"Lady... sers..." the messenger stammered, "my captain begs of you your wishes... and your mercy."
"We'd like to meet with him here-alone," Anna announced firmly. "Immediately."
"Yes, lady... sorceress... Regent..." The Neserean swallowed. "Be there aught else to say?"
"I will not use sorcery if we reach an agreement," Anna said. "Unless his armsmen leave their camp. If they move, then I will destroy them if I must."
"I'll be telling him all that...quick as I can, great Regent." The scout turned his mount and started downhill with his mount moving at a gait faster than a walk and slower than a trot.
"They know something," Anna said as she watched the Neserean scout ride back down to the camp, where ranks continued to form. Her eyes went back uphill, where her players went on with their tuning.
"They fear you, and they fear the worst," Himar said.
"You have appeared out of the mist," Hanfor laughed and gestured eastward, where curtains of fog rose into the clear sky. "No force has ever stood against you-"
"That's not true. The Evult's force ran right over me at the Sand Pass, and Sargol's big crossbow damned near killed me. So did Bertmynn's Darksong-that was too close, and I think if you hadn't come up with that night attack against Rabyn, we'd have been in big trouble." Anna shivered.
'They do not know such," Hanfor pointed out.
The three, and Anna's four guards-Rickel, Lejun, Blaz, and Fielmir-watched the camp below as the Neserean scout rode back to the central tent Within moments, it seemed, two Nesereans were headed back up the gentle hillside.
A single officer accompanied the lancer with the white banner back up the hillside to where Anna and the others waited.
The ginger-bearded officer with silver clips on his collar reined up and bowed in the saddle. "Regent, I am Yerril, captain of the Prophet's Guard. You would not be here, save the Prophet is dead or vanquished."
"He is dead. So are all those who were with him," Hanfor affirmed.
"All of them?"
"They would not accept terms, even after the deaths of the Prophet and the overcaptain of the Mansuuran lancers. They attacked us, and the Regent had no choice but to destroy them," Hanfor explained blandly.
"What terms did you demand?" The captain glanced from Hanfor to Anna. Despite the chill, his forehead was damp with sweat.
Anna did not answer immediately, but glanced down toward the valley. The Neserean forces were formed into ranks, both of lancers and foot armsmen, but the ranks had not moved. She looked back at the Neserean officer.
"Captain Yerril, you may recall Hanfor?"
"Yes, Regent. Yes, ser."
"Hanfor is from Neserea. I have a choice for you, Captain. A simple one. The same one I offered the Mansuuran lancers. I didn't think it was unreasonable, especially since Neserea and Mansuur invaded Defalk."
"Regent?"
"You have a choice. You can leave Defalk and go back to Neserea to tell everyone that the Prophet is dead, and that you couldn't do anything about it, and that you still haven't, which will probably mean that the Liedfuhr of Mansuur will take over Neserea in the next year, or you can support a Neserean to be Lord High Counselor of Neserea. Which do you want-a Neserea governed by a Neserean, or a civil war leading to a land ruled by the Liedfuhr?"
The sweat beaded on Yerril's forehead. "I'd not wish to displease either the Regent... or the Liedfuhr, either."
"If you will support Hanfor, who was an overcaptain, was he not, then I will support Neserea's independence from the Liedfuhr."
"Beggin' your pardon, Regent... why do you need us? Why put a choice like that on a poor captain?"
"I don't need you," Anna said. "Neserea does. I don't want to rule Neserea I didn't want to rule Dumar, and I haven't. I didn't want to rule Ebra, and I haven't. I have enough to deal with in Defalk-but I can't if I'm always fighting some idiot who wants to invade us. So I want Hanfor to rule Neserea and be friends with Defalk-and I'll support him against the Leidfuhr." If you have to.
Yerril frowned.
"You don't have to believe me." Anna nodded toward Hanfor. "I'm leaving Hanfor to talk to you. He'll let me know your choice." She smiled. "I will support Hanfor against the Liedfuhr. I may not support any other ruler that appears in Neserea."
Yerril's swallow was audible, but Anna did not offer a response. Instead, surrounded by her guards, she turned Farinelli back toward the Defalkan lines. Rickel and Blaz kept the shields high until they were a good hundred yards up the bill and away from the two Nesereans.
Kinor and Jimbob urged their mounts toward Anna, but the sorceress motioned for them to stop, and called to Liende. "Have the players stand ready with the long flame song."
"Standing ready, Regent."
"Have them do a short tune," Anna added.
"Yes, Regent." Liende grinned.
Anna hoped that message would be clear to Captain Yerril.
"Regent?" ventured Kinor.
Jimbob raised his eyebrows, but did not speak.
'They're considering whether to support Hanfor for Lord High Counselor of Neserea," Anna said blandly.
Kinor looked sideways at Anna. "Will you destroy them if they refuse?"
"No. They can't fight against me, and destroying them would make things worse in Neserea. But I want them to think I might. If they don't back Hanfor, that will leave Neserea without a ruler, and probably create a civil war there, just like there was in Ebra. I hope it doesn't happen that way, because we don't have enough armsmen to go into Neserea." Not with idiots like Tybel and Beltyr stirring up trouble in Defalk. "And I'd just have to leave Neserea alone right now, and then go back next year or the year after. Or sooner, if the Liedfuhr decided to invade." Anna shrugged. "If they decide they want Hanfor, then that would make it harder for the Liedfuhr." There's certainly no guarantee of common sense here, but maybe armsmen will be brighter than lords.
Kinor nodded.
"Hanfor's coming this way, lady," Jimbob broke in.
Himar remained with Yerril as Hanfor rode uphill toward Anna. The arms commander was smiling, not an open smile. but one more rueful.
"He agreed?" asked the Regent as Hanfor reined up.
"Captain Yerril has one condition, Lady Anna," Hanfor said with a laugh. "You will not find it onerous."
"What condition?"
"He wishes you to commit to a scroll your support of Neserea against the Liedfuhr if they accept me as their.. . Lord High Counselor."
"How did you get him to agree?" Anna asked.
Hanfor shrugged. "I told him the truth. That you had restored Lady Siobion in Dumar and Lord Hadrenn in Ebra That you would oppose either Sturinn or Mansuur, and that you had given the Mansuuran lancers the choice of leaving Neserea independent of Mansuur or dying, and that they would not release their hold on Neserea so that you destroyed them." The weathered veteran laughed. "He was far more accepting when he learned that there were no other armsmen left in Neserea, save his command."
Anna frowned. "These are the Prophet's Guard. What ever happened to their commander? He was in Falcor."
"That was Gellinot. Young Behiem had him removed because he retreated from Defalk. He was executed, later, very quietly."
The sorceress shook her head. She hadn't cared much for Gellinot, from what she recalled, but to kill a man for retreating when there were no options and nothing to gain...
"And Rabyn, he put his cousin Bertl in charge... but somehow in the siege here, one of Jearle's arrows went through his throat." A grim smile crossed Hanfor's face. "From behind him."
"Congratulations, Lord High Counselor," Anna said.
"I did not ask for this, you know." A wintry smile crossed Hanfor's face.
"I know." Anna's smile was half-sad. "I didn't really ask to come to Liedwahr, either."
"Came you did, Lady Sorceress, and this poor world will not be the same. Better, I think, but not the same." An ironic laugh followed. "The ruler of Neserea... or counselor... a common armsman. Who
would have thought it?"
"An armsman," Anna countered, "but scarcely common."
"I was in great disfavor, you know," Hanfor continued. "I was being punished when Lord Behlem assigned me to work with you against the Evult. He hoped Alvar, Himar, and I would be killed."
"Hanfor?" Anna eased her mount closer to the grizzled veteran.
"Yes, Regent?"
"You don't have a consort, do you?" she asked in a lower voice.
"No." A look of puzzlement crossed the veteran's face."
Anna grinned. "Two will get you three that you'll have offers waiting you, and one will be from the Liedfuhr."
Hanfor returned her grin with a wry smile. "That wager I would not take. Not against your scrying."
"You will have to take one," Anna pointed out. "So take the one that will make you happiest."
Hanfor nodded. "And you...Lady. . . what of you?"
"Sorceresses don't get consorts. Not in Liedwahr. Not if they want to put everything back together."
"Do not..." Hanfor broke off, then resumed in a voice not much above a whisper. "I would not be presumptuous, lady... but there is one who loves you.
"I know," Anna said softly. "I know. I did not say that I couldn't seek happiness. Thank you."
Anna and Hanfor both smiled, ignoring the half-bemused expressions on the faces of the two young men.
98
Seated on Farinelli with the late-morning sun warming her back, Anna watched as the last of the Neserean lancers rode westward, back toward Elioch-and eventually toward Esaria. She'd miss Hanfor, his quiet competence, but Neserea needed him. And so did Defalk-in Esaria. She wished she'd had more time to say good-bye, but that wouldn't have altered things, and the sooner the Nesereans were Out of Defalk, the sooner she could deal with her other problems, hopefully before they became insurmountable.
She turned in the saddle, looking at Himar, who had watched with her. "You don't mind being the arms commander of Defalk, do you, Himar?"
The sandy-haired and clean-shaven veteran laughed. "No armsman with aught between his ears would believe what you have bestowed. In two years, you have made a junior overcaptain a ruler, and two lowly captains arms commanders of entire lands."
"That's because you were all good." The ones who weren't are gone or dead.
"A ruler who rewards skill, lady... we armsmen know how rare that is."
Anna hoped she rewarded skill, but she knew she wasn't the best judge of her own judgment. "We're running out of armsmen again, and we're running out of officers," mused the sorceress. "Do you think Jirsit is ready to comeback from Pamr as a captain?" She brushed back strands of blonde hair that the light gusty winds had tugged from under her brown felt hat.
"He would do well, I think."
Anna glanced at Rickel, speculatively. On the other side of Himar, the nearest guard was Bersan. Blaz, Lejun. and Fielmir were reined up a good ten yards away, behind Jimbob and Kinor.
"If you please, lady," replied the blond guard, shifting uneasily in his saddle. "I would rather remain as I am." Rickel paused, then lowered his voice. "Lejun and Blaz-they would make good subofficers, I think."
"Are you sure you wish to remain as a guard?" asked Anna, her eyes straying toward the keep on the lower hill, watching for a messenger.
"I am guard captain, in all but name..." ventured Rickel.
Anna grinned. "That we can fix, Guard Captain Rickel."
Jimbob, Himar, and Kinor, seated on their mounts, half-facing Anna, all grinned as well.
"What do you think about Lejun and Blaz?" Anna asked Himar.
"They have seen you through many battles, and none has lost his head," Himar said. "We should see-if they are interested,"
Anna and Himar watched as a lancer in purple rode forth from the now-open gates of Westfort-the messenger she had sent earlier to inform Jearle that the siege had been broken, though she had her doubts about how tight a siege it had really been. "I wonder what response we'll get."
"He will welcome you, Regent, no doubt. Whether he does feel welcoming or not," suggested Himar. "I would not be so charitable toward him."
"It's his trying to show he's being charitable toward me when he's not feeling that way that bothers me," Anna admitted. Her eyes crossed the hilltop to where Falar and Nelmor sat astride their mounts, looking toward her. She did not acknowledge their glances, but she would have to talk with them, shortly. There's always somebody... and if you don't they get their feelings hurt, and that leads to more trouble.
The nine of them-Himar, Anna, Jimbob, Kinor, and five guards-waited silently for the lancer to reach them and rein up.
"Lord Jearle bids you welcome, and to enter Westfort, bastion and keep of the Western Marches of Defalk."
Even though the words were Jearle's, and repeated faithfully by the lancer, Anna bristled at the message conveyed. "Thank you," Anna said.
"If you would wait over there." Himar suggested politely to the messenger.
"Yes, ser." The lancer eased his mount away, not reining up until he was a good thirty yards from the group.
"Is it wise to enter his keep, Lady Anna?" Kinor asked from her left.
"I can't very well incinerate one of our own lords because I don't like him. I can't just march away either. And we need supplies. We have enough problems as it is." And more than enough lords who are problems. Anna smiled crookedly. "But I will insist on all my guards, and I'll carry the lutar."
"Perhaps I should enter first," suggested Himar.
"What about an undercaptain you trust?" Anna suggested. "A very cautious one who will inform Lord Jearle that we have, say, tenscore lancers who will need food and quarters, and Lord Nelmor and the brother of Lord Ustal."
Hiniar nodded.
"Might I go also?" asked Kinor.
Anna frowned, thinking about what Liende might say.
"Kinor has the graces, Lady Anna," Himar pointed out. "While Lord Jimbob does also, it would be less than wise to send the heir until we know how matters stand."
Anna considered the options. Finally, she looked at the tall redhead, more wiry than when they had begun nearly a season before, and less boyish. "Be careful, Kinor. Tell him that I didn't wish him to be surprised, which is why you're there with the advance party. If you notice anything strange, ignore it, and tell Lord Jearle you have to come get me. Then get out of there."
A half smile cloaked Kinor's face. "I understand, Regent and lady."
"If you will excuse me, lady?" Himar eased his mount across the hilltop toward the nearest formation of Defalkan lancers.
Anna turned to Jimbob, reflecting upon how quiet the youth had been for most of the campaign. "You may come with us, Jimbob, but I'd rather not announce to Lord Jearle who you are. Not in advance, anyway."
"That I understand, Lady Anna." The younger redhead offered a surprisingly shy smile. "I thank you for letting me accompany you. I have seen what I had been told. I did not see before, but I think I might see more now."
Why? Because you've finally seen how real the killing and the deaths are? The pain that goes behind ruling? Lord... I do hope so... and that it sticks. "Sometimes, you have to see things," she temporized.
Jimbob nodded. "I am not so good at hearing words and understanding."
At least he understands that. Maybe there's some hope there, yet.
Himar reappeared with a squat and swarthy figure riding beside him, an officer even darker than Alvar, who had served Anna so well and now was Arms Commander of Dumar.
Both officers reined up, then bowed in their saddles, waiting. "This is Dutral, Lady Anna. He has been serving as the captain of the purple company these past weeks." Himar nodded in the direction of Kinor. "This is Kinor, Dutral. He is an aide to the Regent, and has been tutored by her. He will be going with you to inform Lord Jearle of our needs." Himar laughed harshly. "You will take the purple company, and you will see what you can, and return to escort the Regent."
"Yes, Regent... Overcaptain... Arms Command
er." Dutral offered a knowing smile.
'Thank you," Anna said warmly. "And you, too, Kinor." Once the purple company had left, Anna dismounted to stretch her legs, looking to the north, where a fringe of low clouds had appeared on the horizon. She hoped that they didn't herald more rain or snow.
Once again, she was waiting, but at times waiting was far better than rushing in. The problem was that she didn't always have the time to wait.
She had remounted by the time Kinor and Dutral returned. "You are bid welcome," Kinor said, "but there are many armsmen, and all I saw wear two blades, both the shortsword and the longer battle blade."
"That is true," affirmed Dutral. "Yet we saw no archers. Nor any crossbowmen."
"How many armsmen?" questioned Himar.
'Threescore, perhaps four, that we could see."
Anna thought. Might as well do this right. "Kinor... if you would send a messenger to Lord Jearle saying we will be there presently."
"You have a plan?" asked Kinor.
Anna nodded. "But I need to talk to your... to the chief player."
This time Kinor was the one to conceal a smile at Anna's near slip in referring to his mother.
"And to Lord Nelmor and Falar... and Himar and I need to work out a few details."
Kinor bowed his head. "I will send a messenger." Then he rode back to where the purple company had reined up.
Anna flicked the reins, and Farinelli stepped easily across the brown grass. The sorceress went to find Liende first.
The chief player and the other players were standing by their mounts a hundred yards east of where Anna had been viewing the keep.
"Lady Regent?"
"Liende." Anna paused. "I will need a spellsong just before we reach the gates. Can you have the players ready to dismount and play? The flame song. It'll be a different spell, but the same tune."
Liende frowned.
"This one is not for killing, but for disarming. Lord Jearle has welcomed us, and double-armed his men."
"Does he think you blind?"
"Probably. I'm only a woman, and I did nothing when we visited him in the fall."
"The more fool he." Liende snorted. "We will prepare to play just before the gates." She walked toward the players. "Here! We have a task!"
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