Tomoe had gotten used to travel, and she was ready to deal with more of it. Still, she never liked deserts. The sun's heat bore down on her. Winds battered sand into her eyes. And her socks got filled with sand every time she dismounted her camel.

Riding on such a horrible, foul creature was a new experience for her as well. Tomoe had to eat the horse she inherited from her parents during her travels, but she was at least somewhat used to that animal. Camels, on the other hand, were a new experience for her.

The onna bugeisha had endured this for a few days since she left the Remen camp with Demetrius and his retainers. But now, she was showing signs of fatigue. Her body was slumped, her forehead was a bit red, and her breaths were heavy.

Demetrius looked back from his horse. Emotional pain flashed through him. He had wanted to get a horse for Tomoe, but the camp couldn't spare any. So, they had to give her a camel that was used to carry supplies. Even that could be considered very generous for a random foreigner, seeing as Tomoe had refused to become a citizen of the Remen Empire.

And seeing Tomoe suffer under the hot sun filled Demetrius with another sort of pain. He clenched his horse's reigns tighter.

"I want to help her, I really do, but if I keep helping Tomoe, she might fall for me. We are bound together by fate, but if she marries me, she might suffer the same fate Mother did," Demetrius thought. "I can't let that happen. Maybe I can have Ganzaya help her instead? He's a married man."

The Stratigos then rode over to the Ulv.

"Ganzaya," Demetrius spoke.

"Yes, despótēs?" the Steppe nomad asked.

"Tomoe is doing poorly in the heat. Go help her."

Ganzaya nodded.

"At once, despótēs," he said.

The Ulv rode over to the girl and handed her a waterskin. Tomoe looked at it before looking at Ganzaya.

"Stratigos Demetrius sent me," Ganzaya stated. "He was worried about you."

In her Grekken lessons since they left the camp, Tomoe had learned enough to understand what Ganzaya was saying.

"Domo arigato," Tomoe said, taking the waterskin and drinking from it.

Her face massively cleared up after that. She felt much better.

Ganzaya raised an eyebrow.

"That is thanks in your home language, yes?" he asked.

Tomoe nodded. There was a sense of grimness among the two of them. Ganzaya felt it as clear as day. He looked Tomoe up and down, seeing far more than travel fatigue in her.

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"She's the same age as my daughter. Khishigten is with her husband right now, but Tomoe is alone. Well, she has Demetrius, but I doubt that boy's trying to be close to her. In any case, someone as young as Tomoe should not feel anything similar to how I feel. I should cheer her up somehow, or at least get close to her so she can tell me what's the matter," Ganzaya thought before speaking. "Tomoe, you see that rock over there?"

He pointed out into the desert. There was a rock a great distance away. Tomoe squinted her eyes for a moment before nodding.

"Yes," she said.

"Watch this," Ganzaya instructed.

He pulled out his bow and put an arrow in it. After taking a moment to aim, Ganzaya loosed the arrow. It flew through the air and hit the rock. Tomoe looked on with amazement.

"Even most samurai wouldn't have hit the rock from this far away. This man must be a master archer," she thought before speaking. "Impressive. You are..."

"Ganzaya, the greatest warrior of the Ulvs," he introduced himself. "Do not feel bad if you couldn't have hit that rock. Few are as talented with the bow as me."

Tomoe 100% believed that he was the greatest warrior of whoever the Ulvs were. A tinge of fear flashed through Tomoe. She had wanted a duel to the death, but now that she met someone like Ganzaya...a part of her was regretting her desire.

"Hope you don't bother that I woman fight," she jumbled up her words in her sudden fear.

Ganzaya put his bow away to set Tomoe at ease.

"It is no trouble at all. Some women among the people of the Steppe fight. It is rare, but it happens sometimes," he said.

"Women of samurai class train in combat," Tomoe replies. "If someone fight when men gone, defend lands."

"I suppose it's similar on the Steppe," Ganzaya stated.

A hint of sorrow passed over his eyes. Ganzaya looked at the sky wistfully.

"The Steppe is a harsh place. It keeps us from getting soft but at a great cost. Every man, woman, and child must be able to take care of themselves. If they cannot, they will die," he said. "Was your homeland harsh too?"

Tomoe shook her head.

"It wasn't for most people. At least, not before the demon king showed up. But I don't know the Grekken words for this. I'll convey what I can," she thought before speaking. "No. But samurai have things others do not. We have power but more things."

Ganzaya scratched his beard.

"Things? You mean, duties?" he asked.

Tomoe nodded her head, guessing that this was what he meant based on some things she heard Demetrius say.

"Ah, a member of the ruling class," Ganzaya nodded.

His gaze then turned to Demetrius.

"You know, a lot of my people look down on the Remens. One of my enemies did, and he paid the price for it. They say the Remens are soft, that they live cushy lives. That might be the case for some Remens, certainly, but not all," Ganzaya recalled. "And after what happened to my wife...I no longer think a soft life is necessarily a bad thing."

A deep melancholy crossed his face.

"The people of the Remen Empire wake up every day knowing that they won't starve to death unless there's a drought or blight. Their women know that if a man violates them, the full force of the law will be brought down on him. And aside from those on the borders, most Remens don't have to worry about getting killed in raids. A life like that...isn't bad at all," Ganzaya said.

Tomoe tilted her head. She did not understand most of what Ganzaya said, but she got the idea that he was not in a good state.

"You okay?" she questioned.

"Never mind my ramblings," Ganzaya waved it off. "I'm certain you have problems of your own to worry about. If you ever want to talk about them, just let me know."

With that, Ganzaya rode back over to Demetrius.