Ziban proved to be a well-structured town, clean but sandy. The women pulled their veils over their eyes to survive it. Stephanie was amazed by the crowds roaming the red streets. It seemed the people on Sharou's side were far more than what those back home had estimated.
Arsalan and Haness trailed behind the women, speaking in low tones about their father's demands.
"Oh, look at this, Steph!" Parisa dragged the foreigner around each time she spotted something curious or exciting. Stephanie soon discovered that even fugitives and rebels lived by a code of conduct. It was like walking through any ordinary town. Not polished or entirely modern, but with its own strange charm. There were street foods, spice shops, inns, and a constant flow of people buying and selling.
Their first stop, ho
