Chapter 36: The Dwarven Caravan （矮人商队）

　　The two days in the mining camp passed in a blur of rest and routine. Leon's body, pushed to its absolute limit, drank in the sleep and hot food like a parched plant. The dwarves, for their part, treated him with a rough but genuine kindness. They gave him tasks—fetching water, mending a torn leather pack, helping to sort ore samples—small things that made him feel useful and part of the community. He ate with them at the long table, listening to their boisterous stories of mining strikes, cave-ins, and encounters with troggs deep under the mountain. It was a world of stone and sweat, far removed from the leafy dangers of the forest, but the principles were the same: vigilance, camaraderie, and a stubborn refusal to yield to the harshness of the world.

　　在矿工营地待的两天，在休息和日常劳作中模糊度过。里昂的身体被推到了极限，此刻像干渴的植物一样汲取着睡眠和热食。矮人们则对他表现出粗犷但真诚的善意。他们给他分派任务——打水、修补撕裂的皮背包、帮忙分拣矿石样本——这些小事让他感到自己有用，是集体的一部分。他和他们一起在长桌吃饭，听他们喧闹地讲述矿脉发现、塌方事故和在山底深处遭遇穴居怪的故事。这是一个石头与汗水的世界，与森林里枝叶间的危险截然不同，但原则是相通的：警惕、 友谊，以及绝不向严酷世界低头的固执。

　　Kaelen, under the dwarves' care, slowly improved. The fever broke, and color returned to his cheeks. He was weak and would not walk for some time, but the shadow of death had receded. He and Leon spoke little, but a deep, unspoken bond had formed between them, forged in the mud and desperation of the gnoll-infested foothills.

　　凯伦在矮人的照料下慢慢好转。烧退了，脸颊恢复了血色。他还很虚弱，一段时间内无法走路，但死亡的阴影已经退去。他和里昂很少交谈，但一种深厚、无言的纽带已在豺狼人出没的山麓的泥泞和绝望中形成。

　　On the morning of departure, the camp was a hive of activity. The dwarves loaded a sturdy, mule-drawn cart with sacks of ore, crates of supplies, and casks of their potent ale. Kaelen was carefully settled onto a bed of straw in the back of the cart, his splinted leg propped up. Baelgun tossed Leon a thick, waxed-canvas cloak. "Rain's not done with us yet, lad. You'll need this."

　　出发的早晨，营地一片繁忙。矮人们把一袋袋矿石、一箱箱补给和一桶桶烈性麦酒装上一辆结实的骡车。凯伦被小心地安置在车后部的草铺上，打着夹板的腿垫高。巴尔贡扔给里昂一件厚实的蜡帆布斗篷。“雨还没停呢，小子。你会需要这个。”

　　The caravan set off, moving at a slow but steady pace along a narrow track that wound its way down the mountain slopes. Baelgun and another dwarf walked ahead, their eyes constantly scanning the ridges. Leon walked beside the cart, the dwarf-made cloak keeping the worst of the drizzle at bay. The mood was watchful but not tense. The dwarves' confidence was a palpable force. They knew this land, its dangers and its secrets.

　　商队出发了，沿着蜿蜒下山坡的狭窄小径缓慢而稳定地行进。巴尔贡和另一个矮人走在前面，眼睛不断扫视山脊。里昂走在车旁，矮人做的斗篷挡住了大部分细雨。气氛警惕但不紧张。矮人们的自信是一种可感知的力量。他们熟悉这片土地，知道它的危险和秘密。

　　As they traveled, Baelgun pointed out landmarks in his gruff way. "See that lightning-blasted pine? Troll country starts a mile beyond. We give it a wide berth." Or, "That scree slope there? Avalanche last winter. Buried a whole pack of gnolls. Good riddance." His commentary was a practical guide to survival, a map written in hazards and past tragedies.

　　行进中，巴尔贡用他粗犷的方式指点着地标。“看到那棵被雷劈的松树没？再往前一里就是巨魔的地盘了。我们得绕远点。”或者，“那片碎石坡？去年冬天雪崩了。埋了一整群豺狼人。清净了。”他的讲解是一份实用的生存指南，一张用危险和过往悲剧写成的地图。

　　Leon listened, absorbing every word. This was the education he had sought when he ran away from Goldshire—not just the grand adventures, but the gritty, essential knowledge of how to read the land, how to understand its rhythms and its threats. The dwarves, with their deep connection to the earth, were masters of this art.

　　里昂听着，吸收着每一个字。这就是他逃离闪金镇时所寻求的教育——不仅是宏大的冒险，更是如何解读土地、理解其节奏和威胁的艰苦而必需的知识。矮人与大地有深厚的联系，是这门艺术的大师。

　　On the second day of travel, the track joined a wider, more established road—the Lakeshire road. Signs of civilization began to appear: a weathered mile-marker, the charred remains of a campfire, and then, the distant glint of sunlight on water. Lake Everstill. The air grew heavier, carrying the damp, fresh scent of the lake. The mist-shrouded peaks of the Redridge Mountains rose dramatically to the north, but to the east, the land opened up into a wide, fertile valley. And there, nestled on the shore of the lake, was Lakeshire.

　　旅行的第二天，小径汇入一条更宽、更成形的路——湖畔镇大路。文明的迹象开始出现：一块风化的里程碑，一处篝火的焦黑残迹，接着是远处水面反射的阳光。止水湖。空气变得更湿润，带着湖水的潮湿清新气息。赤脊山雾霭笼罩的山峰在北面巍然耸立，但东面，土地豁然开朗，呈现出一个宽阔肥沃的山谷。而在湖岸上，坐落着湖畔镇。

　　It was not a city like Stormwind or Theramore. It was a large, bustling town of stone and timber buildings, surrounded by a sturdy wooden palisade. Smoke rose from dozens of chimneys, and the sounds of industry—the clang of a blacksmith's hammer, the sawing of lumber, the shouts of merchants—drifted across the water. It was a sight of ordered, prosperous life, a stark contrast to the wild lands Leon had traversed.

　　它不像暴风城或塞拉摩那样是座城市。这是一个由石头和木头建筑构成的大型繁华城镇，围着一圈坚固的木栅栏。几十个烟囱冒着烟，工业的声音——铁匠的锤击声、锯木声、商人的叫卖声——飘过水面。这是一派有序繁荣的生活景象，与里昂穿越的荒野形成鲜明对比。

　　As the dwarven caravan approached the open gates, guards in the colors of Lakeshire waved a greeting. They knew Baelgun and his crew. There were curious glances at Leon and the injured man in the cart, but no questions were asked. They passed through the gates and into the heart of the town.

　　当矮人商队靠近敞开的城门时，穿着湖畔镇制服的卫兵挥手致意。他们认识巴尔贡和他的队伍。有人好奇地打量里昂和车上的伤员，但没人盘问。他们穿过城门，进入镇中心。

　　The streets were crowded with people—farmers, merchants, soldiers, and more dwarves from the nearby mines. The air was thick with the smells of baking bread, smoked fish, and the pungent odor of the lake. After the silence and vast emptiness of the wilderness, the noise and the press of humanity were overwhelming. Leon felt disoriented, his senses assaulted.

　　街上挤满了人——农民、商人、士兵，还有更多来自附近矿坑的矮人。空气中弥漫着烤面包、熏鱼和湖水腥味。经历了荒野的寂静和空旷后，这里的喧嚣和拥挤的人潮令人难以承受。里昂感到迷失方向，感官受到冲击。

　　Baelgun led the cart to a low, long building near the lakefront with a sign depicting a frothing tankard. "The Slaughtered Lamb Inn," he announced. "Best ale in town. They've got a room for your friend. The baron's surgeon will take a look at him."

　　巴尔贡把车引到湖边一栋低矮的长建筑前，招牌上画着一个泡沫四溢的大酒杯。“被宰羔羊旅店，”他宣布。“镇上最好的麦酒。他们给你朋友留了房间。男爵的外科医生会给他看看。”

　　As the dwarves began unloading the cart, Baelgun turned to Leon, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder. "You've reached your destination, lad. Lakeshire. What happens now is up to you." He pressed a small, leather pouch into Leon's hand. It clinked with coins. "For your help at the camp. And for the road ahead. Wherever it may lead you."

　　矮人们开始卸车时，巴尔贡转向里昂，把一只沉重的手放在他肩上。“你到目的地了，小子。湖畔镇。接下来怎么办，看你自己了。”他把一个小皮袋塞进里昂手里。里面硬币叮当作响。“感谢你在营地的帮忙。也给你接下来的路用。不管它通向哪里。”

　　Leon looked at the pouch, then at the bustling town around him, and finally at the calm, vast expanse of Lake Everstill. He had survived the wilderness. He had delivered Kaelen to safety. But as he stood there, the weight of the antler in his pocket a constant reminder, he knew his journey was far from over. Lakeshire was not an end. It was another beginning. Somewhere beyond this lake, beyond these mountains, Iris was waiting. And he had a promise to keep.

　　里昂看着钱袋，然后看着周围繁华的城镇，最后望向平静广阔的止水湖。他活过了荒野。他把凯伦送到了安全地方。但当他站在那里，口袋里鹿角的重量不断提醒他时，他知道他的旅程远未结束。湖畔镇不是终点。它是另一个起点。在湖的那边，山的那边，艾莉丝在等待。而他有一个承诺要兑现。