Part 33 (1/2)
”I'm sorry.” Anna paused, then added, 'Thank you.”
Liende bowed.
As Anna turned and walked toward Farinelli, the gelding whuffed and tossed his head. ”I know. Everyone else is getting saddled and ready to go. You afraid you'll get left? Or just telling me to get on with it?” She patted his shoulder.
After saddling Farinelli, Anna folded her jacket and wedged it under the straps of the saddlebags. As she mounted the big gelding, she realized that all the others still wore jackets, while she had on but her s.h.i.+rt and vest. It was cool under the clear sky, but not that cool.
”How far?” Anna eased Farinelli up beside Himar's mount, half-amused as her guards and the two young men jockeyed their mounts around behind her.
”Five deks. They have not broken camp. Not a gla.s.s ago.” Himar offered a lopsided smile. ”I sent a scout as messenger saying to say that you were readying a message for arms leader Ceorwyn. Best that we not have to chase them, if it be possible.”
'Thank you. That was a good idea.” Anna nodded. She should have thought of something like that. Even after more than a year, there were so many aspects of being a regent she still had not grasped.
The sorceress-Regent turned Farinelli and rode back to where Liende sat upon her mount. ”Chief player...?”
”We are ready, lady.”
”When we reach Ceorwyn's forces, we'll ask for terms. If he rejects them, I may need the players immediately. The flame song,” Anna reminded Liende.
”As you said, lady, the flame song.”
”Thank you.” Anna nodded and turned Farinelli back toward the head of the column. She felt stupid, reminding Liende again, but she knew that when the time came, she'd need the song immediately.
As Anna rode toward Himar, the overcaptain raised his hand, and a double trumpet blast rolled out into the midmorning air. Anna flicked the reins, and Farineili carried her forward.
Like the road they had already traveled, the road eastward curved around hills, following the River Syne, with the higher ground to the north, on their left. inthe shadows cast by hedgerows and the scattered clumps of trees bordering the fields, dew still glistened on the browning gra.s.s and the greener weeds.
Anna cleared her throat and began a vocalise. Or started to begin one, because the first note triggered a coughing attack. Her struggle against the asthma continued for almost a gla.s.s, and perhaps four deks before she managed to clear her lungs and throat.
”Being a sorceress is not so easy as most would suppose,” Jecks offered.
”No. Being anything with power isn't, I guess.”
Both looked up as a scout in Defalkan purple rode toward the column, slowing and stopping as Himar urged his mount forward to receive the report. After several moments, the overcaptain rode toward Anna and Jecks.
”The forces of Ceorwyn hold the next rise,” Himar announced. 'They await us, and their blades are bright.”
”Will they attack when we appear?” asked Anna.
”I do not know.” Himar shrugged apologetically. ”They would have seen our scouts.”
”He will wish you to ask for terms,” Jecks predicted. ”He will expect that, and then he will attack or hold fast. He will not turn from you.”
Anna glanced back, but the players were close, and Liende nodded, as if to signify that they were ready. The sorceress looked forward. 'The players will have to dismount quickly, in case Ceorwyn does attack. Can the lancers hold them for that long?”
”We will hold.” Himar stood in his stirrups, and ordered, ”Blades and lances ready!” A triplet from the trumpet echoed his words.
As Anna rode over the crest of the hill and looked eastward, she could see the burgundy surcoats, set in formation on the hillside opposite her. She reined up, then turned Farinelli back. Jimbob and Kinor pulled their mounts aside to allow her to reach the chief player.
”Liende, have the players come to the front where I am and dismount and tune. If Ceorwyn rejects our terms, they'll need to be ready with the flame song at once.”
”The flame song...Yes, Regent.”
Why doesn't anyone see? Anna rode forward and to the left of the road toward a flat section of gra.s.s that gave her an un.o.bstructed view of Ceorwyn's three-deep formation-less than half a dek away. In the depression between the two forces, except for where the road lay, was a line of bushes that marked a sometime stream.
Rickel and Lejun, the big s.h.i.+elds out, eased their mounts before her, and Jecks slipped his mount to the right of Farinelli as Anna reined up. Himar appeared on her left. Behind them, the players dismounted. Soon, the all-too-familiar near dissonance of tuning began to rise.
Himar looked at Anna. So did Jecks.
”Might as well send the herald.” Both glanced quizzically at her.”The messenger-with the terms I wrote out.”
The overcaptain nodded, then turned his mount.
As Himar rode toward the center of the Defalkan formation, Jecks guided his mount closer to Anna. ”Best you remember that twice you have offered terms, and that before that the Ebrans invaded Defalk.”
”You're telling me that I'm being reasonable.” Reasonable for Liedwahr anyway.
”You would let most of Ebra be ruled as it once was. You exert but a light hand, my lady.”
Anna glanced up at the sound of the trumpet.
The messenger or herald in purple, one hand steadying the blue parley flag, the base of its staff set in his lanceholder, rode forward. s.h.i.+elded by Rickel and Lejun, but still mounted. Anna watched from the hillside. To each side, behind the guards, watched Jecks, Jimbob, and Kinor.
The Defalkan lancer reined up in the depression between the two rises, waiting.
Shortly, a lancer in burgundy rode down from the formation and halted opposite the Defalkan. The Defalkan lancer extended the scroll. The lancer in burgundy took the doc.u.ment and then rode to the far hillside, disappearing through the line of Ebran lancers reined up in formation.
The sorceress-Regent blotted her forehead, glancing sideways at Jecks, but the lord's eyes were fixed on the opposite hill. A single fly buzzed past Anna. Then Farinelli swished his tail, several times.
Another horse, somewhere behind Anna, whuffed, momentarily breaking the tension and the stillness.
The lancer in burgundy appeared from the formation, riding slowly back downhill toward the waiting Defalkan scout and the blue parley flag. Ceorwyn's lancer spoke for a time to the Defalkan, and then the two separated, and the Defalkan lancer rode back uphill toward the spot where Himar and Stepan waited, both mounted.
In turn, the messenger spoke to Himar.
Anna watched the lancers in burgundy, but there was no movement among them.
Stepan and Himar rode slowly back toward Anna. Himar reined up and looked steadily at Anna. ”Ceorwyn will acknowledge you as sovereign, but not Hadrenn.
And he will fight to the death, even though he be slaughtered by your sorcery before he will allow women to rule in Ebra.”
”That's what he wants, that's what he'll get!” snapped Anna, turning in the saddle. ”Chief player, the flame song!”
”My lady... why will you not accept his fealty?” asked Jecks.