The Wizard's Curse (Book 2) (71 page)

Tarkyn smiled and nodded in acknowledgement and then cleared his throat to get the woodfolk’s attention. “Excuse me, everyone. I have another little factor to throw into the mix.”

When he had finished explaining Midnight’s idea, String exclaimed, “Now that he’s pointed it out, it’s blindingly obvious, isn’t it? Of course Falling Rain will keep to the centre of the swamp, close to the river.”

A thought struck Danton, “But what about boats? If it’s a river course, couldn’t sorcerers navigate into the swamp in boats? Then the river would be the least safe place.”

Bean considered this objection for a moment, “They would have to be keen. The swamp narrows at the southern end and then channels into a fast flowing, narrow set of rapids that spreads back out into a calmer, wide river further down. They couldn’t climb that steep part carrying a boat. In fact, I think they would have to skirt around and come into the swamp from the west side if they were going to. They would need a very flat-bottomed boat and quite an expedition to achieve even that. Falling Rain would hear them hours before they were anywhere near him.”

“No, I think our little friend is right,” said String, sending Midnight a smile, “Falling Rain will be near the river.”

“So Tarkyn, is that a small enough area for you?” asked Running Feet.

Tarkyn nodded, “I would say so. How far are we from this swamp? Do you want me to look for him now or wait until we get closer?”

“Now,” said Tree Wind impulsively. When Tarkyn raised an eyebrow at her, she thought again and with a slight smile at her own response, said more slowly, “Yes, now if you can. Because there is no point in us travelling to the swamp if he’s not there.”

“Very well. What’s the weather like outside? Any better?”

Running Feet, who had a fair idea where this was heading, stood up and walked to the entrance of the cave. He wandered out far enough to put his head above ground level, looked around and came back inside “It’s not too bad. The wind has dropped. A few clouds around still, but I think the worst of it has passed.” He smiled at Tarkyn, “So I expect we can brave the cold if that’s what you’d like to do.”

Tarkyn grinned, “Yes. That is what I would like to do. And you’ll come with me, will you? Thanks. And we’ll need String and Bean. Please, the rest of you stay here so I can concentrate. I won’t be long. Meanwhile, Danton and Stormaway, can one of you place your shield over everyone until I return. I don’t think we should trust that cat too far.”

Chapter
58

After careful discussions with String and Bean, Running Feet understood enough about the position of the swamp to guide Tarkyn’s mind to the general vicinity. With String and Bean keeping guard, Tarkyn closed his eyes and, maintaining his link with Running Feet, scoured through the trees looking for a heron’s mind to tune into. He remembered the heron who had taken his mind soaring above the forests and who had treated his attempts at intimidation with such disdain. He searched for a similar stately, aloof mentality and finally zoned in on a female egret, not quite so aloof as the grey heron, perched high in a weeping willow overhanging the bank of a small lake.

The guardian of the forest sent waves of friendship and then a picture of the swamp with a woodman in it and a request to find him. In return, he received a wave of protective hostility.

“This bird knows where he is,” murmured Tarkyn, “And she is protecting him. Interesting.” Tarkyn sent a wave of reassurance and an image of other woodfolk approaching and chatting with Falling Rain. The egret, who would never have seen Falling Rain talking to anyone, was unconvinced. Tarkyn thought for a moment before sending an image of the woodman looking unhappy, followed by an image of Falling Rain surrounded by other woodfolk, smiling. Tarkyn wondered whether the egret had spent long enough in Falling Rain’s company to recognise the meaning of his facial expressions.

Apparently she had, because she took off ponderously and flapped her way above the trees and across the lake. The south eastern shore of the lake was cut by a river that flowed between loamy banks before broadening into the shapeless waters of the swampland. Unerringly, the egret followed the vague course of the submerged river as it wound its way through the inundated forest below. After a mile or so, she gradually lost height until she glided down between the treetops and landed with a final swoop on a platform of reeds, high above the murky waters of the swamp. Then she looked calmly, straight into the face of Falling Rain.

“Wow. There he is,” squawked Running Feet. “He looks fine. His hair’s a bit longer than I remember it.” At that moment, Falling Rain turned side on to pick up a small fish that he then offered to the egret, “Oh no, Look at that. His hair’s a lot longer. It’s halfway down his back. I thought it was just long enough to be caught in a bit of thronging, but it’s very long, isn’t it? He looks a bit more lined. Well, he would be, wouldn’t he? It’s twelve years since I last saw him. Other than that, he looks much the same. Oh my stars! How exciting!  Can we go back and tell the others?”

Tarkyn carefully maintained his link with the heron, as he asked, “Can you navigate us to there from what we’ve seen? Don’t forget, you’re the only one who knows where to go from this. String and Bean haven’t seen it and I won’t have a clue.”

“Yes. No problem at all. Perfectly straight forward.”

Tarkyn was smiling but persisted, “And do you know enough about the area to plan our approach or should I send the egret up for another look around?”

With an effort, Running Feet calmed himself down, “I think I know enough. You may need to make contact again when we’re closer but I know as much as I need to for the time being.”

Tarkyn transmitted his gratitude to the egret and pulled out.

“See you,” said Running Feet cheerily, giving Tarkyn a few enthusiastic pats on the back before running back to the cave to share the news, the two trappers close behind him.

Chapter
59

For a long time after the others had returned to the cave, Tarkyn sat in the snow under a tree, wrapped in his wolf skin cloak, wondering about how Falling Rain would react to their advent. The prince was particularly concerned about Falling Rain’s reaction to Stormaway when he found out that the wizard had used mind control to force him to betray the whereabouts of the other woodfolk and thus earn himself exile. He heard crunching footsteps in the snow behind him before Waterstone came into sight around the side of the tree. Tarkyn glanced up and smiled as the woodman sat down beside him. “Hello. Come to see whether I’m all right, have you?”

“What you? A hated sorcerer?” Waterstone said lightly, throwing a sideways glance to check that it was taken in good part. “Yes, I have actually.”

“Don’t worry. I knew you were talking about Hail’s perceptions, not your own when you called me that.” Tarkyn picked up a long stick and began to break bits off the end of it, “I’m fine. A bit concerned about Stormaway, though. Do you think Falling Rain might attack him when he realises what happened?”

Waterstone blinked at him, “I can’t see why you’re worried. Stormaway’s a wizard. He can just put up his shield. He’s hardly under any real threat.”

“But maybe I should insist that Stormaway accepts whatever Falling Rain dishes out. After all, his actions caused Falling Rain to be unjustly exiled for twelve years.” He glanced uncertainly at Waterstone, “On the other hand, I don’t think he should be punished for simply serving my father. What do you think?”

“If Stormaway had known Falling Rain had been exiled for betraying us, he would have told us that he’d used mind control on him, wouldn’t he?”

After a moment’s hesitation, the prince nodded.

“So it was just unfortunate that we kept him at arm’s length and didn’t tell him more about our affairs more than we had to.” Waterstone shrugged, “It’s going to be difficult for many of us. We all feel sorry that we exiled Falling Rain unjustly. He may never forgive us. Who knows?”

“So, have you decided how you’re going to trap him yet?”

“More or less.” Suddenly Waterstone grinned, “Is it taking you a lot of effort to stay out of it?”

Tarkyn laughed, “No. It would if I were inside listening to it all, but not out here. I don’t need to be involved in this at all, if you people want to meet Falling Rain on your own.”

“I think that he is so hard to access, hidden up in the trees above the swamp, that we were thinking of making use of Danton, Stormaway and you to levitate people to reach him.”

“Oh, were you indeed?” Tarkyn raised his eyebrows, “Falling Rain is going to get the fright of his life having three sorcerers descend on him from on high.”

Waterstone smiled, “Maybe, but we figured he probably has sound traps set up that you can’t hear in your image. So if we try to climb through the trees to get to him, he’ll hear us coming long before we reach him.”

“You’re probably right. He’s bound to have some sort of warning system, isn’t he? … So we float in at him from three sides. How can you stop him flicking into hiding?”

“Hmm. I think we have your work cut out for you. You can throw your shield around him before he can disappear.” Waterstone stole another glance at Tarkyn to make sure he wasn’t feeling put upon.

“I think we should get Danton to do that,” said Tarkyn decisively.

“Why?”

“Well, Falling Rain is going to hate me because of my father and he’s going to hate Stormaway because he dragged the information out of him. So Danton is the least threatening of us who can maintain a shield.”

Waterstone thought for moment, “On the other hand, you could throw your shield over Falling Rain, Danton and one of us so we could talk.”

“Why don’t I just immobilise Falling Rain until you three woodfolk disembark. Then we sorcerers will retreat. That way he doesn’t have to deal with us close up until he’s used to the idea.”

“Yes, that seems like a good idea. And it would be better still, if you then put up your shield. Otherwise we’ll have to stand there holding him, to stop him from flicking into hiding. And you’re the only one who can use your shield while keeping him immobilised,” Waterstone gave a knowing little smile, “because Danton would have to place his shield around you and us, wouldn’t he?”

Tarkyn gave a wry smile, “You’re getting better at understanding our magic. Yes, you’re right. Danton couldn’t place a shield between Falling Rain and me while Falling Rain is under one of my spells.” He stood up and brushed the snow off the back of his wolfskin cloak. “Very well. Let’s do it that way. I suppose I can maintain my shield from a distance. You people will just have to calm him down. He’s going to get a fright however we do it.”

Chapter
60

The entire company stayed overnight in the cave and set off early the next morning. There had been a suggestion that only the rescue party needed to go, while the rest could stay in the warm cave and await their return. But without either Tarkyn there as pack leader or a constant shield over the woodfolk, the mountain lion presented too great a threat.

The sky was a cloudless blue overhead as they set out and it was not long before the snow turned to slush underfoot. Because they were in unknown territory, the woodfolk kept close together, with lookouts scanning each side, ahead and behind them. There were always two or three at the rear of the group modifying the woodfolk’s tracks when they had passed. In the slushy conditions their tracks couldn’t be obliterated completely but any clear footprints were blurred beyond recognition. Anyone coming afterwards would be able to see that a number of people or animals had passed through but would not be able to identify them.

On a clear day, the journey along the narrow path that led them down the next cliff face presented a grave threat. There were certain places where anyone looking up from the valley below would be able to see them. The woodfolk decided that from a distance, no one would know they weren’t sorcerers but they passed through these exposed sections in groups of two or three, with breaks of several minutes between them, so that the casual observer would not realise that a large group was moving down the mountainside.

Still, by the time they had reached the cover of the forests at the bottom of the mountain, the woodfolk were feeling that they had taken many unaccustomed risks in an area far too close to sorcerers for comfort. It was an anxious, muted group who finally set up camp deep in the forest, to the west of the swamp and south of the lake, just as the late afternoon sun was dipping below the trees. Despite the lateness of the hour, it was decided to try to make contact with Falling Rain straight away, in case he became aware of their presence so close to him. According to Running Feet and the trappers’ calculations, Falling Rain was only a mile away.

A huge debate had raged over who should be the first three woodfolk to go in with the sorcerers and talk to Falling Rain. It did not take long to decide that Summer Rain, his sister and Tree Wind, his erstwhile fiancée, should go. But there was considerable debate about the third person. It had to be someone who had clearly supported Falling Rain’s exile so that the woodman could be sure that it was a full revocation of his exile and not just his supporters trying to persuade him to return. In the end Waterstone was chosen because, at the time, he had been so angry and so adamant that Falling Rain should be exiled.

Summer Rain climbed onto Stormaway’s back, Tree Wind onto Danton’s and Waterstone onto Tarkyn’s. When everyone was secure, the three sorcerers rose gracefully from the ground with their woodfolk cargo. As they levitated straight up above the tree line, the woodfolk’s grips around the sorcerer’s necks and hips tightened.