'More'n likely.' Tul held his sword up to the light, peered at it, then set to polishing up the blade again. 'Always liked to have a plan, did Bethod.'

'And what do them that hold our leash have to say?' sneered Dow. 'What sort of work's the Furious got for his animals?'

'Burr wants us to move north a way, through the woods, see if Bethod's left a weak spot up there.'

'Huh,' snorted Dow. 'Bethod ain't in the habit of leaving holes. Not unless he's left one he means for us to fall into. Fall into and break our necks.'

'Well I guess we'd better be careful where we tread then, eh?'

'More bloody errands.'

Dogman reckoned he was getting about as sick of Dow's moaning as Threetrees used to be. 'And just what else would it be, eh? That's what life is. A bunch of errands. If you're worth a shit you do your best at 'em. What's got up your arse anyway?'

'This!' Dow jerked his head into the trees. 'Just this! Nothing's changed that much, has it? We might be over the Whiteflow, and back in the North, but Bethod's dug in good and proper up there, with no way for the Union to get round him that won't leave their arses hanging out. And if they do knock him off them hills, what then? If they get to Carleon and they get in, and they burn it just as good as Ninefingers did the last time, so what? Don't mean nothing. Bethod'll keep going, just like he always does, fighting and falling back, and there'll always be more hills to sit on, and more tricks to play. Time'll come, the Union will have had their fill and they'll piss off south and leave us to it. Then Bethod's going to turn around, and what d'you know? He'll be the one chasing us all the way across the fucking North and back. Winter, summer, winter, summer, and it's more of the same old shit. Here we are, fewer of us than there used to be, but still pissing around in the woods. Feel familiar?'

It did, somewhat, now it was mentioned, but Dogman didn't see what he could do about it. 'Logen's back, now, eh? That'll help.'

Dow snorted again. 'Hah! Just when did the Bloody-Nine bring anything but death along with him?'

'Steady now,' grunted Tul. 'You owe him, remember? We all do.'