Ella tilted her water flask, surprised when she tipped it all the way and only a tiny trickle of water came out. She couldn't even remember drinking it. She felt Jehral's eyes on her and looked over at him.
"The water that is left in the bags is for the horses," he said. "We do not drink again until we reach the Oasis of Lyra." He moved his saddle behind him and sank down, using it as a pillow. "Get some rest, Ella. I will wake you in four hours."
~
"WE WILL reach the Oasis of Lyra sometime today," Jehral said.
The plodding horses sweated under the morning sun. Ella's mouth was parched, her tongue dried and devoid of moisture. She was having trouble speaking, so she just nodded.
Shani seemed to be in an even worse state. Ella nudged Afiri closer to the elementalist's horse and soundlessly handed Shani her water flask. There was little more than a few drops in there, but the Petryan seemed to instantly revive. Shani smiled her thanks.
"Jehral," Ella whispered. She tried again. "Jehral, do you have a spare sword?"
The desert warrior started, evidently lost in thought. Perhaps even he was succumbing. He took some time to process Ella's words, before reaching into a saddlebag. "Here," he said.
Ella reached out as Jehral handed her a large dagger, heavy and curved. "Thank you," she said hoarsely.
Ella placed the dagger in her saddlebag, leaving the strap unfastened so she could grab the dagger at a moment's notice. With no essence the only power she possessed was in her dress. She had a couple of flashbombs in an inner pocket, but that was all; any weapon helped.
Jehral held up his hand, and the three riders pulled on their reins, halting their horses. "Ahead," Jehral said, his voice betraying the dryness of his throat. "The Oasis of Lyra. Do you see it?"
Ella squinted against the bright sunlight. At first she couldn't see anything, but she held her hand over her eyes and ran her gaze slowly across the horizon. Then she saw it, a tiny speck that could have been the spikes of desert palms jutting out from the sand. "I think so," Ella said.
"It is closer than it looks." He looked from Ella to Shani. "Are you ready?"
Shani nodded.
"Yes," Ella said. Even in her weakened state, she could feel her heart rate increase.
"The plan is to ride in fast. I do not know if the sound will attract the creature more readily but speed is our only ally. I will stand guard while the two of you fill the water bags. Throw mine to me, and then we leave. Understood?"
"It's a good plan." Shani grinned, but her voice was weak. "Simple."
"Ready?" Jehral asked one last time. "Ride!"
He dug his heels into the flanks of his horse and it leapt forward. Ella hardly had to kick Afiri forward; he could smell the water and wanted to follow the leader. Ella felt the wind rushing in her face as Afiri galloped over the sand, and she realised the wisdom of keeping the horses well-watered. The three travellers would live or die this day based on the strength of their steeds.
Beside Ella, Shani's face was grim, her dark hair flying. Ella's feet jangled up and down in their stirrups and she was suddenly terrified they would slip out and she would fall off her horse. She had never galloped this fast before.
The spikes became the jagged tops of palms, and as Ella crested a dune she could see the fissure that the grove surrounded. Without breaking stride, Jehral galloped down the side of the cleft, his horse hurtling towards the tranquil pool on the gully floor.
He leapt off his horse and immediately took down his empty water bags. Ella and Shani reached him an instant later and slipped off their horses, following suit.
"Here," Jehral said, tossing his water bags to Ella. He then remounted and turned his black horse in a single movement, drawing his scimitar, eyes scanning the area.
Ella rushed down to the water, sensing Shani beside her. Ella knelt down by the water, feeling it slick and wet on her legs. She pulled the stopper off the first water bag and dunked the entire sack under the water, holding it down with one hand while she fumbled to open the next bag's stopper with the other.
Ella filled Jehral's two water bags and then started on her own. She turned and saw that Shani had finished filling her own two bags. "Take them to the horses." Ella indicated the four full bags. "I'm almost done." Shani nodded and ran up towards where Jehral waited with sword bared, staring out at the desert.
Ella finished filling the last two bags and reinserted the stoppers. She felt her breath coming short and fast as she put strength into her legs, running up the soft sand towards where Jehral and Shani urged her on.
Ella's fingers fumbled as she tied the water bags to her saddle.
"Come on," Shani said.
"Hurry!" Jehral called.
Ella finally put her foot in the stirrup and grabbed hold of the pommel, pulling herself up onto Afiri's back. "Go!" she cried, taking hold of the reins.
Jehral's horse shot forward, clambering up the soft sand of the hillside with great lunges. With a lighter passenger, Ella's horse had less difficulty climbing the slope and she was the first of their group to make it out.