"You will know soon." Ochieng' answered apathetically and walked away.

This was Ochieng's intention in the first place. Killing Twiya's chief and his two guards would make things end faster. Even if Twiya clan's wise men were wise enough, getting the chief's murderer couldn't be easy. Of course they could use magicians to get him, but the magicians would realize their opponent was impregnable and the best they could do would be to fling revenge issues as far as they could. Who would want to invite trouble into their lives?

The chief had seen Ochieng's strength, but that was after he held back much of it. Therefore, the chief could not think that all his warriors were no match for Ochieng'. He would march them to Sankale's home and teach her helper a lesson. This way, if Twiya's chief and Nkase's did not skirmish, Ochieng' would destroy Twiya's chief without bringing trouble to Apeka and her mother. If there was trouble, he would escape with them.

After he left the old man's 'manyatta', Ochieng' went immediately to Sankale's. The two women were shaking violently from fear, especially Sankale. They knew things were not right the moment they heard the marching and vociferation of the warriors. Even after Ochieng' had come in, they were still much fearful.

After around five minutes, the trio heard heavy footsteps coming slowly towards their house. Sankale held her mouth and breathed heavily. Cold sweat flowed freely all over her face. Her heart was beating faster and louder. She was overly timorous. Apeleka was making out quite nicely. Having followed Ochieng' for sometime, she almost feared nothing. The young man with them looked blase. He even started drowsing, mussitating things that only he could understand.

"That man who accompanied Apeleka and her mother come out if you really care for them." The moment the footsteps stopped, a yowl was heard.

That sound was like a bucket of cold water poured on Sankale's face. She was on the verge of breaking just from trembling too much.

"Easy mother." Apeleka laughed at her.

"It is not funny, daughter." She retorted.

Ochieng' left the two to go confront those who were outside the 'manyatta'. He stretched lazily and yawned like he was woken from a very deep sleep the moment he stepped outside. In front of him were Lang tribe warriors being led by a sinewy fellow who was shrouded by a bloodcurdling air, his ever red eyes emitting a terrible killing intent. He was direful whichever way one looked at him. Only people like Ochieng' could maintain their lofty stature in front of him.

"It's him!" a rough and faint voice was heard exclaiming in the middle of these Lang tribe warriors.

Ochieng' craned to see who spoke only to see a figure held between two warriors. He recognized the figure to be one of the Twiya's chief guards. Immediately the commander heard the guard, he withdrew his sword from it's sheath and prepared to charge.

"Preposterous!"

A voice was heard from the gates of the Amonka small clan. Every warrior turned and behold was an elegant man clad in lion's skin. Behind him was a group of warriors who looked more or less the same as the ones that arrived in Amonka clan earlier. Beside the elegant man was a brawny who wore a somber face. He looked at everyone ferociously, it seemed he could just kill anyone who crossed his path without a second thought. His disposition was exactly the same as the Twiya clan commander. Without doubt he was Nkase's commander.

"How can you just infiltrate my clan like this? How did I offend you?" Nkase chief, Chief Tongedi asked the Twiya clan commander immediately he was before him. He had pa.s.sed the group of warriors like it was not in his place to even cast a glance at them. He was definitely the refined man in lion's skin.

"Chief Tongedi, long time no see."

Before the commander answered the chief, a tired voice resounded behind them. Chief Tongedi turned only to see a man carried on a camel's skin held by four warriors. The skin was beautifully attached to two long sticks that ran parallel, they were used as handles. This was indubitably the stretcher used during those times. They differed depending on who was carried. These warriors had concealed this person by surrounding him. Not even Ochieng' had realized that.

"Chief Tok Tok?"

Chief Tongedi recognized the fellow. He looked at his fellow chief in wonderment.

"It's me Tongedi." Chief Tok Tok tried rising after a.s.suring his confrere but was too weak to do so. He could only clutch his chest and grit his teeth bitterly.

"What happened?" Chief Tongedi still did not believe what he was seeing.

These two chiefs had been friends for a long time. That is why they even wanted to bring their clans together by marrying Apeleka and Chief Tok Tok's son. Seeing his friend like this made chills run down his spine. Tongedi clearly knew how Lang tribe chiefs were well guarded because he himself was one of them. He knew how raspingly the guards were punished if they went against or even if they had any malevolent intentions towards the chief, so it was natural for them not to be loyal fellows. Who then could be venturous enough to go near the chief's compound let alone harm him.

Tok Tok only coughed repeatedly in pain before turning his guess to his commander and gesticulating for him with his hand. The commander turned to Chief Tongedi and coldly said,

"Someone from your clan did that. Do you think it is wrong for us to come and get some explanations?"

"That is impossible, how can... " Tongedi could patently not believe him.

"Everything is possible, and the fellow is over there." Twiya's commander interrupted and then pointed at Ochieng'.

"I have never seen him before." Tongedi shrugged his mind in disarray.

"You forget we chiefs don't know almost everyone in our clans... " Chief Tok Tok interposed with his feeble voice.

"I know Twiya and Nkase clans have been friends for a long time, it is time to draw our bottom lines. A time to show that our calmness should not make you mistake a rained on lion for a cat. A time to show you not to use peace to perform malicious duties. Forgive me chief Tongedi but I'm carrying the order of my chief."

Twiya's commander declared and lifted his sword ready to sink it on Chief Tongedi's skin. He was however immediately stopped by Nkase's commander. The two started fighting intensely. The warriors from both sides moved aside to watch the fight. The outcome of the fight could determine the fate of each clan. The clan that it's commander lost would lose in this war and each party would go home peacefully. If they were equally matched, there would be no need to fight. This could mean the two chiefs and the commanders having a small meeting and deciding on the next course of action.

If they agreed to end their conflicts there and then, things would end peacefully, but if they decided to clash, they would all march into the battlefield out of the clan and fight until one party surrendered by fleeing or until one party killed everyone from the other party.