A Malazan Book of the Fallen Collection 4

of
many of your warriors. Have they been tested in battle? You
are a fool, Hadralt, to believe you won that bargain. The
traders you meet are in the employ of the Factor – he profits
on both sides of this war—'
    'A lie!'
    'I was in Drene,' Redmask said, 'less than two weeks ago.
I saw the wagons and their crates of cast-off weapons, the
iron blades that will shatter at the first blow against a
shield. Weapons break, are lost, yet this is what you
accepted, this is what you surrendered land for – land home
to the dust of our ancestors. Home to Awl spirits, land that
has drunk Awl blood.'
    'Letherii weapons—'
    'Must be taken from the corpses of soldiers – those are
the weapons worthy of the term, Hadralt. If you must use
their way of fighting, then you must use weapons of a
quality to match. Lest you invite your warriors to slaughter.
And this,' he added, 'is clearly what you were not prepared
to do. Thus, Hadralt, I am led to conclude that you knew
the truth. If so, then the traders paid you in more than
weapons. Did you share out the coin, War Leader? Do your
kin even know of the hoard you hide in your hut?'
    Redmask watched as the copper-faces slowly moved
away from Hadralt. Recognizing the betrayal their leader
had committed upon them, upon the Awl.
    'You intended surrender,' Redmask continued, 'didn't
you? You were offered an estate in Drene, yes? And slaves
and Indebted to do your bidding. You planned on selling off
our people, our history—'
    ' We cannot win! '
    Hadralt's last words. Three sword-blades erupted from his
chest, thrust into his back by his own copper-faces. Eyes
wide with shock, the firstborn son and slayer of Capalah,
last worthy leader of the Ganetok, stared across at
Redmask. Hook-blades fell from his hands, then he sagged
forward, sliding from the swords with a ghastly sucking
sound almost immediately replaced by the gush of blood.
    Eyes blank now in death, the corpse of Hadralt then
toppled face-first into the dust.
    Redmask returned the rygtha to its harness. 'Seeds fall
from the crown of the stalk. What is flawed there makes its
every child weak. The curse of cowardice has ended this
day. We are the Awl, and I am your war leader.' He paused,
looked round, then said, 'And so I shall lead you to war.'
    On the ridge overlooking the sprawling encampment,
Masarch made a gesture to sun and sky, then earth and
wind. 'Redmask now rules the Awl.'
    Kraysos, standing on his right, grunted then said, 'Did
you truly doubt he would succeed, Masarch? Kechra guard
his flanks. He is the charging crest of a river of blood, and
he shall flood these lands. And even as the Letherii drown
in it, so shall we.'
    'You cheated the death night, Kraysos, and so you still
fear dying.'
    On Masarch's other side, Theven snorted. 'The bledden
herb had lost most of its potency. It took neither of us
through the night. I screamed to the earth, Masarch. I
screamed and screamed. So did Kraysos. We do not fear
what is to come.'
    'Hadralt was killed by his own warriors,' Masarch said.
'From behind. This does not bode well.'
    'You are wrong,' Theven said. 'Redmask's words have
turned them all. I did not think such a thing would be
possible.'
    'I suspect we will be saying that often,' noted Kraysos.
    'We should walk down, now,' said Masarch. 'We are his
first warriors, and behind us now there are tens of
thousands.'
    Theven sighed. 'The world has changed.'
    'We will live a while longer, you mean.'
    The young warrior glanced across at Masarch. 'That is
for Redmask to decide.'
    Brohl Handar rode at the Atri-Preda's side as the troop
made its way down the trader track, still half a day from
Drene's gates. The soldiers at their backs were silent,
stoking anger and dreams of vengeance, no doubt. There
had been elements of Bluerose cavalry stationed in Drene
since shortly after the annexation of Bluerose itself. As far
as Brohl Handar understood, the acquisition of Bluerose
had not been as bloodless as Drene had been. A complicated
religion had served to unite disaffected elements of
the population, led by a mysterious priesthood the Letherii
had been unable to entirely exterminate. Reputedly some
rebel groups still existed, active mostly in the mountains
lining the western side of the territory.
    In any case, the old Letherii policy of transferring
Bluerose units to distant parts of the empire continued
under Edur rule, certainly suggesting that risks remained.
Brohl Handar wondered how the newly appointed Edur
overseer in