After being separated from William, Pero was left in the vast desert alone. It wasn't so bad, until the sun started to grow hotter and the sand, too. He was desperate for water and shelter, but his canteen was parched and there was no shade to be found. Exhausted, he collapsed---but not until a person atop a horse appeared above him. Before he had a chance to get a good look, he was out.

When he woke up, he was laying on a thin cot, a crackling fire not too far. The stars were out, but they were far too faint in the sky to see very well. But Pero wasn't worried about that. He was worried about his potentially dangerous "savior" on the other side of the fire.

Warily, yet still confident to keep his tough-guy facade up, he sat up, his head spinning from dehydration.