Darksong Rising (64 page)

But the yells and the clangor of metal on metal had ceased, as had the awful screams of men

being flayed alive by fire.

Jecks stepped out onto the tower.

Anna turned.

“You have destroyed them all, my lady.” Jecks had sheathed his blade. “Himar sent a messenger.

Even Lord Dannel and his sons fell under your fire whips.” He paused. “Young Gielium fell

defending us." Jecks’ eyes flickered to Jimbob.

Anna understood. Giellum had died protecting Jimbob. She nodded dumbly. Lord... all this

because I blocked Dannel’s son from taking Lysara as a consort? After a moment, she

straightened and made her way down the stone steps of the tower—carefully. It wouldn’t do to

trip and break her arm or neck after surviving an attack on the liedburg.

In the upper main corridor, the guards—as well as Kinor, Jimbob, and Jecks—formed almost a

phalanx around her as she walked toward the steps that would take her down to the lowest level.

“Lady Anna!”

The sorceress looked down the dim corridor—the candles in the wall sconces had never been lit

that evening, understandably.

A small red-haired figure ran down the corridor, dodging the dead bodies and then throwing her

arms around Anna. “You’re safe! Oh, Lady Anna.” Abruptly, Secca stepped back and

straightened, looking up at the sorceress.

Behind Secca, three other young women appeared, striding briskly toward the Regent—Alseta.

Cataryzna, and Ytrude. All held bared blades.

Secca addressed Anna. “Resor... Cens... Tiersen... they fought, but there were so many.”

Anna wanted to hold Secca, but she could sense that the little redhead wanted to look strong. So

the Regent looked at the three young women still holding shortswords. Ytrude’s blade was

streaked with blood. “How are they? Resor and Cens and Tiersen, I mean?"

Ytrude smiled crookedly. "Tiersen had gone to the stables. He fought his way back. He has not a

scratch.”

“Cens... Liende is treating him with your elixir... and Barat as well,” replied Cataryzna. The

blonde’s eyes were cold, carrying a bottled rage, Anna suspected, something beyond the attack,

but what that might have been Anna had no idea. “Lysara—they tried to attack her:"

Anna turned cold. “Where is she? Is she all right?”

“She was as good with a blade as Cens, and Liende used the last of the elixir for her. Tiersen—

he is standing guard.”

Sorcery-distilled alcohol; and it’s an elixir as magic as your sorcery in this land. “How is she?”

“Lysara may recover, as may Barat and Cens.” Ytrude paused and swallowed. “Resor put

himself first, and for that Lysara and Secca are alive.” The tall blonde looked at the blade she

held, almost as if surprised that she still carried it.

“Resor is dead?”

“Yes, Lady Anna.”

Anna tightened her lips.

“Barat was wounded as well... he joined the fosterlings holding the south tower. None of the

armsmen could reach us.” Ytrude looked down at Secca, then back at the sorceress-Regent.

“They were almost overwhelmed. So we picked up blades.”

Anna glanced at the streak of red on the brown-eyed blonde’s sleeve. “What about your arm?”

“A long scratch. Liende cleaned it and coated it with your elixir.”

Cataryzna looked at Anna, a question in her eyes. Anna smiled. “Undercaptain Skent is holding

the lands of Pamr. He did not return with us.”

Anna marked the slow exhalation.

“Lady?” Cataryma asked.

“Yes, Cataryzna?”

“The armsmen came to the south tower seeking Secca and Lysara. I heard one yell about getting

the two redheads, and not to forget the little redhead.”

“Their words were not that polite,” Alseta said dryly.

Anna could understand Dannel’s grudge against Lysara, but why had Dannel’s armsmen been

seeking Secca? She had two older brothers who were the heirs.

“Lord Dannel was angered,” Jecks said mildly. “He must have known that you are fond of

Secca.”

Anna clamped her lips together, finding herself shuddering with rage. She forced herself to take

a long and deep breath. "I... am. . . we will talk about it tomorrow. Tonight... we need to clean up

this mess, and make sure that the gates are closed against the northern lords.”

Jecks stepped back. “As you wish, my lady.”

Doesn’t he understand? Will he ever really understand? “It’s been a long day, Lord Jecks, and

armsmen and a lord have died. I killed most of them. In a sane land, I shouldn’t have had to kill

them.”

She turned toward Kinor and Rickel. “I want to see the fosterlings who were wounded, and then

Himar, and then I will inspect the liedburg.” You need to know just how bad the damage is. . .

and to avoid talking to one Lord Jecks right now. You might say something you’d really regret.

She took yet another long and deep breath.

69

It wasn’t much past dawn when Anna paused by the door where Tiersen and an armsman Anna

did not know stood guard. The armsman stiffened. “Yes, Regent?”

“I’m just here to see how she’s doing.” Anna glanced from the armsman to the young heir of

Dubaria. Dark circles ringed Tiersen’s eyes, and he wore the same blood-smeared tunic he had

worn the night before, when he had also been guarding Lysara’s door. “Have you been here all

night?”

“Mostly, Lady Anna,” admitted the tall and muscular blond.

“I’ll get someone from my guard to relieve you. You need some rest, too.” Anna asked in a

lower voice, “How is she this morning?”

Tiersen inclined his head. “She seems better. The healer says she is.”

Anna hoped so. She set the lutar case beside the door, then opened the door and stepped into the

small south tower room. Lysara lay propped up slightly, dressings across her left shoulder, her

eyes closed. The sorceress could smell the faint odor of alcohol, and she wondered if Liende had

poured some onto the dressing... and how much.

The redhead opened her eyes. "Lady... Anna...”

“Just be quiet. I came to see how you were doing.” Anna touched her forehead, but Lysara didn’t

seem to be running a fever. Not yet.

“Hurts more today.”

“That’s usually what happens.”

“Tell Tiersen... sleep.” The redhead seemed to have to force the words out.

“I have, but he won’t leave until I send one of my guards to relieve him.”

Lysara offered a faint smile "...sweet...”

“He cares for you.”

“I know... care for him.”

Anna put a hand on her forehead again. “Try to rest.”

Lysara closed her eyes even before Anna left the room and gently shut the door behind her.

“What do you think, Regent?” whispered Tiersen.

“So far, she’s all right. I think Liende got the alcohol through the entire wound. That’s probably

one reason she’s tired. It had to hurt, but... it might do the job.” You hope...

Tiersen swallowed. “The healer said... most don’t live with a cut that deep. She said you did,

though.”

Anna patted his shoulder. “We’ll have to see.” Is there anything else you could do any sorcery?

That isn’t Darksong? “I’ll send someone up. She told me to tell you to get some sleep. You can

come back later.”

“I wasn’t there,” "Tiersen mumbled. “I tried.”

Anna touched his shoulder. “You did what you could. That’s all any of us can do.” And that sort

of rationalization doesn’t help much at all. After a moment, she picked up the lutar and headed

back down the stairs to the main level. So much for the safety of fosterlings in Falcor. She was

lucky ... so far... that the children of the various lords were still alive. The pages and Lysara had

taken the worst of it, and Lysara looked better than she had a right to, especially in Defalk.

Anna made a mental note to use the spell to distill more alcohol.

She stopped outside the receiving room and looked at the strawberry blond guard. “Rickel... I

have a favor to ask. Could you spare either Blaz or Lejun to relieve young Tiersen? He’s been

standing guard outside the door of Lord Birfels’ daughter’s room since last night.” Anna paused,

then added. “Lysara was one of the targets of the raid."

Rickel nodded. “I have already asked Overcaptain Himar for some men he would trust as guards

for you, and I would have to work with them at first anyway.”

Blaz smiled. “The young lord fought his way across the courtyard, they said, like a wild man. I

would be happy to let him rest."

“We will take care of it, Lady Anna,” Rickel affirmed.

“Thank you both.” Anna offered a heartfelt smile.

As she stepped into the receiving room, carrying the lutar in her left hand, Anna looked at the

blackened lines on the walls and then down at those etched on the floor stones. She supposed

they could be removed by sorcery, but that wasn’t exactly her highest priority—not with injured

lancers and even fewer armsmen than ever—and an invader ravaging the western part of Defalk.

And whose fault is that?

Her stomach growled, the result of eating too much, too quickly, and under too much tension, yet

knowing that if she did not eat, the results could easily be worse, especially if she had to do more

sorcery. Recently, she’d had to sing more spells than she’d anticipated, and not under the best of