Blood Song (A Raven's Shadow Novel, Book 1) by Anthony Ryan

Author:Anthony Ryan [Ryan, Anthony]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2012-11-20T05:00:00+00:00

None of the soldiers seemed to have a family name. They were known mostly by the criminal appellations of their past: Dipper, Red Knife, Fast Hands and so on. They had chosen the thirty trainees by the simple expedient of making the whole regiment run around the stockade and picking those who dropped last. They stood in three ranks of ten, staring balefully at Makril as he set out the rules that would govern their lives from here on.

“Any man found drunk without permission will be flogged. Those found drunk more than once will be dismissed from the regiment. Any of you shitheads thinking that means a free passage home should know that dismissed men will have to walk out of the Martishe on their own two feet with no weapons.” Makril paused a moment to let the import of his words sink in. A lone man walking through the Martishe with no means of defence was likely to find himself lashed to a tree and disembowelled in short order.

“Understand this, you miserable bunch of thieving scum,” Makril growled. “Lord Al Hestian has given the Sixth Order leave to train you as we see fit. You belong to us now.”

“Didn’t sign up for this,” a sallow-faced man in the front row muttered sullenly. “S’posed to be in the King’s serv—”

Makril’s fist smashed into the man’s jaw, felling him instantly. “Brother Barkus!” he barked, stepping over the prostate soldier. “Ten lashes for this man. No rum for a week.” He glared at the remaining trainees. “Anyone else want to discuss their terms of service?”

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