The Eye of Winter's Fury (47 page)

‘Good,’ he says simply, nodding.

‘And . . .’ Kirk spreads his arms wide, in a beckoning manner.

The Skard looks down at him, the shadows cutting grim lines around his sneer. He shakes his head. ‘No. Nothing. Not have anything.’ His words are hesitant, struggling with the language. But they carry command. Finality.

Kirk gives Lawson a sideways glance. You feel Henna at your side shifting uneasily. Her hand is on her sword.

‘We have a deal,’ says Kirk, licking his dry lips. ‘I give you iron and steel, you bring me some of those magic stones, like you did before. Then I sell ’em on and we’re all happy.’

The Skard shrugs and turns away, as if signalling the meeting is at its end.

Kirk starts forward, reaching out desperately. ‘Wait, we had a—’

You didn’t see the Northman move. But the eight inches of steel sticking out of Kirk’s neck did not get there by accident. The Skard glares at him, teeth clenched, as he twists the blade. Kirk’s gargling screams echo around the canyon. Then the body drops to the ground with a wet-sounding slap.

For a moment, you feel only stunned disbelief.

A sudden rush of air blasts past your ear. You stagger sideways, disorientated. When you look back Lawson is standing there, an arrow still nocked to his bow. But his mouth is open, eyes fixed on the javelin in his chest. With barely a cry, he topples backwards.

‘Run!’

It is Henna’s voice, but you barely hear it over the baying of the dogs. They have been released from their restraints and are now sprinting straight for you on their short but powerful legs.

You turn, slipping on a loose stone, grateful for your mishap as another javelin skims your back by inches. You stagger into the side of the cart, pushing off from it into a full-on sprint. The dogs are right on your heels, their teeth snapping for a hold. There is no time to stop – you have to find a means of escape.

To your left you spot a narrow cleft, forming a tunnel into the maze-like canyons. Ahead of you and to the right, there is the black lake of tar. A series of rocks criss-cross its surface, leading to a cave on the opposite bank.

316

You are halfway across the cave when you suddenly hear a squeal from one of the goblins. The small one with the shield has spotted you, pointing a stubby finger in your direction.

The other goblins are pulling rusty knives from their belts. All except for the leader.

‘Me arm – it’s stuck!’ The largest goblin leans back, boots sliding in the dirt as he tries desperately to free himself. His companions hang back, torn between attacking or helping their struggling leader.

‘Wha’ yer waitin’ for?’ He growls. ‘Just stick ’im!’

The three goblins hurry to attack, while their leader continues to grunt and curse as he tries to pull his arm free. It is time to fight:

	Special abilities
	Stick ’im! : At the end of each combat round, you must take 1 damage ignoring armour from each surviving goblin (not including Grubnose).
	Grr, ’tis ain’t fair : (*) Grubnose has his arm stuck. He will still be able to attack and defend, but will do so with a speed of 3. At the start of the fourth combat round, Grubnose will have freed his arm – raising his speed to 5 for the remainder of the combat.

If you manage to defeat these motley scavengers, turn to
583
.

317

The battle is over in a matter of seconds, a life ended in brutally short fashion. You stand over the corpse, wanting to feel something – regret, elation. But all you are left with is a cold numbness in your limbs. You glance down, watching a trail of black blood ooze from a shallow wound in your arm.

What am I becoming?

You go to take a breath, but your chest remains tight and constricted. Instead you end up choking, your throat cutting like razors as you spit out a foul-smelling bile. You wipe it against your sleeve, trembling . . . frightened.

It is some time before you are able to calm yourself – to focus on the matter at hand.
Have to get back
.
Find the others.

Kneeling next to the corpse, you scan the body for anything of use. The axe blade is dulled and thick with rust, but the bone knife looks sharp and serviceable. You also notice a shimmer of magic around the hunter’s white-fur boots – and an iron ring, etched with runes. You may now take one of the following rewards:

With your pursuers defeated, you decide to head cautiously back to the cart. Turn to
391
.

318

You eyes scan the four Skard warriors, then return to Gurt. ‘I would hardly call those fair odds,’ you rasp, clenching your fists as your magic continues to ebb away.

‘Agreed, few men could match a single einherjar in battle – let alone four,’ sniggers Gurt, sucking the last of the meat from his bone.

‘No, you misunderstand me . . .’ You lift your manacled hand, the chain rattling against the table. ‘I can defeat your warriors. But you have me chained. Is that how you fight your battles?’

Gurt slams his fists on the table, rattling the pots. ‘Take him out! Remove him! Teach him what it means to cross the einherjar!’

You are dragged forcibly from the hall. Once you are back on the snow fields the four warriors surround you, pulling axes from their belts. They exchange words in Skard – their tone questioning, uncertain. The white-haired warrior, Aslev, barks a command – then they set about you, kicking and hacking with their weapons.

You feel a sudden rush of strength as a primal hoarse-throated roar is ripped from your lips. Nanuk’s spirit flows into you, fighting the magic of the rune-carved restraint. Your weapons fly into your hands, then you are twisting and dodging the incoming attacks, your bestial snarls rending the air. With nothing to lose, you turn on the einherjar. It is time to fight:

	Special abilities
	Bow to your will : Once an einherjar is reduced to 10 or less health , they surrender and kneel – taking no further part in the combat.
	Chain of command : You are weakened by the black iron manacle. This reduces your speed by 1 and your brawn and magic by 4 for the duration of the combat. If you defeat the handler (by reducing them to 10 or less health ), you break free of the chain – restoring your attributes.
	Outnumbered : At the end of each combat round, you must take 1 damage from each surviving opponent, ignoring armour . This ability only applies if you are faced with multiple opponents.

If you manage to defeat these Skard heroes, turn to
354
. Otherwise, remember to record your defeat on your hero sheet, then turn to
46
.

319

You unfasten the gold clips on your scabbard and hand the weapon to Hort. ‘I think this is more fitting for a holy warrior, don’t you?’

He smiles at that, taking the grip and sliding the sword free with a ringing echo of steel. As he does so, the sigils along its blade burst into billowing white light, coming alive at his touch.

The wolf snarls, drawing back, its eyes narrowing to slits of glittering amber.

‘This is a mighty weapon,’ grins the inquisitor. ‘And it will make a glorious end.’ He drops into a low stance, dagger in one hand and the sword in the other. ‘Run, Prince Arran,’ he whispers. ‘I will buy you time. My debt to you is repaid.’

There is a roar from the darkness, then the wolf springs forward, its black body slamming into the warrior, fangs and steel slicing through the air. (Make a note of the keyword
sacrifice
on your hero sheet, then turn to
231
.)