Bronze Magic

by Jennifer Ealey

  Danton looked at him through narrowed eyes. “I would have no qualms about acting a part amongst you if I could figure out what would convince you all. Unfortunately, I suspect nothing but time and experience of me will do it.” He shrugged and gave a tight smile. “Oh well, on the other hand, I couldn’t ask for better protection for the prince than his ring of doubters. I’d just rather be inside than outside the ring.”

  “You’re getting there, Danton. Give it time. It will come.”

  Danton eyed the wizard, his gaze still cloudy with anger. “Anyway, you may yet have cause to be angry with me.” His voice vibrated with passion, “No matter what the cost, no matter what the disruption to our plans, I will make those two pay before we leave here. I don’t know how yet, but they will pay.”

  The wizard tilted his head sideways and considered the irate sorcerer, “But Danton, much as I hate to admit it I can understand their point of view, especially if Tarkyn killed their friends. And they don’t know that the fatalities were not deliberate acts of aggression by the prince.”

  Danton snorted in derision, “They had their chance to ask him and didn’t. They kept out of his line of vision and were brutal instead. What sort of friendship evaporates without being given any chance to redeem itself?” Danton stopped walking and put his hands on his hips, “If they had killed him in righteous anger, I might have understood. But this wasn’t revenge. Those friends Sargon spoke of were barely acquaintances and in case you hadn’t noticed, they forgot to mention to me that they had already had a run in with the prince.” He shook his head. “Don’t be fooled by their charm. Andoran and Sargon are only interested in the money. They couldn’t lie straight in bed, either of them.”

  “Hmm.” The wizard was thoughtful for a minute or two. “My first instinct was to try to dissuade you. But on reflection, I would have to admit that our feelings are very much in agreement on this issue. So instead, I think I had better help you concoct some form of revenge that doesn’t interfere too much with our other plans.”

  At last Danton’s face relaxed. “Oh good. This should be fun then.”

  Stormaway raised his eyebrows, “You weren’t thinking of killing them, were you?”

  Danton waved a hand casually, “Oh no, no. That would give us away. I was thinking of something much worse than that. I don’t know. Something exquisitely embarrassing or humiliating, preferably painful as well.”

  “Ah, excellent. That sounds just the thing. I’ll give it some thought.”

  Just then the wolves set up a din of whining and howling. Stormaway and Danton looked over to see a scrawny young man feeding them the contents of the wooden bucket. A few people were drawn to the noise but no one went too close. All eyes were on the wolves. Stormaway’s eyes were on the wolf trainer.

  “That man is familiar, even from the back.” The wizard waited until the scrawny man straightened up and turned around. “Oh my stars! That’s Journeyman Cloudmaker, my old apprentice from the days when I worked in the castle for Tarkyn’s father.” He frowned, “What’s he doing here, I wonder?”

  “He must be the sorcerer who is hunting the woodfolk. I wonder how many others know about the woodfolk?”

  “He is not only a sorcerer,” said Stormaway tetchily, “Think man! If he was my apprentice, he must be a wizard.”

  “Sorry. No offence meant, I’m sure. After all, you have also taught many sorcerers from what I’ve heard, Tarkyn and Markazon among them.”

  “None of them has been my apprentice. It’s not the same thing at all.” Stormaway waved a hand dismissively. “Anyway, let’s concentrate on our plan for the moment.” He glanced around him, “I think we could do it while they are being fed. The wolves’ howls would cover the noise and no one is looking that way.”

  Danton frowned, “We would be in full view if anyone looked around.”

  “True. Well, what do you think? Risk doing it at the wolves’ dinnertime or wait for Tarkyn to create a disturbance with the horses?”

  “How will he know whether to create a diversion or not?”

  Stormaway glanced up at the raven that had flown down out of the tree and was now sitting on top of the tent nearest to them. He leant forward and said quietly in Danton’s ear, “Because, unless I’m much mistaken, Tarkyn is watching our every move.”

  Danton started and looked around. Then he followed the direction of the wizard’s finger and saw the raven watching them. Danton’s eyes narrowed and he put his head on one side as he considered the large black bird. The raven copied his head movement. Then it launched itself off the tent pole straight at Danton. As the young sorcerer ducked in alarm, the bird changed its trajectory and swooped to land neatly on Danton’s shoulder.

  Danton, who was not particularly enamoured of birds, especially at close quarters, steeled himself to stand slowly upright with the raven ruffling its feathers inches from his left cheek, its sharp menacing beak and beady black eye clear in the peripheral vision of his left eye.

  He produced a wavering smile. “Ooh good. Up close and personal, then. Does he have to watch from this close?”

  “Does Tarkyn know that you don’t like birds, by any chance?” asked the wizard, smiling broadly.

  Eyeing the raven, Danton said carefully, “It’s not that I don’t like them, so much as they make me nervous. All those feathers and beaks and claws.” He frowned, “And yes, he does know.”

  “I thought he might,” laughed Stormaway. “Come on. Let’s show our raven friend the perimeter guards’ lay out. Tarkyn can transmit all the information to the woodfolk.”

  “The raven was in the tree earlier on. I just didn’t realise then, that it was being Tarkyn’s eyes. So I expect he already knows.” Danton winced as the raven’s sharp claws dug into him. “Anyway, I can’t help thinking I’m a little conspicuous with this raven perched on my shoulder.”

  “I couldn’t agree more but until Tarkyn stops mucking around, I can’t see that there is much we can do about it.”

  Just as the wizard finished speaking, the raven launched itself into the air, leaving several scratches in Danton’s shoulder, and landed back on the nearest tent pole.

  “Very funny,” mouthed Danton at Tarkyn via the raven. A thought struck him and he looked at the wizard in exasperation. “Please tell me that Tarkyn is not checking up on me.”

  Stormaway shook his head, “You’re not thinking straight. If Tarkyn were checking up on you, he would hardly let you know he was watching, would he?”

  Danton smiled perfunctorily, “No. Good point. Hmm. I wonder what he made of my conversation with Sargon and Andoran. Pity he couldn’t hear it. Still, just watching it would have been enough to condemn me if he didn’t trust me.”

  “Only if I hadn’t been lurking in the background. It wasn’t as if you met them on the quiet.”

  Danton rubbed a hand across his face, “Oh well. I hope he remembers I can act. Saying that, I don’t know that I could have said all those things if I’d known he was watching.”

  “Then it’s just as well you didn’t know, isn’t it?” The wizard patted the sorcerer on the back. “Stop fretting, Danton. Tarkyn wouldn’t be playing games with you if he were angry with you.”

  “True,” Danton realised his hands were shaking and took a deep breath to steady himself.

  “You do get yourself in a tangle sometimes, don’t you? Is this what Tarkyn meant about you being overly sensitive?” When Danton nodded, Stormaway continued bracingly. “Come on. Let’s plot our revenge on Sargon and Andoran so that no doubt is left in Tarkyn’s mind about your loyalties.”

  At dusk, the raven lifted itself out of the tree and winged its way slowly against the setting sun back into the forest.

  Danton and Stormaway spent the early part of the evening listening into and joining in with conversations around the campfires. Danton was borne off by Andoran and Sargon to spend the evening with them, drinking and reminiscing. Stormaway was less conspicuous and therefore more fortunate, moving quietly fro
m one conversation to the next as the mood took him.

  At the end of a long night Danton finally escaped the attentions of his enthusiastic companions, pleading a headache and resisting invitations for him to join Andoran and Sargon in their tent. He wove his way back to the tent he had been allocated and flopped down on his back beside Stormaway in the darkness. Even in the gloom, Danton’s face stood out stark and white, lined with strain.

  Stormaway did not make the same mistake twice. He rolled over, took one look at the guardsman’s face and whispered, “Rough evening?”

  “I don’t know when I’ve endured a harder one.” He sighed. “I feel sick to my stomach with the things I’ve said this evening.” He turned his head to look at the wizard, “And even more so with the things they have said. How much longer are we going to have to stay here?”

  Stormaway extricated a hand from within his bedding and placed it on Danton’s shoulder. “I’m afraid we’ll have to stay for at least a day or two afterwards, especially with your known association with the prince. Otherwise suspicion may fall on you, and consequently, on Tarkyn, and alert everyone to the prince’s presence in the area.”

  “Oh my stars!” groaned Danton. “I don’t know that I can do it.”

  “You can, because you must,” whispered Stormaway, not unkindly. “But let’s see if we can incapacitate the terrible two before you have to spend too much more time with them, shall we?”

  Danton’s teeth flashed in the dark in a brief smile. He sighed, “I still can’t retrieve all those things I’ve said, even if it would have been pointless to say anything else.”

  “Danton, look at me!” The wizard’s voice, even though only a whisper, sounded harsh in the darkness. “That wasn’t you who said those things. It was the person you were playing. Across the country there are hundreds of people saying things like that about Tarkyn. I’ve been listening to some of them tonight. Think of it as one of them. Not you. Leave it behind you, outside with the other two.”

  Some of the strain left the sorcerer’s eyes. He smiled tiredly. “Thanks Stormaway. I’ll try.” So saying, he rolled over and settled down to sleep.

  All through the night, a succession of large rats doggedly gnawed their way through the ropes tying the horses. By morning, only one strand of each rope was still in place. Despite the dislike some of the horses had for rats, none of them had done more than roll their eyes and stamp their feet occasionally.

  In the forest, just as the first rays of sunlight hit the top of the trees, Tarkyn released his connection with the last of the rats and sank into bed.

  51

  Not long afterwards Stormaway rose and, sitting in the corner of the tent, began to work his way through a couple of ancient tomes he had brought with him in his satchel. The wolves presented no problem to him. Summer Rain and he had already devised a concoction to put them safely to sleep for the duration of the night. It was the exquisite revenge that occupied his attention.

  Once Danton was up and dressed, he wandered off to procure them both some breakfast, leaving the wizard to his studies. When he returned, Stormaway glanced up and nodded his thanks as Danton handed him a cup of tea and a plate of freshly baked bread and soft cheese.

  “The problem is,” explained Stormaway, “that most poisonous plants either kill you quickly or only make you very uncomfortable for, at most, about three days while they go through your system.” He bit into his roll and munched on a mouthful before continuing, “Now, what I’m looking for is something that will cause them grief for at least a couple of weeks. That’s how long Tarkyn suffered serious pain. If I can’t come up with something longer term like that, then we may just have to kill them and be done with it.”

  Danton eyed the wizard with something between a frown and a smile hovering on his face, as he sat down opposite him. “You have a bloodthirsty streak that I am only now beginning to appreciate.” He took a sip of tea. “Of course we will have to kill them in the end. We can’t allow anyone to get away with attacking a member of the Royal Family, even if the prince has been outlawed.”

  The wizard shrugged, “Strategically, we can’t really kill them in the foreseeable future unless we can make it look accidental - and two people dying accidentally does strain people’s credulity somewhat.”

  Danton heaved a sigh, “Yes. I’m afraid I agree with you. We will have to leave their execution until the woodfolk are safe. I think the most frustrating aspect of this scheme we’re concocting is that we can’t afford to let them know why they are being made to suffer.”

  Stormaway gave a half smile, “Not very satisfactory, I agree. But one day in the future when we are well away from here we will let them know in retrospect, before we kill them, that they were punished.”

  “Hmm.” Danton sipped his tea. “I can think of lots of ways of humiliating them but in each case, they would know someone had set them up or attacked them. It’s much harder to find a way to make them suffer with no apparent cause.”

  The wizard frowned thoughtfully. “I think what I need is a combination of poisons administered in different ways. Yes, I think that might do it. Where do they get their water from?”

  Danton thought about it. “They have a large wooden water barrel just outside their tent, but I don’t know where the water comes from.”

  “And how long would that water last them, do you think, before it needs to be refilled?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe four or five days. Depends on their wine to water ratio, if you see what I mean.”

  “Hmmm.” There was a protracted silence while Stormaway rifled through his books and thought through his tactics. Danton sat beside him patiently, eating his breakfast and allowing the expert free rein with his ideas. When Stormaway finally lifted his head, his eyes were glowing with satisfaction. “Right. I think I have it. Now, is there any protracted length of time that Andoran and Sargon will be away from their tent?”

  Danton nodded. “Most of today. They are heading off down to the road to bring back another group of travellers. They’re leaving mid morning and won’t be back until close to nightfall. Thank goodness. At least I won’t have to talk to them all day today.”

  “Excellent. We can put our long term punishment in place while they are gone and you will be able to set up their short term punishment when they return.” Stormaway ticked off a list on his fingers. “We’ll need to treat their bedding, their spare clothes, especially the undergarments, and a bottle of wine that they will drink tonight. I think it would be too hard to infect their food without affecting other people too. I expect everyone’s meals are cooked in the same place.” Stormaway frowned for a moment, “This water barrel of theirs. Does it have a tap at the bottom or do they just upend it and pour from the top?”

  Danton thought back, “It’s quite large. I’m sure it must have a tap. It would be refilled from the top, though.”

  The wizard rubbed his hands together. “Excellent. Just what we want. It is all coming together nicely. Now, you run along for a while. I need some time to prepare a few concoctions. Come back and tell me when they have gone and we’ll get to work.” Just as Danton was leaving the tent, the wizard called softly after him, “You know, even though I have devised several nasty experiences for them, I keep wanting to think of more. Nothing seems bad enough to repay that sort of treachery.”

  “No.” Danton looked back over his shoulder. “Nothing is bad enough.”

  52

  Four miles away and six hours later, Tarkyn was glaring down at Waterstone. “If they can’t ride, tie them to the horses. They may well be too weak to ride on their own anyway.”

  “Woodfolk don’t ride horses,” reiterated Waterstone stubbornly.

  “Well, it’s about time you learnt.”

  “Horses leave tracks, Your Highness. We don’t.”

  Tarkyn put his hands on his hips. “And how are you proposing to carry three woodfolk, complete with chains, all the way here then? Awkward bundle, wouldn’t you say?”

>   “We will manage. We have four hours before the guard changes.”

  Tarkyn turned away and took a couple of strides to calm his temper. He swung back and demanded, “And don’t you think the chains are going to make some noise and alert other people in the compound? What then? You’ll be exposed to everyone’s view and be unable to move quickly because of your burden.”

  Waterstone glared at him and said nothing.

  Tarkyn threw his hands up. “And then we’ll have ten imprisoned woodfolk and even more people knowing about you.”

  “The chains will make a lot of noise clanking up and down on a horse’s back anyway.”

  “But at least you can be away from view inside the forest within seconds.”

  “Excellent,” said Waterstone with withering sarcasm. “Leaving a trail a mile wide that even the dimmest sorcerer can follow straight to us.”

  Tarkyn eyebrows came together in a frown that had the beginnings of puzzlement amongst the anger. “Waterstone. You’re being deliberately obtuse. You know better than that. We can easily extract Golden Toad and his family from the back of the horse up into the trees and let the horse keep going to leave a false trail.”

  Waterstone scowled disdainfully. “Any tracker would be able to see that the horse had slowed down or stopped. And its tracks would be shallower after its load was lifted.”

  Much to the woodman’s irritation, a slow smile began to dawn on the prince’s face. “And can you find no solution to this, Waterstone, my determinedly obstreperous friend?”

  “Don’t patronise me!” snapped Waterstone.

  “If I were patronising you, I would be praising you with insufficient cause. As it is, I find nothing whatsoever to praise. You are being a stubborn, oppositional, old goat.” Despite the words, the smile still hovered around Tarkyn’s lips, infuriating the woodman further.

  Waterstone put his hands on his hips and glowered at him. “Your suggestion is unworkable. But that is no reason to start insulting me.”