To Run with Morkai

[Thurne Shadehunter]

-The following is my first short story in some time. Comments and criticisms are welcome. Enjoy.

 

 

Thurne Shadehunter looked into the fire, watching the large and twisted bone he clutched in his power armoured gauntlet crackle and blacken. Satisfied the flesh was free of harsher impurities, he tore it cleanly away and placed it under Grimfang's snout. The gargantuan black thunderwolf sniffed and growled before extending its neck and taking the morsel. The Space Wolf scratched between the beasts' eyes as it worked and swallowed the beef. He was careful not to touch the gleaming silver that replaced half of the thunderwolfs' face - Grimfang was sensitive to this even now. Thurne clenched his cybernetic arm and wolfclaw, which he named Grimfang's Gift, and understood completely.

"Thurne."

He looked up and met Modi's gaze. The Wolf Guard kept his voice low as he spoke. "It's Saevil."

The acting Wolflord did not have to ask Modi what he meant. He had seen this countenance too many times before on the face of the pack leaders who answered to him. Thurne sighed heavily and replied in the same low tone. "Tell Saevil I come. Just need to get Hirdir first."

 

Thurne walked through the camp they had temporarily set up as Fjolnir rested. While the Rune Priest was strong and saw far, Thurne could see that between the divinations and Gating the entire warband such vast distances within the Eye he was taxing even his abilities. Still, they all knew staying on a daemon world too long welcomed their enemies to retaliate with larger numbers than they were ready for. So Fjolnir recovered his strength as the rest of the warband took to the tasks that followed their raids and blitzes. Battle-Brothers took chainswords to enemy armour, making it more acceptable for wear by carving away the evil iconography. They sifted through plasma and melta guns bearing chaos stars and dark runes, looking for fuel cells that were less depleted then theirs. They stripped boltguns, checked the firing mechanisms, and took the most reliable of the weapons. This was life for they who made The Vow. The Space Wolves of the 13th Great Company.

 

Hirdir was watching the last of his charges drift off under the sedatives he administered when Thurne approached. The black clad marine only had to see Thurne's expression to know. He nodded and followed Thurne as he made his way through the camp towards where Modi's pack was working on salvage. Each nodded to Thurne, the lines in their faces showing the collective concern there. Saevil sat away from the rest, looking up into a violet sky. The grey slayer did not acknowlege the Wolflord as he took a seat upon the stone beside him, nor the Wolf Priest who now cautiously inspected him. His eyes stayed fixed on the stars and bizzare shapes in the heavens that made up their damned home for as long as they hunted the oathbreakers.

"I'm here Saevil," Thurne said quietly.

"....I run with Morkai in the next battle, my lord."

 

Thurne looked to Hirdir, already knowing the outcome. Indeed, even Hirdir made mental notes of things already knowing as well. Saevil's fangs had prematurely reached Long Fang length, and his face was appearing distended and malformed. Even his words were being punctuated by the ceramite of his right gauntlet, which he had once pulled from a traitorous brother of the Word Bearers, cracking as razorsharp and thick talons pierced the tips. Even if none of these signs were apparent, Thurne would know the truth of Saevil's words because Saevil knew. Because each of them, after so long, were so finely in tune with the Beast within that when those last restraints were ready to slip they knew it. All Saevil had to do was announce it, and today he had.

 

With something akin to sorrow in his eyes the veteran looked to Hirdir. The Wolf Priest had made this exchange far too many times - he knew what was to come by heart as Saevil spoke to him.

 

"If Morkai takes me may I pass through the gates with many traitors dead in my wake."

"I shall take your name back with us when our task is done. I'll make sure your song echoes through the highest peaks of Asaheim. I shall remember."

"If Morkai leaves me to the Were may what remains of me do no harm except to the oathbreakers."

"I shall take you into the fold so you are not ever truely lost. When that day comes we return to the Fang you'll know yourself again. I shall sheperd."

 

Thurne pulled the warband's bragarfull from his side and handed it to the grey slayer. The drinking horn, created the tusk of a Fenrisian Mammoth and plated in adamantium with elementium veins, had been old when many were Blood Claws. What mjod remained these days was used for only one purpose now, and soon they'd sing and laugh even as their spirits mourned and howled.

The next few hours saw the warband collapse in on Saevil's position as he drank deeply from the bragarfull. Hirdir moved about him, trying his best not to disturb the grey slayer's stories and anecdotes as he dabbled and applied ungents and ointments to him. Saevil held up his bolter, exclaiming how it never jammed on him, and reminded his kin that he once fired a single round that struck a dreadnaught belonging to the hated children of Angron dropping it upon its chest. Saevil's pack-brother Osvald chuckled and reminded everyone that it was a lucky shot. Everyone laughed and cheered, even as Saevil passed his beloved boltgun to his other pack-brother Vermund before taking another swig of mjod. Osvald recieved Saevil's wolf tail talisman later in the evening. The finest pieces of his power armor were removed slowly through the night, so that his kinsmen would live with his protections upon them.

 

Thurne hoped the Allfather was watching. He hoped Russ was listening. Most of all he hoped that Saevil would know a heroic death as he strode out alone onto the next battlefield, wherever it may be. That for this brave Fenrisian to run with Morkai meant peace of mind. Better that than the Were take him forever.

 

 

- The end

[Logan230]

Bravo, an excellent saga, you would make a fine Rune Priest.

[Token]

I generally dont like to long posts, but this story was cool.

[Thurne Shadehunter]

My thanks to you both for your time and kind words.

[Warhorse47]

A very fine read Brother, well done!