Darksong Rising (75 page)

water bottle on the ground by the corner of her cot.

At the sound of horses, Anna looked up and out through the open door panel of her tent. She

smiled, broadly, as she saw Hanfor at the head of the column of lancers. She took another

swallow from the water bottle, then stood and slipped out of the tent and through the misty

afternoon. Blaz and Fielmir followed her.

As if he had been looking for his Regent, the grizzled veteran turned in the saddle and raised his

left hand in greeting and in salute. “Lady Anna.”

“Hanfor—I’m glad to see you.”

“Lady Anna. . . I received your messenger and one from the noble Falar as well.” The veteran’s

weathered and gray-bearded face displayed a lopsided smile. “They agreed, and I am here.”

“We’re all glad that you are.” She half turned and gestured toward her tent. “We need to meet—

once you have your men settled. Himar is with me; Lord Jecks remains in Falcor to hold the

liedburg.”

Hanfor’s smile vanished. “I can tell there is much we have to talk over. I will be quick.”

Anna nodded. “if you would bring Himar?”

“We will be there.”

The Regent turned to walk back toward the players. She needed to find Liende. The meeting in

her tent would be small—just the four. There were some things she didn’t want discussed

everywhere, not immediately, although nothing could be kept secret for long in Defalk.

The players were practicing before a blackberry thicket that blocked the breeze from the north.

Anna listened to the long flame song, nodding as the ensemble finished.

“Liende?” Anna asked. “Would you join me?”

“Yes, Regent.” The chief player nodded to Anna, then addressed the players, although her words

seemed to go directly to Palian. “While I am gone, you will practice the short flame song and the

arrow spell. Then the building spell.”

Palian inclined her head in acknowledgment.

Jimbob and Kinor angled toward Liende and Anna as the two women neared Anna’s tent. Farther

behind them was Falar. Anna stopped and turned. “Jimbob... Kinor... I have a favor to ask. While

I’m meeting with Hanfor, would you two tell Falar everything that happened from the time we

left Loiseau— everything in Ebra and on our trip back to Falcor, and then until he joined us.”

She smiled as warmly as she could.

“Ah...Lady Anna,” began Jimbob, “we have—”

“Of course, Lady Anna,” Kinor said smoothly, but strongly, his deeper voice riding over that of

the heir’s. “We will make sure that he knows all that happened.” Kinor stepped back and half

turned to face both the Regent and Falar. “Perhaps we should retire somewhere less... obvious.”

An apologetic but winning smile appeared on Kinor’s face, one somehow reminiscent of

someone, but of whom Anna couldn’t have said at that moment. A quizzical look flitted across

Jimbob’s face, but vanished almost immediately as he and Falar followed the taller Kinor away

from Anna’s tent.

“Your son is quick,” Anna murmured to the chief player. “I wish there were more like him.”

“You are kind,” Liende replied.

“No... he’s a young man you should be proud of.” Even though Kinor was not at all like Anna’s

own son Mario in appearance, both were sensitive to nuances and situations. She couldn’t help

wondering how Mario was doing in Houston. If he were in trouble, Elizabetta would have said

something. Wouldn’t she? Anna held in a sigh as she stopped before her tent.

‘I am proud of him... but I worry that he will attempt too much too early in his life.”

“We’ll try to keep him from being a hero." Anna winced inside as she said the words. Once she

had promised to keep Liende from battles.

“At times, my lady, our choices are few," Liende reminded Anna gently.

“I know.” Lord, do you know.

The two stood silently for a moment. Lejun and Rickel silently replaced Blaz and Fielmir. Then

Himar and Hanfor approached from the south side of the camp.

Once the two officers had joined Anna and Liende, the four entered the tent. With only one stool,

Anna remained standing and gestured to Himar. “Why don’t you tell Hanfor what we’ve found

out?”

Himar nodded almost stiffly to the arms commander. “Ser…Rabyn has consolidated his forces,

except for those around Westfort. We think the lancers there are all from Neserea. There are

twentyscore or so at Westfort. The young Prophet holds the hills on both sides of the main road

fifteen deks to the west. The south road to Fussen is five deks to our west.

“We took that road. Following young Falar, no doubt,” replied Hanfor with a laugh. “Our scouts

saw no Mansuurans and no Nesereans. For weeks their scouts have followed us.” A second laugh

followed. “We have tried to make sure they saw us.” His face sobered. “Lord Ustal did not

attempt to join forces with us or leave his hold. The Mansuurans left him alone.”

"I wonder why,” mused the sorceress. “They left lancers at Westfort.”

“Those were the Prophet’s Guard. You may recall that you did use spells on some Nesereans."

“You think that all the armsmen at Westfort...?

“The spell was to fear and respect you, not all Defalkans," Hanfor said.

And it was Darksong, though you didn’t know it at the time. “The good news is that we have to

deal with twentyscore fewer. The bad news is that we still have to deal with close to a hundred

and fifty—score lancers, and another hundredscore in other armsmen."

The other three nodded soberly, and Anna realized that the good news/bad news humor didn’t

cross cultural boundaries, not so far as Liedwahr anyway. “You did not travel with many lancers,

lady,” Hanfor ventured.

“We did not have that many to bring.” Anna’s mouth quirked. “A lot’s happened since you left

Falcor."

“I presume that all went well in Ebra, else you would not be here."

“That went fairly well…” Anna went on to describe the ride to Ebra, the battle against Bertmynn,

the terms with Hadrenn, and then the return, with all the associated problems and disasters. “Oh..

. and I did repair the ford at Sorprat. But... you already know that.”

“It is sad, but to do what you have done and to have lost less than tenscore lancers... most rulers

would be hailed as workers of miracles.” Hanfor fingered his beard. “Still, we must defeat this

Rabyn quickly. We have heard the mighty drums. How will he use them in battle?”

“He’s waiting for us to come to him,” Anna explained. “He’s set them up just below the hilltops,

in a way that the hard face of the cliff will amplify the sound..." At the blank expressions

surrounding her, she paused. “Hard and smooth surfaces reflect sound better—like an echo in a

large building. Rabyn has used his sorcery to smooth the cliff face, and the drums are set up

below them. That will strengthen the sound and send it against anyone approaching his camp

from the east. There’s a marsh or a swamp to the south, and with the hills set the way they are,

the road is the only way to get there, with lancers and horses, anyway.” She shrugged. “If we

wait, or try to wait him out, then every lord in Defalk will be at each other’s throat, or mine, and

everything will fall apart.” Or is that what you want to think? Would waiting really hurt that

much? Or do you just want to deal with Rabyn quickly?

“Must you attack him so?” asked Hanfor.

Liende and Himar exchanged glances. Himar raised his bushy eyebrows. Neither spoke.

“We can’t circle around and attack from behind. The way that he’s sliced up the hills won’t let

us. If we try to reach them from behind, we can’t get down. If there’s any wind, then the players’

instruments and my voice will get blown away.” Anna paused. “What would you suggest?”

“Can you play in the darkness, chief player?” asked Hanfor.

“Yes, if need be,” Liende replied cautiously.

“Lancers and armsmen only need protect you and the players, Lady Anna. What if you wrought

your sorcery well before dawn?”

“I could do that.” Except you’re still not a morning person.

“Can you afford to allow the young Prophet to use his Darksong sorcery?”

“No.” Once again, it’s not wise to be honorable or chivalrous or whatever.

Hanfor bowed his head, but did not speak.

"Ah..." intruded Rickel from the door opening of the tent. “I would not trouble you. Lady Anna,

but Lord Nelmor is approaching.”

“Let me think for a bit after this.” Anna slipped from the small pavilion tent and walked forward

to wait for Nelmor as he rode alone toward the Regent. The three that had been in the tent,

stepped out, following Anna.

The tail and rangy Nelmor was a towering figure in the saddle, especially in a saddle set upon a

raider mount even taller at the shoulder than Anna’s Farinelli.

Nelmor dismounted and bowed, not too deeply, but more than perfunctorily. His eyes fixed on

Anna. “If I might have a word with you, Lady Anna, on a more personal matter, before we talk

of the invaders.”

Anna feared she understood. “Of course." She gestured toward her tent, then added to Hanfor

and the others. “If you would excuse us for a bit?” She felt like she were an usher, moving

people around. Then, that was something Jecks had handled in the field, and he was in Falcor,

keeping another mess from occurring, and Kinor was keeping Jimbob and Falar occupied. You

hope. She was hoping all too much these days.

Fielmir stepped up and took the reins of the raider beast, and Nelmor followed Anna.

Inside the grimy silk tent, she turned, waiting for Nelmor to speak

“I received your scroll about my sister." Nelmor stopped.