The Spellsong War: The Second Book of the Spellsong Cycle

TOR BOOKS BY L. E. MODESITT, JR
.

T
HE
C
OREAN
C
HRONICLES

T
HE
S
PELLSONG
C
YCLE

Shadowsinger

T
HE
S
AGA OF
R
ECLUCE

T
HE
E
COLITAN
M
ATTER

Empire & Ecolitan

(comprising
The Ecolitan Operation
and
The Ecologic Secession)

Ecolitan Prime

(comprising
The Ecologic Envoy
and
The Ecolitan Enigma
)

The Forever Hero

(comprising
Dawn for a Distant Earth, The Silent Warrior
,
and
In Endless Twilight
)

Timegods’ World

(comprising
The Timegoa
and
Timedive’s Dawn
)

T
HE
G
HOST
B
OOKS

Ghost of the White Nights

The Elysium Commission
*

*
forthcoming

“L. E. Modesitt, Jr., works well with his characters and carefully considers the economics of empire. There’s a lot of bridge building, literally, and road building, and [the protagonist] Anna also needs to convince an entire culture that women are not just heir-producers and chattel.”

—San Diego Union-Tribune

“Among the pleasures of the book are Modesitt’s descriptions of the rigors of sorcery, the dilemmas of finding oneself suddenly somewhere else without a wardrobe, and the political ambiguities of her role.”

—San Jose Mercury News

“Volume Two,
The Spellsong War
, is a worthy successor to the first book, well written and engaging. You will enjoy it.”

—Sasha Miller

B
OOK
T
WO OF
THE SPELLSONG CYCLE

L. E. M
ODESITT
, J
R
.

NOTE
: If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

THE SPELLSONG WAR

Copyright © 1998 by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

Edited by David G. Hartwell

A Tor Book

Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

175 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10010

www.tor.com

Tor
^®
is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

ISBN-13: 978-0-812-54002-4

ISBN-10: 0-812-54002-6

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 97-29837

First Edition: January 1998

First Mass Market Edition: January 1999

Printed in the United States of America

0  9  8  7  6  5  4  3

To
my one and only soprano sorceress

Anna
Regent of Defalk and Lady of Loiseau [Mencha]

Jimbob
Heir to Defalk [Falcor]

Hanfor
Arms Commander of Defalk

Dythya
Counselor of Finance

Essan
Lady and widow of Lord Donjim

Herene
Younger sister of Lady Gatrune [Pamr]

Herstat
Saalmeister of Eldheld

Menares
Counselor

LORDS OF DEFALK

Jecks
Lord of Elheld [Elhi], Advisor to the Regent

Arkad
Lord of Synfal [Cheor]

Birfels
Lord of Abenfel; consort is Fylena

Clethner
Lord of Nordland

Dannel
Lord of Mossbach; consort is Resengna

Dencer
Lord of Stromwer; consort is Wendella

Fustar
Lord of Issl

Gatrune
Lady of Pamr

Geansor
Lord of Sudwei

Genrica
Lord of Wendel

Gylaron
Lord of Lerona; consort is Reylan

Hryding
Lord of Flossbend [Synope]; consort is Anientta

Jearle
Lord of Denguic

Klestayr
Lord of Aroch

Mietchel
Lord of Morra

Nelmor
Lord of Dubaria; eldest son and heir is Tiersen

Sargol
Lord of Suhl

Tybel
Lord of Arien

Vlassa
Lord of Fussen; heirs are twin sons, Ustal and Falar

Vyarl
Rider of Heinene

FOSTERLINGS AND PAGES

Alseta
Daughter of Chief Player Liende

Barat
Page

Birke
Heir of Lord Birfels [Abenfel]

Cataryzna
Daughter and heir of Lord Geansor [Sudwei]

Cens
Page

Hoede
Youngest son of Lord Dannel [Mossbach]

Kinor
Son of Chief Player Liende

Lysara
Daughter of Lord Birfels [Abenfel]

Resor
Page

Secca
Daughter of Lord Hryding [Flossbend]

Skent
Page

Ytrude
Daughter of Lord Nelmor [Dubaria]

DEFALKAN ARMSMEN

Alvar
Captain

Himar
Captain

Jirsit
Undercaptain

DEFALKAN PLAYERS

Daffyd
Viola; first Chief Player

Liende
Woodwind; second Chief Player

Delvor
Violino

Duralt
Falk horn

Hassett
Violino

Kaseth
Violino

Pallian
Violino

Yuarl
Violino

OTHERS OUTSIDE DEFALK

Ashtaar
Spymistress of Nordwei

Behlem
Prophet of Music, Lord of Neserea; consort is Cyndyth

Bertmynn
Lord of Dolov, Ebra

Ehara
Lord of Dumar; consort is Siobion

Hadrenn
Lord of Synek, Ebra

Konsstin
Liedfuhr of Mansuur

Maitre of Sturinn
Leader of Sturinn; master of the Sea-Priests

Matriarch
Head of State, Ranuak; consort is Ulgar

Nubara
Overcaptain of Lancers, Mansuur, stationed in Neserea

Rabyn
Heir of Behlem, Neserea

Tybra
Leader, Council of Wei, Nordwei

T
he heavy gong sounds, and the two women in the uniform of the Council turn and open the lacquered double doors, each bearing the ancient symbol of the Council of Wei. Each wears twin black-lacquered scabbards at her hips, and the scabbards contain the infamous short swords of the Nordan Guard.

Ashtaar moistens her lips and steps through the doors, then down the black carpet toward the dais.

The black-lacquered Council table is also ancient, and behind it sit seven figures. The woman in the center wears a silver-and-black seal on a heavy silver chain. Her dark eyes hold Ashtaar as the spymistress walks down the dark green carpet toward the space below the dais holding the table.

“The mist-world sorceress now holds Defalk. The Council has read your report, and would like to inquire further.”

“Yes, Ancient One.” Ashtaar bows.

“Please summarize the major events that led to the current state of affairs. Briefly.”

“A travel sorceress and a player summoned the lady Anna from the mist worlds. Both are dead now. The sorcerer Brill spirited her away and tutored her in the ways of both Darksong and Clearsong. The Dark Ones tried to kill her and failed. She supported Lord Barjim against the Ebrans at the Sand Pass. Barjim and Brill were killed, and she collapsed, but not before she destroyed two-thirds of the invaders. She somehow found her way south and recovered in Synope, in the lands of Lord Hryding. Lord Behlem of Neserea then marched into Defalk and took
Falcor, but not before Lord Jecks rescued the heir, his grandson Lord Jimbob. Lord Behlem offered his support to the sorceress, and she accepted it and went to Falcor. The Dark Ones gathered another army and marched toward Falcor. The sorceress used water magic and song to destroy the entire Ebran army and all the darksingers in Defalk. The Evult responded by flooding the Fal and destroying half of Falcor. Lord Behlem attempted to remove the lady Anna, and she used her sorcery to kill him and his consort and enlist the support of many of the Neserean troops in Falcor. Then she proclaimed a regency for young Jimbob. Shortly, almost at the dawn of winter, she marched a small force through the Ostfels and used her sorcery to destroy the Evult, the city of Vult, and most of Synek. She almost died, but the lords of Defalk, especially Lord Jecks, rallied behind her. So did the people. She has a reputation for being good and fair, and vindictively just.” Ashtaar bows once more.