The Legend of Hombarume (Legends Series, #1)

53.

For a long while there was no movement on Hombarume's part, no grimace from the pain, or anything that could reveal what was on his mind at that precise moment. He simply sat there as if he had been told some wild story that was impossible to believe.

'Is this some sort of trick you have concocted with your Chief? I do not understand how you could have possibly imagined that I would fall for it.'

Revai's gaze on Hombarume did not ease until he let out a sigh and began to speak.

'I am not one to create a ploy, hunter. You are well aware of that.'

'Why would I run? What honor is there in running from a crime I- I do not even fully understand? Who would believe me then? If the gods will bring justice for me, let it find me here.'

'Listen to me, Hombarume, there is no justice coming for you. There will be no savior this time because the Chief has made sure of it. He has already bargained your life for that of his son to those spirits you so depend on. By this time tomorrow, your family shall be weeping your name while others spit on your carcass and ridicule you!'

Hombarume suddenly sat up straight, pulling at his shackles, where they met and disappeared into the floor.

'Is this the warning you were intending on giving me?'

Revai nodded and quickly moved to the hunter's side before he began to unfasten the shackles that had been binding him all along, the tiny flame of the lamp wavered greatly while it was on the floor and Revai caught glimpses of the panic and confusion on Hombarume's face.

'There is no time for explanation; there is no time to be scorned or to curse. We have to be on our way so that before dawn we will be as far away from this village as possible. By then they will know what I have done.'

Hombarume still did not move, as if he had given up hope already.

'Why are you doing this?'

'Because the wind may not destroy the mountain but it will surely shake its trees,' Revai said.

Hombarume was finally free of his restraints but he looked a bit more worse for wear than Revai had anticipated. Hopefully he would be fit enough for what was to come.

'I assume that the palace is heavily guarded, how then will we make it out alive?' he asked.

'I may know a way. Follow my instructions carefully and we will leave this place unscathed,' Revai replied.

The Chief's palace was guarded at all three entrances at all times. The main one was the most guarded, the crescent shape where the main huts lay were the first line of defense. Guards were also posted at the grain reserves and the sleeping quarters. The problem was that these were the immediate locations in both directions. It was going to require incredible stealth to maneuver their escape route without the guards being alerted.

On the other hand was Revai's original route before he came for Hombarume, the guard's quarters which were more secluded from the rest and closer to the fields and lastly the direction of the main entrance which was one to not even consider a possibility. If the guards were to be alerted, they would not even make it to the main compound at all.

'Come.'

Revai led Hombarume behind the hut.

'You may need this,' he said handing him a blade he had collected from the heap at the front.

Behind the hut, in the direction of the fields were heaps of dried maize stalks that had been left there after harvest the previous season. The biggest heap was the one closest to hut and the rest were considerably smaller. After a few moments of assessing the route, Revai fell to his knees and started crawling across the field, moving closer to the edge, near the heaps so that he could not be seen. This they both executed flawlessly, the trouble only came when they had to worm their way across when the heaps became too small to conceal them copletely. They had to be careful not to make any noise, which was almost impossible because of the crackling dried stalks.