are a shadow of hope.

About midnight Raven pointed to a place on the horizon, "There's Tut'Tel."

Alex squinted, even with his demon sight he saw nothing there, "I confess I cannot see anything."

Raven laughed, "You should be able to see that there's a triangle of missing stars. That's the silhouette of the city."

"Oh," Alex could see it now, "I hadn't seen that until you pointed it out to me. But I can clearly see it now."

"We're about eight hours away now. We'll be able to see it clearly by dawn."

"I'll fall back and let Jullian know, he'll be very glad to hear this."

Alex didn't feel the news was pressing enough to warrant running, but a brisk march did seem appropriate. "Raven pointed out the silhouette of the city to me." He said

Jullian's relief was well veiled behind his business demeanor. "That is good news, and a great weight off my mind."

"I thought you would want to know." Alex saluted as he proceeded back to join Raven ahead of the caravan. However, this time he took a mild jog to make up the distance.

"That was pretty quick." Raven said as Alex caught back up to his side.

"It was a short report."

"How did he take the news?"

"Like a professional trader."

"So pretty mellow for a guy who's been sneaking peeks into the cargo to make sure it was still good?"

Alex chuckled, "And you said that I was the only one was getting agitated by his behavior."

Raven shrugged, "I'm one half lunatic. I can get agitated by a light breeze if it blows up the wrong pant-leg."

Alex didn't lose his mirth, "You're a very talented actor, but I've been too close to you for this journey and I know you're much less insane than you pretend."

Raven pretended shock, "How could you imply that I'm normal?"

"Oh, I didn't say that you were normal, you aren't. But I did say you are less insane than you pretend to be."

"Then what does that make me if not normal?"

"Normal people find a place of comfort and then hide in it, from the farmer to the cleric to the king to the bandit. It is normal for reckless youth to give way into complacent adulthood. But while that is normal it is also very foolish, and therefore insane."

Alex let that statement hang in the air until Raven remarked, "Proceed."

"You, Raven," Alex continued, "Are much too restless still, you have a curiosity and hunger that connects you with your inner child, and you lack the complacency to find a routine and stay there. You're a hunter, and that keeps your senses sharp, especially your mind. To be good at finding people hidden in the desert you need an even higher capacity to process probabilities and options than anyone who has a routine. Thus, you're much less insane because the insane man would make mistakes that would get him killed in your line of work.

"HOWEVER, the best course you have at your disposal to get people to lessen their guard around you is to assume that you are erratic, rather than meticulous. It forces them to remain extra defensive and hesitant, granting you time to plan each movement while probing for openings in both their mental and physical defenses."

"Tsk." Raven actually looked bothered by the assessment, "Nothing they ever wrote about you mentioned your analytical abilities. I'm glad we're not enemies, I wouldn't want to duel you or your mind."

"Oh, but your secret is safe with me." Alex smirked conspiratorially, "I'm rather reckless and restless myself."

"Does your mind ever shut off?"

Demon piped up, "In my ten years of exposure to it...hard no."

Raven looked back at Demon, lounging in her basket, "And you are accustomed to this?"

Demon began to lick herself, pausing only to say, "Silence would be worse. Even with the few things I wish he'd stop obsessing about his thoughts are never just noise, so I'm never bored, just annoyed from time to time."

Alex and Raven looked at each other and Alex shrugged, "I have a lot to think about."

Raven mused, "I wonder what it's like in there."

"You don't want to know."

"But I do."

Demon made a light groan, "Really you don't."

"You said you were fine with it."

"I'm a demon, you want to share thoughts with me too."

Raven was about to speak then reconsidered, "Maybe later in my life. I think I have a few things I need to spend more time thinking about in privet first."

The rest of the night was quite, and as the shadow of Tutmanu 'Taliku slowly grew to encompass more and more of the sky the bison teams seemed to quicken their gait. It was like even the animals could feel that their reprieve was at hand as soon as they could get into that place.