Melora was gazing wistfully toward the sunrise. “At this hour, I always long for-oh, I don’t know-some snow, or rain, anything but the eternal sand and hot dry wind.”
Rohana said softly, “If the Gods will, breda, within a tenday you will be back again in our hills and see the snow at every sunrise.” Melora smiled, but shook her head. “I can ride now, and guide my own horse, if you think it better.”
“Let me lead it, for now at least,” Rohana said, and Melora nodded and leaned back in her saddle, bracing herself as best she could against the motion of the beast.
The sun rose, and Rohana saw, as the miles went by under the feet of their horses that the character of the land had changed. Flat, barren sand-desert had given way to low, rolling hills as far as the eye could see, and a low scruffy ground cover of thorn-trees and gray feathery spicebush. At first the smell was pleasant, but after a few hours of riding through it, Rohana felt that if she ever again ate spice bread at Midwinter Festival it would choke her. Her throat was dry; she almost regretted the wine she had not been able to drink. Hour by hour Melora seemed more unsteady in her saddle, but she made no word of complaint. Indeed, she did not speak at all, riding head down, her face stony-gray with effort and patience.
As the sun climbed the light grew fiercer, and the heat. Some of the Amazons drew loose folds of their shifts or tunics over their heads; Rohana did likewise, finding the heat preferable to the direct glare. She was beginning to wonder how long Melora could continue to ride-and she herself was weary and saddle-worn almost to the point of dropping from her saddle-when Leeanne, riding ahead, turned back, held up her hand and called to Kindra, who rode quickly ahead to join her, while the others came to a gradual halt.
After a moment Kindra came riding back. “In the next ravine there is a water hole; and some rocks for shelter from the sun. We can lie there during the heat of the day.” As they followed her along the path Leeanne indicated, Kindra dropped back to ride beside Rohana and Melora.
“How is it with you, Lady?”
Melora’s attempt at a smile only stretched her mouth a little. “As well as I can hope for, mestra. But I don’t deny I shall be glad to rest a little.”
“So shall we all. I wish I could spare you this. But-” She sounded apologetic, and Melora gestured her to silence. She said, “I know perfectly well that you and yours have put your heads hi jeopardy for me, and more. God forbid I should complain about whatever you must do for your safety and ours.”
Something about the words made Rohana’s breath catch in her throat. Melora had sounded, for a moment, almost precisely her old self: gracious, gentle, with the winning courtesy she had shown to her peers and inferiors alike. She spoke as she would have spoken when we were girls together in Dalereuth. Merciful Evanda, is there really any hope that one day she will be herself again, live out her life happy and free?
The water hole was a dull, glimmering sheet of water, less than twenty feet across; it looked pallid and unhealthy, but Kindra said the water was good. Behind it was a cluster of blackish-red, forbidding rocks, casting purple shadows on the sand, turning the omnipresent fluff of spicebush to a lavender shadow on the barren space. Even the shadow of the rocks made Rohana think more of snakes and scorpions than cool, inviting rest, but it was better than the burning glare of the Dryland sun at midday.
Rohana helped Melora to dismount, steadying her uneven steps. She guided her to a seat in the shadow of the rocks and went to lead her horse to the water, but Kindra stopped her. “Care for your kinswoman, Lady,” she said, taking the bridles of their horses, and, lowering her voice, “How does she, really?”
Rohana shook her head. “So far, she is managing. There is really no more I can say.” She knew perfectly well that anyone skilled in such matters would say that Melora should not ride at all. But Kindra knew that, too, and there was simply nothing to be done.