The Sorcerer's Oath - Books 3-4

Chapter 6-4

Danton waved his arm, “Be my guest. You can go wherever you like. You can start walking back to Montraya now, if that is your wish.”

Captain Harkell got to his feet and looked down at Danton, “You don’t like me much, do you?”

“Not yet. I may come to like you, if I get to know you. At the moment, after all I have heard of the way Prince Jarand’s troops behave, I am very wary of anyone associated with them, let alone one of their officers.” Danton stared back up at him, “I may have helped to save your life but that was not because we need your support. We can do quite nicely without a man of uncertain character and uncertain loyalties in our midst.”

The man’s faced darkened. “I am not a man of uncertain character. If I were, I could easily pay lip service to your prince. I have never been brutal in the discharge of my duties other than to flog any man in my troop who was. But I’m talking about three to five lashes, at the outside ten. Not forty. And not with a brass buckle on the end of the whip.” He bowed slightly, “You have made your position clear. I will not stay for someone’s charity. I will relieve you of my presence.” He turned away a little too quickly and swayed. After taking a few moments to recover, he strode off towards the last of the light glimmering through the trees that showed him the way to Montraya.

“DANTON!”

The blonde sorcerer’s head whipped around at the sound of Tarkyn’s angry voice and he scrambled to his feet. One look at the prince’s face and he was bowing in apology before he could stop himself. “I beg your pardon, Your Highness. I can see I have angered you.”

The extent of Tarkyn’s anger soon became evident when Danton began to straighten up.

Tarkyn’s voice was like ice, “I did not say you could rise. You have well and truly pushed the limits today, Danton. Firstly, you misrepresented me and forced me into the position of having to apologise for your behaviour. Then, you turn away a man who has nowhere to go and no one to serve. Now, get up, and go and fetch him back. Tell him I would be honoured to accept his service, if he would be willing to give it to me and that I would value his experience. He still has time to decide one way or the other. Make sure you do not force his hand again.” He waited until Danton met his eyes. “Are we clear? Now go.”

Minutes later, slightly out of breath, Danton drew up alongside the captain who had just broken through the cover of the trees and was striding angrily across the fields towards the road. He put a restraining hand on the Harkell’s bare shoulder. “Stop.”

The soldier twisted his shoulder from under Danton’s hand and kept walking.

“Please stop, Captain Harkell. I apologise for what I said. Prince Tarkyn is very displeased with me and I must try to make amends.”

The appeal of one liegeman’s plight to another worked, and the captain slowed his pace, “Hmph. You may walk with me. I may decide to return. I may not.”

“Captain Harkell, His Highness has charged me to say that he would be honoured to accept your service if you choose to give it and that he would value your experience. He reiterated that you still have time to decide.”

The captain stopped walking and turned to look at Danton. “I gather he overheard our exchange?” When Danton nodded, a slow smile appeared on the soldier’s face, “He is very kind, this prince of yours, isn’t he?”

Danton, who was smarting from his recent encounter with his liege, took a moment to agree. Then he shrugged and smiled, “Yes, he is. He is kinder than I. But I am more protective of his person than he is. So perhaps that is why.”

“And he said he would be honoured to accept my service, did he? Honoured? Wow. That is really something. Prince Jarand does not feel honoured by anyone’s service. He just takes it for granted.” The captain frowned, “But perhaps your prince is just lying to lure me back so he can use me to find out about his brother.” One look at Danton’s face was enough to tell the captain that this train of thought was incorrect. He put up his hand, “Sorry. I can see I have offended you again.”

Danton took a tight breath, “Prince Tarkyn does not say things like that lightly. He once rejected a whole community of people who would have sworn their fealty to him. He said he would not feel honoured to have them as liegemen and women and so rejected their offer.” Aware that he must not misrepresent Tarkyn’s affairs, he added, “Later on, things were resolved between them and he did accept their oath.”

“Hmm. So he would not just accept anyone?” The captain turned and continued his walk away from the forest’s edge. “So why would he accept me?”

“Rightly or wrongly, he has formed a good opinion of you and is willing to give you a chance.”

“He does not have much to go on.”

“No, he doesn’t,” said Danton dryly. He thought about it for a minute, “Hmm. Perhaps he gets a feel for people when he heals them. I know the person being healed usually gets to know about him. So presumably the reverse is true.” Danton glanced at the captain, waiting for his reaction but received only a thoughtful silence.

At this stage, it was clear that they were heading for the tree where the captain had been tied and beaten. Nothing further was said until they arrived. In the last of the light, Harkell walked up to the great tree and placed his hand on its trunk. He leaned forward and studied the splashes of blood on its bark, and ran his hand over the rusty patches he found. He squatted down and ran his hand over the little patches of dried blood in the dust at the base of the tree. Then he straightened and looked up at where the rope had been flung over the bough above him. Rubbing his wrists in memory, he turned and looked behind at where all his men had stood and watched silently as he had endured, before turning back once more to the tree. He gazed around the horizon at the bleak lonely landscape filled with ploughed furrows but no people. Suddenly, he gave an involuntary shudder down the whole length of his body.

“I will follow your prince,” he said shortly.