The Wizardess

The story so far…-4

Falling Rain is shocked by the changes of twelve years. In a confrontation with Stormaway, it becomes clear that other sorcerers knew of Falling Rain’s presence when he was held captive by King Markazon. Falling Rain only agrees to share his memories with Tarkyn so that he can identify these other sorcerers, on the condition that Tarkyn share painful memories with him. Amid protests from his woodfolk, Tarkyn agrees.

Falling Rain and Tarkyn engage in a furious mind duel, during which Falling Rain realizes that Tarkyn is not like his father. Tarkyn shows Falling Rain the scene after young Tarkyn stood up to his father to stop Danton being flogged: Markazon hugs Tarkyn as he cries himself out, then says, “You are the best of us but you will suffer for it. And in the end, you must be the one to bring hope to our nation and save us from ourselves.”

To everyone’s amazement, they return as friends. The woodfolk are horrified to learn that it was Kosar, Jarand and Journeyman who had discovered Falling Rain’s existence, and thus the existence of woodfolk and the oath. Having experienced Tarkyn’s memories, Falling Rain tells them that Tarkyn will not be able to stand by and watch sorcerers suffer under Kosar’s reign. The woodfolk agree that he has earned their support to help sorcerers.

Book 3: The Lost Forest

Greyskies Swampwatcher, a little wizard living near the swamp, is brought in to report a strange sight of people floating through the swamp to Prince Jarand who then accompanies a search party of eighty men, led by Captain Harkell, to find them hoping that one of them is Tarkyn.

Alerted by Falling Rain’s egret, Tarkyn’s home guard immobilises the search party and Tarkyn invites Jarand to a clearing to talk with him alone. Since he knows of woodfolk, Tarkyn’s woodfolk family and Rainstorm appear before him. Tarkyn’s, Sparrow’s and Rainstorm’s behaviour outrages Jarand and he decides that woodfolk are unimpressive and would not make the secret army he was hoping to use them as. Tarkyn tells Jarand that his vigilante recruitment drives are making him unpopular.

Once Jarand has left the forest with his troop, he orders Captain Harkell to be brutally flogged by his two strongest, most loyal men. Then the company ride back to Tormadell, leaving Captain Harkell hanging from a tree by his hands.

When Tarkyn feels the captain’s anguish from within the forest, Rainstorm braves the unaccustomed exposure of open ground to accompany Danton to rescue Harkell. Tarkyn heals Harkell’s back and once Harkell realises that he has been left for dead by Prince Jarand, he decides to swear fealty to Tarkyn and joins the home guard.

The home guard travel up the mountain to return to the cave. Harkell watches their casual attitude to the prince but still feels wary of him. As Tarkyn once more confronts the mountain lion, Harkell’s rushing to help him when he hears the lion roar makes the lion angrier but once Tarkyn has used images of the home guard being a wolf pack, it allows them to stay in its cave again. The home guard, cold and tired, make no effort to include Harkell when they bed down so he goes outside to sleep. Rainstorm, on guard duty, talks to him, tells him about ‘flicking’ and mind talking, while Harkell tells Rainstorm he is a blacksmith’s son and can sharpen tools with magic but that he can’t use magical shields well. Rainstorm brings him back inside at the end of his shift.

The next morning, Tarkyn sends a parchment via Rainstorm’s egret to Harkell’s wife Kayama, to tell her that Harkell is not dead. Because Stormaway’s eyes are green and Jarand had said there are no green eyed sorcerers, they realise that Stormaway is half woodfolk. He tells the romantic but sad story of his parents and is formally recognized as the uncle of Autumn Leaves and Thunder Storm. Waterstone asks why, if he was half woodman, did he help to impose the oath to which Stormaway replies that it was to give them Tarkyn. Tarkyn’s anger shakes the cave and he becomes withdrawn until Waterstone is able to sort him out.

Danton tells Harkell of Jarand’s efforts to undermine Kosar. In return, Harkell reports that Jarand is ordering troop training more suited to war than dealing with civic unrest and that the manufacture of weapons has increased. When Tarkyn explains that he is acting to protect sorcerers, not to gain the throne, Harkell says he has found himself a truly great lord to follow and is surprised that the woodfolk don’t acknowledge it too. They explain their original antipathy towards Tarkyn but concede that he is fast turning into legend. Harkell shows them how he can sharpen knives and discovers that many of them have blades made by his father and brother.

Next morning, as the woodfolk dig themselves out of their snow covered shelters, Lapping Water and Melting Snow land unexpectedly in Tarkyn’s shelter and have a tug of war with Midnight to make him leave the warmth of his spot next to Tarkyn.

As they are crossing an open area, a blizzard strikes and not all of them make the cover of trees. Many of them, including Tarkyn, lose their way and are claimed by the Lost Forest.

When Running Feet falls and slides down a snow covered slope, Tarkyn and Midnight throw themselves after him. Tarkyn grabs Midnight and levitates himself and his charge. Then, just as Running Feet reaches the edge of the precipice, Tarkyn shouts, “Ka Liefka” and levitates him up and round, depositing him back on the path. By the time they have splinted Running Feet’s broken ankle, they have lost sight of the treeline and the others.

They follow a silver fox but as they approach the treeline, the air thrums and the forest they enter is not the pine forest they expect but an ancient forest of twisted gnarled trees, a thick canopy of bared branches making it impervious to the raging storm. Melting Snow, one of the mountainfolk, is worried saying that a silver fox can lead you to destruction or salvation and that they are now within the Lost Forest where a person must face their deepest fears and the way they deal with them will determine whether they leave weaker or stronger.

The silver fox leads them to a clearing where food, wine and firewood have been left for them. Four Forest Guardians of the Past appear before them and welcome Tarkyn to their number. Each of them gives knowledge to help him in his life and in his quest to prevent civil war. Windchange tells him that he can trust Stormaway and Danton, Nightwind says he must risk pain to have a chance at happiness, Grasswind tells the woodfolk that they must be prepared to break beyond the forest’s boundaries to support Tarkyn whose cause is their cause and finally, Moridan proclaims that Tarkyn is Guardian of Eskuzor not just of her forests. They say that Harkell is the wild card in the pack and that, if he proves to be true to Tarkyn, their chances of success will be greater.

Next morning the woodfolk see Tarkyn walking outside the forest unaware that he is being pursued by two figures, swords drawn. Just as the woodoflk brave coming out into the open to his rescue, the sun rises and they instinctively flick back into the forest. Overcoming their fear, they try again but when they kill the would-be assailants, they discover that the whole scenario was an illusion set up by Grasswind to test them.

Meanwhile, Harkell tells Tarkyn that he has always been ambitious, more for influence than power or wealth, and points out that he holds a high rank for a blacksmith’s son. Tarkyn pleases Harkell by assuring him that he will listen to Harkell’s ideas as much as he does to those of the woodfolk.

Tarkyn and Midnight chase a butterfly through the woods and get lost. Lapping Water, who has been guarding from afar, catches up with them and Tarkyn takes the opportunity of being away from the main group to awkwardly propose marriage to her. She accepts and they return to celebrate with the others.

Meanwhile the rest of the home guard are fearful about the fate of those who have disappeared into the Lost Forest. Sparrow is particularly sad because she has lost her whole family to the Lost Forest, while Danton is driving everyone crazy with his distress over losing his liege. Stormaway discovers a reference to the Lost Forest in his books although it is called the Forest of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow by sorcerers, but as he points out, ‘One mystical forest is unlikely enough. Two would beggar belief.’ Just as he has worked out how to transport them into the Lost Forest, they hear a deep rumbling and look out of the cave they are sheltering in, to discover they have been claimed by the Lost Forest.

They don’t know how to find their comrades but decide to use Tarkyn’s technique of following the road with heart, each time they reach an intersection. This works until late afternoon, when they no longer agree. String works out that it is because some are thinking of Tarkyn and Midnight while others are thinking of particular woodfolk, which means that Tarkyn and Midnight have separated from the others. After a heated debate, they decide to go after Tarkyn, figuring he is more likely to get lost and that they are under oath to protect him.

They arrive in the middle of the celebrations of Tarkyn and Lapping Water’s marriage announcement. Waterstone reassures Danton that Tarkyn will still fight for the sorcerers, not only for woodfolk.

When Danton heads off next morning to check out the surroundings, he finds a hidden path that leads to a circular pool where he meets a lovely young woman with long strawberry blonde hair and kingfisher blue eyes that match her gown. Danton finds the Wizardess of the Lost Forest, who currently calls herself Stillwaters Pathfinder, both irritating and intriguing. She is interested in Tarkyn and his companions, and says she will only choose to meet Tarkyn at a time in the future when he has done all he can to prevent his brother’s feud, but will not explain why.

When Danton returns, Tarkyn yells at him for staying away so long, but his anger springs from fear for Danton’s safety because he can feel a great power close by. Stormaway realizes he knows who the wizardess truly is but won’t say. Danton expresses his reservations about Harkell, who he fears is getting close to Tarkyn for his own ends.

The sorcerers and woodfolk of the Lost Forest, weapons drawn and led by Boravar, a large burly, bearded sorcerer, surround the home guard. The home guard shelter within the protection of Danton, Stormaway and Tarkyn’s aqua, green and bronze translucent domed shields. Boravar introduces his companions as the Lost and says that they will simply wait until the sorcerers tire of holding up their shields, then those of the home guard who cannot face their fears will have to join them. Tarkyn contends that each member of the home guard has already faced their worst fears but Boravar says it is not up to the prince to decide that. In response to an idea from Harkell, Tarkyn tells them that, as the current Guardian, he no longer accepts the premise that the Lost Forest can indefinitely hold people who cannot face their fears.

To reignite the Lost’s pride in themselves, Tarkyn grants each of them a short audience with him, and with Waterstone as his brother. When every one of them has been individually presented and the Lost have left, Waterstone rounds on Tarkyn, livid that he has had to endure the obsequiousness of the Lost when he believes in the equality of all. Tarkyn says that regardless of what he believes, they believe it is an honour to meet him. When Waterstone asks whether Tarkyn believes it, the prince grins and says ‘I’m afraid I do,’ at which point Waterstone attacks him and they fight while the woodfolk have to hold down Harkell who wants to rush to Tarkyn’s rescue. The woodfolk explain that the two are fighting because they want to, since Waterstone could easily flick into hiding and Tarkyn could raise his shield but they are choosing not to.