The Wizard's Curse (Book 2)

by Jenny Ealey

  Tarkyn stood up to find Danton watching him from a short distance away.

  “So now what do we do?” demanded his liegeman.

  “We must go back and confront these sorcerers,” replied Tarkyn. “Our trail will lead them straight to us anyway and to Midnight. We must meet them in the clearing and keep them away from Midnight.”

  Danton stood with hands on his hips. “Right. Now I will say it. I think you’re mad. How can you hope to outface a posse of mounted sorcerers and half a dozen bloodhounds?”

  Tarkyn turned and began to run back to the clearing, calling over his shoulder, “Danton, don’t just stand there. Argue with me as we run. We must be well away from Midnight when they arrive. If we get to the clearing first, I can at least rescue his wristband for him.”

  “Tarkyn, what are you thinking, worrying about a wristband when you are facing capture?”

  Tarkyn smiled unnervingly, “I have my shield. You have yours. How can they touch us?”

  Danton shook his head but said nothing more, saving his breath instead for the upcoming confrontation.

  By the time they reached the clearing, they could already hear the baying of the hounds. Tarkyn glanced quickly around the clearing, summing up its potential dangers and advantages. He strode over to the place where they had all been sitting on the previous night and found the little plaited wristband hanging from the thin low branch. He untied it and placed it around his wrist. He raised his eyes to meet Danton’s and smiled, “Quickly. Can you tie this for me? It’s for luck, you know. To remind me of all I have to lose and all I have to fight for.”

  Danton gave his head a little shake as he tied the wristband and smiled in return, “Whatever happens, we will not let them find our woodfolk.”

  Even as he finished speaking, the first pair of bloodhounds thrust through the undergrowth. Tarkyn whirled around to confront them, his long black hair swinging out behind him. Within moments, the clearing was filled with horses, men and hounds, all encased in a shimmering greyish blue. Tarkyn stood stock still, watching them from within his bronze haze while Danton stood stoically beside him, surrounded by aqua.

  For a few moments, no one spoke. The wizard and the sorcerers were clearly non-plussed to come across their quarry so suddenly; even more so to find him confronting them, rather than running. They controlled their fretting horses and gradually brought them to a standstill with their hounds ranged before them. The wizard sat astride a fine white charger at their head.

  “Good morning,” said Tarkyn quietly and gave a slight bow, betraying not one whit of fear. “I am Tarkyn Tamadil, Prince of Eskuzor.” He indicated Danton, “This is my friend and liegeman, Danton Patronell, Lord of Sachmore.” Danton obligingly produced a florid bow. “Perhaps if we are to have a discourse, you might like to introduce yourselves.”

  The wizard’s uncertainty was betrayed by the restiveness of his horse that stamped its hoof and switched its tail. The silence drew out. Tarkyn raised his eyebrows and spoke in an aside to Danton, “Do you think they are unable to speak or is it perhaps that they lack training in etiquette?”

  “My name is Journeyman Cloudmaker,” said the wizard abruptly. “And I have come to take you back to be tried for the deaths of the guards in the Great Hall.”

  The prince ignored this last remark and asked, “And your companions?”

  Journeyman huffed but decided on balance to respond. Once he had introduced all eight sorcerers, he reiterated, “And now can we put an end to this farce? You are coming back to be tried on multiple counts of murder.”

  “What about the original charge of damage to public property?” enquired Tarkyn maddeningly. “I suppose that has been overshadowed by later events, hasn’t it?” He shrugged, “It was always a trumped up charge anyway.” He folded his arms, “You don’t need to try me, you know. I freely confess to causing those deaths although I do not admit to murder. I did not cause them intentionally. I didn’t fire on anyone. My shield reflected the guards’ power rays when they fired on me.”

  The wizard glared down at him. “What rubbish! Shields absorb, they don’t reflect. Of course you killed them intentionally. You murdered them before fleeing the Great Hall.”

  “As it turns out,” said Tarkyn calmly, “I have no interest in arguing with you about it. You are free to believe as you will.”

  The wizard’s voice hardened. “Regardless of your lack of interest, you must return with us to stand trial.”

  Tarkyn smiled slightly, “I think not.”

  The wizared boggled at him and waved his arm around. “Can you not see that you are outnumbered?”

  “Certainly.”

  Journeyman glared at him, “How can you hope to defend yourself against our greater numbers?”

  Tarkyn shrugged, “In return, might I ask how you are planning to penetrate my shield?”

  “I don’t have to. I can just outwait you.” As he spoke, the young wizard waved the sorcerers to spread out into a semicircle around the prince. “There are more of us to take it in turns to maintain our shield. Sooner or later you will need to sleep... and then we will have you.”

  “Oh I don’t know. Danton and I can take shifts for a very long time; the rest of our lives, if need be. I concede that it may become tiresome but it’s workable, nonetheless.”

  “Sooner or later you will let your guard down,” replied Journeyman flatly.

  “You may well be right,” agreed Tarkyn conversationally, “The rest of our lives is such a long time, isn’t it?”

  “So, are you prepared to wait it out until one or the other of you falters, or will you concede and come quietly now?”

  “Do you know, neither particularly appeals. You see, there is just one small factor that you haven’t accounted for,” said Tarkyn imperturbably. As he spoke, he wandered over to the edge of the clearing and leant comfortably against a tree, much to the further irritation of the wizard. Danton followed, to stand beside him.

  Journeyman gave up and rolled his eyes, “Which is?”

  “Neither of us can penetrate the other’s shield. Correct?”

  Once the wizard had nodded, Tarkyn continued, “And none of you can penetrate your own shield from within, can you?”

  “Obviously,” replied the wizard impatiently.

  Tarkyn smiled, “Now there, you see, is the difference. I can send forth power from within my own shield and I can perform more than one spell at a time. Quite helpful, wouldn’t you say?”

  The wizard flicked an uncertain glance at his henchmen before saying, “Not particularly, if you can’t penetrate our shield anyway.”

  “Now you’re not thinking this through carefully, are you?” said Tarkyn in a kindly tone that made the wizard’s blood boil. “Look above you. See that enormous tree? What do you think would happen if I felled it on you? Your shield would probably protect you, if you could maintain your focus amidst the mayhem, but you would be pinned to the ground.” He shrugged, “Then Danton and I could just leave you to your fate and walk away.” He glanced at Danton, “Not that I think we would because, despite the rumours, neither of us is totally heartless.”

  “I don’t believe you,” said the wizard flatly. “No one can perform more than one piece of magic at once. You’re just bluffing.”

  Suddenly Tarkyn’s eyes flashed with anger and a spear of bronze power shot out from within his shield to blast a deep hole in the ground just outside the greyish blue shield in front of the wizard. The horses cavorted and snorted in fright and the bloodhounds set up a din of bloodcurdling baying. For several minutes, chaos reigned inside the greyish blue shield until the animals were once more brought under control. The young wizard looked a little shaken but issued sharp orders to his men, nonetheless.

  A group of three horsemen encased in a purple shield suddenly broke away from beneath the blue-grey shield and attempted to drive at Danton and Tarkyn from the left. At the same time, three more carrying a large net between them broke through on the right. Suddenly Tark
yn and Danton had sorcerers bearing down on them from three sides at once, with a tree behind them.

  “Up, Danton! Drop your shield. I’ll cover you. Straight up. Now!”

  The two sorcerers rose into the air inside a bronze haze. The frustrated horsemen milled around beneath them as Tarkyn and Danton landed on a sturdy bough ten feet above their heads.

  Tarkyn ignored the sorcerers below them while he talked to Danton, “You hold me steady while I concentrate. I will maintain the shield and continue my attack. Clear?”

  Danton nodded, placed one arm around the trunk and the other around Tarkyn’s waist.

  Once he had steadied himself and placed the maintenance of the shield into the back of his mind, Tarkyn sent forth a bolt of bronze power into the ground at the base of the tree. Immediately the horsemen were forced back into the centre of the clearing as their horses shied away from the noise and flying dirt.

  Another bronze shaft tore into the ground, driving the horsemen back and to the right as the horses plunged away from the blast. Shaft after shaft struck the ground, each time leaving long enough between strikes so that the horses didn’t completely panic but rolled their eyes in distress and backed away from the noise and light.

  Danton realized that Tarkyn was slowly but surely driving the sorcerers and bloodhounds towards the mountain stream that plunged over slippery rocks down the steep valley.

  “Danton, I’m going to have to change position. We need to move to that next tree. Let me go now while we levitate to that pine over there.”

  “I have a better idea. Why don’t you climb on my back and I will levitate for the two of us? Then you can keep up your attack,” suggested Danton.

  Tarkyn eyed him uncertainly, “Are you sure? Can you hold us both up?”

  Danton grinned, “O ye of little faith! Let’s try it here where you can grab a branch if I fail.”

  Tarkyn grasped the branch above and swung his legs either side of Danton who hovered in the air next to the tree. Gradually Tarkyn allowed his weight to settle on Danton’s hips and, as Danton held firm, let go of the branch altogether.

  “This is marvellous, Danton. It’s like having an aerial horse.”

  “Thanks,” replied Danton dryly. “I think I’ve just been demoted.”

  “Oh, not at all,” chortled Tarkyn, “It’s well known that aerial horses outrank elite guards.”

  Danton snorted with laughter, which made them dip alarmingly. “Whoops!” He refocused on the job at hand and bore Tarkyn towards the beleaguered sorcerers who had just managed to calm their animals again.

  As soon as he was within easy range, Tarkyn sent down a shower of bronze blasts one after the other, now clearly driving the sorcerers in a particular direction. Even though the wizard and sorcerers realized what was happening, they were powerless to do anything about it. The path to the stream was narrow and any attempt by the sorcerers to deviate from it lead to a bronze shaft of power blasting a hole in the ground of their attempted escape route.

  Before long, the sorcerers found themselves backed up on the banks of the tumultuous stream. The rocks were far too slippery and treacherous for any horse to attempt to cross them and a slip would send them plunging over the edge or into one of the deep rockpools. Either would mean the end of the horse and possibly its rider.

  Danton hovered near an overhanging oak until Tarkyn had swung himself off his back. Then they both stood on a low bough looking down at the dishevelled men who, once more, were trying to quiet the baying hounds and calm their frightened horses.

  Eventually, when order was restored, Tarkyn and Danton floated down to land calmly in front of the wizard.

  “So, what are you planning to do with us now?” demanded Journeyman querulously. “Compound your crimes by murdering us as well?”

  “I wouldn’t do that to the horses,” replied Tarkyn sweetly. As one of the sorcerers made a sudden movement to quiet his still skittish horse, he added, “unless I was forced to.”

  “I think” said Danton, beginning to enjoy himself, “your mistake was in disbelieving His Highness. He is very particular about honesty, you know.”

  Journeyman glared at Danton. Then gradually his brain began to work and his eyes narrowed as he asked the prince, “Since you can indeed use more than one spell at once, is it also true that your shield was reflective?”

  Tarkyn raised supercilious eyebrows, “I have not told you a single untruth. It is up to you whether you believe me or not. I have no interest in convincing you.”

  Journeyman Cloudmaker became very thoughtful. Eventually he said slowly, “If that is the case, that would mean you are not a rogue sorcerer after all.”

  “No,” replied Tarkyn, “I am not. If I were a rogue sorcerer, I would have driven you and your men onto these rocks to plunge to your deaths down the cataracts.. Nevertheless, my shield did kill those men.”

  “Interesting,” mused Journeyman. “This changes everything.” He shot a penetrating glance at the prince, “How long have you been in the forest?”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t remember when I agreed to answer your questions,” said Tarkyn, determined not to place himself in a situation where he might have to lie to protect the woodfolk, more because he knew that he would not be able to lie convincingly, rather than from his natural honesty. “And I don’t remember when I gave you permission to address me without due courtesy.”

  The wizard gave a slight bow from the back of his horse. “I beg your pardon, Your Highness. Could I just ask you whether you have met up with anyone? I understood that you had protected a family and captured quite a large group of bandits single-handedly. Quite impressive.”

  Tarkyn stood up abruptly, “This audience is at an end. I did not come here to answer your questions. I came here to send you on your way back home. Now I suggest you leave.”

  “Excuse me one moment, Your Highness.” Journeyman turned his horse around so that he could confer with his companions. Tarkyn waited patiently until he turned back to face the prince and said, “Your Highness, I acknowledge that you have the advantage over us.”

  Tarkyn raised his eyebrows and murmured quietly, “How very astute.”

  Journeyman continued as though Tarkyn had not spoken, “However, before we leave, may I just ask whether there is any way we can keep in contact with you without having to hunt you down?”

  Tarkyn frowned in perplexity, “Journeyman, that is a very strange request. Surely you cannot expect a fugitive to leave his forwarding address.”

  “No, but there may be some things we wish to communicate to you in the future.”

  Tarkyn’s eyes narrowed, “If, having seen my powers and knowing now that I am not a rogue sorcerer, you are seeking to enlist my aid to your cause, I can tell you that I will not support either of my brothers against the other.” He sighed, “But I do fear for the future of Eskuzor. So, if you can do anything to protect her people, please do so.” He thought for a moment, “As you enter the forests from Tormadell, there is a large old horse chestnut tree with a hollowed out trunk on the left hand side of the road. If you place any messages in there, I will receive them eventually. It may take several weeks, though, for me to come that way again. Obviously, if I become aware that the tree is being watched, nothing will be picked up.” He gave a slight smile, “I should warn you that I have a comprehensive intelligence system. I have known you and your bloodhounds were coming, ever since you left the encampment.”

  Journeyman looked a little stunned at this information. “And yet you stayed to meet us. You could have been miles away by now.”

  “Yes, but then that would have been on your terms and I prefer to set my own terms. I do not like to be hunted.” Tarkyn was completely in control, “Now that we have met and you have gauged the calibre of my opposition, you may be less keen to waste your time and mine in hunting me down. And I think if you decide that an army will solve your dilemma, you may find me more elusive.”

  The young wizard knew that he had more than
met his match. He bowed low from the back of his horse, “It was a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness, and you, Your Lordship. I have taken careful note of the fact that you could have harmed us but chose not to and would like to thank you for your forbearance since in similar circumstances, I believe I would not have been so circumspect.”

  Tarkyn’s eyes twinkled, “I appreciate your honesty and will take care not to give you the advantage in the future.”

  Without another word, the wizard, followed by the sorcerers and bloodhounds, picked their way carefully past the prince and his liegeman to head back towards the clearing, and from there, to begin their long journey to the encampment.

  Just before they disappeared from sight around the bend in the path, Tarkyn called quietly after the wizard, “And Journeyman, I would not be so merciful should you choose to double back on us and try again. Remember, I have eyes everywhere.”

  As soon as they were out of sight, the two sorcerers looked at each other and grinned.

  “That went well then,” said Danton jauntily.

  “I think so.”

  “It’s a pity you couldn’t have asked him what he knows of woodfolk.”

  “But then you would have had to betray the fact that you knew about us, too,” said Waterstone, who had just appeared.

  “Precisely,” said Danton.

  “Exactly,” agreed Tarkyn, “So we couldn’t.”

  Waterstone looked from one to the other, “You two seem very pleased with yourselves.”

  Danton beamed, “It’s not every day you outface one wizard, eight sorcerers and six bloodhounds,”

  “And nine horses,” added Tarkyn.

  “And nine horses,” agreed Danton with a huge smile.

  Waterstone smiled broadly in return, “So perhaps now, you two could finish off the rescue you started. There’s a certain little boy sitting up in a nearby tree, refusing all attempts to get near him or to bring him down.”