'The bear is roused,' said Russ. 'It must be speared, or the hunters shall become the prey. That is the way of the hunt. The time for plans has passed - this is the time for deeds.' Russ brandished his spear overhead. 'Fenrys hjolda!' he bellowed.

'Fenrys hjolda,' Grimnr said. The battle cry was taken up by the rest.

Pounding, heavy iron footsteps echoed up the transitway. The first of the Dreadnoughts burst through into the junction. Mass-reactives turned its front quarter into a stunning display of ricochet sparks and micro-detonations. One of the melta gunners leaned around the corner, and opened up with his heavy weapon. The air shimmered and roared. The Dreadnought following the first took the blast full in its chest and fell down with an almighty bang, amniotic fluids boiling off the molten metal pouring from the wound. The lead machine swung round, pulverising the threat before he could fire again with a swipe of its fist.

Its rampage was cut short by the primarch. Drawing his arm back, his own armour alive with dancing bullet impacts, Russ cast the Spear of the Emperor into the back of the Contemptor. It pierced the armoured cowling of the machine's power plant. Initially, it appeared to have no effect; the machine continued to slaughter warriors at the command of the traitor who dwelled inside it But then there came the add taste of maleficarum, and purple lightning crawled all over the power plant. Black smoke and fire belched from the exhaust stacks. A grinding howl sounded from the mechanism, and it detonated, destroying the Dreadnought completely. The Vlka Fenryka were thrown aside by the blast Close by Russ, Bjorn ducked as a leg flew over his head, spinning so fast it beat an uneven thrumming from the air. The third Dreadnought stamped through the wreckage, roaring wildly, but it was skewered and felled by four lascannon beams fired from further up the transit tunnel, and slumped noisily into the wall.

Leman Russ pulled off his helmet threw back his head and howled. There was no sound like it in the galaxy: a full-throated animal call steeped in nature's music, it strengthened the soul of every member of the Rout and drove spikes of fear into their enemies. He howled again, and the fell spirit of the ship recoiled from its purity.

From all around their position, answering howls rang.

'Now the real fight begins,' said Russ. 'Slaughter them, then cross the bridge. We drive on, for the Emperor and the Imperium!'

Russ ran to fetch the spear, pulled it out of the smoking carcass of the Contemptor, and led his warriors in a charge down the tunnel.

Grey and green armour met in a resounding crash. Bjorn was forced to take cover, and only belatedly followed after, his back ringing to the impacts of bolt-rounds fired from above.

Russ was there by then, fighting at the front.