Richard Tuttle - Web of Deceit

“That is Vrylok,” Mistake said softly. “He was the leader of the Chadang. What is that stuffed into his mouth?”

Rejji stood with his mouth wide open and shook his head as Mistake stepped forward and pulled the article out of the mouth.

“It is his blue scarf,” Mistake announced as she held it by two fingers. “It is torn in half. I wonder what it means?”

“It means that the tribe is no more,” answered Bakhai from the flap of the tent. “He has been made an example of and left as a remembrance of the power of the Jiadin.”

“How do you know this?” Mistake queried.

“The times I have spent among the human villagers has taught me much,” answered Bakhai. “The old men of the villages are eager to tell tales of old to the children. The children think they are just stories made up by the elders, but I think they are verbal histories handed down from generation to generation. There is much knowledge contained in those stories.”

“I guess so,” muttered Mistake as she looked down at the small table in the center of the tent. “I never paid much attention to them. There is a map here. I think we should take it. It may be of use in finding the Sage.”

“We need to leave this place,” stated Bakhai. “Now.”

“Why the urgency?” questioned Rejji, who had recovered from his state of shock. “If nothing lives then nothing can harm us.”

“I disagree,” frowned Bakhai. “The vultures sense a great evil here. That is why they are circling. They are waiting for this evil to leave, but I doubt it will ever leave. I think something has been stealing the souls of the dead here. That is why the chests are cut open. There is little blood flow around the cuts, which means they were made after death and not all of the corpses have been cut. We need to be well away from here by dark.”

“You mean whatever is doing this is coming back for more?” asked Rejji.

“I think so,” nodded Bakhai. “I do not know anything about these rituals, but I am guessing that something interrupted the gathering of souls. I suspect that it was interrupted by the dawn and will resume at dusk.”

“How can you be sure of this?” questioned Mistake.

“I am not sure of any of this,” responded Bakhai. “Do you think we should stay and test my theory?”

“We do not need to test your theory,” Rejji declared. “There is little for us do here anyway. I do remember Brontos talking of not burying the dead so something could feast on them at night. Whatever it is, we shall be long gone from here. I have already seen more than enough. We will pause only long enough to see what we can find that will be of use to us.”

The trio scrounged around the camp and then mounted and rode eastward. When they reached the Meliban River, they turned and followed it upstream. At dusk they made camp along the banks of the river.

“That was a fine meal Rejji,” Mistake grinned. “Perhaps you should become the permanent cook for our group.”

“That will not work,” Rejji chuckled. “We agreed to take turns and I am sticking to that agreement.”

“I am going to bathe,” Bakhai stated as he rose. “You two fight over the cooking.”

Rejji tossed a twig at Bakhai’s departing form and laughed. When Bakhai was out of sight, Rejji turned to Mistake.

“I think you should contact Lord Marak tonight,” he said softly. “Let him know where we are and what we discovered today.”

“Are you crazy?” Mistake asked. “Do you not realize how far we have come? It would take me weeks to get back there and it is in the wrong direction. I am seeking the Sage and Lord Marak will have to wait for his information.”

“I don’t mean to go there,” frowned Rejji. “I mean with your magic.”

“What magic?” questioned Mistake. “What are you talking about?”

“The Air Tunnel,” Rejji said. “Use it to contact Lord Marak.”

“The Air Tunnel?” repeated Mistake. “What I am supposed to do with that?”

“It allows you to talk to Fardale,” informed Rejji. “That is why they taught it to you. Did you not know?”

Mistake sat quietly staring at Rejji for a while before speaking. “You mean it is magic?” she asked. “I thought it was just a trick for snooping on others. How can I learn magic?”

“Evidently, you have some magical talent,” Rejji said. “Supposedly, that is how you move so fast. They said that you could contact them because you know where Fardale is, but they could not contact us.”

“Why did they not tell me this?” she questioned.

“I don’t know,” admitted Rejji. “Maybe they want it kept secret. I had forgotten that you were not present when Lord Marak explained it to me. I think we should keep your abilities a secret between us. Will you try it?”

Mistake nodded but sat silently for a while. After a short period of time she growled. “They were using it to spy on us,” she announced. “That is why they did not tell me fully about it. If I understood its potential range, I would probably have detected them listening in. How dare they!”

“How dare they?” repeated Rejji. “Why shouldn’t they listen in? They have done everything for us and we have done nothing for them. Is it wrong for them to know if we intended to honor our agreements? In fact, thinking back on our conversations, I am surprised at their generosity. We have never really talked openly of actually doing anything to help them. Still they are gambling that we will.”

“I guess you are right,” Mistake admitted as she recalled their conversations prior to leaving Fardale. “I guess I would do the same in their position. At least the listening part,” she chuckled. “Not sure I would have handed over my gold and the horses.”

“One thing I learned during my stay at Fardale,” Rejji declared, “is that the people there love him and believe him to be sincere in wanting to help people. I could do much worse for a role model. I intend to honor our agreement after we find your Sage.”

“As long as we find the Sage, I will help you honor it,” agreed Mistake. “The Sage is my only goal in life. After that, we do what you want to do.”

Mistake removed the map she had obtained at the battle site and determined approximately where they were. She pictured where she thought Fardale would appear on the map and started casting the Air Tunnel. Nothing happened and she slowly moved the Air Tunnel further south. She could not make a connection by the time Bakhai returned, so she excused herself and went to the river to continue trying in privacy.

Rejji and Bakhai sat talking until the fire died to embers and Bakhai settled down to sleep. Rejji was about to go find Mistake when she appeared from the woods. Her face sported a large grin and Rejji did not need to ask if she had been successful.

“It will be easier next time,” she whispered as she passed Rejji and settled down for the night.

In the morning, they rose and continued following the Meliban River eastward. Rejji remembered the last time he and Mistake had been in this area and was leery of encountering Zaldoni sentries, but they saw nobody. They passed through the area where they had been kidnapped without encountering another human and Rejji began to wonder why all of the villages had been deserted.

Days passed without the sight of another person and eventually they encountered the South Fork River and could see the Giaming Mountains rising in the distance. They changed their path to follow the South Fork and the land began to rise slightly. Rejji could see the excitement rising in Mistake, as the mountains loomed larger and larger before them. Bakhai also appeared more relaxed and cheerful, as they got closer to the mountains he called home.

Rejji spotted a beautiful clearing as the shadows grew long and decided to make camp. Bakhai prepared the meal while Rejji bathed in the stream. Mistake went off for her evening walk, which she had made a daily practice, so she could connect with Fardale and report on their progress. The three Fakarans sat and talked well into the night as they discussed the coming search for the Sage of the Mountain. Eventually they all drifted off to sleep.