Part 55 (2/2)

”We need to send a messenger to the Neserean forces at Denguic,” Anna said. ”Or get there quickly.”

Hanfor raised his eyebrows.

”There's a good chance those lancers and armsmen are the ones I spelled, and that means they have to listen to me. But I don't want to chase them all the way across Neserea.”

Liende and Hanfor looked at Anna.

”You are but skin and bones, Lady Anna,” Liende finally said. ”Better you eat and rest, and ride more slowly.”

”If we can ride at all tomorrow,” said Hanfor.

”We can leave now. This rain isn't good for the lancers. I've got a tent. They don't,” Anna pointed out. ”Besides, if we wait. the roads will just get worse”

Liende walked to the mirror case on the camp table and eased out the scrying gla.s.s. She walked back to Anna and held up the mirror. ”If you would but look...?”

Anna looked. She tried not to wince. Her face was drawn, with her cheeks almost sunken below the cheekbones. Deep black circles ran under both eyes. Her eyes were bloodshot. Even the slightly bubbled silver behind the gla.s.s could not disguise the combined pallor and flush that suffused her face. Her collarbones even jutted out under the s.h.i.+rt and vest. How had she gotten so thin? Was she that obsessive? Yes...

Liende lowered the gla.s.s.

”I'll eat more. Now,” Anna added. ”And we'll ride slowly.” She looked at Hanfor.

”I can't let them freeze. Not Nelmor's or Falar's men, either.

Liende and Hanfor looked at each other.

”Nor the players,” Anna insisted.

”That might be best for them,” Hanfor agreed. ”It is not good for you.”

”We can always stop if I fall apart.” But I won't. ”And I'll eat more.” You have to....

96.

s.h.i.+fting her weight-and her soaked trousers-in the saddle, Anna looked through the cold mist that had replaced the icy rain. In addition to being tired andunderweight, she was going to have legs and a rear that were going to be badly chafed. The once-muddy road had turned back into damp clay-slightly slippery, but not a sloppy mess. The rain had turned first to drizzle, and then to mist, as the Defalkan force had struggled westward. Now the mist had gotten finer, but the process had occurred slowly over almost ten deks of muddy and slippery roads.

The lower legs of the mounts were mud-splattered as well, and Anna knew that grooming Farinelli would be a long ch.o.r.e. The sorceress peered more intently at the indistinct light that had to be the sun trying to break through the clouds.

Then she smiled. ”See... there's a rainbow! We're almost out of it.”

Riding to her right, Kinor laughed.

Beside him, Jimbob murmured, ”I'm ready for the rain to end. I was ready for it deks back.”

”We might get somewhere dry before it gets dark.” Anna remembered to take another swallow of water, and more of the cheese from the food pouch. She had to keep eating, because there was still far too much left undone, and it would remain undone unless she did it. That was becoming all too clear. She managed to push down another mouthful of cheese, swallowing with difticulty, despite her memory of the mirror image Liende had shown her.

Shortly, another scout trotted through the mist from the west to report to Hanfor. Even from ten yards away, Anna could see the arms commander's smile.

”Hanfor looks pleased,” observed Kinor.

Anna nodded, waiting as the arms commander turned his mount and eased his way toward the sorceress, and Kinor and Jimbob.

”The scouts say that the Nesereans remain encamped where they have been. The ground is dry another two deks ahead. Denguic is almost ten deks beyond where we would stop. Everyone is tired-you most of all. To go on would risk danger to all.” Hanfor's eyes were intent on the sorceress as he spoke.

Anna surrendered. ”As long as it's dry-that's fine. We can manage another two deks.” She had to admit that even her cot sounded wonderful, and she wasn't sure she'd felt that tired in a long time. ”And as long as it will be all right for the lancers.”

”Everyone will be better just ahead than back in the rain,” Hanfor said. ”But we all need rest.”

That Anna definitely knew. She nodded soberly.

97.

Anna woke bolt upright at dawn, at the first hint of grayness coloring the dingy silk of her tent, mumbling to herself ”Have to get to those lancers.... have to.”

She found herself s.h.i.+vering-and that hadn't happened very often in Defalk. Her breath steamed in the tent, and she shuddered from under her blanket into her clothes and her jacket. Then came the boots, but donning them took longer because her fingers were cold, and the leather felt stiff.

When she did stand up, her shoulders and neck were sore. After stepping over to the camp table, she slid out the traveling mirror and looked down into it. Herface was still pale, but without the sickly flush of the previous day. And the circles under her eyes weren't quite so p.r.o.nounced, but her cheeks were still hollow. ”You need to eat more.”

Eating more was always a problem, first, because Avery had always been on her about her weight, and, now, because field rations were always short. she always feel guilty about stuffing herself. Putting off the eating question, she slipped toward the entry panel to the tent to reclaim the bucket of water. Outside, in the predawn grayness, a thin rime of frost covered everything, but there wasn't a film of ice on the water, anyway.

Bersan and Lejun were the duty guards. ”Regent.”

”Good morning.” she said as she reclaimed the bucket.

”Good morning, Lady Regent Commander Hanfor, he didn't expect you'd be up so early,” Lejun said.

”I'd like to see him and the chief player in a bit, if you'd get word to them,”

Anna said.

Someone else had been watching her tent. Kinor came charging with a basket, the same one he'd been bringing every morning, except this one was clearly overstuffed. ”Mm-the chief player said you needed to eat as much of this as you could.”

”I'll try, Kinor.” Anna managed to keep from smiling at the young man's almost inadvertent mention of the chief player as his mother. The sorceress slipped the bucket inside the tent, then took the basket, noting that besides two loaves of bread, there were several apples, two wedges of cheese, and two hard-looking biscuits.

She began with a chunk of bread and some cheese, and a bite of the firmer apple.

Then she washed her face, wincing at the chill of the water, but deciding against any sorcery that wasn't absolutely necessary. The recollection of the hollowness of her cheeks strengthened that resolve. Alternating food and her minimal field toiletries, she found she had finished a loaf and a half of bread, both cheese wedges, and an apple by the time she was halfway presentable.

She had no more pulled back the tent flap to signify that she was ready to see people when Hanfor appeared, followed closely by Liende.

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