---
# System prepended metadata

title: Reaper's Gale 9-12

---

# Reaper's Gale 9-12

## Chapter 9

The epigraph sets the tone of the chapter, it describes a warrior king who is confused at the pleasure he takes in killing his enemies.

Sheltatha has been freed by Sukul and brought to a quiet place for rest and recuperation from nearly losing her mind while trapped in an Azath barrow. Sheltatha carries bloodless wounds and has aged enough to look like a T’lan Imass herself. She recalls that she was struck from behind by Menandore and wonders why Sukul was spared. Sukul says she was spared because she didn’t present any threat to Menandore. These 2 decide to form an alliance and ensure both Menandore and Silchas are brought down. Sheltatha warns her that they need an exit plan because they are very likely going to fail. She even goes on to say that Silchas allowed himself to be backstabbed by Scabandari  and trapped in an Azath so he could escape death at the hands of the Elder gods. After being barrow-mates for millennia she knows that his way of thinking is draconean/timeless. 

Taxilian and Samar share wine at a restaurant, they have been waiting for rhulad to call the challenges. He informs her that the city of Letheras is an architect’s marvel. The city has been built on top of an older city which still stands. He says that courses of energy have been woven through the city and the collapse of Scale House has revealed to him a wound dripping ancient blood. They head out to gawk at the rubble of Scale House.

Icarium walks around the compound meant for the duels, where other champions practice sparring. Veed observes him and thinks he seems to have stepped out of one of the friezes on the walls. Veed struggles with his own morality. He knows the Nameless ones consider Icarium only as a weapon and that is what is expected from him. But can Veed ‘worship a house and not the living, breathing ones who dwell inside’? He thinks of man as both house and dweller, haunting the old rooms till he comes face to face with his most evil reflection. (the same simile comes up again, in much more detail, a little later from a different character). Icarium then tells Veed that he is not yet ready for the city and they wont be called soon because Rhulad is afraid. 

Varat Taun, the Bluerose Andii, second to Atri-Preda Yan Tovis, who helped carry back Icarium with Veed after the slaughter at the end of tBH has lost his mind. They travelled the warrens and came into contact with Chaos which turned him mad. Yan Tovis has heard from Veed about the destruction of the Throne fo Shadow and now the First Throne. We learn that somehow the Edur warlocks could no longer open paths to reach these thrones and they felt it was ‘Hot, the very flesh of existence rages like fire’

One of the champions is an unlikely Cabalhi monk who gives no name. Yan Tovis has asked him to help with Varat’s healing. The monk is painted exactly like a clown and says his sect is called the Mockers and they are forbidden laughter. Cabal history:  They had 3012 sects which were all dedicated to One God. After many civil wars they all came together to form the Unified Sects under the motto “Belief in the One God occludes all other concerns”. He goes on to say that the One God has written down nothing and has left everything upto mortal interpretations. The sect of Mockers believe that the One God is insane. (why does this go on and on? Answers in the epigraph of next chapter)
He says he joined up with the Letherii fleet because he needed to assess them. He assesses Varat and declares there is an imbalance in the Ten Thousand Secretions of the flesh and offers to heal him. Meanwhile he also assesses Yan Tovis and judges that all her Secretions flow clearly as a result of remorseless objectivity. He heals Varat using Denul and Mockra. Varat tells Yan about Icarium, this name triggers the Cabalhii monk who rushes out of the room. All Yan wants to know is if Icarium can actually kill Rhulad, Varat says yes and she decides to leave the city with him and the monk as far north as possible. She plans to send Varat to Bluerose back to his family, while she herself has to go to Fent Reach. She offers to help Taralack out of the city too, but he refuses as he has to share Icarium’s fate. 

The Errant roams around the abandoned portions of the Eternal Domicile. Long ago, he had walked out into the mortal world retaining only a sliver of his power. He is no longer worshipped, with no true temples or priests. He remembers the good old days with mild regret when he commanded all the Holds and Tiles but now, the world seems to have grown old. He had reached out to his worshippers to offer wisdom but they were happy to keep shedding blood in his name. He walks into his old broken altar and finds Fener in hiding. He is in the mortal world too, but he still has his powers which makes him vulnerable. Th Errant says that the Forkrul Assail’s pogrom against his followers had already decimated his powers before he gave up what was left. He warns Fener that since he still has all his raw power, they would want to take it from his blood. Fener says that he waits one final battle where he will die. In return for sanctuary at the Errant’s temple, he offers info. The Beast hold is awakened and the Wolves flank the throne. Now Errant understands why the Cedance is in flux, because a Hold has awakened. 

Feather Witch, at a different corner of the Eternal Dom, is also frustrated with the lackof clarity in the Cedance. (pg 350 interpretation). She puts her tiles away and picks up a ‘Compendium of the Gods’ (which if published would be unequivocally cool). Ceda Kuru Qan’s ghost shows up and warns her to be careful while casting the tiles. He also says ‘knowing and being able to do something about it are not the same’ which is as Kuru Qan as it gets. 

Samar senses a lot of rat spirits at the fallen Scale House. But offers no explanation. Bugg has acquired retired hens. Alongwith Tehol, he has been waiting for Samar to leave. Bugg has seen what she has sensed, that the collapsed building has made a door. 

Sirryn Kanar, one more abominable patriotist in a city of abominable patriostists, is also a palace guard. “He feared what he could not understand and he despised what he feared”. He is a staunch follower of Karos who seems to have simplified the world and its problems,  so that he now lives an untroubled life with no uncertainty. He knows that women look down on him and smirk, but he also knows how to wipe the smirks off their faces. With his 2 guards, he has killed the Edur bodyguard of Nisall (recall Bruthen telling her that they are a people of Shadow and have nothing to fear), and kidnaps/arrests Nisall and a senior handmaiden. 

Bruthen trana finds out within the bell that she has been taken away. His patience with Karos has ended. Gathering 16 warriors and a warlock, he begins to march to the headquarters of the Patriotists. He is almost immediately stopped by Triban, who gets a much needed shake up. He kills the Chancellor’s bodyguards and leaves. With this, Triban swears revenge and goes to find a healer. 

Nisall is met by Karos himself. He informs her that the senior handmaiden, Tissin, who was almost a mother to her has been decapitated. He also says that with her dying breath, her ancestry was revealed to be Shake. He also seems to be aware that the few temples of the Errant in the city are false ones. He asks for a written confession. Nisall agrees to provide one. In his office, she has a peek at the puzzle box and makes a joke if the insect is under investigation as well. She writes her confession and slowly reveals that she is pregnant with Rhulad’s child. He doubts her, so she asks for a healer for a rapid pregnancy test. He leaves to get more writing materials but immediately returns and stabs her to death- Bruthen Trana is in the building. He has the edur collect the corpses and the confession. He beats up Karos and nearly kills him but is stopped, once again, by his second- K’ar Penath. He leaves without even offering a healer to the wounded Letherii guards. 

Tanal sees that Janath is missing, panics, concludes that Karos has somehow removed her to prepare for Nisall and gets mad. He finds out about the Edur ambush and wonders why Karos was spared. He meets his master, they decide that any guard still living will be declared traitors and wait for a healer. Meanwhile, Tanal finds out that Karos had nothing to do with Janath’s actual disappearance, panics once again. 

At the palace, Bruthen decides there is no need to inform the emperor about the goings on. He wants to remind the Letherii who is the boss. K’ar, the one reasonable Edur, calls it a civil war. Bruthen wonders what set off the patriotists to arrest Nisall, and wants Hannan to find out. 

Janath wakes up just as Tehol is recalling his youthful crush on her. She is physically healed but her other wounds are still elusive. She recognises Tehol and calls him a lecherous worm. After a bit of banter, she says she is glad to be here. Tanal beat and raped her while declaring his undying love for her, with Tehol she finds his infatuation harmless which reminds her of better days. 

Liberty Consign have a meeting headed by Rautos. He explains the financial crisis and that efforts are on to find the criminal. They wait to see which enterprise will topple first, so that the patriotists can be called in. They discuss the Edur conflict and Nisall’s death and decide that they should begin preparing to distance themselves from that organisation. Though Rautos seems to be in full control, he has developed a tic of wiping his hands repeatedly after seeing a snagged corpse at his estate’s landing. 


## Chapter 10

The Epigraph tells us why the Cabalhii monk was triggered by Icarium’s name. 

Hedge walks across this realm of the dead where a playful wind talks to him. He holds on to the idea of being made of flesh and the wind tries to talk him out of it. Along the way he sees a fallen altar and a few dragon skeletons which seemed to have died by crushed ribs. The bones were covered in glass, as if its flesh had vitrified. He sees the hole in the “sky” through which the altar has probably tumbled down. The wind gets colder and he realises he’s getting closer. The wind questions him whose numbers are the most among the fallen. He replies its children, he confesses to despair but he will still keep going because he is a soldier. Ahead of him, he sees the tracks of a T’lan Imass headed in the same direction. He continues on and at one point calls the wind Hood’s Breath. 

Yan Tovis and company are riding north. Varat briefly wonders if Yan is an Edur sympathiser or a coward, becuae she gave up Fent Reach without a fight. He recalls that it was a small child who had taken away Icarium’s rage. He also knows that there is no such person in Letheras to stop Icarium and Rhulad from endlessly fighting. He thinks of Taralack, the only one who knows Icarium’s true power and decides to head back to the city. The Cabalhii monk too decides to accompany him back. 

Trull, Onrack and Quick Ben wade through the endless lake. At a drop off, Quick Ben uses Serc to fly, Onrack turns to silt and Trull swims across. They seem to be walking across a huge concourse similar to those found in Stratem where the K’chain lived before the Short tails rebelled. Onrack calls Trull the Knight of Shadow. He blames Cotillion but is quickly told that it was either the E’resal or his fighting against Icarium that gave him the title. As they walk, QB thinks this is the Abyss trying to swallow the Shadow realm which is dying because all the borders are open wounds. Trull and Onrack talk of how the t’lan’s memories are being awakened. He is not giving into oblivion because he wants to be with his friend. 

Quick Ben tries to find a gate out of this place, feels the fabric of this realm which seems to be feminine and is aware of him. It feels cool to his touch and swears “Hood’s Breath”. A gate opens and he finds it leads to a Tundra region.

Shurq Ellale has been denied entry to meet Shake Brullyg and waits around at a tavern. She is with Skargen the Pretty and the Innkeep, Ballant, seems to be in love with her. Ballant doesn’t like the other foreigners who crowd the tavern and stay all night. Shurq says that something about these foreigners reminds her of some of the Crimson Guard (Im assuming one of them is Corllo who is a mage). She finds out that these foreigners have been meeting Brullyg regularly. She concludes that Brullyg must have taken help from these foreigners to beat back the ice and was now negotiating with them. She wants to meet him at any cost and asks if she can deliver his next barrel of ale herself. Ballant the gallant can refuse her nothing, so it is settled. 

Seren and co keep climbing the Bluerose. The ice seems to be melting. Clip is trying hard to bait Silchas. And she has allergies. She feels useless in their company, now that Clip leads the way. Fear tells her not to leave. She doesn't understand and Udinaas explains bluntly that by offering her a sword, on Fear's eyes, Trull and Seren are betrothed. She refuses and says that Trull had assured her it was simply expedience. Udinaas replies that nobody can expect anyone to speak plainly. He brings up an image of his mind being a type of haunted keep where one armours against unreal phantasms. Fear makes a passing joke and Udinaas provokes him by calling him an honourable man, unlike his youngest brother. Fear throws him down (one more Edur throwing down a Letherii among many). Seren tells him not to bait Fear if he values his life, and Udinaas finds that the whole company has a death wish of some sort. Except Kettle who says she doesn't want to die and for a moment, Udinaas crumbles. Fear repeats that he saw truth in Trull's gesture. She brutally says Trull is dead and resumes walking. 

Clip wants to know what happened and Silchas tells the Mortal Sword that one day he'll find out what cuts deeper than any iron weapon. 

Toc gives a one-page refresher of his journey from Pale to his current company among the Awl. His body has muscle memory and still hungers for human flesh. He rides as an outrider with the Awl. He knows that the bigger K'Chain, Sag'Churok is a K'ell hunter who is an elite guard to a matron and wonders if the younger female, Gunth Mach, is a matron. He recalls a Gadrobi saying that the Grey Swords were cut to pieces and had yielded their lives with enough blood to pay the Hound's Toll thus setting up the title for the 8th book in the series. He sees that redmask is making obscure preparations for the battle. He thinks back to all his soldiering days and feels that the world wants him to be a soldier. Unlike hedge, he concludes that the world can go fuck itself. 

An Awl elder rides upto Redmask and says that toc is a haunted man, and that if they kill him they need not redeem themselves in front of his eyes. The elder then says that he is Renfayar and so remembers. "I know your secret, I know what she meant to you and I know why" and hence, he will not countenance betrayal. Redmask seems affected by this threat. 

There is a slightly confusing diversion as we head back to the Letherii camp that was destroyed by Redmask while stealing back the herds. Abasard, the young boy who tried to protect his sister and died seems to have succeeded. The sister, Stayandi escapes and runs far. She has lost her voice as a young child and is mute. Almost dying of exhaustion, she is found by a hairy, 4 legged people who feed and take care of her. The writing makes it seem as if she crossed the world and entered a different realm. The children of the 4 legged people grow and she takes to crawling with them. Till one day she wakes up alone and finds a half naked man covered in white paint like a skeleton. He seems to be wearing the furs of the 4 legged people. Seeing his face, she remembers herself and that she belonged to the 2 legged people. As he heads east, she walks behind him.


At night, Redmask and Toc discuss that some moccasined tracks have been observed heading south. Redmask says the battle will take place at a valley called Bast Fulmar, Toc chooses to stay with the camp. Torrent is also told to stay back and help train the children. Redmask talks to one of the copper faces, Natarkas. They realise that “someone is out there” and move on to other topics like Torrent and Bast Fulmar, said to be a cursed valley. Natarkas doesn’t like this new way of fighting and calls it without honour. Redmask replies that ‘such is necessity’.

## Chapter 11

After the death of the Tarthenal gods, Hunch Arbat has stopped collecting feces and dumping it on their idols. His neighbours are mad at him. One morning he has a vision of a Dream Mask that is cracked. He decides to burn his place down and leave. On the way, he is met by the villagers who are mad that he is leaving. Some edur nearby have noticed the fire and sent them to investigate. As he keeps going, he is met by another troop of riders who ask him to suggest a place to stay the night. It looks to be raining too. He points them to an abandoned homestead and goes on. 

Ublala has come to visit Tehol and ask his assistance in meeting the pure blood tarthenal who is currently staying at the Challengers complex. Tehol’s house is full of chickens, 2 down from when we last saw them. One of the chickens is crushed by Ublala and the others don’t seem to notice. Bugg mentions that in a minute the others will notice their dead sister and rip the carcass apart. Janath is now healed some more, she has memory but feels no emotion towards what happened to her. Bugg says that some of the protection she feels is due to herself and suggests that she’s getting attached to Tehol. She denies it vehemently.

At the temporary shelter and hiding place of the rat catchers guild, Rucket eats a plate of crisped hog ears while talking to Ormly, Champion Rat Catcher. She says she is busy with paperwork and is able to listen in on many conversations. Ormly is worried about Tehol moving too fast. The Low Markets have started bartering due to a lack of coin.  Rucket says the real genius is Bugg. The two can’t figure out where the coin is hidden. Ormly suggests its all dumped into the river but Rucket says the plan’s success depends on his ability to retrieve the coin and flood the market should the need arise. They also discuss the Edur Patriotists conflict. We see that Unn, the half blood Nerek, who murdered Gerun is hired by the Guild. 

Back to the Errant’s pov. He is surprised that Mael , an indifferent elder, has involved himself with a a Jaghut and Kuru Qan to trap a spirit in a core of Omtose under the city. He wonders if the god has changed due to friendship with a mortal. But he sees now that the core is shattered and fissures are spreading outward. He wonders what set it off, because this nudge was not his. He thinks of the way Fener has been usurped and has a sudden impulse. He needs a mortal’s blood. He walks out into the Cedance and feels weak. He has only ember left in him that flares, ambition. He meets Feather Witch and wants to bargain with her. He says that the Tiles have no flow, they are outmoded by the Warrens. Kuru Qan’s ghost joins them and tells the Errant that he stood too close to the ice and has been infected by desire from the trapped demon. He also says that there is a Master of the Warrens and they use a Deck of cards and not Tiles. He warns against setting the Tiles against Warrens but the Errant says that what began as a march against the Fallen One is already shattered. He senses that the Elder Gods hunger to destroy the Fallen One as resurrection. Kuru says they are all blinded except for one, the Maker of the Warrens, K’rul. TheErrant is mad that K’rul  is walking the realms dragging the tiles with him. Kuru Qan finally warns that this is all the Crippled God’s game but the Errant dismisses him and tries to stab FW. She pokes his eye out with Brys Beddict’s little finger. She is wounded but manages to snatch away his mangled eye. Kuru offers to find a healer for FW. The Errant goes back to the Cedance room, flings the bloodied knife into the tiles. It pierces one tile and holds it in place, the rest start falling into place. He sees that the knife is buried in his own tile. He can feel his power returns to him. He wants to make sure FW is dead as he doesn’t want the complication of having a High Priestess. While waiting for Kuru to return, FW decides to swallow the Errant’s eye to gain his power. The Errant feels a welter of his power torn away and staggers. 

After 4 books, we learn that the word Destrai Anant means God Chosen. FW is his destriant, their Mortal sword is in her hand (brys) and they need to look for a T’orrud Segul (do yourself a favour and recall where you have read Torrud before), or Shield Anvil. She suggests Udinaas. Errant tells her to leave him but she can now compel him. She tells him that blood flows between the tiles now and that the warrens have different aspects including the Jesters of Chance, Oponn, upstarts standing in the Errant’s stead. She tells him to summon the Mortal Sword but he’s too weak. She suggests he use the edur. 

At the challenger’s compound, Karsa is a bully to the others who stop sparring with him. Samar Dev notices that the  masked woman is called Seguleh, a First Empire word that means Anvil. She wonders if they are a remnant of an army from the Dessimbelackis’ time, rewarded with a pleasant island to settle in (see Orb, Sceptre, Throne by Esslemont). All of a sudden she feels something shiver along the bones of the realm and rushes to her room. She is visited by Kuru Qan’s ghost who asks help to heal FW. Samar refuses and they both feel one more tremble in the unseen web of the world. She promptly traps his ghost in her knife and tightens it. The knife now feels cold to the touch. Karsa comes to her room and can smell the magic in the air. He remarks that trapping a ghost is unlike her, since she usually bargains with spirits. She agrees and does some introspection before concluding that she felt an overwhelming desire for power in order to stay alive in his company. He casually mentions that the Seguleh has challenged him and leaves. 

The Karsa Seguleh duel is short, he stomps the ground and unbalances her, breaking both her hands and then dangles her by her legs! Icarium watches and remarks that he remembers meeting Karsa before and seems not inclined in resuming their previously interrupted duel. Samar talks to Tomad who has been watching Karsa. He tells her that the Tarthenal is superb but he will die anyway. 

Karsa notices that Icarium is gone and is mad. He wants to duel with him, and is ready to wait till he is done with the Emperor. There is a bit of a talk about battering rams and men which passes for Teblor flirting. Samar is not impressed. 

Hannan is crawling through Emurlahn. His desire was for the Throne of Shadow to unite emurlahn and he meant to use the Crippled god as a tool to this end. Within Shadow he sees a flying owl and is shocked. For some reason he understands that a non Edur has claimed the title of Mortal Sword of Emurlahn, the only one who stood in front of Rhulad. 

On returning from Shadow, Hannan is met by Bruthen and reminds him that he serves the Edur not the Empire. Hannan tells him to go on a quest and gives hints on whom to find. He also tells him to collect an item from FW before going to find him. Bruthen is angry that he doesn’t get to kill Karos but still obeys. On the way to the Eternal Dom, he wonders how exactly did Hannan find the answers, and if Scabandari has returned. He finds FW’s lair easily because each Edur carries a whisper of Emurlahn within them. He walks up to her, snatches the ouch containing Brys’ finger while nearly tering her ear off and walks away. 

Ublala and Tehol slink in the night, after curfew, towards the Compound. Ublala wants Tehol to be a distraction, they bicker and are pursued. They split while running. Tehol reaches home and shares a cup of hen tea, with feathers of course. He wonders if Ublala was caught and that he had been trying to meet the Tarthenal to see if he was a new god. 

Ublala, meanwhile barges into Samar’s room and asks her to lead him to Karsa. Ublala kneels in worship and calls him ‘Pure One’. Karsa smacks him and says Toblakai don’t kneel to anyone. Ublala tells Karsa to ‘Lead us, Warleader’. Karsa tells him to gather his people and once its done, he will lead them. His shattered face tattoo is interpreted by Ublala as his own people, scattered by ice and betrayals. After this the 2 have secrets to discuss and send Samar out. 

## Chapter 12

Atri- Preda Bivatt and Brohl Handar inspect the cookfires of the Awl camp. She judges there are about ten or eleven thousand combatants. She is content to let Redmask pick the battlesite because these are plainlands and visibility or difficult avenues of retreat are not an issue. She invites Brohl to stay with the train, he once again offers that his warriors be used in the fighting.

On the other side of the battle line, Toc is tending to a cookfire. Meanwhile,Torrent mocks his stone tipped arrows. Toc notes that Redmask has deceived the Letherii by “A fire burning for each and every Awl’. The same Renfayar elder who blackmailed Redmask comes up to Toc. He accuses Toc of plotting betrayal. They both trade truths and we learn that Redmask’s sister killed herself, and that thousands of war canoes have reached their north shores and that there are ‘skeletons’ running on the plains at night. He also knows the secret of Bast Fulmar but doesn’t reveal it yet. 

We have a few quick diversions  before returning to Bast Fulmar. Hedge catches up with the T’lan Imass who gives her name as Emroth (one of the Unbound, last seen in HoC). ~~Steve~~ Hedge tries to explain away his dealings with Detoran before they both died. Try as he might, Emroth does not open herself up with him. He says the T’lan did the Jaghut’s work for them by making themselves into victims. Emroth says that she remembers now and that has what has broken her (“..unlike you, I remember love’) They come upon a realm of Omtose, and Em thinks that on the other side is *home*. 

Udinaas has a strange dream, likely after being summoned by Errant and FW. He finds he is at a temple on a low hill, it is shattered and on the slopes are hudnreds of corpses. Pale bodies with long faces with- alright there are a lot of dead Forkrul Assail surrounding him. The Errant appears, covered in blood and raging at the sky, then notices Udinaas and asks if he can feel the grief. Udinaas refuses to be shield anvil and asks him to choose someone else. Menandore (Sister Dawn, rapist) arrives and says she has claimed this mortal already. She also says that Errant has killed the Forkrul himself and even that will not save them. Errant offers to nudge her sisters in return for Udinaas, she agrees to give him up but also warns that Udinaas has no faith or compassion. Udinaas has had enough and says they are both wrong and since this dream is his, he can banish them. He wakes up in a second dream and talks to Kettle. She tells him that the temple could not hold all that grief and it fell over as he left, he needed to see this so that he can understand and not be sad. 

He finally wakes up into reality and we see that he is fevered. He wonders aloud if that white skinned warrior will transform into a dragon and if the child Kettle will open her mouth like a door into which Fear might fall. He says that Clip is dreaming of plunging his hands into a pool of blood. Seren is worried about his fever, the 2 Tiste Andii tell her that its not just fever,but he is also afflicted by remnants of K’Chain magic still in the air. Seren goes to collect ice which seem dirty with ashes and fragments of skin and meat. While digging she finds a spear made of amber and wood with a jade head. The weapon had a scaled texture. Clip calls it a T’lan weapon. He offers a helpful explanation of what makes him the Mortal Sword, it is because only he can *walk* the Darkness, even Silchas is unable to do that. After volunteering the information, he asks her to keep it a secret in return for his protection against Silchas. Seren is confused because she and Udinaas are no threat to someone as powerful as Silchas, Clip decides to leave it at that. She offers the spear to Udinaas to use as a crutch. Silchas warns him that when the time comes, he will have to suurender the weapon. Clip brags that he is yet to meet a warrior with a spear whom he coudnt cut to pieces. Seren and Fear share a private laugh. 

Quick Ben mourns the loss of his old friends, mainly his oldest friend Kalam. The 3 slosh through silty water, tracked by giant catfish (we have been seeing this since HoC prologue). QB admits that he can take them out through the gate he found but he is worried how it might affect Onrack. He takes them to the Tundra and we see that Onrack is now mortal flesh and blood. They have reached Tellann. 
Back to Bast Fulmar. Redmask tells them a story of how the plains existed as a realm between heaven and earth but have since descended. In their legends the land changed to echo the weapon making Shamans of the Antlers and there are still a few of them left, cursed to eternity. These shamans grasped eternity and slew the earth itself. Bast fulmar is the Valley of the Drums. The Letherii believe it is the site of a battle between the Awl and the K’Chain but that is not the true secret. Redmask says that the truth is that the Shamans ‘drummed’ the hide of the valley and stole all its life, drank all its water until nothing was left. On that one night, the shamans were joined by thousands of theit kind from across the world and they all severed their life from the earth. 

Ok all this to say that BastFulmar is magically dead and no Letherii sorcery will work at battle. “Iron against iron” “Bast Fulmar sings this day.”

Yan Tovis has reached Boaral Keep ruled by a Dresh-Preda. There is something odd because the Keep is unguarded. She finds 2 witches. Pulley, one of the witches, says that Dresh Boaral is sleeping and that the Master at Arms has ridden West. He left because he heard of fishermen vanishing and that pale demons were seen in the depths. Yan then finds out that the Dresh has had his wife killed. Yan sends a rider to the nearest Edur detachment asking for adjudication. She sees that one of the witches has talons on her feet and guesses they are Shake. There is more convoluted interrogation and we find that the 2 have killed about 20 Dresh wives in all because the first Dresh found them and forced them to bless the Keep. She tells them to end the curse, and reveals she is a princess of the Last Blood. Yan learns that her mother has died and she is now Queen of the Shake. The Master at Arms is her half brother, Yedan Derryg, the Watch. She decides to go find him and orders that Dresh Boaral be killed before the Edur arrive. The witches say there are more than 200 shoulderwomen left and they have chosen Shake Brullyg as her betrothed. They say that the ‘shore is blind to the sea’ which seemingly shakes (ha!) her up.

Battle at Bast Fulmar

All the Letherii hounds have been poisoned. (The wagons full of slaughter that Toc wondered about previously). Bivatt expected the Awl savages would appear only by midday and feels rushed to see that the Awl have assembled at the eastern valley. She has learned that their mages are of no use here and has held them back in reserve with a majority of her medium infantry. Facing her, she can see 5 wedges of Awl foot soldiers carrying spears. And kicking up dust and spoiling visibility are a group of mounted Awl light cavalry. She has placed ballistae at the north end of the valley to act as a chokepoint, she intends to herd the Awl north and cause a stampede. She explains most of this to Brohl who is uneasy. “Iron to iron, we will crush the Awl today” One of her plans is to feign retreat and draw the other side out of the valley so they can unleash sorcery.

The Letherii battalions are ordered and strategically placed, with the bulk towards the broader south side of the valley. The battle begins with light skirmishing and hand-to-hand fighting. With a modest response, the Awl throw down their shields and retreat, she takes it as a sign of Redmask’s loss of control. The attack begins with a troop of horse archers who instigate the north half of the Bluerose cavalry to give chase, who are then attacked by Awl heavy cavalry. Her order of withdrawal for the Bleurose is too late. She expects the Awl to give pursuit, but instead they have retured to their side of the valley, allowing skirmishers to continue the fight. Bivatt tries to respond to the skirmishers when she receives news that the chokepoint has been commandeered by the Awl with their wardogs. She sends one (soon, two) of her 5 reserve battalions to help at the chokepoint. By now, her Crimson Rampant medium and Redmask’s 5 wedges of medium infantry march towards each other. She expects the wedges to lose all discipline and get ragged, so they can target the weak points in their formation. Unexpectedly, the space between the wedges are used as roads where 6wheeled Awl wagons filled with bloodlusty warriors are launched down the slope at high speed. Her crimson rampant heavies are decimated. She decides to retreat immediately and hears horns blaring from the baggage camp behind them. She hopes Brohl is soldier enough to handle an attack there.

Brohl has 2000 Edur foot soldiers in 8 platoons. He sends 2 platoons to help with the small Letherii guards at the supply train. He notices yellow butterflies among yellow flowers and wonders what they have overlooked. It’s the K’Chain tracks they had noticed previously which he remembers when the K’ell hunter starts attacking the camp, the Edur and the reserves. By this time, Bivatt reaches the campsite. As the mages start attacking the K’Chain, it flees north and the battle ends. 

The Shake- Yan rides to the shore and thinks about the Shake culture. Sometimes they have demon kissed babies which are then murdered. We learn that once the demons were 'pure' but now only their seed remains in the air and water which could find pregnant women and infect the child. A single drop of demon blood gives rise to a child with taloned hands and feet, these can join the coven while the rest are flung into the sea. The Letherii had tried to eliminate the coven but it was impossible. She feels that the emergence of this priesthood of the coven interferes with the true will of the shore. Her company has been carefully chosen for sharing her Shake ancestry but right now they are all more Letherii than Shake. 

We meet Yedan Derryg the Watch, his company of soldiers are Shake too. He says he rode here because he was *summoned by the shore*. They find a whole row of burning ships off shore, not Letherii, not Edur. She urges him and his troops to join her in riding North. She has recognised the ships and think they are here to exact vengeance for their fighting in the seas. 

**"The Malazans are on our shore"**

*Next week we are discussing Chapters 13,14&15 covered by u/zhilia_mann*


