"That may have been true, but Lord Jearle has made no effort to defend those marches. He avoided Lord Behlem's forces and Rabyn's," the sorceress stated.

"He could not attack twentyscore Neserean lancers-or more," Nelmor said.

"I believe the Lord of Dubaria had more to lose, and yet he made an effort,"

Anna pointed out with a smile. "And be didn't have the t.i.tle of Lord of the Western Marches. Or the high walls and the golds from fertile lands."

"Lord Jearle would scarce take that well."

Anna nodded. "He would not, and I won't say anything to anyone until I've resolved matters with Lord Jearle. If he has no strong objections, would you consider it?"

"I would be honored, but I would not accept such an honor if it brought greater strife to Defalk."

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness and concerns, and I won't put you in that position." Especially not after what my failures cost you and your sister already. "We can't do much, anyway, until after we fight Rabyn."

"That is most true." Nelmor bowed. "I appreciate that you think so highly of me and of Dubaria." He laughed. "Though such an honor may come more dearly than one might wish."

"All honors do," Anna riposted, "including being Regent of Defalk."

Nelmor smiled. "By your leave, Regent."

Anna nodded, waiting until she was sure that the tall lord was well away from the tent. Now...for Falar.

Stepping out into the chill mist that had remained although it was approaching midday, she glanced around. "Lejun... Bersan... have you seen Kinor?"

"He was here but a moment ago," answered Lejun.

"Lady Anna?" Kinor trotted up from behind the tent. "Were you seeking me? Jimbob and I were studying the maps with Overcaptain Himar."

"I was wondering if you could find Falar for me?"

"He was down by the south tielines, above the stream. I can see if he is still there." With a smile, the redhead was off.

Anna went back to trying to recraft the defective spell, but had only managed to write and cross out the last line twice before Falar was announced by Lejun.

"You sought me, Lady Anna?" Falar peered into the tent."I did." Anna stood and motioned for him to enter. "You know that we'll be attacking the Nesereans before long. Certainly, within a few days. Have the arrangements that Hanfor has made worked out for you?"

"Your arms commander is very thorough, and we have benefited from his advice and from his armorer."

"Without Hanfor, strengthening Defalk would have been much harder." Anna hadn't even known that Hanfor had found an armorer, but she didn't smile at her arms commander's resourcefulness.

"I can offer but twoscore armsmen, not all proper lancers, even," Falar said.

"We will all fight." He paused. "Hanfor has suggested that I act as one of your captains, between him and Himar."

"If Hanfor asked, he feels you can do the job," Anna said.

"It is foolish." Falar inclined his head. "Yet wisdom is foolish too."

"At times," Anna agreed. "Lord Hanfor has suggested that your brother has remained within his walls even though the Mansuuran lancers ranged across his lands." The regent waited for a response.

"Worse than that." Falar snapped out the words, "The pigs have seized near-on a half-score of girls to pleasure that beast-and burned the dwellings and shops of any who opposed them. Yet Ustal has done nothing. He has not even recompensed the tradesmen for their losses."

Anna forced herself to ignore Falar's priorities. At least, the young man had some sense of outrage for the fate of the poor girls. "No one told me this. Not about the girls." From what she'd known of the young Prophet's parents, she wasn't surprised at Rabyn's actions, but she could feel her anger rising. But this world gets you angry all the time.

"My brother the lord remains behind his wails. He will do so until he can sally forth and triumph without danger."

Put that way, Ustal's actions made sense-for Ustal. "That would seem prudent,"

Anna said. "It's hard on the people, but it's prudent."

Falar glanced at Anna strangely, as though he could not believe her words.

"Is it prudent for me to plan an attack against nearly two-hundred-score armsmen with twentyscore?" asked Anna dryly.

"If you are a sorceress, lady." Falar bowed.

"If I am a successful sorceress," she corrected.

A smile crossed the would-be lord's face. "Success makes wise men of fools, and failure fools of wise men."

How true, and which will you be? Anna inclined her head. "Thank you again for coming, Falar. I will find some way to reward you and your men." She paused. "I may not change the succession of Fussen, but I do repay loyalty."

"All have said that." He grinned. "I cannot say I hoped for aught else."

Anna returned the infectious smile. "You may go. you scoundrel.""By your leave, sorceress and Regent."

"You have my leave."

She shook her head after he departed. Falar was a scoundrel. but she usually read people right, and he was an honest scoundrel, and that was a great improvement over his brother. And most of the lord, of the Thirty-three.

Her eyes fell to the stacks of brown paper, and the spells she had yet to finish adapting. With a long deep breath, she pulled up the stool and sat beck down at the camp table.

85.

NORTH OF FUSSEN, DEFALK.

The Prophet of Music sits on a gilded straight-backed chair set before the table covered in blue linen. Nubara stands at Rabyn's left shoulder. To the left of the cloaked Mansuuran overcaptain and to the right of the Prophet are guards in blue, two on each side. All four guards watch as a slender brown-haired overcaptain in the maroon of Mansuur enters the large pavilion tent.

After brushing his boots, Relour steps forward on the carpet, then stops, and bows. "You requested my presence, Prophet Rabyn, and Hand of the Liedfuhr." With the last words, his head inclines to Nubara.

"We did," Rabyn replies. "The sorceress gathers her forces. She will attack soon. She has never been slow to act. The Dark-song drums are ready. How have you prepared?"

"We stand ready, but it is most unlikely that the Regent of Defalk will soon press an attack. Half those lancers rode in yesterday, and their mounts are tired, sire."

"She has been in her camp several days. So have many of her lancers. She doesn't need lancers and mounts for sorcery," Rabyn says, an edge to his voice.

"Nor do you, sire, but should sorcery prove wanting, or take longer, you need the lancers to hold the lines and take the flght to the enemy. You seek the best from your wiser officers, and so does the sorceress. She is known for that. Her officers will not wish to fight with tired mounts."

"You may be correct, but it will go ill with you if she attacks soon, and your lancers are unprepared."

"The Mansuuran lancers have yet to be caught unaware, sire. The Sorceress of Defalk will not do so."

"Good. You may go."

"As you wish. Good day, sire... Hand of the Liedfubr." Relour bows and retires.

When the tent flap is closed, Rabyn turns in the gilded chair. "Have you found another wench, Nubara?"

"Not a willing one, honored Prophet." Nubara shivers within the heavy maroon woolen cloak. "The guards had to use your potion. She is in your tent, tied to the camp bed, as you requested."

Rabyn's eyes glitter. "Is she clean?"

"She has been bathed, ma.s.saged with rose oil, and anointed with perfume.""Is that a scratch upon your neck, Nubara? I trust you did not pleasure yourself before your ruler enjoyed himself."

"No, most mighty Prophet. The girl's body is as we found her." Nubara laughs bitterly. "Your other potions have a.s.sured that you have no fear from me."

"That is as it should be"

Nubara's eyes turn hard and glitter, but Rabyn has already turned his attention to the goblet of amber wine he has poured.

"I wonder if this one will choose to do as I wish," muses the young Prophet. "Or if I will have to enjoy her in other ways." He turns his head in Nubara's direction. "What do you think, Nubara?"

"It would not be for me to say, honored Prophet." Nubara's eyes do not meet Rabyn's. "I would suggest that you leave her gagged until you are certain of her... inclination."

"You are so delicate, Nubara!" Rabyn laughs, cruelly. "I will take care not to let her upset your Mansuuran lancers. Or anyone else." He lifts the silver goblet.

86.

The walls of the tent rippled in the cool wind, glanced up from where she sat on the camp stool, studying the spells, again, trying to ensure that she had the words firmly in her mind. She'd still carry the written words in her belt wallet just in case, but she thought she had them down. You'd better. Just try to read them in the dark by candlelight.

She'd used the mirror twice, but the Neserean camp remained the same, and she certainly didn't want to look at Rabyn again. At the thought of what she'd seen, she could feel her heart racing, and her anger rising. No wonder people got angry at absolute monarchs! That a youth barely past p.u.b.erty could be so s.a.d.i.s.tic with a girl!

She made a deliberate effort to unclench her jaw, then rubbed her forehead. She ma.s.saged the back of her neck with her right hand, concentrating on relaxing her breathing. After a time, she stood, deciding against snuffing the single candle in the short gla.s.s mantle before slipping from the tent. She stopped immediately outside the tent, between Rickel and Fielmir. The cool breeze was calming.

The earlier clouds had lifted into a high haze, and the twilight was already chill. Most of the lancers around the cook-fires wore their tunics and wool jackets. The sorceress wore a jacket, but it wasn't fastened, and she wasn't cold, despite the stiff breeze out of the north. Kinor and Jimbob stepped toward her from the nearer cookfire, which served Anna and the officers.

"Have you eaten, Lady Anna?" asked Kinor.

"I ate a little while ago." She'd had to force down the fatty mutton, and it had taken nearly half a loaf of heavy bread, but she had imagined Jecks telling her to eat more, except the handsome lord would just have looked at her and gotten the idea across without a single word.

"It's greasy," said Jimbob."Everything cooked in the field is probably greasy or charred or too hot or too cold," suggested Kinor.

Anna smiled faintly. "Not always, but often." She looked at Fielmir. "Is Kinor right?"

'The food here is better than in many camps," answered the guard.

"But it's less than wonderful," Anna responded with a laugh. She found herself walking away from the tent, realizing that Rickel followed and Lejun appeared from somewhere to join Rickel. She shook her head, and turned back. You're nervous, that's all.

"How soon will we fight the Prophet?" asked Jimbob.

"We'll have to be up early tomorrow. Very early." Anna eased back toward her tent, stopping close enough that the guards wouldn't be following her every step. "Then we'll see how things look."

"Have you seen anything in the mirror, Lady Anna?" Jimbob pressed.

"The Nesereans aren't moving. Not yet, anyway" She offered a smile. "Tomorrow well see."

Anna could see Hanfor walking from cookfire to cookfire, inspecting each, talking briefly to the cooks or subofficers, and then moving on. She knew where Hanfor had to be headed, but the deliberation with which he inspected each fire and talked with those there made his approach seem almost as if it were happenstance and a part of some elaborate and long-established procedure, just another routine. She appreciated the calming impact of his efforts, wishing she felt as calm as the veteran looked.

As Hanfor left the nearest cookflre, Kinor nudged Jimbob, then took the younger redhead's arm. "Let's see if there's more"

Anna smiled as Kinor hurried Jimbob away, watching as Hanfor eased toward her tent.

"Lady Anna." Hanfor bowed, then stepped up toward her.

Anna motioned for him to enter the tent. then stepped inside. She would have held the entry panel for him, but Hanfor-like Jecks-just would have taken the panel from her to allow her to enter first.

"Are we ready?" she asked.

"All your lancers stand prepared. Have you scried anything new?" His eyes went to the cased mirror resting on the end of the camp cot. then back to Anna.

"Nothing's changed." Her mouth twisted. "Except that... pervert... is abusing some poor girl.... It makes me want to attack now."

"Do you think such is his scheme?" questioned the commander.

Anna shook her head. "That's the way he is."

"Poor Neserea..." Hanfor smiled sadly. "Never would I have thought myself better off serving the ruler of Defalk."

"Maybe things will change after tomorrow.""Not if the Liedfuhr would have his way." Hanfor stopped, as if cutting off all thoughts about the Liedfuhr. "I will lead the most skilled lancers to support you. The rest will remain two deks back on the road. Himar will hold those."

"What about Falar? Can his men be trusted?"

"He and half of them will be beside me, but I did not tell him the plan. I told him that we would start early and' that you had requested that he and the best half of his armsmen accompany you and me."

"How did he take that?"