十年战争的故事#6

来源：http://mmh7.ubi.com/en/blog/post/view/tales-of-the-ten-years-war-part-6，以下由翻译。

848 YSD – 沁血号角 – The Blood-Drenched Horns

长牙 - Long Fangs

Descending from the eastern Griffin mountains in great numbers and seemingly unaffected by the snow and cold, the Orcs won a series of easy victories against the Wolf armies. The towns and villages that had fallen under Stefan’s rule were liberated one after the other, until only Voron Peak remained occupied by the Wolf. Soon, these savage warriors swarmed the hills and forests around the fortress.

从狮鹫公国东部山脉下来的兽人大军似乎并没受到冰雪的影响，他们上来就接连赢得了一系列对恶狼公国部队的胜利。那些落入斯蒂芬手中的城乡一个接一个的被解放，只剩鸦顶城还在恶狼公国手中。不久，蛮族战士就蜂拥而至，占据了要塞周边的山丘和森林。

While the Orcs had little hope to take Voron Peak, they could keep Stefan trapped. The Orc leader, Kente of the Whitespears, was confident the Wolf would soon tire of his cage, and would then be willing to negotiate his release. All the Orcs had to do was wait and withstand the winter.

尽管兽人们没有多少夺回鸦顶城的机会，但他们可以把斯蒂芬困在这里。兽人领袖，白茅氏族的肯特自信恶狼部队很快就会在陷阱中待到厌烦，从而不得不开始谈判，兽人们需要做的就是熬过这个冬天。

As soon as the first signs of spring appeared, Stefan of Wolf agreed to Kente’s terms. The Duke of Wolf and his remaining forces were escorted back to the border of their Duchy, while the Orcs scattered in all major Griffin cities to reinforce their local garrisons. The message was loud and clear: the Griffin’s nest was defended.

当春天的第一缕曙光降临的时候，恶狼大公斯蒂芬同意了肯特的条件。恶狼大公和手下剩余部队被护送回自己公国的边界，而兽人们则分散到狮鹫公国各主要城市加强当地的防守。这传递出一个强而有力的信号：狮鹫之巢安然无恙。

Kente took command of a battalion of Orc warriors and rode southwest, to regroup with Ivan’s forces and inform the Duke of what the chieftains of the various Orc tribes had agreed upon.

肯特率领一个大队的兽人战士开赴西南，以支援伊凡的部队并告知狮鹫大公兽人各部落酋长一致达成的协议。

血之盟约 - Blood Pacts

In the meantime, Amílcar of Bull, beaten but not broken, was back in Chiaroscuro and licking his wounds. When he learned about Stefan’s situation, he immediately started thinking of a way to use the Wolf’s error to his advantage. While Stefan was trapped in the north, Amílcar could move his forces east and steal back some long-contested borderlands.

与此同时，公牛大公阿米卡虽然被击败了，但是并为被打垮，他撤回到辉黯城舔舐伤口。当他得知斯蒂芬的情况以后，他迅速开始思索如何利用恶狼大公的失误转为自己的优势。当斯蒂芬被困在北方的时候，阿米卡把自己的部队派往东边以偷取那里长期争夺的边界地带。

But Amílcar had suffered too many losses. He needed reinforcements – and he needed them fast, or his window of opportunity would close. He was still weighing his options when he was approached by a man, who had somehow avoided Amílcar’s guards. The man’s hair was black as a raven, his skin was pale, and his eyes glowing with a malevolent Green. Amílcar knew what the man was -- a Vampire from the devastated Vale of Heresh, in the far south.

但是阿米卡已经遭受了许多损失，他需要盟友，而且是急需，毕竟时机不等人。正在他决择之时，他遇到了一个人，此人设法绕过了阿米卡的守卫。这人的头发如渡鸦一般漆黑，皮肤苍白，眼睛闪烁着恶毒的绿色。阿米卡知道这家伙是什么：一个从遥远南方那满目疮痍的赫莱仕峡谷而来的吸血鬼。

When he was younger, Amílcar had fought the Necromancers of House Eterna in the War of the Broken Staff, nearly losing his life. He had shut away the memories of the horrors he had witnessed, the madness, the senseless devastation. He had somehow survived a close brush with Death, but feeling its unholy breath caressing his face had turned his hair white.

在他还年轻的时候，阿米卡曾在断杖之战中与永恒学派的亡灵巫师们战斗，差点命丧黄泉。他将那些自己亲眼目睹的恐惧记忆，那些疯狂与毫无感情的破坏藏在心底深处。他曾从死亡的轻抚中幸存，但仅仅那拂过其面颊的不洁之息就已经让他变成了满头白发。

Amílcar didn’t like the Necromancers, but he knew first-hand how powerful the Dark forces they dabbled with could be, and power was something he respected – and needed. So he decided he would at least listen to what the Vampire had to say. Especially as this particular Vampire was a kinsman – or had been, a long time ago. His name was Giovanni dela Segadora.

阿米卡不喜欢亡灵巫师，但他切身的了解这些家伙所涉猎的黑暗力量的威力，并且这威力是他不得不钦佩且急需的。于是他决定至少听听吸血鬼的开价。特别这个吸血鬼又刚好是其亲族，至少很久以前曾经是过。他的名字是乔瓦尼-德拉-赛格多拉。

Giovanni had come to offer Amílcar an alliance, of sorts. The Necromancers would put several legions of Black Guard mercenaries under the Bull’s command. In exchange, all they wanted was Illuma-Nadin. Erected on the border Heresh shared with the Bull Duchy, this Necromancer outpost had been conquered by the Wizards during the War of the Broken Staff, and had been occupied by the Bull’s forces since then. Now the Spider Cult wanted it back.

乔瓦尼向阿米卡提供了一份盟约，或者应该说是差不多类似的东西。亡灵巫师会将几支黑卫雇佣兵军团移交给公牛大公指挥。作为交换，他们想要伊露玛-纳丁，这座矗立在公牛公国于赫莱仕边际上的亡灵巫师要塞，曾在断杖之战中被法师们占据，之后又落入公牛公国之手。如今，蜘蛛教派想要取回这个地方。

Amílcar didn’t hesitate long. Black Guard mercenaries were ruthless and knew no mercy, but regardless of their ties with the Deathlords of Heresh, at least they were living beings.

阿米卡迅速定夺。虽然黑卫雇佣兵无情无悯，除了与赫莱仕的死亡领主的关系外，至少他们还算是活物。

A few weeks later, the reinforced Bull armies launched their assault on the Wolf Duchy.

几周以后，整装待发的公牛军队开赴恶狼公国。

进退两难 - Between Shadris and Sorleth

Shadris and Sorleth为精灵语，Shad=Night，Ris=Blade，Sor=Grim，Leth=Death。

By summer, Rowena of Unicorn had conquered a large chunk of the Greyhound lands, and was ready to besiege Whitecliff. Her victory, however, was snatched from her when she received word that Seamus of Stag’s armies had entered the Unicorn Duchy.

入夏，独角兽女大公罗温娜已经征服了大片灵缇公国的土地，并且开始围攻白崖城。她的胜利，不久就被传来的消息所打断，雄鹿大公谢玛斯的部队已经侵入了独角兽公国。

Thanks to the wood reserves they had gathered in the past couple of years, the Stag’s war effort had not been impeded by the terrible winter. In fact, while the others Dukes had been fighting each other, Seamus had been reinforcing his own forces. Twintree and Dunmoor were quick to fall before the Stag legions.

基于他们之前已经花费数年时间搜集的木材储备，雄鹿公国的行军并没有受到寒冬的困扰。事实上，在其他大公们互相攻击的时候，谢玛斯则在聚集自己的力量。孪木城和邓木尔很快就陷落与雄鹿大军之手。

A long and difficult siege awaited Rowena in the south, while her own lands were being invaded in the north. The Duchess of Unicorn had been reckless in her warmongering, and she now found herself, as the Elven proverb goes, forced to choose between Shadris and Sorleth.

南边有着一场漫长残酷的围城战等着罗温娜，而北边自己的领地又被入侵。独角兽女大公为自己的好战付出了代价，她现在发现自己的处境正如那句精灵诗歌所言：要在夜刃与横死中做个抉择。

Ivan too was facing an uneasy situation. Meeting with Kente near the abbey of Skarena, one of the Empire’s oldest temples of Elrath, he learnt that most Orc chieftains had come to help the Griffin Duchy to honour the friendship their ancestor Kraal shared with Ivan’s own ancestor, Slava. They now considered the debt settled, and apart from Kente and a small cadre of warriors, the Orcs would soon return to their mountains and stay out of the “babyteeth war”, as they put it.

伊凡这边的情况也不容乐观。在帝国最古老的艾尔拉思神庙所在的斯卡里纳修道院与肯特会面之后，伊凡得知大部分兽人酋长前来帮助狮鹫公国是为了荣耀他们的祖先克拉尔当年与伊凡的先祖斯拉瓦之间的那段友谊。如今他们认为这笔人情已经还清，于是除了肯特和少数核心战士成员外，其余兽人都已经退回他们的群山之中，置身于这场所谓的“小孩子的战争”之外。

Looking for guidance, Ivan decided to visit the abbey, with the faint hope Elrath would show him a sign. Much to his surprise, two figures were waiting for him inside. One was an Elf druid, who introduced himself as Tieru. The other was the Angel Murazel… and she was offering to reveal the truth about Sandalphon’s death.

为了寻求指引，伊凡决定拜访修道院，期望与艾尔拉思能够给他一个启示。超出他的预期之外，有两个人正在其中等着他。其中一个是精灵德鲁伊，自称为蒂耶鲁。另一个则是天使缪拉泽尔，并且她带来了圣多芬死亡的真相。