– You should drink some water, too… Drink as much as you like; luckily there are plenty of streams around," Evans glanced at her friend, but he was still sitting next to Sylvia and didn't seem to want to move.

– Thank you, I feel better already… Or rather, I feel fine," the demoness took a couple of sips of cold fresh water and handed the flask to the healer. Then she rose to her feet and grinned, shaking off the skirt of her long black dress: "How strange that I, born in the heart of fire, fainted from some miserable sun! Or perhaps in Emmerlend even the sun has some magical power and hates demons? No need, Evans, I'm not cold at all," she added hastily, as Evans tried again to put a warm cloak over her. – You're not cold either, are you, Astrid?

– It's not cold… It's more like I'm dying of heat, and I'd love to hide in the shade… But there's not a tree or a bush around, just bloody sand! – Astrid replied tiredly, and laying down on her back, muttered to herself: – I wish I could sleep for a couple of hours… At least in this damned heat!

– Alas, we can't afford that luxury. We have to get to the market and back to the house before sunset," Sylvia said in an apologetic tone.

– What? You're talking to me? – Astrid raised her eyebrows in surprise.

– To you," the queen smiled softly.

– But how… I was speaking very quietly," Astrid said incredulously.

Evans frowned and glanced at his friend, thinking that the coldness between the ladies had returned.

– But I heard you as I hear you now. – Sylvia tilted her head to the side. – And that's very unusual, because in Kaldwind-" Suddenly her face brightened. – Evans! – "Is it possible that my powers have come back to me? How could I have forgotten? We are in Emmerlend!

– It seems so! – Evans's face lighted up too. – But you'll have to try using your powers to find out for sure. I've heard demons have telekinesis?

Astrid looked at the demoness with some favor in her eyes and waited breathlessly for Sylvia to reach out her hand to the small stone. But the stone didn't budge, and all three of them hummed perplexedly.

– I think I jumped to conclusions too soon," the queen said quietly and lowered her hand.

– But you've got your demonic hearing back, and that's a good thing," Evans encouraged her. – I think your powers will come back to you gradually.

– What good would that do? – Astrid said sarcastically. – We'll go back to Kaldwind anyway, and Sylvia's powers will be gone again! And how nice it would be if they stayed! Then we could easily kill the monsters that guard the precious herbs! As it is… We'll have to sweat. – The girl opened the water flask and drank it greedily, but her strength never returned.

– You don't look well… So pale. – Evans walked over to her friend and caressed her in the somewhat disheveled braids she'd braided on the way to the gorge. – 'If you want, we'll still rest for a couple of hours…'

– There's more. I don't want to delay our company," Astrid replied firmly, waving her hand away from Evans' palm. – I'll be as bright as pure silver…" She met Sylvia's surprised gaze and grinned, "That's what people like me call silver coin. We have our own lingo, crude and incomprehensible to the ear of a well-bred princess.

– I hope you will teach it to me, so that I can respond to my husband, when he once again pisses me off, – smiled the demoness, not a little offended. – But let's share a meal: I'm so hungry that my stomach is aching like a cat whose tail has been stepped on.

Astrid and Evans laughed good-naturedly, and in a few minutes the travelers were happily munching on softly crusty bread with delicious brown cheese, which Sylvia and Evans had bought from an Emmerlend farmer they had met on their way.