Nora's POV5

The gamblers could not follow because they were not immune to such a level of cold and moreover their bones were freezing; they were worried to drag toward the fireplace rather than following the girl and the strange man. Still it demands a thorough conscious decision whether they will inform the lady of the town; or escape the situation, of course they have to inform her no matter what.

In the next fifteen minutes Nora and the young man reached back to the house because they did not stop and ran straight thinking that the men will be after them. Nora went to apply something on her wound and clean it too while the man remained outside watching if the men were coming to chase them but after waiting for an hour there was no sign of them coming.

Nora was sitting on the chair with all the thoughts pounding in her head, 'why the woman suddenly turned rude as soon as she wanted to take a look at the papers, did she already planned to handover her to the goons even if she has signed without reading but why the woman wanted to kill her; if she wanted to kill her she could have done long ago without waiting her to grow up. Why she was helping her all past years. If this lady was a nemesis of Nora what relation she bore to her, she might know her family, many questions were shuffling at the same time in Nora's mind. She felt thankful to mute man's timely help.

Her empty stomach grumbled and reminded her that she did not eat her fill in the morning and after facing the crisis she was hungry again; with the empty stomach the cold was getting unbearable for her, the lady was gone without giving her money parcel and it was clear that she won't be getting parcel in future anymore. With this she was sure to die if she did not work hard and earn with some possible means. With a determination she stood up but soon was coming to embrace the ground; the less food availability had already left her weak and now this starvation may kill her. 

Two strong arms held her before she could tumble on the ground. Her bulging eyes at the thought of falling and breaking some of the bones turned more curious when the man silently let her stand up properly and then stepped back and sat on the ground. Nora blinked several times as if trying to collect a few words and ask him several questions at once. She was holding back from tomorrow but she had less energy to waste on all those questions. Her stomach grumbled again and the young man clearly heard it. She hurriedly put her hand on her stomach and sheepishly turned her head away, a little embarrassed. 

Before tears could tell how helpless she was feeling at this moment about her circumstances there was a knock on the door. Now she was not worried about the fact that there was a man in her house. She went to open the door; the man saw her not asking him anything he still chose to hide. 

"Little darling happy birthday! I made a cake for you and this time I made a bigger guess why?" the old lady appeared in front of the door as Nora opened it. Nora brought a smile on her face barely holding back her tears again. "Aunt Vera please come inside and tell why did you make it bigger?" She smiled at the fact that the thing which she always disliked was a blessing for her at this moment; every year this neighborhood aunt made a cake for her but came late for wishing birthday but today it seemed that to come late was blessing in disguise for her. 

"My little girl! I can't sit because I have to go back and help your uncle else he might mess up my kitchen as always." Despite coming to the years, her smile was so cute that's why Nora always ignored her late wishes and from now on she won't ever dislike her late wishes for sure. It was also because her smile was genuine. "Sure aunt Vera but don't forget to visit me again when you have time or I might be running around your house complaining, hehe." Nora heartily laughed. 

"You can come as it has been a long time you visited us." The old lady patted her shoulder and went back, she seemed worried about her clean kitchen to become a mess in her absence. Nora nodded and closed the door. Looking at the table which was broken she went inside her room where she saw the man going to hide but he was not there, placing the cake on the bed Nora looked through the window and could not see him outside as well. 

Her stomach was empty, thinking that she would only eat half of the cake and leave the other half for the man, Nora started eating it. The young man was around her but she couldn't see; he knew that she would again share her food which he didn't want to take because he was not hungry nor could he take it when the little girl needed it more. 

With big mouthful bites, half of the cake was resting in her stomach already and she was looking at the other half greedily; thinking about the man she shook her head and stood up to search him, he pretended that he entered through the open window if not this little girl might be wasting her energy to look for him. 

"You must be hungry as well, take this." Nora picked the half cake and presented him with both hands, he was standing in front of her. The man refused to take it. 

"I know you can speak right? Then tell me why are you not hungry to eat the cake?" at his shaking his head again and again and her asking to take the cake she was tether ends now. And he kept refusing. "Better if you don't want to taste and eat this delicious cake then pity on your decision later but never complain to me as I am going to have it all now." She strictly warned and then ate up the whole cake in front of him in hope that he might ask one bite but he did not. Nora cleaned her hands and spoke, "I am going to get some woods and herbs from the forest." 

The winter season was just at its beginning and there were few days left for her to collect as much wood and wild herbs as she could before the snow started falling. Since she no longer was getting money so it was more pressing to look after herself without any hope of miracles. For now the evening was only foggy and wet.