Part 22 (1/2)
”She had the lutar in her hand, and it was broad daylight,” counters Fa.r.s.enn.
”She could come in daylight next time, or the time after.”
”She rides eastward. She must ride back through Pamr to Falcor. My brother, we will ensure that it matters not whether she comes in darkness or in full light.
I have a plan. When she returns, then we will be prepared... more than prepared.”
Giersan raises his eyebrows, but says nothing.
33.
After three long days of travel from Pamr, dust coated the lower legs of both riders and mounts, and Anna had gone through three of her four daily water bottles by the time the bluish-tinged, off-white walls of Loiseau appeared on the eastern horizon above the low houses of Mencha. Even as Anna watched, the low sun at her back began to turn the stone parapets the sorcerer Brill had onceraised with his skills from blue-white to a rosy twilit color that spread above the late-afternoon shadows.
Although almost a year had pa.s.sed since Anna had returned the rains to Defalk, the road into Mencha remained as dusty as Anna had recalled it when she had first ridden Farinelli around Loiseau.
”Break out the banner!” Himar ordered. ”Even up the column! Undercaptain Skent... bring up your laggards!”
”Smerda, Bius... move it up!”
Anna smiled at the tone of firmness in Skent's voice. Perhaps she had kept him as a page too long. For his sake, probably... but he s young. Then... everyone does things young here. She straightened herself in her saddle, recalling that she was the Lady of Mencha.
Small as Mencha was, more than a score of people watched, most smiling, some even waving, as Anna rode through the dusty streets toward Loiseau. Their words were open, not at all hushed.
”See... did come back.. . and there's the banner, sure as you can see...”
”Just a visit, Armal...”
”When... ever have a ruler of Defalk from Mencha...I ask you?”
”Rightly... is she ours?”
”Whose else? First place she came... almost like being born... stop asking foolish questions, Vernot...”
”Regent-sorceress?”
Anna turned toward the girl who called, a stocky brunette not even as old as Secca, and smiled.
”Thank you for the rains.”
”You're welcome. Take care of yourself,” Anna called back, not quite sure what to say, but not wanting to appear too aloof.
”You are truly theirs,” murmured Jecks.
”I don't know why,” she replied in a low voice.
”Because you changed little, perhaps,” he speculated. ”Perhaps because few return who have gained fame and position, and you have...”
Whatever the reasons, the sorceress enjoyed the short ride through the center of Mencha, perhaps more than any ride since she'd come to Liedwahr, especially after the experience in Pamr. Just past the store that was half-chandlery, half- dry goods, in the center of the small town, Anna turned Farinelli south toward the hill on which Loiseau rested.
A dek out of town, they neared the apple orchard where she had been ambushed by the Dark Monks. The trees had more leaves than in previous years, and apples filled the branches, most of the fruit already turned red. Large patches of gra.s.s dotted the s.p.a.ce beneath the trees, and the hum of insects filled the air.”The orchard looks better. It was close to dying,” she told Jecks. So were you, on that day, then, even if you didn't know it. She patted the gelding on the neck, recalling how he had carried her back to Loiseau with a war arrow through her upper chest and shoulder.
As Farinelli started up the sloping road toward the walled hold, Anna's eyes turned toward the low-domed building on the lower ridge where she had learned how to turn earthly singing into Erdean sorcery-and first struggled through Brill's books on sorcery. Not a single hoofprint stood out in the dust of the lane from the main road to the silent dome.
The road was steep enough that even the big gelding was breathing more heavily by the time his hoofs rang on the paving stones that led to the open gates of Loiseau.
”...don't understand... they waved to her. . . I'm the heir...” Jimbob's plaintive comment to Kinor was barely audible.
”It may be because she is their lady. Or it might be that you haven't risked your life for them.” suggested Kinor dryly, with a wit that Anna hadn't suspected of the lanky redhead. ”People do remember little things like that, once in a while.”
”You were born here...”
”So I was told,” answered Kinor. ”I don't remember.” He laughed gently.
Jecks glanced at Anna and caught her eye. ”Mayhap we should keep young Kinor around Lord Jimbob,” he murmured as he leaned toward her.
”Only until Jimbob is of age,” Anna replied wryly. ”Besides, Kinor might make a good captain-or consort for a hold without sons... or both.”
Jecks laughed.
Blaz and Kerhor rode into the courtyard first, and Anna could hear voices before she pa.s.sed the gates.
”The Regent's here!”
'There's the banner!”
”Where is she?”
”There's Liende, and her boy Kinor.”
The figures by the doors were few, but Anna recognized all seven-all those she'd actually met when she'd first come to Loiseau: Serna-the white-haired cook and head of household-and her diminutive dark-haired daughter Florenda; Albero, the armorer, who had taught Anna the little she knew about using a knife-and that had saved her life in Falcor; and his father Quies, the stablemaster; Gero, Brill's young aide; and Wiltur, the grizzled armsman, and his younger companion Frideric.
The Regent reined up short of the steps and the mounting block, turning Farinelli gently so she could address the immediate staff. ”I'll talk to you all later, but I wanted to thank you for everything you've done here at Loiseau when I couldn't be here. You've seen the lancers and the players, but I've also brought Lord Jecks, the Lord High Counselor of the Regency, and Lord Jimbob, the heir to Defalk” Anna gestured toward the redheaded Jimbob. ”You all may recall Liende. She is chief of the Regent's players, and some of you know Kinor, herson. And the officer there is Overcaptain Himar.” Anna cleared her throat, then smiled. ”It's good to be back.”
Serna stepped forward, looking up at the sorceress. ”We are glad to have you back, Lady Anna.”
”I hope you can manage, Serna. With Liende and my players and tenscore armsmen... there are a lot of mouths to feed.”
”We are ready, and we will feed them all.” Serna offered a wide grin. ”Welcome home, Lady Anna.”
”Thank you.” Anna was afraid she would choke up if she said much more. ”Thank you all.” Slowly, she eased Farinelli around the north wall of the main hall and toward the stables. Quies left the group that had greeted her and walked beside Anna and Farinelli until they reached the stable doors.
Anna dismounted, holding on to her saddle for a moment until she was sure her legs wouldn't buckle or cramp. Then she led Farinelli toward his stall.
As he followed, Quies glanced from Anna to Farinelli. ”You been taking good care of each other, you and the beast.”
”He probably takes better care of me.” Anna loosened the girths, but let Quies take the saddle. ”We've been through a lot.” She paused, glancing to the adjoining stall where Jecks had already unsaddled his own mount. ”How have you managed here? Did I send enough coin and clear enough instructions to you and Serna?”