The next morning, Reo and Calliope set out to continue their journey. Calliope and Nita are in the garden gathering fruit and vegetables. They seem to be getting on well considering how closed off Calliope is. Reo however, is inside looking over a map of the continent, the argument between him and Nita last night is taking over his mind. He never really thought about it until she pointed it out. He's not only a traitor in Allori, he's also a fugitive in Sunarai. Hopefully the caravan that Clementine found for them won't be too suspicious.
They'll reach Sunarai in about a week, and it will take roughly a month and a half to cross the vast country. Calliope and Nita return both with arms full of delectable things from Nita's garden. Nita helps them finish packing and sends them off. She gives Calliope a huge bear hug. Calliope seems baffled at first but returns the hug gingerly. Nita also pulls Reo into a tight embrace and kisses his forehead.
"A word of advice min kjaere, Calliope is a remarkable young woman. It will do you well to keep her in good company." What happened last night runs through Reo's mind. His face gets warm at the thought of Calliope being so close to him. Nita seems to notice and waggles her eyebrows. Reo rolls his eyes and she laughs in response. "And another thing, on your way back, please stop by so I can make sure you two are still alive." Reo runs to catch up with Calliope.
"Don't worry, Nita we will!" He yells over his shoulder. Nita's village is soon a speck in the distance behind them.
After walking for a couple of hours, Reo asks, "Do you like her?"
"Who? Nita? Yeah, I like her, she's sweet." Calliope seems oddly dismissive and she stares off into space. Reo worries for a moment that he said something wrong.
"Is everything okay?" He asks. She shakes her head.
"No, everything is okay. I'm just thinking." Reo brushes his shoulder against hers. She pushes him away with a small smile creeping around her features. Reo takes it as a small victory on his part. Over the past few weeks, he's grown to adore her smile.
"What are you thinking about?" He asks. Her face falls into a melancholic expression. Reo mentally kicks himself. She opens her mouth, then closes it again. Her eyebrows knit together in thought.
"I was thinking about my mother, Nita reminds me of her," She says softly. Her expression changes to that of a content one. He tries to imagine what Calliope's mother is like. Reo imagines a woman who is an older version of Calliope with Nita's affectionate and fiery mannerisms.
"If she is like Nita I would love to meet her one day." Calliope shrugs and looks down at her feet.
"She would really like you. She enjoys being in the company of Valors."
"Nah, she would just fall prey to my dazzling personality." Calliope sticks her tongue at him and elbows his side.
"Dazzling my ass." Reo places a hand to his chest.
"Calliope Xander, you wound me so." She starts to laugh. The sound sends Reo's heart into a frenzy. He could listen to that sound for the rest of his life and never get tired of it.
Over the next week, the duo continues their cycle of walking all day only stopping for small periods of rest and to camp for the night. They finally reach the Roscha-Sunarai border. The difference between the two countries is night and day. The Roscha side has lush grasses and plains as far as the eye can see. The Sunarai side however has very dry brushes and hard, cracked earth. If Reo remembers correctly, about seven miles away from the border is where the Sunarai desert begins. The Suna call it alifaari alaphir, The Great Wasteland. It's eight-hundred miles of barren desert completely uninhabitable. Some Suna cities try their luck and settle just on the outside but other than that, nothing can survive long term. Reo scopes out the area, looking for the caravan Clementine promised them. Sure enough Reo spots it in the distance. The caravan is very small with only two covered wagons and several people on horse-drawn buggies. As they move closer, Reo notices that they all look very similar, a nomadic family perhaps? Reo approaches a girl that looks to be his age. She's tall and very voluptuous with shoulder length jet black hair that curls at the ends. Her vibrant green eyes offset her copper skin. She jumps when she notices Reo and Calliope. She quickly fixes herself before addressing them.
"Hello, who might you two be?" She asks, thankfully in Roschan.
"We've been sent here by Clementine Lands, she said that there would be a caravan here to escort us across Sunarai." She flashes them a stunning smile.
"Yes! Please follow me." She leads them to one of the covered wagons where a burly man is seated in the front by the horses. He has thinning black hair accompanied with bushy eyebrows and an even bushier moustache and his skin reminds Reo of aged leather. His eyes are the same vibrant green as the girl's.
"Papa, the travellers have arrived." The girl says in Suna. The man looks up from the branch he's whittling and gives them a harsh stare. Reo feels Calliope tense up beside him. He stares at them for a while longer before breaking out into a grin.
"I see, welcome to our family caravan, my name is Rahim Atiyeh." He motions to the girl. "This is my daughter, Asra." Asra gives them a small wave. Reo, sensing Calliope's uneasiness, speaks for them.
"Thank you for your kindness Mr.Atiyeh. My name is Reo and this is Calliope." She gives Rahim and Asra a curt nod. Rahim jumps off the wagon and claps Calliope on the back to which she reels away immediately.
"Don't be so uptight, we don't bite." She laughs nervously in response. Reo squeezes Calliope's shoulder comfortingly and she relaxes a little. Asra twirls her hair with a pained expression.
"I'm sorry about my dad, he can be a little much." She then brings them to the back of the wagon and opens the canvas to reveal a lush interior. The benches on either side are covered with plush red cushions. Tapestries cover the surrounding canvas and in the center is a small table with an unfinished tapestry to add to the collection. "It's not much, but it's home. We'll be on our way soon, but for now make yourselves comfortable." She leaves the two of them alone. Calliope plops down in the corner farthest from the entrance and pulls her knees to her chest. A pang of worry flutters through Reo. He sits beside her.
"Something on your mind?" She turns her head in his direction and rests her head on her knees.
"I just don't trust Sunas. You seem oddly comfortable considering you know…" She waves her hand to emphasize her point. So much had happened in the past fifteen minutes that he didn't have time to realize that he's in enemy territory as a fugitive. Anxiety and fear start to nab at him. He shakes the thought from his mind.
"I don't want to think about it that's all." She seems to accept that answer because she nods once.
"Also, it would also be smart for you to not tell them you speak Suna."
"Oh yeah, that would be smart, wouldn't want to raise suspicion," He says while scratching his chin. She rolls her eyes. They sit in comfortable silence until Asra pops back in.
"Alright, we're about to head out. Got everything you need?"
"Yes, thank you." Calliope says flatly. She enters the wagon with two other women, one middle aged and the other much older. Based on their looks Reo assumes it's Asra's mother and grandmother maybe? Asra stomps on the floor twice. Reo knocks into Calliope as the wagon starts to move. A light smile brightens her face accompanied with her laugh that reminds Reo of the beautiful and crisp sound of wind chimes.