Memories of Ice/Chapter 5

He rises bloodless from dust,
with dead eyes that are pits
twin reaches to eternal pain.

He is the lodestone
to the gathering clan,
made anew and dream-racked.

The standard a rotted hide,
the throne a bone cage, the king
a ghost from dark fields of battle.

And now the horn moans
on this grey clad dawn
drawing the disparate host

To war, to war,
and the charging frenzy
of unbidden memories of ice.

Lay of the First Sword
Irig Than Delusa (b. 1091)

North of Morn

In the prairies north of Morn, Toc the Younger, Lady Envy, and Onos T'oolan make camp. Lady Envy has been making Toc uncomfortable with her flirting, knowing her to be capable of overthrowing his mind if she so wanted. Tool has assembled materials which he and Toc can use to make arrows. Lady Envy tasks the Seguleh with preparing her bath and cooking a meal. Toc sets to pitching the tents.

Toc and Tool talk about Lady Envy. Tool says she was once a companion of Anomander Rake's. They once traveled with Caladan Brood and a Soletaken named Osseric, but Brood took to traveling alone and reappeared a thousand years ago carrying a large hammer. It is said that the hammer has the ability to awaken Burn. No one knows where Osseric is. Lady Envy and Anomander Rake split when the ascendants gathered to chain the Crippled God. Envy did not participate in the chaining. Toc mentions the Seguleh, saying that the oldest, Mok, has a mask with two marks, making him the third strongest warrior on their island. There exists a Seguleh with an unmarked mask whom the Seguleh consider their leader. They are both curious as to why the Seguleh were on the mainland. Tool asks Senu, who respects Tool as a superior after being defeated by him. Senu says that they are a punitive army, seeking to kill the Pannion Seer for sending his missionaries to their island and rejecting their invitation to go to war.

With the meal cooked, Lady Envy approaches with the other two Seguleh warriors. Thurule suddenly draws both his swords and attacks Tool, who backs away into the darkness as he parries the blows. Despite her anger at being disobeyed, Lady Envy admits that their duel is an impressive one. She tells Toc of how Anomander Rake once visited the island of the Seguleh in disguise. For two hours he was constantly under attack and escaped into his warren after killing twenty warriors, the last wearing a mask with seven marks. Mok says that Rake must come back to the island and claim the mask, as he is now the seventh among the island - the story of his battle having survived for centuries. Tool returns with Thurule unconscious. Tool admits Thurule was a worthy opponent, but only used the flat of his blade. Mok is impressed by this, but when he attempts to prevent Lady Envy from healing Thurule magically, she attacks him with sorcery. The camp begins their meal.

Pale

Outside of Pale, Whiskeyjack, Quick Ben, and Mallet discuss Ganoes Paran's condition. They both conclude that Paran shouldn't be sick from his contact with the Hounds of Shadow, but that every time the sorcery within pushes him towards ascendancy, he resists. It is this that's making him sick. Whiskeyjack isn't happy with the situation, given that so much might rest on having Silverfox protected and on their side. Quick Ben describes how Nightchill, as opposed to Tattersail, is a mysterious, somewhat unsettling character. He mentions that there are multiple sorceresses going back centuries that used the name Nightchill, and it is possible they are the same person. The three head back to camp, and Whiskeyjack orders Mallet and Quick Ben to watch Paran closely. He says they are to give him a push of their own if they think he needs it.

Whiskeyjack and Dujek Onearm discuss strategy. According to Dujek, Moon's Spawn will appear at Coral when the armies meet the Pannion Domin. Dubious as to Silverfox's ability to show restraint with the T'lan Imass at her command, both agree that it's vital to keep the soul, and wisdom, of Tattersail in the lead. The two leave to meet the delegation from the Noble Council of Darujhistan.

Caladan Brood's Camp

At his war camp, Caladan Brood is questioning Korlat and the Mhybe on why Silverfox is taking so much life from her mother. The Mhybe guesses that since the T'lan Imass, Tattersail, Nightchill, and Bellurdan are all dead, the forces required to bring Silverfox to life must come from her. With the threat from Kallor, Silverfox seems to be drawing energy from her at a faster rate in order to protect herself. Brood guesses that she still needs to be accepted by the T'lan Imass, and perhaps she grows more quickly because she fears being rejected if she appears to them as a child. The Mhybe asks what Brood will do if the soul of Nightchill were to rise to the surface, thinking that he will step aside and allow Kallor to kill her daughter. Brood simply states that he will endeavor to aid the Malazans in keeping Tattersail at the forefront. The three begin preparing to meet the delegation from Darujhistan.

The delegation arrives with Kruppe in the lead. The Mhybe recognizes him and tells him she was once in his dreams. Kruppe is appalled at how much she has aged, perceiving the relationship between her and Silverfox. Brood asks him if he can identify the Elder God responsible for the birth of Silverfox, but Kruppe demurs, saying that it might cause problems to speak too openly of it. Coll, Murillio, and Estraysian D'Arle arrive as the real representatives of Darujhistan's council. They adjourn to the command tent to discuss supply lines and materiel. Given the route the armies are to take, the council would be hard pressed to get supplies to them. Kruppe, however, suggests they employ the Trygalle Trade Guild to oversee supplying the armies. All agree.

Crone senses magic not coming from anyone in the tent. She flies to where the Bridgeburners are performing readings with the Deck of Dragons. Several revelations are made: the Obelisk is active for the first time in years, and High House Shadow has a new assassin whose face looks like Kalam Mekhar. The new card on the bottom of the table seems to be imposing some kind of order onto the rest of the deck, but doesn't appear to be active. Crone looks beneath the table.

Paran and the Mhybe leave the command tent. The Mhybe leads him to the Bridgeburners' tent where he orders them to return the table to Caladan Brood. Spindle recognizes Paran's face as the one beneath the table. Whiskeyjack meets with Paran and explains that the Bridgeburners will be accompanying Trotts to the White Face Barghast clan to see if they can convince them to fight the Pannion Domin. Anomander Rake arrives in the form of a dragon.

When Rake sembles back into his Tiste Andii form, he is approached by Korlat, the Mhybe, and Kallor all asking for his judgement on Silverfox. Caladan Brood appears and demands that Rake keep Dragnipur sheathed. Seeing Silverfox, Anomander Rake attempts to examine her with his sorcery, which she bats aside. The Mhybe senses fury from both Tattersail and Nightchill and also a third entity she doesn't recognize. Rake, wondering what she seeks to hide from him, reaches for his sword, leading Brood to unlimber his hammer. Kallor and Whiskeyjack also draw blades. Suddenly, the table bursts out of the command tent with Kruppe hanging from one of its legs.

Paran, in full view of Picker, suddenly disappears from view and reappears in front of Anomander Rake. He sees his own face painted on the table and is struck by a wave of pain. Quick Ben moves between Rake and Paran and suggests that fighting might not be the smartest idea.

Finnest House and Beast Hold

Paran suddenly finds himself in the Finnest House in Darujhistan in the company of Raest and two bodies, Rallick Nom and Vorcan. Raest tells Paran to follow him, calling him the Master of the Deck. Paran asks why the deck needs a master, and Raest proclaims that a war is coming that will affect all the houses , warrens, gods, and humans. They arrive at a place whose floor is made of flagstones, one of which bears the image of a hut. He suddenly finds himself in the same physical realm as the hut and, upon entering it, discovers it is the site of the Beast Hold, the thrones of which are empty. Paran thinks how tragic it is that the T'lan Imass, in their ritual, have outlived their gods. He returns to the area with the flagstones and sees an image of Burn. He notices she is marred and at the heart of the wound he sees a huddle shape chained to it. He realizes that the hammer Caladan Brood carries has the ability to shatter her and unchain the Crippled God. Burn would be ambivalent about this, being able to simply "restart", but humanity would suffer with the Cripple God unleashed. Caladan Brood chooses not to use the hammer for the sake of humanity. Paran returns to Raest, weeping.

Caladan Brood's Camp

Paran returns to the war camp, where Rake decides to put away his sword. All parties relax, and Quick Ben offers to get the table down, causing Anomander Rake to eye him curiously. Quick Ben asks not to be examined by Rake's magic; Rake accedes.

The Mhybe hobbles off in great pain and is greeted by Crone. Crone asks if she can do anything to help, to which the Mhybe says there is nothing. She thinks she will soon descend to hatred and despair if her condition continues, and wishes only to go to her tent. Korlat appears and proclaims she won't allow her to give in and kill herself. The Mhybe says this will only hasten her descent into hatred.

Anomander Rake and Caladan Brood discuss how Burn is dying and how the ascendants, including themselves, Hood, and the Queen of Dreams, all agreed that chaining the Cripple God was necessary. Yet if Burn were to die, Brood says, her warren will be the Crippled God's path into the other warrens. If this were to happen, the other warrens and all magic will die. When Anomander Rake suggests that this wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen, Brood mentions that the destruction won't stop there. Discussing the Pannion Domin, Rake mentions that their sorcerers use the warren of Chaos. Brood says it can't be a coincidence that the Crippled God's poison is chaotic in nature. Rake isn't happy at the news that Silverfox has summoned the T'lan Imass.

Whiskeyjack and Quick Ben discuss what to do with the card painted on the table. Whiskeyjack suggests they send it to Baruk via the Trygalle Trade Guild. Silverfox says they'll need it here, as there are more that one wars going on. The Rhivi begin carrying it away. Kallor tells Whiskeyjack that he will regret standing in defense of Silverfox. He threatens Paran and Quick Ben, who causes a hole to appear beneath his feet. All leave him to his efforts in getting out.

Quick Ben and Whiskeyjack discuss how Silverfox has aged five years since the day of the parley, and that the Mhybe appears to be near death. Whiskeyjack asks Quick Ben what he's discovered as he's heard of his visiting witches and participating in arcane rituals. Quick Ben says he's still investigating, but it won't interfere with the efforts against the Pannion army. He does mention that the Rhivi spirits appear to be gone, "cleaned out". Whiskeyjack senses that Quick Ben is worried about something immense.