The shorter ranger responded this time, pointing a thumb to his chest. "Aurg'ta got a good look at them. All had uniforms of Anequina soldiers, probably a border patrol."

"And how fast were they able to move?" Gallus asked, "Do you know how long it would take them to report this? How much time we have until they respond?"

"Like we said, desert horses, and the Senche can keep up with them. There aren't many guard posts this far out as far as we know, so it might be a day or two before we spot anyone else." The ranger shrugged, "That is Aurg'ta's best guess."

Gallus clenched his teeth for a moment, "As I thought, they'll be able to outpace us easily." He then looked to Meesei and Ri'nakhad, "If we do not find a sandstorm, if they catch up to us, what then? I agree we cannot attack them, but a colony of mostly unarmed mixed races coming in from the Empire...with few enough clothes to boot...Ra'jorr?" Gallus looked up, "Do patrols tend to check up on wandering desert groups?"

A few possible solutions came up in Gallus' mind, but he was not confident enough in them for now. He stood thinking and waiting for other input.

Although he returned the hug, Tzirret sighed forlornly, "You are probably right. It's just that...Tzirret stayed up late practising this last night and he managed to make a light then. He must have just forgotten how." Tzirret's glum face did nod to one side with acknowledgement, "Those other things sound useful. Perhaps he should try those before pursuing healing magic so much."

There was a murmuring that spread across the clan at that moment. All the walking had stopped. There was no cry of alarm, so perhaps one of the Senche's had accidentally slept in? Tzirret could only guess, but he tried not to be too bothered by it. Instead, he continued talking to Ma'tanza. "How long did it take Ma'tanza to cast a spell for the first time?"