The hot desert air was a stark contrast to the winter breeze back on the Crossing isle, and Cerosi was unsure if this was a good thing. She had lived in a temperate climate her whole life, and though the summers had been hot, the winters had been long. She was used to the cold.

Still, it was nice how quickly her fur dried after the swim and she groomed herself a bit as the three of them gathered again on the sand. They had stuck close together in the waves, which had been a struggle for Cerosi who wanted badly enough to be out of the damned water that she nearly left the other two behind. Patience was not a virtue of hers, but she stuck with her new companions nevertheless. She didn’t know what this new world had in store for her, but she did understand narcissism and betrayal, and she knew they only got you so far before it came back around.

When Nasa thanked Cain for the sanctuary, Cerosi nodded her head in agreement. She could tell Cain was proud of his home, and though it might take her some time to get used to it, Cerosi did see a certain beauty in the unfamiliar land. It reminded her of her father, who had told her stories in the very short time she had known him of dry, barren lands. She had loved him then, and loved his stories, and even while she hated him now she could not bring herself to poison the stories with her loathing. She still loved them.

”It’s beautiful,” she said. Her coat was perhaps a few layers too thick for the heat, and her golden eyes scanned the territory for shade. She knew she would blow her winter coat out in a matter of days, and she’d just have to suffer until then, but anything helped. Even the shade of a scrawny little tree. She turned to Cain. ”Where does your herd live?” she asked, trying to hide the fact that she was desperate for water and possibly an escape from the sun. You’ll get used to it, she assured herself, and she knew that was true, but it was so damn hot. She knew it was unfair to be envious of N.asa’s sleek desert build, but she was, just a little.

• CEROSI •