Spellsong - Darksong Rising Part 58

Anna nodded. "But I need to talk to your... to the chief player."

This time Kinor was the one to conceal a smile at Anna's near slip in referring to his mother.

"And to Lord Nelmor and Falar... and Himar and I need to work out a few details."

Kinor bowed his head. "I will send a messenger." Then he rode back to where the purple company had reined up.

Anna flicked the reins, and Farinelli stepped easily across the brown gra.s.s. The sorceress went to find Liende first.

The chief player and the other players were standing by their mounts a hundred yards east of where Anna had been viewing the keep.

"Lady Regent?"

"Liende." Anna paused. "I will need a spellsong just before we reach the gates.

Can you have the players ready to dismount and play? The flame song. It'll be a different spell, but the same tune."

Liende frowned.

"This one is not for killing, but for disarming. Lord Jearle has welcomed us, and double-armed his men."

"Does he think you blind?"

"Probably. I'm only a woman, and I did nothing when we visited him in the fall.""The more fool he." Liende snorted. "We will prepare to play just before the gates." She walked toward the players. "Here! We have a task!"

Still flanked by her ubiquitous guards, Anna rode Farinelli westward across the hillside to where Lord Nelmor and Falar stood, also holding the reins of their mounts.

"Lady Anna."

"Regent."

"Lord Nelmor, Falar," Anna looked at both-the lord and the would-he lord. "I would like your support one last time on this campaign. I have to ask, here, not order, and if you're not comfortable with this, I understand." She paused. "Lord Nelmor, we had once discussed the duties of the Lord of the Western Marches. One of those duties is to bid one's Regent welcome." A cold smile crossed her face.

"While we have been bid welcome, all the armsmen in Westfort carry double blades."

Nelmor's face paled. Falar frowned.

"I intend to use sorcery to disarm the keep, but I will need armsmen to hold it while I look into what has occurred...."

"You will not use the fire spells?" asked Nelmor.

"Not against any armsmen who do not attack me-and not at first."

The tall blond lord nodded. "We will ride in with you."

"And so will we," seconded Falar.

"Himar will order the riders," Anna said.

"We will follow."

Anna inclined her head. "Thank you." She turned Farinelli back toward Himar and Jimbob.

Himar was waiting at the head of the ranks forming up- with Kinor and Jimbob- when Anna and her entourage returned. "What will you?"

"We'll enter Westfort," Anna said, "as if nothing were wrong."

"We will lead with two companies," Himar proposed.

"Then the players... Anna added her own spell strategy for disarming Jearle's forces. "This will happen once those companies hold the courtyard."

Himar nodded. 'That is best-before you enter the keep. And it will leave our lancers safer as well. If there is a problem with the spell, you remain outside."

Anna nodded. But there shouldn't be. As the lancers formed up, she went over the spell in her mind, time after time.

The sun had finally reached midday before the column started downhill toward Westfort, but the chill winds made white steam of some mounts' breath.

The gates to Westfort were open.Anna watched as the purple company swept through them, three abreast, then the green company. Farinelli was less than ten yards from the open gates, and the guards in red and black when Anna reined up and turned to Liende, who, with the players, rode right behind Kinor and Jimbob.

"Now!" ordered the Regent Alarm crossed the faces of the two guards at the gates, but neither said a word as a pair of lancers appeared next to each with bared blades.

Anna didn't even dismount, but sang full voice from the saddle, letting her spell flood into the courtyard and the keep of Westfort.

Turn to water, turn to rust, turn each Westfort blade into dust.

Break the shafts that fly from any strings....

Holding her lutar ready, Anna watched as one of the Westfort guards in red and black tried to draw a blade, and found himself with a handful of red dust. She nodded, and called back to Liende. 'That's all for now."

Himar nodded, then ordered, "Purple company! Green company! Take the keep!" He looked at Anna. "Best you wait at the gates."

Surrounded by her guards, Kinor, and Jimbob, Anna waited. She held the lutar, her eyes darting to the high walls, and then into the lancer-held courtyard.

Farinelli sidestepped once or twice, almost as if to say that he was ready for a stall and some grain.

In less than half a gla.s.s, Himar rode back across the courtyard and out through the gates to Anna. "The hold is ours."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"One lancer was stabbed with a kitchen knife by an armsman in red. That armsman will not stab another. Other than that..." Himar shook his head. "Lord Jearle awaits you in the entry hall."

Anna dismounted, but kept the lutar, and let Rickel and Lejun, using their s.h.i.+elds, lead the way through the open double doors into the dimly lit entry hall.

Jearle stood, flanked by Defalkan armsmen, just inside the great entry hall of Westfort His face was flushed as she stepped toward him, and his jaw seemed to quiver. A pair of armsmen in red and black stood behind Jearle. Both wore twin scabbards, empty.

Carrying the already-tuned lutar, Anna stepped forward, accompanied by Rickel and Lejun. Kinor advanced beside them, and Jimbob remained several paces behind the older redhead.

"I have invited you into Westfort, and this is how you have mocked me!" Jearle bl.u.s.tered. "The Thirty-three will hear of this. They will, and they will strip your Regency."

"I was invited into a hold where all armsmen wore double blades," Anna countered. "I was invited into a hold that made no effort to break its siege while other lords hazarded all that they had to help Defalk."Jearle studied Anna. "You knew Rabyn would invade Defalk. You knew he would attack Westfort. Yet you took your forces into Ebra, and left us to fend for ourselves. You abandoned the Thirty-three."

Doesn't he understand anything? "No," Anna said quietly. "I did not abandon the Thirty-three. I returned, and your lands are safe, and will be for years to come. You made the decision two years ago to allow Lord Behlem through your lands to save your soul and your lands and your golds. Don't condemn me for letting his son come into Defalk so that I could save it."

"You play with words, Lady." Jearle's face turned from red to almost purple.

Anna nodded. "Blaz, Fielmir. Tie up his lords.h.i.+p." Jearle lunged forward, coming up and in low toward Anna with a thin s.h.i.+ning dagger.

Although Rickel and Lejun closed s.h.i.+elds, another figure was quicker.

"No!" Kinor crashed into the older lord, and both dagger and lord went down. The dagger slid along the stones, leaving a trail of dark liquid.

"Poison!" snapped a voice from somewhere.

Blaz and Fielmir yanked Jearle to his feet Bersan held a bright blade at the lord's throat.

"Do your worst, b.i.t.c.h."

"I Intend to." Anna lifted the lutar.

Jearle, lord, Jearle, lord the same, with this spell turn to fire and flame, fire flay you from flesh to ash to dust.

the end of all unworthy of a Regent's trust.

With the line of fire searing from above, the guards threw Jearle to the stones.

This time, the brief screams did not even bother Anna. Are you getting that callous... or did you dislike him that much?

When the entry hall was still once more, deathly still, she turned, holding the lutar. "Kinor... would you come here?"

Kinor glanced at the gray dust on the stones, then at Anna. "No matter what occurs, will you be loyal to Defalk, to Lord Jimbob as heir, and to me so long as I am Regent?"

"Lady... I only thought of your safety...."

"That's loyalty." Anna paused. "Do you swear loyalty to Defalk, Jimbob, and the Regency?"

"Yes... of course... how could I otherwise...?" The young man was clearly fl.u.s.tered.

"Good." Anna turned to Himar and Jimbob, then motioned to Liende, standing well back at the end of the hall.

Liende approached warily, her eyes darting from Anna to her son and back again.

Anna waited until the chief player had neared before continuing. "Westfort needs a strong, and intelligent, and loyal lord, and one young enough to support theRegency and Lord Jimbob for many years." She smiled at Liende. "What do you think about Lord Kinor?"

Kinor's mouth dropped open. Liende appeared poleaxed. Jimbob grinned. Himar nodded slowly.

"Lady... I did not... I never meant," Kinor stammered, for the first time since Anna had known him.

Anna shook her head. 'That's exactly why you are now Lord of Westfort and Denguic. You will not be Lord of the Western Marches. At least not for many years. That will remain with Lord Nelmor so long as he wishes it and can maintain it." Anna motioned for Nelmor to step forward. "As you will note, Lord Jearle has no objections, Lord Nelmor. You are the Lord of the Western Marches."

Nelmor bent his head.

"You have earned that right by honor and by your support of Defalk and the Regency."

Anna raised her voice. "All those in Westfort who don't wish to serve Lord Kinor will leave, and they will depart within the week. Lord Jearle's heirs must leave Westfort today, and Defalk within the week. Otherwise, their lives will be forfeit."

"Never!" The broad-shouldered man at the top of the stairs drew a sbort blade, a wide-bladed dagger, and began to charge down the steps, drawing it back as if to throw it.

Anna lifted the lutar and began to sing.

Jearle's heir, lord he'd name, with this spell turn to fire and flame, Lejun flung up the s.h.i.+eld.

Thunk! The guard staggered back with a heavy short blade embedded in the s.h.i.+eld frame.

The sorceress concentrated on completing the spell.

...fire flay you from flesh to ash to dust.

the end of all unworthy of a Regent's trust.

A single pillar of fire flared midway down the stairs.

A woman screamed from the upper landing, and Anna stood in the hall, finding herself shaking... and amazed that she had managed the spell, even if it had left her with a splitting headache.

Lejun lowered the s.h.i.+eld and looked at his shoulder, also astounded that the blade had gone several spans through the s.h.i.+eld itself but missed his body.

Blaz stepped up to take Lejun's place, blade bared, and Fielmir held a blade to Lady Livya, standing on the foot of the stairs.

Anna turned and walked forward toward Livya.

"You have taken everything... you outland... creature..."

"Your consort gave me few choices," Anna said. "I could not trust him, nor you, nor your son. He wouldn't support Defalk in its time of need. Twice, he failed.When I came and lifted the siege, he armed everyone in the keep against me. And you think I should have supported him?"

"You... don't... understand... don't understand... at all...

haven't any children..." Livya kept weeping, not even really looking at Anna.

Everyone thinks that his or her problems are unique, and so many are all the same.

Anna looked tiredly at Kinor. "Lord Kinor... you have much to do. With honor comes grief, and the knowledge that every action taken by a ruler or a lord hurts someone. Every action! Never forget that. Never."

Kinor swallowed.

Anna refrained from sighing. She turned to Himar. "We have a keep to clean up, and more plans to make."

Himar nodded.

Anna's eyes went to the blank face of Falar. Another problem. Falar might have made a good lord, but his history with Anna was short... and the last thing she needed was Falar being the lord. She offered a smile to the red-haired scoundrel. "Falar... I'll need to talk to you later, if you would."