Indeed, you will

"I mean to imply precisely that," you say to Duncan with finality. "We can bring only a very few men to this fight, and every sword will count, including my own. Four of the Kingsguard shall accompany me; I do not intend to expose myself to needless risk. But yes, I intend to ride beside General Ferdinand."

"Sire," Duncan says, "I would be remiss in my duties as your First Advisor if I did not caution you against rash action at this time. I mean no disrespect, but I ask that you be certain that you take this action because you believe it to be wisest, not due to righteous anger or... indulgence in youthful recklessness."

"I take no disrespect, Duncan, and I hope you will always speak with me so honestly," you tell him. "I do this not because I wish to partake in battle, but rather because I believe my personal presence may prevent one. Katyana is also young, perhaps reckless, and she may feel that she has something to prove to her father. She might attack a party of soldiers and foreign warriors whose names she does not even care to know; but to attack the King of Elyssia himself would invite open war, and it would be her small band against thousands. To put it simply, she cannot possibly be that stupid."

"Yes... that is true," Duncan says. "Still, I urge the greatest caution, Sire. There remains a danger that she may try to abduct you, which would put Elyssia in a most difficult position."

"With Magnus on my right, Mshindi on my left, and Bwana M'Kubwa's finest warriors at my back," you say with grim determination, "I would like to see her try it!"

The Sandstones are a massive outcropping of rock which lie at the far end of what has been designated the Visitor's Camp; they are tall and riddled with small caves and hollows, a favorite place for children to play at other times. When you arrive upon Steelheart, you see that Ferdinand is having his ten men ride up and down past them while twirling flagstaffs, a convincing display for those who might be watching.

"Good evening, General!" you call out as you approach. "The men are ready?"

"As ready as we can expect, Sire, on such short notice," he replies, and you see him wink beneath his helm.

You ride up close, put a hand on his shoulder, and nod. "Then we now abandon subterfuge for speed. We ride through the woods, to Katyana's encampment. Away!"

Ferdinand signals his cavalry riders, and together you turn and ride for the woods, the men dropping the flagstaffs upon the ground. As you cross into the trees, Bwana M'Kubwa and his warriors emerge from the shadows, their fleet steps keeping pace with the trotting horses. Among his people, only Mshindi is a skilled rider, so it does not surprise you to see them on foot rather than mounted; and in the greenwood, it is Bwana's people who must slow their pace so that the horses may keep up, not the other way around!

"Sire, you seem somewhat ill at ease," Ferdinand says quietly, such that only you can hear.

"I had hoped it was not obvious."

"To the men, no; you look the very image of determination and confidence. I know you well enough to know when you wear a mask, however."

You nod very slightly. "Ferdinand, it was only a few hours ago when I drew my sword for the first time with the intent to use it as it was meant to be used; but, I did not have time to think about it then. This time, when I donned the additional armor and re-buckled the swordbelt across my waist, I knew I was preparing for battle. You have told me many times that only when faced with the reality of war would I truly know if I had the stomach for it. It is my fervent hope that we will avoid battle this day, but there is no denying the possibility that my sword will have its first real taste of blood before we are done. And so... yes, I confess to the feeling of fear at this moment."

"Good," Ferdinand says. "A man who feels no fear when he rides to battle is not one I would wish to have at my side. I have told you this before, Sire, but I will tell you again now that we ride with grim purpose: Fear can be your armor, your weapon, your eyes at the back of your head. But, it must be controlled so that it does not control you. Use the heightened senses which come with fear, the strength and the reflexes, the early warnings of blows which you do not see coming. The strongest warrior is the one who unites fear with courage. I have seen you show great courage at times of peace, Sire; I do not think it will desert you in battle."

The trees thin somewhat over the next stretch of ground, allowing you to pick up the pace, and this precludes further conversation. The sunlight filtering through the trees begins to turn very slightly orange as afternoon transitions to evening. In less than a quarter hour, you will arrive at Katyana's camp - if it is still there. There remains the possibility that she has moved the camp, that she somehow discovered that its location had been revealed to you.

Bwana M'Kubwa comes running up to your side; he is breathing hard, but keeping pace with his men and the horses. He is an old man, but still in impressively good condition even for a much younger man. You would offer to allow him to share your saddle; however, you do not wish to imply that he is weak or tired.

"Two of my people move ahead, Sire," he says to you, keeping his voice steady in spite of his exertion. "They are my stealthiest hunters; either of them could sneak into the den of a lioness and steal her cubs before she knew they were there. If Katyana has sentries in the woods, we will spot them and take them down with darts that put a man to sleep."

"That is good, Bwana," you tell him. "I must admit, I half-expected to see your granddaughter here; surely, she is among your best."

"She is, but the fight at the tournament was exhausting to her; she has never sparred with anyone so skilled. She would have come if I had told her of this, but I chose not to."

"We draw near to the clearing," Ferdinand cautions. "Bwana, send your men to our flanks; the King and I shall take the vanguard, with the Kingsguard and the cavalry close behind. Join us once we are through the hedge. And now, we charge!"

You put the spurs to Steelheart and he leaps into a gallop, as do the horses around you. Bwana lets himself fall behind, and you hear his whistled commands to his warriors telling them to take their places. The edge of the wood rushes up to meet you, and then you burst out into the evening light.

Katyana's camp is there, a collection of leather tents and a few horses and men, the firepits small and their smoke thin. Confusion seems to erupt in the camp as you approach, and Ferdinand raises your banner so that they will know it is the King who rides toward them, hopefully precluding any sudden hostile move on their part. Your horses cover the distance across the clearing in seconds, pulling up in a cloud of dust just within the camp.

"Before you is the King of Elyssia!" Sir Magnus shouts, much louder than he needs to in order to be heard. "Draw no weapons in his presence, upon pain of ****! We seek your commander, the Lady Katyana of Reznik!"

After a few seconds, one of the men steps forward, a man with a patch over one eye and a thick black beard. "We are here on an errand of peace, Your Majesty," he says. "By what right do you accost us so?"

"Men who march under the banner of Lord Velimir of Reznik are unwelcome in Elyssia," you say to him. "Your presence here is a trespass upon my kingdom. I will speak further with Lady Katyana; bring her forth at once!"

"What is the meaning of this?"

The voice is that of a young woman, and it comes from the largest of the tents, the only one tall enough for a man to stand within it. The flap of the tent opens, and from it Katyana emerges.

She is small and slight, more so than you expected. Her armor of boiled leather linked with chain seems to practically swallow her, and the steel helm she carries under one arm looks as though it would rest on her shoulders if she were to put it on. But there is a blaze in her diamond-blue eyes and a confidence in her step, and it does not seem strange that she could command the men around her who are twice her size.

"Lady Katyana, you and your men are here in Elyssia without my leave," you tell her. "I call upon you to surrender!"

"And if I refuse?" she asks, stopping about ten feet in front of Steelheart.

"If you refuse, then there will be bloodshed. Lives will be lost on both sides, but we are mounted and ready for battle; you and your men are not. Even if by some miracle you could emerge victorious, there will be no escape for you; my forces await you at any exit you might take from here. You are, in a word, surrounded. I have come here in person in the hope that we may avoid needless ****, but if it is battle that you seek, you will find it - here and now."

Katyana looks back and forth over your men, and Bwana's. Her own people outnumber yours, but they have been caught largely unprepared, and though they have horses none of them are mounted. An experience commander would see that there could be only one outcome to battle, and surrender... but there is no telling what Katyana may do. Your right hand flexes involuntarily as you prepare to draw your sword, if she chooses foolishly.