Darksong Rising (23 page)

humorously. “Would we had had more such."

Although Anna trusted the man less and less, she smiled and took another sip of wine, and

another helping of the heavy, cheesed potatoes.

“Have you any news on the new Prophet?” inquired Jearle. “Very little except that the Liedfuhr

has sent fiftyscore Mansuuran lancers in his support,” Anna answered politely.

“The lord Behlem brought well over three hundred—score armsmen through the West Pass

before you vanquished him. So thick they were that one could not see the road,” Jearle said. “Far

more lancers and armsmen there were than ever seen or gathered in Defalk.”

Anna understood where Jearle was taking the conversation, but only said, “There were so many

that they could not be quartered within the liedburg at Falcor.”

“Yet the lady Anna vanquished them and their Prophet,” Jecks pointed out, “and without

assistance.”

“Ah, yes... sorcery, was it not?” Jearle beamed. “Most welcome indeed. And what a sight it was

when they marched back, their packs and tails dragging.” He smiled.

“Many things are called sorcery,” observed Jecks mildly. “At times, entire forces of armsmen

have vanished, and there have been no sorcerers within deks. Other times, bridges have been

built without masons.”

Livya’s eyes clouded, and she coughed gently. “There are many tales about the Regent, and how

she came from the mist worlds. Alas, we have never been privy to them, and if it would not be

too wearisome to repeat that tale, Regent, I for one would be most pleased to hear it from the one

who lived it” A warm smile crossed her face.

Anna didn’t trust Livya’s smile any more than her consort’s, and she had a good idea that the

Lady of Westfort was more than either ornament or broodmare. Whether Jearle had gotten Jecks’

point or not, the lady Livya certainly had. “If you don’t mind hearing an old tale, I would be

more than pleased to tell you....

Anna launched into the tale of how she had come to Liedwahr, all too conscious of Jecks’ eyes

upon her as she spoke— and of the assessing speculation of both Jearle and Livya.

19

Lord Nelmor.” Anna inclined her head, then took the armchair on one side of the table in the

private study, so that Nelmor and Jecks would have to sit on the other side. Anna hoped that

might give the Lord of Dubaria the impression, subconscious or otherwise, that he and Jecks

were on the same side. The dark-paneled walls of the room reminded her vaguely of Jecks’

study, although she recalled Jecks’ study as being and smelling far cleaner.

“You are most kind to visit Dubaria. I do not believe any from Falcor have come so far north and

west since before the time of Donjim,” replied Nelmor as he seated himself. “It may have been

even longer.”

Jecks slipped into the other armchair slightly after Nelmor was settled.

“We were persuaded to go to Fussen, and since we were there, we wished to show support for

those who supported the Regency from the beginning.” Anna smiled warmly. “We also wished

to inform you about the successes and the challenges ahead.”

“I think I would hear of the successes,” said Nelmor. “I face challenges enough each week."

“So do we all,” said Jecks.

“We have managed to pay off the debts Lord Barjim ran up to the Ranuan Exchange,” Anna

began. “That should make it easier for the Thirty-three to trade there. We have repaired the ford

on the Chean River to restore the road to Ebra. We have received the fealty of Lord Hadrenn of

Synek..." Anna paused at the expression on Nelmor’s face. “You had not heard that the western

third of Ebra had asked to become part of Defalk?”

Nelmor shook his head. “Ah... truthfully, no, my Regent.”

“The armsmaster of Dumar is our appointment, and we are expecting golds from Dumar by

harvest time. Most of the dam ages of the Evult’s flood have been repaired in Falcor, and if the

weather holds..." Anna continued with every promising scrap she could remember, ending with,

“...and many holdings are expecting far better crops than in recent years.”

“Better news than I have heard in many years.” A sardonic smile crossed the tall lord’s face.

“And the news that is less promising?”

“There is another war brewing in Ebra, between Lord Bertmynn of Dolov and the freewomen of

Elahwa—”

“Freewomen?”

“The local women. They took the city and started to rebuild it after the flood. They have received

blades from the South-Women of Ranuak,” Anna explained. “Lord Bertmynn does not appear

pleased.”

“Ah. . . that explains Lord Hadrenn’s desires."

“Better to have a third of Ebra behind us, than none at all in these times,” suggested Jecks.

Nelmor nodded slowly.

“A number of the merchants and crafters in Fussen have petitioned the Regency to replace Lord

Ustal with his younger twin brother,” Anna said.

“And what has the Regency decided, if this lord might ask?”

“The Regency does not feel,” Anna said carefully, “that the Regency should act unless many

lives are in danger or unless Defalk itself is in danger. Or unless a lord defies the Regency,” she

added. “None of those has happened.”

Nelmor pulled thoughtfully at his left earlobe. “Wise guidelines, I would say. Yet you seem less

than pleased.”

“I think that there will be trouble unless things change,” Anna said bluntly. “Lord Ustal is far too

hard on his people and his crafters.”

“Lord Vlassa was said to be hard,” Nelinor pointed out.

Anna merely nodded.

“Other troubles? Surely, Defalk faces more difficulties than those?”

“Ebra seems to be the problem. The Sturinnese could be sending golds to Lord Bertmynn. They

did to Lord Ehara, you might remember.”

“I had heard such.”

“There were twoscore ruined Sturinnese hulls in the bay at Narial,” Jecks said mildly, “and some

hundred and fifty—score Sturinnese lancers that Lady Anna destroyed.”

And one Lord Jecks was most unhappy about at the time, Anna recalled. She also remembered

how she’d exploded at Jecks, and how they’d barely spoken for over a week.

“You saw these?” asked Nelmor.

“I did.”

“Lord Jecks was also wounded with an enchanted Sturinnese javelin,” Anna pointed out. “That’s

why we’re concerned about Sturinn sending golds to Bertmynn.”

“Has this yet occurred?”

“Only in small amounts so far,” Anna fudged.

Nelmor nodded. “And what of the new young Prophet of Music—our nearest threat? Have you

heard aught promising or less so?”

“He has fiftyscore Mansuuran lancers to add to his arms-men,” Anna replied, “and a regent who

is an officer sent by his grandsire. Right now, he has sent some of his grandsire’s arms-men to

Elioch, but none of his own armsmen.”

“That bears watching, but it would be good if no other lancers near Elioch.” After a silence,

Nelmor asked, “How do you find Tiersen and Ytrude?”

“They have not sent you scrolls?”

“Alas, I have not sent a messenger. How would they? They would not have imposed upon you,

your grace, and even had they, I would just have received such.”

“Ytrude seems to be settling in at Falcor,” Anna observed. “She is shy, but she seems bright."

“Bright she has always been.” Nelmor cleared his throat. “And what of Tiersen?”

“He seems thoughtful, but I have not had as much time to observe him.”

“You are like my sister, Lady Anna. And yet you are not.” Nelmor shrugged.

What that meant, Anna suspected, was that Gatrune was direct, and Nelmor thought Anna was,

but that he was reluctant to admit anything, since he was a lord, and lords admitted nothing. At

least, Defalkan lords of the old style didn’t.

“You were most supportive to send Tiersen to Falcor,” Anna began slowly, “but he will learn

more about those who will be his peers in years to come, before he must make decisions about

them and their families. He has also begun to learn other skills."

“It is said that you are instructing the fosterlings in another way in which to keep the accounts of

their lands. Why would you find this necessary?” Nelmor’s expression was that of a quizzical

frown.

“I have already learned, Lord Nelmor, that not all those who keep the accounts of their lords are

as honest as they profess. The accounts and figures Dythya is teaching them will allow them to

check those accounts quickly. This will give them greater control—and they will have to spend

less time on accounts." She smiled. “That way, Tiersen can devote more time to those matters

you feel are most important without leaving his fate in the hands of others."

“And Lord Dannel has said that some who instruct them are lowborn,” Nelmor added cautiously.

“I was not born into a lordly family of Defalk.” In fact they’d have called your grandparents

peasants, since they worked a farm in an Appalachian holler. “Nor was Arms Commander

Hanfor. Nor Tirsik the stablemaster. Yet we all do certain things better than others. I felt that

your son and daughter should learn about the uses and limits of blades from the best and how sta-

bles should be run from a good stablemaster. Sometimes, the best instructor is a lord, such as

Lord Jecks here. Sometimes, they are not."

“Your words are wise, Regent, yet Lord Dannel is not pleased."

“Lord Dannel is not pleased, Lord Nelmor, because his son is not as quick-witted nor as skilled