“You know this man?” Marak asked Rejji.
“Yes,” spat Rejji. “He used to lead the Zaldoni, but now he works for Grulak.”
“That is a lie,” protested Wyant. “I would never bow to the Jiadin.”
“No,” Rejji shook his head, “then where are the rest of the Zaldoni? You expect me to believe that they still ride separate from the Jiadin?”
“No,” sighed Wyant. “They have joined with Grulak, but I did not lead them there. I would never work under such a tyrant.”
“You are the Zaldoni,” Rejji hissed. “They would never go to Grulak unless you led them there. I should pack you in the cage going to Khadora. They kill you there for not telling the truth.”
“I am telling the truth,” pleaded Wyant. “Klavin and Brakas led the Zaldoni to Grulak.”
“Nice try, Wyant,” Rejji shook his head, “but I have seen Brakas recently and he explained your cowardly submission to the Jiadin. Your men would never choose Klavin or Brakas over you.”
“Cowardly?” bristled Wyant. “You can call me many things, including that of being a trusting fool, but nobody has ever called me a coward. If you want to see an act of cowardice, look at my back.”
Marak nodded and Gunta spun Wyant around and raised his tunic. Two large scars disfigured Wyant’s back.
“What caused those?” asked Rejji.
“Not what, but who,” Wyant spat as Gunta released the tunic and spun Wyant around to face Rejji again. “Brakas advocated joining the Jiadin. I told him that if he wanted to serve a lunatic then he should go, but the Zaldoni would stand against Grulak as a free tribe. The wounds are the result of Brakas and Klavin knifing me and leaving me for dead. I heard them explaining to the men that I had gone on ahead to join the Jiadin and they were to follow. I tried calling out to them, but nobody heard me. An old woman discovered me two days later or I would not be here now.”
“But why would Brakas lie?” quizzed Rejji. “And why is he trying to get the free tribes to join against Grulak?”
“He isn’t,” declared Wyant. “He is seeking the free tribes for Grulak. He located the Chadang before I did. Now they exist no longer. The Jiadin killed every last one of them.”
“Before you did?” queried Rejji. “Why are you searching for them?”
“I am no longer searching for them,” answered Wyant. I know where they are. Now I shadow Brakas so that I can warn the tribes when he gets close. Why do you think he has not been able to locate another of the tribes? When he gets close, I alert the tribe to move to another location.”
“Release him,” order Rejji. “Sit Wyant. I need to know the truth of what is going on. How did you end up with the slavers?”
Halman and Gunta looked to Marak who nodded and they released Wyant. Wyant sat next to the fire and looked at Rejji.
“I followed Brakas to a new town called Ghala,” Wyant began. “There are rumors all over the east about this town and its abundant supply of food and adequate work for all. Still the town abuts the sea, so I dared not enter it for fear that Brakas would spot me. I hid outside the town and waited for Brakas to reappear. He came back out the next morning and I started following him again.”
“So he was only there the one night?” interrupted Rejji.
“Yes, one day and one night,” nodded Wyant. “He rode west all day and met up with a Jiadin army heading north. I think it is part of General Winus’s command, but I am not sure. Anyway, the Jiadin army changed their path to go due east, back towards Ghala. I continued following Brakas. He normally rode in the open and I would shadow him from the forests. He never was very good at observing things about him. That was when I stumbled upon these fellows. I was moving fairly fast through the woods and the next thing I knew, my horse had gone out from under me and I was sprawled face down in the dirt. I should have been more cautious, but I could not let Brakas get out of my sight. I made a mistake and now I am paying for it.”
Rejji sat silently for some moments as he tried to determine the truth of what he was hearing. He had been leery of Brakas, but that alone did not validate Wyant’s story.
“You said you got to the Chadang too late,” interrogated Rejji. “When did you start following Brakas?”
“It was some time after that,” Wyant replied. “I was actually watching the movements of a Jiadin army near the South Fork when I first saw Brakas. I did not know what his mission was at that time. I was watching the army so I could warn the tribes of their movements. I was very tempted to kill Brakas and take my revenge, but I followed him instead. It turned out to be a wise move, because Brakas was the one doing the searching and he was to inform the army to strike.”
“Was Diakles with this army when Brakas was there?” quizzed Rejji as he thought about his meeting with Brakas along the South Fork.
“He was,” nodded Wyant with a puzzled look upon his face. “The little bloodthirsty brat got his the next day or so I heard.”
“Okay,” continued Rejji, “where did Brakas go next?”
“He went to a large village east of the Giaming Mountains,” Wyant said. “That is where I found out what his mission was. He asked everyone in the village if they knew where any of the free tribes were. He claimed to be trying to unite them as he told you, but I knew what his real goal was.”
“And you have had a constant watch on him ever since?” probed Rejji.
“No,” frowned Wyant. “I have lost track of him a few times. It is hard in places to track him without being seen. Sometimes I must take the chance of losing him and try to figure out where he is heading next. I have been successful though in keeping the tribes hidden.”
“Have you ever seen him this far north before?” Rejji asked.
“I have,” affirmed Wyant. “He spent several days camped near the Ghala headwaters one time. I almost lost him that time too. He had visitors one day and I tried moving around to get a better look at who they were. I ended up in a dead canyon and had to backtrack. I almost missed catching him leaving in the morning.”
“Where did he go?” frowned Rejji as he remembered the day he had found Brakas waiting for him.
“He rode all day to the peak of one of the Bone Mountains,” detailed Wyant. “General Winus had his troops camped out there. Why anyone would ever camp an army on a peak is beyond me. I though Winus was smarter than that. Anyway, Brakas did not stay long and headed south. I followed him all the way to the mouth of the Taggot River.”
“Did the general’s army leave?” sighed Rejji, already knowing the answer.
“They left before Brakas,” nodded Wyant. “It was as if they had been waiting for him. At first I feared Brakas had met someone who knew where the tribes were, but the army headed north, so I guess they were after something else.”
“Why do the tribes trust you to know their location?” asked Marak.
Wyant stared at the figure in black for a moment before answering. “They know I will not betray them to Grulak,” he answered. “The Zaldoni never were known for preying upon the other tribes, so they have little reason to fear me. They also know of Brakas’s betrayal and that I no longer command an army. I am no threat to them and I perform a service for them by tracking Brakas. Who are you and your men? I have seen most of the tribes in Fakara and your uniform is foreign to me.”
“Would the free tribes unite against Grulak?” Rejji interrupted.
“No,” frowned Wyant. “The tribes have been uprooted from their homes. They have no food to eat and they cannot afford to raid villages for fear of the Jiadin hearing about it. I fear eventually they will all succumb to Grulak. It is only a matter of time.”
“Then why do you continue with your task?” asked Lord Marak.
“I will continue until they kill me,” Wyant replied defiantly. “I will never willingly serve under such a butcher.”
“Are there any of the tribes who would stand up to Grulak as free men if they had the food and weapons to do so?” inquired Rejji.