Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

When Arren awoke, the gray mists hid the sea, and the dunes and peaks of the Isle of Celedor.The sea waves are like thunder, released from the dense fog, and retreated into the dense fog with a murmur in a blink of an eye.Because of the high tide, the beach was much narrower than when they first arrived.The foam line of the crest came up to lick Ged's outstretched left hand as he lay prone on the sand, his clothes and hair soaked, and Arren's clothes clung to him like ice. Come up and wet them both.There is no trace of the location of Kabu's body, which may have been swept into the ocean by the waves.Arren looked back, and saw Orm Ambar's huge, dark, iron-gray body lying in the mist like a fallen tower.

Arren stood up, not only shivering from the cold, but also so numb and dizzy that he could barely stand still, stumbling like a drunk—probably from lying still for too long.As soon as he was able to control his limbs, he went to Ged, and with all his might he pulled him a little ashore, out of further laps of the waves.But he can only do so.When pulling Ged, he felt that Ged's body was extremely cold and heavy. From this point of view, it may be futile for him to carry Ged across the boundary between life and death.He put his ear to Ged's chest, but, unable to suppress the trembling of his limbs and the chattering of his teeth, he could not listen for the beating of Ged's heart.He had to stand up and try to keep his feet warm.Finally, like an old man, trembling and dragging his legs, he looked around for their backpacks.Their packs were thrown by a stream that ran down the ridge.It had been left long ago, when they first arrived at the keel-built hut.What he wanted to find at this time was the mountain stream, because now he couldn't think of anything but water—drinkable fresh water.

Unexpectedly, he saw a stream.It seems to fall from the sky, twists and turns like a silver tree, and winds its way to the sea.He plopped down on his knees and drank heavily.The face and hands are immersed in this mountain stream, and the water is sucked into his mouth and heart. He finally finished his drink and stood up.Unexpectedly, I saw a giant dragon on the far side. The dragon's head was right across from him—almost directly on top of him.The dragon's head is iron ore-colored, and the nostrils, eye sockets, and lower jaw are mixed with rust-like red. The dragon's claws are buried deep in the soft wet sand on the shore. The folded wings are partially visible, looking like sails, but the dark torso is hidden by thick fog. go.

Its style is still, it may have been sitting there for hours, or years, or centuries.It was carved in iron and stone, but the eyes that Arren dared not look into looked like oil rings on water, or yellow smoke behind glass.Those opaque, deep yellow eyes were looking at Arren. Arren had no choice but to rise.If the dragon wanted to kill him, he would; if not, he would try to save Ged--if he could get it back.He got up and started walking up the stream, looking for their packs. The dragon didn't move at all, just squatting and watching without moving.Arren found his knapsack, filled the leather waterskin halfway with brook water, and turned across the sand toward Ged.After walking a few steps, the dragon disappeared into the thick fog.

He gave Ged a drink, but shaking him could not wake him.He lay loose and cold, his head hanging heavily in the crook of Arren's arms. His dark face was ashen and dusty, with his nose, cheekbones, and old scars standing out.Even his body looked thin and charred, as if half of it had been burned. Arren sat there on the wet ground, his companion's head on his knee.The dense fog created a confused and soft atmosphere around them, and it was even more soft above their heads.Somewhere in the fog lay the dead body of Orm Amba, and a living dragon watched by the creek.Somewhere across the Keledo Island, the boat "Zhan Yuan" was parked on another beach, completely empty of provisions.Then the sea, to the east.It may be three hundred miles from any piece of land in the western border, and a thousand miles from the Inner Pole Sea, which is a long way.The people of Yinglad Island are used to saying "as far away as the island of Celedo"; when the people in their hometown tell stories and myths to their children, they always start with: "As long ago as "forever", as far away as the island of Celedo A place where a prince lives..."

He is the prince.However, in many ancient stories, that is the beginning; and all this is the end. He wasn't depressed, just tired and sad for his companion.He didn't feel bitter or remorse at all, it was just that there was nothing more he could do.It's all done. He thought to himself that when he regained his strength, he would try sea fishing with the fishing line in his backpack.Because after his thirst was quenched, he began to feel hunger gnawing.But the food was gone long ago, and there was only one bag of hard bread left.He wanted to keep it, and after it had been moistened and softened with water, he could probably feed some to Ged.

That's all that's left to do now.Besides, he could see nothing more to do, the fog still surrounded him. As he sat huddled with Ged in the mist, he fumbled in his pockets to see if there was anything he could use.There is something hard and sharp in the jacket pocket.He took it out and looked, puzzled.It was a small stone, black, hard, with small holes for ventilation.He almost threw it away, but held it in his hand again, felt its edges, rough and hot; weighed it again, and finally knew what it was: a small stone from the Bitter Mountains.It probably fell into the pocket while climbing, or crossing the ridge of the pass with Ged.Hold it in your hand at this moment: what a thing that does not change easily, what a stone of suffering.Arren folded his palms together, and smiled, a smile that was both melancholy and joyful.At last, at this end of the world, for the first time in my life, I knew victory—and alone, unappreciated.

The mist thinned and drifted.Through the mist, he saw sunlight on the far side of the open sea.Due to the cover of fog, the sand dunes and peaks are constantly changing, sometimes eclipsed, and sometimes deformed and expanded.The sun shining on Aum Amba's body was a heroic death. The iron-black giant dragon was still sitting on the other side of the stream, its style of writing remained unchanged. After noon, the sun became clear and hot, drying the last wisps of mist in the air.Arren spread out his wet clothes to dry, and was naked except for his sword and its sheath.He also exposed Ged's clothes.The temperature and sunlight projected on Ged's body should have a healing and stabilizing effect, but Ged still lay there without moving.

Suddenly, there was a scraping sound like metal touching or interlacing swords—it turned out that the dragon straightened its twisted legs and stood up.It crossed the creek, and when its long and narrow body dragged along the sandy ground on this bank, it let out a soft hissing sound.Arren could see clearly the wrinkles in the sockets of its shoulders, and the battered scales on its flanks—like the broken armor of Eoriabai, and the long teeth, yellow and dull.From these, and from the confidence and poise of his movements, and from his eerie stillness, Arren saw its age: long, beyond memory.So when it stopped within inches of where Ged lay, Arren stood firm between the two, and asked in Dihekh - for he could not speak the Old Tongue: "Thou art Kelah pungent?"

The dragon didn't say anything, but seemed to be smiling.Then it lowered the giant, stretched its neck, looked down at Ged, and called Ged's name. It was loud but soft, and it smelled of a blacksmith's furnace. It called its name again, and again.At the third call Ged opened his eyes.After a long while he struggled to sit up, but could not, and Arren knelt beside him and supported him. "Kerasim," he said, "Sanphanesian ya Rhok?" And when he had finished speaking, his strength was gone, and he leaned his head on Arren's shoulder and closed his eyes. Long didn't answer, still squatting as before, his style of writing didn't move.Fog came again, covering the setting sun.

Arren dressed and wrapped Ged in his cloak.The receding tide turned back, and Arren wanted to carry his companion to a drier part of the dunes, for he felt his strength gradually returning. But when he stooped to pick up Ged, the dragon stretched out a huge scaly foot and almost touched him.That foot has four claws, like a common rooster's claws have a meat pad behind it, this dragon also has it, but it's a "steel pad" and it's as sharp as a sickle blade. "Subius," said the dragon, like a frozen reed blown by the cold wind of the first month. "Leave my master alone. He saved all of us, but he exhausted his strength and probably lost his life. Let him go!" Arren said it half ferociously, half commandingly, because he was too frightened.For so long, he has been full of fear, and he has long been extremely uncomfortable.Arren resented that the dragon's size and strength represented a "brutal and unfair" advantage.He had seen death now, tasted it, and no threat or power could overwhelm him. The old dragon Kailashin stared at him with his narrow and terrifying golden eyes. In the depth of that eye, there were years beyond his own time-even the dawn of the creation of the world was deep in it.Though Arren did not look into that eye, he knew it was looking at him with something profound and slightly playful. "Awu Sobius." The dragon said, its rust-red nostrils were opened, and the raging fire that was deeply buried and suppressed could be seen inside. Arren's arm had been resting on Ged's shoulder, ready to carry him, but Kairazin's movement stopped him.Now he felt Ged's head turn slightly, and heard Ged say aloud, "Climb up on your back, he means." Arren was stunned.This is ridiculous.However, he saw the huge feet with only claws placed in front of him, shaped like a ladder. The upper layer of the claws is a curved elbow joint, and the upper two layers are protruding shoulders and fleshy wings extending from the shoulder blades.All into a four-level ladder.Moreover, the front of the wings and the first large iron spine, that is, the place at the nape of the neck, can accommodate one or two people to straddle-if one or two people have gone mad, and there is no other hope, they have to It's absurd, but it's just right to straddle. "Come up!" said Kailasin in the "Talk of Creation." Then Arren stood, and helped his companion to stand.Ged held his head straight, and Arren's arm guided him up the strange stairs.They sat astride the rough scales on the dragon's nape, and Arren sat behind, ready to support Ged if need be.They touched the skin under the scales of the giant dragon, and felt a warmth, a gratifying heat like the heat of the sun, which was "life" burning under the iron armor. Arren saw the wizard's yew staff left on the shore, half buried in the sand.The sea came quietly, trying to take it away.Arren wanted to go down and take it, but Ged stopped him. "Never mind it, Lebannen. I have exhausted all my powers at the Dry Fountain, and I am no longer a wizard." Kailasin turned his head and squinted at the two, with an eternal smile in his eyes.It is difficult to tell whether Kairazin is male or female; what Kairazin is thinking is also impossible to know.Its wings are slowly raised and opened.These wings are not like Orm Ambar's golden wings, but red, crimson, that kind of dark crimson, like rust, or blood, or the bay red silk of Lovanari.The dragon raised its wings carefully so as not to knock the weak passenger off the seat, then stood up on its hind legs carefully, and then leaped into the air like a cat. With a flap of its wings, the two passengers were carried to a floating position in the same boat. Above the fog over Ledo Island. In the twilight, Kailasin flapped his pair of dark red wings, flew over the open sea, and turned to the east. During the days of midsummer, someone on the island of Uri saw a huge dragon flying low.Then, a giant dragon was also seen in the north of Usigello Island and Ontugo Island.Although people in Xidian are generally afraid of dragons, the locals know them very well. Therefore, after the giant dragon flew away, the villagers who saw it ran out of their hiding places and said, "We thought the dragons were all dead, but they Not all of them are dead. Maybe the wizards are not all dead either. Look at the flying posture of that giant dragon, it is so majestic and majestic, maybe it is the "Longevity Dragon"." Exactly where Kailassin landed was unknown.Those remote islands, the forests and wildernesses on the islands are rarely visited by people, and even if a dragon descends and lands, no one will see it. However, there was a commotion in Ninety Islands.The man desperately rowed westward among the many small islands, vying to tell: "Hide! Hide! The dragon on Pando Island broke his promise! The archmage is dead, and the dragon is back to rob and swallow people!" The iron-black giant worm didn't land, didn't look down, it flew over these small islands, small villages, and small farms, and it was so condescending that it didn't even spew out a small flame.In this way, he flew over Jis Island, Sed Island, and crossed the Inner Pole Sea.The Isle of Roke was at last in sight. Never in mortal memory—and hardly ever in legend—was a dragon who cared little for the invisible and visible walls of fortified Roke.But the dragon beat his great wings without hesitation, and flew straight over the western coast of Roke, over villages and fields, and straight to the green hill that rises above the town of Syl.It wasn't until the flight arrived that it finally flew down and landed slowly. After fluttering its red wings, it folded up and squatted on the top of Roke Knoll. The boys ran out of the Hongxuan Pavilion - nothing could stop them.But even though they were young and agile, they were still not as good as the masters, and they still reached the round hill one step behind the masters.When they arrived, Master Xingyi from Xinchenglin was already there, with pale golden hair shining in the sun.With him was the Changer, who had returned to Roke two days ago in the form of a great osprey, wing-broken and weary.Because the deformation lasted for too long, he had been fixed in the shape by his own spells. It was not until that special night, when the "equilibrium" was restored and the "damage" coincided, that he entered the heart into a forest, and he returned to his original shape.Master Summoner had just got out of the hospital bed for only one day, and he was still haggard and weak, but he also came.Standing next to him is the gatekeeper. The other masters of "Island of the Wise Men" were also present. They all saw two riders, one assisting the other, climb down the back of the dragon one after another.They saw the expression of the two people looking around, which was a kind of wonderful satisfaction, unyielding, and amazement.They climbed down from the dragon's back and stood beside it.The dragon has been squatting like a rock, and only when the archmage spoke to it and when it answered briefly, did it tilt its head slightly.Those who were on the sidelines saw the yellow eye glance, cold but full of smiles.Those who understand dragon language heard the dragon say, "I have brought the young king back to his country, and I have brought the old man back to his home." "A little distance, Kerasim," Ged answered, "I have not yet returned to where I should be." He seemed to be smiling a little too as he looked down at the roofs and towers of the Grand Hall in the sun.Then he turned to Arren. Arren stood there, a tall, thin man in rags.Because his legs were tired from riding for a long time, and what he had experienced still made him feel confused, he couldn't fully stand on his feet. Ged, already grey-haired, knelt before Arren and bowed his head on the spot, before everyone watched. Then he stood up, kissed the young man on the cheek, and said, "My king, my beloved companion, you go to Havnor to be queen, and may the land be safe and secure under your rule." He looked at the masters, the young wizards, apprentices, and the townspeople gathered at the foot of the round hill and on the slope. His face was calm, and there was a smile in his eyes that was similar to the eyes of Kairaz. He turned his back to everyone, climbed onto the dragon's back again by the dragon's feet and shoulders, and sat down safely in the unrestrained position between the raised wings.The red wings beat like drums, and Shoulong Kailashin leaped into the air.Flames shot out from the smoke between the dragon's jaws, and thunderstorm-like noises were sent out with the flapping of wings.It circled around the hill first, and then flew northeastward.In the northeastern quarter of the Earth Sea, there stands Gongte Mountain Island. The gatekeeper smiled and said, "He has fulfilled his wish and is going home." Everyone watched the giant dragon fly between the sun and the sea until it disappeared from sight. The ballad "Ged's Friendship" says that when the "King of the Isles" was crowned at the "Tower of the Ancient Sword" in Havnor, in the center of the world, Ged, who was once the Archmage, was there.The song said that when the coronation was over and the festivities began, he said goodbye to all, and went alone to Havnor Harbor.There is a small boat on the sea water in the port. She has gone through years of wind and frost and is very dilapidated.There were no sails on board, and nothing on board.Ged called to her by the ship's name, Far Away, and she floated.With his back to land, Ged boarded the ship by the pier.The ship started with no wind, no sails, no oars.She drove him away from ports and berths, across the islands, across the sea to the west, and no one knew his whereabouts anymore. The legends of the Gont Islanders, however, were different.The local people said that it was the young king Lebanon who personally visited Ged on the island and invited him to the coronation ceremony, but the young king could not find him in the port of Gont or the town of Riyabai.No one can tell exactly where he is, only that he hiked up the mountain and lodged himself in the forest.Everyone said that he often went away for several months without returning, and no one knew how he traveled alone.Someone volunteered to look for him, but the young king stopped him, saying: "The kingdom he rules is deeper and wider than mine." So the young king left the mountain and returned to Havnor by boat to receive his coronation.