A Little Hatred (The Age of Madness #1) - Joe Abercrombie Page 0,157

quite bring himself to say ‘killed’. They all knew it could only be victory or the Great Leveller.

‘You any good with a whip?’ asked Antaup.

Leo stared at him. ‘Seriously?’

‘I once saw this Gurkish woman whip swords out of men’s hands. At a show. They came up from the audience, and, well, it was quite something. She whipped a girl’s dress half-off without cutting her, too.’ And he grinned at the memory.

‘So I should whip Stour Nightfall’s clothes off?’ asked Leo.

‘No, but, you know, I was thinking of something he couldn’t use, and—’

‘I should whip the bloody lot of you.’ Rikke walked up, pushing chagga around her bottom lip with her tongue, as usual, and slowly shaking her shaggy head. Leo was glad to see her. Very glad. She always made him feel good. Long Eye or not, she always saw past the nonsense, somehow, and right to the heart of things. She helped him see to the heart of things. The dead knew, he needed some clarity then.

‘We’re talking of weapons, woman,’ grumbled Glaward.

‘I heard, man,’ said Rikke, ‘and you’re talking with your arses. What you take into the Circle in your hands matters far less than what you take in your head.’ And she tapped at the side of her skull. ‘Doubt you lot are much help with the former and you’re a bloody hindrance with the latter.’

‘And how many duels have you fought?’ complained Jin.

‘As many as all you lot put together,’ she answered smartly. ‘Now lose yourselves, I need to talk to my champion.’

Maybe they were used to being ordered around by Leo’s mother, and Rikke seemed to have borrowed her air of command. Sheepishly, they stood, gathered their things.

‘Don’t go far!’ she called after them. ‘He’ll need you to hold the shields!’

‘What’s got into you?’ asked Leo.

Rikke gave a haughty sniff and made the ring through her nose twitch. ‘Isern said I should be taking the reins.’

‘I’m a horse now?’

‘Aye, and you need the spur.’

‘My mother usually gives me that.’ Leo felt a twinge of nerves, realising afresh he’d soon be fighting to the death. ‘When I need her most, she’s bloody abandoned me.’

‘Makes for a sad story, but I daresay she’d see it differently. She’s used to taking charge, Leo, now she’s helpless. She’s scared, I reckon.’

‘She’s scared? I’m the one has to fight the Great Wolf! She should be here!’

‘You’ve spent weeks moaning that she’s always at your shoulder. Now you’ve stepped from her shadow you miss her? By the dead, the Young Lion shouldn’t need his mother.’

Leo took a long breath and blew it out. ‘You’re right. All my life, I wanted to fight in the Circle.’ He clutched at his head. ‘Bloody hell, Rikke, why did I ever want to fight in the Circle?’

She caught him by the wrists, pulled them down. ‘No one remembers how the fight was won, only who won it. Fight hard.’

‘I will.’

‘Fight dirty.’

‘I will.’

‘The lion beat the wolf.’

‘I know.’

‘No. You don’t.’ She took his face now, with both hands. ‘The lion beat the wolf. I’ve seen it.’ Her big, pale eyes were full of certainty, and he took heart from that. Started to feel braver. To feel himself again. The Young Lion! She was just what he needed then. A spring of belief in a desert of doubt. It’s like they say, every good man needs a good woman beside him. Or under him, anyway.

‘I bloody love you,’ he said. Her brows shot up. Almost as high as his. Why had he said that? Swept off by whatever emotion blew his way, like his mother always said he was. ‘I mean … I don’t mean love love,’ he stammered. What the hell did he mean? What did you call it, when a woman was your lover and your friend? It had never happened to him before. ‘Or … maybe I do mean that—’

‘Then promise me one thing.’ She put her hand around the back of his head and dragged him close, so their noses were almost touching. ‘Promise me you’ll kill the bastard.’

He bared his teeth. ‘I promise. Killing the bastard is the whole point. For you. For your father. For Ritter. For Barniva …’ He smiled. ‘Barniva’s sword. That’s what I’ll take.’

‘Good choice, I reckon.’

He felt another wave of sadness as he glanced down to the bridge, followed quickly by a shiver of nerves. ‘I just hope it brings me more luck than it did him.’

‘You don’t need luck.’ Rikke twisted his face back towards her