"Night is not something to endure until dawn.
It is an element like wind or fire.
Darkness is its own kingdom;
it moves to its own laws,
and many living things dwell in it"
― Patricia A. McKillip
Finally, the rain had begun to slow down, and little by little, she felt her eyes grow heavier.
Eventually, with relief, she succumbed to a dreamless sleep.
She already knew that tomorrow would be a bloody mess.
The next day had been completely exhausting as she expected, and it was only the early afternoon.
Lily had to wash away dirt months and months old from the cuisine, making her almost throw up in disgust for the unidentifiable things found around and their smell. The beds had seemed to be infinite and it was almost a mission impossible with all the kids running and playing around like wild beasts.
By the end of the tasks, she couldn't even feel her hands and arms, and her back was screaming like a madman, begging to some relief. The only thing that remained to do was to collect all the plates on the dining hall after lunch, and then maybe go thankfully to rest for a few hours, until it would be time to cook dinner.
She started to collect the dishes, while some useless housekeepers remained to chat in front of the radio, doing nothing as usual.
Nothing except gossip of course.
The radio was the only way to know what was going on outside the Orphanage and it wasn't even that useful as the signal came and went. They seemed happy to leave all the jobs to Lily and the other few old kids, while the children went out to play in the backyard. They were enjoying the beautiful day after a week of rain, running around and chasing each other, carefree as always.
She envied their naive nature. Their innocence in thinking that everything was alright, while in reality it really wasn't. She looked outside for a moment and saw three boys running with an old ball, half-deflated and with skin hanging barely. They were all sweaty and dirty, with mud everywhere, but they were sporting huge grins. Groaning to herself, she instantly knew would be the one that would clean the clothes.
Lily breathed out in an attempt to not get irritated. They were kid after all. They were enjoying their childhood and getting dirty was a pretty and funny way to do it.
"Have you heard Madam Jones?" she heard a housekeeper ask the eldest, an ugly and mean woman with seagulls instead of eyebrows "Those awful creatures has started to return and kill people on the front" she said, making some gesture to emphasize.
"Yeah, I heard Miss Hollow. Those terrible monsters have started to make appearance again" said Madam Spite, the usual expression of disgust on her face "We should pray that another war doesn't happen again dear" she added and the other women agreed, nodding with their head.
Lily remembered about that war as she had read it in a book. It happened about three hundred years ago and it was called The Giant War, or the Bloodshed War. The book, where she found the information, stated that even if the war was won, the losses were incomparable. Thousands of elves, humans, daemons, dragons, gryphons and jozus died in that battle, leaving lots of people grieving behind.
The Giant War was in the end, just a giant massacre, hence the other name.
Years ago, some battles had started again and her father, who was a simple warrior, was called to the arms. He went to contrast a small battalion of Abaddòn that had tried to take over a little island, near the front, that hold a strategic position. They had won because fortunately there weren't a lot of them, but her father perished in that fight. There were a few more battles in the following years but in the end, the battle was won again, this time without a lot of losses.
The radio started to crack again, shutting up the women that were always thirsty for some gossip.
"My dearest audience!" said a feminine nasal voice "It's my greatest *crack* pleasure to inform you to the biggest news in *crack* the entire century!!"
Lily stopped with the other kids the work to listen to this unusual report.
"The director of the James Churchill Academy has just informed us *crack* that the great seven *crack* Legend Dragons with all the other dragons will tomorrow, on the *crack* recurrence that happen every five years, leave the school in search of their riders! You heard me right! The Seven Dragons, the legendary dragons! My *crack* fellow what a news!" exclaimed the reporter excitedly.
The housekeepers all froze looking at the radio, and Lily also looked at the device astonished. It was unheard that any human had ever ridden such a powerful dragon.
"Those awful creatures" said suddenly Madam Spite, looking with disgust at the poor radio "It's all because of their stupid war that people continue to die!" she said, while the other women nodded stupidly "if they didn't exist I bet we would all be more happy!"
Lily snorted quietly.
Yeah, more happy to be dead - she thought giving her back to them and resuming quietly her work.
The radio continued to crack more news on the greatness of such events, but Lily stopped listening. Her painful wish of childhood, to become a rider and fights with dragons, was in a way still a fresh wound. A reminder to not let hopes high ever again.
"Hey! Wretch!" Madam Spite shout.
Lily sighted heavily and turned to see what the reincarnated devil wanted. The cold woman had given her hard times since she was left there, calling her all sort of names. Wretch however, remained her favourite one.
She always made her do all kind of hard and crazy jobs, like the time she made her clean the roof of the Orphanage. A mission that had almost killed her as she had slipped on an old tile and almost fallen down, but maybe it was her real intent from the beginning.
The older woman had always hated her for some bizarre reason, while she remained sweet and caring with the other orphans.
"Did you do everything, you ungrateful brat?" she spat with her crow like voice.
"Yes, Ma'am" replied Lily quietly, swallowing down an angry remark. It wouldn't do her any good to engage a fight with her.
"Then get out of my sight. You still need to hang out the laundry" she said, sneering at her.
Lily put the last plate away, knowing that there were two more orphan kid who would do it as they also remained here after their eighteen birthday. They never talked to each other, as none of them had really formed a relationship or even felt the need to.
Without replying she walked away, silent in her steps as words reached her hears.
"I swear, that good-for-nothing brat is the worst thing to this..." she heard Madam Spite said, but the words faded as she closed the dining door behind her.
Yeah, good-for-nothing that does everything in this rotten hell – thought the girl, but didn't reply at the insult she was sure had been said loud for her ears.
Lily had always hated discussion and found it unnecessary to try to change the thoughts of closed-mind people like them, it was simply a waste of time. She was a calm person, who preferred to speak reasonably and not screaming at each other. Lily always had the feeling that, when someone fought, in a way something important would be lost.
She headed downstairs where there was the laundry to collect, which would be another or more hour of work. Thankfully it was a beautiful day, and she could enjoy a little of sun on her pale skin.
Lily passed a mirror and ignored the reflection. She already knew who would watch her back. There would be a girl, around twenty-one, with long dark wavy hair tied up messily and with strands that always managed to escape. She would have tired hazel eyes with deep bags under them and the full rosy, but dry and cracked, lips would for sure be pulled in a hard line that never went away. The girl would be wearing old tattered clothes that hid a thin frame that had just a bit of muscles for the hard work she always did around.
Lily didn't want to see that person because it was like looking at a ghost and she didn't want to recognize herself in that image, so she continued to walk.
She had work to do.
But at the sight of the laundry all she could do was groan loudly. Ton and ton of sheets and towels were there, glaring and daring her to take them. The evil Madam Spite had obviously tenderly thought that she was bored and wanted to help her in some way.
Sighting, she grabbed a basket and started to take everything outside, something that took at least five rounds.
In the end she enjoyed staying out in the sun with the light breeze keeping her company. It was almost a beautiful and perfect day: the children were having fun under the light, the air smelled of freshness and the sound of birds chirping was delightful to hear.
When she finished what had been requested, she sneaked out without anyone noticing and possibly making her do more jobs, and went to her usual spot.
Her favourite place was a little clearing on the top of a little hill, behind the orphanage. It faced the entire valley and Lily always went there to think, relax or sing sometimes, with only little birds and some foxes as witnesses.
Lily stayed there almost until evening, watching the sunset and letting the gentle wind caress her, thinking of nothing. She watched the first light of the few houses lightning up, and listened to the song of the usual owl that would soon start to hunt.
She smelled the beautiful scent the night would bring that reminded her of liberty, peace and quietness. She loved the feeling of stillness the dark would bring, where the only one awake to find out the secrets of the shadows was her and no one else.
Lily didn't know why, she just knew that the night and the stars were something that soothed her, that filled just a little the permanent hole in her heart.
So she stayed there for hours, until it started to grow more chilly and her little shirt couldn't shield her any more.
She eventually had to go back to cook to the building that should be her home, but in reality wasn't. She prayed that the next week wouldn't be chaotic for the excitement of the children that thought about the dragons.
She somehow knew, it was already a lost battle.