บท 72: Oasis for the weary wanderers

Chaenath was sombre. Her mind was filled with blood and screams and a million teeth. She held her head down, silent.

"Don't act so miserable woman, it doesn't suit you," Nibur's eyes were running all around.

"You don't know how long I had Rifina," Chaenath glared at him.

"Well, it can't be as long as a hundred years."

"I had her for fifty years," Chaenath shouted.

"Fifty!? What kind of mutant horse was she?"

"An elvish horse and she was special," she controlled her tears.

The sand below the hooves became harder as they moved along. Their throats dried and their tongue chaffed. Nibur felt he was sweating blood through his pores.

Thraos saw it first, far ahead. Palms of dates and palmyra spread their canopies and swayed to the passing wind. Green spread all around it below. He saw fruits of yellow, red, blue and black. Butterflies and beetles flew around and took nectar from flowers.

"Can you see what I can see?" Thraos asked.