Chapter 45: The Guardian's Debt （守护者的债务）

　　Leon and Iris lay panting behind the ridge, the adrenaline crash leaving them trembling. The sounds from the canyon had shifted—the shrieks of the satyrs were now mixed with deep, guttural roars and the crackle of powerful magic. The battle was far from over, but its nature had changed. They had given the druid a fighting chance.

　　里昂和艾莉丝在山脊后喘着气，肾上腺素退去让他们浑身发抖。峡谷里的声音变了——萨特的尖叫声中混杂了低沉、粗哑的咆哮和强大魔法的噼啪声。战斗远未结束，但性质已经改变。他们给了德鲁伊一个战斗的机会。

　　Iris was the first to move, peering cautiously over the rocky ledge. Her sharp intake of breath made Leon scramble to her side. The scene below had transformed. Where the single tauren had stood, there was now a massive, enraged bear, its fur the color of dark earth and stone, its claws like scythes. It moved with a speed and power that belied its size, swatting aside satyrs with blows that sent them flying like rag dolls. A nimbus of earthen energy pulsed around it, and where its paws struck the ground, the blackish veins of corruption seemed to recoil and fade.

　　艾莉丝第一个动了，小心翼翼地探出头望向岩石边缘下方。她猛地吸了一口气，让里昂也爬到她身边。下方的景象已经变了。原本牛头人站立的地方，出现了一头巨大、狂怒的熊，毛皮是深土和岩石的颜色，爪子像镰刀。它以与体型不符的速度和力量移动着，将萨特像破布娃娃一样拍飞。一股土系能量的光晕在它周围脉动，它的爪子击打地面时，黑色的腐化脉络似乎退缩并消退了。

　　"The Ursine form," Iris whispered, her voice filled with awe. "A aspect of great strength and resilience. He is purging the land as he fights."

　　“巨熊形态，”艾莉丝低语道，声音充满敬畏。“代表着巨大的力量和韧性。他在战斗的同时净化着土地。”

　　But the satyrs were numerous. They swarmed around the bear, their shadowy blades and corrupting magic finding their mark. The bear roared in pain, but it did not falter. It was a titanic struggle, a clash of primal forces.

　　但萨特数量众多。它们蜂拥包围着巨熊，影刃和腐化魔法击中了目标。巨熊痛苦地咆哮，但没有退缩。这是一场巨人之战，原始力量的碰撞。

　　Suddenly, a group of satyrs broke away from the main fray, their glowing eyes fixed on the ridge where Leon and Iris were hiding. They had been spotted. The creatures began to scramble up the rocky slope with unnerving agility.

　　突然，一群萨特脱离主战场，它们发光的眼睛紧盯着里昂和艾莉丝藏身的山脊。他们被发现了。这些生物开始以令人不安的敏捷爬上岩石坡。

　　"We have to move!" Iris grabbed Leon's arm, pulling him back.

　　But as they turned to flee, a deep voice boomed from the canyon below, not in a roar, but in a single, resonant word that seemed to shake the very air. It was a word of power, of command. The ground beneath the charging satyrs erupted. Thick, thorny vines burst from the stone, entangling the creatures, holding them fast. It was a druid's spell, wielded with immense force.

　　“我们得走！”艾莉丝抓住里昂的手臂，把他往后拉。

　　但就在他们转身要逃时，一个深沉的声音从下方峡谷响起，不是咆哮，而是一个单一的、共振的词，仿佛震动了空气。这是一个蕴含力量、命令的词。冲锋的萨特脚下地面爆开。粗壮、带刺的藤蔓从石头中迸发出来，缠住这些生物，牢牢固定住它们。这是一个德鲁伊的法术，以巨大的力量施展出来。

　　The diversion gave them the precious seconds they needed. They scrambled over the ridge and down the other side, putting distance between themselves and the canyon. They ran until their lungs burned, not stopping until they reached a small, hidden grove of ancient pines where the air was clean and the silence was natural again.

　　这次干扰给了他们需要的宝贵几秒钟。他们爬过山脊，从另一侧下去，与峡谷拉开距离。他们跑到肺像火烧一样，直到抵达一小片隐蔽的古松林才停下，那里的空气干净，寂静也恢复了自然。

　　They collapsed at the base of a giant tree, leaning against its rough bark, trying to catch their breath. Several long minutes passed. The sounds of battle had faded into the distance. The outcome was unknown.

　　他们瘫倒在一棵巨树脚下，靠着粗糙的树皮，试图喘过气来。漫长的几分钟过去了。战斗的声音在远处消失了。结果未知。

　　Then, they heard it—the sound of heavy, deliberate footsteps approaching the grove. They tensed, ready to run again. But the figure that emerged from the trees was not a satyr. It was the tauren druid, returned to his natural form. He moved slowly, wearily. His hide armor was scorched and torn, and a deep gash on his arm oozed dark blood. But he stood tall, his presence filling the quiet grove with a sense of immense, calm power.

　　然后，他们听到了——沉重、谨慎的脚步声接近了树林。他们绷紧身体，准备再次逃跑。但从树林中出现的身影不是萨特。是那个牛头人德鲁伊，恢复了他的自然形态。他缓慢、疲惫地移动着。他的皮甲被烧焦撕裂，手臂上一道深深的伤口渗出黑血。但他站得笔直，他的存在让寂静的树林充满了巨大、平静的力量感。

　　He stopped a few paces away, his dark, intelligent eyes studying them. He placed a hand over his heart and bowed his head slightly, a gesture of profound respect. When he spoke, his voice was a low rumble, like distant thunder. He used the Common Tongue, his accent thick but understandable.

　　他在几步外停下，漆黑、智慧的眼睛打量着他们。他一手抚心，微微低头，这是一个表示深深敬意的姿势。他开口时，声音是低沉的隆隆声，像远方的雷声。他用的是通用语，口音很重但能听懂。

　　"This one is called Ahanu," he said. "Of the Thunderhorn tribe. The land whispers of your courage, little ones. You faced the shadow without flinching. You have this one's thanks... and his debt."

　　“我叫阿哈努（Ahanu），”他说。“来自雷角部落。土地低语着你们的勇气，小家伙们。你们直面阴影而没有退缩。我感谢你们……并欠你们一份情。”

　　Leon and Iris stared, speechless. The sheer presence of the tauren was overwhelming.

　　Ahanu's gaze fell on Iris. "The daughter of the stars walks a lonely path. But she is not without allies." His eyes then shifted to Leon. "And the son of stone carries the heart of the wild within him. A strange and worthy thing."

　　里昂和艾莉丝目瞪口呆地看着他。牛头人的存在感令人震撼。

　　阿哈努的目光落在艾莉丝身上。“星辰之女行走在孤独的路上。但她并非没有盟友。”他的眼睛转向里昂。“而石头之子心中怀有荒野之心。一件奇特而有价值的事情。”

　　He reached into a pouch at his belt and produced two small, smooth stones, each etched with a simple, swirling pattern that seemed to mimic the flow of wind or water. He handed one to each of them. "Carry these. They are touched by the spirit of the air. They will guide your steps when the path is unclear, and whisper a warning when danger is near."

　　他伸手从腰带上的袋子里掏出两块光滑的小石头，每块都刻着一个简单的漩涡图案，仿佛模仿风或水的流动。他递给他们一人一块。“带着它们。它们被风之灵触碰过。当道路不明时，它们会指引你的脚步；当危险临近时，它们会低语警告。”

　　Leon took the stone. It was warm to the touch and felt strangely light. It hummed with a faint, almost imperceptible energy.

　　Ahanu then looked north, towards the highest peaks. "The corruption you saw is but a tendril of a greater darkness that stirs in these mountains. An ancient evil awakens. This one's path leads there, to the heart of the blight." He looked back at them, his expression grave. "Your path is your own. But if you seek to understand the shadows that gather, you will find answers... and more danger than you can imagine." With a final nod, the great tauren turned and melted into the forest, moving with a silence that defied his size.

　　里昂接过石头。触手温暖，感觉奇怪地轻。它带着一丝微弱、几乎无法察觉的能量在嗡鸣。

　　阿哈努然后望向北方，望向最高的山峰。“你们看到的腐化只是更大黑暗的一缕触须，在这些山脉中骚动。一个古老的邪恶苏醒了。我的路通向那里，通往瘟疫的中心。”他回头看着他们，表情严肃。“你们的路属于你们自己。但如果你们想了解聚集的阴影，你们会找到答案……以及超乎想象的危险。”最后点了一下头，巨大的牛头人转身融入森林，移动的寂静与他庞大的体型形成反差。

　　Leon and Iris were left alone in the grove, the warm stones clutched in their hands. The encounter had been brief, but it had changed everything. They were no longer just two runaways. They had been acknowledged by a power far beyond their own. They had a purpose now, a direction hinted at by a guardian of the wilds. The road north was no longer just a search for each other. It was a journey into the heart of a growing storm.

　　里昂和艾莉丝被独自留在树林中，手中紧握着温暖的石头。这次相遇很短暂，但改变了一切。他们不再只是两个逃亡者。他们被一种远超他们自己的力量所认可。他们现在有了一个目标，一个由荒野守护者暗示的方向。北上的路不再只是寻找彼此。这是一场驶向风暴中心的旅程。