19
Several hours sleep, a good breakfast and an hour with his hand against an old mountain ash went a long way towards restoring Tarkyn’s spirits. However, a certain aloofness remained in his dealings with Waterstone and Danton. Although they noticed it, they decided to give him some time and space before addressing it. As they approached the mountainfolk’s firesite late in the afternoon, Tarkyn kept company with Rainstorm and North Wind, laughing and joking with the younger woodmen in an effort to forget the pressures of his many roles and the difficult impending meeting.
As it turned out, the mountainfolk were quite friendly when Tarkyn and his home guard arrived. A welcoming feast of spit-roasted venison and baked vegetables was cooking slowly over the fire, all ready to be accompanie
