amara returned it with a nod , and the gargant went by to stop near bernard and his remaining knights-half a dozen each of earth and wood , none of them as gifted as janus or bernard , but each of them a solid soldier of several terms in the legions , shields had been abandoned entirely , the woodcrafters bearing thick bows while the earthcrafters bore heavy mauls and sledgehammers-except for the young sir frederic , who had opted to carry his spade into battle instead .