A Malazan Book of the Fallen Collection 3

master, Lilac?'
    'The alternative is death.'
    'Which you said earlier you'd prefer to slavery.'
    'Between the choices of fighting this war or dying, yes.'
    'But returning home ...'
    'That is preferable to all else, Trull Sengar.'
    The Tiste Edur drew out his knife. 'What must I do?'
    Trull entered the command tent a short while later. He found Fear and Uruth in the centre chamber. 'Mother.'
    She turned, frowned. 'What have you done?'
    'I sent my demon away. You will have to find another.'
    Her gaze dropped to his left hand, narrowed on the broad, still dripping cut across the palm. 'I see. Tell me, son, will your defiance never end?'
    'I paid a high price to save that demon's life.'
    'What of it?'
    'You intended to use him to create your path into his realm—'
    'And?'
    'To do that, you would have to sacrifice it—'
    'The demon told you that? It lied, Trull. In fact, killing it would have severed its link to its own world. It deceived you, son. But you are bound now, the two of you. You can summon it back, and deliver your punishment.'
    Trull cocked his head, then smiled. 'You know, Mother, I think I would have done the same, were I in its place. No, I have sent it home, and there it shall stay.'
    'Where it may well find itself fighting in another war.'
    'Not for me to decide,' Trull said, shrugging.
    'You are difficult to understand,' Uruth said, 'and the effort wearies me.'
    'I am sorry,' Trull said. 'This alliance you will attempt with the demon tyrants – what is the emperor seeking from it? What does Rhulad plan to offer in return?'
    'Are you truly interested, son?'
    'I am.'
    Uruth shot Fear a glance, then sighed. 'The Korvalahrai are seafarers. They are reaching into the Kenryll'ah lands via a vast river, and even now approach the heart in a fleet carrying all the Korvalahrai. Rhulad's power is such that he can divert that river, for a time. The invading fleet will be destroyed in the conflagration. Achieving such a thing would in turn serve Edur needs, as well. In return, we are given more demons for our war, perhaps a minor Kenryll'ah or two, who are far better versed in the arts of battle than their subject Kenyll'rah.' She turned to Fear. 'I will need another demon.'
    'Very well.'
    'And then, a place of solitude.'
    Fear nodded. 'Trull, return to your company.'
    As he was walking back to where his warriors were camped, Trull found himself smiling. Lilac's pleasure, moments before it vanished, had been childlike. Yet the demon's mind was not simple. It must have known there was a risk that, upon discovering the deception, Trull would summon it back in a fit of rage and inflict terrible punishment. For some reason, Lilac had concluded that such an event was unlikely.
    My weakness, so plain and obvious even a demon could see it.
    Perhaps he was not a warrior after all. Not a follower of commands, capable of shutting out all unnecessary thoughts in service to the cause. Not a leader, either, to stride ahead, certainty a blinding fire drawing all with him.
    Worse yet, he was suspicious of Rhulad's transformation. Fear, in his youth, had displayed none of Rhulad's strutting arrogance, his posing and posturing – all of which might well suit a leader of warriors, but not in the manner that Fear led warriors. Rhulad had been bluster, whilst Fear was quiet confidence, and Trull was not sure if that essential character trait had changed in Rhulad.
    I do not belong.
    The realization shocked him, slowed his steps. He looked
    around, feeling suddenly lost. Here, in the midst of his own people.
    The Tiste Edur have changed. But I haven't.
    * * *
    South, across the region known as the Swath, a deforested scrubland which had once been part of Outcry Wood, past the burnt-out town of Siege Place, and onto the slowly climbing Lookout Track towards the hills of Lookout Climb. Three days crossing the old hills – a range thoroughly denuded by wild goats – onto Moss Road. Marching northeast along the banks of the Moss River to the ford town of Ribs.
    Retreating Letherii forces had stripped the countryside ahead of the emperor and his army. The military food and materiel caches that Hull Beddict knew of were all emptied. If not for the shadow wraiths, supplying the Tiste Edur army would have been impossible – the invasion would have stalled. Unacceptable, Rhulad had decided. The enemy was reeling. It was necessary to keep it so.
    Udinaas remembered eating smoked eel from Moss River, one time when the trader ship had docked