The Island of Blood by Warhammer

Author:Warhammer [Warhammer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781844168538
Publisher: The Black Library
Published: 2010-09-16T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

As BLADELORD KALAER looked up from his broad, ivory desk the candlelight washed over his face, revealing an intricate network of scars, both old and new. One wall of his spartan study was lined with ancient sword manuals and tactical treatises, but it was the scars that spoke most eloquently of his past. His long, elven frame was knotted and hardened by centuries of warfare and self-denial and as his guests approached, he glared up at them from his chair like a cornered beast, as though waiting for the right moment to pounce.

'There's no chance he could have survived,' he snapped. His eyes were blank, but the tremor in his voice revealed a barely suppressed fury. He rose from the desk and looked down at the huge greatsword that lay across it. Like the swordmaster's face, it had obviously seen recent battle, but the battered steel had been cleaned and polished as lovingly as a holy relic. 'I had the enemy in my grasp,' he continued, looking up at his guests defiantly, as though daring them to contradict him. 'In a few more minutes I would have finished them, but Kortharion...' he paused, and shook his head in disbelief. 'Kortharion decided that the best course would be to immolate himself. He destroyed the creatures with his own funeral pyre.'

The small delegation gathered in Kalaer's study turned to look at the young mage waiting near the doorway. At the swordmaster's words, Caladris leant heavily on his staff and his youth seemed to abandon him, weighing down his narrow shoulders and drawing lines of anguish on his slender face. 'Why would he do such a thing?' he muttered.

As Kalaer looked back at Caladris, the tremor in his voice became even more pronounced. 'It's not my place to question the logic of mages,' he snapped. 'Kortharion had been on the island for a long time. He'd begun to suffer from the most awful nightmares. It's possible that lack of sleep clouded his judgement.' He shook his head. 'Maybe he had simply lost his stomach for the fight.'

Caladris stiffened at Kalaer's words. 'I'm sure he wouldn't have abandoned you if he thought there was any other way.'

Colour rushed into Kalaer's cheeks and he fixed the young mage with a withering stare. 'Kortharion has taken his reasons with him to the grave. We must deal with this inconvenience without his help.' For a moment it seemed his mask of calm might slip. Then he turned away from Caladris and addressed the knight stood next to him, a proud-looking veteran, carrying a tall shield decorated with a beautiful image of a sea drake. 'How many soldiers came with you on the prince's ship, Captain Althin?'

The captain looked briefly at Caladris, but the ashen-faced mage waved dismissively and backed away to the corner of the room, so Althin answered the swordmaster's question. 'There's my own detachment of sea guard and also,' he gestured to another armour-clad figure stood behind him, 'Eltheus and his knights.'

Eltheus stepped forwards with a slight bow.

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