A Giant's Heart: Chapter 19

We rejoin the others and after a very brief round of courteous small talk Zayne hurries the others along insisting that they had to get back on the road before it got too late.

As they get ready to leave Zayne’s nephew Wymund comes up beside me.  “Shame we didn’t get to spar.”  He says in that warrior’s braggadocios way I recognized so well.  20 years ago I sounded just the same.  Despite the stories he’d heard of me, in his heart, he believed he could best me and it was killing him not knowing for sure.  “I’m sure I could have learned a few things.”

Slapping his shoulders I say.  “Perhaps another time Wymund.”  I motion toward his uncle.  “Hey, take care of the old man will you?”

He chuckles.  “He’s doing fine.  He’ll probably still be going strong when I hang up my sword.”

“Yeah.”  I say solemnly.  I’d been around enough to know that the one enemy no adventurer could conquer was time.  The life was for the young and the quick.  Zayne knew it too.

Across the room Lanaestra watched me with a keen eye.  She could sense the change between my old friend and I, it was impossible not to as we barely spoke.  Hell, we barely even looked at each other.  After a brusk farewell my wife and I stand in the open doorway and watch the three ride out in the gray drizzly day.

After a long moment Lana finally breaks the silence.  “Things did not go well?”

“No.”  I say.

She studies me closely.  “Did you listen to him Caspian?  Really listen.”

“It didn’t change anything.”  I say.  “I wish you hadn’t have done that Lana.”

“I spoke the truth my love.”  She says gently.  “I met Zayne in the city just by happenstance.  We spoke about you.  We arranged this before I knew how adamant you’d be in refusing the council’s offer.  I should have warned you or spoke to him first.”  She steps closer, her fingers touch mine.  “I thought he could help.”

“Sure.”  I say flatly.

Another pause, the light patter of the rain hitting the house the only sound.  “I thought you’d be happy to see your old friend again.”

“I was.”  I say, failing to add that the man who just rode off was not the old friend I had been genuinely happy to see on his arrival.  “He looks good.  Healthy.”

“He’s looking after himself.”  She replies, and like me I sense there was more she left unsaid.

“Yeah.”

“You’re angry.”

“No.  I’m tired.”  I sigh.  There was more I wanted to say, a lot more, but I hadn’t the energy for it.  Besides, unlike most days, I actually had things that I was eager to get done today.  Remembering that sparks a light inside of me.  I turn and take her into my arms.  With a kiss I say.  “Thank you.  Regardless of how it turned out, it was good to see him again.”

“I apologize.”

“Don’t.  I’m serious Lana.  Thank you.”  I kiss her again.  “Just…just tell me next time.”

“Of course.”  With a feather light touch she rubs her slender hand down my arm.  “Are you okay?  Do you want to talk about it?”

“Nah.  I’m good.”  I assure her.  And strangely, despite what had just happened, it was the truth.  I did feel good, at least for the moment.  With this meeting out of the way the rest of the day was mine and I found myself invigorated at the thought to it.

Sensing the sudden shift she tilts her head and looks at me curiously.  “Very well.”

***

With that done I push it from my mind and focus completely on the job before me.

No more than an hour and half later and I am loading up my trusty old donkey Spud with a bit of lumber and canvas, a few tools, and a couple of dry cured hams procured from the cellar.  I’d be hearing about that last one from Tali no doubt.  Summoned by the aroma of the meat our barn cat and her litter of half a dozen 10 week old kittens weave circles around my feet as they mew and beg.

I ensure everything is secured and protected from the rain atop Spud then pull the hood up of my magical cloak.  Only mildly enchanted the garment would keep me dry and warm in the wet weather.  As I move forward, Spud’s lead in my hand, one the kittens lets out a caterwaul as the donkey steps on the tip of its tail.  It skitters for cover and startles the rest, though they don’t go too far.

“Get!”  I push them back with my feet.  “Little pests.”  I grumble.  If I ever saw the Tom that found its way out here I would hurl it into the next kingdom.  What the hell were we going to do with this many damn cats?  Ah well.  That would be Tali’s problem to deal with, and in the meantime at least our barn cat would have some company.  It had to be lonely out here…

I pause in my tracks.  Looking back down to the group of them I kneel down and pet the mother.  She leans in and rubs against my hand with a purr, probably believing she was about to get some of the tasty ham.

“Sorry Mama.”  I say.  “Somebody else could use the company too.”  My eyes scan across the litter and settle on one.  The only ginger of the group and noticeably bigger than the rest with bright yellow eyes.  I scoop him up.  “Come on pal.”

He squirms in my gloved hand and gives my thumb a playful bite as I pull him under the cloak.  Standing up I lead Spud out into the rain and toward the injured giant I was caring for.

Too late do I realize the mistake of bringing an unrestrained rambunctious kitten out into a rainy day for a long walk.  The first few minutes were great as he wriggled around in my hand and explored beneath the cloak.  By the time we were heading into the deep forest though he seemed to clue in that he wasn’t near his mother and siblings any longer.  That’s when the needle like claws really came out.  He writhed and pushed and scratched against me before finally breaking free of my one handed grip to climb out of my cloak and up onto my shoulder.

Looking around the forest around and seeing nothing familiar he being to mew.  And mew and mew and mew.  Calling out for his mother and family and getting no reply.  Despite the steady drizzle he refused to come back under the cloak, opting instead to cling to my shoulder with all twenty claws.

By the time we are crossing the gully where the pale wet corpses of Osa’s parents lay I had moved the cat onto the top of the load on Spud’s back where it sat there, soaked to the bone, shivering and miserable.  The incessant meowing had eased into just the occasional hopeless yowl.

“Pretty rough, huh?  It’s alway tough leaving home the first time.”  I tell him as I scratch his sopping little orange head.  “It’ll be okay.  You’ll see.”

I could just see the boulder up ahead through the trees.  I stop and listen closely but hear nothing above the rain and breeze through the limbs around me.

“Osa!”  I call out.

“Drake!”  Comes the immediate reply, her strong voice unabashedly cheerful.  “Drake, come!”

Without realizing it I find a smile had spread across my face.  “I’m coming.”

I push forward through the underbrush leading my travel mates along beside me.  As I break into the small clearing I see Osa sitting upright where I had left her, as tall as I was though seated, with a relieved look in her eyes.  A black spot marked where the fire had long ago burned out and beside her the water gourds lay open and empty.  Except for her splinted leg she looked better than ever.  Her amber eyes glimmered vibrantly and she moved with ease, the very picture of robust health.  The magic healing token was definitely working.  The boulder had mostly kept her upper body dry though the blankets over her legs were wet.  I do note that she was a lot cleaner than last I saw her, in fact it was the cleanest I’d ever seen a hill giant.  She must have used the rain or the water to freshen up.  The layer of grime gone vastly improved her broad handsome features.

“Happy.”  She says with a big grin, reaching out and wanting to touch me.  “Happy!  Osa Happy!”

I chuckle at her free and open expression of emotion.  It really was endearing in its innocence.  “Did you think I forgot about you?”

“Thought Drake run away.”  She says as I approach.  Her gaze settles onto the beast of burden at my side and her eyes light up.

Turning I go to introduce the giant to the two animals.  “I brought you some f…”

“Food!” She says as she grabs the donkey around its neck and, with a swift and nearly effortless twist of her hand, snaps its spine.  Good old Spud was dead before he hit the ground.

I stand a moment in stunned silence before sputtering the end my sentence.  “…friends.”

Osa looks at the confused kitten who still sat atop then now dead beast of burden and scrunches her face.  “Too small to eat.”

After a second to recover I exclaim.  “You killed my ass!”

Chapter 20