'you're a strange one,' the wraith whispered from where it crouched by the water.

'i am kettle.'

a grunted laugh. 'and what boils within you, i wonder?'

'you,' she said, 'are more than just a ghost.'

'yes.' amused. 'i am wither. a good name, don't you think? i was tiste andii, once, long, long ago. i was murdered, along with all of my kin. well, those of us that survived the battle, that is.'

'why are you here, wither?'

'i await my lord, kettle.' the wraith suddenly rose - she had not known how tall it was before. 'and now... he comes.'

an up-rush of muddy water, and a gaunt figure rose, white-skinned as a blood-drained corpse, long pale hair plastered across its lean face. coughing, pulling itself clear, crawling onto the bank.

'the swords,' he gasped.

kettle hurried over to him and pushed the weapons into his long-fingered hands. he used them, points down, to help himself to his feet. tall, she saw, shrinking back, taller even than the wraith. and such cold, cold eyes, deep red. 'you said you would help us,' she said, cowering beneath his gaze.

'help?'

the wraith knelt before his lord. 'silchas ruin, i was once killanthir, third high mage of the sixth cohort-'

'i remember you, killanthir.'

'i have chosen the new name of wither, my lord.'

'as you like.'

the wraith glanced up. 'where is the wyval?'

'i fear he will not survive, but he keeps her occupied. a noble beast.'

'please,' kettle whimpered, 'they're out. they want to kill me - you promised-'

'my lord,' wither said, 'i would help the wyval. together, we can perhaps succeed in driving her deep. even in binding her once again. if you would give me leave...'

silchas ruin was silent for a moment, staring down at the kneeling wraith. then he said, 'as you like.'

wither bowed his head, paused to glance over at kettle, and said, 'leave the letherii to me. he will not awaken for some time.' then the wraith flowed down into the swirling water.

silchas ruin drew a deep breath, and looked down at the swords in his hands for the first time. 'strange, these. yet i sense the mortal chose well. child, get behind me.' he regarded her, then nodded. 'it is time to fulfil my promise.'

corlo had no idea what would come of this. an avowed could indeed die, if sufficiently damaged. it was, he believed, a matter of will as much as anything else. and he had known iron bars for a long time, although not as long as he had known other of the avowed. to his mind, however, there was no other who could compare with iron bars, when it came to sheer will.

the high mage was exhausted, used up. no longer could he deftly manipulate the four remaining gods, although, luckily, one of those was in enough trouble all on its own, with a crazed tarthenal seemingly doing the impossible - squeezing the very life out of it. talk about stubborn.

he had been beaten on, again and again, yet he would not relax his deadly embrace. iron bars had fought brilliantly, distracting the remaining three repeatedly, sufficient to keep the tarthenal alive, but the avowed was very nearly done. corlo had never before seen such fighting, had never before witnessed the fullest measure of this avowed's ability. it had been said, by guardsmen who would know, that he was nearly a match to skinner. and now corlo believed it.

he was more than a little startled when two corpses walked past him towards the gateway, one of them clawing the air and hissing.

they halted at the entrance to the yard, and he heard the woman swear with admirable inventiveness, then say, 'i don't know how we can help them. oh, ublala, you big, stupid fool.'

the other said, 'we must attack, shurq elalle. i have fangs and talons, you know.'

'well, go on then.'

shurq elalle? the captain of the ship we've signed on with? our... employer ? corlo pried his legs loose from their crossed position, wincing in pain, and pushed himself to his feet. 'hey, you.'

shurq elalle, standing alone now, slowly turned. 'are you addressing me?'

corlo hobbled over. 'corlo, ma'am. crimson guard. we signed on with you-'

'we?'

'yes, the one helping your big, stupid friend. that's iron bars, my commander.'

'you're supposed to be waiting onboard!'

he blinked.

she scowled. 'your commander is about to die.'