Bronze Magic (Book 1) (63 page)

The blond sorcerer did not reply but looked thoughtful.
“Had I done that, they would have respected me less and resented me
more. I could have forced them. In fact, the home guard would willingly
have tried to learn had I insisted, but their actions would not have
been marks of respect. They would have been gestures to humour me.”
Tarkyn sighed, “And so I chose to relinquish the etiquette in favour of
developing, I’m not sure what you’d call it, perhaps terms of engagement
between them and me.”
Danton sounded sceptical. “And what does that amount to?”
“I respect their opinions. They respect mine. I am consulted on
anything important.”
Danton snorted, “I should think so.”
“Ah, but when they have all worked as a mind talking unit for centuries,
it is difficult for them to remember an outsider exists, let alone to include
me in their debates and planning. The simplest things have required a lot
of negotiation.”
“And is that it?” demanded the guardsman. “Your only authority is
that you are consulted?”
The prince gave a slight smile. “No. The oathbound woodfolk know
that I can issue a command at any time but again, if I overuse it they will
respect me less, not more.”
Danton’s eyes narrowed as he thought back over the morning. “Yet
it seems to me that you do command a certain respect, more than your
words would lead me to expect.”
Tarkyn’s eyes twinkled, “Well, of course, I suspect my status increased
considerably when I became part of Waterstone’s family.” The prince
rolled up his sleeve. “See my scar? It’s a beauty, isn’t it?”
Danton frowned at it. “Stars above, that was a huge cut. And it’s gone
green! That can’t be right.”
“That is the other reason I command respect, much more so than for
being a prince. Because I am a forest guardian.” Tarkyn smiled broadly,
“You won’t believe this but it turns out I’m a character straight out of one
their woodfolk legends.”
Danton’s eyes grew round. “You’re not serious.” Then he frowned, “I
can’t believe you’re able to trick them into thinking you’re a legend. You’re
so bad at prevaricating.”
The smile wiped off Tarkyn’s face and a wave of anger hit Danton. “No.
How could you think I would stoop to such a ploy? Of course I couldn’t
sustain a pretence like that. Anyway, I wouldn’t dream of demeaning the
woodfolk like that, even if I could.”
The blond sorcerer looked confused. “I apologise, my lord, for
upsetting you. But you can’t seriously mean you’re a legend…can you?”
A glimmer of unease crossed Danton’s face.
The prince gave a bitter laugh. “You may well wonder at my sanity.
But do not fear; I am not a rogue.” Tarkyn suddenly realised that Danton
would only know the official version of events. “Danton, I did not attack
those guards.”
His liegeman managed a smile. “I know, Your Highness. Sparrow told
me what happened.”
“But you didn’t know that, did you, when you sought me out…”
When Danton gave the tiniest shake of his head, Tarkyn leant forward
and laid his hand on the guardsman’s knee, “Thank you, my friend, for
your faith in me.” He smiled as he gave Danton’s knee a final bracing
pat. “Having come this far, don’t give up on me now. I didn’t make up
the legends of the forest guardian. You ask the woodfolk. Remember
those special powers I told you I’ve developed? Apparently, they are what
define a forest guardian; healing, making plants grow, communicating
with animals…”
“The eagle owl,” said Danton shortly.
Tarkyn nodded “And the storm yesterday? I drew the power for that
from a venerable old oak tree.”
Danton’s eyes widened. “Did you power that whole attack on the
storm?”
“Pretty much. Stormaway drew on the oak’s strength through me.”
Tarkyn had found a green stick among the mesh of twigs that made up
his shelter. He broke a piece off and proceeded to make it grow as he
talked. He threw a quick glance up at his friend but returned his gaze
immediately to his little project, “So you see,” he said, holding up the
flourishing little sapling, “Strange as it may seem, I fit their description
of this mythical being.”
After a short, rather strained silence, Tarkyn said quietly, “I’m still me,
you know. I heard Waterstone saying to someone yesterday that a lot
has changed but a lot is still the same and I guess that is how it is with
you and me.” He gave his friend a warm smile. “I hope, if you came
to find me knowing I am exiled, that you must care for more than the
court’s etiquette.”
“Of course I do, Sire. I care for you.” After a slight hesitation,
Danton’s eyes twinkled, “No matter what sort of weird being you may
have become.”
Tarkyn laughed. “I, too, care for you and I am glad that you are here.”
He handed Danton the little sapling. “There. You can find somewhere
to plant it and watch it grow until we leave.” He grew serious. “Now
Danton, there are a few things we need to sort out. Firstly, you have my
permission to retaliate if any of the woodfolk attack you, but no deaths
or serious injuries.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“And secondly, you also may call me Tarkyn, as the others do, if you
wish to. And I would like you to follow Waterstone’s lead on how to treat
me. Do not feel obliged to bow, nor to stand when I do, etcetera.”
Danton swallowed, “I am honoured, Sire…,Tarkyn, that you should
allow me such freedom.”
The prince gave a little smile. “I don’t think you’ll find it very much
different in terms of freedom. You’ll still be subject to my…requests. But
you can query them if you have a good reason to. I do expect respect
from people including you, but not in the form of titles and points of
etiquette. Just remember: the lack of protocol does not mean lack of
respect. The woodfolk just have a different way of showing it.”
“I will do my best to fit in.”
“It would please me greatly if you could.”
Danton hesitated. “Sire, you said I could speak freely?” When Tarkyn
nodded, he continued, “Sire, I am concerned about your oath to the
woodfolk. Where does it leave people like me?”
The prince looked at him, long and hard. Danton fidgeted, worried
that he had been too bold but Tarkyn was merely thinking it through. “I
don’t know. I haven’t thought about it, to be honest. Let me see. I have to
protect the woodfolk. Their fate is my fate, their just cause is my cause.”
Tarkyn ran his hand through his hair. “Well, as a prince of Eskuzor, I
would expect to protect anyone who needs it. So that is not necessarily
in conflict. My fate is linked with all the peoples of Eskuzor and I would
make anyone’s just cause my own.”
Danton waited, not commenting.
Tarkyn grimaced, “That, at least, is the rhetoric. In reality, I have been
given the honour of being accepted into the woodfolk nation when my
own people have rejected me. If legend is to be believed, I am also their
forest guardian and am here to help them through difficult times ahead.”
Tarkyn could see that Danton was still unhappy. “You know, last night
when I was worrying about your fate, Waterstone said that he couldn’t
see any circumstances under which they would need to kill you. He
said that no matter what you did, all they had to do was knock you out
and disappear. They are highly skilled hunters and could be killers, but
they choose not to be. So, if necessary, I would fight against sorcerers to
protect woodfolk.”
Seeing Danton’s consternation, he added quickly, “Saying that, I could
not see why good upstanding sorcerers would use wolves to hunt down
woodfolk whose main defence is to disappear.”
Danton’s eyes widened. “Is that what has been happening?”
“It appears so,” Tarkyn leaned forward. “Danton, there will be a
conference at lunchtime at which time they may ask for your assistance.
You must hear their story and make your own choice. I give you the
freedom to follow your own conscience. Now and in the future, I will not
choose for you more than I have to.”
When they emerged from the shelter, Sparrow was lying in wait to
show Danton her completed map. As they walked down to the clearing,
Sparrow monopolised Danton, leaving Tarkyn to walk with Waterstone.
“So, what do you think of Danton?” asked Tarkyn quietly.
Waterstine chuckled. “He’s a passionate character, isn’t he? I can’t help
smiling at the way he acts around you.”
Tarkyn’s eyes crinkled with laughter. “I thought you might find that
amusing.” But he became more serious as he glanced over his shoulder to
check that Danton’s attention was elsewhere before he continued, “But
you know, with Danton’s arrival, I feel as though the outside world has
come to sit in judgement on all my decisions. I find I have to justify them
all over again.”
“I can imagine you would... But Tarkyn, only you can decide what
your role should be, now more than ever, when you have people from
two cultures around you with vastly different views. Just be clear with
yourself about what you want. Otherwise, you will follow someone else’s
expectations instead of your own.”
Something in the woodman’s tone made Tarkyn frown, “You’re worried
about something, aren’t you?”
Waterstone threw him an embarrassed glance then turned his gaze
steadfastly to the path ahead. “You have no idea, Tarkyn, how glad I am
that you did not force us to treat you as Danton is used to doing. For
those of us who have not grown up with those traditions, it would have
felt humiliating and embarrassing… Even more so, had we had to do it
in front of the free woodfolk.”
Tarkyn’s eyes had widened in consternation. “You have never told me
that before, and I wouldn’t necessarily have realised it, you know.” He
thought back to his conversation with Danton. “In fact, I chose not to
impose court etiquette because I thought you would all feel you were
humouring me and would respect me less.” Tarkyn smiled ruefully. “I was
only thinking of my need, not yours. It never occurred to me that you
might find it humiliating. Danton doesn’t, as far as I know.” He looked
at his friend and said seriously, “Don’t ever let me humiliate you. Tell me
what it means to you next time. Don’t assume I know.”
Waterstone kept his eyes firmly on the path ahead. “I find nearly
everything about the oath humiliating. The only way I can maintain my
friendship with you is to try to put it out of my mind when I am with
you.”
Tarkyn shook his head slowly, “Ah my friend, you also have had a hard
time of it, haven’t you? Waiting to see how and to what extent I was going
to force you all into submission.”A puzzled frown appeared on Tarkyn’s
face. “If you hate this oath so much, why did you stay and look after me
in the first place?”
“I told you at the time. I liked the way you handled yourself and you
needed someone to pull you out of the morass.” Waterstone shrugged
and smiled, “Maybe having worked with your father and having seen
the better side of him, I was more able to look past the prejudice against
you than others were.” He gave a short laugh. “Anyway, I refuse to let
the injustice of the oath prevent me from following my principles and
helping you. That’s why I try to act as though it isn’t there as much as I
can; so that it doesn’t dictate my actions one way or the other.”
Tarkyn glanced at his friend, “Waterstone, I am lucky, aren’t I, that
you are so strong in your convictions. But you know, you can’t always
expect me to guess what you’re feeling. I have grown up with a very
different set of assumptions from you. Please tell me how you feel about
decisions I make. I need your perspective to steer me through.”
hen they arrived at the firesite, Tarkyn’s heart sank as he realised that
once again, the woodfolk had congregated in their factions around
the clearing. The four of them slipped quietly in and sat amongst
the home guard. Then Tarkyn had a quiet word to Waterstone who, as
a result, went out of focus for a short time. On the other side of the
clearing, Raging Water also went out of focus. As Danton watched, all
the home guard and many of the others went out of focus as a message
was passed around. Then, casually, in twos and threes, Stormaway and
woodfolk stood up and change their positions so that they intermingled
with the other groups.
“I thought you said you didn’t control things,” whispered Danton.
“I don’t,” said Tarkyn, all wide-eyed innocence. “At least not directly.
Waterstone orchestrated that little manoeuvre.”
“Hmm. I begin to see what you meant about things changing, but
staying the same!”
Tarkyn and Danton were left sitting with Waterstone, Ancient Oak,
Autumn Leaves, Lapping Water, Rainstorm and a slightly self-conscious
North Wind. The rest of the home guard had spread themselves around.
Tarkyn noticed Danton’s reaction to Lapping Water with some misgiving
and determined to warn him off at some more convenient time.
At this point, Raging Water stood up and said, “I believe Tarkyn,
Stormaway and Danton will need to be filled in on the contents of our
discussions so far. As we know from Tarkyn’s reconnaissance via the
mouse…”
Here Danton threw an amused look at Tarkyn, “A mouse?”
Tarkyn said sotto voce, “You should have been there when it ate the
horse dung.”
Danton’s explosion of quickly suppressed laughter drew several glares
from around the firesite.
Raging Water sent a quelling glance in their direction before giving
a brief resume of their knowledge of the encampment.When he had
finished, he looked around. “Any comments?”
Danton raised his hand. “Would you mind if I asked a question?”
“No. Go right ahead.”
“Do you know who these sorcerers are, why they are congregated like
this in the forest and why they are hunting woodfolk?”
Autumn Leaves raised laconic eyebrows, “Well, we just assumed all
sorcerers were evil and were out to destroy everything that moved.”
There was enough truth in this remark to create an uncomfortable
pause. After a fraught moment, Danton managed to raise a smile, “I
remember now. Two good sorcerers and thousands of wicked ones.”
He scratched his head and grimaced in what Tarkyn recognised as a
deliberately disarming gesture. “It would be easier if it were that simple.
But unfortunately among sorcerers, just as I’ve noticed among woodfolk,
there are factions. Even if you rescue these woodfolk, you still need to find
out what they are doing here and why they are hunting you.” Looking
around a ring of sceptical faces, he added, “I can assure you, this group
will have a purpose and unlike your groups, someone will be running
it. Even if three or four hundred sorcerers are involved in hunting you
down, that still leaves the vast majority of sorcerers peaceably at home
somewhere tending their crops, baking, breeding horses or whatever else
they do.”