Darksong Rising (51 page)

“Some fell... like you…Liende... the young one, Yuarl... but they awakened earlier and have

eaten. They are resting. Some may be sleeping.”

Anna let out her breath, and stars sparkled before her eyes. Then the full import of what Jecks

had said earlier struck. “Those on the field?”

“Ah... Just before your last spell, many score of Bertmynn’s lancers turned and fled.”

“How many?”

“We could not tell, but perhaps twentyscore or thirtyscore. The Lord Bertmynn had brought

more than eightyscore.”

Anna took a deep breath. Thirtyscore lancers loose—that wasn’t good, especially the way she

felt. What about the fiftyscore you killed... is that good?

“How many... how many did they kill?” she asked fearfully. “Almost fivescore’ Jecks admitted.

“Three from Defalk, two from Synek. Less than in many battles, far less than at the Sand Pass."

“...shouldn’t have been that many.”

“Against battle drums? Without you, all would have perished.”

“...should have thought faster..."

“Himar has gathered all the blades and lances,” Jecks added, as if to change the subject. “I

suggested that you might be willing to make a gift of them to Lord Hadrenn...to defer the

expense he will incur in raising the additional forces he will need."

“He’ll need them.”

“More than he now knows.”

“How did Kinor and Jimbob take it? The battle.” She knew the question was inane as she asked

it, but did not try to take it back.

“Jimbob was white, and he shivered, but said nothing and kept to his post. You saw Kinor; he

would give his life to save you. He was not injured, but when the final spell fell, he wept, but still

lifted his blade as though to smite any Ebrans who might be left." Jecks’ crooked smile warmed

Anna. "I took the precaution of having the purple company guard young Hadrenn closely, for his

protection, of course. With that, and with your friend Stepan in charge of the green forces, I

thought that might ensure that Hadrenn had no second thoughts.”

“Probably a good idea,” Anna whispered, taking another swallow of water, and then reaching for

the hard biscuits. “Skent?” she asked.

“He acquitted himself well, though his company was the last Himar threw into the melee.”

Anna moistened lips that were still dry.... “...got to stop doing this..”

“I believe I suggested that, my lady.”

“You’re not sorry I used the flame spell?” Anna had to know.

“Against drums and Darksong?” Jecks laughed. ‘Would that you had done so earlier, but we did

not know how low Bertmynn would stoop or that they would be so used."

“But I suspected something... so did you." But you couldn’t think... was that the spell Bertmynn

was casting, or something that slowed everything? "...didn’t think fast enough."

“No one thinks fast enough in battle. You thought well enough to save most of your forces."

in spite of herself, Anna found the yawns coming. Her eyelids were heavy, far too heavy. "...

stupid... really stupid..."

“All is well now. You must sleep.”

Anna wanted to protest, but couldn’t as her eyes closed in spite of her wanting to say more, to

hear Jecks’ comforting voice.

52

Anna found herself shaky the next morning, even after washing as best she could in the bucket of

water the guards left by the tent entrance, until she’d eaten enough hard cheese and biscuits for

three people. Even after that, she was tired, and she retained a faint, but dully throbbing

headache. Her neck and shoulders were also sore. She hadn’t noticed the stiffness or the pain the

night before, but she hadn’t noticed much of anything.

“Good morning, my lady.” Jecks looked at her as she stepped out in front of the small tent in the

morning light—not dawn, but not all that late, either.

Rickel and Blaz nodded greetings, but neither guard spoke.

“It’s morning." Anna admitted, her eyes taking in the day. The sky was gray, and she suspected it

had been since her excessive use of sorcery the day before. Maybe that’s just the way you think

it should be. She shook her head at the thought, and winced. Headshaking didn’t go with

headaches. The trampled brown grass was covered with dew, and the damp breeze out of the

northeast was cold, but the high gray clouds didn’t seem to promise rain, not too soon.

“Lady Anna?” inquired two voices, almost simultaneously.

She turned. “Good morning, Jimbob, Kinor."

“Good morning, lady.” Jimbob inclined his head, not deeply, but more than perfunctorily.

So did Kinor, but not before Anna saw the stark darkness in the redhead’s eyes.

“Thank you both.” She paused, then asked, “You see why I need guards?” Her voice was dryly

humorous. “Nowhere in a battle is necessarily safe.”

“I had heard such, lady,” Kinor replied.

Jimbob nodded, almost fearfully.

“Kinor,” Anna said gently. “Thank you for your thought about the drums yesterday. It was a

good suggestion. A very good suggestion. Without you and Lord Jecks, matters might have

turned out differently.”

Kinor glanced at the white-haired lord, and Jecks looked at Kinor.

“You both suggested a spell against drums,” Anna explained, “but I probably wouldn’t have

been able to act and come up with a spell had you both not reminded me. So thank you both.”

In retrospect, the idea made sense. Even Darksong couldn’t both cast a spell and protect an

object made of wood and skin against a spelled arrow. She just hadn’t thought about it at the

time. Then, she hadn’t had that much time, not as she considered the battle in retrospect.

Jimbob looked sideways at his grandsire, appraisingly. Anna hoped they’d all survive the youth’s

practical education.

Too many spells... she’d used too many spells, that was also clear in hindsight Does that mean

that you should just go out and use the most destructive spells and clear the battlefield?And if

you don’t, you risk losing, or dying of a spell overdose? It wasn’t fair. Every time she tried to

limit the damage, it seemed, the end result was worse. Close to sixtyscore dead, and what would

happen in Ebra was still unresolved.

“You need not ride today,” Jecks said.

“With thirtyscore of Bertmynn’s lancers somewhere?" She raised her eyebrows.

“Himar’s scouts say that they rode perhaps ten deks, but that their mounts could carry them no

farther yesterday.” Jecks nodded to Kinor, who walked quickly away from Anna’s tent.

‘They’re still there?” asked Anna, massaging her forehead and neck.

“That I do not know,” admitted Jecks.

“It looks like Bertmynn wanted a big battle and someone else didn’t,” suggested the sorceress,

walking toward where Farinelli was tethered on a tieline. She stopped as she caught sight of

Himar striding toward her.

The overcaptain twisted the end of his mustache nervously as he stopped. “Lady Regent.”

‘Thiftyscore of Bertmynn’s lancers—Jecks says they got away.” And you nearly killed yourself

and didn’t get them all. “How did that happen?”

“When Bertmynn fell, the reserves turned,” Himar said slowly. “They galloped over the ridge, as

though dissonance were after them. The stragglers fell under the fires. Hadrenn’s men say that

they were likely led by his arms commander, for the one who commanded them to turn was a tall

gray-haired officer, and so was this Ceorwyn..."

Anna wondered how Hadrenn’s men were close enough to see, and yet had done nothing to stop

the retreat. Then they’d have been outnumbered two to one. She took a deep breath. That just

pointed out that she’d have to defeat—destroy— another thirtyscore armsmen for Hadrenn to

have any real chance of holding all of Ebra.

And what will that make you?

Jecks stepped up beside her. “Their mounts were spent, and they could not go far.” He looked at

Himar. “Was that as your scouts found?”

The overcaptain nodded. “Yes, ser, Lady Regent.”

“We need to follow those armsmen, and, in a day or two, strike at them,” Anna insisted.

“Otherwise, we’ll have more trouble here in Ebra.”

“Not today and not tomorrow,” insisted Jecks.

“Not today,” Anna half agreed, looking at Himar.

The overcaptain nodded. “I will send out the scouts once more.”

Anna kept her glance level until Himar looked away, then turned.

Seeing Anna unoccupied, Liende approached from the fire ring to the south where the players

had gathered.

“How is everyone?” asked Anna.

“Yuarl and Delvor are most tired, and weak” Dark circles ringed Liende’s eyes. “They cannot

play, and may not for several days. The others are tired.”

“So am I. I don’t have plans for any spells for a while." Anna paused. “Not for another day or so,

anyway." Should she tell Liende about her gratitude to Kinor? No…better that Kinor tell his

mother. “We will have to ride today. It may be a shorter day, but we need to follow the last of the

armsmen so that we can hurry back to Defalk.”

“I understand.”

“Liende... you and the players did very well. Without you, without them... well, yesterday could

have been very bad.” Just how bad you don’t even want to consider right now. “Thank you, and

tell them that I’m very grateful and pleased."