Part 54 (1/2)
”They do not know that this lane winds within a quarter dek of their camp, because of the wood,” Hanfor said quietly. ”Still, once you have done what you must, we need to ride quickly. They will be most angry.”
Anna suspected that was an understatement. Still... she had to try to get the message across that she was willing to be reasonable-and that those who wouldn't see reason would see force.
”Regent.” Hanfor's voice was low.
”Yes.”
”To the right, just above the trees.”
Anna followed Hanfor's directions, looking uphill. They hadn't been able to tell elevations from the mirror scrying, but it was clear that the side road was a good twenty yards or more lower than the low rise on which the Mansuurans had camped. There were several widely s.p.a.ced points of lights, fires, and other smudges of light wavering in the darkness. ”That looks like their camp. It's a good thing we put out the torches.”
”Very good.” The hint of an ironic laugh colored Hanfor's words. ”Green company, halt.” His words were low, but intense.
Anna dismounted and handed Farinelli's reins to Kinor, then took the lutar from its case and checked the tuning, fumbling more than she would have liked in the darkness. Rickel and Lejun remained mounted, flanking her on each side, but leaving her a clear path toward the Mansuuran camp.
”Bowmen... string your bows and stand ready,” Hanfor ordered. ”Aim your shafts high and toward the fires beyond the trees. Nock your shafts when the Regent begins to sing, and then release them after you count to ten in a whisper.
Remember, nock when she sings. Count to ten and release.”Anna faced the fires that suddenly looked all too close, despite the trees, the gully, and the hill. Then, she took a deep breath and released it, lifted the lutar, began the chording, and then the spell itself.
These arrows shot into the air, the head of each must strike proud Relour there- As the sorceress heard the thrum of bowstrings, she concentrated on the images and the last words of the spell.
...and turn to fire, turn to flame Overcaptain Relour, for all his fame.
The chords of the lutar and Anna's voice died away. She slipped the lutar into its case, fastened it in place, and climbed into the saddle.
Was there a flash of light to the northwest? Anna wasn't certain, but there was no reason to try to find out until they were back with her own forces, and with the players. Either they would face the Mansuurans on the next day-or they wouldn't.
”Are you ready, Regent?” asked Hanfor.
”I'm ready. Let's go.”
”Green company, forward!” Hanfor's voice carried tension, tension Anna could well understand.
She kept glancing back over her shoulder at the fires of the Mansuuran camp, but so far as she could tell, nothing changed. If it did, she could not see it As she rode, she groped for the food pouch, stuffing some squares of cheese into her mouth, and then some of the hard cracker-bread, which she had to moisten with swigs from the water bottle in order to soften the stuff enough for her to chew and swallow it.
But she had looked back often enough that, by the time they rejoined the other lancers at the main road, her neck and shoulder were stiff.
”Weylar?” Hanfor called.
”Ready here, ser.” The subofficer rode forward into the light cast by the torch carried by the lancer accompanying Hanfor and Anna. ”Not a soul came down the road. Didn't see a torch. Not one.”
”Good. Have your companies fall in behind. Send a messenger up to me if you see any torches or hear any riders.”
”Yes, Ser.”
Rickel and Lejun had dropped back behind Anna and Kinor. They had strapped the big s.h.i.+elds behind their saddles. Anna wasn't sure how they managed to hold the s.h.i.+elds for so long as they did, but none of the guards had ever voiced a complaint.
”Do you know... if...?” Kinor finally asked.
”I think so. I don't know. We'll have to check in the mirror when we get back.”
Anna yawned. Youth spell or not, she was tired, and she probably wasn't going to get much sleep. Not if Hanfor happened to be right.
The ten-dek ride back to her own camp had taken forever, or so it seemed, and Anna kept wondering when the sun would rise.She slowly dismounted from Farinelli, removing the lutar and food pouch, and the water bottles. Then she unsaddled the gelding, rubbed him down too briefly, and picked up the lutar and pouch. She walked slowly back toward her tent. between Kinor and Hanfor, with Lejun and Rickel following.
”We need to see what we'll face in the morning.”
”That would be best.” Hanfor agreed.
”All went well?” asked Liende as she approached the three, but with her eyes upon Kinor.
”So far as we know.” Anna had no doubts that the chief player was at least as concerned about her son as about the results. ”Join us. We're going to find out.”
Fielmir and Bersan were on guard, waiting.
Anna nodded to the two, then stepped past them, into the small tent. ”Let's see.” She lit the candle on the camp table, then opened the case and removed the traveling mirror, setting it on the table. Next came the lutar, which she had to tune once more, slowly because she was tired.
She glanced around at the three other faces, each as fatigued as she felt, before she started the scrying spell.
Show us now, in place and frame, he who bore Relour's rank and name....
The mirror silvered and then reflected the candle beside it on the camp table, before darkening and revealing another scene. A single man-shaped length of black lay stretched on the ground beside a tent. Four guards formed a square around the corpse. Flickering shadows crossed the area lit by a half-score of lancers bearing torches.
Anna sang the release couplet and sighed. ”You were right. We'd better be ready early, you think?”
”I already sent out scouts, and they will watch through the night,” Hanfor said.
”Their lancers are tired, and many were asleep. If they attack, it will be early, but I doubt they will wake their lancers tonight. If they do, we will be warned.”
”I have made sure the players slept close together, and close to their instruments,” Liende said.
”Thank you.”
Anna turned to Hanfor. ”If they do not attack, I'll send another scroll, asking that they support you.”
”They will not.” Hanfor nodded slowly. ”They will all die before they would surrender Neserea.”
”They don't have Neserea,” Anna pointed out. ”And they certainly won't if I have to kill off all their lancers.”
”They will not accept that, for all they have seen, until It is too late.”
”Why? Because they're more afraid of the Liedfuhr than me.””He is a man, and you are a woman. This is Liedwahr.” Hanfor shrugged.
”So I have to be twice as ruthless?” Again; she wanted to scream, but refrained.
”And then, because they won't listen, I'm the b.i.t.c.h of the east, or the evil sorceress of Defalk?”