亲的宝剑和土地，而弟弟则将继承父亲的船。二人都相信自己将会成为伟大的英雄，一人在家乡，一人在远方。一个春天 ，他们在森林里发现了那两棵神剑变成的树苗。好哥俩从未见过哪棵树长的如此光鲜、如此锋利。他们一起砍下了树苗，一人扛着一棵回到了家。The Brothers were the best of friends, perfectly loyal to one another and understanding of their roles in the world. The Elder would one day inherit their father’s own famed sword and lands, while the Younger would inherit their father’s ship. Both believed they would be great heroes, one at home and one abroad. One spring, they found the two sword-saplings growing in the forest. Neither of the Brothers had ever seen a tree grow so shiny, or so sharp. Together, they chopped them down, each shouldering one to bring back to their home.他们有所不知，这件事将是他们此生最后一次兄弟齐心。因为当他们走到家的时候，神剑树苗流出的离奇汁液已经渗入了他们的脖颈，在他们脑海中填满了可怕的想法和感觉……来自撷仙的嫉妒和执念。虽然那一天他们并没有成为敌人，但最后还是拔剑相向，那两把剑交锋的声音，如同前所未有的钟声，响彻物质和精神领域。

Little did they know that this would be the last thing they would ever do together as Brothers while they remained alive. For as they walked home, the strange sap from the swords began to flow onto their necks, filling them with horrible thoughts and feelings… those of the Collector. Though they did not become enemies that day, they would eventually bring those blades together, a clanging of bells that would sound throughout the physical and spirit realms as nothing had before.

里香皱起眉说，“不是这么回事。好哥俩是自己铸的剑。他们在父亲死后把他留下的剑给熔了，他们俩都觉得对方拿到的剑更好。所以他们才开始打仗。根本就和‘撷仙’没什么关系。”

Satokka frowned. “That’s not how it happened. The Brothers make the swords themselves. They melt down their father’s sword after he dies, each thought that the other had the better blade. That’s why they went to war. The ‘Collector’ had nothing to do with it.”

伊图勒擦了擦手上的灰，低头看着他们在茶室地面刚刚挖的坑。房间的根系粗壮健硕。他稍稍用力，刚好小心地把第一把刀塞进树根之下。“这些都是古老的故事，”他说，“人们口口相传，讲述了成百上千遍。肯定我们都有讲对的部分。但我讲的是我最了解的那一种。”

Wiping the dirt from his hands, Ituren looked down at the hole he had just created in the guest room floor. The roots of the room grew thick and healthy. With just a little pressure, he was able to carefully slide the first blade beneath those roots. “These are old stories,” he said, “told and retold hundreds and thousands of times over many, many lifetimes. I’m sure we each get part of it right. This is the version I know best.”

里香思索了片刻，手指出神地在锈剑上摩挲。“所以你是因为好哥俩所以要把锐器埋起来？”

Satokka considered for a moment as she idly ran her finger over the rusted sword. “So you bury these blades because of the Brothers?”

“是的。如果兄弟二人没有拿起武器，他们就不会争斗。这是为了祈愿节日祥和，让我们在节日中放下过去的纷争。而且你看，”伊图勒指了指另一簇树根下放好的钩镰，“如果你把锐器交给平静的树根，它们就不会像那两株神剑树苗那样成长，不会根植于暴力。”

“Yes. When brothers cannot take up arms against one another, they do not fight. It ensures a peaceful festival, one where we let go of past strife. And look.” Ituren pointed to the sickle, lodged beneath another root. “If you give them over to roots that are grown in peace, the blades cannot grow as the sword-saplings did, rooted in violence.”

他不知道她愿不愿意把剩下的故事听完，但他最后决定不要冒险毁掉他们刚刚建立起的关系。于是，他伸出手想要接过那把剑。

He wondered if she would want to hear the rest of his tale, but decided not to chance losing the silk-thin connection they were developing. Instead, he held out his hand for the sword.

里香警惕地把剑抱在胸前。“不。我来把它埋掉。告诉我埋哪。”

Satokka clutched it to her chest protectively. “No. I’ll bury it. Just show me where.”

这已经够客气了。

That was good enough.

伊图勒告诉里香如何在不打扰树根的同时向下挖。他们走遍房屋的各个角落，在每个房间下面都埋了锐器，同时也让这个姑娘有机会认真地聊天。晚饭后，伊图勒和里香到处埋锐器的时间里，帕斯珂玛和图喇熙开了一坛好酒。酒香里带着浓郁的可可梅子味，余韵十足，也让人更容易敞开心扉。三杯过后，图喇熙摇晃着杯中的酒，望着倒影中跳动的火光。

Ituren showed Satokka how best to dig beneath the roots without disturbing them. They moved through the house, burying blades under the roots of each room, and giving the women the opportunity to talk seriously for the first time since they arrived.After dinner, while Ituren and Satokka went off to bury the blades, Paskoma and Turasi uncorked the good wine. It had a rich cocoa-plum taste that lingered on the tongue and made real conversation with a reluctant speaker just a little bit easier. Three glasses in, Turasi was spinning her wine in the cup, watching the firelight dance in the liquid.

“图喇熙？”帕斯珂玛停顿了一下，不知该从何问起。图喇熙抬起目光看着母亲。“云平为什么留在家里了？他怎么没跟你和里香一起来过节呢？”

“Turasi?” A pause as Paskoma weighed how to ask. Turasi brought her eyes to meet her mother’s. “Why did Kumohi stay in your village? Why didn’t he join you and Satokka for the festival?”

图喇熙暂时还不想谈论这件事，帕斯珂玛知道，但她们已经在茶馆住了三天了。她需要知道会不会有麻烦事追着她们来到崴里，是不是需要她或者伊图勒做点什么，确保大家安全。尤其是在节日期间，镇上人多手杂。

Turasi didn’t want to talk about this yet, Paskoma knew, but they had been at the teahouse for three days now. She needed to know if this was the sort of trouble that could have followed them to Weh’le, if there was something she or Ituren would have to do to ensure they would be safe. Especially during the festival, with all of these strangers in town.

图喇熙叹了口气，然后开始说道，“海湾里有诺克萨斯的船只往来，沿着悬崖与夏土鄂和其他村落进行贸易。他们很……小心。想让我们知道他们并不会干什么。不会伤害任何人。”她双手紧紧攥着杯子，帕斯珂玛甚至担心会把杯子握碎。“可是夏土鄂有人发誓曾经在陆地上看过同样的诺克萨斯面孔，他们正在探查周围地区，还放出了侦查的飞鸟。这些人并不觉得诺克萨斯会放弃对艾欧尼亚的盘算。”

With a sigh, Turasi began. “There are Noxian ships that sail through the bay, to trade with Siatueh and the other villages along the cliffs. They are very… careful. Trying to make sure we know that they aren’t going to do anything. Hurt anyone.” She held her cup so tightly in her hands that Paskoma feared the glass would shatter. “But some of the other folks in Siatueh swear they have seen those same Noxians aground, surveying the area or sending their birds to do it for them. They don’t think the Noxians will ever let go of their designs on Ionia.”

帕斯珂玛点了点头。大举入侵以前也曾有过类似的探查，所以她理解女儿为何会如此紧张。“那云平呢？”

Paskoma nodded. The invasion began after similar surveys, so she understood why it would make her daughter nervous. “And Kumohi?”

“云平没亲眼看到过证据。但他相信朋友和邻居们的亲眼所见。”

“Kumohi has not seen it with his own eyes, no. But he trusts the word of our friends and neighbors who have.”

“所以他留在家里是想亲眼确认诺克萨斯人的行为。”

“So he wanted to stay to confirm the sightings.”

“也不全是。”图喇熙双手颤抖，酌了长长的一口。“他们想把诺克萨斯人赶走，伊麦。他们爬上船，只要是没被钉死的东西都扔下甲板。目前他们还只是像这样搞搞破坏，但……”她的声音越来越小。

“Not exactly.” Turasi’s hands shook as she took a long sip of wine. “They want the Noxians gone, Emai. They climb aboard the ships and toss everything that isn’t nailed down. For now, that is all they do, but…” She trailed off.

“抵抗组织。”欧克雷以前也参加过类似的行动。

“A resistance.” Okerei had been a part of such efforts before.

“诺克萨斯人已经注意到了。他们派来了更多船。上面载着士兵。我觉得不能再待下去了。”图喇熙把双膝抱在胸前。“云平另有想法。”

“The Noxians have taken notice. They’re sending more ships. Ships with soldiers. I knew it was time to leave.” Turasi hugged her knees. “Kumohi disagreed.”

帕斯珂玛起身轻轻吻图喇熙的额头，握住女儿的双手。“你和里香在这里住着就挺好。过完了节也别走了。”

Paskoma stood and pressed a gentle kiss to Turasi’s forehead, dropping her hands to cover her daughter’s. “It is lovely having you and Satokka around. You do not have to leave once the festival is over.”

颤抖的低语，噙满泪水。“伊麦——”

A ragged whisper, wet with tears. “Emai—”

“不。”她捏了捏图喇熙的双手。“我再也不想在战争中失去我爱的人了。别走。”第二天，走在集市上的里香提醒自己不要闲逛。伊图勒要买一些铃铛，把家里破旧的铃铛换掉，而里香则按照姥姥的指示，刚刚给自己和妈妈买了两个面具。她的计划是跑腿，回去找伊图勒，然后回家。准确的说，是回茶馆。

“No.” She squeezed Turasi’s hands. “I don’t want to lose anyone else I love to war. Stay.”Satokka tried to keep on task as she walked through the marketplace the next day. Ituren was to pick up decorative bells to replace a few broken ones, and Satokka had just picked up the two masks her o-ma had commissioned for her and her mother. The plan had been to run the errand, get back to Ituren, and go home. Well. To the teahouse.

但她却被节日的各种装扮迷住了。袍子、糕点、花朵……上一次过绽灵节的时候她还很小，所以已经记不清了。

But she was entranced by everything that was on display for the festival. The robes, the cakes, the flowers… She had been very young at the last spirit blossom festival, and she couldn’t remember much.

糕点摊吸引了她的注意力，随后她又在后面的广场中央看到一个巨大的皮影戏台。整个戏台就是一块带轮子的大木板，戏台中间是透明的薄纸。皮影师傅操控着精致的纸偶，火法师在幕后制造光源。说书人站在前面，对着一群着迷的观众讲述戏中演绎的故事。

The cake stand had just caught her attention when she spotted an enormous puppet show just past it. The theatre, a large wooden wall on wheels with a translucent paper center, was set up in the middle of the square. Puppeteers moved intricately cut paper puppets as a fire mage created the light for the shadows. A narrator stood in front, explaining the story to a captivated audience as the puppets enacted it.

“于是绝望之灵就向我们的菜菜瓜发问，‘你真的相信你能找到他吗？’菜菜瓜点了点头，她知道在绝望面前说出自己的希望，是不会使希望破灭的。”

“And so the spirit of Despair asked our heroine Tsetsegua, ‘Do you truly believe you can find him?’ Tsetsegua nodded, knowing that to speak her hopes in front of Despair would make them fade into nothing.”

里香火冒三丈。本来她是沉浸在美妙的表演中的，但这个故事却把她拉回现实。菜菜瓜前往精神领域寻找死去的爱人，但她不应该与绝望对话，因为绝望从来都不会与任何人说话。

Satokka scowled. She had been lost in the beauty of the performance, but the story pulled her out of it. Tsetsegua wasn’t supposed to speak with Despair when she went to the spirit realm to find her lost love—Despair never spoke to anyone.

“绝望提起一撇眉毛。‘或许我可以帮你。你叫什么名字，凡间女子？’菜菜瓜灵机一动，说，‘拿尔桂’瞎编的名字。现在，绝望就必须帮助菜菜瓜找到她死去爱人的精魄了。因为绝望不知道她的真名，所以菜菜瓜暂时并不会落入她的阴谋。”

“Despair raised an eyebrow. ‘Perhaps I can help you. What is your name, mortal woman?’ Thinking quickly, Tsetsegua replied, ‘Nargui.’ No one. Now, Despair was bound to help Tsetsegua find the spirit of her lost love. And because Despair did not know her true name, Tsetsegua was safe from her wiles. For now.”

因呗给她讲的故事在她脑海中炽热闪烁，她实在看不惯这个错误版本的菜菜瓜故事。里香希望她能和父亲一起待在夏土鄂。她可以帮助抵抗组织。她高大强壮，可以帮忙把诺克萨斯的货物扔进海里。他们不配买走那些东西。她并不记得战争以前的时光，但里香知道，有一些艾欧尼亚失去的东西，始终没有夺回来。

The stories her fa-ir told burned brightly in her mind as she observed this other, wrong version of the Tsetsegua tale. Satokka wished she could have stayed at Siatueh with her father. She would have been able to aid the resistance. She was tall and strong and could help throw Noxian goods into the sea. It was more than they deserved. She didn’t remember the time before the war, but Satokka knew something had been lost that Ionia had not yet reclaimed.

她扫兴地离开。不过另一群人集结起来。让她猝不及防。

Disappointed, she turned to leave. But a larger crowd had started to form. One she wasn’t prepared for.

诺克萨斯人来到崴里了。

There were Noxians in Weh’le.

他们没有穿戴铠甲，也没有佩戴武器，但诺克萨斯人的表情总是能让人一眼认出来。那是一种内在的敌意，或者是一种高人一等的优越感。

They were not wearing armor, they did not carry weapons, but there was always something in a Noxian’s expression that could identify them. An innate hostility, perhaps, or a sense that they were better than those around them.

但是这群诺克萨斯人——一共六个，中年或者青年，他们的气质却不太一样。他们面露愧色，似乎知道自己不该闯入这个节日。但他们到底还是来到了这里。他们的出现让里香感到恶心。

But these Noxians—there were six of them, middle-aged or younger—were carrying themselves differently. They wore apologetic looks, as though they knew this festival was not meant for them. And yet here they were anyway. It made Satokka’s stomach turn.

艾欧尼亚人在他们周围让出了一大段距离。摊贩之间传来窃窃私语，但没人站出来对他们表示不欢迎。其中一个较年轻的诺克萨斯女人露出迟疑的笑容。她拿出一小袋钱币，走向那个糕点摊。

The Ionians gave them a wide berth through the market. Whispers passed throughout the stalls, but not a soul told them they weren’t welcome. One of the younger Noxian women gave a hesitant grin. She held up a small bag of coins and started to walk to the cake stall.

里香环顾四周，等别人出来说点什么。做点什么。

Satokka looked around, waiting for someone to say something. To do something.

没有别人了。

It would have to be her.

里香盯着那个诺克斯女人，她一步步靠近糕点摊，直到与里香视线相交。她伸出一只手，似乎是要自我介绍。

Satokka stared down the Noxian woman approaching the cakes until their gazes met. The woman held out her hand, as if to introduce herself.

里香的目光一动不动，向着她脚边啐了一口。

Never breaking eye contact, Satokka spat at her feet.

人群中传来不约而同的惊叹。里香没有看到那些诺克萨斯人是什么反应，因为这时候有人一把抓住她的肩膀。她抬头看去——是伊图勒，他鞠躬为她的行为道歉，然后把她拉走。

A collective gasp shivered through the crowd. Satokka never saw how the Noxians reacted, because at that moment someone grabbed her roughly by the shoulder. She looked up—it was Ituren, bowing and apologizing for her actions as he led her away.

被伊图勒推过转角的同时，里香回头短暂一瞥，看到那群诺克萨斯人……只是站在那里。那个遭她啐口水的女人茫然无措。里香顿时感到一股自豪。很好。诺克萨斯人该知道自己的卑微。

A small glance past Ituren as he rounded the corner showed Satokka that the Noxians were just… standing there. The woman she’d spat at looked lost. Pride rose in Satokka’s chest. Good. The Noxians should feel small.

他们沿着节日集市的外围兜了几个圈子，以减少被跟踪的可能性。可是伊图勒已经买好了新的铃铛，所以每走一步都在发出叮铃铃的动静。最后伊图勒把铃铛扔到了地上，然后带她回到了茶馆。

They circled around the festival perimeter to lessen the chance that they might be followed. But Ituren had picked up new bells, and he jingled with every step. Finally Ituren threw the bells to the ground and led her back to the teahouse.

在他们进入后门之前，伊图勒突然转身面对里香。他的表情令她惊讶地眨眼——她只见过伊图勒愉快和疲惫两种表情，但现在他的眼中却流露出恐惧。“他们没有动武，他们来是为了和我们一起过节，里香，”伊图勒的音调从未如此尖锐。“你没必要那么做。”

Before they entered the back door, Ituren spun to face Satokka. She blinked in surprise at his expression—she had never seen him look anything but cheerful or tired. But now, his eyes showed fear. “They came here in peace, to celebrate the festival with us, Satokka.” Ituren’s voice was never this sharp. “You did not have to do that.”

里香想起了远在夏土鄂的父亲，想起了抵抗组织，想起了此刻正在闯进自己故乡的诺克萨斯士兵。

Satokka thought back to her father in Siatueh, to the resistance, to the Noxian soldiers making their way into her town at this very moment.

“有必要。”图喇熙冲进正门，神色慌张地跑向她的母亲。帕斯珂玛刚给一位新来的客人上了一壶茶、一副干净的布垫和毛巾，不过当她看到女儿脸上的恐惧和愤怒，赶紧招呼客人入室落座。

“Yes, I did.”Turasi burst into the front room in a near panic and went straight to her mother. Paskoma had just handed a new guest a pot of tea, a clean set of sheets and towels, but she waved the woman on when she saw the terror and anger written on Turasi’s face.

“怎么了？”帕斯珂玛轻声问道。图喇熙止不住打颤的牙齿，把刚刚她女儿和伊图勒在集市里的遭遇讲了一遍。把事情问出来是花了一阵工夫的，伊图勒起初只是因为没能买回来铃铛而局促地道歉，而要让里香承认自己做了什么错事更是好比从石头里挤水。

“What is wrong?” Paskoma asked gently. Through gritted teeth, Turasi told the story of what happened to her daughter and Ituren at the marketplace. It had taken a while to get more out of Ituren than a sheepish apology for not bringing back any bells, and getting Satokka to speak about something she’d done wrong was like trying to wring water from a stone.

“我简直不相信她会做出这么鲁莽的事，太危险了！”图喇熙本来很欣慰能把女儿带到安全的崴里，带到娘家的屋檐下。但镇上不仅来了诺克萨斯人，而且里香还主动上去招惹。早知如此她还何必离开夏土鄂？

“I cannot believe she would do something so reckless, so dangerous!” Turasi had been so pleased to bring her family to the safety of Weh’le and her mother’s house. But not only were there Noxians in town, but Satokka had brought their attention to herself. That was the entire reason they had left Siatueh.

“她几乎已经成年了，图喇熙。她正在试探自己能力的界限。”

“She is nearly grown, Turasi. She is pushing her boundaries to see where they truly lie.”

“这么试探会把她害死的。那帮诺克萨斯人……或许他们没带武器，但你知道从他们军队里出来的，每个人都是冷血杀手。”

“And that’s what will get her killed. Those Noxians… they may not have had weapons on them, but you know that every soldier who served in that army is a stone-hearted killer.”

“打扰一下，”母女俩回过头，惊了一下。说话的是刚才那位新来的客人，正站在自己客室的门口。她身材高挑，头发乌黑，不同寻常的琥珀色瞳孔有一半被斗篷的罩帽遮住。“你们二位是在说崴里镇上有战士吗？”

“Excuse me.” Both women turned, startled. It was the new guest, standing in the doorway of her room. She was tall, with dark hair and unusual amber eyes partly obscured by the hood of her cloak. “You’re talking about warriors in Weh’le?”

“正是，”图喇熙焦虑地说。不经意间，母女二人靠近了说话的客人。这位客人散发着奇怪的气场，与茶馆其他地方的气氛格格不入。有那么一瞬间，图喇熙觉得自己可能是在做梦。“他们都经过战斗训练。他们必须离开，但我担心——”

“Yes, exactly,” Turasi said, disconcerted. She hadn’t noticed that they had walked toward the new guest as they spoke. The air around the woman seemed to shimmer strangely, moving differently around her than the rest of the teahouse. For a moment, Turasi wondered if she might be dreaming. “They’re trained in the ways of war. And they need to leave, but I don’t—”

“哦，不是，”那位客人用礼貌的微笑打断了她，“你误会了。我是想找人当保镖。护卫。镇上要是有强壮的战士愿意与我同行，还请给我指个方向。”

“Oh, no,” the guest interrupted with a good-natured smile. “You misunderstand me. I am in search of someone who could serve as a protector. A guard. Any strong fighters in town could be persuaded to join me, if you only point me in their direction.”

“不。”帕斯珂玛的声音清脆坚定，“我不允许任何危险人物在节日期间逗留于此。如果你一定要找护卫的话，那我只好请你另谋别家茶馆。”她伸出双手，准备接过布垫和毛巾。

“No.” Paskoma’s voice was clear and insistent. “I refuse to allow anyone dangerous to stay here during the festival. If you insist upon finding yourself a guard, then I will have to insist you find a different teahouse.” She held her hands out, ready for the guest to return her linens.

不过那位客人轻盈地笑了起来，帕斯珂玛的态度反而令她兴致盎然。“这可是镇上最好的茶馆了吧？我可不想在次等的地方落脚。我就按你的意思，不会把任何危险的人带进门的。”

Instead the guest laughed airily, charmed by Paskoma. “This is the best teahouse in town, is it not? I am not going to stay somewhere inferior if I can help it. I will respect your wishes and not bring anyone dangerous through those doors.”

她挤了挤眼睛，然后回到了自己的单间里。帕斯珂玛轻叹一声，回头对女儿说，“她不会有事的，图喇熙。里香那么聪明，就算惹了麻烦也会很快解决的。”

With a wink, she disappeared into her room. Paskoma let out a sigh and turned back to her daughter. “She will be fine, Turasi. Satokka is too smart to make herself a target for long.”

图喇熙点点头。她如鲠在喉，说不出话，但对母亲笑了笑。她已经忘记，让母亲为她打理一切是多么安心的感觉，她仿佛回到了童年时的样子。

Turasi nodded. The words stuck in her throat, but she smiled at her mother. She forgot how soothing it could be to let her mother take care of her, sinking back into the roles they played during Turasi’s childhood.

当然，还是有区别的。童年的时候，图喇熙从来都看不到父母的忧虑和恐惧。他们无所不能、有求必应，就像高山与大海。直到父亲死后，图喇熙才看到母亲的失落和不安。

There were differences, of course. When she was a child, Turasi never saw anything of her parents’ worries or fears. They were strong and ever-present, like the mountains or the sea. It wasn’t until after her father died that Turasi saw her mother lost or uncertain.

如今，绽灵马上就要开始了，关于欧克雷的不安又回来了。如果母亲得不到想要的答案，她该怎么办？

And now, with the spirit blossoms set to bloom soon, that uncertainty around Okerei had returned. What would her mother do if she didn’t get the answer she was looking for?

但话说回来，图喇熙也不确定帕斯珂玛知不知道自己真正想要的是什么答案。里香这辈子都没见过这么丰盛的菜肴。为了庆祝绽灵节的第一夜，帕斯珂玛为茶馆里的二十多位客人准备了一场盛宴。于是里香美餐一顿，然后开始做她在姥姥家最喜欢做的一件事：与客人们说话，听他们聊天。

But then, Turasi wasn’t sure Paskoma knew what answer she truly wanted.Satokka had never seen such a meal before in her entire life. To celebrate the first night of the festival, Paskoma cooked up a feast for the twenty or so people lodging at the teahouse. So Satokka filled her plate and her belly and did what she had come to enjoy most while staying with her grandmother: talking with and listening to the other guests.

每个人都戴上了自己的面具或装扮。图喇熙告诉里香过节期间要一直带着面具，不许摘下来。那些诺克萨斯人很可能在盯着，随时准备报复。但里香倒不介意。她很喜欢自己的面具。面具上的花纹精美，头顶有两支华丽的犄角，弯弯的眼睛把整张脸的表情变成邪笑。这是杀夺神的面具，每个人濒死之际都会看到的那个小女孩。

Everyone wore their masks or costumes. Turasi instructed Satokka to wear her own mask out at the festival, and to never take it off. The Noxians could be watching, ready to retaliate. But Satokka didn’t mind. She loved her mask. It was intricate, with large ornate horns and eyes that twisted down the face into a wicked grin. This was the face of the Taker, the little girl who was there at the moment of every death.

晚餐期间，里香和那个琥珀色瞳仁的客人进行了关于杀夺神的激烈探讨。那个女人扮成狐仙——或者按照崴里的叫法，扮成门神的样子，头顶毛茸茸的耳朵就像真的一样，脸上还画着胡须一样的印记。

During dinner, Satokka got into a heated discussion about the Taker with the amber-eyed guest. The woman was dressed like the Fox—or the Gatekeeper, as they called her in Weh’le—with lifelike fuzzy ears atop her head and markings like whiskers drawn across her face.

“可是杀夺神是人死的时候出现的，”里香固执地说，“所以由她带领精魄进入精神领域更合理。”

“But the Taker is the one who is actually there when a person dies,” Satokka insisted. “So it makes more sense for her to guide spirits to the spirit realm.”

“那请问为什么，”那名客人故意拉长声调问道，“我们要把死者最尖利的一颗牙拔下来放在掌心？那可不是供奉给杀夺神的，这个我敢肯定。”

“So then why,” the guest asked in an amused drawl, “do we remove the sharpest tooth in a person’s mouth and place it in their palm when they die? It isn’t for the Taker, I know that much.”

里香耸了耸肩，“那是跨过帷幕的买路钱。”

Satokka shrugged. “It’s payment, to cross the veil.”

“这钱谁收呢？谁拿牙齿有用呢？是库迈亚。”

“Who do they pay it to? Who would have use for those teeth? The Khumaia.”

“是啥？”

“The what?”

就是你所说的门神。她把收来的牙齿串成无限长的项链戴在身上，为的是在引导那些精魄进入精神领域的同时，理解他们的生命。等到他们抵达终点，她将会知道这个精魄是会遵循她的安宁之路，还是会走上拉克萨瑟的折磨之路，即便那个时候精魄自己还不知道。她会尽力帮助那些注定痛苦的精魄，但他们的命运早已在那颗牙齿中揭示。

“Your Gatekeeper. She wears each tooth she is given on an endless necklace, to understand the life of the spirit she leads down to the spirit realm. By the time they arrive, she knows whether the spirit will follow her peaceful path or Rakhsasum’s path of torment, even if the spirit does not know yet. She will do everything she can to help those destined for pain, but their fate is unveiled in that tooth.”

“真的吗？”里香在过去的几星期里已经习惯了崴里和夏土鄂之间故事传说的差异。现在，她想听遍所有不同的故事，回去对她父亲讲。

“Really?” Satokka had grown used to the differences in the stories between Weh’le and Siatueh over the last couple of weeks. Now, she looked forward to all of the tales she would tell her father when she saw him next.

那个女人咯咯笑起来。“假的。我编的。”

The woman giggled. “No. I made it up.”

“哦。”

“Oh.”

“我记得是，拔牙是为了纪念死者的年岁。睿智老者的牙是被磨平的。战死沙场的年轻士兵的牙是尖利的。”她短暂停顿，对里香笑了笑。“不过我喜欢讲别人没讲过的故事。”

“From what I can remember, it’s so we can celebrate the age of the person who died. The ground down tooth of a wise elder, the sharp youthfulness of a soldier cut down in her prime.” She paused and smiled at Satokka. “But I like telling stories that haven’t been told.”

到了糕点时间，里香开心地吃到了伊图勒从两天前就开始准备的糕点。底部微焦，中间绵软香甜，浓郁四溢。

When it was time for dessert, Satokka excitedly ate the cakes that Ituren had spent the last two days baking for this night. They were a little burnt on the bottom, but the sweet sticky center was full of flavor.

伊图勒逐个分发糕点，从里香开始，到那个耳朵装扮最精美的客人结束。她握住伊图勒的小臂，深深望着他的双眼，静静问了他一个问题。

Ituren passed around the cakes by hand, starting with Satokka and ending on the guest with the excellent costume ears. The guest put her hand on Ituren’s forearm and looked deep into his eyes as she quietly asked him a question.

里香看到伊图勒眼神迷离，然后他点点头，说，“当然，你想带谁进来我们都欢迎，无论是不是老练的刀客。我们这不挑客人。”

Satokka watched as Ituren’s eyes lost focus, then he nodded, saying, “Of course. Anyone you would want to house here is welcome, whether they are skilled with a blade or not. We do not discriminate here.”

然后那位客人感激地捏了一下他的手臂。“谢谢你，你应该跟妻子说一声，她可能不如你这般通情达理。”

The guest squeezed his arm in appreciation. “Thank you. You should let your wife know, she might not be as understanding as you are.”

他又点了点头，不过里香注意到，当伊图勒转身要回厨房的时候，他的瞳仁不是平时的颜色。有那么短暂的瞬间，就像是反光在作怪，他本来的深棕色瞳孔变成了黄金琥珀的色调，就和她身边坐着的这位狐狸耳朵的女客人一样。随着最后一道夕阳消失在水面以下，绽灵大盛，灵树的花朵映着月亮下发出荧光。人们发出欢呼——终于，时隔许久，绽灵真的回来了。他们点亮了灯笼，一路走向山上的寺庙，温暖喜庆的灯火，映衬着枝头花朵幽幽的银光。

Again he nodded, but Satokka noticed when Ituren turned to go back into the kitchen that his eyes weren’t their usual color. For just a moment, so briefly that it could have been a trick of the light, his normally dark brown eyes were the same shade of amber-gold as the fox-eared woman sitting beside her.As the last rays of the sun disappeared over the water, the spirit blossoms, now in full bloom, began to glow in the moonlight. The festival-goers let out a cheer—finally, after all this time, the blossoms had truly returned. They lit the lanterns on the march up to the temple in the mountains, a warm and cheerful light to counter the eerie silver of the flowers upon the branches.

帕斯珂玛真希望自己能和其他人一样兴高采烈。宴席过后，她和带着面具的里香换上了她们最华丽的衣服，出去寻找欧克雷的灵花，找到那朵花，就能让她与他的精魄相通，与他对话。过去，帕斯珂玛从来都能很快找到自己要找的花。据说，跳动的心和死去的爱人之间永远都有一线牵连。

Paskoma wished she felt as elated as everyone else. After the feast, she and a masked Satokka had dressed in their finery and gone out in search of Okerei’s blossom, the one that would allow her to connect to his spirit and speak with him. In the past, it had never taken long for Paskoma to find the flower she was looking for. There was always a tether, it was said, between the still-beating heart of those alive and the still heart of their loved ones.

可是这一次……一棵棵灵树上有太多的精魄。

This time, though… there were so many spirits upon the trees.

她从未见过枝杈上挤得这么满，这么美。有人低声说，树上的不光有艾欧尼亚人，说那些诺克萨斯人就连死了以后也要毒害他们的节日。远处渡鸦的叫声似乎在确证他们的担心。帕斯珂玛并不信这一套。因为还有一个更简单的解释。只是因为这一次有太多精魄需要回来，比以往每一次都更多。灵树承载着沉甸甸的希望，所有精魄都想要与生者再度相连。

She had never seen the branches so full, so bountiful. Some whispered that Ionians were not the only ones upon the trees, that the Noxians had poisoned their festival even in death. The cawing of ravens in the distance seemed to confirm their fears. Paskoma didn’t believe that. There was a simpler explanation. There were just so many who needed to come back now, more than ever before. The trees were heavy with the hopes of those trying to connect.

而她到现在都还没有找到欧克雷。

And she had not yet found Okerei.

她担心他迷路了，或者还没有获得安宁，或者干脆是不想同她说话。或许他们之间的纽带已经被如此长久的分离切断了。

She feared him lost, or not yet at peace, or simply not desiring to speak with her. Perhaps their link had been severed after so long apart.

帕斯珂玛忍着马上要夺眶而出的眼泪保持着微笑，同时鼓舞里香继续寻找。她可不愿让外孙女的第一个绽灵节被自己的悲伤毁掉。这本该是一场庆祝，她知道最重要的是让里香懂得生死重聚时的喜悦。

Paskoma kept smiling through the tears that threatened to spill and encouraged Satokka to keep looking. She would not let her granddaughter’s first spirit blossom festival be ruined by her own grief. This was supposed to be a celebration, and she knew it was important that Satokka learn to understand the joy to be found in these reunions.

图喇熙和伊图勒清理宴席之后也出来了。“找到因呗了吗？”图喇熙开口问道，同时戴上了自己的面具，这是一面绘制精美的菜菜瓜面具，脸上挂着眼泪。帕斯珂玛摇摇头，她如鲠在喉，说不出话来。“那我跟里香继续找。要不你去歇会吧？”

Turasi and Ituren joined them after they finished clearing away the feast. “Have you found Fa-ir yet?” Turasi asked as she slipped on her own mask, a beautifully painted Tsetsegua with tears carved into her cheeks. Paskoma shook her head, her throat too tight to speak. “Then Satokka and I will continue to look. Why don’t you rest for a moment?”

帕斯珂玛让伊图勒把她扶到长凳上，她坐在那里观察起来。她看到一家人对着一壶灵茶哭泣，祈求所爱之人能多停留几时。她看到孩子持枝为剑，扮演士兵，脸上一副不该有的严肃。她看到那些游离在边缘的人们的焦虑，他们在听渡鸦的叫声，盯着灵树的目光里透着猜忌和鄙夷。

Paskoma allowed Ituren to lead her to a bench, where she sat and observed. She saw families crying over pots of spirit tea, begging their loved ones to stay just a little longer. She saw children playing soldier with sticks for swords, a seriousness to their expression that ought not be there. She saw the worry and the whispers from those around the festival who listened to the ravens and stared at the spirit trees with distrust and contempt.

这不是她记忆中的绽灵节。她恐怕回忆将一去不返了。

This was not the spirit blossom festival she remembered. She wondered if it ever would be again.

她的目光离开了节日的街道，从远处传来了一种新鲜的有节律的鼓声，循声望去，附近一座山顶出现火光。帕斯珂玛捂住胸口——她知道这种声音。她曾在激烈的战斗过后听到过同样的鼓声，那是诺克萨斯人在用巨大的火堆焚烧他们的亡者。

Her eye was drawn away from the festival by the new and patterned sounds of drums in the distance, the blazing of flames on a nearby mountaintop. Paskoma’s hand went to her chest—she knew this sound. She had heard it after fierce battles, when the Noxians burned their dead on enormous pyres.

“真希望，”她叹了口气，“我们不再花这么多时间回看过去。”

“I wish,” she sighed, “we did not have to spend so much time looking to the past.”

“这不正是绽灵节的意义吗？”

“Is that not what the festival is about?”

“不。”她扭头看向灵树，背对着那团火。“绽灵节是为了放下过去，走向未来。太多人都忘记了这一点。”虽然她看不见，但帕斯珂玛似乎能感受到火焰的热力抽打在她身上，来势汹汹，要包围她、她的家人、她周围的一切、她的曾经和今后。“感觉不一样了。”

“No.” She turned to look at the trees, her back to the flames. “It is about letting go of the past, and moving forward into the future. So many people forget that.” Though she could not see it, Paskoma thought she could feel the heat of the fire lapping at her, threatening to engulf her, her family, everything around her, all that was and all that would come. “And this feels different.”

“哪里不一样了？”

“Different in what way?”

“这些像是放手吗？”帕斯珂玛示意她周围的景象，语气中充满哀愁。“还是更像我们把过去抓得太紧，让它不得不回来？”

“Does this look like letting go?” Paskoma asked, sorrow in her voice as she gestured around them. “Or does it look like we are holding on to something so tightly that it’s bound to come back?”

温暖的手掌包住了她的手。她抬头看到伊图勒的双眼，听到他轻柔的声音。

A warm hand enveloped her own. She looked up into Ituren’s eyes as he spoke softly to her.

“你因为没找到欧克雷的花而伤心。”

“You are upset that we have not found Okerei’s blossom yet.”

一滴泪水顺着她的脸颊淌下来。“我……一切都不一样了。绽灵回来了，但我们可以回到过去吗？改变了的事，能够回归正轨吗？”

A tear coursed down her cheek. “I… everything is different. The spirit blossoms have returned, but can we return to how we were before? Can anything be made right?”

伊图勒轻轻捏了一下她的手。“还有时间。我们会找到他的，我的挚爱。你和他之间的纽带是我见过最牢固的。你一定会与他对话，你也会看到，虽然一些东西会变，但有些东西永远不变。他将永远爱你，你也将永远爱他。无论他的回答是什么……”他停顿了一下，轻吻她的手背。“与他对话将会让你们一家人安心。我也别无他求。”

Ituren squeezed her hand gently. “There is still time. We will find him, my love. Your heart’s tether to him was—is—the strongest I have ever seen. You will speak to him and see that, though some things may change, others never will. He will always love you, as you will always love him. And whatever his answer may be…” He paused as he brought her palm to his lips. “Speaking with him will bring you and your family peace. And that is all I want for you.”

帕斯珂玛僵硬的微笑柔和下来，变成真心的微笑，她望着这个自己深爱许久的人，轻轻捏了一下他的手。“是咱们一家人，伊图勒。”

Paskoma’s tight smile softened into something real as she gazed at the man she had loved for so long. She squeezed his hand in return. “Our family, Ituren.”

他闭上双眼，没有让眼泪流出来，把她的手放在自己胸前。她可以透过之间感受到他的心跳，强壮、平稳、充满活力。

He closed his eyes before tears could come and placed her hand over his chest. She could feel the beating of his heart beneath her fingertips, strong and steady and alive.

这时她终于明白了自己想要的是什么。不再在乎欧克雷会怎么说。

For the first time, she knew what she wanted. Regardless of what Okerei would say.

她已经准备好放下过去，走向未来，与伊图勒一起。这六个诺克萨斯人打算尽量让他们的仪式私下进行，但仪式本身就是要引人注意，这是为了致敬那些为国捐躯的诺克萨斯人。他们从海湾中间的一座小岛启程，赶来以艾欧尼亚人的方式缅怀死者，但这个星期早些时候在崴里遭到了驱赶，无法参加绽灵节。于是他们就只能遵照自己的传统，以他们所知的唯一方式追忆死者。虽然这群诺克萨斯人身上没带太多东西，但这个仪式很容易就地取材。

She was ready to let go of the past, and move forward into her future, with Ituren at her side.The six Noxians tried to keep their ceremony private, but it demanded attention, an insistence that all honor the fallen of Noxus. They had traveled from a small island in the middle of the bay to celebrate the dead in the Ionian way, but had been turned away from the spirit blossom festival at Weh’le earlier in the week. So they had to keep the traditions of their own people and remember the dead the only way they knew how. Though the Noxians had brought little with them on the journey, the remembrance ceremony was easy to improvise.

劳娜奏起狼鼓，吉奥托和萨姆莎升起火堆，海利亚和阿诺特捡来枯枝残木制成雕像。贾库特把萨姆莎买来没吃的节日糕点扔在煤块上。经历了集市上那件事以后，没人能下得去口，于是这块糕点就成了第一个祭品，让空气中增加了焦糖蜂蜜的气味。然后，受过贵族教养、经过神职训练的贾库特用隆重的仪态，把雕像扔到火堆上。

Laurna beat the Wolf drum, Giotto and Samtha stoked the fire, Helia and Arnaut built the effigies from fallen pieces of timber and twine. Jacrut tossed Samtha’s uneaten festival cake onto the coals. No one felt right eating it after the marketplace incident and so it became the first offering, lending the air a burnt honey scent. Then, with the dramatic flair that came from a noble upbringing and a priestly training, Jacrut threw the effigies atop the flames.

“我们将他们的亡灵送上天空，”贾库特吟诵道，他的声音回荡在夜空下的林间空地上。“让他们的灰烬洒遍世界。”

“We send these souls into the sky,” Jacrut intoned, his voice ringing out in the clear, still night. “So that their ashes may fall over all the world.”

“愿他们的死亡带领诺克萨斯跨过海洋，”其他人喃喃地说。

“May their deaths bring Noxus across the seas,” the others murmured.

“愿他们的身躯滋养大地，助我们生长。”

“May their bodies nourish the soil so that we may grow.”

“愿他们死有所值。”

“May they not have died in vain.”

“愿他们的灵魂——”

“And may their souls—”

贾库特突然停下来，因为一股狂风吹拂火焰，卷起火星腾上星空。他一时间惊讶难当，陷入沉默。

Jacrut stopped suddenly as a huge burst of wind fed the flames, spiraling them toward the stars. It overwhelmed him for a moment, driving him to silence.

这就是诺克萨斯的承诺。一股烧尽一切的火焰，包括属于它自己的人们。他和战友们在战争结束之前就已经意识到了。他们全都是逃兵，想要藏在那些被他们抛弃、以及被他们伤害的人之间，苟活度日。

This was the promise of Noxus. A flame that would burn everything in its path, even its own people. He and his comrades had realized this even before the war finished. They were all deserters trying to make a life for themselves tucked away from those they had abandoned and those they had hurt.

两边的人都不想看到他们。

No one wanted them.

这里不是诺克萨斯，不是他们的土地，他不知道他们所信仰的神能否听到这里的祈祷。也不知道他是否真愿意被神听到。他记得那些祷词，但不知道自己是否还相信这些话。

This was not Noxus. This was not their land, and he was unsure if their gods could hear them here. Was unsure if he wanted them to hear. He knew the prayers, yes, but he wasn’t sure he still believed in them.

灵树上的花发出荧光，甚至在火光中更加闪耀。贾库特艰难地吞咽。不，这里不是诺克萨斯。这里更美、更危险、更恐怖。它们让他感到紧张。那些花，自从战争结束以后首次绽放。

The blossoms on the spirit trees glowed, almost pulsing in the light of the fire. Jacrut swallowed hard. No, this was not Noxus. This was something beautiful, dangerous, terrifying. They were what made him nervous. The blossoms, blooming for the first time since the war.

因为如果诸神看不见，那么能看见他们的就只有艾欧尼亚的精魄。那些他和战友们杀死的人，那些对他们只可能满怀愤怒和怨恨的人。

Because if the gods weren’t watching, that meant the only eyes on them were the spirits of Ionians. People he and his comrades had killed, people who had no reason to feel anything toward them other than rage and resentment.

他希望自己再也不必对抗那些人。因为他们也都看到了那些船，那些士兵。他们知道那意味着什么。他们不知道的是，他们自己该怎么办。他们生活在艾欧尼亚。但他们理应效忠于诺克萨斯。

People he hoped they would not have to fight against again. Because they had all seen the ships, the soldiers. They knew what it meant. What they didn’t know, was what it would mean for them. For their lives in Ionia. For their service to Noxus.

“愿他们的灵魂在我们的祖先之中寻得安宁，”他用干咳的嗓音说道，“并在即将到来的战斗中借与我们力量。”

“May their souls find rest among our ancestors,” he croaked out, his throat dry, “and lend us their strength for the battles to come.”

他不想让精魄们听到他的祷词。

He did not want the spirits to hear his prayers.