Bronze Magic (Book 1) (77 page)

“It can’t be done. I see no point in continuing an association where I
am under constant examination. I supported you against my own people
and this is the thanks I get. You can all go hang, for all I care.”
“How do I know your display of self righteous anger isn’t a ploy in
itself?”
“You don’t,” said Danton shortly. “That’s why I’m not going to even
bother trying. And if you want to know, I told Stormaway that I would
have absolutely no qualms about acting to you people if I could find a
way to convince you of my good faith. So, you can safely assume I’ll act
if I think it will help me.”
“Danton, have a care. You are painting yourself into a corner.”
“Then kill me.”
For once, Waterstone was at a loss. After a few moments he said,
“For what it’s worth, I told Tarkyn yesterday that I trusted you. Recent
events may have strained my belief but I certainly have no intention of
condemning you out of hand.”
“Considering how I find myself, your faith in me doesn’t impress me
much,” Danton retorted. He wriggled his shoulders to ease their stiffness.
“And you can tell His Royal Highness that he seems to have learnt how to
reward loyal service from his brothers! I thought he was better than that.
But apparently not.”
Waterstone’s eyes glittered. He said in a voice husky with anger, “Don’t
you ever compare Tarkyn with his brothers!”
Danton was completely unrepentant. “Then tell him not to act like
them.”
“The cases are not at all the same,” protested Waterstone vehemently.
“The cases are very much the same,” responded Danton promptly.
“They didn’t trust Tarkyn. Tarkyn doesn’t trust me.” He glowered at
Waterstone. “I’m tired of tying myself in knots only to be kicked in the
teeth. I spent a month on my own, scouring the countryside to find the
prince because, despite all the evidence condemning him, I stayed true to
him. And when I finally found him, I was greeted with a cool reception
and suspicion. Then, against my natural instincts, I threw myself into
the rescue of your kin, spent long torturous hours talking to two people
whom I would have preferred to kill on sight and for this, I am rewarded
with imprisonment and mistrust.” He tilted his head to one side. “I am
loyal, and yet I am mistrusted and imprisoned. So tell me, how is that
different from what happened to Tarkyn?”
Waterstone stood up and began to pace back and forth before the palace
guard. Finally, he stopped and turned towards Danton, “Your behaviour
with Sargon and Andoran provided us with more grounds for suspicion
than Tarkyn’s performance at the tournament did for his brothers”.
Danton gave a derisory smile, “It took you a long time to think of
that.”
Waterstone raised his eyebrows. “It’s true nevertheless.”
“Yes,” conceded Danton, “It is true.”
“So, can you explain what happened between you, Sargon and
Andoran?”
“Yes,” replied Danton. He stared up into the sunlight streaming
through the branches then looked back at the woodman. “But I won’t.”
Waterstone frowned in exasperation. “Well, can you prove your good
faith in some other way?”
“Yes, I think so, but I won’t do that either.” Danton rubbed his
shoulders against the tree trunk. “Have you ever sat with your hands tied
behind your back? It’s bloody uncomfortable and bloody humiliating, if
you really want to know. I don’t like being at the mercy of your whims
and it is not something I’m prepared to put up with, every time you get
the jitters about me.”
Danton took a deep breath and looked Waterstone in the eye. “So.
This is the end of the road. You either trust me or you don’t. If you don’t,
I suppose you’ll have to kill me because I know too much.”
Waterstone frowned, “Is self sacrifice a common trait among sorcerers?”
“Oh no. I’m not sacrificing myself. Be it on your head if you kill me.
That would not be my choice. My choice is to be trusted and to live.”
The woodman’s eyes narrowed. “You’re trying to force my hand, aren’t
you, without having to explain yourself?”
Danton shrugged, “You can look at it that way, if you like.”
“I don’t like having my hand forced, Danton,” came Tarkyn’s voice
quietly from the side.
Danton whipped his head around to see the prince sitting motionlessly
with his back against the next tree. “And how long have you been there?” he
demanded. “Does none of you announce your presence like civilized folk?”
Tarkyn raised his eyebrows and asked, with an edge to his voice, “Are
you implying that we, that I am not civilized?”
“I beg your pardon, my lord.” Danton stammered, his bravado
evaporating. “Of course I meant no such thing.”
Tarkyn’s amber eyes bored into him. “So you think I’m as unjust as my
brothers, do you? – Perhaps I am. I am, after all, tainted with the same
Tamadil blood.”
This was so uncomfortably close to what Sargon had said that Danton
could feel the colour seeping into his cheeks. “I didn’t know you were
listening to them, my lord.”
“I wasn’t, Danton. But I am not a fool. I know what people are saying
about me.”
Danton dropped his eyes. “My lord, I am sorry to have to tell you this
but I spoke slightingly of you several times to Andoran and Sargon.”
“I am sure you did, Danton. I would have expected no less.”
Watching Danton respond without question to Tarkyn showed
Waterstone, as nothing else could, the truth of Danton’s allegiance.
“You had a part to play, given the unexpected presence of Andoran
and Sargon,” continued the prince. “I’m sure you played it to perfection.”
“I did my best, my lord. It was essential not to arouse their suspicions.
So I spent many long hours enduring their company and their opinions.”
“And what did you say to support me against their accusations?”
Danton took a deep breath and let it out shakily. “Nothing, my lord.
Nothing whatsoever.”
“I see.”
“I could not risk Sargon and Andoran suspecting me of associating
with you, Sire.”
“However,” said Tarkyn icily, “No such excuse exists for what you said
about me to Waterstone. So I can assume that was your true opinion of
me?”
Danton brought his head up and met Tarkyn’s gaze defiantly, even
though fear flickered at the back of his eyes. “If you punish me when I
have given you nothing but loyal service, your behaviour will be no better
than your brothers’. The reason for your behaviour may be different, but
the effect will be the same on the people you hurt.”
Tarkyn let out a low whistle and shook his head. His face was white
with anger. “Danton, you forget yourself. I think woodfolk society has
affected your sense of propriety more than I expected. I can’t believe you
just had the temerity to say that to me.”
The prince stood up and walked across to tower over Danton, “Stand
up,” he ordered. Tarkyn grabbed Danton and hoisted him upward as he
struggled awkwardly to his feet.
“Turn around,” snapped the prince. He aimed a thin, intense ray of
bronze power at the bonds and disintegrated them. “Now, turn and face
me.”
Tarkyn stared down into Danton’s purple eyes. “You are free to go.”
For long moments, the pair stared in silence at each other. Danton
endured the returning circulation in his wrists without moving.
“I said, Danton, you are free to go.”
“I heard you, my lord,” replied Danton slowly. “And I thank you for
your trust. But I have no wish to leave you, Sire.”
Tarkyn raised his eyebrows haughtily. “Indeed? And what should I
think of someone who is prepared to serve such a corruption as myself?”
“You should think of him as a loyal friend and liegeman, who is willing
to stake his life on his belief that your integrity will overcome your fear
of betrayal.”
“Even though I am no better than my brothers?”
“I did not say that, my lord. I said your actions against me would make
it seem that way.” He took a breath. “All three of you fear betrayal, but in
you, it is counter-balanced by your care for people. In your brothers, it
is fed by their obsession with power.” Danton rubbed his stinging wrists.
“My lord, for you, betrayal means personal pain. For them it is merely
a counter move in a political game. You care for people. They care only
for power.”
Danton dropped to one knee and bowed, hand on heart. “And that is
why, my lord, you are the only true hope for the future of Eskuzor and
why I will serve you to the end of my days.”
Tarkyn gazed down at the top of Danton’s head in bemusement,
shocked and moved by what his liegeman had said. He became aware
that a ring of woodfolk had appeared and were watching silently. He
recovered himself enough to place his hand on Danton’s shoulder and
say gently, “Please rise Danton. I am honoured by your loyalty and your
service. I will do my best to justify your faith in me.”
He waited until Danton stood face to face with him then gave a wry
smile, “As to being the hope of Eskuzor, I think not. As you have just said
yourself, I have no aspirations to enter into a game of power with my
brothers.” He picked out Ancient Oak and Waterstone and smiled, “….
any of my brothers.”
“And yet, my lord,” came Stormaway’s voice from behind him, low and
intense, reverberating around the gathering. “Your destiny is written in
the stars and lives deep inside the trees of the forest. It has been clear from
the day of your birth for all to see who have knowledge of such things.
Your father and I always knew. That’s why you had to be protected. You
are not only the guardian of the forest. You are the one true hope for the
future of all Eskuzor.”
s Stormaway’s final words rang out, Andoran and Sargon were sitting
disconsolately, four miles away, before a cheerless fire. Red wheals
down their arms bore witness to the hours of itching and scratching
they had endured, and their eyes were hollow from lack of sleep. From
time to time they glanced uncertainly at each other, each wondering if
the other had seen the strangely dressed man with eyes the colour of new
leaves, face and hair the colour of walnut shells. Each of them wondered
in his own isolated uncertainty whether, if he had existed at all, the
strange man had had fleas.

n the darkness of his shelter, Waterstone lay asleep, his daughter
Sparrow a short distance away from him. Outside, the wind was
picking up. Within minutes, the trees were thrashing under an

ever-increasing gale. Suddenly, an intense wave of fear slammed into
Waterstone’s mind, followed almost instantaneously by a peremptory
summons. Sparrow woke crying.

Waterstone had no time to comfort her. “Stay here,” he said urgently,
as he quickly pulled on his boots. “Whatever you do, don’t leave the
shelter until I call you. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Sparrow nodded bravely. “Go on. I’ll be all right. Tarkyn’s in trouble,
isn’t he?”
Waterstone answered over his shoulder as he left, “Something is wrong,
badly wrong. Stay here until you hear from me.”
Once outside, the woodman was buffeted by the strong winds that
were now shrieking through the trees. He could hear branches breaking
and the air was filled with flying leaves and twigs. Eerily, he could see the
stars shining peacefully above him in a cloudless sky.
“Oh no.” Waterstone murmured to himself in horror. “It’s not a storm.
Someone is betraying the oath. The forest is being destroyed.”