They could already tell something felt different before even reaching the gate.
From afar, they saw the palm fronds drooping over the walls, bright green and large.
As they crossed the threshold, they found the town all around them bustling.
They could only look around for a moment before a certain girl ran to meet them. She bent over, trying to catch her breath, apparently having sprinted the whole distance across the town to meet them.
" You're late," she accused as they stood up straight.
" You're early!" Sindbad countered. " How did you get here before us?!"
The girl shrugged.
Maybe the place was initially closer to Al-yamama than they had thought, or maybe the Children of Sand lent them a hand to get home fast.
Nonetheless, she spent a whole week fretting about why Sindbad and the other didn't show up, worrying something might have happened to them on the way.
It didn't help at all that she wasn't able to spot them.
