Darksong Rising (39 page)

One depicted a low hill covered with scattered pines with mostly bare ground around each short

tree. The second showed a narrow gorge that appeared almost impassable, so steep that only a

few straggly junipers sprouted out of the reddish rock. The third site was a river flat under a bluff

with evergreens in the background.

None was familiar, but Anna had expected that. That there were sites was encouraging. Now all

you have to do is find them. Her head was throbbing, and every muscle in her body felt tight.

After you eat... . and try to relax a little.

35

 
Anna turned in the saddle, looking out against the early midmorning sun across the river flat

toward the hills that led eastward to the Ostfels, past the lancers and the six heavy wagons that

she had optimistically rented from various crafters and farmers around Mencha. She and Jecks

had finally decided against driving wagons all the way from Falcor. On the south side of the

small river whose name she did not know, but which flowed westward toward the Chean, were

grasslands and scattered herds of sheep. She suspected that the herders owed her rents, but that

was something Halde would have to look into, once he arrived. Once that’s been worked out with

Herstat....

According to the scrying pool at Loiseau, the site was a good thirty deks northeast of Mencha, a

bit less than halfway to Silberfels, and according to the maps in Brill’s study at Loiseau,

definitely on Anna’s lands.

Anna dismounted on a knoll a good thirty yards east of the river, and the players followed her

example. Jecks, Himar, and the lancers remained mounted.

The white-haired lord stood in his stirrups, then settled down. “There is no one else in sight.”

“Worried?” asked Anna.

“If you succeed... yes, I will be worried. Gold-bearing wagons far from a hold are scarce little to

sneeze at.”

“There aren’t any armsmen near,” she pointed out as she handed Farinelli’s reins to Kerhor, who

had remained mounted. “I checked that before we left Loiseau.”

“For that I am glad.”

“So am I.” Anna offered a crooked smile as she turned and began a last series of vocalises as the

players tuned.

When the tuning died away, Liende glanced toward the Regent.

“The searching song,” Anna nodded to Liende.

“The searching song. On my mark... Mark!”

Anna stood on the knoll, thinking, Just a hundred bars or ingots. She concentrated on visualizing

those bars, stacked on the open ground to the right of the players, as she began the spell.

Search, search, search the ground

deeply all around,

verily, verily, verily,

gold will here be found....

The ground shivered, noticeably, and several horses whuffed uneasily, even before Anna started

into the second stanza of the spell.

Bring, bring, bring the gold,

straightly here to mold,

verily, verily, verily....

As she neared the end of the spell, the ground began to heave, and she forced herself to

concentrate on finishing while struggling to maintain her balance. A series of strobelike lights

flashed overhead and seemed to knife into the ground near the players, lights so bright that the

fall sun seemed dint After the strobes came a hot wind, nearly blistering.

Then, the unseen harp of harmony strummed the chords of the afternoon with an intricate

chording that only Anna sensed and heard—that she’d discovered from experience. In the sky to

the east, over the Ostfels, clouds appeared where none had been, quickly expanding and

darkening as they rose even higher into the heavens.

Thurmmmm... Thunder rolled across the sky and rumbled over the river flat.

Anna sank onto the hot ground, barely sitting up, and only marginally conscious of the rising

wind and the lightning and thunder to the east Her eyes burned, and her head throbbed. She

looked up dully as Jecks eased his mount beside her and handed down a water bottle.

“You must drink,” he insisted.

She took the bottle... and a long swallow... before or speaking. “Did we get any gold?”

“Look there.” Jecks laughed and gestured beyond the players, most of whom were sitting in

positions similar to Anna’s. “More than enough. You have mayhap a hundred bars or so.”

“A hundred,” Anna said, half-wondering. “Would you go see... if they’re gold.”

Nodding, Jecks eased his mount away from Anna. She took another long swallow from the water

bottle, and the worst of the headache faded ever so slightly. Not only does spellsinging drain you,

but it dehydrates you as well.

She found she had almost drained the water bottle by the time Jecks again reined up beside her.

“There are indeed a hundred,” he announced quietly, bending down from the saddle. “Each of

the bars weighs more than a stone, and yet they are barely two spans long. It will take all six

wagons to carry them.”

Gold was heavy, Anna recalled, but how heavy had eluded her. She wanted to shake her head,

but tried to keep her mind on the necessary. “If you would have them start loading the

wagons...?"

“I have already. I have young Skent watching the loading and counting. We should make prudent

haste for Loiseau.” Jecks frowned. “You will need a strongroom there.”

‘There is one, I think.” Anna slowly stood and walked toward Liende.

The chief player, cleaning her horn, glanced up. “Regent?”

“Good work. There will be a special bonus of two golds for each of them, and five for you.”

“Ah... two golds?” Liende swallowed.

Doesn’t anyone reward anyone around here? “Isn’t that fair?” asked Anna, adding guilelessly,

she hoped, “A lot of this will have to pay for roads and armsmen, but the players should have

some.”

“Never have any players received golds such as that,” Liende pointed out.

“Good. If you would tell them... but they won’t get them until after we get back to Loiseau.”

Liende smiled. “I would be most happy to tell them.” Anna took Farinelli’s reins from Kerhor

and slowly mounted the gelding, her legs so wobbly that she had to pull herself up as much as

use her legs. Once mounted, she eased the gelding up beside Jecks.

“Never would I have suspected such use of sorcery..." Jecks frowned. “Yet... one cannot pay in

bars of gold.”

“No . . . but if I can drag gold out of the ground, I can turn bars of gold into coins.” After a

moment, she added, “I hope.” Always hoping... but someday that hope won’t work out. Just trust

that it won’t be too soon.

Would the hundred bars or ingots be enough? Sitting limply in the saddle as the ten lancers

loaded the bars into the wagons, Anna hoped so... and that she could indeed turn bars into coins.

More hope...

36

Anna forced herself to finish the loaf of bread and the last wedge of cheese set on the wooden

platter beside her in what once had been Brill’s scrying room. That left one loaf of bread. The

spell to mine and refine the gold had cost her weight—and strength—that she couldn’t afford to

lose.

Feeling the pressure of the food she needed and didn’t want, she burped quietly, instinctively

looking around. She had to smile at her foolishness, but she’d been brought up to believe that

ladies never burped. Even when they’re staffing themselves with heavy food to survive.

She took another swallow of cool water, welcome in the warmth of the scrying room, then set the

mug down on the table.

Her eyes went to the scroll that had just arrived by messenger from Lord Dannel of Mossbach.

She picked it up again, her eyes going over the words.

".... understand you have done much for Defalk... but you must understand that you have treated

my son less kindly than I would treat a serving maid. You have dismissed him because he cannot

master numbers he will never employ and because he would not defer to those of lower birth.

You have denied him the right to an honorable consort.... Such actions may hold beyond the mist

worlds, but no lord of Defalk would gainsay my right to withhold liedgeld for such unacceptable

behavior. I will not do so, in recognition of your efforts on behalf of the Thirty-three, but I would

like the honored customs of Defalk restored and respected...

Lord Dannel was angry—but angry enough to suggest withholding liedgeld—because of a

spoiled and thickheaded idiot who was his son? Anna shook her head. Almost all parents were

protective, but Dannel’s actions reminded her of the worst of those she had encountered as a

teacher. The chauvinistic worst.

She’d have to draft some sort of placating response that suggested that Hoede was the honorable

son of an honorable father whose talents did indeed lie elsewhere, but that honor on the part of

Mossbach and honor on the part of Abenfel did not necessitate drawing two youngsters into a

consortship both would regret....

She sighed. “Or something like that,” she murmured, looking down at the ten bars of gold

stacked beside the table, and she sludied the blocks of gold—or bars—or ingots. Then she bent

and lifted the topmost. That took two hands, even though the bar was only two spans long. After

holding it briefly, she eased it back onto the small pile.

With a deep breath, she looked at the two sketches on the table. The circular designs were

simple—the crossed spears with the R beneath on the drawing that represented one side of a

coin, and the simple word “Defalk” imposed on simple outlines of the liedburg at Falcor. Anna

then picked up the Neserean gold coin and compared it to the second gold. one minted in Wei.