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Back Before They Are Hanged Save as PDF
Chapters (54)
  1. Contents
  2. PART I
  3. The Great Leveller
  4. Best Laid Plans
  5. Questions
  6. The Wounds of the Past
  7. The Condition of the Defences
  8. The Tiling About Trust
  9. Allies
  10. Campfire Politics
  11. Small Crimes
  12. Rain
  13. Bloody Company
  14. Long Shadows
  15. And Next… My Gold
  16. Fear
  17. One Hundred Words
  18. The Blind Lead the Blind
  19. Prince Ladisla's Stratagem
  20. Until Sunset
  21. Long Odds
  22. The Road to Victory
  23. Necessary Evils
  24. Among the Stones
  25. The Fruits of Boldness
  26. One for Dinner
  27. One of Them
  28. PART II
  29. Heading North
  30. Scant Mercy
  31. So This is Pain
  32. One Step at a Time
  33. The Rest is Wasted Breath
  34. A Matter of Time
  35. Scars
  36. Furious
  37. To the Last Man
  38. Jewel of Cities
  39. Luck
  40. Beneath the Ruins
  41. No Good for Each Other
  42. The Hero's Welcome
  43. Cold Comfort
  44. The High Places
  45. Coming Over
  46. Cheap at the Price
  47. To the Edge of the World
  48. Before the Storm
  49. Questions
  50. Holding the Line
  51. A Fitting Punishment
  52. The Abode of Stones
  53. Back to the Mud
  54. Acknowledgments

Jezal stared at the bodies, still lying where they had found them, their eyes staring accusingly up into the darkening sky. 'Shouldn't we bury them?'

'If you like,' grunted Ferro, springing up into the saddle in one easy motion. 'Maybe you could bury them in puke.'

Bloody Company

Bloody Company

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Riding, that was what they were doing. That was what they'd been doing for days. Riding, looking for Bethod, with winter coming on. Bog and forest, hill and valley. Rain and sleet, fog and snow. Looking for signs that he was coming their way, and knowing that there wouldn't be any. A lot of wasted time, to the Dogman's mind, but once you've been fool enough to ask for a task, you better do the one you're given.

'Stupid bloody job, this,' snarled Dow, wincing and twitching and fussing with his reins. He'd never been too much of a one for horseback. Liked to keep his feet on the ground and pointed at the enemy. 'Waste of our fucking time. How d'you put up with scouting, Dogman? Stupid bloody job!'

'Someone's got to get it done, don't they? Least I got a horse now.'

'Well I'm right delighted for you!' he sneered. 'You got a horse!'

The Dogman shrugged his shoulders. 'Better than walking.'

'Better than walking, eh?' scoffed Dow. 'That just binds it all up!'

'I got new breeches and all. Not to mention good woollens. The wind don't blow half so cold round my fruits no more.'

That got a chuckle from Tul, but it seemed Dow wasn't in a laughing mood. 'Wind round your fruits? By the fucking dead, boy, is this what we're come to? You forgotten who you are? You was Ninefingers' closest! You came over the mountains with him in the first place! You're in all them songs along with him! You scouted at the head of armies. A thousand men, all following your say-so!'

'That didn't turn out too happy for anyone concerned,' muttered Dogman, but Dow was already laying into Tul.

'And how about you, big man? Tul Duru Thunderhead, strongest bastard in the North. Wrestled bears and won, I heard. Held the pass all alone, while your clan got clean away. A giant, they say, ten feet tall, born under a storm, and with a belly full o' thunder. What about it, giant? The only thunder I've heard you make lately is when you take a shit!'