Read Online The World Weavers by Kelley Grant - Free Book Online Page A

howl.
    The Tigu warriors turned to stare at Kadar and his odd companion. Amber howled again, right in Kadar’s ear, and the warriors flinched and whispered among each other.
    â€œSuma!” Kadar heard over and over. Even Turo gazed wide-­eyed at Kadar. He hurried over to Kadar.
    â€œYou’re a Suma ?” he asked.
    Kadar shook his head. “I don’t know what that means,” he said.
    Turo fumbled for words. “You have a suncat and can talk with the One, talk to hooved beasts?” he asked.
    Kadar supposed that was one way of putting it. “The cat chose me,” he said. “The One speaks through it. I can make hooved beasts do what I want.”
    By way of explanation, Kadar held out a hand and silently called over Calim’s humpback. It wuffled his hand, then spit at Turo.
    The rest of the Tigus stared at their leader.
    Calim raised his spear. “Suma!” he shouted.
    â€œSuma!” the tribe shouted, rattling their weapons.
    Turo rubbed his hands together. “That is good. I did not know you were a Suma . That will make the other Tigus happy. This tribe wants us to overnight at their camp.”
    Kadar sighed in confusion as Amber settled into her bag, purring. He needed to learn some of the language or it was going to be a long journey.
    They headed east; off any trade route Kadar could see.
    â€œHow do you know where to go?” he asked Turo, seeing only unmarked undulating dunes into the distance.
    Turo tapped his head, and then his heart. “We know in here. We feel the water.”
    Kadar closed his eyes, letting his humpback follow the others, and tried to reach out with his senses. He could sense other farspeakers , but not in this area. He wondered if the Tigus were sensing underground water, or knew a general direction to go in. They reached a decent-­sized oasis around late meal. Calim’s tribe of Tigus had large tents set around the water, and even tent-­like shelters for the animals. Kadar was surprised to see horses this far into the Sands. They were staked directly next to their owners’ tents, and in some cases in the owner’s tent.
    The Tigu men and women came out of the tents to stare at their procession of humpbacks.
    â€œSuma!” the leader shouted, pointing to Kadar.
    The crowd stared at Kadar, and erupted in shouting.
    â€œSuma!” they cried, and gathered around his humpback, patting his boot and legs. Amber uncurled herself and leapt onto the ground as the humpback knelt and Kadar was ushered off and to a pillow by a large cook pot hung over a dung fire by the edge of the camp.
    Calim, Turo, and the rest of the warriors settled in around the fire as well. Once the pale desert scarves, called shemaghs, that covered their hair, lower faces, and necks were removed, Kadar could see that their party was evenly men and women. A man of the camp served Kadar and the rest of the party on beaten tin plates. There were no children anywhere around the oasis.
    The conversation between the Tigus seemed casual, and Kadar let the unknown language wash over him as he studied the horses the Tigus had tethered around the camp. They were a more refined version of his uncle Aaron’s racing horses. They had wedge-­shaped heads, broad foreheads, large eyes, large nostrils, and small muzzles. They were smaller than horses in Illian, built for endurance in the desert. He itched to ride one.
    Turo noticed his interest and nudged him in the ribs. “You like the desert horses?”
    Kadar nodded. “Yes, very much. They’re beautiful.”
    â€œIf you steal a horse, you will die,” Turo said seriously. “Horses are important in this tribe, treated like babies by their owners.”
    Calim asked something, and Turo answered. Calim gestured and spoke rapidly. Turo’s eyebrows climbed into his forehead. The crowd rose, and Kadar scrambled to rise with them.
    â€œFollow Calim,” Turo said excitedly.