Spellsong - Darksong Rising Part 35

"Now you are a prophet?"

Ba.s.sil laughs at the Liedfuhr's ironic tone. "No, sire. He schemes openly. He has poisoned wenches and innocent girls alike because they displease him, and he will soon take those goods and women he wants. With each taking, more will hate him, until there are so many against him that he will have no supporters. Even should he defeat the sorceress, he cannot take Defalk. Who has the lancers to wage thirty-three separate campaigns a land away?"

"The sorceress has taken Defalk."

"No, I must differ, sire. She has improved the lot of perhaps half the lords, and cowed the others into submission. Some of those cowed will rebel, or plot, or both, for they detest a woman of power, and it will take years for her to deal with them all in order to truly unite Defalk. And she acts to restore the old line, which gains her much of her appeal. Rabyn would not have the support of any lords."

"We shall see, Ba.s.sil."

"Yes, sire."

"Best you are right."

Ba.s.sil nods. He does not wipe his damp forehead, a forehead that has perspired despite the cool breeze from the open windows of the Liedfuhr's study.

59.

Anna glanced into the low sun, squinting through the dust to see if she could make out the outlines of Loiseau, but all she saw was a flock of sheep to the right of the road and a half a dek north.

"Sheep-there wasn't anything out here last year," she said to Jecks, holding off a cough from the dust until she finished her words.

"So long as they do not graze too many," he said.

Anna had to nod at his words. That was something else she needed to discuss or leave a scroll about for Halde-the condition of the land and to watch that it wasn't overgrazed. She shook her head. She didn't even know when Halde was leaving Synfal. Even using the scrying mirror, there was so much she didn't know, and half the time she ended up with headaches from trying to find out too much through scrying.

Her legs were sore, and a.s.sorted aches permeated muscles she'd not been aware she had. At least, not since the last long trip. Harvest had probably come inmost of Defalk while she'd been gone, and the days were shorter, and the nights definitely cooler than when they had departed.

"...there be the sorceress' holding..." called someone from the vanguard.

Anna squinted again, trying to see Loiseau against the glare of the near-setting sun. After more than a week of travel back from the battle north of Elahwa, she was riding up to the gates of her own hold. And it would take nearly another two weeks, if not longer-a.s.suming the roads remained dry-before she reached the area west of Defalk where Rabyn's forces were chasing Hanfor. She just hoped the wily veteran could keep from losing too many armsmen until she could get there.

Though, Lord knows, you've lost too many even with sorcery Thoughts and speculations of how she might better have planned things preoccupied her, and she kept riding, straightening in the saddle when Farinelli's hoofs struck the stone causeway leading to the open gates of Loiseau.

"It's the Regent!" called one of the lancers on the wall, part of the detachment Anna had left to guard both the hold and the spell-concealed gold in the strongroom beneath it, although she had told no one, except Jecks, her personal guards, and Skent and a few of his men most trusted by Himar, all of whom had helped move it, that the gold was there. And none of them could see it now. Not while you live... anyway. . . and after that... who cares?

"The Regent!"

Anna plastered a smile in place, nodding as she rode into the courtyard, and guided Farinelli to the right.

The white-haired stablemaster Quies was waiting as Anna reined up beside the smaller personal stable inside the walls on the north side of the hold. "Welcome back, Lady Anna."

"It's good to be here, if only for a short time." And it'll be better to sleep in a bed, get a bath and clean clothes without sorcery. She dismounted gingerly, holding to the saddle for a moment until her legs adjusted to her weight.

"That raider beast of yours, he could use a mite bit more grain," Quies said, eyeing Farinelli as Anna led the big gelding into his stall. "Other'n that, he looks good."

"Are you trying to say that he looks better than his rider, Quies?" Anna grinned.

"Ah...no...beggin' your pardon, Lady Anna."

"He probably does." Anna laughed tiredly. She unstrapped the lutar, and then the mirror, then handed the saddlebags to Kerhor, then bent and loosened the girths.

Farinelli shook himself slightly and whuffed once Anna had the saddle and blanket off.

"I know. It feels good, I'm sure." She picked up the brush and took it to the palomino's coat.

"He still comes first," offered Jecks from the end of the stall.

"Only when it comes to grooming and feeding," she replied. "He deserves it."When she finished with Farinelli, Quies filled the feeding box, then cleared his throat.

Anna looked at the old ostler.

"Lady.... I'd a been mentioning Vyren to you... and you said..."

"I said you could start to train him."

"I thought as you'd like to meet him...."

"Of course." Anna smiled in spite of her tiredness. "Is he around?"

Quies gestured, and a thin black-haired youth stepped shyly forward. "This is Vyren, Lady Anna." He looked at the boy. "And this be the lady Anna, Lady of Mencha, and Regent of all Defalk, and the most powerful lady in all Erde."

"Ah... that's..." Anna flushed. No matter what she said, it would be wrong. "I'm sure there are others..."

"Not many, likewise." Quies grinned, then tapped Vyren on the shoulder.

"Manners, lad."

Vyren bowed, his eyes not quite meeting Anna's. "Lady... Regent... thank you..."

"Just learn everything Quies can teach you, Vyren." Anna smiled again.

Vyren looked down, then stepped back.

"Thank you, Quies," Anna said.

"Being my pleasure, lady."

Anna and Jecks walked across the paved stones toward the main hall. Anna carried the lutar, Jecks the mirror and his saddlebags, while Kerhor carried her saddlebags, and Lejun surveyed the darkening courtyard. She marveled again at the comparative airiness and beauty of Loiseau. No wonder poor Brill had never wanted to leave it. The more she saw of Liedwahr, the more a compact marvel her own holding seemed to be.

"You are deep in thought," Jecks ventured.

"Just appreciating Loiseau. I forget how elegant it is." And how clean.

"As is its holder."

"You're gallant... very gallant" She smiled, warmly, in spite of her fatigue.

"It is easy to be so with you."

"Flattery..."

"Truth," corrected the white-haired and handsome lord, leaning forward and gesturing for Anna to enter through the front double door.

Serna, Florenda, and Gero were waiting in the entry foyer.

"Your messenger came early," Serna began immediately. "Dinner will be ready for your party, Lady Anna, within the gla.s.s, as you wish. The folk I brought on from Mencha, as you asked, lady, they are already serving the armsmen and the regular players in the rear barracks hall."Anna nodded. "I may take a bit... almost a gla.s.s."

"We will be ready." Serna nodded, then added, "There were many scrolls. I put them on the writing desk in your chamber, Lady Anna."

Many scrolls? Of course... scrolls from Dythya, Menares, Hanfor, and who knew who else. Perhaps Birfels, or that insufferable pain in the a.s.s, Lord Dannel.

"Thank you." Anna nodded and walked through the foyer, then trudged up the stairs and back to her chambers.

Jecks walked beside her, and once inside her rooms, set the mirror on the side table in the study alcove, and Anna took the saddlebags from Kerhor. "Thank you:" She added, "Make sure you get something to eat, you and Lejun."

"Yes, Lady Anna." The dark-haired Kerhor smiled as he closed the door to take up his post outside.

Anna turned to Jecks. "I'll try to hurry, but. . . the way I feel I just can't eat." Her stomach growled.

He raised his eyebrows.

"I'll hurry."

Jecks smiled broadly, then bowed slightly. "As will I, my lady." He slipped out, leaving Anna alone, really alone for the first time in days.

She turned to the desk and looked at the pile of scrolls stacked neatly there.

She shook her head. A bath and a full stomach came before she even wanted to get near all those scrolls. Turning, she went straight to the bathchamber, carrying the lutar.

It took only a short spell to heat the water, and Anna slipped into the steaming warmth with a sigh. Dinner could wait. Not long, because the others were hungry, but for a few moments. Only a few nagged a small voice within her. After too short a time, she sat up with a second sigh and quickly washed, then got out and dried, donning a loose gown from the open closet and the slipperlike shoes. She squared her shoulders as she walked to her chamber door.

The scrolls could wait until after dinner.

60.

Sylvarn, the lancer subofficer from Synek, bowed in the saddle. "Lady Anna, you have been most generous, and Lord Hadrenn will be most thankful for the golds we carry."

Seated on Farinelli, on the north side of Loiseau's courtyard, Anna inclined her head in return. "I am most certain that you will carry them safely to him and that he will use them wisely."

"Indeed, lady and Regent. Our thanks for all you have done, and may the harmonies always be with you." Sylvarn bowed even more deeply, before turning his mount.

Anna and Jecks watched as the Ebran lancers rode out through the gates of Loiseau, eastward toward Synek.

"There are advantages to being a sorceress," Jecks observed. "All those lancers saw you destroy armsmen with a spell. They will return the golds to Hadrenn.""They would scarce do otherwise." added Himar.

Anna hoped so, but wasn't so sanguine as Jecks or Himar, even though she had given each lancer three golds personally, with the strong suggestion that failure for the remaining golds to reach Hadrean would result in dire consequences. Once the lancers in green were well clear of the gates, she flicked the reins and guided Farinelli out through them and along the lane to the domed work building. "We need to see what's happening with Hanfor and Rabyn before we leave."

"I fear we know already," answered Jecks, glancing back as if to ensure that Anna's guards followed the three of them.

They did, as did Frideric and Wiltur.

Anna wasted little time once she reached the work building, only waiting for Wiltur to check the domed structure before she slipped the lutar from behind the saddle and hurried in, the lutar in one hand and a handful of scrolls under the other arm. Jecks and Himar followed, but the guards took up posts outside the door.

The scrolls went on the small table against the wall in the scrying room, and she began to tune the lutar. She'd already warmed up when she had dressed so that once the lutar was ready, she launched into the spell.

Show me now and show me there Hanfor's forces and how they fare....

The image in the scrying pool showed Hanfor's forces riding southward-at least the position of the early-morning sun and shadows indicated that.

"He is up earlier, in the cool of the day," noted Himar. "He will let the Nesereans weary their mounts in the heat."

Anna didn't recognize the landscape and looked at Jecks, then Himar.

"I cannot say where he is," admitted the overcaptain.

"We can't do much, and he seems to have all the lancers he left with." Anna released the first spell, then sang again.

Show me now and show me clear Rabyn's forces that any might fear, near any hold or castle strong...

The silvered waters of the pool revealed a line of lancers in the blue and cream of Neserea posted along a ridgeline, with Westfort in the background-its gates closed.

"Rabyn has left enough lancers there to keep Jearle within his walls," suggested Himar.

"No...enough lancers there for Jearle to claim he was kept within his walls,"

countered Anna.

Jecks nodded agreement with Anna. After a moment, so did Himar.

"Still... those can't be all the armsmen Rabyn has out there." Anna sang the release couplet and thought, then tried again.Show me now and show me bright where Rabyn's forces may go to fight....

The next image that wavered up in the pool showed a field beginning to catch fire, with Nesereans in uniform canying torches.

Anna winced.

"That is good," Jecks suggested. 'They have not won any battles, so that they must stoop to firing crops."