Ten heartbeats later it was over. All of the ice fiends lay dead or dying. One of the wounded lashed out at Ragnar even on its dying breath. He avoided the stroke easily and sent it to hell with a flick of his blade. 'Fierce buggers, aren't they?' said Sven, rotating the blades of his chainsword in a snowdrift to clean it. 'I've seen worse.’ said Ragnar scooping up a handful of clean snow to wipe the alien blood from his armour. 'Well, they won't be killing any more bloody bondsmen, that's for sure.’ Той have it there.’ said Ragnar quietly. He felt an obscure melancholy start to sneak over him now that the excitement of the battle was over. The creatures had not presented much of a challenge after all, and in death had started to look slightly pathetic.
'Useless beasts.’ said Sven. 'Not even good to eat.’ 'I suppose not.’
'Cheer up, Ragnar. You'd think it was you that had taken your death wound, not them.’ Ragnar attempted a smile, wondering at the change in his mood. Such things were becoming rarer and rarer as his body adapted to the changes that becoming a Space Wolf had wrought, but still they sometimes took him off guard. Suddenly, his eye caught sight of a distant flickering, as something massive dropped through the white clouds to the south-west. A moment later, he heard the sonic boom of the approaching aircraft. 'Looks like we've got company.’ he said. 'Help has arrived. Too bloody late as usual. I've done all the work. You'll get all the credit.’ Ragnar reached down and wadded up a snowball. A second later he snapped it into Sven's face. So swift were the Blood Claw's reflexes that his comrade almost evaded it despite Ragnar's speed. Almost. 'Sneak attack, eh?' said Sven. Well, there's only one bloody response to that.’ A moment later, a snowball smacked off Ragnar's armour, and then a second. They were still fighting when the Thunderhawk's landing skids dropped into the snow nearby. Ragnar was surprised to see Sergeant Hakon emerge from the hatch of the gunship. He thought the veteran had returned to Russvik to take charge of training once more. The old Marine was even more grizzled-looking now than when Ragnar had first met him, five years before. His face was still a patchwork of scars, his eyes still chips of blue ice. His hair and long sideburns were pure grey.