The Crippled God

at Badan Gruk.
    The sergeant shrugged. ‘Just our luck, Captain, that it’s him got the best eyes here.’
    ‘Soldier,’ said Fiddler.
    Vastly Blank looked up, smiled.
    ‘Captain wants to know what you saw from up there,’ Badan Gruk said.
    ‘We’re surrounded.’ He began pulling at a torn toenail.
    Fiddler made a fist, raised it for a moment, and then let his hand fall to his side again. ‘How many?’
    Vastly Blank looked back up, smiled. ‘Maybe three thousand.’ He brought up most of the nail, which he’d prised off, and squinted at it, wiping the blood away.
    ‘And?’
    ‘Banded leather, Captain. Some splint. Not much chain. Round shields and spears, javelins, curved swords. Some archers.’ He wiped more blood from the nail, but it was still mottled brown.
    ‘They’re getting ready to attack?’
    ‘Not yet,’ Vastly Blank replied. ‘I smell their sweat.’
    ‘You what?’
    ‘Long march.’
    ‘Best nose, too,’ Badan Gruk offered.
    Vastly Blank popped the nail into his mouth, made sucking sounds.
    Sighing, Fiddler moved away.
    The sky to the east was lightening, almost colourless, with streaks of silver and pewter close to the horizon. The sound of the Kolansii soldiers was a soft clatter coming at them from all sides. The enemy taking position, readying shields and weapons. Ranks of archers were forming up, facing the hill.
    Sergeant Urb heard Commander Hedge talking to his own dozen or so archers, but couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. Shifting his heavy shield, he edged closer to where Hellian sat. He couldn’t keep his eyes from her. She is so beautiful now. So pure and clean and the awful truth is, I liked her better when she looked like a bird that’s flown into a wall. At least then I had a chance with her. A drunk woman will take anyone, after all, so long as they clean up after them and take care of them, and got the coin for more to drink .
    ‘Take cover – they’re drawing!’
    He worked his way back under his shield.
    He heard Fiddler. ‘Hedge!’
    ‘After the first salvo!’
    Distant thrums . Hollow whistling, and suddenly arrows thudded the ground and snapped and skidded on rock. One pained howl and a chorus of curses.
    Urb looked across at her to see if she was all right. Two arrows were stuck in her shield and there was a lovely startled look on her face.
    ‘I love you!’ Urb shouted.
    She stared at him. ‘What?’
    At that moment a thick rushing sound filled the air. He saw her flinch back down, but these weren’t arrows. He angled himself up, saw a band of enemy archers on the ground, writhing, and, pelting back towards the barrow, one of Hedge’s Bridgeburners, his shoulders covered in turf, his uniform grey and brown with dirt.
    Dug a hole, did he? Hit the archers with some gods-awful grenado .
    Hedge shouted, ‘Archers down!’
    ‘Gods below!’ someone bellowed. ‘What was that blue stuff? They’re rotting to bones!’
    Looking over, Urb saw the accuracy of that assessment. Whatever had splashed all over the archers had dissolved their flesh. Even the bones and quivers filled with arrows were nothing but paste.
    Now an officer was stepping out from the ring of Kolansii infantry – tall, white-skinned.
    Corporal Clasp crawled up beside him. ‘That’s one of those Fuckeral’s, isn’t it?’
    ‘You!’ shouted Hellian, pointing a finger at Urb. ‘What did you say?’
    The Forkrul Assail then roared – impossibly loud, the sound hammering against the hillside. Urb was driven into the ground by the concussion. He clawed at his ears. A second roar—
    And then it seemed to dim, as if muffled.
    A quavering voice lifted from a nearby trench. ‘Worm says fuck you, Assail!’
    ‘Is that you I’m smelling again, Wid?’
    Urb uncurled, straightened up, though still on his knees.
    He could see the Forkrul Assail. Watched him roaring for a third time – but the sound barely reached through.
    A rock sailed out, landed well short of the Pure, bounced and rolled. The enemy commander seemed to flinch from it nevertheless, and then he whirled.
    ‘Here they come!’
    Hellian’s voice was much closer and much louder. ‘What did you say?’
    He twisted round. Corporal Clasp was lying between them, staring back and forth.
    ‘What in Hood’s name is with you two?’
    ‘I love you!’ Urb shouted.
    When he saw her delighted grin, Urb clambered over a grunting Clasp. Hellian pitched up to meet him, her mouth hard against his own.
    Pinned by Urb’s