Chapter 35: The Hearth of Stone and Ale （石与麦酒铸就的炉火）

　　The dwarven mining camp was a pocket of stubborn life hammered into the unforgiving stone of the mountain. Inside the main cavern, which served as their common hall, the air was thick with the smells of damp earth, coal smoke, roasting meat, and the sharp, yeasty scent of strong ale. A large fire pit roared in the center, its heat a blessed reprieve from the perpetual chill and damp. Rough-hewn tables and benches were scattered about, and the walls were hung with tools, mining charts, and a few well-polished axes that spoke of a readiness for more than just digging.

　　矮人矿工营地是一块顽强嵌入山体坚硬岩石的生命之地。在他们用作公共大厅的主洞穴内，空气里弥漫着潮湿泥土、煤烟、烤肉和浓烈麦酒刺鼻酵母味混合的气息。中央一个大火坑熊熊燃烧，其热量是对抗外面无尽寒冷潮湿的恩赐。粗糙凿成的桌椅散落各处，墙上挂着工具、矿图和一些擦得锃亮的斧头，暗示着他们不仅准备挖掘。

　　Leon sat by the fire, wrapped in his scratchy blanket, sipping the stew from a heavy clay bowl. The warmth seeped into his bones, slowly driving out the cold that had taken root deep within him. He ate slowly, savoring each bite of the thick broth, the tender chunks of boar meat, and the hearty root vegetables. It was the first hot, proper meal he had eaten since leaving Maeva's cabin. It tasted like life itself.

　　里昂坐在火边，裹着粗糙的毯子，用一个厚重的陶碗喝着炖菜。温暖渗入他的骨头，慢慢驱散了深植体内的寒气。他慢慢地吃着，细细品味浓汤的每一口、野猪肉的嫩块和丰盛的根茎蔬菜。这是自离开梅娃小屋后吃的第一顿热腾腾的正餐。它尝起来就像生命本身。

　　He watched the dwarves move about their camp with a gruff efficiency. They spoke to each other in their rumbling tongue, their laughter like rocks tumbling down a slope. They treated Kaelen with a professional, no-nonsense care. The injured guardsman was now asleep on a pile of furs near the fire, his breathing deeper and more regular, a clean bandage wrapped around his leg. The danger had not passed, but the immediate crisis had.

　　他看着矮人们在营地里粗犷高效地忙碌。他们用隆隆的语调交谈，笑声像岩石滚下山坡。他们以专业、务实的态度照料凯伦。受伤的卫兵现在睡在火边的一堆毛皮上，呼吸更深沉平稳，腿上缠着干净的绷带。危险尚未过去，但眼前的危机解除了。

　　Baelgun, the leader, sat down opposite Leon, placing two foaming tankards of dark ale on the table. He pushed one towards the boy. "Drink. It'll put warmth in your belly and steel in your spine."

　　首领巴尔贡在里昂对面坐下，把两大杯冒着泡的黑麦酒放在桌上。他推了一杯给男孩。“喝吧。能让肚子暖和，脊梁骨硬实。”

　　Leon hesitated, then took a cautious sip. The ale was bitter and strong, warming a path down his throat and into his stomach. It was a grown-up taste, a taste of resilience. He coughed slightly, and Baelgun chuckled, a sound like gravel shifting.

　　里昂犹豫了一下，然后小心地抿了一口。麦酒苦涩而浓烈，顺着喉咙一路暖到胃里。这是一种成人的味道，坚韧的味道。他轻轻咳了一下，巴尔贡笑了，声音像碎石滚动。

　　"Your friend told us a bit, before he drifted off," Baelgun said, his tone turning serious. "Said you dragged him from a gnoll-overrun watchtower. Said you're from Goldshire." He leaned forward, his blue eyes sharp under bushy red brows. "That's a long, dangerous way for a pup to travel alone. What's your business in the Redridges, lad?"

　　“你朋友昏睡过去前跟我们说了点情况，”巴尔贡说，语气变得严肃。“说你把他从一个被豺狼人占领的瞭望塔拖出来。说你是从闪金镇来的。”他向前倾身，蓝眼睛在浓密的红眉下锐利有神。“一个小崽子独自走这么长、这么危险的路。小子，你来赤脊山干什么？”

　　Leon met the dwarf's gaze. The ale and the warmth had loosened his tongue, and the weight of his journey felt too heavy to carry alone. He didn't tell the whole story—not about Iris, not about the deeper reasons. But he told them of his flight from the Whispering Woods, of the river, of the orc pauldron and the Forsaken outpost. He spoke of his desire to reach Lakeshire, to find a way to be useful, to escape the feeling of being a ghost in his own home.

　　里昂迎上矮人的目光。麦酒和温暖让他话多了起来，旅程的重负让他觉得独自难以承受。他没有说出全部故事——没提艾莉丝，没提更深的原因。但他讲述了逃离低语森林、河流历险、兽人肩甲和被遗忘者前哨站的事。他谈到了想去湖畔镇，想找到有用的方式，想摆脱在自己家中像个幽灵的感觉。

　　Baelgun listened intently, stroking his braided beard. When Leon finished, the dwarf grunted. "Aye. The world's gone mad beyond these mountains. Gnolls bolder than ever. Orc scouts sniffing around the Thandol Span. And the dead... well, the dead don't stay dead anymore." He took a long draught of his ale. "Lakeshire's holding, for now. But it's a nervous hold. Baron's got his hands full with bandits and these new... problems."

　　巴尔贡专注地听着，捋着编成辫子的胡子。里昂讲完后，矮人咕哝了一声。“唉。山外面的世界都疯了。豺狼人比以往更猖狂。兽人斥候在萨多尔大桥附近嗅探。还有亡灵……嗯，死了的都不安分了。”他喝了一大口麦酒。“湖畔镇现在还守着。但守得提心吊胆。男爵忙着对付土匪和这些新……麻烦。”

　　He looked at Leon with a new respect. "You've seen more of the dark side of this world than most lads your age. And you've got the grit to match." He gestured around the cave. "We're heading back to Lakeshire in two days' time. A supply run. You and your guardsman can ride with us. It's safer than walking, especially with him in that state."

　　他看着里昂，带着新的敬意。“你见过的世道黑暗面比大多数你这么大的孩子多。你也有匹配的胆量。”他指了指洞穴四周。“我们两天后回湖畔镇。运补给。你和你的卫兵可以跟我们一起走。比步行安全，尤其带着他那样。”

　　Relief washed over Leon so powerfully it made him dizzy. A safe passage. The end of this leg of his desperate journey was in sight. "Thank you," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

　　宽慰感如此强烈地涌上里昂心头，让他眩晕。安全的通行。他绝望旅程的这一段眼看就要结束。“谢谢您，”他说，声音因情绪激动而哽咽。

　　"Don't thank me yet," Baelgun said with a grim smile. "The road to Lakeshire ain't a stroll through the park. But with a few stout dwarves at your side, it's a sight better than going it alone." He raised his tankard. "To the road. May it lead us to a warm hearth and a full keg."

　　“先别谢我，”巴尔贡带着一丝苦笑说。“去湖畔镇的路可不是公园散步。但有几个结实的矮人在身边，比单独走强多了。”他举起酒杯。“敬前路。愿它带我们到温暖的炉火和满桶的酒。”

　　That night, lying on a bed of straw covered with a thick wool blanket, listening to the snores of the dwarves and the crackle of the fire, Leon felt a sense of peace he hadn't known in weeks. He was surrounded by strangers, in a cave in a dangerous land, yet he felt safer than he had in his own bed in Goldshire. These dwarves were practical, hardy people who judged a person by their actions, not their past. He had earned a place by their fire through sheer stubbornness and a refusal to abandon a comrade.

　　那晚，躺在铺着厚羊毛毯的草铺上，听着矮人们的鼾声和火的噼啪声，里昂感到了几周来未曾有过的平静。他身处险地洞穴，被陌生人包围，却感觉比在闪金镇自己床上更安全。这些矮人务实、坚韧，以行动而非过去评判一个人。他凭着纯粹的固执和不放弃同伴的意志，赢得了他们炉边的一席之地。

　　He took the smooth antler from his pocket, holding it in the firelight. He thought of Iris, hoping she had found similar shelter, similar kindness among her own people. Their paths had diverged, forced apart by the vast and complicated world. But as he closed his eyes, the warmth of the fire on his face, he made a silent promise to the girl with the moonlight in her eyes. This was not the end of their journey. It was merely a detour. He would find his way to her. Somehow.

　　他从口袋里拿出光滑的鹿角，在火光中握着。他想念艾莉丝，希望她在族人中也找到了类似的庇护和善意。他们的道路分开了，被广阔复杂的世界强行分开。但当他闭上眼睛，感受火的热量拂过脸庞时，他向那个眼眸蕴含月光的女孩默默许下承诺。这不是他们旅程的终点。这只是一段绕行。他会找到通往她的路。无论如何。