Chapter 2 Chapter Two They Call Me "The New Kid"

There are many legends about the Taker, the first Outislander to take Buckkeep for himself, establish the First Duchy, and start a line of royal blood.One story states that the raiding voyage he took part in was the first and only time he left the cold and hostile island of his birth to attack and plunder elsewhere.It is said that when he saw the timber fortifications of Buckkeep, he declared, "If there is fire and food here, I shall never leave again." Did not leave either. But the rumors in the family said that he was not good at sailing, and that other outlanders calmed down in strong winds and waves, and his salt fish rations made him seasick and uncomfortable.It was said that he and his crew were lost at sea for many days, and that his sailors would have drowned him had he failed to take Buckkeep.Yet in the old tapestry in the great hall he looked muscular and resolute, standing with a fierce smile at the prow as the oarsmen oared him to old Buckkeep, where the logs and poorly trimmed stones.

Buckkeep is located in a bay very suitable for anchoring, where a navigable river enters the sea, and the terrain is favorable for defense. This is the origin of its development.A small lord, whose name has been lost in the mists of history, saw the potential to control trade on the river and built the first fort here.Evidently the fort was erected to defend the river and bay from the Outer Islands raiders who came every summer to ravage along the river.But he didn't expect that the robbers could also use treachery to infiltrate the fortress, turning the towers and walls into their footholds, gradually ascending to occupy and rule the entire river, and using trimmed and polished stones to replace the original timber fortress. Converted into tower walls, then Buckkeep became the heart of the First Duchy, and finally the capital of the kingdom covering the six duchies.

The Zhanyuan family who ruled the six duchies are descendants of those Outislanders.For many generations they kept in touch with the Out Islanders, often sailing there to court and bring back buxom brides with black hair and black eyes for their kin.So the members of the royal family and nobles still have strong Outlander blood, and their children have black hair and dark eyes, muscular, short and strong.With these traits comes a predilection for the Skill, and all the other dangers and weaknesses of this blood.I also inherited these things. But my first experience of Buckkeep had nothing to do with history or genetics.It was then for me only the end of a journey, full of sounds and people, carriages, dogs, buildings, winding streets, leading at last to a massive stone fortress on a cliff overlooking the A city in the shade.Burrich's horse was tired, and the city's cobbled roads were often so sticky that the horse's hooves would slip.I clutched Burrich's belt tightly, feeling so sore and tired that I didn't even have the energy to complain.I looked up once to stare at the gray towers and ramparts above us, looking cold and grim despite the warm sea wind I was unfamiliar with.I pressed my forehead against his back, and the salty iodine smell of that vast expanse of water made me sick to my stomach.That's how I came to Buckkeep.

Burrich's room was above the stables, not far from the hawk cage.He took me there with the Hound and Rider's Falcon.He took care of the falcon first, for it had grown haggard from the fatigue of the journey.The hounds were so excited to be home, full of boundless energy, which annoyed my weary self.Big Nose barked at me a few times, and I managed to get his hound's stupid head to understand that I was tired and not in the mood to play with him.Its reaction was a very typical puppy reaction, that is, it went to play with its former companions from the same litter, and immediately started a somewhat serious fight with one of them, which was stopped by Burrich with a loud shout.Although he is a servant of the steeds, when he was in Buckkeep, he was the master of hounds, falcons, and horses.

After taking care of his own animals, he walked around the stables, examining what the others had and hadn't done in his absence.Stableboys, grooms, and falconers who cleaned the stables and groomed the horses appeared as if by magic, to justify their criticized duties.I ran around after him until I couldn't walk anymore.Finally I surrendered and fell tiredly on a pile of straw, when he seemed to notice me, first impatient and then extremely tired. "Hey, you, Cobb, you take little Fitz to the kitchen, feed him, and then take him back to my room." Cobb was a short, black-haired, black-eyed boy who was in charge of the dogs, about 10 years old.He'd just been praised for having a healthy litter of pups born in Burrich's absence, and now his smile faded and he looked at me suspiciously.Burrich continued down the stalls, followed nervously by a host of animal servants, all of us staring.Then the boy shrugged and half-bent to face me. "Are you hungry, Fitz? Shall we go get you something to eat?" he asked in a seductive tone, exactly the same tone he had just coaxed the paparazzi out to show Burrich.I nodded, relieved that he saw me as nothing more than a paparazzi, and followed him.

He turned his head several times to see if I was following.As soon as we got out of the stable, Big Nose came hopping up to me.The hound obviously had a good relationship with me, which made Cobb's opinion of me slightly improved. He continued to encourage the two of us with short sentences, telling us that there was something to eat soon, "Come on, don't run away I smelled that cat, come on, so be good." The stables were very busy, with the Verity men busy tending their horses and their harness, and Burrich busy finding fault with all the work done in his absence that wasn't up to his standards.People came and went to pass us, all on different errands: a boy with a gigantic slab of bacon on his shoulders, a group of giggling girls each holding a heavy stack of reeds and heather for the floor Ye, an old man with a grumpy face carrying a basket of lively fish, and three young women in variegated clothes holding bells, their voices are as crisp and cheerful as the bells.

My nose told me that we were approaching the kitchen, but the density of people coming and going increased, and by the time we got to a door, the people coming and going were literally huddled together.Cobb stopped, and Big Nose and I stopped behind him, busy sniffing the scent.He looked at the crowd inside and outside the door, and frowned to himself. "It's full of people, everyone is busy preparing for the banquet tonight to welcome Verity and Regal. Anyone of any stature will come to Buckkeep. News of the Horseman's abdication travels fast, and everyone All the dukes have come, or sent representatives to discuss this matter, and I heard that even Qi Wuda sent someone to ensure that the treaty he signed will still be honored after Junqi is gone—”

He shuts his mouth, suddenly embarrassed, but is his embarrassment because he's talking about my father to me who caused my father's abdication, or because he treats a 6 year old and a puppy as intellectual talk Object, I'm not sure about that.He glanced around, reassessing the situation. "Wait here for me," he finally told us. "I'll sneak in and get you something to eat. I'm less likely to be stepped on...or caught. Don't run around." He made a firm Gestures emphasize the command.I stepped back and squatted against the wall where it would not be in the way, and Big Nose sat obediently beside me.I watched with admiration as Cobb mingled into the crowd toward the door, slipping like an eel into the kitchen.

After Cobb was out of my sight, my attention was turned to the group of people in front of me.Most of the people who passed us were servants and cooks, but there were also some buskers, merchants, and delivery people.I watched them come and go with a weary curiosity, having seen too many things that day to find them very interesting.The craving for a quiet place away from all this busy activity almost outweighed the craving for food.I slumped on the ground, with my back against the sun-warmed castle wall, my head on my knees, and my big nose against me. The beating of the big nose's stiff tail on the ground woke me up, and I picked up my face buried in my knees, and saw a pair of brown high boots in front of me.I looked up the rough leather trousers and the rough wool shirt and saw a shaggy bearded face with pepper gray hair.The man stared at me, carrying a keg of wine over his shoulder.

"Hey, are you the illegitimate child?" I hear that word a lot, so I know it refers to me, although I don't quite understand what it means.I nodded slowly, and the man's face lit up with great interest. "Hey," he said aloud, not to me now, but to the people who came and went, "the bastard is here, the accidental product of the strict Junqi. He looks exactly like him Yes, do you think so? Kid, who is your mother?" Most of those coming and going continued on their way, only to cast a curious glance at the 6-year-old sitting by the wall, but the barrel-bearer's question was clearly interesting, as several people Turning around, several businessmen who had just walked out of the kitchen leaned over to hear my answer.

But I don't have an answer.My mother has always been a mother to me, and any previous impressions of her I have had are pretty much gone by now.So I didn't answer, but just stared up at him. "Well, what's your name, boy?" he confided, turning to the audience, "I hear he doesn't have a name. Not only does he have no high-ranking royal name to shape his personality, he doesn't even have a country nickname to call him. No. That's right, boy? Do you have a name?" More and more people were watching, and some people showed pity in their eyes, but no one intervened.The big nose somehow infected my emotions. It lay on its side, showing its belly in a begging manner, and wagging its tail. This ancient canine signal has always meant: "I'm just a puppy, I can't protect myself, please Have mercy." If they were dogs, they would sniff me from head to toe and back away.But human beings have no such propriety, so seeing that I didn't answer, the man took a step closer and asked again: "Do you have a name, boy?" I stood up slowly, and the wall that was warm against my back a moment ago now became a cold obstacle that made me nowhere to escape.The big nose at my feet wriggled on its back in the dust, making a pleading whine. "No." I said softly, and the man made a gesture to get closer to listen to me, "No!" I walked across the wall, shouting and resisting him.I saw him take a wobbly step back, unable to hold on to the barrel on his shoulder, and it fell on the cobblestones and cracked.It was impossible for anyone in the crowd to understand what was going on, and I certainly didn't understand it myself.Most of the people were laughing at seeing someone so big recoiled in terror of a child.That moment established my reputation as a hot-tempered and stubborn man, and word spread throughout the town before dark that the bastard had stood up to his tormentors.Big Nose scrambled to his feet and ran away with me.I catch a glimpse of Cobb just emerging from the kitchen, his face tense and confused, pie in hand, and I see Nose and I run off.If he had been Burrich, I might have stopped, trusting him to keep me safe, but he wasn't Burrich, so I kept running, letting Big Nose lead the way. We passed through a mighty horde of servants, just another insignificant kid racing the dogs around the yard and no one paid attention.Big Nose took me to a place it thought was the safest place in the world.Far from the kitchen, far from the inner castle, the tigress dug a hole under the corner of a rickety bean outbuilding, completely ignoring Burrich's care, and there she gave birth to a litter of puppies, Big Nose was one of them; and he hid the paparazzi here for nearly 3 days before Burrich found it himself, and his scent was the first human smell that Big Nose could remember.The passage under the building was rather narrow, but I managed to squeeze my way in, and the semi-dark hole was warm and dry.There we hid, our pounding hearts quickly steadied, and sank into the deep, dreamless sleep of peace that belongs only to puppies on warm spring afternoons. A few hours later, I woke up with a shiver. It was completely dark, and the thin warmth of the day in early spring had disappeared.As soon as I woke up, Big Nose woke up too, and we squeezed and rubbed together to get out of the hole. The night sky hung high above Buckkeep, and the stars shone bright and cold.The smell of the bay grew stronger, as if the smells of men, horses, and cooking during the day were only temporary things, to be surrendered to the power of the sea at night.We walked along deserted paths, across the practice field, past the granaries and wine presses, all still and silent.As I approached the Inner Castle, I saw the torches still burning, and heard people still talking loudly, but everything seemed to wear on, the last remnants of the feast dying away, waiting for the dawn to light the sky.But we still go far away from the inner castle, because we don't want to meet people anymore. I followed Big Nose back to the stables, and as I approached the heavy door, I wondered how to get in.But as we drew nearer, Nosy's tail jerked, and even my blighted nose caught Burrich's scent in the dark.He sat on the wooden box by the door, got up and said, "So you are here!" His tone comforted me. "Come in! Come in." He stood and opened the heavy door, letting us in. We followed him through the darkness, between the rows of stables, past grooms and trainers sleeping in stables, past our own horses, hounds, and horses sleeping among them the boy, and came to a staircase that led upstairs along the wall that separated the stable from the falconry.We followed Burrich up the creaking wooden steps, and he opened another door.A faint yellow light from a dripping candle on the table made me unable to open my eyes for a moment.We followed Burrich into a sloping-roofed room that smelled of Burrich, and of leather, oils, ointments, and herbs associated with Burrich's work.He closed the door firmly, walked past us, and used the dying candle on the table to relight a candle. I smelled sweet wine on him. The light brightened, and Burrich sat down in a wooden chair by the table.He looked very different, dressed in fine brown and yellow muslin, with a short silver chain attached to his leather vest.He spread his hands flat on his knees, palms up, and immediately walked towards him with his big nose.Borui scratched its drooping ears, gave its ribs an affectionate blow, and frowned at its dusty fur. "You two are really good brothers and a pair of treasures." He was not so much talking to me as he was talking to the dog. "Look at you two, you are as dirty as beggars. I lied to the king today because of you. This is the first time I have lied to the king in my life. It seems that Junqi has fallen out of favor, and even I have to be dragged into the water Lah! I told him you were in the shower and fast asleep because you were exhausted from the journey and had to wait to see you, which didn't really please him. Good luck to us, though. , he has more important matters to deal with. Junqi's abdication made many nobles unhappy. Some people took it as a great opportunity to benefit them, while others were very dissatisfied, thinking that the future king they admired disappeared inexplicably. Shrewd is trying to appease each one of them, and has spread rumors that Verity is going to negotiate with the Chiudars this time; if anyone will believe this, the law should forbid him to act alone, because his intelligence is too low But they came anyway, to take another look at Verity, wondering if and when he would be their next king, and what kind of king he would be. The matter of the throne and the move to the Willow Forest caused commotion in the six principalities, it was like trying to poke a beehive with a stick." Burrich looked away from Big Nose's eager face. "Well, Fitz, I guess you've had a rough day. You almost scared poor Cobb to death by running away. Let's see, are you hurt? Was someone rough on you? You should know, someone will blame you for all this commotion. Come here, come here!" I hesitated, and he moved over to the fire, patting the rug persuasively. "You see, here is your sleeping place, all ready. There is bread and meat on the table, enough for the two of you." His words drew my attention to the covered plate on the table.The sense organs of the big nose confirmed the existence of fresh meat, and suddenly I could only smell the smell of meat all over the room.Burrich laughed as we rushed to the table, and I gave Big Noses a portion of the food before stuffing it into my mouth, to his silent approval.The portions were more than enough to keep us well fed, as Burrich didn't underestimate how hungry a young boy and a puppy can get after a long day's work.Then, despite our long nap, the blanket next to the fire suddenly looked so inviting, so full we huddled and slept in the light of the fire behind us caught. When we woke up the next day, the sun was high in the sky and Burrich was gone.Nosy and I ate what was left of last night's loaf, gnawed off the remaining bones, and left Burrich's room and came downstairs.No one questioned us, and no one noticed us. It was another chaotic day of revelry outside, and if there was any change inside the castle, it was just that there were more people and more crowded.The crowds of people coming and going raised dust, and the mixed voices were intertwined with the sound of the wind and the distant waves.Every smell, every sight, every sound is absorbed by the big nose. This double sensory impact makes me dizzy.Walking around, I could hear from bits and pieces of people's conversations that the time we had arrived was some kind of spring ritual of joyous gatherings.The abdication of the Horseman was still the subject of talk, but puppet shows and vaudeville shows were still set up at every corner.At least one puppet show has turned Junqi's fall from grace into a crude dirty comedy, completely unrecognized me standing in the crowd, I don't know why the reference to "sowing seeds in the neighbor's field" makes these grown-ups laugh laughing out loud. We quickly became overwhelmed by the crowd and the noise, and I let Big Nose know that I wanted to get away from it all.We passed the guard and walked out of the castle through the gate on the thick wall. The guard was only interested in flirting with the people who came in and out to play. The little boy and the dog leaving behind a family of murlocs didn't really arouse his interest. Notice.We saw nothing that attracted us, and so we followed the family through the streets, away from the castle, and into Buckkeep.There were more and more smells along the way, making Big Nose have to check and piss around every corner, so we got farther and farther behind them until it was just him and me wandering around town. At that time, Buckkeep was a windy and cold place. The streets were crooked and the slope was very steep. The paving stones were loosened and fell off due to the weight of passing carriages.The wind brought the smell of seaweed and fish guts washed ashore, and the wailing of seagulls and seabirds on top of the rhythm of the tide, forming a strange melody.The city clings to the black rock walls as limpets and barnacles cling to the stakes and piers that venture boldly into the bay.Houses are built of rock and wood, and there are more elaborate and complex wooden houses built higher on the rock wall and deeply embedded in the wall. Buckkeep Castle seemed quieter than the keep, which was full of festivities and crowds.The two of us have neither the concept nor the experience to know that this coastal city is not suitable for 6-year-olds and puppies to roam around.Big Nose and I explored eagerly, snouting Baker Street, passing through an almost completely empty market, and then walking along the warehouses and boat sheds, the lowest level in the city , very close to the water, we sometimes walked on the wooden pier, sometimes on the gravel.Here, the work that needs to be done is still going on as usual, and it has nothing to do with the carnival atmosphere in the upper castle.With the ebb and flow of the tide, ships only need to berth at the pier and goods need to be unloaded. Those who fish for a living must follow the seasons of the aquarium, not the schedule of humans. We met other kids before long, some helping their parents at work, others just hanging out like us, and I mingled with them easily, without the need for self-introduction or the formalities of the grown-up world.Most of them were older than me, but some were the same as me, or even younger, and they didn't seem to think it was weird that I was running around by myself.They told me about important sights around the city, including a dead, bloated cow that had washed ashore during the last high tide.We also went to see a new fishing boat being built, the wharf was covered with curls of shavings and the strong smell of asphalt pools.There was a careless neglect of smoked fish drying on a shelf, and it became lunch for six or seven of us.Even if the children I played with were more shabby and rougher than the children who helped at work, I did not notice, and if I was told that these companions who passed the time were beggar urchins who would not I must be shocked to enter the fort.At that moment, all I knew was that the day suddenly became lively and interesting, and there were a lot of places to go and things to do. Some of the tougher, bigger kids wanted to impress me, the new guy, but luckily I had Big Nose by my side, and if someone gave me a bad push, it would grimace in pain.In the end, they saw that I had no intention of challenging their leadership, so they let me run around with them.I was justly in admiration of their secrets, and dare I say that after that long afternoon I knew more about this poor part of the city than many natives who grew up up there . They didn't ask me what my name was, just called me "the new guy".The other kids had names as simple as Dirk or Kerry, or as descriptive as "Net Picker" and "Little Face."The last one is called Xiao Hualian. If the environment is better, she may be a beautiful little girl. She is one or two years older than me. She is very eloquent and quick-witted.She got into an argument with a 12-year-old boy, but she had no fear of his fists, and her quick-tongued curses soon had everyone laughing at the boy.She greeted the victory calmly, leaving me dumbfounded with admiration for her toughness.But her face and thin arms were covered with layers of purple, blue, and yellow blood, and there was dried blood under one ear, which did not match her name, because the blood was not on the face. superior.Despite this, Xiao Hualian is still a very lively child, and his voice is shriller and louder than the seagulls circling above our heads. Towards late afternoon, Kerry, Smiling Face, and I were sitting on a rocky shore, with the net mender's shelf not far behind.Painted Face showed me how to get shellfish off the rocks, showing me how to loosen them deftly with a sharpened stick.While she was demonstrating how to scoop out the chewy shell with her fingernails, another girl yelled at us. The girl's neat blue cloak was blown tightly around her body by the wind. The cloak and the leather shoes on her feet showed that she was not the same person as my playmates.Nor did she come to join us in the feast, but came near enough for us to hear her voice, and called out, "Molly, Molly, he's been looking for you everywhere. He woke up an hour ago, almost out of wine, As soon as I found out you weren't there and the fire went out, I started calling your name everywhere." A look of rebellion and fear crossed Xiaohualian's face. "You run, Ginny, thank you. The next time the tide washes out the seaweed crab's nest, I will remember to look for you." Ginny quickly nodded to show that she understood, then turned around and ran along the same road in a hurry. "Are you in trouble?" I asked Pinky, since she hadn't continued digging through the rocks for shellfish. "Trouble?" She snorted disdainfully. "It depends. If my dad stays awake long enough to find me, then I might be in a little trouble, but chances are he'll be so drunk again tonight that I won't be able to throw anything away." Medium. Possibly!" she repeated firmly, as Kerry wanted to disagree.With that, she turned back to continue hunting for our shellfish on the rocky beach. We found a gray creature with many legs in a small pool left by low tide, squatting there studying, a heavy boot clattering on the barnacle-covered rocks, making us all look up .Kerry yelled and fled along the beach without looking back.Big Nose jumped back from me, it leaned against me, bared its teeth bravely, and its tail timidly retracted under its stomach.Molly Painted had either not moved fast enough, or had resignedly accepted what was about to happen.A tall and thin man stretched out his hand and slapped her on the side of the head.The man had a red nose and was bony, and his fist was like a knot at the end of a bony arm, but it was hard enough to knock Molly down.The barnacles cut her wind-red knee, and I felt pain for her as she moved sideways to avoid his clumsy kick at her, and I saw sand mixed with sea salt smear her fresh wound. "You damn little stinky cat! Didn't I tell you to stay at home and watch the candles? You ran to the beach and dug for me, letting the fat harden in the pot. The people in the castle tonight Must buy more candles, what am I going to sell them now?" "Sell the three dozen I made this morning! You only got me three dozen wicks, you old drunk!" Molly stood up bravely, though her eyes were welling up. "What do you want me to do instead? Burn all the firewood to keep the grease soft, and then when you finally give me more wicks, only to find there's no firewood to heat the pot?" The sea breeze was strong, and the man swayed in the wind.The wind blew a whiff of his body, and Big Nose wisely told me that it was the smell of sweat and beer.For a moment the man seemed a little remorseful, but his sore stomach and aching head made him fierce again, and he suddenly bent over to pick up a piece of whitish driftwood. "Don't talk back, you little bastard! Hanging out here with little beggars, God knows what you're doing! I bet you're stealing smoked fish again, don't you think I'm not ashamed enough? If you Dare to run, when I catch you, you will be my favorite." She must have believed him, for she just huddled and let him walk towards her, raising her thin arms to shield her head, but seemed to change her mind again and just covered her face with her hands.I stood there in horror, unable to move, Big Nose felt my fear, screamed and pissed at my feet.I heard the whistling sound of the driftwood being swung down fiercely, my heart seemed to be beating sideways, and a strange force gushed out from my abdomen and pushed towards the man. He fell to the ground, just like the man carrying the wine barrel the day before, but the man fell clutching his chest, and the driftwood used as a weapon flew out unharmed.He collapsed on the beach, convulsed and convulsed, and then remained still. Molly opened her closed eyes a few seconds later, ducking to avoid the blow she still expected to land on her.Her face paled with astonishment as she saw her father collapsed on the rocky beach.She ran towards him, crying, "Dad, Dad, are you okay? Please, don't die, I'm so bad, I'm sorry! Don't die, I will be good, I swear I will be good !" She knelt beside him, ignoring her bleeding knee, turning his face so he wouldn't suck in the sand, and tried in vain to help him sit up. "He almost killed you just now," I told her, trying to make sense of the situation myself. "No. If I'm not good, he sometimes hits me a few times, but he will never kill me, and when he is awake and not sick, he will cry, begging me not to be too bad, not to mess with me. He's angry. I should have been more careful not to annoy him. Oh, newcomer, he seems dead." I'm not sure myself, but after a while he let out a terrible groan and opened his eyes a little.He listened dizzily to Molly scolding herself, let her eagerly help him up, and even accepted my hesitant help.Leaning on both of us, he hopped up and down the rocky beach, Big Nose following us, barking and running around us. The few people who saw us passed paid us no attention, as I guess the sight was familiar to them.I helped Molly guide her father to a small candle-making workshop, and she sniffed and apologized to me every step she took.I parted from them there, and walked with Big Nose through the winding streets to find the uphill road to the castle, wondering how different people lived. Once I discovered the existence of the city and beggar children, they attracted me like a magnet every day.Burrich was busy with work during the day, and was busy with drinking and having fun at the "Spring Festival" at night. He didn't care about my comings and goings, as long as he could see me sleeping on the floor in front of his fireplace every night.In fact, I think he basically didn't know what to do with me other than keeping me fed enough to grow up healthy and safe in the house at night.He has always been Junqi's subordinate, now that Junqi has relegated himself, what will be his future?He must have been very worried about that.In addition, his leg injury is also a problem.Although he has a knack for dressing and dressing, and heals the ailments of livestock, it seems to be ineffective in himself.Once or twice I saw him remove the dressing from the wound, and I flinched at the naked wound that refused to heal, was still swollen and pus-filled.At first Burrich cursed the wound, gritting his teeth to clean it and reapply the medicine every night, but as the days passed his demeanor turned into bored desperation.Eventually the wound healed, leaving a tangled scar on his leg, and he walked with a limp ever since.No wonder he didn't care about an illegitimate child thrown into his care. So I was free to run around, most of the time unnoticed, the kind of freedom only small children can have.By the end of the Spring Festival, the guards at the gate of the castle were used to me coming in and out every day. They probably thought I was a kid doing errands. There are many such kids in the castle, and they are only a little older than me.I learned to steal from the castle kitchen early in the morning so Nose and I could have a good breakfast.Scavenging for other foods—burnt crusts from the bakery, shellfish and seaweed on the beach, smoked fish left unattended on racks—was a part of my daily routine.My most frequent companion was Molly Pinkface.After that day, I rarely saw her father beat her; most of the time he was too drunk to find her or carry out the threats he had made to her.I rarely think about what I did that day, except that Molly didn't know I was the one who killed her father. The city became my world, and the castle was where I went back to sleep.It was summer, a fine time in the harbor city, and wherever I went, Buckkeep was alive with people coming and going.Cargo was brought down the Deer River from the great inland duchies, and the great flat-bottomed barges carrying the cargo had sweaty crews talking shoals, sandbars, landmarks, the ebb and flow of the river with experience.他们载来的货先是往上送到城里的商店或仓库，然后又往下搬到码头上和即将出海船只的船舱里。航海的水手满口粗话，很看不起河川驳船上那些充满内陆习气的船员；他们谈的是海潮、风暴、黑得连星星都不肯出来导航的黑夜。此外，渔民也在公鹿堡的码头停泊，他们是这些人当中最和气的，至少渔获丰收的时候是如此。 凯瑞教我摸熟了码头和酒馆，一个男孩要是脚程快，在城里陡斜的街道上跑来跑去送口信，一天可以赚到3分甚至5分钱。我们自认犀利又大胆，接受比较低的工资来跟比较大的男孩竞争，因为他们跑腿一趟就要求2分钱甚至更多。我想我这辈子就数那个时候最勇敢了。现在我只要闭上眼睛，就能闻到那段光辉岁月的气息；干船坞里用来填塞甲板的船只填絮、沥青，以及刚刨下来木层的味道，修船工人在那里拿着刨刀和木槌工作；非常新鲜的鱼的甜味，还有捕回来的鱼在热天摆太久的要命臭味；太阳下一大捆一大捆羊毛的气味，加上装着沙缘出产的香醇白兰地的橡木桶味；一堆堆等着要给船艏舱增添香气的“祛热”稻草，跟一箱箱硬甜瓜的味道混合在一起；从港湾吹来的海风搅拌着这一切，再加上盐碘调味。大鼻子灵敏的感官，让我注意到所有它闻到的东西。 凯瑞和我跑腿差事的内容很多，例如把去跟妻子道别的领航员找回来，或者送一份辛香料的样品去给店里的买主。港务长可能会派我们跑去告诉某艘船的船员说，不知哪个笨蛋绑错绳子，现在潮水已经快把他们的船给冲走了。但我最喜欢要到酒馆去的差事，那里总是有人在说故事、讲闲话。典型的故事内容不外乎航程中的新发现，与可怕风暴对抗的勇敢船员，还有害船沉的愚蠢船长。许多传统故事我都牢记在心，但我最喜欢的故事不是出自职业讲古人之口，而是出自于水手本身，他们所讲的内容不是全家大小的床边故事，而是一艘艘船之间口耳相传的警告和消息，在众水手同饮白兰地或分食黄色的花粉面包时相互传递。 他们谈着捕过的丰富渔获，说渔网重得几乎把船压沉，或者谈着看过的奇异鱼类及鸟兽，当满月的光辉照在船后波痕时曾经惊鸿一瞥。有些故事是关于在我们大公国海岸地区与沿海小岛上被外岛人劫掠的村庄，还有些故事是关于海盗、海战，以及由于自己内部有人叛变而遭占领的船只。最吸引人的是“红船劫匪”的故事，这些外岛人既是海盗也打家劫舍，不但攻击我们的船只和城镇，甚至连其他外岛人的船只也不放过。有些人对这些故事嗤之以鼻，认为根本没有什么红色龙骨的船或者跟海盗同行作对的外岛海盗，对讲这些故事的人也多所嘲笑。 但凯瑞、我和大鼻子会坐在桌底下，紧靠着桌腿，边啃一分钱一条的甜面包、边睁大眼睛听这些红色龙骨船的故事，听说船上的桁顶吊着10来个人，而且可不是死人，是被捆住的活人，海鸥会飞下来啄食他们，啄得他们扭动尖叫。我们会一直津津有味听着这些吓人的故事，直到连又热又闷的酒馆感觉起来都阴森森冷飕飕，然后再跑回码头上去赚另一分钱。 有一次，凯瑞、莫莉和我用漂流木做了一艘小筏，在码头底下用根长竿子撑着来来去去。我们把小筏绑在那里，涨潮之后小筏撞散了码头的好一块区域，还撞坏了两艘小帆船，我们一连好几天都害怕别人会发现我们是罪魁祸首。还有一次，一个酒馆老板打了凯瑞几耳光，说我们两个是小偷，我们的报复方式是把发臭的鲱鱼塞在酒馆桌面下方与支撑物之间的空隙里，鱼腐烂发臭，招了好几天的苍蝇，他才终于发现是怎么回事。 在这段四处乱跑的经验中，我学会了好些行当的皮毛；买鱼、补网、造船，还有打混。关于人性，我学到的更多。在找我送口信的人当中，我很快就能判断出谁会说话算话付我1分钱，谁又会在我回来找他收钱的时候嘲笑我。我知道可以向哪个面包师傅乞讨，也知道哪些商店偷起来最容易。大鼻子始终跟在我身旁，我和它已经建立起非常深厚亲密的牵系，很少把自己的头脑跟它的头脑完全分开来。我用它的鼻子、它的眼睛、它的利牙就像用自己的一样方便自然，一点也不觉得有什么奇怪的。 就这样，夏天过去了一大半。但是在一个晴朗的日子，太阳高挂在比海更蓝的天空中，我的好运终于结束了。那天莫莉、凯瑞和我从一间熏制房偷了一串美味的猪肝香肠，正沿着街道逃跑，香肠的原主追在后面。大鼻子也一如往常跟我们在一起，另两个孩子已经把他视为我的一部分了。我们两个是“新来的”和“大鼻子”，而在我把我们共享的战利品丢出手之前，它就已经知道要跑到那里去接了，他们可能只觉得这是很聪明的一个花招。因此事实上我们一共是4个人，沿着拥挤的街道拼命往前跑，香肠在脏兮兮的手和湿答答的嘴之间传来传去，香肠的主人则在我们身后徒劳无功地咆哮追赶着。 然后博瑞屈从一家店里走出来。 我正朝他的方向跑去，刹那间我们两人都惊慌地认出了对方。他脸上那黑暗的神情让我对自己该采取什么行动毫无怀疑。快逃，我瞬间下了决定，然后闪开他向我伸过来的双手，结果却突然迷惑不已地发现我不知怎么竟直朝他撞了过去。 我不想多说接下来发生的事。总之我被结结实实责骂一顿，骂我的不只是博瑞屈，还有火冒三丈的香肠主人。除了大鼻子之外，跟我一起闯祸的另两个人已经消失在街道的曲折角落里。大鼻子走过来躺在地上露出肚皮，等着博瑞屈打骂。我难受不已地看着博瑞屈从钱袋里掏出硬币付给香肠的主人，同时他紧揪着我衬衫的后领，几乎把我拎了起来。等香肠的主人离开，一旁围观看我倒霉的几个人也散了，他才终于松手，用一种令我吃惊的厌恶眼神看向我。他反手又在我后脑勺打了一下，命令道：“马上回家。” 我们以史无前例的速度跑回家去，回到壁炉前的地铺，惊恐不安地等着，等了又等，等着漫长的下午过去，等到夜色初降。我们两个都饿了，但是也知道现在不是跑出去找东西吃的时候。先前博瑞屈脸上有某种神色，是比莫莉爸爸的怒气更可怕的。 博瑞屈终于回来时，已经完全入夜了。我们听见他上楼的脚步声，虽然我的感官不如大鼻子灵敏，但也分辨得出他喝了酒。我们缩成一团，看着他走进光线黯淡的房间，他呼吸沉重，花了比平常还久的时间才从我放在桌上的那根蜡烛引火多点燃几根。点好了蜡烛，他坐在长凳上打量着我们两个。大鼻子哀鸣一声，侧身躺下摆出幼犬的哀求姿态，我也很想这么做，但只能害怕地看着他。过了一会儿，他开口说话。“斐兹，你会变成什么样子？你们两个会变成什么样子？你身上流着王室的血，却跟乞丐小偷一起满街乱跑，像动物一样成群结队。”我没说话。“这也不能只怪你，我想我也有错。过来这里。过来吧，小子。”我往前走了一两步，不想靠他太近。看到我小心翼翼的样子，博瑞屈皱起眉头。“你受伤了吗，小子？”我摇头。“那就过来这里。”我迟疑着，大鼻子也犹豫不决地哀鸣。博瑞屈困惑地低头看它，我可以看见他的头脑正在努力穿透酒精造成的迷糊。他看看狗、再看看我、再看看狗，脸上逐渐出现嫌恶的表情。他摇摇头，慢慢站起来，拖着受伤的腿从桌子和狗旁边走开。房间角落有一个小架子，上面放着各式落满灰尘的工具和物品，博瑞屈慢慢伸出手拿下其中一件。那东西是木头和皮革做成的，因为很久没用变得硬梆梆，他挥了一下，短短的皮条俐落打在他腿上。“你知道这是什么吗，小子？”他用慈祥的声音温和地问。我哑然摇头。“打狗的鞭子。”我茫然看着他，因为我和大鼻子都没有任何相关经验能告诉我该如何反应。他一定看出了我的困惑。他和气微笑，声音也保持友善，但我感觉到有什么东西隐藏在他的态度之中，等待着。“这是一种工具，斐兹，一种教导的用具。如果有小狗不全神贯注——如果你对小狗说'过来'，它却不肯过来——嗯，只要用这东西打几下，打痛了，小狗就学会乖乖听话了。只要狠狠抽几鞭，小狗就能学会全神贯注。”他口气平常，垂手让鞭子短短的皮条部分轻轻在地板上摇晃，突然把它整根朝大鼻子轻抛过去，狗儿发出惊恐的叫声往后弹开，然后冲过来躲在我背后。博瑞屈在壁炉旁的长凳上缓缓沉坐下去，掩住眼睛。“哦，艾达神啊！”他吐出一声，介于诅咒和祈祷之间。“我看到你们两个一起跑来跑去的时候，就已经猜到、怀疑到了，但是艾尔神在上，我不想猜对。我一点都不想猜对。我这辈子从来没拿那根该死的东西打过任何一只小狗，大鼻子根本没有理由害怕它。但是你跟它共用头脑，所以它才会怕它。”不管先前的危险是什么，我感觉到它已经过去了。我跌坐在大鼻子旁边，它爬到我的膝上焦虑不安地用鼻子拱我的脸，我要它安静下来，建议我们等着看接下来会发生什么事。我们一人一狗坐在那里，看着动也不动的博瑞屈，他终于抬起脸来，我惊诧地发现他看起来好像刚哭过。就像我母亲一样，我记得当时我是这样想的，但怪的是我现在想不起任何她哭泣的影像，只记得博瑞屈那张哀伤的脸。“斐兹，小子。过来这里。”他轻声说，这次他声音里有某种不可不服从的东西。我站起身走向他，大鼻子跟在我脚边。“不。”他对狗儿说，指指他靴子旁边的地方，然后把我抱起来跟他在长凳上排排坐。“斐兹。”他开口，然后又顿了顿，深呼吸一口气，再重新开口：“斐兹，这样是错的。你跟这只小狗做的是很不好的事，非常不好，是违背自然的，比偷东西或者说谎更坏，因为这使得人不足以成为人。你听得懂我的意思吗？”我茫然看着他。他叹口气，再试一次。“小子，你身上流着王室的血。不管是不是私生子，你总归是骏骑的亲生儿子，继承悠久的血脉。你现在做的这件事是错的，贬低了你。懂吗？”我哑然摇头。“你看，就是这样。你现在连话都不说了。现在我要你跟我说话。是谁教你这么做的？”我试着开口。“做什么？”我的声音感觉起来粗嘎沙哑。博瑞屈的眼睛瞪得更圆了，我感觉到他努力控制自己。“你知道我说的是什么事。是谁教你跟狗同在，跟它一起看，让它跟你一起看，互相告诉对方事情？”我仔细想了一下。没错，我和大鼻子之间确实是这样。“没有人教我，”最后我回答，“就是自然而然变成这样。我们两个常常在一起。”我加上最后一句，心想这样或许就能解释这件事了。博瑞屈注视我，脸色凝重。“你讲起话来不像小孩子。”他突然指出。“但我听说过，具有古老'原智'的人就是这样，他们从一开始就不完全是小孩子。他们总是知道得太多，长大之后甚至知道得更多。所以，在古时候，追捕并烧死这些人并不算是犯罪。我说的这些你听得懂吗，斐兹？”我摇头，他对我的沉默不语皱起眉头，于是我勉强加上一句：“但是我在努力。古老原智是什么？”博瑞屈的神色先是不可置信，然后是怀疑。“小子！”他语带威胁，但我只是看着他。过了一会儿，他总算相信我是真的不知道。“古老原智。”他缓缓开口。他的脸色暗下去，低头看着双手，仿佛在回忆一项古老的罪恶。“这是来自野兽血缘的力量，就像精技是来自一脉相传的王室血缘。一开始它像是一种好东西，让你能够跟动物沟通，但是它会逐渐占据你、把你拖下去，让你成为跟它们一样的动物。最后你身上完全不剩下任何人性，你会跑来跑去，吐出舌头，舔血，仿佛兽群就是你所知所有的一切，不管是谁看到你，都不会认为你曾经是个人。”他说着说着声音愈来愈低沉，没有看我，转过头去看壁炉里逐渐减弱的火焰。“有些人说，到那种地步，人就变成了兽形，但是他屠杀的时候却是带着人类的激情，而不像动物的猎杀只是单纯为了充饥。他是为杀而杀……”“你想变成那样吗，斐兹？把你身上王室的血液淹没在野蛮猎杀的血液里？跟野兽混在一起变成野兽，只因为这样能带给你一些知识？还有更糟的，想想在你完全变成野兽之前会发生什么事。鲜血的味道是不是会刺激你的情绪，看到猎物是不是会让你的思路通通停摆？”他的声音变得更轻，我听见他接下来问我话时语气中的作恶之感，“你是不是会浑身发烧、满身大汗地醒过来，只因为某个地方有哪只母狗在发情，你的同伴闻到了它的味道？你是不是要带着这种知识上你妻子的床？”我坐在他身旁缩成一小团。“我不知道。”我小小声说。他转头看着我，勃然大怒。“你不知道？”他怒吼，“我已经告诉你事情会变成什么样子，你居然还说你不知道？”我舌头发干，大鼻子瑟缩在我脚边。“可是我就是不知道啊！”我抗议。“在我还没做出这些事情之前，我怎么知道我会做什么？我怎么说得上来？”“好，如果你说不上来，那就让我来说！”他咆哮，这时我才完全感觉到他先前是如何抑制住自己的怒火，也感觉到他那天晚上喝了多少酒。“狗走，你留下来。你留在我这里，让我可以看住你。如果骏骑不肯让我跟着他，那么我至少可以为他尽这一点力，我会确保他儿子长大成人，而不是变成狼。就算要我们两个的命，我也要做到！”他从长凳上突然一斜身，要去抓大鼻子的后颈。至少他是这么打算的，但狗儿和我都远远跳开他身旁，一起冲向门口，可是门上了栓，我还来不及拉开门栓，博瑞屈已经赶了过来，一脚挡开大鼻子，伸手抓住我一侧肩膀把我从门边拉开。“过来这里，小狗。”他下令，但大鼻子逃到我身边。博瑞屈喘着气站起来，在门边对我们怒目而视，我感觉到他思绪深层怒吼的伏流，那股愤怒引诱着他，要他干脆把我们两个都打死算了。他控制住那股愤怒，但这短暂的一瞥已经足以让我惊恐不已，当他突然朝我们扑来，我用尽全心恐惧的力量向他抗斥过去。他突然倒下去，像一只飞到一半被石头击中的鸟。他在地板上坐了一会儿，我弯下身体紧紧抱住大鼻子。博瑞屈慢慢摇头，仿佛要甩掉头发上的雨水，站起来，巍然笼罩住我们。“他天生就流着这种血，”我听见他自言自语嘟哝着，“一定是从他该死的母亲那边遗传来的，我不应该感到意外。但这小孩需要受教。”然后他直视我的眼睛，警告道：“斐兹，你绝对不许再对我那么做，绝对不许。现在，把狗给我。”他再度往我们走来，我隐约感觉到他隐藏的暴怒，于是忍不住又使力抗斥他。但这次我的攻击撞上了一堵墙，力量反弹回来，我一个踉跄倒下去，那股黑暗压着我的头脑，使我几乎晕厥。博瑞屈俯身向我，“我警告过你了。”他轻声说，那声音宛如狼嗥。然后，我最后一次感觉到他的手指抓住大鼻子的后颈，动作并不粗鲁地把狗拎起来，走向门口。他很快就打开了先前我没能打开的门栓，不久我便听见他咚咚咚下楼的沉重靴声。过了一会儿我恢复神智站起来，往门飞扑过去，但博瑞屈不知怎么把门锁上了，我徒劳无功地拉扯着把手。随着大鼻子被带到离我愈来愈远的地方，我对它的感受也愈来愈薄弱，最后只剩下一股绝望的孤寂。我先是哀鸣，继而号叫，指爪拚命抓着门，寻找我和它的联系。突然闪过一阵红炽的疼痛，然后大鼻子就走了，它的狗类感官完全离我而去，我放声尖叫哭嚎，一如任何6岁小孩，徒然捶着厚的木头门板。博瑞屈仿佛过了好几个小时才回来。我筋疲力尽地趴在门前喘气，听见他的脚步声时我抬起头来。他打开门，我试图从他身边冲出去，但他敏捷地抓住了我衣服的后背，一把将我拽回房里，然后把门砰然关上，锁住。我无言地扑在门上，喉头发出一声哀鸣。博瑞屈疲惫地坐下。“想都不要想，小子。”他警告我，仿佛他能听见我正疯狂计划着下一次他放我出去时我要如何如何。“它走了。那只小狗走了，真是可惜得要命，因为它的血统很好，它这一支血统的历史几乎跟你的一样悠久，伹我宁可浪费一只猎犬也不要浪费掉一个人。”见我还是没动，他又说，语气几乎是慈祥的：“放手吧！别再一直想它盼它了，这样比较不会那么难过。”但我无法放手，也听得出他并不真的指望我能就此忘怀。他叹了口气，慢慢起身准备就寝。他没再跟我说话，只熄了灯躺上床，但他没睡，离天亮还有好几个小时他就起来了，把我从地上抱到被他躺暖的毯子里，然后再度出门去，好几个小时都没回来。至于我，我满心悲痛，发起高烧，躺了好多天。我相信博瑞屈告诉别人说我是得了某种小孩子常见的病，于是大家都没来吵我。好多天后他才准我出门，而且不是我自己一个人出门。之后博瑞屈费尽心力，确保我没有机会跟任何野兽建立深厚的感情牵系。我确信他认为他是成功了，就某种程度而言也确实是如此，因为我没有再跟哪一只猎犬或者哪一匹马建立起特殊单一的感情牵系。但我并不觉得自己是受到他的保护，而是觉得被囚禁，他就是监狱长，狂热激切地努力确保我与世隔绝。全然的孤寂从此种在我心里，深深在我身上扎下了根。第二章（完）