ter

rs old, her small body shaking with sobs as she huddled in the corner of the cart. The soldier guarding the cart, his face twisted in annoyance,

lice. "One more sound from you, and I'll rip your head off yo

The soldier's eyes gleamed with a malevolent light as he towere

eeks, her small body trembling as she leaned against the cart. The

together, their faces etched with fear and worry. Selena, the eldest, wrappe

just now. I don't want anyone to hurt us," Isolde comforted her younger sister as she sniffled, her eyes welling up with tears. "I

r eyes shining with tears. Selena quickly covered her mouth, sile

them tightly, trying to offer what little comfort she could. "We'll see Mama an

led with a mixture of fear and hope. "Are yo

t. "Yes," she assured her sister, thoug

nning the cart's occupants. "Comport yourself well, or be thrown

protest. But Selena and Isolde held her tight, silencing her before she cou

had to stay strong, for each other's sake, and for the sake of their unborn sibling. But as the hours ticked by, and the cart rumble

eathered and worn. The cart came to a stop, and the soldiers ordered the captives to disembark. Selena, Isold

waiting their fate. The air inside was thick with the stench of sweat, fear, and desperation. Selena's eyes

shut, plunging them into total darkness. The silence was oppressive, just like a heavy blanket that suffocated all sound. No birds sang,

r balance. Selena's stomach churned with each jolt, her sisters' terrified faces etched in her mind. The wagon's relent

mped down, his sword clanging against the wagon's side, making the wooden slats v

is voice echoing off the surrounding tree

move, their bound hands making every step a struggle. Selena, Isolde, a

ivation of sustenance had taken its toll, leaving many with stomachs that growled and churned with emptiness, the dull ache of hunger a constant reminder of their dire circu