Web of Deceit

"Can you get out of the well?" queried Rejji.

"I can," assured the girl's voice, "but I won't until I know who you are."

"I am Rejji," he stated. "I live in this village and you don't. Now come out before I fill the well with dirt."

"You would just get tired," answered the girl. "You certainly can't shovel in dirt faster than I can climb on top of it and you would just spoil your well. Move away from the well and I will come up."

"And run away no doubt," scowled Rejji. "I don't think so. You will come up slowly so I can see who you are and what you have in your hands."

"Look," pleaded the voice in the well, "I hid in here from the attackers. All I have is your word that you aren't one of them and I don't plan to die today. Back away from the well and I promise not to run away unless you try to hurt me. Besides, I need both hands to get out of here so you don't have to worry about me holding a weapon."

Rejji stared at the well for a few minutes and then silently backed away to a small pile of rocks. He hefted three rocks that were palm sized and called towards the well that he had moved away. He kept his eyes glued to the rim of the well as the girl shouted that she was coming out. He saw both of her hands grip the rim and he poised himself to throw a rock if she bolted. Quicker than Rejji could have imagined, the girl flipped herself out of the well and crouched behind it with a throwing dagger in her hand. She moved so swiftly that Rejji had not had a chance to react.

"Rocks huh?" she said accusingly. "So much for you not attacking me."

"Is that a knife in your hand, oh defenseless one?" Rejji retorted. "You don't look like a murderer to me though," Rejji continued as he dropped the rocks back onto the pile. "Look I just want to know what happened here. This is my village and I came back from the sea to find out that everyone is dead. I need to know why it happened and who did it. Can we talk?"

The girl looked at the peasant boy appraisingly. He was handsome and muscular and around her age, she figured, but that was also the age when many left villages to join the bandits. His clothes were a clear indication of being a village boy though. His pants had been mended several times and his tunic was quite damp as if put on over a wet body. He wore fingerless gloves that many farm boys wear and there was no horse in sight.

"Okay," she said cautiously as she slipped her dagger into a sheath at her belt, "but I don't know very much about what happened. When the red riders started attacking, I headed straight for the well, so I didn't see much."

"Red riders?" mused Rejji. "They were not the local bandits then? Why do you call them red riders?"

"They all wore red scarves around their necks," the girl responded. "It was like a uniform I guess."

"Why hide in the well?" questioned Rejji. "Why not help defend the village?"

"They were carrying torches," pouted the girl. "The well is the only stone structure around. Judging from the results of their attack, I would say I chose wisely. Besides, there was no defending to be done here. It was all over in seconds. The people couldn't even have had time to run away."