Read Online Sharp Ends: Stories from the World of The First Law by Joe Abercrombie - Free Book Online

that’s another story. There’s a fence around the outside, two gates, north and south. Houses and huts over here. A pigpen there, I think. That’s a forge, maybe.’
    ‘How many do we reckon might be down there?’ asked Yon.
    Wonderful rubbed at the scar on her scalp, face twisted as she glanced up towards the pale sky. ‘Could be fifty, sixty fighting men? A few elders, few dozen women and children, too. Some o’ those might hold a blade.’
    ‘Women fighting.’ Never grinned. ‘A disgrace, is that.’
    Wonderful bared her teeth back at him. ‘Get those bitches to the cook-fire, eh?’
    ‘Oh, the cook-fire …’ Brack stared up into the cloudy sky like it was packed with happy memories.
    ‘Sixty warriors? And we’re but seven – plus the baggage.’ Jolly Yon curled his tongue and blew spit over Raubin’s boots in a neat arc. ‘Shit on that. We need more men.’
    ‘Wouldn’t be enough food then.’ Brack-i-Dayn laid a sad hand on his belly. ‘There’s hardly enough as it—’
    Craw cut him off. ‘Maybe we should stick to plans using the number we’ve got, eh? Plain as plain, sixty’s way too many to fight fair.’ Not that anyone had joined his crew for a fair fight, of course. ‘We need to draw some off.’
    Never winced. ‘Any point asking why you’re looking at me?’
    ‘Because ugly men hate nothing worse than handsome men, pretty boy.’
    ‘It’s a fact I can’t deny.’ Never sighed, flicking his long hair back. ‘I’m cursed with a fine face.’
    ‘Your curse my blessing.’ Craw jabbed at the north end of his dirt-plan, where a wooden bridge crossed a stream. ‘You’ll take your unmatched beauty in towards the bridge. They’ll have guards posted, no doubt. Mount a diversion.’
    ‘Shoot one of ’em, you mean?’
    ‘Shoot near ’em, maybe. Let’s not kill anyone we don’t have to, eh? They might be nice enough folks under different circumstances.’
    Never sent up a dubious eyebrow. ‘You reckon?’
    Craw didn’t, particularly, but he’d no desire to weight his conscience down any further. It didn’t float too well as it was. ‘Just lead ’em a little dance, that’s all.’
    Wonderful clapped a hand to her chest. ‘I’m so sorry I’ll miss it. No one dances prettier than our Never when the music gets going.’
    Never grinned at her. ‘Don’t worry, sweetness, I’ll dance for you later.’
    ‘Promises, promises.’
    ‘Yes, yes.’ Craw shut the pair of ’em up with another wave. ‘You can make us all laugh when this fool job’s done with, if we’re still breathing.’
    ‘Maybe we’ll make you laugh, too, eh, Whirrun?’ said Wonderful.
    The valley-man sat cross-legged, sword across his knees, and shrugged. ‘Maybe.’
    ‘We’re a tight little group, us lot, we like things friendly.’
    Whirrun’s eyes slid across to Jolly Yon’s black frown, and back. ‘I see that.’
    ‘We’re like brothers,’ said Brack, grinning all over his tattooed face. ‘We share the risks, we share the food, we share the rewards, and from time to time we even share a laugh.’
    ‘Never got on too well with my brothers,’ said Whirrun.
    Wonderful snorted. ‘Well, aren’t you blessed, boy? You’ve been given a second chance at a loving family. You last long enough, you’ll learn how it works.’
    The shadow of Whirrun’s hood crept up and down his face as he slowly nodded. ‘Every day should be a new lesson.’
    ‘Good advice,’ said Craw. ‘Ears open, then, one and all. Soon as Never’s drawn a few off, we creep in at the south gate.’ And he put a cross in the dirt to show where it was. ‘Two groups, one each side o’ the main hall there, where the thing is. Where the thing’s meant to be, leastways. Me, Yon and Whirrun on the left.’ Yon spat again, Whirrun gave the slightest nod. ‘Wonderful, take Brack and Scorry down the right.’
    ‘Right y’are, Chief,’ said Wonderful.
    ‘Right for us,’ sang Brack.
    ‘So, so, so,’ said Scorry, which