“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.”