"Here." He lifted a pauldron so far as the armor would allow, so that she might see the way it was strapped to the chestplate. "Then the chestplate next. It's strapped together here, here, and here." He indicated the places. "The gauntlets and greaves I'll manage on my own."

But first, he loosened the strap for his helmet, which had dangled behind his head like a strange metal hood. He set the finely crafted bull's head on the log and waited for her to do as asked.