The next morning, Msaka rose earlier than he had grown accustomed to in Shapier. He had a caravan to join, and certainly didn't want to miss its departure. Glancing out the window, he noted that the sky was still dark, indicating that he had some time yet.

He didn't need to pack anything, at least. He'd taken care of that the previous night, making certain to stow the vegetables properly so they wouldn't fall out unexpectedly again. Calling his staff to his hand, he spent a short time performing one last casting session.

"I'm not likely to get much opportunity for this during the trip," he thought. "I just hope nothing disastrous happens along the way."

Finally, his staff winked out, depleted. Realizing there wasn't anything more to do, he pulled on his robe and sandals, and shouldered his pack, taking some comfort from the fact that he'd finally got used to getting into the robe without too much of a struggle.

With that, he stepped out of the room, strode through the inn, and stepped out into the gate plaza. The pre-dawn air was cool and still, though there was an unusual number of people passing through the plaza for the time of day. Most, however, were heading out the front gate, many of them bearing various bags and bundles. Others were coming back in, freed of their burdens.

Msaka made his own way across the plaza and out the front gate. He looked around him as he did, attempting to spot anyone that looked like they might be in charge. He didn't need to look for long. Standing off to one side of the crowd of sauruses, workers, and riders were a duo who stood out from the crowd, and probably would have among any crowd.

The first of the pair was a merchant dressed in travelling clothes, smoking a pipe as he chatted with his companion. He looked somewhat overweight, and an ornate looking scimitar was sheathed at his hip. His features were refined, but not so much as to look out of place among a trading caravan.

His large companion, however, was what made the pair stand out. He seemed to be a cross between a horse and a human, similar in overall shape to the liontaurs of Tarna. Msaka recalled that this kind of creature was properly known as a centaur. Curiously though, he noted that the centaur's head was humanlike rather than that of a horse, which certainly was different than liontaurs, whose heads were those of lions and not humans.

Msaka approached the pair, who broke off their conversation as he neared. Not wanting to waste time, Msaka began the conversation. "I've been told you're travelling to Rasier, which is where I want to go. What terms are you offering if I join you for the trip there as a guard?"

The centaur watched in silence as the merchant eyed Msaka for a few moments, the latter puffing serenely on his pipe. "In your case, ten dinars in coin, as well as food, water, and a saurus to ride should you need one."

"Done," Msaka declared, not bothering to haggle over the pay. The offer wasn't bad, and money was of secondary importance to getting where he needed to go.

"Good," the merchant declared in turn. "You can serve as a magical scout as you've become famous for doing, as well as defending the caravan should it be needed." The merchant pointed with his pipe to a small throng of saddled sauruses. "Go pick out one for yourself. Tell the handler that Tahyr gave you permission. Be ready to go when the goods have been loaded, and join us at the front."

Msaka nodded and walked over to the collection of mounts to select one for himself. He spent some time checking each of them, trying to determine which would be most suitable, telling the handler he'd been sent by Tahyr as instructed. In the end, though, he was forced to admit to himself that he really didn't know enough about sauruses to tell whether any of them were better than the rest, so he simply picked one at random, climbing into the saddle without any difficulty. Riding the saurus slowly to the front of the still-assembling caravan, he remembered with displeasure the first few days he'd ridden with the other caravan. His legs had felt ready to fall off until he'd grown used to riding the animal. He certainly hoped that wouldn't happen again this time.

He waited quietly for the caravan to finish assembling, soon being joined by the other members who would be riding up front, including the merchant and the centaur. The centaur, it turned out, was to lead the caravan, even though it was the merchant who owned the goods being transported.

At last, the caravan departed Shapier, riding off into the desert as the sun began to rise.