A large part of a knight’s training, Lancecain would hope for any order, was reacting calmly to problems. The large wave of cold death coming down the mountain was a big problem. Traveling through the pass that led beyond the mountains, he knew not to underestimate snow and ice. He’d seen much smaller waves crush men. The wave heading for the fort was a hundred times bigger than the largest he’d ever seen.

It was going to fall on the westside of the fort but it was hard to estimate the full extent of the damage. It could graze the northside and a graze from something that big would be devastating. If there was even the smallest chance that the house could be caught in its path, he needed to grab a few essential items.

Those being his sword, his armor that he threw on in a hurry, his master’s spellbook, and the small amount of funds he kept in the kitchen. He also threw the bottles of Herbanacle in a bag, having paid far too much for the premium drinks to let them be crushed by a falling roof. When he burst out the front door, the faint whuff had become a loud rumble and the falling disaster was longer than the wall built into the mountain’s side. He could hear people fleeing from the westside of the fort, heading for the center where knights were gathering.

He moved behind the defensive line, his light affinity a poor fit to assist them. All he could do was watch as a large part of the fort was buried under ice, snow, and rock piled so high it obscured the towering walls. The wave was heading for them but the knights acted fast, tall walls of earth erupting from the ground to hold it back.

“What’s the situation?”

Lancecain looked over his shoulder as he heard the familiar voice. The crowd made way as the duke approached, two of his wives behind him, all dressed for battle. Not even the sound of the ice and stone slamming against the walls could break his stern expression. The same went for Eleanor, a native of the north. Kalise, his foreign bride, seemed more rattled. She wasn’t panicking but her eyes were glued to the walls, the nature of the disaster unnerving her.

An older knight from the Moons ran up to him. “Icefall from the Peaks. It’s as bad as you can imagine. We waited as long as we could before throwing up the walls.”

“Send someone to bring every working pair of hands from outside the fort in. Every single one. Once the mountain settles, we’ll begin rescue efforts, with Waking Beast taking the lead. I want the Moon and Stars on the wall, clearing and defending it. The rest of us will be making paths. We need the roads clear.”

“As you command, my lord.”

“I’ll take command on the walls,” Eleanor said. “Kalise, come with me.”

“Giving me orders now?” the barbarian complained but she moved closer to the other woman, showing her acceptance. “You think we’re going have to defend those walls from something?”

“Creatures live on the mountain that just collapsed. I expect them to be annoyed.”

“Lance!”

“Master.” Lancecain looked up and hurried over to Sir Polluck. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw the senior knight dressed in the white armor of the Duelists. He’d forgotten to check for it in his haste. Calm in the face of trouble didn’t mean infallible.

Thankfully, his master had worn his armor out or it would mean days of digging the house free to retrieve it. Something that would be impossible before he was due to leave tomorrow. It wouldn’t necessarily stop him from participating in the mission, but ill-fitting armor could be a dangerous liability. “I’m glad to see you weren’t caught in that.”

“That should be my line. I’d bet the house wasn’t spared.”

“You didn’t like the house anyway.”

“And you grabbed everything of importance, I assume.” He eyed the bag on Lancecain’s shoulder. “What’s that?”

He jostled the bag. “The booze and a little gold.”

The senior knight shook his head. “The priorities of a north man. Leave it to me to look after.”

“You’re not helping with the efforts?” Lancecain asked while handing over the bag.

“I need to preserve my strength. We still leave in the morning.”

Lancecain was surprised, but only for a moment. The icefall was a tragedy, but Victory had never allowed tragedy to stop it. More importantly, whatever was in the north had caused the disaster. If they didn’t stop it, more tragedies would follow. The mission couldn’t be delayed. “Understood. Finish your preparations without worry.”

“Mm.” He laid a hand on Lancecain’s shoulder and met his eyes. “Do what you can…and remember it’s all you can do.”

The young knight nodded gravely, hearing the message behind the words. Despite all the men and women gathered with their abundance of expertise, there would be casualties. Not the usual loss of soldiers who prepared themselves for any outcome when they left the safety of the walls but the unexpected loss of innocent civilians who’d died in their homes. It was a sobering thought, but Lancecain pushed it aside, focusing on the crisis.

The sounds beyond their crude defense finally stopped. The duke ordered everyone to back away and the earth walls were dropped, the snow against them flowing forward with the obstacle removed. Immediately, several knights moved forward, Eleanor in the lead. Where she stepped, the loose snow turned into solid footholds of ice, letting her race across the uneven surface. Kalise took to the air, trailing behind her at a more sedate pace.

The other knights also got to work. Members of the Waking Beast charged toward the buried part of the fort, moving slowly as they searched for signs of life. Some were more direct, the members diving headfirst white debris. Occasionally, they would let out a cry and knights would rush to their aid.

Lancecain joined the majority of knights in clearing the road. The water casters made the most impact, moving snow and ice by the wagonload. The wind casters were nearly as useful. The earth casters formed spades and Lancecain joined the fire casters and civilians wielding them. They focused on clearing a path, piling the snow along the sides and compacting it until it was passable. The duke oversaw the operations, a silent pillar of strength.

A group of Moons stood aside, standing with tense spines and none of the other knights removed their armor or weapons. As they worked diligently, they all waited for the proverbial arrow to hit its target. They all knew it wasn’t the end.

After they’d been working for several minutes, the first screech sounded. Lancecain looked toward the mountain as more followed it. He recognized the cry of doomhawks but he’d never heard so many of them. There had to be hundreds, all screaming at once. Then they took to the sky. So many that they cast a shadow over Victory, their white bodies obscuring the gray sky as they vacated their nests.