The familiar outline of the settlement came into view just as the sun tilted low across the desert.
Even from a distance, the sight of the tents warmed my chest a bit. I missed the twins quite a bit on this run, maybe because I barely saw them the last time before leaving again.
There was the faint smoke of fires curling into the sky and a low murmur of people moving about; it was home, or the closest thing to it since I was transported here.
Jamila walked beside me, her pace steady, her eyes warm at the sight before us.
Even Sahar's shoulders straightened when she caught sight of the clan's banners snapping in the wind.
The call went back as scouts spotted us. A wave of voices shouted our return, and people began gathering even before we crossed the settlement's outermost markers. Children darted ahead of their parents, laughing excitedly and pointing at us as we returned.
"Tua Miasha has returned!" someone cried.
