Shortly, she heard a shy female voice sputtering some gibberish. Cureth had briefly surveyed her surroundings. She was in the desert, still. In a covered wagon, her clothing had been changed and her wound crudely dressed. She was covered with heavy bearskin blankets and there was a half-empty wineskin next to the straw mat. The female was asking her a question. Cureth still didn’t understand her words and just stared blankly at the large blue eyes. She opened the ruddy curtains at the far end of the wagon and stepped back out, allowing the hot winds to drag at Cureth’s fading senses.

The flap was reopened and this time, a man entered. Behind him stood the familiar blue-eyed female holding a stone bowl and three other men wearing the same light clothing as Cureth had been dressed in.

Djirak was apparently the leader of the group. He was the most experienced and familiar with the desert terrain and the others looked to him for direction, but nothing else. He was quiet and sometimes aloof, presenting an intimidating feeling when he did speak. The others were more personable. Lita cooked and danced for the men, and sometimes provided "comforts" which none were readily willing to explain to Cureth. Before she learned to ride and when there was a shortage of desert-horses, Cureth rode with Heidelman. He was the first to explain Lita’s "comforts." He also seemed more down-to-earth and more patient with the inquisitive 8-year old. Hoonta was more cowardly than the rest, including Lita. He dabbled in some small magicks which fascinated Cureth, but made the group wary and suspicious of him. Lastly, Djirak’s closest friend amongst the group was Bryant. He had an almost intuitive knowledge of the desert residents and their ways, though he was deathly afraid of the living dead and would not approach within ten feet of Cureth for several weeks. It was only Lita and Heidelman who saved Cureth and convinced the others to let her stay until they could find a suitable town where she could find her own way.

The group spent time out in the desert searching lost ruins and plundering dusty tombs of their sacred treasures. Cureth mostly stood outside, holding the horses or if that was unsafe, Lita or Heidelman would keep close watch on her within the ancient structures. She finally gained acceptance during one of these expeditions by pointing out a floor with no supports. She quietly quoted her father’s ramblings about architecture when she was challenged. Cautious enough to listen to reason whether it came from a child's memories or the sky, Djirak tested the floor with heavy stone from a collapsed column. He leapt back as the floor in front of him crashed down under the 80 pound stone and quietly chose another corridor.

Before the group had returned for supplies the second time, Cureth had been acknowledged as part of the group and regularly went into the tombs and ruins with them. Though she still rarely spoke and rested through the night in tears and terrifying nightmares, she managed to make friends of the group. For fear of rejection and losing her new family, she refused to display the weakness and instability she thought that crying and nightmares would represent to the others. Hoonta performed simple tricks for Cureth until she began pointing out how they were being performed. Then, he began to impress her with real magicks. Even Bryant and Djirak grew more comfortable with her around the campfire when she was there, though the latter still rarely spoke.