The Heroes

it,’ said Reachey. ‘Don’t worry on that score.’
    ‘I’m not. That’s why you’re leading off. I want your lads to carry my standard, nice and clear up at the front. And Golden’s, and Ironhead’s, and yours. Where everyone can see.’
    ‘Make ’em think it’s our big effort.’
    ‘Any luck they’ll pull some men off from the Heroes, leave the stones weaker held. Once they’re in the open fields between hill and town, I’ll let slip Golden’s boys and he’ll tear their arses out. Meantime me, and Ironhead, and Tenways’ll make the proper effort on the Heroes.’
    ‘How d’you plan to work it?’
    Dow flashed that hungry grin of his. ‘Run up that hill and kill everything living.’
    ‘They’ll have had time to get set, and that’s some tough ground to charge. It’s where they’ll be strongest. We could go around—’
    ‘Strongest here.’ Dow dug his sword into the ground in front of Skarling’s Chair. ‘Weakest here.’ And he tapped at his chest with a finger. ‘We’ve been going around the sides for months, they won’t be expecting us front on. We break ’em at the Heroes, we break ’em here,’ and he thumped his chest again, ‘and the rest all crumbles. Then Golden can follow up, chase ’em right across the fords if need be. All the way to Adwein. Scale should be ready on the right by then, can take the Old Bridge. With you in Osrung in weight, when the rest o’ the Union turn up tomorrow all the best ground’ll be ours.’
    Reachey slowly stood. ‘Right y’are, Chief. We’ll make it a red day. A day for the songs.’
    ‘Shit on the songs,’ said Dow, standing himself. ‘I’ll take just victory.’
    They clasped hands a moment, then Reachey moved for the entrance, saw Craw and gave a big gap-toothed smile.
    ‘Old Caul Reachey.’ And Craw held out his hand.
    ‘Curnden Craw, as I live and breathe.’ Reachey folded it in one of his then slapped the other down on top. ‘Ain’t enough of us good men left.’
    ‘Those are the times.’
    ‘How’s the knee?’
    ‘You know. It is how it is.’
    ‘Mine too. Yon Cumber?’
    ‘Always with a joke ready. How’s Flood getting on?’
    Reachey grinned. ‘Got him looking after some new recruits. Right shower o’ piss-water, in the main.’
    ‘Maybe they’ll shape up.’
    ‘They better had, and fast. I hear we got a battle coming.’ Reachey clapped him on the arm as he passed. ‘Be waiting for your order, Chief!’ And he left Craw and Black Dow watching each other over a few strides of rubble-strewn, weed-sprouting, nettle-waving old mud. Birds twittered, leaves rustled, the hint of distant metal serving notice there was bloody business due.
    ‘Chief.’ Craw licked his lips, no idea how this was going to go.
    Dow took a long breath in and screamed at the top of his voice. ‘Didn’t I tell you to hold on to that
fucking
hill!’
    Craw went cold as the echoes rang from the crumbling walls. Looked like it might not go well at all. He wondered if he might find himself stripped in a cage before sundown. ‘Well, I was holding on to it all right … until the Union showed up …’
    Dow came closer, sheathed sword still in one fist, and Craw had to make himself not back off. Dow leaned forwards and Craw had to make himself not flinch. Dow raised one hand and put it gently down on Craw’s sore shoulder, and he had to make himself not shudder. ‘Sorry ’bout this,’ said Dow quietly, ‘but I’ve a reputation to look to.’
    A wave of giddy relief. ‘’Course, Chief. Let rip.’ He narrowed his eyes as Dow took another breath.
    ‘You
useless
old limping
fuck
!’ Spraying Craw with spit, then patting the bruised side of his face, none too gently. ‘You made a fight of it, then?’
    ‘Aye. With Hardbread and a few of his lads.’
    ‘I remember that old bastard. How many did he have?’
    ‘Twenty-two.’
    Dow bared his teeth somewhere between smile and scowl. ‘And you, what, ten?’
    ‘Aye, with Shivers.’
    ‘And you saw ’em off?’
    ‘Well—’
    ‘Wish I’d fucking been there!’ Dow twitched with violence, eyes fixed on nothing like he could see Hardbread and his boys coming up that slope and they couldn’t come fast enough for him.
‘Wish
I’d been there!’ And he lashed out with the pommel of his sheathed sword and struck splinters from the nearest pillar, making Craw take a careful step back. ‘’Stead of sitting back here fucking
talking.
Talking, talking, fucking talking!’ Dow