by Warhammer
The Broken Pickaxe had a large common room. A roaring fire served to keep out the chill of the mountain night. Felix glanced around at the crowd. Their party was attracting a lot of attention, which wasn’t surprising when you considered it. How often did these people see seven Slayers travelling in the company of five humans?
The crowd itself was an unusual one. It seemed to consist of an equal mix of humans and dwarfs. Most of the dwarfs had the pale faces and scrubbed clean look of miners after work. The humans were a more mixed bunch. Some of the tougher looking ones wore the warm leather garments favoured by high mountain prospectors. Others looked like peddlers and shopkeepers. None of them looked exactly prosperous, but none looked starved either.
A silence had spread across the room as the Slayers took up one long table. This close to Karak Kadrin no one was going to be stupid enough to object. All of them knew exactly what the Slayers were and what they were capable of when annoyed. Felix had joined Ulrika, Max and the two bodyguards at the table next to the Slayers. Some semblance of normal business was restored when Gotrek called for ale, an order swiftly seconded by Snorri Nosebiter and Malakai Makaisson.
A fat, prosperous looking dwarf with a balding head, rosy cheeks and a long greying beard brought the ale over himself. Judging by the proprietorial air he cast over the place, he was obviously the owner of the inn.
‘You’ll be wanting rooms for the night?’ he asked.
‘The Slayers will sleep in the common room,’ Gotrek said. ‘The humans might want their own chambers.’
‘We do,’ said Ulrika, glancing over at Felix. Max noticed this and looked away, adding, ‘I’ll take a room to myself.’
‘Me and Standa will stay in the common room,’ Oleg said tugging morosely at his moustache. Standa beamed approval of his comrade’s decision. Ulrika agreed.
‘I’ll see the best rooms are aired and the beds turned out. There’s a nip in the air, so you’ll be wanting a fire, no doubt?’
Felix could imagine that the bill was increasing with every word, but so what, he thought. This might be his last chance of a comfortable bed in this life, so why stint tonight?
‘Why not?’
‘And you’ll be wanting food too, no doubt?’
‘Aye. Bring us the stew we smell, and bread and cheese,’ said Ulli.
‘And more ale,’ added Snorri. ‘Snorri has a thirst.’
‘And you’ll be paying for the rooms and the food now, will you?’
The innkeeper was obviously taking no chances with their absconding without paying, even if they were Slayers. Possibly even because they were Slayers. After all, they were dwarfs who had somehow failed to abide by the normal dwarf code of honour. Malakai Makaisson dug into his purse and gold changed hands. Felix could not see how much but the innkeeper’s eyes widened, and he became particularly jovial. It looked like Malakai thought the same way as Felix did about staying in the inn.
‘And that’ll keep the beers comin’ ah nicht,’ said Malakai. ‘And ah’ll be sleeping in the wagon so there’s no need to clear me a space in the common room.’
Steg looked a little disgruntled by that, but after a sip of the ale, his expression became slightly more contented.
‘That it will,’ said the innkeeper and bellowed instructions to his staff. Bjorni’s eyes widened as a busty barmaid approached. Within seconds, he was slapping her rump, and whispering in her ear. If the barmaid was offended she gave no sign.
Felix sampled a drop of the ale, and nodded. ‘Malgrim was right,’ he said. ‘This is fine ale.’
‘It’s not bad,’ allowed Gotrek, which for the Slayer was high praise indeed.
Now that he had been paid, the innkeeper seemed more inclined to be sociable. ‘And you’ll be taking the High Road to Radasdorp then?’
‘If it’s on the way to the dragon’s mountain we will,’ bellowed Ulli, obviously taking a great deal of pleasure from the buzz of conversation this started.
‘So it’s the dragon you’re after,’ said the innkeeper.
‘Aye,’ Malakai said. ‘We’re gannae kill the great big scaly beastie!’
‘It’s been tried before,’ said the innkeeper. Felix looked over, his interest suddenly piqued.
‘By whom?’ he asked.
‘Half a dozen Slayers have passed through here in the past couple of years – not all at once mind,’ said the innkeeper. ‘None of them ever came back.’
‘The orcs probably ate them,’ bellowed one of the humans.
‘Or skinned them,’ added another man ominously.
‘Aye,’ said an ancient looking miner. ‘That’d be likely enough. One of the Slayers was found skinned alive and nailed to a tree by the roadside. They reckon the Manflayer is using his hide for a new pair of boots now.’
‘Another’s head was found on a spike up near the Mirnek Pass. The crows was pecking his eyes out so they was.’
‘And there was one of those human knights, on a big black charger,’ said the innkeeper. ‘Said he had a magic sword and a dragon-killing lance.’
‘He never came back either,’ one of the dwarfs said gloomily.
‘Most likely the orcs got him too,’ said the first man who spoke.
‘Or the human bandits. Henrik Richter is a nasty piece of work,’ said the innkeeper. Seeing Felix’s enquiring glance, he said, ‘He’s the local bandit chief these days. He’s been forging the human bands into a small army. Since the Manflayer came the humans have needed it to survive. They say there’ll be war for control of the high country between those two soon. I can believe it.’
‘It sounds like the High Road has become very dangerous,’ Felix said.
‘This was never the safest of places to live,’ said the innkeeper. ‘But ever since the dragon came back it’s got downright dangerous. I reckon it’s only a matter of time before it attacks Gelt. It’s said to have destroyed all the other towns along the High Road now.’
‘You mean we could just wait here and it will come to us?’ Felix asked hopefully.
‘Aye. Most likely.’
‘Ah dinnae hae time tae waste. I want that beastie deid, and ah want it soon.’
‘There’s more glory in seeking it out!’ shouted Ulli. ‘And if any greenskin or any human tries to stop us, they’ll get a blow from my axe.’
‘Och, if any of them try to stop us, ah hae a nasty wee surprise for them,’ Malakai said. Felix did not doubt that was true. He had seen ample evidence of the Engineer’s genius at devising weapons. Of course, most of Malakai’s weapons were experimental and subject to malfunction. Some of them might prove as dangerous to their wielders as to any foe.
‘And what might that be?’ asked a large burly man who looked more like a mercenary than a prospector.
‘Onybody that’s interested can attack us and find oot,’ said Malakai with a hint of satisfaction. Felix was now really curious about what the engineer had up his sleeve.
‘There are plenty here in the mountains who will take you up on that,’ said the man with a sneer. Felix wondered if this fool was tired of living. It was not wise to sneer at any Slayer, even one as relatively even tempered as Malakai was.
‘They’re mare than welcome tae,’ was all the engineer said in response, and returned to glugging down his beer.
The innkeeper said, ‘You pay no attention to Peter. He is a surly chap at the best of times, and these are not the best of times. He used to make a living selling all along the High Road. Now there’s damn few left to sell to. The dragon’s seen to that.’
‘We’ll change that!’ bellowed Ulli. His boast was met with laughter from the other tables. For some reason, the dwarfs present refused to take the young Slayer as seriously as the others. Ulli did not seem to mind as long as he was the centre of attention. ‘You may laugh but you’ll see. You won’t mock us after the dragon is dead.’
‘You’ll be dead as well,’ shouted someone and the others laughed.
‘What of it,’ shouted Ulli. ‘Everybody dies.�
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‘Some sooner than others,’ said Peter.
Bjorni had the barmaid on his knee now. She was running her fingers through his beard while he looked up at her with a lascivious leer. A moment later the woman was tumbled off his knee by a huge man with a scarred face and massive hands. He was without a doubt one of the bouncers.
‘Leave Essie alone,’ he said, his voice flat and menacing.
‘Let it be, Otto,’ said the innkeeper. ‘You know this always happens.’
‘What is that to you?’ asked Bjorni innocently.
‘She’s my wife.’
Felix groaned aloud. He had seen women like Essie before when he and Gotrek worked the taverns of Nuln. Women married to large violent men who thrived on their jealous attention. He couldn’t understand why they did it, but they did. The bouncer looked over at him.
‘What are you whining about, boy?’ he said. Felix looked up at him. The man was big. Perhaps a head taller than he was, and broad in proportion. His arms looked almost as large as Gotrek’s.
‘Some ale went down the wrong way.’
‘Watch it or I’ll take that tankard and stick it up your...’
Felix looked at him, and started to rise from his seat, but it was already too late. Bjorni had taken his fist and whacked Otto between the legs while the bouncer wasn’t looking. The big man groaned and bent double, and as he went over Bjorni took his tankard and smacked him hard on the head. Otto’s eyes crossed and he slumped forward unconscious.
‘Not the first jealous husband I’ve had to deal with,’ said Bjorni tugging lasciviously at the wart on his nose. ‘Now, love, what say you and me find a quiet corner and...’
The girl was bent down over Otto and shrieking. ‘Otto, what has that brute done to you?’
‘He’ll be all right in the morning,’ Bjorni said. ‘Now how about we go behind the woodshed. There’s a big gold piece in it for you if–’
‘Go to hell,’ said Essie.
Bjorni shrugged and sat down again. ‘Another ale, landlord. My jar is suddenly empty.’
The innkeeper was looking at the Slayers warily again. Still, with his biggest bouncer down, and the newcomers not seeming about to start any more trouble, he decided it was best to humour them.
‘More ale, it is,’ he said.
‘I’ll help you carry him upstairs,’ said Steg to Essie, moving over to the slumped body and making as if to pick him up.
‘Don’t bother,’ said the girl. ‘I don’t need any of your help.’
Steg shrugged and dropped the body once more. Felix wondered if he was the only one to notice that the bouncer’s purse was suddenly missing from his belt.
‘I think I’ll just go for a walk,’ said Steg.
‘Ah think ah’ll go with ye,’ Malakai said. ‘It’s aboot time for me to turn in anyway.’
If Steg was disappointed at missing the opportunity to search Makaisson’s wagon, he did not show it.
‘Time for bed,’ Felix said, looking over at Ulrika to see if she agreed with him. She nodded and they made their way up the stairs.
Grund Hugenose of the Broken Nose tribe looked down on the village. His orc eyes were much keener than any human’s, and even by the dim light of the two moons he could make out all he needed. From his vantage point, he could see the wagon in the courtyard. It told him that someone would be leaving the small fortified outpost soon. That meant manflesh, and steel weapons, and maybe gold and rotgut booze. He slipped back from the cliff edge, and headed up the trail.
There was no need to tell the Manflayer about this, he decided. It was a small party and the spoils would be barely enough for him and the lads. He would get his warband together, and make sure that whatever was on that wagon would be his before the next night’s stars shone.
Felix awoke to the sound of metal ringing against metal outside the inn. He threw open the shutters and looked out to see what was going on. From the racket he half expected to see half a dozen orcs swordfighting with Templars in the courtyard but the source of the noise was not immediately evident. After a moment or two of looking he noticed that the back of Malakai Makaisson’s cart was bouncing up and down, and that the covered wagon was where all the row was coming from.
‘What is it, Felix?’ Ulrika asked.
‘Don’t know,’ he said, ‘but it looks like Malakai is up to something.’
‘If it’s important we’ll find out soon enough. Now come back to bed,’ she said. Glancing back at her naked form he did not have to be asked twice.
Felix’s legs ached from the strain of the constant uphill walking. His feet were sore from slamming down on the hard rocks of the High Road. He drew his red cloak of Sudenland wool tight around his shoulder, glad of it now. Despite the brightness of the sun, it was chilly in these mountain heights and getting chillier. A cold breeze blew down the valleys, and ruffled his hair with invisible fingers.
He smiled at Ulrika. They were getting on better today, as they usually did after the nights they slept together. She smiled back warmly. Felix could tell she was as tired as he, if not more so, but was determined to show no sign of it. Felix felt a certain sympathy for her. She had grown up on the flat plains of Kislev and had even less experience than he of mountain walking. He at least had travelled among the peaks before he had fallen in with Gotrek. Oleg and Standa were quite visibly faltering. Their breath came in gasps, and every now and again, one or the other would bend over almost double, legs spread wide, hands resting on thighs, heads bowed as they attempted to catch their breaths.
Of all the humans, Max Schreiber showed the least sign of fatigue, which surprised Felix no end. He had gotten used to thinking of the wizard as a sedentary scholar, and yet he had taken to the hills as if born to them. He leaned on his high staff and spoke encouragingly to Oleg then put his hand on the Kislevite’s shoulder. Felix could have sworn he saw a spark of energy pass between the two men, and then Oleg rose to his full height, and began to walk with renewed vigour. Perhaps that was Max’s secret, Felix decided, maybe he was using his magic to give him strength while they walked, and maybe he had used it to lend some of that strength to Oleg.
Whatever it was, it was effective, Felix thought. Max seemed almost at home here as the dwarfs, and, until today, Felix would have thought that impossible for any human. The dwarfs were unbelievably cheery, considering they were Slayers and bound on a mission that most likely meant their deaths. They strode along tirelessly, taking the steepest of gradients with no apparent effort, sometimes deviating from the path, and scrambling easily up near vertical slopes apparently just for the sheer joy of it.
Only Malakai did not do so. He stayed with his cart at all times, goading his ponies when they balked on the steep inclines, keeping a beady eye on their surroundings and most especially on Steg, whenever the suspected thief strayed close to the cart. Gotrek and Snorri led the way. Felix could see them at the head of the column, cresting the nearest ridge, where the pathway wound ever higher and further up slope.
‘It is beautiful, is it not?’ said Ulrika. Felix glanced around, knowing what she meant. The mountains had a strange barren loveliness that seemed like a reward for making the effort of walking among them. On either side loomed the great grey flanks of mountains, spotted here and there by the green of woods and scrub brush. High above them glittered the snowline, and the chill proud peaks. Boulders rose from the mountainside, and occasionally blocked the path. Felix guessed that this was where stones had been dislodged and rolled downslope.
Far below them, he could see Gelt. Through a pass between two nearby mountains the trail wound down to a cold clear lake.
‘Yes, it is,’ he said. ‘Though not nearly as beautiful as you.’
She shook her head. ‘You are a shameless flatterer, Felix Jaeger.’
‘It is not flattery. It is merely the truth.’
She turned and looked away for a moment, and her smile took on a strange sad quality. ‘What am I going to do without you?’ she asked.
‘I have never met a man who makes me feel like you do.’
Felix knew she meant it as compliment but felt embarrassed nonetheless. ‘Is that good or bad?’
‘I do not know,’ she said. ‘I do know it is confusing.’
He struggled for a reply, and could not find exactly the right words to say what he felt. He was almost glad when he heard Gotrek bellow, ‘Looks like trouble ahead!’
Felix and Ulrika made their way to the crest of the ridge. The path ran on, descending into a small valley before passing once more over a series of ridges that rose like giant frozen waves to the horizon. Gotrek and Snorri stood on the ridge, silhouetted against the skyline.
A quick glance showed Felix exactly what Gotrek meant. Hurrying along the path towards them were a group of greenskin warriors. Felix tried counting them, but there were too many and they were too tightly packed for him to be very successful in his efforts. He gave up somewhere over twenty.
‘There are fifty-four of them,’ Ulrika said.
‘Your eyes are better than mine.’
‘Either that or my counting skills are.’ He knew she was attempting a joke but he could hear the strain in her voice.
Oleg and Standa got into position beside them. They had already strung their bows. Ulrika began to ready hers. Max took up a position beside them, leaning on his staff with both hands. ‘It seems we are outnumbered,’ he said eventually.
‘They are only greenskins,’ said Snorri. ‘No need to worry.’
‘They outnumber us more than four to one,’ Max said. ‘That causes me just a little concern.’
‘One dwarf is worth ten orcs!’ boomed Ulli.
‘Particularly in bed,’ Bjorni said with a leer.
‘Don’t you ever think of anything else?’ Felix asked.
‘Sometimes I think about fighting,’ Bjorni said. ‘And I think now is as good a time as any to dwell on that.’
‘Aye,’ Gotrek said. ‘That it is. We’ll meet them here, and let them come up at us. I would normally take the battle to them but it would be a pity to fall to an orc scimitar when there’s a dragon in these mountains.’
