The Wizard's Curse (Book 2) (22 page)

Inside, he could see a group of nine farmhands, both men and women, standing in a worried cluster to one side. A dark haired young man had been laid on the floor, his head on a large cushion and a blanket over him. He was conscious but his face was white and pinched with shock, and from time to time he grimaced with the severity of the pain. From where he was, Danton could not see what was wrong with him.

On the couch along the front window lay a young woman, her long dark brown hair lying matted around her head on the pillow. She appeared to be unconscious. Her breathing was so shallow that Danton was not sure that he could see her chest moving at all. A fleck of blood stained the side of her mouth but again her injuries were covered by a blanket.

A thickset, well-dressed middle aged man paced up and down distractedly, from time to time stopping to kneel and brush back the hair of the suffering young man before his feelings overcame him, forcing him to rise to continue his pacing. Then he would cross to the couch and stand looking down at the young woman, before stroking her head gently and resuming his pacing. Eventually, one of the older women detached herself from the group and, laying her hand on the man’s arm, spoke a few quiet words in his ear. The man heaved a sigh and brushed his hands over his eyes. 

As Danton watched, another woman brought a large tray laden with hot drinks and bread rolls from the kitchen. It seemed rather incongruous that food should be served in the midst of all the suffering but the farmhands accepted it willingly and began to wolf down the rolls.

Suddenly, Danton heard the sounds of two horses, approaching fast. He looked around wildly for cover but realised that any hiding places required him to cross the open moonlit area at the side of the house. He pressed himself deeper into the shadow of the house and waited.

The riders, two women, threw themselves from the horses and entered the house at a dead run. One of them ran to the distressed older man and threw herself into his arms. After a short intense embrace, she turned her attention to what were clearly her children. Meanwhile, the other woman had pulled back the blanket on the young woman and was examining her. The front of her gown was soaked in blood. The healer ripped open the front of the gown and found wads of material already in place over a wound in the upper left hand side of the young woman’s chest. She looked around and nodded her approval at the gathered farmhands. She then gave out a series of instructions that led to the arrival of a bowl of steaming hot water and a variety of herbs picked from the front garden by a farmhand. The healer studied the girls’ blue, blood-flecked lips with great concern and flicked a worried glance at the parents.

When she had bathed and bound the wound as best she could, she turned her attention to the young man. When she drew back the blanket, she had to repress a cry of distress. The trouser leg was caked in blood and the end of a jagged bone could be seen poking out of a tear in the material over his thigh. Despite tight binding, thick blood was seeping slowly onto the floor below the young man. The healer produced a tight reassuring smile but when she began work on cutting off his trouser leg, her hands were shaking.

Danton had learnt enough about battle wounds to know that this young man had little hope of survival and even if he lived, he would be lame for life. He could not bear the distress he saw on the faces inside that room. He pushed himself out from against the wall and melted up into the shadows of the hillside. When he reached the tree, he called quietly, “Lapping Water, are you there?”

In the next instant Lapping Water was standing beside him. Despite himself, he jumped when he turned and found her there next to him.

“Blast it! You people take a bit of getting used to.” He took a breath, “Lapping Water, there are two young people injured and, I think, dying down in that house. I don’t know how they were injured but I can’t stand by and let their parents watch them die. Please will you ask Tarkyn to come down and use his esse on them?”

“Danton, we do not concern ourselves with the affairs of sorcerers and wizards. It is unfortunate but it is not for us to interfere.”

“Lapping Water, I’m not asking you to interfere. I’m asking Tarkyn to.”

“He is a woodman,” stated Lapping Water flatly.

Danton ran his hand through his hair. “Please. Send him my message. Surely it is up to Tarkyn to decide for himself.”

“We must protect him and he must not betray our presence.”

“I will go before him and pave the way. I will protect him.”

Lapping Water was clearly unhappy, “I will send your request but I will also voice my opinion.”

Danton nodded, “Thanks. I’m sure every other woodman and woman will voice their opinion too, but at least they will know what I know.”

After a moment, she returned into focus and asked, “How many people are down there? What type of people? What resistance might you expect?”

Danton had already summed up the situation in his head, “There are nine farmhands, a kitchen hand, the healer and the parents. Judging by the way they looked after the wounds, they haven’t dealt with much fighting. Saying that, they look quite strong and would probably fight to protect their lord against an attack, even if inexpertly.”

After a brief delay, Lapping Water looked at him disapprovingly and said, “Tarkyn is willing to do as you request. He has conferred with everyone. We have come to an agreement that Tarkyn may go down but on three conditions. He must be accompanied by you, Waterstone and Autumn Leaves. I will stay close by to relay the situation, should anything happen to the two woodmen. Waterstone and Autumn Leaves will not enter the house but will keep watch from outside the windows and be ready to intervene if necessary.”

“Agreed.”

“Secondly, you must promise to place Tarkyn’s welfare above all else.”

Danton waved an impatient hand, “Of course. And the third condition?”

Lapping Water looked at him coldly. “If any or all of those people sees one of us or becomes aware of our existence, they will be killed instantly.”

Danton exhaled a deep breath. “That seems fair.”

“So will you, if you betray our presence,” added Lapping Water, not at all pleased.

Danton shrugged, completely unmoved by this snipe. “I would expect nothing less. After all, I swore to conceal your presence on pain of death.”

The woodwoman subsided into a disgruntled silence.

It was not long before Tarkyn and the two woodmen appeared out of the gloom. Surprisingly, Summer Rain followed in their wake.

Danton frowned in confuson, “You’re not coming in to heal them, are you? They’re not allowed to see you, surely?”

“No, young man. Of course I’m not. I have come down close to the house so Tarkyn can relay images to me and I can advise him. I’ll have to give my advice in images so that should be quite a challenge for me. If worst comes to worst, you could duck outside and confer with Waterstone and I’ll send the words to him.”

“You could come and stand outside the house too,” suggested Danton.

“No, I could not,” replied Summer Rain severely. “We cannot afford to lose our healer on some trumped up adventure.” She poked him in the chest. “And we can’t afford to lose our forest guardian, or these boys or even you, for that matter. So be careful.”

Danton was so overcome that she had included him in that list that he forgot himself and bowed to her, “Yes ma’am. I promise we will not save their lives at the cost of our own.” He straightened to find himself surrounded by suppressed smiles. He gave a slight shrug and grinned, “I know. But old habits die hard.”

Chapter
17

“So, are we going?” asked Tarkyn, “Or shall we stand here chatting while these two sorcerers bleed to death?” As they headed down the ridge towards the farmhouse, he added, “I presume you will precede me to introduce the idea of my presence gently?”

“I think I had better.” Danton pointed to the two dogs who were now straining at their chains trying to reach Tarkyn, but still managing to restrain their excitement to the odd quiet whine. “Perhaps you could chat to these dogs while I pave the way. They are obviously keen to see you.” He shook his head briefly in wonder. “I’ll be back shortly. Waterstone and Autumn Leaves, if you come with me, I’ll show you where I stood watching.”

Once the woodmen were installed outside the window, Danton walked around to the front of the house and calmly knocked on the front door. There was a sudden silence followed by a flurry of activity on the other side of the door. When the door opened, five of the farmhands stood in a semicircle before him, cudgels in hand.

“Good evening. My name is Danton Patronell” said Danton urbanely, “I wish to speak to the master or mistress of the house.” He waved a hand around himself. “As you can see, I am alone.”

“They’re busy right now and not to be disturbed.”

“I know they are busy. Perhaps I could speak with the healer although no doubt she is busier still.”

A short wiry individual said, “Here. How do yer know there’s a healer in here?”

Danton smiled and replied calmly, “I saw her arrive and watched her activities through the window.” He paused, “I’m sorry. I don’t know your name.

“Bantram’s my name. Yer’ve got a bloody cheek. Get on yer way before we send yer on it.”

Danton leaned in and lowered his voice. “I suppose you realise that, without further help, neither of those young people in there will see the dawn.”

“The healer knows what she’s doing,” came the belligerent reply.

“I agree with you. I think she does. So ask her whether or not I’m right.”

The wiry man’s eyes narrowed and after a moment’s thought, he started to move away.

Danton put up a hand, “Might I suggest you don’t talk to her in front of the parents?”

Bantram paused. “Yer full of good ideas, ain’t yer? Keep yer eyes on him,” he said to his mates over his shoulder as he disappeared into the lounge room.

A few minutes later, the healer returned with him, shutting the door behind her. She wiped her bloodied hands on her apron, “Yes, young man. What can I do for you?”

Bantram indicated Danton with a grimy thumb and said, “This bloke says these kids won’t see temorrer without other help. He reckons yer know that as well.”

Tears sprang to the healer’s eyes. She nodded. “I’m afraid he’s right. But worse than that, there is no other help.” She let a sob escape before she pushed her apron against her mouth to stop herself.

The semi-circle of farmhands looked stricken.

“Madam, there is something else that can be done,” said Danton gently. “I have a… friend waiting nearby who can heal them.”

The healer shook her head. “They are beyond saving. The girl has internal bleeding and is descending into a fever. The boy’s leg would have to come off if there were to be any hope of him surviving and I don’t know how to do that. He would bleed to death.”

“I know how desperate it is. Believe me. Otherwise, I would not have offered this assistance.” Danton spread his hands, “What do you have to lose? They will die anyway without the help.”

The woman looked at him, summing him up, then nodded briskly. “Come inside. Explain yourself to Tol and Juney. I will support you.”

Once inside the lounge room, Danton glanced quickly at the injured young sorcerers. The young man had lost consciousness in the intervening period.

Faced with the two distraught parents, Danton bowed and said gently, “My name is Danton Patronell. I happened to see your children’s suffering as I passed outside your window. I have come to save their lives, if you will allow it.”

Both parents’ eyes widened and they looked at the healer who nodded. “I have done all I know how. I don’t know what this young man and his friend can offer but your children will not live with only the help I have given them. They need more than I can do.”

The lord and lady looked at each other and then asked, “Can we trust him?”

The healer shook her head, “I don’t know. I’ve never met him before. But without him they will surely die so it seems there is nothing to lose.”

The lord straightened himself up and stared Danton in the eye. “What payment do you require for your services?”

The surprise on Danton’s face was clear for all to see. “I do not think of payment, sir. I think only of your children’s lives.” He paused, “In fact, I am taking a great risk in coming in to see you but I could not leave them to die and you to suffer if I, if we could help.”

The lord became brusque. “Time is short. Bring in your friend and see what you can do.”

Danton bowed, “Thank you, my lord.” He hesitated, “There is one more thing before I fetch my friend. I need your guarantee that you and your staff will not harm my friend, no matter what you may think of him.”

The lord frowned, “That seems a very odd request. Is he deformed, frightening or violent? Are we under threat from him?”

“No. I do not find him frightening but others may. However, I can assure you that he does not present a threat to you. Do I have your guarantee?”

The lord waved his hand. “Yes. Provided he does not attack us first.”

Danton considered for a moment before nodding. “Agreed. I will return shortly.”

The parents were conferring quietly with the healer when Danton returned. The farmhands did not recognise Tarkyn as he walked in but the lord and lady, having travelled more widely, knew him instantly. They blanched and sank into a low bow. The healer and farmhands, seeing their reaction, followed suit.