Richard Tuttle - Web of Deceit

He reached the riverbank and stepped into the water. He walked until he was knee deep and then he sat down and let the cold water flow around his body. He shivered as he raised his hand out of the water and touched it to his lips. His lips stung with the touch and his tongue greedily stuck out and licked his fingers. He dipped his hand again and savored the small amount of cool liquid he could lick off his fingers. He was hesitant to indulge in too much water too quickly after having his body starved for it, so he kept dipping his hand into the water and pressing it to his parched lips. When the inside of his mouth felt functional again, he lowered the flask into the water and let it fill. He brought the flask to his lips and sucked in small amounts of water, letting it flow around in his mouth before swallowing it. He repeated this several dozen times until he felt energy starting to surge in his body. He wondered how close they had been to dying while he dunked his head under the water.

As his senses started to return, Rejji felt the exhaustion of his body setting in. He let his body float in the water for a few minutes before refilling the flask and heading back to Mistake. When he reached her, he stripped off his soaked tunic and spread it over her so the moisture would soak through to her. He opened the flask and sat down next to her. Using his finger as he did in the river, Rejji wet it and placed it on her lips. Soon her tongue came out to lick his finger as his own tongue had done. He repeated this until he felt she was ready for some water. He eased her head up and held the flask to her lips. He had to pull the flask away several times to stop her from gulping the water. Eventually her eyes opened and she looked around.

“We made it,” Rejji announced.

Mistake smiled weakly and reached for the flask.

“Take it slow at first,” he warned. “There is plenty of it here. I need to rest now.”

Rejji stretched out beside Mistake and closed his eyes.

***

Mistake surfaced, shook her head and gazed up at the sunlight filtering through the trees. With a smile on her lips, she swam to shore where she had left her clothes. The water felt more wonderful than any water had ever felt and she wondered if the trip through the desert had made her appreciate it more. She still hadn’t found out how they had made it. When she woke just before the first rays of the sun, Rejji was still sleeping and she didn’t want to wake him. However they got here, Mistake was sure she didn’t walk and that left few other choices other than Rejji carrying her. He had a right to be exhausted she thought, and if he wanted to sleep through another day that was all right too.

She reluctantly rubbed the water off her body and wrung her hair dry. She was getting dressed when she heard the riders approaching and she darted behind a tree. She counted six of them going by and they were heading towards where Rejji was sleeping. After they passed, she raced after them, keeping herself behind trees and out of sight. She heard the cry of discovery and knew they had seen Rejji. Stealthily she approached to find the riders in a ring around Rejji who was sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“And what do we have here?” questioned a large man with a scraggly beard who appeared to be the leader. “Speak up boy. What are you doing on our land?”

“Your land?” repeated Rejji. “I didn’t know this was your land. I was just resting from a long journey.”

“Are you alone lad?” asked the leader. “Who are you traveling with?”

Rejji looked past the riders and saw Mistake with her hand on her dagger. He quickly shook his head and diverted his eyes in another direction. “I am alone,” Rejji lied.

“He must be a spy, Brakas,” one of the others declared. “Let’s gut him and be on with our business.”

The leader held up his hand and stared at Rejji. “How did you get here, lad? Tell the truth now or I’ll let Klavin have his way with you.”

“I came to join up,” Rejji blustered. “My village was wiped out by the Jiadin so I figured I would join you guys to get revenge.”

The leader’s eyebrows lowered as he stared at the young villager. “You did, eh? And how did you know where to find the Zaldoni? Who told you where we are?”

“Well I didn’t know exactly where to find you,” Rejji said. “Somebody just told me to head north until I reached the river and I would find you. Guess he was right.”

“Bah,” spat Klavin, “he trying to get us to believe he crossed the badlands to get here. I tell you he is a spy.”

Brakas dismounted and approach Rejji. He pulled his sword and held it towards Rejji. “Stand up,” he ordered.

Rejji rose, careful in his movements lest he skewer himself on the bandit’s sword. Brakas moved the sword to Rejji’s waist and with a flip, severed the string holding the pouch to Rejji’s belt and flipped the pouch into the air. One of the other riders caught it and hefted it appraisingly.

“A fair amount of gold on the lad,” he reported.

“Spy wages,” spat Klavin. “I say we gut him.”

“Shut up,” Brakas bellowed. “Where did you get the gold, boy?”

“I collect shark’s teeth and sell them to a merchant who comes by the village,” Rejji said. “I usually buy stuff from the merchant in exchange, but since the village was destroyed, I took the gold instead.”

“A lot of gold for some old fossils,” Brakas stated as he held out his hand.

The bandit who had caught the pouch tossed it to Brakas. Brakas held it for a bit and then stuffed it in his shirt.

“There are dues for joining the Zaldoni, boy,” Brakas grinned. “Where is your weapon?”

“I don’t have one,” admitted Rejji. “I was hoping the Zaldoni would have spares I could use.”

Brakas snickered and nodded at Rejji. “Get on behind me,” he ordered. “You make any funny moves and my men will slice you from seat to noggin.”

Rejji stole a glance towards Mistake as he bent down to retrieve his tunic. He mouthed the words to her to tell her go away and then rose and mounted the horse behind Brakas.

Rejji wondered about his strategy for dealing with the situation while the patrol turned and headed back the way they had come. He looked for Mistake but could not find her and smiled. He didn’t like leaving her alone, but these men certainly would have harmed her. Of that, Rejji was sure. He wasn’t sure why he had lied about joining them, but at the time it appeared that the lie was the only way he would survive. The bandits always needed recruits and if they didn’t need you, they killed you. Trying to hunt for the bright spot in his situation, Rejji wondered if he would learn anything from the Zaldoni that would help him get his revenge on the Jiadin.

The patrol of Zaldoni tribesmen rode slowly through the forest along the banks of the Meliban River. There was no chatter from the bandits, only the sounds of the horses making their way along the path. They rode for about an hour before Rejji saw a wooden stockade wall appear in the distance. At its appearance the men started chatting casually as if the need for silence had been extinguished.

As they got closer, Rejji spied men, all wearing the green scarves of the Zaldoni, along the wall of the fortress. A few shouted down greetings as the large wooden gate swung open to admit the returning patrol. Rejji felt the eyes of the men focusing on him as they entered the fort.

Once inside the gate, Rejji glanced around. They rode into a large open area and dozens of men were moving about. Far ahead of the patrol, Rejji could see scores of small huts with footpaths leading off in all directions. The inside of the wall had a platform along it with ladders, for gaining access to it, sprinkled along its length. There were weapon racks beside each ladder and small holes bored through the wall to allow people to look out.