十年战争的故事#9

来源：http://mmh7.ubi.com/en/blog/post/view/tales-of-the-ten-years-war-part-9，以下由HeavenK翻译。

战争创伤 – 851 YSD – Scars of War

忠诚的代价 – The Price of Loyalty

On the other side of the North River, Seamus was moving his troops. Regiments sporting the green and gold banner of the Stag were gathering around Dun Carria. He called upon his vassals to become his first line of defense against the Griffin-Wolf alliance. Amílcar of Bull himself was given command of Ronan’s Gate, the old Angelic fortress built on the Stag border, just north of the hill where Falcon’s Reach once stood.

在北江的另一边，谢玛斯正在调动军队。雄鹿家的军团，在绿色与金色相间而成的旗帜的指引下，汇聚在顿–卡利亚周边。他召集自己的封臣们在第一线对抗狮鹫与恶狼的联军。公牛大公阿米卡亲自领命镇守罗南之门，一座位于雄鹿边境的古老天使要塞，刚好就在距离法肯里奇不远的北面山坡上。

While many would have seen it as an honour, the proud Amílcar was reportedly not too happy to become “Seamus’ doorman”.

尽管多数人都把这看做是一项荣耀，但是骄傲的阿米卡本人却据说并不是很乐意做谢玛斯的看门狗。

Meanwhile, Enguerrand of Greyhound’s forces marched north, althrough their progress was slowed down near Timberwood during a series of skirmishes with a company of Windswords led by Andras of Hammer Fall, a mercenary of honourable reputation. Now mercenaries only work if an employer pays them. I have gethered clues leading me to believe Andras might have been hired by Irollan to impede Seamus’ war effort, although other clues have drawn my suspicions towards the merchant guild of Eridan Crossing.

与此同时，灵缇大公昂格朗挥师北上，不过他很快就在廷伯伍德附近遭遇到了一连串的战斗，落锤镇的安德拉斯率领着一支有着高贵声誉的雇佣兵团——风刃团，拖住了昂格朗的进军。佣兵们不会自己行动，其背后必然有人雇佣，我搜集到的消息指出，安德拉斯很可能是被艾若兰雇来妨碍谢玛斯的战备的，不过也有其他线索指向艾丽丹关口的商人行会。

Coincidentally, Rowena of Unicorn’s own contribution to Seamus’ reinforcements was much lower than expected. According to the Redhead of Yorwick, too many of her soldiers had died during the last seven years of conflict, and these meagre forces were all she had left. And while this in itself doesn’t prove anything, my spied report that Rowena asked her captains to reach the Stag Duchy through less-traveled roads – more specifically, not the ones Enguerrand’s troops had taken…

巧合的是，独角兽女公爵罗温娜对于谢玛斯的支援也远远低于预期。对于约威克的红发女郎来说，过去七年的战争使她丧失了太多的士兵，剩下的这些老弱病残已是她仅存的部队了。不过光是这点还不够，我的探子报告说罗温娜特意要求她的部队穿过一条很少有人使用的小道前往雄鹿公国，特别是要避开昂格朗的部队经过的道路...

Seamus’ eyes were fixated on Talonguard, where Ivan had moved his quarters. Back in the sixth century, Talonguard had been established as a peaceful refuge, where Empress Gwendolyn and her consort, Anton, could escape from the politics and endless intrigue of the imperial capitol. War was now reclaiming it.

谢玛斯的目光锁定在塔伦嘉德，伊凡把那里当做居所。在六世纪时，塔伦嘉德是作为一个宁静的避难所而建立的，格温多利女皇与其伴侣安东总是在那里放松休息，远离政治与帝国议会中那些无休无止的阴谋诡计。战争从未降临过塔伦嘉德。

疾风战场 – Winds of War

By the early days of spring, Ivan made his move. His target was not Dun Carria, as Seamus was expecting, but Brynwood. If the Griffin-Wolf alliance could take this city, then it would have an almost open road towards Horncrest. While Ivan’s forces were entering the Stag’s domain from the south, Stefan of Wolf was launching a simultaneous attack from the east.

到了早春时节，伊凡开始了自己的部署。他的目标并不是谢玛斯所猜测的顿·卡利亚，而是贝武德。如果狮鹫与恶狼联军能够占领这座城市，他们将直接打通前往弘克莱斯特的道路。二人兵分两路，伊凡的部队从南边进入雄鹿领地，而斯蒂芬则从东面同时发动袭击。

While I admire my lord’s audacity, I have to say his plan was far from faultless. Seamus had been at war before, and was not so easily fooled. He also had the council of Archbishop Wilhelm, who had fought a long war of attrition against Archon Belketh in the War of the Broken Staff. The Stag Emperor ordered several regiments stationed in Forkriver to reinforce Brynwood’s garrison, while Enguerrand’s armies were sent to Meadowfair, providing a crude, but efficient second line of defence.

尽管我欣赏主人的无畏，但是我必须承认他的这步棋并非妙招。谢玛斯经历过战争，没有那么容易被愚弄。而且他还有大主教威廉做参谋，此人曾在断杖之战中与执政官贝尔克斯交战多年。雄鹿皇帝下令几个扎营在三江口的军团前往支援贝武德的要塞，同时派昂格朗的部队前往明多飞，准备建立一道仓促但有效的第二防线。

To counter Seamus’ tactics, Ivan was finding himself forced to change his plans in all haste and press north. He needed Stefan to be successful at Brynwood, as they would then be able to reunite their forces to march on Meadowfair. But first, he had to capture Forkriver.

为了应对谢玛斯的策略，伊凡必须迅速改变计划向北推进。他需要斯蒂芬成功打下贝武德，这样才能会师进军明多飞，但首先，伊凡必须占领三江口。

Ivan thought of himself as a man of honour, a man that would spare innocent life when possible. But there’s no such thing as a clean war, and time was of the essence -- Ivan needed to cut Forkriver’s supplies without delay, to avoid a long siege that would only benefit Seamus. There was only one way to achieve this goal: burn the fields, the farms, the orchards. Peasants who refused to abandon their lands were left to burn with them. That’s how Ivan gained the first of many nicknames: Ivan of the Ashes.

伊凡一直认为自己是一个富有荣誉感的男人，如果可能的话总会顾及到无辜的性命。但是战争没有干干净净的，而时间更是不等人。伊凡必须毫不拖延地迅速切断三江口的补给，避免进入对谢玛斯有利的漫长围城战。只有一个方法能达到这一目标：烧光所有田地、农场与果园。所有拒绝撤离的农夫们也一同烧掉，这也是伊凡当初得到这个“灰烬伊凡”别名的原因。

Following Brynwood’s fall, the Wolf and Griffin gathered their forces and marched west, towards Horncrest, leaving a trail of fire and death behind them. In the Stag lands, he was not even known as Ivan anymore -- he was the Bloody Griffin, Ivan the Starver, Lord Cold-heart, the Bane of the North, the Oathbreaker, the Betrayer. Each of these nicknames became a burning scar on his soul. Ivan’s plan was back on track, at the price of his reputation.

随着贝武德的陷落，恶狼与狮鹫部队会师西进，直奔弘克莱斯特而去，留下一路的火焰与死亡。在雄鹿公国，已经没有人将他称为伊凡，而是把它叫做血腥狮鹫、饥荒制造者、冷血领主、北方的噩梦、破誓者、背叛者。每个绰号背后都带来一道深灼在他灵魂上的伤疤。伊凡的计划留下一系列足迹，其代价正是自身的名誉。

Seamus’ armies, led by the Stag Emperor himself, had joined Enguerrand’s troops in Meadowfair. As autumn descended on the lands of the Stag Duchy, the greatest battle of the year 851 was about to begin. But you already know it ended – had things gone differently, this council would have no reason to be held. Meadowfair was the Griffin’s darkest hour.

谢玛斯的军队，在雄鹿皇帝本人的率领下，加入了驻守在明多飞的昂格朗部队。随着金秋降临到雄鹿公国的大地上，851年最大的战役就此拉开帷幕。不过你已经知道最后结果如何了，如果一切发生改变的话，那么我们这个议会也就没有了存在的理由了。明多飞是狮鹫历史上最为黑暗的时刻。

阴云密布 – The Gathering Storm

You probably heard the story of the duel Ivan fought against Seamus on the battlefield. How the “traitorous” Duke of Griffin had once again underestimated his opponent. How Seamus was not only a skilled swordsman, but also a master of the arcane arts, how his magic had turned the tide of the battle, and how the renegades were forced to run for their lives “as if Crag Hack himself was on their heels”, as the old proverb goes.

你大概听过那些讲述伊凡与谢玛斯在战场上决斗的故事。故事里“不忠”的狮鹫大公再次低估了自己的对手，谢玛斯不仅仅是个剑术高手，更是神秘法术的大师，他的魔法改变了战场的走向，迫使叛军落荒而逃，就好像古诗所云：“犹如肯洛–哈格追在身后一般”。

But Ivan and Seamus never actually crossed swords in Meadowfair. As always, truth and legend intertwine. The Stag Emperor indeed proved a powerful magician, but it is precisely why he was actually far behind the frontlines, using his magic to support for his troops, and not in the melee. The one Ivan really faced that day was Enguerrand of Greyhound. Enguerrand was wielding the Blade of Loyalty, one of the seven bastard swords of Elrath.

不过伊凡和谢玛斯事实上并没有在明多飞真正兵刃相交，真相与和谣传混杂在一起。雄鹿皇帝确实是一个强大的法师，不过这也是为什么他实际上并不在前线，他利用魔法而非近战来支援自己的部队。那天伊凡真正面对的对手其实是灵缇大公昂格朗。昂格朗挥舞着忠诚之刃，艾尔拉思七美德之一。

History likes to repeat itself. Once, Ivan had shattered the Blade of Truth with his own Blade of Revelation. On that autumn day, amidst the blood-soaked fields of Meadowfair, the Blade of Loyalty ran through Ivan’s sword, Iron Feather, the sword once wielded by the founder of the Griffin line, and broke it into dozens of pieces. An iron shard flew into Ivan’s face, opening a gaping wound across the right side of his noble visage. It is a miracle he didn’t lose his eye.

历史总是不断重复着过去。伊凡曾经手持启示之刃击碎了真实之刃，而在这秋季的那一天，在明多飞这被鲜血所淹没的战场上，忠诚之刃击碎了伊凡的佩剑，精铁之羽，那把曾经被狮鹫家族的缔造者所挥舞的宝剑，如今破碎成片片碎块。其中一片划伤了伊凡的面颊，在其高贵的面容右侧留下一道伤疤，伊凡没有失去一只眼睛已经是一个奇迹了。

The Blade of Loyalty could never lose against a betrayer…

忠诚之刃从不会在对抗背叛者的战斗中失败...

As Enguerrand was about to strike the fatal blow, putting an end to Ivan’s rebellion, a strange bird came out of nowhere and distracted the Duke of Greyhound, giving Ivan’s loyal Master-of-Arms, Kente, an opportunity to take his wounded lord away. Suddenly ice and lightning were raining on the Stag and Greyhound soldiers, causing great confusion across their ranks. As the mysterious blue bird guided Kente and Ivan to safety, it became apparent the delegation from the Silver Cities – or at least part of it – had decided to turn against Seamus.

当昂格朗准备挥下最后一击，以结束伊凡的革命之时，一只奇怪的鸟突然出现干扰了灵缇大公的注意，使得伊凡忠实的武技长肯特能够趁此机会救出受伤的主人。瞬间，寒冰与闪电席卷了雄鹿和灵缇的部队，使他们陷入一片混乱。随着神秘的蓝鸟指引肯特与伊凡逃回安全地带，这也证实了银色联盟，或者说至少其中一个派别，已经做出决定对抗谢玛斯。