The settlement was unlike anything Amara had expected. Built into the valley, its homes were smaller and more spaced out than those in Ukweli, with gardens of wild herbs and flowers weaving between them. A faint hum of life vibrated through the air—children playing near a stream, women tending to crops, and men carving tools in the shade of a massive baobab tree.
The old woman who had greeted them, known as Lila, led Amara and her group to a gathering space near the center of the settlement. The villagers, intrigued by the arrival of strangers, began to cluster around, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and wariness.
“We don’t get visitors often,” Lila said, her voice soft but steady as she gestured for the group to sit on mats spread across the ground. “Especially not from Ukweli.
