Prosek said, 'Alert the people who'll go with me. Have everyone eat a big meal and get a good sleep. We're not likely to have either again soon.'
Another annoying characteristic of the man. He believed he could better endure hardship than any effete Imperial. Drear would happily teach the man respect once his Princess had her use of him. But that pleasure would never be his. The girl would stray from her agreement not one inch.
'I'm sorry I'm giving you so many gray hairs, Captain.'
Helspeth told Drear. 'Someday, perhaps, it will prove worth having endured my whimsy.'
'I've endured worse servitude than here with you, Princess. It's the people around you who make the job difficult.'
'In the morning, then, Captain.'
She saw suspicion begin to cloud his thinking.
Stupid. She should not have given him that much warning.
Drear was livid when he found Helspeth among the men accompanying Prosek. She had donned the arms and armor she had demonstrated at al-Khazen. And wore a heavy cloak that concealed her sex and slight stature.
Weapons and armor had been confiscated during Lothar's reign but she had been clever and persistent and had gotten them back. The Empire enjoyed no shortage of corrupt functionaries willing to lose track of items in their care.
Lady Hilda joined the adventure, though she was supposed to keep the Princess Apparent under close control. She was bored to excruciation by the Dimmel Palace.
Captain Drear discovered them while taking a head count. There was truth in Prosek's notions about Imperials. Some were intimidated by the weather, which had turned cold and damp. It should get worse in the high Jagos.
Drear came up two long on his count. But by the time he isolated the ringers Drago Prosek was barking at the teamsters manning the wagons carrying the expedition's stores and equipment.
Helspeth told Drear, 'I won't stay here voluntarily. If you force me, there'll be hell to pay.'
'And yet, hell to pay if I don't. I should throw myself on my sword and save the Empress the cost of feeding me till she gets around to hanging me.'
'So dramatic, Captain. I promise, I won't be any trouble.'
'God, save me! Princess, you're trouble curdled just by being here.'
'Lady Hilda will protect me.'
'God, give me patience. Princess…'
'I'm going. Fix that in your head, Captain. Adjust to it. Console yourself with the knowledge that this will almost certainly be the last time I'll draw a deep breath without prior approval from my sister and the Council Advisory.'
There might be a monster in the Jagos, interfering with traffic, but news did get through. There was strong sentiment in Alten Weinberg for cloistering the Princess Apparent somewhere where she could be controlled more completely. Not that she had done anything to offend anyone. No one complained about her efforts as the Empire's legate south of the mountains. But she was a valuable commodity. And a potential rallying point for those who disdained the Brothen Patriarchy.
Katrin was concerned. Her letters seldom demonstrated any warmth.
Helspeth repeated herself. 'I'm going, Captain. We're wasting time and falling behind.'
Algres Drear committed the sin for which he never forgave himself. He acquiesced. It was easier than fighting. He was tired of squabbling, especially with the girl. She never yielded.
It did not take long for others to figure it out. Helspeth knew little about the daily business of the march. Things had always been done for her. Lady Hilda was of only slightly more use.
Helspeth did work to win the men over. She convinced them they were about to perform wonders.
Drago Prosek was not restrained about forecasting disaster due to the presence of women.
Six days of cold misery and cold emotional truce brought the party to the point Prosek had chosen for his staging camp.
Prosek and his crews, Algres Drear, and Princess Helspeth crowded the larger campfire. Everyone wanted a look at the map that Prosek had prepared. 'Here and here,' Prosek said. 'Perfect sites for the falcons. This lower one has a clear line of fire a hundred fifty yards long and is shielded by boulders. This other is under an overhang and has a cave behind it. It's thirty feet up the mountainside. You can tell it's been a lookout post since prehistoric times. Stern, you're up there because you aren't smart enough to get scared or nervous. You take the second shot, once Varley freezes the thing with his. If you have to take off, just fall back into the cave. It isn't big enough for the monster to get into.'
Helspeth started to remind Prosek that the devil was a shapechanger. Algres Drear pinched his lips. Just to remind her that she had promised to keep her big mouth shut.
'We have one problem,' Prosek said. 'Other than this damned weather.' It was cold. The heavens delivered infrequent but unpleasant bouts of freezing rain. 'How do we lure this thing in?'
Helspeth wondered what drove her to put herself in her present position. She was miserable physically, at risk of life and soul, and the adventure would stain her marital value. It would leave her more disliked and distrusted in Alten Weinberg.
She was not disturbed by any potential collapse of her value as a commodity.
Prosek asked, 'Anyone know anything about this beast that they haven't told me? Is it likely to know how many of us there are or the nature of our mission? It used to be human, according to the Captain-General. Does it still have a human ability to reason? Right. Nobody has anything. All sink or swim for Drago. Princess? You were at al-Khazen.'
'I'm sorry, Mr. Prosek. I can't help you. I was occupied elsewhere when whatever happened to the man happened. I know less than you.'
'Pity we don't have a wizard. But if wishes were fishes. The Captain-General told me I could handle this. Maybe he knows me better than I do. Drear. You look like a man who's done some hunting. How would you draw this thing?'
'I've only hunted deer and mountain goat. You go to them. Or ambush them.'
Helspeth could not keep her mouth shut. 'You've been to the Holy Lands, haven't you, Mr. Prosek?'
'I have. Five years. Actually saw Indala al-Sul Halaladin close enough to tell the color of his eyes. They're gray. Not what you'd expect. Your point?'
'The Sha-lug, the Peqaad tribesmen, Indala al-Sul Halaladin, even the H'un-tai At, all use the false flight tactic. And their enemies fall for it more often than not.'
Reluctantly, Prosek granted, 'Unfortunately true. A lot of Crusader commanders, new to the Holy Lands and eager to make a name, never believe the Unbeliever is as smart as they are. And veteran besides. So?'
'The man the monster was before he was soultaken lived in Andoray two hundred years ago. That will shape his thinking now. Won't it?'
'Seems likely. So?'
'Heroic individualism was a big thing back then. If somebody put on full armor and went up there like Red Hammer challenging the Midwynd Giant…'
Prosek's eyes glazed. He sucked spittle back and forth between his teeth. 'Here's an idea. Why don't we…' He repeated Helspeth's suggestion word for word. As she neared the boiling point he winked at her, grinned. 'Just one problem. Picking a hero. And I have a bad feeling about that. You're the only one here equipped for the role. Captain Drear, is anyone small enough to wear her armor?'
'There is no way…'
'I agree. But nobody else brought a convincing costume.'
Lady Hilda volunteered, 'I'm small enough…'
Helspeth said, 'That isn't going to happen, either.'
Two days of drizzling misery passed. Both falcons were positioned, their crews rehearsed. Drear and Prosek had scouted the pass as far as the ruin of the next way station. They had felt the monster stirring. They planted small, standard wards to keep smaller Night things from scouting for the monster.
Three of Drear's Braunsknechts returned with armor fit for a grown man. They brought two long couch lances
