The Choice of Magic

by Michael G. Manning

  Moving to the other man, he repeated the process with Granthon’s help. Then he instructed them to start a fire while he started searching for herbs. “Bring it to a boil and put some of the linen we cut into the water while I’m looking,” he told them.

  He didn’t have much hope of finding anything useful, such as yarrow. It was the wrong time of the year and the terrain didn’t favor that plant, but he studied the grasses around them anyway. Eventually he settled on a coarse bush that grew in clumps not far from the road. In that strange way he had previously discovered, he could tell that the bush wasn’t edible, but neither was it poisonous, and he got the sense that it might keep the wound from festering.

  Will gathered several large handfuls of the leaves and then returned. Once the linen had been boiled, he removed two large squares and used them to make two small pouches, which he filled with leaves. Returning to the pot, he dipped them in the still-boiling water for a minute and then removed them.

  He was hoping that the heat had softened the leaves sufficiently, and he used the pommel of his knife to crush them against the side of the pot to help bruise them further. That done, he waited for them to cool and then dressed the men’s wounds with them before repeating the process all over again for the soldiers with leg wounds.

  The sixth man had already passed away.

  Together, the three of them waited with the injured soldiers until Doctor Guerin rode up an hour later. The chirurgeon examined the wounds carefully before addressing them, “Who did this?”

  Tims and Granthon said nothing, so finally Will answered, “I guess you mean me, sir.”

  “Who told you to draw the bolts? These men could have died!” said the doctor angrily. “And what’s in these poultices?”

  Will explained what he had done, and after a few minutes the doctor was somewhat mollified. “You’ve had some training. Who told you about the trick with the feathers?”

  “My mother, sir, she’s a midwife in Barrowden,” he answered.

  “Hmmph!” said Doctor Guerin. “Well, I guess she knew what she was about, though I wouldn’t expect a midwife to have known how to extract a barbed head. How about the plant you used?”

  “I don’t know the name of it, but I’ve seen her use it on wounds before,” Will lied.

  “I guess we’ll leave it for now,” said the doctor, “but I’ll change it once the baggage carts get here. You men should return to your squads.”

  ***

  That evening all the talk was about their brief engagement. As Will and his squad mates sat on their bedrolls, Dave asked him, “How did you see those soldiers?”

  “The sun reflected off of one of their helms, I think,” said Will. “After that I just kept looking until I saw one of them pop his head up.”

  “You got lucky,” said Corporal Taylor. “It was pretty cloudy today.”

  Sven piped up, “I’m more surprised one of them was foolish enough to stick his head up. They were good enough to fool the scouts.”

  “You must feel pretty stupid,” groused Dave. “All it got us was five men wounded and one dead. We didn’t kill a single one of them.”

  Sven glared at the ex-cutpurse. “Shut up. People wouldn’t know what a damned idiot you were if you didn’t talk.”

  “It’s the truth!” protested Dave. “Actually, now that I look back, I wish I’d been wounded. Those guys get to take it easy back in Branscombe.”

  Corporal Taylor spoke up, “You should be glad he spotted them. Otherwise we might be going hungry soon. They weren’t waiting for us. They were waiting for the supply wagons.”

  Will stood up. “How long do we have before lights out?”

  “What lights?” asked Dave sarcastically. “All we have is a campfire.”

  “We stopped early today, so we still have an hour,” said Corporal Taylor.

  “I’m going to stretch my legs,” said Will.

  “I’ll come with you,” volunteered Tiny.

  The corporal nodded. “Don’t go outside the perimeter, otherwise the patrol guard will be all over my ass.”

  Will and Tiny walked until they were beyond the reach of the light from the campfires, then Will stopped. “I need to talk to someone. I wasn’t expecting you to come.”

  “I can go back if you want,” offered the big soldier.

  “It’s all right, just try not to be surprised,” said Will. Under his breath he repeated a single word three times, ‘Tailtiu.’ Deep down he felt something, and he knew she had heard him.

  Ten minutes passed in near silence before Tiny asked, “Is someone supposed to meet you?”

  Will nodded. “She’ll be here soon, I think. Thank you for today, by the way.”

  The big man shrugged. “I don’t have many talents, but I know who to trust.”

  A voice purred at them from the darkness, “You have good taste then.”

  Will tried to reassure Tiny, who looked as though he was about to jump out of his skin. “Don’t worry, it’s my friend.” It was then that a slender hand snaked up behind the big man and stroked Tiny’s cheek and neck.

  “W-wh-who are you?” said Tiny, his voice tremulous.

  “Leave him be, Tailtiu,” said Will sternly. “He’s never met any fae before.”

  Tailtiu peered at him from around Tiny’s shoulder. “Oh, I like them fresh.” Then she moved around to the big soldier’s front and gazed up at him hungrily. “And he looks delicious.”

  Tiny stood frozen in place, though whether it was from magic or fear, Will wasn’t sure. His eyes moved down, taking in the fae woman’s naked form. She was still covered in scars, though they were a dark green now, making her appearance even more feral. After a few seconds Tailtiu turned away and stepped toward Will. She opened her arms as though she would embrace him but almost immediately leaped back, hissing.

  “Nasty!” she exclaimed. “What is that all over you? Iron? Why, William? Why would you do that?”

  He chuckled. “I like breathing. This helps keep arrows out of me.”

  “Don’t expect a kiss from me until you’ve taken it off and had a long bath,” said Tailtiu with obvious disgust. Will saw one of Tiny’s brows go up in surprise. The fae woman noticed as well and she gave the big man a sultry look. “Didn’t you know? I’m his aunt, but don’t let that fool you. We’re very—close.”

  Alarmed, Will waved his hands at Tiny. “Don’t listen to her. It isn’t like that.”

  “Sure it is,” said Tailtiu. “Would you like me to show you?”

  Ignoring her remark, Will continued, “You still owe me another day.”

  Tailtiu sighed. “Always business with you. What do you want?”

  “Can you move about without being seen?”

  “Of course,” answered his aunt, before glancing back at Tiny. She puffed her chest out slightly and formed her lips into a sly pout. “But I much prefer being seen.”

  Will’s friend was turning red, and Will worried that Tiny might pass out from the strain of enduring Tailtiu’s attention. “I want you to scout the mountain ahead of us. There may be soldiers in the area.”

  “Of course, there are,” she said abruptly, waving her hand toward the camp. “I can smell hundreds of them over there, along with an unsavory amount of iron.”

  “That’s our camp,” said Will dryly.

  His aunt smiled sweetly. “I knew that.”

  “How long will it take you?” he asked.

  She pretended to think, putting one hand on her chin, then answered, “I don’t know. I’ll find you when I’m done.”

  Will had hoped it would be quick and easy, but he guessed that was just hopeful thinking. “We have to go back to the camp. I’ll call you tomorrow—”

  “It won’t take that long, silly boy. Not to worry, I’ll find you when I’m done.”

  “But we’ll be in camp.”

  Tailtiu began walking away, fading into the darkness. “I can always find you, Will.” She glanced back once, her eyes glowing ominously. “Remember
that.”

  Once he was sure she was gone, Will nudged Tiny who seemed to have fallen into a trance, staring into the darkness. “Come on. Let’s go back.”

  “Oh, right,” said the big man. As they were walking, he asked a question, “So she’s really your aunt?”

  “Don’t remind me,” grumbled Will.

  “And you—with her—you—?”

  “No!”

  They got back to their beds just in time, and while Dave was as talkative as usual, Tiny said not a word until after the fire was extinguished. Will was beginning to drift off to sleep when he heard the big man mutter to himself, “She’s not my aunt, though.”

  Chapter 47

  In his sleep, Will found himself running through a forest, chased by a foe he couldn’t see. Whenever he turned to look, all he saw behind him were golden cat’s eyes, and no matter how he raced he couldn’t escape the beast. Near the end he could feel its breath on his neck, until he turned a corner and found himself face to face with a dark-haired woman. It was Isabel. She put a finger to his lips to keep him silent, and he found himself sinking into her gaze. Like pools of clear water, her eyes threatened to swallow him, and he realized he couldn’t breathe.

  “William Cartwright,” she whispered, and he found himself wondering how to answer. “William Cartwright, you will be mine.”

  Run, said a voice deep within. Run before it’s too late.

  “William Cartwright,” she said again. “I’ve bought and paid for you. You will be the finest slave to serve me. Show me the limnthal.”

  “Thrice called,” said another voice, and Will’s eyes shot wide open. Tailtiu was leaning over him, her nose mere inches from his own. She had her hand over his mouth. “Shhh. Don’t wake them.”

  Will turned his head, but quickly realized he couldn’t even see the closest bedroll, aside from Tiny’s, where the big man’s body made a darker shadow against the mist that covered everything. “How?”

  “No one will see me in this fog,” said his aunt, “so long as you don’t wake them.”

  “You did that?”

  Her eyes crinkled into a smile and she nodded. “Of course. It made it much easier to search the pass without being seen.”

  “What did you find?”

  “Men,” she said simply. “Lots and lots of men, as far as my eyes could see. Were there always so many of your kind?”

  “How many did you find?”

  “As many as there are in your camp and half again more,” she answered. “Most are on the other side of the pass, waiting just beyond the high point. A third are hidden in a camp in the rocks several miles south of here.”

  “Hidden?”

  Tailtiu nodded. “No fires. They sleep clustered in small groups among the rocks that cluster along the side of the mountain to the south. Is that what you wished to know?”

  “Yes. Thank you,” said Will gratefully. “This resolves your debt for the favor.”

  She shook her head. “You still have another half day left, plus two more unbounded favors, but tonight could be free if you let me have the big one for an hour.” Her eyes turned to focus on Tiny’s sleeping form.

  “No.”

  “Half an hour,” she countered. “He’ll thank you for it.”

  “No,” said Will firmly. “Besides, he’s his own man. I have no right to barter him.”

  Tailtiu’s features showed surprise. “Oh, but you do! Or didn’t you know?”

  “Pardon?”

  “The accord between Faerie and the mortal realm,” she said matter-of-factly, “is held in trust by your kind. Or rather, it’s held in trust by you, since you’re the last one.”

  “The last what?”

  “Wizard, silly,” she answered. “Once you’re gone, we can do as we please, for the accord will no longer hold force. Any humans that seek to deal with us will have to negotiate with their own strength—the strength of power—and from what I’ve seen, most of them have none. Didn’t Father tell you?”

  “I’m barely a wizard.”

  “But you’re marked as one,” said Tailtiu, “and that’s all that counts. The limnthal proves it. It’s a shame you didn’t give it to Mother. Then I wouldn’t have to ask.” Her eyes flashed. “I could just take what I want.”

  “What about the wizards in Wurthaven?”

  She cocked her head to one side. “Do they have it?” Tailtiu smiled. “I don’t think so.”

  The simple, uncaring malice in her features made his mouth go dry. “I don’t need anything else,” he told her. “You should go.”

  “Very well. Take good care of yourself, nephew. When you’re gone we will devour them.” With those parting words, she disappeared into the mist.

  Will lay quietly in his bed, but the warmth was gone, replaced by an empty coldness that chilled him to his bones. He tried to sleep, but his mind was spinning. If mankind was protected by some ancient accord, what did that mean exactly? The fae couldn’t take humans without his permission? An evil thought came to him. Does that mean I could offer the Darrowans to them in exchange for getting rid of the invading army?

  He shivered at the idea, and though he had no concrete knowledge, he suspected his grandfather would consider it a betrayal of the trust he had been given. Dealing with the fae was risky enough, but selling the life of a human to them was definitely an act of warlockry. Selling thousands was pure evil.

  Will was unsure of the time. His body wanted him to return to sleep, but he still needed to figure out how to share the knowledge he had gained without getting himself into even more trouble. Campfires, he thought, but it won’t work after dawn. Shrugging off his blanket, he rose from his bed and headed for the latrine.

  On his way back he began to run, assuming an air of urgency. “Lights!” he told the camp watchmen. “There are lights to the south!”

  That got their attention, but when they went to confirm none of the night watch could see anything. The perimeter patrol also reported having seen nothing, but Will persisted, claiming he had seen several lights in the darkness to the south. After some argument, they took him back to his platoon’s tent and woke Sergeant Nash.

  “Is it already time?” asked the sergeant groggily.

  One of the patrollers spoke first. “One of your men is saying he saw lights to the south, but no one else can confirm his reporting.”

  Sergeant Nash sat up, irritation on his face. “Who’s the jackass?”

  “Me, sir,” offered Will.

  The sergeant stared at him until his eyes focused in the dim light, then he groaned. “Goddamn it, Cartwright, not you again.”

  “I really saw them, Sergeant,” insisted Will. “They put them out after only a minute or two.”

  “What time is it?” Nash asked the guards who had come with Will.

  “It’s the middle of third watch, Sergeant. Roughly an hour before wake-up call.”

  The sergeant stared at Will, his expression unreadable. “Why should I believe you, Cartwright?”

  “I have very good eyesight,” said Will. “I swear there’s an army out there. If we do nothing they’ll be at our rear tomorrow.”

  “And yet none of the scouts found anyone to the south of us yesterday,” grumbled Sergeant Nash.

  “They didn’t find the crossbowmen either, sir,” Will reminded him.

  The sergeant got to his feet. “We’ll let the captain decide, but this is on you, Cartwright. If you’re wrong, I’ll make sure you wish you were never born.”

  Sir Kyle was none too pleased to be woken early, but the knight hid his annoyance better. “I’m not rousing the entire camp early on one man’s word,” he pronounced. Glancing at Lieutenant Latimer, he ordered, “Send four men, two to the south-southwest, two to the south-southeast. Cartwright, you’ll go south on your own. Since you have such keen eyes, I’m sure you’ll be fine, and if not, you’ll be one less headache I have to deal with. Report back in an hour.”

  Shortly after that, Will found himself walking alone b
y the light of the stars. There was no moon, but the sky was clear and Tailtiu’s mist had dispersed. Once his eyes had adjusted, he had enough light to walk without tripping, but the terrain ahead of him was just a mixture of blacks and grays. The turyn that flowed through the air helped slightly, and he hoped that by paying close attention to it he would be able to make out the positions of any guards that might lie ahead.

  With only an hour to spend he did his best to make good time. From what Tailtiu had said, the enemy was three or four miles distant, an easy walk on level ground, but in the mountains, it was far harder. He had no way to track time, so he would have to guess at how long he had traveled.

  After what he judged to be a half an hour, the landscape became more rugged and he doubted he had gone more than a mile. He saw no sign of the enemy, but he believed his aunt’s report, so he continued on. He kept going, determined to vindicate himself.

  The sky was beginning to brighten in the east, and he knew he had probably been gone more than an hour before he saw the telltale disturbances in the flows that indicated men hidden ahead. Most probably they were enemy sentries. Just as Tailtiu had said, the land dropped away behind them into a wide crevasse of some type. They must be hidden down there.

  Turning west, he followed it for several hundred yards until he could see the land was smoothing out. He guessed that the enemy must enter the deep ravine from there. With two hours gone and dawn rapidly approaching, Will knew the army would begin to march soon, so he turned and began running back.

  The light made it safer to run, but the rough terrain made it tiring, even without his mail. He began drawing turyn in and focusing it in his legs and lungs until his fatigue vanished. Once the land smoothed out it was easier, but as the army came into sight he could see they were already forming up to march.

  “I told you one hour, Cartwright!” snapped Sir Kyle when Will was brought before him. “The others were back two hours ago. I’d given you up as a deserter.”

  “I found them,” said Will, still struggling to catch his breath. He did his best to describe what he had seen.