Part 77 (1/2)
The road toward Dumaria was empty except for Anna's force-and the tracks that showed horses, carts, and people fleeing the terrible sorceress of Defalk. Then, every road in Dumar had been empty, the same way. Anna wanted to scream-again.
The few farming cots visible from the road were silent, shutters tight.
Anna wondered if poor souls hunkered in fright inside, stifling in the heat. She also wondered what tales had been told about her. Not even a stray dog was in evidence.
Ahead in the distance along the flat road were a pair of white marbled gates, each gate nearly ten yards high. The gates connected to no walls, no ditches; no earthworks. Behind the gates, the road angled to the right and wound up a low slope. On the slope were trees and at least a few large dwellings. On the top of the hill was a line of trees bearing leaves of intense green, and from behind the trees rose the white marbled palace that Anna had scried often enough in seeking Lord Ehara.
”Impressive,” she murmured.
”Lord Ehara and his forbearers were not known to stint on their comforts,” said Hanfor. ”But Dumar is a richer land than Defalk, if smaller. The scouts have found no sign of armsmen, and the roads to the city are deserted.”
”Not quite,” said Jecks. ”There's someone waiting up there.”
Anna squinted in the bright light, following Jecks' gesture.
Three mounted figures under pale blue banners waited on the road, several hundred yards ahead, and a half dek outside the north gates to Dumaria.
”Break out the ensign,” ordered Hanfor. ”All guards to the fore! Blades at the ready!”
Anna twisted in the saddle. ”Players stand ready.” She eased her lutar out of its case, and held it one handed, across her thighs as she rode south toward Dumnar.
”They seem unarmed,” Jecks observed, 'and no one is near.”
The Defalkan force rode slowly, easing to a stop a good fifty yards from the trio.
”Lady Anna, Sorceress and Regent of Defalk. Know that we supplicate you.” The words came from the rider on the right, a slender man with a pencil-thin mustache and equally-wispy ginger hair. ”Know that we understand that nothing can stand before you should you decide to destroy Dumaria for its error and wickedness in attacking your lands....”
”Who are you,” asked Hanfor brusquely, ”to make such an offer?”
”We are of the merchants' council. All the lords have departed, fearing your wrath. We, alas, dare not depart. Be merciful, we beg of you. The city lies open to you.” The ginger-haired man bowed in the saddle.
”We will see.” Anna's voice was as cold as the day was hot and steamy. Dumar brought this upon itself by attempting to create rebellion in Defalk.”
”We had nothing to do with that, lady and sorceress, nothing at all.”
”We'll see,” Anna repeated, rather than say what was on her mind. No one ever had anything to do with anything when things went wrong. It was never the students' fault that they didn't study. It was never the lords' fault that they plotted. It was never the merchants' fault that they profited from war.
”Be merciful, we beg,” echoed the merchant on the left, a figure with greasy black hair and oily skin.
”What of Lord Ehara?” asked Jecks.
”He and his armsmen have fled along the Envar River road.” The squat man in the middle, whose face was wreathed in sweat, swallowed. ”He said that you would spare the defenseless.”
”As long as they swear allegiance to Defalk and the Regency,” said Anna. ”As long as they do not attack me or my armsrnen.
All three men's heads bobbed. ”That will not happen, lady and sorceress. All have seen your might.”
It wouldn't happen immediately, they meant. Anna didn't intend for it to happen ever-or not for a long time.
'We will lead you to the palace. It, too, stands open to you.”
”In a moment,” Annna said. ”In a moment.” She dismounted and took out the mirror and lutar-letting Jecks help her.
Then she quickly sang the danger spell, accompanying herself with the lutar.
”Show from Dumar, danger to fear, all the threats to me bright and clear...”
The mirror showed a single image, that of the Sea-Priest in white, riding beside Lord Ehara, with the flat silver of a river to their left..
Anna sang the release couplet.
”Still, you must take care,” cautioned Jecks.
”Hanfor?” asked Anna.
”I would that one company precede you and two follow immediately. Put the merchants in the middle, but ahead of you with guards behind them.”
”Set it up the way you think is best.” Anna offered a quick smile.
”Green company! To the fore! Arms ready!”
The three merchants winced nearly simultaneously as the armsmen rode around them and formed up.
They winced again to find themselves surrounded by guards.
The column pa.s.sed through the open gates.
Like the road leading into Dumaria, the winding avenue that climbed to the north side of the palace past large and inipressive homes was also empty. Anna looked across a small park-like s.p.a.ce, past a fountain where water still jetted from a spray of marble flowers into a scallop-shaped pond. Around the pond was a garden, where small yellow flowers alternated with larger purple blooms. A faint scent of something like lavender reached Anna with a vagrant breeze that died as quickly as it had risen.
The iron gates, bearing some heraldic symbol, were closed, as were those of the houses above and below.
Not a soul appeared on any of the well-trimmed grounds.
”Those with coins have left.” said Alvar from where he rode in front of Anna.
”With their coins,” muttered Rickel.
”And everything else,” murmured Fhurgen beneath his breath.
Anna silently agreed, but studied the road, ready to use the lutar at any provocation.
When the road leveled out on the hilltop, the houses ended, and another arched iron gate straddled the road another hundred yards south. The gate was open.
”That is the palace. It is yours. Lady Siobion stands ready to offer every courtesy.” babbled the squat Du- maran. ”Anything you desire. . . just spare what remains of Dumaria, we beg of you.”
”It could not hurt to spare the city,” said Hanfor with a wry smile. ”If it acknowledges you as sovereign.”
Anna understood. There was nothing to be gained now by sacking Ebara' s city, or what was left of it, except angering the common people. Ehara had certainly taken the majority of armsmen, and probably all the gold he could gather.
She knew she was filthy, tired, hungry, and wanted the d.a.m.ned war to be over, and it didn't look like it ever would end. First, she'd have to ensure the capital was somehow loyal, and then chase down Ehara, and if they survived that, pacify, through visiting and using the mirror to seek out hostile armsmen, the big port of Narial, and who knew how many other towns.