He took care of us. Not a man perished. Instead, the circle took a mule.
"Butcher it up," Fetch growled. "Save the good cuts. Couple of you guys dig a hole over there where I left the shovel."
So we had mule for breakfast. It was tough, but good, our first fresh meat in weeks.
We were about to march when Fetch announced, "We'll be there tomorrow. That means goof-off time's over. Respond to orders instantly if you know what's good for you."
Brandy mumbled and cussed. Chenyth wasn't any happier. "I swear, I'm going to smack him, Will."
"Take it easy. He was in the Breidenbacher Light. I owe him."
"So? They got you out at Lake Turntine. That was then. What's that got to do with today?"
"What it's got to do with is, he'll kick your ass up around your ears."
"Kid wants to duke it out, let him, Will. He's getting on my nerves too."
"Stow it," Fetch snarled. "Save it for the other guys. It's time to start worrying about getting out alive."
"What? Then we'd have to walk all the way back." Brandy cackled.
"Fetch, what's this all about?" Chenyth asked.
"I already told you, question man."
"Not why."
She scowled, shook her head. I asked, "Weren't you ever young, Fetch? Hey! Whoa! I didn't mean it like that."
She settled for the one shin-kick. Everybody laughed. I winked. She grinned nastily.
Brandy and Chenyth had forgotten their quarrel.
Chenyth hadn't forgotten his question. He pressed.
"All I know is, he wants the blood of the Father of Dragons. We came now because the monster is sluggish during the winter. Now why the hell don't you just jingle the money in your pocket and do what you're told?"
"Where'd you meet him, Fetch? When?"
She shook her head again. "You don't hear so good, do you? Long ago and far away. He's been like a father. Now get your ass ready to hike." She tramped off to her position beside Lord Hammer's stallion.
The woman had the least feminine walk I've ever seen. She took long, rolling steps, and kind of leaned into them.
"You ask too many questions, Chenyth."
"Can it, will you?"
We were getting close. Not knowing, except that we were going to go up against a dragon, frayed tempers. Chenyth's trouble was that he hadn't had enough practice at keeping his mouth shut.
Noon. Another barrow blocked our trail. We repeated our previous performance. The feeling of menace wasn't as strong. The thing in the earth let us pass with only token protest.
The weather grew warmer. The ice melted quickly, turning the trail to mud.
Occasionally, from ridgetops, we saw the land beyond the forest. Mountains lay ahead. Brandy moaned his heart out till Fetch told him our destination lay at their feet. Then he bitched about everything happening too fast.
Several of those peaks trailed dark smoke. There wasn't much snow on their flanks.
"Funny," I remarked to Chenyth. "Heading north into warmer country."
We passed a living circle. It called to us the way the trees called to me.
An end to the weird, wide forest came. We entered grasslands that, within a few hours, gave way to rapidly steepening hills. The peaks loomed higher. The air grew warmer. The hills became taller and more barren. Shadows gathered in the valleys as the sun settled toward the Dragon's Teeth.
Lord Hammer ordered us to pitch camp. He doubled the sentries.
We weren't bothered, but still it was a disturbing night. The earth shuddered. The mountains rumbled. I couldn't help but envision some gargantuan monster resting uneasily beneath the range.
IX
The dawn gods were heaving buckets of blood up over the eastern horizon. Fetch formed us up for a pep talk. "Queen of the dwarves," Brandy mumbled. She was comical, so tiny was she when standing before a mounted Lord Hammer.
"Lord Hammer believes we are about three miles from the Gate of Kammengarn. The valley behind me will lead us there.
From the Gate those who accompany Lord Hammer will descend into the earth almost a mile. Captain Bell weather and thirty men will stay at the Gate. Six men will accompany Lord Hammer and myself."
Her style had changed radically. I had never seen her so subdued.
Fetch was scared.
"Bellweather, your job will be the hardest. It's almost certain that you will be attacked. The people of these hills believe Kammengarn to be a holy place. They know we're here. They suspect our mission. They'll try to destroy us once we prove we intend to profane their shrine. You'll have to hold them most of the day, without Lord Hammer's help."
"Now we know," Brandy muttered. "Needed us to fight his battles for him."
"Why the hell else did he hire us?" Chenyth demanded.
"Knock it off back there!" Fetch yelled.
Lord Hammer's steed pranced impatiently. Hammer's gaze swept over us. It quelled all emotion.
"Lord Hammer has appointed the following men to accompany him. Foud, of the Harish. Aboud, of the Harish. Sigurd Ormson, the Trolledyngjan. Dunklin Hanneker, the Itaskian. Willem Clarig Potter, of Kavelin. Pavlo della Contini-Mar-cusco, of Dunno Scuttari." She made a small motion with her fingers, like someone folding a piece of paper.
"Fetch!..."
"Shut up, Chenyth!" I growled.
Fetch responded, "Lord Hammer has spoken. The men named, please come to the head of the column."
I hoisted my pack, patted Chenyth's shoulder, said, "Do a good job. And stay healthy. I've got to take you back to Mom."
"Will..."
"Hey. You wanted to be a soldier. Be a soldier."
He stared at the ground, kicked a pebble.
"Good luck, Will." Brandy extended a hand. I shook. "We'll look out for him."
"All right. Thanks. Russ. Aral. You guys take care." It was a ritual of parting undertaken before times got tough.
The red-eyed horse started moving. We followed in single file. Fetch walked with Bellweather for a while. After half an hour she scampered forward to her place beside Lord Hammer. She was nervous. She couldn't keep her head or hands still.
I glanced back, past Ormson. "Fight coming," I told the Trolledyngjan. Bellweather was getting ready right now.
"Did you ever doubt it?"
"No. Not really."
The mountains crowded in. The valley narrowed till it became a steep-sided canyon. That led to a place where two canyons collided and became one. It had a flat bottom perhaps fifty yards across.
It was the most barren place I had ever seen. The boulders were dark browns. The little soil came in lighter browns. A few tufts of dessicated grass added sere browns. Even the sky took on an ochre hue...
The blackness of a crack in the mountainside ahead relieved the monochromism.
It was a natural cleft, but there were tailings everywhere, several feet deep, as if the cleft had been mined. The tailings had filled the canyon bottom, creating the little flat.