Took Dogman a while to find the others. They were nowhere near where they should've been by now. Being honest, they weren't far from where they were when he left. Dow was the first one he saw, sat on a big stone with the usual scowl on his face, glaring down into a gully. Dogman came up next to him, saw what he was looking at. The four Southerners, clambering over the rocks, slow and clumsy as new-born calves. Tul and Threetrees were waiting for them at the bottom, looking mighty short on patience.

'Bethod's heading north,' said Dogman.

'Good for him.'

'Not surprised?'

Dow licked his teeth and spat. 'He's beat every clan that dared face him, made himself a King where there wasn't one before, gone to war with the Union and he's giving 'em a kicking. He's turned the world on its head, the bastard. Nothing he does surprises me now.'

'Huh.' Dogman reckoned he was right enough there. 'You lot ain't got far.'

'No we ain't. This is some right fucking baggage you've saddled us with here, and no mistake.' He watched the four of 'em fumbling their way down the gully below, shaking his head like he'd never seen such a waste of flesh. 'Some right fucking baggage.'

'If you're telling me to feel shamed 'cause I saved some lives that day, I don't. What should I have done?' asked Dogman. 'Left 'em to die?'

'That's one idea. We'd be moving twice the speed without 'em, and eating a deal better and all.' He flashed a nasty grin. 'There's only one that I could find a use for.'

Dogman didn't have to ask which one. The girl was at the back. He could hardly see a woman's shape to her, all wrapped up as she was against the cold, but he could guess it was under there, and it made him nervous. Strange thing, having a woman along. Quite the sorry rarity, since they went north over the mountains, all them months ago. Even seeing one seemed like some kind of a guilty treat. Dogman watched her clambering on the rocks, dirty face half turned towards them. Tough-looking girl, he thought. Seemed like she'd had her share of knocks.

'I reckon she'd struggle,' Dow muttered to himself. 'I reckon she'd kick some.'

'Alright, Dow,' snapped Dogman. 'Best calm yourself down, lover. You know how Threetrees feels about all that. You know what happened to his daughter. He'd cut your fucking fruits off if he heard you talking that way.'

'What?' Dow said, all innocence. 'I'm just talking, aren't I? You can't hardly blame me for that. When's the last time any one of us had a woman?'