The paw shifted from the ground, creeping upwards fractions of an inch at a time. 'A fine feat!' shouted the Erlking. 'Now you must move the rest of him.'

The wolves laughed and banged their implements on the tables. Russ heaved harder, pushing from his legs, the muscles in his back on the verge of tearing. Up the paw went, past Russ' knees, then past the top of his thighs. Slow as a glacier inching its way down the mountains into the sea, Russ drew himself upright. His teeth were damped, knuckles of his interlaced fingers white, until he had the leg high off the ground.

At this disturbance to its slumber the wolf shivered, and pushed out its paw, sending Russ flying backwards with such force he cracked the post he landed against. On breath ragged with the effort, he tasted blood.

The shadow wolves roared out their appreciation.

Russ picked himself up. The wolves' laughter fell back into a cacophony of howling. Russ wiped blood from his lips with the back of his hand.

The Erlking pointed at the primarch. His long tongue hung like a wet flag out of the side of his mouth, yet his words were clear.

'A good effort, but you have failed again. Take your mark.'

The Erlking swiped his paw through the air, and again burning pain crossed Russ' chest so that there were three deep furrows clawed through his wolf pelts and his flesh. The blood would not stop as it should, and his furs were sodden with his vitae.

'Three marks against you. Bah, I declare your life is forfeit. My hersirs, my jarls, prepare for another course in our feasting!'

A hundred shadow wolves stood at once, upsetting their benches in their haste to be on their feet. Some snatched up their weapons with no care for the others in the piles, knocking them noisily down, while the rest exposed their teeth. They waited to pounce.

Russ considered fighting them, ripping as many of the Hel-kin down as he could before they tore his soul to pieces. The wolf in his heart bayed for that outcome.

Kva's words echoed in his ears.

'Remember, my lord, what you are. Remember that you are more than a wolf.'

'Wait!' he shouted. His protest was lost in the rumpus. 'Wait!' He bellowed so forcefully his shout knocked back the shadow wolves. They bristled, and shrank from him. 'What, my lord, of this fourth task?'

'You cannot win it,' said the Erlking dismissively. 'You have proved yourself unworthy. I retract the offer. My warriors, we feast on godling's flesh tonight!'

The shadow wolves drew nearer again.

'I demand my right to perform the fourth task!' Russ said.

The Erlking snarled. 'If you will. Name the four things that I challenged you with.'

Russ grinned. 'This is the easy part,' he said.