tg.stone of tears-第182部分

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ran　troops　who；　on　a　battlefield；　fighting　by　the　tactics　of　mon　war；　could　bring　about　such　a　feat。
　
　‘Please　believe　me；　I　mean　no　disrespect　to　your　bravery；　but　in　the　field　of　war；　you　are　not　their　equal。　Not　yet。　You　could　not　defeat　an　army　half　their　size　were　the　battle　fought　the　way　your　enemy　would　fight。
　
　‘That　does　not　mean　you　cannot　win。　It　means　only　that　you　must　do　it　in　another　way。　I　believe　you　can　win；　and　I’m　going　to　tell　you　what　you　must　do；　and　lead　you　in　the　first　strike；　to　start　you　in　this。　The　Imperial　Order　is　not　invincible。　They　can　be　defeated。
　
　‘From　this　day　forward；　I　shall　never　again　call　you　‘boys。’　From　this　day　forward；　you　are　men。
　
　‘You　think　of　yourselves　as　soldiers　of　your　homeland；　Galea。　But　you　are　not。　In　this；　you　are　not。　You　are　soldiers；　men；　of　the　Midlands。　For　it　is　not　just　Galea　who　will　be　conquered；　but　all　of　the　Midlands；　if　these　men　are　not　stopped。　I　call　upon　you　to　stop　them。’
　
　The　tightly　packed　crowd　of　soldiers；　tempered　by　what　they　had　heard；　shouted　that　they　would　do　the　job。　She　watched　from　under　her　eyebrows　as　they　confidently　pledged　to　fight　to　the　end。　There　were　angry　whispers　from　some　in　the　crowd；　to　her　right。　Men　were　jostling　each　other　and　arguing。　Some　men　wanted　to　speak；　and　others　were　seeking　to　prevent　it。
　
　‘If　you　should　choose　to　join　in　this　battle；　you　will　follow　orders　without　question；’　she　said。　‘But　for　this　time　only；　you　may　speak　your　mind　freely；　without　retribution。　If　you　have　something　to　say；　then　let　all　hear　it　now；　or　else　hold　it　to　your　grave。’
　
　One　man　pulled　his　arm　free　of　another。　He　glowered　up　at　her。　‘We’re　men。　We　don’t　follow　women　into　battle。’
　
　Kahlan　blinked　at　him。　‘You　follow　Queen　Cyrilla。’
　
　‘She　is　our　queen；　we　fight　on　her　behalf。　She　doesn’t　lead　us　in　battle。　That’s　left　to　men　to　do。’
　
　Kahlan　narrowed　her　eyes。　‘What　is　your　name？’
　
　He　glanced　around　at　his　fellows；　and　then　held　his　chin　up。　‘I’m　William　Mosle。　And　we’ve　been　trained　by　Prince　Harold　himself。’
　
　‘And　I；’　Kahlan　said；　‘was　trained　by　his　father；　King　Wyborn。　King　Wyborn　was　my　father；　too。　I　am　half　sister　to　Queen　Cyrilla　and　Prince　Harold。’
　
　There　were　astonished　murmurs　throughout　the　crowd。　Without　taking　her　eyes　from　Mosle；　she　lifted　a　hand　to　silence　them。　‘But　that　does　not　count　for　mand。　You　are　soldiers。　Your　duty　is　to　follow　the　orders　of　your　manders；　and　they　the　queen；　and　she　must　follow　mands　of　the　Central　Council　of　the　Midlands。　The　council　of　the　Midlands　follows　the　orders　of　the　Mother　Confessor。
　
　‘For　now；　I　fill　that　office。　My　family　name　is；　like　your　queen’s；　Amnell；　but　I’m　of　Confessor　blood；　first；　and　last。　I　am　the　Mother　Confessor　of　the　Midlands；　and　as　such；　if　I　say　you’re　to　march　into　a　lake；　then　it’s　your　duty　to　march　until　you’re　breathing　water　and　seeing　fishes。　Does　that　make　it　clear　enough　for　you；　soldier？’
　
　A　few　other　men　were　shoving　at　Mosle；　urging　him　to　go　on　with　their　grievances。　‘It　means　you　can　order　us；　it　doesn’t　mean　you　know　what　you’re　doing。’
　
　Kahlan　let　out　a　sigh　and　pulled　some　blood…stiffened　hair　back；　hooking　it　behind　an　ear。　‘I　don’t　have　the　time；　today；　to　tell　you　of　all　the　training　I’ve　had；　or　of　all　the　fighting　against　impossible　odds　I’ve　been　through；　or　the　men　I’ve　had　to　kill　in　that　fighting。
　
　‘I　would　tell　you　only　that　last　night；　I　went　alone　to　the　camp　of　the　Imperial　Order　to　save　your　life。　The　men　of　the　Order；　D’Harans；　fear　the　things　of　the　night；　spirits；　and　for　protection　from　that　and　to　assist　them；　they　had　a　wizard　in　their　pany。　Had　you；　in　your　confidence　of　battle　knowledge；　tried　to　attack　those　men；　that　wizard　would　have　known　what　you　were　doing；　and　probably　used　magic　to　kill　you　all。’
　
　Mosle’s　defiant　expression　didn’t　diminish；　but　some　of　the　others　broke　into　worried　whispers。　Fighting　against　steel　was　one　thing；　fighting　against　magic　quite　another。
　
　Captain　Ryan　stepped　forward。　‘The　Mother　Confessor　killed　the　wizard；’　he　said　with　pride。　There　were　relieved　sighs　among　the　men。　‘If　it　hadn’t　been　for　her　experience；　we　would　have　marched　to　our　deaths　without　even　having　the　chance　to　lay　steel　to　steel。　I；　for　one；　intend　to　follow　those　I’ve　sworn　my　life　to　serve：　my　land；　my　queen；　the　Midlands；　and　the　Mother　Confessor。
　
　‘We’re　going　to　stop　this　threat　against　the　Midlands；　and　we’re　going　to　do　it　by　following　those　we　are　sworn　to　follow。　We　go　into　battle　under　the　mand　of　the　Mother　Confessor。’
　
　‘I’m　a　soldier　in　the　Galean　army！’　Mosle　seemed　only　to　get　more　defiant。　‘Not　a　soldier　in　any　Midlands　army！　I　fight　for　Galea；　not　to　protect　lands　like　Kelton！’　Kahlan　watched　as　other　men　shouted　their　agreement。　‘This　army；　the　Imperial　Order；　or　whatever　they　call　themselves；　is　marching　toward　the　border。　Cellion　is　a　border　city；　and　most　of　it’s　on　the　other　side　of　the　river；　in　Kelton！　Most　of　its　citizens　are　Keltish！　Why　should　we　die　for　the　Keltans？’
　
　Men　in　the　crowd　were　starting　to　argue　with　one　another。　Captain　Ryan’s　face　was　red。　‘Mosle；　you’re　a　disgrace　to　。。。！’
　
　Kahlan　held　a　hand　out　to　silence　him。　‘No；　soldier　Mosle　is　only　speaking　as　he　believes；　as　I　asked　him　to。　You　men　must　understand　me。　I’m　not　ordering　you　to　do　this。　I’m　asking　you　to　fight　for　the　lives　of　innocent　people　of　the　Midlands。　Tens　of　thousands　of　your　fellow　soldiers　have　already　died　in　this　battle。　I　would　not　ask　you　to　lay　down　your　lives　for　something　you　do　not　believe　in。　Most　who　go　into　this　war　will　die。
　
　‘It’s　your　decision　to　stay　or　not。　You　are　not　manded　to　stay。　But　if　you　choose　to　stay；　it　will　be　under　my　mand。　I　want　no　man　with　us　who　does　not　believe　in　what　we　do。
　
　‘Decide　now；　if　you　will　be　with　us　or　not。　If　not；　then　you　are　free　to　go；　because　you　will　be　of　no　help　to　your　rades。’
　
　Her　voice　turned　as　cold　as　the　thin　morning　air。　‘If　you　decide　to　go　with　me　into　this　war；　then　you　will　follow　the　orders　of　your　superiors。　In　the　Midlands；　there　is　no　one　to　outrank　me。　You　will　follow　my　orders　without　question；　or　your　punishment　will　be　unsparing。　Too　much　is　at　stake　to　have　to　suffer　men　who　can’t　follow　orders。
　
　‘If　I　say　you　will　do　something；　then　you　will　do　it；　even　if　you　know　it’s　to　cost　you　your　life；　because　it’s　to　save　many　more　lives。　I　give　no　orders　without　sound　reason；　but　I　won’t　always　have　time　to　explain　them。　Your　duty　is　to　trust　in　your　superiors　and　do　as　you’re　told。’
　
　She　held　out　a　finger　and　swept　it　slowly　over　their　heads。　‘Choose；　then。　With　us；　or　not。　But　choose　this　day　for　all　time。’
　
　Kahlan　drew　her　hands　back　inside　her　warm　fur　mantle　and　waited　in　silence　while　men　discussed　and　argued　among　themselves。　Tempers　flared；　and　angry　oaths　were　given。　Men　gathered　around　Mosle；　and　others　moved　away　from　him。
　
　‘I’m　leaving；　then；’　Mosle　called　out　to　the　others。　He　thrust　his　fist　in　the　air。　‘I’ll　follow　no　woman　into　battle；　no　matter　who　she　is！　Who’s