Darksong Rising (36 page)

Vernot..."

“Regent-sorceress?”

Anna turned toward the girl who called, a stocky brunette not even as old as Secca, and smiled.

“Thank you for the rains.”

“You’re welcome. Take care of yourself,” Anna called back, not quite sure what to say, but not

wanting to appear too aloof.

“You are truly theirs,” murmured Jecks.

“I don’t know why,” she replied in a low voice.

“Because you changed little, perhaps,” he speculated. “Perhaps because few return who have

gained fame and position, and you have..."

Whatever the reasons, the sorceress enjoyed the short ride through the center of Mencha, perhaps

more than any ride since she’d come to Liedwahr, especially after the experience in Pamr. Just

past the store that was half-chandlery, half—dry goods, in the center of the small town, Anna

turned Farinelli south toward the hill on which Loiseau rested.

A dek out of town, they neared the apple orchard where she had been ambushed by the Dark

Monks. The trees had more leaves than in previous years, and apples filled the branches, most of

the fruit already turned red. Large patches of grass dotted the space beneath the trees, and the

hum of insects filled the air.

“The orchard looks better. It was close to dying,” she told Jecks. So were you, on that day, then,

even if you didn’t know it. She patted the gelding on the neck, recalling how he had carried her

back to Loiseau with a war arrow through her upper chest and shoulder.

As Farinelli started up the sloping road toward the walled hold, Anna’s eyes turned toward the

low-domed building on the lower ridge where she had learned how to turn earthly singing into

Erdean sorcery—and first struggled through Brill’s books on sorcery. Not a single hoofprint

stood out in the dust of the lane from the main road to the silent dome.

The road was steep enough that even the big gelding was breathing more heavily by the time his

hoofs rang on the paving stones that led to the open gates of Loiseau.

“...don’t understand... they waved to her. . . I’m the heir..." Jimbob’s plaintive comment to Kinor

was barely audible.

“It may be because she is their lady. Or it might be that you haven’t risked your life for them."

suggested Kinor dryly, with a wit that Anna hadn’t suspected of the lanky redhead. “People do

remember little things like that, once in a while.”

“You were born here..."

“So I was told,” answered Kinor. “I don’t remember." He laughed gently.

Jecks glanced at Anna and caught her eye. “Mayhap we should keep young Kinor around Lord

Jimbob,” he murmured as he leaned toward her.

“Only until Jimbob is of age,” Anna replied wryly. “Besides, Kinor might make a good

captain—or consort for a hold without sons... or both.”

Jecks laughed.

Blaz and Kerhor rode into the courtyard first, and Anna could hear voices before she passed the

gates.

“The Regent’s here!”

‘There’s the banner!”

“Where is she?”

“There’s Liende, and her boy Kinor.”

The figures by the doors were few, but Anna recognized all seven—all those she’d actually met

when she’d first come to Loiseau: Serna—the white-haired cook and head of household—and

her diminutive dark-haired daughter Florenda; Albero, the armorer, who had taught Anna the

little she knew about using a knife—and that had saved her life in Falcor; and his father Quies,

the stablemaster; Gero, Brill’s young aide; and Wiltur, the grizzled armsman, and his younger

companion Frideric.

The Regent reined up short of the steps and the mounting block, turning Farinelli gently so she

could address the immediate staff. “I’ll talk to you all later, but I wanted to thank you for

everything you’ve done here at Loiseau when I couldn’t be here. You’ve seen the lancers and the

players, but I’ve also brought Lord Jecks, the Lord High Counselor of the Regency, and Lord

Jimbob, the heir to Defalk" Anna gestured toward the redheaded Jimbob. “You all may recall

Liende. She is chief of the Regent’s players, and some of you know Kinor, her son. And the

officer there is Overcaptain Himar.” Anna cleared her throat, then smiled. “It’s good to be back.”

Serna stepped forward, looking up at the sorceress. “We are glad to have you back, Lady Anna.”

“I hope you can manage, Serna. With Liende and my players and tenscore armsmen... there are a

lot of mouths to feed.”

“We are ready, and we will feed them all.” Serna offered a wide grin. “Welcome home, Lady

Anna."

“Thank you.” Anna was afraid she would choke up if she said much more. “Thank you all.”

Slowly, she eased Farinelli around the north wall of the main hall and toward the stables. Quies

left the group that had greeted her and walked beside Anna and Farinelli until they reached the

stable doors.

Anna dismounted, holding on to her saddle for a moment until she was sure her legs wouldn’t

buckle or cramp. Then she led Farinelli toward his stall.

As he followed, Quies glanced from Anna to Farinelli. “You been taking good care of each

other, you and the beast.”

“He probably takes better care of me." Anna loosened the girths, but let Quies take the saddle.

“We’ve been through a lot.” She paused, glancing to the adjoining stall where Jecks had already

unsaddled his own mount. “How have you managed here? Did I send enough coin and clear

enough instructions to you and Serna?"

“More than enough coin, Lady Anna. We have some saved in the lower chest room. Could use a

few more mounts, if you’ll be coming back here more often."

“I don’t know, but that’s probably a good idea anyway. We need to talk... but not now. It’s been

a long ride, and I’m not thinking too well."

Quies nodded. “Always... Albero and me, we’re here to do what you need, lady. Best I check

with the overcaptain, see what he might need. Always a lame mount or something."

“Don’t let me keep you... but thank you... again.”

“My pleasure, lady." Quies offered a bow, and a surprisingly shy smile before slipping away.

After unsaddling and grooming Farinelli, Anna walked across the stone-paved courtyard, noting

how even and how clean the area was, although a thin layer of dust coated the stones wherever

the hoofs of her party’s mounts had not scuffed it away. As Jecks joined her, her eyes went to the

low parapets—unguarded—and then to the long blue-tinted windows on the upper level of the

keep itself and the metal louvers beneath each window. No wonder Brill had wanted to stay at

Loiseau. It was a work of art, from the well-proportioned walls to the graceful sweep of the keep

itself.

Behind her echoed the boots of her guards, carrying everything she had brought except the lutar

she held.

“You are thinking, my lady,” Jecks said quietly from beside her.

"Yes... I was thinking about how beautiful Loiseau is."

“It is a small hold, but gracious. It will barely hold the ten-score lancers you brought.”

“I won’t always need tenscore lancers,” Anna pointed out.

Jecks laughed. “You will need them for near-on another six—seven years. Jimbob will not reach

his score until then.”

“I won’t need so many if we can make Liedwahr more peaceful."

“I wish you luck."

“You, too," she pointed out, turning beside the mounting block and starting up the half dozen

low wide stone steps into the entry hall.

Brill’s former assistant Gero stepped forward even before Anna was through the main doorway.

“My lady Anna, I have waited. I know I cannot be a sorcerer... but what can I do?"

Anna wanted to shake her head. She definitely needed Halde—or someone—to sort everything

out. “You can stay, Gero. Don’t worry about that. I’ll be talking to everyone, probably

tomorrow.”

The youth bowed, deeply. “Thank you, Lady Anna. Thank you.”

Anna paused, to take in the three-storied entry hail that she hadn’t seen in over a year. The space

was warm, but far cooler than the courtyard outside. Her eyes went up to the brass chandelier

that dominated the space overhead, then down to the black-and-white interlocking triangles of

polished stone, embellished with inlaid strips of curlicued brass. The purple twilit sky was barely

distinguishable through the high translucent skylights of milky blue glass set in the angular

trapezoidal cupola that topped the entry foyer.

A faint gasp came from the youths behind. Jimbob, Anna guessed, since Kinor had been raised in

and around Loiseau. A wry smile crossed Anna’s lips. She’d almost forgotten the half-Moorish

feel of the entry hall.

“Your hall is most impressive, my lady.” Jecks’ eyes twinkled. “More impressive from within

than without”

“You hadn’t been here?”

“Lord Brill never invited me,” Jecks admitted.

“He should have." Anna smiled. “Then, maybe he shouldn’t have. This way, you see the hall as

mine.”

“Yours it is and will always be.”

Serna and her daughter Florenda stepped through the stone arch at the back of the entry foyer,

both pausing to bow before stepping forward, then drawing closer to Anna. “All the chambers

are ready, my lady.”

As Anna stepped through the second archway and approached the grand staircase, Anna drew

Serna aside. “I have to confess... I really don’t know how many chambers we have."

“Six on the second level, besides your master chamber, lady. There are five vacant chambers on