It was still early morning when they set out. The air was frigid, and soon their feet were cold from the snow. It wasn’t as deep as it had been further up the mountainside, and they made good time, but not without a great amount of effort. Zollin was breathing hard just trying to keep up with Brianna. When he had to levitate them it made his head spin with dizziness. He managed to raise his defenses enough so that the constant yearning to move south didn’t bother him, but he was ravenously hungry and would have eaten all their rations if the dried meat hadn’t been so difficult to consume.
It was late afternoon before Zollin sensed any animals large enough to hunt. The storm was getting closer and the air felt heavy and warmer than normal.
“I think there’s a bighorn sheep up on that mountain,” Zollin said.
“I can’t see it,” Brianna said, and then she drew the bow.
Once again her vision narrowed and zoomed across the expanse. She could see the ram now, slowly making its way across the steep mountainside. She took a deep breath and then held it for a moment before making her shot. The arrow flew like a bolt of lighting and hit the ram right behind the shoulder. The big sheep jumped and then fell to the ground dead.
“I got it,” Brianna said triumphantly.
“Really? That’s great.”
“Yeah, but how do we get up there?”
“We don’t,” Zollin said.
He closed his eyes and sent his magic out again. He located the ram and levitated it off the mountain and down into the valley where they waited. The ram weighed more than Zollin and Brianna combined, and the effort left him exhausted. He sat on a rock with his head between his legs, waiting for his head to stop spinning. Brianna began dressing out the ram. It was dirty work, but at least it meant they would have food to eat. They would have to leave large portions of the animal behind; they couldn’t take the hide or the head, and they had no use for the internal organs. She butchered the carcass as best she could and loaded the raw meat into their packs. They would both have to carry as much as possible.
They were just about to set off again when the wind kicked up above them in a strange gust that made an odd sound, almost like a person sighing. Zollin turned around and looked up, then toppled over. Brianna screamed and they both scrambled backward.
A giant was standing up behind them. It had gray skin that looked almost exactly like the hard rock that formed the mountains. It was easily five times taller than a full-grown man. It wore scrub brush around its waist, and its hair was gray and wiry. It looked at them with large eyes that blinked slowly.
“It’s a giant,” Brianna said, her voice pitched high with fear.
The creature moved slowly forward, taking one careful step and then another, until it was right where they had been a moment ago. It bent down and looked at the remains of the sheep they had butchered.
“Are you going to eat this?” the giant asked in a low-pitched, rumbling voice.
“No,” Zollin said loudly. He tried to keep his voice from shaking but failed.
“Can I have it?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, thank you. I’m very hungry.”
The giant picked up the remains of the sheep and popped them into his mouth. He chewed the bones and horns effortlessly.
“My name’s Rup,” said the giant, slowly and deliberately. “You are a wizard.”
Zollin mustered his courage. Rup wasn’t frightening in his appearance; it was just his massive size that had startled Zollin and Brianna. He had large, round shoulders and thick arms and legs. His stomach was round, and his face was somewhat flat. He had a broad nose but no lips. His eyes were intelligent but cloudy, as if they were very dry.
“That’s right,” Zollin said. “My name is Zollin, and this is Brianna.”
“It’s very nice to meet you both. I’ve been sleeping here a very long time.”
Rup stretched his arms and yawned.
“We’re heading south,” Zollin said. “There’s a storm coming.”
“Oh, that’s good. I like storms.”
“We need to find shelter,” Brianna added.
“Like a cave?” Rup suggested.
“Yes,” Zollin said. “Somewhere we can rest and stay dry.”
“I know a place,” said Rup. “It’s this way.”
He stepped over them both and up onto a low ridge. Brianna held onto Zollin tightly, her whole body trembling as the giant passed over them.
“I didn’t know giants were real,” said Brianna.
“Me neither.”
“What are we going to do?”
“I think we should follow him.”
“What if he wants to eat us? He could be leading us to some sort of trap so he can catch us. Did you see the way he crunched the ram’s horns between his teeth?”
“Yes, but he seems nice enough.”
“Zollin, he’s a giant! How do you know if he’s nice?”
“We might offend him if we don’t follow him.”
“This is insane,” Brianna said. “First dragons and now giants.”
“Come on,” Zollin said. “I’ll go first.”
He levitated himself up to the top of the ridge. They probably could have scrambled up the small rise, but Zollin didn’t want to fall too far behind Rup. It took nearly half an hour to reach the cave that Rup led them to. Zollin and Brianna didn’t have time to worry, as it took all their energy just to keep pace. Rup could climb the mountains as easily as a child scaling a tree. It was only Zollin’s ability to levitate himself and Brianna up and down the steep trail that allowed them to keep up.
“Look,” Rup said happily. “It’s a nice cave. Too small for me, but just right for a wizard.”
“How did you know I was a wizard?” Zollin asked.
“Because you woke me up,” Rup said, as if it were the most obvious fact. “Would you like me to lift you up?”
“No,” Brianna said. “We’ll manage.”
“Okay,” said Rup. “Thanks for waking me. I’m going to find a drink.”
The giant moved away slowly but gracefully. Zollin and Brianna watched him go, still in shock at what they had seen.
“I guess giants are nice,” Zollin said.
“Maybe,” Brianna admitted. “He didn’t try to eat us.”
“Why would you think that he might?” Zollin asked.
“Don’t you remember the stories about the giants who steal children and stew them in giant kettles?”
“That’s just a children’s story.”
“Yes, but we thought the same thing about dragons not long ago.”
“Well, at least we have food and place to stay.”
“Sure, we can just cozy up in that cave until Rup gets hungry again. Then he’ll know right where to find us.”
Chapter 5
Prince Wilam walked across the small drilling area, where a squad of fifty men was practicing with weapons. He looked at them, frowned, and began shouting.
“You look like a band of trollops! Don’t let your shields droop, you’ll be killed. Or worse yet, the man beside you will be killed.”
He pushed one of the men aside, snatching away the soldier’s shield. He took the man’s place in line and demonstrated.
“Your shield must be locked against the next man’s shield. It creates a barrier that can’t be penetrated. Do you understand? Your job on the front line is to hold the enemy at bay. You’ll have plenty of chances to slide your weapon into the gap, but you have to hold the line. Your shield wall cannot falter. A breakdown at any one point will spell disaster for the entire line. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir!” the men shouted.
They were a ragtag group of men. Most were farmers or merchants who had fallen under the sorcerer Gwendolyn’s spell. She had an alluring quality that made men forget everything else. They left their wives and families, ignored their farms or businesses, and thought only about the witch whom they called a queen. She was living in the Castle on the Sea in Lodenhime, on the southern shore of the Great Sea of Kings. It wasn’t actually a castle, but rather a large stone manor, built by a wealthy merchant. All men who came into the city eventually fell under the witch’s spell, including Wilam, the Crown Prince of Yelsia. Gwendolyn had made him her general and given him the task of building her an army. He was determined not to fail her.