Bronze Magic (Book 1) Page 21

  Waterstone directed a frown at him. “An owl warned you? You didn’t tell me that at the time. You gave me all sorts of other explanations….”

  Tarkyn shrugged and smiled ruefully at him, “I was just trying to come up with explanations I could believe myself. I hadn’t had time to put all the information together then and I couldn’t really credit that I’d just looked down on the woods through the owl’s eyes.”

  “Understandable,” put in Autumn Leaves, the peacemaker. “Not the first thing you’d naturally think of really, is it? Mind-reading an owl.” The other two looked at him without saying a word. “I’ll get some more juice then, shall I?” he said, getting to his feet.

  As soon as Tarkyn and Waterstone were left alone, an air of constraint descended. After too long a pause, Tarkyn said, “You have a good friend in Autumn Leaves. He risked being burnt to a crisp for you.”

  “Oh really?” responded Waterstone, not at all impressed, “He didn’t think you’d do anything of the sort. Not for a second.”

  The sorcerer pulled the corners of his mouth down in mock dismay. “That’s quite lowering, isn’t it? To realise I’m already losing my fearsome edge.”

  Waterstone watched him with his head on one side, a sardonic glint of amusement in his eyes. “And yet, if you think it needful, I’m sure you will easily create a twinge of apprehension to keep us all in line.”

  Tarkyn’s stomach tightened. There could be no mistaking the bitter edge to Waterstone’s words...and he had said ‘us all’, not ‘me’. Until now, their conversations had been person to person, not prince to woodfolk. Tarkyn stood up and walked to the edge of the small clearing. He looked out, hands on hips, into the tangle of branches as he tried to work out what he could say. Before he spoke, the prince sent Autumn Leaves an image of himself gesturing for the woodman to wait. He vaguely hoped that it wasn’t too emphatic. He turned on his heel and stood looking down at the Waterstone.

  “Waterstone,” he began, but faltered as he saw the woodman’s set face. He sat down again on the log next to Waterstone and leant forward, resting his elbows on his long legs. He drew a breath and tried again. “Waterstone, I couldn’t help not hearing all those things you told me when I was unconscious. I couldn’t help not knowing what a true friend you had been to me. How it was when I awoke is not how it is now. I had hoped the message I sent through Autumn Leaves would have reassured you of that.” He glanced at Waterstone but still the woodman did not reply. Tarkyn leant down and picked up a long twig and methodically began to break bits of the end of it, as he talked. “Now it is I who feels a yawning gap opening between us. I don’t really know what else to say... Yes, I do. Autumn Leaves explained – quite forcefully in fact – what it meant to expose your memories without choice, as you did. Although I knew that beforehand at one level, I didn’t fully appreciate the courage it required of you to keep going. I can only say that I am sorry I pushed you so far. I can’t undo it. Autumn Leaves was horrified at what I had done and so am I. My only defence is that, as you so rightly judged, I am an inexperienced young man and on top of that, I have had no training in mind linking of any sort.”

  There was a long silence. Tarkyn picked up another long twig and started breaking bits of it while he waited. When that twig was in little pieces on the ground, he debated whether to pick up yet another twig or whether just to get up and leave. He decided for one last try. He picked up a third twig and said inconsequentially, “Of course Autumn Leaves may be right. I might just be an utter bastard... in which case you’re better off keeping well away from me, like most woodfolk do.”

  Waterstone finally spoke. “Autumn Leaves said that?” He smiled reluctantly. “Maybe he really did think he risked being burnt to a cinder, after all.”

  The sorcerer shook his head, smiling. “I doubt it. Not by then, anyway. But I do know he would have risked it, if he felt he had to.”

  At last, Waterstone turned his head to look at the prince. “Do you know what upset me most?” Tarkyn decided this was rhetorical and didn’t answer. “I wasn’t able to do what I had contracted to do. I pulled out of the memory instead of allowing you to choose. After all that effort, I wasn’t able to prove that there was nothing I couldn’t show you because I stopped the memory, not you.”

  “Waterstone, you’re too hard on yourself. I understand completely why you were unable to continue at that point.”

  “You may understand but that will not stop the doubts.”

  The prince smiled wryly. “I may be an utter bastard but I am neither an utter fool nor a liar. I said I trusted you beyond any doubt and I do. That last memory and your strong reaction to it showed me the motivation for your friendship. That’s what I needed to know. The earlier memories didn’t, which was why I asked you to keep going.” Tarkyn threw down the remains of his twig and sat up. “I hope the cost wasn’t too high - Autumn Leaves tells me it was – especially when the trust you won from me is something you take for granted from everyone else. I hope it was worth it to you. It is beyond value to me.”

  The woodman’s face broke into a slow warm smile. “Now I understand all that, it was worth it ...and I’m glad you pushed the point until you were satisfied. So, if you still wish to maintain this friendship, even knowing the unkind thoughts I had about you when you first arrived, I suppose I can deal with your occasional flashes of ruthlessness.” Waterstone rocked backwards as a wave of relief poured over him. He shook his head, laughing. “You are hopeless. Your emotions get the better of me, let alone you.”

  A few minutes later, Autumn Leaves finally ran out of patience and turned up with a stone carafe of apple juice.

  “Whoops. Sorry,” said Tarkyn. “I forgot to send you another message. How was the last message?”

  Autumn Leaves blinked as he thought about it. “Hard to say. Since I now know more about your attitudes, I wasn’t offended by it. I think people will have to get to know you better to interpret your messages properly, though. So”, he said, as he poured the juice into the three goblets, “Have you two sorted yourselves out?”

  “Yes, thanks,” replied Tarkyn with laughter in his eyes.

  The other two looked at him. “What’s so funny?” demanded Autumn Leaves.

  “I’ve never had so many people treating me in such an avuncular manner before.”

  “Who else is?” asked Waterstone. He frowned. “Not me?”

  “No. Not you, but Stormaway and Thunder Storm both seem to have taken me under their wings.” He chortled. “And of course Autumn Leaves is busy looking after both of us.... now that he’s stopped lecturing me. Even Summer Rain had an unexpected moment of kindness last night.” He shook his head. “I am struggling to maintain a dignified distance, I can tell you.”

  The two woodfolk stared at him. Then, their eyes glazed slightly as they thought amongst themselves. As the seconds drew out, Tarkyn cocked his head to one side and asked, “Would you mind sharing whatever thoughts you are having? It’s becoming a little lonely out here.”

  Waterstone came back into focus “Sorry. We were discussing whether there is a need for a dignified distance, as you call it. From your point of view, from our point of view, practically and traditionally, especially when we have such different societies. We got carried away.” He nodded thoughtfully. “It’s complicated, isn’t it?”

  Tarkyn nodded, suddenly nothing more than a young man trying to make sense of the world from a very strange standpoint.

  “And really, it is your sole decision, isn’t it?” Waterstone shook his head slowly. “It’s a big decision to make, for a young prince who has suddenly become the liege lord of such a different society.”

  “And because of all that has happened, I still haven’t stated my expectations as I promised I would on the night of the feast,” said Tarkyn.

  Autumn Leaves was regarding Tarkyn with some concern. “I hope I haven’t offended you, Your Highness,” he said, “I am not used to dealing with princes. None of us is.”

  “No.
You haven’t offended me...At least no more than anyone else has, given the differences in our customs.” The prince smiled and shook his head.“You will know if you really offend me, I can assure you. You have not behaved around me as I have been used to, but it becomes increasingly obvious that the woodlands are nothing like court and, without wishing to be rude, woodfolk are not very good at being courtiers.”

  Seeing Autumn Leaves frown, Tarkyn continued, “It does take years of training, you know. You have to grow up believing in the monarchy and its importance to the whole structure of the nation. Everything in our society - all the feast days, all the customs, all the routes to wealth and power - originate from my family.”

  Tarkyn picked up another twig and set about destroying it slowly, like those before it. “You people have only known a king for two days and me for how long - three weeks? Nothing in your society depends on the monarchy except, of course,” he put in dryly, “the safety of the forest.” The prince shrugged, “But your society and customs and etiquette are not built around the monarchy. You don’t even seem to have a hierarchy. So you don’t know how you should behave towards a nobleman, let alone towards a member of the royal family.”

  He stood up and walked a little away from the two woodmen. Standing with his back to them, hands on hips, the prince stared unseeingly into the tangle of hawthorn and said quietly to himself, “And therein lies the dilemma.”

  He swung around and walked back to stand towering over them, his long black hair framing his face, his drawn brows shading his strange tawny eyes. “And the other side of that dilemma is that I am not used to such familiarity. Even within my family, there have always been protocols, particularly but not only, when members of the public are present. Even close friends are expected to show deference and follow rules of etiquette.”

  The two woodmen sat watching him intently, waiting to see where this monologue was heading. The prince glared down at them. They waited. Finally the prince threw up his hands. “You see! With the best will in the world, you have no idea what I’m talking about.”

  “Well, why don’t you stop standing over us like some looming bird of prey and sit down, have another drink and explain it better so we do understand?” suggested Waterstone mildly.

  At that, Tarkyn broke into laughter tinged with more than a little hysteria. He threw himself down on the log next to them and gulped down the best part of a cupful in one draught. He looked at Waterstone and Autumn Leaves incredulously. “Don’t you know you shouldn’t sit in my presence if I’m standing?”

  “No,” they chorused. “How would we?” added Autumn Leaves.

  “Or that you shouldn’t lean over me, as both of you have done in the past?”

  “Obviously not or we wouldn’t have.” replied Waterstone tartly.

  “Or that you should bow every time you approach me?”

  The woodman goggled at each other.

  “Or that you shouldn’t raise your voice to me?”

  “Well,” said Waterstone promptly, “I’ve failed signally on that one but I bet Autumn Leaves kept his voice down. He’s good at saying what he wants to without raising his voice.”

  “Or that you shouldn’t speak to me until I address you first?”

  “Oh, I certainly failed on that one,” chortled Waterstone, rolling his eyes at Autumn Leaves. “I talked to him for days when he was unconscious, before he addressed me.”

  A wave of frustration tinged with anger rolled into the minds of the two woodmen.

  “Now settle down, Waterstone.” said Autumn Leaves gently. “You’re starting to upset him.”

  Waterstone calmed himself and smiled ruefully at the prince. “I’m sorry, Tarkyn. I shouldn’t tease you when you’re trying to be serious.” He gave the prince a friendly pat on the knee not realising that, once more, he was transgressing. “Look, if you want us to learn these things and behave in certain ways, we’ll just have to learn. I’m sure Stormaway would be happy to teach us.” Waterstone smothered a smile as he added, “It could take us a while to get the hang of it and there are quite a large number of us to teach. Still, it will keep Stormaway out of mischief.”

  The prince frowned suspiciously, “What are you laughing at?”

  Waterstone whooped with released laughter, “I’ll show you,” he gasped. He sent the other two a mental image of groups of woodfolk trying to remember to stand and speak at the right times using Stormaway as their guide. Woodfolk are bobbing up and down in confusion as Tarkyn stands or sits. Since they are mainly sitting on the ground or low logs, by the time they scramble to their feet, Tarkyn is sitting down again. The woodfolk then all look uncertainly at each other and subside slowly to sit again apprehensively, ready to bounce back up at any moment. Then they sit in deathly silence around the fire, waiting expectantly for Tarkyn to say something. Needless to say, it is not long before the woodfolk revert to mind talking and simply leave the prince out of the equation. “You’d certainly create distance between yourself and us but I’m not sure how dignified it will be.”

  Although he was smiling, Autumn Leaves shook his head. “I don’t think that’s kind, Waterstone. Tarkyn is trying to….”

  The prince waved Autumn Leaves to silence. He, too, was smiling, if a little reluctantly. “Thank you for your support, Autumn Leaves, but Waterstone is not just teasing. He’s showing me the reality of trying to impose my culture on yours.” He took a sip of wine and looked at the woodmen over the rim of the goblet. “You will be pleased to know, Waterstone, that I had actually figured that out already.”

  “So why are we talking about it then?” asked Waterstone impatiently.

  “I suppose, because I need to work out what is reasonable to expect,” answered the prince. “From my framework of understanding, ever since I arrived here, I have been constantly overlooking transgressions, some of them severe enough to merit banishment or even imprisonment.”

  Waterstone smiled. “I know you have. I’ve seen you do a double take when someone is unexpectedly familiar with you. Anyway, you don’t need any of these niceties from your society to keep your distance, if that’s what you want. All you need is a few of those withering words of yours and a few of your supercilious looks and people will never take you for granted.”

  “And there’s always the oath to fall back on.” added Autumn Leaves encouragingly.

  Tarkyn was visited with a queer sensation of wading through treacle. At least it’s friendly treacle, he thought.

  Waterstone stood up and walked a few steps away before turning to look at the prince. Tarkyn realised that, despite the teasing, the woodman had carefully made sure he wasn’t standing over him. “Tarkyn, in your society we wouldn’t stand a chance because we don’t know your rules. But from our point of view, everyone has tried to treat you with respect and to overcome whatever resentment they might be feeling. You feel you have been generous with us. We feel we have been generous with you.”

  “You have. You have been much kinder to me than I expected. Not everyone, but certainly most of the woodfolk who stayed here with me have been.”

  “And another thing you haven’t considered,” said Waterstone, crossing his arms, “You’re assuming we’re all commoners. But we see ourselves as all of equal rank. Why do you assume that it is the lowest possible rank?”

  Tarkyn stared at him for a moment. “I suppose because in a hierarchy, the vast majority of people are commoners.”

  “But we’re not a hierarchy. The lowest possible rank here is also the highest possible rank” As he saw the prince frown, Waterstone added, “Don’t worry. I’m not mounting an argument to usurp your authority. No matter what rank you may consider us, you still outstrip us all, because of the oath.”

  A wave of uncertainty rolled around the clearing. The young exiled prince put down his wine and stood up. He picked a small green shoot off his staff before setting it firmly on the ground. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I’m going to have to think this through on my own. Thank you Autumn Leave
s, for all your help and Waterstone, I’m glad we’re back on an even keel. Don’t worry. I’m not offended by anything you’ve said. I just need time to think. I’ll see you this evening.”

  arkyn wandered out of the hawthorn patch, not sure where to go next. He didn’t want to run into Stormaway at the moment, whose

  strong views would only add to his confusion.

  Suddenly, he was seeing the forest far below him. Tarkyn staggered as the image overwhelmed him and he lost his balance. He clung to his staff for support as his mind soared in a great arc across the top of the trees. As his vision swung around across the river, Tarkyn’s body lost its battle to stay upright and crumpled in a heap on the ground. His staff crashed away from him and skittered down a slope.

  His mind raced low over the trees heading towards the west. Ahead of him he could see grey shapes moving beneath the trees. Wolves. He felt a fugue of anger and hatred emanating from them as they ran singlemindedly, the lead wolf clearly sniffing its way along a specific trail through the woods. His mind swung up higher to show him the scope of the danger. There were wolves spread through the trees, all headed towards where his body lay. His mind soared away from the wolves and back over the river. He watched as two woodfolk rushed up to his prostrate form lying in the middle of a path. With a sickening lurch, he was back in his body; lying on his back and watching a huge golden brown eagle glare down at him through the trees, before it slowly flapped its enormous wings and glided out of sight.