I woke up by the sound of the crackling thunder, flashes luminated the room and gave creepy shadows to ornaments that I had in my room. I closed my eyes again, wondering if it was still evening or morning. I opened my eyes to the loud screeching sound of the rooster a few houses ahead. I knew it was morning now, around seven in the morning; because that was exactly when the rooster would give out his cry. I tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes as I sighed and sat up. 'This is way to unnatural, waking up in the morning with this kind of weather' I thought. I got up and walked directly to my window where I brushed the curtains to the side so I could peer outside.

It was a tiny village but if felt very comfortable, with only 138 inhabitans it felt very cozy. Everyone knew everyone, we take care for eachother like family. In this enviroment we a bound to do that. The incomes are very low, the ground isn't fertile enough but we do have loads of coal in which we trade for food. Amoria feels like a safe haven for me, however the reason why not many people live here, other than the non-fertile ground is because we are surrounded by the forest. Or better called; the forbidden forest. There is a reason to be forbidden but honestly, I didn't care much for the reason, I have lived here since I was young and I have no interest in the forest. I looked at the rainpools forming in the steep muddy streets and heared how someone ran up the stairs.
"Delilah? Delilah? Are you awake?"

I smiled upon hearing her voice, replying "yes Nina, I am" as I closed one side of the curtain and turned around upon hearing the door opening. She smiled, happy as always and frowned upon hearing the crackeling sound of the thunder outside. "The weather is so weird right?" I mentioned upon seeing her frown while buttoning up my shirt. Nina nodded, "it is so strange, anyway don't forget your breakfast okay?" I nodded and saw her turning around heading down the stairs.
Nina is my best friend, she calls me her bigger sister even though I am not, I find it a great compliment. We grew up together here with our father, or better said, her father. He has a farm with horses, they help out big time with the coal replacements and trading. It was hard labour but Nina tiny as she is moves mountains a day. I grabbed my dirty jeans from yesterday and turned around to make sure my bed was made up.

I walked leasurely down the stairs as again the flashes of thunder lid the room up. It was a warm accomodation where I felt home, the inside was furnitured with the gorgeous oak-wooden table and chairs. I saw a plate on the table with some freshly baked pancakes. The smell filled the room and I smiled, Nina always made my breakfast, she was 100 percent an early bird and definetily woke up before the town rooster.

I walked out the house and felt how the wind lifted up my hair and raindrops were touching my skin. I fastened up my pace and walked towards the stabled where I saw Nina guiding one horse outside her stable. She heard me walking over, "you didn't eat breakfast did you?" as she tied the horse on one of the bars to her left. I laughed, "you keep on trying, but it smelled lovely, so we both have a good lunch again" I mentioned as I grabbed a pitchfork that leaned against the wall.
I always did this, I knew we didn't have too much money and I always felt like a burden. They both didn't ask for me, they just got me and decided to keep me. Her father found me when I was four years old, so almost twenty years ago. He was fastening up one of the horses with bags of coal when he saw me lying in the dirt unconscious. He gave me the name Delilah, to him it was a special name and to Nina too. It was the name of their deceased mother whom died one year after the birth of Nina. When he found me the one thing that I had was my necklace that was silver in the shape of a leaf. He never took it for me, as he knew how much money this would be worth of. When I turned 18 he gave me the necklace as a birthday gift and told me he had found it on me. I was forever gratefull, the took me in and he always took care of me like he took care of Nina, he just saw me as his daughter and I felt loved.

"Nina, come here, you too Delilah"
Nina and I both looked at eachother, we knew the tone of voice of our father and this soundes serious. I threw the pichfork on the floor and Nina already ran to the open door, "where are you then?" she yelled as she looked outside, where it was still dark and rainy. "Here!" he shouted as Nina looked to her left and ran towards is. I made sure to put the horse back in the stable and closed the door before running after Nina. I ran behind her as we saw father on his knees next to somthing or someone lying on the floor face down. I smeared my dirty hands off my jeans as I saw how Nina and father were trying to turn the person over. "Delilah, could you warm up the house and get dry towels ready?" he mentioned as he tried to wake the men up shaking him. I nodded and I turned around and ran as fast as I could towards the house, I swung open the door and skipped some steps while going up the stairs. I made sure to grab a few towels and I ran downstairs trying to light the fireplace to make sure to make it warm inside. I turned my head as I saw how Nina and her father were both carrying the guy trough the open door. They placed him on the ground where I had put an towel. Nina stood up and grabbed one of the towels and patted him down in an attempt to make him dry. When the firepit finally caught fire I rushed over to close the door behind them.

"Do you need a needle and wire?" asked Nina while she panted heavily. Her father nodded and she went upstairs to gather the stuff to sew the wounds he had. I stood next to father as I saw the boy. He was tall and broad, breathing very deeply and looked quite restles. His hair was messy, there ware tiny leaves in there and other woodland rumble. He had smears of blood and mud on his face and his arms. I looked at his clothes that were all ripped into pieces there were tiny twigs hanging and you could see some thorn stuck in his arms. Again the flashes of thunder lid the room and a boldering sound came from above as rained seemed to pour down even harder. Nina made her way downstairs and sat again next to the boy cleaning the wounds and attempting to stitch him up. At that sight I quietly whispered that was going to continue my chores. Father nodded and Nina looked up at me and gave me a smile.

I ran into the stables and stopped and looked at one of the mares in the stables. Her name was Flow and I got her from my father as a birthday present. She is a purebled mare with a staggering height of 1.80. I opened her stable, she didn't spare me a look and continued eating her hay and carrots that lied there for her. I brushed with my fingers through her manes, "I don't have a good feeling about this Flow" I murmured as I continued her. "It doesn't feel right". I grabbed a brush and brushed out some mud of her back and cleaned out her hooves. I made sure that I did it for all the horses as I heard someone coming in. I popped my head up whilst holding a hoove from another mare in my hand. I saw Nina walking in, "looking for me perhaps?" I mentioned as I carved out the last dirt out of the hoove. "Yes, father asked if you could get some clothes for him, fathers attire doesnt fit him, so he would need a large size" she told me as she walked towards me. "Did he wake-up already?" I asked curiously as I patted the horse on its back while leaving opening the stall door. "Nope, not a flinch even when sewing him" she told me as she picked up the broom and shovled some dirt aside. "Okay, I will be going then, see you later" I told Nina as I walked towards the door readying to leave.

I walked into the center of the village, it wasn't busy because the rain poored so hard, everyone decided to stay in. I walked over towards the clothes shop as my feet were drowning in mud I figuered that the guy must have came from the woods. I let my thoughts roll out as I stepped into the little store. Someone looked up as the little bell rang as I closed the door. "Delilah, how are you!" She jammed as she walked over towards me. "Hi Maria, we are doing fine, how about you?" I asked as she gave me a big hug. "It's all well here, what can I do for you?" she said as she let go of the hug. "Well, I need clothing, but quite a large size". Maria furrowed her brows, "your father didn't gain weight did he?" she mentioned as she started to fumble and rumble in the back in the sotyre, probably looking for some clothes. Delilah knew that every one knew everyone and she had to explain why she needed this size. "Well, he has found someone, I don't know anymore as he just given me the task to get the clothes" I said in the hope she would catch the hint I gave her; I didn't want to tell anything about it. Maybe father would get repecussions of this, and she didn't want that for him. "Well your father is too kind" she said when she walked over with a pair of jeans and a large sweater. She pressed into my hands, "here, take it, it is old and raggedy but you guys can use it." I grabbed into my pockets in search for some coins but she placed her hands on my arm. "No need to pay" she winked and opened the door, "its alright like this, hurry up home" she said. "You are amazing Maria, I thank you kindly" I said with a generous smile and ran out the store.

I rushed home, I had hidden the clothes under my own longsleeve to make sure that it wouldn't get wet. I opened the door of the house panting, kicking my dirty shoes into the corner. I brushed the hair out of my face, I saw no-one in the living room, whilst looking around I grabbed the stairs and walked into the upper hallway. I opened the door to my room and saw him sleeping in my bed.