As the sun broke through the mountains, there I stood with three orcs upon me, two in retreat and an etin coming at me... Then out of a glade, I first set eyes upon the most magnificent creature I have had the pleasure to bear me to battle... His mane was the white purity of new fallen snow... His black eyes glistened like dark pools of water... His hooves were the color of obsidian, and carried the luster of that stone... He was big and strong, much bigger and seemingly much stronger than most of his breed...
As an orc fell to my warmace, I saw one of the retreating orcs summon up some courage, and close with the magnificent beast... The contest was one sided and quick, the beast reared up on its hind legs and brought his front quarter down upon the orcs head... The orc fell silent, his head caved in from the blow... As I sent another of his kind into the void, the etin gave me a blow that nearly crushed my head... As I turned my attention to the etin, I did not notice the beast fell the other routing orc... When the dust cleared, all the hellbreads were dead, and the etin as well... The magnificent beast was nowhere to be seen... Being somewhat schooled in the ways of tracking I set about to find that beast and tame it...
My search did not last long, I found him in a glade drinking from a brook... He did not even raise his ears though we bother were aware of each others presence... I slowly moved towards him, half expecting him to bolt for more dense cover, but he did not... He just stood there drinking... When I came to within two yard of him, he stopped drinking and lifted his head towards me... He just stared at me with those bottomless pools of eyes... I was spellbound for half a heartbeat, but I overcame this and slowly continued to him... Before I could close the distance, he turned to face me... Then he bowed to one knee as if to submit to me, later I came to know that it was more of a salute, and pledge to die for me... As I climbed upon his great back, I named him Malhandir in honor of the father of all horses which he must surely have been descended...
That was a long time ago, when Chaos and Evil stalked the land with the guises it normally takes to throw us offguard... The Darklords feared no one, and killed with pittance... Death came quickly in those days, as one of perhaps two good men would be set upon bye five, or six Darklords... Through all this Mal and I perservered... We killed our share of Darklords, with Mal even taking the head of one minor one who was left for dead, but still had some fight left in him after all... I had dismounted mal to take the head of one of the Darklords who had been defeated by our party, when his companion sat upright, Drew his blade and rushed after me, I barely heard a thing till the silence was broken by the war cry of Mal... When I turned around I saw the Darklord a yard from me, his head caved in and his brains leaking out from the blow... We slain many monsters together, too many to count, but among them were many many orcs... In fact so well known amongst the orc tribes was Mal, that they put a price on his head... The last time I had heard it was set at five cave squid hides, three barrels of fungus beer, and an assortment of beads and other shiny bits... and so it continued, they would come in parties of five or six, with shamans in two to take Mal and my head... Time and time again they came, and time and time again they died... Then one day, Mal and I were in the dungeon of Hyloth, a place known to be inhabited by many of the orc tribes... Accompanying us was our good friend Treelady, sister of Dragco and Ocgard both fellow member of The Adeptus Astaries...
We had killed many of the beasts that day, and were preparing to return to Skara as we had just about all the treasure we could carry... Treelady had gone ahead to scout the way to a safe recall spot, whilst Mal and I stayed behind to kill off a hellhound and some rats that were annoying us... Then I heard it, the unmistakable sound of an etin, following him were no less than five orcs, a shaman, and what seemed to be the warboss... They closed immediately, all setting upon me like a tidalwave of green... I yelled to Treelady for assistance, but heard nothing in return... When I finally caught sight of Treelady she was running, I thought to my aid, but what I did not see was that she had a pack of orcs hot on her heels... It was apparently a trap set by a cunning warboss and his shaman... That was the last thing I remember before I took a blow to the head from the massive club of the ettin... I only half remember seeing Mal fall defending my broken body... then I blacked out again... when I came to, I learned that Mal had held off the orc mob long enough for Treelady to return to Skara and enlist the help of a member of our ally guild The Dark Wardens... together they were able to beat back the horde and carry my body to safety... Malhandir was unfortunately not so lucky when they had returned they saw the remains of Mal's headless body lying not more than a yard from mine... Some orc warboss is now drinking and telling his tribes that he was the one to fell the mighty Malhandir... I swear by the blood of my ancestors that I will not rest till I find that orc, remove his head from his body and stick it on a pig pole for all to see, that even in death Malhandir is a creature to be feared by evil...
Marcalla Primarch,Avenger... The Adeptus Astaries...