A Little Hatred (The Age of Madness #1) - Joe Abercrombie Page 0,182

as if talking to her was quite the trying task. ‘I think there’s been enough killing, don’t you?’

‘I could stand one more grave for the right man.’

Glaward was already edging away, no bones at all for such a big fellow. ‘I think I’d better … in fact, I definitely need to …’

Jurand loitered, frowning at Rikke, one hand out as if to catch Leo if he fell. ‘Do you want me to stay?’

‘No,’ said Leo, as if he actually did. ‘I’ll catch up with you.’

Jurand backed reluctantly away. The looks he gave her, anyone would’ve thought it was him and Leo who were the couple. Rikke had meant to be firm but fair, the way her father always told her to be, but well before Jurand was out of earshot she ended up scolding.

‘What did you and that murdering bastard have to talk about?’

Leo sighed. ‘The future. Like it or not, he’ll be King of the Northmen. Better we talk than fight—’

‘Is it?’ snapped Rikke. ‘I’m surprised you didn’t stay there. Hold hands while he heals, share a few laughs over how he burned my father’s hall and chased me through the woods and killed my friends and yours!’

Leo winced like he was stepping out into a storm. ‘I’m not changing sides, Rikke, I’m just trying to build a bridge from one side to the other.’

‘No doubt. A bridge those evil fuckers can march straight across!’

‘To kill an enemy is cause for relief,’ he trotted out pompously. ‘To make a friend of him is cause for celebration—’

‘You make friends with your enemies when you see the mud heaped on top o’ the bastards! You think Black Calder will just let this go? He wants all the North and he won’t be happy till he has it. All you did was sharpen his appetite.’

Leo had that sulky-child look he got around his mother. Rikke was feeling more sympathy with her by the day. ‘The heir to the North owes me his life now. He’s bound to me. That’s a valuable thing—’

‘By the dead,’ she sneered. ‘You think the likes o’ Stour Nightfall care a shit for debts or bindings? He’ll turn on you quick as a snake. You promised me you’d kill him, Leo. You promised me.’

‘It’s not that easy to kill a man! Not when he’s just lying there, at your mercy.’

‘I’d have thought that’s the perfect bloody time!’

‘What would you know about it?’ he snapped. ‘There’s a brotherhood between two men in the Circle. A bond. You wouldn’t understand!’

‘Because I’ve got a quim or because I’ve got a brain?’

‘My mother might treat me like a child but at least I bloody am her child. I’m lord governor now!’ Half-angry and half-wheedling, like he was trying to convince himself as much as her. ‘I have to make the decisions.’

‘And your first one is to break your fucking word?’

He looked taken aback by how savage she sounded. Truthfully, she was a little taken aback by it, too. ‘I’d no idea you could be so … ruthless.’

‘Oh, aye, Ruthless Rikke, terror of the North. Seems none of the men in my life know me as well as they think. The fact is, being nice gets nothing done. You have to make of your heart a stone, Leo. You should’ve killed him.’

‘Maybe I should have.’ Leo lifted his chin. ‘But I won. It was my choice what to do with him.’

By the dead, how had it come to this between the two of them? From a lot of bliss and a few niggles to all niggle and no bliss at all. She guessed you can only ride so far on a fine stomach. She felt a flurry of twitches chase up her cheek and the fact she couldn’t get her own face to obey only made her angrier than ever.

‘You arrogant fuck!’ she snarled. ‘You were reckless, and stupid, and by some margin the second-best fighter out of two! You won because Stour was even more of a puffed-up fool than you and couldn’t help showing off! You won because my Long Eye saw what he’d do and I bloody screamed it at you!’

Leo’s bruised, bandaged face barely moved while she spoke. Once she ran out of things to hurt him with and petered off into silence, he took a small step towards her. Not angry. Not sad.

‘What did you say to me? No one remembers how the fight was won. I won. No one cares how.’

He brushed her shoulder as he stepped