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“Tiiant, hands crimson

A wet red splutter, then, “Burn the dead—”

Sven Broke-Oar had time for no more Snorri crushed his skull with a sharp blow of the heavy buckler

“Snorri” I couldn’tfro them clear and ice-blue

“Jal!” Despite his wounds he was atthe hood of ht he was going to help ed me across to lie beside Ein

The Red Viking next to Ein looked dead enough, but Snorri took the knife from the man’s hand and cut his throat with it just to be sure “Alive?” He turned to Ein and slapped hiroaned and opened his eyes “Good What can you do for him, Jal?”

“Me?” I lifted an arestion—and found that I’d been stabbed, high in the bicep “Hell!” Rolling over was an agony, but it let me confirm another flash of h too “I’m worse than Ein is” With the injuries I’d taken without knowing or re them, it was almost true But Ein had a stab wound in his chest One that bubbled and sucked with each breath out and in The killing kind

“He’s worse, Jal And you can’t heal yourself We know that”

“I can’t heal anyone without half-dyingwould at least stop each breath being a torture My side had been filled with broken glass, I was sure of it

“Theto break out? I can al in his voice Not for himself, never that, but for the last of his countrymen

“Jesus! You people will be the death of me” And I slapped my palm to Ein’s stab wound—harder than necessary

In an instant ht to look at, and every ache I had beca beyond comprehension I snatched , blood and drool dripping from my mouth

“Good Now Tuttugu!” And I felt led to sit up, poking at the unbroken but bloodstained skin where the knife had slid beneath his ribs

Snorri set aze, both of us too weak for talking The Viking, who had been pale to start with, now lay as white as frost Snorri pulled Tuttugu around, u’s hand clear of the stomach wound and drew in an involuntary breath