Chapter 18: The Telling and the Silence （诉说与沉默）

　　The hall in Astranaar was quiet, the air thick with the scent of ancient wood and the faint, sweet aroma of the Moonwell's waters. Priestess Arianne sat opposite Leon and Iris, her amber eyes holding a calm, unnerving intensity. The Sentinel commander stood a few paces behind her, a silent, watchful statue. There was no threat of violence, but the weight of their attention was immense.

　　阿斯特兰纳的大厅里很安静，空气中弥漫着古木和月井之水的淡淡甜香。女祭司阿里安妮坐在里昂和艾莉丝对面，她琥珀色的眼睛带着一种平静而令人不安的专注。哨兵指挥官站在她身后几步远的地方，像一尊沉默而警觉的雕像。这里没有暴力威胁，但她们关注的份量却无比沉重。

　　Iris began to speak. Her voice was low and steady, but Leon could hear the subtle tension beneath it. She spoke in the Common Tongue, for his benefit, but her words were chosen with an elven precision. She told of her wanderlust, of slipping away from the tranquil but confining shores of Teldrassil to see the wider world of Azeroth. She spoke of the Whispering Woods, of the gnoll, of the desperate flight. She described the river, the orc pauldron, the troll raft, and the blighted outpost of the Forsaken with a chilling clarity. She did not embellish. She did not lie.

　　艾莉丝开始讲述。她的声音低沉而平稳，但里昂能听出底下细微的紧张。她用通用语说，是为了让他听懂，但措辞带着精灵般的精准。她讲述了自己的漫游欲望，如何从泰达希尔宁静却束缚的海岸溜走，去看更广阔的艾泽拉斯世界。她谈到了低语森林、豺狼人、绝望的逃亡。她清晰地描述了河流、兽人肩甲、巨魔木筏和被遗忘者被污染的前哨站，细节令人不寒而栗。她没有添油加醋。她没有说谎。

　　Leon listened, his heart aching with the memory of each terror. Hearing it laid out so plainly made their journey seem even more impossibly reckless and miraculous.

　　里昂听着，每一个恐怖场景的记忆都让他心痛。如此直白地听她叙述，让他们这段旅程显得更加不可思议地鲁莽和奇迹般。

　　When Iris reached the part about Maeva's cabin, her voice softened with genuine gratitude. She described the human woman's kindness without reservation, a testament to a light in the darkness. Then she told of Silverpine, the worg pack, the desperate climb, and the final, fateful decision to seek the Sentinel's light.

　　当艾莉丝讲到梅娃的小屋时，她的声音因真诚的感激而柔和下来。她毫无保留地描述了那位人类女性的善良，那是黑暗中的一道光芒。然后她讲述了银松森林、座狼群、绝望的攀爬，以及最终决定寻求哨兵光芒的命运转折。

　　Throughout the telling, Priestess Arianne listened without interruption, her expression unreadable. Her eyes, however, missed nothing. They flickered with interest at the mention of the Forsaken outpost, narrowed with concern at the description of the orc activity, and softened slightly at the account of Maeva's charity.

　　在整个讲述过程中，女祭司阿里安妮没有打断，面无表情地听着。然而，她的眼睛没有错过任何细节。听到被遗忘者前哨站时，她眼中闪过一丝兴趣；听到兽人活动时，她因担忧而眯起眼睛；听到梅娃的善举时，她的眼神略微柔和。

　　When Iris fell silent, the priestess turned her gaze to Leon. "And you, child of Goldshire? What is your part in this tale?"

　　当艾莉丝说完沉默下来时，女祭司将目光转向里昂。“那么你呢，闪金镇的孩子？你在这个故事中扮演什么角色？”

　　Leon's throat was dry. He swallowed, his mind racing. He could not match Iris's eloquence. He spoke haltingly, his words simple and plain. He spoke of his father's stories, of his own foolish desire to see if they were true. He spoke of getting lost, the sheer, pants-wetting terror of the gnoll, the awe of meeting Iris. He described the cold of the river, the gnawing hunger, the bone-deep fear of the worgs. He did not try to sound brave or clever. He simply told the truth, as a scared boy would.

　　里昂的喉咙发干。他咽了口唾沫，脑子飞快地转着。他无法像艾莉丝那样雄辩。他结结巴巴地说着，用词简单直白。他谈到父亲的故事，谈到自己愚蠢地想看看故事是否真实的欲望。他谈到迷路，谈到面对豺狼人时吓得屁滚尿流的恐惧，谈到遇见艾莉丝时的敬畏。他描述了河水的冰冷、噬骨的饥饿、对座狼深入骨髓的恐惧。他没有试图让自己听起来勇敢或聪明。他只是说出了真相，就像一个受惊的男孩会做的那样。

　　When he finished, he looked down at the rough wooden table, unable to meet the priestess's penetrating gaze. The hall was silent for a long time.

　　当他说完，他低头看着粗糙的木桌，不敢迎上女祭司那穿透人心的目光。大厅里沉默了很长时间。

　　Finally, Priestess Arianne spoke, her voice thoughtful. "A strange and tangled path you have walked. A kaldorei wanderer and a human dreamer, bound by chance and the claws of the wild." She steepled her fingers. "Your story has the ring of truth, though it is a truth that brings troubling news. The Forsaken push east. The orcs are restless. The wilds grow more dangerous." She looked from Iris to Leon. "But it does not answer the most important question. What is to be done with you now?"

　　终于，女祭司阿里安妮开口了，她的声音带着沉思。“你们走过了一条奇怪而曲折的路。一个卡多雷流浪者和一个人类梦想家，被偶然和荒野的利爪绑在一起。”她十指交叉抵住下巴。“你们的故事听起来真实，尽管这个真相带来了令人不安的消息。被遗忘者向东推进。兽人蠢蠢欲动。荒野变得更加危险。”她的目光从艾莉丝移到里昂身上。“但这并没有回答最重要的问题。现在该如何处置你们？”

　　Iris lifted her chin. "I will accept the judgment of my people. But Leon... he is under my protection. He has done no harm. He saved my life."

　　艾莉丝抬起下巴。“我接受族人的裁决。但是里昂……他受我保护。他没有造成任何伤害。他救了我的命。”

　　Arianne's lips quirked in a faint, almost-smile. "Your protection, little one? You who are yourself lost and far from home?" Her tone was not unkind, but it was starkly realistic. "Astranaar is a Sentinel outpost, not a haven for strays. We guard the borders of our lands against the darkness. We cannot be responsible for two children, one of whom is..." she paused, choosing her words carefully, "...not of our world."

　　阿里安妮的嘴角微微抽动，露出一丝几乎算得上是微笑的表情。“你的保护，小家伙？你自己不也迷路了，远离家乡吗？”她的语气并非不友善，但非常现实。“阿斯特兰纳是一个哨兵前哨站，不是流浪者的避难所。我们守卫着土地的边界，抵御黑暗。我们不能对两个孩子负责，其中一个还……”她停顿了一下，谨慎地措辞，“……不属于我们的世界。”

　　Leon's heart sank. He had known this was a possibility, but hearing it stated so plainly was a blow. They were to be turned out, sent back into the deadly woods.

　　里昂的心一沉。他知道有这种可能，但听到如此直白的陈述仍然是个打击。他们将被赶出去，送回致命的森林。

　　"But," the Priestess continued, her gaze sharpening, "the Light of Elune teaches compassion. And your tale of the human woman, Maeva, is a reminder that kindness can cross the deepest divides." She stood up, her decision made. "You will remain in Astranaar for three days. You will rest. You will be given supplies. During this time, I will send word to Darnassus. The fate of a wayward kaldorei is a matter for her people. The fate of a human child in our midst... is a more complicated matter. We shall see what wisdom the Sisterhood offers."

　　“但是，”女祭司继续说道，她的目光变得锐利，“艾露恩之光教导我们要有同情心。你们关于人类女性梅娃的故事提醒我们，善意可以跨越最深的鸿沟。”她站起身，做出了决定。“你们将在阿斯特兰纳停留三天。你们将休息。会得到补给。在此期间，我会给达纳苏斯送信。一个任性的卡多雷的命运应由她的族人决定。一个人类孩子在我们中间的命运……则更为复杂。我们将看看姐妹会有什么样的智慧建议。”

　　It was not freedom, but it was a reprieve. Three days of safety. Three days of not running. Leon felt a wave of exhaustion so profound it nearly brought him to tears.

　　这不是自由，但这是缓刑。三天的安全。三天不用奔逃。里昂感到一阵深深的疲惫袭来，几乎让他流泪。

　　As they were led to a small, simple guest chamber, Iris leaned close to him. "It is more than I hoped for," she whispered. "But we are not out of the woods yet, Leon. Darnassus... my people have long memories. And they do not easily trust outsiders."

　　当他们被带到一个简朴的小客房时，艾莉丝凑近他低声说：“这已经超出我的期望了。但我们还没有脱离危险，里昂。达纳苏斯……我的族人有很长的记忆。他们不轻易信任外人。”

　　Leon looked at the simple bed, the bowl of fresh fruit on a small table. It was more comfort than they had known in weeks. But Iris was right. Their fate was no longer in their own hands. It now rested in the distant, mysterious city of the night elves, and in the hands of a Sisterhood they had never seen.

　　里昂看着简朴的床铺，小桌上的一碗新鲜水果。这是几周来他们未曾有过的舒适。但艾莉丝是对的。他们的命运不再掌握在自己手中。现在它取决于遥远而神秘的暗夜精灵城市，以及他们从未见过的姐妹会手中。