[Blackhearts 02] - The Broken Lance

by Nathan Long - (ebook by Undead)

  Any notion that dying beside his beloved was in some way romantic was bunk as well. It was the cruellest of jokes. There was so much they hadn’t done. They hadn’t danced together or lived together. They hadn’t made love together. And worst of all, they hadn’t been free together. For the entire time Reiner had known her, he and Franka had been prisoners, under the thumb of the Empire or Manfred or his brother. Reiner had never been able to take her where he liked, show her his old haunts, explore new places with her, or even stay in and forget the world with her.

  He could feel his arms growing heavier as he fanned them this way and that to catch all the steel stabbing his way. A blade pierced his leg. Another nicked his ear.

  “Franka. I—”

  The girl flicked a look his way between ducking and blocking. Her eyes shared his sadness. She grinned crookedly. “Should have broken my vow, hey?”

  Reiner laughed. “Well yes, damn ye, y’should have. But—” A blade nicked his shoulder. “Curse it! What I wanted to say—”

  “Hoy!” came a cry, and one of the ratmen Reiner was facing suddenly had a crossbow bolt sprouting from his neck. It fell, choking and screeching.

  Both the ratmen and the humans looked around. Running through the giant diggers and drawing their weapons were Karel and Hals and Pavel, as well as Dag, Jergen and Gert. Only Abel was missing.

  Despite what the rat-surgeon had said about his kind having no spleen, the ratmen did not break, but met the new threat in good order. Three locked up with Pavel and Hals, one forced Gert back, besting the reach of his short-hafted axe with its long blade. Their leader, who had previously hung back, lunged at Karel, pressing him strongly. Dag windmilled wildly at another with a short sword and dagger, screaming his head off but doing little. Reiner, Franka and Giano, freed to fight one ratman apiece, continued on the defensive while they recovered their strength.

  Jergen, as silent as ever, once again made all the other Black-hearts look like children waving sticks. He cut down the first ratman he faced with a single stroke, and before it had collapsed, had stepped past another and beheaded it with a backstroke. A third, seeing him with his sword arm stretched behind him, lunged at his exposed chest. Jergen swayed slightly to the left, allowing its sword to pass by his ribs, then trapped the blade under his arm and chopped down through the rat-man’s clavicle to the heart.

  “Would you look at him work,” breathed Franka.

  This sudden butchery at last unnerved the other ratmen. Their attacks faltered as their comrades screamed and spouted blood. Their leader sprang back from Karel and cried the retreat.

  The ratmen scampered away towards their encampment, so quick that not even Jergen got in a last lick as they disengaged. Their wounded cried after them piteously, but they never looked back.

  Franka stepped forwards to dispatch these with her dagger as the others started after the retreating rats.

  “No!” said Reiner. “There’s a whole army down there.”

  And just as he said it, he noticed shadows moving on the tunnel walls beyond the retreating rats. Their pursuers had finally resumed the chase.

  “We must fly,” he said. “There’s more coming.”

  The men reluctantly turned back, wiping down their weapons and sheathing them.

  “Walking vermin,” said Gert wonderingly. “Just as y’said.”

  As the men started to crowd into the hole, Dag made a face. “That you what stinks, captain? Thought it was the rats.”

  “We had to disguise our scent.”

  “Ye did that well enough,” said Pavel covering his nose.

  Reiner looked around for Franka. “Franz?”

  She was sitting on the chest of one of the fallen ratmen, mechanically plunging her dagger into its chest over and over again, her eyes streaming tears.

  “Franz.”

  She didn’t respond.

  He crossed to her. “Franz!”

  He caught her wrist.

  She looked up, snarling. Then blinked. Her face relaxed. “I… I’m sorry. You didn’t see…”

  Reiner swallowed. “No need to explain. But they’re coming.”

  She nodded and stood, and they followed the others into the hole.

  As they emerged into the mine tunnel, Reiner caught Hals’ eye. “Changed your mind, did you?”

  Hals scowled and looked away. “We… we couldn’t let y’die. But yer safe now, so, uh, we’ll be on our way.”

  “Fair enough,” Reiner said.

  Pavel and Hals and the others turned and started hurrying up the slope. Reiner snorted as he pressed his kerchief against the cut above his eye. It was ridiculous. They were all travelling the same way, but Reiner allowed them to pull ahead for appearance’s sake.

  Franka shot him a questioning look.

  “Hals and Abel saw you in your dress,” Reiner said softly.

  Franka groaned. “So they know my secret?”

  Reiner chuckled. “No, no. They think I have one.”

  “They…?” Franka’s eyes widened. “Oh, no!”

  The divided party continued on in uneasy silence, but after a while, Pavel looked over his shoulder. “So, what do ye know of these rat-things.”

  Reiner cocked an eyebrow at him. “You’re speaking to me?”

  “We only ask as it concerns the safety of the garrison,” said Gert.

  “Ah.” Reiner hid a smirk. “Well, they mean to take the fort, and Aulschweig after that. Shaeder’s in with them, betraying Gutzmann for the gold in the mine.”

  Hals stopped and turned. “Is this the truth?”

  “Ask Giano. He heard him too, talking to their leader.”

  Pavel looked at Giano. “Tilean?”

  “Aye. Is true. He tell them attack tomorrow.”

  Pavel gaped. “Tomorrow!”

  Hals spat. “Chaos take Shaeder. Jagger’s more rat than these vermin.”

  “Worse than Gutzmann,” said Pavel. “That’s certain.”

  “Aye,” said Gert. “Filthy turncoat. Ought to be fed his own guts.”

  Karel shook his head. “I can’t believe that a knight of the Empire would do this. Is honour dead?”

  The Blackhearts laughed. Karel looked baffled.

  “You forget the company you keep,” said Reiner. “We are all too well acquainted with the honour of knights.”

  “This is bad,” said Hals. “We’ve to warn the fort.”

  Gert laughed. “And will you be the one to tell ’em ratmen are coming to kill ’em? They’ll lock you up.”

  “Why warn ’em at all?” asked Dag. “They be no mates of ours. Let’s put these cursed mountains behind us and find someplace warm to hole up.”

  “Forgotten the poison in our blood, lad?” asked Pavel. “We’ve still a job to do, ratmen or no. And it may take longer than a day to finish it. We have to warn ’em.”

  “Someone does,” said Hals.

  The pikemen slid another glance toward Reiner.

  Hals coughed. “Er, captain…”

  “Is it captain now?” Reiner drawled.

  “You think you can trust him?” asked Gert.

  “I trust him to save his own skin,” said Pavel, cold. “He always looks after that.”

  Reiner grunted. “All right. I’ll speak to Gutzmann. But it would serve you right if I lit out on my own.”

  “But… but we’re to kill Gutzmann,” said Karel, frowning. “Gutzmann is a traitor to the Empire.”

  “Who else would you have us tell?” asked Franka. “Shaeder?”

  “Shaeder’s a traitor to mankind,” said Gert.

  Karel was upset. “So we ask Gutzmann to save us one moment, and then kill him the next?”

  “It ain’t all roses is it, laddie?” said Hals.

  “Blame your future father-in-law if you don’t find it to yer liking,” said Pavel.

  “Manfred couldn’t have known what we would find here,” said Karel defensively.

  “There is a way Gutzmann might be spared,” said Gert. “
We’re to kill him only as a last resort, aye? Maybe he gets a chance to fight for the Empire for once, he might think twice about leaving.”

  “Aye,” said Pavel, brightening. “That’s true. He might.”

  Hals nodded at Reiner. “All right, captain. You tell him. Let’s go.”

  “As you wish.”

  In the main entry chamber of the mine all was chaos. The Black-hearts heard it before they saw it: bells ringing, horns braying, guards bellowing orders. As they crept out of the closed tunnel, they saw miners streaming from the two open ones, picks on their shoulders and worried expressions on their faces. The guards herded them towards the exit with shouts and shoves.

  “What’s all this?” asked Reiner of a guard as they joined the crush.

  “Commander Shaeder’s orders. Engineers say the lower tunnels could collapse at any moment. Mine’s to be closed until further notice.”

  “Shaeder ordered this? When?”

  “A few minutes ago, sir. Now on your way.”

  Reiner frowned. The last he had seen of Shaeder he had disappeared down a side passage in the ratmen’s tunnel. It must come out somewhere up here. He wondered where.

  It was dusk when they at last reached the fort, wheezing and gasping from the long run.

  The gate guard saluted Reiner and stepped in his way. “Pardon, sir,” he said, covering his nose. “But Captain Vortmunder asks that you see him immediately about absenting yer duties all day.”

  Reiner dodged around the man. “My regards to Captain Vortmunder, and tell him I will see him as soon as I am able.”

  “Ye might have a bath first!” the guard called after him.

  Reiner made directly for Gutzmann’s quarters, the rest of the Blackhearts trailing behind him. Reiner kept a weather eye out for Shaeder or his guards, the Hammer Bearers, but they didn’t appear.

  Two of Gutzmann’s personal guard stood outside his door, chatting together. They came to attention as Reiner and the rest rumbled down the hall.

  “Easy now, sirs,” said the first, holding up a hand. “What’s all this?”

  Reiner saluted, breathing heavily. “Corporal Meyerling reporting, sir. I wish to speak to General Gutzmann about danger within the mine and treachery within the camp.”

  The guard stepped back, hand over his nose. His mate gagged. “You must take it through the proper channels, corporal.”

  “This is an emergency, sir,” said Reiner, drawing himself up. “It cannot wait to go through channels.”

  “Sorry, corporal. I got my orders…”

  The door opened behind him and Matthais looked out. “What’s the trouble, Neihoff…?” He broke off as he saw Reiner. He sniffed, frowning. “Meyerling. What are you doing here? And what’s that horrible stink?”

  “Never mind the stink. I’ve something to tell the general. What are you doing here?”

  “Er, a fellow made a disturbing report to me. I brought him to Gutzmann.”

  “Well, what I’ve to say is disturbing as well. Can you ask him if he’ll see me?”

  “I, er, yes. I will. Wait here.”

  Matthais closed the door, and there was a wait, during which Reiner and the others caught their breath, and the guards held theirs. Reiner wondered what was troubling Matthais. He was far from his sunny self.

  After a minute he reappeared and held the door open.

  “All right, he’ll see you,” he said. “The rest are to wait in here.” He indicated the general’s ante-room.

  Reiner and the Blackhearts filed in as Matthais spoke to the guards. He then beckoned Reiner into Gutzmann’s inner office and followed him in.

  Gutzmann sat in a deep chair by the fire with his booted feet up on the fender. He waved as Reiner saluted. “Ah, Hetsau. You wished to see me?”

  “Yes, sir. I…” Reiner froze as he realized that Gutzmann had called him by his real name. “Er…”

  “I believe you know my guest?”

  There was another chair at the fire, which faced away from Reiner. Its occupant leaned forward and looked around.

  It was Abel.

  Reiner cursed inwardly. A damned neat trick. He would have applauded if it hadn’t been directed at him.

  “My lord, I don’t understand.” He spoke automatically, his mind racing. What was Abel’s game? Why betray him when he was betraying himself as well? He would hang from Gutzmann’s battlements right beside Reiner.

  Gutzmann snorted. “Don’t be tiresome, Hetsau. You understand perfectly well. Quartermaster Halstieg has told me everything. How you were commanded by Count Valdenheim to assassinate me. How you joined my army under false pretences to do so. How you spied on my officers to discover my plans. How you attempted to recruit Halstieg and others to help you in your plot.”

  “I beg your pardon, my lord?” Reiner’s heart thudded in his chest. Now he was beginning to see. He’d underestimated Halstieg. The quartermaster was cleverer than he looked. He had found a way to at once betray Reiner and clear himself. This way he could remove Reiner, take Manfred’s job for himself, and win his way into Gutzmann’s confidences all at the same time.

  Gutzmann scowled at him. “Do you deny the charges?”

  Reiner hesitated. He might try to brass it out and deny everything; try to use his powers of persuasion to convince Gutzmann that Halstieg had made it up out of the whole cloth, but there was little chance of success that way. Reiner had already condemned himself out of his own mouth. He cleared his throat. “I do not deny that I was sent by Valdenheim, but not as an assassin. Halstieg and I and the others of my group were ordered by my lord Valdenheim to travel here and discover who was taking the Emperor’s gold, and then to stop those responsible. Execution of the culprit was not beyond the purview of our brief, this is true, but neither was it our only option. We might have found a way to convince you…”

  “We? Our?” cried Abel. “Don’t try to tar me with the brush of your guilt, deceiver. I had nothing to do with it.”

  Reiner looked at Gutzmann. “Is that what he has told you, my lord?”

  “Hetsau came to me here, my lord!” said Abel. “The first day he arrived! He approached a number of us, trying to turn us against you.”

  “My lord,” said Reiner. “Halsteig has been with us from the beginning. There are ten of us. We came, all of us, from Altdorf. We…”

  “And the others wait in my ante-room?” asked Gutzmann. “Have you decided that I am your culprit? Did you come to kill me?”

  Reiner pursed his lips. “My lord may accuse me of treachery, but I hope he doesn’t think me unsubtle.”

  Gutzmann laughed. “Then why did you come? Other than to foul my offices with your odour. Sigmar, Matthais, you warned me, but I had no idea.”

  Reiner paused. Caught flatfooted by Abel’s betrayal he had almost forgotten why he had come. But now…

  He sighed. He had been close to convincing Gutzmann that he was a more honest villain than Abel; and given time, he might have found a way to salvage the situation, but now, now he must mention the ratmen, and all his credibility would wither away in a storm of laughter.

  Unfortunately, ridiculous as it sounded, the danger was real. The camp would be overrun, the garrison slain, Aulschweig enslaved—and most distressing of all, he and Franka and the other Blackhearts might be caught in the middle of it. Someone had to do something. He only regretted that that someone appeared to be him.

  He licked his lips. “Know, my lord…”

  Muffled cursing and shouting came from the anteroom. Reiner could hear the sounds of a scuffle. He looked at the door.

  “Pay it no mind, corporal,” said Gutzmann. “It is merely your men being arrested. Pray go on.”

  Reiner groaned. He was beginning to think that, poison or no poison, Manfred or no Manfred, he and the Blackhearts should have turned north when they ran out of the mine, and just kept running. “Yes, my lord.” He took a deep breath. “Know that when I speak you will call me mad. But if you are wise, you will see that its very
lunacy is proof of the truth of my warning. For only a terrible danger would cause me to squander what little goodwill you feel toward me at such a delicate moment.”

  “What are you babbling about?” said Gutzmann, confused.

  Abel laughed, a high nervous giggle. “He’s about to tell you about the ratmen!”

  “The…?” Gutzmann looked at Abel.

  “The ratmen,” Abel repeated, still chuckling. “It was the tale he meant to tell to lure you away. Ratmen in the mine. He would, er, lure you there and then bury you in a rock fall, claiming an accident.”

  Gutzmann frowned. “You said nothing of this before.”

  Abel shrugged. “Can you blame me, my lord?”

  Gutzmann turned to Reiner, an eyebrow raised. “Is this true? Is this the ruse you meant to use?”

  Reiner cursed inwardly. Abel had twisted his words before he had even said them. But he had no choice but to go on. “Except that it is no ruse, my lord. There are ratmen mustering in tunnels below the mines. And they mean to attack the fort.”

  Gutzmann laughed and looked at Abel wonderingly. “You were right. He prates the stuff of fairy tales. It is beyond understanding.” He turned to Reiner. “Come sir, why do you persist? Ratmen? Could you think of nothing better?”

  “They exist, sir. I have today seen them with my own eyes. We fought them. I have their blood on my clothes. The odour that offends you is theirs.”

  Gutzmann stared at him with his bright blue eyes, as if trying to see into his soul. “You don’t seem mad…”

  “There is worse to come, sir. But still I must tell it.” Reiner coughed and continued. “While returning from their tunnels, we came upon a party of these ratmen talking to a man. We crept forward and discovered that it was Commander Shaeder.”

  “What!” Gutzmann banged his hand on the arm of his chair. “Sir, your foolishness goes too far. How dare you malign the commander’s name?”

  “He betrays you, my lord. It seems that the ratmen mean to take Aulschweig for a grain farm, and Shaeder has promised them an easy victory over you so they might cross over the pass. In exchange, they promised him all the gold from the mine. The reason…”