Rejji said nothing but pawed through his sack and grabbed the small flask with water in it. He raised it to his lips and started drinking.

“Stop,” ordered Mistake. “That is all the water we have. Save it for later.”

Rejji licked his lips and looked at her. “How long is this trip?” he asked.

“I am not really sure,” she admitted, “but Brontos stressed rationing our supplies several times. He knows Fakara fairly well although I doubt he has ever come this way. We have to act cautiously if we are to survive.”

Rejji nodded and placed the flask back into the sack. He nibbled on a loaf of stale bread and then tied the sack back up.

“Do you really expect to find this Sage?” he questioned.

“I don’t know,” admitted Mistake, “but I will not stop looking.”

Mistake rose and started walking. Rejji hurried after her and they walked in silence for the rest of the day. As the sun went down the heat abated and their bodies felt a tinge of regeneration as the surface of the desert cooled. They continued walking for several more hours until Mistake called a halt again.

“I thought it would be pleasant to walk in the cool of the night,” began Mistake, “but it is getting downright cold now. We should eat some more and maybe catch some sleep.”

Again they sat on the baked soil and nibbled on stale bread and drank sparingly from their flasks. They lay down on the ground and curled into balls in an attempt to stay warm, but the cold persisted and they ended up with their arms intertwined sharing what warmth they had with each other and drifted off to sleep.

Rejji woke first and rolled onto his back as the sun was showing its first threatening rays over the land. He sat up and gazed at the barren landscape. He turned to reach for his sack and couldn’t find it. Frantically, he leaped to his feet and looked all around for his sack.