Darksong Rising (56 page)

gone, and the days were shorter, and the nights definitely cooler than when they had departed.

 
"...there be the sorceress’ holding..." called someone from the vanguard.

Anna squinted again, trying to see Loiseau against the glare of the near-setting sun. After more

than a week of travel back from the battle north of Elahwa, she was riding up to the gates of her

own hold. And it would take nearly another two weeks, if not longer—assuming the roads

remained dry—before she reached the area west of Defalk where Rabyn’s forces were chasing

Hanfor. She just hoped the wily veteran could keep from losing too many armsmen until she

could get there. Though, Lord knows, you’ve lost too many even with sorcery

Thoughts and speculations of how she might better have planned things preoccupied her, and she

kept riding, straightening in the saddle when Farinelli’s hoofs struck the stone causeway leading

to the open gates of Loiseau.

“It’s the Regent!” called one of the lancers on the wall, part of the detachment Anna had left to

guard both the hold and the spell-concealed gold in the strongroom beneath it, although she had

told no one, except Jecks, her personal guards, and Skent and a few of his men most trusted by

Himar, all of whom had helped move it, that the gold was there. And none of them could see it

now. Not while you live… anyway. . . and after that... who cares?

“The Regent!”

Anna plastered a smile in place, nodding as she rode into the courtyard, and guided Farinelli to

the right.

The white-haired stablemaster Quies was waiting as Anna reined up beside the smaller personal

stable inside the walls on the north side of the hold. “Welcome back, Lady Anna.”

“It’s good to be here, if only for a short time.” And it’ll be better to sleep in a bed, get a bath and

clean clothes without sorcery. She dismounted gingerly, holding to the saddle for a moment until

her legs adjusted to her weight.

“That raider beast of yours, he could use a mite bit more grain," Quies said, eyeing Farinelli as

Anna led the big gelding into his stall. “Other’n that, he looks good.”

“Are you trying to say that he looks better than his rider, Quies?” Anna grinned.

"Ah...no...beggin’ your pardon, Lady Anna.”

“He probably does.” Anna laughed tiredly. She unstrapped the lutar, and then the mirror, then

handed the saddlebags to Kerhor, then bent and loosened the girths.

Farinelli shook himself slightly and whuffed once Anna had the saddle and blanket off.

“I know. It feels good, I’m sure.” She picked up the brush and took it to the palomino’s coat.

“He still comes first,” offered Jecks from the end of the stall.

“Only when it comes to grooming and feeding,” she replied. “He deserves it.”

When she finished with Farinelli, Quies filled the feeding box, then cleared his throat.

Anna looked at the old ostler.

“Lady.... I’d a been mentioning Vyren to you... and you said...”

“I said you could start to train him.”

“I thought as you’d like to meet him...."

“Of course.” Anna smiled in spite of her tiredness. “Is he around?”

Quies gestured, and a thin black-haired youth stepped shyly forward. “This is Vyren, Lady

Anna.” He looked at the boy. “And this be the lady Anna, Lady of Mencha, and Regent of all

Defalk, and the most powerful lady in all Erde.”

“Ah... that’s..." Anna flushed. No matter what she said, it would be wrong. “I’m sure there are

others..."

“Not many, likewise.” Quies grinned, then tapped Vyren on the shoulder. “Manners, lad.”

Vyren bowed, his eyes not quite meeting Anna’s. “Lady... Regent... thank you..."

“Just learn everything Quies can teach you, Vyren.” Anna smiled again.

Vyren looked down, then stepped back.

“Thank you, Quies,” Anna said.

“Being my pleasure, lady.”

Anna and Jecks walked across the paved stones toward the main hall. Anna carried the lutar,

Jecks the mirror and his saddlebags, while Kerhor carried her saddlebags, and Lejun surveyed

the darkening courtyard. She marveled again at the comparative airiness and beauty of Loiseau.

No wonder poor Brill had never wanted to leave it. The more she saw of Liedwahr, the more a

compact marvel her own holding seemed to be.

“You are deep in thought,” Jecks ventured.

“Just appreciating Loiseau. I forget how elegant it is.” And how clean.

“As is its holder.”

“You’re gallant... very gallant” She smiled, warmly, in spite of her fatigue.

“It is easy to be so with you."

“Flattery…”

“Truth,” corrected the white-haired and handsome lord, leaning forward and gesturing for Anna

to enter through the front double door.

Serna, Florenda, and Gero were waiting in the entry foyer.

“Your messenger came early,” Serna began immediately. “Dinner will be ready for your party,

Lady Anna, within the glass, as you wish. The folk I brought on from Mencha, as you asked,

lady, they are already serving the armsmen and the regular players in the rear barracks hall.”

Anna nodded. “I may take a bit... almost a glass.”

“We will be ready.” Serna nodded, then added, "There were many scrolls. I put them on the

writing desk in your chamber, Lady Anna."

Many scrolls? Of course... scrolls from Dythya, Menares, Hanfor, and who knew who else.

Perhaps Birfels, or that insufferable pain in the ass, Lord Dannel. “Thank you.” Anna nodded

and walked through the foyer, then trudged up the stairs and back to her chambers.

Jecks walked beside her, and once inside her rooms, set the mirror on the side table in the study

alcove, and Anna took the saddlebags from Kerhor. "Thank you:" She added, “Make sure you

get something to eat, you and Lejun.”

“Yes, Lady Anna.” The dark-haired Kerhor smiled as he closed the door to take up his post

outside.

Anna turned to Jecks. “I’ll try to hurry, but. . . the way I feel I just can’t eat.” Her stomach

growled.

He raised his eyebrows.

“I’ll hurry.”

Jecks smiled broadly, then bowed slightly. “As will I, my lady.” He slipped out, leaving Anna

alone, really alone for the first time in days.

She turned to the desk and looked at the pile of scrolls stacked neatly there. She shook her head.

A bath and a full stomach came before she even wanted to get near all those scrolls. Turning, she

went straight to the bathchamber, carrying the lutar.

It took only a short spell to heat the water, and Anna slipped into the steaming warmth with a

sigh. Dinner could wait. Not long, because the others were hungry, but for a few moments. Only

a few nagged a small voice within her. After too short a time, she sat up with a second sigh and

quickly washed, then got out and dried, donning a loose gown from the open closet and the

slipperlike shoes. She squared her shoulders as she walked to her chamber door.

The scrolls could wait until after dinner.

60

 
Sylvarn, the lancer subofficer from Synek, bowed in the saddle. “Lady Anna, you have been

most generous, and Lord Hadrenn will be most thankful for the golds we carry.”

Seated on Farinelli, on the north side of Loiseau’s courtyard, Anna inclined her head in return. “I

am most certain that you will carry them safely to him and that he will use them wisely.”

“Indeed, lady and Regent. Our thanks for all you have done, and may the harmonies always be

with you.” Sylvarn bowed even more deeply, before turning his mount.

Anna and Jecks watched as the Ebran lancers rode out through the gates of Loiseau, eastward

toward Synek.

“There are advantages to being a sorceress,” Jecks observed. “All those lancers saw you destroy

armsmen with a spell. They will return the golds to Hadrenn.”

“They would scarce do otherwise." added Himar.

Anna hoped so, but wasn’t so sanguine as Jecks or Himar, even though she had given each lancer

three golds personally, with the strong suggestion that failure for the remaining golds to reach

Hadrean would result in dire consequences. Once the lancers in green were well clear of the

gates, she flicked the reins and guided Farinelli out through them and along the lane to the

domed work building. “We need to see what’s happening with Hanfor and Rabyn before we

leave.”

“I fear we know already,” answered Jecks, glancing back as if to ensure that Anna’s guards

followed the three of them.

They did, as did Frideric and Wiltur.

Anna wasted little time once she reached the work building, only waiting for Wiltur to check the

domed structure before she slipped the lutar from behind the saddle and hurried in, the lutar in

one hand and a handful of scrolls under the other arm. Jecks and Himar followed, but the guards

took up posts outside the door.

The scrolls went on the small table against the wall in the scrying room, and she began to tune

the lutar. She’d already warmed up when she had dressed so that once the lutar was ready, she

launched into the spell.

Show me now and show me there

Hanfor’s forces and how they fare....

The image in the scrying pool showed Hanfor’s forces riding southward—at least the position of

the early-morning sun and shadows indicated that.