Chapter 20: The Parting of Ways （分道扬镳）

　　Dawn in Astranaar was a symphony of soft light and gentle sounds. The rising sun painted the tops of the ancient trees in hues of rose and gold, while the air filled with the melodious calls of unseen birds. It was a morning of breathtaking beauty, a cruel contrast to the heavy sorrow that sat like a stone in Leon's chest.

　　阿斯特兰纳的黎明是柔光与轻音的交响曲。初升的太阳将古树的顶端染成玫瑰色与金色，空气中充满了看不见的鸟儿悦耳的鸣叫。这是一个美得令人窒息的早晨，与里昂心中磐石般沉重的悲伤形成了残酷的对比。

　　They were given a final, simple meal. Leon pushed the food around his bowl, his appetite gone. He could feel the minutes slipping away, each one a grain of sand in an hourglass draining towards an inevitable end. Iris sat beside him, her own food untouched. She was silent, her gaze fixed on the dappled patterns of light on the floor, her usual serene composure replaced by a quiet, profound sadness.

　　他们吃了最后一顿简单的饭。里昂拨弄着碗里的食物，毫无胃口。他能感觉到时间一分一秒地流逝，每一秒都像沙漏中的一粒沙，流向一个不可避免的终点。艾莉丝坐在他旁边，她自己的食物也一口没动。她沉默着，目光定定地看着地板上斑驳的光影，她惯常的平静沉着被一种安静而深沉的悲伤所取代。

　　When the time came, they were led out to the edge of the settlement. Two separate groups of Sentinels were waiting. One, led by a stern-faced archer, would escort Iris west towards the coast and Auberdine. The other, a smaller contingent, would take Leon south, towards the border of the Wetlands.

　　时间到了，他们被带到定居点的边缘。两队哨兵正在等候。一队由一名面容严肃的弓箭手带领，将护送艾莉丝向西前往海岸和奥伯丁。另一队人数较少，将带里昂向南前往湿地边境。

　　There were no grand speeches, no tears from the stoic elves. The preparations were efficient and subdued. Priestess Arianne was there to see them off. Her expression was not unkind, but it was distant, the look of a leader carrying out a difficult but necessary duty.

　　没有豪言壮语，也没有坚忍的精灵们的眼泪。准备工作高效而低调。女祭司阿里安妮在场为他们送行。她的表情并非不友善，但很疏远，是一种执行困难但必要职责的领袖的神情。

　　She placed a hand briefly on Iris's shoulder. "May the stars guide you home, child. Learn from your journey." Then she turned to Leon, her amber eyes softening for a fleeting moment. "And you, young one. May your path be safer than the one that brought you here. Remember the kindness you have been shown."

　　她将手短暂地放在艾莉丝肩上。“愿星辰指引你回家，孩子。从你的旅程中学习。”然后她转向里昂，她琥珀色的眼睛瞬间柔和了一下。“而你，年轻人。愿你归途比来路平安。记住你所受到的善意。”

　　Then it was time. The moment Leon had been dreading. He turned to Iris, his throat so tight he could barely speak. All the words he had thought of—thank you, I'll miss you, be safe—seemed inadequate, childish.

　　然后，时候到了。里昂一直害怕的时刻来临了。他转向艾莉丝，喉咙紧得几乎说不出话。所有他想过的话——谢谢你，我会想你的，保重——都显得苍白、幼稚。

　　Iris looked at him, and in her eyes, he saw the same struggle. She reached into a small pouch at her belt and pulled out the smooth, white antler he had found by the stream. She pressed it into his hand, her fingers cool against his palm.

　　艾莉丝看着他，在她眼中，他看到了同样的挣扎。她伸手从腰带上的一个小袋子里取出他在溪边找到的那根光滑的白鹿角。她把它塞进他手里，她的手指在他掌心感觉冰凉。

　　"Keep this," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "To remember the forest. To remember... us."

　　Leon clutched the antler, the familiar shape a comfort. He fumbled at his own belt, pulling out the hunting knife Maeva had given him. He held it out to her. "And you take this. For... for protection. So you won't forget... me."

　　“留着它，”她低语道，声音因情绪激动而哽咽。“记住这片森林。记住……我们。”

　　里昂紧握着鹿角，熟悉的形状带来一丝安慰。他笨拙地从自己腰带上解下梅娃给他的猎刀。他把它递给她。“你拿着这个。为了……防身。这样你就不会忘记……我。”

　　It was a foolish exchange—a child's knife for a piece of bone. But in that moment, it was everything. It was a promise, a bond, a tangible piece of their shared survival.

　　这是一个愚蠢的交换——一把孩子的刀换一块骨头。但在那一刻，它代表了一切。这是一个承诺，一种纽带，是他们共同生存经历的有形见证。

　　Iris took the knife, her hand closing around the worn wooden handle. She nodded, a single tear escaping and tracing a path down her cheek. "I will not forget," she promised.

　　艾莉丝接过刀，手握住那磨损的木柄。她点点头，一滴眼泪滑落，流下她的脸颊。“我不会忘记，”她承诺道。

　　There was no more time. The Sentinel escorts were moving, their patience at an end. With a final, desperate look, Iris turned and followed her escort, her slender form quickly disappearing into the dappled shadows of the western path.

　　没有更多时间了。护卫的哨兵开始移动，她们的耐心已经到了极限。艾莉丝最后绝望地看了一眼，转身跟上她的护卫，她纤细的身影很快消失在向西小径斑驳的阴影中。

　　Leon stood rooted to the spot, watching until there was nothing left to see. The antler felt heavy in his hand. The world, which had felt so vast and dangerous with her by his side, now felt immeasurably larger and emptier.

　　里昂站在原地一动不动，望着直到什么也看不见。鹿角在他手中感觉很沉重。这个世界，有她在身边时感觉如此广阔而危险，现在却感觉无比巨大和空旷。

　　A gentle but firm hand on his shoulder broke his trance. It was one of the Sentinels assigned to him. "We must go, human child," she said, her voice not unkind. "The way is long."

　　一只轻柔但坚定的手放在他肩上，打破了他的恍惚。是分配给他的哨兵之一。“我们必须走了，人类孩子，”她说，声音并非不友善。“路还很长。”

　　Numbly, Leon turned and followed the elven guards as they led him south, away from Astranaar, away from Iris, and back towards the world of men. He did not look back. The path ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear: the chapter of his life intertwined with the sharp-eared girl from the Whispering Woods was over. All he had left was a smooth piece of antler, the weight of a knife he had given away, and the memory of a friendship forged in the crucible of the wild.

　　里昂麻木地转身，跟着精灵守卫向南走，离开阿斯特兰纳，离开艾莉丝，返回人类的世界。他没有回头。前方的路不确定，但有一件事是清楚的：他生命中与来自低语森林的尖耳朵女孩交织的那一章已经结束。他只剩下了一根光滑的鹿角、一把送出的刀的重量，以及一段在荒野熔炉中铸就的友谊的回忆。

　　The adventure was over. But the story of Leon Baros was just beginning.

　　冒险结束了。但里昂·巴洛斯的故事才刚刚开始。