Dreams and Shadows (The Aylosian Chronicles Book 1) by Jeffrey Collyer

different colours and shapes as Aneh called, “Bilah”.
    A woman in her thirties, with long hair black as a raven, looked up at the sound, and then stood to walk over towards them. Her square face looked stern, but her light voice contrasted with her fierce demeanour as she replied, “Welcome, Michael.”
    Michael was surprised that she already knew his name and wondered what had been discussed about him, but said nothing.
    “I must apologise,” she said thoughtfully as she looked him up and down, “Aneh did her best to describe you to me yesterday, but I am afraid the clothing I gave her is far too big for you.”
    She looked him in the eyes now, “Never mind. You are here now, and I will do better.”
    After that Bilah touched, prodded, measured, and poked up and down Michael’s body with sticks and string. It was uncomfortable if not painful and it must have been half an hour later that Michael left the tent, Bilah apparently satisfied that she had all the information she needed.
    Aneh then led Michael around the camp describing the images that appeared in the fabric of the tents: naming the animals and trees that were depicted. He knew he wouldn’t remember the names, but it felt good to be getting answers that at least made some kind of notional sense to him.
    It seemed no time at all before they were back at the tent where he had met Bilah, and he was surprised when she appeared with a pile of clothes and some boots.
    “How could she make them so quickly?” he asked as they walked back to Aneh’s tent. “She was measuring me for longer than it took her to make them.”
    “She is a Plant Weaver,” Aneh replied, once again using the word as if it should have been all the explanation that was necessary.
    When he got changed into his new clothes, he found them to be a near perfect fit, and was again surprised at how little time Bilah had spent making them. The shirt was a dark brown, its rounded collar hugging his neck snugly, but with two buttons at the top to loosen it if Michael preferred. The trousers were a slightly lighter tan. The materials felt almost velvety on his skin, but when he pulled at them they felt tough as leather and he wondered what they were made of. Having been barefoot for a day or more, it felt good to finally get the boots on, and he left the tent to greet Aneh, feeling refreshed in his new wardrobe.
    He found her outside in friendly conversation with another man who Michael guessed was a year or two older than him, and who she introduced as Devu. Although Devu was dressed in similar plain coloured clothes as everyone else he had seen, he was taller than most, and was well muscled. Together with his clean blonde hair, Michael thought he would be attractive to most of the younger women in the camp.
    “Devu is the finest Sword Weaver in the Waylet,” Aneh stated, seemingly with some pride.
    Michael was sure he detected affection in Devu’s gaze at Aneh, and felt a twinge of disappointment at that. It was silly, of course: he had only known her for maybe a day, and it would be natural for a young woman of her age to be in a relationship with someone. In addition, his main desire was to understand his new surroundings – not establish relationships.  
    But he had liked the fact that she carried no pretence, and she had been kind to him. So the fact that she might be committed to someone else brought with it unexpected disappointment. It seemed, however, that whatever a Sword Weaver was, it was considered important and if someone who held such an important role and was good-looking took an interest in a young woman, then that would be that, he decided.
    So he smiled and just said, “Hi, I’m Michael.”
    “Yes, I can see what you mean,” Devu said to Aneh, a sarcastic smile on his face.
    Aneh was obviously embarrassed that it was clear she had been speaking to her friend about Michael and blushed slightly as she replied, “You are being impolite, Devu. Michael has addressed you,