Bronze Magic (Book 1) Page 39

  Unfortunately, Driving Rain was heavier and better balanced and after a couple of recovery steps, the heavy woodman swung his whole shoulder into Waterstone just as Mudslide recovered and shoved him hard from behind. Caught between them, the air exploded from his chest and he doubled up, winded. Mudslide bent over and swung her full weight behind her shoulder to send the stricken woodman flying.

  Just as Driving Rain strode over and grabbed him by his shirt front to pull him to his feet, a deep voice rumbled, “That’s our friend you have there... I suggest you leave him alone.”

  Driving Rain hauled Waterstone upright by his shirtfront. “What? This conniving weasel? You admit friendship with him? You’re all as bad as each other. You can have him back when I’ve finished with him.”

  Almost before he finished speaking, Driving Rain’s eyes rolled up in his head and he sank to the ground. As Mudslide made a move towards him, Thunder Storm said calmly, “I will have no compunction about knocking you out too, if you make any further move to hurt Waterstone.” She looked around to see a deadly little slingshot aimed at her head.

  As Waterstone disentangled his shirt from Driving Rain’s slack hand, Autumn Leaves walked over to him and put his arm around him to help him up.

  “Mudslide,” said Autumn Leaves over his shoulder, “I don’t think much of your taste in men.” He turned back to Waterstone, “Come on me old mate, let’s get you away from this unwholesome company you’ve been keeping.” He frowned as Waterstone wrapped his arm around his chest, still trying to catch his breath. “No permanent damage, I hope?”

  Waterstone shook his head, and managed to get out between breaths, “No. A bit of bruising maybe. Mostly just winded.”

  Behind them, Driving Rain groaned and raised himself groggily on one elbow. He was shaking his head trying to clear it, just as Falling Branch rounded the bend with Raging Water hobbling behind in hot pursuit.

  “What’s gong on here?” demanded the old man.

  “That bastard shot me,” mumbled Driving Rain, pointing an accusing finger at Thunder Storm.

  “Yes, and I will again if you’re not careful.”

  “Good shooting, Thunder Storm. You knocked him out for less than a minute. That takes some finesse.” Autumn Leaves transferred his attention to Waterstone, “You all right to stand on your own now?” When Waterstone nodded, he let go and addressed Raging Water, “Those two miscreants attacked Waterstone. We’re not totally clear why. We just came when he called.”

  “They object to my friendship with Tarkyn, and think I deliberately developed it so that I can use his power.” Waterstone kept his eyes trained on his shirt as he brushed dirt off it. “Of course, they’re not the first to think that. Tarkyn thought exactly the same when he first knew me.” He raised his head to look at Raging Water. “One of the joys of being around a power wielder.”

  “Stars above, Waterstone,” rumbled Thunder Storm, “That was very poor thanks for all those hours and days you put in at his bedside. Fancy mistrusting you after all that time.”

  Waterstone gave a wry smile. “Don’t think badly of him, Thunder Storm. All his life, he has been used for his influence, and cast aside when there is no more profit in associating with him. You think about it. His own brothers and two of his friends were willing to see him hanged. Why would he suddenly turn around and trust a complete stranger?”

  “Why did he trust you then?” asked Thunder Storm.

  “I’ll tell you later,” said Waterstone shortly, glancing at Autumn Leaves.

  “You wheedled your way into his confidence. That’s why,” sneered Driving Rain.

  Waterstone shrugged, “Think what you like. Whatever you say or however you threaten me, I won’t leave Tarkyn’s side.” He didn’t tell them that Tarkyn had forbidden him to leave, because he would have said the same thing anyway. He smiled. “Just as I won’t leave Thunder Storm or Autumn Leaves.”

  “And what does your daughter think about this?” asked Mudslide casually.

  “She is pleased to have Tarkyn as her uncle,” replied Waterstone, his whole body tightening at the underlying threat in her question, as he wondered how to keep his daughter safe.

  But Raging Water had no such qualms. He stomped up to the woodwoman and put his hands on his hips, “Mudslide, if anything ever happened to Sparrow, or to Waterstone or Ancient Oak, we would hunt you down... and Driving Rain. And we would bring the full force of woodfolk law to bear on you. You would never see your home forest again.” He thrust his face up close to hers and hissed, “I will make known your words to all woodfolk gathered here. Don’t you ever threaten a child again.”

  When Driving Rain and Mudslide had slunk off, Falling Branch turned to Waterstone, “You know, when you offered to become Tarkyn’s blood brother, I thought you were brave because it would be so strange to have a sorcerer – and especially that sorcerer – in your family. But now I realise that by doing that, you have also undertaken to shoulder some of the resentment directed at Tarkyn and to endure the suspicion some people will have of your motives.” He clapped Waterstone on the back. “So, I just want to say that you have my support.”

  “And mine,” growled Raging Water.

  Waterstone smiled. “Thanks. You haven’t been around Tarkyn as long as we have. I walked into this with my eyes wide open. All three of us know that being around Tarkyn is hard work.” His smile broadened, “But luckily, he is worth it.”

  hen Tarkyn and Ancient Oak returned to the firesite, lunch was underway. Consumption of food and drink had mellowed the mood a little but many people patently ignored Tarkyn or threw measuring glances in his direction.

  Autumn Leaves looked up with a slight smile, “Over your huff now, are you?”

  “Yes, thanks,” said Tarkyn, as he sat down, refusing to be baited.

  Sun Shower handed him a freshly baked flat bread rolled around dried berries, soft cheese and thin strips of some sort of meat without speaking to him.

  “Thank you,” he said, but without looking at her.

  The woodfolk ate in silence, many obviously mind talking. Handy being able to mind talk, thought Tarkyn. It doesn’t interfere with eating in the way normal talking does.

  Looking around the group, Tarkyn felt that all-in-all, he had lost ground. All his careful negotiations with his home guard were in tatters. No one was including him in any conversations and in the present climate, he couldn’t insist on it. He wasn’t about to start a conversation and be accused of trying to dominate the group again. If people had been talking out aloud, he might have been able to chat to Autumn Leaves or Ancient Oak but not when that would be the only audible conversation. How the pendulum swang. He now felt isolated again but for different reasons.

  He toyed with his food, finding he couldn’t bring himself to eat the meat that might be one of the creatures he had linked with over the past few days. He picked at the his food for long enough to be polite then stood up and walked back down to the stream. This time, Autumn Leaves, Waterstone, Falling Branch, Ancient Oak and Rainstorm followed him. Ancient Oak and Rainstorm had not been a party to the attack on Waterstone but they could tell something had happened from the straight-backed defiance of the other three as they left the clearing.

  By mutual unspoken consent, they found a comfortable grassy place to sit, away from prying eyes. Waterstone suppressed a grunt of pain as he sat down.

  Ancient Oak directed a worried frown at him but when he received no response, spoke to Tarkyn, “You mightn’t be consulting them but you are certainly allowing them to dictate your behaviour.”

  Everyone looked at him in surprise.

  “Good heavens, Ancient Oak. That was remarkably profound,” said his older brother, keeping the tone determinedly light. “Do I understand from that, that Tarkyn said he wouldn’t consult with anyone? What about? About how he should act?”

  Ancient Oak nodded.

  “Oh well done, Tarkyn,” said Waterstone scathingly. He spoke again to Ancient Oak, “So I suppos
e you now think he is totally autocratic, do you?”

  Ancient Oak put his head on one side. “Actually, I did when he first said it. But that doesn’t fit with everything you’ve said and the way he acts the rest of the time when he’s not on his high horse.” He smiled, “No, he’s just a bit spiky, that’s all.”

  The prince glared at them. “What is it about me that makes people feel free to discuss me as though I’m not here? I haven’t seen you doing it to each other.”

  Waterstone grinned. “Sorry. It’s just that you’re so much more interesting to talk about than the rest of us.” He gingerly changed position, only to find Rainstorm’s eyes on him.

  “Something’s wrong, isn’t it, Waterstone?” asked the young woodman. “Something has happened that you and Autumn Leaves and Falling Branch are not telling us about.”

  Waterstone rolled his eyes. “Save us from nosey little teenagers.”

  Rainstorm drew himself up, “That wasn’t kind. I am only concerned for you.”

  “Sorry, Rainstorm. It’s just that I don’t want anyone feeling that they have to do something about it.”

  “You mean me, don’t you, Waterstone?” said Tarkyn slowly. He gave a wry smile, “I would not interfere unless you agreed, you know.”

  Waterstone’s strained face relaxed. “Not to mention that we have an agreement to share information with you that we can once more honour. Very well.” He took a breath. “While you were off with Ancient Oak, two thugs accused me of currying favour with you and underlined their remarks with physical force.”

  “Autumn Leaves and Thunder Storm came to his rescue and Raging Water sent the thugs about their business, in no uncertain terms.” Falling Branch smiled proudly, “He’s a feisty old man.”

  Tarkyn frowned, realising that this was a sanitised version of events. “Would you have told me if Rainstorm hadn’t forced the issue?”

  Waterstone cleared his throat. “Yes, eventually. But I didn’t want you to feel bad about the reactions our family may have to face, especially so soon after your inauguration.”

  Tarkyn gave a shy smile, “You asked me into your family to share with you the joys and trials of kinship, so that we can call upon each other’s strength in times of need. Remember?” He glanced at Ancient Oak. “I know people around me become subjected to those sorts of pressures. It has happened around me all my life. I promise I won’t rush in and champion your cause if you don’t want me to. I can see that defending you could well reinforce people’s suspicion that you have me at your beck and call. But, at the very least, I can be here to talk to about it. After all, I have vastly more experience of it than you do. And if you request more than that, you may have that too.”

  “Thanks.” Waterstone smiled at Tarkyn and then glanced at his brother. Ancient Oak returned his smile, including Tarkyn in it. In that moment, the two woodmen and the sorcerer truly became brothers.

  After a rather soppy silence, Autumn Leaves could stand it no longer and cleared his throat, “Harrumph. Anyway, I think Ancient Oak made a good point. You can’t let them cow you into silence.”

  Tarkyn gave a short laugh at Autumn Leaves’ discomfort. “I have not been cowed into silence. I didn’t want to have yet another public conversation while everyone sits round, listening and judging. If other people had been talking, I would have talked too… I can’t help it if they haven’t enough courtesy not to whisper in front of one, so to speak.”

  “What if they keep it up?” asked Ancient Oak.

  The prince frowned. “I can’t imagine they all will. A lot of those people wouldn’t endorse a conspiracy against me. Raging Water, you people, the rest of the home guard…”

  “The what?” demanded Waterstone.

  Tarkyn cheeks darkened. “Oops. That’s my own private name for the woodfolk who have stood by me from the time of the accident.”

  Autumn Leaves smiled. “It’s all right. I quite like it.” He looked at Ancient Oak and Rainstorm. “You two, of course, will have to earn your way into the home guard.”

  Rainstorm’s eyes narrowed. “If we want to be in it.”

  “And if I want you to be,” retorted the prince.

  “Now you two, no fighting,” intervened Autumn Leaves who had spent a week watching them indulge in friendly bickering. “So what are we going to do about the mixed feelings of the woodfolk gathered out there?”

  With a glance at Ancient Oak, Tarkyn gave a resigned sigh. “Tell me what the upshot of the discussion was.”

  “Unfortunately,” put in Waterston somewhat bitterly, “those of us who have sworn the oath are not accorded much credibility… especially the home guard,” he added with a quirk of his mouth. “So our influence on the overall feeling has been minimal. Added to that, the harvesters, Ancient Oak’s lot, are still unreconciled to the oath, so most of them are agitating against you. With the exception of the woodfolk you have already mentioned and couple of dried up old dears you were sitting next to yesterday, the rest of them are still worried you’re planning to stage some sort of a take-over.”

  “Well, blast the lot of them!” exclaimed the prince angrily, throwing his arms up in frustration. “They can go and sort out their own problems, for all I care. If it weren’t for that bloody oath!” He scowled at them. “What’s the point of becoming a woodman, if no-one is going to trust me anyway?”

  “The point is that we can tell you everything you want to know about woodfolk now and you can trust us again,” answered Autumn Leaves succinctly. He swept his arm around. “Anyway, all of us trust you.”

  Tarkyn raised his eyebrows at Rainstorm who nodded in response and said, “He’s right. I trust you too. I mightn’t do what you tell me but I trust you.” The young woodman cleared his throat. “Trouble is, Tarkyn, you are quite forceful. The way you speak and act, well, you just assume that what you’re going to say is important. Even if you listen to other people’s ideas, you still lead the discussion.”

  For a fraught moment, Tarkyn stared at him. Everyone else held their breath. Then the prince gave a twisted smile, “I told you I was no good at being equal.” He frowned around at the others. “And when were the rest of you going to get around to telling me this?”

  “I didn’t know you didn’t know,” answered Ancient Oak quickly.

  Waterstone smiled at the prince. “We already told you. Remember last night when we were trying to show Rainstorm how much you negotiate and basically couldn’t find a situation where you weren’t running the show…even during the last week when you were unsure of your position. But now, becoming a woodman has restored your self assurance, and you’re a force to be reckoned with.”

  Tarkyn rolled his eyes. “Fine then. So we know where we stand. I am so used to leading, that there is little hope that these egalitarian woodfolk are going to be able to stomach me as I am.”

  Rainstorm nodded without hesitation. “That about sums it up.”

  The prince gave a rueful smile. “And there is little hope that I will change because I thought I had already; and obviously I have failed dismally.”

  “I think you’ve changed,” said Ancient Oak, “But maybe that’s because you’re now in my family.”

  Autumn Leaves snorted. “Of course you’ve changed. Only two weeks ago, we were debating whether we should all stand up when you arrive and wait to be spoken to and what else was there? …not bend over you and… I’ve forgotten the other ones.”

  “Bow. Not raise our voices to you,” filled in Waterstone dryly.

  For a moment, as the prince raised his eyebrows, he looked quite disdainful. “And there are many more, that I didn’t even bother mentioning.”

  Ancient Oak and Rainstorm both watched this interchange roundeyed.

  Rainstorm shook his head a little to clear it. “So. Given where you’ve come from, you’ve probably come as far as you can, for the time being.”

  Tarkyn nodded abstractedly in response, as he thought. Suddenly he sat up and smiled. “Aha. I know what I’ll do. I’
ll just go back in there and read them the riot act. Then tomorrow morning, I’ll go off to find Falling Rain as we originally planned. Anyone who wants to come with me can. The rest can go hang.”

  “What about your part of the oath?” asked Rainstorm, frowning.

  “No problem at all. Ask Autumn Leaves. It’s dangerous and logistically too difficult for woodfolk to congregate together for too long, isn’t it? So, I have achieved what I set out to do which was to stop the threat of woodfolk killing each other over me. We’re never going to attack those huntsmen by main force anyway.” The prince beamed around at them all and concluded, “So, all we have to do is sort out what each group of woodfolk is doing about the threat. Then they can keep us informed so that I will know if, and how, I am needed as guardian of the forest.”

  “So you’re going to breeze back in there, are you, and tell them all what they have to do?” asked Rainstorm in some amusement.

  Tarkyn’s eyes gleamed with laughter. “Yes. I think that sums it up. I’ll do what I do best and lord it over them. If they hate me at the end of it, it won’t matter particularly, because I’m leaving in the morning anyway.” he woodfolk did not continue their silent treatment during the afternoon and evening but Tarkyn made sure that he did not speak to anyone unless there were other conversations to cover the sound of his voice. There was an undercurrent of tension, and the resentment from many woodfolk was palpable. Tree Wind could often be seen at the centre of a discontented group. She seemed to spread dissention wherever she went.

  Raging Water and Falling Branch were determined to ignore the general unpleasantness and spent a lot of the afternoon talking to the forest guardian about his powers and what the dangers ahead might be. If they noticed that he spoke quietly and did not try to engage others, they said nothing about it.

  The prince didn’t make his move until after the evening meal. When he was ready, Tarkyn asked his home guard to stay together. Waterstone did not know why and was a little concerned at the reason for the request, but complied nevertheless.