The Wizard's Curse

Chapter 2-3

Ancient Oak frowned impatiently. “I don’t mean now. I mean back when you first knew him.”

Waterstone’s brow cleared. “Oh then.” He smiled a little ruefully. “Yes, it was a bit mean, I suppose. But everything was very new and strange then. All this business about power games and not being trusted. Poor Tarkyn was very kind about it when I said I wouldn’t be able to stay around him. That’s what made me stay, actually.”

“And what made him trust you?” asked Rainstorm.

Waterstone glanced at him then looked away. After a moment, he looked back at him and asked, “I gather Tarkyn didn’t tell you why. Did he say that it would be better coming from me?”

Rainstorm shook his head and replied faithfully, “No. He said you didn’t have to tell us.”

“But,” added Ancient Oak, “he said that it was extremely courageous, and we’re both dying to know.”

Waterstone laughed. “Another classic example of Tarkyn manoeuvring people.”

Ancient Oak smiled. “No. In fairness, I don’t think it is. We were pressing him hard, and he refused to budge.”

Waterstone looked around to check who was nearby. “I don’t want everyone knowing about this. Some people may think it was foolish or excessive, and I don’t want judgements being passed on my actions. So, if I tell you, it goes no further. Agreed?”

The two woodmen nodded solemnly.

“I gave Tarkyn free rein with my memories without any veto,” Waterstone said shortly.

“Oh.” Rainstorm sounded deflated. Then he thought about it a bit more and his eyes widened. “Oh! Stars above, Waterstone! Tarkyn was right. That was excessively brave.”

Ancient Oak regarded him thoughtfully. “You really have put yourself on the line for him, haven’t you? Over and over again. And you invited him into our family in front of a full assembly of woodfolk without even being sure he would accept. That would have been horrendously embarrassing if he had refused.”

Waterstone smiled. “Yes. It certainly would have been. For a heartbeat of time, I thought he was going to. After all, it was a huge commitment for him to get his head around with only a few seconds’ warning; choosing whether to become part of what, from his perspective, is a commoner’s family.”

“So why did you do it?”

“Which one?”

“Both.”

Waterstone shrugged. “Lots of reasons. He accused me at one point of having him as a pet project. That was partly true. I saw how damaged he had been by the betrayals he had suffered and I wanted to help him to recover. As I have come to know him, it has been intriguing to watch him digest our culture and change his behaviour and expectations to accommodate us. I suppose the fact that he was able to shift his thinking so fast that he could accept joining our family on a moment’s thought sums it up, really. He’s amazing, the way he can change his preconceptions.”

“Huh! I just had a dressing down for being too familiar with him. So, I’m not sure I agree with that one.”

Waterstone smiled. “But I bet that was more because Tarkyn has thought out how far he wants to go and has drawn a line in the sand. Whereas, you see, most people just stay as they are, without question. If he had done that, we’d all be bowing and scraping to him by now, just as Danton did when he first arrived.”

Rainstorm looked much struck. “You’re right. I keep forgetting where he’s come from. Hmph. I suppose it’s reasonable that he doesn’t want to go all the way to being the same as us.”

“No. He is, after all, from a completely different culture, not to mention being a prince. He’s never going to be the same as us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get on with him.” Waterstone grinned. “And he’s always made it perfectly clear that he can’t go as far as considering himself equal with everyone else.”

“Which makes it all the more amazing that he joined our family.”

“Yes. It does, doesn’t it?” Waterstone thought for a minute. “Oh no. I know how he’s thought his way around that. In his birth family, different people have different ranks. His brothers are both more highly ranked than he. So Tarkyn can easily be a member of our family and have a higher rank than us. He doesn’t have to consider himself as equal at all, does he?”

Ancient Oak shook his head in bemusement. “No, I suppose not. What a peculiar system they have.”

“Besides, he’s the only member of your family who has everyone beholden to him under the oath,” added Rainstorm.

“True.”

Waterstone put his head on one side and considered his brother. “I don’t think I told you this, Ancient Oak, but he felt genuinely honoured to be asked to join our family.”

“I think you’re right. I’m sure when he said it to me that he wasn’t just saying it to be polite.”

Waterstone shook his head and smiled. “Tarkyn would not be polite at the expense of truth. Because of all the betrayals and our resentment about the oath, he is very unsure of himself in some ways. He is very strange mixture of vulnerability and strength.” He shrugged. “Anyway, despite or maybe because of that, he has managed to pull something workable out of the hideous reality of us having to accept him as our liege lord.”

Ancient Oak gave his brother a slow smile. “I think he might have struggled more if he hadn’t had your support.”

“I think we all might have struggled more if he hadn’t had your support,” added Rainstorm.

Waterstone nodded. “Possibly. But I try not to use my friendship with him to manipulate his attitudes. Looking back, I can see that things I’ve said, and Autumn Leaves has said, have changed his views, but that was mostly because it gave him new information. If I wanted him to change his attitude about something, I would say so to him directly.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Waterstone! You don’t have to tell us that,” exclaimed his brother. “We know you. You have all the subtlety of a rock.”

“Thanks very much,” replied Waterstone dryly. As he spoke, he saw Tarkyn on the other side of the clearing raise his eyebrows in query. The woodman raised his own eyebrows and nodded in response. Tarkyn let out a guffaw of laughter that made Summer Rain frown at him. As Waterstone looked away, Tarkyn was trying to explain to the humourless Summer Rain what he had been laughing at.