Darksong Rising (68 page)

Jecks shrugged. “Mayhap.”

“All right. It will get worse. That’s because they all know I can’t deal with them while I’m

fighting Rabyn. Will you hold Falcor for me?”

Jecks swallowed. "I had hoped..."

“I can’t leave Falcor unarmed. Not now. If I leave Himar here, anyone can attack and claim that

Himar’s only a hired gun.”

Jecks frowned in puzzlement.

“A hired blade,” Anna explained. “If they attack you, they attack one of their own, and one who

is the grandsire of the heir. That should stop some of this nonsense.”

“What of Jimbob?”

“He still gets that puzzled look on his face. I think he should come with me, with Kinor, I think.”

Jecks nodded slowly. “As do I.” Himar’s eyebrows rose.

“She can protect him better than can I," Jecks said. “And I can summon some of my own

armsmen here from Elheld, enough that you need leave but twoscore. Or three’ The white-haired

lord shrugged. “Only the Regent can hold Defalk together in these times. Being here will not

help Jimbob, and he should see with his own eyes how perilous is the life and conduct of a

ruler.”

“I’ll take sevenscore, and leave you three;’ Anna said, “if you send Out a message today

summoning armsmen from Elheld."

Jecks’ lips quirked. “Sevenscore for you…but try not to have them fight. They should but protect

you so that you may deal with Rabyn and his evil Darksong."

“I can’t afford to have them fight any real battles.” Anna grinned ironically. “I won’t have any

lancers left at all if I do." Not against forces twenty times yours.

“See that you hold to that resolve, my lady.”

“I will.” She turned to Himar. “Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow, before the turn of the day’s second glass.” The overcaptain glanced toward the

receiving-room doors.

“You may go..." Anna laughed gently. “I haven’t left you much time.”

Himar eased back the straight-backed chair and rose. He bowed. “I will have most of the

experienced lancers accompany us." He looked at Jecks. “Would you not agree, Lord High

Counselor?”

“I would insist... but that is the Regent’s decision.”

Anna had to laugh at the mock-seriousness in both men’s voices. “All right. All right. You’ve

made your points."

Himar bowed, a twinkle in his eyes. “We will be ready.”

As the receiving-room door closed behind the overcaptain, Anna’s eyes went to Jecks. “You

have a scroll to write.”

"Alas…" He shook his head “I would be with you.”

“You can ease my worries more by holding Falcor."

‘That I can accept, but I do not like it.”

From somewhere, half-familiar words came to her, and she murmured them, “Too long a

sacrifice can make a stone of the heart.” Will your heart be stone... if you even survive?

Jecks did not speak, and Anna reached out and touched his arm. “1 know. I don’t like it either.”

Jecks rose, gracefully as ever, muscular and competent, and bowed. “1 will send the scroll, and

then inform young Jimbob and Kinor of their duties.”

“Thank you.”

After Jecks had left, Anna looked at the stack of scrolls and groaned. Too much to do... but if she

didn’t get moving to deal with Rabyn, she’d have even greater problems. And she needed to look

in on Lysara again... and...

She took a swallow from the goblet before reaching for the bell to summon Halde.

“Yes, Regent?” Alseta peered into the receiving room.

“Is Halde still there?”

“He awaits your pleasure.”

“Have him come in.”

Halde stepped into the room, then immediately bowed. “I rode as quickly as I could, Regent.”

“You did fine, Halde.” Anna motioned to the chair across from her. “I don’t have much time. So

this will be quick. Are you willing to be my saalmeister?”

“Yes, lady. Herstat has told me much.”

“Loiseau has never had a saalmeister, not in years and years, anyway. I have told everyone there

to expect you. Serna is the housekeeper, and she has a chest of five hundred golds for your use in

maintaining the place. Those must last until spring—at least..." Anna quickly ran through brief

backgrounds on the older and more experienced staff members. Then she looked at the dark-

haired and dark-bearded young man. “Do you understand?”

Halde bowed and nodded. “I trust I do, Regent. If I mark your words, your holding almost does

not need a saalmeister, saving that you will be there seldom, and my task is to make sure that all

goes well with those who already do their jobs well, to ensure it is guarded, because there has

always been a sorcerer to guard before, to make the rounds to collect the rents and to refrain

from collecting the rents where there has been death or trouble, and to discover ways to manage

those aspects of the hold once handled by sorcery.”

“And anything else that you feel should be done and isn’t being done—after you discuss it with

Serna and Quies." Anna paused. “I am not saying that their judgment should override yours, but I

do not want you making a decision—except where there is no time—without talking it over with

them so that you know how it will be received and can adjust your plans for implementing

things, if necessary.”

“A light but gently firm rein?” Halde offered a smile.

“Yes... and I will expect a scroll from you every two weeks, sooner if you think necessary. The

armsmen there know they will have to act as couriers on occasion.”

Halde bowed again.

“If you have any questions later... send me a scroll. Lord Jecks will know where to find me."

Anna stood. “Oh... one other thing." She grinned. “What is a good saalmeister paid?”

Halde swallowed... for the first time. “Ah... I know not. I received two silvers a week as the

assistant at Synfal.”

“All right. Let’s start at twice that, with an initial bonus of five golds for taking the job, and if

either of us thinks you should get more... then we’ll talk about it.”

Anna fumbled with her belt wallet, glad she’d filled it before leaving Loiseau, and then extended

seven golds. “That’s your bonus plus your pay until close to spring. You tell me when I’m

supposed to pay you again."

Halde’s eyes widened as the words sank in. Then he shifted his weight from one boot to the

other, uneasily.

“I operate on trust, Halde.” Anna’s eyes fixed on the saalmeister. “If I can’t trust someone... they

leave. I don’t have time to do your job and mine, and if you aren’t doing yours. I’ll know soon

enough. Understood?”

“Yes, Regent. You. . . are most generous.”

“I hope you’ll always feel that way. Now..." She gestured toward the pile of scrolls. “I have to

read those before I leave tomorrow.”

Halde bowed again.

Once Halde had left, Anna glanced at the piles of scrolls and reached for the one closest to her.

Lord...

72

After setting aside the scroll from the Rider of Heinene, Anna sat in the pool of candlelight

behind the writing desk in her own chamber, massaging her forehead. Lord Vyarl’s missive had

been one of the few she had received not asking for anything, but merely thanking the Regent for

her kindness and generosity in seeing that grain had come to the grasslands people after the fires

of summer. She’d liked Vyarl when she’d met him the summer before, and the scroll reinforced

the impession of honesty and dignity she had gotten then. Too bad there aren’t more like him.

But there were few enough in any society, from what she’d seen on two worlds.

Though it was still comparatively early in the evening, not much past what would have been

eight o’clock on Earth—the second glass of the night on Erde—she was tired, and had to repress

a yawn.

Maybe it had been the de facto memorial service .. .or all the details that kept inundating her...

or... or... Who knew? All she knew was that it was early, and she had more scrolls to read, and

she was tired.

Maybe some cheese and bread would help—that was something she had to concentrate on

remembering. She broke off a chunk of the crusty bread and used the knife on the side of the

small wooden platter to cut a sliver of white cheese. After eating both slowly, she massaged the

back of her neck, then looked out through the open shutters into the purpled darkness. A cool,

not quite chill, breeze slipped into the chamber.

Thrap!

“Yes?” Anna glanced toward the closed door.

“The lady Secca,” Fielmir announced.

“She can come in.” Anna stood. leaving the pile of scrolls on the writing desk, lit by the pair of

candles with polished-brass reflectors. Better lighting at night—that she did miss about Earth.

Secca slipped into Anna’s chamber and bowed. “Are you all right, Lady Anna?” One hand

remained behind her back.

Anna couldn’t help smiling, warmed by the little redhead’s question. “Are you all right?

Yesterday and today have been hard days for you.”

“I cried a lot. I couldn’t help it.” Secca sniffed. “I tried not to, but I really couldn’t..." The

redhead sniffed again.

“You’re allowed to cry after things like that happen—even when you’re a lady.” Telling Secca

earlier in the day about her mother’s death had been hard enough for Anna.