Like mindless and primitive cavemen the drunken Northras marauders hollered and encircled around their two warring comrades, cheering and waving their axes and swords wildly above their heads to this night's unexpected entertainment.

The fight had innocently begun as a slight disagreement, and quickly accelerated into a full blown bloodied gladiatorial match of fists and teeth over the last keg of ale in the entire camp. As the two fought the rest of the regiment were more than quite content to sit back and drink the aforementioned keg of ale while the pair blindly kicked the crap out of each other, unaware that their prize had already been drunk.

This bunch of bearded and scraggily haired barbarians held no real section of territory to call their own unlike the other tribes, for they moved as a horde community that settled for the night in someone else's territory, while by morning lived off the land and the pockets of those poor civilized southerners who grew their own grain and cattle. Why do it yourself " they argued, when you can just raid, take what you need to survive for a few weeks, and return to the safety of the northlands"

Those kinds of actions as of late have been lessened by some of the other tribes, but to what extent had it affected this particular horde" Not a whole lot. The flock of observers moved with the fight as the two struck and kicked at each other, snarling like irritated beasts while brawling without due care and attention to the fragile wooden huts of which they tumbled into, battling all over the temporary encampment that was nestled high in the snowy mountains of the northern most quarter of Carowyn. If they were not careful, they could have easily tumbled down the side of the mountain and to their deaths. Typically their warlord was nowhere to be seen on such a frivolous night to enjoy the violent festivities, for she was quite reserved to spend most of the time by herself and away from their idea of getting drunk and battered with the men. They understood this, and ever since feared disturbing their lady's peacetime on that one night a few months back when one of their own intruded into her hut without a summons, drunk out of his mind and cursing at the top of his voice. Who knows what he had said or did to incur her wrath, but either way he was thrown out of her dwelling an unconscious mess with his nose broken flat against his face, and his eye swollen shut.

The main hut centred in the camp; which was in fact Kaelna's simple circular straw dwelling, was large enough to hold at least up to three or four people at anyone one time, and large enough to stand in without having to slouch. It is here in this hut that her armour shall ever only be removed, away from the peering eyes of her fellows. Special treatment to this rule is strictly reserved to her Lord and Lady DeAuster, while Master Daniel and Mistress Cieara have yet to see her in such a vulnerable state. She hoped they never will, especially Master Daniel, as the mere thought frightened her to have his glorious eyes gracing her....Womanly structure.

Inside her dwelling on this particularly lively night, Kaelna knelt naked on both of her knees on the dried straw that cushioned the ground, her antique claymore resting flat upon her thighs as she gently caressed the rusted blade in a tranquil and protective manner, the soft pads of her fingertips scratching against the rough surface, staining her skin a mixture of brick-orange and dark brown.

Her eyes were closed, her face a blank canvas where no emotion was struck. She was either sleeping or daydreaming, though the latter was more than likely as she lipped something silently, as if she was whispering unheard words on a frequency impossible for any normal person to purely comprehend.

Suddenly, a gruff voice growled and grunted beyond the cloth draped entrance that boarded the outside world with her private one. Easily the voice drifted through the loud howls and cheers of the Northras in the background, "Kaelna, we have to talk." It had said. It didn't take her a split second to recognise that it was the wizened voice of her most trusted companion, her right hand man, Erzket. He was probably the oldest of her division " as she liked to the horde, though probably the fittest of them all by a long shot.

After the tenth minute of silence, he spoke again. "Kaelna, are you awake?"

The Warlord's reply was a hapless and somewhat forced sigh, as if she had awoken from a deep and restful slumber, "What is it, Captain" Mine bones are weary, mine lids heavy' Is it important that you must disrupt my thoughts?"

"Forgive me for disturbing you, but I have a message from the sentries. The report isn't a pleasant one, I'm afraid?" There was the noise of him clearing his throat, "A company of infantry has crossed the borders of the nearest territory, and are within two days march east of our current position. They're being led by a unit of mounted guards, they carry no banner."

"How many heads, Erzket?"

"About' Two hundred altogether."

"Send a herald to Lord DeAuster and inform him thus," Slowly Kaelna stood up and gripped her claymore's hilt with both hands, the blade facing downwards, pushing into the ground as she leant against it, her pale blue eyes locked onto the shadow of Erzket outlined beyond the curtain, "What direction do the unknowns proceed?"

"It is hard to say, though the messenger says they travel towards the direction of Gharnholme, at least a week's hard march away."

That in itself seemed like suicide with just a mere two hundred. Were they marching towards Gharnholme" It seemed unlikely.

The next morning.

"We must attack before they get too close to Gharnholme," Erzket spoke with assurance, shifting his feet against the ground as both he and Kaelna stood in the command hut alone. He was a little nervous being there, but at least she was dressed in her armours, so that surely meant he was not leaving with a broken nose. "We cannot wait for word from Lord DeAuster, Kaelna" They're a day away from this position. We must act and prepare ourselves for the battle."

The warlord of the wandering horde kept her back to him, adjusting the black plates and mail upon her to a comfortable position, and to something that will not hinder the full deadly movements of her arms to wield her claymore effectively, "We shall rise between the intruders and their obvious target, worry not, for they will not set a single living eye on Gharnholme," Kaelna turned, the red mantle flowing across her armour, "Though I predict a different course the unknowns will undertake."

Erzket simply put was an experienced man, his long grey hair " though thinning, blended perfectly together with his long tangled beard. He was tall, still lean and muscular and held his battle axe in tree-trunk arms like it was still a mere toy to him. At the most the old warrior wore simple protective leathers and a thick furred cloak, still baring the head of the animal across his one shoulder, a brown bear with its jaws locked wide open. He held the countenance of a true barbarian.

"What is it you are not telling me, Kaelna?" He muttered, knowing full well that his warlord was holding back information. He could tell by the look upon her face " or rather, the look in her eyes. There was a sense of familiarity in those cold blues, and Erzket pressed further with his own speculation, "Do you know these intruders?"

"In probability' Probably not' Either way, I know not if I once knew them' That part of mine life is dead and best not brought up again in conversation." Kaelna narrowed her eyes upon him, challenging him to continue his assumption. "Are mine men ready to move out?"

Erzket left it at that, and he nodded his head. "Of course, they're eager to get stuck in and tare out some throats." The grin he gave was missing teeth, yellowed and partly rotten. The stench of such a breath none too pleasant either, for it could easily rival the nose-melting stink of Nurgle's gruesome armpits, "What are your orders?"

"We are going to retreat." Kaelna stated as she moved to the entrance, the mere thought of retreat to the elder barbarian making him blink and scowl, "There is a vale six hours march hence, the only secure pathway to Gharnholme this far north. An ambush shall wait and we will take prisoners, to interrogate. To discover their intentions." She stopped before the clothed entrance, and glanced back at Erzket, "Though to answer the suspicions in ye mind mine friend, one presumes that they are a scouting group securing the path for a larger contingent, to flank mine Lord from behind.?

Her scouts had reported that the invaders had set camp for then night, and have ceased their movements for the moment, which gave Kaelna and her horde valuable time to make vital preparations and plans for the task ahead. They too prepared camp, and took a rare few hours rest to revitalize and relax for tomorrow's early morning slaughter.

The loud snores and grunts from the sleeping men had kept her up for a large part of the night, and so, she took towards the embers of a dying campfire that should had been put out hours ago. Such a mistake would normally reveal their position. Luckily however they had stopped under the tall looming trees of a dense woodland that stretched high around them, which absorbed most of that light from prying eyes far away.

Moving with a bucket of water, she approached the fire, stopping hesitantly to watch the flames dance before putting it out.

What was it saying?"

She lifted her trembling hands before her black and blue bruised ridden face. Kaelna's eyes grew wide as fear ate away at her, soon looking down from them and at the immobile, mangled armoured body she had lain upon her lap, of whom the blood belonged to. Through the gaps between her fingers, the light from the clear day raked several glaring rays upon her face, causing her to squint' Which soon became soon snuffed by the contorted shadow slowly approaching overhead.

Knelt in the innards of her disembowelled comrade, she had become the proverbial deer in the headlights, her head tilting back as the abomination fashioned from the mutated flesh and bone of the man that they had sought, opened its gargantuan jaws, revealing rows upon rows of grinning drool ridden glistening prickled teeth. The sight of such a beast with its blatant mockery of human hands upon each whipping tendril; the sheer appearance of it, could only come from the twisted mind of a demented, and had rendered the brave Kaelna into a pathetic, cowering woman.

It was whispering something.

The distant yet rasped human voice although there, had been somewhat obscured by the hissing wail that came forth from the mouth of the beast, and the screaming crowd that ran scared; fearful for their lives.

What was with this thundering pulsating in her ears" Had the thing tore out her heart without her even knowing" Was it tormenting her with its final bloodied beats, having been placed so close to her ears" The drum of the heartbeat, pouring louder.

It whispered something!

It tossed another Knight aside and into a neighbouring tent like a rag doll with one mighty sweep of a grotesquely grown fatty tentacle, oozing the remnants of its stomach acid yet squeezed out during the repulsive transformation.

Kaelna willed herself to bite back her fear; her pain, her doubts of getting out of this alive. She had to protect the innocent civilians - she had to save them!

If only this blasted pounding in her ears would cease so she could think clearly, if for a moment!

Allowing the corpse to slide from her armoured lap, the congealing blood making things further awkward by slipping her grip upon the leather haft of her claymore; wobbly kneed, she stood hunched forward, biting back the pain; scowling - cursing at the beats invading her head, shivering from head to toe. Why was it that Kaelna could feel her mind slowly slipping away into a vast empty void" The feeling like none she had ever felt before. Like something inside was lifted, unlocked - opened, and revealed to her; a revelation cast in a dark new light.

And the image of a titanic beast, beckoning her to come hither.

Say it!

The whispers made somehow had sense now! The maddened hiss of the creature that had turned its attention back to her, and away from the Knight it had thrown asunder, it again took up position over her. Toying with her. Like a cat to a mouse.

It alll spoke the same feral chant! This thing, it spoke the same language as that red creature invading her mind! Speaking to her!

Whispering the words, louder - and louder - and louder! The same words as the ones echoing inside of her head!

"Blood" Blood..."

Kaelna could physically feel the surge of dark energy rushing through her, the renewed strength fixing the fear and numbing the pain that attacked her body. Like a cloud of red dust, it slowly descended down infront of her sights, branching unknown desires of hatred and bloodshed. The hands on the hilt of her claymore grew tight - finding the once slippery surface suddenly full of friction.

With a swing of her gleaming claymore, she screamed the very same words back at the Chaos Spawn with every ounce of malice inside of her: "Blood" For the Blood God!?