Half Magic | Book 2

Fourteen: The Shaman

Tali was a fierce leader, and she led her riders through the dunes and even into the daylight. They allowed themselves, and by extension us, few breaks for water and to relieve ourselves. My backside was crying for us to reach our destination and never see another horse ever again. But the hours wore on as we rode, even through the rising of the sun. When my rider moved her eye-patch over to her other eye, I knew we weren't done with our ride. It was starting to get uncomfortably hot in the mid morning when I finally saw the dots of movement on the southern horizon. Tiny but bright patches of color against the sand. 

"Is that the Khusuru?" I asked my rider.

I don't think she understood me, but at the word Khusuru she perked up. She nodded sharply and pointed ahead, roughly where I saw the movement on the horizon. On horseback it didn't take long to get within range for the humans to see it too. We adjusted our course slightly, and my heart sped up as we approached the tribe.

A village of tents was set up. They were much wider than they were tall, and they were round. Shallow cones that didn't disrupt too much of the landscape. I don't think I could quite stand up in the middle of the tent, but it seemed to have plenty of room for people who wanted to sit or lay down. 

Being daytime, we didn't see a lot of activity but there were some horses moving about under a taller canopy. A few people milled about between the tents, but for the most part the humans were inside sleeping.

Puko descended and landed on Kai's shoulder. Kai grunted, surprised at the sudden weight but he reached up absently to stroke his black feathers as we watched the camp as we approached.

Tali rounded us up and waved at the scouts patrolling the immediate edges of the tents. They raised their short spear-like sticks in salute, and I narrowed my eyes to try to see them better. Each scout carried a short speared stick and a curved piece of wood or stone, much like Kai had with him as we went after the Mist walker. 

"What are those?" I asked. But my rider paid me no attention. I'd have to look for an answer later.

The horses were slowed to a stop and as we dismounted they were taken away by some of the Khusuru scouts to be watered and rested. My legs and backside were sore once again, but I put on a strong face for the desert people who were now watching us intently. Tali said several things to them in their tongue, and the way was parted for us to go to a peculiar tent in the middle of the camp.

This tent was smaller than the others, and also colorfully painted. Designs of bright paint were brushed in the shape of what I imagine were the aoyi'ka that Kai kept mentioning. They looked a bit like the fae, but with more element to them. One seemed to be made of fire, another of wind, another of yellow light, and so on.

"That is the shaman's tent ahead," Kai came up next to me, followed by Nassir and Schula. "They want you to speak to her now."

The tent ahead had flickering light inside, and even from here I could smell the incense. 

I took in a deep breath and sighed through my nose. "Well, let's go then."

With all eyes on us, it was hard not to be distracted. Children peeked from beneath the round tents as we walked by, only to be pulled back under by the arms of the adults watching them. The baroo of a dog at the edge of the camp was shushed and the horses that hadn't already been familiarized with us snorted and scraped at the sand with their hooves at the new scent in the air. 

But soon enough, we were at the tent with Tali leading the way. Two women with those short spears barred our way to the shaman, until the leader of the riders said something to them. They had a hushed but urgent discussion, until finally the women guarding the tent moved aside and let us enter. Tali pulled back the tent flap a bit and nodded me through first.