A Malazan Book of the Fallen Collection 3

Boatfinder.' He held up the
object in his hands. 'The courage brand,' he said, 'of a great
father among the bhederin.'
    Samar Dev, brows lifting, regarded Karsa. 'That would be
a penis bone, Teblor.'
    'I know what it is,' he answered in a growl. 'Boatfinder,
what in turn do you ask of me?'
    'Revenants come into the forest, besetting the Anibar
clans north of here. They slaughter all in their path, without
cause. They do not die, for they command the air itself
and so turn aside every spear that seeks them. Thus we
hear. We lose many names.'
    'Names?' Samar asked.
    His gaze flicked to her and he nodded. 'Kin. Eight
hundred and forty-seven names woven to mine, among the
north clans.' He gestured to the silent warriors behind him.
'As many names to lose among these here, each one. We
know grief in the loss for ourselves, but more for our
children. The names we cannot take back – they go and
never come again, and so we diminish.'
    Karsa said, 'You want me to kill revenants,' and he
pointed at the gift, 'in exchange for that.'
    'Yes.'
    'How many of these revenants are there?'
    'They come in great ships, grey-winged, and set out into
the forest in hunts, each hunt numbering twelve. They are
driven by anger, yet nothing we seek to do appeases that
anger. We do not know what we do to offend them so.'
    Probably offered them a damned penis bone. But Samar Dev
kept that thought to herself.
    'How many hunts?'
    'A score thus far, yet their boats do not depart.'
    Karsa's entire face had darkened. Samar Dev had never
seen such raw fury in him before. She suddenly feared he
would tear this small cowering man apart. Instead, he said,
'Cast off your shame, all of you. Cast it off! Slayers need no
reason to slay. It is what they do. That you exist is offence
enough for such creatures.' He stepped forward and
snatched the bone from Boatfinder's hands. 'I will kill them
all. I will sink their damned ships. This I—'
    'Karsa!' Samar cut in.
    He swung to her, eyes blazing.
    'Before you vow anything so ... extreme, you might consider
something more achievable.' At his expression, she
hastened on, 'You could, for example, be content with
driving them from the land, back into their ships. Make the
forest ... unpalatable.'
    After a long, tense moment, the Teblor sighed. 'Yes.
That would suffice. Although I am tempted to swim after
them.'
    Boatfinder was looking at Karsa with eyes wide with
wonder and awe.
    For a moment, Samar thought that the Teblor was –
uncharacteristically – attempting humour. But no, the huge
warrior had been serious. And, to her dismay, she believed
him and so found nothing funny nor absurd in his words.
'The time for that decision can wait, can't it?'
    'Yes.' He scowled once more at Boatfinder. 'Describe
these revenants.'
    'Tall, but not as tall as you. Their flesh is the hue of
death. Eyes cold as ice. They bear iron weapons, and among
them are shamans whose very breath is sickness – terrible
clouds of poisonous vapour – all whom it touches die in
great pain.'
    Samar Dev said to Karsa, 'I think their use of the term
"revenant" is meant for anything or anyone not from their
world. But the foes they speak of come from ships. That
seems unlikely were they in truth undead. The breath of
shamans sounds like sorcery.'
    'Boatfinder,' Karsa said, 'when I am done here you will
lead me to the revenants.'
    The colour drained from the man's face. 'It is many,
many days of travel, Deliverer. I think to send word that
you are coming – to the clans of the north—'
    'No. You will accompany us.'
    'But – but why?'
    Karsa stepped forward, one hand snapping out to clutch
Boatfinder by the neck. He dragged the man close. 'You
shall witness, and in witnessing you will become more than
what you are now. You shall be prepared – for all that is
coming, to you and your miserable people.' He released the
man, who staggered back, gasping. 'My own people once
believed they could hide,' the Teblor said, baring his teeth.
'They were wrong. This I have learned, and this you will
now learn. You believe the revenants are all that shall
afflict you? Fool. They are but the first.'
    Samar watched the giant warrior walk back to his
butchering.
    Boatfinder stared after him with glistening, terror-filled
eyes. Then he spun about, hissed in his own language. Six
warriors rushed forward, past their leader, drawing knives as
they approached Karsa.
    'Teblor,' Samar warned.
    Boatfinder raised his hands. 'No! No harm is sought you,
Deliverer. They