[CW: Story/Feedback] Unity Chapter 1... Very Rough Draft

[Cyanna Cyril]

"Anna? Anna, it's time to wake up now!" A high-pitched voice called from behind her door, accompanied by a flurry of knocking. The voice continued pestering relentlessly for another solid minute, but the girl in bed was determined to remain there.

"Go away Delilah!" The drowsy girl shouted from her blankets, pulling them tightly against her body especially around her ears. There was a brief moment of silence, leading Anna to believe her wake-up call was over. Then, with a loud crack, her door flew open crashing into the wooden wall, and Anna heard a person step into the room.

"Now dear, that's no way to talk to your sister." The voice was masculine, husky like one of the traders who had recently visited the village. The man approached the bed and sat down with a soft thump next to the sleepy woman.

"Delilah," mumbled Anna into the blankets, "please, I know it's you. You can't fool me with your tricks. Also, you're hardly my sister; you're only my step-sister. Plus, you should listen to me, since I'm your older sister."

Anna could hear a soft, shimmery sound from just outside her cocoon of comfort, signaling her sister's transforming back to her usual self. After a small spurt of giggling, Delilah's said in her high-pitched voice, "Come on, I was just having some fun. Besides, wouldn't it be great to have a handsome man wake you up in the morning? You have to admit, that trader Charles was quite a man." There was a thump and then two arms grabbed Anna and pulled her into a close embrace.

"He was nothing special." replied Anna, annoyed at the hug from her sister. "Really, all he wanted was a pretty woman for a night. Typical merchant."

"Awww, Annie sweet Anna, merchants aren't always like that."

"They are when they're men."

"Sooo, does someone have an eye for the other merchants?" Anna could feel the hands pull her waist further into the other body and then, Delilah whispered softly into her ear, "Do you want that with me too, sis?"

A surge of anger filled the sleeping girl, and she tried to elbow her naughty sister off of her, missing because she had planned for a reaction like that and laughing like a hyena. "Oh, Annie. I was only joking. God, you take everything so seriously. Learn to lighten up a little."

"I'm trying to freaking sleep." Anna seethed between clenched teeth. "I don't want to be assaulted when I'm sleeping."

"Really, Annie. You've got to laugh a little more and not be so serious, or else the lovely merchant women aren't gonna even stay for the evening, and definitely not for the night." Anna stood up, pissed off and ready to slug Delilah on sight, but only found herself alone in her room with a voice down the hallway calling out, "See you downstairs."

Anna took a deep breath and sighed. She stumbled over to her dresser and looked into her shattered mirror on the wall. Between the cracks, she could see her freckled face. Her eyes glowed in a light amber like the color of tree sap. Her cheeks were slightly tanned from the beginning of a spring sun, and there was a small red spot on the tip of her nose. Her hair was short, brown, and disheveled like a mat of yak hair from sleeping in so long, and in the middle of that jumbled mess were two large bunny ears, drooping tiredly. She grinned a little bit, pleased that she looked like her normal self. The girl threw on a sleeveless tank top, a pair of hard-worn shorts, and her favorite leather vest.

Anna walked out of her room and into a small hallway on the second floor of the building. She lived in the village's inn, which was run by her caretaker, affectionately known as Baba by the village and travelers alike. As she went towards the stairs at the end of the hallway, Anna noticed a layer of dust caking the floor and walls. She mumbled under her breath something about Delilah skipping dusting yesterday and complaining it would probably be her job today. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Anna saw Baba by the hearth in the lobby, a steaming cauldron boiling quietly in front of her. Meanwhile, Delilah was off in the corner washing clothing in a pan by the drain ditch.

"Good morning Annie!" Delilah said gleefully. "How'd you sleep?"

"Screw you Delilah." Anna replied sharply, walking over towards their pantry.

"Anna," shouted Baba in her scratchy voice. "Don't talk to your sister like that, especially when we might have guests arrive at any time."

"Baba, she basically assaulted me this morning when trying to wake me up. I just wanted to sleep in a little bit. She deserves it." She reached the pantry and pulled out a piece of bread from the night before.

"I don't care what she did, Anna. You shouldn't ever talk like that to your sister. She was just doing what I told her to do."

"You're welcome, Baba!" Delilah added with a huge smirk on her face.

"Delilah," the old woman turned her head to face the mischievous girl. "Next time I tell you to wake your sister, please refrain from any more schenanigans, or else I'll make sure you get the last of the food for a month."

Completely unphased by the threat, Delilah said innocently, "Okay Baba. I promise not to do it again." She then winked at Anna, and mouthed "Love you." Anna sighed, and sat down with her stale bread at the table. There was a slight aroma coming from the cauldron in the hearth, smelling faintly like carrots and cabbage.

Curiously, Anna asked Baba, "What are you brewing over there?"

"Oh, some of the farmers pooled together some of their extra vegetables and a few of their spare chickens for me to make into soup. Of course, I'll give them most of it in return, but I'll also keep some for us and any travelers tonight. We'll also have bread, because the baker also promised us some fresh later tonight for a small share of soup."

"So how did we pay for all of this generosity?"

"Oh, we didn't have to pay anything." Baba said coyly, "They insisted that I take it for free."

"After all," Delilah interjected, "Everyone knows Baba makes the best soup in the village, maybe even in all the kingdoms."

"Hush dear. Boasting is unbecoming when you do it for yourself and is twice as bad when it's someone else's talent." Baba chided. "Oh, Anna, I have a favor to ask you."

"Yes?" Anna said, hoping it wasn't dusting the building. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to go out to the woods and gather some firewood, so I don't run out before I'm done.While the farmers might've been generous with their stock, the lumberers didn't have anything to spare."

"But the forest is miles away. I don't want to go all the way out there and have to haul it all the way back."

"Well, I'll send Delilah with you to help carry it back. I only need a little more."

"Please don't send her with me. She's only going to make it more of a hassle."

"Awww, Annie. You hurt my feelings." Delilah faked a small sob, but then smiled thinking she was so funny.

"Anna dear, you can either go fetch some wood with Delilah, or you can dust the building. I don't really know how it got so dusty in just a few days. You'll also have to explain to the farmers why their families won't get any soup after graciously giving up their own food."

"Fine, I'll go. I'll go." Anna said, defeated. She stood up, having finished her meal and picked up the axe from the wall. When she turned around, Delilah was standing right in her face, grinning like and angel.

"Let's get going."