Part 7

"Wolf Riders to the rear!" shouted Gorthek.

As soon as the words had left his mouth he stepped forwards, bringing his axe around in a horizontal slash that caved in the side of a wolf's head. The animal collapsed to the side, throwing its screaming rider off and under the trampling feet of the others.

Gorthek blocked a sweeping strike at his face, and his axe smashed into the back of another wolf, dragging it down to the ground, whining and snapping at him. He ducked under the flailing rider, and winced as he felt a thin blade pierce the muscle at the back of his shoulder.

He shook the Goblin off, and rose, bringing his axe up in a bloody arc, cleaving the Grobi from navel to forehead. It fell backwards, dead instantly, as its organs fell to the ground amidst a wash of thin blood.

He was surrounded. The Wolf Riders had rushed past him, and turned, leaving him inside a circle of snapping teeth and cackling Grobi. A wolf darted in, biting at him, and he drove it back with a hasty slash. He grimaced. All they had to do was wait for him to tire.

Fortunately, Goblins weren't known for their patience.

Three of them leapt at him at once. He stepped forwards, past the slavering jaws and flickering blade of one, and smashed his axe into the head of the center wolf, stopping it dead in its tracks. The rider flew over his head, carried by the wolf's momentum, and Gorthek whirled, lashing out with his axe and opening up a ragged gash in its ruddy green skin.

His breath left his mouth in a sharp gasp as the jaws of the third wolf closed on his left arm, biting deep and almost tearing the limb from its socket. Pain flared through him, and he aimed an awkward blow at the creature that only succeeded in removing its ear. It growled at him around the bloody flesh of is arm. Its rider leaned forwards, its blade poised to strike at the Slayer's face.

And then a crimson shape flashed down from the cliff, almost faster than Gorthek's eyes could follow, eviscerating wolf and Goblin alike with one slash of its sword. It didn't pause in its motion, and moved forwards instantly, whirling around, sword flashing out to cleave two Goblins from their saddles, before its foot lashed out and sent their mounts flying backwards.

It paused for a moment, and Gorthek got a look at it. A flowing, torn red cape shrouded a figure encased in dirty steel armour. Greasy black hair trailed in strands down its back, and its eyes were twin orbs of midnight black. Its skin, where it could be seen, was stark, pale white. It straightened to its full height, perhaps six feet, and regarded Gorthek coldly.

It seemed about to speak, when a wolf appeared behind it, leaping at its back. The figure reacted instantly, spinning low and decapitating the wolf with one lazy strike of its blade. It took one last look at Gorthek, and then seemed to vanish, moving with preternatural speed down the slope and into the remaining Wolf Riders.

Gorthek stood immobile, struggling to make sense of hat he had just witnessed. He looked down the slope, and saw that the figure had been joined by nine others, dark swords rising and falling in bloodstained arcs through the Goblin horde. Korgan and his Warriors were falling back, watching the newcomers butcher the Goblins.

Abruptly, Gorthek realised that the dead Goblins were standing back up, animated by some fearsome power. He watched in mute horror as they fell on their living kin, stabbing clumsily with their weapons. Their movements were slow, uncoordinated, and even the Goblins were able to kill them easily, but every living thing they killed rose again to join their ranks.

Vampires! The ten figures had to be vampires. It was the only explanation. His left arm hanging limply by his side, Gorthek dashed down to Korgan. He reached the Thane just as the ten vampires finished off the Goblins. As the two Dwarves watched in silence, the ten figures stood, the wind whipping at their cloaks and hair. Gorthek felt a chill pass through him, an echo of some power, and the reanimated army of Goblins died as one, falling bonelessly to the ground.

The figures approached the Dwarves. Gorthek readied his axe. If he was to die, then these creatures would be worthy foes. They stopped, a dozen feet from the Dwarves, and one stepped forwards. Gorthek recognised it as the one that had saved him from the Wolf Riders. In a low, smooth voice, it began to speak.

"We have no quarrel with you, Dwaves," it said. "We simply wish to pass through this area. The Goblins would not understand such, and so we were forced to kill them. You, however, are a civilised people. By your own standards, we have done you a service here, and all we ask in repayment is to pass through here. Know that, if it comes to it, you would not be able to stand against us, but we do not wish to fight meaninglessly. It is not honourable."

Korgan cleared his throat. "You speak truth, newcomer. You have named your price for the aid you have given, though it was not asked for, and I will not have it said that the Dwarves are ungrateful. You shall have your safe passage. First, though, I would know your identities."

The figure smiled. "We are the Accursed Lords."

And then they were gone, moving northwards up the passage faster than the eye could follow. Gorthek glanced at Korgan.

"Aye," said the Thane in response to the Slayer's glance. "I know not why they did as they did, but they saved us, did they not? To my knowledge, they have never harmed us, and their actions put us in their debt. Safe passage was a small price."

Gorthek sighed. "I suppose you are right, Korgan. It wasn't like we could have harmed them anyway, if we had denied them. I saw their strength first hand, and I am certain that we would all have perished." He looked around bitterly at the few remaining Dwarves. "All fourteen of us."

Korgan gestured at the dead Goblins littering the trail. There were over a thousand. "If ten can kill a thousand Grobi in barely five minutes, then I doubt that fourteen Dwarves would give them much trouble."

Scree tumbled down the cliff as Grim and his Rangers descended towards the others. They were as battered as the others, having been subjected to volley after volley of shortbow fire from the Goblins. Only four survived, beside Grim himself.

Gorthek hailed them over. "Grim," he called, "They were kin to my quarry, I am certain. They must go to join him. Can you track them?"

Grim thought for a moment. "It'll be difficult, at their speed," he said, finally. "I think I can manage, though. We'd best get started quickly."

Korgan stepped between the two. "Not yet. First, we bury our dead. I'll not allow the dead to lie here for the elements to claim if I can help it."

Gorthek bowed his head. "Of course," he said.