The entire village is engulfed in flames. With torches, the villagers pursue her tiny body deep in the forest.
She runs and runs and stumbles, tears streaming from her eyes, covering her vision.
With rage, the villagers pursued her. She shouted for help, and her voice echoed throughout the dark forest.
The nearby wolf pack was alerted and charged at the villagers, tearing their flesh bit by bit.
She trembled in fear and struggled to get up from the ground with her tired and battered body.
The wolf's leader noticed her squirming and gave her a menacing stare before leaping on her with fangs bared.
She scream in terror, leaping from her bed, fists clenched around her chest.
Someone dashes in and slams the door open.
"What happened? Are you alright?" Ramy said in a panic.
She was alerted and smack the hand Ramy reach out to her.
"Who?!" She asked in fright.
"Ah? Sorry, did I frighten you? I heard a scream so I hurriedly come here." Ramy said, backing away from her.
She shakes her head and says timidly, "N-no, you don't have to apologize."
"Thank you," Ramy said and gently smiles.
"W-why are you thanking me? I didn't do anything." She said fidgetily.
"I'm thankful that your speaking to me," Ramy said cheerfully.
"Big sister you're strange," she said straightforwardly.
"AHAHAHA," Ramy laugh loudly.
("Why is she laughing?") she ponders and asks as she clutches her shirt, "Uh-um, where is mister?"
"Mister? Ah? Do you mean sir Roswald? He's out right now, taking the quest." Ramy said, cheerfully winking her eyes.
"I-I see," she said hesitantly.
("Hmm~ looks like she's still wary of me... well can't be helped I guess.") Ramy thought and says, "By the way..."
"Y-yes?" She responds in reflex.
("You don't have to be so surprised...")
"I've been meaning to ask your name for a while now. What's your name?" Ramy asked and gently smiles.
"M-my name?" she said in a slight panic.
"That's right, I want to know your name. Oh, my name's Ramy by the way... you can call me big sister Ramy." she said energetically.
"It's Della, my name's Della," she said hesitantly and slightly smiles.
"Della... What a beautiful name." Ramy stated in delight.
"T-thank y-you," she said, stuttering.
"It's true it's a beautiful name... Oh? by the way are you hungry? wait here I'll bring you some snacks." Ramy exited the room in a flash.
Della was taken aback. She breathed in and out to fully calm herself after Ramy walked out of the room.
She felt strange and conflicted by how she was treated with hospitality without any hidden agenda, and she was fascinated by how Ramy's eyes were straightforward and hid no lies.
Ramy rushed down the stairs, "Dad, can I borrow the kitchen for a minute?"
"Why?" the innkeeper asked confused.
"I'm just going to bake some cookies for Della." She said cheerfully.
("After all that I told you, you still enter the room, hayss.")
"Do what you want." the innkeeper said.
"Thanks, dad, love you," Ramy said and hugs her father tightly.
"Hm," he muttered.
Della was in a daze, staring at the ceiling, opening and closing her hand in the air. She stood up and walked over to the window, looking out.
She sees children happily playing with each other and people passing by shopping with their families.
Seeing them, she remembers the happy memories of her mother and herself, along with the bad ones.
Tears swell up from her eyes and flow down without notice, the memory reflected by each drop.
She and her mother traveled to a small village. The villagers welcomed them and helped build a house for them to reside in, but due to the unfortunate events that led to misery,
On the day of the lunar moon, inside the house where they reside, her mother always hugs her tightly, cries, and apologizes over and over.
"My baby, my precious child, I hope you can be happy every day. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, my dear child, your mother can't do anything. I'm sorry."
She didn't understand what her mother was saying until the next day. She leaves the house as usual and notices something strange about the people in the village.
The villagers were enraged and stared at her with disgust. She approached her friends when she saw them, but as she comes near they threw rocks at her, saying,
"Monster! Get out of our village!"
Her head was hit by the rock and bled, she asked in tears,
"Why, why are you throwing rocks at me? Aren't we friends?"
"Friends?! Don't say some disgusting words, we're not your friend."
"That's right, that's right."
"You and your mom are monsters!" the kids said, cornering her.
"No! Why are you saying I'm a monster?! I'm not a monster!" she said as fears resurface in her eyes.
"Look isn't that the monster's child? I wonder when they will get out of this village." the village people mutter in silence and eyes with anger and disgust centered at her.
Ramy knocks at the door and she was taken by surprise,
"Della? Can I come in? I brought the snacks I promised."
"Y-yes, come in," she said as she hurriedly wipes the tears from her face.
Ramy comes into the room and saw her eyes swelling and sweat coming down her body vigorously.
"A-are you alright? Did something happen?" Ramy said and brings out the handkerchief from her pocket, reaching towards her but stopping midway and asking,
"Uh, can I touch you for a second?"
She ponders for a while and replied, "Uhm," with a slight nod.
"By the way, can I also treat your wound? The bandages needed to be changed and- ah, you need to bathe first your hair is muddy I didn't notice until I saw the pillow." Ramy said while wiping the sweat off her and smiling gently.
"A-alright," she said nervously.
"Great. Ah, it's outside, are you alright heading out downstairs?"
"Hm," She nodded with slight hesitation and munching on the cookies.
"Then, I'll call you when I'm done preparing the hot water," Ramy said in delight.
"Yes,"
Ramy went down the stairs and prepared the large wooden bucket in the empty room outside, filling it with water she had boiled while baking some cookies not long ago.
She barges into the room saying with a cheerful smile, "It's done. Let's go I'll help you bathe."
Della rose from the bed and took Ramy's hand in hers, and walked down the hall.
"Ramy, oh? Is that Della? Hello there young lad, I'm Ramy's father, call me Mister Balder." He said and smile cheerfully.
"Y-yes, m-mister Balder." She said, nervously in a low voice.
"Hm? Haha, don't be frightened. Where are you heading?" He said while laughing.
"I'm going to help her bathe," Ramy stated, proudly.
"I see," he said and chuckles.
"We're going, dad."
"Oh, am I taking up your time? Haha sorry... go on ahead." He said laughing.
They walk outside using the kitchen's back door and into the other room.
"Della, take off your clothes and come here," Ramy said, checking the water's temperature.
"Y-yes," She responds and removes her clothes after hesitating for a minute and walks into the large wooden bucket filled with hot water.
Ramy was surprised by the wounds on her body but she pretended not to notice and to not let her be uncomfortable.
She carefully washes her long, unruly hair and washes her back, wiping it with a clean rag to remove dirt.
"Big sister Ramy, your father is a jolly person isn't he?" She muttered.
"Hm? Haha, he is. Well, it gets annoying sometimes and sometimes I enjoyed how my father is like that." Ramy stated happily.
She smiled gently and say, "Big sister Ramy, you look so happy."
"Why of course, I love my family. Look this way, Della." Ramy said.
Ramy finished washing Della's body after a few minutes and added some herbs to the hot water, soaking her for a minute before getting out of the water.
"Della you can come out now," Ramy said, bringing the towel from the other room.
She stood up, and Ramy wrapped her in a clean white towel, wiped her hair with another towel, and urged her to sit on a wooden chair.
Ramy leaves the room and returns with scissors in her hand.
"I'm going to cut your hair short, is that alright with you?" Ramy inquired.
"Y-yes," she said as she seat still.
"Then, you need to hold still ok?" Ramy said touching her shoulder.
Ramy cheerfully begins cutting Della's hair bit by bit, gradually bringing it into line and styling it the way she desires.
Della began to drowse as a result of the long wait, and Ramy abruptly says,
"Alright! It's done." and started her.
"Sorry, did I startle you?" Ramy asked with a worried look.
"N-no, uhm, just a bit." She said hesitantly.
"Haha, are you tired?" Ramy said as she laugh.
"Hm," She nodded.
"Come here, let's dress you up and head back to the room so you can rest."
"Yes," She said, sluggishly.
Ramy dries her entire body with a dry towel before dressing in a clean frilly dress and combing her hair.
She cleans the large wooden bucket and stands it up against the wall. Della dozed off while sitting on a chair, her head bowed to the wall.
Ramy notices her and laughs, she approaches and carries her like a princess, heading up to the room and laying her comfortably on the bed.
To be continued.....