Borik spent a while patrolling out in the rain, which pinged harmlessly from the shaped metal of his Kharadron armour. He looked like some golem or automaton, Hendrick thought, no hint of bare flesh showing, breath hissing through his armour’s tubes.

Eventually, the duardin clomped over to where Hendrick stood just under shelter, staring balefully at the gatehouse from under his hood.

‘Those fellas on the barge offered us shelter,’ said Borik, halting beside Hendrick and fiddling with one of the gauges on his cannon. ‘They’ve thirty sellswords between their three barges. Firearms. Food.’

‘We’re fine here,’ said Hendrick.

Borik grunted, finished the adjustments on his weapon, stared at the city.

‘Don’t feel right here,’ he said after a pause. ‘Even I’ll admit that. Surprised those bargemen are still here.’

‘Aelyn said something the same,’ replied Hendrick.

‘Look at them,’ said Borik, lowering his voice and gesturing to their companions. ‘Read the mood, Hendrick. That’s not right.’

‘We lost Varlen a matter of days ago–’ began Hendrick, but the duardin cut him off.

‘You and your brother, Grungni rest his spirit, hired me to be your bodyguard did you not?’

‘That we did,’ replied Hendrick.

‘So, if I tell you that I can feel something… wrong… here, and that it’s obvious everyone feels it too, you should listen, because I’m doing my best to fulfil the contract I drew up with Varlen. There’s a sense of menace hanging over this city. Those clouds are building up like the whole place is holding its breath. I’ve no desire to be sailing these aether-currents when that storm breaks,’ said Borik.

Hendrick gave the duardin a level look. ‘That was more words than I’ve heard you string together in turnings,’ he said.

Borik didn’t reply, just stared back through the hazy green eye-lenses of his helm.

Hendrick sighed and shook his head. ‘If those idiots would just hear us out… Sigmar’s hammer, if they’d just let us through the portcullis to speak with someone in the gatehouse that would be enough.’

‘This isn’t our city, it isn’t our responsibility, and it isn’t going to get us paid,’ said Borik flatly. ‘A captain’s got to command, I understand that. But he’s got to read the aether, Hendrick, and he’s got to read his crew. I sailed the skies a long time, and I’ve seen even the finest bands of privateers become a mutinous mob when they were pushed far enough. I’m not saying that’s us, not for a moment, but–’

Just then, a shout came from the battlements. A woman’s voice, strong and clear, carrying through the rain.

‘Hey, you out there. The mercenaries.’