tg.stone of tears-第159章

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　Brin　dropped　the　loops　of　chain。　They　spread　the　horses　to　pull　the　steel　taut　as　they　peeled　away　toward　the　picket　line　of　horses。　The　hooves　of　the　big　horses　thundered　across　the　ground。　She　took　a　last　look　at　Brin　and　Peter；　knowing　it　would　be　the　last　time　she　ever　looked　upon　them　in　this　world；　and　then　turned　her　attention　ahead。
　
　She　pointed　with　her　sword。　‘There　are　the　rest　of　the　supply　wagons！’
　
　The　men　knew　what　to　do。　As　she　charged　the　column　past；　the　wagons　were　doused　with　lamp　oil。　Wheels　were　staved　in；　and　torches　thrown。　The　wagons　erupted　in　flame。　More　torches　set　fire　to　tents。　The　men　brought　awake　by　the　noise　and　fire　found　blades　sweeping　at　them。　The　fires　faded　into　an　orange　glow　in　the　mist　behind　as　they　plunged　onward　into　the　fog。
　
　Suddenly　they　broke　free　of　the　camp；　and　were　in　open　snow。　Now　that　they　were　away　from　the　camp；　and　its　fires；　the　darkness　pressed　around　them。　The　men　in　front　faltered；　looking　about　as　they　jogged。
　
　‘Scouts　forward！’　she　yelled。　‘Where　are　the　scouts！’
　
　Two　men　charged　through　the　ranks；　to　the　fore；　pointing　out　the　direction　of　the　pass　they　sought。　She　looked　for　the　others；　turning　from　side　to　side。　None　came。　She　galloped　Nick　to　the　van；　after　the　two　scouts。
　
　‘Where　are　the　others！　They　were　ordered　to　be　in　the　lead！’
　
　The　round；　wet　eyes　that　looked　up　at　her　answered　her　question　without　words。
　
　‘All　right；’　she　said；　‘you　two　know　the　way。　Get　us　out　of　here。’
　
　Fifty　men　had　scouted　the　pass　they　wanted。　Fifty；　to　be　sure　there　would　be　a　good　number　left　to　show　the　way。　Two　were　left。
　
　With　a　silent　growl　she　cursed　the　spirits。　Shamefaced；　she　called　the　curse　back。　They　had　at　least　left　her　those　two；　without　them；　they　would　be　left　to　wander　in　the　fog；　freezing　and　vincible　to　the　men　of　the　Order　chasing　them。
　
　She　pulled　Nick　to　a　halt　beside　the　stream　of　naked　men。　She　swooped　her　arm　frantically。
　
　‘Move　move　move！　Run；　curse　you；　run！　They’ll　be　on　top　of　us！’　The　men　on　the　draft　horses；　Brin　and　Peter　not　among　them；　came　abreast　of　her。　‘Drivers！　Watch　for　the　scout　ahead！　He’ll　show　you　the　stakes　to　follow。’　They　nodded　that　they　remembered。
　
　Men　in　D’Haran　uniforms；　with　white　cloth　swatches　sewn　into　their　epaulets　to　show　that　they　were　in　fact　the　Galean　men　who　had　infiltrated　the　enemy　camp　in　the　uniforms　of　the　sentries；　ran　past。　‘Don’t　forget　to　pull　up　the　stakes　before　you　get　up　on　the　horses。’
　
　They　were　to　double　or　triple　up　on　the　draft　horses　and　ride　to　one　of　the　other　small　camps　established　around　the　enemy。　Earlier　in　the　day；　they　had　made　trails　all　over　the　valley　so　that　without　the　sticks　stuck　in　the　snow　to　mark　the　proper　trail；　none　would　know　the　way　to　those　camps。
　
　The　trail　through　the　snow　from　all　the　men　on　foot　would　be　easy　for　the　enemy　to　follow。　But　they　had　plans　to　take　care　of　that。
　
　In　the　distance；　back　toward　the　Order；　she　saw　the　rear　guard　engaged　in　a　pitched　battle。　Lieutenant　Sloan　was　supposed　to　keep　that　from　happening；　and　keep　the　rear　moving。　Cursing　anew；　she　galloped　her　horse　back。　Without　pause；　she　charged　between　the　two　forces；　spun　and　charged　through　again；　separating　the　two　sides。　The　leather…clad　D’Harans　fell　back　at　the　sight　of　the　white　spirit　woman　atop　a　white　horse。
　
　She　waded　in　among　the　Galeans。　‘What’s　the　matter　with　you！　You　know　the　orders！　Run；　or　you　won’t　make　it！’
　
　The　men　started　moving；　trying　to　drag　a　body　with　them。
　
　‘Where’s　Lieutenant　Sloan！　He’s　supposed　to　be　back　here！’
　
　The　men　nodded　to　the　body　they　were　dragging。　The　side　of　the　head　was　gone；　and　she　could　see　the　exposed　brain。　It　was　Lieutenant　Sloan。　The　D’Harans　charged　in　again。　She　pulled　the　reins　and　Nick　reared。　The　D’Harans　fell　back　once　more。
　
　‘He’s　dead！　Leave　him！　Run！　Run；　you　idiots！　If　any　of　you　stops　again　for　anything；　I’ll　make　you　fight　the　rest　of　this　war　naked！　Now　run！’
　
　This　time　they　took　off　in　earnest；　kicking　up　snow；　running　for　their　lives。　Again　she　swept　past　the　line　of　drunken　D’Harans；　causing　them　to　stumble　backward　and　fall　over　one　another　in　panic。　She　had　to　stall　these　men　to　give　her　own　time　to　gain　enough　of　a　lead。
　
　She　ran　Nick　through　the　D’Harans；　trampling　those　who　got　in　the　way。　The　men　scattered　in　momentary　dread　of　the　white　spirit　woman；　some　calling　to　the　spirits　for　protection。　But　others　came　back　swinging　weapons。　If　they　caught　Nick’s　legs　。。。
　
　She　fought　back　with　her　sword　and　her　warhorse；　as　they　closed　around　her。　Her　men　were　fading　into　the　fog。　Run；　she　bid　them；　run。　She　swung　the　sword　at　men　who　reached　out。　The　next　time　she　glanced　back；　she　saw　nothing　but　dark　fog　and　mist。　She　was　losing　her　sense　of　direction　as　she　wheeled　Nick　around；　charging　at　the　men；　trying　to　buy　her　own　men　the　time　they　needed　to　escape。
　
　She　tried　to　break　away；　but　the　enemy　swarmed　around　her；　with　more　ing　all　the　time。　Some　yelled　at　the　others　that　she　was　just　a　woman；　and　not　a　spirit；　and　they　weren’t　going　to　let　a　woman　get　away。　She　felt　more　naked　than　she　had　felt　all　night。
　
　Men　threw　themselves　around　Nick’s　legs；　and　although　he　reared　and　kicked　them　off；　even　more　took　their　place；　staggering　the　big　horse　with　their　weight。　Kahlan　hacked　furiously　at　the　men；　shearing　off　arms；　splitting　skulls；　and　stabbing　bodies。
　
　With　a　sea　of　men　all　around　her；　she　suddenly　realized　that　her　situation　was　untenable。　She　knew　that　if　they　got　her　off　her　horse；　she　was　finished；　and　her　horse　was　being　hobbled。　Try　as　she　might；　she　couldn’t　get　the　men　away。
　
　For　the　first　time　that　night；　she　truly　feared　she　wasn’t　going　to　make　it。　She　was　going　to　die；　here；　in　the　snow；　in　this　mist…shrouded　valley。　She　would　never　see　Richard　again。
　
　She　felt　an　abrupt；　icy　pain　in　the　bite　on　her　neck。　Darken　Rahl’s　bite。　She　thought　she　heard　quiet　laughter　in　the　air。
　
　She　slashed　away　at　the　men　grabbing　for　her。　Powerful　fingers　clutched　her　legs。　The　pain　of　those　fingers　urged　her　into　frantic　stabbing。　Nick　managed　to　spin；　the　men’s　feet　flying　outward；　but　they　held　on　tight。　She　slashed　and　hacked　the　arms。　More　caught　hold　of　her　horse’s　bit；　taking　control　from　her。　A　horse　was　valuable　plunder；　and　they　didn’t　want　it　killed；　as　long　as　they　thought　they　were　in　control　of　the　situation。
　
　A　big　soldier　grabbed　the　horn　of　her　saddle；　dragging　himself　up。　‘Don’t　kill　her！　It’s　the　Mother　Confessor！　Don’t　kill　her！　She　must　be　alive　when　she’s　beheaded！’
　
　She　slashed　the　side　of　his　neck；　A　fountain　of　hot　blood　gushed　across　her　thigh。　Another　yelled；　‘Don’t　kill　her！　Bring　the　bitch　down！’　A　cheer　went　up　from　the　reaching　men。
　
　She　swung　at　the　grasping　hands。　Fingers　raked　her　legs。　Eyes　all　around　leered　up　at　her。　She　slashed　wildly　as　Nick　stumbled　sideways；　trying　to　pull　his　head　free；　but　the　men　held　his　bit　tight。
　
　A　man　leapt　up　from　behind　and　snatched　her　by　the　hair。　She　let　out　a　cry　as　he　yanked　her　backward　off　the　saddle。　Hands　grappled　her　as　she　tumbled　to　the　ground。　Everyone　went　down　in　a　pile　under　her。　Big　hands　seized　her　by　her　legs；　her　waist；　her　ankles；　and　her　breasts。
　
　Fingers　wrapped　around　the　blade；　trying　to　wrench　it　from　her。　She　twisted　the　hilt；　severing　the　fingers。　She　swung　and　stabbed　ferociously。　Bodies　pressed　her　to　the　cold　ground；　pressed　the　wind　from　her　lungs。　She　bit　the　fingers　covering　her　mouth。　A　huge　fist　struck　her　across　the　jaw。
　
　They　finally　seized　her　flailing　arms。
　
　There　were　too　many。
　
　Dear　Richard；　I　love　you。
　
　
　CHAPTER　45
　
　Kahlan　struggled　to　draw　a　breath；　but　with　the　weight　of　men　on　her；　she　couldn’t。　Tears　stung　her　eyes。　More　men　piled　on。　A　beefy　elbow　in　her　middle　pressed　into　her；　feeling　as　if　it　would　squash　her　in　two。　Drunken　breath　bathed　her　face。
　
　Her　vision　dwindled　to　a　small　spot。　Everything　around　the　center　was　going　black；　and　the　center　was　shrinking。　She　swallowed　a　mouthful　of　blood。　Her　own。
　
　She　heard　what　sounded　like　the　distant　rumble　of　thunder。　At　first；　she　could　only　feel　the　vibration　in　her　back　against　the　ground；　but　then　the　sound　swelled；　growing　louder；　sharper。　The　screams　of　men　reached　her　ears。
　
　Some　of　the　men　over　her　looked　up。　Their　weight　lifted　a　bit；　and　she　sucked　air　into　her　lungs。　It　was　the　sweetest　breath　she　had　ever　drawn。
　
　As　the　giant　of　a　man　atop　her；　the　one　who　had　struck　her　face；　turned　to　the　sound　of　thunder；　turned　his　fierce　eye　from　her；　she　saw　that　his　other　had　a　scar　across　it；　and　down　his　cheek。　That　empty　eye　was　sewn　shut。　Somehow；　her　left　hand　squirmed　free。　She　seized　his　throat。
　
　She　heard　a　metallic　rattle。　The　thunder；　she　suddenly　realized；　was　horses’　hooves。　Erupting　out　of　the　fog；　Brin　and　Peter；　atop　Daisy　and　Pip；　galloped　at　a　full　charge　down　the　line　of　D’Harans；　mowing　them　down　with　the　chain。　They　raced　toward　her　like　a　landslide　felling　trees。　The　men　stared　in　frozen　shock。　Kahlan’s　fingers　clutched　around