[Stomoxys]

I slept until lunch and woke well rested. Wolfram was drawing a contraption, that turned out to be a harness for their new bear shape. Hylda was not very impressed and Yana offered to take measures. We could then get saddle makers to make a proper harness, though we might have to pay them extra to keep quiet.

Keri appeared and were drinking alcohol as usual. They suggested that we should bring a flock of goats that the apeoids could eat. It would be disgusting, but the goats would be able to find enough grass to reach The Desert Lake. They would then be slaughtered before we went into the desert. Wolfram said they would be able to carry so much food that it would not be necessary and asked Keri to come along to see their shape. It would be best to let Keri adjust to it before we took off.

We packed up enough provisions to last for a day for me and Wolfram and Keri, Yana, and Nuur-Karif came with us to the place Wolfram had tested the Amna stone. Wolfram thought they would need four times as much food as a normal human, so my backpack was full.

When we reached the bowl, Wolfram began transforming. Keri did not like what they saw, but remained calm. Their only comment was that Wolfram should refrain from transforming near the inn. In response, Wolfram licked them.

I helped Yana take the measures they needed for the harness. Due to the shear size of the bear, it required a bit of climbing and a couple of ropes, but we managed in about half an hour.

When we were done, Yana and Nuur-Karif went to look for a saddle maker while Keri went to find more alcohol. Wolfram had said that they felt uneasy about me in their bear shapes, so I created an image of an apeoid from Annabelle. It did not seem to make much difference though.

The apeoids from Annabelle tended to be darker in the skin, but my image had white spots on their skin. I had not planned for this and I thought it must be a side effect of my shining skin.

I climbed up on the back of the bear and they set off into the desert. Its six feet propelled it forward at great speed and I had to hold on to its fur to stay on. With a bit of practice, I got more used to its movements and were able to let go. Trying to do anything with my hands, like firing my bow, would be risky though.

The bear had great stamina and trundled along between sand dunes in the heat of Ajaw. Occasionally, we stopped to navigate or eat. It was great to be away from the apeoids in the city and if I concentrated, I was able to shut out the bear as well. I imagined this would be what it would feel like to be a master herder riding a gargantuan.

During our breaks, I was struck by the stillness and monotony of the desert. Rolling sand dunes was the only thing I could see in all directions and there were no sounds except for the occasional rustle of the wind over the crest of the dunes. Towards nightfall, this began to change. We stopped about an hour away from the inn to study the stars. In the dark, I could hear the scurrying of bugs and other small critters.

In the desert, I could dance undisturbed and wanted to know if Arland had moved further north. The bear lay down to drowse while I danced and my skin was lighting up in all the colours of the northern lights. As I danced, an image began to form, but just as it was about to disentangle, it evaporated. This was surprising, and I wanted to meditate a bit, but we had to get back to the inn. Wolfram turned into a human and we began to walk.

As we walked, it struck me that north had come closer to Arland not the other way around. It did not feel like my own thoughts, so it must have come from the stars. Perhaps I subconsciously registered the image and what it shoved.

The concept got me thinking of stories I had heard about The Eternal Plains north of Arland. Sometimes, the plains would be covered snow. The apeoids there would somehow know in advance and start migrate. Sometimes, traders would arrive and find their settlements abandoned and herds gone. However, the steppe apeoids did not or could not tell outsiders how they knew.

We returned to the inn and met the others. This night, we decided it was not necessary to keep a night watch and I slept in the storeroom.