The walk back through the tunnel had been way easier.
Perhaps because she was well rested and suffered no hunger or thirst.
Perhaps because she had no weight over her back.
Perhaps because she was not alone anymore.
As holding hands would have impeded their progress through the narrow tunnel, Ali Baba suggested using a piece of cloth and tying it around their wrists so they wouldn't get separated.
He moved ahead of her, making sure to stop and check on her every few steps or warn her of uneven ground.
She really appreciated having someone guiding her this time around, though she insisted it should have been the other way around, since she had already come through it once. Ali Baba wouldn't hear a word of it.
They had spent the night by the pond and woke up early and bright. Ali Baba had had a decent heap of golden pebbles by then.
