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When the rest are ready and are about to head out, Zyrn comes forward. “Thank you all again,” he says with sincerity.

“You’re welcome,” replies James. “Take care.” With that he kicks his horse and soon they are galloping across the sand on their way east.

Zyrn watches them go. Elated at the demise of the deadly grayness, yet at the same time filled with sadness over what his village has done. Can he ever go back and have things return to normal? That’s the question that has weighed on his mind ever since Khalim was sacrificed.

But, they are his people, misguided though they were. Deciding to return and try to cope, he turns back to the other villagers and with them begins working out a way to harvest the glass quickly before someone else comes and takes it. With it, his people will not have to worry for a very, very long time.

When at last the mage and his companions disappear out of sight, he returns to the work at hand.

For the next several hours James and the rest ride quickly as they circumvent the perimeter of the glass field. Upon reaching the eastern edge, they angle more to the southeast to put distance between it and them.

When the sun at last reaches the horizon and is on the verge of sinking into night, James calls a halt. Fatigued and tired, the trials of the last twenty four hours have left him on the brink of passing out. Leaving the details of camp to the others, he quickly gets his bedroll and lays it out. In no time at all, he falls asleep.

The following morning it again dawns clear and sunny, heralding another hot summer day. James is the last to get up. The others had allowed him to sleep himself out, so he woke up several hours after sunrise. A quick meal and they’re once again in the saddle.

James takes out his cloth and finds that Tinok still lies in the same general direction as the day before, to the southwest. Replacing the cloth back in his pouch, they get underway.

Cutting cross-country, they don’t make the best time but they don’t encounter anyone either. Late in the morning a village appears before them. On the eastern side of the village lies an orchard of date palms such as they’ve encountered before in the different oasis.

“Could use some dates,” suggests Potbelly.

James glances to Jiron who nods in agreement. “Very well,” he says. Angling his horse toward the orchard, he leads them there.

A farmhouse stands amidst the orchard. The farmer sees them coming and makes his way from the orchard on a course to intercept them before they reach the house. He calls out to those in the house and several lads who are obviously his sons appear and move to join him. In their hands are clutched a variety of weapons including a crossbow. Seems they’ve had problems with strangers before.

As his sons hurry to join him, the farmer holds up his hand and asks, “How can I help you sirs?” After translating for the others Reilin comes forward and begins haggling for a couple small casks of dates.

The sons visibly relax once they learn they are here to purchase dates. However, they remain where they are just in case.

As the others wait for the haggling to come to an end, Brother Willim gazes around at the date trees. “They’re quite healthy,” he says quietly to James. “This farmer is good for the land.”

“Some are bad?” he asks.

“Oh yes,” he replies. “Just because a man’s a farmer doesn’t make him a good one.” He continues to gaze around the orchard then his eyes widen and a slight gasp escapes him.

James notices his reaction and asks, “What?”

Nodding his head to indicate an area on the edge of the orchard, he says, “Look there.”

James looks but only sees a pile of leaves and dates lying on the ground. “I don’t see anything,” he tells him.

“It’s a Vyrilyzk,” he replies.

“I never heard of that,” James says.

“It’s an offering to the earth spirits,” he says. Glancing to James he says, “It’s an old custom. Farmers take the first of the harvest, surround it with leaves, and leave it for the earth spirits. It’s supposed to give them a better