Reaper's Gate & Toll the Hounds - By Steven Erikson Page 0,383

polished and carved with scenes of the owner's glorious death – and any warrior seeking the heart of a woman needed to place more than a few at the threshold of her family's hut, as proof of his prowess and courage.

Never did manage to use this thing properly, did I? Not a single thigh bone to show Sinter. He nodded. 'Time to collect some trophies, then.'

Fifteen paces away, Honey nudged Skim. 'Hey, beloved, looks like we get to toss sharpers today.'

'Stop calling me that,' the other sapper replied in a bored tone, but she watched as Badan Gruk headed back up to where Ruffle hid, and she watched as Corporal Hunt went back down-trail to collect the 4th Squad's corporal, Pravalak Rim, who had been guarding their butts with Shoaly and Drawfirst. And pretty soon something less than whispered was dancing through every soldier and she saw weapons being drawn, armour straps tightened, helms adjusted, and finally she grunted. 'All right, Honey – Hood take me, how I hate saying that – looks like you've sniffed it just right—'

'Just let me prove it—'

'You're never prying my legs apart, Honey. Why don't you get that?'

'What a miserable attitude,' the 10th's sapper complained as he loaded his crossbow. 'Now Kisswhere, she was—'

'So tired of your advances, Honey, that she went and blew herself up – and took her sister with her, too. And now here I am wishing I'd been with them in that scull.' With that she rose and scrabbled over to Nep Furrow.

The old Dal Honese mage lifted one yellowy eye to squint at her, then both eyes opened wide when he saw the sharper she held in each hand. 'Eggit'way fra meen, tit-woman!'

'Relax,' she said, 'we're heading into a fight. You got anything left in that bent reed of yours?'

'Wha'?'

'Magicks, Nep, magicks – comes from the bleckers in men. Every woman knows that,' and she winked.

'You teasin' tit-woman you! Eggit'way fra meen!'

'I'm not eggitin' away from you, Nep, until you bless these two sharpers here.'

'Bliss 'em clay balls? Ya mad, tit-woman? Less time I done that—'

'They blew up, aye. Sinter and Kisswhere. Into pieces but nice and quick, right? Listen, it's my only way to escape Honey's advances. No, seriously, I want one of your blissin' curses or cursed blissin's. Please, Nep—'

'Eggit'way fra meen!'

Reliko, who was half a hand shorter even than his sergeant and therefore, by Toothy's own assertion, the smallest heavy infantry soldier in the history of the Malazan Empire, grunted upright and drew out his shortsword as he swung his shield into position. He glanced over at Vastly Blank. 'Time again.'

The oversized Seti warrior, still sitting on the bed of wet moss, looked up. 'Huh?'

'Fighting again.'

'Where?'

'Us, Vastly. Remember Y'Ghatan?'

'No.'

'Well, won't be like Y'Ghatan. More like yesterday only harder. Remember yesterday?'

Vastly Blank stared a moment longer, then he laughed his slow ha ha ha laugh and said, 'Yesterday! I remember yesterday!'

'Then pick up your sword and wipe the mud off it, Vastly. And take your shield – no, not mine, yours, the one on your back. Yes, bring it round. That's it – no, sword in the other hand. There, perfect. You ready?'

'Who do I kill?'

'I'll show you soon enough.'

'Good.'

'Seti should never breed with bhederin, I think.'

'What?'

'A joke, Vastly.'

'Oh. Ha ha ha! Ha.'

'Let's go join up with Lookback – we'll be on point.'

'Lookback's on point?'

'He's always on point for this kind of thing, Vastly.'

'Oh. Good.'

'Drawfirst and Shoaly at our backs, right? Like yesterday.'

'Right. Reliko, what happened yesterday?'

Strap Mull stepped close to Neller and they both eyed their corporal, Pravalak Rim, who was just sending Drawfirst and Shoaly up to the other heavies.

The two soldiers spoke in their native Dal Honese. 'Broke-hearted,' Strap said.

'Broker than broke,' Neller agreed.

'Kisswhere, she was lovely.'

'Lovelier than lovely.'

'Like Badan says, though.'

'Like he says, yes.'

'And that's that, is what he says.'

'I know that, Strap, you don't need to tell me anything. You think Letheras will be like Y'Ghatan? We didn't do nothing in Y'Ghatan. And,' Neller suddenly added, as if struck by something, 'we haven't done nothing here either, have we? Nothing not yet, anyway. If it's going to be like Y'Ghatan, though—'

'We're not even there yet,' Strap Mull said. 'Which sword you going to use?'

'This one.'

'The one with the broken handle?'

Neller looked down, frowned, then threw the weapon into the bushes and drew out another one. 'This one. It's Letherii, was on the cabin wall—'

'I know. I gave it to you.'

'You gave it to me because it howls like a wild woman every