“He may kill first and ask questions afterwards,” interrupted Tarkyn. “They are trained to be ruthless. We will have to disarm him and tie his arms behind his back before Stormaway can talk to him safely.”
“Right. We’ll do that then,” replied Waterstone without hesitation. “How are we going to knock him out? Slingshot or one of your power rays?”
“Slingshot. You will be able to get much closer to him undetected than either of us could. I will come with you as far as is safe and will create a link between the eagle owl and you, so you know what the guard is doing. Wait. I’ll use the eagle owl’s directions to show you exactly where he is. Do we need anyone else?”
“No,” replied Thunder Storm. “But I think everyone must disappear. He’s too close. If he comes any closer, he’ll hear voices. We’ll alert the lookouts, too.”
Tarkyn frowned, “It seems a shame to disturb everyone when they’re all deep in discussion.”
Thunder Storm gave him the smile he would have given one of his children when they were being naïve, “My lord, that is what we do. It is second nature to us. They can continue the discussion mind talking.”
The other two woodmen agreed and all three went out of focus briefly.
“Right, let’s go.”
Waterstone led the way past the shelters and followed the stream along until they reached the edge of the beech wood. He signalled for the sorcerer and the wizard to remain.
Suddenly the three woodmen were gone. The forest guardian checked with his owl. The elite guard was still pressed, motionless, into the deep shadow beneath the tree’s branches. Tarkyn couldn’t see any movement. Perhaps he was sleeping. Abruptly, the guard reared up then crashed to the ground.
Tarkyn turned to the wizard. “Mission accomplished, I think.” He tuned back into the owl to thank him for his night’s work. The owl, however, was finding the whole affair most entertaining and had no intention of leaving, so Tarkyn retained his contact. Below on the forest floor through the owl’s eyes, he could see three woodmen firmly tying the guard’s hands behind his back. His knives were in neat pile a few yards away. Tarkyn sent an image of knives up sleeves, in boots and up trouser legs. As a result, two more knives appeared and were added to the pile. Then the woodfolk were gone.
Tarkyn filled Stormaway in on the owl’s image. “He’s all yours. Do you feel able to do this?”
“I will be fine, my boy. Intrigue is the spice of my life. Let me at him.” Stormaway smiled broadly and headed off into the woods.
The eagle owl turned its head and Tarkyn found himself looking directly at Thunder Storm, who was sharing the tree with the owl. As the owl stared at him, Thunder Storm gave a small wave and a grin.
“Very funny,” said Tarkyn to himself, with a smile. “And I used to think he was pompous.”
The eagle owl was not quite so amused and returned his attention to the forest floor. Stormaway had arrived and was seating himself comfortably. He waved a hand and murmured a spell to produce a soft light, ready for the guard’s return to consciousness.
Only a few minutes later, the elite guard began to come round. The woodmen had been very accurate with the strength of their slingshot. A black scarf obscured the man’s face leaving only his eyes visible. Stormaway leant forward and removed the scarf to make sure the guard could breathe properly. The prince drew in a sharp breath as the man’s features were revealed.
The guardsman was no older than early twenties. His blonde, wavy hair was shoulder length and his eyes, when he opened them, were a vibrant purple. He lay still for a few minutes, taking in the fact that his hands were bound. When he saw Stormaway watching, he struggled into a sitting position. He shook his head to clear it and groaned.
“Ow. That wasn’t a good idea,” he said. He blinked a couple of times then focused his eyes on the wizard. “Who are you? And more importantly, do you have anything to drink?”
“As it happens,” replied Stormaway imperturbably, “I have water and wine. Which would you prefer?”
The young man frowned, “Water first. Then wine.” He gave the ghost of a smile. “I may need some assistance in drinking them.”
“I will be happy to oblige.” Stormaway produced two earthenware cups from his haversack and a stoppered earthenware bottle. “Before I come any closer, may I suggest you stop thinking of your feet as weapons or we will end up in a serious argument that I will win. If you find you cannot do that, please let me know and I will tie them also.”
The guard’s eyes narrowed. After a moment, he said, “I think I can manage that.”
The wizard carefully assisted him to take a drink then moved back out of range. “My name, sir, is Stormaway Treemaster…and yours?”
The guard’s eyes had widened. “I have heard of you. I seem to remember the king speaking of you. You were his father’s personal wizard, weren’t you?”
“Indeed I was. I am gratified to have been mentioned,” said the wizard with a touch of sarcasm, “Your name, sir? Or do you not wish to give it?”
The young man put his head on one side. “If I were on the king’s official business I would not give it to you, but I am travelling on my own affairs. And so I will tell you. My name is Danton Patronell.”
“So, Danton, if you are not on the king’s business, what brings you to these parts of the woods?”
“Before I answer that, I would ask what business is it of yours?” The guard shifted his weight to make himself more comfortable. “I would also ask why I awoke from a thump on the head to find myself with my hands bound?” A note of contempt entered his voice. “Perhaps you are a brigand these days?”
Despite himself, Stormaway took offence. “Good heavens, man! Of course I’m not. How dare you suggest such a thing?”
Danton shrugged, “One would have to say the evidence points to it from where I’m sitting.”
“Young man, I have been conducting some small commercial enterprises near here. I discovered you were hiding in the woods, no matter how. I recognise an elite guard when I see one. As I would rather live to ask questions, I have made sure you are unable to attack me while I find out why you’ve been skulking in these woods.” Stormaway had himself back in hand. “Some wine now?” he asked urbanely.
The young man nodded and waited for the wizard to feed it to him. The whole time, the guard studied Stormaway through narrowed eyes. When he still did not offer any information, Stormaway asked, “Do you, by any chance, know a young man who keeps wolves?”
“Not personally, no. I have heard that there is such a man. Rumours such as this make a long night on guard duty bearable.”
“I see. And do these rumours suggest who this man is or why he keeps wolves?”
The young man scowled impatiently. “I do not see the relevance of these questions.”
“Humour me.”
Danton eyed Stormaway belligerently for a few moments. “No. I do not know who he is and I have no idea of his intentions. Obviously, wolves would be useful for hunting or protection.” Suddenly a faint smile appeared on his face. “But actually, we thought that the man must be some sort of an idiot to use wild wolves when domestic hounds would be nearly as good and a lot easier to train.”
“Perhaps the wolves could pass more easily unremarked through the woodlands?”
The guardsman shrugged, patently uninterested, “Perhaps. But I can’t see why that would matter.”
Stormaway offered him another sip of wine but this time, as the wizard retreated to the other side of the path, the guard made a sudden lunge at him. In the space of an eye blink the wizard’s shield was up, but by then the young man had already relaxed back against the tree trunk again.
Stormaway frowned as he released his shield, “What was that all about?”
Danton gave a satisfied, unnerving smile. “I wanted to see the colour of your magic. If I had asked you, you might have lied.”
“So you have established that I have green magic. Well done,” said Stormaway with heavy iron
y. “So may we now return to the point of this discussion which is to establish why you are here?”
“It was not I who deviated from it.” The guard considered Stormaway for a long time. Finally, he said, “I don’t know how to say this to keep myself safe. I think you’re protecting someone and if you know I’m looking for him, you may kill me to protect him.”
“Why would you think I was protecting someone?” Stormaway asked quietly.
“Because of your connection to him, for one thing.”
Tense silences punctuated these verbal manoeuvres as the two men fenced carefully with each other.
“I have connections with many people. Any other reason?” asked Stormaway, trying to sound puzzled.
Danton drew a deep breath, obviously aware that he was on very thin ice. “There was a storm earlier today. Nearly all day, actually. It ended this afternoon with a pyrotechnical display that would take your breath away.” Danton’s eyes didn’t leave the wizard’s face. “One stream of magic was green, the other was bronze.”
“More wine?” asked Stormaway, stalling for time.
“Thank you.” When he had been fed another sip, Danton continued, “Bronze is a very unusual colour for magic, isn’t it? In fact, I know of only one person who has it. Don’t you?”
Stormaway conceded the battle but not the war. “What do you want with His Royal Highness?”
“I would remind you that I am not on the king’s business.”
“So you say,” said Stormaway tersely. “But neither are bounty hunters on the king’s business. Not directly, anyway.”
“This is where this becomes difficult.”
“Oh, so it hasn’t been difficult up until now?”
Danton shook his head. “Not really. Oh, it’s been difficult looking for him. I’ve been trying to find him for weeks. But this conversation hasn’t been difficult until now. We’ve been fencing but I already knew the prince was here somewhere. No, the hard part will be getting you to trust me so that I can see him.”
“Go on. Why should I trust you? And why do you want to see him?”
The young man wriggled uncomfortably against the tree. “I don’t suppose you would consider untying me?”
“What do you think?”
Danton grimaced, “No. I wouldn’t untie me if our roles were reversed. So, back to your question. Why should you trust me? You see, that is exactly what I meant about this being hard. I am his friend, but how can you know that? I want to see him again to tell him that I remain his friend if he needs me,” he shrugged, “and even if he doesn’t need me.”
“Your cause has not been helped by Andoran and Sargon.”
“Why?”
“They tried to take His Highness back for the bounty.”
The young man’s purple eyes widened. “No! Those bastards! I can’t believe they would stoop so low.”
The wizard’s voice was bleak. “I can assure you they did. They tied his hands behind his back, just as I have done to you, and force-marched him through the forest, belting him across the head any time he faltered.”
“How dare they?” The young man was clearly upset. “I knew nothing of this. I left Tormadell on the same day as the prince and I have been trying to find him ever since he disappeared.”
Stormaway raised his eyebrows. “Indeed?”
“Yes. Indeed!” snapped Danton. “So is he all right after all that? How did he escape?”
“He has recovered but he was badly hurt during his escape from Andoran and Sargon.” Stormaway shook his head. “And I’m afraid I can’t tell you how he escaped. Otherwise it may be one less chance he has next time.”
“Well, he’s going to be very wary after that, even of me.” Danton sighed. “Never mind.” After a moment, he looked squarely at the wizard. “Wizard Treemaster, obviously you are in contact with him. Could you just let His Highness know that not everyone has abandoned him? Certainly I haven’t, and there are other friends of his who would still be waiting for him if he could ever come back.” The young man wriggled again. “I have travelled a long way and a long time to see him but perhaps that won’t be possible. Still, at least I know the prince is still alive and that he has received my message. Will you promise to tell him I came to see him?”
Stormaway nodded gravely.
“One more thing. Since you are clearly protecting His Highness, what relevance do these wolves have to his safety? I would be honoured to serve him in whatever way I can.”
The wizard gave him a considering stare before saying slowly, “I do not believe that they are a direct threat to him. They are merely of interest to him.”
“I see,” said Danton stiffly, interpreting this answer as a refusal of his offer. “In that case, there is no more to be said. While I am thankful that Prince Tarkyn has your protection, I can only hope that your strict guardianship of His Highness does not isolate him completely.” When the wizard did not respond, Danton gave a small shrug. “So be it. Now to practicalities. Are you going to let me go and send me on my way? I can promise not to say where I found you. In fact, I can promise to say I didn’t find you at all but after Sargon and Andoran, I suppose I might as well save my breath.”
“We will not be here for long, anyway,” said Stormaway. “So it is of little consequence. However, it would be better if no one knew the prince was in the forest.” The wizard stood and gave a slight bow. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, please?”
The guardsman’s mouth twisted into a crooked smile. “I can’t see that I have much choice.”
The wizard lifted a wry eyebrow in response as he headed out of the stand of beeches at a right angle to the way he had come in. Then he skirted around until he came to stand beside Tarkyn. “Do you know him?”
“Of course I do!” exclaimed Tarkyn. “We grew up together. He’s my closest friend. At least he was until I met Waterstone.”
“I’m glad you added that rider,” said Waterstone lightly, coming up silently behind them. “I might have had to kill him otherwise.”
“You still might have to,” replied Tarkyn, tension in every syllable.
Waterstone regarded his friend. “This changes things, doesn’t it? So what are we going to do?”
Tarkyn shrugged. “I don’t know. I couldn’t hear what he said.”
“Sorry.” The wizard filled the prince in on the contents of the conversation.
Tarkyn shook his head. “Much as I would like to believe him, how can we trust him?” He gave a knowing smile. “Whatever his motives, there is no way he’s just going to return meekly to Tormadell if he has been searching all these weeks and now knows I’m nearby. I know him. He gave up too easily.”
“What’s he doing now?” asked Stormaway.
Tarkyn connected briefly with the eagle owl. “He’s surreptitiously scanning the nearby trees. He knows someone will be watching him. So he’s making no move to escape.”
“You don’t sound as though you trust him much,” observed Waterstone.
Tarkyn glanced at him, “I don’t know whether I trust him or not. But I certainly don’t trust him to play it straight when he finds himself far from help, at the mercy of someone he doesn’t know.”
Waterstone smiled wryly. “I admit one does not necessarily reflect on the other. I don’t think I’d be playing it straight in that situation either.”
“Oh, for pity’s sake!” exclaimed Tarkyn, his voice full of anguish. “What am I going to do? What are we going to do? That is my friend in there. It’s one thing to talk about ulterior motives to friendships when they’re all far away. It’s quite another to abandon someone who, as far as I know, has stood by me and is right here in front of me.”
“What do you want to do about him?” asked Waterstone gently.
Tarkyn ran a hand through his hair. “I want what I can’t have. I want him to come back with us and sit around the fire and tell us all about what he’s been doing.” The prince began to pace back and forth. “But, obviously, that can’t happen.”
He stopped dead and looked Waterstone straight in the face. “I really don’t think I could countenance having him killed, any more than I could have allowed Stormaway to be killed by the oathless woodfolk.”
Waterstone smiled wryly. “I’m relieved to hear you say that. I would have strong doubts about our friendship if I thought you could turn around and order your friend’s death only weeks after last seeing him.”
Tarkyn looked much struck. “Oh. I didn’t see it like that. So you understand my dilemma.”
“Tarkyn, no one wants to kill him.” Waterstone frowned. “I sometimes wonder what you think of us. Woodfolk don’t kill everyone who comes near them. The forest would be littered with corpses if we did that. We fade away to avoid the need.”
“Yes. You may fade away, but I don’t. And that presents a dilemma”
Waterstone shrugged, “As long as you are forewarned, you can levitate so that you don’t leave tracks. You can hide in trees or brambles nearly as well as we do. Just a minute. Let me fill in the other two.”
When the woodman came back into focus, Stormaway said, “Regardless of your disappearing skills, I think His Highness is right. This man is going to dog our footsteps until he gets what he wants. He will be a constant thorn in our sides.”
Suddenly, Autumn Leaves and Thunder Storm were in their midst. “The owl can see better than we can in the dark anyway,” said Autumn Leaves casually.
Everyone carried on as though they had been there the whole time.
“If you spoke to this guard,” asked Thunder Storm, “would he go away?”
Tarkyn considered the matter. “I don’t really know. It may depend on what I say to him and on his motives. But I do know he definitely won’t go away until I do.”
Autumn Leaves suddenly went out of focus for a few moments. “That was Running Feet. They wanted to know what was happening. Just a minute.” He went out of focus again. When he returned, he was looking quizzical. “A group of them …”
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