His baby brother had been wild as a winter storm since he learned Robb was riding off to war, weeping and angry by turns. He'd refused to eat, cried and screamed for most of a night, even punched Old Nan when she tried to sing him to sleep, and the next day he'd vanished. Robb had set half the castle searching for him, and when at last they'd found him down in the crypts, Rickon had slashed at them with a rusted iron sword he'd snatched from a dead king's hand, and Shaggydog had come slavering out of the darkness like a green-eyed demon. The wolf was near as wild as Rickon; he'd bitten Gage on the arm and torn a chunk of flesh from Mikken's thigh. It had taken Robb himself and Grey Wind to bring him to bay. Farlen had the black wolf chained up in the kennels now, and Rickon cried all the more for being without him.
得知罗柏即将率兵出征的那一天,他的小弟弟便像冬天的暴风雪一样发了狂,一会儿嚎啕大哭,一会儿又大发脾气。他不肯吃饭,整晚哭闹尖叫,连给他唱摇篮曲的老奶妈,他也拳头相向,第二天更是跑得没了踪影。罗柏派出城里大半的人手去找他,最后才发现他躲在地下墓窖,还从某个死去国王的雕像手中抓了把生锈铁剑,朝人们又挥又砍,毛毛狗也流着口水从暗处冲出挑衅,活像个绿眼睛的恶魔。那只狼差不多跟瑞肯一样狂乱;它不仅咬伤盖奇的手,还撕掉密肯一块大腿肉。最后是罗柏带着灰风亲自出马,才把他们制服。现在法兰把黑狼锁在狗舍里,瑞肯没了狼,哭得更厉害了。
Maester Luwin counseled Robb to remain at Winterfell, and Bran pleaded with him too, for his own sake as much as Rickon's, but his brother only shook his head stubbornly and said, "I don't want to go. I have to."
鲁温师傅建议罗柏留在临冬城,布兰也向他哀求过,不光为了自己,更是为了瑞肯。但哥哥固执地摇摇头:“我并不想走,但我非走不可。”
It was only half a lie. Someone had to go, to hold the Neck and help the Tullys against the Lannisters, Bran could understand that, but it did not have to be Robb. His brother might have given the command to Hal Mollen or Theon Greyjoy, or to one of his lords bannermen.
这并非全然谎话。总得有人去防守颈泽,协助徒利家族对付兰尼斯特,这点布兰可以理解,但不一定非要罗柏出马啊。哥哥大可把指挥权交给哈尔·莫兰或席恩·葛雷乔伊,甚或他手下的封臣。