No sooner had he left the king’s pavilion than the Greatjon began to laugh, but Robb silenced him with a look.
他前腳剛離開,大瓊恩便前仰后合地大笑起來,但國王用一個眼神讓他收斂。
“Euron Greyjoy is no man’s notion of a king, if half of what Theon said of him was true.
“倘若席恩昔日所言非虛,這個攸倫·葛雷喬伊稱王必是件不得人心的事……
Theon is the rightful heir, unless he’s dead … but Victarion commands the Iron Fleet.
現在的情形是,如果席恩沒死,他才是繼承人……另一方面,維克塔利昂統率著鐵島艦隊。
I can’t believe he would remain at Moat Cailin while Euron Crow’s Eye holds the Seastone Chair.
我不相信他會坐鎮卡林灣,靜待哥哥鴉眼攸倫攫取海石之位。
He has to go back.”
他肯定會興師返航。”
“There’s a daughter as well,”
“巴隆還有一個女兒,”
Galbart Glover reminded him.
蓋伯特·葛洛佛提醒國王,
“The one who holds Deepwood Motte, and Robett’s wife and child.”
“她占據深林堡,挾持著羅貝特的妻兒。”
“If she stays at Deepwood Motte that’s all she can hope to hold,” said Robb.
“留在深林堡,她什么也做不了,”羅柏分析,
“What’s true for the brothers is even more true for her.
“如果她也有叔叔們的野心,
She will need to sail home to oust Euron and press her own claim.”
想必要回師顛覆攸倫,伸張自己的權利。”
Her son turned to Lord Jason Mallister.
國王轉向杰森·梅利斯特大人。
“You have a fleet at Seagard?”
“海疆城可有艦隊?”
“A fleet, Your Grace?
“艦隊,陛下?
Half a dozen longships and two war galleys.
不,說不上,我只有六七條長船和兩艘戰艦。
Enough to defend my own shores against raiders, but I could not hope to meet the Iron Fleet in battle.”
足以抵御尋常海盜的掠襲,卻無法和鐵島艦隊交鋒。”
“Nor would I ask it of you.
“你會錯了意。
The ironborn will be setting sail toward Pyke, I expect.
依我看,鐵種們即將紛紛返回派克島,
Theon told me how his people think.
展開權力之爭,他們的秉性從前席恩給我講過,
Every captain a king on his own deck.
‘每個船長都是自己船上的國王’。
They will all want a voice in the succession.
敵人想必會勾心斗角,吵作一團。
My lord, I need two of your longships to sail around the Cape of Eagles and up the Neck to Greywater Watch.”
大人,我只要你給我兩條長船,以繞行雄鷹角,穿越頸澤,尋找灰水望。”
Lord Jason hesitated.
杰森大人有些猶豫,
“A dozen streams drain the wetwood, all shallow, silty, and uncharted.
“澤地的腐沼中是有十來條水道,可個個都淺薄、淤積而危險。
I would not even call them rivers.
它們根本不配稱為河流,
The channels are ever drifting and changing.
只是一些反復變遷的通道而已。
There are endless sandbars, deadfalls, and tangles of rotting trees.
到處是礁石、陷阱和糾結敗朽的樹木。
And Greywater Watch moves.
灰水望本身也在移動,
How are my ships to find it?”
怎么找得到呢?”
“Go upriver flying my banner.
“只管往上游走,船上掛起我的旗幟,
The crannogmen will find you.
相信澤地人會出來迎接。
I want two ships to double the chances of my message reaching Howland Reed.
派出兩條船,我們的希望就多了一倍,
Lady Maege shall go on one, Galbart on the second.”
我決定由梅姬伯爵夫人指揮其中一艘,蓋伯特大人指揮另一艘,
He turned to the two he’d named.
他轉向被點名的兩位領主,
“You’ll carry letters for those lords of mine who remain in the north,
負責將我的口信傳達給霍蘭·黎德。”“我會分別給你們一封書信,
but all the commands within will be false, in case you have the misfortune to be taken.
上面寫著我對留在北境的大人們的指示,但這些指示其實都是謊話,
If that happens, you must tell them that you were sailing for the north.
以防你們在海上被鐵民逮捕——倘若真有不幸,你們可以宣稱自己乃是返回北境傳令。
Back to Bear Island, or for the Stony Shore.”
夫人你是要回熊島,而你,蓋伯特,是要回磐石海岸。”
He tapped a finger on the map.
他伸出一根手指,敲了敲地圖,
“Moat Cailin is the key.
“成敗的關鍵在卡林灣,這點我們知道,
Lord Balon knew that, which is why he sent his brother Victarion there with the hard heart of the Greyjoy strength.”
巴隆大王也明白,否則他就不會把鐵群島的主力交給弟弟維克塔利昂,并命他鎮守于此了。”
“Succession squabbles or no, the ironborn are not such fools as to abandon Moat Cailin,” said Lady Maege.
“這個維克塔利昂或許會為了繼承權大打出手,但絕不會蠢到放棄卡林灣。”梅姬伯爵夫人說。
“No,” Robb admitted.
“當然不會,”羅柏承認,
“Victarion will leave the best part of his garrison, I’d guess.
“但我敢打賭,他將撤走不少精兵,
Every man he takes will be one less man we need to fight, however.
而對方每少一個人,我們就多一分希望。
And he will take many of his captains, count on that.
再說,即便軍隊不走,他為造聲勢,
The leaders.
也將帶走大批將領和船長。
He will need such men to speak for him if he hopes to sit the Seastone Chair.”
他們是鐵群島的骨干,有了他們的支持,方能獲得海石之位。”
“You cannot mean to attack up the causeway, Your Grace,” said Galbart Glover.
“陛下,您可千萬不能從堤道進攻,”蓋伯特·葛洛佛勸告,
“The approaches are too narrow.
“通路實在狹窄,
There is no way to deploy.
大軍無法展開,
No one has ever taken the Moat.”
數千年來,沒有誰能攻下卡林灣。”
“From the south,” said Robb.
“從南往北打是這樣,”國王說,
“But if we can attack from the north and west simultaneously,
“但假如我從南、北、西三面同時發力,情況就不一樣了。
and take the ironmen in the rear while they are beating off what they think is my main thrust up the causeway,
先從堤道上發起猛攻,吸引鐵民的注意力,隨后突然兜襲后方,
then we have a chance.
必將一舉成功!
Once I link up with Lord Bolton and the Freys, I will have more than twelve thousand men.
等我和波頓大人及佛雷家族合兵一處,手中就至少有了一萬二千士兵。
I mean to divide them into three battles and start up the causeway a half-day apart.
我們先走堤道,行過半日再兵分三股,
If the Greyjoys have eyes south of the Neck, they will see my whole strength rushing headlong at Moat Cailin.
假如葛雷喬伊家族在頸澤有眼線,他們收到的情報將是我軍全速撲向卡林灣。”
“Roose Bolton will have the rearguard, while I command the center.
“后衛將由盧斯·波頓指揮,中軍由我親率,
Greatjon, you shall lead the van against Moat Cailin.
至于攻打卡林灣的前鋒,大瓊恩,這個任務非你莫屬。
Your attack must be so fierce that the ironborn have no leisure to wonder if anyone is creeping down on them from the north.”
你給我狠狠地打,要讓鐵種們意料不到我軍還可能從北方突然出現。”
The Greatjon chuckled.
大瓊恩咧嘴一笑,
“Your creepers best come fast, or my men will swarm those walls and win the Moat before you show your face.
“嘿,你們這幫偷雞摸狗的家伙最好趕快,否則還沒露面,城堡就是咱的嘍!
I’ll make a gift of it to you when you come dawdling up.”
陛下,您不用急,慢慢走,我會把它當禮物獻給您。”