Die eisige Zeit/Kapitel 13

Zu jenem Zeitpunkt war Einarms Heer vielleicht die beste Armee, die das Malazanische Imperium jemals hervor gebracht hatte, selbst in Anbetracht der Dezimierung der Brückenverbrenner vor Fahl. Aus den unterschiedlichsten Regimentern zusammengezogen, zu denen Kompanien aus dem Reich der Sieben Städte, aus Falar und von der Insel Malaz gehört hatten, waren von diesen zehntausend Soldaten laut Liste viertausenneunhundertzwölf Frauen, die übrigen Männer, eintausendzweihundertsiebenundsechzig waren jünger als fünfundzwanzig Jahre, siebenhunderteinundzwanzig älter als fünfunddreißig, die übrigen lagen dazwischen.
Das ist in der Tat bemerkenswert. Und noch mehr, wenn man dies bedenkt: Unter den Soldaten waren Veteranen der wickanischen Kriege (siehe Coltaines Rebellion), des Aren-Aufstands (auf beiden Seiten) und der Kämpfe im Schwarzhund- und im Mottwald.
Wie bewertet man so eine solche Armee? Nach ihren Taten, und das, was sie in der Pannionischen Domäne erwartete, würde aus Einarms Heer eine in Stein gemeißelte Legende machen.

Östlich von Saltoan
eine Geschichte der Pannionischen Kriege
Gouridd Palah

Weitblick-Ebene

Whiskeyjack approaches the Mhybe, who has been having nightmares of a faceless menace pursuing her. He asks her of it, and she says that it is Death, coming for her. He tries to reassure her, but she curses him for it. He later appeals to Korlat, who tells him that Silverfox has withdrawn from their company. Silverfox is now feeding on the Mhybe's life force in earnest, but at the same time she feels abandoned by her mother. Whiskeyjack talks to Silverfox who is being guarded by two female marines. He tells her she brings her isolation upon herself, but she dismisses this, thinking it to be the natural way of things for leaders such as them. Just then, the Trygalle Trade Guild arrives with supplies for the army. Their entrance is dramatic, as a deluge of blood from an elder god gushes from the warren they use. They confirm that the warrens are poisoned.

Kallor sits on his old throne while burning a Century Candle, which helps relieve some of the effects of old age. He thinks on the irony that the Crippled God was summoned to get rid of him, yet a millennium later, he is now a more dire threat than Kallor ever was. Gethol suddenly appears, and tells Kallor that High House Chains is newly formed in the Deck of Dragons, and that they need a king. Kallor is dismissive at first, thinking that the house will be assailed and that he will have to bend the knee to the Crippled God. Gethol assures him that the House of Chains operates independently of the Cripple God. Kallor agrees on the terms that the Crippled God provide him an opportunity to strike at Silverfox.

Whiskeyjack is feeling more tired than he has in a long time when he is approached by Korlat. They speak on the relationship of mutual respect formed between the Bridgeburners and the Tiste Andii during the time of Blackdog Forest. He mentions finding a dead squad of Tiste Andii and how the Bridgeburners buried them in the Malazan style, and that the only valuables they had on their person were knotted pieces of coloured cloth and small pebbles. Korlat invites him to her tent, saying she wishes to start a relationship with him. They speak briefly on how Tiste Andii find little joy or companionship with others of their kind, and that children often result from boredom more than anything else. Whiskeyjack maintains that he is honored by her offer, and produces several knotted pieces of colored cloth and small pebbles, saying he kept them to honor the Tiste Andii.

The Mhybe dreams she is being carried through the air by an undead dragon. After it releases her and has flown away, an unseen voice speaks to her. Answering her question it tells her 'we're here' and that she will see them when she is ready. The voice tells her that Kruppe visited Silverfox in her dreams to chastise her for leaving the Mhybe to her fate. His words stopped Silverfox from "obsessing with her selves", they say. When asked if she would see them, the Mhybe panics and wakes up in her tent, weeping and cursing the gods.