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.

Ella's eyes swept back and forth as she scanned the desert. So far, luck, and speed, were with them.

"Keep going!" Jehral called from behind her.