The Wizard's Curse (Book 2) (75 page)

Finally Falling Rain turned to look at the wizard, “You are remarkably honest even if I do not necessarily share your opinions.”

Stormaway smiled and shook his head, “Never make the mistake of thinking that. I lie, even to Tarkyn when I think it suits his cause. However, at the moment, I think it suits his cause for us to find a way to tolerate each other.”

“I, however, have no vested interest in Prince Tarkyn’s cause.”

Stormaway considered him for a moment, “I think you will find that his cause and the woodfolk’s cause are one.”

Falling Rain shrugged, “I am not yet sure that I even care about the woodfolk cause. It will depend on what it turns out to be. A lot has changed since I last stood among my kin. No one has had any care for me for a long time. I do not feel that I owe them much.”

“What about Tree Wind?”

“Hmm. We’ll see. We are both remembering the other person as we were, twelve years ago. I have spent more of my adult life apart from her than with her. A lot changes in twelve years.”

“Tree Wind gave Tarkyn such a hard time when he first arrived. She began by physically attacking him…I think she would have killed him then and there, if the swirling wind hadn’t shown her that the forest was truly under threat. So then she showed him how the oath was instigated and made sure he knew how unwelcome he was. She followed this with ongoing agitation against him until he pointed out that her hostility was damaging the forest. She fought him every inch of the way. Eventually she acknowledged that woodfolk would be able to live with him. But only when his actions demonstrated how much he was willing to suffer to protect the forest and woodfolk, did she finally give him her true support and explain to him why she had been so antagonistic.”

Falling Rain stared at the wizard, “Why are you telling me this?”

“To show you that some people at least have cared about you the whole time you were away. Summer Rain has advocated for you unstintingly.”

“Hmph. Maybe so. But I walk back into a society that suddenly accepts our sworn enemies as friends, where a sorcerer has become a woodman and where a woodchild has a sorcerer father.” Falling Rain shook his head back and forth, “I am shocked by what I see. It goes against my whole upbringing, my entire heritage. After what you and your cronies did to me, I will not be so quick to accept sorcerers as my friends.”

“What do you mean me and my cronies? Don’t spread the blame too widely. It was only King Markazon and I who were responsible for what happened to you.”

Falling Rain snorted, “And what about the others?” He began to push Stormaway in the chest almost as punctuation for his phrases, forcing him to take a step backwards with every jab.  “Those sorcerers who woke me every half hour and interrogated me, who removed the food you gave me before I could eat more than a few mouthfuls? -  And I withstood all of that and gave nothing away, despite my hunger and illness and lack of sleep. Then suddenly,” Here, an extra hard shove drove Stormaway back against a tree. “after a blank in my memory, I find myself on the road into the forest on the way to betraying my kin.”

As he was speaking, a group of woodfolk had quietly gathered to listen to his story, outrage at his treatment clear on their faces. Stormaway was aware that he was surrounded by growing hostility but kept his eyes unwaveringly on Falling Rain.

“Stormaway, you have been dishonest with us,” rumbled Thunder Storm’s deep voice. “Even after you told Tarkyn about the mind control, you still didn’t confess the extent of the torture you subjected Falling Rain to, or that other people were involved.” Thunder Storm stood scowling at the wizard. “I know you are devious but I thought you had always been straight with us about keeping our existence secret.”

“Waterstone, could you ask Tarkyn to come over here please?” asked Stormaway quietly, his eyes still not leaving Falling Rain.

“Why?” sneered Falling Rain. “Do you need him to protect you from us now that everyone knows the extent of your infamy?”

“No. I am quite capable of protecting myself, should the need arise.” The wizard, back against the tree, let his eyes survey the bevy of woodfolk who surrounded him before returning his regard to  Falling Rain. “But what you have said concerns me deeply. I did not orchestrate your ill treatment. Someone else knew of your existence without my knowledge.”

“Don’t be pathetic, old man,” spat out Falling Rain. “The game is up and you know it.”

“No,” Waterstone intervened. “I don’t think it is that simple. I’m beginning to wish it were. Stormaway knew you would tell people everything, once you had returned. If he had something to hide, why did he just stay here waiting to be found out? He may be devious but he is not a fool.”

“Thank you for those kind words,” said Stormaway dryly.

The dark mood of the woodfolk did not lighten. As Tarkyn appeared at the rear of the throng, people moved aside with ill grace, to let him into the group. He glanced around at the angry faces and asked Stormaway, “Why did you send for me?”

More clearly than anything else Tarkyn could have done, that question in the face of seeing Stormaway surrounded by angry woodfolk, told them that he assumed the wizard was in no danger, though whether it was because of the woodfolk’s inherent goodwill or the wizard’s power wasn’t clear.

Tree Wind faced Tarkyn, hands on hips, and said belligerently, “We have just found out that Falling Rain was starved and kept almost constantly awake the whole time he was captive, in spite of the fact that he was desperately ill. We are not very impressed. I hope you feel your welfare is worth that sort of disregard for humanity.”

“I think you know I do not,” replied Tarkyn evenly. “I do not know what is common practice in interrogating prisoners since I have never been directly involved in it myself. However, I must confess that I suspect some prisoners have met with far worse fates than sleep deprivation and starvation.” When an angry babble of voices greeted this, the prince put up his hands, “I’m not saying I condone it. I’m just saying I suspect it happens. However, in Falling Rain’s case I was unaware of anything other than the mind control. Saying that, all my information emanates from Stormaway.” He transferred his gaze to the wizard, “Stormaway, I am giving you a direct order to answer truthfully. Were you aware of the starvation and sleep deprivation that Falling Rain says that he suffered?”

“No, Sire, I was not.”

The dangerous air of displeasure among the woodfolk changed to confusion then consternation.

Falling Rain waved his hand in exasperation, “Why would you believe a wizard above me, a woodman?”

“We don’t,” explained Waterstone. “We believe both of you. Stormaway would not disobey a direct order from Tarkyn and so we know he is telling the truth. But equally, we have no reason to doubt you.”

“…which leaves us with the uncomfortable knowledge that other people knew about you,” said Autumn Leaves, “and were working independently of the king and Stormaway in trying to extract information from you.”

“But who? I don’t know who these people were,” said Falling Rain.

Waterstone glanced from Stormaway to Tarkyn before returning his gaze to Falling Rain. “We can hypothesize but only you can really  tell us that. It will be in your memories. If you share them with Tarkyn, who is the only sorcerer who can receive images, he may recognise them.”

Falling Rain’s eyes flared in alarm. He made a sudden move as though to flick into hiding but Tree Wind reached out and grasped him firmly on his shoulder before he could disappear.

“Let me go,” he snapped, twisting his shoulder out of her grasp. “I am not going to open my mind up to some stinking sorcerer. You may all have fallen under his spell but I have no reason to trust him.”

“You don’t have to show him directly,” said Tree Wind, after a moment’s thought. “You can show your memories to one of us and we can transmit the images to Tarkyn.”

“I don’t want to trust him with my memories even indirectly. I don’t want to expose my suffering and weakness to a complete stranger, particularl
y
tha
t
stranger.”

Tree Wind was about to say something further but Tarkyn waved his hand to curtail her, “No. Don’t push him. He’s quite right. I wouldn’t want to begin my relationship with a stranger by showing him what I went through with the virus or the mountainfolk, for instance. Leave the poor man alone. He has enough to contend with, coming back amongst you all. When he feels easier among us and has caught up with everything that has happened, he may feel differently.” Just when everyone was thinking how understanding Tarkyn was being, he added firmly, “However, Falling Rain, I do not wish to be referred to again as a stinking sorcerer. I expect my respectful treatment of you to be reciprocated. Even if you do not trust me, I do not think that is too much to ask. Do you?”

Falling Rain’s eyes narrowed as he tried to gauge the measure of the man before him. “No. That is not too much. I will agree to an armed truce, so to speak. I beg your pardon for speaking offensively.”

Tarkyn nodded shortly, saying as he left, “For those of you who wish to, we will discuss the implications of Falling Rain’s revelations on the other side of the firesite when you are ready. You may or may not join us as you see fit, Falling Rain.”

Even as he left, Waterstone and Rainstorm peeled off to follow him. When Tarkyn turned to plonk himself despondently against a log, he found them hard on his heels.

“Falling Rain is really angry, isn’t he?” said Rainstorm, as they sat down on either side of him.

“Understandably… and Tree Wind has reverted to type again.” Tarkyn sighed, “After all these weeks of looking forward to meeting Falling Rain, now that we’ve found him, he absolutely detests me.”

“Hardly surprising. He hates what was done to him,” said Rainstorm, “And let’s face it, any of us would, especially when it led to his long exile.”

“And he must see Markazon and you as the cause of all his misfortune,” Waterstone glanced sideways at Tarkyn, “I think he may be your biggest challenge yet. He has more reason to be resentful of you than the rest of us put together.”

“Well, at least he’s not resentful about the oath. He didn’t swear it.” Tarkyn suddenly gave a wry grin, “It’s great, isn’t it? A new reason for being hated.”

“I don’t think he’s too keen on anybody right now,” said Stormaway, joining them. “It is only hours since he found out that twelve years of his life were wasted because of miscommunication. He needs time to come to terms with it.” He handed around a wine flask and some stoneware cups. “I am shocked by what he told us, though. I’ve been racking my brains to work out who it could have been.” He glanced around the group, “Falling Rain wasn’t kept in the dungeons, you know. Because we knew we had found someone extraordinary, I kept him hidden in my private rooms. So I suspect my apprentice, Journeyman Cloudmaker, must have been one of the conspirators because he knew how to enter my rooms and where keys were kept.”

“And he’s been at the centre of the efforts to hunt us down,” added Waterstone.

Other woodfolk began to drift over to join them. Lapping Water handed Tarkyn a soft doughy roll with honey in it before sitting down, “Here you are. To cheer you up.”

Tarkyn smiled at her, “Thanks. Did I look upset?”

She put her head on one side as she considered, “Not exactly. But you seem to sort out one episode of ill feeling just in time for another to pop up and take its place. It must wear you down sometimes.”

Tarkyn nodded but said nothing further because too many people were now listening. He noticed that Falling Rain and Tree Wind had stayed on their own on the other side of the firesite. He scanned the perimeter of the clearing and spotted the egret perched high in a tree beyond the firelight, neck retracted as she waited faithfully. Sending up waves of reassurance and an invitation, he showed her Falling Rain sitting with Tree Wind away from the crowd. He was rewarded with the sight of her taking off and gliding down in a wide spiral to land beside Falling Rain. He watched Falling Rain break off from his discussion with Tree Wind and, with a gentle smile, stroke Elsie. After a moment, Falling Rain raised his head and looked directly across at Tarkyn who smiled slightly in return before having his attention claimed by Rainstorm.

“Did you see that? That egret just flew down into the middle of our firesite, calm as you like, and landed right next to Falling Rain.”

Tarkyn grinned broadly, “Yes, I did see that. That is Elsie, Falling Rain’s pet egret. He reared her from a chick. She’s coming with us. So don’t go shooting her for dinner by mistake.”

Rainstorm and North Wind looked at each other and went out of focus for a minute or two. North Wind smiled, “There. Done. We just told everyone so that no one makes a mistake. We’ll have to make sure the kids know in the morning. They’ll probably love finding things for her to eat. I wonder if she’ll let them near her?”

“I think you’d better have that discussion with Falling Rain later,” answered Waterstone. He looked quizzically at Tarkyn, “Now, do you think we can drag our minds back to the issue of other sorcerers knowing about us?”

“Sorry, big brother,” said Tarkyn meekly, with a smile in his eyes. He hesitated and then said, “Can I just sort out a couple of things that I’ve been wondering about?” After a rhetorical pause for permission, he continued, “Firstly, how could Falling Rain have led Markazon and Stormaway to you in the first place? Why didn’t you just get warning from your lookouts and flick into hiding as you usually do? And secondly, why didn’t someone try to use mind control on Golden Toad and Rushwind when they were held captive?”