The next day we found an Abas Yar much recovered now from his ailments. The Beastmaster was more than accommodating when we found him in the early hours of the morning. Straighter of back, firmer of grip, and keener of eye was the old man, with none of the racking coughs that had pgued him. Bowing to me reverently, he found horses and tack for all of my party. Larynda, however, decred that she would be riding on Patches, causing the donkey to bray enthusiastically, as if in agreement.

  The question of Kidu was another matter, for the man was much too rge for any of the avaible horses. He would simply break their backs. The Hunter offered to run, but it was Abas who solved our predicament.

  The Beastmaster suggested that his nephew, Pakum, should come with us, with one of the train’s Xaruar. The boy would take the reins of the nd dragon and Kidu would sit behind him. I pitied the pair, for the bone armor ptes of the creature’s back did not look like the most comfortable of seats. This arrangement, as well as preventing the giant of a man from exhausting himself keeping pace with the horses, would also allow us to carry more baggage. The beast itself, Buttercup, a rge male who had been hatched by Pakum, would also intimidate some of the lesser creatures of the Wastes—or at least, so I was told.

  Pakum himself was a slip of a youth. I was told that he had seen sixteen summers, and he stood tall for his age, his short chestnut hair mirroring the hue of his eyes. However, the boy's slender form was pgued by the awkwardness of limbs still adjusting to their burgeoning growth. Added to this, his face was, in the manner of many adolescents, a map of the unwelcome encroachment of acne.

  Once he heard that we were ranging out to clear the way of Sandgorgers, Paku busied himself in preparation. He gathered wooden torches for our journey and armed himself with a modest sling, a spear, and a light mail shirt.

  The boy had none of the callow attitude so common among those of his age; he was quiet, respectful and, more importantly, knowledgeable and competent. Pakum seemed to have a strong bond with the animals, and the rge lizard and horses responded well to the boy’s commands. From my initial impression, I surmised that he would be a welcome addition to our forays.

  Preparation complete, we set off to kill as many of the creatures as possible.