| They made it to the oasis, and took long gulps from the pool of brackish
water. As well as the pool, surrounded by a patch of grass, the oasis boasted
a couple of palm trees, which provided them with some welcome shade to
lie beneath after they had drunk their fill.
Princess Astra examined her reddened skin ruefully. "We're both going
to have some painful sunburn after this," she said. "It was good of you
to give up your shirt like that to protect me from being burnt by my fetters.
It was the act of a true gentleman. Which reminds me. You don't have to
avert your gaze from me the whole time, you know. I'm not so modest that
I'd prefer talking to the back of your head the whole time to having you
see me naked." Fred blushed, and forced himself to look at Astra, trying
to keep his gaze upon her face as much as possible. "That's better," she
said, and smiled at him.
The only food that the oasis offered was a couple of dates on one of
the palms, so they clearly could not remain there for long. They decided
to try to sleep during daylight hours, and when dusk fell they would move
on. They hoped they would find somewhere more hospitable before conditions
got too unbearably hot the next day, though they knew the odds were not
good.
When dusk fell, and a full moon rose:
-
 They left. After walking
an hour or so, they saw by the moonlight the outline of a tower on the
horizon.
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