Part 64 (1/2)

Birfels shrugged, a faint smile breaking across his ruddy face. ”Lady, I cannot say. When the winds come out of the east in the spring and early summer, it may rain for a week or more. The Sudbergs hold the clouds and the rain melts the snow on the high peaks.

Anna got the picture, or thought she did.

In the chair in the corner, Birke smiled, but remained silent, as though he feared any statement would, call attention to him and result in his dismissal from the de facto meeting of his elders.

Anna wanted to grin, but didn't.

”Ehara, will he cross the Sudbergs in the rain, do you think?” asked Birfels. ”Will the Sturinnese not prompt him to attack now that part of their fleet is beached in the empty Falche?”

”There's some water there,” Anna said. ”We looked in the reflecting pool this afternoon.” Absently, she rubbed her forehead, although the headache from scrying had disappeared quickly, and she'd been fine when she'd groomed Farinelli. She still wondered what was upsetting Farinelli. Ever since her creation of the dam, the big gelding had been edgy. Did he sense her continuing exhaustion, a tiredness that had persisted for all too long? The gelding hadn't been that way at such times before, though. She pursed her lips momentarily. There wasn't much she could do.

”From the Envaryl,” Jecks said. ”Enough to wade in.”

”Ehara and the Sea-Priests will not attack Defalk now,” said Hanfor. ”They will wait until trouble draws Lady Anna elsewhere.” The veteran lifted his shoulders and spread his heads, offering an apologetic smile. ”Only when she is committed in Ebra or against raiders from the High Gra.s.slands of Neserea, only then will they attack.”

”You cannot remain in Abenfel forever,” Birfels said.

”No,” Anna admitted. ”If I attack Dumar, then Ehara can ask for more aid from Sturinn. I wouldn't be surprised if he asked for aid from Mansuur. He's got enough gall. If I don't attack now, or sometime soon, then he'll attack when we can't stop him, like Hanfor said.”

”You do not depict a happy setting.” The Lord of Abenfel frowned. ”You must neglect the rest of Defalk to stop attacks on the south, or you must abandon us....”

”Not yet,” Anna corrected. ”Dumar will not attack even with the Sea-Priests' help, for at least a year.

They will bring more and more armsmen, until Dumar is more like a part of Sturinn.”

”Unless matters change,” added Hanfor.

And they always do, Anna thought, we just don't know how. She stifled a yawn. She was better, but still tired, although she had ridden Farinefli several times in the past week before the downpour had started the day before.

”What will you do, then?” Birfels asked.

”If I had more armsmen, I'd attack Dumar,” Anna said bluntly. ”I don't. We'll wait another week, if you don't mind, to see what develops.”

”And then?”

”We'll see.”

Birfels stroked his chin. ”Ebra?”

”I can't afford to have Konsstin or the Sea-Priests on three borders. So...we need to help out Lord Hadrenn. He's pledged to Defalk.” That doesn't mean I'm going there... not soon.

”Ah...” Birfels nodded. ”You would secure the east, then.”

”At some time,” Hanfor said.

”Hopefully,” Anna corrected. And that's a faint hope, indeed, but all I've got.

She wished that her dam had persuaded Ehara or the Sturinnese to leave, but apparently that hadn't been a great-enough show of force. She repressed a snort. Not enough blood and gore and destruction.

”We will see,” said Jecks.

”Indeed,” added Birfels politely. lifting the wine pitcher. ''Would you care for the good red?”

”Yes,” said Anna, hoping the politics of Regency weren't driving her to alcoholism, even as she lifted the goblet.

IV.

ENDE.

88.

The stallion reared back, silhouetted by the frequent bolts of lightning against the night storm clouds, yanking the rope. The heavy and rough hemp burned Anna's palms raw, sliding somehow around her hands, ripping, slicing the skin, even though she had wound the rope tightly so that she could keep her grip.

The black beast screamed and turned, heading westward. Despite the fire across her hands and the knives stabbing into her head, Anna dug in her heels and stiffened her body.

Still, she felt herself being dragged toward the river, toward the white water that surged only yards from the wild stallion that dragged her toward it, toward the whitecaps that roared more loudly than surf. She couldn't let go of the rope. She couldn't...

THRRUMMM!.

Anna woke with, a jolt, jarred almost bolt upright in the high bed, as if her entire body had been shocked by the force of the lightning strike that had seemed to shake the entire keep of Abenfel.

She blinked, dazed, glancing around the dark room. Nothing moved in her bedchamber. Had it been just a dream? Or some kind of earthquake? Outside, the rain kept splatting against the stones of the keep. What had happened? It couldn't have been just a nightmare, could it?

In slow motion, or so it seemed, she swung out of the bed, and padded to the shutters, easing them open.

Outside, the rain fell in sheets. So thickly that she could see nothing but rain.

She watched for a time, but there were no other flashes or bolts of lightning, only a rumble of thunder that seemed distant, and receding. Then, although she listened for a long time, the only sounds were those of the rain splatting on stone and puddle, on roof and battlement, in big and endless drops. Even in Iowa it hadn't rained so hard for so long.

Finally, she closed the shutters, and yawned, tired as she had been for what seemed weeks on weeks.

She slipped back to her bed, listening for a time as the rain continued to pour down in a soothing waterfall, as it had for the past four days. After what seemed a gla.s.s or longer, she drifted back into an uneasy sleep.

Despite nightmares of rivers and stallions, when she woke, she felt refreshed, more alive, more awake than in days. She padded to the window and opened one shutter. Although the rain had stopped, the gray clouds, while thinning, blocked any direct sunlight. She nodded and headed for the bath chamber.

Barely had she gotten out of the hot bath and dressed, than there was a furious rapping on the door. Anna pulled on her second boot and stood.

”Yes?”

”Lady Anna?”

She recognized Birke' s voice and opened the door.

'The dam...the sorcery... Birke burst out. ”It has...You must see.