Kalina kept pace with Brandt remarkably well, for what she lacked in strength she gained in endurance. The journey thus far had been long and weary, and she hardly remembered the first half of it. She came out of her trance-like state as the weather began to warm up, beads of sweat rolling down her face. As they walked now in the deserts of Plegia, she lifted her face towards the sun, shielding herself from the harsh rays with her arm. Based on its location, it was almost midday. 

She hadn’t spoken with Brandt, not unusual for Kalina, except to say her name when asked. There were too many things going on in her mind, the happenings of Ylisse a week prior replaying over and over. Kalina was no closer to figuring it out now than she was then. Just as she began to delve deeper into her thoughts, his voice broke through, nearly startling her. Cocking her head at Brandt slightly, her eyes smiled ever-so softly. 

“Yes, a break would do us good,” she managed, “but do not close your eyes for long, if at all. This heat acts as a silent killer, and will take its chance whenever it gets it.” Kalina hadn’t shifted since the incident in Ylisse. Brandt seemed good thus far, he led her away from the slaughtering and managed to get them to Plegia, but she didn’t feel comfortable revealing that side of her. Now it was a matter of finding the group and Kalina knew she was going to have to shift soon to at least help with finding any source of food. Without explaining herself, Kalina dropped to her knees in the sand and began scooping it quickly, the top layer nearly scorching her hands and knees. It was taxing work in this heat, and the sweat began to trickle down the sides of her face and along her back. As she dug deeper, the sand began to cool down. She dug just deep enough for one of them to fit comfortably and then quickly did the same thing at a spot next to the first hole. When she was done, she scooted herself until she plopped down in the hole and then motioned for Brandt to take a seat in the other hole. 

“It’s not very conventional,” she said, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips, “but it will have to do for now.”