A wave of pleasure and gratitude spread out from the prince over the group.
“Tarkyn,” said Waterstone with a slight shake of his head. “You are doing it again.”
After a slight hesitation, Tarkyn realised what he meant and smiled. “It’s just as well I reacted well to the news then, isn’t it?” After a moment’s thought, he frowned, “What about the children? Will they be all right to travel so far?”
Rustling Leaves answered him “Most woodfolk are itinerant, your Highness. We never stay long in one place anyway. The children are used to travelling, although perhaps not so far at any one time. They will learn much on the way. They will be just as safe travelling as they would be staying in one place within the forest.”
Tarkyn looked around them. “So when do we leave?”
A lovely young woodwoman with soft eyes and shoulder length shining hair answered him in a soft rhythmic voice. “My Lord, the arrival of the wolves has set us back a little. We must attend to the wolf carcasses before we leave. It will take us several days to prepare and cure the meat and hides. By then we will be ready to leave and you may be recovered, if nothing else happens to distract you. I am Lapping Water.”
With some amusement, Waterstone noted an arrested expression in Tarkyn’s eyes as he registered Lapping Water for the first time. However, the prince’s court training clicked in and he didn’t miss a beat as he answered, “Thank you, Lapping Water. I do not believe I have met you before and am pleased to do so now.” To cover his confusion, Tarkyn glanced around the group and said, “We have fought together and will be travelling together and yet I still have not been introduced to everyone here. This seems most remiss. Could those of you who have not yet introduced themselves, please do so now?”
Once the seven remaining adult woodfolk had introduced themselves, the prince asked, “And your children, Thunder Storm?”
“I beg your pardon, Your Highness,” answered Creaking Bough for him. “These are our sons Trickling Stream and Rain on Water.” Trickling Stream was a scruffy, bouncy five year old, with a couple of front teeth missing, who bounded forward to meet Tarkyn without a second thought while Rain on Water was much neater, more reserved and clearly intimidated by talking to the prince. Tarkyn made a mental note to get to know him better away from an audience.
Once introductions had been completed, the prince addressed the whole group. “I would like to thank all of you who are here for having chosen to stand by me. I did not ask to be introduced only for form’s sake. I need to know your names if we are in situations such as we were today so that I can call out to you if I need to. All of you need to learn to understand my way of mind talking. I cannot use words, only images, gestures and feeling. As Autumn Leaves can attest, this can lead to some misunderstandings. I will leave him to explain that to you at some other time.”
Tarkyn took a sip from his goblet before continuing. “I don’t know how you do things here, but where I come from we discuss a battle of any sort afterwards to ensure we learn from it to improve the next time. Do you do this?”
A few embarrassed glances between woodfolk answered his question.
“You have done it already and not included me?” Tarkyn blinked in disbelief. A wave of outrage burst forth from him and rocked the entire group backwards. As leaves began to dance on the trees, the woodfolk glanced at each other with stricken faces. “So. You use my power and knowledge and then close ranks against me as soon as the danger has passed.”
Their new liege lord grasped his staff and struggled to his feet. Gusts of wind picked up leaves and threw them across the clearing as he spoke, his voice intense with anger. “Perhaps you are unaware of the honour I bestowed on you by letting you choose which of my powers to use. By rights, I should have led that attack on the wolves. Instead, I allowed you to make the decisions. But at the very least, I expected to be treated as a valued contributor. You mistake the case completely if you think I am some tool to use, as and when it suits you.”
Giving a significant glance at the gathering storm, Autumn Leaves said bravely, “Sire, on the feast night, you said that only when you had made your expectations known would you demand our compliance – and yet now you are angry even though you have not stated your expectations.”
The prince glared down at him. “No, I have not yet stated them. And I am not angry that you remain seated while I stand even though you, Autumn Leaves, know that is not what I am used to. But I am angry that the common courtesy you extend to each other does not also extend to me. Even without court training, I cannot imagine that any of you thought that you were honouring me by excluding me.”
Small trees were bending in the rising wind. Dust and leaves gusted around the firesite and someone’s cup skittered away into the bushes. But no one moved. They watched, transfixed, as the sorcerer stood glowering at them, his long hair whipping around his face.
Thunder Storm found his voice enough to say, “We thanked you for what you did.”
“As a general would thank a foot soldier,” snapped the prince.
A particularly strong gust of wind sent sparks spiralling into the air. A glowing branch rolled off the fire. With a distracted flick of his wrist, Tarkyn murmured “Liefka,” and glided the burning branch back onto the coals.
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.
18
It seemed like years since Tarkyn had last been here, but it had only been that 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 the
m 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.”
Bronze Magic Page 23