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- Herausgeber: Next Chapter
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
As the confrontation between King Kosar and Prince Jarand looms, forest fire, subterfuge, clandestine troops and poison all threaten Prince Tarkyn and the woodfolk.
When the Wizardess of the Lost Forest comes to Tarkyn's aid, she reveals a shocking secret that threatens their very future. Bolstered by her unparalleled power, Tarkyn and his followers desperately attempt to stave off a civil war.
But can Tarkyn find the strength to change the course of their realm, and save them all from the destructive, power-hungry rivals?
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022
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THE WIZARDESS
THE SORCERER’S OATH – BOOK FOUR
JENNY EALEY
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
The Scorcerer’s Oath Series
Characters
The story so far…
I. The Warning
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
II. The King at the Encampment
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
III. Captain Harkell
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
IV. The Eagle
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
V. The Emptied Threat
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
VI. Stillwaters Pathfinder
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
VII. Brother and Sister
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
VIII. Fire
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
IX. The Battle of the Dry Mile
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
X. The Settling Dust
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
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About the Author
Copyright (C) 2016 Jenny Ealey
Layout design and Copyright (C) 2019 by Next Chapter
Published 2019 by Next Chapter
Cover art by CoverMint
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank my sister Wendy Ealey who produced the cover design and interior typesetting, and Burnham Arlidge who painted the eagle flying over the plains on the cover.
I would also like to thank and remember my mother and grammarian extraordinaire, Paddy Mary Stentiford (now deceased) who, from the other side of the world, painstakingly edited my novels with me through all their myriad drafts.
I would like to dedicate this book to those who fear their partners and are striving to protect themselves and their children.
The Scorcerer’s Oath Series
Bronze Magic
Wizard’s Curse
The Lost Forest
The Wizardess
CHARACTERS
Scorcerers
TAMADIL ROYAL FAMILY:
King Markazon (deceased)
Queen, Markazon’s wife
King Kosar, eldest son of King Markazon
Prince Jarand, second son of King Markazon
Prince Tarkyn, third son of King Markazon
COURTIERS:
Danton Patronell, Lord of Sachmore, (aka Dale) Tarkyn’s friend from childhood
Andoran and Sargon, friends of Tarkyn at court.
Stormaway Treemaster, wizard for Prince Tarkyn and King Markazon
Journeyman Cloudmaker, Prince Jarand’s wizard
THIEVING FAMILY:
Old Ma
Gillis, Old Ma’s son
Tomas, Old Ma’s son
Morayne, daughter of Tomas
Charkon, son of Tomas
Grasslands:
Tolward, Lord of Middle Grasslands
Juniper, his wife
Eidelweiss, his daughter
Winguard, his son
Karlian, his healer
TRAPPERS:
String and Bean
Pipeless, wizard and trapper (deceased)
Horse and Cart
HARKELL’S FAMILY:
Captain Harkell (aka Hill)
Kayama, Harkell’s wife
Sorrell, Harkell’s son
Marema, Harkell’s daughter
Sorath, Harkell’s father
Thraya, Harkell’s mother
Drakell, Harkell’s brother
Elena, Drakell’s wife
Rena, Drakell’s wife’s sister
Other sorcerers:
Saker and Biggins, two soldiers from Harkell’s company
Sergeant Torrigan
Colonel Argyle, Kosar’s army
Captain Harman, Kosar’s army
Farow, Kosar’s manservant
Colonel Charford, Jarand’s army
Captain Guerion, Jarand’s army
Davorad, Lord of Stansbeck, financier of Jarand’s encampment
Greyskies Swampwatcher, independent wizard
Orolan, chief of bandits
Woodfolk
People of Lost Forest:
Singing Bird, woodfolk
Borovar, sorcerer
Stillwaters Pathfinder (Navira), wizardess
Caroman, wizard
WANDERERS:
Waterstone
Sparrow, Waterstone’s daughter
Autumn Leaves
Thunder Storm
Creaking Bough, Thunder Storm’s wife
Rain on Water, Thunder Storm’s son
Rustling Leaves
Grass Wind
Lapping Water
Summer Rain, healer
Falling Rain, Summer Rain’s exiled brother
Golden Toad
Rushwind
Ibis Wings
Autumn Storm, Autumn Leaves and Thunder Storm’s grandfather
Twig Snap
Leaf Fall
FORESTALS:
Raging water
Falling Branch, his son
Sun Shower, Falling Branch’s wife
Rainstorm, Falling Branch’s son
GATHERERS:
Ancient Oak
Tree Wind
North Wind
Running feet
MOUNTAINFOLK:
Ancient Elm
Blizzard
Cavern
Dripping Rock
Melting Snow
Hail
Midnight, Hail’s son, Tarkyn’s ward
WOOD FOLK NEAR TORMADELL:
Dry Berry
Leaf Fall
Twig Snap
THE STORY SO FAR…
Book One: Bronze Magic
In Eskuzor, land of sorcerers, nineteen year old Prince Tarkyn is brought up on unjust charges by his twin brothers, the king and Prince Jarand. He throws up a magical shield and escapes, inadvertently leaving a trail of death and destruction. A family of thieves tries to rob him but then help him to flee the city of Tormadell.
After days on the run, Tarkyn wanders into the woodlands in the company of an old wizard, Stormaway Treemaster, only to find himself unable to leave. Woodfolk attack him and he retaliates with threatening displays of magic. But Tarkyn is then horrified to discover that he is the unwelcome, bitterly resented liege lord to these elusive people who fear sorcerers and whose oath to him has been spellbound to the welfare of their forest.
Before the woodfolk can take adequate measures to protect him, bounty hunters capture Tarkyn. In the chaos of his escape, the prince is severely injured. While Tarkyn lies unconscious, Stormaway, disguised as the prince, leads the bounty hunters far from the forest.
For more than a week, the prince lies unconscious, while one woodman, Waterstone, stays by his side talking quietly to him and bringing him back to an awareness of his surroundings. As he recovers, Tarkyn, raw from his brothers’ betrayal and wary of the woodfolk’s resentment, gradually develops an uneasy friendship with Waterstone.
Woodfolk can hold conversations and send images mentally to each other, an ability not shared by sorcerers and wizards. Gradually, Tarkyn discovers that he can receive and send images and feelings, but not words. In fact, sometimes Tarkyn’s strong feelings transmit to other people without his knowledge or control.
When a hunting party of the king and Prince Jarand enters the woods, Tarkyn’s reaction to seeing his brothers overwhelms Waterstone’s daughter, Sparrow, and she blacks out. Waterstone is furious, hurling threats at the prince and trying to attack him. His behaviour breaches the oath, causing an area of forest to be seriously damaged before Tarkyn curtails the destruction by giving Waterstone permission to attack him.
Tarkyn discovers that Summer Rain’s brother, Falling Rain, was exiled twelve years ago for revealing the woodfolks’ presence to the king. Some woodfolk wish him to return. Some don’t. Struggling with the politics surrounding the prince and the potential damage his own anger could cause, Waterstone almost abandons his friendship with Tarkyn
Tarkyn offers to help repair the forest, by holding up branches while woodfolk bind them, amazing Waterstone that sorcery has more than martial uses. Stormaway returns and rails at the prince for not behaving in a manner due to his station, until Tarkyn treats him to a dose of royal hauteur. Later that evening, Stormaway informs the prince that the bounty hunters who had captured him were Andoran and Sargon, Tarkyn’s erstwhile friends. As Tarkyn wanders down near the river thinking about this further betrayal, an attacking wolf is stopped by Waterstone’s arrow. Then, from a viewpoint above him in the trees, Tarkyn sees another wolf approaching behind the woodman. Tarkyn shouts a warning and uses shafts of magic to kill the wolf.
Because Tarkyn’s ability to trust has been damaged by betrayal, Waterstone allows Tarkyn free access to his memories to establish his own trustworthiness. However, Tarkyn delves too deep and when Waterstone has fled, finds himself confronted by Autumn Leaves who intervenes angrily on his friend’s behalf.
When Stormaway shows Tarkyn a little experiment that blows up, the woodfolk surround Tarkyn, arrows drawn to protect him, even though clearly resentful. Stormaway lets slip that seven years before, he had used mind power on Falling Rain when the woodman was held captive by the king. This knowledge expiates Falling Rain’s guilt and revokes his exile. As reparation for the wrong done by sorcerers, Tarkyn resolves to trek across the mountains to find Falling Rain and bring him back to the fold.
Tarkyn discovers that, unlike the woodfolk, he can also share images and emotions with birds and animals, and uses this discovery as a reason to approach Waterstone and repair the rift between them. As he talks with Waterstone and Autumn Leaves, it becomes increasingly obvious to Tarkyn that the egalitarian woodfolk have a very different concept of service from him and that he must work out how much to modify his expectations.
While he is mulling this over, an eagle shares with him its view over the forest of an impending, large-scale wolf attack. Tarkyn warns the woodfolk and allows them the use of his powers.
Soon after the wolf attack has been averted, Stormaway notices green shoots appearing on Tarkyn’s walking staff and upon investigation, finds that the trees Tarkyn helped to repair have recovered unnaturally fast. Much to his embarrassment, Tarkyn learns that his newly discovered powers of healing and communing with animals define him as a legend in the woodfolk lore; the guardian of the forest, who appears among the woodfolk to aid them in times of great strife.
Celebrations of the advent of the Forest Guardian go late into the night.
The next morning, Tarkyn and the woodfolk come back to the reality of considering where the source of the danger might be. The survival of the woodfolk depends on their ability to stay hidden. They realise that a hunting party will be coming to find the wolves they killed but instead, will find dismembered, cleaned wolf carcases that will betray the woodfolk’s existence.
As they prepare to face this threat, Waterstone’s resentment of the oath surges up, leading to a fight between Tarkyn and himself. As a result, one of Tarkyn’s broken ribs punctures his lung and only his healing powers as Guardian of the Forest, supplemented by the life force of the woodfolk, save him. Through this experience, Tarkyn discovers that he can also draw on the power of the forest itself through the trees to heal himself.
Having helped the woodfolk avoid the hunting party, Tarkyn becomes aware that his group of woodfolk has been concealing the existence of woodfolk who had not sworn the oath. He feels betrayed especially by Waterstone and using an owl as a guide, leaves them to find his way to a community of oathless woodfolk.
He offers this community of woodfolk, the forestals, the opportunity to kill him to release their kin from the oath and to ensure that oathbound woodfolk do not have to fight oathless woodfolk to protect him. Despite their initial hostility, the forestals decide it would be dishonourable to help their kin betray their oath, so they cannot kill the prince. During this confrontation, Tarkyn finds a feisty ally in a rebellious young woodman, Rainstorm.
Autumn Leaves trudges into the forestal’s firesite and with Rainstorm’s help, faces a resistant Tarkyn. When Autumn Leaves explains that all woodfolk are sworn to conceal their kin, Tarkyn concedes the need for their duplicity, but is left feeling separate from them.
Unwittingly, Tarkyn’s resigned acceptance of his isolation rolls around the woodfolk camp, causing the forestals to reconsider their attitude to him. During the following week, woodfolk gather from all parts of the forest to discuss the unknown threat. In recognition of his demonstrated commitment to them, the woodfolk decide to induct Tarkyn as a member of the woodfolk nation in a ceremony during which, by sharing blood with him through a long cut on his arm, Tarkyn becomes Waterstone’s blood brother and by association, Ancient Oak’s brother and Sparrow’s uncle.
During the ensuing celebrations, Stormaway arrives among the oathless woodfolk and Tarkyn rebukes him when he expresses his displeasure at the risks Tarkyn has taken. Lapping Water is surprisingly accepting when she catches Tarkyn retying the bandage on his arm, having rubbed dirt into the cut to make sure he bears a scar. They return to the firesite to find that Tarkyn’s unreserved acceptance by the woodfolk is short lived. As they discuss ways to meet the impending threat, including the woodfolk ability to ‘flick’ into hiding, resentment against the prince resurges and the opinions of the group who stayed with him, the ‘home guard,’ are not respected. When Tarkyn absents himself from the critical crowd, Ancient Oak follows him and gets to know him and a squirrel better in an old oak. Elsewhere, Waterstone is attacked by two mountain folk who are disgusted that he has befriended a sorcerer. Eventually, Tarkyn decides to assert his authority temporarily, but unequivocally, in the interests of protecting the woodfolk in the face of the impending threat, reasoning that he intends to leave the next day anyway so it won’t matter if he upsets a few people.
However, when morning breaks, an enormous magic-driven storm threatens to cause widespread flooding and to force the woodfolk onto open higher ground. Tarkyn harnesses the power of the forest to channel magic into Stormaway who orchestrates the dissipation of the storm. When his sodden bandage is replaced by Summer Rain, Tarkyn finds that his arm has healed with a long bright green scar. However his suspicions are aroused when Waterstone refuses to have his bandage changed and he discovers that Waterstone, too, has rubbed dirt in his cut to ensure he has a souvenir of their new relationship.
In the wake of Tarkyn’s suggestion of a stock take of people’s whereabouts, woodfolk establish that three of their kin are missing and are possibly being held by sorcerers. A power play amongst rival factions leads to decisions being made more on the basis of whether they support Tarkyn rather than on the issues themselves. Tarkyn confronts the worst of the factions and neutralises their antagonism.
Once the course of action had been decided, Tarkyn links his mind with a field mouse to reconnoitre the sorcerer’s encampment. The woodfolk are gravely shaken when he discovers that the woodfolk are indeed being held at the encampment and at least some people from outside the forest know of their existence.
With the aid of an eagle owl, Tarkyn spots a shadowy figure skulking in the nearby woods. The woodfolk capture the intruder, who turns out to be Danton, an elite palace guard and Tarkyn’s childhood friend. But having been betrayed before, the prince is wary of trusting him. Only after testing Danton’s loyalty to the prince, do the woodfolk allow him to stay in the woods with them. But Danton brings the expectations of the Royal Court with him, leading to disputes between several woodfolk and himself, and making Tarkyn re-evaluate his relationships with the woodfolk.
When the prince stops a fight between Danton and Rainstorm, the young woodman turns his attack on Tarkyn. The wind thrashing through the trees makes Tarkyn realise that Rainstorm and the oathless woodfolk have somehow become subject to the sorcerer’s oath. Despite their friendship with the prince, Rainstorm and Waterstone are horrified when they discover that the oath has spread and it is decided to keep it from the others until after the rescue of the imprisoned woodfolk.
The woodfolk all insist that Tarkyn should not take part in the rescue because they must ensure they protect him. Because Tarkyn has also vowed to protect the forest, he cannot risk them refusing his orders and destroying the forest. So he does not insist on going with them but reluctantly takes part from a distance.
As woodfolk flit through the trees reconnoitring the encampment Tarkyn, from a distance, playfully sends them helpful but unnerving images, which causes Tree Wind to concede finally that the woodfolk will be all right under his dominion.
Danton and Stormaway infiltrate the sorcerers’ camp, in preparation for the woodfolk mounting a rescue. They run into Sargon and Andoran, forcing Danton to assume the appearance of disloyalty to Tarkyn to conceal his role in the rescue plot. Once Stormaway is reassured that Danton is merely playing a role, the wizard and Danton concoct a series of unpleasant revenges on Sargon and Andoran, involving hallucinogens, itching powders and slow working non-lethal poisons.
Meanwhile Tarkyn discovers that Waterstone’s objections to using horses for the impending raid stems from his fear of them. In the ensuing conversation, Waterstone becomes aware that Tarkyn is distressed by Danton’s possible betrayal and the accumulation of people’s horrified reactions to the oath. He reassures Tarkyn of his enduring commitment to him, as both friend and brother, and Rainstorm bravely goes swimming in an icy creek with the prince to cheer him up.
Once the campsite has settled for the night, the woodfolk use their deadly hunting skills to knock out the boundary guards and throw the chained woodfolk onto horses, which are being remotely guided by Tarkyn. As the horses carry them safely into the woods, a strong, fear-filled image that makes Tarkyn realise that Autumn Leaves has been captured by Andoran and Sargon. Tarkyn translocates into the sorcerers’ encampment and rescues him. On his return, angry woodfolk confront him for putting himself at risk but he asserts that he will no longer allow them to dictate to him.
Danton’s association with Andoran and Sargon causes Tarkyn and the woodfolk to lose faith in him and take him captive. Danton refuses to defend himself and insists they trust him. When Tarkyn relents, Danton then avers that Tarkyn is the only true hope for the future of Eskuzor, a sentiment that Stormaway reinforces saying:
“Your destiny is written in the stars and lives deep within the trees of the forest. It has been clear from the day of your birth for all to see who have knowledge of such things. Your father and I always knew. That’s why you had to be protected. You are not only the guardian of the forest. You are the one true hope for the future.”
* * *
Book 2: Wizard’s Curse
In the face of Stormaway’s avowal, Tarkyn declares he has no wish to be king; to drag Eskuzor into civil war. Stormaway tells him that there are already rumours of civil war brewing between his brothers and that the encampment is a recruiting station for vigilantes wishing to fight the lawlessness created by King Kosar’s incompetent rule, funded by Lord Davorad, one of Jarand’s cronies.
To the woodfolks’ relief, only a few sorcerers have seen the captured woodfolk but one of them is Stormaway’s erstwhile apprentice, Journeyman Cloudmaker, now Prince Jarand’s wizard. Woodfolk want Tarkyn to protect them against whoever is hunting them; Danton and Stormaway want him to protect sorcerers against his brothers. Tarkyn decides to prioritise finding Falling Rain and protecting the woodfolk before addressing the wider issues of the sorcerers.
Using his powers as forest guardian, Tarkyn tries to heal the rescued woodfolk’s mindtalking ability, an effort that goes disastrously wrong; destroying a swathe of forest and nearly killing him before he uses rage-driven power to burn out the infection. Tarkyn repels a squadron of soldiers by sending mental images of attack to their horses and subjugating the leader of the wolf pack that runs with them. But his use of power threatens to distance him from his woodfolk companions and Waterstone accuses him of breaking the wolf’s spirit.
Tarkyn wakes despondent about the damage to the forest and at the reactions of the woodfolk to his magic. However, the woodfolk recognise the extreme efforts he made to save the forest and celebrate with him. He discovers Tree Wind’s ongoing antagonism has stemmed from the fact that she had intended to wed Falling Rain who was exiled as a result of King Markazon discovering the existence of woodfolk. Waterstone takes issue with Danton over the fact that Danton used to report Tarkyn’s actions to the king, angering him so much that Danton hits him. Sorcerer protocol demands that Tarkyn preside over a trial for Danton attacking Waterstone, now a member of the royal family. Waterstone is horrified. Tarkyn discovers he is sovereign lord of the forests, according to Stormaway, and as such, is able to commute the usual death penalty for such a crime to a lesser punishment.
As the woodfolk prepare to cross the Great West Road, a family travelling along the road is attacked by brigands. Tarkyn uses his magic to burn the arrows and place a shield around the family to protect them. The family is fearful of him at first, since he has been branded a rogue sorcerer by his brother. At Tarkyn’s request, they tie up the brigands and continue on their way as soldiers crest the rise and Tarkyn disappears back into the forest. The soldiers recognise the brigands as fellow soldiers. Stormaway breaks cover and acts as witness that Tarkyn protected the family. He then challenges the King’s version of events at the tournament asking how Tarkyn could have won a tournament he was supposed to have destroyed.
Tarkyn realises that Falling Branch is the only one among them who is unknowingly affected by the spread of the sorcerous oath. He sees him privately to tell him, endures his reaction and discovers he is Rainstorm’s father. Falling Branch goes off to talk to his woodfolk friends while sending Tarkyn off to talk to Danton. Tarkyn clarifies his expectations of Danton, as a sorcerer living among woodfolk.
When Tarkyn explains the spread of the oath and the concept of mutual obligations to the rest of his home guard, they offer to support him when they encounter the mountainfolk.
They travel across the open grasslands by night, with Tarkyn using his mind link to quieten the guard dogs. When two riders thunder through the night to arrive in haste at a homestead, Danton investigates and sees two young sorcerers lying mortally wounded, surrounded by parents and farm hands. Against opposition from the woodfolk, he enlists Tarkyn’s assistance. Tarkyn and he enter the sorcerers’ house and Tarkyn heals the children amidst a mix of suspicion, because he has been declared a rogue sorcerer, and obeisance, because he is a prince. Lord Tolward tells Tarkyn that lawlessness is rife, that bloodhounds are now being recruited at the encampment and there is talk of a secret army. Tarkyn promises to return to them in the spring and leaves, feeling even more torn between woodfolk and sorcerers.
The mountainfolk appear friendly but drug Tarkyn’s companions before tying Tarkyn’s hands behind him. In order to check whether the mountainfolk are subject to the sorcerous oath, two thugs hit Tarkyn but continue to belt him once they can see their blows are not causinh damage to the forest, despite Dry Berry’s efforts to stop them. Tarkyn sends out a mental scream for help to which firstly a mountain eagle, then other birds of prey respond by fighting off the thugs and keeping the mountainfolk at bay until his home guard recovers. He then orders Danton to kill the two assailants. Remorseful, the mountainfolk offer to take the oath, but Tarkyn says he does not want them as liegefolk and would not entrust the forest’s welfare to their honour. With help from Autumn Leaves and Rainstorm, Tarkyn bathes in an icy stream to clean his bloodied hair and talks to the woodfolk about his decision to execute the thugs.
Danton, Summer Rain and Rainstorm are then taken hostage by the mountainfolk and Tarkyn must use shields and eagles to protect his home guard and coerce the mountainfolk into returning his friends. Eventually, a compromise is reached and the mountain folk swear allegiance to Tarkyn without any sorcerous sting to the oath. However, Tarkyn still does not trust them and is unable to sleep. He gets up in the middle of the night only to find Waterstone and Autumn Leaves keeping watch over him. In the morning Rainstorm tries to teach Danton how to be less lethal with his magic and Thunder Storm demonstrates his mastery with a slingshot by making a line of different sized rocks gently sway. Eventually Waterstone helps Tarkyn deal with the intrusive images of the attack so that he can concentrate on healing himself.
Tarkyn joins the target practice and makes the rocks sway by hitting the stump underneath them. The mountainfolk take Tarkyn and a few friends for a tour of their cellars. In the caves, they find a little neglected boy who is despised by the mountainfolk. The Mountainman, Blizzard, holds the boy down by putting his foot on his chest and does not release him at Tarkyn’s request. Tarkyn bellows at Blizzard who explains that he thought he was supposed to protect the prince. Tarkyn takes the tatty little boy, Midnight, under his wing and Midnight swears allegiance to him. Midnight is deaf and mute but can exchange images and emotions only with Tarkyn. Midnight is mistrusting of people, continually tests Tarkyn’s commitment and is ready to run at the slightest provocation.
Word comes through that bloodhounds are tracking Tarkyn from the encampment and his tracks will lead them to Lord Tolward’s house and then to the mountainfolk camp. After various suggestions and tensions, Tarkyn agrees to contact the lead wolf only if Waterstone is linked in to check that he doesn’t damage the wolf’s spirit.
The woodfolk cover their tracks, travel south and spend the night high in trees. Tarkyn has trouble sleeping until Waterstone ties him to the trunk. Midnight realises he has left a bracelet he made for Tarkyn in the clearing and rushes back to find it, with the hunting party less than an hour away. Tarkyn and Danton translocate to the clearing, find Midnight and ensconce him high in a tree before outfacing the hunting party using Tarkyn’s ability to fire through his own shield as he clings to Danton’s back in mid-air. Journeyman Cloudmaker, the hunting party’s leader, realizes that Tarkyn is not a rogue sorcerer and says “This changes everything,” but does not explain why. Midnight is so upset that he refuses to come out of the tree. So Tarkyn levitates to grab Midnight from behind and carry him safely to the ground.
Tarkyn, Danton and a few woodfolk find shelter from a storm in a shallow cave. They decide to operate on Autumn Leaves’ injured nose but when Thunder Storm uses his slingshot to knock him out, Midnight attacks him, thinking he is trying to hurt Autumn Leaves. When Midnight realises his mistake, he cowers into the corner clearly waiting to be beaten. Thunder Storm reassures him while Summer Rain and Tarkyn continue the operation on Autumn Leaves’ nose. They debate whether there might be some sort of evil loose among the mountainfolk for someone to have mistreated Midnight so badly.
The woodfolk flick into hiding, instructing Tarkyn and Danton to raise their shields as two scruffy old trappers enter the cave. String and Bean are laconic, clever and love guessing games. Because Tarkyn says firesite and is dressed in woodfolk garb, they know that Tarkyn knows about woodfolk. So they eventually admit that they do too. Three woodfolk return to speak to them. When Midnight returns with some others, he does a double take and greets the trappers effusively. Bean tells them that Midnight’s mother Hail was caught in a landslide eight years ago and Pipeless, a wizard, rescued her. He fell in love with her but, frustrated by her not returning his affection, raped her. When String and Bean rescued her, she threw a knife at Pipeless, fatally wounding him. As the wizard died, he muttered an incantation that Bean carefully remembered. Hail always hated Midnight and was frustrated because he couldn’t hear. Since she wouldn’t allow String and Bean to adopt him, they talked her into giving Midnight to the mountainfolk but they too neglected him. String and Bean were the only people he ever saw who were kind to him.
After a mental debate with all other woodfolk, a faction wants to kill Midnight saying he is an abomination. Tarkyn says they are under oath and must protect Midnight. The woodfolk then agree to allow the trappers to live, as long as they reside with them for six months as surety.
Stormaway returns and explains that his care for Tarkyn comes before his care for Eskuzor. Meanwhile Waterstone and Danton lead a group of woodfolk in tracking down two members of the hunting party who are sneaking through the woods looking for Tarkyn. When they are captured, Tarkyn is not pleased that he was not informed of the threat earlier. He sends Journeyman’s sorcerers on their two day journey back to the encampment on foot, with their hands tied behind them, but exacts no other punishment.
Midnight is missing. Stormaway says that Pipeless’ last words are a curse: Midnight will breed resentment in his mother’s people and this resentment will slowly corrupt them all. He leaves to consult his books, admonishing them not to interfere without his direction. Tarkyn is worried that Midnight’s death may be needed to release the curse. A mental cry for help is received from Blizzard. When they arrive, they find an unconscious Midnight tied to a sapling with half the mountainfolk trying to attack him and the other half trying to prevent them from attacking. Hail arrives, then verbally and mentally abuses the crowd. A brawl breaks out but Tarkyn merely stands watching them with arms crossed. Gradually they settle, stand straighter and look towards Tarkyn who has been sending waves of faith in their integrity. Tarkyn immobilises Hail who blocks his way with knives. He uses his power to heal Midnight, who vomits all over him as he regains consciousness. Stormaway says if Tarkyn had rescued Midnight, it would have further undermined the mountainfolk’s belief in their integrity but now they are temporarily better able to fight the curse. He adds that if Midnight had died, the curse would have been irreversible and eventually all woodfolk would become corrupted by the curse. The curse can only be lifted in the place it was created by the curser or his direct descendant, Midnight.
High on the mountain, Hail and all her kin, the mountainfolk and woodfolk trappers, gather to have the curse lifted. Tarkyn must ask Midnight, with no compulsion, to help the mountainfolk who have reviled and maltreated him all his life. Midnight misunderstands and thinks that Tarkyn has faith in the mountainfolk and therefore not in him. He runs off and it takes the combined efforts of Tarkyn and Ancient Oak to resettle him. Midnight refuses to help but when, true to his word, Tarkyn remains his friend, he changes his mind and agrees to assist.
Stormaway realises that although Midnight can lift the curse from the mountainfolk, he first must be free of the curse. However, he cannot lift the curse from himself. They need Pipeless who is dead, to do that. Stormaway tells them that a forest guardian once drew the parts of a dead person back into one place and resurrected that person but many onlookers were killed. Tarkyn is both horrified and fearful at the prospect but agrees to try, provided there are precautions.
With everyone else safely within Stormaway and Danton’s shields, Tarkyn reaches his power deep into the forest and draws together the remains of Pipeless. He thrusts his hands before him and Pipeless, ten feet tall because he is not fully concentrated into one spot, towers above him and still as angry as he was at the moment of his death, sends forth a destructive power ray. Tarkyn just manages to raise his shield in time then demands that Pipeless acknowledge his authority as prince. Pipeless, bewildered by the sudden change in his circumstances, calms down and rues having created the curse. He meets Midnight, his son, and raises the curse from him. Then Midnight sends forth all his memories of his treatment by the mountainfolk and, as a cloud of Pipeless’s blue magic swirls over the mountainfolk, the warped memories are challenged and dispelled. Just before he dissipates back into the earth, Pipeless says that it was too soon for Hail and him. Then, glancing at Lapping Water, the nearest woodwoman, he suggests that Tarkyn may do better in the future.
A wild wind swirls up the valley and the earth reverberates as the Mountainfolk’s oath is tied to the welfare of the forest. Tarkyn waits tensely for their reaction but their gratitude overrides any resentment.
Next morning, Midnight emerges to find an array of special foods, especially laid out for him by the mountainfolk, and each of them pats or touches him to welcome him back into the fold. He then plays with the other children using his magical shield. Sparrow discovers that now the curse is no longer isolating him, he can use mind images, although still no words, to communicate with her.
Ancient Oak talks to Tarkyn while Rainstorm talks to Lapping Water, as part of an ongoing plan to get Lapping Water and Tarkyn together. They also remonstrate with Tarkyn about being too controlling when Waterstone and Danton had overseen the hunt for Journeyman’s sorcerers.
Meanwhile Danton tells the woodfolk that he had served as Tarkyn’s whipping boy from the age of eight and that Tarkyn, as a six year old, had become distraught whenever Danton was punished, forcing members of the Royal Family to be summoned to override him. Eventually, on an occasion that King Markazon had been summoned, Tarkyn threw up his shield and cut his arm until the king ordered the flogging stopped, earning Danton’s lifelong devotion.
When Tarkyn joins the others, he has to apologize all over again and walks off, annoyed. Because he is still very tired, he stumbles over a small cliff and knocks himself out. He follows a silver fox who leads him down the mountain to a group of sorcerers who are escaping from Jarand’s press gangs. To Tarkyn’s surprise they are honoured, rather than frightened, to meet him and he discovers that Stormaway’s machinations have turned public opinion in Tarkyn’s favour. However, Tarkyn makes it clear that he does not wish to become king.
With the help of a crow, his woodfolk find him. Tarkyn writes a letter of introduction for Trey and his family to go to Lord Tolward before he leaves them. A celebration for his efforts with Pipeless awaits Tarkyn on his return.
Waterstone asks Tarkyn why he doubted Danton’s loyalty after having saved him from being a whipping boy when he was little. Tarkyn can’t see why Danton should be grateful for facing only consequences of his own actions like everyone else. He adds that when they were older, their first loyalty was to the king. So when the king turned on Tarkyn, he couldn’t assume where Danton’s loyalties lay. Remembering how much Danton loved the glitter of court, he revokes his requirement that Danton wear woodfolk garb. Danton is moved by his acknowledgement but does not revert to his own clothes
At the end of the evening, Midnight comes to sit on Tarkyn’s lap, sad that his mother has still avoided him even after the lifting of the curse. He tries to get away to lick his wounds in private but Tarkyn holds him close even while he thrashes about, kicking and punching, in his distress. When he has settled, Tarkyn sends out a query about Hail’s whereabouts. Just as he is discussing it with woodfolk trappers, he receives a strong feeling of desperation and determination; Hail is at the edge of a nearby cliff about to throw herself off. Tarkyn sends her a command to wait before running with several others to try to stop her.
As they come into sight, she lets herself drop off the cliff but Tarkyn sends out a shaft of magic and pulls her back onto safe ground. Between them, they talk Hail into living with how she had treated Midnight under the curse.
Next day, as they continue their journey across the mountain, Waterstone is angry, thinking that Tarkyn risked the woodfolk and forests by commanding Hail when she was so emotionally unstable. Tarkyn reminds Waterstone that he refused one of Tarkyn’s commands with a minimal consequence of wind through the trees. However, Tarkyn points out that nearby trees are turning mouldy because everyone has been doubting Tarkyn’s competence behind his back.
Realizing that Stormaway lied when he said that he would refuse a direct order to defuse the oath, Tarkyn quietly commands the wizard to retract the sorcery in the oath. Stormaway bows and obeys. He had promised Markazon to maintain the sorcery in the oath but had failed to mention that this was only until directly ordered to release it by Tarkyn.
The woodfolk are so relieved their forest is now safe, many are in tears. Ancient Oak pulls Tarkyn into the family celebratory hug and reconciles him with Waterstone. Tarkyn remonstrates with woodfolk about talking about dissatisfaction behind his back instead of to his face. They tell him, not unkindly, that he is irritable, autocratic and intimidating so that they hesitate to bring issues up with him. Hail stands up for him and is thankful that he is so interfering.
Looking out over the plains to the distant walled city of Montraya, Jarand’s seat, Danton betrays his disdain after he has to explain to Rainstorm what a ball is. Danton is surprised Rainstorm isn’t offended but the woodman says that disdain and amusement are both ways of reacting to seeing another person’s culture through their own values, which makes Danton realise that he has underestimated Rainstorm.
As they descend the mountain, snow starts to fall. String and Bean lead Tarkyn’s home guard, which is double the size it was at the beginning, to a cave on the lower plateau. The trappers express concern that a mountain lion has been in the cave recently.
Suddenly a deep throated roar and two streaks of gold resolve themselves into a huge mountain lion leaping at the children playing in the back of the cave. Midnight throws his dark green shield over the children and himself and backs away from the lion until Tarkyn places his shield over the lion. While the other children run crying to their parents, Midnight walks quietly over to Tarkyn who realizes the little boy is shaking with fright.
Tarkyn uses his forest guardian powers to create a standoff with the mountain lion but rather than subjugating it, he uses images of wolves to show that his woodfolk are lethal to mountain lions in a pack, just as wolves are.
They discuss how to locate and talk to Falling Rain, knowing that Falling Rain will not reveal himself to any sorcerers because of the woodfolk’s bond of secrecy and won’t reveal himself to any of woodfolk because he has been exiled. Ancient Oak and Rainstorm have manoeuvred Tarkyn and Lapping Water to sit next to each other but Tarkyn and Lapping Water are both assiduously trying to act casually.
The home guard works out that Falling Rain will have to be in an area that is inhospitable to sorcerers. String and Bean think of the swamp. With the search area specific, Running Feet guides Tarkyn until he connects with an egret to look for Falling Rain. At first the bird is protective of Falling Rain but eventually takes Tarkyn on a mind journey to Falling Rain’s hideout halfway up a tree in the middle of the swamp.
The woodfolk travel the rest of the way down the mountain and set up camp on the banks of the lake, less than a mile from Falling Rain’s hideout. Summer Rain climbs onto Stormaway’s back, Tree Wind onto Danton’s and Waterstone onto Tarkyn’s. They levitate their way through the swamp. As a warning, an egret flies straight at Tarkyn’s head, rising just high enough to miss him, at the last minute.
As they come into Falling Rain’s view, Tarkyn uses his Shturrum spell to immobilize the exiled woodman before dropping Waterstone off next to him and then retreating to sit among the egrets in a nearby tree. Once Summer Rain and Running Feet have been dropped off too, Tarkyn replaces the Shturrum spell with his shield, which prevents Falling Rain from flicking into hiding. Once Falling Rain is reconciled to them, the four woodfolk head off through the trees to explore Falling Rain’s domain.
The sorcerers are left behind and eddies of discontent and the odd ripple of anger whirl through these flooded forests, signalling that Tarkyn is offended at not being introduced. The woodfolk return and once they have repaired their omission, Tarkyn unbends and feeds Falling Rain’s pet egret mentally asking her to accompany Falling Rain when they leave.
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, “KaLiefka” 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.
Just as they roll into the stream and wade out dripping wet and laughing, the four Guardians of the Past reappear. Moridan Tamadil is censorious, which annoys Tarkyn who says that, beset on all sides with criticism, he can only follow his own path. He asks to speak privately with them then raises the issue of the Lost Forest and gains their agreement to reduce the maximum time trapped in the forest to two full moons. Nightwind applauds his ability to rule and, at the same time, maintain friendships with the woodfolk. When he leaves them, Tarkyn discovers that he has been sitting trance-like in the midst of the home guard who had not been able to see the guardians nor hear their conversation and had become anxious, especially Midnight, at Tarkyn’s immobility.
As the Lost begin to leave the Lost Forest, the woodfolk attack the exiting sorcerers to stop them from spreading knowledge of woodfolk’s existence. The woodfolk of his homeguard are upset that Tarkyn had done nothing to protect the secrecy of the existence of woodfolk while Tarkyn is angry that they have not raised the problem with him before it became a public issue. Tarkyn allows only Stormaway and Midnight to accompany him to confront the angry sorcerers.
Tarkyn outfaces an angry mob of sorcerers and persuades the Lost woodfolk to negotiate with them. Eventually they agree to allow the sorcerers to leave if they swear an oath to Tarkyn to keep the presence of woodfolk secret.
Tarkyn does not want to go back to his woodfolk, so sends for the sorcerers of the home guard to join him elsewhere. They spend an evening drinking and deriding the woodfolk, having being meticulously politically correct for months. The home guard woodfolk, confined by Tarkyn’s orders to the clearing, similarly spend the evening deriding sorcerers, although Ancient Oak staunchly supports Tarkyn.
The next morning Tarkyn takes the Lost sorcerers’ oaths in front of his home guard then retreats to the other side of the stream with his sorcerers. Rainstorm and North Wind eventually brave the icy stream to join them but when Rainstorm confesses that even he was nervous at the thought of sitting around with a group of angry sorcerers, Tarkyn relents and returns to his woodfolk. He gives them an apology but maintains that they were unkind not to warn him of his oversight. Waterstone braves feeding a horse to begin the repair of their friendship. Tree Wind, then Lapping Water join Tarkyn at the stream to talk about what has happened. When Tree Wind leaves, Lapping Water tells Tarkyn that she is struggling to know how to act with him in front of the other woodfolk, but still loves him. Rainstorm brings a group to join them, in a successful bid to make them less self-conscious about being together in front of others.
The next morning, Danton sets out to find the wizardess again and becomes aware that Harkell is following him. Danton explains his concerns about sorcerers using Tarkyn and begins to trust Harkell. Danton can’t find the entrance to the hidden path, but when he returns alone later in the day, it has reappeared. This time he is greeted by Caroman, a sorcerer serving the wizardess. Danton shares a beautifully prepared luncheon with Pathfinder whose eyes this time are ice blue, again matching her dress. She says that she could not let Harkell see her because he notices too much and that Danton has not yet seen her in her true form. Despite a couple of spats, they part on good terms, with Danton saying he cares for her, although making it clear he is not proposing marriage, and will come if she needs him.
The next day, just as the home guard are leaving the Lost Forest, Moridan appears and warns Waterstone and Tarkyn not to test the bonds of their friendship too far.
Boravar thunders into the forests on a stolen war horse then allows himself to be captured by woodfolk to warn them that King Kosar intends to send in hundreds of sorcerers secretly, ahead of an official hunting party in an attempt to catch Tarkyn.
Harkell tells the woodfolk that they don’t realise how generous Tarkyn is with them and they shouldn’t have set him up, as a nineteen-year-old, to face such a public outcry in the Lost Forest. The woodfolk realise that the Lost Forest has tainted their actions and apologize. They also discover that the Lost sorcerers have been singing Tarkyn’s praise, unaware that he has been exiled.
An elite guard, Petrand Closkaril, finds Boravar, and to ensure his cooperation, poisons him, saying he will give him the antidote once Boravar has shown him where Tarkyn came out of the Lost Forest. When he realises Boravar is trying to lead him astray, Pertrand throws his dagger at him, but Leaf Fall deflects the blade with an arrow, so that it only enters Boravar’s shoulder while his sister, Twig Snap, kills the elite guard. They heave the big sorcerer onto the warhorse, then Twig Snap knocks him out to stop from singing drunkenly from the poison. They lead him all night through the woodlands until they reach Tarkyn and Stormaway. Unlike the home guard, they have never met sorcerers and are fearful of them. Long before Stormaway can prepare the antidote, Boravar goes into cardiac arrest. So Tarkyn joins his own life rhythms to Boravar’s to keep his body going. Twig Snap watches over him, despite being afraid of the sorcerers and falls in love with him. Boravar, when he recovers, realises he loves her even though she has been rough with him.
Rainstorm discovers that it was Boravar’s fear of hurting someone inadvertently when he became angry that had kept him in the Lost Forest for one hundred and twenty years. Rainstorm is praised for brazenly broaching issues other won’t. Then Midnight trots up to Boravar, checks that he shouldn’t aim at people, then instead raises his shield and sends a shaft of power across the clearing, smashing a rock. Harkell points out that Midnight has been learning from copying Tarkyn and mistakenly thinks he has to raise his shield to send a power ray. Shortly afterwards, using Danton and Stormaway as models, Harkell demonstrates how two sorcerers could combined their domed shields to capture Tarkyn in the middle, without being in danger themselves. Harkell then acts as though he will betray Tarkyn, which causes Tarkyn’s anger to shake the ground and disrupt the shield being held around him. Harkell drops his pretence at betrayal then tells Tarkyn that his feelings, if managed, can become a weapon and can get him out of an impasse. Tarkyn takes persuasion and evidence before he becomes reconciled to Harkell.
Leaf Fall and Twig Snap have been frightened off by the sorcerers’ displays of magic. Boravar is in despair. Once Tarkyn has located them by sensing their fear, a small contingent of woodfolk and sorcerers seek them out and dispel Twig Snap’s objections. Then Tarkyn and Boravar carefully show them displays of magic.
