Memories of Ice/Chapter 2

Onearm's Host bled from countless wounds. An endless campaign, successive defeats followed by even costlier victories. But of all the wounds borne by the army of Dujek Onearm, those to its soul were the gravest...

Silverfox
Outrider Hurlochel

Tahlyn Hills

Blend, Picker and the Torcs by Shadaan

Picker and Blend have set up a checkpoint on one of the backroads through the East Tahlyn Hills between Darujhistan and Pale. They stop an elderly artisan named Munug. He says he is on the road to Pale to sell his wares; among them an arm torc blessed by a priest of Treach, the Tiger of Summer. Picker says that Treach is no god, merely an ascended Soletaken, but offers to purchase the torc using coin they have procured from other travelers. Picker searches his bag, clicks the torc into place on her arm, and sends Munug on his way.

Crippled God's Warren

Munug travels along the road to Pale, but turns into a Warren where he meets the Crippled God. He thinks to himself that while he can certainly carve jewelry, his true talent lies in painting. Munug gives the Crippled God a deck of cards with paintings of other gods and goddesses in varying forms of imperfection, injury, and loneliness. In payment, the Crippled God heals the cancer affecting Munug, but takes away the use of his legs, leaving him in the desert to crawl back to civilization.

Tahlyn Hills

Picker and Blend regard the torc and discuss how they secreted one of Quick Ben's seeking stones into Munug's pack. Alarmed by her inability to remove the torc, Picker seeks Quick Ben's help.

Quick Ben says he cannot remove the torc, the Soletaken is too insane to bargain with. He magically projects his soul to find where Munug took his seeking stone.

Crippled God's Warren

Upon arriving at the Crippled God's tent, Quick Ben realizes that the Crippled God has poisoned Burn. The Crippled God tells Quick Ben that he will give him back his stone in exchange for a service. Quick Ben attacks, retrieving his stone. Before he escapes, he is assailed by the Crippled God's power. As he is dragged back into the tent, he notices the earth is bleeding. Suddenly, a large hand from underground grabs him and pulls him downward. Quick Ben finds himself in a cavern with a giant figure seemingly made from diamond-studded clay.

Quick Ben realizes he is within the living warren of Burn. The giant figure asks him to save the goddess, lest they all die. Quick Ben promises he will find a way to help and leaves his stone in the cavern. He wakes up at the camp with Picker and Blend. Picker helps him onto a quorl to return to Pale. Quick Ben declares that everyone is in danger.

The Divide

Ganoes Paran is on the main road through The Divide between Darujhistan and Pale, collecting tolls at a trade post. He’s been suffering from nightmares, pain, and illness ever since the fete in Darujhistan, believing it to be the direct result of touching the Hound of Shadow's blood. He speaks with Trotts who has begun affecting a more tribal look. Paran tries to guess at why he is doing this, suspecting it is something to do with a plan by Whiskeyjack for the upcoming parley with Caladan Brood. Trotts replies in riddles, and Paran leaves more confused. Hedge appears, commenting on how Trotts is simply having fun with their new captain. The two discuss how Whiskeyjack is not explaining his plans to anyone.

Paran meets with Whiskeyjack and Mallet. Whiskeyjack is refusing treatment for the leg he broke at the fete in Darujhistan, which Mallet says healed badly. Paran and Whiskeyjack discuss the plan for Dujek Onearm’s forces and that the thirty-eight remaining Bridgeburners won't be marching with them. Whiskeyjack offers Paran a different post, as the Bridgeburners have an abiding dislike for noble-born officers. Detoran arrives and Paran orders them to get ready to march.

Paran thinks on how his nightmares and pain have changed him for the worst. He tries to think on how Tavore will salvage his family after his being outlawed and that Tattersail has been reborn. He has a spike of pain and sees a vision of a screaming child, a wolf howling in the darkness, and “a soul nailed to a wound.”

Mallet tells Whiskeyjack that Paran is sick with sorcery warring within him, and that he needs Quick Ben. Whiskeyjack challenges Mallet to say that Paran is unfit for duty. Mallet admits he will be fine for now. Whiskeyjack refuses treatment for his leg, claiming he needs to prepare for the parley with Caladan Brood.