The Claws of Chaos 1 The Claws of Chaos Slaves to Darkness • Book One A Warhammer novel by Gav Thorpe AT THAT MOMENT, a dagger swept up towards Kurt’s exposed armpit and he twisted quickly, catching it on his breastplate, his sword passing harmlessly over the Norseman’s head. Horrified, his gaze moved from the clawed fingers gripping the knife, up a twisted arm that pulsated with exposed muscle and connected just below the northerner’s ribcage. How could he have not noticed the man had a third arm? THE ICY WINDS of Chaos blow down across the civilised world, corrupting man and beast alike. When loyal Empire knight Kurt Leitzig is forced to choose between duty and love, a tragic chain of events is set in motion. The Claws of Chaos can be purchased in all better bookstores, Games Workshop and other hobby stores, or direct from this website and GW mail order. Price £5.99 (UK) / $6.95 (US) Bookshops: Distributed in the UK by Orca. Distributed in the US by Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books. Games & hobby stores: Distributed inUK and US by Games Workshop. UKmail order: 0115-91 40 000 USmail order: 1-800-394-GAME Online: Buy direct care of Games Workshop’s web store by going to www.blacklibrary.com/store or www.games-workshop.com PUBLISHED BY THE BLACKLIBRARY Games Workshop, Willow Road, Nottingham, NG7 2WS, UK TM Copyright © 2002 Games Workshop Ltd.All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited, in any form, including on the internet. ® UK ISBN: 1 84154 257 1 USISBN: 0 7434 4319-5 This is an excerpt from THE CLAWS OF CHAOS by Gav Thorpe, published by Games Workshop Publishing, 2002. Copyright © Games Workshop Ltd 2002. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited, in any form, including on the internet. For more details email [email protected] or go to the Black Library website www.blacklibrary.com from THE CLAWS OF CHAOS ‘I STILL SAY you panic,’ said Jakob, dusting snow from his furs and dropping a pile of sticks at Kurt’s feet. ‘It one dream, it mean nothing.’ ‘I trust Ursula,’ Kurt argued, sitting up on his blanket. ‘She tells me that her visions have always come true, and there’s no reason to doubt it this time. Every vision she has had so far has proven true.’ ‘She just say she see you fighting the witch hunter,’ Jakob said. ‘Does not mean he find us at Tungask, no need to run so soon. Why you believe her? Why you trust Sigmar? Have I not proven my gods are the strong ones? Did I lead you to Tungask with their help? Where Sigmar then? You let that woman lead you by the nose like pony.’ ‘I don’t know why she didn’t have any visions until yesterday,’ Kurt said, exasperated. ‘You both keep telling me to believe in this, or trust you. I don’t know what to think.’ ‘Even if vision true,’ Jakob conceded with a deep shrug, ‘does not mean you lose fight with Marius.’ ‘I will not risk Ursula again!’ Kurt said, stepping away. ‘I want her as far away from that monster as possible.’ ‘She trouble, she keep saying to turn back,’ Jakob said, grab- bing Kurt’s shoulder and turning him round. The former knight shoved him away with a growl. ‘Never say that again!’ he said. ‘Remember that she’s the rea- son I left the Osterknacht, and she’s the reason I have been run- ning all this time. Not you! You have helped us to survive, but I have never asked you to stay.’ Jakob muttered something inaudible, grabbed the firewood and ducked out of the tent. Outside it was bitterly cold and he The Claws of Chaos 3 could smell more snow on the wind. Already it was knee deep, and the winter was just beginning. It was a bad time to head north; Jakob knew that. He had come south this way in the summer and had found it difficult, even though he had been raised in the mountains of Norsca and was used to months without the sun and freezing conditions. He looked with contempt at the smaller of the two tents, where Ursula slept. She had demanded that she not share with either of the men. Kurt was a fool for letting her lead him round by the nose. A good beating would soon quell her fierce spirit and allow the ex-knight to bed her. But he was still smitten with her, and Jakob knew that if he so much as lifted a fist against the wench Kurt would do him great injury. He also knew that there might be some truth to these visions she claimed to have. There was a definite air about her, a vibrancy close to her that he could feel. Raised in the north and used to the power of great warriors and sorcerers, it was a slightly sickly sensation he felt when she was close. A howl in the distance attracted Jakob’s attention and he lis- tened to the night for a few moments. It was repeated, from fur- ther north, where a dark forest stretched across their route. They were camped in a small dell rimmed with pines, a tiny spring at its centre. He had heard the elders of his people speak of a great place to the south where there was no water and the ground was as dry as bone. His forefathers had sailed that far south and sacked the cities of the land called Arbarec, which he had learnt was called Araby in the Empire. The waterless sea was known as desert, and the sands stretched for weeks in every direction. The copse they were staying in reminded him of the oases he had learnt about, a small paradise of water and shelter in a desolate wilderness. He would like to see a real oasis, Jakob decided. When he returned with Kurt to his tribe, he would teach the warrior how to fight properly, in true Norse style. Then he would get Kurt to challenge for leadership, and when he won, he would become the chieftain, with Jakob as his shaman. When that happened he would use his influence to get Kurt to sail south and take the gold and gems from the Arabians and live in luxury. It was a good dream, but one that was unlikely to come true as long as the red-headed bitch still argued against Jakob’s plan. He need- ed Kurt to be malleable, easily influenced. At first he had sim- ply accompanied the knight because he had felt a touch of 4 Gav Thorpe greatness about him. Now Jakob was more certain that Kurt could achieve remarkable things if taught well. And Jakob would be there to reap the rewards when the time came. There was little Jakob could do though, while the girl remained under Kur t ’ s protection. He had tried all he could to divide the two, and though they bickered and fought more than eve r , he felt that the bond between them was still strong. Other than that, Kurt had proved to be an able student, despite the protestations of his woman. He had learned Jakob’s language well, and he could curse like a sailor in the Skaerling tongue. Jakob could feel the gods’ favour growing; there were power s surrounding the young warrior that even Kurt was beginning to se n s e . Here in the north, under the breath of the gods, great men could become greater. For all the bad memories of his childhood and exile, Jakob felt proud to be returning. The air here was clear, and tonight the cloudless night was bright with the light of the twin m o o n s. There was Esdra, the white moon; the eye of the wo l f that Kurt called Mannslieb. Esdra was the sailor’s moon, pre- dictable and constant to navigate by. Then there was Jandra, the red moon; the sorcerer’s baleful eye that was known in the south as Morrslieb, after the god of death. Jakob had laughed when he had heard that Jandra shone green in the south, but it had been true. Pe r h a p s, like the Norse themselve s, the s h a m a n ’s guide looked down on the southern lands with jeal- o u sy. It was while he was meditating on the strange ways of the world that his attention was drawn to the chorus of howls erupting from the woods. Instantly alerted, he recognised the wolf calls as warnings to each other. There was something in the woods that had spooked the packs and they were shouting to each other to get out of its way. Fearing the worst, Jakob called for Kurt and Ursula. The pair poked their heads out of the tents at almost the same time. ‘Listen,’ Jakob told them, and they did as he said for a short while. ‘You think the wolves might attack?’ Ursula asked, stepping out of the tent. ‘No, they’re scared,’ Kurt corrected her, ducking back into the tent and emerging with his sword belt and shield. ‘You hear that?’ Jakob asked, eyes wide with awe. The Claws of Chaos 5 ‘It’s this place, I can feel their fear in the air,’ Kurt answered. He looked up into the skies and closed his eyes, resting his shield at his feet and strapping on his sword. There was anoth- er flurry of howls and then the air fell silent.