卷五 2920年

Skill: Restoration

增加恢复系

Second Seed

次种(月份)

Book Five of 2920

卷五 2920年

The Last Year of the First Era

第一纪元的最后一年

by

Carlovac Townway

卡罗瓦克唐威

10 Second Seed, 2920, The Imperial City, Cyrodiil

10th，次种，2920，皇城，塞洛蒂尔

“Your Imperial Majesty,” said the Potentate Versidue-Shaie,

“陛下，”君主，贝西多—沙耶说道，打开了他房间的大门。“最近我很少看到您

opening the door to his chamber with a smile. “I have not

的行踪。我还以为您或许已经…厌恶与可爱的蕾加小姐继续相处了呢。”

seen you lately. I thought perhaps you were ... indisposed with the lovely Rijja.”

“She's taking the baths at Mir Corrup,” the Emperor Reman

“她到腐烂米尔那里泡澡去了，”雷曼三世语气糟糕地说。

III said miserably.

“Please, come in.”

“请进，陛下。”

“I've reached the stage where I can only trust three people:

“我现在已经到了只能相信三个人的境地了：你，我儿子，还有蕾加，”皇帝暴

you, my son the Prince, and Rijja,” said the Emperor

躁地说道。“我的理事会里除了间谍其他什么都没有。”

petulantly. “My entire council is nothing but a pack of spies.”

“What seems to be the matter, your imperial majesty?” asked

“是什么让您如此担忧，陛下?”贝西多 沙耶同情地问，同时拉上他房间里厚

the Potentate Versidue-Shaie sympathetically, drawing

厚的窗帘。一下子就将外界的所有声音隔绝在外，包括回响在大理石大厅中的脚

closed the thick curtain in his chamber. Instantly all

步声以及春潮花园中清脆的鸟鸣。

sound outside the room was extinguished, echoing footsteps in the marble halls and birds in the springtide gardens.

“I've discovered that a notorious poisoner, an Orma

“我找到了一个臭名昭著的下毒者，一个来自黑沼泽的奥玛部落名叫卡琪卡的女

tribeswoman from Black Marsh called Catchica, was with the

人，当我的军队在凯尔萨维奥扎营时她就混在里面，而那时刚好我儿子不幸中毒，

army at Caer Suvio while we were encamped there when my son

就在博得朗姆战役之前。我确定她会更希望能毒杀我，但没有这个机会，”皇帝

was poisoned, before the battle at Bodrum. I'm sure she

明显正在气头上。“理事会建议说在告发她之前，我们需要证据来证明她的罪行。”

would have preferred to kill me, but the opportunity didn't present itself,” The Emperor fumed. “The Council suggests that we need evidence of her involvement before we prosecute.”

“Of course they would,” said the Potentate thoughtfully.

“他们当然会这么说，”君主体贴地说道。“特别是当他们有一天也会处在那个位

“Particularly if one or more of them was in on the plot. I

置上的时候。我有一个主意，陛下。”

have a thought, your imperial majesty.”

“Yes?” said Reman impatiently. “Out with it!”

“嗯?”雷曼没耐心地应着。“快说!”

“Tell the Council you're dropping the matter, and I will

“告诉理事会您不想再在这件事上多做纠葛，然后我会派人跟踪那个叫卡琪卡的

send out the Guard to track this Catchica down and follow

女人。我们可以看看她的同伙是谁，甚至可能对这个威胁到皇帝性命的阴谋有所

her. We will see who her friends are, and perhaps get an

了解。”

idea of the scope of this plot on your imperial majesty's life.”

“Yes,” said Reman with a satisfied frown. “That's a capital

“确实，”雷曼满意地皱起眉头。“这确实是一条上策。我们可以好好查查这条诡

plan. We will track this scheme to whomever it leads to.”

计，不管这阴谋到底是哪个混蛋的主意。”

“Decidedly, your imperial majesty,” smiled the Potentate,

“明智的决定，陛下，”君主笑着拉开窗帘，示意皇帝可以离开了。而正站在门

parting the curtain so the Emperor could leave. In the

外的就是贝西多―沙耶的儿子，萨维利恩―卓拉克。这个小伙子向皇帝鞠了一躬，

hallway outside was Versidue-Shaie's son, Savirien-Chorak. 然后走进了房间。

The boy bowed to the Emperor before entering the Potentate's chamber.

“Are you in trouble, father?” whispered the Akaviri lad.

“又有什么麻烦了吗，父亲?”这个亚龙人小伙子低声问道。

“I heard the Emperor found out about whatshername, the

“我听说皇帝已经找出某某女士，那个下毒者。”

poisoner.”

“The great art of speechcraft, my boy,” said Versidue-Shaie

“语言艺术的最高境界是什么，我的孩子，”贝西多―沙耶向他的儿子说。“是告

to his son. “Is to tell them what they want to hear in a

诉他们想知道的，但能将他们的思维引向自己想要的方向，这样他们的作为就无

way that gets them to do what you want them to do. I need

法逃出你的控制。我需要你去给卡琪卡写封信，确保她能严格遵照我的命令行事，

you to get a letter to Catchica, and make certain that she

不然她所要承担的风险可比我们多得多。”

understands that if she does not follow the instructions perfectly, she is risking her own life more than ours.”

13 Second Seed, 2920, Mir Corrup, Cyrodiil

13th，次种，2920，腐烂米尔，塞洛蒂尔

Rijja sank luxuriantly into the burbling hot spring,

蕾加将她自己深深埋进冒着泡泡的温泉里，皮肤上的刺痛感让她觉得像是同时被

feeling her skin tingle like it was being rubbed by millions

千万个小石子一起摩擦。头顶上的石架子恰到好处地帮她挡住那连绵不绝的小雨，

of little stones. The rock shelf over her head sheltered

又能让阳光照进来，如流金般在层次分明的树叶中流窜。这个时刻总让她享受，

her from the misting rain, but let all the sunshine in,

在悠闲的生活中最为放松的时刻，而当她完成这些时，她的美丽动人又能完美地

streaming in layers through the branches of the trees. It

回归身体。她只需要一场沐浴，一杯水，一些芬芳的香气，闻起来就像滑石粉一

was an idyllic moment in an idyllic life, and when she was

样。

finished she knew that her beauty would be entirely restored. The only thing she needed was a drink of water. The bath itself, while wonderfully fragrant, tasted always of chalk.

“Water!” she cried to her servants. “Water, please!”

“水!”她向她的女仆喊道。“拜托来杯水!”

A gaunt woman with rags tied over her eyes ran to her side

一个憔悴的，眼睛上缠着破布的女人跑到她的身边，放下一个上面放着水的山羊

and dropped a goatskin of water. Rijja was about to laugh

皮。蕾加差点就为她那略显僵硬的动作大笑出声――她自己是一点都不为自己

at the woman's prudery -- she herself was not ashamed of

裸露的身体而感到害躁――但很快她透过破布的一点缝隙看见那个老女人根本

her naked body -- but then she noticed through a crease in the rags that the old woman had no eyes at all. She was

就没有眼睛。她就像蕾加曾听说过的那些奥玛部落成员一样，虽然她从没见过一

like one of those Orma tribesmen Rijja had heard about, but

never met. Born without eyes, they were masters of their

个。他们天生就没有眼睛，但他们在其他感官上堪称大师。看来腐烂米尔的主人

other senses. The Lord of Mir Corrup hired very exotic

雇了些极具异域风情的仆人，她想道。

servants, she thought to herself.

In a moment, the woman was gone and forgotten. Rijja found

也就这么一会儿，那个女人无声无息地被遗忘且消失不见。蕾加发现在处于这种

it very hard to concentrate on anything but the sun and the

放松状态的时候她很难集中注意力。她拔出那个瓶塞，但瓶子里的液体散出一种

water. She opened the cork, but the liquid within had a

奇怪的，带有铁锈味的味道。忽然之间，她意识到她并不是唯一一个在房间里的

strange, metallic smell to it. Suddenly, she was aware that

人。

she was not alone.

“Lady Rijja,” said the captain of the Imperial Guard. “You

“蕾加小姐”皇家守卫队长说。“你，依我看，与卡琪卡相识?”

are, I see, acquainted with Catchica?”

“I've never heard of her,” stammered Rijja before becoming

“我从未听过这个名字，”蕾加结巴地回答，但很快变得愤怒。“你在这干嘛?这

indignant. “What are you doing here? This body is not for

具身体可不是你能看的。”

your leering eyes.”

“Never heard of her, when we saw her with you not a minute

“没听说过她，但我们看见你刚刚还和她在一起，”队长说，捡起地上的山羊皮

ago,” said the captain, picking up the goatskin and

并放在鼻端嗅了嗅。“给你带来了毒药，是不是?来给皇帝下毒?”

smelling it. “Brought you neivous ichor, did she? To poison the Emperor with?”

“Captain,” said one of the guards, running up to him quickly.

“队长，”一个侍卫快速跑向他，急促地说。“我们找不到那个亚龙人，看起来她

“We cannot find the Argonian. It is as if she disappeared

似乎在树林中消失不见了。”

into the woods.”

“Yes, they're good at that,” said the captain. “No matter

“确实，他们都很擅长这个，”队长说道。“不管怎样。我们找到了她在宫中的内

though. We've got her contact at court. That should please

应。这应该能让陛下满意。抓住她。”

his Imperial Majesty. Seize her.”

As the guards pulled the writhing naked woman from the pool,

守卫们抓着那个裸着的女人，把她拉出水池，她尖叫着，“我是无辜的!我不知

she screamed, “I'm innocent! I don't know what this is all

道这到底是怎么回事，但我什么都没做!要是皇帝知道了，他会把你们全部斩首!”

about, but I've done nothing! The Emperor will have your heads for this!”

“Yes, I imagine he will,” smiled the captain. “If he trusts

“是的，我想他会的，”队长笑着回答。“如果他相信你的话。”

you.”