They ended up resting sparingly and with little to no shelter to be found in the dunes. Most of the time, Runa slept in the saddle, her waist tied to Antyza’s and her head leaning on the girl’s back. She had gotten used to the feeling of Antyza’s itchy tail flicking or sliding along her body, which couldn’t be helped much, though Antyza did her best to keep it out of Runa’s way.

It did not escape her notice that Antyza barely slept at all. If she was not in the saddle, ...