Clouds of steam billowed into the frozen air from Rory's chapped lips, as it did from Mathis's where he sat propped against a fallen tree, as it did from the mouths of half a dozen wolves that circled them only a few yards away.
"I'm sorry Rory, I couldn't see zhe ledge," Mathis panted, clutching an ankle twisted at an unnatural angle. Even in the bitter cold his face was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. "I couldn't--"
"Shut yer gob, lad." said the Scot standing over him, wiping blood from a split lip. His other hand was clutched to his side, striving to stem a growing patch of red.
"Just go on, I can distract zhem, zhey'll stay for--"
"I said SHUT IT. There's no way I'm runnin' from a lot of bloody mutts. Open yer pack."
Knowing it was pointless to argue further Mathis obeyed, keeping his eyes fixed on the snarling animals the entire time, hands moving slowly in hopes that he wouldn't provoke them to attack. "
"Now give me those whiskey bottles, whatever's left of 'em."
Mathis threw him an incredulous glare. "Mon frere, I don't think now is the time for drinking ourselves into a stupor."
"Just fuckin' do it. Get that tape out too."
Once this was done, Rory hurriedly ripped himself a couple of lengths of sturdy electrical tape and bound a few of the bottles to his hand, doing the same with his knife in the other. He handed Mathis the rest of the whiskey as he smashed the ones he held against the log to create a set of jagged makeshift knuckledusters. He turned for a moment to give Mathis a crooked grin.
"If we're goin' down, we'd might as well take a few of 'em with us, eh? What do ye say, lad? One more time, just the two of us?"
Mathis, eyes lighting up in sudden understanding, pulled a grim smile and began to rip off more lengths of tape with his teeth. "Oui. Just zhe two of us."
Rory pulled the Frenchman to his feet as the wolves circled closer and with a few muffled grunts of pain they managed to set themselves back to back to stare defiantly at the beasts that hemmed them in. Over the past few days of wandering in the wilderness they had managed to kill three wolves, but there was little hope that they could take down the rest of the pack at once.
It was into the fray this time, for the last good fight they'd ever know.
"RIGHT YE BOGGIN' KNOBHEIDS, come bring yer ugly mugs over here an' have a taste o' what we got, aye?"
"We'll give you zhe worst bellyache you've ever had, you ugly bastards!"
The biggest member of the pack stopped and crouched, yellow eyes fixed on Rory's icy blue.
"COME ON THEN!!"
The wolf sprang with teeth bared, snarl almost drowned out by the brothers' defiant shout.
Blood spattered across the newfallen snow.