A Little Hatred (The Age of Madness #1) - Joe Abercrombie Page 0,129

we do is run away, our enemies might, too.’

Creases spread around the corners of the Dogman’s eyes as he grinned. ‘You’re going to fight ’em here.’

‘You approve?’

‘Ground’s good.’ He considered the steep-sided trough of a valley with its grey thread of a river, its brown thread of a road, the rocky hills to either side. ‘Could be very good, if luck’s with us.’

‘You’re going to fight them here?’ asked Leo, eyes wide.

‘This is a war, isn’t it? Stour Nightfall has moved ahead of his father and his uncle. Perhaps as much as a day ahead. His men are scattered, tired, undersupplied and exposed.’

The Dogman grinned. ‘Touch reckless of him.’

‘A mistake I hope we can make fatal.’

‘If we put a fat enough worm on the hook.’

‘You know how warriors are about their flags.’ Leo’s mother turned to look at him. ‘Your standard should be the very bait he needs. Especially after you stung his pride by stealing one of his. We’ll make it look as though our rearguard is caught in a tangle on the bridge. Hopefully, it’ll be a temptation he can’t resist.’

‘You want me here in the ruin?’ asked the Dogman.

‘Hidden and waiting for my signal. Angland’s forces will be concentrated behind that hill to the south. Once Nightfall is committed, we fall upon him from both sides and catch him against the river. If we manage it well, we might destroy him in one throw.’

‘That’d do a lot to even the odds.’

‘And make me feel a great deal better about all this retreating. Believe it or not, Leo, I enjoy it no more than you do.’

Leo couldn’t stop the smile spreading across his face. ‘We’re going to fight them here.’

‘The day after tomorrow, I hope. Do either of you have an opinion on the plan?’

Leo was too busy imagining the victory. The two hills would be the jaws of their trap. The Great Wolf, lured into the valley between them by his own arrogance, surrounded at the bridge and crushed against the water. What a song that would make! He was already wondering what they’d call the battle, when the history books were written.

‘I like it,’ said the Dogman. ‘If there’s one thing you can rely on, it’s young men’s folly. I’ll send word for Uffrith’s warriors to gather here and be ready for a battle.’ He paused, wind stirring the grey hair about his craggy face. ‘Lady Finree … I’ve fought beside great warriors. Great War Chiefs. Against some, too. But I rarely saw an army better handled than by you. Might be men who think there’s something weak in what you’ve done, the last few weeks.’ He curled his tongue and spat over the battlements. ‘Those men know less’n nothing about war. Would’ve been easy to break faith with us. Let us be swallowed up. But you kept your word. Aren’t many who do, once they see it’ll cost them.’ And he held out his hand.

Leo’s mother blinked, evidently moved, and took it. ‘I’ll have kept my word when you are back in your garden in Uffrith, not a moment before.’

He broke out a great toothy grin. ‘Then we’ll drink to our victory there.’ And the Dogman turned and trotted down the crumbling stair with a new spring in his step.

It gave Leo a flush of pride, to see the respect the old Northman had for his mother. The respect they had for each other. He took a breath of sharp air through his nose and let it sigh happily out. ‘I’ll lead those men at the bridge—’

‘No,’ said his mother. ‘I want your standard there to draw him on. But not you.’

‘The first wave of reinforcements, then—’

‘No.’ And she gave him that look down her nose that always made him feel like he was still a little boy. ‘We’ll keep our cavalry in reserve in the village of Sudlendal.’ She nodded towards the faint smoke rising beyond the bridge. ‘I want you with them.’

‘With the reserves?’ He waved a hand towards the valley. Towards the glory. Towards the songs. ‘Finally we fight and you leave me with the baggage?’

‘It’s not as if I’m sending you back to Ostenhorm.’ The muscles at her temple squirmed as she clenched her jaw. ‘If something goes wrong, as it very well might, you can ride in and save the day. That’s why we’re all here, isn’t it? To bear witness to your legend?’

‘That’s so unfair!’ he whined, the niggling thought that it might be entirely fair making him even