Grimlie Kove – Black Waters
The quay looked like a skeletal hand reaching out into the mist topped waters of the lake known as Black Water. The lake certainly lived up to his name because as Grimlie Kove peered down from quay he could hardly make out his reflection on its murky surface. He spat out a gob of saliva and watched it wriggle below.
He stood straight, ignoring the pain in his back and walked across to the ship that was to accompany him across the lake. 'It doesn't look sea-worthy to me.' He grumbled to the rough looking captain standing beside the boarding plank.
'Ah, but this 'aint the sea!' The Captain shot an arm across the huge expanse of Black Water Lake, 'and you're just a scout. So you can see the conclusion I'm getting at?'
'Which is?' Kove asked.
The Captain grinned, 'That you should shut your mouth and get yer arse aboard smartly.'
Kove couldn't argue with that. In fact it seemed advisable not to, given the way the Captain kept fiddling with the handle of his cutlass. Kove shrugged and walked up the swaying plank.
The ship was little more than a sloop, its slovenly crew numbered only five including the captain. Kove noticed with some alarm that its only armament was a rusty looking hand cannon pinned to the bow.
He supposed it would do for the job they intended. The sound of horses' hooves on the rotten planks of the quay made him turn to look at the 'job' itself. The diplomat from the Empire sat astride a sorry looking beast, a worn silk cloak hung around his shoulders. Even the diplomats' beard served to hide his identity. A miserable looking attaché in Kove's view, but this was the person the Dwarves had chosen and so abide by the will of his masters he must.
With effort the diplomat tilted himself from the saddle and the captain reluctantly helped the old man down only when it seemed that without help he would fall. Kove watched the diplomat come aboard and heard one of the crew mutter something under his breath.
Once aboard, the crew cast away the mooring ropes and set to work on the two pairs of tough looking oars. The single mast held aloft a dirty sail that barely fluttered in the breeze. It was going to be a long trip, Kove sighed to himself. The diplomat had perched himself near where the captain held the rudder and Kove moved over to him.
'My name is Kove, sir.' Kove said in his most diplomatic tone, which in this case he thought was quite apt.
The diplomat was hunched over a short staff staring straight ahead with filmy grey eyes. Just when Kove thought he would receive no reply, a gruff voice lurched from amidst his beard. 'Vogel. Chosen ambassador of Wissenland to the court of Zhufbar.' Vogel coughed suddenly, dark spittle flecking his whiskers.
'Er…pleased to meet your acquaintance.' Kove paused, 'If you don't mind me saying so, might I enquire as to your health?'
'No you may not; Bugger off!' Vogel gave him a scowl.
'Right.' Kove looked out across to the distant peaks of the World's Edge Mountains.
'And stop talking like some damn courtier.' Vogel looked up at him again, 'You're a scout, here to make sure these scum don't rob me blind on the way across the lake!'
Kove bit his lip part in alarm at the captain's growl from nearby and part in contemplation that he couldn't imagine what the old man had to take except his life. Of which he only had a slender hold onto himself, Kove thought as coughs racked Vogel's body again.
'I hope you like living underground old man.' The captain called over peevishly, 'That crooked back of yours will come in handy!' He laughed, joined by some of the crew.
Vogel was grinding his spindly fingers around the head of his short staff. 'Sailors humour eh? Its humour only matched by its ignorance.' Vogel muttered to Kove.
Kove nodded sympathetically although he worried how the old man would survive amongst the hard living dwarfs of Zhufbar. 'How long will this jaunt across the lake take?' the ambassador disturbed his thoughts.
'It shouldn't take us more than a few hours if we don't run into any trouble.' Kove smiled at the old man, but he wasn't looking back. Instead he was looking passed him in the direction they travelled.
'Ship ho!' the captain called out, 'Dwarfs if I'm any guess.' He muttered for his passengers' sake, 'Only stunties would sail aboard a contraption like that.'
From this distance, Kove thought it looked like a gigantic shark coming through the light mist. A huge paddle wheel, behind the bulk of its iron hull churned up the waters and a turret carrying a cannon trained on their small boat as it came alongside. The sloop wobbled violently in the slipstream as several grim looking dwarfs looked out at them from the prow.
'Time to be diplomatic ambassador.' Kove murmured to Vogel, but to his astonishment when he looked the old man appeared to be asleep! 'Ambassador?' Kove shook the old man's shoulder but received nothing but a torrent of sleepy abuse.
'Who commands this vessel?' A dwarf carrying a bulky handgun called out in the Imperial tongue.
'He does!' The captain quickly called back, pointing at Kove.
'Thanks captain.' Kove smiled tightly as the dwarfs eyes and gun barrel trained on him.
'Hail! I am Irkul Godshunter, son of Fistur Copperbeard, son of Ulak the Dour! I am the captain of the Ironguard which patrols these waters.' The dwarf captain announced proudly, 'what is your business crossing the dwarf territory of Black Water?'
'Erm, I am Grimlie Kove, scout of the holy emperor and assigned to accompany this man,' Kove gestured towards the snoring bundle of rags beside him, 'Chosen ambassador of Wissenland to the court of Zhufbar!' Kove replied nervously.
Irkul Godshunter looked briefly at Vogel before turning a hard look on Kove. 'Did you say Grimlie? That is a dwarf name, do not lie to me manling!' He snarled, cocking the handgun.
Kove held up his hands, 'Wait! Grimlie is my name! I was given it by my father after heroic services by him to the Lord Kazran Grimbrow of Karak Izor!' Kove hurriedly revealed the copper rune he carried around his throat.
The dwarf looked carefully at the rune, 'The Izorgrung clan…' He said to himself and lifted the barrel of the gun. 'You may go manling. Take care, there are fog banks ahead and pirates often hide inside them.' Irkul Godshunter gave a brief nod towards Kove as the Ironguard pulled away from them.
Kove finally let go of the breath he'd been holding since the dwarf pointed a gun at him. 'Bloody good work, Grimlie!' The ambassador chuckled; suddenly awake once more.
The rest of the crew were looking at him as if he had just let slip he was half-orc on his mothers side. They sullenly started forward again. 'Don't mind them.' Vogel reassured Kove putting a spindly arm around his shoulders, 'I'd like to hear more of your father some time.'
'People always do.' Kove sighed.
In less than twenty minutes the shoreline had disappeared behind an oppressive blanket of mist. The opaque walls of grey fog seemed to suck away the sounds of the lake and the crew of the ship fell into silence. Kove watched the mist warily, the dwarf captain's warning uppermost in his mind.
'How far to land, captain?' Kove asked his voice surprisingly loud in the eerie quiet.
'Shut up you fool!' The captain snarled from his position by the rudder. He cocked his head once more listening intently.
A deep rumbling sound echoed around them.
'What was that?'
'Sorry, I think that was me.' Vogel apologised holding his belly, 'Haven't eaten a scrap since yesterday.' The old man began another coughing fit.
The captain looked like he would like nothing more than to through both of them over the side as Kove looked meekly at his cursing features.
An explosion of water to their portside was followed quickly by a gargled scream. One of the crew appeared to be holding a thick black scarf to his throat. Kove saw that it was connected to the water. Suddenly the man was raised out of the boat, his legs flailing frantically as his crewmates attempted to grab hold of his ankles. More black tentacles now slid from the water and reared above the boat.
The captain drew his cutlass and bounded across the deck. Kove drew his own sword but stayed rooted to where he was watching as the whip-like tentacles flashed down on the crew knocking one man off his feet. The unfortunate sailor still struggled against the unknown beast's grasp as he was lowered towards the water. A mound appeared below him, bubbles and froth parting the surface. Kove watched in horror as first the sailor was released from the tentacle and then the mound rose upwards to meet the man's fall. A scream pierced the fog, abruptly cut off as the man disappeared from view beneath the waters.
The captain and his three remaining crew swiped at the assaulting tentacles with their swords and billhooks. Kove glanced over at Vogel who incredibly seemed to be asleep once more. He was deciding on his course of action when the small boat shook violently, knocking him to the deck. With a feeling of dread he realised the boat was not in contact with the water any more. Vogel had also been knocked to the deck and the man woke up startled and irritable, 'By Sigmar, an old man can't even get his head down for five minutes!'
'Sir, we are in dire peril!' Kove screamed at him, 'There is a beast-'
Just then yet another tentacle coiled around the bulwark and grasped Vogel's leg. The old man's face didn't seem to register until he was dragged along the deck towards the edge of the vessel. 'Ambassador!' Kove shouted, stumbling to his feet as the deck tilted to and fro. Half-chopping, half-falling Kove sliced into the blubbery flesh of the tentacle holding Vogel. The beast's tendril recoiled and released its prey.
The boat's timber began to crack as the beast tightened its grip and Kove knew they had not long before they were cast into the dangerous waters.
'Thank you, Grimlie.' The old man panted, 'Just give me a moment to regain my breath and I'll be with you.'
Kove ignored him for the moment eyeing the hand cannon leaning on the bow. He scrambled for it, catching a glimpse of the captain, now encircled by a slimy tentacle and gasping for breath. Kove reached the gun, grabbing a ball that was sticky with cobwebs from the rack beneath. Quickly pushing the ball into the snout, he opened up his small bag of powder that he kept for his pistol. He didn't notice Vogel staggering up the deck towards him.
The rocking of the boat caused him to scatter the powder everywhere and Kove doubted he had enough to fire the cannon with but he had to try. He was suddenly struck from behind and fell heavily on the tilting deck once more.
Spitting out saltpetre, Kove looked up at the bulbous end of a tentacle rampant above him like a cruel serpent. The suckers on its underside flexed and dribbled mucus down on him as it coiled back for a strike.
Vogel appeared, calmly grabbing the slimy blubber in his claw like hands. Kove watched him in horror, but the old mans face was calm as if he went about nothing more notable than watching a morning parade.
And then his eyes burst into flames.
Vogel yelled some strange words and his hands turned into flames themselves, the energy flowing around the tentacle and away to cover the entire beasts body. With a monstrous howl the monster let go of the boat as if it was red hot and sank immediately beneath the lake. A light wind brushed Kove's cheek as he lay in shock before the boat slammed into the water once more.
The air was silent again. A few groans of pain came from the crew and from Kove himself who felt as if he must have broken at least ten things in his body. The captain muttered a prayer to Sigmar amidst the devastated deck.
Vogel was down the other end of the boat again, quietly spreading out a sheet before getting himself comfortable and laying down to sleep. In minutes, Vogel's snores were the only sound in the fog.
The sun shone brightly off the crags of the mountains as the boat drifted into the Black Water port of Zhufbar.
'Ho!' The captain shouted across the waters towards the quayside that was beginning to stir into life. Kove woke from his slumber, immediately thanking the Emperor that he was able to open his eyes in the first place.
'Vogel, sir. We have arrived.' He spoke gently to the sleeping old man. Kove treated him a lot more warily now and he was rebut even to shake the man's shoulder. Vogel woke up anyway, sitting up and looking none the worse for his sorcerous exertions.
'About bloody time too.' He creaked as he stood up and looked out over the bulwark, to the dirty looking port quay of Zhufbar. 'The weather seems the only grand thing about my arrival.'
The ship slid roughly against the dock and two of the crew leaped ashore to secure the ropes. 'Still, at least I have had the pleasure of your company Grimlie.' Vogel smiled, jovially patting him on the back. Kove flinched.
'Yes, I definitely think we will all miss your company on the return journey.' Kove glanced out at Black Water Lake.
'Don't fuss yourself unduly.' Vogel said as he collected his belongings, ' That monster will be licking his wounds for awhile.' The old ambassador was helped onto the dock as a small party of dwarfs came to meet him. Vogel turned back once ashore, 'And in any case, it has fed heartily on one of the crew, its belly will be full! Thank you Captain and farewell!' He cheerily shouted.
The Captain just muttered something under his breath. Kove watched the ambassador follow the party of dwarfs away down the dockside, 'Strange man.' He said to himself as the Captain came up to his side.
'Right, how about a drink in that tavern before we set back.' The Captain suggested.
Kove smiled, 'I think I need one.'
'You will do.' The Captain leaned in closer, 'we're a man down and you is going to have to row on the way back!'
ALSO:
Grimlie Kove: Night Raider
Grimlie Kove: Green as Blood