A bombard’s recoil was so massive, the only way to manage it was to bury the butt of it in the ground. They were designed to be used against castle walls, and the usual payload was titanic, meant to shatter solid stone or layered brickwork.

When you touched one off, everyone knew. The ground quaked, your ears screamed in protest, your chest struggled for air that suddenly wasn’t there... and the earth-shattering roar as the massive cannon spat hellfire and murder was impossible to ignore.

In comparison, the four-pound guns loaded with grapeshot seemed almost polite and discreet.

The scorpions were essentially massive crossbows that fired spears; they were practically whisper quiet.

*****

The fort was a tumble of carved black stone scattered across the ground. There were a few planks of wood, and some shredded, tattered cloth that might have once been a banner, but that was the entirety of what was left.

“Your fort, Princess.” Daveth offered solicitously to Dorothea, who frowned at him.

“I’m not a princess. That’s not how things work in Nauders.”

Daveth offered her a half-smile. “So? Where are these builders supposed to come from?”

She frowned in thought. “I’m not certain. All I was told, I repeated to you: Our mages were boring a tunnel to here, and once the tunnel was secure, the builders would come out of the tunnel and begin work on reconstructing the fort.”

“That’s going to make defending this place very difficult, princess. What if they come up from the ground underneath one of the bombards? Or under the Tross? We need a point of reference so that we can build a proper perimeter.”

“I don’t know!” She shouted at him. “And stop calling me Princess!” She added.

“I think it’s time we had a talk.” Daveth advised, and scooped her up and slung her over one shoulder.

“Morden!” He shouted. The villainous-looking man appeared, coming around one of the tents.

“It’s time. Get the Seventh Seal File Leaders and meet me in the command tent.”

“Put me down!” Dorothea yelled, and beat on his back with her tiny fists.

“Spoils of war, Lord Commander?” Lynnabel offered, giving him a confused look.

“Officer’s meeting in the command tent. You come too. Bring your unsociable sister.”

She smiled up at him. “I shall.”

*****

Daveth stood in front of the remaining file leaders from the original and remaining members of the Seventh Seal. Alysia and Lynnabel stood off to the side, and Dorothea eyed the hard-eyed men and women with a sense of unease.

He pointed at Dorothea. “You, keep your mouth shut until I’m finished talking. Not one peep.” She frowned at him, but nodded.

“We’ve known this was a trap from the moment we picked up the letter in Tannit- we just didn’t know the shape of the trap. I think we do, now, which means it’s safe to tell you what to expect.”

The file leaders adjusted themselves in their seats and said nothing. Dorothea’s eyes widened at this pronouncement.

“We were told that mages and builders would be sent after we secured the fort. But how would they know? We were told that mages would be tunneling through the ground to this area, but where would they come up? They haven’t said. Therefore, it’s reasonable to say that there are no mages, and no builders are coming.”

“Daveth-” Dorothea began, but Daveth pointed at her. “I said, not one peep. That’s strike one.”

She immediately covered her mouth with both hands.

“First, they’ll delay us as long as possible. The mages have run into trouble. We need to hold out just a bit longer.” He began. “The second part is tricky: we’ll get a message saying the supply trains are delayed- or they’ll simply not give us the courtesy of a lie and stop sending us any.”

“A few more points: There will be desertions. I suspect that the Nauders men at Timwaite Pass have been given the same orders they’ve been given for a thousand years: Keep anything from getting through the pass.”

He looked to Dorothea. “I’m pretty sure that Lady Sybella is the only one that planned this out. I don’t think you or Elenore is guilty of anything.”

He looked to the file leaders. “Finally, this whole thing is because of me. I was the one that caused the unforgivable problems that led to this trap. If you want to resign your commissions now, it’s possible you might be able to sneak out on one of the empty supply wagons, but time is extremely fucking short. The trap is going to close soon.” He paused. “If you do...” He lowered his head for a moment and then raised it. “Remember us.”

Nobody said anything. Daveth nodded. He didn’t expect they would.

“Lastly, I need someone to knock her out and tie her to the underside of one of the empty carts heading out of the Wastes.” He gestured at Dorothea. “She doesn’t belong here and Sybella is probably pissed that she came. She’s an old, bitter, and spiteful bitch, but I will never be responsible for allowing one of her children to come to harm.”

He shot Dorothea a bitter smile. “I, at least, have some fucking dignity.”

*****

They had enough supplies to last them until spring, if they were desperate enough.

Aldric and Daveth discussed probing west along the Spine for any possible other passes they might attempt in order to return to the lands of men, but ultimately rejected the idea.

Daveth pointed out that the Northern Avalanche had slipped across the Spine to Urthan, thus causing the Eastern Marches campaigns.

Aldric rebutted that the Urthan weren’t likely to receive them with welcome arms, and even if they did, Urthan was just north of the border of the Anglish Empire. The Empress’ favorite pastime was watching Aldric fumble and flail about with his sense of “justice”, and would have an army waiting for them.

What about heading east along the Spine? Nobody had attempted that.

Well, that was because the Winged Elves of the Eyrie would do for them.

What if they turned the bombards on the guardposts of Timwaite Pass?

Possible, but they needed to wait for the trap to be sprung, and by that time, anything could do for them. Beasts, monsters, abominations, the Northern Avalanche itself. There weren’t many shots for the bombards. Hold that plot in reserve.

*****

The best-laid plans of mice and men are the first to be kicked over by the vicissitudes of fate and chance. Out of the gloom came a chittering and a massive clatter. Daveth rushed out of his tent and nearly shit himself in abject horror.

A spider that seemed to be comprised entirely of ice, and roughly the size of the entire Tross chittered and clattered as it rushed towards the camp. Its icicle-like legs stabbed into the ground as the scorpions unleashed their payloads into the thing.

“Late to the party.” Aldric offered by way of greeting.

“How the fuck are we-” Daveth began, but Aldric waved his hand. “Watch and see.”

“FOR VENGEANCE!” A chorus of women shouted, and there was a corresponding slap of forge-hammers on breastplates.

There was brilliant flash, a sickly green light that blasted up to the sky, and a screech that clawed at the ears and made the eyes burn. One of the ice spider’s legs shattered in a series of frosty detonations and for a moment the spider teetered and scrambled.

“I’m going-” Daveth began, but Aldric seized the half-giant’s arm.

“You’re a commander. You have to act like one.” Aldric replied.

“Fuck you, man.” Daveth replied, and ran through the camp. He pulled an old, familiar axe from his belt pouch. The previous owner had cleaned, polished, and sharpened it every day.

He leapt into the air and swung Jonan’s axe, hoping for a strike to a joint. He missed, but landed underneath the bloated, crystal clear abdomen of the thing. He leapt at one of the legs again, and grabbed it, chopping wildly with the axe until the leg snapped.

The spider chittered and pivoted for him. He laughed and spread his arms wide. “Come on, spider. Show me what passes for fury amongst your missbegotten kind!”

The Shrouded Knights, who had been fighting it, working in teams, striking the legs with longswords, retreating as the next team marched up.

The Spider lunged at Daveth, who leaped into the air and chopped into the head with the axe. Strangely, bafflingly, obscenely, one of the spider’s eyes burst, releasing a flood of clear water.

Daveth hacked at the spider’s head again, and immediately lost his footing. He scrambled for a handhold, shredding his hands on the icicle hairs growing out of the thing.

He fetched up between the body and the legs, losing his axe in the process. Belatedly he remembered Zakal, the ancient fire-spear, and jerked it free.

He stabbed the spider with it, and the spear went in like butter. Hot water gushed out of it; the air steamed.

Someone was shouting something at him; he no longer cared. He hacked and slashed at the spider, carving chunks of ice out of its body. He hauled himself up and hacked off four of the legs as if it were nothing at all. The blade of the ancient weapon cut them like parting a silk curtain.

The monstrosity crashed to the ground and Daveth rolled away. Dimly, he could hear voices. He levered himself up from the ground and noticed the bloody gashes along his hands and arms.

“Fucking...” He muttered, and then Alysia smashed into him, knocking him off his feet.

“What were you thinking, Lord Commander?” She yelled at him. “Five thousand soldiers, and you had to fight it by yourself? What wind hat to blow for you to get such a stupid idea in your fead?”

“I think my leg might be broken. And maybe some of my ribs.” He wheezed.

“You think I care? You have to understand that as a proper Commander it is your responsibility to execute strategies that allow us to win.” She replied hotly.

“Alysia, I’m saying I can’t breathe.” He whispered. She blinked a few times and jolted, and pushed off of him.

“Just as long as you understand your place, Lord Commander.”

Daveth let out a chuckle as several soldiers picked him up to take him to the medical tent for healing.

He awoke in the medical tent. It was dark. It was always dark in the Forbidden Wastes.

Alysia was next to him.

“Is it morning?” He asked.

“Afternoon, by my reckoning.” She replied crisply.

“Lost some hours.” He complained.

“I would like to make some things clear to you, Lord Commander, is that all right?” She asked.

What was that in her voice? The Wolfbloods were complicated. Everything they said had layers of meaning and subtext.

“I’m listening.” He replied.

She got up from her chair and straddled his body. The already-groaning cot creaked ominously.

She leaned down into his face, even though Daveth couldn’t see anything. He suddenly recalled that Aurene claimed that she could see perfectly fine, regardless if it were day or night.

“Where you go, I go.” She stated argumentatively, as if she expected to fight for it.

“Fine, fine. We go together.” He replied. Was that a glimmer of a smile on her face.

“You’re beautiful, you know.” He offered, and ran his hand through her hair.

“I’m stubborn, and I get frustrated easily.” She warned.

“I hate peas.” he replied.

“I know. You told me in Philippa.”

I think I might be an idiot.” He offered, and she chuckled.

“I don’t care anymore.” She took a breath. “Daveth, is this a death trap, like you explained in the command tent?”

“It could be. It probably is.” He paused. “It definitely is.”

“If I could choose to die anywhere, then I want it to be by your side, snarling in the black.” She paused for a moment, and there was a certain heaviness to her voice as if she’d choked up. “We face it together. We go together.”

There was a small chance at survival. When the time was up and the trap was sprung, they would flood Timwaite Pass. The fortresses on either side of the pass were not staffed by men capable of killing five thousand soldiers all at once. Flood the pass, cram the pass with bodies, and rush through into Nauders. From there it was a matter of cutting through Nauders and then Landeck and escaping to Tannit.

A pipedream. Monsters like the spider they’d fought hours ago could appear at any time. The Northern Avalanche could show up. Anything could. Their lives hung by a thread, and they dared to dance on the end of it.

“Yeah.”

There was a rustle at the tent flap and Alysia was up and off of him so quickly you wouldn’t believe that she’d been on him in the first place.

Nicola eyed the two of them in the little ball of light she created. “You should probably take that to your tent; the cot wouldn’t survive the attempt.” She stated in a wry voice. “By the way Commander, while we’re on the subject of unwanted advice, you should stop trying to take the field every time we go to battle. Makes us regular soldiers look like idiots, like you don’t trust us.” She waved her hands in a shooing motion. “Go on, get out of here. Go make the beast with two backs... just not on my cots, you’ll smash them to kindling.”

Alysia tensed up at Nicola, who frowned. “You seem to think that everyone intensely cares what you do. You’ve been with us long enough to know that nobody does. Fuck his brains out. Be happy today, because you might be dead tomorrow.”

“You are very rude, Nicola.” Alysia stated flatly.

“I’m also overwhelmingly indifferent.” Nicola replied flatly, rolling her eyes. “You two need to leave. I’ve got shit to do.”

*****

The capital of Nauders was partially carved into one of the mountains of the Spine, and spread in descending steps to the valley floor. The building style of choice was octagonal, with tall, thin towers with tiny, needle-like spires reaching up to the sky.

On any other day, Dorothea would take her time as she rose through the capital’s tiers, admiring the pure white buildings that seemed to glow with their own inner light.

It had been tough getting through the pass. The guards on the ground were already turning away those who weren’t Nauders. She herself wouldn’t have gotten through had the cart driver not told the man to look under the cart.

Dorothea had been given a horse and a hurried apology, and she rushed to the capital as quickly as she could.

She swung down from the borrowed horse, nearly falling on her face. She wasn’t used to the horses’ size. Bitterly, she remembered she’d left her own, pure-white horse back at camp with the Seventh Seal.

Daveth must be laughing at her right now.

She strode through the palace, striding down corridors and trotting up steps. In one of the most protected parts of the castle was the true White House, the place where all those who were born true were raised.

Elenore Edelweiss was supposedly the Duchess of all of Nauders, but right now she was seated in a small garden with Isabella, reading a book.

Isabella had been born true, and she was straight of limb, but she was a bit taller than the other White Children her age, and had a certain restlessness and temper that was obvious.

“Elenore, have you heard anything from the earth mages?”

Elenore looked up at her cousin. “Dorothea! I haven’t seen you for an age.” She closed her eyes in thought. “When you mean mages, you mean...”

“I mean the mages that are supposed to be digging a path to the Hill of Dead Men.”

Lelenore opened her eyes. “Ah. Those. Grandam told me she would see to them, so I haven’t heard anything.”

Dorothea frowned at Elenore. “You should be attentive, Elenore. You are the Duchess, not the Lady Sybella.”

Elenore eased Isabella off her lap and stood up. “Run and play, Isabella, but remember: No more punching. It doesn’t do anyone any good.” She looked to Dorothea.

“I never wanted to be Duchess, cousin. I wanted to study herbs and be a healer. If the Lady Sybella wants to act like a duchess, I see no reason to oppose her.”

Dorothea frowned at Elenore.

“Come with me.”

“You’re always so impulsive, Dorothea.” Elenore complained as Dorothea dragged her through the palace.

Finally, in a fit of pique, Elenore yanked her hand free of Dorothea’s.

“What is going on?”

“Lady Sybella sent the Seventh Seal to die.” Dorothea replied. “I should know; I went with them.”

Elenore frowned at this. “You went with them? Beyond the pass?”

Dorothea nodded. “I was with the Seal. They figured everything out.” She snorted. “They knew it from the beginning.”

Elenore rolled her eyes. “If they knew it was a trap from the beginning, then why did they go along with it?”

“Because it gives them a legitimate reason to wage war on Nauders.” Dorothea explained patiently. “Did you notice that they went north with the Yamato?”

“The Yamato? Why?”

“The hundredfold promise, most likely.”

Elenore blinked. “Oh no. I don’t think that Grandam knows about that. How many did you say went north with the Seventh Seal?”

“A hundred.”

“So Sybella condemns five thousand mercenaries to die, and in return the Yamato will exact a blood price of ten thousand from Nauders.”

Dorothea blinked. “Do you not care about Daveth?”

Elenore sighed patiently. “I once thought I was in love with him. But I understood later that there was no way that we could be together. He is a soldier. I am of Nauders. I can’t be a soldier, traipsing about the world, swinging swords for money. And Daveth... he’s a restless sort. He can’t possibly settle down. Certainly not here.” She looked up at Dorothea. “It’s been years since I’d seen him last. I’m a bit older, and a bit wiser. I can’t allow my personal feelings get in the way of my responsibility.”

“Except Sybella is doing just that. She sent them beyond the Spine to die. They will come south, thirsting for blood. The Yamato will come north, thirsting for blood. Daveth alone bested the palace guard without lifting a finger. You heard what Aldric said: No Quarter.”

“I don’t know what that means.” Elenore argued sheepishly.

“It means ‘no surrender’. Everyone dies. Men, women, children, livestock, everything.” She paused. “I’m going to talk to Lady Sybella. Try and convince her that this is wrong. To get her to call the Seventh Seal back from the Wasteland of Eternal Night.” Dorothea took up her cousin’s hands. “Please come with me.”

Elenore allowed Dorothea to lead her through the palace to Lady Sybella’s apartments.

“I really should be looking after Isabella, you know. She’s just like her father. Restless and temperamental.”

“You can do that after. Right now we’re trying to save Nauders.”

Dorothea opened the door to Lady Sybella’s chambers. A young man she couldn’t remember the name of greeted her.

“Dorothea, right?” He greeted pleasantly. “It’s been some time since I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with you.” His eyes fell to Elenore. “Ah, Duchess Elenore. It’s a pleasure and an honor.” he sketched a bow.

Levi. His name was Levi. “Levi, I need a favor.”

He spread his hands. “Anything.”

“The Lady Sybella said that there was a contingent of earth mages that were drilling a hole through the Spine into the Land of Endless Winter. This is a huge undertaking, so I hoped to get a status report.”

He shook his head. “I’ve heard of no such thing.” He gestured to the rooms beyond. “If you’d like to speak to Sybella...” He offered, and Dorothea nodded. She grabbed Elenore and pulled her along to Lady Sybella’s chambers.

“Dorothea! And Elenore! Both at the same time! Certainly the Ancient Pine must have blessed me to see the both of you together.” Sybella greeted warmly. “I can remember when you used to argue all the time.” She settled herself at a low table and invited the cousins to do the same.

“Grandam, I just came back from the Hill of Dead Men. The Seventh Seal wishes to know the exact point where the earth mages will breach, so they can deploy the fortifications properly.” Dorothea began.

A number of expressions flickered across Sybella’s face.

“I-I’m glad to see you’ve returned safely from that lightless place, Dorothea.” She said in a shocked whisper. “You shouldn’t have gone. It’s ... it’s very dangerous.”

“The reports, Grandam.” Dorothea insisted. “Where are the mages coming out? How far along are they?”

“There aren’t any.” Sybella offered, still shocked.

“There aren’t any reports?” Dorothea asked.

“There aren’t any mages.” Sybella replied. She folded her hands. “That beast that walks like a man defiled the palace, defiled the White House, defiled Elenore, defiled Nauders itself and you think I would allow him to walk free? I sent him to die, along with his cohorts.”

Elenore tapped her thumbs together as she thought.

“Are you familiar with the Yamato, grandam?” She asked quietly.

Sybella made a disgusted noise. “Yes, I’ve heard of them. Knife-ears too proud to admit they’re elves.” she replied dismissively.

“So you know of the hundredfold vow.” Elemore added.

Sybella frowned. “I have no idea what that is.” She raised her voice. “Levi, tea!”

Elenore took a breath. “While you were held captive, I met with a Yamato emissary. We exchanged pleasantries and gifts. I taught her a bit of the Edda, and she taught me of the hundredfold vow.” She looked up at her grandam’s face. Her grandam, who was so wise, who was so kind, who always urged her and all the siblings of the White House to search for wisdom and compassion.

“The hundredfold vow is a promise: For every Yamato killed, it will be returned one hundredfold. It’s important that you understand this, because one hundred Yamato marched north through Timwaite Pass at the request of the Seventh Seal. When your trap closes, The Yamato will demand ten thousand dead Nauders as compensation.”

Dorothea took up the thread of the conversation. “You taught me... over and over and over, you told me, to see with eyes unclouded by hate.” She eyed the teacup as it was set on the table by Levi. “It’s not too late. Call them back. Give them an excuse, pay them, and send them on their way.”

“I can’t. I won’t. I refuse.” Sybella’s response was immediate, cold and harsh.

Elenore spoke up, then. “As Duchess... I have to strip you of your authorities and your titles. You taught me herbs; a house with a garden will be prepared for you and you will be confined there until you die.”

She rose to her feet. “I was quite upset with Commander Daveth when he destroyed my apartments. Even moreso when I learned that he’d left me pregnant.” She rolled her eyes at that. “But Isabella is a gift I would not give away, and I cannot condemn the man that helped bring her into this world to die. I will break your trap and invite the Seventh Seal to return to Nauders.”