129456.fb2 Web of Deceit - читать онлайн бесплатно полную версию книги . Страница 17

Web of Deceit - читать онлайн бесплатно полную версию книги . Страница 17

Chapter 16Brakas

The sting of the rock propelled Rejji faster as he raced out of the village. Mistake appeared alongside him and started to pull one of her daggers out if its sheath.

“No,” shouted Rejji. “Just keep running.”

Eventually, the din of the crowd chasing them tapered off and Rejji stopped to catch his breath. He bent over with his hands braced on top of his knees and looked at his friends as he panted. Slowly, he caught his breath and turned to gaze back towards the village.

“What was all that about?” he asked.

“I tried to warn you,” Bakhai said. “The Jiadin were here this morning. They are searching for a demon.”

“I know that,” interrupted Rejji, “but what does that have to do with the village turning violent all of a sudden. Do they think we are spies for the Jiadin?”

Bakhai reached over and grabbed Rejji’s arm and twisted it so his palm faced upward. “The Jiadin told them that the demon carries a crescent on his palm,” explained Bakhai. “The old woman saw your mark. The Jiadin promised to kill them all if they harbored you.”

Rejji’s mouth hung open as he stared at his palm and then looked back at the village. “They can’t possibly think I am a demon,” he said shaking his head. “Do I look like a demon?”

“Actually, you do,” offered Bakhai. “They were told that the demon masqueraded as a young man, but the crescent palm would always give him away. One of the farmers made me show him my palms before he would talk to me. The villagers are scared, Rejji. The army that was here today was not a small raiding party like they are used to seeing. It was hundreds of riders. Don’t blame the villagers for wanting to live.”

“I don’t,” sighed Rejji. “I just didn’t understand what was going on. They were very generous people. I do not want them harmed. We should leave this area now in case the Jiadin return.”

“And go where?” questioned Mistake. “I found out nothing about the Sage. The women told me to go to the well and when I got there, you had the elders occupied with children’s tales.”

“Only because I had already found out about the Sage,” grinned Rejji. “We are headed for the Bone Mountains, like Brakas said. The storyteller couldn’t be more precise, but at least we know where to start looking.”

Mistake pulled out the map she had taken from the Chadang tent and spread it on the ground. “Here they are,” she said, pointing to the mountains in the northeast. “Just on the other side of this green area. It will be a long walk, but we can do it.”

“That green area is the jungle,” frowned Rejji. “We are not going through that. The elders warned me about it and said not to enter it.”

“I caught that part of the story,” nodded Bakhai. “Not the type of place you want to walk through, never mind sleeping in there.”

“All right,” conceded Mistake, “then we go around it. Can’t take that much longer.”

“The first thing we need to do is put some distance between us and that village,” Rejji stated. “They will tell the Jiadin which way we went if they return, so let them see us going east. When we can’t see the village any more, we will turn north. With any luck, the Jiadin will go into the jungle to look for us.”

“Is that bad?” asked Mistake.

“No,” chuckled Rejji. “It would be good. The elders said nobody has ever gone in there and returned.”

They headed east for over an hour before turning north. After two hours on their northward trek, the sun sipped below the Giaming Mountains and Rejji selected a spot near a creek to camp. It was Rejji’s turn to prepare the meal, but they had nothing to prepare. Bakhai offered to go find something and disappeared into the trees. Mistake pulled out the map again as Rejji gathered some deadwood for the fire. By the time Rejji had a decent fire going, Bakhai returned with a quail.

“It is not much,” Bakhai offered, “but it was the best I could do.”

He handed the quail to Rejji and sat next to Mistake and stared at the map. “Show me where we are going,” he said.

Bakhai’s face grew dark as Mistake traced the path they were to take.

“We may not want to go that way,” he said.

“Why not?” asked Mistake. “That is how we have to go.”

“There are tracks on the other side of the creek,” explained Bakhai. “Lots of tracks. The army hunting for Rejji went up that way several hours ago.”

“Well they are on horses,” Mistake pointed out. “We will never catch up to them, so why worry about it?”

“Because they will not find Rejji up there,” Bakhai continued. “Sooner or later, they will turn around and come back down here. That is when we will run into them.”

“We can’t really stay here either,” Rejji interjected. “In fact, it doesn’t matter much which way we go. They can cover much more ground than we can in a day. If they are determined to find us, I don’t see how we can escape.”

“And the next time they come in the night, we may not hear them like last time,” added Bakhai.

“I wish we had some wire,” Rejji murmured.

“Why wire?” questioned Bakhai.

Rejji explained the trick he had learned from Gunta about rigging a trap for people sneaking into a camp at night.

“So that is what Sebastian had been doing,” surmised Mistake. “Very clever. If I had tried making a run for it, I would have fallen flat on my face.”

“And he would have been there to pick you up,” nodded Rejji.

“Speaking of intruders,” Bakhai said softly, “someone is coming.”

Mistake dashed behind a tree in a blur, as Bakhai silently backpedaled behind another. Rejji stood and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword as the single rider approached.

“Ah, Rejji,” grinned Brakas, “I was hoping it might be you. Where did your friends go? And your horse?”

“Welcome, Brakas,” greeted Rejji. “I am glad it is you approaching and not the Jiadin.”

Bakhai emerged from hiding and took Rejji’s position at the campfire. “I will try not to burn too much of this bird,” he said.

“That is your dinner?” frowned Brakas as he dismounted. “I have food I can share.”

“We were attacked several nights ago by Jiadin,” Rejji stated. “We lost our horses and gold. We are grateful for any provisions you can spare.”

“Attacked by the Jiadin?” queried Brakas. “Is the girl…”

“No,” said Mistake as she stepped out from behind the tree. “I didn’t die. They did.”

“Impressive,” nodded Brakas. “The Jiadin are known as fierce warriors. Perhaps they were new recruits.”

“We were lucky,” interjected Rejji. “One of the red scarves had gold trim on it. Do you know what that means?”

Brakas’ eyes widened as he handed a sack to Bakhai. “There are only two people who can wear that scarf,” he frowned. “Grulak, the leader, and his son, Diakles, both wear one.”

“This man was not old enough to be Grulak,” declared Rejji. “He was close to my age.”

“Then you have killed Diakles,” Brakas surmised. “That will not sit well with the Jiadin. They will hunt you down and kill you. Hopefully, they won’t know who did it though.”

“One of them escaped,” frowned Mistake. “Now there is a Jiadin army searching the area.”

“Do you have a spare pair of gloves that I might have?” Rejji asked. “I lost mine a long time ago.”

“I do,” Brakas said as he rummaged through another sack. “Letting one of them get away was a big mistake on your part. Now they will have a description of you. Perhaps you should split up. That would make it harder to identify you as a group.”

“We stay together,” Rejji said as he took the pair of gloves handed to him by Brakas. “Maybe if you travel with us, it will solve the problem though. You know how the tribes think and can help us hide.”

“Certainly, I will help,” offered Brakas. “Which direction are we heading?”

“We need to get to the Bone Mountains,” responded Rejji as he cut the fingertips off of the gloves and tried them on. “We have heard that is where the Sage can be found.”

“That is quite a ways northeast of here,” Brakas replied. “It should not be an arduous journey though, although having horses would make the trip easier.”

“There is a large Jiadin army north of here,” said Rejji. “They are searching for a demon. Have you heard any stories about demons?”

“Bah,” frowned Brakas. “I believe they are searching for the free tribes. They have probably spread the story about the demon to make the locals drop their guard.”

“Perhaps,” interjected Mistake, “but they described the demon as looking like Rejji, right down to the crescent on his palm.”

“So that is why you wanted the gloves,” nodded Brakas. “I remember seeing that mark the day you met Wyant. It is unusual, but I certainly don’t think it makes you a demon. Maybe the army is searching for the killer of Diakles after all. This is not good.”

“What will the army do when they find out that Rejji has not gone north?” asked Bakhai.

“They will turn around and come back,” answered Brakas. “If it is more than a couple of dozen men, they will split into groups and start spreading out from the last place you were seen. Who has seen you since the death of Diakles?”

“A large village southwest of here,” responded Rejji. “The army has hundreds of men and not dozens. How far will they search?”

“Hundreds?” echoed Brakas. “I don’t know what to tell you. You are not far enough from the village to escape detection from their hunt. You can’t go north, and south or west will lead you back towards the village. I think you need to split up.”

“What about east?” queried Mistake. “That would take us away from the army and the village.”

“No, lass,” Brakas shook his head. “East is the jungle. That is the last place you want to go. Nobody enters the Qubari Jungle and emerges alive again.”

“What choice do we have?” questioned Bakhai. “Will the Jiadin follow us into the jungle?”

“Of course not,” scowled Brakas. “Why would anyone follow you to your death? If that is the plan you choose, I will not go with you. I will do whatever I can to help you, but entering the jungle is not an option for me.”

“But we could just enter the jungle a little bit,” offered Bakhai. “Then we could wait until they tire of the chase and go home.”

“They won’t tire,” advised Brakas. “They will camp at the edge of the jungle and wait for you to come out. You might as well give yourselves up to the Jiadin than enter the jungle. Either way is sure death, but I think the Jiadin would be less painful.”

“We are not giving in to the Jiadin,” declared Mistake. “Never. We are going to the Bone Mountains and if the Jiadin want to sit at the edge of the jungle while we proceed northeast, then that is what they can do. It will keep them out of our way.”

“I have no right to involve the three of you in my troubles,” said Rejji. “You should join together and head far away from me. I do not want to be responsible for your deaths.”

“Maybe that is not such a bad idea,” offered Brakas. “If the two of you go your own way, I can take Rejji double on my horse and try to outrun the Jiadin. We could travel much quicker and you two can go to the Bone Mountains unmolested. The Jiadin don’t want you for anything.”

Mistake opened her mouth to speak and Rejji held his hand up. “Let us eat without quarreling,” he said. “It will give us each time to think about our options.”

The meal was eaten in silence and when it was over, the silence remained. Mistake eventually rose and walked off into the woods. Rejji moved away from the campfire and stretched out and Bakhai disappeared into the woods. Brakas started to engage Rejji in conversation, but Rejji shook his head and closed his eyes. Brakas sat quietly at the campfire as it burned itself out. When Mistake returned and quietly went to sleep, Brakas also chose a spot to sleep and closed his eyes.

The first rays of the sun were lighting the sky when Bakhai walked into the camp and woke everyone. “It is time to move,” he announced.

“Move to where?” asked Brakas as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“To the jungle,” Bakhai stated as the others rose. “We shall enter the jungle and follow the edge of it until we come to the Bone Mountains. If the Jiadin follow us, we will either wait until they leave or figure out a way to trick them.”

“Maybe we can make them think we died in the jungle,” offered Mistake.

“That might actually work,” agreed Rejji, “but I still see no need to drag you three into this.”

“You do not own us,” Mistake declared. “Bakhai and I will decide for ourselves where we are going. And we have decided that we are going with you. Now, let’s get moving before the Jiadin turn around and come after us.”

“They have already turned south,” Bakhai interjected. “We have little time to make the jungle and that does not include any time for discussions.”

Brakas looked at Bakhai with a puzzled frown, but Rejji nodded as he looked up and saw the bird circling overhead. “Brakas,” added Rejji, “we shall emerge on the other side of the jungle. If you wish to help us in the search for the Sage, we shall meet you there. May your travels be safe.”

Brakas started to speak, but the three young Fakarans marched out of camp to the east. There was no discussion as they each thought of the horrors that awaited them at the edge of the Qubari Jungle. High sun came and went and they kept walking without a break for food.

Fatigue started to slow them down as the day wore on, but the first sight of the jungle looming in the distance quickened their steps. Whether sanctuary or death awaited them, the trio was anxious to put the open landscape behind them. An hour before the last rays of the sun, a bird swooped down and attempted to light on Bakhai’s shoulder. Bakhai halted as did Rejji and Mistake. The bird settled down and appeared to nibble on Bakhai’s ear. Bakhai nodded and turned to look westward as the bird jumped off of Bakhai’s shoulder and flew away.

“They are coming directly towards us,” Bakhai announced. “It is as if they know where we are.”

“Do you think they have one who can talk to animals too?” Mistake asked.

“Anything is possible,” answered Bakhai, “but I have never known another who can. However they know, we must be quick.”

The Fakarans tapped into their reserve strength and sprinted for the jungle. Soon the rumble of the ground could be heard as the Jiadin army closed in on them. Shouts could be heard behind them as they reached the edge of the jungle and plowed into the mass of plants. There was no path and some of the plants had spines that tugged at their clothes as they tried to move further into the jungle. Rejji tripped and fell into the ground cover. Mistake halted behind him and Bakhai stopped and turned around.

“Are you all right?” Bakhai asked.

“Yes,” replied Rejji between pants. “I don’t think I can keep up this pace.”

“None of us can,” answered Bakhai. “I think we are safe. At least nobody appears to be trying to follow us.”

“If the whole jungle is like this,” frowned Mistake, “how are we going to keep to the edge? We can’t even walk in this stuff.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” admitted Bakhai. “It sounded like a good plan last night. Maybe we can find an animal trail.”

Rejji pushed himself to his feet just as arrows started raining into the jungle. “They plan to aid the jungle in our destruction,” he scowled. “Keep moving further inward before they perfect their aim.”

“If we lose sight of the outside we will get lost,” warned Mistake. “We need to keep it in sight.”

“If we do, retorted Rejji, “then we are in their sights. Let us get rid of them first and worry about finding our way later. How hard can it be to find the edge of the jungle again?”

Rejji looked at the massive army gathering outside the jungle. The Jiadin soldiers started panning out along the edge of the jungle and making ready their bows. He turned towards the dark interior of the jungle and started climbing over plants. Mutters of pain sounded from Mistake as her short legs tried to step over some of the prickly plants. As they moved towards the interior, the darkness grew thicker and not all of it was due to the setting sun. Giant trees sprouted up from the jungle floor and towered over the Fakarans. As the trees grew more numerous, the plants on the ground thinned out a bit.

“A trail,” called Bakhai who was off to Rejji’s right. “Not much of a trail but better than stomping on plants.”

Mistake and Rejji edged towards Bakhai and eventually the trio stepped onto a small animal trail. They stopped for a moment and picked thorns and stickers off of their clothes.

“Which way does the trail go?” asked Rejji. “I am so disoriented that I am not sure any more.”

“I don’t know,” frowned Bakhai. “Let’s find a place to sleep and see where the sun rises.”

“My night vision is pretty good,” offered Mistake. “I will lead for a while.”

The jungle got extremely dark as they moved down the animal trail. Mistake proceeded slowly and kept scanning the sides of the trail as if expecting something to jump out and attack them. After an hour, a loud screech pierced the air and Mistake dropped to a crouch and held a dagger in each hand. The group remained silent and unmoving as the sounds of something moving near them got louder. Rejji slowly drew his sword from its sheath and stood ready to defend the group. Suddenly, something flew across the trail over Mistake’s head and in front of Rejji. Rejji took a swing at it and missed.

“A monkey,” Bakhai chuckled grimly as he exhaled. “It is only a monkey.”

It took a few moments for their nerves to settle. Mistake returned her daggers to their sheaths, but Rejji kept his sword in hand. “Let’s find a place to settle down now,” Rejji decided. “We cannot travel in here at night.”

Mistake nodded and started along the trail again. A few moments later, she stepped off the trail into a really small clearing. One of the large trees had fallen and the area where its roots used to be was clear of vegetation.

“This will have to do,” announced Mistake. “Dare we light a fire?”

“Yes,” answered Bakhai. “Perhaps it will keep the creatures away from us. It is a large enough area that we don’t have to worry about starting a fire. Besides just about everything in here is damp. I will see if I can find anything dry to burn.”

“Don’t get lost,” warned Rejji. “We do not want to get separated in here.”

Bakhai took the sword from Rejji’s hand and nodded. “I won’t be long,” he promised.

Rejji could hear Bakhai slicing into something with his sword. The sound went on for some minutes before Bakhai returned with an armful of thick vine sections. He dumped them on the ground and returned into the bushes. Mistake started a fire, which crackled loudly as the moisture popped out of the vines. An hour later, Bakhai returned to the campsite from another direction.

“No wire,” grinned Bakhai, “but I used some vines to do the same thing. If you need to walk in the woods tonight, be careful. I don’t want you tripping over my trap. I also found some bananas. Not much of a dinner, but it is better than nothing.”

“What do we do now?” asked Rejji. “We are lost in this jungle and the Jiadin wait for us at the edge. I should never have let you come with me.”

“Stop being so discouraged,” chirped Mistake. “We are together and we are alive and free. We have been in worse spots together and we can figure a way out of this one.”

“I do think we should wait for morning before thinking about which way to go,” agreed Bakhai. “This place seems safe enough for now. We will just keep the fire going all night. Most animals don’t like fire and won’t approach it.”

“All right,” conceded Rejji. “Being here doesn’t bother me all that much. I just feel bad for getting you two involved. It is me they are after.”

“Why are they after you?” posed Mistake. “I really can’t believe that the fourth bandit could see the mark on your palm. It was dark and you were holding your sword. Plus he was the farthest away from you. He was far enough away that my dagger missed its mark. It doesn’t make sense. Maybe this demon they are searching for has a mark like yours.”

“I don’t think they are after any demon,” Rejji responded. “That is just a tale to scare the villagers. They want me for killing Diakles.”

“I could agree with you,” nodded Bakhai, “except that Mistake has a point. How do they know about the mark?”

“Only two things I can think of,” frowned Rejji. “I lost my gloves At the Pikata estate when they took our clothes, so everyone in Fardale probably knows about the mark. We know that Grulak has spies in Khadora. Suppose one of them is in Fardale? If the Jiadin know I am gathering information for Lord Marak, they will want to kill me for that. They would not only know about the mark and my description, but they would also know where we are every night.”

“What is the other?” asked Bakhai.

“The other is Wyant,” continued Rejji. “He saw my mark the day I was captured and the Zaldoni have joined with the Jiadin. It could have been one of Wyant’s men wearing his new red scarf that got away the night Diakles was killed. He might have recognized me and told Wyant and Wyant knows about the mark.”

“I would go with the first,” offered Mistake. “The four Jiadin who attacked us appeared to already be looking for someone. I don’t think it was a chance encounter. It was like they knew approximately where to find us. I think they were looking for us, and I mean us. We are in this together Rejji.”

“This is making me dizzy,” complained Rejji. “Perhaps we should hold off on reports to Fardale for a while. Let’s get some sleep and talk more about this in the morning.”

Bakhai threw some more vines on the fire and the trio bedded down for the night. The sounds of the jungle were alien and sleep did not come easy for the Fakarans. Only the exhaustion of a long, hard day allowed them to eventually drift off.

Bakhai awoke to the feeling of something crawling across his arm. He bent his head and saw a large red spider crawling towards his shoulder. With his other hand, he swiftly knocked the spider off and rolled away from it. He managed to wake up Mistake and Rejji with his abrupt motions, but nobody spoke. Bakhai pointed to the spider, which was now slinking away. Mistake and Rejji nodded and closed their eyes again in an effort to return to sleep. Bakhai took the opportunity to grab some more vines and toss them on the smoldering fire. When he did so, there was a large crash and a scream in the jungle. The three Fakarans all sat up swiftly.

“My trip wire,” whispered Bakhai.

Rejji grabbed for his sword as Mistake rolled away and came up in a crouch, her hands filled with knives.