Harmagan introduced the other five Jiadin. The men had been chosen wisely, for each one of them truthfully explained his desire to put the Jiadin way behind him. One by one, Rejji extended his welcome into the brotherhood of tribesmen. Within the hour, ten riders turned eastward towards the lost city of Angragar. Rejji led the way, and Bakhai soon moved up alongside him.
“Your talents have proved quite worthwhile today,” smiled Rejji.
“I am pleased that I was able to aid you in such a way,” replied Bakhai. “Do you think the other tribes will accept the Jiadin as well as you have?”
“They will,” nodded Rejji. “Your gift might make it easy to detect a lie, but there are other ways of determining what is truly in a man’s heart. The men of the free tribes will know the truth soon enough. Oh, they may be suspicious at first, but I think the Jiadin are prepared for such a reception. They are strong enough to weather that storm.”
“What is the impact of the Jiadin coming over to our side?” asked Bakhai. “I know it is important, but how important?”
“It is the difference between life and death,” smiled Rejji. “If Vand had succeeded in aligning the Jiadin against us, we would have surely perished. We may yet perish under Vand’s onslaught, but we now have a chance to survive. One thing we have yet to do, is to determine how best to utilize the Jiadin. Defending the coastal cities is not the correct path.”
“May I make a suggestion?” asked Bakhai.
“Words from a wise shaman are always welcome,” grinned the Astor.
“I am not quite a shaman yet,” smiled Bakhai, “but I will be soon. My suggestion is to place Qubari shaman with the Jiadin riders. If you have the ability to contact the Jiadin via an air tunnel, you will effectively have two great armies of horsemen capable of acting independently.”
“You have more talents than you have let on,” laughed Rejji. “That is an excellent idea. I know the last place that I would wish to be is in the middle of two charging armies of Fakaran horsemen. Talk to Yltar about your plan. I am ready to accept it, but Yltar must choose the men.”
* * *
Yltar had sent word ahead to Angragar about the Jiadin being led into the city by the Astor. The entrance to the city was lined with tribesmen, and each tribe had a banner guard present to form a human corridor. The Jiadin riders looked on in awe as the tribesmen welcomed their lost brothers to Angragar. Shouts of welcome to the entering Jiadin were loud and genuine. For the first time in history, the tribes of Fakara were truly united.
Harmagan grinned from ear to ear as the other tribes welcomed him and his men. He nodded and waved to each and every tribal leader as the small group made its way into the city center. Rejji halted the group in front of the administration building and everyone dismounted. The leaders of the free tribes immediately gathered around the Jiadin and personally welcomed them into the fold. The plaza filled with thousands of people as the citizens set up tables and carried out food and drink. Within moments the usually quiet plaza was turned into a festival.
The Jiadin and the other tribesmen filled the plaza at the administration end. Soon wrestling matches and sparring contests began. Rejji stood on the steps of the administration building and smiled at the reception. Although the Time of Cleansing was due to start at any moment, the Astor knew that he had already accomplished something that had never been done before. He had united the tribesmen of Fakara. Whether or not that would be sufficient to halt the advance of the Motangans was yet to be determined.
At the other end of the plaza was another party. Qubari shamans filled the area of the plaza before the temple of Kaltara. They all gathered around Bakhai as Yltar announced that the brother of the Astor was in training. Word Of Bakhai’s mastering of the truth-telling spell had spread while they were out of the city. The shamans vied with one another for the privilege of tutoring one who was bound to become a Qubari legend. After much discussion, Yltar offered a compromise that would allow each shaman the opportunity to teach Bakhai those spells that the shaman was most proficient in. Bakhai’s head spun with all of the attention, but Yltar dragged him to one side of the festival.
“With so many tutors,” grinned Yltar, “you will learn Qubari magic faster than any other shaman in history. I would advise you to free your days of obligations. You will be learning magic night and day until you cannot stay awake any longer. You must clear your mind and make your father proud of you.”
“I will make him proud,” Bakhai promised as dampness invaded his eyes. “As Kaltara is my witness, I will bring honor to his name.”
“Your father has always had honor in my eyes,” smiled Yltar, “and I am sure in Kaltara’s, too, but his sons were left rudderless through the cruel hand of fate. Now he will have good reason to smile down upon you and your brother. You both are his gifts to the people that he loved.”