Skwish

Skwish and Pully were two Shake witches (or shoulderwomen) serving as a housemaids at Boaral Keep. Yan Tovis described them both as hags.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 12, US HC p.321/322/323 They had wrinkly brows and knobby, hairy feet with taloned toes.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 12, US HC p.323
When among the Letherii their vocabulary became less refined, dropping letters from words and joining words together as contractions.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 12, US HC p.321-325 - For example, see how their language changes after they realise Yan Tovis is Shake royalty.
==In Reaper's Gale==
Yan Tovis and her elite company stopped at Boaral Keep to refresh and resupply on the road between Letheras and Fent Reach. She found the keep's outer gate guards drunk on duty and the Master at Arms away with a detachment of soldiers chasing rumours on the nearby coast. Inside, Skwish and Pully insisted Dresh Boaral was indisposed, sleeping off whatever drink had caused him to become sick on the floor. They let slip that Dresh Boaral had murdered his wife, so Yan Tovis placed the Dresh-Preda under house arrest and sent a rider to Rennis to request adjudication from the ruling Tiste Edur.
Under Yan Tovis' further questioning the two admitted they were Shake witches of the coven who had cursed the keep and its owners since the time of its founding. The original Dresh-Preda had killed many Shake and attempted to force the two witches to blacken the stone of the keep with their blessing. Instead, they ensured that each Dresh-Preda went mad and murdered his wife after she was too old to bear children. Dresh Boaral, who had his wife strangled and dumped in the bog, was the twenty-first of their victims. Yan Tovis ordered the witches to end the curse on the keep or face their own executions. To enforce her order, she revealed she was princess of the Shake. The two witches then sadly informed her that she was now queen as her mother had drowned a year past. Further, the remaining two hundred Shake shoulderwomen had selected Shake Brullyg as her betrothed.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 12, US HC p.321-325
After seeing the evidence of the Bonehunters' invasion of Lether, Yan Tovis abandoned her post in the Letherii Army and prepared to take on her new responsibilities with the Shake. She journeyed with Yedan Derryg and her troops to Road's End where Skwish and Pully had announced her return to the gathered Shake witches and warlocks. But the headstrong queen earned Pully's venom when she refused to submit to the will of the Coven, saying the old ways had failed them. The new queen would be her own master, the Rise would no longer be chosen by the Coven, and Yedan Derryg would have to watch her back.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 14, US HC p.390-392
Yan Tovis brought the Shake to Second Maiden Fort, their sacred Isle and former Letherii prison, where Brullyg awaited. They found the place occupied by Adjunct Tavore Paran and her soldiers. Yan Tovis denounced Brullyg as a pretender and the Malazans made haste to depart rather than try to manage dozens of troublesome witches and warlocks.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 17, US HC p.521-523 By then the other witches had selected Skwish and Pully as their representatives and Yan Tovis concluded their sole purpose was to harry her at every turn. But Yan Tovis also knew she would need the witches if she was to rule over the ex-prisoners who formed the island's population.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 20, US HC p.608-610
==In Dust of Dreams==
She and Pully were the only two not slaughtered by The Watch.
(Information needed)
==In The Crippled God==
The two witches decided that for the coming fight, Skwish would stand with The Watch, Yedan Derryg and Pully with Yan Tovis. They tried to persuade Yan Tovis to kneel to the Shore. Feeding on Yan Tovis' blood rejuvenated them.The Crippled God, Chapter 5, UK HB p.128
==Notes and references==
Category:Females
Category:Mages
Category:Shake