Reaper's Gale/Chapter 17

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==Letherii Countryside==
====Beak====
The Malazan marines are deep in Letherii territory being hounded by Tiste Edur and Letherii patrols and groups intent on ambushing them. Beak and Captain Faradan Sort range forward looking for Hellian and Urb's squads. They are well ahead of the other marines, contrary to orders, and the Captain believes that one or both of the sergeants have lost their minds. While hiding from a passing war party, Sort notes the Letherii forces are unexpectedly working with their Tiste Edur conquerors and the Malazan plan to liberate the Letherii and bring them in as allies will not work.
Beak is a mage who is afraid of magic and thinks himself a coward. As evidence, he recalls the aftermath of the Siege of Y'Ghatan when he might have sensed Bottle still alive under the ashes. But he had been too afraid to tell the Adjunct or Captain Kindly about it. Like the other Bonehunters, he had been uncertain about the Adjunct after their flight from Malaz City. But Tavore's Speech to speech to the army had won Beak over, who felt unwitnessed in his own life. In that sense, the rest of the army is now just like him. Sort is learning to recognise the moments when Beak affirms to himself how stupid he is. The Captain and Beak continue riding, knowing that they need to be careful and watch their back.
====Hellian====
Hellian and Urb's squads rest at a forest's edge after a battle with Letherii and Edur troops that left Hanno dead. Scant washes the blood from his hands while Hellian and Balgrid talk. Balgrid is trying to tell Hellian that someone has been tracking them for two or three nights, but she is not listening to him. Hellian is annoyed with all of her soldiers for being idiots and not telling her about the tracker earlier. She orders some of the soldiers to drag the bodies away and clean up the mess from the battle. Hellian then moves to Urb, who is sitting on a log and looking miserable. She tries to proposition him for sex, but he seems uninterested. Reem makes a comment about Hellian being drunk and that she wants sex with Urb because of his good looks, which sparks an argument between Hellian and Balgrid. Hellian finally tells everyone to be quiet.
====Beak====
Beak and Captain Sort are the source of the tracking Balgrid has detected. They soon locate Hellian's squad and Sort initially chews out Hellian for pushing too far forward from the other marines. But the inebriated sergeant counters that the overwhelming enemy numbers mean they must retreat or aggressively push forward mean and fast. Faradan Sort cannot argue with the logic but asks them to go easy for a few days.
====Fiddler====
Fiddler's and Gesler's squads have just escaped an ambush thanks to Corabb's luck. Corabb had flushed a deer out which caused the hidden Letherii to discharge their crossbows on it, announcing their presence, and Fiddler and his squad quickly turned the ambush. Sands was killed by a Letherii mage before Fiddler fired a cusser that killed the mage and most of the other enemy soldiers as well. The marines intend to hide but are unsure if they are still being tracked. 
Since they are soon to lose the cover of the night, Fiddler and Gesler decide that it is time to get messy. They are running out of options and consider using up the few cussers that they have left. They agree that they would prefer to hide, but that this is unlikely to work given the relentless pursuit of the enemy. They ask Bottle if they can lose their pursuers, but the young mage is tired and unsure. Conversation turns to the nature of the sorcery that they encountered. Bottle explains that it was a chaotic magic, which had grabbed onto primitive magic, and that the mage who was using it was losing control. The magic became unstable and started to turn into something else, which was then destroyed by the cusser.
====Koryk====
Smiles approaches an exhausted Koryk where he lies on the ground. She congratulates him on successfully battling four of the enemy in a frenzy, but notes he only survived because she had stuck a knife in the one who had slipped under his guard. The euphoric Koryk realises he likes killing and is good at it. The two soldiers continue to compliment each other's deadliness until Tarr announces he is going to be sick listening to their flirting. 
====Stormy====
Stormy is spitting blood after the latest skirmish. Someone's elbow has hit him in the mouth knocking two teeth loose. Despite this, he is confident and excited about the fighting. He is proud to be a Malazan Marine, as they have not been able to do what they were trained to do in years. The Adjunct has finally allowed them to fight in the way they have been trained to, by cutting them loose and allowing them to charge into the enemy. Corporal Stormy is proud of his squad and believes that they will be able to take down any enemies that come their way. He promises that Sands will be the last of his subordinates to die in this campaign.
====Fiddler====
Knowing that they are still being followed by a column of soldiers, Fiddler decides to prepare The Drum, an elaborate configuration of cussers set as a boobytrap in the road. It is a risky move, because if it fails they will not be able to retrieve the cussers they used. The rest of his and Gesler's squad go to investigate a farmhouse they see further up the road. Fiddler sets about the delicate and dangerous process to prepare the cussers with Cuttle's help. As he works, he sees Cuttle waiting at the far end of the path looking nervous. Fiddler knows that Cuttle is aware of the dangers of this work and understands why it is becoming a dying art.
====Cuttle====
Cuttle feels sheer awe at Fiddler's brilliance. He prays to every god and spirit he can think of, hoping that Fiddler, the last great Malazan sapper, will not let him down. Despite knowing that his worship is pathetic, he clings to the hope that as long as Fiddler stays alive, it is worth holding on. However, Cuttle himself has already been shot with an arrow in his left shoulder in the last fight and is feeling the weight of his own mortality.
====Fiddler====
As he works, Fiddler reflects on the superstitions that surround the handling of munitions. Despite being a seasoned sapper, he still has a healthy respect for the dangers involved. He remembers his first ever encounter with munitions during the Genabackis Campaign. They had been created by the then mysterious Moranth that the Malazan army had recently allied with. He and Hedge, another sapper in the squad, had been tasked by Whiskeyjack with experimenting with the various types of grenades and explosive devices in the crate. They had discovered the dangers of the "sharpers" which had a tendency to pepper the thrower with shrapnel, as well as the incendiary properties of the "burners". And, of course, there were the cussers, which were the most dangerous of all. As he reaches the spot where the cussers are stored, Fiddler has a moment of doubt and hesitates, wondering whether he should choose the one closest to his heart or the one closest to his head. He shrugs off the superstition and chooses one at random, finally setting it in place and returning to the safety of the squad.
====Bottle====
Fiddler and Gesler's squads lie in wait in front of the farmhouse, while Bottle tries to determine who is inside. The puzzled mage senses one or more beings inside, though they are tinted by a faint charnel odor. Gesler is growing restless and orders Uru Hela to find out who they are by walking up to the house and requesting water from them. Gesler tells Bottle to be ready to use magic in case things go wrong. As the heavy approaches the house, two creatures charge out and Bottle realises that they are Kenryll'ah demons. One of the demons kills Uru Hela. The marines repel the two with close in-fighting and munitions and withdraw. Bottle uses Mockra to cover their tracks. Stormy is furious that he has already broken his promise not to lose any more soldiers. Gesler scolds him for making promises he cannot keep.
====Kenryll'ah demon princes====
Two demon prince brothers are seen crawling out of the wreckage of the farmhouse. One of the brothers is badly injured with half of his face torn away and the other has inhaled some flames from a grenade. The sound of horses is heard coming fast up the track. Thinking their attackers have returned, the injured brother suggests that they set out for revenge. He mentions that he can still see with one eye, which should be enough. The two demon princes set out for the cart path to commence their vengeance.
====Bottle====
From a distance, Fiddler and Bottle hear the horses of their Letherii and Edur pursuers. Then a series of thunderous detonations provides evidence that the Drum has gone off. Fiddler grins savagely while Cuttle whispers that he can now die happy. Bottle notes that the two demons were also caught in the blast.
====Keneb====
Sergeant Thom Tissy drops down from a tall tree to update Fist Keneb on the marines' progress. He informs the Fist that he saw ten sources of smoke, suggesting that there are ten large battles happening nearby. Keneb notes that they are outnumbered and that they will be dangerously weakened if they lose more of their marines. But he also understands the marines are only onee part of an invasion that has many elements, including the Adjunct and her regular infantry led by First Blistig, the Khundryl Burned Tears, and the Perish. The marines' main job is to sow confusion and cut supplies to the enemy, while keeping as many marines alive as possible. Keneb realizes that this invasion is unlike any other, as the Adjunct does not want the marines to be wiped out. He thinks about how the strategy of the invasion is based on traditional principles, and wonders if the Adjunct will become a military genius like other great military leaders. Keneb cuts off his second guessing, chiding himself to stop thinking like Blistig and remain focused on the task at hand.
== On the border of Verdith'anath and the Refugium ==
Hedge has been keeping Emroth company and trying to figure out his state. He figures out that he is only present because he has willed himself into existence, and that is possible because all dead Bridgeburners have ascended.
He tries to figure out where Emroth is going and why she is doing so, and figures out that she intends to sway the Imass living there to her cause, which is the Crippled God's cause. Realising this, Hedge throws his conjured cusser at her utterly destroying her just she was about to cross the border and find a soul after hundreds of thousands of years. Hedge is left with more than a few regrets when he sees that her leg which had fallen into the Refugium's area had turned into flesh.
==The Refugium==
Trull, Onrack, and Quick Ben continue their journey now carrying two emlava kittens in tow. Trull is in awe of Onrack. He never thought he would find a friend in such a creature, and he finds himself more closely bonded to Onrack than to his own blood brothers. As they journey, they come across signs of other Imass in the area, but Onrack is unsure if they are aware of their presence. He explains that the Imass are shy and cunning and may be watching them, but will only reveal themselves when they choose to. The emlava kittens yowl, reminding Trull and Onrack that it is time to feed them.
While Onrack feeds the kittens, Quick Ben he notices the Imass' expression has changed and that there seems to be a hint of sadness in his smile. The mage remarks that no one can sustain such joy forever, and that this place may be an illusion that is already beginning to fade. He ponders the nature of Tellann and the Imass, and wonders what would happen if Logros led his thousands here. He also thinks about the relationship between this place and the Beast Hold created at the end of the Pannion War.
==Letherii Countryside==
====Fiddler====
At an abandoned farmhouse, Fiddler wakens Bottle, telling him the sun has set and they have rigged a stretcher for him so he can have a mobile bed for the night as the squad marches. However, he warns Bottle that if they need him, he won't be getting a full night's rest. Fiddler and Cuttle note they have lost four cussers, with only two left. They discuss the possibility of a pursuit and the possibility of another enemy column finding them. They both agree that being a marine isn't supposed to be easy and that they are lucky to still be alive. Cuttle comments on the big bang from the previous day and how it will draw down an army, but Fiddler points out that the enemy has not been very smart so far. He speculates that whoever was in command of the enemy is now dead and that the enemy is still trying to figure out their plans.
====Tarr====
Corporal Tarr prepares for a night mission with his squad. He takes the time to properly secure his armor and weapons, as he believes in being ready for any potential ambush. Tarr is a veteran soldier who takes his role of being the first line of defence seriously. He wears his scaled hauberk with pride and feels anchored by its weight. His squad consists of quick learners and experienced soldiers, with the exception of Corabb Bhilan Thenu'alas, about whom Tarr has reservations. Despite Corabb's bravery and courage, Tarr has not forgotten that he was at Leoman's side during the battle in Y'Ghatan, a conflict had which resulted in many casualties among the Bonehunters. The squad sets out into the night and joins forces with Gesler and his squad. Along the way, Tarr reflects on the death of the soldier Uru Hela, who had been killed in action due to carelessness.
====Smiles====
Smiles moves along the trail with her squad, led by Corporal Koryk, who is considered the nastiest squad leader in the army. Smiles has a soft spot for Koryk and is enamored by his ruthless killing skills. As the group moves along the trail, Smiles watches intently for threats, her senses heightened and alert. She is next in line to become a corporal and is eagerly waiting for the opportunity to prove herself. Suddenly, they see a blinding flash and hear the sound of twin detonations from a distance. The group is thrown into chaos as they assess the situation. The group is concerned that one of their own might have been caught in the ambush. Sergeant Fiddler and Gesler arrive, and the group debates whether they should go and investigate the situation. However, Fiddler decides that they must continue on with their mission and orders Koryk to lead the group with caution.
====Corabb====
Corabb carries a wounded comrade on a stretcher, following the rest of his group. He reflects on the differences between the Malazan Army and other military units he has been a part of; he realizes how formidable the Malazan Army is, and he is proud to be a part of it. He also wonders about the rumors he has heard about the true nature of the Emperor and how that might change his understanding of the empire.
==Second Maiden Fort==
Shurq Elalle is in a meeting in Shake Brullyg's cramped map room with about half a dozen foreigners. Shurq's herbs are stale and she can see that some of the people in the room are uncomfortable with her smell. The Adjunct, Tavore Paran, is present in the room, accompanied by Lostara Yil, Galt, Deadsmell, Widdershins, and Masan Gilani. Despite the Adjunct's lack of physical presence, she is the clear leader of the group. Shake Brullyg, getting more drunk, leers at Masan Gilani, believing that this lascivious behavior will make her swoon. Shurq is not affected by the king's leers as she has better secrets to keep hidden. Shurq wants to discuss the huge trimarans that sailed into the harbor the previous night. The Adjunct is eyeing Shurq and the pirate feels that her continued existence depends on her professionalism.
Suddenly, two Letherii soldiers enter the room. One of them, Yan Tovis, is identified as an Atri-Preda. Shake Brullyg is taken aback by the sudden arrival and threatens to curse the witches. Yan Tovis speaks with the Adjunct and reveals that she is a queen of the Shake tribe. She explains that the Shake were once subjugated by the Letherii, but the line of succession was maintained through the women. Yan Tovis' mother has recently died and although Brullyg had hoped to rule the Shake himself, his rule has now ended. Yan Tovis has come to claim the title of Queen. The Adjunct tells Yan Tovis that the decision is hers to make. Yan Tovis announces that her rank as Atri-Preda is now gone and she may be addressed as Queen or Twilight. Deadsmell takes note of Yan Tovis' claim of rank and questions her about the history of the Shake tribe, revealing that the Malazan squad spent time on a ship with the Shake and that he learned about the tribe's history.
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