The travel off-planet was dull. Lauf sat inside one of the main cargo holds of the Gothic cruiser Imperious Fury that was leaving for the next sub-sector. It had not taken much for the captain to tolerate Lauf's inclusion on his ship. The man was more than happy to have a Space Marine on board as long as he did not interfere with his crew. When Lauf had gone onto the ship, he asked the captain for two things. The first was transportation to the next sub-sector. The second was to be given any news if his astropathic choir received any messages regarding reports of sorcerous power usage when they arrived. The captain agreed to this request quickly and without question. Now Lauf sat alone on a crate marked with the seal of the Departmento Munitorium. He could smell the gunpowder within the crate. The scent told him the box was filled with mortar shells of different types. He thought about the sub-sector he was searching next. He wondered if it would already be plunged into war by one of the countless enemies of the Imperium, or had just recovered from such an attack. He smirked while glancing down at his weapons. If there was some invasion happening, they would learn that humanity was not some helpless babe waiting to be picked apart by the denizens of this galaxy. Its countless defenders would purge any and all enemies of mankind, no matter the cost. He sat back and closed his eyes. He fought away the memory of that accursed day and let his mind wander much further back. To another fateful day, when his future was decided.

Waves crashed as thunder erupted in the sky above. Lauf struggled up on the deck of the small longship and looked around. His island, his home and his clan were gone, consumed by the sea during the time of Fire and Water that struck Fenris at the turn of every Great Year. Now he was alone on the raging sea. The snapping sound drew Lauf's focus to the sail shaking as the ropes holding it began to loosen. He rushed over to the side of the longship. Grabbing the rope he pulled it hard and tied each one off until the sail stopped shaking. Tying off the last rope, Lauf looked to the horizon. He could not survive alone out on the worldsea. Some other tribe will find him and no doubt kill him for his ship. He needed to get to Asaheim. The continent was always there, unchanging. If he got there, he might find one of his tribe's allies and a chance to start again. When night came overhead, Lauf anchored his longship between two large rock pillars that shot out of the ocean like the teeth of one of the sea dragons that his tribe hunted. After he finished tying off both sides of the ship to the rock, he went inside the hut and looked around. The hut had everything he needed to survive for a time out here. fishing hooks and spears sat on one corner in a clean pile. Spare ropes made from seaweed fibres harvested over the years and the tools to repair any damage were stacked on top of a salt barrel. Set in bundles at the sleeping area of the hut was an assortment of furs from all sorts of creatures including Fenrisian wolves, Great White Bears, Elk and even the hide of a snow troll. The pelts were set next to the stone hearth filled with sand to keep the fire in control. He moved some of the coals to keep the fire at a low burn. He did not need his ship burning during the night. Lauf grabbed one roll of furs, the one his mother had prepared for the hunts he took with his father and older brother. Rolling them out next to the fire, he fought back tears of sadness and anger at the loss of his family. Finishing the bed, Lauf took his tunic off and set his steel axe down beside the bed before pulling a wolf pelt over him. Getting comfortable, he fell into a deep sleep while outside his ship, a pair of eyes was looking down at the longship, wondering if the boy on it would prove worthy.

Lauf woke up when a breeze of wind blew into the hut. Rubbing his eyes, he pulled himself out of the bed. Pulling his tunic back on, he rolled the furs back up and grabbed some fishings line before he walked out of the hut. Going towards the prow of the longship he checked over the ropes holding the boat against the rocks. Pleased they stayed taught through the night Lauf set a piece of meat on the hooks of each line. Throwing them as far out as he could, he tied the other end off on the prow. Knowing he was going to have to wait for the fish to start biting, Lauf busied himself cleaning up the few things across the deck of his longship. Tossing some chunks of rocks and flotsam overboard, Lauf noticed one of his lines was shaking while the sun was beginning to creep over the horizon. This gave the surface of the World-Sea a beautifully dark colour like golden blood. Now was not the time to enjoy the view though as his stomach reminded him of the shaking fish line. Running over, Lauf gripped the line and pulled with all his strength. The line came up then was yanked back down by whatever was on the other end. Lauf grunted and tugged again, pulling the line up slowly but surely. Whatever he caught had a lot of fight in it. But he had more. Struggling he finally managed to get the line up so he could see the creature fighting on the other end. It was a juvenile ripperfish, not fully grown. But it was still large enough to shred his flesh if he does not kill it quickly. Grabbing the club beside him he kept pulling the line up, the snapping jaws of the ripperfish getting closer. Yanking it up onto the deck Lauf swung quickly, striking the large fish right on the head. The ripperfish stayed still for a second before starting to flap again. This got it another slug from Lauf's club. This time it stayed still. Lauf put the club back in place before pulling out his knife. In a few minutes, Lauf cleaned and gutted the ripperfish and stuck the meat into the salt barrel. He just finished putting that meat inside when another line started to get pulled.

By the time the sun was nearly over the longship, Lauf had several ripperfish salting in the barrel while undoing the ropes holding the longship to the rocks. He needed to get the ship moving while the seas were calm and the winds strong. Putting the last rope away, he unfurled the sail and left the rock shelter. He turned the longship in the direction of Asaheim, knowing the continent's location in relation to his former island home by memory. Sailing over the relatively calm world-sea, he was thanking the spirits for his good-fortune. Normally the sea would be torn asunder during the entire time of fire and water. But this was a day of calm. Tomorrow would no doubt bring more of the turmoil that destroyed his home. He needed to cover as much distance as possible before nightfall. The day was very quiet for Lauf as he sailed over the world-sea. It was only when the sun began to set that he noticed dark clouds on the horizon,

Storm's coming. Guess the time is not yet over. He thought to himself. He was drawn from thinking about the time of fire and water when he spotted some dots on the ocean. Looking towards them, he noticed they were longships. Lauf gripped his axe when seeing those ships. This was trouble. He did not know who they belonged to. But out here alone, he was in trouble if they decided to take his ship. He was not going down without a fight though. He would stand his ground and defend his ship. Looking around the ship for something to use against this fleet, he sees what he needs and begins to get ready. The fleet of the Iron Kraken tribe had just lost their own lands to the time of fire and water. Now they needed to find a new home. And more importantly, more ships. One of the scouts reported sighting of a lone longship ahead. This was good news for the tribe and they turned their heading towards that ship, ready to kill the crew and take this ship as their own now. Approaching the lone ship, two Iron Kraken vessels came up on either side. Warriors, ready for battle, waited on the deck of each vessel as they approached. They could see that the deck seemed empty except for a few barrels. Just as they were about to start board Lauf shot up and threw an axe into one warrior's head, "You're not taking my ship!" He shouted before tossing one of the barrels onto the deck of the Kraken ship. The warriors onboard just stared at the barrel for a bit, trying to understand while it began to leak, "Dragon oil!" One of them shouted almost at the same time that Lauf tossed a lit torch onto the oil. None of the warriors on that boat had a chance to shout as the oil ignited and exploded, destroying the ship. Chunks of the ship hull were thrown into the air and came down among the fleet, one managing to pierce the hull of the second ship attempting to board Lauf's vessel. Clutching his axe above his head, Lauf roared,

"I am Lauf of Great Bear Claw tribe! I will never surrender my home!" He called out as the Ice Kraken hesitated to approach. Lauf took the opportunity of this hesitation to propel his ship through an opening in their fleet. Sailing his ship through it, he ducked when spears were thrown from the other ships. Turning back only to demonstrate an insult towards the tribe when he spotted the tentacles of a creature the tribe was named for. He grinned as the tentacles began to destroy the tribe's fleet, the creature no doubt drawn by the smell of the dragon oil. He watched as the last Ice Kraken vessel was dragged into the depths before he turned his attention towards the fast approaching storm. The ocean began to change, waves lashing against the side of his longship while lightning struck above. He held his ship on its course as larger waves rose. Lauf turned into every one of these giant waves, sailing up and over them as he worked hard to stop the ropes of the sail from snapping or going slack. It was a struggle doing this alone, but Lauf refused to let the ocean defeat him, just as he refused to lay down and die after his home was destroyed. He would make it Asaheim, and begin a new life with a new tribe.

Several days later, Lauf slumped against the side of his longship, exhausted after the storm which lasted for the entire trip made him fight to stay on course. His arms screamed with aching muscles as he pulled himself up to look where he was going. Just as he started to get up, the ship struck something and knocked him back onto the deck. Grunting in pain, Lauf pushed himself up by grabbing the side. He arrived. Asaheim, the sole continent that was unending on Fenris and the home of the Sky-Warriors. Lauf flipped over the side and fell down into the shallow ocean on the beach. The ice cold water splashed against his face while he lay there, barely alive. After what felt like an eternity, he finally opened his eyes and saw a massive black foot in front of his face. Snapping completely awake, Lauf looked up to see a black-armoured giant with a wolf-skull on his head,

"You have faced a great deal of adversity. Yet you're still alive. You have proven yourself worthy." The giant stated in a strange voice. This, this was one of the legendary Sky-Warriors. Lauf stood up and looked at the giant's face,

"Journey to the Aett. If you survive then, you will join us, Lauf of Great Bear Claw." The figure said before starting to walk away, leaving Lauf alone on the beach. A large gust of wind made him shield his eyes. When he looked again, the Sky-Warrior was gone. He would go to the Aett. But first, he had to do one last thing. Lauf began to pour the dragon oil over the surface of the ship. He grabbed his axe and a small bag of supplies before pouring the last of the dragon oil on the deck. As soon as he was done, he grabbed a stick and wrapped an oily rag around one end. Standing before the ship, he lit the rag with a small fire he made. Closing his eyes to stop the tears from flowing, he tossed the torch onto the ship. The last vestige of his tribe began to burn almost immediately. Lauf watched as the fire climbed higher, the bits that flew up with the smoke representing the life he had before. He took one final look at the burning ship against the tossing world-sea before he turned and started walking deeper into Asaheim.

The wind whipped against his face and deafened his ears. Lauf struggled through the deep snow as he made his way towards the mountain range. There, the Aett rose above all other mountains. He would pass this test. He had to. The alternative, was death. Battered by the howling wind and numb from the cold, Lauf found a small cave to rest. Walking inside with his axe at the ready, he checked it for any other entrances or signs that something else was living there. He thanked the spirits when all he found were some ancient bones that fell apart when he touched them, telling him they had been there a long time. Setting down by the entrance, he looked out at the snowy plain before him. While he was alone, he still stayed stoic to try and convince himself that he was doing the wise thing. Everything he knew was gone. He could just stay here and let the cold let him join his family. He shook his head. He could not think like that. To just lay down and die, that was a childish decision. And the easy way out. He was not that weak. In the morning, he got out of the cave and started off again towards the home of the Sky-Warriors.

While walking towards the mountains, Lauf felt something was watching his every move. Looking around, he only saw a strange black raven flying overhead. He shook his head,

"Just a blasted bird." He thought out loud. Eventually Lauf found himself walking along an ice-trail. He took each step cautiously, knowing that a false footing could end his life here and now. So far he'd been fortunate. The only other life he'd seen was that raven and a herd of mammoths off in the distance. Right now though, he had to stay focused. Carefully sliding one foot along to his next footing, he began to press his weight down on that point, listening to the ice. When the ice stopped creaking, he moved his other foot forward with the same test. It took him almost two days to get across this ice trail. There was several close calls when the ice creaked louder than normal. Finally, he was across, exhausted and cold, but alive. Forcing his feet forward, he made his way up the path towards the Aett. He'd made it. He'd survived the challenges Asaheim threw at him. Finally getting to the massive gate that allowed entrance to the fortress, Lauf reached a weary hand up and just touched the door before collapsing from exhaustion. As his eyes began to shut, the great doors opened and two giant armoured figures stepped out from behind the giant gates,

"Well done whelp. You've proved yourself" One of the figures stated, his long grey beard the only thing Lauf clearly spotted before his eyes closed,

Whelp. You should listen….. Lauf's eyes shot open, remembering where he was. But that voice at the end of that strange dream,

"Lord Stormcaller?" He asked, looking around as if he would see Njal Stormcaller here with him. Sighing when he realized he was being foolish. He felt odd. Until today, he'd only ever dreamed about the day the sorcerer murdered his pack. Why now was he remembering the time he lost his tribe? And why did he hear the greatest Rune Priest speaking to him at its end? His line of thought was interrupted when an announcement came over the ship that they were arriving at their destination. Holding his axe, he smiled when he heard that the world was currently in the grips of a heretical uprising that needed to be put down. A world with the seeds of Chaos corruption? This may be his lucky day. He may finally find the sorcerer and avenge his pack. Standing up, he left his spot on the crates and started towards the hangar. Walking down the ship's hallway, he passed Imperial guardsmen rushing to get onto their transports and down to the surface. Grinning while he got to the cargo hold, he flicked his finger over the axe blade. He would get down there, resolve whatever heresy was going on there, and find the traitor. Excited at the prospect of killing the sorcerer, Lauf's pace was a bit quicker than normal as he walked over to the transports where the guardsmen were loading up. As the door closed on the transport, one thought was in Lauf's head, Here it is brothers. Soon your souls will be put to rest. He held his weapons at the ready while the transport left the cruiser and made its way towards the surface of the war-torn planet. The Lone Wolf's hunt would soon show many traitors their mistake for turning away from the Emperor's light.

Now this chapter was focused on Lauf's backstory, which I felt the need to flesh out. Now there will be a chapter at a later date about his time before this story in the Space Wolves. But not just yet.