Modesitt, L.E. - Spellsong Cycle 02 - The Spellsong War

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THE

SPELLSONG

WAR

Book Two of THE SPELLSONG CYCLE

L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

my one and only soprano sorceress

********

CHARACTERS

Anna Regent of Defaidk and Lady of Loiseau [Mencha]

Jimbob Heir to Defalk [Falcor]

Hanfor Arms Commander of Defalk

Dythya Counselor of Finance

Essan Lady and widow of Lord Donjim

Herene Younger sister of Lady Gatrune [Pamr]

Herstat Saalmeister of Eldheld

Menares Counselor

LORDS OF DEFALK

Jecks Lord of Elheld [Elhi], Advisor to the Regent

Arkad Lord of Synfal [Cheorj]

Birfels Lord of Abenfel; consort is Fylena

Clethner Lord of Nordland

Dannel Lord of Mossbach; consort is Resengna

Dencer Lord of Stromwer; consort is Wendella

Fustar Lord of Issl

Gatrune Lady of Pamr

Geansor Lord of Sudwei

Genrica Lord of Wendel

Gylaron Lord of Lerona, consort is Reylan

Hryding Lord of Flossbend [Synope]; consort is Anientta

Jearle Lord of Denguic

Klestayr Lord of Aroch

Mietchel Lord of Morra

Nelmor Lord of Dubaria; eldest son and heir is Tiersen

Sargol Lord of Suhl

Tybel Lord of Arien

Vlassa Lord of Fussen; heirs are twin sons, Ustal and Falar

Vyarl Rider of Heinene

FOSTERLINGS AND PAGES

Alseta Daughter of Chief Player Liende

Bar at Page

Birke Heir of Lord Birfels [Stromwer]

Cataryzna Daughter and heir of Lord Geansor [Sudwei]

Cens Page

Hoede Youngest son of Lord Dannel [Mossbach]

Kinor Son of Chief Player Liende

Lysara Daughter of Lord Birfels [Stromwer]

Resor Page

Secca Daughter of Lord Hryding [Flossbend]

Skent Page

Ytrude Daughter of Lord Nelmor [Dubaria]

DEFALKAN ARMSMEN

Alvar Captain

Himar Captain

Jirsit Undercaptain

DEFALKAN PLAYERS

Daffyd Viola; first Chief Player

Liende Woodwind; second Chief Player

Delvor Violino

Duralt Falk horn

Hassett Violino

Kaseth Violino

Pallian Violino

Yuarl Violino

OTHERS OUTSIDE DEFALK

Ashtaar Spymistress of Nordwei

Behlem Prophet of Music, Lord of Neserea; consort is Cyndyth

Bertmynn Lord of Dolov, Ebra

Ehara Lord of Dumar; consort is Siobion

Hadrenn Lord of Synek, Ebra

Konsstin Liedfuhr of Mansuur

Maitre of Sturinn Leader of Sturinn; master of the Sea-Priests

Matriarch Head of State, Ranuak; consort is Ulgar

Nubara Overcaptain of Lancers, Mansuur, stationed in Neserea

Rabyn Heir of Behlem, Neserea

Tybra Leader, Council of Wei, Nordwei

OUVERTURE

* * * * * * *

WEI, NORDWEI

THE heavy gong sounds, and the two women in the uniform of

the Council turn and open the lacquered double doors, each

beauing the ancient symbol of the Council of Wei. Each wears

twin black-lacquered scabbards at her hips, and the scabbards

contain the infamous short swords of the Nordan Guard.

Ashtaar moistens her lips and steps through the doors, then

dawn the black carpet toward the dais.

The black-lacquered Council table is also ancient, and behind it

sit seven figures. The woman in the center wears a

silver-and-black seal on a heavy silver chain. Her dark eyes

hold Ashtaar as the spymistress walks down the dark green

carpet toward the space below the dais holding the table.

"The mist-world sorceress now holds Defalk. The Council has

read your report, and would like to inquire further."

"Yes, Ancient One." Ashtaar bows.

"Please summarize the major events that led to the

current's.tate of affairs. Briefly."

"A travel sorceress and a player summoned the lady Anna from

the mist worlds. Both are dead now. The sorcerer Brill spirited

her away and tutored her in the ways of both Darksong and

Clearsong. The Dark Ones tried to kill her and failed. She

supported Lord Barjim against the Ebrans at the Sand Pass.

Barjim and Brill were killed, and she collapsed, but not before

she destroyed two-thirds of the invaders. She somehow found

her way south and recovered in Synope, in the lands of Lord

Hryding. Lord Behlem of Neserea then marched into Defalk

and took Falcor, but not before Lord Jecks rescued the heir, his

grandson Lord Jimbob. Lord Behlem offered his support to the

sorceress, and she accepted it and went to Falcor. The Dark

Ones gathered another army and marched toward Falcor. The

sorceress used water magic and song to destroy the entire

Ebran army and all the darksingers in Defalk. The Evult

responded by flooding the Fal and destroying half of Falcor.

Lord Behlem attempted to remove the lady Anna, and she used

her sorcery to kill him and his consort and enlist the support of

many of the Neserean troops in Falcor. Then she proclaimed a

regency for young Jimbob. Shortly, almost at the dawn of

winter, she marched a small force through the Ostfels and used

her sorcery to destroy the Evult, the city of Vult, and most of

Synek. She almost died, but the lords of Defalk, especially Lord

Jecks, rallied behind her. So did the people. She has a

reputation for being good and fair, and vindictively just."

Ashtaar bows once more.

"The rains now fall on Defalk, do they not?" asks the red-haired

woman to the left of the Council leader.

"Yes. The sorceress removed the chains on the clouds when she

destroyed the Evult."

"Will the sorceress attempt to rule directly and put young

Jimbob out of the way?" asks the dark-haired Council leader.

"That does not appear likely. She can have no children and has,

in effect, adopted the boy."

"And Lord Jecks has not objected?"

"He publicly supports the sorceress. As do the lords Birfels,

Nelmor, Hryding, Geansor, Clethner, and the lady Gatrune,

and the Rider of Heinene. There are doubtless others, and none

of the thirty-three have raised voice or hand against her."

"With her powers, I doubt any of sound mind would do so,"

suggests the Council leader. "Are there any whispers of

discontent?"

"Almost none that we have been able to track. She holds but

one hostage, and that is Wendella, the consort of Lord Dencer

of Stromwer. Dencer is rumored to be less than happy."

"No others?"

"None that we know or can scry."

"What of Ebra?"

"The land has been flattened, mostly by the floods she

unleashed down the river Elha, and Vult lies buried under the

fire peak the Ebrans are calling Zauberinfeuer. Hadrenn has

claimed the ruins of Synek. He is the one of the sons of an

ancient lord, and several pretenders are struggling over

Elawha. A lord named Bertmynn is raising armsmen in Dolov.

He wishes to be lord of all Ebra." Ashtaar waits.

"We have received a scroll from the Liedfuhr. He protests our

interference in Defalk. He also informs us that young Rabyn is

the Lord of Neserea and under his protection and regency.

What beyond that do you know?" The dark-haired Council

leader smiles faintly.

"He has dispatched fiftyscore lancers to Neserea. They were

delayed by the snows in the Mittpass, but travel the south road

through the Great Western Forest."

"Spymistress of Nordwei… is it fair to say that a year ago we

faced possible threats from the Prophet of Music and the Dark

Ones, and both have been destroyed?"

"Yes, Leader Tybra."

"Is it also fair to say that you chose not to remove the soprano

sorceress?" asks Tybra.

"I waited to see whether the Dark Ones and the Prophet were

successful in their attempts. The Dark Ones failed in four

attempts. The Prophet and his consort failed as well. We have

been able to trace at least two attempts by Neserea." Ashtaar

inclines her head. "I thought it best not to turn the sorceress's

wrath against Nordwei."

"So… now we have a strong and united Defalk on our southern

borders, and this is your doing?"

"We have a united Defalk, ruled by a woman for the first time

in recorded history, and a Defalk that will take a decade or

longer to recover from the drought and depredations of the

Dark Ones and the Nesereans."

"That is what you say. For now… for now, we shall see. You

may go, but do not hesitate to inform the Council should this

sorceress take any action that could possibly affect Nordwei."

"Yes, leader Tybra." Ashtaar bows a last time, then turns. She

does not wipe the dampness from her forehead.

THROUGH the scarcely cracked high window behind her,

Anna could hear the half-frozen rain clattering on the stones of

the liedburg. The entire keep felt damp, and even the small fire

in her receiving room and de facto office wasn't enough to

remove the dampness. She needed the slight draft from the

window to keep from being suffocated from the fireplace,

which drew poorly with small fires.

Sorceress, Regent of Defalk, Protector of the Heir, not to

mention being Lady of Loiseau, and she had to worry about

firewood. She hadn't thought about firewood being a

problem-but nearly a decade of drought had wrought

enormous damage on the once-wide forests of Defalk.

Then, there was so much that she'd never thought she'd have to

consider. She'd been trained to be a professional opera singer,

and fallen back on university teaching with the demands of

Avery's career. Later when he'd left her and the children for his

slim blonde young thing, the teaching, and several additional

part-time jobs, had become necessities. Anna laughed softly to

herself. She was slimmer and younger looking than Paulina

now, and Avery-the self-styled Antonio, king of the

comprimarios- would never know. Neither would Mario and

Elizabetta. Irenia… Anna's eyes misted. Her oldest daughter's

death had been the catalyst that had left Anna open to poor

Jenny's and Daffyd's spellsong-that had brought her

Liedwahr-and all the rest had followed, like dominoes falling,

until she had become regent of a ravaged land. And she'd done

little enough, with the press of the Regency, with the lands

bestowed on her- Loiseau-because Brill had left no heirs. She'd

granted the present tenants the right to remain, but she needed

to do something about a more permanent arrangement. That

meant traveling to Mencha, and she didn't have ten days to

spare, not counting the time she'd need at Loiseau.

Anna sighed. She stood, pushed back the chair from the

worktable, and moved toward the center of the room, her eyes

shifting toward the high-backed gilt chair on the dais, the chair

she avoided using whenever possible. After a moment she

turned, stepped away from the side of the dais, and walked to

the single window at the back of the receiving room, where the

base of the sill was nearly chest-high. Once again, the dimness

reminded her that she'd planned to rearrange the liedburg,

perhaps put the receiving/conference area somewhere with

more ventilation and light.

She sighed-another item low on her long, long list. Before long,

she would need to use some of that sorcery to replace the bridge

over the Falche, one of the casualties of the war with Ebra when

the late Evult had melted all the snow off the northern Ostfels

and sent a flood careening down the Fal River and into the

Falche with enough force to rip out all the bridges and denude

the banks for two hundred and fifty deks. Roughly, a hundred

and fifty earth miles, she translated mentally, rubbing her

forehead. She still had trouble thinking in rods, furls, deks, and

leagues. There weren't any feet, and yards were still basically

yards, and the units above were decimal-based, but she'd never

been that good in mental arithmetic.

"Lady Anna?" Giellum knocked on the heavy door even as he

peered inside. "Counselor Menares to see you. And your

midafternoon repast." The young guard set the platter on the

only open space on the table before straightening.

"Send him in." She headed from the window back to the

worktable.

The heavyset and gray Menares stopped short of Anna and the

table, and bowed, extending the scroll. "This arrived by

messenger, Lady Anna."

"From whom?"

"Lord Arkad of Cheor, I believe."

Anna looked at the plate heaped with bread and cheese before

her on the round oak table that served as work-time eating

place, desk, and conference table, then at the sealed scroll.

She didn't want to eat any more, and she certainly didn't want

to read the latest scroll from Lord Arkad-or his scribe. But she

had to eat, because of the energy demands of sorcery, or she'd

literally wither away into anorexia or the local equivalent. She

also had to read the scroll because Arkad was one of the

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THESPELLSONGWARBookTwoofTHESPELLSONGCYCLEL.E.Modesitt,Jr.Tomyoneandonlysopranosorceress********CHARACTERSAnnaRegentofDefaidkandLadyofLoiseau[Mencha]JimbobHeirtoDefalk[Falcor]HanforArmsCommanderofDefalkDythyaCounselorofFinanceEssanLadyandwidowofLordDonjimHereneYoungersisterofLadyGatrune[Pamr]HerstatS...

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Modesitt, L.E. - Spellsong Cycle 02 - The Spellsong War

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