魔兽争霸官方小说:仇恨之轮-Cycle of Hatred(英文版)- 第7部分

I　ve　got　a　patrol　to　make；　ma　am。　There　any　way　this　can　wait

No；　Captain；　there　isn　t。　　

Avinal　looked　at　Davin。　Davin　shrugged；　as　if　to　say　that　it　was　out　of　his　hands。　Then　the　captain　looked
witheringly　at　Lorena。　Fine。　When　s　this　attack　supposed　to　ve　happened？　　

Five　days　ago。　According　to　Major　Davin　you　were　fogbound　that　morning。　　

Yes　m；　we　were。　　

Did　you　see　any　other　ships　that　morning？　　

Might　ve　some　shapes　that　might　a　been　a　boat　here　an　　there；　but　couldn　t　be　sure。　We　were　near　a　boat　at　one　
point；　I　know　that　much　rang　their　foghorn。　　

Lorena　nodded。　That　tracked　with　what　the　orcs　told　Lady　Proudmoore。　

But　we　didn　t　see　nothin　　solid。　Couldn　t　see　the　nose　in　front　of　your　face；　and　that　s　a　fact。　Fifty　years；　I　been
sailin　；　Colonel；　and　I　ain　t　never　seen　fog　the　like　of　that。　Sargeras　himself　could　ve　taken　a　stroll　on　the　deck　and　I　
might　not　a　seen　it。　It　was　all　I　could　do　to　keep　my　own　people　from　mutiny；　truth　be　told。　Last　thing　any　of　us　d
be　concerned　about　is　a　buncha　greenskins。　　

For　several　seconds；　Lorena　stared　at　the　captain。　Then　she　sighed。　Very　well；　Captain；　thank　you。　That　will　be
all。　　

Muttering；　Blessed　waste　of　time；　　under　his　breath；　Avinal　departed。　
　
After　the　captain　left；　Strov　said；　Most　of　the　crew　say　the　same；　ma　am。　　

Of　course　they　do；　　Davin　said。　Because　it　s　the　truth；　as　d　be　obvious　to　anyone　who　d　think　about　it　for　a　
second。　　

Whirling　on　the　major；　Lorena　asked；　Tell　me；　Major；　why　didn　t　you　mention　that　Captain　Avinal　was　near
another　boat　or　that　it　rang　its　foghorn？　　

I　didn　t　think　it　was　relevant。　　

Lorena　changed　her　mental　letter　so　that　Davin　would　be　transferred　to　cesspool　duty。　It　isn　t　your　job　to　assess
relevance；　Major。　It　s　your　job　your　duty　to　follow　the　orders　of　your　superiors。　　

Davin　let　out　a　long　breath。　Look；　Colonel　you　were　sent　here　to　find　out　if　Captain　Avinal　did　anything　wrong。
He　didn　t。　And　what　does　it　matter　if　a　bunch　of　greenskins　got　their　cargo　took？　　

Actually；　they　didn　t　they　fought　off　the　pirates　on　their　own。　　

Now　Davin　stood　again；　looking　at　Lorena　like　she　was　mad。　Then　with　all　due　respect；　ma　am；　what　s　the
meaning　of　this　inquiry？　It　s　not　like　the　greenskins　needed　our　help　so　why　treat　us　like　criminals？　As　I　said；　we　
did　nothing　wrong。　　

Lorena　shook　her　head；　not　agreeing　with　that　statement　at　all。　

Five　

B　yrok　never　imagined　that　the　happiest　time　in　his　life　would　be　when　he　went　fishing。　

On　the　face　of　it；　it　didn　t　seem　to　be　the　life　for　an　orc。　Fishing　involved　no　battle；　no　glory；　no　challenging　
bat；　no　testing　of　one　s　mettle　against　an　equal　foe。　No　weaponry　was　involved；　no　blood　was　shed。　

But　it　was　less　what　he　did　than　why　he　did　it。　Byrok　went　fishing　because　he　was　free。　

As　a　youth；　he　had　heard　the　false　promises　of　Gul　dan　and　his　Shadow　Council　who　promised　a　new　world　where　
the　sky　was　blue　and　the　inhabitants　easy　prey　for　superior　orc　might　to　conquer。　Byrok；　along　with　the　others　of　his
clan；　followed　Gul　dan　s　instructions；　never　knowing　that　he　and　his　council　did　the　bidding　of　Sargeras　and　his
foul　demons；　never　realizing　that　the　price　for　this　new　world　would　be　their　very　souls。　

It　took　a　decade　for　the　orcs　to　be　defeated。　Either　they　were　enslaved　by　the　demons　they　thought　were　their　
benefactors；　or　they　were　enslaved　by　the　humans；　who　proved　to　have　more　fight　in　them　than　the　demons　
imagined。　

Demon　magic　had　made　Byrok　s　memories　of　his　life　in　the　orcs　　native　land　dim。　A　lack　of　interest　in
remembering　had　had　a　similar　effect　on　his　recollections　of　his　life　in　human　bondage。　He　recalled　mainly　that　the
work　was　backbreaking　and　menial；　and　it　destroyed　what　little　of　his　spirit　the　demons　had　left　intact。　

Then　Thrall　came。　

Everything　changed　then。　The　son　of　the　great　Durotan　whose　death　had；　in　many　ways；　been　the　end　of　the　orcs　　
former　way　of　life　Thrall　had　escaped　his　overseers　and　used　the　humans　　own　tactics　against　them。　He　reminded
the　orcs　of　their　longfotten　past。　

On　the　day　that　Thrall　and　his　growing　army　liberated　Byrok；　he　swore　that　he　would　serve　the　young　orc　until　one
of　them　died。　
　
So　far；　that　death　had　not　e；　despite　the　finest　efforts　of　human　soldiers　or　demon　hordes。　One　lesser　member　of
the　Burning　Legion　did；　however；　claim　Byrok　s　right　eye。　In　exchange；　Byrok　removed　the　demon　s　entire　head。　

When　the　fighting　ended；　and　when　the　orcs　settled　in　Durotar；　Byrok　requested　that　he　be　relieved　of　his　service。
Should　the　call　to　battle　be　sounded；　Byrok　promised　he　would　be　the　first　in　line　to　take　up　the　mantle　of　the　
warrior　once　again；　even　with　one　eye　missing；　but　now　he　wished　to　make　use　of　the　freedom　he　had　fought　so
hard　for。　

Thrall　naturally　granted　it　to　him；　and　to　all　those　who　requested　it。　

Byrok　did　not　need　to　fish；　of　course。　Durotar　included　some　excellent　farmland。　Since　the　human　lands　were　
located　in　the　marshy　territory　to　the　south；　humans　could　not　grow　crops；　and　so　turned　most　of　their　energy　to
fishing。　They　would　trade　their　surplus　to　the　orcs　in　exchange　for　their　surplus　crops。　

But　Byrok　wanted　no　fish　caught　by　humans。　He　wanted　nothing　to　do　with　humans　if　he　could　possibly　avoid　it。
Yes；　the　humans　had　fought　at　the　orcs　　side　against　the　Burning　Legion；　but　that　was　an　alliance　of　necessity。
Humans　were　monsters；　and　Byrok　wanted　nothing　to　do　with　such　uncivilized　creatures。　

So　it　was　rather　a　shock　to　the　oneeyed　orc　to　find　six　humans　in　his　usual　fishing　spot　on　Deadeye　Shore。　

For　starters；　the　area　surrounding　Byrok　s　fishing　hole　was　high　grassland。　Byrok　s　tracking　skills　had　been　reduced
a　bit　by　the　lack　of　a　good　right　eye；　but　he　still　saw　no　indication　that　any　but　he　had　traversed　through　the
grasses　especially　not　any　humans；　who；　for　such　small；　lightweight　creatures；　were　pathetically　overt　in　their
movements。　Nor　did　Byrok　see　any　airships　nearby；　nor　any　boats　on　the　water　within　sight　of　the　fishing　spot。　

How　they　arrived；　though；　was　of　considerably　less　concern　to　Byrok　than　the　fact　that　they　had　arrived。　Setting　
down　his　fishing　gear；　he　unstrapped　the　morningstar　from　his　back。　The　weapon　had　been　a　gift　from　Thrall　after
the　Warchief　had　freed　him　from　bondage；　and　Byrok　went　nowhere　without　it。　

Were　these　fellow　orcs　in　Byrok　s　spot；　he　would　have　questioned　their　presence；　but　humans　particularly　human
trespassers　deserved　no　such　consideration。　He　would　find　out　their　intent　by　stealthier　means。　At　best；　they　might
simply　be　fools　who　strayed　too　far　north　and　did　not　realize　they　were　invading。　Byrok　had　lived　a　long　time；　and
had　e　to　understand　that　stupidity　was　a　far　more　mon　explanation　than　malice。　

But　at　worst；　these　might　be　true　invaders；　and　if　they　were；　Byrok　would　not　let　them　walk　out　of　his　fishing　hole
alive。　

Byrok　had　learned　the　human　language　during　his　time　in　captivity；　and　so　was　able　to　understand　the　words　of
these　six　at　least　those　he　could　hear。　From　where　he　was　crouched　down　amid　the　tall　grass；　he　could　hear　only　a　
few　words。　

The　words　he　did　hear；　however；　were　not　encouraging。　Overthrow　　was　one；　Thrall　　another。　So　was
greenskin；　　a　derogatory　human　term　for　orcs。　

Then　he　caught　the　phrase；　We　ll　kill　them　all　and　take　this　continent　for　ourselves。　　

Another　asked　a　question；　the　only　word　of　which　Byrok　caught　was　troll。　　The　one　who　wished　to　take　the
continent　then　said；　We　ll　kill　them；　too。　　

Pushing　aside　the　grass；　Byrok　looked　more　closely　at　the　humans。　He　didn　t　notice　anything　particularly　
distinguishing　about　them　all　humans　looked　alike　to　Byrok　but　the　old　orc　did　notice　that　the　two　closest　to　him　
had　the　image　of　a　burning　sword　on　their　person：　one　as　a　tattoo　on　his　arm；　the　other　as　an　earring。　

His　blood　running　cold；　Byrok　remembered　where　he　d　seen　that　symbol　before。　It　was　long　ago；　when　the　orcs
first　came　to　this　world　at　Gul　dan　s　urging：　they　called　themselves　the　Burning　Blade；　and　their　armor　and　flags
　
carried　the　same　symbol　that　these　two　humans　wore。　The　Burning　Blade　were　among　the　fiercest　devotees　of　the
Shadow　Council。　They　were　later　wiped　out；　and　none　of　that　demonloving　clan　remained。　

Yet　here　were　humans　wearing　their　symbol；　and　speaking　of　killing　Thrall。　

His　blood　boiling；　Byrok　got　to　his　feet　and　started　running　toward　the　sextet；　twirling　the　morningstar　over　his
head。　Even　with　his　bulk；　the　only　noise　he　made　as　he　approached　was　the　whizzing　sound　of　the　morningstar　s
chain　as　it　pivoted　on　the　handle　in　Byrok　s　fingers　and　rotated　along　with　the　large　spiked　ball　on　the　other　end
around　the　orc　s　head。　

That　was；　unfortunately；　enough。　Two　of　the　humans　the　two　with　the　Burning　Blade　symbol　whirled　around。
So　Byrok　targeted　the　nearest　of　those　two　first；　throwing　the　morningstar　right　at　his　shaved　head。　He　wasn　t
concerned　about　losing　his　weapon　no　human　could　lift　the　thing；　so　it　would　be　safe　until　he　could　grab　it　again。　

An　orc！　　

　　Bout　time　one　showed　up！　　

Kill　it！　　

Since　the　element　of　surprise　was　gone；　he　let　out　a　huge　roar　that　always　intimidated　humans　and　leapt　at
another；　this　one　with　a　full　beard。　Byrok　s　massive　fist　collided　with　the　bearded　one　s　head。　

The　one　with　the　shaved　head　clutched　his　shoulder　he　had　managed　to　avoid　being　hit　in　the　head；　to　Byrok　s
disappointment　and　tried　to　lift　the　morningstar　with　his　other　hand。　Had　he　time；　Byrok　would　have　laughed。　

However；　he　was　too　busy　grabbing　another　human　s　head　in　his　right　hand　and　preparing　to　throw　the　invader　into
one　of　his　rades。　That　did　not　happen；　however；　as　another　human　attacked　from　the　right。　

Cursing　himself　for　fetting　to　account　for　the　fact　that　he　was　now　blind　on　that　side；　Byrok　flailed　out　with　his
right　arm；　even　as　pain　sliced　into　his　side。　

Two　more　humans　piled　on　top　of　him；　one　punching　him；　the　other　going　at　him　with　a　blade。　Byrok　managed　to
step　on　one　attacker　s　leg；　breaking　it　instantly。　The　screams　of　his　victim　served　to　goad　the　orc；　and　he　redoubled
his　attack。　But　there　were　simply　too　many　of　them。　Even　though　two　of　them　were　badly　injured；　they　continued　to
pile　on　him；　and　even　Byrok　could　not　defeat　six　humans　while　unarmed。　

Realizing　that　he　needed　his　weapon；　he　inhaled　deeply　and　then　let　out　a　huge　roar　even　as　he　punched　both　fists
outward　with　all　his　strength。　It　only　knocked　his　foes　off　him　for　an　instant；　but　an　instant　was　all　he　needed。　He　
dove　for　his　weapon；　his　fingers　closing　around　the　handle。　

Before　he　could　lift　it；　however；　two　of　the　humans　pounded　on　his　head；　and　another　drove　a　dagger　through　his
left　thigh。　Byrok　flailed　his　arm　outward；　the　morningstar　s　ball　sailing　through　the　air；　just　missing　the　humans。　

Then；　much　as　he　loathed　himself　for　being　forced　to　do　it；　Byrok　ran。　

It　was　a　hard　thing　for　him；　and　not　just　because　the　dagger　that　was　still　protruding　from　his　thigh　slowed　his　gait。
To　run　from　battle　was　shameful。　But　Byrok　knew　he　had　a　higher　duty　to　perform　the　Burning　Blade　had
returned；　only　this　time　they　were　humans。　And　all　the　attackers；　not