The village was called Hammerfast, in recognition of the man-God Sigmar. An ancient warlord, Sigmar had united the tribes of wild men against the hordes of Chaos, beating them back into the northern wastes. With his great hammer, he had forged the nation which would one day be called 'the Empire' and had eventually ascended into Godhood. Now his legacy was honoured by hamlets like Hammerfast.
Derrick learned that the settlement was relatively young, it had been founded in this corner of Ostland only fifteen years ago. Magnus told him the villagers had all once lived together in a larger town upriver, Schlienville. It was a prosperous place, but mired in generations-old family feuds. The nobility constantly fought over petty land-claims and resource rights, caring little for the havoc they reeked on the lives of the peasantry. Magnus became fed up, and he and some friends found a site downriver from which to carve out new lives. The population consisted of fifty souls. They lived a basic but rewarding existence, supplementing some small crops with abundant fish and game.
Magnus was the village's resident smith and de facto leader, but if he relished power he hid it well. Magnus spent most of his time in his small smithy, located behind the Longhouse, repairing iron tools and the like. It was as close to freedom as most men would ever know, and Derrick found himself growing fond of Hammerfast.
Derrick spent his days working under the supervision of villager Garth. They joined other men in clearing the area surrounding the village wall of trees and brush. Already a swathe of exposed earth surrounded the palisade, supporting small stands of wheat, barley and corn. The villagers constantly worked to push the forest back and give themselves more room for farming. Garth estimated that in another ten years the village would be able to survive entirely off crops. Compared to the great rolling fields of the central provinces, these patches seemed pathetically small; yet they were sufficient for such a small population to survive on.
Hard nourishing bread and goat's cheese fuelled the day's work, with dinner consisting of fish or deer-meat. Derrick and the villagers hacked at brush with sickles and axes, chopped down small trees, and spent two afternoons digging a large stump from the earth. The work was hard, the hours were long, but Derrick relished every moment of it. With each passing day he regained what strength he had lost during his long, hard stay aboard the Malkieth.
Justice found work with the other women of the village, helping them with their washing and gardening. The sight of her smiling dirt-smeared face at dinner became the highlight of Derrick's days. Hammerfast also worked an unexpected changed upon her demeanor. Justice had always been good-natured and quick to laugh, but she had also been reserved and spoken little to Derrick, aboard the Malkieth. Now she spoke up at every meal, always weighing in with her opinion on a variety of subjects. Her quick wit made her well-liked amongst the villagers, and their evenings always ended in raucous laughter.
Derrick occasionally saw the Kislevite, but the two didn't converse much. Alexander spent little time working, disappearing for extended periods. Sometimes he went into the forest alone and unarmed, which was extremely dangerous. Kurt warned Alexander the first time he did this, but the Kislevite had not heeded the advice. The only person with whom he seemed to get along, was Justice. For some reason Derrick could not discern, the woman had taken a liking to the mysterious foreigner. Derrick couldn't help but feel his hackles rise every time he saw the two of them together. He once asked Justice what she saw in the man. Justice had raised an eyebrow and shrugged "He knows what he wants." She had held Derrick's eyes with her own for a few moments. "You could learn a thing or two from Alex."
To his annoyance, Derrick did not get to meet the wizard Magnus had spoken of until almost two weeks had passed. He learned that the strange travelers were camped at some nearby ruins in the forest, and returned only periodically. They had reserved the room in the Longhouse for the duration, however, forcing Derrick and his companions to sleep on the hard floor.
The evening Derrick first encountered the wizard began much like any other. The villagers gathered for the evening at the Longhouse, serving a communal meal at its three broad tables. Tonight's dining was special, as Goliuth had successfully killed a wild boar with Magnus' bow. The great beast was spit over the roaring fireplace and cooked until its skin crackled with juices. Magnus had insisted Goliuth take his seat at the head of the table to honour the prestigious catch. He had reluctantly agreed and Derrick had to smile as the ranger shifted uncomfortably in the chair, suddenly the center of attention. Alexander was nowhere to be seen, which suited Derrick just fine.
Magnus handed Derrick a crude wood plate with a steaming portion of boar-meat. Derrick's mouth watered at the sight. He had to stop himself biting into the meat immediately, but next to him Kurt had no such qualms. The big man reached for a loaf of bread, but Justice reached across the table and slapped his hand away.
"Wait for the prayer!" she said frowning.
Kurt held up his hands "Sorry, I forgot."
Justice narrowed her eyes "A likely story."
Terrence, a villager whose father had been a priest, stood and told everyone to quiet down. The bustling talk subsided and everyone bowed their heads. "May Sigmar's light shine upon those gathered here tonight, and may Rhya's bounty breathe life into our crops this coming harvest. Amen."
After a chorus of "amens" there began the clatter of plates and the sound of conversation. Kurt reached for bread again, but Justice grabbed it away first.
"If you weren't so damn pretty I'd slap you" Kurt muttered.
Derrick chuckled and lifted a piece of meat with his fingers. A gust of air cooled the back of his neck, and he heard the front door open with a bang. Derrick looked back over his shoulder at the newcomer. Out of the darkness stepped a tall man wrapped in a large cloak, his face hidden in the deep hood. He bore a tall staff of smooth black wood in his right hand, and reached up to pull down the hood with his left. He revealed a deeply tanned face, curly hair and probing-green eyes. High cheekbones, a strong chin were highlighted by a very small, sharp goatee and immaculately tidy moustache. The man nodded to the onlookers, and closed the door behind him. The room had suddenly become deathly quiet. As the man made his way briskly across the room, Magnus left his seat and walked towards the newcomer. Everything about the man had an exotic tinge, from his clothing and appearance, to the way he held himself. Derrick's suspicions were confirmed, when the stranger addressed Magnus in a lilting accent.
"Good evening Herr Gotte" he said to Magnus in near perfect Reikspiel, the language of the Empire.
"Good to see you again Herr Trealub-Treala-uhh…" Magnus faltered.
The man rolled his eyes and made a theatrical sigh of annoyance. " It's Trealubhumen. One must question my grandfather's decision to combine his own Imperial name with that of his Estalian wife. Perhaps it had something to do with his being wanted for bribery..."
Magnus shifted somewhat uncomfortably as the man kept talking. Derrick had never seen the man so ill at ease. Even when he had firs dealt Derrick and the others, he had seemed quit sure of himself.
But this man from Estalia seems to phase him. I suppose he must be the wizard, although he hardly looks like I thought he would.
Trealubhumen was on an entirely different subject now. Magnus was nodding vigorously and trying to keep up. The buzz of conversation began to resume once more at the tables, as Derrick turned back to Justice.
"He doesn't look much like a wizard" Derrick muttered.
Justice tore her eyes away from Trealubhumen, to frown at Derrick. "And how would you know what one looked like?"
Derrick grinned "I killed one, remember?"
"And the rest of us decided he was an apprentice wizard at best" Kurt mumbled through a mouthful of boar meat.
"No problem Herr Trealubhumen, we can bring up your meal right-quick!" Magnus said, with a forced smile. The wizard nodded in satisfaction, flicking a coin in the air. He didn't seem to care that the coin didn't land anywhere near Magnus, who was forced to bend over to pick it up. With that, Trealubhumen walked briskly toward the staircase without a backward glance, disappearing upstairs.
Magnus immediately dropped his fake smiled and stomped off toward the kitchen, muttering in annoyance.
"Seems like Magnus wants to keep Tealubhumen happy" Justice said.
"Usually a good policy with wizards…and women" Kurt said. Justice and Derrick both looked toward him at once.
Kurt nodded tilted his at Justice. "You remember that Derrick."