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.'Roger of HowdenHeading North« ^ »So the Dogman was just lying there on his face, wet to the skin and trying tokeep still without freezing solid, looking out across the valley from thetrees, and watching Bethod's army marching.He couldn't see that much of themfrom where he was lying, just a stretch of the track over a ridge, enough tosee the Carls tramping by, painted shields bright on their backs, mailglistening with specks of melted snow, spears sticking up high between thetree trunks.Rank after rank of 'em, marching steady.Page 135ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThey were a good way off, but he was taking quite a risk even getting thisclose.Bethod was just as careful as ever.He'd got men out all around, up onthe ridges and the high points, anywhere where he thought someone could get asight of what he was up to.He'd sent a few scouts south and some others east,hoping to trick anyone was watching, but he hadn't got the Dogman fooled.Notthis time.Bethod was heading back the way he'd come.He was heading north.Dogman breathed in sharp, and gave a long, sad sigh.By the dead, he felttired.He watched the tiny figures filing past through the pine branches.He'dspent all those years scouting for Bethod, keeping an eye on armies like thisone for him, helping him win battles, helping to make him a King, though he'dnever dreamed it at the time.In some ways everything had changed.In othersit was just the same as ever.Here he was still, face down in the muck with asore neck from looking up.Ten years older and not a day better off.He couldhardly remember what his ambitions used to be, but this hadn't ever been among'em, he was sure of that.All that wind blown past, all that snow fallen, allthat water flowed by.All that fighting, all that marching, all that waste.Logen gone, and Forley gone, and the candle burning down fast on the rest of'em.Grim slithered through the frozen scrub beside him, propped himself on hiselbows and peered out towards the Carls moving on the road.'Huh,' he grunted.'Bethod's moving north,' whispered Dogman.Grim nodded.'He's got scouts out all over, but he's heading north, no doubt.We'd best letThreetrees know.'Another nod.Dogman lay there in the wet.'I'm getting tired.'Grim looked up, lifted an eyebrow.'All this effort, and for what? Everything the same as ever.Whose side is itwe're on now?' Dogman waved his hand over at the men slogging down the road.'We supposed to fight all this lot? When do we get a rest?'Grim shrugged his shoulders, squeezed his lips together like he was thinkingabout it.'When we're dead?'And wasn't that the sorry truth.Took Dogman a while to find the others.They were nowhere near where theyshould've been by now.Being honest, they weren't far from where they werewhen he left.Dow was the first one he saw, sat on a big stone with the usualscowl on his face, glaring down into a gully.Dogman came up next to him, sawwhat he was looking at.The four Southerners, clambering over the rocks, slowand clumsy as new-born calves.Tul and Threetrees were waiting for them at thebottom, looking mighty short on patience.'Bethod's heading north,' said Dogman.'Good for him.''Not surprised?'Dow licked his teeth and spat.'He's beat every clan that dared face him, madehimself a King where there wasn't one before, gone to war with the Union andhe's giving 'em a kicking.He's turned the world on its head, the bastard.Nothing he does surprises me now.''Huh.' Dogman reckoned he was right enough there.'You lot ain't got far.''No we ain't.This is some right fucking baggage you've saddled us with here,and no mistake.' He watched the four of 'em fumbling their way down the gullybelow, shaking his head like he'd never seen such a waste of flesh.'Someright fucking baggage.''If you're telling me to feel shamed 'cause I saved some lives that day, Idon't.What should I have done?' asked Dogman.'Left 'em to die?''That's one idea.We'd be moving twice the speed without 'em, and eating adeal better and all.' He flashed a nasty grin.'There's only one that I couldfind a use for.'Dogman didn't have to ask which one.The girl was at the back.He could hardlysee a woman's shape to her, all wrapped up as she was against the cold, but hePage 136ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlcould guess it was under there, and it made him nervous.Strange thing, havinga woman along.Quite the sorry rarity, since they went north over themountains, all them months ago.Even seeing one seemed like some kind of aguilty treat.Dogman watched her clambering on the rocks, dirty face halfturned towards them.Tough-looking girl, he thought.Seemed like she'd had hershare of knocks.'I reckon she'd struggle,' Dow muttered to himself.'I reckon she'd kicksome.''Alright, Dow,' snapped Dogman.'Best calm yourself down, lover.You know howThreetrees feels about all that.You know what happened to his daughter.He'dcut your fucking fruits off if he heard you talking that way.''What?' Dow said, all innocence.'I'm just talking, aren't I? You can't hardlyblame me for that.When's the last time any one of us had a woman?'Dogman frowned.He knew exactly when it was for him.Pretty much the last timehe was ever warm.Curled up with Shari in front of the fire, smile on his facewide as the sea.Just before Bethod chucked him and Logen and all the rest ofthem in chains, then kicked 'em out into exile.He could still remember that last sight of her, mouth open wide with shock andfright as they dragged him from the blankets, naked and half asleep, squawkinglike a rooster that knows it's about to get its neck twisted.It had hurt, tobe dragged away from her.Not as bad as Scale kicking him in the fruits hadhurt, mind you.A painful night, all in all, one he'd never thought to livethrough.The sting from the kicks had faded with time, but the ache of losingher never had done, quite.Dogman remembered the smell of her hair, the sound of her laugh, the feel ofher back, pressed warm and soft against his belly while she slept.Well-usedmemories, picked over and worn thin like a favourite shirt.He remembered itlike it was last night.He had to make himself stop thinking about it.'Don'tknow that my memory goes back that far,' he grunted.'Nor mine,' said Dow.'Ain't you getting tired of fucking your hand?' Hepeered back down the slope and smacked his lips.Had a light in his eyes thatDogman didn't much like the look of.'Funny, how you don't miss it so baduntil you see it right in front of you.It's like holding out the meat to ahungry man, so close he can smell it.Don't tell me you ain't thinking thesame thing.'Dogman frowned at him.'I don't reckon I'm thinking quite the same as you are.Stick your cock in the snow if you have to.That should keep you cooled off.'Dow grinned.'I'll have to stick it in something soon, I can tell you that.''Aaargh!' came a wail from down the slope.Dogman started for his bow, staringto see if some of Bethod's scouts had caught them out.It was just the Prince,slipped and fallen on his arse.Dow watched him rolling on his back, face allsquashed up with scorn.'He's some new kind o' useless, that one, eh? All he does is slow us down tohalf the rate we need, whine louder than a hog giving birth, eat more 'n hisshare and shit five times a day.' West was helping him up, trying to brushsome of the dirt off his coat.Well, not his coat.The coat that West hadgiven him [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]