Darksong Rising (20 page)

Ustal squared his shoulders ever so slightly. “It is true that we in Fussen see the Nesereans more

closely..."

Anna nodded for him to continue, while quietly stifling a yawn, and hoping she could continue to

avoid making a direct pronouncement on the succession.

17

After glancing at the mirror on the guest chamber’s writing desk that earlier had held her

breakfast of an early-ripened apple, bread, and cheese, Anna cleared her throat, then began to

sing the spell, accompanying herself with the lutar

Show from Fussen, danger to fear,

Falar’s threats to me bright and clear...

The mirror did not even flicker, remaining a bright blank silver. So Anna tried the follow-up

spell.

Mirror, mirror, in your frame,

Show me young Falar in his fame,

Where’er he may stand or be,

Show him now to me.

The mirror silvered, then showed a beardless and slender figure in blue bent over a table writing

something. As Anna watched, he pushed back a lock of hair and seemed to sigh before he dipped

the quill into the inkwell once more. The small room was empty and lit only by the shaft of

early-morning sunlight through the single narrow window.

Anna sang the release couplet, then slowly recased the lutar and the traveling mirror, noting that

the finish of the wood framing the glass was beginning to discolor from the heat created by her

scrying spells. The discoloration reminded her again of the difficulty she had in even seeing

Elizabetta. You have to be patient...she might not even be able to get to the lake house now...

even if it is summer.

After a time, she lifted the lutar case and opened the door, stepping out into the keep’s corridor in

order to make her way down to the courtyard. Blaz and Kerhor followed her closely, with Rickel

trailing.

She had entered the courtyard and almost reached the stable when Ustal appeared, bowing.

“Lady Anna.”

“Good morning, Lord Ustal.”

“And to you. I trust you slept well’

“I did, and I appreciated the breakfast tray. You have been most kind and hospitable.”

“One owes one’s Regent respect and hospitality.” Ustal bowed. “Charming as you are, I could

not help but notice that you did not comment on the succession,” offered the blond as he

straightened.

“You suggested I meet with your brother.” Anna smiled. “After I do so, I will make a decision.

Then I will inform you."

“Caution wars with your image as the decisive and powerful Regent." Ustal laughed lightly.

“Power and caution go hand in hand, Lord Ustal.” Anna paused, wondering how she could end

the discussion without conflict and get Ustal off her back. Then she almost nodded. “If you have

real power, you’d better use it with caution, and if you don’t, it pays to be twice as cautious.”

She smiled. “So, you see, I would have to be even more cautious if I weren’t Regent."

A ghost of a frown flicked over Ustal’s face, as if he were unsure whether he’d been

reprimanded. “You do not offer a direct answer, my Regent.”

“I will,” Anna promised. “As a lot of people have found out, I can be very direct. . . especially if

I’m pushed.”

Those words did bring a frown, but, again, Ustal seemed to push the expression away. “I look

forward to your decision.”

‘Thank you, Lord Ustal.”

“And I will not detain you, but wish you a safe journey, both to Sudborte, and then to Dubaria. If

you would convey my regards to Lord Jearle and Lord Nelmor?” Ustal offered another bow.

“Fussen respects and honors its Regent.”

“Thank you, and I would be most happy to carry your greetings to Lord Nelmor and Lord

Jearle.” Anna did not move until Ustal bowed a third time, and slipped away.

Then she lifted the lutar case. Rickel’s and Kerhor’s boots echoed hers as they walked through

the hazy early-morning light toward the stable. The ostlers slipped away when she headed

toward the gelding’s stall.

Farinelli whuffed as she quickly brushed her mount before saddling him.

“I know. It’s clean, but it’s not home.” She tightened the girths, then checked them again. The

last thing she or Farinelli needed was a loose saddle.

Jecks appeared at the end of the stall, and Himar stood behind the white-haired lord.

“Lady Anna,” asked Jecks, “if you are near-ready…”

“You can tell everyone to mount up. I’ll be right there.”

Himar vanished silently, and in moments, Anna could hear the echo of orders in the courtyard,

then the sounds of boots and hoofs.

After accepting the saddlebags from Jecks, who in turn had taken them from Kerhor, Anna

fastened them behind the saddle, then strapped the traveling mirror and lutar in place before

leading Farinelli out into the courtyard, where she quickly mounted.

‘The road to Sudborte runs south from the main square of Fussen,” offered Jecks, riding his

mount up beside Anna and Farinelli.

Himar glanced at the sorceress, and Anna nodded, then flicked the reins gently. Anna and Jecks

led the way out of the keep.

The sorceress waited until the column was well out of Fussen and in good order on the south

road before she turned in the saddle and beckoned for her chief player to ride beside her.

Liende eased her mount next to Farinelli, looking at Anna for direction.

“Could you tell how Lord Ustal’s players feel about him?”

 
Liende looked back toward Skent and Jecks, then toward Anna, lowering her voice. “He has but

three, a flute player, who is barely that, an old violinist, who is as good as Kaseth was, and a

younger violinist, who is better than Delvor... and might someday be adequate. They said little,

but their words would convey that Lord Ustal is to be preferred to his sire..." Liende let the

words hang.

“That sounds like Lord Vlassa was not to be preferred at all,” suggested Anna.

“He whipped a cooper to death who protested when his armsmen brought the cooper’s consort to

Vlassa’s bed."

Anna winced. “He wasn’t exactly beloved. Anything else?”

“The lady Yelean was promised to Ustal’s brother Falar, until Lord Vlassa took to his bed with

his last illness."

Worse and worse... “and...?"

Liende shrugged. “None knew... or would say."

“What else?”

“Lord Vlassa could not sing, even the simplest of spells, and so had young Ustal sing them for

him." Liende’s shrug was expressive. “Many lords have neither seers nor players, you must

understand. Only the powerful lands like Fussen."

Anna refrained from wincing. So Ustal has a much longer experience with sorcery and with his

father’s cruelties.... “Did anyone say anything else about Ustal’s brother?"

“Nay, Lady Anna, save the young violino player, who mentioned that Falar rode out of Fussen a

half year ago, a week after Lord Vlassa’s death, and none in the keep had seen him since."

“Thank you.” Anna nodded, and the chief player eased her mount back toward her position at the

head of the players.

After a moment, the Regent beckoned for Skent to join her. The dark-haired page nodded to

Himar and urged his mount forward. “Yes, Lady Anna?”

“Did you find out anything about Lord Ustal... or Fussen... that would be good for me to know?”

“Begging your pardon, Lady Anna…"
 
Skent glanced at his mount’s mane. ‘There were not

many who’d speak at my end of the table, and what they said..."

“Tell me what you did hear."

“Lord Ustal spends much of his time flying his falcons. The mews is bigger than some folks’

cots."

Anna reflected. The stable had also been clean, well swept, and the horses she had seen well fed

and groomed. “He cares for his animals, then."

“That he does, and the armsmen’s quarters are good. My room was there.”

“How did the girls behave?” Anna asked. “Were there any serving girls or others you saw?”

Skent frowned. “Few enough, and most were quiet. They said nothing, and slipped away as

quick as they could.”

“Thank you, Skent.” Anna definitely didn’t like the picture she was getting.

“I tried, my lady.”

“In something like this, that’s all I can ask.”

Skent dropped back to where he had been riding beside Himar, and, at Anna’s gesture, the

overcaptain rode forward.

“Can you add anything?”

Himar smiled ironically, the expression lifting his drooping mustache. “He has spent over a

hundred golds on having new blades forged for his personal guard, and has sent a farrier and the

second-in-command of his armsmen to Heinene to see what beasts the grassland folk will sell.”

“Shrewd—they would have to sell with the grass fires,” Anna said. “Anything else?”

“He spars only with the foremost of the armsmen, and can best them all—and he had one

whipped for not striving to his best against him.”

“Did they say anything about Falar?”

“Not in so many words.” Himar tugged on the right end of his mustache before continuing.

“Lord Ustal has recently hired twoscore of armsmen, yet it appears that he has but the same

number as his sire, and Jirsit heard tell that a serving girl had consorted with one of the newer