For most of the first hour, I plodded along, occasionally with my sister’s support when my knees got rubbery. I was still getting the odd flash of terror, but the powder was burning off the d**g at an accelerated rate, which should mean I’d be more functional soon.
The air was fairly warm and getting warmer as we went. We sipped at the water sparingly as we had no idea when we would find more. I was sweating and starting to worry about sunburn when Xen stopped us to rest in the shade of a stand of trees that smelled like cedar but had leaves of golden-brown that shimmered when the wind blew through them.
My hands were starting to feel better, less swollen at least. I was able to move the fingers of my left hand a little without pain. My right hand throbbed in time with my heart, which wa
