Lips pursed, Kalesh watched while the older man and his son piled the backs of the two creatures with ragged old hides and some rough blankets made of a very coarse weave of some sort of animal hair, much as was made on the northern edge of the sea. Then they placed about each hump a padded wooden frame with a short, down-curved leg at each corner, and Kalesh, suddenly realizing the import, hastened to help fasten them down with straps of leather beneath the bellies—which, to his surprise, the animals raised slightly for them. Kalesh saw the sailor scratch vigorously at the short-haired flesh there, and the beast seemed to enjoy it, so he copied the gesture, laughing as the creature turned its head around upon its great neck to see who it was that so kindly attended to its comfort.
“Saddl
