Lica went back to bed, but she couldn't sleep. Different thoughts were running in her head. The girl got up and quietly left the cave. The sky was getting light.
"A day is breaking soon!" Angelica said aloud. "So, no use to go to bed."
"You have already got up?!" she heard the voice of the sorcerer behind. "That's good, because we have to set off as soon as possible. It's better to leave early in the morning and try to move as far as possible because during the day it's too hot in the desert. But I think it's unnecessary to tell you that! Edward and Isa are preparing horses."
"Good morning!" they heard Leila's voice. "Father, I have put some food for you."
"Excellent," said Huron. "Give the basket with food to Isa and tell him to tie it to one of the saddles."
She nodded and ran along the path. A few minutes later Lica saw Prince Edward and Isa, leading the horses. The sorcerer's daughter was walking after them.
"Horses are ready!" Isa said.
"Good morning, Angelica!" Edward smiled. "I hope you're ready for a journey?"
"I am always ready!" grinned Lica
"Well, we should say good-bye!" Huron said, referring to Leila.
He came to her daughter and hugged her tightly. Then turned to Isa and said:
"Isa, now you are the head of the family. I believe you and I hope that you will stand by my daughter! Goodbye!"
Huron came up and hugged the young man. After that, he jumped into the saddle so easy that one could hardly say that he was an old man. The Prince and Isa shook hands and Edward sat on his horse. Angelica came to Leila, hugged her and whispered in her ear:
"Good-bye, my friend! Be happy! May be you should put a spell on him."
Lica looked down at Isa.
"Good-bye!" quietly said Leila. "Thank you for everything. I am not going to put spell on him; people say sick children are born if you put spell on a man. I hope everything will be fine without magic!"
"Then may I kiss him on the cheek at parting?" Angelica asked quietly.
Leila nodded.
Isa was holding Lica's horse and patiently waiting the girls saying goodbye. Finally, he saw Angelica was going toward him. The girl went to the young man, kissed him on the cheek and said:
"Thanks for everything, Isa! I will never forget you!"
"I hope so! And remember what I said to you that time near the mountain was absolute truth!"
He helped Lica to climb into the saddle, and three riders went away from the cave. Leila waved them with a handkerchief and Isa sadly looked at Angelica. Lica felt unbearable pain in her heart, but she calmed herself down, thinking that Leila was a nice girl and Isa would be happy with her.
It was a long journey. First, our heroes got out of the mountains and then they were riding through the yellow sands of the desert.
"How do you think Huron," suddenly asked Edward, "will we be able to cross the desert before nightfall?"
"I don't think so..." grimly said the sorcerer. "But I know a peaceful nomadic tribe here. We can stay at night with them!"
"It would be nice! I don't want to meet with sandy Snakes again," the Prince smiled.
"We are lucky, the season of winds has already finished," said Huron, "so we should try to ride as far as possible today!"
And the riders continued their way. The sun was slowly rising in the horizon, shining more and more dunes. Soon it became really hot.
"We'd rather swathe our heads with cloth," said the sorcerer. "It will be easier to stand the scorching heat."
Our heroes stopped. Huron made them something like a turban on the heads. After that, it was really easier to ride. For the half of the day our riders were going without stops, but finally, exhausted horses began to stumble.
"There is an oasis near here. We need to go there and give our horses a rest!" briefly said the sorcerer.
He turned slightly to the left, and soon a few palm trees appeared on the horizon. It was a small green island in the middle of the desert.
Reaching it, Angelica with pleasure fell down under the shadow of the trees. Prince Edward and Huron opened the well and watered the horses. It was exhausting heat.
"We'll have a rest no more than one hour," warned the sorcerer. "Otherwise, we risk not getting the camp of nomads until the dark time."
Lica didn't want to go anywhere. Moreover, she did not even want to move, but she couldn't say no to Huron. Edward took a basket with provision Leila gave them, and gave some food to Angelica.
"You look tired!" he said. "You certainly need to eat something!"
"Prince, I am not hungry!" she tried to talk back, but Prince Night insisted that she ate some bread and drank some herbal tea. After that, Lica felt much better.
"Tell me, Huron," Edward turned to the sorcerer, "what about the camp of nomads? The desert is quite dangerous place to stay for a night!"
"You are right. It is dangerous. But there are some stony places in the desert. Apparently, before there the mountains were. The indigenous people know where these areas are and stay there for a night. Sandy Snakes cannot break through the stones, so they usually do not go there. Furthermore, snakes, like all other animals, are terrified of fire and nomads usually build fire around their camp..."
"But where they get firewood?" Angelica surprised. "Only sand is everywhere!"
"You're wrong!" Huron grinned. "There are many different plants and shrubs in the desert. You need to know where they grow. In addition, on the outskirts of the desert there is a huge field of coal, which they use to start fire."
"By the way," Edward chimed in, "don't you think that it's time to go?"
"Yes," nodded the sorcerer, "we've been here longer than we'd scheduled."
Our heroes quickly gathered the provisions, mounted the horses and went on. After resting the animals galloping more quickly and the sun did not seem to be so scorching. The riders were going without stops. The sun was climbing to the zenith.
"The camp of nomads must be near!" said Huron. "One more hour and we are there."