The spear of Night: chapter 1

[Ma1us]

The Spear of Night
Chapter 1, Part 1
Galloping down the hill with all speed, T'zark raced to reach the encampment. Only several hours before he had spotted a huge dust cloud on the horizon. Going to investigate, he found a massive column of dark clad warriors marching north in to the Wastes. T'zark turned and clapped his heals to his horses flanks, but not before a scout had spotted him and raised the alarm. He had only just escaped the intercepting riders. Now three hours later, when his horse was pushed to the limits, the riders seemed not to tire, if anything they seemed to be gaining on him.

Just up a head, T'zark spied a bridge suspended by thin cords, over a river of acid. Hoping to reach the other side before the riders got to the bank, he spurred his horse. Racing across the bridge, T'zark looked back and saw that he was going to make it, but then his horse stumbled and fell, knocking him off the horse. The animal had broken its neck during the fall, and T'zark saw that his position was hopeless. As the riders closed in, he leapt at them. Taking the lead rider by surprise, he stabbed up through the horse's neck and into the rider's stomach, groaning the rider fell off the horse and into the river. In its death throes the horse's hoof cracked into T'zark's face, knocking him over onto the bridge.

As the rest of the riders closed in the circled T'zark lowering their spears to pin him to the ground. "You put up a good fight, marauder, but the army of Hag Greaf must advance un-observed" said a rider, evidently in charge. "How I would love to hand you over to my lord, to see what pains he would inflict on you, but orders are orders, kill him". As the riders plunged their spears into T'zark's chest, spilling his life-blood out, the last thing he heard was the leader of the riders yelling to the sky "praise Malus , praise the Witch King, praise Khaine".