job, biggest one we done yet. Bad news is that girl we killed back in Korral was blooded. Those riders passed us a few nights back on the plains were after us an' I don't reckon they jus' gonna leave us be.
“Problem is being well known as we are means people see us, people talk 'bout us. Makes us easy ta find. Ain't your fault, Black Thorn. We're all of us pretty noticeable. Well, 'cept Green here. Ain't many southern sell-swords an' my colour makes me stand out. Never seen another as big as Bones. Henry here has a name almost big as yours in parts and there ain't no mistaking the bastard blood in Swift.
“Facts are we got folk lookin' fer us with intent an' a price on all our heads. We need ta get out o' this province an' with some great haste.”
“Even me?” Green asked.
“Even you.”
“Never been out of Forswai before. What are the other provinces like?”
“They're jus' the same but with less folk lookin' ta kill us,” Boss said and then turned back to Betrim. “We're headin' back ta Korral in the mornin'.”
“Shit,” Betrim cursed with some venom. “I'd rather fight a group o' hunters than an Arbiter, Boss.”
“What?” Green looked confused. “The Black Thorn is scared of an Arbiter?”
Both Betrim and the Boss ignored the boy. “Fact is, Thorn, we don't know that Arbiter's after ya. Those boys passed us on the road want our heads. That an' the job I got us is in Chade.”
“A boat trip an' all, Boss? S'got bad idea written all over it,” Betrim said.
“I ain't askin' opinions, Thorn. Jus' tellin' it like it is. We're headed back ta Korral at first light an' not by the roads. Need ta keep as out o' sight as possible. Good.”
It wasn't a question but Betrim nodded anyways. “Good.”
“I'm headed to my room. Henry.” The Boss looked at Thorn, his teeth flashing silver as he spoke. “Tell the other two when they done playin'.”
The BladeMaster
If someone had told Jezzet at the beginning of the day that she'd find herself running from Eirik's fort with only her clothes and her sword to her name and with her hands, arms, feet, legs and somehow her hair, covered in shit. Well if someone had told her that she wouldn't have believed them. But then if someone had told her just two hours ago that she'd make it out of the fort alive she wouldn't have believed them. Truth was Jezzet Vel'urn knew just how damned lucky she was and no amount of shit was going to convince her otherwise.
The tunnel ended a few hundred feet from the fort and opened up into a trickling of water that might once have been called a stream. The opening had been blocked up by earth and piled up refuse and Jez had to dig her way out. From the tunnel opening it was about a mile to the mountains, she reckoned, and so she had set off right away. No sense in hanging around. Once Constance's forces had secured the fort and the warlord realised Jez wasn't among the living or the dead the bitch would send people looking for her. Jezzet wanted to be well away by then.
The grass between the fort and the mountains was long and the ground underfoot was lumpy and treacherous and Jezzet's twisted ankle was screaming in pain with every step but she was alive. For now at least she was alive.
She glanced behind her and saw the hot orange glow and dark grey smoke of fire in the fort. That was a good thing. With any luck Constance's forces would be too busy putting out the fires to be looking out over the walls. With the moon so big and bright anyone who took the time to look eastwards would see her figure cutting through the grass. She'd be safer when she reached the mountains. The pass wound into and around the mountains. She'd never travelled it herself but she knew it was jagged, broken in places, dangerous and rarely travelled by anyone save the foolhardy and those with nothing left to lose. Jez was pretty sure she currently fit into both categories.
It seemed to take forever to reach the rocky base of the first mountain on her
“Problem is being well known as we are means people see us, people talk 'bout us. Makes us easy ta find. Ain't your fault, Black Thorn. We're all of us pretty noticeable. Well, 'cept Green here. Ain't many southern sell-swords an' my colour makes me stand out. Never seen another as big as Bones. Henry here has a name almost big as yours in parts and there ain't no mistaking the bastard blood in Swift.
“Facts are we got folk lookin' fer us with intent an' a price on all our heads. We need ta get out o' this province an' with some great haste.”
“Even me?” Green asked.
“Even you.”
“Never been out of Forswai before. What are the other provinces like?”
“They're jus' the same but with less folk lookin' ta kill us,” Boss said and then turned back to Betrim. “We're headin' back ta Korral in the mornin'.”
“Shit,” Betrim cursed with some venom. “I'd rather fight a group o' hunters than an Arbiter, Boss.”
“What?” Green looked confused. “The Black Thorn is scared of an Arbiter?”
Both Betrim and the Boss ignored the boy. “Fact is, Thorn, we don't know that Arbiter's after ya. Those boys passed us on the road want our heads. That an' the job I got us is in Chade.”
“A boat trip an' all, Boss? S'got bad idea written all over it,” Betrim said.
“I ain't askin' opinions, Thorn. Jus' tellin' it like it is. We're headed back ta Korral at first light an' not by the roads. Need ta keep as out o' sight as possible. Good.”
It wasn't a question but Betrim nodded anyways. “Good.”
“I'm headed to my room. Henry.” The Boss looked at Thorn, his teeth flashing silver as he spoke. “Tell the other two when they done playin'.”
The BladeMaster
If someone had told Jezzet at the beginning of the day that she'd find herself running from Eirik's fort with only her clothes and her sword to her name and with her hands, arms, feet, legs and somehow her hair, covered in shit. Well if someone had told her that she wouldn't have believed them. But then if someone had told her just two hours ago that she'd make it out of the fort alive she wouldn't have believed them. Truth was Jezzet Vel'urn knew just how damned lucky she was and no amount of shit was going to convince her otherwise.
The tunnel ended a few hundred feet from the fort and opened up into a trickling of water that might once have been called a stream. The opening had been blocked up by earth and piled up refuse and Jez had to dig her way out. From the tunnel opening it was about a mile to the mountains, she reckoned, and so she had set off right away. No sense in hanging around. Once Constance's forces had secured the fort and the warlord realised Jez wasn't among the living or the dead the bitch would send people looking for her. Jezzet wanted to be well away by then.
The grass between the fort and the mountains was long and the ground underfoot was lumpy and treacherous and Jezzet's twisted ankle was screaming in pain with every step but she was alive. For now at least she was alive.
She glanced behind her and saw the hot orange glow and dark grey smoke of fire in the fort. That was a good thing. With any luck Constance's forces would be too busy putting out the fires to be looking out over the walls. With the moon so big and bright anyone who took the time to look eastwards would see her figure cutting through the grass. She'd be safer when she reached the mountains. The pass wound into and around the mountains. She'd never travelled it herself but she knew it was jagged, broken in places, dangerous and rarely travelled by anyone save the foolhardy and those with nothing left to lose. Jez was pretty sure she currently fit into both categories.
It seemed to take forever to reach the rocky base of the first mountain on her
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