Part 61 (2/2)

”I have not spent much time in Synfal... perhaps I should seek Herstat's thoughts on that.” Another pause followed. ”You do not require my answer now, do you, Lady Anna?”

”Heavens, no.”

A squall line of even more intense rain swept over the column, and Anna had to grab her hat to keep it from being blown off her head. More of the cold rain poured down her neck.

Anna hoped it didn't take them too long to get to the unnamed town.

104The column of Defalkan riders rode northward from the town of Cheor along the straight road that bisected the flat fields south of Synfal itself. Anna peered through the foggy mist that had replaced the cold rain of the day before, looking for the low wall of ancient yellow bricks that would show that the keep was but a dek farther north. She had hoped that the mist would dissipate by midday, but it was already early afternoon, and the fog still remained hugging the ground, although, occasionally, she saw patches of blue overhead.

”How much farther, Regent?” asked Falar, riding on the shoulder of the road and calling past Himar, who rode on Anna's left.

”Not more than two or three deks-a dek after we reach the old brick wall.”

”Less than half a dek to the wall,” predicted Jimbob. ”The big ditches running from the one beside the road are about eight hundred yards apart, and there are three small ones between them. I think we pa.s.sed the last big one before the wall and one of the little ones. It can't be that much farther.”

Almost as he finished speaking, Anna could see one of the smaller ditches branching off the big ca.n.a.l to the right of the road. She hid a grin as she asked, ”Are all the ditches laid out like that, Jimbob?”

”Only the ones in the flat here. Herstat made me draw a map of them when I was here last.”

”Why?” asked Falar, easing his mount closer to Jimbob's.

”He said that I should know every rod and furl of my lands.” Jimbob shrugged.

”He had me ride much of the land and draw maps.

”These are your lands, as well... as Falcor, I mean?” Falar's mouth opened.

”Well... I didn't inherit them the way I will Elheld or Falcar,” Jimbob admitted. ”Lord Arkad didn't have any heirs, and he tried to kill Lady Anna, and that meant that his lands were forfeit. Lady Anna is Regent, and she said that they were mine, except they're really not quite yet, not until I'm older, and she and my grandsire and Herstat think I know enough.” Jimbob smiled and inclined his head to Anna. ”That's about right, isn't it?”

”Yes. I thought that one of the problems Lord Barjim had was that he didn't have enough coins to be an effective lord. I didn't want Lord Jimbob to have that problem.”

Falar bowed to Anna, with an appraising look. ”There is much I have not heard, and more I should know.”

”Much more.” suggested Himar, from where he had ridden in front of the three.

”The Regent is more than she seems.”

”There's the wall,” Jimbob said. ”The old one, I mean. Grandsire said it's older than the time of the Suhlmorrans.” He pointed ahead to his left where the yellow bricks of a two-yard-high wall protruded above a low hedgerow that had been trimmed to allow the top of the wall to show.

”It won't be long before we see Synfal,” Anna said.

For a time, none of the riders spoke.

”The banner to the fore!” announced Himar.The lancer with the banner rode around Falar, Jimbob, and Anna and her guards to take station ahead of Himar and the column of riders.

Its weathered yellow-brick walls looming out of the misting rain, sitting on the isolated hill that had to have been the ruins of many earlier strongholds, Synfal looked, more than Anna recalled, like a relic of Defalk's even more violent past-old, scarred, and the site of who knew what unspeakable cruelties.

For Defalk, that's saying a lot.

The crossed spears and crown on the purple banner were hardly visible to Anna, and she doubted that few in the stronghold would see them. The gates stood wide, and what seemed to be half the staff lined the courtyard of the keep and watched as Anna and Jimbob rode through the gates.

”Regent! Lord Jimbob!”

Anna glanced sideways, noting the flush rising in the young lord's face.

”Remember,” she said, ”praise is fleeting. People praised your father, and then Lord Behlem.”

Jimbob jerked in the saddle.

Falar gave Anna a searching look, but did not offer any words.

Anna raised an arm to acknowledge the greetings and whispered to Jimbob. ”Go ahead. Show them you appreciate their greeting. You are the Lord of Synfal. Just remember that greetings can be fickle.”

Jimbob smiled and waved several times, looking around the courtyard as he did.

Then he and Anna rode slowly to the stables.

Bielttro, the young head ostler, stepped out from where he had stood by the stable doors. Wearing what appeared to be the same dark brown trousers and leather vest as he had worn when Anna had first met him. He bowed. ”Regent.”

”Bielttro, how are your stables?”

”I have fixed the roof in the corner, and they are clean and dry.” Bielttro grinned. ”You can see for yourself, Regent Anna.”

”I will.” Anna smiled back, then dismounted and led Farinelli into the stable.

Rickel and Fielmir followed closely, leaving their mounts with the other guards.

”You have the big front stall, as before” Bielttro studied Farinelli. ”He is thinner.”

”We've ridden a lot this fall, from Falcor to Synek, and back to Falcor, then to Denguic, and here. I've tried to get him grain... but it's not always been as much as he needs.”

”He is not too thin, but I will see that there is grain here. I would give him but a third portion, and not until after you have groomed him. And only a little water at first.”

Anna nodded.

”If you will please excuse me, lady' while I see to the others?”

'Please. Farinelli and I will be fine.”

The old stables were dry, and smelled clean, as before, with fresh straw, and a pail of grain had been left beside the manger for Farinelli. Anna smiled, thenunfastened the lutar case, wrapped in oiled canvas in addition to its normal cover, and set it beside the stall wall. Then came the mirror case, and the saddlebags, probably soaked through.

”Big stalls...” murmured Fielmir.

”It's a large keep,” Rickel responded. ”Older and bigger than Falcor.”

Anna finished unsaddling Farinelli, then groomed him, and finally let him have some water, but not too much, before she poured some of the grain into the manger. The gelding whuffed and tossed his head as Anna lifted the bucket.

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