Richard Tuttle - Web of Deceit

“I will not ask my brothers to leave the jungle,” Mobi shook his head. “As a Qubari, you must learn to think like us. The jungle is our home, but also something we are sworn to protect. We do not venture outside of it unless it is necessary. We will wait here for twelve days. If you have not returned in that time, we shall return home.”

“We should not need a diversion anyway,” interjected Rejji. “If I understand the map you have drawn, they should not be looking towards Mount Kiator. Your plan is good, Mobi. Let us eat so we can leave as soon as it gets darker.”

By the time they finished the meal and gathered their belongings, the sky was dark. The trio headed due north, stepping over the low plants, until they emerged from the jungle. There was no moon this evening, but Rejji knew there would be one on the way back. Hopefully, the Jiadin would have given up the search by then.

The land they crossed was open and fairly flat, although it had a constant upward slant to it. There were scattered trees, but certainly not enough to conceal a group crossing the land. Rejji thought about how foolish they would have been to cross this in the daylight and silently thanked Mobi for his foresight.

An hour before dawn, as the sky began to lighten, they saw the forest. Mistake picked up the pace and they made the safety of the woods before the first rays of the sun danced across the land. After a short break, they continued walking through the woods. The forest was thick, but not nearly as dense as the jungle had been, and the sun filtered through the leaves and splattered on the forest floor. At high sun they took another food break.

“I am game for a few more hours,” Rejji declared. “Then we can have a good night’s sleep and travel in the daylight.”

Mistake and Bakhai nodded their agreement and the trio pushed onward. Halfway between high sun and sunset, they came to a river. They worked their way upstream in search of a ford and finally came to one. They waded across the stream and as they emerged on the other side they heard a familiar voice.

“Rejji!” called Brakas. “I had almost given up on you.”

“How did you ever know we would be coming this way?” asked Mistake.

“Simple,” grinned Brakas. “There are few places to cross this stream, and cross it you must to get to the Bone Mountains. How did you manage to get out of the jungle alive?”

“We were lucky,” responded Bakhai. “Very lucky. You take a big chance being here.”

“A chance?” questioned Brakas. “Why do you say that?”

“There is a large Jiadin army in the area,” stated Rejji. “You should be careful.”

“I haven’t seen any army,” retorted Brakas. “I haven’t seen a soul since I got here. Where is this army?”

“On the mountain peaks watching over the plains,” answered Rejji. “We had to cross them at night to avoid being seen.”

“That was right clever of you,” laughed Brakas. “Come I have camp set up just beyond the trees. Even have a deer roasting. You must be hungry.”

They followed Brakas to his camp. He clearly had been camped here for a few days and the trio settled down and enjoyed a hot meal.

“So have you found out where to look for the Sage or do we just try all of the mountains?” asked Brakas.

“Mount Kiator,” answered Rejji. “I understand it is a treacherous path to the top. I am not sure your horse will make it. How goes your hunting for the free tribes?”

“Not well,” frowned Brakas. “They appear to be constantly on the move. As soon as I get to where I heard one might be, they are gone. I am beginning to lose hope of uniting them.”

“You mustn’t give up hope,” encouraged Rejji. “Somebody has to stand against Grulak and the free tribes are our best bet.”

“You are right of course,” nodded Brakas. “Thank you for those words. I get so discouraged at times when things do not go quite right, but I should not. It doesn’t sound like you will need my help in finding the Sage, now that you know where he is. I will make better use of my time by searching harder for the free tribes. Let us visit tonight and in the morning we shall part company and go our different ways.”

“I do not mean to spoil a party,” interrupted Bakhai, “but I am rather tired. I hope you will excuse me.”

“And me,” added Mistake. “It has been a long day. You should get some sleep too, Rejji.”

“Words of wisdom,” chuckled Brakas. “I understand completely. Get some sleep Rejji. I think I will turn in myself.”

Mistake was the first to awaken. She roused Rejji and Bakhai from their sleep. Brakas had already left and the trio wasted no time in gathering their things and heading north. By high sun, the peak of Mount Kiator loomed above the trees and the forest began to thin. Mistake tingled with excitement and led the group at a fast pace as the ground began to rise more steeply and the fine soil became rocky.

Within an hour, they broke out of the trees entirely and began the ascent of Mount Kiator. The trail at first was wide and gradual as it wound its way up the slopes of the mountain. As they gained in elevation, the path narrowed as it ran along the edge of sheer cliffs. They watched as the sun disappeared behind the neighboring peaks to the west and continued on into the night. When the sky became totally dark, they stopped for the night and slept on the narrow trail.

***

The rider wound his way up the mountain path, which was illuminated by dozens of campfires. He maneuvered the horse carefully to avoid the clumps of soldiers as he continued on towards the summit. He shook his head at the disarray of the Jiadin camp and wondered what had possessed the general to camp his army in such an inaccessible location. Mobilizing the force would take hours, the rider knew, but he was glad that it was somebody else’s problem.

He finally reached the peak and headed for the large command tent. He dismounted and handed the reins to a sentry outside the tent. The other sentry nodded to the rider and held the flap open for him to enter. Inside the tent, the rider saw General Winus talking with Veltar’s assistant, Zygor.

“Ah welcome back,” greeted the General. “Have you located them?”

“I have,” grinned the rider. “Even better, I know their destination.”

“Excellent,” nodded the General. “I am anxious to put this part of the operation behind me. Where are they headed?”

“Mount Kiator,” declared the rider as he watched the General lean over a large map on the table. “They are probably on the slopes already.”

“On the slopes?” questioned Zygor. “How can that be? We have been watching the edges of the jungle for days. How did they get out?”

“At night,” answered the rider. “They knew you were up here watching. They crossed the plains at night and once in the forest, they knew you could not see them.”

“And how did they know we are up here?” questioned Zygor. “How could they possibly know unless someone told them?”

“Don’t look at me that way, Zygor,” the rider retorted. “I was not even informed of your location. Had Rejji not told me where I could find you, I would still be looking. As an army officer, I certainly would not expect to find the army on the peak of a mountain.”

“That is enough, Brakas,” reprimanded Winus. “We have no need for bickering amongst ourselves. If they are on the slopes, then there is no escape for them.”

“If they are on the slopes,” echoed Zygor. “We have followed Brakas’s advice before and they are still on the loose.”

“My information has always been accurate,” argued Brakas. “If Diakles had not gone after them alone the first time, they would be dead now instead of him. I also told you they would head for that village, but the army went north instead, and allowed them to enter the Qubari. I have always delivered what I promised to. Even the Chadang were laid bare for your plunder.”