‘Sir?’
The damned boy was staring at her. Those weeping sores around his mouth, the smears on his face. She could see that he was terrified. An orphan whose new family was being killed before his very eyes. He had carried the prince’s words. He had found her, done what Yedan had asked of him. He was doing what he was supposed to be doing. Following orders. Holding on to duty, as desperate as the rest of us. Stop looking at me like that . ‘Lead me through,’ she said.
And like a boy eager for the beach, he took her hand and led her forward.
The smell of the heaving press made her choke. The sweat and spewed vomit, the fear and the shit and the piss. How could anyone fight in this? Pithy almost pulled herself loose from the boy’s cold grip. But now hands were pushing at her from behind. Faces lunged close, shouting things. Eyes met her own, filled with pleading. Panic roiled in like a grey, grainy cloud.
Her knees found a figure down on all fours. As she struggled to step over him, she looked down. Unwounded by any weapon but terror itself. The realization triggered a surge of fury. She halted and twisted round. ‘ Get up, you worthless pile of shit! They’re dying up there! For you! On your feet! ’ And this time she managed to prise her hand loose from the boy’s. Reaching down, she took the man by the hair. ‘Stand up! You’re with me – let’s go!’
Those close by were watching. Staring. She saw things harden in their eyes and wondered what that was about. ‘Lead on, lad! Front line, quick! You, soldier, don’t even think of pullin’ back!’
Listen to me! Like I know what I’m doing. Like I done this before .
She heard voices around her now.
‘ Look, Captain’s here —’
‘ Cap’n Pithy – see her? There —’
‘ She choked a coward —’
‘ Killed him! ’
‘ Pithy killed a coward – right in front of my eyes! ’
‘Gods below,’ she muttered. The boy glanced back at her as he struggled to push between two Letherii men. His eyes were suddenly bright.
And then, all at once, she could see spear points, flashing as they rocked up from impacts with shields, lashing out, clashing with swords and Andiian pikes. For the first time, she caught a glimpse of a Liosan face. Long, narrow, stretched – but – Errant! They look like the Andii! They look just like them!
White-skinned instead of black-skinned. Is that it? Is that the only fucking difference?
Those eyes locked on her own, pale blue and frighteningly young, above the struggling press between them. And she saw his fear. His terrible, horrifying fear. ‘No,’ she murmured. Don’t do this. Go back. Please —
An axe blade slammed into the side of the Liosan’s head. Bones folded in around sundered flesh. Blood sprayed from eye, nose and mouth. The lone visible eye still staring at her suddenly went blank, sightless, and he fell down, out of her sight.
Pithy moaned. Tears rose inside her. Her sinuses closed up, forcing her breaths to her mouth – she couldn’t get enough air. She could barely see through the blur. And the light was pouring down, mottled by shadows. Pouring down and down—
A Letherii woman reached back and closed a bloody grip on her wrist. Pulling her forward. ‘Corporal Nithe said he’d be back soon, sir.’
Was this going to be a conversation? She could see the fighting – right there, almost within reach. Where had the boy gone? Nowhere in sight. Her coward? There, suddenly in the front line and screaming as he brought a shield round to block a savage thrust. ‘What happened to him?’
‘Captain?’
‘Nithe! What happened to him?’
‘Got a hand cut off, sir. Went to get it scabbed – said he’d be back soon.’ The woman faced front again, raised her voice. ‘Captain Pithy’s in command!’
No one seemed to heed that announcement.
And then Pithy felt the air change, as if her ears had popped. Something seethed, up around her, and then outward. From nowhere and everywhere there came a roar, and the flank lurched, heaved into the face of the Liosan front.
As if caught in a current, Pithy was pulled forward.
She stepped on something that rolled underfoot. Looked down.
The boy stared up at her. But no, he was staring up at nothing. Around his gaping mouth, the sores were black with dirt.
No, clean those up —
And then the bodies underfoot were Liosan, twisted, curled round welters of blood and gaping wounds. Broken spear shafts, soiled clothing. Empty faces.
She could hear other roars, and she knew – she knew – that the entire Letherii line was driving forward, one section after another. Go back to your hole, you poor miserable dogs! ‘Go back!’ she shouted. ‘Back! This is ours! This is ours!’