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One hundred and sixty-three coins

Udinaas wiped sweat fro, over to the cauldron containing the melted wax He had no idea how much time had passed The stench kept his appetite at bay, but he had filled the hollow in his stomach a half-dozen times with cool water Outside, the rain had continued, battering on the roof, swirling over the ground beyond the walls A village in ed

He would have preferred a half-dozen Edur s conducting the laying of coins, with hi to the fire The last time he had done this in solitude had been with Uruth’s father, killed in battle by the Arapay He had been younger then, awed by the spectacle and his role in itsthe handle to the cauldron, Udinaas lifted it from the hearth and carefully carried it back to the corpse A thick coating over the front and sides of the corpse A short time for the wax to cool – not too much, so that it cracked when he turned over the body – then he would return to the gold coins

Udinaas paused for aover the dead Tiste Edur ‘Ah, Rhulad,’ he sighed ‘You could surely strut before the woun’

Trull started, then turned to find Fear standing at his shoulder ‘What? Oh Then what has been decided?’

‘Nothing’ His brother swung away and walked to the hearth His face twisted as he regarded the low fla proclaims our efforts a failure Worse, he believes we betrayed him He would hide that suspicion, but I see it none the less’

Trull was silent a an And hoift", from the very first’

‘I doubt it even rip on a dead warrior What sort of weapon is this, Fear? What sorcery rages on within it?’ He faced his brother ‘Did you look closely at that blade? Oh, skilfully done, but there are… shards, trapped in the iron Of so Any apprentice sword-smith could tell you that such a blade will shatter at first blow’

‘No doubt the sorcery invested would have prevented that,’ Fear replied

‘So,’ Trull sighed, ‘Rhulad’s body is being prepared’

‘Yes, it has begun The Warlock King has drawn our parents into the privacy of his longhouse All others are forbidden to enter There will be… negotiations’

‘The severing of their youngest son’s hands, in exchange for what?’