Chapter 3 — Captured

For a moment, nobody and nothing moved. All of creation looked on in silence. Not even the wind dared stir. Then a man barked out an order, and the masked riders kicked their horses' sides and edge in closer on the four. Dande, Chenzira, Luba and Zugudini clumped together, their backs to each other, and their faces turned to their assailants.

"It's the Wild Dog," the same man said, staring at Dande. "It's off its leash. Shall we make it another one?"

The others laughed. Behind their wooden masks, they were guttural and hoarse. Dande’s mind raced. Despite the disguise and the distorted voice, something about the captain of the Vana Valungundu was familiar. And there was more: the way the men held their spears, their disciplined movements, even how they sat on their steeds; all of these reminded Dande of -. No. Impossible. That was ridiculous. Too far fetched. It did not make any sense. The Barwe Tonga’s methods were well known. They must somehow have gotten to these men. They somehow learned of them and assimilated them. That was the only explanation that made sense. Yes, that was it. If he survived, he would make this known in the capital. The capital. Its grey stone walls flitted before his eyes. That life now seemed so far away. Like a time from so many harvests ago that there was no hope of ever going back to. The world had changed too much. He had changed. But that was foolish thinking. Everyone knew that the Vana Valungundu took no prisoners. If he survived, he would have to fight his way through. And they were grossly outnumbered. Was this the end? So be it. If he were going to die then and there, he would take as many of these masked scum as he could. They could have his life, but he would have many of theirs in return.

The man who had raised his hand spoke again.

"Where is your master, Wild Dog?"

"Call me that again," Dande said, "and they will be the words with which you greet your ancestors.” He spun his spear in his hand, shifting it from a stabbing position to a throwing one.

Another man spoke up. "Ah, the Wild Dog is getting ..." He had not finished speaking before the spear whizzed out of Dande's hand and through his chest. The man stared at the shaft sticking out of him stupidly for a moment, then fell off his horse with a thud. A forest of spears was raised in an instant, all trained on Dande, arms pulled back and about to hurl a wave of metal fury on him. "Hold!" the captain yelled at the top of his voice. "We have our orders."

The men paused but kept their spears trained on Dande and his companions.

"We have to take them in alive for questioning. If they are of no use to our cause, then we will dispose of them. Starting with you," he pointed his spear at Dande. Dande noted that the man had dropped the offensive nickname he’d used earlier.

"Take them in," the captain ordered. Several men hopped off their horses and pulled out cords from their saddle bags.

"Touch me," Dande bellowed, "and more will die."

"Quiet," Chenzira whispered harshly at him. "Calm down. What will you gain if you die out here? Let's get through this, and maybe we will still be able to return and accomplish our mission. That’s the most important thing. Nothing else matters. Not your pride. Not your life. Especially not for this." Chenzira turned to the captain.

"We will come peacefully. All I ask is that you let us ride rather than walk, for we are dreadfully tired. It is a kindness that I will appreciate."

The captain nodded at the soldiers standing at the ready with the cords in their hands. The men walked up to Dande, Chenzira, Zugudini, and Luba and bound their hands tightly behind their backs. Then, they loaded them on horseback. Luba and Chenzira they placed on the horse belonging to the dead soldier. Dande and Zugudini they put together on another horse, whose owner was ordered to walk. They draped the dead man's body across the saddle of another soldier's horse and set off.

They rode in silence through the woods. The soldiers seldom spoke to each other and communicated with gestures and nods. Dande understood a lot of what they were saying. He knew their crude sign-language. Maybe they were normal military gestures that several different army men used across different realms. He came to the conclusion that the Vana Va Lungundu must be a rag-tag group of mercenaries from across the different kingdoms. If they had stayed this long, concealed in the forests, eking out an existence by raiding caravans and villages, then Zugudini and Luba must have come across them before. He wondered why they had never mentioned it. Zugudini sat in the saddle in front of him, her head held high and maintaining a tomb-like silence. He could sense the anger and frustration rising off of her like hot air rising off a desert floor.

"I didn't want to kill your friend," he said in a soft voice so that only she could hear. She made no sign of having heard him. He continued.

"He made me do it."

Silence.

"If you hadn't betrayed me," Dande said, "we wouldn't be in this mess."

"So this is about you, is it?" Zugudini asked. "What makes you think I betrayed you?"

"You took the drum and played a trick on us so that you could steal it. If that's not betrayal, then I don't know what betrayal is."

"Has it even crossed your mind that I was protecting the drum? Didn't you hear anything I said to you earlier?"

"The drum belongs in its rightful home. That's what you were hired for. You had a job to do, same as me."

"You're a fool, Dande. I rue the day you walked back into my life. I wish I'd never seen you again."

The words hit Dande like a punch to the stomach, and left him winded.

"Silence," the soldier riding beside them barked. Zugudini shot him a murderous glare and held his gaze until he faltered and looked away. She straightened in her seat, and stared straight ahead. She and Dande did not exchange another word for the rest of the journey.

The Vana Va Lungundu camp blended into the surrounding forest so well that the prisoners barely noticed when they rode into it. Strewn across a section of the forest were cleverly camouflaged tents made of tree bark and covered in vines and creepers. The path they were following widened slightly and became well-beaten. Like ghosts materializing out of the bush, more masked men appeared on foot, armed with double-tipped spears and black ox-hide shields. The foremost rider blew three short, sharp horn blasts. The men in the bushes relaxed and melted back into the forest. A wall of thick bush that blocked their path ahead separated as a group of men pulled it apart. Beyond it, several more camouflaged tents surrounded a large clearing, where soldiers sat around small fires, cleaning and sharpening their weapons, skinning game, curing hides, or cooking. Dande's eyes scanned the camp. There were easily two hundred men there, not to mention the ones that he could not see. Every single one of them was wearing a mask. Dande wondered at this. It didn't make sense to wear a mask that would impede vision and breathing unless it was absolutely necessary.

Chenzira once again read his mind.

"Batongo masks," he whispered to Dande as their horses were reigned up side by side. "They are believed to make their wearers invincible. These men are always ready for a fight."

"I guess that's why I don't see any elders," Dande quipped. "The stress alone would cut short their lives."

"Silence," the captain bellowed. He and his men got off their horses. Dande, Chenzira, Zugudini, and Luba were dragged off theirs. Several of the soldiers noted the body of their dead comrade. They approached the horse carrying it but kept a respectful distance.

"The Wild Dog killed Jali," the captain said aloud. Dande glimpsed several sets of angry eyes glaring at him from behind wooden masks. "Our Leader will deal with him. Where is he?"

"He's out on one of the search parties," one of the soldiers answered. The captain nodded.

"Good," he said. "He'll be glad to know that we found the quarry." The four prisoners exchanged glances, wondering whether that meant them. Why were these men hunting them? If that were the case, how did they come to know that the drum had been stolen? Only the royal council knew of it. Chenzira suspected treachery. There must be a spy who was selling secrets to the Vana Va Lungundu. It was the only explanation that made any sense to him.

"Tie them up in the shaded grove," the captain ordered. "But do not give them any food or drink," he added. "The shade will be the only comfort that they'll enjoy for now. We want them conscious when the time for questioning comes."

The prisoners were frogmarched to a clump of three spreading acacia trees at the edge of the clearing. They were pushed onto their knees and forced to sit against the tree trunks. Fresh cords were brought and were used to bind their torsos against the tree trunks. Sitting in an upright position, with their backs pressed tightly against the smooth, warm bark, the prisoners sat in silence and waited.

Dande studied at the men in the camp. From their bearing and discipline, it was obvious to him that they were well-trained. This was no rag-tag bunch of mercenaries. This was a formal army, with ranks, rules, and regulations. Their efficiency and deportment was as good as that of any army Dande had seen. He watched a group of masked soldiers carrying out target practice in the thick forest to their right. They hurled their spears at targets painted on the trees. Their motions were carefully constructed. First, they hurled their spears with their right hands, then with their left. They practiced switching their spears from a stabbing position to a throwing position, followed by the spear-throw, all with blindingly fast precision. Then, they practiced throwing their spears whilst running and leaping through the bush, both towards their target as well as perpendicular to it. Still, others practiced throwing blunted spears at men riding on horseback. Yet another group spurred with their spears and shields, right in the middle of the forest, using the creepers and vines to aid both attack and defense. They took it in turns to disperse and regroup right in the middle of the thick jungle, as their commander called out orders at intervals.

The men kept their masks on as they trained. Their breathing was loud and labored. Dande realized that it wasn't mere superstition that spurred these men to keep their masks on. It was discipline. They were training themselves to get used to running and fighting whilst thus encumbered. Their commitment, grit, and sheer craftiness when it came to military drills, left Dande with a deep-seated admiration for the Vana Va Lungundu. These were no mere rebels. No. They were some of the best soldiers he had ever seen.

A triple horn blast resounded through the trees. The men paused for the shortest of instances, deciphering the meaning of the message. Then, they resumed their training right where they left off. Dande looked up as a troop on horseback trotted into camp. A soldier ran up to the man at the head of the new arrivals. He said something to him, then pointed at Dande and the others tied up underneath the trees. The man stiffened. Then he dismounted and marched straight towards them.

He paused for a moment, surveying them from a distance, taking in each one of their faces. Then he approached and stood in front of Dande.

"The Wild Dog has returned," he said, his voice muffled by the mask but sending a chill of recognition down Dande's spine. The man crouched in front of Dande, slowly removed his mask, and stared at Dande with unblinking eyes.

"You have something that belongs to me," Hondo said. "And I want it back."