Anna wished he could hold her, if but for a moment. Instead, she stiffened. "We will have much to do tomorrow." Too much... like every other day.

65.

Anna stood beside the ash-dusted steps that led to the ruined main dwelling. She looked down the slight rise toward the half-ruined stables and barracks and the meadow beyond where her lancers had camped. Blaz and Lejun stood perhaps a yard behind her, with Jecks beside her. A raw cool wind blew out of the east, in surging gusts, as if presaging a cold rain, but the clouds were thin and high.

In the light of a gray morning, the hold looked even worse than the night before, and Anna didn't feel as though she had slept either well or long enough.

Her eyes burned; her head still ached, even after forcing herself to eat; and her nose itched from something, perhaps from grooming and saddling Farinelli, or from the fine ash that was everywhere, so much that she almost wanted to tear at her face. Her riding clothes bore spots of blood that she hadn't noticed before.

She moistened her lips as she watched her chief player walk slowly up the lane toward her.

Jecks did not speak, though his eyes also surveyed the devastation, and far larger patches of blood stained his tunic.Liende stopped and bowed. "Lady Anna?" The chief player straightened, her tunic smeared with ash, one sleeve bearing a splotch of blood.

"How are you doing this morning?"

"We were fortunate. Delvor has a bruise on one leg, and Duralt and Palian have small cuts on their arms. They can still play."

"How about you?"

A wintry smile appeared, and Liende's freckled face appeared younger for a moment. "I have seen worse."

Anna nodded. "Could you and the players manage a spell this morning? After last night?"

"One... that we can do... or two, if it be the same spell."

"Depending on how they feel, we might repeat it for the stables and barracks. If everyone feels strong enough."

"Players play." Liende bowed slightly. "I will gather them." Just like you...

she's another woman who had no idea where things would lead, but she's not exactly happy about it all. Then, in Liende's shoes-or boots-Anna wouldn't have been all that happy either.

"You must rebuild it now?" asked Jecks once Liende was beyond earshot.

"Yes."

'There is no lord to hold it."

"Lady Herene will take it and refurnish it to her taste. I think one of the older fosterlings, perhaps Ytrude, can replace her at Suhl."

"Lady Herene?" Jecks frowned, as if attempting to recall the name.

"I don't think you ever met her. She was Gatrune's sister.

She's the ward for Sargol's heirs, but she's the only relative of Gatrune I'd trust here, and a lady will be replaced by a lady. Especially here." Anna found her voice getting harsh, and she softened it. "I'm not angry at you."

"You are angry," Jecks pointed out.

"I am angry," she admitted. "But that won't change anything."

"You wish to change Defalk within seasons, and most do not wish change. Yet you are angry that they will not accept such."

"They want to live, don't they? They'd rather not be under the Evult's iron fist. Or Behlem's." Anna shrugged, feeling how tight her shoulders were from all the tension she carried.

"They'd have to change one way or the other. This way would be easier."

"My lady, they do not see it. Nor do most of the lords."

"I know." Anna sighed. "I know""You must do what you can," Jecks added. "Some have come to see, and others will."

"We need to talk to Himar." Anna looked toward Blaz. 'Would you please ask Overcaptain Himar if he could spare a moment?"

"Yes, Lady Anna."

Anna looked at Jecks. "I'm going to ask him who should remain here-I'd like Skent to do it... but he'd need an experienced senior armsman or undercaptain with him."

"Young Skent... that would be good. He is loyal, and he will live longer here."

Anna tried not to wince. Was anyone who followed her doomed to injury or death?

Was it that bad?

"My lady...in this world, any who must bear arms risk death. You save more than other leaders, but you cannot expect to preserve them all."

Why not?

Himar walked briskly up from the stable area, followed discreetly by Blaz.

"You had inquired after me, Regent?"

"Himar, before we leave this morning, I'm going to use a spell to try to rebuild the hold here, and then the stables and barracks. We'll need to leave a company to hold it and support the next lady when she arrives."

Himar nodded. "You would suggest young Skent and some other undercaptain he can rely upon?"

"I had thought so, but I haven't told anyone because I wanted to talk to you first." Anna's eyes went to Jecks. "Except Lord Jecks."

The overcaptain smiled. "Again, Lady Anna, I am glad a what you understand."

"After last night?" Anna almost snorted.

"Regent," Himar said soberly, "in all lands in Defalk there are uprisings.

Without you and your sorcery, many more would have died. Armsmen live with death, but we do not welcome it. Those who have seen battles would have you over any ruler in Liedwahr."

"About Skent?" Jecks prompted, clearly sensing Anna's discomfort.

"I would spare Jirsit to advise him. He has seen every battle since you became Regent, and has served well."

Anna understood. Jirsit could stand a respite, and Skent listened to Jirsit.

"I would also like to move some lancers between companies-a few older men for stability, and a few who might best serve with more training from them."

"I'll leave the arrangements to you, Himar."

'Thank you, Regent." Himar inclined his head. "By your leave?"

"Thank you, Himar." She turned to Jecks. "What do you think?" Then she laughed, softly. "That's backwards. I should have asked before I acted.""You do what you think will be best, not always what will be easily accepted at first." Jecks smiled crookedly, but warmly. 'Those who have followed you still remain willingly, and few rulers who fight battles can say such."

"Thank you. I hope they won't be too disappointed." She tried to clear her throat. "I need to warm up before the players get here, or I'll be the one holding things up."

"I will see that all is ready for our departure, my lady."

"Thank you," she repeated.

Warming up took Anna a long time. Jecks had returned, accompanied by Jimbob and Kinor. All three stood back to give her s.p.a.ce, and the players were all gathered and tuning when Anna was finally warmed up. She looked toward Liende.

"We stand ready," replied the chief player.

The sorceress nodded, then began to sing as the melody and simple harmony rose from the gathered players.

Replace all stones and set them new and strong so this hold will stand both firm and long.

Replace what once was timber with steel to last, leaving but doors and shutters.

Silvered mist seeped up from the ground or coalesced from somewhere, shrouding the ruined hall even before Anna had completed the second line of the spell. In the back of her mind, she could tell the players were tired, because the accompaniment was hanging on the edge as she finished the spell.

Then, after a rumbling and a shuddering of the ground, the faintest chord of harmony shimmered and echoed from somewhere, vanishing as the mist dissipated and left a pristine-appearing hall that replaced the burned-out walls and fallen roof. Anna blinked, then smiled, hoping that her visualization of the hall and the idea of girders or I-beams or whatever they were would suffice over the years ahead, but she couldn't afford anything that verged on Darksong, not the way she felt.

Kinor nodded in approval, but Jimbob's face was pale, and the heir swallowed as he looked from Anna to his grandsire's impa.s.sive features.

Liende lowered the clarinetlike woodwind and stepped toward the Regent.

"How do you feel?" asked the sorceress.

"We could do another, Regent." A faint smile cracked the chief player's lips.

"We will do it better."

"Then we should turn and face the ruins of the stable," Anna suggested.

The second spell was smoother, and resulted in an immaculate stable and a barracks standing where the former structures had been.

Despite the cool wind, Anna found herself blotting her forehead, and gratefully accepting the water bottle that Jocks extended. After drinking almost half of it, she returned it. "Thank you."

'That was better," Liende informed the players. "Much better. Now... prepare to ride. We leave shortly." She stepped toward Anna."It was better, but Lady Herene will have to rebuild the rest of the holding herself."

"Most lords would not begin with so impressive a hold," Jecks observed with a laugh. "She will have no cause to complain."

"I hope not." And you hope she doesn't blame you for her sister's death. "Thank you, Liende." She raised her voice. "Thank you all."

As the players slipped away to pack up instruments, Anna turned back to Jecks.

"You made sure the messengers took those scrolls to Lady Herene and to Dythya and Menares? Ytrude will need to get to Suhl before Herene can leave."

"Both riders left before you began the first spell. I sent an escort with each."

'Thank you. I should have thought of that." But there was always something she should have thought about. Anna looked to the gray clouds that rumbled out of the north. "We need to get back to Falcor... and then to Denguic... or Dubaria."

"Perhaps we shall be able to go to Fussen," Jecks said.

Anna raised her eyebrows.

"You did suggest to Arms Commander Himar that it would not hurt to involve Lord Ustal." Jecks smiled ironically. "Your gla.s.s showed Hanfor riding south."

Anna laughed. "Maybe he can. If anyone could..."

They began to walk down the steps, still ash-dusted, from the new and silent hold, which Anna had no desire to inspect, toward their waiting mounts.

Once she had mounted Farinelli, she eased the gelding aside to where Skent and Jirsit stood. "Undercaptain Skent, as Overcaptain Himar has told you, you and Undercaptain Jirsit will hold these lands until the Lady Herene arrives, and then you will serve her bidding until she has determined her own staff and holdings."

"Yes, Regent." Skent nodded, a calm expression that rea.s.sured Anna.

Anna smiled and looked at Jirsit. "Himar thinks highly of you, and I appreciate your willingness to advise and a.s.sist Skent." Her eyes went back to the younger undercaptain. She lowered her voice, pitched only so the two could hear. "Skent, I charge you with learning everything you possibly can from Undercaptain Jirsit, from improving your skill at arms to every detail about training and leading lancers and armsmen."

To his credit, Skent did not pale or flush. "I know I still have much to learn, and I will do my best."

"Good." Anna paused. "You may be here some time." She paused. "You have the golds necessary for supplies?"

"Yes, lady." Both undercaptains nodded.

"Thank you both." Anna looked at Skent. "Learn everything you can from Jirsit, Skent. Everything."

"Yes, Lady Anna." Skent met Anna's eyes, then added, "If you would explain... in Falcor."

"I will, and try not to worry." Anna smiled, knowing exactly what worried Skent, or rather who worried him. Still... he's come a long way from the worried pagewhose father had just been killed. She turned Farinelli back toward Himar and Jecks.

"Scouts, forward!"

With Himar's first command, Anna and the fivescore or fewer of her party began the ride back to Falcor and whatever awaited her there.