The Complete Malazan Book of the Fallen (190 page)

BOOK THREE OF THE
MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN

STEVEN ERIKSON

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

MEMORIES OF ICE: BOOK THREE OF THE MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN

Copyright © 2001 by Steven Erikson

All rights reserved.

Originally published in Great Britain in 2001 by Bantam Press, a division of Transworld Publishers.

Maps by Neil Gower

A Tor Book

Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

175 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10010

www.tor-forge.com

Tor
®
is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

ISBN 978-0-7653-4880-7

First Tor Edition: November 2005

First Tor Mass Market Edition: August 2006

eISBN 9781429926638

First eBook edition: October 2012

To

R. S. L
UNDIN

Acknowledgments

I extend my gratitude to the following for their support and friendship: Clare, Bowen, Mark, David, Chris, Rick, Cam, Courtney; Susan and Peter, David Thomas Sr. and Jr., Harriet and Chris and Lily and Mina and Smudge; Patrick Walsh and Simon and Jane. Thanks also to Dave Holden and his friendly staff (Tricia, Cindy, Liz, Tanis, Barbara, Joan, Nadia, Amanda, Tony, Andi and Jody) of the Pizza Place, for the table and the refills. And thanks to John Meaney for the disgusting details on dead seeds.

Dramatis Personae

The Caravanserai

Gruntle,
a caravan guard

Stonny Menackis,
a caravan guard

Harllo,
a caravan guard

Buke,
a caravan guard

Bauchelain,
an explorer

Korbal Broach,
his silent partner

Emancipor Reese,
a manservant

Keruli,
a trader

Marble,
a sorceror

I
N
C
APUSTAN

Brukhalian,
Mortal Sword of Fener’s Reve (the Grey Swords)

Itkovian,
Shield Anvil of Fener’s Reve (the Grey Swords)

Karnadas,
Destriant of Fener’s Reve (the Grey Swords)

Recruit Velbara
(the Grey Swords)

Master Sergeant Norul
(the Grey Swords)

Farakalian
(the Grey Swords)

Nakalian
(the Grey Swords)

Torun
(the Grey Swords)

Sidlis
(the Grey Swords)

Nilbanas
(the Grey Swords)

Jelarkan,
prince and ruler of Capustan

Arard,
prince and ruler in absentia of Coral

Rath’Fener
(Priest of the Mask Council)

Rath’Shadowtbrone
(Priest of the Mask Council)

Rath’Queen of Dreams
(Priestess of the Mask Council)

Rath’Hood
(Priest of the Mask Council)

Rath’D’rek
(Priest of the Mask Council)

Rath’Trake
(Priest of the Mask Council)

Rath’Burn
(Priestess of the Mask Council)

Rath’Togg
(Priest of the Mask Council)

Rath’Fanderay
(Priestess of the Mask Council)

Rath’Dessembrae
(Priestess of the Mask Council)

Rath’Oponn
(Priest of the Mask Council)

Rath’Beru
(Priest of the Mask Council)

O
NEARM’S
H
OST

Dujek Onearm,
commander of renegade Malazan army

Whiskeyjack,
second-in-command of renegade Malazan army

Twist,
commander of the Black Moranth

Artanthos,
standard-bearer of renegade Malazan army

Barack,
a liaison officer

Hareb,
a noble-born captain

Ganoes Paran,
Captain, Bridgeburners

Antsy,
sergeant, 7th Squad, Bridgeburners

Picker,
corporal, 7th Squad, Bridgeburners

Detoran,
soldier, 7th Squad

Spindle,
mage and sapper, 7th Squad

Blend,
soldier, 7th Squad

Mallet,
healer, 9th Squad

Hedge,
sapper, 9th Squad

Trotts,
soldier, 9th Squad

Quick Ben,
mage, 9th Squad

Aimless
(Bridgeburner corporal)

Bucklund
(Bridgeburner sergeant)

Runter
(Bridgeburner sapper)

Mulch
(Bridgeburner healer)

Bluepearl
(Bridgeburner mage)

Shank
(Bridgeburner mage)

Toes
(Bridgeburner mage)

B
ROOD’S
H
OST

Caladan Brood,
warlord of liberation army on Genabackis

Anomander Rake,
Lord of Moon’s Spawn

Kallor,
the High King, Brood’s second-in-command

The Mhybe,
matron of the Rhivi Tribes

Silverfox,
the Rhivi Reborn

Korlat,
a Tiste Andii Soletaken

Orfantal,
Korlat’s brother

Hurlochel,
an outrider in the liberation army

Crone,
a Great Raven and companion to Anomander Rake

T
HE
B
ARGHAST

Humbrall Taur,
warchief of the White Face Clan

Hetan,
his daughter

Cafal,
his first son

Netok,
his second son

D
ARUJHISTAN
E
NVOYS

Coll,
an ambassador

Estraysian D’arle,
a councilman

Baruk,
an alchemist

Kruppe,
a citizen

Murillio,
a citizen

T
HE
T
’LAN
I
MASS

Kron,
ruler of the Kron T’lan Imass

Cannig Tol,
Clan Leader

Bek Okhan,
a Bonecaster

Pran Chole,
a Bonecaster

Okral Lom,
a Bonecaster

Bendal Home,
a Bonecaster

Ay Estos,
a Bonecaster

Olar Ethil,
the First Bonecaster and First Soletaken

Tool, the Shorn,
once First Sword

Kilava,
a renegade Bonecaster

Lanas Tog,
a Kerluhm T’lan Imass

T
HE
P
ANNION
D
OMIN

The Seer,
priest-king of the Domin

Ultentha,
Septarch of Coral

Kulpath,
Septarch of the besieging army

Inal,
Septarch of Lest

Anaster,
a Tenescowri Child of the Dead Seed

Seerdomin Kahlt

O
THERS

K’rul,
an Elder God

Draconus,
an Elder God

Sister of Cold Nights,
an Elder Goddess

Lady Envy,
a resident of Morn

Gethol,
a Herald

Treach,
a First Hero (the Tiger of Summer)

Toc the Younger,
Aral Fayle, a Malazan scout

Garath,
a large dog

Baaljagg,
a larger wolf

Mok,
a Seguleh

Thurule,
a Seguleh

Senu,
a Seguleh

The Chained One,
an unknown ascendant (also known as the Crippled God)

The Witch of Tennes

Munug,
a Daru artisan

Talamandas,
a Barghast sticksnare

Ormulogun,
artist in Onearm’s Host

Gumble,
his critic

Haradas,
a Trygalle Trade Guild caravan master

Azra Jael,
a marine in Onearm’s Host

Straw,
a Mott Irregular

Sty,
a Mott Irregular

Stump,
a Mott Irregular

Job Bole,
a Mott Irregular

Prologue

The ancient wars of the Tlan Imass and the Jaghut saw the world torn asunder. Vast armies contended on the ravaged lands, the dead piled high, their bone the bones of hills, their spilled blood the blood of seas. Sorceries raged until the sky itself was fire …

A
NCIENT
H
ISTORIES
, V
OL
I

K
INICIK
K
ARBAR’N

I

Maeth’ki Im (Pogrom of the Rotted Flower), the 33rd Jaghut War
298,665 years before Burn’s Sleep

Swallows darted through the clouds of midges dancing over the mudflats. The sky above the marsh remained grey, but it had lost its mercurial wintry gleam, and the warm wind sighing through the air above the ravaged land held the scent of healing.

What had once been the inland freshwater sea the Imass called Jaghra Til – born from the shattering of the Jaghut ice-fields – was now in its own death-throes. The pallid overcast was reflected in dwindling pools and stretches of knee-deep water for as far south as the eye could scan, but none the less, newly birthed land dominated the vista.

The breaking of the sorcery that had raised the glacial age returned to the region the old, natural seasons, but the memories of mountain-high ice lingered. The exposed bedrock to the north was gouged and scraped, its basins filled with boulders. The heavy silts that had been the floor of the inland sea still bubbled with escaping gases, as the land, freed of the enormous weight with the glaciers’ passing eight years past, continued its slow ascent.

Jaghra Til’s life had been short, yet the silts that had settled on its bottom were thick. And treacherous.

Pran Chole, Bonecaster of Cannig Tol’s clan among the Kron Imass, sat motionless atop a mostly buried boulder along an ancient beach ridge. The descent before him was snarled in low, wiry grasses and withered driftwood. Twelve paces beyond, the land dropped slightly, then stretched out into a broad basin of mud.

Three ranag had become trapped in a boggy sinkhole twenty paces into the basin. A bull male, his mate and their calf, ranged in a pathetic defensive circle. Mired and vulnerable, they must have seemed easy kills for the pack of ay that found them.

But the land was treacherous indeed. The large tundra wolves had succumbed to the same fate as the ranag. Pran Chole counted six ay, including a yearling. Tracks indicated that another yearling had circled the sinkhole dozens of times before wandering westward, doomed no doubt to die in solitude.

How long ago had this drama occurred? There was no way to tell. The mud had hardened on ranag and ay alike, forming cloaks of clay latticed with cracks. Spots of bright green showed where wind-borne seeds had germinated, and the Bonecaster was reminded of his visions when spiritwalking – a host of mundane details twisted into something unreal. For the beasts, the struggle had become eternal, hunter and hunted locked together for all time.

Someone padded to his side, crouched down beside him.

Pran Chole’s tawny eyes remained fixed on the frozen tableau. The rhythm of footsteps told the Bonecaster the identity of his companion, and now came the warm-blooded smells that were as much a signature as resting eyes upon the man’s face.

Cannig Tol spoke. ‘What lies beneath the clay, Bonecaster?’

‘Only that which has shaped the clay itself, Clan Leader.’