Darksong Rising (101 page)

Anna wasn’t certain about that. She’d seen Ytrude and Lysara carrying blades. But how many

Ytrudes and Lysaras are there in Defalk? “Another sorceress..." Maybe that would help balance

things out. But whom do you choose—and trust? Secca? She’s young, and will she have the

insight after her hormones kick in? Clayre—Birfels’ other daughter, who had once expressed

interest and might be coming to Falcor? Was there anyone else? Would there be? Could there

be?

Anna frowned. Why did everything just get more complicated?

109

Under a cold midday sun that foreshadowed winter, Anna sat upright in the saddle and looked

across the low valley, finally catching sight of the white structure that, as she had recalled,

resembled a Mediterranean villa as much as a Defalkan keep. Flossbend stood on the low rise to

the northeast, across the Synor River, linked to the main road by a winding lane that climbed the

gentle slope to the hold.

“There, that’s Flossbend.” The sorceress pointed for both Liende and Himar, reined up beside

her. “Both the holding and the town are on the other side of the river, but the town is upstream—

east—of Flossbend.”

“The walls are low,” observed Himar.

“It’s not designed for a siege."

Farinelli sidestepped, and Anna bent forward in the saddle and patted his neck. “Easy… easy...

“What do you plan?” asked the arms commander.

“I’d like to get as close as I can, and then cast a spell over the keep to kill the handful of people,

especially Beltyr, who are guilty of murdering Lady Anientta and her sons and who oppose the

Regency.”

“After that?”

“We try to organize the keep before we head back to Falcor.” You make it sound so simple. . .

and it won’t be. She looked at Liende, reined up beside Himar. “The players may have to dis-

mount and perform quickly.”

“We will be ready,” the chief player confirmed.

The sorceress took another long and studied look at the white-walled hold before nodding to

Himar.

The arms commander raised his arm, and the lancers followed the vanguard and the players

downhill on the road to Synope. As Anna reached the bottom of the short incline, the light and

cool breeze died away, and she found herself using the square of worn gray cloth to blot her

forehead.

Anna began the first vocalise after they had traveled another dek across the western end of the

valley. “Holly-lolly-pop...” She coughed, but the amount of mucus she brought up was minimal,

and she continued vocalizing.

“Lady?” Himar’s voice interrupted her concentration.

She looked up, following his gesture. Puffs of dust marked the four riders headed westward on

the road from Synope— toward Anna.

“They all wear green surcoats.”

“How far is the hold?”

“Two deks, perhaps three.” Himar stood in his stirrups. “Green company! Forward, arms ready!

Bring forth the banner!”

The lancers of the green company used the shoulder of the road to make their way around the

players and Anna. The sorceress coughed as the dust rose around her. The standard-bearer did

not follow the green company, but led the main body of the column.

As the score and a half lancers rode eastward, the four armsmen in the pale green of Flossbend

reined up on a high spot on the road, less than half a dek away, looking at the approaching

lancers and the purple banner. Then all four turned and spurred their mounts eastward, raising a

far larger cloud of dust in returning to Flossbend than they had in leaving it.

“I think they will be telling Beltyr that the sorceress is on her way to Flossbend,” Liende said.

“Will you need the lancers to attack?” questioned Himar.

“I’d rather have them ready to protect me and the players.” Anna looked back at the chief player.

“There’s no point in losing lancers in an attack. We’ll have to plan on the flame spell, the long

one.”

“The one that singles out the traitors?” asked Liende.

Anna nodded. “I wish I dared to try something else, but this fall I’ve lost tenscore armsmen.

Where we’ll get more, I don’t know. Beltyr has seized these lands, and he and Tybel killed every

heir but Secca. They tried to kill her." Anna took a deep breath. “I can’t just turn my back on

Beltyr.”

“None of us chose this.” Liende’s smile was both warm and wintry. “What we chose far earlier

led us here.”

Is that true! Anna coughed, then continued to watch as the four lancers turned their mounts up

the lane that led to Flossbend.

‘There is little cover, and no hill or knoll near the keep,” Himar pointed out. “To defend the

players will be hard if Lord Beltyr sends forth lancers or armsmen.”

Anna shifted her weight in the saddle before replying. “When I was here before, Lord Hryding

didn’t even have twoscore armsmen left after the mess at the Sand Pass. Nearly a score of those

left with Markan. Most of them are with Ytrude at Suhl. I’m sure Beltyr brought his own

armsmen, but he was the younger son, and with all those that Tybel had... I can’t believe he has

any more than we do.”

“If that be so, then I would judge less.”

“Far less,” added Falar, who had ridden up past Blaz and Fielmir to join the other three. “As a

younger son, I know what coins it has taken for my poor score and a half of armsmen.

At his rueful smile, Anna laughed. “You would know."

“You think this Beltyr will not attack?” questioned Himar.

‘There’s no movement outside the hold.” Anna gestured toward the lane and the keep above.

“And your scouts haven’t reported anything. We could get attacked—like Tybel did—but I don’t

think that will happen. I’d say that Beltyr would hole up in the keep.” Anna frowned. “He might

do that because we don’t have that big a force. Not enough to storm a keep, not even Flossbend.”

And none of these people seems to believe in your sorcery until they’ve experienced it.

The green company had reined up and waited at the base of the lane that wound up toward the

white-plastered building. Anna and the players kept riding until they neared the green company.

“Riders, halt!” Himar ordered before turning his mount back to Anna and Liende.

Anna could see the roof of the stable for travelers, where she’d first tethered Farinelli when she

had met Lord Hryding. Is Calmut still around? Unpleasant as ever?

“I would not ride more than to the midpoint of the lane,” Himar suggested. “Could you work

your sorcery from below that small cot there?” He pointed.

“That’s a small stable for travelers, and I think that my voice will carry—if the wind doesn’t pick

up.”

Liende glanced westward, toward the few scattered clouds that hugged the horizon. “There will

not be more wind in the next glass or so.”

“Let’s go halfway up,” Anna suggested. “The sooner we do this, the less chance Beltyr will have

to come up with something."

“A moment. Lady Anna?” requested Rickel, as he unstrapped the large shield from behind his

saddle.

Anna nodded, as did Himar. There might be archers.

Once their shields were in place, Lejun and Rickel eased their mounts ahead of Anna.

“Riders, forward!” ordered Himar.

Anna tried another vocalise, and was relieved to find that her cords and throat were clear. Not

even halfway up the lane, Anna could see that every window was shuttered, every door barred.

Not a soul was in sight, and the only sounds were those from her lancers and players.

‘They fear you,” murmured Liende.

“Not enough to have done what was right.” Anna answered quietly. Not nearly enough. She

rubbed her forehead. You’ve defeated two enemies, one to the east and one to the west, and are

trying to negotiate something lasting with the Liedfuhr, but you’re still dealing with backward

lords at home. Then, your foreign enemies know more about you than do half the lords of the

Thirty-three.

“Riders, halt!”

At Himar’s command, Anna nodded to Liende.

“Dismount and stand ready to play!”

Anna waited until the tuning died away before she dismounted. Flossbend remained silent.

without even a single head appearing above the wall, not a single shutter moving. Let’s hope

Beltyr doesn’t have any nasty surprises... been enough of those this year. She stepped forward,

still flanked by the shield-bearing Rickel and Lejun, then inclined her head to the chief player.

“Now.”

"On my mark... the long flame song!” Liende called. “Mark!”

After the first three introductory bars, Anna began the spell, her voice open and free and

cascading across the white-plastered stone walls of Flossbend.

Turn to fire, turn to flame

all those against the true heir’s name

 
turn to fire, turn to flame,

 
who stand against the Regent’s claim.

While fire hissed from the sky, that fire came in arrows, rather than in a solid sheet, as had

happened at Arien.

As Anna stepped back, Rickel and Lejun stepped forward, raising their shields to guard the

sorceress. Anna watched as the last of the flame arrows died away.

Almost expectantly, Liende glanced at the Regent, waiting but not inquiring. Anna stood,

studying the walls and the few crenellations irregularly set in the upper walls, but the keep

remained silent.