1 the claws of chaos

by ich du

  'I knew him for two years before you came,' Ursula argued. 'He was never a devout man, I admit, but he was never a worshipper of the powers we do not name. It was you, and what you did, that killed any faith he might have had in Sigmar. Jakob is maliciously filling that emptiness with his dark teachings. The Norscan is a vile, manipulative man. I am surprised that you have not found him in the woods; he was close by last night. He lied to me, and said that Kurt was here. Instead, I find myself waking to you and your ruffians. How did you find me, anyway?'

  'We followed a trail here.' Ruprecht told her carefully, speaking for the first time since she had begun her version of the tale some time before.

  'He led you here! Jakob!' cried Ursula, noticing the caution in his voice. It would be just like the Norscan to betray her; how else would they have found her tracks?

  'You don't know that.' Ruprecht pointed out.

  'The little weasel has constantly been trying to get rid of me, to belittle me in Kurt's eyes.' replied Ursula. 'Agh, I'd wring his scrawny neck if he were here. Without me to stand against him, who can tell what horrid influence he has on Kurt. We need to rescue Kurt as soon as we can!'

  'Rescue Leitzig?' laughed Marius. 'From who?'

  'From himself, and from Jakob.' Ursula said. 'Have you not listened to a word I said?'

  'Marius, might I speak with you?' asked Ruprecht, nodding towards the door. The witch hunter stopped what he was about to say and looked at his large companion, and then nodded. Without a word, both of them left.

  LOOKING UP AT the faint lightness of the sun behind the clouds, Kurt noted that sunset was a short time away. He had reached the outskirts of the forest, where he had parted company with Jakob, and was now trying to decide what to do next. The vast wood stretched out south and east, and he opted to go south at first, working along the outskirts of the forest before heading eastwards a little and turning north again. In this way, by the same time tomorrow he would be able to return to Tungask without too much difficulty. If he didn't find either Ursula or Jakob in that time, he would organise a wider hunt with the help of the town's inhabitants.

  He had gone a few more miles into the forest when he sensed a change in the air. His sight, hearing and smell had been getting keener the further north he travelled, and there was a taint amongst the scent of the pine trees that caught his attention. Looking for a break in the trees, he located a small clearing and looked up. To the southeast he could see a darker patch against the pale snow clouds, which were holding off the blizzard they contained for now, and realised the smell he had detected was smoke. He couldn't tell how far he was from the source, and drew his sword before heading in the direction of the smoke cloud.

  It was maybe half a mile further when Kurt heard the sound of voices. The forest was otherwise quiet and the noise carried far in the stillness. Twilight gloom was beginning to descend on the trees, and Kurt halted and pressed himself up against a craggy trunk while he tried to locate the source of the sound. Scanning the woods for sign of movement, his eye was drawn to a brief flash of red to his right, quite some distance away. Moving as softly as his armour allowed, he stalked through the snow towards the movement, his sword ready.

  About fifty yards away were two men. They had started a small fire, the flicker of movement Kurt had first noticed. They were definitely not Kislevites - their style of dress, even with their fur cloaks, reminded him of Imperial soldiers. Stepping a little closer, keeping the trees between him and the men, he recognised one of the men as the squire, Leofe. So, they were van Diesl's men, which meant that the fiend himself was close at hand. Mixed emotions warred inside Kurt for a moment. He was delighted that his enemy was nearby, for it gave him an opportunity to exact his revenge. On the other side, the presence of the witch hunter in such close proximity to where Ursula had last been seen increased Kurt's worries. Did Marius have her? Could he be holding her hostage, or was she dead already?

  The men in front of him might be able to give him the answers to these questions, Kurt realised. If he could take one alive, he could gain the upper hand on Marius for the first time since he had rescued Ursula from the witch hunter's clutches almost half a year before. The problem was, how was he going to capture just one of the men?

  His dilemma was solved when, as he closed on the pair, his foot slipped on a slick exposed root, and his shield banged against the bole of the tree he had been crouched behind. Leofe looked up and gave a startled shout. The two of them turned to run, and Kurt sprang out of his hiding place and sprinted after them. Despite the wearying search of the last two days, Kurt could feel energy flowing through him, his heart pounding strong in his chest. Leofe was the faster of the two squires and was still some ten yards ahead when Kurt caught up with the other man. With a single sweep of his sword, Kurt hacked through the man's leg, toppling him into the snow in a fountain of blood. Leofe was keeping just ahead. Kurt redoubled his efforts. He was closing the distance slowly when suddenly Leofe pitched to the ground, a black-feathered arrow protruding from his throat.

  Kurt skidded to a stop, almost falling over in the slippery snow. Steadying himself, he walked over to Leofe to see if he still lived, but a quick glance at the ragged wound scored through the squire's throat quelled any such hope.

  'Jakob!' Kurt bellowed, looking around. 'Come and show yourself!'

  The Norscan appeared from behind a tree about two dozen yards in front of Kurt, another arrow notched to his bowstring. He advanced cautiously, head swivelling left and right as he scanned the trees for more enemies.

  'We must go back to Tungask, is not safe here!' hissed Jakob when he was just a few yards away from Kurt.

  'What of Ursula?' demanded Kurt, stepping towards Jakob, sword half-raised. 'Did you find her?'

  'Marius's men everywhere,' insisted Jakob, looking beyond Kurt to check the surrounding woodland. 'We die if we stay. Tungask, then I tell you everything.'

  Kurt hesitated for a moment, unsure what to do, but a look at the fear in Jakob's eyes convinced him of the truth to the Norseman's words.

  'We go back, and then you tell me everything,' Kurt replied grimly.

  'SHE MAKES PERFECT bait for a trap,' said Ruprecht, leaning against the logs of the cabin.

  'What do we need a trap for?' replied Marius. 'She's already told us that he's in the town. We go in and kill him, it's simple.'

  'Marius, don't be hastened by your need for blood,' Ruprecht warned. 'I may be overstepping my mark here, but I've known you for a long time now and it's time I said what I should have said months ago. I believe in your need for retribution, but don't let it cloud your judgement. It was you who taught me patience and guile, not to charge in without knowing your foe.'

  Marius said nothing and turned and paced away towards the edge of the clearing. Ruprecht hurried after him.

  'Marius, listen to me!' Ruprecht said, running in front of the witch hunter and stopping him. Marius was shaking, and held his head in his hands.

  'I know you are right,' the witch hunter said quietly, looking his friend in the eye. 'I know we need to plan and think. But I want him dead, and to bury that part of my past that I thought was gone. At one time, I thought that I was over the death of my wife; that I could carry on. But how can I? How can I ignore the flesh and blood of the man who destroyed my life? A man whose evil has been reborn into his son who waits less than a day's travel from where I am standing now. I want him, I want his body ripped apart and his remains scattered to the corners of the world!'

  'And you shall have it,' Ruprecht said, laying a firm hand on Marius's shoulder. 'To make sure you get your vengeance, we have to think. The girl is a weapon we can use against him. I believe her story, she is as much a victim here as you. But she need not know that just yet.'

  'You think she is innocent?' asked Marius, signs of his anger returning.

  'Perhaps, but that is of no account,' Ruprecht answered carefully. 'We can deal with her after Leitzig is dead, in whichever way we deem necessary. Until then,
she is most useful to us alive. And so are you. Charging into Tungask heavy-handed will get us all killed, and then how will you get your revenge?'

  'So what do you propose?' asked Marius.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Initiation

  Tungask, Winter 1709

  BACK IN THE town, Kurt and Jakob were both bent before a crackling fire in the tavern, warming their cold limbs. On the trip back, Jakob had told Kurt that Ursula had willingly turned herself over to the witch hunter, and it had been all the Norscan could do to rescue himself.

  It had taken all of the Norscan's guile to persuade the knight not to head back then and there to attempt a rescue. Kurt had agreed to go back to Tungask with the condition that they try to entreat the aid of Hrolfgar and his men, who Kurt was sure would relish the chance to avenge those who fell in battle against the witch hunter in their last encounter.

  The door to the tavern thumped open and Hrolfgar strode in, followed by Bjordrin and another of his men, a raven-haired warrior called Svelka. Hrolfgar eyed Kurt suspiciously as he entered, and turned and said something quietly to Bjordrin. The chieftain's brother walked up to the counter and helped himself to ale from the keg on the top, returning with three jugs brimming to the top with frothy beer. He handed one to Hrolfgar and another to Svelka, before taking a draught of his own. Jakob nudged Kurt in the ribs to spur him into action.

  'Not drinking with us?' Kurt said in his best Norscan accent.

  'I heard you were asking after me.' Hrolfgar replied. 'I do not like being summoned like a slave.'

  'The witch hunter who killed your men, van Diesl, is less than a day from this town.' Kurt told the Norse chieftain, ignoring his complaint.

  'What of it?' Bjordrin asked warily.

  'He is looking for me, and will burn this town to the ground if he finds me here.' Kurt explained, sitting at one of the benches by the fire.

  'Then be somewhere else and save us the trouble.' said Hrolfgar.

  'Perhaps your defeat by Marius and his men has dulled your sense of honour.' Kurt said, meeting Hrolfgar's eye with an accusing stare.

  'What do you mean by that?' said Hrolfgar, taking an angry step forward.

  'I was told the Norse were brave warriors, who take pleasure in avenging their fallen kin and comrades.' Kurt continued.

  'You think me a coward?' growled Hrolfgar. 'Lesser men than you have felt the kiss of my axe for such an insult.'

  'And yet I am still here.' Kurt countered, unimpressed. He stood up and strode slowly towards the chieftain. 'The gods judge us by our deeds, not our words.'

  'Then let them judge this!' roared Hrolfgar, dropping his ale and swinging a meaty fist at Kurt, who ducked the slow punch easily and rose from the crouch with an uppercut that slammed into Hrolfgar's jaw, knocking him back two steps.

  'The gods favour me!' crowed Kurt. 'What will you do to restore yourself in their eyes?'

  Hrolfgar charged like a bull, hurling himself shoulder-first at Kurt, who stepped quickly away to leave Hrolfgar sprawled on the floor, spitting curses. As the Norscan picked himself up, Kurt delivered a swift kick to the man's chin, smashing him to his back.

  'Will you drink with me now?' said Kurt, punching Hrolfgar on the nose with a short jab and then skipping back out of harm's way.

  'I'd rather bed a mad wolf!' Hrolfgar snarled, getting to his feet. He pulled his axe from where it hung at his belt and advanced slowly towards Kurt.

  'Hold it there, brother!' said Bjordrin, stepping between Hrolfgar and Kurt. 'Let's not offend our host with spilt blood!'

  'Then tell this dog to step outside and I'll finish him quickly,' Hrolfgar replied, staring venomously at Kurt.

  'Let us hear him out,' added Svelka. 'If he is wasting our time, then you can take your axe to his neck as much as you like.'

  Hrolfgar looked at his two warriors and straightened up. He then turned his eyes back to Kurt and grinned, hooking his axe back on his belt.

  'Make it good, sutenmjar,' Hrolfgar said, gesturing for Bjordrin to fetch him fresh beer and sitting at the bench where Kurt had been moments before.

  'Marius has taken my woman,' Kurt said. 'I will kill him and take her back.'

  'You?' laughed Hrolfgar, taking his mug from Bjordrin, who sat down beside the chieftain, contemplating Kurt with a wily look. 'You've no muscle, sutenmjar. You're better built for running, not fighting.'

  'I beat you,' Kurt replied.

  'I can take woman hits like that forever,' jeered Hrolfgar. He clenched his fist and waved it at Kurt. 'One of these hits you, you don't get back up again.'

  'You are indeed strong,' admitted Kurt, sitting opposite Hrolfgar. 'That is why I want you to help me attack van Diesl. Do you not want a chance to settle the score for those of your men who are now food for the wolves in the forest?'

  'I would settle the score, but not at the price of the warriors who survived our first battle with that southern devil,' Hrolfgar said. 'The pain of the loss is hard to bear, but I live. If I should lose all my men and die, what then will the gods do with me? They would send my soul back as a goat or a pig for such waste of life.'

  'But what if I could show you that the gods look kindly upon this battle?' Kurt asked.

  'I have no concern for what your weak gods think.' Hrolfgar said.

  'No, I mean the true gods, the Dark Lords of the North, your gods.' Kurt said. 'I can feel their breath upon me, in these cold lands. I hear the whisper of their voices in the wind and thunder.'

  'Nonsense!' laughed Svelka. 'You are full of more wind than a longship's sail.'

  'Jakob, you said yourself that I was touched by the gods.' Kurt turned and spoke quietly to his companion. 'Why can they not see it, like you?'

  'Because I have a small amount of power, which gifts me the sight of such things on occasion.' Jakob told him. 'They do not have the sight.'

  'You are not strong enough to fight this battle.' Hrolfgar interrupted, standing up. 'If, as you say, this man will come to burn down this town, then we will get ready to leave.'

  'We shall come with you.' Jakob said quickly, also rising to his feet. 'For too long I have been away from the mountains of my birth, and I long to smell the sweet air of the sea by my village.'

  'And why would we let a runt like you come with us?' asked Bjordrin. 'At least the southerner can fight. I see you carrying that bow. We have no need of more hunters.'

  'We're not going with them.' Kurt said, suddenly realising what Jakob intended. 'I'll not leave Ursula in the hands of that man.'

  'She's betrayed you, Kurt.' Jakob argued. 'Even now she is probably plotting with van Diesl. If not, then she is dead.'

  'I'll not give up hope.' Kurt said, turning away. Jakob followed him and spoke quietly in Reikspiel so that the Norsemen would not understand.

  'Nothing two of us can do.' Jakob said. 'We not save her by ourselves.'

  'Van Diesl will burn Tungask to the ground for harbouring me.' Kurt said, head bowed. 'The people will fight alongside us to prevent that.'

  'There are some hunters.' replied Jakob. 'Only true warriors, Hrolfgar and his warband. These people merchants and woodsmen, not fighters.'

  'Then you must help me convince Hrolfgar.' insisted Kurt. He looked up at the muscled warrior, who was laughing with his men and pointing towards the door. 'If he fights with us and we win, then I promise you that we head north.'

  'What of promise to girl that we return to Empire?' asked Jakob, remembering Kurt's earlier vehemence that they were not travelling to Norsca.

  'For months now I had been pulled this way and that by you and her.' Kurt said slowly. 'Well, no more of it, I say! Give me a way to bend Hrolfgar to my will, give me the strength I need to fight van Diesl and his men.'

  'You one man, I have not the power.' Jakob said, fearing what Kurt intended.

  'You said yourself that the gods have marked me out for greatness.' Kurt reminded the Norscan. 'That's why you wanted to accompany me, is it not?'

  'Yes.' admitted Jakob w
ith a shake of his head. 'But not follow you to die in fight we cannot win.'

  'Then give me a way to win it, damn you!' snarled Kurt. He turned to Hrolfgar as he was about to leave.

  'If I can prove to you that the gods favour me, will you follow me?' he asked the muscular northman.

  'And how do you think you will prove this, sutenmjar?' Bjordrin replied for his brother, the group of them looking at Kurt with interest now.

  'Amongst your people, how do you know those who are chosen from those who are not?' Kurt asked, his desperation growing.

  'The elders can see it, and they prove it through their deeds.' Svelka said, crossing his arms across his broad chest. 'Your pet shaman says you have the power, but he must prove it.'

  Hrolfgar glanced at his two men and then looked back at Kurt. He walked forwards and slapped a meaty hand onto Kurt's shoulder.

  'You say you feel the breath of the gods within you?' Hrolfgar said. 'Get your wise man to summon forth the voices of the gods, get him to use his power to show us this, and I will fight alongside you against the man who killed my kin.'

  'It cannot be done!' interrupted Jakob, stalking forward, scratching at his long moustaches. 'The gods are not there at our beck and call, they would strike me down for such an affront. And I said I have some gift, not that I am a shaman.'

  'Then we will leave you to die in this town.' Bjordrin said, stepping up beside his brother.

  URSULA STOOD BETWEEN Ruprecht and Marius as the warband set up camp on the plains not far from the outskirts of the wood, beside the road that led to Tungask. The seer, Filandantis, was sitting on a mat not far from them, humming gently to himself. Ursula was intrigued by the strange little man, and slightly repulsed by him at the same time. She had heard of sorcerers, hedge wizards and foul necromancers, but the idea of such a tainted person working for the church of Sigmar was new to her. Ruprecht had told her that the seer was spiritually pure, proven by many painful tests, but she still felt on edge standing this close to the man while he performed his rites. She had overheard Jakob telling Kurt about the dangers of using magic, and how the risks increased the further north the practitioner was - or the closer to the gods you came, as Jakob had put it.