'I would never have noticed.’ said Sven sarcastically. 'Quite probably.’ said Ragnar, racing forward and leaping over the gap. Sven was a few strides behind him, but leapt fractionally too late. It was obvious that he was not going to make it across the widening gap, and was going to tumble down, Russ alone knew how far. Ragnar leaned out and grabbed his friend's outstretched hand, tugging him forward and sending him sprawling in the ice beside him. 'Siding with the ice fiends now, eh?' said Sven around a mouthful of snow. 'No - just saving your life yet again.’
'So you say. I was doing fine before your sneak attack sent me sprawling.’ 'Going to wedge open the crevasse with your thick skull, were you? Best use for it, most likely.’ Sven bounded to his feet and cast a casual glance over his shoulder, checking on the distance separating them from the ice fiends. Several hundred strides lay between them still. It looked like the fiends were waiting to see whether the crevasse took them. Tours is the only head around here big enough to fill that hole.’ said Sven cheerily. The ground beneath their feet started to move again, as the glacier shook. 'Maybe we should get off this frozen river of ice before it swallows us both up.’ said Ragnar. 'Well, looks like the only way out is through them.’ said Sven, gesturing to the approaching ice fiends. 'And your point is?'
'Just giving you directions in case you get lost again.’ said Sven, turning and racing towards the approaching creatures. Ragnar followed him, the snow crunching under his ceramite boots and splashing off his greaves, his breath clouding the air like steam. The ice fiends bellowed challenges. The two Blood Claws answered with whooping war-cries. As they closed the distance Ragnar realised how big the creatures were. They were almost twice his height. Long white fur covered their bearish bodies, massive yellowing tusks protruded from the gaping caverns of their mouths. Long dagger-like claws tipped the three digits on each paw. Their faces were a startling combination of humanoid and beast. Their yellowish-red eyes gleamed with a malign and bestial intelligence and a glittering malevolent hatred of all not their kind. There were close on ten of them, all male, a pride of hunters. Ragnar knew they would fight until either they were dead or their prey was. There was no more insensately ferocious life form on the surface of Fenris. Unless it was Sven, he thought. Ragnar thumbed the activation rune of his chainsword and it roared to life. He sprang into the ice fiend pack, chop- ping right and left.