Part 10 (1/2)
”I would hope that you could, my lady, but I know as little about the man as you. Less perhaps, for I do not see all that you do.”
”Flattery-that's another danger of being Regent.”
”Only if you heed it, my lady.” Jecks smiled.
Anna enjoyed the smile. ”How do you think Ustal will feel?”
”From the words he used in his scrolls, he will believe you have to come to confirm his claim. He will be angry if you do not.”
”I've been afraid of that,” Anna admitted. ”If I don't, what will he do?”
”That is why you have armsmen and players, is it not, though he will not go that far, I think.”
You think? Ah, yes... once more into the breach, dear friends, with flame and fire and sorcery-the sorceress' universal answer to each problem. Anna's lips curled into a sardonic, self-mocking smile. ”I hope we don't have to use them.
The mirror showed no danger.”
”That was before you decide,” Jecks reminded her. ”Hope you do not need sorcery, but prepare yourself to use it.”
Anna nodded. Then she turned in the saddle and motioned for Skent and Himar to ride closer to her.
Jecks said nothing, but eased his mount back on the dusty road to allow the two others to ride beside the Regent.”I will be talking,” Anna began, ”to Lord Ustal. Skent, I think you will see some of the younger folk. I would ask that you talk to them. Do not talk about Falcor or me, or as little as you can. Try to get them to talk to you. Ask about Fussen, about its prosperity, about the old lord, and only then about Ustal. Do not ask about any of the lord's family except him and his father.” Anna glanced at Himar. ”If you would do the same... and if there are one or two senior armsmen of ours that you trust totally, if you would ask them to do the same.”
”We can do that, Lady Anna,” affirmed Himar.
”Yes, Lady Anna,” said Skent.
Anna then called for Liende, and went through her explanation with the chief player.
Liende smiled. ”Players do talk, and we will hear what we can hear:”
When Liende had dropped back, and Jecks rode up beside Anna, he said in a low voice, ”You did not ask me.” His tone was not plaintive, but even, almost flat.
For a moment, Anna missed the twinkle in the hazel eyes. Then she laughed. ”You!
You'll be with me most of the time. Besides, you have the brains to do that anyway.”
A faint smile creased Jecks' lips. ”You honor me too much”
”Enough of the false humility, you...” She shook her head.
Jecks said nothing, but his eyes were warm.
They had ridden no more than a half-dek closer to Fussen when the road curved slightly north. Less than fifty yards after the curve was a bridge that spanned a narrow rocky gorge less than ten yards wide. The bridge was wooden, heavy planks barely wide enough for a wagon and a single horse abreast, with flimsy- looking sides composed of two planks set sideways and fastened to posts attached to the planks and the two heavy timbers that formed the roadbed. Below the plank roadbed, the stream foamed through the narrow defile less than three yards below. The narrow bridge flexed noticeably as the scouts crossed, one after the other.
”A moment, Lady Anna.” Himar eased his mount past Anna and Jecks and onto the bridge. Then he turned and rode back. ”No more than two mounts on the bridge at once.”
He motioned for Anna's guards-Kerhor and Blaz-to cross first.
Once the two were on the far side, Anna and Jecks followed. Farinelli's hoofs echoed on the heavy worn planks of the bridge. Anna could feel the narrow bridge flex. She glanced at Jecks.
”The bridge planks should be replaced,” Jecks affirmed. ”It would be dangerous for an ironmonger's wagon.” With a quick look at Anna, he added, ”and it should not be replaced through sorcery, my lady and Regent.”
”Not now, at least,” Anna agreed.
Lord Jecks snorted. ”You would replace every bridge in Defalk, could you do so.”
”And every major road that's dirt,” she said pleasantly.Less than a hundred yards beyond the bridge, the road curved back through fields of maize that had grown saddle-high toward its previous course. A redstone wall a yard high and extending but five yards on either side of the road marked the eastern boundary of the town proper. At the wall, the maize ended, and beyond the gateless entry, the road was paved with slabs of red stone.
An inn stood on the left, its signboard portraying a pitcher tilted upside down with a single drop of ale clinging to the lip. Beyond the Last Drop Inn was a chandlery, also of red stone.
Anna s.h.i.+vered as she saw the emblem of the crossed candles, thinking about Forse's son, and the Darksong with which the young man in Pamr had infused his chandlery. Would Gatrune be able to shed more light on his actions?
Two men stood on the porch of the inn, their pale gray tunics tinged red by the light of the sun low above the western hills.
”...has to be the Regent ... Regency banner there.”
”...looks young, like a boy...”
”...sorcery... what you expect from a sorceress...”
”...no good of her being here...”
”Better a Regent deciding than having house fight house...”
Anna strained, but she was already too far away to hear more. Red stone-that was the predominant building material in the town of Fussen. Redstone walls and dark-slate roofs. A few dwellings were of wattle and plaster, and some of wood, but Fussen was mainly solid stone and square.
Only a handful of people were on the streets or in the main square, and all studied the Regency banner and Anna, silently, unlike the two men at the Last Drop. She was almost relieved when she and Jecks reached the gateless walls at the west side of the town. There, beyond the town buildings, the road, its paving stones newer, angled up the slope to the keep, its entire length exposed to the parapets above.
Two lancers in maroon-and-green livery waited there. Both inclined their heads.
”Regent Anna?” asked the more slight and gray-haired armsman.
”She is the Lady Anna.” Himar had edged his mount alongside Farinelli.
”Yes, I'm Anna,” the Regent confirmed. ”This is Lord Jecks of Elheld. He is head of the Council of Lords advising the Regency, the Lord High Counselor.”
”Your grace and your honor, if you would but follow us.”
Anna nodded, and the two armsmen turned their mounts.
”I am pleased to know that I am Lord High Counselor. I would that you had let me know such earlier.” Jecks laughed softly.
”That's what you've been doing all along. I just thought you needed a t.i.tle to go with the work.” Anna grinned.
The oiled wooden gates overlooking Fussen were bound with heavy strap iron and swung wide. Two rows of eight lancers in green and maroon formed an honor guard and an entry corridor that led to the back of the courtyard. As Anna and Jecksand Himar rode through the gates and neared the honor guard, a short fanfare- off-key-echoed from three trumpeters standing in the corner behind the lancers of Fussen.
A tall figure in green and maroon stepped forward toward Anna, even before she had reined Farinelli up. Ustal was tall for someone from Liedwahr, almost a head and a half taller than Anna, and a head taller than Jecks. His s.h.i.+mmering blood hair was square-cut level with his jaws, and his green tunic was spotless-and displayed his well-developed muscles effectively.
”A blond Prince Valiant,” Anna murmured to herself squaring herself slightly in the saddle.