Darksong Rising

by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

  She shook her head. Hitler and a lot of tyrants had done the same thing, except that they'd never gotten around to the inside problems, not the real ones. You have to be different. You have to be.

  "Falar to see you. Regent."

  "Have him come in."

  The door opened, and the slender redheaded man stepped inside, bowing.

  "You had summoned me, Lady Anna?" Falar smiled, not quite a rogue's smile, but close.

  "I did." Anna wanted to get to the heart of the matter. "I have considered several things. First, the succession of Fussen." She tried to be thoughtful. "I have seen your brother, and I have seen you. It's fair to say that I like you better. It's probably fair to say that you'd make a better lord. But... unlike Lord Jearle or Lord Dannel, your brother has not lifted arms against me. He hasn't done anything that other lords would find offensive."

  Falar nodded, thoughtfully. "And many lords remain who bridle at the Regency. You wish to make no enemies you need not make."

  "I think you understand." Anna smiled. "There is one other thing. I can only suggest, Falar, but I'd like to suggest that you and your armsmen accompany me. We will be traveling to Synfal, and then to Arien, and then to Flossbend. If you choose to come, I will supply your men, and I will pay them.

  "Do you expect many battles within Defalk?"

  "I do not plan to fight any battles. I may employ sorcery, and it would be good to have lancers and armsmen. I can promise nothing, but I'd like to learn more about you." Anna laughed wryly. "There's definitely a shortage of people who are able and whom I can trust." Are you being too blunt? Probably.

  Those words got a thoughtful nod. "From another I would suspect merely the use of hope to obtain hired blades, Too many speak of your honor." A crooked smile crossed the young man's face. "And you have rewarded fairly those who have served you longest."

  Thank heaven that got across. "I try... and I try to see where people can do what they can do best."

  "We will come with you. Mayhap my accompanying you will turn my brother's vaunted good digestion. And curdle his thoughts."

  "You have an evil mind, young man," Anna said, not quite succeeding in keeping a straight face.

  "My brother deserves to have his thoughts curdled, but," pointed out Falar, "if my serving the Regent sours them, then the fault is his."

  "You have a point there." Anna added, "I will also pay you what a captain gets. That's only fair, because that is the job you'll be doing."

  "Then I can honestly write my brother and tell him that I have taken paid service with the Regent." The boyish grin reappeared. "That will sour his thoughts further."

  "We leave in the morning. You answer to Himar."

  "Yes, Regent." Falar bowed, spoiling the gesture with yet another roguish grin.

  Anna managed-barely-to keep a straight face.

  The next person waiting to see Anna was Kinor, and he bowed twice on the way into the guest chamber.

  Anna looked at Kinor. As much as he had aged over the campaign, he was still painfully young for what Anna had thrust upon him. But he was perceptive, intelligent, and loyal, and there were few indeed among the Thirty-three who met those criteria.

  "Kinor... I think you know. I've given you a lot to handle. It's going to take everything you have to hold Westfort. I could give you a lot of advice. I won't. I'll tell you the three things that I think are most important. First, if something seems wrong, or people seem to be doing something in a strange way... before you do anything or order anything or change anything, find out why they're doing it the way they are." She paused.

  Kinor nodded.

  "Second, if you don't know about something... ask. And ask quickly. People will often forgive what you don't know when you first start something. They won't later. And last, don't give the impression of being indecisive. If you're not sure about something, ask for opinions, then say you'll think over what everyone has said. Then do something. Either announce that matters won't change, or that you want it done a certain way, or, if you have to, say that it's my problem, and send me a scroll, and tell everyone you have." Anna laughed. "Just make sure it is my problem."

  "Yes, lady."

  "Dutral and the purple company are here to support you until spring. That's about a third of a year." Anna paused. "I wish I could offer more, but I can't."

  "That is much, Lady Anna. I know how few lancers you have, and you can ill spare even those."

  "I can ill spare losing Westfort, either," Anna pointed out. "If you have any questions for me, you'd better think of them between now and tomorrow morning. That's when we leave."

  Kinor did not protest. "I had thought so when Himar summoned me." He paused. "I thank you for all you have done. Though it would be ill done, I would ask one last favor."

  Anna nodded.

  "Should aught happen to me... I would think Alseta is much like you, and could well run a keep. And she is my closest heir."

  "I don't want you to think about that," Anna replied. "I will consider your request... if I have to, and not before."

  "That be all I could ask."

  Anna was touched by Kinor's request-thinking about his younger sister, and probably as a way to provide for Liende. Would Mario have done the same in Kinor's boots? Anna hoped so, but she wouldn't ever know.

  Kinor bowed.

  "And Kinor? You'd better work on building up your own force of trusted armsmen. I wouldn't rely completely on those who served Lord Jearle."

  "Dutral and I have talked about such."

  "Good. I'll see you at dinner."

  Anna stood silently as the young lord bowed a last time and departed.

  The door clicked shut, leaving her alone.

  Anna hoped she hadn't leaned too hard on Kinor about the armsmen, but Defalk wasn't exactly the most peaceful of lands. She laughed to herself. If it had been peaceful and medievally oppressive, she'd never have become Regent, and probably nothing in Liedwahr would have changed. She was making some changes... and if she could hang on, there would be more. And more sorcery and destruction.

  Violence has been the sire of all the world's values? Who had said that? Anna shook her head. Another line she did not remember-only those she had sung seemed locked with their authors inside her thoughts.

  Her lips curled. If she were a character in one of Avery's novels, her problems would be all over. She'd defeated all the enemies outside of Defalk, and everyone would fall at her feet worshiping her for her power and skill. She snorted. Life didn't work that way, not even in strange worlds where there was magic. There were always people intriguing, and others with problems, and not enough money-or golds.

  She glanced at the table-empty except for a few sheets of parchment she had saved in case she needed to scrawl out any last-moment scrolls. She had no doubt that she'd be writing something even before dinner.

  103

  The rain beat out of the north, mostly across the backs of the riders, but it was cold, almost like liquid ice, and some dnbbled off of Anna's battered brown felt hat and down her neck. The oiled-leather jacket she had borrowed from Westfort-or been given by Kinor, who'd taken great pleasure in the act-was beginning to soak up the rain despite its oiled surface. And Farinelli was starting to whuff and toss his head.

  You did have this idea about settling everything in Defalk before winter. Anna almost groaned. No one will be expecting you in Arien, anyway.

  Anna wiped the water-a combination of condensation from under the hat and water from the rain-from her- forehead. She tried to make out where the road went as it curved eastward past a hill covered with leafless trees. Supposedly, there was a town with stables and an inn ahead, but still several deks south, and Cheor was at least another day away, maybe longer if the roads got worse.

  Riding beside her on her left, Jimbob was silent.

  A taller figure and his mount loomed out of the rain, as Himar rode up beside the Regent. "The scouts say it is less than three deks, and there are two stables. It will be crowde
d, but we can manage."

  "Good. How are the men coming?" Anna almost had to shout over the wind and the cold slapping of the rain on everything.

  The anns commander eased his mount closer to Anna. "They know they will find warm beds in Synfal. That helps. I will pass the word about our stop. That will also help." Himar turned his mount back northward, and a glop of mud splattered against Anna's boots and lower trousers.

  Falar rode forward from somewhere behind Anna, and leaned toward her. "Are all your journeys so eventful?"

  "No. Some are more eventful," Anna managed.

  The redhead laughed. "Did the arms commander say that there was a dry roof ahead?"

  "He did. About three deks ahead, It'll be crowded, but it will get everyone out of the rain, and most of the mounts, I hope."

  "Good. I must pass that on to my men." Like Himar, he turned his mount back along the column.

  "Have you ridden in worse?" Jimbob asked loudly.

  "A few times as bad as this-in Dumar when we were chasing Lord Ehara. There weren't any friendly towns or inns there."

  "You said we were going to Synfal, and then Arien."

  "1 haven't decided whether you should go to Arien or stay in Synfal. Synfal is your keep, and the people haven't seen much of you since last spring."

  "That is true. What do you think. Lady Anna?"

  Anna paused. The question was the first time, she thought, that Jimbob had actually asked her advice and seemed to mean it. "I'd like you to think about it first before I say anything. What I have to do at Arien, I'm afraid, is like what I did at Westfort. Lord Tybel has poisoned his sister and her sons to hand her lands over to their brother."

  "He doesn't know you, does he?"

  Tybel doesn't want to, like a lot of the Thirty-three. "I don't think so."

  "I have not spent much time in Synfal... perhaps I should seek Herstat's thoughts on that." Another pause followed. "You do not require my answer now, do you, Lady Anna?"

  "Heavens, no."

  A squall line of even more intense rain swept over the column, and Anna had to grab her hat to keep it from being blown off her head. More of the cold rain poured down her neck.

  Anna hoped it didn't take them too long to get to the unnamed town.

  104

  The column of Defalkan riders rode northward from the town of Cheor along the straight road that bisected the flat fields south of Synfal itself. Anna peered through the foggy mist that had replaced the cold rain of the day before, looking for the low wall of ancient yellow bricks that would show that the keep was but a dek farther north. She had hoped that the mist would dissipate by midday, but it was already early afternoon, and the fog still remained hugging the ground, although, occasionally, she saw patches of blue overhead.

  "How much farther, Regent?" asked Falar, riding on the shoulder of the road and calling past Himar, who rode on Anna's left.

  "Not more than two or three deks-a dek after we reach the old brick wall."

  "Less than half a dek to the wall," predicted Jimbob. "The big ditches running from the one beside the road are about eight hundred yards apart, and there are three small ones between them. I think we passed the last big one before the wall and one of the little ones. It can't be that much farther."

  Almost as he finished speaking, Anna could see one of the smaller ditches branching off the big canal to the right of the road. She hid a grin as she asked, "Are all the ditches laid out like that, Jimbob?"

  "Only the ones in the flat here. Herstat made me draw a map of them when I was here last."

  "Why?" asked Falar, easing his mount closer to Jimbob's.

  "He said that I should know every rod and furl of my lands." Jimbob shrugged. "He had me ride much of the land and draw maps.

  "These are your lands, as well... as Falcor, I mean?" Falar's mouth opened.

  "Well... I didn't inherit them the way I will Elheld or Falcar," Jimbob admitted. "Lord Arkad didn't have any heirs, and he tried to kill Lady Anna, and that meant that his lands were forfeit. Lady Anna is Regent, and she said that they were mine, except they're really not quite yet, not until I'm older, and she and my grandsire and Herstat think I know enough." Jimbob smiled and inclined his head to Anna. "That's about right, isn't it?"

  "Yes. I thought that one of the problems Lord Barjim had was that he didn't have enough coins to be an effective lord. I didn't want Lord Jimbob to have that problem."

  Falar bowed to Anna, with an appraising look. "There is much I have not heard, and more I should know."

  "Much more." suggested Himar, from where he had ridden in front of the three. "The Regent is more than she seems."

  "There's the wall," Jimbob said. "The old one, I mean. Grandsire said it's older than the time of the Suhlmorrans." He pointed ahead to his left where the yellow bricks of a two-yard-high wall protruded above a low hedgerow that had been trimmed to allow the top of the wall to show.

  "It won't be long before we see Synfal," Anna said.

  For a time, none of the riders spoke.

  "The banner to the fore!" announced Himar.

  The lancer with the banner rode around Falar, Jimbob, and Anna and her guards to take station ahead of Himar and the column of riders.

  Its weathered yellow-brick walls looming out of the misting rain, sitting on the isolated hill that had to have been the ruins of many earlier strongholds, Synfal looked, more than Anna recalled, like a relic of Defalk's even more violent past-old, scarred, and the site of who knew what unspeakable cruelties. For Defalk, that's saying a lot.

  The crossed spears and crown on the purple banner were hardly visible to Anna, and she doubted that few in the stronghold would see them. The gates stood wide, and what seemed to be half the staff lined the courtyard of the keep and watched as Anna and Jimbob rode through the gates.

  "Regent! Lord Jimbob!"

  Anna glanced sideways, noting the flush rising in the young lord's face. "Remember," she said, "praise is fleeting. People praised your father, and then Lord Behlem."

  Jimbob jerked in the saddle.

  Falar gave Anna a searching look, but did not offer any words.

  Anna raised an arm to acknowledge the greetings and whispered to Jimbob. "Go ahead. Show them you appreciate their greeting. You are the Lord of Synfal. Just remember that greetings can be fickle."

  Jimbob smiled and waved several times, looking around the courtyard as he did. Then he and Anna rode slowly to the stables.

  Bielttro, the young head ostler, stepped out from where he had stood by the stable doors. Wearing what appeared to be the same dark brown trousers and leather vest as he had worn when Anna had first met him. He bowed. "Regent."

  "Bielttro, how are your stables?"

  "I have fixed the roof in the corner, and they are clean and dry." Bielttro grinned. "You can see for yourself, Regent Anna."

  "I will." Anna smiled back, then dismounted and led Farinelli into the stable. Rickel and Fielmir followed closely, leaving their mounts with the other guards.

  "You have the big front stall, as before" Bielttro studied Farinelli. "He is thinner."

  "We've ridden a lot this fall, from Falcor to Synek, and back to Falcor, then to Denguic, and here. I've tried to get him grain... but it's not always been as much as he needs."

  "He is not too thin, but I will see that there is grain here. I would give him but a third portion, and not until after you have groomed him. And only a little water at first."

  Anna nodded.

  "If you will please excuse me, lady' while I see to the others?"

  'Please. Farinelli and I will be fine."

  The old stables were dry, and smelled clean, as before, with fresh straw, and a pail of grain had been left beside the manger for Farinelli. Anna smiled, then unfastened the lutar case, wrapped in oiled canvas in addition to its normal cover, and set it beside the stall wall. Then came the mirror case, and the saddlebags, probably soaked through.

  "Big stalls..." murmured Fielmir.

 
"It's a large keep," Rickel responded. "Older and bigger than Falcor."

  Anna finished unsaddling Farinelli, then groomed him, and finally let him have some water, but not too much, before she poured some of the grain into the manger. The gelding whuffed and tossed his head as Anna lifted the bucket. "That's enough for now. Bielttro will give you more, you pig." She patted his shoulder, then picked up the lutar.

  Fielmir carried the saddlebags and mirror case, and he and Rickel followed her.

  Herstat was waiting as Anna, Jimbob, and Himar stepped into the entry hall, followed by Rickel and Lejun. The saalmeister bowed deeply. "We are all glad you have arrived safely in this rain." He smiled. "Some thought you might be delayed, but I assured them that the Regent is seldom delayed."

  "We try not to be late." Anna gestured to Falar. "This is Falar, second in succession to the lands of Fussen. He is traveling with us and offering us his armsmen." She gave a wry smile. "This year's been hard on everyone, especially the armsmen and lancers." Her eyes next went to Himar. "Himar has taken over as arms commander, now that Hanfor is the Lord High Counselor of Neserea."

  "We have chambers most suitable," Herstat replied. "Lord Jecks had sent several scrolls by fast messenger." After a pause, he continued, "If you would follow me..."

  Anna still held on to the lutar as she climbed the steps behind Herstat toward the upper levels of the keep. Blaz carried the saddlebags, and Lejun the mirror case. The bricks that formed the floors had been thoroughly cleaned and covered with a shimmering varnish of some sort since Anna had last been at Synfal. The walls had also been scrubbed and repainted with a form of whitewash. The keep looked lighter, and smelled far better, although there was a lingering hint of mold still.

  Halfway down the second-floor corridor, Herstat opened a polished-oak door, stepping through and gesturing. "The guest chamber that will always be yours, Regent Anna." Herstat bowed.

  'Thank you. It looks much better. Much cleaner."

  "There has been much done in the main keep, and much left to do."

  Fielmir carried in the saddlebags and mirror, then took station outside the door, as did Rickel. As the two guards departed, Anna studied the room. On the fresh white-painted plaster of the wall hung a newer mirror. Herstat had clearly remembered what her scrying did to mirrors. There were also tapestry covered floor screens set around a copper tub in the corner of the room away from the shuttered windows.