死结 A Death Knot

作者：Odin Austin Shafer

瑟庄妮一斧头劈进了树干。整整五下，才把它砍倒，放倒了十多颗树以后的她着实有点倦怠。寒冰血脉在天寒地冻之中才最强壮，南方的热气吸走了她的力量。

Sejuani slammed the axe into the tree’s trunk. It had taken her five hits to fell it, and hacking down a dozen trees had winded her. Iceborn were strongest in the cold, and the southern heat was sapping her strength.

她手下疲劳的战士们发出欢呼。虽然只有一百壮士，但他们的吼声却响彻山间。

Her weary reavers cheered. Though only a hundred strong, their roar echoed off the hills.

现在已经没有必要再隐蔽自己了。南方人已经集结了数千人的军队，距离他们只有不到半天的脚程。在附近的几座山顶，敌人的探子正在虎视眈眈。

The time for stealth had passed. The southerners had gathered an army of many thousands and were less than a half-day behind. On the surrounding hilltops, enemy scouts watched.

瑟庄妮的主力部队留在遥远的北方处理夏季的事务：捕鱼、狩猎、蓄养牧群。她分兵多路，靠小型的作战编队沿着德玛西亚边境破坏城镇、焚烧庄稼、损毁堡垒。她的盘算是，等到凛冬来临，她就可以倾巢出动，横扫这些创伤未愈的地方，并将掠夺的范围向南进一步扩张。

The main body of Sejuani’s forces were in the far north occupied by the summer: fatting herds, fishing, and hunting. She had scattered small war parties along the Demacian border to destroy towns, burn crops, and wreck keeps. Hoping, when winter came, her full horde could smash through these weakened lands and raid further south.

疤族少女克婕尔克向瑟庄妮走来。她和其他劫掠者一样，都骑着居瓦斯克野猪，这种生物的体型大过南方的任何一种壮牛。

Scarmaiden Kjelk approached Sejuani. Like the rest of the raiders, she rode a drüvask, a boar-like creature larger than any ox.

“战母，敌人开始在河对岸集结了！”克婕尔克说着，让胯下的巨兽坐骑停稳。

“Warmother, enemies gather on the other side of the river!” Kjelk said, bringing her monstrous mount to a stop.

“你带路。”瑟庄妮说着，跳上了她自己的居瓦斯克野猪，“钢鬃”。他的体型比同类大一倍，与猛犸一样壮硕。

“Show me,” Sejuani replied, leaping onto her own drüvask, Bristle. He was twice the size of his peers and as wide as a mammoth.

她们一起骑行下山，沿途的战士们正在把圆木扎成漂流筏。她随着克婕尔克沿河前进，直到两人的坐骑都已经汗流浃背。

Together they rode down the hillside, passing warriors lashing the logs into rafts. She followed Kjelk along the riverfront until sweat dampened their mounts’ backs.

在一处瀑布下游，河对岸三百步开外，一群德玛西亚游击兵从森林中现身，攀着光滑的岩石爬下河岸。这是一支精锐的包抄部队，有几百名弓箭手和长枪兵。他们看到了两个骑在居瓦斯克背上的弗雷尔卓德女战士，但没有停下脚步。

Downstream of a waterfall, just three hundred paces across the river, Demacian skirmishers were exiting the forest that had hidden them and climbing down the bare rocks. It was an advanced flanking force of a few hundred archers and spearmen. They spotted the two Freljordian women on their drüvasks, but continued on their path.

“要死！！”瑟庄妮对着面前的河水啐了一口。换做是冬季，池塘、湖泊和河流都会冻结成为平路，让她的战团快速行军。

“Svaag!” Sejuani spat at the flowing water in front of her. In winter, bogs, lakes, and rivers like this one became frozen highways for her fast-moving warbands.

一声号响，瑟庄妮不需要探子来报也知道，敌人的主力部队已经抵达了。她转过身，能够在身后的山顶看到敌人闪闪发亮的盔甲。德玛西亚人的计划非常明显。

A horn sounded, and Sejuani needed no scout to tell her that the main force of the enemy army had arrived. She turned and could see their armor glimmering on the hilltops behind them. The Demacians’ plan was clear.

如果她的战团试图乘木筏渡河，敌人的游击兵就会从头顶撒下箭雨，折损他们近半的人手。德玛西亚人随后就会利用河对岸的高坡，靠长枪兵围住剩下的人，坚持到主力部队赶来，就能彻底压制他们。

If her warband tried to cross the river on rafts, the enemy skirmishers would rain missiles onto them, cutting her numbers in half. Then, using the high ground just beyond the riverbank, the spearmen would be able to hold her survivors long enough for the main force to catch up and overwhelm them.

满怀憎恨和愤怒的瑟庄妮用脚磕碰钢鬃，命令他前进，于是这头巨兽开始飞奔，冲破了矮树丛和浅沟，回到了木筏正在等待的位置。

Bitter and raging, Sejuani kicked Bristle onward and the giant beast ran, crashing through underbrush and shallows back to where the rafts waited.

大多数战士都已经发现了敌人的部队，正准备沿着河岸撤退。他们已经被一种恐惧攫摄——怕的不是战斗，而是南方人已经开始收紧的圈套。

Most of the warriors had already spotted the enemy forces and were preparing to flee along the river’s edge. A fear had gripped them—not of battle, but of the trap the southlanders had sprung.

“敌人会派骑兵沿河切断后路。我们也没法抵挡俯冲下山的大军。必须渡河。立刻马上。”瑟庄妮命令道。

“The enemy will send riders to block off any escape along the riverside. We cannot stand against the army coming down from the hills. We must cross. Now,” Sejuani commanded.

瑟庄妮拿出一块大小不超过她拇指的绑皮木棍，把它塞进嘴里。然后她甩开了自己的巨大连枷——凛冬之怒。这把武器的每一环铁链都赶得上一个成年人的头大小。而铁链的末端悬着一块巨大的臻冰，对于许多人而言这都是毕生所见最大的一块。臻冰的魔法冷气在其周围形成了一缕缕霜雾。

Sejuani took a small piece of wood wrapped in leather, no larger than her thumb, and slipped it into her mouth. Then she uncoiled her great flail, Winter’s Wrath. Each link of the weapon’s chain was as large as a man’s hand. At the chain’s end hung a massive shard of True Ice, the largest most had ever seen. Misty vapor rose from its magical cold.

瑟庄妮咬紧嘴里的绑皮木棍，抵挡着武器的魔法造成的疼痛。使用臻冰作战总是要付出代价的。它的寒冷冻住了她的手臂，使她陷入剧痛。她双眼湿润，脸颊上泪水冻成一颗颗钻石。不过她手下的战士们看到的扭曲表情里只有笃定和愤怒。她将连枷挥舞一圈，然后打进了河水。

Sejuani clamped her teeth down on the leather-wrapped stick to resist the pain of the weapon’s magic. For wielding True Ice always had a cost. Its cold frosted her arm, sending her into agony. Her eyes watered and tears froze like diamonds on her cheek. Yet all her warriors saw was a grimace of certainty and rage. She swung the weapon around her before crashing it into the water.

河面上飞架起一座冰桥。但是，不出她所料，冰面在温暖的水流中立刻四分五裂。这座桥无法承载她的部队。

A bridge of ice formed, but—as she had expected—it immediately broke apart in the warmer currents. It could not hold her war party.

几支箭从河对岸飞来。弓箭手们正在测试射程。几乎没有一支箭落在了岸上，但她能听到南方人的哄笑。

A few arrows began to fall from the other side of the river, archers testing their range. Few reached land, but she could hear the southerners’ jeers.

瑟庄妮放下了凛冬之怒，吐出木棍，摘下头盔。她开始解下小臂上缠绕的狼肠索。看到这个举动，手下们爆发出喝彩和狂吼。

Sejuani set Winter’s Wrath back, spat out the stick, and removed her helmet. Then she unwrapped the wolf-gut twine on her wrist. Seeing this simple act, her men roared in approval.

一段铿锵的哼唱开始了。战士们不再畏惧，他们知道自己正在见证非同寻常的事。瑟庄妮正在向自己的手下做出最神圣的誓约。

A barking chant began. The warriors, no longer afraid, knew now they were witnessing something special. Sejuani was making the most sacred oath of her people.

她要打一个死结。

She would tie a death knot.

瑟庄妮松开了辫子，麻利地把狼肠索编进发丝中。她不禁好奇，自己已经多少次立下过死誓。十次？肯定要比任何一名战士见证过的次数更多。终有一次她会倒下，或是败北。会是今天吗？

She uncoiled her braids and deftly ran the wolf-gut through her hair. She wondered how many times she had taken a death oath. A dozen? More than any warrior known. Eventually she would fall or fail. Would it be today?

箭簇开始落在她周围的河滩上，她不为所动，绑紧了死结。几名手下射出弩箭回击，但风向对他们不利。

Arrows began to hit the shore around her as she bound the knot. A few of her warriors fired bolts back at the enemy, but the wind was against them.

“我是瑟庄妮，凛冬之爪的战母！我是凛冬之怒！我是北风之连枷！”她喊叫着，将头发末端系好了最后一个三角结。“即便是死，我也将守住河岸，直到你们安全渡过！我看见了狼灵。我的命运……已经结死！”

“I am Sejuani, Warmother of the Winter’s Claw! I am the Winter’s Wrath! I am the Flail of the Northern Winds!” she cried as she tied the last triangular knot into her hair. “Even in death, I will hold the riverbank until you safely cross. This is my oath! I see the Wolf. And my fate… is tied!”

她手下的战士们发出欢呼，久久不肯停息，直至嗓音嘶哑。许多战士的双眼都噙满激动的泪水，因为瑟庄妮发誓保护他们，不惜牺牲自己的性命。

Her warriors cheered, voices growing hoarse as they tried to hold the sound longer. Many had eyes wet with emotion, for Sejuani had sworn to save their lives, even at the cost of her own.

她不需要下达其他命令。所有战士都握紧了武器，爬上木筏。他们将以最快速度渡河——或许还来得及救她。

She did not need to give them any further orders. They readied their weapons and climbed onto rafts. They would cross as quickly as they could—and perhaps they might arrive in time to save her.

瑟庄妮重新咬住那根绑皮木棍。她抚摸着钢鬃后颈部的坚韧毛发，他不需要誓言也不需要命令就能理解她的意图。他吭了一声，转过身面向河流。

Sejuani placed the leather-wrapped stick back between her teeth. She ran her fingers through the wiry hair on Bristle’s neck, who needed no oath or words to understand her intent. He grunted and turned to face the water.

她再次握紧凛冬之怒，用力挥舞。她精疲力竭，刺痛从手臂袭来，炎热的空气让她汗流浃背。瑟庄妮将连枷砸向水面……

Again she grabbed Winter’s Wrath and swung it. Exhausted, in pain, and sweating in the heat, Sejuani brought it down onto the water…

一座冰桥遽然升起。钢鬃立刻开始了冲锋。冰面迸裂、倾斜，但她的坐骑却始终在急速奔突。

A bridge of ice formed as Bristle charged. The ice cracked and tilted, but her steed somehow ran true.

箭矢落下，并不是像刚才那样的试探，而是一阵黑压压的箭雨。瑟庄妮高举盾牌，但还是有几支箭刺进了她的肩膀和大腿。数十支箭扎在了钢鬃的厚皮上。

Arrows fell; not the few exploratory shots from before, but a black rain. Sejuani held her shield high, though a few still stabbed her shoulders and thighs. Dozens pierced Bristle’s hide.

紧接着，冲锋还没过半，冰桥便塌了。瑟庄妮和坐骑一道落进了水中。

Then, barely halfway across the river, the bridge collapsed, and they were in the water.

钢鬃拼尽全力挣扎，尽量让自己和主人浮在水面上。箭矢依然不停。远处的河岸不见了。瑟庄妮能看到的只有黑色雨点般的弩箭，和被钢鬃的血染红的河水。

Bristle struggled. Desperately, he tried to hold them above the surface. Still the arrows fell. The distant shore was gone. All Sejuani could see was a rain of black bolts and the water red from Bristle’s blood.

这头巨兽在嘶嚎——声音就像雷暴混着婴儿的啼哭。钢鬃开始呛咳。瑟庄妮丝毫没有犹豫，向前俯身，用自己的身躯保护钢鬃。她把盾牌举到他的面前，减轻钢鬃的痛苦。

The great beast was screaming—with a sound like a thunderstorm and a baby wailing. Bristle sputtered. Without thinking, Sejuani leaned over, protecting his torso with her own. Her shield covered his face to ease the mount’s suffering.

这时，她在想，或许今天就是我们的死期。

It was then she thought, Perhaps our death comes today.

突然，钢鬃在较浅的位置踩实了。他没有溺水，反而是迈开劈波斩浪的步伐，冲上了河岸。

Suddenly, Bristle found his footing in the shallows. Instead of drowning, the great beast made huge splashing strides onto the riverbank.

瑟庄妮在鞍座上长身站起，向前方挥舞连枷，炸出一片冰雾。冲击波推开了十多个没有盔甲的弓箭手。钢鬃冲撞踩踏了另外两个。其他士兵从她身边跑开，向山顶撤退，上方的长枪兵已经组成了一道盾墙，将会抵挡她的下一次攻击。一轮弩箭射下，长枪兵很快就要向他发起冲锋，但瑟庄妮在笑，因为她知道，弓箭手已经没用了。

Sejuani stood in her saddle and swung her flail in front of her, releasing an explosion of ice. The blast cut apart a dozen unarmored archers. Bristle gored and trampled another two. The others ran from her, back uphill, seeking cover behind the spearmen who formed a shield wall to block her next attack. More missiles would rain down and the spearmen would charge her in mass momentarily, but Sejuani grinned, knowing the archers had lost their opportunity.

她回过头，看到她手下的战士们正在渡河，并没有像刚才的她那样遭到弩箭弹幕的扰袭。瑟庄妮不知道自己能否活过今天，但她并没有违背自己的誓言，也没有辜负自己的族人……

She looked back to see her own warriors crossing, unharried by the barrage she had just weathered. Sejuani still did not know if she would survive this day, but she had not failed her oath or her people…

其他的，都不重要。

And that is what mattered.