A Malazan Book of the Fallen Collection 3

T'amber's sword. Kalam turned his back
on that fight, preparing to meet the Hands approaching
from the street.
    Daggers flickered through the air towards him. He threw
himself down and to the right, regaining his feet in time to
meet the first four Claws. A flurry of parries as Kalam
worked his way further right, pulling himself beyond the
range of two of the attackers. Long-knife lashed out, opening
one man's face, and as the man reeled back, Kalam
stepped close, impaling the man's left thigh whilst blocking
a frenzied attack from the other Claw. Pivoting on the first
Claw's pinned thigh, he twisted behind the man and thrust
with his free weapon over his victim's right shoulder, the
point tearing into the second attacker's neck.
    Tugging free the blade impaling the thigh, Kalam
brought that arm up to lock beneath the first Claw's chin,
where he flexed hard and, with a single, savage wrenching
motion, snapped the man's neck.
    The one stabbed in the throat had stumbled, his jugular
severed and blood spraying through the fingers grasping
futilely at the wound. The last two of the four assassins
were coming up fast. Beyond them, Kalam saw, the
other Hands were racing for the Adjunct and T'amber.
    Snarling his rage, Kalam launched himself past the two
Claws, taking their attacks on his long-knives, slamming
his foot into the nearer one's right leg, midway between
knee and ankle, breaking bones. As the assassin shrieked
her pain, the second attacker, seeking to move past her,
collided with the falling woman, then lost balance entirely
as both feet slid out on spilled blood.
    Kalam's wild sprint struck the first group of Claws charging
the Adjunct and Tavore. Coming from their left and
slightly behind them, his sudden arrival forced a half-dozen
attackers to swing round to meet him. Taking counter-attacks
with parries, he threw his shoulder into the chest of
the nearest Claw. The crack of ribs, a whoosh of breath
driven from the lungs, and the attacker left his feet, flung
backward to foul two Claws directly behind him. One of
these stumbled too close to Kalam as he surged past, within
reach of his left long-knife, and the cut he delivered into
the victim's neck nearly severed the head.
    Only two of the remaining four were close enough to
spring at him. One came low from the left, the other high
from the right. Kalam slashed across the path of the first
attacker, felt his blade scrape along both knives in the
Claw's hands. He followed that with a knee between
the figure's eyes. The second attacker he forced back with a
fully extended arm and long-knife, and the Claw, leaning
back in desperation, left both feet planted – Kalam dropped
the high feint and cut vertically down through the
attacker's stomach to the crotch.
    The Claw squealed as intestines tumbled out between his
knees. Tearing his long-knife loose, Kalam continued
his charge – and heard someone closing on him from
behind. Dropping into a crouch, Kalam skidded to a halt,
then threw himself backward. A dagger sank into his left
waist, just beneath the ribcage, the point angled upward –
seeking his heart – and then the two assassins collided,
Kalam flinging his head back, connecting with the Claw's
forehead. A second dagger skidded along mail beneath his
right arm. Twisting away from the knife impaling him, he
spun round and punched his elbow into the side of the
Claw's head, crushing the cheekbone. The attacker
sprawled, losing his grip on the knife in Kalam's side.
    Gasping, Kalam forced himself forward once more. Every
motion sent the fierce fire of agony through his chest, but
he had no time to pull out the knife, as the last two Claws
who had turned to meet him now rushed him.
    But too close together, almost side by side – Kalam leapt
to his right to take himself beyond the range of one of
them. He ducked a horizontal slash seeking his throat,
caught the second knife with an edge-on-bone parry of the
Claw's forearm, then back-hand thrust into the attacker's
throat. Even as that victim began pitching forward, Kalam
settled his left shoulder against the chest – and pushed
hard, following the body as it slammed into the other
assassin. All three went down, with Kalam on top. The
corpse between him and the live Claw snagged one of his
long-knives – pulling that hand free, Kalam stabbed thumb
and index finger into the assassin's eyes, hooking with the
thumb and pushing ever deeper with the finger, until
the body ceased spasming.
    Hearing more