*nod* Hiring a guide could be cheaper than the purchase and upkeep of multiple pack animals, especially if the cost is split among a larger party of merchants. Plus, a caravan leader, with his slave's power, can protect merchants from bandits, prevent them from getting lost in the desert, and keep them hydrated throughout the trip. I would imagine that unless one knows the desert, it would be very dangerous to travel without hiring someone who knows what they're doing. That, in turn, could give our characters a stronger element of urgency should we end up making them travel alone.

I felt like I was grasping at straws a little to make this recent post plausible. I absolutely want to keep Miria in the story; now it's just weaving a believable way to do so :)