While Alias’s companions chased Moander over the Elven Wood, through the magical gate, and above the countryside surrounding Westgate, the swordswoman lay still in her dark cocoon.当阿莉亚丝的同伴们一路追逐莫安德，越过精灵森林，穿过魔法之门，又飞越西门城周边的乡野时，这名女剑士正一动不动地躺在黑暗的茧中。1
The cushioning about her did little to reassure her.包裹着她的软垫并未让她安心多少。2
Blood rushed in her ears as her prison rocked and swayed, spun, and finally turned over and over.她的牢笼摇晃摆荡，旋转起来，最后更是翻滚不休，耳中充斥着血液奔涌的声音。3
Alias’s nostrils flared.阿莉亚丝张大了鼻孔。4
The mossy smell of her prison blended with the scent of swamp gas.牢笼里苔藓的气味与沼气的臭味混在一起。5
She gagged and coughed, but was unable to avoid breathing the noxious vapor.她一阵干呕咳嗽，却还是无法避免吸入那有毒的气体。6
She began to feel weak.她开始感到虚弱。7
Perhaps Moander did not realize the gas would damage her.也许莫安德没有意识到这气体会伤害她。8
Perhaps it would kill her by accident and the other “masters” would not be able to resurrect her.也许它会意外杀死她，让其他那些“主人”无法将她复活。9
That idea brought a peculiar comfort to the warrior woman.这个念头给女战士带来了一种异样的慰藉。10
Her isolation had accomplished what Moander’s words had failed to do.莫安德的话没能做到的事，孤立无援的处境却做到了。11
Alias despaired.阿莉亚丝陷入了绝望。12
She’d caused the death of her friends.她害死了自己的朋友。13
Her only real friends, as far as she knew, since her relationship with the Swanmays and the Black Hawks had been nothing but imaginary stories given her by her makers.据她所知，那是她仅有的真正朋友，因为她与天鹅女团和黑鹰团之间的关系，不过是创造她的人灌输给她的虚假故事。14
She wasn’t even human, had never had a mother, was non-born.她甚至不是人类，从未有过母亲，而是一个非生之人。15
And soon she would be nothing but a trinket for evil forces to fight and intrigue over.而很快，她就会沦为一件小玩意，任由邪恶势力为她争斗，围绕她勾心斗角。16
She would become their unknowing puppet, forced into actions she had not chosen—a mockery of life, like a skeleton or golem.她会变成它们毫不知情的傀儡，被迫做出并非自己选择的行为——如同骷髅或魔像一般，成为对生命的嘲弄。17
Better to die, she decided without feeling, her heart numb.还是死了好，她麻木地想，心中已毫无知觉。18
She wondered, though, whether there would be an afterlife for the likes of her.然而，她不禁想，像她这样的存在，死后是否也有来世。19
In the dark cocoon, she whispered, “Do I even have a soul?”在黑暗的茧中，她低声说道：“我真的有灵魂吗？”20
She sighed.她叹了口气。21
“What difference does it make?”“这又有什么区别呢？”22
What difference does it make? she wondered.这有什么关系呢？她心想。23
I’m alive.我还活着。24
I enjoy being alive.我喜欢活着。25
She relished the satisfaction she’d felt when she’d defeated an enemy in combat, the contentment that settled about her when she sang, the camaraderie she’d shared with Dragonbait and the others.她尽情回味着战胜敌人时的满足感，歌唱时笼罩全身的安宁，以及她与龙饵等人之间的伙伴情谊。26
She’d made her own friends, real friends.她交到了属于自己的朋友，真正的朋友。27
She’d proven herself an adventuress, even if she was only a month old.哪怕她才诞生一个月，她也已经证明自己是个女冒险家。28
And somehow, she had found the will to deny her would-be masters.而且不知怎的，她找到了拒绝那些妄图主宰她之人的意志。29
“Even if it isn’t a natural one, I have a life of my own,” she announced to the darkness—and to herself.“即使这条命并非自然赋予，我也有属于自己的人生。”她向黑暗宣告——也是在向自己宣告。30
Heartened by her declaration, a new determination to live sprang up in Alias, coupled with an assurance that she would somehow defeat everyone who had branded her and reassert her free will.这番宣言令阿莉亚丝深受鼓舞，一股新的求生决心在她心中迸发，同时她也坚信，自己终将击败所有在她身上烙下印记的人，重新夺回自由意志。31
“Moander!” she shouted uncertainly, not knowing if the god could hear her.“莫安德！”她迟疑地喊道，不知道那位神能否听见。32
“Moander!” she hollered louder.“莫安德！”她扯开嗓门，又喊了一声。33
“You’re killing me!“你快把我害死了！34
I can’t breathe!我喘不过气！35
You have to let me out of here!”你必须放我出去！”36
Her prison made one more gut-wrenching turn.囚禁她的东西又猛地翻转了一次，搅得她五脏六腑都翻腾起来。37
Her ears popped.她的耳朵猛地一胀。38
Then the foul air in her lungs was driven out by a sudden impact against the bottom of her cocoon.紧接着，她猛然撞上茧的底部，肺中污浊的空气被尽数挤了出去。39
Her bindings were torn.束缚她的东西被扯断了。40
She blinked in the sunlight.她在阳光下眨了眨眼。41
The air was fresh and warm.空气清新而温暖。42
Half a dozen hands reached down to pull her from the moist, silky mass that entangled her.五六只手伸下来，将她从那团缠住她的湿润丝状物中拉了出去。43
Despite her wooziness, Alias spotted the tattoos inscribed in all their palms: mouths full of jagged teeth.尽管仍昏昏沉沉，阿莉亚丝还是看见了他们每个人掌心的文身：一张长满锯齿般尖牙的嘴。44
Dizzy from her travel, her muscles atrophied from her imprisonment, and still weak from the effects of the gas, Alias could not resist as the people pulled her to her feet, no doubt prepared to transfer her to another prison, more conventional perhaps, yet equally inescapable.一路颠簸令阿莉亚丝头晕目眩，囚禁又使她的肌肉萎缩，再加上毒气的影响尚未消退，她依然虚弱不堪；那些人把她拉起来时，她根本无力反抗——他们无疑准备把她转移到另一座监牢，或许更为常规，却同样无处可逃。45
Alias looked around.阿莉亚丝环顾四周。46
She stood by a bonfire in the center of a circle of giant, inwardly curved fangs carved of red stone.她站在一堆篝火旁，四周环绕着一圈用红色石头雕成的巨牙，牙尖向内弯曲。47
Around her were two dozen men and women, their faces hidden in the cowls of their robes.她周围站着二十来个男女，面孔都藏在长袍的兜帽下。48
Their leader wore a mask of white with a single eye painted in the forehead and surrounded by teeth.他们的首领戴着一张白色面具，额头处画着一只被牙齿环绕的独眼。49
A priest of Moander.莫安德的祭司。50
Alias gulped in deep breaths of air to fight her nausea and dizziness, though she did not know why she bothered.阿莉亚丝大口大口地吸气，竭力压下恶心与眩晕，尽管她不知道自己何必费这个劲。51
Even if she managed to escape from Moander’s minions, she would still be a puppet.即使她能从莫安德的爪牙手中逃脱，她也依然只是个傀儡。52
One of the minions snapped a band of metal around her sword arm.一名爪牙把一个金属环扣在她持剑的手臂上。53
The band was attached to a long chain of cold iron.金属环上连着一条长长的冷铁锁链。54
Her legs gave way beneath her, and she sank to her knees on the dusty hilltop.她双腿一软，跪倒在尘土飞扬的山顶上。55
They would drag her off to her other masters, and she hadn’t the strength or the will to resist.他们会把她拖去交给她的其他主人，而她既没有力气，也没有意志反抗。56
But instead, everyone ignored her.然而，所有人却都没有理会她。57
Their attention was fixed on the sky.他们的注意力全都集中在天空中。58
Mutters passed through the crowd, then cheers.人群中先是响起一阵低语，随即爆发出欢呼。59
Alias looked up with everyone else.阿莉亚丝也和众人一起抬头望去。60
At first, she did not understand what she saw.起初，她不明白自己看见了什么。61
Moander, the oozing god, bobbed in the sky, a great, swollen balloon with jaws.那位浑身渗着黏液的神莫安德在空中沉浮，仿佛一只长着巨口、硕大而臃肿的气球。62
Trapped in its tendrils was a red dragon.一条红龙被困在它的触须之中。63
The beast flapped its wings vainly, but could not resist being drawn into the god’s maw.那头巨兽徒劳地拍打着翅膀，却无法阻止自己被拖进那位神的大嘴。64
The pair of monsters twisted and turned in the sky above a great walled city.这两个怪物在一座巨大的围墙城市上空翻腾扭转。65
The sea lay beyond them.它们身后是一片大海。66
“Westgate,” Alias whispered.“西门城。”阿莉亚丝低声说道。67
Suddenly, Alias knew that the red dragon was Mist.突然间，阿莉亚丝明白了，那条红龙就是米斯特。68
The Abomination had not killed her.憎恶体并没有杀死她。69
As a matter of fact, she looked bigger than ever beside Moander.事实上，她在莫安德身旁显得比以往任何时候都更加庞大。70
Alias’s captors began chanting a prayer for their god’s victory, though some less pious or more excitable, continued cheering as though they were watching two warriors wrestle in an arena.俘虏阿莉亚丝的人开始吟诵祷词，祈求他们的神获胜，不过其中一些不那么虔诚或更容易激动的人仍在高声喝彩，仿佛正在观看两名武士在竞技场中角力。71
Alias felt like cheering as well, though not exactly for the dragon.阿莉亚丝也想欢呼，尽管并不完全是为那条龙喝彩。72
If Mist were still alive, the warrior woman realized, then so might Dragonbait, Akabar, and Olive be.这名女武士意识到，既然米斯特还活着，那么龙饵、阿卡巴和奥利芙或许也还活着。73
Moander’s failure to mention the dragon’s survival gave Alias reason to suspect he had lied about her friends.莫安德没有提及那条龙幸存之事，这让阿莉亚丝有理由怀疑，他对她朋友们的事撒了谎。74
Fury and hope surged within her and gave her strength.愤怒与希望在她心中汹涌，赋予了她力量。75
She assessed the lanky man holding her chain.她打量着那个攥住她锁链的瘦高男人。76
He was armed with a cudgel dotted with crude shards of crystal.他手持一根棍棒，上面嵌满粗糙的水晶碎片。77
She was weaponless.她手无寸铁。78
But they made me a weapon, she thought.但他们把我变成了一件武器，她心想。79
She drew her feet up beneath her knees, remaining crouched near the ground, her eyes fixed on her guard, waiting for an opportunity to attack.她把双脚收至膝下，仍紧贴地面蹲伏着，双眼牢牢盯住看守，等待进攻的机会。80
The man’s body shielded her vision from the brilliant explosion that threw the landscape into highlights of white contrasted against shadows of the deepest black.那男人的身体挡住了她的视线，使她没有看到那场耀眼的爆炸；爆炸将整片大地映成一片惨白，和最深沉的黑影形成鲜明对比。81
Alias stood up, but was immediately knocked to the ground by a powerful, booming wind.阿莉亚丝站起身，却立刻被一股轰然袭来的强风掀翻在地。82
All her captors fell as well, thrown like rag dolls by the wind that ripped over the top of the hill.所有俘虏她的人也都倒了下去，被席卷山顶的狂风像布娃娃一样抛飞。83
A sudden pain shot up Alias’s sword arm, as though the cold iron that bound it had suddenly turned red hot.一阵剧痛骤然蹿上阿莉亚丝持剑的手臂，仿佛束缚着它的冷铁突然烧得通红。84
She ignored the ache and the burning star in the sky.她没有理会那阵疼痛，也没有理会天空中那颗燃烧的星辰。85
Taking advantage of her guard’s fall, she pulled the iron chain from his numb fingers.她趁看守摔倒之际，从他麻木的手指间夺过铁链。86
The man lay staring sightlessly at her, blinded by the death of his deity.那男人躺在那里，茫然无神地望着她；他的神明之死已令他双目失明。87
Rising to her feet, she gave him a kick, knocking him out.她站起身，一脚踢在他身上，将他踢昏过去。88
Then she stole the sharded cudgel from his other hand.接着，她从他的另一只手中夺走了那根嵌着碎晶的棍棒。89
Moander’s minions went to pieces.莫安德的爪牙彻底乱了套。90
Some stared blindly at the sky like statues, while many flung themselves on the ground and wept.有些人像雕像般盲目地仰望天空，更多的人则扑倒在地，失声痛哭。91
Alias shot a glance skyward in time to see the last bits of Moander drift down over the city.阿莉亚丝抬眼望向天空，恰好看见莫安德最后的残片飘落在城市上空。92
A fell grin crept over her face.一抹冷酷的笑容爬上她的脸庞。93
She spat good riddance to the god.她朝那位神啐了一口，说他死得好。94
She slipped toward the far side of the hillock, but the priest in the white mask rushed forward to intercept her.她悄悄朝小丘另一侧溜去，但那个戴白色面具的祭司冲上前来拦截她。95
He caught a cudgel in the face.一根棍棒迎面砸中了他。96
Blood spattered from beneath the mask.鲜血从面具下飞溅出来。97
The priest dropped to the ground.祭司倒在地上。98
Alias slid down the hill on the wet, slippery grass.阿莉亚丝顺着湿滑的草坡溜下小丘。99
At the bottom, she circled the mound and began to make for the road that led to the city gates.到了丘底，她绕过土丘，朝通往城门的大路奔去。100
No pursuit seemed imminent from Moander’s worshipers, but Alias was sure that her respite was only temporary.莫安德的信徒似乎不会立刻追来，但阿莉亚丝确信，这喘息之机只是暂时的。101
If they did not hold her responsible for the destruction of their masters earthly form, they would still consider her part of their property.即使他们不把主人尘世形体的毁灭归咎于她，仍会把她视为属于他们的财产。102
And without the power of their god behind them, they would fight for any scrap left to them.而失去了他们神祇的力量作为后盾，他们定会为剩下的任何一点东西拼命争夺。103
Tired of carrying the weight of the chain, Alias held her arm forward to inspect the lock on the band.阿莉亚丝厌倦了拖着沉重的锁链，便把手臂举到身前，查看镣环上的锁。104
Perhaps she could smash or pick it open somehow.也许她能想办法把它砸开，或是撬开。105
She smiled with glee as she spotted the cause of the earlier pain on her arm.当她发现先前手臂疼痛的缘由时，不禁欣喜地笑了。106
Moander’s sigil was gone.莫安德的印记消失了。107
Just as Moander claimed, death destroyed the bond each master had on her.正如莫安德所说，死亡摧毁了每个主人施加在她身上的羁绊。108
For Moander, that meant his material body in the Realms.对莫安德而言，这死亡指的是他在诸界中的实体。109
Death had cut the connection.死亡斩断了那道联系。110
But could she defeat the other four?可她能击败另外四个吗？111
Should she?她应该这么做吗？112
She remembered Moander’s threat that without the purpose of her masters she would not live.她想起莫安德的威胁：没有主人们赋予她的使命，她便活不下去。113
If she eliminated the rest, could she function without someone pulling her strings?如果她除掉其余几个，没有人牵动她的提线，她还能正常活下去吗？114
She didn’t feel lessened any by Moander’s death.莫安德的死并未让她觉得自己有任何缺失。115
Her heart felt lighter, but she most certainly was not lost without his godly guidance.她的心反而轻松了许多，而且没有了他的神圣指引，她显然也不曾感到迷失。116
A man’s voice interrupted her thoughts.一个男人的声音打断了她的思绪。117
The sound came from the plain stretched out before her.声音来自她面前那片绵延的平原。118
“Now, Daisyeye,” the man’s voice said, “you’ve been a very naughty girl, though I was afraid, too, the first time I met a dragon.”“好了，雏菊眼，”那个男人的声音说道，“你真是个非常淘气的姑娘。不过我第一次见到龙时，也很害怕。”119
A wizard addressing his familiar, perhaps, Alias guessed.阿莉亚丝猜想，也许是个巫师在对自己的魔宠说话。120
Cautiously, he crept closer.他小心翼翼地凑近了些。121
“But, you have nothing to worry about, even if that dragon was Mist.“不过，你没什么好担心的，就算那条龙是米斯特也一样。122
The nasty old beast is dead.”那个可恶的老怪物已经死了。”123
With a start, Alias recognized the gold, green, and black markings stitched onto the back of the man’s cloak.阿莉亚丝猛然认出了绣在那男人斗篷背后的金、绿、黑三色纹章。124
The coat-of-arms of the Wyvernspurs.那是飞龙刺家族的族徽。125
And the voice was familiar, though its tone was somewhat braver than it had been the last time she’d heard it.而且那声音也很耳熟，尽管语气比她上次听到时勇敢了几分。126
This was too great a coincidence.这未免太巧了。127
Yet, she could not be mistaken.然而，她不可能认错。128
It was the same voice that had desperately tried to excuse its faux pas of imitating Azoun IV.正是这个声音，曾拼命为自己模仿阿祖恩四世的失礼之举辩解。129
His name came easily to her memory, as though it were engraved there by the voice of that nagging woman who’d begged him to do the impersonation.她毫不费力便想起了他的名字，仿佛那个曾苦苦央求他模仿的唠叨女人，已经用声音将这名字刻进了她的记忆。130
“Giogi?”“乔吉？”131
Alias remembered, whispering the name aloud.阿莉亚丝想了起来，低声念出了这个名字。132
Giogi Wyvernspur leaped three feet, spinning around as he did so.乔吉·飞龙刺一跃三尺高，同时转过身来。133
A silver flask flew from his hand, and amber liquid arched through the air.一只银酒壶从他手中飞了出去，琥珀色的液体在空中划出一道弧线。134
“You!” he gasped.“是你！”他倒抽一口气。135
“The madwoman!“那个疯女人！136
I mean, the bard’s friend!”我是说，那个吟游诗人的朋友！”137
He dived behind his horse.他猛地躲到马后。138
“What are you doing here?”“你在这里干什么？”139
“Just dropped in to borrow your horse,” Alias replied with a grin.“只是顺路来借你的马，”阿莉亚丝咧嘴一笑，回答道。140
She advanced carefully, looking to each side to make sure the young noble was alone.她小心地向前走去，同时左右张望，确认这位年轻贵族是独自一人。141
“My …” the young man’s throat went dry, “horse?”“我的……”年轻人喉咙发干，“马？”142
Alias nodded and swung the chain manacled to her arm.阿莉亚丝点点头，甩了甩铐在手臂上的锁链。143
“Do you have a problem with that?”“你对此有什么意见吗？”144
“No!“不！145
I mean, no problem.我是说，没问题。146
You probably have a good reason that I don’t need to know.你这么做肯定有充分的理由，我不需要知道。147
Honest!”真的！”148
“Don’t fret,” said Alias.“别紧张，”阿莉亚丝说。149
“I’m not dangerous, just in a hurry to get into the city.”“我不是什么危险人物，只是急着进城。”150
She patted the skittish Daisyeye’s front haunch and slipped her foot into the stirrup.她拍了拍焦躁不安的雏菊眼的前肩，把脚套进马镫。151
“Just out of curiosity, what brings you to Westgate?”“只是好奇问问，你为什么来西门城？”152
“Diplomatic mission,” the Cormyrian noble lied.“执行外交任务，”这名科米尔贵族撒谎道。153
“Nothing important.“没什么要紧的。154
Just trade agreements.只是些贸易协定。155
That sort of thing.”诸如此类的事。”156
The warrior woman swung herself into the saddle.女战士翻身上了马鞍。157
“You want your gear?” she asked.“你的行装还要吗？”她问。158
“No!”“不要！”159
Giogi answered.乔吉答道。160
“I mean, no thanks.“我是说，不用了，谢谢。161
If you’re heading to Westgate, maybe you could … uh … drop off my things.如果你要去西门城，也许可以……呃……替我把东西送过去。162
At The Jolly Warrior.送到欢乐勇士旅店。163
Just let me get …”让我拿一下……”164
He summoned all his courage to approach, then fumbled in a saddlebag.他鼓起全部勇气走上前去，随后慌手慌脚地在一个鞍袋里翻找起来。165
Pulling out a large, official-looking document bearing the purple dragon of Cormyr, he stepped back.他掏出一份印有科米尔紫龙徽记、看起来颇为正式的大幅文件，退后了一步。166
“There,” he said.“好了，”他说。167
“All yours.”“全归你了。”168
Alias looked down at him.阿莉亚丝低头看着他。169
He wasn’t really dressed for hiking.他这身打扮实在不适合徒步赶路。170
“You know,” she said with a smile, trying to show no ill will, “two can ride as well on a horse as one.”“你知道的，”她微笑着说，尽量显得毫无恶意，“一匹马驮两个人，跟驮一个人一样没问题。”171
Giogi gulped.乔吉咽了口唾沫。172
“No. I mean … that is, you said you were in a hurry, and I need the exercise, anyway.”“不。我是说……那个，你说过你在赶时间，再说了，我也需要活动活动。”173
“As you wish.”“随你吧。”174
She couldn’t blame him.她也不能怪他。175
“I’ll drop your gear at The Jolly Warrior.“我会把你的行李送到欢乐勇士旅店。”176
I’ll even make sure I don’t stay there.我甚至可以保证不住在那里。177
Oh, and Giogi, thanks.哦，还有，乔吉，谢谢你。178
I’ll make it up to you when I get the chance.”有机会的话，我会报答你的。”179
With that, she wheeled the horse around and set it trotting toward the road.说完，她拨转马头，让马小跑着朝大路而去。180
Giogi frowned after her.乔吉皱着眉，望着她远去。181
He’d come here at Azoun’s request for the express purpose of finding her, but he’d panicked when actually confronted with her presence.他奉阿祖恩之命来到这里，特意要找的就是她，可真见到她时，他却慌了神。182
Now I’ll probably never see her again, he thought.这下我大概再也见不到她了，他想。183
Or poor Daisyeye.还有可怜的雏菊眼。184
He sighed and cursed his bad luck.他叹了口气，咒骂自己的坏运气。185
Giogi began walking, head down, kicking stones, and talking to himself.乔吉低着头走起来，一边踢着石子，一边自言自语。186
“Yes, I’ll let you ride with me, provided you behave.“好吧，只要你规规矩矩的，我就让你跟我共骑。”187
If you don’t, I shall be very cross.你要是不听话，我可会非常生气的。188
That’s what I should have said.”我当时就该这么说。”189
He kicked a particularly large rock, which glittered as it danced away.他踢中了一块特别大的石头，那石头蹦跳着滚开时闪闪发光。190
Curious, he chased after it.他心生好奇，追了上去。191
When it had stopped rolling, he lifted the great yellow gem out of the high grass and marveled at it.等它不再滚动，他从高高的草丛中捡起那颗硕大的黄色宝石，惊叹不已。192
Maybe his luck was changing, he thought.也许自己的运气正在变好，他想。193
点句末的编号，从那一句开始听