Chapter 10: The Weight of a Gift （礼物的重量）

　　Dawn broke not with a brilliant sunrise, but with a gradual lightening of the grey, drizzling sky. Leon awoke to the smell of porridge cooking and the soft sounds of Maeva moving about the cabin. For a blissful moment, he thought he was in his own bed in Goldshire. Then the previous day's memories returned in a rush—the plunge into the river, the desperate swim, the incredible kindness of this stranger. He sat up, the rough wool blanket scratching his chin. Iris was already awake, sitting with her knees drawn up, watching Maeva with a quiet intensity.

　　黎明到来，没有灿烂的日出，只有灰蒙蒙、下着毛毛雨的天空逐渐变亮。里昂在煮粥的香气和梅娃在屋里轻轻走动的声音中醒来。有那么一瞬间，他以为自己躺在闪金镇自己的床上。随后，前一天的记忆汹涌而至——跳进河里、拼命游泳、这位陌生人难以置信的善意。他坐起身，粗糙的羊毛毯子摩擦着他的下巴。艾莉丝已经醒了，抱膝坐着，正安静而专注地看着梅娃。

　　Maeva served them a simple breakfast of thick porridge sweetened with a dab of precious honey. She watched them eat, her expression thoughtful. "The rain's letting up," she said, nodding towards the window. "But the paths will be mud. Travel will be slow."

　　梅娃给他们端来了简单的早餐——浓粥，加了一小块珍贵的蜂蜜调味。她看着他们吃，表情若有所思。“雨快停了，”她朝窗户点了点头说，“但小路会很泥泞。赶路会慢。”

　　Leon's spoon hesitated mid-air. The unspoken question hung in the room: What now?

　　Iris placed her bowl down carefully. "We cannot return the way we came. And we cannot bring danger to your door." Her gaze was direct. "The roads are not safe. You said this yourself."

　　里昂的勺子停在了半空。那个未说出口的问题悬在房间里：现在怎么办？

　　艾莉丝小心地放下碗。“我们不能原路返回。也不能把危险带到你家门口。”她的目光很直接。“路上不安全。这是您亲口说的。”

　　Maeva sighed, a sound that seemed to carry the weight of the world. "Aye, that's the truth of it. Patrols are few and far between out here. And it's not just beasts and bandits anymore." She looked from Iris's elegant, alien features to Leon's young, worried face. A resolve hardened in her eyes. "Wait here."

　　梅娃叹了口气，那声音仿佛承载着全世界的重量。“唉，是啊，这就是现实。这地方巡逻队很少，间隔也远。而且现在不止有野兽和强盗了。”她看看艾莉丝优雅而非人的面容，又看看里昂年轻而忧虑的脸。眼中闪过一丝坚定。“在这儿等着。”

　　She went to a heavy wooden chest in the corner, unlocked it with a key she wore around her neck, and began to rummage inside. She returned with an armful of items, which she laid on the rough-hewn table with a series of soft thuds.

　　她走到角落一个沉重的木箱子前，用挂在脖子上的钥匙打开，在里面翻找起来。她抱着一堆东西回来，轻轻地、一件件地放在粗制的桌子上。

　　There were two small, but serviceable, water skins, made of treated leather. A small pouch contained a flint and steel striker, along with a tinderbox filled with dry moss. A carefully wrapped bundle revealed half a loaf of dark, dense waybread, harder than the one Leon had shared, meant to last. And finally, a knife. It was not a weapon, not really. It was a hunting knife, with a sharp, sturdy blade about as long as Leon's hand, and a well-worn wooden handle. It was clean and obviously well-cared-for.

　　有两个小巧但实用的水袋，是用处理过的皮革做的。一个小袋子里装着一套燧石和火镰，还有一个装满干苔藓的火绒盒。一个仔细包裹的小包里是半条黑色硬实的旅行面包，比里昂之前分享的那种更硬，更耐存放。最后，是一把刀。这不是武器，至少不完全是。这是一把猎刀，刀锋锋利结实，大约有里昂的手那么长，木制刀柄因常年使用而光滑。刀很干净，显然被精心保养过。

　　"This was my son's," Maeva said, her voice thick with emotion as she touched the knife's handle. "He... he marched south with the army. He never came back." She took a steadying breath and pushed the knife towards Leon. "It's a good blade. It will skin a rabbit, cut a rope, or... or help you find your way." She then pushed the other items towards Iris. "The woods provide, but only if you're alive to gather. These will give you a chance."

　　“这是我儿子的，”梅娃说，手指触摸着刀柄，声音有些哽咽。“他……他随军队南下了。再也没回来。”她稳了稳呼吸，把刀推向里昂。“是把好刀。可以剥兔皮、割绳子，或者……或者帮你们认路。”然后她把其他物品推给艾莉丝。“森林能提供生计，但前提是你们得活着才能采集。这些东西能给你们个机会。”

　　Leon stared at the knife, then at Maeva's grief-stricken face. The weight of the gift was immense. It wasn't just a tool; it was a memory, a piece of a mother's lost son. His throat tightened. "We... we can't take this," he stammered. "It's too much."

　　里昂盯着那把刀，然后又看看梅娃悲伤的面容。这份礼物沉重无比。它不只是一件工具；它是一个纪念，是一位母亲对逝去儿子的念想。他的喉咙哽住了。“我们……我们不能拿这个，”他结结巴巴地说，“这太贵重了。”

　　"Pah," Maeva said, brushing away his protest with a wave of her hand, though her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "It's been gathering dust in that chest. Kaelan would rather it see use than rust. And I'd rather know I gave two lost children a fighting chance." She looked at them both, her gaze fierce. "You take it. And you use it well. You stay alive. That's thanks enough."

　　“呸，”梅娃说，挥手打断他的推辞，尽管她的眼睛因未落的泪水而闪亮。“它在箱子里积灰了。凯兰宁愿它被用上，也不想它生锈。而我宁愿知道自己给了两个迷路的孩子一个活下去的机会。”她看着他们俩，目光坚定。“拿着。好好用它。活下去。这就是足够的感谢了。”

　　Iris reached out and placed her hand over Maeva's where it rested on the table. It was a gesture of profound gratitude, simple and eloquent. "We will honor his memory," she promised, her voice soft but unwavering. "And your kindness."

　　艾莉丝伸出手，放在梅娃搁在桌子上的手上。这是一个充满深深感激的姿势，简单而意味深长。“我们会铭记他的，”她承诺道，声音轻柔但坚定。“还有您的善意。”

　　They packed the gifts in silence, each item feeling like a treasure. The water skins, the fire starter, the food—these were not just supplies; they were a thread of hope. When they were ready, Maeva walked them to the edge of her clearing.

　　他们默默地打包好礼物，每件东西都感觉像珍宝。水袋、生火工具、食物——这些不只是补给品；它们是一线希望。准备妥当后，梅娃送他们到林间空地的边缘。

　　"The north road is that way," she said, pointing a path that quickly disappeared into the thick, gloomy trees of Silverpine. "Follow the sun when you can. Keep the mountains on your left. And remember," she fixed them with a stern look, "the forest has ears. Walk softly."

　　“往北的路在那边，”她指着一条很快消失在银松森林浓密阴暗树木中的小径说。“尽可能顺着太阳的方向走。让山脉保持在你们的左边。还有记住，”她严肃地看着他们，“森林长着耳朵。脚步放轻。”

　　With final, heartfelt thanks, they turned and walked into the trees. Leon's hand rested on the smooth handle of the knife at his belt. It felt foreign, yet right. He glanced back once, to see Maeva still standing there, a solitary figure in front of her cabin, watching them until they were swallowed by the shadows.

　　再次由衷地道谢后，他们转身走进树林。里昂的手按在腰带间那把刀光滑的刀柄上。感觉陌生，却又理所当然。他回头望了一眼，看见梅娃仍站在那里，在她的小屋前成了一个孤独的身影，注视着他们，直到他们被阴影吞没。

　　The forest closed around them, darker and denser than any they had known. But they were dry. They had full water skins. They had the means to make fire. And they had a direction. The fear was still there, a constant companion, but as they walked, Leon felt the weight of the gift not as a burden, but as a strength. They were not just two lost children anymore. They were travelers, equipped. And they were heading north.

　　森林包围了他们，比他们见过的任何森林都更黑暗、更茂密。但他们是干的。他们有装满水的水袋。他们有生火的办法。他们有了方向。恐惧仍在，如影随形，但当他们前行时，里昂感到这份礼物的重量不是负担，而是一种力量。他们不再是两个迷路的孩子了。他们是旅人，有了装备。他们正向北而行。