Will had been a hunter before he joined the Night's Watch. 在成为守夜人以前，威尔原本靠打猎为生。

Well, a poacher in truth. Mallister freeriders had caught him red-handed in the Mallisters' own woods, 说难听点，其实就是偷猎者。当年他在梅利斯特家族的森林里偷猎公鹿，

skinning one of the Mallisters' own bucks¹, and it had been a choice of putting on the black or losing a hand. 正忙着剥鹿皮，弄得一手血腥的时候，被受雇于梅利斯特家的自由骑手逮个正着。他若不选择加入黑衫军，就只有单手被砍一途。

No one could move through the woods as silent as Will, and it had not taken the black brothers long to discover his talent. 威尔潜行的本事是一等一的，在森林里无声潜行等闲难及，黑衫军的弟兄们果然很快也就发现了他的长处。

The camp is two miles farther² on, over that ridge³, hard beside a stream, Will said. 营地在两里之外，翻过山脊，紧邻着一条溪。威尔答道，

I got close as I dared. There's eight of them, men and women both. 我已经靠得很近了。总共有八个人，男女都有，

No children I could see. They put up a lean-to against the rock. 但没看见小孩。他们背靠着大石头，

The snow's pretty well covered it now, but I could still make it out. No fire burning, 虽然雪几乎把营地整个盖住，但我还是分辨得出来。没有营火，

but the firepit was still plain as day. No one moving. I watched a long time. No living man ever lay so still. 只有火堆的余烬比较明显。他们一动不动，我仔细看了好长时间，活人绝不会躺得这么安静。

Did you see any blood? 你发现血迹了吗？

Well, no, Will admitted. 嗯，没有。威尔坦承。

Did you see any weapons? 你看见任何武器了吗？

Some swords, a few bows. One man had an axe⁴. 几支剑、两三把弓，还有个家伙带了一柄斧头。

Heavy-looking, double-bladed, a cruel piece of iron. It was on the ground beside him, right by his hand. 铁打的双刃斧，似乎挺沉的，摆在他右手边的地上。

Did you make note of the position of the bodies? 你记得他们躺着的相对位置吗？

Will shrugged⁵. A couple are sitting up against the rock. Most of them on the ground. Fallen, like. 威尔耸耸肩。两三个靠着石头，大部分躺在地上，像是被打死的。

Or sleeping, Royce suggested. 也可能在睡觉。罗伊斯提出异议。

Fallen, Will insisted. There's one woman up an ironwood, half-hid in the branches. A far-eyes. 肯定是被打死的，威尔坚持己见，因为有个女的爬在铁树上，藏在枝头，应该是个斥候。

He smiled thinly. I took care she never saw me. When I got closer, I saw that she wasn't moving neither. Despite himself, he shivered⁶. 他浅浅一笑。我很小心，没让她见着。但等我靠近，却发现她根本毫无动静。说到这儿他不禁一阵颤抖。