The Wolftime by Gav Thorpe

Author:Gav Thorpe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Library
Published: 2021-10-08T07:32:39+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

A VITAL MISSION

SAGA OF KORBJORN HAMMER-SMITE

OLD FOES

Ullr First-Shot was surprised to see the Great Wolf coming to the halls of the Drakeslayers; Krom Dragongaze had withdrawn them from active duty and the two lords were still at odds. Yet the evidence of his own eyes could not be ignored as he watched Logan Grimnar, alone and unannounced at the entrance.

‘What’s the Old Wolf want, do you think?’ asked Dethar. He had developed a habit of scratching at the join between the metal and flesh of his jaw, leaving the exposed skin raw and the metal slightly worn. So far he had refused attempts to send him back to the Wolf Priests to have the cybernetic inspected. ‘Seems to be nosing around for something.’

As he watched other packs venturing into the passage to greet their king, a thought occurred to Ullr.

‘Maybe he’s looking for the Primaris Marines,’ he said, stepping out of the dormitory.

‘Is that a bad thing?’ Garnr called, swinging his legs off his bunk. ‘Might be good for the Old Wolf to actually meet some of the newcomers.’

‘Do you want us to get reinforcements?’ said Ullr.

‘I think we need them,’ replied Garnr. None disputed Dragongaze’s right to replenish supplies, but numbers would be hard to come by without the Primaris Marines. The Wolf Priests had no more than a score of neophytes in their care and at least half would fail the Test of Morkai.

‘And do you think Gaius is going to impress the Great Wolf or put him off?’

Garnr grimaced and stood up. He gestured for the rest of the pack to follow.

‘Who cares?’ grumbled Sáthor, but he pushed himself from his bunk all the same.

‘You best keep Gaius away and we’ll see if we can direct the Great Wolf elsewhere,’ said Garnr.

Ullr hesitated. Was it really the best course of action? Rumours had grown with every returning Great Company that something was amiss, that something beyond the Indomitus Crusade was stirring. The Everdusk. Orks in numbers unseen for thousands of years. The Wolftime is here, they whispered. Guilliman had been returned to the world of the living. Russ would soon follow. Idle talk, outright speculation that the Lion had returned, or the Khan had been seen riding the star-skies above the Helwinter Gate.

Fanciful stuff, but Ullr couldn’t ignore the broader sense of hamarrkiskaldi, perhaps the connection between Fenris and the Wolf King stirring in the souls of every child of the world. Even disregarding the more outlandish claims, there were omens aplenty. The Wolf Priests that went across Fenris looking for potential Sky Warriors spoke of increasing numbers of folk with wyrdknak. Not a handful, but dozens. What if accepting the Primaris Marines into their ranks, weakening their link to Fenris with not-wolves, took them down the road to annihilation?

‘Quickly, First-Shot,’ said Forskad, looking southwards down the corridor. ‘If you cut through the east cavernwalk you’ll get to the Firstwolves before the Great Wolf.’

And then what? thought Ullr, as he set off at a run.

Gaius knew

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