Part 12 (1/2)
”Thank you.” Anna nodded, and the chief player eased her mount back toward her position at the head of the players.
After a moment, the Regent beckoned for Skent to join her. The dark-haired page nodded to Himar and urged his mount forward. ”Yes, Lady Anna?”
”Did you find out anything about Lord Ustal... or Fussen... that would be good for me to know?”
”Begging your pardon, Lady Anna...” Skent glanced at his mount's mane. 'There were not many who'd speak at my end of the table, and what they said...”
”Tell me what you did hear.”
”Lord Ustal spends much of his time flying his falcons. The mews is bigger than some folks' cots.”
Anna reflected. The stable had also been clean, well swept, and the horses she had seen well fed and groomed. ”He cares for his animals, then.”
”That he does, and the armsmen's quarters are good. My room was there.”
”How did the girls behave?” Anna asked. ”Were there any serving girls or others you saw?”Skent frowned. ”Few enough, and most were quiet. They said nothing, and slipped away as quick as they could.”
”Thank you, Skent.” Anna definitely didn't like the picture she was getting.
”I tried, my lady.”
”In something like this, that's all I can ask.”
Skent dropped back to where he had been riding beside Himar, and, at Anna's gesture, the overcaptain rode forward.
”Can you add anything?”
Himar smiled ironically, the expression lifting his drooping mustache. ”He has spent over a hundred golds on having new blades forged for his personal guard, and has sent a farrier and the second-in-command of his armsmen to Heinene to see what beasts the gra.s.sland folk will sell.”
”Shrewd-they would have to sell with the gra.s.s fires,” Anna said. ”Anything else?”
”He spars only with the foremost of the armsmen, and can best them all-and he had one whipped for not striving to his best against him.”
”Did they say anything about Falar?”
”Not in so many words.” Himar tugged on the right end of his mustache before continuing. ”Lord Ustal has recently hired twoscore of armsmen, yet it appears that he has but the same number as his sire, and Jirsit heard tell that a serving girl had consorted with one of the newer armsmen... he thought that her first consort had been killed in a skirmish, yet... there has been no talk of brigands or raiders, or of Nesereans. . .” The overcaptain shrugged.
”So... there have been some hidden battles between the brothers?” Anna nodded slowly.
”That... that is what I heard.” With a nod, Himar dropped back.
Anna rode silently for a time.
”You are quiet, my lady,” Jecks said.
”Ustal is going to be a problem.” The difficulty Anna faced was simple. While everything she'd seen and heard indicated that Ustal was generally pleasantly despicable, his actions were within what most Defalkans would have considered acceptable behavior for a lord-and certainly within the bounds of acceptability as defined by most members of the Thirty-three.
”Many lords are like Ustal,” observed Jecks. ”Perhaps wiser in some ways, perhaps more discreet, but not that different.”
”That's why he's a problem.” Anna frowned, then glanced at Jecks. ”Liende said that not that many lords could use a gla.s.s or scrying pond. . .”
Jecks smiled. ”I could not, for I cannot hold a tune, and never had I players until Liende and the others fled to EIheld.”
Anna frowned. So... perhaps many lords knew far less about what occurred than she had thought. Messengers cost coins, and that meant communications were notexactly that frequent or speedy in Defalk. ”I have to think about this.” And a lot of things.
Jecks nodded slowly, but did not speak as they continued southward.
Sudborte itself was scarcely more than a hamlet, with a single row of stores, including a single-storied chandlery that could not have been more than five yards wide and not that much deeper.
A red hound sat on the narrow porch of the chandlery, tied to one of the posts.
His eyes followed the horses, but he did not howl or bark. Anna wasn't sure whether the dog might not have offered the slightest pleading moan, as though he would have liked to follow the riders. While Anna could sense someone observing her, no one stepped onto the porch. The single street of Sudborte remained deserted, at least until well after the Regent's force had pa.s.sed through the town itself.
The keep was on the west side of Sudborte, a square structure less than twenty- five yards on a side, with rough-quarried, redstone walls six or seven yards high. There was only one tower, rising another two yards above the parapets of the walls and set to the right of the single wooden gate. Several outbuildings of wood, including what appeared to be a stable, had clearly been constructed later.
A pair of armsmen stood on the parapets above the open gate, but neither had a weapon at hand as the column rode toward the keep.
”Lady...” Himar cleared his throat.
Anna nodded. ”You can take some men and check it out.” Himar looked puzzled for a moment, and Anna almost grinned. Sometimes, Earth colloquialisms did not translate even though the languages were similar. ”Make sure it's safe,” she added, reining up. Jecks and the players reined up as well, while Himar took a score of armsmen and proceeded.
”At times, my lady, you do trust too much,” Jecks murmured quietly.
He was probably right, although she had trusted not so much in Falar's goodness as her own sorcery. But sorcery isn't always that precise... or your spells aren't. ”That's why I listen to you and Himar.” She smiled impishly. ”I did wear that breastplate, you remember, and I did enchant those s.h.i.+elds.”
”That you did, my lady, and for that all of us are grateful...” A hint of a smile flickered in the hazel eyes of the white-haired lord, but not upon his lips.
Shortly, Himar rode back. ”It appears safe enough. There are but a handful of armsmen, but we will keep watch.” He glanced toward Liende, suggestively.
Anna smiled wryly and called, ”Chief player! Have the players standing ready.
When we dismount, have them run through the short flame song.” They need to be in practice for that sort of thing anyway.
”Yes, Regent”
Anna turned in the saddle and unfastened the lutar case, then extracted the instrument, holding it while Jecks leaned over and refastened the empty case in place. Then, they followed Himar toward the small redstone keep.A red-haired young man stood by the open gate, with but two armsmen beside him.
As Anna reined up, he bowed deeply. ”Regent, welcome to Sudborte. I am Falar.”
He stood, waiting, almost as if Anna might order his capture or death.
”This is the Regent,” Jecks announced.
”And that is Lord Jecks, High Lord Counselor of Defalk,” Anna said, ”Overcaptain Himar, and Chief of Players Liende.”
Falar paled ever so slightly, even as he bowed to each figure.