求生七诫 Rules of Survival

奎因一直在等待。她看着诺克萨斯士兵在林中的空地生火，看着他们喝光了整整两皮袋份量的酒。喝醉的士兵很好料理。可她希望他们只要醉得糊里糊涂就行，而不是完全失控。在荒野，小小的一个错误就能让人失去性命，而这些士兵刚才已铸成了大错：一是生火，让她知道他们极其狂妄；二是喝酒，显然他们觉得前无埋伏，后无追兵。

Quinn waited for the Noxians to light a fire in the forest clearing and drink two wineskins. Drunk soldiers were easy to predict. She wanted them drunk enough to be stupid, but not reckless. Mistakes got you killed in the wilderness, and these men had just made two big ones. Lighting a fire told her they were overconfident, the wine that they were sure no one was in pursuit.

第一诫：追兵常在，切记在心

Rule One: Always assume someone’s after you.

奎因在林地边缘找到了一棵空心的枯木。她屈起手臂，匍匐前进，不顾肚皮上沾满的泥泞，把身体滑进了枯木里。之前的一阵大雨把整个森林化作了沼泽地，而接下来的几个小时，她会躲在这里，挑着衣服上的虫子打发时间。

She eased herself through the mud on her belly, using her elbows to pull herself toward a hollowed out, rotten log at the edge of the clearing. The rain had turned the forest into a quagmire, and she’d spend the next few hours picking bugs and worms from her clothes.

第二诫：性命为上，尊严为次

Rule Two: Survival never takes second place to dignity.

奎因的目光小心地避开直视空地上的营火，以免影响夜视能力。她默默数了人数，只有五个，少了一个。第六个人呢？她一边思考着，一边正想从地上爬起来。忽然，她颈后的寒毛全都直竖起来。她整个人僵住了——有情况。

Careful not to look directly at the campfire and lose her night sight, she counted five men - one less than she expected. Where was the sixth man? Quinn started to ease herself upright, but froze as the hair stood up on the back of her neck, a warning from above.

一个身影从黑暗的树后面走出来。是一个士兵，身穿着熟皮黑甲，身手轻盈，蹑影藏形。他停住了，仔细扫视着阴影，手一直放在金属剑柄上。

A shape moved from behind a tree in the darkness. A warrior. Armored in boiled black leather. Moving with skill. The man paused, scanning the darkness, his hand never leaving the wire-wound hilt of his sword.

他发现她了吗？这不可能。

Had he seen her? She didn’t think so.

喂！维尔丁！“营火边坐着的一个士兵大叫道，“要喝酒的话就赶紧过来，奥尔梅多快要喝光了！”

“Hey, Vurdin,” called one of the men seated around the fire. “Better hurry if you want any of this wine. Olmedo’s drinking it all!”

第三诫：恭默守静，沉默是金

Rule Three: Stay silent.

被称作维尔丁的士兵低声咒骂着。看见他烦躁不安的模样，奎因不禁微笑起来。 “闭嘴！”他嘘了一声：“就连远在诺克萨斯的人都能听见你的叫嚷！”

The man cursed, and Quinn smiled at his obvious frustration.

“哎呦，维尔丁，除了我们没别人了。德玛西亚人顾不上来追我们。他们正忙着擦亮盔甲，精心打扮。来吧！一起喝酒！”

“Quiet,” he hissed. “I think they heard you back in bloody Noxus.”

维尔丁闻言轻叹，无可奈何地耸了耸肩，转身走向营火。奎因松了口气，这名士兵确实有点能耐，可惜他错信了别人，以为荒野中只有他们而已。

“Ach, there’s no one out here, Vurdin. The Demacians are probably too busy buckling on their armor and giving it a polish to bother with coming after us. Come on, take a drink!”

第四诫：磨而不磷，涅而不缁

The man sighed and turned back to the fire with a weary shrug. Quinn let out a slow breath. That one had some talent, but he too believed they were alone in the wilderness.

奎因微微一笑。她抬头一瞥，看见了一抹深蓝色的身影。那抹身影在遍布雨云的天空中非常显眼，是她的猎鹰同伴——华洛。华洛稍稍低飞，她轻轻点头，这是他们之间的无声交流，多年来默契与日俱增。她右手紧握成拳，微微打圈，伸出三只手指。她知道华洛能看见得一清二楚，也能明白得一清二楚。

Rule Four: Don’t let stupid people drag you down to their level.

第五诫：伺机而动，当机立断

Quinn smiled and glanced up, seeing the smudge of night-blue darkness of her eagle companion against the rainclouds. Valor dipped his wings, and Quinn nodded, their wordless communication refined over many years together. She circled her right fist, then raised three fingers, knowing Valor could see her perfectly and would understand.

奎因知道他们应该不动声色杀掉这些士兵，以免正面交锋。可是，士兵刚才的话已经冒犯了德玛西亚，令她怒不可遏。她一定要让这些人知道是谁拿下了他们，也要让这些人知道德玛西亚可不是什么原始部落，不会轻易就被野心勃勃的诺克萨斯踩在脚下。她下定决心，奋然站起，大步走进营地，仿佛她出现在此是最自然不过的事情。奎因在火光边缘站定, 　兜帽罩头，湿透的披风紧紧裹在她的身上。

Rule Five: When it’s time to act, do it decisively.

“交出偷来的东西便饶你们一命。”奎因一边说，一边抬头示意，那是一个皮革背包，上面缝着德玛西亚的标志——羽翼与利剑合而为一。

Quinn knew they should just take these men out quietly and without fuss, but the affront of Noxians this deep in Demacia was galling. She wanted these men to know exactly who had caught them and that Demacia was not some primitive tribal culture to be crushed by Noxian ambition. The decision made, she pushed herself to her feet and strode into the campsite as if her being there was the most natural thing in the world. She stood at the edge of the firelight, her hood raised and her oiled stormcloak drawn tightly around her.

士兵们吓得爬起来，眼睛眨了又眨，来回扫视着空地的外缘。他们手忙脚乱地拿起剑，笨拙的模样实在是她意料之外，让她几乎笑出声来。刚才那个差点踩到他的士兵倒是很好地掩饰了自己的惊讶。见到她只是孤身一人，他便放松下来。

“Give me what you stole and no one has to die tonight,” said Quinn, nodding toward a leather satchel stitched with the winged sword symbol of Demacia.

“小姑娘，这儿离你家可有点远呐。”他一边说，一边举起手上的剑。

The Noxians scrambled upright, blinking as they scanned the edge of the forest. They fumbled to draw their swords and Quinn almost laughed at their surprised ineptitude. The one who’d almost walked right over her hid his shock well, but relaxed as he realized she was alone.

“维尔丁，你家更远。”

“You’re a long way from home, girl,” he said, raising his sword.

听到自己的名字，他皱起了眉头，重心放在了后脚上。奎因知道他在思考，她到底知道多少他们的事情。士兵们四散开来，围住了她。她紧紧拉着披风，裹着自己的身体。

“Not as far as you, Vurdin.”

“把背包交出来。”奎因说，语气里有一丝不耐烦。

He frowned, put on the back foot by her using his name. Quinn saw his mind working as he tried to figure out how much more she knew. She kept her cloak pulled tight as the men spread out, surrounding her.

“拿下她！”维尔丁大叫道。

“Give me the satchel,” said Quinn, a note of boredom in her voice.

这就是他的遗言。

“Take her!” shouted Vurdin.

奎因双手一展，把披风扫到身后。她举起左手，手上的连弩朝维尔丁一指，一支黑色的利箭破空而出，直直插进他的眼睛。维尔丁立时一声不响地扑倒在地 。紧接着，第二支利箭穿透了他左手边士兵的胸膛。余下的四名士兵加速冲来。

It was the last thing he said.

一阵尖锐的叫声忽地划破长空，华洛向地面俯冲，快得像是清澈夜空中一道直劈到地的闪电。他展开翅膀，羽翼临风招展，身形划出一道犹如镰刀的弧影。华洛弯曲的利爪狠狠地攫住其中一名士兵的脸，瞬间撕裂成碎片。然后是旁边的士兵，他的尖喙对着士兵的头顶猛啄，崩开了他的头盖骨。第三名士兵正要举剑，但华洛的爪子却陷进了他的肩膀，把士兵硬生生按在地面上。尖喙随即落下，士兵的挣扎戛然而止。

Quinn swept her cloak back over her shoulder and lifted her left arm. A black shafted bolt from her repeater crossbow buried itself in Vurdin’s eye, and he fell without a sound. A second bolt tore into the chest of the man to his left. The remaining four came at her in a rush.

最后一个士兵立即转身奔向树林。

A screeching cry split the night as Valor swept down like a lightning bolt from a clear sky. His wings boomed as he spread them wide and swung around in a scything arc. Hooked claws tore the face from one Noxian, and the eagle’s slashing beak clove the skull of the soldier next to him. The third Noxian managed to raise his weapon, but Valor sank his claws into his shoulders and bore him to the ground. The eagle’s beak slashed down and the man’s struggles ceased instantly.

第六诫：战事一起，速战速决

The last Noxian turned and sprinted for the trees.

奎因半跪瞄准，连弩射出一双利箭。利箭刺进士兵的背部，从胸前穿了出来。他向前栽倒，再也没了动静。只差一点点，他便跑进了树林。奎因纹丝不动地跪着，仔细留意荒野四周的动静，确保附近没有任何敌人。她的耳畔只剩下森林夜间最平常不过的声音。

Rule Six: If you have to fight, kill quickly.

奎因站起身，华洛向她飞来，爪子抓着诺克萨斯士兵偷掉的背包，里面装的是军机密件。华洛松开了爪子，而她空着的那只手正好接着背包，轻轻一荡便背到肩上。华洛停在她的手臂上，尖喙和利爪沾满鲜血，狩猎后的兴奋让他的身体微微颤抖。他把头歪向奎因，金色的双瞳闪烁着快乐的光芒。她不禁露齿一笑，他们一直形影相随、亲密无间，所以她一早知道他在想什么。

Quinn knelt and loosed a pair of bolts from her crossbow. They hammered into the Noxian’s back and burst from his chest. He managed to reach the edge of the trees before pitching forward and lying still. Quinn remained motionless, listening to the sounds of the wilderness, making sure there were no other enemies nearby. The only sounds she heard were those she’d expect to hear in a forest at night.

“我也觉得奇怪。”奎因说，“他们怎么进的德玛西亚，还走了这么远？”

She stood, and Valor flew over to her, the satchel of military dispatches the Noxians had stolen held in his claws. He dropped it and she caught it with her free hand, looping it over her shoulder in one smooth motion. Valor perched on her arm, his body rippling with the thrill of the hunt. His claws and beak were red with blood. The eagle’s head cocked to the side, and his gold-flecked eyes glittered with amusement. She grinned, her bond with the bird so strong she already understood his thoughts.

华洛发出尖厉的叫声，她点头同意。

“I was wondering that too,” said Quinn. “How did these Noxians get this far into Demacia?”

“我也是这么想的，”她说：“往南吧。”

The eagle gave a shrill screech, and she nodded in agreement.

第七诫：手足之情，生死相依

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking,” said Quinn. “South it is.”

Rule Seven: Trust you can rely on your partner.