Phantom Stag (A King's Watch Story Book 1)

by Mark Hayden

  ‘The black one,’ said Aaron.

  ‘Thanks. You can sit over there, on that hillock. It looks dry and warm.’

  Aaron and Judith moved away, and Conrad said, ‘Check the other bow, Vic, and tell me if there’s any magick in it. When you’ve finished chewing.’

  Aaron’s bow – the black one – was all carbon fibre and flame detailing. It looked very similar to the one lying under Ioan. Probably top of the range in hunting circles. Colwyn’s looked a lot older and had more natural wood in it. I touched the string and ran my fingers down the curve of … ‘What’s this bit called?’ I asked.

  ‘The stave,’ said Conrad.

  ‘Right. Nothing on the string, and I’m not going to get much out of the stave. This has been sealed with a blessing. To get at the Works underneath, I’d have to unpick it.’

  ‘Fair enough. Right, let’s do it.’

  He took the map out of his pocket and added his Barbour to the growing pile of clothes over the bike seat. I did the same with my fleece, and we crossed to Colwyn.

  Judith had left him the packet of wipes and he’d finished the job himself before eating his Mars Bar. He looked up at us, and Conrad extended a hand. ‘Up you get, Colwyn.’

  The Warlock accepted the hand and Conrad hauled him to his feet. Colwyn was definitely the oldest of the three Hunters, and looked the same age as Conrad (who’s thirty-seven). Conrad bent down and picked up the mug of tea. He handed it to Colwyn and said, ‘Watch Captain Clarke and Watch Officer Robson, here on the King’s Business and with the support of your Circle leader.’

  Colwyn nodded and drank some tea.

  Conrad continued. ‘Tell us everything that happened from the time you left the Grove last night until we got here. Take your time.’

  Colwyn looked around, and quickly turned his eyes from the Circle of Mages. They were now holding hands, and the sound of prayers drifted over the grass. He turned to face the gate and said, ‘Is Karina here?’

  ‘Not yet. The guy on the bike’s gone to look for her.’

  Colwyn nodded again. His voice had squeaked a bit when he spoke, and he cleared his throat. ‘The Hunters – Ioan, Aaron and me – we’d been on vigil in the Grove from dawn yesterday. We’d placed our bows on the altar at sunrise and waited all day. Long day it was. The Three and our sponsors came just before sunset.’

  ‘Three what?’ said Conrad. Oh no. Not again.

  Colwyn gave him the look; I’ve seen it twice already today. It’s the look where the Mage is saying: how can you be a Watch Captain and not know that?

  ‘Oma, Eliza and Tanya,’ said Colwyn. ‘Who else would they be?’

  I leaned up to whisper in Conrad’s ear. ‘It’s traditional. Oma is the old woman and Tanya’s the maiden. Eliza must the pregnant lass who spoke up before.’

  ‘Right! Mother, maiden and crone,’ he said. ‘The Three. Got you.’

  He scratched his nose and turned round. ‘Tanya!’

  She jumped up from where she’d been leaning on the bike. ‘Yes, sir? I mean, yes, Dragonslayer?’

  ‘Nip over there and pull Eliza out, if you can. Ask her if any members of the Circle were missing when the news came through this morning.’

  She looked nervously at the circle and set off slowly. Eliza looked like a nice woman. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind being interrupted. I couldn’t swear for the others, though. Tanya could look on it as a learning experience.

  Colwyn pressed on with his story. ‘Our sponsors vouched for us before the Goddess and the Three blessed our bows as the sun went down. We split up then, and I got changed in the car. As soon as we could, Karina dropped me off, and I crossed into the forest.’

  ‘But not near here,’ said Conrad, avoiding the issue of the forest being invisible to him.

  ‘No. The last thing we did in the Grove was draw lots. The Goddess sent me to the Spernall station and way-marker.’

  Conrad took out the map and unfolded it. ‘Show me where you were, and the others, if you don’t mind.’

  Colwyn stared at the map as if it were in hieroglyphics. ‘Where are we now?’

  ‘Here. Just off the Wootton to Morton Bagot road.’

  ‘Haven’t you got a map of the forest? It’s easier to work out.’

  ‘Do your best.’

  With Conrad’s help, Colwyn worked out four places on the map: the three stations for the Hunters and the viewing point where Tanya and Oma had waited. I didn’t pay much attention. Maps are Conrad’s department; I focused on the interaction between Tanya and Eliza.

  I couldn’t hear, of course, but I could see Eliza put her arm round Tanya’s shoulder and whisper in her ear. Tanya said something back, and Eliza looked round the Circle. She thought for a moment, then said something that Tanya didn’t believe. I know that because she shook her head. Eliza said it again and shooed Tanya back in our direction. Tanya gave us a wide berth for now and started making tea for Aaron and Judith.

  ‘Good,’ said Conrad when they’d finished with the map. ‘This is Home Wood behind us, isn’t it?’ Colwyn nodded. ‘You were actually the furthest from Home Wood at the start. Why did you come here?’

  ‘I’d always planned to. It’s called Home Wood for a reason. If the Stag crosses that stream, they’re home free.’ He gave that rueful smile that blokes give when they’ve started to realise they’re not as young as they used to be. ‘I’m not the greatest Hunter, nor the fastest, and I haven’t got the stamina of the other two. But I am the best shot and I am the most patient. I reckoned that if I waited here, there was a good chance one of the others would flush him out.’

  ‘Him?’

  ‘The Stag. And it worked. Or so I thought.’ He sighed. I wondered for a second if he had the strength to go on. The poor bloke was starting to sway. I’d have sat him down, but Conrad just waited for him to continue with the story or fall over.

  Colwyn took a deep breath. ‘About three quarters of an hour before dawn, I saw two lights in the forest. I waited until they broke cover and came towards me. I drew a bead on the first, then just in time I saw it was a doe. Pregnant. I nearly fired.’ He shuddered. He was showing more remorse at nearly shooting the doe than for actually shooting his comrade. ‘Then the Stag came out. It blazed. Magnificent. I’ve seen one before, you know, but even with all my Sight, I couldn’t tell that it wasn’t the real Stag.’

  ‘How did you know it wasn’t a big doe?’

  Colwyn gave him the look again. ‘The antlers. What else would it be?’

  It was Conrad’s turn to give Colwyn the look. ‘It’s May. Stags don’t have antlers in May.’

  ‘No, of course not, but we were hunting the Phantom Stag. A regular deer anointed by the Prince.’

  I drew a sharp breath and interrupted. ‘The Prince of Arden?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Colwyn patiently.

  I grabbed Conrad’s arm, something I rarely do. Usually I kick him to get his attention. ‘I think we should let Colwyn rest,’ I said. ‘Perhaps we can talk to Tanya next.’

  ‘Just one more question,’ said Conrad. ‘Has any Hunter ever died in the Royal Hunt before today?’

  Colwyn shook his head. The weight of his answer overbalanced him, and I let go of Conrad to catch Colwyn as he fell.

  We put Colwyn in the recovery position and left him. ‘We need to talk to Tanya before we talk to Aaron,’ I said, ‘and I don’t think you’re gonna like what we hear.’

  ‘I haven’t liked very much at all so far. I’m not sure it can get much worse.’

  ‘Believe me, it can.’

  We glanced at the Circle. They were kneeling now, except for Oma and Eliza, who stood together in the centre. Right where Ioan was lying.

  ‘Do you want another cuppa?’ said Tanya.

  I shook my head. ‘Maybe in a bit. Could you help us out, pet? We’re struggling here. We had no notice of this, obviously, otherwise we’d have done our … what did you call it, Conrad?’

  ‘Due diligence.’

  ‘Aye. Due
diligence.’

  Tanya looked impressed. She looked more impressed by Conrad than she did by me. She’s not the first.

  ‘How can I help?’ she said, nodding enthusiastically.

  ‘Tell us about the relationship between the Foresters and the Fae.’

  Conrad has a good poker face. Mostly. I’ve known him long enough to work out his tells: when he needs a fag and he’s stressed, he pulls his lip; when he’s gobsmacked, he scratches his left ear. When I said the word Fae, he started going at his ear like he had fleas.

  The Fae look human, sometimes act human, and most of the time pretend to be human, but they’re not human. Not at all. They lay eggs, for one thing. For another, they have wings when they hatch. They are also very powerful, and one of them was involved in a plot to blow us up not long ago. We’ve no idea who.

  ‘It’s mutually beneficial,’ said Tanya. What’s the betting she didn’t come up with that line on her own. ‘There’s been a coven of Witches here since forever.’ That sounded more like Tanya. ‘Until the business with Shakespeare and the Witchfinders.’

  ‘Shakespeare?’ said Conrad.

  Tanya blushed. ‘It’s a long story.’ She looked at me. ‘I bet you were told differently in Solomon’s House.’

  ‘Aye, we were. Shall we stick to when the Foresters came on the scene?’

  ‘Yes. Of course. When the railways came, the forest was really under threat. The founding Foresters came down from Oxford and Glastonbury and made a treaty with the Prince of Arden. We act as conservators of the forest; in return, the Prince supports our Grove and blesses us with stuff. I mean, he anoints the Stags, for one thing. And during the Hunt, they keep the other animals out of the way.’

  ‘Other animals?’

  ‘Wild boar. The Fae love to hunt them. They also have a few Particulars. A talking lion. That sort of thing.’

  Conrad was looking worried. I was probably looking worried, too. The Prince of Arden’s sídhe (his nest/mansion) was far too close to Conrad’s house for comfort. Then again, we had absolutely no evidence that this Fae was the one who’d tried to blow us up. Conrad was leaving this to me, and my gut said that what had happened last night in the forest was more human than Fae. Still, best to be sure.

  ‘Was the Prince or one of his nobles active in the Royal Hunt?’ I asked.

  Tanya shook her head. ‘Only in anointing the Phantom Stag. After that, he retires underground and leaves the Hunters to it.’

  I could hear Conrad breathe a sigh of relief, and he half turned to go and speak to Aaron. I wasn’t so sure we were ready. ‘Let’s get this straight, Tanya,’ I said. Conrad turned back. ‘Tell us why you have the Royal Hunt and what it means.’

  ‘Oh. Right. You don’t know?’

  Conrad gave one of his smiles. ‘I’m more at home with Gnomes, Dwarves and Dragons. Underground stuff.’

  ‘I’ve never met one of the underground races,’ said Tanya. ‘Not sure I’d want to meet a Dragon, though.’

  ‘You wouldn’t.’

  She made a vague gesture at the Circle. ‘Oma and Eliza are in charge of the group.’

  ‘And you, surely,’ said Conrad. ‘You’re one of the Three, aren’t you?’

  She blushed again. ‘In theory. The handmaiden doesn’t always get listened to, especially in her first year, and I’ve only been doing it since the Equinox. Less than two months.’ She smiled quickly. ‘Handmaidens serve for three years, and you have to have been one to sponsor a Hunter.’

  ‘So Judith, Erin and Karina have all done it?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  Conrad rubbed his jaw. He’d somehow managed to shave before we left. Blokes really do have it easy in an emergency. ‘So where does the King fit into the Circle, and why has there been a vacancy? How long?’

  Tanya started to look uncomfortable. Our antennae started to twitch.

  ‘The last King died ages ago, before I was admitted to the Circle. When there’s no King, Oma appoints a Champion, but there can only be a change to our charter if there’s a King and he agrees to it. Oma said it was checks and ladders.’

  ‘Balances,’ I said. ‘Checks and balances.’

  ‘Oh, yeah. Sorry.’

  ‘So why is there a Hunt now, and who wants to change the rules?’ I said. Conrad nodded.

  Tanya looked down. ‘I can’t say. Oma and Eliza wouldn’t talk to me about it. I do know that we had the Hunt now because Colwyn petitioned for it and two thirds of the Circle voted in favour.’

  We looked down at Colwyn. The poor bloke had gone to sleep. We wouldn’t get owt from him for a while.

  ‘Thank you, Tanya,’ said Conrad. ‘You’ve been most helpful.’ He looked at his watch. I checked my phone. It was a quarter past seven in the morning and it felt like mid-afternoon. My stomach made a huge rumble.

  ‘They’re moving,’ said Tanya.

  The circle had broken up. Three men and a woman had picked up Ioan’s body and were carrying it up the slope towards the cars.

  ‘What now?’ I asked.

  ‘They’ll take him to the Grove and lay him out for the funeral. The actual cremation won’t be for a couple of days. We have to choose a tree and chop it down first. Oh, I forgot. You asked me to find out who was missing at the Grove. Eliza said that the only one missing was my mum, only she’s not here either, so it can’t be her.’

  Conrad and I looked at each other. ‘What’s her name?’ he asked gently.

  ‘Alexandra. Everyone calls her Alex except me. She was Mother to the Circle before Eliza.’

  She looked down when she said her mother’s name. ‘Have you been in touch?’ I asked.

  ‘Yeah. I tried texting her, but she hasn’t answered. Should I stay here or go with the Circle?’

  Conrad took out a business card. ‘Text me Alexandra’s contact details. I think we should all go to the Grove. Can you bring sleeping beauty with you?’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Colwyn.’

  She looked at the Warlock and her hand went up to her mouth. ‘How can he sleep after … after what happened?’

  ‘Shock. Comes out in funny ways. We’ll follow behind Judith.’

  Judith and Aaron were already on their feet and coming towards us. They were about to kick up a stink until Conrad said we were all going to Henley. Judith said she’d wait until all the other cars were gone, then lead the way. Aaron said something to her, and she unhooked a small Artefact from the chain round her neck.

  ‘You’ll need this,’ she said. ‘You won’t get through the Wards otherwise.’

  I was expecting an oak tree, as worn by the Three on their robes. No. It was a little golden arrow. I couldn’t work out whether that was interesting or not.

  Before we left to follow the Circle, Conrad lit a cigarette and said, ‘I know it’s been a couple of hours, but there’s one thing I need to know. Could you track the deer?’

  ‘I don’t know. Why is it important?’

  ‘Why was Ioan chasing it? He wouldn’t chase a doe, would he? I need to know if Colwyn’s telling the truth. Ioan could have been chasing the real Phantom Stag, in which case Colwyn is our killer. If Ioan wasn’t chasing the real Stag, then we’re looking at two substantial illusions: one on Ioan and one on the doe. Even then, it could still be Colwyn.’

  I hadn’t thought of that. That’s why we’re a good team. Conrad is basically a sneaky sod; that’s the sort of thing he’d think of.

  I looked at the sun and I looked at Home Wood. ‘Sorry, Conrad. Too late.’

  He carefully put out his cigarette and went to pick up our coats. ‘You know the real reason I want to get to their Grove?’

  He was smiling when he said it. That was a big clue. ‘You reckon they’ve got a feast there, don’t you?’

  ‘If I was going to be acclaimed King of the Arden Foresters, I’d expect a decent breakfast, wouldn’t you?’

  3

  We spent most of the journey updating the Boss on what had happened. Well, I did. Conrad foc
used on following Judith. Hannah’s advice was that we should be careful. I’ll give her this: she doesn’t interfere. Before I knew it, we were following Judith’s Land Rover down a farm track.

  ‘Watch out for Wards,’ I said. ‘I can feel the magick building.’

  Conrad slowed the car, and the little Artefact started to pulse as we approached a pair of trees.

  On the way down the lane, I’d seen a farmhouse and barn ahead of us. When we passed the trees, everything went dark for a second, then lit up again, and the farmhouse was replaced by a beautiful old manor house with a wood behind it. A large area in front of the house was already filled with vehicles.

  ‘Remind you of anything?’ said Conrad.

  ‘Miss Marple? Midsomer Murders?’

  ‘Have you never been to Stratford on Avon, Mary Arden’s House in particular?’

  ‘I’m guessing this has to do with Shakespeare, but no, never been to Stratford. Who’s Mary Arden when she’s at home?’

  ‘She was Shakespeare’s mother. We used to go every year from school. The half-timbering looks authentic enough to be from the period.’

  ‘Half-whatty?’

  ‘Half-timbering. All those bits of wood in the walls, see? That’s one way to build a house when you can’t afford bricks – put a wooden frame up and fill it with something cheaper. You’ll find them all over Germany.’

  ‘Wouldn’t know. Never been.’

  Aaron was waiting, on his own in front of an open gate, and walked towards us when we’d parked up. I lowered the window. He looked the middle in age of the three Hunters (with Ioan being dead, it was hard to tell). He was wiry and built for speed rather than strength. Not my type, usually. Colwyn would have been worth a second look when he was younger, though.

  Aaron looked shattered. ‘I’m denied the Grove, for some reason,’ he said. ‘Eliza told me it was a technicality. She asked me to take you into the hall and wait for them to finish the laying out. Same for Tanya and Colwyn.’

  We followed him through the nail-studded front doors and straight into a big open space that went all the way to the roof. Very impressive. The same timbers that Conrad had been obsessed about featured on the upper walls inside (and were holding up the roof), but the bottom two metres of the inside was covered in dark panelling, just like great chunks of the Invisible College. Unlike the Receiving Room at Salomon’s House, this wasn’t enchanted, so you didn’t have the sense of carved animals watching you all the time.