The Sword Lord Read Online Free

physique, as confident in manner or as skilled in warfare as his elder, he still carried himself with all the promise and pride of a Karakhoran prince. His eyes sparkled and he was anxious to move on, his heart too joyful to be afraid.
    â€œWell, Kananda,” he demanded. “Where is the tiger you promised me? Our hunt is three days old and again the sun is near to noon. And as yet I have not seen so much as a whisker of a striped cat.”
    Kananda laughed and briefly touched the necklace of tiger teeth that lay upon his own bare breast. It was the only difference of apparel between them. “Fear not, little brother. Twice the trackers say that we have only just missed a cat that has escaped from our path. The third one cannot be so blessed by the gods. Soon we will find a beast worthy of your spear. Perhaps Indra is even now driving toward us the mightiest tiger of them all, especially for you.”
    Ramesh drew his hunting spear from the thong that held it against his elephant’s neck. “Mighty Indra ,” he shouted to the sky. “God of thunder and of storm—God of the lightning’s flash and all the forces of thunder—send me a mighty beast that I might slay it and prove my valour.”
    â€œAnd boast of it to the fair maidens of the city forever and a day,” Kananda finished impiously for him. “May they swoon at your glory, and heap garlands and kisses at your feet—and perhaps other select parts of your noble person.”
    The two princes laughed uproariously until a third elephant toiled up to rest on Kananda’s left flank. This beast wore no war spike and carried both a driver and a passenger on a swaying seat high on its back. The driver was naked but for a brief and simple loincloth, but the passenger sweated in swathing white robes, despite the shade of the white umbrella above his balding head. The wrinkled lines of his ancient and normally gentle face were now registering deep shock and anger.
    â€œNoble princes, you forget yourselves,” the old Brahmin spoke fiercely. “Your mockery ill befits you, and the gods are not partial to such scorn. Rest assured that your impiety will not go unanswered.”
    Ramesh flushed with embarrassment, while Kananda bowed his head in momentary shame. “Tonight we shall make due obeisance to Mighty Indra ,” the elder said carefully. “We will light the sacred flame and make due sacrifice.”
    â€œIt may not be enough,” answered Kaseem, his tone reminding them that he was both the high priest and holiest of the holy men of Karakhor. And he voiced another grumble, “You are also both reckless with your lives and earthly duty. We hunt here in the southlands not only for a tiger to raise the fame of Prince Ramesh. Our main purpose is to show our strength to the savages and impress upon them the folly an alliance with Magahalla. Such a duty will not be served if you get yourselves slain by riding too far ahead. You must rein back and stay with our warriors and the hunt.”
    Kananda sighed. His impulse was to forge ahead, but Kaseem held their father’s mandate when Kara-Rashna was not there to supervise his own sons. They were irritated by the old man’s caution, but respected his years and his wisdom.
    â€œYour chastisement is deserved,” Kananda said. He briefly bowed his head again but not before Kasseem had seen that the twinkle of merriment was not quite dimmed in his eyes.
    Kaseem frowned, preparing himself to deliver a sermon, but the princes were saved by a wild cry from the right flank of the hunt. It was a cry taken up and repeated by a great swell of excitement, echoing in the hot, languid air from a hundred throats.
    â€œTiger! Tiger! Tiger !”
    â€œTiger!” Kananda added joyously to the sudden uproar, and upon his face there flashed a brilliant smile. “The gods are not angry, Kaseem. They forgive us. Come, Ramesh!”
    Prodding their huge