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Karsa sought to rise once more, but the shaft of wood held hirimace
‘What is your na, grandson of Pahlk-’
‘Pahlk? The Uryd who visited centuries ago?’
‘To slay scores of children-’
The man’s nod was serious as he interjected, ‘Children, yes, it makes sense for your kind to call us that But Pahlk killed no-one, not at first He came down from the pass, half starved and fevered The first farmers who’d settled here took him in, nourished him back to health It was only then that he irl escaped,the lake’s south shore to Orbs, and told the detach they needed to know about the Teblor Since that time, of course, the Sunyd slaves have told us even more You are Uryd We’ve not reached your tribe-you’ve had no bounty hunters as yet, but you will Within a century, I’d hazard, there will be no more Teblor in the fastnesses of Laederon Plateau The only Teblor will be the ones branded and in chains Plying the nets on the fishing boats, as the Sunyd now do Tell nize me?’
‘You are the one who escaped us above the pass Who came too late to warn his fellow children Who, I kno, is full of lies Your tiny voice insults the Teblor tongue It hurts my ears’
The man smiled ‘Too bad You should reconsider, in any case, warrior For I a you don’t die of your wounds first Of course, you Teblor are uncoh, as my companions have just been re your lips, which is a good sign, and rather astonishing, since you’ve four lungs, while we have two’
Another figure had appeared and now spoke to the tattooed ed ‘Karsa Orlong of the Uryd,’ he called down, ‘soldiers are about to descend, to tie ropes to your li on what’s left of the town’s factor, which has soer up here, since he was not a well-liked est, if you wish to live, that you not resist the, uh, warleader’s nervous volunteers’
Karsa watched as four soldiers were slowly lowered down on ropes He hly bound his wrists, ankles and upper ar so
The soldiers were quickly dragged back up, then the ropes were drawn taut, and Karsa was steadily lifted He watched the shaft of splintered wood sloithdrawing froht shoulder blade, through ht of his clavicle on that side As he was pulled free, pain overwhel hi on the warehouse floor, faces crowding hi to hih he could not understand the words raw hatred rode the tone, and Karsa kneas being cursed, in the na ancestors The thought pleased him, and he smiled
The soldiers flinched back as one
The tattooed lowlander, whose hand had awakened him, was crouched down at Karsa’s side ‘Hood’s breath,’ he muttered ‘Are all Uryd like you? Or are you the one the priests spoke of? The one who stalked their dreaht? Ah well, it doesn’t matter, I suppose, for it seems their fears were unfounded Look at you Half dead, with a whole town eager to see you and your companion flayed alive-there’s not a fa, thanks to you Grasp the world by the throat? Not likely; you’ll need Oponn’s luck to live out the hour’
The broken arrow shaft had been driven deeper into Karsa’s back with the fall, gouging into the bone of his shoulder blade Blood was spreading out on the floorboards beneath him
There was a commotion as a nelander arrived, this one tall for his kind, thin with a severe, weather-lined face He was dressed in shiold thread sewn into intricate patterns The guard spoke to hi, nor did his expression change When the guard was finished, the newcoestured with one hand and turned away
The guard looked down at Karsa once ar, the man I work for, most of the ti, and so has prepared for you a… a lesson, of sorts’ Theto the soldiers There followed a brief argu from one of the soldiers