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chater ten the herit f the uthern arch（第1页）

AFTERtheyhadriddenforseveralhoursdownthevalley，itwidenedoutandtheycouldseewhatwasaheadoftheTheriverwhichtheyhadbeenfollowingherejoinedabroaderriver，wideandturbulent，whichflowedfromtheirlefttotheirright，towardstheeast.Beyondthisnewriveradelightfulcountryrosegentlyinlowhills，ridgebeyondridge，totheNorthernMountainsthemselves.Totherighttherewererockypinnacles，oneortwoofthemwithsnowclingingtotheledges.Totheleft，pine-cladslopes，frowningcliffs，narrowgorges，andbluepeaksstretchedawayasfarastheeyecouldreach.HecouldnolongermakeoutMountPire.StraightaheadthemountainrangesanktoawoodedsaddlewhichofcoursemustbethepassfromArchenlandintoNarnia.

"Broo-hoo-hoo，theNorth，thegreenNorth!"neighedBree:andcertainlythelowerhillslookedgreenerandfresherthananythingthatAravisandShasta，withtheirsouthern-bredeyes，hadeverimagined.Spiritsroseastheyclattereddowntothewater's-meetofthetworivers.

Theeastern-flowingriver，whichwaspouringfromthehighermountainsatthewesternendoftherange，wasfartooswiftandtoobrokenwithrapidsforthemtothinkofswimmingit;butaftersomecastingabout，upanddownthebank，theyfoundaplaceshallowenoughtowade.Theroarandclatterofwater，thegreatswirlagainstthehorses'fetlocks，thecool，stirringairandthedartingdragon-flies，filledShastawithastrangeexcitement.

"Friends，weareinArchenland!"saidBreeproudlyashesplashedandchurnedhiswayoutontheNorthernbank."Ithinkthatriverwe'vejustcrossediscalledtheWindingArrow.""Ihopewe'reintime，"murmuredHwin.

Thentheybegangoingup，slowlyandzigzaggingagooddeal，forthehillsweresteep.Itwasallopenpark-likecountrywithnoroadsorhousesinsight.Scatteredtrees，neverthickenoughtobeaforest，wereeverywhere.Shasta，whohadlivedallhislifeinanalmosttree-lessgrassland，hadneverseensomanyorsomanykinds.Ifyouhadbeenthereyouwouldprobablyhaveknown（hedidn't）thathewasseeingoaks，beeches，silverbirches，rowans，andsweetchestnuts.Rabbitsscurriedawayineverydirectionastheyadvanced，andpresentlytheysawawholeherdoffallowdeermakingoffamongthetrees."Isn'titsimplyglorious!"saidAravis.

AtthefirstridgeShastaturnedinthesaddleandlookedback.TherewasnosignofTashbaan;thedesert，unbrokenexceptbythenarrowgreencrackwhichtheyhadtravelleddown，spreadtothehorizon.

"Hullo!"hesaidsuddenly."What'sthat!"

"What'swhat?"saidBree，turninground.HwinandAravisdidthesame.

"That，"saidShasta，pointing..Itlookslikesmoke.Isitafire?"

"Sand-storm，Ishouldsay，"saidBree.

"Notmuchwindtoraiseit，"saidAravis.

"Oh!"exclaimedHwin..Look!Therearethingsflashinginit.Look!They'rehelmets-andarmour.Andit'smoving:movingthisway."

"ByTash!"saidAravis."It'sthearmy.It'sRabadash.""Ohcourseitis，"saidHwin."JustwhatIwasafraidof.Quick!WemustgettoAnvardbeforeit."AndwithoutanotherwordshewhiskedroundandbegangallopingNorth.Breetossedhisheadanddidthesame.

"Comeon，Bree，comeon，"yelledAravisoverhershoulder.

TheracewasverygruellingfortheHorses.Astheytoppedeachridgetheyfoundanothervalleyandanotherridgebeyondit;andthoughtheyknewtheyweregoinginmoreorlesstherightdirection，nooneknewhowfaritwastoAnvard.FromthetopofthesecondridgeShastalookedbackagain.Insteadofadust-cloudwelloutinthedeserthenowsawablack，movingmass，ratherlikeants，onthefarbankoftheWindingArrow.Theyweredoubtlesslookingforaford.

"They'reontheriver!"heyelledwildly.

"Quick!Quick!"shoutedAravis..Wemightaswellnothavecomeatallifwedon'treachAnvardintime.Gallop，Bree，gallop.Rememberyou'reawarhorse."

ItwasallShastacoulddotopreventhimselffromshoutingoutsimilarinstructions;buthethought，.Thepoorchap'sdoingallhecanalready，"andheldhistongue.AndcertainlybothHorsesweredoing，ifnotalltheycould，alltheythoughttheycould;whichisnotquitethesamething.BreehadcaughtupwithHwinandtheythunderedsidebysideovertheturf.Itdidn'tlookasifHwincouldpossiblykeepitupmuchlonger.

Atthatmomenteveryone'sfeelingswerecompletelyalteredbyasoundfrombehind.Itwasnotthesoundtheyhadbeenexpectingtohear-thenoiseofhoofsandjinglingarmour，mixed，perhaps，withCalormenebattle-cries.YetShastaknewitatonce.ItwasthesamesnarlingroarhehadheardthatmoonlitnightwhentheyfirstmetAravisandHwin.Breeknewittoo.Hiseyesgleamedredandhisearslayflatbackonhisskull.AndBreenowdiscoveredthathehadnotreallybeengoingasfast-notquiteasfast-ashecould.Shastafeltthechangeatonce.Nowtheywerereallygoingallout.InafewsecondstheywerewellaheadofHwin.

"It'snotfair，"thoughtShasta..Ididthinkwe'dbesafefromlionshere!"

Helookedoverhisshoulder.Everythingwasonlytooclear.

Ahugetawnycreature，itsbodylowtotheground，likeacatstreakingacrossthelawntoatreewhenastrangedoghasgotintothegarden，wasbehindtheAnditwasnearereverysecondandhalfsecond.

Helookedforwardagainandsawsomethingwhichhedidnottakein，oreventhinkabout.Theirwaywasbarredbyasmoothgreenwallabouttenfeethigh.Inthemiddleofthatwalltherewasagate，open.Inthemiddleofthegatewaystoodatallmandressed，downtohisbarefeet，inarobecolouredlikeautumnleaves，leaningonastraightstaff.Hisbeardfellalmosttohisknees.

Shastasawallthisinaglanceandlookedbackagain.ThelionhadalmostgotHwinnow.Itwasmakingsnapsatherhindlegs，andtherewasnohopenowinherfoam-flecked，wide-eyedface.

"Stop，"bellowedShastainBree'sear."Mustgoback.Musthelp!"

Breealwayssaidafterwardsthatheneverheard，orneverunderstoodthis;andashewasingeneralaverytruthfulhorsewemustaccepthisword.

Shastaslippedhisfeetoutofthestirrups，slidbothhislegsovertheleftside，hesitatedforonehideoushundredthofasecond，andjumped.Ithurthorriblyandnearlywindedhim;butbeforeheknewhowithurthimhewasstaggeringbacktohelpAravis.Hehadneverdoneanythinglikethisinhislifebeforeandhardlyknewwhyhewasdoingitnow.

Oneofthemostterriblenoisesintheworld，ahorse'sscream，brokefromHwin'slips.AraviswasstoopinglowoverHwin'sneckandseemedtobetryingtodrawhersword.Andnowallthree-Aravis，Hwin，andthelionwerealmostontopofShasta.Beforetheyreachedhimthelionroseonitshindlegs，largerthanyouwouldhavebelievedalioncouldbe，andjabbedatAraviswithitsrightpaw.Shastacouldseealltheterribleclawsextended.Aravisscreamedandreeledinthesaddle.Thelionwastearinghershoulders.Shasta，halfmadwithhorror，managedtolurchtowardsthebrute.Hehadnoweapon，notevenastickorastone.Heshoutedout，idiotically，atthelionasonewouldatadog."Gohome!Gohome!"Forafractionofasecondhewasstaringrightintoitswide-opened，ragingmouth.Then，tohisutterastonishment，thelion，stillonitshindlegs，checkeditselfsuddenly，turnedheadoverheels，pickeditselfup，andrushedaway.

Shastadidnotforamomentsupposeithadgoneforgood.Heturnedandracedforthegateinthegreenwallwhich，nowforthefirsttime，herememberedseeing.Hwin，stumblingandnearlyfainting，wasjustenteringthegate:Aravisstillkeptherseatbutherbackwascoveredwithblood.

"Comein，mydaughter，comein，"therobedandbeardedmanwassaying，andthen"Comein，myson"asShastapanteduptohiHeheardthegateclosedbehindhim;andthebeardedstrangerwasalreadyhelpingAravisoffherhorse.

Theywereinawideandperfectlycircularenclosure，protectedbyahighwallofgreenturf.Apoolofperfectlystillwater，sofullthatthewaterwasalmostexactlylevelwiththeground，laybeforehiAtoneendofthepool，completelyovershadowingitwithitsbranches，theregrewthehugestandmostbeautifultreethatShastahadeverseen.Beyondthepoolwasalittlelowhouseofstoneroofedwithdeepandancientthatch.Therewasasoundofbleatingandoveratthefarsideoftheenclosurethereweresomegoats.Thelevelgroundwascompletelycoveredwiththefinestgrass.

"Are-are-areyou，"pantedShasta..AreyouKingLuneofArchenland?"

Theoldmanshookhishead."No，"herepliedinaquietvoice，"IamtheHermitoftheSouthernMarch.Andnow，myson，wastenotimeonquestions，butobey.Thisdamseliswounded.Yourhorsesarespent.RabadashisatthismomentfindingafordovertheWindingArrow.Ifyourunnow，withoutamoment'srest，youwillstillbeintimetowarnKingLune."

Shasta'sheartfaintedatthesewordsforhefelthehadnostrengthleft.Andhewrithedinsideatwhatseemedthecrueltyandunfairnessofthedemand.Hehadnotyetlearnedthatifyoudoonegooddeedyourrewardusuallyistobesettodoanotherandharderandbetterone.Butallhesaidoutloudwas:

"WhereistheKing?"

TheHermitturnedandpointedwithhisstaff..Look，"hesaid..Thereisanothergate，rightoppositetotheoneyouenteredby.Openitandgostraightahead:alwaysstraightahead，overlevelorsteep，oversmoothorrough，overdryorwet.IknowbymyartthatyouwillfindKingLunestraightahead.Butrun，run:alwaysrun."

Shastanoddedhishead，rantothenortherngateanddisappearedbeyondit.ThentheHermittookAravis，whomhehadallthistimebeensupportingwithhisleftarm，andhalfled，halfcarriedherintothehouse.Afteralongtimehecameoutagain.

"Now，cousins，"hesaidtotheHorses."Itisyourturn."

Withoutwaitingforananswer-andindeedtheyweretooexhaustedtospeak-hetookthebridlesandsaddlesoffbothoftheThenherubbedthembothdown，sowellthatagroominaKing'sstablecouldnothavedoneitbetter.

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