The sun lifted its blistered eye above the horizon, and it was almost time to begin the march.
****
Ten, maybe more pups, all pink, wrinkled and squirming inside an old martin's nest that had dislodged from an exploding wall. Bottle peered down at them, the nest in his hands. Their mother clung to his left shoulder, nose twitching as if she was contemplating a sudden leap – either towards her helpless brood or towards Bottle's neck.
'Relax, my dear,' he whispered. 'They're as much mine as they are yours.'
A half-choking sound nearby, then a burst of laughter.
Bottle glared over at Smiles. 'You don't understand a thing, you miserable cow.'
'I can't believe you want to take that filthy thing with you. All right, it got us out, so now leave it be. Besides, there's no way you can keep them alive – she's got to feed 'em, right, meaning she has to scrounge. When's she gonna be able to do that? We're about to march, you fool.'
'We can manage,' he replied. 'They're tribal creatures, rats. Besides, we've already scrounged enough food – it's only Y'Ghatan who needs to eat lots, for now. The pups just suckle.'
'Stop, you're making me sick. There's enough rats in the world already, Bottle. Take the big one, sure, but leave the others for the birds.'
'She'd never forgive me.'
****
Sitting nearby, Koryk studied the two bickering soldiers a moment longer, then he rose.
'Don't go far,' Strings said.
The half-Seti grunted a wordless reply, then headed towards the far, northern end of the flats, where broad, deep pits pockmarked the ground. He arrived at the edge of one and looked down. Long ago, these pits had yielded clay for the potters, back when there had been water close to the surface. When that had dried up, they had proved useful for the disposal of refuse, including the bodies of paupers.
The pits nearest the city's walls held only bones, bleached heaps, sun-cracked amidst tattered strips of burial cloth.
He stood above the remains for a moment longer, then descended the crumbling side.
The soldiers had lost most of the bones affixed to their armour and uniforms. It seemed only fitting, Koryk thought, that these long-dead citizens of Y'Ghatan offer up their own. After all, we crawled through the city's own bones. And we can't even measure what we left behind.
Knee-deep in bones, he looked round. No shortage of fetishes here.
Satisfied, he began collecting.
****
'You look damn near naked without all that armour.'
Corporal Tarr grimaced. 'I am damn near naked without all my armour, Sergeant.'
Smiling, Strings looked away, searching until he found Koryk, who was in the process of climbing into the ground. At least, it looked that way from here. Strange, secretive man. Then again, if he wanted to crawl into the earth, that was his business. So long as he showed up for the call to march.
Cuttle was near the fire, pouring out the last of the tea, a brew concocted from a half-dozen local plants Bottle had identified as palatable, although he'd been a little cagey on toxicity.
After a moment surveying his squad, the sergeant returned to shaving off his beard, hacking at the foul-smelling, singed hair with his camp knife – the only weapon left to him.
One of the foundling children had attached herself to him and sat opposite, watching with wide eyes, her round face smeared with ash and two wet, dirty streaks running down from her nose. She had licked her lips raw.
Strings paused, squinted at her, then raised one eyebrow. 'You need a bath, lass. We'll have to toss you into the first stream we run across.'
She made a face.
'Can't be helped,' he went on. 'Malazan soldiers in the Fourteenth are required to maintain a certain level of cleanliness. So far, the captain's been easy about it, but trust me, that won't last…' He trailed off when he saw that she wasn't listening any more. Nor was she looking at him, but at something beyond his left shoulder. Strings twisted round to follow her gaze.
And saw a rider, and three figures on foot. Coming down from the road that encircled Y'Ghatan. Coming towards them.
From a short distance to the sergeant's right, he heard Gesler say, '
That's Stormy – I'd recognize that bludgeon walk anywhere. And Kalam and Quick. Don't know the woman on the horse, though…'
But I do. Strings rose. Walked up the slope to meet them. He heard Gesler behind him, following.
'Hood take us,' Strings said, studying first Apsalar, then Kalam and Quick Ben, 'half the old squad. All here.'
