A/N : I'm pretty impressed with my updates here lol I've been pretty bored :P this is just a short chapter but yea I promise it will get more exciting after this. Hope u like! On with the story…

Chapter 9

"Fer Lud's sake, stop Elspeth."

Dragging one aching foot after the other, I ignored Ceirwan, determined to keep pace. If I stopped now, we'd never find Dragon and Jik.

Ceirwan dismounted awkwardly off his horse and grabbed me, physically making me stop.

His face grew hazy as I stared at him and before I could push him away, I slumped onto the hard, desert ground, beaten.

"Maybe we should rest for a moment." I whispered hoarsely, throat burning with unquenched thirst.

Ceirwan wordlessly reached over to his bag and took out the two bottles of water we had left, handing one to me.

I raised my eyebrow at him mockingly as if it were amusing that he was thinking of giving one of the last bottles to me.

"Just drink it." He said impatiently.

I hesitated for a split second before gratefully guzzling down the entire contents of the bottle, smiling as I poured the last two droplets over my dry cracked lips.

Wiping his hand across his forehead, Ceirwan placed our last bottle back into his bag. "What are you doing?" I asked puzzled, my voice vaguely clearer now.

I noticed Ceirwan's shirt was dripping with sweat and he licked his lips vainly before answering me.

"We have to save it… it's our last one." He said matter-of-factly.

I groaned, not being able to summon enough energy in me to argue. Gradually, I began to feel nauseated with guilt that I had drunk the whole bottle without even offering Ceirwan any. I had thought he was going to drink the last bottle.

I had no idea how long we had been out here. Days, weeks, months, I could only speculate. We had taken turns in riding Ceirwan's horse, we had walked and rode through the storms and the Days of Rain and eventually to the intense heat of what we could only guess was a desert, though it could not of been Sador. We were hopelessly lost, in an empty land that was so completely desolate from any civilisation. I couldn't say how we even came to be here. Many times, I had passed out from the severe heat, lack of food and water and Ceirwan had many times carried me, as the horse he had brought was too tired to bear me.

I lay on the solid, rocky ground, in the most uncomfortable position, but at that time I couldn't of cared less. I could of slept for a hundred years, totally oblivious to my surroundings. Ceirwan looked even more haggard than I felt, but he never complained. I squinted, straining my eyes to see him clearly, even though he was only half a metre away from me.

"Elspeth…?" he begun, his voice muddled and unclear, echoing in the vast emptiness.

I was aware of him slowly getting up, but I couldn't see him distinctly. He was only haze and mist. I closed my eyes, knowing it was pointless to keep them open as I couldn't see a thing and felt arms wrap around me, lifting me, carrying me up somewhere high. I landed on something solid and soft appreciating the warmness of its body. Reaching blindly, I felt fur beneath my fingers and pushing myself downwards to lay on top of the animal, I dozed off, dreaming of swimming in a lake with Rushton on a hot summer's day.

I woke to find myself on Ceirwan's horse and depression set in as I discovered I was not dreaming. This was real.

I looked down and saw Ceirwan, hopelessly tired, sweat soaking his clothes and shoes. With measured steps, he stumbled over rock after rock, his face set, determined, to find Dragon and Jik.

"Ceirwan, stop." I mumbled, our roles reversing.

He ignored me just as I had, moving slowly towards an invisible goal.

I began to feel dizzy, the world spinning faster than usual. I shook my head, hands shaking and palms sweaty, trying to calm myself.

I slid exhausted, off the horse and down into an expectant Ceirwan's arms.

Buckling under my weight, his body too weak to hold me, we both dropped to the ground.

Angry tears welled in my eyes and I tumbled over onto my side away from Ceirwan so he couldn't see.

"We can't do this! It's hopeless." Ceirwan was the first to voice my fears.

I turned back around to him, staring into his filthy, worn out face, knowing I must look the same.

Then turning onto my back, staring at the sky I whispered,

"I'm sorry Matthew."

Ceirwan lay his head down and ran his hands over his face.

"I'm sorry Matthew." He whispered too, tears spilling down his face.

We lay there for hours, defeated and lost, famished and fatigued, desperately wanting to go home.

"I dinna want to die like this." Ceirwan choked.

I caught his thought of Freya and the tears welling in my eyes finally fell.

Grabbing his hand, we lay there for what seemed like forever.

Then the rain fell.