Mudslinger

A Malazan Marine

Brazentooth scratched the bristling hair beneath his throat, then leaned back.  “Marine recruit Mudslinger.  Forget the name he started with, Mudslinger is the one I gave ‘im.  It fits, ‘course.  They always fit.  He was a tough one, though, a survivor, and tonight’s proof of that.  The other one’s named Gentur.  Kanese, I think -- not one of mine.  Anyway, they was shipwrecked after a battle with the grey-skinned barbarians.  Ended up on Drift Avalii, where things got real messy.  Seems those barbarians, they was looking for Drift Avalii all along.  Well, there were Tiste Andii living on it, and before anyone could spit there was a huge fight between them and the barbarians.  An ugly

one.  Before long Mudslinger and the others with ‘im were fighting alongside those Tiste Andii, along with someone named Traveller.  The short of it is, Traveller told them all to leave, said he’d take on the barbarians by ‘imself and anybody else around was jus’ in the way.  So they did.  Leave, I mean.  Only t’get hit by a damned storm, and what was left of ‘em fetched up on an atoll, where they spent months drinking cocoanut milk and eating clams.”