Bronze Magic (Book 1) (53 page)

“Which was…?”
“That there must be something fundamentally wrong with me, for all
these people to turn against me. If enough people keep telling you the
same thing, you have to start realising that what you believe is probably
incorrect.”
“Hence the quips about being the friendly neighbourhood tyrant and
an arrogant, autocratic bastard.”
Tarkyn frowned. “Who told you the last one?”
Waterstone gave a slight smile. “Sparrow asked me what it meant.”
Tarkyn felt his cheeks go hot. “Whoops. I’d better be a bit more careful
with my language around her.”
“I wouldn’t worry. She’s around language like that all the time. As long
as she knows that she is not allowed to use it until she’s older, that’s the
best we can hope for.”
After a short pause, Waterstone returned doggedly to the topic. “I don’t
know whether you realise this but there haven’t actually been very many
unkind things said to you. Admittedly, Tree Wind has been a determined
opponent. Other than that, Sun Shower made a caustic remark, which
she subsequently retracted. Even after your forceful speech last night,
many people came up and were friendly afterwards. Most of the oathless
woodfolk have been singing your praises. And you managed to befriend
Running Feet, the most alienated person of all, in the space of a morning.”
For a moment, Tarkyn looked convinced. Then his brow darkened and
he said, “Yes but what about Andoran and Sargon, my erstwhile friends...
And Kosar and Jarand? They were all willing to sacrifice me. Andoran and
Sargon were absolutely ruthless about it.”
“So were your brothers. They just got someone else to do it for them.”
said Waterstone matter-of-factly.
“So, people have set themselves against me in two completely separate
societies and yet,” continued Tarkyn on a note of desperate triumph
following the woodman’s ratification of his story, “Autumn Leaves has
never experienced anything like it in his life.”
“Neither have I,” stated Waterstone baldly. “At least,” he amended,
“not until I became allied with you.”
A flicker of panic flared in Tarkyn’s eyes. “So there must be something
about me that sets people against me.”
“Of course there is,” said Waterstone calmly. Autumn Leaves’ eyes
bugged out of his head with shock, while Tarkyn waited tensely.
Waterstone laughed and patted Tarkyn on the back. “You’re a bloody
prince, you fool. Neither of us has any claim to fame or to a throne or to
the unwilling allegiance of a whole host of woodfolk. Of course you’re
going to strike problems we never have to encounter.”
Tarkyn looked at him, half frowning and half smiling.
“Don’t be confused between who you are and what you are,” continued
the woodman. “I know they are inextricable, but it is your role that has
caused you the problems and drawn self interested people like Andoran
and Sargon to your side and alienated Tree Wind and co, not you the
person… perhaps with the notable exception of Running Feet, but even
that you’ve sorted out now.”
Finally Tarkyn broke into a full smile and shook his head. “I’m a
complete embarrassment to myself, sometimes. I have just let things
grow out of all proportion, haven’t I?”
“Yes and no,” replied Waterstone. “To be fair, you have an enormous
amount to deal with – having to work out terms of engagement with
every new person you meet in a much more fraught, significant way than
I’ve ever had to…” he grinned, “except when I met you, of course.”
Tarkyn’s smile faded just a little. “I do get tired sometimes, you know,
dealing with it all. I think that was half the trouble this evening. Not to
mention that I’ve just done the biggest, most complex piece of magic in
my entire life.” He ran his hand tiredly through his hair.“All those people
think I want to be the centre of attention but actually it’s more that they
just assume that I will be. And it’s tiring having everyone’s eyes on you all
the time, even when they’re friendly eyes.”
There was a companionable silence for a few minutes. Then Waterstone
roused himself. “One more thing before we re-enter the hurly burly of
your famous life. I don’t want you making any more extravagant selfsacrificial gestures. I know you were upset and felt we had all doublecrossed you, but you didn’t come and talk to us about it. If you had,
we would have told you about the woodfolk oath and you might have
saved yourself all that angst. Instead, you dealt with it all on your own
and nearly got yourself killed.” The woodman smiled faintly. “I have to
hand it to you. You did achieve great things that day but I think part of
your success was that you felt you had nothing left to lose and so took
inordinate risks.”
Waterstone raised his eyebrows interrogatively and Tarkyn nodded
reluctantly in reply.
The woodman continued, “Please, whatever happens, at least give
us the chance to sort it out with you first and don’t put yourself at
unnecessary risk, for our sakes as well as yours.”
Tarkyn eyed him sideways. “You sound awfully like a bossy older
brother,” he said, not sounding too sure that he liked it.
“Then you can have a lovely time commiserating with Ancient Oak
about it,” replied Waterstone, completely unmoved.
“All right. All right. Point taken.” Tarkyn rose to his feet and put out
his hands to haul the other two up. “Come on then. Back into harness.”
So saying, the prince walked with them through the quiet darkness and
back into the glare of the crowded firelight.
s soon as the prince entered the light, Ancient Oak pounced on him.
“Ah, there you are. We were wondering where you’d got to.”
Tarkyn threw a dry look at the other two before submerging
himself in the conversation. “What did you want me for?”
“We think we’ve worked out who might be missing,” said Falling
Branch.
“There aren’t many people unaccounted for. We’ve checked with
everyone we can think of. There are only two possibilities left,” continued
Ancient Oak.
“Falling Rain is an obvious possibility,” put in Rainstorm with a shrug.
“But the other possibility is Golden Toad’s family.”
Tarkyn raised his eyebrows. “Golden Toad?”
“Yes,” said Waterstone repressively before Tarkyn could say anything
offensive. “He has a very low, stop-start sort of a voice.”
“I see.” Tarkyn’s eyes shone with amusement.
“Anyway, as I was saying,” said Rainstorm, firmly regaining the prince’s
attention, “Golden Toad’s family contracted some sort of virus a few years
ago which caused them to lose their ability to mind talk. They tend to
keep to themselves down around the southern marshes.”
“How very apt,” said Tarkyn irrepressibly.
Rainstorm frowned briefly at the distraction but was so focused on
what he was saying that he didn’t catch the implication. “So we haven’t
been able to contact them to see if they are all right.”
“So we were wondering…” Ancient Oak began but then broke off
looking uncertain.
“We were wondering, Your Highness,” continued Falling Branch,
taking over from him. “If you might be able to use a bird or animal
to look for them for us.” When Tarkyn didn’t reply instantaneously,
he continued hurriedly. “Not if you think it would be too much of an
imposition. It’s just that it will take several days for some of us to travel
there and that would be lost time if we could find out sooner.”
Tarkyn waved a hand to silence everyone. “Of course I will help if I
can. Just give me a minute to think.” He paced up and down a couple
of times then stopped. “How far away are these marshes and who has
been there most recently?” The prince realised everyone was looking
disappointed. “Give me a chance. I’m not planning to send those people
back down there. I just need someone to guide my mind.”
“I know the area quite well,” offered Running Feet. “I’ll help.”
Ignoring the faint ripple of surprise that ran through Tree Wind’s
group, Tarkyn smiled. “Thanks. You’re good at explaining terrain and
have a clear eye for detail. I noticed that this morning. Do you know
what they look like or what their shelter may look like? I’ll need to know
if I’m going to try to recruit a creature of some sort to look for them.”
“If you can do that, why don’t you just send in an animal to look in the
encampment for woodfolk?” challenged Tree Wind, suddenly entering
the discussion.
Tarkyn turned to look at her. Everyone, aware of Tree Wind’s
antagonism, waited with baited breath for the prince’s response. “You
know,” he said quietly, “when I first entered the forest, I was impressed by
your courage and your fighting spirit. Before I understood the structure
of woodfolk society, I thought you might be their leader. You are quickwitted and intelligent. Every time you have queried my ideas, they have
been sound queries, just as now.”
“Of course they are,” she replied caustically. “I know what I’m doing.”
“Whereas I don’t,” supplied the prince for her.
In response, she just stood and stared at him belligerently.
He surprised her by smiling. “Of course, I don’t. I’ve only been in the
woods for a little over a month - and for a fortnight of that time, I was
unconscious. You’ve been here all your life. Ask Sparrow. She’ll tell you.
I’m hopeless at directions. I couldn’t even tell you where north is at the
moment.”
Tree Wind’s expression became, if anything, more disdainful.
Tarkyn continued unabashed. “I know nothing about lighting fires,
fending for myself, building shelters, recognising animal tracks, hunting,
cooking. You name it, I can’t do it.”
A burble of quiet laughter wafted around the assembled woodfolk.
“Not only that, but I’m not particularly interested in doing a lot of
those things. In fact, I am a constant drain on other people’s resources.”
Tarkyn swept a friendly smile around his audience. “Traditionally, that’s
what a prince is – a constant drain on other people’s resources. However,”
the sorcerer’s voice grew serious, “I do possess skills, knowledge and
power that you do not have, Tree Wind. If you will work with me instead
of competing with me, I will give you free access to my skills and power.
I have already done so with the woodfolk I have been with and I will do
so for anyone who requests them for the welfare of woodfolk.”
Tree Wind still did not reply but was now looking speculatively
at him.
“And in answer to your question, I think that is a very good suggestion;
to use a creature to reconnoitre the encampment.” The prince did not
give Tree Wind the sole right to decide. He looked around at everyone.
“As you all know what you’re doing and I don’t; which should I do first?
Look for Golden Toad down in the southern marshes or inspect the
encampment, assuming I can do either? You decide and get back to me.
I need a glass of wine.”
A babble of voices immediately broke out behind him as Tarkyn
turned away to find something to drink. Autumn Leaves thrust a glass
into his hand.
“Thanks,” said Tarkyn briefly, his eyes twinkling with laughter.
“You are up to tricks, young Tarkyn,” observed Waterstone with an
answering smile. “You are much more capable than that impression you
just gave.”
The prince grinned. “Of course I am, but I don’t need to tell them
that. Now they, and particularly Tree Wind, can feel happily superior
about some things at least.”
“What happened to your sanctimonious position about not giving
false impressions?” asked Autumn Leaves dryly.
Tarkyn had the grace to look embarrassed. “Yes. Good point. I could
say, ‘But I didn’t tell them any lies’ but as I recall, you said that to me
and I wouldn’t wear it.” The prince sighed, “Well, there’s nothing for it.
I’ll have to turn back around and explain to them that I’m absolutely
superior in every way.”
“No,” chorused the two woodmen.
“Anyway,” added Waterstone, “You’re not. So then you would be
compounding a false impression with a string of lies.”
“Well, I can console myself with the belief that they already had a false
impression of me as threatening, all powerful and arrogant. So I’ve just
replaced it with a new one in which I’m pathetic and helpless.” He smiled
unrepentantly at them “Perhaps the two will cancel each other out to be
somewhere near the truth?”
An increase in volume behind them indicated that all was not well.
When the prince turned back around, he realised that the discussion had
galvanised the woodfolk into two groups, those for and those against him.
“Ooh dear,” said Tarkyn under his breath to Autumn Leaves and
Waterstone. “This could be going better.” He surveyed the crowd. “Well,
at least we are clear now on where the lines are drawn.”
The prince took a deep breath and when he next spoke, his voice
cut sharply through the night air, “Last night I told you that I was not
prepared to countenance any debates that are based on politics, rather
than on the issues themselves. Yet here we are, clearly divided over a
virtual non-issue on the grounds of loyalty.”
He bent down and picked up a stone. Placing his hands behind his
back, he said, “Tree Wind, come over here please.”
When she hesitated, he said evenly. “That was not a request.”
Once she was standing before him, he explained, “The hand with the
stone in it is the encampment. The other hand is the marsh. One person
from each camp, please, stand behind me to make sure I don’t cheat.”As
an embarrassed murmur greeted this request, the prince said sternly, “I’m
waiting.”
Once everyone was in place, Tarkyn moved the stones back and forth
between his hands behind his back, then stopped. He nodded at Tree
Wind. “Choose.”
Tree Wind’s eyes snapped. “This is ridiculous!”
“I couldn’t agree more,” said the prince. “Nevertheless, choose!”
Glaring furiously at the prince, she pointed at his right arm. His hand
came around to the front with the stone clearly held in it.
“So be it.” Tarkyn’s angry gaze swept across the crowd before him.
“If, at any time in the future, I become aware that the issues alone are
not guiding your decision making, then I will have three courses of
action open to me; I can withdraw my offer of assistance, I can make the
decision myself or I can leave it to chance. None of those strikes me as
being outcomes you would prefer.”