The Experiences Of Learned Horst II

The Experiences of Learned Horst - Part II

“Where did ye learn to fight like dat?” Maria of Hasselhund asked.
“Hmmm.” Learned Horst began to think. He and Maria walked down an empty street, over the fallen front wall of a Mordheim fishmongers. They stumbled slightly on the bricks, struggling with their respective loads. Maria carried a dead pig over her shoulders, the beast having swallowed a splash of poison earlier in the week. Horst’s burden was even more unusual, a humanoid lizard.
“I’m not sure.” He answered. “The young men in my village were taught to wield a sword or cudgel, or even a big stick, to help fend off greenskins. But I’ve never really…”
Horst tailed off, wondering where exactly his turn of combat prowess had come from. Witch Finder Konrat Harker had heard rumours of a witch selling potions and charms in the abandoned Mordheim University and so Horst had travelled along, eager to do Sigmar’s bidding. Of course he knew the city was a dangerous place, but Horst had never really considered what he would do if fighting broke out. So when a band of these blue-skinned lizard men began shooting at them as they travelled down the street, Horst was at rather a loss.
Konrat sensed this, and thankfully asked Horst to do the one thing he was good at. “Read, lad.” He said simply, and Horst fumbled with his copy of Thee Pashions of Sigmar, and selected an appropriate verse. It was called We Are His Hammers and was the one Horst was most familiar with, which was useful as attempting to read at the same time as charging forward as part of a raging mob was not a practice he was used to. Still he must have managed well enough as a crazed mad man, who Horst supposed was nominally on his side though he was unsure of the man’s name, came up to him after the battle to decry how much he had enjoyed the reading, ‘especially the bit about the hammers.’
Horst saw very little of the battle, his eyes flicking between his feet and his book. However he did manage to notice one very important moment in the fight, when he accidentally strayed from the warband whilst struggling with a particularly long word. He heard a chirping noise that put Horst in mind of a Stirland Thrush, and looked up to see one of the lizards only a metre away dropping a short bow and pulling out a curved dagger. Horst had reacted quickly, bringing his club round in a sweeping arc that the lizard easily ducked under as it made to stab Horst’s belly.
Thee Pashions of Sigmar was the only other weapon to hand, and Horst flung his arm sideways, the book catching the lizard in the chin and spinning its head around with a terrible sounding crack. Horst stared at it’s body until the next thing he knew, people were clapping him on the back and congratulating him. It seems the rest of the lizards had fled with a few injuries and Horst was the only confirmed kill, making him some sort of hero amongst these people.
So now Learned Horst was carrying the corpse to the edge of Mordheim, where traders would hopefully pay a few shillings for such an unusual body. Maria was with him with her deceased swine, hoping to sell the meat and purchase a replacement. Horst had asked her if she was upset at her pet’s death. “The little shite bit ma finger this mornin’.” Was the reply.
“I believe Sigmar must have been guiding my arm.” Horst decided, diplomatically.
“Aye. He’s good like dat.” Maria replied, flashing Horst a dirty grin. “Well, we’d better get a move on. Konrat, he’s got plans, aye. Plans for all o’ us bastards.”
Horst nodded, remembering the front of Mordheim University as they had departed an hour a go. Over the entrance a witch was hanging.