The Wizard's Curse (Book 2) (7 page)

“I will do it,” said Summer Rain in a voice that brooked no argument, “It is my fault he is in this predicament. I told him it was safe.”

She placed her hand firmly on his shoulder, ignoring the slight hiss as it touched his skin. Her mouth tightened but other than that, she gave no indication of the pain she was enduring to keep her hand in place. The other woodfolk placed their hands on her shoulder and, under instruction from Stormaway, closed their eyes and reached down into their very essence to bring forth the stream of their life force. They channelled their combined strength through Summer Rain into their suffering forest guardian. A green vortex of power swirled lazily in the air above Tarkyn, then slowly drifted down into him.

Tarkyn just endured and waited. There was nothing he could do. He felt his body rebelling against the burning. It felt as though he was trying to run away inside himself. He started to go out of rhythm with himself, different parts of himself fighting against others. His mind drifted down into helpless misery with no strength left to draw on. Then through the haze of pain, Tarkyn first felt a strong, steady trickle of strength winding its way through him from his hand. He became vaguely aware that his whole body was jerking but it was beyond his ability to control it. Then a large, slow wave of gentle life force surged through him from his shoulder. He imagined a cool, clear stream and let it wash through his scorched blood vessels. He could vaguely feel coldness on the outside of him. Gradually, his body stopped fighting itself as the burning was soothed and his temperature dropped. Suddenly, he was freezing cold. He shivered uncontrollably, his teeth chattering in his head.

“Oh no,” said Stormaway. “His temperature is dropping too fast. Get those wet clothes off him. Someone, get a rug. We have to keep him warm until he adjusts to the lower temperature.”

Rainstorm touched Tarkyn’s shaking arm. “He still feels hot.”

Stormaway nodded, “He is, but he is a lot colder than he was and his temperature needs to go down more slowly now that we’ve stopped the burning. Give the wet clothes to Summer Rain. She can wrap her hand in them. That will help to soothe it.”

This time, Tarkyn was aware of the blanket being wrapped around him. His mind and body had regained their connection with the outside world. He opened his eyes. They smarted and were bloodshot but were no longer the ghastly red that the woodfolk had seen previously.

“Thanks everyone,” he said between chattering teeth clutching the blanket around him.

Stormaway frowned down at him. “Lie still. You’re not out of the woods yet.”

Tarkyn managed a shaking smile, “Very funny.”

“Hi prince. Good to see you back in the land of the living. You gave us an almighty scare.” Rainstorm squatted down next to him. “I hate to bother you, but what do you want us to do about Rushwind?”

Tarkyn’s eyes widened in alarm. “Whatever you do, don’t touch her.” He gave another big shudder. When it had passed, he said, “She has to be quarantined from all life forms; people, plants, animals.” He lay panting for a minute with the effort of talking, before adding, “Keep her knocked out. Maybe dig a trench around her so the infection can’t spread form the plants she’s lying on. Make sure you put any tools you use inside the circle with her. Otherwise they may transmit the infection too.”

Tarkyn forced his hand up out of the blanket. “I have to get strength from the tree,” he said as he replaced his palm against the oak. “I have to fight the infection before it destroys the forest.”

The woodfolk looked at each other.

“You’re not strong enough,” objected Waterstone.

Tarkyn nodded, “I know. I have to become strong enough, as soon as possible.” A shadow of fear passed over his face. “And then I have to go back and do battle with those parasites.” He shivered again. “No chance of a fire, is there? Somewhere close to this tree so I can stay here and get back my strength and keep warm.”

“You are warm, prince.”

“Well, I don’t feel warm. It’s freezing out here.”

“Get him his fire,” instructed Stormaway. He turned to Tarkyn. “Your temperature is all over the place at the moment. Actually it’s not your temperature. It’s your perception of it. Your actual body temperature is gradually coming down, but it’s still too high.” He shrugged, “Still, if you want a fire, you shall have a fire. We don’t want your temperature to drop too fast.”

Tarkyn gave a few shivers before asking, “Is there anything to drink? I’m unbelievably thirsty. I think half my body fluid must have evaporated in the heat.”

“Yes. You’re probably right.” Even as Stormaway replied, Waterstone held a stone mug full of cold water up to Tarkyn’s mouth and lifted him up so that he could drink.

After a few minutes, Summer Rain came over and sat down next to him, “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I was incorrect in my surmises. I am sorry you had to go through all of this.”

“Not your fault. How were you to know?” Tarkyn frowned, “What’s wrong with your hand?”

Summer Rain gave a little shake of her head but didn’t answer.

“She burnt herself on your shoulder, sending you the life force,” said Rainstorm over his shoulder from where he was setting the fire.

Tarkyn pulled his other hand out from within the blanket. “Give me your hand,” he instructed.

“No, my lord. You are not strong enough.”

“Summer Rain, give me your hand.”

The healer stared mutinously at him for a moment, before reluctantly unwrapping her hand and placing it in his.

Tarkyn’s eyes widened. “My shoulder did that? Wow! I must have been hot! ” He looked up at her. “Thank you Summer Rain. It must have taken great determination to hold your hand there when it was burning. Now close your eyes and I will send you through som
e
ess
e
. Don’t worry. It will make little difference to my recovery. Ready?” When she nodded, Tarkyn closed his eyes and directed a small wave of power into her hand. “Better?” he asked.

Summer Rain breathed a sigh of relief. When she looked down at her hand, the blisters had gone and the skin was already only slightly pinker than the rest of her hand. “Thank you. That is a great relief.”

“Good. The least I could do.” Tarkyn looked around at Stormaway and the woodfolk standing around him. “I suppose it’s the middle of the night and you want to get back to bed but…”

Looks of surprise on the woodfolk’s faces told him that returning to bed hadn’t crossed their minds.

“I think we’re all a bit too shaken to go back to bed yet, Tarkyn,” said Waterstone dryly, shaking his head. “If you were about to say we need to sort a few things out first, I couldn’t agree more.”

“Oh. Good.” Tarkyn raised his eyebrows. “So it’s not just me who’s a bit wound up at the moment.”

A ripple of laughter greeted this remark.

Waterstone smiled grimly at him. “Tarkyn, the forest has been badly damaged again by the oath’s vengeance. We have an unconscious, infectious woodwoman lying over there, under guard. Golden Toad and Ibis Wings are also being held under guard in their shelter until this is sorted out. And the forest is slowly dying around us as we speak. I don’t think any of us has any plans for sleep.”

“Your Highness, you must explain to us what happened so we know what we’re dealing with,” said Stormaway.

Tarkyn rubbed his hand over his brow. “I don’t know for sure. I think perhaps my power mutated the parasites. They certainly became stronger and larger when they fed on my power. When I cleared them out of Rushwind, I checked all through her body for damage and found none. But she wouldn’t let me into her brain. I accepted that because of her privacy but now I think a small colony of parasites must have escaped into her brain and warped her thinking, maybe even taken over completely. Just before you people helped me get rid of the parasites in me, they were heading toward
s
m
y
brain.”

Tree Wind frowned, “How do we know they didn’t get there or that there weren’t already some in your brain and that you’re not acting under their influence?”

Tarkyn didn’t take Tree Wind’s question amiss even though in the past she had been one of his severest critics. His eyes narrowed as he thought about it. “That is a scary question. When I realised what was happening, I did put up a shield, which Rushwind couldn’t have done. But what if some were already in there?” He shook his head. “How can we tell?”

“How would we have been able to tell with Rushwind?” asked Summer Rain.

“If you had stayed tuned into her thoughts, you would have been able to tell,” answered Tarkyn. “When you think about it, she acted unexpectedly, straight after my attempt at healing her. When she attacked me, I couldn’t tell her thoughts of course, but the images coming through from her were hideous.” He looked at Waterstone. “I think it’s time to even up the score. Waterstone, I give you permission to have free access to my memories and any images and feelings you can access.”

A babble of consternation broke out at this announcement, some of  it surmising Waterstone’s past actions and some of it in reaction to Tarkyn’s offer.

“Sire, that is asking too much of yourself,” objected Falling Branch, “Can we not just trust you if you reassure us?”

Tarkyn shook his head. “Not if I am not acting under my own volition. I won’t know. I will think I am being honest and so will you, when I may not be. Someone outside me has to scan my thoughts and feelings.”

“But isn’t the very fact you’re offering, proof enough?” he persisted.

“I don’t know, maybe, but we can’t afford to take the risk.” He looked back at Waterstone and gave a wry smile. “Sorry Waterstone, I dumped you in it, didn’t I? I’m not thinking too straight at the moment. Are you willing to do this?”

“I am willing but could it be dangerous?”

Tarkyn shook his head. “I wouldn’t think so, as long as someone is nearby to pull you out of my thoughts. But again, don’t rely on what I say until we know whether I am to be trusted. Ask Stormaway.”

Stormaway frowned down at him. “Tarkyn, this is very uncomfortable. And can I just point out that if you are indeed still infected, then the tree’s power will be feeding the parasites and strengthening them?”

Tarkyn whipped his hand away from the tree trunk. “Oh my stars, Stormaway. You’re right. How could I have been so stupid?”

“I think it is encouraging that you do not yet appear to have been overrun when we all sent you that life force earlier on, to heal the burning,” pointed out Summer Rain.

Tarkyn breathed a sigh of relief. “True. That is encouraging.” He gave a little shiver. “Come on Waterstone. I feel as though I’m going mad here, not knowing whether I am truly myself or not.”

Waterstone frowned, “Are you sure?”

Tarkyn smiled, “Yes, my friend. I am sure. I trust you with my memories and images. Go ahead.”

“I can’t see that I need to go very far back.” Waterstone looked around for confirmation and saw several people shaking their heads. “Show me your memory of earlier this evening after you thought you’d healed Rushwind.”

Tarkyn’s memories did not have words attached to them, only images and feelings
.
Rainstorm embarrassed. Rushwind looking askance at me. Outrage and hurt at her behaviour. Autumn Leaves angry with me. Golden Toad nervous but kind. Feeling raw, shaken, frightened by intensity of feelings, tired.

Waterstone pulled out. “Hmm. I think we could have looked after you a bit better after that first run-in with Rushwind. You seemed to have scored a lot of criticism when you were least able to deal with it. Still, so far so good,” he reported, with a reassuring smile at Tarkyn. He took a breath. “Right. I suppose I’d better see what happened when Rushwind came to see you tonight.

Rushwind bending over me. I feel mildly friendly. Rushwind’s face fills with hatred. Eyes burning red. I’m watchful not frightened. Rushwind puts her hand on my shoulder. Searing pain. Raging wind above me. Everyone, come!
Waterstone could feel an echo of the pain from the image but he persevered
. Parasites pouring into me through my shoulder. Flooding everywhere. Flowing out through my hand up into the tree. Now, grey globules change direction. Moving towards my head. Shield goes up. Fear. Outrage. Power now destroying parasites. Anger and terrible images of forest dying flood in. Unleashed rage. Fiery blast through my all my blood vessels. Blinding, burning pain.

Waterstone pulled out, sweat beading on his forehead. “Stars above, Tarkyn! You poor bastard! You’ve been through the wringer.”

“But what do you think? Did my shield stop them getting to my brain?”

Waterstone nodded, “I think so. There were parasites in you for some time before you put up the shield but they seemed intent on flowing into the poor old oak tree at the start. Even if your shield didn’t work, your outrage at their intention to enter your mind was what triggered your successful attack on them. So I think you are not infected.” The woodman regarded Tarkyn thoughtfully for a moment. “Do you think you can manage one more? I’ll scan your images now. Agreed?”

Tarkyn took a deep breath, let it out and nodded. “Fine. Away  you go.”

Waterstone looking intently at me. Kind, strong, dependable, clever. I feel strung out and battered but safe and cared for by all around me. Affection. Warmth. Worry. Waterstone going pink. Amusement.