Ethan gently guided Mary and Louisa back inside the small dirt hut, closing the wooden door behind them to shut out the grim sight of the courtyard gates. The interior was dimly lit, smelling of dry earth and the faint, sweet scent of the girls' panic.
"Have you two successfully adapted to staying within these walls over the past four days?" asked Ethan, his deep voice filling the cramped space as he pulled up a rough wooden stool and sat down, his massive frame dominating the room.
