The distance between Ang'wen's residence to the tribe head's resting room was only around three hundred metres. It didn't take them long before they arrived there.

In the audience hall or the resting room, sitting at the center on a beautifully crafted stool was a middle aged man. The man had patches of gray hair on his head. He wore a lion's skin woven with leopard's skin. His face was full of smiles. The air around him was that of dominance even though on the surface he looked extremely simple.

"Long live tribe head."

The two lads bowed in veneration the moment they got into the room. The tribe head nodded with a smile and motioned for them to have their seats on the nearby stools.

"Good afternoon my sons." The tribe head greeted, the grin on his face not vanis.h.i.+ng at all.

"We are good tribe head, what about you?" They answered simultaneously.

"I am also good, may I know this son of mine accompanying Ang'wen?"

"I am Opondo Rabaya from Odindi clan." Opondo responded respectfully.

"Good name, good name. Why has Opondo decided to visit this place at this time of the day?"

"Tribe head, I have travelled for the last one week all the way from Odindi clan. I was sent by my chief to come and fetch Okoth Ang'wen your a.s.sistant chief advisor."

"Why would you fetch him?" The tribe head asked frowning a little.

"The chief's eldest son is dead and it is his desire for his second son to go back to the clan and take over his stool."

The tribe head instead of saying anything, he placed his head on his right palm and started thinking deeply. The smile that never left his face dissipated and what was left on him was sadness.

Okoth Ang'wen was his a.s.sistant chief advisor and was the most capable person by his side at that. Everything that troubled him was always easily solved by this young man. The young man's administrative skills were at a level that far surpa.s.sed his peers, it could be said his ability was the best above the best. Now this advisor he cherished wanted to leave his side. He had to be sad.

"That is bad, how did he die?" After contemplating for a period of about fifteen minutes, the leader asked.

Opondo narrated what had happened in his clan bit by bit to the tribe head. The tribe head's expression kept on changing as he listened to the story.

"No wonder Nyakam kept on telling me in my dreams not to interfere with Odindi clan's conflict, it turns out 'Were' already had this trump card...I now understand, yes, I do understand but why must he go?" The tribe head mattered to himself, gritting his teeth and lightly knocking his forehead repeatedly. He was overheard by the two young men.

They looked at the tribe head bemusedly. Ang'wen even asked him what he was talking about but was brushed off by a 'forget it'.

"Ang'wen, since everything has developed to what they are, I can't stop you from going to your clan to help them. I will also welcome you if you decide to stay with me. What choice do you take?" The tribe head asked his advisor Ang'wen after another drawn-out silence.

"I will follow Opondo back to my clan." Okoth answered almost immediately the tribe head finished his question.

"I won't stop you either. I only hope you lead your clan to stand at the peak of this land. May the spirit of 'Were' guide you in whatever you do so that the work of your hands is seen not only in Odindi clan but also in the entire Lu tribe."

Seeing the deliriously nitid eyes of the young man, the tribe head did not bother him with too much questions, he agreed with him almost immediately.

"Thank you tribe head." Okoth bowed to the tribe head respectfully.

"There is no need to thank me. We are brothers. Don't forget to invite me one day to come and see my people living in Odindi."

"I will tribe head."

Even though his brother had got lost, Okoth Ang'wen could see him in his dreams. That boy never gave him peace every night. If there was something that this Ang'wen wanted to see the most, then it can be said it was his youngest brother, Ochieng'. More than fourteen years were not few for brothers who adored each other. n.o.body could describe Okoth's feelings at the moment, though his face showed he was anxious about something.

That night, there was a banquet at the palace for the departure of Okoth Ang'wen. Opondo was walking on air because what he ate and drank that night were things he could not even dream of tasting. One thing that excited him the most was the fact that he ate with the tribe head at the same table while schmoozing like they were in the same age group.

At dayspring the next day, Opondo and Ang'wen left the headquarters towards the Odindi clan, Opondo on the horse he was given by his chief and Ang'wen on his own horse. Being amongst the people who were highly regarded by the tribe head, it was understandable that he had his own horse. On their backs were backpacks full of gifts they acquired from the tribe head.

...

A week had pa.s.sed since Ochieng' and Apeleka left the Amonka clan in Nkase large clan in Lang tribe. What happened the day they left was still fresh in everyone's mind like it was the previous day though they dared not talk about it, fearing that it could bring them some bad luck.

Tongedi's compound today was bustling with people. This was because the tribe head of Lang tribe had visited the Nkase clan. He had heard what had befell Nkase and Twiya clans and even the entire Lang tribe.

Twiya and Nkase clans had lost a hundred warriors combined. They had also lost a commander each. This meant the Lang tribe had lost a hundred warriors and two a.s.sistant commanders.

The Lang tribe had also lost their guardian elder, wizard Lanok. Could they just take that blow lying down? Wasn't their Lang tribe not the strongest tribe in their land?

Chief Tongedi told the tribe head everything that happened that day. When he finished, the tribe head wore a big frown on his face. He planned to punish Ochieng', those women and that talking bird. He even decided to start a war with the Lu tribe. He really hated seeing his beloved chiefs crippled.

...

In Lu tribe, Odindi clan, in the chief's compound, people were celebrating the coming of the chief's son, Ochieng' Lwanda. They were oblivious to what the Lang people were planning. They were eating and drinking. Dancers were dancing at the loud beats of the drums to entertain the people present. Young men of the same age sets involved themselves in 'amen' or wrestling, the crowd cheering them up at the tops of their lungs. It was really one moment in a million.

At one point, Ochieng jumped into the circle where the young men were wrestling. This made the people's eyes light up as they knew they were going to watch serious fights. Those who stepped into the ring after him were however overwhelmed within seconds. He was praised and admired by many. Many young women even started throwing lecherous looks on him. He found himself helpless before these people because he was not used to being praised. He however enjoyed it.