The Incense Road,part,4

The return of Harith's expedition had a deeper impact on Narala than any military success or time of abundance.Before the caravan arrived at the city, messengers on fast horses spread the news along trade routes.By the time the first camels appeared on the eastern horizon, thousands had gathered outside the city walls.Merchants left their stalls, children climbed rooftops for a better view, and elders who rarely left their shaded courtyards stood under the open sky, waiting to see those who had traveled to the distant south.The caravan looked different from when it had left months earlier.The animals were thinner, their hides marked by the hardships of the red desert.Many wagons carried no trade goods but wooden boxes filled with carved stones, broken pottery, bronze tools, and copies of old writings wrapped in leather.At first glance, these objects seemed ordinary, but each represented a voice brought back from silence after centuries buried under the sand.