Storm walked through the crowded streets of Roiya, ducking her head low and shielding her face with her hood. She made her way towards the center of the town, where a tall figure stood dressed in a way similar to her and his hood pulled low over his head. 

"We have to move quickly," he spoke in a hushed tone that she could barely hear over the hubbub. "Queen Frost's soldiers have already been spotted within the Central Trade's perimeters.

She nodded her head slightly. "Follow me," she whispered.

She turned on him as soon as they were safely inside the doors of her makeshift tent. 

"I told you to meet me at the Frozen Delta about four moons ago! Where were you Arctic?" She fumed.

"Queen Frost kept a close eye on me after that night. I believe she may have suspected something," he answered in a calm, indifferent tone that only enraged her further.

"At least you could have sent a messenger to tell me you weren't coming!" She exploded.

"I did send a letter."

"Two nights past. That gave me barely enough time to reach Roiya undetected. And you specifically told me to meet you just then, despite the fact that you have always told me to plan ahead. How am I supposed to plan ahead when I barely even know what's happening?!" Storm pressed her fingers to her temples to stop an oncoming headache.

"Do you have the crystal? Or did you leave it in the Rouge Territories?" He asked when she'd calmed down a bit.

She threw a pouch at him without looking up.

"Alright then. We're ready to go Tawny!" He called.

"Well then find that old carriage and hitch yourself up," a chestnut brown horse nosed through the flapping fabric of the tent and snorted. "Where are we going now?"

"We'll probably be heading back through the rogue territories, then skirt the Kingdom of Peckas and cross through the mountain range at the thin strip of territory in the Kingdom of Queraenia. We'll end up at the Farthest Reaches in a few moons if we're lucky," Arctic explained.

"And if we're not lucky?" Tawny asked.

Arctic looked thoughtfully at their packs for a long moment. "Queen Frost probably won't be patrolling so far south."

A few hours later they were trudging through the baking heat and harsh sands of the Roiyan deserts, the dunes shifting under their feet and the hot wind throwing sand in their faces. 

"How do the Roiyans live here?" Storm exclaimed.

"They don't, they live in the tamer, more rural areas of the Roiyan territories," Arctic shouted over the scorching gusts.

"I wouldn't call it tame, they still have to deal with cut-throats and robbers and criminals of all sorts. I'd say it's rather rough!" Tawny chipped in.

"What she said!" Storm waved her arms in Tawny's direction and then spat out a mouthful of sand before drawing her bandanna over her face to cover her nose and mouth.

Arctic stumbled as they went over a particularly treacherous dune which shifted wildly in the howling gale. He looked over his shoulder and squinted his eyes at the sun, which was beginning to dip below the horizon. 

"Let's call it a day. We have to find shelter soon," he nodded at the dark clouds gathered above them. "There's going to be a sandstorm."

The three of them huddled together on the floor of the run-down, abandoned village house they'd found minutes before the storm hit. 

"Why couldn't we have met up in Queraenia or Cabaiya? There's nicer weather there. Nice cool rain and mild sun instead of harsh deserts, baking heat and dangerous sandstorms," Storm grumbled on until she settled herself down and fell asleep.

Tawny snorted unexpectedly, nearly causing Arctic to go flying. 

"Have you told her yet?" she asked once he'd settled down again.

He shook his head morosely. "If she doesn't know, she doesn't need to."