Bronze Magic (Book 1) Read online

  Then Waterstone stood up. He looked steadily at the prince and gave a self-conscious bow. The gesture was so uncharacteristic of him that it brought Tarkyn up short. When Waterstone straightened, he said quietly, “Tarkyn. Your Highness. Please listen to me now, as I did not listen to you when I was angry.”

  He waited while Tarkyn absorbed his words and actions. When the prince had focused his unnerving gaze solely on Waterstone, the woodman continued, “You are right, Tarkyn. We have taken what you offered and continued to treat you as an outsider. On behalf of everyone here, I apologise for our behaviour and I particularly apologise for mine. Knowing you better, I believe I have less excuse than they do.”

  The wind dropped a little although the air was still not calm. Encouraged, Waterstone continued, “As you are aware, until recently, we regarded you as dangerous and a liability.” A wave of apprehension rippled around the group in response to this, but the wind did not pick up again. “Over the last few days though, some of us have come to realise that you could actually be an asset to us.”

  Tarkyn crossed his arms. “I am no more gratified to be considered an asset than I was concerned at being considered a liability. Every one of us is an asset or a liability at different times in our lives. I don’t see how this justifies your behaviour.”

  Waterstone frowned. “It doesn’t. I was trying to explain that it is only recently that there has been a shift in our attitude towards you. But we are still nowhere near thinking of you as one of us.”

  “I am not one of you. You have made that patently obvious,” said Tarkyn coldly. “I am your liege lord. Clearly, despite your words this morning, you prefer to keep me at a distance. So be it. But it will be reciprocal. I will insist on being accorded the signs of respect that are my due. You will not take me for granted again.”

  Autumn Leaves lumbered back into the conversation, “Sire, we made a mistake, an oversight. Please don’t force us to follow all that protocol of yours because of one mistake. The problem is your mind talking disability. We have to make a conscious effort to include you. Your inability to pick up words makes it very difficult... even if you do have other strengths.”

  “Don’t patronise me.” Tarkyn said sharply. He waved his hand dismissively, and began to pace. He realised he was hurt, as much as angry. He had let down his guard and risked a closeness that did not come easily to him, only to have it thrown back at him. As he paced, he struggled to overcome his desire to avenge himself.

  Finally he turned and faced them all. His voice was low and controlled, his anger tightly in check. A swirl of leaves behind him was the only remaining evidence of his displeasure. “I will give you two choices: either you will include me in all discussions relevant to me that you have amongst yourselves, no matter how hard that is or I will simply assume total control and expect you to behave towards me in accordance with court protocols. If you continue to close me out, then I shall act strictly as a prince of the realm and will treat all of you as no more than my subjects. Then we shall all be clear about where we stand, won’t we?”

  The prince watched them exchanging glances, staying strictly in focus, not daring to mind talk.

  “Waterstone, Autumn Leaves, you may share with the others the protocols I mentioned this morning, but no other part of the conversation. Be aware that there are other expectations that I have not yet mentioned. I will give you an hour to discuss it among yourselves and give me your decision.” So saying, the prince turned on his heel and walked off down to the river.

  t seemed like years since Tarkyn had last been here, but it was only this morning. The river bank was not a pleasant place at the moment. It was littered with wolf carcasses and blowflies were beginning to gather. However Tarkyn was not about to make a fool of himself by walking back up the hill to go off in another direction. As the minutes ticked by, the prince’s heart sank. He had thought the woodfolk would find the choice easy. He could not imagine that they would want to be ordered around by him all the time. Tarkyn did not want to be isolated from all of them either, but equally he would not put up with being marginalised. As time passed and he calmed down, the young man wondered if he had just let his feelings force him into a confrontation that could have been avoided, just as his father had done before him. He wandered down to the water’s edge and squatted down, looking into the depths of the river.

  “Oh stars above! I’m a bloody idiot. Now what have I done?” Tarkyn said quietly to himself. “All I had to do was point out what was wrong and work it out with them. Now I’ve upset everyone again and they will, quite rightly, feel more resentful of me than ever.” The prince moodily threw pebbles into the water. “Maybe my first instinct was right. Maybe I should just go away from these people and leave them in peace. There is plenty of forest to live in. And maybe I can find a way for the forest to release me, once the hunt has died down, and I can take my chances on the open road again.”

  “I don’t think we could let you do that, you know,” came a familiar voice.

  Tarkyn spun around to see Waterstone sitting on the stone behind him. Being stiff and not as agile as usual, the spinning sent him off balance and only Waterstone’s outstretched hand saved him from falling backwards into the water. The prince thanked him gruffly and stood up. He walked over to a nearby tree and sat down with his back to it. He sighed, “How long were you listening and what can’t you let me do?”

  “Long enough.” replied Waterstone with a slight smile. “Even if you’re a bloody idiot, we can’t let you go off and be miserable on your own. After all, we have vowed to protect you and that’s a bit hard to do if we’re nowhere near you.”

  Tarkyn glanced up at him but looked away. “You will have to find a way if that’s what I choose to do.” His ultimatum had still not been answered. “What have you all decided?”

  Waterstone gave a short laugh. “There was never any decision to make. Nobody wants you ruling us like some sort of tyrant, least of all you, I suspect.”

  The prince nodded reluctantly. “So what took you so long?”

  “Trying to figure out how to make sure we keep you in the loop. Someone has to be posted with you all the time to act as mediator. I should have thought of that and had you in the same tree as I was. Then I could have told you what was being said and let everyone know your ideas.”

  “I don’t need someone with me all the time,” protested the prince, “only when something important is happening or being discussed. I do need time on my own sometimes, you know.”

  Waterstone leaned down and picked up a couple of pebbles and started to toss them. “That’s a problem, you see. How do we judge what is important and what is not?”

  Tarkyn brushed his hand over his eyes. “For heaven’s sake, Waterstone. I really do think we might all be better off if I just go away somewhere. You can keep watch from a distance if you’re worried about me being safe. I just don’t know how to do this.”

  Waterstone dropped the pebbles and came over to squat in front of Tarkyn with his hand on the prince’s knee. “Tarkyn, don’t give up now. You’re nearly there. Your ultimatum has presented a few problems but we just have to find ways around them.”

  The prince brought his eyes up to look into his friend’s face. “Waterstone, despite your best efforts back there, I still behaved just like my father. Threatening when I should have been talking it through.”

  The woodman gave the prince’s knee a pat and stood up.“You know, I don’t think it will hurt everyone to think they haven’t any room to move. It will make it easier for them and me to break the habit of mind talking automatically and leaving you out.” Waterstone held out his hand then pulled the prince to his feet. “Anyway, I don’t think you did behave like your father. You are much more controlled than he was. Mostly, you were just clear about the choices.”

  As they walked back up the hill, Tarkyn said resignedly, “Still, I presume resentment is running high again?”

  Waterstone thought for a moment before answering, mostly
to ensure that Tarkyn didn’t think he was producing an empty reassurance. “Actually, I think your ultimatum made most people realise for the first time that you did not intend to exercise absolute control. Since they had not been party to the discussions we have had, they didn’t know that before. Not only that, we all understood why you were angry. It made us realise that you require more than the respect based on protocol or fear. You are demanding the type of respect we give each other.” The woodman shrugged, “To be honest, that is much harder to give.”

  Tarkyn stopped walking, a frown gathering on his brow. Before he could say anything, Waterstone pointed to a side path. “Come on. Let’s take a longer way back. We need to sort this out before you face everyone, and I think they need to get on with cleaning those wolf carcasses.” At a nod from the prince, Waterstone went briefly out of focus.

  After a moment, Tarkyn followed the woodman’s suggestion and turned down the side path. He was still frowning as he asked, “Are you saying, that after all you and I have been through, you don’t respect me as you do, say, Autumn Leaves?”

  Waterstone flicked a glance at the prince, then cleared his throat nervously, as he returned his gaze to the path. “In some ways, yes,” he replied resolutely. He held his breath and waited for the explosion. When it didn’t come, he turned his head to find the prince staring at him incredulously.

  “Waterstone, your courage never ceases to amaze me. I wish I had known you for longer.” For one hideous moment, it flashed across the woodman’s mind that the prince was going to kill him, but Tarkyn merely clapped him on the shoulder and continued in amazement, “I don’t think there is another person I have ever met who would dare to say that to me.”

  The woodman let out a quiet sigh of relief and shrugged. “Autumn Leaves would. Maybe others. Saying that, I have to admit I thought I was taking a risk.”

  “Oh, you were. Believe me, you were.” The prince’s eyes glinted. “The things I accept here that I would never have countenanced at court continue to astonish me.” He studied the woodman unnervingly for several seconds. “So tell me, in what ways do your friends merit more respect than I do?”

  Waterstone took a deep breath to steady himself. He knew he was pushing the limits of this strange friendship. “This is very difficult. I risk offending you with everything I can think of to say. But basically it simply comes down to this. They are woodfolk. You are not.” The woodman glanced at the sorcerer for a reaction but as far as he could see, there was none. He continued, “I share a thousand, two thousand years of ancestry with them. I know how they think, how they react in every situation. I know their skills. I know how they behave in danger. I know how we work together. I know them as I know myself.” “And you do not know me.” It was partly question, partly statement.

  Waterstone shook his head. “Not like that, I don’t. How could I? I have known you for three weeks. I have known them all my life.”

  “So in the short time you have known me, where have I fallen short?”

  The woodman did not like the detached tone he was hearing in the prince’s voice. He could feel Tarkyn withdrawing but he was now committed to this uncomfortable expose.

  “Tarkyn, it is like playing with fire, being around you. You are unpredictable. In a dangerous situation, you are an unknown quantity. How could you expect me to respect your judgement in a situation that you have never been in before and that we have been in a hundred times over?” He paused and looked at the prince who was still gazing expressionlessly straight ahead as they walked. “Tarkyn, imagine if I came to court with you where I know little or nothing of the expectations and dangers….You would probably have to explain and excuse my behaviour and endure my ignorance embarrassing you in front of your peers.Would you have as much respect for me there as for your fellow sorcerers?”

  The prince smiled sadly. “Knowing you as I do, if I took you to court, I would respect you far and away more than anyone else there. That doesn’t mean you would be the best at everything or that you would shine in all situations.” He considered carefully, “I must admit that in some circumstances, my greater knowledge could mean that I did not respect your judgement there as I do here. But I would hope that I would give your opinions due consideration because you also would know your limitations.” He shrugged, “I might point out that I did not even attempt to air any of my opinions during the fight with the wolves.”

  Waterstone stopped dead. “I have done you a disservice, haven’t I? Both now and after the wolf fight when I didn’t ensure that you were included in the post mortem.” He frowned as he turned to keep walking. “Now it is I who needs time to think all of this through.”

  The sound of hurrying footsteps made them turn in their tracks. Up the path behind them came the wizard, green robe flapping around him as he rushed to catch up with them.

  “My lord, I don’t know what you said to them but the woodfolk seem to be very pleased about it.”

  The prince raised his eyebrows. “Do they?” He frowned as he thought through what he had said, “I was concerned that I had been overly harsh with them.”

  “I told you that they were relieved,” said Waterstone.

  Stormaway looked suspiciously from one to the other. “What have you made the prince do?” He demanded of the woodman. “I’m not a fool, you know. I know you’ve been working on him, taking advantage of his illness to work your way into his good opinion. Now you’ve used your influence to manipulate him, haven’t you? Even with the oath, one man against a nation is poor odds.”

  Thank heavens I trawled Waterstone’s memory. I’m not sure I could withstand this barrage otherwise, thought the prince. As it was, he let loose a warning wave of anger which he allowed Waterstone to feel as well to make sure the woodman realised that he had the prince’s support. Interesting. I wonder if Stormaway can tell that I also let Waterstone know that I’m angry? Probably not. “Stormaway, there is no point in you blustering in here after the fact and throwing your weight around. While I have been trying to work out my role among the woodfolk, you have been conspicuous by your absence.” Tarkyn conveniently forgot that he had been at some pains to avoid Stormaway at various times. “And where were you when the woodfolk were fighting the wolves?”

  Stormaway waved a hand vaguely. “Oh, here and there. Nowhere near the river though. I leave that sort of thing to the woodfolk. Not my place to get involved in it.” He regained some of his bluster and put his hands on hips. “So what have you done?”

  “Stormaway,” the prince’s voice held a warning tone, “you are not my keeper. You are my advisor. Be calm.” Tarkyn picked small green shoots from his wooden staff while he waited for Stormaway’s stance to become more respectful. When the wizard had dropped his arms and nodded a brief apology, Tarkyn answered, “I told them that they must not mind talk about anything that concerns me without keeping me informed.”

  “Very sensible, Sire, but I can’t see them being relieved about that.”

  Tarkyn grimaced, knowing that the wizard would not like what he was about to say. “I told them that the alternative was that I would assume control of everything.”

  He wasn’t wrong about the reaction. Stormaway almost danced up and down with frustration. “Your Highness! You are their ruler. You are supposed to take control.”

  Tarkyn took a deep breath and brought his eyes up to hold the wizard’s gaze. “Stormaway, I am not my father. I may be passionate, but I am not my father. I am not a king and never will be. I may be a prince, but I am far from court and the rules are different here.”

  “But my lord, it is up to you to impose the rules.”

  “Stormaway, it is up to me. And I choose not to.” The calm authority in his voice forestalled any argument.

  Tarkyn looked down at the particular shoot he was trying to remove. When he had managed to twist it off, he looked back up to find the wizard staring at him. The prince met his gaze squarely, waiting for the next sortie. To his surprise, Stormaway turned instead to Wate
rstone and demanded, “You made this staff for the prince, didn’t you? I would have expected you to do a better job of it. When did you make it?”

  It struck Tarkyn that Stormaway never asked questions of Waterstone. He always demanded. Meanwhile the woodman was frowning down at the staff in some perplexity.

  “I made it five, no six days ago. How can it still have green shoots on it? I trimmed it right back.”

  Even as they watched, a tiny pale green shoot pushed its tip through a small fissure in the side of the staff. Tarkyn raised his eyebrows and looked from one to the other of them, a slight smile dawning on his face.

  Suddenly, Stormaway was all business. “Waterstone, take us to the trees you repaired the other day. I want to look at them.”

  The woodman glanced askance at him but complied without comment. However, as they moved off, the wizard was taken aback by a firm but gentle wave of disapproval.

  A few minutes later they were standing amongst a group of trees that Tarkyn and the woodfolk had worked on three days before. The prince looked up but could not see any sign of the bandaging the woodfolk had done. “What has happened to the bindings you placed around the breaks?” he asked.

  Waterstone came to stand beside him and gazed up into the trees. “They’re still there.” He said, pointing at an apparently undamaged branch. He looked at Tarkyn then back up into the trees. “Look. Just there. We cover the joints with sap and bark so that they blend in; otherwise a stranger passing might see our repairs.” As he turned to look at the wizard, his gaze hardened. “So, what did you want to see?”

  “If it is at all possible, I would like to see how well one of your mended joints is recovering…If you wouldn’t mind, could you please take the wrappings off one and have a look?”

  Waterstone blinked in surprise at the change in Stormaway’s tone. A flicker of surmise crossed his face but he answered with equal courtesy, “I would be pleased to assist you. No doubt you will tell us why, in your own good time.” The woodman climbed nimbly into the nearest tree and began to unwrap the layer of sap and bark. “Tarkyn, can you hold up the branch to support it when I take away the bindings? Otherwise we may damage it beyond repair.”