Modesitt, L.E. - Spellsong 5 - The Shadow Singer

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SHADOWSINGER

A SPELLSONG CYCLE NOVEL

L.E. MODESITT, JR.

TOR

Fantasy

A TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES BOOK

NEW YORK

NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen

property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the

publisher has received any pay-ment for this “stripped book.”

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are either products of the

author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

SHADOWSINGER: A SPELLSONG CYCLE NOVEL

Edited by David G. Hartweli

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A Tor Book

Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

175 Fifth Avenue

NewYork,NY 10010

www.tor.com

Tor is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

ISBN 0-765-34258-8

First edition: February 2002

First mass market edition: March 2003

Printed in the United States of America

0987654321

For Elizabeth and Drew

CHARACTERS

Secca Sorceress Protector of the East; Lady of Loiseau (Mencha); Lady of Flossbend (Synope)

Robero Lord of Defalk and Lord of Elheld, Falcor, and Synfal (Cheor)

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Alyssa Consort of Robero

Dythys Counselor of Finance

Jirsit Arms Commander of Defalk

LORDS OF DEFALK: THE THIRTY-THREE

Alseta Lady of Mossbach; consort is Barat; son is Lyendar

Birke Lord of Abenfel; consort is Reylana; mother is Fylena

CataryznaLady of Sudwei; consort is Skent; heir is Skan-sor

ChelshayLady of Wendel; consort is Nerylt, son of Clethner

ClethnerLord of Nordland; heir is Lythner

DinfinLady of Suhl; consort is Wasle, brother of Birke

DostalLord of Aroch, consort is Ruetha

EbraakLord of Nordfels;. heir is Cassily

FalarWarder of Uslyn, heir to Fussen; also consort to Her-ene, Lady of Pamr

FustarLord of Issl; sole heir is Kylar

GylaronLord of Lerona; consort is Reylan; heir is Gylan; father of Reylana

HereneLady of Pamr; consort is Falar; heir is Kysar

KinorLord of Westfort (Denguic) and Lord of the Western Marches; consort is Asaro

MietchelLord of Morra brother of Lady Wendella of Stromwer

SelberLord of Silberfels; heir is Helbar; sister is Belvera

TiersenLord of Dubaria; consort is Lysara; eldest son and heir is Lystar

UslynLord heir of Fussen: father was Ustal, mother Yelean

VyasalRider of Heinene

YtrudeLady of Entfels, sister of Tiersen; consort is Cens

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WendellaLady of Stromwer; heir is Condell

ZybarLord of Arien

SORCERERS AND SORCERESSES

AnandraSorceress assistant to Clayre

ClayreSorceress of Defalk

JolynAssistant Sorceress of Defalk

FOSTERLINGS, APPRENTICES, AND PAGES

JeagynFosterling/sorceress apprentice at Loiseau

KeriselFosterling/sorceress apprentice at Loiseau

RichinaApprentice sorceress to Secca; daughter of Dinfan

DEFALKAN ASRMSMEN

ElfensChief Archer, Loiseaü

DryselCaptain, Loiseau

QuebarCaptain, Loiseau

RickelLord’s Guard-Captain, Falcor

WiltenOvercaptain, Loiseau

DEFALKAN PLAYERS

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BretnayViolino, Loiseau

DelvorChief of Second Players, Loiseau

DuraltFalk-horn, Loiseau

DiltyrChief Player for Clayre, Falcor

DossinLutar, Loiseau

ElsetWoodwind, Loiseau

KylarViolino, Loiseau

NuelViolino, Loiseau

PalianChief Player, Loiseau

RowalWoodwind, Loiseau

YuarlChief Player for Jolyn, Falcor

OTHERS OUTSIDE DEFALK

AlyaMatriarch of Ranuak; consort is Aetlen

AlcarenSorceror; cousin to the Matriarch

Ashtaar AshtarrLeader, Council of Wei, Nordwei

AyselinHolder of Netzla, Neserea

BelmarHolder of Worlan, Neserea

FehernActing Lord High Counselor of Dumar; without consort

HadrennLord High Counselor of Ebra; Lord of Synek, Ebra; consort is Belvera; heir is Haddev;

younger son is Verad.

HanfordLord High Counselor of Neserea; consort is Aer-lya; eldest daughter and heiress is Annayal

KestrinLiedfuhr of Mansuur; brother of Aerlya

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

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MotollaHolder of Itzel, Neserea; heir is Chyalar

SvenmarHolder of Nesalia, Neserea

VeriaCounselor, Freewomen of Elahwa

Mansuus, Mansuur

Heavy wet flakes drift past the windows of the Lied-fuhr’s study, each window hung with maroon velvet

drawn back to reveal an early-spring snow that has already dropped more than half a yard of whiteness

on the city, and on the ice that still covers the River Toksul.

The man who stands before the windows, looking out, wears a sky-blue tunic with a silver chain bearing

the amulet-seal of the Liedfuhr of Mansuur around his neck and a mourning band of black and maroon

upon his left arm. For a moment, his hard green eyes flick to the ice-and-snow-covered river that cuts

through the city, if well below and beyond the hill on which the palace rests. Then, he turns, standing

beside the polished wooden desk that has graced the study for three generations, and asks, “You think

Nes-erea will fall before harvest?’

“As matters now proceed, it is most likely,” replies the trim overcaptain in the maroon uniform of the

Mansuuran Lancers. There are but a few streaks of raven black amid the silver-gray of the lancer’s short

hair. His thin eyebrows are silvered as well, but the dark eyes are deep and intent. “Despite the efforts of

the Sorceress of Defalk, Aerlya and Annayal hold but an area little more than a hundred deks around

Esaria."

“If we dispatch the fifty companies of lancers from Un-duval? Then what, Bassil?’ Kestrin runs his right

hand through short-cropped brown hair that is already half-gray, although he will not reach his full second

score of years until the turn of the following spring.

“Are you willing to risk all fifty companies? And to slaughter all those who do not support your sister and

her daughter?"

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Kestrin tilts his head slightly as he studies Bassil. “If I must.”

“You must. You must also avoid facing the sorcerer Lord Belmar. He is strong enough to dispatch all

your lancers with his spells.”

“Unless we can catch him in a snowstorm or the rain.” Kestrin laughs.

“You risk much if you send your lancers into Neserea,” cautions the older man.

“I risk more if I do not.”

“Your seers report that the Sea-Priests are readying a fleet to sail from the Ostisles,” reports Bassil.

“They are doubtless sailing eastward, but not to Man-suur.”

Bassil raises his eyebrows, but does not speak.

Outside the private study of the Liedfuhr, the wind moans. The snowflakes are smaller, and falling faster,

and the light dims as the clouds overhead darken, as if winter is returning to Mansuus.

“This Secca--- Lord Robero’s new Sorceress Protector of the East--- she has destroyed all the

Sturinnese vessels that had threatened Liedwahr. Do you think that the Maitre of Sturinn will decide to

invade us while he has forces in Du-mar that are threatened by the sorceress?”

“She remains in Encora for the moment.” Bassil pauses. “Yet it is most likely that she will travel to

Dumar and use her sorcery against the Sea-Priests there before the Maitre can re-inforce them. That will

not be easy for her. The Maitre can use the sea to land more sorcerers and lancers, but it will be weeks,

if not longer, before the snows melt enough for Lord Robero to send reinforcements to Lady Secca”

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“He will not send them even then,” predicts Kestrin. “He fears Belmar as much as the Sturinnese. Lady

Secca has been successful without further aid. Lady Clayre is slowly losing in Neserea, as you have

pointed out, and Aerlya and Annayal may have to flee before long.”

“Where?"

Kestrin sighs. “Perhaps to Nordwei.”

“It is yet winter there.”

“And you question that I should send lancers into Nes-erea?”

“I cannot see how you could do otherwise--- when you can. They cannot cross the snows of the

Mittpass yet.” Bas-sil shakes his head. “If you do not dispatch them, once the snows melt, Belmar will

take all of Neserea by midsummer. But . . . if he is as bright as he seems, he will turn to face your lancers,

in order to destroy them.”

“They must not face him. Their task is to destroy those who rebelled against Aerlya.” Kestrin’s voice is

hard. “If he turns, then the Sorceress of Defalk may be able to strengthen Aerlya’s hold on the north and

east”

“That is possible,” Bassil concedes, his voice, neutral.

“Not likely, but possible,” Kestrin replies with a grim laugh. “Better that than we do nothing. The lady

Secca may yet retake Dumar from the Sturinnese, but this Belmar is their tool, and even she will be

hard-pressed if Neserea falls and the Sturinnese reinforcements land in Narial.”

“Because she will be caught between him and the Sturin-nese?"

The Liedfubr nods slowly. “Because we will then face the Sea-Priests alone.”

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Outside the study, in the growing darkness, the moaning of the returning winter wind rises with the night.

The late-morning sunlight poured over the two-story structure that held the Matriarch’s guest quarters,

but the wide second-story windows that faced west were still in shadow. The air in the main chamber

was hot and still, fore-shadowing summer in Encora, although by the turn of the seasons, spring had even

yet to arrive.

Rather than using the small working desk that faced away from the leftmost of the three windows, Secca

had seated herself at the circular golden oak conference table, her back to the windows. Alcaren sat on

the opposite side of the table, leaving four chairs vacant. The tiled hearth on the south wall held several

logs set on a pair of heavy iron andirons, but it had been weeks since Secca had needed a fire.

The petite and redheaded sorceress looked at the rose that lay on top of the papers before her on the

conference table---a perfect white rose, appearing so delicate that the slightest breeze would rip off the

petals. But like so much in Lied-wahr, the rose was not what it seemed, for the petals were of white

bronze and the stem of a greenish iron--- and it had been Alcaren’s love gift to her, one she had never

expected.

Her amber eyes went from the rose to Alcaren--- narrow-waisted and broad-shouldered, almost too

short for his breadth to be handsome, yet not stocky, with short-cut brown hair and gray-blue eyes. He

wore the pale blue Ran-uan uniform and the collar insignia of an overcaptain. As he felt Secca’s eyes

upon him, he looked up from the map he had been studying and smiled warmly.

In spite of herself, Secca flushed.

“I do the same thing,” he said with a slight laugh, adding, “when you look at me.”

She shook her head. “It is hard to get used to.”

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“I know. No one ever looked at me that way?"

Secca wondered about that, and yet, she didn’t. Alcaren was barely a head taller than she was, and he

was striking, but not necessarily handsome. He was a largely untrained sorcerer in a land that feared

sorcery, and a strong man in a land ruled by women. “We still need a consorting cere-mony,” she said

slowly.

“You sound dubious, my lady. Am I that much of a bur-den to bear?"

At the mock-woeful tone of his voice and the twinkle in his eyes, Secca laughed. “You are no burden.

Far from that! Still, it is strange.”

Alcaren waited, his smile encouraging her to speak.

“It is strange, and it is not. After these years, I had not thought to find love.”

“Though I have not traveled as you have, my lady,” he replied gently, “neither had I.”

“I had thought, were I ever to be consorted, it would be in Falcor, or Flossbend, or even Loiseau . . .

not in a strange land.”

“We could wait,” he suggested. “I would not wish to rush you into such."

Secca shook her head. “Lady Anna waited even to ac-knowledge her love for Lord Jecks, and I fear

she lost years of happiness because she delayed.” A sad smile crossed Secca’s lips as she thought of the

woman who had been more than a mentor, more than a teacher a mother as well, in fact, if not in name.

Secca doubted that she would ever recall Anna without love, emptiness, and a sense of regret that she

had not told Anna how much the older woman had meant to her.

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SHADOWSINGER ASPELLSONGCYCLENOVEL L.E.MODESITT,JR. TORFantasy ATOMDOHERTYASSOCIATESBOOKNEWYORK NOTE:Ifyoupurchasedthisbookwithoutacoveryoushouldbeawarethatthisbookisstolenproperty.Itwasreportedas“unsoldanddestroyed”tothepublisher,andneithertheauthornorthepublisherhasreceivedanypaymentfor this “str...

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